an A.R.T. List.

I have never done a blog link-up. But I recently stumbled upon one with a prompt broad enough that I decided to give it a try. The idea was list of your opinions & soap-boxing is a favorite hobby of mine. So, here we have it: MY  RANDOM THEATRE OPINIONS: 

Theatre reality shows like You're the One That I Want & Legally Blonde ruled & I want more. 

Regarding Spiderman: The Musical's lawsuit: I love Bono, but I’m on Team Taymor. 
I will forever love The Office & forever resent how they ruined the great art of second-acting. 

The Lion King won the 2008 Tony Award for Best New Musical. It should have been Ragtime. 

The written words of C.S. Lewis belong onstage. 
Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare’s best work.
There was no Shakespeare. Team DaVere all the way. 

Anything that premiered at The National Theatre is good as gold. 
Anne Hathaway was the worst casting choice for the Les Mis movie. Ever.
Regarding Les Mis: Fantine is blond. Cosette is blond. Eponine is brunette.  DONE. 

Colm Wilkinson IS Jean ValJean & Philip Quast IS Javert. None will ever compare. 

Disney’s influence on Broadway has done more harm than good. 

Lea Salonga is best fit as a Disney songstress. 

I like flying actors trend. 
Carousel is Rodgers & Hammerstein‘s best musical.

GREASE SUCKS.
The thought of Rosie O’Donnell as Rizzo makes me want to cry. 

Ballet is boring. 

Improv is awkward.  

LOST is the best TV show ever. 
August Wilson is overrated. 
Rebecca Luker is an overrated ice queen with a pretty voice. 

Patti LuPone is the most overrated. 
Maybe Sarah Brightman is overrated, but I love her. 
History re-enactors are terrifying. 

Cameron Mackintosh should be President. 

Barnum should be revived. 

Some of the songs in CATS are pretty catchy.

PARADE would have had a longer/more deserving run if it had not premiered at the Lincoln Center.

Thoroughly Modern Millie the Movie was amazing & tainted by the musical by the same name. 

Most of the actresses who have had the leads in Chicago on Broadway seem bunk.

4-person plays (which I have dubbed Quadrangles) are generally awesome. 

Donmar Warehouse rules. 

Abba Mania > Mamma Mia. 

Shows should be 10 years old before being revived. 

Broadway is too catered towards children & the Mousification of Broadway must be stopped. 

National tours will never compare to Broadway shows or their pre-Broadway run.  

SMASH rules. 

InterView Theatre (a la Anna Deavere Smith) rules. 

The use of projections has brought about a new era of set design. 

I wish there were more plays on Broadway. It used to be 50/50. 

BAT BOY Is amazing & should be produced more frequently by regional theatres. 

Today’s Broadway is nothing compared to the Broadway of my youth.

I love Theatre of Cruelty.

I prefer a suspended band (Cabaret) to the traditional orchestra pit. 

Being a theatre critic is the noblest profession ever.

PostSecret: The Play!

What You Need To Know About PostSecret: 

+ PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard to the home of Frank Warren, creator & curator of PostSecret. The blog, which debuted on Jan. 1, 2005, features new sets of secrets posted every Sunday. It's had over half a billion hits, 1.1 million FaceBook followers, & is the world's biggest ad-free blog. 

+ Yes, the secrets are sent to HIS ACTUAL HOME (PostSecret/ 13345 Copper Ridge Road/ Germantown, MD 20874). That fact alone proves his investment in this project, but he has consistently proven an honorable intention in the efforts & results of the creation of this  community-based collage. On August 24, 2012, Frank posted this comment on PostSecret's Facebook page: "A producer for Dr. Phil and another for the new Jeff Probst talk show called me this week. Neither invitation was right for PostSecret so I had to say no." He has always treated this project with commitment & integrity, and I give him mad props for both the initiation & execution of this project. Speaking of Frank's awesome efforts & influence, Frank teamed up with 1-800-suicide in 2008 in an effort to address anonymous cries for help being called into peer-run crisis-hotlines on college campuses.

+ There have been five books of secrets released that have climbed the NY Times Best Sellers List. My parents took me to a book signing in Philadelphia when My Secret was released. It was a great event & Frank was a warm, engaging, & insightful speaker. Besides speaking at PostSecret events, Frank has had speaking engagements at colleges all over the country. There have also been several touring art exhibitions featuring the actual post cards (including one at Baltimore's American Visionary Museum [one of my favorites ever] as well as NYC's more impressive Museum of Modern Art). 

+ There USED to be an iPhone App. It debuted Sept. 3, 2011 & was shut down on December 28th. It was the only App I have ever actually purchased & it RULED. I was not the only one who thought since the volunteer moderators were unable to keep with with the 2 million+ submissions (many of which were abusive, threatening, & nasty). Frank received threats & was contacted by users, Apple, law enforcement, & the FBI. There was an official notice on the PostSecret website on Jan. 1, 2012 that said the App would not be returning "due to its inherent inability to solve the problem of abusive submissions." 

R.I.P. PostSecret App. I miss you every day.

NOW THERE IS A POSTSECRET PLAY! 

+ This is even more exciting than the Dar Williams musical! The concept behind the play reminds me of my favorite plays, Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith, which was constructed through the compilation of interviews. The honesty, approach-ability, & raw beauty of this script-writing technique (which I have personally/privately dubbed "InterView Theatre") is one that I adore. This new work by TJ Dawe & Kahlil Ashanti is going to be a multi-media theatrical event that incorporates new postcards & the ripple effects from past postcards. According to Frank Warren, "We're bringing together a lot of elements that I'm really excited about. Dozens of post cards that have never been seen before, email responses, connections people have made, really the voices of the PostSecret community that haven't had a chance to be fully shared & we're bringing them together on the stage so that we can act things out...we can use lighting, shadow, video...

it's gonna be pretty amazing."

The Performances:

Performance Works @ Vancouver International Fringe Festival:  Sept. 22-23 

Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD: Oct. 5 (sold out) 

Temple Theatre in Saginaw, MI: Oct. 18

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati, OH: Oct. 22 (sold out)

A few more of my favorite secrets...

Freud's Last Session @ Mercury Theatre

This was my first visit to the The Mercury Theatre & I loved it. There was clearly careful thought in place when this theatre was renovated because it seamlessly marries modern minimalism with classic, old-school theatre charm. The theatre was also pretty full for a 5 p.m. performance on the Sunday before Labor Day. The theatre space complimented the stationary set very well: the play was set in Freud’s office with was filled with weathered books & the relics of a well-traveled man (specifically statues along the likes of Athena, Bhudda, & Zeus littered about). Background on Freud’s Last Session:  The day is September 3, 1939. It is the day England entered World War II & 2 weeks before Freud took his own life. In this imaginary meeting, Freud contacted C.S. Lewis to discuss his most recent book. The conversation twists & turns around the purpose of this world, sex, moral law, & existence of God. To quote Freud, they were “trying to solve the great mystery of mankind in one morning.”

Throughout their conversation, these two characters communicated with a respectful repartee & grew to see each other’s human sides despite views on reality & beyond. The actors performed with a similar sense of confidence & comfort both independently & in relating to each other. They clashed (comically, at times) on beliefs as well as in the communication of the realities of their life situations: 83 year-old in hiding v. a golden Englishman.  As Freud, Mike Nussbaum’s performance consisted of moments of distinct hits & misses (the hits far outweighed the misses): he had very funny accidental one-liners, communicated the necessary sarcasm & pessimism. He was a believable grump but lacked in moments of acute rage & in expressing the pain from his cancer. I didn’t believe his “hell had arrived already.” As C.S. Lewis, Coburn Goss was more consistent but had rarer shining moments. He nailed the jovial/edge of jolly vibe & spoke with smart conviction. His role wasn’t as funny as Freud, but his clichéd joke The main problem with Christianity is the Christians got a good laugh from the audience. I was glad my favorite Lewis quote was incorporated into the script: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

While this was a 2-person production, the role of The Radio became increasingly more relevant & reflective. The Radio relayed the facts from the outside to these two men as the talked about theories, God, & the great ambiguities of the universe. It also provided insight to the understanding of our 2 leading men: Lewis liked The Radio’s music, even as at a low volume in the background, while Freud only turned it on to see if the news is on. These idiosyncrasies revealed their purpose in the play’s last moment, as Freud sits alone after Lewis leaves and lets himself listen & give the music a chance. 

[P.S. I have said it before & I will say it again: the words of Lewis belong on the stage. I’ve seen it done twice: The Screwtape Letters (Lantern Theatre, PHL) & a musical version of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (Arden Theatre Company, PHL). Neither production was all that impressive, but I very much appreciated the efforts. Here’s what I would love to see: The Weight of Glory translated into a Metamorphoses meets Myths & Hymns.]

SMASH S2: better late than never.

Smash was renewed for a second season! Honestly, I’m shocked; thrilled. grateful, etc., but very surprised. Since the show [imaginary musical] within the show [NBC series] is finally up & running, I am very curious as to how the second season will maintain the same sense of interest & suspense. Here’s the bad news about SMASH Season 2: it will not premiere until mid-way through the TV season ("early 2013"). The choice to premiere a show mid-season is a move that the producers of LOST & Grey’s Anatomy [my favorites] have often utilized. Maybe it was to build viewer anticipation or maybe it was because they had no idea where to take the storyline, but it never ceased to frustrate & annoy me. I guess this decision does keep loyal, anticipatory viewers like me on the edge of their sofas. However, in terms of attracting new viewers to the show, it seems a much smarter move to debut the second season when all the new & old fall series erupt on the tiny screen. Even so, the finale of Season 1 was perfect & I will wait it out like the good, loyal viewer I am. Now, let's reminisce:

My favorite part of Season 1's finale was the process of Julia's writing/writing block; I liked her euphoric moment of realizing that she needed to rely on communicating the good & that being the catalyst that created the perfect song for the finale (if you do recall, they only finished 15 minutes before the curtain rose. Talk about drama!). That moment of breaking Julia's writing block was especially cool because it reminded me of a real-life historic theatre: In 2005, Son of a Witch (the sequel to Wicked) was published & I went to a reading/talk by Gregory Maguire (author of the books) & Stephen Schwartz (composer of WICKED). Schwartz recounted a phone call when he was struggling with the final/climactic duet between the two female leads & that he had wanted to communicate how their friendship had changed them both permanently. But instead of saying permanently, he said For Good. Hearing himself say those words led to his euphoric moment that led him to write the song For Good, with the phrase's double meaning of permanence/positivity as its' defining catalyst. I am curious as to whether the storyline on Smash was loosely inspired this real-life writing of WICKED's great closing ballad. Either way, here's the best-ever rendition of For Good, featuring Smash's own Megan Hilty:

THE AXED ACTORS

• Raza Jaffrey as Dev [Karen’s seemingly cool, completely devoted boyfriend who acted completely out of character & cheated on her with Ivy]: I’m so down with him being written off, but not with this plot development as the catalyst. It was inconsistent with his character, a little too Melrose Place, & a little too obvious that they were trying to faze out Dev. I'm still a fan of this choice; Karen will be a much more interesting character without Dev pulling her down. 
• Jamie Cepero as Ellis [the sneaky, snarky, ladder-climber who offered nothing but conflict & irritation]: His exodus was awesome, obviously necessary, reasonably executed, & much appreciated. They pulled it off in a believable, drawn-out storyline (his attempt at becoming a producer & poisoning the movie star's smoothie). This was a  wise & well-executed plot-point. 
• Brian D’Arcy James as Frank [Julia's husband who seemed like he was trying to get over her affair, but threw in the towel]: He will be on at least one episode, but is pretty much gone. I liked his presence only because he is an actual Broadway performer. But the whole Julia/Frank marriage conflicts got old & wasted air-time. So I say good riddance & Brian D’Arcy James should get himself back into a role where he can sing. 
• Will Chase as Michael [Julia's former cheating partner who sometimes played Joe DiMaggio]: I liked him for the same reason I liked Brian D’Arcy James: he’s a true-blue Broadway alumni. However, his role on the show was so boring & I never got why Julia was so entranced by him. I watch this show because I love musicals, not because I’m interested in marital strife. Plus, he was a very bland character & didn't even sing that much. 

THE NEW CAST MEMBERS 

• Daniel Sunjata as Unnamed Man [Julia's new love interest]: I was hoping Julia’s love-life storyline would be more subdued in Season 2, but he has been cast as her new love interest. At least he's easier on the eyes than the other two. Plus, he's a stage actor; he was nominated for a 2003 Tony for his performance in Take Me Out. 
• Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore [a Broadway veteran who has some sort of impact on both Karen & Ivy]: This is very exciting. The woman can do no wrong & is a perfect fit for this cast. Well done, Smash! 
• Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy [according to the casting call:  “Straight, working class from Brooklyn. Sexy, charismatic, musically gifted, but also self-destructive and remote.”]: I know nothing about this guy except that he is coming to SMASH from Newies on Broadway & that's enough to give me faith. 
• Krysta Rodriguez as Ana [Karen's spunky new roommate who is in the ensemble of a Broadway show & looking for her big break]: I LOVE THIS. Krysta's Broadway credits include A Chorus Line, Good Vibrations, In The Heights, Spring Awakening (where I met her briefly after a performance & she was very nice), & originating the role of Wednesday in The Addams Family. She was the pitch-perfect Wednesday. HERE'S PROOF: 

Pregnancy Pact: The Musical....

Based on the bizarre real-life story, Pregnancy Pact debuted August 30 at The Weston Playhouse in Vermont & will run until September 8. The story is original but inspired by Time magazine's 2008 news story about a surge of pregnancies at Gloucester High (MA). In the 2007-2008 school year, 17 girls got pregnant & allegedly had made a pact to do so (they denied the existence of a pact). Joe Calarco is directing with a book/lyrics by Gordon Leary & music by Julia Meinwald. It is being described as: "An entertaining and hard-hitting pop-rock musical about the realities of love, responsibility, and growing up in America, Pregnancy Pact tells the complex story of these young girls with a fresh voice that is at once realistic and captivating." [Playbill] 

This production marks the world premiere having had 2 workshops (National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival of New Musicals & Yale Institute for Music Theatre) and 2 concerts (Ars Nova: Uncharted & Weston Playhouse in 2011). It was developed in the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program & was Recipient of the Weston Playhouse 2011 New Musical Award. The longevity of the production process is a good indicator that the kinks have been ironed out & they are bringing their strongest game to the table. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this musical. I love musicals based on real events & this specific story is universally intriguing & dramatic. There is potential for songs that are rich with emotion, infused with social commentary, & creatively concocted themes of childhood lost. However, this is an equally strong potential for the songs to make that easy slide from creative commentary to cheap exploitation. I love a good, campy comedy but I hope this piece brings more to the table than a few laughs. 

P.S. The Pregnancy Pact was also made into a Lifetime movie. 

(I'm not ashamed to admit I love Lifetime. Maybe The Lifetime Movie Musical trend will catch on...)

P.P.S. I graduated from Gordon College in Wenham, MA (about 20 minutes from Gloucester). I love that little town & it's a shame these weird girls are its' only claim to fame (besides A Perfect Storm). I'm hoping that the fact that this production is taking place in a state next-door to the scene of the drama will cause them   to incorporate a heightened sense of respect towards the girls, their children, & this embarrassed community. 

September WishList

The Fall of The House of Usher 

by The Hypocrites @ Chopin Theatre 

Terror! Suspense! Gothic cross-dressing melodrama! Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a highly tense and taut work of fiction that set the standard for American Horror for the past two centuries. This adaptation, which examines the psychology of a fractured personality, utilizes a cast of only three women to navigate the notorious House.

Illegal Use of Hands 

by American Blues Theatre @ Victory Gardens

 

In a small town where buzzards feast on a dead Chevy and the local Wal-Mart hires only college graduates, three men [ABT ensemble member Steve Key (Broadway tour of August: Osage County), ABT Artistic Affiliate Dennis Zacek (founding artistic director of Victory Gardens Theater) and Howie Johnson (award-winning Killer Joe at Profiles Theater)] wait out the night in the company of a high school football trophy they have rescued from obscurity. It’s a story about revenge, glory, and being a man—if only the characters could agree on what they can’t remember.

The Woman in White @ Lifeline Theatre

Trapped in a loveless marriage and threatened by a conspiracy of ruthless men, young heiress Laura Fairlie faces a future of sorrow and misery. Her only hope lies with her true love, the poor artist Walter Hartright, and her sister Marian Halcombe, both of whom will risk everything to protect her. Without the law, society, or money on their side, Walter and Marian must race against time to free their beloved Laura and uncover the truth behind the mysterious woman in white that shares her face. A dark tale of romance and suspense, in a world premiere adaptation. Based on the 1889 novel by Wilkie Collins (The Moonstone, Armadale), considered among the first mystery novels in the English language.

Sweet Bird of Youth @ The Goodman Theatre 

Into a tiny Gulf coast hamlet drifts an improbable couple: the Princess Kosmonopolis, a Hollywood legend fleeing the disastrous premiere of her latest epic, and Chance Wayne, a young actor-turned-gigolo who has brought his new benefactress to his hometown in hopes of reclaiming his former glory. But when a youthful mistake surfaces that threatens Chance’s plan, the pair are forced to confront their crumbling dreams. Laced with humor and Williams’ “characteristically gorgeous lyricism” (The New York Times), Sweet Bird of Youth is a sensual, haunting theatrical journey that will captivate and seduce you.

Sunday in the Park with George 

@ Chicago Shakespeare Theatre 

Sunday in the Park with George, inspired by Georges Seurat's most famous work A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884, on display and in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, unites Seurat and Sondheim in Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater. Griffin's musical production will transform the painting into a life-size masterpiece to tell the story of a painter's struggle between creating art and living life.

Metamporhoses 

Lookingglass Theatre Company 

Fourteen years ago Lookingglass debuted Metamorphoses, a play of such grace and beauty that the memory of it still lingers in the minds of audiences today. The critically-acclaimed, record-breaking Chicago engagement led to a Broadway production that garnered Mary Zimmerman the 2002 Tony Award for Best Director and catapulted Lookingglass onto the national stage. In the simple beauty of a rippling pool of water, Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman conjured Ovid’s myths into gorgeous imagery, provocative moments and breathtaking storytelling. Metamorphoses’ long-anticipated Chicago revival will feature a number of Lookingglass Ensemble Members and original cast members.