ROUNDUP: A look back at select Broadway offerings in 2016
The past Broadway season has seen its fair share of historic moments and unfortunate lows. There’s no getting away that Hamilton dominated the headlines and ushered in a new potential for the American musical. It will surely win big at the Tony Awards Sunday, June 12.
However, behind the Hamilton spotlight were some other shows that deserved more attention. Of course, there were others that deserved a silent, unnoticed goodbye. Here is a sampling of Broadway shows that have since closed, some of them limited engagements …
Allegiance, which played the Longacre Theatre, starred Star Trek’s George Takei, Broadway’s Lea Salonga and Tedd Leung. The show is based on Takei’s own upbringing and the struggle of Japanese-Americans who were uprooted from their homes following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The show had its heart in the right place, and much of the musical was quite moving. Director Stafford Arima was able to finely focus a story that included many moving elements and different time periods. Jay Kuo’s music and lyrics were smart and fit the dramatic story being told. Kuo, Marc Acito and Lorenzo Thione’s book was somewhat cliche and too manufactured; however, the actors were able to vividly bring to life the necessary telling of this unfortunate chapter in American history.
American Psycho, which played the Schoenfeld Theatre, starred Benjamin Walker as Patrick Bateman, a banker in the 1980s who turns murderous in an era of ultra materialism and vapid egoism. Helping Walker was Alice Ripley, Heléne Yorke, Jennifer Damiano, Drew Moerlein and Krystina Alabado. The musical, directed by Rupert Goold, is based on the cult favorite book by Bret Easton Ellis and featured Duncan Sheik’s music and lyrics, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s book. This one deserved a longer run on Broadway. Although the subject matter is very much R-rated, the proceedings were sarcastic and creative. The show said a lot about America’s consumer culture, its preoccupation with fashion and looks, its dark side of keeping a reputation and the divide between the haves and have-nots. Walker turned in one of the most effective performances of the year.
China Doll, which played the Schoenfeld Theatre, starred Al Pacino as a wealthy deal-maker who is facing an increasingly hostile world. The premise is quite simple: Pacino’s character needs to figure out details of a new plane he has purchased, but the consequences of his deal-making lands him in an impossible predicament. Written by David Mamet and directed by Pam MacKinnon, the show never took flight (pun intended). The elongated phone conversation that Pacino had on stage was not stimulating enough to hold one’s interest, and Pacino didn’t seem to have the best grasp of the complicated character. This one deserved to be modified a bit more before making its Broadway debut.
Hughie, which played the Booth Theatre, closed prematurely, and that’s a shame because this Eugene O’Neill classic deserved a fuller life. It pales in comparison to the excellent revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which is playing the American Airlines Theatre, but Forest Whitaker and Frank Wood were able to grab a lot of substance out of this one-hour, one-act play. Director Michael Grandage utilized Christopher Oram’s dilapidated hotel lobby set well, giving the proceedings a noir feel. Whitaker brought great emotion and consideration to his difficult role of a small-time gambler.
Misery, which played the Broadhurst Theatre, was a lot of theatrical fun. Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf were able to keep the energy pulsating for 90 straight minutes in this adaptation of Stephen King’s famous novel. Willis played a famous novelist who endured a horrible car accident before the play begins. Luckily (sort of), his number-one fan is in the local area to help him and bring him back to health. The horror tale is one of obsession and fandom, and Metcalf had so much fun with the role. She played Annie Wilkes, a character brought to life by Kathy Bates in the cinematic adaptation, with viciousness and palpable hurt. At one moment she’s a sympathetic character, and the next minute she’s villainous.
Noises Off, which played the American Airlines Theatre, is a funny, funny show from playwright Michael Frayn. It was revived a few years ago with Peter Gallagher and Patti LuPone. This time, the Roundabout Theatre Company brought together the comedic talents of Andrea Martin, Megan Hilty, Jeremy Shamos, Campbell Scott and Rob McClure for the behind-the-scenes look at a play gone horribly wrong. For the most part, the cast was able to earn every laugh in the script, especially during the scenes that were pure farce. Martin shined a little bit brighter than everyone else, and although it was a laughfest, Noises Off has been funnier.
Our Mother’s Brief Affair, which played the Friedman Theatre, is a slight play from Richard Greenberg. Linda Lavin was able to save much of the comedy and drama, but the playwright has done much better work (The Assembled Parties). Lavin played a woman on her deathbed who needed to tell her children a big secret. The dialogue seemed concocted, and the revelations were never earth-shattering. Lavin and director Lynne Meadow are a powerful theatrical team, and they were able to achieve certain moments of exhilaration in the play. All was not lost in the Manhattan Theatre Club production, but all could be better.
A View From the Bridge, which played the Lyceum Theatre, was one of the strongest revivals of the season. Director Ivo van Hove, who is also responsible for this year’s The Crucible, was able to find such poetry and pathos in Arthur Miller’s classic. Mark Strong, from The Imitation Game, headed a powerful cast that played out this high drama in a raw, bare-bones manner that focused the action on the emotion and drama of this family struggling near the docks of Brooklyn. It was one not to be missed.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
