Sampaguita (Wednesday, 6.20.07, 8 p.m.)
45th Street Theatre, New York, NY
By: Marisa Marquez, Will Warren (direction)
Starring: Robb Hurst, Marisa Marquez
Sampaguita was written by Marisa Marquez, and tells the story of a woman suffering from Lupus. While many of us have heard of Lupus, most of us probably do not understand how debilitating the disease can be, and its incidence is rare enough that most of us also don’t know what it is like to suffer from the disease. The disease apparently also disproportionately affects Asian-Americans, which is why this play is part of the Asian-American Festival.
This two-person play is simple in premise, but a surprising amount happens during the course of the play, which switches between flashbacks to the past and telling the current story. Although the play only has two actors, the two play multiple characters. There is much about the dialogue and storyingtelling that is grounded in this being a story about an Asian-American. Some of this dialogue is humorous, some of it a little strained. Taken as a whole, the story is compelling mostly because of its premise, although I found that some of the storytelling devices employed a bit unbelievable and contrived. The sudden appearance of a family relative who looks exactly like her cousin, for example, may be a storytelling device, but it just comes across as being a little too convenient.
On the more grand scale, though, the show works on an emotional level, because at its heart the show is simply about a husband dealing with the death of his wife. The appearance of her cousin, who closely resembles his dead wife (and who in fact uses his dead wife's passport to enter the country illegally), is rather contrived, but it does provide the opportunity for him to seamlessly revisit those critical moments in his relationship. He also gets the opportunity to think about where he is in his life, and about how he can help this woman, who has been thrust into this circumstance by his mother-in-law's scheme to give him a new wife.
It doesn’t hurt that playright and actress Marquez shows a good deal of facility in switching back and forth between the characters, and her performances are anchored by Robb Hurst, who is terrific. With these solid performances, the play works. The piece is also well-directed, and manages to wring the most from the material and move along with at an easy pace.
The overall design is simple – a few pieces of furniture and some trash – and is appropriate to the material. The lighting design also assists in switching time of day and even between characters. But as with many small plays, this is about the piece and acting. In the end, this show works, notwithstanding its faults.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Review-Curtains (6.12.07)
Curtains (Tuesday, 6.12.07, 7 p.m.)
Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, NY
By: Rupert Holmes (book), John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics), Scott Ellis (direction), Rob Ashford (choreography), William David Brohn (orhestrations)
Starring: David Hyde Pierce (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Debra Monk (Carmen Bernstein), Karen Zeimba (Georgia Hendricks), Jason Danieley (Aaron Fox), Jill Paice (Nikki Harris), Edward Hibbert (Christopher Belling), John Bolton (Daryl Grady), Michael X. Martin (Johnny Harmon), Michael McCormick (Oscar Shapiro), Noah Racey (Bobby Pepper), Ernie Sabella (Sidney Bernstein), Megan Sikora (Bambi Bernet)
Fresh off his Tony win for best actor in a musical, David Hyde Pierce was greeted with warm applause in his first entrance in the show Curtains. As Detective Cioffi, a policeman in charge of investigating a homicide but also unable to disguise his love for the theatre, Pierce is engaging, warm and humorous. He delivers a delightful performance, to be sure, and banks on his likeability. It is not a tour-de-force by any means, and I left the theatre yearning for the kind of performance delivered by Raul Esparza in the groundbreaking production of Company. But it was a good, solid performance by an actor who has now amply demonstrated that he belongs as much on the musical theatre stage as he did on television.
In fact, Pierce’s performance is like the show Curtains – likeable, generally solid, and not without its merits, but not the knock-em-out-of-the-park kind of thing. Curtains is an old-fashioned musical with an old-fashioned premise. It boasts a tuneful score, some fun ensemble dance numbers, and an innocuous romance. Oh, and there are even a couple of really talented actors stuck in the middle of things, including Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba.
But at the end of the day, I couldn't help feeling that with all this talent involved, the sum of these parts shouldn't have been a little more.
The biggest drawback and limitation here is the premise of the show. Why creators insist on telling stories that are focused in the theatre themselves is beyond me. There have been so many shows about shows -- from Gypsy and Noises Off! to A Chorus Line and The Drowsy Chaperone. This kind of story has been done countless times before, and is a gimick that, frankly, takes away from the strength of any possible storyline. The show-within-a-show concept is tired.
That said, within that premise, Rubert Holmes’ book zips along nicely, and is facilitated by the tuneful if unmemorable score by Kander and Ebb. The score at least provides some nice vocal moments by Ziemba, Danieley and, of course, Monk. Rob Ashford’s choreography is, frankly, a little boring, but it is fun to watch Karen Ziemba dance her way through the numbers. Noah Racey is completely underutilized, although it’s not clear to me he really has what it takes to lead the show.
I suppose it is the expectation that dooms the enterprise, but I just felt like with these names involved, this show should have amounted to more. I shouldn't let that detract from the fact that there is a lot of humor and levity in the show, and the performances are fun. But for something that is so generically classical, is it too much to ask for a little bit more?
Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, NY
By: Rupert Holmes (book), John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics), Scott Ellis (direction), Rob Ashford (choreography), William David Brohn (orhestrations)
Starring: David Hyde Pierce (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Debra Monk (Carmen Bernstein), Karen Zeimba (Georgia Hendricks), Jason Danieley (Aaron Fox), Jill Paice (Nikki Harris), Edward Hibbert (Christopher Belling), John Bolton (Daryl Grady), Michael X. Martin (Johnny Harmon), Michael McCormick (Oscar Shapiro), Noah Racey (Bobby Pepper), Ernie Sabella (Sidney Bernstein), Megan Sikora (Bambi Bernet)
Fresh off his Tony win for best actor in a musical, David Hyde Pierce was greeted with warm applause in his first entrance in the show Curtains. As Detective Cioffi, a policeman in charge of investigating a homicide but also unable to disguise his love for the theatre, Pierce is engaging, warm and humorous. He delivers a delightful performance, to be sure, and banks on his likeability. It is not a tour-de-force by any means, and I left the theatre yearning for the kind of performance delivered by Raul Esparza in the groundbreaking production of Company. But it was a good, solid performance by an actor who has now amply demonstrated that he belongs as much on the musical theatre stage as he did on television.
In fact, Pierce’s performance is like the show Curtains – likeable, generally solid, and not without its merits, but not the knock-em-out-of-the-park kind of thing. Curtains is an old-fashioned musical with an old-fashioned premise. It boasts a tuneful score, some fun ensemble dance numbers, and an innocuous romance. Oh, and there are even a couple of really talented actors stuck in the middle of things, including Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba.
But at the end of the day, I couldn't help feeling that with all this talent involved, the sum of these parts shouldn't have been a little more.
The biggest drawback and limitation here is the premise of the show. Why creators insist on telling stories that are focused in the theatre themselves is beyond me. There have been so many shows about shows -- from Gypsy and Noises Off! to A Chorus Line and The Drowsy Chaperone. This kind of story has been done countless times before, and is a gimick that, frankly, takes away from the strength of any possible storyline. The show-within-a-show concept is tired.
That said, within that premise, Rubert Holmes’ book zips along nicely, and is facilitated by the tuneful if unmemorable score by Kander and Ebb. The score at least provides some nice vocal moments by Ziemba, Danieley and, of course, Monk. Rob Ashford’s choreography is, frankly, a little boring, but it is fun to watch Karen Ziemba dance her way through the numbers. Noah Racey is completely underutilized, although it’s not clear to me he really has what it takes to lead the show.
I suppose it is the expectation that dooms the enterprise, but I just felt like with these names involved, this show should have amounted to more. I shouldn't let that detract from the fact that there is a lot of humor and levity in the show, and the performances are fun. But for something that is so generically classical, is it too much to ask for a little bit more?
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Review-Journey's End (6.8.07)
Journey's End (Friday, 6.8.07)
Belasco Theatre, New York, NY
By: R.C. Sherriff (playwright), David Grindley (direction), Jonathan Fensom (scenery/costumes), Jason Taylor (lighting), Gregory Clarke (sound)
Starring: Boyd Gaines (Osborne), Jefferson Mays (Mason), Stark Sands (Raleigh), Hugh Dancy (Stanhope), John Ahlin (Trotter), Justin Blanchard (Hibbert)
At the conclusion of the “Journey’s End,” the revival of the 1928 play about World War I, there is a good minute of the sound of bombing – no talking, no lights on stage – just the sounds that would have filled the air in 1918 when this play takes place. It is a powerful moment, one which doesn’t give you much time to really think – it just invokes an immediate gut reaction.
The effect sets a perfect tone for the conclusion of the play. The feeling is not necessarily one that is different from that achieved at other times during the play – but the difference is that at the conclusion, the audience reaction is more visceral.
What is just so wonderful and moving about Journey End, though, is that the piece largely avoids relying on pyrotechnics or cliche scenes in order to achieve its emotional effect. Rather, the piece relies on building character, through conversation. There is never a dull moment, even though the action all takes place in a relatively dimly lit officer’s lodge in a trench. The “action” is only referred to – we never actually see any of it on stage. But what we do see on stage are the interactions which tell us far more about the characters on stage than any action scene could ever tell us.
The cast is uniformly excellent. Boyd Gaines is excellent as the elder statesman of the group, reliable and good-hearted and loyal to his men. Hugh Dancy is especially compelling as the young and charismatic, but equally troubled, commander, and Dancy has some unexpected moments in the second and third acts. Jefferson Mays and John Ahlin have some wonderful comic moments, with Mays in particular approaching the role with droll humor. And Stark Sands delivers a lovely performance as Raleigh, and gets to show the transformation that war can make on a man.
The lighting and scenic design are appropriate to the setting, although I would have preferred just a little more light to better see the fine acting going on before me. The direction is seamless, and given that the entire play takes place in one room, it is especially fluid.
Journey’s End is an actor’s delight. The roles are not necessarily easy to play – indeed, there is a great deal of nuance to be had – but the roles are meaty, with lots of opportunity to build character. The show is a perfect demonstration of why Broadway needs more straight plays – to give actors an opportunity to shine as they do here.
Belasco Theatre, New York, NY
By: R.C. Sherriff (playwright), David Grindley (direction), Jonathan Fensom (scenery/costumes), Jason Taylor (lighting), Gregory Clarke (sound)
Starring: Boyd Gaines (Osborne), Jefferson Mays (Mason), Stark Sands (Raleigh), Hugh Dancy (Stanhope), John Ahlin (Trotter), Justin Blanchard (Hibbert)
At the conclusion of the “Journey’s End,” the revival of the 1928 play about World War I, there is a good minute of the sound of bombing – no talking, no lights on stage – just the sounds that would have filled the air in 1918 when this play takes place. It is a powerful moment, one which doesn’t give you much time to really think – it just invokes an immediate gut reaction.
The effect sets a perfect tone for the conclusion of the play. The feeling is not necessarily one that is different from that achieved at other times during the play – but the difference is that at the conclusion, the audience reaction is more visceral.
What is just so wonderful and moving about Journey End, though, is that the piece largely avoids relying on pyrotechnics or cliche scenes in order to achieve its emotional effect. Rather, the piece relies on building character, through conversation. There is never a dull moment, even though the action all takes place in a relatively dimly lit officer’s lodge in a trench. The “action” is only referred to – we never actually see any of it on stage. But what we do see on stage are the interactions which tell us far more about the characters on stage than any action scene could ever tell us.
The cast is uniformly excellent. Boyd Gaines is excellent as the elder statesman of the group, reliable and good-hearted and loyal to his men. Hugh Dancy is especially compelling as the young and charismatic, but equally troubled, commander, and Dancy has some unexpected moments in the second and third acts. Jefferson Mays and John Ahlin have some wonderful comic moments, with Mays in particular approaching the role with droll humor. And Stark Sands delivers a lovely performance as Raleigh, and gets to show the transformation that war can make on a man.
The lighting and scenic design are appropriate to the setting, although I would have preferred just a little more light to better see the fine acting going on before me. The direction is seamless, and given that the entire play takes place in one room, it is especially fluid.
Journey’s End is an actor’s delight. The roles are not necessarily easy to play – indeed, there is a great deal of nuance to be had – but the roles are meaty, with lots of opportunity to build character. The show is a perfect demonstration of why Broadway needs more straight plays – to give actors an opportunity to shine as they do here.
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