In the great days of Broadway
musicals, talented composers, like Cole
Porter or Irving
Berlin, were
able to compose the music and write the lyrics. Two
geniuses, like Richard
Rodgers who composed
magnificent, melodious music, and Oscar
Hammerstein II who
wrote equally magnificent, intelligent lyrics, made
musical theater a delight on Broadway. Today, it
takes four untalented composers and writers to
present In Transit, book,
music and lyrics, by Kristen
Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara
Wordsworth, at Circle in the Square
Theatre, with the addition of two more people to
give us an original concept. It is a a cappella
show. An eleven member cast, choreographed and
directed by Kathleen
Marshall, ride a subway train, while we watch
for one hour and forty minutes. To be honest, my
wife and I rarely take the subway. It is crowded,
and full of homeless people, aggressive beggars,
fearless muggers, sexual perverts and other types,
with whom we do not like to associate. To watch
totally unbelievable events taking place there by
uninteresting characters, accompanied by less than
memorable songs, is a fantasy devoid of reality.
Paramour,
directed and conceived by Phillipe
Decoufle, at the Lyric Theatre, is a dazzling
entertainment by Cirque de Soleil. We were invited
back to see it again. It is the story of a director
(Jeremy Kushnier)
in Hollywood, who discovers a new artist (Ruby
Lewis), who has a jealous boyfriend.
Complications ensue. The story is a cliche, but the
amazing circus acts are fabulous. Every performer
seems to do the impossible and we watch with
astonishment as they float through the air. It is a
sight not to be missed. After the performance, the
producers Stephen
C. Byrd and Alia
Jones-Harvey invited
us to a reception in the Apollo Link Lounge in the
theatre, where we met some of the cast members. I
congratulated Ruby Lewis on her beautiful singing
and acting.
Othello,
by William
Shakespeare, is
a production of the New York Theatre Workshop,
starring David
Oyelowo in
the title role and Daniel
Craig as
the cunning villain, Iago. Both give two of the
finest performances of the season. The story of a
jealous husband, who murders his innocent wife, is
one the best plays that Shakespeare ever wrote.
While the acting by the two leading actors is
brilliant, the modern, up dated production is not.
The first act begins in total darkness and there are
other dark scenes throughout the play. This adds
nothing to the play, and is uncomfortable for one's
eyesight. The addition of a guitar player, who
wanders around playing dreary songs, is also a
worthless addition to the play. The scenic design,
consisting of filthy mattresses, is also unpleasant
to the eye. And, finally, for over three hours to
sit on hard wooden benches redesigned for this
production is uncomfortable
for one's posterior.
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia
Hart, by David
Greig, directed by Wils
Wilson, at the Heath in the McKittrick Hotel, is
a musical, with five cast members. The movement
director Janice
Parker has
them circulate around the venue, which is like a
Scottish pub, where shots of whisky are on the
counter of the bar for the audience to sample, and
in the intermission, ham and cheese or plain cheese
sandwiches are served also, to modify the effect of
the whisky. With the audience so contented, they can
enjoy the entertaining tale of a young lady doing
research about the Devil, whom she encounters. The
talented cast play musical instruments, which
enlivens the performance. It is a delightful way to
spend the evening, and I recommend it highly. For
non whisky drinkers, there is a cash bar, which
serves other drinks, as well as a specialty named
appropriately The Devil's Brew. We attended
the opening night party two nights later to indulge
in more food and drink. The Scots know how to enjoy
life!
Nina Conti In Your Face,
at the Barrow Street Theatre, until December 23, is
an entertaining show. Nina
Conti, daughter of the distinguished English
actor Tom
Conti, is
a remarkable ventriloquist. When she appears on
stage with her puppet
MONKEY and
engages the audience, you would be convinced that
MONKEY is talking.
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She also has members of the
audience go on stage, where she place masks on
their faces with movable lips, and again she
convinces the audience that they are speaking.
It is a 65-minute performance, and the audience
granted her a well deserved standing ovation.
Martin Luther on Trial,
by Chris
Cragin-Day and Max
McLean, at the Pearl Theatre, is an
interesting play, by a superb six member cast,
directed expertly by Michael
Parva, A trial is held in the Afterlife
between Heaven and Hell. Various witnesses
appear, like Hitler and Freud,
while we watch scenes from Martin Luther's
life. It is worth a visit.
The New York Pops, conducted
by music director Steven
Reineke, offered their annual holiday
celebration at Carnegie hall, with four
outstanding performers, Ann
Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway,
Anthony Nunziata, Will Nunziata, and Essential
Voices USA, conducted by Judith
Clurman. They sang popular and traditional
Chanukah and Christmas songs. A highlight
of the first part was a spiritual Go Tell It
on the Mountain, and
another highlight after the intermission a White
Christmas Medley, by Irving
Berlin, both performed by the entire
company. For 34 years, The New York Pops
has been a treasured New York institution. It
was a splendid concert.
I photographed the cast and creative team of the
MCC Theater's Yen,
by Anna
Jordan and
directed by Trip
Cullman, which opens on January 30. I look
forward to attending the opening night. Across
the hall were the cast of Silent NO
MORE, celebrating 20 years of empowering
deaf children to speak, dream, achieve and
inspire. They performed at Weill Recital Hall at
Carnegie Hall on December 15. Unfortunately, I
could not attend, because I had to review an
Off-Broadway play the same night.
Susan L. Schulman held
her annual Chicken
Liver party
at her home on the West Side. It was
delightful with charming guests, like Kathleen
Chalfant, Karen Ziemba and Barbara
Hoffman. That, plus delicious food and drink
made it a splendid evening.
We attended a reception for War
Paint at Wolfgang's,
250 West 41st St. With exquisite hors d'oeuvres
and drink, it was another wonderful event. I
congratulated Michael
Greif for
his success with Dear
Evan Hansen, and he is now a double threat
on Broadway directing Patti
LuPone and Christine
Ebersole in War
Paint. I told my only joke about Elizabeth
Arden to
Christine. She seemed to enjoy it.
I went to Rattle
N Hum West, 306 West 39th St, a lovely
pub, for the School
of Rock-The Musical's launch of a new beer, School
of Hops. It is delicious, and will be sold
at the Winter Garden Theatre, where the show is
playing. They are also providing aSchool of
Pop, a strawberry flavored non-alcoholic
seltzer. The proceeds from the sale of the two
beverages will go to a charity, Sing
for Hope, a worthy cause.
I received the Masterworks
Broadway/Epic Records soundtrack for the
television program of Hairspray
LIVE! from Sony
Music. I did not see the program, but the
songs were pleasant to hear again. I reviewed
the original on Broadway, which was very
entertaining. The TV cast is good, but I'm
afraid they cannot compete with the original
cast on Broadway.
I received a copy of When
Broadway Went to Hollywood, by Ethan
Mordden, Oxford University Press, 2016. It
is a wonderful, honest book about how Hollywood
producers seduced the leading composers on
Broadway to compose music for their films. In
general, it was not a pleasant experience. Irving
Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and
many others discovered how different filmmaking
is from theatre, where their efforts are rarely
respected. In spite of that, many glorious
musicals were made, and are described in
detail.The reader will enjoy all the gossip. The
author is knowledgeable, and does not withhold
his punches. He is also very witty. All lovers
of film and theatre will enjoy this marvelous
book. |