BEING A GEEK

Since I'm waiting for the Tony Awards telecast to air on the West Coast, I figure why not write about another amazing theater-related event I recently had the privilege of attending. Yesterday, I attended a benefit concert with Georgia Stitt and Jason Robert Brown where the duo presented and performed their songs as a benefit for the Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Tracy Nicole Chapman, Ty Taylor, Lara Pulver, Allie Trimm and Dan Callaway also performed with JRB & GS.

It had been some time since I had seen JRB in concert and I had never heard Georgia's music live before. Georgia played some songs from her recent off-Broadway show, Mosaic as well as songs from other shows like The Water as well as music from her album, This Ordinary Thursday. What I like about Georgia's music is that her lyrics are intelligent, carefully crafted and her always honest music has a gentle calmness about it. As I was sitting in the sanctuary listening yesterday (and as I am listening to her album now), whether her music is based on a sonnet by Shakespeare or President Obama's inauguration speech (which I absolutely loved - what a great idea) or "My Lifelong Love," there is such diversity and range in what she does.

I think it is safe to say that everyone (including JRB himself) knows how I feel about his music. so I will try to refrain from singing his praises. The highlights of the show for me were a few...hearing Music of Heaven live (with a 20 or 30 person choir to boot was just fantastic) because this song describes the awkwardness of my relationship with religion and hearing it in a church was (for me) even more thought provoking. I also loved hearing the opening number (Old Red Hills of Home) from Parade again but the best was hearing songs I've not heard before like All Things in Time & Caravan of Angels.

I am always intrigued when I have an opportunity to hear composers play their music. There is something so intriguing and yet vulnerable about listening and watching a composer perform their work. Last night was no different and maybe even more intriguing to witness the dynamic between two obviously talented composers who also happened to be married. Both Georgia and JRB have their stylistic differences but it is still really magical to be in the presence of such talented songwriters and performers. I know that sounds cheesy, but it really was a fantastic experience and night of music.

Thank you Georgia Stitt and JRB for a really amazing evening of music last night!

* JRB just published the set list for the show on his blog!

MAKE UP YOUR MIND, PART 1

This morning, the 63rd Annual Tony Award nominations were announced and what a season the NY theatre community has had! There are some amazing people nominated for some great work this year, some surprise noms and of course there was disappointment due to those who were snubbed. Yet, I was thrilled to see the recognition next to normal received and though I was disappointed that [title of show] didn't receive more noms, I was glad they got at least one.

Per the last 3 or so posts, all I can talk about is next to normal because I love it and think it is the best new original musical this season and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will take home the top prize.

I'm including a complete list of nominees below...but for musicals only (naturally) and including my picks & predictions for the June 7th broadcast live from Radio City on CBS. Without further ado...

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Nominations for the 2009 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing

Best Musical

• Billy Elliot, The Musical
  
• next to normal
  
• Rock of Ages
  
• Shrek The Musical

* My pick: next to normal

I LOVE next to normal and yet I've not even seen it yet! First and foremost, this is an original musical that is GOOD! How many quality, original musicals open on Broadway each season? The pickins are slim. The brilliance of next to normal is not just in the subject matter, but the way its presented and how much emotion I get just from listening to the OCR over and over and over and over again. Overall, its got a great book, great music, great actors, great lighting (from what video I have seen)...its a solid, solid show that has come a LONG way.

* My prediction: Billy Elliot, The Musical

There is so much buzz for this show because of the 3 Billys. From what I hear, its a hot ticket...but its not original. There's nothing SO compelling overall about this is there? There are certainly elements that make this show shine like the actors, the choreography...but is the music so first rate? Me-thinks not so much. But then again, I've not seen it, so what do I know? I can see it winning though.

Best Book of a Musical

• Lee Hall, Billy Elliot, The Musical
  
• Brian Yorkey, next to normal
  
• David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek The Musical
  
• Hunter Bell, [title of show]

* My pick: next to normal well...maybe...maybe...[title of show]

I'm sorry, adapted material, thank you for playing, please leave. To write a musical about mental illness, dysfunction, death, love & raw emotions and then to portray it SO well that you can't help but to understand and empathize and not villainize any one character through it all, you have to have a damn good book. But...to write a musical about two guys writing a musical with such sweetness & humor. I can't help but to want to root for the underdog here, but will Tony voters?

* My prediction: see above.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

• Elton John (music) and Lee Hall (lyrics), Billy Elliot, The Musical
  
• Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (lyrics), next to normal
  
• Dolly Parton, 9 to 5: The Musical
  
• Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (lyrics), Shrek The Musical

* My pick: next to normal

Ok. I admit, I don't know the music & lyrics well enough of any of these shows except for the obvious (and obvious only if you've read this post from the beginning). I'm gonna go ahead and keep rooting for for my favorite: next to normal

* My predictions: again, I don't know...I mean, Jeanine Tesori is a pretty great composer, Dolly Parton too...and Elton John can write, but did he do enough for Billy Elliot, The Musical to make it award worthy?

Best Revival of a Musical

• Guys and Dolls
  
• Hair
  
• Pal Joey
  
• West Side Story

* My pick: West Side Story HAIR
I have never cared for Hair...really, ever. In the past, I've seen it, it was fine, but not mind-blowing amazing. In the past few weeks, I've paid more attention, watched more online clips, caught the cast making its talk show rounds and I've been blown away. I am really digging Hair and it surprises me. Nothing though is as good as West Side Story - I love it and I think that the updating of the show makes it even better, more realistic. How can you deny such a classic score, lyrics and the choreography? Wow.

Are you kidding me? I love nothing more (in the revival of a musical category) than HAIR! You want to know what I think? See my posts. That says it all, I love the revival of HAIR and desperately hope it wins!

* My prediction: West Side Story HAIR

It has to win. The fellow nominees for a revival are worthy of an award and equally great in their own way. Didn't West Side Story pave the way for the kind of theater we're getting now? There's relevant and timeless topics like diversity, love, good vs. evil, survival...and its just so compelling.

See above in red about HAIR and how much I desperately hope it wins!

Ok, I'm exhausted, I just completely procrastinated in getting work done for you know, my real job, so I'm gonna cut it of here and continue in the next day or so. Part II - Acting picks & predictions coming soon! In the meantime, enjoy a little YouTube action of the nominated shows below:

Tony Nominations by Production

Billy Elliot, The Musical—15

next to normal—11

Hair—8

Shrek The Musical—8

Rock of Ages—5

9 to 5: The Musical—4

Pal Joey—4

West Side Story—4

Guys and Dolls—2

Irving Berlin's White Christmas—2

[title of show]—1

A LIGHT IN THE DARK

Welcome to a finally new and updated look here. This is what you get thanks to a few hours of procrastination.

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Not so long ago, I was concerned about the future of Broadway due to what seemed like a mass exodus as shows were closing right and left. Between September 28, 2008 - January 18, 2009, Broadway saw thirteen shows close. Though I knew some great new revivals were scheduled to open, I was concerned by the lack of a quality original piece. Would the Great White Way be deluged by yet another jukebox musical or another based on a movie, tv show?  Though I loved seeing some of my favorite shows revived, I was still interested in seeing stories that new writers could create.  Was it that tough to mount something original again and was our struggling economy to blame?  

Thanks to next to normal, I am no longer questioning the future of the American musical.  As excited as I was about my beloved [title of show] last season, I have to say I am even more thrilled about the spectacular musical, next to normal.  [title of show] was a quirky, fun and in some ways a nostalgic show that reminded us of who we are and what it takes to achieve our dreams, but next to normal which is an entirely different kind of show and yet is one that just excites me!

next to normal shows the lengths to which two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family’s world intact. With a provocative contemporary score of more than 30 original songs, this groundbreaking new musical explores how one suburban household copes with crisis.

From the producer of WICKED and the director of RENT, and starring Tony Award® nominee Alice Ripley, next to normal arrives on Broadway straight from its sold-out engagements at both NY’s Second Stage Theatre and DC’s Arena Stage.

The above blurb from the show's website doesn't give away anything plot-wise, nor does it come close to accurately describing what next to normal is about.  What next to normal is, is an incredible small, story-driven show with electrifying talent and beautifully written music and lyrics.  In an era when both Hollywood and Broadway are keen on big, over-the-top money making films and shows, it is always refreshing when success finds a film/show because it is a quality piece of work from all angles.  Broadway (and Hollywood) are obviously businesses that need to make money in order to survive, but sometimes I am bothered when I think choices are made purely in terms of money instead of choosing something in which I wonder if artistic value was ever considered.  

I first discovered next to normal in its workshopped form, when it was called "Feeling Electric" (2002) which later moved to the NY Musical Theater Festival in 2005.  It was the 2002 workshop version that I fell in love with next to normal.  Back then, the story was so different and the dynamics between the family members weren't as flushed out or solid but the concept and storyline were apparent and the music was still beautiful.  A song I particularly appreciated -- Funny Love -- has since been cut from the Broadway version, but it was so beautiful and described the relationship between the couple, Dan & Diana (this was during a version of the show when I don't think the characters actually had names yet).  As much as I appreciated the song & miss it from the final version of the show, it just doesn't fit into this incarnation of the show.

On April 15,  next to normal  opened to great reviews with (mostly) the same cast as the Arena Theatre production.  Notably missing is Brian d'Arcy James (replaced by J. Robert Spencer) who had a previous engagement as the title role in Shrek the Musical.  Personally, I think the characters in  next to normal are so complex and meaty that it would be a shame to have to give up.  Though I love Brian d'Arcy James and was so sad to see him leave the role of Dan, I just  love the casting of  J. Robert Spencer and am more than pleased with his take on the role.  The casting of the other roles I think were well chosen and I can only say so much about it having not actually seen the show yet.  Having said that, I think it should be known that Alice Ripley undeniably deserves a Tony Award.

Alice Ripley is truly a force to be reckoned with.  She plays such a challenging character with such complex emotions between two opposite ends of the spectrum every night.  My god, just hearing her in the cast recording of this show not only moves me, but allows anyone to hear how powerful an actress she is.  In every single song on the cast recording, her pain, struggle, joys, fears, sorrows, quirkiness are all more than apparent and well performed. If I can get this from the audio, imagine how powerful she is in person?!  I've been a fan of her for years and to quote Hunter in [title of show] she really is "fierce!"

Need I say more?  If you need more proof, see the video preview courtesy of BroadwayWorld.com and then get tickets.

PART OF IT ALL

Happy 2008 everyone! So I'm quite terrible at posting on my blog (not a huge shocker) and am not going to claim a resolution to post more (because we know that won't happen...and I don't believe in those). And no, I'm not going to write some horrible cliche recap of 2007 -- the good, bad or ugly. Instead, I will share the two blogs/vlogs that have kept me entertained during those last two weeks of yucky 2007 while bored and busy at the place that pays me to "work." Be forewarned though that said blogs are extremely musical theatre heavy, so proceed at your own risk.

Let me preface my introduction by saying I'm almost embarrassed (ok, not really) that I am linking and mentioning the following blog, and I don't follow it religiously, but it made me laugh as I poked around it. I don't say this because its bad, but because its so silly! I obviously enjoy it because I keep coming back for more. So without further ado... Andrew's Blog is a compilation of "vlogs" (as he calls it) by musical theatre performer, Andrew Keenan-Bolger (currently on tour with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Yes, his sister is Celia who was nominated for a Tony in the role of Olive Ostrovsky in the same show on Broadway) chronicles his life with his friends in NYC and on the road via entertaining YouTube videos. There really aren't any other words...just, don't blame me if you get the title song from his blog/vlog stuck in your head.  Seriously, I did for days...

[title of show] is an off-Broadway musical that I had heard little of (sorry guys) until recently. When I first heard of it, I was intrigued (by the title actually) and found out that it was "a new musical that documents its own journey from inception to opening night." I must have gotten side-tracked because that's where I left it. Time passed and somehow I happened upon a link to their blog and their video blogs on YouTube. Though (extremely) silly, I think the folks at [title of show] are kind of genius. In an effort to get their show to Broadway, they have created these "vlog" installments entitled the [title of show] show as a campaign to get [title of show] to the Great White Way. I think they post when they can, but these are really fun and include cameos by almost every Broadway performer you can think of. Compared to "Hollywood", the Broadway community is small and their fans represent a small population (comparatively speaking) so I think these the [title of show] shows are a great grass-roots marketing ploy. Heck, their blog and the [title of show] shows alone have intrigued me enough to want to go buy the CD (this weekend)!

Ok, those are my endorsements for now. Enjoy, laugh, roll-your-eyes, be grateful for what you have, embrace the unknown...and then support the Broadway community! :)