The Visit

Another opening.... another show.... and this one is another chosen investment.  No matter what they say, I could not be prouder of this production.  Here's what all the real critics are saying...

NEW YORK TIMES

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/theater/review-chita-rivera-stars-in-kander-and-ebbs-the-visit.html?_r=1

 

NEW YORK POST

http://nypost.com/2015/04/23/chita-rivera-gets-her-diva-broadway-return-in-the-visit/

DAILY NEWS

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/visit-review-chita-rivera-kander-ebb-musical-article-1.2194813

WALL STREET JOURNAL

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-visit-review-as-long-as-the-lady-is-paying-1429835402

 

NEW YORK MAGAZINE/VULTURE

http://www.vulture.com/2015/04/theater-reviews-the-visit.html

TIME OUT NEW YORK

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/the-visit-1

ASSOCIATED PRESS

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/review-visit-broadway-chillingly-good-30544373

VARIETY

http://variety.com/2015/legit/reviews/visit-review-broadway-chita-rivera-1201478480/

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/chita-rivera-visit-theater-review-791063

USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/theater/2015/04/23/the-visit-broadway-review/26182573/

AM NEW YORK

http://www.amny.com/entertainment/the-visit-theater-review-2-5-stars-1.10323585

HUFFINGTON POST

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-suskin/aisle-view-the-final-visi_b_7132538.html

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/broadway/sc-the-visit-broadway-review-20150423-column.html

NBC NEW YORK

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/the-scene/Chita-Rivera-The-Visit-Review-300828061.html

NEWSDAY

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/the-visit-review-chita-rivera-in-a-stunning-show-1.10314774

STAR-LEDGER

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/04/chita_rivera_stars_in_the_new_kander_and_ebb_music.html

DEADLINE

http://deadline.com/2015/04/the-visit-airline-highway-broadway-review-1201414889/

THE WRAP

http://www.thewrap.com/the-visit-theater-review-chita-rivera-and-roger-rees-perform-a-gripping-dance-of-death/

THE BROADWAY BLOG

http://thebroadwayblog.com/2015/04/23/12317-review-the-visit

THEATERMANIA
http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/reviews/the-visit-broadway-review_72653.html?cid=homepage_news

 

BROADWAYWORLD

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-THE-VISIT-Opens-on-Broadway-Updating-LIVE-20150423

CURTAIN UP

http://www.curtainup.com/visitbway15.html

DC METRO ARTS

http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2015/04/23/the-visit-at-the-lyceum-in-new-york-city/

DC THEATER SCENE

http://dctheatrescene.com/2015/04/23/the-visit-broadway-review-chita-rivera-in-kander-and-ebbs-grotesque-parable-of-revenge/

CITITOURS

http://cititour.com/NYC_Broadway/The-Visit/634

Little Me

It's been a while for me, but eventually the delight of a fresh production at Encores! has caught my attention.  Little Me - Book by Neil Simon - Music by Cy Coleman-  is an evening of pure fluff and fun at The City Center!  Nothing serious going on here - that's for sure. Just pure joy!

Christian Borle dazzles and entertains as multiple characters passing through the life of Miss Poitrine (Judy Kaye).   The all-star cast that supports is full of fun and fabulous characters too - Rachel York as the young Miss Poitrine, Tony Yazbeck as the dashing and debonair George Musgrove, Harriet Harris as the wealthy and evil mother and a fantastic dancing chorus of boys and girls and extras including so many names, faces and talents they are too numerous to list!

Mr. Borle masters the many characters with hilarity, quick costume changes, and lots of hamming it up.  Ms. Kaye's humor is delicious and the music, songs, singing, and dancing are all well above average - especially considering this is a semi-staged production running for a very short time.  Of course the Encores! Orchestra - lead by Rob Berman pulled off an outstanding performance on-stage as usual in all their glory.

This one is quick - so get your last minute tickets while they last!

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark

Lynn Nottage has penned a unique and clever work now being performed at Second Stage Theatre.   The play takes place in two distinct parts - Act I in 1933 and Act II 1973/2003 involving the same cast - some playing the same characters and others taking on new roles.  The work itself is a film-within-a-play and a TV-show-flashback within-a-lecture within a play.  Yes - all that and I promise you'll never get confused.  It's all done with perfection!

Act I all by itself is simply enchanting.  A small and funny dramady all in itself, it introduces us to the characters, provides background and setting (Hollywood 1933).  It then sets the stage for the future possibilities for the main character, Vera Stark (Sanaa Lathan) as she embarks on her life's journey.

Act II is where the real meat of the intrigue and playwright's message lies.  Act II brings us forward almost 70 years with looks back at what became of Vera and her hallmark film debut, The Belle of New Orleans.

The sets are charming and the costumes period-perfect.  I loved the way they orchestrated the scene changes - making the stage look like a Hollywood sound stage exposing the construct of the sets and leaving all the pieces of the sets exposed to the audience at different times.

Ms. Lathan is pitch perfect in her delivery and timing.  Stephanie J. Block is marvelous as the young Hollywood star, Gloria Mitchell.  It was a pleasure to see the ever-handsome Daniel Breaker perform both of his charmer roles.   Karen Olivo gives a hysterical performance as Anne Mae in Act I and a slightly more serious one as poet, rapper, lesbian, feminist, Afua Assata Ejobo.  Kimberly Herbert Gregory charms us as Lottie in Act I and provides some over the top commentary as the intellectual Carmen Levy-Green in Act II.

No spoilers here, but I'll just say Ms. Nottage's message is brilliant.  If you think about it you'll realize that maybe you shouldn't believe everything some seemingly intelligent and educated people tell you.  Just think about Vera.  You'll understand what I'm saying after you see it.