The Darling Apprentice

Today I am busy. And the clock is ticking. So today you get a gimme.

Last week I set aside a little time to do something that I haven't done in a long while: watch The Apprentice. It seems like eons have gone by since that day I scrambled to have my Apprentice submission video transferred to DVD and overnighted from Martha's Vineyard. Now I hardly watch the show, save an episode here and there when my husband is watching. However, when I heard that the task was related to pitching new musical theatre to potential investors, I was interested. When I heard the talent included several of young Broadway's A-listers, I was excited. So I tuned in

The episode featured presentations from two new musicals: Darling by composer Ryan Scott Oliver (with bookwriter B.T. Ryback) and Little Miss-Fix It by librettist Kirsten Guenther (with composer Joy Son). And here's a tidbit for you: Ryan and Kirsten collaborated on the award-winning Mrs. Sharp and also the revue Out of My Head. Not unexpectedly, coverage of the task was largely dedicated to the actual teams executing the task and not the presentations. The actors were shown so fleetingly that I did a double-take when I thought I caught a glimpse of the uber-talented Nick Blaemire. I watched the episode up until the board room, which is where I lost interest.

If you would like to watch the whole episode of The Apprentice, click here. Fortunately, NBC was kind enough to indulge the MT geeks and post both full presentations on their site. To watch the presentations and vote for your favorite, click here. RSO also has a wonderful post on his blog about the whole experience, click here to read it.

When you watch the presentation, take note of Jay Armstrong Johnson's insane riff at the end of the Darling presentation. Insane. I am such a fan of Ryan's music, so I am compelled to share with you one of my top-rated RSO songs. This is "The Ballad of Sara Berry", with Johnson, Lindsay Mendez, Alex Brightmean and Natalie Weiss. Take note of the transformational notes that come out of Lindsay Mendez. Mindblowing.




To check out the lyrics for "The Ballad of Sara Berry" (and hear some other RSO tunage), click here.

Yes, the future of musical theatre is bright. Blindingly so.

===========================================

Top 5 Discoveries of 2008

The last few weeks have been, shall we say, tumultuous and as a result of said turmoil I have had a minimal presence in the blogosphere. However, yesterday was Superbowl Sunday. As a no/low-sports family, the Superbowl is honored in our house by muting or fast-forwarding the game, watching the commercials and eating kick-ass snack foods. I made use of the time by hopping back on the bloggy horse in order to provide the last of my round-up lists… The Top 5 up-and-comers on today’s musical theatre scene.

#1. JOE ICONIS


Loyal readers should find no surprise in the fact that my top discovery of 2008 is Joe Iconis and his unruly troupe of musical theatre punks. Joe is so sick with talent that, despite the troubled economy darkening several New York marquees, he saw three fully-realized productions of his musicals in 2008: The Black Suits, The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks and ReWrite. This past year also saw the critically-acclaimed return of Iconis' signature concert, Things To Ruin, as well as gigs at Joe’s Pub, Sardi’s and the West Bank Café.

Joe's songs tell stories. Good stories. Songs that people relate to. Songs about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Each tale told with the perfectly blended cocktail of honesty, irreverence and dirty words. But what intoxicates you are those contagious melodies, euphonious harmonies and pulsating rhythms that make people want to sing them. And sing them. And sing them.

And stomp a hole in the floorboards.

#2. SCOTT ALAN


I first stumbled upon Scott Alan via a YouTube search that ended with a video of Jonathan Groff singing a beautiful ballad about a telephone call. That led to Danny Calvert killing you softly with this heartbreaking tale of divorce. Which led to song after song of Broadway celebrities singing Scott's beautiful compositions. Not long after, I downloaded Scott's release Dreaming Wide Awake from iTunes.

Like Iconis, Scott has a knack for writing songs that tell a story. Where Iconis' songs tend to tell stories more about the idiosyncratic, Scott's songs are inclined to explore those universal chords that strike in relationships. His follow-up release, Keys, won my heart with "Blessing" and "The Dress". In addition to his incredible talent, Scott also champions the work of other up-and-coming artists through his Monday Nights, New Voices program, which has featured several of the composers featured in my sidebar.

All of my exposure to Scott's music has been through his releases and YouTube. I haven't made it to a live show yet but plan to as soon as schedule and budget allow. I also count myself among those anticipating the staging of his musical Piece. I love it when a composer's music, like Scott's, stands on its own, so I am always anxious to see their music in the context of a book musical. And something tells me when that happens, I won't be disappointed.

#3. NICK BLAEMIRE


2008 marks the year that the multitalented Nick Blaemire hit my radar. The first I'd heard of Nick came in April or so, when the theatre community was abuzz about this kid, who was making his Broadway performing debut in Cry-Baby and, at the same time, preparing for his Broadway debut as a composer/lyricist with the coming-of-age musical Glory Days. I did see Cry-Baby and was nonplussed. I did not see Glory Days but wish I had. Both shows shuttered quickly but Blaemire certainly did not walk away defeated. A streak of performances to round out 2008 followed: in Iconis' The Black Suits at The Public's Summer Play Festival, in Mazzaferri's Green Eyes at the NY Fringe, in the return of Iconis' Things To Ruin and in the debut of Iconis' musical triptych ReWrite. Nick is an energetic and dynamic performer with a savage rock tenor voice. And you are hard-pressed to find a performer with a higher likeability factor. He's sort of the Ferris Buehler of musical theatre.

Expect great things from Nick. More great performances, certainly, but look out for his next writing project, which partners him again with his Glory Days co-writer James Gardiner. Nick played a selection from the commissioned project at a concert a few months back and I feel confident saying that he has not seen the last of his "glory days".

#4. GABY ALTER


If you want a composer who is on the cusp of greatness then you need look no further than 2008 Jonathan Larson Grant winner Gaby Alter. As with the other composers on this list, Gaby writes a kick-ass story song set to some fiercely catchy melodies. I defy anyone to listen to this song and not walk away humming. Gaby is a prolific writer with many works in development, including my personal favorite, 29. In January 2009, Gaby and his writing partners Tommy Newman and Mark Allen had their musical Band Geeks! featured as part of Goodspeed Opera House's 4th Annual Festival of New Artists.

I had the privilege of hearing Gaby perform one his compositions at The Secret Show back in the fall. But his talent won't be a secret for long. Before long Gaby will break through in a big way and you can say that you heard it here first. And you'll be able say something similar to what I say to my friends when they finally discover Facebook: "Yeah, I started that addiction 2 years ago!"

#5. JAKE WILSON


2008 saw many memorable Broadway/YouTube marriages (think [tos], Legally Brown, Cubby Bernstein). Not to be outdone, fresh-faced and fancy-footed Jake Wilson leapt right onto that bandwagon with The Battery’s Down. This "online tv series" chronicles Jake's life as a struggling actor in New York, complete with fancy Broadway guesties and big splashy musical numbers. Bear in mind that this YouTube jewel is a ship captained primarily by Jake, who wears the hats of director, writer, cinematographer, actor and choreographer. It helps, too, that he runs with a talented crowd who help out as his supporting cast. The professional quality of TBD, combined with Jake's unbelievable charm and business sense, as heard in this Playbill Radio interview, will most assuredly propel him swiftly to the limelight.

But the bottom line is this: Jake has talent. Well, many talents. In fact, while The Battery’s Down was on filming hiatus, that talent landed him a role in a production of Hair out West. But fret not, the tours and out-of-town gigs are over and the cast and crew of TBD are back at it for Season 2, premiering March 1st. And they should be around until the next gig surfaces, which is pretty much assured with this bunch.

====================================================

Top 5 Performances of 2008

TOP 5 BROADWAY PERFORMANCES


#1. Deanna Dunagan
I have not experienced a performance as engaging, intricate and complex as Deanna Dunagan’s interpretation of acid-tongued Violet Weston in August: Osage County. We saw the Pulitzer Prize winning show fairly early on its run but by then the buzz about Dunagan’s performance was loud and the expectations were high. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.


#2. Lin-Manuel Miranda
The exuberance with which Lin-Manuel Miranda accepted his Tony for Best Score speaks volumes about what he has assembled onstage at the Richard Rodgers. The young and talented star of In The Heights takes the American dream and those universal yearnings for success, for wealth and for love and brings a vivid story of family and belonging to Broadway. To see him perform that story was truly an experience to behold and I am happy that I had that opportunity.


#3. Amy Morton
August: Osage County is a masterfully written ensemble piece with solid performances throughout. However, to not single out Amy Morton’s performance would be a significant oversight. As Vi’s daughter Barbara Fordham, Tony nominated Amy Morton navigated her way through Letts’ tour-de-force and didn’t miss a beat. Not only did she navigate, she took you for a thrilling ride. After a brief stop back at Steppenwolf to direct Conor McPherson’s Dublin Carol, Morton reprised her role with most of the original cast in London. Yeah. It’s been a pretty awesome year for Ms. Morton.


#4. Cheyenne Jackson
I was certainly very late jumping on the Cheyenne Jackson train. But I’m glad I’m aboard. I had seen him in United 93 and thought he was very good. I never made the connection that that same actor was Sonny Malone in the unexpected hit of the season, Xanadu. I have since seen Cheyenne in Damn Yankees and in episodes of several YouTube series including [title of show] show, The Battery’s Down, Legally Brown – The Search for the Next Piragua Guy and, of course, the Cubby Bernstein videos. I look forward to whatever he does next. A class act and a stellar talent indeed.


#5. Daniel Radcliffe
Of all of the Broadway shows that I saw in 2008, I would have to say that Equus is the one that I anticipated the most. I never really posted a proper review of this production. Largely because I was insanely busy. Partly because I didn’t have a whole lot to say about it. However, one thing that delivered as expected was Daniel Radcliffe. His Alan Strang was subtle, complex and passionate. I hope that he continues filling his down time from Hollywood with stage work.

TOP 5 OFF-BROADWAY PERFORMANCES

#1. Jim Norton
It was his performance in Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer that earned him the Tony but it was his turn in The Atlantic Theater Company’s production of McPherson’s Port Authority that captured my heart. His simple and sad portrayal of Joe was heartbreaking. McPherson wrote a beautiful role and upon seeing Norton in Port Authority it became clear why he is frequently entrusted with roles in McPherson’s plays. It is because he is an actor that knows how to lovingly and masterfully bring those characters and that gorgeous language to life.


#2. Nick Blaemire
I saw Nick Blaemire perform in a lot of things last year, one of the reasons that he is also on my forthcoming Top 5 Discoveries of 2008 list. It is difficult to single out one performance, as they were all good. But I would have to say that it was in Joe Iconis’ The Black Suits that I was first won over. Nick is an energetic performer with an impressive vocal agility and a natural gift for musical comedy, qualities that were well showcased in Iconis’ rock musical.

#3. John Gallagher, Jr.
Last winter was one of transition for John Gallagher, Jr. He left Spring Awakening, he parted ways with Old Springs Pike and he landed a small role in Woody Allen’s new film. He also appeared in two productions at The Atlantic Theatre Company, Farragut North, which was touted as one of the best in 2008 by Time magazine. The other, the simple monologue play Port Authority. Gallagher’s sensitive performance, complete with a spot-on Irish brogue, proved once again why he is and will remain one of my favorite performers.


#4. Will Swenson
Charismatic actor Will Swenson, who played George Berger in last year’s concert in Central Park, reprised the role in The Public’s 2008 summer production of Hair. His boundless energy, powerful voice and infectious delivery explain why this performer is one to watch. It is also why he is in the fortunate position to be choosing between two 2009 Broadway transfers: Hair and Rock of Ages. Rumor has it that he has favored the 60s rock musical over the 80s one. I, for one, am happy with that choice.


#5. Sam Waterston
OK – I’m sure I’ll get slapped silly for saying this – but I am not a fan of Shakespeare. I have tried numerous times to appreciate his work, each time hoping that I will get caught up in his spell, but alas to no avail. This summer I once again made the attempt with Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Hamlet. I have to say that this was the most engaged I have ever been and that is largely due to Waterston’s interpretation of the meddlesome Polonius. The mixture of humor and pathos with which Waterston played the character has definitely proven him worthy of his espoused reputation among Shakespearean troupes. Who knows, perhaps I will give the bard another whirl if Waterston is at the helm.

Honorable Mentions
These “best of” lists are limited to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows of 2008. However, I wanted to venture beyond that parameter to cite two stellar performances: one from community theatre and one from college theatre.


Noel Desiato’s performance as Katherine Hepburn in Theatreworks New Milford’s Tea At Five was positively mesmerizing. Never before have I seen an actress embody a character more expertly or more believably than in this one-woman show about the legendary actress. Desiato proves that you don’t have to go to New York to see a gifted actress perform. I look forward to producing Tea At Five in 2009 at The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, where Desiato will reprise her star-quality performance.

2008 also saw the performance of Caitlyn Caughell in Jeanine Tesori’s rarely produced gem Violet. In the titular role, Caughell was earthy and sincere with a voice that masterfully navigated the challenging score. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so. Tesori, who saw NYU’s production, has invited Caughell to sing at The Kennedy Center later this month. Without a doubt, Caughell is a force to be reckoned with, and it won’t be long before she takes up residence on the Great White Way.

===================================