‘GRAND HORIZONS’: James Cromwell & Jane Alexander. Photo: Joan Marcus

GRAND HORIZONS
Written by Bess Wohl
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Through March 1, 2020
The Helen Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
(212-541-4516), www 2ST.com

By David NouNou

Sustaining a marriage for 50 years is difficult. However, writing a good, sustainable comedy that doesn’t sound or read like a script from a TV sitcom these days is even harder. Playwright Bess Wohl has achieved this feat with Grand Horizons. Watching Nancy (Jane Alexander) and Bill (James Cromwell) for a few minutes setting up their dinner table and sitting down to eat, and Nancy nonchalantly uttering “I want a divorce,” is a wonderful starter.

Nothing is extraordinary about this situation and this doesn’t mean the play doesn’t have its shortcomings and filler, but what is extraordinary is the genuine laughter that playwright Ms. Wohl achieves. Grand Horizons is the name of the retirement home that Bill and Nancy live in. The remarkable cast elevates the material to hysterical heights.

The divorce isn’t so much about Nancy and Bill but how it affects their two sons: the older Ben (Ben McKenzie), his wife Jess (Ashley Park), and their younger son Brian (Michael Urie), a high-school drama teacher. The three are there to form an intervention against this divorce. In the process they discover their own shortcomings, the disillusionment of unhappy parents as they were growing up and their parents’ own secrets. The divorce stems from Nancy discovering Bill has been “sexting” Carla (Priscilla Lopez).

The setups aren’t new but there is a freshness to the tone. There is crispness to the dialogue, but the humor also comes with fillers. One such scene is Brian bringing a one-nighter (Maulik Pancholy) to his parents’ home. The scene is to establish Brian’s feelings about his parent’s divorce but the one-nighter is horny and isn’t interested in anything but sex. The scene has genuine truths in it, but is highly implausible.

What keeps the material afloat is the wonderful acting by an all-star cast, and I must admit I am a sucker for an all-star cast. Starting with Jane Alexander, long absent from the New York stage, making a regal comeback. Having first seen her in The Great White Hope, though the material here isn’t as compelling, she hasn’t lost her touch or command of the stage. She, like fine wine, has matured with age but is still lilting and grand.

Having seen James Cromwell in countless movies and TV shows, it’s great to finally see him on the New York stage. He is crotchety, compelling and ideal in trying to sort his life out.

Michael Urie plays another gay character here, but is absolutely beguiling as the lost son trying to make sense of it all. He touches the nerve of why he has never been able to connect with another person and wrenches the heart with his sincerity.

Priscilla Lopez as Carla, the other woman, just dazzles in her too-brief scene with Jane Alexander as they are discussing what to do with Bill, and starting to talk intimately is civility done to perfection.

Ben McKenzie, Ashley Park, and Maulik Pancholy add to the comic hysteria at various stages in bringing in their own perspective to this scenario.

Comedy is such a rare commodity these days and we are in such desperate need to laugh during these hard times. Grand Horizons hits the funny bone and is a welcome start to the New Year.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published January 29, 2020
Reviewed at January 28, 2020 press performance.

‘GRAND HORIZONS’: Ben McKenzie & James Cromwell. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GRAND HORIZONS’: Priscilla Lopez & Jane Alexander. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GRAND HORIZONS’: Ashley Park & Ben McKenzie. Photo:Joan Marcus

‘GRAND HORIZONS’: Michael Urie. Photo: Joan Marcus.

“GRAND HORIZONS’: James Cromwell. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GRAND HORIZONS’: Jane Alexander. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘GRAND HORIZONS’: Michael Urie & Maulik Pancholy. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Heidi Schreck. Photo: Joan Marcus

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
Written by Heidi Schreck
Directed by Oliver Butler
Through August 24, 2019
Helen Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.constitutionbroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

What the Constitution Means to Me is not traditional theater in any sense. It is a combination of a deeply personal monologue, a political lecture, a symposium for constitutional reform and an interactive civics lesson. The show originated Off Broadway in various forms, and was last produced at New York Theater Workshop in 2018. Now creator and performer Heidi Schreck has brought the show to Broadway. The play’s progressive slant and feminist theme make it timely in the “Me Too” era.

Ms. Schreck, now in her late 40s, recalls how as a 15-year-old in Wenatchee, Washington, she earned money for college by entering contests about the Constitution in American Legion halls throughout the U.S. with other high school students. In these predominantly white, heterosexual male institutions for war veterans, Ms. Schreck would debate other high schoolers about how the Constitution related to their everyday lives and families.

The first portion of the show is often riveting as Ms. Schreck recalls the conservative town she grew up in, an “abortion-free zone,” and the strong, long-suffering women in her family. Best of all, she recreates some of the speeches she gave about the Constitution as a teenager, looking back on them as an adult and making witty observations about them.  Ms. Schreck, who calls the Constitution “a living, warm-blooded, steamy document,” is a gifted storyteller and her enthusiasm for the Constitution and her own progressive politics and feminism shines through her ebullient delivery. She educates the audience on how the Constitution was written by and for white male land owners. The founding fathers of America wrote it to protect the rights of white men. Women, African Americans and Native Americans were not included originally. In essence, the original Constitution was written to protect what we now call “white male privilege.”

The set by Rachel Hauck helps the audience understand just what a “boys’ club” American Legions were in 1987 when Ms. Schreck was a teen. The walls are covered with photos of war veterans, and one senses the isolation Ms. Schreck must have felt at age 15 speaking about how the Constitution related to her. In the first hour of this 100-minute work, Ms. Schreck packs in a lot of heady information about abortion, feminism, racism, discrimination against Native Americans, and more. She also talks about her harrowing experience when she became pregnant while working as an actress in Seattle and decided to have an abortion. With her wry humor and endless passion for the downtrodden, she delivers a scathing polemic on how white men have dominated others and usurped power in America since the country was born. She is such an entertaining speaker that it is easy to overlook the way she sometimes repeats her points as the evening winds down. However, we soon realize repetition is not the show’s only flaw.

What the Constitution Means to Me would have worked great as a one-woman monologue, but unfortunately the remainder of the show becomes jumbled with unnecessary filler. Mike Iveson, in a full military veteran’s uniform, initially plays a moderator for Ms. Schreck’s debates when she reenacts scenes from her teenage tours of American Legions. Yet for some reason, in the latter part of the show Mr. Iveson takes off his uniform and starts talking about his personal life, including his sexuality. It’s a pointless segue and we are left wondering why Ms. Schreck and director Oliver Butler decided to go in this direction.

The show’s final 20 minutes become a debate in which the audience is invited to participate as real copies of the U.S. Constitution are passed out. At the performance I attended, teenager Rosdely Ciprian, a New York City high school freshman, came out to talk about what modern-day teens think about the Constitution. (Ms. Ciprian alternates the role with another actor, Thursday Williams, at different performances). Ms. Schreck decided to debate whether the Constitution should be abolished and what might be the benefits of writing a brand-new Constitution. She picked an audience member to act as a judge.  While this is certainly innovative and creates a dialogue about the Constitution, it will come across as gimmicky to some. If nothing else, the first hour is a compelling “herstory” lesson on American politics and feminism by Heidi Schreck.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 3, 2019
Reviewed at April 2, 2019 press performance.

‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Rosdely Ciprian. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Heidi Schreck & Mike Iveson. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Heidi Schreck. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Rosdely Ciprian, Mike Iveson & Heidi Schreck. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Heidi Schreck. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Heidi Schreck. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘TORCH SONG’: Ward Horton & Michael Urie. Photo: Matthew Murphy

TORCH SONG
Written by Harvey Fierstein
Directed by Moises Kaufman
Through February 24, 2019
The Helen Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200),www.torchsongbroadway.com

By David NouNou

The original gay fantasia—set in the early 1970s and 1980s and every gay Jewish boy’s dream of being able to have the gorgeous hunk WASP lover and living happily ever after—is back. But as we all well know, that fantasy is not always the case even if we attain the unattainable. Originally known as Torch Song Trilogy, Harvey Fierstein wrote a play with a tailor-made role for himself. It was first produced Off-Off-Broadway, then moved to Off-Broadway at the Actors’ Playhouse, and finally came to Broadway in 1982 at the Little Theater, now the Helen Hayes, where it has landed in a most triumphant revival. Torch Song has come back home to its original theater with a shorter title and all the humor and pathos that made it a groundbreaking gay classic.

Upon second viewing what stands out the most is how pertinent and relevant the subject matter is now, even more so than it was in 1982. Back then, it had a certain voyeurism to gay culture and was titillating to see gay life explored so openly.

Act I entitled “International Stud” is set in a real backroom bar that existed in the ‘70s and ‘80s. We meet Arnold Beckoff or Virginia Hamm (Michael Urie), that being his drag name and a torch singer living in New York City. He encounters Ed (Ward Horton), the unattainable bisexual stud at the bar. He leaves with Ed and his real problems begin.

Act II, entitled “Fugue in a Nursery,” takes place three years later, 1974. Ed is with Laurel (Roxanna Hope Radja) and Arnold is invited by Laurel for a weekend in the country. Arnold is now with a former hustler, now model Alan (Michael Hsu Rosen). Needless to say, all that ensues is a kind of mixed doubles.

Act III “Widows and Children First” is the money-shot act and the most solid of all. It is now 1980 and we get to meet Mrs. Beckoff (Mercedes Ruehl), the role that was originated by Estelle Getty. It is here that we discover how the proverbial apple does not fall far from the tree. We learn about Arnold adopting an orphan, David (Jack DiFalco), and we find out that Ed has left his wife and is staying with Arnold. Most important is the battle royal that ensues between mother and son. Both have lost loved ones and both deal with their losses in different ways. Both demand love and respect on their own terms.

The third act shows how ahead of its time Torch Song really was. What we take for reasonable expectations now of having unattainable relationships and marriage, a family, and respect from loved ones was really once a fantasy. Although we have come a long way, certain dogmas remain constant.

Michael Urie has made the role of Arnold Beckoff his own. He has placed his own stamp and his own original contemporary take on Arnold. Mercedes Ruehl as his mother is electrifying. Their blow-up with each other is theater magic. Moises Kaufman’s direction gives the proceedings a feel of the present, although they are set in the not-so-distant past. The one flaw in this otherwise flawless revival is the casting of Jack DiFalco as the son David (who is supposed to be a 16-year-old teenager). This is the role that introduced the public to a young Matthew Broderick and later to Fisher Stevens; they were teenagers, Mr. DiFalco now is David. He is not a teen and does not even look like one. The head-scratcher here is didn’t anyone in casting or the production team see this as an obstacle? Regardless, Torch Song still holds up more than 36 years later as an epic of LGBTQ life that has a lot to say about sexuality, family, gender roles, love and acceptance to a new generation.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 5, 2018
Reviewed at November 4, 2018 press performance.

‘TORCH SONG’: Mercedes Ruehl & Michael Urie. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘TORCH SONG’: (left to right) Roxanna Hope Radja, Ward Horton, Michael Urie & Michael Hsu Rosen. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘TORCH SONG’: Jack DiFalco & Michael Urie. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘TORCH SONG’: Michael Urie. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘TORCH SONG’: Michael Urie & Jack DiFalco. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘TORCH SONG’: Mercedes Ruehl. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘TORCH SONG’: Michael Urie. Photo: Matthew Murphy

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‘STRAIGHT WHITE MEN’: Armie Hammer. Photo: Joan Marcus

STRAIGHT WHITE MEN
Written by Young Jean Lee
Directed by Anna. D. Shapiro
Through September 9, 2018
The Helen Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.2ST.com

By David NouNou

Sometimes mediocrity and unambitious invisibility are all someone wants out of life.

First presented at the Public Theatre in November 2014, Young Jean Lee’s dramedy has nothing to do with sexual orientation, but the privilege that comes from being a straight white man. She doesn’t comment on the subject; she just presents it to us and for us to disseminate her presentation. If this sounds a bit ambiguous, it’s because there is no resolution, just presentation.

It is Christmas Eve and Jake (Josh Charles) and Drew (Armie Hammer) have returned to their Midwest home to celebrate the holidays with their widowed father Ed (Stephen Payne) and their older brother, Matt (Paul Schneider). Jake is a divorced banker and Ed is a semi-successful writer. Matt, a Harvard graduate, has moved back to live with his father for no specified reason and Ed is happy to have his son back and being taken care of after his wife’s death.

It’s great to see the family dynamics. especially with Jake and Drew horsing around and reminiscing about their lives and their youth. Also, watching their dad, coming in and making them wear the traditional Christmas pajamas. What family doesn’t have their rituals? There is nothing odd or strange going on until Matt has a breakdown and starts crying for no apparent reason over their Chinese dinner. What family doesn’t encounter drama during the holidays?

It is at this point the play takes a turn when Jake and Drew try to analyze Matt’s breakdown. Jake feels Matt’s is an underachiever because of his guilt of being a white male. Drew wants him to see a psychotherapist because he is depressed and lacks self-respect. What Ms. Lee is doing here is transposing each brother’s shortcomings onto their brother, Matt.

It is entertaining watching Armie Hammer and Josh Charles recreating their childhood shenanigans with deft performances. Mr. Charles is a standout as the alpha brother. Mr. Hammer is sinfully gorgeous and carefully modulates his Broadway debut performance. Paul Schneider gives the right pathos as the depressed brother who is okay with his mediocrity. Stephen Payne is robust as the loving father.

Anna D. Shapiro, the director, doesn’t do much to clarify the proceedings or bring any lucidity to an otherwise simple tale of a loving family brought together for the holidays and the usual drama that gets created by dissenting members of the family with their differences. Even the most loving of families have their breakdowns. What we are left here with not so much as a rewarding play but an unfulfilling setup of a premise.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published July 26, 2018
Reviewed at July 25, 2018 press performance.

‘STRAIGHT WHITE MEN’: Kate Bornstein, Armie Hammer & Ty Defoe. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘STRAIGHT WHITE MEN’: Armie Hammer, Stephen Payne & Paul Schneider. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘STRAIGHT WHITE MEN’: Kate Bornstein & Ty Defoe. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘STRAIGHT WHITE MEN’: Stephen Payne. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘LOBBY HERO’: Brian Tyree Henry & Chris Evans. Photo: Joan Marcus

LOBBY HERO

Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Trip Cullman
Through May 13, 20
18
The Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.2ST.com

By David NouNou

Playwrights Horizons first presented Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero in 2001. However, its message and urgency seem more relevant today than they would have been back then. Dealing with lies, coverups, alibis, collusion, sexism, corruption; these are just on the surface. Underneath you are dealing with integrity and the abuse of power, the need for friendship and the betrayal that friendships sometimes bring. Heady topics indeed, but Mr. Lonergan’s gift of injecting humor in almost every line makes this a thought-provoking as well as a delightful evening in the theater.

Jeff (Michael Cera), a security guard in a high-rise who hates being called a doorman, is confronted by his supervisor William (Brian Tyree Henry) for being sloppy on the job, falling asleep on the night shift, inefficient and totally lacking any promise for the future. Jim is a talker and can delude and talk himself into anything. The two talk each other up, and in so doing, it reveals that William has a problem and their roles reverse. William confides in Jeff that his brother was involved with two other gang members in the murder and rape of a nurse in a hospital and stuffed her body in a closet. This involves family loyalty or standing for his integrity and telling the truth. Instead, William finds himself being used as an alibi to protect his brother.

Bill (Chris Evans) is a gorgeous sleazy policeman who can charm the dew off a honeysuckle tree. He is trying to put the moves on his rookie trainee and partner, Dawn (Bel Powley). He is Mr. Good Guy; years on the force have earned him badges and fame but underneath he is a manipulating snake. On this night he is enticing Dawn while he has a rendezvous with a lady on the 22nd floor in the high-rise. While Bill is busy doing his thing, Jeff, being attracted to Dawn, spills the beans on what Bill is doing on the 22nd floor. This devastates Dawn as she has fallen for him, reprimands him and by doing so, incites Bill’s wrath and he shows his true self.

It is at this point that Mr. Lonergan has set up the trap and we wait to see how allegiances will play out. The humor that is infused here is both funny and sad. As humorous as the lines are at any given moment, it underlines the shortcomings of each character. The show’s trump card is the four brilliant performances. Starting with Captain America, Chris Evans, he is a movie star and an action figure, but who would have dreamed he had such charisma and style? Most movie stars making their Broadway debuts are stiff and not in the best of sync. However, Mr. Evans is a pro on the stage. As charming and beguiling as he is in the beginning, he can be equally menacing and a scoundrel when he is backed against a wall. He knows how to command a stage.

Michael Cera, last seen in Mr. Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth, has a nebbishy presence but is always in command of his performance. Whether he is being scolded or befriending William or Dawn, he is in complete control of how he manipulates them. He is indispensable to the proceedings because he adds equal measure of loser and hopeful.

Brian Tyree Henry is excellent as the torn security captain between familial ties as well as his integrity. Bel Powley has the hardest part of juggling a female policewoman rookie who wants to do well but is caught up in the cogs of the system and she gives a lovely, nuanced performance of disciple and losing sight of what is right.

Trip Cullman has staged the proceedings in a well-balanced manner, unobtrusively splitting the serious and the humor in equal doses and moves his players with effortless ease. He is helped by David Rockwell’s wonderful revolving set where we get a different perspective of each character as the set moves to reflect each character’s perspective. Whichever perspective you choose, you can’t help but be invested in these characters and their outcome.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 30, 2018
Reviewed at press performance on March 29, 2018

‘LOBBY HERO’: Chris Evans & Michael Cera. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘LOBBY HERO’: Chris Evans. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘LOBBY HERO’: Chris Evans & Michael Cera. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘LOBBY HERO’: Michael Cera & Brian Tyree Henry. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘LOBBY HERO’: Brian Tyree Henry. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘LOBBY HERO’: Bel Powley. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘THE HUMANS’: (left to right) Reed Birney, Jane Houdyshell, Sarah Steele, Arian Moayed. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe

THE HUMANS
Written by Steven Karam
Directed by Joe Mantello
Helen Hayes Theatre
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.thehumansonbroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

Dysfunctional family dramas have become a staple in American theater, but Steven Karam’s The Humans, which just transferred to Broadway after a brief run at the Roundabout Laura Pels, is the rare exception of such a play that resonates with a natural universality. Think of this as a one-act, abridged version of Tracey Letts’ August: Osage County with a supernatural twist. Director Joe Mantello has left everything from the Off Broadway version intact, from the fine cast to the unique, split-level set depicting a bare bones Manhattan basement duplex apartment.

Steven Karam, best known for his 2011 drama Sons of the Prophet, establishes himself as one of America’s leading playwrights here with the saga of the Blakes. The family has traveled from Scranton, Pennsylvania to spend Thanksgiving with daughter Brigid (Sarah Steele) and her boyfriend Richard (Arian Moayed) in their new Chinatown abode. In 95 minutes, we learn about the many troubles of the family. Brigid and Richard are swimming in student loan debt. Brigid’s parents Erik (Reed Birney) and Deirdre (Jane Houdyshell) are in their 60s and have mounting financial troubles, plus the burden of taking care of Erik’s mother, Momo (Lauren Klein), suffering from the late stages of Alzheimer’s. Older daughter Aimee (Cassie Beck), an attorney, is grappling with a debilitating health problem and a lackluster love life (her girlfriend recently dumped her).

Throughout the show, we hear strange sounds, many of which Brigid blames on an elderly neighbor, while others are attributed to a trash compactor. As the show progresses, the sounds become stranger and more jangled and disturbing. Are these the sounds of the neighbor, typical street noise in Manhattan, or something darker and more sinister? This is one of the many enigmas never explained.

The story has all the elements of a crisis-by-the-numbers, formulaic drama, but what sets it apart from others is the crisp, often hilarious dialogue and the onstage chemistry of the cast. Besides the personal turmoil of each character, there isn’t much else to the plot other than everyone is gathered to spend the most iconic American holiday together. The Blakes are folks who are much like many struggling middle-class Americans in the 21st century. They struggle to keep and find jobs and make ends meet and argue about religion and values, or even things as trivial as organic “super foods.”

What’s most remarkable here is the great ensemble acting, expertly directed by Joe Mantello. Mr. Birney and Ms. Houdyshell truly standout, but credit must also be given to the technical and set wizards of the show: David Zinn for his innovative scenic design; the lighting design by Justin Townsend; and the sound design of Fitz Patton because The Humans relies heavily on the set, sounds and lighting to evoke the mood and take the audience on an emotional ride that is already one of the 2015/2016 season’s most-talked-about dramas.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published February 21, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on February 20, 2016

‘THE HUMANS’: Sarah Steele & Reed Birney. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe

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‘DAMES AT SEA’: The cast of the Broadway revival. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

DAMES AT SEA
Book & lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller
Music by Jim Wise
Directed & choreographed by Randy Skinner
Helen Hayes Theatre
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.damesatseabroadway.com

By David NouNou

There are two reasons to revive the 1968 musical Dames at Sea: The sublime score that was perfection back then and even now, and giving the ever-so-talented Randy Skinner free rein to direct and choreograph anything. Alas, even he can’t muddle through a hackneyed book that was a cute and clever Off-Broadway spoof of the 1930s Warner Brothers musicals: 42nd Street and the Gold Diggers movies. What was an homage in 1968 seems labored, forced and trite today. The magnificent 1980 musical 42nd Street was the embodiment of a splashy Busby Berkley Broadway musical of this genre and it sent this little nugget of a dated, cheerful little show off to Off-Broadway heaven.

You know the story: Young, talented girl comes from Utah to be in a Broadway show. She lands a role in the chorus, meets a guy who happens to be a sailor/song writer, they fall in love; the guy is diverted by the barracuda leading lady. The theater is about to be demolished, the show finds a new venue, a battleship. The girl gets kicked out of show by the barracuda, who in turn gets seasick, back comes the chorus girl, takes over for the leading lady and becomes an overnight star. All this takes place in one day. Adorable for a 1968 Off-Broadway spoof.

I mentioned earlier that the score was sublime; truly every song is a gem. The music by Jim Wise and the lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller have such a familiar ring to them that you’d swear you heard them all in those 1930s Warner Brothers musicals. Each song captures the essence, feel, and mood of all the songs written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin for those musicals. A particular favorite of mine has always been the clever “It’s You” in which the two lovebirds croon, “You’re not The Barrymore Trio or Dolores Del Rio/Charles Farrell or Nancy Carroll/Rudy Vallee or Marion Talley/But you/It’s you/It’s you,” originally sung by an incomparable ingénue with a heartbreaking voice, Bernadette Peters, and her gorgeous leading man, David Christmas. As I sat there relishing every name that was being mentioned, each meticulously picked to sound like another, I was suddenly gripped by a sadness because most of the audience probably has no clue as to who some of these illustrious names were.

This was and still is being performed by six characters to constitute the proverbial cast of thousands: The ingénue Ruby (Eloise Kropp), her sailor/songwriter/boyfriend Dick (Cary Tedder), their cronies Joan (Mara Davi) and her sailor Lucky (Danny Gardner), leading lady Mona Kent (Lesli Margherita), and Hennesey/The Captain of the battleship (John Bolton).

My three favorite performances were Mara Davi as Joan, the fun-loving chorine with a heart of gold. The other two are the sailors Cary Tedder and Danny Gardner. All three excelled in dancing, singing and acting their respective roles proficiently. Not since Senior Shenanigans of 1975 (work with me on this) has there been such over-the-top, scene-chewing performances as given by Lesli Margherita as Mona Kent and, to a lesser degree, John Bolton in the dual roles of Hennesey, the stage director and The Captain. Oh, Randy Skinner, where were you to bring them down to a mere frantic pace? I thought they banned these kinds of performances after graduating from high school. I was also under the impression that less is still more. Last but not least, there is the lovely delightful, winsome, full of charm and exuberant role of the ingénue, Ruby. Bless her heart, Eloise Kropp sure can do a mean tap-dance number.

Director Randy Skinner has imbued Dames at Sea with so many touches to elevate it from Off-Broadway status to a marginally small Broadway theater. One of those touches is the opening show credits, projected onto the stage, to resemble the title opening of a Warner Brothers movie, in which the credits and who’s who in the movie are shown. This is a glorious touch but runs out of steam from there. He has these inventive dance routines that are meant for a chorus of 40, but instead works with an Off-Broadway cast of six. I remember his 2001 revival of 42nd Street that was sheer magic and was robbed of his Tony Award for choreography. The man has talent, taste, and imagination and deserves to be able to display these talents in a great big, splashy musical show, not a Sanforized Off-Broadway imitation.

By the way, I noticed that I mentioned the name Off Broadway six times in this review, and there is a deliberate reason why. Some shows were written and designed on a small scale, and that’s where they flourish best. Just because they were charming in some far-off era Off Broadway doesn’t give them an automatic pass to come to Broadway. Word to the wise: Not all shows are meant to be transferred. Not every show can be a Hair, A Chorus Line, Rent, or Hamilton; these shows all had a vision that transcended boundaries and were meant to eventually come to Broadway. As for Dames at Sea, it may have a rough time staying afloat on the Great White Way.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 29, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on October 28, 2015

‘DAMES AT SEA’: Eloise Kropp & John Bolton. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DAMES AT SEA’: Mara Davi & Danny Gardner. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DAMES AT SEA’: John Bolton & Eloise Kropp. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DAMES AT SEA’: (left to right) John Bolton, Danny Gardner, Mara Davi, Cary Tedder, Eloise Kropp. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DAMES AT SEA’: Lesli Margherita. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DAMES AT SEA’: John Bolton & Mara Davi. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DAMES AT SEA’: Eloise Kropp. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DAMES AT SEA’: John Bolton & Lesli Margherita. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

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