New York Monthly Herald. July 2006 Issue P. 64
NEW YORK THEATERS & MUSICALS BROADWAY CONTINUES ON P 65I
The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee:
A quirky and playful new musical from the author of Falsettos
and director James Lapine about... a spelling bee. Imagine your school
spelling bee, if all the contestants had the wit and whimsy enough to
express their feelings through spontaneous acts of musical theatre. If you
like the idea, you'll doubtlessly enjoy this exquisitely rendered effort
from William Finn and James Lapine. Housed in the cinderblock
gymnicafertorium that is Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre, the
production makes every effort to conjure up the feeling of a school
assembly, at which the painfully awkward adolescents suffer through the
terrors and bliss of growing up. There's a minor audience-participation
element to the evening, as a few members of the audience join the cast
onstage as 'contestants' at the beginning - no worries, if you don't want
to, you won't have to. The staff quietly canvasses the lobby before the
show to solicit participants - your odds are best if you're with a large
group, look relatively sober, and are not an actor. (Our editor didn't
stand a chance.) Mature themes (there's a tumescence song). 2005 Tony
Awards: Best Book, Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Fogler). 2005 Drama
Desk Awards: 2, including Best Director of a Musical. 2005 Outer Critics
Circle Award :Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Fogler). May be
inappropriate for 9 and under. Children under the age of 5 are not
permitted in the theatre.
The Color Purple: Based
on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, this jazz and blues musical tells the
story of one woman's awakening to love in the midst of a painful life.
11 Tony Award nominations. Playing one of Broadway's largest houses,
this grand saga of one woman's struggles is set to a rousing score of
jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues. The protagonist endures much, and the
worst of it would probably be too much for the tykes, but after much
violence, hatred, and misunderstanding, she ultimately finds love.
Best for mature audiences, this spectacular show is a
good buy for those looking for a Broadway show that's not afraid to hit a
few sorrowful notes. The ticketer advises: "Latecomers will not be seated
for the first twenty minutes of the performance".
The Drowsy Chaperone:
Tony-winner Sutton Foster stars in this new musical comedy throwback -
a tribute to the days of just having a grand old time at the theatre. 13
Tony Award nominations. This warmhearted show is targeted precisely at
the lover of the Broadway Musical, the guy or doll who stays up late into
the night playing an Original Cast Recording in the living room. (Never
call it a "soundtrack" - they hate that.) In a bit of wish fulfillment,
the show itself materializes around the fuddy-duddy playing the album,
and, wham-o, you're catapulted back to Broadway, circa 1928. Sutton Foster
stars as the can-do ingenue of the extravaganza (she originated the title
role in Thoroughly Modern Millie a few years back), and is
surrounded by a veteran cast of stage and screen. This is a great choice
for the aficionado and the connoisseur. As a side bonus, it's in one
of Broadway's newest and most comfortable theatres. Enjoy. If you're
picking up tickets at Will Call, keep in mind that (from street level) the
box office is through one door, and the entrance to the theater is through
another.
The Lion
King: Julie Taymor's inventive retelling of Disney's animated hit took
Broadway by storm in 1999 - and it's still roaring strong. Puppets and
live actors weave a dreamscape of jungle characters as we follow the rise
of young Simba to the throne. After six years, this brightly plumed Disney
musical comedy is still the Broadway destination of
choice
for most city visitors. At the New Amsterdam, visitors from Omaha, Oahu, and Oman alike are treated to one of the most lavishly restored of the grand old Broadway houses and a production that won almost universal critical praise for its powerful mixture of theatre traditions from around the world. It's an odd entertainment that can stir the dreams of both the father and the five year-old, but this strange mix of old-time Broadway showmanship and the Natural History Museum seems to do the trick. A consistent family favorite, it will move to another Broadway theatre in June 2006 to make room for a new Mary Poppins musical at the New Amsterdam. All ages admitted - everyone must have a ticket. Evening performances are recommended for 6 and above.
The Odd Couple: Nathan
Lane and Matthew Broderick return to Broadway in Neil Simon's classic comedy
of cohabitation. This revival of Neil Simon's screwball comedy about two
roommates who just can't seem to get along was one of the hottest tickets of
the season at the opening, but has since cooled to "generally available".
Later parlayed into a popular film and television series, Felix and Oscar
started off on the Broadway stage played by Art Carney and Walter Matthau,
and now the dynamic duo of Lane and Broderick (who shot to popularity, fame
and all manner of good things in The Producers a few years back) step
into their shoes, bringing Neil Simon's comedy back to the Great White Way.
Cast News: Brad Garrett ("Everybody Loves Raymond"), who opened as "Murray
the Cop", has left the show.
The Phantom of the Opera: A hideously deformed man lives in the cellars of the Paris Opera and takes a stunningly beautiful soprano as a student in this classic show - the longest running production in Broadway history. This show is a very good buy for families looking for the quintessential Broadway experience – the scenery is lavish, the lush orchestral score has a real "Broadway" feel to it, and even after all of the worldwide productions, tours, and the recent film, the original is still a great introduction to what the world of Broadway is all about. In July 2005, the Times revisited the show and said: "Judging by sheer invention, emotional punch and onstage talent, the venerable blockbuster still beats out almost all of the whippersnappers currently on Broadway." Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre. CONTINUES ON P 65I