Nicholas Nickleby in Boston

When it comes to theatre, I like to think ahead. And what has me dreaming currently is the 2010-2011 season from Boston's Lyric Stage Company. I saw Follies there in 2009 and really enjoyed it.

Located on the second floor of a YMCA, the Lyric is an intimate space with about 240 seats on three sides of the stage.

There are several shows in the lineup I'd love to see, including the play My Name is Asher Lev, based on the novel by Chaim Potok, and the musical Animal Crackers, by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind.

But what truly has me salivating is the adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby from Oct. 21-Dec. 19

I love epic stories and at two parts totaling 6 1/2 hours, with a cast of 25 playing 150 characters, I think this would qualify.

The original Royal Shakespeare Company production on Broadway, which took eight hours with 39 actors, won the 1982 Tony Award for Best Play.

Here's associate director Courtney O'Connor on Nicholas Nickleby:

"As with any play, the strength of the story is in how we relate to it. Though the events take place in 1830’s England, parallels to our contemporary world are clear. Thoughts and concerns of money, family, and morals are everywhere – just as they were 180 years ago."

It's the largest production in the theatre's 37-year history and is being sponsored in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Lyric has set up a backstage blog, which I'll be following.

Whether or not I get to see it, I think it's great that the Lyric Stage is tackling something so ambitious.

Broadway Across America: Boston 2010-11

Broadway Across America has announced its Boston lineup for 2010-2011:

Wicked Sept. 1 to Oct. 17, Opera House

Rock of Ages Oct. 6-17, Colonial Theater

Jersey Boys Dec. 16 - Jan. 30, 2011, Colonial Theater

Mary Poppins Feb. 17 - March 20, Opera House

Hair March 22 - April 10, Colonial Theater

West Side Story June 19 - July 9, Colonial Theater

Okay, a few thoughts:

I think Hair is an especially great choice for Boston. I saw the Tony-winning revival on Broadway last year and loved it. Under the direction of Diane Paulus, the musical evokes the spirit of the 1960s without glossing over the decade's tumultuous events.

I really enjoyed Mary Poppins on Broadway, too, although parents should know that with an intermission, it runs nearly three hours. But I thought it was a magical show and I loved Matthew Bourne's choreography.

I was also a fan of the West Side Story revival. The score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim is gorgeous and Jerome Robbins' choreography is thrilling. It's also nice to have a summer show on the schedule. People go to the movies year-round, why not the theatre?

I am a little surprised that Wicked and Jersey Boys are coming back so soon. Both have played in Boston within the past few years. (Providence has them this season, so perhaps there's some rule that they alternate between the two cities every year, along with The Lion King.)

I noticed a few comments about the new season on Facebook:

Someone asked about Billy Elliot. As much as I love Wicked, it certainly would have been nice to have a new show in the lineup. But the producers seem to be concentrating the tour on other parts of the country. I guess New England will have to wait for the 2011-2012 season.

And a few people were hoping for Next to Normal. Don't be disappointed. While the musical won't be coming to Boston, it will be an hour away at the Providence Performing Arts Center March 22-27, 2011. Here's the rest of the PPAC lineup for 2010-2011.

Finally, someone asked whether there would be any plays in the lineup. Sadly, I don't think so. There simply aren't a lot of plays mounting national tours, nothing on the scale of this season's August: Osage County.

The producers of the Tony-winning God of Carnage had hoped to tour but according to The New York Times, couldn't find enough theaters in major cities that were available for booking.

The Huntington's less than perfect pitch

Last night I received a call from a very pleasant young woman representing Boston's Huntington Theatre Company. She noted that I'd attended a performance of Fences and asked what I thought. I told her I really enjoyed it.

She said that was great and then proceeded to inform me that the production was going to Broadway, with only one cast change as far as she knew - the addition of Denzel Washington. She encouraged me to try and see the play again in New York.

Then she started to make a pitch for a donation. (Not to finance the "Broadway transfer," which would have been cool, but for the Huntington's very worthy education program.)

I once spent a couple of months selling subscriptions to The Boston Globe over the phone. (Not very successfully, I might add.) I know how hard it is, so I don't blame this person. Maybe she works on commission and isn't a theatre fan and doesn't even live in Massachusetts.

But I haven't seen the Huntington mentioned in association with the Broadway revival that begins previews April 14 at the Cort Theatre. As far as I know, this isn't a transfer but an entirely separate production with different producers and cast, headed by Washington and Viola Davis.

Maybe there's some connection I don't know about but as far as I can tell, the only thing the Boston and New York Fences have in common is that it's the same play and the same director, Kenny Leon.

What bothers me is that the same thing happened the last time I got a call from the Huntington, just a few months ago. The young woman on the phone tried to tell me that Becky Shaw, which the theatre is presenting in the spring, was a Broadway play. I know it's an off-Broadway play.

Now, I love the Huntington. I've seen several shows there and I've enjoyed each one of them and I'll definitely go again.

I know nonprofits are hurting and it's difficult to raise money. Broadway sounds better than off Broadway and Denzel Washington sounds more impressive than John Beasley (who actually was very impressive at the Huntington in the role Washington will be playing.)

But this is getting annoying.

So here's a some advice for any theatre company that might call me in the future: if you want me to consider donating money or becoming a season subscriber, please be honest when you make your pitch. Because I was not born yesterday.

The sad thing is, the Huntington does great work. It doesn't need to embellish its record.

Wintertime theatergoing

The weather outside can be frightful so I'll probably be staying close to home for my theatergoing during the first few months of 2010. But there are shows I'm looking forward to seeing without having to venture too far:

Dead Man's Cell Phone, at Trinity Repertory Company. I saw Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House at Trinity Rep a few years ago and I really enjoyed the quirky characters and story she created. Just from the title, this play sounds intriguing.

The Glass Menagerie, at the Gamm Theatre. I've never seen a Tennessee Williams play on stage and I feel like he's one of those classic American playwrights whose work I should know. So hopefully this will be a good introduction.

Xanadu, at the Providence Performing Arts Center. I missed this musical on Broadway and from everything I've read, it sounded like fun. Plus, the action takes place in a roller disco so the actors will be on skates. Perfect for a winter afternoon.

Comic Potential, at the 2nd Story Theatre. I've never been to this theatre but an Alan Ayckbourn play might just be the push I need. I loved The Norman Conquests on Broadway last year and I'm eager to sample some more of his work.

Becky Shaw, at the Huntington Theatre Company. Gina Gionfriddo's comedy about a blind date that goes awry was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and garnered good reviews in New York, where it was directed by Peter DuBois. He's bringing it to Boston in his capacity as the Huntington's artistic director.

Dreamgirls, at the Colonial Theatre. I liked the movie and now I'm curious to see this musical about the rise of a 1960s Motown girl group on stage, where it began. I'm thinking there's something special about hearing a live version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.''

Two musicals I'm probably going to skip are 101 Dalmations and Beauty and the Beast at PPAC. After a performance of Annie in May attended by children who were way too young to be there, I'm really not in the mood.

Practicing the fine art of giving

Here are two nice stories about philanthropy and the arts:

Mona Webster of Edinburgh, Scotland, who died in August at age 96, left New York City's Metropolitan Opera a bequest of $7.5 million. (The New York Times article notes that 40 percent will go to taxes but it's still a sizable chunk of change.)

Webster recalled listening to the Met's weekly radio broadcasts as far back as 1939. They're aired in the afternoon but because of the time difference she heard them in the evening.

"Saturday nights were sacred,'' said Gail Chesler, director of planned and special gifts.

Those broadcasts, now sponsored by homebuilder Toll Brothers, are still being heard across the United States and around the world. They reach 11 million people in 42 countries, making them one of this country's best cultural exports. The 79th season begins Dec. 12, with Puccini's Il Trittico.

In Massachusetts, a story from the Boston Globe finds that more gay couples are choosing to be recognized as couples when they donate to arts organizations.

Stephen Weiner and Donald Cornuet, who married last March on their 20th anniversary together, began to donate as a couple after joining the Opera Boston board in 2004. This year, they co-chaired the company's annual gala.

“The issue for us has been, when you look at the program books, it’s Sally X and John Y, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be the two of us,’’ said Weiner.

And named gifts, the article notes, are gold because they encourage others to emulate them.

Dan Salera and his longtime partner, Michael McCay, recently gave $50,000 to the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown and sponsored the just-ended production of Speed-the-Plow.

“There is a sense of recognition and I would say some pride when, as a gay man, you’re sitting there before the curtain goes up and you’re flipping through the program and looking at the list of donors and you see a same-sex couple,’’ said Salera.

“Others who see those names might be more inclined to give as a couple when the time comes.’’

Today, Fences at the Huntington

My 2009-2010 theatergoing season kicks off today with a trip to Boston for August Wilson's Fences, at the Huntington Theatre Company.

I saw my first August Wilson play, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, on Broadway in May and I loved it. There's just something about the characters, the storytelling, that I found so compelling. It really drew me in.

Like most of the plays in Wilson's Century Cycle chronicling African-American life, Fences takes place in Pittsburgh. But the story is set in 1957, some 46 years after after Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

Written in 1983 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, it tells the story of a former Negro leagues baseball player named Troy Maxson and his family.

The director is Kenny Leon, who worked with Wilson on many of his plays. I didn't realize that the Huntington, too, had a lengthy partnership with the playwright, up until his death in 2005. Here's an interview with Leon from The Boston Globe.

And here's a behind-the-scenes look at the production:



Unusual for me, I've actually tried to exercise some restraint and stay away from the reviews. But from what little I've read, this production is getting some terrific buzz and I'm really excited about seeing it.

Guides to Boston theatre and beyond

The weather's turned a little cooler this week and the college kids are moving back. Soon the leaves will change and it'll be time for another fall theatre season in New England.

So thanks to Joel Brown at Hub Arts for tipping me off to some great sources for news about what's coming up and Art Hennessey of Mirror Up to Nature for compiling a list of this fall's "should see" plays and musicals.

First, there's ArtsBoston, which offers reduced-price tickets and bills itself as a "one-stop shop" for arts and entertainment.

The revamped Web site is a little busy looking but it's pretty comprehensive. And the season preview, which you can download at Hub Arts, includes a blurb from my fellow blogger Chris Caggiano, of Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals. (It's on Page 6.)

A new resource is Explore Boston Theatre, the brainchild of Nicholas Peterson, who has extensive experience in using the Internet to promote the arts and nonprofit organizations.

The mission of the Web site is to connect audiences with excellent theatre productions throughout New England, although it does seem a little Boston-centric right now. Hopefully that'll change as it gets off the ground.

And Peterson has inaugurated Explore Boston Theatre with a nice feature. He's asked artistic directors from throughout the region to consider this question:

The past year has brought changes to the national economy which affect the financial health of theatres. We need theatre now more than ever. It promotes the public dialogue about what matters to all of us. Why?

The first reply comes from Kate Snodgrass, artistic director of Boston Playwrights Theatre, who writes about the importance of new plays. Here's part of what she said:

"New work asks the questions we're afraid to ask, and it does it with respect and in-your-face compassion. New works make us laugh in the face of hopelessness, instruct in the face of ignorance, and call attention to our lives just in the nick of time."

Cast announced for Huntington's Fences

Boston's Huntington Theatre Company opens its 2009-2010 season next month with a production of August Wilson's Fences and I'm really looking forward to it.

I saw my first play by the late Tony and Pulitzer winner in May, the Broadway revival of Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and I loved it. I love how Wilson combines African-American history with a compelling story and characters in a way that never seems forced or preachy.

This week, the Huntington announced the cast for Fences, which begins previews on Sept. 11 and runs through Oct. 11. The play will be directed by Kenny Leon, who's helmed two of Wilson's works on Broadway as well as the recent revival of A Raisin in the Sun.

I'm only familiar with one of the actors - Bill Nunn, whom I've seen in movies. But that's okay, except for Ernie Hudson I didn't know any of the actors in Joe Turner either.

Luckily, I have the Internets to help provide a little background.

The play, which takes place in 1957 in Pittsburgh, tells the story of Troy Maxson, a former Negro League baseball player whose dreams were thwarted by racism. Maxson's frustration with the way his life has turned out impacts his family, especially his son Cory, a budding football star.

Included in the cast are John Beasley as Troy, Crystal Fox as his wife, Rose, Warner Miller as Cory, Bill Nunn as Troy's brother, Gabriel, and Brandon J. Dirden as Lyons, Troy's son by a previous marriage.

Beasley played Troy Maxson in March 2008 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which held staged readings of all 10 plays in Wilson's Century Cycle chronicling African-American life in the 20th century.

Here's a review from Elyse Gardner in USA Today. Maxson, she writes, "is one of the greatest tragic heroes written for the stage, and John Beasley is marvelous in the part, by turns hilarious, infuriating and heartbreaking."

Update: More background on the cast, from the Huntington's blog.

The 39 Steps

Gratuitous Violins rating: ***1/2 out of ****

It's been nearly two years since I saw and raved about The 39 Steps at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company, during it's pre-Broadway warm-up.

I was so enthusiastic in an e-mail to Steve on Broadway that he encouraged me, as he'd done many times before, to start a blog. I'd always declined, thinking I didn't have anything to say, but this time I took the plunge. And my review became the first-ever Gratuitous Violins post.

So naturally, I've always had a soft spot for this plucky little British comedy. As the play moved from its limited Roundabout Theatre Company engagement to an open-ended run, I've followed its fortunes and always hoped that someday, I'd have a chance to revisit it on Broadway.

Well during my last trip I had a free Sunday afternoon and at about 20 minutes before curtain time, I walked up to the TKTS booth in Times Square to buy a half-price ticket. I'm so glad I did because The 39 Steps is just as funny and witty and inventive as I remembered it from Boston.

The story, adapted by Patrick Barlow, is an absolutely faithful and hilarious retelling of Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 black and white film about a man who finds himself caught up in an international spy ring. And it includes many clever shoutouts to the master of suspense.

Sean Mahon plays Richard Hannay, a suave, self-assured 1930s-type hero. And the lovely Jill Paice (from Curtains!) handles all the female roles, including a secret agent and a woman who gets involved with Hannay quite against her will.

Through some very quick changes, two other actors - Arnie Burton, who was in the show in Boston, and at my performance, Cameron Folmar, play all of the other characters - lots of them. And they are terrific. They play a big role in making The 39 Steps so much fun to watch.

One of the things I love about The 39 Steps is that it's so theatrical - with only four actors, minimal props and no fancy special effects, it relies a great deal on the imagination of the audience. I love how it does so much with so little. It's one of the most unique shows I've seen.

And not only does it re-create the Hitchcock movie, it re-creates the style and feel of the movie. It's like seeing a 1930s thriller on stage, only with a playful yet respectful nudge and a wink that you don't get from the original.

The show won two Tony awards, for Mic Pool's sound design and Kevin Adams' lighting. The first time, I was straining a bit to hear from the back of the orchestra. But in the 589-seat Helen Hayes Theatre, I could hear everything and I was really impressed with the range of sounds Pool has to create and how much they contributed to my enjoyment of the play.

In my earlier review, I questioned whether you'd get as much out of The 39 Steps if you hadn't seen the movie. But I think it does hold up well on its own. The couple sitting next to me hadn't seen the movie and they were laughing just as hard as I was.

There's always so much new to see on Broadway, not to mention off-Broadway, that I rarely get a chance to see a show I loved for the second time. I'm so glad I had that chance with The 39 Steps. And, if I ever have the opportunity, I'd even see it a third time.

Small theatres, big expenses

Last September I saw Follies at the Lyric Stage in Boston and enjoyed it very much. I don't remember how much my Follies ticket was - probably under $50. Unfortunately, I was only able to go to one show there but I would like to have seen more.

So of course I'm now on the Lyric's mailing list and I got this e-mail a few days ago letting me know about the upcoming season and asking for a donation:

How Your Gift Helps Support The Lyric Stage Company of Boston:

$15,000 The set for a major musical like Follies.
$6,000 Custom-made quick-change costumes for a comedy like The Mystery of Irma Vep.
$2,500 Specially-made Oval Office rug for the comedy November.
$1,100 One student's tuition for Lyric First Stage, summer theatre program for teens.
$600 Special effect lightning for The Mystery of Irma Vep.
$250 One stage lighting instrument.
$150 Two students' participation in Lyric First Curtain, theatre access for students.
$100 One pair of dance shoes for Follies.

I'm not sure if some of those figures, like the $15,000 for a set, include labor or if that's just for materials. But I'd never really thought before about how much a smallish theatre company like Lyric spends on things like sets and costumes.

So the e-mail was definitely a bit of an eye-opener for me and hopefully I'll be able to support them again with a visit.

Broadway in Boston 2009-2010

Broadway Across America finally released its Boston lineup for 2009-2010 this week. There are a few shows I really want to see that we're not getting in Providence, (which isn't part of BAA) including August: Osage County.

(But we are getting Xanadu in Providence, so life's a tradeoff. Sometime I would like to find out how these things work, how the producers decide which shows to put in which cities. For example, why is Little House on the Prairie bypassing the Northeast, except for the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey?)

Also coming to Boston are the national tours of In the Heights and Dreamgirls. They're both arriving in the winter, so let's hope it's a mild one.

I really enjoyed In the Heights on Broadway, the 2008 Tony winner for Best Musical. The story, set in a Latino neighborhood in New York City, is a joyous reminder of the vitality that immigrants bring to this country, along with their hopes and dreams. And it's got great music and choreography, too. In the Heights plays at the Opera House Jan. 12-24.

I've only seen the movie Dreamgirls, so I'm very interested in catching the stage version that tells the story of a Supremes-like singing group. The national tour is being launched at the Apollo Theater in November. Dreamgirls is playing at the Colonial Theatre Feb. 2-14.

Luckily, I won't have to worry about the weather by the time August: Osage County comes to the Colonial, from May 4-16. As I mentioned the other day, I only had a chance to see it once in New York so I'm looking forward to a return visit with the dysfunctional Weston family.

I can also recommend Fiddler on the Roof, which is coming to the Opera House from Nov. 3-15. It was a thrill to see the musical in Providence last February, with 73-year-old Chaim Topol as Tevye. Apparently his farewell tour is quite extensive. And he should keep doing it as long as he can - he's still terrific in the role.

There is one other musical coming to Boston that I'm kind of curious about: Cats, which will be at the Colonial April 13-18. I've never seen it and, truth be told, while I like cats I'm really much more of a dog person. If they ever make a musical called Dogs, I will be there.

Still, I'm kind of curious about a show that played 18 years on Broadway. And according to the Web site: "There's no better way to introduce your family to the wonders of live theater than with the magic, the mystery, the memory of CATS."

Theatre that's not for a 10 year old

Now I know why children end up at musicals that are way long for their attention span and way too mature to hold their interest.

I got an e-mail a few days ago from BosTix, which offers reduced-price tickets to Boston-area arts events, about the national tour of The Color Purple. The show begins its two-week stand at Boston's Citi Performing Arts Center tonight.

I was surprised that BosTix was advertising the musical as "appropriate for ages 10 and up." So I checked out the tour's Web site and found this advisory: "The Color Purple may be inappropriate for children 10 and under."

Maybe I'm out of touch with the maturity level of kids these days but I think 10 or 11 is way too young to see this show. It deals with some pretty somber themes - including child abuse, domestic violence and incest.

I enjoyed The Color Purple when I saw it on Broadway and I think it would be fine for a high school student - but not a 10-year-old. Plus, I just can't see it holding the attention of a child that young for 2 1/2 hours.

There are so many musicals that are much more appropriate for kids in that age range, and they'd enjoy them a whole lot more. I would rather have a child's introduction to the theatre be something that will amaze and enthrall them.

So if you really want to see The Color Purple, my advice is to get a babysitter and leave the 10-year-olds at home. The Lion King is coming to Boston in February. Wait and take them to that instead. I guarantee you they'll have a better time.

SpeakEasy Stage 2009-2010

Boston's SpeakEasy Stage is getting some great New England premieres next season. The theatre will present both [title of show] and Adding Machine.

I really wish I'd been able to see [title of show] on Broadway. It only lasted a few months at the Lyceum Theatre. I know there was some discussion about whether this love letter to musical theatre was too insiderish to have wide appeal.

But I've listened to Jeff Bowen's score and it's pretty funny. The book, by Tony-nominated Hunter Bell, about two struggling young writers writing a show about two struggling young writers, is an endearing story. It's about chasing your dream - no matter what that may be.

Since I've watched some of The [title of show] Show videos I kind of feel like I know Bowen, Bell and their castmates, Heidi Blickenstaff and Susan Blackwell, all of whom play themselves. It'll be strange seeing someone else in those roles.

[Title of show] runs from Jan. 15 - Feb. 13, 2010.

Adding Machine, on the other hand, is a much more somber musical. Based on a 1923 play by Elmer Rice, it's about Mr. Zero, an accountant who, after 25 years with the same company, learns that he's going to be replaced by an adding machine. In a moment of rage, he murders his boss.

The musical features a score by from Joshua Schmidt and a libretto by Schmidt and Jason Loewith. It opened off-Broadway in 2008 at the Minetta Lane Theatre to good reviews. Among those who raved about it was my fellow blogger Chris, at Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals.

Adding Machine runs from March 12 - April 10, 2010.

Other shows at SpeakEasy in 2009-2010 include:

The Savannah Disputation, by Evan Smith, Sept. 18 - Oct. 17, 2009; Reckless, by Craig Lucas, Nov. 13 - Dec. 12, 2009; and The Great American Trailer Park Musical, by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso, April 30 - May 29, 2010.

Huntington lines up an all-American season

I've been waiting for Boston's Huntington Theatre Company to complete its schedule for next season and the final two shows have been announced: Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss and Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

They join the previously announced productions of August Wilson's Fences; Maureen McGovern's A Long and Winding Road; Paula Vogel's A Civil War Christmas; Lydia Diamond's Stick Fly; and Gina Gionfriddo's Becky Shaw.

Both All My Sons and Prelude to a Kiss have had recent Broadway revivals. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to see either one, so hopefully I can catch up. (I have seen the movie of Prelude to a Kiss, with Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin, and I thought it was kind of sweet.)

I know British director Simon McBurney came under some criticism for his interpretation of All My Sons. The Huntington production is being helmed by David Esbjornson, who collaborated with Miller at the end of the playwright's life, so this will probably be a more faithful presentation.

I'm also interested in seeing Fences, because it's a classic. And Becky Shaw, which was directed off Broadway by Peter DuBois, the Huntington's artistic director, garnered rave reviews. It was also a finalist for this year's Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which described it as "A jarring comedy that examines family and romantic relationships with a lacerating wit while eschewing easy answers and pat resolutions."

Apparently, this is the first season in the Huntington's 27-year history to be comprised entirely of American plays. It does seem like a nice mixture of diverse voices and themes and different periods in American history.

DuBois said, "Arthur Miller and Craig Lucas felt like the right two voices to complete a season designed to reflect a compelling range of American writing. From classics and contemporary masters to new voices, each play explores diverse viewpoints of the American experience."

Spring Awakening in Providence, Boston

Those frisky, angst-ridden 19th-century teenagers of Spring Awakening have wrapped up their nearly monthlong stay in Toronto and are headed for New England! (Sorry, Vance. I know how much you'll miss them.)

The tour of the 2007 Tony-winning Best Musical stops at the Providence Performing Arts Center Tuesday through Sunday. They're giving away tickets to Tuesday night's performance, while supplies last. The promotion ends today so I'm not sure whether there are any tickets left but it's worth a try.

You have to go to one of these locations and ask a staff member on duty about the Spring Awakening Ticket Treasure Hunt. They'll give you a voucher that you'll have to redeem at the PPAC box office by 4 p.m. today. So don't waste any time! For more information, go to the tour Web site, Totally Trucked. (Love the name, btw.)

Providence Central Library, 225 Washington Street, Providence, RI
Mt. Pleasant Library, 315 Academy Avenue, Providence, RI
Rochambeau Library, 708 Hope Street, Providence, RI
Knight Memorial Library, 275 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI
Greenville Library, 573 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI
Seekonk Library, 410 Newman Avenue, Seekonk, MA
Cranston Public Library, 140 Sockanosset Cross Road, Cranston, RI
George Hail Free Library, 530 Main Street, Warren, RI
Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, RI
East Providence Public Library, 41 Grove Avenue, East Providence, RI
Borders Book Music Movies & Café, 142 Providence Place, Providence, RI
Borders Book Music Movies & Café, 190 Hillside Ave., Cranston, RI (at Garden City)
J. Jill, 100 Midway Road, Cranston, RI (at Garden City)
Borders Book Music Movies & Café, 1212 S. Washington, N. Attleboro, MA

After Providence, the show moves to Boston, where it'll take up residence at the Colonial Theatre from April 28 - May 24. There are a couple of Boston promotions, including a chance to have dinner and meet the cast, details here; and a discount offer, saving $10 a ticket, which you can find out about here.

I loved Spring Awakening when I saw it on Broadway in 2007. It was the last musical in a seven-shows-in-five-days marathon and it was so unlike anything else I'd seen. I was blown away by the energy and electricity of the young cast and I thought the story was so poignant.

The Boston Globe has a story about the musical's themes and its devoted fans. You can read a guide for parents here. From the reviews by my fellow bloggers Steve on Broadway and Vance, at Tapeworthy, the touring production sounds terrific.

Red Sox musical swings for the fences

Move over Damn Yankees - another baseball-themed musical is stepping up to the plate.

Red Sox Nation, a musical tragedy about the Boston Red Sox, will have its premiere in May 2010 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. The musical will be directed by A.R.T.'s artistic director, Diane Paulus, who's also helming the revival of Hair on Broadway.

Playwright Richard Dresser, a Massachusetts native and Brown University graduate known for his social comedies, is writing the book. (His lone Broadway credit is the book for the Beach Boys jukebox musical Good Vibrations, which ran for 94 performances, closing on April 24, 2005.)

The music and lyrics are by brothers Robert Reale and Willie Reale, who collaborated on the book and score for A Year With Frog and Toad, which ran on Broadway for 73 performances in 2003.

Here's the description from A.R.T's Web site:

"Red Sox Nation is an exhilarating blend of fact, fiction, and the mystical power of the game. It traces the origin of the Curse to a collision of three orphaned souls: Johnny O’Brien, a hard-luck right-hander on the 1919 Sox; his idol, the man-child Babe Ruth; and Daisy Wyatt, a dazzling African-American blues singer and the love of Johnny’s life."

Okay, it's probably not going to become a second Damn Yankees but it does sound intriguing.

Huntington Theatre Company's new season

I haven't written anything yet about the Huntington Theatre Company's 2009-10 season. Unfortunately, I can't get to Boston as often as I'd like, but the Huntington is a great place to see a show.

As an added attraction, it's right down the street from my former stomping grounds, aka where I went to college. So a visit to the old neighborhood is always fun.

There are still a couple holes in the schedule but here's what artistic director Peter DuBois has announced so far:

Fences, by August Wilson, Boston University Theatre, Sept. 11 - Oct. 11
A Long and Winding Road, a musical journey with pop icon Maureen McGovern, Wimberly Theatre, Oct. 9 - Nov. 15
A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration, by Paula Vogel, Boston University Theatre, Nov. 13 - Dec. 13,
Becky Shaw, by Gina Gionfriddo, Boston University Theatre, Jan. 8 - Feb. 7, 2010
Stick Fly, by Lydia Diamond, Wimberly Theatre, March 26 - May 1, 2010

I'm most excited about Fences, directed by Kenny Leon. I haven't seen any of August Wilson's plays on stage yet. This one, the sixth in Wilson's 10-play cycle chronicling African-American life in the 20th century, received the Tony and the Pulitzer Prize and I think it's considered among his best works.

There are still two more plays to be announced and DuBois told The Boston Globe that he's planning a multiyer focus on American comedy, so maybe that's a hint about what's coming.

"One thing I discovered over the past couple of years directing comedy is that the human experience is often illuminated in comedy in the most surprising ways," DuBois says.

"I don't know of any other major theater in the country that's stepping back and saying let's create a festival environment around American comedy, and let's really ask the questions of what's the difference between American and European comedy styles, what characterizes it, and go all the way back to the '20s and '30s."

Jersey Boys hit a couple of C notes

I know it's a little like baying at the moon or bringing coals to Newcastle or something but please indulge me as I express my outrage at ticket prices.

The Jersey Boys tour is coming to Boston this summer, from July 23 to Sept. 26, and I was thinking about going. Not that I would do this, but just for yuks I checked out the premium price for a Sunday matinee at the Citi Performing Arts Center's Shubert Theatre. It was $200! That's before adding in the $16.25 "service charge" and the $2 "handling fee."

Of course, no one is saying I have to spend that much. I could get a plain vanilla orchestra seat for $99 or sit in the back of the balcony for $49. I'm guessing with group discounts and the like, very few people will actually pay $200 for a ticket.

And granted, $200 is still a bargain compared with Broadway. A premium seat for Jersey Boys on the same Sunday afternoon at the August Wilson Theatre will set you back a whopping $352, not including a $7 service charge and $2.50 for handling.

Now, I'm far from a theatre snob. I see many fine Broadway shows on tour. I'm sure the performers in this production of Jersey Boys are terrific. Looking at their biographies, it seems quite a few have Broadway credits. So it's not like I'd be paying to hear four guys from the neighborhood croon some Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons tunes.

But still - $200 for the best seat on tour, when you may not be getting all the bells and whistles of a Broadway production. Am I out of line in thinking there's something wrong here?

Boston theatre gets a lift

I found a couple of interesting stories in The Boston Globe this week about how the recession is - or isn't - affecting theatre.

First, there's an article by Rich Fahey about the steps community theatre companies in Massachusetts are taking to survive. While they're mostly run by volunteers, they still have bills to pay.

Rent, utilities, maintenance, costumes, sets and rights fees to put on shows are some of the expenses. So they're reusing costumes, trying to get innovative with fundraisers, doing their own repairs if they own their building and adjusting what they offer to the public.

The story says that these troupes are going for what's cheap and familiar - Neil Simon comedies, Agatha Christie mysteries. Productions that don't require lots of scenery, like Thorton Wilder's Our Town, or big casts, like A.B. Gurney's Love Letters, are in. Elaborate musicals or weighty dramas are out. (Although Our Town is hardly escapist.)

"Many of our theaters have changed the way they work," said Robert Hallissey, president of the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres. "They're less likely to take a chance on less well-known shows, and concentrate instead on plays guaranteed to bring in an audience."

Well I think there's room for both escapist fare and weighty drama. Sometimes, when things are rough, you want entertainment that speaks to the anxieties in your life. At other times, you want to forget about those things and be transported someplace different for a couple of hours.

That brings me to my second noteworthy story. I've never even seen the 1987 movie, so I can't say why it's so popular. But apparently, Dirty Dancing has lots of fans and they'll be coming by the busload to see the musical version in Boston starting next week. (After reading Vance's review/warning at Tapeworthy, I think I'll steer clear of this one.)

Tickets for the musical, which range from $30 to $132.50, are selling quite well, according to an article by Meredith Goldstein. (Wow, $132.50 for a theatre ticket in Boston? That's unbelievable!) The show was slated to run at the Opera House from Feb. 7 to March 15 and has already been extended, to April 12, due to strong advance sales.

"This is doing by far much, much better than other shows," says Drew Murphy, president of Broadway Across America-Boston. He tells The Globe that 90 percent of seats at weekend performances in February and March have been sold. "It's bringing out a lot of your nontraditional theater audience, the people who normally wouldn't buy a theater ticket."

Follies

Gratuitous Violins rating: ***1/2 out of ****

I'm not much for reunions of the high school or college variety, but I made an exception for the reunion of former showgirls that forms the basis of Stephen Sondheim's Follies, which I saw this week in a terrific production at Boston's Lyric Stage.

One of the things I admire about Sondheim is the way his work explores some meaty themes - the creative process in Sunday in the Park with George; the injustice of the class system in Sweeney Todd; Americans' obsessions with fame and guns in Assassins. I think of Follies as an examination of what happens as we age - how we look back at our youthful dreams with nostalgia and a twinge of regret that life didn't quite turn out the way we planned.

The story revolves around a group of showgirls who were stars 30 years earlier with the musical revue Weismann's Follies (based on Ziegfeld's Follies). Now middle-aged, they gather with their spouses in 1971 for a reunion in the Broadway theatre where they once performed, which is going to be demolished and turned into a parking lot. The set design, by Janie E. Howland, isn't very elaborate, as befits a theatre that's about to be torn down. We see the circular steps where the Follies girls used walk down and a torn curtain at the back of the stage, hiding the musicians, and that's about it.

Along with the crumbling theatre, the lives of these women are also in various stages of crumbling - their marriages are troubled, their children have grown up and left home, their bodies are breaking down. As if to bring the point home even further, another group of actors plays each character as the ghost of their former, younger selves.

While each former showgirl gets a star turn, the plot focuses mainly on two couples: Phyllis Rogers Stone and her husband Ben, played by Maryann Zschau and Larry Daggett; and Sally Durant Plummer and her husband Buddy, played by Leigh Barrett and Peter A. Carey. All four do a terrific job expressing their characters' insecurities and disappointments.

Phyllis and Sally were once roommates and Buddy and Ben were once best friends, but I gather that they haven't seen each other for a very long time. It seems like they each pine for what the other has: Sally and Buddy, a traveling salesman, moved to Phoenix and raised two sons, but Sally is still in love with Ben. Phyllis and Ben, a lawyer, live a high-society life in New York City but never had the children that she wanted. It soon becomes clear that the spark has gone out of both marriages.

And one of the things I loved best about Follies is seeing the characters' younger selves on stage at the same time we see them as they are today. The actors who play the younger Phyllis, Ben, Sally and Buddy - Amy Doherty, Josh Dennis, Michele DeLuca and Phil Crumrine, - really capture the eagerness and excitement of youth and they make for a fascinating contrast. At first, I thought it would be kind of confusing but it's such an imaginative idea and I think that this production, directed by Spiro Veloudos, the Lyric's artistic director, pulls it off so well.

Sondheim packs an awful lot into his lyrics. I loved Bobbi Steinbach's movie star Carlotta Campion singing "I'm Still Here," with all of its cultural references. There's the poignancy of Ben looking back at lost opportunities in "The Road You Didn't Take." And it was so touching to see all of the former showgirls parade like they used to in the old days in "Beautiful Girls."

As a lover of big Broadway dance numbers, I was absolutely thrilled by "Who's that Woman," led by Kerry A. Dowling as Stella Deems. It was so much fun to see all of the showgirls - mirrored by their younger selves - in the same routine, choreographed by Ilyse Robbins, with wonderful flashy, skimpy costumes by Rafael Jaen that really evoked the Ziegfeld era. You know, they may not move as quickly anymore but these women still have that love of getting up on stage and performing. It's like all of their worries fade away and for a few brief moments, they're young again.

There were some aspects of Follies that I didn't like quite as much. For one thing, I think that James Goldman's book could have used a bit of tightening. The 90-minute first act didn't exactly race by. Sometimes, we spend too much time on Sally and Buddy and Phyllis and Ben. I'd have liked to hear a little more about some of the other characters.

And I have to admit that at first, I couldn't figure out what was going on with Act II, when the linear storytelling comes to an abrupt halt, and each of the main characters gets his or her own Follies-style musical number.

I really liked Sally's "Losing My Mind" and Phyllis' "The Story of Lucy and Jessie." But what was it all about? Then I realized that it was about the characters' looking back at the follies of their own lives, and it began to make more sense. Follies is the kind of show where, now that I've seen it once and I know what it's all about, I think I'd get even more out of it a second time.

The original production of Follies opened on Broadway on April 4, 1971, and played a total of 522 performances before closing on July 1, 1972. In a 1985 article about a concert version of Follies, then-New York Times drama critic Frank Rich noted that the show was considered "downbeat" and was a commercial failure on Broadway. (Although it won seven Tony Awards.)

I don't think of Follies as a downbeat show. True, it's about looking back on the past and opening old wounds and dealing with regret. So of course there's a great deal of sadness and anger. But in a way, the ending is surprisingly sweet and sentimental. It's not about regrets but about making peace with the way life has turned out.