Kiki and Kim

Hunting Hunter

It's Getting To Be A Habit With Me

Second straight night that I am back to this horrible habit: sleeping at 7 pm, and then waking up right around midnight. It's really messing up my body schedule. But I get so sleepy and tired around early evenings that I just "give in." The air at work is in full blast, and I now have this thing gloop in my throat and I certainly hope I don't get sick. At times I had to go outside in the 112 degree temperature to "warm" my body up, and it almost, almost felt good. But there's no mistaking it, though. The world here and now feels like an oven. Someone commented after I came from outside that my face was red. I didn't realize I was that fair-skinned! Anyway, my nieces went to see H2S today ad I got this message on my voice mail after they saw the show and they were screaming, and they were shouting and thanking me for a most wonderful time they had. They texted me right away to send them mp3s of the cats recording, and I think this is a good world when my teenage nieces ask me for Original Cast Recordings! I have done my duty for the 'Cause." Who cares about Bruno Mars, indeed. I find that their musical taste run around the "misfit," anyway since they seem to abhor most pop music. Good for them for being individual instead of being a "follower." And exposing them to the classics (like H2S) is, as Martha Stewart would say, a good thing.  

Neither intelligence nor judgment are creative.
If a sculptor is nothing but science and intelligence,
his hands will have no talent.
~ Antoine de St. Exupery

I Get So Emotional

Watching the Tonys became a weep-o-rama for me. Emotional. I think it's because I have such love for the New York Theater community, and also because the whole award show reminded me of the life I led behind - a life I nurtured for 27 years, and now I am here and I cannot even watch the Tonys live as it is happening at the Beacon. maybe because there are times I question my choices, even if I know that I made the best decision I can with the time and circumstance I have dealt with. For the most part, I am happy and contented but there are times when I feel I don' own my life, and maybe the Tony Awards brings me back to a time when I was younger, more free, where decisions were made without major consequences pro and con.... Or maybe I just weep because it was one of the best Tony telecasts I have seen in a long time, and Neil Patrick Harris outdid himself as a host. And maybe because I think this is such a stellar season for shows, where even productions and performances not nominated were just as great. I become so wistful sometimes, I become overly sentimental a lot, but as I grow older, I think I have become better at letting go. When I wake up tomorrow living my new life, my old one, and this reminiscence of it will just be a memory.

"Make more decisions in every day. Because a decision is a summoning of life. That's why a little chaos is good for you, because often you don't make a decision until you get yourself in a jam. And then, in the middle of the jam, you make a decision, but that decision summons Life Force. Have you ever been a place where you couldn't quite make up your mind and you just felt sort of limp? "Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know." And then you decided, and you felt alive again. We want you to know that you'll never get it done. So don't approach this from, "I gotta get on this" because you're not ever going to get it done, anyway. And the other thing we want you to know is, you cannot get it wrong. So, make a decision. Let it flow."

- Esther Abraham-Hicks

A Letter From Spidey

Dear SPIDER-MAN fan: Thank you for being among the first people to experience SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark on Broadway. Your excitement and enthusiasm have been an invaluable part of our process. Starting May 12, you can see the exciting changes that your feedback has helped to inspire. There's new music, new scenes, and a new story, but don't worry- we've kept the most exciting and spectacular elements. We'd like to invite you to come see the new, re-imagined SPIDER-MAN with this exclusive ticket offer and free gift, detailed below. We look forward to welcoming you again to the Foxwoods Theatre to the all new SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark. Sincerely, Michael Cohl Lead Producer Jeremiah J. Harris Lead Producer

Singing Queens

If you saw "Priscilla Queen Of The Desert" on Broadway and loved it, then I have no doubt you will love its cast recording. I did, and find myself grooving.  The vocals on it can be a little tepid  - Will Swenson seems uninterested, and Nick Adams has never been known to be a vocal powerhouse - but if you listen and imagine the costumes and sets which are the real stars of the show, it becomes an extremely satisfying aural experience. Listening to it out of context, though, I wonder if an ordinary listener would be able to "get" the whole thing. Like - what is with the different tempos of "Don't Leave Me This Way"? The countrified "I Love The Night Life" doesn't make much sense on record. And the inclusion of "Follie! delirio vano e quest?" from La Traviata? Don't even try. All the pop songs sound like one interminable one after a while. Perhaps because those songs are shoehorned into scenes as opposed to creating music to move the scenes forward. The cast recording, unfortunately, showcases the weakness of the production as a musical. But as a "souvenir" for an enjoyable night of theater, this recording succeeds. Choose your experience.

Radcliffe: Rad!

On paper, I thought Daniel Radcliffe was totally wrong for the lead in the musical "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." I mean, can you picture him as the modern-day Robert Morse? While I have never read nor seen any of the Harry Potter media blast, I knew this kid is a multi-million dollar Superstar. And the theater crowd shows a demographic that skewed young - very young. The show starts and he is greeted by a thunderous applause by an over-eager audience. I roll my eyes. My knee-jerk assessment: he is much too young for the part (or he reads young anyway) and he lacks the comedic quirk needed for the role. Can he even sing, or dance? But by the first number, he has won me over. The kid is a Star with a capital S. His singing : more than okay, a little shrill at times but nothing that wil make me run away. His dancing: surprisingly youthful, robust, and even subtly sexy.  He won me over, and I suspect that his crowd entered the theater as Harry Potter fans, and left as Daniel Radcliffe ones. 


I have some minor problems with the direction: the "Coffee Break" number fell flat, and I detested the dress in "The Paris Original" number, which kind of defeated the purpose of the song. But this is a score I love to peaces, one that I have had in constant rotation in my iPod, and one of the shows whose recorded music I have almost memorized.  So, as you can probably sense, this show is close to my heart. I thought this production gives the material justice. I had a lot of fun, and there were some stunning numbers, particularly "Company Way," "Big Ole Ivy," and "Brotherhood Of Men," the showstopper pieces that did their jobs.  And by gosh, I even got a little farklempt with "I Believe In You," proving that Mr. Radcliffe can even effectively sell a ballad.  John Larroquette is just as good, and Christopher Plank adequate enough, although I kind of miss the camp that Charles Nelson Reilly stamped in the Bud role. But gain and again, I must single out Mr. Radcliffe - this is one performance which earned its standing ovation at the end, and the crowd leapt at its feet during the curtain call. 


I may now even watch those damn Harry Potter movies!

We Three Queens

I must admit the idea of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT wasn't very appealing to me. Another jukebox musical, I thought. There's been so many inane ones, and I always ask - is it too much to ask for original music on Broadway? But this show is a lot of fun, and part of the reason it is may be because the songs are from our "salad days." There's a lot of Madonna - she is practically canonized in this show - and a whole slew of Disco classics ("Don't Leave Me This Way," "I Will Survive") that you can't help but feel the energy of the show.  At times, it feels like an extended drag show from The Pyramid, but that's fine since they don't do these shows there anymore. It feels very 90s, when I was young, and I went out. On a purely nostalgic level this show hits a bulls eye. It is directed aggressively (I see Jerry Mitchell as a consultant) so there is never a dull moment, and the set and costumes have enough bells and whistles. Hell, there are literal bells and whistles everywhere, and lots and lots of glitter. (A cast member said that the glitter is even imported from Australia - is Australian glitter better?) They put a pink boa on top of all of this, so you can't not have fun. 

And there are great performances, too: Will Swenson, Tony Walton, and Nick Adams all gamely play their parts with gusto. I thought Swenson was just a bit too tentative, but fine enough. And Adams is sort fo a revelation - he is the best dancer in the bunch so you notice him and even though he isn't the best singer in the cast, he gets by well.  I truly was pleasantly surprised by all three of them - and a lot of chorus boys are cute. Nick Adams is great eye candy, and they show knows that - he is nearly naked for a good chunk of the show, and when he is not, it's still all cute. I think I have a crush on him. 


All in all, a fun night out.  God knows I need one fo those once in a while. 

Olympic Delivery

Continuing my mad rush to finish all the Broadway Spring releases, today I went (via TDF) to see "The Milk Train Does Not Stop Here Anymore," Roundabout's revival of the Tennessee Williams play.  I liked it a lot. A lot of people consider this to be a minor work of TW, but I thought it had a lot of depth and drama. And like most of his work, it smolders with sexuality. And specifically, it is such an "gay play" in idea and execution that for me, it is timeless. And if you are into that sort of thing, it even has a full-frontal nude scene from the delicious Darren Pettie (I almost typed Darren Criss) which made the blue haired contingent sitting next to me gasp. Maybe I liked it a lot because it is set in Southern Italy, and even though the set design didn't really get Naples and Capri as effectively as I wanted it to, the actors more than made up for it. And speaking of acting - the wonderful Olympia Dukakis gives a fearless performance that is worth more than the price of admission. She screams, she bellows, she smolders, she does everything but the kitchen sink in this performance, and she does it so well it never feels forced or excessive. I truly expect her to get a nomination when Tony season starts.   She is one of the best things in this production. 

They Are The Champions

I am in a mad rush to see all the new productions opening this Spring on Broadway, and I am glad some of them have been showing up on TDF. Like "That Championship Season," for example, which I think will be a hot ticket pretty soon. It has star power, and the audience certainly knew it when they gave "first appearance applause" to every single one of the cast members. It's a fine production of a fine play, and I am glad I saw this revival. It's just that... the play may be the thing, it's just not *my* thing. It's a little too boys club for my taste, and I really cannot relate to a lot of the things in it. Still there are fine performances from every single person in the cast, and I particularly think Brian Cox and Jim Gaffigan stood out. Jason Patric has the presence and the juicy role, so he may get some attention from this production as well.  As an ensemble, they bring it. The play may be a little too dated now, most of the racial issues raised here have been dealt and discussed a little too much at this point. But the play is set in 1972, so at the time it was topical and relevant. This play is a great snapshot of those times. 

Cirque De Spidey

To say that SPIDERMAN: TURN OF THE DARK is a troubled musical is a bit of an understatement.  It was fraught with financial and technical problems, and then it made headlines because actors got into accidents (thankfully none fatal) during the previews. It has been on previews since November, and the opening date has been pushed three times now. A lot of major critics published reviews the other day because it was the last opening date before it got pushed back. The producers got miffed at that, but in my opinion, if the show is charging full price for previews (I got a heavily discounted one - they are aplenty) then it should be fair game for any review. So on and on and on there are issues with the show, and at times it is taking the spotlight away from what matters most : the show. Is it any good? 


Well, it's not the worst musical ever made. I'll start with positive things - the sets are awesome and imaginative, though it does not really look like they spent a lot of money on it. And Reeve Carney, as Spiderman, is one beautiful hunk of meat. And some songs - taken out of context - can be great pop songs. The talent on stage is more than  competent, although what they are made to do? Well, then here come the negatives. The book is a mess. You can tell that a lot of changes have been made, because some scenes do not make sense anymore - and the ending comes out of nowhere seems half-baked. (Julie Taymor has said that this is a new ending)   The songs are mostly tuneless and seems out of touch with the show.  The choreography is sometimes embarrassingly bad. Most of all, this is a show that is stylistically more a Vegas Cirque De Soleil type of engagement than a Great White Way one. Even the best gimmicks - acrobatic and flying - is nothing original - I have seen just as good presentations in Cruise shows.  I think expectations have been built up here that nothing could ever match it. When I was watching the bows, I felt really bad for the actors - you can see that they work their butts of, and yet somehow nothing jives. It almost warrants a standing ovation, had I been still awake. 

Taking Out The Trash

It had to happen sometime. Jojo and I have been seeing a lot of theater recently and we finally encountered a clunker. I thought "Trailer Trash" would be interesting because it  was gay themed, and it was from  an independent gay and lesbian theater company but... it was one of the worst piece of trash I, anyway, have ever seen. I can't even be bothered to look up the names of the actors but they were all across the board so bad that we did the inevitable: we left after the first act. I m sure we weren't the only one, too. There was this palpable energy of exasperation fromt he audience. Inconsequential scenes dragged on,  the dialogue was childish (unintentionally) and even the nudity - Imagine! - was boring. Who ever thought that I would be so untouched by full-frontal male nudity? I wish them all well, but I am so glad we left! This is sometimes the risk one takes in going to these independent productions - they could be works in progress. Only in this case, they really need to stop working on dead wood. 

The Elf Who Stole Christmas

Maybe I shouldn't have seen ELF so early in the holiday season. It is, on paper,  a great musical. Adapted with music by Matthew Sklar and Bob Martin, and book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, it's a gem of a musical. The music was fantastic, and of the right genre. I can't remember the last time I heard such a tuneful "traditional" musical, and you will be humming the songs as you leave the theater. (I hope it gets recorded - the cast recording would be sensational) However, I didn't really feel it, and I think it may have to do with the fact that I am nowhere near close to the Christmas spirit. Imagine if it were December, and the temperature would be cold, and you were to see this show, then it would really sparkle and shine. On this mid-November night, it just seemed too...forced.  


Plus, the cast seemed...serviceable, yet no one truly signed. This would have been a perfect star vehicle for someone. Nathan Lane, perhaps? Matthew Broderick even. I am even thinking Jonathan Groff. Heck, Gavin Creel would have been just as good. But playing Buddy the Elf, Sebastian Arcelus sang well, danced well, acted well... yet  I didn't really remember him after the show. There is such a thing as "star power," and Mr. Arcelus just didn't have it. It's hard to explain what "it" really is, but if you don't have "it," there's just nothing you can do about it. And its not like the ghost of Will Ferrell (who originated the role of the Elf in the film) haunted me, since I never saw the movie.


So it just didn't work for me. I hate to be Bah Humbug, but maybe with Christmas cheer this show would work better. 

Elling Tone

ELLING at The Ethel Barrymore feels like a French farce, and perhaps it is because it is an import from Norway via London - it is based on some Norwegian novels and a film. I have to admit, it took a while for it to get going. The first third of the first act felt interminably long, but when it did finally get going, it had charm. It's a pretty small play, and is somewhat dwarfed by a big Broadway venue, though the Barrymore is one of the more intimate houses out there. By the end of the play, I found myself smiling... a lot. It has an oddity that is almost endearing. But it itself is quirky in a head-scratching way. You kind of wonder at times where the play is going, but then realize it didn't need that far to go. 


It's a character-driven comedy of two men who befriend themselves in a mental institution, and then the story follows them as they are released and have to adjust to normal life in Oslo. Denis O'Hare, in the title role has the more "showy" role, and is remarkable in the role. But then you can always count on him giving a spirited performance. Brendan Fraser has the more buffoon type role and is a competent match to Mr. O'Hare. It's his Broadway debut, so you can sense some stiffness, but it is early in the run so he should be better. Jennifer Coolidge is wonderful as the lone female in the cast, playing several roles. Richard Easton and Jeremy Shamos round out a uniformally professional cast. 


ELLING probably would be more suited on an Off-Broadway stage. But as it stands right now, it has a odd charm, like pickled herring from Oslo. If you have a forgiving pallet, you may just love it. 

                                                
                                               (With Denis O Hare)

            
                                            (With Jennifer Coolidge)

Noontime Show

In Neil LaBute's new play, "The Break Of Noon," (now playing at The Lucille Lortel) he examine the link between religion and commercialism.  John Smith (played by David Duchovny) is a lone survivor of the worst gunshot massacre in American History, and he survives because, he claims, he was saved by God, and conversed with him during those trying moments. He brings this forth to a very skeptical world, of course. The play dissects how this realization affects him in all aspects of his life. 


I must first say that the performance I saw was from its very early previews. There are a lot of things that the play wants to convey, and some points get better highlight than others. Still, it asks tough questions, and we are meant to fill in the blanks. I really don't know if I ended up thinking more or questioning more after the performance, to be honest. David Duchovny's performance is a little too "literal" right now, it seems to be playing David Duchovny a lot of the times. There is a better performance from him being hinted, and perhaps it will manifest itself after he settles into the role more. The play revolves around his character, so the weight of the play rests upon his shoulder. An audience member asks him when he was signing autographs: "When you agreed to do the play, did you know you are on every scene," to which he just smiled and replied: "I just read that it was a good play." (Good for him for wisely answering a stupid question)


The rest of the support him adequately. Amanda Peet has an electric stage presence, although the two distinct roles she play are too similar. Just like every other LaBute play, there is a tinge of misogyny, so in that case it is just business as usual. The play isn't as provocative as I thought it would be, and it doesn't really ask any question that has not been asked before. I guess also in that aspect, it's business as usual too.

Blossoms Of Snow

Talk about my favorite things! Oprah had the whole freakin' cast of the movie version of "The Sound Of Music" (well, Mary Martin really can't make it so it cannot be the stage version, no?) today and it was appointment television for me. I rushed everything I needed to do so at 4 pm I would be in front of the television. It is such an emotional treat for me. I think I have mentioned before how much I love the movie : it's my introduction to the concept of a "musical" and to this day, I am still an evolving fan of the genre. She had a segment where she was interviewing people who, like me, had emotional connections to the movie. I couldn't help but cry along with these people. I am such a fag, aren't I? And when the real Von Trapp great grandchildren were singing "Eidelweiss," I was weeping uncontrollably. 


Of course, though, the adult in me agrees with a lot of the criticism regarding the movie. Too sentimental and treacly? Yes, for sure. But then again, on a commercial level it needed to be that. (just like an action movie needs the perfunctory car crash) And I also lamented the loss of the two "cynical" Baroness songs from the stage version.  I am not one of its "blind followers." 


Still, just try and take my hand away from the upcoming Blu-Ray release of it. Because if you do, there will be blood.

No one has ever become poor by giving.

~ Anne Frank

The Women

Sometimes, a star just makes a difference. Or in WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, a sprinkling of major stars seals the whole deal. The first act of this show is almost very good, but the second act (as of the second week of previews, when I saw this performance) is still troubled. It lags there, and becomes just on the north of tedious. But by God, the show is never ever boring. Why? The star wattage on stage at The Belasco is blinding, and the talent on the stage is so overpowering that it blasts any doubt you would otherwise have about any other piece of the production puzzle. 

And Patti Lupone! What a treat to see a living legend. I have more understanding and appreciation of her now after I have read her memoirs. She is not the "star" of the show per se, but in all her numbers, she shines. You cannot take your eyes off her when she is on, and that voice. And she is singing original material, and originating a role on Broadway. That is practically history happening right before your eyes. 

The rest of the stars are just as twinkly: Sherie Rene Scott is a wonder in disarray, and Laura Benanti gives a comedic tour de force.  For my own personal taste, I would just tone her down just a dial, and she would be perfect. And Brian Stokes Mitchell. He is pretty game to be part of such a women ensemble piece, and is pretty sweet in the process. And even Justin Guarini in his Broadway debut is pleasant and doesn't stink up the place. 

The show needs a lot of tightening, and once everyone settles into their roles, it should be fine. Bartlett Sher needs to be more forceful as a director, because I already see some strong characterizations on stage.  At times it gets too "noisy," a little bit like the women on "The View" when they are all talking at the same time. And I understand giving Mr. Stokes-Mitchell songs to be featured in but two? Unfortunately, his numbers do not really forward the story. I have seen a lot of complaints about the set, but I thought they were charming, and in the performance I saw, there weren't any technical problems that I know were plaguing other performances. The whole show, visually, has a very Almodovar feel, and no wonder - he is very involved in the creative process, I read. 

Now I would be very interested in how this show gets reviewed, for it seems to be polarizing people. But for sure, put me in the Like/Love department. 

(with Justin Guarini, after the show)

The Professional

MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION, by George Bernard Shaw, was written in 1893 and was last staged in 1905, when it was banned  (The Police literally stopped the show) because of its risque topic. Mrs. Warren, was a prostitute before she ended up being a madame of sorts, managing a slew of brothels all over Europe. That's hardly a topic worth wincing about nowadays, and probably won't even grant an R rating (I could think of HBO series that are infinitely more 'offensive')  I was keen on seeing the Roundabout revival in the spirit of theatrical 'history,' and since there were cheap TDF seats, I thought to myself I might as well.

Let me just say I grossly underpaid just for the chance to see Cherry Jones essay her role as Mrs. Warren. She is a force of nature - her presence commands, her steely gaze freezes you on your tracks. When she is on stage, you cannot take your eyes off her. Too bad that she has to play against the impossibly shrill Sally Hawkins, who plays her daughter Viv. Hawkins at times literally screams her lines that you cannot understand what she is saying. I cannot say I am over-familiar with the play so I was left at times scratching my head, thereby diminishing some comprehension. I can almost sense the exasperation in Ms. Jones' face. Plus, the production seems to be encumbered by a strait-jacket. A lot of the wit is too dry to the point of being barren. I enjoyed Ms. Jones performance immensely, though I cannot say the same thing for the whole production.