Broadway Rhythm

I've seen a couple of good shows this week.

First was The Drowsy Chaperone. This has got to be one of the worst titles ever for a great show. I think they'd be far better off and gain in ticket sales if they just called it "The Original Name Sucked So We Changed It". The show itself is witty, clever, a somewhat original concept and extremely well executed. John Glover as "Man in Chair" and Beth Leavell as "The Drowsy Chaperone" were standouts. John Glover is a replacement, so I'm glad I was able to see him as I understand his performance is significantly different than the original. As it turns out, however, someone in the original cast is someone I'd worked with several years ago, so I'm a little sad I missed her. I'm extremely happy she got an excellent break and I understand she's off to do even bigger and better things. I'm being specifically vague on the show itself to avoid spoilers. This is a piece best delivered with as little prior knowledge as possible. I was happy for the surprises. So, if you get the chance and you're into musical theater at ALL, check it out.

Last night I saw Frost/Nixon on a bit of a whim. Some friends called on the spur of the moment, so we went to TKTS and lucked out with good seats. It's closing Sunday so the window of opportunity was quickly narrowing.

I was initially going to give the show a miss. I'll be up front about the fact that I have a low tolerance for straight plays. I have an even lower tolerance for dry, political material. I'm very glad my friends convinced me to go. I can see why Frank Langella took a Tony Award for this particular performance. His range of the part was incredible. Very much a true character versus just a Nixon impersonation. It was incredibly deep and well-rounded. Michael Sheen, as Frost, was a nice contrast as the seemingly-bumbling interviewer. The story spans outside of just the interviews themselves, which is why I think I was initially put off, as I had thought it was a 2-person play back when I'd considered it earlier. I knew the story of the interviews and all, and of course remember Watergate as it unfolded (vaguely- I was young after all), but this delved into more of the surrounding story and details that by now have been pretty glossed over. It was surprisingly interesting. The play closes Sunday so I'm glad I saw it while I had the chance.

Broadway is sadly dry at the moment. There will be fresh blood in the fall, but for now there are a lot of empty theaters. Much of what remains I've either seen or have no interest (or both). The music scene should pick up a bit, as well, as people return to their regular schedules and gigs.