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On Broadway, The
Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee
Williams, at the Belasco
Theatre, is a revival, that in no way resembles the
original play. One of the actors is Madison
Ferris, who must be the most
courageous actress this season on Broadway. She has
muscular dystrophy. and has to move in a wheelchair. The
director Sam
Gold has
her mount some steps from the orchestra to the stage on
her hands and legs. It is not a pretty sight. She is,
however, a brave, fine actress, and the highlight of
this absurd production takes place in the dark, lit by
candles, a tender scene, where the Gentleman Caller (Finn
Wittrock) bestows a kiss on
her lovely face. Sally
Field is
the irritating mother and Joe
Mantello is
the son, who cannot wait to leave this pathetic
household. All four actors perform well, in spite of
what the director forces them to do. I do not believe
that the deceased playwright would have enjoyed this
production.
Miss Saigon,
music by Claude-Michel
Schonberg, lyrics by Richard
Maltby, Jr and Alain
Boubil, at the Broadway Theatre, is a new production
of the musical, which first appeared on Broadway in
1991. It has an enormous cast, which is a pleasure to
see, finally, on a Broadway stage, directed effectively
by Laurence
Connor. The
musical staging and choreography is also effectively
staged by Bob
Avian. The set by Adrian
Vaux is
very well done, and the arrival of the famous helicopter
is remarkable, a scenic masterpiece. The cast is quite
good, headed by Jon
Jon Briones (The
Engineer), Eva
Noblezada (Kim), Alistair
Brammer (Chris)
and Nicholas Christopher (John).
The music is pleasant, and the story imitates the famous
opera by Puccini, Madama
Butterfly. The first production was very successful,
and I imagine that this one, set during the horrible war
in Vietnam, will succeed also. The wonderful opening
night party was held at Tavern on the Green, and I
photographed cast members Viveca
Chow and Minami
Yusui (photo
below), as well as Alistair and Nicholas.
Sweat, by Lynn
Nottage, at Studio 54, opens on March 26. My review
will appear in next week's column.
Off-Broadway, When
It's You, by Courtney
Baron, starring Ana
Reeder, directed by Jonathan
Silverstein, at the Clurman Theatre in Theatre
Row, is a production of the Keen Company.
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It is a one person 75-minute show on a
bare stage, except for one chair. A 37-year old single
woman inherits her dead mother's home, and moves back to
her hometown, where her high school love is involved in
a violent crime. It is not a happy tale. The opening
night party took place in the lounge at Theatre Row with
guests, Eric Slovin,
Amy Ryan and Jason
Butler Harner (photo below). Wine, beer and a
specialty cocktail, Tornado
Madness, were served, plus little snacks.
Food For Thought Productions presented The
Dining Room, Act One, by A.R.
Gurney, at the Coffee House Club, 20 West 44th St.
The club is over 100-years old, and is full of
atmosphere. The six member cast, Stephen
Schnetzer, Michael Citriniti, Larry Pine, Delphi
Harrington, Jennifer Harmon and Carole
Shelley, directed by Anthony Marsellis, was
superb. Producer/Founding Director
Susan Charlotte deserves to be congratulated for an
entertaining afternoon.
New York City Center Encores! presented The
New Yorkers, music and lyrics by Cole
Porter, book by Herbert
Fields. I have seen all the Encores! productions,
but this was, without doubt, the best ever. The cast was
perfect. Everyone deserves to be mentioned for their
magnificent singing and dancing. Outstanding was Arnie
Burton in Let's
Not Talk About Love, and Cyrille
Aimee was
marvelous with Love
for Sale. The choreography by Chris Bailey was a
delight to see, and the orchestra, conducted byRob
Berman, never played better. The entire terrific
production was directed by John
Rando. The costumes, by Alejo
Vietti, were stunning. I enjoyed every minute of the
most entertaining show this season.
Gruppo Italiani (GI) hosted an Authentic
Italian Cuisine & Culture Event at
Il Gattopardo, 13-15 West 54th St. The restaurant owner Gianfranco
Sorrentino introduced
the speakers Maurizio
Forte, John Mariani and Charles
Scicolone, who spoke about Italian Cuisine. The
members of Gruppo Italiano (GI) and press were served
delicious hors d'oeuvres, while drinking red and white
Italian wine, or prosecco. It was a lovely event.
I attended a photo op for Treat
Williams and Stephen
Adly Guirgis, who will appear in American
Buffalo, by David
Mamet, at the Dorset, Vt: Dorset Theatre Festival
from August 24 - September 2. It is always a treat to
see Treat and Stephen.
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