www.Intermission mag.com
Race
The Ethel Barrymore
243 W. 47 Street
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
As viewed on Jan 7, 2010 (opened Dec 6, 2009; runs until ???)
“Do you know what you can say to a Black man on the subject of race?” That explosive question gets the ball rolling in David Mamet’s new play Race, which recently opened at the Ethel Barrymore. But, unfortunately, that question fails to ignite any fresh revelations on the hot-button subject. It seems that the playwright, who is well-known for his rapid-fire language and forays into new dramatic terrain, is on auto-pilot here. He fails to blaze any new dramatic ground with this four-hander.
The plot is basic: A blue-blood shows up at a multiracial firm in hopes of mounting a defense for his case. He has been accused of raping a Black woman, and is looking for a lawyer who can clear him of the steamy charges. But as the lawyers and client discuss the particulars of the case, the multicultural veneer of the firm peels off. And what we watch is Blacks and Whites lunging at each other’s jugulars, if you will, and hidden prejudices.
The play analyzes sex, rape, the law, employment, relationships, all within the space of 90 minutes (with one unnecessary intermission). Race argues that Whites spin their wheels when it comes to having a meaningful conversation with Blacks on race. It suggests--no, downright nudges--that racial guilt is the White man’s burden and inheritance. Worse, it sees race as a continuing problem in our post-Obama world.
The problem with the play is that it is too politically and dramatically ambivalent. It returns us to a subject that has been overworked and overdone. Yes, racial tensions still exist between Blacks and Whites. Yes, affirmative action in white-collar professions continues to be practiced unevenly. But Mamet seems to be relying on an old template for this play. Instead of adding new colors to his palette, Mamet offers us a washed-out argument on race in America.
What this drama needs is more character and plot development. There are too many loose ends, and the ending itself feels rather contrived. Mamet never explores the working relationship between James Spader’s Lawson and David Alan Grier’s Brown, which might add necessary texture to the piece. Moreover, Kerry Washington’s Susan and Richard Thomas’s Charles Strickland seem more like rough sketches than viable characters.
That said, there are some ingenious and striking details woven into the drama. The character Susan has no last name, perhaps Mamet’s way of informing us that she is holding the short end of the stick in the situation with the 2 lawyers. And as a young Black female, she is. Called to task by the lawyers for mishandling the paperwork of their new client, she doesn’t precisely melt under their grilling, but she doesn’t stand up to them either. If you have ever suspected that Mamet is a misogynist, the character Susan gives plenty of new evidence to support the case.
The best reason to see this play, however, is to watch the fine acting of James Spader. His Emmy-award winning portrayal of Alan Shore on Boston Legal has endeared him to the public, and his turn as Jack Lawson here doesn’t disappoint. The rest of the acting is uneven. Playing opposite Spader is the reliable David Alan Grier, as the law partner Henry Brown. The excellent Richard Thomas, who plays the client Charles Strickland, seems somewhat miscast in his role. Thomas doesn’t possess the necessary vitriolic manner that his character requires. Kerry Washington, as the legal assistant Susan, is serviceable but not memorable. Admittedly, none of the parts are that meaty. But Spader overcomes the thin characterization and manages to infuse his Lawson with that je-ne-sais quoi quality.
In spite of its significant flaws, this play sharply shows us how race remains a thorny issue in the legal system, and by inference, in our world. Directed by Mamet, the playwright may not be at the top of his game here. But if you like Mamet-speak and heated arguments on race, you might give it a visit.
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Angela Lansbury, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Keaton Whittaker in A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music
Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 W. 48 St.
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
As viewed on Dec 12, 2009 (open run)
The revival of A Little Night Music waltzed into the Walter
Kerr just in time for the New Year, and promises to stick around the Great
White Way for some time. The 36 year-old musical is wearing its age mighty
well, and with 2 powerful performances from Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta
Jones, this show will likely smile its way to a raft of Tony Awards.
Among other things, A Little Night Music is a story of sexual musical chairs that is played out by couples, ex-couples, and would-be couples at a country estate in turn-of-the-century Sweden. The plot is convoluted and frequently doubles back on itself before the finale. Harold Prince, who originally produced and directed the musical, was bent on making this a Chekhovian musical--and he succeeded in spades. For Stephen Sondheim, the show gave him his first bonafide hit—“Send in the Clowns”—a wistful melody that took on its own life (thanks to later recordings by Frank Sinatra and Judy Collins) outside the precincts of Broadway.
The title is poached from Mozart’s divertimento “Eine Kleine Nacht-musik;” and the story from Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 movie “Smiles of a Summer Night.” To these, Sondheim infused his own musical genius, inspired by the romantic music of Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Ravel. (The New York Times summed up the musical back in 1973 with the following exclamation: “Great God! An adult musical!”). And though his other Prince-collaborated musicals, Follies and Company, had been well-received, A Little Night Music was a new high-water mark for Sondheim. Its ravishing music communicated something entirely fresh on Broadway. And still does.
Each character—major or minor—in this operetta serves the plot. Whether it’s the lustful lawyer Fredrik living in a platonic marriage to his virginal wife Anne, the great actress and Fredrik’s old mistress Desiree, or the fierce Count Carl Magnus Malcolm and his equally fierce wife Countess Charlotte Malcolm, each character is made of real flesh-and-blood. Madame Armfeldt, however, may be pound-by-pound, the most memorable one. She delivers some dazzling bon mots (“Solitaire is the only thing in life which demands absolute honesty.”), which can only be gleaned from long-lived experience.
Angela Lansbury may be in the running for another Tony Award for her performance as the ex-courtesan Madame Armfeldt. The 83 year-old actor gives us another master class in acting here as the wheelchair-bound grand dame. No ivory tower personage, she enumerates her own past liaisons with unabashed directness. Catherine Zeta Jones, making her Broadway debut as the worldly Desiree, looks and sounds divine. Her “Send in the Clowns” is sure to raise goose bumps on the spine of even the most jaded theatergoer. Only one of the actors seems out of synch in the production. Ramona Mallory, playing Anne Egerman, displays too much body language, and her excessive gesturing distracts from her speech.
Trevor Nunn is at the helm, and though he might have tightened a few scenes here and there (the show clocks in at almost 3 hours), he does manage to keep the pace moving at an even clip. The set and costume design (David Farley) are top-notch, complete with period furniture, petticoats and frocks, 3- piece suits, and bedtime night shirts and feminine whatnots.
To be sure, this is a comedy of manners, but it’s a substantial one. Sex and death are inextricably woven together in this show. And though I don’t want to be a spoiler for those who aren’t familiar with the plot, this carnal comedy has more than its share of tragic-tinged moments and characters who confront cul-de-sacs in their lives. When Charlotte and Anne begin the song “Every Day a Little Death” in Act 1, they darkly predict a lot of what is to come in Act 2.
Even if you have seen this musical in another incarnation, this current revival is worth traveling for. Lansbury and Jones are smoldering in their principal roles, and Sondheim’s music is enchanting.
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FELA!
Eugene O’Neill Theatre
230 West 49 Street
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
As viewed Dec 3, 2009 (opened Nov 23, 2009, runs until ???)
No two nights are ever the same at the Eugene O’Neill, where the new musical Fela! is currently playing. And whether you see Fela! as a musical or a concert, or a blending of both, go to this show for its incendiary music and high-powered dancing. Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones (Tony Award for Spring Awakening) is the guiding force behind this new venture. As both director and choreographer of the piece, he demonstrates that he is able to deliver a work infused with sound and fury.
So who is Fela? He is Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the Nigerian pop star and musician who created a new kind of music called Afrobeat, whose rhythm was culled from all over the world. The lyrics to his songs openly attacked the repressive military dictatorships that ruled Nigeria and most parts of Africa. And as we will learn in this musical biography, Fela’s music will become an emblem for human rights and justice.
There are 2 actors (Kevin Mambo & Sahr Mgajah) alternately playing Fela. On the evening I attended the show, I watched Sahr Ngaujah in the part of Fela Anikulapo-Kuli--and he truly disappears into the role. Ngaujah’s directness with the audience is disarming. He speaks through the “fourth wall” from the get-go, playfully inviting the audience to chant and verbally participate in the performance. Then just when you think he might go over-the-top as master of ceremonies, he steps back from the lip of the stage and melts into the ensemble. Later, he will smoothly step back into the limelight, sharing fresh patter about the Shrine’s history and informing us about the danger brewing near and far in Nigeria.
The musical features 25 musical numbers, all somehow
connected to Fela’s personal search for a “true African style.” Curiously, the
show’s musical idiom--Afrobeat--never feels repetitive or boring. Why? No doubt
it’s because the music is artfully interwoven into the larger story of Fela.
Indeed music is not merely an expression of high emotion in this show; music
here has the spiritual connotation of the Yoruban religion, which is practiced
by Fela and his devotees.
Although the musical appears to be free-wheeling, there’s a sound architecture to each scene and smooth transitions from one episode to another. At the outset of Act 1, we are welcomed to the Shrine (“Welcome Na De Shrine”) by Fela, and then good-naturedly taught how to decode the idiosyncratic rituals of the Yoruban religion (“B.I.D (Breaking It Down).” Just when we feel that we have caught on to the Shrine’s cultural idiom, Fela tosses in a chestnut that few in the audience could miss: James Brown’s “I Got the Feeling.” In fact, what gives this show its zing is that it sublimely mixes its Afrobeat with beloved soul classics and references to contemporary cultural icons. The second half of the evening is less carefree, and more politically explosive. In fact, much of it revolves around the arrest, imprisonment, and torture of Fela. Numbers like “The Storming of Kalakuta” and “B.Y.O.C (Bring Your Own Coffin)” reveal the unconscionable actions of the military regime in Nigeria. Not for the faint-hearted, Act 2 is by far the more powerful part of the evening.
Ngaujah, and the cast, act as if they have been preparing for Fela! all their lives. There’s a real confidence exuding from the performers, and their collective virtuoso dancing is breath-taking. Also the costumes and sets (Marina Draghici) are appropriately flamboyant, and the dazzling lighting (Robert Wierzel) ensures that no strand of the narrative or dance movements will be missed.
One cannot easily typecast this musical or its central character. Entertaining, yes. But it’s also confrontational and politically edgy. True, there have been a spate of juke-box musicals on Broadway (Jersey Boys), at least one other musical biography (Lennon), but nothing that is quite like Fela! Go to this show to discover how this revolutionary left his mark on history. No doubt you will exit the theater wiser.
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Michael Cerveris and Laura Benanti in In the Next Room
In The Next Room
Or
The Vibrator Play
The Lyceum Theatre
149 W. 45 Street
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
As viewed Nov 21 (runs Nov 19, 2009 until ?)
Porn on Broadway? No, not quite. But Sarah Ruhl’s sure rips
the veil off the female orgasm. This new show, which opened at the Lyceum in
late-November, explores how an actual medical doctor in the 19th century used a
“vibrating” instrument on women’s genitals to stimulate an orgasm. Directed by
Les Waters, the show is funny, cerebral, and refreshingly honest.
The story takes place in a prosperous spa town outside of New York City (think Saratoga Springs). It’s the dawn of the age of electricity, and after the Civil War, circa 1880s. It’s meant to evoke an age of enlightenment, in which people are just learning to use electric lights in their homes, and literally seeing everything (including sex) in a new light.
Fortunately, this show goes much further than mere titillation. It translates sex into personal transformation, spiritual metaphors, and physical and mental health. The narrative begins with Dr. Givings (Michael Ceveris) treating his female (and the occasional male) patients for their hysteria with his new-fangled genital “vibrator.” Though Mrs. Givings is completely in the dark about her husband’s unusual medical treatments, she is quite cognizant of her own female problems. To wit: she has been unable to provide enough breast milk for their newborn daughter and immediately must hire a wet nurse to feed her baby. When a wet nurse arrives on the scene, this only creates more tension for the couple. Mrs. Givings feels that her motherhood and feminine identity have been irrevocably compromised; and Dr. Givings, unable to comprehend his spouse’s distress, becomes increasingly preoccupied with his work. Things change, however, when Dr. Givings recognizes that his wife’s mental health is dangerously deteriorating.
If the subject is spicy, the acting rises to meet it. Benanti is well-cast in the role of the young dutiful wife who still yearns to live a little. Michael Cerveris, as Doctor Givings, possesses equal parts sternness and solicitude. Having seen this actor in various Broadway shows (notably Sweeney Todd and Assassins), it is heartening to see him tackle this unique new role, and succeed with understated charm.
Just when you think you’ve seen everything on Broadway, somebody like Sarah Ruhl comes along and pulls the rug out from beneath us. Sex may not be a new subject on Broadway, but it literally gets a new treatment this season. But the real pleasure of Sarah Ruhl’s new play, however, is not in laughing over its orgasm scenes but in exploring our own views of human sexuality. If you have seen Equus, Kiss of the Spider Woman, or The Vagina Monologues, then this show won’t altogether shock you. But it surely does give us a brand-new definition to the joys of sex.
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A Searing King Lear
Reviewed by Ed Cloos
November 2009
King Lear may be Shakespeare’s greatest play—indeed the greatest play in the English language—as material accompanying its performance by Shakespeare Theatre Company suggests, or it may not. But the production that closed out the 2008-2009 season made for gripping, searing, painfully emotional theater.
As the audience left Sidney Harman Hall July 19, after the final Sunday afternoon matinee, the buzz was “how can the cast come back in just two hours and go through all that again?” We, the audience, were drained. They must have been near exhaustion. But I’m sure they did do it again, every bit as powerfully as they did it for us.
Shakespeare Theatre artistic director Michael Kahn saw the production in
A lot of written words of philosophy, scholarship and interpretation surrounded the production—some of it laying it on pretty thick for this viewer’s taste—but the production clearly succeeds in expressing the many sides of the individual characters. We didn’t see just a foolish old man with three daughters: two evil and one good (if terribly naïve).
While Shakespeare set the play in some vague time in a
As Falls intended, the production is searing, gripping, emotional and also, at times deafening, thanks to music as loud as batteries of artillery, and the sounds of guns and artillery themselves.
Keach played Lear in the original in
As we all know, the action starts with Lear ceremoniously dividing his kingdom—Britain itself—between his three daughters, supposedly according to their expressions of love for him, but clearly the shares were decided in advance and his beloved Cordelia was to get the richest portion.
Who of us men wouldn’t melt if his Fathers’ Day card read: “I love you more than words can wield the matter,” as Goneril begins her essay of excess?
Then Regan follows with endorsement of all her sister said, “only she comes too short,” and claims no other joy in life than her love of her father. Cordelia laments that she lacks the gift of such flowery words as her sisters. But she’s sure she’ll be all right because “my love’s more ponderous than my tongue.” Wrong. So when Lear asks what she can say to draw a third “more opulent” than her sisters, her reply is “Nothing, my lord.”
Perplexed, Lear explodes with the line we all know: “Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.”
Innocently sure her true love will shine through, she seals the doom not only of herself but of the whole kingdom by saying, in effect, that she loves her father just as a daughter should, no more, no less. If that satisfied the king the play would be over. Lear coaches her and tries for a suitable expression of the love he expects, but fails.
Even before the drama of the daughters, we get a hint of the plots to come as we meet the dukes of
If I have a cavil with the original and creative interpretation of the production, it is that the chain of events is presented too much as the result of the machinations of the evil Edmund rather than the tragic flaws of the main characters themselves. His half-brother Edgar is good, but gullible. His father even more so.
In the main hall, after Lear, in a rage, has disinherited
With the other characters, the production does even-handed justice. Regan and Goneril are greedy sensuality gluttons, but they have their kingdoms to preserve, and not everything they do is selfish. They have a reasonable case when they object to Lear bringing his hundred knights when he is to spend alternate months in the houses of each daughter. After all, they are a raucous bunch and outnumber the host guards.
Kim Martin-Cotton and Kate Arrington made Goneril and Regan strong, sensual and–dare I say it?—desirable, at least until they reach states approaching madness.
Lear, whose early actions are irrational if not insane, says he fears he may lose his mind. After being rejected by both of the favored daughters, he wanders out into a storm (that appears to be perpetual) and never finds shelter again. He’s joined by the loyal Kent who, in disguise, becomes his jester. Also by Edgar, who dons a wig and appears as naked Mad Tom. “Poor Tom’s cold,” he repeats often.
In the storm, Lear loses his clothes and joins Tom in cavorting in the nude. Nudity seems natural to Joaquin Torres as Edgar since his body is young and toned. Stacy Keach is a plump older man, so he discreetly turned away from the audience. He was naked, after all.
Having lost his clothes and his mind, Lear has gained clarity of thought and recognizes the error of his actions. He becomes sane when he loses his mind.
This could be a dreary and sordid tale. After all, failure of good to counteract evil isn’t uplifting. But the production drove the cast to such levels of intensity and emotion, and the action was so fast-paced, that we, the audience, were on the edge of our seats in anticipation of what would happen next—even though most of us knew the story, and the program laid it out in detail for any who didn’t.
There’s a ray of hope when the French forces land and Cordelia is reunited with her father. She appears to be in charge of the troops since her husband, the king, had to return return to
Not all is well for the British, though. Goneril has poisoned Regan to have Edmund for herself—a prospect her husband, the duke of
That happy ending isn’t to be as Lear appears with the battered, but beautiful, naked body of Cordelia in his arms. Then the lines we can’t forget: “Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, and thou no breath at all?” Then Lear himself collapses and dies. And we left the theater in a sort of subdued shock.
Shakespeare Theatre Company begins its new season Sept. 29 with The Bacchae by Euripedes.
Three Shakespeare plays follow: As You Like It, Richard II and Henry V. Next spring they’ll do The Liar, by Pierre Corneille, and George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession.
Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, at 81st Street.
Through July 12. For additional information about Shakespeare in the Park, visit The Public Theater website at www.publictheater.org
Next summer production at the Delacorte Theater is Euripides The Bacchae. (August 11-30).
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West Side Story at the Palace
Review by Deirdre Donovan
When Jerome Robbins originally considered retelling the story of Romeo and Juliet, he toyed with the idea of presenting a fracas between young Irish and Jewish lovers. But after presenting the idea to Leonard Bernstein, they both decided that the Irish-Jewish theme had been run dry on Broadway. Together, the two artists proceeded to brainstorm, and finally agreed that Shakespeare’s story could be reworked to advantage with Puerto Ricans and Polish Americans. The demographic makeup of New York City in the mid 50s, with the high influx of Puerto Ricans to the New York scene, offered contemporary valid-ity. What’s more, the Latin group was linked with high passion and violence, the very crux of Shakespeare’s story. Yes, they had the engine for West Side Story.
Fifty years after its Broadway opening, their creative choices still hold up. The revival of West Side Story at the Palace gives the musical sturdy new legs. No, we don’t get the theatrical shock waves that occurred with its first go-round in 1957. But so what? The current show may be less fierce than its stage predecessor, but the story (book by Arthur Laurents), music (Leonard Bernstein), songs (Stephen Sondheim), dances (choreography reproduced by Joey McKneely), set (James Youmans) are still exploding with frisson.
Dancing—no surprise here—still dominates the show! Jerome Robbins’ choreography has been lovingly recreated by Joey McNeely, and makes the old dances new again. In this production, dance not only became music’s best friend, but as critic Walter Kerr once pointed out, “it is its ultimate, most graphic extension.” Robbins was following in the footsteps of Agnes de Mille when he created his combustible choreography for West Side Story, and we still get a real taste of his genius in “The Prologue” and in numbers like “Dance at the Gym” and “The Rumble.” If some of the crackling electricity has been tamed by time, one can still admire the sharp precision of the ensemble executing the kinetic dances. This revival, in fact, constantly reminds us that this musical is a near ballet, and visually lyrical from the getgo.
The music of West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein) has an extra-ordinarily broad range, and it still soars. The Prologue’s assimilation of modern jazz is astonishing, and the sheer verve and complexity of “Something’s Coming” is a rare treat with its Latin American rhythms. “Cool”--a sort of twelve-note fugue--is classically executed, and a tune that many theater pros believe is indebted to Beethoven.
Stephen Sondheim, of course, cemented himself into Broadway theatrical history with his top drawer lyrics for West Side Story. Sondheim’s words seamlessly incorporate themselves into the veteran composer’s music, making it a true marriage of classical technique and Broadway flavor. Even though Sondheim often claims he had to compromise some of his lyrics to Bernstein’s music, who’s complaining? There are 29 “Marias” in the song “Maria” (Go ahead, count ‘em!) and each one is completely delicious to the ear. True, we take Sondheim’s lyrics for granted today, and sing them almost by heart. Nonetheless, when they first arrived on Broadway, the most selective theatergoers recognized that the songs were not only endearing, but enduring.
Arthur Laurents (book writer) directs the revival with much sincerity, but isn’t entirely successful with his ambitious goals. First, he has the Sharks speaking in Spanish, which adds obvious authenticity to the story but runs the risk of confusing some audience members unfamiliar with the storyline. Secondly, he has strongly underscored Tony and Maria and their love. It might have worked like a charm, except that it demands a flawlessly matched Tony (Matt Cavenaugh) and Maria (Josefina Scaglione). And though each principal holds their own throughout the evening, their love chemistry onstage is not always convincing.
To be sure, Josefina Scaglione is to be treasured as Maria. Her natural beauty, coupled with her effortless soprano, makes her a sublime fit for the part. The Argentina-born actor was discovered on You Tube and later auditioned for the lead role. A world-class performer, she’s well-cast as the virginal Juliet figure. Matt Cavenaugh, as Tony, has the leading man quality but his singing seemed self-conscious in several songs. Instead of simply sitting back and enjoying gorgeous numbers like “Maria” or “Somewhere,” you begin to worry if he’ll hit all the notes. What’s more, Cavenaugh seemed almost reserved playing opposite Scaglione. In the “Dance at the Gym,” one has to take him at his word that he’s fallen in love at first sight with Scaglione’s Maria. The emotional temperature just didn’t seem to spike enough between the young couple. And though Karen Olivo may not get top billing on the marquee, her Anita (Maria’s best friend and Bernardo’s girlfriend) is fully-realized, vivacious, winning.
You already know the classic story about the Jets and the Sharks (It parallels Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, except Juliet doesn’t die). And the massive hit that West Side Story was back in 1957. Well, the best news is that the revival is something worth traveling for. Start packing your bag if you haven’t already arrived in New York City. The economic recession might be on, but this show about prejudice and gang wars is still worth your top dollar. Dare to miss it at your own risk.
West Side Story at The Palace, 1564 Broadway (near 46th Street).
For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com
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The Public Theater, NYC
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
Back from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they took first place in 2008, the ensemble known as TEAM (Theater of the Emerging Moment) is presenting their sixth production, Architecting. The loose-limbed plot of this work offers three overlapping narratives, the initial one featuring the journey of Carrie Campbell, a young architect, to Atlanta and then to New Orleans. Struggling to complete a housing project initiated by her deceased father, Carrie finds herself in an identity crisis, as she encounters characters from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell herself, and a host of other characters including a Hollywood producer of a new sanitized version of the famous film, which will eliminate Ms. Mitchell’s controversial treatment of race.
Leaning heavily on the original film and on the book as a kind of template, the company has integrated other texts, their own writing, media effects, song and movement to produce a collage that is often witty, and highly entertaining, but ultimately lacking in sustained focus. To their credit, one does experience their reach for substance and a pervading sense of loss in their depiction of America’s growing cynicism and tarnished values.
Most of this energetic young company are former New York University students. They are talented, versatile actors and extremely personable performers, singing, dancing and engaging in some rather spectacular acrobatic hijinx. They are special in their willingness to take on controversial subjects and as "Architecting" is a work-in-progress, one would hope that they might find some help in better articulating their rush of ideas and passions.
Central Park
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
Broadway is nice, but Central Park is more natural. And with last summers staging of the free-flowing musical Hair: The American Tribal Love Rock Musical at the Delacorte Theater, that truth couldnt have been more evident. Happily, the whole show lifted off into its own orbit, and became the hottest ticket in town for its late-summer run.
In a class by itself is Hair, as the landmark musical that illuminated the hippie counter-culture and defined the genre rock musical. Few musicals, old or new, have the pizzazz that this show possesses. Everything about it is high-octane. It is frank in attitude, controversial in its politics, kind at heart, and sentimental without being the least mawkish. In short, its a valentine to human freedom, and an invitation for the most calloused person to rediscover his, or her, inner love child.
Remarkably, Hair still holds up. In its Central Park revival, the young company knocked itself out in a bristling display of rebellion. The musical is extremely American in its attitude toward life, and its don't-give-a-damn mood still gives it considerable edge. This staging retained the original story (James Rado and Gerome Ragni) and score, and its happy whip of rhyme. The show was wistful to those over 50, and exhilarating to any one listening to the music (Galt MacDermot) for the first time. Director Diane Paulus didn't just dust off the 1967 production, she made the piece come alive and sing out again.
Hair tells the story of a group of young people peaceably fighting against the Vietnam War in New York City. We meet Claude (Jonathan Groff), his friend Berger (Will Swenson), their roommate Sheila (Caren Lyn Manuel) and other friends, all grappling with how to rightly deal with the big issues of the 60s. No, the characters don't become mere mouthpieces for the weighty socio-political problems. Instead the cast subsumes themselves in the rich amalgam of rock songs and dances of free-expression, which are far more eloquent than any forthright statement.
Hair is marked by a bold collision of scenes enacting anti-war demonstrations, irreverent attacks against the American flag, and all kinds of love-ins and be-ins. The musical is generously peppered with four-letter words and punctuated, of course, with its famous erotic nude scenes. Perhaps the real advantage to seeing the show in revival is that we go with a more rounded perspective and can better absorb the once shocking aspects of the production.
That said, audience members who came to the Central Park performance for cozy after-dinner relaxation were jolted out of their torpor. The young actors hardly confined themselves to the al fresco stage but gleefully zig-zagged through the aisles, inviting unsuspecting ticketholders to join in the action. The total effect was energizing and life-affirming. And one could not help but feel that something good was taking seed in The Park.
And, by gosh, something good did bloom. Given the huge popularity of the revived landmark musical, folks at The Public Theater felt that a Broadway production in 2009 would bring the show to a wider audience. Thus, what began as a summer frolic in The Park has turned into something of more significance. Beginning in February, Hair will be transferring to Broadway (at the Al Hirschfeld), and opening in early March.
No one can predict, of course, whether the future reincarnation will be as successful as the thrice-extended Central Park show. But few will argue with The Public Theaters decision to move this rock musical back to Times Square. Hair, in spite of its age, seems to be the last word in theater nowadays.
The story remains riveting. It recounts the tale of Herald Loomis—a church deacon held in illegal bondage for 7 years--who journeys North in 1911 with his young daughter in search of his wife. All of the action takes place at a black boarding house owned by Seth Holly and his wife. The rest of the characters who populate the play evoke that Post-Civil War period when Blacks were technically free and migrating North, but still suffer-ing under the double standards imposed by the White culture. The nominal “Joe Turner,” in fact, is a symbol of White oppression.
Wilson didn’t believe in colorblind casting and other fashionable ideas circulating in his contemporaneous theater circle. Thus one wonders how he might feel about Bartlett Sher—a white man--directing the current production. Well, if the rapt faces of audience members in the orchestra are a barometer of success, then chances are that Wilson would feel mighty proud of Sher’s work. At any rate, Sher commands this play with an adroit hand.
No doubt the current production is well-timed politically and cultural-ly. With President Obama in the White House, we can actually see the play being of its own time yet powerfully speaking to us today. Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is set in Pittsburgh, but there’s nothing provin-cial about this work. It has universal themes that transcend its urban setting and racial sensibilities. The play gives us a web of emotional relationships and offers an in-depth look into each character’s soul. Seth Holly (Ernie Hudson) is the most stable character here with his boarding house run, if not like a Swiss watch, like a decent place for Black folk to hang their hats. Seth’s unwritten rule is that no boarder under his roof will cause any trouble to anybody. In short, no double-dealing, no shady business, no riff-raff. Set against that atmosphere, we listen to the various characters feelingly retell their life stories to each other. Granted, we may hear only fragments of their lives and suffering, but what they do divulge gradually coalesces into a colorful and illumin-ating mosaic of the Black human experience circa 1911. And not sur-prisingly, what they don’t say is just as important as what they do.
There’s a good mixture of fun and seriousness in the story--courtships between men and women, lively dancing, and a whole lot of philosophizing about life. One of the more philosophical characters Bynum Walker (Roger Robinson), is a sort of mystic who has a reputation for “binding people together,” giving him his unusual name. Though not everybody believes in his curious potions, roots, and mumbo-jumbo rituals, they do listen carefully to him when he talks about the Secret of Life, the importance of finding one’s song and seeing a “shiny man” before one dies. And why? Well, it seems Bynum once had a vision of his dead father, teaching him about finding his personal song and the value of seeing “a shiny man.” As Bynum explains to Seth and Selig one day at the boarding house: “I asked him about the shiny man and he told me he was the One Who Goes Before and Shows the Way. Said there was lots of shiny men and if I ever saw one again before I died then I would know that my song had been accepted and worked its full power in the world and I could lay down and die a happy man.”
The acting is terrific. Ernie Hudson plays the owner of the boarding house Seth Holly with just the right amount of common sense. Playing opposite him is the reliable Latanya Richardson Jackson, as his wife Bertha. Aunjanue Ellis, as the seduct-ive Molly Cunningham, will immed-iately melt you with her delicious looks and Southern charm. Andre Holland, as the young boarder Jeremy Furlow, is the young stud falling head over heels for her. Michael Cummings and Amari Rose Leigh, as the 2 adorable children, Reuben Scott and Zonia Loomis respectively, are suitable in their parts. The rest of the cast, all good, make this lengthy show breeze by.
Even if you are not a Wilson enthus-iast, you should go to this play to see this excellent cast on Broadway. Wilson is one of those major American playwrights that you simply can’t ignore. He painstakingly chronicled the African-American ex-perience for each decade of the 20th Century. And after seeing this thought-provoking show, you just might become a worshipper at Wilson’s shrine.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Belasco Theatre, 111 West 44th Street, tickets priced from $51.50 to $96.50, visit telecharge.com or www.lct.org.
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Reviewed by Joan Leyden
Some of the motivations of the women seem to be dictated more by plot needs than character, but the author, Linda Escalera Baggs, does manage to suggest what it must have been like in the ‘70’s to be an auxiliary person (read "wife") in such a parochial setting. The monologues she has given each of her characters reveal her strengths. One comes away from the piece with a sense of the individual marriages and the character of the respective husbands.
There is also the problem of the direction by Rosemary Andress. How curious is it that six women, awak-ened at 2:00 a.m. to face possible tragedy, should arrive at the base perfectly coiffed and sporting jewelry. I suspect that these six actresses could have created fuller and more con-vincing portrayals with better support. For example, Julia Jesneck as the physically abused, pregnant Patsy gives a tense, uneven performance, as does Rosalie Tenseth in the role of Eleanor, a bitter older woman. On balance, however, the rest of the cast acquitted themselves well in a variety of demanding roles. Dionne Audain was moving at the lone black woman in the group; Kelly Ann Moore had grace and dignity as the peacemaker June; Lisa Velton Smith made a credible Kitty; and Sarah Saunders was particularly touching as the defensive young Miranda.
Silent Heroes is based on a true story and is intended by the author as a tribute to the courageous women she has known. It is an earnest, talented effort, but dated in its sensibility, and offers no fresh insights about women in such a circumscribed setting.
BROADWAY
Broke-‘ology
Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
November 2009
A well-acted but slow-moving story of the
struggle of two brothers as to which of them will step up to the plate to care
for their failing father. There were no new insights to be had from this
author, Nathan Lewis Jackson, in this, the opening production of the season at
the Newhouse.
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OFF-BROADWAY
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Chelsea Opera, NYC
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
November 2009
In a picturesque old
church on a side street in Manhattan, the Chelsea Opera has mounted a vivid and
imaginative production of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Christmas opera, Amahl and
the Night Visitors.
The principals are all splendid singers; there is a spirited chorus, a good
little orchestra, and charming set pieces drawn by children. Alexandra LoBianco
delivers the role of Amahl’s
mother in a full,
colorful soprano, and Benjamin Perry as Amahl is an unqualified delight. He‘s a
natural actor, has a wonderful sense of comedy, and sings like an angel. This
is a wonderful way to usher in the Advent season.
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Superior
Donuts
The Music Box
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
Tracy Letts’ Superior Donuts at the Music Box is a real departure for this playwright who gave us August: Osage County, Killer Joe, and Bug. Instead of raw emotion, this work is chock-full of sweetness and sentimentality. It’s quite a volte face for the author, and adds new colors to his dramatic palette.
The main plot revolves around Arthur Przbyszewski (Michael McKean), the white, middle-aged proprietor of a Chicago donut shop called Superior Donuts. As the action begins, we learn that his shop has been broken into, and 2 officers are investigating the crime scene. When Arthur finally arrives at his shop, he oddly seems more resigned to the crime than angry. It’s as if he’s been the victim before in his life, and that this latest incident is but the next thing to bemoan with a sigh. We will learn later that he was a draft dodger during the Vietnam War, and only returned to the country following President Clinton’s pardon. This revel-ation allows us to better understand his rather passive character. No doubt Arthur is a survivor, but he has lost a lot of himself over his life’s journey. The dynamo here is Franco Wicks (Jon Michael Hill), a young Black who comes to the shop seeking employment. Once hired, he attempts to persuade Arthur that he is the one to turn things around at Superior Donuts, that all the place needs is a few tasteful wall posters and a poetry evening to pull in more customers.
The subplot, which seems a whiff contrived, centers on Franco’s past. He somehow got himself in over his head from gambling debts, and his financial troubles have finally caught up with him in the character of Luther Flynn (Robert Maffia) and his tough-looking posse.
The drawback to the drama is that it’s a bit too formulaic and pat. Even a violent fight scene that should really be making our hearts pound looks totally unconvincing—and tame.
Letts, however, has a firm grip on the dialogue, and the smart repartee between Arthur and Franco keeps the story moving along at a brisk clip. True, some scenes seem too sitcom-ish, and the conceit of Franco writing the Great American Novel is a bit far-fetched. Happily, Letts’ witty dialogue saves the production from being a wash-out. The characters of Arthur and Franco are likable, and McKean and Hill are well-cast in the roles. Tina Landau directs unevenly (especially in the fight scene), but she has a good grip on those comic scenes when Arthur trains Franco in the art of donut making.
Though Letts may not be at his dramatic best here, Superior Donuts should not be altogether dismissed. The production has some thought-provok-ing scenes, and without over-playing its racial issues, it reminds us that we are living in the Obama Era. In short, things in this country are a-changin’.
At the Music Box
239 W. 45th Street
Phone: (212) 239-6200 or visit telecharge.com
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Brecht on Brecht
Accidental Repertory Theatre
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
Given the uneven nature of this production, it is hard to criticize the work of the actors. In an opening statement to the audience, director John Strasberg indicated that some of the actors would be doing some of the material for the first time as an experiment in the pursuit of freshness, new insights, etc. And indeed, some of the sequences seemed quite flat and un-invested. In contrast, however, there were other moments, usually during the songs of Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht, that were stirring, even memorable.
At this point it should be noted that some of the actors in this company of 4 women and 6 men have been, or con-tinue to be, students of the director. The high point of the evening for me was Audrey Lavine’s rendition of Pirate Jenny, which was artful and murderously chilling. She herself is a teacher of singing for actors. Also arresting was Anne Pasquale, an Actors’ Studio member, in her portrayal of The Jewish Wife, a very difficult piece to sustain. It seemed that she needed more help from the director in her final delivery of the material. Perhaps the friend I was with caught the general tone of the evening perfectly when she described it as a recital.
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Homer’s Odyssey
The Handcart Ensemble
The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
Every so often a play comes along that is
so well written, convincingly acted and beautifully executed that one can
hardly believe one’s luck. We have it in Homer’s Odyssey, which was orig-inally performed for BBC
Radio in 2004, and is now adapted for the stage by Simon Armitage. In this
production by a new company of eleven talented actors and one very creative
director, J. Scott Reynolds, there is real theatre magic. Working on a
practically bare stage, with life-size puppets, minimal props, scrim and shadow
figures, they bring to life the very human adventures of Odysseus in a way that vividly stirs one’s
imagination and feelings. A descent into Hell, ocean voyages, drowning sailors,
the lumbering Cyclops – all seem as real and immediate as the person sitting
next to you in the theatre. David D’Agostini has real presence as Odysseus, as does Elizabeth Ruelas, who plays
both the loyal Penelope
and the unhappy Anticleia.
The energetic young cast easily shifts from character to character, covering
some 30 roles in an evening that will not be easily forgotten.
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The Playboy of the Western World
New York City Center Stage II
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
As their first production in their new
home, the Pearl is offering a delightful interpretation of J. M. Synge’s Irish
classic, “The Playboy of the Western World,” a play rich in poetic imagery, ironic
themes, and Irish caricatures. The story is of a young man who arrives at a
neighboring pub with the story that he has killed his father with a great blow.
He meets there with the awed approval of the locals, including a gaggle of
silly girls, and discovers one very interesting barmaid, Pegeen Mike. Of course, his father (the formidable
Joe Kady), is not really dead, and comes to life not once but twice in this
shaggy dog of a story. In a generally good cast, Sean McNall is charming as the
Playboy Christy, who is risking his all to lay claim to
his new reputation as a hero. I loved his candor, his small touches of vanity,
and his ardent infatuation with Pegeen. In this role Lee Stark is both spirited and vulnerable,
catching perfectly the quandary of the strong Irish woman who fervently wants
to collapse on the shoulder of a real hero. Although some audience members had
difficulty under-standing cast’s brogues, I thought the dir-ection of the piece
by J. R. Sullivan, the Pearl’s new artistic director, caught the tone and
intentions of the author perfectly.
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The Late Christopher Bean
TACT/The Actors’ Company Theatre
at The Beckett Theatre
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
Pandemonium takes over the household of a country doctor when various repre-sentatives of the art world discover the connection between the doctor’s family and a newly celebrated painter. In a very able cast, James Murtaugh gives an outrageously funny, very physical per-formance as the doctor who falls victim to greed. Mary Bacon, in the role of the doctor’s outspoken maid Abby, is also a treasure. TACT is devoted to unearthing neglected or rarely revived works, and their choice of this play from 1932 by the famed Sidney Howard turns out to be very entertaining as well as relevant.
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Vigil
DR2 Theatre
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
Somewhere between a farce and a
tragi-comedy, this short play by Canadian playwright Morris Panych presents a
mercenary young man (Malcolm Gets) who is trying in some rather imaginative
ways to hasten the death of his failing aunt (the charming Helen Stenborg). The
two actors were delicious in their portrayals of these two ill-matched loners;
there are some very funny lines and amusing situations, and a surprising turn
of events, mid-evening, but some-how it never added up to a play. For the most
part I felt as if I were watching Saturday Night Live.
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Ame to Ame
The Japan Society, NYC
2009
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
From out of the darkness, a pulsing, almost deafening roar, as if the earth were opening up to divulge secrets that lie below everyday reality. On the dimly lit stage two ghost-like forms emerge, clad in a muted white, negotiating the space between them. This, in its many manifestations, is the action that com-prises this surprising entertainment, composed and executed by two remark-able young Botoh choreographer/ dancers, Yuko Kaseki and Shinichi Iova-Koga.
Described as a “cultural hybridity,” this dance piece draws upon Eastern and Western dance and theatre traditions to dramatize a passionate and philosoph-ical love story. But the primary em-phasis is from Botoh, which, unlike Western classical dance training, is said to begin with the imagination, rather than with systematic dance training. As the program explains it, a Botoh teacher may tell the dancer to “imagine yourself as a universe containing small stars and planets inside yourself, and express that state with your body.”
In this vivid collaborative work, we experience this love story as it evolves from a slow awakening in which body mirrors body through the playful ex-plorations of each, followed by the physical gauging of the partner’s strengths and weaknesses. Early on, the woman momentarily abandons herself, but she abruptly pulls back. As the sexual bond between them develops, the lovers struggle unhappily with their merged identities in a series of highly imaginative sequences. Their anguish seems almost unbearable. They sep-arate; the woman tries to reengage; and finally, they do abandon each other.
The characters’ experiences range from the dramatic to the erratic, are sometimes wonderfully comic, and sometimes even brutal. Everything is danced exquisitely, reflecting not only the psychological stresses of mating, but the frantic pace and pressures of modern life. As a pure piece of theatre, Ame to Ame is a powerful and compelling experience, aesthetically appealing, rich in meaning and provocatively complex. It sent me back to Martha Graham's work for a suitable vocabulary with which to describe it.
Reviewed by Joan Leyden
From the author of Beyond Therapy,
Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and The Marriage of Bette and Boo comes this latest work
of Christopher Durang, Why Torture is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them. This lunatic farce,
with a nod to the Theatre of the Absurd, details the plight of the charming
young Felicity (Laura Benanti), who has been drugged/duped into a marriage by a
probable terrorist, the highly irascible Zamir (Amir Arison). Fleeing to
New Jersey, she unsuccess-fully seeks help from her delightfully rattled mother Luella
(Kristine Nielsen), who is lost in a haze of theatre memories, and her
alarmingly aggressive father Leonard (Richard Poe) who is secretly engaged in
an incompetent right-wing conspiracy. To further complicate this improbable
plot are added Dad’s prim, love-sick sidekick, Hildegarde (Audrie Neenan),
whose panties miraculously fall on cue; a second helper in the conspiracy
(David Aaron Baker) who sounds like Elmer Fudd, and the minister Reverend Mike
(John Pankow) who is also a producer of pornographic films.
The direction by Nicholas Martin of this
very physical, fast-paced comedy is impeccable. Every one of the actors is
superb in their portrayals of these over-the-top characters, and their antics
continue even during the scene changes, as the revolving stage takes us from one
hilarious setting to another. David Korins has designed an impressive array of
sets that match the outrageous goings-on, and the music, sound and lighting
support the author’s vision perfectly.
This is a wonderful production, and a
wonderful new comedy, embedded in which are some hilarious theatre jokes and
many skillful pokes at the last administration, which speak of Mr. Durang’s
darker feelings concerning the violence that characterizes so much of our
present reality. Striking a perfect balance in his presentation of this highly
relevant subject, he even suggests a kind of hope at the end of the piece with
a meta-theatrical scene in which the characters are allowed to go back in time
and behave better towards one another.
Would that we could all have that privilege!
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Hair
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
The hoopla spilling out of the Hirschfeld these days is a sure sign that the Age of Aquarius is back. Yes, the free-flowin’, war-hatin’, draft-card burnin’ musical Hair just roared back onto Broadway—and its rock vibes still ring true to our times. Last summer’s Delacorte staging was an ace (see my review), but this strenuously-polished new production turns up the talent to a high flame.
Back in 1968 the show was far and away the most important musical event of the season. Though it originally was ineligible for a Tony Award due to its opening date (April 29, 1968), it qualified the following year with 2 Tony nominations, only to lose the 1969 Best Musical to 1776. No matter. It was a resounding commercial, aesthetic, and historic success. And it ran for 1750 performances at the Biltmore Theatre.
Admittedly, the book (Gerome Ragni) was rather sketchy. But abetted by its mega-hit rock songs (lyrics by Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot), Hair colorfully told the tale of the bewildered long-haired Claude and the tribe squatting in the East Village, which pitted the hippie culture against the Establishment.
This current revival raises the bar on the legendary musical. Moreover, it squelches that one longstanding argument held against the show: the book’s plotlessness. At its new digs at the Al Hirschfeld, Hair’s narrative comes into tighter focus, much thanks to Scott Pask’s brilliantly-conceived set design. His backwall mural of nature icons reconciles the need for open space onstage and a lyrical structure that induces a storytelling aura. The songs continue to propel the story forward, but the book truly works as an accomplice.
The acting is superb. Will Swenson, reprises Berger, and seems born to play this diamond-in-the-rough hippie. Gavin Creel, as Claude, is a new addition to the Broadway cast—and nails the Hamlet-like part. Other standouts are Bryce Ryness’s Woof (in love with Mick Jagger), Kacie Sheik’s Jeanie (glowingly pregnant), and Caissie Levy’s Sheila (Berger’s love interest). In short, the cast is sterling.
Yes, the famous nude scene is still powerful, and though it may not seem as scandalous today, it clearly sends out a message of freedom, honesty, and unconditional trust in the audience. In its time, the Act One nude tableau was clearly a stage breakthrough in erotic frankness and opened the door to other musicals that featured nudity, like the contemporaneous Oh! Calcutta! and the more recent Spring Awakening!
This resuscitation of Hair is life-affirming and proves that Broadway has not grown too old and decrepit, that it still can embrace its youthful rambling musicals of yesteryear. It may be full of gripes about Uncle Sam and his military excursions overseas, but those irreverent complaints aren’t empty fol-de-rol. Significantly, there is not a single idea or debate in this show that doesn’t resonate with our current political landscape, including the obvious parallel to the Iraq War.
As staged by Diane Paulus, Hair echoes with the present but the story is kept firmly rooted in its own time. Paulus also keeps the show moving at a brisk pace, and in diverse directions. And, oh yes! If you are in an aisle seat, don’t be surprised if a cast member engages you in a lively conversation, gives you a flower, or invites you onstage for the post-show dance. So you’ve been forewarned.
The show that began its career at the Public Theater as a notorious avatar of what was then called the “Sexual Revolution” continues to expand its meaning and profoundly speak to us. Hair is the kind of theater that is life-changing. Go to this show, leave a different person.
At the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 West 45th Street.
The Bridge Project
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
As Leontes, King of Sicilia, in The Bridge Project’s transatlantic production at BAM, Beale cements his reputation as one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of our generation. Over the years he has undertaken many of the Bard’s major roles (He’s played Hamlet and Iago at BAM). But Leontes is his first go at a completely irrational character--and he nails the part.
There’s no official theory on why Leontes goes insane. But he outrageously believes his loyal wife Hermione is having an affair ("paddling palms") with Polixenes, the King of Bohemia. His paranoia creates seismic tremors in the Sicilian court and his home. And though the Oracle proclaims Hermione’s innocence in the trial scene, Leontes persists in his delusions and psychotic rage toward his wife. The results are catastrophic. Hermione and their son Mamillius die of shock and Leontes’s infant daughter Perdita is exiled from Sicilia. Though the tragedy slowly morphs into a fable, the tragic sense never departs the story.
No sentimental production, this. Director Sam Mendes has the intelligence to burn away the emotional excesses and get to the bone-deep core of the tale. Equally remarkable, Mendes manages to make Antigonus’s (Dakin Matthews) grisly death look not ridiculous but convincing. The famous statue scene, which can founder the best of directors, gets a deft, natural touch by Mendes.
The acting is spot on. Though at first blush Rebecca Hall seems too young to play Hermione, she ultimately proves herself quite capable of this emotionally-demanding part. The reliable Richard Easton is endearing as the old Shepherd and the chorus Time. And Ethan Hawke’s roguish Autolycus is raffishly right, strumming a guitar one moment and pick-pocketing his neighbor the next. In short, there’s not a miscast actor—English or American-- in the show.
The Bridge Project is co-presented by The Brooklyn Academy of Music and The Old Vic, through March 8.
For more information, call 718-636-4100 or BAM.org
at Brooklyn Academy of Music
The Bridge Project’s Inaugural Production
Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan
The Cherry Orchard at BAM Harvey Theatre (651 Fulton Street) Jan. 2 - March 8.
The Winter’s Tale at BAM Harvey Theatre, Feb. 7 – March 7.
