Off-Broadway, 3C, by David Adjmi, is about two female roommates, who allow a man to move in with them. Three other characters include the landlord and his wife and a male friend. All are tiresome characters in this ninety minute play. It still feels too long.
Love Goes to Press, by Martha Gellhorn and Virginia Cowles, is a splendid revival, with an excellent eleven member cast, headed by Angela Pierce and Heidi Armbruster as two female World War II correspondents in the war zone in Italy in 1944. I urge everyone to see this delightful, well acted production. Afterwards, we celebrated the opening at the West Bank Cafe with Virginia Cowles' daughter and three grandchildren, who came from England, and Martha Gellhorn's niece. It was a special occasion.
Closer Than Ever, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr, music by David Shire, is a superb revival with a wonderful four member cast, Jenn Colella, Christiane Noll, George Dvorsky and Sal Viviano, and consists of twenty four songs of people's problems in the 1980s. Opening night was celebrated at Volstead with Danny Burstein, Rebecca Luker, Michael Feinstein and Ted Chapin.
A wonderful As you Like It, by William Shakespeare, is being presented at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, with a magnificent cast headed by Lily Rabe, Renee Elise Goldsberry, David Furr, Stephen Spinella and Oliver Platt, expertly directed by Daniel Sullivan. Steve Martin composed the music. Do not miss this production. You will be well rewarded. The opening night party took place on the lawn with guests David Harbour, Julia Stiles, Bill Irwin, Frances McDormand and Patricia Clarkson. It was a memorable evening.
The Australian Ballet presented a non-traditional version of Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake. The set and costume design by Kristian Fredrikson is colorful, especially in the first act. The company is young and attractive, and energetic in their many jumps, lifts and turns. Madeleine Eastoe as Odette stole the show as a frustrated bride, institutionalized in a sanatorium. Her mad scene in the first act was brilliant. Kevin Jackson was Prince Siegfried as a confused husband and Lucinda Dunn was Odette's rival, Baroness von Rothbart. Although imaginative, the most effective scenes, in Act II and IV at the lake, were treated in a more traditional manner. The corps de ballet in these scenes were wonderful with Eastoe superb.
Marcy Heisler, Andrew Gerle and Matt Schatz received the 22nd Annual Kleban Prize at a ceremony at ASCAP attended by Maury Yeston, Sheldon Harnick and Richard Maltby, Jr. It was a lovely occasion.
Erika Sheffer received the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award from Linda Lavin at the 5th Annual Emerging Artists Luncheon at the National Arts Club. Also in attendance on this festive occasion were Greg Pierce, Li Jun Li and Terry Kinney.
Norm Lewis was the speaker at the Inaugural Actors Fund Benefit Luncheon at Sardi's. Randie Levine-Miller is the producer of this excellent event.
I attended a Meet & Greet for The Last Smoker in America, and two songs from the show were performed by the talented four member cast. It opens August 2 at the Westside Theatre and I plan to be there.
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The final awards of the season was the 2nd Annual Off Broadway Alliance Awards at Sardi's. Peter Breger, Chairman of the Off Broadway Alliance was the host, and many awards were distributed, including Tribes as Best Play, Carrie as Best Musical Revival, and Gerard Alessandrini, Catherine Russell and Kathleen Chalfant received special awards. It was a delightful reception.
We attended the launch party for Top of the Copa, a beautiful Roof Deck/Lounge on the fourth floor of the Copacabana. The owner John Juliano and the architect Joseph Kleinmann were in attendance. Delicious food and drinks were served.
Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, by Charles Barton, US, 1948 was screened at Film Society of Lincoln Center. For fans of the comedy pair and nostalgia, it is a pleasant memory of the past, and to become reacquainted with the original screen monsters. It is silly, but I found it enjoyable.
I attended another press screening of the 2012 New York Asian Film Festival at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Guns and Roses, by Ning Hao, China, 2012, takes place in Japanese-occupied Northern China in the 1930's and it concerns a gold heist by Chinese revolutionaries. As usual, there is lots of violence and bloodshed, which should please action fans. It is certainly a well made film. It claims to be funny, but the humor escapes me. The photography, however, is a joy to behold.
Gypsy, by Martin Sulik, Czech Republic/Slovakia, 2011, is a bleak, depressing look at the life of Roma (gypsy) people, where lack of education, unemployment and poverty is a part of their condition. Their housing in dilapidated shacks is appalling. We follow a fourteen-year old boy as he tries to help his widowed mother and survive life with his brutal stepfather, which ends tragically. It is a powerful film that leaves a deep impression. It opens at Film Forum on June 27-July 10.
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06-22-12 Honoree Erika Sheffer (L) and Paula Vogel at
the 5th Annual Emerging Artists Luncheon of the Paul
Vogel Playwriting Award at the National Arts Club. 15
Gramercy Park South. Thursday afternoon 06-21-12 |