Billy Elliot The Musical live on stage in Chicago

I believe this is a "sit-down" production that is in Chicago for a long stay. Judging by the full house and enthusiastic audience, Billy Elliot The Musical deserves a good run.

It took me a while to get my head around this show; it breaks some conventions that I have stuck in my craw about musicals. Mostly, the expectation that the moving moments of a show will be during songs; here the highlights are during dances. Billy's dancing was of course the standout and Cesar Corrales, the young performer who played Billy in the matinee I saw, was excellent. Not just a well-trained dancer, but an actual stage presence.

The music by Elton John was a little disappointing to me. Apart from Billy's "Electricity", the songs don't have a tune that you can leave the theater humming. And Billy's song is nearly immediately swept out of your head by the wonderful dance number that follows. Having seen Sir Elton's Lion King and Aida, I know the man can write effective stage musical songs.

In Billy Elliot, there are three roles other than the title character who have primary songs--Billy's father; dance instructor Mrs. Wilkinson; and Billy's friend Michael. Mrs. Wilkinson is portrayed in Chicago by Emily Skinner, an accomplished Broadway veteran from Side Show, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Full Monty. That experience shown in her performance. Armand Schultz as Billy's father was best when not singing.

One thing this show did a lot, and usually well, was blend Billy's real life with his fantasy life. This happened in the dancing dress number for Billy and Michael, the pas de deux for Billy and Grown Billy, and in scenes between Billy and his deceased mother. Even the struggle between striking miners and British police authorities was a blend of realities of sorts--although I found this less effective. Perhaps purposely, the police presence was made into a joke with their first entrance that seemed straight out of Gilbert and Sullivan.

I have to end with a probing question that kept me awake last night: why when Billy left at the end of the show to go off to The Royal Ballet school, did the actor climb into the orchestra pit?

Billy Elliot The Musical
Music by Elton John
Book and lyrics by Lee Hall
Opened in London in 2005, the New York production opened in October, 2008
This Chicago production opened in March, 2010 and has an open run.
Cast: Emily Skinner, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Cesar Corrales (my Billy), Gabriel Rush (my Michael),

Classical Monday--Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex live performance at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Have I been hibernating since my last posting on December 14? Well, I haven't seen any live performances since then, so I may have been sleeping.

This weekend I attended an all-Stravinsky concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with the largest piece on the program being the opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex. I had never heard of this work, so was very curious about it. It is scored for strings, winds, percussion, piano, male chorus, six soloists and a narrator.

The most recognizable name among the guest artists was Sir Patrick Stewart. He was an amenable and communicative narrator, as you would expect from and RSC-trained actor. I was told after the event that he was amplified; it was very subtly done, and I heard every word and nuance. There were three primary singers--tenor William Burden, mezzo Michelle DeYoung, and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny (pictured). I have heard Ms. DeYoung sing live at the Lyric Opera; Mr. Burden has sung there often as well. Mr. McKinny was a new name for he, but he's clearly an up-and-comer--an attractive and dark-voiced singer who is just entering his thirties. These soloists performed well, although at times I thought they were over-powered by the orchestra. At times even the male chorus of 100 was over-powered by the orchestra. Did no one sit in the house during rehearsals to check the balance? Perhaps these were choices by conductor Michael Tilson Thomas; if so they did a disservice to the soloists in particular and the work in general.

The first half of the concert was also works by Stavinsky--a three-part Ode that was written as a memorial to Serge Koussevitsky's wife, and the music from the ballet Apollon musagete. Only bits of either of these pieces had ever been programmed on a CSO concert before, except when Tilson Thomas had conducted the Apollon music back in the early 80s. The works don't deserve to be repeated even that often.

Perhaps I'm proving my bourgeois background, but I have never understood the programming of ballet music on a orchestra concert. Isn't that like showing a film on the radio? Certainly there are many ballets where the music deserves to be heard outside the dance world--many Stravinsky ballets in particular--but Apollon is not on that list.

Oedipus Rex

Music by Igor Stravinsky

Text in Latin by Stravinsky and Jean Cocteau

First performed in 1927

Soloists: Michelle DeYoung, Ryan McKinny, William Burden, Patrick Stewart, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas

Straight No Chaser live performance

Last night I went to a live performance of a men's a capella group called Straight No Chaser. The 10-voice group was formed at Indiana University about 14 years ago when its members were students there. When the group reconvened for their 10-year college reunion, a video of the group was posted on YouTube and received something like 6 million hits, leading to a record contract, multi-city tour, PBS broadcast, and lots of iTunes downloads. The Chicago concert last night was a bit of a homecoming as the founder (and I believe primary artistic force behind the group) Dan Ponce, is a Chicago native and for a while was a news reporter on the local ABC television affiliate.

The group is very musically polished, with a couple of good solo singers, and a strong overall balance--although in last night's performance I did think the bass voices were over-amplified compared to the lead and inner voices. That's a mixing issue, though, not a musical one.

The primary YouTube clip that has gotten attention is a take-off of the 12 Days of Christmas, which was performed toward the end of the group's second set last night. It is a creative and funny arrangement, playing off a lot of the other Christmas music the group had sung earlier that night.

My primary beef with the group is a petty one--they have the most ill-fitting suits on a doo-wop group ever. They are all black with white shirts and black or red ties. Simple enough. But none of the 10 had been well-fit into these off the rack garmets.

Okay, so you're straight. I get it. That doesn't mean you can't be dressed and fitted a little better by a gay man.

Eric Whitacre American composer

I went to a choral concert last night that included two works by contemporary American composer Eric Whitacre. Whitacre is a bit of the "it" choral composer of the moment--well really longer than of the moment. His popularity began after his "Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine" premiered at the National Choral Directors Association convention in 2001. The two Whitacre works on the program I heard last night were the "Leonardo" piece and Five Hebrew Love Songs to texts by Whitacre's then girlfriend now wife. This was not the first time I've encountered the work of Mr. Whitacre; I previously heard his "Cloudburst" written when he was still a student in the late 90s, I believe.

I am intrigued by Mr. Whitacre's compositional style. Descriptions of his works I've read have talked about a "Whitacre chord", primarily a major chord in the root position with an added second or fourth. Certainly he is not the first composer to incorporate these chords into choral pieces, but I guess the point is that Mr. Whitacre often uses them. I don't have a well-enough trained ear to identify these chords when I hear them, so I'm not qualified to speak on that.

What I will say is that Mr. Whitacre's work (as exemplified in the three works I've heard so far) has much to recommend it; it is tonally accessible without being cloying and often includes non-lyrical vocalisms--by that I mean the singers make percussive sounds at times during the pieces to illuminate the text or the story behind the text. An example of this would be the 'plips' and 'plops' of rain in "Cloudburst". Where I have difficulty with the pieces I've heard (particularly the two last night) is that they seem to lack a substantial climax or over-all structure to make them as effective as they might be. That of course could be due to the performance I heard, rather than pieces themselves, however.

The concert I attended was a one-night-only choral event by a local university's choral program, so you will need to seek other opportunities to hear Mr. Whitacre's compositions. If you do, or if you have, please let me know your thoughts about them.

The Fantasticks--live performance at the Library Theatre at Feltre

I've seen about 10 live shows now during my Year of Thinking--several commercial Broadway tours, a community theater production, a high school production, and a couple shows at larger non-profit theater companies in Chicago--but I had not seen a show produced by a small company in town, and that is really the richest part of the theater community in Chicago.

Well, I fixed that oversight yesterday by seeing The Fantasticks in a small production by a company associated with an adult learning school. The theater is called the Library Theatre because the performance takes place in the school's library. A square room with bookshelves along the sides of the room, the theater configuration used for this production held about 40 people, there may have 30 at the performance I attended.

Given the scale of the production, it may be easy to think that you'll miss a lot from the physical production and have a second rate cast. Well, I'm pleased to say that neither of those assumptions were true in this production.

This production, as directed by Jason Harrington, cleverly and effectively used the small space, which was basically set up with two seating areas facing one another and the actor's playing area between them--like a tiny basketball court. During the scenes when characters were on opposite sides of the wall between the two families' yards, a fabric fence was erected right down the middle of the playing area. At times the actors stood on boxes so we could see both of them (one over the fence), but often we only saw the actor on our side of the fence, which made the point about the two young lovers being separated. The petite space meant that each actor could easily project their speaking and singing voices without strain and reminded me how wonderful it is to hear a show without electronic amplification.

The depth of actors in the Chicago area must be a boon for small companies like The Library Theatre. For this show, every part was cast with age-appropriate actors who had the skills and charms their roles required. This was particularly true of El Gallo; this is a difficult role that needs a charismatic, accomplished performer. Fortunately, one was available in the person of Jason Bowen who possessed all the swagger and sex-appeal needed for the role. He sang well, too. Everyone sang well, actually. I was particularly taken with the baritone of Kent Joseph as Huckabee, the father of Matt.

I was surprised by the poetry evident in the book of this show and the many literary references--particularly to Shakespeare. How had I missed that before? Probably from being turned off by over-amplified actors.

The Fantasticks
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics and book by Tom Jones
First opened in 1960
This production at the Library Theatre at Feltre has now closed
Cast: Jason Bowen, Trisha Hart Ditsworth, Ian Daniel McLaren, Kent Joseph, Michael A. Gavame, Andey Gwyn, Nathaniel Niemi

Seussical--Live performance at Interlochen Arts Academy

They say you can't go home again, and perhaps they are right. I am in Michigan for a long weekend visiting my parents for Mother's Day, and decided to visit the campus of my alma mater Interlochen Arts Academy, which is a couple hours' drive my parents' home. I thought I was going to Interlochen to attend a farewell concert and tribute to Byron Hanson, who is retiring after having led the instrumental and band division there for 44 years. But when I arrived on campus, I realized that the theater department was also presenting Seussical, so clearly that is why I was called up to visit, so that an IAA theater company production could be part of my Thinking this Year. After all, I was in four musicals at Interlochen, performed in three Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, as well as singing in my first large-scale choral work (Vivaldi Gloria), taking voice lessons, and singing original songs written for a production of As You Like it. But enough of my waxing historical, on to Seussical the Musical...

This show and score have a lot of charm, like the other Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens shows I've listened to, Ragtime and Lucky Stiff. It also offers a lot for a large cast to do, a good thing for a show presented in an educational setting. The chorus has several big numbers and there are various small ensembles that have their own moments in the spotlight. There are just four or five roles that handle the bulk of the solo singing.

The plot of the show basically follows Horton and the people of Who on the speck of dust, a separation which was cleverly handled in this production by having the Who only appear on a series of platforms behind and above Horton and the other characters with whom he interacts.

The best voice of this student production was Horton, befitting the amount of music for this character. The young man playing Horton possesses a lovely lyrical baritone voice that he used well and didn't have to strain to get into his upper register. His understated playing of Horton was right on the mark and offered all the charm you could want in this unassuming character. The Cat in the Hat, who serves as a bit of a narrator for the show, is a much more showy role, although lacks the emotional connection to the audience that Horton makes. I feel compelled to brag that the young man playing The Cat in The Hat is Interlochen's 40th Presidential Scholar, a record unmatched by any other school, public or private, in the nation.

The female roles ask for mostly character voices, rather than legato singing. I wished that one of the women's role would ask for a true soprano voice. The closest we get is Gertrude McFuzz, who at times dropped the cupie doll affectation in her singing to allow for her real voice to be heard. I should note that this version of Seussical is from the Theater for Young Audiences collection, which I think means it is slightly shortened and in a simplified arrangement.

The largest beef I have with this production is in the staging as done by Robin Ellis, who is listed on Interlochen's website as a theater instructor at the Academy. This show was presented in a thrust theater (built long after I was a student), with steeply raked seating in three sections and two vomitoria that function as entrance points for both audience and actors. Well, as staged by Ms. Ellis, most of the action was blocked as if in a proscenium house, with primary characters facing the center section of the theater. I was fortunately seated in the center section, but I would have felt at a disadvantage if I had been in the right or left sections. One of the few staging rules I remember from my undergraduate directing course is that in a thrust theater you primarily stage things on the diagonal facing the vomitoria. This would seem particularly crucial in a presentational show like Seussical.

But then, no one is hiring me to direct anything, so I'll just be glad to know that my alma mater's theater department is going strong, presenting shows written after I was there, in a theater built after I was there, performed by kids born long after I was there.

Oy, I'm old.

Seussical
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Book by Ahrens and Flaherty
Based the writings of Dr. Seuss
Opened on Broadway in 2000
Cast: the theater department students at the Interlochen Arts Academy, classes of 2009-2012.

Curtains--Live performance at Drury Lane Oak Brook

Since the Broadway production of Curtains didn't tour (at least to Chicago), the production at Drury Lane Oak Brook is the regional premiere of the show and my first chance to see or hear it. Given this is a show created by Kander and Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago), with a book by Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) and originally conceived by Peter Stone (1776) I had high expectations for this show. Given the venerable 60 year history of the Drury Lane Theater and the experienced cast of Chicago veteran musical performers, I had high expectations for this production.

Both show and cast lived up to my expectations and provided an hysterical evening of murder, mystery, music and spoof. This is a show not only of the theater by set in the theater, as a Broadway-bound musical (Robbin' Hood) gets its out-of-town tryout in Boston. No one is disappointed when the faltering leading lady collapses on stage, but everyone is under suspicion when it turns out she was poisoned. I won't give away any more of the plot, because its zaniness and twists and turns deserve to be experienced first hand.

The book for this show is the brightest point, with more cutting remarks about the theater, actors, directors, critics and the audience than space or my memory will allow me to quote. Two veterans of the Chicago musical stage get the bulk of the zingers--Nancy Voigts (above left) as Carmen Berstein, and John Reeger as the stage director with British biting sarcasm, Christopher Belling. Both Ms. Voigts and Mr. Reeger are pitch perfect in their deliveries. On the musical front, the characters of Georgia Hendricks (portrayed by Christine Scherill, above right) and Aaron Fox (James Rank) take on much of the music. Mr. Rank is an accomplished baritone who works regionally and often crosses over into operetta or light opera; he deftly handles the bari-tenor ranged song "I Miss the Music."

If I have one criticism of the show it is in the score. I felt as if there were not enough songs, and too often those songs were about the musical-within-the-musical rather than being character-based. That was particularly true for me in the first act finale "Thataway." While Ms. Sherill deliveres the song with every bit of gusto needed, the song doesn't hold any great meaning for her character and therefore it was just a song.

I loved all the only slightly inside jokes about the show-within-the-show spoofing Oklahoma, complete with sunset over the prairie and dream ballet with ladder and stairs to nowhere.

Curtains
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Book by Rupert Holmes
Conceived by Peter Stone
Opened in 2007
Cast: Nancy Voigts, Sean Fortunato, James Rank, Jim Corti, John Reeger, Paula Scarfano, Christine Sherill
Continues at The Drury Lane Oak Brook Theater in Oak Brook, Illinois through May 17

Mary Poppins--live Broadway touring production

My recent discovery that only 5 of my entries at the 10-month point of my Year of Musical Thinking have come from seeing live shows sent me right over the box office of the Cadillac Palace Whorehouse, I mean, Theater to buy a ticket to see Mary Poppins, which has started its North American tour in Chicago. I was particularly interested to see Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee, both of whom are reprising their Broadway roles on this leg of the tour. The show and its leads did not disappoint, in fact they more than delivered on their promise to delight and inspire.

While based on the Disney film and incorporating most of the songs from that score, the story takes some different twists than fans of the film will remember. There are also some new songs added to the score. But nothing is added that is not firmly in the style and feel of this feel-good show. Not to say its all saccharine, but even the darker bits of the story are not too dark.

I'm sure the role of Bert will remain a signature role for Gavin Lee for life. With his tall, lean frame and legs that seem to go up to his chin, he proves an athletic and charming host for the show--serving as participant as well as a bit of a narrator for some scene shifts. His dancing is first rate and his Cockney accent must more reputable than Dick Van Dyke's. I was struck by the fact that Mr. Lee has the whitest teeth I've ever seen for a chimney sweep. Not that I know any chimney sweeps.

Ms. Brown (above) is also delightful in the title role, and takes the bulk of the responsibility for the show's charm on her well-tailored shoulders. Her Mary Poppins is its own creation without drifting too far from the standard set by Julie Andrews in the film. Ms. Brown is rarely off-stage in this 2-1/2 hour production, yet the definite twinkle in her eye never flinched. She also has the bulk of the singing to do and proved to have a lovely, soubrettish voice that fit the role and score perfectly.

There are of course, other characters in the show; Mr. and Mrs. Banks are seen quite a bit, and Megan Osterhaus has a lovely second act song for Mrs. Banks. The Banks children, Michael and Jane were on stage a lot for relatively young children, yet their performances were never anything except right on the mark. A colorful array of characters rounded out the cast.

The scenic elements and technology for this show are fantastic without beating one over the head. It started with the Bank's house, which opens like a doll's house at the beginning of the show and reveals more surprises in its clever design as the show progresses. But there is also fantastic scenery that is not technically advanced, but delightful all the same; the simple scrims used for the park trees, the painted backdrop of the bank where Mr. Banks works, and the shop in the park for Mrs. Corry are wonderful by just being imaginative. There are two highly-technical, and very satisfying effects--one for Bert and one for Mary. I won't give them away.

As a kid, my family had a songbook of Disney songs from live-action and animated films. I remember discovering at some point that many of the songs were by Richard and Robert Sherman. Who were these two who wrote songs for The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Aristocats, Winnie the Pooh, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (my favorite of the bunch)? Well, I'll have to do a little more investigation, but it appears their only Broadway effort (prior to the "expansion" of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins to full stage shows) was Over Here!, a 1974 show for the Andrews Sisters, which I believe I saw the Kalamazoo Community Theater perform in the late 80s. More digging needed.

I also saw this show as a bit of a fact-finding mission; my mother is planning to take her grandchildren (my niece and nephews) to see the show in May.

Shhh, don't tell her I've already seen it.

Mary Poppins
Music and lyrics by Robert and Richard Sherman, with new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe who also added some new sections and lyrics to several of the Shermans' songs.
Cast: Ashley Brown, Gavin Lee, Megan Osterhaus, Karl Kenzler, Ellen Harvey, Valerie Boyle,

Once Upon A Mattress--live performance

On a weekend trip to visit my parents, I had cause to see a community theater performance of a perennial favorite--Once Upon A Mattress. While the memory of Carol Burnett is firmly planted in my ear as far as this score is concerned, I was happy to use the extra ticket my parents had for the performance.

The delightful nature of this story and this score very nearly make any performance of Mattress fool-proof, and most of the humor sparkled in this production. For the most part, the players were well-cast and well-matched with their counterparts. This was particularly true for the couples--Dauntless/Winifred and Larkin/Harry. Pairings like this must be particularly tricky when casting from a selection of community performers--each with widely varying abilities and experience.

Lady Larkin had the best voice of the cast; clearly she has some training and her credits included singing Pamina in a college production of Magic Flute. Harry, while having less vocal training, possessed a lovely high-baritone voice that he used well. The comic duo in the show were also well-matched. Dauntless proved a particularly good physical comedian and was literally tumbling across the stage during the Act I finale. Winifred was very good drawing humor from her facial expressions, and managed to project her songs up and down her full range without pushing into an unattractive belt voice.

There was a cast of 24, which is large for my hometown's little community theater company; and the production was staged in a middle school in town that had a larger stage than the small community center holds. The production took full advantage of having more space by including a sizeable set that still left room for the whole cast to dance the Spanish Panic. The costumes were appropriately colorful.

The best side of the performance, perhaps, was seeing that an enthusiastic audience of 400 would show up on a cold Friday night to see a 50 year-old musical. It's good to know that theater is still a priority in some of the provinces.

Once Upon a Matress
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer

Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer
Cast: 24 community theater actors of varying ability, but high-energy enthusiasm

Classical Monday--Verdi Requiem live with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

It may have been the coldest weather in Chicago in something like 15 years, but I had the hottest ticket in town this weekend. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, chorus, soloists and conductor Riccardo Muti (left) performed the Verdi Requiem in three performances.

This is a monumental work, and while it is often performed, it is often performed poorly. It takes a good orchestra with fantastic wind players, a regiment of capable choristers, four top flight soloists, and mostly a conductor who knows how to keep everyone working toward the same thing. Fortunately, many of those elements were in place for the CSO performances. Maestro Muti is the CSO music director designate and will come on board with the orchestra starting with the 2010-11 season. This is Muti's first appearance with the CSO since being named to the post. The Music Director position has been vacant since Daniel Barenboim left in 2006, I think it was.

But on to the Requiem. This is a choral work, primarily. And while the soloists and the orchestra have their moments in the sun and would detract from the work if not fully capable, it is the chorus that decides whether this piece succeeds or fails. The CSO Chorus made this work a success. Able to morph their sound from full-throated fortes to hushed unisons, the 150-voice group made nary a misstep.

Likewise, the instrumental soloists were spot on. This work calls for 8 trumpets, four on-stage and four off (or in the balcony as was the case for this performance). There are five horns. Legendary principal horn Dale Clevenger handled his delicate solo magnificently. All the woodwind moments were delightful.

I had never heard any of the vocal soloists sing either live or in recordings. Soprano Barbara Frittoli is a big recording and opera star, whose repertoire includes all of the lead roles in the Verdi canon. Mezzo-soprano Olgo Borodina also has many recordings and a distinguished opera career. Tenor Mario Zeffiri and bass Ildar Abdrazakov were completely new names to me. While all four were very able in their singing, the stand out for me was Ms. Borodina; she was both a powerhouse and musical. All four solo parts are incredibly rangy, calling for secure high notes and robust low notes--Ms. Borodina was particularly exciting throughout all registers.

In a rare opportunity, I also had the chance to attend the final rehearsal of the work, which I found very interesting. I had never been to a CSO rehearsal; it was not like the final dress rehearsal at Lyric Opera; Maestro Muti stopped and started many times. While I couldn't always hear what he was saying to the orchestra or chorus, it was clear there was a lot of respect given the maestro by players and singers. Muti seemed to focus his comments on the articulation of the wind players and the articulation of consonants by the chorus. He wanted very strong final consonants--sometimes too strong for my tastes.

But then I'm not Italian.

Requiem Mass
Music by Giusseppe Verdi
Text from the latin
Presented by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Chorus
Conducted by Riccardo Muti
Soloists: Barbara Frittoli, Olga Borodina, Mario Zeffiri, Ildar Abdrazakov

Sorry but the final performance has already taken place

Dirty Dancing pre-Broadway live performance

I have to be careful with this one, and judge it for what it is, and not for what I wish it were. I had a clever opening all written in my head when I planned to have this entry appear on Thanksgiving Day. But that would have been unfair, too, for Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage has a lot going for it and is definitely not a turkey.

The first thing to clarify is right in the title: this is THE classic story. It's not a version of the story. It's not an adaptation of the story. It's not a musicalization of the story. It's THE story. If you know the film, you know this show--down to every scene, every line of dialogue, every gesture, every tracking shot, every location, every note of underscoring. How is that possible, I hear you asking.

Well, this show may go down in history as the most technologically advanced show in Broadway history. Granted, I don't have a lot to judge it against in that regard, but this feels like Broadway 2.0.

To start with the stage mechanics: there is a turntable which lifts up and splits in two, and rotating tracks around the turntable, and lift sections of the stage around the rotating tracks, and pop up doors. To continue with the lighting effects: there are programmable lights with changing patterns, there are scrim projections and projections on proscenium screens and a giant curved-screen television, and there are FOUR mirrored disco balls. To finish with the set pieces: there are at least two bedroom scenes that slide out, numerous dining tables and chairs, and a car that we see from both the front and back and which pivots during one scene.

With all of that stage equipment, I was surprised there was still room for 30 performers. And room for them to dance. Fortunately, the dancing is very good, particularly by Josef Brown as Johnny Castle and Britta Lazenga as Penny Johnson. Both are performers with a lot of legit dance credits--you know, ballet and stuff. Ms. Lazenga danced for seven seasons with the Joffrey Ballet, and given that her legs seem about as long as the whole show, I bet she was good. What was on display in this show certainly was good.

The standout actor in the bunch was Amanda Leigh Cobb as Frances "Baby" Houseman. Ms. Cobb is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and includes in her bio The Coast of Utopia on Broadway and significant regional company credits. That kind of breeding shows; while keeping the character of Baby distinctly her own, Ms. Cobb manages to hit all the familiar marks that fans of the film will expect. And then she gets lifted into the familiar pose that inhabits the poster for this show.

I'll be interested to see this show's reception when it opens in New York, if it opens in New York. It leaves Chicago in January and goes to Boston for a month.

Dirty Dancing: the Classic Story on Stage
Music is all of the era
Lyrics are the original song lyrics
Book by Eleanor Bergstein from her screenplay for the 1987 film
Live at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago until January 17, then to the Boston Opera House until March 15, 2009
Cast: Josef Brown, Amanda Leigh Cobb, Britta Lazenda, John Bolger

Classical Monday--Lulu live at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

I just love British 60s pop icon Lulu and her ubiquitous song "Shout."

This, however was Alban Berg's 1937 opera, repleat with three very challenging, thickly scored acts and a vocal line akin to a Richter scale reading during the Big One. That said, I couldn't take my eyes or ears off the four-hour production of Lulu which I saw last week at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The main reason for my rapt attention was the performance of 40-year old German soprano Marlis Petersen, who imbued her characterization with so much life (even in death) that you actually didn't mind that she killed so many of her husbands before being stabbed herself. Fraulein Petersen somehow managed what no other singer in the production could--how to communicate to the other characters on stage (and thereby to the audience) while still staying connected with conductor Sir Andrew Davis and the Lyric Opera Orchestra.

I suppose it is forgivable given the difficulties of this score, but this is not a "park and bark" opera where singers can get away with standing and showing off their lovely lyric voices. This opera demands singing actors, and Petersen met every one of the criteria, while still zinging out high Bs, Cs and Ds when called for.

While certainly not Broadway fare, this opera does have one notable connection to a current Broadway hit: Lulu is based on a couple of plays by Frank Wedekind, whose Spring Awakening was adapted by Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater. So let's hear it for the enfant terrible of German expressionism and his 21st Century interpreter, Marlis Petersen. Wedekind is in good hands.

Lulu
Music by Alban Berg
Libretto by the composer

Presented at Lyric Opera of Chicago (sorry, it closed yesterday)

Directed by Paul Curran
Conducted by Sir Andrew Davis
Cast: Marlis Petersen, William Burden, Wolfgang Schone, Jill Grove

Classical Monday--Manon live opera performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

I'm inaugurating a new type of Monday entry--one that is musical, but not musical theater. I can sum up my first Classical Monday entry in one phrase--holy Natalie Dessay.

This weekend I went to the production of Massenet's Manon at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This Romantic-era opera featured genuine superstar Natalie Dessay in the title role. Ms. Dessay deserves every accolade awarded her tremendous international career. She is a consummate performer, not only singing her role exquisitely, but inhabiting it. Her limp rag-doll performance in the fifth act was a study in how to physically portray a character while keeping the core of one's sound.

Ms. Dessay's tenor was every bit her equal. Jonas Kaufmann is German and while his timber was far from French, his ringing high notes and often hushed legato singing matched the beauty of Massenet's score in just about every way.

One other voice that stood out for me was that of a young baritone, Sam Handley, who sang the small first act role of the Innkeeper. Possessing a robust voice that stays even through the registers, Mr. Handley will be someone to watch. He is in his first year as a Ryan Center Artist, the training program of the Lyric Opera.

The production staging was also very interesting. Presented as a sort of fin du siecle French debauchery, the chorus acted as an audience for much of the opera, situated in tiers of opera house boxes overlooking the stage from the back (depicted in this photo). As the third act presents a ballet-pantomime for the enjoyment of the primary characters, this set-up worked well for the most part. The boxes became the altar of St. Sulpice chapel for the second scene of Act Three.

Sorry, I saw the closing performance at Lyric Opera, so you'll have to scour the opera houses of Europe to find Ms. Dessay or Mr. Kaufmann in their next roles.

Manon
Music by Jules Massenet
Libretto by Henre Meilhac and Philippe Gille
After the novel of Antoine-Francois Prevost (a former monk!)
First performed at the Opera-Comique in Paris, 1884
Cast: Natalie Dessay, Jonas Kaufmann, David Cangelosi, Christopher Feigum, Raymond Aceto

Turn of the Century live performance at the Goodman Theatre

The last live musical performance I saw at the Goodman Theatre was Ain't Misbehavin', which I very much liked, so I was looking forward to a new musical play from the Goodman, featuring selections from the Great American Songbook in a production directed and choreographed by Tommy Tune, starring Broadway veteran Rachel York and film good-guy Jeff Daniels. But Turn of the Century was a disappointment from beginning to end when I saw it over the weekend.

This is basically a show that gets in the way of a lot of good music. The show tells the story of a pianist and a singer who get sent back one hundred years and make a name for themselves by "writing" many of the song standards that have yet to be written. We hear many of the most recognizable songs of the last one hundred years, usually in snippets.

Rather than a love story for the ages, this is a love story that takes ages. As my theater-going companion pointed out, there is no chemistry between Mr. Daniels and Ms. York, and while the later sings admirably in the several full songs she is given, often-times the over-blown arrangements get in the way. Mr. Daniels displays little of the charm that is his trademark on film. And while he is often very animated (particularly while miming playing the piano), he seems to just be being himself most of the time, which doesn't really reach very strongly across the footlights.

Joining these two on stage is an ensemble of 16 Chicago-based actors who back-up the two leads, but are given very little time in the spotlight themselves. One of the few times an ensemble member steps front and center is when Kevin Gudahl, as Harry Van Deusen the leading songwriter of 1900, sings one of the few original songs in the score--about Mr. Daniels getting his comeuppance and being outed as a fraud. Mr. Gudahl is an accomplished Chicago actor whom I have seen in mostly classical plays at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He can really sell it when called for--something Mr. Daniels should learn.

With the star-studded cast (well at least studded with two), a brand-name director, and a book by Brickman and Elice (of Jersey Boys fame), I'm sure this was pegged to transfer to Broadway following this try-out in Chicago. Dare I say without a much better book, better musical arrangements, and perhaps even a new lead to two, I think this show will not see the light of day after is goes dark in Chicago.

Turn of the Century

Music by everyone from Irving Berlin to Barry Manilow
Lyrics by the same
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Directed by Tommy Tune
Presented at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago through November 2
Cast: Jeff Daniels, Rachel York, Ron Orbach, Rachel de Benedet, Kevin Gudahl, Rebecca Finnegan, Johah Rawitz

Ain't Misbehaving Live Performance

This is the second "jukebox" musical in my Year so far, and this one is far superior in my opinion to the previous one. Although perhaps this one should rightly be called a "jukejoint" musical.

A cast of five and a band of eight took the stage at the Goodman Theatre for today's matinee of Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show. I had heard bits of Waller's music before and recognized several of the song titles, but didn't know much about the man or his music. Fortunately, both his story and his music are interesting--varied in style, and well arranged in this revue that was created in 1978.

Here was what I was missing in Smokey Joe's Cafe: a good variety of songs and performance styles in musical arrangements that offered everything from intimate accompaniment to "blow the roof off" numbers. As staged in this production by Goodman Theatre Associate Producer Chuck Smith, the show uses the stage well. And there was a set and costumes that said something about the era of this music. All things that Smokey didn't have.

The standout in the cast has to be E. Faye Butler (pictured) . Ms. Butler is a singer and actress of accomplishment in Chicago, and that experience shone in her performance. The other four performers were each good in their way and made the most of their moment in the spotlight. I may be turning into my father, but I did have a lot of trouble understanding a lot of the lyrics, and most of the jokes were lost on me because I couldn't understand the words. But the music shone through and the incredibly racially diverse audience ate it up--myself included.

Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show
Music by Thomas "Fats" Waller and others
Lyrics by Andy Razaf, Richard Maltby, Jr., Billy Rose and a whole bunch of others
Show conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz
Live Performance at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago
Directed by Chuck Smith
Cast: E. Faye Butler, Parrish Collier, John Steven Crowley, Lina Kernan, Alexis Rogers

Avenue Q Live Performance

I kicked off my year by seeing the touring company of Avenue Q currently playing in Chicago. I had heard several of the songs before and knew the basic conception/format of the it, but was surprised by what seemed the rather intimate scale of the production. I'm not certain what size house the New York production is playing, or where else this tour is going, but I was glad to only be about two-thirds back on the main floor. It seemed a good distance for taking in both the facial expressions of the actors and the body language of the puppets. Any further back and I think some subtleties would have been lost--if anything about the show can be said to subtle!

AveQ played the Cadillac Palace in Chicago, which holds more than 1500 seats. The show has a smaller cast than even the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which played a house with 500 seats here in Chicago. But the show today was mostly full on the main floor, so I guess with a short run (just a week or two), they have to fit in all the Broadway in Chicago subscribers.

I enjoyed the show. It's humor is right up my alley. And the nods to Sesame Street, Electric Company, Free to Be You and Me, are right out of my youth. But is this a show that inspires me to be part of the theater? Would this show--if I were to be seeing it as a high schooler--make me dream of being a performer? I don't think it would. The performers were good for the most part and very adept at manipulating the puppets and creating voices for them. But I missed the big ballad sung with gusto by the young hero, standing center stage in a spotlight (which you weren't sharing with a carpetbag on your right hand); that was what always got me dreaming.

I guess I'll have to revisit those classic musicals of the 40s and 50s for my Alfred Drake dreams.

Avenue Q, Sunday June 1, 2008 2pm
Broadway in Chicago production
Cadillac Palace Theater

Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx

Book by Jeff Whitty
Cast: Robert McClure; Cullen R. Titmas; Kelli Sawyer; David Benoit; Angela Ai; Danielle K. Thomas; Maggie Lakis.