A Second Look- Next to Normal v2.0

No musical on Broadway has been more affecting for me over the last few years, than "Next to Normal". Regardless whether or not you believe the show is too "commercial" to deserve a Pulitzer Prize, there is no question in my mind that the show represents everything that right about Broadway, both from a storytelling aspect as well as a producing aspect.

It's refreshing to see producers give a piece of art time to grow. In an age where shows like The Addams Family and the hot mess that is Women on The Verge of A Nervous Breakdown are rushed to Broadway with few rewrites, and in the case of "WOTV", no out of town tryout at all, Next to Normal went through numerous changes on it's seven year journey to the Booth Theater.

Alice Ripley was the anchor for just about all of that journey, winning a Tony and the admiration of the show's many fans in the process. However, she left the show in July, opening the door for a new cast to tell the story of the most dysfunctional family on Broadway (yet another awards the Addams Family didn't win).

I saw the show again last week and was fascinated by how different it feels with the new cast. Marin Mazzie gives us a somewhat "kinder, gentler" version of Diana, downplaying the raw and crazy qualities that Alice Ripley portrayed, and giving us a more sympathetic character. This version of Diana is very aware of her mental illness, but tired from the 16 year battle and almost resigned to her fate. I found that in the Ripley version of "Normal", I felt empathy for the rest of the family struggling to cope with the mental illness. In this version, I saw new layers to Diana, and couldn't help but feel empathy for a person who can't escape the clutches of her bipolar disorder.

It's also worth noting that Mazzie's performance has created an interesting effect on the performance of Meghann Fahy as Natalie. I saw Fahy last year as an understudy for Jennifer Damiano opposite Alice Ripley. In that show, Fahy conveyed the appropriate amount of anger, confusion, and bitterness that one would expect when their mother was as over the top, crazy as Alice played the part. However, Fahy is still playing the role that angry even though Mazzie's Diana is far more toned down. What it creates is a bitchy, more unlikeable Natalie.

Critics will say that Mazzie's performance is almost too "polished", and has lost the raw qualities that Ripley brought to the table. I can't argue against that statement. In fact, I wouldn't say one woman's performance is "better" than the other. They are different... and that's what makes Next to Normal worth another viewing. If anything, the new show is a further testament to the strength and depth of the script, that there are so many new layers that have been uncovered.

First preview- Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

The newly renovated Belasco Theater was sold out Friday night for the first preview of the star studded "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", the musical adaptation of the 1988 Oscar nominated film. With a writing team of David Yazbeck and Jeffery Lane, direction by Bartlett Sher, and a cast lead by Sherie Rene Scott, Patti Lupone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Laura Benanti, expectations among ticket holders were high.

That didn't last long when Sher took the stage shortly after 8pm to inform the audience that this, in fact, was the FIRST full run through of the show. The production, which had already delayed previews by three days to allow for more tech rehearsals, could not get through an entire run through the night before. Sher told the audience that the actors were "terrified" to perform in front of them tonight, asked us for "a lot of love", and warned us that we would likely see a show stoppage at some point if the safety of the performers were in question.

On one level, it's a cool opportunity to be in the house for what amounts to the first dress rehearsal for a major Broadway production. On the other hand, it sucks paying $270 for a show that isn't ready for audiences.

And believe me, on this night, "Women on The Verge" was not ready for an audience. I will withhold an official review, because this is not a finished product. However, here are a few observations:

The show is elaborate, and feels much bigger than it's $5 million budget would indicate. When it works, it's fantastic. During a scene where Scott's character is studio signing vocals for a movie musical, there is a breathtaking mix of an old time "MGM style" film playing on a screen behind her as live actors are seamlessly integrated to make it appear like a live action black and white film is happening.

On the other hand, South Pacific's Danny Burstein plays a Madrid taxi driver, with an awful taxi that moves across the stage at a snail's pace. On the screen in the back is an abstract version of what is supposed to mimic passing traffic, but comes across more like primitive graphics from a 1983 Atari game. The taxi was a constant tech problem, sometimes requiring stagehands to push it on and offstage. To their credit, Burstein and Scott admirably ad-libbed to cover for the mistakes. Yet, it was embarrassing to watch live.

As an overall note, the set changes were slower than bad community theater. There are a ton of pieces to move and they have not yet figured out how to do it quickly. In some instances, actors were onstage beginning scenes before the set had arrived. My guess is that they can tighten the run time by 15-20 minutes as this gets resolved in previews.

The set budget, however, was not the only thing that was bloated. The show features a sizable ensemble of terrific dancers, and fantastic choreography by Christopher Gattelli. The catch is, the dancing happens so infrequently in this book heavy production that it sometimes feels jarring and out of place when you see it. I felt the same way about last season's flop, "9 to 5", where it seemed like some dance numbers were staged just for the sake of having them.

As for the cast, they are still trying to find their rhythm. The evening's standout was Laura Benanti, as the high strung best friend of Sherie Rene Scott. Her comic timing was spot on, and she didn't just steal scenes on this night, she often times carried the show on her back and ran away with it. Her act 1 number, "Model Behavior", was one of the nights musical highlights. Patti Lupone was also in fine form as the crazy ex-wife. As over the top and nutty as she plays the character in act 1, she finds just the right emotional chords in the second act to break your heart for the years she wasted waiting for her husband to come home. The usually reliable Sherie Rene Scott is still finding her way in this show, which is somewhat understandable given the fact that she has the most stage time in the cast. She really seemed to struggle through the plodding, exposition heavy, opening 30 minutes of the show, but then gained confidence as the night went on. Brian Stokes Mitchell was in fine voice throughout the night, but feels somewhat underutilized despite being the show's womanizing antagonist.

Producers have a lot of work ahead of them in coming weeks. The tech aspects will fix themselves, but there are a lot of subplots and secondary characters that feel underdeveloped. Who exactly is Mary Beth Peil's character anyhow? A landlord? A Madrid version of a concierge? Why exactly is she on the verge of a nervous breakdown and why is she singing onstage with the other jilted women at the end of the show? Why is Danny Burstein's taxi driver onstage so much? I get that he's supposed to serve as a narrator, but does he really need three songs? Why was Nikka Graff Lanzarone cast in this show? Is her character supposed to be Spanish? Or is she an American? Because if she's Spanish, she's not bothering to do an accent and it's kind of annoying.

You have to think with the parties involved, this show will gel and go on to become a hot ticket. For now, I would suggest staying away from the preview performances unless you know you can't be in the city to see the finished product after it opens.

If you have attended a subsequent preview, feel free to leave a comment below. I'm curious to see how the show is progressing.

Review- Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

In a recent article already proclaiming the death of the 2011 theater season, Michael Riedel took a shot at the Broadway transfer of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, sarcastically wondering if the audiences "flocking to American Idiot" would buy tickets for Broadway's newest rock-emo musical, currently playing previews at the Bernard Jacobs theater. While it is true that American Idiot has struggled to find an audience on any week Billie Joe Armstrong hasn't been onstage, there is no denying that Andrew Jackson is not only a superior production, but it's also the smartest, most outrageous, and entertaining musical of the year.

How could a rock musical about the country's seventh president and founder of the democratic party be relevant to 2010? The answer is simple... in every way imaginable. Jackson energized a country that had lost faith in it's government, campaigning as the ultimate revolutionary rock star, engaging voters that felt like their voices didn't matter, and riding it all the way to the White House. And while Alex Timbers direction makes you believe you are watching an almost South Park-esque parody of the American Political system, the tone eventually changes, particularly when Jackson is unable to live up to the "agent of change" expectations after taking office. Tough choices are made, promises are broken, and he ultimately gets swallowed up by the machine that is American politics. While the obvious parallels to Barack Obama are evident throughout the first two thirds of the show, we learn through Jackson's journey that even the most well intentioned politician has to have a little "W" in him to get things done.

Make no mistake, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson will not be for everyone. It is far more authentic than American Idiot in it's emo roots. Green Day fans are treated to the majestic red curtain and beautiful interior upon their entry to the St James theater, a sign that they are getting Broadway's sanitized, cleaned up, classier interpretation of a rock concert. Jackson fans walk into a theater that is part rock club, part museum, part taxidermist's office (an upside down, stuffed, horse hangs over the audience's heads). Justin Townsend's fantastic lighting design immediately gives off more of a grimy rock club than a Broadway theater. The older patrons around me were less put off by the experiential production aspects and more offended by the excessive swearing and graphic language that persist throughout the one act show. Perhaps they weren't aroused by Andrew Jackson offering to "stick it in" each and every female in the audience.

For those looking for a catchy score of familiar music, Jackson is not going to provide it. Normally, that would be a disaster for a new musical, but Jackson isn't a "music" show, it's a "thinking" show. You will be more apt to discuss our nation's irrational desire to place politicians on pedestals than hum a song from the show on the way out the door.

As the title character, Benjamin Walker oozes charisma and commands the stage. His singing voice is a little thin in it's upper register, but in a show where the music takes a backseat to the subversive humor, it's never a problem. He's also surrounded by a terrific ensemble of performers including Kristine Nielson as the much abused storyteller, and the hilarious Jeff Hiller stealing scenes in multiple roles.

While there are no obvious problems onstage with Andrew Jackson , it does appear that there are big financial issues plauging the show behind the scenes. The Public Theater's preoccupation with their upcoming Al Pacino led Merchant of Venice has prevented them from raising their portion of the 4 million dollar budget. Rumors persist that they are now offering $150,000 of shares in Merchant in exchange for a $250,000 investment in Jackson. Ultimately, it could mean a brief run for Broadway's first "must see" musical since Next to Normal.

Grade- A+

And the awards for most self-indulgent project at the NYMF goes to...

Anthony Rapp, who is still desperately trying to stay relevant by reminding us of his work on a show that hasn't been relevant in at least 5 years. "Without Out" is Rapp's one-man show about his trials and tribulations around the time that he was cast in a little show called Rent.

You know, the show that he was still touring with up until last year, despite the fact that he is now a decade too old to play Mark Cohen??

I hate to be cynical about it. Rapp, in his prime, was a capable stage performer. But if you want people to see you as a performer with more depth than the guy who sang "La Vie Boheme", then stop milking the Rent train already.

And really, shouldn't one-person, autobiographical shows be reserved for huge stars? Billy Crystal did it, Liza Minelli did it. Even Carrie fisher got away with it, but at least she had some crazy drunken, cocaine infused stories to tell. Rapp isn't a star. How many people are going to pay $75 to see him rehash the story of Jonathan Larson's death in an off-Broadway theater??

On a bright note, there does seem to be some interesting entries at the NYMF this year. I'm hoping to check out a couple while visiting the city next week. anyone have a suggestion??

In the meantime, enjoy the video from NY1, of Rapp promoting his new project.

http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/on_stage/126037/nymf-prepares-for-annual-celebration

Rent- As Explained by a 5 Year Old

My girlfriend recently choreographed a student production of Rent here in Sacramento. During the tech week, she had to bring her 5 year old daughter to the rehearsals. Surely, little Juliette would not be able to grasp the adult concepts of the show, right? Well, watch this video and judge for yourself.

Have a great weekend. And try not to catch an "AIDS cold"

2011- A Big Year for Jesus on Broadway.

While discussing Ken Davenport's much publicized Godspell revival this week, I asked if it made sense to try to market a show directly to Christian America, a group that certainly has used their money to buy political clout, but is rarely marketed to by Broadway. I even suggested that it might make sense to stunt cast a Christian recording artist in the show to get more publicity within those circles. However, it occurred to me this morning that the gospel lane might be a little more congested than normal in the upcoming Broadway season with Sister Act and Leap of Faith both aiming to open to 2011.

Sister Act certainly has the most name recognition of the three shows, thanks to a successful franchise of films starring Whoopi Goldberg, who also served as an executive producer for the musical version that has been playing at the West End for the last year. However, as proven by last year's flop 9 to 5, that doesn't guarantee a long New York run. that particular show had everything you would want from a new musical; familiar source material, a great cast, a prime location for tourists at the Marquis, and a score by the beloved Dolly Parton. As it turned out, Dolly's score wasn't that memorable, country music fans weren't flocking to Broadway, and the reported $15 million budget featuring Joe Mantello's "put more set pieces on the stage" approach sunk the show.

To make things more challenging, this version of Sister Act will resemble the movie in name only. Alan Menken eliminated the audience friendly Motown-inspired score in favor of disco music. Unlike the movie, the musical will be set in 1978, and as of this moment, there is no star attached to the production, which seems almost like a necessity for the New York run. How much would it cost to get Jennifer Hudson to star in the show? Wouldn't that be a slam dunk???

Leap of Faith, currently in previews in Los Angeles, does have the star power. The always reliable Raul Esparza might not be familiar to tourists, but Brooke Shields certainly is. Like Sister Act, the show features an Alan Menken score, little of which we know about aside from the teasers that are popping up on Youtube.

Sidebar- why is the choir in the back unable to clap on the downbeat?? Am I Missing something.

With no reviews printed at the moment, it's hard to get a sense on what will happen with Leap of Faith, the story if a flim flam revival tent preacher who sees the light. The Steve Martin movie was never a big hit at the box office, and has largely faded into obscurity with casual fans. If the production gets good reviews, it could squeeze into a Broadway theater next season, although I hope the producers follow the example of Catch Me If You Can, who went into rewrites after tepid response from the Seattle tryouts. If The Addams Family and Shrek musical adaptations have taught us anything, it's not to rush a show to New York before it's ready.

That leaves, Godspell, who is counting on a social networking community to do part of the marketing legwork. Capitalized at what I can only imagine will be a much smaller amount than the other two shows ($5 million according to Davenport), their road to recoupment will theoretically be easier, even if the track record for revivals of dated musicals hasn't been good. Finian's Rainbow was loved by the critics, but sure didn't fill the St James, which is why I am hopeful that Davenport mounts this in a much smaller, more intimate theater.

What do you think? Is Broadway ready for three religious themed musicals next year? Which one, if any, will recoup? Your feedback is always welcome.

Why I Joined "The People of Godspell"

In his new book, "Micromarketing", author Greg Verdino presents a case for the death of mass marketing. According to Verdino, it's more important to matter a lot to a select few than to matter just a little to everyone. His book lays out social media marketing's biggest hits, and demonstrates that "the next big thing" is actually a series of small things.

A couple of examples:

-Paramount Pictures opted against traditional advertising when releasing the film Paranormal Activity. Instead, they made it easy for moviegoers to sell the experience to one another, enabling moviegoers to become active partners and willing participants in the movie's success. Million of raving fans became credible micromessage bearers.

-The Ford corporation garnered more than 10 million impressions for the soon to be relaunched Ford Fiesta, without spending a single dollar of advertising. Instead, they loaned 100 vehicles to people they identified as the 100 most powerful young bloggers in America. They gave those bloggers a list of assignments (including video and photo content) to complete in exchange for a free car. As a result, the Fiesta got 6 million YouTube impressions, more than 3.7 million twitter impressions, and 740,000 Flickr photo views. The 6 month campaign resulted in 60 percent brand awareness for their product before the 2011 vehicles even hit the lots, the equivalent of 2-3 years of far more expensive TV spots.

The lesson here is that people want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Ken Davenport may understand that concept better than anyone on Broadway.

By now, you are aware that his revival of Godspell is being billed as the first ever "community funded Broadway show". Davenport is opening up the investment gates to everyday people. While the minimum investment level for the South Park inspired Book of Mormon is reportedly 1 million dollars, Godspell investors can get in for as little as $1000. In return, they will get their name on the marquee. Ok, not exactly the marquee. The name will appear (in presumably very tiny print) on a large poster that will live outside the yet to be determined theater. They will also get their photo and social networking links on peopleofgodspell.com. Most importantly for those who choose to join this endeavor, they are buying into the dream that Greg Verdino talks about. A chance, in the smallest of ways, to become part of the larger Broadway community.

I've been thinking about becoming a Broadway investor for some time. I always told myself that I would never put my money into a musical revival. Typically, they are too tough of a putt to recoup. I've always maintained that there are only two reasons to mount a revival in New York.

1) You are able to reinvent the material to make it relevant to the current times (Diane Paulus' all too relevant version of Hair)

2) You are casting a major star (Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Landsbury in A Little Night Music)

My guess is that Godspell will fit neither of these criteria. The show is so dated, that I can't imagine how anyone will make it fresh, and a 5 millon dollar budget doesn't leave room for an A-list celebrity.

All that being said, I still jumped in and invested $2000 of my money anyways. Why? Because I've spent most of this year writing about how Broadway needs to evolve and do business differently. While I don't necessarily believe in the Godspell franchise, I believe in what Davenport is doing. It's a bold move and I wanted to be part of it.

I'm curious to see what the next move with this show is. As an official owner of 20 units of the production, I feel entitled to share a few ideas (yes, that was said with sarcasm)

Hopefully, they don't try to shoot the moon and play too big of a space. I'm not convinced that the audience will be there to sell a 1200 seat theater 8 shows a week. If A Little Night Music closes at the end of the year, the Walter Kerr would be an ideal house. I wouldn't even mind seeing them go smaller and do a space like American Airlines Theater.

Secondly, I wonder if it makes sense to target the marketing plan to Christian America? . Is there a contemporary christian recording artist who would make sense to book? I'll be honest, I don't know a thing about that world of music, other than the fact Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W Smith are too old for the show. Then again, perhaps those christian artists don't want to share a stage with a bunch of godless, liberal, homosexuals (again, said with more than a little sarcasm).

Davenport has achieved the first hurdle, there will be huge awareness for this show. The community of investors will do much of the marketing work for him, social networking the crap out of it. However, now the production needs to stand on it's own.

I'm cheering for it. Because I own a piece of it.

As always, I'd love to hear your feedback. Leave a comment.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Well, it's certainly been awhile. It's amazing how easy it is to get out of the habit of writing everyday. In my defense, it's not like I was sitting around on my butt all summer. Things have been busy in the radio world, and I got back onstage this summer to play Aaron Fox in the Sacramento regional premiere of Kander and Ebb's "Curtains"at Runaway Stage. The show was met with great reviews and I got to work with a lot of wonderful performers. Below is a clip of me performing the show's beautiful ballad, "I Miss The Music". I realize I am no Jason Danieley, so try not to judge me too hard, will you?

I am happy to say that I will be flying back to New York the week of October 4th to check out some shows. I'm very curious to see "Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson" which I have been intrigued by since I read the reviews from the Public Theater production. Also on tap for the trip are "Memphis" (a little late to the party on this, or wise to have stayed away depend on who you talk to), "Next to Normal" (interested to see this with the new cast), and a few more to be decided.

Anyone have suggestions? And if you are a reader of the blog, maybe we can meet for coffee while I'm in town and talk about the art that we all love so dearly.

Glad to be back in the saddle,

Dan

Broadway panders to the mainstream- vol. 2

Back in April, I blogged about the Glee phenomenon, and how a show that's supposed to make Broadway cool is actually doing more for the current pop artists that it pays tribute to. You can read that post by clicking below

http://http//broadwaysnark.blogspot.com/2010/04/glee-phenomenon-is-broadway-going.html

Now along those same lines, Michael Riedel reported today that the opening medley at this year's Tony Awards is "Pop Songs You Didn't Know Were on Broadway". Yes, the Broadway league is practically begging America to think that theater is cool by showcasing the well known songs that you can see performed on the stage. Million Dollar Quartet will break out it's rock jukebox catalog, Kristin Chenowith will perform "I Say A Little Prayer", Twyla Tharp's crew will do their "So You Think You Can dance to Sinatra" show, Catherine Zeta Jones will perform "Send In The Clowns" , and Green Day will finish with songs from American Idiot.

Hey, you know who ISN'T being mentioned?? The cast of Memphis, which is the only original musical of the season to be nominated, and considered by many to be the front runner to win Best Musical.

Isn't it a shame when the show that might be the best show of the season ends up getting buried because it's not a star driven jukebox??

But it isn't just the musical category that is guilty of this. The Tony Awards have reportedly decided to showcase the most successful plays of the season, featuring appearances from Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Scarlett Johannson, and Christopher Walken. Interesting that nobody was doing that for a couple of years ago, isn't it? Then again, the show didn't have a Hollywood A-lister headlining it.

I get it. The Tony telecast is a chance to reach out to millions of potential tourists (although given the usual ratings for the Tonys, you still aren't reaching as many people as a new Family Guy episode) and get them to attend live theater. It's an important audience and we need it. But it seems hypocritical to say Chenowith's performance was not as worthy of an award as Montego Glover's, only to pimp Kristen on the telecast since casual fans know her from Glee, while Montego will be buried in between technical awards in the middle of the show.

Maybe Montego's agent can get her on Grey's Anatomy between now and her next Tony nomination. Then she'll be important enough to be on the show.

Good news for Michael Douglas???

He likely won't have to take his son's framed mugshot down off of the mantle to clear space for his wife's Tony Award. People in the know all seem to insist that Catherine Zeta-Jones' award season hopes are fading, after the Oscar winning actress missed 5 performances over the last two weeks with a viral infection that has killed her voice. To make matters worse, the missed performances have come at a critical time, when Tony voters are attending shows and deciding on who to vote for.

While I certainly empathize with the frustration of losing your voice at such a critical time, I will also go on record and say that healthy or not, CZJ probably doesn't deserve the award in the first place. I attended a performance of A Little Night Music while visiting the city in April, and while Zeta Jones looked amazing, she didn't SOUND amazing. Her voice was already showing some wear and tear from the eight performances a week, and while she may have won her Academy Award for belting out Velma's songs in Chicago, she did sound different without the added help of some good, old-fashioned, Hollywood post production. "Send In The Clowns" is not the most vocally demanding song in the Sondheim catalog, requiring an actress to hit all of about 7 notes, but even so, I didn't think she pulled it off. Her acting performance was convincing, but this is the Tony's. Your vocals have to count for something s well.

All that being said, her six month run at the Walter Kerr Theater is good for Broadway. I suppose her winning an award on a national telecast to casual theater fans would be even better for Broadway.

It just might not be the right decision artistically.

Samuel L Jackson to Broadway?

There have been multiple Internet reports that Jackson is in talks to play Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a new play called The Mountaintop. The show chronicles an imaginary exchange between MLK and a chamber maid on the day before his assassination.

Jackson's paycheck is reportedly in the $50,000 a week range. While that seems like an obscenely high number, you have to account for the fact it's only a two person show, so the other expenses can't be too exorbitant. Additionally, the recent box office success of Denzel Washington, Scarlett Johannson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones would lead one to believe that this show has the makings of a huge smash.

Perhaps the only question mark is this. Will the playwright adjust the script to accommodate an actor the caliber of Samuel L. Jackson?? Because I think you really open up a lot of new content when you hire him to play Dr. King

"I'm tired of all these muthaf***in' white supremacists in this muthaf***in' country"

"Can you hand Dr. King his wallet?? It's the one that says 'Bad Muthaf***a' on it"

Come to think of it, if this MLK show works, maybe someone will green light Snakes on a Plane: The Musical, with music by Marc Shaiman??? I guarantee it would be more entertaining than Reba McIntyre in Molly Brown

Why I Hate Alice Ripley- Exhibit B

Last month, in honor of Next to Normal's Pulitzer win, I posted the video of Alice Ripley's unabomber manifesto that masqueraded as a Tony acceptance speech. The moment may go down as the most awful, self indulgent, moment in awards show history.

Then as I was searching YouTube this morning to find Jason Danieley's amazing rendition of the song "What Kind of Fool Am I", this nugget showed up as a related video. Lock in your seat belts and be prepared to ride the Ripley crazy train




I have been breaking this video down frame by frame like it were the effing Zapruder film for the last 40 minutes and am left totally speechless. A few highlights for me

3:54- Was that a fart in the background
4:01- mumbling the line for the 82nd time as she puts on lip gloss
5:42- The creepy laughing
7:20- The eyes, ever so briefly, roll back into the head like the exorcist after she removes her glasses

Look, I studied acting with Kristen Linklater at Emerson College. i get all of the creepy acting techniques that are supposed to help you drill down to the emotional truth of the writing. What I don't get is posting a 10 minute video of it on a page that is supposed to be for your band. Interesting to note that I can't find any videos of Alice's band on this page because it's all videos of her doing weird stuff like this.

then again, I spent ten minutes on a Saturday watching it. So what does that say about me???

Tuesday Tidbits- "Night Music" set to close

After nearly six weeks of rumors regarding replacement casts, producers announced today that the first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music will close it's doors on June 20, the same day that stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Landsbury's contracts are set to end. At it's closing, the show will have played 20 previews and 217 performances.

The show received tepid reviews (including one from this guy), but played to near capacity crowds throughout it's six month run at the Walter Kerr Theater. Certainly, the pairing of Jones and Landsbury was one of the most inspired casting decisions of the season and helped to overcome a rather bland directing job by Trevor Nunn, whose pacing of the first act was so slow that the show might as well have been moving backwards.

Over the last month, Gwyneth Paltrow, Blythe Danner, and Debbie Reynolds were all rumored to be replacements. In the end, none of it materialized, forcing producers to pull the plug earlier than they would have hoped on their reported $4.8 million dollar production.

Many Sondheim fans have been clamoring for a revival of Merrily We Roll Along. How long until someone loses money on that production?

Director Julie Taymor was honored with a lifetime achievement award today at a luncheon sponsored by the New Dramatists. Taymor's body of work includes the stage adaptation of Disney's The Lion King. She also glued a unibrow on Salma Hayak in the 2002 film Frida that nobody saw, despite getting nominated for a lot of awards. Perhaps one day she will best be remembered for singlehandedly setting $60 million dollars on fire in the soon to be disastrous Spiderman musical.

Taymor was hard at work defending the project today, saying "The audience won't get rooked, so they shouldn't be complaining. They'll pay about the same for this show as they would for a two actor, one set show."

Note to Ms. Taymor-- The audiences aren't complaining yet. You still haven't delivered a show for them to hate. The people who should be complaining are the investors and everyone at Hello Entertainment who have invested the gross national product of Malaysia into a show that will never recoup unless you charge five times the ticket price of that two actor show you mentioned.

Spiderman is still allegedly opening this fall.

Spiderman: Turn off the Lights... Please!

Spiderman's road to Broadway has not been an easy one. The show, originally scheduled to open earlier this year, was delayed due to money problems. The production team had already blown through the initial $20 million investment before rehearsals even began. Director Julie Taymor's special effects heavy production would have reportedly cost close to a million dollars a week to produce, making recoupment close to impossible.

At that point, I called Spiderman's producers the most irresponsible in the history of American Theater. What producer in their right mind could so badly mismanage such a huge investment?? Little did I know back in February that the worst was yet to come. New producers were brought in, and the production expense has now tripled to over $60 million dollars. This despite the fact that there is no cast in place or renovations completed at the Hilton Theater. Potential investors are being solicited, at the low cost of ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS! What exactly does one get for that investment? Will Bono come play your kid's Bar Mitzvah?? Will Julie Taymor come dance in your living room while wearing wildlife headpieces left over from The Lion King?? Exactly what would possess even the most starstruck investor to pony up that kind of cash to a production team that has already proven that they are incapable of managing a multi million dollar budget??

The sad news is that some idiot is out there writing an 8 figure check because they feel Spiderman is the most important project in the world. Yet, imagine what that kind of money could do to save arts education programs across America. Did you know that right now, here in cash strapped California, the Los Angeles Unified School District will be cutting arts education by 50% next school year, at a savings of $14 million dollars? You want to find an artistic endeavor worth saving??? Help the LA schools... not Julie Taymor. Maybe your generous contribution will help cultivate the education of the next generation of Broadway actors and producers. I bet they would be a whole lot smarter than some of today's theater decision makers

Box Office Results- The Tony Aftermath

Now that the Tony nominations have been announced, it's interesting to take a look and see if there is any correlation to the box office receipts for last week. By and large, the answer is a resounding "no".

Of the 4 nominees for "best musical", only Fela saw a significant bump over the previous week, filling the Eugene O' Neill theater to 93% capacity (a 22% increase), and a $163,000 increase in gross. To me, Fela feels like the Passing Strange of the season in that it's been a far bigger critical hit than a commercial one, so hopefully the Tony buzz translates into business beyond the next few weeks. The producers (including Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith) are trying their best to capitalize on the momentum, announcing plans for a national tour in 2011.

American idiot and Memphis were essentially flat from last week's attendance, although their grosses were up a little (probably more to do with fewer discounts). The surprise nominee, Million Dollar Quartet was actually down 10% after it was nominated for best musical, taking in nearly $40,000 less and playing to only 57% capacity at the Nederlander Theater. Still though, the producers are soldiering on and have announced that they are selling tickets through November. Anyone care to wager as to whether the show actually lasts that long?

Of the two nominated revivals that are still open, only La Cage saw a spike, up $60,000 from last week and filling the Longacre to 88% capacity, which is more impressive when you see the overall anemic attendance across the board last week.

Which of this season's musicals ARE doing big business? The panned Addams Family and Promises, Promises, both topping the million dollar mark once again. Should we be surprised that this season's most negatively reviewed shows are grossing the highest?? Not really. All you have to take a look at last weekend's Hollywood box office, where the widely panned Iron Man 2 took in $133 million dollars to see the disconnect between critics and audiences. By the way, despite the negative buzz on IM2, all I read this weekend on facebook were status updates from moviegoers praising it as being better than the first one.

The bottom line?? Today's audience doesn't want to be told how they should feel about the product. They are happy to judge for themselves.... and isn't that what makes art great???

Why wasn't Broadway with "Coco"??

I just got back from seeing Conan O' Brien's Sacramento engagement for his "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television" tour. It's a 32 city tour that lets Conan circumvent his NBC settlement, which prohibits him from performing on TV, radio, and the Internet until the fall. As you know, Conan recently signed a deal with TBS for a new cable program that begins at the end of his non-compete clause.

The show was an extension of his talk show including appearances from characters like "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog", the "Masturbating Bear", his sidekick Andy Richter, and more. The tour has been sold out at every date and has been met with wildly enthusiastic audiences.

As the night ended with Conan and his band performing a cover of "I Will Survive", I began to wonder if Broadway producers missed a huge opportunity by not signing Conan to a "smash and grab" limited engagement of his show. Given the success of previous limited engagements like Will Ferrell's George Bush Tribute, Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays, and to some extent, Carrie Fisher's recent Wishful Drinking, you would have to think that there could have been an audience for a 6 week Conan run.

Afterall, he has a long history with the city of New York, and was rumored to be angling to keep the Tonight Show there upon taking over the franchise last year. The location would have been conducive to booking a variety of surprise celebrity appearances (which he's been doing at many of his road dates), and his variety act of music and comedy would have just made sense in New York.

His Sacramento date had a ticket price ranging from $35-$75 in a 3200 capacity venue. My guess is that the gross of thee shows are in the neighborhood of $175,000 per night, more than he would take in for a single New York performance, but the production costs would also be reduced without having to travel from city to city. Surely this could have worked, right? Too bad the Roundabout couldn't have booked a lucrative Conan engagement instead of having to give away the house to see Everyday Rapture

Everyday Rapture-- The Wal-Mart of Broadway

While perusing last week's box office totals, I did a double take on Everyday Rapture.

The show played to about 81% capacity--- not bad at all.

The show grossed $136,000--- not good at all

The average ticket price--- wait for it.... $28.

Really?? I am currently performing in a production of Cinderella here in Sacramento that is a $20 ticket. So you mean to tell me for eight bucks more, I can go to New York City and see a beloved Broadway star in a Tony nominated musical???

Either one of two things is going on here.

A) The producers knew that they would get some Tony love and just needed to fill the house until the nominations came out and generated some buzz

B) Nobody in New York cares about this show.

Does anyone remember seeing a brand new show with ticket prices and grosses this low??? I realize it's a small cast and it's probably not expensive to produce... but that makes no sense??

The marquee should read "Everyday Rapture--- at everyday low prices"

We saw this coming

Over the last week, I've been playing the new game that's sweeping the nation, called "If I Were Michael Ridel", where we take a guess as to how he will go about buring The Addams Family in his latest column. As predicted, he used the Times Square bomber :

AND the Tony Award for Cowardice goes to Lucy Liu of "God of Carnage," the only
actor on Broadway who refused to go on Saturday night during the bomb scare.

She panicked after talking to police outside the theater. Her understudy
bravely went on with the show's other stars, Jeff Daniels, Janet McTeer and
Dylan Baker.

I'm told she feels "terrible" now about missing the
performance.

Well, Lucy, there's a saying in the theater: The show must
go on.

Take your lead from Nathan Lane, the star of "The Addams Family."

He's in a bomb every night, but he never misses!

Mr. Riedel is a little predictable, but I still love him.

The biggest losers on Tony nomination day....

The Tony committee giveth...and they also taketh away. By now, you have already read about the big winners (Fela, Memphis, etc), but let us take a moment to see who lost the most based on this morning's nominations.

1. Enron- On paper, this seemed like it was going to be a no brainer. The show was enormously successful in the UK, where the West End production is still running. The American cast was strong, the production was slick and stylized, and in the end, it didn't matter. Enron, which was not well received by critics, was playing to about 65 percent capacity at an average ticket price of $35. While it was nominated for 4 awards this morning, it was not included in the all important "Best Play" category, and the closing notice was posted just hours later, a mere 12 days after opening

2- The Addams Family- As I discussed in yesterday's prediction blog, the show has been the target of largely unjustified hatred by theater insiders. Ken Davenport may be the only person I know of to come out and say the show deserved a "Best Musical" nomination. While I figured the backlash would keep TAF of that category, there were enough strong performances by Nathan Lane, Kevin Chamberlain, and Carolee Carmello to merit multiple acting nods. I also figured that such a visually impressive show would be acknowledged in the technical categories. At the end of the day, it was only nominated twice, an acting nod for Chamberlain, and a surprising best score nomination for the heavily panned music from Andrew Lippa. The good news for Addams Family?? It's consistent seven figure weekly gross should keep it going strong for the time being, avoiding the fate that 9 to 5 suffered after last year's Tony snub.

3. Broadway stars- This year, many beloved Broadway performers were passed over in place of their Hollywood counterparts. Noticeably absent from the acting categories this year were Kristen Chenowith, Nathan Lane, and Bebe Neuwirth. In their place were Denzel Washington, Sean Hayes, Scarlett Johannson, and others. The only one of those omissions that I personally have a problem with is the extraordinary Lane, who single-handedly carries Addams on his back 8 shows a week. Broadway fans shouldn't be too upset about this trend as the Denzels and Scarlett's of the world do bring new fans to the theater, and legitimize Broadway to people who might not otherwise care.

The winners will be announced June 13th at Radio City Music Hall.

The Idol Broadway Takeover Continues...

But look on the brightside, at least the Weissler's aren't casting Taylor Hicks as Billy Flynn.

Former American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, has been announced as the newest cast member of In The Heights, a show that is still bringing in big houses by putting teen stars on the marquee. She will takeover the role of Nina in August.

Those of us who have seen Jordin in person are not so much surprised that she's reinventing herself on Broadway as much as we were shocked it wasn't as the star of "Precious: The Musical based on the novel PUSH by Sapphire".

She's put on a few pounds since Idol... just saying.

Will this move translate to big box office?? The "American Idol" alumni have an uneven record of moving tickets. Fantasia Barrino' s run in The Color Purple was a huge success, even if she missed a lot of shows. Constantine Maroulis' has been winning audiences over in Rock of Ages, although it's doubtful that people are paying to see him as much as they are the show itself. However, attendance at Hair has fallen through the floor since Diana Degarmo and Ace Young took over the starring roles. Taylor Hicks' run as the Teen Angel didn't translate into an extended run for Grease, and then there was Clay Aiken in Spamalot, which was just wrong on every level.

We'll see how the Jordin Sparks play works out. Until then, now that his solo career is going well, we can start the countdown to Adam Lambert's Broadway debut.