Manhattan 2019: Broadway Musicals

While this year we timed our trip to coincide with viewing Christmas lights, one of our main reasons for constantly revisiting Manhattan is the plethora of live theatre that is offered on and off Broadway.  We only planned for three nights and four days in the city but were still able to fit in three musicals by attending both a matinee and an evening show on the same day.  We could have tried to see four shows but did not dare schedule one for the first day, just in case our early morning flight got delayed or even cancelled due to inclement weather.  To make it easier to get “home” from the shows, we found a hotel at 45th Street and 6th Avenue, just a few blocks away from most of the theatres.

Our first show was Hadestown which won the Best Musical Tony Award in 2019.  Boasting a stylish, jazzy score, the plot interweaves two disparate Greek myths to make a single cohesive story featuring Gods, mortals and the three Fates who act like a Greek chorus, commenting on the action and planting seeds of discord and doubt into the minds of the humans and Gods alike. Hades and Persephone are the God and Goddess of the Underworld, a long married couple who now bicker and take each other for granted.  Persephone spends six months of the year on earth, coinciding with spring and summer and then returns to the Underworld for six months, which brings forth fall and winter.  Meanwhile songwriter Orpheus and his bride Eurydice are penniless mortal lovers, and Hermes, the Messenger God, presides over the entire affair, providing narration, exposition and commentary.

To stave off cold and starvation when winter comes, Eurydice is seduced by Hades into joining him in the Underworld.  Egging her on to her decision, the three Fates sing “What You Gonna Do When the Chips are Down?”  Bereft, Orpheus goes in search of his beloved, singing a beautiful love ballad that causes all the Underworld minions to stop and listen.  Hades is pressured to release Eurydice but will be deemed weak if he does.  The Fates taunt him with the song Words to the Wise, singing “Gotta think quick; Gotta save face; Caught between a rock and a hard place”.   Hades makes a deal to let Eurydice return to Earth but only under the condition that Orpheus must walk in front of her and never look back until they have both made it out of the Underworld.  As Orpheus makes the long trek back to Earth, the whispers of the Fates fill  him with fear and doubt as to whether Eurydice is actually there behind him.  (“Doubt Comes In”).

Hadestown is refreshingly original and innovative in terms of songs, score, book, stagecraft and choreography.  Unlike so many shows on Broadway today, the production is not a remake of a well-known book, movie, or TV show and is not a “jukebox musical” that relies on name-recognition of an established band’s well-known songs.  I particularly liked the set and staging used to portray the arduous journey into and out of the Underworld, including a circular moving conveyor belt similar to the one used in Les Miserables, smoke and mist filling the darkened stage, and Orpheus weaving and dodging large swinging lights that the Underground minions hurl towards him.

A round platform sits in the centre of the outer rotating belt, rising and lowering to expose a giant hole representing the path down to Hell.  It is very effective to watch as the characters appear to emerge from below or dramatically drop down out of sight.  There seem to be political undertones to the plot, as Hell is portrayed like a manufacturing assembly line and the deep-voiced Hades sings about Why We Build the Wall – “to keep us free; the wall keeps out the enemy”.  Unfortunately Patrick Page’s extremely low baritone voice hits such depths in tone that at times it was a bit difficult to hear what he was singing as Hades.  All the other performers had beautiful, clear voices, including the understudy who played Persephone at our performance.

I have always thought that jukebox musicals are a bit of a cop-out and usually do not consider them to be as good as ones where the songs and lyrics are written specifically for a show and advance the plot.  Often in a Jukebox musical, the story feels awkward and contrived in an attempt to force-fit plot lines to go with pre-determined lyrics.  Adapted from the similarly titled 2001 movie, Moulin Rouge! takes the typical jukebox musical trope to a whole other level.  Rather than using the works of a single artist or band (e.g. Mamma Mia/ABBA, We Will Rock You/Queen, Bat Out of Hell/Meatloaf), Moulin Rouge! uses current popular songs from a variety of artists.  Even more impressively, a few of the musical numbers (e.g. Elephant Love Medley) sample individual choruses or even single lines from multiple songs and string them together to create cohesive sung-through dialogue.  Listening to the music in Moulin Rouge! can become a game of playing “Name That Tune” as the references come at you fast and furiously.

Set in Paris at the turn of the 20th Century and telling the tale of star-crossed lovers Christian and Satine, Moulin Rouge! carries on with the precedence set by the movie, but updates the music with even more recent songs (e.g. Katy Perry’s Firework, Adele’s Rolling in the Deep, Sia’s Chandelier) and tweaks the story so that it has a deeper and more comprehensive plot.  The chosen songs add emotional resonance to the characters and the lyrics actually advance the plot, which is my criteria for a good musical.  I had a slight issue with the anachronism of the modern pop songs since they felt a bit jarring in the context of a play set in 1900, but I quickly let that go and just went with it.  I could not help but compare the musical to the iconic movie upon which it was based.  Other than a few changes to the plot, the main difference was in the portrayal of Satine.  In the movie, Nicole Kidman played Satine like a delicate damsel in distress who spoke and sang in a whispery, high-pitched voice while in the musical, Karen Olivio’s version appeared more sassy, confident and road-weary as she speaks and sings in a stronger, huskier voice.

As well as trying to use more current songs to attract a new generation, some of the plot changes were driven by the complicated and expensive negotiation process of trying to reacquire the rights to the large number of songs used in the movie so that they could be reused in the musical.  For example, “The Show Must Go On” by Queen was a highlight in the movie but rights were refused for the theatre production since it would steal the thunder from the pending release of the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.  In total, 70 different songs were used in whole or in part within the musical and each song required permission from all the songwriters and producers who owned rights to it.  A single dissenter would render the song to be unusable.  For this reason, it is unlikely that Moulin Rouge! will tour much out of the USA since if it did, all the rights would have to be renegotiated again in the new country!

In addition to the music, the main draw of this musical production of Moulin Rouge! is its visually stunning set design, staging and lighting that just overwhelms the senses.  The entire auditorium of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre is bathed in a fire-engine red hue, with a giant windmill spinning on the left and an enormous purple elephant to the right of the heart-shaped stage.  A catwalk extends from the edge of the stage where CanCan girls and gorgeous courtesans in tight bustiers strut up and down.  Some lucky audience members paid big bucks to be seated at cabaret-styled tables on either side of the catwalk, although I think that seating would be too close to see all the overall choreography by the large cast.  While I was initially reluctant to choose Moulin Rouge! as one of our shows for this New York trip, I was quickly won over by the spectacular production.

Our last show was Scotland PA, an off-Broadway musical adaptation of a 2001 movie of the same name, which in turn is a spoof of the Shakespearean tragedy MacBeth.  Set in Scotland, Pennsylvania circa 1975, Joe McBeth (“Mac”) and his wife Pat work at Duncan’s, a hamburger and fast food diner along with their fellow employees Banko, and Duncan’s son Malcolm.  Mac has many ideas for improving business including implementing a drive-thru, but Duncan belittles his proposals. Feeling oppressed and unappreciated and spurred on by the visions of three “Bohemian hippie stoners”,  the McBeths decide to rob the burger joint but end up accidentally killing Duncan when he falls into a deep fryer during a struggle.  Mac and Pat purchase the place from Malcolm, rename it McBeth’s and start to implement Mac’s ideas (which parody McDonalds) to great success.  This includes the drive-thru, a new sandwich that has TWO patties with a piece of bread in between, and a new logo that channels the iconic Golden Arches, but are pointy (an important plot point) instead of round.  But trouble looms as police detective McDuff arrives to investigate the suspicious death.

Scotland PA is funny, clever and full of pathos as the story pretty much unfolds according to the plot of the Scottish play, but transposed to a modern setting.  It highlights the fact that Shakespeare’s themes are timeless and universal.  The songs are great, especially those sung by the characters playing Mac and Pat.  We did have a bit of trouble hearing what the stoners were singing and therefore missed a few of the omens that would signify the McBeths’ undoing.  I wish that there was a cast recording so that I could listen to them again.  This little off-Broadway show got such great reviews that hopefully it will get picked up and remounted on Broadway, and then I might get my wish.

We loved all three of these shows and would gladly watch any one of them again if they ever came to Toronto.  Here's hoping ...

Manhattan 2019: Christmas Lights and Window Shopping

Given our love of live theatre, a quick trip to New York City has become an annual event over the past few years.  This year we repeated an itinerary that we first executed in 2012, by visiting Manhattan in early December so that we could marvel at the city’s impressive Christmas displays.  Wandering up and down the major midtown streets including 5th, Madison and Lexington Avenues, we saw shimmering lights and decoration-ladened trees and wreaths everywhere we turned.  Most of the stores and hotels are adorned with festive decorations that ranged from witty and charming to elaborate and overwhelming.

The four major department stores in the area (Macys, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks) lead the charge with vibrant, visually intricate and sometimes technically complex displays spanning their multiple store-front windows.  Barneys used to have a good window too, but as they in bankruptcy there was nothing to be seen. We noticed that there were more vacant retail spaces this year - part of the changing nature of retail due to the internet I suppose.

Flying into New Jersey Airport and taking the train into Penn Station, the first store we came across was Macy’s.  Playing up on its starring role in the 1947 classic holiday movie “Miracle on 34th Street”, the windows on one side of the building permanently exhibit vintage vignettes from the tale.  A series of six windows at the other end of the building provide an updated 21st century spin on the “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” story, filled with an explosion of sights, sounds and motion.  In this version, self-empowered Virginia wants to be Santa Claus herself and is dubbed “Santa Girl”.   These windows feature shiny chrome-covered Santas and elves that resemble floats from the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, psychedelically coloured neon lights, automation, and interactive games.  In one window, when you pat the nose of Virginia’s dog Willow, she scratches her ear with her hind leg.

The last three windows include robotic arms that pick up and deliver gifts from Santa’s truck, an interactive game where you can grab a steering wheel to drive Santa’s truck along a road filled with presents causing lights to burst each time you hit a gift, and a camera that you can pose in front of to take the ultimate selfie.  For several seconds, multiple images of your head decked in a Santa hat are displayed in round kaleidoscope windows, turning each participant into Santa Claus while perpetuating the message that “We all have Santa’s spirit in our hearts”.

The decorations continue inside of Macy’s, where big spinning balls hang from the ceiling, highlighting the mottos “Believe”, “Dream” and “Imagine”.   We had fun checking out the toys in the FAO Swartz Toys & Games section found within the department store including the iconic piano dance mat that was featured in the 1988 Tom Hanks comedy “Big” and a giant Lite-Brite panel.  We also spotted other cute items including a distressed gingerbread man ornament missing a foot, a bag full of lumps of coal and Prosecco Pong (which sounds like a waste of good Prosecco!).

Next we moved on to Bloomingdale’s, whose windows pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.  They feature a rocket ship blasting off, astronauts and “Out of This World” aliens dressed in flowing robes.  Not to be outdone by Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s also has several high-tech robotic displays.  In one, robotic arms play on a xylophone from a choice of three Christmas carols while another employs a series of robotic arms to decorate a Christmas tree, passing a golden ornament from arm to arm until the final one gently places the decoration onto the tree.  Bloomingdale’s also has a selfie station that projects a huge blown-up image of your face onto the back of one of the display windows.

Inside Bloomingdale’s are a set of elegantly stylized, “avant-garde” interpretations of the 12 Zodiac symbols.  We saw the water jugs held by Aquarius, the ram horns of Aries, the claws of Scorpio, the half man-half horse of Sagittarius, the fish tails of Pisces and the crab imagery of Cancer.  They were all so beautiful that I regret that we did not have time to wander around and find all twelve.  We also spotted some whimsical beaded purses shaped like a box of French Fries, an ice cream bar and a cupcake.

Bergdorf Goodman’s party-inspired displays present scenes of celebration and revelry where the figures are rotated outward at a 90 degree angle so it appears that you are standing from above looking down upon the images.  One diorama shows two ladies in ball gowns playing chess on a small board while sitting on top of a larger board with giant chess pieces all around them (how meta!).  There is also an Art Deco inspired scene depicting party-goers in deep conversation while seated around a gramophone, a green-toned image of a man surrounded by wild animals as well as large playing cards, and a purple-hued window that portrays the shops on 5th Avenue like a board game.  Another window features a giant pinball machine with flashing lights and moving parts.  A giant nutcracker (from the Nutcracker ballet) can also be found in one of the windows.  The decorations inside Bergdorf are much more subdued, going for an elegant monochrome feel with its Christmas tree and ornaments all in grey and white tones.

Before arriving at Saks, the final of the big four department stores, we passed by Rockefeller Centre to see the giant Christmas Tree.   The lighting of this tree is a momentous occasion for New Yorkers, as we found out when we were inadvertently caught in the crush of people swarming towards Rockefeller Centre for the lighting ceremony, many hours before it was supposed to take place.  Just walking several blocks along 5th Avenue from 50th Street back to our hotel on 45th Street became a nightmare as we were herded through winding crowd control barriers at every intersection.  We had not planned on watching this event in any case, but after this experience, we never intend to try in the future.  By the next day, the crowds were gone and we had easy access to the tree although after all that hype, it was underwhelming.  I felt like we saw many more beautifully decorated trees through Manhattan.  Much more impressive is the massive castle-themed light display at Saks that covers the entire multi-level storefront along 5th Avenue.  They shine so brightly that we saw them from over a block away.  In terms of showy, gigantic and bright in-your-face bling, Saks wins the decoration war by a mile.

At the base of this light display are six windows dedicated to the movie Frozen 2.  The scenes depict images of Elsa as she journeys through the enchanted forest, encountering the four spirits of nature—wind, fire, water and earth.  Also featured are Olaf the snowman, Elsa’s sister Anna and Kristoff the ice harvester with his pet reindeer Sven.  Saks is offering exclusive holiday products inspired by the film and had Broadway star Idina Menzel (who plays Elsa in the movies) perform during the unveiling of the windows.

In addition to the major department stores, many other shops and restaurants in the area joined in with their own displays that blend Christmas cheer with the marketing of their products.  I liked the furry creatures at Artzia that reminded me of characters from a Dr. Seuss book, the little mice hauling jewelry at Tiffany’s, the two giant red teddy bears sharing an intimate table outside of Nello Italian Restaurant, the sparkly bejeweled cougar atop Cartier’s flagship  in store, the Louis Vuitton store wrapped up like a giant present, and the Santa chilling out midst of florescent plastic palm trees (not sure which store).

At Christmas time, Bryant Park (spanning 40th to 42nd Streets and 5th to 6th Avenue) turns into a winter wonderland.  It has a giant Christmas market with over 170 shopping kiosks and food vendors along with a lovely 17,000 square foot skating rink with the New York skyline in the background and a big tree that rivals (and in my mind is nicer than) the one at Rockefeller Centre.  On sale are all types of crafts and souvenirs ranging from kitschy to artsy.  You can get a doggy Christmas ornament in the breed of your pet, and have his/her name etched on it and there were truffles intriguingly titled “No Chewing Allowed”.  I was really tempted by a mug featuring extremely cute alien-like creatures made by a husband and wife team named “Kudu Lah” until I recalled the cupboard jammed full of mugs that we have back home.

While we were cruising the Manhattan streets looking for Christmas decorations, we also encountered many stores with cool, non-yuletide related displays.  One of the best was at the designer handbag store Coach, where artist Billie Achilleos has created a 12-foot tall dinosaur that they nicknamed “Rexy”, made from over 400 Coach handbags and hardware.  The work reminded us of pieces by Canadian Indigenous artist Brian Jungen who makes totem poles out of golf bags, indigenous masks out of Nike shoes and an enormous orca whale made out of white plastic stacking chairs. At FAO Swartz’s flagship store in Rockefeller Centre, Rich was excited about the toy version of a Jaguar E-Type (or “the yellow car” as I called it).  In the window of a store on 57th Street (might be Ippolita Boutique?), we saw the most awesome mannequin busts, made entirely out of thick coiled rope.  Just off of Times Square, there were huge snow globes featuring Broadway shows including Wicked, Ain’t Too Proud and Dear Evan Hanson.  We saw the creepiest cat-inspired purses at Kate Spade in honour of the upcoming Cats movie, which is probably appropriate since the cats in the trailer of that film are really creepy as well.  At the novelty shop PIQ in Rockefeller Centre, I found my souvenir for the trip—a Christmas rubber chicken dressed like Santa which makes a noise when you squeeze it that could rouse the dead.  Rich regrets letting me buy this as he is now regularly awakened by the squawking bird which I have named Arthur (for no particular reason).  Finally in the Swatch store on 45th Street, we saw some giant Swatch wall clocks including a cow themed one that my cow-enthusiast friend would have loved.

Christmas in Manhattan is magical as the city really knows how to “Deck the Halls” and the trees and the lobbies and the store windows.  It is an experience that should not be missed.