COME WITH ME

next to normal is easily one of the best contemporary musicals to date (and easily one of my personal favorites...ever).   It is everything a musical should be - moving, heartbreaking, haunting, thought provoking (with humorous moments), it has characters and a storyline which are mostly well thought out and  music that stays with you long after you have departed the theatre.  In an era of musical theatre in which the term "groundbreaking" is thrown around an awful lot to describe a show, next to normal just might be one of them.  next to normal challenges its audience to think beyond what you see, who you are and what you believe to be true.

next to normal is a story that mirrors what life can sometimes be like when life is spinning out of control - feeling alone and misunderstood but yet somehow being able to find a way back to the truth.  The show is the way it is now because of director Michael Grief and producer David Stone who took the existing book and music by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt (respectively) and tightened the story which was a little bit unclear and long and helped focus it into the Pulitzer Prize winning show that it has become.

It should be known that I have been a very big supporter of next to normal out of the gate, since I first discovered 2005 workshop/demo tracks on YouTube (when it was still called Feeling Electric - take a listen if you are so inclined to compare what it was to what its become).   Even though in its workshopped state, next to normal was a completely different show than it is now, the core of it was still compelling to me.  This contemporary musical about a dysfunctional family coping with loss and mental illness, was (and is even more-so now) deeply emotional, deeply moving and runs the gamut of emotions throughout the performance.  This is made true because in large part to the actors who inhabit the Goodman family (and supporting characters) in the touring cast.

Alice Ripley

Alice Ripley and next to normal have become synonymous with one another.  The show certainly wouldn't be what it is now without her and anyone who will have the pleasure of seeing her perform the role of Diana Goodman will see what a tour de force she is in the show.  Alice Ripley is no stranger to career defining roles.  Though she has had a long career on the Broadway stage and made her mark in the indie rock world, prior to next to normal, theatre audiences will likely first remember her as Violet - one-half of the Hilton conjoined-twins - in Side Show (which earned Ripley her first Tony nomination).   

As Diana Goodman in next to normal, Ripley is a revelation.  Reprising the role that earned her a Tony Award for best actress in a musical, Ripley brings a passionate and complex character to life with such heartbreaking pain and grief.  When she sings, she sings from her soul with such anguish that it is almost entrancing.  Ripley is by far the strongest component in next to normal, but she shares the stage equally with every member of the ensemble who helps to make up Diana in all her glory and her pain.

If Ripley is the strongest member of the cast then Los Angeles native, Emma Hunton (Natalie) is a close second and could not have been a more perfect daughter to Diana.  While the characters of Dan or even Gabe should have been the stronger supporting leads, it was Hunton whose performance really stood out in the cast.  She brought more depth and personality to the character than (I) have seen before with a pretty fantastic voice to boot.  As the child living the in the shadow of her more beloved brother (Superboy and the Invisible Girl), her Natalie was more sassy than angry and vulnerable than hurt.  Hunton as Natalie really fought to be seen in a family overrun by the past with such grace and force.

Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton, Preston Sadlier, Jeremy Kushiner, Alice Ripley, Asa Somers

As Gabe, Curt Hansen was ironically sometimes overshadowed by the vocal powerhouse of his sister Natalie (Hunton) while still very good.  Hansen managed to hit his character's high notes with relative ease and still managed to hold his own as he effortlessly soared through the three-story stage around poles and gliding up and down flights of stairs at a time.

Asa Somers (who played the role of Dr. Madden during the show's off-Broadway engagement at Second Stage Theatre) graduated to the role of Dan Goodman on-tour, Jeremy Kushnier as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine and Preston K. Sadleir (who played was a very sweet Henry) rounded out the well-cast remaining members of the touring company of next to normal.

next to normal is a very important piece of contemporary musical theatre which in this case  legitimately earns the title of groundbreaking.  Other contemporary shows have brought something new (whether it be stylistic because of the music or staging) to the musical theatre landscape, but next to normal faces real issues like mental illness, suicide, drug addiction (which makes it sound like an episode of Oprah) head on and bares the soul of theses issues and its affect for all to see.

next to normal runs through January 2 at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre.  Click for tickets and more information on the LA run or to find out when the show is coming to a city near you, click for tour info.

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?

On October 8, 1985 - 25 years ago - Les Misérables the musical (English version) debuted in London’s Barbicon Theatre before transferring to West End’s Palace Theatre in December of that same year.  The famed musical by Claude-Michel Schöenberg (composer) and Alain Bublil (libretto) has since become a worldwide favorite, translated into 21 different languages and played in 42 countries and 291 cities including Serbia, the Channel Islands and the Philippines.  In 1995, Les Misérables celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a “dream cast” concert at Royal Albert Hall starring Colm Wilkinson (originated the English language role) as Jean Valjean, Lea Salonga as Eponine, Alun Armstrong as Thénardier and Michael Ball as Marius (both of whom originated their English language role).  For the most part, I wouldn’t argue this “dream cast” and often looked at it as my quintessential Les Misérables cast.

The 25^th anniversary musical concert was comprised of some unknown talent (to me) like Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Ramin Karimloo (Enjorlas), Samantha Barks (Eponine) as well as "known" Broadway talents like Norm Lewis (Javert) and Lea Salonga (Fantine).  Then...there was Nick Jonas as Marius (more on that later). Like many of you, I feel confident in stating that I consider myself well-versed in Les Miz having first seen it (on tour) in the early ‘90s.  Since then, I have seen various productions of it locally, on Broadway, in concert, staged reading and as a result seen some great and not so great productions.  While I will always think of Wilkinson as the quintessential Jean Valejan, I have been highly impressed with the last few actors I’ve seen in the role including J. Mark McVey (Hollywood Bowl) and particularly Boe (25^th Anniversary concert).

Alfie Boe (who incidentally has a solo album coming out December 27^th) is to put it mildly, an incredible talent.  As a trained operatic singer from Royal Academy of Music in England, Boe's credits include the lead in Baz Luhrman’s La Boheme (Tony Award) as well as appearing with Michael Ball in Kismet in London’s West End.  Though I had never heard of him before, I am sure to follow his career now!  To say that his voice is just phenomenal is an immense understatement.  Really, there’s nothing more to say other than to watch and listen:

Unfortunately, the rest of the 25^th anniversary cast didn’t blow me away like Boe did.  This doesn’t mean that I don’t have anything to say about it.  I have long been a supporter of Norm Lewis and have not heard him sound anything but great in everything.  He was probably not the most convincing Javert I’ve ever seen, but he was still good nonetheless.  Samantha Barks as Eponine and Ramin Karimloo as Enjrolas I thought were great finds too as I’ve never heard of either of them before.

Who would've ever thought I'd have a photo of a Jonas on my blog!

Now comes my real issue with this (mostly) terrific 25^th anniversary concert of Les Miz.  Nick Jonas.  Let me first start by saying that though he is a member of the tween-loving boy band, The Jonas Brothers, I had no expectations of him as Marius.  I have no prior experience with him as a singer and a lot of pop singers can actually be really good singers.  My goal was to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Could he be that bad?  Before I answer, let me start off by saying that the role of Marius is a relatively big one (it is one of the major characters in the story after Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Cosette, Eponine and M. and Mme. Thénardier).  The character is important and the actor cast must be a good singer (naturally) and sound like the strong, revolutionary scholar that he is – without these important qualities, he would be just another ordinary extra cast in Les Miz.  Here are my observations of Jonas throughout Les Miz:

1. When he was onstage, Jonas looked as if he didn’t know where to look.  As a performer who probably often makes eye contact with his adoring and screaming teenage fans, he looked like he was making a concerted effort to try not to break the 4^th wall (it looked forced to me), but where was he looking?  He was looking up, looking down, when he was interacting with Cosette or Eponine and should have been looking at them...he was not.
2. In addition to not knowing where to look, Jonas' demeanor looked highly uncomfortable on stage – very stiff as if he knew he didn’t belong on that stage with the likes of Boe, Salonga,  Lewis and the 300 chorus members of various Les Miz casts. 
3. He was certainly the most timid, wimpy Marius I’ve ever seen.  I’ve never seen a more miscast actor in the role and this really disappointed me. As one who is considered a singer, I don’t think Jonas was strong enough of a singer for this role.  He could barely hit the notes, he sounded flat and just didn’t do the role justice (understatement).
4. Jonas receded into the background and every actor he sang with (particularly Barks as Eponine and Katie Hall as Cosette) completely overpowered him.  There was no power in Jonas' voice, he looked and sounded as if he were straining to just to complete his songs.  He was completely forgettable.
5. To be honest, Jonas' performance at best was cringe-worthy.  I literally could go on and on about my disappointment of Jonas as Marius, but these are my top 5 reasons why I was displeased with his performance.  I hate to be so mean, but Jonas’ performance just didn’t work.  

Moral of this list?  Neither Jonas nor his voice were suited for the role of Marius.  My question is really for the casting director (or whoever made the final decision on Jonas).  I know that he has previous experience on Broadway (as the final Gavroche in the original Broadway production of Les Miz) but he simply did not work this time.  Was he having an off-day when this concert was filmed?  What was the  real reason for casting him as Marius?  Was it stunt casting in the hopes of getting the tween contingency to attend Les Miz (we certainly had them screaming in the theatre for this screening).  I just don’t get it.  Someone, send me an email and explain it to me.

All in all though (with the exception of a certain casting faux pas), I thought that the 25th anniversary Les Miz concert was a hit.  It reminded me why I have loved the show for over 15 years and counting.  Ironically, the stand-out moment of the entire concert was Valjean quartet.  Amazing.  Breathtaking:

 

This was a close second:

STEP INTO THE LIGHT

After I waxed poetic about The Music Center/Center Theatre Group's productions, I figured a real review of Leap of Faith should follow.

Since I saw the show last week, I have been thinking about the music, plot, dance numbers and overall performances wondering why I am so drawn to the story.  There is so much I love about the show with one overwhelming factor leading the charge (that I finally recognized) - familiarity.  Its amazing that it took this long to figure out.  I realized that maybe the reason I feel this way about Leap of Faith is because it is very similar to one of my other beloved old-school musicals.  Leap of Faith, meet The Music Man.  Consider this:

A con-man comes to a smal town, falls for a local single woman, befriends a child who is has "special needs" and is changed because of this relationship (with the child).  The con-man isn't exactly forthright with the woman or the child about why he is really in the town or who he really is.  Then, someone outs this con-man and said con-man must own up to who he really is.  Somehow the con-man does something to make good with the people of the small town, helps the child he has befriended and eventually gets the girl.  

Not sure which show I'm describing? Of course you're right because it refers to both shows.

Robert Preston as Prof. Harold Hill

Raúl Esparza as Jonas Nightingale

So Leap of Faith (the musical) is based loosely on the film of the same name starring Steve Martin and though it has (almost identical) similarities, it isn't a rip off of The Music Man (film or musical).  Leap of Faith and The Music Man are very similar stories and you might think that the similarity ends there (at the plot) right?  Sort of.  If we take a look at the performances of the lead actors in these two musicals, you will find two, highly dynamic, remarkable actors who really carry the show they are in.  In The Music Man, the incomparable Robert Preston created the role of Harold Hill...he is incredibly charismatic and really, who wouldn't follow and want to believe in him?  Leap of Faith has an equally dynamic and multi-talented actor in Raúl Esparza who plays Jonas Nightingale.  Watching and listening to his character...who wouldn't want to follow and believe in him either?

Have I convinced you that the central storyline in Leap of Faith really is similar to The Music Man and that Harold Hill/Jonas Nightingale are the ones who really carry their respective shows?  When I think about The Music Man, I immediately think Robert Preston and then I think that though sweet and classic, the show really isn't anything without Preston. Actors come and go and while many have played Harold Hill, nobody could nail it like Preston did.  So when I think about the the entire production of Leap of Faith, the show too really succeeded because of Raúl Esparza. 

From the moment he walked onto the stage, dressed completely in black with sunglasses on, Esparza  convincingly carried himself as a smarmy, charismatic con-man.  This attitude mixed with the words he spoke only reinforced this character. When in the "tent" as the evangelist persona,  Esparza's inflections were spot-on.  Esparza's energy was undeniable and it was hard to tell if he put every ounce in his being to become Jonas or if Esparza was Jonas.

I have been aware of Esparza as an actor since I bought the off-Broadway cast recording of tick, tick...BOOM! in 2001 in which he played Jon (the semi-autobiographical show about Jonathan Larson).  Throughout the years, I have seen Esparza perform on TV and the internet from various roles.  Yet, when I saw him as Bobby in the revival of Company in 2006, I knew that I finally saw the quintessential Bobby.  He brought such passion and intensity to the role that I had not seen before or since.  His Bobby was darker and more multi-dimensional than I had seen before.  But I digress.  There are some performances that you know while sitting there in the audience that you are watching an actor playing a role.  There are others that completely transform while onstage into the role...whose performance you know is something special (i.e., Patti LuPone in Gypsy and Alice Ripley in Next to Normal; Raúl Esparza as Jonas Nightingale comes pretty close to making this list too).  Its quite a grand statement, I know, but the night I saw Leap of Faith, I thought he was just that good.  The interesting thing is that while both Gypsy and Next to Normal hold their place in theatre history because of their respective books, Leap of Faith doesn't exactly come close to being a Pulitzer Prize winning show.

There are aspects of Leap of Faith that weren't amazing - some of the characters were not developed enough which (to me) affected the outcome of the storyline.  When looking at the all of the characters in Leap of Faith, none is more developed than that of Jonas (which is good and yet...obviously bad).  Of the more major characters, every other is a distant second to Jonas - Marva, Sam, Boyd.  If it weren't for Ricky Sturdevant, there really wasn't any need to have Ida Mae in the show.  Would there be?  When Leslie Odom, Jr. was onstage, his stage presence was evident which is why the part was memorable.  The character though?  Ricky Sturdevant wasn't a weak character, only he wasn't strong either.  Brooke Shields played Marva McGowan well...as I stated in a previous post, she was a perfect mix of strong and sensitive and could be considered to be a stabilizing force in the show; she played safe well.  I don't think it was Shields who was the problem though; she couldn't have played the role better, it was the character that way dry.  One could say that was purposeful...the dry, somewhat-boring character of Marva was a representation of the drought-ridden town of Sweetwater...yes, I think its stretching things too.

If the story was lacking, the music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater (respectively) and choreography by Rob Ashford were just incredible.  During the Rise Up number, while watching the dancers, I was so taken by the choreography, feeling that it was reminiscent of musicals from days-gone-by; it was gloriously old-school.  The rhythmic gospel music was a high point of the show that I can't get out of my head.  Days after seeing the show, I still find myself going back to CTGLA's YouTube page so I can hear at least some of the music and see bits of the choreography again.

I find great pleasure when musicals make their world premieres in Los Angeles then go on to be successful Broadway shows.  Shows like 13, The Drowsy Chaperone, 9 to 5: The Musical and Curtains made their mark here in Los Angeles, at Center Theatre Group before becoming darlings of Broadway.  With a little bit of revision, I am certain (and hopeful) that Leap of Faith will follow the steps of the Center Theatre Group's shows that came before it. 

THE RIGHT GIRL

broadwayworld.com

So in a recent post, I mentioned that I would try to be more open-minded when it comes to the casting game.  Today I suppose that open-mindedness is being tested.  Today, BroadwayWorld.com reported that Kim Cattrall was in negotiations to star as Phyllis opposite Bernadette Peters (as Sally Durant) in the Washington, D.C. production of Follies at the Kennedy Center.

[silence]

Yes, that was my first reaction too.

Not to say that this is a bad choice, but is it a good choice?  Only time will tell.  First of all, I had no idea that Kim Cattrall was a singer.  While most people view her as the over-sexed character, Samantha Jones (from one of my favorite series), but when I think of Cattrall, I actually think of another film character:

I have no doubts when it comes to Cattrall's acting chops, its her singing chops that I wonder about.  While some roles aren't known to be heavy singing roles, lets face it, singer or not, it is a Sondheim show after all.  I can't really think of a single musical (of his) in which a weak singer is cast (and performs well).  However if this rumor is actually true, then I am interested to hear/see how she performs in a musical.  Stay tuned!

IT NEEDS WORK

When it comes to the musical theatre casting game, I admit I'm super critical. For what reason other than I guess I fear the genre becoming over commercialized and losing (to me) what makes musical theatre so special. I guess I forget that there was a time when show music was mainstream made famous by the likes of the members of the Rat Pack. Then I wonder what purpose does it make for me to be that critical about casting choices? Am I that inflexible that I can't accept a new artistic spin on a performance? While some performers might not be ideal, is there anything really wrong with a new perspective? Isn't that new perspective part of what makes this an art form open up to interpretation and such? Back in the day, I was a critic for a Broadway website and I had it in for everyone. Instead of me liking a show until the performance gave me reason not to like it, I thought that a cast had to prove their worthiness to me. Why? How awful. Maybe I'm maturing and being more open minded. Maybe I'm realizing there's really no point in being that critical. Who am I helping by thinking that way? I can still believe there is a standard for a performance to live up to, I just don't have to be such a super biotch about it, right?

When I look at shows I've recently seen like In the Heights (when it was on tour here in LA) I remember being so ecstatic. Sure, I was thrilled to see Lin-Manuel Miranda reprising his role of Usnavi for the first time since he left the role in New York and he was tremendous. Yet independent of this brilliance, this touring cast was top notch. My fear was that they wouldn't be; my fear was that Lin-Manuel Miranda would be carrying the show and come on, what kind of faith is that in my favorite musical art form? So for me to feel so impressed and accepting was a big deal (because typically I think touring casts have a lot to prove). This cast proved to me how wrong I could be.

Last night, I saw the Live from Lincoln Center production of South Pacific and it too was just amazing. Sure, most of the original revival cast was intact. Noticeably missing was Matthew Morrison (Lt. Joe Cable) who was stuck in L.A. for some TV show commitment (haha) and couldn't return to his role. Andrew Samonsky is currently playing the Cable role on Broadway and was in this Lincoln Center production and he was amazing. To me, he had the chops for the role and even maybe more-so the look (in my mind as a "Lieutenant") than does Morrison. The difference is that I gave him a chance. He didn't have to be Morrison and not being so was ok. When I saw Aaron Lazar as Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza on-tour, I actually think I might have loved him more than Morrison. For some reason though, the touring cast of South Pacific just didn't do it for me. I really wanted to like it and even when I got irked by certain aspects of the casting and performances, I still really tried to like it. There was something that wasn't so cohesive about the cast as a whole when they sat down here in L.A. in the performance I caught.

Nonetheless, these are examples of how replacement roles (and ones on tour) are important and how they really aren't so bad. Replacement casting is something I'm going to be considerate of and I'm going to stop being such a hard-edged-critical theatre snob (unless given a legit reason to be). I of course can still be a theatre snob, I can just stop being so...uber-critical about aspects of it. Right? Give the actors a chance, says I. They deserve it. Indeed.

WE BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN

I realize it now seems this blog is now turning into the rumor mill for Chicago casting, I have just one more to add (for now). For anyone who knows me, how can I not comment on the following tidbit...

Rumors everywhere are swirling and it looks like everyone's "favorite" producers those crazy Weisslers have done it again...and guess who will likely make their stage debut in Chicago?

Ashlee Simpson.

Enought said. Thank you.

WELL DID YOU EVAH?!

Coming soon to the Great White Way...first Usher, then...Tori Spelling?! From the crazy to the mind boggling coming to you live from my blog. Does something seem, oh I don't know, a little off kilter to you? Whether you are a fan of musical theatre or not, the idea of Usher and Spelling on Broadway doesn't quite sound right. Weirder still would be if Spelling and Usher made their respective Broadway debuts playing opposite each other. That probably won't happen...but you never know. These days, it seems like anyone who is anyone has made their "Broadway debut" in Chicago: The Musical from Alan Thicke and Wayne Brady to Rita Wilson and Melanie Griffith, everyone has been in this stinkin' show. If Spelling truly makes her "Broadway debut" in Chicago, this must mean those crazy Weisslers have truly hit the bottom of the barrel in terms of their casting of "mainstream" talent. Otherwise, why else would Spelling of all people wind up on Broadway? I never knew she could sing and obviously she can't act (did anyone actually see So NoTORIous) so why put someone with little or no talent in a genre that is all about hard working talented actors? Again, whether you're a fan of the theatre (musicals or not) you have to know that the hardest working (paid) actors are those who make their living performing on the stage. That kind of work is not for lightweights (even freaking Oscar-winning Julia Roberts was amazed at the stamina it took to act for the stage day in and day out when she made her Broadway debut earlier this year in Three Days of Rain). For ALL our sakes, lets just hope that the next bit of casting news will not indicate that...Paris Hilton will soon be making her Broadway debut in Chicago (for the record, let's hope not)!

Is Tori Spelling Chicago-Bound?
By Andrew Gans
17 Jul 2006

Tori Spelling may be headed to Broadway.

Variety reports that Spelling will likely play Roxie Hart in the New York company of Kander and Ebb's Chicago. The industry paper says actress Spelling — best known for her work on "Beverly Hills 90210" — is "on hold for now, but remains a strong possibility" for a stint as the merry murderess.

Spelling would join a long list of actresses who have played Roxie on Broadway, including current Roxie Rita Wilson as well as Brooke Shields, Robin Givens, Charlotte d'Amboise, Gretchen Mol, Melanie Griffith and Ann Reinking; the latter originated the role for this revival.

Tori Spelling played Donna Martin on "Beverly Hills 90210" and can currently be seen in the TV series "SoNotorious." Her film credits include "Scary Movie 2," "House of Yes," "Trick" and, in a role parodying herself, "Scream 2." Chicago would mark Spelling's Broadway debut.

Chicago currently features Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly, Rita Wilson as Roxie Hart, Obba Babatunde as Billy Flynn, Kevin Chamberlin as Amos Hart, Lillias White as Matron "Mama" Morton and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine. Grammy Award winner Usher will begin a six-week stint as Billy Flynn on Aug. 22.

Chicago won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Bob Fosse.

Chicago plays the Ambassador Theatre, located at 215 West 49th Street.

THE OTHER GENERATION

**Yes, that is Usher on my blog...don't be shocked.**

Those crazy Weisslers (yes, as in Fran and Barry) are at it again. In a strange turn of theatre news this weekend, not only is Usher appearing on my blog, but is coming to Broadway as Billy Flynn in Chicago and the South Park guys are writing a musical. Wait, what?! Stranger things have happened...no, they haven't...this is about as crazy as i think it gets in the theatre world!

One at a time now, shall we?

I'll say it again, Usher...on Broadway...really?! According to Playbill.com, the crazy Weisslers who love getting the biggest "names" to headline their Broadway shows certainly has a big one on their hands. Everyone's favorite Grammy-Award-Winning-R&B "Peace up, A Town Down" lovin' Usher has been tapped to play Billy Flynn for six weeks beginning August 22 (note my shock in a blog post last year when I found out Huey Lewis was cast in the same role). Should we be shocked by this news though? Maybe not entirely. I mean, musical theatre isn't completely unknown to Usher, he was in uh...Geppetto. Hmmm. I guess that's the power of love.

Really, what else can be said about that? Right? Nothing. I'm moving on...

With the success of Avenue Q, I guess I shouldn't be surprised either when this arrived in my inbox at work on Thursday evening:

'South Park' Guys Heading To Broadway
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are headed to the Great White Way. The Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning creators of South Park have confirmed to us exclusively that they are working on their first Broadway musical. “We’re working on something with the guys from Avenue Q,” Parker revealed while promoting his hit cartoon show Thursday in Pasadena. “It’s not puppets or anything. It’s people. It’s kind of an updated Rogers and Hammerstein thing. But we’ve learned that that world is the kind of world where you get an idea and ten years later, you see it on Broadway.
Um, did Parker dare to mention himself, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx in the same breath as the iconic Rogers & Hammerstein?! To make such a loose comparison is rather nervy (right!?). I understand Parker was trying to describe the style of said new musical, but such a bold comparison rather shocks me. I admit I'm a theatre snob (I even spelled it "theatre," yes, I know) and possibly even closed minded when it comes to chatter about what is being staged, but I have my reservations with an announcement such as the one above.

I don't doubt the creativity of writers Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx or Trey Parker and Matt Stone, because their success has to come from some source of intelligence and wit. HOWEVER...a musical...for Broadway?! Those South Park guys yes, seem to like that the musical genre, after all, did anyone see that film of theirs (oh shock of shocks, I admit, I didn't). With the staging of Avenue Q, Lopez and Marx added a new dimension to the Broadway stage with the creation of characters like those monster-types (Trekkie and Kate) as well as Rod the closeted-gay-Republican and potentially introduced an entirely new generation to the Broadway stage. In the end though, is that what it's all about; creating art and and trying to find new ways to share or introduce it to others? Sort of.

I will admit that a show like Avenue Q has in some ways made musical theatre more accessible to a new generation by being funny, crass and by being the polar opposite of the kind of musical that was popular during the era of preceeding generations. While I'm sure I've written about it before, I wonder how shows like Avenue Q and the new Lopez and Marx/Parker-Stone will affect the future of musical theatre? At what cost will introducing a new generation to new musical theatre affect the art form going forward? A lot of crap gets staged these days and it doesn't mean its any good. Thank god there will always be writers for the musical theatre like the Adam Guettel's or the Jason Robert Brown's of the genre who look to write shows with quality and substance by looking for new ways to stage intelligent, complex shows. The over-commercialized shows will go down in history for their originality, but besides that, what else?

RAZZLE DAZZLE

Ok, so let me just say...Huey Lewis as Billy Flynn in Chicago...?

I think I've said too much...

Ok, so the Weisslers (as in Fran and Barry) seem to be notorious for trying to cast "names" in the shows they're producing (Rosie O'Donnell in Seussical). One of their productions, Chicago has had every name they could possibly get from Alan Thicke and Jasmine Guy to Kevin Richardson and Deborah Gibson (and everything in between). Don't you think though, that Huey Lewis...is...really digging kind of deep? I understand he can sing (at least he did w/ "the News") and he's a "name" but...hasn't his ship sailed...LONG ago? Ok, so I'm being harsh...I'm all for reinventing yourself/your career, god knows I seem to be trying to do it all the time. But really, Huey Lewis on Broadway...the Great White Way? That's almost as odd as Skid Row Metal band member Sebastian Bach on Broadway in Jeckyll & Hyde back in 2001. That was just scary.

* * *

Huey Lewis to Join Broadway's Chicago in November

By Andrew Gans
25 Jul 2005

Grammy Award winner Huey Lewis will join the Tony-winning revival of Chicago this fall.

Lewis is set to join the Kander and Ebb musical Nov. 1 in the role of slick lawyer Billy Flynn. Chicago will mark the singer's Broadway debut.

Lewis is the founding member and lead vocalist of Huey Lewis and The News, the award-winning group whose top-ten hits include "The Power of Love," "The Heart of Rock and Roll," "Stuck With You," "I Want a New Drug," "Workin’ For a Livin" and "If This Is It." Lewis has appeared in the films "Shortcuts," "Sphere," "Shadow of Doubt" and "Duets." His TV work includes roles in "Just Shoot Me" and "One Tree Hill."

Chicago — featuring a score by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb — currently stars Charlotte d’Amboise as Roxie Hart, Luba Mason as Velma Kelly, Christopher McDonald as Billy Flynn and Carol Woods as Matron Mama Morton.

Chicago won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Bob Fosse.

Chicago plays the Ambassador Theatre, located at 215 West 49th Street.