Fall 1997. , an unlikely new musical by composer and librettist-lyricist , based on the lives of the Hilton sisters, conjoined twins who were famous circus and vaudeville attraction for a time in the 1930s, somehow finds its way to Broadway. The reviews were mixed, though many admired the show鈥檚 staging and score. It was eventually nominated for several Tony Awards, but the public never caught onto the oddball show, and it closed after 91 performances. It thereafter began its life as a cult classic.
That would be that. But this is the musical theatre, where devotees do not consider flop shows necessarily failures, but simply misunderstood. And so, incredibly, Side Show got a second shot at Broadway this fall. The reimagined production, directed by , was substantially rewritten, with new material by Condon, plus some new songs. Before its Broadway bow, it was seen at for the Performing Arts and then .
Some critics were enthusiastic, saying the show was not only substantially different, but substantially better. There was many a marquee quote. (Though just as many critics found the show as problematic and imperfect as before.) But it didn鈥檛 do any more good than it did in 1997. The public did not flock, and ticket sales were week.
This week it was announced that the show will play its final performance at Broadway's St. James Theatre Jan. 4, 2015. Its run will have been almost exactly as long 鈥� or short 鈥� as the original production.
*** Also throwing in the towel this week was the Broadway revival of 鈥檚 , which currently stars and at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. It will play its final performance Dec. 14. Upon closing, the production will have played six previews and 95 regular performances. A national tour of 鈥檚 production will launch in fall 2015.
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The Broadway revival of , starring , and , officially opened at the Booth Theatre Dec. 7 following previews that began Nov. 7. The show is already a box-office hit, with performances selling out day in and day out. With the reviews that greeted it, however, it is now a critical hit as well, though reviews liked Cooper a lot more than the play.
鈥淭here's nothing subtle about the conceit, but it still works four decades later,鈥� wrote the Daily News. 鈥淎nd the credit for that belongs to Cooper鈥� To reflect Merrick's physical ravages, the Hollywood A-lister twists and holds his body in punishing positions. For two hours, he forges his mouth into a misshapen O and labors to speak. Grim stuff. But the production boasts ample humor, largely due to Cooper's delivery.鈥�
Newsday praises Cooper鈥檚 鈥渟mashing, heart-ripping portrayal,鈥� and added, 鈥済ood enough for 's 1977 philosophical adventure story, which, as always, is better on the theatrical adventure than on its fuzzy philosophy.鈥�
鈥淎s Peter Pan is traditionally portrayed by a gamine actress,鈥� wrote New York magazine, 鈥渢he grotesquely deformed title character of Bernard Pomerance's The Elephant Man, be embodied by an extremely handsome, seminude star eager to demonstrate his stage chops鈥� Bradley Cooper more than qualifies: He is extremely handsome, he is seminude (at least part of the time), and not only demonstrates but proves those chops.鈥�
Time Out New York, while liking Cooper, was particularly unforgiving about the text, saying. 鈥淒espite 鈥檚 lucid staging and a cast led by Bradley Cooper doing yeoman鈥檚 work as the grotesquely deformed Joseph Merrick, it groans and creaks as it moves. Not unlike last year鈥檚 short-lived run of , this is one of those revivals that raises doubts about the material鈥檚 original success. Here it may be a case of a juicy lead role in a flawed piece.鈥�
*** Sting, who joined the Broadway cast of his new musical this week, had decided to extend his engagement with the production for an additional two weeks of performances through Jan. 24, 2015.
The show has struggled at the box office since it opened Oct. 26 to mixed reviews. The rocker stepped into the role of foreman Jackie White, replacing original cast member , who has been with the production since it played a pre-Broadway Chicago world premiere last summer.
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Though cats are said to have nine lives, the first London life of 鈥檚 Cats lasted an awfully long time 鈥� 21 years beginning in 1981. That ought to be enough time for any feline. Nonetheless, the show is back on the West End, opening this week at the London Palladium. The production reunites the original creative team, including director , choreographer and designer , who were all perhaps missing that steady paycheck they had back in the 20th century.
Nicole Scherzinger made her West End stage debut in the star role of Grizabella (she鈥檚 the down-on-her-luck kitty who sings 鈥淢emory鈥�). Among Scherzinger's credits was a stint as a member of the best-selling girl group the Pussycat Dolls. (You can鈥檛 make this stuff up.) Talk about PR that writes itself.
Reviews were on the positive side, with critics liking Scherzinger and begrudgingly giving Cats its due. 鈥淵et while Cats can鈥檛 mask the degree to which it鈥檚 rooted in the Eighties, it is a genuinely opulent ensemble piece with a surprising undercurrent of surrealism,鈥� said the Evening Standard.
鈥淗as the show dated since 1981?鈥� asked the Telegraph. 鈥淎side from some tinny electronic sounds, not really. Is that because it鈥檚 timeless? I don鈥檛 think so. Cats is actually a classy species of panto 鈥� fluffy, shiny, just about perfect for this time of year.鈥�
