Review: "Our Very Own Carlin McCullough" at the Geffen Playhouse
What does actress Amanda Peet know about playwriting? Actually a lot. In her new world premiere play at the Geffen Playhouse, she tells quite a good story with director Tyne Rafaeli and a talented cast.
The show opens with a scruffy tennis coach Jay (Joe Tippett NBC's Rise) in his 30s and a precocious 10-year-old girl Carlin (Abigail Dylan Harrison). Raised by a single mom Cyn (Mamie Gummer in HBO’s True Detective and also Meryl Streep’s daughter), Carlin takes up the game of tennis at the local park courts, and Jay notices her talent. Once a tennis star and now a bartender, he believes he can nourish Carlin’s tennis potential.
Off-Broadway Review: “Log Cabin” at Playwright’s Horizons
Ezra’s (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) stories about his father’s reaction to the news that Ezra was marrying Chris (Phillip James Brannon) and then, later, that they were going to have a baby serve as bookends for Jordan Harrison’s LGBTQ themed new play about “our origins” and how “denying our origins is not healthy nor is denying our children the right to discover who they are and how the will relate to the world.” Friends Jules (Dolly Wells) and Pam (Cindy Cheung) quickly “judge” Ezra’s father; yet, as the ninety-minute play moves forward, the audience – LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ – understands these two married couples are far from having grappled with the complexities of where they are, where they have come from, and where they are going as members of the LGBTQ community that barely understand their small niches let alone understanding “the other.”
Review: Boeing Boeing at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse
The outlandish farce Boeing Boeing now plays on The Winnipesaukee Playhouse stage in Meredith, New Hampshire. Originally written by Marc Camoletti and translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans, it is the story of Bernard, a Parisian bachelor played by William Wilder, who has, through meticulous calculations, gotten himself intertwined with three fiancés. There’s Gloria, an American air hostess played by Rebecca Tucker, Gabriella, an Italian air hostess played by Molly Parker Myers, and Gretchen, a German air hostess played by Suzanne Kimball. The essential factor that keeps all his fiancés from ending up in their Paris flat at one time is the fact that they all work for different airlines and have different routes around the world.
Concert Review: Kathryn W. Stein Memorial Concert featuring Chita Rivera at the 92nd Street Y
To begin by stating that Chita Rivera is a legend in her own time would be a factual compliment, but it would not do justice to all that the musical theater icon has accomplished in her exuberant career. Her talent and drive have always been evident. At fifteen years of age she auditioned for the School of American Ballet, was accepted and given a scholarship. A mere three years later she was off and running in the touring production of “Call Me Madam” which proved to be a stepping stone for the string of Broadway shows that were to follow, ushering her to the role of Anita in “West Side Story.” This was the entry to stardom and the start of an illustrious career.
Review: “Wow Wee 2! Adventures of a Little Girl Killbot” at the Producers Club
Four shows and 16 overall performances later, the Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble’s 2018 season has reached its end. For their season finale, thankfully, I was finally able to catch them on their opening night, for once. Unfortunately, while it may not have been outright bad, their last show of the season also proved to be perhaps their least satisfying, in terms of its comedic bite.
Off-Broadway Review: Mint Theater Company’s “Conflict”
The themes of Miles Malleson’s “Conflict,” currently running at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row, could not be more relevant and the playwright’s treatment of these themes could not be more modern or progressive. The main characters, except for Tom Smith (Jeremy Beck), are early 1920s London elite – the one percent who have the most money, property, and power in society – and are staunch members of the Conservative Party. Tom is in the ninety-nine percent and lacks money, property, power, and self-esteem. The conflicts of these characters drive an engaging plot that eerily reminds one of America’s current socio-political environment.
Review: Beautifully-Sung Revival of THE COLOR PURPLE Enraptures the OC
First, a confession.
My favorite movie of all time happens to be "The Color Purple," the deeply moving 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel directed by Steven Spielberg.
Filled with riveting performances, marvelous period music, and an absorbing, emotionally-stirring story of resilience and spirit that spans decades, the film went on to earn 11 Academy Award nominations including two nods for its brilliant stars Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg—both of whom made their big screen debuts in the film.
Review: "Searching for the Heart of Leeds" at the West Yorkshire Playhouse
For those of you that have been reading my recent reviews, you’ll know that the West Yorkshire Playhouse is about to undergo major refurbishment and will be closed until later next year, and in the meantime, will be presenting a selection of work in a new pop up space. Last night I was invited to attend the unveiling of its new name and identity, Leeds Playhouse, along with its final show in the Quarry Theatre before the redevelopment, Searching for the Heart of Leeds.
Review: "Wicked" - North American Tour
When I first saw Wicked in 2008 in Chicago, audience members around me were wiping tears from their eyes and I wondered why they were crying. I must be missing something as I didn’t ‘get it’. I remember the beautiful costumes and fantastic set design along with the dazzling ‘Defying Gravity’ show stopper at the end of Act One, but that was it. Whenever I saw advertised the show’s periodic summer return to Toronto, I never chose to attend as I thought nothing would have changed from Chicago.
Fast forward ten years of life happening.
U.K. Review: "Sunshine on Leith" - United Kingdom Tour
Sunshine on Leith is a hit Scottish musical produced originally by Dundee Rep, written by Stephen Greenhorn and music by Scotland's favourite singing duo, The Proclaimers. I loved the movie adaption of this musical, however, I had never seen it on stage. Well, until tonight. I joined a sold-out audience at Glasgow's King's Theatre to catch West Yorkshire Playhouse's touring production of this much-loved story.
Review: "The Servant of Two Masters" at The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ
Upon entering the outdoor Greek Theatre on the campus of Saint Elizabeth College, the audience is instantly transferred from Madison, NJ to Venice, Italy. This is partly because of the set design by Jonathan Wentz and sound design (Italian guitar pre-show music) by Warren Pace. The set is stunning and looks as if it could actually be a period villa taken out of Italy with its checkered floor with various colors and attention to detail, such as the porch lights with grill work. The set is two levels with many doors that slide open to create even more ways for the actors to enter and exit and allowed for the comedy and chaos that was to ensue.
Off-Broadway Review: “A Blanket of Dust”
Mr. Squires’ play is worth seeing and is especially relevant in the current political environment. Be prepared to have firmly held opinions questioned and loyalties deeply challenged. The blanket of dust created on September 11, 2001 has never lifted and perhaps never will. This play keeps the conversation alive and engaging.
Review: "Summer Holiday" - U.K. & Ireland Tour
It's summer here in Scotland! Even if the weather is terrible outside, inside the theatre, there is a new production of the hit Cliff Richard musical, Summer Holiday, touring the UK & Ireland. So I made my way down to the Edinburgh Playhouse to see if this show could give me a more summery vibe than the vertical rain pouring down outside.
Off-Broadway Review: “All I Want Is One Night
The sixty-five-minute production is an interesting evening of entertainment that shines a glimmer of light on the fascinating chanteuse but does not qualify or succeed at being a bona fide piece of theater.
Review: A Peek into Eugene O’Neill’s Dysfunctional Family
When I noticed a well-dressed man and a little furry dog walk into the lobby of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, I immediately recognized Jeremy Irons. His purposeful stride had a distinguished air compared to the nearby theatre attendees near the bar or waiting for the theatre doors to open. While asking a staff member if Jeremy Irons just walked in, she replied “Yes, he and Smudge just arrived.” He had about 35 minutes to dress and prepare for his role of James Tyrone in the Eugene O’Neill award-winning play A Long Day's Journey into Night.
Review: “A Chorus Line” at Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston
“A Chorus Line” opened at Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston last weekend, providing a fantastic start to the theater’s 50th Anniversary Summer Season. With book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, Music by Marvin Hamlisch, and Lyrics by Edward Kleban, this musical tells the story of a group of seventeen inspiring performers auditioning for a place in a Broadway show’s chorus line. The roughly two-hour piece is conducted like a legitimate audition during which the audience gets to witness these individuals share their fears and motivations with the directing team and one another, all while dancing their hearts out for a chance at one of eight coveted roles.
Off-Broadway Review: Founder’s Project’s “First Love”
With a nod to magical realism, Edward Albee’s “Zoo Story,” and a splash of the surreal – specifically the world of René François Ghislain Magrritte – Charles Mee provides a mostly realistic narrative about the experiences of an older couple who fall in love for the first time. Currently running at Cherry Lane Theatre, Mr. Mee’s “First Love” is a kaleidoscopic montage of the emotional fallout when Harold (Michael O’Keefe) meets Edith (Angelina Fiordellisi) on a park bench. This is not the most pleasant of meetings. Harold, having given up on love or any approximation to love, is asleep on that bench. Edith arrives and immediately instructs Harold to “shove up” so she and her radio can occupy the same bench.
Off-Broadway Review: “Secret Life of Humans”
It is difficult to parse David Byrne’s “Secret Life of Humans,” currently running at 59E59 Theaters, without issuing spoiler alerts. As the eighty-five-minute play unfolds, three “stories” – one lasting a single night, one across a lifetime, and one that spans humanity’s sixty-million-year history, collide in a cathartic resolution that jangles the senses. Inspired by Yuval Harari's “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” David Burns tackles the essential questions about science, philosophy, and what it means to be human. Produced previously at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Mr. Burns’ play arrives at 59E59 at part of its annual Brits Off Broadway series.
Review: The Life of the "Skeleton Crew"
Walking into the Geffen Playhouse to take my seat, I was wowed by scenic designer Rachel Myers dramatic and detailed two-story set. Downstairs is a break room with metal lockers, bulletin boards, tables and chairs, and a small kitchenette. One immediately can tell this is set in Detroit with stickers of the city’s hockey team the Red Wings and football team the Lions on the wall.
Upstairs is an assembly line with automotive wheel rims hanging down. When one of the workers power up the drill to work on the moving silver rims, smoke rises and dissipates near the UAW (United Automobile Workers of America) Local 167 sign hanging over in the corner.
A chain link fence with barbed wire is partially peeking out along both the front stage wings.
Review: Miss Julie sets the bar high for the Summer Season at The Winnipesaukee Playhouse
Directed by Matt Cahoon, this US Premiere production of Howard Brenton’s new adaptation of August Strindberg’s 1888 play Miss Julie invites the audience into the kitchen of a home in Sweden. It tells the story of Julie, lady of the house, Jean, her father’s valet, and Kristin, the house cook and Jean’s fiancé. It is a story of lust, ambition and a desire to break through the barriers of class. When Julie and Jean give in to the building sexual tension between them, the unforeseen consequences are catastrophic.