‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Christian Borle & J. Harrison Ghee. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

SOME LIKE IT HOT
Book by Matthew Lopez & Amber Ruffin
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by March Shaiman & Scott Wittman
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Shubert Theatre
 225 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), https://somelikeithotmusical.com/

By David NouNou

If you want to thoroughly enjoy and be entertained by Some Like It Hot, the new musical, you have to completely divest yourself of any attachment or sentimental feelings you have for the classic 1959 Billy Wilder movie of the same name. Although Sugar, Joe/Josephine, and Jerry/Daphne still exist, do not expect to see imitations or impersonations of Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.

The creators kept the framework and the names of the three lead characters as well as the title of the movie, for brand recognition, but wisely decided to take them on a different journey. Joe (Christian Borle) and Jerry (J. Harrison Ghee) still witness a gangland killing and are chased by the mob. In order to protect their identity, they disguise themselves in drag as Josephine and Daphne and join an all-female band, Sweet Sue (NaTasha Yvette Williams) and her Society Syncopators, and meet female singer Sugar Kane (Adrianna Hicks). No longer is the train taking the female band to Florida for their engagement and the possibility of meeting rich eligible gentlemen. The ladies are now headed to San Diego and Hollywood stardom.

The setup for the scenes is completely different. No longer is it a run from Chicago to Miami, but the trip is cross-country, with lots of stops along the way. Each stop presents a different problem for the boys running from the mob; their destination is San Diego and ultimately Mexico and freedom. Once in San Diego, freedom comes at a price. Along the way, Joe, now Josephine, has fallen for Sugar, and Daphne has captured the heart of Osgood Fielding III (Kevin Del Aguila). Complications arise even further once affairs of the heart fall into place.

Although the book lacks fresh material and jokes, and the score is unmemorable, the freshest and most memorable aspect of the show is J. Harrison Ghee as Jerry/Daphne. As portrayed in the movie by Jack Lemmon, and one of my favorite movie characters of all time, I never thought I could ever get Jack Lemmon out of my mind. Mr. Ghee has taken this role and redefined it as his own. He is handsome as Jerry, heartbreaking as the emerging Daphne, and breathtaking as the gorgeous triumphant Daphne.

Two-time Tony Award winner for Peter and the Starcatcher and Something Rotten, Christian Borle is a Broadway veteran and has livened up many a Broadway show. However, his Joe/Josephine lacks charm and charisma and falls short in the shadow of Mr. Ghee. Once he dons his wig as Josephine, he looks like the spitting image of veteran Broadway character actress Jackie Hoffman. What more can I say?

Adrianna Hicks, who was splendid as Catherine of Aragon in last year’s Six, has a tremendous voice—she is a crowd-pleaser on her solo numbers “At the Old Majestic Nickel Matinee” and “Ride Out the Storm”—but her Sugar lacks vulnerability, thus making her one note with no dimension.

However, one should not focus too much on the show’s minor flaws. Amidst all the mayhem taking place on stage, director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw has worked his magic again, as he did for Aladdin, Book of Mormon, and Mean Girls, and sorts everything out replete with a Keystone Kops finale. He has turned Some Like It Hot into a sizzling, grand old-style Broadway extravaganza.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 14, 2022
Reviewed at December 13, 2022  press performance.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Adrianna Hicks. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Adrianna Hicks & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: NaTasha Yvette Williams & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Kevin Del Aguila & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

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‘THE PROM’: The cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

THE PROM
Book by Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Music by Matthew Sklar
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.theprommusical.com

By David NouNou

To say that The Prom is the best musical of the season may not sound like much of a compliment, considering some of the dreck that has opened since June. However, this musical would stand tall in any season with stiffer competition.

This is the perfect antidote for these harsh times we live in. A musical that is joyous for the holidays and delirious for the winter doldrums ahead. A musical with a heart, a message that is not preachy, a hysterical book, a memorable score, direction and choreography that are expertly paced and placed and the expertise of three of the best Grade A hams on Broadway: Brooks Ashmanskas, Beth Leavel and Christopher Sieber make this the perfect gift for Christmas, Valentine’s day and every holiday thereafter.

Four Broadway veteran narcissists (is that really possible?); two of whom who have just closed on opening night in the musical Eleanor, a romp with Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt replete with hip-hop. They closed due to a drubbing they received from the New York Times (as if that is possible)? That was possible in the 1950s and 1960s but unfortunately not today.

Dee Dee Allen who portrays Eleanor (Beth Leavel) and Barry Glickman playing Franklin (Brooks Ashmanskas) are devastated by the reviews they received and are commiserated by their good friend Angie (Angie Schworer), a woman who has been in the chorus of Chicago for the last 20 years. They meet up that night with a fellow thespian that is a Julliard graduate but now works for cater waiter, and once was a TV star in the 1990s in a show called “Talk to the Hand.”

All four are in desperate need for image rehabilitation, so what do they do? They go on Twitter to look up worthy charitable causes to improve their public image. Along with their PR man, Sheldon Saperstein (Josh Lamon), they find their worthy cause. She happens to be a teenage lesbian, Emma (Caitlin Kinnunen) who can’t take a date to her high school prom due to the bigotry and homophobia of the town and its proclaimed leader of morality, Mrs. Greene (Courtenay Collins). Thus the prom is being cancelled.

So what do these Broadway angels of mercy decide to do? They go on a bus touring company of Godspell, thus bringing religion and pizzazz to the Midwestern town of Edgewater, Indiana in defense of uplifting their image and a town in desperate need of a makeover.

The plot may seem familiar but it does have some twists and the approach is different and refreshing. The book by Mr. Martin and Mr. Beguelin is grounded and hysterical. They bring the right amount of message, frivolity and a grand time. The score is relatable and Casey Nicholaw has done the same brilliant job he always does with his direction and choreography. As in Something Rotten, he has touched on his Broadway roots and no one does it better than him.

As for Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas, Christopher Sieber and Angie Schworer, they are at the top of their game. They all have show-stopping numbers, which are another dividend and a source of delight for the audience. You just can’t help but root for these lovable self-promoters (in this case they are the good people) and have these angels earn their wings.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 12, 2018
Reviewed at December 11, 2018 performance.

‘THE PROM’: (left to right) Josh Lamon, Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas & Angie Schworer. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Isabelle McCalla & Caitlin Kinnunen. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Christopher Sieber & cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Beth Leavel & Michael Potts. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Angie Schworer & Caitlin Kinnunen. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Isabelle McCalle & Courtenay Collins. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: The cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: (left to right) Christopher Sieber, Angie Schworer, Beth Leavel & Brooks Ashmanskas. Photo: Deen van Meer

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‘MEAN GIRLS’: (left to right) Erika Henningsen, Ashley Park, Taylor Louderman & Kate Rockwell. Photo: Joan Marcus

MEAN GIRLS
Book by Tina Fey
Music by Jeff Richmond
Lyrics by Nell Benjamin
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
August Wilson Theatre
245 West 52nd Street
(877-250-2929), meangirlsonbroadway.com/

By David NouNou

Regardless of whether you’ve seen or know anything about Tina Fey’s 2004 movie Mean Girls, it has now been adapted as Broadway musical by Ms. Fey. The one thing you have to know is the title tells the whole story in an extremely entertaining way. Thanks to Ms. Fey’s clever and funny book and especially under the creative control of director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw, the fun never stops.

The story is one we’ve all experienced in high school; whether you were with the “in”crowd or out, athlete or dweeb, cool or a nerd, pretty or plain, smart or borderline D-. It is all here. Depending upon which category you fell in, it could conjure either good memories or nightmares. Thank God, I attended a private school back in the day full of primarily Jewish students, so there was minimal bullying and the school wasn’t strong in the athletic department. The school excelled then and still does in the brain department. Of course, I was in the drama department; no bullying there.

Similar to Clueless and Heathers, where the beautiful girls torment the rest of the student body, this story has the comeuppance of the gorgeous mean girl, Regina George (Taylor Louderman) and the outsider who just enrolled in a new school, Cady Heron ( Erika Henningsen) and the conflict she faces to fit in at this peer-pressure-filled environment.

Since the story is an obvious one, I would like to showcase it from the standpoint of its components. Ms. Fey’s book constantly moves, she gives everyone an equal opportunity to the point that some of it seems like filler. The music by Ms. Fey’s husband, Jeff Richmond, and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, are catchy and memorable. They encapsulate each person and cliques, which at times also feels like filler. However, it is the great Casey Nicholaw who injects his usual flair for the production numbers that always keeps the musical and numbers moving.

By describing the players, you can piece together the plotline. For starters, as an ensemble, the cast members all work together perfectly. They can sing, dance, and are full of energy. Erika Henningsen, the home-schooled math genius and the new kid in school, is a delight. Her transformation from the spunky outsider to the leader of the pack is gradual and delightful and brings the proper pathos when she finds out it’s not what it’s all cracked up to be. On the other hand, Taylor Louderman as the two-faced Regina George, is sensational. She has come a long way from her Broadway debut as the innocent Campbell in Bring It On.

The supporting cast are remarkable and unforgettable. Ashley Park as the fragile mean girl Gretchen Wieners has a powerhouse voice and is a constant delight. Kate Rockwell as Karen Smith, the gorgeous but dumb blonde, is hysterical. Barrett Wilbert Weed as Janis Sarkisian and Grey Henson as Damien, the outsiders as well as the narrators of the show, are divine, their working off each other is terrific. Naturally there is the jock, Kyle Selig as Aaron Samuels brings not only his good looks but sincerity to his role. Kerry Butler, a Broadway favorite playing multiple female adult roles (from a mom to a teacher), is her usual expert self and can still pass for a mean girl.

In conclusion, the show has bounce and verve, it’s joyful and has a healing message; it’s colorful and a delight. Skip the usual tedious musical revivals and go enjoy the fresh new musical Mean Girls and maybe you’ll see yourself on that stage and have a chuckle and ask yourself,  “Was I really like that?”

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 13, 2018
Reviewed at press performance on April 12, 2018

‘MEAN GIRLS’: Barrett Wilbert Weed & company. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘MEAN GIRLS’: (left to right) Ben Cook, Nikhil Saboo, Cheech Manohar, Erika Henningsen & Kerry Butler. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘MEAN GIRLS’: Taylor Louderman. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘MEAN GIRLS’: Grey Henson, Barrett Wilbert Weed & Erika Henningsen. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘MEAN GIRLS’: (left to right) Ashley Park, Taylor Louderman, Kate Rockwell & Erika Henningsen. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘MEAN GIRLS’: Kyle Selig & Erika Henningsen. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘MEAN GIRLS’: Barrett Wilbert Weed & Grey Henson. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘MEAN GIRLS’: Kerry Butler & Erika Henningsen. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘DREAMGIRLS’: Amber Riley in her Olivier-winning role. Photo: Brinkhoff & Mögenburg

DREAMGIRLS
Book & lyrics by Tom Eyen
Music by Henry Krieger
Original direction & choreography by Michael Bennett
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Savoy Theatre
Savoy Court, Strand
London, WC2R 0ET, United Kingdom
0844 871 7615, http://www.dreamgirlswestend.com/

Soundtrack available from Masterworks Broadway

By David NouNou

In 1981, Michael Bennett brilliantly revitalized Broadway with a new musical sound and look that New York audiences haven’t seen before. It was a musical based on the top female singing group “The Supremes,” their rise to superstardom to their eventual breakup. They were part of the Motown family. Mr. Bennett conceived, directed, choreographed, chose his cast of virtual unknowns, and had his hand in the designs and the entire look of the show. It was his show.

He deliberately cast unknowns to make the show a story-motivated musical rather than a star-driven show. He cast Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones, Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson, and Jennifer Holliday as Effie White. The three ladies make their separate entrances with no fanfare, because you only get to know them as three young women who want to be a singing group and call themselves The Dreamettes. He also made the musical so seamless and continuous that there was no room for applause after any song or number. Not until near the end of Act I, where Effie has been replaced by another singer, deserted by her group, manager/boyfriend Curtis, and her brother and songwriter, C.C. White. Everyone has abandoned Effie for being a diva, unprofessional and difficult, always late and always making excuses for something or other. She is left all alone onstage staring into her make-up mirror in fear and despair and starts what has now become a Broadway anthem, “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going.” By the end of the song when the light starts dimming on Effie, her makeup table is being pulled back upstage and she lets out her final painful gasp, does the audience finally get their release and give Ms. Holliday and the show a long show-stopping standing ovation that was a theatrical moment filled with goosebumps.

Casey Nicholaw is now at the helm of directing and choreographing the West End revival of Dreamgirls. Mr. Nicholaw is a brilliant director and choreographer of musical “comedy.” After all, he has given us The Book Of Mormon, Aladdin, Spamalot and one of my favorite musicals of all time which hasn’t reached London yet, Something Rotten (which should have won the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Score, and Director). Mr. Nicholaw loves the glitz, glamour, and hoopla of a musical comedy. Like Mr. Bennett, he also started as a performer on the Broadway stage and triumphed up the ladder of being both director and choreographer. Unlike Mr. Bennett, he hasn’t gotten the handle on musical “drama.”

This version isn’t as seamless and continuous as its predecessor. This revival is filled with gaps where the audience is now familiar with the score and will automatically clap at the end of each song. Mr. Nicholaw has eliminated all the tension that Mr. Bennett created. The show is still intact, but the focus of Act I has shifted from the rise of the trio to centering on Effie and her problems as well as James Thunder Early (Adam J. Bernard), because he is an automatic audience-pleaser. All the other characters become sub marginal. You notice this right from the beginning when the girls make their entrances, when Deena (Liisa LaFontaine) and Lorrell (Asmeret Ghebremichael) enter, nothing. When Effie enters, wild applause and that’s because it is Amber Riley of “Glee” fame and the winner of the mirror ball on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Of course, when the number “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going” arrives near the end of Act I, yes Effie has been abandoned by everyone and is alone on stage, but she is no longer singing to herself in front of her makeup mirror but is center stage in a sequined blue cocktail dress, not singing out of fear and despair but what seems as one of two finalists on “American Idol,” singing her heart out to be the winner. In fairness to Ms. Riley, she does a great job with the song, not as Effie but Ms. Riley in an audition for Dreamgirls.

Even in Act II, when Deena is given her solo number to declare her independence from her husband/slimy manager, Curtis Taylor (Joe Aaron Reid), “Listen,” the Beyoncé song from the movie, it is now no longer a solo of independence for Deena but as a duet with Effie and that makes no sense. Mr. Nicholaw taketh from Deena Jones and giveth to Effie White. For most Brits and Europeans, they would not be such sticklers about these choices, but to American purists of the show, this would be intolerable.

The performances by Liisi La Fontaine, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Adam J. Bernard, and Joe Aaron Reid are all perfect in their roles. Joshua Liburd is totally miscast and too young as C.C. White, the in-house songwriter. As for Amber Riley, she has a great voice, a real musical talent, but she is not in “Glee” anymore, she has to adapt to the stage now.

Visually the show still looks good, but Gregg Barnes’ costumes come nowhere near to what Theoni V. Aldredge created. They were a show unto themselves. Had Casey Nicholaw followed the template of what Michael Bennett created and known more about musical drama, this Dreamgirls should have been an absolute knockout; now it’s just “well, it was nice to revisit.”

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published June 30, 2017
Reviewed at June 21, 2017 performance in London

‘DREAMGIRLS’: Amber Riley. Photo: Brinkhoff & Mögenburg

‘DREAMGIRLS’: The cast. Photo: Brinkhoff & Mögenburg

The post ‘Dreamgirls’ London revival: All about Effie appeared first on StageZine.

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Sarah Charles Lewis & the cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

TUCK EVERLASTING
Book by Claudia Shear & Tim Federle
Music by Chris Miller
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen
Based on the novel by Natalie Babitt
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Broadhurst Theatre
235 West 44th Street, (212-239-6200)
http://www.tuckeverlastingmusical.com/

By David NouNou

Tuck Everlasting is a well-intentioned musical but ultimately presents nothing new. To say that it shares a similar arc to Peter Pan is an understatement. Peter Pan visits a young Wendy but throughout the show he never grows up. Jesse Tuck (Andrew Keenan-Bolger) meets an 11-year-old Winnie Foster (Sarah Charles Lewis) but he never ages. Both are fairy tales and both have boys waiting for the girl to grow older so they can be together. But as we all know fairy tales–although end up having a happy ending–do not always end the way we would like them to end.

Tuck Everlasting was a novel by Natalie Babbitt published in 1975. It chronicles Winnie Foster being forced to stay home by her mother because the mourning period for her father’s death has been less than a year. Winnie wants to go to the fair that has arrived in town. Belligerently leaving her mother and Nana, she stumbles into the woods and comes across Jesse Tuck who says he’s 17 but in reality is 102. There is a reason for that. Many years ago, he and his family drank from the water trickling from a tree in Winnie’s back woods in New Hampshire and he ultimately tells her about their lives. She is kidnapped by the family; Angus Tuck, the father (Michael Park) Jesse’s older brother, Miles (Robert Lenzi) and their mother, Mae (the always delightful Carolee Carmello). The dilemma is now that Winnie knows the truth about the Tucks, what to do with her? So the story meanders into family tsuris that drinking from this fountain of youth and being able to live forever isn’t really a cure-all, but in reality a curse watching all their friends and loved ones die and having to keep running and hiding so people don’t get suspicious they are not aging. Jesse further instructs Winnie to wait six years for him until she is 17 before she can drink from the well and then they can be together.

Casey Nicholaw, acting as both director/choreographer, has a daunting task on how to keep this top spinning without it falling on its side. After all, he has done both chores for the outrageous Book of Mormon, the glorious Aladdin, and my favorite musical of the 2014/15 season Something Rotten!, there is no way of topping any of them so we are left in that gray zone of sitting through another musical that has an interesting book but is saddled with too many non-descript songs.

Fine acting and singing is done by all, especially Carolee Carmello, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Michael Park, and Robert Lenzi. Also noteworthy are Fred Applegate as Constable Joe, in search of Winnie when she is suspected to be lost; and Terence Mann as the man in the yellow suit, the carnival barker. All are talented indeed, but unfortunately the material doesn’t challenge them to be more interesting, so they end up being too one-dimensional. One must mention the lady of the evening, Sarah Charles Lewis as Winnie, for she makes a formidably self-assured Broadway debut.

Tuck Everlasting presents to each audience member the dilemma of would you drink from the fountain of youth and live forever or would you rather live your life to the fullest the way nature intended and enjoy whatever it presents you, with the possibility of a happy life: falling in love, getting married, having your own children, losing your parents and the cycle keeps revolving as life is meant to be lived? Your choice.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 1, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on April 30, 2016

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Carolee Carmello & Michael Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Fred Applegate & Michael Warte. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Terrence Mann & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Robert Lenzi & Sarah Charles Lewis. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: (left to right) Terrence Mann, Andrew Keenan-Bolger & Sarah Charles Lewis. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Andrew Keenan-Bolger & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Andrew Keenan-Bolger & Sarah Charles Lewis. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Robert Lenzi, Sarah Charles Lewis & Carolee Carmello. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Terrence Mann. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘TUCK EVERLASTING’: Sarah Charles Lewis. Photo: Joan Marcus

The post ‘Tuck Everlasting’: Tale of immortality appeared first on StageZine.

BEST MUSICAL SINCE ‘BOOK OF MORMON’: Michael James Scott (center) & cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

SOMETHING ROTTEN!
Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell
Music & lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick
Direction & choreography by Casey Nicholaw
St. James Theatre
246 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.RottenBroadway.com

By David NouNou

As a critic, I have been waiting since March 30, 2011 to write the words “The best original new musical since The Book of Mormon.”

In the past 10 days, we have been bombarded by lugubrious, serious, dour, epically boring and not fun musicals that have left audiences begging for a riotous show that is funny, intelligent, clever, witty, splashy, and simply a joy to sit through, and this is what you will get with Something Rotten!. This is due to the hysterical book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and a sublimely hummable score by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick. From the opening song “Welcome to the Renaissance,” to the likes of “God, I Hate Shakespeare,” “A Musical”, “Will Power,” “Hard to Be the Bard,” to “To Thine Own Self,” the melodies are still ringing in my head. I will concede the book is not irreverent as The Book of Mormon, but then what is? However, it pokes clever jabs at Shakespeare, his works, and almost every milestone musical of the 20th Century.

The Bottom Brothers, Nick (Brian d’Arcy James) and Nigel (John Cariani), haven’t been able to write a hit because they have been in the shadow of the Bard, William Shakespeare (Christian Borle). Nick, in dire straits and as a last resort, goes to a soothsayer, Nostradamus (Brad Oscar), and begs him to foresee what the next big thing is to write about. Nostradamus looks into the future and advises him to write “A Musical”; that’s what people will want to see in the future. Needless to say, this number is a showstopper to end all showstoppers, magnificently done by Mr. Oscar and the ensemble, and every song after that is one showstopper after another. If excess is a sin, then no one can do it better than Casey Nicholaw, from his deft and dazzling direction to his astounding dance routines. He lavishes us with these joyous excesses.

The performances are superior in every way: Brian d’Arcy James, as the down-on-his-luck older brother Nick Bottom in search of a new idea for a play, is a robust leading man who has full command of the stage and does a razor-sharp routine in “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top” that brings the house down as well as the Act I curtain. John Cariani, as the younger brother Nigel, is the timid one with the brains that has to write the words for Nick’s plays and is in a less glorified role. Mr. Cariani acts and sings with solid conviction.

Now, to the show-stopping hams of the show: Christian Borle, as the preening and overly confident Shakespeare, gives another one of those Borlian scene-stealing, sinfully delicious performances as in the songs “Will Power,” a jazzed-up, hip, swinging rock star Will and his posse, and “Hard To Be the Bard” is full of double entendres. The trump card of the night is Brad Oscar’s performance as Nostradamus, the soothsayer. His predicting “A Musical” as the next big thing was a true crowd-pleaser. The rest of the comedic group were Brooks Ashmanskas, as a confused Puritan, with a lovely daughter Portia (Kate Reinders), the young lady who loves Nigel Bottom. There’s also Gerry Vichi, as Shylock the Jew, who wants to be a producer (and you know which Shakespeare play these two characters will end up in); Peter Bartlett as Lord Clapham who plays a benefactor of the arts; and Heidi Blickenstaff as Nick’s wife. All are giving wonderfully zany ensemble performances. The dancing ensemble are all first-rate, synchronized perfectionists.

The designers have outdone themselves—from the beautiful Elizabethan sets by Scott Pask, to the over-the-top costumes by Gregg Barnes and the mood-provoking lighting by Jeff Coitier—all set and anchor the scenes perfectly. You don’t have to be a Shakespearian pro to get all the goings on; you just have to be able to laugh at the misplaced famous Shakespearean quotes and recognize the brilliant placement of moments from iconic musicals to fully appreciate the magnificent job Casey Nicholaw has done. Forget about the doom and gloom of the pretentious musicals that have just opened. Instead, go to Something Rotten! and see “Something Wonderful.”

THE FUTURE IS ‘A MUSICAL’: Brad Oscar & Brian d’Arcy James in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

WILL POWER: Christian Borle as Shakespeare & the cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

SPOOFING THE BROADWAY MUSICAL: Brian d’Arcy James & Brad Oscar (center, left to right) & cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

ANOTHER SHOWSTOPPER: The cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

THE BARD: Christian Borle in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

THE BOTTOM BROTHERS: John Cariani & Brian d’Arcy James in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

NICK BOTTOM & HIS TRUE LOVE, PORTIA: John Cariani & Kate Reinders in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

BROTHER JEREMIAH & PORTIA: Brooks Ashmankas & Kate Reinders in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

AT NICK & BEA’S HOUSE: (left to right) John Cariani, Brian d’Arcy James & Heidi Blickenstaff in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

BOTTOM’S ON TOP: Brian d’Arcy James in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 1, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 30, 2015

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ARABIAN NIGHTS: Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ comes to Broadway. Photo: Deen Van Meer.

ALADDIN

Book & additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin 

Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice
Based on the Disney film
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
New Amsterdam Theatre

214 West 42nd Street, 
(866-870-2717), aladdinthemusical.com

By David NouNou

Theatergoers, be ready to welcome the next decade-long-running musical with open arms. If you have been hungry for spectacle and glitter, you have a feast in Aladdin. If you are tired of the labored, vacuous, threadbare and uninspired musicals, bring the whole family for a joyous magical carpet ride. For no one knows how to entertain and perform magic on stage like the Disney folks; and they are displaying a veritable smorgasbord for the senses.

Is it all perfect in Ali Babaland? No. The book at times is trite and some of the lines are hackneyed. The leads, Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) and Jasmine (Courtney Reed) are not awe- inspiring, but they don’t have to be; they just have to look good in their parts and be serviceable. The supporting players’ “friends” are at times hammy and should be reined in. Despite minor missteps there is a Merman/Channing diva amidst all this. We already have Mama Rose and Dolly; we can now add Genie to the roster. James Monroe Iglehart deliciously embodies him. He has the force and drive of Ethel and the zaniness and heart of Carol. What more do you need?

There is an additional plus, Jonathan Freeman (Jafar). He portrayed the voice in the 1992 animated feature of the same name. He is now in the flesh and good enough to induce hisses at curtain call. By the way, that is meant as a compliment, he is delightfully evil. Most everyone has seen “Aladdin” the movie and knows the storyline, why belabor the point? Suffice it to say it is equally enjoyable on the stage. It may not be as revolutionary as The Lion King, but is certainly as delectable as Beauty and The Beast.

The costumes by Gregg Barnes are a fashion parade unto themselves. The sets by Bob Crowley have a similarity to his Disney’s Aida and Natasha Katz’ lighting is always properly mood evoking. Casey Nicholaw, director/choreographer of such hits as The Book of Mormon and The Drowsy Chaperone, still has plenty of magic up his sleeves, but I do wish he could have put a tighter leash on some of the supporting players. In this case it’s more of a directorial issue because his choreography is still a joy to behold.

This is a show to be enjoyed as a spectacle and as a magical ride just for the sheer fun of it. When you go to Disneyland, you don’t go to nitpick some of the shortcomings of a ride. You ride them with an abandonment of a child in the body of an adult.

WISH GRANTED: Adams Jacobs as Aladdin. Photo: Deen Van Meer

CAVE OF WONDERS: Adam Jacobs as Aladdin. Photo: Deen Van Meer.

‘ALADDIN’ DUO: Courtney Reed & Adam Jacobs. Photo: Deen Van Meer

MORE SCENES FROM ‘ALADDIN’: Courtney Reed & Brandt Martinez. Photo: Cylla von Tiedemann

WHOLE NEW WORLD: Adam Jacobs as Aladdin. Photo: Cylla von Tiedemann

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 26, 2014
Reviewed at press performance on March 25, 2014

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THE BOOK OF MORMON
Book, music, and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, & Matt Stone
Directed by Casey Nicholaw & Trey Parker
Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Eugene O’Neill Theatre
230 West 49th Street
(212-239-6200), www.BookofMormonBroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

Hallelujah!  The Book of Mormon is the funniest religious spoof since Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian had both Protestants and Catholics alike outraged that Christianity had been lampooned.  However, what sets The Book of Mormon apart from the Monty Python film classics of Christian raillery is its ability to blend dark humor with peppy, clever songs, crisp dialogue, and spectacular choreography, all of which are essential elements of great American musical theater. It is not often that we see religious irreverence and profanity bred with “family-style” entertainment, and that is what makes this show such a creative watershed in Broadway history.

“South Park” funny men Trey Parker and Matt Stone, with the help of Avenue Q co-author Robert Lopez, have taken an episode of the derisive TV show that parodied Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr.—the “American Moses”—and the foundations of his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and transformed the church’s teachings into an instant, feel-good American musical-comedy classic that theatergoers of all faiths will appreciate for its well-crafted humor and brilliant score.  Broadway’s The Book of Mormon doesn’t just jab the satirical needle into Mormons, but all religions that have tried to “save souls” and conquer foreign lands as “missionaries.”

Everything here is ingenious in its depiction of America as a homogenized “promised land” and a “New Jerusalem of the New World”—especially Scott Pask’s sets, showing Wal Mart and Wendy’s juxtaposed next to the sacred Mormon Tabernacle, sitting against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains in Salt Lake City, Utah.

When the young Mormons learn from their church leader the name of which far-away land they will be spending two years as a missionary, the show’s two male leads, the handsome, goody-goody Elder Price (Andrew Rannells) and rotund, geeky misfit Elder Cunningham (Josh Gad) are both appointed to Uganda. After a bon voyage send-off by their families at the Salt Lake City International Airport, complete with a Lion King-style serenade, the two youngsters travel to the Dark Continent with much trepidation.

The villagers in the AIDS-ravaged Ugandan village have, of course, seen their share of Christian missionaries, so they are naturally skeptical about the arrival of squeaky-clean young men in suits touting Mormonism.   The Ugandans have enough to deal with, particularly a tyrant who threatens to circumcise all the village women, and they are not about to fall under the spell of more non-African outsiders trying to offer Christ’s “salvation” as a panacea for their myriad troubles.

The Ugandans belt out their disapproval to the missionaries in the hysterical showstopper “Hasa Diga Eeobawi,” which in their own language is a purportedly a lyrical slam that is one big “f*** you” to the Mormons’ beloved “Heavenly Father.”  However, just as the missionaries realize that they are not going to meet their quota of Mormon baptisms, the sweet-natured, beautiful young villager Nabulungi (the winsome, effervescent Nikki M. James) takes a shine to Elder Cunningham, much to the disapproval of the girl’s father, Mafala Hatimbi (Michael Potts).  Elder Cunningham twists the facts about Mormonism around to suit the needs of the incredulous Ugandans. The onstage chemistry between Mr. Gad, Ms. James, and Mr. Hannells is truly amazing.  Mr. Gad and Mr. Hannells are incandescent as a mismatched pair of missionary “companions,” while Ms. James has a winning mix of naïveté and spunk that consistently demands our attention whenever she is onstage.

Things do not go as planned as the plot unravels, but along the way audiences are treated to some of the most infectious songs we’ve heard on Broadway in ages, from “Baptize Me,” “Joseph Smith American Moses” and “We Are Africa” (which eviscerates do-gooder Bono, among others) to “Spooky Mormon Hell,” complete with dancing devils and Starbucks coffee cups, Adolph Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer, and O.J. Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochrane. There’s even a tap-dancing production number, featuring Mormon boys in glittery pink vests, a nod to the Mormons’ notorious condemnation of gays and lesbians.

Is it all blasphemous?  That’s debatable, as much of the narrative fairly follows, albeit in a comic way, the history of Mormons.  Their religion is based on founder Joseph Smith, Jr., believing an angel, Moroni (played with over-the-top zeal by Rory O’Malley, who also doubles in the role of Elder McKinley) appeared to him in the 1800s in Rochester, NY, and told him about a people whom God had led from Jerusalem to America 600 years before Jesus’ birth. The angel purportedly introduced Smith to a third “New Testament” to the Bible: the eponymous Book of Mormon. The show’s seamless songs and witty lyrics celebrate Mormonism while mocking it simultaneously.

Directors Casey Nicholaw (best known for choreographing the equally sacrilegious Monty Python’s Spamalot) and Trey Parker make all the action, songs, and the actors’ fluid repartee blend together into a harmonious, uproarious evening of theater that, for many, will make one an instant convert to the genius of The Book of Mormon.

Published March 31, 2011
Reviewed at press performance on March 30, 2011

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