DreamCast: Sunset Blvd.

I guess it was 5 a.m...

Sunset Blvd was one of my adolescent favorites &
missing it on Broadway was one of my biggest adolescent regrets.
It actually would make a great movie because
the settings requires such a grand scale &
the entire musical has cinematic center.

Kim Catrall as Norma Desmond

Norma Desmond was always casted too old.
She should be a very present 50-something lady.
With a strong sexual presence. And the knowledge of age,
but not antiquity.
In Sex & The City,
she exhibited that urgent effort against
aging & becoming obsolete.
She also commanded & demanded
center-stage attention,
which is a defining characteristic of Ms. Desmond.

Jude Law as Joe Gillis

In Closer, Jude Law plays a charming but failing obit writer.

it's a quick leap to play a charming but failing screenwriter.

He has the base sensuality that would attract Norma, &

 the indulgent, irresistible factor that would attract Betty.

Dann Florek as Max

Law & Order: SVU is one of my favorite shows.

Dann Florek plays the super-serious Captain, &

Max is his own kind of super-serious Captain.

He has the ominous stare down, &

is one you could never picture laughing.

Sad, but so appropriate for the part.

 Chris Messina as Artie Green 

For some reason, this guy
is synonymous with the stable fiancee.

He has that A-Ok vibe whose appeal is authentic
but never quite enough.

Michelle Monaghan as Betty Schaefer

I love this lady.
She seems earnest & idealistic but not sheltered.
She could pull off playing someone restless with potential.

Passing Strange @ Bailiwick Chicago: Part I

Passing Strange @ Bailiwick Chicago

 opened by the exquisite Phillip Morris

The setting: A fresh & refreshing atmosphere. A theatre with a bar where you can take the drinks into the theatre. I can't say enough nice things about the Front-of-House staff, especially one female bartender whose name I didn't catch.

This production: fit well into its' physical setting. They used simple & smart styling choices & production shone with the clean sheen of professionalism

The themes: dealt with working through the demons that come with approaching adulthood. It was a self-actualized performance piece that shifted forms & matured throughout the course of it's production.

The Players
A small company of serious skill & comedic ability.

IT IS A RARE FIND:
Here we find skilled, smart, seasoned, & talented professionals
doing what God created them to do:
this was a company of actors where
the parts & the sum
had to compete for top billing,
which is exactly how ensemble pieces should roll.



This production felt like a hybrid, a musical LoveChild;
almost a tribute to the best part of great musicals:

The sick, smart, & tight direction of Bat Boy, 

meets fresh artistic staging vision of Cabaret, 

meets the coming-of-age dynamic of Spring Awakening,
meets the quirky but rooted view-point of Hairspray,
meets the articulate nostalgia of The Buddy Holly Story,

meets the sassy musical-theatrical-indulgence of The Full Monty, 

meets the sad & straight-forward subtleties of Hedwig, 

meets the dream factor of Requiem for a Dream,
meets the intrinsic vibe of Chicago, 

meets trippy second act of Hair.

All strong & solid musical theatre associations.
A great musical for today that incorporates
the strong factors of yesterday.
I can't say enough good things.

MORE TO COME...

GoodBye GlassHouse Part III: PETER PAN

Upon entering the theatre space, the skeleton of the theatre was in full-view: catwalks, lights, harnesses, ladders, a stack of mattresses. In the theatre at the Water Tower, it would feel unnatural to imagine any other setting. Props & allusions to the forthcoming production were interspersed in the space--signs spray-painted in stencil font, a perfect clock atop a bookshelves complete with a Raggedy doll. Perfectly symmetrical lines of danging exposed light bulbs hung over the 1st few rows. The actors entered the space quietly & naturally, overlapping with the pre-show chit-chat & organically pulling the audience into their world. There was a good initial pacing and a great build-up of climactic moments. Especially relating to the appearance of Peter Pan. He appeared in the most easy slip of a moment, with charm that makes Mrs. Darling's description of him as a predator poof in smoke. Climactic moments like these were well built-up  & satisfactory, but consistently delivered on a surprisingly smaller scale than the build-up would indicate. Overall, a really fresh & focused interpretation of a cool classic with a very strong strand of that Lookingglass flavor. 

My favorite part about this production was

the costume design:

Having such a smart, sparse set allowed the artistic energy to largely focus on costumes. It was like a cast of human dressings, which was a clever & effective use of concentrated artistic effort.

the lost boys

They wore it all & they wore it well:

hoodies, Sunday dresses, lace, Converse sneakers,
harnesses, hats, sweaters, flannel, goggles, fingerless gloves,
winter tights, rolled-up jeans, beanie caps, & lace-up boots.
It was a perfect mismatched hodgepodge;
a creepy, sweet, weathered,
modern infusion of agelessness.  
I felt echos of Oliver Twist, Narnia, Annie & loved it all.

you've never seen pirates like these

I loved both the vision & execution of the Pirates scene.
 I can't say enough good things, so a video:




thematic elements:
Finding Neverland, Finding Family, Creating Family. 
Coming-of-Age. In Neverland.

Casting college kids as The Lost Boys was an awkward fit at times
(due to skill levels, NOT artistic vision),
but I loved the thematic implications of
this casting decision.
To me, this casting vision & This Neverland represented
the startling change of entering college.
The Lost Boys created a family of bonds stronger than blood.
 In a hard, false, first taste of adulthood,
Wendy became a dorm mom of sorts.
She made lists to take care of The Lost Boys, &
acknowledged how she became "addicted to status"
of being drunk of the power
of seeing one's self as a parent rather than a child.

 It got me thinking about the parents' end of the college experience,
To watch a child get his first feet wet of adulthood,
but wanting to turn a blind eye
to the reality of that awakening.

This  Neverland has a tone of the Rumspringa conflict,
where one can taste the real world,
but then has to choose
to return to the world that defines home,
or sign over to a new faith found from newfound knowledge.


my favorite phrase & moment of this production:
(attempting to describe the Darling Children's
return home after a short lifetime in Neverland)
pen cannot describe the happy scene

DreamCast: Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon was pivotal to my adolescent education of musical theatre. This is one musical that actually would be great as a movie & there have been talks of that possibility. I love that the writers were ballsy enough to conquer such a complicated war that was still fresh in the minds of many audience members. If it wasn't such a perfect & pristine piece of theatre, it could have been a huge expensive, offensive flop. Luckily, it turned out to be a perfectly-crafted, ageless, & invincible American Musical Theatre classic.

Jamie Chung as Kim

She doesn't have the most amazing acting stats,

but she is the perfect picture of Kim in my mind's eye.

She is an MTV star turned actress & something about that makes me think

she would have the freshness Kim needs & most actresses lack.

Hugh Laurie as The Engineer
Disclaimer: I know The Engineer is usually played by an Asian actor,
but since Jonathan Pryce is synonymous with the role, 
I felt entitled to cast Hugh Laurie based on that interpretation.
On House, his character's identity is grounded in his goals & work.
The Engineer is similarly-minded,
but with a completely different brand of background.
I've only ever seen him play a dry, quiet humor, &
 I would be excited to see him interpret
the more flamboyant flavor of The Engineer.

These girls have small roles, but it is important to cast them as individuals.   

Keiko Agena as Mimi
She reminds me of the sweet & poor Monique Wilson.
And I've gotta represent Gilmore Girls.

Tila Tequila as Gigi
She clearly exhibits the attitude & sexual charisma
Gigi requires to win Miss Saigon.

Devon Aoki as Yvette

She is more model than actress, but she has a great face.

She could individualize a role that could get lumped into the chorus.

Zhang Ziyi as Yvonne

She is a seasoned actress with a wide range of experience.
She seems like she could bring something sad & serious to the part.

Mekhi Phifer as John
I like that he was from ER, the Grey's Anatomy of yesteryear
John leaves the war a more driven & serious man
whose world view is seasoned with what his eyes have seen
I love the song Bui Doi & think it must be such a fun challenge as an actor.
To stand stagnant & sing a public service message
as the Opening to the Second Act requires
an actor whose conviction engages the audience enough
to get their mindset back to Saigon.
It is a challenge & responsibility that I could see
Mekhi Phifer having the intensity to handle.

Disclaimer: I don't like the choice to have the background singers in choir robes.
I like the background singers to be soldiers behind a screen.
This is a song about the perspective of a veteran, the infusing of the church dilutes his perspective.

Justin Chambers as Chris
Many elements of his Grey's character that would be applicable to Chris.  
He is the All-American Boy, but with baggage in his eyes.
His efforts are honorable, but living in a world of shades of wrong but no right,
it is a constant struggle to apply
everyday American ideals in a foreign & impossible world.
Chris seems like the simple, romantic male lead, but
placing that lead in this setting requires
an actor who can use his pretty face to actually act.

Daniel Dae Kim as Thuy

He proved on Lost, he can pull off the traditional, domineering man
without making him into a cruel caricature.
I think he would play a Thuy who felt like a piece of Kim's past,
instead of a random, flat antagonist.

Jennifer Garner as Ellen
Her performance in Juno reminded me of Ellen's journey.
Ellen can be played a million different ways, but I envision hers as:
A steel magnolia who doesn't mind getting dirty,
A wholly-devoted wife, who is strong despite herself, &
A woman with the fiercest of maternal instincts.
The Original 1989 'I Still Believe' - Lea Salonga & Claire Moore

I love them both so much & clearly no one will ever compare.

Pax Jolie-Pitt as Tam

I think Pax could channel

some of his real-life experiences into his interpretation of the role.

There was a limited casting pool for Tam &

he fills the required cute quotient.

WorldStage: Hallelujah!

The Opera Company of Philadelphia performs 

The Hallelujah Chorus

[flash mob style]

@ Macy's in Philadelphia. 

This is brilliant & made me cry. 

Random Acts of Culture.

May WishList: Part II

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind

@ the neo-futurists

It seems to be a staple of Chicago Theatre,

like Lookingglass Alice.

And it comes highly recommended  
by tons of people on multiple occasions.
Any show that has run so long has to have something going for it. 

The King & I

@ Porchlight Music Theatre

Runs until: June 5

It is intriguing to me that anyone would choose to do The King & I.
It's a classic, but one that flies under the radar 
since it can only be compared to Rogers & Hammersteins' other shinier classics.
I hear this theatre does Sondheim well,
so I have faith they can tackle R&H. 

It is being directed by L. Walter Stearns
in his last production as Artistic Director.
Knowing that, I know this production 
had a director who threw himself into every detail.

And, from what I have read, the details are what makes this production. 

I'm picturing the nostalgia of R&H, the impact of Sondheim, 
and the style of a Julie Taymor movie. 
Speaking of movies...

Jane Eyre 2011 Movie

I can't remember the last time I saw a movie in theatre,

but this preview reeled me in.

Oprah! A Comedy!

@ The Annoyance Theatre & Bar

I never take advantage of the comedy scene in Chicago, 
but this one caught my attention.
It seems to have an air of Forbidden Broadway to it.
I'm sick of reading/hearing about Oprah's show going off the air, &
her plans to take over Broadway.
I have mad love for the lady, but enough is enough. 

I have madder love for this lady, 
and much faith in her performance,
since our names are 66% identical.
I know they incorporate Gayle King, Richard M.Daley, Dr. Phil, & Steadman.
I hope Dr. Oz is included, because he would be a dream role
for the right improv/character actor.
I wish they had incorporated my girl Rachael Ray,
Or they could just do a whole improv comedy show based on her;
it wouldn't be as popular but there is a thick stack of improv material there. 

Helen @ Strawdog Theatre Co.

Runs until: May 25

My main inclination for wanting to see this show stems from the fact 
that I’ve lived around the corner from Strawdog for 10 months now, 
and have yet to see one of their shows. 
Considering that I’ve seen 2 at Mary-Arrchie, I feel like a neighborhood traitor.
I love their marketing design. 
When a theatre has smart marketing, 
I have faith that the rest of their vision will follow suit. 
Not to mention that a re-imagined Greek myth is always intriguing.

Jane Eyre 2011 [trailer]

I need to see this movie ASAP.

Experience a bold new vision of a timeless classic...

My Thoughts

• I love Jane Eyre inside-out & upside-down. I was just excited that there was going to be another Jane movie. It never occurred to me that it could be awesome & it looks like it actually might be.
• The fact that Judi Dench signed on for the film gives me faith in the script and director's vision. I don't mind that it is the umpteenth remake of this novel because there are so many different storyline details & reimagined character dynamics that different scripts can emphasize.
• Every play, movie, & musical adaptation I have seen thus far has incorporated the conversation that opened this preview:

Brocklehurst: Do you know where the wicked go after death?
Jane: They go to hell.
Brocklehurst: And what is hell?
Jane: A pit full of fire.
Brocklehurst: And should you like to fall into this pit & be burned forever?
Jane: No, sir.
[this is where the preview cut the punchline]
Brocklehurst: What then must you do to avoid it?
Jane: I must keep in good health and not die.

• I love that Mrs. Fairfax seems a serious character & not a stoic housekeeper, silent of the woodwork, or Mrs. Claus playing housekeeper.
• It reminds me of the 1992 Wuthering Heights, which was a great adaptation of a story with similar tones.
• I liked the violence of the horse falling. That is a huge & important moment & it always gets swept under the table.
• I like the use of the word transfixed because that is what this story is all about. I also like the incorporation of this classic line & moment:

Do you think that because

I am poor, obscure, plain, & little

that I am souless & heartless?

WorldStage: White House Correspondents Dinner

I'm so glad our president is attractive AND funny.

On Donald Trump:

Well-handled, sir.

On The Birth Video:

I want to make clear: That was a joke. 

DreamCast: RENT

I have a soft spot for Rent.

The Jonathan Larson story is amazing.
Someone needs to write a musical about that story.
 I was 13 years old when Rent exploded on the scene.
I remember crying as his sister accepted his Best New Musical Tony &
hanging up the Time magazine cover in my room.
I also remember September 7, 2008,
when it closed on Broadway.
I lived in New York at the time, and
my church was right next to the theatre that housed Rent.
It was painted lime green & decorated like the back of a yearbook
with sad goodbyes in Sharpies.

The Players

Justin Timberlake as Roger

He can play guitar,

has the perfect attitude/coloring, &

has the charisma to handle our romantic male lead.

Adam Brody as Mark

I love this guy.

I first saw him on Gilmore Girls, &

he was my first thought in casting Mark.

I could see him being a great narrator.

 I have low expectations with Mark(s)  because it seems to be a throw-away casting choice that directors throw away upon the likes of Joey Fatone (my first Mark),

but it's a great part that deserves a great actor.

Omar Epps as Benny
On House, he plays a doctor who isn’t always right or kind, but has a higher track record in being right.

It was difficult to get Taye Diggs out of my head, but I like Omar Epps for the role because:

1. He is a more age-appropriate casting choice.
2. I would imagine his performance being gritter & fresher than Taye Digg's smooth & perfected portrayal of the part.
3. I could picture a hypothetical time when Omar, J. Tim, & Adam Brody were friends. Other productions have created such a severe Benny that it was difficult to imagine this friendship that is at the basis of their Rent problem. We are supposed to take for granted because the script alludes to it, but remnants of that relationship also need to be realistic & present.

Will Smith as Collins

He is aged to perfection & has quality of range in his acting.

I loved his performances in Hancock & The Pursuit of Happyness

because they were thickly multi-faceted.

He is a smart man who adds dimension to a part like a prism,

and that’s what Collins requires.

Plus, he is just likable.

In casting Collins, one must consider that

his grief is the one that the audience needs to feel.

The reality of losing Angel is what this musical is all about.

The bulk of communicating the impact of that loss falls on Collins.  

Freida Pinto as Mimi

Rosario Dawson was great in the actual movie.

It's strange because her face was the only fresh one in the film,

and it wasn't a bad casting choice, considering the goal of the film.

(That goal being: To recreate the 1996 Classic & Beloved Musical as closely as possible)

In my mind's eye, Frieda Pinto's portrayal would highlight

the more relevant Mimi characteristics. 

Rosario Dawson played a hot dancer with a seedy past/present
more than a terrified, HIV-infected, 19-year-old whose life & choices

left her in the most desperate of situations. 

I picture Freida Pinto's performance as a more realistic

(though less glamorized) character who seems like,

despite whatever facts we know about her,

could communicate a solid, good, misled heart

at the root of her choices & actions.

Austin Scarlett as Angel

Angel needs to spin the loveliest web of an impression
before his untimely exit.

Which is exactly what Austin Scarlett
during Season 1 of Project Runway.

He has an innocence & refreshing perspective, 
but knowingly faces his trials.

Mila Kunis as Maureen

She pulled off the girl-on-girl energy in Black Swan.

I could quickly picture a good residual chemistry with Adam Brody.

She also has that Maureen-esque charisma

that you can feel too much but touch too little.

Jennifer Hudson as Joanne

She has lungs of steel & the iron strength that Joanne requires.

Plus, she is a local actress.

I have yet to see Dreamgirls, but the my sister's reaction

(and the Oscar committee) make me think this woman was

cater-created for movie musicals. 

I also have so much respect with how she handled her personal tragedies and

she deserves only the best of everything.

God of Carnage @ The Goodman

I realized after I saw God of Carnage that Yasmina Reza also wrote Art. It put my experience in perspective because I had the exact same reaction to this production that I did to Art. Before I saw both of these plays, I thought they looked right up my alley...they have small casts, contemporary settings, and plotlines that are so simple & intriguing that the play's commentary has to be weighty & important. But at the end of the play, the simple plotline remained very simple. The script just lacked the essential element of enrichment & thought-provocation. Not to say it was pointless. There is something important about actually acknowledging the serious frustrations that erupt from the mundane problems of real life. There can be poetry & purpose found in cleaning up the messes of every day life. I just wish that poetry & purpose had been infused more heavily in the script.

In a quadrangle of a play, it is difficult to truly critique the actors unless they have strikingly varying skill sets. All four actors were sharply-tuned, charasmatic, & fully invested in their roles. To create a strong, 4-person ensemble (absent of a weak link) is a feat to be applauded.

The theatre was beautiful.
The actors were impeccable.
The point of the production....I'm not so clear on.

Black Swan

Disclaimer: I will probably ruin the ending if you haven't seen it.

When I first saw previews for this movie, I was expecting Center Stage meets V for Vendetta. There is something about movies about ballerinas that I automatically categorize as awesome but indulgent. The world's reaction to this movie made me question my instincts, but they were kind of right on. After seeing the movie, I felt the exact same way as after I saw the preview: that there were all these crazy things going on & I wanted to know what was behind them. This movie was like Lost Season 6...after all the hype & build-up, the questions they raised still remained.


From the beginning, it was trippier than I expected. I liked the thematic lines & imagery, I just wish they had been rooted with a more direct & purposeful perspective.  We saw the story from the point-of-view of Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), whose reliability as a narrator is never made clear. As stress disintegrates her mind, she can't distinguish from what is real, who is who, & how events unfold in front of her. And since her perspective is the only one we have, it remains unclear what actually transpired.

There were themes that were consistently present, but vague. Upon receiving the role of the Swan Queen, Nina must fully embody the frigid beauty of the White Swan & the base sensuality of the Black Swan. The latter is her struggle & the struggle to balance the duality of one's self permeates the film. Another thematic element was self-sabotage, which I found to be more provoking & interesting. Since it was a movie about ballet, we had to see excessive self-control & bouts of bulimia. I didn't mind these obvious choices because they were being used to stir up different ideas.

What Happened To My Sweet Girl.

Natalie Portman earned that Oscar. She played the frigid innocent whose performance was the backbone of the entire film. She had to be tightly wound, intense, vague, obsessed, & buried all at the same time and gave a performance that was perfectly on point.

Mila Kunis was great. She played the new ballerina who posed a threat to Nina's new & fragile success. She created a character that was intriguing, but still casual, natural, & realistic. She held her own against Natalie Portman's huge performance & that is no easy task. I preferred the scenes where she was present


Winona Ryder played the crazy, washed-out ballerina who was being forced into retirement because the shelf-life of a ballerina expires at 30. She cracks up at the reality of hitting this glass ceiling & provided a great glance into the crazy future in store for our narrator. It was a good role for Winona Ryder. Her acting has gone from Girl Interrupted into Woman Interrupted. However, I don't know if she would be as appealing if casted outside her typecast as the frustrated, slightly insane artist.

Barbara Hershey played the ballerina who gave up her career when she got pregnant and lived aggressively & vicariously through her daughter. She had weak role commitment and made easy & obvious choices (granted, in an easy & obvious role). But I will always love Barbara Hershey for 2 reasons:
1. I love Beaches & always will.
2. I love Sayid & always will.

Also, do all ballerinas have crazy moms? Maybe ballet has such female associations that people think they have to stick a mother/daughter plot-line on the side, but I could do without it. Ballet always seems to become a metaphor for the jarred belle, when it could just as easily be used as a metaphor for the dedicated, driven, & successful woman. Speaking of moms,

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Lookingglass Wins Regional Tony!

May WishList

threesixty° presents Peter Pan
The threesixty° Theatre

The world's first 360-degree CGI

(computer-generated imagery) Theater set

1,300 seat theater tent, allows for performance "in the round."

The entire interior of the tent is lit with more than

15,000 square feet of Hi-Resolution video (3x the size of Imax screens)

When Peter and Wendy fly to Neverland,

the audience flies with them over 400 square miles of virtual London & beyond.

Also features 23 actors, stunning puppets,
epic music, & dazzling flying sequences.

It looks like Lookingglass meets Cirque du Soleil meets Julie Taymor!

Runs for 8-weeks starting April 29 

Life is a Dream
Vitalist Theatre
with Premiere Theatre and Performance

I read Life is a Dream in college because
it is one of the most revered plays of the Spanish Golden Age.

This production is the American debut of
British playwright Helen Edmundson’s new adaptation,
which debuted at the Donmar Warehouse in 2009.

Runs May 10-June 11  

 

@ the Broadway Playhouse

1. It is a local piece, since it debuted in Chicago in the late 1970's.

2. I love Interview-Based Theatre.

3. I have a lukewarm love for the music of Stephen Schwartz. Maybe this will take our love to the next level.

Run Extended to July 3