Different Doesn't Mean Bad...Does It?

Tomorrow night I head out to see a production of a show I’ve seen live on stage one time (on tour), and numerous times on youtube (the original Broadway production). This won’t be the first time I’ve seen a show on Broadway and then in a regional or community theatre, or a show in more than one production. It’s very strange at times. Strange because you “know” the Broadway cast. You have the cast recording. You know those voices.

When I saw Wicked the first time, it was on tour in a town close to me. I loved it! But I couldn’t help but think how weird it sounded, hearing someone other than Idina Menzel or Kristin Chenoweth singing for Elphaba and Glinda. It didn’t take anything away from my experience, but it was in the back of my head, nonetheless.

When I saw a regional production of Next to Normal, after seeing the amazing OBC in New York, I went into it knowing it would be different. I didn’t expect it to be the same as the original. And I LOVED it.

The same thing should apply to all productions, right? If you can go into it understanding that there is no WAY it can be the same as the original, and accept that it won’t be, you should be able to enjoy it for what it is. Even love it.

But that is where I stumble. I’m having trouble with the new touring cast of American Idiot. I have no doubts that they are talented. I have no doubts that they will do a good job. Goodness knows, I want as many people as possible to be able to see the show. I love the show too much to wish that it stopped after the first national tour ended. I also know that it will be very difficult for smaller regional theatres to produce this show. It’s very technical. The flying alone is more than most smaller theatres could deal with.

My love for the first national tour cast of American Idiot is more than my love for anything other theatre related thing….ever. Really. That alone has made a different cast hard to swallow. Not that I don’t have faith that they can do it. But that I was so attached, and change is hard.

Today I saw an article on Playbill that had the promotional pictures from the new cast. It was strange to me. As excited as I am that I’ll get to see the show again, and as excited as I am to see what changes have come with having a new cast, it’s weird. I look at the pictures and the “right” people aren’t in them. The costumes are different. The faces are different. I know the voices will be different.



New Idiot Tour Cast



Different doesn’t mean bad. But even the different pictures make me realize how badly I miss the first national tour cast. And wonder if I’ll be able to get past myself to be able to at least enjoy this new tour. I hope so. I really do. I was able to make the transition from Broadway cast to tour cast. But I’m almost afraid that the first national tour cast cemented themselves so deeply in my heart that I won’t be able to get past them.

But I’m trying to accept. I’ve started out following the new cast members on twitter. Then maybe I can feel a little more like I know them when I see the show on tour. Perhaps I’ll even grow to love them. But fear not, my first national tour cast. No one will ever take your place in my heart.

Wicked

Wicked is one of those “modern classics” that everyone talks about. Even people who don’t know theatre know about Wicked. You can debate all day long the quality of the writing or the music, but it’s a show that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s so popular that there are NEVER discounts for tickets to see it in New York. On top of no discounts, tickets are ridiculously expensive. Wicked is the show that isn’t in any danger of closing. Because of this, I have never actually seen Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre in New York. I have been inside the lobby once, and I can only imagine how amazing it is to see on stage there. However, due to my budgetary constraints, I’ve never purchased actual tickets to see the show there.

In 2009 Wicked came to Nashville on tour. This was the first time I had ever seen the show, even though the cast recording had become a staple in my house. I paid an ungodly amount of money for orchestra seats and went expecting to be blown away. I was.

I am always looking for a deal, but when I heard that Wicked was returning to Nashville this year, I had to get tickets. Since I saw the show the first time, I’ve wanted to take my younger sister. I knew she’d love it and I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see Wicked a second time. When I was researching ticket prices due to the different prices for different show times (for example, mid-week performances are often slightly cheaper than a weekend performance) I discovered that Nashville was having a random Thursday matinee. When I checked on the price, I discovered it drastically cheaper than the weekend shows. By drastically, I’m talking around 40% cheaper. I bought them immediately.

This tour of Wicked was just as fantastic as I remember the other one being. For those of you who don’t know the story of Wicked, their tag line says “So much happened before Dorothy dropped in.” Basically, this is the “true” story of the witches of Oz. It focuses on Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West (whose name, we learn, is Elphaba). These polar opposite girls meet as young people In finishing school and despite their initial misgivings, become good friends.

As the story progresses, you discover how Elphaba becomes “wicked” and how Glinda manages to become Glinda the Good. Along with that, you learn all about the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, the flying monkeys, and how the views of the masses can often be clouded by the way that something is portrayed by those in positions of power.

For this tour, Glinda was played by Tiffany Haas. Her Glinda was chipper, hyper and generally lovable, as are most Glindas, but Haas added a level of depth that I didn’t see in the last Glinda I saw. Haas took the time to let you know that she wasn’t all air and bubbles in her head, but was simply trying to keep things in her world in the neat, orderly fashion to which she was accustomed. I loved her interpretation of “Popular.” But her moment of heartfelt pain was the reprise of “I’m Not that Girl.”

Anne Brummel is cast in this tour cast as Elphaba, but I saw Christine Dwyer in her place. Ms. Dwyer was spectacular. I’ve always felt a connection to Elphaba, and I was overjoyed to see Dwyer’s interpretation of one of my favorite characters. Of course, with any Elphaba, her shining moment was “Defying Gravity,” but she was such a likable Elphaba, that it’s hard to pick one moment of her performance that was the best. Vocally, she was superb, and her chemistry with Haas was fantastic. I will say that both times I’ve seen Wicked, I’ve been left physically shaking from the adrenaline that “Defying Gravity” sends through my system (right before intermission, of course).

One of my favorite characters this show was Nessarose. Better known to some of you as the Wicked Witch of the East. Nessarose was played with great gusto by Emily Ferranti. I love her ability to transform Nessarose from the slightly outcast younger sister of Elphaba, to the sad, desperate character that ends up living on in infamy as the Wicked Witch of the East. Nessarose is so desperate to find love that she risks, and loses, everything she loves for someone who doesn’t love her back.

Playing Fiyero, the love interest of both Glinda and Elphaba, Michael McCorry Rose was in for David Nathan Perlow. When Michael McCorry Rose first came out on stage, in Fiyero’s infamous “Dancing Through Life” number, I was a little worried. I thought it was a little shaky (not vocally), but he turned it around quickly. It was a quick change to a confidant, slightly cocky, Fiyero that took over. And I loved seeing the relationship develop between Fiyero and Glinda and Fiyero and Elphaba.

Other notable cast members were Madame Morrible, school matron, and eventually press secretary to the Wizard, played with cunning and spectacular evil by Jody Gelb, and the Wizard himself, played with great matter of fact attitude by Don Amendolia. Gelb and Amendolia made a great team as Madame Morrible and the Wizard on their quest to “keep the peace” and essentially control the citizens of Oz.

The music, as always, was so beautifully written (and performed) that you are sucked in from the first number and you are rooting for both Glinda and Elphaba throughout the entire show. Costuming is top notch (and personally, if you can sit as close as possible, to see the details, you should), and the book is snappy and full of comedy. There are lines in the show that still pop in my head from time to time at random moments (that’s a sure sign that you’ve got a good show on your hands).

Because this story is written so well, it can make perfect sense to a child and teach them about being different, standing up for what you believe in, and friendship, while having a deeper meaning to an adult, showing social injustice, media portrayal, and the way that those who see issues often just sit by and let them happen to avoid causing problems for themselves.

There are so many little things about this show that can touch almost any person. I’d advise almost anyone to go see it. Especially if you have a friend who isn’t exactly a “theatre person.” This show could make almost anyone a fan of theatre. You can still catch Wicked on its Nashville tour stop through November 6th. You can get tickets on the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s website, or by calling the box office at 615-782-4040. And if you are in the area, you can even “lotto” this show. Basically, you show up 2 ½ hour before the show and put your name in. Two hours before, they draw names for $25 orchestra seats. You risk not getting seats if you do this, but if you’re feeling lucky, it’s worth a shot (let me know if you win!).

In the Heights

Spectacular. That is really the one word that can summarize In the Heights. The rest of this post will simply be about why the show was so spectacular. In the Heights is about a community in Washington Heights, Manhattan. If you’ve ever been to New York City, you may realize how easily you can get lost. Not directionally lost, but lost in the sense that you are alone, surrounded by a million people. I’ve often told people that New York is the only place in the world that I’ve ever been completely alone, yet surrounded by people at the same time. But as a tourist, it’s different. I imagine that if you live in New York that you can find little communities like the one portrayed in In the Heights. At least I hope there are. Because having a home and a community to be part of is such an important thing and becomes the ultimate theme of the whole show.

In the Heights focuses on a small area of Washington Heights that is mostly Latino. Many of the people are immigrants from South American countries, or first generation American-born. Because it focuses on such a small area, the history and culture of the area is distinct. There are the Rosario’s, who own the local taxi & limo service, who’s daughter Nina is home from her first year at Stanford University. There are Usnavi and his cousin Sonny who run the local bodega. Next to Usnavi’s shop, is the local hair salon, run by Daniela with the help of Carla and Vanessa. Daniela’s shop is closing & moving due to rent increases. Vanessa just wants out of Washington Heights.

The whole community almost seems to be held together by the local patriarch, Abuela Claudia, played beautifully by Elise Santora, who is much younger than her character but captures the love of Abuela so well. She’s taken care of all of the children as they’ve grown up. She cared for Usnavi after his parents passed away. And she’s been a constant source of community of the neighborhood. It’s like she’s the central person that they all gravitate toward. And rightly so. Abuela is such a caring, loving person. She reminded me so much of my own grandmother, always worrying about people and their well-being. Usnavi was played by Joseph Morales. He was fantastic. I thought he did a amazing job with the whole role, but I really loved his actions around Usnavi’s love interest, Vanessa. He was extremely convincing in his nervousness around her. And it was very endearing.

Vanessa was played by the lovely Lexi Lawson (who I saw in the role of Mimi in Rent on tour a few years ago). Vanessa reminded me so much of myself in her desire to just get out of where she’s at. She wants out of Washington Heights. She wants a better job. She wants more than what she’s got.

The set itself is so amazing. From the third row where I sat, I felt like I was actually in Washington Heights. And the lighting, especially during the number “Blackout” (a great number to end the first act) was fantastic. In watching this show, you spend three days with these people, in their community. And you leave feeling like you are friends with them. Like you could walk down the street and see them, and stop to have a conversation. I walked out of that show feeling invested in the characters, and the show.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who began writing this show when he was a sophomore in college, managed to create a beautiful, touching piece of theatre. If he never did anything else in his life, he would have written one of the most amazing pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen. My only regret is that I didn’t get to see it on Broadway. I’m kicking myself for it now, but am eternally grateful to the tour cast for bringing the show to Nashville. On a side note, I want to specifically thank this cast for being so welcoming. Joseph Morales and Lexi Lawson both tweet. And both have tweeted me on several occasions when I tweeted questions. Including Joseph, who I tweeted at intermission and he tweeted back within a couple of minutes. That means a lot to fans. I don’t know if they realize how much. I won’t get into it all, but I will say that BroadwayGirlNYC wrote a fantastic post at Broadway World that covers it pretty well. I don’t know if they’ll read this, but I wanted to thank them for responding to their fans on Twitter.

Also, April Ortiz, who played the role of Daniela was totally awesome at the stage door. She was one of the last people out and stood around to talk with us. More than just the typical signing autographs and moving on. I was probably the oldest person at that stage door and it meant a lot to me. But the younger teens who were there… I’m sure that’s an experience they will never forget. Thank you for shaping their memories of the theater. And for shaping mine.

Spring Awakening

My first memory of Spring Awakening was the performance I saw by the original cast on the 2007 Tony Awards. At the time, I wasn’t going to New York on a regular basis, and I wasn’t following theatre very closely (my addiction was there, but hadn’t taken full root yet. ;). I knew I’d love to see the show. And watching them win 8 Tony awards that night really made me wish I could see it. Sadly, I didn’t get to see the show before it closed. But I did purchase the cast recording fairly quickly and had a basic idea of the plotline of the show.

Knowing that the subject matter of the show was very controversial (even the cast recording as an EXPLICIT label on it) and has some nudity in it, I really figured it would never even come close to Tennessee. I love my state and I love where I live, but sometimes it can be conservative to a fault. Shows like Spring Awakening and RENT are going to get way less support than shows that some would call “more appropriate”.

Anyway, that knowledge in mind, when Spring Awakening came to Atlanta last year, myself and a friend went down to see the show. It was, to say the least, AMAZING. The talent in the show was incredible. But the show itself was a masterpiece. I’m not here to give my opinion on that production, however. I’m here to share about another production of the show. Nashville’s Tennessee Performing Arts Center actually picked it up for this season.

If you aren’t familiar with Spring Awakening, one of the most distinguishing parts of the show is that a limited number of audience members sit on stage during the show. I was advised to not get stage seating for the first time I saw the show, but since I’d already seen the show, I opted to try to get a ticket for stage seating when they released additional seating the week before the show opened at TPAC in Nashville. They are cheaper (only $25) than any other seating in the theatre and I knew I was going to be in Nashville last Saturday anyway. And I was lucky. I was able to get a seat.

When you show up at the theatre you go to a specific area and are lined up in a particular order. One person I was standing next to had been at the show the night before and enjoyed it so much she came back. On the other side of me was a young man (only 18) that had tickets to every single show that weekend (the production was only in town Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Upon talking with him a little more, I found out he’d seen it 7 times on Broadway and had traveled all over the country following the equity tour. Wow (That almost makes me feel normal about my obsession with American Idiot. Almost.).

The set design is pretty amazing. It has things hanging all over the walls, and it looks very crazy, but the coloring fits the mood of the show. It has a very similar feel to the set design from American Idiot, which is no surprise since they were both designed by the very talented Christine Jones. There are two rows of chairs sitting on each side of the stage. Some are left empty for the cast members to use. The musicians are on stage as well. Outside of a few props, and the chairs the cast use, the set is just lighting, the design on the walls, and an area of the floor that is covered in one area with a simple painted design.

The strength of the show is in the music and the dialogue. The songs are almost separate from the dialogue part of the show. It takes place in the 1890s in Germany, so you would think that the rock music type score would clash. But it works. The actors are in one mode while the dialogue is happening, and when the music starts, microphones appear from jacket pockets and the concert begins.

Overall, the show delves into what happens in a truly repressive society where the adults are refusing to talk to the children about ANYTHING even remotely sexual in nature. Once again, even being a conservative of sorts, I can see the problems with this. You end up with what happens in this musical. You have children who are trying to deal with their blooming sexuality, and you end up with death, unplanned pregnancy, and children who have no idea how to deal with issues like homosexuality and masturbation.

The actors in the show were amazing as well. In appearance, they were much younger looking than the cast I saw in Atlanta, and they also looked much younger than the original Broadway cast. One of my favorite characters in the show, Ilse, was played by the beautiful and brilliantly talented Courtney Markowitz. I have always been fascinated with the role of the “outcast” who had been abused and then kicked out of her home when she tried to report it. That character also sings two of my favorite songs in the show, “Blue Wind” and the haunting “The Song of Purple Summer,” which concludes the show.

Elizabeth Judd played a wonderfully innocent Wendla. She was perhaps the youngest looking cast member on stage, which gave credibility to her role. Jeff Ostermueller (understudy) was in for the role of Melchior and did a superb job. In fact, there wasn’t a member of the entire cast that I have a bad word to speak about.

The only issue that happened was during the dialogue right before “Don’t Do Sadness” and “Blue Wind.” There were some technical difficulties. The microphones for both Moritz and Ilse didn’t work. Those of us on the stage could hear them talking, but I’m sure no one past the first couple of rows could. Someone ran out handheld mics to both of them. But I would have hated to have been in the shoes of Courtney Markowitz or Coby Getzug. I very much felt sick to my stomach for them. But they were very professional and just kept right on going.

Perhaps it was because I was seeing the show from the stage (and catching all the little things (mess-ups, facial expressions, etc.), but I enjoyed it more than I had the first time. And I enjoyed it thoroughly the first time I saw it. My advice is that even if you’ve seen the show before, so see this production of it. It would be well worth your time.

Also, if you'd like to read a "real" review, go check out Jeffrey Ellis' review HERE.