HAMILTON

a kate west review
book, music & lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
based on the book by Rob Chernow
directed by Thomas Kail
choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler
1192 Market Street, San Francisco 94102
running April - May 2017
contact: (888)746-1799 or www.shnsf.com

HAMILTON. The musical world will never be the same after this ultimately modern phenomenon premiered in New York in 2015. Winning 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, HAMILTON introduced a new era in theater accessibility by using rap, hip-hop, and color-blind casting to dramatically showcase the American founding fathers. Alexander Hamilton may not have been as well known as Thomas Jefferson or George Washington (although Hamilton is certainly now a household name - thanks Broadway!) but he was most certainly an interesting part of our revolutionary past. A prolific writer and an immigrant(!), Hamilton helped shape our roots, along with the legendary greats.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, genius creator of this stunning work of art, is also now a household name. Enchanted by Hamilton's story in the book by Ron Chernow, Miranda turned the tale into a brilliantly emotional and eloquent recounting of loss, envy and triumph. Who knew our own history could be so compelling, entertaining and well, so very ... educational? After taking New York by storm, HAMILTON is touring the country and is currently running in San Francisco. And yes, it's every bit as good as you've heard.


Aaron Burr, strongly portrayed by Joshua Henry in this production, is wildly and dangerously jealous of the successful Alexander Hamilton (Michael Luwoye), bringing to mind Salieri's frustration at Mozart's seemingly easy genius in AMADEUS. "How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by Providence impoverished in squalor grow up to be a hero and a scholar?" This opening number ("Alexander Hamilton") skillfully sets the intense tone for the bitterly tragic rivalry.

Joshua Henry as Aaron Burr

Michael Luwoye as Alexander Hamilton

We watch Hamilton rise quickly and almost effortlessly through the political ranks, forever bypassing his friend Burr. He meets the elitist socialites, the Schuyler sisters, and marries Eliza (the wonderfully lyrical Solea Pfeiffer) while lusting after Angelica (the larger-than-life Emmy Rover-Lampman). He later gets entrenched in scandal with a married woman and somehow manages to extricate himself by wits alone. These ladies all seem to be "Helpless" ("Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit, I’m helpless! Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em"). But they are the least of his worries.


He soon becomes the vital right-hand man to George Washington himself, strongly portrayed by Isaiah Johnson. When Thomas Jefferson (played with relish and good fun by Jordan Donica) finally returns from France ("What'd I Miss?"), the political scene heats up, with one side playing the other, until Hamilton manages to win over Jefferson, leaving out Burr, once again, who is desperate to be a part of the action ("The Room Where It Happens"). 

Solea Pfeiffer, Emmy Rover-Lampman, Amber Iman as the Schuyler sisters

Michael Luwoye & Isaiah Johnson (George Washington)

Rubén J. Carbajal, Michael Luwoye, Jordan Donica,  Mathenee Treco

Even knowing how the play ends, as it's all in the history books (duh) and Burr himself tells us at the start, "And me, I'm the damn fool who shot him", the duel scene is rivetingly suspenseful. And heartbreaking, as are a few other lovely gems (not to give it all away here). Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography, in harmony with Thomas Kail's apt direction, holds our constant attention, in so many clever ways. There are slow-motion moments and rewinds and poignant portraits of isolated emotion, all amazingly effective and flawlessly expressed. King George (the delightful Rory O'Malley) even makes a few cameos here and there to ridicule the original patriots ("You'll be back ...Time will tell, You'll remember that I served you well ... We have seen each other through it all and when push comes to shove, I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love"). So we've got drama, love, lust, passion, comedy, tragedy, and oh, so much history. And all of it is palatable, fascinating, and brilliant. 

Rory O'Malley as King George

Miranda has given us a modern world, framed by the old, using actors of color interchangeably, and it all works. Very, very well. The story of HAMILTON tells us that immigrants can be as important as everyone else, that equal rights matter, that the bigger picture matters most, and even better, that, as Burr eventually realizes, "The world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me". If you can at all afford to, see it now.

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Kinky Boots

a kate west review
book by Harvey Fierstein; music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
directed by Jerry Mitchell; orchestrations by Stephen Oremus
at Orpheum Theatre (SHN)
1192 Market Street, San Francisco 94102
running December 2-28, 2014
contact: (888)746-1799 or www.shnsf.com

The musical "Kinky Boots" was based on a 2005 British film, which in turn was based on a true story. Aren't those always the best kind? And just in time for the holidays, this popular Broadway sensation hits the road for a turn in the perfect setting of San Francisco. This most recent version of the plot features Charlie, who inherits his father's shoe factory, which is unfortunately going under. In a desperate attempt to keep it going, Charlie is inspired to cater to a different client, the ultimate in masculine-feminine: drag queens (who give Beach Blanket Babylon divas a run for their money). They present a unique challenge to the shoemaker - creating a sexy high heel that can support the weight of a man. After some convincing in song, Charlie and his factory workers are up to the task, proving that shoes are sometimes even more fun than chocolate. 

Steven Booth is Charlie Price, the insecure factor owner who finds he has his own voice after all. With songs like "Step One" and "Soul of a Man", Booth does a fine job with the transition of boyish man into self-confident man. Kyle Taylor Parker is the fabulous muse, the drag queen star, Lola. His/her best number is "Sex is in the Heel" where he proves the power of red, sex and shoes outshines any childhood angst (and both Charlie and Lola carry a lot of that around). As in the movie of the same name, Lola has to overcome some local prejudice, while facing her own demons, mainly a strict father. Charlie's own father issues are put to rest when he saves the factory and loses his materialistic 

fiancé Nicola (Grace Stockdale). Lauren (Lindsay Nicole Chambers) is delightful as the perky shop assistant who wins his heart in the end. Chambers has a lot of fun moments, such as "The History of Wrong Guys" and is the definitive audience pleaser of the cast, next to Parker as Lola, who easily brings the big into fantastic show stoppers. Speaking of which, a special nod goes to Lola's dancers, her cross-dressing Angels, all rivetingly talented, especially in "In This Corner" (the most fun ever seen in a boxing ring) and "Raise You Up/Just Be". It might seem hard to beat the finale in the movie (a mesmerizing rendition of the "These Boots are Made for Walking", complete with mad stomping) but the San Francisco cast does it justice, with original music and choreography, thanks to the multi-talented director Jerry Mitchell.

A show about shoes can't go wrong.

Let's not forget the trendy creative team, lyricist Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein (book). One can just imagine the charming work sessions between the effervescent pop star and gravely Broadway icon. Indeed, their collaboration earned them 13 Tony nominations and 6 Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Score. Drag queens and red shoes - what's not to love? Based on audience reaction from the S.F. crowd alone, no wrong notes here.

So head off to the Orpheum and bring your visiting family. Take a break from the holiday stress and strife and enjoy being different. Teach the out-of-towners a little something about fabulousness.

The Six-Step Program:

1. Pursue the truth.

2. Learn something new.

3. Accept yourself, and you'll accept others.

4. Let love shine.

5. Let pride be your guide.

6. You'll change the world when you change your mind.

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ONCE

a kate west review
music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
book by Enda Walsh, based on the movie by John Carney
directed by John Tiffany
at the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles
running July 15 - August 10, 2014
contact (800) 982-2787 or(323) 468-1770

The musical "Once" is based on the movie by the same name, a simple boy-meets-girl love story set in Dublin. Cue swooning. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová created the original, despite being more musicians than actors and to their surprised delight, had a hit on their hands. Obviously the next step was to turn the charming beloved film into a Broadway musical. And now you can see it right here in Hollywood.

To tweak it for the stage, the action revolves around a bar set (and audience members are free to roam it before the show and during intermission to get an over-21 drink). When a starry view is needed, the actors move to a second level. Chorus members are bona fide musicians who play various characters (with a continuing game of musical chairs) when not wowing us with their musical prowess. The leads, Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal, deftly match their cinematic counterparts, with a sweet courtship alive with splendidly lovely music. 

If you've seen the movie, you know how it ends. Suffice to say, there is much yearning and sighing and even more singing. The original music fits quite well into the staged story and the addition of interacting musicians keeps a theatrical feel. Martin Lowe, Steven Hoggett and John Tiffany should be proud of this stage adaptation as it maintains the story's integrity while providing some new twists.

Highlights: "Falling Slowly", "If You Want Me", "When Your Mind's Made Up"

See previous review here. Read more!

The Book of Mormon

a kate west review
book, music, lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
directed by Casey Nicholaw (also choreographer) and Trey Parker
at the Pantages Theatre 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles
contact  1-800-982.ARTS (2787) or click here
running through November 25, 2012

The infamous foul-mouthed children of South Park (the insanely animated brainchild of Trey Parker and Matt Stone) once had a run-in with some Mormons on the popular 2003 episode "All About Mormons". The enthusiastic religious fervor was catching at first, but soon became disillusioning as more of the back story was revealed to the characters. And because the show is based on merciless satire, the Mormons were not spared ridicule. In song (some of their best work too). So it's not surprising that several years later, the creators expanded their irreverence by combining their love of mockery with the commercialism of Broadway and thus "The Book of Mormon" was born.

Garnering coveted Tony Awards (including Best Musical 2011), "The Book of Mormon" is a (slightly) tamer version of the television episode. Primarily in order to attract audiences, the stronger sting of direct spoof is often replaced with moments of spotlighted wistful hopefulness (the kind you see in Disney musicals), although all that trademark "bad" language stayed in. In other words, it's an adult family show. And now it's in Los Angeles, right at Hollywood and Vine.

Elders Price and Cunningham (in this performance Gavin Creel and Jon Bass) are paired together by their superiors and sent to Uganda to make sure the Africans properly acknowledge the Savior. As it's not the most coveted destination (it ain't Orlando), the Mormon missionaries despair at making an impact on such a strikingly different culture. Eventually they get through (more or less anyway) to these terribly unenlightened people with song and dance and lots of swearing. Which seems to be the main appeal.

The creators play up the stereotypes, exaggerating that absurdity for effect, but that plays a little better in cartoons. On stage it becomes a more obvious joke, but the audience still eats it up. And the cruder the dialogue, the bigger the laugh. Fans of "South Park" will expect this sophomoric humor (and recognize a voiceover or two) and the rest will be drawn to the shock value. And students of pop culture will have a blast. Setting all that aside, you are left with a fairly standard coming-of-age-self-realization story. Typical Broadway fodder, but nothing life altering (and very similar to the silliness of Spamalot, another mainstreaming musical venture of a once innovative show: see Monty Python.)

The actors are all great, the musical numbers lots of fun and the pacing is briskly efficient. The opening and closing numbers where everyone rings doorbells and sings "Hello" as your friendly neighborhood evangelists are a delight. As pure entertainment, it is a professionally well done piece, but it won't change anyone's beliefs. In fact, the Mormon Church advertises in the program*, apparently giving credence to the "no such thing as bad publicity" mantra. In other words, there are no huge surprises and you pretty much know what to expect. It harkens back to "South Park" itself or the Team America movie (another Parker/Stone creation), where once the novelty wears off, we get it already.

Perhaps even more fitting, you might experience Angelino sensationalism when leaving the theater and run into the LAPD in SWAT-esque gear during a Skateboarder Riot (kid you not). That's when you really know you're in Hollywood.

*"You've seen the play, now read the book."
thebookofmormon.org (told you)
Book of Mormon Read more!

NINE

a kate west review

directed by Rob Marshall

music & lyrics by Maury Yeston (Andrea Guerra)

original book by Arthur Kopit

screenplay by Anthony Minghella & Michael Tolkin

Already a playful adaptation of Federico Fellini's famous semi-autobiographical film "8 1/2", the Tony-award winning musical "Nine" is now a major motion picture. Starring Daniel Day Lewis and directed by Rob Marshall ("Chicago"), it blurs the line between fantasy and memory, reality and dreams.

Guido Contini (Daniel Day Lewis) is a 1960's world famous film director at a crisis in life. He's a notorious womanizer, yet loves his wife Luisa dearly (the adorable Marion Cotillard). He can't help it - he's always loved women, starting with his incredible Mother (the incomparable Sophia Loren) and his first love, the local prostitute, Saraghina (fabulously depicted by Fergie) to his sultry mistress Carla (Penelope Cruz) and the idolized movie star Claudia Jensson (Nicole Kidman).

Deep down Contini wants to be good and needs to be loved, but mistakes worship for the real thing. What he knows best is making movies and in the course of the film, we see his desire for women conflict with his strict Catholic upbringing, creating the tortured self-absorbed egomaniac with a genius for cinematic art. His charisma will only carry him so far, and eventually everyone gets fed up with him, from his hard-working Producer to his long-suffering wife.

Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose") has the most touching and tender scenes in the movie, plaintively singing "My Husband Makes Movies" as he continues to neglect her. The musical scenes are all great in fact, especially Fergie's stompingly lusty "Be Italian" and Cruz's sexy "Call to the Vatican". Most of the actors can sing, with the exception of Lewis and Judi Dench (as the matronly Costumer Lilli), but their immaculately strong performances carry them through beautifully. Kate Hudson plays an American reporter Stephanie in a brand new number "Cinema Italiano", shot like a sparkly Versace runway show.

True, the costuming and 1960's look is très chic, but the movie lacks a true heart, in spite of the excellent cast. Guido Contini should be the charming devil-may-care rascal who wins us over, but he's so tired and desolate by the end, he has nothing left to give. Small changes from musical to film (won't give it away here), don't make much of a difference, but as this is a difficult musical to begin with, technically and emotionally, it's a tough transition to screen that Director Rob Marshall just quite can't pull off.

Still, it's got some fun numbers and a few cool retro looks here and there, so is definitely well worth a viewing.

Directed by	Rob Marshall
Produced by	Rob Marshall Marc Platt Harvey Weinstein John DeLuca Maury Yeston
Written by	Anthony Minghella Michael Tolkin
Starring	Daniel Day-Lewis Marion Cotillard Penélope Cruz Judi Dench Fergie Kate Hudson Nicole Kidman Sophia Loren
Music by	Andrea Guerra (Score) Maury Yeston (Songs)
Cinematography	Dion Beebe
Editing by	Claire Simpson Wyatt Smith
Studio	Relativity Media
Distributed by	The Weinstein Company

MOVIE SOUNDTRACK:
Nine Read more!

Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening
a kate west review

directed by Michael Mayer
music by Duncan Sheik
book & lyrics by Steven Sater
based on the book by Frank Wedekind
at the Ahmanson Theatre
Center Theatre Group
135 North Grand Ave, Los Angeles 90012
contact 213-628-2772
www.centertheatregroup.org or
www.springawakening.com
running October 29 - December 7, 2008

The hip multi-Tony-award winning (including Best Musical) "Spring Awakening" comes to Los Angeles at last, straight from Broadway. Likened to be as freshly liberating as Jonathan Larson's rock 'n roll version of "La Boheme" ("Rent") over a decade earlier, the show presents the tragedy of teen angst as universal truth, in any era. Based on the controversial 1800's German play by Frank Wedekind, the story encompasses all that is painful about growing up restricted and inhibited by misguided social morals.

Like the original, "Spring Awakening" the musical is set in 1800's Europe, where boys and girls know very little of each other and their need to express themselves leads them down some dark paths. Accompanied by a fantastic musical score by Duncan Sheik (lyrics by Steven Sater), generational German oppression gives way to pounding rock, eliciting wild cheers from audience members. The seriousness of the dialogue contrasts wonderfully with the free-spirited and raucous musical score, when the actors burst into song, filled with desperate emotional intensity. Abortion, homosexuality, masturbation, rape, suicide and lots and lots of plain old sex and lust are some of the striking issues this piece explores. So prepare yourself for some heavy heartaches (complete with adult language) and leave the young kids at home.

Christy Altomare is the fresh-faced Wendla, who wants to know where babies come from. Her Mother refuses to tell her, feeling that it is not a proper topic for a young lady. Blake Bashoff (most recently on television's "Lost") is the tortured Moritz, who keeps having sex dreams and is humiliated by them. Melchior (Kyle Riabko) is his confidante and classmate, who attempts to help him understand what's happening, while pursuing Wendla. Steffi D is slightly off vocally as Ilse, the runaway, and Martha (Sarah Hunt) confesses dark family secrets in "The Dark I Know Well". The arrogant Hanschen (Andy Mientus) and the innocent Ernst (Ben Moss) explore feelings and Otto (Anthony Lee Medina) lusts after older women. Angela Reed portrays all the adult women and Henry Stram all the adult men and everyone heartily stomps and belts their hearts out.

The music definitely makes the show. Among other thought-provoking gems, the women sing the sweetly lyrical "Mama Who Bore Me" as a plaintive lament over their ignorance of how life works. The school boys sing "The Bitch of Living" (also a popular You Tube video from the 2007 Tony Awards) on the unfairness of adults and school and life. A couple's first sexual experience happens with the beautiful "I Believe" and the ensemble sings "The Song of Purple Summer" to finish the show on a powerful note. Each song is another cry of help from youth stemming directly from the perplexity of censorship. Choreographer Bill T. Jones has the cast leaping and gyrating to the dramatic score, in sync with Michael Mayer's intriguing direction. The cast members often sing out to the audience in lone spotlights and some lucky audience members get to sit directly on stage and witness the excitement close up. A spare set conveys several locations, with a few chairs and a slowly swaying hay loft. Scenic Designer Christine Jones creates a towering stage wall, with eclectic pieces haphazardly strewn about. All this effort in production puts all the focus on the fierceness of feeling.

The overall mood of the piece is bleak indeed, but the strong passion and desire in the actors voices fills us with light. And the majority of the company is strong indeed. Afterward, you might want to sit down with your teenagers and set them straight on a few things. Even in this modern era of openness, they still may have a lot to learn, since, as depicted in the show, it doesn't matter when your adolescence takes place. It's all in the title. And a MUST see.

Get the Soundtrack Here:
Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

The Original:
Spring's Awakening Read more!

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
a kate west review
music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
book by Hugh Wheeler
directed by John Doyle
at the Ahmanson Theatre
Center Theatre Group
135 North Grand Ave, Los Angeles 90012
playing March 11 - April 6, 2008
contact 213-628-2772 or www.centertheatregroup.org

The much-talked about Tony-award winning new Broadway production of "Sweeney Todd" has arrived in Los Angeles. John Doyle (the same director who brought the new version of Sondheim's "Company" to New York) directs Stephen Sondheim's acclaimed operatic piece about a bloody barber this spring.

Sweeney Todd (played by David Hess), a long-suffering British barber (formerly Benjamin Barker), whose wife and child were cruelly stolen from him by an abusive Judge, returns to London years later to wreak revenge and falls in with his mad match Mrs. Lovett (Judy Kaye). In this take, the Greek-like tragedy is accompanied by stylistic orchestration and staging which, while certainly innovative, tend to take away from the raw emotion and passion of the story's essence.

The cast is strong, especially Lauren Molina as Todd's lost daughter Joanna and Judy Kaye as the nutty meat pie maker Mrs. Lovett, who takes in Todd and inspires him to start slaughtering people ("A Little Priest"). Frustrated over not being able to reach his nemesis the Judge, Todd grows even more reckless ("Epiphany") and it sends him closer and closer to the edge, until the final destruction consumes all. There are some inexplicable casting choices, such as Pirelli, the outrageous rival barber, being played by a woman (Katrina Yaukey), and while it is interesting that every cast member plays a musical instrument, it is also a gimmick that steals some richness from the original piece.

This production plays more like a stylistic concert version of a once-dimensional and multi-layered musical. The actors literally play out to the audience and do not make eye contact with each other or connect, leaving us even more disconnected. The essential horrific barber chair is missing and the blood and gore is also representational, with the actors donning red spattered white jackets when killed and red paint poured from bucket to bucket. The violence is so stylized in fact, that it distills and objectifies the intensity we should feel.

The music is still Sondheim great ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", "Johanna", "Green Finch and Linnet Bird") and the voices all Broadway quality, but the stories don't always come across and if you bring a friend who has never seen the show, he/she may be lost. For instance the "By the Sea" number where Lovett conjures up such delightful visions for the disillusioned Todd would read better with more nuance as would sweet Tobias (Edmund Bagnell) reassuring Lovett that nothing will harm her ("Not While I'm Around"). Every relationship, from the dueling barbers ("The Contest") to Anthony (Benjamin Magnuson) pursuing Johanna in "Ah, Miss" and "Kiss Me" and Todd grimacing through "Pretty Women" with the Judge would be better served with more interaction between the players.

The set is one towering piece on the back wall where the actors take props they need from time to time - another stylization, along with a not-too-subtle interchangeable coffin. To those not familiar with the story, it is about retribution and vengeance and how bitterness corrupts the victim more than the aggressor. It is a dark and tragic tale and the opera-like score deserves an epic-like production, in emotion and visual riches, but this modern minimisation diminishes the overall effect and may leave many cold and untouched.

The Original Score:
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979 Original Broadway Cast) Read more!