Tyne Daly? I don't know what you are talking about. I saw a show with Maria Callas in the flesh. No? I could have sworn....
Tyne Daly takes command of the stage at 8:07pm and holds court, except for a brief interval, for 2 1/2 electrifying, mesmerizing hours as the incomparable, indomitable
Maria Callas, star of the opera, diva extraordinaire!
As you would imagine, the play takes the form of an
actual master class. Three already very talented students of the opera (
Sierra Boggess, Garrett Sorrenson, Alexandra Silber) are scheduled to perform for Ms. Callas and we, the audience, are there to observe and learn as she critiques. And boy, does she critique. A truly clever idea for a play - as the 4th wall is not present. The lights stay on in the house occasionally and the actors look to and converse with the "other students" filling the seats in the house. As for Ms. Callas, never one to be shy, she picks and pokes at all aspects of her her students' performances - their entrances, clothing, diction and choice of music, to name a few; at the piano accompanist, Manny (the uber-adorable
Jeremy Cohen), the dis-interested stagehand (
Clinton Brandhagen), and occasionally the audience too (
none of you have a "look").
Terrance McNally has not only captured the current Ms. Callas, but brilliantly weaves her storied past into the performance to craft a more complete understanding of this dynamic woman we see before us. Director,
Stephen Wadsworth, takes us on a journey using very simple (almost non-existent) sets, superb lighting, and movement to navigate, almost operatically, thru the crescendos, decrescendos, sfortzandos and pianissimos of Ms. Callas' storied life - both on stage and off.
Ms. Daly's performance is as close to flawless as one could imagine. Her diction, wit, humor, force, sheer presence, and overall performance are magnificent. Maria Callas used to say that she was channeling the music all the way back thru a character to Verdi or Shakespeare. Ms. Daly was most certainly doing the same to Ms. Callas.
Tyne Daly? I don't know what you are talking about. I saw a show with Maria Callas in the flesh. No? I could have sworn....
