The Best Show of 2011

The Book of Mormon

Andrew Rannells in The Book of Mormon

“Hello.  My name is Elder Price, and I would like to share with you the most amazing book.”

With those innocent words, set to an ingenious sing-song melody, begins one of the most outrageously offensive, entertaining, and expertly crafted musicals of the last 20 years.  The Book of Mormon has taken Broadway by storm, winning every best musical prize imaginable and becoming a sold-out sensation on a level not seen since Wicked. It’s understandable that those who have yet to see Mormon may be suspicious of its ability to live up to the insane level of hype surrounding it.  But I promise you that it not only meets, but handily exceeds any and all expectations you may have.

My first time seeing the show (it’s so good I’ve made the time to see it twice more, and am already contemplating a fourth visit) ranks as one of the most memorable nights of the theatre in my life.  The air of excitement was palpable, as nobody knew quite what to expect from this mystery-shrouded show.  No publicity stills had been released, only the vaguest of plot summaries was available, and the musical numbers weren’t even listed in the Playbill.  I personally was hoping for something pretty exceptional, because Trey Parker and Matt Stone proved with the South Park movie they know what an expertly constructed musical looks like.  But even I wasn’t prepared for how jaw-droppingly amazing Mormon turned out to be.

The show has everything.  It features an incredible score stuffed with inventive, catches tunes, played by a nine piece band that through some theatrical trickery I honestly don’t understand sounds like the large orchestras of Broadway’s golden age.  There are so many jokes, both obvious and subtle, that it’s impossible to catch them all the first time through.  At least once during the show, you will be genuinely shocked and/or offended by what’s happening onstage (even hardcore South Park fans cannot anticipate some of the things Parker and Stone have gotten away with).  And most gloriously of all, the show has heart.  I doubt anyone thought the words “sweet” and “endearing” would be applied to a show written by this pair, and yet those words perfectly capture the overriding spirit of a show that is ultimately a celebration of both old-school Broadway and the healing power of religious faith (although Mormonism certain gets lovingly lambasted more than once).

And creating this atmosphere of giddy farce is one of the hardest working, most talented casts to ever grace a Broadway stage.  From top to bottom, the cast is filled with true triple threats who manage to stand out without ever upstaging their fellow castmates.  Foremost among this talented bunch are Tony-nominated stars Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad, both giving career-making performances as Elders Price and Cunningham.  It’s nearly impossible to decide who is funnier, although my personal vote goes to Rannells, who’s hilariously narcissistic Elder Price is a comic goldmine who doesn’t have the benefit of the kind of mugging allowed by the broadly written Cunningham.  They are so evenly matched that they likely split Tony votes enough to allow Norbert Leo Butz to walk off with this year’s Best Actor statuette. 

Also Tony-nominated without winning is Rory O’Malley, who brings down the house nightly with his performance of “Turn It Off.”  Without spoiling things for those who haven’t seen it, the number contains what is my favorite moment of the entire year (it involves vests).  It’s in essence an expertly executed sight gag (I still have no idea how they did it), and is the perfect illustration of why The Book of Mormon is so brilliant.  The show milks all of the expected humor out of a situation, and just when you think it’s out of ideas it comes up with one final, unexpected capper that thrills you with its ingenuity and leaves you rolling in the aisle.  I audibly gasped in delight when it happened, and being able to provide that kind of sheer, unadulterated joy is an example of musical comedy at its absolute best.

The one performer who did manage to win a Tony for her efforts is the absolutely radiant Nikki M. James.  Her Nabalungi is instantly lovable, a perfect Disney princess trapped in this warped version of the Third World.  She sings like an angel and grounds the evening with a genuine heart, especially evident during her earnest performance of the show’s big ballad, “Sal Tlay Ka Siti.”  Yet she is also capable of comic genius, and can play dirty just like the boys (her first appearance onstage is during a particularly offensive song about God).

I could go on and on about this show.  The direction is perfect, and Casey Nicholaw has graduated to the top tier of Broadway directors for his work on this show.  He expertly crafts the evening to yield the greatest possible number of laughs, while ensure that the show’s heart and message never get lost in the background or buried under too much shtick.  He has given the show a parade of ingeniously realized musical numbers, and keeps its madcap energy from flagging all the way through the final curtain.  The lighting, sets, and costumes are all phenomenal, supporting the story and setting without ever overshadowing it or becoming complex for spectacle’s sake.

I adore this show.  It may quite possibly be my favorite of all time, and that is not a title I hand out lightly.  It is easily the Best Show of 2011, and while tickets are hard to come by, they are definitely worth seeking out.  To paraphrase the opening number’s lyrics, this show could change your life.

Best of 2011 Countdown: #2

Best Shows of 2011

#2 – Follies

Jan Maxwell and the ensemble of Follies

From the first drum roll played by the luscious 27-piece orchestra, it is nearly impossible to not be swept away by the sheer grandeur of the current revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies.  NY Times head critic Ben Brantley calls the show “one of the greatest musicals ever written,” and everything about this sumptuous production supports his assertion. 

Follies is a legendary musical, one that rarely receives a full-scale production due to its momentous size and logistical complexity.  The score is widely hailed as a masterpiece, and its pastiche-style songs are heavily featured in various Sondheim reviews and cabaret acts around the country.  But one cannot fully appreciate Follies the score without seeing Follies the show, because hearing the songs in context wildly alters their meaning and reveals a nearly unmatched psychological complexity. 

The pastiche songs, all intended to be part of the fictional Weismann Follies from which the show derives its name, provide an excellent comment on the play’s dramatic action, making apparent some heartbreakingly sad lyrical sentiments that can easily get lost among the songs’ upbeat tempos.  And the book numbers are such superb monologues-in-song that you can literally find something new to appreciate with each listening.  Sondheim really outdid himself on this one, and being able to hear these songs sung on a Broadway stage with such an excellent and full orchestra is a delight.

And then there is the disgusting embarrassment of riches that is the revival’s cast.  Although not quite on the same level as her astounding work in A Little Night Music, Bernadette Peters gives an excellent performance as ex-Follies girl Sally Durant Plummer.  Peters makes Sally into a tragically wounded and complex creature lost in the throes of self-delusion, a quality that is especially apparent during her haunting rendition of “In Buddy’s Eyes.”  But so strong is this cast, and so uniformly excellent are the performances, that Peters is by no means the best actor on the stage.

Danny Burstein, who I found to be overrated in South Pacific and actively bad in Women on the Verge, is an absolute revelation as Buddy.  He takes what is probably the least interesting of the central quartet and makes him an utterly fascinating example of a man who simply cannot admit that the woman he loves is no good.  And during his climatic faux-Follies number, “The God-Why-Don’t-You-Love-Me Blues,” Burstein effortlessly becomes the modern reincarnation of a vaudeville comedian.  Burstein simply slays this song and his performance in general, and will almost certainly be Tony-nominated for his efforts.

And then there’s Jan Maxwell.  The brilliant, chameleon-like actress has played every type of role imaginable, but Phyllis Rogers Stone may just end up as her crowning achievement.  Looking positively stunning in her golden gown, Maxwell is the embodiment of the woman who has everything and nothing at the same time.  Trapped in a loveless marriage, Phyllis has built a wall of self-assurance and nonchalance around herself that steadily crumbles throughout the show.  When she finally tears into her husband with one of the greatest gifts Sondheim ever gave an actress, the sensational “Could I Leave You?,” Maxwell explodes with such ferocity and deep seated rage you don’t know whether to cheer or run for the exit.  And then, just in case you weren’t convinced of her brilliance, she stops the show again with her no holds barred song-and-dance routine for “The Story of Lucy and Jessie.”

This revival is one for the ages.  I guarantee that at least once during the show, you will gasp in awe at its sheer brilliance.  This production literally takes your breath away.  For me, two moments in particular stand out:  watching all of the ladies tap dance during “Who’s That Woman?” (the mirror number) while being mirrored by the ghosts of their younger selves in one of the most dizzying choreographic triumphs currently on Broadway, and the reveal of the climatic Loveland sequence, where the split-second fall of the front drop perfectly illustrates the mental break that has just occurred in the four leads and will propel them to the show’s end.  Then there’s the hauntingly gorgeous duet “One More Kiss,” the majestic brilliance of the foreboding overture, the dreamlike interweaving of the ghosts of the characters’ past….I could go on and on.  But it would be much more effective for you to run down to the Marquis Theatre and see for yourself why Follies is one of the best shows of the year, before it fades into memory on January 22^nd.

Best of 2011 Countdown: #3

Best of 2011

#3 – The Normal Heart

Joe Mantello and John Benjamin Hickey in The Normal Heart

This show wasn’t even on my radar until I was given the opportunity to review it.  I think I had some inkling that it was an AIDS play, and I knew it marked Joe Mantello’s return to acting after a long and very successful period of directing (among other things, he helmed a little skit called Wicked).  I am so incredibly grateful that I went.

The Normal Heart was a theatrical sucker punch.  I wasn’t prepared for the ferocity of this piece, which was born of playwright Larry Kramer’s outrage over the way the government, media, and medical community reacted during the early days of the AIDS epidemic.  It is the anger of a man trying to do something, anything to save his community from the ravages of an unseen enemy, perfectly encapsulated in the story of activist Ned Weeks’ attempt to bring attention to the way the epidemic was destroying the gay community in early ‘80s New York City.  And unlike many didactic works of theatre, this play’s righteous anger never felt unjustified or overwrought.  Indeed, you left the theatre feeling just as outraged as Weeks, and a tad guilty for not having done more, sooner.

For a 25-year-old play, Normal Heart felt surprisingly, alarmingly current, due in no small part to the Herculean efforts of an exceptional ensemble.  Mantello absolutely sizzled in the central role, a performance made all the more remarkable given his nearly two decade absence from acting.  Despite spending the better part of two hours angry at seemingly everyone, Mantello always remained sympathetic, the perfect facet through which to view the play.  And as a doctor desperately trying to secure funding for research, Ellen Barkin blew the roof off of the Golden Theatre with her climatic monologue late in Act II.  The night I saw the play, Barkin’s speech was greeted with the kind of thunderous applause usually reserved for showstopping musical numbers, and was such a dizzying display of acting skill that it took several minutes for me to recover from it enough to focus on the remainder of the play.

After The Normal Heart, I left the theatre knowing I had seen not just an excellent play, but an important one.  As a gay man, it gave me insight into a time of our shared history of which I had only a passing understanding.  And as a member of the human race, it reawakened me to the continued plight of millions of people, a plight it is easy to marginalize because we in America have things relatively under control.  Few shows have had such a profound effect on me, and that easily makes The Normal Heart one of the Best Shows of 2011.

Best of 2011 Countdown: #4

Alright, I got a little behind on these lists due to the holiday.  But better late than never, right?

Best of 2011

#4 Venus in Fur

Hugh Dancy and Nina Arianda in Venus in Fur

I loved Venus in Fur.  On a superficial level, I loved the fact that Venus is a new work by an American playwright (David Ives) debuting on Broadway, in a production free of gimmicks or celebrity stunt casting.  But on a deeper level, I loved that this is simply a damn good play with some damn good actors.

The show centers on an extremely unorthodox audition for an adaptation of the sadomasochistic novel Venus in Furs.  After a long day of fruitless searching for his female lead, writer-director Thomas agrees to let struggling actress Vanda audition for him, and the ensuing 90 minutes becomes an erotically charged game of cat and mouse where neither party is completely in control.  To go into greater detail would spoil the fun, but rest assured that the play’s already brief runtime practically flies by, thanks to the skill of Ives’ writing and the fantastic performances.

Reprising her role from the show’s Off-Broadway premiere, Nina Arianda is sensational as Vanda.  She has complete mastery of her character, effortlessly shifting from slapstick comedy to heightened period drama, all the while looking positively radiant in Anita Yavich’s superb costumes.  To see Arianda in this role is to see a star being born, and while that may sound cliché, I challenge you to think any different after seeing the show.  Expect Arianda to make a repeat appearance among this year’s Best Actress Tony nominees, and possibly even win (she’s just that good).  Thankfully (and somewhat miraculously), her costar Hugh Dancy is every bit as superb, albeit in a less showy performance.

Venus in Fur is top tier theatre.  It is a smart play that raises serious questions about the nature of power, and how being submissive is not necessarily the same as being powerless (in some ways, it can be the stronger position).  It examines gender roles without become preachy or completely demonizing men (an issue I have had with many a feminist-leaning play), and more importantly it does all of this while remaining vastly entertaining.  The play’s success, including the just announced commercial Broadway transfer, is the perfect indication that good theatre is still alive and well on the Great White Way.  Venus in Fur completely deserves it spot among the year’s best shows.

(Note:  To read my full review of Venus in Fur, click here.)

Best of 2011 Countdown: #5

Yesterday I was naughty, now it’s time to go back to being nice.  Going forward I’ll be alternating between the Best and Worst lists, so that my number one choice for each will appear right before the New Year. :-)

 Best Shows of 2011

#5 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed...

Confession time: I have a major soft spot for How to Succeed as a show.  Ever since playing Bud Frump in college, I’ve had an immense appreciation for this expertly crafted, Pulitzer Prize-winning musical.  The story is so tightly structured that even at 3 hours, there’s very little fat on the show.  There is an excellent assortment of characters that all receive the perfect amount of stage time, and the score is ingenious in the way it complements the show’s tone while remaining melodic and inventive.  And the witty satire of 1960s corporate culture is spot on, yet cannily hidden beneath a layer of fun that makes the show supremely accessible and entertaining to everyone.  Add to this my crush on Daniel Radcliffe and I was predisposed to love this show.

However, How to Succeed shares a lot of similarities with Promises, Promises, including director Rob Marshall, who absolutely butchered the latter show back in 2010.  And these star-driven revivals can be very hit or miss (especially with Radcliffe being a complete unknown in the song and dance department), so I approached the show with a mixture of excitement and dread.  And I left 3 hours later grinning from ear to ear.

This is the show many recent revivals were trying to be.  It highlights all of the best aspects of traditional musical theatre while updating things just enough to appeal to a contemporary audience.  No unwieldy concepts or gritty real world approach or scaled-down production values here; just good old fashioned musical comedy, executed by a uniformly excellent cast.  In the lead role Radcliffe is surprisingly good, his natural charm going a long way to make up for any vocal shortcomings (which are minimal for the demands of the show).  His dancing is genuinely shocking in its quality, and it’s refreshing to see a big name star actually get down and dirty with the ensemble rather than have everyone dance around them while they remain stationary.  You can tell Radcliffe is giving 110% and pushing himself to improve, and it just makes his performance that much more impressive.

The show has many great numbers, including two genuine showstoppers.  “Brotherhood of Man” is every bit as good as you could hope, and Rob Marshall must have been particularly inspired the day he came up with his staging for “Grand Old Ivy” (one of the few major changes for this revival, and one of best additions to a preexisting show I’ve seen in years).  And the choreography – another area where I’ve taken issue with Marshall in the past – is fantastic.

Anything Goes ended up with all the critical love last spring, but I honestly feel like How to Succeed is the better show.  I actively want to see it again, whereas once was enough for Anything Goes (although I do love me some Sutton Foster).  Most importantly, this production makes a 50-year-old show feel brand new, as if it had never been done before.  That is the goal of all revivals, and in achieving it How to Succeed earns its place among the year’s best shows.

Best of 2011 Countdown: #6

Best Shows of 2011

#6 The Importance of Being Earnest

Brian Bedford in The Importance of Being Earnest

Sometimes, you just know a show is going to be good.  As soon as you read the press release announcing a show and its cast, you make a mental note to go see it because you just know the production is going to be awesome.

The Importance of Being Earnest was not one of those shows.  While the script certainly has merit, it has been run into the ground by endless college and regional productions of middling quality, not to mention overanalysis in various theatre history and British literature courses.  On top of that you have the Roundabout’s spotty track record with play revivals (particularly that awful production of Mrs. Warren’s Profession, a play from the same era as Earnest, in Fall 2010) and the complete lack of any name stars.  In all honesty, if I hadn’t been offered the chance to review this show, I probably wouldn’t have gone to see it at all.

Thank God I did, because Earnest ended up being a top tier production which almost 12 months later remains one of my most enjoyable nights at the theatre in 2011.  Oscar Wilde’s famous wit has endured the test of time, with his clever quips and wordplay remaining as refreshing now as they must have been during the play’s premiere over a century ago.  Everyone in the cast perfectly suited their roles, and their lively interactions made this well-worn play’s nearly 3 hour runtime fly by.

The crowning jewel of this Earnest was its leading “lady.”  Director Brian Bedford pulled double duty by casting himself as the delightfully acidic Lady Bracknell, and stole the show with his perfectly modulated performance.  Although men in drag have been a source of comedy for ages, Bedford wisely avoided camp and played Bracknell as an actual person, making the performance all the more endearing.  Within a minute of his first entrance, the audience completely forgot they were watching a man in drag and were simply watching an aristocratic matriarch pass blistering judgment on everyone around her.

There are two morals to this story.  One is that the true classics earn their lauded status, due to solid construction and observations about the human condition that remain relevant no matter what century it is.  The other is that sometimes it pays to take a chance and go see a show “just because;” it may end up being one of your favorites.

Best of 2011 Countdown: #7

*Note:  I originally named War Horse as my number 9 pick for Best Show of 2011, but when I looked back at my original “Best of” list, I realized the number 8 show had no business being on it.  So I’ve bumped War Horse up a spot.  You’re welcome, Lincoln Center.*

Best of 2011

#7 Anything Goes

Sutton Foster and the Anything Goes ensemble

It’s tricky to revive a pre-Rodgers & Hammerstein musical.  In the years since the team’s heyday, it has become standard for a show’s musical numbers to work with the book scenes in advancement of plot and/or characterization.  We as audience members expect this of all shows, and generally demand a damn good reason for a show to break from that format.  But before 1943, it was perfectly acceptable for a musical to consist of elaborate production numbers padded out by a loosely constructed and often nonsensical plot. 

Such is the problem with Anything Goes.  For all of its entertainment value, including a fantastic score by the great Cole Porter, nothing of consequence really happens.  Even with multiple rewrites over the years (there are now a whopping six credited bookwriters, and lord knows how many uncredited tweaks by actors and directors), the show’s plot makes no sense.  There’s something about a working class man trying to win the affections of an upper class debutante, a completely harmless “public enemy” trying to increase his street cred, and apparently lead character Reno Sweeney is an evangelist who saves souls for a living.  But in essence the story is an excuse to have various combinations of performers sing a hit parade of Porter tunes, all in the name of entertainment.

And entertaining it is.  Kathleen Marshall has crafted a perfectly fine revival of this reliable favorite, with a (mostly) game and talented cast doing an excellent job of delivering the material with style and flair.  Her Tony-winning choreography on the title song alone is worth the price of admission, as it is one of the most joyous demonstrations of talent and stagecraft currently on a Broadway stage.  But for all of her directorial skill, Marshall can’t quite maintain that level of enthusiasm throughout the entire show.  Sometimes the show starts to feel like the 70-year-old dinosaur that it is, rather than a fresh and relevant revival of an old favorite.  In fact, I would argue that there isn’t a whole lot going on at the Stephen Sondheim theatre that couldn’t be seen in a well-done regional production of the show.

So what makes this one of the best shows of 2011?  The answer is simple: Sutton Foster.  The eminently likable and multi-talented comedienne’s take on Reno Sweeney is the kind of star turn that will be talked about for decades, and she single-handedly elevates the production to must-see status.  Her phenomenal voice and solid dance skills would be enough to make her a great Reno, but once you throw her often underrated acting ability and emotional sincerity into the mix you have a truly transcendent performance that more than deserves all the Best Actress awards she received for it.  Anything Goes cements Foster as a once-in-a-generation kind of talent, an ebullient throwback to the musical comedy stars of yesteryear.  If you haven’t seen her, go now, and watch how the pros really do it.

The Best Shows of 2011

As the New Year approaches, it’s only natural to take a few moments to reflect on the year that was, with all its attendant highs and lows.  So every day starting today, I plan on writing about some of the year’s best (and worst) shows.  I should note that this is not meant to be a definitive “Best of Broadway” list, as it will be limited to only those shows I have personally seen.  So don’t expect to see critically praised works like Good People or Other Desert Cities make the cut, as I haven’t actually seen them.  (Jerusalem, however, is being purposely excluded, as I found the British import to be vastly overrated despite a strong central performance by Mark Rylance.)

I should also mention that I was originally intending to list the year’s 10 best productions, but have only come up with 8.  This isn’t because 2011 was any worse than past years.  There was a lot of competent theatre produced this year, and in general 2011 was a much stronger year artistically than 2010.  But if we are talking about truly great theatre, the kind that sticks with you long after the final curtain has fallen, there are only 8 productions I personally saw that merit inclusion on this list (and at least one of those comes with a caveat).

So let’s get this party started.  My number 8 pick for Best Show of 2011 is:

War Horse

It should be noted that I struggled about whether or not to include this show.  As you may have noticed, the British hit received an enormous number of accolades following its American premiere, including the Tony Award for Best Play.  I have a problem with this, because as a play, the show is decidedly average.  The script is simplistic and emotionally manipulative, belying its roots as a children’s novel.  The “war is bad” sentiment is exceptionally trite, the characters are drawn in broad strokes, and the titular war horse makes so many improbable escapes from near death that it pushes the limits of suspended disbelief.

I also find it interesting that not a single one of the human deaths in a show supposedly about the horrors of war causes much distress among viewers, but even the suggestion that equine protagonist Joey might die elicits collective gasps of shock and horror.  In short, this is a simplistic show that I believe will have very little life after the current Broadway and West End productions close.

So why is it on my list?  Because the way in which Joey and his fellow horses are realized onstage is sheer genius.  Rather than attempt to train live animals (which would likely make for a disgusting and smelly backstage) or manufacture realistic-looking puppets, the creators of War Horse have taken a page from Julie Taymor’s Lion King and made the stagecraft involved readily apparent.  You can see the inner workings of the horse puppets, and the three operators it takes to bring them to life are always visible.  Yet within a minute of Joey’s first appearance, you completely forget that he is a puppet and instead invest in him as a living, breathing animal, all because of the enormous skill of the puppeteers who play him.  His ears twitch.  His tail flicks.  He whinnies, neighs, rears up on his hind legs, and gallops across the stage (sometimes with an actual human rider on top).  And at every moment you know exactly what Joey is feeling, making him the most compelling and fully realized character on the stage.  And for that feat of theatre magic along, War Horse is one of the best shows from 2011.