A week of excellent theatre!

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 3/5/11 at 2:15am

I took a trip to the city this week (and saw four shows) and figured i'd give my two cents on each one.

In order I saw:

HOW TO SUCCEED
LA CAGE
BOOK OF MORMON
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

HOW TO SUCCEED: After Rob Ashford's lackluster revival of PROMISES, PROMISES that really only lasted due to it's stars, I am happy to say that this production is a hit all around, even if it's centered on it's beyond famous leading man Daniel Radcliffe. Ashford makes songs like "Coffee Break" which are pointless seem to fit in with the rest of the "book" songs. Daniel Radcliffe's singing is pleasant, and perfect for this score (he sings it just as well as Matthew Broderick did in the last revival. His dancing "Brotherhood of Man" is also quite impressive, and his american accent is flawless. I read that some people had some issues with John Larroquette, but I found him to be great. Rose Hemingway has a beautiful voice, and does what she can with the awfully underwritten role of Rosemary. Some people I was with really disliked Tammy Blanchard, but I found her to be very funny. Ellen Harvey as Miss Jones is the hidden star in this show, the things she does in that final number will have you in stitches. Christopher Hanke is fine, but is slightly grating at times. Overall, unless ANYTHING GOES is brilliance, this will be our best musical revival winner. A very pleasant, organized Stage Door experience! Daniel stayed and signed for anyone he could reach, and when I told Rob Bartlett that I loved the show, he told me to "go and tell everyone the internet" obviously referring to the troubles WOMEN ON THE VERGE and SPIDER-MAN encountered.

LA CAGE: Harvey was MUCH better then I was expecting. His "A Little More Mascara" was not very good, but he had no where to go but up, and by the time he was belting out that last note of "I Am What I Am" I was in tears. Some of his costumes have changed since Douglas Hodge, mostly for the better. The rest of the cast is still top notch; Christine Andreas is still a highlight and gets some of the biggest laughs of the evening. Wilson Jermaine Heredia isn't in top form, but lets admit, has he really been in top form since he won the Tony for Angel? The production is a little tired, but Christopher Sieber will bring a much needed energy to the production. Only problem is that he is going to read SO young next to Harvey. Sugar daddy anyone?

THE BOOK OF MORMON: Without a doubt, the funniest thing I have ever seen. I went in knowing nothing but the infamous finale of the first big number. I don't want to give away any spoilers for those who haven't seen the show, but I was NOT expecting the plot they came up with. It'll be interesting to see where they petition actors for leading and supporting, because while Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells have more or less equal roles, Rannells seems to take the majority of the songs, and the story is centered around his struggle, so I could see them bumping Rannells to Featured, which wouldn't be a bad idea, he could win. The score is the most original and catchy score to hit Broadway since AVEUNE Q. I see this and PRICILLA being the big Tony contenders this year. Nikki M. James is also a wonderful find, that girl has quite the voice. Look for her to be a featured actress contender.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST: First off, what a BEAUTIFUL theatre! I had never been in the American Airlines and it's just stunning! Brian Bedford's production and performance are why people go to the theatre, it's just that good. The production was the tightest Wilde production I had ever seen, and that SET and those COSTUMES! It's a shame that they'll have to compete with WAR HORSE in the play categories, because I feel like many aspects of this production may be ignored. Santino Fontana continues to be one of the best/most promising actors working today, and this is the first time I have seen a Algernon overshadow Jack. Bedford's Bracknell is obviously flawless, and the rest of the supporting cast does a fantastic job (Charlotte Perry and Sara Topham are splendid) I'm glad the show extended beyond the Tony's!

Also! I attended Victoria Clark's Master Class at City Center on Monday, and I highly recommend it to anyone who either wants to participate or just sit in, because not only is that woman a fantastic actress, she's a very informative, easy to relate to teacher. She's doing more classes with City Center so try and attend if you can! (I got in for free by entering a thing on Facebook)


What a fantastic week it was! (Not to mention I saw Lady Gaga in concert tonight, unrelated I know but HOT DAMN). I would love to hear other's thoughts on these shows! Especially HOW TO SUCCEED AND BOOK OF MORMON!

[mallardo]

Posted: 3/5/11 at 3:57am

Nice reviews, I enjoyed reading them. Glad you had such a good time.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 3/5/11 at 7:55am

I love people who love theatre. Thanks for the reviews!