Playing a Game of Catchup

Hey, all! I know there's been a lot of radio silence on the blog lately; unfortunately, some of my other writing projects have been taking up a lot of my time and I haven't had a chance to really dive into the musical theatre scene yet this year. One of the biggest things on my plate was working on putting together a reading of my own work, The Memory Queen, which I'm happy to say went well last week. It was a great experience, though something that originally made me feel like this:

Made me also feel like this right beforehand:

Still, I survived and learned a lot and will hopefully be on the scene again blogging for you. That being said, there's a lot of new musical theatre stuff going on right now on the interwebs that has been doing my job for me. Here are some links to check out:

• On Crazytown, Michael Ruby has started an interview series with a bunch of great new composers.
• On NYTimes.com, Lynn Ahrens, Joe Iconis, and Marcy Heisler write songs about Mayor Bloomberg in celebration of Encores! Fiorello!
• Kerrigan and Lowdermilk had their first West Coast show! Watch songs from the concert here.
• Smash this season will feature songs from Drew Gasparini, Pasek and Paul, and Joe Iconis. Read about them here, and see "Broadway Here I Come" from the first episode of the new season.

Every Seven

Welcome to the new year, guys! We made it to 2013-- and while the future is still unknown, it's hard to ignore a new year ready for us to barrel on through. While I'll be one of the first to admit that I'm not sure what direction this year is going to take, I am thrilled to point out one great thing that has already come with this new season. As a part of a resolution to be less of a perfectionist, songstress Valerie Vigoda has launched the "Every Seven" project, where she will post a song (old, new, revamped) every seven days, all year long. This is a great opportunity to hear a wide range of work from Valerie, Valerie and Brendan Milburn, and GrooveLily as a whole.

Check back to Valerie's Youtube channel every 7 days for new posts. To get things started, here's their first post, "Desert With Lights," an upbeat tribute to LA (performed in front of a green screen...oooohhh):

Favorite Musical Moments of 2012

I know there's been a little too much radio silence from this blog as of late. Things have just been a little busy with the launch of a new podcast (check out our latest episode where we talk about Michael John LaChiusa and Sybille Pearson's Giant) and some other exciting things that I'm hoping to talk more about in 2013. Still, I am very proud of things that have happened on this blog over the past year, and I am looking forward to continuing to talk new musical theatre with all you guys in the new year.

As a way of looking back and celebrating some great theatre over the past year, I wanted to just highlight some of my favorite live theatre musical moments over the past year. While not all of these moments necessarily happened in musical theatre pieces, they have exemplified the magic of music and live performance, and they've definitely inspired me as a writer and artist.

Here we go:

The final scene in Leslye Headland's Assistance

Assistance was a straight play loosely based on Leslye's experience working as a personal assistant to Harvey Weinstein. If you've ever had a stressful, menial job, this play almost hit too close to home as employees set their hopes and dreams on a faceless boss who they are determined can either make or break their careers. But just when you might be reaching for the Xanax remembering your time getting yelled at for small mistakes or being used as a punching bag, the final scene of this play is a completely unexpected moment of retribution when we enter a fantasy dance sequence that, quite literally, brings the entire house down. It's a stunning theatrical feat-- getting to experience a moment of true catharsis brilliantly carried out through genius set design, music, and a wonderfully executed dance routine.

The Opening number from Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812

Everything about this show was pretty awesome, but the minute the lights went up, the audience was presented with dumplings, and the cast launched into a rousing recap of the story's many characters, we knew we were in for a treat. Creating a spirited environment from the get go, my friend and I were reaching for the vodka and settling in to an exciting night of Dave Malloy's Russian electro pop opera (and who can begrudge that?).

Molly Pope singing a mashup of "We Found Love" and "How to Love" at the final Our Hit Parade

For anyone who didn't have the pure and strange joy of experiencing Our Hit Parade at Joe's Pub, this monthly cabaret mainstay was a fantastic series where a rotating variety of performers from the music and theatre scene each took a top 10 pop song and reinterpreted it. Their final show played Joe's Pub earlier this week, and it was probably one of the most electric events I have ever been to in New York. We talk a lot about artistic homes, but never was it so potent to be in a room of talented artists and to feel the love from the audience, the hosts, and the venue as everyone was just themselves. While there were a lot of laughs, one moment that utterly destroyed me was hearing Molly Pope, an Our Hit Parade mainstay, sing her interpretation of "We Found Love" and "How to Love." The love of performing coupled with a heavy heart that Our Hit Parade was ending made her performance all the more profound-- and I sat with tears streaming down my face, just as she had on hers. What a gift to be able to experience something so intimate and special.

"Just Like the Sea" in PigPen's The Old Man and The Old Moon

Another moment that managed to get some tears out of Grinch-y old me, PigPen Theatre Co.'s latest fable about an old man who traverses the world to find his wife featured a particularly striking moment that demonstrated a man's loss with only a few lights and some well-crafted shadow puppets, creating a montage of memories that was completely cinematic and emotionally affecting. Above is a video of another song from the show, "Bremen," and you can catch the moment live still, since The Old Man and The Old Moon is playing at The Gym at Judson until Jan 6!

Emerging Musical Theatre, the theme song

I couldn't be more thrilled (or slightly embarrassed) to have two wonderful writers sing a song about this little blog. Big thanks to Jeff Luppino-Esposito, Matt Savarese, and Anna McGrady again!

The Hamilton Mixtape at Lincoln Center

Can we all just agree that Lin Manuel Miranda is a genius? Because his American Songbook concert, which primarily featured music from his project The Hamilton Mixtape about the life of Alexander Hamilton, is nothing short of brilliant. With rap battles mixed in with R&B hooks, this project is destined to be a great modern representation of history that makes history.

Giant at The Public Theater

I can't really single out any particular moments from Giant, and I have a good feeling this show is going to go on to a longer life, so I can't say that this production was necessarily definitive. Still, this epic musical that tells a sweeping story as vast as the landscape that it covers is a real winner. With a beautiful score by Michael John LaChiusa and smart book by Sybille Pearson, this restored my faith in the range of musical theatre being made-- and the wonderful people who support it, as well.

In Case You Missed It...

The latest podcast that I've been doing with Erin Salvi on Crazytown, titled Kim & Erin Eat Cheesecake (And Talk About That Show They Just Saw), just posted its third episode about The Old Man and The Old Moon last week. Be sure to check it out here.

Also, check back on Crazytown for our last podcast of the year in a couple of weeks. We'll be covering Giant, which is playing at The Public and has a score by Michael John LaChiusa and a book by Sybille Pearson. Trust me, it's an epic musical and just as interesting episode.

While I'm at it, if you're looking to get in the holiday mood, this week promises lots of musical theatre celebrations. Tonight, there is a free holiday concert at the Walter Bruno Auditorium at Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library as a part of Broadway's Future Songbook Series. This Friday and Saturday will also have performances from Joe Iconis and crew in his yearly Christmas Spectacular, hosted this time at 54 Below. Alas, I will not be there this year, but it has been my tradition for the last four years and has never ceased to get me in the spirit.

The Simplest Things: PigPen Theatre Co.'s THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON

We often walk a fine line on this blog between a musical and a play with music. Hell, throw in opera, musical spoofs, song cycles, etc. and the genre is just too hard to fit in a box. Last night, I had the privilege of seeing The Old Man and The Old Moon, the latest offering from PigPen Theatre Company, a collection of seven young actor/musicians/writers/composers (gahh, again with the blending of the categories) who developed their unique aesthetic and development process while in school together at Carnegie Mellon. They've gained some traction around the city having won top prize at The Fringe twice now, but The Old Man and The Old Moon represents their first full-length production now playing at The Gym at Judson.

I can't go into great detail, since my friend, Erin Salvi, and I will be discussing the show in the next episode of our podcast (which you should all check out on Crazytown-- the new episode will be up next Wednesday). However, I will say this: this show is a magical display of storytelling-- an exemplary work of perhaps the oldest oral traditions while guided by an expert hand that makes them feel new and surprising. Most importantly, I think, in the context of this blog, the musical elements that PigPen adds to their shows is really essential and beautiful. With a folksy score that fits the epic action and fable-like adventure like a glove, this is an example of how play-like a musical can be and musical a play can be. For your viewing pleasure, I'm posting some videos of some songs from the company below. Please go check out their website, see The Old Man and The Old Moon (then we can discuss!), and look out for our podcast.

(The company's first animated short, Bremen, which is also an introduction
to the epic world of The Old Man and The Old Moon.)

(Song "As Lonely As Me" from their debut album, "Bremen")

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.