Archive for March, 2010
Sondheim with the company of "Sondheim: The Birthday Concert" courtesy of New York Philharmonic, Richard Termine
I admit it… I dream of one day being honored at the Kennedy Center, or with another lifetime achievement award. And if you’ve ever watched one of those shows, can you blame me? Not only does it fill your heart in that moment, to be so honored… It means you’ve filled the hearts of so many others, for so many other moments, for so many years. And that is something anyone can be proud of.
This past Monday night, the maestro himself, Stephen Sondheim, was honored at a celebration at Avery Fisher Hall. According to Playbill.com, he was quoted addressing the audience saying, ” First you’re young, then you’re middle aged, then you’re wonderful. This is wonderful.”
If anything, the night not only showed he’s still got a lot of life left in him at 80, it also highlighted that his work, spanning the last fifty (yes, 50) years, has a lot of life left in it too.
All I can say is, Encore!
–Sue
March 17th, 2010
Last night we saw a reading, which was followed by a spirited Q&A session.
It was great to see the audience care as much as they did, and give as much as they did — in terms of time, emotion, and feedback.
It reminded me of how generous theatre people (most were writers, producers, and other sundry theatre folks), and audiences in general, can be.
There was quite a lot for the creator to take in, as many of us had opinions to share… but the fact that so many of us had something to say means he must have struck a chord, and a deep one at that.
It’s great to be part of the creation of theatre… even when I’m sitting in the audience. If you can ever get to a reading, even if the show isn’t your cup of tea, the thrill of being there as a theatre piece is taking shape will make for an exciting night.
–Sue
March 16th, 2010
Ever wonder who goes to Wednesday theatre matinees? I have, on occasion. It just doesn’t seem like an optimal time for anyone except for tourists and the retired (and though both groups are so valuable to the health and vitality of theatre, you can’t only bank on two groups).
Well, the producers of Billy Elliot must have had the same passing thought. The difference is, they did something about it.
I’m not sure when the Wednesday matinee was devised, or by whom, or why it stuck, but when I saw the poster tonight on the train with the brazen copy of “5 performances a weekend”, I knew I was seeing the new formula for Broadway. (And, as I said to Scott, “they have a rotating cast of Billy(s), why not use them?”)
On this same note, as a tip from another producer’s blog, Telecharge came out with their own report, basically stating most theatergoers are not happy with the Wednesday matinee formula either…
Coincidence? Not so much…
Someone did their homework, and it’s paying off at the box office.
–Sue
March 15th, 2010
- Images by Karl Gnass
I mentioned the talkback we attended after the show on Tuesday night in yesterday’s post. There’s one more tidbit worth sharing.
One of the main challenges of bringing a show like “The Miracle Worker” to life is finding a way to have Helen communicate.
This production’s director, Kate Whoriskey, decided Abigail could touch anyone’s face, starting first day of rehearsals, so that she could know them. In addition to touch, sound (usually groans), and movement were Abigail’s modes of communication.
Apparently, the stage directions for this play were very intricate. When Abigail followed them as written, her movement was stilted and unrealistic. It was when they worked to find another way in… finding her motivation for certain moments, finding a way of moving from one moment to the next in the most fluid way possible, that they were able to bring this play to its feet.
And it is this reason, more than any other, that exemplifies just how crucial it is to have a good director on board. A director’s job (along with other professionals, in this case choreographers) is to translate the text and the playwright’s vision in a way that makes sense — for the actors and audience.
Writing stage directions, especially with a lot of choreography and physical movement, is a challenge when you can’t see what it looks like as you’re writing it… And even if they’re added during rehearsals and published in later editions, that still might not work… just because one actor moves one way, doesn’t mean another actor will move the same way. These things have to be adjusted, nightly even (every performance is its own animal), to make them work.
Hopefully, this body of work continues to stay in motion…
–Sue
March 12th, 2010
Scott and I went to see The Miracle Worker this past Tuesday night.
The story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan has become part of our culture, and I’m sure many felt they knew the story. This production in the round changes that.
Allison Pill, as Anne Sullivan, does an amazing job balancing vulnerability and strength in equal parts. Her determination and force of will are staggering. She’s brash and bold, and the best vehicle for these traits is her delivery of zingers throughout the play… not only providing some comic relief so the audience can collectively catch its breath, but also underscoring just how important it is to keep one’s sense of humor in challenging situations.
Abigail Breslin’s performance is so raw and delicate at the same time. There are many moments where she flings her young body to and fro, an illustration of Helen’s inner frustration at her inability to express herself “normally” and be understood. Then there are other moments where she curls into a ball, burying herself in her mother’s arms, thriving on the attention her fretful mother gives her.
Jennifer Morrison, as Katie Keller (Helen’s mom), treads a delicate balance of not knowing what to do for her daughter and doing everything for her. In every mannerism (from the way she holds Abigail, to the way she walks with the wind knocked out of her when the child is not near her) we see her walking that tightrope.
The family, from her father, Capt. Keller (played by Matthew Modine), to her step brother, James, (Tobias Segel), and Aunt Ev (Elizabeth Franz), have no idea how to deal with her… and their frustration often results in their most challenging traits on display.
The payoff that we all know is coming is what makes the show ultimately successful. We all know Annie finds a way to communicate with Helen, who in turn finds her way to communicate with the world. But even though I knew it was coming, the waterworks came fast and hard when Abigail began pumping that water and finally understood the words “Mother” and “Teacher.”
Happily, we saw it on a Talkback Tuesday. The entire cast, and the production’s director, Kate Whoriskey, were on hand to give us further insight into the process of how this show came to be what we saw that night.
A new mom herself, Whoriskey was able to articulate just what makes this story so unique. As a parent, you want to do the best you can by your child, but as Helen was an exceptional child with exceptional needs, Katie and Capt. Keller had to come to grips with the fact that they were not equipped to be their daughter’s primary caretaker… and they had to trust a 20 year old girl, who herself had been blind, to do it.
I was most pleased that night to see scores of children with their families in attendance. And I hope that those families keep spreading the word so this show can keep inspiring the next generation to reach for things that at times might seem impossible.
Get your tickets here.
–Sue
March 11th, 2010
I recently heard about a new group that I thought my readers would benefit from, The New York Broadway Meetup Group, which is dedicated to bringing fellow theatre lovers together for a show.
Not only do I LOVE the idea of fostering community even before stepping foot in the theatre, I LOVE the discounts they offer for top shows… giving folks that might otherwise be priced out, a chance to experience live theatre. Some (off/off-off-Broadway tickets) are even on offer for FREE! (How can you beat that?)
You’ll be asked to sign up with an email address and username to start a profile. To RSVP for an event, just click on the link, and you’ll be asked to pay for your tickets through paypal. Once your payment has been processed, you’ll get an email confirmation. You’ll also get emails about upcoming events that might be of interest.
Check it out, and check out some of the best Broadway has to offer.
–Sue
March 10th, 2010
There were a few holes I felt needed to be filled in our musical…threads that I felt were left hanging, or character/story arcs that just didn’t reach a conclusion I was satisfied with. When I spoke to my collaborator, he was wary about changing it again, as we’ve been working on it for years. But we went forward.
He saw how much it meant to me — how passionate I was. And now we have two beautiful new songs, and a subplot for a main character, which also fleshed out a secondary character, to boot.
And we (I think I can safely speak for both of us here) couldn’t be happier! Because at the end of the day, that’s what collaboration is, negotiation… and that negotiation is what makes the show stronger, because it really is bigger than any one of us, it’s a shared vision.
Now all we need are other collaborators to join us in bringing our show to life!
–Sue
March 9th, 2010
I was showing one of my nieces a picture from a recent trip. It was dusk, and there were birds perched in the trees in a beautiful park. She looked at the shot and jumped back in her seat.
“What is that?”
“What?”
“That!” She said pointing.
“Lamps?”
She laughed, relieved, “Oh, I thought it was eyes!”
And then I started laughing.
She’s very smart, my niece. She’s almost eight, and it’s obvious she’s got an active imagination.
It was in that moment that she showed me why I love writing for children. It’s why “Another Place In Time” and the Brubal stories have such a special place in my heart. Not only are they for families to share, but they also spark the imaginations of children — taking my visions and making them even bigger!
If I had to look into the future, I think I’d see a lot more projects for children and their families.
–Sue
March 8th, 2010
Ask any writer what her best project is, and she’ll tell you it’s what she’s working on now. (And this is more than understandable… you need to have that internal motivation to keep working and moving forward in the hopes to get it out into the world without any kind of guarantee — pay, deadline, recognition during the process, or even any promise of recognition after.)
Unfortunately, over a year ago, when I was knee deep in a new musical, I sent some of the songs out, and got my first rejection.
By this point, even though it’s true rejection is rejection, it’s par for the course… I think it was too early for that piece to go out into the world. I didn’t even have a full first draft yet!
Like a baby bird that hasn’t yet learned to fly, that piece was swiftly grounded. And unfortunately, I haven’t touched it since.
But, I’ve been hearing pieces of my favorite song, the finale, over and over again… It’s the last thing I heard in my consciousness before drifting off to sleep last night.
And though it might have been too early, it feels like it’s finally time to get this going again.
–Sue
March 5th, 2010
Tri-State area youngsters have an opportunity to compete for the chance to have their play performed in Chicago. The producers of Billy Elliot, Elton John, and corporate sponsor Fidelity have teamed up to bring the Fidelity Future Stage contest to our area. Here’s the contest in a nutshell from Broadway.com:
Students are invited to write a 10-minute, one-act play reflecting one of the themes from the story of Billy Elliot: pursuing a dream, discovering a special talent or overcoming an obstacle. One grand prize winner will have the opportunity to attend the opening night of Billy Elliot the Musical in Chicago, walk the red carpet, attend the after-party and have their play produced on Broadway. That play will be performed live at the Fidelity FutureStage finale gala event on June 14, 2010 at the Imperial Theatre.
The deadline is fast approaching, 3/15/10, so if you know any teens who would like to submit, encourage them to write right now!
–Sue
March 4th, 2010
Next Posts
Previous Posts
