Kristin Chenoweth — the original Glinda in Wicked, the boozy April Rhodes on Glee, the Tony-winning star of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and an Emmy winner for her role on Pushing Daisies — is one of those actresses who everybody knows and everybody loves.
So when I got the chance to interview her recently for Continental magazine, it was definitely a thrill.
Chenoweth was just as sweet and nice and fun and bubbly as I’d expected her to be, and she gave me “good quote,” which I used in the article I wrote about her, which is now live. Continue reading →
For many years, Broadway’s been trying to hop a ride on the rock and roll bandwagon. The results haven’t always been spectacular. For every Rent or The Who’s Tommy, there’s a less successful effort that’s not even worth naming. So it’s with tempered expectations that the Great White Way welcomes the latest attempt to bring rock to Broadway, American Idiot. The show, which opened last week and which I saw Saturday night, is about as authentic a “rock musical” as you’ll find and a real blast of youthful energy, but it’s not without its problems.
American Idiot uses every song from Green Day’s award-winning album of the same name, plus a handful from the band’s follow-up, 21st Century Breakdown, and a couple of unreleased b-sides. It enhances the music by adding a story of three friends who seek an escape from their dead-end suburban lives but don’t find any happiness: Johnny moves to the city and develops an addiction to a girl and heroin; Tunny decides to ship off to Iraq, where he falls victim to the horrors of war; and Will doesn’t even get to leave town because he’s accidentally impregnated his girlfriend.
As the show begins, we’re barraged by a wall of sound and screens — George Bush, American Idol, Donald Trump, etc. — that set the scene: We’re in the “recent past,” a time of media saturation and too much noise. Just this little burst of instant replay is enough to put you on edge. Then the opening guitar chords of the title song ring out and we meet the cast of angry young men and women. How do we know they’re angry? Because they stomp their feet, thrust their bodies forward in hard motions, throw their fists in the air, and sing with rage and intensity. (It’s not exactly subtle.)
But anyway, at first, it’s a little off-putting to hear Green Day’s songs sung with harmonies and to see them choreographed. After all, this is not exactly the kind of music you dance to. But don’t get the wrong idea: This is not “jazz hands Green Day.” By the end of the second song, “Jesus of Suburbia,” any awkwardness is moot. That’s because of two of the show’s biggest assets: One, Tom Kitt’s awesome arrangements/orchestrations. Kitt, who was in my high school graduating class, and who won the Pulitzer Prize recently for Next to Normal, has maintained the integrity of the songs’ punk rock origins while opening up many of them, and even making a handful of the tracks sound better. “21 Guns” is a particular favorite of mine. Maybe you saw the cast performing it at the Grammy Awards earlier this year.
The other asset is the incredible cast. You kind of wish the Tonys had an award for best ensemble (like the Screen Actors Guild Awards does) because this cast would win it hands down. Each person gives a high-energy, fully-committed performance, and they all work together expertly. While I hesitate to mention anyone in particular, one person did stand out for me: Rebecca Naomi Jones (Whatshername) — and not because she spends most of her time on stage walking around in not much more than her underwear. When she first appears, during “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” and adds her voice to the testosterone-filled air, it makes the song even more powerful. Jones’ other vocal contributions (“21 Guns” among them) are equally impressive. I wish she had more to do.
There are a lot of great moments in the show. I liked “Extraordinary Girl,” with its high-flying acrobatics, and thought “When September Ends” was a musical highpoint. I thought the direction of the show (by Spring Awakening‘s Michael Mayer) made the most of a stylishly minimalist set. And I liked that the 95-minute show moves forward at a great pace and doesn’t stop or slow down for an intermission. On the other hand, I didn’t think there was much about the three lead characters that made me want to root for them, other than the fact that one is played by John Gallagher Jr., best known for his Tony-winning performance in Spring Awakening. Johnny doesn’t really have a great story arc, and when he retreats back home at the end of American Idiot, you get the sense that he’s no better off than when he left. Also, I respect the show’s creators’ desire to preserve the order of the songs from the original American Idiot album, but after the emotional and musical peak of “Homecoming,” “Whatshername” feels like an unnecessary, rather anti-climactic coda. I’d have inserted “Whatshername” before the last section of “Homecoming” (i.e., “We’re Coming Home Again”).
American Idiot didn’t, ahem, rock my world like Spring Awakening did, but despite any issues I had, I still really enjoyed it. After all, the music is awesome, and as noted above, it’s put to great use in this show. I dare say this is the best, most hummable, most instantly memorable score on Broadway — at least compared to some other shows I’ve seen in recent years. I foresee myself listening to the original cast recording repeatedly, and I see American Idiot enjoying a long, successful Broadway run.
He’s an Italian treasure. The “essence of Italian style … the king of Cinema Italiano.” But in the movie Nine (an adaptation of the Broadway musical, which was adapted from Federico Fellini’s film 8½), writer/director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) is grappling with a midlife crisis that has given him an epic case of writer’s block.
Add to this the pressure he is receiving from all sides: his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penélope Cruz), his muse (Nicole Kidman), journalists (including one played by Kate Hudson), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), producers, and more.
Suffice it to say, it’ll take a miracle for Guido to make another film, and until then, he’ll keep dangling along the various women, investors, and members of his creative team until he finally gets another idea. Continue reading →
Over the course of the nearly 7.5 years that I worked on Continental magazine, I was lucky enough to interview a fair number of big-name celebrities, including Nathan Lane, Jennifer Hudson, Mitch Albom, Jesse L. Martin, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idina Menzel, Jason Lee, Joan Allen, Jason Mraz, Roger Bart, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
But I have to say, none of them was as much fun to chat with as John Stamos, who I recently interviewed for a freelance article in the magazine (my first such assignment since I left that job). And of course, I’m telling you this because the article is now online. Continue reading →
I’ve been fascinated by the story of the Beales for only a short time now — ever since I watched the movie Grey Gardens on HBO — and when I heard that there was going to be a production of the Broadway adaptation here in Boston at the Lyric Stage Company, I decided to check it out (with my friend Nina).
I’d never seen the Tony Award–winning show when it was on Broadway, never had much interest, but hey, why not see it now? The story remains fascinating to me, and thankfully, this production (which ends today) kept the mystery alive. Continue reading →
Generally, I have a bias against seeing Broadway shows not on Broadway. They just never quite feel real to me, especially if I’ve seen the original cast and I’ve listened to the soundtrack more times than I can remember. So I was nervous about how much I’d enjoy Spring Awakening when I went to see it Thursday night at the Colonial Theater here in Boston. After all, when I saw the show in New York a year and a half ago, I was blown away by how much I liked it, and I’ve just about worn out my copy of the original cast recording.
Well, the good news is that this touring production is, in fact, quite good. The voices of this cast are not as strong as those of the original cast (which included, among other folks, the beautiful Lea Michele, soon to be seen in the FOX TV show, Glee), but the actors certainly give impressive performances — especially the lead trio of Blake Bashoff, Kyle Riabko, and Christy Altomare, who play Moritz, Melchior, and Wendla, respectively. And all the same choreography and music that I enjoyed in New York has arrived intact. Highlights include “The Dark I Know Well,” “Don’t Do Sadness,” “The Mirror-Blue Night,” and of course, “Totally Fucked,” the high point of this production — in enthusiasm, anyway.
If you don’t know Spring Awakening, it’s a musicalized version of the controversial 1891 play by Frank Wedekind about sexual repression and rebellion in Germany. This adaptation, with contemporary music by Duncan Sheik, includes heavy themes of rape, abuse, homosexuality, suicide, and abortion, and it’s definitely not your parents’ type of show. Based on the half-empty theater tonight, it’s safe to assume plenty of tickets are still available for the Boston leg of the tour (here through May 24). Good ones too — we bought mezzanine tickets but were moved down to the orchestra, row J. It’s not the original cast on Broadway, but I still recommend seeing this production.
There are a lot of children who will go to see Shrek the Musical and will love it. And then there are a lot of adults who will go — with or, in my case, without children — and will wonder why this is a Broadway show at all and not an attraction at Universal Studios. Because while Shrek the Musical is a colorful, cute, and mostly enjoyable show, it doesn’t belong on Broadway. With top tickets costing more than $100, you half expect to get some rides with your admission.
This theatrical adaptation of the Oscar-winning animated film (which officially opens on December 14) tells the same basic story as the film: Shrek the ogre just wants to be loved. But it tries to deepen that plot by adding a heavy-handed message about tolerance and acceptance. Now, for example, not only are all the varied fairy tale characters like the Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio outcasts and comic relief, but they also have identity issues — here celebrated in a song called “Freak Flag,” which calls for tolerance. This can be funny, until you start to hurt from being hit over the head so many times with the same themes. I mean, Milk has a similar message, but it’s communicated in that film in a much more subtle and graceful style.
On the good side, the songs here are more tuneful and memorable than those in, say, Young Frankenstein, and the sets and costumes are colorful, fun, and totally appropriate given the source material. Daniel Breaker, who plays Donkey, has a great singing voice and I enjoyed his songs — even if he makes the character more effeminate than Eddie Murphy’s version was (are you picking up a trend yet?). Christopher Siebert plays the diminutive Lord Farquaad mostly by standing on his knees, a gag that generally works pretty effectively. As a result, Farquaad’s scenes are some of the funniest ones in the show. I also enjoyed some of the in-jokes about shows like The Lion King and Wicked.
But yeah, despite the attempts to broaden the story, Shrek the Musical is nothing more than an adaptation of an animated film. And unlike The Lion King, it doesn’t try to be more that that. As a result, the show too often strands some very good actors — like Brian d’Arcy James, who plays Shrek, and Sutton Foster, who plays Princess Fiona — with nothing more to do than make some pandering farting and burping jokes, or mimic the well-known film actors’ performances. James even maintains Mike Myers’ Scottish brogue, though not always successfully. After this and Young Frankenstein, I really hope Foster will choose a next role that’s less cartoony and that will be more worthy of her talents, like Thoroughly Modern Millie was. She deserves better, as do most of the other actors here.
Admittedly, when I decided to see Shrek, I wasn’t really anticipating an instant classic show. (Why did I see it, then? Curiosity, I guess, and because I’d included it in a recent article.) On some level, when you see a show on Broadway you hope for something with a little artistic ambition. This one just doesn’t have enough. Which is not to say I didn’t enjoy Shrek the Musical. It’s just that I wouldn’t really call it worth seeing unless you’re a child.
Todd and I were talking yesterday while wandering around New York City and I commented to him matter-of-factly that I was having such a good time that I could see myself being very happy living here. He said it was just because the weather was so nice, and because New York is a fun city to visit. I called it temporary insanity. After all, I know full well that I have absolutely no desire to live in Manhattan. Hell, I don’t even like New York City. But that doesn’t change the fact that I had those thoughts again after another day of playing tourist.
I was in the city to see Todd — in from Los Angeles with his wife and child, Naomi, who is already a year old — and we did a typical tourist thing on the day after Thanksgiving: wander around Fifth Avenue looking at the various store windows at Saks, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman. (Oh, and it should be noted, we did all this with Kerri.) Then we went to 30 Rock to see the tree (unlit until Wednesday). And I’ve gotta say, the combination of perfect weather and being amongst people full of holiday cheer (not just Todd and co., but the entire city, it seemed) was really fun.
When we separated, I was having such a good time that I made the decision to stay in the city and try to see a show. After an hour-long wait at the new TKTS booth, I had tickets for (of all things) Shrek the Musical. (I know, I know. But I had included it in a recent article for Continental and I was curious.) I’ll write more about the show a little later, but I’ll say I am enjoying this annual tradition of getting spur-of-the-moment theater tickets (last year I saw Spring Awakening). For laughs and, well, because I had to go, I returned to Charmin’s free public restroom, browsed the Virgin Megastore for a while, then fully embraced my inner tourist by grabbing a quick dinner at Planet Hollywood (mmmmm … Chicken Crunch). Suffice it to say, it was a cheesy couple hours, but I enjoyed myself.
Yeah, Todd was right: In small doses, New York can be a lot of fun. But small doses is key. I’m not moving anytime soon.
Kristin Chenoweth — the original Glinda in Wicked, the boozy April Rhodes on Glee, the Tony-winning star of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and an Emmy winner for her role on Pushing Daisies — is one of those actresses who everybody knows and everybody loves.
Martin's Musings 