The marquees of Broadway will once again dim tonight; not to honor a great actor or playwright or director but to commemorate the passing of Harry Edelstein, owner of the theatre district's legendary Café Edison. Mr. Edelstein passed away on Monday at the age of 91. I never met the man, but I'm sure I'm not the only one in this town who would like to thank him for providing a cozy and affordable spot for many wonderful pre-show meals. And no meal was complete without at least a cup of his matzoh ball soup; undeniably the best in the city with its firm tasty matzoh balls surrounded by a hearty chicken broth. I'm lifting an imaginary spoon in Harry Edelstein's honor. It's won't be long before I'm back in his café, lifting a real one.
Posted on: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 @ 03:25 PM Posted by: Michael Dale
"Reading Proust is like lying in someone else's dirty bath water." The grosses are out for the week ending 7/12/2009 and we've got them all right here in BroadwayWorld.com's grosses section. Up for the week was: CHICAGO (11.3%), THE LITTLE MERMAID (8.1%), THE LION KING (7.4%), WEST SIDE STORY (5.6%), SOUTH PACIFIC (4.8%), MARY STUART (4.0%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (4.0%), HAIR (3.8%), MARY POPPINS (3.6%), JERSEY BOYS (1.8%), GOD OF CARNAGE (1.6%), BLITHE SPIRIT (1.1%), WICKED (0.2%), Down for the week was: THE 39 STEPS (-7.5%), NEXT TO NORMAL (-5.2%), MAMMA MIA! (-4.3%), IN THE HEIGHTS (-3.4%), ROCK OF AGES (-2.8%), THE NORMAN CONQUESTS (-1.8%), AVENUE Q (-1.7%), SHREK THE MUSICAL (-1.2%), 9 TO 5 (-1.0%), WAITING FOR GODOT (-0.7%),
Posted on: Monday, July 13, 2009 @ 03:57 PM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
Great literature must spring from an upheaval in the author's soul. If that upheaval is not present then it must come from the works of any other author which happens to be handy and easily adapted. The grosses are out for the week ending 7/5/2009 and we've got them all right here in BroadwayWorld.com's grosses section. Up for the week was: THE NORMAN CONQUESTS (9.5%), IN THE HEIGHTS (4.4%), SHREK THE MUSICAL (4.4%), MAMMA MIA! (2.8%), WAITING FOR GODOT (1.0%), MARY STUART (0.1%), Down for the week was: SOUTH PACIFIC (-8.8%), WEST SIDE STORY (-8.1%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (-6.9%), CHICAGO (-6.7%), AVENUE Q (-6.5%), THE LITTLE MERMAID (-5.5%), THE LION KING (-4.1%), HAIR (-3.8%), 9 TO 5 (-2.0%), JERSEY BOYS (-1.8%), THE 39 STEPS (-1.7%), MARY POPPINS (-1.6%), GOD OF CARNAGE (-1.4%), NEXT TO NORMAL (-1.1%), BLITHE SPIRIT (-0.2%), WICKED (-0.2%), ROCK OF AGES (-0.1%),
Posted on: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 @ 11:56 AM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
Have you ever sat in on a production of Moliere's classic comedy Tartuffe and wondered what exactly it was about the religious services of the title character that made the wealthy Orgon want to donate everything he had to his church? Me neither. But apparently playwrights Alfred Preisser and Randy Weiner have and their answer is the Classical Theater of Harlem's crazily entertaining semi-spoof, Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe. But the plot of this 90-minute cavalcade supplies little more than breathing breaks and costume changing time for the sensational André De Shields, who, in the title role, dominates the evening delivering funkified song and dance sermons with blinding electric force. "All this shazam and shazizzle is my humble offering to you," insists the multi-blinged, gaudily-garbed holy man from 125th Street, who is enthusiastically assisted by a pair of back-up boys (Tyrone Davis, Jr. and Gerron Atkinson) and a scantily clad Supreme Choir (Jennifer Akabue, Gina Rivera, Charletta Rozzell and Kisa Willis) in delivering the message that sex, wealth and fun are all meant to be enjoyed in this life without regard for what comes after. Unlike Moliere's infamous hypocrite, Preisser and Weiner send us a messenger that is very open about the fact that donation dollars go to pay for his Cadillac and fabulous wardrobe. In a sense they are investors in his show and their return is the flash and dazzle of an entertainment that makes them feel good about enjoying life. Costume designer Kimberly Glennon gets numerous laughs with her creations for both the title character and the lovely ladies, who at one point are clad in pink Cadillac bikinis with strategically placed headlights and license plates. ("It's said in Genesis, chapter 25, verse 1: 'Baby's got to have back!'") Unfortunately, the cleverness of the production is sapped dry every time De Shields & Co. leave the stage and we're left with Orgon's family performing uninspired song parodies. His daughter Marianne (Soneela Nakani) hops around like a cheerleader expressing a special attraction for her father in "I'm Just Wild About Daddy," his wife Elmire (Kim Brockington) describes her sexual kinkiness in Edith Piaf style and her brother Cleante (Lawrence Street) uses the Chiffons' hit "One Fine Day (You're Gonna Want Me For Your Girl)" as the theme for his own sermon on gay marriage rights. The actors admirably dive into the bland and sometimes embarrassing material while the audience waits for Mr. De Shields to arrive once more; perhaps this time with a bottle of sacramental Thunderbird. Photos by Lia Chang: Top: Gina Marie Rivera, Charletta Rozzell, André De Shields, Jennifer Akabue and Kisa Willis; Bottom: Ted Lange and André De Shields
Posted on: Saturday, July 04, 2009 @ 02:10 PM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
How much you wanna bet the Weisslers will have Sarah Palin signed to play Roxie on Broadway by the end of next week?
Posted on: Friday, July 03, 2009 @ 06:30 PM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
"As only New Yorkers know, if you can get through the twilight, you'll live through the night." The grosses are out for the week ending 6/28/2009 and we've got them all right here in BroadwayWorld.com's grosses section. Up for the week was: AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (24.7%), IRENA'S VOW (17.6%), THE PHILANTHROPIST (12.3%), AVENUE Q (11.8%), ACCENT ON YOUTH (9.1%), IN THE HEIGHTS (5.9%), THE 39 STEPS (4.4%), SHREK THE MUSICAL (2.3%), SOUTH PACIFIC (1.8%), MARY STUART (1.8%), NEXT TO NORMAL (1.7%), ROCK OF AGES (1.5%), MAMMA MIA! (0.8%), WAITING FOR GODOT (0.6%), WEST SIDE STORY (0.3%), HAIR (0.2%), 9 TO 5 (0.2%), Down for the week was: THE NORMAN CONQUESTS (-11.8%), MARY POPPINS (-8.0%), THE LION KING (-4.4%), THE LITTLE MERMAID (-1.4%), CHICAGO (-0.8%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (-0.5%), GOD OF CARNAGE (-0.3%), BLITHE SPIRIT (-0.1%), JERSEY BOYS (-0.1%),
Posted on: Monday, June 29, 2009 @ 04:11 PM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
The entirety of The Public Theater's positively scrumptious new Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night is played on and around designer John Lee Beatty's grassy field, which is dominated by two large hills. It's the kind of setting that might remind you of dozens of locales in Central Park where brave little tykes might scurry down the steep inclines or where lusty couples might settle down for a quick afternoon make-out session or where a toddler's parent might amuse his kid by popping his head out from behind the soft green hiding place. It's a playground and director Daniel Sullivan - who incorporates all the above in his lighthearted staging - seems to have encouraged his delightful company to play, making an all-star cast of theatre pros (joined by a movie star ringer with legit experience) charm like a summer stock company showing off their youthful enthusiasm. But such approaches can be reserved for indoor autumnal settings. The only darkness here is supplied by Raul Esparza, whose hilarious portrayal of the lovesick Orsino, Duke of Illyria, plays like a satire of the aloof, tension-filled performances New York audiences have grown accustomed to seeing from him. Through the work of costume designer Jane Greenwood and wig designer Tom Watson, Illyria is beautifully filled with late 18th Century European elegance, a fashion well-suited to disguising the shipwrecked Viola (Anne Hathaway) as young boy. A stranger in Illyria, and mourning the loss of her twin brother Sebastian (Stark Sands), who she believes drowned in a violent storm, Viola avoids the dangers of traveling alone as a woman by assuming the role of a young lad named Cesario and gets hired by the Duke to help him woo the Countess Olivia (Audra McDonald). Hathaway's tender affections for the romantically afflicted Orsino, combined with her chipper earnestness while disguised as Cesario, gives the production firm grounding for the inspired lunacy that surrounds her; the most triumphant of which is McDonald's transformation from a grim, sorrowful woman who is also mourning the loss of her brother to a giddy coquettish lover whose lustful urges have been awakened by the young Cesario. Of course, when it turns out that Sebastian is indeed alive and well and wandering about Illyria, Shakespeare is not above recycling some of the gags and plot twists that worked so well in The Comedy of Errors. The Celtic folk ensemble HEM supplies the hearty musical sound of Illyria, and while there are many fine voices among the company, the featured singer is David Pittu, whose wonderful turn as Feste has him playing Olivia's clown with the wry, underplayed wit of a contemporary political commentator. Smaller roles such as Sands' Sebastian and Jon Patrick Walker's Fabian are well played; with special mention to Charles Borland, who gives a firm, commanding appeal to Antonio, the sea captain who rescues Sebastian and risks his life to see to his safety. Clocking in at over three hours, every minute of this Twelfth Night is pure theatrical delight and a hell of a good time. Photos by Joan Marcus: Top: Raul Esparza and Anne Hathaway, Bottom: Audra McDonald, Michael Cumpsty and company
Posted on: Monday, June 29, 2009 @ 07:58 AM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
While collectors of musical theatre trivia may be quick to mention that Anika Larsen - the cherubic-looking blonde with the belty R&B voice - was the only performer to be in both the original Broadway cast of Xanadu and the original Off-Broadway cast of Zanna, Don't!, it's her unusual upbringing that supplies the real fun facts in her very enjoyable and even thought-provoking bio-musical, Shafrika, The White Girl. Written by Larsen and co-conceived by director April Nickell, the small but abundantly fun and energetic production is played in style that suggests theatre for teenage audiences, but deals with issues we don't necessarily grow out of. A company of 13 actors, all appearing to be in their early 20s, play her brothers, sisters, parents, friends and relatives in an exploration of how growing up in an ethnically mixed family in an integrated school district of Cambridge, Massachusetts shielded her from the realities of race issues. (A telling clip from a family home movie shows Anika and six of her siblings, all under 7, singing a boisterous chorus of "We Shall Overcome.") Her adolescent loss of innocence comes in the form of a co-worker assuming he can tell racist jokes in her presence. Her love of soul and R&B music wins her a spot in her college's gospel choir and even though she's given the solo spot at a concert for Black Solidarity Day, it hurts her to realize she could never fully be a part of the culture that created the music and poetry she was raised on. A running conflict throughout the evening has the author trying to edit out scenes she'd prefer not to revisit (like the time she first felt uncomfortable talking to one of her brothers about their difference in skin color) but giving in when the ensemble insists that darker family secrets be revealed. (Larsen does mention in the text that every family member has been given a copy of the script to read.) But Shafrika, The White Girl (the title comes from a hip urban image of herself the author first uses to describe the difference between her inside and her outside) reveals more during its musical moments. There's the eerily satisfied look the mother (Amanda Hunt) has as her children sing "Ebony & Ivory" during a long car trip. And the competition for attention in the schoolyard as the girls show off more than just their rhyming skills while chanting "Shake Ya Booty." Larsen contributes lyrics to songs like an intentionally sappy duet, "If You're Just Like Me" (music by Tim Acito) that reveals her parents as naively idealistic and "Be A Light" (music by Joshua Henry) that provides the upbeat conclusion. Coincidently, Shafrika, The White Girl opens in New York the same week that a popular singer staring in a major New York production of The Wiz received many critical pans for her lack of acting ability. Though it's doubtful Anika Larsen will ever get the same opportunity to play Dorothy, she's certainly got the chops for the role. Photo of Anika Larsen & Company by Corey Hayes ****************************************** The boyish and soft-spoken Morton uses the evening to educate the audience a bit on the history and significance of his selection of traditional Celtic tunes. Burns is well represented with "Red Red Rose," "Auld Lang Syne, "Ae Fond Kiss" and even a bit of poetry reading. The star's light, sweet tenor (with a nice lower range), melodic and tenderly expressive, warms the heart with traditional ballads like "Danny Boy" and "Loch Lomond." A livelier tune, "Miari's Wedding," has him dancing about the small stage and a more contemporary hit, Charlie & Craig Reid's "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" is a joyously quirky highlight. Directed by Lee Armitage, Morton is joined on stage by music director Bryan Reeder and Irish violinist and backup vocalist Maud Reardon, with whom he banters about some good-natured competitive ribbing between their two cultures. Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Posted on: Thursday, June 25, 2009 @ 11:01 AM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
Along with contempt, familiarity is also pretty good at breeding hit Broadway musicals. Take The Wiz, for example; the perfectly pleasant but sketchily written 1975 Tony winner for Best Musical that, if it weren't based on L. Frank Baum's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (which became an iconic American story once MGM got its hands on it), would probably leave audiences completely baffled as to what the devil was going on. But maybe that's all that was needed in the mid-70s; a time when urban unrest turned even the Broadway district into a sketchy part of town. With minority neighborhoods in Harlem and The Bronx suffering from serious decay, an upbeat musical that translated a classic American story into a celebration of black culture that sermonized on believing in yourself and having love and respect for the home that raised you probably didn't need to delve deeply into details its audience already knew. And while things aren't perfect today, The Wiz's place in our musical theatre heritage seems to have settled into the comfortable role of fluffy nostalgia. The jokes can get a bit corny, but the humor is genial, and the score - if not exactly top-drawer musical theatre - is the kind that allows strong actors to take center stage and perform. Gratefully, the Encores! Summer Stars production of The Wiz has strong actors who know how to smack some life into their underwritten characters and director Thomas Kail's swift and stylish production gives everyone plenty of elbow room to do their stuff. In between her appearances, it's Joshua Henry's Tinman who threatens to steal the show; first with a jaunty song and dance performance of "Slide Some Oil To Me," and later with a thrillingly heartfelt, "What Would I Do If I Could Feel?" James Monroe Iglehart provides rich, booming vocals for his stint as the lion and Christian Dante White's rubbery scarecrow nicely completes the trio. As Addaperle, the daffy Good Witch of the North, Dawnn Lewis admirably dives into some of the book's least effective comic material while Tichina Arnold, blessed with a role that allows her to strut with campy brassiness, gets the second act to a rousing start as Evilene, the Wicked Witch of the West. Unfortunately, the two above-the-title stars (who total one stage acting credit between both their Playbill bios) do not supply the wattage of their fellow players. As Dorothy, Grammy winner Ashanti has a pretty voice and can deliver the money notes when required, but she sings and speaks with little emotion and barely displays any physical presence. Orlando Jones certainly works hard as the title character, but there's little variety or nuance to his portrayal. But such annoyances can (almost) be set aside when treated to the dynamic contributions of set designer David Korins, costume designer Paul Tazewell and lighting designer Ken Billington, who each combine glittering fantasy and urban grit to provide a playground for Andy Blankenbuehler's dancers to dazzle as they impersonate flowers, winged creatures, brick roads and whipping winds. And with Alex Lacamoire conducting 22 pieces through Harold Wheeler's funked up orchestrations, Encores!'s The Wiz smoothly eases over the occasional bump in the road. Photos by Robert J. Saferstein: Top: LaChanze and Ashanti; Bottom: Joshua Henry and Ashanti
Posted on: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 @ 12:26 PM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
When I invite a woman to dinner, I expect her to look at my face. That's the price she has to pay. The grosses are out for the week ending 6/21/2009 and we've got them all right here in BroadwayWorld.com's grosses section. Up for the week was: THE 39 STEPS (8.8%), SOUTH PACIFIC (7.6%), IRENA'S VOW (7.3%), THE PHILANTHROPIST (5.9%), ACCENT ON YOUTH (5.7%), AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (5.4%), THE LITTLE MERMAID (5.1%), AVENUE Q (5.0%), THE NORMAN CONQUESTS (4.9%), SHREK THE MUSICAL (4.5%), WAITING FOR GODOT (3.1%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2.9%), CHICAGO (2.9%), ROCK OF AGES (1.8%), NEXT TO NORMAL (1.5%), WEST SIDE STORY (1.5%), BLITHE SPIRIT (1.4%), MARY POPPINS (0.7%), HAIR (0.6%), MAMMA MIA! (0.3%), Down for the week was: 9 TO 5 (-6.1%), MARY STUART (-4.2%), IN THE HEIGHTS (-2.9%),
Posted on: Monday, June 22, 2009 @ 04:57 PM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
One of the unique and cherished aspects of the musical theatre is how the preceding plot and character development can allow a musical moment to achieve ethereal wths that establish a triumvirate of joyful feeling between audience, performer and character. Take, for example, Amalia Balash's dizzying high note at the end of "Vanilla Ice Cream," which is not just a showy moment for the actress playing the role, but a release of amazed emotions caused by a simple act of kindness. Or the wacky exuberance of the impromptu tango that follows Eliza Doolittle's mastery of the proper pronunciation of an Iberian precipitation phenomenon. The Paper Mill's very enjoyable new production of The Full Monty, mounted by the company's Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee, never strays very far from the standards set by the original 2000 Broadway production; a show that was famously overshadowed by The Producers when it came time to award the Tonys. John Arnone's industrial set has been adapted for the Millburn stage by Rob Bissinger, Randall Klein bases the costumes on Robert Morgan's Broadway designs, original cast member Denis Jones choreographs and the talented cast gives familiar interpretations of their roles. But that's not to say this is a musty old revival. This is exceptional material played earnestly and a damn fun night of grown-up musical comedy. Based on the 1997 film's screenplay by Simon Beaufy, the musical's setting is shifted from Sheffield, England to Buffalo, New York but still concerns a group of steel workers left unemployed by massive layoffs. Jerry (Wayne Wilcox), the show's flawed but determined central character (nice work by the authors in keeping this guy sympathetic) is the divorced dad of young Nathan (Alex Maizus & Luke Marcus Rosen alternate), who lives with his mom. Unemployed for months and unwilling to take a job that he feels is beneath him, Jerry is way behind on child support and his ex-wife Pam (Kelly Sullivan), who has a perfectly good job with her company waiting for him if he'd only take it, has decided to withdraw his visitation rights unless he catches up. Looking to score a big payday, Jerry notices how Buffalo women happily shell out the bucks whenever a local nightclub holds their male stripper nights. And, assuming that those dancers are all a bunch of, as he puts it, fairies, he figures the ladies would be willing to pay out even more to see a bunch of "real men" like him. But after investing time and money to gather a group of chums to form the stripping ensemble "Hot Metal," ticket sales are abysmal, and don't pick up until Jerry announces that, unlike the professionals, his crew are willing to go The Fully Monty. Then there's the elderly Noah, a/k/a "Horse" (Milton Craig Nealy), who was apparently quite a dancer in his day and uses the mystique of the "Big Black Man" (which also happens to be the name of his show-stopping solo) to earn a place on the line. With a deep soul-singing voice and funky moves that he pulls off in between bouts with stiff joints and dislocating hips, Nealy is just riotously funny. While her role is a small (but meaty) supporting one, the reason why plenty of those bridge and tunnel tourists from Manhattan will be making the trip to Jersey is because Elaine Stritch is on hand to play Jeanette, the salty-tongued, hard-drinking rehearsal pianist. It's the kind of droll, wise-cracking role the 84-year-old Broadway trouper is famous for and she shines with her usual musical comedy moxie. But the real star of The Full Monty is composer/lyricist Yazbek, whose breezy combination of jazz, showtune, funk and rock - perfectly matched with the blue collar cleverness of his words - provide a sterling score. There probably has never been a character-driven comedy song quite like "Big Ass Rock," getting laughs out of dark-humored male bonding. "Michael Jordan's Ball," a number where the boys learn to dance by utilizing basketball moves, snaps with the jaunty syncopation of a one-on-one match-up and "You Walk With Me," (beautifully sung by Read) is a quiet contemplation on love and support. Broadway rocker Colella gets to show her impressive chops leading the hard-driving "It's a Woman's World" and Ragusa, who is just hilarious throughout, nails the tricky comic rhyming of "Life With Harold." Sure, the final moment of moment of The Full Monty will always be its main selling point (forgive me, Ms. Stritch) but the excellent Paper Mill production demonstrates what lovely, heartfelt and realistically humorous theatre the show has to offer before the final g-string is dropped. Top photo by Kevin Sprague: Wayne Wilcox and Luke Marcus Rosen; Bottom photo by Jerry Dalia: Elaine Stritch and Milton Craig Nealy.
Posted on: Sunday, June 21, 2009 @ 10:46 AM Posted by: Michael Dale | Leave Feedback
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Now, this is not exactly a full-out adaptation of Moliere's story of a religious shyster who tries to charm a well-to-do lamb out of his fortune while snaring a snog or two from the guy's wife. No, Weiner and Preisser (the latter also directs) thin the plot into the simple fact that Orgon (a cute and amiable Ted Lange) has begun donating every cent he has to a man of the crushed red velvet cloth whose bible says, "The best way to help the poor is by not being one of them," and his family wants to stop him.
In the intimate Harold Clurman Theatre, there's no escaping the fact that nearly each audience member will feel directly addressed by the flamboyant holy man ("Didn't they tell you there is no fourth wall in this church?") and at times De Shields will literally climb over seats to place his "healing hands" on a lady of his choosing and practically lap dance her to salvation. He also deputizes the ladies of his choir to heal any suffering men out there with various body parts. (It's all suggestive, but ultimately clean.)
Twelfth Night certainly works if played darker than the Delecorte's current entertainment, if simply for the fact that, if we go strictly by Shakespeare's words, the play ends with its most selfless and heroic character facing the rest of his life in prison. Grief for loved ones and unrequited passion also figure in heavily, not to mention the opportunity to explore erotic possibilities as its cross-dressing central female character must hide her gender from both the man she's smitten with and the woman she's accidentally attracted.
Twelfth Night's subplot, which figures just about as prominently as the main one, is also stocked with exceptional performances. Jay O. Sanders, an old pro at playing boisterously fun drunkards, and the verbally biting Julie White are terrific as Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch and his lusty companion, his niece's gentlewoman, Maria. In an outlandish comic turn, Hamish Linklater sports long blonde tresses and a loopy Valley Boy accent as Olivia's would-be suitor, the thickheaded Sir Andrew Aguecheek, stumbling down hills and blurting out lines with crowd-pleasing humor. As the dour Malvolio, who falls victim to a revengeful prank, Michael Cumpsty is a model of Dickensian smugness, getting broad laughs by playing straight.
The first child born of a pair of Norwegian-American 1970s liberals who believed in population control and getting American troops out of Vietnam, Anika was actually the fourth addition to the Larsen family, coming after three of her six adopted siblings and before her three biological ones. This racially mixed bunch (each given a Norwegian name in an effort to create a family identity) could teach Mike and Carol Brady a lesson or two about the realities of blended families.
The flag of Scotland hangs proudly behind 
Bookwriter William F. Brown short-hands the tale of how farm girl Dorothy Gale gets caught up in a twister that transports her to a land of witches, munchkins, a yellow brick road (suitable for easing down) and one deceptive wizard. His Spartan scenes quickly surrender to Charlie Smalls' catchy assortment of soul, funk, jazz, gospel and disco songs; some of which have lyrics that are actually somewhat associated with the plot. For good measure Luther Vandross contributed a celebratory anthem that just screams for radio play.
Happily, this Wiz begins and ends with the luminous singing actress LaChanze, who opens and closes the evening in two roles that require her to do little more than say a few lines and then wrap her gorgeously expressive mezzo around a ballad. Her lovely warmth as Aunt Em is just a warm-up for her Act II appearance (Kail gives her an Eartha Kittenish re-entrance), glimmering charm and exceptional vocal phrasing as the good witch Glinda.
But perhaps Broadway's most unusual musical expression of uninhibited joy passed on from stage to house is the final moment of 
Wilcox is terrific in the non-traditional leading male role. His Jerry is scruffy, worn and angular with a strong "regular guy" singing voice. But this is an ensemble show with lots of interesting characters to cheer for. Jerry's big lug buddy Dave (the very funny and endearing Joe Coots), feels emasculated because his wife Georgie (Jenn Colella) has become the breadwinner, despite her attempts to be emotionally supportive. Their former supervisor, Harold (Michael Rupert), has been hiding his unemployment from his stuff-loving wife Vicki (Michele Ragusa) because he fears she'll leave him without his executive salary. Lonely Malcolm (Allen E. Read) has been spending most of his life taking care of his ailing mother and while he's grateful for the friendship Jerry and Dave offer, it's his new relationship with the likeable but thickheaded Ethan (Jason Babinsky) that brings him real happiness.
About Michael: After 20-odd years singing, dancing and acting in
dinner theatres, summer stocks and the ever-popular
audience participation murder mysteries (try
improvising with audiences after they?ve had two hours
of open bar), Michael Dale segued his theatrical
ambitions into playwriting. The buildings which once
housed the 5 Off-Off Broadway plays he penned have all
been destroyed or turned into a Starbucks, but his
name remains the answer to the trivia question, "Who
wrote the official play of Babe Ruth's 100th
Birthday?" He served as Artistic Director for The
Play's The Thing Theatre Company, helping to bring
free live theatre to underserved communities, and
dabbled a bit in stage managing and in directing
cabaret shows before answering the call (it was an
email, actually) to become BroadwayWorld.com's first
Chief Theatre Critic. While not attending shows
Michael can be seen at Shea Stadium pleading for the
Mets to stop imploding. Likes: Strong book musicals
and ambitious new works. Dislikes: Unprepared
celebrities making their stage acting debuts by
starring on Broadway and weak bullpens.
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