Aaron Fox Misses the Music. Well, I Miss David.

Date of Performance: October 13 evening

By: Rupert Holmes (book), John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics), Scott Ellis (direction), Rob Ashford (choreography), William David Brohn (orhestrations)

Starring: John Bolton (u,Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Debra Monk (Carmen Bernstein), Karen Zeimba (Georgia Hendricks), Jason Danieley (Aaron Fox), Jill Paice (Nikki Harris), Edward Hibbert (Christopher Belling), Michael X. Martin (Daryl Grady), Noah Racey (Bobby Pepper), Ernie Sabella (Sidney Bernstein), Megan Sikora (Bambi Bernet)


I'll be honest...Growing up, I watched a lot of Frasier. In fact, when I was younger, I had a much better understanding of who Frasier and Niles Crane were than I did of Cory Matthews and his girl Friday, Topanga Laurence. I was raised to be a Frasier fan, and in turn, I grew up loving David Hyde Pierce.

I knew he was part of a new Broadway show, but in all honesty, I didn't know that much about it until the Tonys rolled around. I have faithfully watched the Tonys for several years now, and when I realized what Curtains was and that David Hyde Pierce was involved, I was extra pleased to see one of my favorite television personalities back on screen, right in my home. My mother and I had been wanting to go to New York for awhile, and something about watching the Tonys this past summer gave us the extra push we needed. We each made a list of dates we could travel and ranked our list of shows we wanted to see. First on my mother's wish list: Curtains with David Hyde Pierce. The thought of getting to see him perform live after missing his Sir Robin in Spamalot was exciting to her, and we quickly bought tickets.

...So you can imagine our disappointment when David Hyde Pierce was out on vacation the night we went to see the show.

That's the backstory. Now here's the review.



Curtains, with its big musical numbers, numerous costume changes, and cheeky book, reminds me a lot of the musicals I saw growing up, and rightfully so. The show takes this format and pays tribute to the musicals of the past, but adds its own twist. It's a who-done-it murder mystery which is a nice mix up, but even more importantly, it is particularly self aware, making jokes about theatre critics, directors, and actors.

The show opens on the eve of the Boston opening of Robbin' Hood, a western musical. The pre-Broadway cast gives it their all in the closing number of the show, but their efforts simply cannot outweigh the fact that the star of the production, a film actress, simply cannot sing, dance, or act. When she dies during the curtain call, no one seems distraught over her death; in fact, it is quite the opposite. The director, played by the dry Edward Hibbert (also of Frasier) is glad to be rid of her. Carmen the producer, played by Debra Monk, tries to find a way to save the show, while the lyricist/composer team and estranged husband and wife Aaron and Georgia attempt to quickly rewrite the musical numbers. The cast wants to opt out; the show has been massacred by early reviews, and they simply want to go in search of better jobs. However, police lieutenant Frank Cioffi (David Hyde Pierce), sent to investigate the murder, proves to be more than they bargained for. He's not only a policeman doing his job; he's a wannabe song and dance man. Cioffi infuses the Robbin' Hood production with much needed inspiration, and he plays a large role in bringing the killer to justice and saving the show.

Acting wise, this show is top notch; Debra Monk is as sharp and witty as ever and her Carmen lends a good sense of sass. Megan Sikora, as Carmen's blonde bombshell daughter Bambi, is a scene stealer, and presents a character that is both brassy and vulnerable. Though they do not have a strong physical resemblance, Sikora and Monk craft characters that are psychologically similar. Karen Ziemba as Georgia, the writer tapped to take over the lead role, is wonderful; she acts from the top of her head to the tip of her toes and every one of her actions is utterly believable. Jason Daniely, with a beautiful tenor voice, brings a great deal of wistfulness and regret to his character, but is sorely underused. Jill Paice, as the suspiciously sugary sweet ingenue Nikki was pleasant, but I must admit, the tone of voice she affects really began to grate on my nerves. I particularly enjoyed Noah Racey as Bobby, George's former lover and the male lead of Robbin' Hood.

The staging is creative, but I do find some fault with the choreography. Most of the time it is extraordinary, but for a show that wants to pay tribute to musicals of the past, it simply is not appropriate for there to be a great deal of "crotchcentric" moves. It just doesn't make sense. In addition, the script is not the strongest. Riddled with jokes, some work well, and others are too cliche and just seem to want to knock you over your head. The show within a show concept is a bit precarious; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Leaving the theatre, I admit, I felt uneasy and frustrated because I wanted to like this so much--featuring a talented cast and a score by Kander and Ebb, I wanted it to blow me away, but the sum of the show's parts just didn't make for an entirely enchanting, exciting finished product.

And (you knew this was coming) I have to say, the absence of David Hyde Pierce was strongly felt. Detective Cioffi is central to the plot and the heart of Curtains; his physical awkwardness and sheer delightful fascination with theatre require a particularly dynamic and charismatic actor. Without that, we just aren't pulled in, and we aren't invested in Cioffi. And without Cioffi, the whole thing suffers. The understudy just didn't do it for me. What can I say? David Hyde Pierce is a tough act to follow.


High Points:
Megan Sikora in "Kansasland"--Her dancing and acrobatics will take your breath away
"I Miss the Music" and "Coffee Shop Nights"--Beautiful Ballads; Ebb and Kander at their finest
"Thataway"--Exciting number, great choreography, and a great performance from both Karen Ziemba and Noah Racey
"A Tough Act to Follow"--Musical theatre fantasy; Enormously engaging and charming
"It's a Business"--Debra Monk at her coolest
"He Did It"--great staging and interaction between characters
"Show People"--Sure to be a classic, it's an anthem for performers everywhere.

Low Points:
"What Kind of Man?"
Obvious Jokes





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