I walked into the Lyceum with extremely high expectations. I'd heard nothing but great things about the production and was eager to see it for myself. Unfortunately my evening at the theater did not live up to my high expectations. It wasn't bad or boring or unenjoyable, it was just not my thing. And I can appreciate that the production was stunningly well designed and the concept was really incredibly. I can appreciate the lack of set, monochromatic color scheme, and subtle lighting design. I thought Mark Strong was unbelievable as Eddie - definitely a Tony Award winning performance in my opinion.
My feelings on "A View From The Bridge" are difficult to put into coherent thoughts because I have no problem saying the production was brilliant, but I can't say I really enjoyed the show. When the kiss scene happened - if you've seen the show or know the play you understand - I was immediately thrust into the action. I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the show from that point on. But there were literally moments where I wanted nothing more than the pace to speed up because it was agonizingly slow. Still, as an intelligent theater-goer, I can recognize the reasons behind the pace and all that jazz. Like, in my head I understood the concept but in my heart I just couldn't get behind it - "it" being the concept and the story.
I love me some Russell Tovey, but he was miscast here as Rodolpho. Everyone else was strong, but Mark Strong (his last name is hilariously ironic) was so good that no one else really had the chance to measure up. Also, why cast another actor as the INS officer who barely said more than two words and had all of 10 seconds where he was onstage.
There was nothing tangible about this production, and thus I couldn't really connect to any of the characters or situations. The ending got me interested because something was happening, and I have a hard time with shows where nothing happens but the characters are living in a barren universe. If a character in a realistic/naturalistic play are sitting around doing nothing, that's easier to relate to because I've been there, I've existed in that same world and done nothing. But an empty stage doesn't provide for much except the action and dialogue between the people, and there wasn't enough of that to keep me involved and interested. Stripping everything down - including the lack of accents - sometimes works for me, but not with this particular play. The accents, or absence of accents, frustrated me and took me out of the world of the play at times. The actress playing Catherine had a distinct accent, but she was the only one. The Italian immigrants didn't have accents, which was obviously a strong choice but unrealistic. Every choice that was made in the production made sense when I went back and thought hard about it, but even thinking it all through I still couldn't get behind the concept with this play.
Long story short, the production was great but I was not emotionally stimulated or overwhelmed.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Important Hats of the Twentieth Century
Alright. So last time I saw an MTC show at City Center I disliked the first act and loved the second act (Ripcord). Today's MTC show at City Center was the opposite. I loved the first act and disliked the second. I'm honestly not sure I've ever come across a play with such a weak ending... as if the playwright literally had no idea how to end the show so he just stopped writing. Really, it was pretty dreadful. But Act I was just so much fun! I was really into it -- the story, the acting, the set changes. Everything worked really well. And then the last twenty minutes of Act II were TOTALLY BIZARRE. There's no other word to use except bizarre. Seriously. The acting was still fine, the set changes were as well. But the story took a bizarre turn -- hairy cavemen with GIANT... reproductive glands... using a time travel helmet to... pleasure themselves. I'm not making that up. That actually happened.
So the play was a little wonky. But the acting was actually all around fabulous. The cast could've been cut down with multiple people playing multiple roles, not as intense as 39 Steps, but in a similar vein.
The audience for a 2:30 pm matinee was made up of primarily blue hairs, but they were laughing. The best part of the whole afternoon was when two very old women got up during the applause and literally walked into two actors as they were running up onstage to bow. The actors already onstage noticed and, being in the front row, their remarks were audible. You kind of had to witness that situation to understand just how ill-timed and hilarious it was.
Wasn't my favorite, but certainly wasn't my least favorite. I got some good chuckles out the show, and thoroughly enjoyed all the actors.
So the play was a little wonky. But the acting was actually all around fabulous. The cast could've been cut down with multiple people playing multiple roles, not as intense as 39 Steps, but in a similar vein.
The audience for a 2:30 pm matinee was made up of primarily blue hairs, but they were laughing. The best part of the whole afternoon was when two very old women got up during the applause and literally walked into two actors as they were running up onstage to bow. The actors already onstage noticed and, being in the front row, their remarks were audible. You kind of had to witness that situation to understand just how ill-timed and hilarious it was.
Wasn't my favorite, but certainly wasn't my least favorite. I got some good chuckles out the show, and thoroughly enjoyed all the actors.
Steve
When I walked out of Steve I realized that two nights in a row I had seen almost the same show. Obviously different in concept, acting, and execution, Steve and Dada Woof Papa Hot dealt with the same themes (save for the cancer side plot in Steve). Again we have an affluent New York City gay couple with a kid trying to figure out how to be a functional family. One of the men is caught sexting, the other sleeps with an Argentinian waiter named Esteban. One of them is good with the son, the other has a hard time understanding how to handle the kid. Oh and the first scene was the two couples (and female friend) sitting at a table in a restaurant -- I didn't actually go into detail, but that's how Dada Woof Papa Hot starts too .
And yet Steve had moments of farce and stepped out of the world of realism every once in a while. For that reason the play was uneven. I kind of felt that it needed to go deeper into being a drama or decide it was a comedy, instead of see-sawing back and forth. The funny moments were deliriously funny but the dramatic moments were so-so. So in the end I wasn't emotionally drained like I might've been if the dramatic moments went deeper like the funny moments did.
I saw Matt McGrath just a few weeks ago in George McBride at MCC. He was completely brilliant as an aging drag queen downtown. And in Steve he was completely brilliant as aging ex-Broadway chorus boy, Steven. So I'd say Matt McGrath is just a pretty darn good actor. His comedic timing is great, and his facial expressions are hard to beat.
Steve was much more minimalist than Dada Woof Papa Hot, which was good because if the set had been more complicated it would've ruined the transition from realism. This would've created an issue similar to the one I had with the Bachelors. The idea of pausing reality to rewind and do it over is explored in Steve, and it's an interesting idea that I wish had been used once more -- it was used twice and needed to happen a third time to really seal the deal.
The show didn't amaze me, but I enjoyed myself. Those who love a good musical theater reference will love the show as the characters practically speak in references to musicals old and new.
If you're going to the show, make sure to get there early when the house opens. There's a fun little thing that happens before the show.
And yet Steve had moments of farce and stepped out of the world of realism every once in a while. For that reason the play was uneven. I kind of felt that it needed to go deeper into being a drama or decide it was a comedy, instead of see-sawing back and forth. The funny moments were deliriously funny but the dramatic moments were so-so. So in the end I wasn't emotionally drained like I might've been if the dramatic moments went deeper like the funny moments did.
I saw Matt McGrath just a few weeks ago in George McBride at MCC. He was completely brilliant as an aging drag queen downtown. And in Steve he was completely brilliant as aging ex-Broadway chorus boy, Steven. So I'd say Matt McGrath is just a pretty darn good actor. His comedic timing is great, and his facial expressions are hard to beat.
Steve was much more minimalist than Dada Woof Papa Hot, which was good because if the set had been more complicated it would've ruined the transition from realism. This would've created an issue similar to the one I had with the Bachelors. The idea of pausing reality to rewind and do it over is explored in Steve, and it's an interesting idea that I wish had been used once more -- it was used twice and needed to happen a third time to really seal the deal.
The show didn't amaze me, but I enjoyed myself. Those who love a good musical theater reference will love the show as the characters practically speak in references to musicals old and new.
If you're going to the show, make sure to get there early when the house opens. There's a fun little thing that happens before the show.
Dada Woof Papa Hot
My biggest regret is that I didn't see The Normal Heart back in 2012. Seriously. Missing that production is the one move I've made that I will regret for the rest of my life. So when I saw John Benjamin Hickey's name attached to Dada Woof Papa Hot obviously I bought a ticket. I missed him once, I wasn't going to miss him again.
Dada Woof Paper Hot illustrates what is seemingly the new normal onstage these days -- an affluent New York City gay couple with a couple of kids fighting over issues of fidelity and navigating the waters of middle age. These are themes most everyone can relate to. I was surprised how close to home the story hit for me, my being a by-product of a marriage that stayed together for the kids.
The story followed three couples, all married with kids, navigating the waters of staying faithful to their spouses while having their attention divided among work, family, and extramarital affairs. Pretty standard plot really.
I was most surprised by the set, as there seemed to be a constant stream of new locations from one scene to the next. Entire rooms moved in and out of the playing space, each one showing a different glimpse into the world of the main couple, Rob and Alan.
The one element of the show that really irked me was the use of a recorded voice for Rob and Alan's daughter. She called out during a dinner party from her bedroom, and her voice was so obviously coming from the speakers on either side of the stage that I almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness. There was no need for her voice to be heard at all -- or if it was really that necessary it should've been a live voice.
Simply put, John Benjamin Hickey was superb. Patrick Breen, playing Hickey's husband, was great and they were well cast together. I really really really disliked Alex Hurt as Jason, but it wasn't Mr. Hurt as an actor that I didn't like, it was the way he played the character of Jason. Jason was just a hateful (that might be too strong of a word) character to begin with, and his mannerisms and flippant tone frustrated me to no end. But each character had some redeeming quality, and those qualities centered around their love for the children. No matter how much trouble Alan (Hickey) had with the daughter, it was clear he just needed guidance on how to handle her and he was scared of how much he loved her.
Overall, Dada Woof Papa Hot was a heart-warming, enjoyable, family drama worth the $34.00 I payed for the ticket.
Dada Woof Paper Hot illustrates what is seemingly the new normal onstage these days -- an affluent New York City gay couple with a couple of kids fighting over issues of fidelity and navigating the waters of middle age. These are themes most everyone can relate to. I was surprised how close to home the story hit for me, my being a by-product of a marriage that stayed together for the kids.
The story followed three couples, all married with kids, navigating the waters of staying faithful to their spouses while having their attention divided among work, family, and extramarital affairs. Pretty standard plot really.
I was most surprised by the set, as there seemed to be a constant stream of new locations from one scene to the next. Entire rooms moved in and out of the playing space, each one showing a different glimpse into the world of the main couple, Rob and Alan.
The one element of the show that really irked me was the use of a recorded voice for Rob and Alan's daughter. She called out during a dinner party from her bedroom, and her voice was so obviously coming from the speakers on either side of the stage that I almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness. There was no need for her voice to be heard at all -- or if it was really that necessary it should've been a live voice.
Simply put, John Benjamin Hickey was superb. Patrick Breen, playing Hickey's husband, was great and they were well cast together. I really really really disliked Alex Hurt as Jason, but it wasn't Mr. Hurt as an actor that I didn't like, it was the way he played the character of Jason. Jason was just a hateful (that might be too strong of a word) character to begin with, and his mannerisms and flippant tone frustrated me to no end. But each character had some redeeming quality, and those qualities centered around their love for the children. No matter how much trouble Alan (Hickey) had with the daughter, it was clear he just needed guidance on how to handle her and he was scared of how much he loved her.
Overall, Dada Woof Papa Hot was a heart-warming, enjoyable, family drama worth the $34.00 I payed for the ticket.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
The Bachelors
Unless you plan on giving me step by step directions over the phone, don't expect me to be able to find my way around the West Village. Finding Rattlestick Playwrights Theater was an adventure. Let's just say I might've called for backup and Amanda (I just assume at this point my "readers" are people who know who I'm talking about...) had to come rescue me. Really I'm making this all out to be more dramatic than necessary.
The Bachelors is a new play written by Caroline V. McGraw. This production was directed by Portia Krieger, the Associate Director of Fun Home, and starred Black DeLong, Quincy Dunn-Baker, and Babak Tafti. I was immediately interested in seeing the show after hearing that Babak had been cast as I'd seen (and loved) him in The North Pool and at Barrington Stage Company (the summer I was interning there) in Much Ado About Nothing. Also, I got a free ticket for volunteering to usher... so even more exciting.
I was told I would enjoy The Bachelors. I was told it was "my kind of thing" and yeah, it definitely was. An all-male cast, naturalistic/realistic, kind of gross, kind of sad, very dysfunctional. My kind of play. I enjoyed the show. I didn't love the theater itself, and I found the squeakiness of the chairs distracting. I know it sounds like a stupid complaint, but there were times when audience members moved around so much I was convinced the squeaking was playing on a track in the background of the play. All squeaking aside, the acting was quite good. Each of the three men had established personalities that were all different, but you could see how they kind of fell into this easy way of living together without really knowing each other. They're all scared of growing up. I hated each of them at different moments throughout for very different reasons.
The practically scathing review in the NY Times was, in my opinion (but really what does that matter), unjust. The script, while not perfect, is not the shit show the Times review makes it out to be. My biggest issue was the two times the play took a sharp turn away from the realistic world the characters were living in. For those of you who had the fortune of seeing the show, I'm talking about the door moments. If you haven't seen the show it doesn't matter -- just know there are two moments where the front door magically opens and the characters are like OMG A GHOST.
Good stuff happening at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. And a good foray into the work of Lesser America (the company that put the production on) for me.
The Bachelors is a new play written by Caroline V. McGraw. This production was directed by Portia Krieger, the Associate Director of Fun Home, and starred Black DeLong, Quincy Dunn-Baker, and Babak Tafti. I was immediately interested in seeing the show after hearing that Babak had been cast as I'd seen (and loved) him in The North Pool and at Barrington Stage Company (the summer I was interning there) in Much Ado About Nothing. Also, I got a free ticket for volunteering to usher... so even more exciting.
I was told I would enjoy The Bachelors. I was told it was "my kind of thing" and yeah, it definitely was. An all-male cast, naturalistic/realistic, kind of gross, kind of sad, very dysfunctional. My kind of play. I enjoyed the show. I didn't love the theater itself, and I found the squeakiness of the chairs distracting. I know it sounds like a stupid complaint, but there were times when audience members moved around so much I was convinced the squeaking was playing on a track in the background of the play. All squeaking aside, the acting was quite good. Each of the three men had established personalities that were all different, but you could see how they kind of fell into this easy way of living together without really knowing each other. They're all scared of growing up. I hated each of them at different moments throughout for very different reasons.
The practically scathing review in the NY Times was, in my opinion (but really what does that matter), unjust. The script, while not perfect, is not the shit show the Times review makes it out to be. My biggest issue was the two times the play took a sharp turn away from the realistic world the characters were living in. For those of you who had the fortune of seeing the show, I'm talking about the door moments. If you haven't seen the show it doesn't matter -- just know there are two moments where the front door magically opens and the characters are like OMG A GHOST.
Good stuff happening at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. And a good foray into the work of Lesser America (the company that put the production on) for me.
On Your Feet!
This is long overdue.
I saw On Your Feet! during press performances, so right before it officially opened. I went into the show not knowing much about Gloria Estefan -- really I just knew all the words to "Get On Your Feet" (for reasons only a few of you trusty readers will understand). I had a fantastic seat -- H 115 right smack dab in the center of the orchestra. Once seated I settled in for an entertaining evening.
The second the curtain speech ended and the music and lights started I was transfixed. I don't think there's anything on Broadway right now quite as amazing as the band playing onstage at On Your Feet! (I understand that people will argue Hamilton, but please people I haven't seen it... want to buy me a ticket?) The first few minutes of On Your Feet! are IMPOSSIBLE not to smile through. Honestly, the music was just perfect and set the scene so well. Not a song went by that I wasn't impressed by the musicians -- some of which are original members of Miami Sound Machine.
Jukebox musicals are hard to get right. On Your Feet! didn't get it perfect, but let's be honest there can only be one perfect jukebox musical... Jersey Boys. Gloria Estefan puts up a good fight though. Unfortunately the book of the musical just can't compete with the Rick Elice's genius playing a few blocks away. Alexander Dinelaris' book just skims the surface of emotion, provides a basic outline of Gloria and Emilio's love story, and then puts you through a hellaciously slow second act. I had no idea there was a bus accident that almost killed Gloria Estefan, and while it was well done the whole recovery process was a tad too long.
My biggest problem with On Your Feet! is the timeline of events. I never really knew what year it was, or how much time passed between one scene and another. I needed some reference aside from clothing styles and quick quips from sassy music producers. Who knew the bus accident happened in 1990? I thought it was like 2005 at that point. Perhaps I should've realized the timeline on my own, but a little help would've been appreciated.
Ana Villafane's performance as Gloria Estefan was just stunning. Truly she was amazing and hard to take your eyes off of. She was a triple threat up there and a joy to watch. I can only imagine how satisfied Gloria must be to know that her story is being portrayed by such a talent. Josh Segarra, portraying Emilio Estefan, was absolutely charming but I felt his thick accent got in the way of his singing voice. The supporting cast was great and I had a lot of fun watching them throughout the show. The one shock of the night was the father's voice -- Eliseo Roman. He has a couple of solo moments and his voice SHOCKED me it was so beautiful.
Long story short, I was thoroughly entertained and truly had a great time.
I saw On Your Feet! during press performances, so right before it officially opened. I went into the show not knowing much about Gloria Estefan -- really I just knew all the words to "Get On Your Feet" (for reasons only a few of you trusty readers will understand). I had a fantastic seat -- H 115 right smack dab in the center of the orchestra. Once seated I settled in for an entertaining evening.
The second the curtain speech ended and the music and lights started I was transfixed. I don't think there's anything on Broadway right now quite as amazing as the band playing onstage at On Your Feet! (I understand that people will argue Hamilton, but please people I haven't seen it... want to buy me a ticket?) The first few minutes of On Your Feet! are IMPOSSIBLE not to smile through. Honestly, the music was just perfect and set the scene so well. Not a song went by that I wasn't impressed by the musicians -- some of which are original members of Miami Sound Machine.
Jukebox musicals are hard to get right. On Your Feet! didn't get it perfect, but let's be honest there can only be one perfect jukebox musical... Jersey Boys. Gloria Estefan puts up a good fight though. Unfortunately the book of the musical just can't compete with the Rick Elice's genius playing a few blocks away. Alexander Dinelaris' book just skims the surface of emotion, provides a basic outline of Gloria and Emilio's love story, and then puts you through a hellaciously slow second act. I had no idea there was a bus accident that almost killed Gloria Estefan, and while it was well done the whole recovery process was a tad too long.
My biggest problem with On Your Feet! is the timeline of events. I never really knew what year it was, or how much time passed between one scene and another. I needed some reference aside from clothing styles and quick quips from sassy music producers. Who knew the bus accident happened in 1990? I thought it was like 2005 at that point. Perhaps I should've realized the timeline on my own, but a little help would've been appreciated.
Ana Villafane's performance as Gloria Estefan was just stunning. Truly she was amazing and hard to take your eyes off of. She was a triple threat up there and a joy to watch. I can only imagine how satisfied Gloria must be to know that her story is being portrayed by such a talent. Josh Segarra, portraying Emilio Estefan, was absolutely charming but I felt his thick accent got in the way of his singing voice. The supporting cast was great and I had a lot of fun watching them throughout the show. The one shock of the night was the father's voice -- Eliseo Roman. He has a couple of solo moments and his voice SHOCKED me it was so beautiful.
Long story short, I was thoroughly entertained and truly had a great time.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Allegiance
I, with my stone-cold bitch-face, shed a tear twice during the two and a half hours I spent inside the Longacre Theatre. The first tear fell during the opening number -- Lea Salonga's voice live is just astounding. The second tear fell during the last few moments of the musical, when everything is wrapping up and the story comes full circle.
So great, I cried a couple of times. But those two moments were the only two times I felt anything during the show. There's so much there -- the story is interesting, moving, and deep. Unfortunately Allegiance did not live up to expectations. George Takei, the man behind the story, making his Broadway debut, was barely a supporting character. The characters were two-dimensional. The story dragged. The romances were anything buy romantic.
I had a huge problem with the lighting and projection design. It was all too dark. I expressed my feelings about blackouts in my last post -- blackouts take me out of the performance, make my mind start to wander. The most creative part of the musical was the recreation of the Atom bomb dropping on Hiroshima. The lighting design at that moment was gorgeous and evoked emotion, which is what was lacking during every other moment.
The standout performance was Michael K. Lee. Although I wasn't necessarily on his side (the resistance), Lee's character, Frankie, was the most fleshed out and three-dimensional. Telly Leung's voice has grown since Godspell, but his character was undeveloped. There was so much heart put into the musical, but poor direction killed it. If the book of a musical is bad but the music, characters, story itself, direction, etc works... who cares how lame the book is. In the case of Allegiance, the music isn't memorable enough and the characters aren't fleshed out enough.
Overall I had a good time, but was underwhelmed. Go see the show if only to see George Takei onstage and experience his story. There's a lot of heart behind the production, but the execution left me wanting more.
So great, I cried a couple of times. But those two moments were the only two times I felt anything during the show. There's so much there -- the story is interesting, moving, and deep. Unfortunately Allegiance did not live up to expectations. George Takei, the man behind the story, making his Broadway debut, was barely a supporting character. The characters were two-dimensional. The story dragged. The romances were anything buy romantic.
I had a huge problem with the lighting and projection design. It was all too dark. I expressed my feelings about blackouts in my last post -- blackouts take me out of the performance, make my mind start to wander. The most creative part of the musical was the recreation of the Atom bomb dropping on Hiroshima. The lighting design at that moment was gorgeous and evoked emotion, which is what was lacking during every other moment.
The standout performance was Michael K. Lee. Although I wasn't necessarily on his side (the resistance), Lee's character, Frankie, was the most fleshed out and three-dimensional. Telly Leung's voice has grown since Godspell, but his character was undeveloped. There was so much heart put into the musical, but poor direction killed it. If the book of a musical is bad but the music, characters, story itself, direction, etc works... who cares how lame the book is. In the case of Allegiance, the music isn't memorable enough and the characters aren't fleshed out enough.
Overall I had a good time, but was underwhelmed. Go see the show if only to see George Takei onstage and experience his story. There's a lot of heart behind the production, but the execution left me wanting more.
Catch The Butcher
(I'M SO BEHIND! I saw this show a few weeks ago...)
My mind wasn't blown, but I had an enjoyable time. This show didn't leave me with too much to think about -- other than why in the word someone thought it was a good idea to have seating be general admission.
I was a die-hard fan of the television show Dexter up until the last two seasons when it just imploded on itself and was too shitty to stomach. Lauren Luna Velez who played Lt. Maria LaGuerta on Dexter was once again thrust into the world of a serial killer in "Catch The Butcher" at the Cherry Lane Theatre. I never really cared for her on TV and I didn't really care for onstage. She wasn't bad, just okay. Jonathan Walker, playing the serial killer, was just fabulous. Absolutely perfect for the role and I enjoyed all of his moments. The third character (played by Angelina Fiordellisi, who is the Producing Artistic Director of Cherry Lane Theatre) added a bit of comic relief and was very good, if not slightly annoying.
My mind wasn't blown, but I had an enjoyable time. This show didn't leave me with too much to think about -- other than why in the word someone thought it was a good idea to have seating be general admission.
I was a die-hard fan of the television show Dexter up until the last two seasons when it just imploded on itself and was too shitty to stomach. Lauren Luna Velez who played Lt. Maria LaGuerta on Dexter was once again thrust into the world of a serial killer in "Catch The Butcher" at the Cherry Lane Theatre. I never really cared for her on TV and I didn't really care for onstage. She wasn't bad, just okay. Jonathan Walker, playing the serial killer, was just fabulous. Absolutely perfect for the role and I enjoyed all of his moments. The third character (played by Angelina Fiordellisi, who is the Producing Artistic Director of Cherry Lane Theatre) added a bit of comic relief and was very good, if not slightly annoying.
My biggest issue with the production was the lighting. There were so many blackouts to indicate the passage of time. But blackouts just make me want to take a nap, and they totally throw me off and take me out of the world of the play. I totally understand what the production was trying to get across with the blackouts but I wish the stage didn't go dark as often as it did. I found my mind wandering during every blackout, and there were so many that basically my mind was constantly wandering.
Aside from ridiculous audience behavior, it was an enjoyable evening at the theater. I got to experience a new (well, new to me) Off-Broadway theater.
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