Today is Sunday, and this week’s Report contains my abbreviated notes on Whistle Down the Wind at New York Stage & Film and The Potluck at Soho Rep and INTAR; a reappraisal of Giulia; and an update on part two of my summer break. Plus, a quote of the week; select press announcements from the past week; and the upcoming week’s previews and openings.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

The lyric, by Peter Lind Hayes and Frank Loesser, for “Why Do They Call a Private a Private?,” from the 1944 army revue About Face.

Joe.
I know why they call a corporal a corporal
Because he’s got two stripes.
And I know why they call a sergeant a sergeant
Because he always gripes.
Yes, I know about all the military types,
But

Why do they call a Private a Private,
When each night is a public event?
The Pennsylvania Station,
That crossroads of the nation,
Has nothing on a regular Army tent.
They snore and snore and snore all night,
They drop their shoes, they light the light.
Or did you ever smell a regiment?
(Have you been marching?)
Why do they call a Private a Private,
When each night is a public event?

Why do they call a Private a Private,
When there’s nothing more public on earth?
Take military travel,
It makes your nerves unravel –
The Army’s really getting its money’s worth.
In any other walk of life,
You’d think that you were man and wife,
The way you’ve got to share a lower berth.
(Your feet are icy)
Why do they call a Private a Private,
When there’s nothing more public on earth?

(Soldier enters. Music under scene.)

Soldier.
Hiya, Joe.

Joe.
Hiya, pal. What can I do for you?

Soldier.
Say, Joe, will you lend me your pen?

Joe.
Sure, you’ll find it in my foot locker.

Soldier.
Gee, thanks. And have you got some writing paper?

Joe.
I think so. Take a look in my foot locker.

Soldier.
And what about an envelope?

Joe.
(Perturbed.) You’ll find it –

Soldier.
Have you got a stamp?

Joe.
(Sarcastically.) I’m going past the post office. You don’t want me to mail it for you, do you?

Soldier.
I was just going to ask you that, Joe. Gee, you’re a swell guy. (Starts to walk off stage, stops, yells back to Joe.) Oh, just one more thing, Joe. What’dya say your girl’s address was again?

Joe.
She lives on Third Street right near – (Suddenly stops and does a take.) Get out o’here, you –

(Soldier exits.)

Joe.
Why do they call a Private a Private,
When his life is a public affair?
A hundred other rookies
Enjoy his mother’s cookies,
And read his mail and borrow his underwear.
And when a fellow’s gotta go –
A fellow’s gotta go, you know –
There’s seven other fellows sitting there
(Spoken.) Good morning, good morning, good morning.
(Sung.) (Who’s got my Colliers?)
Why do they call a Private a Private,
When his life is a public affair?
(The joint is crowded)
His life is a public affair.

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WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND AT NEW YORK STAGE & FILM

Whistle Down the Wind, a forthcoming revival of the 1996 musical, recently received three public readings at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, New York under the auspices of New York Stage & Film in association with Deaf West Theatre and the Perelman Performing Arts Center. The musical has a book by Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Jim Steinman, and music by Lloyd Webber, and the new production, in which some characters have been reconceived as deaf, is directed by Bill Rauch.

Let me begin by noting that if a producer has to insert, into the program, a double-sided letter-size page describing each of the principal characters, something is probably wrong with their show. And many things are wrong with Whistle Down the Wind. (I purposefully did not peruse the page until after the presentation, and it is nonetheless unnecessary. And unhelpful.)

Rauch & Co. are presumably attracted to the musical’s underlying story, which is neither remarkable nor entirely uninteresting, but the musical does not effectively tell that story, due to material that is a combination of shoddy, untheatrical, obvious, and bland, and I can see no way in which the musical might be made effective – or, for that matter, distinctive – without new dialogue, new lyrics, new music, an amended story structure perhaps with new structural elements, and, in terms of this particular interpretation of the piece, rigorous consideration of the new conceit. And perhaps a little more imagination and daring in that regard. (Elephant Shoes, for instance, dares to employ a deaf solo, and the number has the potential to stop the show.)

The readings of Whistle Down the Wind included, for the record, the entirety of the first act, and four moments in the second act, with Rauch and Deaf West artistic director DJ Kurs narrating the interim action – though one cannot be sure how much of that action actually plays out onstage. (This is one of the major problems with the material!) If Rauch & Co. wish for my detailed notes, they know where to find me.

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THE POTLUCK AT SOHO REP AND INTAR

The Potluck, a new musical about a musical about the Greensboro Massacre, is currently playing an Off-Broadway engagement at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater under the auspices of Soho Rep and INTAR. It is written by César Alvarez and directed by Sarah Benson, and it is an unfortunate affair: pretentious, untrained, juvenile, scattered – despite having been infused with several fine ideas. Too bad.

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A REAPPRAISAL OF GIULIA

Giulia concluded a world premiere engagement last weekend at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. It is written by Jennifer Nettles and directed by Mary Zimmerman, and, in my initial review, I noted that it is a surprisingly promising piece of theatre, with real commercial potential, and significant work to be done. On July 31, I paid the musical a second visit – specifically because I thought my husband would love it. And he did, at least the first act.

My husband told me that the show feels long, and I told him that the feeling is not a matter of run-time, but a matter of unproductive material, and Giulia has a lot of unproductive material. He told me that the set is attractive, and I told him that an attractive set is not necessarily a functional set, and the set, by Daniel Ostling, for Giulia is not functional. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Nonetheless, the most significant takeaway, for me, from my second visit, is the extent to which Giulia’s arc is lopsided, the extent to which it plateaus in the second act. (This is, of course, evident on a first visit, but it is even more pronounced on a second.) The first act finds Giulia steadily gaining strength and coming into her own, coming into her powers, through a series of specific incidents. The second act seems to want to find her wrestling with said powers, with the future need for said powers, with the effect of said powers on her life and the life of her daughter, but Giulia does not really do any such wrestling. In fact, Giulia does not really do much at all in the second act, apart from take her daughter to a convent and prepare to leave town, ever so casually. Plus, in the second act, Cardinale and Governatore deteriorate into little more than bad guys. And the inept ending of the former’s second-act solo is still infuriating, at the same time the number’s internal musical development is still exciting.

But the most exciting part of Giulia, at least for me, is not onstage. It is the musical that Giulia has the potential to become, even with the score’s chronic case of familiarity, forced cleverness, false rhymes, clunky rhymes, clunky expressions, and jagged scansion. Let us hope Nettles & Co. do the necessary work to realize that musical.

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SUMMER BREAK, PART TWO

My summer break will resume tomorrow and continue for three more weeks. (I am in the midst of writing a new book.) During that time, the Report will, again, be confined to select press announcements from the past week, and the upcoming week’s previews and openings. The Report will return, in full, on September 6, with a brutal take on the fall season.

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PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Here is a list of select press announcements from the past week. Each headline is clickable for more information.

• David Hyde Pierce, Danielle Brooks, Ayo Edebiri and Jin Ha Will Lead You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Encores!
• Shuffle Along Reunion Concert and More Set for Lincoln Center’s 26/27 Season
• Spelling Bee Will Close Off-Broadway in October; Julian Sewell to Join for Final Weeks
• Full Cast Set for Midnight, Written, Starring, and Directed By Todrick Hall
• See Who’s Joining TikTok Singer-Songwriter Oliver Richman in Nick Blaemire Musical Soon Off-Broadway
• Ben Davis to Replace Geno Segers as Hades in Hadestown
• Ariana DeBose to Lead Sweet Charity Workshop This Fall
• Jimin Moon, George Salazar and Preston Perez to Join The Rocky Horror Show
• See Who’s Starring in the World Premiere of Wild Child at Laguna Playhouse
• Karmine Alers, Mauro Castillo and More to Star in Buena Vista Social Club North American Tour
• Kendall Becerra, Chloë Lezotte and Lexxi B Frilles to Star in Mystic Pizza National Tour
• Sean MacLaughlin Will Be Howard Hughes in Truly, Howard Hughes Musical Off-Broadway; Cast Complete
• Ana Gasteyer Will Depart Schmigadoon! in September
• Aliya Grace Will Lead Boop! The Musical North American Tour

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PREVIEWS AND OPENINGS

Here is a list of the new musicals and revivals either opening or beginning previews during the upcoming week, specifically on Broadway and Off-Broadway. It contains, as well, select new musicals beginning performances regionally, and select new musicals and revivals beginning performances in New York City. Each title is clickable for more information.

Monday, August 10

Tuesday, August 11

Wednesday, August 12

Thursday, August 13
• NYC: Marlise!

Friday, August 14
• Regional: Lemonade

Saturday, August 15

Sunday, August 16

Photo of a scene from Giulia by Andy Henderson.