"I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road" - Definitely ready for a return engagement

By Judd Hollander

Photos by Joan Marcus

With themes about love, marriage and relationships that resonate just as strongly today as when the show first appeared, the 1978 Off-Broadway hit "I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road" (book and lyrics by Gretchen Cryer, music by Nancy Ford) still has a lot to say. The work just finished a five performance run as part of the New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center series.

Heather (Renée Elise Goldsberry), a television soap opera star and musical talent to be reckoned with, has gone through some major emotional upheavals, including a failed marriage and becoming a single mom. Wanting to start a new page in both her personal and professional life, she has put together a musical/cabaret act featuring contemporary songs with an attitude - all of which help convey her own rebirth. Now, on the day of her 39th birthday, she's getting ready for her opening performance, said performance taking place at a New York City cabaret house where numerous members of the recording and entertainment industry will be in attendance. Their presence is due in no small part to the efforts of Heather's long-time manager and close friend Joe (Frederick Weller).

However Joe is not at all sure that what Heather wants to present is something that's going to be accepted by the public. Trying to keep things more "mainstream," he wants her to cut all references in the act to her age, believing youth sells better than maturity. He also wants to take out a sketch showing the problems which occurred in Heather's parents' marriage, as well as one which examines the mistakes she made in her own - using a mock wedding ceremony complete with unrealistic marriage vows. Also on Joe’s list of moments that have to go is what essentially amounts to a diatribe by Heather on the problems men and women have in finding love and understanding with each other.

At first Heather finds herself acquiescing, albeit reluctantly, to Joe’s demands. Heather has a great loyalty to her manager, the two having been through a lot over the years - including a brief romantic fling. Yet she soon realizes that unless she does her act the way she wants to, she'll simply be going back to the way things were. Something she is definitely not prepared to do.

Dated in terms of dialogue used while timeless when it comes to the underlying issues, including looking at truths one doesn't want to see, "I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road" works very well here thanks to a dynamite performance by Goldsberry. The actress offers a magnificent portrayal of a person who has clearly been through the emotional wringer and is beginning to come out the other side. It also helps that Goldsberry has a tremendous stage presence, grabbing and holding the audience's attention and making one immediately start rooting for Heather to succeed in her journey.

With a script filled with quite telling comments and observations, the overall experience works wonderfully. Any dated moments are nicely taken care of thanks to the show's scenic design work by Derek McClane which gives the entire atmosphere a sort of 1970s coffee house feel. Costumes by Clint Ramos also help to set the mood. The overall musical score is excellent, with numbers ranging from the hard driving "Strong Woman Number" to the more poignant "Dear Tom", a message to her ex-husband; and "Old Friend", a love letter from Heather to Joe, showing the deep and complex bond they share.

Just as important to the story is Weller’s portrayal of Joe, a man who initially comes off as a sort of an anachronistic lounge lizard, but who slowly develops into the most shaded character in the piece. In lesser hands he could easily have been seen as not at all sympathetic, but Weller and director Kathleen Marshall are able to make the character work perfectly, thus forcing the audience to look at the various core issues not only from the women's point of view, but from the man's as well. All the while showing that no one on either side is completely innocent of using manipulation or of being manipulated. It also helps tremendously that Goldsberry and Weller have a good counterbalance to each other, both their characters giving off an undeniable chemistry. 

The rest of the company are all very good in their respective roles. Jason Rabinowitz does a nice turn as a young musician in love, or at least infatuated with Heather; while Christina Sajous and Jennifer Sanchez do very well as backup singers in their musical numbers with Goldsberry. Marshall's direction is also key; taking the piece, blowing the dust off and, except for a few brief moments here and there, making it seem completely fresh and alive.

Touching, joyful, pulling no punches and never trying for the easy way out, there is a lot to like in "I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road." A show that, with a cast like this, completely deserves to be resurrected somewhere else, and soon. Here's hoping that will happen.


"I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road"

Book and Lyrics by Gretchen Cryer
Music by Nancy Ford
Scenic Designer: Derek McLane
Costume Designer: Clint Ramos
Lighting Designer: Mark Barton
Sound Designer: Leon Rothenberg
Music Coordinator: Seymour Red Press
Original Orchestrations by: Scott Berry, Bob George, Lee Grayson, Don Scardino and Dean Swenson with Nancy Ford
Orchestration for "Strong Woman Number" by Elliot Weiss
Production Stage Manager: Tripp Phillips
Casting: Carrie Gardner, C.S.A./Stephen Kopel, C.S.A.
Music Director and Conductor: Chris Fenwick
Associate Music Director: Greg Jarrett
Assistant Music Director: Josh Clayton
Associate Director and Choreographer: David Eggers
Directed and Choreographed by Kathleen Marshall

Featuring: Renée Elise Goldsberry (Heather), Frederick Weller (Joe), Christina Sajous (Alice), Jennifer Sanchez (Cheryl), Jason Rabinowitz (Jake - Acoustic Guitar), Chris Fenwick (Piano), Alec Berlin (Electric Guitar), Damien Bassman (Percussion), George Farmer (Bass).


York City Center Encores! Off-Center
131 West 55th Street
Closed: July 27

Review - "The Fallen" by Yasmina Beverly Rana

By Lex Friedman

In "The Fallen," the latest offering from T. Schreiber Studio and directed by the man himself, playwright Yasmina Beverly Rana dives headfirst into a recent but undertold history lesson: the gruesome events and lasting effects of the 1992-1995 Bosnian War. It's a subject I knew very little about and after having watched Ms. Rana's play, I am ashamed that I hadn't ever considered learning more.

Ms. Rana takes us through events ranging from the brutal raping and forced pregnancy of Muslim women in the region to the private suffering of one of the children "forced to be born," to the repression and denial of the soldiers who committed these heinous acts. And while the subject is provocative and the performances earnestly realized, the play itself felt overwrought and, at times, pedagogical.

The production was a bit over two hours long, without an intermission (perhaps to better foster the suffocating climate of the country at the time) and at six "parts" (really seven scenes) each one-or-two person interaction averages about 20 minutes. The protracted scenes did little to create the urgency implied by the writer's actual text, keeping the whole of the experience contemplative, rather than experiential.

Each scene is so fraught with high drama that it is difficult to discern which points Ms. Rana wanted to stand out strongest or to underplay for effect. There's a coyness, a reluctance to mention the religious nature of the conflict which, for viewers like me, left me feeling as though I'd be told "you ought to know better." (There are allusions to pork and even one fascinating story about the forbidden meat being snuck into meals as a punishment that shrug toward Muslim as Crime but it is not made clear until a recording of Bosnia's eventual apology is broadcast over the final scene change."

As a writer, however, Ms. Rana does have a way with words, and when you sift through the repetition, there are truly beautiful moments of poetry. "I never learned anything in school," laments a conflicted soldier, played with striking simplicity by Joshua Mark Sienkiewicz. "I never asked any questions."

Mr. Schreiber's staging is curious. He has actors deliberately upstaging one another, forcing their partners to stand downstage, delivering their lines out into the middle distance. In a monologue about valuing stillness and staying where she is, Mr. Schreiber has Anais (Kelly Swartz) pacing back and forth around the stage, expending all this caged energy. A museum security guard (George Mauriadis,) whom the audience can identify as Anais's potential father, circles around his appointed room, and while the Mr. Mauriadis lends an appropriate and engaging stoicism of manner and inner conflict to the man, it is somewhat diffused by all the cat-and-mouse staging of the penultimate scene of the play.

However confounding the direction, though, Mr. Schreiber's passion for the project comes through. Perhaps this is why each scene (save the first) begins already at such emotional heights with little room to rise. The urgency to stay true to the the emotional life of the tortured and the discarded has trumped the necessity for the piece to rise and fall, to follow an arc, to give the audience a moment to understand what it is they've seen. I'd be hard-pressed to pick a climax.

As it is clear that this play is profoundly important to the director, so too it is easy to see how meaningful it is to each of the performers - everyone jumps in with both feet and you can tell a great amount of care went into the craft of this ensemble.

Ms. Swartz has a striking moment near the end of her lengthy speech where she is furious, raging, and at the same time laughing, spitting in the face of irony like a viper. Mr. Sienkiewicz languishes and evades and pauses and considers with remarkable nuance in both his post-coital opening moments and his somehow more vulnerable turn as a soldier ordered but unable to rape the young women held captive in a prison camp. 

The eventual main focus of the piece, Anais seems at once curious to know and combative towards answers. But when presented with the opportunity to get them from characters she meets along her journey, she balks. Eventually she demands answers from her mother (a pillar of seasoned strength as portrayed by Molly Gyllenhaal) and the play ends with the possibility that Anais might learn a little more about the struggle but without the assurance that she'll be satisfied with the answer. Not that we need one. Nothing about this subject is cut-and-dry, but ought it to be? The catharsis one might expect after two hours of theater is muddled by the fact that each event seems to have the same weight throughout. Further homogenizing the story, the six characters revealing their own point of view of the subject, seemed to represent little diversity in their approach to hindsight.

There are a few notable moments of theater magic as well. As the young hostage Mirela, Ms. Gyllenhaal pleads "Am I really here?" and then proclaims "I'm not really here!" all the while sitting on a rotting cot in a gutter elementary school. With a trick of the lights (designed by Eric Cope,) Mirela's shadow appears perched on a school chair, looming over the scene, maybe still here but not here. In a different time, when the building held friendlier memories for Mirela.

Hal Tiné's set was bleak and sparse and effectively versatile, invoking the unfamiliar comfort of a hotel room of a tourist in Trieste, an aerie-like rooftop over war-torn Sarajevo, a starkly-lit holding room in a prison camp.

Overall, it is clear the subject is worth telling, and I don't doubt that Ms. Rana could be the one to tell it - it is clear that it important to her and that she does not approach the subject of being the product of systematic, brutal rape cavalierly. I just felt that if it is to be dramatically dynamic, perhaps she might have been well served standing a little further away from the material for a moment, at arm's length long enough to carve away any bits well-worn or unintentionally recurring or pedantically instructive and reveal the specific, visceral, horrible visage underneath in as succinct and powerful way as Part Five's centerpiece, Jean Feutrier's sculpture that so moved her, Head of a Hostage.

We cannot possibly know, but we are compelled to try to understand.

"The Fallen"
By Yasmina Beverly Rana
Directed by Terry Schreiber

Closed July 28th

"The Sunshine Boys" with Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch Coming This Fall

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

The Sunshine Boys at the Ahmanson Theatre
Sept 24 – Nov 3, 2013
by Neil Simon

Directed by Thea Sharrock

Starring Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch

Direct from London. Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch together again for the first time on stage. The laughter hits the ceiling when Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Danny DeVito joins Tony Award® and Emmy Award winner Judd Hirsch to tear it up in this outrageous new production of the Neil Simon classic.

At the pinnacle of Vaudeville, Al Lewis and Willie Clark were the undisputed Kings of Comedy before splitting unceremoniously. But when CBS attempts to re-unite the legendary double bill for a once-in-a-lifetime television special, the shtick hits the fan when old grudges begin horning in on the act.

This U.S. premiere direct from London directed by Olivier Award winner Thea Sharrock stokes the heart and the funny bone in a show about show business and the true measure of friendship.

This production of The Sunshine Boys marks the first reunion for DeVito and Hirsch since starring in the landmark television series “Taxi.”

“Theatrical Gold Dust” – London Sunday Telegraph

Danny DeVito “delivers a master class.”- London Evening Standard

 “A GOLDEN evening. Full of JOY and SUNSHINE. Pitch PERFECT.”- London Telegraph

“That’s comedy folks.” - Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“Insightful production, surprisingly delicate in its broadness. Perfect harmony.”
– The New York Times  

TICKETS ON-SALE NOW!

To order call 213.972.4400 or visit www.centertheatregroup.org/sunshineboys

Book Review - "Let Me Be Your Star" by Rachel Shukert

By Byrne Harrison

How much fun can you have for a $1.99?  If you pick up a copy of Rachel Shukert's "Let Me Be Your Star," the answer is quite a lot.

Shukert's book is based on her work recapping episodes of the first two seasons of "SMASH," the short-lived show about bringing a musical to Broadway.  This book isn't just a collection of those recaps, but a twisty tale of a girl who grows up loving theatre, tries her hand at acting and playwriting, and finds her way to the inner circle of theatre people she admires by making fun of them.

Which was okay.  As one of those theatre people says, "[O]f all the people who wrote about the show, you're the only one who was one of us."

"Let Me Be Your Star" is laugh-out-loud-on-the-subway-until-you-snort-then-have-to-avoid-eye-contact-with-everyone funny.  It's a must-read for anyone who enjoyed Shukert's recaps or her other writing.


To purchase your copy of "Let Me Be Your Star" at only $1.99, follow the link below.

Review - Rain Pryor's "Fried Chicken and Latkes"

By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Peter Zimmern

From the moment you walk into the Actors Temple, you know you're in for something different.  How many one-person shows have a jazz combo on stage?  How many have audience warm-ups to get them in the mood?  How many have a woman with that much hair?  And how many feature an outstanding talent like Rain Pryor?

Let's start with the obvious.  Rain Pryor has a fascinating story to tell.  She's the daughter of comedy legend Richard Pryor.  She grew up bi-racial (black and Jewish, hence the title of her show "Fried Chicken and Latkes") in Beverly Hills.  She has had experience that many of us haven't, not by a long shot, but she is able to make them absolutely relatable.

"Fried Chicken and Latkes" covers many chapters in Rain Pryor's life, and she brings to life many of the people who are important to her (her father, of course, features prominently, as do her mother, her Jewish grandmother, her black great-grandmother, her childhood friend Wanita, among others).  Pryor is great with voices, giving each character a distinct and realistic personality and sound.  Her imitation of her father is often hilarious, and at times downright heartbreaking.

Her stories are amazing, especially since they are true.  Having to deal with racial epithets (and how her mother took to task the principal who punished Rain for what she said back to her tormentor), dealing with the rich girls who wouldn't believe she was Jewish, making her first close black friend (Wanita), being raised by her mother while her father dealt with his issues with drugs and womanizing--all of this could have led Ms. Pryor down the path that many children of celebrities travel.  Instead, she grew to be an amazingly centered and self-aware person.  And created an entertaining show out of those experiences.

In addition to being a talented actor, Pryor is an excellent singer, as she demonstrates several times throughout the show.  Starting with a big number about being black and Jewish, sung to the tune of "Cabaret," to a cheerleading number, to a lovely version of "His Eye is on the Sparrow," Pryor shows off her vocal chops, including a version of "God Bless the Child" in the style of different singers.

I may not have known what to expect from "Fried Chicken and Latkes," but what I got was a very entertaining show, some terrific insight into Richard and Rain Pryor's lives, and a deep appreciation for just how talented Ms. Pryor is.  I understand the show will be coming back in the fall (it is currently on hiatus after a year-long run).  As soon as it comes back, I suggest you get tickets.


"Fried Chicken and Latkes"
By Rain Pryor

Music Direction: Isamu McGregor
Stage Management: Jonathan Santos
Bassist: Jerry Devore
Percussionist: Joel E. Mateo

Review - "The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein"

By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Mary Ellen Nelligar

Sidney Stein (Jim Pillmeier), the title character in Brian C. Petti's "The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein," is a man with a mission.  After a youth spent "in the life," Sidney is spending his adulthood working at a shelter for street kids, many of them LGBT youth who, like him, have been forced to sell their bodies to live.

Sidney's is a quiet existence, his meager salary supplemented by an inheritance from his mother.  He doesn't even seem to realize just how lonely he is until a teenaged hustler named Dennis (Dalton Gray) comes into his life.

Dennis is handsome and used to charming whatever he wants from men.  Sidney is wise to his tricks, having used them on men himself when he was Dennis' age.  As he and Dennis get to know each other at the shelter, they begin a cat and mouse game, each wanting something from the other --Dennis wanting money and drugs, Sidney wanting an escape for Dennis from the dangerous road he's walking.

Sidney becomes a surrogate parent to Dennis, eventually inviting him to stay with him at his home.  Under Sidney's guidance, Dennis seems earnestly to want to leave the street behind him.  And despite numerous disappointments and episodes of backsliding, Sidney desperately wants to believe that he will save Dennis, and that he will redeem his life the same way Sidney did.

But redemption, when it comes, has a very high price.

There is a lot to like in this production, starting with the cast.  Pillmeier's Sidney is in many ways fragile and damaged, and uses an arch, campy facade to keep the world at arm's length.  Gray's Dennis has a feral charm, and is a master at playing his cards close to the vest.  Since Petti has scenes which show a slightly older, more mature Dennis and a young, hustler version of Sidney, both actors have a chance to stretch a little and show completely different versions of their characters.

Petti's play is interesting in that it is comprised of a series of short, not always sequential scenes.  They jump through time to give insights into the characters and the action in "present time."  It's an unusual technique, but one that works well.

Unfortunately, these short scenes also serve to give the play a somewhat rushed feel, one that is exacerbated on several occasions by Pillmeier's delivery.  At times Sidney's dialogue comes so quickly, that it seems to be somewhat independent of the scene.  It feels that it's less about responding to what has been said, and more about getting the line out as quickly as possible (one particular scene had Sidney on the phone chatting with his sister with pauses so short that she would have been unlikely to have said more than a word or two).

His speedy delivery, however, works well when Sidney is highly emotional--a scene when Sidney is hysterical after a particularly monumental betrayal by Dennis is an excellent example.  During that scene, Pillmeier speaks so quickly that he is forced to take gulping breaths; it is perfect for what Sidney is going through, a moment of panic so absolute that he could barely remember to breathe.

Made up, as it is, of a number of short, not always chronologically sequential scenes, the play has a number of scene and costume changes.  These are not always smooth, and often take longer than they need to.  Both the awkward scene changes and the generally rushed pacing seems to indicate a certain hesitancy on the part of Brian Petti as director of the production.  His writing is solid, but this piece feels like it needs a director with a surer touch.

Part of this may simply due to the vagaries of being in a festival, and I would welcome the chance to see Petti direct again in the future, or to see a non-festival production of "The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein."


"The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein"
Written and directed by Brian C. Petti
Featuring: Jim Pillmeier and Dalton Gray

Produced as part of All Out Arts' Fresh Fruit Festival

Broadway Meows: A Concert for the Humane Society of New York

The FIFTH Annual BROADWAY MEOWS

a Concert for the HUMANE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK

Featuring the songs of SETH BISEN-HERSH

starring:
KARMINE ALERS (Rent)
JUSTIN BARNETTE (Encores! Fiorello!)
SETH BISEN-HERSH
BRIAN CHILDERS (Danny and Sylvia)
DANA COSTELLO (Jekyll & Hyde)
BRANDON J. ELLIS (Once)
KIMBERLY FAYE GREENBERG (One Night with Fanny Brice)
AMY GRIFFIN (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
TERESA HUI
LARA JANINE (Rock of Ages)
AARON KELLER
KAITLIN KIYAN (Hair)
MIRIAM KUSHEL
MELISSA MITCHELL (Giant)
RORI NOGEE (Showgirls! the Musical)
CASSIE OKENKA (Bonnie and Clyde)
DAVID PERLMAN (Baby It's You)
ADAM SHAPIRO (2013 MAC Award Winner)
STACY SHIRK (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog)
HALEY SWINDAL (Jekyll & Hyde)
ELISA WINTER (Sweeney Todd)

MONDAY, JULY 22nd AT 7PM

$15 Cover/ 2 Drink Minimum (cash only)
Don't Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St.
Call for reservations after 4: 212-757-0788 or online at donttellmamanyc.com

Produced by Dennis Fowler
Directed by Melissa Eli
Stage Manager: Heather Ber

The 5th Annual Broadway Meows Concert for the Humane Society of New York will be presented at Don't Tell Mama, one night only, Monday, July 22nd at 7pm. The evening will be comprised of songs by composer/ lyricist Seth Bisen-Hersh. Bisen-Hersh will be joined on stage by a phenomenal cast including Karmine Alers (Rent), Justin Barnette (Encores! Fiorello!), Jaime Cepero (Smash), Brian Childers (Danny and Sylvia), Dana Costello (Jekyll & Hyde), Brandon J. Ellis (Once), Kimberly Faye Greenberg (One Night with Fanny Brice), Amy Griffin (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Teresa Hui, Lara Janine (Rock of Ages), Aaron Keller, Kaitlin Kiyan (Hair), Miriam Kushel, Melissa Mitchell (Giant), Rori Nogee (Showgirls! the Musical), Cassie Okenka (Bonnie and Clyde), David Perlman (Baby, It's You), Adam Shapiro (2013 MAC Award Winner), Stacy Shirk (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog), Haley Swindal (Jekyll & Hyde) and Elisa Winter (Sweeney Todd). The concert will be produced by Dennis Fowler, directed by Melissa Meli, stage managed by Heather Ber.

The audience can expect to hear 20 songs from Bisen-Hersh's catalog featuring songs from Love Quirks, More to Love, Stanley's Party, Malka, If Adele Can Do It, So Can I, The Final Frontier and more. Songs will include "Um, Yeah...", "Dear Facebook", "It's Not You, It's Me", "Can You Believe I Was Ever Sad We Broke Up?" and the popular youtube hit, "Hey!".

All the proceeds for the evening will go to the Humane Society of New York, which has "cared for animals in need when illness, injury or homelessness strikes" for over 100 years. The Humane Society saved Bisen-Hersh's cat, Smee's, life in 2009, and this annual benefit is his way of saying thanks.

For more information, please click:

http://www.sethbh.com/broadwaymeows
http://www.humanesocietyny.org/
http://www.sethbh.com/see

Book Review - "William Shakespeare's Star Wars"

By Byrne Harrison

"O help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, help.  Thou art mine only hope."

George Lucas meets the Bard in Ian Doescher's recently released "William Shakespeare's Star Wars."  Having already read (and seen a production of) Adam Bertocci's "Two Gentlemen of Lebowski," and being both a Shakespeare and "Star Wars" fan, I'll admit to being fairly predisposed to like this book.

The "Star Wars" fan in me loved this.  Doescher seems to be having a great time working "Star Wars" dialogue into iambic pentameter, and the fact that he manages to have R2-D2's beeps and whistles and Chewbacca's growls and roars keep in meter (not to mention making R2's noises rhyme), shows both a love of "Star Wars" and a real facility for Shakespeare's language.  He made subtle (and not so subtle) references about whether Han or Greedo shot first, the fact that Luke and Leia are siblings, and all the clever little in-jokes that a "Star Wars" fan would love.

The Shakespeare fan in me liked it.  The iambic pentameter was great.  I especially enjoyed reading some of the dialogue out loud (I would love to get some friends together and do a staged reading of this at a party).  However, the play made it very obvious just how much the movie relied on special effects, and how hard it would be to actually stage this.  Doescher uses a chorus to describe scene changes and some of the more difficult special effects.  There is a lot of chorus; it becomes distracting.

But really, this isn't meant to be performed; it is meant to be read, and as such it is a success.  And I will admit that the director in me really wants to give it a shot just to see what it will take to make it work on stage.

But that will have to wait for another day.

Doescher also tends to shoehorn familiar passages from Shakespeare's plays into the story (tons of reworked lines from Hamlet, Macbeth, Henry V, etc.).  On the one hand, it shows his knowledge of Shakespeare's work.  On the other, it just gets a little annoying.  I know what Shakespeare wrote; I want to see what Doescher can do without relying on the Bard's own words.

For now, I will say this is a must-read for any "Star Wars" fans who have an appreciation for Shakespeare.  And I would recommend it and "Two Gentlemen of Lebowski" for any Shakespeare fans as well.  It is a great read, a clever concept, and the epic story really lends itself to this style of writing.


To purchase "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" for Kindle, click the link below.




To purchase the paperback version, click this link.

News Roundup - Jim Brochu, Taylor Lautner, and Alex Timbers

Interview with Alex Timbers of Love's Labours Lost.

Pilobolus review.

Review of Jim Brochu's latest one-man show, coming to NYC this September.

Taylor Lautner hangs out backstage with the Blue Man Group.

News Roundup - What's Your Dream Role, Things New Yorkers Do, Tomato Fight

Tomato Fight

Which role in a Broadway revival would you most like to play?  Some of Broadway's favorite actors give their answers.

35 things most New Yorkers do.

There's lots going on this weekend, but Saturday you can throw tomatoes at total strangers.

Interview with Capital Fringe Executive Director, Julianne Brienza.

News Roundup - Cabaret Review, The Civil War, Kushner on Musicals

Mid-year cabaret review.

Theatreworks USA's The Civil War opens today.

Arab-Hebrew Theatre Company comes to New York.

Tony Kushner and the Off-Broadway musical.

Project Shaw Reading of "On the Rocks" Monday, July 22nd at The Players

The next Project Shaw staged reading will be Monday, July 22nd at 7 PM at The Players on Gramercy Park.

ON THE ROCKS

A Political Comedy
Written by George Bernard Shaw in 1933

A comedy cocktail about money, greed, politics and sex. This viciously witty comedy tackles, head-first, the unthinkable concept of a country in the midst of an economic depression. Unemployment, health care, human rights…you name it. It’s a riotous cast of character, assembled as only possible in the always-surprising imagination of G.B.S.

Our Thrilling Cast:

Sir Arthur Chavender, the Prime Minister … Mr. Jonathan Hadary
Hilda Hanways, the PM’s secretary …   Ms. Alison Cimmet
Sir Broadfoot Basham, The Chief  Commissioner of Police … Mr. Merwin Goldsmith
Miss Flavia Chavender, daughter of Sir Arthur …  Ms. Andrea Lynn Green
Lady Chavender, wife of Sir Arthur … Ms. Karen Ziemba
David Chavender, son of Sir Arthur … Mr. Michael McDonald
Mayor Tom Humphries … Mr. Michael Selkirk
Aloysia Brollikins ... Ms. Justine Salata
Viscount Barking …  Mr. A.J. Shively
Alderman Blee …  Mr. Ron McClary
Mr. Hipney …  Mr. George S. Irving
The Lady (and also the Narrator) … Ms. Diane Stilwell Weinberg
Sir Dexter Rightside, Foreign secretary … Mr. Jack Gilpin
Admiral Sir Bemrose Hotspot, First Lord of the Admiralty … Mr. Robert Stanton
Mr. Glenmorison, Pres of Board of Trade… Mr. Matthew Sullivan
Sir Jafna Pandranath, The Wealthiest Man in England … Mr. James Rana
The Duke of Domesday, Aristrocrat …  Mr. Marc Vietor

For tickets, click here.

Review - "Birthright"

By Byrne Harrison

I had planned to review David Lawson's "Birthright," about his experience in the Birthright "heritage tour" of Israel, along with the three one-man shows that I reviewed yesterday.

Upon reflection however, "Birthright" doesn't really fit with those plays.  "Birthright" isn't a play so much as it is an autobiographical monologue, and as such has a different style and texture than the other three shows.  Lawson isn't playing anyone other than himself.  He isn't recreating his experiences in the Birthright program so the audience can experience them with him, he's reflecting on them and bringing his thoughts and observations to the audience.

In Birthright, he explores his innate cynicism when he comes up against the propaganda machine that is the Birthright program, a mix of Zionism and vacation that is the 'must-do' trip for young American Jews.  As he recounts his experiences, he explores the layers and nuances of the effect the program had upon him.  The glib cynicism that seems to be part of his generation wears away as he is forced to deal with his ambivalence toward his identity, the frustration he feels with aspects of the Birthright program, and his inability to connect with things that others in the program seem to accept as given.

Lawson has a natural charm and humor, and having seen him as an actor in both regular plays and in auto-biographical monologues, I have to say that he shines in his monologues (Birthright and VCR Love are the two I've seen), which isn't an easy thing to do.  His insights hold an audience's attention, and are both thoughtful and entertaining.  I look forward to seeing more of this work from Lawson in the future.

On other note about "Birthright."  It was produced in a performance space in Crown Heights called LaunchPad.  It is a terrific small space, really perfect for this sort of show.  I hope to see more work presented there.

Review - "Buyer and Cellar," "Ann," and "Son of a Hutch"

By Byrne Harrison

I've mentioned before that I tend to be a little skittish at seeing one-man shows.  They really need to have an exceptionally capable and compelling actor, a strong director (or a self-aware actor who can distance himself from the material and the performance enough to know what works and what doesn't), and a story that the audience will find entertaining.

A show doesn't have to have all three of these to work, but when it does, it can be fantastic.

A great example of a play with all three elements is the delightfully entertaining "Buyer & Cellar" featuring Michael Urie.

Photo by
Sandra Coudert

Written by Jonathan Tolins, "Buyer & Cellar" was inspired by a section of Barbra Streisand's design book, "My Passion for Design," in which Streisand describes a "mall" in the basement of a barn on her estate that has been made to look like a street of quaint shops, each dedicated to one of her various collections. There is a doll shop, a gift shop, an antique clothing boutique, even a frozen yogurt stand.

Tolins, taking that concept to it's absurd extreme, imagines an out-of-work actor hired by Streisand to be a salesman in this mall.  One lonely salesman serving one very important customer; both dealing with different kinds of isolation, and finding some common ground because of it.

The result is a funny and touching fantasy that pokes gentle fun at Streisand and the legion of people who adore her, or at least her public persona.  There are also a number of insights about the cannibalistic nature of celebrity (people being so desperate for a piece of one of their idols that they would consume them given the chance), the pain inflicted by family, and the long-term damage to the psyche these things can cause.

Michael Urie is outstanding as Alex, the actor who, despite have been fired from Disney for threatening a child with a churro, finds himself in Barbra's basement.  As Alex tells his story, he brings to life the other characters - his boyfriend, Streisand, James Brolin, Streisand's assistant, to name a few.  His version of Streisand is remarkable in that it is subtly painted.  Urie doesn't do an impression, but uses a few details - a change of voice, certain languid movements - that call to mind Streisand without being too obvious.

Stephen Brackett ably directs the show, and Andrew Boyce's set and Alex Koch's projection design create an extraordinarily nimble playing area for Urie to work with.

The only thing that could have made "Buyer & Cellar" any better is if it had been based on a real story.

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Having grown up in Texas during the time of Ann Richards' governorship, I've always admired the white-haired liberal firebrand.  Holland Taylor's recent production of "Ann" on Broadway brought back a flood of good memories about the former governor.  And while the play is somewhat uneven, Holland Taylor gives an amazing performance, solidly recreating a larger-than-life woman, who nevertheless is thoroughly real and believable.

"Ann" starts with the former governor giving the commencement speech at a Texas university, talking about her life and experiences in government.  This segues into a day in the life of the governor as she wrestles with a variety of issues (including a thorny, last-minute death row decision).  It returns to Richards giving her speech and reflecting on her later years and death (which threw me out of the play a little since I began to wonder if this was meant to be something like the movie "Defending Your Life").

Richards' stories are interesting and often very funny, and Taylor excels showing her puckish charm,  fierce intelligence and strength (not to mention nailing the Texas drawl and swagger).  The play is a loving tribute to Ann Richards, and one that is entertaining, but it left me wanting more.  She was at her best interacting with people; Taylor's play has some of that, but there is only so much a one-person show can do.

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Joe Hutcheson's "Son of a Hutch" explores the issue of identity.  There have been a number of plays by gay men that have dealt with what it means to be a man, or to live up to their families' or societies' expectations.  Hutcheson's play is a variation on that theme.  What does it mean to be Hutch (the nickname the men in his family all eventually inherit)?

Photo by
Jennifer Beard

Hutcheson traces his journey from awkward childhood (acting out scenes from "Dynasty" with his brother), to his first inklings of his sexuality (repeated viewings of the locker room scene from "Wildcats") to coming out to his parents (both parents surprised him with their reactions).  Along the way he explores the relationships with the other Hutches in his life - his father, his uncle and his brother.

At different points in his life, he has different understanding of what it means to be Hutch, and how best to become that man.

Hutcheson is an engaging performer with a real talent for bringing to life the characters he portrays (watching him seamlessly transform into his brother, mother, father, uncle and others is a joy).  But watching his journey and search for his place in his family and world is the true delight.  "Son of a Hutch" is compelling, funny and touching.


For more information about these shows and upcoming performances ("Ann" closed on June 30th, but "Buyer & Cellar" and "Son of a Hutch" are still running), visit their websites.

"Buyer & Cellar"

"Ann"

"Son of a Hutch"

Cory Monteith Dead at 31

By Byrne Harrison

Cory Monteith, who shot to fame as Finn on Fox's musical high school series Glee, passed away yesterday in Vancouver.  He was found in his hotel room after missing a Saturday check out.

USA Today reports that his publicist, Melissa Kates, has confirmed his death, saying, "We are so saddened to confirm that the reports on the death of Cory Monteith are accurate. We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss."

The coroner will determine a cause of death, but the actor has been dealing with substance abuse issues for many years, most recently checking himself into treatment center in March.

Tributes are showing up on various social media sites and his friends and fans process the news.

At this time, please send nothing but love and light. This tragic news still doesn't seem real to me. I love you Cory.
— Harry Shum Jr (@iharryshum) July 14, 2013

Goodbye my amazing and beautiful friend. The lights in my world just grew dimmer. The world just lost one of our best. I love u so much...
— Adam Shankman (@adammshankman) July 14, 2013

What I will remember about Cory Monteith is that he was talented, funny and absolutely kindhearted. We lost a gentleman. RIP
— Cheyenne Jackson (@cheyennejackson) July 14, 2013

Cory was always so nice to me. I have so many good memories. pic.twitter.com/XYw4S8gMDH
— Lauren Potter (@TheLaurenPotter) July 14, 2013