Re-engaging with Playwright Rohina Malik About 'Yasmina's Necklace' andthe Art of Opening Minds -- New Play Premieres at Berwyn's 16th St.Theater from Jan. 21 - Feb. 27

(Note: This is a preview and feature story, not a review.)

Among my greatest passions in life are attending live theater, blogging and furthering my understanding of the human condition in ways that can ideally promote harmony rather than hatred.

In all three realms, playwright Rohina Malik helped make 2015 a rewarding year.

Last January, I saw Malik perform Unveiled, her acclaimed one-woman play about being Muslim in post-9/11 America, and then in March conducted an illuminating interview with her for a lengthy blog article in advance of her first full-cast play to be produced, The Mecca Tales at Chicago Dramatists.

I saw, loved and reviewed The Mecca Tales a few days later, and at year's end would rank it as my 3rd favorite play seen in 2015.

Not having had further direct contact with Rohina since March, I was excited when the opportunity arose to discuss her newest play, Yasmina's Necklace, which will be directed by Ann Filmer in a world premiere production at the 16th Street Theater in Berwyn from January 21 to February 27.

But while I presumed that the time between our conversations must have been personally and theatrically gratifying for Malik--with The Mecca Tales having earned a Jeff Award nomination for new play, Unveiled still being performed near & far and her latest play being readied to debut--I was concerned about how she was coping with the seeming uptick in Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment perpetuated by Donald Trump amid the Syrian refugee crisis and tragedies in Paris and San Bernardino.

Fortunately, assuaging my fears that a cordial "How are you?" query might come off a bit trite, Rohina as-positively-as-ever replied:

"Great! The new play's in rehearsal and it's going really well. Once you get to see the actors onstage, the script starts to morph, and that's really exciting." 

Certainly, over the course of our chat, Rohina would express dismay and concern about the malevolent rhetoric, Trump's bigoted proposals to deny Muslims entry to the U.S. and a recent rise in hate crimes--at one point referencing unsettling allusions to Hitler and Nazism that, while echoing thoughts I've had, were that much more harrowing coming from a peaceful, constructive member of the Muslim-American community. 

Susaan Jamshidi - Photo credit: Joe Mazza

But while noting that after a 7-year gestation Yasmina's Necklace is being unveiled at a timely juncture, Rohina Malik is far more excited about creating dialogue through her art than merely decrying societal injustice, whether on a micro or macro level.

"I believe the language of the play shapes things in a positive and beautiful way, prompting each viewer to ask, 'What can I do?'" while avoiding easy stereotypes."

Malik's ability to broach potent themes uniquely yet universally is one of the aspects that has Yasmina's Neckace director Ann Filmer eager to again share Malik's voice with patrons of the 16th Street Theater in Berwyn, where Unveiled also premiered under Filmer's direction in 2009.

"At its heart, Yasmina's Necklace is a love story, between a Muslim man who has Americanized his name to Sam, strayed from his faith and lost his roots, and Yasmina, who is an Islamic Iraqi refugee along with her father.

"I generally am not partial to romantic comedies, but while being a very funny writer whose work is quite accessible, Rohina has really created a story we haven't seen before--involving the concept of contemporary arranged marriage, something quite foreign to me--but yet makes it universal."

Both Malik and Filmer are ecstatic over the 7-member cast they've assembled for the 5-week run, which happens to include actors I enjoyed in plays I picked as my 2nd, 3rd and 4th favorites of 2015.

Susaan Jamshidi, part of The Mecca Tales at Chicago Dramatists, stars as Yasmina, with Filmer noting that the actress has long accompanied the play's development, including as part of a reading that provoked the director's interest.

After playing alongside George Wendt and Tim Kazurinsky in Bruce Graham's excellent Funnyman last fall at Northlight Theatre--in Skokie, where both I and Rohina graduated from Niles North High School some years apart--Michael Perez embodies Sam, the son of an Iraqi father and Puerto Rican mother who imagines himself Italian.

According to Rohina, who spent her first 15 years in London, the daughter of an Pakistani mother and Indian father, it was important for her to reflect upon the Latino Muslim community, as notions of Islam being synonymous with Arabs or the Middle East ignore the truth that Indonesia and Pakistan are home to the world's largest Muslim populations, which globally exceed 1 billion people in many disparate locales.

And having recently found Mark Ulrich superb as an FBI Agent armed with riveting revelations in Hillel Levin's JFK docu-drama, Assassination Theater, I'm very much looking forward to his turn in Yasmina's Necklace, along with Miguel Nunez, Laura Crotte, Amro Salama and Salar Ardebili.

Ulrich also brings an existing connection with the playwright, having participated in early renditions of Unveiled before Filmer realized the material resonated greatest coming literally from Rohina's own voice.

According to the director, who founded the 16th Street Theater in 2007 and serves as its Artistic Director, audiences instantly came to love Rohina, and she believes patrons of diverse backgrounds and mindsets will again value Malik's insights, observations and unique perspectives.

"I'll never forget a young man, who had come as part of a group from a rural college, quite emotionally saying 'Thank you for this story' to Rohina after seeing Unveiled, admitting that she had helped to counter his negative assumptions about Muslims."

Taking pride in being the most affordable Equity (actors union) theater in Illinois--tickets are just $20, with a $2 discount for Berwyn residents--the 49-seat venue inside the Berwyn Cultural Center almost entirely presents new works, representing a diverse array of writers and themes meant to stimulate conversation.

"Theater is dialogue," states Filmer, while sharing that post-show discussions will take place after Thursday and Friday performances of Yasmina's Necklace. "The reason to put on a play is so audiences can talk about it afterward."

Dealing with a variety of issues, including religion, observance, loss of faith, assimilation, refugees, romance and more, Yasmina's Necklace will stimulate plenty of dialogue, according to Malik, who professes to feel no pressure to portray Muslims with any particular sensitivity, focusing instead on simply "telling the best story I can."

"Yasmina's Necklace is my favorite work so far. It has great characters, but every one has their flaws, and that's really what I'm trying to do, create human beings on stage that audience members of all backgrounds can identify with.

"With all the rhetoric going on right now, I'm happy to do what I can by presenting a play that will create dialogue. Not just about hate, but also things like the imbalance in the way Muslims are covered in the media, and are made to feel collectively complicit [when a terrorist act occurs], unlike Christians were after the Planned Parenthood attack."

Aligned with Malik and Filmer regarding the vital importance and insight of art--including highlighting our similarities far more than the minor differences that often form the basis for acrimony, vitriol and worse--I'm looking forward to seeing Yasmina's Necklace on its official opening weekend, and will write my review after.

On a dramatic level, I hope I like it as much as--or even more than--I did The Mecca Tales.

But if nothing else, I already admire what its author has to say.

---
Yasmina's Necklace by Rohina Malik, directed by Ann Filmer; January 21-February 27 at 16th Street Theater, Berwyn. Tickets and season subscriptions available through 16thStreetTheater.org or 708-795-6704.

Signing Onto the Program: Spotlighting My Collection of Autographed Playbills

Les Miserables, Touring Cast, November 2012

Megalomaniacal as it assuredly sounds, I used to fantasize--facetiously, of course--about one day opening The Seth Museum.

This vast repository would display various creations I've made over the years--pun cartoon calendars, poetry, paintings, photography, photography books, greeting cards, music compilations, professional ads, blog posts and more.

Accompanying a library of CDs, DVDs, books and magazines I've collected over the years, The Seth Museum would also showcase to its plethora of visitors my vast stashes of shot glasses, ties, t-shirts, commemorative stamp panes, artworks, travel souvenirs, knickknacks, worldwide subway tickets, refrigerator magnets, ticket stubs, Playbills and a variety of autographed memorabilia.

This includes hundreds of autographed photos, as well as signed baseballs, books, CDs, Playbills and even a harmonica.

Now, with much of this and other junk cluttering my one bedroom condo, you may wonder why I'd need a museum.

Why not just invite people over? 

Which I actually do, with gatherings of friends and relatives multiple times per year. But while some of the stuff is quite visible, and much else viewable to anyone who wishes to look a bit deeper, a lot of things are within binders on shelves, put away in drawers, gathering dust in my storage locker (and mom's crawlspace), etc.

Accepting that there likely won't ever be a Seth Museum, I've decided to occasionally highlight some of my collections in blog posts.

Back in January I exhibited a good swath of my 300+ neckties, and having had to take hundreds of shot glasses off a bookcase when a cable guy needed to get behind it, I took photos in putting them back, so you'll one day have that beguiling blog post to look forward to.

Rent 2009 tour cast, including original
Broadway cast members Anthony Rapp
and Adam Pascal.

But having recently added to my collection of signed Playbills (and other theater programs), I thought I would post a number of those.

I actually don't actively collect signed Playbills, in terms of seeking out vintage and random cool ones on Ebay, or even regularly trying to gather autographs at the stage door of the dozens of plays, musicals and other performances I see each year.

But all of my autographed programs--a good majority of which are shown below; i.e. it's not that large a collection, contained in one 3-ring binder--represent shows I've seen, and are typically signed by rather notable performers that I've waited for at stage doors, requested & received by mail and in a few cases purchased on Ebay.

A few, like the two shown at top, are from cast ensembles, usually purchased to support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a great charitable effort that most Broadway and touring productions participate in during a designated period each year.

So, saving us both the time and expense of a walkable Seth Museum, here is a good smattering of my signed Playbills (plus a few signed tickets that I had autographed instead of or in addition to programs). 

Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and others
from the The Producers,
Original Broadway Cast, 2001

Signed on the stage of the Shubert Theatre, 2003

Denzel Washington, Julius Caesar, Broadway, 2005.
Signed in person. See end of this article for cool story.

Billy Crystal, 700 Sundays, Broadway, 2005. Signed in person.

Chita Rivera, Antonio Banderas, Jane Krakowski
Nine - Broadway, 2003 - Signed in person.
I also have another program signed just by Chita.

Chita Rivera, George Hearn, Marc Jacoby.
The Visit, Signature Theatre, Arlington, VA
2008 - Signed in person

Chita Rivera, Roger Rees, Mary Beth Peil
and cast of The Visit, Broadway, 2015

Hugh Jackman, The Boy from Oz, Broadway
2004. Signed in person.

Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, A Steady Rain.
Broadway, 2009. I also have a program signed
by the show's writer, Keith Huff.

John Lithgow, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,
Broadway, 2005. Signed in person.
I also have another Playbill signed by
3 other stars, including Norbert Leo Butz.

Diane Lane, Sweet Bird of Youth,
Goodman Theatre, Chicago. 2012.

John Tartaglia, Rick Lyon, Jennifer Barnhart.
Avenue Q, Original Broadway Cast, 2004.
Signed in person.

Josefina Scaglione, Karen Olivo. West Side Story.
Broadway, 2009. Signed in person.
Photo with Josefina.

Carey Mulligan, Skylight, Broadway, 2015

Patti LuPone, Gypsy, Broadway, 2008.

Alan Cumming, Sienna Miller and closing cast of Cabaret, Broadway, 2015.

Jessie Mueller, Sarah Siddons Society Gala.
Signed in person.

Program for Hunchback of Notre Dame,
Bailiwick Theatre, Chicago, 2008.
Signed by Dennis DeYoung, show composer,
lyricist and book writer. Signed in person.

Laura Osnes and Steven Pasquale, Carousel, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 2015.

Sutton Foster, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 2003 and The Drowsy Chaperone, 2007

Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde, Broadway, 2008.

Jeff Perry, Alan Wilder, Tim Hopper, Jim True-Frost,
Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble Members. Signed in person, 2006.

Stephen Sondheim, signed script book, Sunday in the Park with George.
Was sold at souvenir stand of 2008 Broadway Revival.

An Enlightening Conversation with Playwright Rohina Malik about Muslims, Misconceptions and What Led Her to 'Mecca Tales'

(Note: This is not a review of The Mecca Tales, a play I will see soon and review separately. Rather it is a preview and profile piece about its writer, Rohina Malik, based on an interview I conducted.)

Sometimes the most gratifying surprises in life are the ones that shouldn't be all that surprising.

Before I encountered Rohina Malik--first through Unveiled, a 5-woman, one actress play that she wrote and performed, then in an excellent hourlong conversation centered around her latest work, The Mecca Tales, opening this weekend at Chicago Dramatists with a 7-member cast--I held no enmity for Muslims, nor anyone who opts to wear cultural garb or pretty much anybody who hasn't provided an overt reason why they shouldn't be treated with anything but respect & dignity.

But as tolerant, ethnologically-curious and embracing of multiculturalism as I like to believe I am, I can't deny that Rohina--from the stage and in-person--opened my eyes and broadened my mind considerably...about Islam, women, humanity, commonality, hatred and much more.

In Unveiled--which I saw at the Skokie Public Library in January as part of my hometown's Coming Together: Voices of Race program--Rohina expertly voices five Muslim women with greatly differing individuality and places of origin, largely to address post-9/11 backlash against Islam. She elucidates on why headcoverings are worn--in her own case, a hijab covering the hair due to a belief in modesty--and portrays the hardship, honor and pride of each woman. Particularly withering is when she embodies a character who is scornfully told, "Take that shit off your head."

A scene from The Mecca Tales at Chicago Dramatists

Just as powerful as the 2009 play, which Rohina continues to perform across the country, was a post-show discussion in which she forcibly imparted that "Murder is forbidden in Islam; what the extremists are doing is not in the name of Islam."

World premiering at Chicago Dramatists, where Rohina is a Resident Playwright, The Mecca Tales also features five disparate Muslim women, but is entirely its own work, not an ensemble-cast evolution of Unveiled.

"I felt free to tell a story, as a playwright who is Muslim, but not simply as a "Muslim playwright." I addressed specific aspects of the culture in Unveiled and didn't feel I needed to explain in this piece why the women wear veils; they just do.

"I think this is a more universal narrative that examines concerns that are common to everyone, as the women reveal what brought them to Mecca, often having little to do directly with religion.

"The Mecca Tales will smash stereotypes about Muslims."

Born in London to a mother from Pakistan and father from India, Rohina moved to the Chicago area with her family when she was 15.

She graduated from my alma mater, Niles North High School--several years after my class of '86--where a short play she wrote earned lavish praise from a drama teacher. Yet at DePaul University, she majored in Comparative Religion rather than Theater.

It wasn't until after she was married, a mother and into her 30s that "I noticed a void in my soul" and soon wound up taking a writing class at Victory Gardens.

"I finally followed my heart and listened to my inner voice--and I've never been happier. We all have an inner light others try to blow out, but you always have to believe in yourself."

She is now an Artistic Associate at the 16th Street Theater in Berwyn and initially developed The Mecca Tales during a residency at Goodman Theatre, where she was a member of the Playwrights Unit.

Speaking with me within the theater at Chicago Dramatists where previews of The Mecca Tales "have been going wonderfully," Rohina was effusive about how the organization noted for nurturing Resident Playwrights has brought her vision to the stage.

Lavishing praise on Rachel Edwards Harvith, the show's director, Rohina credited her with being a wonderful collaborator who is willing to try things the playwright suggests, and is "great with actors" because "she calms, listens and guides."

Sharing that The Mecca Tales is about "the spiritual journeys we take in life," as it revolves around the five women who travel to Mecca for Hajj, Rohina expounded when I asked what she would like audiences to take away from the play.

"I hope that everyone might take a pilgrimage in their own life, regardless of any religious faith or beliefs. We need to slow down as a society, to sometimes get away from it all.

"The women in the play find a connection with Earth and sky, which allows them to ask--as we all should--'What is the purpose of my life?'"

Another motivating desire is that individuals come to have a better understanding of her faith, which she notes one-fourth of the world's population follows.

"Don't put Muslims in a box. The largest Muslim country is Indonesia; second is Pakistan. Yet many people think only of Arabs in regards to Islam.

"Muslims are like everyone else. We have morals and values, we care about love, loss, family and friends and we value human life."

Rohina was also quite illuminating when I asked about perceptions some may have about Islam, given not only terrorist acts but how the media can portray Muslims as intolerant and--noting the Charlie Hebdo massacre that happened shortly before I attended Unveiled--extremely sensitive and humorless.

"The Koran is clear about [responding to] mockery. It says, 'Don't sit with them,' not 'Go kill them,'" she stressed.

"Muslims are against killing, and Islamic scholars have written open letters to ISIS condemning their actions, but that doesn't get covered enough by the media. Contrary to what may be portrayed, the Muslim community does speak out against terrorism.

"A key Islamic belief is that God will not forgive the taking of another human life. And the word Jihad means struggle, not holy war, nothing to do with violence. Its meaning has been hijacked and, in truth, terrorists are often ignorant of Islam."

As this was, to my recollection, the first in-depth discussion of its kind I've ever had with a Muslim--not due to any aversion as much as a lack of opportunity and effort--I was fascinated with how Rohina educated me about the truths of the religion that is clearly intrinsic to her being.

But as I've long been leery of any religion, including my own--Judaism--that seems to force rituals upon its followers and shame those who opt for personal choice, I applauded Rohina espousing that "Nothing should be mandated.

"The Koran says that there is no compulsion in religion."

She also corroborated my assumption that, as with Jews, there are Muslims at many differing levels of orthodoxy, whose customs and even beliefs may vary.

According to her, most Muslims felt the media brouhaha over Michelle Obama not wearing a headscarf in Saudi Arabia was silly, especially given all the far more serious issues being faced, but she did note that Saudi Arabia is the most vigilant country in insisting Muslim women cover their heads.

As much as I enjoyed Rohina furthering my understanding of Islam and the vast majority of Muslims for whom peace, security, life and love are as important as to anyone else, what resonated just as loudly was how congruent her sensibilities are with mine regarding matters that have nothing to do with religion or faith-based spirituality.

Only posing about half of my planned questions because of how much I simply enjoyed talking with her--and because she had a subsequent interview scheduled in conjunction with The Mecca Tales--I ended by asking what change she would like to see in the world.

"I pray that people stop stereotyping Muslims," was her first response, to which I'm 100% empathetic.

Yet even more acutely aligned with what I try to champion is what she said next.

"Please support live theater; without audiences there is no theater.

"It's the arts that will change the world."

Anyone who peruses this blog with any regularity should know how much I believe the same, and I shared with Rohina my dream of somehow helping teens and others realize the wonders of cultural & artistic exploration, not only as a matter of entertainment, but for emotional nourishment and therapeutic sustenance.

Clearly proud of what she's accomplished and any effect her work might have, Rohina Malik ended our talk by revealing how people have come up to her, crying, after seeing Unveiled--I imagine The Mecca Tales will prompt similar reactions--and said:

"I now know what I thought was wrong. Your play really opened my eyes."

Which left me tremendously impressed by how both of the changes this talented, thoughtful, entirely personable woman most wants to see in the world--involving cultural understanding and the impact of culture--are inextricably linked, not only in who she is, but in who we should all aim to be.

---
The Mecca Tales runs at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., through April 12. For tickets, click here.

My 100 Favorite Stage Musicals of All-Time

When I was a kid, my father frequently played Broadway musical recordings around the house. I was even taken to some touring musicals while just in grammar school, such as The Wiz, A Chorus Line and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (really).

This must have engendered some sort of affinity for the Broadway art form, although rock 'n roll would be my sole music of choice for many years.

As I got older, I did elect to go to an occasional musical of my own volition, but had seen less than 10 as an adult before the year 2000.

Since then, I have become quite a Broadway aficionado and have seen more than 350 performances of at least 200 different musicals.

This list certainly isn't based on any exact science. It is meant to rank my fondness for each musical in terms of the source material, not any specific productions, but particularly spectacular renditions will have undoubtedly influenced my affinity for certain shows.

The ranking is merely of stage musicals--thus Singin' in the Rain, which was only done as a stage work long after the great 1952 movie isn't as high as the film itself would be--although a few shows, such as Grease, are now typically staged with the inclusion of songs written for the movie version.

I've only included musicals I've actually seen on stage, at least once, and there may be some slighting of musicals I last saw long ago. Although I've seen most major musicals, there are a few I haven't, so some omissions may be due to ineligibility, rather than distaste. (I toyed with listing some also rans, but elected not to bother.)

With that said, these are My 100 Favorite Stage Musicals of All-time, which could probably change somewhat on any given day, but seems about right. For now. (To whatever extent the distinction makes sense, "my favorite" does not always correspond to what I think is "the best." For example, I actually think #2, 3, 4, 5 and others are better musicals than #1, but it's my clear favorite.)

1.    The Producers
2.    Les Misérables
3.    West Side Story
4.    The Music Man
5.    My Fair Lady
6.    Sunday in the Park with George
7.    Fiddler on the Roof
8.    Rent
9.    Cabaret
10.  Avenue Q

11.    Hairspray
12.    Evita
13.    The Sound of Music
14.    Wicked
15.    The Lion King
16.    Sweeney Todd
17.    Spring Awakening
18.    Billy Elliot
19.    The Visit
20.    A Little Night Music   

21.    A Chorus Line
22.    Man of La Mancha
23.    Mamma Mia
24.    Jersey Boys
25.    Follies
26.    Fiorello
27.    Gypsy
28.    The Book of Mormon
29.    South Pacific
30.    Ragtime

31.    Guys and Dolls
32.    In the Heights
33.    Hello Dolly
34.    Carousel
35.    Company
36.    Camelot
37.    Oklahoma
38.    The Who’s Tommy
39.    Show Boat
40.    Mary Poppins

41.    Brigadoon
42.    Sunset Blvd.
43.    Chicago
44.    Parade
45.    The King and I
46.    City of Angels
47.    Pacific Overtures
48.    Miss Saigon
49.    The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
50.    Bat Boy

51.    Side Show
52.    Million Dollar Quartet
53.    Legally Blonde
54.    Beauty and the Beast
55.    La Cage Aux Folles
56.    Anything Goes
57.    Next to Normal
58.    Kinky Boots
59.    Cats
60.    Adding Machine

61.    A Christmas Story
62.    Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark
63.    42nd Street
64.    Oliver
65.    Working
66.    The Rink
67.    Funny Girl
68.    Damn Yankees
69.    Annie
70.    Little Shop of Horrors

71.    Singin’ in the Rain
72.    Tick, Tick…Boom
73.    Thoroughly Modern Millie
74.    The Drowsy Chaperone
75.    Passion
76.    Man of No Importance
77.    Crazy for You
78.    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
79.    A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
80.    A Most Happy Fella

81.    Caroline, or Change
82.    Dreamgirls
83.    Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
84.    Grease
85.    Kiss Me Kate
86.    1776
87.    Bounce
88.    Urinetown
89.    Bye Bye Birdie
90.    Curtains

91.    Into the Woods
92.    Spamalot
93.    Daddy Long Legs
94.    Mame
95.    Merrily We Roll Along
96.    Dangerous Beauty
97.    Phantom of the Opera
98.    Movin’ Out
99.    Seussical
100.  Wonderful Town

In the Spirit of Critical Congruency, Noting the Negativity about 'Ghost the Musical' on Broadway

(Note: This is not a review; I have not seen Ghost in New York, though I did see it in London)

As I hopefully make rather evident in my writings on this blog, I have tremendous regard and respect for the arts--and anyone who participates in them at any level.

So although I enjoy giving an honest appraisal of shows I see--and as I am not a professional critic, I actually pay to see them and am not compensated in any way for my reviews--I don't revel in being negative, nor nasty, about shows I don't like.

Even at the low level of reach and influence that Seth Saith enjoys, writing something unkind about a performance, and especially performers, would be to insult people who are far more theatrically, or musically, etc., talented than I'll ever be.

And bad professional reviews, particularly by New York theater critics about new Broadway shows, have caused many a show to close much earlier than planned. While this can be seen as a public service in saving audiences considerable money and time in seeing dreck, it also can cost many an actor, musician, stagehand, souvenir seller and ticket taker their source of income.

So I'm not hoping that Ghost the Musical closes quickly on Broadway in the wake of mostly scathing reviews after opening last night at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York. But based on having found the show quite lousy when I saw it in London in late November with the same lead actors, I didn't feel it merited a Broadway production (unless the producers tremendously improved it).

Though I accept that my opinion of musicals, plays, concerts, movies, etc. may often differ from those offered by professional critics, I respect the judgments of theater writers like Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune and Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times enough to really wonder why they might have loved something I didn't (such as with Camino Real at the Goodman Theater; I found it almost unwatchable--as did many audience members who left early--yet Jones raved about it).

Thus, even as the half-assed critic that I pretend to be, or even just as an avid theater lover, I'm often quite curious about how Chicago and New York critics will review a show, particularly one I really loved or hated. I still recall how, after catching a pre-Broadway production of Hairspray in Seattle in 2003, I told my mom that it would win the Tony for Best Musical. And I felt appraisingly validated when it did (after garnering great reviews upon opening on Broadway).

Now, as proof that critical reviews don't always matter much to audiences, when in London last November with my friend Paolo, we opted to see Ghost--with half-price TKTS, mind you--despite it getting middling notices from the London critics. The show, based on the popular 1990 movie, had opened in July 2011 and is still running in London, so a cherished title can supersede negative reviews, and did so even in my case.

But by intermission, Paolo and I were in accordance that what we were watching just wasn't very good. Despite being written by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also wrote the movie that we both recalled favorably, the story and dialogue were hokey and shallow. And even with music by Dave Stewart (of the Eurythmics) and successful pop songwriter Glen Ballard, few of the songs could even be termed tuneful, let alone memorable.

It took me awhile to post a review here, but within a recap of my London/Paris trip, I gave it @@ out of 5. I called it "pretty darn awful," but didn't waste a lot of space ragging on it. Especially as much of what made it subpar was in its tone, and thus difficult to expound upon. I also didn't expect many Americans to have a chance to see it anytime soon; though in theory the Hollywood-to-Broadway (via London) transfer seemed a natural, the show itself just seemed too slight to survive the New York press.

So when I noted shortly thereafter that Ghost the Musical would open on Broadway in April, I was rather shocked. Yes, popular movies turned into musicals have long sold tickets on name alone, but usually it takes their being rather good to really have legs (and thus recoup the investment): The Producers and Hairspray being prime examples, High Fidelity and 9-to-5 the opposite and Young Frankenstein and Shrek having fairly good but not fantastic runs despite mediocre reviews.

While the creative team of Ghost may have been pleased with the box office take in London, the lukewarm press had to be concerning.

The leads in London, Caissie Levy (Molly) and Richard Fleeshman (Sam)--who have reprised their roles on Broadway--were attractive and not completely unappealing, and noting above the trickle-down economics of a Broadway show, I wish the enterprise well. But I'm not eagerly anticipating the day, about three years from now, when Ghost shows up on my Broadway in Chicago subscription series.

And thus, when I awoke this morning and saw reviews that said things such as:

"[Ghost] may not be the very worst musical ever made from a movie. ... But it is just as flavorless and lacking in dramatic vitality as many that have come before."
-- Charles Isherwood, New York Times

"This musical suffers from a jerky tone and by putting a premium on high-tech over heart."
-- Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News

"The turgid score doesn’t boast a single decent hook."
-- Elizabeth Vincentelli, New York Post

"There is so much wrong with "Ghost," it's hard to know where to start."
-- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

...well, I can't say that I was surprised.

Still, box office receipts for Ghost on Broadway have looked solid during its preview weeks--although anyone so inclined in or heading to NYC should be able to find discounts at the TKTS booth or ahead of time through Broadway Box--so perhaps it will have a long and spirited run, after all.

A Mostly Happy 'Fela!' -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Fela!
a musical featuring the songs of Fela Kuti
Oriental Theatre, Chicago
Thru April 15
@@@@

"Original No Artificiality!"

Though the above phrase might not seem easily syncopated into a sing-along chant, Fela Kuti isn't known as the progenitor of Afrobeat for no good reason.

And though I've seen more than 200 different musicals incorporating many different forms of music, the score and choreography of Fela!--utilizing songs by the late Nigerian icon--are easily the most unique that I've ever heard and witnessed upon a theatrical stage.

While I imagine that World Theatre Day--which was commemorated yesterday for the 50th year--connotes theatre around the world rather than "world theatre" in the vein of "world music," seeing Fela! was certainly a wonderful way to celebrate the galvanizing universality of artistic expression. 

Heading into the show last night at Chicago's appropriately resplendent Oriental Theatre, I had scant knowledge of Fela's music or life--including considerable civil rights activism--besides what I quickly gleaned from Wikipedia and briefly saw/heard through YouTube, Spotify, etc.

Reprising his Broadway performance in the title role for which he earned a Tony nomination, Sahr Ngaujah showcased fantastic acting, singing, dancing and saxophone playing, not to mention astonishing abs. But from the upper balcony, I struggled at times to understand what he was saying (due in part to his accent or perhaps my hearing). Though I think I followed most of the highlights--and some dreadful lowlights--of Fela's musical exploration, widespread adoration and governmental persecution, on an initial viewing I failed to properly appreciate the arc of the narrative.

I staunchly hail the work by Ngaujah, the rest of the exuberant cast, amazing band and renowned choreographer Bill T. Jones--who also directed and co-wrote the piece--but I enjoyed Fela! much more as an African music showcase than I followed it as biography. Reviewing the plot synopsis on Wikipedia and elsewhere this morning, it's clear I missed some important moments in Fela's life, which likely explains why I felt that Act II could have gone 20 minutes longer or shorter without much consequence.

Because it was a bit challenging to understand, on both the micro and macro level, Fela! didn't congeal as a bio-musical the way that Jersey Boys--whose return visit is up next for Broadway in Chicago subscribers--did the first time I saw it.

But this is no reason anyone should stay away from Fela!, which offers entirely accessible transcontinental delights. Given the buoyancy of the music and dancing, plus Ngaujah's delightfully affable turn as host--the story is structured to be told from the stage of Fela's Lagos nightclub, The Shrine--even if one doesn't grasp the full extent of Kuti's estimable undertakings and daunting hardships, you'll get the general idea while being eminently entertained.

There is no shortage of articles and books one can read about Kuti, as well as a documentary and numerous video clips. So even if this ebullient show hits you more in your groove thing than your brain thing, that's not a bad thing.

Though certainly not an exclusively joyous account of a gifted musician's life, Fela! should make you most happy, indeed.

(If you don't get the reference of my headline or last line, click here. And also visit NothingButNets.net to support the show's efforts to help curb deadly malaria--caused by mosquitos--in Africa.)

Skilled Creators, Spirited Effort Fail To Spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S For Cheerful 'Bring It On' -- Theater Review

Theater Review

Bring It On: The Musical
Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago
Thru March 25
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When I first heard about Bring It On: The Musical upon it being included in my Broadway in Chicago subscription series--prior to having run on Broadway or even officially being slated to--my initial instinct was not one of great, pyramid-topping expectations.

Though the cinematic cheerleading opus from 2000 had a fair amount of cheesy charm, Bring It On never struck me as begging for a stage version. Even if it played well to the youth crowd in the vein of High School Musical--and I applaud shows that aim to indoctrinate new audiences, but want them to entertain me too--I was skeptical of the mass appeal such a show might offer.

But Hairspray, Billy Elliot, Legally Blonde, A Christmas Story, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Wedding Singer and Shrek are just a few recent examples of movies that, perhaps unsuspectingly, were transitioned into soundly enjoyable or even terrific musicals with sufficient cross-generational appeal.

Heck, if I were told in 1966--forgetting that I had yet to be conceived--that there was a new musical based on Fellini's Nights of Cabiria, would I have anticipated a sublime song and dance sensation? But Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, Neil Simon, Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon deliciously morphed it into Sweet Charity.

And several of the creatives behind Bring It On: The Musical--Jeff Whitty, Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Andy Blankenbuehler--were (separately) responsible for three of the very best, and most distinctive, musicals of the past decade: Avenue Q, In the Heights and Next To Normal. Though it's notable that these were all rare recent stage works not based on a movie or existing property.

So although I didn't head into the Cadillac Palace on Wednesday doing backflips (as if), especially as Chris Jones' Tribune preview cited poor reviews of the tour in Los Angeles & San Francisco and considerable pre-Chicago retooling, I looked forward to seeing what the talented crew had molded and evolved.

Unfortunately, Bring It On still feels very much like a work in progress. There were a few nice numbers and lots of impressive acrobatics by the attractive young cast, but the narrative felt rather schizophrenic and the whole thing just failed to congeal properly.

I don't know if this was the plan all along--though per the California reviews the basic storyline has seemingly stayed constant since the tour began last fall--but the musical deviates almost completely from what happened in the movie. This doesn't matter, as it's not like the movie was The Producers and should be held sacred, nor did I fully recall what happened in the film until reviewing the plot summary on Wikipedia.

So I won't bother to detail the digressions, but will give a brief synopsis in trying to explain, in part, what didn't work for me. (SPOILER ALERT, I guess)

Rather than Kirsten Dunst's Torrance, the lead character here is named Campbell (played by Taylor Louderman). She is the popular head cheerleader at whitebread Truman High, but has a heart and, albeit ineffectually, rebukes her stereotypically bitchy squadmate, Skylar (Kate Rockwell). But partway through Act I, Campbell is"redistricted" to the multicultural Jackson High. The song that accompanies this transition is among the best in the show--there is no song list in the program so I don't know the title--and it was interesting seeing how Campbell copes with being ostracized, now even less popular than the heavyset Bridget (Ryann Redmond), who also transferred schools. But amidst Campbell dealing with her new surroundings rather gracefully while growing as a person, the show introduces an All About Eve scenario involving a Machiavellian Truman High sophomore named Eva (Elle McLemore). Almost out of nowhere, Campbell instantly becomes more snarky, soulless and vengeful than she was to begin with.

I realize a narrative twist was needed to set up the final competition in Act II--and as you might suspect, our heroine eventually sees the superficial light--but it seemed to me Skylar was a more ready-made and natural rival.

Yes, I feel a bit silly delving this deep into analyzing the storyline of Bring It On: The Musical--which I should point out was given a standing ovation by the mostly youngish crowd in the balcony, so I'm not here to dissuade those who expect to like it--but although there was genuinely a good amount of "spirited" effort, I was never really engrossed nor wowed.

There were a few enjoyable songs, especially those that tapped the hip-hop tableau employed so masterfully by Lin-Manuel Miranda in "In The Heights." Though it was a bit saccharine, the "cheer up" ballad sung by Campbell's rather sporadic love interest, Randall (Jason Gotay)--I believe it may be called "Enjoy The Trip"--had just enough inspired lyrics and good intentions to work.

But with the caveat that, unlike most musicals I see, I was completely unfamiliar with the score heading in, very few of the songs felt particularly distinctive or special, and I can't say I recall any of the melodies a day later.

The cheerleading routines were well done, but seemingly not infused with the same degree of street vitality as those in the movie, even though Adrienne Warren is demonstrably good as Danielle, the Jackson High leader who battles and befriends the transplanted Campbell.

As one might expect given its subject matter, Bring It On: The Musical has a nice "can-do" vibe and perhaps with enough tinkering, those involved can still spell H-I-T by the time the show winds up somersaulting along The Great White Way. (An obvious fix-up may not really be a pre-requisite as Ghost: The Musical, a stinker in London, is soon to bow on Broadway).

But while I was happy to see the ovation others bestowed upon it--and even joined in out of respect--at this point I cannot figuratively stand and cheer for Bring It On, nor if I had any, wave my pom poms. And I didn't even mention the dancing Leprechaun number, which though more oddball than awful, spurred me to think, "Toto, I don't think we're in South Pacific anymore."

'Show Boat' Rolls Along Splendidly in Opera Voyage -- Opera / Theater Review

Photo Credit: Alex Garcia / Chicago Tribune

Opera / Theater Review

Show Boat
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Thru March 17
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Originally produced on Broadway in 1927 and oft cited as the show that redefined musical theater, Show Boat is the oldest of the great musicals I feel I should see--excluding the Gilbert & Sullivan works more commonly classified as light opera--and likely the most celebrated of those that, until Wednesday night, I never had.

Even without a point of comparison, the glorious new production by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, under the direction of renowned director Francesca Zambello, provided an undoubtedy robust introduction to the watershed work composed by Jerome Kern with book & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II (based on a novel by Edna Ferber).

In the Director's Note in the program, Zambello states that without Show Boat, which she dubs "the beginning of our musical theater history," we could not have "found a bridge from opera to our own American art form." She goes on to explain that she considers this production innovative for the way it marries "the worlds of opera singers, musical theater performers and dramatic actors."

Noted opera baritone Nathan Gunn plays the male lead, Gaylord Ravenal, bass Morris Robinson is Joe--he does a fabulous rendition of "Old Man River"--soprano Alyson Cambridge is Julie and another soprano, Angela Renee Simpson plays Queenie. The female lead, Magnolia Hawks, is played by Ashley Brown, best known for playing Mary Poppins on Broadway (and in Chicago on the first national tour). She is joined by a number of performers I've often seen on Chicago theatrical stages, including Ross Lehman (Captain Andy), Cindy Gold (Parthy), Bernie Yvon (Frank) and Ericka Mac (Ellie May).

As I've explained in reviews of more traditional operas I've seen--such as this one; I've attended over 40--I very much appreciate and admire the art form, but have never come to love it or "feel it" the way I do with Broadway (or rock, for that matter). Thus, while respecting longtime Lyric patrons who may wonder why one of the world's most esteemed opera companies is presenting a "musical," I am far from a purist who disdains the notion and instead very much endorse it.

This was my first trip to the Civic Opera House this season and while realizing that there are many other venues around town where one can see musicals, yet only a very few that present opera, in the name of marketing the operatic form to a wider--and younger--audience, I would fully be in favor of expanding what gets presented as an "opera production."

It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since I saw a wonderful production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd at the Lyric and that Show Boat is the first true musical they've done since. (They did do Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance some years back.) Having just seen South Pacific last week as a touring Broadway production, that's just one of the obvious musicals ready for an opera production; I'd also strongly suggest the Lyric do Les Miserables.

That said, while it was largely inconsequential to my enjoyment of a well-staged (though the sets weren't quite astonishing), exquisitely costumed and wonderfully sung performance, it seemed slightly strange for many of the songs to be sung in operatic voices yet for others not to be--most notably Magnolia's numbers sung by Brown, who has a great voice but isn't an opera singer.

There's traditionally a difference between "opera singing" and "Broadway singing" and there's an argument to be made for either one holding forth when an opera company stages a Broadway show. But the hybrid, while never really unpleasant, just seemed a bit curious.

Nonetheless, unless you're an opera lover who only loves the classics by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and the like, there's no reason not to take in this ebullient production of a legendary American creation--dealing with racial issues, including miscegenation, but also offering much literal and figurative bi-racial harmony, Show Boat was decades ahead of its time in many regards--and certainly shouldn't be missed if you're a musical theater lover.

I was going to say that tickets start at just $34 for weeknight performances, but the Lyric may be utilizing a dynamic pricing model as in checking on tickets for next Tuesday night, seats at the back of the upper balcony (for which I paid $34) now seem to be $54. (You can check tickets here; scroll to the bottom)

Photo Credit: Dan Rest

According to Wikipedia, Show Boat was last revived on Broadway in 1994, followed by a tour that landed at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre for an extended run in 1996. I wasn't as keyed into musicals at that point and didn't attend, but since becoming an ardent theatergoer in 2000, I haven't heretofore noticed any local opportunities to see the show, at any level. With a huge cast, lush orchestral score and the requirement of something approximating a riverboat, this can't be an easy or inexpensive show to produce.

All the more reason this unique production--with a full opera orchestra conducted by John DeMain and dozens of performers on stage combining to delight on the show's buoyant chorus numbers as well as beautiful ballads such as "Make Believe," "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" and "Bill"--shouldn't be missed as it rolls alongside the Chicago River. (Act II takes place mostly in Chicago and ends in 1927, which only adds to the charm of seeing Show Boat in the opera house, which was built just 2 years later.)