Threepenny Opera Final Dress -- SPOILERS- Page 2

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 10:50am

Margo, forgive me if I've said this before, but I always feel smarter after reading your posts and reviews, something that happens to me with very few theater critics or pundits. The only other one I can think of offhand is Michael Feingold, and I know from what you have said about him that you will take that as a compliment.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:00am

MEF --

Polly sings "Barbara Song."

[AllNite429]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:02am

I can't wait to see this. I just bought tickets for May 7th.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:03am

Agreed...thank you, Margo for this insight. Your reviews (know this is not officially one) are always thoughtful and respectful to the subject, even when not happy with a production, there is never a bashing as with so many others, here and in the "legitimate" press. It always seems that you TRULY want to like everything, and give the best light you can, never judgemental and leaving it open for someone to disagree.

That said...this is so great! I never doubted Lauper. I agree that she should be the next Lovett, but her commitment here may make that impossible.

I wouldnt be surprised, if this has enough new buzz, that it could win best revival over Sweeney. I feel it could likely split the vote, tho, as they may attract the same following, and Pajama Game could win...at least it will be more interesting

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:05am

Brian Charles Rooney played Jinx this past summer in a production of Forever Plaid that played here in Charlotte, NC from April through June and was very good. He had a great voice and was very very funny. I talked with him briefly a couple of times and saw the show a bunch (since I was working for the theatre at the time). It would really be neat to see him nominated for a Tony.

Here is a link to his personal website which lists his past credits. Threepenney is obviously his first Broadway credit.

http://www.briancharlesrooney.com/

Updated On: 4/24/06 at 11:05 AM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:06am

Didnt the 77 revival have Jenny (Ellen Green) sing "Pirate Jenny" in the whorehouse as well?

[children&art]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:07am

so do you think that it will be a 3Penny/Sweeney race at Tony time? does Patti Lupone have the upper hand over Cindi Lauper?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:16am

Well, right now this production is scheduled to run through mid-June and Lupone is currently signed on for Sweeney through July (though she may extend), so Lauper would presumably be free to take over Lovett -- depending on her schedule -- whenever Lupone exits.

We'll see what everyone else thinks of this production. It might turn out that I'm all alone in my praise and I end up looking like a fool -- it wouldn't be the first time and I don't mind . Threepenny is going to need a pretty strong slate of mostly rave reviews to upset Sweeney for Best Revival -- which I'm not necessarily expecting from the fraternity of critics we have in this city (some are going to be confused by this show) -- so we'll just have to wait and see.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:21am

Jenny did sing "Pirate Jenny" in the 1977 revival.

Lauper is likely to be considered Featured not Lead. She only sings a couple of songs on the second act and doesn't appear in the first (except for the opening). Perhaps, if they somehow give her a solo spot to do "Pirate Jenny" in Act I, her part might then be considered large enough for Lead, but there's nothing to indicate at this early point that Elliott has any desire or intention of doing that.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:37am

Thank you so much for you comments, Margo. I convinced my parents to get tickets for us, and I'm seeing it within the next couple of weeks. I am even more excited now!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:40am

Oh, that would be terrific...I'd love to see her interpret "Pirate Jenny." Lauper would definitely be considered supporting, tho....and I now have new hope to see her do Lovett, finallly.

Now if we can get Streep in the film!

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:45am

Oh, I can not wait. I would be seeing this tonight, but I have rehearsal.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:53am

Thanks, Margo. It sounds thrilling.
At first I was under the impression that they had changed the gender of the character of Lucy to male. (It didn't make much sense to me either.) But you are saying that the character is still a woman that is being played by a man? That is a relief. I was wracking my brain trying to picture Lucy (the daughter) being changed to Lukie (the son). Not that it wouldn't be interesting...but?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 11:58am

I'm a huge fan of the 77 Foreman version, though I'm biased since one of my best friends was in that production, and I was probably too close to it to be objective. But Ellen's rendition of "Pirate Jenny" was somewhat controversial back then, if I recall. To me, she was quite compelling. That production had, among others, Blair Brown, Raul, Elizabeth Wilson, the late Tony Azito. Margo, that translation (Manhiem) was fairly blue and curse-laden lyrics. Does this one go even further?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 12:10pm

Actually, I wondered whether Elliott was having Rooney play Lucy as a woman (a la Edna in Hairspray) because there was no comment or textual change to indicate that he was anything but a female. Then in the confrontation scene with Lucy in Act II, Rooney flashes Polly and the audience, making it clear that he is a HE who lives his life as a woman. It had been made clear that MacHeath was bisexual prior to this -- he makes out with both Polly and a gay male in the brothel, so it's not really a surprise that he also has a male "wife." But without the flash, I think many (most?) in the audience would have assumed that Lucy was a woman.

Interestingly, I should say that I really think it works within the ambisexual world of the show. It actually fits so well, that if you didn't know the show beforehand (and I'm sure many who see this show won't), you would just assume that Lucy had been written to be a transsexual to be played by a man. Shawn has eliminated any references to "daughter" and Lucy doesn't really even mention her father here at all that I recall, so there's no gender conflict regarding the character textually. There's really nothing detracting or distracting about it at all, IMO and actually adds a great deal of humor to the role (Rooney is hilarious) and an interesting dimension to the character of MacHeath.

[NJgirl]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:34pm

I havent been to Studio 54 since Cabaret and would love to see this production after reading this review. I don't know much about the show itself...other than the brecht/weill/mack the knife stuff I got during my 3 semesters of German history in college.
Ive been holding off buying tix until someone can tell me how they feel the sight lines would be from the sides of the orch. I can find tix all the way to the right or left starting with Row E and back)

Margo, since you've seen the final dress...how is the staging and sight lines for the orchestra or would I be better in the front mezz?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:46pm

I was front row, house left about four seats off the aisle which was ideal. Farther back on the extreme sides, I think you would be able to see 99% of everything with no problem (most scenes are staged towards the middle and a bit downstage). Mezz would likely be fine throughout (though personally I find that Studio 54's upper mezz feels too far from the stage, making it hard to engage with the show sometimes).

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:47pm

Is the club-seating back, or is it auditorium-seating? (Tables vs. rows)

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:49pm

Auditorium seating with rows -- no tables (though wouldn't tables have been fun for this show?).

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:49pm

It's still set up like a typical theatre.

[NJgirl]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:50pm

the tables are gone...its all regular theater seating now

so I guess my best bet is to find a mid orch seat on the extreme side....hmmm. I personally would rather sit in the orch bc I feel closer to the actions...but I was concerned about the sight lines from the seats on the very end on the outside.
Thanks for the help, Margo!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:51pm

I still think that the best seats at any theatre - and very much at 54 - is the front row of the mezz.

[MusicalDirector109]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 4:33pm

Thanks for the wonderful post Margo. I'm seeing it the day before the show opens and I can't wait!!!

[NJgirl]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 4:47pm

another silly question, but I did use the search function, all the "stars" (lauper, gasteyer, cumming) are contracted to do the entire run correct?? Just wanted to check before I bought tix for the final week of the run...

[MJohnson05]

Posted: 3/25/06 at 2:45am

Margo -- Loved the review. Have to disagree a little, though.

I was at tonight's first preview. I really enjoyed the show but found it overall a little messy. Yes, it would do Brecht proud, but I think although there are a LOT of joys to be had in the production, it never quite jelled. I imagine, however, that by opening it will have.

That said, this show truly has to be seen to be believed. And even if you don't like it, you won't be sorry to have seen it. (And I liked it).

My thoughts on the cast:

I found Jim Dale to be very well utilized, and welcome to see. Although he called out for a line in the first act, he handled it with aplomb.

I thought Ana Gasteyer was not so good. Her voice is incredible, and when she sings, she is very, very good, but her acting in the first act was very sketch comedy-ish, and a little one-note. She does better in Act Two (in my opinion).

Cyndi Lauper is underutilized, and this production makes Jenny seem almost inconsequential. However, I could not take my eyes off her -- as Margo so wisely put -- and you could hear a pin drop during Solomon Song. It was incredible to hear her voice on a Broadway stage. I would see the show again just for this.

Alan Cumming in severly miscast. Not because he isn't good, but because there are too many echoes to Cabaret in the entire piece to begin with, and having him there made me long to be watching Cabaret in some of Threepenny's messier scenes. He also isn't as sexually magnetic as MacHeath as I would want to see. You don't quite see why everyone desires him, although he plays the dark underbelly of the character very strongly.

Lastly, and most importantly, I have to break with Margo on this: Nelle McKay's first act performance is perhaps the best debut performance I have ever witnessed in a musical in my lifetime. (There have been much better, I am sure, but none I have witnessed firsthand). Both my companion and I, plus several other members in our row, literally said "a star is born" during intermission. It was all we could talk about. I haven't seen someone so assured of their choices making their debut in a Broadway show. Granted, she's been on a lot of stages, but not like this. I felt I was witnessing the next Bernadette Peters or Julie Andrews. (I love Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, but their skills, while immense, somehow put them in more of a tight box, like Judy Holliday or Liza Minelli (bad comparison to Idina, but I couldn't put my finger on the right one)). I can see McKay in Sound of Music *and* Cabaret, in both Sunday In The Park With George *and* Rent. (I can't say the same for Kristin or Idina, although I would be first in line to see them).

However, in the second act we both started to feel like perhaps Miss McKay was a fluke -- that maybe she was making all the right choices but the part just lined up to her strengths. I don't know. But I'm seeing this show again just to find out. Seriously, a star is born. You will be hearing about this. She got the most applause of the night after several numbers, save for "Lucy's Aria", which as Margo described, brings the house down. (And Mr. Rooney is astonishing).

Overall, I found Scott Elliot's staging of each scene very sharp and smart, but the scenes did not cohere. Again, I think this may be cleaned up by opening. And I loved the Brechtian bows (don't want to spoil it). I was mixed on the costumes, and very, very negative on the company. Carlos Leon may be Madonna's baby daddy, but he has no business on a broadway stage. Ditto most of the supporting cast. They either played it to the rafters or came across like they were auditioning for Guffman. It is Elliot's direction in the quieter scenes, or the scenes with just one or two of the principals on stage, that the piece really comes alive.

All in all, I was mixed on the show, but high on the experience. I will be telling everyone I know to go, even if some love it and some hate it. I think people will be talking about it for a long time.

By the by, I only saw two walkouts. Which, for the subject matter, surprised me. Even the elderly subscribers in my row stuck around, although they were restless in act two.

M
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 02:45 AM