cavo's corner

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Thirty-Two…

I didn’t really know what to expect going into Chicago. Everyone that I know who has seen it had only good things to say. And, of course, if the show wasn’t good, it wouldn’t have won six Tony Awards in 1997. Nor would it be the longest running revival in Broadway history; fourteen years after the revival was launched, the production is still going strong!

The set and the costumes are very basic, everything black, intentionally done to draw the audience’s attention to the choreography and music. The legendary Bob Fosse choreographed the original production in 1975. The orchestra sits in the center of the stage; orchestra members often interacting with the actors. 

As the title would suggest, the narrative is set in Chicago, Illinois, during the Roaring Twenties. Prohibition, gangsters, flappers - the whole shabang! If I didn’t know all of this from reading the Playbill before the show started, it could have easily occurred today. The timelessness of the piece could be why it has lasted for so long. While the plot is very shallow, little dialogue strung together by song after song, it is still relevant.

While this isn’t a show that I had ever expressed any desire to see, (nor would I pay to see it — the tix I got were comped though work) I am happy that I saw it. From the time it opened with Bebe Neuwirth, the cast has boasted some very interesting names, ranging from Ashlee Simpson Wentz to John O’Hurley (Mr. Peterman from “Seinfeld”) who played Billy Flynn in the production that I saw.

Honestly, I enjoyed every minute: great music, fantastic dancing, and  —what no musical is complete without— a drag queen, there was definitely something for everyone! You know, all that jazz…

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Thirty-One…

Fist off, let me say that I think this is one of the most beautifully designed Playbills that I have ever seen. The artwork is simply suburb. Everyone knows the saying “you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but if you were to judge South Pacific based on it’s Playbill cover, you wouldn’t be disappointed. This production, the 2008 revival, was outstanding! It should come as no surprise that it won seven Tony Awards in 2008! 

Ever since I heard that South Pacific was going to be revived, I wanted to see it. I had this preconceived notion that because it is such a classic show, it would be around for years and years; I wasn’t in any rush to see it because I thought it would always be there. Unfortunately, in the beginning of 2010, it was announced that the show would close come the end of August. That really put a fire under my ass.

You would think, knowing this information, that I would have purchased my tickets long in advance. Yeah… that’s not how I role. Instead, I wait until the week the show closes to buy tickets. Usually procrastination isn’t the best route to take, however, in this instant, it was an epic win. Kelli O’Hara, who played Nellie Forbusgh when the revival opened, returned to reprise her role for the final two weeks of the production.

So on the perfect Summer Saturday, @TGH3RD and I took a trip into the city to see this theatrical gem. Although technically on Broadway, the Vivian Beaumont Theatre is located in Lincoln Center, so it is set apart from all of the other Broadway theatres. It was a really nice change of pace not having to navigate throngs of tourists to get into the theatre.

Running a whopping two hours and 35 minutes, South Pacific was by far one of the longest shows that I’ve seen. But, in all honesty, there wasn’t a boring moment. Between the fantastic acting and lifelike sets, I was completely enthralled in the show. With music by the legendary duo, Richard Rogers & Oscar Hammerstein, we were treated to the likes of “Some Enchanted Evening,” “There is Nothing Like a Dame,” and “Bali Ha’i,” which are my personal favorites.

If you plan on being in New York between today (8/18) and this Sunday (8/22) be sure to see it! This production is phenomenal.

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Twenty-Seven…

First things first: sorry for the hiatus with Matinée Wednesday. Let’s get down to business! For @TGH3RD’s birthday, I got us a clutch pair of tickets to see American Idiot, while it was still in previews. We were literally sitting on the stage at the beautiful St. James Theatre. Coincidentally enough, the show’s antagonist is named it St. Jimmy. I think they did that on purpose.

There had been talk of a stage adaptation of Green Day’s highly acclaimed concept album “American Idiot” for quite some time prior to the 2010 Broadway production. I remember hearing a report on Z100 during “Danielle’s Morning Sleaze” that Green Day was producing the punk-rockpera at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, in California.

As is the case with most “jukebox musicals,” American Idiot does not have much of a plot. Rather, it is a series of songs loosely strung together with hastily written dialogue that doesn’t even begin to evoke the emotions of the lyrics in the music. Billy Joe Armstrong wrote “American Idiot” with the intent of using the album as a score for a stage version. After Green Day’s 2009 follow-up, “21st Century Breakdown” was released, several songs from that album were added to the score of American Idiot.

The show officially opened on April 20th (get it, 4:20) — do you think that was also a coincidence too? — which made it eligible to be nominated for the 2010 Tony Awards. It won two categories: one award for “Best Lighting Design of a Musical” and the other for “Best Scenic Design of a Musical,” which it certainly deserved.  From the time you enter the St. James Theatre, you feel unsettled. There is a sense of anarchy, as the graffiti-lined halls usher you into the theatre. Sharpies tempt you to deface the walls by adding your name. Unfortunately, @TGH3RD and I were running late, so we were unable to add our names, but @Pasty, (who was also at the show on the same night as we were!) did! 

As a HUGE Green Day fan, I was in all my glory during the show; singing along with each song. I don’t know if this “jukebox” has the staying power of something like Mama Mia!, but it is something that should be seen.

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Seventeen…

Wow. So I went to the Tonys! The 63rd annual Antoinette Perry Awards took place on Sunday, 7 June 2009 at the world renowned Radio City Music Hall. This all started when @Pasty told us that her mother was buying tickets to the ceremony to cheer on her cousin,  Trent Kowalik, @TrentKowalik, who was nominated for a Tony! Trent was up for “Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical,” which he won!

The whole evening was planned out. @Pasty had the foresight to get us a room at the Benjamin Hotel, which by the by, had a clutch mini-bar! The Tony Awards usually take place on a Sunday night, so she figured that we’d be too tired/drunk to even entertain the idea of taking the Long Island Rail Road home. She was right. I had rented a tux (yes, rented) because my cousin’s wedding was the following weekend. Bed to crash in: check. Debonair attire: check. We were ready to roll.

We took a cab the short distance from the hotel to Radio City Music Hall because it was the middle of June, a very rainy, muggy June at that! Once we arrived, the atmosphere was circus-like, abet it a controlled and very fancy circus. Once we passed the threshold into the art-deco and highly ornate lobby of the beautiful Radio City Music Hall, the excitement began to hit me. 

The throngs of people mingled as they picked up their Playbills, cocktails in one hand, tickets in the other. There was a sophisticated air about the crowd. As we were ushered up to our seats, the house lights began to dim and the pre-show began. The pre-show is not aired on television, as they distribute the awards that nobody really cares about. Then it was time to get down to business…

Hosted by the very talented and funny, Neil Patrick Harris, @ActuallyNPH, who performed magic tricks during the commercial breaks, this ceremony touted the most expensive opening number in the history of the Tony Awards. Liza Minelli made an appearance while Bret Michaels and his band, Poison, performed a number from Rock of Ages. As you may or may not remember, Michaels was injured during this performance, when part of the set was lowered onto him, hitting him in the face.  There were numbers from Hair, Next to Normal, and 9 to 5, where Dolly Parton joined the cast in the title number.  

Throughout the course of the ceremony, stars of upcoming shows would give the audience a little taste of what was coming to Broadway in the next season. One show that I new I wanted to see right off the bat was Wishful Drinking, starring Carrie Fisher, AKA, Princess Leia. The comedy, which was based on the book of the same name, tells the ups and downs of Fisher’s life. It looked hysterical.

Billy Elliot: The Musical was the big winner of the night, taking 10 of the 15 awards it was nominated for. Just to put that into perspective, Next to Normal, which was the second most nominated show that evening took only 3 of it’s 11 nominations. Team Trent-o was ecstatic, obviously; after he won his award, we all sighed breaths of relief and were able to enjoy the remainder of the show. 

The sad thing about events of this magnitude is that they seem to breeze by, ending, seemingly, as fast as they begin. Neil Patrick Harris took to the stage, alibiing a wonderful closing number. And just like that, curtain.

Read about what happened after the ceremony here!

[[Me and @Raque16; Radio City Music Hall.]]

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Thirteen…

Jersey Boys is my FAVORITE musical EVER. Ever. I’ve seen a ton of shows, and I was involved in theater for most of my young-adult life and I can say with certainty that this was the show that made me feel the magic.

Growing up in an Italian family, during Sunday dinner, it was a safe bet that Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons was on heavy rotation in the CD player, (along with Frank Sinatra and Perry Como…), swooning us with classics like “Sherry” and “Walk Like a Man,” as we ate our spaghetti and sauce (NOT gravy!). Their pop-rock/shoop/barbershop quartet-y sound makes each of their songs distinctive and recognizable.

I remember that when my family was retrieving our car from the parking garage after seeing Sweet Charity, the couple that we rode the elevator with had just seen Jersey Boys. They raved about it and from that second on, I needed to see it.

I went to this show with my parents and beforehand, we ate at the infamous 21 Club; we had a wonderfully New York evening. From the minute the lights dimmed in the theatre, I had goosebumps. The plot follows the rise of the four boys from Jersey is a dance-in-your-seat, cant-get-enough kinda’ way.  I was definitely singing along at one point.

Jersey Boys won four Tony Awards in 2006, including “Best Musical.”