All tagged Roundabout Theatre Company
A new musical by Stephen Sondheim is usually met with rabid curiosity and excitement leading up to its opening, so in 1990 when the musical Assassins readied itself at Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons, theatre fans couldn't wait to see the result. We were all more than ready to see how Mr. Sondheim would create songs for the disillusioned men and women who attempted (and sometimes succeeded) killing Presidents of the United States. John Weidman would provide a book that used the failed American Dream as the through line to bring these notorious character into the same world. With Jerry Zaks at the helm as director, and a cast that included a vast array of Broadway's finest talent (Victor Garber, Terrence Mann, Debra Monk, Annie Golden, Jonathan Hadary, Lee Wilkof among them) Assassins looked to be something unique in musical theatre terms. Everyone assumed it would be well-received and then transfer to Broadway where it would settle in for an artful but not particularly long run. It didn't.
In 1975, Alfred Uhry and Robert Waldman constructed a foot stompin’, knee slappin’ good time with the musical The Robber Bridegroom. It played two short stints on Broadway, one in ’75 (with Patti LuPone) and the other in ’76 (starring Barry Bostwick who won a Tony Award). Since then, The Robber Bridegroom has been mostly relegated to regional and college productions, but a new revival by Roundabout Theatre Company in their Off-Broadway Laura Pels Theatre is so delightful that it makes you wonder why we don’t see this musical more often. What makes this production such a darn good time can be credited to three things: a catchy, energetic score, an ensemble working in perfect synchronicity, and the smart and steady direction of Alex Timbers.
She Loves Me is one of those musicals that has a special little following in the musical theatre community, beloved for its intimate structure, its lush and lovely Bock & Harnick score, and for its gentle little romantic/comedy of errors plot. It is considered a coup-de-theatre-going to see a production of this under-produced gem. Laura Benanti is one of those musical theatre stars who inspires her own special following thanks to her ability to transform herself so thoroughly and thoughtfully with each role she plays. She also has an audacious sense of humor, a sparkling wit, a touch of irreverence, and a most affecting singing voice. Her ability to balance humor with heart makes her the perfect choice to play the lovesick shop clerk Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. Fortunately, Roundabout Theatre had that same thought and cast Ms. Benanti (in the role that she was born to play) in their forthcoming revival that is now in previews at Studio 54.
