Photo by Lance Bellers

Theater is a family. A big, rowdy, competitive, loving, hyper-sensitive, dysfunctional family of artists and audiences, producers and press reps, chorus boys and critics, all just hoping to make something special happen on a stage. And then go chat about it over a big, fat martini. This blog is that cocktail conversation. Or at least, I hope it can capture just a bit of its energy—clear-eyed, a little wicked (the twinkle in the eye not the mega-musical) and always celebratory.

Each week, I’ll serve up a different column taking you inside the New York theater scene, as well as on side trips to the thriving world of plays and musicals in London and at regional theaters around the United States. In between, I’ll try to update you on any big news or backstage whispers. If you’re down in the sequined trenches of NYC, I hope you’ll enjoy hanging here with friends and catching up on something you missed in your rush to catch the N train. If you’re from out of town and considering a trip to the Big Apple, I’ll give you the scoop that jumps you off the tourist track and onto the stage.

Why me? I guess you can click on my bio and decide for yourself. But more than any credits, I’m writing this because I love theater. I’ve been in the audience, backstage and on stage (and even hanging suspended somewhere above all three); I look forward to communicating the hard work and the sheer joy of what it’s like and give you an intimate look at the dedicated people that make it happen.

So, slide into the booth, order your cocktail and let me introduce you to some of my friends, peers and idols.  Oh, and I almost forgot, welcome to the family!

Once a month, a member of the theater community will pull up a chair to our cyber table and join us for a little conversation. I’ll edit the transcripts (removing the truly libelous parts) and post the results here every second Wednesday. First up…

Kate Baldwin & Cheyenne Jackson. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Singer/actress Kate Baldwin had a star-making year in 2010 with her Tony-nominated leading role in the acclaimed revival of Finian’s Rainbow, but she’d long been building an enviable reputation among music theater heavy-weights with her crystalline voice and her elegant beauty. Best known for portraying the poised and plucky heroines of classic music theater, in person she lets fly with an infectious, bawdy laugh that suggests there’s more than a bit of sassy dame brewing under those regal ingénues.

I caught up with Kate a few weeks ago at the Brooklyn apartment she shares with her husband, fellow actor Graham Rowat (White Christmas, The Boys in the Band). It had been less than a month since moving in and there was barely a box in sight; the girl doesn’t mess around. Glowing even more than usual, she was preparing for a week of performances at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency (showcasing the lyrics of Sheldon Harnick)–and the arrival of their first child in the Spring. After a quick tour of the new place, we staked out the kitchen table and chatted about her mission to bring new listeners to classic songs, the roller-coaster ride of the business and what it’s like to lock lips with a certain hunky co-star.

Tell me about your show at Feinstein’s, She Loves Him.  What inspired you to do an evening devoted to the songs of Sheldon Harnick?

Last year was Sondheim-tastic. Sondheim mania. He had a theater named after him. He had birthday parties all over the place.

Sondheim ice cream treats.

And he should be celebrated. He is our premier composer-lyricst. He’s the father of modern musical theater. But I kind of thought that if it weren’t for him, Sheldon Harnick would be the lyricist of our times. Because of his work, because of his willingness to be a part of the scene now, and the fact that he’s still trying and still writing things.

And you have a special guest who’s going to be there with you…

Sheldon is going to be joining me. Because, as we know, he is out there, he is gregarious and he loves to tell stories. And he loves the spotlight. I know no better showman than Sheldon Harnick. He loves it.

Do you enjoy performing in a smaller room, something that’s more intimate?

It’s a completely different experience because I have control over all the content. So whether or not a joke lands or an arrangement is good, it’s my fault. I can’t hide behind anybody else. Finian’s Rainbow? Anything anyone didn’t like, I can say, “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”  (laughter)  It can feel a lot more personal and risky and scary because there’s more at stake.

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Every first Wednesday of the month, get caught up on what’s new on stage with a review round-up. And that vaguely hollow, clinking sound you hear at the end of each segment? That’s me tossing in my two cents.

With the spring season about to ramp up, I thought I’d offer a sneak peek edition of “To See or Not to See” featuring a critical look at two shows that are up and running (or tumbling into the pit) and a tease for the three shows I’m most excited to catch in the months ahead.

Image via Google (Sara Krulwich, The New York Times)

SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK

Following multiple delays and bruised bodies (as well as egos), the bank-busting, comic book musical—directed by The Lion King‘s Julie Taymor and with music by U2′s Bono and The Edge—still hasn’t officially opened.  But that hasn’t stopped most major critics from piling on like a spandex sale at the Justice League.

“Spider-Man is not only the most expensive musical ever to hit Broadway; it may also rank among the worst.” New York Times

“An inconsistent, maddening show that’s equal parts exciting and atrocious.” New York Post

“It’s by turns hyperstimulated, vivid, lurid, overeducated, underbaked, terrifying, confusing, distracted, ridiculously slick, shockingly clumsy, unmistakably monomaniacal and clinically bipolar. But never, ever boring.” New York Magazine

“Beyond the offstage drama and lavish budget, and all the feats and flash accompanying them, lies an endearingly old-fashioned musical.” USA Today

Mizer’s Two Cents:  If you love stagecraft, go for the jaw-dropping mixture of high tech wizardry and classic theater/puppetry techniques. And now with reports spreading that major reworking is about to happen (with script and music doctors), this could be a truly fascinating chance to see a new show being built before our eyes. But, at Broadway ticket prices, this graduate level theater class won’t come cheap. All that being said, I do hope folks can take a step back from some of the more sensational talk about the working conditions. One of the guys in charge of the flying harnesses actually flew me for a year when I was on tour and he would have thrown himself in front of a two ton set piece to protect me. Whatever stories have been spread, I’d wager my life savings that the crew of this show is doing everything humanly possible to ensure the safety of the performers.

UPDATE: NY1 is reporting that Julie Taymor is out as director. What a tangled web, indeed.

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