Review: JOHN CULLUM - AN ACCIDENTAL STAR, Vineyard Theatre (Online)
Photo credit: Carol Rosegg
"My name is John Cullum. I've been performing in front of people since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Most of the shows I've done and the parts I've played have come to me through the back door. By accident, you might say. Or coincidence. Or just plain luck. And tonight, I'd like to share with you some of my lucky accidents." And he did: profoundly, cheerfully and still with a glint in his eye after his prodigious 65 year theatrical career.
Production for this show started back in 2019 and it was supposed to be launched soon after, but illness and the pandemic occurred. A co-production by Irish Repertory Theatre, Vineyard Theatre, and Goodspeed Musicals put the show together again, shooting on three cameras over four days in front of a small crew and gave this marvellous actor centre stage, where he’s still clearly at ease and ready to perform.
Insightfully structured with titled chapters - The Early Years, Shakespeare, Changes, A Different Direction, Camelot - to name a few, this enchanting, sincere, journey down Memory Lane respects the actor's storytelling by bringing his Broadway auditions and experiences, joys and struggles, authentic anecdotes and chosen lyrics and songs that follow the chronological journey.
With John Cullum: An Accidental Star, this fringant actor and captivating storyteller builds an impressive 80-minute “seul en scène” to the audience; one of, if not the most powerful and fascinating monologue ever, the monologue of a lifetime.
Born and bred in Knoxville, Tennessee, he recalls a young man who graduated from the University of Tennessee arriving in New York in 1956. He opens his show with "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" from the 1965 Lerner and Lane musical. He then remembers his auditions, notoriously those for Joe Papp’s Shakespeare in the Park, after having never read a Shakespeare play before preparing for his Henry V audition. And the one,who first got him through musicals, for Camelot where he used the Henry V opening speech in front of Alan Lerner, Moss Hart and Frederick Loewe.
Bright-eyed and full-body expressive on this intimate stage, Cullum exudes with joy and confidence despite his lucky accidents, which highlight his determination, hard work and immense talent throughout a prominent career. He also shares some souvenirs and appreciation for his fellow performers, remembering a perfectly cast Julie Andrews, a Richard Burton he will always miss, a charismatic Robert Preston, and a talented Robert Boulet. There's even some commentary about co-star Madeline Kahn who left On the Twentieth Century only two weeks after the run ("I liked her and I’ll never know why she left”). He’s also not shy about personal details, mentioning how grateful he is for the support he had from his late mother and the impact of her death on him and his wife. Among some bumps along the road, he recalls the ill-fated We Take the Town, which did not hit Broadway and the surreal casting where a “John Cullum type” but not too John Cullum type was needed. He mentions The Scottsboro Boys and Urinetown where his wife had to talk to him, as the musical’s lyrics having made little sense to him on a first read.
The audience are charmed by songs including: ‘On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)’,’I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight’ (Camelot) and 'On the Street Where You Live’ (My Fair Lady) but also the sweet ballad ‘I've Got a Girl’ (We Take the Town), ‘Don't Be a Bunny’ (Urinetown) among others and of course the unmissable ‘I Rise Again’ from On the Twentieth Century and ‘Papa's Gonna Make It All Right’ from Shenandoah, describing Charlie Anderson as his most ‘close to home’ role ,even if he thought himself too young for the father role at first! Both shows earned him his Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
Some nostalgic fans will notice the expected changes in his voice but the orchestrations have been revised to adapt to his existing vocal range. Standing by a stool or sitting on it with the piano nearby, in trousers with an open-necked shirt and vest, he doesn’t lose his enthusiam and eloquent gestures. Although the production is streamed online, he still brings his sparkling performance, which fits with his eagerness to show how personal each vocal moment was and is to him.
Co-directing John Cullum: An Accidental Star, Lonny Price and Matt Cowart give a simplistic attitude to the production. The direction is similar to a one-man-show with shades of light upon a darkened background and neutral lighting downstage, which allows Cullum to tell his story honestly and openly; using simple staging tricks and a mixture of camera angles to conform to online streaming requirements. This simplicity works well, giving the show its nostalgic and intimate feel as well as theatrically formed atmosphere.
The show was first conceived by Cullum and Jeff Berger, originally starting with his wife’s idea, which was then transposed into a play text by David Thompson. The ingenious flitting between well-placed songs and memories orchestrated by Price and Cowart keep the action steady throughout, and with musical director Julie McBride at the piano.
With John Cullum performing as both storyteller and singer, the challenge, of course, is to keep the singing parts steady along with the dialogue. Some songs are sung in their entirety whereas others are performed in segments, responsively and lively orchestrated by McBride.
Everything comes together smoothly with a ravishing John Cullum traveling up and down his Memory Lane, bringing the audience with him for a joyous piece of live-theatre.
**** Four stars
John Cullum: An Accidental Star can be seen in two formats, live-stream screening or view on-demand until 22 April here.