Joy

 Joy
Laura Pels Theater
June 30, 2025

Photo courtesy of Joy

The Off-Broadway production of Joy, now playing at the Laura Pels Theatre, is an uplifting new musical.  It is based on the life of Joy Mangano and her book Inventing Joy: Dare to Build a Brave & Creative Life.  It was also a 2015 movie starring Jennifer Lawrence.  The music and lyrics by Annmarie Milazzo are spirited and energetic.  The book by Ken Davenport is sharp and witty.  Joshua Bergasse’s choreography is clever and precise.  Director Lorin Latarro finds the comic timing and pace to keep the show moving, and, most importantly, she finds the heart. 

Joy (played by Betsy Wolfe) is a single mother doing the best she can, which never seems to be enough.  Her mother, Toots (played by Jill Abramovitz), never gets off the couch, and has not left the house in over two years.  Her father, Rudy (played by Adam Grupper), is divorced from her mother, living in her basement, and dating Lorraine, an old friend of hers from high school (played by Jaygee Macapugay).  Her ex-husband, Tony (played by Brandon Espinoza), is a could-have-been band singer, also living in her basement.  Her young daughter, Christie (played by Honor Blue Savage), is angry that her mother seems to always put her last, even though she is always first in her thoughts.  When Joy loses her job, she gets an idea for improving a common household tool… the mop.  Unlike all her other ideas, she takes bold moves on this one.  She draws up a design and makes a prototype from objects she has around the house.  No one in her family believes in her, but she is motivated to make life better for her daughter.  She has a dream, and defies all odds to achieve it. 

Betsy Wolfe
Photo courtesy of Joy

Betsy Wolfe is endearing as Joy.  She has the audience’s full attention from the moment she enters, and engages every emotion throughout the story.  The character is far from perfect, but the audience roots for her every step of the way.  Her singing voice rings with drive and emotion.  She creates a powerful relationship with Honor Blue Savage, who plays her daughter Christie.  Ms. Savage portrays the teenage angst perfectly.  Her disappointment in her mother is fierce, and Ms. Wolfe meets that with unrelenting determination.  As the plot progresses, Christie steps up to support her mother.  Ms. Savage plays this moment with genuine love and admiration. 

Jill Abramovitz portrays Joy’s mother, Toots, with a cynical edge that provides the laughs.  In the second act, when the chips are down, she delivers a heartfelt song.  The audience understands where that cynicism comes from.  Her character is redeemed, as are all Joy’s family members when they support her in her darkest hour.  

The cast and ensemble are phenomenal in this well-crafted, jubilant new musical.  The small stage of the Laura Pels Theater feels expansive and alive.  Joy is playing for a limited time, running through August 17.  Don’t miss it! 

Domenick Danza

Falsettos

Falsettos

Lincoln Center Theater

Walter Kerr Theatre

October 15, 2016

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Lincoln Center Theater is celebrating William Finn’s Falsettos with a poignant revival at the Walter Kerr Theatre.  Under the directions of James Lapine, this powerhouse cast delivers breathtaking performances.  The production offers a chance to stop and think of not only how far we have come in just a few short decades, but what took place that propelled us forward and how important it is to not fall back.

Act I takes place in 1979.  Marvin (played by Christian Borle) has left his wife, Trina (played by Stephanie J. Block), and son, Jason (played by Anthony Rosenthal), for his lover, Whizzer (played by Andrew Rannells).  In an attempt to maintain a sense of connection, Trina and Jason see Marvin’s psychologist, Mendel (played by Brandon Uranowitz).  The entanglement intensifies when Mendel falls in love with Trina and they get married.  The emotional upheaval that comes with the breakdown of the traditional family is tenderly illustrated in this act.  Uncertainty is felt by all the characters.  Stephani J. Block keeps the humor high in her rendition of the song “I’m Breaking Down.”  She and the men in the cast comically illustrate her point of view about this tough transition in the song “March of the Falsettos.”

The cast of Falsettos
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Act II takes place in 1981.  Marvin has split with Whizzer and befriended his neighbors, Dr. Charlotte (played by Tracie Thoms) and her girlfriend, Cordelia (played by Betsy Wolfe).  When Jason invites Whizzer to his baseball game, Marvin and he start up again.  While plans for Jason’s Bar Mitzvah are underway, Whizzer is diagnosed with AIDS.  Tracie Thoms succinctly expresses the helplessness and confusion that was felt at the beginning of the AIDS crisis.  Christian Borle creates a number of sincere and honest moments that connect to what he tells his son in Act I, that love is most important.  It is the chemistry of this amazing ensemble that allows the message of Falsettos to ring true and come full circle.

This production lacks the groundbreaking effect that it had when it was originally produced at Playwrights Horizon in 1981.  It does, however, allow us to reminisce on decades past and reflect on what is important to carry forward in the decades to come.

Domenick Danza