Oscar E Moore

Remember this name.  Jennifer Simard.  She portrays Sister Mary Downy – a quiet nun with a secret gambling addiction carrying a guitar searching to save some lost souls in the funny like crazy mashed-up musical DISASTER! – on-board the Casino/Discotheque BARRACUDA docked in New York City Harbor.

She is beyond hysterical.  She has perfect comic timing.  She knows just how long to wait (and then some) before she utters her line that will leave you wanting more.  She can also belt out a mean song – “Torn Between Two Lovers.”  What a showstopping performance in this “Love Boat” collides with “Laugh In” nutty musical filled with great 70’s songs and overflowing with sight gags and cheesy special effects.

With an all-star cast of Broadway legends portraying the stock, central casting characters parodying those already cheesy disaster movies.  The only thing missing is a big bag of popcorn.  Not that I condone eating while watching a show in the theatre.  I don’t.  But here it seems like the natural thing to do while the paper thin plot unfurls allowing each star their moment in the spotlight.

Seth Rudetsky (Professor Ted Scheider) – in his Walter Mitty moment of starring in a Broadway musical as the straight-man “disaster expert” co-created and co-wrote this conglomeration with Jack Plotnick (director) and Drew Geraci.  Who wrote what is debatable.  What is important is that DISASTER! is a fun evening out in the theatre – full of laughs and memorable moments that will be difficult to erase from your mind.  You may just start to giggle at a Board meeting or while making love at a very inopportune moment as images of this over the top insanity pop up in your head.

Big hair.  Big arms.  Big hairy chests and bell bottoms abound.  It’s the 70’s.  William Ivey Long’s costumes are appropriately garish.  Did we really dress like that?

You will have to wait until Act II to feel the full effect of the earthquake and tidal wave and fire that beset the passengers who have been doing their best to keep us amused during Act I which could be trimmed a bit.  The songs (so many of them) are cleverly inserted to keep the plot afloat and to allow voices to soar.  Sometimes just a snippet to make a joke and then sometimes we get the whole enchilada.

Adam Pascal a hunk in particular still has it all – including a voice that is incredibly strong.  He’s a joy to look at and to listen to.  Kerry Butler, Roger Bart, Kevin Chamberlin, Faith Prince (scarf in mouth), Rachel York, Max Crumm, Lacretta Nicole (yappy dog in tow)  and Beylee Littrell (playing Twins Ben & Lisa) all enjoy their comic moments in the spotlight.

Song highlights are too numerous to mention.  DISASTER! is a well put together hodgepodge of elements that exist to make us laugh.  In that it succeeds mightily.

SPOILER ALERT – not every joke lands as intended…

At the Nederlander Theatre through July 3^rd 2016.

www.DisasterMusical.com

Photos:  Jeremy Daniel

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If you think you have problems meet Adam (an amazing Bobby Steggert) as he meets Jenny (Rebecca Rittenhouse) at a Halloween party in 1989 in this frightening, intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying play by Anna Ziegler based on a true story co-produced by Keen Company and the Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation running at The Clurman – Theatre Row through April 9^th.

The double upside down symbolic but distracting set (Sandra Goldmark) does function well for the various locations with the projection of the various years that the play covers in this back and forth saga of a boy and his penis or lack thereof.

Twin brothers – Sam and Steve were circumcised.  Steve’s was successful.  Sam’s was not.  His penis was all but rendered useless.  We never meet Steve.  The parents – Trudy (an in denial Heidi Armbruster) and Doug Turner (a distant Ted Koch) don’t sue the doctor (Why?) but turn to a famous psychologist/ therapist they have seen on 60 Minutes – Dr. Wendell Barnes (Paul Niebanck) whom I shall refer to as “The Happy Dr.”

He advises them to raise Sam as a female who will henceforth be named Samantha and in time will have the necessary surgery to make her a true female.  And that they should never reveal her/his true biological gender.  Thus the debate “Nature vs. Nurture” begins.  The Happy Dr. begins his consultations with an unhappy Samantha.

Mr. Steggert gives a believable and honest portrayal of both genders without changing clothes but with gesture and voice alone.  It’s a solid performance.  Moving and emotional as he grapples with his masculine feelings as he falls deeply in love with Jenny – a single mom with a young boy of her own.

But there are many unanswered questions to this story in a show without an intermission where the dialogue is double edged with symbolic meaning as the past and the present clash.

Is the Happy Dr. helping Samantha or is he using her as an experiment?  Are we shaped by society or biology?  How do we become who we are?

It’s an agonizing situation with no easy answers.  The performances are first rate.  The direction by Linsay Firman – adequate.  The play’s message – To thine own self be true.  Through April 9th.

www.Keencompany.org/boy

Photos:  Carol Rosegg

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One doesn’t have to go as far as Africa’s Liberian Civil War to be faced with women being abused, raped and subjugated but playwright Danai Gurira puts the spotlight on high beam as she exposes the plight of five diverse women trying to survive in a bullet ridden hut – washing clothes, cooking meals and awaiting their turn to sexually satisfy their rebel commander while trying to survive the perils of a war-torn country.

The acting is superb.  At times you will know what is happening by their body language alone.  And that is a major plus.  Heavily accented for the sake of authenticity your ears will be put to the test of frustratingly trying to understand what they are saying.  The volume is fine.  It’s the clarity that is missing.

A disservice to the author and to the audience.

Nevertheless ECLIPSED at the Golden Theatre makes a powerful statement.  These women who bond together are nameless – they are only given numbers – but will eventually find their given names and their identity with the help of Rita (Akosua Busia) a peace advocate.

Wife #1 – the eldest at age 25 (Saycon Sengbloh) is more or less resigned to her fate in life.

Wife #2 (Zainab Jah) has left the compound to become a rebel soldier.

Wife #3 (Pascale Armand) wears wigs, is pregnant and is an extrovert.

The Girl (Lupita Nyong’o) Wife #4 is 15 and is being hidden to try to keep her virginity intact.  She can read and write.  It is with a book about Bill Clinton that humor makes life a bit more tolerable as they each await their turn with the commander (unseen) and return to clean up the damage done between their legs.

It’s not an easy life.  Patience and prayer and fortitude are necessary to survive.  In a series of short scenes the sex slave/wives become fully developed.  Frustrating as it is to understand them we feel for them.

Choices must be made.  Not easy choices.  By plays end the choices of where to go and what to do thickly hover in indecision land.

The acting is exceptional and director Liesl Tommy must be commended for bringing this difficult story to vivid and unsettling life.  Less focus on their dialect would make ECLIPSED even more accessible.  Two hours and 15 minutes – one intermission.

www.Eclipsedbroadway.com

Photos:  Joan Marcus

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It’s phenomenal – no – not the play, not the performances, not the direction but that HUGHIE – a minor one act play by Eugene O’Neill has gotten yet another revival – all 60 minutes of it – at regular top Broadway prices starring Forest Whitaker making his Broadway debut.

WHY?

Why did a slew of producers think this could possibly work?  Why did Mr. Whitaker take on the challenge?  Why is it so boring?

On an elaborate set of a fleabag hotel lobby (Christopher Oram) circa 1928 with spooky lighting by Neil Austin with equally eerie music by Adam Cork a supposedly coming off of a five day drunken spree Erie Smith (Forest Whitaker) enters his old stomping ground to lament the loss of his friend and sap Hughie – the previous Night Clerk now portrayed with stoic immobility by Frank Wood.

Michael Grandage has directed with a nod towards The Twilight Zone.  It’s a haunted house with haunted memories.  Mr. Whitaker gives a rather surface performance – no nuances here.  He’s a gambler in search of another sap to tell his tall tales to.  It’s as though he can’t wait to get it over with.

Well, HUGHIE has posted an early closing notice.  Initially slated to run through June 12 it is now closing on March 27.   RIP.  At the Booth Theatre.

www.hughiebroadway.com

Photo:  Marc Brenner

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Your nostrils will be met by the distinct odors particular to swimming pools as you enter the New York Theatre Workshop production of RED SPEEDO – a provocative new play by Lucas Hnath which has been swimming upstream since 2013 in various stages of development.  It still needs work.

There is an aquarium-like lap pool installed with a see through wall along the length of the stage where Ray (Alex Breaux) is training for the Olympic trials under the guidance of his longstanding Coach (Peter Jay Fernandez) that must have cost a pretty penny.

There is a towering tile wall, a clock, a bench and towels – which are necessary to absorb the water that exits the pool when Ray does his initial underwater lap and to clean up what follows.  Scenic design:  Riccardo Hernandez.

Mr. Breaux has a finely tuned swimmer’s physique not unlike that of Michael Phelps.  And a large tattoo on his back of a sea serpent (it is described as such) that runs down one leg.  It looks fake.  It is distracting.

I went back to my review of THE REAL THING and discovered that I described Mr. Breaux as speaking as though he had marbles in his mouth.  This has improved.  The marbles have been replaced with healthy carrots as he chews and munches his way through the play.

Despite this we begin to feel for this guy who is literally swimming for his life – surrounded by three barracudas that want and/or need something from him.  He isn’t the brightest person – reminding me of a cross between Mortimer Snerd and Tommy Smothers.  He is personable and he looks swell in his red speedo.  A naïve rube that these three vultures want to take advantage of.  And they do.

In a series of short vignettes (which have a startling and annoying sounding bull horn announce beginning and ending of each) in this 90 minute no intermission play we meet them.  His ex-girlfriend Lydia (Zoe Winters) who dumped him.  She really is a word that rhymes with runt.  One wonders what he sees in her as he innocently admits that all women like him.  Why her?

She has legal problems.  Drugs.  She’s a supplier.  This brings her into contact with Ray and his brother Peter (Lucas Caleb Rooney) who is a lawyer.  Peter has a monetary stake in Ray and is brokering a deal – an endorsement package between Ray and Speedo – IF Ray indeed gets on the Olympic team – and wins etc etc…

BUT Ray has been taking performance enhancing drugs from Lydia which were discovered by his coach.  IF this is publicized there would be a scandal and they would all lose everything.  The real question that the playwright deals with is how far each character is willing to go to win.  Is it worth it?

At the play’s brutal conclusion you may wonder so and if that pool was really necessary.  What Ray really needs is a lifeguard.

Under the unimpressive direction of Lileana Blain-Cruz the play jerks along.  Sometimes the dialogue is so rapid fire (do people speak like this?) one tunes out.  It is only when they slow down and connect with each other that we begin to care both for Ray and Peter (who gives the best performance of the evening).

It’s not about the swimming.  It’s about the money.  Through March 27^th

www.NYTW.org

Top Photo:  Aaron Lenhart

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Would be playwrights, actors, directors, lighting, sound, set and costume designers (as well as producers) of both sexes should make a point of seeing the MINT Theater Company’s excellent revival of WOMEN WITHOUT MEN.  And learn.

The MINT may have lost their old home but not their expert touch in reviving long lost plays – shaking off any residue of mothballs and bringing them to renewed life for an appreciative audience.  In this case WOMEN WITHOUT MEN – by Hazel Ellis who wrote only two plays.

What could be staid and stuffy – under the careful and illuminating guidance of Jenn Thompson isn’t.  All the characters are brought to vivid life – each displaying carefully chosen traits.

Their humanity and humor are exposed and sometimes their tempers boil over as they bicker among themselves.  Isolated from men and the rest of the world they teach at a small, private Protestant all girls boarding school – Malyn Park – 1937 Ireland – where rules and regulations are the norm with the clashing of sensitive egos running a close second.

Polite bickering replaces caustic bitchiness.  Bitterness also rears its ugly head when newcomer Miss Jean Wade – an excellent Emily Walton (they are all Miss something or other and equally excellent) arrives in the well-worn teachers’ sitting room.  A lovely unit set by Vicki R. Davis.

Miss Wade is younger and perhaps more attractive with sense and sensibility and charm to boot.  Plus she is engaged to the only man mentioned.  She’s testing the waters so to speak.  An older Miss Connor (Kellie Overbey) who has been writing a book for quite a while is not amused and a bit jealous when some students offer Miss Wade a simple bouquet of flowers which she displays in order to share them with the others.

It is when Miss Connors’ manuscript is found torn to shreds that claws come out.  The outcome is the meat of the play.  A butterfly brooch worn by Miss Wade becomes most important as they attempt to find the culprit.  It’s a bit of Agatha Christie – which is a good thing – allowing for the humanity of the teachers to be exposed as well as the culprit.

Beatrice Tulchin, Shannon Harrington and Alexa Shae Niziak portray students admirably in this exceptional ensemble.

Favorite teacher awards go to Aedin Moloney as a woeful Miss Willoughby and Dee Pelletier as Madamoiselle Vernier who shines in the humor department.  Mary Bacon, Joyce Cohen, Kate Middleton and Amelia White all contribute to the enjoyment of the dialogue that is sharp and insightful.

They are outfitted in the style of the period by Martha Hally with terrific wig and hair design by Robert-Charles Vallance.  Atmospheric lighting by Traci Klainer Polimeni adds a warm glow and the student’s songs heard between scene changes set the tone precisely.  It’s a lovely production.  At City Center Stage II.  Through March 26^th.

www.MintTheater.org

www.NYCityCenter.org

Photos:  Richard Termine

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Like going to a well-reviewed famous restaurant and having a mediocre, hard to digest meal while at the same time being shortchanged.  That’s PRODIGAL SON – the newest play from our award winning “man of letters” John Patrick Shanley.

At least that’s who Mr. Shanley envisioned becoming while attending the Thomas More Preparatory School in New Hampshire circa 1965-68 where Jim Quinn (Timothee Chalamet) standing in for the full-of-himself playwright at age 15 tells his tale of woe from “a room in hell.”

Despite poor grades in Catholic High School this guy from the Bronx gets a scholarship – the details of how and why are murky.  His mom pays room and board for him to attend this prestigious school run and founded by Carl Schmitt (Chris McGarry) who has second thoughts about Jim Quinn – as he lies, drinks, steals, beats up on fellow classmates and basically is “the lost one” and his own worst enemy.  He also does not believe in God.

Carl’s wife Louise (Annika Boras) is one of Quinn’s one on one teachers – teaching The Wasteland – T.S. Eliot.  Despite Quinn’s penchant for poetry (featuring Nazis) he detests The Wasteland.  But Louise sees literary potential despite the obvious problems and helps him.  Is it his underlying intelligence or that he’s handsome?  Or something else?

Alan Hoffman (Robert Sean Leonard) another teacher has philosophical discussions over chess and is plagued by the same questions with an out of the blue result.

Austin (David Potters) Quinn’s room mate adds an iota of humor briefly bringing to mind a scene straight out of a Neil Simon play.

All this moves along at a snail’s pace under John Patrick Shanley’s direction as the lovely Santo Loquasto sets slide on and off surrounded by thin naked trees that are as reed thin as Mr. Chalamet; lit beguilingly by Natasha Katz with original mood music supplied by Paul Simon in what could be a underdeveloped draft that could have been written by the 15 year old Shanley.  It’s like watching paint dry.  Dull.

There is a secret that Mr. and Mrs. Quinn share – another out of the blue moment.

Quinn sees himself as entitled.  He needs everything immediately.  Wants to change his name.  Wants everybody to help him but keeps on doing everything to get himself expelled.  What a waste.

Mr. Chalamet is very good in the role but before he is knighted as the next newest rising star I’d like to see him in a better play.  The others do their best with characters that aren’t fully realized.  You may leave this ninety minute – no intermission play – feeling underfed.

At NY City Center Stage 1 – a Manhattan Theatre Club production.

www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com

www.ProdigalSonPlay.com

Photos:  Joan Marcus

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On the one hand FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is a timeless classic.  On the other hand FIDDLER’s revival isn’t.  Directed by Bartlett Sher who has beautifully and successfully helmed The King and I and South Pacific revivals – his golden touch is in short supply here at the Broadway Theatre where this lethargic and disjointed production limps along without much life.

Missing also is the genius of Jerome Robbins.  Whatever you may think of him personally he knew what worked and what didn’t and could create a total show – an entertaining entity where all the pieces fit together perfectly.  Not so here.

Mr. Robbins has been replaced by choreographer Hofesh Shechter whose wild arm waving dances have been inspired by Mr. Robbins work – sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.   Most memorable is the bottle balancing on-top-of-hat number created by Mr. Robbins.

The storybook sets (Michael Yeargan) are also problematic as pieces fly in and out and actors carry on or wheel off chairs and carts and trees (horrible trees) distracting and prolonging scene changes.

Beginning on the cavernous bare stage we hear a train and see a single chair and a sign that tells us we are in Anatevka as Danny Burstein (Tevye) – a humble and poor dairyman with five daughters enters wearing a modern red parka.  He begins to read from Sholom Aleichem’s stories that bore FIDDLER.  Removing said parka he segues into the past come alive with the company singing a rousing TRADITION.  It’s downhill from there.

The casting of the extremely talented Danny Burstein was a bold and odd choice.  Who could erase the memory of Zero Mostel in the original production?  No one.  And so we have a more naturalistic interpretation.  Smaller, more quiet more human.  But the role requires someone with more vitality – more bravado – a larger than life force to deal with the “changes that are on the way.”

As his wife Golde, Jessica Hecht strives and succeeds at being shrewish.  How five daughters resulted is a question I’d rather not ponder.

Of the five daughters – who are remarkably dull only Melanie Moore impresses as the studious Chava who has the nerve to fall in love with a non-Jew Fyedka (Nick Rehberger) – Adam Kantor as Motel – the shy tailor is excellent – loving Tzeitel (Alexandra Silber) more than his longed for sewing machine.

Ben Rappaport succeeds as Perchik a radical student wooing, dancing and getting engaged to Hodel (Samantha Massell).  In these “love matches” the men outshine the women.

Am I kvetching too much?  Perhaps.  But I was so disappointed with the production and its slow pace and the appearance that the characters really couldn’t care less about each other that I became disinterested.  Even Tevye’s talks to God didn’t work.

A highlight was Yente, the matchmaker portrayed with skill and humor by Alix Korey who deals with the cards she is dealt with great attitude.

Children, marriage, love, superstitions, traditions, and faith will survive as will FIDDLER with its lush and gorgeous score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein.

Please have the fiddler fix his bow string.

www.fiddlermusical.com

Photos: Joan Marcus

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There’s some very funny business going on at the American Airlines Theatre where the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of NOISES OFF is keeping audiences guffawing full out from the antics of some very first rate actors appearing in a farce called NOTHING ON with some very third rate actors in some very third rate theatres.

It’s a three act 1982 farce within a farce that has been intricately and expertly crafted by Michael Frayn and just as expertly directed by Jeremy Herrin – late of Wolf Hall – slapstick et al.

As the saying goes – “the show must go on” and this troupe just can’t seem to get anything right during the dress rehearsal – frustrating their director Lloyd Dallas (Campbell Scott) as he unsuccessfully attempts to guide them towards a successful tour and balance his love life between assistant stage manager Poppy (Tracee Chimo) and bumbling bombshell Brooke (Megan Hilty) who cavorts around in her undergarments desperately memorizing her lines and blocking much to our amusement.

Dotty (a sublime Andrea Martin) reeks bewilderment as she goes about her business of answering phones and keeping track of the many plates of sardines called for on the two tiered set of Derek McLane with its many doors that will be slammed and opened and cause missed cues and missed entrances.

The house is for rent as its owners Philip and Flavia Brent (Freddy – Jeremy Shamos and Belinda Blair – Kate Jennings Grant respectively) – To help sort out this confusion there is a separate very clever program of NOTHING ON within the program for NOISES OFF.

The Brents are away to avoid paying tax.  But they are not.  Arriving on the scene just in time to further confuse Mrs. Clackett (Dotty our dear Andrea Martin) Also arriving is Garry (a wonderful David Furr) who is Roger with Vicki (Brooke/Megan) and a missing actor Selsdon who is with his bottle of booze (Daniel Davis) who is the burglar – Rob McClure is his understudy as well as that of Freddy.  Is that everybody?  Let me double check!

In Act II we see the show from backstage.  Some terrific sight gags and miming and almost every possible simulated sexual position possible make merry although the pace slackened a bit until being absolutely and hysterically revived in the Act III as the actor’s private lives collide with the play well into its tour.

Doors slam.  Cues are missed.  Ad-libs must suffice.  Sardines fall.  Actors slip.  A nose bleeds – again.  A contact lens is lost – again.  David Furr has a masterful tumble down a flight of stairs and Rob McClure – having to go on suddenly gets the shakes unlike any shakes seen before.  It’s as though he has a vibrator up his vertebrae.

High praise is also due to the comedic stunt coordinator Mr. Lorenzo Pisoni.

It is an extremely exuberant and hilarious production.  A volcanic eruption of humor – physical, verbal and farcical. What a wonderful thing it is to share so much laughter and joy.  Highly recommended.  Through March 6^th 2016

www.roundabouttheatre.org

Photos:  Joan Marcus

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What a predicament the poor privileged kids at the private Horace Green Elementary School find themselves in under the staid, stuffy and strict rule of Principal Rosalie Mullins (Sierra Boggess) and the misplaced interest of their parents until Dewey Finn (a remarkable Alex Brightman) a forever late, shabby and hung over recently fired rock musician with passion and exuberance galore shows up as their substitute teacher with his original system of education that ultimately leads them to the Battle of the Bands.

After answering a call intended for his wannabe rockstar/teacher roommate Ned (Spencer Moses) and his shrew of a girlfriend Patty (Mamie Parris) to whom he owes lots of back rent he ambles into the school pretending to be Ned and proceeds to shake things up.  A lot.

Learning that the students have some musicality after Ms. Mullins sings the Queen of the Night Aria (Mozart) he then creates his dream rock band with these majorly talented minors in one of the better numbers “You’re in the Band” and eventually after many obstacles succeeds in winning over the parents and Ms. Mullins with a lot of high decibel rock tunes by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Lyrics by the skilled Glenn Slater suffice.  They are mostly dependent on memorable “hooks” and sometimes difficult to hear because of the high decibel level.  But the kids win us over.  Over and over again.  It’s in some of the adult scenes that the show slackens.

Because of the heavy load of exposition it takes a while for the action to start.  But once those skilled youngsters take up their instruments all is forgiven.  Book writer Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame channels his inner rock persona to tie up the sometimes obvious and sometimes implausible plot points successfully so that by the finale I was completely taken in and cheered along with the rest of the adrenalin infused audience.

The fluid sets by Anna Louizos, as always, help immensely to keep the rapid fire rhythm of the show directed by Laurence Connor on its express track.  The hip hopping choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter is also in sync with the overall vision as is the expert lighting of Natasha Katz.

But the show belongs to those ultra-talented and cool kids.  Brandon Niederauer as Zack riffing frantically on his guitar.  Dante Melucci as Freddy on drums.  A poker faced Evie Dolan as Katie on bass.  Jared Parker on keyboard as Lawrence.  The silent up to a point Tomika (Bobbi Mackenzie) who startles with “Amazing Grace” and Isabella Russo as Summer – (I have nick-named her “Princess Rapunzel”) whose turnabout is expected but welcomed.  And a Tim Gunn in the making Luca Padovan as the stylish Billy.

I only wish they would never grow up.  All of them.  They are perfect just as they are. Their song to their parents “If Only You Would Listen” is poignant and delivers a wonderful message and happens to be one of the best songs in the show – other than the one written by Mozart.

Leading the troops is the indefatigable Alex Brightman who will certainly be rewarded come Tony time.  What a performance.  Along with him is the surprising Sierra Boggess who absolutely glows after her Eve Arden like take blossoms.  It is her Mozart aria that you will be humming after the show.

Based on the Paramount movie written by Mike White.  At the Winter Garden Theatre where another Andrew Lloyd Webber perennial CATS! almost ran forever.

www.SchoolOfRockTheMusical.com

photos:  Matthew Murphy

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