The Snow Geese

"The Snow Geese" presented by Manhattan Theatre Club, October 20, 2013

An approaching winter of discontent is stirring as the lights come up on The Snow Geese, Sharr White's new play at Manhattan Theatre Club.  It's November, 1917, and the Gaeslings have gathered at their country lodge outside Syracuse, NY to celebrate the opening of goose hunting season.  The gloom of Theodore Gaesling's recent death looms over the proceedings as his widow Elizabeth (Mary Louise Parker) struggles to keep her chin up as her first-born Duncan (Evan Jonigkeit) prepares to ship out to fight in WWI France.  Elizabeth's pious sister Clarissa (Victoria Clark) and husband Max (Danny Burstein) have taken up residence with Elizabeth after local anti-German sentiment has forced them out of their own home and Max's medical practice. The house staff has reduced to a new Ukrainian immigrant maid, Viktorya, whose beauty has enraptured younger son Arnold (Brian Cross).

Arnold has also been tasked with sorting out the books following his father's death, which turns out to me more of an autopsy of the family finances.  It seems Theodore was no savvy businessman.  Previous staff and accountants had drained the family's wealth.

What to do?

Ms. Parker's Elizabeth is a woman in desperate denial following the loss of the love of her life and on the eve of her golden child leaving for war.  She gives a solid and respectable performance, dour as reality smacks her in the face then basking in the glow of a laudanum-inspired dream that reunites her with Theodore.  As Clarissa, Ms. Clark tut-tuts about, frowning on the free-flow of alcohol as a good, obtuse and American Methodist should thriving in the search for practical solutions to the family problems. Her sisterly tension with Ms. Parker works nicely.  Jessica Love gives a strong turn as Viktorya, particularly when she schools Duncan on harshness of loss, sharing her own  trauma when the Austrians invaded.

Mr. Burstein turns in another nicely shaded performance as the German ex-patriate doctor, betrayed and shunned by his adopted country because of his accent. Mr. Jonigkeit's Duncan swaggers appropriately as the favored and petted heir.  He manages a fine line between shock and melodrama as he learns all that his family has given up for him.  It's Mr. Cross' Arnold who really shines as a young man, still a teenager, who shoulders the burden of his father's financial mistakes and shortcomings, as well as the burden of not being first-born and therefore never given credit for brains or effort.

The bigger weaknesses of this production are in the script.  Mr. White gives Duncan a line that includes, "...because we're Americans.  That's what we do."  Given the history of US entry into WWI, and the previous position of isolationism, that kind of statement comes across as an anachronism.  Another example is Arnold shouting about "...expressing my feelings...," not exactly language of the period.

Director Daniel Sullivan manages to rise above the weaknesses in the script, supported by his strong cast.  John Lee Beatty's sliding platform sets are excellent,even if some of the set elements are a little reminiscent of Cinderella which is playing around the corner and up Broadway.  Jane Greenwood's costumes are spot on.

In all, it's a solid production carried by the strength of the company. The Snow Geese runs through December 15, 2013.  Get tickets here.

A Time to Kill

"A Time to Kill"  at John Golden Theatre,October 10, 2103

(photo: Carol Rosegg)

The prodigious author John Grisham has entered a third medium to recycle his work with Rupert Holmes' adaptation of his first novel "A Time to Kill" now running on the Great White Way.  I've been a Grisham fan for many years, getting hooked first with "The Firm," which led me to "A Time..." and I've read almost everything he's written since then, good, bad or indifferent.  I like that his work is an easy read, sometimes a little pulpy, but generally perfect for an afternoon on the beach or a couple of hours on an airplane.

Wisely, Mr. Grisham has turned over the adaptation of his work to someone who has strong experience in writing for the theatre.  He gets off scott-free if the effort tanks, or gets all the glory for creating the source if the play becomes a hit.  Don't forget, he's a lawyer at heart and understands how to balance the risk/reward equation.
 
For him, that's a good thing. 

This tepid attempt at a pot-boiler follows Mr. Grisham's plot, but fails to capture the high stakes of a white Mississippi lawyer Jake Brigance (Sebastian Arcelus) defending Carl Lee Hailey (John Douglas Thompson) a black man for the murder of two white men who brutally and viciously raped  and beat his daughter in the 1980s.  A sheriff's deputy was also injured in the cross-fire, an unintended casualty in this act of vengeance.

The cast is widely uneven with Patrick Page giving the strongest performance as the slick and greasy prosecuting attorney coming in from the state capitol to helm the state's case.  Mr. Arcelus has his moments, but is serviceable at best.

It seems the producers have also hedged their bets by casting Fred Thompson and Tom Skerritt in supporting roles.  At the preview performance I saw, neither had adjusted their acting for stage, instead giving rather internal performances as though a camera were taking close-ups. Mr. Thompson rushed his lines to the point of being unintelligible, where Mr. Skerritt underplayed even the most dramatic moments. It's a shame, given the inherent theatricality of their roles as the trial judge and Jake's disgraced former law partner. Ashley Williams as Ellen Roark, the senior law student looking to jump start her own career with a high-profile case, also arrives with an extensive TV resume and fails to find the balance between her character's intelligence and lack of experience.  She comes across as much too old and jaded, ignoring the southern blue-blood heritage of Ellen's Ole Miss education.

Director Ethan McSweeny struggles to morph a period piece into contemporary relevance, borrowing noisy musical transitions from British political works like Enron and more recently, The Machine.  An over-worked set by James Noone with a completely superfluous turntable might be the cause.  Mr. Noone also undermines what should have been a dignified courtroom setting with a barn-like structure - talk about silk purse.  Costumer David C. Woolard also misfires with a significant lack of seersucker, only giving that to the character least likely to wear it during the Reagan-era.

In the end, I still don't understand why this story needed to be told onstage.  Mr. Grisham's writing lends itself much better to film and even then, there are better choices to adapt his work to the stage.  A Time to Kill is not a bad book. It's also not another To Kill a Mockingbird, missing its inherent theatricality of time and place to work well in a live performance.

Macbeth

The National Theater of Scotland's production of "Macbeth" at Ethel Barrymore Theatre, May 20, 2013

Alan Cumming returns to the Great White Way, reprising his one-man production of the Scottish Play following last summer's visit during the Lincoln Center Festival.

Under the direction of Once director John Tiffany and Andrew Goldberg, it's another riff on Marat/Sade with inmates putting on the play.  Mr. Cumming appears to have arrived after an undisclosed traumatic event, bloodied and confused.  His caretakers (Jenny Sterlin and Brendan Titley) tend his wounds, collect his clothes and tissue from a cheek swab and under his fingernails.  It's something of a next step compared to the 2008 Broadway revival with Patrick Stewart perhaps, but I'm equally unconvinced of this concept as well.

For a festival production, it makes a certain amount of sense, a bravura performance carried by a solo actor for a specific occasion.  It's a bit of a stretch to liken that to a limited run on Broadway, in my humble opinion.  Had this been a smash with audiences and critics, one could count on seeing it extend.  It is selling relatively well, but at a strong discount.

Nonetheless, the upside is that the tale is told in an intermissionless hour and 45 minutes.  Once the audience attunes to Mr. Cumming's variations in accent and transitions, the salient elements of the plot come through.  He bounds about the asylum basement ward, collecting conveniently placed flotsam and jetsam to assist: an upholstered wheelchair for the king's throne, a filthy and tattered baby doll as Malcolm, a ragged blanket for a uniform.  The caretakers fill in for minor characters on occasion. His multiple characterizations do find separation, but most merely float on the surface.  The end result is a shout of "watch me ACT!" Fans of Mr. Cumming will be enthralled.

Messrs Tiffany and Goldberg have employed some clever use of surveillance cameras and video screens, particularly to convey Macbeth's visions of Banquo's ghost. Fans of Mr. Cumming will be enthralled.

Macbeth runs through July 14.  Tickets available here.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" at the Booth Theatre, October 11, 2012

Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre returns to Broadway with the revival of Edward Albee's play about the battle that is marriage.

It hasn't been all that long since the last Rialto revival with Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin, so I was interested to see what this new production has to offer.  What we get is a solid retelling of the play, much like last season's revival of Death of a Salesman, proving again what a well-made play it is.  Beyond that, there's not much unique in this production.

One thing I did notice, was that Amy Morton's Martha has acceded some of the power to Tracy Letts' George right from the start.  Even though she brays and intimidates, it doesn't land with the same vitriol one usually experiences.  With that opportunity, Mr. Letts' George is now free to wield his sarcasm like a sword, slashing at Martha and their guests.

Speaking of, this Nick (Madison Dirks) and Honey (Carrie Coon), fall right in line behind whoever is spewing the venom.  Mr. Dirks captures the requisite loose athletic demeanor of Nick's football past.  Ms. Coon gives a nice turn as the besotted Honey, though not quite as fragile as other interpretations.

Director Pam MacKinnon keeps things moving fairly well, though there were a couple of slow spots in Act II as the party games transition from "humiliate the husband" to "get the guests."

Todd Rosenthal's large living room set captures the academic environment, but went a little overboard with the stacks of books literally everywhere.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is on an open-ended run.  Tickets here.

2012 Tony Nominations

2012 Tony Award Nominations

As the annual awards ceremony approaches, here's my take on what should happen on Sunday, though that may not be the case.  My choices are in bold italics.


 Best Play

Clybourne Park                      Author: Bruce Norris
Other Desert Cities               Author: Jon Robin Baitz
Peter and the Starcatcher    Author: Rick Elice
Venus in Fur                           Author: David Ives

 I liked ODC, PATS and VIF equally, but feel that ODC was the best constructed of the three.

Best Musical

Leap of Faith
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once

Without a doubt, Once is the best new musical I've seen in several years.  Disney will give it a strong run for its money with its very popular Newsies, but Once is the superior musical by far.

Best Book of a Musical

Lysistrata Jones                      Douglas Carter Beane
Newsies                                   Harvey Fierstein
Nice Work If You Can Get It    Joe DiPietro
Once                                         Enda Walsh

Once again, beautifully adapted from the 2006 film by Enda Walsh.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Bonnie & Clyde                Music: Frank Wildhorn
                                                    Lyrics: Don Black

Newsies                                     Music:  Alan Menken
                                                     Lyrics:  Jack Feldman

One Man, Two Guvnors             Music & Lyrics: Grant Olding

Peter and the Starcatcher      Music:  Wayne Barker
                                                      Lyrics:  Rick Elice

Since this category requires that the music and lyrics must be written for the stage production, Once is ineligible.  That's one reason two of the nominees are actually plays, not musicals.  Consider, too, Bonnie & Clyde got a nod here?  Not the stellar year for  musicals as we've seen in years past.  For that reason, I'm pulling for Peter and the Starcatcher.

Best Revival of a Play

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Gore Vidal's The Best Man
Master Class
Wit

Purely on the strength of its pedigree, Death of a Salesman is the winner here.

Best Revival of a Musical

Evita
Follies
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar


Follies will struggle because it has closed, and Evita  is selling really well with Ricky Martin, but my vote goes to Follies.
 
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

James Corden                           One Man, Two Guvnors
Philip Seymour Hoffman           Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
James Earl Jones                     Gore Vidal's The Best Man
Frank Langella                           Man and Boy
John Lithgow                            The Columnist

It's a very tight race for this category and though I'm sure Mr. Jones is excellent, Mr. Lithgow should be taking the award home this year.



Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda                            Venus in Fur
Tracie Bennett                          End of the Rainbow
Stockard Channing                  Other Desert Cities
Linda Lavin                               The Lyons
Cynthia Nixon                            Wit


Another tight race with superb performances, I'm pulling for Nina Arianda in her breakout role.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Danny Burstein                          Follies
Jeremy Jordan                          Newsies
Steve Kazee                             OnceNorm Lewis                               The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Ron Raines                                Follies

Mr. Kazee's portrayal  of the heartbroken Irish busker wins.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Jan Maxwell                               Follies
Audra McDonald                      The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Cristin Milioti                              Once
Kelli O'Hara                                Nice Work If You Can Get It
Laura Osnes                              Bonnie & Clyde

The smart money is probably on Audra to bring home her 5th, but for me, the prize goes to Jan Maxwell's bitter turn as Phyllis.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Christian Borle                          Peter and the Starcatcher
Michael Cumpsty                      End of the Rainbow
Tom Edden                                One Man, Two Guvnors
Andrew Garfield                        Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Jeremy Shamos                        Clybourne Park

Though Mr. Cumpsty sailed far above the two-dimensional writing in End of the Rainbow, the prize goes to Mr. Borle for his delicious Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher.


Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Linda Emond                             Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Spencer Kayden                       Don't Dress for Dinner
Celia Keenan-Bolger                Peter and the Starcatcher
Judith Light                                 Other Desert Cities
Condola Rashad                        Stick Fly

It's another tight contest here, and Ms. Rashad makes an impressive debut, but my money is on Celia Keenan-Bolger.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Phillip Boykin                              The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Michael Cerveris                        Evita
David Alan Grier                         The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Michael McGrath                         Nice Work If You Can Get It
Josh Young                                  Jesus Christ Superstar

I didn't find many redeeming qualities in Porgy and Bess, but Mr. Grier's performance provided excellent entertainment, even though he seemed to be in a different show than the rest of the cast.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Elizabeth A. Davis                      Once
Jayne Houdyshell                        Follies
Judy Kaye                                    Nice Work If You Can Get It
Jessie Mueller                             On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Da'Vine Joy Randolph               Ghost the Musical

The show was a red hot mess, but Ms. Mueller managed a little style despite having to navigate the most wooden of Harry Connick, Jrs.

Best Direction of a Play

Nicholas Hytner                            One Man, Two Guvnors
Pam MacKinnon                          Clybourne Park
Mike Nichols                               Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Roger Rees and Alex Timbers    Peter and the Starcatcher


Mr. Nichols made directorial choices that might be described as restoration, wisely resurrecting both the original set design and original music.  He then maximizes the benefit of a truly superb play.

Best Direction of a Musical

Jeff Calhoun                                 Newsies
Kathleen Marshall                        Nice Work If You Can Get It
Diane Paulus                               The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
John Tiffany                               Once

I'm back to my obvious favorite Once here.

Best Choreography

 Rob Ashford                                 Evita
Christopher Gattelli                      Newsies
Steven Hoggett                            Once
Kathleen Marshall                         Nice Work If You Can Get It

See above.

There are many more award categories.  You can find them here.

I'll publish a full list of the actual winners next week.

Go see a play!

Ghost, the Musical

"Ghost, the Musical" at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, April 20, 2012

Yes, another Whoopi Goldberg film has made its way onto the stage, landing at the Lunt-Fontanne laden with scads of sparkling, flashy lights and some remarkably clever stagecraft.  Yet, like its predecessors (The Color Purple, and Sister Act), the results are mixed at best.  (Full disclosure, I did not see The Color Purple.) 

Bruce Joel Rubin's cursory book remains true to the film, telling the story of Sam (Richard Fleeshman) and Molly (Caissie Levy), young lovers parted by Sam's murder at the hands of a hired thug.  Unable to move "into the light" Sam eventually connects with Oda Mae (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), a two-bit psychic with heretofore unrealized abilities.

But you all know the story.  And there are no variations offered here, though a couple of plot points have been streamlined for time.

The quite hunky Mr. Fleeshman sings nicely as Sam, but seems to withhold his chemistry with Ms. Levy until well after his character is dead.  Ms. Levy's Molly fulfills her obligations, but comes up a little short.  Bryce Pinkham's Carl brings the strongest physical resemblance to his film counterpart, but fails to convey his attraction to Molly sufficiently.  Ms. Randolph finds the most success as Oda Mae.  She plays the role much more broadly than her predecessor, but in 1500-seat  Lunt-Fontanne, that's what's called for.

Director Matthew Warchus' staging raised a question or two for me.  In the penultimate number, the reprise of "Unchained Melody," neither Sam's nor Molly's face are visible.  If ever there were a time to show some emotion, that was it.  The rest came off a bit perfunctory.

Ashley Wallen's choreography adds little and reminds me very much of the scene transitions from 2010's short-lived Enron, when combined with the John Driscoll's video and projection design.  Not to minimize the impact of the video and projections, those added significantly to the visual.  The subway scenes worked especially well.

The score is serviceable, if bland, filled with more than the requisite number of power ballads, courtesy of Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.  I would have liked more integration of score and book, with the music serving to expand character more often than not, rather than add to the storytelling.  I think there was a missed musical opportunity for something really interesting and fun when Oda Mae first shows up at Molly's to warn her.  It all felt just a little too safe.

Where this show satisfies are the visual effects.  Some are things you've probably seen before, but others are remarkably well done, particularly Sam's first time passing through a closed door.  The final effect is also noteworthy as Sam moves from this world to the next.  Kudos to Paul Kieve for his efforts.  (I'm guessing there's no Tony category for Best Stage Illusions.)

Ghost the Musical is on an open run.  Get tickets here.

Once

"Once" at Jacobs Theatre, March 8, 14 and 28, 2012

(Photos: Joan Marcus)

It's been a couple of years since I've seen a show multiple times.  The last was Lincoln Center's sweeping revival of South Pacific, which I saw once in previews, once mid-run, and the closing performance. The beauty and romance of that show is very different from Once, based on the 2006 movie of the same title.

After a successful run off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, Once has moved uptown for what I hope will be a lengthy run. It brings its own sense of romance, intimate and touching, while hunkered down in a Dublin pub.  Each of its characters are searching for his or her respective place in the world.

Leading the quest are the generically, yet conspicuously named Guy (Steve Kazee) and Girl (Cristin Milioti).  He, a vaccuum repairman and frustrated musician, is foundering after having his heart broken by a recently emigrated girlfriend; she, by an estranged husband who has returned to their native Czech Republic.  She encounters Guy at the pub and is immediately drawn to him, sensing his despair, and manages to turn him to his music to resolve his pain.  The spark between them smolders slowly as each convinces themselves of reasons to stay apart.  She sees his departed girlfriend as first love unresolved, which would forever be a barrier between them.

Sharing his musical instincts, Girl convinces Guy to record a demo album, take it to New York, get his girlfriend back and live happily ever after. She arranges the financing and the backup musicians, mostly her ragtag Czech housemates to make the recording.  I'll skip the rest to avoid a spoil.

Mr. Kazee finds himself in an most suitable role for his talent, far exceeding his performance in 2007's 110 in the Shade.  As Guy, he hesitates and demures at Girl's initial bossy insistence that he pursue both his music and his lost love.  When he sings, his broken heart virtually pounds with raw and visceral emotion.  We clearly see him struggle as the songs he wrote for one woman take on another meaning as he recognizes his feelings for a potential new love.  It's a powerful, honest performance.

Ms. Milioti's captures the direct, no-nonsensibilty of the Czech emigre. After hearing his music, she says, "You are like Mendelssohn, except you are alive...and Irish."  She is surprised to be caught up in her feelings for Guy, yet pushes him away for what she believes is his own good.  Her most touching moment comes when Guy asks her how to ask in Czech if she still loves her husband.  After he parrots her words to repeat the question, she answers, also in Czech which he won't understand, "I love you."

The book for Once, by Enda Walsh, expands the backstories and provides clearer exposition unfolding this story.  Director John Tiffany's delicate direction woven with Steven Hoggett's movement balance an otherwise eclectic mix of characters into a cohesive ensemble. The mostly diegetic score, has been expanded from the original movie, by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.  Bob Crowley's scenic and costume design clearly delineates character and settings, working seamlessly with Natasha Katz' lighting.  The twinkling light effect for the hillside scene is quite clever.

I have to say, though I liked the original movie, it didn't move me like the stage version.  I think the heightened theatricality, combined with Mr. Kazee's and Ms. Milioti's tender performances are what generates the passion in the theatre.

Relatively Speaking

"Relatively Speaking" at Brooks Atkinson Theatre, December 20, 2011

As the graphic indicates, this is an evening of 3 unrelated one-act plays.

First up, Talking Cure by Ethan Coen.  Mr. Coen, you make very interesting movies.  Please return when you have an interesting play to show us.  Of all the work I have seen you produce for the stage (Offices, Almost an Evening), none have met that category yet.

Second, George is Dead by Elaine May.  Coming across as Ms. May's version of Neil Simon, this is the better constructed piece.  Doreen (Marlo Thomas) turns up on Carla's (Lisa Emery) doorstep late one night announcing the news that George (Doreen's husband) is dead.  We soon learn that Carla is the daughter of Doreen's childhood nanny, and that Doreen remains a child in more ways than one ought at her age.  Carla, shoved into the role of nanny, succumbs and takes charge making arrangements.

Ms. Emery makes a valiant effort as Doreen's foil.  Ms. Thomas' Doreen seems to have been written (certainly costumed and styled) for Kathie Lee Gifford.  She wheedles and whines, sharing an analogy of conversations as "underwear stories" where she gets bored halfway through and stops paying attention.  It feels as though Ms. May did the same. 

Third, Honeymoon Motel by Woody Allen.  Mr. Allen starts with an interesting premise, then gives up and resorts to Catskill-comedy style one-liners for each character to mug.

Santo Loquasto crams a lot of scenery onstage for these three unrelated productions, each exceeding their source material.

It's hardly an auspicious directorial debut for John Turturro.  Perhaps he was distracted by his own preparation for his appearance in CSC's Cherry Orchard.  Perhaps he was merely underwhelmed by the poor material he'd been enlisted to stage.

Relatively Speaking is on an open-ended run.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" at St. James Theatre, December 15, 2012 

Why?

Why change the focus of the story from Daisy, now David (David Turner) to the psychologist Mark (Harry Connick, Jr.) 

Why hire Mr. Connick to perform on Broadway and not let him do what he does best? Did none of the producers and/or creative team see Pajama Game?  "Hernando's Hideaway" turned that show on its ear, combined with the infused chemistry playing opposite Kelli O'Hara.  We get neither here.

Why not have him accompany Melinda's (Jessie Mueller) numbers, particularly "Ev'ry Night at Seven," among several others of which could have been beefed up to accommodate him.

Why give him book scenes that really require an actor?  He's a singer, not an actor.  Even here, he's not even trying.  He might as well be texting the performance in from his dressing room.  He sings solidly, but that, too, comes across as uninspired.

Why did he stick with this show?  It's painfully obvious that he'd rather be somewhere else.  Is he working his own slowdown in hopes of closing it before his contract expires?  That would seem remarkably inconsistent from his last outing.

Why take what was a questionable property and re-write the story to a period when the concept of homosexuality was still highly controversial?  If the idea is to ignore the doctor's struggle over the fact that the woman he loves is in the body of a man, shouldn't it be in a time when that isn't such a struggle?  There's no reason why Melinda had to be David's most immediate past life. Why not hire a book writer with a stronger gay sensibility like Douglas Carter Beane or Richard Greenberg? 

Why does David literally and completely disappear in the flashback scenes, except for "You're All the World to Me?"  That number was the only one that really worked, thanks to the rare, effective bit of choreography by Joann M. Hunter.

Why is the rest of the musical staging such a series of park and barks?

Why wasn't David more adorable?  Drew Gehling's Warren came across much better.  Why was David's BFF Muriel (Sarah Stiles) so obnoxiously written and performed?

Why take such a wonderful song like "What Did I Have That I Don't Have" and reduce it to a single punchline sung by David?  Why waste the talent of Kerry O'Malley?   Why not give it to Sharone (Ms. O'Malley) as she gets more involved in Mark's apparent self-destructive actions, rather than the disrespectful nod of acknowledgement she gets from the secretary late in Act II.

Why waste the talents of Catherine Zuber on such a fashion-deficient era as the '70s?  If that's the look, Mr. Producer, save your cash.

Why?

Lysistrata Jones

 "Lysistrata Jones" at Walter Kerr Theatre, November 18, 2011

Transferring from off-Broadway run downtown, Douglas Carter Beane takes on the Greeks again in this re-telling of the Aristophanes classic.  Tongue remains firmly in cheek, much as it did with Xanadu a few years ago.

From one perspective, it's an extended episode of "Glee."  But that's slightly dismissive and I did have a great time.  Liz Mikel kicks things off as the goddess Hetaira, quickly moving the location from Olympus to Athens University, where the basketball team hasn't won a game in 33 years.  Lysistrata Jones (Pati Murin) arrives as a transfer student and starts to stir things up right away, putting together a cheerleading squad to motivate the team.

When the players tell the squad they're not interested in improving, Lys searches for a new plan, coming across the Aristophanes' play for which she was named.  Borrowing its plot points for her own devices, Lys has little immediate success.  School nerd, Xander (Jason Tam) learns to dance from an app on his smart phone. Adorable team captain Mick (Josh Segarra) delivers what will likely be short-lived jokes about Herman Cain.  Women's study major (duck before the subtext knocks you over) Robin (Lindsay Nicole Chambers) makes her own conversion of sorts, too.

Mr. Beane, as usual, plays with gender roles and mixes up the couples with both expected and unexpected pairings, pulling much from pop culture as mentioned above.  (By the way, the Athens University team mascot?  Yes...the Spartans.)  Lewis Flinn's score serves well, moving the story along, though there aren't many memorable songs.  Director/choreographer Dan Knechtges keeps the pace moving, borrowing a bit of Bill T. Jones here and there among the basketball exercise drills.

It may not outrun "Chicago," it may not provide the catharsis of "War Horse," but it's lots of fun.  There should be plenty of discounts available.  Check out Broadwaybox.com and get tickets.

Private Lives

"Private Lives" at The Music Box, November 15, 2011

This London transfer brings Kim Cattrall back to the Rialto for the first time in 25 years, leading this production of the Noel Coward classic.  Her Amanda was hailed in London and she arrives in New York with a new Elyot in the very handsome Paul Gross.

The crossing seems to have had an impact on the production.  I will confess that there was much to live up to in my eyes, having basked in the glorious revival of 2002 with Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan. (Unfair?  Perhaps.)

Mr. Gross' Elyot succeeds best among this cast, urbane, elegant and sophisticated.  Lacking is any sense of chemistry between him and Ms. Cattrall's Amanda.  Ms. Cattrall, rather than rising to meet Mr. Gross' level of sophistication, goes instead for the physical laughs with a sense of awkwardness that undercuts the lyrical writing in the first act.  Fortunately, it's in the power of the writing that this approach still works.

The supporting cast also arrives with mixed results.  Anna Madeley is also a new addition and dithers beautifully as Elyot's new wife, Sybil.  She's an excellent physical match to Ms. Cattrall, even drawing entrance applause by an eager audience who didn't realize that it wasn't Ms. Cattrall.  The more curious appearance is the styling and physical appearance of Simon Paisley Day as Victor.  The role is written and usually cast with a more handsome actor who favors the actor playing Elyot.  A brief internet search did reveal a more consistent appearance with the London production's Elyot, Matthew MacFadyen.  Nonetheless, Mr. Day's Victor is much more of a stick-in-the-mud than I had expected.

It's unclear why director Richard Eyre couldn't help these actors find some chemistry.  Each are certainly capable performers, but never manage to deliver any kind of spark.  Even Anna Madeley as Louise, the maid, fails to deliver any laughs, instead merely strolling through the carnage with disinterest.

Rob Howell's costumes effect the period beautifully, but his sets didn't quite hit the mark for me.  Ms. Cattrall's costumes are particularly exquisite, first the bias-cut, champagne silk gown in Act 1, followed by the lovely navy suit in Act 3.  The Deauville balcony felt a bit skimpy where Amanda's Paris apartment stretched credulity in its excessive splendor of art deco chinoise in silver and verdigris.  The aquarium in the apartment is particularly impressive, echoing the circular theme of the room.  It's a gorgeous set, but hardly Amanda's Paris hideaway. David Howe's lighting draws more attention to itself than truly effective lighting should - too many sharply honed edges in selected zones on the stage.

Private Lives is on a limited run through February 5, 2012.  Get tickets here.

Man and Boy

"Man and Boy" presented by Roundabout Theatre Company at the American Airlines Theatre, September 10,  2011

Back to reviving classic American theatre, the Roundabout has scored Frank Langella to lead Terrence Rattigan's 1963 story of a corrupt, big-money, business mogul.  Set in 1934 New York, Gregor Antonescu (Mr. Langella), who single-handedly saved the the Franc in 1926, is viewed as the Warren Buffett of his day.  The parallels to today continue with the Great Depression era during which dissatisfaction with Roosevelt sound a lot like the criticisms of President Obama. The truth turns out to reveal Antonescu as a Madoff-like cretin, who created an elaborate Ponzi scheme which is about to collapse.

Antonescu is laying low in NY, and turns to his estranged, illegitimate son Basil (Adam Driver), for help to complete a last ditch deal to re-supply his organization with cash.  Basil has cut ties and abandoned the lifestyle that might have been his after a failed attempt to shoot his father on his 21st birthday.

Mr. Langella is masterful in this creakily written role, finding depth and nuance that likely aren't on the page.  Mr. Driver is miscast as Basil.  His physical presence is anachronistically buff for the sensitive musician that is this bastard son.  Francesca Faridany turns up for another shallow socialite, similar to her role of Vida Philmore from the Atlantic Theatre Company's The New York Idea from earlier this year.

Director Maria Aitken keeps things moving, but the play might have benefited from a bit of adaptation 50 years later.  Derek McLane's Greenwich Village basement apartment works nicely, but is more serviceable than remarkable, as do Martin Pakledinaz' costumes.

Man and Boy is scheduled to run through November 27.

Follies

"Follies" at the Marquis Theatre, September 8, 2011

Stephen Sondheim's 1972 musical returns to Broadway via the Kennedy Center transfer from a successful run this summer. 

It's got star power with Bernadette Peters and Jan Maxwell as Sally and Phyllis, respectively.  There's some depth in the cast as well, with Danny Burstein, Jayne Houdyshell and featuring Elaine Paige as Carlotta.

Director Eric Shaeffer creates an aptly dark mood with a ghostly chorus line of deco-clad follies girls haunting the stage, already in motion as the house opens pre-show.  His sound designer carried it a bit too far, employing effects from Disney's Haunted Mansion before the show begins.  Derek McLane's sets also straddle the line of success.  The crumbling proscenium and brick-walled set, with iron catwalks and stairs evoke nicely, but draping the entire theatre in dirty oil cloth pushes too far. 

Performances are strong.  Ms. Peters excels as Sally, though she's a bit too pitiful at times.  Still, her "Losing My Mind" pulls the heartstrings, and in "Buddy's Eyes" she matches the emotion of her "Send in the Clowns."  Mr. Burstein's Buddy was as usual a bit more fey than necessary, a habit that was better controlled in South Pacific.  Ron Raines as Ben fills the bill.

It's Ms. Maxwell's Phyllis that clinches this production.  Icy, aloof and piercing, she clips and quips through Phyllis' bitter facade.  The highlight is "Could I Leave You" when the bile and resentment of 30 years of an unhappy marriage spew out.  She's electrifying.

Follies, on a limited run, has just announced an extension through January 22, 2012.  This is one to see.

Master Class

"Master Class" presented by Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, June 26, 2011

Terrence McNalley's 1995 fantasia of Maria Callas conducting a master class at the Julliard School in the 1970s returns to Broadway courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club. 

Playing La Divina is an unlikely Tyne Daly, whose Callas simmers and seethes through the thinnest of skins, bristling at the smallest perception of a slight to a star of her caliber.  Ms. Daly masters the intricate diction of the singer beautifully, though she felt occasionally less than clear as she navigated the memory segments, interacting with her first husband, then Onassis.  Callas was a consummate acting singer - a novelty in opera at the time.  As she coaches each of the three "victims" (her word), she sends each one back to their score to find the answers in the composer's music and text.  (It's a solid performance/coaching/directing technique best and most recently demonstrated by David Cromer's recent productions of "Our Town" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs.")  Ms. Daly's Callas is not subtle though she strives for elegance.  The narcissistic fragility interrupts too often.

The first victim, Sophia De Palma (Alexandra Silber) whimpers and gushes through interruption after interruption of her aria from La Sonnambula. Awed by Callas, Sophie takes every verbal jab and asks for more.  Ms. Silber holds up well.

Next is Sharon Graham (Sierra Boggess in the role which won Audra MacDonald her first Tony).  She doesn't even get her first note out before fleeing in humiliation.

Anthony Candolino (Garrett Sorenson), the tenor, strides on next and in stereotypical tenor form, pushes back on every shove from Callas.  Her disdain melts as he sings Cavaradossi's first aria from Tosca. Visibly shaken by it, she dismisses him with the same advice to focus on the score.   The classically trained Mr. Sorenson does indeed have the voice that Anthony claims.  And, like Anthony, he still needs to work on the acting.

Sharon returns to prove herself, setting off a veritable battle of Lady MacBeths, as she sings the entrance from Verdi's opera.  Ms. Boggess gives it her best, and for the most part succeeds.

This is Mr. McNalley at his best, juxtaposing the rejected, fading diva against three vocal students whose chosen material strikes careful parallels to her own life and relationship with Aristotle Onassis.  Sophie's aria echoes Callas' memory of the news that Onassis had married Jackie Kennedy.  Tony's aria prompts the memory of how Onassis first loved her.  It is Sharon's that gets the most interesting.  In it, Lady MacBeth begins her plot to push her husband into actions that would make him king.  As she coaches and intimidates Sharon, Callas becomes Lady MacBeth and Sharon, MacBeth, the target of her machinations - it's brilliant writing.

Master Class is on a limited run through August 14.  Get ticket information here.

Catching Up the Backlog

It's been a busy spring.  Here's a collection of summaries on what I've seen of late.

"The House of Blue Leaves" at the Walter Kerr Theatre, April 11, 2011

This revival was a big hit in its 1986 production at Lincoln Center Theatre with John Mahoney, Swoosie Kurtz and Stockard Channing.  I wish I'd seen it.  Instead we get Ben Stiller, who was also in the 1986 production, with Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh.  Ms. Leigh is the only one close to being appropriately cast.  Director David Cromer seems to have strayed from what made his last two successful productions work (Our Town and Brighton Beach Memoirs) - focus on the text.  One has to wonder how much pressure there was for commercial success after the unfortunate end of the latter.  Mr. Stiller flails but never nails the desperation of Artie, making the ending twist all the more flabbergasting for the wrong reasons.  This limited run ends July 23, 2011.

"The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures" at the Public Theater, April 13, 2011

Tony Kushner returns to New York with a new play on an operatic scale (and length).  Taking on themes of communism, socialism, labor unions, sexuality and betrayal, this production is its latest incarnation after a premiere at the Guthrie.  Powerful and sweeping, one can see the work that has taken place, and the work still to be done.  Where it lacks the extravagant theatricality of Angels in America, it makes up in character development.  Stephen Spinella's Pil, gives us a glimpse of what Louis Ironson might have grown up to be.   Director Michael Greif, who also directed the Signature's revival of Angels... handles the mammoth work with finesse.  It's not Mr. Kushner's greatest work to date, but will rank among the better ones.  This limited run ends June 12, 2011

"Picked" at the Vineyard Theatre, April 15, 2011

Christopher Shinn brings us a tale of "be careful what you wish for" with this story of an actor who finally gets his big break to work with a world-class director (think James Cameron) on a new concept of film-making in which the process is reversed, writing the script after casting the actors.  It's an interesting concept and relatively well-written.  Coming off a starring role in "Cloverfield" Michael Stahl-David handles the scenes of insecurity experienced by most actors well.  He fails to deliver on the more emotional moments where the honesty his character purports to demonstrate don't come through.  Picked runs through May 22, 2011.

"Jerusalem" at The Music Box, April 16, 2011

Mark Rylance returns to Broadway in this story of a down-and-almost-out man fighting to keep the land he claims as a birthright from development.  He supports himself by selling drugs to the wayward youth in the area, drawing them in like the Pied Piper.  The subplot of a missing girl gets a bit lost in the shuffle from time to time, but Mr. Rylance is at his usual stellar performance level playing his own kind of St. George saving the maiden from the dragon.  This limited run ends July 24, 2011.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" presented by Roundabout Theatre Company at the American Airlines Theatre, April 21, 2011

Brian Bedford directs and makes Lady Bracknell the ultimate travesty role in this delightful revival of the Oscar Wilde classic.  Even the likes of Jane Houdyshell as Miss Prism can't steal the spotlight from Mr. Bedford.  This limited run ends July 3, 2011.

"The People in the Picture" presented by Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54, April 24, 2011

Once again, the Roundabout varies from their core mission of producing revivals to attempt a new production.  Even talented star power like Donna Murphy and Chip Zien can't help turn this overearnest effort into a hit.  Crossing elements of To Be or Not To Be with Sophie's Choice it finds neither the laughs nor heartache of either.  This limited run ends on June 19, 2011.


"The Normal Heart" at the Golden Theatre, April 25, 2011

What was first received as Larry Kramer's ranting polemic about the origins of the AIDS crisis and the failure of both the US and New York City governments to act in the best interests of homosexual men to stem the plague, it reveals itself as remarkably relevant today.  It also reveals itself as a particularly  good play, well-constructed and very powerful.  This all-star production in its first bow on Broadway features an excellent cast including director wunderkind Joe Mantello in the leading role of Ned Weeks, Kramer's thinly-veiled self-portrait.  Directors Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe channel the pain and anger into power.  David Rockwell's stark black and white set cleverly reveals the seemingly endless headlines and quotes from the period as the situation deteriorates, with stark projections of the increasing number of victims' names eventually covering the walls of the theatre itself.

Not to be missed, this limited run ends July 10, 2011.


"War Horse" presented by Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont, April 26, 2011

Based on a novel for young adults (think Coram Boy), this story of a young man's relationship with his horse during World War I is beautifully staged following its transfer from London.  The use of puppetry figuratively and literally anthropomorphizes the horse Joey, 1/2 thoroughbred, 1/2 workhorse as he struggles to survive the horror of war.  Eight million horses died during WWI - only 62,000 of them were brought back to England.  Even though the script is often predictable, the staging is breathtaking and the emotions are strong.

It's a brilliant production - not to be missed.  War Horse is on an open-ended run.