I had zero expectations for this show going into. I had no preconceived notions either positive or negative about it. I knew the movie, of course, but my expectations for the music were not high. It is not music you hear on Broadway playlists…so you know it isn’t memorable. Where this musical wows the audience is in the special effects. Not only is there a Delorian--it flies. It also looks like it is driving on the stage. You get classic Doc and Marty chemistry brought to life in front of you! The music picked up from a few forgettable exposition numbers when they were back to the Fifties hits…of course I am a fan of classic fifties music anyway! And of course, the iconic Back in Time had to make an appearance at the end of the show! The man playing Marty McFly, Caden Brauch, embodied Michael J. Fox’s portrayal perfectly. It was a tribute to the talent of Michael J. Fox. Doc was a star as well, with Don Stephenson giving Christopher Lloyed a run for his money. The most hilarious scenes played out with some rewritten dialogue for the modern era in the scenes with Marty’s mother, Lorraine, back in the fifties. Zan Berube killed it more than Lea Thompson. This show was a nostalgic fun romp for Gen X and Early Millennials and set an amazing bar for any technical crew for future shows.
I have to admit I had never seen the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers original of the show when I went to the Broadway Across America presentation of Some Like it Hot. In fact I knew absolutely nothing about the show except the revival had been considered for a Best Revival Tony Award. I loved the era and the clothes of the late 1920’s and early ’30’s and I knew, if anything, that I could revel in that part of the show. What I found was a classic ‘30’s caper comedy with mixed-up identities, romance that never works and cabaret style numbers and jokes. However, what stood out about the show was the tap dance. Though the main characters, Jerry (played by Matt Lohre) and Joe (played by Tavis Kordell)(or Geraldine and Daphne/Josephine) were not completely in sync in their opening numbers, however, the tap-dancing twins turned trio with the addition of Sugar ultimately came to together to tap – an art I think has ultimately been lost and needs to return. The tap dancing chase scenes were definitely fun, although I think the choreography could have been more involved than what it was. Limited by skill or vision, I can’t say. I was completely in love with the outfits Sugar wore. They were simple and classy! It was an entertaining afternoon of mayhem and madcap fun…and although it isn’t a standout show I enjoyed it thoroughly!
When Les Miserables comes to town, I must go. It is the iconic musical of my formative years behind The Wizard of Oz which I have acted in three times. Les Mis was the musical my voice teacher selected for me to learn in my lessons and the music captured me. The story has taken me years to come to understand in all its complexities, but as I grow my connection to the tale changes each time I see it. This touring production was not much different than recent traveling casts. I will say that Javier absolutely stole the show with his voice. His tone and ability to sustain a note was impeccable. Valjean was no one to sniff at, and I appreciate his take on the role. He humanized it with more cadence variance in the delivery of his lines. It was really a heartfelt performance of the complex role. I am sorry to say that the ladies were a little flat. Cosette and Eponine were fine, but they were on the level of what most touring shows provide. Fantine was the best of the three and also gave a more nuanced performance of her song (I was crying – but “I Dreamed a Dream” gets me every time now that I am an adult). I am used to the show being stolen by the Thernadiers, however, ever since the movie version where Sacha Baron Cohen played Messuere Thernadier every cast I have seen has played him in the same way. This Thernadier was flat, basically trying to pantomime what he saw in Baron Cohen’s performance and he fell flat. It wasn’t announced that he was an understudy, but he seemed like he didn’t know the role as well as he could. One thing that continues to intrigue me is where the director chooses to place the intermission. I swear I have seen it done after “Stars” and after Gavroche announces the death of LeMarque—this time it was placed at do you hear the people sing. It made for a shorter second act, but I am just always intrigued. Overall, I was taken with the first act of the show and completely immersed, but I am a sucker for the show every time.
I am ashamed to say I knew so little about this show. That being said, it is most likely not a staple of musical theater repertoire because it is not uplifting at all. What amazed me about the show was just how much music there was—I would equivocate it to Les Mis and Hamilton with a few spoken vignettes between numbers. What was most surprising was that the tragic plot was based on a true story. At the center of the play is Leo Frank, a Jewish supervisor at an Atlanta Pencil Factory in 1914. He is a native of New York who fell in love with a Jewish woman in Atlanta. In the first few minutes of the show, he makes a crack about not knowing that there were southern Jews. The whole opening number is outlining the proud history of the south and the parade where the dead girl was bound was to celebrate the cessation from the Union. Antisemitism rears its ugly head as the scene progresses and Leo is accused of murdering the girl. A down on his beat reporter catches wind of the story and sets out to paint Leo as a monster a la images similar to the Nazi regimes propaganda. The media frenzy he creates spreads to the citizens of Atlanta and a few slipped dollars to the right people ensure Leo is found guilty of murder. Even after his death sentence by the state is reprieved by the governor, the media frenzy continues, and the old south rears its ugly head as it reeks its revenge. It was beautifully staged and the choreography, though subtle was impeccable. One completely eerie scene in the courtroom has three sirens telling the same story as they rotate through the chair on the stand, and the main character was left on stage during intermission to mimic his jail sentence. It was a beautifully crafted piece of art that certainly deserved the Best Revival accolades it received.
When a theater goer, or non-theater goer for that matter, think of Broadway blockbusters, musicals are usually what come to mind. I have to admit that going into Life of Pi, I had assumed that it would be a musical. Almost as a rule, when you take an already written story and reimagine it for the theater with original songs, the music falls flat.
Life of Pi, thankfully, was not a musical. Obviously, I had not done prior research before attending. I had read the book and seen the movie adaptation, both. Neither had ever awed me. I have always believed that the allegory was stretched too thin and ultimately the message was weak at the end of the book. Once again, I was in the wrong and Broadway produced another incredible play. Where the allegory fell apart slightly at the end of the book and the movie turned the tale into an adventure rather than the story of faith that it is, the play was the perfect vehicle to capture the beauty of a young boy’s hopes and dreams. Through beautiful and precise movement, artistry and puppetry depict the inner turmoil he experienced while attempting to come to terms with his new life and faith.
For those who are not familiar with the story, and I was shocked to find out my sister was not, it captures the tale of Piscine—or Pi as he dubbed himself—as his family attempts to flee India to Canada. On the voyage to Canada, the freight ship carrying his family and their zoo animals that they are attempting is ravaged by a storm and Pi is the lone survivor that was located when he was finally found in Mexico. As the Japanese representatives for the shipping agency, the Mexican embassy and the Canadian Embassy attempt to retrieve the tale of what happened, Pi tells a mystical tale of faith, survival, and ultimately – life.
If you can't make the show, check out the book!
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