‘MCNEAL’: Robert Downey Jr. (center right) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

MCNEAL
A new play by Ayad Akhtar
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Through November 24, 2024
Lincoln Center Theater
at the Vivian Beaumont
160 West 65^th Street
www.lct.org

By Scott Harrah

One might think McNeal—with Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. making his Broadway debut in a drama with the controversial topic of AI (artificial intelligence) as a running theme—would be an instant blockbuster. Written by renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning, Tony-nominated playwright Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced and Junk), the play also features a high-tech set by Michael Yeargan and Jake Barton and clever projections by Jake Barton. While this may sound like a winning formula, not everything works but the show is still thoroughly engrossing.

Mr. Downey Jr. plays Jacob McNeal, a troubled well-known novelist with numerous personal problems, including alcoholism. He is self-centered, rude and egotistical; not the most likeable character. It is difficult to have much sympathy for him.

As the story opens, Jacob is seeing his doctor, Sarah Grewal (Ruthie Ann Miles). She tells him that he’s in poor health and he needs to stop drinking for the sake of his liver. He isn’t interested in hearing about his health because he’s waiting for the Nobel committee to announce who will win the prize for literature.

There is much buzz about his latest novel Evie, but people are questioning its origins. Even before the show opens, a projection of a smartphone is seen with someone typing who will win the Nobel for literature. This is clever foreshadowing because we soon learn that Jacob has been using ChatGPT to help him with his writing, but he is doing more than using it for research and outlines. He is actually using it to have AI rewrite classics from Shakespeare to Ibsen in the “Jacob McNeal style.”

AI is rapidly changing the way we do everything, especially in the workforce. Everyone from Hollywood actors and writers to blue-collar workers and journalists are concerned that AI may eventually take away jobs. Many are concerned about the capabilities of ChatGPT and other types of AI because these high-tech applications can do everything from writing an email to composing fiction. All one has to do type in a few keywords and descriptions of what is needed and within a few minutes, AI can produce a grammatically correct and satisfactory but often wooden and stilted email, marketing promotion, and so on. However, AI is never something to use for one’s own writing, but Jacob has become so depressed and down and out from alcoholism and personal problems that he starts using ChatGPT for his novels.

Of course, people soon catch on, and there is a particularly tense scene between Jacob and Natasha Braithwaite (Brittany Bellizeare), a New York Times reporter. The interview was arranged by his savvy literary agent Stephie Banic (Andrea Martin).

Other subplots involve a strained relationship between Jacob and his son, Harlan (Rafi Gavron). The son’s mother was also a struggling writer and died by suicide when Harlan was very young. Harlan cannot stand his father, and there’s a powerful scene in which both have a nasty argument.

Meanwhile, Jacob’s ex-lover Francine Blake (Melora Hardin) is a writer and editor and he is attempting to rekindle their romance. She blasts him for using and exploiting private details about his life for his work.

Despite the final portion of the show unraveling a bit and a grim ending, director Bartlett Sher does a nice job of keeping the show together with all the high-tech projections and lighting. Mr. Sher manages to extract many outstanding performances from the cast. Mr. Downey Jr is the main attraction here, and he definitely delivers, portraying Jacob McNeal as a man with many shortcomings, one whose humanity is often difficult to see on the surface. It’s a big departure for Mr. Downey Jr. after his many Marvel movies and his role in last year’s box-office phenomenon Oppenheimer.  Rafi Gavron gives a heartbreaking performance as Jacob’s son Harlan. Andrea Martin is amazing as Jacob’s agent. It is great seeing Ms. Martin play a serious character for a change, something we have not seen since her Tony-winning performance in the last Pippin revival back in 2013.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 9, 2024
Reviewed at October 5, 2024 press performance

‘MCNEAL:’ Robert-Downey Jr. & Brittany Bellizeare. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MCNEAL’: Robert Downey Jr. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MCNEAL’: Andrea Martin. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MCNEAL’: Melora Hardin & Robert Downey Jr. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

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‘SWEENEY TODD’: Josh Groban & Annaleigh Ashford. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
From an adaptation by Christopher Bond
Directed by Thomas Kail
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
205 West 46th Street
(877-250-2929), www.SweeneyToddBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Most theatergoers can recite all of Stephen Sondheim’s works and he was prolific indeed. Quite possibly, the best and most intricate song wordsmith of any generation. First produced in 1979, starring Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou and winner of eight Tony Awards, the original production of Sweeney Todd closed after only 557 performances. A barber slitting the throats of his clients for revenge and then making pies out of their bodies wasn’t exactly what people wanted to see from a musical. For most people it was quite jarring, and it wasn’t the usual musical fare one came to expect from a Sondheim musical. Honestly, I was one of those people that just didn’t get it. Let’s just say it was decades ahead of its time

The years have transformed this musical into a masterpiece. Audiences have finally come to appreciate it not only as a musical but it also has the grandness and style of an opera. The songs don’t come trippingly off the tongue, but they are among Sondheim’s greatest compositions.

You know the plot: Sweeney Todd (Josh Groban) rescued at sea and befriended by a young sailor, Anthony Hope (Jordan Fisher) on a dock in London. They are met by a Beggar Woman (Ruthie Ann Miles). Sweeney recounts to Anthony how he used to be a barber and married to a beautiful woman. A corrupt judge, Judge Turpin (Jamie Jackson), lusted for his wife and sent Sweeney away on trumped-up charges. Leaving Anthony, Sweeney goes to Fleet Street where his barber shop used to be above a meat-pie shop. The shop is run by Mrs. Lovett (Annaleigh Ashford) who tells him how awful her pies have been because of the lack of meat in them. When Sweeney asks about renting the barber shop, Mrs. Lovett reveals to him that she recognizes him as Benjamin Barker, the former barber that stayed there, and presents him with his old sterling silver straight razors that she kept for him all these years. She also informs him that his wife, Lucy was lured by the judge and his assistant, Beadle Bamford (John Rapson) to a masked ball at the judge’s home—where she was raped and ultimately, she poisoned herself. The judge then took Sweeney’s infant daughter, Johanna (Delaney Westfall) and raised her as his ward. This starts the tale of Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street.

From the moment I heard that Josh Groban was going to play Sweeney Todd, I have been counting down the days to see this show. For me, this was the show I was longing to see in the 2022/23 season, and wow, it offered everything I’ve been waiting to see in Sweeney Todd. I’ve seen the original Sweeney with Len Cariou, also George Hearn, Bob Gunton, Michael Cerveris—all great in their own right. However, Mr. Groban is the definitive Sweeney. His acting is subtle, provides the proper menace, but his voice, whether singing the bittersweet “The Barber and His Wife”, the bitterness in “No Place Like London,” the anguish for his blades in “My Friends” or the tormented “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” the voice is heaven-sent—from its purity to operatic scale, his voice is spellbinding.

One always associates the robust Mrs. Lovett with Angela Lansbury. Let’s face it, who can top Angela Lansbury? Annaleigh Ashford has taken a different path. Ms. Ashford is known for her mastering the art of comedy. Since she is a much younger Mrs. Lovett, she doesn’t go for the robust innocence, but taps into every aspect of the comedic and the sinister that Mrs. Lovett possesses, and this makes her the perfect foil to Mr. Groban’s possessed Sweeney.

Director Thomas Kail, best known for directing the blockbuster musical Hamilton, has seen to every aspect of this production. From fine-tuning his two leads to the supporting players, including: Jordan Fisher as Anthony, Gaten Matarazzo as Tobias, Ruthie Ann Miles as Beggar Woman, Delaney Westfall as Johanna, Jamie Jackson as Judge Turpin, and John Rapson as Beadle Bamford, they all excel in their performances. What Mr. Kail has also seen to is the perfect set design by Mimi Lien. The original by Eugene Lee, although a Tony winner, was way too overwhelming. The steeliness of it overtook everything that was going on. Most other sets were minimal and underwhelming. This one is a perfect mood setter.

Whether it is the material or the timing, suffice it to say this version of Sweeney Todd has reached the pinnacle of perfection.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 2, 2023
Reviewed at April 1, 2023 press performance.

‘SWEENEY TODD’: Josh Groban, Annaleigh Ashford & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SWEENEY TODD’: Ruthie Ann Miles. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SWEENEY TODD’: Gaten Matarazzo, Annaleigh Ashford, Josh Groban, Nathan Salstone & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SWEENEY TODD’: Gaten Matarazzo, Annaleigh Ashford, Alicia Kaori, DeLaney Westfall & Kristie Dale Sanders. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SWEENEY TODD’: Nicholas Christopher & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SWEENEY TOOD’: Jamie Jackson & John Rapson. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SWEENEY TODD’: Jordan Fisher & Maria Bilbao. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SWEENEY TODD’: Josh Groban. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

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‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James LaPine
Directed by Sarna LaPine
Hudson Theatre
141 West 44th Street
(855-801-5876), www.TheHudsonBroadway.com

By David NouNou

With practically every musical, one either loves it, hates it or is indifferent to it. With a Sondheim musical, one either passionately loves it–or at worst, it’s not one’s cup of tea. You cannot toss a Sondheim musical aside by being indifferent to it. Putting it together is not easy, in Seurat’s words, for it has to have balance, color, light, tension and symmetry. Whether one likes the piece or not, one has to admire and respect the effort, the art and the intelligence that goes into each of Sondheim’s musicals.

When Sunday in the Park with George was originally presented in 1984, one felt a sense of detachment to it and one can still have that feeling today. Act I and Act II seemed to be two different musicals, with the common thread being artist George Seurat. Seurat used science behind color that led him to develop Pointillism. Like Seurat, Sondheim was also creating his new style by using Pointillism as a source to his music. With time and maturity and this current production, Act II really complements Act I. Whereas Act I introduces us to Seurat (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his muse/lover/model Dot (Annaleigh Ashford) in the creation of his masterpiece “A Sunday Afternoon On the Island of La Grand Jatte,” Act II is set in a gallery in 1983 and delves into Dot’s daughter Marie (also Ms. Ashford), and her grandson George (also Mr. Gyllenhaal). The 1983 George invents the “Chromolume,” a set of magnificent lighting designs using colored light bulbs that float over the audience’s head to create a three dimensional design of the original painting with music and light. It’s an extraordinary special effect that makes the moment memorable.

What is truly remarkable in this production is Jake Gyllenhaal. Having just seen him in Nocturnal Animals, as well as Southpaw, Prisoners, and Nightcrawler, one wouldn’t expect to see this intense young actor in a musical. Who knew he could sing? He brings a charisma to both Georges that eliminates a lot of the detachment one feels in Sunday. He actually draws you into the drama of what is happening on the Island of La Grand Jatte. Equally adept is Annaleigh Ashford, who brings a delightful innocence and smarts to her characters Dot and Marie. Mr. Gyllenhaal and Ms. Ashford have a most congenial chemistry together.

Unlike the current revival of Sunset Boulevard, in which the bare stage was a disastrous mistake, the bare stage here works in favor of the show and concentrates heavily on the creation and the recreation of Seurat’s painting, and this makes the viewer concentrate more on the performers, their performance and their voices.

Director Sarna LaPine has cleverly filled the stage with a great supporting cast, including Robert Sean Leonard, Penny Fuller, Ruthie Ann Miles, Brooks Ashmanskas, Jenni Barber, Phillip Boykin and Erin Davie, and weaves Act II to Act I together seamlessly. However, the detachment of the piece, even with the best of efforts and intentions can never be eliminated. For a lot of people, Sunday in the Park with George can fall in the category of not my cup of tea.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 2, 2017
Reviewed at performance on March 1, 2017

‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’: Jake Gyllenhaal & Penny Fuller. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’: Jake Gyllenhaal. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’: Annaleigh Ashford. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’: Annaleigh Ashford & Jake Gyllenhaal. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE’: Annaleigh Ashford & Jake Gyllenhaal. Photo: Matthew Murphy

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SHALL WE DANCE? Kelli O’Hara & Ken Watanabe in ‘The King and I.’ Photo: Paul Kolnik

THE KING AND I
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on the novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret London
Choreography by Christopher Gattelli
Based on the original choreography by Jerome Robbins
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
150 West 65th Street
(212-239-6200), www.KingandIBroadway.com

By David NouNou

I’m not going to beat around the bush. The King and I is simply the best musical of the year. Each year in April, it has become customary for a crush of shows that open almost every night of the month and this year is no exception. What is an exception is the phenomenal revival that Lincoln Center is presenting and it is, by far, the best revival ever done of this classic 1951 musical. When most shows are being pared down to skimpy and tacky revivals, Lincoln Center and the formidable director Bartlett Sher have kept The King and I in its original sumptuous size and the result is simply breathtaking.

From the moment you enter the theater, Michael Yeargan’s magnificent Siamese set frame and curtain is in full view and already the mood is set for the magnificence and story to unfold. The same creative team and designers who did the outstanding 2008 revival of Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific have outdone themselves here. As in South Pacific, there is the incomparable Kelli O’Hara as Anna Leonowens, giving an incandescent and what may be her best performance to date.

Going to Siam to teach the children of the King of Siam (Ken Watanabe) English, Anna gets exposed to a whole new way of life, culture, standards, rules and the role of women as slaves or concubines of the king. This is against anything she has known as an Englishwoman, widow and a mother of a young boy. At the palace, she gets to know the king and his demands, his wife, Lady Thiang (Ruthie Ann Miles), the Crown Prince Chulalongkorn (Jon Viktor Corpuz) and his 60-plus children as well as befriending the king’s latest present/slave from Burma, the lovely Tuptim (Ashley Park) and her lover, Lun Tha (Conrad Ricamora).

Intertwined with all these characters is the sumptuous score that actually propels the story forward; from the tuneful opening song of “I Whistle A Happy Tune” and “Getting to Know You” to the heartbreaking “Hello, Young Lovers” “We Kiss in a Shadow,” “Something Wonderful” and “I Have Dreamed” and to the heart-pounding rendition of “Shall We Dance,” each song is a story unto itself and each one is done to perfection.

I extolled Kelli O’Hara already; two more ladies are due their kudos: Ruthie Ann Miles nails Lady Thiang. As head wife of the king and future Queen Mother, Ms. Miles is flawless in her rendition of “Something Wonderful,” it is a showstopper; and Ashley Park as Tuptin is both lovely and vibrant. Ms. Park’s rendition of “The Small House of Uncle Thomas (Ballet)” is exhilarating.

I honestly wish I could end my review here, but how can one write a review about a show entitled The King and I and not mention the king? In South Pacific, Kelli O’Hara played against Paulo Szot who was outstanding and won the Tony as best actor as Emile de Becque. I’m afraid the same cannot be said here. Like the king in the show, Mr. Watanabe does try his best to be the best he can be, but his performance is a puzzlement. Who is to blame for it? On the surface, it seems that he just clenches his words so tightly, which render them totally incomprehensible. However, that is not the only problem. In trying not to do a carbon copy of Yul Brynner, the strength and the personality of the king become totally lost and he is no match for Anna. I wish more attention was paid to him to have improved the king’s diction and demeanor.

Despite this shortcoming, the show is still the best of the year, with the best score, best book from the days when they knew how to write one and tell a story, and the best creative team of sets, costumes, lighting, sound, musical direction and the crowning touch of Kelli O’Hara as the leading “I.”

ANNA & THE KING: Kelli O’Hara & Ken Watanabe. Photo: Paul Kolnik

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: The royal children with Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Paul Kolnik

GORGEOUS COSTUMES: Kelli O’Hara in one of Catherine Zuber’s exquisite costumes. Photo: Paul Kolnik

LADY THIANG, WOMEN OF THE COURT & ANNA: Ruthie Ann Miles & Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Paul Kolnik

THE KING OF SIAM: Ken Watanabe. Photo: Paul Kolnik

‘THE SMALL HOUSE OF UNCLE THOMAS’ (BALLET): Christopher Gattelli beautifully recreates Jerome Robbins’ original choreography. Photo: Paul Kolnik

‘THE SMALL HOUSE OF UNCLE THOMAS’ (BALLET): Another glorious scene. Photo: Paul Kolnik

PROPER ENGLISH EDUCATION: Kelli O’Hara with her royal pupils. Photo: Paul Kolnik

LADY THIANG & ANNA: Ruthie Ann Miles & Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Paul Kolnik

PERFORMANCE OF HER CAREER: Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Paul Kolnik

ANNA & THE KING: Kelli O’Hara, Ken Watanabe & the cast. Photo: Paul Kolnik

ANNA & SON: Jake Lucas & Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Paul Kolnik

ANNA MEETS BRITISH DIPLOMAT: (left to right) Ken Watanabe, Edward Baker-Duly & Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Paul Kolnik

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 20, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 19, 2015

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