Inspiration
NEW YORK—During our rehearsal period (which just ended last Saturday at the New 42nd Street Studios), my mother and I were able to take in two really wonderful Broadway shows. I wanted to take advantage while I still had a few evenings free, as there’s really nothing like watching a Broadway show done right.
And these two were done not just right, but beautifully, incredibly and stupendously!
The first show we saw was “An American in Paris” (Palace Theater), based on the film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, and directed by Vincente Minnelli. I’ve not ever seen the film, but was familiar enough with the George and Ira Gershwin music embedded within it. The musical had its out-of-town tryout in Paris opening in December 2014 before moving to Broadway in April 2015.
Four Tony wins
It came away with multiple Tony nominations and four wins, including best choreography for its choreographer/director Christopher Wheeldon. The show stars Robert Fairchild as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Veanne Cox as Madam Baurel, Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, Brandon Uranowitz as Adam Hochberg, and Max von Essen as Henri Baurel. Max and I worked together on “Les Misérables” in 2007, so seeing him up there would add some extra pizzazz.
The entire show ran like a well-oiled machine, from all the set transitions to the interesting and inventive use of projections, to the quick costume changes that you barely notice because of how fast they are. But truly, all the stagecraft in the world would amount to nothing if the material were poor. Thankfully, with a strong book by Craig Lucas (“Prelude to a Kiss,” “The Light in the Piazza”) and breathtaking dancing by Robert and Leanne, as well as charming performances turned in by Veanne (who is funny as all heck in whatever she does), Jill, Brandon and Max. Additionally, Robert and Leanne were pretty good in the singing department! I was very surprised at how sweet their voices were.
But this show, without a doubt, possesses the best dancing on Broadway. At numerous times I found myself not breathing while everyone was dancing. Whether it was the two leads or a member of the ensemble, this was the show’s strongest suit. My mom and I left the theater totally enthralled, and I left feeling invigorated. It took me a while to fall asleep that night, because of what we had seen.
The next show we watched was “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” (Stephen Sondheim Theater). With a book by Douglas McGrath (screenplay for “Bullets Over Broadway,” cowritten with Woody Allen) and so much music by King, Gerry Goffin (who was King’s husband for 10 years), Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, the show tracks Carole’s life story from when she was 16 years old meeting Goffin in college to her sold-out solo concert at Carnegie Hall, with many of her and Goffin’s music and lyric collaborations (“Up on the Roof,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “Take Good Care of my Baby,” to name just a few) as well as many Mann-Weil hits (“You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling,” “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” and “On Broadway”). The show hits its high when the songs from Carole’s album “Tapestry” were introduced. Once the song “It’s Too Late” began, audible gasps of joy could be heard from the audience. And when Carole (played here by Chilina Kennedy) sings “You’ve Got a Friend” to Barry and Cynthia (Daniel Torres and Jessica Keenan Wynn), they brought the house to tears.
The entire company was uniformly superb, but the show rests on the shoulders of Chilina, who played Carole with a grounded, earthy, and real quality. I could not take my eyes off of her. She was equal parts charming and disarming, and a light glowed from within.
The thing about watching Broadway shows for me isn’t just that they’re entertaining. This is also what I consider my primary occupation, donning a costume and telling a story for a couple of hours. Watching other people doing it at such a high level is truly inspiring and magical, and makes me feel blessed to be a part of this community.
Tech process
Right now, “Allegiance” is in tech—that time period when the now well-rehearsed cast is merged with the costumes, microphones, wigs, sets, props, lights, projections and sound effects. On Monday night, we received an introduction to the entire crew that we’d be working side by side with on a daily basis: dressers, microphone handlers, wig people, props men and electricians… men and women who do all the heavy lifting, making sure that the show runs smoothly night after night.
The process of tech is one that has been described in the past as hellish. It means long hours on one’s feet while a light is being focused, choreography given another look to make sure it looks good, sight lines constantly checked to ensure that all personnel on stage can be seen, trouser hems looked at if they’re falling just right, making sure a blouse or shirt fall in the right color palette, or if a wig is sitting right. It also means delirium when a joke is cracked, and because of tiredness there is no stopping the laughter once it starts. I’ve been through the arduousness of it all, and came out on the other side. It helps to have a sense of humor, and thankfully the “Allegiance” folks in all departments have it in generous helpings.
In just two short weeks, we play in front of a paying crowd, and until then there is plenty of work to do. I shall keep the magic of the shows I watched deep in my heart, and hopefully when another actor watches our show, they feel the same thing I do: eternally grateful that this is what I’ve been created to do.
(“Allegiance” begins previews on Oct. 6 at the Longacre Theatre on 220 West 48th Street. Visit Telecharge.com for tickets. For more info, visit allegiancemusical.com.)
