‘BANDSTAND’: (left ro right) Joe Carroll, James Nathan Hopkins, Alex Bender, Laura Osnes, Geoff Packard, Corey Cott & Brandon J. Ellis. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

BANDSTAND
Music by Richard Oberacker
Book & lyrics by Rob Taylor & Mr. Oberacker
Directed & choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
242 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.bandstandbroadway.com

By David NouNou

The joy of experiencing Bandstand is seeing an original musical. Not musicalizing a hit movie or an animated motion picture, Bandstand is created from scratch. The subject matter is familiar but still relevant today; it’s about soldiers returning from a war, in this case WWII, and having to rebuild their lives. They have served their country and now they are outcasts because they lost their jobs and it is a struggle to find anything.

It is 1945 and Danny Novitski (Corey Cott) has returned to his home town of Cleveland and can’t find a musical gig until he hears on the radio that there is a contest (“Tribute to the Troops”) for the best band from each of the states to compete for the grand prize in New York City. Danny is a pianist and singer forms his own swing band by enlisting five other musicians: bass (Brandon J. Ellis), drums (Joe Carroll), trumpet (James Nathan Hopkins), trombone (Alex Bender) and sax (Geoff Packard). They are all veterans who have returned from the war with their own battle scars and they all play their own musical instruments to perfection.

Danny carries the heaviest burden;he has to inform and look after the wife of his dead war buddy. Their dream was to form their band and play in New York. He eventually has to confront his problem and come to Julie Trojan’s (Laura Osnes) home who lives with her mother June Adams (Beth Leavel). Julie sings in the church choir and has a great voice, Danny implores her to join his band as the singer which she does and he ultimately has to tell her that her husband died in friendly fire.

All this may not sound new and it has a familiar feel of the old “let’s put on the greatest show” but it is put together honorably and entertainingly. The book seems contrived and you can see how things are going to fall in place. However, the score is transporting and the sound of the big band/swing era is exhilarating. Andy Blankenbuehler, who serves as both director and choreographer, has bumps along the way, where the two forms have to mesh together (in this case at times they seem to obstruct each other as a stop-and-go motion). The musical numbers are cohesive enough, but the choreography is almost forced to fit in with the context of the scene.

Laura Osnes is pure joy, she has the voice, the presence and the chops to make everything believable. Where Corey Cott floundered a few years ago in the misguided revival of Gigi, here he has honed his craft with the flair and charm of the returning soldier who makes good on a promise he made to his war buddy. The above-mentioned five musicians are expert players and actors simultaneously.

With Bandstand you may feel you’ve seen this plot before, but who cares? Among the swing music, vitality, sound, Ms. Osnes and Mr. Cott, it is an evening of sheer delight.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 30, 2017
Reviewed at press performance on April 29, 2017

‘BANDSTAND’: Laura Osnes (center) & cast. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘BANDSTAND’: Corey Cott & Laura Osnes. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘BANDSTAND’: (left to right) Brandon J. Ellis, Corey Cott, Joe Carroll, James Nathan Hopkins, Alex Bender & Geoff Packard. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘BANDSTAND’: Corey Cott. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘BANDSTAND’: Laura Osnes & Beth Leavel. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘BANDSTAND’: The company. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘BANDSTAND’: Corey Cott & Laura Osnes (center) & cast. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘BANDSTAND’: Corey Cott & Laura Osnes (center) & cast. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

The post ‘Bandstand’: A bopping, swinging delight appeared first on StageZine.

‘CATS’: British pop sensation Leona Lewis as Grizabella. Photo: Matthew Murphy

CATS
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot
Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler
Based on original choreography by Gillian Lynne
Directed by Trevor Nunn
Neil Simon Theatre
250 W. 52nd Street
877-250-2929, http://www.catsthemusical.com/broadway/

By Scott Harrah

Back on Broadway after a 16-year absence, this spectacular yet scaled-down reboot of the Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-hit will definitely thrill Cats aficionados, but may irk some purists. The show, first mounted on Broadway in 1982, was one of the original British import musical phenomena of the era and ran for 18 years at the Winter Garden here in New York. The fact that it’s now playing at the much smaller Neil Simon makes it obvious the show isn’t as extravagant as the original, but it’s still a visual feast, thanks to John Napier’s elaborate kitty junkyard set, the famous 1980s aerobics-style cat suits and updated choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (based on Gillian Lynne’s original, ballet-style movements).

This reviewer never saw the original, but most of us have at least seen vintage footage of Betty Buckley on the Tony Awards singing “Memory” or have heard the soundtrack, rented the DVD or watched snippets on YouTube.

Although hardly Mr. Lloyd Webber’s best musical, Cats is a classic regardless. It’s easy to see why. Although there really isn’t any plot, the action revolves around T.S. Eliot’s “Jellicle Cats” in a junkyard, each telling their story in song, and everything is simplistic enough for kids from age three to 93 to comprehend. This is a show for the whole family, and most kids love cats, so it never needed a strong narrative. Still, this remains a musical that often draws “love it” or “hate it” reactions from audiences. It has none of the soaring, haunting melodies of Mr. Lloyd Webber’s far superior works The Phantom of the Opera and Evita except for one song that is now one of the most renowned show tunes of the past three decades: “Memory,” of course.

This brings us to the controversial casting of British pop singer Leona Lewis as Grizabella, the aging “glamour cat.” At age 31, the singer, famous for such hits as “Bleeding Love,” seems too young and chic to be convincing as the worn-out Grizabella, a cat yearning for her lost youth. Her voice is good, and her range is perfect for pop but not always powerful enough for the live stage. In addition, Ms. Lewis’s costume is far more elegant and stylish than the one worn by Betty Buckley (and Elaine Paige in the original London production).

This 21st century version is mostly notable for the first-rate performances of many other cast members, including Emily Pynenburg as Cassandra; Christine Cornish Smith as Bombalurina; Tyler Hanes as Bill Bailey/Rum Tum Tugger; Kim Faure as Demeter; Andy Huntington Jones as Munkustrap; Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy; and Christopher Gurr as Gus, the Theatre Cat. Director Trevor Nunn brings out the best in nearly all the actors and makes the cast gel cohesively.

One wonders if Mr. Nunn’s revival might have been more powerful had he put a modern, fresh spin on the show. Perhaps different costumes (although the Lycra leotards are the show’s trademark) or some tweaks to the set might have given this Cats a different kind of new life. However, gimmicky revivals almost never work (think of all those John Doyle retoolings of Stephen Sondheim shows in which actors also played instruments), so Mr. Nunn was wise not to tamper too much with Mr. Lloyd Webber’s winning formula. It is debatable whether this production will win over new generations, but if you enjoyed Cats before and want to relive the “Memory” again, there is plenty to enjoy here.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published August 7, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on August 4, 2016

‘CATS’: Andy Huntington Jones as Munkustrap. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Tyler Hanes as Rum Tum Tugger. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Georgina Pazcoguin as Victoria. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Kim Faure as Demeter & Christine Cornish Smith as Bombalurina & company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: The company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Leona Lewis. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘CATS’: Leona Lewis. Photo: Matthew Murphy

FLASHBACK TO ORIGINAL PRODUCTION: Betty Buckley as Grizabella in ‘Cats’ back in 1982. Photo: Martha Swope

The post ‘Cats’: Reliving the ‘Memory’ of a classic appeared first on StageZine.