Winter Wrap Up

Ok, it's been entirely too long since my last post.  Though silent, I've seen the following:

• Wit, presented by Manhattan Theatre Club at Friedman Theatre, January 17, 2012 - Cynthia Nixon takes on the role of Vivian Bearing, Phd, dying of cancer in this erudite memory play that retells her last days of suffering.  For all the heady use of language throughout the majority of the script, playwright Margaret Edson makes a puzzling turn away from the powerful use of language as her lead characters moans and wails through the last 10 minutes.  Ms. Nixon is effective, but didn't quite master the central gravitas of the role.
• Merrily We Roll Along, presented by Encores! at New York City Center, February 10, 2012 - Sondheim's awkward child gets another revision with a lengthened run courtesy of Encores!  It's nice to see the show after knowing the score for many years.  Most of the flaws remain, though there are some quality distractions.  Lin-Manuel Miranda nebbishes it up nicely as Charlie and Celia Keenan-Bolger discards glamour for the drunken Mary.  Elizabeth Stanley powers in a great Sherie Renee Scott knock-off as Gussie, but Betsy Wolfe doesn't quite give her Beth the charm and vulnerability we might have enjoyed from Kelli O'Hara.
• Carrie, presented by MCC Theatre at Lucille Lortel Theatre, February 15, 2012 - Stephen King is back on the boards and watered down with a flavor of Footloose.   In the title role, Molly Ranson sings sweetly, but gets held back by the tepid script.  Marin Mazzie as Margaret White, Carrie's mother, misses the bat-shit crazy mark needed to convey the danger of the religious fanatic. 
• How I Learned to Drive at Second Stage Theatre, February 17, 2012 - Only Norbert Leo Butz could turn such a creep into a sympathetic character.  Elizabeth  Reaser's Li'l Bit doesn't match his skill.  Supporting cast is good.
• The Lady From Dubuque at Signature Theatre, February 25, 2012 - The space at Signature's new facility is impressive - not a bad seat in the house.  The set is stellar.  The play, not so much, even with a pretty darn good cast.  Mr. Albee mixes themes from The Sandbox and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf  Laila Robins spews the bile and pain of her dying character.  Michael Hayden blusters and whines as the soon to be widower.  Jane Alexander is elegant in the title role - an angel of death, supported by Peter Francis James as her prancing henchman.
• Death of a Salesman at Ethel Barrymore Theatre, February 28, 2012 - The play has proven its artistry over and over again; it comes through once more in this revival.  I liked the use of original sets and music from its 1949 debut.  The casting doesn't quite work so well.  Philip Seymour Hoffman, quite the talented actor, just doesn't have the mileage yet.  In another 20 years, he'll be stunning in the role.  Andrew Garfield's Biff flails.
• And God Created Great Whales at Culture Project, February, 29, 2012 - Rinde Eckert is always interesting.  This setting of a man losing his memory as he completes a commission of a new opera based on Moby Dick.  Employing a series of portable, color-coded cassette recorders, he continues his work, under the watchful eye of his imagined muse (Nora Cole), who also prompts and guides his efforts.  The score, very much in the style of "contemporary opera" suffers under synthesized accompaniment.  When Mr. Eckert accompanies himself at the piano, things work much better.
• Shatner's World at The Music Box, March 4, 2012 - Relax, it was a free ticket provided by a friend.  Mr. Shatner reflects on his life and career, both highs and lows.  It was a pleasant diversion, but as expected, didn't really reveal much.
• Once, at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, March 8, 2012 - I've actually seen this twice already.  I'll make a separate post later.  (Hint: I really liked it.)
• Jesus Christ Superstar at Neil Simon Theatre, March 12, 2012 - The production arrives from Stratford Festival via San Diego.  Sir Andrew claims it's the first revival he's really liked, but apparently that applies to any revival of everything he's written.  Director Des McAnuff brings a flashy version of his go-to bi-level, scaffold-style set with an odd mix of costuming by Paul Tazewell (what was Magdalene wearing??).  He plays up Judas' obsession with Jesus, which could have made for more interesting interaction between Judas and Magdalene, had she not been so wooden.
• Now. Here. This. at Vineyard Theatre, March 17, 2012 - With such a likeable cast, it's easy to overlook the flaws in the latest efforts from the group that created [title of show].  The budget's a little better this time, demonstrated by a slick set from Neil Patel.  Each of the foursome offers revealing stories of varying painful and/or embarrassing memories.  The overall feel remains very much "off-Broadway revue."

Assistance

"Assistance" at Playwrights Horizons, February 9, 2012

Traveling familiar ground, the latest offering at the very consistent Playwrights Horizons is Leslye Headland's Assistance, about the struggling underclass of capitalist serfs, suffering at the hands of an unseen tyrant.  In this case the invisible antagonist is Daniel Weisinger, a highly volatile agent/representative (Barry Diller-like, perhaps?) in an unnamed industry, who wields fear, loathing and admiration from a series of put-upon administrative assistants.  At the top of the play, Vince, a slick and smarmy Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, celebrates the last day of his sentence before stepping up into a coveted "director" role (also undefined).  Following him up the corporate ladder is Nick, a likable Michael Esper, who takes on the part of chief torturer among the cadre of assistants.  Advancement comes at a high price.  Even Vince has to knuckle under to Daniel vagaries in his last moments as servant.

The "new meat" in the office is Nora, a sympathetic Virginia Kull, transferring over from the Siberia that is the "Canal Street office."  Like many before and after her, she's set her sights on duplicating, if not exceeding, the heights of fame and fortune achieved by her idolized boss.  It's a quick trip to disillusionment and jaded cynicism for her, as she takes her own lumps, as well as those belonging to others.  Beleaguered Justin, a very strong Bobby Steggert, spends most of the evening on the other end of the telephone, but shows up in Act II, after a typical "Daniel rant" lands him with a broken foot.

Heather (Sue Jean Kim) and Jenny, a very funny Amy Rosoff, round out the later victims, each getting a chance to take focus during funny, if distracting, monologues.  The relationship ups and downs between and among them aren't really surprising ("Nick & Nora" really?), as they try to maintain sanity while working for a lunatic.

Like I said, the terrain is quite familiar after "The Devil Wears Prada."  But this time, we don't get the benefit of seeing the villain in action.  The result is an extended sit-com, and could have easily filled a 30-minute slot with the same effect.

Director Trip Cullman moves things quickly, enhancing the sit-comish feel to the super-slick dialogue.  Jenny's final monologue does offer some interesting and unexpected quirks, but it's a long time coming.  David Korins' set succinctly and cleverly captures the essence of a hip, NYC office space.

Assistance runs through March 7.  See discount information in a previous post, along with a link to purchase tickets.

Discount Ticket Offer - "Assistance"

DISCOUNT TICKETS TO ASSISTANCE for BLOG READERS:

Regular run:  February 3-March 11
Tues 7, Wed-Fri at 8, Sat at 2:30 & 8, Sun at 2:30 & 7:30
Additional Monday evening perf February 27 at 7

Order by Feb. 21 and use the code HELPMEBLOG
$40 (reg. $70) for all performances Feb 3-19
$50 (reg. $70) for all other performances Feb 21-Mar 11

Online  http://goo.gl/ZY7ks
Call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 Noon to 8PM daily
In Person: Ticket Central Box Office, 416 W. 42nd Street between 9^th & 10^th Avenues

30&Under Party February 16 following the performance
All non-member tickets $25.  Use code PARTY.  Proof of age required at door.
Order at http://goo.gl/DpR5m

"Psycho Therapy" at Cherry Lane Theatre, February 6, 2012

In its return to regular programming for the 2011-2012 season, Cherry Lane Theatre brings us Frank Strausser's new comedy.  It's a bit fluffy, and could easily have been adapted into an episode of Frasier.  Actually, that might have been a better idea.

In this intermissionless, 90 minute, four-hander, we meet early-middle-aged Lily (Angelica Page), torn between the good-on-paper Philip (Laurence Lau) and the much younger and significantly richer Dorian (Jeffrey Carlson), all during couples therapy with psychologist Nancy (Jan Leslie Harding). Neuroses abound, from Nancy's chocolate fetish, to Lily's inability to choose, to Philip's fear of commitment to Dorian's fear of being alone.

Performances are generally even, but hampered by the two-dimensional writing.  For some unexplored reason, Lily is incapable of standing by a choice for more than three minutes, absurdly flip-flopping between the guys multiple times within a scene.  Ms. Harding's Nancy is the only performance that reaches for a third dimension as she flails over raising a teenaged daughter.

Whoever directed (unlisted in the playbill) pulls for the physical laughs instead of trying to mine the script, though that's a fairly shallow resource.

Production values are excellent; a gorgeous set by Michael V. Moore and solid lighting by Jeff Croiter.  If the script had met the bar set by these elements, it could have been a great night at the theatre.  Instead, it's an evening of little substance, but a couple of laughs.

Psycho Therapy runs through February 25.  Get tickets here.

Post updated 02/08/2012

Outside People

"Outside People" at Vineyard Theatre, January 7, 2012

Playwright Zayd Dohrn brings another tale of a stranger in a strange land to the NY stage with his Outside People.

It's an earnest and awkward effort, much like its main character, Malcolm (Matt Dellapina), a recent college graduate with no job or direction in his life.  His former roommate David, (Nelson Lee) has returned to his native China to start his own business.  He flies Malcolm over to work for his company as repayment for Malcolm's kindness to his when they were students.

David arranges a date for Malcolm upon his arrival with Xiao Mei (Li Jun Li), whose murky connection to David clears up a little obviously as the true nature of David's business is revealed.

Mr. Dohrn treads very similar ground to this season's Chinglish on Broadway, but without the laughs or the interesting characters.  Also similar to Chinglish are several scenes in Chinese, yet the audience doesn't get the benefit of super-title translations at the Vineyard.  The tone certainly come through with the tone of voice and inflection, but it's a particularly frustrating experience if there are audience members who actually do understand Chinese. Ultimately, Mr. Dohrn cuts through several old stereotypes while managing to support some new ones.

The cast does their best to give depth to their characters, but the writing is a little thin for them to accomplish much.  Director Evan Cabnet continues the trend of music loudly underscoring scene changes completed by the cast with no originality in sight.  Ben Stanton's combination set borrows a bit from Allen Moyers' 2006 design for Little Dog Laughed.

In the end, it's an unremarkable production performed by competent actors.  Outside People runs through January 29.  Get tickets here.

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?

The Cherry Orchard

"The Cherry Orchard" at Classic Stage Company, December 2, 2012

(photo: Carol Rosegg)

Classic Stage puts up The Cherry Orchard, the last production of its Chekhov Initiative, that included The Seagull, Uncle Vanya and Three Sisters in a new and very casual translation by John Christopher Jones.

Mr. Jones reportedly worked directly with the cast during rehearsals to make the vocabulary choices for their respective characters.  It had to have been great fun for the actors, but the result ends up straddling the border of anachronism and "huh?"  It was my first time seeing this play and I can't help but wonder there's something about Chekov that never makes it through translation.

Still, director Orlando Pabotoy manages to massage the tragic material into some laughs, though they range from clever to uncomfortable.  Beyond that, it still has plenty of dull moments as the dysfunctional family watches their legacy waste away.

Mr. Chekov spins a standard Russian tale of waning fortunes and prideful nobles falling on hard times. Ranevskaya (Dianne Wiest) dithers, giggles and lives in the past, covering her fear of a future of which she can't grasp control.  Lopakhin, a blustering John Tuturro, the former-peasant-made-good, presents the solution, but Ranevskaya can't bring herself to act on his advice.  Daughter Varya the cast-aside homebody, is a consistently engaging Julie Rylance. Katherine Waterston is the favorite, dewy-eyed daughter Anya.  Their uncle Gaev (Daniel Davis) also teeters on the edge of reality.  The more interesting moments come from Michael Urie's Epikhodov, who nearly needs an ER visit as the master of disaster desperately in love with servant Dunyasha (Elisabeth Waterston).  Her eyes fall (quite understandably) for Yasha, another peasant-now-servant (a very sexy Slate Holmgren), whose interest beyond pleasure is living in Ranevskaya's trail of dribbling cash.  With a couple of other archetypes tossed in, the plot is as Russian as they come.

Pacing, however, was a different issue, and it was leaden this night, pushing the few laughs farther between.

Santo Loquasto's white set creates a sepia tone for this family who lives in the past.  I will say that his gauze act curtain around the thrust stage created some difficulty for the audience to get to their seats.  Marco Piemontese continues the finely detailed work for Ms. Wiest's gowns, but phones in a bit for some of the supporting roles.


The Cherry Orchard runs through December 30.  Tickets here.

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.