All tagged Encores!

REVIEW: Jerry Herman’s “Mack and Mabel” at Encores!

REVIEW: Jerry Herman’s “Mack and Mabel” at Encores!

Robert Russo
Review, Concert, Musical, Critic's Pick

After 46 years away from New York, audiences at City Center finally have a chance to see what Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s 1974 flop “Mack and Mabel” is all about thanks to a new Encores! production. The result is bittersweet—both thrilling and sad. Jerry Herman’s score shines, alongside performances by Douglas Sills, Alexandra Socha, Lilli Cooper, and a top-notch ensemble, and the atmosphere of old Hollywood is superbly spun. Still, this is not a musical masterpiece, but a beloved curiosity—a good musical that almost works. Perhaps someday, it might.

tl;dr for December 6th

Robert Russo
tl;dr

"Little Shop of Horrors" extends to March with Gideon Glick;  "Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation" to play the York Theatre Company; Johnny Depp producing another Michael Jackson-themed musical in LA; Beth Leavel and Taylor Iman Jones to star in Broadway-bound musical "The Devil Wears Prada"; Jordan Fisher is Broadway’s next Evan Hansen; "Soft Power" will get a cast album; Jo Ellen Pellman will star as Emma in the Netflix film adaptation of "The Prom"; Camille A. Brown joins “Aida” development lab; cast of "Hangmen" announced; "Hustlers" musical might be in the works; RIP Marion McClinton, Valerie Taylor-Barnes, and John Simon

tl;dr for November 8th

Robert Russo
tl;dr

Jessie Mueller, Tracy Letts, Armie Hammer, and Austin Pendleton will star in Letts' "The Minutes" on Broadway; Donmar Warehouse's ​"City of Angels" will transfer to the West End; Lear deBessonet will replace Jack Viertel as artistic director of City Center Encores!; Katharine McPhee will return to close "Waitress" on Broadway; Ariana DeBose will play Alyssa Greene in the Netflix film adaptation of "The Prom"; Andrew Garfield will star in "Tick, Tick ... Boom!" film; Spencer Liff will direct and choreograph the premiere of "Spring Awakening" in China; "Jagged Little Pill" to release a cast album on December 6th; "Wicked" is now the fifth longest running show in Broadway history; RIP Andile Gumbi and Ann Crumb

tl;dr for July 25th

Robert Russo
tl;dr

"Frankie and Johnny" closing a month early; "Beautiful" will close on October 27th and "Waitress" will close on January 5th; Jeremy O. Harris' "Slave Play" will play a 17 week run at the Golden Theatre; Robert Schenkkan's "The Great Society" will play a 12 week run at Broadway's Vivian Beaumont Theatre; starry productions of "Little Shop of Horrors" slated for Off-Broadway and Pasadena Playhouse; cast announced for Ivo van Hove's upcoming "West Side Story"; "Fairview" extends to August 11th; "What the Constitution Means to Me" recoups; Jack Viertel will retire as artistic director of the annual Encores! at City Center; Paul McCartney has written a musical adaptation of "It's a Wonderful Life"; RIPHugh Southern, former executive director of TDF and co-conceiver of the TKTS booth in 1973

REVIEW: Rodgers and Hart’s “I Married an Angel” at Encores!

REVIEW: Rodgers and Hart’s “I Married an Angel” at Encores!

Robert Russo
Review, Musical, Off-Broadway

Mark Evans shines in Rodgers and Hart’s 1938 hit “I Married an Angel”; this dance infused fantasy story involving an aristocrat who literally marries an angel is a peculiar relic of its time, but a treat for collectors of obscure musicals and fans of the Rodgers and Hart oeuvre.  Director/choreographer Joshua Bergasse steps into the shoes once worn by George Balanchine to create an entertaining show featuring the talents of ballerina Sara Mearns (his wife), as the Angel.  Feather-light as it is, I suspect we won’t see “I Married an Angel” again for some time.

REVIEW: Encores! “Call Me Madam” with Carmen Cusack

REVIEW: Encores! “Call Me Madam” with Carmen Cusack

Robert Russo
Review, Musical, Concert

Carmen Cusack shines in Encores! revival of its 1995 landmark revival of Irving Berlin’s “Call Me Madam” (1950), originally written as a vehicle for Ethel Merman.  A topical piece of light satirical fare that’s more about comedy and songs than plot, this simple but well-performed production is Encores! at its truest: a concert revival of a classic musical that would not otherwise be seen on stage again. 

tl;dr for January 15th

Robert Russo
tl;dr

Broadway legend Carol Channing is dead at 97; Heidi Schreck's "What the Constitution Means to Me" will play 12 weeks on Broadway; Palace Theatre renovations have hit a snag; casting announced for “The Ferryman”, "The Courtroom", "Call Me Madam", and the film version of "West Side Story"; Brittney Johnson becomes first Glinda of color in an English language production of "Wicked"; "Beautiful" marks 5 years with appearance by Carole King

tl;dr for May 21st

Robert Russo
tl;dr

Roundabout to mount Fiasco Theatre "Merrily We Roll Along" in 2019; City Center announces its 75th anniversary; Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman writing musical adaption of “Some Like It Hot”; Ben Levi Ross to lead tour of “Dear Evan Hansen”; national tour and cast album update; Drama League and Chita Rivera Awards winners; Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles loses unborn child following death of her 2 year old daughter

REVIEW: “Me and My Girl” Fizzes and Froths

REVIEW: “Me and My Girl” Fizzes and Froths

Robert Russo
Review, Musical, Concert

“Me and My Girl” is a fizzy, frothy, and funny British musical from the 1930s, updated in the 1980s, presented with period pizzazz as part of City Center’s Encores! concert series.  With a fancifully simple story and charming, if forgettable score, this show offers pure lighthearted escapism.  If you’re looking to think, skip it, otherwise, serious musical theatre fans should catch this chance to see a classic.

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