REVIEWS

Theologians and spiritualists have long believed that God can be found in the most unexpected of places. Studio 54 is probably the last locale they’d suspect, but that is exactly where the Creator of the Universe is currently taking up residency in the form of actor  Jim Parsons.

Parsons, best known for his four-time Emmy award-winning role as Sheldon Cooper in television’s The Big Bang Theory  makes yet another award worthy turn in David Javerbaum’s  play,  An Act of God. Donning a white robe and perching himself against Scott Pask’s appropriately pure white set, Parsons, along with his angelic sidekicks, Michael (Christopher Fitzgerald) and Gabriel (Tim Kazurinksy) muses on the current state of society. He offers a glimpse into the traditional Ten commandments (“I never meant for it to define Me, to be the one work of mine everyone quotes and debates and interprets”),  and creates a new set of edicts (“Tonight, I shall give thee a new Ten Commandments, one that will forever end that uncertainty regarding what it is I desire from humanity that has caused so much bitterness and hatred among you over the millenia, all of which I found very flattering.”)

The philosophical topics, including Creation, the Garden of Eden, what God should or shouldn’t damn or bless, and gun rights, are  derived from both Javerbaum’s comedic book of the same name and his popular twitter feed.  Is it blasphemous? That question is as debatable as the holy scripture itself. Still, there is much thoughtful commentary to consume in this 90 minute celestial comedy cloud. When extremist groups use religion to support their often irrational behavior, doesn’t it  make sense for a Deity to ask human beings to stop killing in His name? “Not that I don’t appreciate it,” He jokes, “But I want you to stop killing in my name, because it’s patronizing.”  ISIS, can you hear me?

Parsons timing is as immaculate as…well… a biblical conception!  But while the spotlight rightfully focuses on him, one shouldn’t underestimate his co-stars, Fitzgerald and Kazurinsky, who skillfully make the Almighty even mightier with their deadpan deliveries.

An Act of God is perfect summer fare, but latecomers be warned: the King of the Universe will point out your tardiness to the rest of the audience. But lighten up for heaven’s sake; redemptive amusement is sure to follow.

An Act of God is now playing through August 2nd at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street between Broadway and 8th avenue). For tickets, visit the box office or online at: https://www.telecharge.com/Broadway/An-Act-of-God/

If character development and story line were as rich as the music, For the Last Time would have all of the combined elements for  fine theater.  However, Will Pomerantz and Nancy Harrow’s musical, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Gothic novel The Marble Faun, tends to be a bit muddy, dragging on a bit too long and lingering like ghosts that haunt the re-imagined 1950’s New Orleans setting itself.

Miriam (Brittany Campbell) is a carefree painter, eager to show her more reserved friend Hilda (Anita Welch) , the decadent ways of the world. Ladies’ man Kenyon (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) works his charm on Hilda, while Donatello (Britton Smith) displays his affections towards Miriam.   This is voodoo laced  New Orleans, however, so one can be sure that nothing on the surface is quite what it appears. Watching the action from afar is the “overseer” (Reggie D. White), a mysterious and dangerous man from Miriam’s past who looms over the Big Easy quartet like the Stay Puft Marshmallow man.

The performances are strong  and the cast capably navigates  the material it’s been given, but what really makes this show pop are the phenomenal sounds of musical director Cody Owen Stine’s band, bringing Nancy Harrow’s moody, wholly original and intelligent jazz score to life on John McDermott’s ambitious and effective French quarter style set.

For the Last Time is now playing on at the Clurman Theater on Theater Row (West 42nd between 9th and 10th) through June 20th.  For tickets and information, visit the box office or  http://www.forthelasttimemusical.com/

 

A wisp of nostalgia is currently floating over Midtown Manhattan. On 42nd street, the setting for remembrance is a beach town along the shores of Lake Erie in 1945.  Signature Theater’s revival of A.R. Gurney’s 1981 play What I Did Last Summer is a touching slice of drama bursting at the seams with an impeccable cast and plenty of food for both the soul and mind.

Set near the end of World War II, What I Did Last Summer introduces us to Charlie (Noah Galvin),  a precocious 14 year old,  his sister Elsie (Kate McGonigle), his best friend Ted (Pico Alexander), and later, his love interest Bonnie (Juliet Brett). Guiding their path is his frustrated, but devoted and rather uptight mother, Grace (Carolyn McCormick) whose husband is overseas fighting in the war.

In his effort to gain summer employment, Charlie, much to the dismay of his mother, seeks a job with Anna Trumbull (Kristine Nielsen) , otherwise known as “the pig woman”. Trumbull is the town’s kooky bohemian who gives art lessons (but as we learn, nobody takes them.) In her younger days, Grace was a student of Trumbull but wishes to put the memory behind her.  Charlie arranges frequent visits to the outcast, who is desperate to teach him the ways of an artist. Her attempts are futile, but what he lacks in artistic talent, he makes up for with an open mind and a new world view.

Galvin, who was recently seen downtown in Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information  is unquestionably one of the finest young actors working on a New York stage. With a combination of intensity, focus, and earnestness, he turns out another  first rate performance. The character of Charlie could easily become a grating, impetuous twit in the wrong hands. Here, Galvin strikes perfect harmony between anxious adolescence  and a hugely likable young man in search of himself and his purpose.

Noone plays “quirky” quite as well as Kristine Nielsen, and once again, she doesn’t disappoint. Nielsen has captured the carefree, anti-establishment spirit of Trumbull, and also evokes Thoreau’s observation that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Trumbull is one who “coulda been a contender” but has allowed life to triumph over her. Now she fights to be recognized.

In fact, every character in Gurney’s memory play is jockeying for attention . As each one introduces themselves, each is certain that the play is about them. Perhaps it is Gurney’s comment on our own humaness; for at our core, we are all seeking the comfort and assurance of being visible and validated.

Director Jim Simpson guides the piece with sentimentality that carefully avoids the syrupy realm. Michael Yeargan’s sparsely modern but efficient set places the intended focus on the story, while Dan Wiener’s perfectly timed drum interludes add an extra ray of delight to this already charm soaked production.

A few blocks north, the quintessential memory play was set afoot in Masterworks Theater Company’s inaugural production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and boy oh boy, was  it ever a mixed bag.

Williams’ semi-autobiographical tale of abandonment and unfulfillment  proved an audacious choice for a brand new theater company, especially  after an acclaimed and Tony award Broadway production played the boards less than two years ago.

Although it is mandatory reading for most high school students, here is a cliffs notes version of the plot. (And let’s face it: Even if did read it in high school, you’ve probably forgotten it by now!) Tom Wingfield (Richard Prioleau) is both the narrator and a player in the story. As the primary breadwinner of his  family , he spends day after laboring day at the factory and his nights  going to the movies (essentially code for “drinking”). Laura (Olivia Washington), is his younger sister, content to spend her days tinkering with her glass menagerie  but too shy and handicapped to endure the delicate nature of romance. Jim O’Conner (Doug Harris), a gentleman caller and colleague to Tom, assuages her fears in a tender moment of inspiration. Amanda Wingfield (Saundra Santiago), is a matriarch of force. As she recalls her younger, more beautiful days she also minimizes her daughter’s struggles and throws fits of dramatic hysteria in an effort to hold her broken family together.

First, let’s highlight the pros: Masterworks choice of multi-cultural casting worked quite well.  Prioleau, a handsome African-American actor was a marvelous Tom Wingfield. In him, there is a natural ruggedness and internal struggle which evokes sheer empathy and compassion. Prioleau is a gifted young actor and it will be thrilling to watch his career advance. Likewise, Harris delivered  a winning turn as Jim, a popular high school jock whose higher pedigree is a stark contrast than that of the Wingfield clan. Harris’ gesture of kindness to the wounded Laura is played with  delicacy and his manners would make any mother target him as in-law material. Campbell Baird’s tattered apartment perfectly  evoked depression-era ambience.

While Priloeau and Harris were the stronger portions of this 4 person cast, the same praise could not  be shared with their female co-stars. Santiago appeared  to be a seasoned actor, given her lengthy program bio which includes Broadway credits and well known television appearances, so she should be given the benefit of the doubt.  Here though, she charged through her performance with her foot constantly pressed to the gas pedal, allowing little opportunity for her to gradually increase the intensity of Amanda. Washington also has a tendency to conjure unrealistic anxiety in Laura, specifically upon her first interaaction with Jim.

Masterworks Theater Company appears to be on the right track as they aim to produce classic works in the coming seasons. Founding director Eric Krebs deserves high praise for exposing new audiences to classic works.  One can only hope that his team will find collectively  talented ensembles so that his recent “mixed bag”, directed by Christopher Scott,  will  be upgraded to a sack of gold.

 

What I Did Last Summer is currently playing at the Pershing Square Signature Center (42nd street between 9th and 10th). For tickets and information, visit the box office or online at:http://www.signaturetheatre.org/

The Glass Menagerie ended May 30th at the 47th Street Theater (304 West 47th street between 8th and 9th). For more information about Masterworks Theater Company, click http://www.masterworkstheatercompany.org/

“Cute” might be enough to cut a wedding cake, but it’s not enough to cut the pain of dropping your hard-earned dollars on Broadway’s latest musical romantic comedy, It Shoulda Been You. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this harmless confection will likely grow legs and be reproduced in regional theaters across the country.

Set in a swanky hotel on the day of a mixed marriage wedding, the show pits two sets of  parents against one another: Judy and Murray Steinberg (Tyne Daly and Chip Zien), devout Jews whose daughter, Rebecca (Sierra Boggess) is tying the knot. In the other corner is George and Georgette Howard (Michael X. Martin and Harriet Harris), an uptight Protestant pair. Their son, Brian (David Burtka), is  poised to take Rebecca’s hand, but not if his bride-to-be’s old flame, Marty Kaufman (Josh Grisetti) has anything to say about it. Albert (Edward Hibbert), the “so gay he nearly flies away” wedding planner, Annie (Montego Glover) , Rebecca’s “friend” and Greg (Nick Spangler), Brian’s “friend” round out the line-up of main players, except for Jenny Steinberg (Lisa Howard), Rebecca’s sister and chief organizer.

In spite of all its’ dippy humor by book writer and lyricist Brian Hargrove, Howard is the knockout star of this union, effortlessly taking shoddy material and weaving it into a bold and beautiful fur coat. As she puts on a good face and vies for the approval of those around her, Howard’s Jenny  embodies warmth, sincerity, and a showstopping storm of sass near the finale in “Jenny’s Blues.”

The idea of It Shoulda Been You is clever: take an old-fashioned wedding comedy and put a modern spin on it, but the cake rarely rises. Sure, there are some gut-busting moments. Greg and Annie’s “American Idol”-esque love song, “Love You Till the Day” is comedic nirvana. (Watch the reactions of those seated behind them for additional guffaws).  Aside from these two numbers, Barbara Anselmi’s music is far from memorable.

The show is chock full of rich talent, from an always solid Tyne Daly to newcomer Josh Grissetti, whose nebbishness and irresistible charm furnish the show with winning endearment. Celebrity director David Hyde Pierce is no stranger to well crafted theater, but even under his hand, the ingredients create a batter of general disappointment.

Allow me a cheeky moment to paraphrase the wedding vows: Do you, New York ticket buyer, take It Shoulda Been You  to be your musical comedy partner for 90 minutes, mostly in sickness but with a slight smattering of healthy humor? Will you love it and cherish it until it starts and only then  realize that there are better options on the boards? If so, please answer, “I do”. Just know that next year this time, you’ll be able to see it in summer-stock at a fraction of the cost.

 

It Shoulda Been You is now playing on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 West 47th Street between Broadway and 8th avenue. For tickets and information, visit the box office or go to: http://www.itshouldabeenyou.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

If, in the midst of watching Nirbhaya, you realize that your heart has momentarily stopped beating and you are holding your breath, then you will indisputably be eliciting the appropriately human response. Your fellow audience members are likely joining you in this awestruck silence.

Writer and director Yael Farber’s  profound docudrama  chronicles an unnerving and  heinous act that took place in Delhi, India on December 16th, 2012 when Jyoti Singh Pandey, a young physiotherapist intern, was brutally gang raped by six other men. Her male friend was also beaten. Pandey eventually died from the trauma, sparking a national and international outrage against sexual violence. The show’s title, Nirbhaya, is a Hindi word for “fearless” , an attribute which Pandey clung to until her dying day.

As the 100 minute intermission-less show begins, Pandey emerges, singing a hauntingly beautiful Indian song and walking as though she were a phantom. She remains on stage through most of the piece, hovering over the proceedings and serving as a reminder to her fellow victims, whose stories are equally as painful. They include accounts of a mother choosing between her own children, a dowry bride who was doused with kerosene, and other brutally forceful sexual acts.  Farber’s deeply affecting script is unyielding in its’ attempt to demand attention, but it never steers into the direction of melo-drama. At times, Nirbhaya is uncomfortable to watch, and yet such a reaction brings to mind Edmund Burke’s quote that “evil thrives when the good do nothing.”

While  we immerse ourselves in the vapid headlines of Bruce Jenner and “Dad Bods”, Nirbhaya forces us to remember that our humanity can be stripped from us at any moment, induces a spirit of gratitude, and spurs us into action.  It is not hyperbolic to proclaim that this may well be the most important and imperishable pieces  I have seen in my twenty plus year history of New York City theater.

 

Nirbhaya  is now playing through May 17th at the Lynn Redgrave Theater, 45 Bleecker Street. For tickets, call 866-811-4111 or visit  nirbhayatheplay.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With all of the critical acclaim at its’ feet,  it is no small wonder that Fun Home has become one of the hottest musical tickets on Broadway. Originally premiering in 2013 at downtown’s Public Theater, it now has taken up residency in midtown. Just last week, it smashed Circle in the Square’s box office record of any musical that has ever played in the space. What is a wonder however, is the show itself. [Read more…] about Theater Review: 12 Time Tony Nominated FUN HOME