‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Helen J Shen & Darren Criss. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING
By Will Aronson & Hue Park
Directed by Michael Arden
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44^th St.
https://www.maybehappyending.com/

By Scott Harrah

Artificial intelligence or “AI” is becoming commonplace in the 21^st century, and it won’t be too long until robots will be everywhere. However, although robots are not human, do they have actual emotions? Can they fall in love? That’s the premise of Will Aronson and Hue Park’s charming, high-tech musical Maybe Happy Ending, set in the near future in Seoul, Korea.

Darren Criss stars as Oliver, a “HelperBot 3” robot. He is “retired” from his work as a robot. Oliver has a dull, routine life and goes each day to get his mail, hoping his owner James will call him back to work.

Soon, it is 12 years later. Oliver meets Claire (Helen J Shen), a “HelperBot 5” who is a younger, later model. She knocks on his door to ask if she can borrow his “charger.” Like a cell phone, these robots must have their batteries recharged or else they will “power down.”

In a fast-moving one hour and 45 minutes, we see Oliver and Claire fall in love and also learn about their own mortality because, like humans, robots don’t live forever. The musical is often touching, especially when Oliver learns the truth about James (Marcus Choi) and has a confrontation with James’ son, Junseo (also played by Mr. Choi).

Brilliant design team

Overall, Maybe Happy Ending is a simplistic musical, with standard songs and music and a gorgeous, futuristic but utilitarian set created by a brilliant team: video design by George Reeve; scenic and additional design by Dane Laffrey; neon lighting by Ben Stanton; and sound by Peter Hylenski. In addition to the songs and set, small items from a firefly in a jar, a record player to a potted plant help propel the story forward.  The firefly represents the short-lived beauty of relationships, while the potted plant named HwaBoon is a metaphor for Oliver’s craving for attention. The record player helps Oliver relive his past, when he often played jazz records for his owner.

First-rate ensemble

Director Michael Arden gets superlative performances from the first-rate ensemble cast. Mr. Criss (American Buffalo, How to Succeed… and TV’s “Glee”) is consistently outstanding. Whether he’s brushing his teeth (and eyebrows) or taking care of his plant, Mr. Criss is a master at physical comedy and is in fine voice. Helen J Shen is a natural as Claire, the quick-witted younger robot, and she has tremendous chemistry with Mr. Criss. Marcus Choi skillfully portrays multiple roles from James and Junseo to numerous other characters. Dez Duron is dynamic as a sharp-dressed mid-century singer. One would never expect a musical about robots to deliver such a heartwarming message about humanity and technology, but that is just one of many nice surprises in Maybe Happy Ending.

Published November 15, 2024
Reviewed at November 14, 2024 press performance

‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Darren Criss & Helen J Shen. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Darren Criss. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Helen J Shen. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Helen J Shen & Darren Criss. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Helen J Shen & Darren Criss. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Dez Duron. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MAYBE HAPPY ENDING’: Marcus Choi & Darren Criss. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

The post ‘Maybe Happy Ending’: When robots fall in love appeared first on StageZine.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: The cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
Book & lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik
Music by Jacob Yandura
Directed by Sammi Cannold
Choreography by Mayte Natalio
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), howtodanceinohiomusical.com

By David NouNou

Like the musical Harmony which opened last month, this is yet another well-intentioned show. In this case it showcases seven autistic young adults, both men and women, navigating through their daily lives. Based on the HBO documentary of the same name, the musical adaptation of How to Dance in Ohio is not asking for pity or to feel sorry for these seven individuals but to give us an understanding and a perspective on how they deal with life on a daily basis.

Set at the Amigo Family Counseling, a real Columbus, Ohio mental-health center for autistic people, run by Dr. Emilio Amigo (Caesar Samayoa), whose courses are in life skills. They are social in nature (how to ask for something), emotional (how to deal with daily rejections) and physical (how to navigate). They are given exercises in dealing with issues and participation is voluntary. All of this is ultimately to prepare for the facility’s spring formal prom dance that will take place in 99 days.

It’s not just the pupils who have the struggles of daily routines; it is also the families of the children. The excitement of two mothers taking their daughters Caroline (Amelia Fei) and Jessica (Ashley Wool) to Macy’s to buy them a dress for the dance and feel the magic of that special night they felt when they were young. Or the widowed father wanting his shy daughter Marideth (Madison Kopec) to step away from her laptop and enter the real world and go to the dance. Also, the engineering genius, Drew (Liam Pearce) who wants to go to the prom but doesn’t know how to ask Marideth to go with him.

Another issue focuses on Dr. Amigo and his assistant, daughter Ashley (Cristina Sastra) who also has problems. After her leg injury, Ashley has lost her interest in dance and feels the need to stay at the center to help with these young adults to sort out their problems, but her father is insistent on her resuming her dance courses at Julliard. Further complications arise when a podcast is released praising Dr. Amigo and making it all about him and neglecting the pupils who made such progress to get this far, and in turn this alienates them from Dr. Amigo, and they refuse to go to the prom which derails all the progress they made.

Music by Jacob Yandura and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik aren’t so much memorable as they are an introduction to the characters, songs like: “Today Is,”  “Under Control,” “The How-To’s,”  “Hello, How Are You?”  These aren’t so much as songs that play in our heads but more like instructional guidelines for the characters and their daily routines.

The seven pupils are not performers, but they are autistic adults, who happen to be very talented and can sing beautifully. The pupils include Liam Pearce, Imani Russell, Amelia Fei, Ashley Wool, Madison Kopec, Conor Tague and Desmond Luis Edwards. They are an ensemble but they all have their moment to shine and show us what makes them so special. Caesar Samayoa, last seen in Come From Away, manages to balance the difficult role of teacher, father and friend expertly.

The quest for How to Dance in Ohio is to enlighten us, but it is done in the most obvious way with a lugubrious, repetitive book. Like the delightful 2018 musical The Prom, there is a prom to go to at the end. The Prom had a great set by Scott Pask and gave the illusion of a multitude of joys taking place; the set here by Robert Brill is threadbare and lacks any illusion of joy. The musical is also hindered by Sammi Cannold’s lackluster direction.

The true joy that is extracted in How to Dance in Ohio is seeing seven talented young adults giving it their all.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 15, 2023
Reviewed at December 13, 2023 press performance.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: Madison Kopec (center) & cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: Desmond Luis Edwards & cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO: Liam Pearce & cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: Ashley Wool (center) & cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: Madison Kopec, Liam Pearce & cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: Caesar Samayoa (center) & cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: The cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: The cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

‘HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO’: The cast. Photo: Curtis Brown.

The post ‘How to Dance in Ohio’: Hope for autistic adults appeared first on StageZine.

‘AIN’T NO MO’ ‘: Marchánt Davis & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

AIN’T NO MO’
By Jordan E. Cooper
Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44^th Street
(212-239-6200), https://aintnomobway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Playwright Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’ is a scathing satire about the Black experience in America that is a raucous comedy on the surface. However, beneath the laughter and hilarious jokes in each of the one-act show’s vignettes, Mr. Cooper rips off the proverbial Band-Aid of racial injustice with an ongoing subtext that tackles painful, serious issues about the persecution and systemic racism that African Americans have struggled with for centuries in this country. It is that rare show that initially has the audience laughing but as things progress, makes us really think about the inequities Blacks have suffered through from the era of slavery up to the 2020s in the USA.

The premise of Ain’t No Mo centers on African American Airlines and a nonstop flight to Dakar, Senegal at gate 1619, the same as the year African slaves were first brought to America. The story unfolds in a series of skits that may remind audiences of the groundbreaking Black comedy TV show “In Living Color” from the 1990s. Some of the scenes are outrageous, high-energy parodies loaded with dark humor.

The show opens at a funeral on November 4, 2008, the night Barack Obama won the presidential election and was about to become America’s first African American president. Mourners run down the aisles, jumping in laps of audience members—with actors sobbing and hugging folks in hilarious hysterics—before running up to the stage to a large coffin in a church containing the body of “Brother Right to Complain.” Pastor Freeman (Marchánt Davis) talks about how president-elect Obama’s presidency may help African Americans overcome a long history of oppression while mourners like Crystal Lucas-Perry display funny histrionics. The mourners believe they are about to enter an age of optimism and newfound freedom for Blacks. Hope and change, however, does not last for Blacks once President Obama leaves office.

Next up is airline gate attendant Peaches (Mr. Cooper in drag) on a call at an airport. She is trying to get all African Americans—all of whom received a text message about a free flight to Africa, courtesy of the U.S. government—to hurry up and get to the airport.  The African American Airlines jumbo jet will be leaving soon to take all Blacks to Dakar, and people can then connect to the African countries they wish to start a new life in, based on their ancestry.

Several vignettes follow that give a glimpse into modern-day Black lives. In the next scene, the show’s best, “Real Baby Mamas of the South Side,” a parody of the many reality TV shows about housewives, four women are seen at a taping hosted by Tony (Mr. Davis in one of many multiple male roles). The women all get bitchy, nasty and catty, especially when talking to “trans racial” Rachel/Rachonda (Shannon Matesky) as she is transitioning to become a Black woman. The women sharpen their claws and spew hysterical venom to Rachel/Rachonda, claiming she has no place on the reality show because she is actually white.

Another scene, “Circle of Life,” shows Trisha (Fedna Jacquet) waiting in an abortion clinic while the father tries diligently to talk her out of having the procedure.  Another woman waiting explains that she already has several kids and does not want to bring another into the world. In “Green,” an upper-class wealthy Black family sits in a posh home at a dining room table while Black (Ms. Lucas-Perry again) plays a slave who has been locked up in the family’s basement for 40 years. Black laughs at the affluent family and the snobbish way they look down on those planning to take the Africa flight. Her rapid-fire delivery of dialogue and on-stage antics are outrageous and the highlight of the vignette.

Ms. Lucas-Perry returns in the next scene as an inmate at a women’s prison. The prison has been emptied by the U.S. African exodus policy but she is hesitant about leaving when she realizes some of her belongings are missing. Ms. Lucas-Perry gives a heartbreaking performance here.

The final scene shows Peaches trying to get the last stragglers onto the Africa-bound jet. In addition to the stress of getting the plane ready to leave the gate, Peaches is hurrying frantically to get her own luggage and herself on board at the last minute. What is most troubling for her is lifting up a bag that stores all the accomplishments of African Americans throughout the centuries. Giving more details would spoil the story, but the ending is open to interpretation. The show is worth seeing for the superb performances of the outstanding cast alone. Ain’t No Mo is not a perfect play, but it is a thought-provoking one act comedy-drama about the many levels of inequality Blacks have endured in America since the 1600s.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 5, 2022
Reviewed at December 4, 2022  press performance.

‘AIN’T NO MO’ ‘: Jordan E. Cooper. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘AIN’T NO MO’ ‘: Crystal Lucas-Perry. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘AIN’T NO MO’ ‘: Crystal Lucas-Perry & Ebony Marshall-Oliver. Photo: Joan Marcus.

The post Ain’t No Mo’: Thought-provoking one act appeared first on StageZine.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Written & directed by Conor McPherson
Music & lyrics by Bob Dylan
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.northcountryonbroadway.com

By David NouNou

Hybrid musicals are constantly evolving. Originally started as pastiche musicals by songbooks from tunesmiths, examples being Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Lieber and Stoller’s Smokey Joe’s Cafe morphing into jukebox musicals the likes of Jersey Boys and Ain’t Too Proud—and let’s not forget the bio-musicals using an artist’s songbook: Beautiful, Donna Summer, The Cher Show and, most recently, Tina. Now we have musicals that create the story around an artist’s album and works, such as Alanis Morrisette’s angst-filled Jagged Little Pill (which opened last December). This brings us to Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country. Mr. Dylan was previously represented on Broadway in the abysmal The Times They Are a Changin’.

Girl from the North Country is set in 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota during the Great Depression, with no jobs and no money. Narrated by Dr. Walker (Robert Joy), he tells us about the characters that unfold in the story and their final Thanksgiving and Christmas in 1934 at the Laine’s rundown guesthouse and its transients. Nick Laine (Jay O. Sanders) is not only trying to save his guesthouse and home from foreclosure, he also has to take care of his dementia-riddled wife, Elizabeth (Mare Winningham) and his two children Gene (Colton Ryan), a shiftless drunken wannabe writer in his early 20s and an adopted black daughter who was left with them when she was a baby, Marianne (Kimber Elayne Sprawl), who is 19 and pregnant.

Nick is trying to arrange a marriage for Marianne with the wealthy 70-year-old shoe mender, Mr. Perry (Tom Nelis) in order to secure a home for her and her baby. Also, at the guesthouse is Mrs. Neilson (Jeannette Bayardelle) who is having an affair with Nick while awaiting her late husband’s probate to clear.

Also, at the guesthouse are Mr. Burke (Mark Kudisch) who has lost his business in the market crash, his wife Laura (Luba Mason) who takes care of their mentally challenged adult son Elias (Todd Almond), and the struggle to come to terms with their reduced plight.

Arriving late one stormy night, Nick takes in two borders, the self-proclaimed Reverend Marlowe and bible salesman (Matt McGrath) and a down-on-his-luck boxer, Joe Scott (Austin Scott), both looking for shelter. Now that all the characters are in place for the action to begin.

The book by Conor McPherson is engaging and you really get a feel for all the characters and how they are trapped in the situation of the day. They hope they can change their destinies, but the times are rough. This is where Bob Dylan’s songbook comes in and it doesn’t always mesh well with the storyline. Every time the story moves forward, a musical number is inserted randomly and slows down the proceedings, and here Mr. McPherson, in the role of director, doesn’t help the situation because every time a character has a song to sing, the rest of the characters form a back “doo-wop” singing group with microphones and finger snapping, all of which makes no sense. In Act I as you are getting to know the characters, the songs are forming the introductions in a way. In Act II, the songs become lugubrious and just halt everything with the added pointless dance movements by Lucy Hale.

The redemption of the evening consists of the hardworking acting and fine voices of the ensemble consisting of Jay O. Sanders, Mare Winningham, Mark Kudisch, Luba Mason, Robert Joy and Tom Nelis. However, the mellifluous and angelic voices are provided by the powerhouses: Jeannette Ray Ardelle, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, and Austin Scott.

At another time, this show would have been an interesting venture. What with the current state of the country and the economy, as well as the turmoil of the pandemic, I can’t say that this is exactly the antidote for the day, but Conor McPherson’s story is, regardless, still compelling.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 11, 2020
Reviewed at March 10, 2020 press performance.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Mare Winningham. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Marc Kudisch. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Caitlin Houlahan & Colton Ryan. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Austin Scott & Kimber Elayne Sprawl. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Luba Mason. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: (left to right) Colton Ryan, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Mare Winningham & Jay O. Sanders. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘NETWORK’: Bryan Cranston & Tony Goldwyn. Photo: Jan Versweyveld

NETWORK
Based on the film by Paddy Chayefsky
Adapted by Lee Hall
Directed by Ivo Van Hove
Through March 17, 2019
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.networkbroadway.com

By David NouNou

The 1976 movie of Network had a triumvirate set of characters of Diana Christiansen (Faye Dunaway), head of network, programming department, Max Schumacher (William Holden), news division president and Howard Beale (Peter Finch), anchorman.

Playwright Lee Hall has maintained all three characters but the onus of Network has now shifted to “The Howard Beale Show.” The reason being he is the most interesting character and with Bryan Cranston as Howard, it really is “The Bryan Cranston Show.”

After 25 years of being the anchor of the “UBS Evening News,” Howard is going to be fired due to low ratings and he announces that a week from tonight he is going to blow his brains out on the air. Howard is sick and tired of all the BS that is going on in the world as well as the corporate greed and he states it on the air. Howard has come to the end of his rope; his whole life revolves around TV and now that oxygen has been sucked out of his life. Howard’s longtime and best friend, Max (Tony Goldwyn) comes to his defense and wants to give Howard a proper farewell appearance before he is yanked off the air.

However, Diana (Tatiana Maslany) sees things in another way. Seeing that Howard’s ratings have gone up since his announcement and knowing all about the ratings game, she wrests control of the evening news department from Max, and gives Howard a brand-new news format of “The Howard Beale Show” as a modern-day TV messiah stating his views on all the corruption and greed that is going on in the world. How UBS has been sold to another company, which in turn has been bought by the Saudis. Howard is apoplectic with the proceedings and tells his viewers to go to their windows and yell out as loud as they can “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Howard’s ratings soar and he becomes the voice of the nation

Naturally all this doesn’t sit well with the powers that be, namely CAA Chairman, Arthur Jensen (Nick Wyman – in a totally powerful and captivating performance) who gives Howard a warning. Howard sees this as the voice of God, and starts changing his tone, as these changes take place, his ratings start to plummet.

Throughout the proceedings Max and Diana have started a torrid love affair. Max is going through a midlife crisis, and during one of their sexual encounters, during an orgasm Max is talking about his life and Diana is talking about the market share of shows. Max confesses to his wife, Louise (Alyssa Bresnahan) about the affair. One of the highlights of this show is when his fed-up wife freaks out and tells him to get out of their house.

There are two elements that strongly add to the proceedings: Ivo van Hove’s direction, which has the action constantly on the move as in a TV studio where everything is in flux; and the set by Jan Versweyveld, which shows all the fluctuations in such proceedings (from studios to multiple TV screens).

As much as I loved Peter Finch in the movie, seeing Howard Beale portrayed live by Bryan Cranston giving one of the best performances of this decade is outstanding. From his fearless rants to his meltdowns, he wipes everything else off the stage. Mr. Cranston is electrifying.

Since everything now centers around Howard, the other characters are less dynamic. Tony Goldwyn does a good job in keeping up with Mr. Cranston. However, his scenes with Ms. Maslany are flat. I was never a big Faye Dunaway fan, but dear God did I miss her and her bravura Oscar-winning performance. His most powerful scene comes playing opposite Alyssa Bresnahan as his long-suffering wife. Ms. Bresnahan is heartbreakingly wonderful in that all-too- brief scene.

Your two main reasons to see Network are to see the Best Play of the season and to see Bryan Cranston giving the performance of a lifetime.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 10, 2018
Reviewed at December 8, 2018 press performance.

‘NETWORK’: Tony Goldwyn & Bryan Cranston. Photo: Jan Versweyveld

‘NETWORK’: Bryan Cranston. Photo: Jan Versweyveld

‘NETWORK’: Tatiana Maslany & Julian Elijah Martinez. Photo: Jan Versweyveld

‘NETWORK’: Tony Goldwyn & Tatiana Maslany. Photo: Jan Versweyveld

The post ‘Network’: Cranston soars in adaptation appeared first on StageZine.

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: Mitchell Jarvis. Photo: Joan Marcus

GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
Book by Ken Davenport & The Grundleshotz
Additional material by Sarah Saltzberg
Music & lyrics by Mark Allen
Directed by John Rando
Choreography by Chris Bailey
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street.
(212-239-6200),www.gettinthebandbacktogether.com

By David NouNou

You know there are problems with a show when the lead producer, Ken Davenport, jumps on stage before the curtain rises and announces “you are going to see an original musical tonight” and the audience swallows this hook, line and sinker with enthusiastic applause. The first unraveling clue to Mr. Davenport’s announcement comes in the form of the show’s title, Gettin’ the Band Back Together. Well, you don’t have to be Hercule Poirot to figure out the plot. The title says it all. What is worse is when the clichés start piling up and the dialogue and setups become juvenile and dreary. Poor New Jersey gets the worst of the brunt. So many lame one-liners are heaped on this much-maligned state that the creators felt compelled to write an unmemorable song named “Jersey.” So much for originality.

The story is simple, focusing on Mitch Papadopoulos (Scott Richard Foster—the lead Mitchell Jarvis was out at the performance we saw but no explanation was given why the lead was out since the opening was just the previous night). A leaflet inserted in the Playbill notified us of this change. Believe me, that has more mystery to it than the show itself. But I digress. Mitch left Jersey, his band, and his girl 20 years ago to pursue a career on Wall Street. He had to give up his childhood dreams and grow up and assume responsibility in order to pay the bills as he often tells us.

As the curtain goes up, Mitch is fired from his Wall Street job due to his poor performance level and he has to move back in with his widowed mother, Sharon (Marilu Henner) who lives in Jersey. Mitch reunites with his former classmates and rock band members Bart Vickers (Jay Klaitz), Sully Sullivan (Paul Whitty), and Robbie Patel (Manu Narayan). And, of course, the girl he left behind, Dani Franco (Kelli Barrett).

Their band was known as the Juggernauts. In order to create tension, there was a rival band known as Mouthfeel. So, a rivalry of the bands was formed 20 years ago when the Juggernauts won a contest and the leader of the losing team, Tygen Billows (Brandon Williams), head of the band Mouthfeel, has never gotten over this loss and you know there will be a grudge match: Mouthfeel vs Juggernauts.

There are more characters but they are the requisite stereotypical fillers that all “original” musicals have. Credit has to be given to Scott Richard Foster for having the acting muscles to pull off the leading role the night after the opening. Marilu Henner gives her all and you can see she is thrilled to be back on Broadway and gives it her best shot. The third is Kelli Barrett, who gives a creditable performance and is in good voice in the part of the love interest. As for the rest of the performances, there is enough ham and bologna here to open a deli.

John Rando is normally such an adept director, with shows like Urinetown, On the Town, and this spring’s wonderful off-Broadway show Jerry Springer – The Opera which was truly original and innovative. Here, however, I guess he went off track in this too “original” musical. However, he injected the cast with enough energy to keep the proceedings moving. Derek McLane. who usually does brilliant set designs, misses the mark by creating a comic-strip design which further entrenches this musical in a cartoonish milieu.

I guess Mr. Davenport didn’t get the memo that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock musical, now at the Winter Garden, is also getting the band together but with kids. Mr. Davenport’s “original” version is “School of Rock for Seniors.” The only original musical that comes to mind from recent years is Kathie Lee Gifford’s Scandalous…connect the dots.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published August 16, 2018
Reviewed at August 15, 2018 press performance.

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: Brandon Williams & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: Marilu Henner (center) & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: (left to right) Manu Narayan, Jay Klaitz, Paul Whitty (center), Sawyer Nunes & Mitchell Jarvis. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: (Left to right) Manu Narayan, Jay Klaitz, Mitchell Jarvis, Tad Wilson, Paul Whitty & Sawyer Nunes. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: (Left to right) Tamika Lawrence, Sawyer Nunes, Jay Klaitz (seated), Paul Whitty,  Manu Narayan, Tad Wilson (seated). Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: Jay Klaitz & Mitchell Jarvis. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: Mitchell Jarvis. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER’: Jay Klaitz & Marilu Henner. Photo: Joan Marcus

The post ‘Gettin’ the Band Back Together’ fails to rock appeared first on StageZine.

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: Mark Rylance. Photo: Joan Marcus

FARINELLI AND THE KING
Written by Claire van Kampen
Music Arranger Claire van Kampen

Directed by John Dove
Through March 25, 2018
Belasco Theatre

111 West 44th Street

(212-239-6200), www.farinelliandthekingbroadway.com

By David NouNou

Music is a healer for the heart, mind and soul. In playwright (and Mrs. Mark Rylance) Claire van Kampen’s Carlo Farinelli, the castrato was the healer of Philippe V, the King of Spain 1683 – 1746. After various British productions, Farinelli and the King is a show that has arrived on Broadway with a lot of pedigree behind it. It is one of the most anticipated shows of the season because it is the return of the brilliant Mark Rylance.

The play opens with Philippe V (Mark Rylance) in bed, gold fishing in the middle of the night. This causes alarm to his prime minister Don Sebastian De La Cuadra (Edward Peel) and Dr. Jose Cervi (Huss Garbiya) that Philippe is going mad and unfit for the throne of Spain. His second wife Isabella Farnese (Melody Grove) is distressed by what she sees and tries to comfort and soothe the distraught Philippe. The king becomes belligerent and believes they are all conspiring to dethrone him.

Isabella goes to London to meet the impresario John Rich (Colin Hurley) who manages Carlo Farinelli. She offers a great sum of money for Carlo Farinelli to break his contract and bring him to Spain to sing for the ailing Philippe. Two people portray Farinelli: The speaking one (Sam Crane) and the singing castrato (Iestyn Davies). Farinelli befriends the king and sings exclusively for him and the king’s mental health improves, but he has his ups and downs, especially when Farinelli wants to leave Spain and go back to England to resume his career. What starts as a one-month healing process ends up being a nine-year engagement.

The story itself is very compelling but, as a play, it leaves one empty and unfulfilled. It’s like cotton candy, lovely on the outside but quickly dissolves to nothing. There are three redeeming entities: Iestyn Davies as the castrato is superb. When he is on, everything else on stage disappears. Sam Crane is very good as the talking/acting Farinelli but is dwarfed once his alter ego the singer comes on. The dynamic Mark Rylance lends his usual expertise as King Philippe, but doesn’t have much of a role here. There are very few actors that can dominate the stage like Mr. Rylance can, but here the castrato eclipses even Mr. Rylance.

John Dove’s direction does not improve matters, because the direction and the set design by Jonathan Fensom look like they were totally plagiarized from the 2013 revivals of Richard III and Twelfth Night, both with Mark Rylance and both directed by Tim Carroll and designed by Jenny Tiraman. The three shows were designed and staged as if you were in the original Globe Theatre. The first two were brilliant conceptions and had excellent material to work with. Here it just looks like a hollow replica, trying hard to emulate its predecessors.

Ms. van Kampen is an expert on music and its healing powers. Not only is she Mrs. Mark Rylance, she is also the playwright, as well as the music arranger. It would have served her better had she concentrated more on Farinelli and his incredible story, and focused less on Philippe and his predictable storyline.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 18, 2017
Reviewed at December 16, 2017 press performance.

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: Huss Garbiya, Mark Rylance & Melody Grove. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: (Left to right) Iestyn Davies, Mark Rylance, Huss Garbiya & Melody Grove. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: Iestyn Davies & Sam Crane. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: Sam Crane. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: Iestyn Davies. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: Sam Crane & Mark Rylance. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FARINELLI AND THE KING’: (Left to right) Sam Crane, Melody Grove, Lucas Hall, Huss Garbiya, Edward Peel & Mark Rylance. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘THE TERMS OF MY SURRENDER’: Michael Moore. Photo: Joan Marcus

MICHAEL MOORE: THE TERMS OF MY SURRENDER
Written by Michael Moore
Directed by Michael Mayer
Through October 22, 2017
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street.
(212-239-6200), www.MichaelMooreOnBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Hatred, bigotry, antisemitism and white supremacy have gotten so out of hand in this country that it is time to listen to Michael Moore. Whether you liked or disliked him in the past as a person, or thought his viewpoints and thinking were too radical, you must hear and listen to him now. If you have been revolted by Donald Trump’s lack of action and viewpoints, intolerable behavior and the many ways he has divided the nation, it is time to listen to Michael Moore.  If the last seven months have seemed like seven interminable years, and you have had enough of the “fire and fury,” “de-nuke the world,” bombastic rhetoric of a maniacal, egotistical, showboating, narcissistic, bullying, and totally incompetent president, one who calls the media “fake news” and spews “alternate facts,” then I suggest you rush to the Belasco Theatre for a cathartic, amusing and healing evening in the theater.

Sure, there are myriads of late-night TV show hosts and comics who have been spreading the gospel of anti-Trumpism: Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah, Seth Meyer, etc. Thank God for all of them. However, there is a certain filter to them that has to fit to the confines and restraints of television parameters.  Michael Moore has no filter, he is passionate in telling the truth (although at times preachy) about the mess that this man has created in the White House, the nation and around the world with our allies.

After all, Michael Moore is a documentarian (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Roger and Me). He is now documenting Trump and all the lunacy that surrounds him. The evening is not all Trump-bashing; there are many amusing anecdotes from his youth where a majority of one (a shy Michael Moore) makes a difference. It is his stories that make the show memorable and it is best that he tells them himself. He also has tales of Flint, Michigan and the daily death threats he’s received ever since he won the Oscar for Bowling in Columbine and the speech he made that night at the Academy Awards. The man has many anecdotes to tell and they are very heartfelt. Michael Mayer, the director, must be given a lot of credit for pacing these tales and the passion of the man telling them.

If Trump has his “base”, it’s only fair that Michael Moore has his “base” as well and hopefully it will be a growing one. There is even a plea for him to run for president in 2020. One can only hope.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published August 17, 2017
Reviewed at August 16, 2017 press performance.

‘THE TERMS OF MY SURRENDER’: Michael Moore. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE TERMS OF MY SURRENDER’: Michael Moore. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: (left to right) Madison Ferris, Sally Field & Joe Mantello. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

THE GLASS MENAGERIE
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Sam Gold
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), http://glassmenagerieonbroadway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Tennessee Williams is consistently revived on Broadway because he’s one of the greatest American playwrights of all time. His first play is also his most delicate and quite accessible, so even in a minimalistic revival like this, the story is timeless. The dialogue is so seamless and the characters so real that one can almost overlook director Sam Gold’s unorthodox staging, with almost no set and few props. Williams purists, be forewarned: This production isn’t The Glass Menagerie you probably fell in love with in high-school English or drama class.

Mr. Gold first mounted this revival in Amsterdam, and utilitarian, avant-garde retooling of American drama classics is common practice in Europe these days. While this may be great overseas, it does not always work on Broadway. However, Mr. Gold isn’t the first to create a nontraditional staging of Menagerie.  Less than four years ago in fall 2013, director John Tiffany and scenic designer Bob Crowley brought the show from the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Broadway (starring Cherry Jones as Amanda Wingfield) and were nominated for a Tony Award, recreating the 1930s epic of a St. Louis family with a reflecting pool of water and a stylized set featuring a tower of fire escapes (a crucial part of the original script). This revival also does not include—as is often featured in other productions and the script—the large portrait of Mr. Wingfield, the father who left the family years earlier.

The casting here, along with Wojciech Dziedzic’s costuming (which seems more 1950s or 1990s than ’30s), is also atypical. In addition, because there is not much to Andrew Lieberman’s set, other than a dining room table, the black stage often metaphorically swallows the actors whole.

Sally Field is powerful as Amanda Wingfield, the domineering harpy of mother. She gives a new interpretation of Amanda, the faded Southern belle who clings to tradition and unrealistic goals for her children. Whether she’s nagging her children or recalling her glory days in Mississippi, we hear the sounds of desperation in every syllable she utters.

It is great to see Joe Mantello (now better known as a director than actor) as Tom, the protagonist and narrator. He is appropriately nervous and high-strung, arguing with his mother or talking about the drudgery of working in a shoe factory and spending mysterious nights at the movies, but with his gray hair, he seems more like Amanda’s brother or Laura’s father.

Newcomer Madison Ferris (an actress who uses a wheelchair in real life) makes her Broadway debut as Laura, the painfully shy, emotionally and physically challenged character who relates only to her glass animal collection and words of encouragement from her brother and mother.  Ms. Ferris’ Laura is authentic and touching, portraying an about-to-blossom flower when the famous Gentleman Caller (Finn Wittrock) arrives. Mr. Wittrock is amusing and natural as the man Tom invites over for dinner, after Amanda insists on finding a suitor for “Sister.”

It is always a thrill to see Tennessee Williams’ plays revived, but this bare-bones production falls flat in comparison to the excellent John Tiffany-directed version or even the 2004 production with Jessica Lange and Christian Slater. Mr. Gold brings a new spin indeed to the show, but because the set lacks key elements of the show to anchor the story, this Glass Menagerie seems more like a first week’s dress rehearsal than a full-fledged production, lacking the polish needed to make the classic truly shine.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 9, 2017
Reviewed at press preview performance on March 4, 2017

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: Finn Wittrock & Madison Ferris. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: Sally Field & Joe Mantello, Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: Joe Mantello & Sally Field. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: Joe Mantello & Sally Field. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘THE GLASS MENAGERIE’: Joe Mantello, Sally Field & Finn Wittock. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

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‘BLACKBIRD’: Jeff Bridges & Michelle Williams. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe

BLACKBIRD
Written by David Harrower
Directed by Joe Mantello
Through June 11, 2016
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street.
(212-239-6200), www.blackbirdbroadway.com

By David NouNou

Complex and intense, riveting but perplexing, damaged and flawed are all descriptions of the characters and the play Blackbird. By the nature of its unsavory subject matter, it is one of those plays that make you squirm in your seat, but you can’t take your eyes off the stage. Its strongest suit is that it constantly alters the viewer’s allegiance from one character to the other.

Ray (Jeff Daniels) seduced Una (Michelle Williams) 15 years ago. Ray was 40, Una was 12. On the surface it is a very clear open-and-shut case. Today, Una has finally located Ray, who has moved to a different city and changed his name. She has come to his place of work to confront him about that incident. From the onset, when both characters enter together as though joined at the hip into a messy private eating area, you sense that fireworks will go off. They have both paid a horrific price for their act and the extent of their damage is very obvious. As the play delves deeper into the incident, it becomes an entangled web of who seduced who, who was left alone to fend for themselves, and who had to pay the higher cost of humiliation and punishment

Up to this point the play is riveting and intoxicating. However, playwright David Harrower alters this perfectly balanced play to reach the nether regions and suddenly this emotional wallop disperses into the nebulous zone and there is no assistance from director Joe Mantello.

In order to keep this play on track, you need two superb performances, and what performances? Michelle Williams who made an inauspicious Broadway debut in 2014 in Cabaret is simply mesmerizing. Every movement, facial expression, tick, and the torment behind them is conveyed magnificently. She is so immersed into the role that at times it is excruciating to watch.

Jeff Daniels is equally brilliant; he picks up his cues from Ms. Williams and has to go toe to toe with her in order to give the play balance. Upon hearing Ms. Williams recall her lost youth and upon remembering his own ordeal of punishments, Mr. Daniels ages before our very eyes. The two are giving the performances of their careers.

Consequences of events that happened a long time ago stay with us and the damage and flaws it creates can be lifelong. Hopefully at some point, one can confront it and try to resolve it. Blackbird is only 85 minutes long and performed without an intermission. Short as it is, it’s not an easy sit through, but the rewards are great. To see Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams at the top of their game makes the evening that much more bearable and enriching.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 13, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on March 11, 2016

‘BLACKBIRD’: Jeff Daniels. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe

‘BLACKBIRD’: Michelle Williams. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe

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