‘PARADISE SQUARE’: The cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

PARADISE SQUARE
Book by Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan
Music by Jason Howland
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare
Choreography by Bill T. Jones
Directed by Moises Kaufman
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
243 West 47th Street
(212-239-6200), www.ParadiseSquareMusical.com

By David NouNou

It’s certainly not the lack of a good storyline that plagues Paradise Square. It has a riveting and compelling story, but the book hammers and repeats itself again and again. In case you missed it in the book, the score will hammer it some more, and if you still missed it, the repetitive choreography will tap, stomp and body slap the message home.

Paradise Square is a fictionalized historical version set in the Five Points area in Lower Manhattan and the events leading up to the violent Draft Riots of 1863 that started as immigrant protests against the Civil War draft, but then turned to violent attacks against the Blacks. As I mentioned earlier, it is a complex and riveting tale, but it is presented quite heavy-handedly.

Nelly Freeman O’Brien (Joaquina Kalukango) is a Black owner of a saloon—left to her by her father who was a slave—in the Five Points. Nelly is married to a white military Irishman, Willy O’Brien (Matt Bogart) who helps her run the saloon until he is drafted. Matt’s sister Annie Lewis (Chilina Kennedy) is married to Reverend Samuel Jacob Lewis (Nathaniel Stampley), Nelly’s brother. The four share the duties to run the saloon. The saloon is open to all immigrants, people of all races down on their luck and even prostitutes. Nelly is the leader of Five Points and a mother figure that makes sure everyone is welcome.

Reverend Samuel takes in a runaway slave and changes his name to Washington Henry (Sidney DuPont), a man who allegedly killed his master in Tennessee. The reverend keeps Washington hidden to protect him. Add to the mix Annie Lewis’ nephew from Ireland, Owen Duignan (A. J. Shively), a recent immigrant who also needs lodging. Washington and Owen end up dancing in the saloon to pay for their stay. Of course, in every Garden of Eden, there is a snake; here, he is a boss man and elected official, Frederic Tiggens (John Dossett). He is the man that will blow Paradise Square by destroying the bond between the Blacks and the Irish.

There is a lot to digest here, but the story isn’t as convoluted as it sounds once you get to meet the characters. It’s that their tale is repeated again and again through the book, score and dance numbers. The book meanders, the score is unmemorable, and Bill T. Jones delivers some excellent dance steps, but they keep recurring with every song and it gets monotonous after the fifth round. Moises Kaufman’s direction doesn’t add much but moves characters from one end of the stage to the other, and from upstage to downstage and reverse.

However, all is not lost. The incandescent, dynamic powerhouse Joaquina Kalukango blows the roof off the theatre with her soaring voice and heartbreaking, gutsy performance. She has a lovely opening number entitled “Paradise Square,” and her final song “Let It Burn” is theatrical history in the making. Her emotion-packed delivery of the song thrills the audience and they erupt with thunderous applause. Last year, she was nominated for a Tony for Slave Play. This year, she has to be the shoe-in to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 4, 2022
Reviewed at May 3, 2022 performance.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: (left to right) Joaquina Kalukango, Nathaniel Stampley, Chilina Kennedy & the cast. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Joaquina Kalukango & Matt Bogart. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Ellis Quinn, Chloe Davis & cast. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Sidney DuPont & cast. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Chilina Kennedy & Joaquina Kalukango. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: A.J. Shively. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Colin Barkell & Garrett Coleman. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Nathaniel Stampley & Chilina Kennedy. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Joaquina Kalukango. Photo: Kevin Berne.

‘PARADISE SQUARE’: Kevin Dennis, John Dossett (5th & 6th from left), A.J. Shively (6th from right) & cast. Photo: Kevin Berne.

Video clips from Paradise Square

The post ‘Paradise Square’: Blacks & Irish in 1863 NYC appeared first on StageZine.

‘HARRY POTTER’ STAR AS BILLY THE CRIPPLE: Daniel Radcliffe in ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan.’ Photo: Johann Persson

THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN
Written by Martin McDonagh
Directed by Michael Grandage
Cort Theatre
138 West 48th Street, (212-239-6200), www.crippleofinishmaan.com

By Scott Harrah

Daniel Radcliffe has more than put the Harry Potter days behind him with his prolific body of stage work on both sides of the Atlantic. From Equus to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to starring in this Martin McDonagh import from London, Mr. Radcliffe has shed the famous film franchise and reinvented himself as a headliner on Broadway and the West End. So it might seem odd that, although he’s the star here, his is the least interesting character. In this dark comedy set on the rustic island of Inishmaan, in the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland, the rural townsfolk have all the great lines, much of which are about Mr. Radcliffe’s Billy the Cripple, an orphan born with a disfigured left side, including a mangled leg and shriveled-up hand.  The play, thin on plot, seems more like a character study of rural Irish life in 1934 than anything else. If you can overlook the thick brogues and some uneven twists, much of what’s here is “fecking” hilarious (to borrow from the crazy vernacular of the island). If you’ve ever lived in a small town anywhere, know how gossipy rural people can be and have even a drop of Irish blood (or can appreciate the quirky charms of the Irish), the characters are especially familiar and raucously funny.

When news breaks that a Hollywood crew is shooting a film on a neighboring island, Billy hopes they will discover him, offering a chance to escape the island and go to America.

In Act One, we meet the many eccentric residents of the island, their off-the-wall slang and love of repeating things just for the hell of it. There are Billy’s “aunties”, sisters Eileen (Gillian Hanna) and Kate (Ingrid Craigie) Osbourne, both of whom raise him and also run the local grocery. They never have much available besides canned peas. Bartley McCormick (Conor MacNeill) likes to torment one of the sisters by asking if he can buy “sweeties” like “Minty-Os,” but her reply is always that she only has for sale that which he can see (canned peas). This repetitive, sing-song humor runs throughout the show, and the dialogue is often crisp and hilarious.

Billy secretly fancies Helen McCormick (Sarah Greene), the mean, red-headed sister of Bartley.  Her job is delivering eggs, but she spends most of her time in the Osbourne’s shop taunting Billy or her brother (and cracking eggs on people’s heads).

There is the town gossip Johnnypateenmike (Pat Shortt), who is eager to spread any tale, true or not, and is especially interested in prattle about Billy. He likes to keep his 90-year-old Mammy (June Watson) drunk, while she can’t wait to see him dead.  Others in the town include Babbybobby (Padraic Delaney), who rows people to nearby islands in a boat, and Doctor (Gary Lilburn).

The character of Billy is essentially a foil to everyone in Inishmaan. In Act One, Mr. Radcliffe gets few chances to show off his acting chops, but everyone else certainly does, as this is an ensemble piece. (Yes, listing Daniel Radcliffe as the headliner might be misleading, but big names sell tickets.) Tension mounts when we learn how Billy plans to leave the island, and whether he will ever return.

Playwright Martin McDonagh has a rare gift for black comedy and depicting reality with a twisted, farcical sensibility. He was at his most effective in this genre on Broadway in 2006’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore , a play about IRA terrorists on the island adjacent to Inishmaan.  This is actually the first in a series by Mr. McDonagh set in the Aran Islands (Inishmore was the second), first produced in London in 1996.

The humor in Inishmaan lies primarily in the exaggerated ways everyone reacts to Billy. We actually get to know just as much (if not more) about the supposed supporting characters than Billy himself, and things start making very little sense as Billy’s story unravels in Act Two.

Mr. McDonagh has penned better plays (The Pillowman and The Beauty Queen of Leenanne, for example). However, although this is far from a flawless work, the overall tale is wryly amusing and the characters unusually whimsical.

Director Michael Grandage does an amazing job of getting such distinct performances from everyone, and each is equally memorable and superb. Mr. Radcliffe, of course, is magnificent as always. Just don’t come to Inishmaan expecting it to all be about him. Do come, however, if you want to laugh for two and a half hours at crisp dialogue and some of the funniest, most unconventional characters on Broadway this season.

HOLLYWOOD DREAMS: In ‘Cripple of Inishmaan,’ Daniel Radcliffe dreams of being discovered by a film crew on a neighboring island. Photo: Johann Persson

The Cripple of Inishmann – 6 Tony Nominations, including: Best Drama Revival, Best Dramatic Supporting Actress – Sarah Greene, Best Director – Michael Grandage, Best Set Design, Best Lighting Design, & Best Sound Design.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 25, 2014
Reviewed at press performance April 24, 2014

The post Irish townsfolk the real stars of ‘Inishmaan’ appeared first on StageZine.

EMERALD ISLE GEM: Brian F. O’Byrne & Debra Messing in ‘Outside Mullingar.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

OUTSIDE MULLINGAR
Written by John Patrick Shanley
Directed by Doug Hughes
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street
(212-239-6200), www.ManahattanTheatreClub.com

By David NouNou

You know the old saying, “The two things you can be certain of in life are death and taxes”? Well, the two things you can be sure of in any Irish themed-play are talks about deaths and wakes, but seldom are they told as humorously, charmingly and tenderly as in John Patrick Shanley’s new play, Outside Mullingar. However, this is not the main focus of the show; it is just the framework of this lovely and delicately written play.

Anthony Reilly (Brian F. O’Byrne) and his father Tony Reilly (Peter Maloney) have just returned home after attending the Muldoon wake. Muldoon is survived by his wife Aoife (Dearbhla Molloy) and his daughter Rosemary (Debra Messing). The Reillys and Muldoons also happen to be across-the-road neighbors, so there is a bond between the families. Tony is old and realizes his mortality, so his big dilemma is whether he should leave his land to his shy and introverted son Anthony or sell it to an American cousin. In order to be able to sell said property, there is a piece of the driveway that has been sold to the Muldoons 30 years earlier when Tony needed money to buy a ring for his now-deceased wife. Papa Muldoon gave this piece of land to Rosemary as a present when she was a little girl. Naturally, Rosemary refuses to sell this piece for her own personal reasons. So starts this wonderful little tale of Blarney.

Mr. Shanley knows how to write delectable parts for actors who start out as introverted caterpillars and then bloom into beautiful butterflies. Who could ever forget his Oscar-winning screenplay for Moonstruck? Instead of the metropolis of Brooklyn and Italians, he mixes it up with farmland Mullingar and the Irish. It may not be as mesmerizing as Moonstruck, but it still hits the right chords to make us care, for his characters, all of whom are imbued with humanity and humor.

Mr. O’Byrne is an incredible stage actor and also one of the finest. He is also blessed with stage presence and charisma. Broadway audiences first saw him in Martin McDonough’s The Beauty Queen of Leanane, followed by countless plays: Tom Stoppard’s epic The Coast of Utopia, his Tony- winning role in Frozen, and Mr. Shanley’s earlier, brilliant Doubt (one of the best plays ever written). Mr. O’Byrne has always delivered a new character to each of his new roles, and Anthony is no exception. One can’t help but want to protect and cheer for this shy noble caterpillar who will ultimately find its wing and soar.

It is such a pleasure to report that Debra Messing is making an auspicious Broadway debut. She is still as beautiful as she was in the TV sitcom “Will & Grace” and thankfully has managed to shed her cloying, needy and selfish Grace persona. She is a delicious frumpy spitfire here, and manages to pull off a creditable Irish brogue.

Peter Maloney is a wonderful veteran stage character actor who first came on the Broadway scene in Hughie/Duet  with Ben Gazzara in1975. How gratifying to finally see him do an original part that hopefully gets him some recognition come Tony season. His cantankerous Tony is full of humor, anxiety and thorniness. His scenes with the equally delightful Ms. Molloy are a joy as they volley their barbs against each other.

Mr. Shanley has a wonderful director in Doug Hughes. They both won their Tonys for Doubt. They understand each other’s language and rhythms, thus they complement each other for the stage. Outside Mullingar may not be inspirational, but it will certainly put a smile on your face and give you a warm, fuzzy glow on these cold and snowy New York nights.

FAMILY FRIENDS: Debra Messing and Peter Maloney in ‘Outside Mullingar.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

Tony Nominated for Best Play of 2014

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published January 26, 2014
Reviewed at  press performance on January 25, 2014

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