Then again, it’s easy to see what has kept the show running on Broadway for six years and has kept a national touting production racking up the miles and the audiences for three (two million theater-goers served in more than 30 cities so far).

For one thing, “Mary Poppins,” created in the 1930s by Australian novelist P. L. Travers, continues to be a beloved character with kids, not to mention adults who retain fond memories of childhood.

There is a lot of appeal in ...

Continue reading "'Mary Poppins' makes a pleasant landing at the Hippodrome" »

Posted by Tim Smith at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

Maybe it’s the timing.

“Memphis,” the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, is not the deepest or most original of works. But this exuberant tale of race and music in the 1950s seems to take on added substance at the Hippodrome this week, given how freshly divided the country is right now over the Trayvon Martin case.

And maybe it’s the location.

Given Baltimore’s own history of strained race relations and gaps between “white” and “black” pop music back in the day, “Memphis” can’t help but provide extra resonance and relevance. The show is, in many ways, a pretty close cousin to the endearing “Hairspray,” right down to scenes of a TV dance program where taboos are shattered.

However it’s considered, this national touring production of “Memphis” sure does hit the spot. It provides a hefty serving of entertainment as it gives you a little extra to chew on.

With a book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music and lyrics by Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, “Memphis” centers around a white, gangly high-school dropout named Huey Calhoun who manages, in record time, to break racial and musical barriers in his hometown.

Of course, Huey nearly ...

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Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

Revised since its New York premiere, which received a drubbing from the press, the show provides a workable vehicle for the characters first immortalized by the Charles Addams cartoons and memorably brought to life by the 1960s TV series.

Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, who wrote the book, borrowed a well-used device to frame the musical — the comic collision of opposites. On one side, the ever so odd, but loving, Addams clan. On the other, the Beinekes, a white-bread family from Ohio that comes for dinner.

Although that would have been enough to fuel a 30-minute episode of the TV show, it feels padded here.

The big new idea fashioned for the national touring production is a bit creaky, too. Gomez Addams reluctantly agrees to keep from his wife Morticia a secret, something neither ever does. It’s about daughter Wednesday, who, in addition to torturing her brother — and I do mean torturing — has found time to fall in love and make marriage plans.

It’s just a little too convenient that Morticia insists on playing a “truth game” even before she knows just how much has been kept from her, but this set-up does pay some theatrical dividends in the Act 1 finale.

Even though nearly every little turn in the plot is apparent before it arrives, just as nearly every rhyme in Andrew Lippa’s generic songs gives itself away before the next downbeat, the production manages to hold together.

For one thing, ...

Continue reading "'Addams Family' shows its kooky stuff at the Hippodrome" »

Posted by Tim Smith at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

As she is the first to tell you, Carrie Fisher has had an eventful life. Since a lot of those events involved drugs, alcohol, rehab, and battles with bipolar issues, you might not think that it could be such a funny life, too. But funny it is. Pretty endearing, too.

Fisher happily shares her experiences in “Wishful Drinking,” a solo theatrical vehicle the actress/writer introduced in 2006 with considerable success. The show, which arrived at the Hippodrome this week, still has legs. The level of sturdiness, though, can vary from performance to performance. (Video from an earlier production -- pre-weight loss -- is posted below.)

There’s no use pretending that opening night on Tuesday went smoothly. Fisher, who could not have been more unflatteringly attired (surely her weight loss since becoming a spokesperson for Jenny Craig deserves a better outfit), often sounded halting, even with a teleprompter.

The uneven pacing made the show’s length more problematic, underlining the fact that ...

Continue reading "'Wishful Drinking' makes rough landing at the Hippodrome, but still flies" »

Posted by Tim Smith at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

The orchestra, founded in 2000 by composer, pianist and conductor Darin Atwater and made up predominantly of African American musicians, had an affiliation with the Baltimore Symphony for most of its first decade.

Thanks to the recently launched Hippodrome Arts Fund, Soulful Symphony is now a partner with the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center.

"We're ready to launch this thing again," Atwater said. "It's a new chapter, a new home -- but the same soul."

One aspect of that new home is the possibilities it offers to have a more ...

Continue reading "Soulful Symphony's first Hippodrome season to open with Michael Jackson tribute" »

Posted by Tim Smith at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Clef Notes, Hippodrome
        

The national touring production of "The Lion King" that winds up its five-week run at the Hippodrome Theatre on Sunday, has already broken a box office record.

For the week ending Jan. 1, which included nine performances, the theater grossed $1,531,590, the highest for a Broadway show there.

The final tallies for the engagement will show over $6 million in gross ticket sales and more than 62,000 people attending.

"'The Lion King' truly reigns in Baltimore, and we look forward to our next return engagement," said Jeff T. Daniel, president of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, in a statement.

The Hippodrome estimates a ...

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Posted by Tim Smith at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

For those enjoying "La Cage aux Folles" at the Hippodrome this week -- and you should catch this production if you can (my review:http://http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-ae-arts-story-1104-20111103,0,3319263.story) -- I thought you might enjoy these outtakes from a promo George Hamilton shot recently for the tour.

Hamilton is a hoot offstage, as I can attest from a nearly hour-long phone interview the other day, and this short video clip ...

Continue reading "Outtakes from George Hamilton's promo for 'La Cage' " »

Posted by Tim Smith at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

OK, I know I should stop with the 'South Pacific' stuff, but I just couldn't resist one more post.

As I said previously, the songs from this show have been stuck in my head since Tuesday night's opening performance of the production at the Hippodrome -- just as those songs were stuck for ages after I saw the original Broadway revival.

To tell the truth, my tastes were always a little more Rodgers and Hart than Rodgers and Hammerstein, but I have found, over the years, a greater and greater appreciation for the musical scores by the latter duo.

The song from "South Pacific" that really, really moves me is "This Nearly Was Mine." The melody, with its elegant harmony, is top-drawer; the words are exceptionally effective. The structure is terrific, too.

I have admired how this song was delivered by Paulo Szot in the 2008 New York staging; in Washington last year by David Pittsinger in the first national tour of the wonderful Bartlett Sher revival; and this week in Baltimore by Marcelo Guzzo in the second national tour. And, of course, I love the classic performances by Ezio Pinza and others who starred as Emil de Becque.

But there's a version of this song, removed from its theatrical context (and from the original bass/baritone realm), that's in a class by itself. The first time I heard ...

Continue reading "One more 'South Pacific' item: The absolute ultimate version of a great song " »

Posted by Tim Smith at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Clef Notes, Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

The actor, whose perpetually bronzed skin had no rival until the emergence of House Speaker John Boehner, will have the role of gay nightclub owner Georges. Hamilton is not known for having a great singing voice, but he's likely to bring other attributes to the show, a comic clash of sexual, social and political forces.

As for the role of Albin, Georges' longtime partner who appears as the drag queen Zaza at the club ...

Continue reading "George Hamilton to star in 'La Cage aux Folles' at Hippodrome" »

Posted by Tim Smith at 5:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

Since attending opening night of "West Side Story" at the Hippodrome last week, I've been wondering why there was so little of a wow factor in the performance.

(I don't usually mull over such things for so long, but, hey, I'm technically on vacation, which means I get easily distracted. It's actually the same when I'm not on vacation. I just have an excuse now.)

If you missed my review, make your life complete and catch up with it here.

First, let me hasten to say that "West Side Story" virgins would do well to catch this national touring production. Revivals of the brilliant musical don't come around every day, given how big a show it is in terms of personnel and technical requirements.

And this one, which started out in D.C. three years ago and had a respectable Broadway run thereafter, provides a welcome opportunity to reaffirm how much gold is in this work -- the sizzling Bernstein score, the brilliantly athletic Jerome Robbins choreography. There's certainly enough quality in the production to make for an entertaining experience. But it just doesn't pack the punch it should. For all of the high-flying dance routines, the show doesn't soar high enough.

Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book for the musical, directed the original in 1957 and directed this revival, has a lot to say about revisiting "West Side Story" in his most recent book, "Mainly on Directing." He is especially proud of ...

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Posted by Tim Smith at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

This morning, I'm still recovering from a mortifying experience during last night's festive lighting of the Washington Monument.

For the benefit of any non-Baltimore readers of this humble little blog, I should point out that our fair city's monument to the first president pre-dates the one in DC by many a year and is located in one of Baltimore's most picturesque spots.

As for the mortification, let's just say that the best way to make an impression on one's editor when you're invited to his first holiday party -- his fabulous apartment overlooks the Mount Vernon Place and the Monument -- is not to spill half a large cocktail shaker's worth of Gimlets all over the place. (Robert and I brought said shaker, pre-filled, to the party; not one of my brighter ideas.)

Never did see the lights being turned on by the Mayor or the fireworks afterward, as we were too busy trying to clean up the spill -- how it managed to coat a wall, as well as the floor, I'll never know -- while all the other guests were glued to windows or out on the balcony.

Needless to say, the newsroom is already abuzz today with the story of my sensational faux pas. I'm just glad it's not on YouTube.

Anyway, I mention all of this by way of trying to divert you from the fact that I don't have a fresh blog post yet, as I've got to finish a story for Sunday's paper. Meanwhile, I can

Continue reading "In today's Sun: 'Rock of Ages' rockin' the Hippodrome" »

Posted by Tim Smith at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

The celebrated troupe, created by Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink, has entertained some 17 million people across the globe since debuting nearly 20 years ago. This Baltimore appearance -- performances run through Sunday -- marks the first national tour of the theatrical version that has been a fixture in New York, Las Vegas and other places. It’s a big, loud, funny, silly, visually arresting production.

Tuesday’s opening night crowd, which gave every indication of arriving fully prepared and stoked for the experience, enjoyed superbly timed performances by Kalen Allmandinger, Josh Elrod and General Fermon Judd as the blue men. (Four players, including Mark Frankel, take turns in the lead trio roles during the run.)

There’s no point in trying to classify what these performers, with their trademark blue faces and bald, ear-less heads, do onstage for the better part of 90 minutes. It’s much easier to go with the flow — and duck down in your seat when those guys start roaming the aisles in search of audience volunteers. (Late-comers may have a much harder time remaining incognito.)

In a way, you could say that Blue Man Group represents

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Posted by Tim Smith at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

The surprise onstage marriage proposal went off without a hitch Wednesday night during the performance of "Cirque Dreams Illumination" at the Hippodrome.

Although some readers fretted that I spoiled the surprise by reporting the event early on Wednesday (if only I were that widely read), the plot was not uncovered.

The solider, Sgt. Phillip Clark, an Army medic and Iraq War veteran now stationed at Ft. Meade, and his girlfriend, Jennifer Baggett, were called up to the stage as volunteers for a regular portion of the show, involving the making of a silent film. The couple played their parts perfectly -- they depicted illicit lovers being surprised by the woman's husband, who starts shooting. On cue, the soldier did his death scene and the girlfriend tried to revive him. Then he sprang into action on one knee.

Although un-amplified, the audience quickly realized what was happening and cheered. Here's a video clip (courtesy of the Hippodrome and Kit & Kaboodle Productions):

Continue reading "Surprise marriage proposal goes according to plan at Hippodrome" »

Posted by Tim Smith at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome
        

UPDATE 10/7: The surprise worked like a charm (but thanks to all you snarky people who offered comments, thinking this blog was so darn powerful it would derail everything). You'll find video of the event elsewhere on the blog.  

Audience participation is a regular part of the Cirque Dreams Illumination show that opened at the Hippodrome Theatre on Tuesday. But Wednesday night's performance will add a twist.

Two of the people picked from the house to go up onstage this time will know each other -- a U.S. solider stationed at Ft. Meade, just back from his third tour of duty in Iraq, and his girlfriend.

The skit they will be involved in concerns the making of a silent film (assuming it's the same as Tuesday's performance, the 'plot' will be about illicit lovers being surprised by the woman's husband).

When the skit ends, the solider will assume the bended-knee position and propose to his girlfriend in front of the entire company and audience.

The idea of the very public proposal came about after Cirque Dreams creator and founder Neil Goldberg learned that a solider wanted to buy VIP seats to the show and was planning to pop the question while at the Hippodrome.

No point wasting such a momentous event out in the house, when everybody could get in on it. Goldberg invited the couple to Wednesday's performance as his guests (names are being withheld until showtime) and organized the onstage surprise.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CIRQUE PRODUCTIONS

Posted by Tim Smith at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Drama Queens, Hippodrome