The Threepenny Opera @ The Linda Gross Theater

The dark dynamic duo has found a new home this spring at the Linda Gross Theater.  Of course I am talking about the gloomy combination of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill with their classic work, The Threepenny Opera.

The Atlantic Theater Company has done Brecht proud.  Martha Clarke’s gritty, in your face production often leaves the audience feeling scolded and uncomfortable, something Brecht often seems to hope for in his pieces.  The staging brings the right balance of operatic and theatrical styles, indicative of the work’s place as a historically transitional piece of theater.  Though the ending was delivered perhaps with more loving optimism and reform than Brecht intended; the overall feel of the story maintained his disdain for class separation.  Also, the addition and redistribution of musical numbers allowed for some extra character exposition, strengthening the audience’s bond with the story.

Michael Park’s Macheath was a perfect blend of class and swine.  With the exception of a few angry outbursts that lacked honesty, his delivery was smooth and redeeming even as he twisted the knife.
Macheath’s ladies, however, were the real show stealers.  Jenny, passionately played by Sally Murphy, delivers all of her songs with brilliant conviction and is a wonderful contrast to Park’s cool demeanor.  Laura Osnes' vocals in her portrayal of Polly Peachum are a beautiful blend of modern theater and classic opera sound, further solidifying the transitional feel of the work. Lilli Copper as Lucy Brown along with Osnes, are comic gold in their duet.  Copper plays the comedy of the jaded lover wonderfully.  F. Murray Abraham and Mary Beth Peil as Mr. and Mrs. Peachum are both solid musically and have a brilliant definition to their characters but lacked the precise timing needed to successfully pull of Brechts sarcastic humor.

The lighting was very interesting at times but often confused or drew attention from the action at hand.  As a scenic touch, having the characters carry candelabras while changing sets was visually pleasing but pulled the focus from the main action on stage.  The use of shadows to enhance the size of the crowds was an interesting idea, though in execution caused distraction more than atmosphere.
The set stayed simple but useful throughout.  The orchestra deserves an extra commendation for its dual roles of music and atmosphere, both skillfully and tastefully delivered.

All in all, a thoroughly classic rendition of The Threepenny Opera with a few minor twists and turns along the way.  If Brecht and Weill are an unknown to you, this production is a great place to start.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photos By: Kevin Thomas Garcia

Cinderella @ The Broadway Theatre

“The Glass Slippers are so back!” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella adaptation makes its Broadway debut and offers a new romantic twist on the ultimate rags to riches makeover story. The musical mixes fresh comedy with the fairy tale's well-loved classic elements - the pumpkin, glass slipper, masked ball and more. In addition to musical numbers from the original score - including "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible," "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" -This Cinderella will include several new songs from the Rodgers & Hammerstein duo.  

This huge production is led by two-time Tony nominee Laura Osnes. As Ella, Osnes is the perfect fairytale princess; she brings a rare elegance to the stage that makes the audience fall in love with her immediately. Santino Fontana plays the tortured Prince Topher. Handsome, lovable, and sweet, he is everything young girls have grown up wishing for in a man. The audience can’t help but feel that Osnes and Fontana belong together.

Joining the cast is Rebecca Luker, replacing Victoria Clack as Crazy Marie/Fairy Godmother. Luker brings wisdom, magic, and illusions; she is flawless, faultless, and completely deserving of her character’s “crazy.” The exemplary Ann Harada, Marla Mindelle, and Harriet Harris bring a big twist to the well-known step-sisters and stepmother. Harada is quirky and hilarious and steals the show with her song “Stepsisters Lament,” while Mindelle is nerdy, heartwarming and adorable. Harris is the ultimate villain, charging onstage with wit, sass and just enough nastiness to make an audience root for Cinderella’s dreams to come true at the expense her ugly step-mother.

 

With a show this big, there needs to be a top notch production staff, as a group they need to be able to create magic onstage. The set design was done by Anna Louizos, consisting of moving trees, secret doors, and giant picturesque set pieces. Tony Award winner William Ivey Long is responsible for the ingenious designs that turn Cinderella’s dress from rags to riches and Crazy Marie into the Fairy Godmother with a mere flick of the wrist. Kenneth Posner’s light design ties all the technical aspects together with perfect mood lighting, making this production a truly stunning piece to watch.

 

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opened on Broadway on February 21, 2013 at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway). This is a great show for the whole family, so grab the kids and waltz over to the Broadway Theatre for a truly magical evening that will leave you believing in the power of wishing. 

Review By: James Russo

Bonnie & Clyde @ The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

While it may be true that Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are famous murders and bank robbers, it is almost impossible not to fall madly in love with them in the new Broadway musical Bonnie & Clyde.  Throwing away the traditional “all guns and no back story,” this new piece explores the lives of these two individuals that will forever be in the American history books.  Starting from the ages of ten, the audience is let into the world of these criminals to see what truly made them tick.  With a book rich in accuracy and fresh tunes, Bonnie & Clyde is a new and exciting piece of theatre for history and theatre buffs alike.

Bonnie Parker is a luscious red head with dreams of becoming the “”it girl;” the only problem is she makes minimum wage at a rundown diner in the middle of nowhere.  With her father and grandmother deceased, her only family is her momma, Emma Parker.  Clyde Barrow is the classic bad boy - been in and out of jail and always causing trouble, yet is a huge hit with the ladies.  Always on the hideout, his support comes from his brother, Buck Barrow, who is also in the game of auto theft.  As the fates would have it, Bonnie and Clyde meet one night and share a night of passion that quickly turns into one of the most famous pairing in the world.  After some jail time and an escape that ends in murder, the two love birds decide to live life to fullest.  It is now them verses the world, and as the world would soon learn, there would be no forgetting Bonnie and Clyde.

Leading the cast are two of Broadway’s rising stars, Laura Osnes (Anything Goes and Grease - winner of the NBC series) and Jeremy Jordan (West Side Story and the recent out-of-town run of Newsies).  Together these two actors share a passion on stage that that has enough gun powder to blow out the theatre.  Osnes does a stunning job of portraying Bonnie Parker - a strong headed woman who slowly loses her innocence from page one through to the end.  Bonnie is a woman who thrives off of attention; Osnes brings this quality to the character without making her feel desperate.  Her lighter than air presence and knock out voice come together to form the perfect image of Bonnie - the red head who was so desperate to make it, she feel for Clyde Parker.  Jordan brings his charm, smile, and wonderful voice to the role of the misguided killer.  Clyde is a man who never set out to kill, which makes him all the more vulnerable when he kills his first police officer.  Jordan keeps the tough guy act for a bit too long breezing past wonderfully written moments where the heart of Clyde is intended to come out.  While the performance is strong, there are some emotions missing from the performance; however, combined with Osnes, the two take all of the punches and leave plenty of bullets about the stage.  Supporting Bonnie and Clyde is yet another pair, Blanche and Buck Barrow.  This duo is brought into this piece with brilliant performances by Melissa Van Der Schyff (Big River) and Claybourne Elder (Public Theatre’s Road Show).  Representing the one that wants to do right, but always gets pulled in the other direction due to love, family, and the almighty dollar; Van Der Schyff gives a performance that is sweet, funny, and deeply emotional.  Elder portrays Buck, the brother who always wants more, with an open heart, allowing the audience to see the soft side of a fugitive who will never fully be clean.  The whole ensemble works wonders around these two couples to represent the height of the depression in 1930s America.  With rich voices that blend well to the different styles of music created for the piece, every member of the cast works extremely well together to create a wonderful piece of theatre.

Bonnie & Clyde is re-imagined for a whole new generation thanks to the efforts of Ivan Menchell (The Commentary Club) on book, Don Black (Sunset Boulevard) on lyrics, and Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde) on music.  One of the main goals that this production prides itself in is “back story.”  In order to understand all of the killing and robbing, it is extremely important to know how all of that madness came to be.  Menchell did his homework to put together a book that is historically accurate, witty, sexy, and smart.  He reinvents these characters so that by the end of the show, the audience is almost routing for them to win.  The only flaw is that Act I is all back story, leaving the audience wanting a bit more (which surely get delivered in Act II when guns go blazing by).  Black and Wildhorn come together to create a song book that is full of genera after genera, all fused with that Wild West tone.  While a lot of the songs did not POP as one would have hoped, each song worked well to advance the plot and add some key character details; one can only wish that goal was accomplished with one or two “stuck in your head” songs.  If there is a down flaw to this piece, it lies in the hands of director Jeff Calhoun (Grey Gardens and the upcoming Newsies). The direction felt very choppy and over blocked.  While this could be a fault to the actors, a lot of the movements felt forced; however, this overall uneasiness could be attributed to the scenic design of Tobin Ost (Brooklyn).  While the raw wooden set looked amazing, the many elevations and slops in the stage made it hard for actor movement throughout scenes.  Strong lighting design by Michael Gilliam (Big River) and projection design by Aaron Rhyne (Second Stage’s The Blue Flower) were nice elements that added greatly to the piece.  Using real-life images brought the audience back to the 1930s, and served as a wonderful reminder of just how true this story really is.  The overall elements of this piece were impressive - a reality checking book, lush score, and strong design focus all helped take this new musical to high heights.

Bonnie & Clyde is a stunning new musical that is shooting up the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.  If you are in New York and looking for a fresh piece of theatre, stop by and hear the tale of Bonnie and Clyde.

Anything Goes @ Stephen Sondheim Theatre

ALL ABOARD! Cole Porter’s classic high seas tale is back on the Great White Way and dazzling audiences night after night with high comedy, stunning voices, and outstanding choreography. Anything Goes, which has taken dock at the newly named Stephen Sondheim Theatre, now features Sutton Foster as the sassy Reno Sweeney and Joel Grey as Public Enemy Number 13, Moonface Martin. This hilarious musical is back and bigger than ever!

 While aboard the S.S. American, a cast of beautiful characters all mix, mingle, and intertwine in a trip filled with dance, disguises, and love. Rather than taking care of business, Billy Crocker decides to jump aboard a cruise ship, under a false name of course, to follow the woman that he loves, Hope Harcourt. Love does not come easy, however, when his assumed name turns out to belong to Public Enemy Number 1 and Hope is engaged to another man. In order to stop the wedding and win over his love, Billy must team up with long time friend Reno Sweeney, a famous lounge singer, and Moonface Martin, a less than famous gangster. Together, the three of them all scheme to bring Billy and Hope together and let their love shine through. Along the way, their lives twist with the lives of a colorful cast of characters, including gambling Japanese converts, a businessman who is blind without his glasses, a sailor loving gangster girl, and a British tourist just learning the slangs of American culture. Confused yet? Yes. Good because that is half of the fun of this brilliantly funny musical, Anything Goes.

Led by two of Broadways biggest stars, Cole Porter’s master piece is stronger than ever. Sutton Foster (Tony Award winner for Thoroughly Modern Millie) plays the sexy Reno Sweeny. Filling the shoes of past Reno’s like Ethel Merman and Patti Lupone, Foster makes the part all her own. She breathes youth into a part that is normally portrayed slightly older woman. Her sassiness, wit, and sophistication come together wonderfully for this role – not to mention her voice and dance chops. Her brilliant performance is matched by the adorable Joel Grey (Tony and Academy Award winner for Cabaret), who portrays the clever Moonface Martin. Grey gives a stunning performance. He is the grandfather that everyone wants – funny, exciting, and loveable. Together, Foster and Grey have the audience in stitches for most of the show, especially after their wonderfully realized duet “Friendship.” Colin Donnell (of Broadway’s Jersey Boys) and Laura Osnes (of Broadway’s South Pacific and Grease) portray the two young lovers Billy and Hope. Their chemistry together is spot on; and their solo work is just as strong. Donnell does a masterful job at being leading man – his charm and cleverness really shine through. He moves the entire show forward with such ease; it is just wonderful to watch. Joining the chaos on stage is: John McMartin (of Broadway’s Into the Woods) as the not-so-savvy business man Elisha Whitney, Jessica Walter (of television’s Arrested Development) as the greedy mother to Hope Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt, Adam Godley (a regular face on the London stage) as the crazy foreigner Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, and Jessica Stone (of Broadway’s The Odd Couple) as the mobster girl Erma. In this truly ensemble piece, the cast comes together beautifully to create the perfect night out at the theatre.

This high seas adventure shines thanks to the stunning direction and choreography of Broadway great Kathleen Marshall (whose past credits include The Pajama Game and Kiss Me, Kate on Broadway). Marshall delivers some of the best choreography to hit the Great White Way in years. Featuring a mix of tap, jazz, modern, and more, Anything Goes delivers enough dances to please all theatre goers. The Act I finally, the song “Anything Goes,” features a full cast tap dance number that fills the theatre with such joy and awe that audience members are left clapping for minutes after the curtain has already come down. Marshall has greatly out-done herself with this jaw dropping revival. Also making this production dazzle is a great design team – from set to lighting to costumes, Anything Goes is a visual pleasure. The workings of the S.S. America sail in onto the stage thanks to the clever scenic design of Derek McLane (current designs on Broadway include How to Succeed . . . and Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo). The three leveled ship is designed beautifully – full sized rooms, jail cells, and lounges move on and off effortlessly in this stunning design. To add to the wonderfulness, Peter Kaczorowski (current designs on Broadway include Born Yesterday and Driving Miss Daisy) provides a masterful lighting design. The bright and colorful scheme brightens up the entire theatre and truly lets the laugh-out-loud comedy sparkle. Also adding the overall picture of Anything Goes is costume designer Martin Pakledinaz (past designs include The Wild Party and Lend Me A Tenor). Pakledinaz’s designs transport the audience back to the glitz and glam years of the 1930s. Sutton Foster sports a new lavish dress decked out with sparkles and beads every time she renters onto the stage – it is a joy to watch. This creative team masterfully brings this old-school musical back to Broadway with tons of razzle and dazzle.

Thanks to the Roundabout Theatre Company, Cole Porter’s Anything Goes is revived with true excellence. This hilarious song and dance show is the perfect escape from reality. An absolute must see!

Review By: Ryan Oliveti