Ryan Leeds

Theater Review: “Middle of the Night”

Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy. Simple enough, one would think. Then again, that would make for a rather drab drama. So, to complicate the lives of our leading lovers, classic playwright Paddy Chayefsky has whipped up some conflict in Keen Theater’s tender revival of his 1956 play Middle of the Night, now playing on Theatre Row.

The Manufacturer (Jonathan Hadary), an employee of New York’s garment district, is a bit lonely. His wife has passed and he’s in desperate need of some tender loving care. When the Girl (Nicole Lowrance) drops by the widower’s store to drop off some sales slips, she begins to deluge him with her problems. Her Husband (Todd Bartels) is a bohemian jazz artist who spends much of his time away. Aside from the sexual chemistry, there is not much keeping them together. The Girl is besieged by sadness to the point of filing for a divorce. Upon learning of her trials, the Manufacturer listens intently and, as Cupid would have it, falls in love with her. Here’s the “sticky wicket” in this: He’s Jewish. She’s a Gentile. He is in his fifties. She is a fresh 24. Neither family is taking this sitting down, but the couple is resolute on making it work.

Both Jewish and Gentile families adopt dual roles, and each player brings a strong performance to the stage. But it is Hadary, a long time stage veteran, who brings solid gravitas and a firm footing to Middle of the Night. The volatility and sincerity in his performance is perfect.

Although he is known more for his Oscar-winning scripts on films including Network, Marty, and The Hospital, Chayefsky’s Middle of the Night (which also received a film treatment in 1959) strikes sweet chords of unexpected promise and love. Director Jonathan Silverstein’s gentle guidance has allowed for a heartfelt production.

Middle of the Night is now playing off-Broadway now through March 29th. Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd between 9th and 10th ave. For tickets, call 212-239-6200, visit www.telecharge.com, or visit the box office.

Theater Review: “The Bridges of Madison County”

by Ryan Leeds

I’ll admit it. I watched the movie when it opened in theaters in 1995. I couldn’t wait for it to end. It was over two hours long and was chock full of schmaltz and bridges—and schmaltzy talk about romance and bridges. I was particularly unsettled by Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood naked in a bathtub. It isn’t that I am ageist and have an aversion to geriatric sex. I just don’t care to witness it, neither in fiction nor real life. So when I heard that Bridges of Madison County was receiving a musical treatment, I winced. Then I saw the creative team and star power behind it: Music and Lyrics by the genius behind Parade, Jason Robert Brown? Ok. My ears are perked! Book by Pulitzer and Tony award winning author The Secret Garden and The Color Purple, Marsha Norman? You bet! Starring the dashing leading man Steven Pasquale and the first rate Kelli O’Hara? Please! Can this get any better? All under the direction of Broadway hotshot, Bartlett Sher? Well, I was simply gob smacked with interest!

Did this creative team match the quality of their already impressive credits? Indeed. Based on Robert James Waller best-selling novel, Bridges is a morality tale which somehow, when paired with a stunningly gorgeous score by Brown, soars above all expectations. Francesca (O’Hara) beautifully paints a picture of the native Italy she left behind for… wait for it…IOWA?!!? Someone got a bum rap here, huh? Yet this was 1965 and her choices to be a homemaker beckoned her to the United States. Her beau turned out to be the “Aw Shucks” type, Bud (played with usual blue-collar esteem by Hunter Foster). Bud and his kids are headed to the county fair for a few days, leaving Francesca for some well-deserved quiet time. The children, Michael and Carolyn (Derek Klena and Caitlin Kinnunen), are a handful. Within 5 minutes of meeting them, I was convinced, had it been me, that I’d have thrown myself off one of the titular wooden overpasses as a permanent avoidance tactic to such insolence. Shortly after leaving for the fair, a handsome “hippie” photographer, Robert (Pasquale) pulls into the driveway, asking directions from Francesca and soon, their paths are both headed in the direction of lovers’ lane. It all makes sense, right: Iowa as a sacrifice for Italy? A redneck husband? Rambunctious children and an empty House? I’d like to buy a vowel, Pat. OOOOhhhhh! And you’ve solved that little puzzle.

For four days, the lonely lovers spark untapped wells of emotion and lust in one another, all the while realizing that this must remain a hidden passion. It doesn’t help that they need to dodge Marge and Charlie, (Cass Morgan and Michael X. Martin) Francesca’s nebbish neighbors. While the do gooders next door provide a few opportunities for comic relief, they read like cookie cutter caricatures. Without question, O’Hara’s radiant presence carries this show. Besides capturing the nuances of a conflicted, immigrant housewife, her voice is pure heaven. Pasquale generally carries his own here, too. Yet for all of his stage chemistry with O’Hara, his macho ruggedness and powerful baritone, the magnetism does not translate to the audience.

There is much to ponder in Bridges of Madison County, most significantly the choices and consequences of our actions- the “could nots”, “should nots”, and “might have beens” that morally conscious individuals are plagued with on a continual basis. It skillfully accomplishes its’ purpose without seeping into saccharine ground. With elegant scenic and lighting design by Michael Yeargan and Donald Holder, Bridges of Madison County creates a deeply profound tableau of love, longing, and life. While it eschews the typical Broadway extravaganza, its’ simplicity and beauty rests in the story. This will be a quality chapter in theatrical history books for those fortunate enough to have seen it.

The Bridges of Madison County is now playing on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater, 236 West 45th Street between Broadway and 8th. For tickets, call 212-239-6200, visit www.telecharge.com or go to the box office.

Theater Review: “London Wall”

by Ryan Leeds

Shady business is rearing its’ ugly head at the impeccably impressive law offices of Messers. Walker, Windemere, and Co. It turns out that their boy wonder, Mr. Brewer (Stephen Plunkett) , has taken a liking to the ladies-too much in fact. The object of his affection happens to be his sweet-tempered employee, Pat Milligan (Elise Kibler), who is hesitant to accept his advances, but ultimately feels trapped. Meanwhile, the tough talkin’ “I’ve been around the block and can see through this guy like cellophane” Miss Janus (Julia Coffey) is protective of her fellow secretarial colleague. Janus has a friend in mind for Milligan, Mr. Hammond (Christopher Sears). Hammond is much more age appropriate and not nearly as lecherous. But my oh my…is he ever shy. Will he work up the courage to court Miss Milligan?

Such issues were at stake in the 1930s in the Mint Theater’s charming revival of John Van Druten’s London Wall. While a Broadway production never materialized, this law firm did open its’ practice across the pond. It opened in the West End in May 1931, where it ran for 170 performances. Mint Theater is known for finding lesser known classic works and giving them a touch-up. Happily, they have done a marvelous job here with capturing the essence of the period.

The first act plays out much like a more formal version of 9 to 5, but it does not move at a terribly fast clip. Yet under Davis McCallum’s hand, the dialogue is as frothy and light as it can be. In act two, justice does prevail and the proverbial “dog has his day.” Along the way, there are some lighter subplots which all make for an enjoyable night at the theater.

London Wall plays through April 13 at the Mint Theater, 311 West 43rd Street between 8^th and 9^th avenues. For tickets, call: 1-866-811-4111 or visit www.minttheater.org.

Theater Review: “My Mother Has 4 Noses”

by Ryan Leeds

My Mother Has 4 Noses. It’s not exactly a title producers would endorse if they are banking on a box office theatrical smash. Yet it certainly invites (and rightfully receives) raised brows of curiosity. This autobiographical “play with music” delves into the often overlooked, but much needed area of caregiving. And it is a gem worth seeing.

Singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke elaborates on the offbeat title and bares her soul in this one woman vehicle, now playing at the Duke Theater on 42^nd St. Brooke, who was one half of the duo, the Story, is a successful artist whose life took a much unexpected turn in 2010 when her mother began suffering from dementia. Her mother’s eccentricities were nothing out of the ordinary. As a christian scientist, Mother Brooke shunned modern medicine, ignoring a cancerous growth which consequently led to having a portion of her face removed. Thus, the nose prosthetics. As a larger than life personality, mother Brooke attempted to compensate by dressing in full clown regalia for her then junior high school-aged Jonatha; the nightmare of every adolescent fully realized. Still, her mother’s deeply perceptive and quirky musings (particularly her published poetry). shaped her daughter’s work as a musician and drew them closer together towards the inevitable end of mom’s life.

Brooke’s songs are hauntingly gorgeous, backed minimally by Ben Butler (guitarist), and Anja Wood (Cello). Yet sometimes, they seem so lyrically arcane that it is difficult for them to propel the story forward. Still, Brooke has taken her mother’s advice of “getting this down” by sharing her intimate story. No stone is left unturned either. As Brooke describes, in full detail, the challenges faced by her mother of everyday bodily functions, there is an uncomfortable aura felt by the audience. I applaud her for the bravery in this because it depicts life on an unconditional level. Most love stories, whether familial or romantic, ignore the unpleasantries and ugliness of love. Here, she places it all on the table with unflinching courage and unedited heart.

As I meandered through the lobby after the show, Ms. Brooke came out to meet her fans. From two different ladies, I heard words of thanks. They had experienced the same struggles Brooke did with their own mothers. I was already a fan, but the compliments magnified how strongly this show resonates with audiences. It is a human story of sacrifice and compassion that should not be missed.

My Mother Has 4 Noses now playing through May 4 at the Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street (between 7th and 8th). For tickets, call: 646-223-3010, online at www.dukeon42.org, or at the box office.

Theater Review: “Hurlyburly”

by Ryan Leeds

If you like despicable characters with no values or redemption–and you like to hear them talk as much as they love to hear themselves talk- then you’re going to love Hurlyburly. The 1984 play by David Rabe is currently receiving a competent revival by the Variations Theatre Group. It follows casting directors Eddie (Kirk Gostkowski), Phil (Brandon Scott Hughes), and Micky (Deven Anderson), on their painfully long road of self-indulgences and ultimate implosions. Along the way, they meet Donna (Rachel Cora), Darlene (Christina Elise Perry), and Bonnie (Jacklyn Collier) all three of whom are involved in love triangles in the apartment shared by these Hollywood “hot shots.” Much like a David Mamet play, the women are used, abused, and tossed away-all against the backdrop of their booze binging, pill popping, coke snorting, misogynistic leading men. Sweet people, huh?

Tales of glamorous gluttony may have been unique in 1984. Rabe’s story earned him a 1985 Tony nomination for best play and its original length exceeded 3 hours. Since then, we’ve seen Hollywood itself cover the topic: Oliver Stone’s iconic Gordon Gekko in Wall Street (1987), George Huang’s depiction of a ruthless movie producer in Swimming With Sharks (1994), and Steve McQueen’s glimpse of a sexually addicted advertising executive in Shame (2011) . All of them summarized their points with much more concision and focus. While Variation’s production has been presented with special permission by the playwright, it still clocks in at two hours and forty five minutes. By the end, after we’ve endured endless, substance fueled diatribes, we are ready to yell, “Enough, already!” Perhaps that is the point? Yet Director Rich Ferraioli has assembled a committed and capable (albeit mostly miscast) group of players who must be recognized for the stamina and determination it takes to bring this show to life. For those unfamiliar with Hurlyburly who wish to add more knowledge to their personal theater history archives, head to the intimate Chain theater and purchase an affordable ticket.

Hurlyburly, presented by Variations Theatre Group runs through Saturday March 1^st at the Chain Theater (21-48 45^th Road Long Island City, NY) For tickets and more information, visit http://variationstheatregroup.com/newsite/hurlyburly/.

Theater Review: “Love and Information”

by Ryan Leeds

Love and Information will stick with you long after the curtain falls. Caryl Churchill’s latest work is sometimes cold, occasionally intimate, mostly aloof, but always engaging as she holds a mirror to our disjointed and disconnected selves. After a 2012 run at London’s Royal Court Theatre, this intellectual view of modern day life is making its’ U.S. debut at the Minetta Lane theatre. American audiences have cause to rejoice.

As a longtime lover of all things theatre, I am somewhat reluctant to admit that this is the first exposure I have had to Churchill’s writing. I’ve known about her work (specifically Top Girls and Cloud 9) but have never read nor seen them in performance. Churchill is mostly known for her avant-garde style and for her themes of feminism, gender, and sexuality. All of these are explored here, but her scope has been widened to an entire society. It’s an awful lot to cram into a night at the theatre , and yet the brevity of scenes and constant visual shifts help magnify our own introspection by causing re-evaluation of our relationships to each other and ourselves.

Love and Information packs 50 plus scenes into two hours, each performed by an accomplished cast of 15 actors who portray multiple characters. Each scene lasts no more than two minutes and is flanked by jarring cacophonous sound effects and blinding white light (hugely effective sound and lighting design by Christopher Shutt and Peter Mumford). All of the scenes stand alone and are unrelated to the next, and yet the beauty here is that we find snippets of ourselves in each of the characters. How often we have felt uncomfortable and restless because we have no cell phone reception. No newspaper. No radio. No computer . In a scene titled “Remote”, a lesbian couple is making the most of their current location-a nameless, desolate area void of technology. “Don’t you sometimes want a weather forecast,” impatiently asks one partner. “You’ll find you can feel if it’s raining” replies her girlfriend.

In “Linguist”, an affluent English speaker is impressed by her waiter’s multi-lingual ability. He is able to recite the word for table in a variety of languages. “That’s so fantastic,” she muses. “Tabulka. Meza. They all mean ‘table’.” “They all mean the same thing as each other”, he explains. With oblivion, she insists, “I can’t help feeling it actually is a table.” The point here is that we are right; that our interpretation is the truth. It echoes the oft quoted line from the Talmud, “We see the world not as it is, but as we are.” It is truly impressive how creatively this point is outlined in a single moment. It is equally embarrassing to know that it is often our own worldview.

Basically, Churchill is saving us a visit to our shrinks by demonstrating our need for human interaction over technology. It’s not a terribly fresh idea given the numerous essays, articles, and recent themes in our media. Yet as our addled minds impatiently are drawn to the phones in our pockets before we’ve even left the theater, it is a crucial reminder that our iPhones won’t save us; we need meaning between the noise. Thank you for reinforcing that point, Ms. Churchill. And thank you, James MacDonald, for your keen direction.

Love and Information. Now playing through March 23^rd at the Minneta Lane Theater, 18 Minetta Lane (just east of 6^th avenue). For tickets, call 800-982-2787, visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/Love-and-Information-tickets/artist/1935640, or visit the box office

Theater Review: “Till Divorce Do Us Part: the Musical”

by Ryan Leeds

Photo courtesy of Janine N. Adjamian — Photo courtesy of
Janine N. Adjamian

The worst thing about an apparently satisfying marriage is that divorce could abruptly bring it to an end. The best thing about an obviously dissatisfying show on the topic of divorce is that it does end-although not soon enough in the 90 minute, terribly unfunny Til Divorce Do Us Part, a new off-Broadway musical at Union Square’s DR2 Theatre.

Ruthe Ponturo, creator and lyricist, wrote this show after being dumped by her Broadway producer husband. Her chutzpah for self-respect and reinvention is inspiring. Her lyrics, along with the elementary music, are not. “Better Mad than Sad” opens the show as a sort of “screw you” to the ex. After 85 more minutes of bland, inane humor, we are forced to sit through a reprise-only this time with a minor tweak: “Better Glad Than Mad.” My advice: better run away than pay.

The revue style premise features three gifted singers, Erin Maguire (Kate), Gretchen Wylder (Audrey) and Dana Wilson (Suzy). Each of their songs are introduced by music director John Thomas Fischer (who also composed the flimsy score). Fischer serves as an advice columnist under the pseudonym “Dottie.” Why Dottie? The writer’s aunt was named Dottie and he inherited the column when she passed away. This was an actual joke in the show. You’ll muddle through more cutesy, lame jokes and songs including, “If Only You Were Gay”, which suggests that a divorce would be less painful if the husband turned out to be gay because “at least we could be best friends.” Right around that time I checked my watch and estimated my steps to the nearest exit.

Jilted love can be fodder for delicious musical theatre vengeance. One need to look no further than classics including “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” from South Pacific, or “I Hate Men” from Kiss Me, Kate. Even the more contemporary I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change offered crafty insight into broken love. Til Divorce Do Us Part has none of the caustic wit that any of these previously mentioned shows possess. What it does have is an offensively gaudy pink set adorned with conversation hearts and a mindless string of vapid comedy. By the time the curtain closed, my broken heart yearned only for this talented cast. I hope that their relationships with future stage endeavors are more fulfilling and substantial than this ill-fated romance. Aside from all of this, it’s wonderful!

Til Divorce Do Us Part now playing at DR2 Theatre (103 E. 15^th street). For tickets call (212) 239-6200 visit Telecharge.com or go to the box office.

Theater Review: “Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man”

by Ryan Leeds

Sex Tips For Straight Women From A Gay Man. The title alone will elicit some hand-over mouth, embarrassed, red-faced giggles. The joke could easily stop there, much like movies which reveal all of the funny moments in the trailer. And while this cotton candy theater piece is not the most intellectually….er..um…”stimulating” bit to hit the off-Broadway boards, there are plenty of comical and charming moments in Matt Murphy’s sex-capade.

The plot and character development is nearly as thick as the 6 page program which, incidentally, is used later in the show for an audience participation “lesson”. But really– were you expecting the depth of Chekhov here? Sex Tips is set at the Midtown Manhattan Community College where Robyn (Lindsay Nicole Chambers) is hosting a “Meet the Authors” forum. Robyn is filling in for the professor who usually hosts the talk, but who has mysteriously died earlier in the afternoon. Could it be that Robyn has 86-ed the professor in order to catch the eye of Stefan (Andrew Brewer) , the hunky stage manager slash would be scientist who just might be talked removing his clothes. You just know where this is headed, don’t you? Leading this talk is guest author Dan (Jason Michael Snow), a fabulously gay Tony Robbins type. One can almost see the gleaming reflection and hear the “ding” when he smiles- and he does smile often. It’s no surprise that Snow has stepped into this role after having just been seen in The Book of Mormon. His squeaky-clean persona is on display once again, this time with impish delight. Chambers is endearing as the nerdy girl pining for her long time crush. With the look of a young Kathy Griffin and mannerisms of Kristen Wiig, her comic timing is flawless. Brewer rounds out this trio by simply being sexy, which was most likely the only character description in the script.

Sex Tips is rife with stereotypes by assuming that straight women are clueless in the sack, straight men are mere objects of lust, and flaming homosexuals wrote the book on sex. I suppose part of the latter is true given the fact the source material is derived from the 1997 best-selling work of the same name from Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman. Yet all is forgiven by the cartoonish cast of characters. Can we really analyze the sexual and gender politics of a play that includes a striptease starting in an astronaut suit with the song lyrics “I Am Scientist?” Exactly. Murphy is well aware of his audience and is rightfully banking on bounties of bachelorettes and gaggles of gays to fill the seats. Overall, Sex Tips is fun, but not nearly as naughty as the title suggests. The talented cast and sitcom-like pace will keep audiences blushing, smiling, and laughing for its’ intermission-less 80 minute running time. How you’ll practice and on whom is up to you. _________________________________________________

Sex Tips for Straight Women From a Gay Man now playing off-Broadway at the 777 Theater, 777 Eighth Avenue, at 47th Street, NY NY. For tickets, call: 866-811-4111 or visit the website www.sextipsplay.com

Interview With Sheldon Harnick: A “Fiddler” at the York

by Ryan Leeds

Legendary Lyricist Sheldon Harnick. Photo courtesy of Matthew Harnick

It’s not every day that I am presented with the opportunity to connect to Broadway royalty, so when I had the chance to speak with legendary lyricist Sheldon Harnick, I did somersaults and skipped through Times Square singing the well known song “Miracle of Miracles” from his Tony award winning musical Fiddler On the Roof. It confused and confounded tourists and residents alike.

Ok. I’m being slightly hyperbolic. However, this three time Tony award winning master was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk to me about his ongoing series at the York Theatre Company, which is celebrating five of his works as part of their Musicals in Mufti line-up. “Mufti” shows are performed minimally in street clothes without being fully staged. Recently, the York produced a world premiere of the revue Sheldon Harnick’s A World to Win and Dragons. This weekend , they will stage Malpractice Makes Perfect (February 14-16th),

followed by his off-Broadway piece Smiling, the Boy Fell Dead (February 21-23rd) and will close the series with a revival of his 1960’s Tenderloin. (March 7-9).

Harnick spoke with me about the series, his experiences with other stage legends, his early days as an aspiring writer, and what advice he could offer to blossoming theater professionals.

RL: How did this Mufti series come into play specifically for your works?

SH: You’d probably have to ask Jim Morgan, who runs the York. All I know is that months and months ago he called me and told me he wanted to do it. What prompted him to do that? I don’t know.

RL: It could be that you are on the heels on your 90th birthday, which is quite exciting.

SH: That’s more than likely. I hadn’t thought of that, but that is more than likely.

RL: Speaking of, you’ll be 90 years old in April and have no signs of slowing down. In fact, from what I understand, you are very hands-on in the process of this mufti series.

SH: That’s right. I’ll be attending as many rehearsals as I can.

RL: So what is your secret to longevity?

SH: I have no secret. I can say that my father looked very young up until the end of his life, so maybe it is something I inherited from him.

RL: Good genes are always key, I suppose

SH: True. Otherwise, I have no secret. When people ask me that, I usually say that I like to walk a lot.

RL: Do you have any brand new projects that you are working on right now?

SH: What I’ve been contemplating lately is a musical about Hawaii. I was reading a book called “Overthrow”, which is about all the countries that our government has helped to overthrow their government. I was impressed by the fact that when we overthrew the Hawaiian government, that our congress apologized to them in the 1920s. I thought that was remarkable. At any rate, I saw a moving film about the subject where the princess at the time was suddenly a princess no longer. So she devoted a large part of her life to trying to get a vote for the Hawaiians. So that material is a possibility because I find the story fascinating.

RL: Would you you write the book, music, and lyrics to this?

SH: I always start out thinking I’ll just do lyrics and sometimes I drift into more than that.

RL: And the upcoming show at the York theatre, Malpractice Makes Perfect, is entirely your show–meaning you did book, music, and lyrics.

SH: True. Although when it started, I had approached several friends with the idea of other people doing book and music and I couldn’t get anybody else interested in it. Since it continued to fascinate me, I thought I’d just take a crack at it myself.

RL: Is this a debut for Malpractice Makes Perfect or has it been done before?

SH: I’ve had several readings. This is another reading. What saddens me is that I was supposed to have a production by the Classic Stage Company last year. They had never done a musical before last year, when they produced Stephen Sondheim’s Passion-which was a beautiful production. But the board of directors at Classic Stage Company discovered how expensive musicals are to produce, and they decided to stick to straight plays. So they ended up canceling my show. Then Jim offered me another reading at the York, and I figured, “Well, let’s do that.” So this will be not a full production with sets or costumes, but rather a regular mufti production.

RL: I understand in the recent production you did in this Mufti Series, Dragons, that you actually went on for a sick actor at the last minute?

SH: Yes. That was a week ago Saturday. Bill Youmans, who was playing the role of the mayor, was running a high fever, so they set up a chair and music stand for me at which I sat and I read his lines and sang the songs. The audience seemed to love it.

RL: That must have been quite a treat for them, I’m sure!

SH: It was a treat for me too! I enjoyed it.

RL: The final show that you’ll be doing in this series, Tenderloin, was written by your long time collaborator, Jerry Bock, with whom you had written Fiorello, Fiddler On the Roof, She Loves Me, and others. Talk to me a bit about the collaboration you had with him.

SH: Well, it was a wonderful collaboration from the time I met Jerry. We got along very well in every way. The last project we did together was The Rothschilds but then Jerry decided after that project that he wanted to do his own lyrics because he had started as a songwriter and lyricist. He had worked with many other collaborators but had always wanted to get back to his own lyrics–so that’s what he did the last couple years of his life. And in fact, it paid off for him. The year he died, he was part of a collaboration that wrote a song for television that got him an emmy award. It was for a children’s show and I think the title of the song was “A Fiddler Crab Am I” It had the word “fiddler” in it which I found amusing.

RL: It all comes full circle I guess. So you got your start in the industry in the late fifties, is that correct?

SH: Well, I came to New York from Chicago in 1950 and it took me awhile…until 1957 I think, before Fiorello hit and that is what made me solvent, but up until then it was touch and go,

RL: I ran across something called Songs to Ford-ify Your Future that you had done early on.

SH: (Laughs) That was an industrial show that Jerry Bock and I did for the Ford tractor company.

RL: How did that project materialize?

SH: I had done a number of industrials for an advertising firm and when I started doing them, I didn’t know that I was breaking the law. They told me to just pick whatever songs you like and whatever melodies you like and just write lyrics for them. So that’s what I was doing . That is what most of the industrials were doing. And then, there was an industrial show, where one of the performers in it had been in The Music Man and he knew Meredith Wilson (the composer of the show). In that particular industrial show, they had used one of the songs from The Music Man, so this performer wrote to Wilson and he said, “You’ll be amused, I’m sure, to find that we have used one of your melodies in this industrial show and they have written new lyrics for it.” Well, Meredith Wilson was not amused. In fact, he sued. Since then, most industrials have had to write new music. At any rate, I had been doing just anybody’s music, but when the Ford tractor show came along, they decided they wanted an original score, so Jerry and I were hired to do that . It was the only industrial show I had done that was recorded. The Ford tractor company made a recording of it for their sales people and I received a copy of it as well.

RL: That is such a unique thing. We don’t really see Industrial shows any more, which is kind of sad.

SH: Yes. There was a big article about it in the New York Times last Sunday by William Grimes. And there’s a new book out about the topic of industrial musicals. I was on Terry Gross’ program on NPR recently to discuss it.

RL: What a cool experience to have done those prior to the days of- as you say- your “solvency.”

SH: Right. the industrials allowed me to pay a lot of bills and they were wonderful because they used so many professionals in terms of performers and orchestrators and conductors. I met a lot of people that way.

RL: You have most certainly rubbed elbows with some luminaries in the theater world, specifically Zero Mostel and Bea Arthur on Fiddler on the Roof. Can you talk a little bit about what your experience was like with each of them?

SH: Well, Bea was a friend. For some reason, Zero never became a friend. I had tried to buy one of his paintings because I liked his work and he kept putting me off and making snide remarks. So I didn’t really rub elbows with him and I’m not sure why but there was definitely a distance between us.

RL: With Bea Arthur….how do you go about writing songs for someone who isn’t exactly a trained singer but able to make them sing lyrics which are accessible to the general public?

SH: Jerry and I never did that. We wrote for the character and we wrote whatever we thought was musically necessary and then, when we cast we’d get somebody who was able to sing the song–whatever the demands of the song were-we got a performer who could handle it. As it happens, Bea Arthur was quite a capable singer, so we really didn’t have to worry about that. When she auditioned for Fiddler, she must have auditioned about six times because every time we (Jerry Bock, Joe Stein, Jerry Robbins and myself) saw her we’d say, “My God! She is such a strong performer, but there’s nothing old country about her. She seems like contemporary New York and doesn’t seem right for the show.” After the fifth or sixth audition, Jerry Robbins said, “Look. We haven’t seen anybody who is stronger than Bea Arthur. Whether she is right or wrong for the role, she is wonderful. Let’s hire her.” And so we did. And I must say, she was an extraordinarily strong performer.

RL: What about your collaboration with George Abbott and Jerome Weidman on Tenderloin?

SH: Jerome Weidman was an adorable man…very good natured, high-spirited, had endless anecdotes and was great fun to talk to. He was such a great storyteller, which is why I think he was such a good novelist. George Abbott on the other hand, was kind of aristocratic, but an extremely decent man and wonderful to work with. He was so professional and had such knowledge of the theater. I remember for Fiorello, there was one song we had written, which Abbott didn’t think would work so he didn’t want to use it. Jerry Bock and I were very disappointed that he wasn’t going to use the song. It was called “The Bum Won”. What surprised me is that we got to New Haven and after we had opened, George Abbott said to Jerry Bock and me, “We are going to try your song, but I don’t think it will work, so I’m not going to spend Hal Prince’s money by having it orchestrated. But we will rehearse it and put it on stage just accompanied by piano, bass, and drums and we’ll see what happens.” So I stood next to Abbott at the back of the theatre in New Haven, and I thought to myself, “Oh dear! He’s right! It doesn’t work.” But to my surprise, Abbott turned to me and he said, “Sheldon, this song is going to work. The reason it doesn’t work now is…and he gave me the reasons and then instructions on how to re-write the song, so that it would work.” And he was right. Jerry and I re-wrote the song and it became part of the show. His knowledge was just astonishing.

RL: You talked about New Haven. A lot of times, Broadway shows used to get worked that way, both there and in Boston. How has that process changed over the years when today’s shows are just mounted immediately on Broadway. Do you think it has compromised the integrity?

SH: I don’t know about that , but it has made it a lot more dangerous. When we used to go to Boston or New Haven, you could improve the show. Now, it more of a gamble if you open directly in NewYork, no matter how long the preview period is, People see it and word of mouth can be bad. That will have to be overcome. I remember that’s what happened with A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum. I’m not sure that they had an out of town tryout and when they were previewing in New York, they hadn’t fixed the show yet. Word got out that the show was not good. But thank God by the time the show opened they had fixed it. At any rate, without an out of town tryout, it is more of a gamble. Personally, I loved going out of town where you had the opportunity to look at the show every night and see what wasn’t working and then try to fix it.

RL: Years later, when you look at your own works and projects, do you ever sit back and look at lyrics you have written and say, “I should have used a different word or phrase there or changed this or that” or are you completely satisfied with the finished product?

SH: Two of the shows in this mufti series, Dragons and Smiling, the Boy Fell Dead were both shows that I have constantly gone back to and said, “This can be improved”, and I’ve kept working on them. With Dragons, it all paid off on the reading we had which was very successful. When we get to Smiling the Boy Fell Dead, we’ll see whether all the work I’ve done on that, subsequent to its’ run Off Broadway in 1960 has paid off. With shows like Fiddler, Fiorello, and She Loves Me I think that I finally got it right and there is nothing I’d want to change about those.

RL: Are there shows that you’ve seen that have made you wish you had written them yourself?

SH: Yes. Most of the Sondheim shows! I look at them and I marvel at his talent- especially Sweeney Todd. I think that is just a masterpiece and in fact, I wrote him a fan letter about it.

RL: Is there anyone working in the industry now that you’d like to work or collaborate with?

SH: I often thought it would be fun to work with Alan Menken, who is extremely talented. And there is a younger composer, Tom Kitt, who I think is just wonderful. He has a new show coming Those are two names that come to mind

RL: When you look at the landscape of Broadway today, what is your opinion of the “Movies turned musicals” phenomenon that has been dominant over the last few years?

SH: I have no problem with that. Musical theater has always looked for things to adapt whether they are plays or books or movies, so I have no problem with it. If it is a good story and the adaptation is done well then that is a plus. In fact, I turn to movies myself to see what can be adapted

RL: Do you have any advice for lyricists or people working in the field today?

SH: The advice I usually give to young writers is to read widely and be aware of what’s happening in the world around you. You never know what the demands are going to be on the musical for which you’re writing. To have the widest flow of information to you is extremely useful. Every young writer should have as broad an education as possible

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For tickets and information on Musicals in Mufti: Celebrating Sheldon Harnick visit http://www.yorktheatre.org/current-series.html, visit the box office at 619 Lexington Avenue (on the corner of 54th street), or call: (212) 935-5820

An “Interactive” Conversation with the “Goldstar” Visionaries Behind TEDxBroadway

by Ryan Leeds

Few people would associate the biological term “ecosystem” with the theater community–unless, of course, one taps into the passionately innovative minds of on-line media gurus Jim McCarthy, CEO of the popular ticket site, Goldstar (https://www.goldstar.com) and Damian Bazadona, founder and CEO of digital marketing advertising agency Situation Interactive Media (http://www.situationinteractive.com.) The two of them, along with Broadway producer Ken Davenport (http://www.davenporttheatrical.com) are joining forces for the third annual TEDxBroadway Conference, which will be held on Monday February 24th, 2014 at New World Stages.

I sat down with McCarthy and Bazadona to discuss how the conference is taking form, the importance of technology within the live entertainment community, and what we can expect from an event that aims to make Broadway brighter, better, and more relevant.

RL: This is the 3^rd annual TEDxBroadway Conference. Tell me a bit about the origin.

JM: For a couple of years, there were unaffiliated loose conversations over dinner and drinks with Damian and Ken where we would discuss the need to make sure that the Broadway ecosystem was having conversations that were bigger picture conversations. And this was just by our mutual interest in that sort of thing. At some point, we developed a vague idea that we might do one of these ourselves. I had been involved in the TEDx program early in its inception and after being around that, I decided to do something within that format. The three of us talked and agreed that this was consistent with what we thought the conference should be: bigger picture, longer term, less nuts and bolts and more aspirational. TEDx provided us with some framework for how to do it. So TED gave us a license for TEDx Broadway and we set a date and started working for it. This gives us a chance to think big and think broad and I think we can have a good time with that.

RL: How will this year be different in terms of scope and content? Can you tell me about some of the speakers?

JM: In some ways the same and in others, quite different. The basic structure is quite similar in that we’ll have three sessions again. There are no panelists but just a single presenter for each topic.

DB: The reason I got involved in this from the beginning is because we’ve nailed down the question: “What is the best Broadway can be?” One of things that drove me to get involved with this conference with Jim and Ken is that we all look at the aspirational side of where the industry could go. Too many conferences focus on a) too many “nuts and bolts” and b) less about the longer term- So when you structure the question “What is the best broadway can be”, it makes each speaker look at it in that framework. The key difference this year is that we’ve become much better at the structure. Since this is our 3^rd year, we’ve just become sizeably better and the speakers have a better understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish. The speakers we have lined up are just excited to involved in the process. All of them come to the stage with a certain level of passion and they have a context from speakers over the last two years. If you look at our sponsors which include Google, Jujamcyn Theaters, and Broadway.com, you realize that everyone wants to get involved in this. I mean, who doesn’t want to answer the question “What is the best Broadway can be?”

JM: Plus, we have people who may not be household names, but they’re just gonna go up there and knock people out. I try to encourage the speakers to discuss what people are not likely to hear from them. Having worked with Robert Lopez on his talk, I know that what he’ll talk about will be interesting to the audience, but there are other people in the line-up who are less familiar names, but who I think will be pretty dazzling. Even people outside the Broadway ecosystem will contribute. This year we have Annisa Ramirez, who is a tremendous science educator and one the best people in the world to break down science for the layperson. She’s going to discuss the science that we’re going to live with over the next five to ten years and the emerging aspects of science that are going to impact our daily lives. Certainly Ramirez is prolific in her field, but not as well known among the Broadway community, so we’re really happy to have her on board as well. We also have the amazing singer and actor Lea Delaria, who is now recognized for the series “Orange Is the New Black”.

RL: Can you each give me a brief elevator pitch on the contributions your companies are making to the Broadway community?

JM: Goldstar is basically a seller of tickets to all kinds of live entertainment. We call ourselves “the world’s largest ticket booth.” We have approx.. 5 million registered members, we’re in 30 of the biggest markets in the U.S. and we sell tickets on behalf of any kind of live entertainment and arts you can imagine. Our goal is to connect people who want to go out more to the venues who would love to have them. We become the starting point for matching the two, they buy the tickets from us, and we take very good care of them. NY is our second largest market after LA (where we are based) and the health of Broadway, both here and on the road is extremely important to us. When Broadway is healthy, we benefit. We talk about the Broadway “ecosystem”, which is not just the theater but the tourists ,restaurants, hotels, academic institutions, and residents. One of the beliefs we all share is that this ecosystem rises and falls together, so we want to help make it healthier now and into the future.

DB: Situation Interactive media operates under the basic principle that the world is a better place when people are doing things rather than having things. Therefore, we power the brands that do. We started in arts and culture and worked on over 100 Broadway productions since 2000 and now we have expanded by working with Brooklyn Academy of Music, Metropolitan Opera, the Super Bowl, One World Trade Center, Madison Square Garden and other experiential outlets. Our roots started in Broadway but have expanded. I’m in this primarily because I hope to be here for many years and Broadway is a tremendous part of our business and is where my roots are from.

JM: I think Damian is being a bit modest because Situation Interactive was really the on-ramp for Broadway in terms of internet marketing. Prior to him, it wasn’t even a given that you should be marketing on the internet.

DB: (Humbly) Well, thank you. I think it was just a matter of being at the right place at the right time, but I’ll take it!

RL: How have Broadway marketing strategies changed from the days of relying solely on print to the newer techniques of digital advertising and is one more important than the other?

DB: Digital marketing is the best trend that has happened to Broadway and live events because they benefit from digital a lot more than other folks and industries. Primarily, it is all about content. The product we offer is literally our market. A majority of my brands are in the story telling business and they sell stories that people get to connect with. Digital is the greatest way to connect people. I wouldn’t say that there is no need for traditional media because it all fits into the puzzle, but the new channel into the mix is obviously all of the digital pieces. You can connect all the people in the world this way.

JM: If you only had traditional means of marketing the product, those means are slow, static, and expensive. It takes a long time to launch them, you can’t change them, and they cost a lot of money, so you had better get it right on the first try. The thing about digital is that we have a product (those of us in the live entertainment business) that is like bread. So the notion of slow, static, and expensive are the last things you want for a product that is here today gone tomorrow.

DB: Another thing is that great ideas come from everywhere. I know everyone says that but in a world where content is becoming king, we work differently. Now you can ask the cast for ideas of marketing the show, which wasn’t previously thought of in the theater. Now they say, “We want to promote the show like this” and we respond with, “Great! Here’s a channel by which we can do that.” It’s the most fun time to be in the industry on the marketing side since I’ve been doing this.

RL: With regards to the productions themselves how has technology changed the face of theater? What trends are currently implemented and is there anything new that theater goers can expect ?

JM: We actually have two speakers talking on that topic this year.

DB: It depends on how you’re defining it. We think of Broadway as the place, not just the industry so the growth I’ve seen over the past 5 years is in alternative models. The business models which are starting to pop up is that live theater and the experiential piece are playing out in all different ways. I feel like you’re going to see more shows along the lines of Sleep No More and Fuerza Bruta. From a pure technology perspective, I’m working on a show right now that is primarily all projections. So we’re starting to get to a place where projections are working themselves into productions, which changes the whole game for scenic design and set design-not necessarily as replacements but as enhancements. The business side really is going to dictate some of the creative decisions over time. What are the cost structures to put these shows on? Because they are going up and to make money on Broadway is not easy, so you must have cost controls put in. Where does theater live beyond the four walls?

JM: Exactly. And that is another area we’ll hit in this incarnation of TEDxBroadway. How do you take the thing that is happening in the theater and leverage it elsewhere?

DB: Right. Right now, that conversation is being led by marketers and it needs to be led by creatives since creatives can take the content and apply it specifically to each platform. That is why places like National Theater (who was at TEDx last year) are fantastic because they create for the platform. When they shot Curious Incident of the Dog in Nightime , they shot one version for National Theater Live, so when you watched it in the movie theater, it looks like it was shot exclusively for the movie screen. We’re just at the beginning of that. You have to believe that there is a lot more value in the content. We have an amazing talent pool of people who create for the stage every night

RL: Who is your target audience, both for advertising and show attendance.

DB: If you’re looking NY theater ticket buyers today, the average demographic is 40+ women. I would argue that the bigger issue is cultivating talent over time. One of the reasons I’m involved in the TEDx conference is because we’re looking at the question, “What are we doing today to build the audience of 20 years from now?” the topic of target audience, I think. is a huge conversation for the industry. The easy, short term answer is definable: 40, wealthy, in-bound tourists but it is clearly not aligned with the longer term demographics of this country, which is why I like conferences like this- so we can discuss that.

JM: Now that you’ve taken us down this path, there are 3 programs I’d like to mention which we’ll also be discussing at the conference. One that Damian has driven with kids in the Bronx at a high performing middle school who have been sort of the toehold for a program that has broadened out since then. A) It gives them some exposure so they know that there is a thing called Broadway and theater and B) it helps to build the connection in the other direction too. Damian was instrumental in getting the cast of Spider Man to go to their school in the Bronx. The result is that these kids from a high achieving, low-income area are now thinking “Maybe I can have a career in the area of the arts.” Our perspective is that Broadway needs those kids as much or more as those kids need Broadway. Think about the talent you can find in areas like this and that is where the future is often built. If this program has the result of just one brilliant writer or director emerging in twenty years, then this will have made everything worth it. On another level, we’ve subsidized some college students to attend, so they’ve made this part of the curriculum of the class. These students are able to go to the conference without costs being so prohibitive. We also had an open call for anyone 30 and under affiliated with the Broadway ecosystem to apply for free admission to the event by writing a brief description about why they wanted to attend. So a nice chunk of our audience this year will consist of those decision makers of the future. We’ve talked about that in the past, but this year we made a commitment to making sure they are there.

RL: What are some of the take-away you want to give attendees to the TEDx Conference or do you see this more as forum for open thought and creativity?

JM: I’d say more the latter than the former.

DB: The sign of success for me every year when I get emails and messages back from people telling me that it was a great day and they left feeling inspired. That is all I care about. I think if we go into the territory of “what is the take-away”, it’s dangerous because you’re trying to script something and the idea is that we’re trying to bring open ideas to the table from other people. I see myself as much a participant as an organizer.

JM: The idea of the TED format is to spread ideas. So our job is less to have a pointed view than it is to ask, “Who are some people who have interesting ideas that are relevant to this community”, and then give those people the opportunity to say interesting things in this setting. Often times, maybe a side point that you’ll hear from a speaker or a conversation you had in the lobby during a break will take you down a trail and open something up in your head as a huge idea and then can be an amazing thing we’ll all benefit from in some way.

DB: We didn’t want to take a bunch of speakers, put them up there, and then talk about all the things you can’t do. That is probably one of the biggest traps in conferences I attend in any industry. But when you frame the question: “What is the best Broadway can be?”, You can isolate a problem and that aligns with the question of “Is this something that inspires you?” and then it gives you a runway to make that possible.

JM: Look- every industry has deficiencies. But we’re not asking , “How do we fix a broken thing?” Instead, with an active imagination we are asking, “What is the best possible thing- and then let’s re-set the trajectory towards that. In the course of doing that, maybe we fix a broken thing or two along the way.” And ultimately, it’s supposed to be a fun! If it’s not fun, we’re not doing it.

RL: You’ve talked an awful lot about this “Broadway ecosystem.” What do you think is the greatest challenge, economics aside, facing this ecosystem?

JM: What is the audience years from now and more to the point, will this be a vital place in 10 or 20 years? The answer to that is going to come from whether or not there’s a connection made to the people who will need to be the ones showing up in order for it to work. The audience of today will have sort of moved on in its’ relevance. The demographics are kind of set. So if we know who is going to be here and who is going to have dollars to spend, then the question is ‘Will they be interested in this neighborhood as theater goers and as restaurant goers.’? We don’t need to go back that far in history to a time when they weren’t interested. The biggest macro question is that the neighborhood has gotten much much healthier in the last couple of decades, but what if it doesn’t sustain? What if, as a whole, that ecosystem doesn’t hit the mark in quite the way of where it was in the 80s until now? It’s not a guarantee, so there’s an audience question in there, there’s a relevance question in there and there are even bigger financial questions there as well. Those are all threats.

DB: A lot of people I’ve talked to from restaurants and hotels and are of the “now” thinking. They are wondering, “Is the show across the street from my restaurant going to stay open because when that show is open, my restaurant is full.” So they are hoping that Broadway remains strong. Everyone I talk to in this ecosystem has a different angle, but it all connects back to the same thing, which is the overall health of the region. Even though they live on a block to block basis, they are all connected by the idea of Broadway and Times Square. This week, for example, the blizzard and the super bowl changed the entire eco-system of that neighborhood dramatically. So you have these extraordinarily different businesses that are completely inter-dependent on each other

JM: We use this word “ecosystem”, which is borrowed from nature. The animals and plants in a certain part of the natural world don’t live there in isolation. The deer and grass and squirrels and grass, etc. do depend on each on each other. At a certain point, when the ecosystem degrades, everyone suffers. So this is very real and very complex, and we’re looking forward to having the conversation.

What: 3rd annual TEDxBroadway Conference

When: Monday February 24th 2014, 11am -6pm

Where: New World Stages, 340 W. 50th Street between 8th and 9th ave.

Tickets and more information: http://www.tedxbroadway.com

Ryan Leeds

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