JERRY HENDRICKS
Repercussions of a collector
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Top Ten Plays |
1. |
Les Misérables |
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Incredible! Powerful! Great songs and story. Motivated me to read the book, watch the movie and buy the album. Second viewing at The DuPont Theatre wasn't as spectacular, but the music and message remain very moving.
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2. |
The Who's Tommy December 18, 1994 - Forrest Theatre, Philadelphia, PA |
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Another Family Christmas trip to the Greatest Rock Musical of all time. Spectalcuar staging with video screens linng the preimeter of the stage. Also saw a revival of this one as well at the DuPont theatre in 1999 which was vastly scaled back from the original . Lost much of it's punch, but the music wil be forever hard wired in to my brain.
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3. |
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest 1971 - Mercer Arts Center, New York, NY |
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A fraternity trip to the Big Apple, and my first Broadway play. I apparently didn't keep the playbill, but the web tells me that Danny DeVito performed the role he would would reprise for the movie, William Devane played McMurphy and Janet Ward was Miss Ratched. I remember that the McMurphy character had red hair as in the novel, so it could have been a replacement. I enjoyed this play and the subsequebnt movie so muuch, that the novel is the only book I think I have ever read twice. |
4. |
Hair 1972 - Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia, PA |
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My theatre experience couldn't have gotten a better start, since I also loved my second play. It wasn't just the thrill of naked bodies, but I still enjoy listening to the soundtract. Ironicaly, Milos Forman went on to film both of these plays, but didn't have as much success with this one. According to the playbill, General Grant was played by none other than Meatloaf. |
5. |
Spamalot April 1, 2007 - Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA |
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April Fool's Day at the funniest musical ever. Much appreciated present from Erinn and Jason. Michael Siberry as King Arthur. The jokes are recycled, but they're not dead yet! |
6. |
A Midsummer Night's Dream December 5, 1997 and December 11, 2010 - REP/PTTP Newark, DE |
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First time with guest Director Robert Taylor. Rene Thornton as Theseus and Matthew Detmer as Puck. It was repeated in 2010 and became the best show yet by REP. Broadway caliber staging combined with impecable acting. Ben Charles does a surprisingly good athletic performance as Puck.
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7. |
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui April 3, 1998 and May 14, 2010 - REP/PTTP Newark, DE |
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Carine Montbertrand reprises her role as Ui, which she performed so well as a PTTP student 12 years earlier. Heinz-Uwe Haus also returned as director, but the staging was quite different, although he kept the audience participation element substituting balloons for flags. Written in the 1940's as a Hitler parody, it still resonates today as a warning of what could happen again.
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8. |
Fiddler On The Roof February 6. 2009 - DuPont Theatre, Wilmington, DE |
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Front row center seats for opening night of new pre-Broadway production, but old hat for Topol who has played the lead over 2500 times since opening in London in 1967. One of the best musicals of all time, still very moving with timeless tunes.
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9. |
All The King's Men Feb. 7& 8, 2003 and Feb. 18, 2011- PTTP, /REP,Newark DE |
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Guest director Adrian Hall adapted the Robert Penn Warren novel twice for PTTP/REP. The first time in 2003 he created the finest two night theatre experince, with Dan Kenney doing a suberb job as Willie Stark in his first lead role. The scaled back version in 2011 wasn't as satisfying, performed in one night with a smaller cast and stage. Keeping the Randy Newman songs was a good call, but while the nudity was subtle and relevant the first time, it was forced and unnecessary this time. The casting was perfect. Mic Matarrese was an easy choice for Willie Stark, and although I've generally been unimpressed with Matthew Simpson, he did a competent job handling the lead. Andrew Goldwasser and Sara Griffin, my class favorites, were outstanding as usual.
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10. |
On Golden Pond October 30, 2004 - DuPont Theatre, Wilmington DE |
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James Earl Jones, Leslie Uggams, and Linda Powell (Colin's daughter) star in a pre-Broadway run of a reworking of the classic Henry Fonda/Kathryn Hepburn film. I liked it a lot, and although it only lasted on Broadway for a few months, it did garner two Tony nominations.
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