‘THE NAP’: (left to right) Max Gordon Moore, Bhavesh Patel, Ben Schnetzer, John Ellison Conlee & Heather Lind. Photo: Joan Marcus

THE NAP
Written by Richard Bean
Directed by Daniel Sullivan
Through November 11, 2018
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street
(212-239-6200), http://thenapbroadway.com/

By David NouNou

Set in present day Sheffield in the United Kingdom, Richard Bean’s The Nap is about snooker. Snooker is a British game similar to pool and billiards. There are no solid or striped balls, both players get to sink the same balls into pockets, and some of the balls have higher point values than others. Obviously the more points you sink till the last ball is sunk, the player with the most points wins. One cannot divulge too much of the plot, because most of the fun of this show is witnessing how the story unfolds.

Dylan Spokes’ (Ben Schnetzer) world revolves around snooker; he has devoted his life to it. His father Bobby Spokes (John Ellison Conlee) has primed Dylan for this moment to compete in The World Snooker Championship. There are more people involved but again, one can’t tell you much about them because their characters are part of the plot development. There is Stella Spokes (Johanna Day) Dylan’s mother, Tony DanLino (Max Gordon Moore) is his sleazy agent, and Waxy Bush (Alexandra Billings). a transsexual mobster.

Mr. Bean’s other show, One Man, Two Guvnors, which opened at the Music Box in 2011 with James Corden, was a frantic comedy with a stellar performance by Mr. Corden. The Nap is a slower-paced comedy with convoluted characters that are mixed up with all sorts of shady dealings which is in large part where the play gets its fun.

Daniel Sullivan’s direction keeps the plot and actors constantly moving and you really have to pay attention to the dialogue. Because of the regional British accents in the show, it makes it difficult to understand all the punch lines, thus extra listening is required to get the most out of them.

Ben Schnetzer is very good as the Dylan, the young snooker player caught up in the machinations of the adults. John Ellison Conlee delivers yet another delightful performance as Dylan’s addlepated former drug-dealing father; and when your character is named Waxy Bush, a transsexual mobster, Alexandra Billings makes the most of her sublime role.

The Nap is not as rambunctious as its predecessor, but still a delightful evening of hi-jinx in the theater.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 1, 2018
Reviewed at September 30, 2018 press performance.

‘THE NAP’: Ben Schnetzer & Heather Lind. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Ben Schnetzer & Johanna Day. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Max Gordon Moore & (left to right) Johanna Day & Alexandra Billings. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Max Gordon Moore & John Ellison Conlee. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Ben Schnetzer & Max Gordon Moore. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Max Gordon Moore & Alexandra Billings. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: (left to right) Bhavesh Patel, Thomas Jay Ryan, Ahmed Aly Elsayed, Max Gordon Moore, Ben Schnetzer, John Ellison Conlee, Johanna Day, Heather Lind, Alexandra Billings & Ethan Hova. Photo: Joan Marcus

The post ‘The Nap’: Brit-com about snooker is a delight appeared first on StageZine.

‘PRESENT LAUGHTER’: Kevin Kline & Kate Burton. Photo: Joan Marcus

PRESENT LAUGHTER
Written by Noël Coward
Directed by Moritz Von Stuelpnagel
Through July 2, 2017
St. James Theatre
246 West 44th Street
(877-250-2929), LaughteronBroadway.com/

By David NouNou

No one does drawing-room comedy better than Noel Coward. Having seen Present Laughter now for the fourth time, I can honestly say that this production, although unevenly cast, is the definitive version and a must-see. Having seen George C. Scott, Frank Langella, Victor Garber, all brilliant actors playing the central role of Garry Essendine, I must give top honors to Kevin Kline. Being semi-biographical, Mr. Kline taps into the heart and soul of Noel Coward. He is vain, narcissistic, self-indulgent, prone to tantrums, sexually busy, and needing constant reassurance (no, I’m not talking about an elected official. I’m talking about Mr. Coward). Mr. Kline imbues him with an additional trait, expert athleticism.

Written in 1943, it is a comedy of both good and bad manners. Of course it was different times and as Mr. Coward has written in so many of his plays: (Private Lives, Hay Fever, Design For Living), being a snob and spoiled is not necessarily a bad thing. Case in point:Garry Essendine has a loving ex-wife, Liz (Kate Burton), who pampers and spoils him and still knows when to come and rescue him; a doting secretary, Monica Reed (Kristen Nielson), who attends to his daily needs; close confidants, producer Henry Lyppiatt (Peter Francers James) and director, Morris Dixon (Reg Rogers); and a swarm of admirers who lose their latch keys in order to be close to him, especially the devious Joanna Lyppiatt (Cobie Smulders), married to Henry and the innocent, hapless, and foolish Daphne Stillington (Tedra Millan). Also let’s not forget he has two devoted staff members; a butler, Fred (Matt Bittner), and a Swedish housekeeper, Miss Erikson (Ellen Harvey) who is more Teutonic than Scandinavian. In this mix is also a confused and crazed failed playwright, Roland Maule (Bhavesh Patel), who is obsessed with Garry and we really don’t know why. You could say Garry has a charmed life; he is the sun and all the planets revolve around him.

Moritz von Stuelpnagel, who directed the brilliant Hand to God, has a talent for the absurd and throws just the right touch of mischief to the proceedings. In the center of it all is Kevin Kline, who always adds a touch of class to all his performances. Here his deftness in narcissism touches on his previous roles in the musicals On the 20th Century and The Pirates of Penzance, one of the many reasons we fell in love with him in the first place. He makes vanity and conceit an art rather than a deadly sin.

Kate Burton as Liz is charming, vivacious and smart; she knows she has a handful with Garry. Kristine Nielson is such a lovable actress and has given so many wonderful performances that it is difficult to say that she is miscast as an Englishwoman. Reg Rogers, who usually plays an Englishman, is also one of the miscast victims. He is more hysterical than floundering as the cuckolded director who is in love with the vampish Joanna. Cobie Smulders, making her Broadway debut, makes a striking Joanna. Tedra Millan is adorable as the annoying, foolish young groupie, Daphne.

There are two English comedies currently running on Broadway; one of them is sheer mayhem; the other is a classy, lively revival by Noel Coward and starring Kevin Kline. Cheerio.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 9, 2017
Reviewed at press performance on April 8, 2017

‘PRESENT LAUGHTER’: (left to right) Kristine Nielsen, Kate Burton & Kevin Kline. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘PRESENT LAUGHTER’: Kevin Kline. Photo: Joan Marcus

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