The incomparable Sutton Foster was born to be Princess Winnifred the Woebegone. I have never watched a more physically exhausting performance, and Foster nails every moment of it. With only 10 days of rehearsal behind her (and while simultaneously learning the part of Mrs. Lovett for her next gig in Sweeney Todd), Foster is truly a marvel of the theater world - and we are so lucky to be able to see her exuberant performances.
And the rest of the cast is nothing to sneeze at either. It's possible there is more talent on stage at this production than any other stage on Broadway right now. Harriet Harris is perfect as Queen Aggravain, Michael Urie is a hilarious effeminate and stunted Prince Dauntless, Nikki Renée Daniels is wonderful as Lady Larken, J. Harrison Ghee shines as the Jester, and Cheyenne Jackson plays the loyal but simpleminded Sir Harry. The list goes on, and on. The result is an evening of raucous laughter that will make your face hurt. Lear deBessonet directs the new concert adaptation by Amy Sherman-Palladino, and the energy - literal movement, and also the patter of lyrics and dialogue - on the stage is palpable. We can only hope a Broadway run is in the future for this wonderful production. Encores! at New York City Center The hilarious romp through the Middle Ages is back on Broadway! The musical improves upon the movie, of course by being a musical, but also by bringing in The Lady of the Lake as a character. Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer steals the show from the male characters (as she's meant to) and can elicit the biggest guffaws from the audience with little more than the raise of an eyebrow. This is a solid revival with a wonderful ensemble cast of knights and dead bodies, physical gags galore, and great costumes and set pieces.
St. James Theatre The amazing Gabby Beans stars as Ana in this play about seeking companionship and happiness even in the worst of circumstances. The play overall was too long, and I was eager to leave the theater after 100 minutes with no intermission. But the more I have thought about the play, the more I appreciate the nuanced way in which the audience is brought into Ana's inner world.
Hagan Oliveras is the sweet, charming, and innocent Jonah who serves as Ana's refuge from her reality. Samuel H. Levine is Danny, the foil to Jonah - he cares about Ana but in a desperate and dangerous way. And John Zdrojeski is the awkward and inquisitive Steven who is enamored with the acclaimed novelist that Ana becomes. The men pop up in the intertwining scenes as we work to figure out what is real and what has been created by Ana, weaving convincing and compelling stories about her own life in order to cope. Laura Pels Theatre, Roundabout It's not often that a play evokes such a wide range of emotions - from laugh-out-loud funny to gasp-out-loud horrifying, this play has it all. Three siblings reunite at their childhood home in Arkansas to organize an estate sale and settle their father's affairs. Each had a different relationship with their father, but no one is prepared to reckon with the truth about the man.
The powerhouse cast, led by Sarah Paulson as Toni (the eldest sibling), is unbelievably good. Graham Campbell plays her wayward son, Corey Stoll (as Bo) and Michael Esper (as Frank) are both convincing brothers, Natalie Gold is excellent as the Jewish sister-in-law, and Elle Fanning contributes key comic relief as the hippie girlfriend/fiancé - she also plays an important role as an outsider to the family drama. The children provide another innocent perspective to the traumatic history of the family. Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Lila Neugebauer, the 2+ hour play is riveting until the last moment. Hayes Theater Audrey Plaza (Roberta) and Christopher Abbott (Danny) have electric emotional and sexual chemistry throughout this dark comedy. The two strike up reluctant conversation with each other at an empty bar, both sporting thick Bronx accents. Initially stilted dialogue gives way to powerful monologues in which deep truths of trauma and self-loathing bubble up to the surface and bring these two misfits together. The play is a riveting portrayal of an unlikely connection between two regular people dealing with their shit.
Lucille Lortel Theatre Stephen Sondheim's last musical before his death - arguably unfinished and not ready for production. And yet, a strong creative team (David Ives wrote the book, Joe Mantello directs) came together to get the show across the finish line for an off-Broadway run. The show is based on 2 surrealist Luis Buñuel films, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Act I) and The Exterminating Angel (Act II). Either because it was unfinished or by design, the show only has songs in the first act. As a result, the two acts almost feel like completely different shows: Act I, a surrealist musical comedy about a group of elitist friends attempting to find a spot for brunch, and Act II, a surrealist dystopian play about a group of people who, unable to leave a dinner party, descend into insanity and savagery.
The songs are full of Sondheim patter energy and the premise is funny (until it isn't anymore in Act II). The direction and choreography throughout is very clever and definitely stays true to other productions where Sondheim was involved. One memorable visual is when the group repeatedly returns to the "car" in search of another brunch option. Expert lighting, sound design, and set design create a cohesive world with minimal set pieces (especially in Act 1). An ensemble cast full of stars delivers throughout both acts - standouts include Bobby Cannavale, Rachel Bay Jones, Micaela Diamond and David Hyde Pierce. The one disappointment being that some of the great voices in the cast don't get a moment to shine (cough Amber Gray cough). The Griffin Theater at The Shed A musical based loosely on Alicia Key's life growing up in Manhattan, with new arrangements of her songs and a couple of new ones - what could go wrong? Almost everything. We expected a weak plot, but we also expected amazing choreography and music. Unfortunately, the new arrangements are actively bad and the dance scenes were so chaotic that I actually found myself trying to look away each time. Maleah Joi Moon has an amazing voice and does her best as Ali; Shoshana Bean, as Jersey (Ali's mom) has a strong voice that needed less amplification.
The plot is overly simplistic and full of holes. Ali is a teenager eager to be treated like an adult, and the main conflict centers on her relationship with Knuck, an older guy who she approaches on the street. Eventually Jersey asks her cop friends to scare Knuck so he stops coming around, but Ali finds him - her persistent pursual of Knuck borders on stalking. Ali's father, Davis (Brandon Victor Dixon) is MIA - he abandoned Jersey and Ali, prioritizing his piano career over his family - but he's also readily available when Jersey reaches out for his help with teenager Ali. In the meantime, Ali wanders in on Miss Liza Jane (Kecia Lewis) and feels a strong connection to the instrument. So why is she so petulant about learning to play? And if her father didn't leave until Ali was 7 or 8, why didn't he start teaching her? After he disappoints Ali and Jersey again, why do they welcome him back with open arms when he shows up at Miss Liza Jane's funeral and makes the event about himself? And just how many different ways can Ali and Jersey hug each other in the last scene? They are reconciled. We get it. Newman Theater at The Public The best way to watch a movie!
Guest Massamba Diop plays the Tama, a “talking drum” from Senegal and a notable addition that is mesmerizing (and more engaging than some of the CGI fight scenes) to watch. Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center The first Spanish opera to be produced at the Met in almost a century. Passengers board a steamboat to travel down a river in the Amazon rainforest hoping to hear the enigmatic and renowned opera singer, Florencia Grimaldi (Ailyn Pérez), perform live. Little do they know that Grimaldi is on the ship with them with her own hopes of reuniting with a lost lover.
An overly simplistic plot is inconsequential at an opera; but one of the joys of the Met are the extravagant sets and stagings. In this production, much of the action takes place on the ship's deck and this is represented by people wheeling railings around, pathetically and illogically tilting them to indicate the steamboat listing in stormy waters. The rainforest creature puppeteers are sparks of delight, but too few and far between. Not only does the set underwhelm, but I found myself closing my eyes more often then usual throughout the production. The music and libretto are beautiful, and watching only broke the magical realism spell of the "Florencia" world. The Metropolitan Opera The indomitable Purlie Victorious Judson (Leslie Odom, Jr.) returns to the plantation where he and his family once were the slaves of Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee (Jay O. Sanders), and where his brother and sister-in-law (Billy Eugene Jones and Heather Alicia Simms) still live under his shadow, endlessly indebted to him. Purlie hopes to purchase Big Bethel and begin a life of preaching to the community. He has hatched a plan to claim inheritance money owed to his cousin Bee, who has passed away. In her place Purlie has brought along Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins (Kara Young), who he hopes Cotchipee will believe is Bee so they can claim the money.
For me, Lutiebelle steals the show as she tries to follow Purlie's instructions to appear as cousin Bee - especially in contrast to the last role we saw her in (Jess in The Cost of Living), Young's physicality, comedic timing, and delivery is almost unmatched on the stage. But of course Odom keeps up, delivering vigorous monologues throughout, and really so does the rest of the incredible cast. The play is outrageously funny, but also has some very dark moments. And we very clearly see why this revival is still so important in our time, why it retains the setting of "the recent past." Music Box Theatre |
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