Let Her Sing

Review:  Violet



Roundabout takes another chance by casting Sutton Foster in a role against her usual type, and it pays off handsomely.

Two-time Tony-winner Sutton Foster is virtually unrecognizable in Roundabout's revival of Violet, the 1997 Off-Broadway musical about a disfigured Southern girl on her way to seek a cure from a famous televangelist.  Oh, that crystalline belt is unmistakably hers, and in the show's lighter moments we see glimpses of the musical comedienne who wowed in shows like Thoroughly Modern Millie and The Drowsy Chaperone. But for the majority of Violet's intermissionless 110 minutes, Foster completely disappears inside this deeply insecure young woman struggling to make sense of the blows life has handed her, and watching an actress so familiar play so thoroughly against type is positively thrilling.  There are plenty of other aspects to recommend in this handsomely staged production, but Foster is the main draw, and it is another high point in her illustrious and prolific stage career.

Violet suffered a horrible accident in her youth, when her father's axe blade flew off the handle and left Violet with a brutal scar across her face.  Now grown, Violet has convinced herself that if she places herself in the hands of a nationally famous faith healer, God will heal her disfigurement and she can become the woman she was destined to be.  To that end, she hops on a bus toward the site of the Preacher's next big revival, and along the way befriends two soldiers who will play a major role in helping Violet realize what is truly beautiful about her.

It must be said that as a piece of theatrical writing, Violet has some issues.  Brian Crawley's libretto skips to different points in Violet's life with a murky logic that at times makes the show more of a mood piece than a coherent book musical.  Jeanine Tesori's folk and gospel-influenced score is far more engaging than Crawley's occasionally cloying dialogue, even if several musical numbers overstay their welcome ("Luck of the Draw" and "Raise Me Up" are prime offenders, even if the latter features some thrilling choral work by the hardworking cast of 11).  Thankfully for the show and the audience, the strongest section of the show is the last, with the final 30 minutes proving both an illuminating character study and an emotionally satisfying conclusion to Violet's journey.  Although the show's message about personal acceptance has become something of a cliché, it is heartfelt and earnestly expressed by both the writing and the cast.

In fact, it is largely due to the first-rate cast that Violet is able to overcome its more questionable plotting decisions and structural weaknesses.  As previously mentioned, Foster exceeds expectations as a dramatic singing-actress, in her most surprising and emotionally moving performance yet.  The production eschews any kind of make-up, allowing the audience to imagine Violet's horrific scar rather than getting bogged down with actually showing it; thanks to Foster's wholly committed performance, the scar's presence and the accompanying years of psychological baggage are always felt.  And while Violet the character can be emotionally guarded and introspective, Foster the actress is open and accessible in a way that anchors and elevates the show and its message of inner beauty triumphing over adversity.  Towards the musical's end, one of the characters earnestly tells Violet, "I wish you could see yourself.  You look so beautiful."  Because of the expert way in which Foster as charted her character's growth, we can see the exact change he's talking about, and it is truly marvelous.

Joshua Henry demonstrates great charisma as Flick, the black soldier who instantly bonds with Violet over the shared hardship of being constantly judged based on their looks.  Henry's million-watt smile and soulful voice make his solos soar, and he does an excellent job of creating a fully rounded character from material that leaves a lot unsaid.  Colin Donnell is appropriately dashing as Monty, Flick's womanizing companion who completes the central love triangle, although he is occasionally let down by the writing.  At times Monty is presented as a legitimate alternative to Flick, while at others he comes across as an opportunist only interested in brief fling.  Donnell portrays both options convincingly, which ultimately leaves you feeling unsure about both his character and how we're meant to feel about his eventual fate.  Meanwhile, Alexander Gemignani is pitch perfect as Violet's widowed Father, and Emerson Steele is ideally matched with Foster as the adolescent Violet.

Director Leigh Silverman has staged this production with efficiency and an appropriately scaled back physical production.  Unfortunately she doesn't always help to clarify what is going on in the show, specifically in regards to the logic behind the time shifts (Violet's current and past incarnations are often both onstage at once, in separate but interlocking scenes that sometimes dissolve into one another).  Both David Zinn's set and Clint Ramos' costumes are appropriately unassuming, with enough detail to suggest time and place but not so much that they inhibit suspension of disbelief during the many location changes and scene shifts.

If you're looking for the kind of big, splashy musical that Sutton Foster is usually associated with, Violet is not for you.  But it is a lovingly mounted production of a charmingly small-scale musical that tells an interesting and moving story despite some structural shortcomings.  Previously confined to the realms of musical comedy, Foster's career redefining performance shows she has the acting skills to tackle more serious musical dramas, opening even more doors for one of the Great White Way's most in-demand leading ladies.  Ably supported by her costars, Foster makes Violet a journey worth taking

2014 Tony Nominee Predictions: Part II (Best Actress)

It's that time of year again; the Tony Award nominations are set to be announced this Tuesday, and I am in full Tony mode here at Broadway, Etc.  Yesterday, I made my best guesses as to which shows would find themselves nominated in the production categories (including my theories about how the recent Tony rule change might affect this year's races).  Today I tackle the harder to predict Lead Actress races, with more eligible nominees and proportionally fewer slots to go around.  These are some of the most competitive categories of the year, with many deserving women vying for the precious few nominations.

As always, I'm using a combination of first-hand experience, hearsay, and gut feeling to come up with these predictions.  I will also pick one Wildcard for each category, representing the person I feel has the best chance of unseating one of my five presumptive nominees for a chance at the big prize.  (Or sometimes I pick two wildcards.  It's my blog, I can do what I want.)  Read on to see who I think this year's lucky ladies will be!

Best Actress

Should Audra McDonald win the Best Actress in a Play category, she would enter the record books as having more Tony Awards than any other performer AND being the first actress to win awards in all four acting categories. 

There have been a huge number of plays produced on Broadway this season (limited runs really increase the number of shows can you can cram into one year).  Unfortunately, many of those plays have been male driven, meaning the Best Actress in a Play category isn't as stacked with talent as one might expect, although the eligible performances are still might impressive.  Cherry Jones was universally praised for her Amanda in last fall's The Glass Menagerie, and will almost surely be recognized with a nomination.  Tyne Daly is also virtually guaranteed a nomination for her bigoted (but not really) matriarch in Terrence McNally's Mothers and Sons; some committee members will also probably feel guilty that the 2012 race didn't have room for Daly's towering Maria Callas in Master Class and will be looking to make it up to her.

In Tony predictions, it almost never pays to bet against Audra McDonald, and the acclaimed singing actress is currently making a very strong case for a record-breaking sixth Tony Award (more than any other performer) with her starring turn in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.  Her work in the 90-minute, one woman show will certainly land her among this year's nominees.  And although critics were lukewarm to The Velocity of Autumn, they universally praised 83-year-old Estelle Parson's performance in the two-hander.  It would be very surprising to see her name left out of this year's nominee list, especially considering that she has never actually won a Tony despite her long and illustrious career.

Which leaves one slot available for the rest of the season's lead actresses to fight over.  The last time A Raisin in the Sun was on Broadway, Phylicia Rashad won Best Actress her Lena Younger; LaTanya Richardson Jackson is certainly in the running for playing the same role.  But Rashad made such a strong impression 10 years ago it may keep Jackson out of serious consideration, a situation not helped by the fact that Jackson didn't have the benefit of a full rehearsal period (she took over for the previously announced Diahann Carroll when the latter actress bowed out during rehearsals) .  The highly praised ensemble of The Realistic Joneses could also produce a nominee, although it's debatable whether Toni Collette or Marisa Tomei has the edge.  However, I just have this sneaking suspicion that Rebecca Hall's universally praised performance in Roundabout's revival of Machinal will make her one of this year's surprise nominees, knocking Jackson out of the race.

Nominees:
Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
Rebecca Hall, Machinal
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn

Wildcard:
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun

Best Actress in a Musical

If Kelli O'Hara can't win a Tony for her absolutely stunning work in The Bridges of Madison County, she might as well just throw in the towel and take up gardening or something.

This is, hands down, the most competitive race of the year (and perhaps the past several years).  For once, the phrase "it's an honor just to be nominated" will not be an empty pleasantry, because this category features some of the most critically praised, beloved women currently working in the industry, and it is truly anyone's guess of who will be recognized on Tuesday.

As far as untouchables go, I would say that Kelli O'Hara, Idina Menzel, and Sutton Foster have had a seat reserved for them at Radio City since their respective projects were announced.  All three shows are positively built around these women's momentous talents, and all of them have walked the Tony red carpet multiple times (of the three, only O'Hara has never actually won, something that I'm praying changes this year).  Most importantly, all three women are sensational in their chosen vehicles, and even critics who weren't won over by the productions as a whole conceded that these three women are the real deal.  The exclusion of any one of them would surely rank as the year's biggest snub.

Trailing just behind them in current Broadway "It Girl" Jessie Mueller, who went from being an unknown only three years ago to headlining her own Broadway show.  She isn't *quite* guaranteed a nomination for her work as Carole King in Beautiful, but I and most industry insiders would be shocked if she didn't make the cut.  The final slot in this category is likely reserved for Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams' Broadway debut in Cabaret.  Sally Bowles is certainly an award-worthy role - it won Liza Minelli the Oscar and Natasha Richardson the Tony - but Williams received a rather cool critical reception with many reviews finding her to be on of this revival's weakest aspects.  I still think there is enough support for her to be nominated (her involvement seemed to be the point where Cabaret transformed from a "Really? Again?" show into a "Must See"), but she is most in danger of losing her spot.

I don't foresee anyone unseating the five above ladies, and I'm tempted to not even name a Wildcard, but in the spirit of expecting the unexpected I will say that Mary Bridget Davies' spot on impersonation of Janis Joplin in A Night with Janis Joplin just might have made enough of an impression to allow her to break into such a tough category.  The likeable Margo Siebert will have to take solace that Rocky opened in a very competitive year, and to be quite honest the material she was given let her down.

Nominees
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful
Kelli O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County
Michelle Williams, Cabaret

Wildcard
Mary Bridget Davies, A Night with Janis Joplin


That covers this year's leading ladies; check back tomorrow for my predictions for the leading men who will walk the red carpet as nominees on Sunday, June 8th.  And while you're waiting, be sure to check out the rest of my Tony coverage below:

2014 Tony Nominee Predictions Part I (Production)

Hollywood is Calling

Well, that was quick.  Just a month after winning the Best Actress Tony for her work in Venus in Fur, Nina Arianda is headed off to Hollywood to star as Janis Joplin in a biopic about the late singer (re: try really, really hard to win an Oscar).  And I’m pretty damn upset about it.

Now, I’m a huge fan of Arianda and want her to have a successful career; I just want that career to be in the theatre.  Live theatre is one of the most difficult forms of entertainment around.  You don’t get to go back and do another take if you make a mistake, and you have to reach the same level of emotional intensity night after night since there’s no camera around to preserve your performance.  Being able to do that is a rare gift, one that Arianda is blessed to have, and if she decides to focus on a film career it is a gift the Broadway community will be deprived of. 

I understand the allure of film.  Even if you don’t subscribe to the romanticized and glamorous notions of Hollywood portrayed by the media, the simple truth is there’s just more money in film work.  You can make the same amount of money in a couple of months that it would take a year or more to make in the theatre, and if your movie/television show becomes really popular you can make a pretty penny by collecting residuals from work you’ve already done.  You can also reach a much wider audience more easily, increasing your fan base and thus your industry clout (the more people who like you, the more likely producers are to cast you).

However, when a Broadway actor starts their film career, I don’t see all of the opportunities that stand before them.  I see the amazing stage performances they won’t be able to give, and the great theatre that won’t get done because they were focusing their talents elsewhere.  Despite both falling under the blanket term “acting,” film and stage work are such different skillsets that excelling at one in no way guarantee success at the other, meaning a talented performer like Arianda could end up wasting years in a medium that doesn’t really suit her.  And on the flip side, what if she does turn out to be a brilliant film actress?  Then she might decide to focus exclusively on film (after all, that’s where the real money is) and never set foot onstage again, which would be an enormous loss for Broadway.

It is especially disappointing when someone abandons theatre for film and ends up in works not worthy of their immense gifts.  Take Kristin Chenoweth, who after her massive success in Wicked began doing film work that has rarely utilized her to her full potential.  Most of her movie and television roles fall under the supporting category, and the two examples I can think of where she had a starring role (her self-titled sitcom and GCB) were hardly successful.  Yes, she did eventually win an Emmy and seems to be respected by the film community, but it is nowhere near the level of acclaim she receives on Broadway.  If Chenoweth had continued to work primarily in the theatre, she would have been the Star of pretty much everything she did, and I can virtually guarantee she would have won her long sought-after second Tony Award by now.  Think of all the great Kristin Chenoweth stage performances we missed out on because she was busy doing shows like Glee.

We’ve been seeing a lot of stage performers head off to Hollywood lately, and like Arianda the timing of these announcements make it seem like they are purposefully abandoning Broadway.  Already a darling of the New York theatrical community, I have to believe that winning the Tony would have opened up all kinds of interesting stage projects to Arianda, even if she still had to do some leg work to find them.  Sutton Foster, one of the greatest musical comedy actresses working today, left the highly successful Anything Goes revival early to film ABC Family’s Bunheads.  Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad, after giving two of the funniest performances in recent memory and announcing the extension their Book of Mormon contracts into next February, both left the show last month to pursue TV projects.  We are losing our most promising new talents to the film industry, and they seem so eager to leave they aren’t even sticking around to the announced ends of their contracts.

I still adore all of the above mentioned actors, and I wish them nothing but success.  I just find it unfortunate that even the notoriously expensive Great White Way doesn’t pay well enough to encourage these talented folks to stick around.  At least in Arianda’s case I can take solace in the fact she chose movies over television, meaning there’s a better chance she’ll be able to squeeze in a play or two between gigs.  The grueling production schedules of a television series rarely leave enough time between seasons for an actor to rehearse and perform even a limited Broadway run, which is why Broadway went four long years without Audra McDonald while she was on Private Practice.  (The fact she returned with one of the most satisfying musical theatre performances of the decade does help make the wait seem more worthwhile.)

Hopefully Arianda and the rest will remember their theatrical roots and come back to visit once and a while.  The one positive of a film career (besides the increased bank account) is that it can result in enough fans that producers are able to sell tickets based on an actor’s name, which increases the chances said actor will actually get cast.  But I’m still hoping for a reversal to this trend, as Broadway cannot afford to continue losing our most promising talents to Hollywood’s cold, unfeeling embrace.

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.