"Mean Girls" - 04.17.18/05.04.18

May 13, 2018

Show/Venue: Mean Girls at The August Wilson Theatre

Date: Tuesday, April 17th, 2018 @ 7pm & Friday, May 4th, 2018 @ 8pm

Starring: Taylor Louderman, Ashley Park, Kate Rockwell, Erika Henningsen, Barrett Wilbert Reed, Grey Henson, Kerry Butler, Kyle Selig, Cheech Manohar

Website: https://meangirlsonbroadway.com

If you were a teenager or in your early 20's in 2004, then you must know the movie Mean Girls! Written by Tina Fey of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock fame, the movie focused on a teenage girl, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), moving from Africa with her family to suburban Chicago-land to attend high school. The movie introduced many quotable phrases into the American vernacular and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't get the references of "On Wednesdays, we wear pink" or the significance of something being "fetch."

Naturally, with any beloved cultural phenomenon, I was a little hesitant to see how the creative team could make a musical out of this movie. However, as soon as the casting was announced to the out of town tryout in D.C., I was in for the ride! Stacked with Broadway veterans and loads of newbies, what could Tina Fey, Jeff Richmond, Casey Nicolaw and Nell Benjamin bring to the Great White Way?

Even though I first saw the show on a Tuesday, the spirit of wearing pink on Wednesdays was all over the theatre. A few weeks earlier, I'd found a t-shirt that said "Today's Outfit Is Pink" at Zara and I knew I needed it for the show! Paired with a Who What Wear bomber jacket from Target, I was ready to go! The energy in the theatre was INSANE! You could feel the excitement and anticipation all over as everyone anxious waited to see one of their favorite movies on the stage.

Upon first viewing, I have to say that Damian, Gretchen and Janis were my favorite parts of the show. I loved the costume choices made for Damian, including an Alyssa Edwards t-shirt and all of the musical theatre references! And I almost lost my mind watching Ashley Park's brilliant portrayal of Gretchen Wieners! As a Korean-American girl, I love that there was no explanation about Gretchen's ethnicity or reference to it. I also greatly appreciated Barrett's portrayal as Janis, whose costume choices I most identified with. Barrett had the only song that was an "ear worm" for me when I left the theatre, "I'd Rather Be Me," when she stands up for herself in the gymnasium scene, towards the end of Act Two. Otherwise, I had a hard time keeping most of the other songs in my head over the next few days.

During my second time viewing the show (I went back with a few girlfriends on a Friday), I found new favorite moments:

Watching the development of Taylor's Regina and realizing why she got a Tony Nomination for this role. After first seeing her in Bring It On, then on Peter Pan Live! and finally, as Lauren in Kinky Boots, I could see why she was cast for this iconic role and how she really played up her blonde wigs and altered her voice to embody the Queen Bee to a T!
Even if Karen Smith isn't the brightest crayon in the box, Kate Rockwell brought brilliance and on point comedic timing to play up Karen's dimness. Her big number, "Sexy," let's her play to her strengths and even ads a nod to the OG movie, with "I'm a sexy mouse, duh!" It's her nuances and subtle winks that really play toward the audience and lets everyone in on the joke!
Then triple threat of Kerry Butler as Mrs. Heron/Mrs. George/Ms. Norbury. From playing a dowdy Mrs. Heron to the Tina Fey/Ms. Norbury role and earning well deserved laughs as Mrs. George with some sly puppetry, as her pet dog who can't help but nurse on her over-sized breasts! She even gets the chance to duet with Gretchen in a reprise of "What's Wrong With Me?" in Act Two.
And I can't forget the show stopping dance & choreography from Casey Nicolaw! We get a brilliant tap number from Damian at the top of Act Two, lunch room trays used as percussion and a big Act One closer featuring Gretchen!
I did leave humming more tunes this time, but also having seen "Apex Predator" performed on The Today Show and "Stupid With Love" on Erika's Broadway.com Vlog, more and more songs from this show are seeping into my musical theatre conscious!

If you're not familiar with the story, let me offer my best recap of the show with a little commentary along the way.

The show opens with Janis Sarkisian (Barrett Wilbert Weed, Heathers, BARE) and Damien Hubbard (Grey Henson, The Book of Mormon), telling the audience how Cady Heron (Erika Henningsen, Les Miserables) came to North Shore High and how it led to Regina George (Taylor Louderman, Bring It On, Kinky Boots) getting hit by a bus ("A Cautionary Tale"). (But nobody died!)

We see Cady in Africa, where she has been living with her parents and studying animals in the wild ("It Roars"). We quickly find out that her parents' funding has dried up and they must move to the US, suburban Chicago, specifically and how Cady will get to attend a real high school and get "socialized."

Upon her arrival, Janis & Damian teach Cady about the social hierarchy of high school ("Where Do You Belong?"), complete with a musical theatre nerd tribute (with lunch tray percussion)! Just as they finish making their rounds through the cafeteria, in roll "The Plastics," led by Regina and her two minions, Gretchen Wieners (Ashley Park, Sunday in the Park with George, King & I, KPOP!) and Karen Smith (Kate Rockwell, Bring It On, Rock of Ages). Here, we learn that Regina is a "massive deal," of Gretchen's eager to please attitude and Karen's lack of smarts ("Meet the Plastics"). Somehow, Cady draws the attention of Regina and suddenly, she finds herself with an invitation to sit at the popular lunch table for the next whole week!? What's a new girl to do? Janis & Damian convince her to be their girl on "the inside" and to report back with all the ridiculous things that The Plastics say and do.

In a clever classroom montage scene, the cast comes out in desks with rotating wheels, as they turn 90 degrees, different teachers and classes emerge; ending with Cady's AP Calculus and the first acknowledgment of her soon-to-be crush, Aaron Samuels (Kyle Selig, Joan of Arc: Into the Fire, The Book of Mormon, October Sky). We learn that Cady loves math, since there is always a right answer. Growing up in Africa, she was quick to fall in love; with a fellow kid from the neighboring village, with a Peace Corps volunteer ("Stupid With Love"), so she knew math would never let her down. Cady isn't afraid to show off her skills in AP Calc, so she almost gets recruited to the Matheletes and her teacher, Ms. Norbury (Kerry Butler in 1 of her 3 roles, Disaster!, Catch Me If You Can, Xanadu), seems ecstatic to finally have a girl who's talented at math.

After school, Regina decides to take Cady to the mall; she's wearing socks with sandals, after all. Watching how everyone reacts to Regina's presence, Cady quickly recognizes this social order as with the animals she grew up around ("Apex Predator"). Gretchen is quick to try and prove her loyalty to Regina, but yet, she wants to win Cady over. Trying to find a common interest, she turns to boys and finds out that Cady has a crush on Aaron, none other than Regina's ex-boyfriend!

Back at Regina's house, we meet Mrs. George (Kerry Butler, again), the "cool mom" who tries to insert herself into her daughter's & friend's lives by showing them their old "burn book," or where they used to post photos of random students and write mean & funny things about them in the book. Suddenly, Cady sees a photo of Janis with the comment "space dyke," next to it. Confused by why her friend would be in this book, Regina only offers that she was unable to have more than 6 people at her birthday and Janis took it the wrong way. Before Cady can question it, Regina takes Karen into her bathroom to work on her eyebrows and leaves Gretchen & Cady on the other side. Gretchen begins to panic; what did she do wrong to have Regina exclude her ("What's Wrong With Me?"), how can she stay present in Regina's social circle.

As Cady's friendship & crush with Aaron builds, he invites her to a friend's Halloween party. At the party, Karen says how much she loves Halloween, because it's the one time of the year when you can be someone else ("Sexy") and how she wishes it could be Halloween every day! Cady arrives at the party, but not in a sexy costume like all the other girls, but as a zombie bride. Regina can't believe that Cady showed up at this party uninvited, only to find out that Aaron invited her and that Cady has a crush on him (oops, Gretchen)! Regina can't let Cady be with someone that once was hers, so she of course goes to Aaron to win him back ("Someone Gets Hurt"). It's here that Cady starts to see the real side of Regina and The Plastics.

Rushing to Janis & Damian, Cady explains what happened at the party and they devise a scheme to bring The Plastics down ("Revenge Party"). They'll figure out a way to go after Regina's hot body, get Gretchen to break down and collapse the hierarchy of the school's cliques. Back at the school cafeteria, Regina huffs about being on an "all carb" diet, so Cady provides her with some Kalteen bars (which were used to help kids in Africa gain weight) and over time, Regina's body & butt grows and grows; until her costume for the Holiday Talent Show no longer fits! Then, during the Talent Show, Regina's skirt falls off and social media explodes with funny commentary on the size of Regina's ass, how she stepped on Gretchen's face to get off the stage, how Karen pretended to be asleep, but Cady was the one who kept going...suddenly, Cady is popular!

In the cafeteria, Regina waddles in wearing sweatpants and a matching track jacket. Gretchen doesn't know what to do, it's not Friday, so Regina shouldn't be able to sit at their table...she timidly calls this out to Regina. Since "sweatpants are the only things that fit" her right now, Regina tells Gretchen the rules were all made up and they don't matter. Gretchen starts to break down and Cady steps in; Regina can't sit with them and she's not who she once used to be ("Fearless").

At the top of Act Two, we see Cady, who has transformed into a Plastic; new hairstyle, short skirts, cell phone in hand and now nominated for the Spring Fling Queen!? Janis & Damian are having a hoot about the whole overthrowing of Regina, but they're also realizing that their friend, Cady, may be in over her head ("Stop" - cue the big tap dance number). Janis mentions that her art show is quickly approaching and will Cady be coming? Cady realizes that it's the same weekend that she is supposed to go out of town with her parents and won't be able to attend; Janis is sad, but seems to understand.

Now that Cady has become the Queen Bee, Gretchen and Karen consistently look to her for what they should do. Cady casually mentions that she's going out of town with her parents that weekend and they convince her to get out of the trip, so they can throw a little party and invite Aaron, but of course, not Regina.

In the meantime, Regina is working out, trying to lose the weight she put on and caused her ultimate humiliation. While trying to win her over, Mrs. George, finds a Kalteen bar and tells Regina that they are used to help people gain weight; not lose it. Regina screams and storms out of the room.

As Cady gets ready for the party, she preps food & drinks for 8 people, unknowing that Gretchen & Karen have invited the whole school ("Whose House Is This?"). By the time Aaron shows up, Cady is drunk and can't seem to contain her stream of consciousness when talking to him. She reveals that she pretended to be bad at math, so he would like her and he begins to see how much Cady has turned into Regina and leaves ("More Is Better").

Cady chases after Aaron, only to run into Janis & Damian, who post-art show, saw all the party photos on social media and were riding by her house. Janis & Damian call Cady out on her awful behavior, which she tries to blame on them. Suddenly, Cady realizes her true friends and her crush have abandoned her.

Regina, now back in fighting shape, plants a photo of herself in the Burn Book and writes "fugly cow" over it. She then takes the book to the school's principal, Mr. Duvall (Rick Younger, RENT), who is astonished that someone would have written all those awful comments about their fellow students and vows to find who's behind it. Regina kindly offers the idea that only Cady, Gretchen and Karen are not in the book and the girls are brought into his office. Regina has photocopied pages from the Burn Book and tosses them all over the hallway ("World Burn") starting fights all over the school.

It's here that Mr. Duvall calls all the girls to the gymnasium, so they can sort out this problem. Led by Ms. Norbury, she leads an exercise to prove that girls all say mean things behind each other's backs and they have to learn how to coexist peacefully. She leads them in a trust fall exercise, where when it's Janis' turn, Regina is quick to bring up her dreams of "diving into a pile of girls." Janis is quick to call out Regina and her fake-ness ("I'd Rather Be Me"), while winning over the girls.

As Cady and Regina get into a fight infront of the school, Regina is hit by a school bus and ends up in the hospital and wearing a spinal halo. Cady begins to see her social status fall apart; did she put Regina infront of the bus? Did Regina walk infront of it? Do her parents still trust her?

Cady then decides she should confess to having a part in the "burn book" and she receives a three week suspension. In order to bring up her AP Calculus grade, Cady finally teams up with the Matheletes and Kevin Gnapoor (Cheech Manohar in his Broadway Debut!), Cady begins to come into her own ("Fearless (reprise)"). With the support of Ms. Norbury and her fellow Matheletes, they rally to head off to compete ("Do This Thing"). At the State Championship, the Matheletes find themselves in a tie for the title and each team sends their female members into the sudden death round. While the other team's girl throws insults at Cady, she realizes that no one wins from bringing other girls down. Cady ends up winning the sudden death question and the North Shore Lions are the State Champs! (The limit does not exist!)

After the competition, they head back to the school for Spring Fling! Cady sneaks back into the school with help from Aaron and runs into Regina in the bathroom. They make amends and head into the gym; where surprise, Cady wins the Queen title and uses this as an opportunity to apologize for her behavior ("I See Stars"). Cady helps reunite the original Plastics and patches up her friendship with Janis & Damian. And, yes, she gets Aaron by staying true to her real self!

Musical Numbers:
Act 1:

A Cautionary Tale

It Roars

Where Do You Belong?

Meet the Plastics

Stupid With Love

Apex Predator

What's Wrong With Me?

Sexy

Someone Gets Hurt

Revenge Party

Fearless

Act 2:

Stop

Whose House Is This?

More Is Better

World Burn

I'd Rather Be Me

Fearless (reprise)

Do This Thing

I See Stars

"American Psycho" - 05.31.16

August 21, 2016

Show/Venue: American Psycho at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

Date: Tuesday, May 31st, 2016 @ 7pm

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Jennifer Damiano, Alice Ripley, Theo Stockman, Heléne Yorke

Website: http://americanpsychothemusical.com/

I know very little about American Psycho the movie or the book, in fact, I had to read the summary on Wikipedia before going to see this show, just so I would get the gist of the plot. However, I did know that I with a stellar cast and Duncan Sheik behind the music, I was in for a great night! Yes, I decided to go only after the show announced that they would be closing in the first week of June.

As I took my seat in the Mezzanine, I noticed a lot of empty seats, but the set was amazing. A very clean, white room in perspective; so the back of the room faded into the back of the stage, the audience was set to be introduced to Patrick Bateman (Benjamin Walker, Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) and his “ripped body.” Mr. Bateman appears in only tiny white briefs and explains his morning routine (“Opening [Morning Routine]”). Through some tongue-in-cheek dialogue, Patrick describes some high end items that would have been the top of the line in the 1980’s, including his Sony Walkman.

As Patrick heads into work, the sides of the set revolve into his office at Pierce & Pierce banking (“Selling Out”). He is greeted by his secretary, Jean (Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal), and she performs “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, a cover of the Tears for Fears song. Patrick wants to know more about the big Fisher account, which all of Patrick’s co-workers have been talking about. Jean has no information on the account, but reminds Patrick about his lunch date with his co-workers, Timothy Price (Theo Stockman, American Idiot), Craig McDermott (Alex Michael Stoll, If/Then, West Side Story), Luis Carruthers (Jordan Dean, Mamma Mia!) and David Van Patten (Dave Thomas Brown, Bridges of Madison County 1st Nat’l Tour and Patrick Bateman understudy).

As the men talk about their tailored suits and the next hot restaurant to dine at, Paul Owen (Drew Moerlein in his Broadway debut) appears and lets is be known that he has landed the Fisher account and a reservation at the hottest restaurant in NYC, Dorsia. In an attempt to save face, Patrick and his co-workers flaunt their business cards, only to again, be one-upped by Paul (“Cards”). In some of the most brilliant staging and choreography, the men jump onto LED lit tables and streams of air pumped onto the stage makes it appear as if their business cards are levitating & spinning. The song cleverly brings together the status symbols on their business cards; card stock, color and font. (I even noticed that the Stage Door to the Schoenfeld was done over to look like Patrick Bateman’s business card.)

Then as if to add insult to injury, Paul mistakes Patrick for another banker, Marcus Halberstam and mocks Patrick Bateman. To prove a point, Patrick then invites Paul to his upcoming birthday party, being thrown by Patrick’s girlfriend, Evelyn Williams (Heléne Yorke, Bullets Over Broadway) and her best friend, Courtney Lawrence (Morgan Weed in her Broadway debut); who also happens to be Luis’ girlfriend. As Evelyn laments about her odd numbered dinner party, Courtney and their girlfriends wax on about what to wear to the party and name drop several designers, including Manolo Blahnik, Isaac Mizrahi and Bill Blass (“You Are What You Wear”). However, to appease Evelyn, Patrick invites Jean to the party, so there will be an even number of guests.

Evelyn is annoyed as Patrick & Tim arrive fashionably late to the party. The guests are dull by Patrick’s standards and he ends his birthday party by stabbing his birthday cake with a giant knife. After the party, Patrick & Tim head out to Tunnel to indulge in coke & women (“True Faith”/”Killing Time”). As Patrick leaves the club, he realizes how empty his own life is and promises to never go out to the clubs again. The cast then performs a haunting version of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”) while Patrick offers a homeless man money, before making fun of him and stabbing him to death.

Later on at the gym, the guys objectify their female instructor, while complimenting each other on their own physical appearances (“Hardbody”). After the gym, we learn that Patrick is having an affair with Courtney; but she wants to end their “friends with benefits” situation as she feels guilty for Evelyn and Luis. Angry at Courtney, Patrick goes back to the gym, where he encounters Luis and tries to strangle him. Luis thinks that Patrick has developed feelings for him and comes onto him, as Patrick leaves the gym, extremely put off by Luis’ actions.

Patrick and Evelyn are attending a Broadway performance of Les Miserables, where during the show’s intermission Evelyn brings up the idea of marriage (“If We Get Married”). Patrick can’t imagine getting married and after the show heads out to the Meatpacking District, where he picks up two hookers and decides to tell them that his name is Paul Owen. A threesome ensues, BDSM and all (“Not a Common Man”), as Patrick starts to give into his own dark thoughts.

Flash forward to Christmas Eve at Pierce & Pierce, as Patrick is telling Jean about Les Miserables and discussing their plans for the holidays. After work, Patrick heads to Evelyn’s over the top Christmas party with his mother (Alice Ripley, Next to Normal, Side Show), whom Evelyn is sure hates her. At the party, Patrick goes on a drug & alcohol in order to be numb to the whole situation (“Mistletoe Alert”). It’s then that Paul Owen arrives at the party and Patrick begins to fill with rage, as Paul has everything he wants. He invites Paul over to his apartment, as Paul still thinks he is Marcus, and they dance to “Hip to Be Square.” Patrick slips something into Paul’s drink and Patrick begins a speech about Huey Lewis & the News, he then proceeds to murder Paul with an ax. (If you’re anything like me and nervous at the thought of blood, the murder scene is done in such a creative way, as a film comes down over the stage and as Patrick hacks away at Paul, splatters of red appear on the film. During intermission, you can watch the crew clean up the blood and restore Patrick’s apartment to the blindingly white room it once was.)

Coming up on Act II, Patrick takes Paul’s body to another building that he owns & disposes of it. Then he enters Paul’s apartment and sets up a voicemail, stating that Paul is traveling to London for a few weeks to work on the Fisher account (“Clean”). As the months go on, Patrick goes a rampage, killing many others (“Killing Spree”). (During this performance, the cast appears in various white outfits as Patrick goes about murdering everyone around him. Patrick tries to admit his murders to his friends, but they just think he’s joking.)

After not having seen her son in months, Mrs. Bateman shows up at Pierce & Pierce, wanting to have lunch with Patrick. As Patrick desperately tries to have Jean cancel the luncheon, Jean offers to come along to lunch, as it might do Patrick some good to actually speak with his mother. During their lunch, Mrs. Bateman tells Jean all sorts of cute stories about Patrick when he was younger (“Nice Thought”) and Jean’s crush on Patrick only deepens.

Back at Pierce & Pierce, a detective, Donald Kimball (Keith Randolph Smith, Fences), is in Patrick’s office, wanting to know anything about Paul Owen’s recent disappearance. Thinking that Kimball is onto him, Patrick avoids most of the questions and feigns concern for the well-being of Paul. As his anxiety grows, Patrick begs Evelyn to take a break from the city, so they plan an escape to the Hamptons. However, away from the city, Patrick’s paranoia only worsens, as Evelyn thrives in the Hamptons culture (“At the End of an Island”). It’s then that Patrick finally decides to marry Evelyn, just as soon as they can get back to NYC. Once he’s back in the city, Patrick continues his killing spree, inviting the prostitutes from months ago to Paul’s apartment, where he murders both of them (“I Am Back”) and begins to accept his own demons.

While shopping at Barneys, Patrick runs into Luis and remembering their encounter at the gym, Luis tries to convince Patrick that they should leave their girlfriends and run away together. As Patrick feels his control on his own life slipping away, he asks Jean out to dinner, where she picks Dorsia and it only reminds Patrick that he can’t seem to get a table there, but Paul could. As she gets ready for her dinner date, Jean thinks about what it is that makes her adore Patrick so much (“A Girl Before”). After dinner, Jean and Patrick hang out at his apartment and talk about her ambitions. Patrick intends to kill Jean that night, but she tells him that she has feeling for him and he shouts at her until she leaves. Left alone with his increasingly dangerous thoughts, Patrick calls Detective Kimball and confesses to murdering Paul and numbers others (“Clean Requiem”).

Evelyn has arranged to have her & Patrick’s engagement party at Tunnel and the stage lights up in amazing neon colors and the cast emerges in spectacular 80’s club outfits (“Don’t You Want Me”, a brilliant cover of The Human League’s song). While grabbing a drink at the bar, Patrick notices Detective Kimball and inquires if he received his voicemail. The detective thinks it was all a brilliant joke and laughs off Patrick’s confession. Kimball states that Paul is alive and well, he even met with him in London. Doubting his own memory, Patrick goes to Paul’s apartment expecting it to be full of his murder victims, but finds it untouched and immaculate. Patrick realizes that he will never aspire to the level of Paul and accepts his fate, marrying Evelyn (“This Is Not an Exit”).

If I had even a small regret about not seeing Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, it multiplied after seeing Benjamin Walker’s performance as Patrick Bateman. Compelling and sexy, it was easy to empathize with this character, even if he is a psychopath! I guess that will be one of the next cast albums on my Amazon Wish List this Christmas.

Another bonus to seeing American Psycho was the reunion of Jenn Damiano & Alice Ripley, who famously played mother & daughter in Next to Normal, which was one of the first Broadway shows I saw after moving to NYC. Alice Ripley didn’t really get a chance to shine, as she played several roles (Svetlana, Mrs. Bateman, Mrs. Wolfe). However, she did get some pretty big applause in her first scene where she enters as Svetlana, going to dry clean the blood out of one of Patrick’s shirts. Jenn showed maturity from her previous Tony award nominated role in Next to Normal, and vulnerability as Jean. I was excited to get to chat with her in person, as she happened to be shopping in my store, shortly after I saw the show.

The other standouts for me were Theo Stockman, who I loved in American Idiot, and was deliciously snarky and slimy as Timothy Price. Then there was Jason Hite in his Broadway Debut, as Patrick’s brother, Sean, but I first developed a Broadway crush on him, when I saw him in the New World Stage’s production of Bare, where he played Jason.

I’m a little disappointed that there won’t be a cast album for the American production, but the London recording is still great! It even has a cut track, “Oh Sri Lanka,” and the original song order from that production. What really motivated me to finally write up this review was attending the 54 Below showcase of “American Psycho Sings Duncan Sheik,” where some of the cast members performed numbers from this show, Spring Awakening and other Duncan Sheik songs. Even if Benjamin Walker wasn’t at this showcase, Dave Thomas Brown, who understudied the role, got a chance to be Patrick and really got the chance to show off his skills. But the highlight of the night for me was the boys singing “Cards,” closely followed by Alice Ripley performing “Barely Breathing,” the song that all non-theatre lovers should know Duncan from.

Musical Numbers:

Act One:

Opening (Morning Routine)

Selling Out

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Cards

You Are What You Wear

True Faith

Killing Time

In the Air Tonight

Hardbody

You Are What You Wear (Reprise)

If We Get Married

Not a Common Man

Mistletoe Alert

Hip to Be Square

Act Two:

Killing Spree

Nice Thought

At the End of an Island

I Am Back

You Are What You Wear (Reprise)

A Girl Before

Clean Requiem

Don’t You Want Me

This Is Not an End

"Waitress" - 05.10.16

July 15, 2016

Show/Venue: Waitress at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre

Date: Tuesday, May 10th, 2016 @ 7:30pm

Starring: Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, Kimiko Glenn, Nick Codero, Drew Gehling, Christopher Fitzgerald

Website: http://waitressthemusical.com

I remember watching the movie “Waitress,” starring Keri Russell years ago and could vaguely remember the plot; girl in small town, abusive husband, gets pregnant, but bakes amazing pies. Somehow, I kept thinking about the Sarah Michelle Gellar movie, “Simply Irresistible,” but cheesy this show was not. At BroadwayCon in January, I was lucky enough to get a seat at the panel for Waitress with Diane Paulus - Director, Sara Bareilles – Composer/Lyricist and Jessie Nelson – Writer, as they discussed how the musical came to be with Blake Ross, the Editor in Chief of Playbill Magazine. What an experience to be around a group of talented women making this story come to life on the Broadway stage! The audience was even treated to a performance of “She Used To Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles, that didn’t leave a dry eye in the house!

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to see Waitress shortly after their Opening Night and before the Tony Awards. So, I wrangled up my friend, Meghan from work and we caught a Tuesday night show. There was an air of excitement outside of the theatre, as many theatre & Sara Bareilles fans were lining up to go inside. Once we walked into the lobby, we were greeted with the sweet smells of pie, which was baking in an oven just inside the theater. After a quick stop to the merchandise booth, where I got a Waitress pie pin, Meghan and I found our seats and quickly got to Snapchatting our experience; mostly to use the Waitress geofilter.

The show opened with a little song from Sara, reminding the audience to turn off their cell phones, then the stage came alive and Jessie Mueller (Tony Winner for Beautiful, Nice Work If You Can Get It) entered as Jenna. If you’ve listened to Sara’s version of the songs, then Jessie’s voice comes as a pleasant variation on “What’s Inside.” That familiar “sugar, butter, flour” floats through the air with a slight Southern drawl and sets up the story inside Joe’s Diner for the story that will unfold over the next two plus hours.

As the chords to “Opening Up” play, we’re introduced to all the characters in Joe’s Diner; Cal (Eric Anderson, Kinky Boots, Rocky, The Last Ship), Jenna’s boss, Becky (the brilliant Keala Settle, Les Miserables, Hands on a Hardbody, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Dawn (Kimiko Glenn, who you might know from Orange Is The New Black, where she plays Brook Soso, and in her Broadway debut), as her two fellow waitresses. Together, they introduce Jenna’s new pie of the day and the girls get the diner open and ready for customers. While lamenting over the same daily routines, they prep pies and setup the tables, while the ensemble dances around them, all through some amazing prop work; fake pies and all.

Towards the end of the number, Jenna is unable to focus on her customers – including the diner’s cantankerous owner Joe (Dakin Matthews, The Audience, Rocky), because she’s nauseous. As she runs to the bathroom, Becky and Dawn come to her rescue and persuade her to take a pregnancy test, but to focus on “The Negative.” In a matter of minutes, Jenna finds out that she is pregnant as Cal bellows for his employees to get back to work. As soon as Jenna gets back into the diner, her abusive and abrasive husband, Earl (Nick Codero, Bullets Over Broadway, Brooklynite) comes barging in. After causing a ruckus, Earl leaves and Jenna finds solace in crafting and creating her pies; while trying to figure out what to do with her life (“What Baking Can Do”). This number was originally a song called “Door Number Three” from Sara’s album and the original production in Boston, but the familiar melodies have been kept for this number and we see Jenna use her passion for baking and memories of her mother to make her miserable life just a bit better, funny how creating something can help.

In a sort of day dream, Jenna then imagines herself being surrounded by other pregnant women while she waits at the OB-GYN office and they welcome her to “Club Knocked Up.” Inside the doctor’s office, Jenna is waiting to confirm her pregnancy with her doctor’s favorite pie, when a new, handsome, young male doctor enters. She’s confused, as this was not who she was expecting to see in her vulnerable state. He introduces himself as Dr. Pomatter (Drew Gehling, Jersey Boys) and that he’s the new doctor in town. Flustered and attracted to the new doctor, Jenna leaves abruptly and abandons the pie, even though Dr. Pomatter doesn’t eat sugar. However, after Jenna leaves his office he can’t resist the smell and the impression she’s left on him; he takes a big bite of the pie and is smitten.

Back at the diner, Becky and Dawn give Jenna a baby book, so she can write down all the memories she’s going to make with her baby. Jenna still isn’t sure how she feels about becoming a mother and instead, redirects their conversation to Dawn’s challenges entering the world of online dating. It’s here that Kimiko gets the chance to shine in “When He Sees Me,” as she expresses her fears of the dating world and what she could run into. During this number, she floats through all the tables of customers expressing her fears; such as how he eats Oreos or if he could be colorblind. This number featured some more great work by the ensemble as they play off of and react to Dawn’s ridiculous excuses to why she can’t date or fall for a guy.

After work, Jenna is waiting for the bus when Dr. Pomatter shows up. It’s here that he confesses that he ate the pie she left at the office and they chat. They may have very different lives, but there’s something brewing between them, as they wait on the bus stop bench.

Finally at home, Jenna is fearful of Earl, who has been drinking alone at home and has been fired from his job. Jenna says something that aggravates him and as he raises his hand to her, when she finally blurts out that she’s pregnant and his demeanor changes instantly. Earl takes this opportunity to remind Jenna of how in love they were when they were younger and sings to her (“You Will Still Be Mine”).

Another day at the diner, but this day Dawn has finally received a message on her dating profile! She doesn’t know what to do, as no guy has ever paid attention to her in this way. She asks Jenna to make her a special pie to bring with her on her date. As Jenna is baking she begins to day dream and wonder what her life would be like away from Earl with her baby (“A Soft Place to Land”). She remembers that Joe told her about a pie baking contest in a town not that far away and imagines what she could do if she won the prize money.

Jenna is woken up from her day dream, as Ogie (Christopher Fitzgerald, Tony Nominated for this role, Wicked OBC), Dawn’s love interest enters and declares his love for her. In the brilliant “Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me” Ogie shows Dawn just how right they are for each other and how he will never leave her side and be everything to her. Each of them have their own quirks, among them Civil War reenactment, but they really are a great fit for each other.

Inspired by Dawn & Ogie’s love, Jenna goes to meet Dr. Pomatter. Their attraction is undeniable and even though they know what they’re doing is wrong (“Bad Idea”), they toy with each other’s feelings and kiss in the end of Act One.

At the top of Act Two, Jenna catches Becky in the diner kitchen making out with Cal. She cannot believe her own eyes and is quick to judge and point her finger at Becky. Keala gets her chance to shine as she sings “I Didn’t Plan It” and explains to Jenna about what a hypocrite she’s being; Becky’s husband is disabled and Cal gives her something that she can’t get physically at home. Becky still loves her husband, but she still needs someone to take care of her, as she takes care of him. She even points out how Jenna is behaving with Dr. Pomatter and her own issues with Earl, as the two argue.

As Jenna falls back into Dr. Pomatter’s arms, the audience sees that each waitress is engaged in their own passionate relationship; Jenna and the doctor, Becky and Cal, and Dawn and Ogie (“Bad Idea (Reprise)”). Their relationship progresses, but Jenna knows she should try and end their affair; yet she’s drawn to Dr. Pomatter even more. She speaks to her baby, sharing her hopes, wishes and dreams for her daughter (“You Matter to Me”).

Even though Jenna’s personal life might be in turmoil, Dawn & Ogie are celebrating their love and getting married at the diner. After the sweet ceremony, Ogie finds a way to profess his love to Dawn through puns and his own oddball style, thus “I Love You Like A Table.” As her friends encourage her creativity to enter the pie contest, Joe dances with Jenna and gives her some advice (“Take It from an Old Man”).

Returning home from the celebration, Jenna finds that Earl has found that she has been hiding all her tips, in order to make it to the pie contest. Earl erupts in a rage, how could his wife be hiding money from him, when he lost his job!? In a desperate attempt to save herself and the baby, Jenna tells him that she was hiding the money to buy a new crib for the baby. Suddenly, Earl’s demeanor changes and he stumbles off to bed, leaving Jenna alone.

Lamenting over her situation and how her escape has now been thwarted, Jenna talks to her baby again (“Dear Baby”) and paces around her living room while singing about what her life used to be and wondering how she got here in life. This song, “She Used To Be Mine,” easily is the most beautiful song of the show.

Jenna is finally ready to have her baby and in the “Contraction Ballet,” the audience sees her home turn into the hospital as her friends and Dr. Pomatter gather for the arrival of her child. As the nurse hands over her daughter, Jenna decides to name her Lulu. As Jenna realizes that her life has only changed for the better (“Everything Changes”), she tells Earl that she doesn’t love him and is going to leave him. As she prepares to leave the hospital, she finds out that Joe has passed away, leaving her the diner for her own use. Jenna realizes that she may not make it to the pie contest, but she can make something wonderful out of the diner and change her life for the better.

Back at the diner, the scene changes as the waitresses and Cal start prepping the diner to open (“Opening Up (Reprise)”). The sign changes from “Joe’s Diner” to “Lulu’s Pie Diner” and a toddler Lulu (Claire & McKenna Keane) runs onto the stage and into her mother’s arms.

I was fully prepared to cry more at the show, but there were so many great visual cues, maybe I didn’t get as emotionally invested as when I was listening to Sara Bareilles at BroadwayCon. I had such a great time watching this story come to life, especially after the buzz from the original showing in Boston and the panel from BroadwayCon. I was very impressed by Kimiko Glenn’s singing and ability to go through all the emotions of Dawn in the show. I also love that she’s an Asian-American actress cast in a colorblind role! We need to see more Asians on stage as “normal” Americans!

What can I say about Jessie Mueller? I thought she was great in Nice Work If You Can Get It, where she replaced Kelli O’Hara and easily out performed Matthew Broderick, and then I fell for her again as Carole King in Beautiful. Something about the quality of her voice brought so many new colors to the role of Jenna vs. Sara on her album.

Since I saw the show just after the Tony nominations, I was really surprised that I had not been to a show with Christopher Fitzgerald in it! What a fun experience to see one of the original cast members from Wicked in his Tony nominated role! He brought just the right amount of quirk and fun to Ogie, including an impressive leap over the back of a chair and dancing on a table!

As Earl, Nick Codero, could easily be one of those actors that you dislike, which only means he’s doing his job well! Luckily, I have seen him perform in a few other shows, Bullets Over Broadway, where he was a clever gangster, and in one of my favorite Off-Broadway shows, Brooklynite, where he played yet another villain-esque character who was trying to get the secret to getting real superpowers!

As for the other cast members, Keala Settle was one of my favorite actors when I saw the unfortunate musical that was Hands on a Hardbody, a few years ago. That woman can belt! She’s a perfect fit for the role of Becky; just the right amount of sass and bravado! I wish I would have seen her as the Mistress of the House in Les Miserables last year. Overall, a great night of theatre and I can’t Waitress to go see this show again!

Musical Numbers:

Act One:

What’s Inside

Opening Up

The Negative

What Baking Can Do

Club Knocked Up

When He Sees Me

It Only Takes a Taste

You Will Still Be Mine

A Soft Place to Land

Never Ever Getting Rid of Me

Bad Idea

Act Two:

I Didn’t Plan It

Bad Idea (Reprise)

You Matter to Me

I Love You Like a Table

Take It From an Old Man

She Used to Be Mine

Everything Changes

Opening Up (Finale)

"Tuck Everlasting" - 05.04.16

May 11, 2016

Show/Venue: Tuck Everlasting at the Broadhurst Theatre

Date: Wednesday, May 4th, 2016 @ 2pm

Starring: Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Carolee Carmello, Robert Lenzi, Sarah Charles Lewis, Michael Park, Terrence Mann, Neil Haskell

Website: http://www.tuckeverlastingmusical.com/

Is it strange that I never read Tuck Everlasting or watched the movie before I went to see the musical? Maybe? But as an Andrew Keenan-Bolger fan, I was anxious to see it, especially after hearing so many good things about the show after it’s out of town tryout in Atlanta. AKB also mentioned at BroadwayCon that Jesse was easily one of his favorite roles that he’s played to date. However, my friends had given me some mixed reviews; saying it would “do well regionally” and that it wasn’t as grand as they had expected, but I went into the show with an open mind.

Through TodayTix, I was able to get a fourth row, center seat; which was great for all the dances and larger production numbers. Since it was a Wednesday matinee, the theatre was crowded with school children, lending to the excitement and noise level in the theatre. As the show started, the audience gets introduced to the Tuck family; Mae (Carolee Carmello, reprising her role from the Atlanta production), Angus (Michael Park, also from the original), Miles (Robert Lenzi, originating the role on Broadway) and Jesse (Andrew Keenan-Bolger, also from the original). The Tuck family found their way into the woods of Treegap, where they found a spring and drank from it. Little did they know that the spring would stop their aging process and they could never die (“Live Like This”).

Moving ahead several years, we see the Foster family; 11-year-old Winnie (Sarah Charles Lewis, in her Broadway debut), Mrs. Foster/Mother (Valerie Wright) and Nana (Pippa Pearthree), in mourning dress, after the passing of Winnie’s father and Mrs. Foster’s husband. It has been over a year since his passing and Winnie is excited to go to the fair, which is passing through Treegap and for a chance to get out of her gloomy clothing. After a short argument with her mother, Winnie laments about always being the good girl (“Good Girl Winnie Foster”) and runs into a Man in a Yellow Suit (Terrence Mann, Pippin) who works with the fair. He performs a few magic tricks, showing Winnie that he can accurately guess her age by looking into her eyes (“Join the Parade”) and tries to convince her to come to the fair. It’s then that Winnie’s demeanor changes and she follows her pet toad into the woods around her property (“Good Girl Winnie Foster (Reprise)”).

As she runs into the woods, she sees Jesse; who is back in town to reunite with his family after being apart for 10 years. Jesse fears that Winnie has seen him drink from the spring, but distracts here with a tale of imagination and tree climbing (“Top of the World”). During this scene, I was thankful for my seat as the tree reveals a sort of bridge and swing, while Jesse & Winnie climb through the branches and leaves. Shortly thereafter, Miles appears and Jesse reveals Winnie. Fearing that Winnie knows too much about the spring, Miles throws a blanket over her head and carries her back to the Tuck home.

Back at the Foster home, Constable Joe (Fred Applegate) and his apprentice, Hugo (Michael Wartella) are gathering information from Mother and Nana about Winnie’s disappearance. Hugo cannot wait to be a real detective, but seems a big nervous (“Hugo’s First Case”). Constable Joe dismisses Hugo in front of the Fosters, but soon everyone will see how observant Hugo really is.

Back at the Tuck home, Jesse & Miles bring Winnie to Mae and Angus who have to figure out how to explain their family’s secret to Winnie. Immediately, Jesse wants to have Winnie stay with them, so he can have a playmate & companion, he may be 102-years-old, but he still acts like a 17-year-old. The Tuck family explains to Winnie about the spring (“Story of the Tucks”). They also explain why they can only reunite every 10 years, so no one grow suspicious of their ability to never age. As Mae finds something for Winnie to wear, they sift through trunks in the attic and Mae finds the dress that Angus proposed to her in. In a beautiful dance number, Mae recalls how her husband used to be so in love with her and how he used to look at her with passion; certainly this isn’t the case anymore.

As Winnie is about to go to sleep, Jesse wakes her up; he wants them to have another adventure. He convinces her to sneak out of the house, so they can go to the fair. However, they get caught on their way out by Angus. He almost forbids them from going, but after hearing about the loss of Winnie’s father, he decides to let them go out and have some fun.

Jesse & Winnie arrive at the fair and have a wonderful time; playing games, eating cotton candy and running around the fairgrounds (“Join the Parade (Reprise)” and “Partner in Crime”). In the elaborate dance number, Jesse & Winnie play with the other fair workers, as Jesse begins to fall for Winnie; if only she were a bit older. As the fair winds down, the Man in the Yellow Suit reappears with the only game left; the age guessing both. Winnie begs Jesse to stay away, but Jesse just wants to play. As the Man in the Yellow Suit stares into Jesse’s eyes, he’s reminded of a story that his grandmother used to tell him; one about a family that never ages. At first he guesses Jesse is 17, but after another stare, realizes that he is indeed 102-years-old! Jesse & Winnie flee the fairgrounds and escape to the top of a silo.

As the two of them sit on the silo, Jesse proposes that Winnie should drink the water from the spring in 6 years, so then she will be 17, like him (“Seventeen”). The Man in the Yellow Suit is lurking in the shadows and hears of Jesse’s plan and learns that he has finally found the family he has been searching for. He then heads to the Foster home to tell them that he has found Winnie, but has a business deal for them.

The Man in the Yellow Suit realizes that he can trade Winnie in for ownership of the woods on the Foster’s property, the same woods that house the spring the Tuck family has been drinking from for decades. He will then bottle the water from the spring and sell it for a profit; stay young forever and be rich! (“Everything’s Golden”)

Back at the house, Jesse reveals his plan to have Winnie drink from the spring in 6 years (“Seventeen (Reprise)”) and the rest of the Tuck family agree that this is another one of Jesse’s stupid ideas. Miles appears and sees that Winnie is dressed in the clothing that used to belong to his son, Thomas. In a scene that brought tears to my eyes, Miles tells Winnie the story of Thomas and his wife. Before the Tuck family knew about the magical powers of the spring water, Miles got married and had a child. By the time the family learned that they couldn’t age, Miles’ wife was convinced that he was possessed, took Thomas and left Miles alone (“Time”).

Back at the Foster home, the Man in the Yellow Suit is convincing Mother and Nana to sign over the woods on their property to him (“Everything’s Golden (Reprise)”), when Constable Joe and Hugo appear. They know there is something suspicious about the Man in the Yellow Suit and start questioning him, with Hugo noticing all the odd details; Mother holding paperwork for a “business transaction,” that the Man cannot elaborate on. As the Man in the Yellow Suit leaves, Constable Joe and Hugo talk over the odd situation (“You Can’t Trust a Man”).

After Winnie learned about Thomas, Angus takes a moment to talk with her. Angus explains to Winnie why aging is important (“The Wheel”) and tries to convince her that she does not need to drink the spring water. Seeing Angus as a fatherly figure, she starts to think if it’s really worth spending forever with Jesse. Maybe she should experience life and grow up?

The Man in the Yellow Suit has left the Foster’s home and is on the way to the spring in the woods. It’s here that he runs into Jesse, gathering water from the spring to give to Winnie. The Man tries to stab Jesse, but realizes he cannot die. Shortly thereafter, the entire Tuck family appears and confronts the Man. The Man tries to grab the vial of water from Jesse, but he tosses it to Miles. The Man then grabs Winnie, puts a gun to her head and makes her his hostage. Mae then uses the butt of Angus’ shotgun and hits the Man over the head, knocking him unconscious and effectively, killing him. Winnie is free, but Constable Joe and Hugo arrive and see the Man in the Yellow Suit’s body. They are going to charge Mae to death by hanging; which we all know won’t work, when Winnie steps up to say she did it and acted in self-defense. Constable Joe knows he cannot charge a child and encourages the Tuck family to leave Treegap and never come back.

Hugo offers to return Winnie home, as Jesse reminds Winnie to wait 6 years for him. When Winnie returns home, she cannot decide what to do with the water from the spring. Does she want to grow up and have a rich, fulfilled life or should she stay 17 forever and be with Jesse? (“Everlasting”) Suddenly, Winnie’s toad reappears, as Hugo almost flattens him with his foot. It’s then that Winnie knows what to do; she pours the water onto her toad, giving him eternal life.

In the finale (“The Wheel (Reprise)”), we see Winnie begin to grow up; she turns 17, she starts dating Hugo, they get married, they have a child (Neil Haskell, So You Think You Can Dance, Bring It On, Hamilton), her child grows up, her Nana passes, her mother passes, Hugo passes through a gorgeous and beautiful ballet.

Overall, I had a great time at the show. I enjoyed the story, even if I was a little creeped out at 30-year-old Andrew Keenan-Bolger trying to look 17 and tell a real 11-year-old to “wait for him.” I was very touched by the finale ballet, watching Winnie be played by Sarah Charles Lewis, Deanna Doyle and Jennifer Smith (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) at various ages and by Robert Lenzi’s solo, “Time.”

It was great being so close to the stage, since I’ve been a fan of Neil Haskell since his appearance on SYTYCD and have seen him in several other Broadway shows. I was impressed watching him dance and the hard-working members of the ensemble, as they went through their multitude of costume changes. The big dance number in “Partner in Crime” was my favorite of the show; watching them leap, tap and twirl around the stage.

I even stayed around at the Stage Door to speak with AKB and Robert. I didn’t get a chance to see Carolee Carmello or Sarah Charles Lewis, but the energy at the door was great, despite the rain. I’m not sure how much longer the show will stay on Broadway, but I hope to go back at another time to see it again and I can’t wait to get a copy of the cast recording when it comes out.

Musical Numbers:

Act One:

Live Like This

Good Girl Winnie Foster

Join the Parade

Good Girl Winnie Foster (Reprise)

Top of the World

Hugo’s First Case

Story of the Tucks

My Most Beautiful Day

Join the Parade (Reprise)

Partner in Crime

Seventeen

Act Two:

Everything’s Golden

Seventeen (Reprise)

Time

Everything’s Golden (Reprise)

You Can’t Trust a Man

The Wheel

Story of the Man in the Yellow Suit

Everlasting

The Wheel (Reprise)

"Allegiance" - 10.17.15

December 1, 2015

Show/Venue: Allegiance at the Longacre Theatre

Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2015 @ 2pm

Starring: George Takei, Lea Salonga, Telly Leung, Katie Rose Clarke, Michael K. Lee

Website: http://allegiancemusical.com/

After months of waiting, I was finally able to see one of my Broadway crushes, Telly Leung, in Allegiance. I had been following the show’s journey from the Old World Stages to Broadway and was hoping that he would stay attached to the show when it transferred to the Great White Way. And I lucked out! I was able to get a ticket to see the show in Previews (thanks, TodayTix) and got a front-row balcony seat for the Saturday matinee.

The show tells the story of the Kimura family, who are sent to an Internment Camp during World War II in the United States, as all Japanese-Americans were required to after the Japanese Government bombed Pearl Harbor. I found this story especially poignant, since in the American educational system, we were rarely taught about the “darker” side of the American Government during the war. I only found out about the Internment Camps, as I became fascinated by the story of Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes in Elementary School. I started reading everything I could find about this subject, which was hard for my small library in Lincoln, Nebraska. This was when I first learned about the stables and barracks that Japanese-Americans were kept in during World War II.

The show opens in the early 00’s, as Sam Kimura (George Takei), is remembering his life, after his sister has passed away. Through a flasthback, we see him as a young man, played by Telly Leung (Rent, Godspell), his sister, Kei, played by the brilliant Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, the singing voice of Jasmine in Aladdin and Mulan in Mulan) and their father, Tatsuo Kimora, played by Christopheren Nomura; enjoying the summer sunshine with their friendsfamilies.

Not too long after, their whole lives change as the Japanese Government bombs Pearl Harbor and the United States Governments sends all citizens of Japanese ancestry to various camps across the Nation. The Kimura’s are then forced to sell their farmland to a white neighbor for only $2,000 and take only what they can carry to the camp. Sammy immediately wants to enlist in the military with his friends, but they are informed that they cannot, due to their Nationality. As they arrive at the camp, they realize that they will be forced to live in old horse shelters, barns and barracks; giving up their freedom to comply with the “threat” of their allegiance to Japan vs. America.

Then the Kimura family finds themselves, including their elderly grandfather, Ojii-Chan, also played by Takei, in the Wyoming countryside, feeling imprisoned in their own Country for “their own good.” Once in the camp, everyone struggles to live their day to day lives with so many restrictions. Ojii-Chan reminds them of an old Japanese phrase, “Gaman,” meaning to have “endurance with dignity;” the Japanese will not be remembered for defiance, but for their ability to cooperate and show their loyalty to America. This song becomes the saying that will help everyone get through their tough times in the camp.

As the families settle into their barracks, there’s a cute moment where Ojii-Chan wants to hang up his wind chimes. An American soldier then warns him about putting up “Jap” things in his barrack and he takes them down. Sammy hangs up an American flag to show their loyalty to America, but when the soldier leaves, Ojii-Chan hangs up the wind chimes underneath the flag, in a small act of defiance.

Feeling much like criminals, the Japanese families are provided with little food and supplies. When Ojii-Chan gets a cough, Sammy & Kei go to the camp’s nurse to try and get some medicine. They notice that the soldiers are able to get relief, but not the prisoners. As Sammy chats with the Nurse, Hannah, played by Katie Rose Clarke (Wicked), he finds an ally and she sneaks him some cough syrup for his ailing grandfather.

In the number for “Get in the Game,” (barring any High School Musical references) the families play a game of baseball to compare their experience to what happens in a good game of America’s favorite past-time. As time passes in the camp, Kei begins to reexamine her life and how she has helped to raise her brother, Sammy, and he has so much ambition, but she has no direction in her life. She meets a young man, Frankie Suzuki (Michael K. Lee), who becomes of interest to her and becomes her confidant in the camp. It’s here that Lea Salonga gets to shine in the number, “Higher,” and I could feel the goosebumps as she hit the chords that reminded me of her voice while listening to Aladdin and Mulan throughout my childhood.

Shortly thereafter, the head of the Japanese Americans Citizens League (JACL), Mike Masaoka, played by Greg Watanabe, announces that there will be a “loyalty questionnaire” given to all individuals in the camps. Most of the questions are harmless, almost like census data, but one asks each person to show their allegiance to America or Japan. Those who mark their allegiance with America are kept in the camp or released, but those who mark their allegiance to Japan are sent to a much harsher camp; which is what happens to Kei & Sammy’s father, Tatsuo. In a tender moment, Kei struggles with what to mark on her questionnaire and Ojii-Chan folds his questionnaire into a paper flower for Kei to wear.

Masaoka continues to fight for the Japanese-Americans’ right to join the military to help show their allegiance and to fight the enemy in the war. The American Government agrees that they can serve in an “Asian Only” battalion and Sammy finally gets his wish to join. Sammy sees this as an opportunity to prove that he is an American, but the JACL has other plans. While they want to show their loyalty, their men are mostly sent into a suicide mission overseas. Back in Wyoming, Frankie opposes the draft for the Japanese-Americans and suffers for his opinions.

While Sammy is overseas, Hannah follows his journey through the news and keeps an eye out for Kei and Sammy’s family, as she promised him. She wants desperately to show Mr. Kimura that his son is doing their country proud, by fighting and leading troops into battle. While Frankie is locked up in a higher security cell for expression his dissention to the war, Kei learns that she is pregnant.

The remainder of the show goes between the camp in Wyoming, Tatsuo’s prison and Sammy overseas. As the war ends with the Americans bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Atomic bombs, Sammy returns home. It’s here that he finds out about Frankie and Kei’s relationship and their baby. Infuriated that Kei did not tell him about anything while he was away, they argue and he leaves, separating himself from his family, until we see him again at the end of the show.

As not to spoil some of the twists in Act Two, I won’t reveal what really led me to cry, but something about the whole Asian-American experience really pulled at my heartstrings. Growing up in the Midwest, where I was the only Asian kid in school until Middle School, really made me a bit defensive to other kids’ comments and how they would ask me things like “why are your eyes so small?” Then the fact that this part of American History was not taught to me in school, only signaled to me that my culture’s experiences in History were not important. I could empathize easily with the plight of the characters in Allegiance.

The show concludes with Sammy as an old man, played again by Takei, as he returns home to find out that his father has saved the LIFE Magazine with his portrait on the cover. It’s here that Sammy realizes his father was proud of him, after all. Even if they did not get the chance to ever express it in person.

At the end of the show, I left with another Broadway crush, Michael K. Lee, whose performance as Frankie really drew me in. Between Telly Leung’s performance, I wanted to side with him and fight for the Japanese-American’s right to fight in the war, but I also agreed with Frankie, how could someone want to support a country that imprisoned them? I also enjoyed seeing Katie Rose Clarke, who I had seen in Wicked a few years ago, and her performance role as Nurse Hannah, really showed how some people had to walk the fine line between treating the Japanese-Americans as prisoners and being regular Americans. She brought subtle emotions through in a way, so different that Glinda; where I mostly felt annoyed by her character in that show.

And of course, as a “Fansie” (fan of Newsies), I was excited to see Aaron J. Albano in the ensemble, after seeing him in Newsies, Here Lives Love and The King & I. Since he plays various roles in the ensemble, he did not have many featured roles, but got a chance to act along with Telly in several scenes.

Watching Christopheren Nomura and George Takei, was at some times like watching my Dad tell a story. As he immigrated to the United States when he was only 18-years-old, to Midwest, it was interesting to see how some of his own experiences mirrored what the Japanese-Americans had to go through; prejudice, racism, discrimination, even though he came to the U.S. almost 20 years after World War II.

Normally, I’m not one to “Stage Door” and wait for autographs, but I wanted to see Telly and of course, Lea Salonga! I was able to get signatures from both of them, Katie Rose Clarke and Christopheren Nomura, but I couldn’t catch Michael K. Lee over all the Filipino ladies shoving their way in front of me. The ladies went nuts when Lea came out, since she has been such an inspirational figure for them and recently appeared on the Philippines version of The Voice. I was able to speak to Telly for a bit, and mention that I had met him before at the Godspell Cast Album signing at Barnes & Noble a few years ago. (He thanked me for my support!)

Musical Numbers:

Act One:

San Francisco, California – 2001

Prologue

Salinas, California – 1941

Wishes on the Wind

Do Not Fight the Storm

Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Wyoming/Washington, DC – 1942

Gaman

What Makes a Man

I Oughta Go

Get in the Game

Should I

Allegiance

Ishi Kara Ishi

Paradise

Higher

With You

Our Time Now

Act Two:

Pisa, Italy/Heart Mountain/Tule Lake/Vosges Mountains, France – 1944

Resist

Allegiance (Reprise)

This Is Not Over

Higher/Resist (Reprise)

Stronger Than Before

With You (Reprise)

Heart Mountain, Wyoming/Washington, DC/San Francisco, California – 1945

Nothing in Our Way

Ietsuita

442 Victory Swing

Higher/Ishi Kara Ishi (Reprise)

How Can You Go?

San Francisco, California – 2001

What Makes a Man/Wishes on the Wind (Reprise)

"Something Rotten!" - 05.05.15

June 4, 2015

Show/Venue: Something Rotten!: A Very New Musical at the St. James Theatre

Date: Tuesday, March 5th, 2015 @ 7pm

Starring: Brian D’Arcy James, Christian Borle, John Cariani, Heidi Blickenstaff

Website: http://www.rottenbroadway.com

Honestly, the advertisements for Something Rotten!, really don’t tell the viewer anything about the show and how hilarious it is! The premise is that the Bottom Brothers, Nick (Brian D’Arcy James, SMASH, Shrek, Next to Normal) and Nigel (John Cariani, Fiddler on the Roof) are writers who are tired of being constantly overshadowed by Shakespeare (Christian Borle, SMASH, Peter and the Starcatcher, Legally Blonde) during the Renaissance. Nick is the brains of their operation and Nigel is the writer/composer.

Nick expresses his distaste for Shakespeare (“God, I Hate Shakespeare”), while Nigel idolizes him and even writes his own prose. The opening number really sets up the plot for the rivalry between Nick & Shakespeare and Nick & Nigel as the Bottom Brothers try to come up with a great new play. Shortly thereafter, Nick finds out that his wife, Bea (Heidi Blickenstaff, The Addams Family, The Little Mermaid), wants to go to work and help Nick earn money for the family (“Right Hand Man”), but Nick protests his wife being “the man” and going to work for them; he should be the one supporting them.

As the brothers disagree on their next course of action, Nick takes matters into his own hands. He “borrows” from his family savings and visits a soothsayer to try and find out what Shakespeare’s next big hit will be. In the brilliant number, “A Musical!,” the soothsayer, who happens to be named Nostradamus (Brad Oscar, Big Fish, Spamalot), describes that the next big thing in theatre will be a musical! Nostradamus makes references towards many famous musicals through dance, lyrics and concepts; which is this wonderful crowd pleasing number in the show. Nick stands by trying to believe that people would actually want to see a show where people spontaneously burst into song and dance; who would want to see a show about singing and dancing cats?

Nick goes back to his troupe and tries to develop a musical around the plague, called “The Black Death” and has not convinced anyone that this is a concept that will help them gain popularity over Shakespeare. In the meantime, Nick finds out that Bea has been pretending to be a man to find work to provide money for their family and is pregnant. This only gives him more motivation to provide for his family and really come up with a great concept, as “The Black Death” isn’t going to work.

Nigel thinks that he & Nick should continue with their own writing and takes a moment to distance himself from his brother. At this time, he runs into Portia (Kate Reinders, Wicked, Gypsy), the daughter of a Puritan priest, Brother Jeremiah (Brooks Ashmanskas, Bullets Over Broadway), who denounces the theatre and the works of Shakespeare and the Bottom Brothers. Portia secretly finds Shakespeare dreamy and falls quickly for Nigel, as he recites his own poetry to her in the park (“I Love the Way”).

In a nod to Shakespeare in the Park, a crowd gathers to see the famous Bard in a great rock and roll influenced number, “Will Power” which plays up Shakespeare’s celebrity. Realizing that even Nigel is in awe of Shakespeare, Nick visits Nostradamus again to find out more about what Shakespeare could be up to. It’s revealed that Shakespeare’s biggest hit will be a play about…omelets. Nostradamus also has a vision that Shakespeare’s hit will be about a Danish, but leaving out the part about a Prince. Connecting Danish with the omelet theme, Nick believes he has all the information he needs and sets out to create a musical about eggs and breakfast.

What follows is the Act One Finale, an entertaining tap dance number to “This Bottoms’ Gonna Be on Top,” as Nick and Will have a face-off, full of name-dropping jabs and wonderful taps & slides. It’s here that Borle & D’Arcy James go above and beyond to one up each other and show off their killer tapping skills, which I never realized they had. (I guess that there wasn’t really a great plot line for them to show off these skills on SMASH.)

Act Two opens with a reprise of “Welcome to the Renaissance” and Shakespeare lamenting about how it’s “Hard to Be the Bard” in a hilarious song about his fame and fortune and featuring Borle in some pretty tight leather pants. Some great nods to paparazzi and the celebrity life in the 1500’s are mentioned in this number, with Will’s own back-up singers & dancers. It’s during this number that Shakespeare learns that the Bottom Brothers are coming up with a new idea for a play and that Nick has set out to “best” him. Shakespeare decides he will disguise himself as a fan, Toby Belch, and go to audition for Nick’s new play.

Across town, Nick and his troupe are working on a song, “It’s Eggs!” while everyone remains skeptical about the subject of eggs and the concept of the musical. Toby makes his appearance and the troupe gladly welcomes him into the fold. He is then shocked to find out that his next big play will be about eggs!?

In the meantime, Nigel has a secret meeting with Portia, where he shares a poem about his love for her (“We See the Light”). Through his expression, Portia realizes her love for Nigel and encourages him to keep writing and to get inspired to create something great for his next work. It’s through Nigel’s newly inspired writing that Nick and Brother Jeremiah will change their opinions of him & Portia as a couple and accept them for who they are.

Still skeptical about “Omelette: The Musical”, Nigel goes to Nick to inform him that he has been working on another play. During the brothers’ fight, Toby tries to use their arguments to his advantage and steal some of Nigel’s work (“To Thine Own Self”).

The troupe then goes onto opening night of Omelette: The Musical! There are subtle nods to Hamlet throughout; as if Shakespeare really did get some of his best work from Nigel Bottom’s writing (even “to be or not to be” is included). The troupe is struggling to make the musical seem coherent and not really ridiculous, when Shakespeare reveals himself to the crowd and they are stunned! Then Shakespeare decides to sue the Bottom Brothers and takes them to court.

During the proceedings, Nick is sentenced to be beheaded, when Bea, disguised as a lawyer comes to the defense of her husband. Bea makes a deal with Shakespeare to have her family exiled to America, where they can find many new opportunities (“Finale”) and bring the concept of musicals to the New World.

Overall, I was glad that I started off my Tony Award season with this show. The songs were very clever and there were plenty of musical references for all theatre fans to appreciate. I found myself laughing at some of the more obscure references to musicals and shows, but I think that most people will love the campiness and shtick in the show. With 10 Tony Nominations, the show is sure to clean up at the Awards on Sunday! And this Broadway fan girl hopes that Christian Borle walks away with another win, as I would gladly be one of his fans, shrieking at him in the park during “Will Power!”