Oscar E Moore

“In God’s Hat” a new two act play written by Richard Taylor in the genre of “horror made humorous” now playing at the Peter J. Sharp Theater; produced by the Apothecary Theatre Company could be called “In God’s Shoes” or rather more appropriately “In God’s Boots” as the two heavily tattooed, shaved headed and menacing neo-Nazi characters Arthur Cruter (Dennis Flanagan) and Early Boyle (Gary Francis Hope) who come a lookin’ and a huntin’ for Mitch and Roy have one thing on their minds -extermination.  Condoned, of course, by the help of the Lord.

Mitch (Rhett Rossi) and Roy (Tom Pelphey) are brothers.  Mitch has just been released from a correctional facility after ten years for child molestation and is holed up in some seedy motel room with his younger brother Roy (Tom Pelphrey) in some bizarre family reunion that goes askew and where we discover some dark family secrets.

Roy is a neat freak and has a dead pan dark sense of illogical humor that is endearing.  Mitch is nervous and unsure as to why they are there as he tries to bond again with his long lost sibling.  It’s strange.  But both actors area excellent in their roles.

The horror arrives in the form of a very opinionated Arthur who has tried to kill Mitch in jail leaving him badly scarred but alive.  He has returned to finish the deed.  Will he succeed?  Or will he have the tables turned on him?  There is some tension, violence and blood.  Dennis Flanagan is fantastic as Arthur.

If I was sitting at the edge of my seat it wasn’t because of the tension or that I was anxious as to what would happen next but to hear neo Nazi number two – Gary Francis Hope.  He brought down the volume of the play and any momentum that had accrued.

Inconsistencies abound.  And annoy.  Mostly due to the lackluster direction of Kevin Kittle.  The main set (Michael Reese) is fine but little space is left for the last scene which is unfortunately performed at the apron of the stage and only the first two rows can see or hear what is going on.

The part of the Corrections Officer is played by Mike Mihm.  Through August 7^th.

www.apothecarytheatrecompany.org Photo:  Dale Jabagat

Tags:   Dennius Flanagan · Rhett Rossi · Tom PelphreyComments Off on In God’s Hat – Brotherly Love Grand Guignol Style

At The Duke on 42^nd Street where “See Rock City & Other Destinations” produced by The Transport Group Theatre Company will be running through August 8^th you will upon entering the theatre find, in a fog induced atmosphere, all the lawn and beach chairs (that will eventually be placed around the arena for the General Admission seats while you stand behind a white line waiting) piled high at the far end of the bare stage, rather “acting arena” and lit from within where the orchestra will accompany the seven actors portraying fourteen characters that will take you on a journey cross country to six tourist attractions.  There are also no programs distributed until you leave the performance.  And no songs listed in the program.  It is all very alienating to say the least.

However, the show itself is a must see for anyone interested in musical theatre.  It is a unique and unusual experience – sometimes otherworldly, emotionally touching and a musical unlike any I’ve ever seen directed by Jack Cummings III with great imagination, theatricality and care.  You may at first feel that you have walked into some bizarre Twilight Zone musical production of Our Town as a narrator sets up the various scenes that take us to Rock City, Roswell, New Mexico, the Alamo, Alaska, Coney Island and Niagara Falls. 

Six separate stories where the fully developed characters are self contained.  They do not overlap.  But they all have some things in common – aloneness and the desire to connect, being afraid to take a chance on a chance meeting with a stranger, afraid to experience something new and alive, afraid to commit and the heartache of memories   These characters will touch you and haunt you.  They are not easily forgotten.

The creators (Book & Lyrics by Adam Mathias and Music by Brad Alexander) offer hope and romanticism throughout and the actors are superb in fleshing out and digging deep within themselves to convey the feelings of those they represent.

The waitress (Mamie Parris) who goes off with a customer (Bryse Ryness) and sings about the contents of his car’s glove compartment, the guy searching for UFO’s (Stanley Bahorek), the wheelchair bound Grampy (Ryan Hilliard) muttering nonsense that only his grand daughter (Sally Wilfert) can understand until he sings about his wife.  The lawyer that she meets, Dempsey (Jonathan Hammond) offering up one last chance at connecting, Claire (Donna Lynne Champlin) one of a trio of sisters scattering their dad’s ashes overboard a ship – singing a cappella one of their dad’s favorite songs despite strong sibling rivalry, two high school pals taking off to Coney Island and discovering each other in the Spook House, and a bride afraid of taking the plunge being urged on by a tour guide at Niagara Falls to do just that – in a barrel.

The score is more Sondheim than Herman.  It has a sound of its own and is melodic in an eerie way and supports the character driven lyrics with perfection.  Technically the show makes use of the simplest of props and lighting designer R. Lee Kennedy has done a spectacular job even with darkness.  A moveable scaffold takes the actors high up to sing about the vista of Rock City and the Falls at Niagara.  It’s a stunning production.  See it.

www.transportgroup.org

Tags:   Adam Mathias · Brad Alexander · Bryse Ryness · Donna Lynne Champlin · Jack Cummings III · Jonathan Hammond · Mamie Parris · R. Lee Kennedy · Ryan Hilliard · Sally Wilfert · Stanley Bahorek · Transport GroupNo Comments.

It really doesn’t matter if Sigmund Freud actually met with Mr. C. S. Lewis in September of 1939 on the eve of World War II in his study located in Hampstead, London as playwright Mark St. Germain supposes, based on information found in “The Question of God’ by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr. for his one act play entitled, “Freud’s Last Session” now playing at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre on West 64^th Street.

What matters is that the play is fascinating, extremely well written and has two superb actors – Martin Rayner (Freud) and Mark H. Dold (Lewis) playing intelligent cat and intelligent mouse with each other: debating the existence of God, death, war, sex, suicide, their past and hopefully future with sharp humor, sensitivity and empathy without ever tilting the scale in either direction.  Never veering into caricature but making dignified and humane men out of them.

Neither man wants to concede to the other in this imagined meeting of the minds.  Freud is in his eighties, suffering from oral cancer and contemplating suicide as he awaits the arrival of Mr. Lewis who is almost half his age and who has written a scathing, satirical take on the Dr. portraying him as a bombastic, impetuous, vain and ignorant old man.   

Why a meeting at this point if indeed the meeting ever took place?  It’s a moot point.  What transpires makes it all worth while.  Freud hasn’t read the piece in question but another and has invited this recent convert from atheism to theism into his cozy study (beautifully designed by Brian Prather) replete with volumes of books, oriental carpets, Roman, Greek, African and Egyptian artifacts, the all important couch for psychoanalysis and one very important vintage radio to debate their differences.

The radio essentially becomes a third character as it gives updates on the impending war, Hitler and plays classical music that Dr. Freud cannot bear to listen to which by the end of the play takes on a whole new meaning.

“Freud’s Last Session” is enhanced greatly by the subtle and detailed direction of Tyler Marchant.  It is no wonder that this incredibly moving piece of theatre was so successful at The Barrington Stage Company and has thankfully been transferred to New York City intact.  Running a compact 75 minutes the play is a thought provoking study of two highly intelligent men verbally sparring with each other, each wanting to win.  Neither man does.  It is the audience who comes out the winner.

www.FreudsLastSession.com    Photo: Kevin Sprague

Tags:   Mark H. Dold · Mark St. Germain · Martin Rayner · The Barrington Stage Company · Tyler MarchantNo Comments.

The Irish Rep under the direction of Charlotte Moore is presenting a special return engagement of “The Irish…and how they got that way” to honor Frank McCourt, its author, who passed just about a year ago.  Mr. McCourt would have been proud to see such a fine production that has as one of its highpoints a song about an Irish wake.

Part musical review and part history lesson the six performers entertain with a glint in their eyes a sprint to their steps and a touch of Irish humor and wit to tell their many tales to enlighten us as to what makes an Irishman or woman who they are. 

It’s a long road from “The Rose of Tralee” to contemporary Ireland’s U2‘s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” with a few speed bumps along the way but in general it’s quite an eye opening evening of historical facts, documented speeches, wonderful projections (Shawn Lewis), toe tapping vaudeville numbers (Barry McNabb), strong acting and beautiful singing by these proud Irish “music makers and dreamers of dreams.”

Staged simply if somewhat stiffly by Ms. Moore, the cast surrounded by lots of luggage and steamer trunks,  interweave the historical facts with the many songs to the accompaniment of an upright piano played with great personality by Kevin Winebold and a wandering violinist Patrick Shields who also plays various other instruments along the nearly two hour journey.

It’s the Irish against the English.  The Irish against the potato famine.  The Irish against each other.  The Irish against anyone that isn’t Irish.  All punctuated with humor and sadness.  How they fought for America.  How they helped build America.  How they became involved with politics and labor unions.  How they overcame the belief of Americans that they were ignorant, filthy and corrupt.  Well, mostly overcame.  It’s  a captivating capsule of Irish history performed to the hilt by a great ensemble cast that is called upon to become many people with many accents and to break your heart and to make you laugh.  This they are all expert at.

Terry Donnelly has a unique presence and voice.  She is strong of spirit that she lets loose with her “Finnegan’s Wake”.  Kerry Conte has a sweet soprano and with Irish Tenor Ciaran Sheehan brings an honesty and bitter sweetness to “Anchors Away”.  Gary Troy is a wonder with his great voice and vivid depictions of the many characters he portrays especially in the George M. Cohan sequences that light up the stage. The ensembles best number is “No Irish Need Apply” which is self explanatory.

If somewhat slow going it is always interesting and entertaining.  When near the end they list all of the important Irish people who contributed to the positive development of the world you may be surprised at some of the names that pop up.  Who knew Walt Disney was of Irish descent?    Through September 5^th.          www.irishrep.org.

Tags:   Charlotte Moore · Ciaran Sheehan · Frank McCourt · Gary Troy · Kerry Conte · Kevin B. Winebold · Patrick Shields · Terry DonnellyNo Comments.

There is some very good news at The York Theatre.  The elevator is working.  As is the air conditioning.  Their new production of “Falling For Eve” however is another story.  And I mean that quite literally.  It is a brand new take on Adam and Eve with a wise and witty book by Joe DiPietro and perky but hardly memorable music (jazz waltz, power ballad, Calypso etc.) by Bret Simmons and sometimes successful lyrics by David Howard – whose play “Adam Alone” is the basis of this trouble in paradise creation.

A creation that utilizes a male God (Adam Kantor) and a female God (Sasha Sloan) – after all we are all made in His/Her image aren’t we?  With two angels, Sarah (Jennifer Blood) and Michael (Nehal Joshi) as narrators and who take a leap of faith and fall in love with each other while wide eyed and innocent Adam (Jose Llana) baring all from the back post creation and looking fit as Tarzan in his loincloth tries his best to obey and not eat the forbidden fruit that the all too curious Eve (Krystal Joy Brown) is unable to resist resulting in her banishment to the cold cruel world where she ages and faces the fact that one day she will die.

All this on another interesting set design by Beowulf Boritt that appears to be a three dimensional nucleus of an atom or the Universe or a design inspired by the short and oval shaped overly sprayed hairdo of the woman I was sitting behind.  It works.  As does the lighting by Herrick Goldman and the costumes by Bobby Pearce.

What doesn’t work as well is the show.  It seems as if the score was written and they brought in Joe DiPietro to make use of his particular brand of humor and expertise that have earned him a Tony and a league of deserved fans.  If only the lyrics were in the same universe as the book.  Late in the ninety minute show we get an exciting revival-like list song “Good Things Are A Comin'” and finally it all seems to be coming together – music, lyric and the book.  But it is short lived.

The best performer is Jose Llana and I am afraid without his presence the show might just fall apart.  It’s a shame that director Larry Raben aborts the ending of his big number “Eve” depriving Mr. Llana of his much deserved applause.  He has a sweet and clear and powerful voice that is wonderful and we can believe in his innocence.  Ms. Brown as Eve is a bit forced, looking like a young Diana Ross which is not a bad thing in itself and belts well.  The other characters are really cut outs looking for some depth.  They do the best with what they are given and that isn’t much.

With the exception of the biting edge, unexpected and off beat humor of Mr. DiPietro “Falling For Eve” falls a bit flat.

www.yorktheatre.org   Photo:  Carol Rosegg

Tags:   Joe DiPietro · Jose LlanaNo Comments.

The Grand Manner, by A. R. Gurney starring Kate Burton as Katherine Cornell is an affectionate, harmless, nostalgic and pleasant evening of good old fashioned story telling through the eyes of a smart, young theatre fan (the young Pete Gurney) who is not at all afraid of becoming a “theatre creep”.  His father’s words to describe most people infected with the theatre bug. 

Good for him.  He is still unabashedly in love with the theatre and The Grand Manner is a lovely valentine to that old school of acting that Miss Cornell was known for and that Miss Burton could have a bit more of.

It is loosely based on an actual meeting backstage in the Green Room that the 16 year old Pete (a knowingly innocent Bobby Steggert) has finagled with Katherine Cornell (a beautifully gowned, gracious and giddy Kate Burton – making a grand entrance!) by having his grandmother write a letter of introduction.  He has journeyed from his boarding school to New York to see Miss Cornell in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.  He has a scholastic knowledge of the play and a deep rooted affection for theatre in general and Miss Cornell in particular.  It helped immensely that they are both from Buffalo.  A city that Mr. Gurney hails from and has written about in many of his plays and that Miss Cornell relishes speaking about.

In a short prologue where Pete speaks directly to the audience he gets his autograph straight off.  Then off we on an imaginative journey as to what would have happened had he been asked to stick around, have a coke and mingle with Miss Cornell, her aide-de-camp and lover Gertrude Macy (an efficiently butch Brenda Wehle) and her foul mouthed homosexual husband and director Guthrie McClintic (Boyd Gaines), acting more in the “grand manner” than Madame herself.  Lots of good stuff here that basically goes nowhere.

They are to attend a party hosted by Pat Weaver at 21 where this new fangled idiom called television will be discussed with the likes of The Lunts and Mary Martin.  Miss Cornell is at a cross roads it seems.  Her style of acting is no longer acceptable, she herself feels uncomfortable, nay trapped in her part on stage and in life and a young guy named Marlon Brando has jumped barge to appear in A Streetcar Named Desire down the block.

There are lots of factual tidbits and some humorous lines and the acting is quite good all around but it lulls rather than excites.  It is also surprising that when the young Pete discovers all the gayness in the Green Room that he barely bats an eyelash.  And when Guthrie offers Pete a job as his personal assistant to teach his things “from the bottom up” and talks of nude beaches – we get the picture but Pete still doesn’t flinch.  Odd.

It’s quietly directed by Mark Lamos and is given the Lincoln Center Mitzi E Newhouse elaborate production that we have become accustomed to.  More grand than The Grand Manner itself.

www.lct.org  Through August 1^st.                                           Photo:  Joan Marcus

Tags:   A.R.Gurney · Bobby Steggert · Boyd Gaines · Brenda Wehle · Kate Burton · Mark LamosNo Comments.

Always on the outlook for new talent I found myself at the Triad on West 72 Street to see a young performer, Aja Nisenson, in her one woman show “Piccola Cosi” which will be repeated on July 15^th and August 19^th at 7.  She is backed up by a terrific jazz trio on piano, bass and drums – Joe Nagle, Pete O’Connell and Yuriy Prilutskiy.    

They warm up the audience with a wonderful jazz arrangement of “The Days of Wine and Roses” and we are all set to hear some more wonderful arrangements of standards when Aja – a beautiful young woman in her twenties with curly black hair looking very much like Vivien Leigh would look if she were wearing a simple black top, black slacks and sneakers arrives and simply begins to tell her tale of living in Italy where she hoped to pursue a career singing jazz and where she met a series of Italian lotharios ready to help her lose her virginity.

Aja is quite an original.  She is beautiful.  She is funny.  She is innocent.  She is sexy.  She is feisty.  She is stoic.  And someone to keep your eye on.  She seems to want to do stand up – mostly sitting.  She is a tease, singing bits and pieces of some great songs (“Fever”, “Night and Day” , “Besame Mucho” and “Paper Moon”), only to continue her saga with her incredible portrayals of the men in her life while in Italy:  Carlo, Ricardo and Renzo to name but a few.  With a face seemingly made of rubber, with detailed gestures and various vocal intonations Aja becomes all of these memorable men.  She has perfected the art of aping their speech patterns, gestures and tics. 

But she is also a great comic singer with a legit voice.  When she sings “My Funny Valentine” she does so commenting with what her mind is thinking as she is singing.  Starting off operatically she then experiments with other variations, much to our delight. 

Aja is someone that would probably flourish on a show like Saturday Night Live.  She has an instinctive humor, split second timing, great looks and could probably skewer some pretty high profile Italian men to boot while continuing on with her own stable of Italian studs.

www.triadnyc.com

Tags:   Aja Nisenson2 Comments

Yes, the famous pair of egomaniacal entertainers had a tryst in Hollywood when they were married to others and were horny and bored and had adjoining dressing rooms at Paramount and remained steadfast friends throughout their lives, even to the extent that Marlene came to the defense of Maurice when he was accused of collaborating with the Nazis during WWII.  But I’m getting far ahead of myself.

Billed as a musical, Dietrich & Chevalier is much more.  Yes, it has many of the famous songs that Marlene and Maurice sang but is the backdrop of WWII, the Nazis and their inclusion or reluctance to be included in aiding the Jews that is the main force behind the book by Jerry Mayer.  Which causes some problems.  The book and the songs seem to be at odds with one another.

Back and forth we travel.  From the Casino de Paris to Hollywood to Germany from 1932 to 1945.  It’s a lot of material to be covered.  And so we get a series of short expositional scenes in between the famous lighthearted songs.  This needs to be addressed as it doesn’t quite work despite the fascinating relationship between the two stars and their “love” story.

The production itself is stylish with excellent period costumes by Karen Flood.  The multi media work by Chris Jensen cluing us in to where we are is quick and efficient.  The furniture changes in silhouette distract.  The musical staging by Gene Castle doesn’t.  The overall unit set by Scott Heineman and Josh Iacovelli is quite serviceable.  Does all this seem cold?  Yes, it is.

I couldn’t get involved.  Despite the valiant efforts of the three person cast.  Robert Cuccioli has the straw boater, the bow tie, the smile and sometimes the magnetic charm of Chevalier.  And he can act the serious scenes.  Jodi Stevens has the elegance, the hairdo, the cheekbones but falls short of bringing Marlene to life.  She is best when she sings the German version of “Falling In Love Again”.  Donald Corren, playing eight different roles, all but steals the show.  He is marvelous.  I believed him throughout.  Cuccioli and Stevens are perhaps being told by director Pamela Hall to impersonate rather that inhabit their roles.  I would be better if they relaxed more and played the emotion rather that imitate the personality.

But you will get to hear such great hits as “Mimi” “Lili Marlene” “Isn’t It Romantic?” “Valentine” and “You’re The Cream In My Coffee” – a supposedly naughty ditty that got Marlene a job – all played to perfection by Musical Director Ken Lundie.

Maurice Chevalier and Marlene Dietrich were above all entertainers, not politicians.  But that part of their lives is most interesting and perhaps underdeveloped here.  Or not stressed enough.  The balance is off.  A little more meat and less music might have been preferable.

Photo: Carol Rosegg

Tags:   Donald Corren · Jerry Mayer · Jodi Stevens · Ken Lundie · Robert CuccioliNo Comments.

I have a confession to make.  I have never seen a production of the wildly successful and popular musical NUNSENSE written by Dan Goggin.  Until now.  And I am happy to report that the 25^th anniversary revival at the Cherry Lane Theatre where this most entertaining show about the Little Sisters of Hoboken has taken up residence through July 18^th is heaven sent.  A cause for celebration.

Five nuns are trying to raise money for the burial of the last four remaining Sisters that are on ice due to a lack of funds ever since Mother Superior, Mary Regina paid for the burial of the other 52 nuns stricken dead by the botched soup recipe of Sister Julia resulting in botulism poisoning and then bought a plasma screen television.  The five remaining are remaining as they were playing Bingo elsewhere.

Well you get the idea that this is not your usual logical musical but some wonderfully deranged, inventive, irreverent, risqué, clever, mischievous madcap musical with five of the most lovable, funny, toe tapping and hell raising Sisters ever to grace the stage.  They spread the word.  And the word is fun.

With clever references to other famous Broadway shows thrown in here and there we get to know each of the Sisters and they each get to shine in numbers specifically created for their characters.  And they waste not a minute getting the audience involved.  Testing them after a “history” lesson and giving away Saint Christopher medals as prizes for the correct answers. 

You don’t have to be Catholic to love NUNSENSE.  It’s a hoot from start to finish.  With some solemn tongue in cheek nods to purity, chastity and poverty, director Don Groggin takes us on a merry melodic ride with his musical nuns with some spry musical staging and choreography by Teri Gibson.

There is Sister Mary Amnesia who can’t remember who she is or where she came from.  A crucifix head injury caused this abnormality.  Jeanne M. Tinker is absolutely perfect with her exquisitely timed scatter-braided humor and vocal skills.  Is it a sin to have a crush on a nun?  I’ve already said five Hail Marys.  She is delightful.  There is Sister Mary Hubert (Bambi Jones) who gets to raise the rafters with her gospel number.  Sister Robert Anne (Maria Montana) reminding us of Anne Bancroft as she throws off her understudy duties to become a star.  Sister Mary Leo (Stephanie Wahl) wanting to be a ballerina and Mother Mary Regina (Bonnie Lee) who has an hysterical interlude with a substance called “RUSH”.

It’s no wonder that NUNSENSE ran for over ten years when it first opened Off-Broadway at the same Cherry Lane Theatre in 1985.  Dan Goggin had the calling and answered with his this very tuneful and clever show.  Blessed be the God that created humor.  Amen. 

Photo:  Broadway.com

www.cherrylanetheatre.org   www.nunsense.com

Tags:   Bambi Jones · Bonnie Lee · Dan Goggin · Jeanne M. Tinker · Maria Montana · Stephanie WahlNo Comments.

As part of Americas Off  Broadway – ” Freed” – written by Charles Smith is receiving its New York City premiere at 59 E 59 Theaters – a joint production of Penguin Rep Theatre is association with Chase Mishkin. 

It is based on John Newton Templeton – a name that few know but that many will after seeing this handsomely produced and discreetly directed play of opposing ideas and debate with the belief that one can surmount seemingly impossible odds.

On a simple Shaker-like set by Joseph J. Egan, Sheldon Best is John Newtown Templeton.  And he could very well be the next Denzel Washington.  He is giving a noble, heroic, honest and passionate performance as the educated slave boy who was freed in 1813 (long before the Emancipation Proclamation) who knows Greek and Latin and has been chosen by the President of Ohio University, Robert Wilson (a single-minded, strong Christopher McCann) in the years between 1824-1828 to continue his education – or is it training?

Mr. Templeton may have been the first black man to attend and graduate college in the Mid-West but he was not allowed to share quarters with the other ten students.  And so he lives with the fanatical Reverend Wilson and his resentful, troubled wife Jane (a resilient Emma O’Donnell). 

Not the happiest of couples, Templeton is caught in the middle most of the time and has many obstacles put before him – one of which is having him likened to a trained circus ape.  It is his innate dignity and ability to negotiate with his wits, his need for independence; his eagerness to learn and to please as he attempts to maintain an even temper throughout that is most fascinating. 

Especially when some of the audience members side with him vocally as he discovers the true reason why he was chosen and makes a mighty important decision – whether or not to accept the Governorship of Liberia – a nation of freed slaves that he is being groomed to be sent back to.  Somewhat akin to Helen Thomas telling the Jews to go back to Poland and Germany.

Where “Freed” could have been a boring, scholastic history lesson the fine writing of Charles Smith continually keeps our interest piqued.  The three characters are fully developed and we discover their motivations little by little as Templeton tells and relives his story. 

The excellent costumes (Patricia E. Doherty) and lighting (Martin E. Vreeland) both add a welcomed theatricality to the proceedings.  But it is the intriguing triangle of personalities and how they resolve their wants and the sturdy breakthrough performance of Mr. Sheldon Best that ultimately makes “Freed” a play that makes you take notice.  Through July 3^rd.    www.59E59.org

Photo:  Kerwin McCarthy

Tags:   Charles Smith · Christopher McCann · Emma O'Donnell · Joe Brancato · Sheldon BestComments Off on Freed – A new Denzel Washington discovered Off B’way?