Farinelli and the King

Farinelli and the King

Belasco Theatre

February 21, 2018

Photo courtesy of Farinelli and the King

Farinelli and the King pays homage to the healing power of music.  Playwright Claire Van Kampen melds historic fact with artistic vision to tell a story of how the voice of a castrati heals the soul of a suffering king.  The collaboration of designer Jonathan Fensom and director John Dove creates a regal atmosphere that beautifully frames and galvanizes the action of the story.  The cast portrays the style and rhythm that transports the audience to the royal courts of the18^th century.

King Philippe V of Spain (played by Mark Rylance) has gone mad.  His wife, Queen Isabella (played by Melody Grove), cares for him until the King’s Chief Minister (played by Edward Peel) and doctor (played by Huss Garbiya) declare the King’s mental state has become too dangerous for her to be around.  She goes to London, where she hears the famous castrati, Farinelli (played by Sam Crane and Iestyn Davies) in an opera performance.  She is moved by his singing and believes his voice can heal her husband.  She take Farinelli back to Spain.  The King is immediately healed when he hears Farinelli sing.  The King bonds with Farinelli as he discovers their commonalities, and refuses to be parted from him.  The King, his wife, and Farinelli depart on a journey into the forest where the seclusion allows them to discover a deeper purpose.

Sam Crane & Mark Rylance
Photo courtesy of Farinelli and the King

The King asks Farinelli if he is famous.  Farinelli answers, “I am not, but Farinelli is.”  The sense that Farinelli’s character is split into two identities is strongly illustrated when a second actor enters to sing the arias.  Sam Crane and Iestyn Davies have a strong connection playing these two parts of the same personality.  They have moments where they pull together as one and times where they are separate and distant.  Playwright Claire Van Kampen develops the split of the character’s identity in Act II.  The cause of his inner pain and turmoil is clearly understood and heartbreaking.

Mark Rylance as King Philippe V of Spain
Photo courtesy of Farinelli and the King

Mark Rylance is captivating as King Philippe V.  His ease and grace are masterful.  His mad scenes are humorous and explosive.  In Act II there is a childlike quality to his energy, which genuinely reflects his healing.  Again, the meticulous writing of Ms. Van Kampen reveals the experiences of the character’s childhood with his grandfather King Louis XIV of France in the Palace of Versailles that are the roots of his madness and cause for his needful camaraderie with Farinelli.

Farinelli and the King is playing at the Belasco Theatre for a limited engagement.  You only have until March 25 to experience this majestic production from London’s Shakespeare’s Globe. 

Domenick Danza

Fairytale Facts

Fairytale Facts

Don’t Tell Mama

February 19, 2018

Photo courtesy of Don't tell Mama

Lisa Seldin Dontzin’s one woman show, Fairytale Facts, opened at Don’t Tell Mama (343 W. 46^th St.).  Directed by Cookie Harlin, Ms. Dontzin shares with her audience stories of her younger days, including her elementary school play, ballet recital, and dropping out of college to join a commune.  She is constantly pointing out the “facts’ of her stories.  These are the truths about her experiences that she doesn’t want you to miss while she's doing what she does extremely well… making you laugh.

The stage is dark.  We hear the story of a nightmare where a woman is being forced to sing Cinderella’s song, “In my Own Little Corner.”  “Please don’t make me sing that song,” she cries, "I’m a step sister.  I’ve always been a step sister.  I love the step sisters.  And now I am 64 years old and I am trapped in the f**** dress!”  The lights come up abruptly and there stands Lisa Seldin Dontzin in a Cinderella dress.  She wears it well, but the stories she proceeds to tell about herself illustrate how she doesn’t fell it is right for her.

Lisa Seldin Dontzin
Photo courtesy fo Lisa Sheldin Dontzin

Ms. Dontzin is personable and funny.  Her passion and warmth are magnetic.  Her child-like belief in the magical possibilities in life is exuberantly communicated in her stories, especially the one about the litter girl who sat in front of her at the Broadway Theatre during a performance of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.  Ms. Dontzin takes a packed audience on a journey through her fairytale and factual life, and then lets them in for a secret at the end.  A secret that makes sense of all the magic.

Check out the Don’t Tell Mama website (http://www.donttellmamanyc.com/) for upcoming dates for Fairytale Facts, and treat yourself to a funny and heartwarming experience.  

Domenick Danza

The Amateurs

The Amateurs

Vineyard Theatre

February 17, 2018

Photo courtesy of Vineyard Theatre

In his new play, The Amateurs, Jordan Harrison examines a number of compelling themes and concepts about the human experience throughout the ages.  There are many layers and points of entry in this new work.  The superb Vineyard Theatre production allows the audience to engage and journey through them all, and emerge with a broader view, a release, a purifications… or as they say in the play, a catharsis.

The play opens in the 1300s in the middle of a morality play.  A group of traveling players are portraying the seven deadly sins, when one falls ill with the black plaque.  He quickly dies and is left behind to be buried in a communal grave.  His sister, Hollis (played by Quincy Tyler Bernstine), is more affected by this than the rest of the traveling troupe.  Larking (played by Thomas Jay Ryan) continues to push his cast in getting ready to present their new play about Noah’s flood for the Duke.  When the players are visited by the ghost of their deceased colleague, the action of the play ceases and the playwright (played by Michael Cyril Creighton) enters to offer context to the dilemma and review a number of options for how to continue.  The ideas and questions he brings up are fully realized when the journey of the traveling players resumes.

Photo courtesy of Vineyard Theatre

Michael Cyril Creighton fills the twenty or so minute section as the playwright with depth, poignancy, impeccable timing, and serious humor.  He shares the character’s personal experiences of being bullied in middle school, learning to be afraid of AIDS in high school, and addresses the fact that Noah’s wife refuses to board the arc in the morality play.  He is joined in this middle section of the play by Quincy Tyler Bernstine, who steps out of her role as Hollis and shares with the audience an enlightened experience she once had while playing Mrs. Cratchit in a regional theatre production of A Christmas Carol.  She equally matches Mr. Creighton’s poignancy and humor.  This section frames the entire experience of the play and focuses the audience to view and understand the themes and messages.  These two actors masterfully bring to the fruition what this magnificent writing deserves.

The full cast of "The Amateurs"
Photo courtesy of Vineyard Theatre

The entire cast is amazing.  Kyle Beltran (as Brom), Greg Keller (as the Physic), Jennifer Kim (as Rona), and Thomas Jay Ryan (as Larking) bring richness and dry humor to this unprecedented play.  Director Oliver Butler finds the perfect pace that allows the impact of the themes to pop.  Scenic design by David Zinn and lighting design by Jen Schriever create a weighty atmosphere of encumbrance, mystery, and wonder.

Playwright Jordan Harrison examines the development of the individual identity as the root of the survival of humankind.  He clearly puts it out there that there are no safe places to hide from catastrophic events, such as the black plague, the great flood, the AIDS crisis, or anything else we might presently be facing.  He then sums it up in the succinct statement that “life is long.”  The Amateurs runs at the Vineyard Theatre through March 18.  It is definitely a MUST SEE! 

Domenick Danza

Fire and Air

Fire and Air

Classic Stage Company

February 16, 2018

Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

In Fire and Air, playwright Terrance McNally tells the passionate story of the relationship between Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev and Vaslav Nijinsky during the years of the Ballet Russes.  The Classic Stage Company production is designed and directed by John Doyle, who masterfully interprets Mr. McNally’s brilliantly crafted play about these complex and truthful characters.  The cast is strong and bold.  The story is accurately told.

Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

Sergei Diaghilev (played by Douglas Hodge) spots a young Vaslav Nijinsky (played by James Cusati-Moyer) during a performance.  Diaghilev nurtures and molds him into one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20^th century.  Diaghilev’s passion and vision for creating a new form of Russian ballet with his company, Ballet Russes, is matched only by his obsession for his new protégé.  When the company has financial trouble, Diaghilev turns to his cousin Dmitry “Dima” Filosofov (played by John Glover) to help him with the finances.  He and Dunya, Diaghilev’s nurse since childhood (played by Marsha Mason), provide emotional support for Diaghilev when Nijinsky marries Romola de Pulszky, a dancer in the corps de ballet.  Diaghilev dismisses Nijinsky and turns his attention to Leonid Massine (played by Jay Armstrong Johnson), another young dancer in his company, yet he is never able to let go of his deep feelings of love and obsession for Nijinsky.

Douglas Hodge & James Cusati-Moyer
Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

Douglas Hodge creates a giant with his portrayal of Diaghilev.  He is exuberant, flamboyant, and larger than life.  His character’s passion for creating art thunders from deep within his soul and vibrates throughout the theater.  His deep need for love, attention, and admiration pervades his every action.  James Cusati-Moyer is mysterious and cunning as Nijinsky.  He has a commanding physicality and a fiery presence.  Together these two actors honestly portray a tumultuous relationship that is based on need and longing.  Their distance magnifies their attraction.  Their aspirations are magnetic.

Photo courtesy of Classic Stage Company

John Glover is glorious as Dima.  Marsha Mason is solid and grounded as Dunya.  Their portrayals of the lifelong relationships to Diaghiliev create a sense of family that frames his boldness with a sense of reality, candor, and care.  Jay Armstrong Johnson creates a naive youth in the character of Leonid Massine that is an excellent juxtaposition to Nijinsky’s understanding of the control, exploitation, and abuse that Diaghilev is capable of.

The story of Diaghiliev, Nijinsky, and the Ballet Russes has been written about and told numerous times and in various media.  Terrance McNally’s rendition of the story is clear, concise, and emotionally driven.  It gives us pause to reconsider the value of art in our society.  John Doyle’s vision for the play is beautifully executed.  The cast is truly amazing.  Fire and Air is running at Classic Stage Company through March 2.  Check it out! 

Domenick Danza

At Home at the Zoo

At Home at the Zoo

Signature Theatre

The Pershing Square Signature Center

February 10, 2018

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo, the two act version of his 1959 groundbreaking play The Zoo Story, is presently bring presented at Signature Theatre.  The production is excellently cast.  Director Lila Neugebauer has an expansive vision for the play.  The timing and character development are amazingly precise.

Peter (played by Robert Sean Leonard) is at home reading when his wife, Ann (played by Katie Finneran) enters from the kitchen and proclaims, “We should talk.”  Peter is so immersed in his reading that he does not hear her.  She manage to get his attention.  They get to talking, and it is viscerally understood how complacent they are in their marriage.  They are both very happy living in their Upper East Side apartment with their two daughters, two cats, and two parakeets, then Ann mentions her occasional need for something more animalistic.  Peter is perplexed.  He goes to Central Park to read, where he meets Jerry (played by Paul Sparks).  Again, Peter is so immersed in his reading that at first he does not notice that someone is talking to him.  Jerry, however, is  much more successful than Ann at getting Peter’s animal nature aroused.

Katie Finneran & Robert Sean Leonard
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Robert Sean Leonard and Katie Finneran are captivating in Act I.  Their relationship is deeply rooted and realistic, based on decades of familiarity and comfort.  Their dialogue reveals new aspects of both their personalities, yet they remain calm and accepting with one another.  Paul Sparks is intoxicating as Jerry.  His rhythm and physicality keep you engaged through Edward Albee’s detailed monologues in Act II.  The connections between these characters are vital to the climactic impact of the play, and this cast masterfully creates the bonds that are needed.

Paul Sparks & Robert Sean Leonard
Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Scenic design by Andrew Lieberman is open and abstract.  The realistic green arm chair in Act I and the five iron and wood park benches in Act II keep the action grounded and realistic.  Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo: Homelife & The Zoo Story is playing at Pershing Square Signature Center through March 11.  Go see it!

Domenick Danza

The Band’s Visit

The Band’s Visit

Ethel Barrymore Theatre

February 4, 2018

Photo courtesy of The Band's Visit

I’ve heard over and over that The Band’s Visit is not a conventional musical.  Now that I’ve seen it, I understand the meaning of that statement.  This show is in a league of its own and is not to be compared to other musicals.  The score, by David Yazbek, takes you deeper into the heart and mind of each character.  The book, by Itamar Moses, captures the rhythm of the Israeli and Egyptian cultures depicted in the story.  David Cromer’s direction lures you into the deep longing and desire of the characters through careful timing, aching looks, and cautious physicalization.  Through fluid movement and gesture, Patrick McCollum’s choreography creates an emotional pulse that causes connection and delicately moves the action forward.

Photo courtesy of The Band's Visit

When eight Egyptian members of the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra are scheduled to perform in Israel, they accidentally find themselves in the wrong town.  Dina (played by Katrina Lenk) offers to put the musicians and their leader, Tewfiq (played by Tony Shalhoub), up for the night.  The connections made in this one short evening change the outlook of all involved.  To paraphrase Dina, “the most beautiful moments in life are those that are unexpected.” 

Photo courtesy of The Band's Visit

Katrina Lenk and Tony Shalhoub are mystical.  Their intimacy reaches all the way to the mezzanine.  The entire cast works brilliantly as an ensemble, drawing the audience in for their individual, honest, and emotional stories.  Stellar performances are delivered by John Cariani (as Itzik), Ari’el Stachel (as Haled), Adam Kantor (as Telephone Guy), and Daniel David Stewart (as Papi).

The Band’s Visit is a must see!  It is personal, intimate, and poetic.  It will hopefully be at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre for a long time running.

Domenick Danza

Amy and the Orphans

Amy and the Orphans

Roundabout Theatre Company

The Laura Pels Theatre

February 4, 2018

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Lindsey Ferrantino’s new play Amy and the Orphans, presently in preview at Roundabout Theatre Company, is a bold telling of siblings facing the truth about their upbringing.  Ms. Ferrantino skillfully weaves humor into the unravelling of brutal facts, crafting a script that is masterfully structured.  Scott Ellis beautifully directs this phenomenal cast into finding moment after moment of honest revelation that builds to clear and painful understanding and acceptance.

When Jacob (played by Mark Blum) and Maggie’s (played by Debra Monk) father pass away, they fly to New York to make the necessary arrangements.  Before driving to their father’s home in Long island, they stop in Queens to pick up their sister Amy (played by Jamie Brewer).  Amy was born with Down syndrome, lives in a state funded residence, and has a job in a local movie theater.  There is much talk between Maggie and Jacob about their regular visits with Amy, but the reality is that they don’t know her very well.  They learn a lot about her in the few days they spend with her and her state appointed guardian, Kathy (played by Vanessa Aspillaga), including the truth about the years she spend in a “group home” in Staten Island.

Director Scott Ellis in rehearsal with Jamie Brewer, Debra Monk, and Mark Blum
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Diane Davis and Josh McDermitt deliver heart breaking performances as the parents of Amy, Maggie, and Jacob.  Their scenes take place at least fifty years prior to the main action of the play.  The turmoil in their decision to put Amy into a state funded hospital in Staten Island is stirring and powerful.  Their scenes are full of denial, humor, fear, love, and desperation.  These scenes accurately depict the limited knowledge of the time period about people with special needs.

Debra Monk and Mark Blum develop an honest and poignant sibling dynamic.  It reflects the idealism and naiveté of their generation and offers a vivid insight into the cause of their distance and inability to connect.  Jamie Brewer delivers an excellent performance as Amy.  She has a strong presence, and her character’s intentions are clearly portrayed.  Vanessa Aspillaga tells it like it is as Kathy.  She gives the audience a focused perspective on the themes and actions of Ms. Ferrantino’s brilliant writing.

The full company of Roundabout Theatre Company's production
of Amy and the Orphans
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Amy and the Orphans is a poignant and potent play.  It allows us to see how far we’ve come as a society on the education of people with disabilities, and how far we have yet to go in our understanding of individuals with special needs.  See this play!  It is running at the Laura Pels Theatre through April 22. 

Domenick Danza