Another musical based on a movie closes. The pedigree of the new musical 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' had hit written all over it. No doubt Lincoln Center thought so and was probably seeking a long run to fill the coffers of the not-for-profit organization. Lincoln Center produces a musical now and then and among them were the hit revivals of 'South Pacific' (2008) and 'Anything Goes' (1987) as well as the dance musical 'Contact' (2007). All three extended well beyond the announced limited engagements.
The company (all production images: Paul Kolnik)
Then there are the creators: composer David Yazbek ('The Full Monty', 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'), writer Jeffrey Lane (also of 'Scoundrels), director Bartlett Sher ('South Pacific', 'Light in the Piazza') and a design team attached to a string of major musicals.
Next the performers have garnered 17 Tony Award nominations and 4 wins: Patti Lupone, Sherie Rene Scott, Brian Stokes Mitchell, De'Adre Aziza, Laura Benanti, Danny Burstein and Mary Beth Peil. Let's not discuss the addition of American Idol first season runner-up Justin Guarini to the cast.
Patti Lupone & Sherie Rene Scott
Finally the source material is one of Spanish director and writer Pedro Aldomovar's first films to gain popularity in America and an Oscar nomination for foreign language film. The breakout star of the 1988 film was a young Antonio Banderas.
It didn't hurt the film had a screwball story. Described by amazon.com: A woman's lover leaves her, and she tries to contact him to find out why he's left. She confronts his wife and son, who are as clueless as she. Meanwhile her girlfriend is afraid the police are looking for her because of her boyfriend's criminal activities. They talk to a female lawyer, who turns out to be the lover's new lover, and everyone's path keeps crossing each other's in a very complicated and confusing manner.
Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Laura Benanti, Justin Guarini
Where most recent musicals based on a movie had a source that was widely popular, New York Times reported before the show's opening: The $5 million show is a rarity: a new musical based on a foreign film from two decades ago that is probably not widely known among the tourists who are the backbone of Broadway box offices. And the show is opening in New York without the traditional out-of-town tryout used by every other new musical now on Broadway ('Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark' was yet to play its first preview) to test material to make corrections.
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nina Lafarga, Justin Guarini
The review from Variety: The recipe for gazpacho is scrawled large across the curtain. Like the dish in question, the new Almodovarsical is refreshing, peppery and palate-cleansing, but it is still, in the end, cold tomato soup -- invigorating and highly spiced, but not satisfying enough for a full meal or a full evening's entertainment. Tuner is blessed with some delicious performances and any number of items of interest, but the result can be summed up as a women (and men) on the verge of a coherent musical. Part of the problem is all those characters, played by all those musical-comedy luminaries, unable to step back into a supportive ensemble when necessary. (The design team) produce a visually fascinating show. But Lane and the talented Yazbeck, in an attempt to stay true to the film and provide songs and scenes for each of their nine featured principals, have spread their story so thin that audience interest soon deflates.
Sherie Rene Scott
'Women..' opened at the Belasco Theatre on November 4, 2010 (previews from October 8, 2010 after being delayed twice) and closed on January 2, 2011, three weeks earlier than the scheduled January 23 closing date, for a run of 30 previews and 69 performances. A cast recording of the musical is scheduled for release on May 10. More production photos below the video.
This is the second post about movies adapted into recent stage musicals and then failing to match its source material's success. This time its 'Love Story the Musical' or is it 'Love Story on Stage'. The press materials indicate the show is based on the novel by Erich Segal on which the film was based. But do you think this musical would exist if the movie was never made?
The following reviews were from the show out-of-town run before arriving in London. From Michael Billington's review in The Guardian:
"Wipe away your tears with Love Story tissues," urges a sign behind the marketing counter. But I wouldn't anticipate a great sales
boom. This 110-minute chamber musical, with a score by Howard Goodall
and book and lyrics by Stephen Clark, based on the Erich Segal story is
so decorously tasteful that by the end, there wasn't a damp eye in the
house.
Everyone, if only from the 1970 film, knows the story. Jenny, a poor
Italian girl, meets Oliver, a rich boy, at Harvard, marries him and then
dies. It could be moving if it weren't for the air of cold calculation,
emanating from Segal's original, that surrounds the enterprise: it
seeks a deep emotional response to people we hardly know. Starting with
Jenny's death, Clark's lyrics ask, "What can you say about a girl who
made you proud to be her friend?" Since Jenny doesn't appear to have any
friends, the question seems redundant. And Oliver is worse than a
cipher: he seems a jerk.
Anyone in need of a really good blub should get down to Chichester, where Howard Goodall has set to music Erich Segal's 1969 American weepie Love Story. The screen version's theme tune makes a brief appearance, but composer Goodall makes the show his own: classical, popular airs, faultlessly sung by a small cast, performed by a piano and a string sextet.
Going without a break saves the spell being broken. And spell is what it feels like, with Emma Williams and Michael Xavier as two Boston students, Jenny and Oliver, whose young marriage is shattered by her leukaemia.
'Love Story' opened at the Duchess Theatre on December 6, 2010 (following previews from Nov. 27) and shutters February 26. Unlike 'Flashdance the Musical' which closed two weeks ago, 'Love Story' leaves behind a cast recording of the score which can be purchased from amazon.co.uk.
More production photos after the trailer video. (All production photos Alastair Muir.)
For as far as anyone knows, the Gerswhin Theatre will likely be hosting the mega-hit musical 'Wicked' indefinitely. Down the street who knew that 'The Phantom of the Opera' would be ensconced at the Majestic Theatre 23 years later. 'Wicked' now in its eighth year on Broadway has a challenged on its hands.
Originally opened in 1972 as the Uris as part of a new office tower and named for the building's developer, the theatre was renamed in 1983 after the composer George Gershwin and lyricist Ira Gershwin. The venue is the largest among the Broadway theatres with over 1,900 seats and is one of three modern built Broadway venues with the others being the Minskoff Theatre (housed in the Viacom building) and Marquis Theatre (built as part of the Marriott Marquis hotel). Other Broadway houses have opened after these but they either made use of the shell of a landmark theatre or were refurbished from an existing one.
Theatre entrance along the breezeway.
In terms of wrangling the night's audience, the theatre hosts some of the most generous lobby spaces and includes escalators sending audiences to the auditorium located three stories up. The Gershwin lacks a defining marquee but the theatre's entrance along the mid-block breezeway connecting 50th and 51st Streets adds more space for crowds attending a performance. The breezeway is also shared with the entrance to the Circle in the Square theatre which takes the audience to an auditorium in the basement level of the building.
A 'Wicked' map greets visitors riding the theater's escalators.
A couple of the prominent productions to premiere at the Gershwin include Sweeney Todd (1981) and Starlight Express (1987). 'Wicked' began previews at the theatre on October 8, 2003 and opened October 30 after an out-of-town tryout in San Francisco. In addition to attending 'Wicked' in 2004 some other shows I've witnessed here were revivals of 'Show Boat' (1995) and 'Candide' (1997). By the way for the week ending 1/2/11, 'Wicked' grossed $2,228,235, the highest grossing week for any show in Broadway history.
The Gershwin, located in the Paramount Building, is one of nine Nederlander theatres. All online ticketing for the venue is sold through Ticketmaster. More information at gershwintheatre.com. Click here for a fan site offering tips to purchase 'Wicked' tickets. Visit wickedthemusical.com for more about the show.
Note: all photos taken in June 2009 during a visit to the behind the scenes tour called Wicked Behind the Emerald Curtain. Visit the previous post for info about the event.
Since opening in 2003 on Broadway 'Wicked' has grossed over $500 million at the Gershwin Theatre. No doubt that number well exceeds over one billion once the grosses from the other North American companies of the musical. The musical continues to sell out performances regularly eight years later without the need to sell discounted tickets at the TKTS discount booth in Times Square.
That kind of popularity is funneling audiences to Wicked Behind the Emerald Curtain, a behind-the-scenes look at the musical which I had the opportunity to attend in June 2009. First of all there is fine print:
Behind the Emerald Curtain is a museum tour and presentation. Because of insurance liability, Behind the Emerald Curtain does not go backstage.
What is offered is the up-close experience to view props, costumes, models and photos of the production. This presentation is offered in one corner of the lobby just outside of the auditorium. The tour guides are actors who performed in the production. The presentation continues in the auditorium with a film presentation about the making of the musical. Q&A sessions are offered during both parts of the tour. The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and the merchandise booth is opened after the film presentation.
Among the items worth seeing is a model of the set and the close look at the detail in the costumes. The tour also gives an mini-lesson in the economics of Broadway with the guide's description of the costs and people to undertake a musical from workshop to opening night to daily operations. For comparison purposes, the guides stated that 'Wicked' will continue to run as long as the operating costs are met and tell about a Broadway musical called 'Glory Days' opened and closed on opening night at the Circle in the Square Theatre located downstairs the Gershwin Theatre. (note: all photos taken June 2009).
More info at emeraldcurtain.com. The tour is offered Saturdays at 10am. Admission is $30 and available online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets also available at the door 30 minutes prior to the tour on a first come, first served basis. The Gershwin Theatre is located at 222 West 51st Street. Click here for a fan site offering tips to purchase 'Wicked' tickets. Visit wickedthemusical.com for more about the show.
It appears a return trip to Orlando may be in the works. With LEGOLAND Florida opening this October and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure, it's definitely time to be a kid again.
Visit florida.legoland.com for all the details. Located on 150 acres of the former Cypress Gardens amusement park grounds, LEGOLAND Florida will be the biggest LEGOLAND park ever opened offering more than 50 rides, shows and attractions including spectacular LEGO models. The other parks are located in California, England, Germany and Denmark, where the toy company was founded.
The heart of every LEGOLAND is the Miniland. This is where the parks draws my interests. Back in 2001 at LEGOLAND Windsor outside of London, I must have used two rolls of camera film (yup, you heard right...film!) to capture as many images of each tiny metropolis.
The miniland at LEGOLAND Florida will include Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., New York City, Kennedy Space Center, Daytona and a Pirate themed section. One feature of New York City will include the Freedom Tower which is still under construction in Manhattan.
Below is a shot of the London section at LEGOLAND Windsor at night. Awesome detail and full of wonder.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC entrance on Mercer Street in Soho.
It's been one year since the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's New York City Annex closed in January 2010 after opening a year earlier in 2009. Reports indicate the attraction fell victim to the economy and a down year for city tourism. But in a city with an extensive rock heritage, it appears some fault may be in the creation of the museum.
Banners above the entrance.
After a visit in June 2009, the experience was underwhelming especially at the cost of $26.50 for an adult ticket. Unlike other tourist attractions located as close to Times Square as possible, the museum was located on a quiet street in Soho in the basement that used to house an Old Navy store. The entrance wasn't particularly inviting.
The experience included a holding room where hundreds of plaques with autographs of music legends filled the walls as their music played. Then in a small auditorium a short feature about the history of rock and roll was screened. After that was the exhibition of memorabilia. Among them was Elvis Presley's motorcycle jacket, a handwritten note from Jim Morrison, John Lennon's Record Plant Piano and Bruce Springsteen's 1957 Chevy. It was unfortunate that photography was not allowed. The ubiquitous gift shop at the end lacked any enticing merchandise to commemorate the visit.
The $9 million cost of the 25,000-foot-annex was not obvious. Depending on visitor interest in the museum displays, it's likely most would be able to see the exhibit in an hour. I'm a fan of pop music artists spanning different decades and was even a devoted listener of the American Top 40 on radio for over 20 years. But after an equally unimpressive visit to the British Music Experience at the O2 in London in 2010, it may appear the genre of music and one as expansive as rock and roll may be too difficult to encapsulate in a museum visit.
For more information about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, visit rockhall.com. Opportunities for a tour that would bring artifacts to audiences around the world was being explored at the time of closing of the annex.
Some of the memorabilia on display (image: broadwayworld)
The series of in-person events continues at Dress Circle in London, England with the star of the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert Live at the O2: Alfie Boe who played Jean Valjean at the event. Last month, his latest CD titled "Bring Him Home" was released and his first to feature songs from musicals.
Boe at Dress Circle
(all Dress Circle images: Roy Tan)
Guest artists on the CD include Matt Lucas who played Thenardier alongside Boe at the Les Mis Concert and Kerry Ellis who recently starred in the revival of 'Oliver' and was featured in the concert production of "Chess" with Josh Groban at the Royal Albert Hall. Boe duets with Lucas on "The Impossible Dream" and with Ellis on "Come What May" from the film "Moulin Rouge".
Dress Circle has been one of my one favorite stops when in London and is located in the heart of the West End. But unlike my visit in September to meet the cast of the Les Miserables UK Tour, this time I was not at the store. Instead Dress Circle sold pre-orders of the CD which would be autographed by Boe at the store event on Janunary 7, 2011 before shipping. Above is the copy I got in the mail.
The line at the Jan 7, 2011 store event featuring Boe.
Visit dresscircle.co.uk for news about the shop or to find out which stars of the West End stage may be making an in-store appearance next. Autograph CDs from past in-store events are available in limited supply and can be ordered online.
Sheridan Smith (Elle) and Duncan James (Warner) stars of
London production of 'Legally Blonde' at Dress Circle.
The line waiting of fans at the 'Legally Blonde' event.
The stars of the 25th Anniversary UK Tour of 'Les Miserables' at
Dress Circle. l to r: Gareth Gates (Marius), Madalena Alberto (Fantine),
John Owen-Jones (Valjean) & Earl Carpenter (Valjean).
Interesting article about the 'Vdara death ray' when news broke of the phenomenon last fall. Let's hope the hotel has solved the issue before summer returns to the Las Vegas strip.
But the south-facing tower is also a collector and bouncer of sun rays, which -- if you're at the hotel's swimming pool at the wrong time of day and season -- can singe your hair and melt your plastic drink cups and shopping bags.
Hotel pool employees call the phenomenon the "Vdara death ray."
(image: lvrj)
A spokesman for MGM Resorts International, which owns Vdara, said he prefers the term "hot spot" or "solar convergence" to describe it. He went on to say that designers are already working with resort staff to come up with solutions.
Designers foresaw the issue, and thought they had solved it by installing a high-tech film on the south-facing glass panes, according to Gordon Absher, the MGM spokesman. The film scatters more than 70 percent of reflected rays. But that's not enough, Absher acknowledged, as some pool guests are still uncomfortable.
Viewed from above, the Vdara tower resembles a crescent. The crescent's southern-facing side is concave. There is no tall building farther south to block the sun's hot afternoon rays, so Vdara receives the full brunt. Its pool lies at the center of this southern-facing wall, on top of a low-rise building that is three stories tall.
A plastic bag melted by the "Vdara death ray". (image: lvrj)
A new building's first season of operation always uncovers glitches, Absher also said. Vdara solutions under review include adding more foliage to the pool deck, offering larger sun umbrellas and building a shade structure. But the challenge of constructing shade is that the sun, and the reflection, are moving targets.
CityCenter's Vdara isn't the first high-profile structure to reflect brightly. In Las Vegas, both the AdventureDome at Circus Circus and the Mandalay Bay have reflection issues, Absher noted. In early spring, he added, some pool guests at Mandalay Bay even seek out the hot spots, because they are more comfortable for sunning.
Click here for the complete article or visit the Las Vegas Review-Journal website at lvrj.com. For more info about the hotel, visit vdara.com.
Video from NJN's State of the Arts about the premiere of the 'Les Miserables' 25th Anniversary Tour opening at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. See the previous post for a complete list of tour dates and excerpts from the New York Times review.
' had hit written all over it. No doubt Lincoln Center thought so and was probably seeking a long run to fill the coffers of the not-for-profit organization. Lincoln Center produces a musical now and then and among them were the hit revivals of 'South Pacific
' (2008) and 'Anything Goes
' (1987) as well as the dance musical 'Contact
' (2007). All three extended well beyond the announced limited engagements.
', 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
'), writer Jeffrey Lane (also of 'Scoundrels), director Bartlett Sher ('South Pacific', 'Light in the Piazza
') and a design team attached to a string of major musicals.
was a young Antonio Banderas.
is
so decorously tasteful that by the end, there wasn't a damp eye in the
house.
, knows the story. Jenny, a poor
Italian girl, meets Oliver, a rich boy, at Harvard, marries him and then
dies. It could be moving if it weren't for the air of cold calculation,
emanating from Segal's original, that surrounds the enterprise: it
seeks a deep emotional response to people we hardly know. Starting with
Jenny's death, Clark's lyrics ask, "What can you say about a girl who
made you proud to be her friend?" Since Jenny doesn't appear to have any
friends, the question seems redundant. And Oliver is worse than a
cipher: he seems a jerk.
(1981) and 
(1987). 'Wicked' began previews at the theatre on October 8, 2003 and opened October 30 after an out-of-town tryout in San Francisco. In addition to attending 'Wicked' in 2004 some other shows I've witnessed here were revivals of 'Show Boat' (1995) and '
' (1997). By the way for the week ending 1/2/11, 'Wicked' grossed $2,228,235, the highest grossing week for any show in Broadway history.
was released and his first to feature songs from musicals.
at the Royal Albert Hall. Boe duets with Lucas on "The Impossible Dream" and with Ellis on "Come What May" from the film "Moulin Rouge".
, this time I was not at the store. Instead Dress Circle sold pre-orders of the CD which would be autographed by Boe at the store event on Janunary 7, 2011 before shipping. Above is the copy I got in the mail.
. Visit these related links about the shop:
