Beyond Glory

A tasty summer piece put on at the Roundabout's Laura Pells Theater. The story, both written and performed by Stephen Lang, is a brief journey through the personas of 8 real medal of honor recipients from WWI all the way up to the Vietnam War and how they felt about what they did to earn such status heroic.

Stephen plays all 8 men in the course of 90 minutes. The story may not be everyone's cup of tea, but keep in mind it is neither pro or anti-war. It is neither republican or democrat - it's a very honest and clean slice of what makes us human and how war affects us in many ways.

Stephen's presence on stage is substantial. He has mostly mastered the accents (all but Senator Innoue, i think) and mannerisms of his many characters. By far i thought the soldier from New Jersey was his best. I'm sure many will have other opinions - but you'll just have to march on over and see for yourself.

Sessions

Sessions is a musical tour thru the current period in the life of Dr. Peterson - a therapist with your (not-so) average bundle of misfits for clients - and old bickering couple who just won't give up on their marriage, a struggling misfit rich kid who likes Bob Dylan, a battered cop's wife, a geek who has been in love with a girl he met over 15 years ago, a therapy addict, a millionaire who can't seem to by happiness and a woman with a past who tempts him.
It sounds a little contrived - and it was - but it's not $110 a ticket folks. As diverse were the patients, so was the range of emotions - from belly laughs to tears. My vote for stand-out vocal performance goes to Tricia Rapier (Mary). But at the same time I couldn't help but love antics of the the old married couple, (Mr. and Mrs. Murphy). Bertilla Baker and Jim Madden. The sets were clever too - transforming back and forth from from the stark exterior of an office waiting area to the modern warmth (and wealth) of a "Park Avenue" office with a view. Kudos to the designers.
I actually won the tickets for this show from my new favorite podcast - BroadwayBullet - so here's a shameless plug for Michael Gilboe and the great theater-happenings podcast he grinds out each week!

http://www.broadwaybullet.com

Xanadu

OK, it does occasionally happen. I was wrong. I admit it fully and publicly right here. Like the movie, I expected Xanadu on Broadway to be the world's worst! (Right behind anything Kurt Weil had something to do with, of course). How could I be wrong? Most of the free world considers Xanadu, the movie, to be a big bomb and CLM (career limiting move) for Olivia Newton-John. Boy was I wrong about this new show.

Xanadu on Broadway mocks everything - including itself ! The very clever book is written by Douglas Carter Beane - the genius behind The Little Dog Laughed. Make no bones about it- this play is a parody of the movie and the entire 1980's and everything that might ever be remotely connected to either! I thought that maybe you had to "know" the movie to "get" the musical - but the answer is a resounding "No"! This show does not require a cult following throwing toast at a movie screen (Rocky Horror Picture Show) or an audience that shows up knowing every line the author wrote (Monty Python's Spamalot). It simply requires a sense of humor and some inkling of what was funny about the 1980's.

Xanadu is pure candy - for the eye and soul. It's sweet, it's hysterical, it's got leg warmers, disco balls, roller-skates, Cheyenne Jackson (*sigh*), Tony Roberts, Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa!! How could you go wrong with a cast like that?! The answer is - you can't!

It's 90 Minutes - no intermission - a formula that will probably benefit this show in the long run. Any longer and the jokes would get old and someone besides the original leading man might break a leg (he did and that's why Cheyenne was brought in). Curtis Holbrook and Andre Ward ham it up like two true divas really would. Be sure to notice that Curtis also showcases his tap dancing talents like a pro. (If Cheyenne is busy tonight, I'd be glad to keep Curtis company)

I'm not sure this one will knock Mama Mia off the Broadway boards - but it's got the same look and feel just in a much more intimate theater. It's not the same story as the movie - although loosely based on it. It's got much of the music from the movie - for which some might try to consider it a Juke Box Musical - but it's not exactly the music of a particular group (a la Jersey Boys), but it's not altogether different - being all the music sung by Olivia Newton John in the movie.

Put all that in a blender and out comes this outrageously funny and bewilderingly alluring new Musical playing over at the Helen Hayes Theater on West 44th Street - the street that is now home to Spamalot, Xanadu, and soon-to-be Young Frankenstein! Yikes!!

Rehearsal Video: http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/10867

Gypsy

Gypsy was truly one of the most anticipated theater event of 2007 - post Tony's no-less. As Rose says - "Ya either got it ...or ya ain't". And folks - Ms Lupone has got it! (video hightlights link below)

OK - so we were on our feet applauding the minute she pranced down the right center orchestra aisle - "Sing out Louise!", Rose exclaims as she opens the show. And sing out she did for the next 2 hours. She owned the role. She dominated the stage just as she did her daughters. With her signature vocal power and precision she belted out each Jule Styne note and each Sondheim Lyric. It's no wonder we were on our feet hollering as the "Rose" sign fell at the end of Act II and she belted out Roses Turn.

Now this show was not a Patti Lupone-only concert. Encores! now has air conditioning in City Center - so this show is a 3 week summer run off-book with full staging, orchestration, and choreography. There are other cast members and they indeed are stars in their own right and truly made the entire evening a production we will not soon forget.

Boyd Gaines played the beaten down, love-sick Herbie. Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book, directed this show (he's still alive and kicking) gave us a Herbie and Rose who were truly in love and you could see the chemistry between the two from the minute he laid eyes on Rose.

Laura Benatti could not have been a more beautiful and elegant Gypsy Rose Lee. When she performed Let me Entertain You at the end of act two and came out in a sequence of progressively more sexy outfits - I knew by the last one when she came out in a dress that appeared to be pure dripping-wet gold that we would be on our feet - - and indeed we were (again!).

And I can't let an opportunity pass to drool over another cute boy - so I'll just say now that Tony Yazbeck and I are getting married (I had a dream.... a dream about you, Tony...). I mean you can't stop looking at him anyway but it's an even bigger bonus that the dancing is so flawless and graceful too. (*sigh*)

Let's not forget about the kids... the newsboys and the farm boys... the Louises and the Junes - so many to cast and so cute to watch. One of my favorite scenes is the transition "gimmick" with the strobe light and the dancing kids where they "age" right before your very eyes. Kudos Arthur Laurents and most probably Jerome Robins whose original choreography was used in this production.

This production seemed to emphasise a Rose more comedic and sarcastic, all the while never losing the sense she had of the (albeit twisted) love she had for her daughters. It focused on the kids and the Act I production numbers in a bit more classical musical theater production sort of way. Each Rose and each production is always different. Ethel, Angela, Tyne, and Bernadette each put her stamp on the role. Now Ms Lupone has done the same.

All you need is $88 bucks... grab yourself a ticket and don't miss this very limited run. Everything's coming up Roses over at City Center for the next two weeks only. Curtain Up! Light the Lights! They got nothing to hit but the heights!

Video Highlights!! http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?colid=19980

The Phantom of the Opera

I've reached a very momentous moment in my theater-going life. When i was 19 years old, I booked tickets 8 months in advance (yes, that's how long you used to have to wait for tickets),ventured into the city with a friend and attended my first Broadway Musical on my own! This Playbill is the FIRST in my stack of Playbills. (I save them all, if you couldn't already know or have guessed!). Over 300+ later - i now have a genuine duplicate!

Perhaps it's just the passing of time that enhances ones memories of the event... my first show... it was a big theater... we had orchestra seats... we got all dressed up... i recall the electricity in the air... i recall it fondly. I'm sure the theater was not as big i remember it to be. I am sure that there were many people with discount tickets in the audience and that someone sang a bad note or maybe flubbed a line, but I don't remember any of that. I was going to the theater and this was the biggest and best show that I could pick to see! I am positive that my rose colored glasses are still on whenever i look back.
Fast forward - When my awesome theater-going friend, Tom, told me he won tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera and asked me to go with him - I was torn.
"I don't see shows twice", I said. "And of all the shows, you won tickets to that modern day tourist trap?", I muttered.
Upon further reflection I decided that maybe it was time to have a repeat. Maybe it was time to visit something that was a distant memory. I'll update my opinion, record a review, maybe it will be bigger and better than I recall. Is it possible? Well, the answer is a big fat "NO!"
While the show is still the epic Andrew Lloyd Webber saga as it always was meant to me - I was embarrassed for all the tour bus patrons who attended. They were being duped in to thinking this was a GOOD show! I'm sure all their aunts and grandmothers told them to go to New York City and see a big Broadway show - like Phantom (or, god forbid, Mama Mia!).
Pedestrian! Run of the Mill. Emotion-less. Clearly director-less and direction-less. Actors going thru the motions with little gusto. The numbers were barely dramatic. The acting was marginal. The orchestra must have been missing 3 or 4 key players - it sounded anemic. I remember the theater shaking when the chandelier fell. I think it shook more when the "A" train passed by under 8th Avenue!
I left feeling a little bummed. I was disappointed, but even more i was angry for the tourists. Did all these tourists just see what they believed to be a "great" show? How they were robbed and they didn't even know it! Shame on the producers for turning this into the "Grey Gardens" musical on Broadway (i.e run down and shabby).
So - it is with great sadness that I lay this first duplicate playbill down on my pile. I am sure it was a lot better 18 years ago, albeit probably not quite as great as I seem to think it was. I just hope some young 19 year old kid didn't attend this show today and think "Ehhhh.. Broadway isn't really all that good - I think I'll go see a WWF event next week."

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!

Facing East

A must see. 75 Minutes; 3 Actors; and 1 story based on the Mormon religion and homosexuality. Plan-B Theater Company - Kudos for a marvelous evening of theater.

Charles Lynn Frost, Jayne Luke and Jay Perry - - I believed every word you uttered. Carol Lynn Pearson - your writing is powerful and covertly expository. Your dialogue effortlessly educated the audience as to the whys and wherefores of the Mormon religion which play directly into the emotional conflict on stage.

I never felt i was being taught or preached at, but in reality both were true. Jerry Rapier your direction, the subtle handling of the characters' movements, and dramatic lighting was suburbly planned and executed throughout. In the silence on stage often the sound by Cheryl Ann Cluff enveloped the audience and told its own story.

Two devout Mormon parents attempt to come to grips with the suicide death of their gay son. As if that was not enough to generate emotion - his son's partner shows up at the grave site.

Who really knew this boy? Who's fault is his death? What will God think about each of them at the judgement day?

A Quote from Rabbi Harold Kushner printed in the Playbill sums it up nicely:

~ "Thank you Carol Lynn Pearson, for reminding us that the task of any religion is to teach us whom we're required to love, not whom we're entitled to hate." ~

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

The cast may come and go, but the story remains the same. Boy meets boy. Boy falls unexpectedly in love with boy. Boy lies to boy and the consequences are not pretty.

This evening of 1980's fluff that takes place mostly at Potions - a gay nightclub on Staten Island. Need I say more? Get the picture?

Campy, fun, irreverent and a perfectly amusing evening of pure entertainment!

Each of the characters is a caricature you'd recognize immediately. A New York City Cop with the accent to prove it; A gorgeous, cocky, jock/playboy with the body to prove it; A big-haired, middle-aged Italian house wife fag-hag with the hair to prove it; Two flaming drag queens with feathers to prove it; A skinny, gay club boy (redundant, i know) with the attitude to prove it; And a supporting cast wearing Izod shirts, tapered jeans, and penny loafers, and ray bans!

For a pretty low budget operation, I'm glad they invested in the "costumes" (what do you mean, my Sergio's are not in style any more?). Plenty of laughs, at least two numbers from the drag queen divas, a full company dance to Thriller,and plenty of 1980's humor along the way.

At it's core - a love story, but anyone approaching or just past 40 will appreciate the humor in the entire production. (pssst...Tom Baran, I'll cook you dinner any time!).

110 In the Shade

For those that do not know (like me), this is the musical version of the play The Rainmaker. Although a bit dated, not stale. Audra McDonald plays Lizzie Curry, the middle aged woman who is too smart, honest, and plain for the likings of most of the men in her era - 1936 in the Texas Panhandle. A con man, Starbuck, comes to town (the rainmaker) in the dead heat of the summer and promises to make it rain (Steve Kazee). But what he does instead is to stir up the emotions and passions in the town and awaken dormant love.

H.C. Curry - Lizzie's caring and doting southern father is played by the delightful John Culum. Her two brothers are played by Chris Butler (Noah) and the incredibly adorable Bobby Steggert (Jimmy).

I must say that the musical seemed a bit "forced". Music popping up here and there without an overriding consistency and cohesiveness. And visually, i was not always connecting with the idea of family given the mixed race cast. I know I was supposed to look beyond that into the story, the art and music, but it was a constant visual disconnect that I kept coming back to.

Audra also seemed to struggle with her powerhouse classical voice (it is one of the best there is!) juxtaposed against the need for a plain and poor southern accent Lizzie's character required. One of the biggest delights of the evening was indeed her amusing rendition of Raunchy.

Audra is an extremely talented young woman and certainly deserves a Tony nod for this performance, but i just don't think this show is a vehicle for her to win in 2007.

10 Million Miles

Four talented stars from various segments in the arts have been gathered together at the Atlantic Theater Company to tell us a story of "love, family, and the geography of an American Dream."

The story revolves around a road trip taken by two kids (Matthew Morrison - Hairspray and Light in the Piazza and Irene Molloy) in a Toyota pickup from Florida to New York. They stop along the way and meet a potpourri of friends, family and other savory characters - all played brilliantly by Mare Winningham and Skipp Sudduth (NBC's Third Watch - John "Sully" Sullivan).

The songs (music and lyrics by Grammy-nominated singer songwriter Patty Griffin)is mostly pure high energy Rock and Roll with a few powerful love songs and ballads thrown in. Morrison, owned the stage with his powerful voice and sexy bod... and yes, his shirt did indeed come off just once (sigh!). The story and characters are all working class folks with the many troubles you might expect them to have - alcoholism, unwanted pregnancy, coming of age, religion, and war... All this - and who would have thought Mare Winningham had such a knock out voice! If you didn't know better - you'd think it was 11 o'clock when she sang "Making Pies".

Surprises abound on West 20th Street at the Atlantic Theater Company. Check it out!

Stairway to Paradise

A gem of a show to end the Encores! season with. A unique production for the creative group at NY City Center - a review of the "best of the best" songs and scenes from the Vaudeville era. They tell me that the show was written with Kristin Chenoweth in mind - and what a darling she was.

The cast was rounded out with Kevin Chamberlin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Michael Gruber, Shonn Wiley (that uber cute blond boy), Capathia Jenkins and Ruthie Henshall and a great supporting chorus of talented dancers and singers. And you can't ever leave out the spectacular Encores! Orchestra - - never a sour note!! A few stand out performances to note:

Capathia Jenkins - Pack up your Sins and Go to the Devil and My Handyman Ain't Handy No More; Ruthie Henshall - Memories of You and Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye; Shonn Wiley and Jenn Gambatese - Rhode Island is Famous for You; Kendrick Jones - Doin' the New Low-Down.

Although different from the normal production - it still stuck to the mission of Encores! which is to present rarely-heard works of America's most important composers and lyricists.

Be

One Part Stomp, One part Blue Man Group, One Part De La Guarda, and One Part Toxic Audio - - all tossed into one 90 minute show. Visually stunning. Alive with Rhythm. Packed full of emotion and energy. Not much dialogue, as you would expect. But you still leave with the sense that a story was told.

Don't miss this pastiche of color, sound and rhythm at the Union Square Theater! The extremely fit and sexy actors leave the stage dripping with sweat from what you can tell is a labor of love.

The Sublet Experiment

They travel from apartment to apartment putting on a show. The show about subletting actually sublets, sort of. What a clever concept. Seriously - they hold the play in real people's apartments in all the boroughs.

It's a phenomenon that's catching on. Every New Yorker is obsessed with space - renting it, buying it, or as the play's title suggests - subletting it.

This romantic comedy comes with a twist (not to be revealed here). Let's just say that all the intrigue and mystery of a new roommate may not be what it seems.

A young cast aptly spends 90 minutes entertaining you and letting you inside one version of the million reasons someone might consider offering to sublet his apartment - - and the million reasons someone might consider moving into a sublet.

Check it out: http://www.subletexperiment.com

Legally Blonde

This might just be the Best Musical of the Year! Okay, it's a little "light" on the intelligence scale, but it rocked the house! I do still hope that Ms. Ebbersole winds for Best Actress in Grey Gardens - but I have to say - Laura Bell Bundy is going to give her a run for her money!

Yes, it's based on the movie - need i say more?

The supporting cast is large - and full of bubbles and energy. This is Jerry Mitchell's directorial debut on Broadway - an accomplishment that may not go down in the history books - but he also choreographed the show - and sensational describes that aspect of the show.

One thing this show requires is non-stop action, movement, glitz, pomp, and Broadway show numbers - and that's exactly what we got. Jerry's signature was all over the show. The Greek Chorus girls, (great idea, Jerry) and the usual gratuitous number or two including shirtless boys, high kicks, frivolous costumes, and not one, but two dogs are part of making the show a huge Broadway success!

OMIGOD You Guys!! Don your best pink shirt and slip over to the Palace Theater - - you''ll leave with a smile on your face. If, from nothing else, watching Andy Karl strut his "UPS" self all over the stage. (Unfortunately, he wasn't one of the gratuitous shirtless ones!)

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.

Deuce

Charming. Simply Charming. If you like tennis you'll like this one. If you like Angela Landsbury, you'll like this one. If you like both - it's a match made in heaven - you'll love this one!

Two old tennis players - formerly 5 time repeat doubles champs - meet up at a tennis match today and let us inside their old professional relationship, give us their thoughts on tennis today, and fill in the gaps with a whole bunch of great names from the past. This gab fest is filled with the fiction of the two tennis players wrapped around a whole bunch of real tennis history and the charm and honesty of these two old gals.

100 Minutes - no intermission - it's okay for me - but for Angela, an 80 year old actresses, 8 shows a week - it just proves she is a legend - just like her character on stage! Run don't walk to this one! The chances of seeing a legend like this on stage again is low. And what a treat it turns out to be.

LoveMusik

Roundabout - you are officially off the hook in the category of worst show I have ever seen. Please congratulate the Manhattan Theater Company - for producing a musical (bet they learn from this big mistake) that SUCKS!!

Donna Murphy - Brava! And I'm sorry you had to suffer thru this!

Hal Prince - the jury is out - bad material is hard to work with!

Beowulf Boritt - your sets were great - too bad nothing else was!

Some Men

Terrance McNally's new work is both charming and witty. Played out on stage as a series of vignettes emanating from the the flashbacks, back stories, and thoughts of a group of men at a gay wedding - it chronicles the lives of gay men over the past 80 years. Many of the stories are interconnected (shades of "the chart" from the L-Word). History indeed shows that we indeed have come a long way.

I found one of the most poignant scenes to be the one between the "young kids" of generation Y interviewing the "old guys" in the park for their college journalism project. The old couple seem to look back on their own experiences fondly and with great joy. Of course, in hindsight, a gay teen today would find their experiences very closeted, oppressive, and unimaginable in today's world.

"You mean you could be arrested for being at a gay bar? "Why didn't you protest more"? The questions seem logical if the same things were happening today - but the point being made was that at that time, in that era, it just wasn't what seemed appropriate. The older gay men really remember the good times - the "golden era" they were part of.

Times change. Acceptance abounds. We've definitely come a long way. Some Men reminds just how far even in my own lifetime.

Howard Katz

Alfred Molina holds court on stage at the Laura Pells Theater in what we quickly learn is the extreme downward spiral in his life. Touching, emotional and well performed by Mr. Molina. The supporting cast was average. No stand out performances, mostly due to the lack of material. This play truly centers around the main character. Thankfully Molina shone brightly and gave a stellar performance.

Frost/Nixon

In 2007, you're bound to find more than few people alive that have no or very little knowledge of Richard Nixon, his presidency, and Watergate. I was only 3 at the time, myself. This play focuses on the story of the David Frost/Richard Nixon interviews - the first ones granted by Nixon after his infamous resignation. The Nixon camp assumed that the almost washed up Australian talk show host David Frost would be a pushover and Nixon would use the interviews as a way to get back into the public favor. The Frost camp, as you would imagine, thought the same thing but with respect to David Frost.

Frank Langella portrays Richard Nixon so well that you would think he rose from the grave to play the part himself. Not being as familiar with David Frost, I do think Michael Sheen played him well based on what other people tell me he was like.

As far as the play itself goes - too long! You do not keep an audience in the seats for 2 hours without intermission! Aside from that insult and injury - the play also had far too many filler and back story elements. Yes, we needed to know that back story to both sides, but possibly not as much as we were given.

Maybe this was just my expectation, but I thought we would see more of "the interview". I mean the play is billed as "The Face Off of the Century - Live on Stage" I think if they flipped the balance, the play would naturally build up to this important interview and you would be absorbed in it's progression and the drama could have unfolded within it. Instead, by the time the interview rolled around after 1 Hour and 30 minutes - you were anxious and trying to figure out how much longer this thing was going!

The rest of the cast was marginal - partially because some of the parts were written as marginal characters, but the the other ones were just played by marginal actors i suppose. I felt a vast crevasse between the talent of Frank Langella and everyone else. Or perhaps that was done on purpose? Isn't that how Richard Nixon was in real life - larger than everyone else?

In summary, a superb performance by Frank Langella that was neither matched by the rest of the characters in the play or the actors cast in those roles.

A Moon for the Misbegotten

Kevin Spacey brings A Moon for the Misbegotten from the West End (London) to New York with much pomp and circumstance. He even stars in the production as Jim Tyrone - which for him isn't odd. He performed in 3 other plays at the Old Vic - all the while being the artistic director at said theater.

This play was written by Eugene O'Neill - so expect long winded, sometimes boring, many times exceedingly drawn out, but all the while intelligent dialogue. Colm Meaney plays the drunk Irish father (redundant, i know) exceedingly well. Eve Best, appearing with permission of Actors' Equity, commanded the stage with her booming voice and emotional portrayal of Josie Hogan - the only daughter of 3 children in a poor farming family in 1923 Connecticut.

Kevin Spacey actually appeared to be the weakest link in the ensemble. Overacting at times, and at others - going for the comic relief just a little too much. Sure, his character has quirks, but he actually seemed to break character on several occasions just to go for the one word joke or gesture. At the time you chuckle, but when all is said and done, it really didn't seem what Eugene O'Neill might have imagined in the character. On the other hand - Who Knows? - I don't know Eugene O'Neill either -but he sure did have the knack for writing about drunk, Irish, dysfunctional families (i know, redundant again).

Get a discount ticket for this one and see it. Don't pay full price. It's not worth it. Then again, with all the Ticketmaster fees - even the discount isn't worth it.

Gutenberg! The Musical!

Bud and Doug have a dream - to take their musical to Broadway - a musical about Gutenberg (yes, the guy that invented the printing press). Right now, they don't have any cast, any theater, or any props. They are just going to "read" us the musical to see what we think! And hopefully a Broadway producer (in the audience) will be won over.

With nothing more than a few cardboard boxes and a bunch of baseball hats with the many characters' names written on them - they entertain away. And never once did they mix up the hats and characters (and i never saw them "peak" at the hat stacks to verify the names).

It's a cheesy laugh riot! Bud and Doug pepper the reading with their own life experiences and all sorts of zany songs and antics.

Take a chance on these two corn-balls at the Actor's Playhouse. Guaranteed you'll leave smiling.

Blackbird

Jeff Daniels and Allison Pill. Una shows up at the office. Ray is panicked.

What happens for the next 90 minutes will take your emotions on a roller coaster ride. The tension is palpable. The subject matter, unsettling.

David Harrower's play at the MTC is like none other playing on or off Broadway.

Forbidden Broadway - SVU

Not at all what I remembered from about 3 years ago. First of all it's now playing in a certifiable DUMP. Second, it seemed that Gerard Alessendrini was short on two things - funny and money. Barely a few laughs. Tired. Stale. Lackluster.

The performers are certainly talented - but c'mon. The old hag has to die already. It used to be funny. Now it's just sad.

The Year of Magical Thinking

Joan Dideon's memoirs brought to the stage. An intellectually emotional tour-de-force. Vanessa Redgrave bravely conveys the pain and rationalization of the loss of both her husband and daughter.

Despite the hype, i was satisfied, but not overwhelmed by the performance. Yes, Vanessa is brilliant, but it did not seem to be her lack of talent, but the lack of teeth in Joan's work. Sure it was powerful. Sure, Vanessa added so much to it that nobody else could have. But still - I left with a sense of wanting more. Vanessa held back. The work seemed to require it. Joan has never been a playwright before. Screenplays, yes. Live theater, no. I had much higher expectations than Joan's work seemed to be able to deliver.

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!

Sealed for Freshness

Over at the New World Stages - they're having a Tupperware party every night! The party takes place back in 1968 in a time warp living room full of swanky lamps, a working bar, amber glass ashtrays, shag carpeting, iron railings and brown paneling!! Unfortunately, the best part about the show was the set! Everyone in the audience (yes, unfortunately it was a Saturday night crowd from the suburbs) couldn't stop picking out all the museum pieces that apparently still exist in mom and dad's living room (and talking about it like they were sitting in front of their TV, not at a live theater event!)

I wish more could be said about the play itself... The cast - 5 women from a mid-west suburb - could not be more stereotypical 1968! Bonnie, the host, is upset because her husband who is on his way to bowling night said she didn't look as good as she did 20 years ago (the booze starts flowing after that!); Tracy Ann, the stupid bimbo farm girl from Iowa, had a baby-talk voice that was like nails on a chalk board and after 20 minutes at least 5 people got up and left from the agony of having to listen to her. (I paid $39 for tickets and was going to stick it out to the bitter end no matter how awful it got!); Diane, the Tupperware superstar sales lady, is glamorous on the outside but dead on the inside; and, last, but not least, the "identical opposite" sisters, Jean and Sinclair. Jean is the sister who got all the attention and married rich and Sinclair is the fat, foul mouthed, bitter, booze-hound who has 4 kids and one more on the way (think Roseann Barr).

Now that we have the stage set with this cast of characters - the Tupperware party begins (yes, they really pull out the product and extol its virtues!) and we find out that on the surface all the makeup and polish hides the dirty laundry and ugly truth. Diane's husband didn't die -he left her and she can't have children. Jean's husband is probably cheating on her, Sinclair resents her sister (surprise!) and hates her kids. The ideals are true '60's/'70's with the women questioning if they should have a career or exist to serve their husbands.

It's as if someone sealed away Bonnie's living room in the Tupperware and just opened it up for us all to see today! Unfortunately for us -Tupperware works.