Ready for prime time
Randy Newman's song catalogue has again been picked over to create a stage show. Harps and Angels, in its Mark Taper Forum world premiere (through December 22), reminds us once more of Newman's special place in popular music. A rock era singer-songwriter who fashioned stinging satire and sweeping soundtracks, his signature was lyrics sung by a narrator who was not only unreliable, but often reprehensible.
Jerry Zaks directs the new musical, which was conceived by Jack Viertel of Broadway's Jujamcyn productions. Musical staging is by Warren Carlyle, with Newman's longtime musical director Michael Roth handling arrangements and running the band each show. David O worked with Roth on orchestrations.
Unfortunately, while there are occasional moments that add something to the original version, there is not a lot of imagination present in this production. And, for a show that only opened a week ago, there is a decided lack of excitement – not to mention brashness. It all feels a little too polite, like an old television comedy show with a half-dozen versatile regulars who this week salute Randy Newman. While all extremely talented, none – with one exception here – seems born to the music, or able to own these songs down in the bones. It's a fine showcase for Mr. Newman, if you don't mind looking through overly tempered glass.
Songbook musicals generally take the form of a revue of the writer's hits mixed with noteworthy tunes audiences may have missed, or a narrative in which the songs are arranged to support a story line. In the mid-'80s, Des McAnuff launched the revuew Maybe I'm Doing It Wrong, and a decade ago, Roth and Newman worked with South Coast Repertory's Jerry Patch to attempt the semi-biographical Education of Randy Newman. In Harps, we're back to the revue format, with songs vaguely arranged to show progression through life. (An actor announces in the second song, "I was born right here," and the same actor, now playing an old man, lies in a hospital bed in the second to the last song.)
The talented company assembled by Zaks are led by Katey Sagal (best known for her role as Peg Bundy on "Married With Children") and Michael McKean (best known for comedy film gems such as Best in Show and the music business parodies, Spinal Tap, about hard rock, and A Mighty Wind, about folk). The others are Ryder Bach, Storm Large, Adriane Lenox, and Matthew Saldivar.
The women all have strong voices. The men less so. Though Sagal seems capable of the big Broadway vocal, she never seems to tear into a song. Same thing, from the rock vocal direction, with Large (though her table-turning rendition of "Leave Your Hat On" gets as close as anything, and is a highlight). Lenox manages to make the most of every song. Even a ditty like "You've Got a Friend in Me" can tug at the heart. When all three sing together, as in "Rollin," it shows how excellent the voices really are. Still, sweet harmonies (and they are sweet, as sweet as the water nymphs in O' Brother . . . , and that's saying something) cannot make up for the missing roughness.
Of the men, McKean takes the older, Newmanesque characters and presents them genially, even casually. As a result, his best effort – and, not surprisingly, the most "produced" number – is his wonderful "Opry-fied" version of "Big Hat, No Cattle". But, he is nearly as casual in "Shame," which Angelenos know from Education actor Gregg Henry's version in 2000, can be a rocking episode of wizened lechery.
The other two singers, Bach and Saldivar, are adequate if unexciting. Saldivar does well with the subtle ironies of the beautiful "Marie," in which a man pours out his heart about his love, revealing the faults in him he has no intention of changing.
Still, rising above it all are the songs. Anytime the great man can be given a forum for his peculiar brand of peculiarity, it's another perfect day in L.A. And, his willingness to get on board with a few video appearances – and to comb his hair first! – show he's still willing to pour out his heart to us, and thankfully not change his intentions. However, finding the right format for the stage continues to elude him. At least with Zaks restrained direction and a cast more prime time than primal.
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