THEA 336 – Musical Theatre Performance, Spring '12

The nominations for the 2012 Tony Awards were announced this morning.  The Awards will be broadcast live on June 10, 2012.  A full list of nominees is available here.

It is another strong year for the Washington region.  The Kennedy Center’s production of Sondheim’s Follies transferred to Broadway last fall and earned eight nominations.  In addition, The Shakespeare Theatre has earned the Regional Theatre Award for their fine work.  This is the second time in four years that the Regional Theatre Award has gone to a Washington-area theatre.  Signature Theatre won the Award in 2009.

In 1983, Sondheim and Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George debuted at Playwrights Horizons.  It opened on Broadway in 1984.  Starring Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin, the piece is a dazzling story about art and its creation.

Below are two videos of the same song, “Move On.”  The first is Bernadette and Mandy in the original production; the second, Bernadette and Mandy, over 25 years later, singing at the Sondheim 80th Birthday concert with the New York Philharmonic.

I hope you have continued to think about last night’s performance of Brother Russia.  While the performance is still fresh in your head, I’d like you to jot down some notes, questions, and impressions that will guide our post-show discussion in class on Tuesday.

But in the meantime, I’d like to ask you to respond here (in the comments) on a specific topic.  You were the first audience members to see the show after reading the background information.  How did this background info affect your experience?  Were there any relationships you found especially interesting, given the background?  How much of each character’s backstory could you see in the show?

Amy McWilliams said that the cast was extremely interested in your feedback.  As you heard last night, the ensemble spent a lot of time working the background material into their individual performances.  I’d like to let her know what you thought (anonymously).  It will be a nice way to thank her for her time with us last night.

Now that you have turned in your first Individual Show Report, I’d like you each to share a little about the show you researched.  This is a great way for each of you to quickly learn a bit about a number of different shows.

In the comments for this blog post, please copy/paste your “Show Summary” section from your show report.  This should be a paragraph or two (if it’s longer, that’s ok also).  If for some reason you did not organize your paper this way, please write up a brief summary and post it in the comments.

Please be sure to tell us the name of the show, the composer/lyricist/librettist, and the year the show first debuted on Broadway.

Visit this post often to read about shows that may be new to you.

The cold reading from last night’s “mock audition” came from a scene from Company.  Originally produced by Hal Prince in 1970, the show has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth.  The revival in 2006 was directed by John Doyle and featured one of Doyle’s iconic touches: the actors also served as the show’s musicians.

The scene you read from was one of the internal scenes nestled into the song “Another Hundred People,” sung here by Angel Desai as Marta.  Raúl Esparza is Robert, Elizabeth Stanley is April and Kelly Jeanne Grant is Kathy.

If you haven’t seen clips of this production, I’d encourage you view the entire show, filmed by PBS’ Great Performances series and available online and on Netflix.  A great example of the extremely difficult work these actors were asked to do is the song “Side by Side by Side/What Would We Do Without You?”

Congrats again to Amanda, Sasha, Austin, Hillary, and Xavier.  We heard:

• “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” from Sweeney Todd
• “I Can Do Better Than That” from The Last 5 Years
• “I’m Alive” from Next to Normal
• “I’ll Be Here” from The Wild Party
• “The Miller’s Son” from A Little Night Music

If you presented in workshop, please reflect on the following questions and leave your feedback in the comments section:

• What would you have done differently to prepare for your workshop presentation?
• What are the next steps for you in developing this piece?  How will you incorporate the feedback you received?
• Why did you select this piece for yourself? (or if I selected it for you, why do you think I chose it for you?  Did you like the selection?)

For the rest of the class, please review these insights from your colleagues and consider their advice and feedback as you prepare for your own workshop presentations.

The most controversial and talked about revival to come to Broadway in a while is The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.  We will discuss the original 1935 production, Porgy and Bess, in class.  But I’d like you to read up on the current revival and the ensuing controversy.

• August 5, 2011: About the revised version of Porgy and Bess staged at American Repertory Theater.  This revised version would later transfer to Broadway.
• August 10, 2011:  Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim writes a very passionate response to the NYT regarding the revision of the Gershwins’ work.
• January 12, 2012: The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess opens on Broadway and is reviewed by Ben Brantley of the NYT.
• January 17, 2012: NYT critics Ben Brantley and Anthony Tommasini discuss the reactions to the revamped Porgy.
• January 20, 2012: NYT critic Charles Isherwood explains the growing opinion that the revised Porgy is fine for musical theatre fans unfamiliar with the work, but irks the fans of the original opera.
• January 21, 2012: NYT publishes a fascinating editorial by Joe Nocera, “Variations on an Explosive Theme” that begins to uncover some of the tensions that have always surrounded Porgy.
• February 9, 2012: It is announced that The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess will extend its run, at least thru September.

Thoughts?  How important is it to keep a piece in tact when it is revived?  How far should directors and creative collaborators be allowed to go to modify a piece for contemporary audiences?  What do such modifications to an opera mean about opera for modern audiences?  What do you think of Mr. Sondheim’s letter and concerns?  Would you like to see this musical?  Do you want to see the original opera?

We will discuss the effects of the Great Depression on the Broadway musical in the 1930s at our next class.  To prepare, please familiarize yourself with the song “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”  Written in 1932 by Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney for the show New Americana, this song became one of the anthems of the Great Depression.  The singer expresses his cynicism and disillusionment with the country.  Gone are the patriotic themes of Yankee Doodle Dandy that were widespread throughout Broadway in the post-World War I years leading up to the stock market crash.  Instead, the singer here bemoans the fact that he helped build this country and bought into the idea of the “American dream” and now feels his country has forsaken him.

Please read through the lyrics then give the song a listen.  I’m including the version sung by Al Jolson, although the Bing Crosby version may be better known now.

“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

They used to tell me I was building a dream

And so I followed the mob

When there was earth to plow or guns to bear

I was always there, right on the job

They used to tell me I was building a dream

With peace and glory ahead

Why should I be standing in line

Just waiting for bread?

Once I built a railroad, I made it run

Made it race against time

Once I built a railroad, now it’s done

Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once I built a tower up to the sun

Brick, mortar, and lime

Once I built a tower, now it’s done

Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee, we looked swell

Full of that “Yankee Doodley Dum”

Half a million boots went slogging through Hell

And I was the kid with the drum

Say, don’t you remember? They called me ‘Al’

It was ‘Al’ all the time

Say, don’t you remember? I’m your pal

Say buddy, can you spare a dime?

Congrats again to Edgar, Hannah, Pietro, Anissa, Chelsea, Jonathan, and Judi.  We heard:

• “Talent” from Bounce
• “Ready to Be Loved” from Edges
• “Summer In Ohio” from The Last 5 Years
• “Shiksa Goddess” from The Last 5 Years
• “What  You’d Call a Dream” from Diamonds
• “Beyond My Wildest Dreams” from The Little Mermaid
• “He’s No Good” from The Life

If you presented in workshop, please reflect on the following questions and leave your feedback in the comments section:

• What would you have done differently to prepare for your workshop presentation?
• What are the next steps for you in developing this piece?  How will you incorporate the feedback you received yesterday?
• Why did you select this piece for yourself?

For the rest of the class, please review these insights from your colleagues and consider their advice and feedback as you prepare for your own first workshop presentation.

Memphis won four Tony awards in 2010, including Best Musical and Best Score.  PBS’ “Great Performances” series will air the musical on Friday, Feb. 24th.  PBS tell us that this is the first time a Best Musical winner will air on TV with its original principal cast.  Organize a viewing party and be the cool one to introduce your friends to this show.  For more info, please click here.

Watch Memphis on PBS. See more from Great Performances.