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.

John

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized August 24, 2015 Leave a comment

“What do you call an intense drama that makes you laugh your butt off?” asked my friend at intermission during John.  I didn’t know, preferring to reserve “dramedy” for anything on the television fall schedule that will have trouble securing sponsorship.  Whatever the proper term, it is a form at which Annie Baker excels.  With her pieces, it’s always hard to say whether it’s the genuine laughs or the piercing insights which will linger.

Director Sam Gold, a frequent Baker collaborator, knows how to bring out the best in the material.  Contrast is explored from the moment Georgia Engel, in character as Mertis Katherine “Kitty” Graven, pulls back the curtain.  The set by Mimi Lien is a beautifully detailed bed and breakfast filled to the brim with tchotchkes and then pushed over the top by holiday decorations.  In a flash, we know so much about our quirky hostess and her driving desire to create a home away from home.  There is something familiar about the scene that is both comforting and disturbing.

Kitty’s latest guests are a young couple whose relationship is bumping against the rocks.  Christopher Abbott plays Elias Schreiber-Hoffman like a beaten-down Seth Rogan.  Hong Chau manifests his girlfriend, Jenny Chung, a bundle of odd body language who can’t stop seeing herself through the eyes of others.  Again, we experience duality, as their arguments plant one foot in “I’ve been there” and the other in “whoa!”.  The cast is rounded out by the reliable Lois Smith.  Her performance made me want to read earlier drafts to see whether there was a time in which her character was more than a metaphor.

Possibly building on the Pinter Pause, there is the Baker Beat.  Many simple actions in John are played out in real time.  When a bowl of cereal is poured, rather than the theater convention of a bite or two, it takes ten minutes to consume.  This storytelling technique is divisive.  While some of us stepped into those moments the way you do when a presenter begins using hushed tones, others squirmed and a few vacated their seats.  With tickets at $25 a pop, John presents a wonderful opportunity to explore this Pulitzer Prize winner’s work for yourself.

John is playing at the Signature Theater through September 6, 2015.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.signaturetheatre.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=4241.

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.

Something Rotten

Broadway, Musical, Uncategorized June 18, 2015 Comments: 2

While I tap my toes to many classic musicals and once sang “Godspell” in French, that world lost me somewhere around dancing cats and warbling beggars.  My ambivalence towards the modern day musical makes me the perfect audience member for Something Rotten.

The plot revolves around the invention of the musical as a new entertainment form that just might knock Will Shakespeare from his perch as the most popular dramatist of the Renaissance.  The clever lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick manage to simultaneous praise and make fun of the genre.  And their music borrows no more than seven seconds of no less than 15 other famous scores.  It’s a veritable aural Where’s Waldo for the initiated.

There is no doubt I was further seduced by the delightful performances of the two leads.  Brain d’Arcy James, painfully wasted as the spurned husband in NBC’s Smash, is put to great use as the sweet, ambitious and misguided Nick Bottom, desperate to secure a comfortable life for his family by making a decent living as a playwright.  And two time Tony Award winner Christian Borle — channeling Tim Curry — takes on The Bard as 16th Century Rock Star.  The two bring out the best in each other and their performances are further elevated by a staggeringly talented group of supporting and ensemble actors.

Casey Nicholaw’s direction and choreography keep the action moving at a swift pace and allow the cast members to move breezily from one beat to the next.  He even makes a potentially tedious kick-line work to advantage.

I could certainly make my usual complaints that most of the tunes were forgettable and the characters broke out into song at annoying intervals.  But since these criticisms are supplied by the show’s own book, instead I can report that I laughed at just about everything.  Yes, it’s all over-the-top and ridiculous, but I appreciated the self-awareness of the piece.  In fact my only disappointment is that my own chuckles and snorts got in the way of my hearing every line.

Something Rotten is currently playing at the St. James Theatre.  For tickets and information visit http://rottenbroadway.com.

Women Are Crazy Because Men Are A**holes

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized June 14, 2015 Leave a comment

Women Are Crazy Because Men Are A**holes has opened for ten days at The Cherry Lane, hoping for a longer New York stay after successful runs in Los Angeles and Chicago.  Recognizing that this well-trod material is better appreciated through shared experience, the producers wisely filled seats by offering discount tickets to active off-Broadway viewers.  Being nestled in a packed house turns what might otherwise be a forgettable show into a time of wicked laughter and knowing head-bobs.

The action begins with five young couples gathering for a brunch.  It is a celebration of the first face-to-face meeting between Nicole and Dylan, who have been courting on the internet.  While theirs may be the newest romance, there is plenty of awkwardness, codependency, and manipulation to go around.  Phoenix and Tim have just broken up, Mandy and Benny have just gotten back together, and Bella and Blake are in very different stages of life.

The banter is mostly realistic, likely because the events were inspired by writer/director Brad T. Gottfred’s own experiences with a girlfriend who — in his own words — brought out the asshole in him.   Much of the dialogue is witty and delivered at a brisk pace.  However, as in many relationships, the conversations are often circular.  This is particularly true of Hillary and Tim, who have the same unproductive argument for the entire play, never making it to the brunch as a result.  I avoid such people in real life and didn’t enjoy being exposed to them in my off-hours.  Judging from the fact that none of the characters express any concern for bickerer’s absence after the first five minutes, their friends don’t enjoy being around them much either.

Most of the ensemble — Mandy Henderson, JJ Nolan, Devlin Borra, Blake Boyd, Baxter Defy, and Tunisia Hardison — have been with the show since inception.  (Ms. Henderson, Mr. Boyd, and Ms. Nolan also serve as co-producers.) The remaining actors — Christine Donlon, Nikki McKenzie, Justin Sintic and John Weselcouch — joined two years ago.  This gives the entire cast a sense of ease with one another that provides depth and spontaneity to the somewhat predictable script.  To my no-longer-30-years-old ears, some of the dialogue was delivered in hard-to-interpret screeches, but generally the interaction had the right level of exuberance.  Gottfred’s staging is clever and makes use of every nook and cranny of the small theater.  This enables the focus to move swiftly among couples and lets them easily play off of one another’s exchanges.

Despite many uncomfortable moments for the characters, it all adds up to silly fun for spectators.  Best of all, as someone who supports keeping theater relevant and accessible to everyone, I was pleased to see so many younger people in the audience.  I have no doubt the irreverent title got them there.  I believe word of mouth will continue to bring them through the door.  If you’d like to be among their number, visit http://bleepingcrazy.com for tickets and information.

The Spoils

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized June 9, 2015 Leave a comment

What if your best friend from third grade never stopped acting like an eight year old?  That is the dilemma faced by those closest to Ben, the central character of The Spoils.  As written and performed by playwright/actor Jesse Eisenberg, Ben can certainly be witty, but he is also cruel, directionless, and socially retarded.  It’s hard to imagine that these sweet people don’t have anything better to do with their time than hang out in this jerk’s apartment.

Therein lies the problem with this entire effort.  For a drawn-out 140 minutes we witness two relatively healthy couples — who clearly have enough on their plates — trying to help Ben get his life together and treat them with a modicum of respect. Puns are punned, recollections are recalled and banter is banted, all with a side of Nepalese beer.  Much of it is clever, but none of it leads to anything resembling a satisfying conclusion.

Eisenberg portrays the lead with much of the same disconnection and twitchiness that worked so well in The Social Network.  His oddness is magnified by Scott Elliott’s uneasy direction.  (Perhaps Mr. Elliott had some bizarre classmates when he was young and drew on these memories when he devised Ben’s peculiar physical conduct.)  The supporting cast (Erin Darke, Kunal Nayyar, Allapurna Sriram and Michael Zegen) all deliver their lines with appropriate zing.  Nayyar is particularly touching in the nearly-impossible role of Ben’s best friend, Kalyan.

Mr. Eisenberg is bright and talented.  It’s hard to believe he doesn’t have six other better scripts on his nightstand and superior writing examples on his hard drive.  Why he would chose to send eight weeks embodying a guy whose most cherished memory revolves around getting defecated on is my second unanswered question associated with this production.

The Spoils, presented by The New Group, is playing at the Pershing Square Signature Center through June 28, 2015.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.thenewgroup.org/the-spoils.html.

What I Did Last Summer

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized May 16, 2015 Comments: 2

One of my goals for this blog is to introduce readers to theaters with reasonable ticket prices.  I have already mentioned the $20 seats at the Claire Tow and also recommend Theater C at 59E59 to those who don’t mind open seating.  A third incredible bargain is The Signature, which has secured enough funding to sell $25 tickets for every seat for every performance.  They also have a valuable residency program, which gives selected playwrights five years to create and produce new works as well as develop old ones.  It’s a terrific opportunity for participants to fully explore and expand their work.

This season, the Signature is featuring A.R. Gurney, best known for Love Letters, The Cocktail Hour, and Sylvia.  The current encore production, What I Did Last Summer, contains Gurney’s typical blend of lighthearted humor with a dash of poignancy.  It primarily follows the activities of teenager Charlie who is spending a few months at Lake Erie near the end of World War II.  His time and attention are divided between his Mother – who wishes him to study Latin – and free spirit Anna Trumbull – who believes he should explore his own creativity through art and play.

Having attended a very progressive school, I found the general discussion of book-learning versus life-learning an intriguing one and Gurney’s observations reasonable and well-argued.  The framework is very self-aware, with much of the action emphasized by having an unseen hand type key words of the dialogue and stage directions on the blank page that makes up the bulk of Michael Yeargan’s set.  All the characters directly address the audience and take every opportunity to make the story about themselves.  This highlights the playful side of the piece even when the action takes a more serious turn.

The cast is uniformly good, with a standout performance by Kristine Nielsen as Anna.  Noah Galvin’s Charlie makes a charming yet slightly bratty host and guide.  The ensemble’s high-energy is skillfully staged by Jim Simpson and backed by percussion provided live on stage by Dan Weiner.  The end results are enjoyable if slightly hazy, rather like summer vacation itself.

What I Did Last Summer is playing at The Pershing Square Signature Theater through June 7.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.signaturetheatre.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=3776

Wolf Hall

Broadway, Play, Uncategorized April 22, 2015 Leave a comment

Wolf Hall is a little like that supposedly hot date with whom you didn’t have a terrible time, but you know you’re going to make an excuse not to go out with again.  The story of how King Henry VIII divested himself of wife #1 in order to marry wife #2 is sexy, fascinating and historically significant.  (Greetings, Church of England!)  The tale has been interpreted many times with great success.  (Love you, Keith Michell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers!)  The twist this time is that we see events through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell.  (Farewell the oft portrayed saintly image of Thomas Moore.)  Yet even with this legacy, reputation, and potential, there’s something a little off-putting about the results of this rendition.

Based on two popular award winning novels by Hilary Mantel and brought to life by The Royal Shakespeare Company, Wolf Hall is certainly splendid looking.  Beginning with a lively dance, the rich costumes and period music draw the audience in.  As adapted by Mike Poulton and directed by Jeremy Herrin, Part I moves at a brisk pace injected with a little humor.  However, the storytelling is patchy and potentially confusing for the uninitiated.  For example, Jane Seymour delivers a single line in a spotlight, a moment which only holds significance to those who know she eventually became Henry’s bride #3.

In Part II, events are told even more episodically.  Additionally, while Ben Miles makes a pensive Cromwell, we’ve learned so little about his personal life and credo, we have no sense of him as our guide.  The script becomes a series of call and response scenes in which we have no emotional investment.  Anne Boleyn may hold the future of the realm in her six-fingered hands, but whether she loses her head or embroiders another pillow is of equal interest and concern.

Sadly, Wolf Hall is neither an insightful piece of historical fiction nor a thoroughly entertaining piece of pageantry.  It is, however, 5 1/2 hours long and upwards of $150 a ticket.

Wolf Hall Parts One & Two are playing in repertory at the Winter Garden Theater through July 5, 2015.  For tickets and information, visit http://wolfhallbroadway.com/tickets/.

Underland

Off Off Broadway, Play, Uncategorized April 13, 2015 Leave a comment

You aren’t likely to confuse Underland by Alexandra Collier with any play you’ve seen before.  Its “Lost-y” WTFness is more typically associated with television and movies.  It is a credit to director Mia Rovegno that it works mechanically and, for the most part, narratively.  It was not at all to my taste, but I applaud 59E59 for making such a daring selection for their season.

Collier makes great use of the mood and isolation of the Australian Outback where the play is set.  From the opening moments it is clear something otherworldly is happening to the entire population, though some townspeople are more aware than their neighbors.  Collier moves her players skillfully to make the most of the small stage.  Burke Brown’s lighting and Elisheba Ittoop’s sound help create an appropriate menacing tone for the action.

The fantastical dialogue doesn’t always flow.  Daniel K. Isaac fares best as Taka, a Japanese businessman who gets sucked into town through a tunnel in Tokyo.  His character is enhanced by some subtle and imaginative “business” which sets him apart from the residents.  Many of the other actors are weighed down by the thick tenor of their lines.  The performances of Kiley Lotz as Ruth, an awkward school girl, and Jens Rasmussen as Mr. B, a domineering PE teacher, are so overblown they could be starring in a silent picture.  And the talented Annie Golden is burdened with mercurial speeches that are so drawn out they shoot beyond mood-setting and right into numbing.

Just as there is something lurking in the town’s quarry, there is something just below the surface of this piece.  For me, it stayed buried.  But to lovers of all things mystical and unexplained, attendance is likely to be an appropriately haunting experience.

Underland is being presented by the terraNOVA Collective in Theater B at 59E59 through April 25.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.59e59.org/moreinfo.php?showid=199.

Placebo

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized April 3, 2015 Leave a comment

It took me over twelve hours to work out precisely how the various plot threads in Placebo were related.  Judging from the conversations in the ladies room — where much constructive criticism takes place — I was not alone in my engrossment/head-scratching.  It is a credit to Melissa James Gibson that I was sufficiently invested in her characters to invest further energy in understanding them.  But it is also an indication that this talented playwright should have spent a bit more time polishing her creation before presenting it to a paying audience.

The plot revolves around PhD candidate Louise, brought very much to life by the fabulous Carrie Coon.  Louise is desperate to feel connection to her family, her lover and her work on a double-blind medication study.  But she fears that, like the placebos of old, she has no legitimate claim to those bonds. Ms. Coon and her colleagues (Florencia Lozano, William Jackson Harper and Alex Hurt) possess superior talent for delivering the hyper-realistic dialogue that makes up much of the play’s 90 minutes.  It is to their credit that the piece has the essential warmth that makes the audience want to see her successful and happy.

Obie-winning director Daniel Aukin does his best to bring depth to the thin script.  His clever staging moves each beat along and emphasizes the much-needed comic relief.  A somewhat awkward and overly lengthy funeral “scene” brings the storytelling to a halt and, like a car on a hill, it takes great energy to get things rolling again.  The performance also stops rather than ends, which is always unsatisfying.

That said, if there is anything in your life that used to come easily and now requires effort because of time, physical limitation, or increased cynicism (in other words, if you are human and of a certain age), Placebo is likely to speak to you.  And when it comes to theater, that’s the real deal.

Placebo is playing on the Main Stage at Playwrights Horizons through April 5, 2015.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/placebo/.