Your Next Musical #159—Cabaret

Here’s a musical that was considered a true game changer, one that moved Broadway from the Golden Age to a new era, and also seems suitable to these times, almost six decades after its Broadway debut. Its themes of humanity’s failure to stand up in times of trouble remains relevant to this day. Of course, the razzle-dazzle staging and skimpy attire helps. What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play…and this show has some darn good music. Right this way your table’s waiting. Your next musical could be…Cabaret.

Authors: Book by Joe Masteroff. Music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Based on the novel Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood and its play adaptation I Am a Camera by John Van Druten.

History: Opened on Broadway in 1966, got great reviews, received ten Tony nominations and eight awards—including Best Musical—and had a 1,165 performance run, plus a 1987 revival. But Cabaret was even more appreciated in its second Broadway revival in 1998, which got another set of excellent reviews, ten Tony nominations and four wins including Best Revival of a Musical, and a more-than-doubled 2,377-performance run. This production led to a return engagement in 2014 (388 performances) and an immersive re-imagining in 2024 (592 performances).

Synopsis: 1929 in Berlin, American writer Clifford Bradshaw arrives to work on his latest novel but is drawn to the seedy Kit Kat Club, where the Emcee’s performances reflect the goings-on. Clifford is taken by hedonistic chanteuse Sally Bowles, who, upon getting canned, stays with Clifford. Meanwhile, their landlady, Frau Schneider, starts a relationship with Jewish fruit vendor Herr Schultz, but a hate crime prompts Schneider to break it off. Bradshaw wants to stay with Sally, even after finding she is pregnant and doesn’t know the father, but she refuses to acknowledge the evil going on around her and aborts the pregnancy. Bradshaw goes home alone, starting his novel about how the world around him fell apart…and his complacency in it.

Cast Size: At least eight female and seven male, and one any gender (the Emcee).

My Personal Take: Cabaret is hailed as a landmark musical in how it dealt with dark themes (it doesn’t get much darker than the Nazis coming to power by the public’s estimation), as to be expected from Kander & Ebb and Harold Prince. It’s unafraid to challenge its audience for being complicit in the rise of evil, whether underestimating the threat (like Schulz), distracting oneself (like Sally), or putting one’s needs first (like Schneider). The score, while good old-fashioned theatre music with German flair, is likewise confrontational. For instance, the song “If You Could See Her,” after Schneider leaves Schulz, where the Emcee professes his adoration for a gorilla, seems lighthearted until you get to the last line, and we realize we’ve dehumanized an entire ethnic group. Plus there’s the ballad “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,” a rousing patriotic song that becomes a seductive Nazi anthem, showing how easy it is to be swept up in extremism. Ironically this song has been covered by white supremacist bands who disregard the context, or that it was written by two gay Jews. (For another Hal Prince-helmed musical with a gut-punch song and an inspiring anthem to an evil cause, check out Parade. Really, check out Parade.) It’s helped by the framing device of the cabaret, a decadent nightspot set up as a place to escape troubles but ultimately unable to avoid the world outside. So even after all these years, audiences keep coming to the cabaret, and you’ll be doing so as well for years to come.

Put On This Musical If: You want a classic with parts for older and younger actors and your audience isn’t afraid of disturbing subject matter.

Things to Consider: Whether you wish to play it like the 1966 version or the much more down-and-dirty 1998 version is up to you. Like with Grease, people will expect the much-altered film adaptation with Liza Minnelli . Though the Emcee has traditionally been played by a man, why not a female? That was the original concept. And for “If You Could See Her,” just so you know, gorillas walk on all fours (ask this girl.)

Different Versions/Sequels and Prequels: The original Broadway, 1987 and 1998 versions. The last of these is the most minimalist.

Licensing Rights: Concord Theatricals

Next time, in honor of Israel’s Independence Day (a few days ago) a suitable show…Milk and Honey.

Feel free to comment below.  The full list can be found here, and on this page they are broken down by category.

Your Next Musical #158—Nine

After Titanic I go fifteen years back to another Maury Yeston musical that won the Tony, one based on one of the greatest movies to come out of Italy, which some consider Federico Fellini’s masterpiece. As the source got its mixed number title from that fact that previously Fellini had directed six features, plus segments of two larger films and co-directing another feature which each counted as one-half of a credit, this musical increased the count by another one-half. This show is just as Fellini-esque, and the lush score and sumptuous staging certainly helps. Your next musical could be…Nine.

Authors: Book by Arthur Kopit, based on a Mario Fratti translation. Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. Based on the film 8½ by Federico Fellini.

History: Opened on Broadway in 1982 to good reviews, received twelve Tony nominations and five wins—including beating Dreamgirls for Best Musical— and ran 729 performances. A 2003 Broadway revival starring Antonio Banderas got eight Tony nominations and two wins—including Best Revival of a Musical—and had a 283-performance run.

Synopsis: Early 1960s, at a Venetian spa where aging renowned film director Guido Contini retreats with his wife Luisa in hopes of saving their marriage and escaping the pressure of his latest project, which he hasn’t even written. There, Guido is haunted by the women in his life—his mistress Carla shows up to let him know she’s getting divorced; his leading lady Claudia has tired of playing the same role; his producer Lilliane La Fleur insists he do a musical, and the beach reminds him of Saraghina, a prostitute he encountered at a young age, which put him out of favor with his mother and his parochial school. When Claudia calls Guido “Casanova,” he decides to make the movie about that, and the clash of his inner and outer worlds causes Luisa to separate from him. Left alone, Guido is about to kill himself but his younger self saves him. Guido goes on, realizing Luisa was the one he truly loved all along.

Cast Size: One man, one boy, and at least sixteen women.

My Personal Take: There are those who think this musical should not have won the 1982 Best Musical Tony over Dreamgirls, but there were a few possible factors, such as this one coming out at the end of the Broadway season, when it was still fresh in Tonys voters’ minds, plus the Great Theater Massacre of 1982, when five historic Broadway theaters were razed to make room for the New York Mariott Marquis hotel, which the Shuberts, who produced Dreamgirls, had supported, which did not leave them much goodwill from the theatre industry. Should Nine or Dreamgirls have won the Tony? Both are different shows, the latter being a gritty R&B/Soul musical about ambition in the music business, the former a surreal look inside a director’s mind. Both had renowned director-choreographers, Michael Bennett for the former and Tommy Tune for the latter. But while Nine had style, but Dreamgirls was more substantial and has stood out better over time. But even if Nine has not had the same impact, or even as a good film adaptation, as that other show, it is still meaningful, an engaging look at the mind of a troubled genius.

It’s noteworthy for its use of a predominantly female (supporting) cast, with Guido’s confusion partly from the various women in his life. Of course, since we see the women through his eyes, they come off as underdeveloped. The focus is squarely on him and his perspective, so much that that’s what most of the women’s songs are about, and we can see while his body ages he is not maturing mentally, hence the title becomes the age of his mind—he needs to grow up. The song “What You Don’t Know About Women” from City of Angels could certainly apply to Guido. But even if he is not the easiest person for whom the audience to cheer, he is still a captivating personality. The stirring score helps, with character songs such as the I Am/I Want number “Guido’s Song”, numbers that call for big staging like the rousing “Be Italian”, and those that show Guido’s turmoil like “The Bells of St. Sebastian”, following the aforementioned showstopper and reflecting on how his curiosity about women led to his mother turning against him, which greatly explains, if not excuses, his failure to know what love is. So while Nine may not be the most memorable musical out there, or rate that high on a scale of one to ten, it is still worth a look.

Put On This Musical If: You have way more women than men and want to show off choreography.

Things to Consider: Though it has a predominantly female cast, Nine isn’t what one would call feminist, as the female characters exist solely for their relation to the leading male. Though the 2003 revival had Guido and Lusia reunite, it’s better to keep it ambiguous whether they actually reconcile.

Different Versions/Sequels and Prequels: The original and an ensemble version with a slightly smaller cast and updated score (used for the 2003 Broadway revival).

Licensing Rights: Concord Theatricals

Next time, another fifteen years back to a third Best Musical winner in a row…Cabaret.

Feel free to comment below.  The full list can be found here, and on this page they are broken down by category.

Your Next Musical #157—Titanic

Growing up I enjoyed watching Rosie O’Donnell’s talk show, which theatregoers appreciated for O’Donnell’s promotion of Broadway shows, something not done on television on such a scale since probably The Ed Sullivan Show. This post is one of the shows that owes much of its success to Rosie’s promotional efforts, so when she first hosted the Tonys in 1997, it was fitting that this was the winner. It’s not to be confused with the movie that came out later in the year (which was apparently quite popular), but still worth seeing, unless you’re about to go on a cruise. And it was this month when the sinking happened 124 years ago, so it’s appropriate for the time. Your next musical could be…Titanic.

Authors: Book by Peter Stone. Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston.

History: Opened on Broadway in 1997, got fair reviews, received five Tony nominations and five wins including Best Musical, and ran 804 performances.

Synopsis: Southampton, England, April 1912, as the Royal Mail Ship Titanic sets off on her maiden voyage with crowds eager to get on board. Owner Bruce Ismay insists on having Captain Edward Smith speed up the voyage despite designer Thomas Andrews’ concerns over icebergs. Second-class passenger Alice Beane yearns to mingle with those in first class while her husband Edgar is content with his lot. Meanwhile the third-class passengers, many of whom plan to emigrate to America, dream of a better life, especially Kate McGowan, who’s eager to get married…because she’s pregnant by her married former lover. An iceberg is spotted, but the ship fails to evade it in time, and the first-class passengers also aren’t quick to accept the ship sinking as Ismay, Edwards and Andrews fight over who’s to blame. With a shortage of lifeboats and women and children first, wives are separated from their husbands, including Alice and Edgar, but elderly couple Isidor and Ida Straus stay together on board. Kate McGowan survives with Jim Farrell, a handsome Irish lad she fancies, but most in steerage do not. The final tableau shows the survivors and the dead together, hoping they will someday reunite.

Cast Size: At least twenty-two male, fourteen female and one child.

My Personal Take: Titanic might not be a first-class musical, but it doesn’t sink either. While it does delve into the stories of the passengers and the class distinctions, (such Kate McGowan and Jim Farrell’s relationship and Alice Bean’s social climbing) the focus is on what led to the loss of the “unsinkable” ship, a combination of hubris, bad decisions and plain misfortune. The plot doesn’t do any favors to Ismay, who in real life was aiming for luxury instead of speed and in fact assisted women and children to the lifeboats. But as the musical emphasizes, he Andrews and Smith all share the blame. It doesn’t downplay the tragedy, still there are moments of ironic humor, as early on someone misses the boat and fears for his reputation; later the captain remarks of the changing times that “I’m glad I won’t be around to see it.” The music, true to the time period, is as opulent as the ship itself, the lyrics not so much, still it’s a gripping score, especially with songs like “Still”, the Straus’ moving duet as they face their fate together, and “Barrett’s Song”, where the stoker, a former coal miner, reflects on how he wanted to go to sea, only to trade one rough job for another. Overall, Titanic, if not a must-see, it is certainly a memorable voyage.

Put On This Musical If: You want to do a show with a huge cast who all want moments to shine.

Things to Consider: You don’t need a big ship on stage, though you will need period costumes and a big orchestra, not to mention adept singers for the vocally-demanding score. As for choreography, there’s not much. And your audience might expect it to be an adaption of the 1997 movie (that’s Titanique), and as of this post unavailable for licensing, though be sure to catch it on Broadway), though this does cover more plotlines in less time. One major stage effect is the tea cart rolling away on its own, at which the first-class passengers finally accept the ship is sinking. In the original production this was done with a tilting floor, the national tour pulled it off with movable slanted platforms, that might be your best bet.

Different Versions/Sequels and Prequels: The original and an ensemble version for twenty actors—fourteen male and six female. Of course the original’s pretty much an ensemble show already.

Licensing Rights: Concord Theatricals

Next time, another Best Musical Tony winner composed by Maury Yeston: Nine.

Feel free to comment below. The full list can be found here, and on this page they are broken down by category.

Your Next Musical #156—The Unsinkable Molly Brown

The new year, as usual, brings a new sense of hope. Each year I start thinking this could be the year my hopes and dreams come true…and by the end of the year they haven’t. But I keep telling myself I ain’t down yet…like the heroine of this post’s subject. Your next musical could be…The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Authors: Revised book by Dick Scanlan, based on the original book by Richard Henry Morris. Music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, with new lyrics by Scanlan.

History: Opened on Broadway in 1960, got good reviews, won its sole Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and ran 532 performances. The revised version, the one currently available for licensing opened Off-Broadway in 2020, its limited run shortened by COVID-19.

Synopsis: The life of Margaret “Molly” Brown. In 1886 in a mine in Leadville, Colorado, country girl Molly clashes with manager J.J., who believes women are bad luck in a mine, and it proves his point when an explosion occurs in the mine. Molly later befriends Julia, a miner’s pregnant widow, who teaches her to read and write. Meanwhile Molly and J.J. develop an attraction and eventually get married and, after Molly convinces the miners, with the silver business declining, to switch to gold, she decides to move to Denver, where she’s always dreamed of going. There, Molly is shunned by high society, causing her to focus on social causes, which alienates J.J., especially when she spurs the miners to unionize, and when he has an affair Molly breaks it off with him and heads to Europe, though they keep in touch. Molly misses him and heads home on the fastest ship to the US—the Titanic. In the lifeboat, Molly befriends an Irish immigrant, whom she later saves from deportation while reuniting with her friends and J.J..

Cast Size: At least seven female and nine male.

My Personal Take: This is actually a revisal, and while I can’t compare this to the original (which had a scene where Molly hides money in the stove, and you can predict how that turns out) it is still an upbeat and inspiring story with a dynamic female lead. Still, it tries a bit too hard to appeal to modern sensibilities…really, did anyone use the term “Native Americans” in the 1910s? The Golden Age score is appealing, showing Molly’s country spunk with numbers such as “I Ain’t Down Yet” and “Belly Up to the Bar, Boys,” but nothing too outstanding for shows of its time. Still, it’s a hidden treasure like something you’d find in a mine.

Put On This Musical If: You want to do something from the Golden Age that’s not overdone, with a strong female lead.

Things to Consider: The 2020 Off-Broadway production had posters in the lobby displaying not only the facts of Molly Brown’s life, but also gave out cards to audience members each showing a Titanic passenger and their fate. You can do the same if you wish.

Different Versions/Sequels and Prequels: The 2020 revisal is the only one currently available for licensing.

Licensing Rights: Music Theatre International

One more thing, the real Margaret Brown didn’t go by the nickname Molly, she preferred Maggie.

Next time, a musical with the same subject matter…Titanic. Molly’s not in that one but that’s okay since she already has her own show.

Feel free to comment below. The full list can be found here, and on this page they are broken down by category.

Your Next Musical #155—Floyd Collins

While it’s still 2025, I thought it necessary to include a cult favorite that finally made it to Broadway this year, based an actual historic event that, coincidentally, happened a century before. It involves a news media exploiting a tragic accident to the point that they neglect the person whose life is in danger, while on the side city and country people bicker. Of course, that was 1925, that wouldn’t happen today, would it? See for yourself. Your next musical could be…Floyd Collins.

Authors: Book by Tina Landau. Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel. Based on the life of Floyd Collins (1887-1925).

History: Opened Off-Broadway in 1996, got good reviews and ran twenty-five performances, but was hailed enough that it eventually came to Broadway in 2025, where it ran seventy-two performances and received six Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical, but no wins.

Synopsis: In 1925 in rural Kentucky Floyd Collins explores the caves, looking for a cavern that will attract visitors. Unbeknownst to him he will become the attraction, as when he finds that cavern he gets trapped underground on the way out, too far to be reached by anyone except Louisville Courier-Journal cub reporter William Burke “Skeets” Miller. Skeets’ coverage of the rescue effort brings national attention, and turns the surrounding area into a literal carnival, but Floyd is no closer to being saved, especially when a cave-in blocks him completely and the locals and outsiders disagree on how to rescue him. By the time Floyd is finally reached, he has died.

Cast Size: Eleven male and two female.

My Personal Take: If you want an old-fashioned peppy tuner, this is not for you, but if you want something a bit more thoughtful, this is it. Like Chicago, it satires media circuses, only here the tone is less on the humor than the tragedy of the person in need being ignored. The rural score is the strongest feature, and it is complicated as you might expect from the composer of The Light in the Piazza and Days of Wine and Roses, without hummable ditties, but it fits the story, which is not what you’d call comedic, in spite of a few funny bits like “Is That Remarkable?” This is not the show for everyone, especially those who prefer more action, but Floyd keeps our interest in spite of his lack of movement, trying to keep his hopes up only to see his life about to end. By the end, his vision of being reunited with his family and having a successful tourist site proving to be only a dream is truly devastating. Floyd Collins might be not everyone’s kind of musical, but like many a cave, it encourages you to go deep.

Put On This Musical If: You want a sophisticated and infrequently-done musical for a leading male who isn’t much of a mover.

Things to Consider: The score is very tricky, especially with the yodelling (which has a practical purpose as Floyd locates himself through echoing), but the show doesn’t require much of a budget or dance ability.

Different Versions/Sequels and Prequels: None.

Licensing Rights: Concord Theatricals

Next time, another musical with a rural flavor, only a bit more upbeat and traditional…The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Feel free to comment below. The full list can be found here, and on this page they are broken down by category.

Your Next Musical #154—Cats

After struggling to pay my taxes this year, I agreed with Thomas Stearns Eliot that April is the cruelest month. Did you know that this renowned poet has won three Tony Awards? One was Best Play in 1950 for The Cocktail Hour, the other two were posthumous for a musical based on his work, which is the subject of this post, and is cited for its massive success, so much that the Broadway production had the motto “Now and Forever.” Forever, just under eighteen years, same difference I suppose. It’s also one of the most divisive musicals ever—either it’s hailed as an artistic triumph or derided as pretentious plotless drivel. My grandparents took me to see it when I was eight and I had no idea what was going on. Not that there’s much of which to have an idea. Still, it must have some merit to be the Winter Garden Theatre’s longest-running tenant, of course, the show that moved in afterward, the Winter Garden’s second-longest resident, also wasn’t what you’d call universally acclaimed. Yet it was Cameron Mackintosh’s first of many Broadway hits. So, love it or loathe it, here is this adaptation of Eliot’s doggerel, or catterel. Your Next Musical could be…Cats.

Authors: Lyrics by T.S. Eliot, with additional lyrics by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe. Based on Eliot’s poetry book Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.

History: Opened on the West End in 1981, where it was showered with praise, received six Olivier nominations and two awards including Best New Musical and ran a then-record 8,949 performances. The Broadway transfer the following year wasn’t as critically acclaimed, but still started Broadway’s megamusical trend and received eleven Tony nominations and seven wins including Best Musical and ran a then-record 7,485 performances. A 2016 Broadway revival didn’t last as long, only 593 performances. A 2024 Off-Broadway reimagining based on Ballroom culture will come to Broadway in 2026.

Synopsis: In a Victorian London junkyard, the Jellicles, a tribe of cats, gathers for the Jellicle Ball, where one will be chosen to ascend to the Heavyside Layer to be reborn. As the cats introduce themselves, Grizabella the Glamour Cat, once the most beautiful of them but now a faded outcast, is ultimately chosen.

Cast Size: At least ten male and eleven female.

My Personal Take: I wouldn’t call Cats completely plotless, it’s closer to a revue than a book musical, but it’s still not much of a plot. Yet it does have artistic merit, particularly a memorable score, even for those who aren’t too familiar with T.S. Eliot. Grizabella’s “Memory,” of course, is a standout power ballad, but the other numbers give the rest of the cast a chance to shine, such as the jazzy “Macavity,” the vibrant “Mr. Mistoffelees” and the poignant “Gus: The Theatre Cat.” So don’t expect a complex theatre piece, but do expect something far more entertaining than cat videos.

Put On This Musical If: You want to use a bunch of highly agile singer-dancers in a modern favorite.

Things to Consider: It’s good for the family, especially if they are cat lovers. However, the slim plot is tricky to follow, and the choreography is demanding, considering the catlike moves (the original production required the services of a chiropractor). One number, The Pekes and the Pollicles, may come off as racist, especially the line “heathen Chinese.” Though there is only one set—a junkyard—it is a bit complex since everything has to be large (the characters are cats so the set must be sized accordingly) and it is costume-heavy, requiring dancewear full of fur and makeup (hope you’re not allergic) .

Different Versions/Sequels and Prequels: The original and a Young Actors edition.

Licensing Rights: Concord Theatricals

Next time, before 2025 ends, a lesser-known musical about a historic event of which this year marks the centennial: Floyd Collins.

Feel free to comment below. The full list can be found here, and on this page they are broken down by category.

Your Next Musical #153—Snoopy!!!

It’s been over two years since my last of these posts, sorry about the delay. It’s about time I got back to it. As promised last time, we come to the lesser-known Peanuts musical. It’s still a good one, with the same characters, though not the same creative team, and has its admirers, including Jim Henson, well at least one of the songs was a favorite of his. The Muppets fans among you might know the song but not the show. But soon you will know both. Your next musical could be…Snoopy!!!

Authors: Book by Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw and Michael L. Grace. Music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Hal Hackaday. Based on Schulz’ comic strip Peanuts. The 2017 revised version has a revised book by Adam Cates, Kaitlin Hopkins and Grossman, and a song with new lyrics by Andrew Lippa.

History: Opened in San Francisco in 1975 to mixed reviews, then came to Off-Broadway in 1982, got okay reviews though often compared unfavorably to You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and ran 152 performances, but has been widely produced in amateur theaters.

Synopsis: The same trials and tribulations of the Peanuts gang, from the perspective of Snoopy, who asks to know the meaning of life while tiring of his old routine as Charlie Brown laments why his beloved beagle isn’t like other dogs. he world according to Snoopy—and other lovable Peanuts characters: Snoopy wants to know the meaning of life while tiring of his old routine as Charlie Brown laments why his beloved beagle isn’t like other dogs. Peppermint Patty is insecure about her big nose and her love for Charlie Brown goes unrequited, Linus waits all night in vain for the Great Pumpkin, and everyone wishes they all knew when they were “young” what they know now. The beagle, meanwhile, resists the thought that he’s a dime-a-dozen and his attempts at writing the Great American Novel fail, though he does get named Head Beagle. By the end, Charlie decides that Snoopy “isn’t much of a dog. But after all, who is?”

Cast Size: At least three male, three female and one of any gender.

My Personal Take: While not as popular as the other Peanuts musical, Snoopy!!! has its virtues, even if it feels like a rehash (though not entirely). It may not have the same creative team, but the tone is in tune with Peanuts, and so is the score, which, while not on par with what Vince Guaraldi composed, is still suitable for the material and worth a listen, especially its truly lovely closer “Just One Person,” of which Jim Henson was a fan (and had Bernadette Peters sing on The Muppet Show before the show came to New York). The rest of the score is catchy and a good fit for kids starting out in theatre. So Snoopy!!! deserves some more love, if not to the same level as the other Peanuts musical. Snoopy may not be much of a dog, but this show is pretty much of a children’s musical.

Put On This Musical If: You want to do You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown but that’s already being done nearby, or you want to do both in repertory.

Things to Consider: If doing this in repertory with You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, remember that this show’s original version has Sally’s coathanger sculpture bit, which was in the YAGMCB revisal, plus the characters are different (Snoopy!!! has Sally like the YAGMCB revisal but replaces Schroeder with Peppermint Patty and Woodstock).

Different Versions/Sequels and Prequels: The original, the somewhat expanded 1983 West End version, and a revised 2017 version titled The World According to Snoopy.

Licensing Rights: Concord Theatricals

Next time, instead of a dog-centric musical, a cat-centric one. Yes it’s Cats.

Feel free to comment below. The full list can be found here, and on this page they are broken down by category.

The 6th Golden Trainwreck Award

Of the fifteen new musicals of the 2023-2024 Broadway season, one of them is the subject of this post. Usually pop culture reviews rank in terms of best, worst and blandest. For instance, in the 2018-2019 season I would consider Hadestown the best, Gettin’ the Band Back Together the worst and Pretty Woman the blandest, and probably Tootsie the most problematic. Yet this show managed to be the worst as well as the blandest, as it was its tepidness that made it too forgettable and unenjoyable. There are have been great musicals about artists, such as Sunday in the Park with George, but this was closer to watching paint dry:

Lempicka

Tamara de Lempicka (1894-1980) was a Polish-born painter in the Art Deco style who lived and worked most of her life in France and the United States and was known mainly for her portraits of aristocrats and stylized nudes. A common subject was her daughter Maria Krystyna, known as Kizette, though de Lempicka was too busy painting and living the high life with several major love affairs, male and female, to actually spend time with her daughter. While de Lempicka was never able to replicate the success she had between the two world wars, an Art Deco resurgence in the 1960s gave her a bit of a comeback in the last years of her life. Her life story has been adapted for the stage at least twice before, with a straight play, Tamara, that ran in Los Angeles for eleven years, and a solo show called Deco Diva. So why didn’t it work as a musical? For one thing, the songs were serviceable at best and mostly unmemorable. Also, it didn’t live up to its own hype. It billed de Lempicka as an artist ahead of her time, but did not present her as such, with the focus less on her artistic achievement than on her personal life, primarily a love triangle between her, her husband and her female muse. While Lempicka deserves credit for being the first Broadway musical with a bisexual female lead, being groundbreaking alone does not a great musical make.

It starts with Tamara in 1970s California, reflecting on her life, beginning in 1918 with an arranged marriage to Tadeusz Lempicki, a Polish aristocrat, whose father disapproves because Tamara is half Jewish, but this aspect is not explored after that. When Tadeusz is arrested in the Russian Revolution Tamara manages to free her husband by bartering her jewels, and then by having sex with a guard. Is being pressured into sex for your husband’s freedom supposed to be empowering? Eventually Tamara, Tadeusz and their daughter Kizette make it to Paris, where Tadeusz refuses to get a job or even let Tamara work outside the house, so she tries to make it as a painter. Her first attempt at a still-life fails when she eats the Madelines she intended to paint (I’ve heard of starving artists but…) so she decides on painting human subjects, namely Kizette. Her paintings lead to her being mentored by Filippo Marinetti, the painter credited as the founder of Futurism, who criticizes her nudes because Tamara goes for realism while Marinetti insists on perfection. However, the audience didn’t actually see her work, as the minimalist set design showed the canvasses with only empty frames, which does not give the audience much of an idea of Tamara’s talent.

Just then Rafaela, a free-spirited streetwalker, arrives and Tamara wants to paint her, which she does by the end of Act One, as both are asleep in Tamara’s studio. The Act One closer, “Woman Is,” is a standard power ballad, decent but not too impactful. While Tamara’s painting career takes off, this being 1930s Europe, the Nazis are taking over and lives are at stake. Again, not much is made about the characters’ being threatened for being Jewish. Rafaela’s friend Suzy Solidor, who in real life was known for being painted by dozens of artists including Tamara, opens a lesbian nightclub, where Tamara attracts much business while Tadeusz wants to return to Poland, having been offered a new job. He has a number about how he’d prefer a conventional wife instead of the “New Woman” Tamara has become. Kizette gets both Tadeusz and Rafaela to attend Tamara’s exhibit where not only is she confronted about her two loves, but Marinetti has become a Fascist. Rafaela wants Tamara to make their relationship publicly known but Tamara doesn’t, and is resolute about her desire to paint realness rather than perfection. Is your painting style all you care about in a time of tyranny? Cabaret this isn’t.

Predictably, both Tamara’s relationships end, and the nightclub is destroyed by the Blackshirts. It’s hard to blame Tamara for wanting to stay in the closet, given the events of the outside world. Eventually Tamara relocates to California and falls into obscurity, but then her work is rediscovered and the various women she depicted are recognized as a diverse vision of the future.

So, what was this about? It could have focused on her artistic vision or her strained relationship with her daughter (who in actuality ended up looking after Tamara at the end of her life), but didn’t, and came off confused. Perhaps they could have delved into feminism or being a lesbian at that time and place, instead of just touching on it briefly. Lempicka played at the Longacre where, a few years before, there had been a much more popular musical with queer themes, The Prom, which, while not a moneymaker, was still better-received and more memorable. Plus the score didn’t even stand out, with no remembered numbers outside of “Woman Is.” Eden Espinosa, who played Tamara, and Amber as Rafaela performed well and deserved their Tony nominations, but there wasn’t much else to offer, which is why Lempicka closed after 41 performances, its painting too muddy.

I’m not sure if there will be a Golden Trainwreck for 2025, as I’ve had to cut back on my theatregoing due to lack of income, but if you know any theatrical productions you consider worthy of this not-so-prestigious award, please let me know.

Things I Do Like #4: Anora

Spoilers ahead. And mentions of sex, my apologies to the Puritans out there. Now you apologize for the witch hunts.

And October 18, 2025 just happens to be the one-year anniversary of Anora having its theatrical release, so now seemed like a good time to post.

Also, it’s my 256th post, 2^8, so now I have more posts than Link can have Rupees in the original Legend of Zelda.

Being in SAG-AFTRA I’m required each winter to review the films of the past year in order to vote on the SAG-AFTRA awards, either at home or through SAG-AFTRA sponsored screenings. One of the films whose screening I attended last year, was Sean Baker’s Anora. As I arrived at the theater my thoughts were how fortunate it was that I managed to make it to the theater in the nick of time, plus I got free popcorn and iced tea. By the end of the movie, all that mattered was the movie I had just seen.

The plot: Anora, Ani for short, is a New York working-class erotic dancer and escort of Russian descent. Because of her background, she is assigned to Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch, who hires her for full service at his family’s Brooklyn mansion. Drawn to Ivan’s money and carefree lifestyle, her regular sessions with him lead to him hiring her for a week as his girlfriend, including an impromptu trip to Las Vegas where she agrees to marry him to escape her hardscrabble existence. But the honeymoon’s over in every sense when Ivan’s disapproving parents send Ivan’s godfather Toros, along with his right-hand man Garnik and hired Russian muscle Igor to get the marriage annulled, at which Ivan flees, leaving Ani alone to fight the hapless henchmen. Ani reluctantly joins them searching for Ivan throughout Brighton Beach, ultimately seeing Ivan for what he really is. Later, after more time with Igor, the only one of the henchmen who’s cared about her throughout the ordeal, she starts to see herself as what she really is.

There was a talkback with Baker afterward, as well as cast members including the star, Mikey Madison. Between the closing credits and that, I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. I passed Mikey at the entrance and gave her a thumbs-up, which she seemed to appreciate. I even got to speak briefly with Baker after the talkback.

Since then I have been fixated on this picture, which has since won five Academy Awards, with Baker as co-producer, director, writer and editor becoming the first person ever to win four Oscars for the same film, plus Best Actress for Madison. I just knew she’d win, and was pulling for her even as Anora got shut out at the SAG-AFTRA Awards and the Golden Globes. I’ve written fan fiction and gotten to meet two of the actors, Lindsey Normington (Diamond) and Ivy Wolk (Crystal). I was surprised that my grandmother liked Anora, since she had grown up in Brighton Beach and even recognized Ani’s apartment building as one built by Fred Trump. I can imagine Donald Trump watching the film and rooting for the Russian oligarchs.

Anora stood out to me in a way that few films lately have. What struck me the most, and perhaps most of the audience, was the ending where Ani, after the marriage has been annulled and Igor has returned her home, right back where she started, he presents her the ring Toros had taken from her earlier. Unsure what to make of this unexpected kindness from the gopnik who had previously restrained her, she initiates sex with him right there, in the rundown car he’s driving, in a last-ditch effort to regain control of the situation. But when Igor tries to kiss her, she recoils, striking him until he grabs her wrists. As they look each other in the eye, Ani realizes he is seeing her for what she is—not as Ani but as Anora, a scared and lonely young woman just trying to survive. She breaks down sobbing in his arms, unable to hide behind her tough seductress persona, and in that moment not needing to.

What made this ending so startling was its ambiguity, not just in denying a sense of closure, but its abruptness, cutting right to silent credits, leaving the audience to digest what just happened. Since I first saw it I couldn’t help wondering if Ani/Anora would be okay. I realize that uncertainty was probably Sean Baker’s intention. Baker himself stated it was open to interpretation and it was up to the audience to “write their own endings.” Even the cast gave different interpretations. Is Ani going to connect with Igor? Will she get her life back on track? We don’t know, we can only hope for the best.

I think the reason I’ve been a fan of the movie (for which I use the portmanteau Fanora) is that I’ve seen myself in Ani. I too have been struggling to get ahead in life, and when I found a theatre company that agreed to stage my work I felt like things were looking up, like Ani was when she and Ivan got married. However, when the company ousted me without a proper explanation, I, like Ani, was devastated. I even filed a claim with the city against the company, but the artistic director threatened to publicly claim that I had made a pass at an underage girl. Even though the claim was unfounded, I felt obligated to yield, as Ivan’s callous mother Galina had threatened to ruin Ani if she sued.

Also the movie was acclaimed for presenting how the wealthy exploit the lower classes. Even the family’s underlings, whose search for Ivan takes up a good chunk of the second act, are really just working people trying to do a difficult job for a demanding employer. They don’t even want to be there, as Toros and Garnik have to leave their family baptism, like being called to work at the last minute. Just before the screening, I had left my job as an Amazon courier, where I had been one of those people in blue, hauling hand carts of packages for a slim wage. It was no easy task, working out of a truck instead of an office and having to rely on nearby parks to use the bathroom and I was glad to have left before the weather got too cold or my feet got too worn out for marathon running. I’ve never done sex work, but as I see it, any physically demanding job is pretty much selling your body. My last day on the job, I related to one of the recipients how we were dealing with lackluster conditions while Jeff Bezos was gallivanting in outer space (Toros even noted that Ivan’s bedroom has spaceships all over the walls, a sign of immaturity). I even joked how for most of us, the closest some working people would get to the lap of luxury was grinding against it for tips. Turns out that would be the story of Ani’s life.

The movies themes of class exploitation, relationships as transactions and fantasy vs. reality are presented early on when Ani first gives Ivan a lap dance, saying “This is not allowed. But I like you” in Russian before going fully nude, since Ivan’s tipping her in hundreds. Ivan’s response: “God bless America!” Not the sort of phrase one would expect at a strip club, but it shows how both have bought into different facets of the American façade—he in terms of luxurious partying and she in terms of upward mobility. Ani even admits later wanting a honeymoon at Disney World, a place known as a fantasy destination. But ultimately both have their bubbles burst, as Ivan is sent back to Russia and Ani is back in her old drab life, only heartbroken and disenchanted. The exchange indicates a connection between the two, as both are speaking each other’s language, but the power imbalance is evident—she’s already relaxing her professional boundaries to keep her whale on the hook, and he knows he can skirt the rules by throwing enough cash around.

Anora has been deemed an anti-fairytale, especially in comparisons to Pretty Woman, which had originally been conceived as a gritty drama before it became Disneyfied. Like in that movie, Ani accepts an offer to be a hired girlfriend and ends up with a rich husband, but that’s where the similarities end. The marriage itself is essentially a business deal, with Ivan getting a citizenship and Ani getting financial security. Her answer to Ivan’s proposal is an insistence that the diamond in her ring be at least three carats, it’s just another hustle for her. Even as Ani declares that she and Ivan are in love, she never tells Ivan she loves him. In most other movies, Ani and Ivan would develop a genuine connection, perhaps his family would come to accept her, and he’d even get better in bed. But that doesn’t happen here, because Ivan, as it turns out, is no Prince Charming, he is only what Toros described him as—a spoiled, thoughtless manchild. When Ivan flees during the home invasion, Ani insists he’s getting help. It turns out Ivan did the opposite, going off on one big last hurrah where he runs up a high tab at at least one club, is barred from another for being too drunk to enter, and is ultimately found at Ani’s former club, having bought a session from Ani’s ill-tempered rival. When Ani finally gets to speak to him, as she only joined the search to do, he doesn’t even stick up for her, he only thanks her for making his last trip to America fun, which forces Ani to accept the harsh truth she had tried to avoid—that she would never be more than a fling to him.

But Ani herself is ultimately presenting a fantasy, as indicated by the film’s title, her real name, rather than the nickname she goes by. Her big internal conflict ultimately isn’t her occupation or her financial status or her love life, it’s her denial of her true self. When Igor says he likes Anora more than Ani, he doesn’t just mean her full name, he means the real her, the one thing Ani’s most unwilling to bare, especially in front of someone she’s only known for two days and who participated in binding and gagging her, if only under orders. But her hostility to Igor is mostly because he embodies what she really is and doesn’t want to present, a working-class ethnic doing a frowned-upon job to get by. Only after a hail Mary attempt to escape her repressed pain, and allowing him to hold her, does Anora, like the butterflies she’s been wearing, emerge from her self-imposed casing, her true colors apparent.

Should there a sequel? Probably not, as much as I’d like more to happen with these characters it would be best to leave the ending as is. But part of me would like to think that Anora will get the satisfaction she’s been working towards, because if she can, maybe I can as well.

Ranting and Ranking #4—SNL’s 50th Season

I have been a lifelong fan of Saturday Night Live since I began watching regularly around age 10. I’ve wanted to be a cast member or writer, possibly host. A guy can dream, right? This year SNL wrapped up its 50th season, building up to a major special in February. Also noteworthy is that this season had only five-first time hosts, tied for Season 45 with the fewest new hosts, and that season was cut short by the COVID pandemic. SNL is clearly not taking risks like it did in its earliest years, and has been hyping up its anniversary at the expense of the current show. Still, I’ve been watching, partly due to being a devoted fan and partly because I haven’t had much luck getting dates. Season 50 was one of the few seasons in recent memory where I’ve watched every episode in its entirety, and so with the new season underway I thought it fitting to rank the previous season:

20) March 1, 2025—Shane Gillis/Tate McRae
It’s one thing when Shane’s invited to host after being fired for controversial social media posts. It’s another thing to be brought back to host even after his first appearance was widely panned (did he really have to use the R slur?). And the second time, his monologue wasn’t even funny. Yes, there were a few good parts, but he didn’t do enough to justify his return engagement.

19) December 14, 2024—Chris Rock/Gracie Abrams
You would expect better from Chris Rock, with three seasons as a cast member and three prior hosting appearances, maybe they would bring back Nat X, who would have a lot to say about current race relations. But nooooo! No sketches really stood out and neither did Rock.

18) May 10, 2025—Walton Goggins/Arcade Fire
Another hit or miss episode, and given how well Arcade Fire did previously as MG, they did not bring their A game.

17) March 29, 2025—Mikey Madison/Morgan Wallen
As much as I loved her in Anora, Mikey didn’t do much as host, though that wasn’t her fault, as the material was weak (including three pointless rehashed sketches) and reduced her to supporting bits, like they didn’t trust her, or perhaps Anora isn’t recognizable enough. She did shine in the 10-to-1 sketch, and it was interesting to have her in the cold opening (one of the season’s best), which doesn’t happen a lot these days (we don’t need all those celebrity cameos). Still it didn’t help to have Wallen as a musical guest. As if his previous controversies weren’t enough he just walked offstage, wanting to go back to “God’s Country.” Please stay there, Morgan.

16) September 28, 2024—Jean Smart/Jelly Roll
For a season opener, especially for a milestone year, this was a letdown. You would expect better with four months to develop new ideas. Aside from the I Love Lucy sketch, none of the sketches were that great. I got that Jean was ill the day of her episode, and I admire her for sticking it out, but that didn’t make the show any less underwhelming.

Side note: I just saw this season’s opener with Bad Bunny, and it too was disappointing, though Bad Bunny did a better job than Jean Smart. And aside from being newcomer hosts to hosting lackluster episodes, Smart and Madison have something else in common—both have made onscreen physical contact with Lindsey Normington.

15) January 18, 2025—Dave Chapelle/GloRilla
Another controversial comic, one who delivered a 17-minute monologue, the longest in the show’s history, even longer than the 16-minute monologue from his last hosting stint. Is this SNL or Chappelle’s Show? Chapelle brought laughs in his fourth appearance, and his monologue had many good bits, even if it didn’t allow much time for other sketches. But if he doesn’t join the Five-Timers Club I can live with that.

14) November 9, 2024—Bill Burr/Mk.gee
Another okay episode, with yet another problematic comedian, and I don’t think Bill Burr really merited a return engagement, but it did have a better sketch on baldness than the Weekend Update segment, and the dads on the phone sketch was heartfelt. Plus, they dealt with Trump’s re-election pretty well, even if, like most of the season’s political material, it hasn’t been too scathing.

13) December 7, 2024—Paul Mescal/Shaboozey
Not a bad episode, not not too impressive either. While I did like the Gladiator musical and pirate stripper sketches, nothing else really stood out.

12) May 17, 2025—Scarlett Johansson/Bad Bunny
Now that Scarlett has hosted the most times of a female, she’s integrated herself well into the show, and being married to Colin Jost doesn’t hurt. Bad Bunny also did well, especially in the “Couples at the Bar” sketch. Unfortunately there were plenty of dud sketches, two of which came right after Update, and the “Piano Man” monologue fell flat, but the 10-to-1 made up for it. Still, not the best way to close a milestone season.

11) October 5, 2024—Nate Bargatze/Coldplay
Bargatze was certainly welcome back less than a year after his first hosting spot, and we did welcome more of Washington’s Dream, which has since pretty much become his shtick (which I tried to imitate), but other than that it was a meh episode. An improvement over the Jean Smart episode the previous week, but still not quite there.

10) April 12, 2025—Jon Hamm/Lizzo
Hamm is clearly a welcome presence on SNL, with his numerous cameos as the monologue highlighted. Not quite as good as the Jack Black episode preceding it, but with good parts like “Guess! The Correct! Answer!” (this was the third episode in a row with a game show sketch, and it was the best of the three) and “The White POTUS” (though I agree that making fun of Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth was a cheap shot).

9) January 25, 2025—Timothée Chalamet
Of the three hosts who doubled as musical guest this season, all were in good form, but Chalamet’s episode I rank the lowest. No shade on him, he did well performing Bob Dylan, but the sketches were uneven, with “Dog Run” being particularly weak. It was nice to see Lin-Manuel Miranda in the monologue, why can’t he be MG?

8) October 19, 2024—Michael Keaton/Billie Eilish
Keaton’s fourth appearance (over the course of over four decades, BTW) was okay, even if him being chosen as host did seem unnecessary at times. And they could have done more with Eilish, given her previous hosting gig. But most of the sketches landed, like the Please Don’t Destroy skydiving film and another Tiktok sequence.

7) December 21, 2024—Martin Short/Hozier
Usually some of the better episodes air around Christmastime (highlights include “Schweddy Balls” and Steve Martin’s “Holiday Wish”, as well as the better musical performances, (such as the Foo Fighters in 2017). This episode, Short’s induction into the Five-Timers Club, did not disappoint, even if there were fewer sketches than usual.

6) October 12, 2024—Ariana Grande/Stevie Nicks
After the year’s rocky start, it got the ball rolling. Too bad about the technical glitch near the end that delayed Nicks’ second performance (she’s still got it, by the way) and replaced one of the sketches with a pretaped cut-for-time bit. Though we didn’t get Ariana singing or doing Wicked (except in a certain popular sketch, where she pulls off “bad singing,” which is tricky for actors).

Side note: The day before I had quit my job as an Amazon Walker, so I could definitely relate to the Weekend Update segement about overworked Amazon workers.

5) November 16, 2024—Charli XCX
I wouldn’t call the episode brat (I still don’t know the meaning of brat as an adjective, to me it does not have a positive connotation), but it was enjoyable, with the return of Domingo and the Wicked auditions. It seems like with those who do double duty as host and MG, that used to be reserved for real music icons or musicians who had established themselves as actors. Nowadays it’s pretty much whoever’s the hot pop star. But XCX carried the show well, I would call her the best of this season’s first-time hosts.

4) April 5, 2025—Jack Black/Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Jack was back on SNL for the first time in almost two decades, and it was well worth the wait, employing Jack Black’s rock & roll chops with “Goth Kid on Vacation” and “Bass Lake.” As for the musical guests, Elton and Brandi did okay together (Elton’s hosting spot in 2010 was a disappointment, with every sketch having him as a flamboyant gay, which tired quickly).

3) November 2, 2024—John Mulaney/Chappell Roan
Another winner, with the welcome return of “What’s That Name?” (with a political bent) and the obligatory New York musical. It would have been fun to have Chappell in a sketch, but she was still one of the season’s more memorable musical guests, with whom Bowen Yang seems to get along.

2) May 3, 2025—Quinta Brunson/Benson Boone
Quinta definitely earned her second hosting stint, and Benson Boone certainly made a good impression. I should really learn how to backflip. And when I saw Sabrina Carpenter in the monologue (one of the better musical numbers), I knew she would host someday, as if her spot in the 50th anniversary special hadn’t made it clear.

1) March 8, 2025—Lady Gaga
Hands down the best of the season, Every sketch was a hit, such as the rideable luggage (a not-bad romance), the Friendly’s birthday and “No More Slay,” plus Gaga’s two memorably lively musical performances.

So season 50, with all its hype, was like most other SNL seasons, not too consistent but still entertaining. That’s all for now, and even though the 51st season is already underway, and off to a shaky start, hopefully it will pick up. Also, we’re close to another milestone, the 1000th episode, and hopefully that will be a winner. Of course, it might not, but we’re still hoping for the best.