Category Archives: Theatre

Theatre

Off-Broadway Gets Lucky

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Deep in the heart of the Theatre District sits a production that shines just as bright as the stars in the Texas sky,  is as funny as a Hee Haw episode, with music that would rank on the top 10 of any WSM AM radio show countdown.  Country is getting its turn at bat once again, and it is swinging for the fences with Lucky Guy, a production that is all about the most important rule in music – rule 4080 – people in record industry are shady. 

Nashville is the Mecca of country music and it breeds recording stars the way Kentucky breeds champions. This is why Billy Ray Jackson, played by Kyle Dean Massey, has come to Music City.  Billy Ray won a matchbook songwriting contest, sponsored by Wright Records, and has come to Nashville to record his song and become famous.  G.C. Wright, the owner of Wright Records, has also eagerly awaited the arrival of Billy Ray.  He believes “Lucky Guy” – Billy Ray’s winning song – will save his struggling record label.  This possibility does not sit very well with G. C.’s cousin, Big Al Wright.  He is the proprietor of the most famous used car dealer franchise in Nashville and wants the property Wright Records resides on to expand his car empire.  Big Al contrives to hustle Billy Ray and G. C. out of the song and enlists the help of Miss Jeannie Jeannine, the queen of country music, to assist him with his plan.  She has not had a hit since before Johnny Cash started wearing black and “Lucky Guy” is just the tune she needs to reclaim her spot at the top.  Jeannie begins to employ all her womanly wilds, which are plenty, and star power to try to seduce naive Billy Ray, but he only has eyes for Wanda, the secretary at Wright Records. 

The bamboozle is all set take place during Big Al’s Grand Ole Opry show.  But Jeannie has a change of heart after realizing that Billy Ray is an earnest country guy that is devoted to another woman.  Even after Big Al puts the pressure on, Jeannie transforms herself from conniving villainess to heroine, saving Wright Records by allowing Billy Ray to sing his song on stage.  G.C. and Big Al come to an agreement about the property.  G.C. finally makes an honest woman out of his girlfriend, the gossiping hairdresser/wanna be country singer Chicky Lay, and Billy Ray and Wanda are ready to make it a double wedding.  Jeannie maintains her status as the queen of country music and all is right in Nashville.

Lucky Guy is being advertised as, “A big new musical at The Little Shubert Theatre,”and they ain’t telling no lies.  Playwright and director Willard Beckham has got himself a winner.  The laughs that will come from your gut will be as enormous as the wigs glued to Miss Jeannie Jeannine’s head.  The score is a great representation of country music, the melodies are earthy and the lyrics are relatable and impressive.  Before you know what hit you your head will be swaying and your toes will be tapping in your shoe.  The eye-popping sets are colorful and homey and the choreography is electrifying.  The cast is the sugar in the sweet tea of this musical, and oh how sweet it is.  The Buckaroos, played by Callan Bergmann, Xavier Cano, Wes Hart and Joshua Woodie are the buffed minstrels and dancers that give the show a healthy dose of eye candy.  Not to be outdone is Kyle Dean Massey, FAMERS can you say sexy?  Massey is a dreamboat that can sing and act.  What else do you need? Savannah Wise as Wanda Clark is as sugary as a ripe Georgia peach and could give Taylor Swift a run for her money.  Jean Colella is hysterical as Chicky Lay and Jim Newman is equally as comical as G.C. Wright, but the best lines and stomach crunching cackling came courtesy of Varla Jean Merman and Leslie Jordan.  As a legendary drag queen, Merman is already entertainment royalty.  The role of Miss Jeannie Jeannine was tailor made for her talents.  She is vivacious; the audience could not get enough of the blue jean queen of country antics.  Leslie Jordan is J.R. Ewing in bespangled cowboy boots.  His omnipresent presence and sarcasm is so outrageous it is sublime. 

I view this production as the little musical that could – since its 2009 premiere in Connecticut, it has been picking up steam.  I firmly believe it will not stop until it has reached Broadway.  Lucky Guy is playing a 12-week limited engagement; promenade on down to The Little Shubert Theatre and get yourself a good ole heaping of some country-fried fun.

Photos:  Joan Marcus

 

Arts, Theatre

Sister Act Anoints Audiences with the Gospel of Laughter

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Before 2006, Sister Act was a boilerplate comedy, with motley reviews, that depended on the star power of Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith and Harvey Keitel to fill box office seats.  In 2006, Sister Act was reincarnated into a musical with a book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.   The production premiered on October 24, 2006 at the Pasadena Playhouse, closed December 2006 and became the highest grossing show at that venue.  In 2009, the show went international; Stage Entertainment and Whoopi Goldberg produced Sister Act at the London Palladium. 

Currently back in the states, Whoopi Goldberg is also back in the habit and on Broadway as one of the show’s producers.  Sister Act was a money maker for Whoopi back in 1992 and it is a Tony Award nominated smash hit for her now, but this reinvented musical of it comedic predecessor is its own hilarious entity.  Like the movie, Sister Act chronicles the story of Deloris Van Cartier – a ne’er do well lounge singer wasting her days in a Philadelphia nightclub owned by her married, thug boyfriend Curtis Jackson, played by Kingsley Leggs.  When returning a recycled gift – a coat previously owned by Jackson’s wife – Deloris stumbles upon Jackson and goons murdering a member of his crew believed to be an informant.  Deloris goes on the run, literally, and runs to a police precinct where she is reunited with Eddie Souther, an old school chum that used to have a crush on her.  Souther, a cop now, arranges for her to hide in a convent, and the holy hijinks are kicked into high gear.   

Even in a nun’s habit, Deloris – now dubbed Sister Mary Clarence for her own protection – is as noticeable as the follicles protruding from Don King’s head and driving the convent’s Mother Superior, played by Victoria Clark, round the bend.  Mother Superior decides to put Deloris’ singing talent to good use and puts her in charge of the cacophonous choir.  Deloris manages to raise the voices of the dissonant nuns and adds a little touch of disco for show.  Despite the objections and prayers of Mother Superior, Deloris is a savior.  The choir’s funky sound attracts parishioners, donations and helps to save the church.  Even the pope wants to see them.  A news report about the pope’s visit gets Deloris spotted on television and must she relocate again to avoid Curtis and his lackeys.   But Deloris is determined to stand by her new found sisters and they stand by her, even with the knowledge that she is not who she claimed she was.  Mother Superior has a change of heart about Deloris as well.  The nuns and Eddie foil Curtis’ plans for payback and Deloris and the sisters perform for the pope.

I have never laughed so hard in a theatre before.  Sister Act may have taken a long route to get to Broadway, but there is no doubt that its future is just as bright as the Great White Way itself.  It is a crowd pleaser from beginning to end.  I tried to find holes in this show, but there are none – my mirth cup runneth over.   Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane received a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical, and the music of Alan Menken and the lyrics Glenn Slater received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score.  Set designer Klara Zieglernova’s vision for each scene was right on point, by the end of the production the audience did view a marriage of disco and divinity.  Costume designer Lez Brotherston sparkly, glitzy fashions made me want to pick up a habit.  Although their efforts did not receive Tony nominations, all the members of the creative team, including director Jerry Zaks, provided a heavenly pitch.  Only thing the actors had to do was knock it out the park, and that is exactly what they did.

Patina Miller reprises her role as Deloris Van Cartier; she was first cast in the role during the London version. She shines brighter than the Swarovski crystals used in the costumes.  Miller has attitude for days with the vocal chops to back it up – her Tony Award nomination is a no-brainer.   Tony Award winner Victoria Clark is angelic as Mother Superior.  The comedic tension between she and Miller is wonderful to watch.  Sarah Bolt as Sister Mary Patrick is a breath of ethereal air.  Her presence is so bubbly and infectious; I wish I could bottle her and sell her.  Giving contrast to Bolt’s perky personality, is Audrie Neenan as Sister Mary Lazarus – she completely prickly but no less a hoot.  Her snarky lines are well received by New Yorkers – citizens not known for being very peppy.

Although this production is a real sisterhood, the men in the cast manage to hold their own.  Kingsley Leggs is a villain you will love to despise; he is Nino Brown with an afro and a great singing voice.  Chester Gregory may be known as “Sweaty” Eddie, but it doesn’t detract from his talent.  As my aunt would say, “That boy can sang!”  Desmond Green is a scream as TJ, Curtis Jackson’s dimwitted relative and subordinate.  Fred Applegate, John Treacy and Caesar Samayoa also provide plenty of moments for the audience to chuckle heartily.

To speak of the gospel is to tell the truth – to spread good news.  This is not the type of show one goes to if they are looking to impress others with their knowledge of culture and the arts at a future dinner party.  This production is for someone that likes a little amusement with their theatre.   Funny…flashy…with a musical score that is sure to remembered for the ages, this show is too fabulous baby!

Photos by Joan Marcus

Arts, Theatre

65th Annual Tony Award Nominations Have Been Announced

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Today Whoopi Goldberg and her sisters have plenty to celebrate, Harry Potter and Dan Lauria were snubbed and theatre legend Patti LuPone is on the verge of another victory.  If you did not catch the hint, the nominations for the 2011 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards were announced this morning.  Tony Award winners Matthew Broderick and Anika Noni Rose hosted the event, which were held at The New York Public Library for Performing Arts.  There are 26 competitive categories that were announced.  Below are the nominations for the major awards, but if you want to view the announcement in its entirety, go to http://www.tonyawards.com.

Best Play

Good People, Jerusalem, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, War Horse

Best Musical

The Book of Mormon, Catch Me If You Can, The Scottsboro Boys, Sister Act

Best Revival of a Play

Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Merchant of Venice, The Normal Heart

Best Revival of a Musical

Anything Goes, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

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

Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest

Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart

Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice

Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

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

Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday

Frances McDormand, Good People

Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice

Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy

Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

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

Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can

Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon

Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys

Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon

Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

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

Sutton Foster, Anything Goes

Beth Leavel, Baby It’s You!

Patina Miller, Sister Act

Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

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

Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem

Billy Crudup, Arcadia

John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart

Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

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

Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart

Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves

Judith Light, Lombardi

Joanna Lumley, La Bête

Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

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

Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys

Adam Godley, Anything Goes

John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys

Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon

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

Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Victoria Clark, Sister Act

Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon

Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

 Photo:  J. Countess/WireImage.com

Arts, Theatre

Trials of a One Picked Wonder

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Every artist wants their 15 minutes of fame (after all, Andy Warhol did promise we all would have our moment), but the trick for an artist is to extend that 15 minutes into a career.  Artists languish in a basement of doubts, menial employment and lingering questions until the elevator doors open and the ride to the penthouse begins.  Then it happens…the big break comes, but just as quick it fades like smoke in the atmosphere.  What must it be like to be a one hit wonder – to reach the glass ceiling of success, crack it, but not burst through to superstardom?  It is a question plenty in the entertainment industry know the answer to, and thanks to clever storytelling of Christopher Shinn, audiences at the Vineyard Theatre now know what it is like as well. 

Picked is a story about Kevin, a young actor poised for success when a famous, eccentric director casts him as the lead in his next big-budget Hollywood movie.  Known for making John Woo-esque big action flicks, John (the director) is looking for his next film to really connect with the audience on a deeper, expressive level, and for this he wants a virtual unknown actor to play the protagonist – enter Kevin an actor that has only had bit roles, but seems to project a sincere aura and is not concerned with fame.  John proposes a sketchy synopsis of a sci-fi film that takes place in space with the lead character basically battling himself as the lead and the nemesis are the same person.  Kevin agrees and then undergoes a battery of brain wave scans to uncover deep issues that he struggles with physiologically and emotionally.  The script is then written based on John’s findings.  As production of the film begins, John brings in Nick to play the part of the Kevin’s evil other half.  Kevin and Nick appear to develop a bromance that is abruptly put to a halt by Nick once production of the film ends, leaving Kevin baffled.  After the successful release of the film, Nick is working consistently, but Kevin cannot book a gig.  The lack of work and the bewilderment that comes with it makes Kevin estranged from girlfriend Jen, himself and eventually with the entertainment business.  At the end of the play Kevin had found that like the character he played, he had grappled with his own sense of self and was left with lingering questions, while forging into a new frontier.

Playwright Christopher Shinn did put together a brainy script, but perhaps that is the problem lurking deep within Picked – it is too clever.  As the production ended, the applause that came from the seats was slow and while walking out the Vineyard Theatre, the audience seemed more perplexed than entertained.  Like the protagonist who underwent extreme research, it appears that audience members were a litmus test for the playwright and the director – the hypothesis: how would a group of people viewing a play react to numerous loose ends.  There are multiple subplots of the Picked that were not fully developed, Kevin and Nick’s bromance, John’s issues with intimacy, Kevin’s emotional neediness with men, the lack of a deeper connection with Jen as well as Nick’s collapse. 

Perhaps Shinn outsmarted the audiences by forcing them to actually think, or perhaps he overestimated the need for heady, intellectual drama.  Even with these holes in the story, the cast does a wonderful job pushing through these gaps to deliver introspective performances.  I was able to identify with each of these characters – people struggling to balance their human, emotive instincts with their digital/progressive selves.   And that is what makes Picked worth going to see, it is not about the questions Shinn does not answer, it is about the questions you will have for yourself after viewing it.  Picked is definitely gets my vote – it is mature, conscious theatre.

Photos:  Carol Rosegg

Arts, Theatre

Jersey Girls

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Broadway has always had an affinity for rock and roll’s golden era – it is almost like its secret golden goose.  The music from that time in America’s history is everlasting, resonating good feelings from those who lived during the 50s and 60s and converting new fans within each generation that followed.  In addition, Baby Boomers are mostly the faces that make up the audience, it only is logical to produce musicals that would cater to their ears and wallets.  Jukebox musicals like Smokey Joes Café, Million Dollar Quartet and Jersey Boys are all successful testaments to the formula of infusing early rock and roll music with a book from that time period.  Jersey Boys has been going strong on Broadway for five years – now it is the ladies turn.  Baby It’s You debuted on April 27 at the Broadhurst Theatre adding another chapter to Broadway’s love story, or should I say stories, with rock and roll.

Baby It’s You is a loosely based on the life of Florence Greenberg – a real housewife from New Jersey, and mother of two who stepped out of her kitchen and into the music business.  She was a trailblazer and integrator, helping to make the Shirelles the first major female vocal group of rock and roll with the a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.  She also founded Tiara, Scepter, Wand and Citation Records and along with songwriter and producer Luther Dixon, helped to launch the careers of Tammi Terrell, Chuck Jackson, The Isley Brothers, B.J. Thomas, The Kingsmen and Dionne Warwick. In 1976, she retired from the music industry, and sold all of her labels to Springboard International.  In 1995, the 82-year-old visionary died of heart failure in Teaneck, New Jersey.

The production strictly follows the paradigm of a jukebox musical.  The music and lyrics are all derived from previous released songs.  Theses songs are then used to craft the book and facilitate the plot through the play’s myriad musical numbers.  Baby It’s You is set between 1958 through 1965 and takes place in Passaic, New Jersey and New York City.  Harmonizing the show’s story along with the music and current events of that era is Jocko a spirited narrator/DJ that operates on payola – the system for “breaking records” in those days.  When Florence is first introduced to young Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Beverly Lee and Micki Harris by her daughter, they are students at Passaic High School practicing in the schoolyard.  She immediately sees potential in them and changes their name from The Poquellos to The Shirelles.  She becomes their manager, surrogate mom, producer and biggest fan.  Once she teams up with Luther Dixon after forming Scepter Records, the Shirelles really begin to shine and their signature sound is created and duplicated.  Along with the triumphs Florence had, Baby It’s You also chronicles her struggles getting started, the disintegration of her marriage as well as the effects her success had on her relationship with her children.  The musical also briefly covers the decline of the Shirelles and the departure of Luther Dixon from Scepter Records due to the changing musical climate of the mid and late 60s.

If anyone were to ask me my opinion about Baby It’s You, I would say, “Baby, it’s a hit!”  It is a solid gold trip down memory lane in a 1959 fishtail Cadillac with an awesome soundtrack to compliment the journey.  By today’s standards, if this musical was an album it would go platinum several times over.  Anyone that loves to watch the oldies revues on PBS will be in poodle-skirt heaven watching this show. The weaving of the musical numbers with the story is nearly flawless.  Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott should be praised for the baby they conceived and created.  Costume Designer Lizz Wolf and Scenic Designer set the mood visually – it is akin to viewing a rolling set of Happy Days or American Graffiti mixed with a little Showtime at the Apollo.  Like Rock of Ages the band is on stage instead of the orchestra pit, sliding forward and back during the musical numbers.  The choreography, courtesy of Birgitte Mutrux, captured the exuberant dancing of the 60’s along with the graceful and sometimes over-the-top moves performers used on stage.  But as much as I enjoyed Baby It’s You, there was one minor disconnect for me.  One pitfall a jukebox musical can fall into is the overuse of previously recorded music, which turns the production into an elaborate anthology instead of art.  Mutrux and Colin Escott could have used a little restraint when choosing the music and how it correlated to the overall story.  It almost appeared as if they wanted or did use every popular song in Scepter’s catalog. Had the music not been so endearing, this could have been a major problem.  But trust me when I tell you FAMERS this issue is minute.  Their accuracy to pair a song with a situation the cast is confronting is almost 100%.  Using “Mama Said” to express Florence’s discontentment with being a housewife or “The Dark End of the Street” to illustrate the illicitness of Florence and Luther’s affair, provides the audience with an aural exclamation point that they could thoroughly enjoy.  After all, it is the music that is the star of any jukebox musical, and the cast does a groovy job of making these classics relevant again.

I am such a sucker for Beth Leavel, in my sound book, she can do no wrong.  She was the perfect choice to play Florence Greenberg – funny, sensitive and boy can she belt a tune.  She brought a star quality to the role and offered a wonderful homage to woman who knew what “girl power” really meant.  Allan Louis gave a genuine performance as Luther Dixon.  Besides Leavel and Louis, the rest of the cast played multiple roles.  Geno Henderson is the MVP of the show playing Jocko, Chuck Jackson, Ronald Isley and Gene Chandler.  If this was MSG instead of Broadway I could confidently say that the Knicks would make it to the finals.  Erica Ash, Kyra Da Costa, Crystal Starr Knighton and Christina Sajous enrapture the audience as the Shirelles and other singers of that era.  Their ability inspires delight and their energy is infectious.  

From the first song to the last the audience is sold on Baby It’s You.  And I was right there with them singing along in my seat, moving my feet to the beat.  In 2006, Jersey Boys took home the Tony for Best Musical.  My prediction, there is no dark end of the street in sight for this musical, Baby It’s You will twist and shout its way to the podium to snag some awards in June.

Photos:  Broadway.com

Arts, Theatre

Triangle Offers Homage to a Centennial NYC Tragedy

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March 25, 2011 marked the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.  The inferno was the most deleterious industrial catastrophe in NYC history and ranked the fourth highest in casualties from an industrial accident in US history.  It was also the most mortiferous tragedy in Manhattan until 9/11.  The sweatshop blaze, located in the Asch Building on 23-29 Washington Place, resulted in the deaths of 146 workers, most of whom were Jewish and Italian immigrants.  Because of locked doors, people jumped to their deaths and created outrage with the community and politicians alike. But the fire’s lasting legacies were not just the deaths, it was the legislation passed to improve factory safety standards and the creation of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. 

Currently, the Americas Off-Broadway series offers a production that exhumes the ghosts of that tragedy and the lives it affected with Triangle.  Triangle is a 120 minute drama that recounts the adulterous liaison between “Big” Tim Sullivan and actress Margaret Holland against the backdrop of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the events that followed.   When young, beautiful Margaret goes to audition for Big Tim at his headquarters, he is already known as “The Boss of the Bowery.”  Along with being a one of the prominent politicos of Tammany Hall, he was also the kingfish of various criminal enterprises which included prostitution, gambling and extortion.  Margaret, a highbrow, progressive woman, becomes seduced by Tim’s immoral, yet captivating demeanor.  Tim immediately recognizes Margaret’s beauty and casts her in his productions out of state.  While Margaret continues to tour on the acting circuit, she and Tim fall in love and have an illegitimate daughter named Mary Catherine.  But the Triangle Factory fire forever changes Margaret, Tim and Mary Catherine.  Margaret tirelessly works as a reformist, causing a strain on her relationship with her growing daughter, and blames Tim for taking kickbacks.  Guilt spurs Tim into using his political muscle to aide the reformers and sponsors legislation limiting the maximum number of hours women were forced to work despite his failing health from syphilis. 

One aspect I find with Off-Broadway productions is that they are generally hit or miss.  This production teeters somewhere in the middle.  At best Triangle is a nondescript tribute to the legacies of the women and men who perished in Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, focusing more on the love affair between Tim and Margaret instead of the immigrant men and women who toiled and died in the fire.  It reminded me of Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam, a think piece that provided a glimpse into the lives of people placed in a stressful situation.  The acting in Triangle impressed me more than the story itself, and when the play did focus on the fire specifically, it showed flashes of brilliance.  Ruba Audeh is superb, playing dual roles as a young Jewish girl and a former Triangle Shirtwaist worker turned hooker – her scenes are some of the most telling, emotional moments of the play and will painfully stick with you like burnt clothing on skin.  Donna Davis and Dennis Wit are very engaging as Cathleen Murphy and Izzy Weissman, a common law couple on Big Tim’s payroll.  Their banter and narration throughout the production not only offered comic relief, but prevented the show from dragging.  They, along with Audeh, are without a doubt the most memorable characters and performances.  Joe Gately, Ashley C. Williams and Michaela McPherson round out the cast giving fine performances as Tim Sullivan, Margaret Holland and Mary Catherine. 

Triangle’s final performance at 59E59 Theatre is May 1.  It is my conclusion that parts of this show were greater than its sum.  Overall, Triangle is a satisfactory play that produced solid performances, but the jury is still out on whether this drama did or did not deliver on its commitment to honor the victims of the fire.

Photos:  Carol Rosegg

Arts, Theatre

Intonations of Love

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Love is an all-encompassing entity.  It can be displayed through all five senses.  You can hear the sounds of love coming from a bedroom or pining through a radio.  You can see it dancing in someone’s eyes or in their gestures.  There is a different aroma that follows a couple in love – even food taste different when the person preparing it is in love.  In contrast, a person lacking love in their life is as anemic as a person living with diabetes.  And this is where the audience finds Beane, the tragic, young protagonist of John Kolvenbach’s brilliant romantic comedy Love Song, when the play begins.

To say that Beane is an eccentric would be an understatement.  He lives alone in an apartment void of furniture; his worldly possessions include a cup, a spoon, a couple of pairs of socks, two button down shirts and two slacks.  Beane is a shadow and likes it that way.  Like the boy in the bubble, he encloses himself in an orb to survive, but for Beane his oxygen is filled with misery.  He desires no interactions with humans, if he desires at all.   Outside of work, the only people Beane sees are his sister Joan and her husband Harry, an upwardly mobile couple too busy with work for Beane or even themselves for that matter.  Then along comes Molly, a hellcat/burglar that robs Beane and incidentally develops a weird infatuation for him as does Beane for her.  Suddenly, the light in Beane’s dreary world has been turned on.  His whole outlook on life changes, which does not go unnoticed by Joan and Harry.  In fact, Beane’s new attitude is contagious and assists in reigniting the romance in Joan and Harry’s life. Molly is like the Sazón that adds essential flavor to a dish of arroz con pollo – there is only one problem with her – she is as real as the Easter Bunny.  Once Beane’s secret is out in the open, he must decide whether to move forward or shrink back into the existence he once had.

Love Song is one of the best character studies I have ever witnessed.  It is Punch Drunk Love on LSD – a wild, trippy ride into the dimensions of love, loneliness and lunacy – three paths that can sometimes run side by side or collide into each other like a messy intersection.  Playwright and director John Kolvenbach aims for the heart and hits his target dead on the mark.  I adore this comedy; it is great theatre plain and simple.  The cast radiates even brighter than the light Beane has been trying to avoid all his life.  Laura Latreille and Ian Barford are a scream as Joan and Harry.  Their chemistry was extremely organic.  Zoe Winters is the most convincing imaginary girlfriend I have seen and Andrew Pastides makes quite an impression as Beane.  Love Song is playing a limited engagement at 59E59 Theatres until May 8 as part of their America’s Off Broadway series.  There are many tales of love in the world, but this one that should not be missed.

Photos:  Jeff Larkin

Arts, Theatre

The Promise Delivers

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To walk a mile in someone else’s shoes is a task most people can conceive, but rarely can be executed.  Why, because it is more difficult to actually live another person’s experiences than one might believe.  This is why empathy is such a virtuous emotion.  Thanks to the exquisite delivery of Scottish actress Joanna Tope, the audiences watching The Promise embark on a 90-minute trek following in the footsteps of Maggie Brodie in an alluring monologue that holds the viewers captive from the first sentence. 

The Promise, a drama inspired by true events, centers around one climatic day in the life of twice retired school teacher Maggie Brodie.  She is an alcoholic struggling with the ghosts of her past – her father’s pride and demeanor (which she inadvertently inherited), her disdain for religion, the broken relationship with her little sister and vampish ways with men.  But Ms. Brodie has one thing on her side, she has always been able to keep a promise.  On this day she is called back to do a substitute teaching gig, her ability to keep a promise will be tested as a new student matriculates into the classroom – a young Somali girl named Rosie who refuses to speak.  Maggie sees little Rosie as a mirror and instantly connects with her.  When community leaders, who have arranged a deal with the school to have a ritual performed in class, attempt to free Rosie of her evil spirits, Maggie’s demons come full circle as she zealously defends Rosie and the promise she made to keep her safe and not disclose her secret.

Playwright Douglas Maxwell has written a gripping story that reminds me of Ravel’s Bolero.  Just like the classic composer, he excels in bringing drama to a frenzied crescendo.   Both he and Joana Trope are Scottish imports that I would not mind having around for a while.  Too bad countries cannot trade actors and playwrights they way the NBA trade players.  Watching Joanna Tope sashay across the stage in fire engine red patent leather pumps like a weathered gunslinger aching for the opportunity to get her gun off is a rare treat – her commanding presence is sexy and spellbinding. She is a definitely a force to be reckoned with.  The only problem I had with The Promise is its limited run at 59E59 Theaters.  The final performance is April 17; FAMERS, make a promise to yourself and go see The Promise before it ends.  It is a covenant of terrific theatre with a twist you will never forget.   

Photos:  Niall Walker

Arts, Theatre

How to Win Fans and Change Your Persona

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When stage lights dim at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and the spotlight shines on Daniel Radcliffe beaming from ear to ear, he knows that he has cajoled an unsuspecting pawn to move him around the corporate chessboard and into a higher ranking position.  The audience claps and screams with laughter and the scene resumes as if Radcliffe had not broken the fourth wall just a second before.   As I continued to watch Radcliffe on stage, I began to realize that perhaps it was not just J. Pierrepont Finch that wanted to transform himself, maybe the man playing him desired to do so as well.  

Daniel Radcliffe’s face is just as synonymous with tween and teen pop culture as Miley Cyrus.  Like Cyrus’ Hannah Montana, Radcliffe has become the living embodiment of a multi-billion dollar enterprise.  His face is synonymous with the character of Harry Potter, the protagonist in a series of books penned by J.K. Rowling, which were subsequently turned into hit films.  The complication that can come from an actor’s success being intricately tied to a specific role is that those ties can begin to strangle the actor’s career.  The character becomes larger than the actor – fans, directors, casting agents, producers only want to see the actor play in roles similar to the one that catapulted them to success.  A frustrating obstacle for any artist – especially one that has the added burden of trying to transition from a child star to an adult actor, enter the role of Alan Strang and a nude scene in the revival of Equus.  Add to the mix the end of the Harry Potter series and Radcliffe’s performance as the overly cute but connivingly ambitious J. Pierrepont Finch in the latest revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and I would say Radcliffe has concocted a spell for a new career path as an actor.

Before there was The Office or The Devil Wears Prada, there was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, a 1952 satirical best-selling book by Shepherd Mead that morphed into a hit Broadway musical in 1961 with the help of a book written by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and choreography by Bob Fosse and Hugh Lambert.  How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying centers on the goings on at the World Wide Wicket Company and deals with themes of ruthless ambition, nepotism, sexism and the deportment gap.  Anyone who has ever waded in the shark-infested waters of any corporation can relate to the characters and wild scenarios that happen at World Wide Wicket.  J. Pierrepont Finch, the lead character, is a window washer determined to ascend to the summit of the corporate ladder no matter what the cost. With the assistance of an omnipresent voice and a how-to book, Finch is armed with all the ammunition he needs to scheme, lie, manipulate and BS his way up the corporate ladder.  Rosemary, a secretary and Finch’s eventual love interest, is equally bent to being an urban steno pool legend by marrying a young executive.  Finch immediately becomes her target.  J.B. Biggley is the President of the World Wide Wicket Company.  He procures jobs for his voluptuous, dim witted mistress Hedy LaRue and Bud Frump, his lazy nephew through marriage whom he would love to fire but keeps on for fear of hearing his wife complain. 

In Finch’s meteoric rise to becoming Vice President of Advertising, he manages to swindle personnel manager Mr. Bratt into believing he knows Biggley, which lands him a job in the mailroom.  After a swift promotion to junior executive from Bratt, Finch convinces Biggley that he is also a fellow alum of Old Ivy by singing a duet of the fight song.  This garners him the curvaceous Ms. LaRue as a secretary and an office.  Suspecting that Hedy is Biggley’s mistress, he uses his boss’ weakness for women against him and is once again promoted to the head of Plans and Systems.  During a reception for Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington, the new Vice President of Advertising, Finch innocently exposes that the new VP graduated from Old Ivy’s arch rival, he is fired and Finch becomes head of Advertising.  Through all the stunts Finch pulls, Rosemary is faithfully by his side until he realizes that he that she is the woman for him.  Also never far behind is Bud Frump, Finch’s and Biggley’s nemesis.  Once Frump uncovers the affair between his uncle and Hedy, he uses blackmail to obtain a promotion.  He also gives Finch the idea that leads to the young window washer’s downfall.  But Finch’s nine lives are not completely consumed, by sweet talking   Wally Womper, the CEO of the World Wide Wicket Company; he saves everyone’s jobs and finally rids himself of Frump.

After its initial Broadway run, a film was made in 1967.  In 1995, a revival was staged at the Richard Rogers Theatre and starred Matthew Broderick and Megan Mullaly.  This revival marks How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’s golden anniversary and it is better than ever!  Daniel Radcliffe is not just trying to succeed, he is winning.  Who would have known that there was a song and dance man secretly hiding underneath all that muggle get up?  Radcliffe gives a valiant effort as J. Pierrepont Finch.  Instead of doing things “the company way” Finch does things his way and lands on the top of the heap, like Finch, Radcliffe does things his way and scores big.  John Larroquette makes his Broadway debut as Biggley.  To my generation Larroquette will always be known as the womanizing attorney Dan Fielding in the comedy series Night Court.  It was great to see Larroquette on stage reintroducing himself to a new generation; it was equally enjoyable to see that he has lost none of his superb comedic timing and wit.  Michael Park was song and dance man long before he was FBI agent turned Oakdale policeman Jack Snyder in As the World Turns, a CBS soap opera.  After the soap’s over 40-year run ended in 2010, Park returned to the stage.  He is a natural as Bert Bratt.  Rose Hemingway is as sweet as her namesake in the role of Rosemary.  Her voice inspires joy and the quirky chemistry between she and Radcliffe share on stage is perfect.  Christopher Hanke is a wicked bowl of laughs as Bud Frump and if not for Daniel Radcliffe, Tammy Blanchard would have stole the show as Hedy LaRue. 

The true star of this revival is Rob Ashford.  He brings the same light-hearted effervescence to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as he did to last year’s revival of Promises, Promises.  The sets are engaging and like the actors, transition very well.  The choreography is robust and physical, yet playful and really assist in elevating the music and lyrics.  Each musical number was better than the first and brought the best out of the actors.  My favorite number is “I Believe in You.”  As Finch and the other executives prepare for his big meeting, he looks into the mirror and earnestly sings himself a pep talk.  From what I witnessed, there is no more need for convincing – Ashford, Radcliffe, Larroquette and the rest of the cast made me a believer.

Photos:  Ari Mintz

Arts, Theatre

And Justice for Winkie

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Pinocchio and The Velveteen Rabbit are enduring children’s fables about toys that experience the unconditional love of a child, desire to and eventually become living entities.  In both stories, the protagonists experience different trials before their wish is granted.  These tales have survived over the ages to become classics that are passed down to each generation like an heirloom toy.  And as the 10th anniversary of 9/11 looms over Manhattan, 59E59 Theaters stages a stuffed Molotov cocktail with a terrorist twist in the world premiere of Clifford Chase’s Winkie – sure to be a classic itself. 

Clifford Chase’s Winkie is a 2006 novel written by author Clifford Chase and chronicles the accounts of an 81-year-old teddy bear named Winkie.  Winkie has been a part of the Chase clan for as long as he could remember.  He first belonged to Ruth (Clifford’s mother) and then to her children until he finally became the toy of young Clifford, but as Clifford grows up, he leaves Winkie behind like everyone else before him.  Winkie sits for years on a shelf filled with the memories, until one day Winkie miraculously wills himself to life.  He throws a book out of the window and runs away determined to experience three simple wishes – freedom, eat and go “doo-doo.”  Winkie also experiences an immaculate conception as he gives birth to an off-spring, a fuzzy small teddy bear named Baby Winkie.  The innocence of Winkie’s new life comes to an abrupt halt when his child is kidnapped by a bomb-making lunatic, and he is beaten, shot, taken into FBI custody and charged with 9,678 charges including terrorism, sodomy, witchcraft, treason and vandalism (basically all the crimes of the man that stole his baby).  He is also accused of being the leader of a worldwide terrorist organization that were responsible for the 9/11 attacks and others.   Winkie is brought to trial and the world thrusts itself into “Winkie-mania” as battle lines are drawn and crackpots, liberals, conservatives and everything in between add their two cents to the saga about a teddy bear accused of the most heinous acts against mankind.

The Godlight Theatre Company scored a winner with Clifford Chase’s Winkie.   Playwright Matt Pelfrey cleverly constructs an irresistible, profound and inspirational adaptation that offers a stellar translation to Clifford Chase’s novel for members of the audience unfamiliar with the book.  Director Joe Tantalo wills this play into fruition, tactfully threading a production that weaves humor, hysteria, imagination and sentimentality and totally relies on the cast to sell it.  The theater is completely devoid of a set, but scruffy, little Winkie and the rest of the cast (which features Nick Paglino, Greg Konow, Adam Kee, Elliot Hill, Sean Phillips, Chris Cipriano, Michael Shimkin, Erin Wheelock and Geraldine Johns) absolutely compensate for the lack of scenery.  From the moment Winkie is place on the stool center stage, I was completely enthralled in the story.

Like a good allegory, Clifford Chase’s Winkie draws its audience in with a strong relatable character.  It is clear the teddy bear has a Christ-like aura.  He comes into this world (which is a miracle) knowing nothing but love, he creates a life in his image (another miracle) and he is persecuted by the very people he wanted love and share love with.  Winkie eloquently states during his trail, “So many times and worst of all when I lost my child, my eyes wanted to click shut forever – yet somehow I still had love to give, and always have.  Why, why, why?  Despite it all.  Why was I created, and why do I love?  What is it about me that survives?  Despite it all, despite it all:  It ‘s my heart: I can’t help it.”  And what makes this production so appealing is its heart.  It is a gutsy, unflinching portrait of what society has become in the wake of the age of terrorism.  At times I was howling with laughter and others I was holding back tears, but throughout the play I listened (as Winkie did) with an open mind.  The idea that a stuffed animal could be a terrorist is completely asinine, perhaps just as unintelligent as profiling certain groups of people or using the justice system and war to create one’s own personal witch-hunt.

The 2011 theatre season is still unfolding, but this production is the best show I have seen thus far.  Clifford Chase’s Winkie may not be the story you recite to your kids at bedtime, but it is the type of show you can take your children to in an effort to explain the absurdities of the world and take something away from it for yourself.  After watching terrorists create battlegrounds and casualties whenever and wherever they choose, the world may never be the same, but it does not mean that we have to succumb to fear, intolerance and meeting naked aggression with more aggression – there is always room for love and humanity.

 Photos:  Sean Dooley