men like you can never change...

Wow... Jason Segal and Neil Patrick Harris singing "Confrontation" from Les Miserables. Check out those smokin' bass notes from NPH.

Suckwatch: A Tale of Two Cities - Follow-up

A Tale of Two Cities had its opening night down in Sarasota last weekend. Thankfully, I wasn't there. But others were! And here's what they thought. They were largely kinder to the show than I expected, but it's not off Suckwatch until I say so. Recognize.

Stage Notes was there, and called it "A Tale Worth Telling". "The work’s not yet done, but this Broadway-bound musical is on the right path, thanks especially to a handful of stirring Jill Santoriello songs, Michael Donald Edward’s brisk staging, Tony Walton’s ingenious scenic design and a strong company led by James Barbour, pouring his soul into a towering performance as Carton."

Local paper The Herald-Tribune said the show, "needs work to make it more dramatically and emotionally compelling, mostly in the first act... There is much to praise about the show, and it certainly will impress Asolo audiences. But it needs more punch before it is ready for Broadway."

Variety was relatively kind to the musical, acknowleging it's many similarities to Les Miserables (including an act one closer titled "Until Tomorrow" - not kidding.) "Santoriello has crafted some pretty melodies and a few comic songs (at least one of them unnecessary) matched with lyrics generally better at revealing character traits than advancing the story. But in both script and direction, the show needs more dramatic tension and greater emotional punch."

Everyone seems in agreement that James Barbour and Natalie Toro are turning in top-notch performances, and that it's a fairly compelling story, if one that we've, uh, seen before. I've definitely witnessed director Michael Edwards making magic out of lacking material before. But can Broadway really stomach another epic drama musical about love and redemption, set against the backdrop of a war in France?

Broadway Lovin' Tweens - Foe or Friend?

Today's New York Times looks at the throngs of tweens storming Broadway to get to shows like Legally Blonde. Campbell Robertson's headline is "Tweens Love Broadway, But Can't Save it Alone". The article a general tone of disappointment in the trend of young Broadway-loving teens whose taste hasn't advanced beyond cotton-candy-colored sets and splashy, belty tunes with less substance than sequins and sparkle. Is catering to this audience really a good thing? Well, no. But...

Here's the thing. While I'm as annoyed as anyone at the groups of squealing 14-year-olds dressed to the nines as they wait at the stage doors, what is going to happen as they grow up? I know my taste wasn't exactly refined when I was that age - I just wanted to see Les Miz over and over and over again. And I loved Jekyll and Hyde, and Planet Hollywood, and Times Square. And you know what? I grew up, kept loving Broadway, and started to figure out what was good and what blows.

So I think there's a big glaring silver lining to this current tween trend in theater right now, which is that in 5-10 years, there will be a big audience of young adults who fell for Broadway in a big way at a young age. All of the theater grown-ups that I admire were Broadway-obsessed as tweens/teens. So I say bring em on, the more the better.

Just don't walk slowly in front of me on 8th Ave, or I will crush you.

And speaking of Legally Blonde, I hear there's an incriminating video of Laura Bell Bundy botching the final note of Act One at the MTV taping. If anybody has said video, be a pal and pay it forward, knowwhatimsayin?