I believe that the 4 aforemtioned will indeed be our nominees this year, and deservedly so. In my humble opinion, all four individual pieces brought something wonderful to the Broadway stage this season:
XANADU started us off some 9 months ago, and folks, it's still doing great business, leaving audiences red-in-the-face and gasping for air from boundless laughs.
Next up came a little show called PASSING STRANGE - Having played Berkely Rep, STEW and his merry band of misfits took this new breed of musical mayhem to Joe's Pub, then the Public. To much acclaim, now-inspired and enlightened Mr. Schoenfeld and his crew took it upon themselves to give Broadway and theatergoers alike the shot in the arm we deserve,when it took to the Belasco. Now, West 44th is lit up with the electricity of rock/punk/funk/fusion all within the confines of a tri-coastal life lesson, wrapped in 2 hours of 20 minutes of bewilderment.
IN THE HEIGHTS, the story of 'good life on hard times,' penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda is surely gong to put a smile on audiences members' faces, and rightfully so. It makes you 'feel' for community, that stitch of pride we wear on our sleeves everyday, that incomparable sense of Americana, along with that loving way family and friends ... 'know you' for who you are, what you are, and what you want to be. It's a warm, fun, HIP show that'll leave you bouncing your way home.
Finally, we have a rather 'artsy' piece playing at the Kerr on 48th in John Bucchino-Harvey Fierstein chamber musical, A CATERED AFFAIR. Tugs at the heartstrings beyond one's imagination, as I've stated to believe previously. It wasn't taken too kindly by some critics - who found the message 'beyond their recognition' ... HOWEVER, I for one felt that the show is very much deserving of playing here; sharing a profoundly moving, all-too-human message: "Just take a breath, and open up your eyes. Right now" -
Life's a journey in itself, and if there's ONE thing that holds true it's that whether you're a working-class cabbie sicka nd tired of 'the same ol' mundane routine' with the ins-and-outs of family like Tom Hurley in AFFAIR, or a 20-something Youth trying to find himself, leaving your 'old life' and loved ones behind -- only later to realize that you left 'just when it was starting to feel real' like in PASSING STRANGE, or an up-start Latino making it happen on your own time, dreaming big and achieving that $96,000 with the company of others in the midst like IN THE HEIGHTS, or even a struggling artist (like Sonny Malone) who's contemplating 'ending it all' in XANADU -- only to be saved by muse-turned-mortal, lovingly beautiful blonde who helps you realize that athere's more to this life than black-and-white, there's more to life than x's and o's, it's up to you to live it as best you can and make due with whatever cards your handed.
That's my opinion, anyhow.
Updated On: 4/27/08 at 12:13 AM
