Jerusalem

Jerusalem, at Broadway's Music Box Theatre
Gratuitous Violins rating: ** out of ****

As much as it pains me to say this, Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem made me want to turn in my Anglophile card. Yes, it's funny and Mark Rylance is brilliant in the leading role but what was the point?

Now, I knew this play was very British so I did some research. I read the poem by William Blake, with its reference to England's "green and pleasant land," as well as its "dark Satanic mills." I learned that the hymn "Jerusalem" serves as an alternative national anthem. I found an article that explained the slang.

All of that helped but Jerusalem, about a disreputable Pied Piper-like character who supplies the local teens with drugs and alcohol, went on and on. I laughed a lot but it felt like a long three hours.

Rylance, terrific last fall as a buffoonish playwright in La Bete, certainly knows how to immerse himself in a role. His Johnny "Rooster" Byron is ridiculous and riveting. A former daredevil motorcyclist, he lives in an old Airstream trailer parked in the woods in rural Wiltshire.

I loved the set design, by Ultz, which featured real trees, as well as a turtle and goldfish. (I've read there were chickens but I must have missed them.) Ultz also did the costumes, dressing Rylance in an impressive variety of headgear.

Giving the establishment the middle finger and spinning increasingly tall tales, Rooster's kind of a local legend to the kids, who regard him with a mixture of awe and amusement. (My favorite scene involves Rooster's impressive talent at Trivial Pursuit.)

The establishment, of course, views Rooster as a wart to be surgically removed. The local council wants to evict him and his trailer because they're standing in the way of a new housing development. Parents are angered by the sway he holds over their children, the extent of which becomes more apparent and more sinister as the play goes on.

All of this takes place on the festival of St. George's Day. According to legend St. George, the patron saint of England, slayed a dragon, rescued a princess and in doing so, converted a grateful citizenry from paganism to Christianity.

Clearly there's a lot of history, geography and religious and literary references here that escaped me. In one sense, it didn't matter. You don't need to be British to recognize Rooster's type.

The problem is, I wasn't sure what Butterworth meant Rooster to represent. I know he's trying to make a big point about England today, but what exactly?

Is Rooster a symbol of uncouth modern England - despoiling this "green and pleasant land" and standing in the way of building a new Jerusalem? Or, is he the authentic Englishman, rooted in history, that soulless modern Britain is wrongly trying to stamp out?

I think Butterworth is using "Jerusalem" ironically. England is far from a shining city on a hill, a point the play makes abundantly clear in a terrific opening scene, featuring a sprite-like Aimee-Ffion Edwards attempting to sing the title hymn.

I enjoyed the supporting cast - it was fun to see Mackenzie Crook (from the original British version of The Office) and John Gallagher Jr. as two of the teens drawn to Rooster. I'm a big fan of Gallagher from Spring Awakening although his British accent didn't sound wholly successful.

But after awhile, I thought the hangers-on became tiresome. I don't know, a bunch of people sitting around in the woods drinking and using drugs are just not very interesting. Or maybe they simply paled in comparison with the larger-than-life nature of Rylance's character.

Eventually, Jerusalem takes a darker, more serious turn. It gets a bit brutal and as I've said before, I'm extremely squeamish. There are surprises involving Rooster. I thought some of them were more believable than others. In the end, I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to root for Rooster or revile him.

I've been to three-hour plays that have flown by, that have held my interest all the way. This was just not one of them. I didn't find much wit or insight in Butterworth's language, except for one speech at the end. (OK, maybe there is wit and insight that you have to be British to pick up on.)

I think Jerusalem could have made its point more clearly and in a lot less time. Or perhaps it's me. The reviews have been pretty rapturous. Maybe American drama simply speaks to me more.

Spring Awakening, winter closing

Another day, another announcement that a Broadway show I love is closing. This time, it's Spring Awakening, the 2007 Tony winner for Best Musical, which will end its run at the Eugene O'Neil Theatre on Jan. 18, after a total of 888 performances.

Sigh. First Spamalot announces a closing date (although I have to admit I wasn't a huge fan when I saw it on tour), then Hairspray does the same and now Spring Awakening. I know Broadway is cyclical and there are new shows waiting in the wings. But still, I thought Spring Awakening had enough life left in it to hang on for awhile longer.

I saw Spring Awakening last summer as the final show in my seven-musicals-in-five-days marathon and I loved it. Honestly, I wasn't sure whether it would appeal to me. I mean, anxiety and sexual awakening among teenagers in 19th-century Germany didn't exactly sound like my plate of bratwurst.

But I loved the vibrant rock 'n' roll score by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. I loved the incredible energy and vitality of the young cast, including John Gallagher Jr., Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff. And I loved Bill T. Jones' thrilling choreography in numbers like "The Bitch of Living" and "Totally F***ed."

Even though some elements of the plot were fairly predictable, I got totally swept up in the story of these teenagers and their lives, to the point where I was in tears at the end.

Then, I met the gracious and talented cast at the stage door. The actors were all extremely generous with their time. This was after a Wednesday matinee, when they'd have to come back and do an evening show and meet a whole new group of fans afterward.

It was just the perfect way to end a trip to New York City. This may sound strange given my love for the show, but the day was so perfect, I don't think I want to see Spring Awakening again on Broadway. Don't get me wrong, there are some shows that I'd love see again with a new cast. But I want to keep the memory of that wonderful afternoon as a unique experience.

Spring Awakening is in the midst of its first national tour. I'll see it when it comes my way next year. And I'm glad a whole new crop of fans, who couldn't make it to New York, will have a chance to experience the show.

But there was just something so special about seeing the show on Broadway, with its original cast, then having a chance to meet the actors at the stage door afterward, that can never quite compare.

Adventures in video

Since I'm experimenting with including video on my blog, and I love the Tony-winning musical Spring Awakening, I thought I'd try to post this short clip of the cast singing "I Believe," taken at the time of last fall's Broadway stagehands strike.



Wouldn't it have been great to be walking by the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and see the amazingly talented John Gallagher Jr., and some of his castmates, giving an impromptu concert! (Ok, if you had tickets and couldn't see Spring Awakening because of the strike, that wouldn't have been so great.)

Anyway, now that Gallagher has left the show, his fans are probably experiencing a little bit of withdrawal pain. I hope this helps!

So sorry to see you go

I know I'm way too old to be a "Spring Awakening" fangirl, but what can I say? I love this show. When I saw the Tony winner for best musical, in July, all I could think was, this is how people must have felt when they first saw "Hair" on Broadway in 1968. Spring Awakening is just so exciting, so imaginative in the way it tells its story.

And what an energetic, talented cast. At times, I felt like I was at a concert in a little club somewhere discovering a great new band. I loved the way rock music is used to tell a story that takes place more than a hundred years ago, with the anachronisms of modern lighting and microphones.

When I saw the song list, with titles like "Totally F***ed" and "The Bitch of Living," I wondered how they'd fit into the show, whether they'd be raunchy just for the sake of being raunchy. But the way the cast performed them, they were funny and they worked perfectly and they were really exciting to watch.

At first, I didn't think I'd be all that interested in teenage angst and sexual awakening in 19th century Germany, but I was very moved by the story. I felt for these teenagers and what they were going through and the pressures they faced. While some parts were fairly predictable, I think even a predictable story can pack an emotional punch if you care about the characters. And by the end, I was crying.

"Spring Awakening" was the last show in my summertime marathon of seven musicals in five days. Maybe part of it was reaching the end, but I left the theater feeling drained and exhilarated and wanting to listen to the music again.

My seat was near the rear of the orchestra in the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. I thought afterward that it would be great to see "Spring Awakening" up close, maybe even from the onstage seats, right next to John Gallagher Jr. So of course I'm a little sad that today was the Tony winner's final performance as troubled schoolboy Moritz, but I'm so glad I had a chance to see him in the role.

In addition to being a terrific actor, singer and musician, the 23-year-old Gallagher is also a tremendously gracious young man. Although I'm sorry to see him leave the "Spring Awakening," I wish him all the best with whatever he tackles next. While his band, Old Springs Pike, has concerts coming up this winter, I hope there's more acting in Gallagher's future as well.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gallagher at the stage door after a Wednesday matinee. He was the last cast member to come out. A large part of the very large crowd had left, and I was so disappointed because I thought I'd missed him. But eventually he appeared, smiling and looking like he'd just showered. He chatted and posed for pictures with everyone as made his way down the line.

I'd already arranged with the person next to me that we'd take each other's pictures. When Gallagher got to us, I congratulated him on his well-deserved Tony and said we'd each like an autograph and to have our pictures taken with him. He beamed and said sweetly, "Well, I'd like to have my picture taken with you." Ok, let me just say, Mr. and Mrs. Gallagher, if you're reading this, you raised a very polite son! It was a such a memorable way to end my trip to New York.

While Gallagher has moved on, and Christine Estabrook, who plays the female adult roles, is leaving this week, much of the original cast remains with "Spring Awakening." The equally talented Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele, who portray lovers Melchior and Wendla, have extended their stay through May 18. (I think Michele has an absolutely gorgeous voice). Replacing Gallagher will be film and television actor Blake Bashoff, making his Broadway debut. Tony nominee Kate Burton will replace Estabrook.