Four Productions and In Memorium to Phoebe Snow
In the past week, I attended four productions, three on Broadway and one reading of a musical intended for Broadway.
One has already closed, one is newly opened, one is staggeringly brilliant and the reading certainly has what it takes for "next steps."
High, a new play by Matthew Lombardo, directed by Rob Ruggiero and starring Kathleen Turner is the casualty that went dark after only a few performances.
The subject matter was bleak indeed as it centered upon a nun who agrees to sponsor a young drug user in an effort to help him combat his addiction. In the process, her own faith is challenged.
I didn't mind the dark subject matter, and I didn't mind the depressing content. Moreover, I thought that the writing had merit. But, despite the solid and compelling performances, for me, the play just had no arc.
It felt stuck on the same emotional plane from the beginning of the piece, and that creates a tedious experience for the theater goer. Although the play had it's time for a moment or two on Broadway, perhaps with work, it still can have life.
Wonderland, the new musical by Frank Wildhorn, is a journey into finding our own path and seeing our reflection in others, utilizing the Alice in Wonderland tale. As it states on the website, "As a mom whose life is spinning out of control, Alice’s yearning for happier times leads her on a quest far below the streets of New York City, to the other side of the looking glass. There, she meets a marvelous cast of familiar but phenomenally re-imagined characters who help her navigate this impossibly peculiar universe, and change her life forever." This Wonderland takes place in a land called Queens, New York (there are a lot of fun puns based on that) and it is one of those Broadway extravaganzas that large budget musicals are apt to create. Scenery, costumes and props aplenty. The songs are commercial, and the performances are fine. The central characters (who are in a relationship in real life) sing beautifully. Darren Ritchie is the handsome leading man and Janet Dacal the confused Alice. The very talented Karen Mason is back on Broadway in the roles of Mrs. Everheart and the Queen of Hearts and you can tell she is thrilled to be back. Kate Shindle plays a sexy Mad Hatter. A standout is the little girl who plays Alice's daughter, Chloe. What an exceptionally mature, clear voice for a young actress. This show is perfect family fare and great for out of town guests. Unfortunately, it is housed in my least favorite theater on Broadway, The Marquis in the Marriott Marquis on Broadway. To get to the theatre you have
to go through the hotel and find your way to the proper floor via escalator while negotiating a gaggle of tourists. (Kind of feels like what Alice goes through in the show!) So give yourself an extra few minutes to get to the theater. www.wonderlandonbroadway.com
For astounding theater, you must see War Horse. How can I explain this theatrical masterpiece? It is a tale of a boy who has unconditional love for his
special Joey, the horse taken from him and sent to battle during World War 1... and what he endures to get him back. The entire feel of the production is bathed in drab hues of browns and grays, enveloping the audience in the emotional fabric of the piece. The cast is excellent, and the horses are created using amazing life size puppets, handled by several men who although visible, become part of the movement of the puppet and therefore part of the magnificent creature.
The puppetry and choreography fabulously create the illusion of real animals on stage. Throughout the play, you feel as if you are witnessing battles taking place, relationships unfolding and man's darkest sides emerging.
Based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo in association with Handspring Puppet Company, directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse is simply a must see for this theater season. Originally contracted for a limited run, it now has been extended to an open run. There is nothing more to say, but go. http://www.warhorseonbroadway.com/
I was happy to be one of the attendees of an industry reading of a new musical, Me and Miss Monroe, although it was much more like a full production. There were sets and projections and costumes, and choreography. No actors reading scripts on music stands here. Book and lyrics by Charles Leipart and music by William Goldstein, Me and Miss Monroe is about a chance meeting between a Bronx High School of Science student on a photography field trip in Central Park, and Hollywood siren Marilyn Monroe, out for an escape on a carousel horse. An adorable piece, I hope it attracts funding and finds its way to a full production soon.
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In Memoriam
A few words about a brilliant performer...and a friend.
I am writing today's column after hearing some terrible news about one of the most amazing singers of our time, and yet someone who was, to me, much more than that.
Phoebe Snow passed away on April 26th after suffering a devastating cerebral hemorrhage early last year. She had been in and out of a coma and was challenged by a wealth of medical issues.I knew she was extremely ill, but nonetheless the news hit me gravely.
A beloved performer, and a musician's musician, she was revered by so many. She was a mother for 31 years to her severely disabled daughter, Valerie, who predeceased her by 4 years. She lived for her daughter, and loved her
unconditionally. She was a great innovator, she was smart as a whip, had the best vocabulary of anyone I have ever met, and had an incredible sense of humor. I remember times we just laughed for so long we would cry.
She loved her spirituality (she was a practicing Buddhist and always wanted me to go chant with her), and was sympathetic to so many, yet also had a caustic wit. Phoebe and I could not go out without spending all night together
talking about...anything and everything. She didn't drink, but somehow we would still stay out till the wee hours and close down every place we ever went to. Just talking, laughing, passionately. Always passionately.
When her daughter Valerie died, she could not go on. She was decimated, and sunk to the deepest depths of depression. But she worked, and prayed and chanted for hours upon hours to gather strength and vowed that she would sing and perform in her daughter's memory.
And she had begun to do just that. She had started booking dates and began to really enjoy performance again, feeling close to Valerie ever time she was on stage. I got to see her sing a few times and loved to watch
the people around me, because she always left the audience breathless.
She had a new manager, had started a new album and even took a new set of photos. This beautiful image is the latest photo of Phoebe.
I produced a fundraiser for ovarian cancer starring Phoebe in 2006, prior to Valerie's death. I will never forget that event. At the end of that night, she dedicated a song to Valerie. It was one of the most moving performances I have ever seen. The song was "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan.
I have a place where dreams are born,
And time is never planned.
It's not on any chart,
You must find it with your heart.
Never Never Land.
It might be miles beyond the moon,
Or right there where you stand.
Just keep an open mind,
And then suddenly you'll find
Never Never Land.
You'll have a treasure if you stay there,
More precious far than gold.
For once you have found your way there,
You can never, never grow old.
And that's my home where dreams are born,
And time is never planned.
Just think of lovely things.
And your heart will fly on wings,
Forever in Never Never Land.
You'll have a treasure if you stay there,
More precious far than gold.
For once you have found your way there,
You can never, never grow old.
And that's my home where dreams are born,
And time is never planned.
Just think of lovely things.
And your heart will fly on wings,
Forever in Never Never Land
Here's to you my dear friend. Hoping that your heart is flying on wings with your beautiful daughter in Never Never Land.
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a 5 time Billboard Magazine Award winner, is perhaps best known for her unprecedented success holding the #1 position in the New York radio market as the midday host of New York’s 106.7 FM. She was also the co-creator, writer, producer and host of 'Spotlight On,' a nationally syndicated program that featured in-depth interviews with top recording artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting and Celine Dion, to name a few.
Presently, Valerie can be heard on her new daily radio show, Valerie’s New York on WOR.710.com. She is also the voice of numerous commercials and television promos. She has been the “Voice of God” for many prestigious live events including: The Clinton Global Initiative, The New York Emmy Awards, The Tony Preview Concert on CBS, and many more. She writes a weekly nightlife column for TheThreeTomatoes.com and writes a theater column for Examiner.com.
As adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts, Valerie teaches a course on Internet Radio and Voice-over, coaches talent privately, and produces promo reels and demo tapes for various clients.
An actress and writer, she has appeared in numerous off -Broadway productions and co-wrote a play with music entitled, "Spit it Out!"
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