Gettin' the Band Back Together

D+

It isn’t often that a musical with an original book makes it to Broadway these days, so I decided to buy a deeply discounted ticket for this Jersey import that garnered respectable reviews at the George St. Theater a few years ago. I wish I hadn’t.

First warning sign: the list of producers was much longer than the cast list.

Second warning sign: the lead producer, Ken Davenport, is also the author of the book, along with an improvisational group called The Grundleshotz.

Third warning sign: Davenport hops up onstage to give a pep talk before the show begins.

By the time the show began, I already knew that it was going to be a long night.

The silly plot revolves around Mitch Papadopoulos (Mitchell Jarvis; Rock of Ages), an unsuccessful stockbroker who is fired on his 40th birthday and forced to return home to Sayreville, NJ to live with his widowed mother Sharon (Marilu Henner; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, “Taxi”). His former high school rival Tygen Billows (Brandon Williams) browbeats him into reviving his old band to compete against his in The Battle of the Bands which he lost to Mitch 20 years ago. His former bandmates are Bart Vickers (Jay Klaitz; Rock of Ages), a math teacher who isn’t good at math; Sully Sullivan (Paul Whitty; Once), a cop who really doesn’t want to be one; and Rummesh “Robbie” Patel (Manu Narayan; My Fair Lady), a dermatologist on the verge of an arranged marriage. To replace their deceased guitarist, they hold auditions and choose Ricky Bling (Sawyer Nunes; Matilda), a rapping high school student. We also meet Dani Franco (Kelli Barrett; The Royal Family), Mitch’s former sweetheart, who is now going with Tygen, and her teenage daughter Billie (Noa Solorio), as well as some of the colorful local characters. The first act spends a lot of time on exposition with most of the big production numbers filling the much livelier second act. I’m not a good judge of rock music, but I found the score by Mark Allen uninspired. Chris Bailey’s choreography catches fire in the second act. Derek McLane’s (The Parisian Woman) functional set recalls drawings from a comic strip. Emily Rebholz’s (Dear Evan Hansen) costumes are amusing. I am puzzled what motivated Tony winner John Rando (On the Town, Urinetown) to direct. The cast is uniformly enthusiastic. Brandon Williams steals every scene he is in. Ms. Henner looks too young and sexy to play Mitch’s mother. The audience was clearly determined to show they were having a good time, occasionally shouting out retorts to the actors. Any mention of New Jersey was met with loud approval. I had to wonder how this show ever reached Broadway. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.

Jerry Springer -- The Opera

B-

It is easier for me to understand why it took 15 years for a fully staged production of this controversial Olivier-winning musical to reach New York (a concert version ran for two nights at Carnegie Hall in 2009) than to grasp how it won several best musical awards in London in 2003. In this thru-sung piece with music and lyrics by Richard Thomas (Anna Nicole) and book and additional lyrics by Stewart Lee, we visit the set of Springer’s notorious tabloid talk show, with side trips to Purgatory and Hell. It is hard to satirize a TV show that is essentially its own parody. The authors go for shock value, throwing in large doses of the profane, the salacious, the scatological and the blasphemous. For me, the novelty of hearing four-letter words sung from the stage faded quickly. The first act, though a bit long, was entertaining, but after intermission things headed south. The thinness of the material is almost counterbalanced by the quality of the performances. The cast, led by Terrence Mann (Pippin, Assassins) as Springer and Will Swenson (Waitress, 110 in the Shade) in the dual role of Warm-Up Man and Satan, is first-rate. Several have operatic voices that are thrilling to hear. Tiffany Mann and Luke Grooms are especially strong. Sean Patrick Doyle (Wig Out!) is notable in the transgender role of Tremont. The rather simple scenic design by Derek McLane (Sweet Charity, Noises Off) features a thrust stage with the audience seated on three sides. The costumes by Sarah Laux (The Band's Visit) are wickedly funny. The choreography by Chris Bailey is unremarkable and the direction by John Rando (On the Town, Urinetown) is a bit sluggish. The New Group deserves commendation for bringing a neglected work to New York and casting it with superb singers. It’s not for everyone, but if you place a high value on great singing and are not turned off by offensive language and themes, you might enjoy it. The rather young audience tonight responded with enthusiasm. Running time: two hours 15 minutes including interimssion.

Lives of the Saints ***

When Primary Stages offered a near-perfect production of “All in the Timing,” David Ives’s collection of six hilarious short plays, two years ago, I awarded it five stars. Now they are back with an evening of six more Ives playlets. Those expecting a reprise of Ives’s delicious word-play based sketches will be disappointed. The current collection is more substantive, but less stylistically successful. Most of the six plays (a seventh listed in the program was dropped to shorten the evening) are loosely tied together by the theme of goodness. “The Goodness of Your Heart” examines what one can expect from a good friend. “Soap Opera,” a pun-filled extended sketch about a repairman (think Maytag) who falls in love with a washing machine, shows the downside of perfection. “Enigma Variations” did not seem to fit the evening’s theme. With doubled characters and reversing roles, it was more frenetic than coherent. My favorite was “Life Signs,” in which a newly deceased mother thought to have lived an upright life suddenly begins talking to her grieving son and vividly disabusing him of that notion. “It’s All Good” shows a successful New York writer the life he might have had if he had never left southside Chicago. The title play, which closes the evening, demonstrates the simple goodness of two older Polish Catholic women preparing a funeral breakfast. Although the evening does not reach the delirious heights of “All in the Timing,” there are still lots of laughs. Returning from the previous production are director John Rando, set designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Anita Yavich and actors Carson Elrod (a comic genius) and Liv Rooth. They are joined by Arnie Burton, Rick Holmes and Kelly Hutchinson, who are just as adept at animating Ives’s characters. Although a bit disappointed that lightning did not strike twice, I had a good time. Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes, including intermission.

The Heir Apparent ***

I wish I had been able to approach the CSC production of David Ives's "translaptation" (his neologism) of Jean-François Regnard's 1708 comedy unburdened by expectations. Unfortunately, I could not drive away the memory of CSC's brilliant 2011 production of "The School for Lies." Ives's riff on Moliere's "The Misanthrope," which I thought was one of the best plays of that year. The problem with this work is that Regnard is no Moliere. The humor is broader, less witty and more scatological. Although it makes for an enjoyable evening, the play doesn't reach the heights of Ives's best adaptations or original work. The plot is an old standby -- scheming to win the inheritance of an allegedly dying miser. The major source of the fun is in Ives' delightful rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter. His verses are filled with delightful anachronisms and modern cultural references, e.g. soccer moms, the 99%, CPR. The entire cast is excellent, first among them the always hilarious Carson Elrod ("The Explorers Club," "All in the Timing") as the servant whose crazy plans drive most of the action. Suzanne Bertish, Paxton Whitehead and David Pittu, ever the reliable actors, shine in their roles. Dave Quay, Amelia Pedlow and Claire Karpen are all fine too. John Lee Beatty's set is marvelously cluttered and David C. Woolard's costumes are appealing. Director John Rando keeps things moving along briskly, but I didn't like the choice to have an actor break character and address the audience a few times. I liked the play, but I would have liked it more if I had not seen other better work from Ives. Running time: 2 hours including intermission.

All in the Timing *****

It was with some apprehension that I attended a preview of Primary Stages' 20th anniversary revival of David Ives's early hit. I remembered these zany sketches so fondly that I feared I could not possibly enjoy them as much a second time. I need not have worried. Under John Rando's flawless direction, Ives's six playlets are fresh as ever. The excellent cast (Eric Clem, Carson Elrod, Jenn Harris, Liv Rooth and Matthew Saldivar) are up to the high standards set by the original actors. Beowulf Boritt's set and Anita Yavich's costumes add greatly to the fun. Ives' delightful wordplay and comic social observations stand the test of time. "Sure Thing" and "The Universal Language" remain my personal favorites, although "Words, Words, Words" and "Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread" are not far behind. "The Philadelphia" is amusing, but runs on a bit too long. Only "Variations of the Death of Trotsky" disappointed, lacking the inventiveness of the other plays; unfortunately, it concludes the evening. Even the scene changes are amusing. If your funny bone needs a tickle, hurry to 59E59. You won't regret it. Running time: one hour, 45 minutes including intermission.

A Christmas Story - The Musical ****

(Please click on the title to see the full review.)
Yes, it's corny and cartoonish, but who cares? This musical adaptation of the 1983 film based on Jean Shepherd stories exudes such warmth and good spirits that I quickly yielded to its charms. The book by Joseph Robinette dutifully hits all the high points of the nostalgic film. The clever music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the lively choreography by Warren Carlyle greatly enrich the slender plot. The four members of the Parker are vividly and affectionately portrayed: nine-year old Ralphie (I saw Joe West, the alternate), kid brother Randy (Zac Ballard), patient mother (Erin Dilly) and goofy father (a winning John Bolton). Caroline O'Connor shines as Miss Shields, Ralphie's teacher. Luke Spring, as a tiny tap dancing powerhouse, is just amazing. The other members of the large cast (30 actors and two dogs) are uniformly good. The talented child actors successfully avoid any trace of cloying cuteness. There are two terrific production numbers -- "A Major Award" and "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" -- that stop the show. The costumes by Elizabeth Hope Clancy are delightful, but I found Walt Spangler's set too garish. John Rando directed with a sure hand. I hope the show will become a seasonal staple. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes including intermission.