She Loves Me

Roundabout Theatre Company has taken a musical theater gem, polished it up in a new, delightful production, and is presently dazzling audiences nightly over at Studio 54 with a star-studded cast.

Scott Ellis helms this Broadway gem for the second time, actually.  In Roundabout's first musical undertaking in 1993 was his one of his first shows too.  In a fresh, new production staring the indomitable Laura Bennati (Amalia Balash), the dashingly handsome Zachary Levi (Georg Nowack) and the bombshell Jane Krakowski (Ilona Ritter) and the delightfully debonaire Gavin Creel (Steven Kodaly) we are witness to pure musical comedy genius.

In typical Roundabout style, the sets, a 1934 Budapest Parfumerie and ancillary apartment rooms, are simply divine - dripping with color and panache (David Rockwell).  Costumes were period perfect (Jeff Mashie).

Ms. Benanti is perfectly cast as a brash young women who bursts into the store seeking a job.  Mr. Levi surprised all with his pitch-perfect deep, baratone voice as Ms. Benanti's shy young (and secret) love interest.  Ms. Krakowski plays the musical comedy bird-brain and Mr. Creel plays the greasy and slick both to the hilt.  Being surrounded by a supporting cast of old-timers only adds to the enjoyment of the evening - Michael McGrath (Ladislav Sipos), Byron Jennings (Mr. Maraczek), and a one-scene wonder, Peter Bartlett (Headwaiter). As a special note, I saw the delightfully adorable and talented understudy for Arpad Lazlo (Justin Bowen) and I couldn't have enjoyed him more.

Opposites attract is the theme.  We watch our young lovers meet, argue to exasperation, and eventually fall deep in love once their secret letter writing relationship is confirmed.  At 2 hours and 30 minutes, it's a full evening - Act I being a tad bit longer than Act II.  It's old fashioned, silly, frivolous, and delightful and I could not think of a better way to pass an evening in the theatre than with these talented actors.

You Can't Take It With You

Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's stale and dated play is currently exploding (literally) on stage at the Longacre Theatre in a 3rd Broadway revival since it was written in 1936.  This is a commercial run that was somehow caught up in the non-profit theatre vortex of Roundabout Theatre Company at the same time (I'm sure this was another trick up Roundabout's leave to keep costs low by not having to produce an original work this season).  

While the plot is madcap (frankly, crazy), the mayhem level and star level on stage is quite substantial.  The only problem is that it's frankly too stupid with a rather banal message of simply "be happy".  There is a love story going on amongst all the hubbub and but the Carol Burnette and Saturday Night-like sketch and physical comedy simply overpowers the message and muscles its way through all 3 acts with laughter often the result but never much satisfaction past that.

The cast is huge and stars abound - James Earl Jones (Martin Vanderhof) could read the phone book and we'd all be happy and the role of the patriarch fit him age wise, but not quite stylistically.  Kristine Nielsen (Penelope Sycamore) simply knocked it out of the park with her physical comedy and infectious personality.  Annaleigh Ashford (Essie) was a bit too over the top for me as the incessant ballet dancing ditsy daughter, Mark-Linn Baker (Paul Sycamore) seemed lost in the overall mix for his talent level, Elizabeth Ashley (Olga) came in at the very end and it seemed her voice was straining to make sound.  Plus by the time she entered, the endless cast of characters parading on stage simply got me tired.  There were no less than 10 other cast members who all looked good and seemed to complement the ensemble but after a while too many characters are introduced.  I applaud a producer who undertakes such an ambitious production and employs such a large cast, but this old firecracker is a dud.  I could go on... as did the play for over 2 hours and 30 minutes over  three acts... but I won't.  

In traditional Roundabout style, the set was magnificent (kudos David Rockwell).  I do not think the actors were mic'd and it was pleasing to hear real people speaking in non-electonicized tones on stage for a play.

You could skip this production, save a few bucks, and leave the audience-going to the Roundabout subscribers who paid good money into their subscription only to find out they were subsidizing a commercial run of a Broadway production.

Is He Dead?

Norbert Leo Buts - in Drag?! How could you go wrong?!! This romp at the Lyceum theater is a belly- laugh evening at the theater. Written by Mark Twain in 1898 , but apparently not published until discovered in 2002! It's lighter than most of his works - but what a treat!
The basic premise is the question of value. An artist's work tends to be worth nothing during his life - but becomes the "hottest" thing once he's dead. So let's see - - what could an artist do to change that? Hmmm... maybe fake his death, have his friends sell all his works at a premium price and then they all live happily ever after?! Voila! They've figured it out.

A great supporting cast - but Norbert (especially as his twin sister!) is a trip! He appears to be having fun the entire show. It brought to mind the days of the Carol Burnett show - watching Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, and Carol Burnett try to crack each other up on stage.
Don't miss this Winter treat!

Inherit the Wind

The Scopes Monkey Trial comes to Broadway with two legendary actors on opposite sides of the courtroom. Brian Dennehy and Christopher Plumber take on the legendary courtroom battle based on the trial of a young teacher (Scopes) who wanted to teach Darwin's theory of evolution in an extremely zealous and religious small town.

This staging seemed appropriate for today. The story was more about the ideas and highlights of the extreme views rather than the details of the original courtroom drama. Very relevant even today - - considering the fact that religious extremism surrounds us all over the world and at home even today!

Dennis O'Hare rounded out the stars in his portrayal of E.K Hornbeck, the journalist from Baltimore Maryland who's newspaper hired Henry Drummond to come defend the poor teacher against the slings and arrows of the religious zealot of the time, Matthew Harrison Brady.

What an incredible season on Broadway - after just seeing Angela Landsbury and Marion Seldes to then see Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy one-up each other on stage like the old pros they are! They just don't make 'em like they used to. Catch this one while you can. It was relevant 100 years ago, it's relevant today, and will probably be 100 years from now too.

Heartbreak House

You have to know George Bernard Shaw, i guess. Well, I didn't. So I spent the entire act 1 and some of act 2 trying to figure out what was going on!

You really should read the following article before attending. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117931831.html?categoryid=33&cs=1


After you do - you will be much more informed. As far as performances go - this was top notch! Swoozie Kurtz was a gem - sarcastic, hilarious, never missed a beat. Philliip Bosco, who sometimes is hit-and-miss, was firmly the commanding patriarch of the house.

In the Roundabout tradition, the sets and lighting were magnificant. Top notch on Broadway as usual. Just read the review first!! Be informed!

A Touch of the Poet

Gabriel Byrne and his cast members gave us an outstanding evening of theater at Studio 54. A classic straight play with a talented supporting cast aptly directed by Doug Hughs brilliantly entertained us for the entire 2 hours and 40 minutes. (Kudos cousin Cindy!)

The story is set in colonial Boston - July 1828 - and focuses on the Maloy family, lead with great pride by Gabriel Byrne (MAJOR Cornelious Maloy). It becomes aparant that he used to be a gentleman of great stature living on an estate in Ireland in days gone by. However, since his transplantation to America - we learn that he seems to have slipped a few notches down to the status of inn-keeper. What keeps him going is the memory of his days in the army - fighting in Spain for England. Seemingly unaware that he is not a "real" gentleman any longer - he fights his family and his inner self as they all struggle with what love and honor really means to each of them.

Irish Family and Booze - all classic O'Neill - but not at all one of his trademark durges - The play, however, does close with a familiar note of "in the end, nobody really wins".

The Foreigner

Henry IV

Dinner at Eight