Category Archives: Broadway

She Loves Me

Broadway, Musical, Uncategorized June 9, 2016 Comments: 2

These days we can all use an injection of Utterly Charming.  So the timing couldn’t be better for this delightful revival of Harnick and Bock’s She Loves Me.  Even those who are not familiar with the play on which the work is based or the movies that sprang from it can take comfort in the title.  This is clearly not a performance that is going to leave you emotionally shattered and sleepless.

Comfort is derived from the moment David Rockwell’s appealing set is revealed.  Throughout most of the show, the rooms of the enchanting Maraczek’s Parfumerie open, close and turn in central 1934 Budapest.  The store is peopled by staff and shoppers all captivatingly clothed by Jeff Mahshie.  But it is the clever and catchy lyrics by the incomparable Sheldon Harnick that draw us most into this world in which boy meets girl, boy and girl get on each other’s nerves and boy buys girl ice cream.  At 92, Mr. Harnick is still actively engaged in the production process.  He has even added a few new lines to this incarnation of his musical originally produced in 1963.

Of course, much of the joy comes from watching this particularly lively cast at work under the direction of Scott Ellis.  Jane Krakowski appropriately thanked her hamstrings at the recent Drama Desk Awards for helping her steal every scene she is in.  Her bright energy is reinforced by the sly and slightly smarmy lover portrayed by Gavin Creel.  In the role of new girl Amalia Balash, Laura Benanti delivers the right mixture of cotton balls and steel wool.  And for this true blue Chuck fan it was a particular thrill to see the multitalented Zachary Levi throw himself into the romantic lead, Georg Nowack, with genuine exuberance and a sprinkle of Jimmy Stewart to satisfy purists.

Vital support for these headliners is provided by Byron Jennings, Tom McGowan, Peter Bartlett and high school senior (!) Nicholas Barasch.  The entire team is so good together that this piece has been chosen for the first live stream event on BroadwayHD in June and a new cast album due to be released later this year.

She Loves Me is a satisfying confection for anyone in need of some old fashioned sweetness.  The 2 1/2 hours are sure to fly by.  It is currently playing at Studio 54 with tickets are on sale through July 10 at https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/She-Loves-Me.aspx.

The Humans

Broadway, Play, Uncategorized May 3, 2016 Leave a comment

Of all the plays this season, Stephen Karam’s The Humans elicited the broadest range of responses from my friends and colleagues.  For each one who put it at the top of their list there was someone who unequivocally hated it.  Now that I’m on the other side of my own viewing experience, I can see why this piece generates both broad smiles and crossed arms.  It’s a cake made with corrosive acid and vanilla buttercream frosting.  Which of these ingredients hits you harder will depend very much on your personal makeup.  The one thing you won’t feel is nothing at all.

Fittingly, the events take place on Thanksgiving, which — lets face it — even in the happiest of households is a holiday that never quite lives up to our vision.  This is certainly true for the sincerely loving Blakes, joined for the first time by the younger sister Brigid’s beau, Richard Saad.  The family is as close to typical middle class city dwellers as you are likely to find on a big stage.  Rich has inherited money in his near future and is therefore on a different plane.  Long held rituals, new practices, and lost traditions come together over the course of evening, making for an odd mixture of comfort, hope and longing.

It must have been challenging to preserve the necessary level of intimacy when the play moved from the Laura Pels Theatre to Broadway.  Multiple Tony winning director Joe Mantello accomplishes this by keeping the action chaotic and tight.  David Zinn’s set successfully recreates what passes for spacious in New York’s Chinatown: a windowless basement with a nearly windowless second story.  Justin Townsend’s lighting and Fitz Patton’s sound add layers of eeriness and occasional humor to the atmosphere.

But as the title suggests, it is the humans who stand out.  The chemistry among the actors (Cassie Beck, Reed Birney, Jayne Houdyshell, Lauren Klein, Arian Moayed and Sarah Steele) is top flight.  Their warm, genuine bond is essential to making this production a success.  No wonder of all the terrific recent collaborative works, the Drama Desk chose to honor this cast with a special award for Outstanding Ensemble.  Birney and Houdyshell are particular standouts whose every emotion can be read in their body language from the back row.

The Humans is playing at the barely comfortable Helen Hayes Theater.  If you like your theater on the raw side, this one is for you.  Tickets are currently available through July 24, 2016.  Visit http://www.thehumansonbroadway.com for more information.

The Crucible

Broadway, Play, Uncategorized April 13, 2016 Leave a comment

The last time I attended a performance of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, I had not yet seen the McCarthy-Era set Trumbo or heard a candidate for president propose the “complete shutdown of all Muslims” entering our country.  The plot struck me as plodding and the dialogue dense.  Those recent reminders that unfounded fear can easily transform into outright hostility gave me a deeper appreciation of the unfortunate relevancy of this classic work.  This is also a superior production, boasting a first-rate cast in the skilled hands of Ivo Van Hove, a director who has become synonymous with dark and moody productions.

The entire ensemble is polished and well-matched.  Leading the way is Ben Whishaw, who at 5’9” is a decidedly unusual choice for the role of John Proctor.  Whishaw’s Proctor — described as “big” throughout the script and typically played by actors large in stature — is undoubtably substantial on an emotional level.  Sweet-faced Saoirse Ronan becomes ugly to her core as his nemesis Abigail Williams.  She is balanced by the loving and warm interpretation of Proctor’s wife Elizabeth delivered by the dazzling Sophie Okonedo.  Act Two is further brightened (darkened?) by a frighteningly powerful Ciarån Hinds as Deputy Governor Danforth.  The headliners are supported by an able troop including Bill Camp as a growingly conflicted Reverend John Hale, Tavi Gevinson as Abigail’s tool Mary Warren, and Jim Norton as what passes for comic relief in the form of Giles Corey.

Throughout the nearly three hour running time, Van Hove proves adroit at slowly building the dread to an almost unbearable level.  To emphasize the timeless cycle produced by anxiety and hate, the director moves the locale from Salem, Massachusetts circa 1692 to a utilitarian “sometime” with a set designed and lit by Jan Versweyveld.  The starkness helps the audience focus on the lightning flashes of impressive effects that pepper the action.  His actors dress in earth-toned unisex clothing by Wojciech Dziedzic, the better to disguise who is friend and who is foe.  The relentless score that buries itself in the pit of your stomach is provided by Philip Glass, master of repetitive background music.

The Crucible is playing at The Walter Kerr Theatre through July 17, 2016.  For tickets and information visit http://www.thecrucibleonbroadway.com. While I admire all the new names that have been brought to Broadway this season, I am equally thrilled to see an evergreen given such fresh life.  It sets a high bar for those to whom this serves as an introduction to the great Miller’s work.

Hamilton

Broadway, Musical, Uncategorized March 31, 2016 Leave a comment

I have two pieces of advice regarding the musical Hamilton. Number one: GO!. Do whatever it takes to get yourself a seat, short of meeting a creepy guy in a Starbucks with cash in hand. Play the lottery.  Sit in a lawn-chair in front of the theater all night. Or stick a pin in an available night in 2017. Because if ever there was a piece on Broadway that deserved to be called “must see”, this is it. And that’s not Kool-Aid talking.  The music is catchy (and, praise be, memorable).  The lyrics are clever.  And the cast is off-the-charts talented.

Number two: Whatever the components of that particular performance — whatever city you are in, wherever in the house you sit, whomever you’re with, and whichever cast members are on stage — enjoy *your* experience of it. It will only be one degree away from all the other fabulous ways you can see this show.  I heard deep sighs of disappointment when some audience members noticed that the part of George Washington was being played by Austin Smith instead of Christopher Jackson. But by the time he boomed out his farewell speech, he had won over even the most ardent fan of the soundtrack album. I have heard similar stories about several of the other standbys.  There are no weak links here.  Even if, as happened to me, Lin-Manuel Miranda is resting his vocal chords, you will not be the least bit disappointed to catch the magic of Javier Munoz in the title role. In fact, my theater friends tell me it’s become the “in” thing to grab tickets for the Sunday matinee in order to guarantee seeing his interpretation.  His vocal technique brings out more of rich seductiveness of Hamilton in contrast to Miranda’s sharp edged frustration. Both are equally important aspects of this increasingly famous Founding Father.

So strong is every player that it’s hard to single out just one or two.  But in the interest of keeping this review at appropriate blog length I’ll start with Daveed Diggs.  His flashy Franglais Marquis de Lafayette in the first Act is only topped by his effected and slightly bitchy Thomas Jefferson in the second.  Leslie Odom, Jr. makes a commanding yet penitent narrator in the form of Aaron Burr.  And how could I not give special mention to the utterly delightful and hilarious Jonathan Groff as the spitting mad King George III.  My mother is tone deaf and even she can’t stop humming his theme song.

Fortunately, all this talent is in service to a truly remarkable book, music and lyrics by national treasure Lin-Manuel Miranda.  You’ve no doubt read about how, inspired by Ron Chernow’s biography, he saw an immigrant story in Hamilton’s humble beginnings as an orphan on a Caribbean Island who is sent to New York at 14 to make his mark.  I can’t begin to fathom how he turned the revolutionary war and resulting establishment of our government into such dizzying entertainment.  Surely the word genius applies.  Deep appreciation goes out to choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and director Thomas Kail for adding perfect movement and motion to Miranda’s work.  There isn’t a dull moment to be seen.

Best of all is the probability that Hamilton will do for theater what Harry Potter did for reading: bring in a new generation of enthusiastic participants.  There were dozens of students in the theater and their energy was thrilling.  (Special shoutout to the young man who stepped off his school bus wearing a white tuxedo jacket, black bow tie and wide smile.)

Hamilton is currently playing at the Richard Rodgers Theater.  For tickets and information visit http://www.hamiltonbroadway.com.  Sign up for email notices and/or the lottery.   And PLEASE heed the warnings about counterfeit tickets.

Blackbird

Broadway, Play, Uncategorized March 27, 2016 Leave a comment

David Harrower’s Blackbird won the coveted Olivier Award over Frost/Nixon and Rock ‘n’ Roll, scripts by exceptional playwrights Peter Morgan and Tom Stoppard.  But while the runners-up feature a playfulness with and fluidity of language, Blackbird comes straight from the gut.  Many will find the central conversation frustrating, upsetting and too full of ambiguity.  This piece grew from questions Harrower asked himself after reading a newspaper story about an older man running away with a girl.  Not daring to presume what may be in the minds of others, he leaves it to you to answer some of those questions for yourself.  Your conclusions will almost certainly change during the 80 minute running time and may continue to morph for days after the lights come down.

The central discussion is about a life changing event the two characters shared 15 years before.  In those intervening years, the event has been defined and interpreted many times by people who weren’t involved.  We are witnesses to their first real-time exploration with the only other person who could really shine a light on that period.  Harrower’s writing style contains the poetry of Pinter, the brusqueness of Mamet and the discomfort of Shepard all rolled into a stomach-clenching ball. There is a constant flow of heightening and receding of vulnerabilities and therefore a shifting of which character is in command of the situation.  It’s easy to imagine that the power-shifts also happened in the past.  This possibility acts as a filter through which we struggle to find the truth.  We are forced to withhold final judgement, waiting to hear what the next piece of information will tell us about our two players.

The pair have moved forward in extremely different ways.  Peter (formerly known as Ray) has used the years to reconstruct himself and build a workable life.  It is a blessing that he is played by Jeff Daniels, who is not only immensely talented but supremely likable.  Even in his most ugly moments, you can envision really enjoying having dinner with him.  Conversely, Una has repeatedly lived only those few months from slightly different angles, so that they ARE her.  Having seen Michelle Williams grow up on television and in movies it’s actually quite easy to picture her at the necessary stages. What is missing is a feeling of genuine relationship between them.  While their individual speeches were pitch-perfect, their emotional connection was weak.  At times the actors just seemed tired.

This is the second time Joe Mantello has directed Blackbird on Broadway.  It is appropriate that he stages a messy, intimate conversation in a garbage strewn, claustrophobic break room. The candy wrappers and empty bottles also provide the actors with “business” to fill in their unfinished sentences.  Scott Pask’s set is so perfectly ordinary, the young man behind me kept comparing it to his own office.  Essential shading is provided by Brian Macdevitt’s lighting and Fitz Patton’s sound design. However, I found the creative decision to move the location from England to America less successful.  There are some plot details that would make more sense across the pond.

Blackbird is playing at the gloriously restored Belasco Theater through June 11, 2016. For tickets and information visit http://blackbirdbroadway.com.

Noises Off

Broadway, Play, Uncategorized February 13, 2016 Leave a comment

This my third time seeing Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, considered by many to be the perfect comedy.  My first encounter with this piece of zaniness was in the early 1980s on London’s West End.  I laughed so much I couldn’t catch my breath.  Years later I could still quote lines.  Since then, the play has had an award winning run on Broadway with a cast headed up by the terrific Dorothy Louden.  It was also made into a considerably-less memorable movie with Carol Burnett.  Now it has returned to the Great White Way with an ensemble that includes Andrea Martin, Campbell Scott, Tracee Chimo, Daniel Davis, David Furr, Kate Jennings Grant, Megan Hilty, Rob McClure and (my cousin) Jeremy Shamos.  The script has been altered somewhat and it feels a little longer, but it remains a funny lighthearted event, perfect for these stressful times.

The story is structured as a farce within a farce.  The actors mentioned above star as the cast and crew of the touring company of Nothing On.  Audience members would do well to read the yellow program within a program for important backstory and a few additional giggles.  For example, it becomes clear that the reason Ms. Hilty’s Brooke Ashton as Vicki keeps mouthing all the words of her co-stars is that she’s never played a part with lines before.  We also learn that several of these people worked together in a long running television series, which explains their remarkable familiarity with one another.

But the joy of a first-rate physical comedy like this is that you don’t have to know anything in particular, except maybe the properties of gravity.  That’s why Act II — which of the three relies most on slight of hand, gestures and easily misinterpreted silhouettes — is by far the strongest.  The actors are astonishingly in tune throughout and provide hilarious points that a child could understand.  (In fact, three groups of school children had thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the matinee the day of my attendance.)  Credit should be given to director Jeremy Herrin and stunt coordinator Lorenzo Pisoni for the orchestration of these fabulous moments.

As Dotty Otley, the always-excellent Andrea Martin seems to be having a blast.  Her timing is impeccable and her shifts from hapless housekeeper to the frazzled leading actress who portrays her are brilliant.  David Furr manages to deliver his character’s many drifting lines with subtle difference that keeps him from being one-note.  (Ms. Hilty could take a lesson here.)  Kate Jennings Grant provides a centering influence as the closest thing to a straight man in this circus.  Jeremy Shamos is spot-on as usual.  (See you at Thanksgiving, Jer.)  The surprising weak link is Tracee Chimo as overwhelmed stage manager Poppy Norton-Taylor.  She tries to be farcical, which is one layer too many.  Like an improv that starts with an unbelievable premise, her performance quickly becomes forced and simply not funny.

The Roundabout Theatre Company’s Noises Off is playing at the American Airlines Theater through March 13, 2016.  Given the amount of energy required by the cast, it will remain a limited run.  If you are in the mood for some high-spirited fun, it’s the perfect choice.  Visit http://www.roundabouttheatre.org for tickets and information.

King Charles III

Broadway, Play, Uncategorized January 14, 2016 Leave a comment

I am an unabashed Anglophile who can recite the British line of succession with greater ease than I can list the early US presidents.  So I was enormously intrigued by the premise of Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III.  Described as “a future history play”, the drama portrays the early days of the rule of the current Prince of Wales.  What would it be like for the second-oldest heir in history to ascend to the throne after the world’s longest reigning monarch passes away?  What impact would the founder of the enlightened Prince’s Trust have on England’s social issues?

Sadly, Mr. Bartlett squanders this opportunity for a fascinating exploration of what-ifs and instead gets bogged down in a completely unbelievable and already outdated conversation about freedom of the press.  Worse, his portrayals of members of the royal family are so cartoonish that I was by turns embarrassed and creeped out (not in a good way).

I was able to take time out from my shuddering to admire some of the performances.   As Prince Harry, Olivier Award nominee Richard Goulding is a standout.  He gives “the spare” heart, warmth and realistic soul-searching. Tim Pigott-Smith makes a simultaneously dignified and self-doubting King Charles.  Lydia Wilson’s conniving and manipulative Kate certainly has all the right gestures and tone.  Disappointing is Oliver Chris who, in the pivotal role of William, seems to be trying to deliver all of his lines with his mouth closed.

Much has been made of Bartlett’s writing this piece in blank verse.  This device does add an air of the Shakespearean to the proceedings.  Jocelyn Pook’s music provided by cellist Maria Jeffers and oboist Christa Robinson also lends a dash of the regal.  However, Rupert Goold’s direction is as choreographed as a Rockettes’ kick line.  The overall movement was so mechanical that it practically lulled me to sleep.

By the end of the 2 hours and 45 minutes, I found myself wondering why anyone thought this production was a good fit for Broadway.  While the British may have a love/hate relationship with their monarchy, the Americans certainly have a love/hate/disinterested one.  I cringe at the thought that, absent true knowledge, any audience member would take at all seriously the script’s boring and outlandish speculation.

King Charles III is playing at the gorgeous Music Box Theater through January 31, 2016.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.kingcharlesiiibroadway.com.

The Color Purple

Broadway, Musical, Uncategorized December 16, 2015 Leave a comment

The audience attending The Color Purple represented the New York I want to live in.  It encompassed a dazzling variety of ages, races and temperaments all sharing the experience of Broadway musical theater.  They held back tears, clapped with joy and on a few occasions rose to their feet.  In my view, that factor alone makes this production a triumph, even though I was personally left a little chilly.

I’ve never been a fan of this Pulitzer Prize winning work.  Intellectually I know it should be moving, but it’s never touched my heart.  I found Spielberg’s film version overcooked and never got through the book.  This leap to the stage doesn’t fare much better in part because the dialogue is delivered almost as an aside.  Plot points are swallowed and it’s easy to get lost if you aren’t already familiar with the material.

There’s no denying the vocal talent that fills the theater between these wasted lines.  British import Cynthia Erivo is positively darling as Celie, the central character of the story.  It’s hard to believe her tiny body can contain such a rich sound.  Despite her voice, Jennifer Hudson is a disappointment as Shug Avery.  While she can certainly belt out a tune, her movements are awkward and uncomfortable, as if her neck and arms belong to another body entirely.   It’s a particularly poor casting choice given that Shug is supposed to be sultry, sexy and earthy.  Danielle Brooks’s Sophia on the other hand is a revelation.  The Orange is the New Black actress has pipes and attitude to spare.  Here’s hoping Taystee is given a jazzy jailhouse number in season 4.

The rest of the company — most particularly the three “swings” who act as a type of Greek chorus — display a terrific range of style.  If only the score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray were stronger.  By the time I got to the subway, I couldn’t remember a single phrase.  (Meanwhile, I’m still humming “Musical” from Something Rotten.)

Many reviewers have praised John Doyle for stripping down this production.  I did not see the previous incarnation, but certainly found the general motion of the piece to be clean and well paced.  However, I was baffled by his set design, which included dozens of chairs scattered about the stage and hung along the walls.  They were like four-legged cigarettes, often providing “business” for the actors, but if there was metaphorical meaning to their presence it was lost on me.

The Color Purple is currently playing at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater.  For tickets and information visit http://colorpurple.com.  Clearly the more-than-twenty producers of this project hope it has a good long run.  For the sake of those who were swept away, I do too.

Old Times

Broadway, Play, Uncategorized November 4, 2015 Leave a comment

I’ve been a fan of Clive Owen since he played Derek Love in 1990’s Chancer.  As Love (and Smith in my unconventional favorite Shoot ‘em Up), Owen demonstrates a superior ability to embody a flirtatious character with intension and intensity while simultaneously winking at his own sexiness.  He draws on this skill as Deeley in his Broadway debut, Harold Pinter’s Old Times.  Moving with feline grace around the platform center stage, Owen’s Deeley spins his vivid tales as both seducer and seduced.  His silky rich tones almost make up for the fact that most of what he shares probably never happened.

Deeley’s epic storytelling is rivaled by Eve Best’s Anna, who may be his wife’s best friend or her alter-ego depending on your interpretation of this hazy work.  Dressed in a flowing white pants suit, she literally reflects most of the light and energy on stage.  If only those two were equally matched by Kelly Reilly’s Kate, the woman at the heart of the plot.  Ms. Reilly is so distant she could be having a beer at the Dave and Buster’s across the street.  Her overly relaxed manner even affects her ability to articulate clearly, as if she’d taken elocution lessons and forgotten to remove the marbles from her mouth.  This is particularly frustrating at the end of play, when she delivers a closing speech that’s hard to follow under the best of circumstances.  Whether this is fault of the actress or misguided cues from director Douglas Hodge is hard to judge.

The exploration of the relationship between reality and imagination is emphasized in the marvelous set by Christine Jones.  At times it looks like natural ripples in a pond, a metaphor for the way in which Kate enters relationships.  At other moments it appears as a giant abstract painting under Japhy Weideman’s dazzling lighting design.  Totally out of synch with the atmosphere is Thom Yorke’s music, an unwelcome intruder into the powerful space usually occupied by the famous Pinter pauses.

Old Times is short on story and long on mood.  If you give yourself over to the dreaminess — not too hard to do with Mr. Owen in the house — it’s a pleasant enough way to spend 65 minutes.

Old Times is playing at the American Airlines Theater through November 29.  Visit http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Old-Times.aspx for tickets and information.

Fun Home

Broadway, Musical, Uncategorized July 28, 2015 Leave a comment

Fun Home is the Little Engine That Surprised the Heck Out of Everyone.  Despite its lack of star power or big dance numbers, it beat out more likely contenders including Something Rotten and American in Paris to take home this year’s Tony for Best Musical.  More startling, the book is based on an autobiographical graphic novel about a woman coming to terms with her sexuality as well as that of her father.  Not exactly the most obvious source material for show tunes.   Consequently, I arrived at the performance ready to be blown out of the water.  Instead I was mildly splashed.  To be sure, the piece is thought provoking, but there’s also something remarkably flat about the experience.

The structure of Fun Home is extremely inventive.  The main character, Alison Bechdel, is portrayed by three profoundly talented actresses.  Beth Malone plays modern Alison and is our guide, drawing and telling her story throughout.  Emily Skeggs brings to life college-age Alison, who goes from struggling with her homosexuality to embracing it as a critical part of her identity.  Most thrilling is Sydney Lucas as young Alison.  She’s one of those almost-scary kids with a huge set of pipes and a presence to match.

The staging by uber talented Sam Gold is ingenious, moving the story through time while nodding in the direction of the source material.   Gold also makes the most of the in-the-round venue, sometimes swirling the characters through the space.

The piece is written as an operetta; think Gilbert and Sullivan.  While I am delighted that Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron are the first all-female team to win a Tony for writing a musical, this is not my favorite form (unless it is actually Gilbert and Sullivan).  I’m simply distracted by heart to heart dialogue delivered in singsong.  But the real buzz kill for me happened early on when the adult Alison summed up the entire plot to come in one sentence.  From that point on there was little at stake.  I became increasingly passive and wondered why I wasn’t trusted to follow a more engaging evolution of the story.  That would have been a spectacular journey to take.

Fun Home is currently playing at the Circle in the Square Theater.  For tickets and information, visit http://funhomebroadway.com/tickets.php.