hold your applause, please

Robert Bouton · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 67

In ten years of attending Encores, a usually thrilling staging of a
musical from back in the day, I've never been more bored than I was at
Applause.

The three leads are miscast. Christine Ebersole had all the keys
raised, and so Margo sounds pretty and romantic, which is just wrong.
Plus, as she's staring at herself on the late late show, there's no
fun in her mockery because she's not in any classic old films. Her
boyfriend was dull. Eve was neurotic and angular. The other men (Tom
Hewitt, Mario Cantone and Chip Zien) do better but only Megan Sikora
shows real star quality, on the winsome title song.

And the rest of the songs? And the book? Awful. I love all the
previous Strouse and Adams scores. God knows I've enjoyed Comden and
Green scripts about show business or New York. But in Applause, scene
after scene, tune after tune, joke after joke - all fall flat. It's
All About Eve totally de-fanged, and there's not a soul to care about.

Archived from group: rec>arts>theatre>musicals

chromolume · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 15

On Feb 8, 12:30 am, Robert Bouton wrote:

> Christine Ebersole had all the keys
> raised, and so Margo sounds pretty and romantic, which is just wrong.

So, anyone playing Margo has to be able to sing Bacall's keys?
Ridiculous.

Perhaps the songs were raised TOO much; perhaps she simply lacked the
right kind of energy to make the songs work; perhaps we're all so used
to Bacall's sound on the CD that we find it hard to hear a different
kind of voice in the role.

But, keys are changed in shows all the time, and that alone can't be
the blame for an unsatisfying performance.

A case in point - the keys for the Witch's songs were changed for
Vanessa Williams in the "Woods" revival - but I'd hardly blame the new
keys for the resulting inert, uncharismatic performance of the songs
and the role... Smile

Robert Bouton · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 67

On Feb 9, 12:04 am, chromolume wrote:
> On Feb 8, 12:30 am, Robert Bouton wrote:
>
> > Christine Ebersole had all the keys
> > raised, and so Margo sounds pretty and romantic, which is just wrong.
>
> So, anyone playing Margo has to be able to sing Bacall's keys?

I never said anybody should ever have to sing in Bacall's keys.
What's plain wrong is dry, acerbic Margo sounding pretty or romantic.
I'm one who believes keys are chosen to accommodate the original
players, and that the composer rarely cares much - as opposed to the
opera world. But if one can't pull off "twitchy and bitchy and manic"
convincingly, casting comes in to question.

But for me, the deeper disappointment is in lyrics, book, and music.
Not nearly the best outing for Betty and Adolph, Charles and Lee.

chromolume · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 15

On Feb 9, 2:16 am, Robert Bouton wrote:
> On Feb 9, 12:04 am, chromolume wrote:
>
> > On Feb 8, 12:30 am, Robert Bouton wrote:
>
> > > Christine Ebersole had all the keys
> > > raised, and so Margo sounds pretty and romantic, which is just wrong.
>
> > So, anyone playing Margo has to be able to sing Bacall's keys?
>
> I never said anybody should ever have to sing in Bacall's keys.
> What's plain wrong is dry, acerbic Margo sounding pretty or romantic.
> I'm one who believes keys are chosen to accommodate the original
> players, and that the composer rarely cares much - as opposed to the
> opera world. But if one can't pull off "twitchy and bitchy and manic"
> convincingly, casting comes in to question.
>
> But for me, the deeper disappointment is in lyrics, book, and music.
> Not nearly the best outing for Betty and Adolph, Charles and Lee.

Actually, that's not always true in the "opera world" either -
offhand, Massenet and Bellini come to mind as examples of composers
who rewrote leading roles to accomodate a different singer's range
(Werther and Puritani's Elvira, respectively) - and Strauss thought
twice about the key/tessitura of Zerbinetta's aria in "Ariadne Auf
Naxos." And there are other examples that don't come to my mind at the
moment.

My question is this - would Ebersole, in your opinion, have sounded
any more "twitchy, bitchy, and manic" in Bacall's keys? Or is it
simply that the actress seemed miscats to you, whatever the keys of
her songs? Smile

Steve Newport · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 1415

jongoldberg@msn.com (chromolume)
So, anyone playing Margo has to be able to sing Bacall's keys?
Ridiculous.
----------------------------------------
I agree. Although I think Eva Gabor did.

Robert Bouton · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 67

On Feb 9, 2:31 am, chromolume wrote:Massenet and
Bellini come to mind as examples of composers
> who rewrote leading roles to accomodate a different singer's range
> (Werther and Puritani's Elvira, respectively) - and Strauss thought
> twice about the key/tessitura of Zerbinetta's aria in "Ariadne Auf
> Naxos." And there are other examples that don't come to my mind at the
> moment.
>
> My question is this - would Ebersole, in your opinion, have sounded
> any more "twitchy, bitchy, and manic" in Bacall's keys? Or is it
> simply that the actress seemed miscats to you, whatever the keys of
> her songs? Smile

Never knew that about Massenet and Bellini; thanks for enlightening
me.

Christine Ebersole had a terrible case of the flu and missed all her
rehearsals Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. A true trouper, she went on.
I won't comment on what might have been. The other night, she sang
Margo's songs with an airy, semi-sweet softness that seemed at odds
with the way the character is written. Was this due to her illness,
the raised keys, or a misguided choice about how she should sound?
I've no idea.

David Levy · Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 46

On Feb 9, 12:04 am, chromolume wrote:

> A case in point - the keys for the Witch's songs were changed for
> Vanessa Williams in the "Woods" revival - but I'd hardly blame the new
> keys for the resulting inert, uncharismatic performance of the songs
> and the role... Smile

Although the result that Williams sounding uncannily like Nancy Walker
in those keys certainly didn't do her any favors.

Sweevil · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 43

Brantley's review says Ebersole went on with a bad case of the flu, so
that should be taken into account. But the show certainly has not
aged well. Reprise! did it last season with Phylicia Rashad -- I was
looking forward to it because APPLAUSE was the first Broadway show I
ever saw and the first cast album I ever bought (it's the only LP I
saved, just for sentimental reasons, when I gave away the others).

The show's biggest weakness is the mediocre Comden and Green book (I
seem to be slagging C&G a lot lately!) and the strained efforts of the
writing team to sound 1970 hip and "with it". The show seems as
tacky now as an avocado-green plexiglass light fixture from the same
era ...

On Feb 9, 8:22 am, David Levy wrote:
> On Feb 9, 12:04 am, chromolume wrote:
>
> > A case in point - the keys for the Witch's songs were changed for
> > Vanessa Williams in the "Woods" revival - but I'd hardly blame the new
> > keys for the resulting inert, uncharismatic performance of the songs
> > and the role... Smile

>
> Although the result that Williams sounding uncannily like Nancy Walker
> in those keys certainly didn't do her any favors.

chromolume · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 15

On Feb 9, 11:22 am, David Levy wrote:
> On Feb 9, 12:04 am, chromolume wrote:
>
> > A case in point - the keys for the Witch's songs were changed for
> > Vanessa Williams in the "Woods" revival - but I'd hardly blame the new
> > keys for the resulting inert, uncharismatic performance of the songs
> > and the role... Smile

>
> Although the result that Williams sounding uncannily like Nancy Walker
> in those keys certainly didn't do her any favors.

Lol...perhaps...but Walker would have actually played the role.
Williams just kinda stood there and looked beautiful (which is fine
for the transfornation moment, but doesn't do much for the rest of the
show...lol)

John W. Kennedy · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 239

chromolume wrote:
> Actually, that's not always true in the "opera world" either -
> offhand, Massenet and Bellini come to mind as examples of composers
> who rewrote leading roles to accomodate a different singer's range
> (Werther and Puritani's Elvira, respectively) - and Strauss thought
> twice about the key/tessitura of Zerbinetta's aria in "Ariadne Auf
> Naxos." And there are other examples that don't come to my mind at the
> moment.

"It's really true...

ing the that

that sing- oc- is on- thing I do."

taves ly can

-- Don Octave's Eintrittslied from "The Stoned Guest"

Steve Newport · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 1415

jongoldberg@msn.com (chromolume)
the keys for the Witch's songs were changed for Vanessa Williams in the
"Woods" revival - but I'd hardly blame the new keys for the resulting
inert, uncharismatic performance of the songs and the role... Williams
just kinda stood there and looked beautiful
---------------------------------------
As usual. Nancy Dussault did well as the witch. She'd be a good Karen in
APPLAUSE.

http://community.webtv.net/NewportsRetro/Scrapbook

http://community.webtv.net/NewportsRetro/Pets

TD · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 62

Sweevil wrote:
> Brantley's review says Ebersole went on with a bad case of the flu, so
> that should be taken into account. But the show certainly has not
> aged well. Reprise! did it last season with Phylicia Rashad

I believe Margo was played by Sheryl Lee Ralph at Reprise!, not Phylicia
Rashad.

TD

Eagle · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

Sweevil wrote:
> Brantley's review says Ebersole went on with a bad case of the flu, so
> that should be taken into account. But the show certainly has not
> aged well.

I disagree. Saw the show last night and had a great time. Here's my
random thoughts about it:

1) I know the score well and always liked (most of) it. The show was
not nearly the bore I feared it might be. Maybe because Ebersole was
over her flu. Oh, it's a bit of its time, but it was fun nostalgic in
that way.

2) Ebersole was fine for what she was. But I felt the role needed
someone with more gravitas. She has to be more of a "one of a kind,"
as the song goes, and my mind kept going to who might be more
interesting in the role. I've come up with:

Overall first choice: Susan Sarandon
Might be interesting, though I'm not sure: Liza Minnelli
Someone with gravitas, but not my favorite performer: Patti LuPone

3) I read that Anne Baxter replaced Bacall in the original
production. That must have been interesting! Anyone see her? Did
anyone else do the original production?

4) Couldn't help hearing some lines that Ebersole delivered and
running them through my mind with Bacall's voice. One line I can't
remember in the first act -- something directed at Eve -- that must
have been a stitch when Bacall delivered it, but was only so-so with
Ebersole.

5) Liked Ebersole's rendition of "Hurry Back" (anyone would have been
better than Bacall's foghorn delivery of it), and wondered if any good
blues singer ever recorded it.

6) Was a little annoyed by the anachronistic interpolation during the
"Applause" number of music from "Chicago" and "Follies," but it's a
great number overall.

7) Thought the first act worked very well, if a bit long. Second act
is weak, and the show needed a stronger ending. "Something Greater"
only hints at what is needed. The B section of the song, which is
more legato, helps it to hint at something that needed to soar, but
the rhythmic A section takes away from that. The ending seems
abrupt. Funny how the music of "Something Greater" is played during
the bows as the audience applauds, which is kind of ironic.

Cool

Ebersole has a line in the second act, something about someone
being an over the hill actress, etc., and then she says, "Oh, my God,
that's me!" or something to that effect. She delivered it more for
comic effect (which was minor) and it should have been taken more to
heart -- more of a pivotal moment for her. She and the show never
really highlight that pivotal moment for the character where she
realizes there's "something greater."

9) "She's No Longer a Gypsy" is a really weak number. Doesn't come
up to the excitement of "But Alive" and "Applause" in the first act,
and doesn't really advance anything. Seemed to be thrown in to perk
up the second act. But it does foreshadow "A Chorus Line." Also, the
part in the "Applause" number that goes, "When I was eight, I was in a
school play. I'll never forget it. I had one line to say..." sounds
like it would fit right in somewhere in "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen,
Hello Love." The two shows are kind of complimentary.

10) There are a few clips of the TV version of "Applause" on YouTube:
"Being Alive" and "Applause" and "One Hallowe'en." I wish it would be
released on DVD. It occurred to me that uttering "Twitchy and bitchy
and manic" might have been one of the first times the word "bitch(y)"
was uttered on primetime television.

11) Anyone know why Strouse and Adams no longer work together? Adams
is still alive, isn't he?

David Levy · Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 46

On Feb 10, 11:35 am, Eagle wrote:

> 11) Anyone know why Strouse and Adams no longer work together? Adams
> is still alive, isn't he?

Don't they? They collaborated on Marty only a few years ago.

"Ed\ · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 28

"Eagle" wrote in message @1g2000hsl.googlegroups.com...
> Sweevil wrote:
> 11) Anyone know why Strouse and Adams no longer work together? Adams
> is still alive, isn't he?

Both Strouse and Adams were at the cast party following tonight's (final)
performance. So was Celeste Holm.

By the way, Ebersole (who now has bronchitis, not announced) gave probably
the best performance of the run (I saw three in total). You wouldn't have
known she was still under the weather.

Ebersole starring in APPLAUSE and NIGHT MUSIC By Andrew Gans Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson, who both won Tony Awards for their performances in the musical Grey Gardens, will reunite this summer for concert performances of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's A Little Night

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