"Bandstand" - 05.11.17/08.20.17

December 30, 2017

Show/Venue: Bandstand at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

Date: Thursday, May 11th, 2017 @ 7:00pm & Sunday, August 20th, 2017 @ 2:00pm

Starring: Laura Osnes, Corey Cott, Joe Carroll, Max Clayton, Ryan Kasprzak, Morgan Marcell

Since moving to New York City, I’ve learned so much more about theatre and my small obsession from seeing Regional & Touring productions as a kid, has really blossomed. As a pretty big “Fansie” of Newsies, I came to know about the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ and how they’re helping create some of the best new musicals that come to Broadway. It was in 2015, that a little production called Bandstand, caught my attention. First of all, Laura Osnes (Cinderella, Grease) and Corey Cott (Newsies, Gigi), and Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, So You Think You Can Dance), were attached to the project, which was enough to get me interested. Second of all, there were a few others of my favorite Broadway ensemble members involved, so I was especially excited to hear that it would be transferring to Broadway.

Due to this Broadway transfer, I knew I wanted to see the show early in the Tony Awards Season and with my new job, I was able to get a discounted ticket in May to see the show. At the top of the show, we see various soldiers in the battlefields, but the focus is on Donny Novitski (Corey Cott), as he moves downstage and upstage throughout the battle. Slowly, the men return home from the battle and Donny returns home to Cleveland, Ohio (“Just Like It Was Before”). Like many other veterans, Donny struggles with adjusting back to “normal life” and needs to find a way to cope. Luckily, he was a piano prodigy as a teen and finds that music is a way to save his mind from wandering into dark places. While struggling to find a venue to perform in Donny hears about a bandstand contest where NBC will select a band from each State and they will perform for a chance to be featured in a movie. This contest will be the way Donny can make a living and survive in the world, post-military life. The contest will be a featured as a Tribute to the Troops, so Donny is the perfect candidate but how can he start to put together a band?

Through a network of veterans (“I Know a Guy”), Donny finds his band, each a member of various branches of the military. They have all turned towards their music to escape their own personal demons; some drink, some find solace in obsessive compulsiveness, some busy themselves with teaching. The band is made up of Jimmy Campbell (James Nathan Campbell) on sax & clarinet, Davy Zlatic (Brandon J. Ellis) on string bass, Nick Radel (Alex Bender) on trumpet, Wayne Wright (Geoff Packard) on trombone and Johnny Simpson (Joe Carroll, Cinderella) on drums. After a few rehearsals, Donny knows that the guys have a great sound and Donny takes on vocals, but something is still missing (“Ain’t We Proud”).

In between rehearsals, Donny knows that he needs to check in on Julia, the widow of his best friend from combat, “Rubber.” Donny goes to Julia’s house to introduce himself and over an awkward dinner with her and her mother, we learn that Rubber’s nickname came from his surname, Trojan, and that Julia, is a wonderful singer (“Who I Was”) and still longing for closure on her husband’s death. She’s tired of everyone in town treating her with pity, because she’s a “Gold Star Wife.”

Once Julia’s mom has told Donny that Julia is a great singer, Donny thinks he may have found the answer to his band’s vocalist problems. One catch: Julia doesn’t like singing in public, only in church. Never deterred, Donny heads to church to see Julia sing. With a little bit of persuasion, Donny convinces Julia to come and sing with the band (“First Steps First”). They also make an adjustment to the band’s name, from the Donny Novitski Band to the Donny Nova Band. They come up with some great original songs (“Breathe” and “You Deserve It”), but they still need more ideas. It’s then that Julia shows Donny some poems that she has been writing, since losing her husband, which will become some of their best numbers.

The band easily wins the Ohio contest, but they learn that they must pay for their own fare to New York City for the final rounds (“Love Will Come and Find Me Again”). They go into overdrive and start playing any gig that they can book, hoping to earn enough money to get them train tickets and lodging in NYC.

The second act begins with a swinging number (“Nobody”), which was featured on the Tony Awards and showcases some of Andy Blankenbuehler’s best work. The band finds new energy through their gigs and by saying “You know who tells me no? Nobody!” We see a little bit of each of the band member’s personal struggles, but with the momentum from winning the Ohio contest, it’s easy to see that the band is hitting their stride (“The Boys are Back”).

Cleveland starts to rally (“I Got a Theory”) and they are able to raise the money from all the venues that have been hosting their gigs. In fact, it’s enough money to send everyone to New York City on a First Class train! As Julia and Donny grow closer, she asks him again about how her husband passed away. Donny finally relents and explains that he was responsible for Rubber’s death under friendly fire, as a live grenade rolled back into the bunker where they were hiding out. Donny made it out, but Rubber was not so lucky.

Julia abruptly leaves the band and retreats to her home. It’s there that her mother encourages her to keep singing (“Everything Happens”), as it’s what her husband would have wanted her to do. After all, Julia needs an identity that is not just a “Gold Star Wife” and she can’t let the boys in the band down. While the band worries about what to do without her, Julia shows up and brings a new poem as a peace offering to the band. This poem becomes “Welcome Home” and describes each of the Donny Nova Band member’s struggles in their return to civilian life – Donny – insomnia, Jimmy – focusing on law school, Davy - alcoholism, Nick – prisoner of war, Wayne - OCD and Johnny – amnesia. The song is powerful, emotional and helps everyone identify with their own struggles, but they know this version could never be performed in public. They adjust the song into a newer version, a love song between a woman and her love returning from the war.

Equipped with new songs and renewed motivation to win the contest, Cleveland gathers to send the band off to NYC. Fresh off the train and in NYC, the band does out to explore the city before getting their chance to audition (“A Band in New York City”). After spending all day in the city, Donny escorts Julia back to her hotel room and it’s here that they start to acknowledge that they have feelings for one another (“This Is Life”).

When the band arrives at the studio, they learn that only the top 10 bands will get to perform on the actual NBC Broadcast. Even though the executives seem to write them off, as soon as they hear “Love Will Come and Find Me Again,” the band makes it into the final cut! As everyone prepares to be on the telecast, Jimmy barges into the rehearsal studio. He’s been up all night reviewing the contract with NBC and saw that if they perform “Love Will Come and Find Me Again” on the broadcast that the studio will own all the rights to the song! In a last-minute swap, they decide that Julia will sing their original version of “Welcome Home,” with all the tragedies that veterans face when they come back from war. They know that NBC will never take the risk of actually producing and promoting this version of the song.

A year later, we see that the Donny Nova Band did not win the competition, so they aren’t featured in the movie, but that’s a blessing. As the leave the theatre, having watched the competition winner’s in the movie, they are approached by many teenage girl fans and their families. Fortunately, enough people saw them on the NBC broadcast that they have developed a significant following and are able to tour the US without any limitations from a network contract.

Although some of the songs did not stay in my head, the show left an impression on me. Shortly after I saw the show, I met a Navy officer during Fleet Week in NYC. You might say that my experience was not unlike what you might see in a Lifetime movie or some romantic comedy; but it certainly altered my perspective of the military. That, coupled, with my Mom’s passing during the following week, made me ache to see this show again.

In the second showing, some of the stories resonated even more and I found myself breaking into tears during certain numbers. I appreciated the choreography more. I listened to the wonderful sounds of Laura Osnes’ voice, more intently. I empathized with the characters more. Overall, I was glad I got to see this show a few times and wish that it could have had a longer life on Broadway. I hope that there will be a touring production and that more people will get to experience this powerful story.

Musical Numbers:

Act One:

Just Like It Was Before

Donny Novitski

I Know a Guy

Ain’t We Proud

Who I Was

Just Like It Was Before (Reprise)

First Steps First

Breathe

You Deserve It

Love Will Come and Find Me Again

Right This Way

Act Two:

Entr’acte

Nobody

I Got a Theory

Everything Happens

Welcome Home

A Band in New York City

This Is Life

Welcome Home

Finale

"Cats" - 09.27.16

January 24, 2017

Show/Venue: Cats at the Neil Simon Theatre

Date: Tuesday, September 27th, 2016 @ 7pm

Starring: Tyler Hanes, Aaron J. Albano, Leona Lewis, Eloise Kropp, Ricky Ubeda, Jess LeProtto, Daniel Gaymon

Website: http://www.catsthemusical.com

The first time I saw Cats was in a touring production that came through The Lied Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. I enjoyed the show, but was a little ambivalent about seeing the show on Broadway. Well, once I saw the enthusiasm that my friend, Zach, had about wanting to see the show; I knew I had to go with him. I knew that the creative team was keeping true to the original 80’s hit, but I was interested to see how much they would keep the same. (I vividly remember an episode of Reading Rainbow where Levar Burton visited the set of the show and even got to put on the legendary cat makeup, wig and ears!)

We got some Mezzanine seats and arrived at the theatre to see it had been transformed into the junkyard so familiar with any fan of the show. The audience was full of Asian tourists for some reason and we settled in for the Jellicle Ball.

It was hard to determine the various actors and actresses under so much makeup, but I was thankful for the format of the show; since each song is an introduction to each of the characters. Right away Zach spotted Aaron J. Albano and I found Eloise Kropp. I kept searching for some of my other favorite dancers: Ricky Ubeda and Jess LeProtto of So You Think You Can Dance fame and Daniel Gaymon from Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound Dance Troupe.

There’s not much plot to describe besides the naming and introduction of the cats. I really liked watching Eloise Kropp (Dames at Sea) show off her astonishing tap dance skills as Jennyanydots in “The Old Gumbie Cat” and she even got a sparkling jacket, which I don’t remember from the original production. However, my favorite number in Act One was “The Rum Tum Tugger,” which really gave Tyler Hanes a chance to show off and play to the crowd. In a thoughtful update, he jumps into the Orchestra seating and takes a selfie with an audience member, which is then posted onto Instagram.

“Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer” was another fun number featuring Jess LeProtto (On the Town, Newsies) and Shonica Gooden (Hamilton, Bring It On), who got to play this pair of mischievous cats with a playful attitude and penchant for stealing. Mostly, it was a chance to show off their superior dance skills in a nicely choreographed duet.

I was also anxious to see and hear Leona Lewis as Grizabella. (Especially after the much-heated debate between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nicole Scherzinger, when she decided to be a judge on the UK version of The X-Factor instead of joining the Broadway show.) I can say one thing, Leona Lewis has a beautiful voice, but acting is not her strong suit. The grit of Grizabella was missing. Even throughout her performance of “Memory,” I didn’t feel sorry for Griz; which is the point of the song.

I left my seat for intermission and was surprised to see audience members on the stage when I returned to my seat. In another update to the show, audience members could come up on stage and take a photo with Old Deuteronomy (Quentin Earl Darrington, Ragtime); selfie sticks non-withstanding.

Again, I can’t remember much of the beginning of Act Two, but I loved it when Ricky Ubeda (On the Town, Shaping Sound) finally got to shine in “Magical Mister Mistoffelees!” Taking a cue from the Rockettes, Mistoffelees enters in a black blazer that lights up with rainbow LED lights throughout his performance. (Ok, how do I get one of those for Pride weekend?) The number, updated by Andy Blankenbuehler, gave Ricky the chance to shine and really show off his technique.

Another notable number was when Daniel Gaymon came out as Macavity (“Macavity, The Mystery Cat”) and showed of his long lines and leaps. I got to see him last year as a part of Shaping Sound and was surprised to see him in the show. I don’t know why, but it amuses me when so many former dancers show up on Broadway with impressive vocal abilities; guess I should misjudge their triple threat abilities.

Overall, the costuming was kept the same: leotards with legwarmers and dance-belt like tails. It felt very 80’s, but I was still entertained. Would I go back again? That’s yet to be determined, but if you haven’t seen this show, it’s worth going to. You might be confused by the plot or lack thereof, (I heard a woman in line for the bathroom say “Is there a plot? Is it just a bunch of cats?” which I had to chuckle at), but at least you’ll be amused.

Musical Numbers:

Act One:

Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats

The Name of Cats

Invitation to the Jellicle Ball

The Old Gumbie Cat

The Rum Tum Tugger

Entry of Grizabella

Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town

Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer

Old Deuteronomy

Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball

Memory

Act Two:

Introduction to Act II/The Moments of Happiness

Gus the Theatre Cat

The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles

Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat

Macavity, The Mystery Cat

Magical Mister Mistoffelees

Memory

Journey to the Heaviside Layer

The Ad-dressing of Cats

Finale

"Finding Neverland" - 05.13.15

June 30, 2015

Show/Venue: Finding Neverland at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

Date: Wednesday, May 13th, 2015 @ 2pm

Starring: Matthew Morrison, Kelsey Grammer, Laura Michelle Kelly

Website: http://www.findingneverlandthemusical.com

Even though Finding Neverland was almost shut out of the Tony Award nominations, I was still excited to see the show. As a big fan of So You Think You Can Dance, I couldn’t wait to see Melanie Moore, (the season 8 winner) and the choreography of Mia Michaels in this production. And as any musical theatre nerd who loved Glee, I knew it would be great to see Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester) in the role of J.M. Barrie.

Having never seen the movie, I had brief knowledge about the plot of the show, but knew it revolved around J.M. Barrie and how he came up with the idea for Peter Pan. Also starring Kelsey Grammer (Fraiser, Cheers, La Cage Aux Follies) as Charles Frohman, Barrie’s director and investor, the show was loaded with star power and the theatre was filled with a mix of young and old for this Wednesday matinee.

Before Barrie wrote Peter Pan, he had just opened up a new play, which critics were not enthusiastic about, but no one would tell him the truth, (“If the World Turned Upside Down”). Barrie struggled with finding inspiration and substance for a new play and his overbearing, society wife, Mary (played brilliantly by Teal Wicks), wasn’t helping his situation. Mary was stressed that so many people from London were there to see Barrie’s work and he wasn’t paying them any attention, (“All of London Is Here Tonight”).

The next day, Barrie spends some time in a local park, where he meets Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (the spectacular Laura Michelle Kelly), a recent widow with four young sons. Barrie is inspired by their imaginations “Believe” and their stories of pirates, (“Pirates of Kensington”) and plays with the boys, who long for some sort of male role model, since their father had passed away, (“Believe”). Barrie finds a kindred spirit in Peter, who is an aspiring writer and is so taken by the family that he invites them to his home for a fancy dinner, in celebration of his latest work. This new arrives much to Mary’s chagrin and Barrie starts to develop feelings and a much frowned upon relationship with Sylvia, (“The Dinner Party” and the very entertaining “We Own the Night”).

After the party, Mary is deeply embarrassed by Barrie’s behavior, acting like a child and letting his imagination run free in front of so many important people. Barrie retreats from his wife and continues to find more inspiration in the imaginations of the Llewelyn Davies children. It’s after the party that Sylvia’s mother warns her about how the community is viewing her relationship with Mr. Barrie and how she must take care of herself, alluding to some sort of sickness that Sylvia has been dealing with, and leaving Sylvia alone outside of her home, (“Sylvia’s Lullaby,” a stunning ballad performed by Kelly).

Barrie and Sylvia start to talk about the concept of Neverland, where you can go and never have to grow up. In the next few scenes, Barrie’s imagination runs free, [in the “Circus of Your Mind” the ensemble lights up with an intricate dance number, reminiscent of a group SYTYCD routine by Mia Michaels in Season 4 (“The Dance,” https://youtu.be/djsTqP-0CdY)] as he starts to develop more new ideas for his next work. We then see Frohman challenging Barrie to come up with a new idea and that he needs new material for the actors right away; which leads to Frohman’s transformation into Captain Hook, (“Live by the Hook”).

In the stunning Act One closer (as performed on the 2015 Tony Awards), “Stronger” showcases Morrison’s singing and performance chops, something he rarely got to do live on Glee and shows why the producers may have cast him in this role over Jeremy Jordan (who played Barrie in the out of town tryout and will always be one of my favorite Broadway crushes). Here, Barrie, with a cast of pirates, shows how this struggle has made him stronger and how he will move forward in work and life, culminating in a large production number with a plank, a bench (one of Michaels’ favorite props) and several rope ladders. I left Act One with chills and couldn’t wait to see how “Peter Pan” was going to develop in Act Two.

At the start of Act Two, Frohman’s actors are struggling to understand Barrie’s work and what this story about the boy who never grew up really has to say. Barrie and Sylvia’s relationship continues to develop, (“What You Mean to Me”), as Barrie’s home life with Mary falls apart. In the meantime, Peter is working hard to write his own play to share with Barrie, with his siblings as the actors. Following their first performance, Sylvia’s condition worsens and Barrie has a heartfelt talk with Peter, (“When Your Feet Don’t Touch the Ground”), and what is going on with his mother.

Finally, Barrie’s Peter Pan is ready for its opening night, but Sylvia is in no condition to attend. The actors head off to Opening Night without her and the show is a huge success. There’s even a nod to Grammer’s television days as one of the actors asks him if they “say ‘cheers!’ where [he’s] from!” At the conclusion of the performance, the cast brings the show to Sylvia’s home, so she and her children can enjoy the work that their lives and imaginations have inspired. The energy is electric as everyone is celebrating this new work, but in the next moment, Sylvia passes.

In this tender moment, Kelly becomes engulfed in glitter and disappears, just one of those special, magical theatre moments that I can’t quite figure out, but that’s the beauty of live entertainment. Then the family reassembles after Sylvia’s passing, with Sylvia’s mother, Barrie and the boys. They will co-parent the boys and help them keep their imaginations just a lively as ever.

I left the theatre feeling rejuvenated about what you can accomplish in life with just a bit of imagination and immediately wanting to see the show again. There were so many great nuances in the production that left me baffled as to how this show didn’t receive a Best Musical nomination or even a nod for Matthew Morrison, (because Ken Wantanabe in The King & I was certainly not as powerful as Morrison), but I guess that’s up to the Tony Award voters to figure out.

I enjoyed watching Melanie Moore dance in the ensemble and bring Tinkerbell back to life, as much as I loved watching her dance with Marko Germar on SYTYCD. Her ability to draw in the audience and express emotion through her movement is always so impactful. In fact, she stopped into my work the day before I saw the show and I immediately went to help her, without fan-girling too much, and to talk about what a spectacular dancer I think she is.

The ensemble of this cast is also remarkable, as they play various roles of the Barrie household’s servant/wait staff (and have some great comedic moments), pirates in the imagination of Barrie, citizens of the city during “Believe” and even the acting troupe, each of them finds a unique was to relate to the audience, even in the overwhelming space of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, which I didn’t feel from the ensemble of Motown, which I also saw there.

I was really moved by the music, written by Gary Barlow, of the British boy band, Take That, and disappointed that the Original Broadway Cast album was almost overshadowed by the concept album, where the songs from the show were “reimagined” by a bunch of pop stars. Don’t get me wrong, I love some Nick Jonas, but his version of “Believe” and Kiesza’s version of “Stronger” can’t compare to Matthew Morrison’s version of either. At least I have the newly announced OBC recording to look forward to, so I can cry my eyes out when Laura Michelle Kelly sings.