By Andrew Gans
27 Dec 2002
ALICE RIPLEY in Tell Me On a Sunday:
It's a testament to her many talents that Alice Ripley manages to charm in a questionably designed and directed production of Tell Me On a Sunday, now playing the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theatre through Jan. 12, 2003. Though enjoyable, there are a few mysteries that surround the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Don Black-Richard Maltby, Jr. musical at the D.C. theatre: Why has the beautiful Ripley been asked to wear an unflattering black wig, especially when she looks so wonderful with her blonde locks in the promotional pictures for the musical? And, why has Ripley — perhaps the most exciting belter of her generation — been directed to sing the bulk of the score in her soprano?
Though her legit tones are quite lovely, the Andrew Lloyd Webber score is specifically written for a belter, and delivering the material in head voice diminishes the excitement of the piece. It's especially disheartening in the finale of the opening number — "Take That Look Off Your Face" — when Emma arrives in New York City, as well as in the climactic third verse of "Unexpected Song." I wouldn't expect anyone to belt the final F sharp of "Unexpected Song" — well, maybe I would — but the entire song builds to the belty finale of "Now no matter where I am, no matter what I do, I see your face appearing, like an unexpected song, an unexpected sooooooonnnnnng . . ." That said, however, Ripley does offer a laudable performance — sweet, often funny, and, at times, quite touching. The former Side Show star is particularly effective in "You Made Me Think You Were in Love," a lovely reading of "Tell Me On a Sunday" that builds to a — thankfully — belty climax, and the show's finale, in which the hat designer vows "to be Emma again, if it means being hurt, I'll be hurt, but I'll like myself then. Every word that I'm saying will happen, wait and see. If you think that it won't, you don't know meeeeeeeeee."
Ripley is also one of the most at-ease performers ever to grace a stage. Nothing seems to rile the singer-actress: During one of her onstage quick changes at the Saturday matinee that I attended, the bottom half of her outfit was not where it should have been. While she was singing the reprise of "Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad," Ripley ad-libbed to the song's melody, "Where's my skirt? I really need my skirt?" A hand from stage right appeared with skirt in its grasp, and Ripley — after applause from the audience — continued without pause . . . And, now, the countdown to Ripley in Little Shop of Horrors begins!
(A note to Tell Me On a Sunday devotees: The D.C. staging employs the version of the musical rewritten for the Bernadette Peters Broadway mounting. "Nothing Like You've Ever Known," which was cut for Broadway, has been reinserted into the piece, coming just before the show's finale. There were only two lyric alterations that I spotted: In the "First Letter Home," Emma thanks her mother for a "package" rather than a "letter" — this allows Ripley to open the package's many contents as she's singing the song — and in the show's climactic scene, Emma says that she's sold her whole collection to Bergdorf-Goodman rather than Neiman-Marcus.)
IN OTHER DIVA NEWS OF THE WEEK The upcoming Michael Douglas film, "A Few Good Years" — co-starring two-time Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters — has been retitled "It Runs in the Family." Originally scheduled for a Valentine's Day release, the MGM picture will now hit screens across the country in April 2003. The film will be released internationally by Buena Vista at a later date to be announced. Peters stars as Douglas' wife, a psychologist and mother of their two sons. The star of the upcoming revival of Gypsy worked opposite three generations of Douglases in the film, which also boasts Michael's dad, Kirk Douglas, and Michael's son, Cameron. One of Peters' patients is played by another multi Tony Award winner, Audra McDonald . . . Louise Pitre, who stars as Donna Sheridan in the New York company of Mamma Mia!, will lead the first-ever Times Square New Year's Eve Sing-Along on Dec. 31. At 11:25 PM ET, the Tony nominated Mamma star will lead New Year's Eve revelers in a sing along of ABBA's "Mamma Mia!," the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" and Hoyt Axton's "Joy to the World." Lyrics will appear — with the requisite bouncing ball — on the giant Panasonic Astrovision screens located in Times Square . . . Hairspray leading lady Marissa Jaret Winokur has joined the cast of the upcoming New York concert performance of Mack & Mabel on March 31, 2003. Winokur joins the previously announced Brian Stokes Mitchell, Leslie Uggams, Nathan Lane, Donna McKechnie, Michael Feinstein, Debbie Gravitte and Douglas Sills for the one-night-only concert of the Jerry Herman musical to benefit GMHC. Also taking part in the evening will be the Radio City Musical Hall Rockettes and Uptown Express from the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. Herman, who composed the show's score, will personally supervise the presentation . . . Husband and-wife musical theatre stars Jason Danieley and Marin Mazzie will team up for a series of duets concerts at New York's Joe's Pub in January and February 2003. Danieley and Mazzie will offer concerts on Jan. 5 (9:30 PM), Jan. 19 (7 PM) and Feb. 2 (7 PM) at the intimate New York cabaret. The couple recently performed together in Lincoln Center's acclaimed American Songbook series, and, as previously announced, the duo will also take part in two concerts with the San Francisco Symphony on December 29 and 31. Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street and Astor Place. Tickets are available at the Public Theater's box office, on-line at www.telecharge.com or by phone at (212) 239-6200.
REMINDERS
Betty Buckley in Concert:
May 31, 2003 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, WA
Liz Callaway in Concert:
Jan. 4-6, 2003 The Songs of Frank Loesser at the 92nd Street Y in New York, NY
Feb. 14-15 Stephen Schwartz and Friends at the Edison Theatre at Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Feb. 3 at the Wintergarden in the NYC World Financial Center in New York, NY
May 16 Broadway Showstoppers in Philadelphia, PA
Barbara Cook in Concert:
Jan. 31, 2003 at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Long Island, NY
Feb. 14-16 at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA
Linda Eder in Concert:
Jan. 3 and 4, 2003 with the Baltimore Symphony in Baltimore, MD
Jan. 25 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT
Jan. 30 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks, CA
Feb. 1 at the Vilar Center for the Arts in Beaver Creek, CO
Feb. 14 at the Proctor's Theatre in Albany, NY
Patti LuPone in Concert
Jan. 8-12, 2003 at the Mohegan Sun Cabaret in Uncasville, CT
March 27 at the East County Performing Arts Center in Cajon, CA ("Matters of the Heart")
March 28-29 at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, CA ("Matters of the Heart")
March 30 at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, NV ("Matters of the Heart")
April 5 at the State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ ("Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda")
Maureen McGovern in Concert
Jan. 30-Feb. 2 at Orchestra Hall with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Detroit , MI
Feb. 7-9 at the San Diego Museum of Art in San Diego, CA
Feb. 14-16 at the Marcus Center with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee, WI
March 4-15 at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York City
April 12-13 at Center Stage—Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, CA
April 14-19 at Founder's Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, CA
May 30 - 31 at the Palmer Events Center with the Austin Symphony Orchestra in Austin, TX
June 7 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, MN
Well, that’s all for now. Happy diva-watching!
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