Review: Once

If any musical currently running on Broadway exemplifies the changing state of musical theatre, it is Once. That may seem like an unexpected statement to make about a musical based on a movie, but bear with me here, dear blog readers. 

I didn’t have high expectations for the musical adaptation of Once when it was first announced. I fell in love with the heartfelt indie film a few years ago after Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2008. As much as I love the glitz of Broadway musicals, I was afraid that it would squash the authenticity of the story about a heartbroken Irish songwriter and the Czech immigrant who inspires him to keep his music alive. Then it won a Tony for Best Musical. Then my theatre-nerd friends wouldn’t stop raving about it. Then I looked up some clips on YouTube. And then I put tickets to the show on my Christmas wish list.

Once was everything I could have wished for in an adaptation of the film I love so much. It was true to the film's plot and kept the same slightly melancholy tone while energizing the musical numbers. The indie spirit of the film was hardly lost on the stage.

This was one of the first Broadway shows I’ve seen to use an interactive pre-show set up, which is something I’ve grown to love in smaller productions. The set is pretty minimalist, with a bar acting as a street corner in Dublin, a cramped apartment and a recording studio. That bar wasn’t just for show (no pun intended), as drinks were served onstage before the show. As it got closer to curtain, the actors gathered around the remaining bar patrons/audience members on stage and performed a few folk tunes. The actors accompanied themselves with violins, guitars, melodicas and upright basses and continued to do so into the show. This is a trend in musical theatre - seen in the recent revivals of Sweeney Todd and Company - that I’ve been loving as it gives musical theatre more of a folk music storytelling element to the stage, bringing usually glitzy Broadway productions down to Earth.

Steve Kazee, Cristina Milioti and the whole cast give some really great performances.  Many of them come from a “straight acting” background rather than the world of musical theatre and have been seen in more plays than musicals. This really shows, since they act the crap out of each scene they’re in. I see Once as more of a play with music than a musical, and this approach to casting the show really worked. 

All that being said, I think that Once will work better in a smaller setting. It is such an intimate musical and some of those quieter emotional moments can get lost in a 1,000+ seat house. The actors all do a great job, but some points tend to fall flat when you’re up in the nosebleeds.

Regardless, if you’re in Manhattan any time soon, check out Once.  It’s definitely one of the best shows I’ve seen in New York in a long time.

Once is currently running at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre at 242 W. 45^th St., New York, NY. Tickets start at $60. General Rush tickets are available in person at the box office for $34.50 Tuesday through Thursday and $39.50 Friday through Sunday (limit two per person). 

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The DOs and DON'Ts of Broadway on Broadway

The summer music festival season may have come and gone, but there's one free outdoor event left for us theatre fans to look forward to: the 20th Annual Broadway on Broadway Concert!

Broadway on Broadway is a free concert in Times Square to kick off the new Broadway season. This year’s concert takes place on September 9^th at 11:30 AM and features performances from both new and long-running Broadway shows. Kathy Lee Gifford of daytime television fame will be hosting, hopefully with a glass of wine in hand.

My friend Amanda and I
at the 2008 concert. 

Sadly I will not be attending this year’s Broadway on Broadway concert, but that won’t stop me from dishing out some tips to make the most of your experience. I attended the 2008 concert and had a great time, but I learned that there are some definite "dos and don’ts" to consider when planning your day at the event.

DO consider the weather. The sun is still very strong in New York in early September, so make sure to wear sunscreen as you’ll be outside for a few hours. Check the weather before you go and make sure to bring an umbrella if the forecast calls for rain.

DON’T weigh yourself down. You’ll be standing in the middle of Times Square for a while, and it’s not a great idea to bring bags full of stuff. Besides, if you put your bags down on the street, there is a possibility that you’ll never see them again. Pack light and only bring the things you absolutely need.

Photo Credit: George Rex

DO arrive early. If it’s a sunny day, pick a spot in the shade or close to the stage if you don’t mind the speakers. However, make sure you know how to get out of the crowd in case you need to leave for whatever reason.

DON’T take too much free stuff. Promoters representing the different Broadway shows will be around Times Square handing out free promotional gifts like hand fans and lip balms. Five Lion King fans are nice until you realize that you have nowhere to put them. Pick and choose what you take from promoters, and don’t be afraid to trash some of it.

DO have fun! Make friends with the people around you, snap pictures, and don’t be afraid to take a break at an overpriced chain restaurant if you think you’re about to pass out. Make the most of your experience, and hit up the TKTS Booth for discount tickets to any shows that catch your eye! Happy New Theatre Season! 

Watch This! Theatre Web Series

Who says that theatre and online video can’t mix? In the last few years, some highly entertaining web series and viral videos focused on the theatre world have sprung up on YouTube and other video sharing platforms. These videos have managed to attract new audiences to theatre productions and have given actors and writers a new outlet for their talents. Here are just some of my favorite theatre web series. Maybe they can fill the void in your life between shows.

“The Battery’s Down”

“The Battery’s Down” is a musical web series that follows struggling actor Jake and his friends as they try to make it in the Big Apple.  The show features original music from some of Broadway’s hottest composers and the best young talent in the musical theatre world. Creators Wilson and Gallagher also managed to bring in plenty of well-known Broadway actors to guest star in several episodes. Though the series ended in 2009, all of the episodes are still on YouTube and Jake now uses the channel to create viral musical comedy videos.

“Side by Side by Susan Blackwell”

In this series on ticket and theatre news behemoth Broadway.com, Susan Blackwell of [title of show] fame interviews Broadway stars about their latest projects, favorite spots in New York, and occasionally what their costars’ mouths taste like. The show is a great way to get up close and personal with your favorite Broadway stars, and Susan Blackwell is also one of the funniest women on the planet (in my opinion). If you’re a fan of Susan, [title of show], or just Broadway in general, you’ll love this series.

“the [title of show] show”

Here’s an oldie but goodie. This show chronicles the journey of [title of show], a musical that documents its own conception, to Broadway. Each episode features irreverent banter between Hunter and Jeff, guest stars, and lots of charts (mostly from Jeff). I didn’t know much about the musical when I started watching "the [title of show] show", but by the time I saw [tos] during its short-lived run on Broadway, I was fully invested in the story of the little original musical that could. I’ll still watch an episode from time to time to get my nostalgia on, and if you’re at all interested in the musical, or theatre in general, I suggest you check this series out.

Do you have any favorite theatre-related videos? Let me know in the comments! 

Sunday in the Park with William (Shakespeare)

Summer is a difficult time to be a theatre fan. Most of our favorite regional theatre companies have finished up their seasons, leaving us with only community theatre and the national tours of Broadway’s latest hits to choose from. However, there is a fun, inexpensive theatre option that is offered in most of the major cities in America: Shakespeare in the Park.

While the idea of open-air theatre is hardly new, the first Shakespeare festivals were produced in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, in the late 19^th century. These productions of the works of Shakespeare were generally performed in the spring and summer and occasionally in replicas of the Globe Theatre in London, the theatre built by Shakespeare’s performing company in 1599.

Today, productions have moved outside to public parks and festival grounds. One of the most well known Shakespeare festivals is the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park series in New York City. At this festival, the Public Theatre offers free tickets on a "first come first seve" basis to their productions of Shakespeare’s plays as well as modern plays and musicals in Central Park. Their production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods featuring Amy Adams, Glen Close and Jack Broderick runs until August 25.

Shakespeare in Clark Park offers great productions of the works of Shakespeare to a West Philadelphia audience for free every summer. A younger company, Shakespeare in Clark Park was formed in the fall of 2005 and has been drawing crowds of nearly 1,000 people, young and old. This year they performed The Merry Wives of Windsor, one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known comedies. The company took this light-hearted and accessible piece and set it in the old west, creating a fun night of theatre for the whole family. Unfortunately, Merry Wives closed on July 29, but if you live in the Philadelphia area, next year’s production is not to be missed.

The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Free Shakespeare in the Park program takes a different approach to the concept of Shakespeare in the Park. Instead of offering several different productions in one location throughout the summer, this company chooses one of Shakespeare’s plays and performs it in various locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. FSP chose a modernized rendition of Henry V, Shakespeare’s tale of the rise of a young king and the glories of war, for their 30^th Season. The play runs at the Memorial Amphitheatre in Cupertino, CA through August 5 and then moves on to Sequoia High School in Redwood City, CA from August 11 to August 26 and The Presido’s Main Post Parade Ground Lawn in San Francisco from September 1 to September 23.

This is just a sampling of some of the great free productions of the works of Shakespeare offered in the U.S. this summer. Free outdoor theatre is just one of the many joys of the summer, so be sure to check for a production in a city near you!