January 19, 2023
"She Loves Me" and I Love It: Broadway's Cheeriest & Loveliest Revivalby Randi / June 7, 2016
Best show art of the season
In this Broadway season of beyond splendid revivals and nice enough new shows dwarfed by “Hamilton”, one important show is kind of a mix of the two. “Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” (I know) (whose idea right) (so ridic) (but it is accurate) actually petitioned to be considered a revival, because it uses the score of the original show “Shuffle Along” from 1921. But it was wisely considered a new show because this new Shuffle is telling the story of that 1921 show, how it was made, who was involved, and how it was received. And of course all that followed.
What makes the 1921 “Shuffle Along” worth discussing? It was a groundbreaking musical revue written by four African-American men – Noble Sissle, Eubie Blake, F.E. Miller, and Aubrey Lyles. Not only was it the first musical for all four writers, it was the first major production in a long time to be created and produced entirely by African-American, like at all. That it played in New York of all places, and that it had an incredibly successful run for its time, shows how important a cultural milestone it was.
Why was it groundbreaking? It convinced the theatre community (and white producers) that a ‘black show’ could be successful, and that people of all races would pay to see an exciting, quality show like this. The black community embraced it wholeheartedly for showing the world its exuberant singing and dancing styles, and the theatre community at large embraced it too, legitimizing these new-to-them styles for the uptight people of that world. “Shuffle Along” famously had to add a midnight showing (always sold out) so that other celebrities with similar schedules – fans like Fanny Brice and Al Jolson – could catch it regularly. And not only did the show introduce a new kind of theatre to the world, it also launched the careers of luminaries like Florence Mills, Gertrude Sanders, and Josephine Baker, while showcasing already-famous stars like Lottie Gee.
So the original “Shuffle Along” stands as a vital moment in theatre history, yet so few people know about it. George C. Wolfe, legendary Broadway director, decided to bring its story back to Broadway, but not the story the original told (some forced plot about a mayoral race that no one really cared about because the score and the dancing was really what they were after). Instead, he wanted to tell the story behind the mounting of that show and how it came to be and what happened to those four creators and all those stars they made after all the success of the musical sensation of 1921. Naturally, to tell this story, you hope to gather the most incredible African-American performers there are today. You hope to get Audra McDonald, queen of everything, to play the diva Lottie Gee. You hope that Brian Stokes Mitchell, Broadway’s longtime beloved leading man, will join you as one of the four creators, along with other Broadway stars Billy Porter, Joshua Henry, and Brandon Victor Dixon. You even have the pipe-dream that Savion Glover, the best tap dancer in the entire world, will choreograph the whole thing and attract the most incredible dancers to the ensemble. And then that all happens! And you get “Shuffle Along 2.0 or the Show That Could Have Been Amazing But Is Really Just Very Good”.
Yeah, not joking. All those amazing parts came together, but yet you are left feeling a little unsatisfied. You expect the show to really hit you and resonate with you, but it never fully makes that emotional connection. No matter how far I put out my feelers, the ones coming from their end never made contact. “Shuffle” is wonderfully exciting to watch for the most part, but it’s more like the original than it wanted to be: The score (the same score as the 1921 one) is great, the dancing is out of this world, but the book is a bit of a mess. Such a mess that, unlike most shows, “Shuffle” wisely took advantage of its preview period, making necessary changes night after night until the show was frozen. Unfortunately, this is one show that definitely could have benefited from an out-of-town tryout so it was in even better shape before the move to Broadway. Then it could have used previews to hone and tighten rather than reimagine and rewrite as much as it did. Because of the wattage of all the stars involved, an out-of-town tryout was nigh impossible, but I wonder what could have been possible if they made it happen. As it is now, “Shuffle” has a fine story in the first act, and you pull for them to make it to New York and have success and be able to buy train tickets and stuff. It is positively magical when Audra, one of the greatest divas of our time, sings as another great diva; when BSM sings because oh my god that voice (and they didn’t make nearly enough use of it); and when the ensemble dances to Savion’s insane choreography. I say insane both in the way I describe things that are amazing, and also in the way that means actually insane. Some of the dancing is almost manic, all maniacally energetic and so fast and disjointed and trippy that you can’t believe they aren’t falling down or convulsing but somehow they are still dancing. The ensemble really deserves as much credit for doing these moves as Savion deserves for making them do it.
But then much of it feels blank. My mind wandered a little in the first act and then a lot in the second, when they tell you how important everything that happened in the first act was and how monumental the original “Shuffle” was and how it affected all their lives, but they kind of just tell you. Repeatedly, yet nothing sticks. I know some people are still confused at what Joshua Henry’s Noble Sissle talks about in a monologue about how his former military officer was killed and made Noble promise to continue what he was doing by creating opportunities for black musicians…I think. It was obviously a really important moment, but it didn’t come across very strongly. There’s a lot of talk about how these men had such an important job to do and how meaningful what they did was, and it was of course, but this show didn’t do much to make you believe it and know it for yourself. Without any background about the original “Shuffle”, it’s not easy to jump in accepting how significant it really was. It’s a difficult task this show took on, and they do a good job, but not great.
The big dance numbers are the best parts of the show, by far. My favorite featured the ensemble split into two groups, facing each other, kind of having a dance-off but using crazy tap-as-weapons that looks like their feet are falling off. It was crazy fun. I wanted more of those kinds of numbers to fill the holes in the book. Luckily, the entire cast is terrific. Of course Audra and B(d)SM are phenomenal, and it’s really special, beyond special, to see them onstage together again after starring in “Ragtime” so many years ago. One of my favorite facts is that Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Eubie Blake (one of the few creatives who had success after “Shuffle”), said his first Broadway show was “Ragtime”, starring his now his costars (and Audra plays his love interest). I love that! Hooray for this community! I also loved Billy Porter’s big number, “Broadway Blues” (I think). He gets a big bluesy number to bring the house down, and he does. It’s tailored to his talents – overdoing it, but in a fun way. It’s the perfect opportunity for him to let loose, because it works as this huge and exaggerated number, and it’s not bad if Billy overacts, which he sometimes does but we love him for it. And Adrienne Warren, Tony nominee for this show, was really fantastic pulling double-duty as Gertrude Sanders & Florence Mills. She really performed the two characters so distinctly and was truly lovely. Sadly, I don’t remember Joshua Henry getting to really shine on any song. He’s solidly good but has the smaller role of the four men, so his beautiful voice doesn’t get enough airtime. I loved loved the train station song that had Brian lifting the spirits of the ensemble, leading to some impeccable dancing, but I wanted Brian to sing more too. That voice is just velvet and I would have been happy if he (and Audra) just started singing the phone book (or “Ragtime”). I wish I could speak specifically on each song, but weirdly, there is no song list in the Playbill. This made sense during previews when the show was changing every night, but now it’s been frozen for a while so I don’t get it. I can say of course that “I’m Just Wild About Harry” was phenomenal, as sung by Audra, because that is the most famous song Sissle & Blake wrote so I’m pretty sure it was in there. RG.
The surprising thing to me, though, is that if “Hamilton” wasn’t around this season, “Shuffle” would be winning the Best New Musical Tony Award (it has already won the lead-up awards that Ham was eligible for last year). I’m kind of like whoa about it, because the book is a mess – which makes it all the more upsetting that some pundits think it should win the Best Book Tony over Hamilton just to spread the wealth. And, without this current cast, I have some doubts about how it will hold up. Audiences will get an answer to this sooner rather than later, as Audra’s preggernancy will bring in her replacement Rhiannon Giddens. I don’t know her, and I’m sure she is wicked talented, but a lot of the magic of this show came from knowing you were watching Audra, the greatest musical theatre actress maybe ever, play another famous singer. And a lot of the magic from watching the men’s scenes came from knowing you were watching a group of beloved Tony winners and nominees shine. Without a strong second act and with the importance of the original cast, it would be a winner on the weaker side. Still, as it is now, it’s a solid show with an all-star cast that I would jump at seeing onstage together again if I could. I am so lucky I saw it before Audra got preggers. She’s leaving soon, and I’ve heard reports that in the meantime she is sometimes a bit scaled back, probably because the alien inside her is making her nauseous. And it’s the best tap dancing you’ll see maybe ever. The story they are trying to tell is one of great importance, and I wish it was told a little more clearly, a little more cleanly. But you know, it did get me interested enough in the original “Shuffle” to do my own research into it. If other audience members do the same, and if a lot more people now know about the original show and what it did for African-Americans and for theatre, then that is a big success.
AUDIENCE
I think fine. One night when I didn’t have to yell at anyone! OH important note – this is a Scott Rudin production, and he famously does not allow late seating in his shows. If you miss the very start of the show, you don’t get to come in from the lobby until Act II, no joke. This is really great to stop all the shitheads who don’t think live theatre is important enough to stop them from hanging at the bar a little longer or stuff like that, but I do worry about the very few people who will be negatively affected who don’t deserve to be for reasons out of their control (read, I worry that one day I will be late). But for the most part it’s a good idea. I did hear from a few people that ushers at his shows don’t let you bring water bottles in, but that shit should be illegal and if anyone tried to take mine away I would have starting railing about all the amendments. ALL OF THEM.
STAGE DOOR
No one came out boooooo. I wanted to ask Brian to record my outgoing voicemail. Just kidding. Not really. #velvetteddybear
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Dear Evan Hansen in London: Hot Damn I Love this Show
It’s Theatre Thursday! Today’s show is Dear Evan Hansen, now playing in London at the Noel Coward Theatre until the end of time if there’s justice.
Man alive does it feel good to see a flawless show in this old town! You know from my review of past productions of Dear Evan Hansen (off-Broadway and Broadway here) that I love this show. However, there were concerns among some (myself included) that the show might rely on the talents of original star Ben Platt to succeed as much as it did. His is a singular talent that seems born for this role, and the role tailor-made for him, so it seemed valid to wonder if his incredible performance was what made the show great. While Benny boy is definitely the definitive Evan, and no one can match his vocal ability in this role – in particular his ability to sing and emote through snot-dripping tears – it’s safe to say the success of this phenomenal musical does not rely on him, and the West End is doing it proud.
Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of – you guessed it – Evan Hansen, a high school outcast with no friends, a single parent working overtime to pay the bills, and a broken arm. When a fellow student commits suicide, there’s A Misunderstanding that the deceased and Evan were friends, and the grieving family is so overjoyed at the thought of their son having had a friend that Evan goes along – and builds – the lie instead of coming clean. He benefits in many ways from prolonging his lie, but of course he can’t continue lying forever and in different ways to the family, his mom, and his friends. And this means it all goes to shit, which is when Platt did his aforementioned incredible snot-faced singing. Although Sam Tutty, our British Evan, doesn’t fall to as many wet pieces, his Evan is great (and we found ourselves weirdly feeling proud of him). He makes the journey so believable and real, and his timing and inflection may be even more impressive than his vocals. DEH is EMOSH and stunning in its mature handling of the subject matter while also managing to be hysterically funny at times. The emotional beats, the fun songs, the heartbreaking songs, the nuances that build these characters so fully – the creators did everything they could to establish a watertight show, and this cast and production team take it and run with it.
This is the extraordinary and rare show that has a fantastic score and equally strong (maybe even more gripping) book scenes, a feat rarely witnessed, all while capturing today’s yoots and their struggles in a way that’s relevant and modern without seeming condescending. Now that I know all the music so well, I could concentrate on the book scenes more and really appreciate how well written and well performed they were. And I am convinced even more that this is a flawless show. On this viewing, I was curious to see if I could find any merit to the complaints about Evan the character. Since DEH’s bow, we’ve had lots of fans arguing on message boards about how Evan deserves more punishment or how he’s an evil person or how he’s the villain in the story. I don’t know if it’s because they’re under 26 and their brains aren’t done yet but I cannot see how someone can watch this show and think anything close to that. It’s so obvious to see Evan’s struggle, with the part of him that knows he should tell the truth, with his desire to not cause the family any more pain, with his longing to belong, and wit his attempt to just make grieving people feel better. No, he’s not perfect, and his Act II spiral out of control as he takes down his first friends shows this, but it’s so obvious that his hostility is due to his lack of control in trying to do the right thing (also his baby teenage brain unable to handle all that is happening). People who think he’s evil clearly don’t watch The Good Place, where the most important thing is to try to be a good person. Evan is trying to do the right thing – he thinks what he has chosen is right because it makes the family feel better. And yeah he’s lying but he’s not a Kantian; he thinks that it’s for a good reason. It seems impossible to me not to empathize with his predicament, especially when you know what he’s been through himself.
Anyway, despite my incessant rantings about how British musical theatre does not compare to Broadway and how productions are just done better there because musicals are treated with more respect whereas here there’s this weird need for Brits to always assure the world that they value straight plays more AND the history of panto seems to bleed too much into their vision of musical theatre – well, that’s a long essay, apparently, for another day, so despite all that, this production is ace, as we Brits say. Tutty is giving the star turn of the year, and the supporting cast is equally good. Along with the absence of Platt, I was worried about the absence of Rachel Bay Jones as his mother, since her performance was pitch perfect and as usual she found more to the character than is written. While Rebecca McKinnis might not have uncovered as much between the lines or with her delivery as RBJ somehow magically did, she was no disappointment, and her ‘So Big/So Small’ was the most emotional part of the show, even more than Evan’s breakdown. It was perfect. If I did my own awards (should I do my own awards) they’d all be winners.
INFORMATION
The Noel Coward theatre is one of those ‘stalls is below ground’ theatres, so if you don’t like being below ground, sit in the circle. Also, the ladies bathroom is house right, right next to the circle entrance. If you go for stalls like we did (CRY ON US), there’s a ladies in the back of the theatre with 4 stalls??? Like good luck even getting back there at the interval. Or you can sit house right and run upstairs for the circle one. RENOVATE THESE THEATRES, GUYS.
Stagedoor: We waited for just under 10 minutes but it was too cold. If it’s too cold to wait, it’s too cold to make them talk to you.
“Once: The Musical” Is Still A Triumph Away From Broadway
Steve Kazee, from the Original Broadway Cast
Many new project announcements for Broadway shows make me raise my eyebrows in doubt or surprise. No project has ever made me angry, expect when I heard that “Once”, one of my favorite movies about the music of one of my favorite bands, was getting the musical treatment. I felt personal attachment and ownership over the material, as I often do, but this time I had no hope that a stage show could capture the personal feel and beauty of the movie. I of course was wrong, because Once: The Musical is so incredibly lovely and pure. Some aspects are improved in the stage show, and the various added characters round out a superb experience of the power of beautiful music.
I was lucky to see the original production on Broadway, with Tony-winner Steve Kazee and (the Mother on “HIMYM”) Cristin Milioti. Within a few minutes, I felt with my entire being that this was a magical experience. I’m so relieved that the first national tour, which recently played Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, is equally enthralling. If you have the chance to catch the tour, go see it. Even though the space is huge, the perfectly directed show still achieves the required level of intimacy. And the wonderful tour cast fully sells every aspect of the difficult show.
I was lucky to see the original production on Broadway, with Tony-winner Steve Kazee and (the Mother on “HIMYM”) Cristin Milioti. Within a few minutes, I felt with my entire being that this was a magical experience. I’m so relieved that the first national tour, which recently played Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, is equally enthralling. If you have the chance to catch the tour, go see it. Even though the space is huge, the perfectly directed show still achieves the required level of intimacy. And the wonderful tour cast fully sells every aspect of the difficult show.
Stuart Ward, ‘Guy’ on the national tour
I say it’s a difficult show because we’ve all come to expect everything in this world, from art to politics to personal relationships, to be covered with a protective layer of cynicism, or bitterness, or at least some of kind of edge. “Once” has absolutely no edge. It has no artifice. It is a simple show presenting insanely gorgeous music for its own sake, and showing how the music affects people it touches. It’s a bold and brave move to not couch its message in anything at all but instead to nakedly display it, leaving it vulnerable to attacks of being too twee. I think a lot of the people who think the show twee or corny feel uncomfortable in dealing with such pure emotion straight on, because we’re rarely asked to do that.
The show takes place in Dublin, mainly in a bar where the area musicians meet to share their music. (Every cast member plays an instrument; they are the orchestra.) One of the best parts is that, as on Broadway, the bar set features an actual working bar, and audience members can go on stage and buy a drink before the show and during intermission. During the pre-show section, the entire cast is onstage, playing their music and encouraging each other to join in. It’s a fantastic way to highlight the talent of the cast members who don’t get solos during the actual show. This set up also allows for one of the most magical ways to open a show I’ve ever seen: As the music continues and the audience members slowly get ushered off the stage, Guy, our unnamed hero, starts playing his first song. The lights fully dim during this song, “Leave”, one of Glen Hansard’s many powerful, heart-breaking songs, and before you know it the show has officially started. It’s pretty fantastic (as long as the people around you know to shut up even though the lights are on…seriously people.)
Girl, our Czech heroine who is even more honest and open than the show, hears Guy’s song and knows that he has something special. She pushes him to keep playing even though his broken heart wants him to quit, and her faith in him brings new depth to his music. It’s one of the most romantic relationships ever, with a couple that doesn’t end up together or ever even kiss. It’s all about the music. And it’s amazing.
The Girl is a really complex role. She has to be so optimistic that she verges on chipper, and so honest and open that it veers into cartoony. The actress playing her has to keep her from getting too cartoony while also showing her maturity and intelligence. Cristin Milioti did this perfectly, somehow. The Girl on tour does a respectable job. Some of her early lines (the funniest ones) in Act I got a little hammy, but in the more serious Act II scenes, she was great. Although it’s still a bit strange to hear the unnamed Guy sing a lot of the songs, instead of the wondrous Glen Hansard, the tour’s Guy was very likable and demonstrated emotion well. However, a lot of his lyrics were swallowed. Surprisingly, one of my favorite characters on tour was Andrej, one of Girl’s roommates, whom I don’t even remember from Broadway. He has few lines and a tiny substory of about 30 seconds, but it was heartbreaking on tour. It shows what a good actor can do with very little.
My absolute favorite part of the stage show is funnily enough my least favorite part of the movie. The song “Gold”, by the Irish band Interference is sung in the movie during a ‘Sing for your supper’ kind of dinner party. In the show, Guy sings it at an open mic night at the bar, to a very cynical crowd (when he says “This is a song…that I wrote” everyone groans; it’s pretty great). But soon, every single person at the bar picks up an instrument and joins in, completely moved by his music and almost without realizing it. Here’s the cast performing it at the Tony Awards. The stomp is my favorite part of the entire show, seriously. (They changed the intro for the Tonys, so you’ll have to see the show for the hilarious lines.)
Girl, our Czech heroine who is even more honest and open than the show, hears Guy’s song and knows that he has something special. She pushes him to keep playing even though his broken heart wants him to quit, and her faith in him brings new depth to his music. It’s one of the most romantic relationships ever, with a couple that doesn’t end up together or ever even kiss. It’s all about the music. And it’s amazing.
The Girl is a really complex role. She has to be so optimistic that she verges on chipper, and so honest and open that it veers into cartoony. The actress playing her has to keep her from getting too cartoony while also showing her maturity and intelligence. Cristin Milioti did this perfectly, somehow. The Girl on tour does a respectable job. Some of her early lines (the funniest ones) in Act I got a little hammy, but in the more serious Act II scenes, she was great. Although it’s still a bit strange to hear the unnamed Guy sing a lot of the songs, instead of the wondrous Glen Hansard, the tour’s Guy was very likable and demonstrated emotion well. However, a lot of his lyrics were swallowed. Surprisingly, one of my favorite characters on tour was Andrej, one of Girl’s roommates, whom I don’t even remember from Broadway. He has few lines and a tiny substory of about 30 seconds, but it was heartbreaking on tour. It shows what a good actor can do with very little.
My absolute favorite part of the stage show is funnily enough my least favorite part of the movie. The song “Gold”, by the Irish band Interference is sung in the movie during a ‘Sing for your supper’ kind of dinner party. In the show, Guy sings it at an open mic night at the bar, to a very cynical crowd (when he says “This is a song…that I wrote” everyone groans; it’s pretty great). But soon, every single person at the bar picks up an instrument and joins in, completely moved by his music and almost without realizing it. Here’s the cast performing it at the Tony Awards. The stomp is my favorite part of the entire show, seriously. (They changed the intro for the Tonys, so you’ll have to see the show for the hilarious lines.)
I’m glad to report that the choreography is the pretty similar on the tour. However, in other parts of the show, the choppy, modern choreography is a little less “Spring Awakening” and a little more “Hail Hitler”, with strange jerky arm movements and awkward steps. It’s interesting on the whole, how the movements reflect the characters’ awkward and new emotions, but sometimes it’s just too awkward.
Overall, “Once” is really a magical show. There are a few new songs that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova wrote for the show, like the wonderfully sad but soothing “Sleeping”, but they replace some favorites like “Lies”, “All The Way Down”, and “Once”. But the choices are smart, and the book, though different from the movie, has all the necessary charm and intelligence to successfully translate this small but powerful story to the stage. I’m so happy to have been wrong about this show.
Overall, “Once” is really a magical show. There are a few new songs that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova wrote for the show, like the wonderfully sad but soothing “Sleeping”, but they replace some favorites like “Lies”, “All The Way Down”, and “Once”. But the choices are smart, and the book, though different from the movie, has all the necessary charm and intelligence to successfully translate this small but powerful story to the stage. I’m so happy to have been wrong about this show.
