Much Ado About Shakespeare, and Deservedly So

Review: Much Ado About Nothing

Oh Benedict (Hamish Linklater), that sword is no match for Beatrice's (Lily Rabe) sharp tongue.

When discussing the merits of Shakespeare's various comedies, the ubiquitous Twelfth Night is generally agreed upon to be the best, a distinction I've always found puzzling for a play that is typically only haphazardly funny (the recent top-tier Broadway revival notwithstanding).  For my money, the acerbic wit of Much Ado About Nothing is a much more consistent generator of laughs, while also exploring one of the most complex romantic relationships in all of the Bard's cannon.  The side-splittingly hilarious and immensely satisfying Shakespeare in the Park production currently playing the Delacorte Theatre makes a strong case for Much Ado's merits, and provides the summer tradition with its strongest showing since the Al Pacino-led Merchant of Venice several seasons ago.

At the heart of Much Ado About Nothing's plot are the dueling, would-be lovers Beatrice and Benedict, self-professed bachelors who enjoy nothing more than using their razor-sharp wits to devise ever more creative insults for one another.  As a lark, the pair's friends decide to trick them into becoming an item by convincing each one that the other is secretly in love with them.  This well-intentioned scheme plays out during the group's extended stay at nobleman Leonato's Italian villa, while the young soldier Claudio prepares to woo and wed Leonato's daughter Hero.  The festivities threaten to grind to a halt when prince Don Pedro's bastard brother, Don John, decides to spread false rumors about Hero's fidelity, providing the play with some high drama to counterbalance all the laughs.

Much Ado ultimately lives or dies by the strength of its Beatrice and Benedict, here played by Shakespeare in the Park stalwarts Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater.  Both are sensational in their respective roles, mining these iconic characters for all of their depth and comedic potential.  Rabe, Tony-nominated for her role in the aforementioned Merchant when it transferred to Broadway, is giving another award-worthy performance as the wickedly funny Beatrice.  Rarely has Shakespeare sounded as elegant and natural as it does when Rabe performs it, with the versatile actress proving once again that she is one of our greatest living classical performers.  Rabe also displays a searing emotional honesty during the play's more dramatic sections, and her chemistry with Linklater is palpable.

As Benedict, Linklater doesn't possess the same precision as his costar, opting for a looser and more contemporary portrayal.  This difference in style in no way diminishes Linklater's effectiveness, and line for line the malleable actor gets the most laughs of anyone in the cast.  A rubber-limbed clown, Linklater is especially winning during his many bouts of physical comedy, and watching him clumsily eavesdrop on his companions from the limbs of an orange tree is one of the evening's best sustained laughs.  Yet Linklater also knows when to dial down his antics for the play's more somber moments, and he leaves no doubt that ultimately, Benedict and Beatrice both love and are meant for one another.

Rabe and Linklater are surrounded by a stellar group of supporting actors that make this Much Ado a glowing example of ensemble acting.  Ismenia Mendes and Jack Cutmore-Scott are appropriately naïve is the young lovers Hero and Claudio, respectively, with Mendes in particular showcasing great depth during her character's public shaming.  John Glover is pitch perfect as Leonato, turning a largely expository role into a fully fleshed out character and one of the evening's standout performances.  Brian Stokes Mitchell, a Tony-winner known for his work in musicals like Ragtime and Kiss Me, Kate, reminds everyone just what a fantastic actor he is as the princely Don Pedro, Benedict's commanding officer.  (Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the production does provide Mitchell the chance to show off his legendary baritone in a first-rate musical interlude composed by Tony-nominee David Yazbek, who wrote all the production's delightful incidental music.)  And Game of Thrones' Pedro Pascal is suitably slimy as Don John, even though the character is one of Shakespeare's most underwritten villains.

The ringleader of these merry players is director Jack O'Brien, who despite a prolific career that encompasses almost every style of theatre imaginable is making his Shakespeare in the Park directing debut.  Put simply, O'Brien nails it, keeping the laughs coming fast and often but expertly shifting gears to a more serious tone when necessary.  O'Brien's fluid staging makes great use of John Lee Beatty's gorgeous two-story set, and the Tony-winning director adds just enough physical comedy to be punch up the laughs without distracting from the beauty of Shakespeare's language.  Despite the play's nearly three-hour runtime O'Brien never lets the energy start to drag, expertly juggling the multiple tones and plotlines with the assured hand of an old pro. 

O'Brien has also succeeded in the all-too-rare feat of updating the setting (in this case, moving the action to early 1900s Sicily) in a way that feels both natural and necessary.  Aided by stunning design work from the aforementioned Beatty and costumer Jane Greenwood, O'Brien makes the Italian milieu its own character which enhances rather than detracts from the action.  From the preshow stage business (charmingly executed in Italian) to a gorgeous masquerade to a thrilling second act storm sequence (vastly aided by Jeff Croiter's lights and ACME Sound Partners' sound design), O'Brien and his team transport us from Central Park to the Italian countryside.

Without a marquee star like Pacino, there's little chance this production transfers to Broadway, although it's certainly strong enough to survive on the Great White Way.  This Much Ado is a shimmering production of one of the Bard's finest comedies, headlined by two of the city's most accomplished Shakespearean actors.  Rabe and Linklater are as good a Beatrice and Benedict as you're likely to find, and the talent surrounding them is just as astounding.  Thanks to Jack O'Brien's nimble direction, this effervescent outdoor production proves to be a highlight of Shakespeare in the Park's recent history.  Much Ado About Nothing only runs until July 6th, so brave the lines and snag your free tickets before these unlikely lovers dance off into the sunset.

Why the Internet Needs to Calm Down About "Into the Woods"

Meryl Streep will play the Witch in Disney's film adaptation of Into the Woods, and regardless of how much they change the material she will still be Meryl Streep.

At a recent event for high school educators, Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim let slip some of the planned changes for the upcoming film version of his beloved musical Into the Woods.  The Powers That Be at Disney, which is financing and releasing the film, have made several changes that soften the musical's darker edges, such as desexualizing the relationship between Little Red and the Wolf, sparing Rapunzel from her death at the hands (feet) of the Giant, and removing the Baker's Wife affair with Cinderella's Prince.  (Ironically, Sondheim revealed these changes at an event about censorship of the arts, specifically in high schools, when a teacher shared that he was hesitant to produce the show at his school due to potential backlash over the same issues.)  The Internet promptly went insane, declaring their hatred of Disney and how they were boycotting the movie and how Disney has "ruined Christmas" (which is when the movie is scheduled to be released).

If you ask me - and by clicking on the link to this blog entry, you kind of did - everyone needs to calm the hell down.  The fact that anyone can legitimately be surprised and/or upset by this news is baffling, and shows they have a complete lack of understanding of how these things work.

First and foremost, theatre and film are entirely different mediums, with different strengths.  In order to take advantage of the new medium, you almost have to make changes (which also helps justify why you're changing mediums at all).  Just about every film adaptation of a stage show features alterations and cuts, some of them major departures from the original.  The Sound of Music reorders a large chunk of the musical numbers, cuts pretty much any music involving Elsa and Max, and adds new songs like "I Have Confidence."  Dreamgirls rewrites the majority of the show's second act in order to flesh out the characters, provide more closure for Jimmy (who just sort of disappears in the stage version), and give Beyoncé an 11 o'clock number because she's Beyoncé (and also because Deena Jones can come across as an underwritten puppet onstage).  Cabaret, often cited as one of the last great movie musicals, completely recalibrates the original stage version to focus more exclusively on Sally (Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz are barely in the film at all) and adds so many new songs that when Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall revived the show for Roundabout they changed it into a hybrid between the original and the film.  Even West Side Story, one of the most lauded movie musicals of all time and generally considered a pretty faithful adaptation of the stage show, swaps the placement of "Officer Krumpke" and "Cool" in a way that totally changes the tone and meaning of both.

The common thread shared by those movies is that most theatre fans consider them to be pretty damn good.  In fact, I would argue that both The Sound of Music and Dreamgirls are substantial improvements on the originals, and if Bob Fosse had just filmed the stage version of Cabaret we wouldn't have the Kander and Ebb classics "Mein Herr" and "Maybe This Time."  And while both versions of West Side Story are pretty close to perfect, I personally prefer having "Cool" take place after the rumble rather than before it.  While there are plenty of examples where the changes for the movie don't work out so well (*cough*Rent*cough*), we don't really have any way of knowing where Into the Woods will fall until the finished film is released.  If someone just listed the changes for the movies I mentioned without anyone having seen the finished films, people would be just as upset as they are about Sondheim's fairy tale.

Also, the fact that Disney is releasing Into the Woods should have been a major tipoff that the darker edges would be softened.  Disney is one of the most image conscious, carefully designed and maintained brands on the planet; it is a major part of their enduring, basically unprecedented success.  They care very much about their reputation as a family friendly company, so there was no way they would put out a fairy tale film (fairy tales being closely tied with their brand and image) as dark as the stage Into the Woods.  Sondheim is certainly aware of this, and is quoted as saying, "If I were a Disney executive I probably would say the same thing." As soon as we heard that this would have the Disney name on it, rather than one of their subsidiaries, we all should have been prepared for the inevitable changes.

And if that hadn't clued people in, casting sure as hell should have.  Little Red was originally cast as an 8-year-old girl (although later replaced by the slightly older but still prepubescent 12-year-old).  Did people honestly think they were going to keep the sexual undertones of "Hello, Little Girl" and "I Know Things Now" with an actual child playing the part?  If they did, they are frankly stupid and/or twisted.  It is one thing to see that subtext played out using an adult playing a child; it is another when Little Red is actually a kid acting opposite a Wolf who is in his 40s.  That is gross.  I argue that even purists wouldn't really want to see the story played as written with that particular age dynamic, and even if you think how uncomfortable that would be is the point you can't have really thought Disney of all companies would go there.

At the end of the day, besides the fact that everyone should have seen this coming, my real point here is that it doesn't matter because we haven't even seen the finished product yet.  The changes could be brilliant, or at the very least bring out a different take on the story than the stage version.  The fact that Sondheim and James Lapine are involved with the film and have helped with the rewrites means we have a better chance of preserving some artistic integrity than if an outside screenwriter had made the changes (it also means we get new Sondheim songs).  And if the changes end up being bad, and "destroy the show" as some people are already claiming, we always have the stage version.  Not only is it one of Sondheim's most performed works, but we also have the video of the original stage production, with the incomparable original cast reprising their roles, readily available on Netflix for you to watch whenever you want.

Personally, I'm expecting the film to be a mixed bag.  I think Meryl Streep will be a fascinating Witch, and Anna Kendrick is pitch perfect casting as Cinderella (see what I did there?).  But the changes will definitely affect the overall meaning of the story, and I've never been convinced that the sharp delineation between Act I and Act II will work in a medium without an intermission.  The commonly accepted reading of the show is that it is a deconstruction/dismissal of the idea of "happily ever after," but if that was all there was to Into the Woods it wouldn't be so enduringly popular and meaningful to so many different people.  And no one is forcing me or you or anyone else to watch the movie, and it's existence does nothing to negate or change everything you love about the stage version.

2014 Tony Awards Reaction

Love it or hate it, Hugh Jackman's Music Man rap with rappers LL Cool J and TI was definitely one of the more memorable moments of Sunday's Tony Award telecast.

Sunday night saw Hugh Jackman host the 68th Annual Tony Awards, celebrating Broadway's best and brightest and making some theatrical history along the way.  It marked an official end to the speculation and handwringing about who would win big, and unlike in recent years the awards were pretty evenly split.  No show scored more than 4 wins, and most of the productions with multiple nominations managed to take home at least one award.

I have lots of thoughts about this year's ceremony (which wasn't my favorite, but more on that in a bit), but before I delve into them the real question is how well did I do with my annual Tony predictions?  The answer is not great, only correctly predicting 12 of the 17 categories I blogged about.  That makes for a barely passable 70% average, although in my defense almost nobody predicted that A Raisin in the Sun would walk away with 3 awards.  I don't even have the satisfaction of my "Will Win" guesses being supplanted by my "Should Win" choices, although given the way the nominations turned out I had a feeling this year would see some out of left field winners.

As far as the winners go, I (like pretty much the entire Broadway community) was absolutely thrilled to see Audra McDonald win her record-shattering, much deserved sixth Tony.  McDonald now officially has more Tonys than any performer ever, with the added bonus of being the only woman (person?) to win a Grand Slam in all four performance categories.  This is impressive in and of itself, but the fact that she did all of this as a black woman (parts for women of color are hard to come by, and convincing producers to go with colorblind casting is often even harder) and by the age of 43 is positively mind-blowing.  McDonald is clearly a once in a lifetime talent and my hands down favorite Broadway performer, and despite my stone cold heart I got a little teary eyed watching McDonald be overcome with emotion at the thunderous applause and standing ovation that followed the announcement of her win.  The fact that the always classy McDonald gave such a genuine, heartfelt acceptance speech just made the moment all the more charming.

I must admit my disappoint that Jessie Mueller won over Kelli O'Hara, and although I have not seen Beautiful I cannot imagine what she's doing that tops O'Hara's exquisite work in The Bridges of Madison County.  While there's no denying that Mueller is talented and she clearly has a winning personality (watching her impromptu dance with Jackman was another highlight of the evening), O'Hara is long overdue for some recognition from Tony voters.  Extremely talented, gracious, and a tireless worker (she has rarely been far from a stage since her breakthrough performance in The Light in the Piazza 9 years ago), O'Hara is also that rare actress who has shown no inclination toward film work, and it would be nice to see the Broadway community show her some thanks for passing up the more lucrative film world to keep doing theatre.  When we look back at her career, I firmly believe that Francesca in Bridges will be one her crowning achievements and a role everyone agree she should have won for.

As for the telecast itself, like the award winners it was something of a mixed bag.  Hugh Jackman was certainly a game host, although his bits rarely landed as well as they seemingly should have.  Perhaps we've just been spoiled by three straight years of the incomparable Neil Patrick Harris, but Jackman's routine seemed off.  His jokes got chuckles instead of guffaws, and his Music Man rap was so out of left field it was difficult to enjoy because of the "Is this really happening?" factor.   And then there was the hopping.  Oh, the much debated hopping.  Even after seeing the film musical clip that inspired it, Jackman's opening still doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and most people had to Google what he was referencing to begin with.  It will probably be many year's before a Tony opening tops NPH's "It's Not Just for Gays Anymore," but given Jackman's skills as a song and dance man it would have been nice to see him tackle a glitzy production number.  The closest we got was his dynamite tapping with the cast of After Midnight.

The production numbers from the nominated shows generally went off without a hitch.  Seeing the 3 summer headliners of After Midnight sing was a treat, and the performance managed to highlight most of the show's extremely talented ensemble without seeming manic.  Neil Patrick Harris absolutely killed with his performance of "Sugar Daddy" from Hedwig, and seeing Samuel L. Jackson's reaction to having his glasses licked was absolutely priceless.  I thought the producers of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder came up with a brilliant way to perform the show's most impressive song ("I've Decided to Marry You") while still giving us a taste of Jefferson Mays' multi-character performance by having him introduce the song as 3 of the 8 doomed D'Ysquiths.  Even productions like Violet and Les Miserables, which I didn't particularly enjoy in the theatre, came across well on TV.  And Idina Menzel gave us the best awards show vocal of her career, completely erasing any sour taste her nervous Academy Awards performance left us with.

That said, I could have done without the two preview numbers from next season.  The Sting performance from the upcoming The Last Ship was a snoozefest (most of the people at the Tony party I hosted decided to check their phones during his performance) and had the exact opposite of the desired effect by making me less interested in seeing the show.  The number from Finding Neverland was a bit livelier, mostly because Jennifer Hudson can sing pretty much anything (someone please book her for a guest stint in After Midnight!).  But ultimately that performance was even more dubious because the song made zero sense out of context and Neverland isn't even officially confirmed for Broadway.  I thought these blatant ads distracted from the celebration of the current season's work (the nominal purpose of the awards), and were doubly shameful considering the In Memoriam segment was booted from the telecast to make room for them.  I would have much rather seen that segment and a performances from The Bridges of Madison County then two performances that probably bear no resemblance to the finished product we'll see when (and if) the shows open on Broadway.

Overall, this was one of the less enjoyable Tony broadcasts in recent years for me.  Which is a shame, because I actually felt that this season, despite the absence of a runaway hit, was a very strong one for the Broadway community.  But there's always next year, and in the meantime congratulations to all of the winners!

2014 Tony Predictions: Best Play and Musical

And then there were two.  The Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Musical are the most coveted of all theatrical awards, because they are the only two that have any proven effect on box office receipts.  I don't believe for one second that the beautifully done but decidedly different Once would still be running if not for its Best Musical win two years ago, and Kinky Boots was just another show until it won the big prize last year and then suddenly became one of the hottest tickets in town.  And while the Best Play recipient doesn't receive as much of a box office boost, winning the Tony definitely increases interest in the play, ensuring a far greater number of regional and amateur productions in the future

 

So which two shows can look forward to a raised profile after Sunday's awards?  Read on to find out!

Best Play

Walter White Bryan Cranston and the cast of All the Way.

 

Nominees: Act One; All the Way; Casa Valentina; Mothers and Sons; Outside Mullingar

The Best Play category definitely caused the most surprise when this year's nominations were announced.  Despite a general consensus that this season was not a particularly strong one for new plays, this was the only category to benefit from the rule change that allowed an increased number of nominees.  It definitely left people (myself included) scratching their heads, especially when arguably stronger fields like Best Musical and Best Revival only produced four nominees apiece.

Since John Patrick Shanley's Outside Mullingar only received one nomination, I can't imagine the long-closed show actually managing a win here.  And although it has its supporters, I think Mothers and Sons is pretty much out of the running as well.  That is as it should be; the play touches upon some emotional issues, but does none of them justice thanks to poor writing, haphazard characterization, and uneven performances.  There is enough support of MTC's Casa Valentina that I would consider it a dark horse candidate, although I think playwright and industry icon Harvey Fierstein has gone back to the drag/crossdressing well one too many times for voters to award him the big prize.  The always genial Fierstein will just have to content himself by counting the royalties from the still-running Newsies and Kinky Boots.

The "race," if you can even call it that, is between Lincoln Center's Act One and political drama All the Way.  The heavy use of quotation marks comes from the fact that pretty much everyone agrees that All the Way is destined to win on Tony night, having won every other Best New Play award of the season.  The long and sometimes meandering Act One does seem to hold a special place in the hearts of older industry folk, but All the Way is the play to beat.

Should Win: I've only seen one of the nominees, so I don't really feel qualified to answer this one
Will Win: All the Way

 

Best Musical

Just as protagonist Monty Navarro steadily slays all the D'Ysquiths between him and his inheritance, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder has steadily taken on every challenger this awards season.

 

Nominees:  After Midnight; Aladdin; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

This is another race that was over virtually before it began.  If any show besides A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder wins this award on Sunday, it will be the biggest shock since Avenue Q toppled the mighty Wicked ten years ago. 

That is not to imply that the other nominees aren't worthy.  After Midnight will be penalized by Tony voters for being "just" a revue rather than book musical, but it is a lovingly rendered and highly entertaining revue that features the most talented group of music makers on Broadway (both the singers and the fantastic jazz band).  I personally loved Aladdin, as did many others.  In my opinion it is the most successful Disney stage adaptation yet, at least when it comes to incorporating new material in with the pre-existing songs and plot (the added material in Disney benchmark The Lion King has always felt tacked on to me).  But other people felt that the slick presentation took away from the emotional heart of the piece, and that keeps it from being a real contender for the Best Musical prize.

The only show that poses any sort of threat to Gentleman's Guide is Beautiful, the modest musical about the life of singer/songwriter Carole King which has been steadily winning converts since it premiered in January.  Beautiful has proven to be a reliable box office draw, something that is very important to the out-of-town voters who would prefer to give the Tony to something that will tour well.  But the Broadway theatrical community has gotten pretty sick of jukebox musicals, especially ones that so clearly ape the formula that made Jersey Boys a success.  It would be almost hypocritical for the people who complain so loudly about the lack of originality in musicals to pass over Gentleman's Guide in favor of Beautiful, no matter how much they may like Jessie Mueller as Carole King.  Plus, Gentleman's Guide's modernization of the Gilbert and Sullivan blueprint feels positively refreshing in the current Broadway landscape, reminding everyone just how much fun an old-fashioned musical farce can be.

Will and Should Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder


And that brings me to the end of my Tony predictions for 2014!  We'll find out how right (or wrong) I was on Sunday night, and until then you can review all of my predictions and commentary below.

2014 Tony Nominations React
Best Direction and Choreography
Best Book and Score
Best Featured Actor
Best Featured Actress
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Revival

They Go Wild, Simply Wild (and Someone Should Rein Them In)

Review: Bullets Over Broadway

"Don't speak!"  Marin Mazzie forcibly silences costar Zach Braff, presumably for stepping on her lines.

Bullets Over Broadway, the new musical comedy based on Woody Allen's Oscar-winning 1994 film of the same name, is a curious beast.  It feels *this close* to being a great show, and yet in its current form it would be hard to argue it's even a good show.  Throughout the evening the show seems just a couple of tweaks away from becoming amazing, the kind of instant classic spiritual predecessors The Producers and Hairspray were when they arrived a little over a decade ago.  But Bullets never gets there, suffering from a misguided and slightly manic energy that sabotages the best intentions of its cast and gifted director/choreographer Susan Stroman.  Rather than a laugh-filled evening of breezy musical comedy, the show ends up being slightly exhausting because it wants so desperately for you to like it.

Set in the 1920s, the plot of Bullets follows the attempts of playwright David Shayne to secure funding for his latest play, something that is proving difficult given the string of flops he's written.  Producer Julian Marx manages to raise all the funding from a single donor, who Shayne later discovers is mob boss Nick Valenti.  As a condition of the financing, Shayne must find a part for Olive Neal, Valenti's dumb, talentless girlfriend.  Watching over Olive is Cheech, a mob enforcer who has some surprisingly insightful suggestions for Shayne's play, which also stars the boozy, fading diva Helen Sinclair.  Although there's a fair amount going on in Woody Allen's book (including several characters and multiple affairs not mentioned here), the show is surprisingly easy to follow and the characters are all clearly delineated.  The abundance of characters, some superfluous, necessitates a certain lack of depth in their characterizations, but Allen has provided just enough detail to each that they don't feel like complete ciphers.

Thankfully for Allen, he and Susan Stroman have assembled a strong cast to sell his material, which admittedly is better suited for the silver screen than the Broadway stage.  Making his Broadway debut as David Shayne, TV star Zach Braff does a fine job as the nebbish everyman at the show's center.  He anchors the show with a convincing relatability that allows the supporting players to mug like their lives depended on it.  Marin Mazzie is clearly having a ball playing the high strung diva Helen Sinclair, in a performance that makes more than a passing nod toward Norma Desmond.  Mazzie lets some of her bits go on a tad too long, but these minor moments of self indulgence don't detract from the finely honed ludicrousness of a woman who thinks lighter fluid is a perfectly acceptable substitute for alcohol.  She sounds fantastic belting out her big numbers (particularly her introduction, "They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me") and her delivery of Helen's catchphrase "Don't Speak" is spot on every time.

After Mazzie, Nick Cordero has the most fully formed character as mob enforcer/ghostwriter Cheech.  Cordero's stage presence is an excellent combination of tough guy machismo and musical comedy daffiness, and he is gifted with perhaps the best written arc of any character in the show.  Cordero also sells his Act I production number, "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do," with aplomb, making the number the most effective bit of Golden Age razzmatazz in the show.  Brooks Ashmanskas is absolutely hysterical as Warren Purcell, the play's pretentious leading man with a compulsive eating problem.  Ashmanskas' performance is a perfectly tuned caricature of every pretentious actor in existence, all liquid U's and affected speech patterns, and his sprightly delivery of "Let's Misbehave" is one of the show's highlights.

Ashmanskas' partner in that duet, Helene Yorke's ditzy Olive, is more problematic.  Yorke has moments of brilliance as an aspiring actress clearly out of her depth, but tends to bulldoze over her best bits with an abrasive delivery that limits her appeal.  Rather than being a despicable person you can't wait to see more of, Yorke's Olive wears out her welcome in a way that makes it harder to laugh at the oftentimes excellent character work she's doing.  That said, Yorke's "I Want a Hot Dog for My Roll" is one of the show's laugh out loud moments (I particularly enjoyed her "interpretive dancing" during the song's vamp), and given the plot twists of the show's latter half it may be that Allen and Stroman want you to hate Olive.  Meanwhile, Karen Ziemba and Betsy Wolfe are wasted in throwaway roles that have little bearing on the show's plot, which is a shame.

Director/choreographer Susan Stroman has again wrangled a beast of a show into a slick, fast paced evening of theatre.  Unfortunately, her choreography doesn't seem as inspired as usual, because most of the big production numbers feel shoehorned into the narrative instead of organically growing out of it.  The chorus girls in the show all look lovely, but none of their fizzy song-and-dance routines belong in such a character-based comedy.  Stroman also appears to have encouraged her actors to go bigger in scenes where a touch of restraint would have been appreciated, which contributes to the manic feeling of the evening.  And it must be said that Bullets is saddled with one of the most ridiculous non sequiturs of a finale to ever hit the musical stage, and while the idea likely originated from Allen (who handpicked all of the musical numbers from pre-existing 1920s tunes) Stroman really should have put her foot down and told him to come up with a better idea.

Design-wise, Bullets Over Broadway is passable but nothing extraordinary.  Santo Loquasto's set takes us to the show's many locations with speed and occasionally even the spark of invention, but the drab color palette works in opposition with the broad comedic style Stroman and her actors favor.  This more restrained, naturalistic approach also puts a damper on William Ivey Long's costumes, as the Tony-winning designer has always been at his best when allowed to go over the top.  Donald Holder's lights and Peter Hylenski's sound design are perfectly fine as well, even if they are not particularly memorable.

There is plenty to enjoy in Bullets Over Broadway, but there's also plenty working against it.  Woody Allen's particular brand of comedy hasn't quite made the transition to the stage, even though he's done an excellent job of plotting a show that could easily be confusing in a lesser writer's hands.  The cast is certainly game, but they have a tendency to bludgeon a joke rather than finesse it; while still earning their fair share of laughs, the cast could get more if they allowed the material to land rather than forcing it.  Susan Stroman is a reliable ringmaster for this comic circus, keeping the show moving without becoming so bogged down in the staging that she completely neglects the story.  It is an admirable effort, even if Bullets ultimately fails to take off in the way its creators intend it to.

2014 Tony Predictions: Revival

The big day is fast approaching, and there are only four Tony categories left for me to predict.  The production categories are perhaps the most coveted of all Tony honors, since they recognize the entire show and not just one individual element.  These categories also caused an unusual amount of anticipation when the nominations were announced due to the recently enacted rule change allowing for anywhere between 3 and 5 nominees, depending on the number of eligible productions.  Now that we have our official contenders, it's time to discuss who will win, and whether or not they are the most deserving.

Best Revival of a Play

Stephen Fry and the company of last fall's all-male revival of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

 

Nominees: The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Glass Menagerie, A Raisin in the Sun, Twelfth Night

First, I want to reiterate my surprise that there are only four Best Revival of Play nominees, given the overwhelming number of incredibly well done revivals that premiered during this season.  It's a shame that neither of the Patrick Stewart/Ian McKellan repertory plays made the cut, and that Roundabout's highly regarded productions of little seen plays were also completely excluded.  That said, whether there had been a fifth nominee wouldn't have mattered, because this race has been between The Glass Menagerie and Twelfth Night since both premiered to critical raves last fall.

To me, the clear choice here is Twelfth Night.  I do not understand the critical praise showered upon The Glass Menagerie; I thought it was one of the worst things I saw last fall, well cast but ultimately ruined by John Tiffany's overly conceptual direction.  Meanwhile, Twelfth Night managed to take a play I've never cared for and make me love it, a feat all the more impressive considering it's one of Shakespeare's most performed comedies.  The gentlemen in the all-male Twelfth Night also acted circles around every other ensemble on Broadway this season, and with the benefit of hindsight on the now closed productions I think enough Tony voters realize Twelfth Night is more worthy of recognition.  I won't rule out a win for Menagerie the way I'm ruling out the pleasant Cripple of Inishmaan and Kenny Leon's acceptable retread of A Raisin in the Sun, but the smart money is on the Bard's comedy.

Will and Should Win:  Twelfth Night

 

Best Revival of a Musical

Neil Patrick Harris and his onstage band, The Angry Inch.

 

Nominees:  Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Les Miserables, Violet

Hedwig and the Angry Inch deserves this one by a mile.  It's the only one of the three nominees I don't have reservations about, and it managed to successfully scale up an intimate show for a big Broadway house.  Neil Patrick Harris is excellent in the title role, and director Michael Mayer has done a fantastic job staging the piece so it is both slick and fluid.  Meanwhile, Violet is a well-intentioned production of what to me is a problematic show, and despite the game actors it doesn't manage to completely overcome the script's structural issues and somewhat cliché message.  And Les Miserables is just awful, a shameless cash grab prompted by the *very* recent film version that lacks both the spectacle and the heart of the original production.  Despite heroic work by Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean, the rest of the cast sings with varying levels of proficiency and almost none of them act their roles with any conviction, making you feel every minute of the show's 3-hour runtime.  I have seen Les Miserables a half-dozen times over the years, and this revival is the first time I've thought the show is too damn long.

I supposed there is a slight chance Les Miserables wins, especially if the out-of-town voters pool their efforts behind it because it will tour better than the other shows (which probably won't tour at all).  But the sheen seems to have already worn off on the musical epic, while Neil Patrick Harris and Hedwig are white hot.  The fact that the latter production is also the most deserving just seals the deal.

Will and Should Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch


Check back soon for my final 2014 Tony predictions, and check out the rest of my awards coverage below!

2014 Tony Nominations React
Best Direction and Choreography
Best Book and Score
Best Featured Actor
Best Featured Actress
Best Actor
Best Actress

2014 Tony Predictions: Best Actress

Without a doubt, these next two categories are the most competitive of this year's Tony races.  There are some phenomenal performances being given by some of Broadway's best-loved actresses, and the Best Actress in a Musical race is particularly brutal this year.  I will also admit that I have particularly strong feelings about these two races which may be blinding my objective judgement, so if I get these two wrong you'll know why.  With that said, here are my thoughts on who will (and should) win.

Best Actress in a Play

Audra McDonald is apparently incapable of delivering even an average performance; all of her Broadway outings have been virtually flawless.

 

 

Nominees: Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons; LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun; Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie; Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill; Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn

I think this Sunday will see Audra McDonald make history by collecting a record-breaking sixth Tony Award for her phenomenal work in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.  If she wins, not only will McDonald have received more acting Tonys than any performer in history, she will also be the first woman to win in all four performance categories.  Anyone who has seen McDonald in Lady Day knows the singing actress is doing an uncanny job of channeling the late Billie Holiday, but Broadway's reigning queen goes far beyond mere impersonation.  She is Holiday reincarnated, with a performance that is free of the artifice and forced mannerisms that often plagues actors tasked with playing real people.  It is an impeccable piece of acting, and definitely a worthy role to propel McDonald into the history books.

The only person with even the slightest chance of unseating McDonald is The Glass Menagerie's Cherry Jones, but it is a long shot to say the least.  Even though this beloved actress gave what some termed the performance of her career, McDonald just has too much of a lead (McDonald has won every guild award she has been eligible for this year).  Tyne Daly, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, and Estelle Parsons will just have to take solace in the fact they even managed to get nominated in such a competitive year.

NOTE: I should probably mention that McDonald is also my all-time favorite Broadway performer (I will go see her in anything), so I fully admit some personal bias has entered into this article.

Will and Should Win: Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill

 

Best Actress in a Musical

Performances on the level of Kelli O'Hara's in The Bridges of Madison County are rare.  If she doesn't win, the Tony voters will have lost major credibility points.

 

Nominess: Mary Bridget Davies, A Night with Janis Joplin; Sutton Foster, Violet; Idina Menzel, If/Then; Jessie Mueller, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Kelli O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County

If Kelli O'Hara does not win her long-overdue first Tony Award on Sunday, I am declaring this year's awards null and void.  O'Hara was absolutely sensational in the gone-too-soon Bridges of Madison County, giving a performance that is frankly on an entirely different level from this year's other nominees.  Her brilliance isn't just because of her phenomenal singing, although O'Hara's crystalline soprano has never sounded better than it did singing the breathtaking melodies Jason Robert Brown wrote specifically for her.  Her ability to give a nuanced, deeply felt and believably acted performance while singing the most difficult music of the season was a master class in musical theatre acting and the heights it can reach.  Add in the fact that O'Hara is a perpetual Tonys bridesmaid (this is her 5th nomination in the past 10 years) that is almost universally respected and earns raves even when her shows are critically panned, and it is time Tony voters wised up and gave her the damn award already.

Sutton Foster was perfectly charming in Violet, and gets extra points for stretching herself artistically with a more dramatic role than she typically tackles.  Idina Menzel was even better than expected in If/Then, a performance which is significantly more nuanced and accomplished than her work in Wicked 10 years ago (for which she won).  I have not personally seen Mary Bridget Davies or Jessie Mueller in their respective shows, but I'm sure they are lovely.  However, Kelli O'Hara has earned this, and picking anyone other than O'Hara as the winner would be a grave mistake.

It must be said that Mueller does pose a legitimate threat to O'Hara, as the talented young actress seems to be Broadway's latest It Girl.  Mueller has gone from being an unknown to headlining a major new musical in just 3 short years, but the fact of the matter is Mueller will have plenty more chances to win a Tony or two.  I also cannot fathom what Mueller could be doing in Beautiful (a dull sounding jukebox musical that holds no interest for me) that tops O'Hara's career-best work in Bridges.

There is a possibility Mueller wins the Tony; you might even say there is a strong possibility, since Mueller just took home the Drama Desk Award on Sunday, beating out O'Hara in the process.  But Mueller beating O'Hara would be wrong, and I have to believe Tony voters can see that.  If they mistakenly select Mueller on Sunday night, I firmly believe in 10 year's time the general population will look back and agree that O'Hara was more deserving for what may well become her signature role (similar to how most people now agree Bernadette Peters should have won for Sunday in the Park with George, even though Chita Rivera is an immense talent and no one begrudges her a Tony or two).  With all due respect to Mueller, she can wait another season or two.

Will and Should Win: Kelli O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County


And that covers all of the acting categories for this year's awards.  Check back tomorrow as I start to tackle this year's production categories, starting with the revivals.  And be sure to check out all of my previous Tonys coverage below!

2014 Tony Nominations React
Best Direction and Choreography
Best Book and Score
Best Featured Actor
Best Featured Actress
Best Actor