#Chicago Theater Review

[lordoftheringsmusical]

Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater

19 July 2024 to 1 September 2024

The highly popular UK revival of The Lord of the Rings officially opened in Chicago last Friday. The response from critics is mixed (some good, some bad) - but it seems to be a hit with Tumblr audiences. A fascinating development!

I've compiled a list of reviews published so far and will update it from time to time. Please check the original post for the most up-to-date version.

Newspapers / news outlets

1news (28 July 2024)

Chicago Sun Times (28 July 2024)

Chicago Tribune (29 July 2024)

New York Times (31 July 2024)

The Lansing Journal (5 August 2024)

The New Zealand Herald (21 August 2024)

Bloggers / Theatre guides

File 770 (25 July 2024)

The Fourth Walsh (27 July 2024)

Around the Town Chicago (27 July 2024)

third coast review (27 July 2024)

Chicago Stage and Screen (27 July 2024)

Chicago Culture Authority (28 July 2024)

Chicago Theatre Review (28 July 2024)

Chicago Onstage (28 July 2024)

Talkin' Broadway (28 July 2024)

Buzz Center Stage (28 July 2024)

BroadwayWorld (29 July 2024)

Newcity Stage (30 July 2024)

Chicago Reader (30 July 2024)

PicksInSix (30 July 2024)

Stage and Screen (30 July 2024)

axios Chicago (2 August 2024)

Hellenic Moon (4 August 2024)

Sean Michael Malone (7 August 2024)

Playbill (8 August 2024)

Spotlight on Lake (16 August 2024)

TheOneRing.net (28 August 2024)

Winter is Coming (9 September 2024)

Vloggers / video / podcast reviews

Jess of the Shire (26 July 2024)

OK. (4 August 2024)

CST's compilation (5 August 2024)

Slandered Gaming (13 August 2024)

Hannah Dreaming (18 August 2024)

Seven Stars, Seven Siblings, and One White Tree (18 October 2024)

Social media reviews

Hilary Klein (21 July 2024)

@myfairkatiecat x (24 July 2024)

@sirdeln x (26 July 2024)

@heretherebedork x (27 July 2024)

@freenarnian x (27 July 2024)

@supermacaroniandsqueezeblr x (27 July 2024)

@sonofarathorns x (3 August 2024)

@thefallenangelsgang x (10 August 2024)

@jaz-the-bard, @nelyoslegalteam, @shadowkat2000 x (10-12 August 2024)

@cahootings x (20 August 2024)

@nowandforalways x (25 August 2024)

@sustinentiae-spei 1 2 (26 & 30 August 2024)

The date indicated refers to the date the review was published.

Picture source

[thesongofpurplesummer]

What are some of your controversial opinions about The Tony Awards or Olivier Awards? (Shows/People that should have won)

[taketheringtolohac]

sometimes I think abt that one person who was like “I really didn’t like Chicago there wasn’t a big elaborate set or lots of costume changes :/“ like look we all have our own tastes in theater but also like. you can’t go to the ice cream store and complain that they don’t have burgers. like the part of the point of Chicago is that it’s a bit minimalist bc the focus is really on the dance and the interpretive aspects of the show to emphasize the way that the justice system makes a spectacle of murder and crime for the sake of spectacle it’s not abt big costume changes and set pieces and whatever it’s abt the way that those small things are turned into something larger than life and again. the dance. perhaps most famously so. and also like that’s discrediting a lot of the design that goes into such a minimally designed show like that bc it makes all the things that ARENT solid Black stand out and also the variance within the solid Black costume pieces as well. Like I think the reason why I think abt this so often and why it was so jarring was bc the person like made an entire account all abt seeing theater in nyc and reviewing shows they saw and presenting themself as this theater guru and yet seemingly could not comprehend why a musical might not have eight million quick changes or a flashy showy set. Again it’s not a crime to have preferences, obviously this person prefers the big flashy stuff and I mean I love that too! But again to call yourself someone who knows a lot about theater and to say that seeing Chicago was “disappointing” bc of the “lack of design” is completely disregarding the work and thought that goes into a production like this and also the history of a production (which is especially important for a revival of a show…) as well as the artistic vision and direction. and again. It would be different if it was just a casual theater goer but she has a whole account dedicated to reviewing theater. Which is more than a casual theater goer. Like imagine seeing a production of a chorus line and going “man the songs were good but why was the stage bare and the actors in dance clothes” like you literally sound like theater reviewers in the 70s. Utterly ridiculous from someone who supposedly sees theater several times a month and reviews it claiming to be an authority

[matildazq]

Review: Every Brilliant Thing, Writers Theatre, Glencoe, IL https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/chicago/ch791.html

[jordyvix]

NIGHT SWIM Sinks In the Deep End

After moving into a new house, a family begins to suspect the pool in their backyard is haunted. Based on writer and director Bryce McGuire’s short film, Night Swim serves up a few creepy moments but ultimately drowns as it doesn’t build a cohesive or intriguing story that culminates into something memorable. Struggling with a recent diagnosis, former baseball star Ray Waller (Russell) moves his…

[popentertainmentconcertreviews]

A Day To Remember & Wage War – The Chicago Theater – Chicago, IL – December 12, 2022 

When country and metalcore make a baby… this is the best way to describe The Reassembled Tour. With hints of heavy bass from classic metalcore music, combined with highlights of acoustic guitar and piano, this tour was very much uncharted territory for both bands and their fans.

To the delight of Midwest fans, the beautiful, iconic and famous Chicago Theater hosted alternative music fan favorite A Day To Remember. A typical ADTR show consists of heavy music, crowd surfers, fire, and t-shirt canons. The show was a much more slowed-down version of their normal show and seemed more reminiscent of a country concert such as Zac Brown Band or Kenny Chesney.                                         

The last few years have seen a renaissance of early 2000’s pop punk bands making a comeback to find an adoring audience waiting to hear and see where the bands have been. Among this group is A Day To Remember, who broke onto the music scene in 2003 with their angsty mixture of pop-punk, and metal.  Running shotgun to ADTR is their opening act Wage War, which formed in 2010 in Ocala Florida, which coincidentally is the same city A Day to Remember was created.   

Wage War entered the stage one by one as the crowd cheered patiently waiting for the music to begin. They opened with “Godspeed” off of their most recent album “Manic” released just last year in the early fall of 2021.

Following this amazing set, A Day To Remember opened with a new fan favorite “Mindreader” off their most recent album You’re Welcome.  The band then followed up with a classic “City of Ocala” off of the 2013 album Common Courtesy.

A Day To Remember is one of the most influential emo bands of the late 2000’s into the early 2010’s. They helped shape and mold today's modern pop-punk and metal scenes. The entire crowd stood up and cheered when ADTR started playing their hit classic “All I Want” from their 2010 album “What Separates Me From You.” Even at an old-school theater with its traditional seating, the fans couldn’t help but stand up and dance their hearts out. It was like a scene straight out of a movie.  It was never a phase, it’s a lifestyle. 

Ryan Heller

Copyright ©2022 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: December 14, 2022.

Photos by Ryan Heller © 2022. All rights reserved.

[sirdeln]

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Lord of the Rings musical in Chicago earlier this week and was SO DELIGHTED. I can't stop thinking about it and talking my friends' ears off and wanted to write down all of my thoughts!  Here's my review under the cut :)

A brief background on the musical for those unfamiliar: In the 2000s LOTR excitement was high! This musical originally premiered in 2006 in Toronto and moved to the West End in London the next year. It was extremely expensive to produce and included a massive cast, full orchestral pit, and large, complicated sets. It consequently lost a lot of money. Bummer!!! I did not see this production as I was 8 and living in Oregon at the time. 

Last year (2023) the musical was reworked into a new production for the Watermill Theatre with a smaller cast, more intimate feel, and notably, all the musician/actors on stage. It received generally positive reviews and presumably was commercially successful, because Chicago Shakespeare Theater announced it would be hosting the same production with a new cast this year. Of course I rushed to buy tickets, because I never thought I'd get to see any version of the LOTR musical (and also I lived in Chicago for a short time and love it there 😊 ).  

Of course, there are some necessary plot changes and abbreviations to fit the story of the whole trilogy into a 2 hour and 45 minute musical. Most notably Rohan is entirely absent. No Eowyn :,(, no Eomer, and no Helm's Deep. Theoden and Denethor are combined into one character, "The Steward," which I think works fairly well. There's one large battle between the armies of men and the forces of Sauron, and there's an inserted argument between Frodo and Sam, similar to the movies.  

Unlike the movies, the scouring of the Shire does occur, although we don't actually see Saruman at the end of the show. I think that to someone unfamiliar with the story, it would be a little confusing, especially because it's full of unexplained names, other references to Middle Earth, and singing in elvish, but ultimately I think it's pretty impressive that they've created a mostly coherent plot that's the length of a normal show! 

I'll caveat that I went into this already an opera/musical theater appreciator (although I've only ever been involved in productions playing in the pit, I am certainly no actor). I was really hoping to be pleased based on everything I had heard about last year's UK show and my positive opinion of the old cast recording.  

On to specifics about the Chicago show!  

The cast is extremely impressive. Basically everyone on stage is a quadruple threat; acting, singing, dancing, AND playing instruments. The casting call posted earlier this year made me so curious because it seemed so specific (here it is for those who are curious: https://www.theatreinchicago.com/auditions/industrydetail.php?AuditionID=10319), but they really managed to find Suzanne Hannau, who sings, dances, and acts as Rosie Cotton all while playing piccolo, flute, and recorder (and possibly tin whistle? Tin whistle heads out there, let me know).  

Standout members of the cast are Alina Jenine Taber as Arwen, who gave my favorite vocal performance of the show. She is a perfect Arwen and blends easily with Will James Jr.'s Aragorn in their second act duet. Also she learned harp for the role! Will James Jr. as Aragorn is excellent casting as well. He totally pulls of the humble gravitas of Aragorn and I actually prefer his voice to the Aragorn in the 2008 cast recording.  

More flowers go to Rick Hall, who made a perfect, lovely Bilbo (and is double cast as the Steward), and Spencer Davis Milford as Frodo. His acting chops are WILD! Special mention goes to Ben Mathew as Pippin. He is a truly wonderful cellist and gives a noticeably excellent musical performance while acting and dancing! With a cello strapped to his front! Crazy good!! Generally though the whole cast is excellent. 

Here are my small gripes. These are less flaws, and more things that I would have done differently were I for some reason in charge. Lauren Zakrin plays Galadriel and is an extremely talented singer, but IMO her vocal style is much too "Broadway show tune" for Galadriel. "Lothlorien" is one of my favorite tracks in the show, and while she totally rocks it, I prefer a more ethereal sound for this role.  

Tony Bozzuto brings an incredibly impressive physicality to Gollum (climbing down ropes into the audience, swinging fully around ladders 20 feet up in the air type of stuff) but I think using an Andy Serkis Gollum voice and movie Gollum look is a directorial mistake. Bozzuto does a great job with what he's given, but the Serkis Gollum voice made the audience (at least the night I went) react to Gollum as if he was a comedic character rather than a tragic one. It also slightly cheapens the emotional impact of “Now and For Always,” which is hugely unfortunate. He would say incredibly sad things but the goofy voice made people laugh. 

UK correspondent and subject expert @lotrmusical tells me this wasn’t an issue at the Watermill. The voice wasn’t as much a Serkis-specific voice and worked more with pathos. I also think using the movie Gollum look is a missed opportunity to do something really cool and unique with the character – imagine if they'd gone with a cartoon froggy type Gollum or come up with their own original look! 

My final qualm is a musical qualm. The new orchestration is extremely impressive in that it creates a very similar sound to a full orchestral pit (I've read it was 60 musicians?) with a MUCH smaller group and mostly sounds very very good. Having the actors as the instrumentalists on stage works really well in creating the folk story vibe, and fits with the framing device of this show; it's hobbits telling you their version of this story.  

But a couple of moments are weird. Harmonica during an Aragorn/Arwen love scene is a wack choice, and same for accordion representing wizard magic. There are a few issues with intonation, balance (sorry brass players), and ensemble. I think this is inevitable when your instrumentalists are playing simultaneously to acting, moving across the stage, and performing choreography. To be clear, in no way is this the fault of the musicians themselves, but it's a pretty unavoidable side effect of this staging: you just aren't going to play perfectly together if you're standing 40 feet away from each other and your instruments are individually mic'd. 

@lotrmusical tells me this also wasn’t a problem for the Watermill, maybe because it’s a much smaller venue than Chicago; very possibly these small problems arise from a combination of the Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater being a larger/more difficult space and from my seeing the show in its first week. It may resolve itself as it progresses! Personally I think the staging is worth these minor issues because the folk atmosphere works so well with the story, but it's worth pointing out.  

Okay, time for all the stuff I loved!  

I mentioned the folk element of this staging briefly and this angle works really well for LOTR. There's a framing device of hobbits telling this tale to you with ensemble cast members at times narrating, and I think it's a great fit for the story. It creates a feeling of intimacy that I really loved, and that feeling is enhanced by some interactive moments with the audience.  

When I entered the theater, the stage is set for Bilbo's birthday party. There's a beautiful party tree revealed by the backdrop, a large banner proclaims the occasion, and bunting is flying out above the audience. Hobbit actors came out into the audience and interacted with us, playing games and chatting, while Bilbo made the rounds on each level to greet his "party guests". It really effectively transitions the audience into the world of middle earth, and I'll admit to tearing up when everyone sang happy birthday to Bilbo.  

(screenshot from official trailer)

The stagecraft maintains the immersion throughout the show. The lighting design incorporates lights flashing straight out at the audience for a few dramatic moments (there are epilepsy warnings on the website and program for a good reason) and characters move swiftly up and down the aisles throughout the show. Gollum climbs down a rope from the gallery at the beginning of the second act, and the Nazgul snap and prowl around the audience.  

Speaking of the Nazgul, the PUPPETS in this show are totally stunning. Shelob is an absolutely massive puppet that emerges from the back of the stage and moves extremely realistically, and the ringwraiths are glowing, articulated skeletal horse heads, each moving with a dark cloaked puppeteer. The Nazgul are absolute showstoppers; it's impossible to convey the way they move and look under the stage lights, but it was totally enthralling. I could watch just them for ages. The puppet designer is Charlie Tymms, website here if you're curious: https://www.charlietymms.co.uk/ 

(screenshots from official trailer)

The lighting, choreography, and sound design are all fantastic and combine to create a really magical feeling. The best way to get a feel for this is in the short trailer released by Chicago Shakespeare Theater, but even that doesn't really convey how cool it was in person. The fight and dance choreography is super impressive as well. I'm a big believer in the importance of lighting design for live theater, and this production is maybe the best I've seen. Some favorite moments are Galadriel and Lothlorien's swirling, twinkling gold effect, the spotlight and freeze when Frodo puts on the ring, and the projection onto vertical cloth streamers for the Bruinen water horses.  

(Liz Lauren via playbill)

Overall, I loved my experience and if I lived locally, I would go see it a second time. If all goes well and they tour this production, I will absolutely be there if it comes closer to me. This show is clearly made by people who love the Lord of the Rings, and that love absolutely shines through.  

I think you will enjoy this production if you love the atmosphere of the Lord of the Rings and you like the music in the show. You'll enjoy this if you love theater and stagecraft, or don't know much about the Lord of the Rings but are ok with being a little confused/ready to be along for the ride. I think a person who is primarily a film fan and loves the epic battles of LOTR would perhaps not have a great time, and a person who knows that they don't enjoy or aren't immersed by theater would also not have a good time.  

If you're thinking of attending, you should check out the trailer from Chicago Shakespeare Theater:

the cast recording from the west end 2008:

and Mickey Jo Theatre's review of the Watermill production:

Most of what Mickey Jo Theatre says about the Watermill show is applicable to the Chicago production. The trailer and cast recording will give you a sense of the show as a whole (although of course the orchestration is significantly changed), but the overall sound is much the same. 

I'm certainly not an expert, but feel free to reach out if you are thinking of attending or have any questions! I'd also love to hear from/compare notes with anyone who saw the Watermill production from last year 😊 

A huge thank you to @lotrmusical for checking my facts and telling me about their experience with the Watermill show!!! you rock!

[animesmolbean]

My thoughts on Wonka 2023.

Straight up, I loved it!! I was excited when they announced this movie was being made. Having been a fan of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory material since I was five years old, this made me jump with excitement.

I have been a fan of Tim's Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since I was a kid, and my love for it is still strong. Then, I saw Wilder's film a few years later, read the book (when I was little, I didn't know there was a book), and then I saw Broadway show just a few years ago in Chicago.

Watching the trailer for the new movie made my childhood nostalgia resurface, and I told my mom I wanted to go see it. Over Christmas break, she, along with my little sister (who had already seen it with friends, along with my mom), and I was hopping with excitement.

Now, to the review. Some spoilers ahead, especially for the ending!

Again, I absolutely loved it! It was exactly what I needed. A sweet, adorable, and fun experience! The visuals were stunning, the casting and acting were phenomenal (the whole cast stood out to me), the costumes were detailed, and they suited the characters perfectly. The humor was spot on. I laughed when Hugh Grant's Lofty started to sing and dance to the Oompa Loompa song, along with my mom and little sister. The songs were very catchy and nostalgic (hard to pick a favorite), and the vocals were great! My favorite scenes were the scene in the Gallery Gourmet when Willy first meets Slugworth, Fickleberger, and Prodnose, "For a Moment," when we first meet Lofty, "A World of Your Own", and the ending.

I also loved how it has references to the films that came before it. Most of them were references to the Gene Wilder film, but I noticed a few references from the Johnny Depp movie, too, which made me very happy!

I know people were a bit turned off when they first watched it and found out it was a musical. But honestly, I knew it was going to be a musical from the beginning because of how the Wilder's film was, and Burton's one had songs in it too; not to mention the Broadway show. If anything, it made me even more excited to see it!

I never knew Timothée Chalamet could sing or dance before this movie. I've seen a few of his films before this one (Pretty Women and Bones and All), so I was genuinely surprised at how great he sounded. He sounded so passionate, and I think that is better than sounding right all the time; it feels a bit robotic to me. I teared up and quietly freaked out when Timothée started singing Pure Imagination, and the nostalgia hit me like a truck. It hit me so hard that in the movie theater, I started to sing along with Timothée and I didn't regret it.

All in all, this movie was what I needed. It felt like a big, warm hug or a warm cup of hot chocolate. It also officially made me a Timothée Chalamet fan. I highly recommend this movie if you're a fan of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory material, if you're a Timothée Chalamet fan, or if you just want a fluffy and fun family movie to watch.

10/10 🎩🍫

-AnimeSmolBean 💜

[between-myself-and-me]

It seemed only a matter of time before Julien Baker would combust. Monday at the first of a sold-out three-night residency at Thalia Hall, the singer-songwriter performed with the kind of extreme intensity that can be difficult to watch and feels both thrilling and draining to witness. She made it impossible for anyone to look away, and matched the fervor of her lyrics with spontaneous body language and unfiltered banter that underlined her tightly wound passion.

Raw and unscripted, the 90-minute concert marked a memorable way to start a tour, Baker’s first headline outing in two years. Aside from sticking to an apparent setlist, the 28-year-old approached the show by refusing to trade in predictability or artifice. Backed by a five-piece band amid a spartan stage setup, and venturing deep into her catalog, she stood as the antithesis of most peers and predecessors with her degree of success.

Nervous, excited, jittery, sincere and occasionally unable to keep her focus, Baker operated on a wavelength that brought her to an eye-to-eye level with fans and established her as a relatable person rather than an untouchable, unknowable celebrity. That didn’t mean she didn’t take her craft seriously. Indeed, Baker’s recurrent concerns about getting everything right, her admitted apprehension over remembering words and playing tunes alone, demonstrated a heightened conscientiousness and unguarded honesty few entertainers openly share.

Yes, Baker and company erred at several points, though her worries about the hoarseness of her voice — she said she overtaxed it in rehearsals — largely proved unfounded when she opened her mouth to sing. The various missteps and imperfections felt as if they belonged and, oddly enough, enhanced the fearlessness and courage with which Baker addressed harrowing topics ranging from mental illness and violent abuse to debilitating doubt and loneliness.

For all the pain and anguish in her songs, Baker continues to enjoy an ascent that a majority of burgeoning musicians would envy. Her still-developing career is evidence that listeners can still suss out singular talent even in a pop-culture landscape overstuffed with countless options and here-today-gone-tomorrow hypes vying for attention.

A decade ago, using studio time given to her by a friend, Baker recorded what became her debut in just three days while studying to be a teacher at Middle Tennessee State University. Though she didn’t expect many people outside her immediate orbit to hear them, the songs became a word-of-mouth sensation. After an indie imprint signed her and formally released the material as the “Sprained Ankle” LP, Baker landed on record-label radars and major media outlets’ best-of-year lists.

Virtually overnight, the Tennessee native went from pursuing a college education to headlining a national tour. She shared a compelling backstory that included candid details about her evangelical upbringing, battles with addictions and decision as a teenager to come out as queer to her parents. Baker’s critically acclaimed sophomore album (“Turn Out the Lights,” 2017) further expanded her profile and, the following year, she formed Boygenius with Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers.

Despite releasing just two EPs and one full-length to date, Boygenius has won three Grammy Awards and cultivated enough interest that it finished touring last fall with a capacity show at the Hollywood Bowl.

Who knows, Baker’s own material might work in such settings, but its personal intimacy and intricate architecture — moody violins, atmospheric keyboards, spare guitars, chamber-inspired orchestrations — are better-suited for halls and theaters. Her three solo turns on Monday, which included the disarming “Guthrie” and a searing rendition of “Something” during which every utterance of the titular word registered as a self-inflicted gutpunch, benefited from the coziness of the mid-sized venue.

Wearing a white button-down shirt and jeans, with her hair pulled into a ponytail bun, Baker, too, appeared comfortable in an environment in which she could forge a close bond with the audience. Having previously dealt with stage fright, she revealed she no longer enjoys playing without a support band and encouraged anyone who knew the words to sing along. With rare exception, the latter request went unheeded. The hushed crowd treated Baker’s emotional outpourings with reverence of scripture.

During the faintest moments, the faint hum of amplifiers framed Baker’s delicate vocals. Expressed as whispers, asides, exhales and shudders, her gentle singing confirmed quiet moments can have as much volume as full-throated cries. Well-placed screams and howls also figured in Baker’s repertoire. She frequently delivered loud passages when standing feet away from the microphone stand or shifting her stance.

The movements altered her words’ pitch, and instilled the sensation that she was either trying to flee a bad situation, engaged in a heated confrontation or yelling into an abyss. Even with a guitar or keyboard shielding her rail-thin physique, Baker couldn’t disguise the physical impact the songs registered on her body or the anxiety they triggered in her mind.

Pointing at her temple, running her hands through her hair, covering her mouth with her forearm, shaking her head, squeezing her eyes shut, unconsciously transferring the weight from one leg to another: Baker looked as if she’d pull the bones out from beneath her skin as she chronicled traumas, faults and hurts with unsparing conviction. Far more dynamic live than on the studio recordings, the taut rhythmic structures of the songs accentuated the struggles with faith, forgiveness and optimism the singer explored via bruised, bloodied narratives.

Baker’s music is not generally fun or always easy to digest, particularly given the explicit references to suicidal thoughts, toxic relapses, self-destructive behaviors and all manner of failures. Yet it often sounded momentous and freeing — the balladic frameworks of fare such as “Crying Wolf” and “Funeral Pyre” beautiful and melodic, the crashing urgency of “Tokyo” and “Hardline” effervescent and cathartic — and spoke to vital issues without coming across as self-serving.

“I’m so (expletive) happy, you just can’t (expletive) tell,” Baker announced, typically subdued and aware of the irony, as she explained how much playing matters to her. She later gave a few clearer signs of her temperament. Baker climbed atop the drum riser to bash out punk-style chords on her electric guitar; stomped around and double-over her instrument during another explosive sequence and, ultimately, let her hair fall over her shoulders.

That, and led the band through two live premieres (the obscure seven-inch B-side “Conversation Piece,” the brand-new and unreleased “Middle Children”) and waged a conflicted war for snatching some semblance of goodness out of the jaws of despair. In the fractured episodes of “Ziptie,” “Appointments” and “Ringside,” Baker didn’t identify fixed solutions or guaranteed redemption. Still, the songs hit on the potential of mercy and hope, and of trying against all odds to conquer sensations of dread, sadness and emptiness.

For Baker, and everyone now struggling to reconcile the notions of kindness and decency against the evils that humans continue to do to one another and the planet, it’s a start to a long-overdue conversation.

[snowlessknitter]

“Please, Blanche! Sidney Sheldon tells shorter stories!”

— Dorothy Zbornak, “Blanche and the Younger Man”

Time for another edition of “Snowlessknitter Explains the Golden Girls Joke”!

After we recently got back Disney+ (thanks to our cable company; we previously had it for a couple of months around the beginning of 2020, but got rid of it when the pandemic forced my dad to take a temporary pay cut at his job), I’ve been rewatching The Golden Girls on there from the beginning (it’s technically on Hulu, but I think our subscription is a Disney+/Hulu bundle which allows you to watch Hulu shows on Disney+ without having to switch apps). Anyway, the streaming version of the show restores jokes and scenes that were otherwise cut from the syndicated version of the show. So anyway, I came across this particular joke for the first time and I decided to look into who Sidney Sheldon was.

Sidney Sheldon was born Sidney Schectel on 11 February 1917 in Chicago. The son of Ukrainian Jewish parents, Sheldon showed a talent for writing from an early age. He sold his first poem at the age of 10, earning $5 for his work. (According to an inflation calculator, $5 in 1927 has the same purchasing power as $90.60 today. Not a bad sum for the time!) He worked a variety of jobs during the Great Depression, and although he was able to enroll in college on a scholarship, he ended up having to drop out after six months in order to support his family. He ended up moving to Hollywood in 1937 to work as a script reviewer and screenwriter. He later enlisted in the Army Air Corps (the predecessor to what is now the United States Air Force) during World War II, but was medically discharged due to a back injury before he would have been deployed.

During his time as a screenwriter, Sheldon also began writing Broadway productions. He primarily wrote for musical theater, but he also wrote several plays, and he eventually developed a reputation of being one of Broadway’s most prolific writers. This reputation allowed him to return to Hollywood, where he won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1948 for writing The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (a screwball comedy starring Cary Grant as the “Bachelor”, Shirley Temple as the “Bobby-Soxer” who develops a crush on the older “Bachelor”, and Myrna Loy as the sister and guardian of Shirley Temple’s character). He additionally won a Tony Award in 1959 for writing the book (musical theater term for “script”) to the musical Redhead. Sheldon’s career in writing for the stage and screen also included many films and television shows, including writing scripts for The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, and later on Hart to Hart.

What makes Sidney Sheldon appear in this series, though, is his career as a novelist. He published his first novel, The Naked Face, in 1970. He primarily wrote in the mystery and thriller genres, and he gained a largely female fan following in part due to the somewhat steamy nature of his novels, as well as his use of primarily female protagonists. He was often regarded as a “potboiler” (or someone who wrote primarily to make money rather than for the sake of art), but regardless he would have been quite well known during the time of The Golden Girls’ run. (This wasn’t the only joke on the show mentioning Sidney Sheldon, by the way. There’s another mention of him in Season 2 — I think the episode where Rose, Dorothy, and Blanche go on a disastrous Caribbean vacation — where Rose admits to reading Blanche’s diary and says she got 20 pages in before she realized it wasn’t a Sidney Sheldon novel.) In his lifetime, Sheldon wrote 18 novels that sold a total of over 300 million copies.

Sidney Sheldon died in Rancho Mirage, California from pneumonia on 30 January 2007 at the age of 89, just 12 days before he would have turned 90. Married three times, he was survived by at least one child (a daughter, Mary Sheldon, who is an author in her own right). After his death, his estate authorized British author Tilly Bagshawe to write sequels to some of his novels as well as novels inspired by his writing style and her works usually carry the Sidney Sheldon’s tag in the title.

[lordoftheringsmusical]

I made a playlist for all things LotR in Chicago! Includes the trailer, clips, rehearsal footage, interviews (for CST, FOX 32, CBS), and audience reviews.

[where-fading-princesses-live]

Hot take. As much as I'm excited to see the new Mean Girls (2024) adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical (I'm a big fan of both the 2004 movie and the musical), I really hope this doesn't start a new trend of ''musical movie adaptations of Broadway musicals based on movies''.

The 2017-2018 Broadway season saw a lot of new musicals based on classic movies.

Amelie, Anastasia, A Bronx Tale, Groundhog Day, and The Band's Visit (which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2018), just to name a few.

Not to mention the more recent ones like Beetlejuice and Back to the Future. The list goes on.

Now if you take movies like Amelie and Groundhog Day for example which became instant cinema classics, the stage versions only enhanced the source material which is what a good musical does.

However, by re-adapting a musical that's based on a movie back into the original medium it started with, it always runs the risk of being an exact repeat of the original movie with added musical numbers, and therefore, feels entirely unnecessary to exist.

I guess that's the main criticism of the new Mean Girls, especially with its weird marketing to hide the fact that it was a musical to not dissuade the old Mean Girls fans or the average movie goer who doesn't like musicals (and this was the main negative response I was seeing from people who went in to the movie theater blind and left halfway through because they were surprised it was a musical and didn't expect the actors to burst into song and this turned them off). But then the absence of musical numbers--narrowing it down to 12 shorter more cinematic pop versions of the original songs and cutting out 14 of the most beloved songs from the stage version--ended up alienating the musical theatre crowd who were expecting a more faithful adaptation of the Broadway musical. Like it's a musical that doesn't even want to be musical.

So who was this movie for exactly? If not for the musical theatre crowd who didn't like the changes to the songs, and if not for the non-musical fans who didn't like the songs regardless, who was this movie for??? It seems the producers wanted to market it more towards non-musical fans, but they really shouldn't have concerned themselves with trying to attract old Mean Girls fans who already know the 2004 movie by heart and wouldn't have accepted a remake, songs or no songs either way. If it was a MUSICAL adaptation, the target audience should have been the dedicated musical fanbase, which is more than the producers give it credit for. Mean Girls the musical has been licensed to high schools and performed by performing arts schools and has gained a lot of popularity that way. There was no shortage of people who would have gone to see this movie, myself included.

My point is, if one is going to go through all the trouble of adapting a musical based on a movie back into a movie, the least it can do is preserve the musical theatre genre.

On the other hand, the new Mean Girls is actually gaining mostly positive reviews despite its flaws, and some are even calling it the best Musical Movie since Chicago.

I've been following its production and I've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop (the changes don't bother me that much, in fact, my only complaint is that the songs are too short like they really should have had the full versions of ''Meet the Plastics'' and ''What's Wrong with Me?'' including its reprise and I just wish they maintained more of the original songs, like I understand cutting out the filler ones like ''Who's House is This?'' because no one would seriously miss that one but songs like ''Where Do You Belong'', ''Stop'', ''Fearless'', and ''More'' would have benefited the score in my opinion because there's so much character development that's missing otherwise). I'm still excited to see it, but I do hope its success doesn't cause a new cinematic trend. I really don't think I want to see Groundhog Day as a musical movie for example, because the Broadway version is so perfect and I would hate for them to ruin both the original movie and the musical.

Mean Girls made some interesting choices to re-adapt its story with mixed results, and I don't think it's a bad thing. But things like this are usually one-hit wonders and I don't want to see Hollywood jump the bandwagon on this one and just leave well enough alone.

[matildazq]

Review: Into the Woods, Kokandy Productions, Chicago https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/chicago/ch788.html

At some point, without meaning to, I got out of the habit of posting links to reviews.

[jordyvix]

THE NUN II Scares up Some Improvements but Still Struggles

Years after facing a demonic entity, a young woman is once again in a supernatural battle against evil. Starring Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet from the first film, The Nun II offers some decent jump scares and the franchise’s signature atmosphere. However, it fails to present a concise story with significance — mildly entertaining but lacking. Sister Irene (Farmiga) has attempted to move on…

[bespokeredmayne]

Report: Eddie Redmayne’s lengthy commitment to Cabaret on Broadway — and its whopping budget

A exclusive report today from Philip Boroff and his Broadway Journal says Eddie Redmayne is committing to an expensive New York production of Cabaret for six months. ‘CABARET’ IS COSTLIEST BROADWAY REVIVAL

by Philip Boroff 

EXCLUSIVE: Investing in Cabaret  at the August Wilson Theatre this spring might seem like a safe bet, after the success of the Kander & Ebb classic in London and earlier productions in New York.

That's until you see the price tag: $24.25 million, a record for a Broadway revival.

Broadway Journal reviewed a preliminary budget and recoupment chart for the transfer from the West End, which is being presented by the multinational theater operator and producer Ambassador Theatre Group and U.K.-based Underbelly, which creates shows and festivals. Tony and Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne will reprise his role as Kit Kat Club emcee on Broadway. 

Revivals of musicals by John Kander and Fred Ebb have been golden on Broadway, particularly the concert version of Chicago, now in its 27th year; and two Roundabout Theatre Co. engagements of Cabaret. This production, which follows several new musicals into the financial stratosphere, needs to be a smash to repay investors. 

Cabaret‘s largest line item is its $9.4 million physical production. That includes millions from investors to transform the August Wilson into a Weimar-era nightclub, designed by Tom Scutt, where the show will be performed for an audience of about 1050. (There’s also a pre-show with actors and musicians interacting with the audience.) Another $1.5 million is allocated for a “refurbishment reserve,” presumably for cost overruns. A production spokesman declined to comment for this story.

For the 2021 premiere, Ambassador Theatre Group paid most of the expense of renovating London’s Playhouse Theatre (where the show’s performed in the round), someone familiar with the production said. As is standard in the industry, backers benefit from the sale of tickets but don’t share in revenue from drinks or food.

The New York production is what’s known as a related-party transaction: ATG is both producer and landlord. It recently bought a majority stake in the August Wilson along with Jujamcyn Theaters’ four other Broadway venues.

One of the busiest players on Broadway, ATG and subsidiary Sonia Friedman Productions are producing four of the 16 plays and musicals opening this season through December: The Shark is Broken, Gutenberg! The Musical!, Merrily We Roll Along and Appropriate (with Second Stage Theater). It’s controlled by Providence Equity Partners, a mammoth private equity manager that buys companies with the eventual aim of reselling them at a profit.

Cabaret must thrive to survive, requiring a weekly $1.2 million at the box office to pay its bills. That’s one of the biggest nuts on Broadway, even more than the time-travel spectacle Back to the Future projected in its recoupment chart. Back to the Future‘s home, the Winter Garden Theatre, has about 50 percent more seats than the reconfigured August Wilson, which will lose about 200 seats in the renovation.

Investing may be most appealing for patrons who prioritize backing a prestigious and artful show (and a leading Tony contender) over return on investment. Rebecca Frecknall’s dark revival won seven Olivier Awards last year in London, including for Redmayne. He’s committed to reprising his role for six months, two people familiar with the production said. ATG and Underbelly haven’t disclosed details about the transfer, including casting.

When it opened in London in 2021, Cabaret got flak on social media for its prices, now as much as £375 (equivalent to about $465, which includes a light three-course meal and champagne). Producers have told investors that the show played to 96 percent occupancy through July, with the highest average ticket price in London.

Broadway seats may be costlier. The average ticket at 110 percent capacity of the August Wilson — i.e. with premium pricing — is projected to be $248. That’s approaching Hamilton in its peak years, when it was charging as much as $849 a ticket.

If Cabaret can command that $248 average and sell out — grossing $2.1 million a week — recoupment will take about a year. (Hamilton, which cost half as much as Cabaret and has low running costs, was distributing profits six months after opening night.)

By selling out with an average ticket of $176 — Sweeney Todd  territory — Cabaret‘s recoupment would take closer to two and a half years.  With an average ticket of $158 — $1.3 million a week — recoupment would take four and a half years. (Projections in this story are based on recouping $20.9 million, which excludes Cabaret‘s reserves, deposits and advances; and receiving a $3 million state production tax credit, which can take years to get to investors. If the show dips into reserves during construction or the run, recouping may take longer.)

Musical revivals have gotten ever-pricier to produce, but none has approached Cabaret. For example, Sweeney Todd was capitalized at $14.5 million and appears to be on track to recoup later this fall, after about 33 weeks. Hello, Dolly! was capitalized at $16 million in 2017 (about $20 million today) and earned a small profit; last year’s $16.5 million Funny Girl  recouped and is expected to make a profit.

Shows that required extensive renovations have a mixed record. Most recently, Here Lies Love, the $22 million disco-themed historical drama around the corner from the August Wilson, is struggling at the box office; whereas Harry Potter appears to be enjoying a long life in ATG’s souped-up Lyric Theatre, after producers trimmed the two-part show to one. But it arrived from London at considerable expense. In addition to Harry Potter’s $35.5 million capitalization, ATG, which competed against other landlords for the play, spent tens of millions of dollars clearing out and renovating the Lyric, Michael Paulson reported in the New York Times.

Revivals are typically short-lived, Cabaret as well as Chicago being obvious exceptions. The Roundabout Cabaret revival directed by Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall opened at the Henry Miller’s Theatre in 1998 and ran through 2004. It initially starred Alan Cumming, who stepped in again when the Roundabout revisited the revival in 2014.

Two decades ago, the Roundabout bought its revival’s most recent home, Studio 54. The nonprofit company, with help from the city of New York, paid $22.5 million for the real estate, which looks like a bargain today.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 21, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Aug 22, 2024

In 1974, music writer Jon Landau saw a relatively unknown musician in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and wrote for an alternative paper: "Last Thursday, at the Harvard Square theater, I saw rock'n'roll past flash before my eyes. And I saw something else: I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen. And on a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time." The review helped to catapult Springsteen to stardom. 

After three days at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, I feel like I have seen the political future and its name is the Democratic Party. But rather than feeling like I’m hearing politics for the first time, I am hearing the echo of political themes embraced in the best moments of America’s past.

The theme of the third day of the Democratic National Convention, held in the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, was “A Fight for Our Freedoms.” But the speeches were less about fighting than they were about recovering the roots of American democracy.

The Democrats have not lost their conviction that the reelection of Donald Trump and the enactment of Project 2025 are an existential threat both to democracy and to Americans themselves. Speakers throughout the convention have condemned Trump and highlighted Project 2025, a blueprint written by the Heritage Foundation and other right-wing organizations for a second Trump term. Although Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota governor Tim Walz, who was a high school football coach, notes that no one bothers to write a playbook if they’re not going to use it.

Tonight, comedian and actor Kenan Thompson illustrated the dangers of Project 2025 with humor, bringing home the horror of it as only humor can do. With a giant copy of the plan as a prop, he gave a woman married for eight years to her wife the bad news that Project 2025 would end protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, informed a woman who pays $35 a month for her insulin that the plan would overturn the law that makes drugs more affordable, notified an OBGYN that the plan would ban abortion nationwide and throw abortion providers into jail, and put a woman who called herself a proud civil servant on notice that Project 2025 would guarantee she would be fired unless she is a MAGA loyalist. 

But the dark dangers of the assault of Trump and the MAGA Republicans on the country have finally pushed the party to move away from its customary caution and focus on policy to embrace the possibilities of a new future. The convention is electric, packed with young people who push jokey memes and poke fun at themselves, much as Walz and presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris are doing to deflect criticism, and who are sharing homemade politically-themed friendship bracelets that echo the homemade paraphernalia of singer Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. 

And, after decades in which Republicans claimed the mantle of patriotism, now that the fate of democracy itself is on the line, Democrats are joyfully claiming the symbols and the principles of American democracy for their own. 

During the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s, many Democrats shied away from symbols of patriotism because they seemed to support imperialism. Then, in the 1980s, Reagan and his supporters wrapped themselves in the flag and claimed it for their own. That impulse to define “Americans” as those who vote for Republicans has led us to a place where a small minority claims the right to rule over the rest of us. 

The Democratic National Convention has powerfully illustrated that the rest of us are finally reclaiming the country and its symbols. The convention has been full of references to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the American Revolution, the national anthem, and the pledge of allegiance. Tonight, attendees chanting “USA” waved signs emblazoned with the letters. Speakers, many of whom are military veterans, have testified that they are proud to be Americans. The theme of patriotism was even in one of tonight’s afterparties: Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean played The Star Spangled Banner with an interpretation that recalled Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. “America is the best place to be,” he said. “I’m the best of the American dream. Welcome to America…. You know what makes America great? We’re a bunch of immigrants.” 

As Jean indicated, that embrace of our history does not come with the exceptionalism of MAGA Republicans, who maintain that the U.S. has a perfect past that it must reclaim to become great again. Indeed, speakers have emphasized that honoring our history means remembering the nation’s failures as well as its triumphs. The Democrats’ patriotism means recognizing that despite the fact that the U.S. has never fully realized the principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence, it has never abandoned them either—a statement paraphrased from President Joe Biden, who has said it repeatedly. 

Speakers have highlighted that the imperfect version of those principles has enabled their personal success stories. Speaker after speaker, from Harris and Walz, of course, to tonight’s speakers Maryland governor Wes Moore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and journalist and television personality Oprah Winfrey, have recounted their own process of rising from humble beginnings to their current prominence, 

Winfrey is an Independent who generally stays out of politics, but tonight she spoke passionately during prime time about electing Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Walz. When a reporter asked her why she was willing to make a political statement, she said: "Because I really care about this country. And there couldn't have been a life like mine, a career like mine, a success like mine, without a country like America. Only in America could there be a me."

The many stories in which ordinary Americans rise from adversity through hard work, decency, and service to others implicitly conflates those individual struggles with the struggles of the United States itself. Running through the stories told at the convention is the theme of working hard through a time of darkness to come out into the light. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning,” speakers have quoted the Biblical psalm, and they have referred to the vision of the American flag still flying after a night of bombardment during the War of 1812, captured by Francis Scott Key in the national anthem, promising that after our time of national darkness, there will be light.

The DNC has called not just for reasserting patriotism, but for reclaiming America with joy. It has showcased a deep bench of politicians, some of whom are great orators, repeatedly calling for joy in the work of saving democracy, and it has shown poets like Amanda Gorman and a wide range of musicians, from Stevie Wonder to Lil Jon to D.J. Cassidy to John Legend. The convention is designed to appeal to different generations—tonight actress Mindy Kaling helpfully explained to older attendees who she is—and younger attendees have handed out friendship bracelets saying things like “Madam Prez” to older people in an echo of the exchange of bracelets among Taylor Swift’s fans.

After an era in which politicians have seemed to lie to the American people, the convention has emphasized authenticity. It has featured testimonials about the candidates with speakers ranging from the candidates’ children to extended family and, tonight, to members of the football team Walz coached. There have been stories of Harris’s cooking and how Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff awkwardly called her for a date, and fond memories of Walz pulling a student out of a snowbank, hunting, and caring for his children. The convention has emphasized that the American government is made up of individuals and that the character of the people we put into leadership will determine what that government does. 

Further, the Democrats have made their points with the stories of individual Americans who have overcome dark hours in order to move forward. In that storytelling, individuals represent the nation itself.  

The message of joy as we protect democracy, backed as that message is with four years of extraordinary accomplishments that have bolstered the middle class and spread opportunity among poorer Americans, has taken off. The convention has heard from three Democratic presidents and a range of other speakers, including a number of Republicans who have turned against Trump and are backing Harris and Walz. In July, Harris raised four times the money Trump did: $204 million to $48 million, much of it from small donors. 

The palpable energy and enthusiasm in Chicago, based as it is in a celebration of American values—especially in the idea of American freedom—reminds me of the enthusiasm of 1860 or 1932. It is about ending the darkness, not indulging in it, and it requires the hard work of everyone who believes that we deserve the freedom to determine our own lives.

Tonight, after his acceptance speech, Walz walked off stage to a favorite song of his: Neil Young’s “Rockin‘ in the Free World.” Neil Young personally allowed the campaign to use the song. When the Trump campaign used it, Young sued to make them stop.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON