09/10/04
“It's a quadruple-threat role!” Shields corrected me at a recent photo shoot for a new Wonderful Town ad campaign. “And then coming in to Donna Murphy's footsteps? That's the biggest threat of all!”
Well, now that she brought it up, how is Shields--previously well-received on Broadway in Grease! and Cabaret--preparing to replace Murphy, the well-loved leading lady who earned critical hosannas and her third Tony nomination for the role? “I decided to not try to fill her shoes or replace her in anyway,” Shields candidly offered. “I'm just trying to keep the show open a little longer. I have friends in there and I'd like to see them working!”
Shields first caught Wonderful Town over the summer after being offered the part, and now admits that she was hoping to be disappointed by what was on display at the Al Hirschfeld. “I really didn't want to like it! I left the theater so scared, but then I realized that I'd be a fool to not say yes and put myself through what I'm going to be putting myself through. But I did tell my manager to be ready for the phone call where I'm crying, saying ‘Why did you let me do this?!'”
In Studio Five of the Pier 59 studios at Chelsea Piers, the crooning of Frank Sinatra filled the room as Shields posed in a ‘40s red suit and hat for friend and photographer Andrew Eccles. For the “New Girl in Town” campaign, Eccles is evoking the classic fashion photography of Norman Parkinson that would have been found in Vogue or Harper's Bazaar at the time. The look is old New York--with Shields appearing to be atop the Empire State Building, swinging from one of its famous viewfinders.
Wonderful Town costume designer Martin Pakledinaz stood off the side, moving in to adjust Shields' white scarf (which was being blown aside by a fan) between shots. Catching up with him during a break, he admitted that dressing a wonder woman like Shields is a piece of cake: “I went through all of the costumes in the show and realized that she's going to look pretty amazing in everything! She has a great architecture for the whole Roz Russell look.” Shields makes Eccles' job easier as well: “Photographing Brooke is like a day off for me. I hardly have to do a thing.”
Another notable presence in the room was Rowan Francis, Shields' adorable 16-month-old daughter (with hubby Chris Henchy), who played at a table while mom looked beautiful for the camera. Wonderful Town will mark Shields' first time juggling motherhood with Broadway stardom. “I'm worried about sleep,” she admitted. “When I was in Cabaret, I either slept or did the show. And I won't be able to put her to bed--I can't put her on an 11:30 bedtime schedule!” Little Rowan is already on her way to become a Broadway baby herself--when she was just a week old, Shields took her to the theater to see Nine after doctors gave her the OK. “Chita Rivera was carrying her around backstage during intermission,” she smiled. “I guess you can say I've exposed her to Broadway!”
Counting among her closest friends former co-stars from past Broadway ventures, Shields said that Broadway will always feel like home for her. “The community always welcomes you back,” she said. “There's this unwavering appreciation for the medium and for anyone who's willing to put themselves through it for eight shows a week.” And Shields is well aware of the bulls-eye that appears on a performance like hers for critics who may not appreciate the presence of crossover stars on the stage. “I'm sure the firing squad will be there!” she joked. “But they can't take away the feeling from the house when a packed crowd is having a great time. They can't that away from you.”
Brooke Shields will play Ruth Sherwood in “Wonderful Town” from September 28 through the holidays. Click here for tickets.
BOROUGH BELTERS
Although September 9 was one of those sticky, humid post-Labor Day afternoons in New York City, a gang of Broadway press folks got their first taste of fall at Duke Studios in Times Square. The event was a press rehearsal for Brooklyn, The Musical, the only new tuner left to open for the remainder of 2004. (Sigh.)
The cast of five performed the opening scene to the show as well as four high-belting tunes, showing off their Soul Train Music Awards vocal ranges and hand gestures. Rent vet Karen Olivo, who plays Brooklyn's angelic mom in the show, admitted to me afterward that the big singing is right up her alley. “I love Oklahoma!, but I'll probably never get cast as Laurey, so when something like this comes along, I'm like, ‘Thank God!' This is where my chops are.” When I comment to Olivo that Brooklyn seems like one big number after the next, she admits: “It's a screaming show. We scream. From beginning to end. I love it!” Adds Kevin Anderson, who's gone scruffy for his role as a Vietnam vet in Brooklyn: “It's like a big ass-kicking concert with a story attached to it.”
A show with huge vocal demands for its stars? You can almost imagine the flurry of understudy slips falling out of your program, right? Not so fast, says Brooklyn diva (and resident of the borough's Carnesie hood) Ramona Keller, who was recently seen on Broadway as one-third of Tonya Pinkins' radio in Caroline, or Change. As Keller sees it, if the cast survived last year's pre-Broadway tryout in Denver, where the high altitude and air quality puts a strain on the vocal chords, the low elevation of the Plymouth Theatre on West 45th Street should be a piece of cake. “I don't think you're come and see the understudies,” she said. “We're gonna be there!”
Keller plays Paradice, a street-smart R&B diva who named herself after a pair of dice that helped her build a fortune (“From a pair of dice, I made paradise.”). In the show, Paradice faces off with the titular character, a French singer who arrives in Brooklyn looking for the father she never knew. Brooklyn is played by newcomer Eden Espinosa--a one-time California theme park performer who is best known for standing by for Tony winner Idina Menzel in Wicked. Gershwin Theatre stage door johnnies (and Elphies) will immediately take note of Espinosa's sassy new look--she chopped off maybe a foot of hair earlier in the week. “They wanted me to cut it when we went to Denver with the show and I wasn't feeling it,” she recalled. “Now it feels good--and right with the character. It's gonna be good!”
The ladies of Brooklyn get a chance to strut their stuff in an unusual assortment of scene-stealing costumes (courtesy of designer Tobin Ost) made out of garbage, of all things--and they're loving it! “We get fit as if we were being fitted for a designer dress,” Espinosa said. “So when we come out in our garbage-bag-and-duct-tape dress, it feels like a Versace!” Perhaps John McDaniel, who's arranging all of the soul-flavored music for Brooklyn, puts it best: “The costumes actually get applause. When does that ever happen?!”
Keeping in line his touching Big River revival, director Jeff Calhoun's concept for Brooklyn is to keep the storytelling as organic as possible--and let the performers and the script shine without frills. “Theater's not about realism,” he explained. “That's what movies are for. Nothing personal, but I just don't think you need dancing waters or flying monkeys. I know people like it, but I'm not a set designer, so what fun is it for me? I like to have people moved by the authors and not to leave talking about the moving scenery.”
And me? I love dancing water, flying monkeys and big belting! Bring on Brooklyn!
"Brooklyn, The Musical" starts performances on Thursday, September 23 at the Plymouth Theatre. Click here for tickets.
DON'T TELL MAMA
I was seriously considering hopping on the LIRR to see Daisy Eagan play Sally Bowles in the just-opened Gateway Playhouse production of Cabaret when I got word that she'd skipped town! Apparently, Eagan told the director, “Maybe next time” and left the show, taking her Cliff Bradshaw with her! In all honesty, I don't know the circumstances and adore the talented Miss Eagan (just as much as I adore those missing Wonderful Town gals) and will assume that she had somewhere important to be! With just a few days until opening, up-and-comers Erin Maguire and Jared Bradshaw (who has a deliciously over-the-top personal website!) learned the abandoned roles and Alicia Irving (remember that big-voiced Fortune Teller in Side Show?) stepped into the role of Fraulein Kost (previously played by Maguire). Are you following? Here's the short version--Daisy's not there, but there's still plenty of reason to catch the show! Special congrats to the new stars of Cabaret, who are clearly quick studies! Now if we could just find a nice, juicy comeback role for Daisy…
IN BOX
Dear Paul:
I know from reading some of your older columns that you weren't a fan of Aida, but did you happen to catch the final performance at the Palace last week? I wanted to go so badly but couldn't get my plans in order. If you went, I want a full report on the festivities and curtain call speeches!
----Jimmy Marskit
----Evanston, Illinois
Dear Jimmy:
Sadly, I was out of town and missed the last Aida, but I did catch the show earlier in the final week with a friend and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I still think it was pretty goofy overall and that there were too many friggin' power-ballads in Act Two, but the final cast was in fine form. Deborah Cox (who sings two of my favorite dance songs) was one of the best Aidas the Palace Theatre ever had, Lisa Brescia as Amneris nailed moments that had been lost over the past few rounds of replacements and Adam Pascal's Radames was stronger than ever, even if he was wearing a touch too much make-up! Overall, I was glad I caught the show one last time, feeling I was finally able to appreciate it in all its messy glory!
Dear Paul:
I enjoyed your article on Good Vibrations especially the part talking about Justin Guarini. I live in the suburbs of Minneapolis but flew to Poughkeepsie, New York to watch all five performances of this show at Vassar this summer. I am a 57-year-old fan of Justin and his wonderful voice but learned to love all the young cast members and the wonderful Beach Boys songs of my younger years. The show will be so much fun for young and old--they had us up dancing in our seats by the end of the performance. The best part of the play was the end of the first half when Justin first appeared as a surfer. His entry signaled an energy shift in the play and from that point, the show soared. I hope Justin signs with the Broadway run because he will finally get props for his voice and amazing dancing and acting abilities. This young man talked to his fans from around the United States after each performance, giving each person a chance to have pictures, autographs, or just a wonderful conversation. There are many people of all ages that want this young man to succeed and are just waiting for him to appear in something so we can support his career. I was teasing one of the producers saying it looks like I will have to buy an apartment in New York if Justin signs with the production!
----Mary Safar
----Orono, Minnesota
Dear Mary:
A 57-year-old Justin fan from Minnesota who uses the word “props”?! If you're real, you're my new favorite person! Although there's no official word yet on Guarini's Broadway debut, I'm keeping my hopes up. I'll look for you around the stage door of the Eugene O'Neill come December!
That's it for now. Talk to you next week. Please e-mail me any of your questions, comments or critiques!
Paul Wontorek
Editor-in-Chief
For an archive of old Stage Note columns, click here.