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‘CAMELOT’S’ SHINING MOMENT IS LOST

Seventh in a series of Broadway reports

NEW YORK — “Camelot,” the beloved stage musical encompassing a romantic triangle amid the fabled King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable legacy, is a problematic specimen at the Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont.

Directed by Bartlett Sher, the show was nominated for five Tony Awards and won nothing, and consequently, attendance has been disappointing, triggering an early Sept. 3 closing.  A possible national tour and an eventual West End residency down the line, dates uncertain.

The production has the usual Lincoln Center flair, with arched columns, monochromatic and stylishly minimalist sets by Michael Yeargan and splashy medieval costumes to provide colors that enchant, notably in the dance moments choreographed by Byron Easly. Projections of shadowy trees and church deco enhance the lack of set pieces, and the themes of chivalry and romance, complete with sleek English dances and rigorous fight choreography, help fill the eyes, the ears and the soul.

But “Camelot” turns out to be a blur; the delicate love story with songs by Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) remain touch points. Based on the “The Once and Future King,” the novel by T.H. White, the show has undergone surgery by Aaron Sorkin, noted writer from TV’s “The Office,” who wrote the book , but has changed the tone and flavor of the original, modernized for a contemporary audience with major adjustments in the storytelling – like erasing some classic characters. Like a renovated old home, there designs and details you’ll like, and some who won’t.

Andrew Burnap, left, is King Arthur, and Phillipa Soo is Guenevere in “Camelot.”

Don’t let it be forgot; the shining moments are elusive.

The cast is superb and occasionally likeable and luminous, with a boyish and dubious King Arthur (youthful and handsome Andrew Burnap, a Tony winner in “The Inheritance”), a Korean Guenevere (expressive and eloquent but reluctant bride Philippa Soo, the original Eliza Schuyler in “Hamilton”), and a black Lancelot du Lac (Jordan Donica, who was Freddy Eynsford Hill in “My Fair Lady,” and powerful and dominating here). They are the principals in the love triangle, and emit some sparks.

But clearly, diversity is at play, and thus some rules bent.

Alterations abound in characters, too: Merlyn (Dakin Matthews) used to be a wizard, but now he’s a sage, and Morgan Le Fay (Marilee Talkington) is a chemist, and single mom to Mordred (Taylor Trensch) who’s lost his magic.

Happily, some of the memorable tunes in the score are retained and staged with sumptuous support of a 30-member orchestra, directed by Kimberly Grigsby, always a joyous  tradition. The title song “Camelot” and “What Do the Simple Folk Do,” performed by Arthur and Guenevere, and “C’est Moi” and “If Ever I Would Leave You” delivered by Lancelot, are worth the admission.

Sher’s trademarks at Lincoln Center include such previous hits as “South Pacific,” “My Fair Lady,” “The King and I” and “The Light at the Piazza.” This time, the show is a misfortune,  receiving mixed reviews and unimpressive box office response.

Jordan Donica, as Lancelot in “Camelot,” is the dominating angle in the love triangle.

Donica’s towering stance and booming voice make him the production’s brightest star, yet a lone angle in a triangle does not equate to a hit show.

You might recall, if you’re of a certain vintage, that the hope and magic of “Camelot” once was linked to the JFK presidency. After John F. Kennedy was assassinated, widow Jackie admitted that “Camelot” was her beloved husband’s choice musical, a net that created a sidebar for the Kennedys. Lyrics in the title song, which capitalized the Arthurian period, impacted American democracy as the King’s mission for prevailing peace in the fable was evasive.

The alluring sentiments included this verse, sung at the conclusion of the musical:

“Don’t let it be forgot
“that once there was a spot
“for one brief shining moment 
“that was known as … Camelot.” …

That moment is sorely missed…

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘Camelot’

“Camelot” is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music), based on the original book by Alan Jay Lerner inspired by T.H. White’s novel, “The Once and Future King,” and adapted and updated by Aaron Sorkin; directed by Bartlett Sher

Playing at the Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont, through. Sept. 3

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GOODBYE TO ‘MAGNUM, P.I.’

The roller-coaster ride of “Magnum P.I.” is finally over.

Or is it?

CBS originated the procedural, which made Tom Selleck a star a few decades ago.

The show was revived by the Eye Network  in the past decade, which enabled Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, to take flight with Perdita Weeks as the reimagined Higgins, this time a female, as the pair fought crime in Hawaii, kindling a romantic bond at the end of Season 4.

Then CBS axed “Magnum,” despite a loyal fan base, and left the lovebirds like flotsam at sea.

Jay Hernandez (Magnum) and Perdita Weeks (Higgins) of “Magnum P.I.”

NBC, the Peacock Network, surprisingly stepped in, offering a safety net to rescue not just the sleuths but the franchise, ordering two seasons amid speculation on what night and how many shows would be filmed.

The romantic relationship was able to simmer again, alongside the policing duties.

Then auwe, the balloon deflated at the end of an abbreviated Season 5, with 10 episodes aired and reportedly 10 more already in the can.

Can the on-again, off-again resilient  “Magnum, P.I.”  soar again?

Hernandez was effusive when “Magnum” hit its 100th episode. He’s been mum with the death sentence again.

However, Weeks recently took to Instagram to express gratitude and aloha to all, saying “After one hell of an encore, it’s time for us at ‘Magnum P.I.’ to ride off into the sunset. Thank you so much for all the support and huge thanks to the whole cast and crew for half a decade of fun. Mahalo nui loa.”

Clearly, Weeks found her niche in the islands, finding her cadence while adopting snippets of Hawaiiana.

The Writers Guild of America strike hasn’t helped anyone in TV land and complicates efforts of all productions till there’s a settlement.
For now, ‘NCIS: Hawaii” remains the lone network series still anticipated in the upcoming fall season.

But one wonders: “Magnum” could make history again, if ABC, the Alphabet Network, chimes in to save the show again. It would make “Magnum” the only series to air on the three major networks, though realistically, aloha here seems to be goodbye, finally. Not welcome…

Next stop, Netflix???

Assaggio Hawaii Kai to close

Sorry to report that another Hawaii Kai restaurant will  be closing soon: Assaggio at the Koko Marina Shopping Center.

Assaggio Hawaii Kai will be shutting down on July 31.

Last day of business will be July 31, the Italian restaurant is telling patrons. Lease rent is likely the reason for the shutdown.

Earlier this year, Zippy’s – also at Koko Marina –closed its dining room on the water, now doing only take-out business. Also shuttered: Fatboy’s.

Outback Steakhouse terminated operations at the Hawaii Kai Towne Center, but Scratch Kitchen moved in.

Hawaii Kai lacks a family breakfast place, with affordable prices. You know, the eggs-and-Spam kind of a menu.  The nearest destination for this kind of fare is Jack’s in Aina Haina.

Sure, there are a couple of options: Moena Café at Koko Marina (too pricey for most, and not the venue for a second or third cup of coffee, since there’s constantly a crowd waiting for a table) and Koa Pancake House at Hawaii Kai Towne Center lacks that coffee shop vibe and is more take-out than dine-in….

And that’s Show Biz. …

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DYNAMICS WORK, SO YES, IT’S ‘HOT’

Sixth in a series of Broadway reports

NEW YORK — “Some Like It Hot” is a 2023 musical remake of the popular 1959 Billy Wilder comedy with modern shenanigans and old-world charm.

If you adore vintage choreography, in the spirit of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, trotting non-stop all over the dance floor, and men cavorting in dresses and tresses because they witnessed gangland murders and need disguises to remain safe, then “Some Like It Hot” is your dance ticket, and it’s now playing at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway.

The ensemble, with Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee, as Jerry/Daphne, center right.

For me, “Some Like It Hot” is the best show now, with its special dynamics of motion, music, and manic energy.

It was the most-nominated Tony show this past June — 13 noms and four wins including J. Harrison’s Ghee’s  historic Leading Actor in a Musical award, Best Choreography for Casey Nicholaw, Best Original Score for Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, and Best Costume Design for Gregg Barnes).

Scenic Designer Scott Pask didn’t win, but should have earned a Tony, too, since he created a lifelike train car swiftly rolling from right to left in one scene. You practically felt the swoosh of the car passing by.

The cast, too, is choo-choo active, running in and out of closed doors and creating momentum of the rare kind.

Joe/Josephine and Jerry/Daphne become members of a traveling all-girl jazz band, led by Sweet Sue, portrayed by NaTasha Yvette Williams, with Sugar, the lead singer played by Adrianna Hicks (Marilyn Monroe was in the movie), during Prohibition-era times in Chicago and San Diego.

Adrianna Hicks, as Sugar, and Christian Borle, as Joe/Josephine.

The plot includes dizzying rushes in and out of doors, and non-stop prancing and dancing requiring speed and good timing, typical of the slam-dunk maniacal musical comedies of the past. One extreme and unexpected treat comes in a brisk flash of movement – Pask’s roaring train car, zooming across the stage. If you blinked, you’d have missed it. It was that fast.

The show boasts a host of “wow” moments. Ghee’s “You Coulda Knocked Me Over With a Feather” is a revelation – a confirmation that he realizes he is proudly a she and the song and sentiment are exquisitely honest.

And there’s charm and credibility with Osgood, the root beer dude played by Kevin Del Aguilar, who gets the hots for Daphne and why not? He/she is a beaut!

Further, Borle and Hicks manage to tap-tap-tap and sing their hearts out in a joyous staircase number, “Dance the World Away.”

One curiosity, and this was the first time I’ve seen this happen in a show. “Some Like It Hot,” the title tune, closed Act 1, with vocalists Hicks (as Sugar), Williams (as Sue) and Daphne (as Ghee) leading the ensemble to bring down the curtain. As the intermission ended, before the start of Act 2, it was announced that Hicks (Sugar) would be replaced by her understudy, TyNia Rene Brandon , no reason provided …

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘Some Like It Hot’

“Some Like It Hot” is a musical based on the Billy Wilder movie with the same name, with book by Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaman, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw

Playing at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway

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‘NEW YORK:’ A ONE-SONG WONDER

Fifth in a series of Broadway reports

NEW YORK — One truly positive thing can be said of “New York, New York:” the title song immortalized separately and specifically by Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli has become an awesome theme song for the city that never sleeps.

From that mammoth hit song emerged the phrase, “My Kind of Town,” and clearly New York is everybody’s kind of town.

This show, based on an earlier film, not so much. The powerful title song is not delivered till the finale, which is logical, and the Francine Evans character, (Anna Uzeke) emerges singing the tune with the 20-something musicians wailing and soaring brassy notes on trumpets, trombones, French horns and supported by violin, guitar, viola and more.

If this rousing and soulful number was performed at the very opening of “New York, New York,” everyone would be wholly satisfied. We could all have gone home. The cast could have been dismissed for early dinner and call it a night.

But we had to wait through a mess of wayward subplots, and two acts of inconsequential songs and dancers, with little reward and beaucoup yawning.

This was not my kind of town, nor my kind of play.

This was a prime disappointment in the annals of Broadway musical history – a one-song wonder.

You can’t wholly blame the cast, which stars Colton Ryan as Jimmy Doyle, with standby Mike Cefalo in the performance I saw, Anna Uzeke as Francine Evans, Clyde Alves as Tommy Caggiano, John Clay III as Jesse Webb, Janet Dacal as Sofia Diaz, Ben Davis as Gordon Kendrick, Oliver Prose as Alex Mann, Angel Sigala as Mateo Diaz aka he/him, and Emily Skinner as Madame Veltri. Considering that this behemoth of a stinker – with high anticipation and grim delivery from multi-Tony winner Susan Stroman — is astonishing.

If Lin-Manuel Miranda, himself a Tony veteran, wrote new lyrics and infused Latin rhythms, the credits don’t acknowledge the tunes with cooperation from Broadway veteran John Kander, so even this is a puzzlement.

The script by David Thomas and Sharon Washington attempts to reflect the common notion that New York is a place of opportunity, where dreams can come true, and immigrants can start a new life.

Failure should not be an option in musical theater life, but “New York, New York” staggers and putters with no compass to turn around its misfortune. Some may find pearls and potency in this one, but nada for me. It misses the mark on several levels. …

‘New York, New York’

“New York, New York” is  musical inspired by the motion picture written by Earl M. Rauch, with music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, with book by David Thompson co-written by Sharon Washington with additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda; directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman

Playing at the St. James Theatre on Broadway

Broadway grosses, for week ending July 2

“Back to the Future,” a new musical based on the popular movie, has shown remarkable box office power in its first few shows: it grossed $1.035 million after it premiered June 30. Not enough to make the Top 10 roster of shows, but just enough for it to join the Million Dollar Club.

We list the Top 7 here, which still is dominated by the long-running productions:

1 – “The Lion King,” $2.485 million.

2—“Hamilton,” $1.892 million.

3—“Wicked,” $1.880 million.

4—“Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” $1.794 million.

5—“Aladdin,” $1.607 million.

6—“MJ, the Michael Jackson Musical,” $1.557 million.

7—“Harry Potter & the Cursed Child,” $1.46 million.

Here’s the full list, courtesy The Broadway League:

And that’s Show Biz. ..

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SOMETHING FOR ALL IN ‘MOULIN ROUGE’

Fourth of a series of Broadway reports

NEW YORK — “Moulin Rouge,” undeniably an expansive and explosive musical unfolding at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway, is a monstrous dash of flash. It’s anything you might want it to be: a nightclub, a disco, a non-stop jukebox of hot pop songs, a floor show of can-can girls. Even a state of mind, as noted by Harold Zidler, the owner of the Moulin Rouge club, played by Eric Anderson.

The show – set in Gay Paree’s notable nightclub of the title — begins even before the spectacle opens, with costumed characters descending from sets onto the stage, crawling on the rims of both stage left and right, resembling Cirque du Soleil artists. The regalia — some nostalgic, some brief, some clearly exotic — build anticipation of what’s to come.

Amour is in the air, and when the dazzling melodies start thumping away, showtime means feathers, glitter, gyrations and hearty emotions.

“Lady Marmalade,” certainly the key prevailing anthem in the score, is all action and audience reaction. The cast and the audience members (some quietly, some not) belt out Labelle’s explicit and exquisite lyrics of  Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, and the dance party is officially on.

Director Alex Timbers and choreographer Sonya Tayeh retain the life-is-beautiful spirit of film director Baz Luhrmann and co-writer Craig Pearce, who collaborated on the film, which has been updated and upgraded with lots of oomph and power, with something to appeal to all, straight, gay, or LGBTQ.

Starring Joanna “Jojo” Levesque as Satine, a courtesan fighting tuberculosis, Derek Klena as the lovestruck composer Christian, Eric Anderson as Harold Zidler, Andre Ward as Toulouse-Lautrec, and David Harris as the Duke of Monroth, aka he/him, “Moulin Rouge” treats music as a drug in a sense that it’s easy to get high – with emotion and participation. Songs often are said to be the soundtrack of our lives, and surely, fleeting nostalgic moments of your memories whirl and twirl like a merry-go-round on steroids.

Unfortunately, the Playbill does not collate titles of the music employed during this journey, so you can’t reflect and count ’em. And the tunes are clustered into fast-and-furious medleys that you may not recall the fave you’re grooving to because, um, here comes another fastball.

But since songs are so dominant and definitive in the show, you’re likely to get dizzy with joy when you recognize Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” in a quick mashup with Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” then sooner or later, there’s an extended rendering of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,”  roaring out from the lungs of Christian and Santine. One of the shows impactful moment, this.

In case you forget when the charades and parades fade, Katy Perry’s “Fireworks,” Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Get Always Get What You Want” are prominently staged with glorious dances.

There are temptations, visual and aural, all tied to the tempo and choreography, and since this is kind of a Bohemian rhapsody, expect Elton John, Madonna and sundry others to pop in musically.

Be warned: if strobe lights and loud music offend you, you might best order balcony seats to be\some distance away from the pyrotechnics…

And that’s Show Biz. …

‘Moulin Rouge’

“Moulin Rouge” is a musical based on the film written by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, directed by Luhrmaan, with book by John LoganPlaying at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre