What does someone who’s a writer, theatergoer and college student do when they are unemployed and on winter break? Other than spend a lot of time in the nearest St. Louis Bread Company because they have free wifi?
They write. And read. And watch TV. But mostly write. In fact, I now tend to write for four-eight hours every day.
Because of this, I am presently writing one play and two stories that are probably going to morph into novellas. And I’m getting quite a bit done on them because there is no internet in my apartment to distract me from my writing.
I also started one of the stories last night after I came home and was having a difficult time breathing and decided to lay on the couch while trying to catch my breath, which I didn’t really catch until today when I was at a doctor. (Long story short: I discovered today that I’m asthmatic. Which explains why I had a difficult time breathing and would wheeze after running laps in gym class.) Presently, that story is 2000 words long, which makes me very happy. Especially since all that I’m working on is that it’s about an unemployed actor in Brooklyn who finds a beagle that speaks with a Mancunian accent. I’m truly making it up as I go.
But anyway, here’s to the plentiful writing I’m doing.
I’m a bit late with this–I’ve been wifi-less for the past few days–but Tracy Letts latest play, Superior Donuts, is going to close on January 3.
It received positive reviews, but not the gushing, enthusiastic reviews that August: Osage County did. (Although, I’m not sure how many shows do.) I didn’t get to see it, but I’ve read good things from bloggers that didsee it and enjoyed itlike it was a hot, fresh doughnut from the Krispy Kreme shop near my apartment. (But more filling than a doughnut is.) I had hoped to see it when I might be venturing out to New York, but since that won’t be before January 3, it seems as though I won’t be able to see it.
In his column today, Michael Riedel did his usual doomsaying for the revival of Ragtime, which is another show that I heard great things about and wanted to see. The rumored closing is apparently because of the so-so grosses (which are better than how some shows are doing on Broadway).
While there’s also this news, the New York Times informed readers of something everyone already knew with an article entitled “On Broadway, Shows With the Biggest Names Get the Fullest Houses.” Although, now it’s not just any celebrity. Sure, Julia Stiles and Bill Pullman are pretty big, but Oleanna is closing this Sunday. And Michael McKean was in This is Spinal Tap. Big names now means the biggest names, like Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angela Lansbury, Carrie Fisher, and Jude Law.*
I know that this will sound old, but it is sad that very few plays on Broadway can’t survive on good reviews and word of mouth alone. (Translation: It’s sad that Broadway can’t work like Chicago theater where a show with good reviews and buzz at a storefront theater can be a hit.) I’m not just saying that because there are a lot of shows that I’d like to see when I’m in New York that aren’t running when I’m there, it’s just becoming very evident that HUGE celebrities in plays on Broadway does put butts in seats. Some celebrities might be perfect in those roles, and in the case of Fisher, she’s in her own one-woman show, but business isn’t always logical or make sense. (Cue up the song “It’s a Business” from Curtains.)
Anyway, there’s always Christopher Walken looking for his fecking hand in A Behanding in Spokane to look forward too.
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
A lot of people that are even casual theatergoers can tell you what musical they’ve seen multiple times, listened to the cast recording numerous times and have become essentially obsessed with.
But then there are those musicals that people have never seen, but are still fascinated by the score, the history and the liberetto. And sometimes, these shows flopped on Broadway.
There are plenty of musicals that were fairly successful that I admit to being captivated by; La Cage Aux Folles, A Little Night Music, Company, and Into the Woods, but that was the result of my puzzlement as to why I don’t think it’s one of Sondheim’s best scores. But I’ve found myself more preoccupied by the shows that had a short life on Broadway, such as Flora the Red Menace, Mack and Mabel and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which is what I’m presently fascinated by.
But why do people find shows like the ones I’ve mentioned and the one pictured earlier so interesting?
Take Carrie, for example. If you read Frank Rich’s review of the infamous show, it seems a bit evident that some technical elements of the show don’t seem to work. Like red disco lights while killing the pig. It’s something that causes one to wonder if someone did that to be intentionally campy. Sure, there are other things that were wrong with the production; the ending was apparently rather anticlimactic. But there are some great songs from that musical, like “And Eve Was Weak,” which was performed by Betty Buckley as Carrie’s bible thumping mother in the original Broadway production. I can only find the last minute and a half on YouTube, but this actually does give a pretty good impression of the overall number
The number is very intense, although the melody has a familiar feeling. Granted, the effectiveness of the number might be because of Buckley, but it’s still not that bad of number.
But why do I find some flops so deserving of my attention? In my opinion, Flora the Red Menace and Mack and Mabel have terrific scores, but in the case of Mack and Mabel, it doesn’t have that great of a book. I also happen to prefer the off-Broadway cast recording of Flora the Red Menace to the original Broadway cast recording, which might be because “The Kid Herself” isn’t on the original Broadway cast recording and I’m quite fond of that song. (I could go on about this, but I’m already starting to digress.)
To put it simply, I think that flop musicals are fascinating because of the question of “What went wrong?” It’s that question that prompts people to become so enthralled by musicals that most people haven’t heard of.
Anyway, does anyone have any other theories?
(By the way, I don’t feel as though I can really comment on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue yet.)
Wednesday, Michael Riedel reported that Kelsey Grammer will play Georges in the upcoming revival of La Cage Aux Folles. For those unfamiliar with the musical, Georges is the owner of the seedy nightclub in Saint-Tropez that his partner, Albin, performs at as Zaza.
Before anyone starts being cynical about his casting, I would like to point out that Kelsey Grammer has done some musical theater–although not on Broadway. And if you clicked on the link to the article from the New York Post, you probably would’ve read the examples Riedel cited.
Also, if you watch The Simpsons and have seen the episodes “Cape Feare” or “The Italian Bob”, in which Grammer provides the voice of Sideshow Bob, you might’ve seen him sing, which he does do a pretty good job at.
I also noticed in Riedel’s column that he mentions how unglamorous the set is. He had mentioned in a column a couple of months ago that the set for this production from London isn’t very glamorous. If you listen to the number “La Cage Aux Folles,” the lyrics describing the nightclub of the the same name say, “We import the drinks that you buy/So your Perrier is Canada Dry,” “Avoid the hustlers, and the mens room and the food/for you get glamour and romance and indigestion at La Cage Aux Folles,” “You’ll be so dazzled by the ambiance you’re in/you’ll never notice that there’s water in the gin.” Those lyrics don’t seem to suggest a glamorous place to me, unless it’s like Elzar’s Fine Cuisine in Futurama. (I’m sorry; I’m using a glut of Matt Groening series references today.) And the performance from the 2005 Tony Awards does not seem like something you’d find at a place where you’d get indigestion.
(I have other problems, with this performance, such as performance being mostly the dancers doing the cancan interlude in the number and there not being more of the number being performed, because it’s a very amusing number. Also, it’s Jerry Herman. Let his lyrics be heard.)
Anyway, I’m still curious to see how this revival turns out. Especially since it was just revived.
Chris Sullivan as Lady Enid and Erik Hellman as Jane in The Mystery of Irma Vep. Photo: Michael Brosilow.
At one point in Charles Ludlam’s play The Mystery of Irma Vep, which is currently running at the Court Theatre, it is remarked that a man in a dress can’t be all that bad. While this has a different meaning and a bit of irony since it is said by a male actor in a dress and a wig at that moment in the show, one can agree that, no, a man in a dress isn’t all that bad, judging from Sean Graney’s thoroughly delightful production of Ludlam’s play.
Chris Sullivan and Erik Hellman play the eight roles in the production nimbly and with an exquisite skill that makes their performances realistic in a play that satirizes Victorian melodrama and classic mystery and horror films. Sullivan and Hellman manage to change costumes with lightning speed and keeping each of the characters distinct, even when they might have to do the voices for two characters portrayed by them at the same time.
Yes, , the play is campy, but that is intentional with Ludlam’s script and Graney’s production and they manage to do camp and cross-dressing so well that it seems natural in the world of this play; a world where a shot gun can be fired towards the ceiling and a black puppy dog with a red ribbon falls to the stage. Many aspects of the show are over-the-top, but the play still makes the secrets that Lord Edgar (Hellman) is hiding from his new wife, Lady Enid (Sullivan) as they are terrorized by monsters and, in the case of Lady Enid, the maid, Jane (Hellman), very interesting. Ludlam’s script is also seasoned with wordplay, references to Shakespeare, and double entendres, making it a very clever play that manages to stoop to vulgar humor while managing to still use it in a clever way.
Jack Magaw’s scenic design adds to the humorous, suspenseful tone of the show with a Gothic chandelier hanging above the stage with candles in it and the uneven, disconnected, almost cartoonish walls that are made to look like they’re covered with purple striped wallpaper. Alison Siple’s detailed costumes are period appropriate, while managing to be easy enough for the actors to get in and out of them quickly. The production also has sight gags ranging from the use a fabric to the final scene of the play, which adds some more spoofing. Ludlam’s script along with Graney’s direction and Sullivan and Hellman’s performances create a deliciously amusing night of theater that manages to be compelling and outrageously funny.
“The Mystery of Irma Vep” continues through December 13 at the Court Theatre. Tickets are available by calling (773)753-4472 or visiting www.CourtTheatre.org.
Laura Eason’s new play Rewind, which is currently running at The Side Project, follows the turbulent relationships of three friends in a band as they try to make it big and toil against the big, bad music industry. This play is told in reverse chronological order–very fitting with the title–so we first see the discovery that Elisha (Cyd Blakewell) and Noah (Zack Buell) make in 1998 and then we see the events that led up to Jim’s (Chip Davis) death, which is the discovery made in the first scene.
But Eason’s play is very dull because the story told in the play is the usual story about the perils of the music industry and it doesn’t seem fresh. The characters drink a lot, Jim is prone to violent outbursts, and the characters are screwed over by the recording industry. Even with the story being told backwards, it is still predictable, right down to the joy that the characters feel after hearing their song on the radio. The only thing done with the story that seems to be new is that a groupie named Ray (Brett Schneider) eventually becomes bigger than Noah, Elisha, and Jim’s band, which doesn’t have a name. But the characters and the actors at the center of Eason’s play are given nothing better to do than stand around and act infantile and emo. In fact, until we get to the end of the play, the main characters don’t seem to be really enjoying themselves, even when they’re drunk. (And Blakewell and Davis are very good and doing a realistic job of portraying drunks.) In fact, Blakewell, Davis, and Buell spend most of the show pouting on stage. Only Schneider and Shane Kenyon, who plays the band’s manager, Scaff, seem to have any varying emotions and feelings in this play.
However, Anna C. Bahow’s direction gives the show a very natural and realistic feel to it as the characters stand, elbows resting on bars, using counters and their arms to open beer bottles. Annette Vargas’ set is a very simple and utilizes the small graffiti covered performance space at the Side Project very well as a bar, a battered, duck taped couch are moved around to denote the different settings of the play. But the script and the actors never drew me into the story behind the music.
“Rewind” continues through December 20 at The Side Project Theatre at 1439 W. Jarvis Ave.
I’ve been rather wary of movie musicals since I saw Mamma Mia! last summer and have decided that with many of them, I would just wait until they came out on DVD and rent it. I was starting to become particularly cautious of Nine after I found out that some numbers were being caught and also who the cast was. (Although Dame Judi Dench in a musical does sound rather fantastic.)
Well, then I saw the first trailer, which gave me a bit more of an interest in the film. (Also, I was impressed by Fergie’s performance of “Be Italian”.)
Recently, the second trailer came out and, well, it makes me want to spend $12 on a ticket to see the movie, which is what a good movie trailer should do. And, yes, I am well aware of the fact that the song performed in this trailer, “Cinema Italiano,” is not in the musical, but at least this bit of the song doesn’t seems to be pretty good.
I was walking through my neighborhood today when I came across a simple, black and white newspaper called the Lincoln Park Statesman. I was intrigued by the paper because of a headline declaring “A Socialist DePaul” due to GPA Redistribution, which gives me an “Okay, what sensationalism journalism is going on here” thought. (It was also free, but the header states that subsequent copies are $3.00.)
The article that prompted me to pick up a copy is difficult to read because of how poorly written it is. Mind you, I’ve read some poorly written articles for newspapers, but this is confusing. I don’t know if the GPA distribution is being implemented by DePaul or by the DePaul College Republicans? Is this hypothetical? Is there a reason why the writer didn’t cite any sources or quote anyone?
But anyway, the Statesman is apparently “a conservative newspaper dedicated to truth in journalism.” (I’ll show you truth in journalism with my friend the AP Stylebook and Guide to Media Law.) Naturally, I’m probably not going to agree with the views expressed in this publication, which is connected to the DePaul Conservative Alliance. But reading this, I can’t even chew on the content for a bit and try to digest the opinions, like I can with a Charles Krauthammer column. I really can’t even take these people seriously, partly because having “the” before “der” is repetitive. But there’s also a guide to how to milk free healthcare for what it’s worth, that includes “get pregnant,” “save money on a gym membership by getting routine liposuction,” and “take up the art of sword swallowing…with no formal or informal training.”
I’m aware that it’s probably satire, but instead of throwing hands up in the air and saying, “Oh, hey, we’re getting Obamacare, let’s abuse the system,” couldn’t they have said, “Write, call, fax your representatives and tell them to not give us health care reform.”? Because having a way to abuse the system, which I would assume would not cover unnecessary procedures, doesn’t help conservatives at all. It just makes them look crazier.
I leave for St. Louis on Sunday and will be staying there for six weeks. I don’t know if I’ll see any plays while I’m in St. Louis; I’d like to see some plays because I have been told that St. Louis has some superb storefront theater there in addition to the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the MUNY. But I’m mostly going there to work and write. Blogging will be a bit sparse since I will have to go to the St. Louis Bread Company to use WiFi. Which isn’t bad, because I love St. Louis Bread Company (or, Panera Bread, as it is known outside of St. Louis).
I am Monica Reida and I have written some pieces and columns on various topics.
Fragments is a blog that mainly focuses on theater, particularly in Chicago, and sometimes politics and other arts.
But mostly, I see plays and I write about them.
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