Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays

Short plays about gay marriage playing in the West Village in NYC.  The moment I heard about it I thought, "Not likely to have an un-sympathetic ear in the audience".   Truth be told, this play is a poem and a celebration of New York and the gay community here and more importantly on the road wherever it is likely to head next.


Nine short plays written by contemporary masters presented by six talented and attractive actors in an elegant staged reading format - don't you just love it already?

It's funny, satirical, poignant, relevant and most importantly inspirational.  I laughed mostly, cried once and was filled generally with joy the entire time.  It's not the stars that matter in this play - it's the terrifically entertaining material penned by Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moises Kaufman, Joe Keenan, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, Joe Keenan, Paul Rudnick and Doug Wright.


The New York City production - at the Minetta Lane Theatre - is being presented by: Craig Bierko, Mark Consuelos, Polly Draper, Harriet Harris, Beth Leavel, and Richard Thomas.

Don't miss a feel-good night out.  A portion of the proceeds from this production goes to Freedom to Marry.

No, No, Nanette

Despite the fact that an Encores! production lasts a mere 5 performances and the cast assembled barely two weeks prior to begin rehearsals - most - including this one - end up being possibly the best performances on Broadway! No, No, exception here. Penned in 1925 by Otto Harback and Frank Mandel (who ever heard of them?) with Music by Vincent Youmans (him either?) this tale is a showcase of old fashioned musical song and dance.

Headlined by Sandy Duncan, Beth Leval, Shonn Wiley, Michael Berresse, Charles Kimbrough, Mara Davi, and Rosie O'Donnell- this gem was near production quality! Books? Who used one? One might surmise these actors had the time of their life singing and dancing ...and dancing... and dancing... the night away!

Lord knows how old Sandy Duncan (Sue) is these days, but she kicked higher than I could at 18 years old, she looked better than I did at 23, and she tap danced better than people I know who do it for a living. The incomparable Beth Leval and Michael Berresse paired up as husband and wife. Beth (Lucille) tore down the house with The "Where-Has-My-Hubby-Gone-Blues" Blues and Michael (Billy) tore up the stage with his effortless leaps and dance steps in such numbers as Telephone Girlie and You Can Dance with Any Girl and Call of the Sea. Fred Astaire, eat your heart out - you've got tough competition in the uber-adorable and ever-graceful Shonn Wiley (Tom). Cleverly cast in a role choc full of comic relief, Rosie O'Donnell (Pauline) landed each entrance, one-liner, and exit with aplomb.

This show is truly a dancer's showcase. Each of the chorus boys (all adorable) and girls made it all seem simple - including the multiple full cast tap numbers. Truly a treat. Remember - two week's rehearsal, folks. Unbelievable how so many people can be on stage tapping and it always sounded line one single pair of feet. They truly wanted us all to be happy. (I want to be Happy is perhaps the most well known number from this show).

Encores! may represent the "Best Of" when it comes to talent, enthusiasm, and pure enjoyment of the craft. It's not a commercial Broadway run , yet you can see that each cast member truly enjoys every moment of the show. And speaking of "Best of" - an evening at Encores! would not be complete without the incomparable Rob Fisher and the Encores! Orchestra - always a class act located right on stage. And for No, No Nanette - not one, but two grand pianos! Beyond elegant. All those fingers tinkling all those ivories. A perfect match to all those toes and heals a-tappin' on stage. Bravo! Just when you think I'm done with all the complements, I have to mention the costumes - classy, dashy, and always dripping with class. All those flapper girls with the car wash dresses, dripping with sequins - and the dapper chorus boys all in preppy cardigan vests, then swimming suits (the real things) and a classy finish in black tie and tuxes. Never a hair out of place and always a smile on their faces.

I wish i could tell you all to run out and see it, but all that happiness is already faded and the curtain has fallen on the last performance tonight for the City Center Gala. You'll just have to wait until the next one comes along!

The Drowsy Chaperone

I think if I could ever write a Broadway show, it might come out just like this one! I must say, I went in with mixed expectations but I came out beaming from ear to ear with a smile and rave reviews for the clever and unique story!

Bob Martin wrote the book and was ever so crafty to also star as a character in the show. Now, I know what you might be thinking - I have many times before told you to beware of the guy who writes and stars in his own play! But this one is different. Trust me.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" is really a story in one man's mind about a musical called "The Drowsy Chaperone"of days gone by. The entire story is about how musicals just sweep you away and take you to a place where you're not sad or blue. All this is relayed to us by "Man in Chair", who's sitting in his living room in a not-so-fancy New York apartment on a rainy afternoon listening to his favorite record album of a Broadway musical (yes record album) to cheer him up. The clever part here is that Bob never leaves the stage. He peppers each scene (just short of interacting with the characters) with his own commentary (and comic wit) on the show. He never let's us forget we're watching what he's hearing and enjoying on his record album.

Now - onto the show - within the show - - Sutton Foster (from "Millie"), Georgia Engel (you know her from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"), Edward Hibbert (you know him as Gil Chesterton on "Frasier"), Jason Kravits (you know him as Richard Bay on The Practice") and all the others in this true "cast of characters" all entertain us!

The actual story of the Drowsy Chaperone is really musical theater fluff - which if often pointed out by Bob - which keeps us laughing even harder. At one point in a company number the record gets stuck- so the actors on the stage "get stuck" (hehehe). He goes to the bathroom at the "intermission" and tells us to listen to the entre act by the orchestra until he returns. The actors all come out on stage in completely different costumes surrounded by different scenery - (oops, he put the wrong record on the turntable (hehehe). See, it's silly funny!

Even if you're not a Broadway musical freak like me - I'm pretty sure you'll leave the theater with the same warm feeling inside. It's truly the Broadway Musical of all Musicals this season! Put your blades on and glide on over to the Marriott Marquis!