Broadway’s first play of the Fall 2021 season, Pass Over officially opened to near unanimous reviews on August 22nd. It will close this weekend on Sunday October 10th. Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s gripping work depicts two, young black gentlemen: Moses (Jon Michael Hill) and Kitch (Namir Small Wood), each searching for life’s meaning and yearning for relief in an undefined time period on a random street corner. It could well be Any town, Anytime USA. Tony award winner Gabriel Ebert rounds out the cast in a dual role as a seemingly naïve neighborhood passerby and later as a violent police officer.
Pass Over has often been compared to Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot, primarily due to the constant repetition of language and also because of similarities between Moses and Kitch and Godot’s Didi and Gogo. That is true—and this may be heresy—but Nwandu’s tale is far more interesting. There are also biblical allegories, specifically to paradise (a short but gorgeous scene designed by Wilson Chin)
It would be simple to express exultation over Pass Over simply because it is the first live play offered to audiences since an incredibly long shutdown. but it gives audiences so much more. Between the powerful story that Nwandu is sharing and the tight chemistry created by the cast, it reminds us why live theater means so much to us, as well as shedding some light onto what it can teach us.
Pass Over is playing on Broadway at the August Wilson Theater on West 52nd Street between Broadway and 8th. For tickets and information, click here
Yeah, But Not Right Now
Sit back and relax, folks. A.J. Holmes is going to level with us. See, he’s been a bit of a cad. He’s also been a procrastinator. Oh, and he’s also been disingenuous to himself and those around him.
There’s not a great deal of drama in his story—at least in the way he presents it—but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth hearing. Holmes is an amiable performer who quickly found stage success in The Book of Mormon, both on Broadway and London’s West End.
For approximately one hour, Holmes conveys his story mostly through music. Using a wide range of instruments and technical wizardry, it’s impossible not to admire his many talents. Musically, he seems to have drawn inspiration from contemporary Broadway composers, Elton John, Billy Joel, and most similarly, Ben Folds Five.
Various opening comedy acts throughout the run add a bit to the already brief running time and the show definitely has a “downtown” vibe, but don’t dilly dally. The show closes on October 16th.
Yeah, But Not Right Now is playing Thursdays-Saturdays at the Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street between Varick & Spring. For tickets and more information, click here
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