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✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Thirty-Five…

First off, please let me apologize for my delinquency in not writing about this sooner. It’s been over two months since @TGH3RD and I saw Catch Me if You Can, the musical. This summer has been a particularly lazy one for me when it comes to this blog. I simply haven’t found the time to pay it adequate attention, what with work, buying a home and my lengthy calendar of seemingly unending social engagements. In any event, I digress… it could be worse. 

Based on the movie, which was based on the novel, which was based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., the lastest addition to the franchise: Catch Me if You Can, the musical was the first original musical (other than a Juke Box Musical, or a musical based on pop music) that I have seen in a long time. It chronicles the (mis)adventures of one of America’s most notorious con-artists during one of my favorite periods, the 1960s.  

I had always wanted to see the movie version of Catch Me if You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, although I’m terrible at getting to the movies. @TGH3RD rented it for me the week prior to seeing the musical, and thank goodness he did. I would have been lost! I can see those who are not familiar with the story becoming easily confused, as key plot elements are glazed over. But, after all, it was a musical.

The set was very cool — I mean, there was a plane on stage! The lighting design and the costumes were also phenomenally executed. The only thing that didn’t really stand out for me was the music. There were a few show-stoppers, and the signature song, “Live in Living Color,” was very good — it had classic musical elements — but everything else was unfortunately forgettable. 

This production received four nominations at for the 2011 Tony Awards. The award for “Best Perfomrance by a Leading Actor in a Musical” was awarded to Norbert Leo Butz for his portrayal of Detective Carl Hanratty. He also won a 2011 Drama Desk Award  for the role. 

Real theater aficionados like @AleksandrJohn didn’t like the show at all. He thought it was too “fluffy.” But that’s what theatre is all about in my book — a diversion! I thought it was a cute show, and I’m sure it will have a healthy run. 

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Thirty-Three…

There is a reason that The Phantom of the Opera has been running on Broadway since 1988 — that reason being, the show is absolutely phenomenal. When I was little, my parents went to see the show. They bought the original soundtrack and it lived in our car for years to come. I knew ever word to every song of the wonderful score by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. But for whatever reason, I never had the motivation to go and see the how myself. Then finally, I did. 

A vendor that I work with offered me tickets to see the show on a very special day, that day being my 25th birthday. On the eighth day of the ninth month in the year of our Lord, two thousand and ten, some of my favorite people on this planet celebrated my day of birth with dinner and drinks at the iconic 21 Club. From there, we went to see the show.

Originally starring Sarah Brightman, the plot almost mirrored the real-life love story of Webber and Brightman… let’s face it, he’s nothing special to look at. Webber and Brightman were married for six years before divorcing. Musical genius cultivating the abilities of a natural talent? Seems familiar.  

Anyway, the musical tells the tragic story of a love triangle. Christine Daaé, the heroin, is torn between her musical tutor, the repugnant Phantom, and her childhood love, the handsome Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. As most love triangles do, this one ends in a showdown… with ambiguous results. Christine and Raoul end up together, but the Phantom vanishes into thin air (literally).

One of the best musicals that I’ve seen, Phantom has it all — wonderful music, colorful sets, exquisite costumes and a story that isn’t strung together with nonsensical dialogue. It is of no wonder that a sequel, Love Never Dies, is currently running on the West End, and scheduled for Broadway in 2011.  

✭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 Twenty-Two…

So, let’s get one thing straight: Rock of Ages is actually pretty good. I know, I know… I can’t believe that I feel that way, but I can’t lie. I am a self-proclaimed fan of “jukebox musicals” — I loved Jersey Boys, and American Idiot. Even Movin’ Out was pretty good. But I hate the 80s, I hate hair bands and I pretty much thought I’d hate this show. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never actually pay for tickets to see Rock of Ages, but I did get a pair comped through work and happily, albeit reluctantly, attended.

If the producers were going for trashy when designing the interior of the theatre, they achieved that vision with honors. I mean, have you ever been to a Broadway show that had beer vendors patrolling the aisles? Didn’t think so. Unless, of course, you’ve seen this show.

Upon entering the theatre, the ushers hand you, along with your Playbill, one official Rock of Ages “lighter.”

Not only useful for holding up during those power-ballads, (“Don’t Stop Believing”), these fun little gadgets help you read your Playbill in the dimly lit theatre.

I definitely recommend the show. If you’re into serious theatre, this probably isn’t the best show for you. But, if you want a distraction for a couple of hours, the experience is well worth it. And, some of the best performances come from your fellow audience members, who, at my show, looked like they were all from Staten Island and had a penchant for aerosol hairspray.   

✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Eighteen…

Talk Like Singing was the first show that I got comped tickets for when I worked for the Eliran Murphy Group; which was a full-service, cultural advertising agency, specializing in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. EMG did the marketing for this show, so we were always entitled to comped tickets during it’s 10 day run. (The show only ran from November 12 - 22, 2009 before moving to Japan).

This was such a fun and interesting show, primarily because it was the first original Japanese musical to ever premier in the United States. Much of the dialogue and most of the songs were entirely in Japanese. Although to some this may be tedious to sit through, I enjoyed it because it only added to the quirkiness of  the show.

As the title suggests, Tarlow, the protagonist,  has a very rare condition that causes him to sing every time he tries to speak; he can only express himself through song. Although this may not seem like a handicap to some, Tarlow finds it very difficult to lead a normal life. With the help of a speech therapist and a psychiatrist (who he falls in love with), Tarlow is able to suppress the singing voices in his head, who he presumably harmonizes with when he speaks aloud.  

Sacrificing his singing for a “normal” life, Tarlow realizes that he is no longer happy without music. He must then try and reverse what his speech therapist, Dr. Dyson, did to the musical voices that resided in his mind. A six piece band is instrumental (ha, ha) in the action of the show, as they portray the music in Tarlow’s head. They are revived and Tarlow can continue singing his way through life. 

I really enjoyed the show, although I could only understand about 35% of the dialogue. Imagine a musical spliced with a Japanese game show, and  the end result is Talk Like Singing. The show is currently running in Japan.