Don't Dress For Dinner

What a romp over at Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre!  Penned as the sequel to Boeing Boeing, Marc Camoletti has extended the comical farce of his original story all the way to the countryside in Paris.

A farce in the true sense of the word, we are treated to the misinterpretations, mishaps, and general hysterical confusion that ensues when Bernard, Jacqueline, Robert, Suzette, and Suzanne find themselves mixed up together one weekend in a zany, madcap, mixed-up, cover-up at their country house.

Adam James, Ben Daniels, Patricia Kalember, Spencer Kayden and Jennifer Tilly spend the entire evening covering up the real story, scrambling their identities, and blurring the lines of just who is who much to the delight of the audience.  The plot gets thicker and thicker with every minute that passes and just when you think the cover is blown, another twist or turn is thrown in.

With all the talent on the stage, Ms. Kayden still manages to be an absolute stand-out!  She's a scene stealing vixen who, despite her petite size, really knows how to pour it on thick and come out on top.

Don't hesitate to take a trip over to West 42nd street where you'll be swept away to the french countryside for a few hours of hilarity and escape.

The Pride

A powerhouse of a play written by Alexi Kaye Campbell.  Tremendous cast of four leaves you spellbound.  Two tales so eloquently woven together they seem as one.  Two very different times - 1958 and 2008.  They couldn't be more different - or could they?   I was mesmerized at the performances of Hugh Dancy (Philip) and Ben Whishaw (Oliver) slip effortlessly between the decades and weave a tale that is timeless.  Andrea Riseborough (Sylvia) and Adam James  round out this All-British gem.

The power behind this story is how Oliver and Philip transition between the two very different eras playing two very different characters in each time period.  On the surface it seems like night and day, but as you interpret the layers, you find that in some respects, they share the same problems as their alter-generation characters.   Superb lighting and sound was key in creating the mystery and tension on stage which only served to enhance the actors' fine performances.