09/24/04
Of course, success doesn't come easy, so I'd like to thank the people who helped it all come together. First, shout-outs to Broadway.com staffers Bruce Glikas, Beth Stevens, Cara Joy David (and mom Jill), Julie Liu, Kevin Manganaro, Katie Riegel, Kevin Robak, Josie Garthwaite and Matt Gibson, who manned the table throughout the long day. Also special thanks to the many members of the community who donated items to our efforts, including Antonio Banderas, John Barlow, Michael Borowski, Kerry Butler, Jim Byk, Donna Lynne Champlin, Noah Cornman, Alan Cumming, Kurt Deutsch, Bill Evans, Joey Fatone, Bob Fennell, Harvey Fierstein, Hunter Foster, Carrie Friedman, David Gersten , Michael Hartman, George Hearn, Hugh Jackman, Judy Jacksina, The Karpel Group, Jeremy Katz, Robert Lopez, Jim Mannino, Seth Marquette, Jeff Marx, Joey McIntyre, Idina Menzel, Rick Miramontez, Jason Moore, Orfeh, Jim Randolph, Alice Ripley, Liz Rosenberg, Lea Salonga, Pete Sanders, Carole Shelley, Emily Skinner, Mark Simon, Stephen Sondheim, David Stone, Don Summa, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Jeff Whitty, Frank Wildhorn, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Wayne Wolfe.
See you next year!
SONGS OF A SWINGER
I had a chance to catch up with the always-in-demand John Barrowman a few Saturdays back. The boyish Brit with the big Broadway voice was in town talking up his new CD, John Barrowman Swings Cole Porter, which lands in stores on October 5. But even though he was staying in the trendiest new hotel (Hotel Gansevoort) in the liveliest ‘hood (the Meat Packing district) of the city that never sleeps (New York, of course!), Barrowman was holed up for the night, hankering down to learn the role of Billy Flynn.
“I'll be in my room studying tonight,” he confessed. Barrowman was gearing up to join the West End production of Chicago, after never having even seen the wildly successful show (not even with predecessor David Hasselhoff in the part!). “They've always asked me to do it, but I just waited and waited. Now I've only got a week left to learn it!”
Barrowman is more well-versed in the work of Cole Porter these days, after having played Billy Crocker in the hit London staging of Anything Goes, portraying one of Porter's boy toys in the bio-flick It's De-Lovely and especially after digging through the Porter songbooks to choose songs for his latest recording. “It was a constant surprise,” Barrowman said about the process. “We restructured some songs, put some lyrics in that were originally taken out of some, found alternate lyrics for others. He wrote so many different lyrics for things.”
So is this new album Barrowman's attempt to come out as a swinger? He laughed at the question: “I've always been out as a swinger! I've never been in! I love this style of music--big band swing music. It's the beauty of getting to do an album like this.” Barrowman would also like to show off more modern side, however, mentioning that he still has hopes of releasing a shelved album of pop music that he recorded for EMI Records in the late ‘90s. “I like to dabble in different things to keep myself fresh,” he said. “Not to try to prove something, but just to do something different.”
Barrowman would love to return to the Broadway stage, having previously built up a fan base with short runs as Joe Gillis to Betty Buckley's Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and as a member of the company of Putting It Together. There are a bunch of possibilities--he may reprise his work in Anything Goes (the West End production is set for a pre-Broadway run at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles next summer) or maybe sign on for a run as Billy Flynn in Broadway's Chicago or--dare I dream--a proper revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company (Barrowman played hero Bobby in Washington, D.C. to rave reviews in 2002).
“I do want to come back to Broadway,” Barrowman admits. “But I don't want to have to come here without work. I won't pack up my life in England to start pounding the pavement here. I have a partner and a great home life over there.” (Barrowman lives in the Chelsea district of London with architect Scott Gill, his partner of 10 years.) In the immediate future, Barrowman will be seen as an “intergalactic con artist” on the BBC's new Doctor Who series, created by Queer As Folk's Russell Davies, but said to keep him in mind for the next big Broadway hit.
“I wish that producers would look over the pond a bit more,” he said. “I'm happy to pop on and plane and come over the audition. I'm even happy to pay for it!”
GOOD TIMES, MAN
Yes, I did get to meet American Idol diva Jennifer Hudson after her stirring “Easy to Be Hard” at the Actors' Fund of America Hair concert. And yes, she was adorable--she even sang “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going” for me in the middle of the party at John's Pizzeria! Now that's what I call a diva that delivers!
Hudson's soulful singing was just one of several highlights of Hair, an all-star concert that brought together a wonderfully eclectic mix of talents. Don't ask me what it all meant because it all made very little sense, but who cares? These one-night-only events are all about the singing, no? There's no debating that artistic producer/musical director Seth Rudetsky and the Actors' Fund team lined up an impressive list of vocalists. From big-haired earth mama Lillias White kicking off the show with “Aquarius” to the shirtless successes of Gavin Creel (“Going Down”), Raul Esparza (“Hair”) and Adam Pascal (“I Got Life”) and a fieeerce gaggle of gals (Kathy Brier, Ann Harada, Ledisi, Brandi Massey, Orfeh and Shayna Steele) belting out their love of “Black Boys” and “White Boys,” there were highlights galore. On the flip side, unnamed others seemed unprepared for their cameos, billed stars like Wayne Brady and Idina Menzel were no-shows (Menzel was busy filming a guest spot on Rescue Me) and let's not even talk about RuPaul!
If you missed the show, don't fret. You can catch a video feature with performance clips and interviews right here on Broadway.com next week and rumor has it there's serious talk of reuniting the concert cast in the coming weeks for a recording on the Sh-K-Boom label!
CHURCH RULEZ
I've only had a chance to see one offering of the first annual NY Musical Theatre Festival so far, but I sure picked a winner. I didn't necessarily have high hopes when I entered the 47th Street Theatre to catch Altar Boyz--after all, the subject of all-boy pop groups isn't exactly hot (I caught a West End tuner called Boyband back in 2000) and the cover page of the program listed no less than five conceivers and authors, which struck me as excessive. I mean, this isn't the stage version of The Ten Commandments!
But never judge a musical by its cover page! Altar Boyz, set at the concert of a Christian hip-hop boy band, is a true original with a bright future. Although I feared the premise would be limiting, the show never feels one-note and moves along briskly, revealing its characters and relationships without ever losing credibility as an actual concert. Just about everything feels right--from the songs by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker that spoof a variety of radio-friendly pop (I want the CD--now!) to Christopher Gattelli's fly (and funny!) dances. But it's the boys themselves that carry the show--especially hilarious are Andy Karl as lovable lug Luke and Tyler Maynard as cluelessly swishy Mark. (That's a dope Jennifer Holliday impersonation you've got there, Tyler!) The ethnics in da house--Ryan Duncan as Latin orphan Juan and David Josefsberg as rappin' Jew (complete with Nike yalmuke) Abraham--get a lot of comic mileage by taking on ripe stereotypes. Cheyenne Jackson, saddled with the unnecessary task of being the "straight" man of the show, is less focused as Matthew, the hunky lead of the group. Sure, he's got the look and the voice, but the authors need to find him some of his own funny bits pronto.
Still, it's a minor quibble for a first-rate show, which made me laugh harder than anything in recent memory. You probably won't be able to get in for the rest of the sold-out run of Altar Boyz, but don't you worry. I'm sure they'll be back before you know it, converting audiences to the power of G-O-D and P-O-P. Long live the Altar Boyz!
IN BOX
Dear Paul:
I am a huge and extremely vocal fan of your column--you make it so obvious how passionate you are about theater and theater actors without ever crossing that fine line into what I call message board stalkerazzi mentality. I'm writing because I wanted to see how you felt about Cynthia Nixon's "coming out" in the major New York dailies this week. (Is this really front page news in 2004?) Were you surprised? Was I the only person who felt that Nixon's "real persona" was clearly and deliberately written into her character of Miranda on Sex and the City? Didn't all fans of the show secretly realize the all too palpable subtext that Miranda was in love with “best friend” Carrie all along? But I digress. Keep ‘em coming.
----Alex Dileo
----Los Angeles, California
Dear Alex:
I actually spend very little time obsessing over the sexual preferences of my favorite stars of the stage, so I guess I always just assumed that Nixon was one of those gay-friendly straight theater chicks. But yes, I did have my suspicions about Miranda! Remember the episode back in season one when she brought a lesbian date to her boss' dinner party because she thought it would further her law career? It was one of the best episodes, period! But seriously, keep in mind that Nixon didn't actually come out of the closet. Following-up on gossip that Nixon has a girlfriend, the New York Daily News asked her point blank, at which time she unflinchingly said that her private life was private, but that she had nothing to hide. She then added that she was “very happy.” If I considered her one of my favorite actresses before (and I did), then now I'm just over the moon about her. By confronting the question privately yet frankly, she not only made the question and the questioner both seen stupid. And the fact that this “news” made the front page of every newspaper in 2004 is, as you said, sort of hilarious. Now can we move onto important issues like getting Nixon back on the Broadway stage ASAP?
Dear Paul:
Have you heard any word as to whether Dracula well be recorded or not? Usually, Wildhorn's CDs are more popular than the actual shows. I couldn't help but notice that nothing has been mentioned. Any help?
----Bill Klug
----Dallas, Texas
Dear Bill:
I think it's pretty safe to assume that the company of Dracula will make their way into the recording studio, despite the critical reception to the show. However, there is nothing solid to report at this time.
Dear Paul:
Thank you for including Jennifer Hudson in Stage Notes this week. I'm a big fan of hers as well. Please keep us posted on how her Broadway dream plays out.
----Nathaniel Hargress
----West Bloomfield, MI
Dear Nathaniel:
Thanks for your note. I mentioned the outpouring of support from Broadway fans to Hudson at the after-party for Hair on Monday and she asked me to send her best to everyone. It will be interesting to see how Jennifer's dreams play out. I'm thrilled to say that I was just a few feet away when Hudson met Dreamgirls composer Henry Krieger, who complimented the gracious diva on her vocal prowess. Will we get to see her play her dream role of Effie? Or is there something even better out there? I will definitely let all of you know as soon as I do!
Dear Paul:
In response to James Dee's letter in last week's column, I just want to say that I would also love to see Shoshana Bean as Elphaba! I went to Idyllwild Arts Summer Program the past six years, and for two out of those six, Shoshana's mom Felice was the choreographer for our original musical comedy productions The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio and About Tiller McGee (hehe...good times...)! Felice is an awesome dancer/choreographer, and she wore her Hairspray t-shirt with pride! I guess talent runs in their family!
----Charlotte Ostrow
----La Jolla, California
Dear Charlotte:
Wow! I had no idea that Bean's mom was a hoofer! Thanks for sharing. Oh, by the way, I chatted with Shoshana at the Hair party (after seeing her belt out “I Believe In Love” with Mariah flair) and she informed me that she's definitely on in the show from October 18-24 during Menzel's vacation week. I can't wait!
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.