“Face the Music”

City Center, New York • 31 March 2007 • 8pm
Music & lyrics by Irving Berlin. Book by Moss Hart.

Directed by John Rando. Musical director: Rob Fisher. Choreography: Randy Skinner. Starring Judy Kaye, Lee Wilkof, Jeffry Denman, Meredith Patterson, Mylinda Hull, Eddie Korbich, Felicia Finley, Chris Hoch, Timothy Shew and Walter Bobbie.

Absolute and unadulterated bliss. When Encores! does what it was intended to do, i.e. present shows that have become unjustly forgotten, the result can be mesmerising. Nobody ever quite did it as well as Irving Berlin and Moss Hart. They certainly knew how to write shows in those days. Charming songs, witty dialogue, light-hearted fun aplenty… Face the Music is the perfect feel-good musical. Who could ask for anything more? I know I’m sounding like Man in Chair from Drowsy Chaperone, but that’s exactly how I felt for the best part of two hours.

Rob Fisher, John Rando and Randy Skinner seem to have got everything just right. With a superb cast headed by the magnificent Judy Kaye, they have paid the perfect tribute to the good old days of musical comedy. The dance scenes, in particular, are a dream come true. No, really, they don’t make them like that any more. And that’s a downright shame.

“Spring Awakening”

Eugene O’Neill Theatre, New York • 31 March 2007 • 2pm
Book & lyrics by Steven Sater. Music by Duncan Sheik. Based on the play by Frank Wedekind.

Directed by Michael Mayer. Choreography by Bill T. Jones. With Jonathan Groff (Melchior), John Gallagher, Jr. (Moritz), Lea Michele (Wendla), Stephen Spinella (The Adult Men), Frances Mercati-Anthony (The Adult Women [understudy]).

“Boring and pretentious” pretty much sums up my reaction to this musical. Based on the Frank Wedekind play, the book is about kids who are going through a rather typical teen-age crisis in a German village at the end of the 19th century. Only in this case the consequences are going to be pretty extreme. So far, so good.

The show has two major problems that I couldn’t overcome. The first one is that by the end of the first act, close to nothing has happened: there’s no impeding drama, no big question mark hanging in the air. You could leave and not have to live with the unbearable burden of not knowing what happens in the second act.

The second problem is that the show is built on a conceit that just doesn’t work for me: whenever they sing about their feelings, the kids get hold of hand-held mikes and sing songs very much in the style of Rent. I’m probably showing a severe shortcoming in my ability fully to appreciate brilliant new conceptual advances, but I didn’t buy it. At least the music in Rent sounds like the music that the kids on stage probably play or listen to.

There’s more pretentiousness in the scenic design, the way members of the audience get to sit on stage, etc. A shame because there definitely is some serious talent on that stage.

“The Pirate Queen”

Hilton Theatre, New York • 30 March 2007 • 8pm (preview)
Book by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Richard Maltby, Jr. Music by Schönberg. Lyrics by Boublil, Maltby, Jr. and John Dempsey.

Directed by Frank Galati. Musical Staging by Graciela Daniele. With Stephanie J. Block (Grace “Grania” O’Malley), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham), Marcus Chait (Donal O’Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara)…

This is only a preview, so I don’t want to make definitive comments… but The Pirate Queen reminded me of Martin Guerre on so many levels. Big, epic, loud… with a desperately straight storyline and a few occasional flashes of grace.

The most outstanding elements of the production are Eugene Lee’s brilliant scenic design and Kenneth Posner’s magnificent lighting… which contributes to make the whole show lean more towards a big amusement park spectacular than towards legitimate musical theatre. But I have a feeling that, like Wicked, this show might become popular with audiences.

And maybe it deserves to: the sore, which leans heavily towards the Irish vernacular, definitely has its moments; the story, although cartoonish, is reminiscent of some lavish Hollywood pirate epics; and the acting is mostly good — even if I’m not quite sure what to make of Linda Balgord’s… well, strange… impersonation of Elizabeth I.

Of course, two prerequisites for enjoying the show are an interest in Irish jig (which I confess to lack) and an ability to get over appallingly trite lyrics. But it can be done.

What a surprise to see Julian Kelly in the pit! I’ve seen him musical direct more shows — especially Sondheim shows — than I can remember, mostly at the Leicester Haymarket in the UK but also in London. Going from Sondheim to Schönberg while crossing the Atlantic must be quite a change…

“Avenue Q”

Noël Coward Theatre, London • 12 March 2007 • 8pm

Music & lyrics by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx. Book by Jeff Whitty. Directed by Jason Moore. With Julie Atherton (Kate Monster, Lucy the Slut), Jon Robyns (Princeton, Rod), Simon Lipkin (Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Bear), Clare Foster (Mrs. T, Bear…), Yanle Zhong (Christmas Eve [understudy]), Siôn Lloyd (Brian), Giles Terera (Gary).

I think Avenue Q is one of the most groundbreaking, intelligent and infectious musicals of recent years, and its London incarnation is as fresh and invigorating as the show was when it opened on Broadway. Its ability to deal with topical issues in a straightforward manner is only matched by its endless inventiveness and the amazing virtuosity of its puppetry. Plus the score isn’t half bad.

Shows like Avenue Q are what the musical theatre needs. ’Tis a pity there aren’t more of them.