Putting Comedy Back In Musical Comedy

And so now the question must be posed: Is there any room left for Jews on Broadway?
Is there?
Inasmuch as a noted producer once opined that getting a hit on Broadway is "simply a matter of pleasing 900 Jews," this would seem to be an absurd question. After all, Jews pretty much invented the Broadway musical.
But today's Broadway is so insufferably woke, that we're forced to ask: Is there room for Borsht Belt humor? Would Neil Simon still feel at home? Will schtick still stick?
We certainly hope so.
Because Billy Crystal's new musical Mr. Saturday Night is, if nothing else, lovingly, hilariously and endearingly Jewish. But like corned beef and rye, you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it. And, to be sure, this show may come kosher coated but it's a whole lot more than that.

The show is adapted from Crystal's 1992 movie of the same name which focuses on the rise and fall (and possible rise again) of Buddy Young Jr., a stand-up comic who's down on his luck. To be sure, Buddy's predicament isn't all a matter of luck. A lot of his misfortune is of his own making. For Buddy, the same bitingly insightful take on things that makes him funny on stage poses problems in real life. Maybe it's because he's a bit of a wise guy who seems to specialize in alienating those who might be able to help him most, including family member and close friends. But Buddy's now sensing that there's not much time left and he wants one more chance -- one more reach for the brass ring. For someone with an ego like Buddy's, accomplishing this without prostrating himself poses a problem.We saw the show a few days before its opening last night. While the original version was over three hours, it's been trimmed and is now crisp with rapid-fire punch lines and zippy tunes that convey some real meaning. It's not the Great American Musical and it's not Shakespeare either, nor does it pretend to be. It's played for fun but it's wonderfully human and poignant as well. There's a message here for everybody -- a message about family, hard work, endurance, struggle and facing life honestly and with a laugh.
Sadly, some of this may be lost on those with a social media attention span. But that's their loss and an unfortunate reflection on our current state of the affairs.
Simply put, no one on a Broadway stage right now is working harder or giving more of himself than Billy Crystal. And in this show he's at the top of his game in the grand tradition of so many show business troupers who came before him. And he generously pays homage to all of them. He's a grateful entertainer who loves the business and loves his audience.
What's more, this is an ensemble effort. The entire cast is superb -- David Paymer as his neglected brother, Randy Graff as his incredibly durable wife, Soshana Bean as his daughter, Chasten Harmon as his agent and Jordan Gelber, Brian Gonzales and Mylinda Hull as his longtime sidekicks.
At times you have to wonder why all these people hang in there for and with Buddy. But the Billy side of Buddy always comes through and how can you turn away from that?
THIS is entertainment. This is a star giving his all. This puts the comedy back into musical comedy. It's laugh-out-loud funny all the way.
If that's not enough for 'ya all we can say is ver farblondjet!

A Melodic, Ambitious, EPIC New Musical

It's not often that an epic musical arrives on Broadway, especially these days when production costs are higher than they've ever been.

But Paradise Square is exactly that -- epic! With a cast of 40, an orchestra almost as big, huge production numbers and a story that takes in a breathtaking sweep of history, this show is very ambitious. And, well it should be as it's brought to Broadway by Garth Drabinsky, the same man who gave us Ragtime. There are 24 musical numbers in Paradise Square set amidst a sprawling set that provides plenty of room for some of the most dazzling choreography (by Bill T. Jones) ever seen on Broadway, including lots of Irish step dancing. And the music by Jason Howard (with additional music by Larry Kirwan) is inspired in part by the great American songwriter Stephen Foster who happens to be a character in the show. 

Paradise Square is set downtown in New York in the era leading up to and including the Civil War. The action takes place around an intersection know as Five Points and much of it is through the eyes of the story's protagonist, played by Joaquina Kalukango. It purports to tell the story of racial harmony gone caput under the weight of war, strife, social pressures and outright hatred. At the core of the story are two interracial love affairs. 

In Paradise Square, as described by the producers themselves, "we meet the denizens of a local saloon: the indomitable Black woman who owns it; her Irish-Catholic sister-in-law and her Black minister husband; a conflicted newly arrived Irish immigrant; a fearless freedom seeker; an anti-abolitionist political boss, and a penniless songwriter trying to capture it all." These people have conflicting notions of what it means to be an American while living through one of the most tumultuous eras in our country’s history.

So much happens in this show that it becomes hard to explain it all and, invariably, hard to keep track of it all. Characters seem to come and go, slip in and out of the story and you almost need a sore card to stay abreast of it. But the voices are all excellent, the acting is compelling (even when it's a bit over the top), the music is often soaring and the stage (even though often dimly or darkly lit) seems to throb with an intensity that befits the subject matter. 

Holding it all together is Kalukango who certainly has the most powerful and commanding voice on Broadway today. When she sings Let It Burn (the ultimate 11 o'clock number) it quite literally brings the house down. This is Tony Award stuff! And there's also wonderful choral singing in the show which has moments that are nothing short of thrilling. There's an amalgamation of music and dance forms as cultures are thrown together in what is termed "an accidental society".

This show has been around in one form or another for quite some time. It premiered at the Berkeley Repertoire Theater in 2019 but the musical is based on Hard Times, originally conceived by Kirwan, which was originally presented at the intimate Off-Broadway theatre, Nancy Manocherian’s the cell, in 2012. There's been plenty of time to rework it and tighten it but it would take someone like George Abbott or Michael Bennet or Hal Prince to do that sort of tedious pruning. And none of them are around anymore.

And how do you gain control of a "square" with five points? So, just like this turbulent time in our history that it depicts, Paradise Square is a bit messy. But it's also provocative, captivating, melodic, vibrant, thought-provoking and riveting. And in an era when so many Broadway shows are tiny, tinny and seemingly deaf to melody, this is unquestionably worth seeing! 

Let's hope it finds an enthusiastic audience to spread its message far and wide.

Great Songs Emerge, Even From A Flop!

This is a real Golden Oldy from the glory days of Broadway. Enjoy!

Cabaret Like You've NEVER Seen It Before!

This is Amy Lennox performing in the new British productioin of Cabaret. 

I've seen several versions of this show but I've never seen anything like this. 

The number is performed by Lennox totally in character and in context: desperate, frentic, scary, poignant and hauting! 

Jessie Buckley starred in the show with Eddie Redmayne and both actors won Olivier Awards, the British equivalent of the Tony. We'll see if they bring this show to Broadway.

Live, On Stage: Hugh Jackman's Secret Fear!

'Funny Girl' Video - First Orchestral Rehearsal

Funny Girl is headed back to Broadway. Here is a first look at the cast's first orchestra rehearsal, with snippets of stars Beanie Feldstein, Ramin Karimloo, Jane Lynch, and Jared Grimes performing the classic score.

The Musical Journey Of 'Beautiful' . . .

We missed Beautiful, The Carole King Musical on Broadway but we finally caught up with the national tour at Philadelphia's Academy of Music.

The historic Academy of Music is just that -- a famed opera house and orchestral venue. But since the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra now makes its home in the nearby Kimmel Center, the Academy hosts traveling Broadway shows. The Academy's mammoth stage has been altered to accommodate theatrical events but this cavernous venue still seems cumbersome hosting musicals, especially smaller, more intimate ones like Beautiful. The environment itself overpowers the show.

Having said that, we can note that Beautiful is an enjoyable show but it's basically what Broadway has come to call a "jukebox show". We personally loathe the term but the moniker has gained traction. It's not like these shows are small enough to be called "tribute" acts which now see to be as ubiquitous as karaoke nights once were. No, these shows are bigger than that and, as with Beautiful, they often contain a complete story. Of course, Beautiful tells the story of Carole King and her tenacious route to the top of the pop world as a songwriter and, finally a compelling, full-throated performer. 

It's an inspiring story, all the more so because it portrays the travails of a woman making her way in what was traditionally a man's business. As King moves up, each step along the way is punctuated with one of her memorable, chart-topping songs. And here, the songs are often performed by tribute style acts which recreate the look and sound of the original. So, familiar musical figures like Neil Sedaka, The Drifters, The Shirelles, The Righteous Brothers and Little Eva make their appearances and they're all faithfully portrayed.

Naturally, there's a romantic story here as well in the complicated relationship between King and her songwriting partner (and later husband) Gerry Goffin. A parallel love story also unfolds between the related songwriting team (and King/Goffin friends) of Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. There's a competition between these pairs but also a mutual respect and much honest affection. In these four roles Sara Sheperd, James D. Gish, Sara King and Ryan Farnsworth perform convincingly.

And the music? Well, that's really what drives the whole show. The string of hits includes Will You Love Me Tomorrow, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, The Locomotion, Some Kind of Wonderful, Up on the Roof, Pleasant Valley Sunday, Uptown, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and, of course, Beautiful.

Seeing a show likes this makes us wonder if it wasn't better when Broadway simply presented revues celebrating great composers and lyricists. We're talking about shows like Ain't Misbehavin', Sophisticated Ladies, Eubie, Oh, Coward, And The World Goes Round, Smokey Joe's Cafe and many others. These shows wisely didn't pretend to be anything other than what they were and they would up being pure, irresistible entertainment. But then a show like Jersey Boys comes along, turns out to be a mammoth hit and it spawns something like Beautiful or Ain't Too Proud or MJ and the soon-to-arrive Beautiful Noise. If it sells, who's to argue with it? On we go . . .