Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Revisiting Broadway’s Warhorses (Part 1)

• By drediman
• August 24, 2015
• No Comments

Summers traditionally see a major slowdown in New York theater openings. This means a chance for theater geeks like myself to reacquaint ourselves with a number of long-running shows before things pick up again post-Labor Day. Many New York theatergoers tend to view these “institutions” as tired, cliché tourist traps. I tend to disagree, for the most part. Part of the fun of covering long-running shows is the fascinating opportunity to see how new performers reinvigorate (or not) shows you thought you knew. For example, before the last revival of “West Side Story” at the Palace closed, I revisited it mainly to once again bask in a full orchestra play the classic score, as well as Jerome Robbins’ masterful original choreography. You see, when the revival first opened, I thought the production was merely serviceable, only rarely able to rise up to the brilliance of the underlying source material. Well, at the performance I attended, I saw a young alternate named Jeremy Jordan come on to play Tony. Suffice to say, I was blown away by his performance (he acted as if the stakes were sky high, and that voice!), and we all know how his career has progressed since then. In this first of two installments, I assess the current state of five of Broadway’s long-running musicals: “Chicago”, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Mamma Mia!”, and “Wicked”.

CHICAGO
Ambassador Theatre (Originally opened at the Richard Rogers Theatre)
First Broadway Performance: October 23, 1996

Revisiting the revival of “Chicago” on Broadway is always a gamble. That’s what makes returning to this institution so exciting. You never know what you’re going to get with the ever-revolving door of (pseudo-) celebrities coming in and out of the Ambassador Theatre. For a few weeks this summer, the producers announced that Brandy would be taking over the role of Roxy. When I heard of this, my immediate reaction was to think that this could either be a dismal failure or a triumph for Brandy. I’m excited to report that it was the latter; I was pleasantly surprised with Brandy’s work as Roxy. Yes, she riffed through the iconic Kander and Ebb score unnecessarily and the choreography had been simplified for her (really, isn’t Roxy supposed to be a second rate entertainer?).  However, her interpretation exuded confidence, skill and sophistication. She’s a natural onstage and her exuberance was infectious. Unfortunately, Brandy just ended her limited engagement with the show; lets hope she books a return stint in the role!

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
Belasco Theatre
First Broadway Performance: March 29, 2014

Much like the current revival of “Chicago”, the Broadway edition of the ultimate cult downtown musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” has relied on a series of celebrity “stunt” casting choices to sustain interest in the show and spur grosses since its original Hedwig, Tony Award-winning and box office champion Neil Patrick Harris, departed the show. The latest and last in this long line of Hedwigs (the show plays its final performance at the Belasco on September 13th) is the stage and screen sex symbol, Taye Diggs. Although I applaud the producers for endorsing a Hedwig/Yitzhak duo of color (Rebecca Naomi Jones now plays Hedwig’s frustrated sidekick), they simply cannot live up to their forebears. Diggs miscalculates the role, resulting in a Hedwig that’s sad and disinterested and, in total, a drag to watch – no pun intended. The hardworking Ms. Jones as Yitzhak unfortunately has very little chemistry with her leading lady, and frankly I missed Lena Hall’s touching, more nuanced work.

MAMMA MIA!
Broadhurst Theatre (Originally opened at the Winter Garden Theatre)
First Broadway Performance: October 5, 2001

The end of an era is approaching with the impending close of the long-running “Mamma Mia!” on September 12th. The irrepressibly perky ABBA jukebox musical opened on Broadway during a dark period in the City’s history, when New Yorkers’ were still reeling from the aftermath of 9/11. The show turned out to be the perfect tonic for the City’s woes, and theatergoers flocked to the feel-good musical. The show has never really needed very sophisticated performances; all that’s needed for the show to sing are big belters and trust in the genuine, albeit cheesy, power of the material. Luckily, the final cast understands this deceptively simple rule (including the show’s long-running Donna, the iron-lunged Judy McLane). In all, my last visit was a supremely enjoyable one; I had a wide grin on my face throughout the entire performance. Thank you “Mamma Mia!” for all these years of uncomplicated, unadulterated joy.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Majestic Theatre
First Broadway Performance: January 9,1988

I also had an opportunity recently to revisit Broadway’s longest-running show, play or musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” at a recent Thursday matinee (can we have more of these, please?). For a show that’s been playing for more than 27 years, it’s in solid shape (Hal Prince’s original staging is as handsome and effective as ever), even if the current cast is a bit uneven. Although Barbour, who now dons the mask, is arguably one of the strongest singers to take on the titular role – his baritone booms with authority – he unfortunately is a far weaker actor than many of his predecessors. I missed the urgency and rawness that I associate with the role. This hurts the show tremendously, particularly in the show’s potentially heartbreaking final sequence of scenes. Fortunately for Barbour, with the exception of the nondescript Jeremy Hays as Raoul, he’s surrounded by a great cast. In particular, the young Ms. Udine, who launched the recent revised touring production as Christine and is now Barbour’s damsel in destress on Broadway, is impressive. She plays the ingenue delicately without being cloying, and she sings with an effortless, soaring soprano (the Christine alternate at certain performances, Kaley Voorhees, is also exceedingly lovely).

WICKED
Gershwin Theatre
First Broadway Performance: October 7, 2003

More than a decade after opening on the Great White Way, “Wicked” is still doing boffo business at that barn of a theater, the Gershwin Theatre. Is the current cast up to snuff with the big bucks that this megahit is bringing in? Well, almost, in my opinion, but not quite as exciting as previous casts I’ve seen. Caroline Bowman and Kara Lindsay are giving two perfectly fine, professional, if somewhat uninspired performances as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The rest of the cast — which includes Matt Shingledecker as Fiyero, Robin De Jesus as Boq, Michele Lee as Madame Morrible, Fred Applegate as the Wizard, Arielle Jacobs as Nessarose, and Timothy Britten Parker as Dr. Dillamond — provide more than ample support for the two leads. If you have an itch to see this popular musical again, I’d say wait until Rachel Tucker (who was so sensational in Sting’s underrated musical “The Last Ship” last season) gets green on Broadway starting September 15th. I’m betting Ms. Tucker will add some fire to the show that’s somewhat on autopilot.

The upcoming second installment will include a look at the current state of the long-running “Beautiful”, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”, “Kinky Boots”, “Les Misérables”, and “On the Town”.