The Music Man

Meredith Willson’s The Music Man

Winter Garden Theatre

February 9, 2022

Opening Night!

Photo Courtesy of The Music Man

The revival of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man opened on Broadway, spreading joy and delight to a full house at the Winter Garden Theatre.  Director Jerry Zaks did what he does best.  He took a Broadway classic, shined it up, injected it with life, and gave us a chance to look at it with fresh eyes.  Warren Carlyle’s choreography is exuberant.  It will get your heart beating faster.  The cast of forty-five skilled performers brilliantly works as one.  Their energy lifts the sprits and opens the hearts of every member of the audience.

When Professor Henry Hill (played by Hugh Jackman) gets off the train at River City, Iowa, his main goal is to swindle money out of the locals, then move on.  He sells marching band uniforms and instruments, with a promise to organize a boys band.  His plan is to get out of town as soon as the uniforms and instruments arrive, leaving them with no ability to play a single note.  One obstacle Professor Hill does not expect to face in River City is librarian and music teacher, Marion Paroo (played by Sutton Foster).  When Professor Hill’s connection with Marion’s younger brother, Winthrop (played by Benjamin Pajak), causes him to open up and start talking for the first time in two years, she realizes that, although Professor Hill does not intend to fulfill his promise to deliver a boys band, he does deliver on her dream. 

Hugh Jackman, Benjamin Pajak, & Sutton Foster
Photo courtesy of The Music Man

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster are amazing together.  Sparks fly as their strengths play off one
another.  The tension and attraction never stops building.  Ms. Foster’s Marion is tough and stoic.  She does not go in for games or day dreaming.  As she looks at her brother changing when he is with Professor Hill, you can feel her heart open.  She does not lose her toughness when she allows herself to be charmed by the Professor.  She thinks through her plan and remains committed to her beliefs.  Mr. Jackman’s Harold Hill is shifty, cunning, and glib.  He is pure swindler, with charm and a golden tongue.  He has no doubt in his main objective, to take the locals for as much money as possible.  The moment it hits him that Marion sees more in him than he ever saw in himself is a genuine transformation.   

The entire cast is superb, building unique characters and creating a small, uptight town that allows themselves to blossom.  The orchestrations, by Jonathan Tunick, keep Meredith Willson’s score running full steam ahead from the minute the curtain goes up.  The dance numbers feature the younger cast members.  Their skills are astonishing.  Their energy is vibrant.  

Get a ticket for The Music Man and be prepared to have your spirits lifted! 

Domenick Danza

Meteor Shower

Meteor Shower

Booth Theatre

January 6, 2018

Photo courtesy of Meteor Shower

When I purchased my ticket for Meteor Shower at the TKTS booth in Times Square, I was told Amy Schumer was out that evening.  I grabbed the ticket and saw a great performance by Kate Reinders (understudy to both female roles in the play), who I happen to have seen in Something Rotten.  Steve Martin’s script is bold, funny, and thought-provoking.  Jerry Zaks’ direction is crisp and on target.  The set, by Beowolf Boritt, and lighting, by Natasha Katz, are mesmerizing.

Corky (played by Kate Reinders) and her husband, Norman (played by Jeremy Shamos), are having a glass or pre-wine while waiting for their new friends to arrive to see the forecasted meteor shower.  Pre-wine, according to Corky, is the glass of wine you have before company comes, which does not count.  When Gerald (played by Keegan-Michael Key) and Laura (played by Laura Benanti) arrive, the meteor shower in the sky is not the only fire that ignites.

Photo courtesy of Meteor Shower

The cast of four works exceptionally well as a tight ensemble.  The relationships and humor are highly dependent on their timing, and they deliver every moment with polish and ease.   Kate Reinders and Jeremy Shamos humorously portray a committed married couple who clearly went through counseling to strengthen their relationship.  Their bond is genuine.  Keegan-Michael Key is broad and over the top as Gerald, and Laura Benanti is beguiling and riveting as Laura.  Their energies merge and their chemistry is explosive.

Photo courtesy of Meteor Shower

Steve Martin successfully structures the play with scenes that revert in time.  The action backtracks, then runs forward parallel in time to the scene previously played.  Not only does this structure challenge you to think about what you are experiencing, it also creates levels of depth to the characters and situation.  Mr. Martin ties it together at the end to make a point that is potent, clear, and relevant.  The set-up is very much like Edward Albee’s Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?, where two married couples tear one another apart over drinks.  The ending is not so devastating, yet it does pack a punch of hard edge reality… with a laugh.

Meteor Shower is playing at the Booth Theatre for a limited engagement.  You have until January 21.  Check it out.  

Domenick Danza

Hello Dolly!

Hello Dolly!

Sam S. Shubert Theatre

July 18, 2017

  

Photo courtesy of Hello Dolly!

Before you read on, I did not see Bette Midler in Hello Dolly!  Donna Murphy performs on Tuesday nights, and tickets are available at the TKTS booth.  I wanted to see the production and the cast of Tony winners and nominees, so I grabbed a ticket.  And, oh yes, my life is definitely better for it!  This is a stellar production that far exceeds any one name. The sets, the choreography, the direction, the orchestrations, the voices, and the full cast and chorus are incomparable.  Donna Murphy is spectacular.  This is classic musical theatre revived to perfection.

Matchmaker, Dolly Levi (played by Donna Murphy), has her eyes set on marrying Yonkers businessman Horace Vandergelder (played by David Hyde Pierce).  He, however, is ready to propose to Irene Molloy (played by Kate Baldwin).  Dolly also plans to get Horace to accept that his niece Ermengarde (played by Melanie Moore) is going to marry struggling artist Ambrose Kemper (played by Will Bolton).  Dolly has her hands full, so when Horace’s store clerk, Cornelius (played by Gavin Creel), and his coworker, Barnaby (played by Taylor Trensch), decide to play hooky from work and travel to New York City to find adventure, she is able to get everything in motion to achieve her goals.

Beanie Feldstein, Taylor Trensch, Kate Baldwin, & Gavin Creel
Photo courtesy of Hello Dolly!

Donna Murphy is joyous in the role of Dolly Levi.  Her voice is powerful and she makes the character her own.  David Hyde Pierce is a curmudgeon you root for.  You know he has a heart under his crusty exterior, and you rejoice when it is finally exposed.  In the song “Penny in My Pocket” he makes the most out of a momentary pause that give an insightful glimpse into his inner world.  Kate Baldwin creates an Irene Molloy with zest and gumption.  Her rendition of “Ribbons Down My Back” is fun and touching, light and revealing.  Gavin Creel’s Cornelius is innocent and eager.  The action of every one of his scenes is propelled forward by his energy.  Taylor Trensch and Beanie Feldstein are perfect together as Barnaby and Minnie Fay.  Their energy connects from the first moment they are seen together, and their naiveté is splendid.

Photo courtesy of Hello Dolly!

The scenic and costume design by Santo Loquasto is a bright and bold spectacle.  They set the mood and tone of each scene with the proper balance of reality and nostalgia.  Choreography by Warren Carlyle is crisp and alive.  The style is sharp and consistent.  It is the genius of director Jerry Zacks that brings it all together to deliver a musical theatre experience that feeds your soul and makes your spirit soar.

If you need to remember how great life can be, go see Hello Dolly!  It will hopefully be playing at the Shubert Theatre, showcasing one big name star after another, for years to come.

Domenick Danza

A Bronx Tale

A Bronx Tale

Longacre Theatre

July 5, 2017

 

Photo courtesy of A Bronx Tale

A Bronx Tale is an emotionally driven musical that takes the movie on which it is based to a deeper level.  The book by Chazz Palminteri, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, choreography by Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Robert DeNiro and Jerry Zaks all combine in the perfect telling of a moving and riveting story.  The second act builds to an emotionally powerful climax.  The cast creates characters who you want to embrace.  They tell a tale that you wish would never end.

When ten year old Calogero (played by Jonah Mussolino) witnesses a murder by a mob boss in his Bronx neighborhood, his life changes forever.  Calogero’s loyalties start to waiver between the love he has for his father, Lorenzo (played by Richard H. Blake) and the admiration he has for Sonny (played by Nick Cordero), the mob boss he did not rat on when he witnessed the murder.  It is not until eight years later when he starts falling for Jane (played by Ariana Debose), a black girl from Webster Ave., that he matures enough to recognize the difference between love and fear. 

Photo courtesy of A Bronx Tale

Bobby Conte Thornton is charming and slick as the older Calogero, who narrates the story in retrospect.  His character grows throughout the journey of the play.  His genuine fondness and esteem for the Bronx experience drives the story forward.  Nick Cordero is strong and commanding as Sonny.  You can see why Calogero looks up to him and follows him.  You can also feel Sonny’s heart open through the times he spends with C (his nickname for Calogero).  Richard H. Blake is endearing as Lorenzo.  The character holds firm to his beliefs.  He is driven by love for his son.  Mr. Blake powerfully delivers two riveting solos that give emotional weight to the story and create strong conflict for C’s character.  Lucia Giannetta plays Rosina, C’s mother.  She has only a few lines throughout the show, yet she performs a heartwarming solo in Act II that rounds off her character with a clear backstory and touching motivation.  Ariana Debose is energetic as Jane.  Her powerful singing voice rings beautifully.  She and Mr. Thornton have an authentic chemistry that propels Act II towards its captivating ending. 

Photo courtesy of A Bronx Tale

If you liked the movie of A Bronx Tale, you will love this musical.  If you’ve not seen the movie, go see this show right now!  It will fill your heart.  Hopefully A Bronx Tale will be running at the Longacre Theatre for a good long time.

Domenick Danza