Review: American Idiot

Musical: American Idiot
Date: 10th April 2011 at 19:30
Cast: Van Hughes (Johnny), David Larsen (Tunny), Justin Guarini (Will), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Whatsername), Jeanna de Waal (Heather), Libby Winters (Extraordinary Girl) and Billie Joe Armstrong (St. Jimmy)
Rating: *****


Review: I didn't plan to see or like this show at all but it ended up blowing me away. It's my last night in NYC and I just finished watching Mary Poppins, my 5th show on the trip, and I thought that should be enough. It was Sunday evening and there wasn't a lot to see. Then, I found out that American Idiot had Sunday evening performance and it also had lottery ticket, so I thought to myself, I would go for the lottery and if I meant to see the show, then I would get to, if not, I would go do something else. So right after Mary Poppins, I ran over to St. James Theatre on 44th Street and the lottery was in process. I took a paper, wrote my name and submitted it and then waited... After about 20 minutes, they started to call out names and to my surprise, my name was called out third. (Of course, the lady couldn't pronounce my name but it was still me!) Now I'm still kicking myself for not writing down 2 tickets and taking my brother along for the show. So I ended up in the front row seat for $27, how cool is that!!??!!

The Lottery

St. James Theatre on 44th Street

Let me tell you my background with Green Day. I only heard the song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and then I got hold of the cast recording but I never made it through. But I absolutely loved "21 Guns" and saw Green Day and the cast performed it at the Grammys. Then, I saw the cast performed the title song at the Tonys and saw Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day's leading man, performed "Holiday" and "Know Your Enemy" at the Tonys as well. But I really didn't care much for the rest of the album so I wasn't really sure what I was in for.

GREEN DAY

For those of you who don't know, American Idiot is a musical based on the songs of Green Day from albums "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown". I guess it is kind of a jukebox musical but the difference here is that American Idiot was written as a rock opera with storyline so it wasn't technically a jukebox musical. Still, new characters and extended storyline were developed to go with the existing songs.

Green Day's "American Idiot" album

Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown" album

I took my seat in the front row and it was very front. The stage at St. James Theatre is very tall and I wasn't sure whether the perspective from where I sat would be a good one. But once the show began and the curtain rose, I found that it was a really good seat since I could see everything very clearly. I don't think there were anything that was restricted from where I sat. Before the show started, there was an annoucement, "for the performance, the role of St. Jimmy..." I thought to myself, what the heck! Isn't Billie Joe gonna perform today? "...will be played by Billie Joe Armstrong" and what followed was a thunderous applause and cheers from the audience including me.


The show started off with the whole company performing "American Idiot" which was a really powerful way to begin a show. Once the drum started to play, you know that this was going to be a great theatre experience. There was only 1 scene in the show with lots of TVs projecting different news, photos and live video of on-stage actors from time to time. There was a tall staircase to the right of the stage, hidden high up above was the cellist and violinist. The 4-piece band was on stage with the actors  at all time. As the story moves on, different props were moved in and out to symbolic different places and locations. This reminds me a lot of Rent.

The scene of American Idiot

I must say that the best thing about the show was the music and the cast. The music throughout the show was just incredible. It was powerful, rocking as well as emotional and touching. I can't imagine anyone who came to see this show and not leaving with Green Day as their new favorite band.


The cast was also simply amazing. I was sorry to miss the 3 original leading men: John Gallagher, Jr., Michael Esper and Stark Sands, but those whom I saw didn't disappoint me at all. Van Hughes was our Johnny and I just found out that he had been with the show since the beginning as the swing for all three leading male roles. And he was really good in the role. He portrayed a very believable wasted irresponsible American teenager very well and and his singing was really good. I really like when he sings "When It's Time" to Whatsername who was sleeping and when he suddenly jumped during the song because he thought she woke up.

Van Hughes as Johnny
during "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

American Idol's Justin Guarini was our Will and he was very good too. The role of Will doesn't require a lot of dialogue and singing but he was on stage very often (on his couch on stage left) while other things were happening simultaneously. I think Will is a role which requires a lot of non-verbal emotional expression and Justin's expression throughout the show was just spot on.

Justin Guarini as Will
during "Wake Me Up when September Ends"

Portraying Tunny, Johnny's best friend-turned-soldiers was David Larsen. I think he got the least complex role of the three leading men and he did it well. His "Are We the Waiting" was really haunting and the flying sequence in "Extraordinary Girl" was really well done. I still don't know how he hid his leg when he was amputated. And when all three of them got together during "Wake Me Up When September Ends" was just a really beautiful moment in the show.

The Three leading men
(Justin Guarini, Van Hughes and David Larsen)

Moving to the ladies who were equally amazing, Rebecca Naomi Jones was Whatsername and from what I saw her at the Grammys and Tonys, she didn't disappoint here at all, her "21 Guns" sent chills down my spine. Libby Winters and Jeanna De Waal was Extraordinary Girl and Heather and both of them had beautiful singing voice and strong acting skills.

Rebecca Naomi Jones leading the girls in "Letterbomb"

Libby Winters as the Extraordinary Girl/Army Nurse
(seen here with original Tunny, Stark Sands)
during "21 Guns"

Jeanna de Waal as Heather (with Justin Guarini)
while they read the postcards of their friends who were on "Holiday"

Since I didn't know much about the plot and actors from the show, I didn't realize that we got an understudy for the role of "Favorite Son". Ben Thompson was our favorite son and he performed the hell out of the role. His singing voice and stage personality was great. The whole number was really fun to watch and I really wish I could have a body like his too but that's a different story. What I didn't know until after was that it was supposed to be (recent Tony-nominee) Joshua Henry who sings that song. Though I regret a bit not seeing him, I think the song actually works better with favourite son being a skin-headed white guy. I'm not being racist or anything here but my first impression with the song was "wow, that was cool, he found someone who looks exactly like Tunny but just bigger" and I think it worked really well for the audience that way. I also need to applaud the whole ensemble cast who were just beyond amazing and without them, the show wouldn't have been this great.

Special mention: Ben Thompson as the "Favorite Son"

Then, we had Billie Joe Armstrong as the villainous St. Jimmy, Johnny's alter-ego, and he was just fantastic. I was expecting another stunt casting and didn't really have my expectations up too high for him. I was wrong. His singing voice was out of the question, it was perfect. What surprises me was his ability to act. The role of St. Jimmy really suits the weird and quacky personality of Billie Joe and it was totally believable. No offence to previous St. Jimmys, I think the show would have been quite different without Billie Joe (but again, I could be wrong). After the show, I couldn't stop listening to "St. Jimmy", "Know Your Enemy" and "Death of St. Jimmy" and thinking back to his performance.

Green Day leading man, Billie Joe Armstrong as St. Jimmy

Now it's the weaker part of the show which was the book. I heard a lot of bad comments that the show was only about music and I do agree to a certain extent. It was clear that the producers rely on the songs to keep the show going because the storyline here was very loose and uninspiring. To sum up the story, American Idiot is about 3 friends who plan to go to the city but one got a girl pregnant so he couldn't go and then got wasted and his girlfriend left him for a rock and roll musician. One went to the city and enlisted into the army and got injured and got his leg cut off and fell in love with a nurse. One conjured up his alter-ego and got so wasted that he jeopardized his relationships with the city girl. At the end, all three reunite at home. If not for Green Day's music, the show would never have happened.


Also, the way the present the storyline was quite confusing at times. I was trying really hard to follow the lyrics and all the symbolics in the show to understand what the show was about. I mean I got the whole gist of it but once I read the synopsis afterwards, I found that I missed out on a lot of details.


Still, it was one of the greatest theatre experiences I have had. Too bad it lasted only 90 minutes but it was a really good 90 minutes. After a while, I actually found myself letting go and choosing to enjoy the music and the story at hand rather than trying to understand the show. The show ends with "Whatsername" which was a bit strange in terms of storyline but it was great musically. Then, there was a curtain call and all the cast had their guitars on and together they played "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". The show received a full house ovation and Billie Joe was right in front of me during his curtain call so I reached up and he shook my hand. How cool is that!!

I'm really sad that the show has closed on Broadway but glad to see it embarks on a national tour. This is a show that I would certainly love to see again if I have the chance. Go see it if you can. (Warning: the show might not appeal to old-fashioned adults and it contains lots of strong language and sexual and drugs content so not for children)

Justin Guarini and Van Hughes during "Jesus of Suburbia"

"Are We the Waiting" with Stark Sands as Tunny

"When It's Time" a love song sung to Whatsername by Johnny (Van Hughes)
observed by the unhappy St. Jimmy (Davey Havok) before bursting out into "Know Your Enemy"

"Death of St. Jimmy"

"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by the entire company

MUSICAL NUMBERS
American Idiot... Company


Jesus of Suburbia:
Jesus of Suburbia... Johnny and Will
City of the Damned... Tunny, Johnny, Will and Company
I Don't Care... Johnny, Will, Tunny and Company
Dearly Beloved... Heather and Men
Tales of Another Broken Home... Johnny, Will, Tunny, Heather and Company


Holiday... Johnny, Tunny with Miguel Cervantes and Company
Boulevard of Broken Dreams... Johnny, Whatsername, Tunny and Men
Favorite Son... Ben Thompson and Women
Are We the Waiting... Tunny, Ben Thompson and Company
St. Jimmy... Johnny, St. Jimmy and Company
Give Me Novacaine... Will, Tunny and Company
Last of the American Girls/She's a Rebel... Johnny, Whatsername, Will, St. Jimmy with Chase Peacock and Company
Last Night on Earth... St. Jimmy, Whatsername, Heather and Company
Too Much Too Soon... Will, Heather with Gerard Canonico and Alysha Umphress
Before the Lobotomy... Tunny and Men
Extraordinary Girl... Extraordinary Girl, Tunny and Company
Before the Lobotomy (Reprise)... Tunny and Men
When It's Time... Johnny
Know Your Enemy... St. Jimmy, Will, Johnny and Company
21 Guns... Whatsername, Extraordinary Girl, Heather, Tunny, Johnny, Will and Company
Letterbomb... Whatsername and Women
Wake Me Up When September Ends... Johnny, Will, Tunny and Company


Homecoming:
The Death of St. Jimmy... St. Jimmy and Johnny
East 12th Street... Johnny with Gerard Canonico, Jason Kappus and Company
Nobody Likes You... Will and Company
Rock and Roll Girlfriend... Heather, Will with Miguel Cervantes and Company
We're Coming Home Again... Johnny, Will, Tunny and Company


Whatsername... Johnny and Company


Curtain Call:

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)... Company

Review: Mary Poppins

Musical: Mary Poppins
Venue: New Amsterdam Theatre, New York
Date: 10th April 2011 at 15:00
Cast: Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Gavin Lee (Bert), Laird Mackintosh (George Banks), Megan Osterhaus (Winifred Banks), Catherine Missal (Jane Banks), David Gabriel Lerner (Michael Banks), Valerie Boyle (Mrs. Brill), Andrew Keenan Bolger (Roberson Ay), Ann Arvia (Bird Woman), Ruth Gottschall (Miss Andrew)
Rating: *****

Review:
I've been wanting to see Mary Poppins for so long so when I'm in New York, this was right on the top of my must-see list, especially with Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee, the two original Mary Poppins and Bert. Too bad, that day at TKTS, I got one of the worst seats ever, last row of the balcony!

The New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street

A better shot of the theatre from someone else's camera :)

One thing that bothered me going in to see this show was the parental decision in bringing their kids to the show. I know it's Disney and all but it's still theatre. And actually, I find that Mary Poppins is not really meant for kids who are too young to control themselves over the course of the show which was about 2.40 hours. Yes, she flies, he walks upside down and things popped up here and there magically but the show also carries a lot of content that requires audience concentration. I'm not against bringing kids to theatres. My first theatre experience was when I was 6 and if I didn't like any show, I just went to sleep. And I've seen young kids who behave very well during theatre shows.

What happened at my show was that there were lots of kids crying during the show which was really annoying and I didn't pay a lot of money to listen the children crying. The girl next to me got restless after about 40 minutes into the show and began to cry and finally loudly beg her mom to take her home during "Supercali.." number that the usher had to come to escort them out. These whole situation really ruined the fun of watching the show for me. I don't know, it seemed like a waste of money as well to be honest. You are paying for 2 seats and ended up leaving the show, not even half-way through. For the sake of other audience, if you're bringing young children to the show, please please make sure that they can contain themselves throughout. Thanks.

Beside the kids issue, I really enjoyed the show a lot even though I was sitting so far up above. Admittedly, I have seen the bootleg version of the show so I kinda know what was to happen but it was still pretty magical and fun. The production was very well-done. Good use of sceneries and stage effects. The Cherry Tree Lane house looks pretty amazing and I think how they transfered from the living room to the bedroom, the kitchen and the rooftop was pretty clever. I also like how they originated their own take on the book, rather than just copying off from the movie. I guess it gave the show that something uniquely special for the audience.

The cast was pretty amazing as well. Gavin Lee WAS the definitive Bert. His singing and dancing and acting was just beyond impeccable. He was so lively in every scene he was in and he didn't disappoint at all from his first "Chim-Chim Cher-ee" to "Jolly Holiday" and from "Let's Go Fly a Kite" to the showstopper "Step in Time". He was simply amazing and funny in everything he did.

Gavin Lee as Bert during the opening number

I was so glad to know that Ashley Brown was to assume the title role while Laura Michelle Kelly (original London Mary Poppins) was on hiatus. Not that I didn't want to see Ms. Kelly in the role but I really enjoyed Ms. Brown performance since I first saw her as Belle in Beauty and the Beast and totally fell in love with her voice in Disney's on the Record. She was just practically perfect for the role, to quote Mary Poppins. Her singing voice was as beautiful as ever and her acting was very good. There were times that she actually sounded like Julie Andrews when she spoke.

Ashley Brown as the "practically-perfect" nanny, Mary Poppins

Look it's Bert and Mary Poppins!

The music was quite good here. You got your familiar Mary Poppins songs, most of them got extended one way or another to make way for more story-telling and dancing sequences. Most of the new songs were quite good namely "Anything Can Happen" and "Practically Perfect". I didn't realize that the Broadway version changed the song "Temper, Temper" to be "Playing the Game" which I liked a lot better but it really showed the darker side of Mary Poppins by having her sing it though. I also like the fact that the cast recording omitted many of the snippets of songs in the show. That kinda made many of the tunes fresh for me when I saw it live.

"Jolly Holiday" number which was a total reinterpretation from the movie

Laird Mackintosh, Megan Osterhaus, Catherine Missal and David Gabriel Lerner made up the four members of the Banks Family and they were just fantastic in their roles. I really love Megan Osterhaus as Winifred. Her acting and singing voice was just beautiful and she made the usually-boring "Being Mrs, Banks" into something I actually like. I could see her as a possible Mary Poppins. The supporting cast and the ensemble were great as well. I think the show's strength lied in its ensemble numbers and colorful sceneries notably "Jolly Holiday", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Anything Can Happen". I never noticed that there was a giant umbrella at the end of "Anything Can Happen" but it was quite impressive, if a little bit strange.

Megan Osterhaus singing "Being Mrs. Banks"

One thing that I didn't really understand from the show was the relationship between Mr. Banks and Bert in the "A Man Has Dreams/A Spoonful of Sugar (Reprise)" scene towards the end of Act Two. It seemed they were long-time friends that have never met in a while? Or had all of this happened to Mr. Banks before, before he met his evil nanny Miss Andrews? Mrs. Correy was mentioning him in the "Supercali..." scene too though. I didn't think there was any clear explanation in the show or maybe it's something the audience just needed to think for themselves??

Overall, it was a wonderful afternoon for me. I think Mary Poppins has lots of hidden lessons there that you could take away as the show ends both as a son/daughter and as a parent (or even as a spouse). And it comes with a magical presentation. I just couldn't stop smiling as Mary Poppins flew from the stage and up past the mezzanine and the balcony towards to theatre ceiling marking the end of the show (get the seats on the right side of the theatre to be closed to Mary Poppins). It was just truly SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS! 

Mary Poppins feeds Michael Banks "A Spoonful of Sugar"

At the end of "A Spoonful of Sugar"
(Mrs. Brill, Robertson Ay, Jane, Michael, Mrs. Banks and Mary Poppins)

SUPER-CALIF-RAGIL-ISTICEXPIALID-O-CIOUS!

The end of Act One
(Laura Michelle Kelly and Christiane Borle)

"Step in Time"

"Anything Can Happen" with the giant umbrella



"We'll never forget you, Mary Poppins"



MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Chim Chim Cher-ee... Bert
Cherry Tree Lane (Part 1)... George, Winifred, Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay
The Perfect Nanny... Jane and Michael
Cherry Tree Lane (Part 2)... George, Winifred, Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay
Practically Perfect... Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael
Jolly Holiday... Bert, Mary Poppins, Neleus, Jane, Michael and Statues
Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)... George
Being Mrs. Banks... Winifred
Jolly Holiday (Reprise)... Jane and Michael
A Spoonful of Sugar... Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael, Robertson Ay and Winifred
Precision and Order... Bank Chairman and Clerks
A Man Has Dreams... George
Feed the Birds... Bird Woman and Mary Poppins
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious... Mary Poppins, Bert, Mrs. Corry, Jane, Michael and Customers
Playing the Game... Mary Poppins, Valentine and Toys
Chim Chim Cher-ee (Reprise)... Bert and Mary Poppins

ACT TWO
Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)... Mrs. Brill, Robertson Ay, Jane, Michael, Winifred and George
Brimstone and Treacle (Part 1)... Miss Andrew
Let's Go Fly a Kite... Bert, Park Keeper, Jane and Michael
Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)... George
Being Mrs. Banks (Reprise)... Winifred
Brimstone and Treacle (Part 2)... Miss Andrew and Mary Poppins
Practically Perfect (Reprise)... Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins
Chim Chim Cher-ee (Reprise)... Bert
Step in Time... Bert, Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael and Sweeps
A Man Has Dreams... George
A Spoonful of Sugar (Reprise)... Bert and George
Anything Can Happen... Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael and Company
A Spoonful of Sugar (Reprise)... Mary Poppins
A Shooting Star... Orchestra

Review: La Cage aux Folles

Musical: La Cage aux Folles

Venue: Longacre Theatre, New York

Date: 9th April at 20:00

Cast: Harvey Fierstein (Albin/Zaza), Christopher Sieber (Georges), Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Jacob), A.J. Shively (Jean-Michel), Heather Lindell (Anne), Cheryl Stern (Jacqueline u/s), Mike McShane (M. Renaud/M. Dindon), Veanne Cox (Mme. Renaud/Mme. Dindon)

Rating: *****


Review: It's my first two-show day and after a quick bite at the nearby Japanese restaurant, I went straight to the Longacre Theatre on my own for a performance of La Cage. I arrived inside the theatre about 15 minutes before curtain but what I didn't know was that there was a "pre-show". One of the drag queens were sitting on the stage and greeting audience and making all sorts of funny jokes and really getting the audience ready for the show. She (ahem!) also made funny remarks to the next door show 'House of Blue Leaves' as well as 'Wicked'. I think this was a really nice way to begin the show because it really sets up the mood for you that you are actually at a club rather than a theatre.

The Longcre Theatre on 48th Street

The Longacre is a small intimate theatre, suitable for the scale that this production of La Cage was going for. At the front of the stage were these 'front seats' seating with round tables and chairs resembling a cabaret show seating. Quite clever, I think, but look really uncomfortable though.

The show began with Georges played by the multi-talented Christopher Sieber greeting the audience and welcoming us to La Cage aux Folles. As some of you might know, Sieber was an immediate replacement for Jeffrey Tambor who left the show after only a week. And he was just amazing. He was very charming and funny and his singing voice was just lovely and I love how he chose to sing the last note of 'Song on the Sand' one octave higher than the original and really showed off his singing talents. He was very good in a more dramatic part of the show as well. I even think that the role suits him better than the original Georges, Kelsey Grammer (based on what I heard from the cast recording only though). It reminds me of when I saw Jonathan Pryce (replacing John Lithgow) in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels who were just brilliant and much more suited to the role than his original counterpart.

Christopher Sieber as Georges
in his purple velvet suit as he welcomed audience to his club

Harvey Fierstein was our Albin/Zaza/Uncle Al. In case you don't know, he was the bookwriter of the musical and it was really interesting to see him play the role and he didn't disappoint at all. His comedy timing was just impeccable and though his singing voice was raspy as ever, somehow I feel that it suited the 'diva' character of Zaza very well. And though his 'I Am What I Am' could have been stronger vocally, it was simply perfect emotionally. True, Douglas Hodge (the original Tony-Winning Zaza) might have a bigger voice (and a better body), but Harvey Fierstein was just as good, if not, may I say, better.

Harvey Fierstein as Albin/Zaza
Here disguised as Jean-Michel's mother during "Best of Times" scene

during "La Cage aux Folles"

A.J. Shively and Heather Lindell played the couple Jean-Michel and Anne and they were both very lovely in their (minor) roles. Mike McShane and Veanne Cox took on the dual roles of M.&Mme. Renaud and Dindon. They were pretty funny in both roles. I was sad not to see Christine Andreas as Jacqueline but our understudy Cheryl Stern was very cute and played the role really well.

The lovely couple: Jean-Michel and Anne
(AJ Shively and Elena Shaddow)

Cheryl Stern (second left) was our Jacqueline at my performance

I also need to mention the 6 Cagelles who were very graceful, talented, funny and simply a joy to watch. However, I must say that the Thai version of La Cage that I saw last year in Bangkok boasted a much more complex and impressive choreography and costumes.

The six Cagelles seen here with Sieber and Fierstein

The only thing that let me down in this production was the role of Jacob. I heard so many good things about Robin de Jesus and with him being nominated, I thought the role must have been really good and funny. And with Tony-Winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia (of Rent), my expectation was really high. What turned out was a total waste of talent. The role didn't suite Heredia at all. He wasn't funny and he didn't really have a chance to show off his singing voice except a small part in 'Cocktail Counterpoint'. Also, I think the costumes and the makeup of Jacob made the role look really, forgive me for saying this, cheap and trashy.

Wilson Jermaine Heredia at his curtain call

Wilson Jermaine Heredia and AJ Shively
during "With Anne on My Arm"

The music by the great Jerry Herman was a lot of fun. I really like the "We Are What We Are" tune which was very catchy and hummable. "Song on the Sand" "The Best of Times" and "I Am What I Am" were real showstoppers. However, I think La Cage suffered from a weak book. I think Act One was fine and it built up nicely. I never liked how suddenly Albin became so sarcastic with the whole situation at the beginning of Act Two and gave in so easily. It really devalued "I Am What I Am" that he sang at the end of Act One and I feel that everything ended too easily.

Productionwise, I think it was very good. They use simple scenes and simple props which were effective enough. However, I really wish that there were more glitz and glamour in the Cagelles scenes but I guess it was a club that was "rather gaudy" anyway..

Overall, I still enjoyed the show a lot. It was a lot of fun and I was really happy to see Fierstein and Sieber in the roles (and also got their autographs at the stage door afterwards). Too bad it is closing this week so if you have the chance, try to make it before it's gone.  

I Am What I Am

I hear "La da da da..."

Cagelles during "La Cage aux Folles" number

"The Best of Times" seen here with original cast members
including Christine Andreas, Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge

The Finale

MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
We Are What We Are... Georges and Cagelles
A Little More Mascara... Albin and Georges
With Anne on My Arm... Jean-Michel and Georges
With You on My Arm... Georges and Albin
Song on the Sand... Georges
La Cage aux Folles... Albin, Cagelles and Company
I Am What I Am... Albin


ACT TWO
Song on the Sand (Reprise)... Georges
Masculinity... Georges, Albin, M. Renaud, Mme. Renaud and Company
Look Over There... Georges
Cocktail Counterpoint... Anne, M. Dindon, Mme. Dindon, Georges, Jean-Michel and Jacob
The Best of Times... Albin, Jacqueline and Company
Look Over There (Reprise)... Jean-Michel, Georges
Finale... Company

Review: Sondheim's Company in Concert

Musical: Company
Venue: Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York
Date: 9th April 2011 at 14:00
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris (Robert), Stephen Colbert (Harry), Martha Plimpton (Sarah), Craig Bierko (Peter), Jill Paice (Susan), Jon Cryer (David), Jennifer Laura Thompson (Jenny), Aaron Lazar (Paul), Katie Finneran (Amy), Jim Walton (Larry), Patti LuPone (Joanne), Anika Noni Rose (Marta), Christina Hendricks (April) and Chryssie Whitehead (Kathy)
Conductor: Paul Gemignani
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
Rating: ****1/2


Review:
It's day three in New York and today Bomb and I got tickets to see the limited engagement of Stephen Sondheim's Company in Concert at the Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center featuring the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Paul Gemignani!!! There were only 4 performances of this star-studded concert and all of them were sold out so I felt very lucky to be able to go to this one.The Avery Fisher Hall is such a large, beautiful concert hall. We got quite good seats in the centre orchestra, if a bit to the back, but still very good seats.

Me with the sign inside the Avery Fisher Hall

The concert was absolutely amazing. I knew there were lots of stars of the stage and screen involved but I didn't know how much until I opened the playbill. There must be at least someone in there that you know. To my surprise, including in the cast were Stephen Colbert (of the Colbert Report), Jon Cryer (of Two and a Half Men), Aaron Lazar (of A Little Night Music and more), Christina Hendricks (of Mad Men), to name a few. And all of them performed their hearts out. However, I felt that there was quite a waste of star in this concert because you got all these amazing talents but since the show involves 1 bachelor, 5 married couples and 3 girlfriends in 2 and a half hours, there wasn't any real spotlight moments for most of the cast members.

The stage setting was pretty simple as most concerts, with the New York Philharmonic at the back and Paul on a high-rise conductor podium with pulled-out bed under it. I like how they use wheeled sofa as the symbols of marriage. All the married couples were seated on sofa while Bobby, the main character, would sit on a smaller individual one-man-sofa throughout the show until after 'Being Alive' that he would sit on a bigger sofa with a room for another person to share it with. Clever and I actually figured it out before the show ended! ;)

This production chose to perform the whole show with its full script so it's a bit weird to call it a concert since they sang less than they talked, not that it's bad or anything because, having mostly listened to the cast recording, the book of the show was actually very good and emotional and gave the story and the songs more depth to it especially for numbers like 'Another Hundred People' and 'Being Alive'.

We started at Bobby's (surprise?) 35th birthday party with all of his married friends. The opening number (Company) was just an amazing beginning to the whole concert. Neil Patrick Harris did very well as Bobby in terms of acting. He adopted a playboy-ish personality, similar to the one we've seen him in How I Met Your Mother. His singing was good as always, though his high voice (both falsettos and belts) was quite thin but still beautiful. All of his solos in the show were such a great treat.

Full cast during the opening number

We first followed Harry and Sarah (Colbert and Plimpton) who were very funny with the karate and the drinking and diet problems. With that acting to the hilarious performance of 'Little Things (You Do Together)' by Patti LuPone in the role of Joanne made the evening so much fun.

Martha Plimpton, Stephen Colbert and Neil Patrick Harris

I was a bit disappointed with 'You Could Drive a Person Crazy' which was supposed to be a really funny song but here the girls (Rose, Hendricks and Whitehead) were drowned by the powerful New York Philharmonic and the way they sang it was too pretty. Bierko and Paice played Peter and Susan and I really liked how they adapted the sofa to portray the terrace of a New York house. The homosexual bit (which I wasn't aware of) in the second act was simply hilarious.

Anika Noni Rose, Christina Hendricks and Chryssie Whitehead

I was very much looking forward to Anika Noni Rose's 'Another Hundred People' but again she was drowned out by the orchestra which made it really hard to hear the lyrics and she chose not to belt the song which made it kinda less impressive for me. (Or maybe it's the mike problem?) But she really did a lot better job acting as the feisty New York lover, Marta.

Anika Noni Rose and Neil Patrick Harris

Cryer and Thompson (as David and Jenny) were just so much fun in their scene with Bobby. I wish the show could give more chance for Cryer to sing.

The 'Getting Married Today' bit was just amazing delivered by the Tony Winning Katie Finneran (as Amy) with Aaron Lazar (as her soon-to-be husband Paul) and Jill Paice (as the 'Bless This Day...' Woman). I really like the scene that came after it and it really set a nice mood for Act One closer, Marry Me a Little, for Bobby. Too bad, I wish Lazar could have sung more.

Aaron Lazar and Katie Finneran who are not "getting married today"

Act Two opening (Side By Side By Side/What Would We do Without You) was just beyond amazing. The choreography, the dancing, the props and everything were just top-notch and really energized the audience to be ready for the second act. After that, we went into Bobby's relationship with flight attendant April (Hendricks). She nailed the part perfectly and got lots of laugh from the audience. Their making-love sequence (Tick-Tock) was good with Chryssie Whitehead (of the 2006 Chorus Line revival) as the main dancer. Somehow I felt the songs in the second act were less emotional-engaging and at times, boring. Or maybe that's just too much Sondheim for me? However, the bok was very interesting and engaging.



Neil Patrick Harris and the married couples in Act Two Opening
"Side by Side by Side/What Would We Do without You?"



Martha Plimpton and Jennifer Laura Thompson
lead the wives in "Poor Baby"

Christina Hendricks and Neil Patrick Harris (showing his abs)
during "Barcelona" number

And then we came to the last scene with Larry and Joanne (Walton and LuPone). I almost forgot that she was in the show.. The dialogue there was quite good and thought-provoking. And then it came to the song that everyone had waited for 'The Ladies Who Lunch'. I actually preferred the version that LuPone sang at Sondheim Birthday concert which was funnier but I guess it was funnier because she was singing as LuPone and not as Joanne. However, this rendition that she gave was still fantastic and poor the people in the front row when she splashed the drinks in her hand at them at her last "RISE!".

Patti LuPone during her "The Ladies Who Lunch"
with Paul Gemignani, the musical diretor at the back

'Being Alive' was wonderful and it was the first time that I cried listening to that song. "What do you get?", asked Bobby.. I just loved that line before he started singing.. 'Someone to hold you too close...' It really made you think a lot about marriage and made you appreciate having someone there by your side and when he didn't show up for that last Birthday at the end of the show was just cute and then he went to sit down on a sofa with a space for another "somebody".

It was such a fulfilling show for me musically and emotionally and I'm looking forward to watching it again on DVD when it releases. I just wished that I could hear more singing from many of the cast members. And though it was a grand performance, I would still deduct half-a-star for its sound quality and some part of the show which, to me, dragged the production a little. Still a great revival of a great show. Get a DVD of it if you can.



MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Overture... New York Philharmonic
Company... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
Little Things... Patti LuPone and Couples
Sorry-Grateful... Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer and Jim Walton
You Could Drive a Person Crazy... Anika Noni Rose, Christina Hendricks and Chryssie Whitehead
Have I Got a Girl for You... Husbands
Someone Is Waiting... Neil Patrick Harris
Another Hundred People... Anika Noni Rose
Getting Married Today... Jill Paice, Aaron Lazar and Katie Finneran
Marry Me a Little... Neil Patrick Harris


ACT TWO
Side by Side by Side... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
What Would We Do without You?... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
Poor Baby... Martha Plimpton, Jennifer Laura Thompson and Wives
Tick-Tock... Chryssie Whitehead
Barcelona... Neil Patrick Harris and Christina Hendricks
The Ladies Who Lunch... Patti LuPone
Being Alive... Neil Patrick Harris and Couples
Bows... Company