10 Million Miles (Thursday, 7.5.07)
Linda Gross Theatre (Atlantic Theatre Company), New York, NY
By: Patty Griffin (music, lyrics), Keith Bunin (book)
Starring: Matthew Morrison (Duane), Irene Molloy (Molly), Mare Winningham (The Women), Skipp Sudduth (The Men)
Let's start by saying this is no Spring Awakening.
This is not to say that the Atlantic Theatre has tried to say it is, and the show itself couldn't be further away from the concept of that show. But many reviewers have talked about Spring Awakening, since that was last summer's big hit at the Atlantic, which then transferred to Broadway and won a gaggle of Tony Awards. It's rather unfair, it would seem, to try and compare 10 Million Miles to that show.
Which is not to say that 10 Million Miles is not an enjoyable show. In fact, I found it quite entertaining within its confines.
Okay, so the story line is not particularly strong, and like most jukebox musicals, the show suffers now and then because individual songs (or parts of songs) don't quite fit where they've been placed. But this is not a show that is supposed to be plot-heavy, and I have to say, it captures the mood and essence of Patty Griffin's music perfectly. It is introspective without being overly dramatic, accepting of defeat and drudgery (country misery) in an almost matter-of-fact way. And I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to these renditions of Ms. Griffin's songs. I found the show nothing short of refreshing, and thought it achieved theatricality without the conventional melodrama that musical theatre tends to have.
The four-member cast is impressive all around. Mare Winningham is absolutely brilliant. She switches easily from character to character seamlessly. She is a surprisingly talented singer, wrapping her voice around both note and character. What is particularly impressive is how quickly she manages to capture character within minutes. I rather felt like I was watching at least three or four different actresses play her parts. She is that good. Skipp Sudduth also does some nice work, not quite as chameleon-like as Winningham, but still engaging, especially as Duane’s army buddy.
As for the two leads, it would be hard to imagine a better coupling than Matthew Morrison and Irene Molloy. Morrison is thoroughly engaging, humorous throughout in both manner and movement, but also showing glimpses of character beneath. He is sexy and magnetic at times, infuriating and off-putting at others, and captured the Duane character brilliantly. Irene Molloy was much cooler, and at first is a bit off-putting. But over the course of the show, she really builds. More critically, her kind of complacency -- even just shrugging off Duane's completely unacceptable behavior toward her -- was surprisingly touching, and was probably the only way to make what happens next believable. When she breaks down momentarily with her Aunt, it is a very touching moment. So much of these characters is understated. It fit in perfectly with the country-inspired style of the music.
Reviewers have noted a lack of chemistry between the Morrison and Molloy, but I disagree. I think there was an intentional building of a wall between the two, representing their ambivalence about their relationship. Their entire relationship is supposed to be filled with doubt. Molloy's constant pulling away and reluctance to be intimate, juxtaposed with the occasional heavy kiss or display of affection, was entirely believable.
The show has a number of obvious flaws, but I found it quite compelling nonetheless. I have to say I found it far more enjoyable than a number of musicals on Broadway this past season. Whatever its faults, it is nice to see this type of work produced on stage. We can only hope that the Atlantic and other companies will continue to present such works.
Showing posts with label off-broadway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label off-broadway. Show all posts
Monday, July 9, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Review-Sampaguita (6.20.07)
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.
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.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Review-The Little Dog Laughed (2.18.06)
The Little Dog Laughed (Saturday, 2.18.06)
Second Stage Theatre, New York, NY
By: Douglas Carter Beane
Starring: Julie White (Diane), Johnny Galecki (Alex), Neal Huff (Mitchell), Zoe Lister-Jones (Ellen)
Throughout the history of the Hollywood, there have been many stars who have been gay but who have kept their secret life in the closet for the sake of their careers. Little Dog Laughed is a funny play about one such promising actor – Mitchell (Neal Huff) – whose shrewd agent Julie White puts the kibosh on his plans to come out, and concocts a great scheme to cover up the mess he creates when he thinks he finds love.
The play centers around Mitchell, who decides he wants to come out when he meets Alex (Galecki), a hustler who is out to rob him. Alex, purportedly straight, decides he actually likes Mitchell, and falls for him while abandoning his (pregnant) girlfriend Ellen (Lister-Jones). Meanwhile, White frets about what will happen to Mitchell’s career should he take that step.
What follows is a refreshingly witty and light-hearted romp. This is not to say the play is frivolous, because it is not, but it also does not require a lot of heavy thinking or pondering. The play is also successful because it avoids cliché, which is quite remarkable given the subject matter.
It doesn’t hurt that the performances are quite good, particularly Julie White, who capitalized on comic timing and deadpan expression. White’s character is larger than life; she is the face of Hollywood, with all of its superficiality, it’s concern not about what’s real, but about the how the world views everything.
Neal Huff is sufficiently “straight”-laced as the budding star Mitchell. If he is not especially convincing as the next matinee idol, he at least is good-natured about what’s going on. What is believable about Huff’s performance is that he is so easy going (and so unconflicted) about who he truly is, that one can imagine him wanting to come out. If he seems wholly unconcerned about what it will mean for his career, that is believable, because Huff is so blasé about everything.
Johnny Galecki shows some surprising versatility as Alex. He, unlike Mitchell, seems truly uncomfortable with everything, with being gay, with dealing with Mitchell’s career, with dealing with his girlfriend’s pregnancy. Rounding out the cast is a nice performance by Zoe Lister-Jones as Ellen, who wrings laughs out of the weakest material given to the four actors.With its solid acting and well-executed script, The Little Dog Laughed is a highly entertaining, highly stylized piece. Though not perfect, it is a zippy romp, entertaining from the opening moments to the very last laugh.
Second Stage Theatre, New York, NY
By: Douglas Carter Beane
Starring: Julie White (Diane), Johnny Galecki (Alex), Neal Huff (Mitchell), Zoe Lister-Jones (Ellen)
Throughout the history of the Hollywood, there have been many stars who have been gay but who have kept their secret life in the closet for the sake of their careers. Little Dog Laughed is a funny play about one such promising actor – Mitchell (Neal Huff) – whose shrewd agent Julie White puts the kibosh on his plans to come out, and concocts a great scheme to cover up the mess he creates when he thinks he finds love.
The play centers around Mitchell, who decides he wants to come out when he meets Alex (Galecki), a hustler who is out to rob him. Alex, purportedly straight, decides he actually likes Mitchell, and falls for him while abandoning his (pregnant) girlfriend Ellen (Lister-Jones). Meanwhile, White frets about what will happen to Mitchell’s career should he take that step.
What follows is a refreshingly witty and light-hearted romp. This is not to say the play is frivolous, because it is not, but it also does not require a lot of heavy thinking or pondering. The play is also successful because it avoids cliché, which is quite remarkable given the subject matter.
It doesn’t hurt that the performances are quite good, particularly Julie White, who capitalized on comic timing and deadpan expression. White’s character is larger than life; she is the face of Hollywood, with all of its superficiality, it’s concern not about what’s real, but about the how the world views everything.
Neal Huff is sufficiently “straight”-laced as the budding star Mitchell. If he is not especially convincing as the next matinee idol, he at least is good-natured about what’s going on. What is believable about Huff’s performance is that he is so easy going (and so unconflicted) about who he truly is, that one can imagine him wanting to come out. If he seems wholly unconcerned about what it will mean for his career, that is believable, because Huff is so blasé about everything.
Johnny Galecki shows some surprising versatility as Alex. He, unlike Mitchell, seems truly uncomfortable with everything, with being gay, with dealing with Mitchell’s career, with dealing with his girlfriend’s pregnancy. Rounding out the cast is a nice performance by Zoe Lister-Jones as Ellen, who wrings laughs out of the weakest material given to the four actors.With its solid acting and well-executed script, The Little Dog Laughed is a highly entertaining, highly stylized piece. Though not perfect, it is a zippy romp, entertaining from the opening moments to the very last laugh.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Review-Spring Awakening (7.20.06)
Spring Awakening (Thursday, 7.20.06)
Atlantic Theatre, New York, NY
By: Duncan Shiek (music), Steven Sater (book, lyrics), Michael Mayer (direction)
Starring: Jonathan Groff (Melchor), Lea Michele (Wendla), John Gallagher, Jr. (Moritz), Mary McCann (adult women), Frank Wood (adult men)
It’s hard to know what to make of Spring Awakening. Wrapped in Duncan Shiek’s pleasant-sounding 90s pop music and telling the story of a controversial 19th century German play, the piece is at once accessible and yet different. One senses it is truly different from the pieces that have preceded it, but it is difficult to identify why.
Certainly, there is nothing groundbreaking today about the show’s story, even if it was controversial more than 100 years ago when it was first written. There is nothing groundbreaking about the music which, while pleasant and hummable, does not differ greatly in form from other music that has been written in the last decade. The story is somewhat fragmented, although its coherence in theme is sufficient to hold it together.
However you characterize Spring Awakening, it does not really matter. What matters is that it is a moving piece, punctuated with both humor and tragedy, and defined by the youth and emotional enthusiasm of its young cast. Each of the young actors seems to want to burst out of their skins. Jonathan Groff embodies this spirit as Melchor. Groff’s Melchor is the handsome charismatic youth, but he is also a volatile bar of dynamite ready to go off at any moment. Matching Groff moment for moment is Lea Michele, whose tragic Wendla is beautiful and fragile.
As for Duncan Shiek’s score, it is generally successful. If there is one fault, it is that several of the numbers feel “unfinished” – this seems in part intentional, and in fact it gives a rawness and roughness to the piece. But it is also extremely frustrating. Songs in a musical have a natural arc, and interfering with this arc is dangerous.The physical production matches the time period well. In the end, this is a very interesting theatrical piece, emotionally rich thanks to the combination of its music-writing and the excellent players performing the pieces. It will be interesting to see how the shows roughness will be dealt with in its transfer to Broadway.
Atlantic Theatre, New York, NY
By: Duncan Shiek (music), Steven Sater (book, lyrics), Michael Mayer (direction)
Starring: Jonathan Groff (Melchor), Lea Michele (Wendla), John Gallagher, Jr. (Moritz), Mary McCann (adult women), Frank Wood (adult men)
It’s hard to know what to make of Spring Awakening. Wrapped in Duncan Shiek’s pleasant-sounding 90s pop music and telling the story of a controversial 19th century German play, the piece is at once accessible and yet different. One senses it is truly different from the pieces that have preceded it, but it is difficult to identify why.
Certainly, there is nothing groundbreaking today about the show’s story, even if it was controversial more than 100 years ago when it was first written. There is nothing groundbreaking about the music which, while pleasant and hummable, does not differ greatly in form from other music that has been written in the last decade. The story is somewhat fragmented, although its coherence in theme is sufficient to hold it together.
However you characterize Spring Awakening, it does not really matter. What matters is that it is a moving piece, punctuated with both humor and tragedy, and defined by the youth and emotional enthusiasm of its young cast. Each of the young actors seems to want to burst out of their skins. Jonathan Groff embodies this spirit as Melchor. Groff’s Melchor is the handsome charismatic youth, but he is also a volatile bar of dynamite ready to go off at any moment. Matching Groff moment for moment is Lea Michele, whose tragic Wendla is beautiful and fragile.
As for Duncan Shiek’s score, it is generally successful. If there is one fault, it is that several of the numbers feel “unfinished” – this seems in part intentional, and in fact it gives a rawness and roughness to the piece. But it is also extremely frustrating. Songs in a musical have a natural arc, and interfering with this arc is dangerous.The physical production matches the time period well. In the end, this is a very interesting theatrical piece, emotionally rich thanks to the combination of its music-writing and the excellent players performing the pieces. It will be interesting to see how the shows roughness will be dealt with in its transfer to Broadway.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Review-Grey Gardens (4.25.06)
Grey Gardens (4.25.06)
Playwrights Horizons (off-Broadway)
There are few actresses that can command a stage quite like Christine Ebersole. She has tremendous stage presence, and a great ability to captivate whether she is singing or speaking. In Grey Gardens, she has truly found a role worthy of her tremendous talent. Respectively playing the younger and older versions of Edith Bouvier Beale and Edith's daughter “Little” Edie, Ebersole is alternately rip-roaringly funny, dramatic, and touching. Her performance is a true tour de force, and were she on Broadway this season, she’d surely be the frontrunner for the Best Actress Tony.
Grey Gardens is, in fact, a rather entertaining little musical, complete with an original score and a well-written book by Doug Wright. It tells the story of “Little” Edie Beale, the cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier. Little Edie was once almost engaged to Patrick Kennedy, Jr. and lived her early life at the pinnacle of Long Island society. Years later she moved back to Grey Gardens to live with and care for her mother. In the 1970s, the press discovered the two of them there, practically living in squalor, when the two were threatened with eviction by the local government. The connection to Jackie Kennedy led to newspaper headlines. In 1975, the Maysley Brothers released their documentary about the two.
It is in the second act that Ebersole’s starring turn really drives the show, as she displays either dementia or simply the result of years of being battered down by her oppressive mother. Mary Louise Wilson is also excellent, delivering an excellent supporting performance as the elderly Edith Bouvier Beale. Between the two of them, there is a scarcely a moment in the compelling second act where you can take your eyes off the proceedings. (Much of the dialogue apparently comes directly from the documentary.)
The main weakness is that, unfortunately, the first act does not match up to the second. While a necessary prologue to the second act, the first is simply not as interesting or entertaining. Ebersole delivers some fine moments as the elder Beale during the first-act set-up, but Sara Gettelfinger just can’t capture the emotional unsteadiness that leads to the second act revelation. It may not be her fault -- the material just doesn’t provide the insight into her character that translates to the second act.
The show feels small and quaint, quite appropriate for off-Broadway show. Frankly I have trouble imagining it as viable in a broader commercial setting. This is not so much a fault as a warning to the investors who plan to bring the show to Broadway. They might be better off financing an extended off-Broadway run. In that incarnation, this delightful show could live on without being overwhelmed by the commercialism of Broadway.
Playwrights Horizons (off-Broadway)
There are few actresses that can command a stage quite like Christine Ebersole. She has tremendous stage presence, and a great ability to captivate whether she is singing or speaking. In Grey Gardens, she has truly found a role worthy of her tremendous talent. Respectively playing the younger and older versions of Edith Bouvier Beale and Edith's daughter “Little” Edie, Ebersole is alternately rip-roaringly funny, dramatic, and touching. Her performance is a true tour de force, and were she on Broadway this season, she’d surely be the frontrunner for the Best Actress Tony.
Grey Gardens is, in fact, a rather entertaining little musical, complete with an original score and a well-written book by Doug Wright. It tells the story of “Little” Edie Beale, the cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier. Little Edie was once almost engaged to Patrick Kennedy, Jr. and lived her early life at the pinnacle of Long Island society. Years later she moved back to Grey Gardens to live with and care for her mother. In the 1970s, the press discovered the two of them there, practically living in squalor, when the two were threatened with eviction by the local government. The connection to Jackie Kennedy led to newspaper headlines. In 1975, the Maysley Brothers released their documentary about the two.
It is in the second act that Ebersole’s starring turn really drives the show, as she displays either dementia or simply the result of years of being battered down by her oppressive mother. Mary Louise Wilson is also excellent, delivering an excellent supporting performance as the elderly Edith Bouvier Beale. Between the two of them, there is a scarcely a moment in the compelling second act where you can take your eyes off the proceedings. (Much of the dialogue apparently comes directly from the documentary.)
The main weakness is that, unfortunately, the first act does not match up to the second. While a necessary prologue to the second act, the first is simply not as interesting or entertaining. Ebersole delivers some fine moments as the elder Beale during the first-act set-up, but Sara Gettelfinger just can’t capture the emotional unsteadiness that leads to the second act revelation. It may not be her fault -- the material just doesn’t provide the insight into her character that translates to the second act.
The show feels small and quaint, quite appropriate for off-Broadway show. Frankly I have trouble imagining it as viable in a broader commercial setting. This is not so much a fault as a warning to the investors who plan to bring the show to Broadway. They might be better off financing an extended off-Broadway run. In that incarnation, this delightful show could live on without being overwhelmed by the commercialism of Broadway.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Review-In The Continuum (1.28.06)
In The Continuum (Saturday, 1.28.06)
Perry Theatre, New York, NY
By: Danai Gurira, Nikkole Salter
Starring: Danai Gurira, Nikkole Salter
Two women discover they have AIDS. Though their circumstances couldn’t be more different, this one fact ties them together, and their stories inevitably interweave. The beauty of this phenomenal play – really a series of two intertwining monologues – is in how the each woman’s stories intersects with the other’s.
Strictly speaking, In the Continuum is not a play – it is really performance theatre, a combination of monologue, poem, one-character play, dance, and song. The story told here is about AIDS, but it is different from the story we’re used to hearing. This is the story of AIDS in Africa, and it is a story which needs to be told. But what is so compelling is the story is also about these two individual women – in telling a story that is universal and pervasive, this piece never veers into the general, and always sticks to what is most compelling – the stories of individuals.
Not enough can be said about the two marvelous playwrights and stars, Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter. Each has to play several characters while also interweaving their story with that of the other actor. This difficult piece requires tremendous timing, and these two have it. The flow is so seamless, that there could be one actor or a dozen on the stage. But here there are two, and they tell a remarkable story.
In the Continuum is remarkable. It is a deeply moving story that needs to be told. It has a message, a message about universality and the world’s identification with the struggle of the disease which afflicts so many and invades the corners of our so many lives. It is also the story of powerful resolve, and how the most powerful and good of human spirit lives on even as forces work to try and destroy it.
Perry Theatre, New York, NY
By: Danai Gurira, Nikkole Salter
Starring: Danai Gurira, Nikkole Salter
Two women discover they have AIDS. Though their circumstances couldn’t be more different, this one fact ties them together, and their stories inevitably interweave. The beauty of this phenomenal play – really a series of two intertwining monologues – is in how the each woman’s stories intersects with the other’s.
Strictly speaking, In the Continuum is not a play – it is really performance theatre, a combination of monologue, poem, one-character play, dance, and song. The story told here is about AIDS, but it is different from the story we’re used to hearing. This is the story of AIDS in Africa, and it is a story which needs to be told. But what is so compelling is the story is also about these two individual women – in telling a story that is universal and pervasive, this piece never veers into the general, and always sticks to what is most compelling – the stories of individuals.
Not enough can be said about the two marvelous playwrights and stars, Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter. Each has to play several characters while also interweaving their story with that of the other actor. This difficult piece requires tremendous timing, and these two have it. The flow is so seamless, that there could be one actor or a dozen on the stage. But here there are two, and they tell a remarkable story.
In the Continuum is remarkable. It is a deeply moving story that needs to be told. It has a message, a message about universality and the world’s identification with the struggle of the disease which afflicts so many and invades the corners of our so many lives. It is also the story of powerful resolve, and how the most powerful and good of human spirit lives on even as forces work to try and destroy it.
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