Bernarda Alba

The work of Federico Garcia Lorca - this dark tale of a stern mother and her 5 very dissimilar daughters is simply put - raw. The music varies from light hearted - to mostly dark and sad. Bernarda Alba - a hard, stern, and bitter woman attempts to keep her 5 daughters locked away from the "outside world" after her husband dies. This would be to keep them them pure and innocent. Just like all catholic school girls we know - you can only imagine how that isn't going to work. And boy, it surely doesn't.

The story is an alegory - I suppose to represent the political climate in Spain at the time - the King repressing the people and keeping the country "closed". The sets, music and costumes all fit the story and even the placement of the orchestra atop the stage in one straight line seemed to be part of painting the backdrop for the performance.

An interesting cast - lead by Felicia Rachad, failed to resemble a family. The daughters were too different, too dis-similar. While I like the music and the story - i just didn't feel the depth of the emotion that I think I should have when i left.

I did go for a drink afterwards - who wouldn't! This one is not for those looking for a laugh! Trust me - order a double at the bar ahead of time!

The Wooden Breeks

You know you have to worry when 3/4 of the audience gets up and leaves at the intermission. Well - I did not. I moved right up to the front row for Act II (and I'm glad I did - it was much better than Act I). Granted - that Lucille Lortel theater is a dump and the seats are uncomfortable - but somehow i think people will stay if the story keeps them there. I have to admit - it's a story you have to concentrate on if you're going to follow it (i also admit i did not do so well!). It's a story - truly a "storybook" story - made up - - a dream - - illogical things happen - - and the people wear strange clothes and costumes. It takes place in Wales or Scotland or someplace they speak really funny English - not your normal British English - but the kind even a Brit can't understand so well!

Act I needs a lot of work. I know it's the "setup", but it was too long and too "what-the-heck-is-going-on-here" feeling. Act II really brought it all together, but by then they lost (literally) most of the audience.

Veanne Cox - terriffic (yes, from A Mother a Daughter, and a Gun). Actually I thought all the actors were top notch - it's just the darn story is so twisted and strange! There's a kid who's about 15 years old - and he was so good. I hope I DO see them all sometime again soon!

I guess all I can say in conclusion is that, once again, after you see "all kinds" of shows you start to appreciate how diverse and wonderful the theater can be to all kinds of people. At least I can say, these guys worked HARD on stage and deserved my applause at the end. And they got it too.

Clean Alternatives

Although they didn't mention recycling or composting - (i could swear they advertised that!), this play was one thing for sure - preachy. You always have to be on guard when you see the playwright also staring in it! At least there's no doubting who Brian Dykstra voted for - (hint, it wasn't Bush). No doubting his convictions and beliefs - gotta give him credit for that.

Held in a very intimate black box theater (theater C at 59E59) the show hammered away at the current political administration, global warming, corporate and personl greed, apathy, and the evil dollar - - hammered, hammered, hammered... (get my point).

I actually didn't hate it, although at times he really did seem to be shoving too many facts down my throat. The play centered around a female, environmentally conscious, concerned citizen who takes money from the evil empire (the corporations) and

tries to use it against them by running for office and delivering her message in Slam Poerty style. Two evil and super intelligent lawyers (oh, they are the scum of the earth) really put the screws to her too!

The story could be shorter, but the message was well delivered. Humorous at times (Mark Boyett was supurb), preachy at others - it's certainly worth the small price for the 2+ hours.

Nobody said theater was all the same - it takes all types to make the world go 'round...

The Right Kind of People

Who are the right kind of people? Well according to Charles Grodin, they are the old-money, rich, white men and women on the Coop board of the buildings of upper 5th avenue.

The stinging social commentary played out on the Theater A stage at 59E59 Theaters. A cast of well groomed NYC socialites delivered the message that racism and discrimination is indeed alive and well in 2006. Wealth and priviledge may not promote it overtly, but behind closed doors, it's clearly the unspoken rather than the spoken that keeps it alive - Defending their kind.

The emsemble cast (with a favorite of mine - Doris Belack) did a remarkable job of using the space and lighting effects to deliver story via a series of short conversations and group interactions.


Not that I live on 5th Avenue - but this show has got to make anyone who saw it think twice about how they actually got past the Coop board to get into their building... According to Charles Groden - it's even possible to be too wealthy!

Grab this one while it lasts... well worth a trip off the couch in your Coop to go see it. I'm sure they'll let you back in the building when you return.

Angry Young Women in Low Rise Jean with High Class Issues

You can only see so much "Broadway" before you realize that the talent has to come from somewhere! Where, you ask? Well - one place is Off-Broadway (you know, those cheap shows with low budgets downtown)
This week, my work world and my non-work world collided in a good way. At work we have a small project going on where we have hired a small temporary staff. One of those folks is Nicholas J. Colemen and this show is his latest project. I mention his name and put in his picture in here to prove my point - talent comes from somewhere - it doesn't just "appear" on Broadway ("I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Demille").
 
If all you see are "big ol'" Broadway productions, you are truly missing some of the best talent out there - developing their art and honing their skills. Now, I'm sure Nick would love to be a regular on "One Life to Live" or "As the World Turns" (yes, he has been featured) but downtown in a small theater on East 4th Street - you can really see an actor with the freedom to create, the hunger to entertain, and the power to make you laugh. And Nick is just one of several.
This show is a mix of stand up, sit-com, and a bunch of over-the-top women with a message to tell you about society, sex and men! Performed in 5 vignettes, the 90 minute show leaves you wondering exactly how much fun the performers must have on stage when performing.

Angry Young Women in Low Rise Jeans with High Class Issues - a gem in the East Villlage! And keep an eye out - You'll see Nick (and his other cast members again real soon!).

Defiance

John Patrick Shanley strikes again. This, the second work in his yet unfinished trilogy (it started with "Doubt"), is destined for a great public reception. It's now showing at MTC City Center on Stage I.

The story of power, lust, and loyalty - and of course, Defiance. Set at Camp Lejune (The Marines) in 1970, it deals with the struggles of racism in the military, belief in God, doing the "right thing" and the casualties guaranteed to fall out in these struggles. The characters - a black captain, a white colonial (25 yrs), the southern educated wife of the colonial, and the base Chaplin. The 100 minutes that ensue are a tour de force - with conflict, a dash of humor, cut with raw emotion. The ensemble cast highlighted individual talent without putting anyone performer up on a pedestal.

I never saw "Doubt" before the transfer to Broadway - but I'm going to guess that this smaller, more intimate environment gave it the fuel it needed to "blast" onto Broadway.

Kiss and Cry

A diamond in the ruff. I think this play ranks up there as a recent favorite! Not exactly on Broadway, Theater 1010 is located in the basement of a Church on 84th and Park. Low budget - but certainly not low talent. This was a top notch cast with lots of energy, talent, and extreme good looks ( pssst - hey there, reed prescott my phone number is 917-273... oh sorry back to my review).

Ok, so the story deals with love, stardom, the stigma of being gay, being out, the hollywood spin cycle, the press and the papparazzi... but most of all, true love and friendship. Ironically, i saw the play on it's first performance - a story about figure skaters - on the opening night of the Winter Olympics!

Sweet, entertaining, easy on the eyes and slightly social and political, but heck - we got Brokeback Mountain this year, and frankly, i'd rather have seen this one on the big screen!

Lately, I've been more impressed with the quality of work off broadway and this one is no exception. Run, don't walk to this one. It's a limited run. Someone is going to scoop up these talented folks real soon!

Barefoot in the Park

Barefoot in the Park - Neil Simon's 1960's classic comedy - back on Broadway in 2006! Well even if the acting is top notch- the story is stale and dated. In this day and age - who hasn't lived on their own and/or lived with their spouse before they were "official". Hardly believable and barely plausible today. There were quite a few funny lines - and the physical comedy made you chuckle. I just couldn't get over the feeling that I was sitting in front of a big "Nick at Nite" stage watching a re-run. A few times i turned to look around the theater to see if Patty Duke was there with me.


Jill Clayburgh and Tony Roberts turned in stand-up performances. Patrick Wilson was crisp and Amanda Peet was ravishing in her Broadway Debut. It's a shame the ensemble cast didn't have some updated material to work with - this group could have brought the house down!! I'm not sure this one will be out there for very long... Despite all the talent on stage.

Bridge and Tunnel

Sarah Jones has many people in her head and now they're on stage with her too. She magically transforms the Helen Hayes theater into the performance space for I.A.M.A.P.O.E.T.T.O.O (ok, i forget what the whole thing it stands for, but it was funny!).

Laced with social commentary and political undertones - the 90 minute show was a romp! One after another she transforms herself into one immigrant character after another each one with a story to tell.

From a Russian man, to a Chinese mother of a lesbian, to an elderly Jewish woman from Long Island, to a Vietnamese Slam-Poet, to the Hatian woman, to the Dominican school teacher to the wheelchar bound Mexican - the stories abound - one after another about the plight of the immigrant - yet in all cases she manages to display a ray of hope and light for each of them. She returns each time to the MC of the evening - a light-hearted Pakistani man with no easy life himself. She glides effortlessly from one character to antoher. If you close your eyes, all those people really were there!

Despite the laughter, you are continually reminded that the life of an immigrant to this country is tough. Discrimination is omni-present and the cycle never ends, no matter who is "next" to call this country home.

Kudos to Sarah and all her friends - each and every one of them are the even expanding fabric that makes this country great.

Rabbit Hole

Well they just don't tell you on the posters just how biting this show is going to be! After about 20 minutes you come to realize that Cynthia Nixon and John Slattery have lost a child - and the drama doesn't stop there. The younger, quite irresponsible sister finds out she is pregnant - quite an inappropriate time for it, as you would imagine. Mom (Tyne Daly) doesn't help out with her meddle-some nature and insistance that the family seek help with their greif. Dad wants his son's dog back from the family they sent it to right after the accident, but wants to sell the family house and move to a new place. Throw in a visit from the young boy who actually killed the son (a car accident) - and you have one evening of high drama and tension in the family house!

In the end - it seems that the message is that everyone deals with greif in their own way and in their own time. Well - that may be true - but you'd better buy your ticket to see this show on ITS timeline - or you'll miss a true gem and an extremely talented cast!

Chita Rivera - The Dancer's Life

The Incomparable Chita Rivera. A legend on two legs. And boy, those legs still look good at 72! As a matter of fact, she looks like a million bucks from head to toe! And man, she's got class - paying homage almost immediately to a few of the "ladies" who very recently came before her on Broadway - Elaine Stritch, Bea Arthur, and Barbara Cook. She's kept the "talk about the other legends in my opening act" tradition going.

As far as the one-woman shows goes -this one is tops. It truly is the story of "a dancer's life" - the ups and downs; highs and lows; co-stars, choreographers and directors; loves, losses, and many other funny stories. You don't get that "I'm a star and I'm telling you my story" feeling from this classy broad. It's more like "Let's chat about this little thing called a career I've had and how much fun it has been". As Boris Kachka recently said in a review - "It's not the triumph-and-tragedy one woman gab fest we've come to expect..."

Chita still has "it". Well - ok - the voice is a little "rough around the edges", the kicks aren't quite so high - but let me tell you - at 18, I don't think I had as much energy as she has on stage. I mean - c'mon - some people her age can't walk to the bathroom without resting... but she struts her stuff all over the stage 8 times a week and looks like she enjoys each and every minute of it!

Far from a "black box" theater production too. The lighting, the orchestra - and let's not forget the silhouette scenes and the vibrant colors bring this story to life. Her backup dancers fill in the blanks and simply drip with energy and sexuality.

For people of all ages, it's a trip down "memory lane". Anyone alive and breathing will recall something they've seen her in or know her for. Aside from the obvious - West Side Story and Chicago - Chita has really had a rich life on (and off) stage. All this and we didn't hear a single "hazy" story about booze or dope... 'cause we all know Broadway doesn't go for that. Chita is 100% Broadway.

Living legends are not to be missed. This one is no exception!

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".

Beauty of the Father

The sultry sounds of Spanish music softly transformed Theater II at MTC into the Costa del Sol last Thursday evening. A cast as talented as they were good looking supurbly performed the latest work by award winning Nilo Cruz. You couldn't ask for more.

The story unfolds in a cottage on the Spanish coast as we learn about a small family and their rich and unique relationships. Throw in a poor, handsome, young moroccan boy and it all heats up. The play is cleverly narrated by a character we soon learn is the ghost of Federico Garcia Lorca, the Spanish poet.

This play has layers... and lots of 'em. Truly a tale which makes you question if there really is only one true definition of family, sexuality, love, and sacrafice. What would you do and how far would you go for true love?

Check out Beauty of the Father and then give me your answer.

BINGO!

One Part Trailer Park Musical (B), One Part Golden Girls (I), One Part Alice (N), One Part Roseane (G), and One Part Steel Magnolias (O)!

Boy oh Boy - can it get any better. You get to play BINGO (and they pay out the winners too!) and join in all the melodrama and fun with the gals from Florida who regail you with their game playing and slightly trashy, yet always funny and endearing lives!

You'll be rolling in the aisles as these gals belt out the songs in the basement of St. Luke's Church on 46th Street (could there be a better set?!). If you're like me you could close your eyes and see the stage filled with the likes of Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Christine Baransky, and Estelle Geddy filling the room with song and laughter! A working BINGO setup - big working lite board and all! You even get your own genuine ink dabber and game cards as you enter!

If you get the chance - bring your lucky rabbit's foot and hit the basement of St. Lukes - just don't sit in the front row, if you know what's good for you!

Five Course Love

Billed as "A lip-smacking musical comedy". I say - Smack Me for going! Oh boy - A clever idea, yes. Pretty talented actors, yes. Idea transformed into quality entertainment - NOT!
Five vignettes - each revolving around love in a restaurant. The problem, however, is the lack of comedy. It's dumb. Cliche after cliche. Bad puns and double entendres one after another. Each scene also had one too many musical numbers. I wanted to cry out "OK - we GET your stupid humor already!". (i refrained, however).
Honestly - the best part of the whole show - the barbershop quartet like opening announcment about turning off your cell phones and enjoying the show. Really - it was the best number. It was all a downhill trainwreck after that!

Seascape

Edward Albee wrote a gem. It won a pulitzer prize actually. An entertaining tale, actually. Francis Sternhagen and George Grizzard bring a touch of warmth and a bit of comedy to the story of an aging couple - just arriving at the golden years of their life. The story takes a twist just in time for Act II. where it turns surreal and thought provking -the entire time a bit too farsical.

Seems that Mr. Albee was a deep thinker, but just ran out of time and decided to "wrap it up" quickly. The second act contained too many elements of evolution, emotion, and humanity. He tried to explain them all away to the "other couple" too quickly and to easily.

With all that said - it was still entertaining - but not necessarily one to put on your Rebok's for.

The Other Side

Rosemary Harris.
John Cullum.

Terrific.

One theme - war divides and destroys lives.
Simple. 90 minutes. Check it out. MTC.

Arcadia

Tom Stoppard. If any of you are like me and saw "Jumpers" on Broadway last Winter, you might be thinking - oh no! Run for your life! Another babbling, British, snobbish, upper crusty, play the likes of Plato or Aristotle might even wince at. Well - if you're like me - you'll be totally surprised. With great trepedation, I attended my second Stoppard work - and what a different experience it was.

This play is so cleverly written (ok there's still a lot of "British" to get over) and so well acted I really felt like i was immersed in the 3 hour drama - as I would be a movie or a TV program on Channel 13. The theater is very intimate (a "black box", as it were) which lends itself quite well to captivating the audience. The play is set on an English country estate and is actually two stories - one takes place the early 1800's, the second in modern day. The latter story is a cast of modern academia types who are trying to figure out exactly what transpired on the estate 200 years earlier - as told to us in parallel by the by the other storyline. In both settings - it's a story of intregue and mystery; secrets and discovery; throw in a little lust, betrayal, and "carnal desire" - and voila - - you have "Arcadia", a Tom Stoppard "gem".

The Greenwich Street Theater Company and QED Productions has done an amazing job. The acting was suprub. Trust me, the script was still quite intelligent (read complex) and obviously required much preparation. Billed as a Showcase (as many are) for the AEA members - - I found the performances by the non-equity members ("up-and-commers") to be top notch and first rate. The direction, too, was outstanding - especially the staging of the last scene - where the two stories blend together both visually and emotionally. In the end you feel the emotional high of "conclusion". The story doesn't leave you hanging - It doesn't leave you asking "Who done it?"

There are many levels to this play - - many of which, admitidly, flew over my head, but at least I knew they were there and enjoyed absorbing them all.

Speaking of flying - - you'd better fly down to the Greenwich Street Theater - this one only runs until November 20th.

Mr. Marmalade

Possibly the strangest, yet entertaining play I've ever seen! The story is the wild fantasy of a 4 year old and her immaginary friends. And what a cast of "characters" they all are! Let's cut to the chase - - the playright obviously want to tell us that children absorb almost everything around them - mood, demeanor, class, status, emotion and yes, even neglect. They watch too much TV and as entertainment in their own "imaginary world" re-construct these things with often "damaging" consequences.

The headliner here was Michael C. Hall - aka David Fisher from "Six Feet Under". But the real star of the show is Mamie Gunner. As 4 year old Lucy, she never left the stage and gave a supurb "adult" performance.

Leave it to Roundabout to construct the best sets in the business. This one - a curved 1960's-esque living room - had the most ingeneous "secret" doors - which often revealed small doses of "glitz" to enhance your viewing experience. The Laura Pells Theater is a perfect size for this type of production.

PSA: Spend more quality time with your kids.

Third

Wendy Wasserstein's new play was virtually sold out before tickets hit the street. Presented in the intimate Mitzi Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, subscribers gobbled up tickets like pigeons on a pile of breadcrumbs at Fairway on a Sunday afternoon! Fortunately, a few tickets were actually released to the public (cancellations and a final block of tix, i assume). So I, too, gobbled one up last week.

And what a good decision that turned out to be. The play is a contemporary drama staring Diane Weist as an uber-liberal, progressive professor at a small "New England" College (unnamed, of course). What's a play wihtout a twist - - right? What we have going on here is that when a young, cute, straight, jock (he's on the wrestling team) from a "Red State" and aparantly "above average means" (Jason Ritter) comes to campus to "learn and grow" in this ultra liberal environment (this college has the first trans-gender dorm in the country) - she instantly closes HER mind and forms an opinion as to his motives, intelligence, and accuses him of plagerism (he could never have written this - it's too intelligent). Reverse Discrimination from, of all people, a supposed open minded Liberal!

Rounding out the story of her life - which is quickly cascading "out of perspective" is a long time friend/professor dying of cancer at the university (Amy Acquino), a daughter rebelling against her mother's academic and social eliteism (Gaby Hoffmann), and having to deal with a father well into advanced Alzheimer's Disease (Charles Durning).

Performed in several individual scenes with limited sets/scenery - the play moved along quickly, made a few more "political" jabs at the "current administration" than i cared to hear- but when the dialogue is so well written and the actors give such rich performances - you tend to just let those pass. Charles Durning, the father, gave what i thought to be an outstanding performance as an elderly man and all the frustration, confusion, and emotion that comes with the disease.

I won't give away all of Wendy's secrets - but I'll just say that despite all the angst - intellect and self awareness wins out - in many ways.

You can try to run and get a single seat (your best bet) - but don't be disappointed if all those subscribers win out. You'll just end up walking home... and trust me... you should be disapppointed at not getting the chance to see this gem.

A Mother, A Daughter and A Gun

A Bang-up Job!! Right from the get-go! They not only introduced the gun in act I, they used it in act I (and act II)! I almost thought Olympia Dukakis wouldn't make it past the front door on her entrance! But alas, she survives - - and boy does she partake in one helluva party at her daughter's New York City apartment. Veanne Cox - the angst ridden daughter - takes it just as well as she can dish it out.

Ok, Olympia's hysterical, over-bearing, and delightful to watch - - a true "gem".... but oh, how dark the comedy goes... Really, borderline disturbing! Seems to be a pattern on Broadway this fall (ala Naked Girl on the Appian Way).

Technically, I thought the play was well executed - although Olympia needs to brush up on her lines in a few places... I'm sure that will come with a few more performances before they open. The only other noticeable element was the clever, yet painfully slow set transition from Living Room to Bedroom and back again. I liked the music and lighting effect - but it really needs to speed up. Kudos to the choice of subtle music playing at the bookends of each act.

The deep love and even deeper hatred only a normal, yet warped mother and daughter could share - - this is pretty much the premise of the play. If you thought your family was disfunctional - just wander on over to "A Mother, A Daughter, and a Gun" and I'm sure you'll leave feeling like you grew up on Walton's Mountain!!

City of Angels

For a small theater company and a small theater, City of Angels is a significant undertaking. The show is told in "split screen" - meaning half the show takes place "on a movie screen" and the other half takes place in person. Quite a staging effort, as you can imagine for a small theater. Despite that hurdle - the Chromolume Theater Company seems to have assembled cast quite a talented cast to tell the tale.

Most importantly - my friend Dennis Larkin (the star of the show as far as i'm concerned) was a scene stealing "character" in every sense of the word. He actually played 4 if I counted correctly.

Let's just leave it this way - If City of Angels comes back to Broadway - I'm guessing with enough money behind the staging and the right actors and ensemble - it would be a huge hit (once again).

Absurd Person Singular

Mildly amusing, but overall I'm still baffled. Act One seems to be the "set-up" to something that would tie the next two acts together... But it just never quite materialized. Three Couples, Three Christmas Eves, Three Kitchens... But what was the "catch"? As the theater emptied slightly for the intermission for the First Act, I overhead a lady behind me asking "I hope this is going somewhere". I concurred. Unfortunately, it didn't and we were stuck in our seats to endure two more acts.

Paxton Whitehead had impeccable timing - he's a comedic gem! Clea Lewis was perky and funny - and also had a vocal affectation similar to The Nanny (Fran Dresher) or Jaaaaaanice (from "Friends") , but used it sparingly (so as not to annoy you as much as the aforementioned characters do). Deborah Rush barreled on and off the stage as the over-the-top, larger-than-life, glam-wife. Michele Enos has mastered the consummate drunk (two times in a row now - she just played the consummate young drunk wife in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf"). Everyone else was just... well... there.

What was missing? A cohesive plot. All I saw was three mildly funny vignettes with a bit of physical commedy and a few laughs with nothing but the same people that tied them all together. There was no "real story". No "catch". No "gotcha". No "Ah-Ha!"

After the third one - i started to think... Run... Don't Walk... (home, that is)!

Miracle Brothers

Dear Andy Karl,

Seems that your buddy, Tyler Maynard got the better end of the stick! He, too, jumped the Alter Boyz ensemble smash hit to take the leading roll in a less-well-known off broadway production. The difference? A well written, significantly better scored new musical - with a Brazilian beat and some meat on its bones!

Make sure you read the program beforehand, unless you're Brazilian or at least a Brazilian history buff. Once you get the basic (and odd) premise down, it's all about love - in this case the love between two brothers - or half brothers, to be exact. Not a brand new concept, but its certainly unique - especially with the added twist of the Brazilian folklore.

Dolphins, Portals, Slaves, Pirates, two mothers, and two sons - both with green eyes - all in one heck of an enjoyable show in the Rain Forest. If nothing else, you'll leave Miracle Brothers having enjoyed the good looking, scantily-clad cast and tapping your your toes to the funky Brazilian beats.

A Naked Girl on the Appian Way

Goodie-two-shoes, be warned. Subject matter not for narrow-minded conservatives. However, for all you bleeding-heart lberals out there - don't be running down the block to get your tickets either! While I enjoyed many a laughs, the play didn't seem to come alive. The actors all felt like they were... well... "acting" - as opposed to "interacting". Many a one-liner, but it often felt like they were reading the lines - waitng for the laughs - then moving on to the next.

I don't think you could have written a story about a more dysfunctional family with so many social taboos to be revealed over the course of 100 minutes (can you say "sit-com"?). Richard Thomas, as the father, seems to have predictably brought an adult John Boy Walton to the stage - the brilliant, talented, liberal, stuck-to-his-convictions writer. The only difference here is that he is successful and lives in a large house in the Hamptons! Jill Clayburgh, the mother, is the neurotic, at times overbearing and in-denial mother who certainly got plenty of laughs. The 3 adopted children - a neurotic, bi-sexual, Korean librarian in the suburbs, a WASP-y (and gorgeous) dumb jock (Matthew Morrison - "Light in the Piazza"), and an intelligent, educated, well spoken Dominican girl - all in their 20's - all completely different- seemed to complete the very mis-shapen circle known as the Lapin Family!

The actors, much like the family and the two off-beat neighbors - were stiff and uncomfortable in their own shoes. Was that a purposeful instruction from the director (Doug Hughs) to cause you to draw that parallel - or just bad ensemble acting? Through the periodic laughter - I'll leave that decision to you.

** Now - I really didn't read Ben Brantley's review (much more elloquent than mine) before I published this - - but I thought you might like to read what a true professional actually published just yestarday!!

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2005/10/07/theater/reviews/07nake.html

Sweeney Todd

The triumphant return of Sweeney Todd! Straight from London... a truly unique staging, interpretation and performance makes it fresh, exciting, intriguing, and mysterious. Patti LuPone adds an extra dash of "sass", Michael Cervaris, an extra dash of angst. Top it off with the actors all playing multiple instruments live on stage (yes, they ARE the orchestra!) - and that's one delicious "pie" to sink your chops into!

In an amazingly small performance space on a large stage, one immediately notices the vertical dimension of the set - Probably intentional - as it also seemed to parallel the new dimension of the characters - Not to mention the use of the vertical space in the performance itself. Who would have thought a black coffin and stainless steel ladder would be so functional?!

Lighting - well, the flashlights were annoying at times, but unique nonetheless. And of course, the blood red lights and the piercing whistle ubiquitously signaled another client's demise in the infamous barber's chair.

West 49th just might be renamed Fleet Street this fall. Run and get your tickets today before it's "too late"!

Nightingale

Lynn Redgrave gave a tender, poignant, and memorable performance in her "one-night only" show - the story of her maternal grandmother - Beatrice.

A truly intimate peak into the life of one of our modern day theatrical treasures!

Bravo to the Culture Project for re-hosting!