TOP TEN: BROADWAY MUSICALS WE'D REVIVE

BY MATEO MORENO

BY RICKY JONES

Starting this week, we have a new weekly column: THE TOP TEN." Ricky and I will discuss, week to week, various subjects, ranging from theatre to film, music and whatever else tickles our fancy that week. This week:

TOP TEN BROADWAY MUSICALS WE'D REVIVE

10)

RICKY'S CHOICE  TITANIC - This was another revival that we were teased about arriving to Broadway this season but unfortunately never came.  The original production won 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  Maury Yeston's score is hauntingly beautifully and the great Peter Stone's script is equally impressive.  Now, it’s an expensive show to produce.  The cast is huge and well....you have to sink a freaking ship on stage!  But I do believe that tourists would buy tickets, if anything for the curiosity of a musical about the Titanic.

MATEO'S CHOICE STARLIGHT EXPRESS - Am I serious? Kind of. But not really. But... kind of...? Okay, being honest, EVERYONE knows this isn't a good show. It's seriously one of the goofiest shows on the planet. Every actor in the show plays a train, is on skates, and the trains fall in love! Race each other! And song after song reminds you that this is around the same time that Webber wrote another one of his bizarre musicals, Cats. Seriously that must have been his Crystal Meth stage. But to have a SUPER LIMITED run and play up the camp as just that, CAMP, it could be a ridiculously fun summer alternative for tourists. Tracks that the actors skate down can swoop over the audience and race around everyone in the theatre. It would be ridiculous. It would be cheesy. It would be awesome.

9)

RICKY'S CHOICE SHENANDOAH - I adore this show and it's such a shame it is never done!  Based on the 1965 movie starring Jimmy Stewart and set during the Civil War, the musical has a rousing score and, in my opinion, on the best scripts of musical theatre.  It is a hard show to sell but the lead part is ideal for a celebrity casting.  The role, which won John Cullum his first Tony Award, is a perfect part for a film actor to take on because it's not a very difficult to sing but is a perfect for a dramatic actor.  The musical is an excellent blend of big Broadway dance numbers and story that is a tearjerker.  If directed right, by the end there shouldn't be a dry eye in the house. 

MATEO'S CHOICE THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW - In 2000 there was a successful and ridiculously fun revival of this cult hit that ended up closing early due to financial losses after 9/11. Rag tag theatres produce this every year and audiences turn out in droves. So why not bring it back!!! Putting it back up in Circle in the Square or even The Helen Hayes Theatre would be ideal, and it would be perfect to get a parade of guest stars to come through and play in this insanely fun show. Last time around, the Narrator was stunt cast over and over. This time it could open with one cast and then ALL the major roles could rotate every so often. Great for bigger TV or Film actors to come in for a brief time commitment and could fill in those seats. I can just imagine P!nk filling in those Magenta heels now...

8)

RICKY AND MATEO'S CHOICE KISS OF THE SPIDER-WOMAN - Kander and Ebb's classic musicals usually are very successful on Broadway.  Chicago is going to outlive us all and the current remounting of Cabaret is selling out almost every night.  Spider-Woman swept the Tony Awards in 1993 and ran for over 900 performances.  This wonderfully dark musical about cell mates in a Latin American prison features the best script that Terrence McNally has written for the musical theatre. Recently it was an industry reading of the musical directed by Tony Award winner John Tiffany starring Audra McDonald and Alan Cumming. Hopefully, this will lead to a Broadway run.

7)

RICKY'S CHOICE THE WHO’S TOMMY  - After the wonderfully awesome rock opera of AMERICAN IDIOT a few years back, I have been wanting to see what Michael Mayer would do with The Who's Tommy.  His success with shows like Spring Awakening and Hedwig, he has become the go to director for rock musicals.  The 1994 production of Tommy was a big success and it could very well be a hit all over again.

MATEO'S CHOICE MARTIN GUERRE - Okay so TECHNICALLY this wouldn't be a revival since it never made it onto the Broadway stage. But as flawed as the book is, the music is really good, and has the same epic feel as Les Miserables (currently enjoying its second revival on Broadway). Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's beautiful score captures the tragic and epic tale of the man who came back from war claiming to be Martin Guerre only to see a town begin to question who he really was. It ran several times in London with two sets of scores. Put the best of both of them together, rework the book, and bring it on home to BWay!

6)

RICKY'S CHOICE  MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG  - It is about time this Stephen Sondheim musical got another shot on Broadway.  Since the original production in 1981(which only ran for 68 performances), there have been numerous rewrites and changes to make it more successful.  There was even critically acclaimed production in the West End a couple years ago.  Yet sadly, it is rarely done, even in regional theaters.  It is my favorite Sondheim show and I know it has the potential to be a hit..

MATEO'S CHOICE THE WILD PARTY (Lippa version) - Though this version of The Wild Party was never on Broadway (it was produced Off Broadway in 2000 while at the same time the John La Chiusa version that starred Eartha Kitt hit the Great White Way), it has become a staple of Theatre kids and fans who fell for its infectious score and Pop heavy sounds. The tale of Queenie and Burrs throwing a lavish party to end all parties in the roaring 20's would be a perfect vehicle for someone like Sutton Foster who has fame both on the stage and screen and can not only belt beautifully but can cut a mean rug too. It would also bring in a younger audience in droves. Encores! this year will produce a staged reading of it with Foster and Joshua Henry (Violet). Hopefully this will lead to a quick transfer and get this incredible musical on the Broadway stage it belonged on 15 years ago.

5)

RICKY & MATEO'S CHOICE CAROUSEL - How has it been over 20 years since this Rodgers & Hammerstein masterpiece has returned to Broadway?!?  It seems like such an obvious choice.  It could return to the Vivian Beaumont Theater.  Bring back the team that brought us the successful revival of South Pacific.  This is what Bartlett Sher does best!  Imagine Laura Osnes as Julie Jordan and Jessie Mueller as Carrie Pipperidge.  And Steven Pasquale is a perfect Billy Bigelow. I personally would like to see it not romanticize Billy Bigalow in this version (he is, after all, pretty much a dickhead).

4)

RICKY'S CHOICE FALSETTOS - This is my favorite musical and I have been craving for a Broadway revival since I first saw a regional production of it. With the success of The Normal Heart and the ongoing spotlight on the importance of marriage equality, it is perfect time to bring it back!  More people need to know this musical!  William Finn's score is heartbreakingly beautiful.  There many theatre actors that would shine in the roles of Marvin or Whizzer.  Neil Patrick Harris could even headline it to put butts in the seats and introduce this piece to a wider audience. (Editor’s Note: JUST ANNOUNCED! It's coming back to Broadway in 2016!)

MATEO'S CHOICE URINETOWN! THE MUSICAL - One of the smartest, wittiest musicals to come around in ages, and the springboard that launched Hunter Foster, Urinetown is ripe for a revival here, especially after the reimagined version was such a hit on the West End. Zachary Levi, so ridiculously charming in the lukewarm First Date a few seasons ago, could prove he's a real leading man here. Annaleigh Ashford would be a hilarious Little Sally as well.

3)

RICKY'S CHOICE 1776 - This would be great revival for the summer!  Market it well, put it in a small house like the Circle in the Square, and American tourists should flock to see it.  Peter Stone's script is expertly written and it has so many wonderfully juicy roles for actors to sink their teeth into.  It would also be great for parents to take their children to theatre and learn about this country's history.  It hasn't revived since 1997(starring Star Trek's Brent Spiner) and it's about time!

MATEO'S CHOICE BRING IN DA NOISE, BRING IN DA FUNK - If you were lucky enough to see this show stopping production, you'll know why I'd love to see it again. It's a celebration of black history and the tapping is incredible! Hell, bring Savion Glover back! Bring the tappers from the too short lived After Midnight. Hire some So You Think You Can Dance hoofers! Just bring it back!

2)

RICKY'S CHOICE PARADE - Poor Jason Robert Brown.  While many musical nerds and critics consider him one of the best composers working in the theatre today, his shows are never a commercial success.  They are usually embraced by the critics, even win Tony’s, but never recoup their investment. Bridges of Madison County, 13, Urban Cowboy, and now his current Broadway production Honeymoon in Vegas, which even got a love letter great review in the New York Times but the grosses just aren’t good.  A revival of Parade could very well end this streak of bad luck.  The original won JRB his first Tony but the show lost the big award to the musical revue Fosse.  It arguably his best score and is such an epic show!  Hopefully, the one night only concert at Avery Fisher Hall this month will generate the buzz this brilliant musical needs to return to a Broadway stage.

MATEO'S CHOICE ANYONE CAN WHISTLE - It's bizarre, strange, bold, and perfectly bonkers. Obviously it didn't work the first time. But the 2010 Encores! staged version starring Donna Murphy, Sutton Foster, and Raul Esparza became a huge hit, so why not pack it full of marketable Broadway stars and bring it back! It's always a good time to revive Sondheim; he's got a cannon of incredible shows. This particular one, taking place in an imaginary town that's gone bankrupt, goes from a fake miracle in Act I, includes an insane asylum, and at one point puts the actors in theatre seats holding programs and applauding the audience. Bonkers yes. But bold and different. True, it probably would have a longer life in a restaging Off Broadway. But it sort of needs to be BIG, and Broadway can do BIG. Time to take a chance and Whistle.

1)

RICKY'S CHOICE A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM - It has been 17 years since the last time this was revived on Broadway ergo it’s about time that we travel back to the forum.  It was teased earlier this season that Tony Award winner James Corden would star as Pseudolus but since he was offered to replace Craig Ferguson on The Late Late Show, the project was put on hold.  While this was perfect casting, there are still many reasons why the musical should come back soon.  The biggest reason and of course the most important for producers is that it would make money!  Audiences of all ages eat this show up!  There is the classic score by Sondheim but the script is one of the most clever and hilarious of any musical comedies. And it shouldn't be hard to find someone to replace Corden.  Many celebrities would love to play that role.  Hell, every actor who has played Pseudolus has won the Tony award.  I've always been strangely interested to see what Jack Black would do with the role. Jessie Tyler Ferguson could make his return to the stage as a perfect Hysterium. So let us hope the Gods of the Theatre grace us with a revival soon rather than later.

MATEO'S CHOICE SUNSET BOULEVARD - This is by far my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ever, and I was lucky enough as a young'in to see one of the final performances with Elaine Paige. It's epic score, it's grand story (based on the fantastic Billy Wilder film), and it's juicy roles (particularly for Norma Desmond) make it a GREAT choice for revival. Sadly, the original production failed to make back it's investment because it is a very expensive show (at least how they did it). A scaled down version is possibly in the works with Donna Murphy attached. Not only would Murphy be wonderful in the role, but a scaled down version could emphasize all the beauty of the story and score and keep the budget down, thus keeping it on Broadway long enough to be a "hit."

MATEO MORENO is an actor, playwright, and director. He owns and runs TheArtsWireWeekly.com and has had several of his plays produced in the New York area and the Midwest. He is currently working with Boomerang Theatre on a short play piece and spends his days working on Broadway hits like MATILDA and IT'S ONLY A PLAY. He resides in New York City.

RICKY JONES  wears a red coat on most days and is constantly trying to get people to watch Survivor and Big Brother with him. He succeeded in getting Mateo obsessed with Survivor and marks this as one of his greatest victories. He is obsessed with theatre and was once married to it. He resides in New Jersey.

AND... WE'RE BACK!

BY MATEO MORENO

Hello dear readers! I apologize if some of you have tried to email us or log on in the last week and experienced problems. We are in the middle of a "rebranding" of our site and due to that our web server and email were being transferred to a new account and NAME. I now present "THE ARTSWIRE WEEKLY!" Slight variation on our original name, same great flavor, more cream filling. Our permanent home is now here at www.theartswireweekly.com and all emails have been adjusted to show that. In the coming months we have lots of exciting things in store, such as more film and theatre reviews than ever before, a weekly TOP 10 list, video content, and our amazing review team will be taking on the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL and bringing you daily updates from the fest as well as reviews and what you should be seeing! The site itself will also be getting a facelift. New colors, a new logo, and a brand new car smell. It's going to be delightful. Until then my friends, I want to thank you for visiting us and keeping "The ArtsWire Weekly" in your life. We love you too. If you're a brand new viewer, WELCOME! We have lots of fun stuff in store so you're coming in at just the right time. Until next time...

-MATEO MORENO

Editor in Chief

The ArtsWire Weekly

LOOKING BACK ON 2014: MY TOP 10 MOVIES (AND BOTTOM 5)

BY MATEO MORENO

Only TEN movies?! How to pick, how to pick... When I started to compile this list, I knew for sure a lot of films would definitely be there. How could Richard Linklater's masterful Boyhood not be there? Check! And Jim Jarmusch's cool as a cucumber Only Lovers Left Alive? Double check! And what about the truly hilarious LEGO Movie, Big Hero 6, & Obvious Child? Wait, I haven't even started talking about The Imitation Game? Yes, there were A LOT of great movies to come out this year. So after much consideration, here is my TOP 10. One film that barely misses the mark is the quitely powerful Hide Your Smiling Faces. It's hurting and tender and...actually came out in some areas in 2013. So I'm not counting it. But these TEN I am (along with 5 real stinkers....)

TOP TEN BEST OF 2014

10) GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – James Gunn’s gonzo Sci-Fi epic is the weirdest, strangest, and most out there Marvel movie yet. And it’s also one of the best. With the inspired casting of Chris Pratt, the rag tag gang of Peter Quill and company became a monster hit against all odds (seriously, what message board out there DIDN’T predict that this was where Marvel’s hit streak ended?!). Great voice acting by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel add to the rest of the cast of Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Turo. Add on a fantastic soundtrack and jokes that are actually funny, and you’ve got a summer movie worth fighting for.

9) INHERENT VICE – Bizarre? Definitely. Hard to follow? At times. Brilliant? You betcha. Paul Thomas Anderson continues his hot streak of wildly different films with his first “caper,” set in the 1970’s and based on the Thomas Pynchon novel of the same name. No one is better suited to dive head first into this unorthodox film than Joaquin Phoenix and he gives a hilarious and inspired performance as Larry “Doc” Sportello, a Los Angeles detective investigating the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend and as he gets deeper and deeper (and higher and higher) he gets in way over his head, yet still comes out swinging each time. Great ensemble performances by Josh Brolin, Martin Short, Katherine Waterson, & slyly narrated by Joanna Newsom. It may take you two viewings to fully digest this dinner (actually I suggest two; there’s just so much to see) but if you’re willing, you’re going to have a blast.

8) THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING – An extraordinary man deserves an extraordinary film. And that’s exactly what Stephen Hawking gets here. James Marsh beautifully directs the story of how Hawking went from a genius student to a lovesick boy who soon was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and unable to eventually move. Through his brilliance, we see how he found a way to keep on talking and sharing his thoughts with the world. Eddie Redmayne is simply astonishing as Hawking, mastering both his personality and his crippling disease with such a physical transformation it almost hurts to watch. Felicity Jones is equally as impressive playing Jane Hawking, his loving wife who stood by him while others were slowly walking away. Steely and sturdy, Jones shines in a wonderful role. All the way through the tear jerking end, Theory continues to astonish.

7) INTO THE WOODS – I had high hopes for this Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical adaptation. Then I had doubts. Excited when the first trailer came out, and then nervous as I started reading “chatter.” Finally I resigned myself to the notion that it will be what it will be and to just wait for judgment. Luckily, I had nothing to worry about. Rob Marshall’s adaptation is sublime, perfectly balancing Sondheim and Lapine’s mix of wonder and darkness. Of course Meryl Streep shines as The Witch, but those pipes?!!! Now that was a wonderfully pleasant surprise. Anna Kendrick is great as Cinderella (and oh how I really can’t wait to see her tackle Jason Robert Brown now in February’s The Last Five Years), Johnny Depp is deliciously creepy as The Wolf, and the duo of Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen are comic gold. But the true heart and soul are with James Corden and Emily Blunt’s Baker and his wife. They sing beautifully and hit all the right emotional notes. Plus, any movie that includes not only Lucy Punch but also Tracey Ullman deserves to be in my Top 10 anyday.

6) INTERSTELLAR– Christopher Nolan’s movie divided people intensely into two camps; the “How beautiful and epic” camp and the “What drivel. Seriously? A bookcase?!” camp. I was in the first and though I do understand those who pushed it away, I cannot. It proudly wears its heart on its sleeve and isn’t afraid to be old fashioned, sometimes cheesy, and simply be about “love” and all the magnificent forms it takes. Matthew McConaughey is great here, alternately daring and heartbreaking, and Anne Hathaway actually doesn’t annoy you. So that’s something. There’s too many surprises that should be left that way, so I won’t spoil any of them. But I will say that the video messages McConaughey watches aboard the space craft in the middle section of the movie is one of the most heart wrenching moments in cinema this year. Honest and true, epic in scale, I ate up every single moment (and there were a lot of them in the 3 hour running time).

5) A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT – Iranian-American filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour turns her award winner short film into a feature and has created one of the most original visions in quite some time. A self described “Iranian Vampire Spaghetti Western,” it follows a young 19 year old girl who stalks the streets of the Iranian ghost town called “Bad City.” No one is aware that a Vampire is in their mist, and she watches people, selecting her prey carefully. Her loneliness can be felt sinking through the quiet performance of Sheila Vand. Mood and atmosphere fill out the empty spaces more than plot twists and turns, and it unfolds into a wonderfully original film, shot in glorious black and white. It reminded me of another great Vampire film, also from this year, Only Lovers Left Alive. That film barely missed making my Top 10 but is also a searing and original portrait of vampires that haven’t been told yet. Find this film. You’ll be glad you did.

4) SELMA– It’s almost unbelievable that a movie about Martin Luther King Jr. has NEVER been made. Thankfully, Director Ava DuVernay focuses the film not on his entire life but the very important years of gaining the right to vote as an African American man. David Oyelowo is marvelous as Dr. King, truly “becoming” the man right before your eyes. His performance is intense, bold, and daring. Carmen Ejogo is wonderful as well, playing his loving & supportive (but not blind) wife Coretta Scott King. She fills up the character with so much warmth, love, and power that you would swear she actually was Coretta. Haunting and powerful (especially so close to all the horrifying news stories as of late), Selma is most important movie out now.

3) THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL– Wes Anderson has made good films. He has made great films. Hell, he’s even made great commercials. But now, with The Grand Budapest Hotel, he has made his masterpiece. Ralph Fiennes plays M. Gustave, a concierge whose life becomes increasingly difficult after the passing of his friend Madame D. It’s truly one of the highlights of his career. His performance is comic joy. His sidekick always by his side is Toni Revolori, hilarious as he is faithful. As with all of Anderson’s best films the supporting characters are out of this world, from Jason Schwartzman to Jeff Goldblum (always game to be a goofball) to a delirious Willem Dafoe. It zips and zings along with incredible cinematography by Robert Yeoman, inspired directing by Anderson, and the most fun cast of the year.

2) WHIPLASH – To create a movie, essentially about becoming the best you can be in a college band, and to turn it into a psychological thrill ride is the mark of true genius. Writer/Director Damien Chazelle is that genius. Lengthening his short film that put him on the map at Sundance, Chazelle places his trust in a determined Miles Teller and a deranged and brilliant J.K. Simmons and creates a true masterwork. Teller portrays the young gifted Andrew as someone who might very well be the next “big thing” with a grace and ease that many seasoned performers strive to have all their careers. It’s truly the mark of bigger and better things coming from him. J.K. Simmons gives the performance of a lifetime (and that’s saying something after witnessing his sadistic turn on HBO’s “OZ”) and his angry outbursts and truly terrifying, hilarious, and unsettling. Where the story goes next is anyone’s guess, which makes the entire thing feel like a slow and steady thriller. Bravo indeed.

1) BIRDMAN (OR THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) – Rarely do you ever see a film like Birdman. Its wondrous direction by Alejandro González Iñárritu may at first seem like a stunt (it’s almost entirely shot in one location in one seemingly long uninterrupted shot), but that trick soon opens up a world of filmmaking magic. It livens the cast and pulls you into each and every shot, as if you’re part of this delirious fever dream of Riggan Thomas (Michael Keaton). Edward Norton gives one of the most assured, steely performances in years and Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Zach Galifianakis all give strong support. But Michael Keaton just dominates the screen and you can feel him screaming, “I’ve been waiting. THIS is my time.” The film is incredibly meta, strange, surreal, and unlike any other movie you’ll see for quite a while.

BOTTOM FIVE MOVIES OF 2014

5) WISH I WAS HERE – Funded by a Kickstarter campaign and Written/Directed by the indie steward Zach Braff, Wish I Was Here is a draining exercise of “too much mood” and “too little time on the actual screenplay.” I’m a fan of Braff’s, but almost instantly I hated him here. Smug and entitled, his characters entire crisis is that his kids may not be able to go to private school. Not a great dramatic arc. At least Mandy Patinkin and young Joey King turn in a few good scenes. However the movie sinks into the oblivion of bad indie very quickly. Save yourself.

4) JUST A SIGH – Have you ever seen Richard Linklater’s brilliant trilogy of Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, & Before Midnight? Well this is the Lifetime version. Director Jérôme Bonnell takes his two leads (Emmanuelle Devos & Gabriel Byrne) and sets them on a train. They accidentally meet, she starts to stalk romantically follow him to a funeral and love kinda blooms as they walk around and talk, occasionally stopping to have sex. Not that they have anything interesting to say. Devos’ performance is entirely grating and Byrne seems really interested in finding out if the film is going to get better. It doesn’t. Le Sigh.

3) THE BOXTROLLS – Truly one of the most bizarre animated films to come along in quite a while. Not quite for kids and definitely not for adults, the film seems to have no idea who it’s aiming to please. The plot is very strange for strange sake (the main villian's main goal is to hang out with the cool kids and eat cheese all day. And he's alergic. Yup). The entire first half of the film drags along as if we’re watching a snail race animated in front of our eyes. And the stop motion animation is dark and not entirely pleasant to watch. Skip this and rent Coraline instead.

2) VENUS IN FUR - David Ives’s play Venus in Fur first premiered Off Broadway in 2010 to a sold out run and quickly transferred to a celebrated, and Tony winning run on Broadway. Lead by the firecracker Nina Arianda, it was sexy, thrilling, mysterious, and ultimately a beautiful theatre experience. So leave it to exhiled filmmaker Roman Polanksi to screw it all up. His film version replaces the American locals for France, which is fine, and shoots it in French, which is also fine, but the play has a very sarcastic American humor to it, which is lost completely in the film. Gone too is the sexiness and the seduction, replaced by goofy flirting and broad comic strokes from Emmanuelle Seigner. Sorry mi lady, but you are no Arianda.

1) MALEFICENT – Quite possibly one of the biggest missed opportunities of the year, Maleficent had all the makings of a great big budget action adventure. It had Angelina Jolie, perfectly cast. It had an intriguing villain who EVERYONE loves to hate. And it was going to tell an opposite side of the Sleeping Beauty story but this time from the villain’s perspective? Count me in! Sadly, it’s entirely a bungled mess, starting with making her a good guy, not a villain, a weird babysitter to Aurora while she’s asleep, WAY too many goofy special effects, and a pointless weird backstory that goes nowhere. Oh, and you know how cool it was that she turns into a dragon in the film? Nope, that’s gone too, replaced by her turning her man servant into the monstrous beast. At least Jolie and Sharlto Copley as the Mad King look like they’re having fun. Because I sure wasn’t.

MATEO MORENO is an actor, playwright, and director in New York City. He owns and runs TheArtsWireWeekly.com and has had four of his plays produced, including BOHEMIAN VALENTINE, HAPPILY AFTER TONIGHT, WITHIN OUR WALLS, & LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK. He is currently working with Boomerang Theatre on a short play piece, workshopping a new musical, and spends his days working on Broadway hits like MATILDA and IT'S ONLY A PLAY.