National Theatre Live: ReView/PreView

The View from The National 

Here’s the deal on NationalTheatreLive: Britain's Royal National Theatre creates some of the world’s most glorious productions & they thought it was only be fair to share the awesomeness. So, they film productions & present them via satellites to various movie theatres.  The plays are presented live in Britain, but the screenings may be delayed up to 4 weeks for airings in the U.S [However, it was recently announced that The National Theatre will open NYC-based office to allow the filming/live phenomena to apply to North American-based productions as well. It is a sensible move forward since shows from The National Theatre have been recently appearing on Broadway: we had War Horse last year (which has also made the leap from Broadway to Broadway in Chicago from Dec. 18-Jan. 5 @ The Cadillac Palace) & One Man Two Guvnors this year. I saw a preview of War Horse at Broadway in Chicago's Summer Concert & can't wait to see it live.]

Book Sale outside The National 

David Sabel, overseer of The National’s digital media, has stated, "The history of filmed theatre does not have a great track record, so we went into the series as something of an experiment." I do not entirely agree with this statement. There have been filmed stage releases that have been huge hits in my book [Sunday in the Park with George, Passion, Legally Blonde: The Musical produced by MTV], as well as films of awesome theatre concerts [Hey, Mr. Producer, The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert, Les Miserables @ Royal Albert Hall] that also ruled. I do agree that this is an untapped & underappreciated avenue, but the track record thus far has proven successful & enjoyable [though much more for filmed musicals over plays]. I saw The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time on Oct. 17 @ The Music Box Theatre & it was great. It had an innovative & contemporary script, insane & impressive set design, and impeccable & inspiring actors. Pretty much everything I expected & more.

The witches from MacBeth

David Sabel has also stated: "What’s exciting is that there is now an audience who may never set foot inside the National but can still have a meaningful relationship with us." I couldn’t agree with this statement more. During the summer before my senior year of college, I did a theatre study abroad in England & fell in love with the National Theatre. I saw Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 (in one very long/awesome afternoon/evening) & The House of Bernarda Alba. They were such stellar & exceptional productions that I will forever trust anything produced by the National Theatre. [It was also on this trip that I first realized I wanted to be a theatre critic.]

Chicago's NationalTheatreLive Fall Schedule:

FRANKENSTEIN: Oct. 30: Northwestern’s Josephine Louis Theatre @ 7 & 10:30 

[I already have my tickets.] 

THE LAST OF THE HAUSSMAN: 

Nov. 7: The Music Box Theatre @ 7 // Nov. 13: Northwestern’s Josephine Louis Theatre @ 7 

TIMON OF ATHENS:

Nov. 27: Northwestern’s Ethel M. Barber Theatre @ 7 // Nov. 28: The Music Box Theatre @ 7 

Ticket Prices: Northwestern: $20/$10 student // Music Box Theatre: $18/$15 in advance.

My Girl Wrote a Song.

Mrs. Dearing is a skilled actress, my good friend & old roomie from the Massachuesttes years, an accomplished pianist, a pretty stunning lady, & one of the funniest people I've ever met. You're probably thinking, am I crazy or does she look a little familiar? Why, yes, she probably does, especially if you are one of those people who watch the Super Bowl. Leeann appeared in a GoDaddy commercial with Danica Patrick that premiered during the 2009 Super Bowl. Fast-forward to now: Leeann is now an Official GoDaddy Girl. She has also been seen in Everything Must Go with Will Ferrell & has appeared in commercials for Tilted Kilt, Beauty Foods, The Arizona Lottery & PetSmart. Well done, Lee! You are a great actress & awesome friend, but I'm betting you are going to be an even better mother. Oh yeah, she (with a little assistance from her hubby Matt) recently brought a little man named Jack into this world.

And then she wrote this song for him:

Into The Woods: The Movie!

I guess Into the Woods really is going to be a movie! The intention to adapt Into the Woods was announced in January of this year with Rob Marshall directing & the screenplay being adapted by the original book writer James Lapine. Don't get too excited, though because the production can't even start until Rob Marshall finishes filming The Thin Man [starring Johnny Depp], but there was a table read on Oct. 1 & this potential cast has potential. 

THE FULL CAST ROSTER:

Nina Arianda: The Baker's Wife
Christine Baranski: Stepmother 

Tammy Blanchard: Florinda 

Victoria Clark:  Cinderella’s Mother & Giant 

James Corden: The Baker

 David Garrison: The Narrator 

Ivan Hernandez: Wolf 

Megan Hilty: Lucinda 

Cheyenne Jackson: Rapunzel’s Prince 

Allison Janney: Jack’s Mother 

Anna Kendrick: Cinderella 

Michael McGrath: Steward/Baker’s Father 

Donna Murphy: The Witch 

Laura Osnes: Rapunzel 

Taylor Trensch: Jack 

 Casey Whyland: Little Red Riding Hood 

Patrick Wilson: Cinderella's Prince

MY THOUGHTS:

The Princesses & GirlFriends:

Christine Baranaski is obviously perfect as Cinderella's Stepmother. As Cinderella's Mother/Giant, Victoria Clark is a fine fit; she is a true-blue Broadway all-star [though, not my favorite leading lady] & well-cast in this role. Speaking of Broadway true-blues, I love Megan Hilty & was happy to see her cast as Cinderella's stepsister Lucinda. She has exhibited that sassiness that is necessary for a stepsister on SMASH & WICKED. I do wish she had been given a more prominent role; she would have been a great vocal fit for Rapunzel, but I was excited to see Laura Osnes' name on the roster. She was on NBC's reality show You're The One That I Want & won the role of Sandy on Grease on Broadway; she went on to play Hope in Anything Goes & Bonnie Park in Bonnie & Clyde (for which she received a 2012 Tony nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical). She also attended the same church as me in NYC [C3 Church: Manhattan] & is a sweet, mid-west girl who deserves all the success in the world. I could actually see her better fit as Cinderella than Rapunzel, but maybe she was a little unknown for the more prominent role. Casting Anna Kendrick as Cinderella seemed a little random to me until I found out she was the second-youngest Featured Actress Tony nominee for her role Dinah in High Society & workshopped Jane Eyre: The Musical. Physically, she is kind of perfect for the role, so this is a pretty awesome, out-of-the-box casting choice, IMO. 

The Baker & The Baker's Wife:

I was not familiar with the actors playing The Baker [James Corden] & The Baker's Wife [Nina Arianda]. After a little research, I am down with both choices. Corden is an accomplished actor from the U.K. who won the 2012 Best Leading Actor Tony for One Man, Two Guvnors & looks like Cam from Modern Family. Arianda is equally accomplished in film & stage:  she appeared in Midnight in Paris & is a Tony princess, having won the 2012 Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Play (Venus in Fur) & been nominated for a Best Leading Actress Tony in 2011 (Born Yesterday). But what won me over about this lady? She has been cast as Janis Joplin in the upcoming biopic (beating out everyone from Pink to Zooey Deschanel). 

The Princes/Wolf/Narrator + Little Red:

Patrick Wilson is an obvious & awesome choice for Cinderella's Prince; he has the stage & stage/street cred to carry the role, which makes me wonder why they altered the role to give the role less stage. In the stage version, there are two instances of double-casting roles: Cinderella's Prince/The Wolf & The Narrator/The Mysterious Man [who is implied/revealed to be be The Baker's Father as Act Two draws to a close]. The Mysterious Man does not exist in this adaptation; he has been renamed The Baker's Father & is double-cast with the Steward (played by Michael McGrath). I really don't get this decision & hope the thought-process behind it becomes apparent in the film's re-worked script. This shift in character definition leaves The Narrator (played by Law & Order alum David Garrison) in a more simply-defined role; his interaction with the characters will be minimized, hopefully for the purpose of presenting the story in a more narrative manner (I'm thinking Princess Bride-style). Otherwise, I liked the character combinations from the original production & oppose alterations to perfection. Casey Whyland is playing Little Red & I know nothing about her except that she played the token pudgy ballerina in Billy Elliot on Broadway. That alone is not enough for me. Personally, I find my DreamCast's choice of Madeleine Martin much more fitting. We know the girl can sing & she holds a wider-spread appeal than an unknown Broadway chorus girl (it hurts me to write that, but it's true).  

OUR WITCH:

So, Donna Murphy read for The Witch. I LOVE THIS. She is such an elegant lady, but proved in Passion that she can pull off the ugly just as well. Apparently, she was serving as a place-holder because Meryl Streep is actually going to play The Witch. While I have no doubt she can & will act like a champion, I have little confidence in her singing capabilities after seeing her in Mamma Mia. Maybe her name will sell more tickets, but I don't know if it will produce a higher quality film. Either way, this film has the makings of something great & I would appreciate it if Mr. Marshall started production ASAP. 

Metamorphoses @ Lookingglass *updated*

 

Tony Awards: Best Direction of a Play

Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Play, Director, Lighting Design & Music

Drama League Awards: Outstanding New Broadway Play

Outer Critics Circle Awards: Outstanding Director of a Play

Lucille Lortel Awards: Outstanding Play

Time Magazine: Best Play of the Year (2001-2002)

METAMORPHOSES IS JUST GREAT. I had seen two productions prior to this legendary Lookingglass experience: a surprisingly decent 2007 production at the Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon & an impressively noble 2010 community-theatre attempt @ The York Little Theatre in York, PA. Both were quality productions, but neither held a candle to this somewhat historic theatre experience. Mary Zimmerman is a professor at Northwestern & Lookingglass ensemble member. In 1998, Lookingglass opened their season with Metamorphoses.  It received critical acclaim & the production traveled to Berkeley Repertory Theatre & Seattle Repertory Theatre. In the fall of 2001, Metamorphoses opened Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre. It’s rave reviews & new commercial investors allowed the show to move to Broadway (Circle in the Square Theatre) in March 2002, where it ran for almost a year. It has been 14 years since Metamorphoses debuted at Lookingglass; I can think of no better way to start their 25th season than with this awesome & exciting production. 

ZIMMERMAN'S SCRIPT thematically centers on change & the cost, challenges, & unforeseen outcomes that can come from achieving one’s goals. This script defines timelessness by incorporating Ovid’s stories from 8 A.D. with morals & applications that equally apply to the audiences of yesterday, today, & tomorrow. Some things never change & the crazy challenge of conquering a huge life-change seems to be one of them. Zimmerman got it right when she said: "Change felt so soul destroying and…I was so frightened of what was going to come. And I sort of couldn’t stand the state I was in; I wanted to be through with it…through the moment of metamorphosis [which] is so excruciating, but then it can produce something new." 

THE CAST: If I had to pick one word to describe the cast it would be strong. They exhibited the confidence to boldly tell these bold tales, the flexibility & physical strength demanded by the stories, the ability to maintain consistency in performing different roles, and a clearly-grounded, thoughtful understanding of the text. Raymond Fox is a versatile actor whose charming nature infused every role; whether he was bumbling, obsessing, or rowing in the background, his presence onstage was always a highlight. Anne Fogarty provided solid, subtle, feminine presence who seamlessly interacted with the rest of her cast.  Anjali Bhimani also provided a necessary feminine presence as the actress who undertook the most youthful roles; she had an ageless beauty & astounding physical strength. One of my favorite moments in the show was her spastic, haunting portrayal of Hunger (picture Samara from the Ring). Lawrence E. DiTasi & Louise Lamson both stood out with languid physicality & striking stage presence. As Alcyon, the widow who turns into a bird, she was elegant & lovely while still portraying the impassioned waiting widow. Lauren Orkus was effervescent, so pretty, & had loveliest lilt in delivering her lines. I also loved Marilyn Dodds Frank’s distinct, gravelly voice, Chris Kipiniak’s seasoned performance quality, Usman Ally’s intensity, & Doug Hara’s fun, post-modern energy.  This cast worked as a strong unit while still maintaining their individuality. The rich history of this play & its’ performers & production staff partly factor into these high-quality performances.  In an interview with Lookingglass Literary Manager Marti Lyons, Zimmerman said: “…because I have so many of the same people returning and because all actors, if they were ever good, get better with age, I’m really looking forward to the deepened experience, connection & ability, and to see how the performances change under the weight of all these years. It’s one thing to see a bunch of kids doing these myths, ti’s another thing to see 45 year-olds do it - it has a gravitas to it - and almost a strangeness - that I’m looking forward to. The show is sort of a touchstone in our lives. Three cast members have been off and on since they were 21 or 22 years old and 3 marriages among various cast members came out of this show: Raymond Fox & Anne Fogarty, Phil Smith & Louise Lamson, and Erik Lochtefeld & Laura Eason. Out of these marriages, there are 4 children.”  

[Marilyn Dodds Frank, Raymond Fox, Anne Fogarty, Anjali Bhimani, Lawrence E. DiStasi, 
Louise Lamson, Lauren Orkus, Usman Ally, Doug Hara, Chris Kipiniak]

THE COSTUME DESIGN [crafted by Mara Blumenfeld] was pretty much pitch-perfect. Her design concept incorporated the necessary & sufficient sense of continuity while still making the costumes distinct to their respective story. The common threads threading the costume design together were innovative silhouettes, bright & brilliant colors, and clever attention to details. It did seem like there was more attention spent on the women’s costumes than the men’s (especially in the fabric choices). This had to be especially difficult production to costume considering these costumes had to be strikingly gorgeous, timeless & contemporary, and work well/look good while still wet [talk about an awesome Project Runway challenge]. 

Some highlights: Orpheus’ classy & contemporary conductor tails, the wiry alphabet constellation cap atop Morpheus/The God of Dream’s head, Hunger’s creepy pantyhose cap,  a skirt lined with Christmas lights, Euridyce’s perfect wedding dress with a simple grey shear beauty pageant sash, the consistent incorporation of men in stylized, high-waisted, belted skirts, and [my personal favorite] Alcyon’s gorgeous seafom, lace-enlayed, empire-waisted dress.

THE SET was stunning & simple; scenic designer Daniel Ostling presented concise design, pristine imagery, & calm background for the chaotic action it housed. He also had a peculiar challenge in this project considering the set is a pool. It consisted of a central pool with the audience sitting on three sides, a runway around the perimeter & a stationary double-floored back-wall anchoring the action. The pool sort of became a character itself & served as a chameleon background for the different stories: we had women washing in the river, men rowing in the ocean, a millionaire lounging on a floatie backyard, fierce fighting in the angry ocean (complete with tiny boats), the shore for a widow to wander, etc. I also think there is a weird little sense of interesting irony in this particular set seeing as they built a pool in a theatre that is housed water-pumping station. The literal/structural contrasts behind history, coincidence, & interpretation provided a cool mirroring effect of the message of the play itself.

Happy Birthday, Christian Borle!

My first encounter with Christian Borle was on the soundtrack to Legally Blonde: The Musical (which is actually a kinda awesome musical). MTV recorded the musical in October 2007 (and reran it constantly), so, although I didn't actually see him in Legally Blonde, I feel confident & competent enough to say he was a perfect Emmett. Thoroughly Modern Millie holds a special place in my heart (the movie more than the musical) and I can completely see him playing Jimmy; the same goes for him playing Bert in Mary Poppins. My favorite of his roles has been Tom on SMASH. He's dapper, likable, complicated, & a clearly authentic casting choice. The man deserves a happy birthday. His theatre/street cred: 

• Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2003). Sutton Foster played the title role; the two had met in college & married in September 2006 [separated in 2010 :( ]
• Prince Herbert, the Historian, etc. in Monty Python's Spamalot (2005) which earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical & a Broadway.com Audience Award as Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical. 
• Originated the role of Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde (2007) & recieved a Tony nomination for  Best Featured Actor in a Musical. 
• Bert in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins (2009-2010) 
• Prior Walter in Angels in America in Signature Theatre Company's 20th anniversary production (2010/2011) [P.S. Signature is one of my favorite regional theatres ever]
• Captain Hook in Peter & the Starcatcher (2012) & winner Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role.
• Tom on NBC's SMASH, otherwise known as my favorite show ever since LOST.