Peter and the Starcatcher

It's exciting and magical to see a play off-Broadway in a developmental theatre on a tiny stage with great actors telling a story of wonder and hope that you can just feel in your bones will someday graduate to the Minskoff or the Walter Kerr. Peter and the Starcatcher is one such play and in the immortal words of Mr. Brooks Atkinson, "There is no joy so great as that of reporting that a good play has come to town". Based on a novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson this new play written by Rick Elice and directed by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers (of recent Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson fame) tells one endearing version of just how Peter Pan came to be Peter Pan.

Add to an extremely well crafted and witty script a bevy of incredibly talented actors and you have the makings of a lively and all-around entertaining evening. Just take a look at this cast: Teddy Bergman, Christian Borle, Arnie Burton, Adam Chanler-Berat, Matt D'Amico, Kevin Del Aguila, Brandon Dirden, Carson Elrod, Greg Hildreth, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Karl Kenzler, and David Rossmer. Each and every one of them accomplished young actors - each and every one of them add their own ray of sunshine to this delightful production. And indeed, how refreshing to see such an un-Disney Disney-story told in a slightly gritty, always witty, and adult, intelligent fashion.

You won't need any "star stuff" to fly down to this performance - just hop on the N/R or 6 train downtown to East 4th Street and 2nd Avenue and get a great seat to see this one at the New York Theatre Workshop before the venue moves North and the prices do too!

Edgewise

I love going to see plays downtown.  Downtown. That's shorthand for plays that take risks, aren't full of makeup and costumes, and really showcase the artists' talents.  Edgewise, Eliza Clark's new work now being performed at WalkerSpace in Soho, is just one such play that just might rip open your mind and explode itself all over your evening. (um, I mean that in a good way).

Youth, rebellion, bullying, anger (lots of anger), romance, and an undefined active war on US soil are just a few of the subjects that fill the afternoon a dumpy suburban New Jersey burger joint named Dougal's.  Philip Ettinger (Ruckus) and Tobias Segal (Marco) take center stage along with Aja Naomi King (Emma) as the unsuspecting teen workers at the joint concerned with the usual age-appropriate things when Alfredo Narcisco (Louis), a bloody man,  stumbles in the front door after an apparent attack outside and a stranger (Brandon Dirden) wanders in for a burger .  Where their individual emotions, suspicions, and prejudices take them is the fuel that makes the engine of this play fire on all cylinders.  It's raw.  It's powerful.  It's not perfect.

Sometimes plays aren't all sunshine and lollipops.  Due to the graphic violence, I doubt we'll be seeing this one transferring to Broadway for a commercial run any time soon, but it doesn't mean you won't be deeply moved and you might even think about the subject matter after you leave the theater.  You might even recommend the play to a friend.  I was. I did. I do.

bottom of the world

A new work by Lucy Thurber (last Atlantic production was Scarcity with Kristen Johnson and Michael T. Weiss) made it's debut on Stage 2 at the Atlantic Theatre Company this past week.  Bottom of the World explores the cycle of life and death via a complex set of family relationships and visions of an "alternate family" as seen through both the author of a recently published book (the dead sister) and the reader (the surviving sister).    What made it slightly more complex was that the story was told through the eyes of a family that had two brothers, rather than the two sisters and each had parents - all of course played by the same actors in parallel.  Yikes!  Attention must be paid.

There are a few facts I wish we knew up front - such as why one sister was black and one was white.  Blind casting, i thought?  Alas, they had two separate fathers.  In the meantime, I had already noticed that the brothers who paralleled the sisters were also white and black.  Then somewhere in the middle we learn the one sister was a lesbian.  There was no parallel gay character, but indeed other concepts ran in parallel.  Focus, Focus!

I will note there was some delicious talent in this one.  Intelligent writing, for sure (Lucy) - but I'd go on to say a few stand-outs were cast - Crystal A. Dickinson (Abagail) and Aubrey Dollar (Susan/Dana), Brendan Griffin (Josh) and Brandon J. Dirden (Ely).   Kudos to the set designer,  Walt Spangler.  I think all those 2x4's that were the set were supposed to represent the tangled roots of a tree turned upside down (just like the play's logo).  Sometimes your life can get turned upside down - is what I took away as the symbolism.  The musicians (a banjo and a fiddle) lingering up in the tree (the roots, i suppose) provided tasteful and melodic background and mood music - just like the birds would.  Nice touch.

Woven throughout the tapestry of this play is the theme that we should all notice the ones we love (i.e pay attention!) and love the ones we notice.   Well, I noticed this play on-line today - and I really loved it.  I hope you get the chance too -  before it's too late.

Enron

It may have been a smashing success in London, but here in New York, a bit "closer to home" as they say, it probably won't fare as well.  The Brits probably enjoy laughing at our moments of weakness just a bit more than we do.  A monumental undertaking by playwright Lucy Prebble, Enron attempts (and quite frankly succeeds) at telling the story of Jeffrey Skilling and his downfall at the Company we all know as Enron.

As the play unfolded, she (and the actors) all did a remarkable job at keeping in "interesting".  Lighting, music, dance numbers, and sophisticated digital looking sets all contributed to the "wall street" atmosphere.  Norbert Leo Butz nailed Skilling.  Gregory Itzin and Stephen Kunken as Kenneth Lay and Andy Fastow both turned in remarkable performances.  Marin Mazzie was superb as one of the few fictional (or more correctly stated, composite) characters.

The trouble is - they wove a complex tale.  There was no hero to route for.  While your senses were being bombarded with business terms, facts, figures, and jargon - the story simply lacked anyone or anything redeeming in the end.  My personal feeling is that they could have "created" (i.e. taken literary license) a "whistle blower" (which, in reality would not have been that difficult as the real story had the makings of one anyway).

Overall - I (an accountant by trade) loved it, understood it, and appreciated what they had to say.  I am guessing that as brilliant as the storytelling efforts were, most people walked out of the theatre confused or angry at a time when the economy is once again in the toilet - hence resurfacing old thoughts of anger, resentment, and ill will towards corporate America in general.  At a minimum, some might wonder if Ben Brantley's mutual funds took a nose-dive the day before he reviewed it.

Prelude to a Kiss

A charming, very intimate performance at the Roundabout. John Mahoney (Frasier's Dad), Annie Parisse (DA Borgia on Law and Order), and Alan Tudyk (shirt off and smokin' hot), charmed the audience in this Craig Lucas play.

In summary - it's the age old story of "Be careful what you wish for". The chemistry between Peter and Rita and the Old Man was remarkable. The lighting and sound and simple set ingeniously complemented and enhanced the words.

It was nice to sit and watch a straightforward play, good actors, and a charming story in a great theater!