Am I suggesting that Mantello may have actually won for Assassins? Absolutely! After all, it's extremely un-kosher for an organization to send out a press release of winners for an awards ceremony to overnight reporters prior to the start of the show. It seems to me that the Drama Desk's accounting firm (which has a lot of explaining to do either way) would have their hands on the envelopes prepared for the show more than the press release, which is typed up by a freelance publicist for the ceremony. And telling all the major dailies that they were given the wrong information could jeopardize a lot of valuable relationships. But I'll stop with the conspiracy theories here--thankfully, it was Mantello either way, a fact that saved the Drama Desk a lot of, well, drama.
Here's hoping that all of the above named organizations can pull it together for next year's award season!
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR BRIGHT LIGHTS
Throw away those bootlegs, fans of Brights Lights Big City! Christmas will bring you something special: a real recording of Paul Scott Goodman's misunderstood rock and roll musical. After first presenting a reworked concert version of the flop 1999 musical at the Guggenheim last year, Sh-K-Boom Records and producer Kurt Deutsch are heading into the studio this weekend to commit the score to wax with original star Patrick Wilson singing the role of coke-sniffing hero Jamie. Although Wilson first hit the New York theater scene in the show, these days he's navigating the choppy waters of movie stardom, so far scoring a small screen hit (HBO's Angels in America), a big screen flop (remember The Alamo?) and a lead in one of the holiday season's biggest entries (The Phantom of the Opera).
Guggenheim holdovers Gavin Creel as brother Michael, Wicked standby Eden Espinosa as headline-stealer Coma Baby and Annmarie Milazzo as Jamie's doomed mom (a role she's played since early readings of the show) will also be heard on the recording. Lending some marquee value will be Tony winner Christine Ebersole, Rent and Law and Order star Jesse L. Martin, Richard Kind and new mom Sherie Rene Scott.
The CD will be in stores in time to stuff the stocking of your favorite musical theater fan. Then what? The bright lights of this big city's theater district? Time will tell!
IN BOX
Dear Paul:
What do you think about the two recent announcements of pop stars Joey Fatone and Joey McIntyre replacing roles on Broadway? Is this really something that's good for Broadway? I didn't see Fatone perform in Rent, but I did see McIntyre in Babes in Arms at Reprise! in Los Angeles, and I just can't help but think they could find someone a lot more talented to play Fiyero. As a fan of Wicked, I'm a little disappointed. It's not like they're having trouble selling tickets.
----Robert Bastron
----Los Angeles, California
Dear Robert:
I tend to not judge performers until I see if they've got the goods. I actually did see Fatone in Rent, and I have to say that he was one of the standouts of the company at the time. As for McIntyre, he was just terrific in tick, tick...BOOM! off-Broadway and it seems that he's stopped calling himself "Joe Mac," which is a plus in my book. I'm not saying that Fatone's going to be a genius Seymour for Little Shop of Horrors or that McIntyre will find new depths for the paper-thin character of Fiyero, but let's give them a shot, no?
Dear Paul:
Like you I was stunned to learn that the best song from the London version of Bombay Dreams, "Like an Eagle," had been sent to the trash heap for its Broadway version. For anyone who actually had the opportunity to see it across the pond, it was a real treat, and "Like an Eagle" was downright anthemic as it was the story's lifeblood, being weaved in throughout the course of the entire show. It encapsulated the hopes and dreams of someone who dared to dream big, and pull himself out of the depths of poverty to enjoy the taste of success. I was fortunate enough to see the London versions of both Bombay Dreams and Taboo--and then read the derisive reviews after they opened in New York with dramatically rewritten versions that differed from their highly successful U.K. cousins. I'm hard-pressed to understand why producers chose to mess with a good thing. With that in mind, I can't wait to see how they dare change Jerry Springer: The Opera for squeamish American audiences.
----Steve Loucks
----Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dear Steve:
We Americans know how to do everything better, don't we? As witnessed by the past season, clearly not. But then again, what do I know? Keep in mind--I'm the guy who did think that Brit David Leveaux pulled off Fiddler on the Roof! As for the shows you mentioned, you are absolutely correct. Although I didn't catch either show live, I have many friends that saw Bombay Dreams abroad and I experienced the U.K. Taboo on videotape. Although the British versions both seemed messy and a little random, it seems that they worked for whatever reasons. Of course, that doesn't mean that audiences here would go for the original versions either. Both shows dealt with cultures (British clubland and Bombay slumland) that are unfamiliar on these shores. As for Jerry Springer, it seems awfully American already, which may be why I haven't heard yet of major rewrites for Broadway. Keep your fingers crossed!
Dear Paul:
Maybe you can clear up some confusion. In the program for Bombay Dreams, it lists "Shakalaka Baby" as being performed by "Rani, Akaash and Ensemble." Yet, if you look in the staff section where it lists music credits, it states that it is sung by Preeya Kalidas (who, of course, originated the role of Priya in London). So what gives? Who actually sings it?
----Philip Vetro
----East Haven, Connecticut
Dear Philip:
The addictive song is indeed sung by Kalidas--the Broadway production uses a recording of "Shakalaka Baby" that is almost two years old. The program is confusing since it lists Rani, Akaash and ensemble as the "performers" of the number, which they are, even if they are lip-synching. I'm not sure why the producers didn't re-record the song with the Broadway performers, but then again they'd already spent $14 million on lavish physical elements of the production. Even on Broadway a penny saved is a penny earned.
Dear Paul:
This is a response to Andrew Cohen's e-mail in last week's column. I don't think that anyone should be allowed to deem anything "art" or "not-art." Granted that the scores and books like Mamma Mia!'s are not the most complex or require intense amounts of thought in order to grasp or process, but that's the beauty of it. For 2.5 hours you are free of deep thought and pressure to scrutinize something. I mean, nothing makes me happier than to sit in a dark theater for 2.5 hours, hear fantastic music performed by fantastic musicians and understand its meaning immediately. It's this immediacy and simple form that was driven into the musicals of the 1950s. They were written to take minds off the current events of that time, thus they weren't complex, and usually shared similar stories and themes; but they are still considered art. Why? Because art typically does not follow a definition, and it certainly isn't going to follow one's opinion because he: 'doesn't like a show.' Embrace it and appreciate for what it is worth, it may not be your favorite, but most definitely is someone else's. Remember, it is respect that keeps art alive, not fashion. Thank you.
----Digger Howard
----Cincinnati, Ohio
Dear Digger (Cool name!):
Thanks for your e-mail, but I think Andrew would probably agree with you for the most part as he was, in fact, responding to Marc Kudisch's comments on "art" in the first place. I try to stay out of debates about certain shows. If you like, then enjoy it! Just don't make me sit through it with you!
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.