Review-Gypsy (7.14.07)

Gypsy (Saturday, 7.14.07)
New York City Center, New York, NY

By: Jule Styne (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), Arthur Laurents (book), Jerome Robbins (original direction and choreography), Arthur Laurents (direction)

Starring: Patti LuPone (Rose), Boyd Gaines (Herbie), Laura Benanti (Louise), Leigh Ann Larkin (June), Tony Yazbeck (Tulsa), Marilyn Caskey (Electra), Alison Fraser (Tessie Tura), Nancy Opel (Mazeppa)

The premise of the new musical series at City Center is to give actors a chance to play the roles they were “born to play.” If ever there seemed to be an actor born to play a role, it is Patti LuPone in the role of Mama Rose in Gypsy. If this is the kind of result that we can expect from the City Center's new series, then we are in for a real treat. Because LuPone is here, boys, and boy does she tackle Mama Rose with gusto. We always knew that LuPone had the pipes to sing the signature songs, but performance is more than just belting a few tunes – she wraps herself around each lyric, note and line. It almost doesn’t matter who is on stage with her – if this Mama wants something, she gets it.

And yet, what is remarkable about her performance is that LuPone shows remarkable emotional nuance. In fact, this Mama Rose is Rose on the edge – her pathology is just a symptom of her emotional fragility, her regret at having been unable to do something she wanted to do, and her desperation to make her daughters in her own image. If Merman brought gusto and Peters brought sexiness, then this Mama Rose brings it all. Her breakdown in Rose’s Turn is not only powerful, it is emotionally raw. And remarkable to listen to and watch.

Given LuPone's powerhouse performance, it almost doesn't matter what else is going on around her. But in this case, it doesn’t hurt that there are also some other terrific performers to help her tell the story. Boyd Gaines, the multi-Tony Award-winning actor who has demonstrated tremendous range in both dramas and musicals, manages to match LuPone note for note. Gaines sings well, but mostly it is his acting presence as the doormat that is Herbie that is of note. When Gaines lashes out and leaves, it is a truly powerful moment, and I have never seen another actor bring quite such focused emotional power to the role of Herbie.

As Louise, Laura Benanti gives a mixed performance that shows the difficulty of having play a character over years during a formative period. Benanti is clearly too old to play the young tomboy that is Louise – she looks ridiculous in her pigtails, and sitting through “Little Lamb” – always a weak number anyway – is dreadful and painful. So it comes as great relief when Benanti is finally able to shed her pants, put on a dress, and strip. As a stripper and an adult woman, she is completely believable -- stunning in fact -- and her “transformation” such as it were is thus absolutely lovely. But it just takes her a long time to get there, and I wished to be a little less enthusiastic about when she "arrives" as a burlesque queen.

The other standouts are the stripping trio, Marilyn Caskey, Alison Fraser and Nancy Opel as Electra, Tessie Tura and Mazeppa. The three are hilarious, and what I especially appreciated was that their performances were not typical. The three are absolutely sensational, employing subtlety as much as relying on the witty lyrics and outrageous costumes. They are terrific.

The point of the City Center’s series is to give actors a chance to play roles, both because it pairs the actors with the show, and also because it involves relatively limited runs that permit the actors to commit for the entire run of a show – something that is not always possible with a full-scale Broadway production. The downside to this, of course, is that the production values of the "full-scale" productions are greatly diminished. Here, Arthur Laurents' direction of the production is, commensurate with the series' purposes, quite thin. He clearly relies on prior gimmicks from previous productions, and otherwise simply lets the actors do what they will. He hasn’t so much directed the production as presented it, and as a result it comes across as rather stilted. Similarly, the other production values are passable, but unmemorable, from the spare and rickety sets to the unflattering costumes. Thought it seems unlikely, I have to admit it would be interesting to see LuPone and company tackle a real, full scale production. LuPone's performance here certainly has -- and should -- spark the interest for it.

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.