"Anything Goes"

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I am a huge fan of tap musicals from the 30's, 40's, and 50's. I love the bright costumes, the bauble jewelery, the tales of wealth and glamour, and the stories - and related dance numbers - of loves found and lost. As such, you can imagine my thrill at being able to see "Anything Goes" not once, but twice - initially for a preview performance as a thank-you from a sweet house guest, and the second time as an opening night attendee, complete with after-party, thanks to a fellow theater-lover.

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I can't tell you how much I loved this show. Not only am I a lifelong fan of Joel Grey, but I've also been smitten with Sutton Foster since I saw her in the La Jolla Playhouse origination of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" when I was in high school. The chance to see the two of them together - especially Joel Grey! - was one I simply could not pass up. And they did not disappoint me. Joel Grey's "Moonface Martin" was endearing in his not-quite-bad-enough criminal endeavors, and Sutton Foster's worldly "Reno Sweeney" was a refreshing departure from the wide-eyed ingenue(s) she's made her name playing. Superbly directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, highlights must also go out to Laura Osnes' "Hope Harcourt" - last seen and loved by this particular theater-goer in La Jolla Playhouses' "Bonnie & Clyde" - with her crystal clear singing voice, as well as to Colin Donnell's eager "Billy Crocker." Definitive accolades must finally go to Jessica Stone's portrayal of "Erma," a girl who knows what she wants and has no qualms about taking it, always looking out for number one - herself.

Paul Huntley's hair and wig design brought the 1930's delightfully to life with vibrant colors and curls, while Martin Pakledinaz's costumes were drool-worthy with pin-up and flowing skirts, buckled pumps and fabulous jewels to boot. Derek McLane's scenic design was whimsically  superb, and Cole Porter's music was brought once again to sparkling life with the vocal prowess and orchestral magic of this cast and musicians. Without a doubt, this is a show worth seeing. It will put a smile on your face and have you humming all the way home, trust me on that!

"Anything Goes" plays at The Stephen Sondheim Theater, 124 W 43rd Street, (between 6th Avenue and Broadway). You can visit the box office for tickets or call 212-719-1300.

"The Importance of Being Earnest"

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I have been a fan Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" since high school, when our performing-arts-school-within-the-high-school put on the show. I have never read the  play before, and I haven't seen it since that memorable performance. So I was thrilled to get to see "The Importance of Being Earnest" onstage last week.

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Directed by Brian Bedford, who also magnificently takes on the starring role of Lady Bracknell, the cast of this show is tremendous, and the costumes,  sets and lighting are equally delightful. Santino Fontana's "Algernon Moncrieff" was hilarious as the scamp always out for himself and a good meal, while David Furr's "John Worthing" was endearing in his frustration and noble striving to move beyond his humble "parentage" in a handbag to be able to marry the girl he loves. The lady loves and the rest of the cast are not to be forgotten either, coming together to form a truly cohesive ensemble, gleefully supporting the two main leads of this show.

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With Desmond Heeley in charge of both sets and costume design, it makes sense that the frivolity of the garden and stateliness of both family homes would meld so well with the grand attire that outfits each character. Duane Schuler's lighting design perfectly heralded dusk in a garden, and Berthold Carriere's original music was truly enjoyable, so much so that if one was to be recorded, I would purchase a soundtrack. Truly with a creative crew this talented, and a cast this hilariously earnest in their pursuits, you can rest assured that the Roundabout Theater's production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" is a very worthwhile way to spend an evening!


The Roundabout Theater is located at 227 West 42 Street (between 7th & 8th Ave) or tickets can be purchased by calling 212-719-1300

"The Book of Mormon - The Musical"

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I should tell you all up front that I am not a religious person - in all honesty I find organized religion distasteful, and very different from "having faith." (I am very much a woman of provable facts, if I can see it, I'll believe it but I tend to brush off the other stuff.) However, I know many people derive comfort from their religions, and in spite of our claims of differentiation, religion has a stranglehold on half of the political system of our state here in America, so I find it invariably refreshing when the arts, ranging from museum exhibits, to books, art shows to plays, take a good-natured jab at the institution. Which was precisely the case with Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Broadway debut, "The Book of Mormon - The Musical"

Best known as being the creators of South Park, Parker and Stone have made a strong foray into the world of musical theater. With a storyline strong in its subversive subject matter - there were good highlights made about exposure to all cultures, reality of facts of life versus the idealized mental state of being a believer in a higher power. There was also a lot of use of the word "fuck" which, I took to have been intended be added subversion, but which really just came across as humdrum and overbearingly low-brow. Moreover, however, this is a strong musical, with a decent book, and a wonderful cast.

To call out only a few members of this cast seems almost unfair because the entire ensemble made for a memorable evening. Still, I would be remiss to at least not highlight the leads. Andrew Rannell's "Elder Price" was a knockout - strong vocally, he also fleshed out a character that truly had an arc throughout the show and came out stronger for his experiences. Josh Gad's "Elder Cunningham" was a bit one-dimensional, especially next to his fellow lead, but provided comic relief in a broad characterization of a social outcast trying desperately to fit in. Nikki M. James' "Nabulungi" was magnificent - played with an earnestness and culminating in strength derived a slap-in-the-face dose of reality, she provided a focus for hope in the storyline, and her characteristically power-house vocals made for chills during her solo numbers.

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Scott Pask's set design was wonderful - versatile and beautifully detailed, it made for a magnificent backdrop and aided immensely in bringing the storyline to life. Ann Roth's costumes were exactly what they needed to be for their lead characters, and branched out considerably into the flamboyant, and the hysterical as the scenes allowed. The lighting design by Brain MacDevitt was equally mesmerizing, effective when called for, and transporting into peace, panic and isolation as the characters continued on in their journey. Brian Ronan's sound design was equally transporting, and all four individuals' work in the "Scary Mormon Hell Dream" sequence came together to create a truly fantastic scene - one of which they should all be proud!

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In all, you would do well to go see this show. Following in the footsteps of "Avenue Q" this show will most certainly be a contender during Tony's season, its soundtrack will have you humming long after you've left the theater, and the cast is truly a sight to behold, as well as to hear.

"The Book of Mormon - The Musical" plays at the Eugene O'Neill Theater, 230 W 49th Street. Call the box office or buy tickets here.

Friday at last!

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And another short post - complete with a theater tease - to end this week as I promised it would. I attended the Opening Night of "Anything Goes" last night, including the after-party, and I just have to state that my most heart-happy part of the whole affair was acknowledging the fact that this cast gave their heart and soul to the preview performance I saw, just as much as to this opening night performance. That respect for the material, each other, and their audiences, is what makes me love theater in a way no other art form has ever held my adoration. A truly fantastic evening, to be sure. As ever, more will come next week, which will essentially exist as "April 4-8, The Redux" in its postings. May you all have fabulous weekends; I fully intend to catch up on sleep while my houseguest visits others for a bit, throwing in some wine tasting and a walkabout for good measure. Happy Friday, all!

And then it was Thursday...

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All right, I give up - this is going to be a week solid full of hardly-there posts. I have a dear friend from college staying with me - first trip to New York! - and as he is a theater junkie much like myself, his vacation has turned into a staycation for me as we've been seeing theater galore. Due to this, however, I've been coming to work each morning slightly too-tired, and coupled with the fact that our workload in general has been unusually frantic the past few weeks, I have simply had no energy for anything outside of that work which needs doing. Thus, here is a thought from Picasso I hope you find uplifting, a promise that sooner rather than later I will regale you with yet another theater tale, this time about Roundabout's production of "The Importance of Being Earnest," and my own earnest wish that you all have a wonderful Thursday! Another short post will be coming your way tomorrow.

Madness

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Sorry for this short, rather sporadic post. Work is madness, and I just don't have time to post what I'd like to post, which is a diatribe of my thoughts on "The Book of Mormon - The Musical". But I'll get to it as soon as I can, and in the meantime, I hope this Wednesday treats everyone swimmingly! This piccy is simply because I'd much rather be that girl today.

Calm

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I'm feeling rather calm this morning. Although it has nothing to do with reading "Vogue". But calm has been a foreign state of being for the past few weeks, if not months. Today it may be a combination of resignation (mixed signals in dating are so frustrating...and, I fear, disappointing in the end...), a rested psyche (a good night's sleep cures so many ills), and the saturated solitude that today's cloud cover contains (the threat of rain is by its nature cozy), but I am just feeling in a moment of now. I hope it lasts a little while, there's never any telling how a work day will shape up. Still, I hope you all have the same sort of calmness in your Tuesday, and that you are able to appreciate it in full!