When I visited the Museum of Broadway in New York, I learned that a long list of shows is waiting to debut in a Broadway theater. The exact number of shows and the length of time escaped my mind, but I remember being awestruck by the sheer amount of musicals and plays waiting to debut. Much like the movies, when there is a never-ending line of shows coming in to join the fray of Broadway staples, it’s easy for some of them to fade out of the public’s memory, waiting for a light to shine on them again. This is precisely the thought process that went into the new Ringwald Reprise series, which debuted with the musical Applause this past weekend in Ferndale, Michigan!
Have you never heard of Applause? We definitely didn’t before being invited by The Ringwald to review it, but maybe we should have. Adapted from the 1950 Bette Davis film All About Eve, Applause debuted back in the ‘70s and ran for almost two years on Broadway, even winning four Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Yet, with so much recognition, why has this show from Charles Strouse, who wrote the score, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who wrote the book, essentially disappeared? Through the Ringwald Reprise, and thanks to director and star Joe Bailey, Applause has found new life, bringing it again to crowds of people in one of the funniest shows I’ve seen this year.
Ready to discover this classic musical in all its glory? Read on for my thoughts on Ringwald Reprise: Applause!
[Warning: Spoilers from Applause are below!]
Margo Channing’s world becomes all about Eve in Ringwald Reprise: Applause
From the opening scene, the tone of Applause is set by taking audiences to the end of the story before traveling back to show how these characters got there. In that opening scene, we find Margo Channing (Bailey) presenting a Tony Award to the newest star on Broadway, Eve Harrington (Rashna “Rashi” Sarwar). Utilizing a voiceover, the audience understands that Margo despises Eve for many reasons, beginning a year and a half before the award ceremony. Through frame storytelling, Applause is transported back to the first interaction between the two starlets and how things spiraled out of control.
It turns out that Margo hasn’t disliked Eve from the beginning, in fact, the two of them were rather chummy when first introduced. On the eve (no pun intended) of her opening night, Margo receives a visitor in her dressing room, who is none other than Eve Harrington. At that point, Eve is essentially a nobody who is infatuated with Margo Channing. She’s attended every preview and idolizes Margo in true stalker fashion, and Margo eats it up completely. She takes the much younger Eve under her wing, allowing her into her life in more ways than one.
Eve quickly ascends the ranks of Margo’s inner circle, rising from stranger to personal assistant to eventual understudy of the play. She can charm her way into everyone’s life with her sweet, innocent personality and immense talent, rubbing Margo the wrong way.
Throughout Applause, Margo begins to see a new side of Eve, which everyone ignores, including Margo’s partner Bill (Jamie Richards), causing a rift between the two. It’s unclear where Eve’s fascination with Margo ends and the long con begins, but there’s no denying that Eve is after the life that Margo has, doing almost anything to achieve it.
Margo also faces her own insecurities with aging and being replaced by someone younger, which only heightens the tension between the two as she struggles to navigate what it means to be older in Hollywood. Applause uses this concept to further the storyline of deception and the motives of Eve, to make an almost psychological thriller of a musical. Does Margo make it out with her dignity intact, or is she destined to become a Starlet of Broadway past? Those answers and more lie at the heart of Applause!
A heavy story made light through music and laughter in Applause
Knowing nothing about the story and musical before, or the film that it’s based on for that matter, I was shocked about the content of Applause. The story is rather dark, dealing with psychological horror, which you don’t always see in musicals or comedies. As a psychologist, Applause reminded me of What About Bob, a horror film for those in the profession, even though it’s told through the lens of comedy. What Margo goes through is terrifying because Eve is almost unhinged in her desire to succeed.
Yes, Margo doesn’t help the situation, thanks to her insecurities that lead to some self-sabotaging, but Eve also gaslights Margo for most of the film. No one remembers the build-up that caused the behavior; it is just the person’s reaction. It’s why gaslighting is often referred to as “crazy-making behavior” because the person on the receiving end of the abuse can’t help but feel they are going insane. Margo is gas-lit from the moment Eve enters the picture, and doesn’t even realize it until it’s too late. By the point that Margo can recognize the pattern of behavior, Eve’s infiltrated every aspect of her life, making it impossible to shake them off.
Like I said, it’s a heavy story, which you don’t usually see paired with humor and singing, but it works incredibly well in Applause. If this were a serious play, the audience would be harrowed from the moment the actors walk out on stage. Instead, laughter helps break up the intensity and creates an enjoyable experience for all involved. The darkness of the message is still there, but it becomes more digestible as the actors sing, dance, and even get in on the fun by breaking character. This allows the audience to think about what is being said without feeling alienated by the distress on stage.
A large and impressive cast brings this Tony Award-winning musical to life
Having seen two shows now at The Ringwald, it’s stark how different the productions were. For starters, Dracula: A Comedy of Terror was a play where Applause is a musical, but that’s like comparing apples to oranges. However, the most significant difference was the number of actors on stage in Applause. Dracula featured a cast of five, which is true to the Off-Broadway production I saw in NYC, but Applause featured no less than 15 actors in the intimate theater.
When Joe Bailey mentioned having a large cast during our interview, I was mildly concerned about how cramped The Ringwald would feel. By no means is it a large theater, which creates a wonderful experience between the audience and actors, but where exactly was all the cast going to fit? It had never occurred to me that the set of Dracula was large and imposing, taking up a significant portion of the stage, and with that gone, there was more than enough room for everyone to act.
Some scenes featured the entire cast, and not once did it feel overcrowded. More importantly, there wasn’t a single actor on stage who didn’t have immense talent. I recognized some faces, such as Kristofferson Morrison, who plays Orrin, and some other parts in Lost in Yonkers over at Michigan Stage. As well, Bailey and Sarwar also featured in the previously mentioned Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. And yet, every person who walked on stage gave it their all in every aspect presented: acting, singing, dancing, you name it.
Of course, a large round of applause must be given to Joe Bailey and Rashna “Rashi” Sarwar, who were this musical’s stars. These two stole the show with such a large ensemble, playing off each other perfectly. Sarwar was one of my favorites from the previous show at The Ringwald, and they continue to prove their talent.
With the show only rehearsing for a week before showtime, The Ringwald took a unique approach to keeping actors on pace by allowing them to walk around with their scripts in hand. This isn’t something you typically see in theater, but this isn’t the typical show you’d see either. Having them carry the scripts around lent itself well to the fast turnaround and even added another layer to the comedy. You could tell that the cast knew their staging and songs almost perfectly, but not so much with the dialogue, but having them hold their scripts didn’t detract from the overall experience.
If you’re in the Ferndale, MI area, keep your eyes peeled for the next Ringwald Reprise
The curtains now have closed on this first Ringwald Reprise. With the reception and fanfare Applause has received, I have no doubt that this staged concert series will return relatively soon with another show that equally deserves its moment in the sun.
Visit TheRingwald.com for more information about upcoming shows! Have you heard of Applause before? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or @boxseatbabes!
Exclusive Interview: Joe Bailey from Ringwald Reprise: Applause
