Oscar E Moore

There’s a whole lotta muddled storytelling going on at Theater B 59E59 Street Theaters where “I Married Wyatt Earp” will be ramblin’ on through June 12^th.

Perhaps a more apt title would be “I, a young arrogant ambitious Jewish gal from San Fran who can sing and dance moseys myself into a theatrical troupe, winds up in Tombstone, meets Earp at the end of Act I, causes his common-law wife – a drug addict – to kill herself and then we live happily ever after for some 47 years.  With a lot more stuff that happens along the way told in lively song and dance.”  But even that would be too long a title for this too long production.

It is “suggested in part” by the book of the same name by Glenn. G. Boyer.  I wonder which parts they used and how long this tome is.  “They” being Thomas Edward West & Sheilah Rae (book) music by Michele Brourman and lyrics by Ms. Rae with overall direction by Cara Reichel who must be commended for keeping the cast of 11 women from colliding with each other on the small stage.  The practical set is by Ann Bartek.  Cramped choreography by Joe Barros.  Nice “Sunday Best” costumes by Ryan J. Moller.

The unlikable widow of Wyatt, Josie (Carolyn Mignini) is having a heated argument over the phone regarding the filming of a John Ford movie based on her life “My Darling Clementine” where she has just been fired as consultant due to some information given by Allie Earp widow of Virgil Earp (Heather Mac Rae).  The saga then unfolds in flashback as Josie and Allie reminisce over booze in tea cups.

Before I go further, Ms. Mac Rae is one of the only reasons to sit through this oater.  The other being her younger self, portrayed by Stephanie Palumbo.  Both add professionalism and fine voices to the otherwise adequate cast.  And adequate is probably the last word any actor wants to be described as.

The young Josie, a star vehicle if there ever was one is played by Mishaela Faucher who unfortunately is not completely up to the task.  She’s adequate.

There is Bess Earp, Mrs. James Earp (Carol Linnea Johnson) a tarot card reader and her daughter Hattie (Laura Hankin – whom I also liked very much), Mattie Earp wife of Wyatt the womanizer (Anastasia Barzee) deranged and much in love – and the mistress of Doc Holliday, Kate Haroney (Ariela Morgenstern – does anyone remember Aliza Kashi?) played with gusto and an indistinguishable accent.

The theatrical troupe is headed by Pauline Rackham (Tina Stafford who adds much of the comedy with her rather mannish impresario).

It’s a bit of Fanny Brice goes to the Tombstone Territory, a bit of “Follies”, a bit of “The People in the Picture” and “The Music Man”.  Only a mélange of them all with not enough focus in its storytelling.  People and subplots abound with Ms. MacRae left sitting in the corner watching and wondering.

Produced by the Prospect Theater Company and New York Theatre Barn “I Married Wyatt Earp” in short is long and uneven with a somewhat melodic score with a twang when the actors aren’t singing their sung dialogue.  If Josie Earp wanted to set the record straight she hasn’t.

www.imarriedwyattearp.com       www.59E59.org

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There’s a fantastic new musical revue in town.  First produced by the Rubicon Theatre in California it has just opened at 59E59 Theaters and all I can say is WOW!  “The Best Is Yet To Come:  the Music of Cy Coleman” celebrates Cy Coleman’s life with a selection of some of his biggest hits written with a variety of the top lyricists in the business.   With an emphasis on Broadway show tunes.  It’s as good as it gets.  Entertaining, jazzy and razzmatazzy.

David Zippel who has written “City of Angels” (Six Tony Awards) with Cy Coleman and Larry Gelbart has devised and directed this extraordinarily entertaining musical revue highlighting the songs and not even trying to shoe horn a book into the proceedings.  Mr. Zippel has segued the songs seamlessly, letting their various rhythms, lyrics and moods speak for themselves.

You will be brought back to the era of the Big Band by scenic designer Douglas W. Schmidt who ingeniously has built up the stage around the sunken piano where Billy Stritch holds forth conducting his team of on stage, formally attired musicians playing the great orchestrations by Don Sebesky. 

The tiered set gives Mr. Zippel ample opportunities to stage the songs in an always fresh way.  And he is chock full of visual surprises.  Within the small space choreographer Lorin Lattaro provides just the right amount of dance for the incredibly talented cast of five – not including Mr. Stritch who sings and tinkles the ivories amiably at his piano.

The well dressed by Mr. William Ivey Long cast couldn’t be better.  Every single one of them shines.  Alone and together.  There are too may show stoppers to mention as each cast member has their own as they interpret Mr. Coleman’s incredible talent.  Lillias White does an outstanding job with “The Oldest Profession”.  Rachel York with “Come Summer”.  David Burnham with Ms. York in “Only The Rest of My Life” from an as yet to be produced musical “N” (about Napoleon and Josephine).  Some of the most beautiful ballads are from “N” including “I’d Give The World” sung by Howard McGillin that is heartbreakingly lovely.  Sally Mayes delves deep within to sing a magnificent “With Every Breath I Take”.

Some of the top lyricists represented are Alan & Marilyn Bergman (a surprisingly amusing “Those Hands” – Dorothy Fields “Big Spender”, Ira Gasman, Michael Stewart, David Zippel and the wonderful Carolyn Leigh “Little Me”.

The evening ends with a very up and positive medley including “It’s Not Where You Start”, “Hey There, Good Times” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now”. 

Well folks and friends of Cy Coleman now is your chance.  “The Best Is Yet To Come” is a rousing and completely sensational celebration of Mr. Coleman and his collaborators.  Go!     www.59E59.org

NOTE:  The outstanding band:  Woodwinds – Chuck Wilson, Nathan Childers, Frank Basile, Trumpet -Ross Konikoff, Trombone – Dan Levine, Bass- Bob Renino and Drums – Scott Neuman.

Photo: Carol Rosegg

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The Little Shubert Theatre on West 42 Street has the unfortunate stigma of being known as the house that launched a thousand flops.  Well as in everything else in life the tide has finally changed with the opening of “LUCKY GUY” a sure fire crowd pleaser for those interested in having pure unadulterated tongue in cheek campy fun.

The scene is set in Nashville where hunky/sexy singer/songwriter Billy Ray Jackson (a terrific hunky/sexy/singer Kyle Dean Massey) has arrived from Oklahoma after winning a songwriting contest that G.C. Wright (Jim Newman) of Right Track Records is going to record and make it the biggest hit ever.

However his pint sized cousin Big Al Wright, a sleazy used car salesman (the impish and riotously funny Leslie Jordan) has other ideas.  Namely to steal the song and have the Queen of Country Music, Miss Jeannie Jeannine (his partner in crime) who is played by drag queen Varla Jean Merman to the hilt – sing “Lucky Guy” (which happens to be a great tune) on his TV special.

Wanda (Savannah Wise) who came up with the contest of course falls for Billy Ray and he falls for her as Jeannie Jeannine attempts in great cougar style to divert his attentions.  Chicky Lay (a perfect Jenn Colella) is the intended of G.C. looking for her own hit single while combing out wigs at the local Beauty Salon.  And speaking of wigs of which there are many Paul Huntley deserves credit for their visual comical designs.

Rounding out the company are The Buckaroos (Callan Bergmann, Xavier Cano, Wes Hart and Joshua Woodie) who sing Country Western/Barbershop style and dance with abandon – choreography courtesy of A. C. Ciulla as Cowboys, Indians, Footmen and Hawaiian Warriors in an outlandish Act II number “Louis From Kahului”.

Willard Beckham is responsible for this entire madcap invention.  Book, Music and Lyrics as well as direction are all his.  There are some really catchy songs and the lyrics range from truly witty to truly groan inducing – but on purpose.  The score is a toe tapping foot stomping mixture of Country, Bluegrass, Broadway, Vaudeville and Pop pleasing melodies.

Leslie Jordan, as usual, is a hoot.  Just to see him standing up to C cup level beside Miss JJ is a visual treat you won’t soon forget.  He doesn’t miss a trick or a laugh and tries to steal every scene which is a might difficult when you have the likes of a diva drag queen to contend with.

Varla Jean Merman (Jeffrey Roberson) looking like a cross between Bernadette Peters and Jane Froman as she enters for her first big number where she glides across the stage on rollers beneath her costume/gown with the lyrics of her last hit “Blue Jean Blues” emblazoned so that we can sing along is simply awesome.  She shines throughout and not just from all those sequins.  She’s great, not only in the many high camp scenes but when she plays for real you believe her.  Quite an accomplishment in this silly show.

It appears that costume designer William Ivey Long has been given carte blanche here and his imagination unleashed is a Ziegfeld Follies Trailer Park Drag Queen’s dream come true.

Too much of a good thing can become tiresome and a few nips and tucks here and there might make LUCKY GUY the hit it deserves to be.

Through July 24^th.  www.luckyguythemusical.com Photo: Joan Marcus

THIS JUST IN:  LUCKY GUY TO CLOSE SUNDAY 5/29/11.  The jinx lives on…

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This theatrical season has brought us Mormons and Nuns and now Shakers.  Blessed be the ones who can sit through “As It Is In Heaven” now instructing at the Cherry Lane Studio which is not a production of the Cherry Lane Theatre but a production of 3Graces Theater Co. which has more than 3 graces gracing its staff.

In this ninety minute without intermission look into the lives of nine Shaker women circa 1838 Kentucky we get to know their daily routine.  They would sing, self-confess, plant, cook, weave, quilt, eat, discuss NOT gossip, pray and talk of the hens and the bull that terrorizes the laundry and of the eyes and beards of the Shaker men folk who lived apart from them as they all led celibate lives.   “As it is in Heaven” is more documentary than drama.

We never see a man and that might have been where some drama could have been provided.  As it is, the nine women are dressed alike and it’s hard to distinguish personalities as the Shaker religion taught them to think alike – giving up their ego for the community.  A few of the women seem to be unhappy with this policy – particularly the younger ones. 

Polly (DeWanda Wise) a former prostitute who has a gift for drawing and passes out small pictures that she has seen through their departed founder Sister Anne and gives to the other women.  And Fanny (Megan Tusing) who claims to see Angels.  And the youngest Izzy (Rachel Cantor) – naïve and wanting to learn how to make a Jacob ‘s ladder out of string.  It is she that we get to know the best and Ms. Cantor gives a heartwarming and touching performance wondering what is out there beyond the meadow yet longing to stay with her fellow sisters and not be sent back to her father.

Hannah (Margot Avery) is the Elder of the group.  She wants everything plain and simple.  No embellishments.  A strict adherence to the codes that have been established.  But it takes a long time for some conflict to erupt – rather sizzle as she interrogates the girls to see if they are truly seeing Angels.

Unfortunately, the times we live in and especially since the end of the world was predicted for the day I saw the play, when mention is made that the world is ending an unwanted laugh came from some members of the audience that were truly insensitive to the actors and what playwright Arlene Hutton was trying to get across.

The set is plain and simple.  Dark walls with some pine benches a couple of chairs and baskets and a row of illuminated hooks.  Lighting Designer Joshua Scherr has done a marvelous job as has Musical Director Phillip Bettencourt with a capella songs and hymns that punctuate the action.

This serious and static play is difficult to direct and Ludovica Villar-Hauser has done her best to differentiate the characters that tend to blend together and to mine some humor into the piece which is its tenth anniversary production.  First being presented right after the 2001 World Trade Center disaster.  The program notes that there are only three living Shaker adherents still practicing the religion. 

www.threegracestheater.org Tickets $18.00   Photo:  Rick Berube

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In this new movie from 75 year old Woody Allen which might be called a romantic valentine to the city of Paris we spend the first five minutes or so, it seems, looking at landmarks and listening to some jazz and wondering when the story will start.  It starts when the rain does, as there is not a better place in the world to walk through the streets when it is raining but Paris.

“Midnight in Paris” is its title.  And it is pure fantasy.  Imagine a Parisian taxi stopping and picking up someone!  Pure fantasy.  Imagine the lead character Gil (Owen Wilson – the embodiment of the younger Mr. Allen’s nebbishy screen persona), a writer, traveling back in time to the 1920’s after having too much wine to drink at a tasting party and walking through the streets of Paris for inspiration after being warned by his caustic fiancée Inez (Rachael McAdams) that he would get lost.  He does. And is picked up by none other than Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston & Alison Pill) in a vintage car.  At Midnight.  Pure charming fantasy.  Which is never explained.  It just happens.

And then he finds the same exact spot the following evening!  Again pure fantasy that somehow begins to beguile.

And when he does go back to the past how does he pay?  In euros or in francs?  Nitpicking, of course.  What really matters is the sharp dialogue and comic situations set up by Mr. Allen which has been beautifully photographed by Darius Khondji – making everyone feel that they too might want to move to Paris – give up the present and fall down the rabbit hole of The Lost Generation and meet the likes of Gertrude Stein (a wonderful Kathy Bates) Dali (Adrien Brody) Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo) and Hemingway (played with dry humor and gusto by Corey Stoll).

Gil is a successful albeit hack Hollywood screenwriter who wants to write a novel and is in fact doing so as he and his fiancée join her obnoxious parents (Kurt Fuller & Mimi Kennedy) on a business trip to the city of light.  He’s unhappy with his present circumstances and through the magic of cinema time travels back to the 1920’s where he meets the magnetic and gorgeous Adriana (Marion Cotillard) who is involved with Picasso and a slew of other famous men but unhappy – wanting to travel back to the “Belle Epoch” which they visit together.  

Meanwhile his wife is partying with her ex-boyfriend – a pseudo intellectual pedantic Paul (Michael Sheen) and his new girl played by Broadway’s newest star in a throwaway part (Nina Arianda) while Gil walks the streets for inspiration and joins his new group of friends who accept him at face value much to his astonishment. 

Back in the present he meets up with a charming young girl Lea Seydoux (who eerily reminded me of the young Mia Farrow) a seller of vintage Cole Porter records who is featured on the terrific sound track.

Most of the fun is seeing these stars as the famous people of the past and reveling in the. antics that Mr. Allen has set up.  It’s a charmer that’s funny without any car chases or action figures or murders or anything being blown up.  Just wonderful dialogue.  Terrific acting.   Beautiful costumes.  And stunning scenery. 

Carla Bruni, Mrs. Sarkozy plays a museum guide and translates a book that Gil buys at a stand which has a delicious but implausible plot twist.  And I suppose the message is be happy with what you’ve got.  The grass isn’t any greener elsewhere.  Except in Paris.

1hour and 34 minutes. 

Photo:  Roger Arpajou SONY Pictures Classics

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Cleopatra isn’t the only person bored in this new musical “The Sphinx Winx” that has just opened at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row.  The creators of this lame production are as follows:  Philip Capice, Anne Hitchner, Kenneth Hitchner, Jr. and Robert Keuch – book and lyrics – who is responsible for what is anyone’s guess.

The sometimes enjoyable music of various styles harking back to the age of the all but forgotten television special is by Kenneth Hitchner, Jr.   Cleopatra herself sums it up with a lyric towards the end of the show from “Goodbye Julius” after an endless courtroom scene -“But most suitors drape their ladies out in minks.  And you have only offered me a Sphinx.  That Winx.  Which Stinks.”  Case closed.

The slight plot all but evaporates under the hot Egyptian sun.  Marc Antony (Bret Shuford) arrives from Rome to collect some overdue taxes from Julius Caesar (Bruce Sabbath) who has been lavishing silly gifts of gold on his wife of twelve years the vain and silly Cleopatra (Erika Amato). The Soothsayer (an over the top Ryan Williams) has foretold this.  What he hasn’t foretold is that Marc Antony will fall in love with Cleopatra’s slave girl Crecia (Rebecca Riker).  Caesar tries to distract Antony with his annoying daughter Lunia (Beth Cheryl Tarnow) with her very bad singing.  The whole concept in inept and ridiculous.  And not in a funny way.  Even the asp is uncooperative in Cleopatra’s attempt at suicide.

The show comes across as a combination of bad backer’s audition, bad children’s theatre and bad burlesque skit.  Perhaps there is a jinx on musicals dealing with Antony and Cleopatra.  Case in point the 1968 production of “Her First Roman” which lasted all but 17 performances starring Richard Kiley and Leslie Uggams.

There is a dream sequence where Marc Antony and Crecia dance ala Fred and Ginger by choreographer Tara Jeanne Vallee which set my mind off on its own dream sequence remembering the wonderful vaudeville number in “Side Show” where Daisy and Violet – Siamese twins sing “We Share Everything” featuring them as queens of ancient Egypt.

Unfortunately no such number arrives in “The Sphinx Winx”.  The production itself looks good.  A great set by Robert Andrew Kovach and some fun costumes by Gail Baldoni however do not offset the cannon ball direction of Matthew Hamel that leaves all his hard working actors who sometimes double and triple in their roles up the Nile without a paddle.

www.TheSphinxWinx.com Through July 24^th.  Photo:  Peter James Zielinski

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Kate Fry & Bobby Steggert

You won’t be leaving the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center humming any tunes from the new musical “A Minister’s Wife” that has recently opened.  Nor will you regret seeing this unique theatrical experience based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Candida”. 

However, if you happen to be a Shavian purist you might not appreciate the way Austin Pendleton has whittled away at the story (eliminating the one truly funny character – Candida’s father) into this truncated CliffsNotes version – focusing mainly on Candida (Kate Fry), her husband – The Reverend James Mavor Morell (Marc Kudisch) and the young poet Eugene Marchbanks (Bobby Steggert) who is brought into their household – for better or for worse.

There’s a good reason the creative team – Book by Austin Pendleton, Music by Joshua Schmidt and Lyrics by Jan Levy Tranen have refrained from calling their show “Candida – the musical!  It’s simply because it isn’t – and yet it is.  It is better described as a chamber opera – with the dialogue sung and spoken – expertly meshed. 

There are some waltzes, some dissonance and lots of heated passion and lyricism that takes a while getting used to.  And with the show a mere ninety minutes long (this is probably the shortest Shaw show I’ve ever witnessed) by the time you have accepted the rhythms and pace enough to relish the beautiful ending reminiscent of Richard Strauss and Sondheim – “A Minister’s Wife” is over – but leaving you with a lingering admiration of the production as a whole.

For this show to work Candida must be independently beautiful, totally in love with her preacher husband Morell, and radiate charm without being overly flirtatious with Marchbanks.  Ms. Fry fills the bill exceedingly well.  Morell must be totally in love with her and be charismatic enough for us to believe that women flock to listen to his sermons about socialism not only for their content but because he has sex appeal.  Mr. Kudisch succeeds mightily.  And Marchbanks must be totally smitten in a truly romantic way with Candida – enough so to challenge her to choose between him and her husband – and duel it out with words with Morell himself – a preaching match between poet and parson.  Mr. Steggert is astounding.

Rounding out the quintet is Morell’s dowdy secretary Prossy (Liz Baltes) who must be in love with her boss without overtly seeming so and Morell’s Curate The Reverend Alexander Mill (Drew Gehling) who must remain loyal and precise.

They are a fine example of the perfect ensemble.  An ensemble that here has some difficult music to sing, backed up by a quartet of musicians behind a scrim above the beautifully cluttered Victorian study designed by Allen Moyer.

Conceived and unobtrusively directed by Michael Halberstam who breathes passionate life into these characters “A Minister’s Wife” enchants in its own unique way.

 www.lct.org   Photo:  Paul Kolnik

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There’s a new jukebox musical in town.  And if you have any doubt about it being such, set designer Anna Louizos along with projections designer Jason H. Thompson clue us in immediately with an on stage band and a huge projection of a vintage (circa 1958) juke box loading a 45 rpm record at the start of “Baby It’s You!” written by Floyd Mutrux & Colin Escott (who also wrote “Million Dollar Quartet” still running on Broadway) using various songs of the late fifties and early sixties mostly made famous by The Shirelles. 

If you are hungry for nostalgia you might want to see this modestly entertaining show that looks like one of those PBS salutes to “the oldies but goodies” geared towards the Baby Boomer generation.

“Baby It’s You!” depicts the rise of the first all girl pop group – The Shirelles.  A group of four young negro girls – Shirley Alston (Christina Sajous), Beverly Lee (Kyra Da Costa), Doris Kenner (Crystal Starr) and Addie “Micki” Harris (Erica Ash) classmates of Mary Jane Greenberg (Kelli Barrett) the daughter of Florence Greenberg (a remarkable Beth Leavel). 

Who you may ask is Florence Greenberg?  She was a 40-something housewife from Passaic New Jersey who had a burning need to do something more with her life than bake cookies and raise two children (Mary Jane and a blind son Stan – Brandon Uranowitz) along with her chauvinistic husband Bernie (Barry Pearl)  an accountant who thinks having a beautiful refrigerator should fulfill his wife’s every desire.

Florence Greenberg was Jewish and white.  She knew music, had great intuition for hits and a good business sense but didn’t do so well with her private life as we see when she decides to start up a record company or two, grooming these four negro girls for stardom and then falling for a much younger negro record producer and writer Luther Dixon (Alan Louis), eventually leaving her husband for fame, lots of snappy outfits, matching shoes and plenty of bling.

It seems that every time Beth Leavel exits the stage after a short scene while vicariously living through the rise of her Shirelles she enters moments later in another creation.  Must be hectic backstage with all the costume changes and probably more interesting with what is on stage throughout most of the evening.

There is a lot of history illustrated like “That Wonderful Year” segment on the vintage Garry Moore television show, narrated by Jocko (Geno Henderson) that acts as filler for the real story we want to hear about.  Payola and discrimination rear their ugly heads and The Shirelles wind up playing second fiddle to Florence who is complicated and ruthless.

At first we cheer her on and then our ardor lessens.  The girls rise is fast and her desertion of them and Luther even faster as she senses a change in the air and opts to attach herself to Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick.

The songs which include “Dedicated To The One I Love”, “Soldier Boy”  and “Tonight’s the Night” are all expertly performed but it’s like “And then they wrote”  “And then they sang” without a strong story line to hold it all together.

You might want to check out www.theshirelles.com to see when the originals who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 will be performing in your area or download an album.

www.babyitsyouonbroadway.com  At the Broadhurst Theatre  Photo:  Ari Mintz

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Night sweats.  Sores that wouldn’t heal.  Friends dying at an alarming rate.  Larry Kramer knew something was wrong.  He fought back as loud and as strong as he could.  He wrote about this real life plague that had descended upon the gay community that he was a part of.  Never afraid.  The result was “The Normal Heart” which was first produced in 1985 and has now been revived in a blistering, heart pounding and emotionally gripping production with an all star cast and brilliantly directed by Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe.

But it is the writing of Larry Kramer that shines throughout.  Passionate.  Courageous.  Obnoxious.  Sarcastic.  Sincere.  And not without humor, no matter how horrible the circumstances. 

It was a time when most gay men stayed in the closet.  Men who had respectable jobs that would be in jeopardy if it was discovered that they were gay or leading a crusade to enlighten everyone about this unknown disease that was killing them off by the dozens and spreading to the international gay and straight communities.

And so Larry Kramer created Ned Weeks – his alter ego – the Jewish guy with the low self esteem that had been shrunk so many times that he couldn’t find love thinking it was his fault that he was like he was – gay.  A guy with a bad temper and a big mouth.  That he would use to awaken all those around him to the problem.  Fighting the Mayor of New York, the President of the United States and the New York Times to give support to his crusade – which was ignored.  Fighting with his brother Ben (Mark Harelik) for pro bono support for the non-profit group he created – The Gay Men’s Health Crisis.

Joe Mantello is Ned and gives a riveting and explosive performance of a man against a wall of indifference.  Where the NY Times would front page a story of a few Tylenol deaths and refuse to do a story on this strange disease.  Deaths were escalating and it was thought that it was being transmitted through sex.  That’s what wheel chair bound Dr. Emma Brookner (a volcano waiting to erupt Ellen Barkin) thought.

A victim of polio she seems to be the only one who cares that something be done and done right now to stop the horror that she knows will grow worse.  She is determined to awaken the lethargy of those who could help and in her Act II scene with an Examining Doctor (Richard Topol) she finally explodes in a rage pleading for research funding that will be imbedded in your mind forever.

As Felix Turner, the unlikely man that Ned falls in love with, John Benjamin Hickey turns in a fully developed picture of a closeted gay man, writing for The NY Times Style Section but afraid to approach the paper to cover this developing story.  It is their journey that will move you to tears.

Jim Parsons as Tommy Boatwright – a self described Southern Bitch – has his caustic character down pat and supplies much of the humor of the piece.  The rest of the ensemble cast whether sitting on stage watching the action or moving set pieces or becoming supporting players are each perfectly cast.

The white box set designed by David Rockwell is well suited for the amazing projections by Batwin+Robin Productions, Inc. – which include the increasing number of names of the no longer silent plague – AIDS.  A list that eventually bleeds onto the walls of the theatre – ever growing.

“The Normal Heart” is a testament to the prescience of Mr. Kramer.  His desire for gays to be able to love whomever they want, to be free, to be safe, to not be afraid and to be able to marry.  He knew.  He fought.  He is now totally vindicated.  And he is still fighting.

It is one of the finest productions on Broadway and attention must be paid.  See it.

www.thenormalheartbroadway.com  Limited run through July 10^th.  Photo:  Joan Marcus

REMEMBER – May 15^th – AIDS WALK

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With a cast of twenty five excellent actors and a terrific creative team director Tom Wojtunik has accomplished the impossible of making a flawed musical almost work with the Astoria Performing Arts Center’s production of “The Human Comedy” – a 1984 sung through folk opera by Galt MacDermot (composer of HAIR) with a libretto by William Dumaresq which accounts for much of the shows weaknesses.  

It is based on the novel by William Saroyan written in 1944 – aiming to give the country hope during WWII.  That life goes on no matter what happens and that we must savor the simple things in our lives.  Count your blessings and try not to be too affected by the number of soldiers killed no matter how hard that may be to do.

The production couldn’t be better despite the strangeness of the piece.  Michael P. Kramer has designed an attractive and serviceable unit set with telegraph poles that reach into the audience and with a second tier behind a scrim to illuminate scenes not suited for the main playing area that consists of wooden chairs where many of the cast members remain seated throughout – backing up the actors in some terrific choral numbers.  One chair in particular will haunt you as there is a framed photograph of a departed soldier with a rosary attached.

This coming of age tale unfolds with a multitude of songs – many of them under developed and unmemorable.  Homer Macauley (a sprightly Aaron J. Libby) gets a job at the telegraph office to help out his mother Kate (Victoria Bundonis – who sings beautifully and conveys the sadness in her life without becoming maudlin).  His dad Matthew (Jan-Peter Pedross) has died and his older brother Marcus (a fine Stephen Trafton) has gone off to war.  His younger brother Ulysses (adorable Anthony Pierini) happily waves to the Trainman (Douglas Lyons/Matthew S. Morgan) as the train passes through Ithaca, California as life races by.

We see the effects of the war at home and on the front and at the telegraph office where an old Mr. Grogan (Richard Vernon) begins to drink heavily when the news of so many deaths from the War Department takes its toll on him.  On staff is Felix (the excellent Michael Lee Jones) and Thomas Spangler (a strong and endearing Jonathan Gregg) who is pursued by Diana (Rayna Hickman).

We see the soldiers bonding under fire and one in particular Tobey (the remarkable D. William Hughes) is befriended by Marcus and it is he who has the best songs in the show which he sings magnificently – “Everlasting” and “Marcus, My Friend”.

More a metaphor than a character Beautiful Music (Marcie Henderson) in a white gown sings the rousing “When I Am Lost” and leads the dead off to a higher ground.

The reality of war hits us squarely in the face as Mrs. Macauley sings “Daddy Will Not Come” but we are reminded to enjoy coconut cream pie and there is a very funny song that the soldiers sing while looking at girlie magazines – “How I Love (your thingamajig)”.

It is amazing what the APAC has accomplished.  Dusting off a not very successful musical whose themes resonate with us today about war, family and home and giving it an exceptional production where many actors are beautifully showcased.  One such highlight is the touching and beautiful duet between Homer and Marcus – “Dear Brother Homer” which alone makes “The Human Comedy” worth seeing.

www.apacny.org       Through May 21^st.    http://youtu.be/bX4GYS9r3UQ

 Photo:  Michael R. Dekker

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