Barry Gordin
HIFF Presents "To Kill A Mockingbird"
Alec Baldwin hosts screening at Guild Hall in East Hampton.
On Saturday February 25, 2017 Andrea Grover, the Executor Director of Guild Hall, introduced the evening's screening of To Kill A Mockingbird, a 1963 Academy Award-winning film based on Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham as Scout was screened at Guild Hall in East Hampton as part of the long running HIFF Winter Classic series. The film nominated for eight Academy Awards is considered one of the best-ever made and won three Academy Awards including Best Actor for Gregory Peck.
To Kill a Mockingbird has a screenplay by Horton Foote and marked the film debuts of Robert Duvall, William Windom, and Alice Ghostley. Guild Hall Board President & HIFF Co-Chairman Alec Baldwin with HIFF Artistic Director David Nugent held a discussion afterwards with the audience.
David Nugent, Alec Baldwin
Andrea Grover, Anne Chaisson
Brook Howard, DIrector of Marketing and Communications @ Guild Hall Barbara Jo Howard
Assistant Technical Director, John Drew Theater @ Guild Hall with IVY
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 26, 2017 March 5, 2017 Categories Gordin's View
Sunset Boulevard *** – Everybody ***
By: David Sheward
Most Broadway revivals of classical musicals featuring the original stars have been museum pieces vainly attempting to recreate the first incarnation's magic. The resurrections of Yul Brynner in The King and I, Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly! and Angela Lansbury in Mame are some examples of this waxwork genre.
Most Broadway revivals of classical musicals featuring the original stars have been museum pieces vainly attempting to recreate the first incarnation's magic. The resurrections of Yul Brynner in The King and I, Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly! and Angela Lansbury in Mame are some examples of this waxwork genre. Fortunately, Glenn Close's returning to her Tony-winning role of the demented silent-film diva Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard two decades later does not fall into this category of delusional retreads—which would have been ironic since Desmond is foolishly striving to revive her faded cinema stardom. Not only has Close deepened her interpretation, but Lonny Price's new staging, imported from London, is an imaginative stripped-down retake of Trevor Nunn's gargantuan 1994 edition.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's synthetic score and the simplistic book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton still fail to approach the noir nightmare vision of Hollywood created in Billy Wilder's legendary 1950 film. But with Price's more intimate staging, Close's magnificent performance is even more striking. She is no longer competing with a massive set. Designer James Noone has placed a spooky soundstage around the onstage orchestra with grainy projections of vintage film premieres adding to the ghostly atmosphere. Perhaps inspired by Sondheim's Follies, Price has added a ghost of Norma's younger self to haunt this tragic tale. Close also takes a cue from Follies and goes deeper into Norma's dementia both psychologically and vocally. She actually sounds like an aging star whose singing range has diminished, often going into a falsetto. At once a narcissistic monster and a frightened child, Close's creation is so much more than an above-the-marquee turn, it's a shattering portrait of dashed fame, endless ego, and voracious lust. Like a boa constrictor, she grips her victim, the young writer Joe Gillis, and never lets go. She's also totally convincing when Norma makes her claim that "With One Look" she can manufacture any emotion.
Michael Xavier in "Sunset Boulevard"
Obie-wining playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon, Inappropriate, Gloria) also revitalizes some old material—some really OLD material. His Everybody, now at the Signature Theatre Center, takes the 15th century allegorical play, Everyman and transforms it into an intense meditation on modern mortality and morality. In the original, the titular symbolic figure is summoned by God's messenger, Death, to give an accounting of his life to his creator. He is allowed to bring a companion along the journey from which there is no returning. Characters representing Friendship, Family, and Possessions all turn him down. Only Love will make the trek as all earthly connections disappear.
Jacobs-Jenkins gives this relic a modern twist and adds the somewhat gimmicky element of having five of the roles assigned at random at every performance. This could have come across as a shallow parlor trick, but director Lila Neugebauer and her sharp company endow these abstract concepts with weighty detail, as does the playwright, making an intellectual exercise into a visceral experience. The grandmotherly Marylouise Burke is a delightfully unexpected Death, Jocelyn Bioh miraculously transforms from a friendly usher to the ominous voice of God, and Chris Perfetti is a compassionate Love. Brooke Bloom, Michael Braun, Louis Cancelmi, David Patrick Kelly, and Lakisha Michelle May take up the remaining roles. At the performance attended Cancelmi made a moving Everybody, Bloom was a sassy Friendship, and Kelly was a riot as Stuff, Everybody's material possessions. Both productions show that even dusty plays and musicals can have new life if the right cast and director get to work.
Sunset Boulevard: ***
Feb. 9—June 25. Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway, NYC. Wed, Sat, 2 and 8pm; Thu 7pm; Fri, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Running time: two hours and 30 mins. including intermission. $65—$199. (877) 250-2929. www.ticketmaster.com. Photos: Joan Marcus
Everybody: ***
Feb. 21—March 19. Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W. 42nd St., NYC. Tue—Fri, 7:30pm; Sat, 8pm; Wed, Sat, Sun, 2 pm. Running time: 100 minutes with no intermission. $30—$40. (212) 244-7529. www.signaturetheatre.org. Photo Monique Carboni
Louis Cancelmi, MaryLouise Burke in "Everybody"
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 25, 2017 February 25, 2017 Categories Reviews, Uncategorized
Evening at the Talkhouse ***
By: Isa Goldberg
Entering the soiree at the Signature Center off Broadway, we're greeted with cocktails (colored water) and some sugary snacks. Indeed, EVENING AT THE TALK HOUSE, written by Wallace Shawn, who also plays Dick, one of the central characters, is a gathering of theater's most illustrious. We meet Robert (Matthew Broderick), Annette (Claudia Shear), Tom (Larry Pine), Nellie (Jill Eikenberry), and Ted (John Epperson), among others. The occasion is the 10th anniversary of a show they had all worked on, and which had been a flop.
Like the notorious, MOOSE MURDERS, which opened and closed on Broadway on the same night, February 22, 1983, Shawn's play is a mystery farce. Here the conversation about inexplicable violence evokes images as bizarre as those acted out in that one night of MOOSE MURDERS, where a mummified paraplegic rose from his wheelchair to kick a man dressed as a moose.
Murder and a societal penchant for violence and abuse are the Zeitgeist in Shawn's dark comedy. Described by one character as "an age of mercy", the targets of these murders are often the elderly, along with other vulnerable people. Indeed, when the ageing Dick (Wallace Shawn) enters in his pajamas, we notice the bruises on his face from "a short informal battering" by friends – "which he loved", he says.
Meanwhile, the cast of characters continues to opine about the theater, dismayed by its demise. They discuss politics, focusing on the multitude of elections – at least one every three months. Clearly, the absurdity of violence, and the rash of unexpected deaths, is paired with the demise of the theater. In fact, they talk about a leading politician, who is also a theater producer, for whom Robert (Broderick) and others in the room are currently working. It's he, we're told, who has put in place a program for murder.
To confuse matters even more, ample hypocrisy abounds among these friends. Characters express great fondness for one another, then stab them figuratively and sometimes literally in the back. Some of the guests approve of this behavior, while others appear uncertain. "How do we know we're killing the right people?" one guest asks.
There is no greater clarity to the whys and wherefores of these assassinations than there would be in a remake of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. One can never be sure who the murderers are, what their motives happen to be, or what side – good or evil – they represent. In fact, the moral compass among these friends is so out of whack that the play becomes a kind of silly tragedy.
"What if everyone just started throwing bombs at one another?" the hostess Nellie (Jill Eikenberry) queries. It's best not to address her particular fate – lest we kill the surprise – but her query is certainly a timely one for all Americans. In THE TALK HOUSE, to boot, we hear about it with the kind of elitism and snobbery that keeps the proverbial ball rolling.
THE NEW GROUP AT THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER
The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre
480 West 42nd StreetJ
Tuesday at 7:30pm Wednesday at 7:30pm Thursday at 7:30pm Friday at 7:30pm Saturday at 2pm and 8pm Sunday at 2pm Added performances February 22 at 2pm, February 26 at 7:30pm, March 1 at 2pm, March 8 at 2pm No performance February 21
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 24, 2017 Categories Reviews
The Best of 2016 Vie for the Gold at the Very Diverse 89th Academy Awards Telecast Sunday on ABC
By Ellis Nassour
The 89th Academy Awards will telecast live from L.A.'s Dolby Theatre Sunday, hosted by late night's Jimmy Kimmel and presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, recognizes excellence in cinematic achievements in the film industry as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. But … and there always is one … there's the rub.
By: Ellis Nassour
The Oscars will air on ABC, beginning at 8:30 P.M. and run on to or past three-and-a half hours. Prior to the Awards, there'll be lots of glitz and glamour with the red carpet arrivals.
Compared to last year and its lack of diversity, this year it's the difference of day v. night – with an overload of all sorts of diversity. To avoid another brouhaha, the Academy, led by president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, initiated numerous changes in the make-up of the committees and membership [increasing the youth or younger factor].
2016 was also a big year for indies – several of which made it into the Top Nine.
The Academy will welcome the nominees in 24 categories and presenters with these words: No matter who you are or where you live, movies bring us together. Through indelible, fearless performances you extraordinary actors help make it happen. And the world listens. [Bring to the screen your tired, your poor, your huddled masses and let it infuse them with buttered popcorn, Sno-caps, and iced-cold Coke.]
There's a new prez and not all of Hollywoodland is pleased with DJT, so expect loud protests and anti-testimonials. Several stars have announced they won't attend; however, by attending, they could make an impact and be heard worldwide.
The Oscars, live and on tape, are seen by an estimated 35 million worldwide. At press time, President Trump and Pope Francis hadn't been added to the presenter's list or weighed in on the nominations – some of which must displease both.
The fate of Best Picture is in the hands of the Hollywood caucus. Leading the pack in nominations are La La Land (Lionsgate) received a record-tying 14 (1950's All About Eve) and 1997's Titanic also achieved this distinction). Arrival and Moonlight (A24/Plan B) came in second with eight.
Actress in a leading role will be the category where the winner could be anybody's guess. Of course, there's been so much hype about Emma Stone in La La Land, but Isabelle Huppert turned in a memorable performance in Elle (Sony Pictures Classics), and the incredible Natalie Portman turned herself inside out to create a harrowing impersonation of Jackie (Fox Searchlight), our former first lady. Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep continued to break records with her 20th nomination (Best Actress, Supporting Actress) for Florence Foster Jenkins.
Over in the men's category, Casey Affleck outshined older brother, rising to star status at the top of the pack with his extraordinary performance in Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea (Amazon Studios).
Often it's puzzling how nominators nominate. For instance, when she is billed as a co-star in bold lettering and carries at least, if not more, of the screen adaptation of August Wilson's Tony and Drama Desk-winning Fences, starring the leads of the 2010 Broadway revival, Tony-nominated Denzel Washington and Viola Divas, how does two-time nominee (Doubt, The Help) Davis get regulated to the Supporting Actress category? And wasn't Jeff Bridges an equal star with Ben Foster and Chris Pine in Hell and High Water?
Presenters will include: five-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams, Riz Ahmed, Oscar winner Javier Bardem, Oscar winner Warren Beatty, Golden Globe winner Gael Garcia Bernal, Oscar winner Halle Berry, John Cho, Oscar and Golden Globes winner Faye Dunaway, Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio, GG nominee Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Dwayne Johnson, Oscar nominee Felicity Jones, Oscar and Drama Desk winner Shirley MacLaine (seven nominations), David Oyelowo, Oscar and Tony winner Mark Rylance, two-time Oscar nominee Emma Stone, Oscar winner Charlize Theron, and Oscar and SAG winner and GG and BAFTA nominee Alicia Vikander.
Artists will be Waitress composer [and soon-to-be-star of the musical] Sara Bareilles, performing the In Memoriam tribute. Auli'l Cravalho and Lin-Manuel Miranda will sing the nominated "How Far I'll Go" from Animated nominee Moana, Rock's John Legend, who was featured in nominated La La Land will perform "City of Stars" and "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," Sting sings "The Empty Chair" from Jim: The James Foley Story (HBO); and Justin Timberlake will perform "Can't Stop the Feeling" from Trolls (Dreamworks Animation).
The Academy's Board of Governors voted Honorary Awards, given "to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy."
Honorees were Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong martial artist, actor, director, producer, and singer; Oscar-winning British editor (Lawrence of Arabia, many more) who has four nominations and four BAFTA nods; veteran casting director Lynn Stalmaster; and Frederick Wiseman, filmmaker, Emmy-winning documentarian, and Off Broadway and international theater director.
Oscar certainly hasn't always been perfect, so you might anticipate an upset. Citizen Kane, now considered one of the greatest movies of all time, didn't catch on with audiences of its day, but it got a Best Picture nod – only to be outgunned by the Welsh mining drama How Green Was My Valley Best Picture. Star Orson Welles co-wrote the screenplay with the great Herman J. Mankiewicz, but through some maneuver Welles got sold credit and, on winning, didn't even have the largesse to mention, much less credit Mankiewicz [which may have marked the beginning of his slow downfall].
Could there be a tie as in 1969, when two Best Actress winners were announced: Katharine Hepburn/The Lion in Winter and Barbra Streisand/ Funny Girl. With Hepburn absent, Streisand had the stage all to herself for her famous quip, "Hello, Gorgeous!"
Could there have been a more celebrated film and director in 1973 than Francis Ford Coppola and The Godfather, which captured Best Picture. However, it was Broadway's Bob Fosse who grabbed the director gold for the screen adaptation of Best Picture nominee Cabaret.
The Academy Award, nicknamed "Oscar," was first presented in 1929. Tickets were $5, 15 statuettes were awarded in a dinner ceremony that ran 15 minutes. The annual Awards were broadcast on radio in 1930; and first televised in 1953. Bob Hope became the host dejour. The Oscars are now seen live in more than 200 countries and can be streamed online.
Open those darn envelopes, please. Got your ballot? Vote. Let the winner be your winner! Nomination highlights:
Arrival, Fences, Hackshaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, and Moonlight
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea; Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge; Ryan Gosling, La La Land; Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic; Denzel Washington, Fences
Isabelle Huppert, Elle; Ruth Negga, Loving; Natalie Portman, Jackie; Emma Stone, La La Land; Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight; Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water; Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea; Dev Patel, Lion; Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
Viola Davis, Fences; Naomi Harris, Moonlight; Nicole Kidman, Lion; Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures; Michelle Williams,Manchester by the Sea
Damien Chazelle, La La Land; Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge; Barry Jenkins, Moonlight; Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea; Denis Villeneuve, Arrival
13th, Fire at Sea, I Am Not Your Negro, Life Animated, O.J.: Made in America
Land of Mine, Denmark; A Man Called Ove, Sweden; The Salesman, Iran; Tanna, Australia; Toni Erdman, Germany
Kubo and the Two Strings; Moana; My Life as a Cougarette; The Red Turtle; Zootopia
For the full list of nominations, visit www.oscars.com.
For heightened drama watch those scary moments when winners exit the stage all pumped with adrenalin and are ambushed by Kelly Ripa sticking a mike in their face. "How does it free to win?" Reply, "Gee, I don't know, pretty good, I think; but I do feel sorry for the losers – I mean, the ones who didn't win."
At www.oscars.org, check out the full list of nominees and play against your friends in the Official Oscars Challenge; and participate in Oscars Backstage 2017, a second screen experience where you choose from four channels pulling from more than 20 cameras on the red carpet and backstage at the Dolby.
The 2016 Academy Awards are produced by Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd and directed by Glenn Weiss. Tony nominee and DD-winning orchestrator Harold Wheeler (music director, Dancing with the Stars) will do orchestrations and music direct.
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 24, 2017 February 24, 2017 Categories Features
Fade ***
Set in "Trump's America", Tanya Saracho's new play, FADE, produced by Primary Stages at the Cherry Lane Theatre, is a soulful, engrossing two-person drama. Portraying the newcomer on a staff of television writers in LA, Lucia (Annie Dow) befriends the only person who will give her the time of day. That's Abel (Edie Martinez), a janitor who wears his tough edge with noticeable tattoos. A Mexican American worker, Abel sticks to himself, until he gets swept up in Lucia's overtures of friendship.
Insisting that as Latinos they share a commonality, Lucia lures Abel with stories of the racism and sexism that dominate in the room of white male television writers. It seems odd, somehow, that Lucia, who was born and raised in Mexico, looks and talks more like a Gringo than the LA born Abel. In spite of her complaints, she is the mirror image of a young successful American woman. And so the die is cast.
As a playwright, Saracho has an easy honest feel for dialogue. In this story about race, gender, class and how they collide, her message is forthright and unambiguous. Truthfully, for a fair share of this 90-minute production, one might imagine that FADE is an all too obvious tale. That it is not, is a credit, both to the efficacy of the narrative and the adeptness of the actors. Similarly, director Jerry Ruiz brings the inherent conflict to the fore, accentuating the hypocrisy that prevails and pervades in the work place, and among the people who exist in it.
That Mariana Sanchez's design of the office space transforms from borderline dingy to openly magnificent brings a nifty reveal. But overall, this small stage production is unpretentious. Mostly, it's a really a feat for these two engaging actors, who pull off a simple tale with exceptional finesse.
Primary Stages at the Cherry Lane Theatre
38 Commerce Street in the West Village
866-811-4111 primarystages.org
Running Time: One hour and 30 minutes, no intermission
Photos: James Leynse
Annie Dow, Eddie Martinez
Actor's Temple Hits 100
HOSTS GALA CELEBRATION AT FRIARS CLUB MARCH 13
Theater District institution the Actors' Temple celebrates its centennial with an entertainment-packed dinner and show at the Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, on Monday March 13 at 6pm. The Temple, which has served as a spiritual home, meeting place and performance venue serving generations of show business professionals, luminaries and their friends, honors the beloved actresses Tovah Feldshuh and Jackie Hoffman (both of whom will perform), and Barbara Bova. Featured entertainers are Andrew Beall (composer of "Song of Solomon"), the singers Anna Bergman and Adrienne Haan, comedian Bob Greenberg, and concert violinist Marina Kifferstein.
The event, produced by Carol Ostrow, supports the Actors' Temple mission to provide a dynamic spiritual home for Jews, and a creative home for Jewish and non-Jewish artists who can use its affordable jewel-box theatre — a unique resource for New York's wide-ranging theatre community, right in the heart of Hell's Kitchen. A 100th Year Capital Campaign to preserve the Temple's historic building at 339 West 47th Street is also being launched. Constructed in 1923 the Actors' Temple building is a federally designated national landmark.
Adrienne Haan
Congregation Ezrath Israel is led by Rabbi Jill Hausman. Progressive, egalitarian, eclectic, and post-denominational, Actors' Temple offers Shabbat services on Friday and Saturday; Hebrew School instruction; adult education classes, and is affiliated with the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS) one of the City's distinguished select-admission public schools focusing on the arts. Hausman champions fresh approaches to enliven worship, and actively encourages the congregation to see the Temple as a vehicle of self-expression, and deeds of kindness. The shul's motto is "Cool Shul, Warm People."
Historical and Current PHOTOS
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B06eMYbUvaAVTkNBdHhZZEVVQnc
The remarkable roster of members and congregants includes legends from vaudeville, cabaret, nightclubs, radio and television, Broadway and even professional sports: Sophie Tucker, Red Buttons, Al Jolson, Edward G. Robinson, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Alan King, Joe Franklin, Eddie Cantor and numerous composers, musicians, stagehands, and talent agents, rubbed shoulders with sports figures like Sandy Koufax, Barney Ross, and Jake Pitler. Led for many years by Rabbi Bernard Birstein, who actively recruited (with Cantor Louis Malamud), show business professionals, the Actors' Temple received foundational early support from mega-star Sophie Tucker, who headlined an annual benefit on Broadway, and Joe E. Lewis a stalwart supporter. Non Jews like Ed Sullivan (whose wife was Jewish), and Frank Sinatra were also friends… all were happy to kibbitz with Academy Award-winner Shelly Winters, the 3 Stooges, and a talkative Harpo Marx, before or after services.
Stained-glass memorials, bronze plaques and an Actors Photo Gallery lining the stairwell walls are just some of the many tributes festooning the Actors' Temple in honor of its illustrious roll call of members and friends.
The Actors' Temple celebrates its unique role in American, Jewish and show business history (as well as its tradition of being a place of acceptance, spirituality, creativity) at The Actors' Temple 100th Anniversary Gala Celebration on Monday, March 13 at 6pm, at the Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, New York City. Tickets are $350 and are on sale now, by calling (917) 796-3121 or visiting http://www.theactorstemple.org
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 23, 2017 February 24, 2017 Categories Around The Town
Kid Victory Opens
The New York premiere of KID VICTORY, book and lyrics by Greg Pierce, music by John Kander with story by John Kander and Greg Pierce, and directed by Liesl Tommy began previews on Wednesday, February 1 and opened on Wednesday, February 22 at the Vineyard Theatre, announced by the company's Artistic Directors, Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern.
Vineyard Theatre is located at 108 E. 15 St. in New York City. Member tickets for KID VICTORY will be available today, Monday, November 14 at 1pm, and tickets will be available to the general public on Monday, December 5 at www.vineyardtheatre.org or by calling 212-353-0303.
In KID VICTORY, seventeen-year old Luke returns to his small Kansas town after a wrenching one-year absence. As his friendship grows with the town misfit, Emily, his parents realize that in order to truly find their son, they must confront some unnerving truths about his disappearance.
Four-time Tony Award winner John Kander, with the late Fred Ebb, wrote the legendary musicals CHICAGO, CABARET, and THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, which premiered at Vineyard Theatre. John Kander and Greg Pierce's first collaboration, the musical THE LANDING, premiered in 2013 at The Vineyard. Liesl Tommy received a Tony Award nomination for her direction of ECLIPSED on Broadway. KID VICTORY is a co-production with Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.
KID VICTORY features an outstanding cast which are ANN ARVIA, JOEL BLUM, LAURA DARRELL, JEFFRY DENMAN, BRANDON FLYNN, DANIEL JENKINS, DEE ROSCIOLI, KAREN ZIEMBA, BLAKE ZOLFO and choreography by Christopher Windom (Dallas Theater Center's LES MISERABLES), scenic design by Tony Award winner Clint Ramos (ECLIPSED), costumes by Jacob Climer (INFORMED CONSENT), lighting by David Weiner (Vineyard's THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY), and sound design by Tony Award nominee Peter Hylenski (AFTER MIDNIGHT). David Loud (THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS) serves as music supervisor, Michael Starobin (FALSETTOS) as orchestrator, and Jesse Kissel (THE VISIT) as music director.
Photography: JK Clarke/Theater Pizzazz
Chita Rivera, John Kander
Chita Rivera, Terrence McNally
Vineyard Theatre is located at 108 E. 15 St. in New York City.
For Tickets for KID VICTORY go to www.vineyardtheatre.org or by calling 212-353-0303.
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 23, 2017 Categories Around The Town, Uncategorized
The Great Comet of 1812 ****
By Isa Goldberg
Seeing THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 for the third time, and now with Josh Groban as Pierre at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway, I found the story itself so much clearer. Based on a segment of Tolstoy's WAR AND PEACE, the musical's plot is dense, and the relationships between the characters so tangled, that the story gets lost in the epic scope of the show. While its impact lies in this sense of endearing mystery, the underlying human experience remains inexplicable and otherworldly.
But Groban, an operatic pop singer, has the gift of a great storyteller. In his own soul-searching performances, he sings about intimate experiences, opening the door for the audience to see who he is. Often these songs are about the quest for love or failed love. Here, in his Broadway debut, his silvery, well-balanced voice paints pictures so vividly, we don't get lost in the on-stage mania, which is nearly bacchanalian at times. In the Russia of 1812 after all, we're on the threshold of Napoleon's invasion and the Great War of 1812. Events are spiraling out of control.
Enter Groban's Pierre – an existential anti-hero, a brooding man, in an unhappy marriage. As in Tolstoy's novel, it's he who brings the human dimension to the story. His surprising transformation, inspired by the realization of his love for Natasha and his apocryphal vision of the Comet of 1812, speak to the restorative power of love and faith. Groban, an awesome romantic lead, pulls it off.
Imperial Theater
Running time: Two Hours, 35 Minutes
Photo: Chad Batka
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 22, 2017 February 24, 2017 Categories Reviews
Monopoly ****
Monopoly: Singing the Lives from Baltic Avenue to Boardwalk
By: Paulanne Simmons
From its earliest beginnings in 16th century France, cabaret has always been the purlieu of writers and artists. So it should not be surprising that cabarets have always been subversive. Billie Roe must have had this in mind when she created her newest theme show, Monopoly: Singing the Lives from Baltic Avenue to Boardwalk, which she brought to Don't Tell Mama on Feb. 12
As anyone who has ever played Monopoly knows, Baltic Avenue is cheap and probably where the undesirables live, while Boardwalk is prime real estate. Thus Roe's show becomes not only a means for her to tell the story family vacations and family rivalry but also the story of our nation's struggles with class.
As directed by Mark Nadler, Roe is an excellent storyteller. Her vacations in upstate New York come alive, along with all the characters she creates to sing the songs: the aging Jewish woman, Sophie Gerstein; a hipster; a homeless woman.
Roe has chosen an eclectic mix of old and new songs. She begins very appropriately with Mark Mitchell's "Cone on! Let's Play Monopoly." From there it's not a huge jump to Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen's Depression era "Raisin' the Rent."
Not surprisingly, many of the songs are about finances or the lack of them: Rickie Lee Jones' "Easy Money," John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son." But Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson's "September Song" and U2 Bono's "Where the Streets Have No Name" are an apt reminder that the loss of love can be more painful than the lack of money.
Although Roe creates numerous characters, it is her own personality and her formidable pipes that dominate the show. Part actress, part singer, with a strong dose of the vixen, Roe makes us remember that the purpose of cabaret is not only to make us smile. It's also supposed to make us think.
Don't Tell Mama – 343 West 46 Street – 212 757-0788
Billie Roe
The Object Lesson ***
Be forewarned The Object Lesson created by Geoff Sobelle and directed by David Neumann, also a choreographer, dancer and actor, is a performance art piece running roughly 100 minutes at the New York Theatre Workshop. Sobelle is also the only credited actor, although another person in the guise of an audience member interacts with him. In his biography Sobelle calls himself an actor, director and maker of absurdist performance art, and the press release says he is mainly interested in moments of "the sublime ridiculous."
For The Object Lesson, which played at BAM's 2014 Next Wave Festival to much acclaim, the NYTW's open space resembles a warehouse full of clutter filled with piles upon piles of cardboard boxes and objects of all sorts, impressively designed by Steven Dufala. In fact, the scenic installation may be the best part of the show as audience members are encouraged to go early to roam the setting and sift through the debris. "Enjoy yourself," a program notes says "All this stuff has been waiting for you! Take a box and open it. Explore. Find someone curious in the room and give them something…" Indeed, if you want a good seat, you must go early. Many audience members settled for sitting on hastily arranged boxes since there is a limited number of actual seats available on the sofas or chairs that are part of the design.
Photo: Barry Gordin
When we finally meet Sobelle he talks at the audience as opposed to engaging them in the performance piece that is basically five vignettes not actually connected to one another. There is a clever one where the guest makes a phone call, and then the phone calls back repeating the first call to create a second conversation.
The highlight and most inventive is when Sobelle in ice skates prepares dinner for an audience member, which consists of chopping the lettuce and carrots for her salad with his skates before launching into a dance on top of the table.
The final piece has Sobelle unpacking a bottomless box giving us a glimpse of his life from the present to the past. Part clown, part magician and highly athletic Sobelle cuts an entertaining figure, however for my taste the show is too long. Give me old fashioned theater with real dramatic impact.
Lighting design by Christopher Kuhl and sound design by Nick Kourtides were more than serviceable.
The Object Lesson is now playing at the New York Theater Workshop, 79 East 4th St. through March 5, 2017.
Photos: Joan Marcus
Author Barry GordinPosted on February 19, 2017 May 23, 2017 Categories Reviews, Uncategorized
Westminster Dog Show
Nearly 3,000 dogs from 200 breads competed in the 2017 Westminster Dog Show that concluded at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday February 14 with the German Shepherd Rumor, the Winner in the herding group, taking the coveted top prize of Best in Show. Rumor was a crowd favorite, and the packed house at Garden cheered wildly when she was named the winner from the seven group winners that competed for Best in Show.
On Monday evening the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding groups competed with the winner of each group moving on to Tuesday's final showdown for Best in Show. A Norwegian Elkhound, Diky, won the Hound Group, a Pekingese, Chuckie, won the Toy Group, a Miniature Poodle won the Non-Sporting Group, and Rumor won the Herding Group.
On Tuesday evening dogs from the Sporting, Working, and Terrier Groups competed to crown a winner in each group. An Irish Setter, Adrian, took top prize in the Sporting Group, a Boxer, Devlin, won the Working Dog Group, and a Norwich Terrier, Tanner, walked off with first place in the Terrier Group. Those winners moved on to vie against the previous evening's winners for best in show.
Terrier Group Winner Norwich Terrier "Tanner"
However, Rumor, a charismatic German Shepherd, was not to be denied. Not only was she a favorite with the crowd, apparently with the judges. She won her group last year as well, and many thought he would win in 2016. However, 2017 turned out to be a banner year for her. Besides Best in Show at Westminster, she scored numerous Best in Shows throughout the country. She was seen Wednesday having steak at the legendary Sardis Restaurant in the theater district and will retired from competition after Tuesday's win.
Best in Show Winner German Shephard "Rumor"
The Westminster Dog Show is the second oldest major sporting event in America, second only to the Kentucky Derby, which began one year before the Westminster Kennel Club launched the Dog Show that today is the largest Dog Show in America bringing breeders from all over the country to New York for the annual event.
Photos Courtesy of Pam Gleason and Barry Gordin
Evening at the Talk House **
As you enter the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center for Wallace Shawn's new play Evening at the Talk House, you're greeted by a familiar-looking lady dressed in the traditional white shirt and black pants of a waitron. "Would you like a sweet or some sparkling water?" she asks. It takes a minute to realize this is Jill Eikenberry, best known for LA Law. Wait, isn't that the still-boyish Matthew Broderick wandering around Derek McLane's cosy clubhouse set? And the squeaking voice of the Yoda-like playwright himself, also a cast member, can be heard chatting with the audience. From this relaxed and inviting opening, you might think you'll be experiencing a nice, warm night with familiar faces from stage and screen delivering cute career anecdotes. But, you're in for a surprise.
As in his previous works The Fever, The Designated Mourner, and Aunt Dan and Lemon, Shawn has chosen a easy, comfortable milieu to examine the banality of evil. At first the bonhomie of the pre-show carries into the opening moments of the play in Scott Elliott's deceptively laid-back staging. Broderick, in his character of Robert, a successful playwright, delivers a long monologue explaining that he and several friends are at the Talk House, a run-down theatre club, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the production of his best play. There is much praise of the club's snacks and cocktails and friendly chit-chat with actor Tom (jovial Larry Pine), producer Bill (avuncular Michael Tucker, Eikenberry's husband and LA Law co-star), wardrobe mistress Annette (caustic Claudia Shear), composer Ted (waspy John Epperson, aka drag creation extraordinaire Lypsinka), and Nellie (Eikenberry) who runs the club along with her sole employee Jane (Annapurna Sriram), a sometime actress.
But it's gradually revealed we're in a dystopian future where theater is dead, soulless TV sitcoms are the dominant cultural offerings, and murder has become a government policy. In fact, several of the group have become part-time assassins to make ends meet since there are so few jobs in the arts. A charming but ruthless figure named Ackerley (a stand-in for Trump?) has risen to power and his dictatorial whims are dismissed as necessary measures to keep the population safe. Shawn plays Dick, an unemployed actor and the lone voice of dissent. He is a pitiful figure in pajamas frequently beaten by his "friends" for speaking out against Ackerley's repressive regime.
This is an intriguing concept but the air of casual acceptance of these horrors is so pervasive, it deadens the impact. Yes, that's Shawn's point—fascism creeps in on little cat feet. But the acting and direction is so mild, the effect is soporific. Excerpts from Robert's supposedly great play are as dry as the rest of the dialogue, so there is no contrast between the golden past the characters long for and their gloomy present. The all-star company has been directed to underplay every word and action, except for Shawn and Sriram. Shawn delivers a moving performance as the pathetic Dick, raging against the dying of the light of art. Sriram is saddled with the difficult task of making Jane, who matter-of-factly discusses poisoning old people and whines about her lack of acting work, sympathetic, but she manages to pull it off. Apart from these two bright spots and Shawn's valid themes of the slow creeping effect of political oppression, it's a pretty dull Evening with all talk and little action.
Feb. 16—March 12. The New Group at the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W. 42nd St., NYC. Tue—Fri, 7:30 pm; Sat, 8 pm; Wed, Sat, Sun, 2 pm. Running time: one hour and 40 mins. with no intermission. $75—$100. (212) 279-4200. www.ticketcentral.com.
Photos: Monique Carboni
Originally Published on February 16, 201& in ArtsinNY.com
Wallace Shawn, Mathew Broderick
Matthew Broderick, Annapurna Sriram, Jill Eikenberry, Wallace Shawn, John Epperson, Claudia Shear, Michael Tucker
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
20/20 Reading Series Kicks Off with The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
By: Iris Wiener
Stages need theatre that provokes conversation, has a voice, and inspires imagination. Woodshed Collective aims to do this and more with the "20/20 Reading Series," a series of readings taking place in 2017 featuring anti-fascist and political plays speaking to the current political climate. The theatre company, which describes themselves as being driven by the belief in the combined power of stories and architecture to break down the barriers of everyday life, says that the idea for this series "will keep our vision clear about the challenges we face and help find a path to the 2020 election."
With a total of three planned readings in 2017, the series kicks off with The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, starring two-time Tony Award winner Christian Borle as Arturo Ui, on February 20th at 7:30pm. Directed by Woodshed Collective Artistic Director Teddy Bergman, the play is a satirical allegory of the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany prior to World War II. The Brecht classic will be performed at a New York City historic landmark which has been at the forefront of social change and activism, Judson Memorial Church, located at 55 Washington Square South in New York.
In addition to Borle, Bergman has brought a number of his original cast mates from Broadway's Peter and the Starcatcher on board for the reading. Greg Hildreth, Arnie Burton, David Rossmer and Kevin Del Aguila are also along for the ride. Also joining them for Arturo Ui are Bill Buell (Cyrano de Bergerac), James Saito (Life of Pi), Ethan Dubin (Rancho Viejo), Joe Tippett (Airline Highway), Peter Bartlett (She Loves Me), Elvy Yost (The Catch), Ben Beckley (Dying for It) and Justin Perez (Justin's Basement Show).
Christian Borle
According to Woodshed Collective, all proceeds from the 2017 readings will go to organizations working to ensure a safe, open and just society. Tickets for the 20/20 reading of Arturo Ui are $50, with the first benefit of choice being the Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcenter.org). Visit www.woodshedcollective.com for more information.
All Aboard!
All Aboard!, New "Journey" Musical by National Pastime's Al Tapper and Tony Sportiello, Opens
Girl Behind the Curtain Productions (Sonia Carrion) will present the premiere of the original musical All Aboard!, with music and lyrics by Al Tapper and book by Tony Sportiello . The train leaves the station Friday (2/17) at the Theatre at the 14th Street Y [344 East 14th Street, between First and Second Avenues]. Opening night is Saturday (2/18). The limited engagement closes March 5.
Warren Scott Friedman is directing the three-member ensemble. David Wolfson, associate conductor of How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Theatre at MSqG, is music director.
The creative duo are co-artistic directors of Algonquin Theater Productions. Tapper, author and Peabody Award winner for Excellence in Broadcasting for his 2013 documentary Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, and theater and TV producer Sportiello, wrote the "screwball comedy: musical National Pastime. It debuted at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, had its New York debut at Playwrights Horizons Peter J. Sharp Theatre in 2012 and went on to play across the country. It ran most recently at the Bucks County Playhouse, with Hunter Foster directing. It will have its international premiere in Guadalajara, Mexico April 1 at the Teatro Vivian Blumenthal.
Tapper wrote music and lyrics for An Evening at the Carlyle,music, lyrics, and book for the musical Sessions, and music for Imperfect Chemistry.
All Aboard! is anything but your run-of-the-mill romantic musical. For one thing, it's a musical in three acts. And don't let the title fool you into thinking this is a bright and breeze, homey concoction. To quote a bit of JohnA Passaro: "Life is like a train ride. The passengers are seemingly going to the same destination as you, but based on their belief that the train will get them to their desired destination they will stay on or get off…"
Sportiello describes this riveting ride of six lives as "a timeless, mystical, and musical locomotive that unravels the mysterious tales of three couples and the different journeys they take."
There's Larry and Kim, whose happy marriage is threatened when Larry announces his desire to have an affair — but only if she agrees. Then there's Jake and Karen, political spin doctors who encounter a scandal that's so hot they may end up scorched. Finally, Marie, a successful entrepreneur is approached by Terry, who instead of being the angel she so desires turns out to be — No! not going there. No Spoiler Alert needed.
"Each of the characters discovers life and death, love and heartbreak, ambition and despair," states Sportiello, "as they journey toward their own surprising and inexorable destinations."
All Aboard! stars Brian Demar Jones (TV's Grimm) as the conductor guiding the three couple to their ultimate destinynation; and doing triple duty portraying all three couples are Sammi Sadicario (Rock of Ages, regional) and Nathan Oesterle .
All Aboard! tickets are $50, general admission; $25, students/seniors. Purchase at the 14th Street Y box office, online at www.allaboardthemusical.com/tickets-please, or by calling (646) 395-4310. For more information, visit www/allaboardthemusical.com.
The Girl Behind the Curtain Productions is a boutique production house formed in 2014, It focuses on the creation and selling of original works for stage, TV, and concert/recordings. Producer Sonia Carrion previously worked with Cambridge's American Repertory under Diane Paulus. For more information, visit www.thegirlbehindthecurtain.com.
I'll Eat You Last
Jodi Stevens Headlines as Sue Mengers in John Logan's I'll East You Last at Music Theatre of Connecticut
John Logan's biting, sometimes brutal eavesdrop into an evening at the home of Hollywood's pioneering first female mega agent, I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers, will star Jodi Stevens as the much-feared and, at least to a coterie of, much-loved powerbroker. It runs February 24-March 5 at Norwalk's Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC) (509 Westport Avenue), celebrating its 30th Anniversary season.
Jodi Stevens Headlines as Sue Mengers in John Logan's I'll Eat You Last at Music Theatre of Connecticut
The show plays in the state-of-the-art 110-seat Main Stage theatre, which boasts it's "Connecticut's most intimate theatre setting."
Stevens starred on Broadway in Urban Cowboy and Jekyll and Hyde. Off-Broadway and regional credits include Annie, Dracula: The Musical, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Sweeney Todd, and opposite husband Scott Bryce, My Way and Love Letters at MTC and White Heron Theatre. She's portrayed Marlene Dietrich in three productions: Noel Coward and Friends, the premiere of Barry Manilow's Harmony, and Dietrich and Chevalier.
Mengers had a meteoric rise in Hollywood, rising quickly from agency secretary to powerful, revengeful, tart-tongued, and witheringly acidic agent in a then-male dominated field. In her early life, in Nazi Germany, she was kicked to the curb as "a chubby Jewish girl." She escaped, arriving in New York in the mid-50s. She learned English watching movies. All those films had her in a constant dreamscape about Hollywood. During the run of Funny Girl, she met and became friends with Streisand. When Streisand went to Hollywood, Mengers followed.
In I'll Eat You Last, with Hollywood changing and clients deserting her, Mengers awaits her A-list dinner guest with a cigarette in one hand, a joint in the other. She sits forlornly in her glamorous Beverly Hills home hoping for a call from Streisand, who's just fired her. In the long wait, she dishes hot gossip and dirty secrets.
Mengers never brushed off the rough edges, but that didn't stop her from ruling regally over Hollywood. Her clients were the Who's Who of tinseltown: Beatty, Cher, Dunaway, Anjelica Huston, Ali MacGraw, Nicholson, Burt Reynolds, and assorted moguls and movers and shakers from M-G-M to San Quentin. Every guest had to be famous.
In Logan's play, Stevens, channeling mean Mengers, says "Honey, my own mother couldn't get in here if she was standing outside in the rain!"
In a 60 Minutes interview, Mengers told Mike Wallace, "I was a little fish — a little nothing making a hundred and thirty-five dollars a week. I liked the way the agents lived: the expense accounts, the cars. I thought, 'What they do isn't that hard. It beats typing.'"
When she rose to agent, mentored by one of the firm's top honchnos, she lifted his Rolodex and left for greener pastures. She took on the big boys, landing clients by threats, deception, cajoling, promises, guilt, and doggedness. She was once described as "a bulldog with charm."
Mengers, who suffered chronic illnesses and, in the end, tiny strokes, passed in 2011 at age 79.
Jodi Stevens is a three-time Connecticut Critics Circle nominee – including for Featured Actress in MTC's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
Logan is a three-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter and playwright. Plays include Red, winner of six Tonys including Best Play; screenplays include Skyfall, Sweeney Todd, The Aviator, and Gladiator. TV credits include Sex and the City.
Kevin Connors, MTC's co-founder and executive artistic director, directs.
MTC is recipient of the Connecticut Critics' Circle's highest honor, the Tom Killen Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Connecticut Professional Theatre. Its 30th Anniversary season is supported in part by Connecticut's Department of Economic and Community Development and The Hour/Hearst Connecticut Media Group.
Tickets for I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers are $30-$55 and available online at www.musictheatreofct.com or by phone at (203) 454-3883.
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