Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – This summer, musicals light up the DC theater scene

• By drediman
• July 22, 2016
• No Comments

I recently took a trip down to Washington, DC to catch up on the city’s summer theatrical offerings. Not surprisingly, musicals dominated the scene.

At the beautifully renovated Keegan Theatre in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, I saw a local production of Next to Normal (RECOMMENDED), my first production outside of Michael Greif’s stinging original staging. Even if the Keegan actors, comprised mostly of local talent, don’t have the same technical abilities as Alice Ripley and company, they still made an impression with their raw, passionate performances. It’s also a testament to the power of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work that it is able to successfully withstand a different directorial approach (Mark A. Rhea and Colin Smith were at the helm of this production) and a less than fully polished cast.

Over at the Kennedy Center, I took in the top-notch touring production of Jason Robert Brown’s The Bridges of Madison County (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), headlined by the superb pair of Elizabeth Stanley and Andrew Samonsky as Francesca and Robert – so beautifully played on Broadway by the great Kelli O’Hara and Steven Pasquale, respectively. This is one of the few tours that does full justice to the material and the memory of the short-lived and and underrated Broadway staging (the physical production is essentially a carbon copy of what was seen on the stage of the Schoenfeld). Indeed, the two new leads hold their own, both vocally and dramatically, against their illustrious predecessors. It was a tremendous pleasure to once again bask in Jason Robert Brown’s glorious Tony-winning score (gorgeously played by the pit orchestra), perhaps his best work to date and certainly the most unabashedly romantic score since Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza.

Across the Potomac, I ventured out to Arlington to see Signature Theatre’s sizzling revival of Jerry Herman’s La Cage aux Folles (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). I credit excellent young director Matther Gardiner for injecting much-needed spontaneity and freshness into a show that at times feels creaky – the book is by Harvey Fierstein – and downright old fashioned (not that there’s anything wrong with that). As with his previous production of West Side Story, Mr. Gardiner is able to ingeniously maximize the spectacle in Signature’s intimate space in a way that immerses audiences as they’ve not been before. In the roles of Georges and Albin, veterans Brent Barrett and Bobby Smith are smashingly good – I’d argue some of the very best work I’ve seen in these iconic characters.

Arena Stage is a glittering beacon in Washington’s Southwest quadrant. That’s where I caught Born for This: The Bebe Winans Story (SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED), a new jukebox musical chronicling and celebrating the life and career of Bebe Winans. Unfortunately, despite some strong voices in the cast, Born for This struggles with persistent blandness that undermines the creators’ good intentions. It’s not surprising that Charles Randolph-Wright is credited as the director here; he also directed the fleet-footed Motown: The Musical, which also suffers from the same weaknesses. However, unlike that Broadway hit, Born for this doesn’t move as seamlessly as the other show and Mr. Winans’ output isn’t nearly the hit parade that the Motown songbook is.

NEXT TO NORMAL
Regional, Musical
The Keegan Theatre (Washington, DC)
2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed 

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
Regional, Musical
The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC)
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
Regional, Musical|
Signature Theatre (Arlington, VA)
2 hours, 40 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed 

BORN FOR THIS: THE BEBE WINANS STORY
Regional, Musical
Arena Stage (Washington, DC)
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through August 28