Joy: A new True Musical

Musical, Off-Broadway July 20, 2025 Leave a comment

Tired of not being able to answer the simple query, “how are you?” without sighing? Ken Davenport and AnnMarie Milazzo may have an answer.  Their creation Joy: A New True Musical is a type of musical optimism that has audience members returning from intermission wearing the freshly-purchased official T-shirt.  Its message of resolve and imagination envelops people in a purple and yellow cloud that even has them warmly hugging the mops they’ve been handed by the ensemble.

You may be familiar with Joy Mangano from her book “Inventing Joy: Dare to Build a Brave & Creative Life,” from seeing the 2015 movie simply entitled “Joy,” or maybe even from buying her products through the QVC home shopping network.  She was a young mother with a house full of people depending on her when she was suddenly laid off from a steady if uninspiring job.  In other words, she had much in common with women around the country who are behind in their mortgage and anxious to fully provide for their families.  Using a combination of vivid imagination, determination, and a few lucky breaks, she turned her life around.  

The musical retelling of her tale stars the dynamic Betsy Wolfe, who gained a wide range of fans with her Broadway turns in Waitress and & Juliet.  She’s surrounded by an accomplished cast including Adam Grupper as her well intentioned father Rudy, Jill Abramovitz as her overly cautious mother Toots, and Honor Blue Savage as the daughter Christie who only wants Mom to be able to come to her games.  Along her road to success she has dealings with Paul Whitty’s underhanded Cowboy Eddie, and Charl Brown’s experienced network exec Dan, both of whom are given showy performance numbers.  

Betsy Wolfe (with ensemble members) in Joy: A New True Musical; Photo by Joan Marcus

It is easy to see why Wolfe is so popular that she gets a round of applause before she opens her mouth. Her very presence fills the house and she sings with much appreciated clarity and emotion.  Milazzo’s score isn’t the most varied and the refrains bleed into one another, but it is tuneful, carried along by Andy Einhorn’s arrangements.  The opening “Welcome to My World” does some heavy lifting, rapidly introducing us to a number of important characters and plot points.  The book by Davenport is considerably more assured than Hollywood’s interpretation of Mangano’s biography.  Filled with broad humor that makes a point, the plot gets bogged down in the second Act in part because it’s hard to top the momentum of Act I.  

Director Lorin Latarro uses her actors and limited space well, giving us glimpses of Bigger Show potential.  Likewise the choreography of Joshua Bergasse is muffled by shoulder shrugs and knee bends when it could eventually soar. The creative team has also delivered with vision but to scale.  Scenic designer Anna Louizos takes a lesson from the TV studios that brought Joy fame, filling a generic cityscape proscenium with small rolling set pieces.  Also taking a cue from television is David Bengali whose projections are critical to the storytelling.  Clever props including the co-staring Miracle Mop are designed by Andrew Diaz. Tina McCartney lets a few key outfits shine, and keeps the rest timely and simple. Liz Printz’s wigs and hair design age the lively Abramovitz and allow the ensemble to cover myriad roles.  Shout out to House Manager Dovber Dier and the incredible organization of the venue staff.

Who doesn’t welcome an upbeat story of success under trying circumstances?  Sure to be a crowd pleaser, the show is exactly what you’d expect from something called Joy: A New True Musical.  Performances are at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111 West 46th Street near 6th Avenue.  Running time is 2 hours including a 15 minute intermission.  The limited engagement is currently scheduled to end on August 17.  For more information and tickets starting at $72, visit https://joythemusical.com/.

OPEN

Off-Broadway, Play, Solo performance July 13, 2025 Leave a comment

After a lengthy pause, Crystal Skillman’s award-winning play, OPEN, has been given a three-week Off-Broadway run at WP Theater.   Celebrating its 47th Season, WP Theater is the oldest and largest theatrical company in the country dedicated to fostering, producing and promoting the work of Women+ at every stage of their artistic development.  With LGBTQ rights under heightened threat, bringing OPEN’s heartfelt love story back to the stage could not be better timed.  Whatever impression the script left in 2019 has only been amplified by rising violence including a shooting near the fabled Stonewall Inn at the end of Pride Month.  

From a darkened space lined with lighting and sound equipment, Kristen invites the audience to join her for a three stage magic act consisting of Love, Commitment, and Sacrifice plus an extra promise.  To execute her wizardry, she has dressed in flashy top hat and tails (costume design by Madeline Wall) and taken on the persona of The Magician, a character inspired by “Night by Night” one of her own YA short stories. In it, a boy discovers that his make-believe skill as a conjurer has imbued him with real abilities.  In the lengthier version of her tale, he also falls in love with another boy.  Kristen hopes that she will experience a similar transformation in her powers as she struggles to reach out to her girlfriend, Jenny.

Over the course of 75 minutes, Kristen shares chapters from her and Jenny’s relationship.  She acknowledges that she has been deeply affected by a repressive upbringing in Indiana and lives cautiously: doubting her abilities and never “flaunting” being a lesbian.  Jenny, however, is out and singing with joy, surrounded by loving and accepting family and working with LGBT youth.  Not only is their meeting magical, but their life together requires all sorts of tricks from the juggling act of their needs to levitating above societal forces.  The very word OPEN performs a number of functions as in living openly gay, being open hearted, speaking openly and honestly, and opening the door to opportunity. 

Unlike most playwrights with a single character, Skillman does not give voice to her own words.  Instead the piece is brought to life by Megan Hill, who previously played The Magician at The Tank.  She is not the type of monologist who uses different vocal registers, but rather distinguishes her characters with tone and body language.  The most important ingredient in her success is engaging the imagination of audience members which she coaxes and nurtures.  The colorful details throughout the script make it easy to see with your inner eye and indeed “conjure” episodes from Kristen and Jenny’s life together.  At points, attendees function as magician’s assistants, filling out the invisible visuals with their willing participation.  

Megan Hill as The Magician in OPEN; photo by Jeremy Varner

The genuine slight of hand is performed by the creative team with impressively timed sound by Emma Wilk and lighting by Sarah Johnston (who also designed the set).  Director Jessi D. Hill and Magic Consultant Rachel Wax along with Wilk, and Johnston have collaborated beautifully on executing the physicality and visualization of the incantations without a ball, ring or flower in sight.  

Inventive, touching, and impactful, OPEN is a unique solo entertainment.  Performances continue at WP Theater, 2162 Broadway in New York, through July 27.  Tickets are $65 and available at https://wptheater.org/wp-space-program/open/. Pre-show acts and post-show talkbacks will incorporate the talents of the magicians who helped inspire Skillman’s story and the actors who portrayed The Magician in Broadway Licensing productions, drawing a through-line to the powerful role of magic within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Camera Ready

Musical, Off Off Broadway July 7, 2025 Comments: 3

Throughout the 1980s, videographer Nelson Sullivan used his developing camera skills and sincere love of the downtown New York art scene to capture and preserve many of the distinctive talents of that special time and place.  In partnership with his childhood friend James “Dick” Richards, host of a long-running access channel LGBT variety show, he put RuPaul on a path to stardom.  As he experimented with newer equipment and continued to evolve his technique, he sometimes included himself in the frame.  When he died at 41 of an apparent heart attack, he left behind a body of work credited with forming the template for the type of short form personal videos that proliferate YouTube.  

Now a behind the scenes look at Sullivan’s life and work has been fashioned into Camera Ready, a new play with music written and directed by his friend, artist/playwright/filmmaker Gary LeGault.  The sprawling cast of twenty much resembles the streets outside with its array of ages, races, and body types.  The ensemble brings unadulterated enthusiasm to each scene such as “Friday Evening in New York,” a celebration of Nelson’s first night out on the town with his camera.  There is a genuine sweetness to Jack Warren Lewis’s uplifting interpretation of the documentarian.  Other standouts include Bryce Payne’s dazzling RuPaul, JC Augustin gravely voiced Jackie Curtis, and a versatile Alexa Echevarria as Sullivan’s mother, musician Rhonda Granger, and a truly horrible Mona Robson in rehearsal at La Mama.  Her performance in the upbeat “All the Money” is a hoot.

Jack Warren Lewis as Nelson Sullivan with the cast of Camera Ready

Though working on an obviously tight budget, creative thought has gone into the design. The majority of the songbook (arrangements by Chris Glik and Michael O’Dell) has a breezy, clubby style that comes through on the solo piano. The backdrop, drawn by LeGault, is reminiscent of Edward Hopper had the artist worked in crayon.  Lola Saenz, under the direction of set designer Lytza Colon, installed bricks which adorn the central staircase. Night scene costumes and wigs by Diana Chaiken have the perfect dramatic flair.  

Oddly, it is LeGault’s obvious affection for Sullivan that flattens the story.  He has recorded history with heart, which makes for a valid but blurry lens. There is too much emphasis on tiny interactions and it is doubtful anyone under the age of 60 would recognize the celebrities about whom Sullivan exclaims.  A key relationship with housemate Choux (Dave Onofre) is underdeveloped and the parade of houseguests doesn’t achieve substantial impact. The current script also skirts the remarkable implications of Sullivan’s legacy. Ultimately the piece gets bogged down in less significant details and crosses the finish line at a hefty 2 ½ hours. 

With the show having completed its off-off-Broadway run on July 6 at Theater for the New City, LeGault has an opportunity to expand his private portrait into a deeper, more meaningful tribute to Nelson’s work.  This would also further highlight the gifts of Drag Queens and trans performers featured in Sullivan’s videos.  A rethinking would likely require LeGault to collaborate with an editor who could provide enough distance to make the appropriate refinements.  However, a more examined celebration would elevate not just Nelson’s legacy but the contributors to the American art scene he so valued.  

Trophy Boys

Off-Broadway, Play June 25, 2025 Leave a comment

It all comes down to gray areas according to Jared, the second debater on the undefeated team at the center of Emmanuelle Mattana’s Trophy Boys.  The same could be said of the entire play, now in its American debut at MCC Theater. The most immediate and obvious dichotomy is that each of the four boys on stage is portrayed by an actor who is non-cis male.  In truth, almost every aspect of the piece is non-conforming.  It is a comedy permeated by devastation and a tragedy that contains plenty of laughs.

At opening, four seniors from an elite New York high school are preparing for the debate of their scholastic lives. Win, and they are all one giant step closer to achieving the lofty professional goals they’ve set for themselves.  Lose, and all of their ambitious plans could be sidelined.  In their favor is the well-honed collaborative technique they’ve developed over the year.  Though they’ve just learned that they are to argue in the affirmative that feminism has failed women — against the team from an all-girls school no less — their brainstorming is exuberant.  But when a catastrophic piece of information is introduced into their planning session, it throws everyone off balance.

Mattana has drawn from their own experience as a debater, a skill which often required them to argue for cases they didn’t believe.  “It was no wonder,” they reflect in the program, “ that this ethos seeped so dangerously into other parts of these boys’ lives.”  She has also given herself the juicy role of Owen, the socially awkward debate team closer who to his very roots believes he is the smartest person in the room.  

The other three teammates have their own reasons for seeing themselves as superior to the rest.  In the first spot is the bi-curious physically dominant Scott, portrayed by the always magnetic Esco Jouléy.  Backing him up is the creative lover-of-women Jared, an all-too-recognizable Louisa Jacobson.  In forth place is Terry Hu’s David, the strict administrator.   As an acting ensemble, they smoothly cede the spotlight to the next player even when their characters do not.  

Emmanuelle Mattana, Louisa Jacobson, Esco Jouléy, and Terry Hu; Photo by Valerie Terranova

Director Danya Taymor has great familiarity with young males, having recently won the Tony Award for The Outsiders.  She has injected that extreme physicality into her cast. The music pumps as the audience enters, preparing them for the energetic onslaught.  At points the cast members literally bounce off the furniture, depicting what their nervous systems are experiencing.  Vigorous dance moves include humping their notebooks to show their dominance over the material.  Passions hot and cold run deep and lines are delivered at a barely digestible rate of speed.  One can only imagine the sensitivity with which the more emotional exchanges were developed with a sensitivity specialist (Ann James) and DEI consultant (Nicole Johnson) working alongside Taymor to mold the scenes. 

There is a through-line from the contradictions of ideas that runs across all the creative elements.  It is far into the term, but Matt Saunders’ desks, chairs and whiteboard remain immaculate.  Images of important women through history adorn the walls but appear cartoonish.  The students are 17 years old and Márion Talán de la Rosa has dressed them in short pants usually reserved for under-classmates.  Cha See’s lighting is natural and then morphs to profoundly exaggerated.  

Ultimately, Trophy Boys is a sincere and thoughtful exploration of the non-binary nature of the world.  No person represented is just one thing and neither is any aspect of the content.  Most noticeable of all is our feelings which are completely adrift by the end of an increasingly taut 70 minutes.  We are left in that all-important gray area.  Performances continue through July 27 at MCC Theater, 511 West 52nd Street.  Dynamically priced tickets start at $74 and are available at https://mcctheater.org/tix/trophy-boys/.

Lunar Eclipse

Drama, Off-Broadway June 4, 2025 Leave a comment

When the earth, moon, and sun are in alignment, the moon moves into earth’s shadow blocking light from reaching the moon’s surface.  This lunar eclipse is the featured event of Donald Margulies play of that name.  It also serves as a somewhat strained symbol for the darkness that has engulfed the long marriage of 70-something George and Em.

The piece opens with George alone on stage crying in the vastness of night in a field on his Kentucky farm.  Soon Em arrives with a gigantic bag filled with items that might make him more comfortable, though he doesn’t show much interest in her offerings.  They talk as they wait for the moon to take on its eery red glow.  The phases of the astronomical phenomenon — umbra, penumbra, total — are projected behind them, inserting breaks in flow of their conversation.  It soon becomes clear that much as the moon’s shine is being swallowed up, so have they been swallowing their fears and sadness.

George is intellectual with a particular interest in the stars and a strong need to stop and appreciate his surroundings.  Em is more an instinctual “city girl” and her relative ignorance allows George to explain events to us as well.  As time elapses and the bourbon flows, their increasing levels of honesty and respect break chinks in the wall between them.  Despite all the disappointments they’ve had to face, they are reminded why they chose each other in the first place.

Lisa Emery and Reed Birney in Lunar Eclipse; Photo by Joan Marcus

Marital every day moments and eventual strain is not new territory for playwright Margulies, who previously won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2000 for Dinner with Friends.  Much of the terrain here is as well-ploughed as George’s family farm.  But director Kate Whoriskey has been blessed with her cast.  Lisa Emery and Reed Birney — reprising his role from Shakespeare & Company’s 2023 production in Lenox, Massachusetts — remain two of the most reliable stage performers and watching their exchange is enthralling.  The dialogue may not be radical, but much is communicated in a touch, a look, or a pause. Their poetic descriptions of worry, loss, and grief ring true, though the fog doesn’t just roll across the skies.  

Scenic designer Walt Spangler has created a thick black box around the proscenium, restricting the space and cushioning the actors’ movements with earth (though what that does to the audience view from the first few rows is unwelcome.)  Just a few wild flowers add color to the landscape.  The tinkling of a piano lulls the audience upon entry to the theater.  Occasionally the soft sounds of the surrounding nature join Sinan Refik Zafar’s soundscape.  Lighting by Amith Chandrashaker provides metaphoric bright and shadow building to the crescendo of S. Katy Tucker’s video.

Unsurprisingly, though seeped in tragedy, Lunar Eclipse with its slow reveals and well-earned sorrow, is a master class in acting.  Performances take place on The Irene Diamond Stage in the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street. Runtime is approximately 90 minutes without an intermission.  Tickets are available through June 22 at https://2st.com/shows/lunareclipse

The United States vs Ulysses

Off-Broadway, Play May 28, 2025 Leave a comment

In 1933, the landmark trial of “United States v. One Book Called Ulysses” cleared the way for the publication of many significant works of literature that include sexual content and adult language.  Though James Joyce’s seminal novel was readily available in Europe at the time, it had twice been deemed obscene by a New York court. Random House founder, Bennett Cerf, determined that being the first in America to print the book in its entirety would launch them into the big leagues.  To that end, his company attorney, Morris Ernst, strategized what became a test case for freedom of expression.  Judge Woolsey’s deeply considered decision is practically a literary work in itself.

The events of the trial — its echos reverberating off the walls of today’s public libraries and scholastic institutions — form the foundation of The United States vs Ulysses currently running at the Irish Arts Center.  Playwright Colin Murphy takes the name of the actual case to heart, positioning sections of the book in the role of defendant.  He also fuses the courtroom drama with a rather unrefined behind the scenes look at the live reenactment produced by CBS’s The March of Time.  

This multilayered investigation is executed by a skillful cast of six under the adept hand of director Conall Morrison.  The send-up of the radio broadcast gives way to a serious lesson in interpretive performance.  The ensemble moves through characters historic and fictional, often brushing one against the other.  Jonathan White provides cohesion even while portraying a number of different narrator types.  Clare Barrett is an utter delight as Molly Bloom, especially in her interactions with Morgan C. Jones’s cerebral Judge Woolsey.  Ali White serves as a counterbalance to Barrett’s wild abandon, taking on the sterner female roles.  Ross Gaynor pulls off playing Bennett Cerf and the prosecuting lawyer as well as Molly’s oily lover.  Ernst is rendered by Mark Lambert, personifying this production’s blend of honest reflection and sharp-edged humor.  

The Cast of The United States vs Ulysses; Photo by Nir Arieli

The entire design team facilitates the slide between modes of storytelling. The actors are able to switch roles with the rapid exchange of a hat, the wrapping of a scarf or the removal of glasses (costumes by Catherine Fay).  Liam Doona’s set is like a gift box, with sound proofed radio studio opening to reveal Paris, Dublin, and the Southern District of New York.  Each state of the narrative is given its own tonal palette thanks in large part to John Comiskey’s lighting.  Music and sound by Simon Kenny enhance the atmosphere.

Combining elements of history, literature, law, society and culture, The United States vs Ulysses reminds us of the fight which won us the right to read whatever we choose.  Along the way, it pokes fun at the powerful men who tried to silence a fictional woman for being a sexual being.  Performances continue through Sunday, June 1, at The JL Greene Theatre in the Irish Arts Center,  726 11th Avenue.  There is a lovely cafe in the lobby that is open before and after the show.  Runtime is a sleek 85 minutes.  Tickets start at $25 and are available at https://irishartscenter.org/event/the-united-states-vs-ulysses.

Bowl EP

Off-Broadway, Play, Theater Event May 26, 2025 Leave a comment

I am not young, black, gay, or well acquainted with club drugs. What I am is a fierce advocate for theater as an art and communication form. Being in a performance space filled with 20-somethings who are stomping, clapping, hooting, and laughing, even while relating strongly to Morales trying to feel like an ice cream cone, was thrilling. That was my recent experience at a matinee of Nazareth Hassan’s Bowl EP, a joint production of Vineyard Theatre and National Black Theatre in association with The New Group.

If you are a fossil like me, you remember Extended Plays or EPs as the record albums comprised of a few songs. These days they are used by artists to stay on the charts while they are working on larger musical projects.  Bowl EP begins with short “tracks,” the titles of which are projected around the sides of the “bowl,” an empty swimming pool that Quentavius da Quitter (Oghenero Gbaje) and Kelly K Klarkson  (Essence Lotus) use for skateboarding… and other activities.  Similar to that short form, the scenes are performed by the same pair, but don’t firmly connect in style or content.

Also like an EP, much of what the two say to each other has more of the quality of song lyrics than naturalistic dialogue: abstract and disconnected, yet deeply emotional. They never call each other by name and there are no characters listed in the program.  They talk very little about their lives away from this space as if there is no meaningful world away from the bowl.   It’s even hard to tell how long they’ve known each other.  The exchanges do produce a recurring cycle: flirtation, overt sexuality, and comic relief as they try come up with a name for their nascent rap duo.  Their “yums” are quite different, but each one is greeted with acceptance.

At a turning point Kelly — bedecked in wrap skirt over jeans and a sparkling baby-T (costumes by DeShon Elem) — mentions a cathartic therapy session during which she was able to vomit up her demon and become her.  Then during an intensely intimate act she is able to do the same for Quint.  The demon expelled into the pool is the high energy Lemon Pepper Wings (Felicia Curry).  From here, this pan-gender all-knowing character with oversized anime head, pink and purple frills, beat up teddybear backpack and a heart shaped tailed, takes over.  The rapid “tunes” are replaced by a relentless tirade akin to a drum solo as he/she/they shares Quint and Kelly’s relationship past and future in gory detail, personally involving the audience as well.  (Shout out to the stage managers who facilitate the magic.)

Essence Lotus and Oghenero Gbaje in Bowl EP; Photo by Carol Rosegg

Much thought has gone into transforming the venue for this unusual work.  Seating is in the round and blocked off from the stage with chain link fencing.  Playwright Hassan follows the flow of his words in the actors’ movement accented by Teniece Divya Johnson’s fight and intimacy choreography.  Scenic design team Adam Rigg & Anton Volovsek have created a gorgeous curvaceous pool in peaceful sea-foam complete with useful ladders and a diving board to contain the ferocity of the action.  Kate McGee’s lighting simulates street lamps and headlights until the colorful shift to the unconscious.  The projections as designed by Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor telegraph the intensity and vibe of each beat with the formation of the lettering.  Music by Judah “Free Fool” Girvan caps the undertaking, even effectively incorporating some of the lyrics devised in earlier chapters.

Intentionally and undeniably different, Bowl EP continues through June 22 at the Vineyard Theatre, 108 East 15th near Union Square.  Runtime is 80 minutes without intermission. Tickets are available at https://vineyardtheatre.org/shows/bowl/  beginning at $37.80.  Seating is unique and a look at the chart is helpful in selecting your preferred location.  ADA seating is available in the North section.  A joint fundraising initiative is striving to provide tickets to first-time theatergoers, though if this production was on film the content would likely be rated M for violence and sexuality. The venue continues to offer two masked performances per run, honoring their commitment to make theater accessible to everyone.

Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole

Docudrama, Off-Broadway, Play May 20, 2025 Leave a comment

In November of 1956, singer/pianist Nat “King” Cole became the first Black man to host a variety show on network television.  Though he eventually had multiple Billboard hits including Mona Lisa, L-O-V-E, and Nature Boy, he never secured a National sponsor for this groundbreaking program.  Major markets, especially those in the South, pressured advertisers to drop their support of the broadcast.  Despite an array of popular guest stars with household names, beaten down by the color barrier, NBC and Cole agreed to terminate the venture the following year after 53 episodes.

Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, written by Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor, uses the final taping of the Nat “King” Cole Show to explore not only this chapter in the life of the beloved crooner, but the systematic erasure of Black voices.  It’s an intriguing pick for a central character.  Though Cole participated in civil rights marches and avoided segregated venues, he felt his public role was one of an entertainer.  He sang ballads, not protest songs, even after a cross had been burned on the lawn of his home in a wealthy white Los Angeles neighborhood.  

The play is set in a television studio (scenic design by Clint Ramos) complete with an applause sign, clever lighting (Stacey Derosier), and a live “Nelson Riddle” band on the stage.  This enables the easy integration of music, live-feed camera work and audience reaction.  However, it quickly becomes obvious that this is not a recreation of one night.  Shortly before airtime someone (someTHING) causes the ghost light to flicker and briefly go out, allowing the spirit of Sammy Davis Jr. to explode onto the scene.  In an effort to inspire Cole to go out on a combative note, The Rat Packer takes him through a phantom version of events.  Classic song lyrics are incorporated into the spoken dialogue along with a mix of historical fact as seen through the lens of modern times and Cole’s personal reflection as imagined by Domingo and McGregor.

Dulé Hill in NYTW’s LIGHTS OUT; photo by Marc J. Franklin

Dulé Hill gives soothing voice and gravitas to Cole, a part he cultivated at the Peoples’ Light in Malvern, PA and further developed at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.  Daniel J. Watts, also reprising his role, grabs Davis by the lapels, practically ricocheting off the walls with intensity.  He is high octane gasoline to Hill’s humming battery pack.  Playwright McGregor directs, bouncing the two very different friends off one another, culminating in a dynamic dance number (choreography by Edgar Godineaux with tap by Jared Grimes). Though the plot line is choppy and likely to challenge those unfamiliar with the named celebrities and cultural touchstones, the songbook alone (arrangements and orchestrations by John McDaniel) makes for highly satisfying entertainment.  

Hill and Watts positively dazzle in the leads, capturing key qualities of their characters and steering clear of imitation.  The action is kicked off by Elliott Mattox’s convivial Stage Manager.  Cole’s white producer is portrayed in myriad forms by Christopher Ryan Grant.  Krystal Joy Brown makes an early impression as a purring Eartha Kitt, later embodying an enchanting daughter Natalie Cole. Also displaying range is another vet of the previous run, Ruby Lewis, who depicts both spunky Betty Hutton and sultry Peggy Lee.  Matriarch Perlina Coles, who first introduced Cole to the piano, is played with soulful sincerity by Kenita Miller with Mekhi Richardson performing as young Nat (and a younger Billy Preston) the afternoon I attended.  Adding a comedic touch is Kathy Fitzgerald as make-up artist Candy.  She is also featured in the highly creative live commercials that run throughout the program.   

You feel the ripples of connection move through different sectors of the audience depending on whether it is Cole performing his rendition of The Christmas Song, Lift Every Voice and Sing vocalized by mother Perlina, or young Natalie joining him for a duet of Unforgettable (something she created in the studio long after his death).  When you layer in the profound racism, disgraceful accepted stereotypes, and aggressions micro and macro, the entire experience becomes a social study as well as a piece of engaging theater.

Likely to fill you with a bubbling combination of elation and frustration, Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole provides a worthwhile conclusion to a bold season at New York Theatre Workshop.  Performances continue through June 29 on the main stage at 79 East 4th Street.  Runtime is 90 minutes without intermission.  The actors smoke heavily, making me grateful to remain a mask-wearer.  Tickets start at $49 and are available at https://www.nytw.org/show/lights-out-nat-king-cole/.

EPIC’s Seussical the Musical

Fund-raiser, Musical, Off-Broadway May 11, 2025 Leave a comment

Seussical the Musical was not exactly a hit with the critics when it ran on Broadway about 25 years ago.  Nonetheless, the familiarity of the characters and its themes, including the consequences of cronyism and the importance of staying true to yourself, resonated with audiences.  It continues to be performed regionally with its “junior” version popular in schools throughout the country.  These messages also make it a fitting selection for EPIC’s diverse troupe.  The cast’s palpable joy in performing a work that embraces such a delightful and distinctive population makes for an easy-to-love experience for the whole family.

Horton the Elephant (Gianluca Cirafici) surrounded by the Wickersham Brothers

For those unfamiliar with the script, it is adapted from several children’s books written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss.  Music is by Stephen Flaherty with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.  Two of the plots feature a compassionate elephant portrayed by an endearing Gianluca Cirafici sporting soft floppy ears.  The third story line moves the focus to his love-struck neighbor, Gertrude McFuzz, depicted with pizzazz and warmth by Natalie Kaiser, accompanying herself on kazoo.  To attract Horton’s attention, the self-conscious bird grows an impressive tail with the help of Dr Dake (Ethan Jones).  Other Seuss inventions that make appearances large and small are the famous trickster The Cat in the Hat (Shoshanna Gleich), a bluesy Sour Kangaroo (Emily DeMaio) and her Baby (Anjel Bell), a judicious Yertle the Turtle (Prince Hurst), and the Wickersham Brothers (Miles Butler, Ethan Homan, Nick Moscato, Sven W) who never get tired of literally monkeying around.

Gertrude McFuzz (Natalie Kaiser, center) growing a tail with the help of Dr Dake (Ethan Jones) and encouragement from The Cat in the Hat (Shoshanna Gleich).

The opening is primarily based on Horton Hears a Who. Finding an entire populated planet on a clover, Horton appoints himself protector aided by the Smallest Who of All, Jojo embodied in the tiny but mighty Christine Newberry.  It is she who calls forth a universe of Seussian creations with her unbridled imagination.  Standout Matt Tierney has a wonderful time soliciting both laughs and donations from the audience as her father the Mayor.  Sandy Gladstone Karpe is Mrs. Mayor rendered with overflowing glass of chardonnay in hand.

Jojo (Christine Newberry) with her disapproving parents, Mrs. Mayor (Sandy Gladstone Karpe) and Mr. Mayor (Matt Tierney)

As if the Whos of Whoville and their speck of dust world (Bre Baron, Sami Binder, Miles Butler, Tess Carvelli, Shafer Gootkind, Prince Hurst, Ethan Jones, Genesis Solivan) weren’t responsibility enough, Horton then falls for the manipulations of Mayzie Labird, taken on with sass a-plenty by Kayla Robinson, who tricks him into sitting on her egg.  As is appropriate, all the birds, including Kaiser and Robinson plus the powerhouse “Bad Girls” trio of Alice Frannsen, Rachel Paine, and Elisa Weiss, bring vocal purity to all of their songs. 

Mayzie Labird (Kayla Robinson, second from the left) with the Bad Girls: Alice Frannsen, Rachel Paine, and Elisa Weiss

Scenic designer Christian Flemming has done an admirable job capturing Seuss’s drawing style in three dimensions encircled by an “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” rainbow sidewalk.  Likewise Izzy Kitch’s whimsical costumes and elaborate headgear.  Props by Dana Weintraub include miniature everyday items for the Whos and of course a Red Fish and a Blue Fish.  Against this background, Artistic Director Aubrie Therrien and her Co-Director Meggan Dodd have added their usual high-energy interaction.  Choreographer Travis Burbee provides several effervescent dance numbers. 

The Cast of EPIC Players’ Seussical the Musical

Since 2016, EPIC Players (Empower, Perform, Include, Create) has been dedicated to creating professional performing arts opportunities and a supportive social environment for Neurodivergent and Disabled artists.  With its wonderful range of colorful characters, Seussical the Musical is a perfect match for their talents and mission.  As a Mother’s Day “gift,” on Sunday May 11th their performance will be relaxed with ASL interpretation.  There couldn’t be a better time to deliver the message that “a person’s a person’s no matter how small.”  So if you could use a reminder of How Lucky You Are, head to ART/NY The Mezzanine Theatre, 502 W 53rd St. now through May 18.  Tickets are $35-$65 and can be purchased online at https://epicplayers.ticketspice.com/epic-players-presents-seussical.  

Photos by Zui Gomez

Eboni Booth: Story/Teller

Feature, Interview, Live Stream April 18, 2025 Leave a comment

Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize winning Primary Trust is currently one of the most performed plays regionally.  It is the kind of work that people say leaves them “shattered,” “undone” and “wrecked” and they mean that in a good way.  The New York Premiere was my return to live theater after more than three years because of COVID.  The themes explored, especially when delivered by the incomparable William Jackson Harper, could not have provided a more perfect balm.  Though written in May of 2023, that review remains my second most read.  (You can read it for yourself here: https://theunforgettableline.com/2023/05/30/primary-trust/)   

To celebrate the printing of the Primary Trust script, TCG, dramatic literature’s largest independent trade publisher, presented an evening with Ms. Booth. The book’s cover shows a small town street with each side mirrored in the other, beautifully reflecting the feelings evoked by the original set design. 

The evening opened with a short reading by Harper accompanied by original composer/perform Luke Wygodny on cello and the bell meant to represent the way in which our thoughts frequently interrupt themselves.  These scenes gave newcomers a taste of Primary Trust’s beauty and provided a strong reminder to anyone who saw the full production.  

Eboni Booth and Heidi Schreck on April 16, 2025

The conversation was hosted by another recognizable actress turned playwright, Heidi Schreck (What the Constitution Means to Me).  Both women have participated in the collaborative incubator, Clubbed Thumb, and are raising families in New York City.  This provided plenty of common ground.  The two comfortably chatted as if in their own local tiki bar about writing, acting, and what keeps them up at night.  

Ms. Booth came to playwriting in her late 30s when she pivoted away from acting and got herself into an advanced program at Juilliard in Manhattan.  She is honest about her sometimes clumsy first steps and counts David Adair and Marsha Norman among her teachers/guides to success.  

As with most powerful work, Primary Trust arose from a genuine place both personally and professionally.  Booth believes in the power of kindness from strangers, vividly remembering an encounter on the subway when the person next to her saw her crying and offered a tissue.  The notion that small steps can be life changing eventually grew into lead character Kenneth’s way of being.  By tapping into the discomfort left by prolonged COVID isolation and the need for tenderness towards one another, the audience became deeply invested in his wellbeing.

 All four cast members have rich material to work with. As a former struggling actress, Ms. Booth has distrain for the type of roles that serve a plot purpose but don’t give the performer anything meaty to do.  Booth’s style is more like that of a fiction writer, with long prosaic passages.  Shreck speculated that the radical structure of the play was likely one element that drew the attention of the Pulitzer jury and ultimately won her the prize.  

The event took place at the Center for Fiction, a 200 year old cultural non-profit in Brooklyn that promotes the values of engaging with fiction at all levels.  It was streamed through their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheCenterforFiction/streams) and will soon be available to view.