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| 5/13/04 |
Tony Nominations Take Their
Toll It didn't take long after the Tony Award nominations on Monday for the fallout to start hitting Broadway. The closing of Mark Medoff's drama "Prymate," which received no nominations, was announced almost immediately, several hours before the actors were to go onstage. "Match," which received just one, for Frank Langella, announced yesterday that it would close at the end of next week. "Little Shop of Horrors," nudged out of the nominations for best revival of a musical by "Big River," did damage control by signing up Joey Fatone, formerly of 'N Sync, to take over the role of Seymour. "Little Shop" was already struggling. The revival, which received mixed reviews, filled fewer than 50 percent of its seats in the week that ended on Sunday. Now the show is banking on Mr. Fatone, who begins performances on June 24, to improve ticket sales. This boy-band star has a track record of pumping up box office sales. His Broadway debut in "Rent" in August 2002 helped the show. "Sales increased by 20 percent," said Jeffrey Seller, a producer of the long-running "Rent." "We think he bought us another year." But that was 21 months ago — several lifetimes in teen idol years. Whether Mr. Fatone will still make girls flock to the theater is an open question. Mr. Fatone takes over from Hunter Foster, who wasted no time in finding new work. After a Tony nomination for his role as a lovably nerdy plant shop employee in "Little Shop," Mr. Foster will be asked to show some range as a lovably nerdy accountant in "The Producers." He takes over the role of Leo Bloom from Roger Bart on June 15.
More fun, and funnier, than Justin JC CHASEZ. More fun than a barrel full of Justins. With Samantha Ronson. Wednesday at Roseland Ballroom, Manhattan. There probably hasn't been an article written about 'N Sync singer JC Chasez that doesn't mention his more famous cohort, Justin Timberlake. Comparisons are inevitable, but there's a crucial difference between the two. Timberlake, with his carefully chosen Michael Jacksonisms and craving for R&B credibility, wants to be taken seriously as an artist. Chasez, with his sleazy dance numbers and European clubwear, couldn't care less what you think of him. That gives Chasez at least one edge over Timberlake, who trumps him in the singing, songwriting and musicianship departments. Chasez's new album, "Schizophrenic" (Jive), can't touch the critical or commercial success of Timberlake's "Justified," but in many ways it's more fun, and funnier. Chasez sings about sex repeatedly, never mincing words or resorting to high-flown metaphors ("All Day Long I Dream About Sex," for example). The disc is a throwback to the hedonistic, club-crazy 1980s, packed with willfully cheesy keyboard riffs (some sampled directly from that decade), hokey handclaps and steamy rock guitar. Chasez's show at Roseland Ballroom matched the disc perfectly. On a stage resembling a padded cell ("Schizophrenic," get it?), with a five-piece band dressed in hospital scrubs, Chasez cavorted with lingerie- clad nurses, switched outfits every few songs and led a six-person troupe through a series of delightfully gonzo dance numbers. The whole affair was so daffy that it began to feel like a hip cabaret act. On "One Night Stand," which borrows the refrain of Donna Summer's disco hit "I Feel Love," Chasez chased his female dancers around using lame pickup lines: "It's kind of crowded. You wanna get out of here?" On "Shake It," Chasez and company turned a suggestive East Indian riff into a playground taunt, sticking out their tongues and wagging their fingers. Not once did he take himself seriously, even on the ballads. "Let's see what else we've got on the menu, Bob," he said in a game-show baritone as he pulled over a bar stool. "I believe a love song is up next for bid." Never mind Timberlake — Chasez is more like Robbie Williams, the British boy-band member (in Take That) who successfully transformed himself into a self-mocking solo act. Chasez lacks Williams' wit, but his American goofiness is hard to resist...
Scene in Cannes ...Some stars did manage to stay and play. We found Jennifer (Aniston) at the beach, relaxing with Justin Timberlake and Jack Black. For more details, catch "Extra's" Thursday edition, and check back tomorrow for more of the scene in Cannes.
Joey Fatone to Star in Little Shop on June 24 Joey Fatone is coming to Skid Row. The 'N Sync star will begin performances as Seymour Krelbourn in Little Shop of Horrors on June 24. Original star Hunter Foster, who recently earned a Tony nomination for his work, is set to leave the show on the day of the Tony Awards ceremony, June 6. Understudy Jonathan Rayson will go on for performances from June 8 through June 23. Fatone made his Broadway debut as Mark Cohen in Rent on August 5, 2002 and stayed with the show until December 22 of that year. During his tenure, box office sales of the long-running tuner spiked. In his Broadway.com Review of Fatone's performance, Ken Mandelbaum wrote: "Fatone turns out to be well suited to Mark, and offers a sweetly sincere, fully committed performance. His pop baritone rides the music well, and he makes the character appealingly insecure. Fatone also fits into the ensemble admirably, in no way pulling focus because of his renown." Fatone, who was born in Brooklyn, began performing at a young age After his family moved to Orlando, Florida, he briefly worked at Universal Studios where he earned his stage chops performing in the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue. 'N Sync formed in 1996 and quickly became a sensation. The boy band's hit singles include "Space Cowboy," "Here We Go," "That's When I'll Stop Loving You," "Gone," "Bye Bye Bye" "Tearin' Up My Heart," " I Want You Back," "This I Promise You," "Pop" and "Girlfriend." Although Fatone had a couple of bit film parts before 'N Sync's formation, his acting career only took off a few years ago. He has had substantial roles in the movies On the Line, My Big Fat Greek Weeding, The Cooler, The Bros. and Red Riding Hood. Foster was the only cast member to remain after Little Shop's failed Florida pre-Broadway tryout. He received mostly positive notices for his portrayal of the nerdy shop boy who gets in over-his-heard with a devilish plant. In addition to Foster, Little Shop of Horrors currently stars Kerry Butler, Rob Bartlett, Douglas Sills, Michael-Leon Wooley, Trisha Jeffrey, Carla J. Hargrove and DeQuina Moore.
Justin songs win BMI Pop Awards BMI 52nd Annual Pop Awards, May 11. LIKE I LOVE YOU
Justin at Cannes ...There are also rumours that Justin Timberlake, who's making his debut in 'Edison' with Kevin Spacey, may be on the arm of his girlfriend Cameron Diaz, who's in Cannes for 'Shrek 2'...
JC on Philly's 'Ten' today "Ten" airs at 10am on NBC10 in Philadelphia. JC will be on this morning.
Seattle Weekly Schizo review Pity poor JC Chasez. Seriously—JC’s got it rough. Even after Nipplegate, the attendant PR idiocy, and some commentators realizing he’s not actually a black man, Justin Timberlake (JC’s former *NSync bandmate, if you’ve been in a Turkish prison) is still the hottest thing in day-old pube stubble. As if knowing he can’t compete, JC has ditched Justin’s nut-grabbing obviousness (the Neptunes, Timbaland, giving head to Britney) for more chart-unfriendly pleasures (Prince, house music, bonsai facial hair). Schizophrenic is a gift of an album title to critic schlubs like me, so let’s get it out of the way: This album sounds like its title. It’s half (mostly) unsuccessful attempts at escaping current pop–R&B hegemony and half watery retreats into same. Some writers have compared lead single “A.D.I.D.A.S.” (ask your kid—or Killer Mike—what it means) with Joy Division. A more apt reading would be the ass-end of Wax Trax!–ian industrio-rock. (Maybe JC’s been taking notes from the Neptunes recently, after all.) “Some Girls (Wanna Dance With Women)” aims for Prince’s Dirty Mind and ends up at a Girls Gone Wild shoot. All very sad, since JC is possibly a better artist—and certainly a better singer—than J. Timbo, never relying on stolen Michael Jackson–isms when unsure what to do with a song. (Though the shouty “rock” choruses of a lot of the album don’t do Chasez any favors.) But Schizophrenic’s failure can be chalked up to the fact that a phalanx of zeitgeist-reading song doctors would have been a smarter idea than any amount of “breakout individualism,” bruised egos be damned.
'N Sync's JC Chasez shakes it up with his first solo record JC Chasez understands why certain people might reflexively recoil at the thought of listening to a solo record from an 'N Sync member. "They have attached a stigma to what a boy band is," says the young man responsible for "Schizophrenic" and, next to Justin Timberlake, the 'N Sync member with the highest profile. "But I'm confident that if you give the record an honest listen, there will be something on it you will enjoy, because my record came from an honest place. A lot of hard work went into it, and people will hear that and appreciate that. Just give me a fair shake." Truth be told, if you give Chasez the "fair shake" he is asking for, he will return the favor by making at least one part of your body quiver, and possibly several. It may not be cool in some quarters to say so, but "Schizophrenic" is a pretty groovy mix of electronica, synth-pop, funk and reggae, and far superior to Timberlake's overwrought solo outing, "Justified." In the coming week, Chasez (pronounced sha-ZAY) will be performing club dates on the East Coast. But at the moment he is in Glasgow, Scotland, "gigging with Britney," as in Britney Spears, who in another universe long ago, got her start opening for 'N Sync. And how are things? "Life is good," says the 27-year-old Chasez, noting the warm response of British crowds on the tour's first two dates. "Even in London, where we ('N Sync) haven't been quite able to crack the market, people have been totally receptive. One of the papers said that at Wembley it was the first time that an opening act got a standing ovation. That made me feel like a star." Asked how his live show compares to, say, the outsize exhibition put on by Timberlake and Christina Aguilera last summer, Chasez says, "Mine is very different. With Justin and even 'N Sync, you know what you're going to get -- everything and the kitchen sink thrown at you. My show is a lot looser. I'm working with a band of five (musicians). I do choreography and I have dancers, but not for the whole show. I do it in spurts." So, what are the advantages of working solo? "In a group it's always about compromise," says Chasez. "You have to see if they're on the same page as you. But as a solo artist, there's no compromise in the record-making process." "Schizophrenic's" songs are more mature than anything 'N Sync has recorded. "It's just a part of growing up," says Chasez, "a natural evolution. I'm not trying to force anything. I had to do what I thought was right." Among the record's several surprises: the credible dance-rock track "100 Ways" -- "I use it to get in the crowd's face," says Chasez -- and the convincing, at-the-end-of-his-rope pleader "Mercy." "I spent some time thinking about that song," notes Chasez. "A woman is like a drug, and with that song I compared being in love with a female to being on heroin." "Schizophrenic's" sexiest track, however, is "Some Girls (Dance With Women)." "I wanted to have my own club banger, but I didn't want to be too generic. Everybody has a song about poppin' a bottle of champagne and riding in on the rims," says Chasez. "So I went through the course of a night out, from start to finish. ... "(Women dancing together) is something everybody talks about and everybody sees, but nobody's done a song about it." Until now, that is. Just as lusty is the electro-pop tune "All Day Long I Dream About Sex." "This is my version of (Queen's) 'We Will Rock You,' " says Chasez. "If you can't figure this song out, there's something wrong with you." Sonically, "It's Gary Numan all the way." Chasez admits to a fondness for the music of the 1980s. "It's what I grew up on," he says. "In the 1980s things weren't so categorized. It wasn't 'If you listened to this, you couldn't listen to that.' It was a creative period. MIDI (the process that allowed one electronic keyboard to be played from another) was a whole new thing. It changed the face of music. People in the dance industry were pushing music as far as it could go. There would be no hip-hop today if it wasn't for them." Is that affection for the 1980s why Chasez interpolated Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" into the Eurhythmics-flavored "Come to Me"? "Corey Hart was a happy accident," says Chasez. "The bass line (on 'Come to Me') is close but not identical (to 'Sunglasses at Night'). But I called (Hart) up just to be safe, and I gave him credit. ... I wanted something where I could zone out, something very hypnotic, something I could drive to on a winding road." While Timberlake's solo work seems to use Michael Jackson as a role model, more than one reviewer has mentioned Chasez's guiding light seems to be Prince. "I think what people (realize) is that Prince is an open-minded artist, unafraid to combine rock 'n' roll and R&B, and the fact that I am willing to try and do the same. But in no way, shape or form am I Prince." Chasez has been involved in two controversies during his hiatus from 'N Sync, which, he says, will reconvene later this year to begin choosing material for a new disc. First, Chasez was disinvited by the NFL to sing at the Pro Bowl following Timberlake's involvement with Janet Jackson's Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction." And second, a mental health activist decried "Schizophrenic's" title and cover art, which shows Chasez in a straitjacket. |
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