New Broadway Across America/Boston Season Has New And Classic Hits

The 2009-2010 Broadway Across America/Boston Season is now official, and there really is something special for every type of theatre fan.  All shows will be either at The Colonial Theatre or Opera House.  There’ll be lots of time to talk about the shows in the coming months, but first let’s get them out there (with an occasional quip or two).  Check the Broadway Across America website for the latest ticket information.http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/

Here we go (in order of appearance) …

Fiddler On The Roof (Nov. 3-15) Farewll tour for Topol who starred in the movie.  Powerful, moving and deserving of its classic status.

Avenue Q (Nov. 17-22) Back for its second visit to Boston.  Hilarious.

Mannheim Steamroller (Dec. 5) For those who like their holiday favorites in turbo editions!

Mamma Mia! (Dec. 15-27) Unstoppable.

In The Heights (Jan. 12-24) A street-wise musical for the times.

Dreamgirls (Feb 2-14) Bigger than life.

Disney’s The Lion King (Feb. 16-March 21) The best of the Disney Broadway productions … Julie Taymor’s vision still a stunner.

Cats (April 13-18) Still a talker.

The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein (April 20-May 2) Discuss.

August: Osage County (May 4-16) My pick of the season.  Bigger than life, and not to be missed.

Grease (June 1-13) Why not.

So there you have it.  Hope to see you at the theatre.

21st Century Breakdown: Green Day Gives Us A Soundtrack For The Summer

Just to cement my standing of being a tributary along the pop culture mainstream, I don’t have a thing to say about last night’s celebrated American Idol finale (a yawn and a scratch doesn’t count).  I’d rather check in on a more ambitious and less manufactured development in the music world: the return of Green Day and the arrival of a true soundtrack for the summer of 2009.

21st Century Breakdown, the new CD from the punk-pop veterans, is a rock opera filled with angst, heart, and hope.  It begs comparison to Green Day’s stunning 2004 return to form American Idiot, but “21st Century Breakdown” is a much more polished and linear work.  “Idiot” was driven by anger at America under the Bush White House … “Breakdown” is fueled by frustration over lowered expectations.  “Breakdown” is a character study, the romance of Christian and Gloria, rather than a cathartic screed.

That said, some of the jaw dropping originality of “Idiot” is missing in “Breakdown.”  The cover art for “Idiot” has a heart-shape grenade clenched in a fist … for “Breakdown” that heart clearly winds up on the sleeve of Green Day leader Billie Joe Armstrong.  He’s a storyteller at his core, and this time he gives us a punk rock romance packed with everything from fist-pumping choruses to tender ballads.

In rock opera Armstrong has clearly discovered a form he excels at.  It fits his musical style perfectly … big themes, big chords, big ambitions.  He knows how to weave a hook out of the most basic of power chords, and you can tell he listens to a lot of music by other artists … and I’m talking everything from Kurt Weill to Kurt Cobain.

There’s a Threepenny Opera feel to “Little Girl” … “Peacemaker” sounds like production number from a Broadway rock musical … “Horseshoes and Handgrenades” rocks as hard as vintage Nirvana.  Somehow, Armstrong manages to piece everything together into a sonic tour de force.  “Breakdown” never slows down, you can listen closely or just play it in the background and it stays with you.

If you’d just rather pick a few tracks off of iTunes you’ve got plenty to choose from … the title track is terrific, so is “Know Your Enemy.”  Of the sweeter stuff “Viva La Gloria”, “Last Of The American Girls”, and “21 Guns” hit the mark.  For bratty punk “East Jesus Nowhere” will do the job.

Green Day has come so far since that free show on the Esplanade in 1994 that ended in a turf-throwing riot, but the spirit of this unconventional trio (the contributions of bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool cannot be underestimated) remains strong.  More mature, but also more vital, they got off their Dookie-era couch, and found something more lasting to say.

“21st Century Breakdown” wraps a rock beat around these challenging times … and keeps us moving forward.

Green Day plays the TD Banknorth Garden on July 20.  Tickets are on sale now.

Boston’s “Spring Awakening” Keeps All Its Promises

Spring can be such a fickle season in New England.  The glorious warmth and sunshine of one day, pushed out by bone chilling rain the next.  There is no such inconsistency with the national tour of the musical “Spring Awakening” as it opens its first Boston run at The Colonial Theatre.  It is thrilling, brave, and completely unforgettable.

A Tony Award winner in 2007, this is the first national tour of a show that continues to redefine what a musical can be.  Its amazing rock music score, combined with the youth and passion of its cast, deliver a jolt of relevance and immediacy that hasn’t been seen since “Rent.”  All in a show that’s set in a German village in the late 19th century!

Wait a minute.  How can that work?

You know, in some ways I’m still not sure.  It does though … spectacularly so.

The source material for “Spring Awakening” comes for a play of the same name written by Frank Wedekind in 1891.  Banned or heavily censored for it’s sexually charged subject matter, involving teenagers no less, the play still became a touchstone for writers of all stripes.  Wedekind railed against the idea that young people had to be protected from the realities and consequences of sexuality, arguing that misinformation and repression were the real vices.

So now we jump ahead to our “enlightened” era, and it’s stunning how little has changed.  Enter songwriter Duncan Sheik, writer Steven Sater and Director Michael Mayer and teen angst is set to a rock and roll beat for the ages.  “Spring Awakening” blooms again.

From cast, to set, to costumes, to lighting there isn’t a moment of “Spring Awakening” that doesn’t pull you in.  The characters are students dressed in hybrid period costumes.  One minute they’re writing Latin verses on slate tablets … the next they’re pulling out wireless microphones, and belting out power ballads.  Two more mature actors play all the adult roles, switching from often fumbling parents, to nefarious schoolmasters.

Let’s talk about the cast for a bit.  First and foremost they are every bit the equals of the Broadway originals … and that is the highest praise I can give.  Kyle Riabko plays Melchior, the intelligent, compassionate, and progressive student leader who tries to clue in his frustrated schoolmates about what’s really going on with their bodies, and what society is doing to keep them in the dark.  Riabko’s voice beautifully expresses Melchior’s need for something more than his provincial surroundings, and his hopes for a more fulfilling life.

Then there’s Blake Bashoff in the show stopping role of Moritz.  His wild nest of hair quickly summing up a young life on the edge.  Plagued by sexual dreams he can’t understand, and school work he can’t handle, Moritz finds himself being pulled into a pit of self-doubt and despair … and Bashoff understands his pain.  With his eyes, sometimes filled with tears, Bashoff sings “And Then There Were None,” and “Don’t Do Sadness” with a passion that is heartbreaking and endearing at the same time.  Moritz is being crushed by forces beyond his control, but Bashoff doesn’t let him go down without a fight.

There is no braver performance in “Spring Awakening” than Christy Altomare’s as Wendla.  Playing a character who is denied the most basic information about sexuality, this budding young woman is thrown into the thorn bush of real life.  Not as a victim, but as an innocent, honestly trying to understand what is happening to her body and to her world.  Altomare gives herself completely to the role and bares more than just her soul (there is partial nudity in the show).  There is such beauty and dignity to her work here, and it’s backed by a voice that is pure and strong.  Simply stunning.

I have to honestly say there isn’t a single member of the cast that I couldn’t rave about.  Steffi D, a Top 5 finalist on “Canadian Idol” in 2006 is a powerhouse as Ilse, a runway who takes up with a group of Bohemian artists. There’s no hint of “Idol” self-absorbtion, she is honest and true.

Andy Mientus and Ben Moss have a great moment as a gay couple discovering their own awakening, and Angela Reed and Henry Stram are terrific in all there adult roles.  It’s simply a dream cast through and through.

Don’t forget, you also get an incredible rock band on stage, surrounded by a set that includes bleachers on the wings for a few lucky audience members.  It doesn’t matter where your seats are though, if you’re in the house … you’re in for one of the most memorable live theatre experiences you will ever have.

Is “Spring Awakening” for everybody?  No.  The language can be rather blue at times … in fact I can’t even print the name of one of the best songs in the show.  As I mentioned earlier, there is nudity as well.  I know this is a show that can break down walls and open up lines of communication between teens and parents, but there has to be a willingness to confront some challenging material.  If you have a child of high school age I highly doubt that there is anything in this show that they haven’t seen or at least heard about.  The producers recommend age 15 as a starting point.

Productions like “Spring Awakening” do not come along that often, so when they do it’s time to celebrate and support them.

Go.

Discuss.

Spread the word.

“Spring Awakening” is at The Colonial Theatre through May 24.  Tickets are available at the box office and through Broadway Across America.

http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/

In Defense Of HvZ

When the weapons are Nerf guns, pool noodles and socks, I say … Game On!

So, the hot game on college campuses right now is Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ) … a ramped up game of tag with a story line straight out of “Night Of The Living Dead.”

Childish?  Maybe.

Silly?  A bit.

A creative way of blowing off steam without the need of a keg or a booze luge?  Absolutely.

So what’s the controversy here, ’cause it’s 2009 and there has to be a controversy.  Well, guns are involved.  NERF guns … bright yellow, purple and orange dart guns that are about as menacing as a hamster armed with a mini super soaker.  Yes, they can be tricked out with duct tape and given pet names (I’d call my “Outlaw Pete” … anything to divert attention from that horrible new Springsteen song) … but as long as they remain in their ACME cartoon look, I don’t have a problem with it.

The socks?  As long as they’re clean, that’s all I ask!

The pool noodles?  Please.

What HvZ is, at its core, is what college should be all about.  Groups of kids getting pulled together by a project of their own making.  Once the campus pooh bahs grant permission, the green bandannas come out (the color of choice at UMass Dartmouth – on the head your a zombie, on the arm your a human) and the communal insanity begins.

You see, inside buildings and classrooms, the game’s off … a wise rule.  It’s only outside in the quads and the open spaces where the chase is on.  It’s pretty simple, if a zombie touches you … you’re a zombie.  BUT if you hit the zombie first with a Nerf dart, sock or pool noodle, you stun the zombie long enough to make your escape.  This can lead to intense strategy sessions on both sides … and epic confrontations.

In short, fun ensues.

Those opposed to HvZ point to campus shooting tragedies like the unspeakable horror at Virginia Tech University.  I understand the concern.  But I also see HvZ as part of the antidote to the anti-social rage behind these crimes.  The gunmen in these cases were almost always loners with no real connections to their fellow students.  HvZ throws everyone together in a fast paced contest of group-think, and individual tenacity.  The more players … the more chances of bumping into someone you might of never met before.

What could be more human than that?

Spring Awakening: Rock That Leads To Talk

“Is this it?”

“This can’t be it!”

The confused and rebellious teens of the Tony Award winning “Spring Awakening” belt out these lyrics with a combination of horror and dead pan bemusement.  A contradiction that perfectly matches a rock musical set in an 1890’s German village.  These kids are about to become adults, but they have no context for dealing with one of the most powerful forces they will ever encounter: sex and sexuality.

Amazing how much hasn’t changed since 1890!

So let’s deal with the here and now of 2009, and the uplifting news that the national tour of “Spring Awakening” will arrive at The Colonial Theatre in Boston on April 28 for a one month run.  If ever there were a case where pop culture can span the generations, and open vital lines of communication, this is it.  “Spring Awakening” is simply too powerful a piece to be ignored.  It’s story demands a response … and in many cases that response is one of healing and understanding.

Let’s face it, when the high school years hit, family dynamics can really get strained.  Academics are more challenging and carry far greater consequences (hello, college applications) … the generation gap can feel like a canyon (music, movies, television, video games, etc often become divisive battlegrounds) … and then there’s sex (relationships, lack of relationships, self esteem, orientation) … all this stuff simmering away, ready to hit a full boil at any moment.

Where can a rational discussion begin?  “Spring Awakening” is one place.

The music of Duncan Sheik, the book by Steven Sater, and the direction of Michael Mayer have elevated Frank Wedekind’s century old drama into a timeless classic.  It’s been tamed a bit from the days when it was banned from production, but it’s central theme remains: that ignorance, intolerance, and repression will most surely lead to tragedy.

The star crossed tale of Melchior, Wendla, and Moritz is not a happy one.  They, and their friends, are caught up in a world that feeds them hard facts and half truths.  Their rebellion is articulated through rock songs that are both exhilarating and heartbreaking.  The lyrics often as raw as the emotions.

It’s the frankness, however, that will make the conversations after the show feel very of the moment.  Besides blunt language, the show also has partial nudity, and mature sexual themes.  Still, with teen pregnancy, teen suicide, and relationship violence all on-going problems in our schools, maybe a more direct approach is necessary.  The show is recommended for those over the age of 15.

I saw “Spring Awakening” on Broadway with my teenage son in 2007.  It was a bonding experience for both of us, and as we walked out of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre that night we saw many other families holding their kids a little closer.  I can only wish you the same experience at the Boston production.

Tickets are now on sale at the Colonial Theatre box office and through Broadway Across America.

http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/

Dame Edna: Hub Gets Royal Treatment From Queen Of Quips

Rodgers and Hammerstein got it right in “South Pacific” all those years ago … there is nothing like a dame.  Especially when the lady in question is a purple-haired, cabaret queen who can launch a thousand quips in one giddy evening of old school comedy.  This may be Marathon weekend in Boston, but Dame Edna Everage is turning it into a drag race!

She’s calling this one, “My First Last Tour”  … and that makes about as much sense as anything in the warped and wonderful world of Dame Edna.  The show begins with one of those sleazy cable TV biographies playing on a big screen.  We’re treated to the scorched earth tale of Dame Edna’s rise to mega-stardom, before the big gal herself, stops the proceedings cold to (a) set the record straight and (b) pretty much confirm every word.

Bespectacled, bedazzled and taking no prisoners, Dame Edna then launches into a comedy routine that is a loosely scripted, mish-mash of audience inspired hi-jinks and musical comedy bon bons.  She has her amiable musical director Andrew Ross on piano, and from time to time, her reprobate daughter “Valmai” … played to the low comedy hilt by Erin-Kate Whitcomb … at her beck and call.  It’s nothing groundbreaking or particularly innovative, but in the hands of Dame Edna, it’s also nothing short of hilarious.

So what is this show all about?  Honestly, it’s just a chance to forget your troubles for a couple of hours and laugh louder, and longer than you probably have in a good long time.  Dame Edna snipes away at everything from late arriving audience members to current celebrity misadventures … Madonna receives a particularly good skewering. 

At one point she pulls four audience members on stage for a kooky talk show routine that’s best described as Jiminy Glick meets Jimmy Fallon.  Again, just sheer silliness, but delightful none the less.

Dame Edna is only at the Colonial Theatre through Sunday, so don’t think about too much … just go!  With any luck you have Monday off, so no matter what show you catch it will be part of a weekend celebration.  Maybe you’ll even snag a gladiola at the end of the show. 

Dame Edna is a rare treasure, and you’ve got to give her credit for dragging around Aussie actor Barry Humphries with her to keep her fabulous frocks pressed.  He keeps mostly out of sight … a wise plan when surrounded by the grandeur that is Dame Edna.

Tickets are available at The Colonial Theatre box office and through the Broadway Across America website.

Have fun “possums” as the Dame would say.

http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/

When Talent Triumphs: Singer Susan Boyle Stuns Even Simon

She’s from a small village in Scotland.

She’s in her late forties, and admits she’s never been kissed.

Her cat, “Pebbles” is the closest thing she has to a significant other.

And Susan Boyle just may be the breakout singing star of 2009!

She’s already done something many thought impossible … stunning Simon Cowell into silence with the power of her voice.

Let me give you a little backstory.  “Britain’s Got Talent” is the United Kingdom’s equivalent of “American Idol.”  Like here, Simon Cowell is one of the judges … and, like here, the show thrives on its assortment of colorful contestants.

This past weekend, Susan Boyle got her shot.  As you might have guessed from the picture at the top of this blog, our girl Susan doesn’t exactly fit the current mold for pop culture princess.

She’s too old.

She’s too frumpy.

She’s too awkward.

She walked on stage to audible snickers, and camera cutaways showed audience members rolling their eyes.

And then she started to sing … and not just any song, but “I Dreamed A Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables.”  It’s a song of heartbreaking beauty and longing, and requires both vocal range and inner passion to make it work.  In the wrong hands it can be a disaster.  In Susan’s it was magic.

The unexpected power of the moment brought everyone who witnessed it to their feet.  This amazing woman, pouring her entire soul into a song that seems so far beyond her personal experience … and yet she captured it perfectly.  A complete triumph of talent over superficial packaging.

It’s so rare when a pop culture moment can actually make the world feel like a warmer, more caring, better place.  In these difficult times, Susan Boyle gives us all a chance to dream again.

Here’s a link to YouTube so you can watch it yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Lost: The Seasoning Of Sawyer

According to the nickname generator on the Lost website, Sawyer would call me “El Docko” if we spent some time on the island together.  El Docko?!  Random … but I think I like it.

I’m liking Sawyer a lot more this season too … in fact, at this point he pretty much is Season V.  What used to be the “Jack” show is now centered on our con man with the southern drawl.  He’s also known as “LaFleur” now because of the show’s confusing, but fascinating time warp story line.  His character arc has also taken him from selfish tom cat, to thoughtful leader.

So, how the heck did the writers pull this off?  First, let’s give some major props to actor Josh Holloway.  He was great at playing the bad boy, hunk for the first couple of seasons, but it sure wasn’t a stretch.  He was the anti-Jack, selfish, arrogant, and on the make.  Now Jack has devolved into a whiny, self-absorbed drama queen (man, who did Matthew Fox tick off on the writing staff) … and Sawyer (or James, Jim, LaFleur) has become the show’s alpha male.

Suddenly it’s Sawyer who has the steady relationship with the soulful but weary Juliet … it’s Sawyer who’s trying to build bridges to the island’s splintered factions … it’s Sawyer who’s trying to find humanity and order in the chaos.  That’s a major turnaround from his days of shoot first and ask questions later.

One of the things that has kept me a Lost fan through some of the show’s ebb tides, is its ability to change focus without grinding the story to a halt.  Not all the side stories have worked, forgive me but was anything more annoying than the Charlie/Claire duo?  Okay, Michael/Walt you got me!  I’m a big fan of the Desmond/Penny romance, but that seems to have been moved to the back burner (best Lost episode of all time is still “The Constant” from Season IV).  Then there’s the two “L’s” … Locke and Linus.  You kinda get the feeling that it’s all going to come down to these guys in the end.

But that’s for another blog.  Right now we’re here to sing Sawyer’s praises, and the real lift his character transformation has given Lost.  If you’ve fallen a few episodes behind take a tip from El Docko, head on over to ABC.com and catch up quickly on what is still network TV’s premiere drama.

There’s a new episode tonight at 9:00 PM.

http://abc.go.com/

All That Chazz: Teller Outshines Tale In “Bronx”

Chazz Palminteri tells a story like an old school Italian chef builds a lasagna … layer upon lovingly crafted layer.  Of course ingredients play a key role too, and in the case of “A Bronx Tale” it sometimes feels like a little store brand ricotta got slipped in.  It’s still plenty tasty, but not quite the classic you might have hoped for.

Chazz, however, is authentic to the core.  “A Bronx Tale” is a one man show that’s actually packed with a cast of memorable characters … all brought to life by this charismatic writer-performer.    With a set that consists of a stoop, a street lamp, and the exterior of a bar (please give it up for Chez Joey) Palminteri quickly establishes a Bronx neighborhood that’s instantly recognizable.  Then goes about telling an iconic coming of age tale.

The problem is, the turf is a little too familiar.  You’ve got the local made man, Sonny … his colorful bunch of wiseguy cohorts, Eddie Mush, JoJo The Whale, Frankie Coffee Cake … a hard working and selfless dad, Lorenzo … and the angelic love interest, Jane.  Chazz quickly morphs into his 9-year-old self, little Cologero sitting on the stoop, innocently watching the world swirl around him.  Until the day he witnesses a deadly bit of street justice that forces him to make choices that will affect the rest of his life.

Ever since “The Godfather” the twisted code of the mafia has become the fodder of many a morality tale.  The fact that it’s so embedded in our pop culture consciousness makes it difficult to see “A Bronx Tale” with fresh eyes.  Yes, this is Palminteri’s story, but if you haven’t heard the one about the impressionable kid who’s tempted by flash over substance you really ought to get out more.  Chazz does know how to weave in a nice Sixties vibe though, Dion and the Belmonts, JFK, the rise and fall of the Yankees.  There’s just no real surprises about where any of it is going.

All that being said, this is still a compelling piece of storytelling.  Palminteri is so expressive, and captivating from start to finish.  You are watching a master craftsman, capable of switching from street punk to street poet in a heartbeat.  It’s a rare gift, and well worth the price of admission to the Colonial Theater.

One of Palminteri’s main themes in “A Bronx Tale” is the tragedy of wasted talent … a message he received loud and clear from his father.  It’s one of the things that makes the triumph of his performance so memorable.

“A Bronx Tale” is at the Colonial through April 5.

http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/BOSTON

Driven To The Brink: Art Of The Automobile Also At Stake In Big 3 Crisis

I’m a car guy.  They’re much more to me than just transportation … they are freedom, inspiration, mechanical alchemy and art.  The shape, the lines, the power, the fit and finish … when these elements come together for me it’s like hearing a great rock song, or seeing a terrific piece of live theater, or viewing an amazing painting.  It’s sculpture meets asphalt, and you get to set it all in motion.

That’s why the current crisis in the U.S. auto industry is such a bummer for me … I feel the era of the dream machine slipping away.  Now my qualifications for a hot car may be a lot different than yours.  I’m a huge fan of the American muscle car … Mustang Cobra GT, Corvette, the revival of the Dodge Challenger.  These beasts are for the dragon riders, willing to give up comfort and ease for the pure adrenaline rush of perfectly timed horsepower.

You’re Steve McQueen in “Bullitt” … Barry Newman in “Vanishing Point” … heck, you’re Burt Reynolds in “Smokey and the Bandit” … you’re on the road, wrapped in American made heavy metal.  Such a glorious waste of fossil fuel.

Now love of these cars doesn’t always translate to ownership.  Have you ever tried to pilot a rear-wheel drive V-8 through a New England winter?  Two words … not fun!  Do I miss my ‘95 Mustang GT on hot, summer days?  More than you’ll ever know.  During January snow storms?  Not so much.

Still, it’s the idea that they’re out there … roaming the highways like a phantom T-Rex that’s a comfort to me.  That’s why the current meltdown in Detroit is so troubling.  I know GM and Chrysler have made some horrible business decisions over the years, but I still want them to survive.  That’s because the true heart of the industry still beats in the muscle car divisions of those companies.  Not the most important … not the most profitable … but a piece of living history worth preserving.

Did you see the article in “The Boston Globe” Monday about Harvard’s president, Drew Gilpin Faust going to bat for the old school majors?  Classics, whether Greek or four on the floor, matter.

Now that Rick Wagoner has gotten the boot at GM … do you think Drew could do a little moonlighting in Detroit?