Basking in the glow of The Comet of 1812

I would say I see a fair amount of theatre-- and much of it is great. Beautiful. Wonderful. Masterful.

But once in a while, a theatre piece comes along that is truly special. Something that is less of a show and more of an event. Something a little wilder, a little newer that pushes the boundaries of theatre making. This kind of show is the one that pull you out of your beliefs of what theatre is. It challenges you. It fights you. And in the end, you learn something and appreciate something that you didn't even know existed before. This is a rare event. Almost as rare as a comet, streaking across the sky.

And thus are my feelings about Natasha, Pierre & The Comet of 1812, a dynamite electro-pop opera finishing its extended run this week at Ars Nova. I would tell you that you should absolutely run out and buy a ticket before it closes, but the show has been sold out for a while, so giving such advice would probably just make you feel like I do every time I see an ad for Book of Mormon on television. Still, for those who haven't had the chance to see it (and even for those who have), I thought I would just give a few thoughts about the piece, since I think this is an experience that is hard to replicate but everyone deserves a chance to experience.

Natasha, Pierre & The Comet of 1812 is based on none other than Tolstoy's War and Peace. But lest you think this is some stilted classic left to collect dust on a shelf, this operatic version takes on a life of its own, quickly summarizing multiple characters and modernizing their plights so that you can find some of these countesses and scoundrels making the rounds at the club. The actors move on the bars that snake around the room-- there's no formal stage, rather, the audience is seated at tables which are outfitted with bottles of vodka for everyone to pour at their leisure, along with some vegetarian dumplings (not bad, I must say). You, the audience member, are very much in the fray as old Pierre tries to find himself and young Natasha finds herself... in the arms of a man other than her fiance.

As to be expected, loves are lost and found, characters despair, and hopes and dreams are born as quickly as they are squashed. And while sometimes the dramatic arcs reach a point of melodrama, what separates this rousing musical from many before it can be attributed to Dave Malloy's music, an exciting  blend of pop from the folksy to the techno with subtle Russian influences and the occasional remix over an electric beat. The music shows depth and humor, and the lyrics manage to capture the deep dramatic feelings of the characters while still poking fun at them on occasion.

Photo by Ben Arons

Director Rachel Chavkin creates an atmosphere of warmth and inclusion-- normally I balk at the prospect of audience participation, but I felt strangely at ease even so up close and personal with the action around me. All of the cast delivers excellent performances, and I was riveted throughout. The energy never falters and every moment is performed with such glee and commitment.

This show is truly something special, a reminder of the possibilities of theatre and a justification for why some things just need to be experienced on stage. It was a gorgeous representation of not only great musical theatre, but also great atmosphere and performance-- a chance to come in from the cold and to share in a good story.

Will Reynolds' POEMS & MOON SONGS

I've had the pleasure of hearing Will Reynolds' music a few times now, with songs seeming to pop up at every up-and-coming musical theatre concert in town as of late. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a full evening of his songs, which came in the form of Poems & Moon Songs, a "song constellation" presented by Libra Theater Company at The Underground Lounge. With incredible singers Sara Jean Ford, Marissa, McGowan, Jeremy Morse, and Zachary Prince, the evening of original songs about seasons and time really soared along with some gorgeous tunes written to accompany poems by famous writers like Emily Dickinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay.

(Rehearsal of "Heart, We Will Forget Him," sung by Sara Jean Ford and Marissa McGowan)

Many of the songs arranged for the poems (which served as lyrics) were quite stunning pieces. I especially enjoyed the Emily Dickinson pieces which featured very lovely harmonies for two of her most famous pieces, "Heart, We Will Forget Him" and "Hope." I loved the idea of setting famous poems to music-- it's fascinating the way punctuation and structural choices are reflected in the music. I can only imagine how awesome it would be to hear an e.e. cummings or John Donne poem put in a song someday.

The original songs were just as memorable and elegant, with many songs feeling like a part of a starry-eyed American songbook collection. There were many wistful tunes that allowed for some beautiful performances, and lord knows I'm a sucker for some well-placed string parts and the cello and violin didn't disappoint.

Standouts included the irreverent "Spring," sung below at a Dreamlight Theatre Company concert:

And "Si Vous Me Souivez" sung below by Will Reynolds himself (and which was sung winkingly by Jeremy Morse in the Libra production):

The Libra Theater Company has 1 more performance of this lovely piece tonight at 7:30 pm. All proceeds from ticket sales go to Hurricane Sandy relief, so you can see a great show and support a great cause. Get your tickets here.

A New York State of Mind

It's been an unusual week and a half, to say the least. Many parts of New York were devastated by Hurricane Sandy, and even areas that weren't hit very hard by the storm itself have still been at a standstill with power only coming to lower Manhattan over the weekend. There's still a lot to be done to get the city and its surrounding areas back to normal, but I feel like there's no better time to repost some videos from the recent concert Once Upon A Time In New York City, where up-and-coming composers shared original songs about this great city and the great people who make it what it is:

Gaby Alter singing his song "My First Year in New York":

Kate Rockwell singing Danny Abosch's "Real New Yorkers":

Katrina Rose Dideriksen, Molly Hager, Alyse Alan Louis and Lauren Marcus singing Michael R. Jackson's "New York Is the Worst":

Gaten Matarazzo and Grace Capeless singing Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich's "Why I Like New York":

Joe Iconis with Jason Williams, Eric William Morris and Molly Hager singing his song "52":

Watch more videos from the evening here.

The Musical Mood Ring

I have to admit it's been a busy last couple of weeks, with much busier ones on the horizon. I've been preparing for a reading of one of my own plays set for November, in addition to launching a new podcast on Crazytown (listen in-- we'll be sure to talk about musicals in future episodes). It's been so busy that I haven't had a chance to write out something more elaborate for Emerging Musical Theatre this week, but I do promise there's a ton of exciting things on the horizon (Look at the calendar! The next couple of months are going to be musical-filled for sure). In the meantime, I simply leave you with this gorgeous song from Todd Almond, which was recently featured in Sherie Rene Scott's 54 Below concert (and is performed below at a St. Mark's Church concert). "Oh, Sean" is a strangely cathartic tune, a wistful song for the realist lover:

I Speak (Musical Theatre) Geek

After having watched videos obsessively from New York Theatre Barn's D-Lounge series, I finally had the opportunity to attend one in person, thanks to an invite from Becca Anderson. Becca, along with Julian Blackmore and Dan Marshall, wrote the musical comedy Academia Nuts, the first of two sets in the concert presentation that night. Telling the story of a quiz bowl championship and plucky Maggie McCutter, a bright but sheltered champion hopeful, Academia Nuts is a story of star-crossed romance, family secrets, geek love, and all-around irreverent mayhem.

Here are some highlights from their presentation at NYTB's D-Lounge:

The Opening Sequence:

The incomparable Alyse Alan Louis singing "Pirate TV":

Alyse Alan Louis and Grasan Kingsberry singing "I Just Think of Favre":

Charissa Bertels singing a rousing "Sarge's Soliloquy":

And "I Speak Geek," a "La Vie Boheme"-esque tune I can definitely get behind:

Check out more videos from the evening at NYTB's Youtube channel here.

KISSLESS Goes From Stage to Screen: An Interview With Chance McClain

Last year, Chance McClain participated in our 5-question NYMF interview series for his show Kissless, and now, a year later, he contacted me with the exciting news that Kissless has been filmed with professional actors in Texas and will be released through Chance's Chat Productions as a movie. A natural progression from stage to screen? In the following interview, Chance talks more about his post-NYMF thoughts, decision to put the show on DVD, and what the film means for Kissless' future.

Me: What was your experience bringing Kissless to NYMF? Did it change your view of the show at all?

Chance McClain: Getting Kissless into NYMF was an enormous privilege and the most educational experience of my producing and writing career. I thought I had read everything there was to read about producing a musical. I thought I knew what to expect and felt prepared for the accelerated pace of a musical festival. I was dead wrong. It was a complete blur! I brought a wonderful cast from Houston so it wasn’t just the show but also the logistics of forty people traveling to and living in New York City for two weeks. Many of these young people had never been to NYC and some had never even been on a plane! I had a wonderful team of people with me to help but it was still hectic and crazy. It was an honor to participate and I hope to do it again. As far as my view of the show, I would say that the New York audiences taught me more about my writing and music than I could have learned anywhere else. The show got laughs and emotional responses at unexpected places. When I went back to the writing table after NYMF I felt more prepared to tell the story I had started out to tell.


Me: What were your goals for the show post-NYMF?

Chance McClain: Sadly, I went into NYMF without goals or expectations. I was naively “along for the ride”. I don’t think I took advantage of the opportunities that were all conveniently gathered together in the city to celebrate and explore new musical theatre. I felt that Kissless was a show best suited for high schools, colleges, and community theatres but did not know how to let people know that it was out there.


Me: How did the idea for the movie come about?

Chance McClain: For years I have done freelance work as a video producer. I have made television commercials, promotional videos, and pretty much anything involving video. In 2009 I wrote and directed Horrible Turn, an unofficial musical prequel to Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog. We released it online (it is free at horribleturn.com) and won some awards. Through that experience I was introduced to an audience that was as comfortable watching videos on computers as on televisions. I learned a lot from Horrible Turn and met talented people that knew how to tell stories with cameras. After NYMF it dawned on me that there was another way for people to see new musical theatre works. While the dream for any writer is to have a show on Broadway, not every writer has access to the millions of dollars it takes to realize that dream. But for a fraction of that cost I could cast a show with professional actors and tell the story on film and then distribute it online.

Getting Excited for Matilda

Yes, I know it's still months away, and it's an award winning West End show coming to Broadway (hardly "emerging," I know). But if there is one show I'm excited about gracing the Bway in the near future, it's Matilda. With the fanciful flair and unexpectedly poignancy oozing from Tim Minchin's buoyant songs, not to mention the potential for some great roles for young stars, my heart could burst from the joy the few performances I've seen have given me. Because unbridled delight loves company, here are a few clips:

Original four Matilda actresses performing "Naughty" at the Olivier Awards:

Hayley Canham singing "Quiet" at a cultural event for the London Olympics: