‘NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME’: Ian Bouillion & cast. Photo: Russ Rowland.

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
By Erik J. Rodriguez & Charles A. Sothers
Directed by Conor Bagley
Through November 30, 2025
Newman Mills Theater at The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space
511 West 52^nd Street
https://notreadyforprimetimeplay.com/

By Scott Harrah

Fifty years after NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” first premiered and became a cultural phenomenon, an unauthorized stage bio-drama has arrived off-Broadway on the New York stage.  Not Ready for Prime Time is by no means a definitive or 100% historically accurate chronicle of the early days of the late-night comedy, but there’s enough nostalgia here to please most “SNL” fans.

“Live from New York…it’s Saturday Night!”

The bio-drama chronicles the journey and struggles of series creator Lorne Michaels (Ian Bouillion). He cast a group of up-and-coming comedians and turned “Saturday Night Live” into a mega-hit back in 1975.

The story is structured similar to an “SNL “ episode, complete with a live band. Mr. Buillion, as Lorne Michaels, narrates the tale. All the elements of the original show are here (if you’ve followed the early days of “SNL”). Not Ready for Prime Time recounts the numerous egotistical battles of the actors and writers, all vying for more air time and high ratings. The most poignant backstories include that of Garrett Morris (Jared Grimes), the “token” African American on the show at the time. Depictions of the struggles of the female cast members are also quite powerful.

Copyright restrictions limiting

Unfortunately, the writers and producers of Not Ready for Prime Time were unable to license all of the copyrighted material from the early glory days of “SNL.” As a result, the show sometimes suffers. Anyone old enough to remember the show in the 1970s and early 1980s might be disappointed. For example, in the “Weekend Update” segment, we, alas, never get to see Dan Aykroyd (Kristian Lugo) say “Jane, you ignorant slut!” to Jane Curtin (Caitlin Houlahan).  We also never get to see such classic sketches as the Coneheads (although there’s a scene that pays clever homage, albeit indirectly).

Radner’s Roseanne

Despite the copyright restrictions, Gen X and Boomer fans of “SNL” need not worry. Not Ready for Prime Time is still worth seeing. It has some of the vintage gems like Gilda Radner (Evan Rubin) performing her wacky Roseanne Roseannadanna character. The character was based on a local New York TV news anchor. Radner’s Roseanne often took a serious topic and turned it into a bizarre, personal rant that was outrageous and often grotesque. For example, one segment on quitting smoking turned into a ridiculous story about a man coughing up a chicken bone.

Highlights & shortcomings

All the elements of the “SNL” story are here, from Chevy Chase (Woodrow Proctor) leaving the show after a year to pursue Hollywood films to Gilda’s battle with ovarian cancer and the “nerds” Todd and Lisa, played respectively by Dan and Gilda.  One of the highlights of the show is the live band. In addition, there is a great set by set designers Justin and Christopher Swader.

The script by Erik J. Rodriguez and Charles A. Sothers is problematic. Granted, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Sothers do a fine job of covering the huge amount of material. However, it’s hard to depict the saga of “Saturday Night Live” in just two acts of a stage play. For audience members old enough to remember the legendary TV show’s early days, the story works, but younger audiences may have trouble following the timeline. Those too young to remember John Belushi’s untimely death from a drug overdose (which was huge news at the time) or Gilda Radner losing her cancer battle might feel a bit lost.

Doing justice to iconic characters

Portraying such iconic characters as the original “SNL” ensemble is a tall order indeed. Thanks to good direction by Conor Bagley, no one makes an attempt to portray anyone as a caricature. Everyone in the cast makes a valiant effort to depict these famous comedians with veracity instead of impersonation gimmicks.

Woodrow Proctor does a nice job portraying Chevy Chase, Mr. Bouillion captures the essence of producer Lorne Michaels, Nate Janis is funny playing both Bill Murray and Dick Ebersole. Ryan Crout is often hilarious as John Belushi. Kristian Lugo is in good form as Dan Akroyd, while Caitlin Houlahan as Jane Curtin and Taylor Richardson as Laraine Newman both shine.

The true standout performances are given by Evan Rubin as Gilda Radner and Jared Grimes as Garrett Morris. Ms. Rubin is both uproarious and touching in all the right moments as the tragic Gilda. Mr. Grimes brings the right amount of anger and emotional depth to Garrett, the first person of color on the show.

Not ‘ready’ for everyone

Not Ready for Prime Time would be perfect for a TV miniseries on any streaming service. However, as a stage play, the story is awkward at times and the proceedings sometimes come across as vague and lugubrious. There’s just too much story to tell in such a short time period, but in a different format Prime Time might seem much more “ready” for audiences to enjoy.

Published October 20, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on October 18, 2025

‘NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME’: Taylor Richardson, Evan Rubin & Caitlin Houlahan. Photo: Russ Rowland.

‘NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME’: Jared Grimes & Caitlin Houlahan. Photo: Russ Rowley.

‘NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME’: Jared Grimes & Woodrow Proctor. Photo: Russ Rowley.

‘NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME’: The cast. Photo: Russ Rowley.

‘NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME’: Ryan Crout & Kristian Lugo. Photo: Russ Rowley.

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‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG’: Chris Collins-Pisano & Jenny Lee Stern. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG
Created, written & directed by Gerard Alessandrini
Choreography by Gerry McIntyre
Music direction by Fred Barton
Through January 5, 2025
Theater 555
555 W. 42nd St.
https://www.forbiddenbroadway.nyc/

By Scott Harrah

It has been five long years since the last installment of Forbidden Broadway played the New York stage. For those unfamiliar, Gerard Alessandrini’s Forbidden Broadway is a beloved farcical franchise of theatrical lampooning. The latest iteration, Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song, is long overdue. It is perhaps one of Mr. Alessandrini’s funniest and most scathing shows yet. The show jabs the satirical needle into the latest crop of Broadway shows. There is a definite “meta” thrill of insider humor if one has seen most of the productions being parodied. However, Merrily We Stole a Song features razor-sharp performances, goofy sight gags and crisp vocals and will, therefore, be lots of fun even for people who have not seen anything on Broadway the past season.

Nearly all of Broadway’s current biggest hits are all roasted and parodied with relentless glee, from the mega-successful revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along to the musical adaptation of Back to the Future to this summer’s sensational hit Oh, Mary! Included are parodies of Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone and Ben Platt.

& Juliet and Cabaret

One of the funniest vignettes is the parody of Cabaret. It starts out with Danny Hayward portraying the venerable Joel Grey in the original 1966 production in which he starred as the emcee. He sings the classic “Wilkomen” while a cabaret girl (Jenny Lee Stern) dances next to him. He says to the audience, “Ladies, gentlemen, and suckers who have paid six hundred dollars a seat. You there in the ring side table, do you like all those sweaty butts in your face?”

Next, Ms. Stern tears his costume. He morphs into Alan Cumming, who performed in two revivals of the Kander and Ebb classic. All of a sudden, the cabaret girl tears the emcee’s costume again. He morphs into Eddie Redmayne, the British actor who was universally panned by critics for his lackluster performance in the 2024 revival. Mr. Hayward impersonates Mr. Redmayne as the grotesque caricature he is in the new production. “Vile homely actors are stranger/I put this classic in danger,” he sings. “I’m Eddie Redmayne/And I have no charm/I will repulse you/Sniff my underarm and lick it!”

Nicole Vanessa Ortiz skewers the jukebox Shakespeare-themed musical & Juliet with the hilarious “& Juliet/Sore,” sung to the tune of Katy Perry’s “Roar.”  She sings, “I sing like I’m on fire (tiger?)/Like I’m a one-woman choir/Like my head’s exploding/I yell till my throat is sore.”

The Great Gatsby, Hell’s Kitchen & Back to the Future

Other highlights include “Great Gatsby for Dummies,” with Mr. Hayward, Ms. Ortiz and Chris Collins-Pisano mocking the current Broadway musical, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, starring Jeremy Jordan.

Ms. Ortiz and Ms. Stern portray Alicia Keys and her piano teacher in a delightful lampoon of the Broadway smash Hell’s Kitchen in the number “Hell’s Kitchen and Alicia’s Piano Lesson.” The song points out the factual inaccuracies of the musical. Ms. Ortiz sings “this show’s a big liar” to the tune of “This Girl is On Fire.” Meanwhile, Ms. Stern adds additional snark by saying she’s choking on all the dust from “disintegrating actors at Manhattan Plaza,” the affordable-housing project that is the setting for the story.

The Back to the Future musical adaptation is wonderfully eviscerated in three songs, “Back to the Future Part 1,” “Power of Math,” and “Back to Back to the Future,” featuring Mr. Collins-Pisano, Mr. Hayward in all three and Ms. Stern in two songs. The same three actors team up to ridicule The Outsiders in “The Outdated,” which one characters describes as “West Side Story plus Grease.”

There is even a clever song poking fun at Lincoln Center, trashing everything highbrow from the opera and ballet to such flop revivals as Camelot.

“Ev’ry season at the Beaumont/There’s a mo-ment you will cringe/Bartlett Sher will gladly dare/Kill any classic when he’s on a binge,” they sing.

Gypsy, Suffs & Oh, Mary!

Other hysterical highlights include Ms. Ortiz portraying six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald singing about her upcoming starring role in the new revival of Gypsy. The song, “Audra in Gypsy,” is viciously funny, and Ms. Ortiz’s vocals are lush and vibrant. Finally, Ms. Stern does a spot-on impersonation of Hillary Clinton as the producer of the women’s right-to-vote musical Suffs. The song gets in digs at that show’s creator Shaina Taub in “Shaina Taub: Cheap Marching/Finale.” Next, Ms. Stern’s Hillary Clinton introduces us to another First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln. Mr. Collins-Pisano sings a winning homage to Cole Escola’s nonbinary, non-factual portrayal of Abraham Lincoln’s wife in Oh, Mary!

Gerard Alessandrini has mounted different productions of Forbidden Broadway since 1982. The shows just get funnier and more caustic with each installment.  As creator, writer and director, Mr. Alessandrini gets outstanding performances from the entire cast. It is genuine treat and thrill to have a new Forbidden Broadway show back in New York to send up the current season. Merrily We Stole a Song delivers many badly needed laughs during these tense times.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published September 23, 2024
Reviewed at September 21, 2024 press performance

‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG’: Jenny Lee Stern & Danny Hayward. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG’: Jenny Lee Stern, Chris Collins-Pisano & Danny Hayward. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG’: Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Danny Hayward & Chris Collins-Pisano. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG’: Nicole Vanessa Ortiz. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG’: Danny Hayward & Chris Collins-Pisano. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

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‘APOLOGIA’: Hugh Dancy & Stockard Channing. Photo: Joan Marcus

APOLOGIA
Written by Alexi Kaye Campbell
Directed by Daniel Aukin
Through December 16, 2018
Roundabout at Laura Pels Theatre
Harold & Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre
111 West 46th Street
(212-719-1300),www.RoundaboutTheatre.org

By David NouNou

Set in 2009 in an English countryside cottage, Kristen Miller (Stockard Channing) is awaiting the arrival of her two sons Peter and Simon, both roles played by Hugh Dancy, their girlfriends Trudi (Talene Monahon) and Claire (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and her gay best friend, Hugh (John Tillinger) to celebrate her 60-something birthday.

Kristen is a former 1960s and 1970s American activist, now living in England, believed what she was fighting for was fighting for a better world. She and Hugh were on a mission; she fought and he followed. Kristen, along the way, was divorced by her husband and he took away her two sons. In desperation, after her loss, she dove into her activism which led to her bohemian lifestyle. She has since become an art historian and has just published a book about her memoirs in which she totally neglects to mention her sons as if they never existed. And so this party from hell begins.

Of course, there is a lot of wine drinking, and a lot of blaming and a lot of recriminations and who did wrong to whom but there will be no apologies forthcoming. Kristen is still her stalwart strong-willed self and can dispense a sarcastic line to people she feels have not come up to the level she expects namely the two girlfriends Trudi, an evangelical Christian Nebraskan soon to be engaged to British-born Peter; and Claire, a soap-opera actress soon to break up with Simon due to his many psychological problems, now mostly stemming from his childhood.

Stockard Channing is a force of nature to be reckoned with. Even when the material is sub-par and not to her level of expertise, she still captivates you. There are very few stage actresses left of Ms. Channing’s caliber who can dazzle you from the first moment to last.

Hugh Dancy, who plays both Peter, the accomplished son, and Simon the unfortunate one, plays them with two distinctive personas and is quite good but here again his characters are both poorly fleshed out. John Tillinger comes off best as Kristen’s gay friend and defender with all the salty lines.

Unfortunately, director David Aukin doesn’t do much for the proceedings; he just lets the scenes ramble by themselves. An example: Beginning of Act II where Simon comes in after getting shards of glass in his hand. Kristen enters to take them out, and the stage is so dimly lit where you can hardly see the actors let alone a woman taking out shards of glass with a pair of tweezers It just seems so implausible. Did anyone forget to pay the electric bill?

In the end you are left with an unfulfilling drama, and stock characters that are not fully developed, but there is Stockard Channing. Watching her in any play is a night well spent, watching her cast her spell over an audience.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 18, 2018
Reviewed at October 17, 2018 press performance.

‘APOLOGIA’: Stockard Channing. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘APOLOGIA’: (left to right) Hugh Dancy, Talene Monahan & Stockard Channing. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘APOLOGIA’: Stockard Channing. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘APOLOGIA’: Talene Monahan & Hugh Dancy. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW! A PUPPET PARODY’: Rose, Dorothy & Blanche enjoy cheesecake. Photo: Russ Rowland

THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW!
A PUPPET PARODY
Created & directed by Jonathan Rockefeller
Puppet creation & puppetry direction by Joel Gennari
Through December 31, 2016
DR2 Theatre
103 East 15th Street
800-745-3000, http://www.thatgoldengirlsshow.com/

By Scott Harrah

One doesn’t have to be a fan of “The Golden Girls,” the classic 1980s TV sitcom about four sassy older women in Miami, to appreciate this “puppet parody” of the show, but it helps.  This hilarious one act is more like a tribute to the aging best friends and roommates than a bona fide send-up because many of the classic one-liners are literally lifted from actual episodes, but nothing in creator/director Jonathan Rockefeller’s delightful puppet version is meant to be taken as serious theater.  As a puppet paean to four of TV’s most beloved comic icons, it definitely works, and is the perfect escape anyone looking for laughs this holiday season.

Many of the trademarks of the show are lovingly depicted here in David Goldstein’s kitschy set, from the gaudy 1980s pastels, floral prints and wicker furniture to the kitchen where countless cheesecakes are shared amongst the geriatric “girls.” Just like in the mega-hit Avenue Q, the puppeteers are all visible on stage, bringing the colorful characters to life. There’s, of course, quick-witted octogenarian widow Sophia (Emmanuelle Zeeman) and her dry-humored divorcée daughter Dorothy (Michael LaMasa); sex-crazed, self-absorbed Southern belle Blanche (Cat Greenfield); and simple-minded nitwit Rose (Arlee Chadwick), the lovable former Minnesotan who can’t stop telling her endless, annoying St. Olaf stories.  The only non-puppet character here is Dorothy’s “yutz” of an ex-husband, Stanley (Zach Kononov).

Much like many in the classic “Golden Girls” episodes, the plot in That Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody is paper-thin. Suffice it to say (without giving too much away), Stanley has returned to ex-wife Dorothy with a promise of newfound riches (a recurring storyline in the actual show).

There’s another reason to see the show other than to laugh at tried-and-true ”Golden Girls” one-liners: The amazing onstage puppetry of the gifted cast, with their exaggerated facial expressions and spot-on vocal impersonations of the real-life actresses that played the original “girls” back in the day.  The two biggest standouts are Mr. LaMasa, who replicates Bea Arthur’s inimitable, domineering Dorothy with winning zeal; and Cat Greenfield’s sultry, madcap camp take on Rue McClanahan’s over-the-top Blanche.

The show’s self-referential skewering of episodic TV and gleeful celebration of the cult following of “Golden Girls” in syndication are perhaps more solid than the production itself.  At times, it really does seem like we’re watching an extended version of several classic episodes from 30 years ago with raunchier language, but so what?  That Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody is so much mindless fun it deserves—like the real Bea, Rue, Betty and Estelle in syndication—to run forever.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 14, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on November 13, 2016

Scenes & outtakes from That Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

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THE MORNING AFTER: Thomas Sadoski & Amanda Seyfried star in Neil LaBute’s surprisingly romantic ‘The Way We Get By.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

THE WAY WE GET BY
Written by Neil LaBute
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Through June 14, 2015
Second Stage Theatre
305 West 43rd Street (west of 8th Avenue)
(212) 246-4422, www.2ST.com

By Scott Harrah

Prolific playwright Neil LaBute has been misunderstood by some critics in the past, and that’s a shame because he’s one of the most provocative American dramatists of the 21^st century. The author of the Tony-nominated Broadway drama Reasons to Be Pretty, as well as countless Off-Broadway efforts, from Fat Pig and Some Girl(s) to Wrecks and The New Testament to the play and film The Shape of Things, always explores the dark side of the American male psyche, much like David Mamet did decades ago. However, this new one act is Mr. LaBute’s most upbeat and—dare I say it?—romantic work to date. It also offers the chance to see Broadway veteran Thomas Sadoski in the lead, opposite Hollywood star Amanda Seyfried (of Les Miserables and Mamma Mia! film fame). What’s more, the male lead is a completely likeable guy (and Mr. LaBute isn’t exactly renowned for writing sympathetic male leads).

Mr. Sadoski and Ms. Seyfriend star as Doug and Beth. They are two young people playing the singles game and aren’t committed to anyone yet, but as the story opens, we learn they have just spent the night together after a booze-soaked wedding reception they attended. Beth lives in an expensive Manhattan apartment with a roommate who’s a control freak. She’s not quite sure what she thinks of Doug, or how she can express her feelings to him.

Doug is completely infatuated with Beth, but also frustrated by not knowing where he stands with her. The play delves into commonplace topics of sexual attraction, dating and what defines people’s different perceptions of a couple. As in all Neil LaBute plays, there’s a twist. Of course, to even discuss it would be a spoiler, and Mr. LaBute’s jarring narrative techniques aren’t even the main reason to see the show.

Mr. Sadoski, nominated for a Tony for his role in Mr. LaBute’s Reasons to Be Pretty back in 2009, and seen last year in the Oscar-nominated Reese Witherspoon vehicle Wild, is at the top of his game here as Doug. From the opening scene, when he wanders around in his underwear in Beth’s apartment, looking dazed and confused, to his many proclamations of admiration for Beth, Mr. Sadoski gives an emotionally exhausting performance. He adds a level of intensity and vulnerability to Doug that goes far beyond what is written in Neil LaBute’s solid script. It’s impossible not to root for the guy.

Ms. Seyfried visually fits the part of Beth, a gorgeous blonde. Unfortunately, as accomplished an actress as she is, Ms. Seyfried—making her Off-Broadway stage debut here—doesn’t have much stage presence. Sure, she has plenty of chemistry with her co-star, but at times she cannot keep up with Mr. Sadoski’s rapid-fire delivery of Mr. LaBute’s crisp, staccato dialogue. However, let’s cut Ms. Seyfried some slack because this is her first time on the New York stage, and stage presence is something she’ll certainly develop, define and perfect over time to match her effervescent TV and film persona.

Leigh Silverman directs both actors with precision, helping them extract the sincerity and poignancy of one of Neil LaBute’s most simplistic and best works ever.

INTENSE MOMENT: Thomas Sadoski & Amanda Seyfried in ‘The Way We Get By.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

COUPLE AT A CROSSROADS: Thomas Sadoski & Amanda Seyfried in ‘The Way We Get By.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

HOLLYWOOD FILM & TV STAR MAKES HER OFF-BROADWAY DEBUT: Amanda Seyfried as Beth in Neil LaBute’s ‘The Way We Get By.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

ACTOR AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME: Thomas Sadoski gives the performance of his career in ‘The Way We Get By.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 19, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on May 17, 2015

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