A little Liza in The World Goes 'Round

 Do you recognize the New Rep favorite standing next to Liza Minnelli? 

It is David Costa who is currently in our production of The World Goes ‘Round! 

David Costa, a New Rep favorite, recently shared his thoughts and stories with Edge's Kilian Melloy regarding the performance and his relationship with Ms. Minnelli:

"Somehow -- I don’t even know how it happened -- she would call me when she would be on a television show, and I would tape it for her," Costa continued. "I would tape all her shows and send them to her, and then if I ever wanted to see her in concert, she would get a seat for me, front row center.” 

You can read the full preview HERE.

New Rep would also like to congratulate Liza Minnelli for recently being awarded France's Legion of Honor, the country's highest cultural decoration. What an incredible accomplishment! Read more HERE.

So don't forget, it isn't too late to buy your tickets to The World Goes 'Round, and see David Costa and the rest of the talented cast, Leigh Barrett, Aimee Doherty, De’Lon Grant, and Shannon Lee Jones, bringing a little Liza to the stage...

“The World Goes Round” Spans the Multilayered Catalog of Kander and Ebb

by Jana Pollack, New Rep Reviewer

New Rep’s summer show is “The World Goes Round,” a collection of Kander and Ebb songs performed in cabaret style. Although the show begins with a hefty dose of schmaltz, as it continues it allows its talented performers numerous chances to display moment after moment of genuine emotion – genuine joy, genuine sadness, and true hilarity.

Kander and Ebb have a very large catalogue of songs, and while “The World Goes Round” is a lovely tribute to their repertoire, its dedication to the range of subject matter has a bit of a jarring effect. One of the most famous pieces Kander and Ebb produced is the title song from the musical “Cabaret.” “What good is sitting alone in your room?,” it asks, and it is often performed as an opening to musical revues; an invitation to come out and enjoy life. In the context of the show for which it was written, though, it is a deeply sad song, a song sung by a woman on the brink of desperation. This disconnect between the original intent of the song and the way it is often used is a prime example of the largest problem with “The World Goes Round” – an imbalance between heavy and light.

While all of the songs are enjoyable as individual entities, it is disconcerting to hear “The Grass Is Always Greener” – a hilarious little duet – and then to soon after be treated to a version of “Money Money,” which was written to portray the pain of poverty that struck during the Holocaust. The show can’t decide on the overall effect it wants to have, and that hurts the piece as a whole.

Despite this organizational flaw, however, “The World Goes Round” offers many moments of great entertainment. Leigh Barrett is the first to cast a spell, with a moving rendition of “Colored Lights.” Shannon Lee Jones turns heads with “Arthur in the Afternoon,” as well as a fresh take on the often-performed “All That Jazz.” Although some lesser tunes are also done (such as the fairly ridiculous “Sara Lee”), they detract very little from the strength of the more powerful numbers. This show is valuable for the moments in which the genuine sneaks in – as Leigh Barrett recounts her loneliness in “Isn’t This Better?”, as Aimee Doherty describes love as “A Quiet Thing” – for these glimpses into the human spirit, this is a piece of theater worth seeing.

A Summertime Musical Treat

By Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

I entered the theatre for New Rep’s production of The World Goes ‘Round not in the best of moods. After two hours, I left smiling and humming a few good songs. This is the sign of a good summertime musical revue.

The World Goes ‘Round was conceived in 1991 as a revue of the work of John Kander and Fred Ebb who wrote wonderful musicals such as Cabaret and Chicago as well as recently premiered works, Curtains and The Scottsboro Boys. Thankfully, this work, conceived by Susan Stroman, Scott Ellis, and David Thompson did not seek to insert a narrator or add scenes of dialogue to try string together songs. They simply let the songs speak for themselves and tell their own story. What they weave together is an enjoyable night of many tunes you know as well as some that you may not.

New Rep favorites Leigh Barrett and Aimee Doherty are a joy to watch and hear sing this great music – their performance of Class is stellar – it’s a joy to see them perform. In addition Shannon Lee Jones, David Costa, and De’Lon Grant – all of whom have appeared in New Rep productions – deliver solid performances. Ilyse Robbin’s direction is uneven with some truly outstanding and greatly conceived moments, as well as a few times when the actors seem to lack direction. The funnier moments, especially the numbers Coffee, Sara Lee, and Class are the standout numbers of the show and make the evening a memorable one. I wonder if the show itself would be tighter if a few numbers were eliminated and it be made into a slightly shorter intermission-less piece. These are simply minor qualms to an overall enjoyable piece.

The set is, simple art deco inspired, and provides the actors lots of room to shine. The orchestra is comprised of four players – keyboard, wind, string bass, and percussion. They are located on stage in what reminded me of a big band look and provide good sounding accompaniment.

The show was a great way to end New Rep’s year. It is was a very enjoyable evening and is highly recommended for Fans of Kander and Ebb.

"The World Goes 'Round": the Candor Never Ebbs

by Jack Craib, New Rep Reviewer

To call New Rep’s current production “The World Goes Round” a nearly perfect summer evening’s entertainment would be an understatement. It’s a show for all seasons regardless of temperature, but this show is hot. Twenty years ago, this compilation of songs by composer John Kander and the late lyricist Fred Ebb was created, with input by Kander and Ebb themselves, by librettist David Thompson, director Scott Ellis, and choreographer Susan Stroman. The genius of their collaboration lies in the fact that, unlike other “and then I wrote” shows, this consists not of a string of tenuously related show tunes, but a carefully constructed series of vignettes, each song or medley managing to convey a more or less complete story or mood. The show survives as a tribute to the first twenty-nine years of the body of work by Kander and Ebb. Thus there are no echoes from their later works; there is no “Steel Pier”, no “Curtains”, and especially no “Scottsboro Boys”. There are twenty-nine numbers from their extraordinary output for Broadway, films, television and even an industrial show, running the gamut from mega-hits like “Chicago” and “Cabaret” to the lesser-known “Zorba”, “The Rink” and “The Happy Time”. Above all, this show illustrates how these two men, throughout their careers, emphasized the downtrodden and the unsung….until they made them soar in song, the truth of their characters always flowing.

Kander and Ebb, like many of their contemporaries, wrote primarily for women who need no surname introduction (Barbra, Chita, Gwen, and most frequently, Liza), so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the women in this company, all familiar to New Rep audiences from previous appearances, have the best opportunities to shine. And shine they do, but often in surprising ways. Leigh Barrett confirms her status as a true Broadway belter, but she also gets the chance, in such numbers as “My Coloring Book” (the first song the team ever wrote), to create several very moving quiet moments. Shannon Lee Jones, remembered for her contribution to New Rep’s previous production of “Cabaret”, while exhibiting solid talent in songs like “A Quiet Thing” (from Liza’s first show, “Flora the Red Menace”) exceeds expectations as a comedienne in another Minnelli number, “Arthur in the Afternoon”. The most pleasant shock, given her prior serious roles at New Rep, is the comic artistry of Aimee Doherty, who equals the comedy chops of Leigh Barrett in their duets of “Class”, unforgivably dropped from the filmed version of “Chicago”, and “The Grass Is Always Greener” from “Woman of the Year”. The latter song is a good example of how a number can alter its meaning when not heard in the original context of its source but still be hilarious.

The men in the company have a tougher time. The title song from “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, sung by De’Lon Grant, is meaningless out of context (and, curiously, was included in the 1991 original “And the World Goes ‘Round” even though it was to be another year before “Spider Woman” opened in London and two years before its opening on Broadway), as is the number “Marry Me”, sung by David Costa, who at least gets to sing the unforgettable “Mr. Cellophane” from “Chicago” and the haunting “Sometimes a Day Goes By“ from “Woman of the Year“. The other men in the company who provide the music for the magic are Musical Director Todd C. Gordon on electronic keyboard (sadly, not a piano), Brian Grochowski on bass, and Jim DeLorey on percussion (and kazoo). There is a fourth excellent woodwind musician who is uncredited in the program. The technical contributions by Erik D. Diaz (scenic design), Deidre McCabe Gerrard (costume design) and Deb Sullivan (lighting design) are all first-rate.

When all is said and done, however, the success of this production rests squarely on the shoulders of Director and Choreographer Ilyse Robbins (with an occasional homage to Bob Fosse). Without her consistently fluid overall approach, as well as her countless amazing little touches, this could easily have been a flat and dispassionate bunching of disjointed star turns. It’s hard to believe that this is only her second professional directing effort, much less that, according to the background information from New Rep‘s website, she accomplished this with just two weeks of rehearsal. Thanks to her vision and the talents of this impressive cast, the sweat never shows, but the heat sure as hell does.

Review of the Revue

You know those shows that just make you happy? This is one of those shows.

For their 2011 Summer Show, New Rep has collected a startlingly talented group of performers, and given them a long list of some of the catchiest songs you've ever heard. At intermission, we heard milling audience members humming the tunes in the lobby, at the snack bar, and even in the bathroom!

If you're looking for plot, or deep emotional upheaval, this ain't it. But if you want a fun, frisky night out, you couldn't do better than the award-winning musical revue of Kander & Ebb tunes, "The World Goes 'Round," done with classic New Rep panache.

The cast features several New Rep favorites, including the talented and versatile Leigh Barrett and Aimee Doherty. Barrett and Doherty's duet of "Class," from "Chicago," is a comedic highlight of the show. Shannon Lee Jones rounds out the production with a jazzy, breezy Broadway style (and how did she fit into that stunning black jumper at the end of Act 1?). Two terrific male performers complete the set, both of whom have graced New Rep stages before. De'Lon Grant, recently seen in "Passing Strange," is funny and poignant by turns, and demonstrates some astonishing upper body strength in "Arthur in the Afternoon." David Costa shows off some fancy dance moves throughout, especially shining in "Sara Lee."

The cast rarely all congregate; rather, this show is a venue for each performer to shine, mostly individually, although the duets and overlapped songs were some of my favorite parts. The format also showcases acting as well as singing talent; each song creates a character, and a particular situation, that the actors make immediately apparent. If there was a weak link in the cast, we couldn't spot it.

Ditto for the production values; direction, music, choreography, lighting, set, props, and costumes all worked together beautifully. Three cheers also for the band, who are playing almost continuously, without missing a beat. We especially appreciated the flautist, whose name unfortunately does not appear in the program, but whose talents were much in demand in nearly every song. Kander and Ebb apparently appreciated woodwind emphasis to evoke all kinds of moods.

While we've long loved their shows, we knew little about these composers before last night. We're grateful to New Rep for showcasing their collective creative genius in a show that left a smile on the face of everyone there. Great fun!

~ Shauna Shames & Johanna Ettin