How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying @ Al Hirschfeld Theatre

How does one succeed in business without really trying? Beats the heck out of me! But it seems the cast over at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre have the little black book on the business. Show business that is. With the familiar toe tappers of Frank Loesser, the keen eye of Rob Ashford, and the sharp deliveries of Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a knock out, show stopper of a revival.

Picture this now folks, atop the World Wide Wicket Company hangs a lone window washer by the name of J. Pierrepont Finch; played by Daniel Radcliffe, a name that means zilch, that is until he starts to climb the cooperate ladder in leaps and bounds, causing ladies’ heads to turn and men to shake their fists. How does this young whipper snapper do it? Why by reading his handy dandy “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” guide, of course. This guide gives him all the know how, from schmoozing with the boss; J.B. Biggley, played by John Larroquette, to avoiding the company weasel, Bud Frump, played by Christopher J. Hanke. Now if only he can get the dream job as well as the dream girl, Rosemary Pillkington, played by Rose Hemingway, then he’d be in business.

Director, Rob Ashford, has polished one gem of a musical. From cast to costumes, sets to sound, lights to laugh-out-loud timing; Ashford nails it right on the dime. He captures the fast paced business world of the 1960’s drone worker both in dialogue and in dance. Each number having very clean and defined dancing moments that ranged from wisps of Fosse in “How to Succeed,” to a full on tap in “Cinderella Darling,” and even little sarcastic jab at a dream ballet in the number, “Rosemary.” Although it can be contested that the dancing was a bit much, none can rival the brilliance of “Old Ivy,” and “Brotherhood of Man,” which had the audience in a frenzy of cheers.

Now for the question that is on all of the tweeny-boppers minds, can Daniel Radcliffe pull off a Broadway musical? The answer is: yes, he can. With a charisma that charmed the audience into a standing ovation, Radcliffe takes the character of Fink by the bowtie and does not let him slip out of his grasp for a second. Although thin at times; his voice carried a pleasant, warm tone thought the production, which worked well for the character of dear old Finchy. As for the dancing, boy does he have rhythm! With a discipline to rival any seasoned Broadway actor, Radcliffe takes to the steps like a natural. His rapport with the rest of the cast is generally seamless, however, his relationship with the character of Rosemary left this reviewer wanting more of that romantic connection.

And who can forget our leading lady. Rose Hemingway shines in her Broadway debut, approaching her character with such endearing sensitivity and sweet comedic grace, it isn’t hard to see how third time was the charm to finding the perfect Rosemary. Hemingway’s rendition of “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” is a cherry of a performance, which has this reviewer hoping to see more of her work on the big white way in more shows to come.

It would be a crime not to mention the brilliant comedic performances of the cartoonishly maniacal Christopher J. Hanke and the boisterous deliveries of the sexy sectary, Hedy La Rue, played by Tammy Blanchard. But the biggest crime of all would be not to state how delightful it was to see John Larroquette strut his stuff as J. B. Biggly.

This musical would not be complete without the imaginative designs of Derek McLane for sets, Howell Binkley for lighting, and Catherine Zuber for costumes. McLane and Binkley’s tag team work on the light up honeycomb backdrop, set the mood and location with a creative flare complementing Zuber’s classy cuts for Sixties business chic.

So let’s review reader: How did the cast fare? With class! How did the style shine? With flare! Finally, how do you get to see a show like this? You get tickets and you get them fast!   

Review By: James Russo & Sarah Hogan-DePaul

Elf the Musical @ Al Hirschfeld Theatre

In an age where Will Ferrell films dominate the comedy scene, it seemed only natural to see this modern Christmas Classic be brought to stage. The stage adaptation of the film, naturally, removed some of the elements seen in the film version; however, none of these items are missed because the stage setting and added effects only enhanced the show for the better. Elf is a great new Christmas musical!

The first act was a little long and seemed to speed through some of the key plot points; however, this did not distract from the overall quality of the show. The second act was non-stop fun and action and really brought a great end to an entertaining holiday show. All of the musical numbers fit perfectly with the story and brought the tale of Buddy the Elf to a whole new level of fun and amusement.

The acting in Elf was exceptional. Sebastian Arcelus (Jersey Boys, Wicked), playing the main character Buddy the Elf, did an exceptional job at making the character all his own. He kept the child-like sense of wonder that makes Buddy’s antics not only hilarious but also heartwarming and loveable. Blowing the audience away, as usual, was Amy Spanger (The Wedding Singer, Rock of Ages) playing Jovie, the skeptical and sarcastic love interest of Buddy. Her acting and singing was spot on. One could only wish that they had used this talented lady a little more. The way the story is written, the character of Jovie falls slightly to the shadows but Spanger’s talents shine through in every scene. Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Matthew Gumley (The Addams Family), playing mother and son duo Emily and Michael Hobbs, work well together and the chemistry they had while on stage was incredible. Their scene work together showcased a close relationship and cynical connection to Christmas. Leavel was one of the most interesting characters in a role that differs greatly from the film. She broke the standard cookie cutter wife image of a modern day mother who loves her son, and instead treats him like an adult and is not afraid to stand up to her Scrooge of a husband. That husband, Walter Hobbs, was played by Mark Jacoby (Ragtime), and was the only character that did not dazzle upon the stage. The “bah-humbug” personality was standard and did not bring anything new to a classic Christmas antagonist. As the heartless businessman Jacoby did have a rather entertaining song “In the Way,” but it was nothing memorable given the vocals and characterization. Santa, played by George Wendt (known for his work of television’s Cheers), was an absolute delight. He chose to veer slightly from the “jolly old Saint Nick” image to depict a blue-collar working class guy who busts his buns during the holiday season. Santa, just like any man, wants to kick off his shoes after a hard day of work and watch the football game; however, he is persuaded to tell the audience one of his most beloved Christmas stories, acting as narrator of the show and setting the scene and style for everyone (even breaking the forth wall). In all, the character of Santa was perfectly brought to life by Wendt and is one of the best performances of the show.

The technical elements of Elf were stunning, for the most part. The choreography, done by director Casey Nicholaw, was simple and worked well with the show. One of the most creative dance numbers of the show was a full cast tap number at the end that that featured the entire cast in elf-styled tap shoes. Another fun number was “Sparklejollytwinklejingley.” It was a sparkly, jolly, twinkley, jingley visual pleasure as a store is decked in tinsel and Christmas attire. The dance number was fun to watch and the enthusiasm of the cast members really made it memorable. The scenic design of Elf, done by David Rockwell, was visually stunning. Every set piece felt like a book was popping up out of the stage to tell the incredible story. The use of lights throughout the show not only kept the spirit of the holiday season alive it also gave depth and personality to the set. The projections for Elf, designed by Zachary Borovay, were brilliant. This show was projection heavy and every single projection that was used was great. They moved the story along and it kept it interesting without taking away from the action on stage. Unfortunately, sound, designed by Peter Hylenski, is where the show hit its low point. Although the orchestrations were great, it overpowered the actors to the point where the audience could not hear at times. Back to the brilliant, the costumes, designed by Gregg Barnes, were incredible. Barnes really paid attention to detail and stole the show from the technical aspect. Simple touches, like the unique differences in each Santa suit and the strict similarity in the elves costumes, made the costumes fun and exciting to look at. The costumes stayed true to the styles of the film and also gave it that Broadway touch with Buddy’s outfit and all the elves costumes.

Although Elf is filled with family entertainment, validated by the numerous little ones occupying seats in the theater, there were still many adult themes and jokes. These “grown-up jokes” would of course go over the young ones heads and act as an added level for us mature minded folk. Elf is definitely recommended for all trying to get into the holiday spirit.

Review By: James Russo & Amanda Arena