A Cheap but Satisfying Apple (Tree) - 12/2 Matinee

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 6:39pm

With her arms in arched upside-down like Evita, Kristin Chenoweth conquered the stage of Studio 54 in The Apple Tree. Chenoweth is sure to be a Tony contender, giving Christine Ebersole's 2 characters a run for their money (not really) with 3. It is her performance, as well as her fellow cast members, Brian d'Arcy James and Marc Kudisch, that make this show. Otherwise, it all fizzles after the lights rise.

The three acts, now separated into 2 (with a brief pause), tell the story of forbidden love throughout the generations, beginning with Adam and Eve, visiting ancient Rome, and ending in the 1960s. Despite the fact that the show was written in the mid-Sixties, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's book does not show it's age - most of the jokes, man's inability to understand women, women's inability to understand man, are timeless. The beautiful score is performed with a lush orchestra and sounds wonderful.

The great (but underused) ensemble shine when they are seen. Brian d'Arcy James is as charismatic as ever, playing the comedy and sadness very well. Marc Kudisch is perfect as the evening's overall narrator, presenting a creepy sexuality and a great voice. Kristin Chenoweth, who they're banking on to sell the show, is in great shape playing herself. Chenoweth has turned into a one-trick pony, but she makes up for it with a glorious soprano and a High D. Her comedic skills cut the audience up multiple times. She did her best comedic work in Passionella and made the crowd sob during the Adam and Eve finale.

The problem with the show lies in Gary Griffin's bland and uninspired (and safe) direction. He could have turned Chenoweth into a revelation, instead choosing to have her repeate the same Evita pose she's done in all of her previous shows. Most of his concepts, in fact, seem ripped-off from other mediums (stage and screen). Call it borrowed, stolen, or just an homage to previous shows, there's more of "that" here than I'm sure there was in that dinner theater production of Urinetown.

Roundabout has spared many expenses with this cheap-looking production. John Lee Beatty's usually remarkable sets are nothing more than planks, ladders, and tinsel. Jess Goldstein's costumes are pedestrian. The redeeming factor is Donald Holder's lighting, which, along with the cast and orchestra, is the best part of the show. Speaking of the orchestra, Rob Fisher and his 16 pieces are wonderful.

The highlight of the show, besides the very capable cast, was the cameo of Alan Alda's voice (as God) at the very beginning. Trouble was, it was so tinny you could barely understand a word.

The cast was very nice at the stage door, taking a very, very long time (about an hour) due to visitors and press shoots. None-the-less, they signed and took photos.

Overall, I recommend Apple Tree. It's safe - nothing controversial, just fun to watch. They're all having a great time. If only the direction was original. One wonders why someone like Kathleen Marshall wasn't hired for this production.....

Updated On: 12/2/06 at 06:39 PM

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 6:48pm

Actually she plays four roles if count Ella and Passionella as two separate roles. And in response to the comment about "playing herself," did you read the latest Times article?

What she does onstage is difficult enough without wasting energy performing offstage too. As it is, she’s often awakened by work knocking around in her head. “Last night,” she said, “it was this line from ‘The Apple Tree’: ‘The Really Real Acting Academy has shown me that all my films, alas, are naught but tinkling trivia, sugary, shoddy, shallow shadows. Schlock.’ How am I going to say that? How am I going to make that funny? It’s so frustrating because people say, ‘It comes so easily to her,’ or ‘She’s just playing herself.’ Well, I work my butt off. These ideas don’t come from nowhere. You have to think them up. Sometimes I think until I think my head might explode."

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 6:48pm

oops, double post

Updated On: 12/2/06 at 06:48 PM

[TomMonster]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 7:35pm

I agree with your review, Yank. The sets look cheap, but the book, score and performances are top-notch. The direction fell flat for me, as well. It doesn't seem like he changed the staging much from the Encores! production.

The orchestra sounded great!

Posted: 12/2/06 at 7:48pm

"Roundabout has spared many expenses with this cheap-looking production." That is a wonderful line!

[folkyboy]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 7:52pm

Roundabout does this all the time with ALL of their shows. they spend all their money on the cast and then deliver sub-par work, leaving everyone to scramble to go because of the cast. sometimes it can go on the cast alone and sometimes not...

don't even get me started on their Amazonian production of Suddenly Last Summer

[TomMonster]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 8:57pm

I don't think that's always true about Roundabout. The sets for ASSASSINS and PACIFIC OVERTURES were outstanding.

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 9:00pm

So was the set for 12 Angry Men.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 9:06pm

And 20th CENTURY.

And THE WOMEN, THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, THE CONSTANT WIFE, etc...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 10:57pm

I can go into a greater depth now as I have more time to do so.

jasobres - I have no doubt that she's working her butt off. It shows very, very much. She has a costume change during the Passionella sequence that literally takes place in the 5 second flash of a strobe light. How she does it, I'll never know. She's certainly a talent, no doubt, but it seemed like her usual performance. She shined much brighter in the West Wing (incidentally, she dedicates her performance to John Spencer, she says in the Playbill).

Regarding the rest of the cast, they all have their chance to shine. The overwhelming response was that Kudisch was the best of the bunch and I whole-heartedly agree. James shines the most, obviously, during Adam and Eve, turning in a heartwrenching performance by the end of that sequence.

Griffin's direction, I've decided, really suits a 5 performance schedule, not 3 months. What I'm assuming worked at Encores does not suit a Broadway stage. Anybody could have done a better job than what he did. Hell, I could do a better job (and I've got zero experience in that field).

And then there's the disappointing set. I realized that the previous Encores transfers - Wonderful Town and Chicago - have all had the orchestra on stage. Here, they're situated, as usual, in the boxes, giving the set designer a huge stage to play with. Problem is, he doesn't play.

The rewind sequence during Lady and the Tiger was done better than the one at High Fidelity. Those who have seen both will know what I mean.

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:20pm

Interesting note about the quick change. So they added special effects and did it the same way that they did it in the original. In the ENCORES version, I think the lights just went out and Kristin quickly walked offstage to do a quick change. Either that or it wasn't really Kristin, it might've been a cast member dressed as her.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:31pm

It's always a double...just like INTO THE WOODS.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:40pm

The ROUNDABOUT pays the entire cast the same across the board, Lort
(A or something, it is somewhat below Ensemble salary on Broadway)
People are happy to see Cheno back on Broadway, but just repeating herself is such a waste.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 11:56pm

I thought Brian D'Arcy James and Marc Kudisch were phenomenal.

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 1:25am

im seeing it wednesday!

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 3:06am

I was also at the 12/2 matinee. My mom kept asking if the set wasnt done because the show was still in previews... I had to explain to her that the set we saw was the set they were going to use.

Besides the set, the production was absolutely adorable. Kristin could not have been any cuter, and her character interpretations were brilliant. Sure we had to wait an hour or so at the stage door, but she signed EVERYTHING and took pictures with everyone... after spending 5 minutes letting a dog lick her face.

The Story of Adam and Eve always seems to get boring once the jokes thin out. Passionella was, in my opinion, the strongest act.

I will write more later if I have time! I would definitely advise everyone to go see it while you have the chance!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 3:18am

That's suprising Curtain. You'd think Cheno would get way more than James.

So is the picture they're using for the playbills the one with Cheno on a green background? it seems so bland. I can't see that as a Cd cover.

[FrontRowCenter2]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 5:38am

I've no doubt that the "quick change" from Ella to Pasionella was done the same way as in the original - use of a double.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 8:56am

Rentboy - Yes, but the Playbills are in black-and-white.

FrontRow - Probably correct, now that I think about it.


FYI - to settle a debate, Kristin does have an understudy (Sara Jane Everman).

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 8:58am

Sure we had to wait an hour or so at the stage door, but she signed EVERYTHING and took pictures with everyone... after spending 5 minutes letting a dog lick her face.

Ahh, that just made my morning. I love that woman. She's a riot.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 12:05pm

She had her dog with her on Friday night at the stage door as well...

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 1:57pm

Did anyone speak to Marc or Brian at the SD? Or do they wait to come out after the Cheno craze has ended?

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 2:00pm

That's too bad to hear the bad notices about this show, mainly in the direction and sets.
But glad to hear the mostly positive buzz about Kristin and the cast.
And maybe I skipped over this, but did anyone ask the cast members if a CD is being made?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 2:07pm

WithoutATrace - it wasn't her dog. Someone (for some inexplicable reason) had brought their own dog (dressed in a pink parka) to the stage door (I'm assuming they didn't see the show).

rose_pearl - As Kristin had guests, Brian and Marc came out before her and were, as usual, very nice. They were doing a photoshoot following the performance, so they were all later than "normal."

bwayondabrain - According to Brian, they're still up in the air about a CD.

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/3/06 at 2:08pm

Someone from Glitter, that's the name of the Kristin Chenoweth fan club, asked Kristin and she said that there definitely WILL be a cast recording. No details as to when it will be recorded or when it will be released.