Girls, as you know, this weekend marks the one year anniversary of Monsieur and moi. From a shared pitcher of Sangria at the Riviera Cafe to.......one year later!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't have missed it for the world. And yes, darlings, you can bet there a A LOT of frogs in between this Prince, but the Prince was worth it!!!!!!
Yesterday we celebrated by taking in something I had wanted to see for a long time--the revival of 'How To Succeed' starring Daniel Radcliffe. I was very anxious to see what he could do.
There is no question that he is a STAR. From his initial entrance, as the window washer, coming from below up to right above stage center, to his last bow, the audience reaction was the loudest I have heard for a Brit since the day of the Beatles. Onstage Daniel Radcliffe has a likable and winning presence. He dances remarkably, even for someone who is a trained dancer, but moreso for the fact he is not. He sashays his cute little chassie all over the place, and knocks himself out like gangbusters with energy to spare. And yet.........
This production somehow falls short. It is not enitirely Daniel Radcliffe's fault, though he does need to work on vocal technique. Theere is a voice there, but not an especially strong one. When singing with others, at times, it gets swallowed up. Moments that should musically soar--like the Act I Finale--don't. But Radcliffe is not the reason.
That belongs to Rob Ashford, whom I think I nmaed a BOTW last year because he had the temerity, darlings, to jettison Michael Bennett's choreography in last season's revival of "Promises, Promises." Ashford knows how to work with dancers, as the one genuine showstopper, "The Brotherhood Of Man" number, shows (and which he demonstrated in "Thoroughly Modern Millie"). But he is not so skilled with actors, because roles, like Christopher J. Hanke as Bud Frump (the role that won Charles Nelson Reilly a TONY award)or the generally excellent Tammy Blanchard as Hedy LaRue, don't come off effectively. Hanke is never the manic, oily, weasley rat he is supposed to be; coming off, instead ,ike a petulant rich kid. And Blanchard is supoosed to be a sex bombshell, and she tries to play it, but, honey, she just isn't!!!! When I heard she was in the show, I thought at first she was playing Rosemary. The actress who does, Rose Hemingway, gives the performance that everyone else shoukld be giving; if the rest were at HER level, this show would blow you through the roof, as it should.
And Ashford should have taken a lesson from the great Donna McKechnie, who, by the way, made her Broadway debut in the chorus of the original 1961 production, who once said there is such a thing as over choregraphing. Ashford does it in several places, most notably, the "Grand Ole Ivy" number, wherein he makes the gaffe of pulling Radcliffe downstage, when he should have been propelled front. While this is to allow for him to be hoisted high above the others, darling, you do NOT pull your star back at the peak of a musical number!!!!! I have seen better moves in community theater. It does everyone a disservice, especially Daniel Radcliffe.
The score is as great as ever. How do you top a lyric, like, "Her pad is to write in./And not spend the night in?" But it does not get the full throttle treatment it deserves, because with the actors assembled, Rose Hemingway the exception, the actors cannot deliver. Even Megan Sikora, does not have the range for her big vocal solo as Miss Jones in 'Brotherhood'. Up till then, she had given a peformance that made me hope she did.
But the auidience is there for Mr. Radcliffe, who gets the adulation he deserves. I just wish we were getting the production this show deserves, and which the actors try their darndest to give, but just can't. But, look, if you haven;t ever heard the Original Cast (with Robert Morse) recording, seen the 1967 film ()with Morse and Michele Lee) or seen the 1995 Matthew Broderick revival, I don't think you will notice the difference. And that includes most of the audience. I mean, of course jaded theater queens like moi will kvetch. But that doesn;t mean the show should not be seen; it should.
I DO suggest, however, you sit as close as posssible if you want to HEAR Daniel Radclifffe!!!!!!
See you on the Ruialto, girls!!!!!!!!!!!
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