Audra McDonald in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill": A Once In A Lifetime Performanceby Randi / May 27, 2014
“The Bridges of Madison County” which should be the big story here but nooooo.
The Tony Awards are here! You guys remember how balls-out crazy I got for the Oscars? The Tonys are like 100 times more important to me. And to the world. Because THEATRE! Music! Dancing! Hugh Jackman and/or Neil Patrick Harris without fail every year! & this year, both of them (Jackman hosting, NPH 100% winning)! But the Tonys are not all kick lines and high Es and people who say ‘the-ah-tuh’. No, there’s shit going down.
So here’s the 411 on Mr. Tonys. We all know it’s called show business for a reason, but recently the actual reach of poisonous business interests has been made clear to me. Due to the Tony voting body comprising many road producers (read: for those tour companies that come to your little podunk town), NYC producers, and other kinds of people who are like the oil barons of the theatre, the Tonys are really a way for people who want to make more money to ensure that they have an easier time at it. Meaning, often the shows that win awards are the shows that are the most bankable for the masses, because having “Tony-award winning” in front of a show’s title will draw more crowds. This means that maybe the best, most deserving shows (*cough* Bridges of Madison County *cough*) of the season will be ignored in favor of shows like “Aladdin” and “Beautiful” that will likely make the most money. It’s not surprising that the Tonys are like ALL other awards, in that the best isn’t necessarily what wins, but it’s sad nonetheless.
Regardless, I hold out hope that, even if the nominations never get it really right, the awards will at least produce some justice. We can all rant that awards mean nothing (because they really don’t), but everyone still wants to win! So below are my thoughts on the main categories, what I think will go down, what I hope will occur, and what I can’t understand. Tune in to CBS on Sunday, June 8 at 8pm to see how I do. And more importantly, how Hugh Jackman doooo.
Regardless, I hold out hope that, even if the nominations never get it really right, the awards will at least produce some justice. We can all rant that awards mean nothing (because they really don’t), but everyone still wants to win! So below are my thoughts on the main categories, what I think will go down, what I hope will occur, and what I can’t understand. Tune in to CBS on Sunday, June 8 at 8pm to see how I do. And more importantly, how Hugh Jackman doooo.
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BEST MUSICAL
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“Gentleman’s Guide“, the funny and charming romp about an 8th-in-line descendant of an earl who knocks off every relative ahead of him, should definitely win out of this admittedly less than stellar group. “Beautiful” is the spoiler because of the aforementioned road producers: it would tour soooo successfully, and a Tony would help that (though it wouldn’t be necessary). “After Midnight”, while exceedingly entertaining (at least for an hour), was a straightforward jazz, dance, big band revue, not a musical with any sort of plot, so I don’t know who the show slept with to get nominated here.
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BEST PLAY
“Act One” “All the Way” “Casa Valentina” “Mothers and Sons” “Outside Mullingar” |
Although many are putting “All The Way”, about Lyndon B. Johnson, as the frontrunner, my vote would be for “Casa Valentina”, about which I have written but not posted the review. Harvey Fierstein wows again with a show about 1960s men who secretly loved to wear women’s clothing. At times heartwarming and at times heartbreaking, “Casa” was a wonderful, somehow old-fashioned-seeming night at the theatre.
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BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” “Les Miserables” “Violet” |
Oh man, this pathetic category. Three nominees? Yeesh. “Les Mis” is done well, but who isn’t sick of this show right now?? Because I sure am. “Violet” is well done and people are flipping out over it, but it didn’t win me over. Read about why here. The unstoppable winner is “Hedwig”, or the Neil Patrick Harris show. I haven’t seen it because tickets are like $500 but it’s a definite winner.
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BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY “The Cripple of Inishmaan” “The Glass Menagerie” “A Raisin in the Sun” “Twelfth Night” |
Now this is an interesting category!! All four of these productions were wonderful, and three were so stellar as to be mind-blowing. “Cripple”, with Daniel Radcliffe, was incredibly well done and entertaining, thanks to a top-notch ensemble. “Menagerie” is widely thought to be the greatest production of the play ever, with Cherry Jones and Celia Keenan-Bolger giving benchmark performances. But even these stellar shows can’t top the all-male “Twelfth Night” straight from the Old Globe, which provided a perfect, hilarious, authentic theatrical experience.
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Mary Bridget Davies, “A Night With Janis Joplin” Sutton Foster, “Violet” Idina Menzel, “If/Then” Jessie Mueller, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” Kelli O’Hara, “The Bridges of Madison County” |
Hot damn. This is the category that is giving me agita. Jessie Mueller is giving a star-making turn as Carole King in “Beautiful” and will be deserving when she wins the statue on Sunday. But my vote would have gone to O’Hara, the greatest current leading lady on Broadway who isn’t Audra McDonald, for her unbelievably perfect performance in “Bridges”. She won’t win Sunday, but in a few years the theatre community will be like, “WTF how did Kelli not win for “Bridges” in 2014? F-ing f-ers, those voters!” Truth.
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Tyne Daly, “Mothers and Sons” LaTanya Richardson-Jackson, “A Raisin in the Sun” Cherry Jones, “The Glass Menagerie” Audra McDonald, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” Estelle Parsons, “The Velocity of Autumn” |
Another very crowded category, Best Actress in a Play is not without some controversy. Some people think “Lady Day” should have been categorized as a musical instead of a play, and so Audra would be in the list above. I believe the committee got this right, because the music in “Lady Day” is presented in a concert format; it doesn’t drive plot or story or anything. But even if it were considered a musical and Audra was moved, she’d still win. In both categories. In every category. Although Cherry Jones was incredible as well, people want to see Audra make history with her sixth Tony, making her the first person to win in all four acting categories.
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Neil Patrick Harris, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Ramin Karimloo, “Les Miserables” Andy Karl, “Rocky” Jefferson Mays, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” Bryce Pinkham, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” |
Speaking of crowded categories! My favorite of the season, Steven Pasquale (“Bridges”) was pushed out in favor of the surprise Pinkham, but everyone in here is giving wonderful performances. Ramin is a butter-voiced, ab-baring angel, Andy Karl as “Rocky” was utterly charming and amazing, and Mays gives not just one but eight wonderful performances playing all the doomed heirs in “Gentleman’s Guide”. Mays would be a shoo-in in a different year, and still may surprise, but it would indeed be a surprise if anyone but NPH won, as he is giving the performance of his life as the post-op trans woman Hedwig. Someone buy me a ticket?
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Samuel Barnett, “Twelfth Night” Bryan Cranston, “All the Way” Chris O’Dowd, “Of Mice and Men Mark Rylance, “Richard III” Tony Shalhoub, “Act One” |
Cranston, in his Broadway debut, is winning over crowds and Broadway snobs with his impressive turn as LBJ in a threeeee-hour play. A win for this fun-loving drug dealer would be deserved. But my vote would be for Barnett, a lovely as hell Viola in the lovely as hayell “Twelfth Night”. I also just love that Chris O’Dowd was nominated for a Tony. He is adorable. I hope Franco wasn’t too upset.
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL Linda Emond, “Cabaret” Lena Hall, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Anika Larsen, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” Adriane Lenox, “After Midnight” Lauren Worsham, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” |
Okay. So. This category feels like a total crapshoot. Lena Hall is the frontrunner, even though she wasn’t nominated for the Drama Desk, because of her star-making turn (so many of them this year!) in “Hedwig”. Emond is her close competitor, but I admit my tickets for “Cabaret” aren’t until July. I loved Anika in “Beautiful”, but it doesn’t seem like a Tony role. Worsham was fine, but how she got the nom over her castmate Lisa O’Hare I’ll never understand. Lenox was f-ing fantastic unbelievable astounding in “After Midnight” (again, review written but not posted, I’m behind)…but she is onstage for literally 4 minutes. It would be worse than Dame Dench’s win for “Shakespeare in Love”. So, I would say Hall. But whatever, man.
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Sarah Greene, “The Cripple of Inishmaan” Celia Keenan-Bolger, “The Glass Menagerie” Sophie Okonedo, “A Raisin in the Sun” Anika Noni Rose, “A Raisin in the Sun” Mare Winningham, “Casa Valentina” |
CELIA!!! Celia is always perfection, but her Laura was super perfection. She will deservedly win her first Tony, although Winningham and especially newcomer Greene impressed me greatly. But CELIA!!!
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL Danny Burstein, “Cabaret” Nick Cordero, “Bullets Over Broadway” Joshua Henry, “Violet” James Monroe Iglehart, “Aladdin” Jarrod Spector, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” |
Oh man, I’d be happy if ANY of these fine men won. Danny B is a often-nominated, beloved Broadway workhorse who is always terrific, but it’s just not his year (again). Nicky C was the greatest part of “Bullets” (again…review coming) but his nomination is enough of a reward. Joshy H is the greatest part of “Violet“, mostly because of his amazing solo “Let It Sing“, and Jarrody S is my new favorite. But James..um.. I (doesn’t really work with I) is playing the freaking Genie. In “Aladdin”. So, yeah, he’s gonna win. They made up a special Oscar for Robin Williams because of that role! Can’t lose! I want to play the Genie. I would totally make you order off both columns.
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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY Reed Birney, “Casa Valentina” Paul Chahidi, “Twelfth Night” Stephen Fry, “Twelfth Night” Mark Rylance, “Twelfth Night” Brian J. Smith, “The Glass Menagerie” |
This is a tough one, because the “Twelfth Night” love can work to cancel some votes out. But Rylance, always just the best imaginable at any role he plays, is again the best imaginable, this time as Olivia, hilarious and ridiculous and perfect. The only strong contender I can see taking it instead is Reed Birney as “Charlotte” in “Casa”, as a homophobic transvestite with lots of good speeches.
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BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
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SERIOUSLY IF JASON ROBERT BROWN DOESN’T WIN FOR “BRIDGES” (and for Orchestrations) THERE IS NO JUSTICE IN THE WORLD AND I WON’T ABIDE IT. I WON’T ABIDE IT!
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Well that’s all folks. As you can tell, my favorite show of the season, “The Bridges of Madison County”, was unfairly snubbed in most categories. It had the most beautiful music in years, and some of the best performances, but it didn’t sell enough tickets, it closed too early, and will not be properly rewarded (because, as we learned earlier, giving a Tony to a closed show won’t make you any money!). “Gentleman’s Guide” is the next best possible winner, but it’s not as incredible and life-changing as people are hyping it to be. I think the hype is a product of the general consensus that this batch of nominees is a bit unexciting, so people are trying too hard to convince themselves and others that that’s not the case in order to feel better about it all. The real story going into Sunday, though, is that Hugh Jackman can do anything and I mean en neh thang; NPH can also do pretty much anything and will win his first and last Tony; and you should go buy the “Bridges” cast recording because hot damn.
Enjoy the show!!!!
Enjoy the show!!!!
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Thoughts on: Far From Heaven, Off-Broadway
The sold-out run of Far From Heaven at Playwrights Horizons promised a more epic experience that the one I actually had. It starred the magnificent Kelli O’Hara, was written by the musical team from Grey Gardens, was based on the 2002 Oscar-nominated movie starring Julianne Moore. I paid more than I ever have for a Broadway ticket, and I expected to be astonished. Aside from getting to listen to O’Hara’s beautiful voice live, I was actually disappointed.
The show put forth a solid effort, but it felt like a house constructed without a foundation. Considering how miraculously affecting much of the Grey Gardens music was, I expected at least one song to make me feel something. Instead, I felt less than I do while watching episodes from season 2 of New Girl. And that shouldn’t be close to the case for a show about a woman, mother, wife in the 1950s dealing with her homosexual, philandering husband and her own surprising romantic feelings for her black gardener. I know! It’s all there, waiting to be interpreted and transcended, and yet the opportunity was squandered. This show deals with pretty much the most serious dramatic ploys possible – all of them! – yet doesn’t deliver emotionally. There has to be a really big disconnect among the creators for something like that to happen.
The show put forth a solid effort, but it felt like a house constructed without a foundation. Considering how miraculously affecting much of the Grey Gardens music was, I expected at least one song to make me feel something. Instead, I felt less than I do while watching episodes from season 2 of New Girl. And that shouldn’t be close to the case for a show about a woman, mother, wife in the 1950s dealing with her homosexual, philandering husband and her own surprising romantic feelings for her black gardener. I know! It’s all there, waiting to be interpreted and transcended, and yet the opportunity was squandered. This show deals with pretty much the most serious dramatic ploys possible – all of them! – yet doesn’t deliver emotionally. There has to be a really big disconnect among the creators for something like that to happen.
I would love for this show to move to Broadway, but only if it undergoes serious reworking. Several new songs that better fit O’Hara’s talents are necessary. Although she always manages to be good, even in things like Nice Work If You Can Get It, her voice is not one that you let sit there on run-of-the-mill, generic, straightforward songs. Let her shine! Christine Ebersole’s performance of “Another Winter In A Summer Town”, from Grey Gardens, gives me chills just thinking about. O’Hara, just as capable of producing such a performance, was given no such opportunity.
The songs need to be rewritten, plain and simple. The book needs editing too, as I saw way too much of Cathy’s (O’Hara) husband’s office, and not enough of Cathy’s best friend’s seeming understanding yet complete and utter disapproval. I also didn’t understand the casting of Steve Pasquale as the husband. Maybe it was because I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Diction, people!
I didn’t actively dislike the show, but I didn’t actively feel anything, which is a huge problem. Plays happen up on that stage in order to make you, the audience, feel something, and I felt nothing. I just wanted to badly for it to be the event I was hoping for. With any luck, severe changes will be made and the show will be entirely transformed when (if) it goes to Broadway. I sincerely hope this happens, because everyone involved deserves better.
The songs need to be rewritten, plain and simple. The book needs editing too, as I saw way too much of Cathy’s (O’Hara) husband’s office, and not enough of Cathy’s best friend’s seeming understanding yet complete and utter disapproval. I also didn’t understand the casting of Steve Pasquale as the husband. Maybe it was because I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Diction, people!
I didn’t actively dislike the show, but I didn’t actively feel anything, which is a huge problem. Plays happen up on that stage in order to make you, the audience, feel something, and I felt nothing. I just wanted to badly for it to be the event I was hoping for. With any luck, severe changes will be made and the show will be entirely transformed when (if) it goes to Broadway. I sincerely hope this happens, because everyone involved deserves better.
A Return Trip to My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center Before It Leaves Us for No Good Reason
It’s Theatre Thursday! Today’s show is My Fair Lady on Broadway, closing on July 7 because of reasons, I guess.
Remember when I reviewed this new Broadway production of My Fair Lady last season (sure you do!) and I said I couldn’t stop thinking about how superb it was? Well, my brain recovered a tiny bit after about a year so I went back for another dose of INCREDIBLE THEATRE PERFECTION. I’ve been (hashtag) blessed to see some exquisite theatre, and the current Lincoln Center Theatre production of My Fair Lady is at the top of that list. I saw the Tony-nominated original cast when it opened last year, which included Lauren Ambrose and my main man Norbert “Norbie” Leo Butz, as Eliza Doolittle and her (checks notes) 10-years-older-than-her father, as well as Jordan Donica as a winning Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Brits love hyphenating to show status). I had to go back to see Broadway’s beloved Laura Benanti as Eliza, her dream role, and I ended up being even more devastated by this show’s brilliance this go-round.
If you don’t know the story of My Fair Lady – which, by the way, after an ENTIRE LIFE of knowing this musical, Z informed me for the first time ever that the title could be a joke on ‘Mayfair Lady’, like the area of London that the show generally takes place in, and it works even better because of Eliza’s original cockney accent because that’s how she’d say Mayfair and just like WHAT did everyone know this??? – it’s about a poor girl who sells flowers in Covent Garden (but not herself! She’s VERY ADAMANT about that, she’s a good girl she is!) and crosses paths with the arrogant and self-involved Professor Henry Higgins who makes a bet with his equally rich and equally linguistics-minded friend Colonel Pickering that he can transform this lowly flower girl into a lady just with elocution lessons (and a bath) and the men are like “yes do let’s” and Eliza’s like “eeeeayyyyy” but she wants to rise above her lot in life so she agrees and spends months and months living in Higgins’ GORGEOUS staffed-up house on Wimpole Street and their relationship gets complicated because feelings but also stubbornness and aforementioned arrogance and it’s all wonderful and heartbreaking and glorious. Meanwhile Eliza’s dad is a good-for-nothing who sings a 20-minute song about getting married.
I’m sure you love the movie and everything (and the original ending), but this production, I have shivers just thinking about it. Actual chill bumps. I wish it wasn’t closing; I would see it every year. Bartlett Sher’s impeccable direction and his grasp of Golden Age musicals have never been on more impressive display. Every inch of this show is perfectly orchestrated, including the lush orchestra playing these classic melodies. Every song is a highlight. I especially love the written-to-be-a-highlight “On the Street Where You Live”, now performed by Christian Dante White, the new Freddy, who has quickly proved himself to be Broadway’s new Kyle Dean Massey (i.e. a wonderful replacement). As Alfred Doolittle, Alexander Gemignani was out, but his understudy Joe Hart was wonderful (and actually looked older – Benanti and Gemignani are LITERALLY THE SAME AGE, smdh). And I love that if you choose one ensemble member to watch, you’ll get a whole other story from this person; they’re all doing nonstop character work that builds an entire world to house the story of Eliza and Higgins.
And Eliza and Higgins are so much more than I ever thought before seeing this production. Originally, with Lauren Ambrose, who brought so much acting precision to Eliza and made so much of the character, Eliza and Henry seemed to be on equal footing, in terms of whose story it was. I loved their interplay, and even though Eliza has some of the best and biggest songs in musical theatre, it was a treat to see deeply into this character with the help of an actress who is primarily an actress, not a singer. On the other hand, Benanti is an actress who is primarily an incredible singer (and was clearly sick and still went on and still sounded fabulous, though a little weaker than I know she can be, so deserves all the kudos). A Broadway staple for a remarkably long time considering how young she is, she was obviously great (though her English accent was…not), and looked amazing in the new costumes. But the subtle differences in portrayal showed a different relationship. With her Eliza, she was sassy and brave from the start, and you never doubted that she would always be able to take care of herself and put herself first when necessary. She was always going to be okay. With Ambrose, Eliza was much more delicate, much more in need of confidence and growth, making her decision at the end all the more emotional.
Although the ending is still beyond emotional (I cried like a BABY and might again right now thinking about it okay yep there we go), I felt it this time entirely from Henry’s perspective. Now, it’s clear that this is primarily a show about Henry Higgins, something I never realized before. Above all, this is a show about Henry’s personal failings, the ones that keep him from knowing true happiness. I never knew it, but My Fair Lady is honestly a tragedy, and it’s mainly a tragedy of toxic masculinity. I KNOW! WHO KNEW! All of this profound emotional impact is entirely due to the flawless and heartbreaking performance of Harry Hadden-Paton, a fully formed, fully feeling Higgins I cannot imagine ever being surpassed. Ever. I love me some Tony Shalhoub but it’s a crime that this performance didn’t win a Tony, I see this now. HP sauce shows Henry’s entire life and upbringing and habits and his discomfort in changing any of it, in each facial expression, each line delivery. It’s all incredible, and by the end it’s all heartbreaking. I honestly can’t believe how much he accomplished with this performance in creating what seemed like a real flawed person up on that stage. This production is one of the greatest of all time and I think it’s in large part because of his performance. I’m so glad I saw it again and so upset that HE COULDN’T JUST STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE AND BE HONEST AND BE HAPPY GODDAMMIT HERE WE GO AGAIN THE END.
INFORMATION
Since Lincoln Center is a nonprofit and they like stupid turnaround and crap like that I guess, the show is closing July 7, so if you are in NYC or like can feasibly get there in the next week, you REALLY G-D SHOULD.
