Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Broadway’s first two musicals re-emerge from lockdown: HADESTOWN & WAITRESS

• By drediman
• September 8, 2021
• No Comments

Last week on September 2, Broadway’s first two musicals re-emerged from lockdown – the reigning Tony Award-winning Best Musical Hadestown and the audience favorite Waitress. Here are my thoughts on these landmark occurrences, both of which were enthusiastically greeted with open arms by adoring musical theater fans.

HADESTOWN
Walter Kerr Theatre
Open run

First up at the Walter Kerr was Hadestown (HIGHLY RECOMMEND), a musical whose message of hope and resilience during precarious times resonates now more than ever. Happily, most of the original players have have stuck with the show, and they’re ripping up the stage with the kind of urgency that had me at the edge of my seat and admittedly teary-eyed throughout much of the performance. Tony-winner André De Shields as Hermes (the show’s narrator) remains the heart and soul of the production, and he continues to be magnetic and eloquently emphatic in his acting choices. It’s a masterful performance that simply demands attention. As the doomed lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, the fresh-faced pair of Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada – a romantic couple onstage and off – sound thrilling and are delivering more distinct dramatic performances than I remember them giving pre-pandemic. Although I miss Patrick Page’s burnished presence as Hades, newcomer Tom Hewitt gives a powerful, accomplished performance (Mr. Page returns to the production on November 2). And as Hades’ lovelorn wife Persephone, Amber Gray is still passion personified. The sensationally-voiced Fates (played by Jewelle Blackman, Jessie Shelton, and Mariand Torres) are as striking as they are predatory. Rachel Chavkin’s production remains a marvel – a seamless and sophisticated integration of drama, music, design, and choreography in the service of theatrical storytelling. If you still haven’t seen Hadestown, I highly recommend that you not miss it this time around.

WAITRESS
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Through January 9

Then over at the Barrymore, Waitress (RECOMMENDED) has returned to New York for a limited Broadway run (the musical will play through January 9). Given that the show had already closed before the pandemic, the piece is a surprising but welcome choice to usher back musical theater to the Main Stem. The current cast includes many familiar faces from the show’s successful first run. Headlining the show as the show’s central character Jenna is the show’s composer and lyricist Sara Bareilles, whose grounded but generous performance anchors the show with love and understated feeling. Coming from the world of pop music, Ms. Bareilles will surprise many with her natural stage presence and solid acting ability. Supporting Ms. Bareilles are Charity Angél Dawson and Caitlin Houlahan as Jenna’s best friends Becky and Dawn, and both actresses are winning in roles they’re well versed in. Drew Gehling returns once again to the role of Dr. Pomatter, and he manages to mine new ways to keep his performance fresh and quirky. As Jenna’s abusive husband Earl, Joe Tippett finds just the right balance between deplorable and lost so as to keep the character human. Christopher Fitzgerald, who originated the comic relief role of Ogie, returns to the role that was crafted for him, and he’s pure genius and an unqualified scene-stealer. Overall, the production remains sturdy entertainment, even if Diane Paulus’s staging has lost some of the bells and whistles of the initial run (I suspect the show’s touring set is currently being used).