It Shoulda Been You

Fasten your seat belts because David Hyde Pierce's directorial debut on Broadway is going to be a wild ride.  Prepare for hilarity, mix ups, and mayhem, in what just might be the funniest original musical on the boards right now.

Helmed by the incomparable Tyne Daly (Judy Steinberg) and the zany Harriet Harris (Georgette Howard), the show revolves around the marriage of their two children Rebecca Sternberg (Sierra Boggess) and Neil Patrick Harris' husband a.k.a David Burtka (Brian Howard).   Although below the title, the real workhorses of this show were Edward Hibbert (Albert, the wedding planner) and Lisa Howard (Jenny Steinberg) sister of the bride.

The show has a real heart and as it turns out, a real message too.  At the same time funny, and tender, Brian Hargrove's (husband of Mr. Pierce) book and lyrics bring this 105 minute, no-intermission show to a joyous celebration of life.  Barbara Anselmi's music is serviceable with a few high notes but we're not going to see any Tonys come out of this one.   But make no mistake, the comedic skills of the two leading ladies - Ms. Daly and Ms. Harris as well as those of Mr. Hibbert are most of what makes this show a smashing success.  The good looks of Ms. Boggess and Mr. Burtka are just icing on the cake.

One under-the-radar and certainly under-promoted stars on the bill is Josh Grisetti (Marty Kaufmann).  From his debut in the audience to his silky smooth voice and the emotional conclusion, Mr. Grisetti imbues a nebbish yet sexy and powerful persona in Marty.  His significance to the plot is paramount and by the end of the show you've changed your entire opinion of him.

This show has a lot of doors and a fair amount of physical comedy to which timing is the key.  It reminded me of Noises Off.  The entire cast works really hard and climbs and descends the two story set throughout the show.  I must assume they'll shave about 5-10 minutes off the show as they perfect the timing and tighten up the scene changes and the curtain call.  

Bravo Mr. Hargrove and Mr. Pierce.  You've got a top notch cast singing and acting their heart out every night to what I can only suspect will be to thunderous applause and a feel-good exit from the theatre.  Isn't that exactly how it shoulda be?  :-)

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!

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.

Present Laughter

 
An endearing evening of Noel Coward was had by all.  It's light, it's gay (in both the old and new sense of the word), and it's funny.   Victor Garber proves once again to me that he can command the stage.  With a pinch of Harriet Harris and a dash of Brooks Ashmanskas, it only got better.

The play is often described as semi-autobiographical for Coward.  For sure, it's from another era - but with a cast like this and the fairly well written material - it doesn't seem stale - just the comedy of a by-gone era. 

Cry Baby

James Synder - you ROCK. Well, more importantly - the entire cast ROCKS! Cry Baby, the latest new musical to arrive on the scene at New York's Marriott Marquis Theater threatens to rock the town to the bedrock. Cry Baby is a musical (Book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Songs by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger) based on the film of the same name which was written and directed by John Waters. Needless to say, there are some boundaries to be pushed.

First and foremost - the entire cast simply rocks the house from the opening number to the final ultimo. No stage is better equipped to fly in and out the dazzling sets to support all the toe tappin' numbers. Dancing, dancing, and more dancing. That ensemble couldn't have kicked higher and tapped harder. Speaking of hard... those dancing boys had rock hard kick ass bods literally dripping with sweat and oozing sex. Someone bring me a glass of cold water! Wow-za!

I think the critics will say - it's a musical without it's own identity. It doesn't seem to have any memorable numbers - even though each of the numbers is a toe-tapping Broadway delight. It's sort of a mix between Grease and Oklahoma; between Hairspray and Spring Awakening; between The Music Man and Jersey Boys - - I think you get the idea. It's classically structured - two romantic leads, two comedic leads with a chorus of talented actors. The story itself is a contrast between the "good kids" and the "bad kids". So hence you get both worlds colliding on stage - A barber shop quartet followed by a James Brown-esque rock number followed by a West Side Story dance number. This one has it all. Time will only tell if it has the staying power to keep all those things alive under it's own unique brand.

All this typing and I have not gotten to one of the best parts - Harriet Harris! She's a delight as Mrs. Vernon-Wiliams and the proof of her love from the audience is her complete butchering of a musical number which still gets raucous applause! She's a comedic genius - ala Lucille Ball or Ethel Mertz!

Onto the young ones (most everyone else is!). Christopher Hanke makes the cute preppy boy, Baldwin, come alive - almost walking on air in those Sperry's. James Synder as Cry Baby, commands the stage in his Broadway debut. I'd love a pair of those painted on Jeans. Fierce! Dupree, a "what James Brown might have been like as a kid" character is played brilliantly by Chester Gregory II. Those shrill ooooh's and aaaahh's get you hootin' and hollerin' every time. Now there are too many ensemble names to mantion here, but this review would not be complete without a mention of the absolutely drop dead gorgeous, uber-talented dancing "bad boy" dancers - Marty Lawson, Charlie Sutton, and Spencer Liff!

Torrents of music - Lynne Shankel took command of the Orchestra from the pit right from the start. Plenty of toe-tapping, bob your head and clap your hands numbers, clever comedy, and no shortage of eye candy will keep the crowds entertained for a while. Swing on by and get your fill!

Old Acquaintance

A gem of a play - light and fun - just what's needed as the summer approaches. This old John van Druten play staring Margaret Colin and Harriet Harris couldn't be more enjoyable. Two childhood friends and rivals battle it out on stage over men, relationships, a daughter, a husband, and writing books - all in a very lady-like way. Think Lucy and Ethel, but a bit more serious, and a bit more intelligent.

For those history buffs - this one originally starred Jane Cowl and Peggy Wood on Broadway in 1940 - and then was made into a Warner Bros. movie in 1943 starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins (now that's a pair I'd love to have seen!).

Harriet Harris and Margaret Colin have the leading-lady comedic chops to make this one work! Although a bit dated - New York City circa 1940 - the play still conveys the core message - about friendship and rivalry - quite effectively.
If you get the opportunity - check this one out at the Roundabout this summer!

Thoroughly Modern Millie