Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Revisiting Broadway’s Warhorses (Part 2)

• By drediman
• October 1, 2015
• No Comments

As I explained in the first installment of this series published on August 24^th, I’ve been busy revisiting and reassessing some of Broadway’s long-running hits during the past month or so. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on some more of Broadway’s warhorses.

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
Stephen Sondheim Theatre
First Broadway Performance: November 21, 2013

After a third viewing of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, I am convinced more than ever that its success relies heavily on the strength of its leading lady. The show’s original Tony-winning Carole, the luminous Jessie Mueller, had the uncanny ability to transcend the material to give us a performance so grounded and real that we felt the rawness of each of Carole’s joys and heartbreaks. The musical caught fire because of the aching truthfulness of Ms. Mueller’s performance. On paper, Chilina Kennedy, a singing actress whom I have long admired (especially in her days headlining musicals at Ontario’s Stratford Festival), is an excellent choice to replace Ms. Mueller. She has the look and the talent. At the performance I attended, she gave a perfectly respectful performance – subtly acted and beautifully sung … but safe. By not diving headlong into the emotional turbulence implied by the book and jukebox score, the show’s overall impact is fatally diminished. That being said, the production has maintained its slickness and polish.

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
Walter Kerr Theatre
First Broadway Performance: October 22, 2013

Upon the announcement that the 2014 Tony-winner for Best Musical had set its closing date (January 17^th), I made it a point to make a return visit. I am happy to report that “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” remains sublime, in no small part due to the irresistible freshness and spontaneity of its two original leading men, Jefferson Mays and Bryce Pinkham (back from a disappointingly short run in last season’s revival of “The Heidi Chronicles”). Their performances are an intoxicating mix of utmost craftsmanship and reckless abandon. It’s thrilling to watch. They are joined by a handful of relatively new additions to the cast, most notably the West End favorite Scarlett Strallen, the lovely Catherine Walker, and the veteran Judy Blazer. “Gentleman’s Guide” remains an anomaly among Broadway’s blockbusters – a sophisticated operetta for adults. Catch it before it flies away; it’s like won’t be found again soon on the Great White Way.

KINKY BOOTS
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
First Broadway Performance: March 3, 2013

I also had a chance to revisit “Kinky Boots”, the winner of the Best Musical Tony Award in 2013, to commemorate its 1,000^th performance. Overall, it remains in fine shape, if not quite the knockout it was when it first opened. Unlike “Beautiful”, “Kinky Boots”, the show itself, is the star. It’s a model of the well-made musical. Cyndi Lauper’s perky and infectious score works beautifully within the confines of Harvey Fierstein’s earnest, loving book. That’s why, even with some workmanlike performances (replacing inspired turns by Annaleigh Ashford, Lena Hall, and Stark Sands) now in the larger roles, the show still manages to send its audiences out into the night floating on air. Luckily, the show still has the irrepressible Tony-winner Billy Porter still slinking around touting that “sex in the heel”. But not for long. Mr. Porter is scheduled to appear in his last performance as Lola on November 20^th. It’ll be interesting to see how the show fares at the box office after his departure.

LES MISÉRABLES
Imperial Theatre
First Broadway Performance: March 1, 2014

“Les Misérables” will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first Broadway show I saw (the original Trevor Nunn production way back in 1991, also at the Imperial), and it had a tremendous impact on me. It introduced me to the magic of live performance and the intoxicating possibilities of stagecraft. It’s hard to leave “Les Miz” with dry eyes, and I most certainly didn’t at my most recent visit – despite the unevenness of the current cast. Most troubling is Alfie Boe, who is an alienating Valjean. Although he occasionally sings with undeniable operatic grandeur (his “Bring Him Home” is one of the most technically beautiful versions I’ve heard), he’s cool and almost robotic in the role. I miss the warmth and openness of some of my favorite Valjeans, including Mr. Boe’s immediate predecessor, the wonderful Ramin Karimloo. Montego Glover and Alex Finke, who joined the cast with Mr. Boe, are an affecting (if a tad overacted) Fantine and Cosette, respectively. Among the other standouts in the current cast are Earl Carpenter’s beautifully acted Javert and Gavin Lee’s diabolical Thénardier – probably the best I’ve seen in the role.

ON THE TOWN
Lyric Theatre
First Broadway Performance: September 20, 2014

Although the recent revival of “On the Town” can’t be classified as a long-running hit – it opened on Broadway about a year ago, and recently closed at a financial loss – I wanted to give an example of a production that has grown in stature with each successive viewing (including my most recent visit, I’ve seen it three times). When I first encountered this revival of “On the Town”, I was thrown by what I then perceived as its garish, cartoonish depiction of New York. In my following visits, I’ve come to love the brash, saturated look of this production, particularly during Gabe’s aching Battery Park lament, “Lonely Town” – stunningly sung all three times by the charismatic Tony Yazbeck. The performances, too, I feel have relaxed and gotten deeper over time. I’ve also come to really appreciate Joshua Bergasse’s urgent, exciting choreography; he took the template laid by Jerome Robbins and truly made it his own. Replacing New York City Ballet principal Megan Fairchild as the naïve Ivy Smith during the last weeks of the show’s run was ballet superstar Misty Copeland. Ms. Copeland made a wonderful impression (oddly, I’ve never seen her dance with more abandon than in a Broadway musical), erasing memories of Ms. Fairchild’s awkwardness in the role.