The Hills of California

 The Hills of California
Broadhurst Theatre
November 16, 2024 

Photo courtesy of The Hills of California

Jez Butterworth’s The Hills of California is a heartbreaking journey through the shattered dreams of four sisters.  Director Sam Mendes explores the rhythm inherent in Mr. Butterworth’s writing to accentuate the poignant moments and delve into the truths of the story.  The large cast works beautifully together, evoking a genuine ambiance of Blackpool, England in 1955 and 1976.  The set spins and time seamlessly shifts, bridging the emotional correlation of past and present.

Jill (played by Helena Wilson) is having the piano tuned in the Seaview Rooming House as the nurse, Penny (played by Ta’rea Campbell), is giving her the latest update on her mother’s condition.  She can pass at any time from her battle with cancer, yet Jill is desperate for her mother to hang on until her oldest sister, Joan (played by Laura Donnelly), arrives from California.  Her youngest sister, Ruby (played by Ophelia Lovibond), is there with her husband (played by Bryan Dick).  When her older sister, Gloria (played by Leanne Best) arrives, she is ragging on her husband (played by Richard Short) and her two teenage children (played by Nancy Allsop and Liam Bixby).  She quickly turns her malice onto Jill and Ruby.  

Photo courtesy of The Hills of California

Time shifts back to 1955.  The four sisters (played by Nancy Allsop, Nicola Turner, Sophia Ally, and Lara McDonnell) are rehearsing their Andrew Sister’s routine with their mother, Veronica (played by Laura Donnelly).  She is a serious task master, and the girls are hard workers.  One of the boarders, Jack Larkin (played by Bryan Dick), arranges an audition for the girls with Perry Como’s manager, Luther St. John (played by David Wilson Barnes).  He informs Veronica that the material in the girls’ act is out of date, and only one of them has star potential.  The events that follow change the lives of the family, yet not in the way they hoped.

Leanne Best, Ophelia Lovibons, Helena Wilson, & Laura Donnelly
Photo courtesy of The Hills of California

Mr. Butterworth’s writing is honest and prolific.  The characters are distinct, truthful, and empathetic.  Each are brutally affected by the events that took place in 1955.  They are haunted by their past, and no matter how hard some of them try, they cannot escape.  Helena Wilson portrays Jill with optimism and hope.  She never left the family home and holds onto the joyful memories that bonded her to her sisters when they were performing together.  Leanne Best does not hold back in showing Gloria’s resentment and bitterness.  Her fire fuels the conflict between the sisters.  Ophelia Lovibond’s Ruby is both naive and knowledgeable.  She knows how to get what she wants, yet she wears her heart on her sleeve.  

Joan finally arrives during Act III, and the sisters must face the truth… and themselves.  Laura Donnelly is grounded and fully exposed in her portrayal of this character.  She weaves wild tales of success and failure.  Some are true and some are lies, yet they all emotionally engage her sisters.  What these four characters reveal and how they open up when they are finally united is riveting.  The final moment is simple and powerful. 

The Hills of California is playing at the Broadhurst Theatre through December 22.  Don’t miss it! 

Domenick Danza

Tin Church

 Tin Church
Off the Wall Productions
Chain Theatre
November 9, 2024

Photo courtesy of Off the Wall Productions

Playwright Robyne Parrish explores the traumatic effect of abuse in her play Tin Church.  She creates a haunting atmosphere where dreams and memories collide, giving the characters places to hide their secrets.  They are inevitably uncovered, yet never fully admitted to.

We first meet the characters, Mary (played by Marguerite Stimpson) and her younger sisters, Linda (played by Christina Perry) and Sue (played by Lilly Tobin), during a dream.  Mary says it’s her dream, yet her sisters think it’s theirs.  Later, Mary writes a letter to her cousin, thanking her for coming to her grandmother’s funeral.  Mary and her sisters discuss the items they took from their grandmother’s house after her funeral.  When Mary’s mother, Mildred (played by Virginia Wall Gruenert), is sitting with her girls on the porch, she asks Sue to bring their Daddy, who is up in his room, sick, a glass of sweet tea.  First, Mildred adds extra sugar.  The girls say it’s too much.  Later, Mildred has a dream.  Mary comes to her room at night because she can’t sleep.  Mary tells her mother that she saw her grandmother and her Daddy taking a nap together.  Mildred asks Mary if this is a dream or a memory. 

Lilly Tobin, Marguerite Stimpson, & Christina Perry
Photo courtesy of Off the Wall Productions

The ninety-five-minute play continues with these fragmented dream/memory scenes that create an unsettled atmosphere.  Piece by piece things start to connect.  The physical, sexual, and emotional abuse these women experienced is so overwhelming that none of the characters can face it.  They each cover it up in their own way, adding layers of trauma.

This cast, under the direction of the playwright, does a phenomenal job of telling this multi-layered story.  They create honest moments and truthful relationships that reveal the underlying story of their experiences.  The audience connects the images from the dreams and memories to the interactions of the characters in real time.  Marguerite Stimpson’s Mary is always looking out, searching for something.  Christina Perry’s Linda drinks too much and pushes her sisters’ buttons.  Lilly Tobin’s Sue is overly sensitive and wound way too tight.  Their real time scenes are full of conflict, which is reflected in the haunting manner of the dream sequences.  

Lilly Tobin, Virginia Wall Gruenert, Christina Perry, & Marguerite Stimpson
Photo courtesy of Off the Wall Productions

Virginia Wall Gruenert plays Mildred as a grounded matron for the family.  When we realize what she’s been doing when sweetening her husband’s tea, we understand that groundedness is not rooted in sanity.

The heartbreak of this story is how this family trauma remains unresolved at the end of the play.  Two of the characters, Linda and Sue, have children of their own.  They argue over who is more like their mother.  It is astounding how much of this pattern will be passed down to the next generation, as it was passed on to these women. 

Tin Church is playing at Chain Theatre through November 23. 

Domenick Danza

The Blood Quilt

 The Blood Quilt
Lincoln Center Theater
at the Mitzi E. Newhouse
November 5, 2024

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Katori Hall’s new play, The Blood Quilt, tells the story of four sisters holding onto their heritage and treasured family traditions, while facing their dark truths.  The Lincoln Center Theater production is beautifully designed and skillfully presented.  Director Lileana Blain-Cruz gives this phenomenal cast of five the space and freedom to dive deep and deliver soulful performances.  They create honest family bonds that are filled with love, resentment, and acceptance.  The atmosphere is pure and genuine, grounded in family memories and ancestral history.

Four sisters come together in their family home in Kwemera Island off the coast of Georgia to sew one final quilt to honor the passing of their mother.  Clementine, the oldest (played by Crystal Dickinson), took care of their mother in her final days.  She longs to keep their quilting tradition alive.  Gio, the second daughter (played by Adrienne C. Moore), is brutally honest, drinks too much beer, and carries a dark secret.  Cassan (played by Susan Kelechi Watson) arrives with her teenage daughter, Zambia (played by Mirirai), who is all about putting her life on social media, and recently decided to be Muslim.  They are all surprised when their youngest sister, Amber (played by Lauren E. Banks), shows up for the quilting circle.  She is a successful entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, and missed the funeral three weeks earlier.  Zambia always idolized her Auntie Amber, and is very happy to see her.  However, her presence sets Gio off, forcing Clementine and Cassan to play referee.  

The Cast of The Blood Quilt
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

The stories of the family quilts are shared as the sisters start on their project.  Each quilt holds pieces of the people who worked on them, and they are all signed in blood.  When their mother’s will is read, old resentments rise to the surface.  On top of that, Clementine tells them that they owe over $250,000 in back taxes on the house and property.  As they try to solve that problem, Gio reveals her secret, which sets off a wave of honesty that could put a severe rift in their bond.

These five women are amazing in these roles.  Their characters are powerfully written and highly detailed.  Each has a backstory that makes them distinct against the family heritage that connects them.  Chrystal Dickinson is grounded as Clementine.  Adrienne C. Moore is fierce as Gio.  Susan Kelechi Watson portrays Cassan as steady and firm.  Lauren E. Bank’s Amber comes off as the successful, perfect daughter, then shows the crack that makes her human and flawed.  Mirirai plays the young Zambia as fearless and headstrong. 

The Blood Quilt is a poignant story, carefully crafted, and compassionately delivered.  It is playing at Lincoln Center’s Mitzie E. Newhouse Theater through December 29.  Don’t miss it!

Domenick Danza

Death Becomes Her

 Death Becomes Her
Lunt-Fontainne Theatre
November 2, 2024 

Photo courtesy of Death Becomes Her

Death Becomes Her is a bold and brassy new Broadway musical, based on the 1992 movie of the same title.  The music and lyrics, by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, are dazzling, energetic, and zestful.  The songs both drive the plot and offer an insightful look into the characters.  Marco Pennette’s book is crisp, campy, and full of one-liners that bring the house down.  Christopher Gattelli’s direction is fast paced, and his choreography is vigorous.  It keeps the audience fully engaged.  The cast is great, and the ensemble creates an atmosphere that allows the audience to joyfully buy into the magic and mystery of the storyline.

Helen Sharp (played by Jennifer Simard) introduces her life-long friend and two-time Academy Award nominated actress, Madeline Ashton (played by Megan Hilty), to her fiancé, Ernest Menville (played by Christopher Sieber).  At first, Madeline is not impressed.  She then finds out that Ernest is a plastic surgeon.  She immediately puts her hooks into him, and steals him from Helen.  This is the last straw for Helen, who has suffered from Madeline’s petty jealousies for decades.  She winds up in a mental hospital, and vows to seek revenge. 

Megan Hilty & Jennifer Simard
Photo courtesy of Death Becomes Her

Fast forward ten years.  Madeline’s career has gone downhill, and her marriage to Ernest is failing.  Meanwhile, Helen has published a new bestseller, looks fabulous, and is riding high on her success.  This sends Madeline into a downward spiral, until she meets Viola Van Horn (played by Michelle Williams), who sells her a potion that restores her youthful looks.  It does, however, come with a serious warning.

Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard are amazing as Madeline and Helen.  Their characterizations are over the top.  Their comic timing is perfect, and their singing is spectacular.  The scene where Madeline falls down a flight of stairs is skillfully staged.  The biggest surprise is when she loses her head, literally.  Megan Hilty plays the next scene with her head on the bar cart.  It is hysterical… and highly effective.  Christopher Sieber plays Ernest with heart.  Both women use him for their selfish need, yet he never gives up on himself.  

Michelle Williams & the Ensemble
Photo courtesy of Death Becomes Her

Scenic design by Derek McLane is sumptuous.  The lighting by Justin Townsend is superb.  Paul Tazwell’s costumes are incredible and full of imagination.  There are a lot of very fast changes, both for costumes and sets.  Everything is seamless and brilliantly paced.  This creates a stunning glamour that, combined with the campy, over the top humor, gives this show an opulent style of its own.

Death Becomes Her is playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.  It is presently in preview, and officially opens on November 21.  Go see it! 

Domenick Danza

Stereophonic

 Stereophonic
Golden Theatre
October 26, 2024 

Photo courtesy of Stereophonic

The Tony Award winning Broadway production of Stereophonic is a unique and engaging experience.  Playwright David Adjmi draws you into the relationships, challenges, and backstories of the characters.  His well-crafted dialogue causes you to lean forward and listen carefully.  The phenomenal cast, under the masterful direction of Daniel Aukin, plays the rich subtext, raising the stakes in every moment.  Heated arguments flare up, rooted in ambition, jealousy, and need.

It is 1976 in a recording studio in Sausalito, California.  The band is cutting their second album.  Diana (played by Amy Forsyth) just had a single from their previous album rise high on the charts.  Peter (played by Benjamin Anthony Anderson), who is her lover and manager of the band, is proud of her, but also threatened by her rising success.  Reg, the bass player (played by Will Brill), arrives drunk for the recording session.  Grover, the sound engineer (played by Eli Gelb) confesses to his assistant, Charlie (played by understudy Denver Milord), that he lied about his experience to get this job.  He is nervous about the band members finding out, so he keeps them supplied with alcohol and cocaine.  Holly, the keyboard player (played by Rebecca Naomi Jones), confides in Diana that she is moving out of the house the band shares because she needs space.  She bought a condo.  When Reg retreats under a blanket in his usual funk at the end of the session, the drummer, Simon (played by Chris Stack), tries to cheer him up.  Peter, looking to bond, joins in their conversation.  He admits that his brother is competing in the Olympics.  His whole family is watching the televised swim meet, except him.  His choice is to be in the recording studio with the band.  Every time the band records a track, they fight.  Every piece of advice for improvement is taken as a personal criticism.  The more they try to separate the work from their personal lives, the more entwined they all become.  When their album is completed, it goes to number one on the charts, and the complex entanglements accelerate. 

Photo courtesy of Stereophonic

This is truly an ensemble piece.  Each character is precisely developed.  Their needs, ambitions, and flaws are distinct and intense, creating a dynamic that fuels their work together.  As their success increases, so does their dependence on one another, causing deep-seeded conflict in their ability to achieve their individual objectives.  Some of them rise independently from this struggle, and some do not.  Each character has their own arc of growth and self-awareness, creating a realistic tone and enthralling atmosphere.  This cast has a phenomenal connection, each delivering fierce portrayals of these compelling characters.

Stereophonic is playing at the Golden Theatre through January 12.  It is skillfully written, directed, and performed.  You will be fully immersed in the passions of the characters for the three-hour fifteen-minute running time.  Don’t miss it! 

Domenick Danza

Ashes & Ink

 Ashes & Ink
AMT Theater
October 18, 2024 

Photo courtesy of AMT Theater

Ashes & Ink is an emotionally charged piece of theatre.  Playwright Martha Pichey presents well-developed characters facing the challenges of loss, grief, and addiction.  The relationships are truthful and clear.  Her dialogue is rich and honest.  There are a few very poignant, well-written monologues, revealing the inner turmoil of the main characters.  Director Alice Jankell keeps this excellent cast connected and focused on the action, while sustaining a smooth pace.

Molly (played by Kathryn Erbe) is surprised when her son, Quinn (played by Julian Shatkin), arrives home unannounced.  He left rehab without telling anyone.  He is preparing for an important audition for acting school, and cannot concentrate at the rehab center.  Molly allows him to stay, and helps with his monologues.  The next day they visit Molly’s boyfriend, Leo (played by Javier Molina), and his young son, Felix (played by Rhylee Watson).  Quinn takes Molly’s car and disappears without saying a word, leaving her frantic.  When he returns, he spends time teaching Felix to ride his bicycle.  They are very fond of one another, linked by loss.  Felix longs for his mother, who died of cancer when he was a baby.  Quinn misses his father, who passed away from a seizure a few years earlier.  Leo wants to take his relationship with Molly to the next level.  He suggests a romantic weekend, but she keeps putting him off.  She is overwhelmed with Quinn’s behavior, the transition of her business, and the failing health of her sister, Bree (played by Tamara Flannigan).  She risks losing Leo.  She first must come to terms with her son’s addiction and his inability to take responsibility for himself. 

Julian Shatkin & Kathryn Erbe
Photo courtesy of AMT Theater

Kathryn Erbe is wonderful as Molly.  She skillfully links into a deep and genuine level of emotion for this character.  She and Javier Molina (Leo) have wonderful chemistry.  They tenderly reach for one another, and almost get what they want.  Pain and apprehension overwhelm Molly.  Ms. Erbe plays these moments beautifully.  Mr. Molina delivers a touching portrayal of this patient and caring character.  It is heartbreaking when he realizes the truth of the situation. 

Julian Shatkin plays every tactic in delivering a truthful performance of Quinn’s addiction.  He is likeable, sympathetic, and, at times, untrustworthy.  His charm wins Molly over, then his behavior reveals his true colors.  He ends up pushing her further than she can handle.  Mr. Shatkin creates a strong and truthful relationship with Rhylee Watson (Felix).  They create honest and caring moments together.  

Ashes & Ink is playing at AMT Theater through November 3. 

Domenick Danza

The Counter

 The Counter
Roundabout at Laura Pels Theatre
Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre
October 16, 2024 

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

The Counter is a touching new play by Meghan Kennedy.  It tells the story of two characters who take the time to reach out.  Ms. Kennedy’s dialogue is honest and direct.  Secrets are revealed.  Bonds are formed.  A shift takes place in the routines and expectations of the characters, causing an emotional release for both of them.  It shows how a small connection can make a big difference in a life.  

It is winter in a small upstate New York town.  Paul (played by Anthony Edwards) goes to the same diner for breakfast every morning.  He is served at the counter by Katie (played by Susannah Flood).  They noticed little things about one another, but keep their observations to themselves.  One morning, Paul breaks the routine by asking Katie to be his friend.  He shares a secret about himself, and asks Katie to do the same.  She hesitates, but eventually tells him about voice mails she has saved on her phone from a person she once dated.  After listening to one of them, Paul makes a request that shocks Katie, pulling her in deeper than she anticipated.  

Susannah Flood & Anthony Edwards
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Anthony Edwards and Susannah Flood create a genuine bond in this piece.  It slowly develops, then catapults to a point of no return.  Both actors stay attuned to each other throughout the play, delivering a rhythmic portrayal of connection and reliance.  The more they open up, the more we feel their desperate need.  Their commitment to their word is honorable, building trust that is life-changing for both of them.  

Amy Warren plays Peg, the town doctor.  She unexpectedly shows up at the diner one morning, craving coffee cake.  This brief scene is a turning point for the action.  It is well directed and beautifully performed.  With no words, she and Mr. Edwards show a deep level of intimacy.  This reveals a side of Paul that Katie had not seen before.  She urges Paul to act on his feelings.  He refuses, but later supports her with the same genuine care. 

David Cromer has done an excellent job directing this remarkable cast.  They all deliver captivating performances in this well-crafted play.  The Counter is playing at the Laura Pels Theatre through November 7.  Don’t miss it! 

Domenick Danza