Paradise Square

[jerseygurl]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 8:24am

Any word from West Coasters on this show at Berkeley Rep? I hear it's eyeing Broadway already. The triumphant return of Garth Drabinsky?

[Kitsune]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 11:54am

jerseygurl said: "Any word from West Coasters on this show at Berkeley Rep?  I hear it's eyeing Broadway already. The triumphant return of Garth Drabinsky?"

I'm hoping to go sometime during the run (need to use my Under 35 discount while I still can!!!) I'll report back when I do.

[Kea4]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 1:58pm

I saw it a few nights ago - I live in NYC but was home in the Bay Area for the holidays. it was still in previews. I thought it was fantastic! I think that they could do some tweaking - the first act felt too long. But it was probably one of the most interesting things Ive seen all year. I hope it makes it to Broadway.

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 3:33pm

Extremely ambitious and ultimately successful, though the first act needs some serious work. One of the few musicals I've seen that doesn't take too long to end.

[bear88]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 4:38am

I caught the show Sunday evening in one of its final previews. Be warned - there are some light spoilers ahead.

Paradise Square is an ambitious and often-compelling musical that features some fine performances and choreography. It's a historical show that's based on the events of 1863 in New York City's "Five Points" neighborhood, where Irish immigrants and African-Americans lived alongside each other and, in some cases married, despite tensions that boiled over during the draft riots in the Civil War.

The show is "based on the songs of Stephen Foster," who is also a character in the show. (The real-life Foster died there in 1864.) So it features some well-known Foster melodies, often with new lyrics, as well as other songs by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan. In some ways, as the musical tries to refurbish the reputation of problematic songs by a long-dead composer, it reminded me a bit of Shuffle Along.

Christina Sajous, most recently on Broadway in SpongeBob SquarePants as Sandy Cheeks) stars as Annabelle "Nelly" Freeman, an African-American who is married to a Union solidier who runs a tavern in the neighborhood. He heads off to war, leaving Nelly and his sister Annie to run the bar. Annie also is in an interracial marriage to a local minister who helps escaped slaves. One such slave arrives and is given the name William Henry Lane. He is looking for a place to stay, as is Annie's brother Owen, just arrived from Ireland. Owen is played by A.J. Shively, best known for his role as Billy in Bright Star. William and Owen both happen to be good dancers, so they share the room and provide entertainment to attract customers. 

All of this is a bit too idyllic, despite an off-stage tragedy and tensions between Irish immigrants and African-Americans over the latter taking the former's jobs. Nelly and Annie control things at the tavern, and everyone gets along surprisingly well.

The first act covers a lot of plot, side characters, and plenty of Foster music and dancing. (Foster, using a pseudonym because Nelly hates Stephen Foster's past odes to plantation life, hangs around and is portrayed as having an artistic renewal while listening and watching at the tavern.) The dancing is a highlight. Shively isn't as good a dancer as a couple members of the ensemble, both of whom are Irish dancing wizards, but he acquits himself nicely. The African-American dancing is fascinating to watch, though not as flashy as the Irish dancing. Choreographer Bill T. Jones does fine work, and there's a lot happening on a stage with a turntable and multiple levels. I didn't love some of the arrangements of the Foster songs I knew, but one nice thing is that the songs are clearly sung and the lyrics are easily understood.

I agree with other commenters that the first act is too long. It's only about 90 minutes, but it did start to feel as if the writers couldn't find a logical break and were reluctant to cut anything.

The second act has the virtue of brevity but multiple problems. New characters are introduced, in some cases briefly (although Kennedy Caughell - from the Great Comet ensemble - steals her scene as Foster's estranged wife while belting a renamed "Janey (not Jeanie) With the Light Brown Hair." It features a dance competition that feels repetitive on the Irish side and doesn't have much dancing by Sidney Dupont as William. He does sell the song - "Angelina Baker" - very well. But the dance competition detracts from other tensions and the real threat to the tavern - the draft riots that turn deadly and are directed at African-Americans.

Sajous gets a big 11 o'clock number, "Let It Burn," which is marvelously performed. And then it's time for the show to teach a history lesson during the final song, "Beautiful Dreamer." It was only then that the show feels like it's imitating another musical about American history, Hamilton, but it's longer and more talky (although one line packs a nice punch that drew an audible intake of breath from the audience) without explaining one character's fate.

The show is definitely worth seeing, but the book - credited in the program to Kirwan, Craig Lucas (Amelie), and Oakland playwright Marcus Gardley (The House That Will Not Stand and X: Or Betty Shabazz v. The Nation) - flies off in too many directions and doesn't follow up on some dramatic situations it introduces. A few potential conflicts should be trimmed because they are just dropped anyway. That would allow others to expand or fill in blanks.  

While I may be giving Paradise Square too much credit for its originality and ambition, I appreciated its originality and ambition - as well as many of the performances. Like any new musical in previews, it has rough patches and weak spots. But the material for an outstanding, original show (albeit with many existing Foster melodies) is already there, and it has some transcendent moments that takes a rose-colored but realistic view of American dreams - and the racial fears and resentment that keep getting in the way. 

Updated On: 1/25/19 at 04:38 AM

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 10:38am

Does anyone know if Craig Lucas is still working on the book? With three book writers, I'd be surprised if everyone is still working on it. Lucas' book of Drabinsky's " Sousatzka" was not well received. 

[getatme]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 3:54pm

Craig Lucas is no longer working on the show. Marcus Gardley is the primary book-writer now.

[bear88]

Posted: 1/9/19 at 3:36am

I don't have any inside knowledge. But in an interview in the program, Gardley - an Oakland-based playwright who is also African-American - certainly sounds like he's the main book writer now. He talks about making characters in previous drafts his own and the like.

A local newspaper story about Gardley says he was brought in to "firm up and finalize" the musical's book.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/12/27/oakland-playwright-marcus-gardley-is-having-yet-another-moment/

And the musical, which has drawn packed houses in discounted previews, was just extended a week. It opens Thursday.

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 1/9/19 at 5:02am

bear88 said: "I caught the show Sunday evening in one of its final previews.Be warned - there are some light spoilers ahead.

Paradise Square is an ambitious and often-compelling musical that features some fine performances and choreography. It's a historical show that's based on the events of 1863 in New York City's"Five Points" neighborhood,where Irish immigrants and African-Americans lived alongside each other and, in some cases married, despite tensions that boiled over during the draft riots in the Civil War.

The show is "based on the songs of Stephen Foster," who is also a character in the show. (The real-life Foster died there in 1864.) So itfeatures some well-known Foster melodies, often with new lyrics, as well as other songs by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan. In some ways, as the musicaltries to refurbish the reputation of problematic songs by a long-dead composer, it remindedme a bit of Shuffle Along.

Christina Sajous, most recently on Broadway in SpongeBob SquarePants as Sandy Cheeks)stars as Annabelle "Nelly" Freeman, an African-American who is married to a Union solidier who runs a tavern in the neighborhood. He heads off to war, leaving Nelly and his sister Annie to run the bar. Annie also is in an interracial marriage to a local minister who helps escaped slaves. One such slave arrives and is given the name William Henry Lane. He is looking for a place to room to stay, as is Annie's brother Owen, just arrived from Ireland. Owen is played by A.J. Shively, best known for his role as Billy in Bright Star. William and Owen both happen to be good dancers, so they share the room and provide entertainment to attract customers.

All of this is a bit too idyllic, despite an off-stage tragedy and tensions between Irish immigrants and African-Americans over the latter taking the former's jobs. Nelly and Annie control things at the tavern, and everyone gets along surprisingly well.

The first act covers a lot of plot, side characters, and plenty of Foster music and dancing. (Foster, using a pseudonym because Nelly hates Stephen Foster's past odes to plantation life, hangs around and is portrayed as having an artistic renewal while listening and watching at the tavern.) The dancing is a highlight. Shively isn't as good a dancer as a couple members of the ensemble, one of whom is an Irish dancing wizard, but he acquits himself nicely. The African-American dancing is fascinating to watch, though not as flashy as the Irish dancing. Choreographer Bill T. Jones does fine work, and there's a lot happening on a stage with a turntable and multiple levels. I didn't love some of the arrangements of the Foster songs I knew, but one nice thing is that the songs are clearly sung and the lyrics are easily understood.

I agree with other commenters that the first act is too long. It's only about 90 minutes, but it did start to feel as if the writers couldn't find a logical break and were reluctant to cut anything.

The second act has the virtue of brevity but multiple problems. New characters are introduced, in some cases briefly (although Kennedy Caughell - from the Great Comet ensemble - steals her scene as Foster's estranged wife while beltinga renamed "Janey (not Jeanie)With the Light Brown Hair."It features a dance competition that feels repetitive on the Irish side and doesn't have much dancing by Sideny Dupont as William. He does sellthe song - "Angelina Baker" - very well. But the dance competition detracts from other tensions and the realthreat to the tavern - the draft riots that turn deadly and are directed at African-Americans.

Sajous gets a big 11 o'clock number, "Let It Burn," which is marvelously performed. And then it's time for the show to teach a history lesson during the final song, "Beautiful Dreamer." It was only then that the show feels like it's imitating another musical about American history, Hamilton, but it's longer and more talky (although one line packsa nice punch that drew an audible intake of breath from the audience)without explaining one character's fate.

The show is definitely worth seeing, but the book - credited in the program toKirwan, Craig Lucas (Amelie), and Oakland playwright Marcus Gardley (The House That Will Not Stand and X: Or Betty Shabazz v. The Nation)-flies off in too many directions and doesn't follow up onsome dramatic situations it introduces. A fewpotential conflictsshould be trimmed because theyare just dropped anyway. That would allow others to expand or fill in blanks.

While I may be giving Paradise Squaretoo much credit for its originality and ambition, I appreciated its originality and ambition - as well as many of the performances. Like any new musical in previews, it has rough patches and weak spots. But the material for an outstanding, original show (albeit with many existing Foster melodies)is already there, and it has some transcendent moments that takes a rose-colored but realistic view of Americandreams- and the racial fears and resentment that keepgetting in the way."

You basically wrote the review that I've been too lazy/busy to write.  I also attended last Sunday evening and grabbed a great ticket in the orchestra through Goldstar.  The audience seemed very receptive to the show and the physical look of the production was probably the most elaborate staging the Berkeley Rep has done in some time (I wonder if Mr. Drabinsky added any ducats to the production budget). 

G. Drabinsky was in attendance and seated in a leather swivel chair orchestra right, with director Moises Kaufman just behind him in row K, four seats down from me.

While a very interesting take on a bit of little-known US history (at least to me), the production kept reminding me at various times of Les Miz, Ragtime and Hamilton.  Intimate scenes counterpointed by "epic" scenarios.  The blazing choreography in act one became redundant in act two, thus losing some of its heat.  While all of the principle actors were very good, the actor who played Stephen Foster made a weak character even weaker IMHO.  I was very moved by the 11 o'clock number and the "Beautiful Dreamer" finale brought the show to a moving resolution.

Much work still to be done ... then on to Broadway?

Updated On: 1/9/19 at 05:02 AM

[bear88]

Posted: 1/12/19 at 4:29am

Reviews are mixed thus far. I liked it more than they did, although the creatives would be wise to pay attention to some of the problems they identify. 

Lily Janiak of the San Francisco Chronicle liked the dancing and many of the performances. While writing that the show has promise, she doesn't think it works as a story yet. (I do agree with her critique of the treatment of several of Stephen Foster's songs - an odd problem in a musical that is determined to redeem his reputation.)

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/berkeley-reps-paradise-square-still-a-round-peg-but-filled-with-moving-promise

Sam Hurwitt of the San Jose Mercury News also praises the choreography, finds the score inconsistent, and didn't think the presence of Foster as a character worked. That's an issue, one I thought about afterward. It's tempting to include him, because he lived in the neighborhood at the time, but it's not clear how much he really adds to the show as written. I didn't have a problem with Jacob Fishel, the actor who plays him, and he does a nice job with the lead vocal on the finale, "Beautiful Dreamer." 

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/01/11/stirring-new-berkeley-rep-musical-captures-improbable-racial-utopia-in-civil-war-era-new-york/

The choreography is good, but I agree with Sho-Tunes-R-Us that it's repetitive in the second act, especially after all the buildup to the dance competition. The musical sometimes does more telling when it should be showing.

But for me, the good far outweighed the bad. Most of the problems seemed fixable, the performances are excellent, and the highs are stirring. Paradise Square has the ingredients of a fine show. 

Updated On: 1/12/19 at 04:29 AM

[bear88]

Posted: 1/16/19 at 2:55am

Some more reviews...

Nicole Gluckerstern of KQED, San Francisco's lower PBS station, is mixed-to-positive, a pretty fair take.

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13848500/paradise-square

Jeffrey Edalatpour in SF Weekly has a rather sneering pan.

http://www.sfweekly.com/culture/lord-of-the-dance-moves-in-paradise-square/

Patrick Thomas of Talkin' Broadway is largely positive, although he faults the first act for dragging on too long. 

https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/sanfran/s1953.html

Overall, the reviews are a pretty mixed bag, and I'm sure the creatives are disappointed about that. But it's probably better to get some constructive criticism, even if I don't agree with some of it, than the raves that some out-of-town tryouts get. I liked Paradise Square, but I do think the book needs to be fixed and other changes made to bring out its potential.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 1/25/19 at 3:03am

Saw it tonight. I largely agree with the other reviews that the choreography is fantastic (and the highlight of the show), but the first act runs too long and the story goes off in too many directions. The performances were excellent, particularly Christina Sajous and the extremely talented dance ensemble.

For the $70ish I paid, I'm glad I saw it and had a good time. I think there's still a lot of potential, but the book needs a lot of work before I would be willing to pay Broadway prices.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 1/25/19 at 5:23pm

This is sounding like Ragtime+Shuffle Along+A Bronx Tale. Are there original songs? 

[bear88]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 3:03am

There are a few, I believe. The vast majority of the songs, at least the melodies, are Foster's. The lyrics have been tweaked, sometimes extensively, there's some additional music, and the arrangements are different (sometimes to their detriment, in my opinion). The music is credited to Larry Kirwan (who also co-wrote the book and came up with the idea) and Jason Howland (who is credited with music supervision, direction and orchestrations). The lyrics are by Nathan Tysen. I did a little quick research and found a few songs that appear to be original by process of elimination, but I could be wrong because a few song titles could have been changed. I would guess the 11 o'clock number, "Let It Burn," is original. It sounds more like a big Broadway song than a Foster tune from the 1800s.

Here's the song list (some of the titles are altered, which makes it a little tricky, and it's been a few weeks since I saw it):

Act One: Premonitions (not sure); Some Folks Do (Foster, 1855); Was My Brother in the Battle? (Foster, 1862); The Five Points (not sure); Camptown Races (Foster, 1850); We Will Keep a Bright Lookout (Foster, 1863); Ah, May the Red Rose Live Always (Foster, 1850); Nelly Was a Lady (Foster, 1849); Oh, Susanna [Foster, 1848]; Gentle Annie (Foster, 1859); I Will Not Die in Springtime (Foster, 1850); I'd Be a Soldier (Foster, 1861); Someone to Love (Foster, 1862); Angelina Baker (Foster, 1850); Hard Times Comes Again No More (Foster, 1855)

Act Two: We Are Coming Father Abraham (Foster, 1862); Janey With the Light Brown Hair (Foster, 1854); I'm Not That Man (not sure); Ring, Ring the Banjo (Foster, 1851); reprise of I Will Not Die in Springtime (Foster, 1850); reprise of Angelina Baker (Foster, 1850); Paradise Chorale (not sure); Let It Burn (probably original); Beautiful Dreamer (Foster, 1864) 

Updated On: 1/26/19 at 03:03 AM

[antonijan]

Posted: 1/26/19 at 3:19am

$60 is a little pricey right now...I should have gone on 1st preview for cheap! If anybody have xtra tix...pm me

[Kitsune]

Posted: 1/29/19 at 12:51am

It looks like some upcoming dates for Paradise Square got listed on Goldstar. 

(As someone who is mourning the upcoming loss of their Under 35 discount, I for one would be happy if Berkeley Rep continued to utilize Goldstar when needed!)

[bear88]

Posted: 1/29/19 at 1:03am

They're dropping the Under 35 discount? It doesn't affect me most of the time, except when our daughter is coming along, but that's very unfortunate. Where is the info? The Berkeley Rep tends to attract a pretty old audience, considering that it's located in a college town, a few blocks from campus.

As for the Goldstar tickets, the best offer is $42.50 on Friday, Feb. 15 (surprised that the cheapest tickets are on a Friday). 

[Kitsune]

Posted: 1/29/19 at 1:06am

bear88 said: "They're dropping the Under 35 discount? It doesn't affect me most of the time, except when our daughter is coming along, but that's very unfortunate. Where is the info? The Berkeley Rep tends to attract a pretty old audience, considering that it's located in a college town, a few blocks from campus.

As for the Goldstar tickets, the best offer is $42.50 on Friday, Feb. 15 (surprised that the cheapest tickets are on a Friday)."

No, no, no! I'm just turning 35 in a few months and am bitter that I am no longer able to get the discount at Berkeley Rep, LincTix, etc.  Alas, at this point I'm pretty addicted to theater in general.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/18/21 at 11:50am

Surprise news to hear Paradise Square will be holding a tryout in Chicago in November!

[Kitsune]

Posted: 5/18/21 at 1:10pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Surprise news to hear Paradise Square will be holding a tryout in Chicago in November!"

It's been a few years now, but I stand by the comments I wrote before: Good dancing, I liked the arrangement of the Foster songs, but the book is a bit of a mess. I'm curious how the material has changed in the last several years.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/18/21 at 2:50pm

I'm fascinated by this, but there are SO MANY people involved...4 living composer/lyricists, 1 dead iconic composer (Stephen Foster), 4 bookwriters, 4 choreographers (Bill T. Jones, Graciela Daniele, Garrett Coleman, Jason Oremus), a director who is also a writer, and a mercurial producer who hasn't produced a good show in this century.

It sounds ambitious and prestigious and an attempted return to the scope of RAGTIME...could be very relevant in 2021 and will employ a sizable number of Black artists, but could also be overstuffed.

If Theatre Twitter dislikes Scott Rudin, wait til they hear Garth Drabinsky is an ex-con!

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 5/20/21 at 11:52am

I hadn't heard of this show before the Chicago news but both the premise and reviews on this thread make me extremely curious to see how it goes. I've been thinking tentatively about a Chicago trip in the fall so maybe I should try to swing by this while I'm there.

[bear88]

Posted: 5/22/21 at 4:15am

I see another Black playwright, Christina Anderson, is now co-credited with the book. Anderson is best known for the plays, Inked Baby and Good Goods, neither of which I have seen. I don't believe she was involved in the Berkeley Rep production. Oakland playwright Marcus Gardley, another Black playwright, had already been brought in.

While the show is bringing in more Black creatives and tells a story of race relations, albeit imperfectly, I must say I wonder whether some folks are eager for a show that features a white composer whose most famous songs were often odes to plantation life. That issue was addressed in the Berkeley Rep production but the Stephen Foster character is sympathetic. (The actual Foster lived in the area at the time the musical is set.) Then you add the Drabinsky angle and there will be plenty for people to chew on.

I stand by my review from 2019, although my wife's reaction to hearing about a possible Broadway transfer was to groan. That said, they have certainly had plenty of time to rework the show. What I saw was definitely a work in progress, albeit one that was handsomely produced and well performed.