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Sunday, June 07, 2009
Jets and Sharks are back on Broadway, along with young ballet dancers, hippie revivalists and some fine comedy and drama
By David Belcher
For the Journal
NEW YORK — A boy in a ballet tutu, stressed-out Brooklyn parents, singing flower children and rivals for the English throne may go home with some serious gold tonight at the annual Tony Awards. But those left in the dust along the already dusty Great White Way may be the true examples of how serious theater is surviving a downturn in both the economy and the quality of Broadway over the past few seasons.
"Billy Elliot," the smash London musical, and "God of Carnage," the smash London comedy, are the favorites to win best musical and best play, respectively, in tonight's annual theatrical love fest. And the odds-on favorites for best revivals —"Hair" and "Mary Stuart" — are two of the finest revivals to grace Broadway in many seasons. These shows will probably beat out some seriously impressive shows — and some even more impressive performances — in a very busy Broadway season.
Hosted by Albuquerque native Neil Patrick Harris, the 63rd annual Tony Awards caps off a flurry of shows on Broadway between September and May, the traditional theater season. Some shows garnered no nominations, including a now-closed revival of Eugene O'Neill's devastating "Desire Under the Elms" with Carla Gugino and Brian Dennehy that died a quick death despite glowing reviews. And no musical will stand a chance against "Billy Elliot," a thrilling musical based on the 2000 film. It's been a smash hit in London since 2005, and it's packing them in on Broadway as well. Plan accordingly.
Despite $126 tickets for musicals and about $101 for plays, Broadway recorded a record season. Only a couple of theaters currently sit empty, although plenty of shows may not survive the summer when New Yorkers flee and tourists avoid the heat and humidity. But it's been a season packed full of great plays and revivals.
"God of Carnage"
Marcia Gay Harden, James Gandolfini, Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels have a comedic field day in Yasmina Reza's enormously entertaining tale of two affluent Brooklyn couples who meet to discuss a playground fight between their two sons. What starts out as cordial conversation turns into one of Broadway's most frantically directed comedies in years.
Reza, who won a Tony several seasons back for the international sensation "Art," will probably win tonight for this hilarious and often sad analysis of parental neurosis and love. All four Tony-nominated performers will probably go home empty-handed, but it looks like they're having the time of their lives.
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 45th Street west of Broadway. Telecharge.
"Hair"
This transfer from Central Park last summer is a revelation. The flower-power musical from 1968 is an exhilarating testimony to the power of musical revivals to seem fresh to new generations. It's crammed full of songs that have been staples of pop radio for 40 years, including "Aquarius" and "Let the Sun Shine," which are sung with exuberance by the young cast (who are fully clothed, by the way, unlike the original Broadway production). "Hair" is likely to win the musical revival Tony over "West Side Story" tonight.
Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 45th Street west of Eighth Avenue. Telecharge.
"Mary Stuart"
This import from London may be the big winner tonight for play revival and for Janet McTeer, who plays the title character (also known as Mary, Queen of Scots) with the same conviction that won her a Tony Award 11 years ago for "A Doll's House."
She's paired with London theater veteran Harriett Walter, who plays Elizabeth I with a regality rarely seen on these shores. The play, written more than 200 years ago by Friedrich Schiller, feels as fresh and relevant today thanks to a spot-on cast, a simple but stunning production, and performances from two of London's most accomplished actresses.
The crowds may stand in line nightly for "Phantom" next door, but this is theater that comes around only every generation or so.
Broadhurst Theatre, 44th Street west of Broadway. Telecharge. Through Aug. 16.
"9 to 5"
Dolly Parton wrote the music and lyrics to this fun but flimsy musical adaptation of the 1980 film in which she starred. The title song, if you haven't heard it enough, is played ad nauseam, but this show is surprisingly fresh and funny.
Allison Janney heads a competent and often charming cast, the dancing is fun and original, and this musical ends up being far funnier than the dated, poorly acted movie. Parton is Tony nominated, but she should polish up her old Grammys before coming to the show tonight. "Billy Elliot" will trump.
Marquis Theatre at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Broadway. Ticketmaster.
"West Side Story"
This impressive and gorgeously danced revival seems a bit like a museum piece next to "Hair," but 90-year-old director Arthur Laurents (who wrote the original book for the musical in 1957) must be credited with allowing several songs (and some of the dialogue) to be sung in Spanish. It gives the show an immediacy that it often lacks.
With two Tony-nominated performances (Josefina Scaglione as Maria and Karen Olivo as Anita), this "West Side Story" is solid and tight. It just doesn't pack the punch it must have more than 50 years ago.
Palace Theatre, Broadway and 46th Street. Ticketmaster.
"Exit the King"
Geoffrey Rush will probably win tonight for his Olivier-caliber performance in Eugene Ionesco's absurdist comedy. Rush, who has performed the role extensively in Australia, plays a buffoonish king awaiting his impending death—but with not much grace. He channels Ionesco's dark comedy with remarkable ease and beauty, but the same can't be said for his co-star Susan Sarandon. Her performance as a lethargic and bitter queen is one note; she begins and ends at the same place.
Lauren Ambrose and Andrea Martin fare far better against the powerhouse Rush, but it's his show all the way. A thrilling performance in a rarely performed work of absurdist theater.
Barrymore Theatre, 47th Street west of Broadway. Telecharge. Through June 14.
"Waiting for Godot"
Samuel Beckett's existential masterpiece is given an exciting — yes, "Godot" can be exciting — revival with Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman and John Glover. Two hobos wander about in a barren landscape waiting for the elusive Godot.
Are they waiting for God, happiness, death, salvation? The beauty of this production is its spot-on portrayal of the tragic emptiness in life. Will Godot — or whatever he symbolizes — arrive? Lane, Irwin and their co-stars keep it fascinating as we wait to find out.
Roundabout Theatre at Studio 54, 54th Street near Eighth Avenue. Call (212) 719-1300 for tickets. Through July 12.
"Blithe Spirit"
Angela Lansbury, age 83, acts circles around co-stars half her age in this tepid revival of Noël Coward's already thinly plotted drawing room comedy. Rupert Everett, giving what may be the laziest performance on Broadway, portrays a married man haunted by the flighty ghost of his first wife.
Christine Ebersole and Jayne Atkinson have a few moments of grandeur as the ghost and the frustrated second wife, but Lansbury, who may take home her fifth Tony Award tonight, nails the role of the eccentric medium who conjures up the dead wife. If only she could conjure up some performances that match her expertise.
Shubert Theatre, 44th Street west of Broadway. Telecharge.
"Joe Turner's Come and Gone"
August Wilson's 1988 play about African-American residents in a Pittsburgh boarding house in the 1920s is one of the finest shows on Broadway, thanks to the always reliable Lincoln Center Theatre, home to last season's Tony-sweeping "South Pacific."
Roger Robinson may win a well-deserved Tony tonight as Bynum Walker, a healer and conjurer who tries to bring peace to the troubled residents around him. Unlike Angela Lansbury's character in "Blithe Spirit," he doesn't need to conjure up much in this nearly perfect revival of a landmark play.
Belasco Theatre, 44th Street west of Sixth Avenue. Telecharge. Through June 14.
"Next to Normal"
Broadway veteran Alice Ripley will probably win a Tony tonight as a mentally disturbed mother grieving her dead son in this brave and exciting musical.
She undergoes electroshock therapy, suffers amnesia, and tries to become reacquainted with her family — a complex plot told through a series of original and often heart-wrenching songs. This type of musical rarely lands on Broadway, and it will probably disappear soon despite Ripley's likely win. Not exactly escapism for tourists.
Booth Theatre, 45th Street west of Broadway. Telecharge.
"Rock of Ages"
Escapism takes on a whole new meaning with this ridiculous and clever homage to 1980s hair bands. Using songs from Bon Jovi, Journey, Pat Benatar and several other artists, "Rock of Ages" manages to be both entertaining and campy, depending on your perspective.
A simple story about an aspiring guitar player and the girl he loves, this musical has a sense of humor about itself. Just try not to laugh when they play Night Ranger's "Sister Christian."
Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 47th Street near Eighth Avenue. Ticketmaster.
"Reasons to Be Pretty"
Neil LaBute's four-person play about relationships and friendships is probably the best play on Broadway. It's hard-hitting, funny, tragic and clear-eyed in its depiction of working-class people trying to get along and make a living.
Tony nominee Thomas Sadoski doesn't stand a chance against Geoffrey Rush in "Exit the King," but his performance as a factory worker who loses his girlfriend thanks to a misconstrued comment is devastating and heartfelt.
Lyceum Theatre, 45th Street east of Broadway. Telecharge.
"The Norman Conquests"
This trilogy of plays, spanning more than seven hours, is an import from England for true theater lovers. Alan Ayckbourn's comedy focuses on Norman, a philandering heel who tries to seduce several women during a weekend at a country home.
Each play stands on its own, or can be seen together in any order (or in an all-day Saturday marathon). Ayckbourn and his fine cast turn this trilogy into one of Broadway's most exciting tickets. An opportunity to see British actors in top form in one of British theater's rarely performed plays.
Circle in the Square Theatre, 50th Street near Eighth Avenue. Telecharge. Through July 25.
Tickets
All Broadway shows are handled by either Telecharge, (800) 432-7250 or www.telecharge.com or Ticketmaster (800) 755-4000 or www.ticketmaster.com. The newly remodeled TKTS booth in Times Square is a must for theater tourists. Half-price tickets are available for most shows right up until curtain time.
On the air
The 63rd annual Tony Awards air tonight at 7 on KRQE-TV, Channel 13
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