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The Metropolitan Opera presented I
Puritani, by Vincenzo
Bellini, one
of the most melodious operas of all time. The production
is a traditional one, thank goodness. It is not
necessary to modernize a perfect opera. Just give the
audience magnificent singers, which the company did to
the delight of the enthusiastic audience. Javier
Camarena (Arturo),
who I have now reviewed in three different bel canto
roles, continues to give great pleasure to opera lovers.
He has a glorious voice in all registers, and reaches
his high notes with ease. He certainly is one of the
leading tenors in the world today. Diana
Damrau (Elvira)
was in wonderful form, both as an actress as well as a
singer. Her powerful voice is a joy to hear. Her mad
scene in Act II brought down the house. She is an
operatic treasure. Luca
Pisaroni (Giorgio)
and Alexey
Markov (Riccardo)
supported the two stars excellently, with strong voices,
making their duet concluding Act II one of the
highlights of the evening. The chorus, conducted by Donald
Palumbo,was,
as always, terrific, and the orchestra, under the baton
of Maurizio
Benini never
sounded better. It was a night of marvelous singing and
splendid music.
On Broadway, Significant
Other, by Joshua
Harmon, at the Booth Theatre, was seen
Off-Broadway, where it received good reviews, and has
now transferred to Broadway. A gay young man (Gideon
Glick) has three female friends (Sas
Goldberg, Rebecca Naomi James), all of whom get
married during the play, leaving him alone, and sad.
Barbara Barrie (Photo below) plays his wise grandmother,
and Trip
Cullman directed
the fine cast. The opening night party took place at the
Redeye Grill, 890 Seventh Avenue, with an open bar and
delicious food, where we congratulated the talented cast
and creative team.
Off-Broadway, The
Penitent, by David
Mamet, at
the Linda Gross Theatre, is a production of the Atlantic
Theater Company. It is a tale of a psychiatrist, who is
reluctant to testify in court for the defense of a young
man he was treating for mental illness, and had murdered
people. The play consists of short scenes between two
people at a time, with his wife, with his lawyer and
with another attorney. It is the typical Mamet dialogue,
with the occasional F... word. It also more like an
acting exercise, rather than a play. Neil
Pepe directed
the four member cast.
Dear World, music
and lyrics by Jerry
Herman, book by Jerome
Lawrence and Robert
E. Lee, based on The
Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean
Giraudoux, is one of the Musicals in Mufti series by
the York Theatre Company. A splendid thirteen
member cast, headed by Tyne
Daly, and directed by Michael
Montel, with Christopher
McGovern at
the piano and Louis
Tucci with
bass/accordion, presented a delightful production of the
musical. The story is whimsical, about some eccentric
people saving Paris from a group of businessmen who want
to drill for oil and destroy the city. The
opening night party took place in the Lounge of Saint
Peter's Church at Citicorp. It was a very pleasant
party.
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All the Fine Boys, written and
directed by Erica
Schmidt, is a production of The New Group, about
sexual awakening by two teenage girls, searching for
love with two feckless older men, and being
disappointed. The four member of the cast, Abigail
Breslin, Isabelle Fuhrman, Joe Tippett and Alex
Wolff are
very convincing. We congratulated the cast at the
opening night party at Green Fig Urban Eatery, 570 Tenth
Avenue, with complimentary wine and delicious Israeli
food. Among the guests were Sara
Bareilles, Peter Dinklage, Ethan Hawke,
Josh Hamilton, Billy
Crudup and
Alex Wolff's parents Polly
Draper and Michael
Wolff. It
was a wonderful party.
Turning Page, written and
performed by Angelica
Page, directed by Wilson
Milam, at Dixon Place, is the story of the life of
the wonderful actress Geraldine
Page, the mother of Angelica Page. The one woman
show begins with the early life of her mother, who was
determined to be an actress, and succeeded, winning an
Oscar for The Trip
to Bountiful. She tells us about her three husbands,
acting with stars like James
Dean, John
Wayne and
many others too numerous to name. She starred in film,
directed byWoody
Allen, and in plays by Tennessee
Williams. I knew her personally, when she appeared
on Broadway in Agnes
of God, with Amanda
Plummer and Elizabeth
Ashley. At
the opening night party at Freemans at the end of
Freeman Alley on Rivington between The Bowery and
Chrystie, I gave Angelica two photos of her mother from
1983. One was at Sardi's at a party for the first
anniversary of Agnes
of God, with Carrie
Fisher replacing
Amanda Plummer, and one in her dressing room, where my
first wifeMaria Elena interviewed
her for Canales Magazine. Among the guests at Angelica's
party was Mary
Owen, whose mother Donna
Reed won
an Oscar for From
Here To Eternity in
1953. I photographed the two proud daughters of
two great actresses.
A wonderful event was Discover
Great British Design, celebrating British
creativity, at New York's Decoration & Design Building,
at 979 Third Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets. We
visited nine showrooms from 3-5pm, and four other
showrooms from 5-7pm. at each of participating showrooms
like Chesney's, de Le Cuona, Farrow & Ball. We saw
bespoke furnishings, ornamental wall coverings and
luxurious fabrics, while being invited to drink tea with
scones, champagne, gin & tonic, and taste a variety
of chocolates. It was a delightful afternoon.
The Actors Fund and Mount Sinai Doctors opened a clinic,
conveniently located, for members of the theater
community. Brian
Stokes Mitchell cut
the ribbon for the Samuel
J. Friedman Health
Center for the Performing Arts, 729 Seventh Avenue.
The ceremony was attended by many people, including the
Manhattan Borough President Gale
A. Brewer, SAG-AFTRA New York Local President Mike
Hodge and
President & CEO of the Actors Fund Joseph
Benincasa. It was a very important event.
The New York Public Library Riverside
Branch presented Strawberry
Blonde, by Raoul
Walsh, USA, 1941, starring James
Cagney, Olivia de Havilland and Rita
Hayworth. It is moderately interesting, but is
famous for its theme song And
the Band Played On. The words appeared on the screen
after the film, and the audience was requested to sing
along. Those present for the screening left in a happy
mood.
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