Love 1984 - Articles Page 27

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES recently made Tony Awards history as the first show to ever win the Tony Award three times for best production. The classic musical comedy by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein originally won six Tony Awards in 1984, including Best Musical. A Broadway revival won two 2005 Tony Awards including the Best Revival of a Musical prize. The new, freshly reconceived LA CAGE won three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Director of a Musical (Terry Johnson).

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES recently made Tony Awards history as the first show to ever win the Tony Award three times for best production. The classic musical comedy by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein originally won six Tony Awards in 1984, including Best Musical. A Broadway revival won two 2005 Tony Awards including the Best Revival of a Musical prize. The new, freshly reconceived LA CAGE won three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Director of a Musical (Terry Johnson).

The year is 1984…or is it? In a world where Big Brother is always watching, the Thought Police monitor every word and action, and yesterday's news is literally rewritten to correspond with today's most pressing political concerns, even the most basic information - names, dates, key historical events - is distressingly unreliable.

Forget "Rock Of Ages." That 21st century musical about the 1980s has nothing on the real thing. "Cats," the show that set much of the look and tone of musical theater for the next decade or so when it opened in London in 1981 and in New York in 1982 (and began continuous touring in 1984, a record unmatched in theater history) is on display for this week only (sorry, "Now And Forever") at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. Forget "Rock Of Ages." That 21st century musical about the 1980s has nothing on the real thing. "Cats," the show that set much of the look and tone of musical theater for the next decade or so when it opened in London in 1981 and in New York in 1982 (and began continuous touring in 1984, a record unmatched in theater history) is on display for this week only (sorry, "Now And Forever") at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. And I, who saw the original Broadway production twice during that heady decade and have not seen the show in any form since then, was eager to go and see what the fuss was, and is, all about. So I went, Tuesday night. If you've never seen this show, if you kids have never seen it, or if you want to experience the magic of this unique theatrical masterpiece one more time, then this is a great opportunity to do so, as this is the only remaining North American production to (somewhat) accurately replicate the award-winning, record-setting British musical that took America and the world by storm thirty years ago. This tour of non-Equity performers, with its usual orchestra of five beefed up to eight for a weeklong stand (May 1-6) in a major theatrical market, has enough going for it that I highly recommend it. It's a little like entering a time machine, and there's a lot of sleight of hand, but it works. Let me explain. What is "Cats?" Much maligned by insiders, derided as dated by visual artists, underrated by dance teachers and ignored by voice teachers (save for its megahit song, "Memory," which is heard twice, but never in the sheet music version everything has heard and claims to know), it is in many ways a dichotomy. It's a dance show (choreography by Gillian Lynne) written by a singer's songwriter (Andrew Lloyd Webber), as well as a British song cycle based on poems written by a St. Louis-born English poet (T. S. Eliot) who never intended his work ("Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats," and other snippets) to be either musicalized or staged. Its plot, slight though it is, is also the subject of much derision, but to this observer is very reminiscent of "A Chorus Line," a universally revered work that does include dialogue and more depth of character, but also honors unity of time and place. However, there are indeed works that dispense with plot entirely, and which people unabashedly love (you know, revues--"Ain't Misbehavin'" comes to mind), and even shows like "Forever Plaid" and Lloyd Webber's "Starlight Express" feature heaven-going as a climax that is not entirely a surprise. So, enough complaining about there being no dramatic tension, already. But the spectacle! Is it a rock concert with dance, a dance concert with character, a makeup and hair extravaganza with arena-style lighting (still thrilling, the work of David Hersey, as recreated by Rick Belzer), a radio-friendly cast album with a decidedly British keyboard-rock spin, an intellectual set of inscrutable poems with earworm melodies, an environmental theater piece that's fun for all ages (an unmistakeable set and costume design by the remarkable John Napier)--what exactly is going on? The answer, of course, is all of the above. Oh, and it owes a lot to the English music hall tradition and to contemporary classical music, too, not to mention Puccini. Name another show that encompasses so much. Not to mention that original marketing campaign. Aside from his immature works (the children's show "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and others), Lloyd Webber's previous shows written with Tim Rice (the two nominated for the Best Revival of a Musical Tony Award this year, "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Evita,") were both introduced to the world via record albums and marketing campaigns that featured a logo rather than a star name and image. But "Cats" seemed to take that even further, dispensing with the concept album and zeroing in on the show AS the star. Indeed, this show has no leading roles. Really. But who can forget that moon/cats' eyes/dancer silhouette logo, and the letters of the title in color-coordinated graffiti (echoing the oversized junkyard scene design). It was exciting and revolutionary at the time, and the only shows that have done it better since then (Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom Of The Opera" and director Trevor Nunn's "Les Miserables," all three produced by wunderkind Cameron Mackintosh) are the only ones that have run longer in London and New York, due to the lessons they learned from the feline juggernaut before us now. It was "the birth of the musical spectacular," as Broadway In Chicago's promotional materials tell us. This particular edition of the endless "Cats" tour, directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford and featuring mostly young, recent graduates of top U.S. musical theater and dance schools, is indeed "cut down" from the total makeover that the Winter Garden Theatre in New York displayed for the 18 years it played there (1982-2000). But the "Christmas lights" that once ringed the audience do indeed extend past the proscenium arch, and the cast makes several trips out into the aisles, a nice touch. The back wall of the set does not swing down to reveal the ship's set needed for the "Growltiger's Last Stand" sequence--they use drops and a false proscenium downstage center here, and I almost liked it better. The set as a whole is not as detailed and certainly not as deep as it once was, but if you haven't seen the video of the London production, or the show as it played in the early '80s, you would be none the wiser. Sound-wise, I have to give credit to sound designer Duncan Robert Edwards, musical supervisor Kristen Blodgette and music director J. Michael Duff. I swear the show sounds better than ever, even with a smaller orchestra than originally employed. And I could understand the lyrics! The costumes and makeup design look simplified to me, though, but again, a newcomer to the proceedings wouldn't know. And do I care of part of the set is inflatable, as rumor would have it? I don't care how they get it from city to city, or how quickly they do it, but somebody does care, and they figured out a way to make it work! The floating tire and the thing that comes down from the fly space (spoiler alert?) look great, absolutely. Absolutely. The cast is led by Melissa Grohowski as Grizabella, the role made famous by Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley and carrying with it, shall we say, a certain expectation of a certain money note. Boy, does Ms. Grohowski deliver! Three people stood during the applause for the number. Bravo to Clemmons/Dewing Casting, I say! The two singing roles for the men, Old Deuteronomy and Gus/Growltiger/Bustopher Jones, are essayed here by Nathan Morgan and Christopher E. Sidori, who both acquitted themselves well and were very effective theatrically, whatever their actual ages. Among the dance roles, Daniel J. Self as the narrator Munkustrap, Chris Stevens as Rum Tum Tugger and especially Chaz Wolcott as Mistoffelees were crowd pleasers: Self with his movement detailing, Stevens with his Elvis impersonation and Wolcott with his amazing fouette turns. The cast of two dozen or so performers dances uniformly well, and sings very well, too, save for a few minor quibbles with single lines here. And there or some missing low notes that older performers would probably have no trouble with. But these are easily forgiven. Who cares if the leading lights of Broadway (Harry Groener, Terrence Mann, Anna McNeely and of course Ken Page) have been replaced in these roles by recent graduates of Wright State, SUNY-Purchase and Oklahoma City University? These energetic, disciplined performers are working their tails off (pun intended), singing like people who can't dance a lick and are basking in the glow of theater history with every city they visit. Yes, the show has moments that seem a little longwinded, and sure, it doesn't challenge your intellect as much as it challenges your wallet and your caffeine intake (it takes place at night, and everybody is dressed like a cat!). But I challenge you to remain unmoved when Grizabella begs for physical contact, when old Gus relives his moment of youthful theatrical triumph, when assorted junk becomes the train that Skimbleshanks loves, and when the sopranos of the ensemble soar on the words, "'Round the cathedral rang 'Vivat!" Come on! It's "Cats." It's eye and ear candy galore. I don't even like cats, but I do like "Cats." Very much. "Cats" plays this week only, Tuesday night through Sunday night, with additional matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph Street in Chicago. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago box offices, the Ticket Kiosk at Water Tower Place, all Ticketmaster retail outlets, by phone (800.775.2000) and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Photos: Melissa Grohowski; The Cast

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the final production of the 2012 Nikos Stage Season and an additional pre-season offering for the Festival's 58th, the second under Ms. Gersten's leadership. Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson (Pieces of April; WTF's The Ride Down Mount Morgan) and Bradley Cooper (Limitless; The Understudy at WTF) will return to Williamstown in The Elephant Man, written by Bernard Pomerance and directed by Scott Ellis, completing the Nikos Stage season and playing from July 25 - August 5, 2012.

What is love? Is it never having to say you're sorry? Is it a drug? Is it all you need? It's a question which has preoccupied writers from Shakespeare to the Beatles, Noel Coward to Barry Manilow. And now, Tom Stoppard in his multilayered and witty play The Real Thing, beginning its run at Fort Worth's Stage West on Thursday, March 29. Check out the production photos below!

In its bid to knock out memory disorders, Keep Memory Alive will turn up the heat at its 16th annual Power of Love Gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, as it celebrates the life and legacy of "The Greatest™," Muhammad Ali, while raising funds in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center.

The cast of entertainers and sports icons slated to appear at Keep Memory Alive's 16th annual Power of Love Gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Las Vegas keeps getting bigger every day, though only a limited number of tickets remain for the celebrity-filled fundraiser.

The Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award-winning Theatre for the New City (TNC) will hold its 9th Annual LOVE N' COURAGE benefit gala on Monday, February 13 at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South in Manhattan), this year honoring legendary centenarian writer Bel Kaufman, author of 'Up the Down Staircase,' it has been announced by Crystal Field, co-founder and artistic director of Theater for the City. The LOVE N' COURAGE celebration will begin with cocktails at 6:30pm, Dinner at 7:00pm, and performances at 8:00pm.

The Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award-winning Theatre for the New City (TNC) will hold its 9th Annual LOVE N' COURAGE benefit gala on Monday, February 13 at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South in Manhattan), this year honoring legendary centenarian writer Bel Kaufman, author of 'Up the Down Staircase,' it has been announced by Crystal Field, co-founder and artistic director of Theater for the City.

The cast of entertainers and sports icons slated to appear at Keep Memory Alive's 16th annual Power of Love Gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Las Vegas keeps getting bigger every day, though only a limited number of tickets remain for the celebrity-filled fundraiser.

Chichester Festival Theatre celebrates its 50th birthday with an anniversary season that echoes and acknowledges the past while also looking to the future. Uncle Vanya was part of Chichester's very first season in 1962 and became a key part of its history and is revisited during Festival 2012. The Way of the World in 1984 has also become an emblematic production; the play will feature again this year.

The Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award-winning Theatre for the New City (TNC) will hold its 9th Annual LOVE N' COURAGE benefit gala on Monday, February 13 at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South in Manhattan), this year honoring legendary centenarian writer Bel Kaufman, author of 'Up the Down Staircase,' it has been announced by Crystal Field, co-founder and artistic director of Theater for the City. The LOVE N' COURAGE celebration will begin with cocktails at 6:30pm, Dinner at 7:00pm, and performances at 8:00pm.

In its bid to knock out memory disorders, Keep Memory Alive will turn up the heat at its 16th annual Power of Love Gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, as it celebrates the life and legacy of "The Greatest™," Muhammad Ali, while raising funds in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center.

Visitors doubling down this Holiday season weekend with a trip to Las Vegas will want to up the ante by experiencing a behind-the-scenes look at two of Cirque du Soleil's top shows - The Beatles LOVE at The Mirage and 'O' at Bellagio.

In 1971 Wil Love first performed in the woods of Caledonia in the play Here Lies Jeremy Troy at Totem Pole Playhouse. Little did he know at the time that he was beginning a lifelong relationship with the Playhouse.

Louie Anderson comes to the Comedy Club at Bay Street Theatre on Monday, July 18. Louie made his national television debut on the 'The Tonight Show' in 1984. He has guest-starred in sitcoms like 'Grace Under Fire' and dramas like 'Touched by an Angel' and 'Chicago Hope,' and he has had featured roles in film comedies like 'Coming to America,' opposite of Eddie Murphy, and the classic 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' He is also host of the hilarious 'Comedy Showcase,' the late-night series that follows 'Saturday Night Live.' In 1995 Louie put his creative energies to work on the Saturday morning animated series 'Life with Louie.' The long-running series based on Louie's own childhood earned him two Emmy Awards. His best selling books include Dear Dad - Letters From An Adult Child and Good-bye Jumbo...Hello Cruel World. Louie recently finished writing THE F WORD, HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR FAMILY.

In 1971 Wil Love first performed in the woods of Caledonia in the play Here Lies Jeremy Troy at Totem Pole Playhouse. Little did he know at the time that he was beginning a lifelong relationship with the Playhouse.

Louie Anderson comes to the Comedy Club at Bay Street Theatre on Monday, July 18. Louie made his national television debut on the 'The Tonight Show' in 1984. He has guest-starred in sitcoms like 'Grace Under Fire' and dramas like 'Touched by an Angel' and 'Chicago Hope,' and he has had featured roles in film comedies like 'Coming to America,' opposite of Eddie Murphy, and the classic 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' He is also host of the hilarious 'Comedy Showcase,' the late-night series that follows 'Saturday Night Live.' In 1995 Louie put his creative energies to work on the Saturday morning animated series 'Life with Louie.' The long-running series based on Louie's own childhood earned him two Emmy Awards. His best selling books include Dear Dad - Letters From An Adult Child and Good-bye Jumbo...Hello Cruel World. Louie recently finished writing THE F WORD, HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR FAMILY.

In 1971 Wil Love first performed in the woods of Caledonia in the play Here Lies Jeremy Troy at Totem Pole Playhouse. Little did he know at the time that he was beginning a lifelong relationship with the Playhouse.

Music-Theatre Group has announced 'Hey, Mary': An Interview with Mary Rodgers (Griffin and the Minor Canon, Once Upon A Mattress, Hey, Love) moderated by her colleague and friend Thomas Schumacher (Producer and President, Disney Theatrical Group) about her music, her muses, and the fascinating world of musical theatre that she was born into and has helped shape. The not to be missed one-night only talk will take place on Monday, May 16th at 10 Jay Street, 9th Floor in DUMBO at 6:00 p.m.

Music-Theatre Group (Diane Wondisford, Producing Director) has announced "Hey, Mary": An Interview with Mary Rodgers (Griffin and the Minor Canon, Once Upon A Mattress, Hey, Love) moderated by her colleague and friend Thomas Schumacher (Producer and President, Disney Theatrical Group) about her music, her muses, and the fascinating world of musical theatre that she was born into and has helped shape.

Music-Theatre Group has announced 'Hey, Mary': An Interview with Mary Rodgers (Griffin and the Minor Canon, Once Upon A Mattress, Hey, Love) moderated by her colleague and friend Thomas Schumacher (Producer and President, Disney Theatrical Group) about her music, her muses, and the fascinating world of musical theatre that she was born into and has helped shape. The not to be missed one-night only talk will take place on Monday, May 16th at 10 Jay Street, 9th Floor in DUMBO at 6:00 p.m.

1984 will play at the Venture Theatre in Billings from March 11 - 19, 2011. Based on the novel by George Orwell, the production is directed by Patrick Wilson.

1984 will play at the Venture Theatre in Billings from March 11 - 19, 2011. Based on the novel by George Orwell, the production is directed by Patrick Wilson.