Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve done what I really should do every frickin’ time I go to the office, which is go get a TKTS ticket and see a show after work. I work a block from Times Square, it’s easy. Sometimes, I plan to and then the day gets me and I’m like, nah, too tired. But anyway…
I wrote this Chess review already and the computer gods ate it. Let’s see if I can remember what I said.
Chess is one of those ’80’s musicals that started as a concept album, written by the ABBA boys, Benny and Bjorn, along with Evita lyricist Tim Rice. It’s notorious for having a great score, but a book that’s never really worked on stage. Songs like “One Night in Bangkok” actually hit the pop charts. I knew it from one of the many cassette tapes (remember them?) that Vance would send me during our post-college 20’s, and liked what I heard, but had never had a chance to see it before. I own both the original concept album and the original Broadway recording. Judy Kuhn, man, going from Cossette to that belty role and just slaying.
Well, it’s on Broadway right now, in a classy revival starring regular Broadway leading man Aaron Tveit as the American, recent Broadway impressive find (most recently from Sweeney Todd, which Tveit was also in) Nicholas Christopher as the Russian, and Broadway and Glee star Lea Michele as the girl between them. So I was happy to go see it and see whether I actually liked the show or not.
Bottom line, no, I don’t. The characters are not developed well enough so that you care about them, and the cold war story held no interest for me. You don’t even see them playing chess, and we’ve seen from Queen’s Gambit and such that that can be riveting if done right. (OK, maybe they do play, for like 5 seconds. I don’t remember.) So I don’t think this is a show I’d want to spend my personal energies rehearsing, although a couple of friends I trust chimed into say they’ve been in it or directed it and it was a terrific experience. OK. I’m not a big fan of the screamy rock-type shows… although I have done Evita on stage and had a great time. (and got to play in the pit for JCS, which I also loved)
But… as a a performance, it was excellent. All three singers were on the top of their game. I know I saw Lea Michele as the little girl in the original Ragtime (I’m old) and probably in Spring Awakening, but missed (well, didn’t really miss, but didn’t see) Funny Girl. But she was great. It’s funny – I asked my Echo to play “Nobody’s Side” a few days later (I adore that song, it’s so angry) and it picked a recording I was unfamiliar with and I thought it was LM, but it was Idina Menzel. They sound very much alike. (yes, I know about their Glee relationship) Anyway, great match of role and actor. Nicholas Christopher, who has the more interesting male role, is terrific and the Tony chatter seems to be about him. This is his first time creating a lead role in a production, I think, and it’s great seeing someone rise up from the ranks like he did.
I thought the production was fine (the ensemble and dancing were excellent), but I am tired of Broadway productions having the orchestra as a backdrop instead of an actual set. The only time this worked well for me recently was Once Upon a Mattress, where they were nicely integrated into the same set that every production of Mattress has.
So… definitely worth seeing. I very much see new shows with an eye towards “would I want to ever do this show” and “would this work in a small-scale community theater production”. The answer here would be “no” and “sure, why not”, there are no big technical challenges.
Maybe Happy Ending is a small-scale musical that’s a block away from my office. It took the Tony last year. It sounded adorable and everyone I know who’d seen it thought it was wonderful. It’s about two robots who fall in love – no, really. They are ‘helper bots’ that have been retired and are living in somewhat-dull robot living quarters, basically waiting to wear out because replacement parts are no longer available. So there’s definitely a melancholy streak through the whole thing, and mirroring of just what Life is Like for all of us.
The staging was remarkable – a lot of cinematic devices where the stage itself forces you to look one way or the other, or on two scenes happening at the same time. It was always beautiful and almost always somewhat startling (but not offensive) in its cleverness.
The cast is just four people – the two robots, a jazz singer character, and an ‘everyone else’ guy who plays a couple of important foils, plus some walk-ons. I thought the music was delightful, but unmemorable – no tunes I left humming, and I’m not rushing to get the album. But as a theatrical experience, I think “lovely” is the right word. I saw Darren Criss in his Tony-winning performance – the girl was not famous, and they were in the process of switching from one actress to another. Funny about that sort of thing, they’re definitely pushing Darren Criss as ‘the star’, but both roles are equally large/important. Reminds me of when “The Pirates of Penzance” has been on Broadway and they’ve pushed the Pirate King as the star, with maybe a small line later on as “with so-and-so as Frederic”, even though Fred is the one who is never off stage and it’s his story. Anyway.
For my two criteria – yes, I’d probably love to work on this show, although I don’t see any obvious fit for me – maybe the old man. And would this work as a community theater/school show? Yes, absolutely. Although this staging was quite complex, there’s nothing about the story that requires that, you could totally do this in a black box with piano. You could also expand the cast so the ‘everyone else’ roles are split up. This would be a great project for student directors, actually. (as would the two operas I’m working on right now, which also have small casts and minimal technical requirements)
So, like Chess, I say ‘go see it’, but unlike Chess, I can say, ‘because it’s lovely and I was charmed all the way through’.
I’m hoping I can see one or two more before opera rehearsals start up. I still haven’t seen MJ the Musical (and want to), or Hadestown (which I’ve never wanted to, but everyone loves it, so I probably should). And wouldn’t mind seeing Ragtime or Becky Shaw or Schmigadoon or Death of a Salesman either. And everyone should go see Cats: the Jellicle Ball, but I already saw it downtown. (I’ve always wanted to say that, it’s a very NYC thing to say)
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