Broadway Gems, pt. 2: Jane Eyre

The next show in this series is the musical adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. It opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on December 10, 2000, quickly gaining a loyal fan base and earning a 2001 Tony nomination for Best Musical. Unfortunately this success wasn't enough to keep the show running, and it closed on June 10, 2001--seven days after the Tonys.

In the story, a young and unattractive governess arrives at the mysterious Thornfield Hall, where she meets the troubled Mr. Rochester with a dark secret. When the secret is finally revealed, she's forced to make the hardest decision she's ever faced. A touch of Gothic horror is brought to a somewhat nontraditional love story, exploring themes of religion, social class-based oppression, and the cost of personal integrity.

Amazon sells the CD, featuring Marla Schaffel as Jane and James Barbour as Mr. Rochester. YouTube unfortunately doesn't have many songs from the show, but here are the (good) ones I could find.

As Good As You (lyrics): Rochester explains the presence of 10-year-old Adelle to Jane. This is from the pre-Broadway tour with Marla Schaffel and Anthony Crivello; I prefer Barbour's more subtle interpretation of the character, which can be heard on the CD.


Sirens (lyrics): Act One finale. The secrets of Rochester's past are threatened to be exposed as he struggles with his feelings for Jane. This was taken from the 2001 Tony Awards. (Note: yes, the third voice at the end is intentional.)


Painting Her Portrait (lyrics): Jane laments her low status and plain features in comparison to her beautiful rival for Mr. Rochester's affection, Blanche Ingram.


If it's possible, to really get a feel for the show you should try to find the following songs, or just get the CD:

Forgiveness
The Graveyard/Sweet Liberty
The Proposal
Farewell Good Angel
The Voice Across the Moors

Broadway Gems, pt. 1: The Secret Garden

I've been reminiscing about Broadway musicals that have come and gone, shows that deserved more credit than they ever received. Nearly everyone has heard at least one rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables and can sing along to Phantom of the Opera's "All I Ask Of You", but there are many good shows with solid numbers that will rarely ever be seen or heard from again. For my next few posts, I'll give tribute to these "Broadway Gems". First up: The Secret Garden.

The Secret Garden opened at the St. James Theatre in April 1991 and ran for a little over a year. Winner of the 1991 Tony Award for Best Musical, it adapts the classic story by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the stage. 10-year-old Mary Lennox is sent to live with a hunchbacked uncle she's never met in England after losing her parents to a cholera outbreak at a British colony. The uncle has troubles of his own, lost in memories and unable to cope with the death of his wife, Lily--Mary's aunt. The isolation and bitterness drive Mary to search out the secrets of the mansion, and find refuge in the garden beyond.

Obviously I suggest getting the CD. With the miracle of YouTube (and thanks to various productions by different regional theatres), I'm able to present a few of the highlights from this somewhat obscure musical.

House Upon the Hill (lyrics): Mary arrives at the mansion, escorted by the dour housekeeper.


I Heard Someone Crying (lyrics): A mysterious crying shakes the household. (Note: bad lighting. The adult female voice is Lily's ghost.)


Girl In The Valley (lyrics): Archibald (Mary's uncle) remembers dancing with Lily.


Winter's On The Wing (lyrics): Dickon, the enigmatic brother of Mary's chambermaid (and something akin to a nature sprite) sings of the start of Spring.


Lily's Eyes (lyrics): Archibald and his brother, Neville (the "villain" as it were) reminisce about Lily. This song has actually become a rather famous male duet.


Quartet (lyrics): The other famous song from the show. Archibald relays a dream he had to Neville, who plots to send Mary away to boarding school, while the ghosts of Lily and Rose (Mary's mother) relive an argument prior to Lily's marriage. (Note: it cuts off abruptly at the end, but that is the whole song.)

It's The Cup Game!

Forget reality TV. Forget Paris Hilton. Forget all the celebrity gossip you've heard recently about who got drunk, wasn't wearing underwear, or dumped an obnoxious star on their face at the Fox Really Awards. There's a new sensation guaranteed to capture your attention for much longer than any of these flashes in the proverbial pan (at least five seconds!) After long minutes of searching through YouTube for the perfect new potential Olympic sport, I give you...the Cup Game!



This newest hit is sweeping the nation--or at least the various schools, colleges, and summer camps therein. Yes, dear parents, this is what your hard-earned, blood- and sweat-bought money is funding. You can rest knowing America will soon take their place on the international stage as the country with the most hand-eye coordinated citizens with a sense of rhythm. Just think--every time you're at home, imagining your son or daughter studying hard in their dorm, you can remember this:



It just goes to show that success in life doesn't require any knowledge of math or science, any diplomatic or mechanical skills, or even any thoughtfully-formed opinions about news events, celebrities, international affairs or the literary world. All you really need is a good sense of timing...and a cup.

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Now playing: Wolf's Rain - Heaven's Not Enough
via FoxyTunes

Who's The Mann?

There are a few actors whose careers have spanned the decades and whose talent has in some way improved the overall quality of the field. Terrence Mann is one of those who can deservedly be called a "consummate professional". From 1985's movie version of "A Chorus Line", to his numerous originating roles on Broadway, to his most recent work as the otherworldly Bob/Hrothbert on "The Dresden Files", he's shown a remarkable ability to adapt to (and succeed in) any medium--even lending his voice to a few animated series and audiobooks. (Admittedly some of the movies he's appeared in are less than stellar, but that shouldn't be considered a reflection on his acting skills.)

Why am I saying this? Someone recently uploaded a sort of "overview" of his work throughout the years, prompting me to mention it here. I hadn't actually noticed just how many roles he originated on Broadway: Rum Tum Tugger in CATS, Javert in Les Miserables, and Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel to name a few.

I had the honor of meeting him while he was working at The Scarlet Pimpernel, a show with tremendous potential that was never really given the chance to show how good it could be. (Pick up the original Broadway soundtrack sometime--you won't regret it.) Not only is he a talented actor, he was also quite gracious to the throng of people crowded around him. It's good to know there are still folks out there who can take their work seriously without taking themselves too seriously. For your convenience, here's the clip:

Remembering 9/11

I'm sure everyone remembers where they were when the horrific news starting pouring out of New York. I was just waking up, preparing for the second day of my Junior year at college when the first tower was hit. I relayed everything via IM to a friend of mine who had no TV in her dorm until I left for class. Driving to school in northern New Jersey, I could see smoke billowing into the sky.

Every TV in the Brothers College building was on, and every class had been let go--except mine. (The professor felt an attempt at normalcy was mandatory to prevent hysteria, although whether he was right is still up for debate.) We all assembled in the gymnasium at noon to hear our university president give a speech, not knowing he would later head the 9/11 Commission. Those with friends and family in or near the Towers waited by a large TV that had been set up as they frantically tried to send a phone call through the soot- and ash-clogged New York air. All of a sudden, the largely apathetic student body actually cared about something. At that time, no one knew who Osama bin Laden was or why he wanted to destroy America, but I think by that afternoon we all knew America would never be the same again.

In the end, I suppose it doesn't matter where we were or what we felt when it happened. What matters is what we've done about it in the years that followed. Some decisions have been life-affirming, some disastrous, but through it all we mustn't let the slogan we've all come to know become a mere platitude: Never Forget. Those who lost their lives--whether in the Towers, the Pentagon, on the planes, or from health issues as a result of breathing the toxic air--deserve to be remembered not just as victims of a heinous crime, but as human beings who loved and lived.

Shortly after September 11th I attended an informal concert at the Nyack Seaport. It was one in a series of such intimate performances my family had subscribed to, and the first one to take place after the tragedy (the previous two had been canceled because no one felt like singing.) Our small group gathered as usual, but a number of chairs remained conspicuously empty; many subscribers were businessmen who often completed transactions in the financial district. A large picture window lined one side of the tiny room, giving all assembled a perfect view of the Hudson River and the wounded skyline beyond. In the midst of this surrealistic, numbing horror, one of the performers chose a song from "The Fantasticks" that reaches through the years to capture the moment perfectly, even now:

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow.

Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
That dreams were kept beside your pillow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
That love was an ember about to billow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow.

Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
Although you know the snow will follow.
Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
Without a hurt the heart is hollow.
Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
The fire of September that made us mellow.
Deep in December, our hearts should remember
And follow.

A Day In The Life

Ken Levine's back with a post describing a typical day for him and David Isaacs as they come up with a new sitcom script. The process is a fascinating snapshot of a comedy writer's life as they draw on 34 years of experience to churn out idea after idea.

I'd love to attend Levine's Sitcom Room workshop, but my work focuses more on movies and plays. The few ideas I have for television are strictly drama; plus, I don't live anywhere near California. I admire anyone who can write good, solid comedy--a talent that seems to be woefully lacking from many present-day shows.

The Irate Gamer

A short while ago YouTube featured the videos of a user called "The Irate Gamer". A film editor from Ohio, he reviews the old NES video games that lacked a good plot, decent controls, or just plain didn't make sense. Putting his editing talent to use, he combines some perceptive observations with special effects to make a fairly entertaining clip. It was reassuring to find out someone shared my pain playing Back to the Future in the 1980s.

A couple of caveats: first, HE SWEARS LIKE A SAILOR. (I'm not kidding.) Second, his humor occasionally hovers around toilet level, every frat boy's delight. Still, if you can overlook these unfortunate qualities, anyone who's suffered through more than their share of horribly written NES games will know exactly what he's talking about.

For the record, I couldn't get that damn song from the video game out of my head for three years. Yes, I counted. And he's right--it never was in the movie.