07/09/04
Am I suggesting that the casting of a bevy of theater personalities may have helped the new installment? Well, not exactly. An emotionally involving script and fabulous flying scenes certainly played a part as well. But it didn't hurt--in fact, the biggest improvement comes thanks to Fiddler on the Roof star Alfred Molina, who is creepy fun as Dr. Otto Octavius, a scientist whose invention goes terribly wrong. Wonderful Town triple-threat Donna Murphy appears in a few memorable scenes as his wife Rosalie. Also on hand as some of the people in the life of hero Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire): Rosemary Harris as his aunt May, Dylan Baker as his college professor, Oklahoma!'s Aasif Mandvi as his pizza joint boss and Gregg Edelman (Wonderful Town) as his doctor, stage vets J.K. Simmons and Christine Estabrook as his boss at the newspaper and J. Jonah Jameson as his wife. Also in the newsroom as Joseph "Robbie" Robertson was none other than Bill Nunn currently making his Broadway debut in A Raisin in the Sun.
Theater fans will also get a kick out of the Broadway production of The Importance of Being Earnest in the film, which stars actress/model Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and plays at the fictional Lyric Theatre. (They'll probably get an even bigger kick of the scene in which Dunst blatantly breaks character to gaze out into the audience!)
Bravo to director Sam Raimi and casting director Dianne Crittenden for utilizing the talents that thrill and chill all of us eight times a week (without digital F/X!) for this Hollywood hit. Maybe they should all take part in the upcoming musical version of the Marvel Comics legend. Then again, maybe they shouldn't!
POWERHOUSE PLAYAS
The Powerhouse Theater, presented by Vassar College and New York Stage and Film, has certainly earned its name this season. It's only two weeks into the summer program held on the Vassar campus in Poughkeepsie, New York, and they've already given audiences theatrical treats like Amy Irving in the premiere of A Safe Harbor for Elizabeth Bishop, a multi-media show about space by actor Bill Pullman (who was so deserving of a Tony nomination for The Goat) called Expedition 6 and this weekend's Good Canary, starring Charlie's Angel gal Lucy Liu as a bulimic speed-freak! As if that weren't exciting enough, Powerhouse just announced the stage debut of American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini in the Broadway-bound John Carrafa-helmed Beach Boys musical Good Vibrations.
Another show that's got Manhattan theater insiders checking into train and bus schedules to Poughkeepsie is Nerds, a musical-comedy take on the parallel stories of computer titans Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and the development of their respective empires: Microsoft, Inc. and Apple Computer Corporation. The buzz-worthy musical is the work of several NYU grads: Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner (two of the talents who created 2000's masterful hip-hop take on Shakespeare called The Bomb-itty of Errors) and composer Hal Goldberg.
“It's the story of them in the style of a crazy musical comedy,” Weiner told me during a three-way call that connected me with both Bomb-itty boys. “It's an epic take on their lives, from computer dweebs in their garages to multi-billionaires.” Of course, the authors had to spice up their subjects a bit. “If we had done it straight from the pages of computer history,” Allen-Dutton added. “We would have had one very sleepy audience! We've gone to the extreme--in the style of Bomb-itty.”
One thing that's different about Nerds, however, is that Allen-Dutton and Weiner--who were both hilarious performers in Bomb-itty--are staying behind the scenes this time. “We can't sing,” Allen-Dutton pointed out. “We can only rap. And there's only one rap number in Nerds, a number at the end of the first act when Gates releases Windows and takes over the industry.” Taking on the leads in the Powerhouse production of Nerds are newcomer Roderick Hill as Gates and Aaron Lazar (Oklahoma!) as Jobs. (Broadway.com Fresh Faces Sarah Litzsinger and Kate Reinders are featured as love interests.)
Self-professed computer nerds themselves, both hipsters predictably fessed up to a preference for Apple Macs. Once that was settled, I asked the next logical question: How big are their iPods? “Twenty gigs,” Allen-Dutton replied. “I've got 30 gigs,” shared Weiner, adding that he works off a PowerBook G4. “Wait, is mine only 20?” Allen-Dutton asked. “I have a smaller iPod than you?”
Uh oh. While the boys compare sizes, I'll tell you how to catch their show! Nerds plays at the Martel Theater at Vassar July 15-18. Click here to purchase tickets for this (and all other Powerhouse shows).
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AU REVOIR!
Kiki and Herb fans coast-to-coast are wearing black this week in mourning for the 19-year-old club duo, who have announced that their farewell performance is set for September 19 at Carnegie Hall. But wait a minute--Kiki and Herb fans always wear black and according to Justin Bond, the man who made chanteuse Kiki, he and co-star Kenny Mellman (Herb) may not be really done with the beloved act after all. “I have no intention of doing it again and no intention of not doing it again,” Bond offered cryptically. Then he added: “In the world of Kiki and Herb, every show is their farewell show ‘cause they can die at any minute.”
Still, the hilariously titled Kiki and Herb Will Die For You promises to be a night to remember and quite possibly the final New York show for Bond and Mellman for quite some time as Bond is off to spend a year in London getting a Master's degree. “I'm going to study Scenography at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design,” he told me. “People think I'm saying ‘stenography,' which isn't true, although I'm sure I could be the best paralegal ever.” The pair spent some time in the U.K. earlier this year performing a show on a ship called the HMS President that they titled, Kiki and Herb Mount the President, and filming a mockumentary directed by Taboo's Tony-nominated costume designer Mike Nicholls about their harrowing experiences.
So are Kiki and Herb really going to die in front of 2,800 beloved fans on September 19? “They may very well die,” Bond said. “In fact, they may very well be killed that night by the audience!” Tickets for this must-see concert go on sale July 26th at 11am. Visit KikiAndHerb.com for more information.
GOOD READS
I wanted to take a minute in this week's column to alert my faithful readers to three new interviews with stage talents on the site that are worth your attention. First up is a chat with Hunter Foster, who recently made the leap from star dressing rooms at Little Shop of Horrors to The Producers, velvet Elvis painting in tow. Broadway.com staffer Lara De Meo sat down with Foster for an evening breakfast at Angus McIndoe recently and found out which Producers role he originally had his eye on and which 2004 Tony winner caused him to leap to his feet at Radio City. (Read it!) A few clicks away, regular contributor Kevin Manganaro dishes with Fresh Face Carly Jibson about her time on the “National Disaster Tour” of Hairspray, finding out which scene in the tuner is the 19-year-old starlet's favorite as it allows her “55 seconds of rest.” (Read it!) Also new this week: David Drake gets to know Movin' Out dance diva Nancy Lemenager, who reveals in her Broadway.com Q&A how she went from being the next Mary Lou Retton to the next Elizabeth Parkinson and lets the cat out of the bag about which Broadway choreographer eats a lot of chicken! (Read it!) If that didn't make you click with curiosity, I don't know what will!
IN BOX
Dear Paul:
I recently made my first visit from the U.K. to Broadway and in a hectic whirl took in Wicked, Assassins, Hairspray and Movin' Out! Clearly I had a wonderful and (diverse) time and loved the city. But the highlight by miles was the incredible Twyla Tharp/Billy Joel creation. I sincerely hope it crosses the Atlantic so that I can sit in awe and wonder at least once more! Like you, I felt unease when I initially arrived at the theater as those little slips of paper fell out of my program. However, there is one other alternate star you didn't mention, whose performance I was fortunate enough to catch: Wade Preston, standing in for Michael Cavanaugh. He was breathtaking! The whole band is fantastic, too. What a show: electrifying and genuinely unique!
----Ian Trafford
----England
Dear Ian:
Wow! It sounds like you had quite a trip! I hope to pack in as many wonderful shows during my upcoming trip to your shores. (Any suggestions?) So glad that you loved Movin' Out as much as I did. I actually wondered how it would play in the U.K. I've also heard many terrific things about Preston since the show opened. I'll have to make a point of catching him next time.
Dear Paul:
Along with many other Broadway-goers, I have fallen in love with Wicked, but the truth is I have never really seen the show. I saw the lovely Idina Menzel and equally beautiful Kristin Chenoweth on the Tony Awards performing "Defying Gravity" and instantly I was hooked. I immediately got tickets for October. But oh no! Big problem! Chenoweth has left the cast already and that leaves me unsure about the whole reason I want to see the show and that's Idina! Could you please confirm that Idina will be sticking around until January sometime as it was previously rumored! Thank you so much!
----Zack Lynch
----Fenwick Island, Delaware
Dear Zack:
Calm down, my friend! Menzel is indeed contracted to stay in the role of Elphaba through January 2005. Chenoweth will play her final performance (along with Norbert Leo Butz) on July 18. But Jennifer Laura Thompson, who was so great in Footloose (yes, Footloose!) and Urinetown is her replacement, and I'm sure she'll be fab. So, October sounds like a great time to see Wicked, if you ask me!
Dear Paul:
Thank heavens someone has finally mentioned Honk! in Stage Notes. I've just appeared in an amateur production here in Ireland and we won three awards at the Association of Irish Musical Societies. In case you don't know, the AIMS Awards are our amateur version of the Tonys, just without the vision of Hugh Jackman, and not one nomination for Audra McDonald in sight! Because of our success, we are now bringing it to the well-known Waterford International Festival of Light Opera in September, following a short run in Dublin. If any of your readers are in Ireland around then, don't hesitate to look us up--we should be paddling in a river somewhere! It is a fantastic show that really deserves a Broadway outing. Some may argue it's a story best left for kids but I say if that's your attitude, then Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King should only play to eight year olds, not the young at heart. The Wizard of Oz is my favorite film, and I can't wait to check out Wicked. I am making my virgin trip to New York and the States in December. Dare I say it... Broadway here I come! Needless to say, I will not be flying over on a broomstick...
----Vickey Howell
----Dublin, Ireland
Dear Vickey:
Congrats on the AIMS Awards! I've never seen the show myself, but am dying to now. Have a great time in NYC. I know you're gonna fall in love with the city!
Dear Paul:
I am a total Broadway.com addict and I've read every one of your columns. Last summer, I saw Hairspray, Urinetown and The Producers. I loved the first two, but was quite disappointed with the latter. I was actually really excited about seeing The Producers, because of the buzz but it left me bored and somewhat depressed. The cast was great--including Cady Huffman, who was the only original cast member there at the time. The music was good, too. However, the show has no soul. I didn't care about any of the characters and I left the St. James with a bad taste in my mouth. I even have trouble listening to the cast recording. I think the show is extraordinarily overrated. Having said that, I've very curious about what you think about it. Did you like it? Also, you haven't mentioned anything about The Frogs. Have you caught any previews yet?
----Nicolas Mancuso
----Montreal, Canada
Dear Nicholas:
The Producers is hardly one of my favorite shows, but I have to admit that it works. And with the original company, it was pretty magical. But all I remember about the first time I caught it on critics' night back in 2001 was the fact that this middle-aged guy sitting behind me was scream-laughing in my ear at every little joke, some of which were only half-funny. The audience was primed to love it, thanks mostly to the presence of Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and they did. And who can argue? There's nothing wrong with a show that just wants to show you a good time. But no, it's not one of my favorite shows--I've only seen it one more time since opening, which says a lot considering how often I've seen some musicals since then. As for The Frogs, I'm not seeing it until right before opening, so I'll report on it then.
I'm taking next week off from Stage Notes so that I can get a little R&R on the high seas with R Family Vacations. I'll be sure to give you a full rundown when I return.
That's it for now. Talk to you in two weeks. 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.