The Week in Review(s)
Welcome to today’s edition of ShentonSTAGE Daily, in which I look back on the last seven days of theatre news and reviews (including my own).
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10
I’ve seen some big stars and voices at New York’s best concert space, Carnegie Hall, over the years, from Barbara Cook to Audra McDonald.
Tonight I came late to booking for Heather Headley, appearing with the New York Pops, so I could only secure a ticket in the Dress Circle, the second level from the top of the house; but even at that distance, the view was great as I was able to take in the full glory of the hall, and Headley absolutely indelible and incredible as she soared in a programme that stretched from Sondheim and Elton John (whose work she has performed on Broadway) to Jason Robert Brown, Tim Minchin, and Randy Newman. I was glad to have been there.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11
Atlantic Theatre Company in Chelsea have become one of New York’s powerhouse theatres for offering new musicals: right now, they’re represented on Broadway by the transfer of the delightful Kimberly Akimbo, and have previously seen Spring Awakening begin its life there.
Today I visit their second subterranean studio space, Atlantic 2, a few blocks from their main home, located in the basement of the acting school that the company also runs, to see the world premiere of CORNELIA STREET, a new musical by British playwright Simon Stephens that folds songs by Mark Eitzel into its story of a gentrifying New York where favourite local eateries are being out-priced by their surroundings.
The story isn’t too original — but a cast led by the stellar Norbert Leo Butz give it heft, warmth and texture. I could watch Butz doing anything; it’s great to have him back on the New York stage. The same is true for veteran Mary Beth Peil.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 12
On my last day of my current visit to New York, I catch up with Anthony Rapp’s solo show WITHOUT YOU at New World Stages, a show I previously saw when he first did it in 2012 on the Edinburgh Fringe and at its subsequent transfer to the Menier Chocolate Factory. In it, he chronicles his joy at creating the role of Mark in the original production of RENT — but also the deaths of its creator Jonathan Larson, just as they were about to begin previews at New York Theatre Workshop, and his own mother, soon after the show transferred to Broadway
When I first saw it, I had not yet lost my own mother; so 11 years later, I found it even more intensely personal and moving. He is also still in really fine voice, as he passionately revisits some of the iconic songs from the show.
I wish I could say the same thing about Lorna Luft, younger daughter of Judy Garland, who celebrated her 70th birthday a few months ago by presenting 70 GIRL 70 (a neat riff on Kander and Ebb’s 70, Girls, 70) at 54 Below. I saw it last night; though she tells some good autobiographical stories about her life’s journey — with barely a mention of Garland and none at all of older sister Liza Minnelli — the voice is more or less completely shot. I could post a video link to prove it, but that would be unkind. As it is, the unkindness is on the people around her — including her husband, who is also her musical director — who allow her to expose herself in this way.
Meanwhile In London, tonight saw a strange clash of the Offies and WhatsOnStage Awards, two awards ceremonies presented by theatre websites. In a former life, I was involved in both; I’m happy to still support the Offies, which recognise the otherwise often overlooked. But the WhatsOnStage Awards are mostly a joke and travesty, almost entirely lacking credibility.
Their selling point is that they are publicly voted for; but it is also their downfall, as they are just a naked popularity contest, not a marker for true theatrical excellence. It may be nice for BONNIE AND CLYDE to be transferring to the Garrick Theatre soon with a win for Best New Musical under its belt; just as PRIMA FACIE will also be heading to Broadway soon, newly anointed with the Best New Play Award (with Jodie Comer also winning for Performer in a Play).
But THE BAND’S VISIT, also nominated for Best new Musical, was unquestionably superior; in the Best New Play stakes, James Graham’s BEST OF ENEMIES would have been my choice; though a category that also included Gary Barlow’s autobiographical ramble through his career, A DIFFERENT STAGE, lacks much credibility.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 13
I arrived back from New York after an overnight flight from New York this morning, had a sleep at home, then went into London to see the National Theatre premiere of STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE, a new musical which debuted at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in 2019 but whose transfer to London was interrupted by the pandemic.
It’s truly been worth the wait — my full review for Plays International is here: https://playsinternational.org.uk/standing-at-the-skys-edge-national-theatre-olivier/ Like Girl from the North Country, it is a new kind of jukebox musical, enfolding songs by Sheffield songwriter and singer Richard Hawley into a play by Chris Bush that adds texture and emotion to the story it tells.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14
Today is Valentine’s Day, I go to Crazy Coqs to see two old friends — Frances Ruffelle and Norman Bowman — who are now also a couple, Their show — Frankie & Beausy — is a wonderfully warm evening, showcasing their intimate rapport.
A cabaret with Frankie — whom I’ve often gone to see in cabaret — is always full of unexpected (and sometimes eccentric) choices; but now partnered offstage as well as on by Beauty, resplendent in his kilted glory, the show has a revelatory intimacy as well as wonder. Both of them glow! Watch a little here: https://twitter.com/ShentonStage/status/1625588072900354050?s=20
Be warned: there aren’t any numbers from Les Miserables, with which Frankie became a Tony winning star in her early twenties; or Starlight Express. But there are some inspired and inspiring choices from Follies and Nine, amongst much else.
They will reprise the show on June 6. It is well worth a look.
BROADWAY’S NEW BEHEMOTH
For most of the last century, the Shubert Organisation have dominated Broadway as the principal theatre owners in town, owning 18 Broadway houses and at one point keeping an industry that was hurtling into oblivion alive by becoming major producers and investors as well. They also have a footprint off-Broadway, too, owning and operating the five-theatre New World Stages complex on 50th Street, west of 8th Avenue, and Stage 42, on 42nd Street.
In second place is the Nederlander Organisation has nine Broadway houses, while in third place, with five theatres, is Jujamcyn. But in a power shift that is likely not to end here, Jumacyn is combining its operations with British-owned ATG, whose Broadway footprint is already upon the Lyric and Hudson Theatres, plus the King’s in Brooklyn, and theatres in Boston, Detroit, New Orleans, San Antonio, San Francisco and Sugar Land, Texas.
The merger will see Jujamcyn’s flamboyant president Jordan Roth — described by the New York Times as “one of the most colourful characters on Broadway’s business side, pictured above — become creative director of the new company, with ATG’s Mark Cornell remaining as CEO.
The profits-driven ATG — majority owned by private equity company Providence Equity Partners — may find itself at odds with Roth’s theatre-driven interests, where his relentless focus has been on customer experience — according to the New York Times, “he has overseen everything from a redesign of the ice cubes (to reduce the clinking noise) to bringing in a new ticket seller, SeatGeek, to manage ticket sales.”
Both ATG and Jujamcyn are active producers: ATG Is currently a lead producer on Jamie Lloyd’s new production of A DOLL’S HOUSE, now previewing at the Hudson (which was due to have opened at London’s Playhouse pre-pandemic, but has been rescheduled for Broadway now), while Roth most recently brought the Encores production of INTO THE WOODS to his St James Theatre, and is now taking it on the US touring road.
OLDHAM COLISEUM IS TO CLOSE AFTER 138 YEARS
I previously reported the cancellation of all planned programming after March 26 here, following the loss of its Arts Council funding.
Now the theatre, founded 138 years ago, has announced that “the current financial situation is not sustainable for the running of a full-time theatre. It is with great regret therefore that we announce that we have entered into a consultation period with all staff and it is proposed that Oldham Coliseum Theatre will close its doors on Friday 31 March 2023.”
Having withdrawn £1.8m from the Coliseum, ACE has committed to reallocating it elsewhere to fund arts in the town: “We’re working closely with Oldham council on how this significant investment should be used to support the future of performing arts in Oldham and we are fully behind plans for a performing space for the town.”
Why that can’t be the Coliseum isn’t addressed. Both its CEO Susan Wildman and chair of its board of trustees Jan O’Connor have already departed; can’t new management be recruited and installed? Or is ACE determined to make a fresh start?
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15
CRITIC FACES (LITERALLY) A FAECES ATTACK
We’ve all heard of the shit hitting the fan, but here’s a new one on me (mercifully, so far): the shit hitting the critic. Huffington Post reported the case of a German ballet director 8approaching a critic this week, and smearing what turned out to be dog faeces in her face.
Marco Goecke, ballet director of the Hannover State Opera, reportedly approached Wiebke Huester, dance critic of The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, during the interval of a premiere and committed the assault.
In a statement posted on its website, the opera house said that Huester’s “personal integrity” was violated “in an unspeakable way.” It said that it contacted her immediately after the incident to apologize. It said that Goecke’s “impulsive reaction” violated the ground rules of the theatre and that “he caused massive damage to the Hannover State Opera and State Ballet.” As a result, it said, he is being suspended and banned from the opera house until further notice.
A feature in The Times today sees Ed Potton rounding up some past responses to critics, and included this paragraph on how some have behaved: “Authors, of course, can wreak their revenge on the page. Jilly Cooper gave the name of a critic to an incontinent goat in one of her books, JK Rowling made the despicable Dursleys Daily Mail readers after she objected to an article about her in the newspaper, while Michael Crichton, the author of Jurassic Park, offered a less proportional response to criticism from Michael Crowley in The New Republic. In a subsequent novel, Next, Crichton introduced a character called Mick Crowley, a child rapist with a small penis.”
This of course has all happened offstage, even if some of it plays out in public.
AUDIENCE (MIS)BEHAVIOUR IN THE STALLS
But abuse and other bad behaviour isn’t, these days, confined to twitter and other platforms that thrive on such conflict; they now regularly seem to spill into the stalls. Last night MOULIN ROUGE was stopped mid-performance after a disturbance in the audience: as one theatregoer tweeted,
Things have come to a pretty pass when SOLT have just launched a new ‘respect campaign’ to try curb bad audience behaviour. Speaking at the Night Time Economy Summit, SOLT/UK Theatre joint chief executive Hannah Essex commented, “There is definitely a sense coming through from members that audience behaviour is getting worse, they are having to deal with more incidents of people not behaving in the way they normally do and that’s creating issues. I don’t think it is just about theatres, I think it is a societal challenge around behaviour, possibly [taking root] during the pandemic, [where] a lot of people had time at home shouting on social media, and that has bled into their behaviour outside in the real world. So, I think it is something we need to do not just in theatre but in other sectors around respect – respect to staff and performers – and making sure people really understand that.”
VAULTING FROM THE VAULTS
The Vault Festival — which has offered a London platform for emerging artists and companies since 2012 — has suddenly been rendered homeless. According to a press release, “VAULT Festival, run by not-for-profit charity VAULT Creative Arts, had repeatedly sought a long-term commitment from The Vaults, but the venue is instead looking at other more commercial projects which leaves VAULT Festival without a home for 2024 and beyond.”
I recently wrote, “if there’s a venue I despise more than The Vaults in London I’m luckily yet to find it. Others may find its dingy underworld vibe edgy; I find it simply unsavoury.” So it may be a relief that they are forced to find an alternative home.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16
This summer’s Chichester Festival Theatre season was announced today — and since Chichester is now my local theatre (roughly 20 minutes drive from my front door to theirs), it is effectively my local.
I can’t wait to see their revival of ASSASSINS, with a cast that includes Nick Holder playing Jim Byck, a role I saw him first play in 2010 at the tiny Union Theatre in Southwark, in a production that was directed by Michael Strassen. I’m also looking forward to the arrival of Amy Herzog’s 4000 MILES, originally scheduled for the Old Vic in 2020 but cancelled because of the pandemic; the great Eileen Atkins is still on board, but Sebastian Croft has now replaced Timothée Chalamet. (All shows in the season are included in my updated feature on upcoming shows — see link below).
Also today, the first 190 shows for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe have gone on sale. I’m not sure if I’ll make it to Edinburgh this summer; the costs are now astronomical, though I enjoyed my brief return there last year.
SHOWS AHEAD IN LONDON, SELECTED REGIONAL THEATRES AND ON BROADWAY
My regularly updated feature on shows in London, selected regional theatres and on Broadway is here: https://shentonstage.com/theatre-openings-from-w-c-february-13/
See you here on Monday
I will be back on Monday. If you can’t wait that long, I may also be found on Twitter (for the moment) here: https://twitter.com/ShentonStage/ (though not as regularly on weekends)