Promises, Promises with Sean Hayes & Kristin Chenoweth
Friday, July 9, 2010 Broadway Theatre
I kept myself from believing all of the negative things I had been hearing about the PROMISES, PROMISES revival until I could actually see the show and make my own opinions. Unfortunately, they were mostly all true.
I’ve never seen a production of this show before, so I was going into this one very new to the piece.
Sean Hayes was wonderful. A fabulous Broadway debut. He really was perfect for that role. He nailed every joke and made that character so lovable. His singing was more than good, and he carried all of his numbers with a real sense of know-how. The audience was certainly on his side, and he really kept Chuck from coming off as pitiful, which I think could have been a very easy thing to do. Brantley, in his review of the show, commented on how the audience likes Chuck but never really feels for Chuck. However, I think that’s just the way this character is written. The book doesn’t allow the audience to feel too terribly sorry for Chuck, and I don’t really see that as a problem. Hayes’ chair bit in Sheldrake’s office was truly inspired. Absolutely hilarious. Hayes was completely deserving of his Tony nomination and real contender against Hodge and Grammer.
As act one came to an end, I had only one thing in my mind- “Why, Kristin Chenoweth, would this be the show you chose to return to Broadway in?” I honestly have to wonder why she felt this would be a good role for her. It’s not a funny role. I honestly can’t remember Chenoweth garnering one single (maybe one or two) laughs the entire show. I guess it’s a “dramatic” role, but calling Fran a real dramatic character is laughable with some of the other juicy leading female roles on Broadway right now. Fran’s two new songs are awkwardly spliced into the script, especially “I Say a Little Prayer” which makes absolutely no sense in context. Why is she so happy to be receiving these flowers when she has every intention to snub the man she’s meeting up with? “A House Is Not a Home”, which is a much better vocal fit for Chenoweth than the former addition, makes a little more sense in context but still seems very forced when the audience has just recently learned that Fran does, in fact, not live alone.
But here is my biggest problem with Chenoweth in this role. Fran is, to me, supposed to be a very desperate, very impressionable young girl. If Chenoweth was a complete unknown playing this role, I might be able to buy that from her. But she’s not. She’s Kristin Chenoweth. She’s one of Broadway best divas of today. Fran is NOT a diva role. That’s not to say that Chenoweth must resign herself to only playing diva roles for the rest of her stage career, but young waif is no longer in her repertoire. And if she’s going to try to play a young waif, she’s going to have to do a little more than she does here or find herself a character that’s got a little more meat. Fran is really a supporting role with a few extra songs.
Thank God for Katie Finneran. She was just as funny and just as sizzling as everyone says. That’s a performance for the history books.
Tony Goldwyn couldn’t be more boring as Sheldrake, and “Wanting Things” really should have been cut. It’s pretty awful. Dick Latessa was very funny and endearing. I would’ve liked to have seen him in some of the Tony discussions. I definitely would have picked him over the dreadful De Jesus in LA CAGE. Brooks Ashmanskas was great too- really welcome energy. The quartet of married men was one of the strongest parts of the show.
Ashford’s choreography was fabulous in parts and so unnecessary in others. “She Likes Basketball” didn’t need anything but Hayes’ charm to make it work, but Ashford forced that dance number in there, which, of course, garnered unnecessary applause in the middle of he song. The opening really was thrilling, and “Turkey Lurkey Time” was nice but in no way stopped the show as it should. I wish Megan Sikora would get herself into a better role. She was so great in CURTAINS. I hated that Chenoweth sat on that desk as the girls danced around her during “I Say a Little Prayer.” Since when is Chenoweth unable to dance?
Scott Pask’s scenic design was a mixed bag. The apartment set was nice, and the overall look of the set was transporting. But that stage just seemed so empty for most of the show. It was a lot of simple push-ons and fly-ins that didn’t really do much for me. The lighting by Donald Holder was, however, remarkable. That sunrise through windows effect in act two is most definitely some of the best lighting I have ever seen onstage.
Rob Ashford did some great things with this show. It’s a fun night at the theatre. But I can’t say he made it a great show in general. There are moments that are spectacular. There are performances that are spectacular. But together, it’s very hit and miss.
I’ve been a huge fan of the score of NEXT TO NORMAL for a very long time now. I have been looking forward to seeing for quite a long time, and I must say I was extremely pleased.
Yes, this is the future of the American musical. Saying that really says all I need to say about how much I enjoyed the score, the direction, the lighting, the set, the book and the orchestrations. Uniformly inventive and uniformly spectacular.
I’ll comment on the performances.
Alice Ripley was fantastic. Her acting was so intense and so committed. Really a haunting performance. Vocally, she is absolutely wonderful. Her unique vocal style only makes this performance more enchanting. I must comment, however, on this role in general or what I thought of it. To me, Ripley isn’t really playing a character. Yes, she’s Diana. But who is Diana? I feel Ripley is doing something much more on that stage that presents her with a much bigger challenge. She’s playing a disease- a sickness in human form. It’s arresting.
Michael Berry was on for Brian D’Arcy James, and he was very good if not a little vocally underwhelming. He was a nice anchor for the show and gets to sing some of the show’s most lovely tunes.
Jennifer Damiano is just fabulous as Natalie. It takes a little while to get used to where she has gone with the character, but once the audience really “gets it”, they are in for a real treat with her. Her “Superboy” stopped the show. Really a beautiful performance. I’d say she is the heart of this show.
Kyle Dean Massey was great, but that just isn’t a very interesting role. He’s kind of a villain, kind of a hero, kind of a mystery, kind of a sex symbol. His “I’m Alive” was full of energy and vocally spot-on. His “There’s a World” was haunting. Too bad he hardly shows up for the second act. It now makes more sense to me as to why Aaron Tveit was left out of the Tony race.
I feel like the best male supporting role in this show is Henry, and Adam Chanler-Berat is terrific. So charming. Louis Hobson was nice, but didn’t really give me anything too memorable to take with me.
We’re lucky to have this piece written in our time. It really is one of musical theatre’s newest treasures.
