Incident at Vichy

Incident at Vichy

Signature Theatre

The Pershing Square Signature Center

November 27, 2015

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

SignatureTheater’s production of Incident at Vichy is relevant, timely, and jaw-dropping.  It is as if the script was recently written by Arthur Miller as an allegory to our present political/social climate.  Racial profiling, acting above the law, prejudice, scapegoating, events that evoke fear, denial of governmental motivations… history continues to repeat itself.  Director Michael Wilson delves into every emotional moment and political/social innuendo that allows this phenomenal ensemble to create a truthful and powerful performance.

Darren Pettie, Jonny Orsini, & Evan Zes
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

The year is 1942 in Vichy, France.  Hitler and the Nazi Party have gained a substantial amount of power.  Ten men have been rounded up from the streets and taken to a holding area.  They are expecting a routine check of papers.  As fear and paranoia mounts, they share the rumors of trains packed with Jews brutally shipped off to concentration camps.  Since the Nazi atrocities have yet to be made public, their disbeliefs become a heated debate.  Everyone has the required paperwork, yet once they find out what the officers are looking for, they realize there is no escape.

Darren Pettie & Richard Thomas
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Richard Thomas plays Von Berg, an Austrian Prince, who was evidently profiled for a different reason than the others.  As it becomes clear that he is the only man with any chance of being released, he is challenged by Darren Pettie, who plays Leduc, to look deeply into his conscience.  Is he guilty of the same prejudice and bigotry as the Nazi’s because he views himself separate from the others?  Is the lack of action from a man of his position and wealth a choice that enables the Nazi rise to power?  Mr. Pettie depicts the duality of his character by emotionally retaining his sense of reason while physically portraying his mounting desperation.  The outcome of this confrontation is stunningly powerful and Mr. Thomas delivers it with poignant strength and commitment. 

Richard Thomas, Derek Smith, & Jonathan Gordon
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Derek Smith delivers a captivating performance as Monceau.  The self-confidence and “panache” of his character fires up the debate and makes denial a palpable element that empowers the opposition.  Every actor in this company develops individual and realistic characters and are equally responsible for creating an experience that is eye-opening and awe-inspiring.

The set, by Jeff Cowie, is realistic and dirty (as it should be).  The soundscape, designed by John Gromada, is highly effective.  It is subtle in the opening of the show, then grows and builds as you realize the reality of the situation and the fate of the characters.  Projection design by Rocco Disanti packs a powerful image for the ending of the play.

James Carpinello
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

“What the play really probes and asks is no matter your class, no matter your political affiliation, what is one’s own personal responsibility to these kinds of situations?  I think that becomes a compelling, harrowing question to face for not only the characters in the play but also for us as an audience,” states Director Michael Wilson in a Signature Theatre publication.  The production is extended through December 20 at the Pershing Square Signature Center.  Experience the play for yourself and see how you fare with that essential question.

Domenick Danza

Songs My Mother Taught Me

Songs My Mother Taught Me

Lorna Luft Celebrates her Mother Judy Garland

On Stage at Kingsborough

Kingsborough Community College

November 21, 2015

Photo courtesy of On Stage at Kinsgsborough

Lorna Luft wowed the sold out Brooklyn crowd at Kingsborough Community College with her one woman show, Songs My Mother Taught Me, a celebration of her mother, Judy Garland.  The show was one classic tune after another with video of Judy Garland, and images of the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.).  Ms. Luft is a powerful and talented vocalist with a unique connection to old Hollywood.  She skillfully belts out the old standards with vim and vigor, and tells stories of her life and challenges.

Photo courtesy of Songs My Mother Taught Me

Under the direction of her husband, Colin R. Freeman, Ms. Luft was supported by an ensemble of eleven musicians.  The ensemble was strong and vivacious, and filled the auditorium with enhanced rhythm.  Highlights of the show were when she sang Jerry Herman’s “Time Heals Everything” in the first act and “The Man That Got Away” in the second act.  The two songs she sang harmonizing with a video of Judy Garland were a bit too much, but the tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. was exciting.  The evening culminated with her telling the story of how Judy Garland got to Carnegie Hall in song and narrative.

If you have the opportunity to catch Lorna Luft’s cabaret, whether it be Songs My Mother Taught Me or another title, I highly recommend it.  Vocalists with this kind of power, skill, and style are a rarity.

Domenick Danza

Shadowland

Shadowland

Pilobolus Dance Theatre

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

November 22, 2015

Photo courtesy of NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

After an extensive European tour, Shadowland, Pilobolus’ latest creation, is making its North American premier at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.  This astonishing seventy minute full-length piece is conceived and developed in the unique and successful collaborative style that Pilobolus is famous for.  The nine dancers are strong, skillful artists who defy gravity and lift the spirits of every member of the audience.

Photo courtesy of Pilobolus

Shadowland tells the coming of age story of a girl who longs to be a grown up.  The main part of the piece is a dreamscape where she faces the shadows of her fears and realizes the truth of her individual self.  Shadow screens are flipped over, rolled around the stage, carried by hand, and flown in, allowing the story to be told in both shadow and fully-viewed sections.  This variety gives insight into how the main character views herself.  You are therefore able to emotionally connect to her psychological journey.  

Photo courtesy of Pilobolus

I took my two nieces to the performance.  Brianna, a high school freshman, who experienced Pilobolus for the first time said, “I feel the piece portrayed how you should always be yourself and not change for other people.”  Madeline, a twenty-three years old accountant, saw Pilobolus two summers ago at the Joyce Theatre and is now a confirmed Pilobolus groupie.  She said, "The level of emotion was heightened through the shadow play.  I didn’t need to see their faces since the illusion of the shadow effects were so expressive and riveting.”

If you have never experienced Pilobolus, run to the Skirball Center and get a ticket.  Shadowland is playing through December 6.

Domenick Danza

Night is a Room

Night is a Room

Signature Theatre

The Pershing Square Signature Center

November 14, 2015

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Naomi Wallace’s new play, Night is a Room, is thought provoking and emotionally riveting.  Ms. Wallace delves deeply into every aspect of the Oedipus complex and brings her audience to a visceral understanding of the emotional needs that drive her characters to make choices that are shocking and disturbing.  They dive head first into life changing decisions from which there is no return.  Part of you screams for them to stop, while another part of you knows they cannot.

Playwright Naomi Wallace
Photo courtesy of
American Theatre Magazine

As a surprise for his fortieth birthday, Liana (played by Dagmara Dominczyk) tracks down her husband Marcus’ birth mother, Dore (played by Ann Dowd).  After a few private meetings, Dore informs Liana that Marcus (played by Bill Heck) is leaving her.  He explains GSA (Genetic Sexual Attraction) to Liana and that sexual attraction between reunited parents and children is common.  The shock and taboo of this subject is intensely explored as Ms. Wallace allows all three characters to articulate and share their feeling in order to understand it themselves.  The three actors are honest, raw, and amazing.  The scene at the end of the second act between Dore and Liana puts them face to face six years later.  The two actors (Dagmar Dominczyk and Ann Dowd) skillfully and truthfully make the most heinous events of the story their reality so that you gain empathy for both of their needs and flaws.

Director Bill Rauch makes the most of every image and nuance of Ms. Wallace’s writing.  The subtlety of a broken heel, a maple tree, and a jingle bell inside a balloon are a few small details that reappear and grow to become windows into the world of the play and the souls of the characters.  Rachel Hauck’s scenic design is also filled with overlapping and recurring images (the wooden fence, the step ladder, the plastered walls) that make you see the strength and frailty of the character’s emotions.  The subtle sound design by Leah Gelpe is powerful.  The intensity of the sound of the rain and the constant echo in the second act make you feel the emptiness the characters are experiencing.

Night is a Room is extended through December 20 at the Pershing Square Signature Center.  Ms. Wallace’s no holds barred dialogue and disturbing plot line make this a play a not-to-be-missed event.  Prepare yourself and go see it.

Ann Dowd in Night is a Room
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

On a Personal Note:  When the lights came up at the start of the first act, I recognized Ann Dowd, the actress playing Dore, from one of my favorite episodes of “Law and Order.”  I am an avid fan and have a number of favorite episodes, especially the ones with Jerry Orbach.  I was not sure if it was her until she spoke her first line.  The sound of her voice is unique and memorable.  At the end of the show I needed to sit in the lobby to collect my thoughts.  The disturbing subject matter was a lot to process.  When I got up to leave, Ms. Dowd was standing in front of me.  I shook her hand and told her how truly amazing I thought she was and that I recognized her from her TV appearances.  She introduced herself and asked, “Do you believe how the play progresses from where it begins?”  I was still relatively speechless from experiencing the play, but managed to get out a few coherent phrases.  I asked her if I could hug her.  She said, “Yes, after that (the performance), I need one too.”  That brief encounter with Ms. Dowd gave me a greater understanding of not only the complexity of play, but the level of emotional commitment required for an actor to deliver a powerful and cathartic experience for their audience.

Domenick Danza

Dear Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth

WP (Women’s Project) Theater

November 14, 2015

Photo courtesy of WP Theater

I have read a number of Sarah Ruhl plays and have seen a few productions.  I find her unique writing style in the genre of magical realism to be captivating.  When I saw her name associated with the WP (Women’s Project) Theater’s Dear Elizabeth, I quickly grabbed a ticket.  The play is based on Words in Air: The Complete Correspondence Between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell.  The play is sprinkled with works of these two poets as well as the point of view of Ms. Ruhl, making it a touching and personal theatrical experience. 

Becky Ann Baker & Peter Scolari

Very much set up like the Broadway production of Love Letters, the play has different well known Broadway and television actors stepping in every two weeks.  I was lucky to see Becky Ann Baker and Peter Scolari.  Their chemistry and energy created a believable account of the decades-long relationship between the two prolific poets.  Sarah Ruhl wrote in the program notes that "the silence between the letters fascinated me.”  It is in these interludes that Ms. Ruhl allows characters of Ms. Bishop and Mr. Lowell to reveal a deeper side of themselves.  She achieves this by skillfully arranging the writing of the letters so they are always “speaking in their own words.”

Playwright Sarah Ruhl

Watching the play made me think about how we do not take time to correspond anymore.  A quick email or an abbreviated text does not serve the same purpose or communicate the same level of thought as sitting down and putting a pen to paper.  The immediacy of email eliminates time spent to ponder and choose words with accuracy and care.  Letter writing has become a lost art and with that went the opportunity to have a record of our experiences, reflections, and relationships. 

Dear Elizabeth is playing at the WP Theater until December 5.  Check the website before getting tickets to see who is featured.  Cherry Jones will be in from November 16 through 21.  That is sure to be amazing.

Domenick Danza

The Pianist of Willesden Lane

The Pianist of Willesden Lane

On Stage at Kingsborough

Kingsborough Community College

November 8, 2015

Photo courtesy of On Stage at Kingsborough

This past weekend, On Stage at Kingsborough presented The Pianist of Willesden Lane.  This one woman show is “a memoir of music, love, and survival” in which Mona Golabek shares the story of her mother’s journey as a refugee during the Nazi rise to power.  The show is warm, touching, and inspiring.

Photo courtesy of The Pianist of Willesden Lane

Lisa Jura is a young piano student in Vienna.  As the Nazi regime begins to gain power, her father wins a ticket on the kindertransport in a card game.  This was a train for children to escape to London from at risk territories.  She promises her mother she will continue to study her piano.  Her mother promises to be present with her through her music.  The story is punctuated with pieces by Chopin, Debussy, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Grieg all played live by concert pianist and storyteller, Mona Golabek.  Her presence, pace, and tone are captivating, and superseded only by her skill as a concert pianist.

Photo courtesy of
The Children of Willesden Lane

The production is simply done with projections and soundscapes that enhance the emotional impact of the story.  The production is touring the U.S. and will be performing in London this winter.  It is based on the book The Children of Willesden Lane.  I bought an autographed copy of the book after the show.  Check out the book and see where else this production is playing.

I have said it before and I will say it again, if you live in south Brooklyn and are interested in inexpensive tickets to high quality performances, I highly recommend checking out On Stage at Kingsborough this season.  Located on the campus of Kingsborough Community College, parking is free and accessible.  I am looking forward to their upcoming presentation of Songs My Mother Taught Me, the cabaret act starring Lorna Luft on Saturday, November 21.

Domenick Danza

Steve

Steve

The New Group

The Pershing Square Signature Center

November 7, 2015

Photo courtesy of The New Group

The New Group’s production of  Steve, the new play by Mark Gerrard, is now running at The Pershing Square Signature Center.  The play is a witty and honest look at the transformation of values of a group of friends as they move past middle age and into the next phase of their lives with a renewed sense of themselves.

Steven, Carrie, and Matt have been best friends since they were singing waiters and aspiring Broadway performer in their youth.  At Steven’s forty-seventh birthday dinner, he discovers that Stephen, his partner of fifteen years, has been sexting Brian, Matt’s boyfriend.  Facing the truth of his betrayal is difficult since Stephen and Steven have an eight year old son to think about, and are grappling with Carrie’s battle with cancer.  All the characters are forced to face the reality of growing older while they hold onto their idealistic and carefree musical theatre piano bar youth. 

The cast of Steve
Photo courtesy of The New Group

Under the direction of Cynthia Nixon, the cast is a strong ensemble.  She has given the actors the creative space to develop true and honest relationships. Matt McGrath, as Steven, unearths the fears that come when you realize life is not turning out as planned.  Malcolm Gets, as his partner Stephen, realistically portrays how certainty can turns into insecurity in a mere moment.  Ashlie Atkinson, as Carries, is biting, funny, cold and heartwarming… all at the same time.  Mario Cantone, as Matt, and Jerry Dixon, as Brian, have high energy and great chemistry which keep the action building.  The bond of friendships between the five characters is viscerally understood through their timing.  It is impeccable, warm, and comfortable.

Playwright Mark Gerrard and Director Cynthia Nixon
Photo courtesy of The New Group

Playwright Mark Gerrard has created five real characters that are facing their present challenges and fears and asking questions about their futures.  His musical theatre quotes and snarky pokes not only serve as comic relief, but more importantly, are reminiscent, tender, and caring moments between good friends.  The play is structured with musical theatre songs that emotionally and physically transition scenes as well as effectively frame the action.  These are the details that illustrate Mr. Gerrard’s extreme skill and unique style.  It is great writing!

If you spent your younger days in a piano bar dreaming of being a chorus boy on Broadway and hoping to meet the love of your life, go see this show.  If you are facing the reality of turning fifty, which may include some level of disappointment in your achievements, go see this show.  No matter who you are, go see this show!  It will remind you to keep your sense of humor while moving through the uncertainties of life.

  

Domenick Danza

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange

Hubris Theatre Company

Roy Arias Stage 7 Sage Theater

October 31, 2015

Photo courtesy of Hubris Theatre Compnay

The Hubris Theatre’s production of A Clockwork Orange is now playing at the Roy Arias Stage 7 Sage Theater (7^th Ave. and 48^th St.).  It is a gripping play, written by Anthony Burgess, who also wrote the novel.  Although about twenty minutes too long and full of disturbing violence, this is a well done work that is worth seeing.  The production is visually enthralling and makes relevant the well-known dystopian novel. 

Alex Tissiere in A Clockwork Orange
Photo courtesy of Hubris Theatre Company

The cast is a strong ensemble, playing numerous roles with crisp and clear characterization.  Alex Tissiere does a brilliant job with the lead role.  He skillfully delivers numerous Shakespearean-like monologues with that narrate his story.  He carries the action forward with depth and intention. 

The set design, by Scott Tedmon-Jones, is stark, cold, and conceptually serves multiple purposes.  The program notes by director John Bateman tells why he chose to produce this play.  The social relevance is evident in his stylistic choices and clearly depicted in the video selections used before and during the performance.  Unfortunately, the screens were placed on the stage right and left prosceniums, at time forcing you to switch focus from the action of important scenes.

The Hubris Theatre Company is a focused and skillful troupe worth following.  The space at Roy Aria Sage Theater is not the most comfortable or accessible, but it is open, clean, and easy to get to.  If you are a fan of the book or movie of A Clockwork Orange, this production will intrigue you.

Domenick Danza

Finding Neverland

Finding Neverland

Lunt-Fontaine Theatre

October 31, 2015

Photo courtesy of Finding Neverland

I remember being inspired by the movie Finding Neverland starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, and Freddie Highmore, who lit up the screen and captured the hearts of audiences everywhere.  When I saw the posters and advertisements for the musical version opening on Broadway last season, I knew that it had the potential for greatness, even though I could not remember the details of the story line.  The Broadway production is energetic, bright, and heartwarming.  It is not the story of Peter Pan, but the personal challenges of the writer J. M. Barrie and how and why he came to write his timeless tale of the boy who would never grow up.  Director Diana Paulus magically unravels the journey into the imagination of J. M. Barrie, and creates a production that heals the lost child within all of us.

Photo courtesy of Finding Neverland

The entire cast, led by Matthew Morrison and four amazing young actors, is bold, skillful, and exuberantly united.  Laura Michele Kelly is touching and tender as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies.  Carolee Carmello transforms in the character of Mrs. DuMaurier under the strain of heartbreaking grief and loss.  The understudy (yes, I saw the Saturday matinee) for Captain Hook, Paul Slade (in for Terrance Mann), gave depth to the role and convinced me to “live by the hook.”

Photo courtesy of Finding Neverland

The staging and choreography by Mia Michaels is what makes the show spectacular.  From the opening number and throughout the show, she surprises and amazes with high energy moves, unexpected patterns, and character driven gestures that move the story forward.  Her use of lifts to make characters fly affirms my belief that, in an era of high-tech theatrics, it is the simplest concepts that are always most effective.

Scenic design, by Scott Pask, is realistic, colorful, imaginative, and bright.  Lighting, by Kenneth Posner, beautifully enhances the mood, time period, and transitions.  The highlight in the score, by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy, is the song “When Your Feet Don’t Touch the Ground.”  I am still singing it.

Photo courtesy of Finding Neverland

This show focuses on the healing power of the creative mind and the value of the imagination.  “A man who does not want to fight (for what he believes), deserves what he gets,” shouts Captain Hook at the end of Act I.  If your playfulness of youth needs to be ignited, see the show and set your heart on fire.

Domenick Danza