The Wire in the West End
The living is easy
I don't go to the theatre very often. I go to see musicals even less often. But on Saturday night we saw Porgy & Bess at the Savoy in London's glittering West End from the Dress Circle and it was tremendously entertaining. I don't know the play - I've never even seen the 1959 Otto Preminger film, which I understand the Gershwins didn't much rate - so it was a brand new experience for me. It's amazing how many of the songs I knew - Summertime, It Ain't Necessarily So, Plenty Of Nuthin' - and that I'd absorbed the name Catfish Row, where the poor black workers lived in South Carolina, throwing dice (or "bones"), mending nets, stabbing each other and singing and dancing. Having been with my dad to see Spamalot before Christmas, I am coming to the conclusion that if you're going to spend a small fortune going to a West End theatre, you might as well see a musical. That way, for your money, you get to see a lot of amazing physical exertion and skill, and listen to a fantastic hidden orchestra. (For the record, the other musicals I have seen in that there London are: The Buddy Holly Story with my mum and dad, Tommy, Shock-Headed Peter, and Taboo. The non-musicals plays I have seen are: Waiting For Godot with Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, Gasping by Ben Elton, starring Hugh Laurie, Panic On The 39th Floor by Neil Simon, Death Of A Salesman with Brian Dennehy, Stuff Happens by David Hare, and a Steven Berkhoff production of Kafka's The Trial years ago. There may be some others, but the list is not a long one. Maybe I should go more.) So, thoroughly enjoyed Porgy, which I understand is really an opera, but I've seen one opera, Don Gionvanni at ENO, and you couldn't understand a word of it, so this can't have been one, as I followed it all the way through. But here's the big treat: I felt I recognised the actor playing crippled Porgy so I looked him up in the programme during the interval and - yes! - it was Clarke Peters! Clarke Peters! Lester Freamon, fastidious, dolls-house-furniture-making detective off of TV's The Wire! Turns out he lives over here, and is something of a regular on the London stage, and he wrote the book for Five Guys Named Moe. So I enjoyed the second half even more for the shallow fact that somebody off my favourite US television series was doing a gig in front of me. What a rich and lovely singing voice he had too, and some excellent, convincing cripple acting too. Hooray. On many levels.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 3:37 PM
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And of course Dominic West - that fuck up McNulty - is in Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll up the road at the Duke of York's Theatre in St Martin's Lane.
Good to see you back Andrew. As a non-London dweller there is something especially exciting about going to see a show in the West End. A couple of years back I went to see Phantom of the Opera with relatives and it was really spectacular. And on a similar vein, has O Brother Where Art Thou been made into a musical? If not that might be interesting.
Very glad you're back. I was in Leicester Square on Saturday looking for half price last minute tickets imagining they'd be a tenner or so. I guess it's been a while since we went to a show in London and we forgot about inflation. Funds being inadequate, we went for a 2-for-1 meal at Wagamama instead so it all turned out nice.
Ah, the smell of the grease paint etc etc! It has always been a treat for me to go to the theatre, and I think you're right - a musical gives good value for money. The only recent show I've been to was The Producers, which I enjoyed thoroughly (although maybe more because it featured Reece Shearsmith and I recognised him from the telly) and before that, I'm embarrassed to say was Jesus Christ Superstar (not embarrassed by the show, just the time between shows!). I love the film, and the show again featured someone off of the telly - Ferdy from This Life. I think 'West End Shows' would have made a good Sunday Best...
Andrew, Clarke also played 'Fat Curt' a crippled veteran drug dealer in the excellent mini-series The Corner - which was David Simon's preceding work to the Wire, so it's not surprise to me he played Porgy convincing. I was shocked a few months ago, when I saw him turn up as the baddie in Mona Lisa. So many of these great character actors seem to be under the radar of the population's gaze.
Andrew, I take it then that you've yet to see Frost/Nixon? Well, you have about 10 days to do so before it moves to Broadway and wows them over there too. It's arguably the best ever play about the television industry (yeah, I grant you that there probably isn't that much competition) and has Michael Sheen and Frank Langella battling it out in a play so entertaining it doesn't even need an interval.
We managed to nab a couple of half price tickets on - yes! - the half price ticket line in Leicester Square for Row B of the stalls a few weeks ago. To say you'd like it is an understatement along the lines of claiming Watergate made the odd headline...
I like the theatre, but that does have a lot to do with the fact that I accompany my critic pal Mark to a lot of shows. I even usually like the bad ones, especially Peggy Sue Got Married - The Musical. Last time, we saw an all-male production of Twelfth Night, where the countess Olivia looked more like Margaret Dumont, but how else can you dress a beefy bloke? How about getting Where Did It All Go Right? onstage, with Angel Delight served in the intervals.
PS I know Clarke's nephew, who is wonderfully talented and very handsome.
PPS Welcome back!
I got roped in to accompany my aged mother to see Mamma Mia just before Christmas. I wasn't really looking forward to it - I quite enjoy Abba and must confess to owning their Greatest Hits but the thought of sitting through a stage play based on their music didn't fill me with glee. An evening in the Half Moon is more my thing.
What can I say? The show was fantastic, the (hidden) band was great and everyone walked out of the theatre wearing wide grins, myself included.
If you're one of those who sneers at the thought of shows like this (like I used to) then I challenge you to go along and walk out at the end without a smile on your face.
My other half works as a waitress in that very restaurant so I hope you were nice to the staff, e. Louise!
Luckily her last day's on Saturday...
Good to see you back Andrew.
I've rarely had a bad night at the theatre musical or otherwise.
Really enjoyed Rob Lowe in 'A Few Good Men' a coupla years back.
So is it worth coming back to London for 'Porgy and Bess' Maybe if they get some more 'Wire' cast members in and change the name to 'Omar and Bubbs'?
Welcome back AC.
Along with my sisters, I took my Mum to see 'Time:The Musical' in 1989. I was a very serious rockabilly at the time and went in with my coat over my head (taking care not to disturb my hair) in case any of my hip mates were driving past in their Caddies (these were the days of the Saturday Night Cruise, a 'see and be seen' for the London rockabillies). To add to the exquisite pain, 'Time: The Musical' featured not only the disembodied hologram head of Sir Laurence Oliver, floating above the stage, but it starred...Cliff Richard. Gyrating in a red jumpsuit . I was so traumatised by the experience that I have never seen another musical on the stage since.
Mind you my Mum loved it. And that's the main thing.
Personally I'm not mad on going to the theatre. Cramped seats, can't see, can't hear, too hot, too stuffy, squashed in with the general public. And I always find actors in the theatre just this side of hammy, probably because they HAVE TO PROJECT. I'd rather see a film on a Sunday afternoon.
Having said that, the last thing I saw was The History Boys at the National about three years ago, which was a a great play by a great playwright at a great theatres.
The National is a very nice theatre and how all theatres should be in the 21st century. We are no longer the size and shape of Victorians.
Glad to see you're back, was beginning to think sinister forces were at play!
To join in with the others - nice to have you back!
I've never really got on with live musical theatre, possibly flavoured by my first experience of the genre: Windsor Davies and Don Estelle at Southport Floral Hall, Summer '78. My next experience, some 15 years later was a matinee of Starlight Express. Some mothers do pick 'em.
Reading WDIAGR brought back all sorts of holiday memories - Southport in particular as it was the year we broke the pattern of the previous 10. If I can find the time I may send you something for the memories part of your site.
Andrew - what did you think of Spamalot? Yesterday's Guardian only gave it 3 stars. I saw it before Xmas with Tim Curry playing Arthur and would place it in the category of "good but not quite great". It reminded me a bit of a panto (& I went to see the incomparable Berwick Kaler's panto in York last week so I know what I'm talking about!), the songs were good and typically Eric Idle, most of the gags were good, but the plot such as it existed was a bit thin and tenuously put together - though I suppose so was that of the original film. Parts of it were a bit like watching a Python tribute act, and it tended to be those that got the biggest laughs.
Anyway, it's The Producers with John Gordon Sinclair and Peter Kay in Manchester next. Cue lots of "witty" audience members shouting out "garlic bread!" and thinking they're wit personified
Phil, I thoroughly enjoyed Spamalot, but I wouldn't trust myself to review it professionally, as it were. I am unable to retrieve my dispassionate, critical assessment from my emotional gut reaction to the occasion - it was such a happy one, having my dad come down on the train from Northampton, meeting him at Euston, going for a coffee together in Soho, seeing the matinee of Spamalot, then having a meal and seeing him off again at Euston. Dad introduced me to Python as a boy, and he and I have always shared this appreciation (not uncommon, I shouldn't imagine), so when he brought the subject up and it was close to his birthday, I was so excited to be able to buy tickets for us both as presents and tuck them inside a card. (There was no way Mum was going to come down to London to see it with him!) I came away feeling totally entertained. Alright, on paper, it's just a fairly flimsy translation of a film put onto the stage with a couple of postmodern, self-referential musical numbers added, but I loved the way they'd staged it, and got completley swept up by the joyful reaction of the audience.
I can see why a Guardian theatre critic would give it three, but I am not one.
You've all inspired me, I'm going to the West End ASAP to see a play. I hope Rock and Roll is still on.
In the meantime I'd like, if I'm allowed, to shamelessly promote our blog, which has moved from Blogspot (which was giving us bother). No worries if you want to delete this if it's out of order Andrew!
Beware - swears.
Watch With Mothers...
clivepounds, I was perfectly polite, you'll be pleased to hear.
I never once doubted you e. louise...
On my most recent visit to the theatre, I saw the stage adaptation of the comic Get Your War On and laughed my ass off. The comic consists of office drones saying beautifully sarcastic things about Bush's policies and, most often, his "war on terrorism" -- "I can't wait until the war is over and there's no more terrorism... Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War on Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore? It'll be just like that!" The theatrical production consisted of three-dimensional versions of said clip art, dialogue largely drawn from the comic, and the comic itself projected onto screens. An hour+ of hilarious, live criticism of Bush = good time at the theatre.
Apologies for getting back to the Wire, but I was looking at popmatters and they require writers for feature essays. I had this idea of writing a piece enquiring and examining why David Simon's work is continuously ignored by mainstream media and audiences. All his shows have garnered relatively low ratings, the only Emmy he won outright for himself was for the Corner, other than that it was Direction for Homicide episodes, or Andre Braugher as best actor. Homicide excelled in Peabody awards, but to my knowledge Homicide, the Corner or the Wire never won Emmys for outstanding drama series, or Golden Globes. Yet the works are lauded critically as some of the best shows of all time. David Simon suggests a proportion of America i.e. (white) may not see it as their story, but I'm a pasty-faced caucasian as they come, and identify with it. I don't see it solely as a story for black people, but a story that fuses politics, infrastructure, and survival into its very core.
Does anyone have any thoughts why Simon has been seemingly blackballed by the US media industry, or why most viewers would not watch? Or am I wasting my time with the genesis of a poor idea for an piece?
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