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. 

DO WHATCHA GOTTA DO

Since the 90s, I have been a very consistent patron at the Center Theatre Group's productions back when I referred to its collective theatres as The Music Center (before the Kirk Douglas Theatre) back when The Phantom of the Opera was in residence at the Ahmanson (and held the record for the longest running musical in Los Angeles' history.)  After Phantom closed and the theatre was refurbished, naturally I returned to see the musicals that had finally made their way to Los Angeles from the Great White Way from Showboat to The Light In the Piazza and Spring Awakening (in which I was lucky enough to get stage seating); I saw groundbreaking productions like Caroline, or Change and joint productions with Deaf West Theatre Company: Big River and Pippin; there have also been Broadway-bound shows like 13, The Drowsy Chaperone and Flower Drum Song as well. Shows like these have been feeding my theatre-hungry soul for years. Of course there are some unmentioned productions that I didn't love, yet I am still grateful that the theatre can be so accessible and that I have had the opportunity to see what I've seen, good, bad and ugly.

Its amazing that the quality shows that have most recently played at  Center Theatre Group's theatres because all have truly been such satisfying productions.  I have had the pleasure of seeing shows like  Parade, (see my gushing blog entry here), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The Glass Menagerie and most recently,  Leap of Faith.  I'm typically not as big a play-goer as I am a musical go-er, but the last two plays I have seen have definitely struck a chord with me and made me want to see more plays.

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was not the kind of play I typically run out to see for many reasons including that it is somewhat fantasy based and that it is about war...the Iraqi War.  I have never been so impressed and so amazed at a story about the aftermath of war that is as hauntingly beautiful as it is tragic and funny.  Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo opened my eyes and gave me a new perspective that I would have never had if I had missed this show.  Prior to seeing this, I had a hard time believing I would enjoy it, but did I ever!  For days, I was left thinking about the story and wishing I could see it again though not sure if I had the energy knowing I would be emotionally exhausted when it was over.  It kept me thinking about it long after I walked out of the theatre's doors.

I saw The Glass Menagerie next - a play that I had read in high school (I think) and college and though I studied it in depth, I don't know if I was ever that taken by its storyline.   This production  however, was different and I left the theatre practically in tears because I had finally seen a production of this show that I understood emotionally and I was open to and able to really understand its characters and the purpose of the storyline.  Judith Ivey as Amanda Wingfield was superb and when I finally saw who the characters of Laura and Tom were; I understood who they were - that they were bits and pieces of a lot of people I knew (including myself); I saw that some of the people I knew could  (and would) have fates similar to Laura's and it just broke my heart.  Every actor in stage was phenomenal and I left the theatre feeling changed by the production.  Somehow, in those three or so hours, something changed in me and I had a new perspective on my own life and career.

Perhaps it was the idea of hope and faith that drew me to the Ahmanson's most recent production (that I hope goes to Broadway), Leap of Faith; maybe it was the beautiful score by Alan Menken, but either way, I really, really enjoyed it.  I loved the energy of the cast when they sang gospel-y numbers like Step into the Light and Rise Up:







I thought the dancing evoked dance numbers from the Golden Age of Broadway and I found myself bopping to the beat of the music in my seat with a silly grin plastered on my face throughout most of the show.  Typically, I am not the biggest fan of movie turned musicals (however I did enjoy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) but Leap of Faith really delivered.  At one point as I was discussing the show, I even forgot that this was a movie to musical adaptation.  Since I was trying to be open-minded and keep a positive attitude, I walked into the show not really having any expectations.  Prior to seeing it, I didn't read any reviews, I didn't listen to or watch any clips online because I knew if I did see it, I wanted to go in with a completely unbiased attitude.  Even though I wasn't 100% sure I really wanted to see the show, there were finally two factors that finally made me purchase tickets:

1. I figured it was likely going to Broadway sometime soon and I didn't want to miss it.
2. The recent revival of Company with Raúl Esparza as Bobby gave me a new perspective on him as an actor (ok, I thought he was one of the best Bobby's I've seen/heard) and since then, I have been wanting to see him perform live.

Ok, there were three factors, the third was that I have been desperately wanting to go to the theatre to see a good musical...and I was hoping that this would fulfill my musical theatre fix.

Before I go on, I will say that Esparza is nothing short of amazing in this production as Jonas Nightingale and if it goes to Broadway, I am certain that at the very least, he will be nominated for a Tony Award.  He was that good. During the number (the one to the right) Last Chance Salvation, Esparza was so dynamic, I thought he might be getting a standing ovation before intermission.  The character of Jonas Nightingale walks a very thin line between brilliant and completely overdone and  Esparza was perfectly brilliant - a greasy and smarmy showman in the beginning and transformed into a more sensitive morally aware guy.  As an evangelical con-artist with a heart, Jonas Nightingale has to border the overly exaggerated, high energy, showy performer with some humanity (which Esparza does superbly).  As Marva McGowan, Brooke Shields was a perfect mix of strong and sensitive and could be considered to be a stabilizing force in the show.  Sometimes I thought Esparza overpowered her, but I think that he was supposed to.  When I think of the brilliance of this show, it is Esparza who clearly steals the show with a great supporting cast including Leslie Odom, Jr. as Ricky Sturdevant who also made a pretty substantial impression on me. 

Leap of Faith isn't the kind of show that will keep you thinking about the story long after you leave the theatre in an attempt to try to better understand it but it is the kind of show that will make you smile and remind you about life and hope and humanity.  It is a feel-good musical in the truest sense of the word and I really hope this show goes to Broadway.  With a just a smidge of tightening up, I think it will do quite well.  It was well received by audiences when I went even with the technical difficulties in which everyone kept spilling liquids  onstage, the cast had the audience eating it up (not literally).  At one point, Esparza stopped the show to get the spilled lemonade cleaned up since it would be dangerous to dance on a slick stage. Though the fourth wall was broken, the audience didn't care and loved that the actors were breaking on-stage, trying to hold it together. All in all, this show is fantastic with a first rate cast of actors and dancers who all really shine as a company.  BRAVO!

Leap of Faith closes Sunday, October 24. Such a fun show and this cast isn't to be missed!

TOLEDO SURPRISE

Though it was announced awhile ago, I finally found evidence that its still happening.

"Danny Tanner" himself is coming to Broadway as The Drowsy Chaperone's Man in Chair. Crazy, right? Ok, now you can go digest this information with this visual:

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

Shows come and go on Broadway -- some are meaningful and stick with you, some (many) are easily forgettable. As with film or TV, it isn't always the show that sticks out and makes an impression but the actors who embody the characters. In some cases, unsuccessful or semi-successful shows have prolonged their Broadway runs due in part to the "star power" attached to their respective shows.

Broadway producers and bookers I'm sure were counting on the star power of the name Sutton Foster when Little Women opened in January 2005 at the Virginia Theater. Following Foster's success (including a Tony win with Thoroughly Modern Millie) producers were likely banking on her name recognition to sell tickets as she got top billing on the theater marquee (above entertainment vet Maureen McGovern). Though the show didn't last long on Broadway, the Tony nominating committee recognized the quality of Foster's work when they honored her with a nomination for her role of Jo in Little Women (the only nod the show received). Though Little Women was less than stellar, it was Foster who stole the show and who I believe kept it afloat for the entire 5 months it ran on Broadway.

Foster's portrayal of the independent, head-strong Jo seemed like a great follow-up after her Thoroughly Modern Millie success. Unfortunately, Little Women was a poor musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel. The show was a little too saccharine-y for my taste while echoing the melodies of a well known Disney musical about a beauty and a beast. It was (I believe) only when Foster appeared on stage that the audience felt the heart and true meaning of the show. Each moment on stage, Foster gave her audience more and more of a reason to believe in her character -- her energy and enthusiasm was infectious which was evident from the first row of the orchestra to the very last row of the balcony. Though nobody in their right mind can (or should) claim Little Women as a true stand-out quality musical, what can be said is that Foster's performance was the one thing not to be missed.

Seeing Foster in Little Women was honestly one of the most memorable nights I've spent in the theater but this is only because of her work. Having seen her perform just once I knew if the opportunity ever presented itself again, I could not miss it. Imagine my delight the day I found out Foster was cast in the L.A. out-of-town try-out for The Drowsy Chaperone. "Ecstatic" would be the word used to describe my feelings. I am sad to say that ecstasy soon turned to disappointment.

Let it be known that I will never be able to say enough great things about Foster except for her choice of taking on the role of Janet in the The Drowsy Chaperone. I saw The Drowsy Chaperone towards the end of it's L.A. run at the Ahmanson Theatre and it was as the title says, at best, a drowsy experience. As I sat impatiently for the 90 minutes of the non-sensical show, I couldn't figure out why any of these actors (Foster in particular) wanted to be in it.

On paper, the show sounds great -- The Drowsy Chaperone is essentially a musical about musicals (not to be confused with The Musical of Musicals THE MUSICAL) PERFECT for any true musical theatre-phile. The website's description of the show even states that is an entertaining show and "if you've ever sat in a darkened theater thinking 'Dear Lord in Heaven, please let it be good' this is the show for you" but my question is...did the person who wrote this (I realize the quote came from within the show) ever really see said show? I hate to say this, but The Drowsy Chaperone boasts of winning 5 Drama Critics Circle Awards, but really, in L.A., we don't actually get a whole lot of great theater here, therefore what kind of choice did voters really have?

Foster is really the only reason I went to see The Drowsy Chaperone and even she couldn't save it. Maybe it was an "off" night for her, but even Foster didn't seem very "into" her character. Was she having an off nite or was the show just bad? It's hard to say. I am very interested to see the fate of the show after it opens, April 3 at the Marquis Theatre in New York (the same theater where Thoroughly Modern Millie played). Producers/accountants and the like must be pretty thrilled to have someone of Foster's caliber attached to the show because if it weren't for her, I suspect the show could be one of those short-lived Broadway statistics. Will she be able to keep the show going? More importantly, will it have a longer life than Little Women?

In theory, The Drowsy Chaperone looks like a great idea -- the story sounds intriguing, the sets are interesting, the costumes look phenomenal but after that, what really does the show have to offer? Decent talent? I suppose. A great book? Hardly. Catchy (or even memorable) melodies? I can't remember a one and nothing, not even a set of lyrics really stuck with me.

The best thing I can say about The Drowsy Chaperone is that they have a quite a nice website. Truly it is a great marketing/publicity tool. The site is colorful, informative and fun! Heck, going to the site would have even made ME want to see the show had I not known better. Good marketing & publicity is only one of the important elements in delivering a successful product. In the end though, the product must speak for itself.

It will be interesting to see how The Drowsy Chaperone fares as the new Broadway season approaches. Will the casting of Sutton Foster be enough of a draw to make the show successful? Only time will tell...

THE MOST AMAZING THING

Shows come and go on Broadway -- some are meaningful and stick with you, some (many) are easily forgettable. As with film or TV, it isn't always the show that sticks out and makes an impression as much as the actors who embody the characters. Unsuccessful or semi-successful shows have outlasted their estimated length of survival due in part to the break-out stars of these shows. In my mind, there are two actors whose work was recognized and became "break out stars" of their respective shows -- Kristin Chenoweth in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, and Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

I can't always put into words the reasons why I go to the theatre or why it is so inspiring. Sometimes, it is a feeling, other times it is the power of the music and the story. If you are lucky, you will experience a phenomenal actor's interpretation of a show and understand how powerful live performance can be. I think the most charasmatic actor on (or on-her-way-back-to) Broadway is hands down, Sutton Foster.

Foster first caught my attention when she performed "Gimmie, Gimmie" from Thoroughly Modern Millie on The Rosie O'Donnell show. Her voice impressed me not only because of it's beauty but there is infectous power and energy behind each word she sings. Foster has become a true Broadway star and one that the Great White Way has needed. It's been a long time (in my opinion) since Broadway has had a true "It Girl." The last name that comes to mind is Bernadette Peters...and it was quite awhile ago when she first burst on the scene. The talent that exists on and off-Broadway is so enormous it really is hard to pinpoint someone whose talent is truly extraordinnary but when that happens, it's hard to ignore and people can't help but to pay attention.

It is no surprise when Foster was nominated for a Tony Award in 2003 for Thoroughly Modern Millie. To say Foster deserved the award is an understatement. With every note she sang and every step she danced, it was obvious that she was 150% commited to her role of Millie Dillmount and easily embodied this character and it showed. Foster went from a "no-name" understudy during the out-of-town-tryouts for the show to the lead and became a star -- it is as if her experience came directly from the plot of 42nd Street!

Broadway producers and bookers I'm sure were counting on the star power of the name Sutton Foster when Little Women opened in January 2005 at the Virginia Theater. Her name even topped the marquee above theater vet Maureen McGovern! Though the show didn't last long on Broadway, the Tony nominating committee recognized the quality of Foster's acting ability when they honored her with a nomination for her role of Jo in Little Women (the only nod the show received). Though the show was less than stellar, it was again Foster who stole the show and who I believe kept it afloat for the entire 5 months it ran on Broadway.

Seeing Sutton Foster's performance in Little Women pretty much defines the reason I go to the theatre. Sitting in the audience as she made her enterance was magical -- I don't think I have ever been so anxious to see an actor in a show. As she sung her first note, you could feel the energy and enthusiasm exuding from her soul. As an actor, she is truly powerful and the independent head-strong Jo in Little Women was a great choice following her Thoroughly Modern Millie success. Let it be known that I will never be able to say enough great things about Sutton Foster except for her choice of taking on the role of Janet in the Drowsy Chaperone.

I saw Drowsy Chaperone during it's L.A. run at the Ahmanson Theatre and it was as the title says, at best, a drowsy experience. As I sat impatiently for the 90 minutes of the non-sensical show, I couldn't figure out why any of these actors (Foster in particular) wanted to be in it. It is a show about musicals in which only true Broadway-philes could appreciate, but even then...some (including me) might not think so highly of it.

If you are lucky, you will see her perform and surely your life will be changed on some level, if only even for the two hours you join her in the theatre. It is so obvious that she is commited 150% to her roles and performances. There is something about her...beyond her charisma that I can't explain, but reminds me of the person I used to be a long time ago...and the person I should be again (on some level). She's got passion and drive that is actually contagious. And yes, it's not only Sutton, but the island of Manhattan that gives me that same drive...but I digress.

Funny, because seeing Sutton Foster reminded me that once upon a time, I wanted to be an actress on stage. I didn't want to act for fame or fortune, but for the experience to embody someone else emotionally. There was something about getting into the head of another person/character that intrigued me so and the way they were able to convey their emotions through song. When I was 5, I wanted to be Annie and belt out Tomorrow at the top of my lungs. Since then, there has always been a character throughout the years who intrigued me. In high school, I wanted to be Christine in POTO or Kim in Miss Saigon but it was the role of Cathy in The Last Five Years that has so much emotion and depth and I think is an incredible role and character. I won't admit how long I have been listening to the CD (not continuously) but each time, I gleam something different from the character, the show, the music -- simply amazing.

I'm not an actress, I probably will never be one, but if I could pick a role right now to do, I think it would have to be Cathy in The Last Five Years. It is an amazing role, JRB writes fantastic music, an even more fantastic role. There is so much to learn about the character that even as a listener I discover new aspects of over and over no matter how many times I listen to it. Can you imagine as an actor the levels of discovery? AMAZING!