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NOTE: Swing! is mentioned in this article under "The New Broadway,"
but the entire article should be of interest to theatregoers.

Beyond criticism: Welcome to the
'new' Broadway

Monday, December 13, 1999
By JEFFREY ERIC JENKINS
SPECIAL TO THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

NEW YORK -- Admiral David Farragut would be proud of today's Broadway producers. With the now famous cry of "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead," the U.S. naval officer turned a decisive battle in the Civil War.

These days, though, the battle cry is "Damn the critics, full speed ahead" as Broadway producers search for ways to avoid whatever harmful effects are created by negative (or lukewarm) reviews.

During the past several years, producers and marketers of Broadway musicals have circumvented thumbs-down critical opinions with campaigns that use expensive -- and occasionally sophisticated -- television commercials and merchandising tie-ins.

For "Jekyll and Hyde" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel," both critically dismissed Frank Wildhorn musicals, producers created mini-films that emphasized the dramatic intensity of the shows. "Jekyll and Hyde" lays claim to an intensely loyal fan base that includes many people who have seen the production more than 100 times. "Scarlet Pimpernel" will close Jan. 2 after two creative overhauls failed to turn the critical tide.

Last season it was the flaccid remake of the 1984 Kevin Bacon film, "Footloose," that drew critical scorn. The reviews were so unanimously unflattering that the only "quote ad" producers could create came courtesy of gossip columnist Liz Smith. Since "Footloose" opened in October 1998, the most common TV message has featured a snippet of what sounds like the film version of the title song accompanied by Smith's predictions about the show's successful future. She seems to be correct: "Footloose" regularly does decent business and, according to Variety, sold nearly 91 percent of its tickets for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Even with the advent of these promotional campaigns, though, there was nothing to prepare New Yorkers for the shock of passing Bloomingdale's in a speeding taxi and catching a glimpse of a mannequin -- in full disco pose -- wearing the white suit John Travolta made fashionable in the film version of "Saturday Night Fever." The suit and other sartorial artifacts of the 1970s were featured by the retailer in a marketing tie-in with the current Broadway production of the disco sensation. (It's not the first time Bloomingdale's has marketed Broadway style. The great New York institution also featured a line of grungy urban wear tied to "Rent" a few years ago, but the retro disco styles are quite a leap.)

Broad-based marketing appears to be working for "Saturday Night Fever." Shortly after the show opened -- and was promptly lambasted for its cheesy production values -- the producers announced they had a $20 million advance. One producer told the Daily News that people were rushing to "buy repeat tickets at intermission time so they can come back and see the show all over again."

It's hard to imagine what these audience members seek to relive. Is it their scintillating youths as cheap, trampy girls who lust after dopey guys? Perhaps the men want to revel in a time when it was cool to wear trousers that were three sizes too small in order to highlight their pelvic regions. Maybe, though, they like their music so loud that their ears ring for days. Whatever the reasons, "SNF" has too many flaws and too few charms to give it much ink. If John Travolta were dead, he'd be spinning in his grave; and if he saw this production, it'd probably kill him.

The 'new' Broadway

Critics are going to have to get used to the idea that Broadway has forever changed -- and will go on changing. After all, who among us can stand still and continue to function in the post-postmodern world?

The "new" Broadway isn't home merely to merchants of schlock, though. It is a dynamic, if occasionally frustrating, marketplace where ideas and execution sometimes coalesce into thrilling art. Other times we may be entertained, if not profoundly moved. And then there are the times when the price of the ticket itself implies that a good time was had by all. How often do people say, when asked how they liked a show, "Well, we had great seats"?

Let's just hope that for every "Saturday Night Fever" in future seasons there'll also be a "Kiss Me, Kate." The current revival of Cole Porter's masterpiece, which received great critical notices (and was reviewed by the P-I on Dec. 2), will hopefully run long enough to inspire a new generation of artists to write tuneful scores and blend them with lively, honest stories.

For now, though, we have Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie lighting up the New York stage eight times a week. If you're planning a trip to New York soon, forget about "The Lion King" (it'll run until Y3K is a problem) and see this classic, beautifully fleshed out.

But "Saturday Night Fever" and "Kiss Me, Kate" still represent models of the old Broadway musical. Several new shows this season jettison the idea of the "book" musical in favor of music presented around a central theme or with a loosely connected story line. Music, dance and presentation are what drive these productions.

"Kat and the Kings" is an innocuous evening of doo-wop as told by a South African man reminiscing (without irony) about the "good old days" of apartheid when he and his singing group tried to master their dreams of performance and stardom. The show mixes soaring South African doo-wop harmonies -- which are similar to their American counterparts -- with several American songs and finishes in a glitzy musical celebration. After bouncing along for months with half-filled houses that have paid discount prices, "Kat" closes Jan. 2 for a European tour.

Stephen Sondheim's "Putting It Together" has even less story line. Including nearly three dozen Sondheim songs from a variety of his musicals, the show focuses on the composer's lacerating approach to human relationships.

Carol Burnett stars as the older female presence in the piece and she manages to warble pretty well. Although she occasionally seems about to break into her trademark Tarzan yell, she never gives in to what appears a powerful impulse. Four or five songs transcend the production's cabaret-style shtick, but the two-hour show is less than the sum of its parts. For Sondheim fans, it will have to do. His long-awaited (and delayed) new musical, "Wise Guys," remains in a holding pattern after a recent, unhappy development process at New York Theatre Workshop.

Among the new-style Broadway musicals this season, two that seem destined for success enjoy remarkable similarities. "Swing!" and "Contact" both count swingy, jazzy music and superb, athletic dancers among their many charms.

But "Swing!" -- which is led by Spokane-based bandleader Casey MacGill and four other fine singers -- doesn't even pretend to have a story line. There are recurring relationships between performers who are paired for musical numbers, but "Swing!" essentially stands and delivers classic songs by artists such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Bob Wills. MacGill, who appears to have stepped from a 1940s bandstand into our time, also contributes several tunes to the show.

The many pleasures of "Swing!" also include rich performances by singers Ann Hampton Callaway and Laura Benanti. Among the perfectly tuned dancers, Caitlin Carter is a special favorite for her sexy, vibrant work in "Harlem Nocturne."

"Contact" consists of three compelling scenes that tell different stories, although the thread that ties them is the need humans have for emotional connection. Director/choreographer Susan Stroman and writer John Weidman tell funny, poignant stories of lust, loneliness and longing in the two-hour production.

The final scene, titled "Contact," charts an ad executive's march through despair and into a magical place where dance leads to connection. Boyd Gaines charms as the executive and Deborah Yates is exquisitely cast as the elusive, balletic girl of his dreams. "Contact" sold out its brief run at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse Theater, but will move to the center's larger Vivian Beaumont Theater on March 9.

Old fashion

Although plays essentially have abdicated from Broadway, there is always room for an old chestnut -- and it doesn't hurt if there's a star attached. "The Rainmaker," reviewed in the P-I on Nov. 22, continues to sell well with Woody Harrelson atop the marquee. The limited-run romance, which closes Feb. 6, has as fine an acting ensemble as the recently departed (and celebrated) production of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman." Film star Harrelson seems a bit out of his depth, but ultimately holds his own.

"Salesman" was scarcely out of the theater district when Miller's "The Price" opened. Revolving around the settlement of a parent's estate, the 1968 play features two brothers (Jeffrey DeMunn and Harris Yulin) who dredge up the past and then muck about in familial recriminations. It's as if Biff and Hap, the brothers in "Salesman," have grown up and returned home to face the truth about their lives and one another. Bob Dishy plays an ancient, philosophical junk dealer who provides much of the play's considerable humor. But DeMunn and Yulin never relent in their middle-age search for answers, and we are content to probe along with them.

The big non-musical hit so far this season actually has a bit of song and dance in it. "Dame Edna: The Royal Tour" is an achingly funny trip through the addled head of "Edna Everage," the alter ego of theater artist Barry Humphries.

Dame Edna, who treats her audience as if we are her beloved subjects, takes cutting aim ("but only in the most lovely way, possums") at class, sexuality and fashion. Talking directly to the audience, she invites a couple to dine onstage (they do), makes a phone call to check on a baby sitter in Ohio and provides makeovers to the fashion-challenged. "Dame Edna" is unquestionably the funniest show on Broadway.

Seattle connection

As always, Seattle connections abound in New York theater. This season, though, there have been two big disappointments. "Scent of the Roses," which began life under the guidance of Gordon Edelstein at A Contemporary Theatre, was slated to open on Broadway in December. Due to apparent financing difficulties, the production has been put on hold.

"Voices in the Dark," which premiered at ACT when the company was still in its old Queen Anne home, got the season rolling back in August. Judith Ivey played the role of a radio psychologist with relationship problems and a menacing stalker. Although there once was a place for thrillers on Broadway, they just don't draw audiences these days. "Voices" fell silent after 12 previews and 68 performances.

There's good news on the horizon, though, as director Dan Sullivan -- formerly of the Seattle Rep -- prepares a production of Eugene O'Neill's "Moon for the Misbegotten." Starring the superb Cherry Jones and film actor Gabriel Byrne, the production will bow at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in January before heading to New York.

Sullivan has been on a roll as a New York stage director since departing the Rep. In 1998, he directed a sublime production of O'Neill's gentle comedy "Ah, Wilderness!" at Lincoln Center. Earlier this season, he staged a fine off-Broadway production of Donald Margulies' "Dinner with Friends." A must-see for any theater lover, the Margulies play is still running strongly at the Variety Arts Theatre.

Holiday Crush

The Broadway season got an early, but slow, start this year. As the holiday season reaches its peak, openings abound. Between now and New Year's, there's a dark musical based on the Medea myth ("Marie Christine"), a daughter celebrating her father and his art ("Minnelli on Minnelli"), a dark comedy about art and artists ("Wrong Mountain"), a play revival ("Amadeus"), an American premiere (Noel Coward's "Waiting in the Wings") and another solo comedy ("Jackie Mason: Much Ado About Everything").

The new year will bring Disney's troubled Elton John/Tim Rice musical spectacle, "Aida," to Broadway. Cameron Mackintosh's latest musical, "Martin Guerre," which has had its own difficulties, will bow in the spring.

It remains to be seen whether critics are now irrelevant as some theater folk claim. However, it is a very good thing that a rotten review from The New York Times cannot automatically kill a show, as it once could.

When the business cycle turns, consumers may not be quite as flush with disposable income as they are now. At that point, we will all be a bit more careful about how we spend our money. Where, then, will a family of four turn when deciding which show gets their $300 for orchestra seats?

Hopefully, right here.