Dead Outlaw

 Dead Outlaw
Longacre Theatre
April 26, 2025

Photo courtesy of Dead Outlaw

Good storytelling makes its way to Broadway in the production of Dead Outlaw.  The music, by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, sets the tone and pace that creates a throughline for the action.  The book, by Itamar Moses, makes a clear distinction between the factual discoveries and the fictional elements in the story.  It all that weaves together in a tall tale that entertains and mystifies.  The mood is playful and light, while the lyrics, also by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, combine a somber sense of sentimentality with a jolting story of how life that goes on after death.

In the 1970s, it was discovered that an amusement park puppet was actually the mummified remains of a human being.  The autopsy report uncovered bits of information that lead Coroner Noguchi (played by Thom Sesma) to believe it was the remains of Elmer McCurdy (played by Andrew Durand), who was born in 1911.  The story of Elmer’s life was relatively average, except for his failed attempt at being a legendary bank robber, which led to his getting shot and killed.  When Elmer’s body is not claimed by family, Coroner Johnson (played by Eddie Cooper) injects the body with arsenic, causing long term preservation.  This is the beginning of an adventure that surpasses any experience Elmer had before his death. 

Andrew Durand & Jeb Brown
Photo courtesy of Dead Outlaw

Jeb Brown leads the band and narrates the tale.  He is clear and focused, keeping the story rolling and the tone consistent.  Andrew Durand creates the character of Elmer McCurdy with pathos and gumption.  The audience connects to him right away.  He is a truly empathetic character.  His childhood is filled with sorrow.  He sabotages his one chance for true love.  It is funny how he fails at becoming an outlaw, yet the audience roots for his success.  For the final third of the show, Mr. Durand stands in a coffin as the mummified remains of his character.  He creates an eerie presence that keeps the character connected to the events that follow his death.

Trent Saunders, Andrew Durand, & Eddie Cooper
Photo courtesy of Dead Outlaw

The remaining six cast members play numerous roles.  Julia Knitel is outstanding.  Her portrayal of Maggie, Elmer’s love interest, and Milicent, a young teen who shares her inner thoughts with Elmer’s mummified remains, are honest, warm and vulnerable.  Thom Sesma delivers a rousing number as Coroner Noguchi, telling how he threads together evidence from an autopsy to build a complete story of life and death.  Eddie Cooper shows his versatility and strength, especially in the roles of Grandpa and Coroner Johnson.  Trent Saunders has a stellar scene and song as Andy Payne.  It ends on a somber and striking note.  There are also impressive performances by Dashiell Eaves and Ken Marks.

Dead Outlaw is playing at the Longacre Theatre.  In a time of high-tech productions with jaw dropping special effects, it is refreshing to sit back and experience good storytelling, country rhythms, and simple, innovative staging. 

Domenick Danza

Redwood

 Redwood
Nederlander Theatre
April 22, 2025

Photo courtesy of Redwood

The Broadway production of Redwood is a mind-blowing experience.  The setting is established through breathtaking projections.  The audience is transported deep into a California redwood forest, surrounded by stars at night and greeted by the rising sun glimmering through the branches in the morning.  Hana S. Kim’s video design, Jason Ardizzone-West’s scenic design, and Scott Zielinski’s lighting skillfully merge as one, drawing the audience into a journey of the senses.  The cast is phenomenal, emotionally engaging the audience in their private beliefs and healing process.  The book, by Tina Landau, cuts right to the core of the issue, delivering a powerful impact that carries the story to a spectacular conclusion.

Jesse (played by Idina Menzel) is struggling through denial and grief caused by the loss of her son.  She is in therapy with her wife, Mel (played by De’Adre Aziza), but it's not helping.  As the one-year anniversary of her son's death approaches, Jesse takes off in her car and drives across the country.  She finds herself in the middle of a redwood forest.  She is greeted by two environmental scientists, Finn (played by Michael Park) and Becca (played by Khaila Wilcoxon).  Becca urges Jesse to leave so they can continue with their work, but Finn has a sympathetic ear.  He allows Jesse to climb a majestic redwood, where she remains for a number of days, facing what she has been running from for the past year.  

Khaila Wilcoxon & Idina Menzel
Photo courtesy of Redwood

Idina Menzel masterfully commands the stage in this role.  Her songs are potent.  Her voice is powerful.  Her character is flawed and searching.  She plays with humor and sarcasm when she needs to deflect her feelings, while delivering genuine moments of grief and revelation.  

The score, by Kate Diaz, is bold and fervent.  Most of the songs are passionately belted, but as the main character faces her fears, the tone shifts.  Zachary Noah Piser plays Jesse’s son, Spencer.  He delivers a heartfelt solo near the end of the show that quiets the noise in his mother’s head.  He is tender and direct, open and present.  The song beautifully conveys the message of the story, but it is Mr. Piser who makes it memorable. 

Photo courtesy of Redwood

This cast of five creates truthful characters with heart.  The material is rich, allowing the audience to get to know each of them.  Director Tina Landau weaves them together and focuses the action to culminate in a riveting conclusion.

Redwood is playing at the Nederlander Theatre.  Don’t miss it! 

Domenick Danza

The Cherry Orchard

 The Cherry Orchard
Donmar Warehouse
St. Ann’s Warehouse
April 19, 2025

Photo courtesy of Dunmar Warehouse
& St. Ann's Warehouse

The Dunmar Warehouse production of The Cherry Orchard is astonishing.  This adaptation, written and directed by Benedict Andrews, turns Anton Chekhov's classic into an emotionally engaging experience.  The stage is bare.  The floor and walls are richly carpeted.  The characters, while drowning in their own inability to take action to move their lives forward, are crisp, alive, and empathetic.

Liubov Ranevskaya Andreevna (played by Nina Hoss) returns home to her beloved Russia after years of living in Paris.  She fled in grief after her young son drowned in the lake on the family property.  The entire estate, including the surrounding cherry orchard, is now being sold to pay the debt.  Yermolai Lopakhin (played by Adeel Akhtar), whose father and grandfather were servants for the Andreevna family, suggests they cut down the cherry orchard and divide up the land.  They can build homes and rent the properties.  He assures Liubov that the bank will give them a loan for this endeavor, which will allow them to maintain their beloved family home.  She will have none of it.  Her brother, Leonid (played by Michael Gould), asks their wealthy aunt for a loan, but it is not enough.  Lopakhin outbids every offer on the property, leaving the family homeless and with no other choice but to move on.   

Adeel Akhtar as Yermolai Lopakhim
Photo courteys of Donmar Warehouse & St. Ann's Warehouse

Benedict Andrews makes bold choices in the development of this adaptation.  There is a passionate speech given by the liberal tutor, Pyotr Trofimov Sergeevich (played by Daniel Monks), that focuses on the takeover by the oligarchs, who have no concern for the working class.  Mr. Monks fervently delivers this monologue, which directly addresses the political situation that is presently out of control in our country.  In Chekhov’s original work, the table turns on the caste system, as the economic circumstances of the characters shift.  Money rules, and the power belongs to those who have more of it.  It is striking how the social conflict that Anton Chekhov wrote about in his play in 1903 Russia runs parallel to our present time.  

Nina Hoss & Sadie Soverall
as Liubov & Anya
Photo courtesy of Donmar Warehouse
& St. Ann's Warehouse

Mr. Andrews brilliantly utilizes the space, keeping the actors visibly present (seated in the audience) when not in a scene.  They are spoken about and physically referred to, keeping them connected to all the action of the play.  They fill the space as their ancestors inhabit the house and estate, exemplifying their sense of belonging. 

The cast is riveting.  The darkness that is ever-present in Chekhov’s work is there, yet it does not weigh down the action.  These actors bring a sense of optimism and hope to the bleakest of times.  When Anya (played by Sadie Soverall) and Varya (played by Marli Siu) miss the opportunity for marriage, they are disappointed but not broken.  These moments are genuine and endearing.  After the family loses their beloved cherry orchard and their home, they carry on.  They will not only survive, but they will also flourish and thrive.

The Cherry Orchard is playing at St. Ann’s Warehouse through April 27.  Get a ticket.  It is an amazing production, living up to the Dunmar Warehouse standard that we’ve experienced in the past at St. Ann’s Warehouse. 

Domenick Danza

Love’s Concordia Bar

 Love’s Concordia Bar
Theater Company Della Luna
The Flea
April 16, 2025 

Photo courtesy of Theater Company Della Luna

When you enter the theater for Love’s Concordia Bar, the cast is milling around the space, introducing themselves, chatting and stirring up trouble.  The mood is magical and enthusiastic, full of wonder and mirth.  The ninety-minute performance blasts off from there, yet holds a few deep, dark revelations.  This Theater Company Della Luna production played at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  It is now at The Flea for a limited run.

Pragma (played by Ariana Pérez), in full disguise, pushes her way into Love’s Concordia Bar.  She is stopped at the door by Eros (played by Edoardo Tesio), who informs her that the Concordia Bar is owned by Love.  In order to enter, you must be in love.  Pragma explains that she is in search of her girlfriend, Ludus (played by Mia Pelosi), who she believes is cheating on her.  Eros feels that this jealousy is evidence of her love, so allows Pragma to enter.  She is unaware of the journey of love and heartbreak that is ahead for her. 

Photo courtesy of Theater Company Della Luna

The characters Pragma run into at the bar are all ensnared in love.  The passion between Philia (played by Soraya Omtzigt) and Storge (played by Cameron Tino) is electric.  Mania & Fisima (played by Essence Blake) were so deeply in love, that Love allowed them to merge into one body.  Cindy (played by Annelise Brooks Laakko) is enchantingly in love with her prince charming, while secretly carrying on with Harmonia (played by Olivia Altair).  Agave (played by Matthew Ramos) is eight years old and eagerly in search of his first true love.  Liriope (played by Tomoka Takahashi) conducts interviews with all of them, gathering data about what it is to be in love.  Eros hands out personal letters from Love to each of them, warning them to read the letters in private.

When Agape frantically runs out of the bar in search of true love, the mood shifts.  It becomes clear that this place is an isolated haven.  There might be a specific criteria to enter, but exiting is definitely taboo.  It is not until later, when Agape returns, aged and jaded, that we gain an insight into the strict power Love holds over this confined crowd.  

Edoardo Tesio & Olivia Altair
Photo courtesy of Theater Company Della Luna

The full cast, under the direction of Edoardo Tesio, does an amazing job creating a mysterious and magical environment.  They each embody unique, complete, larger than life characters.  The music, composed by Olivia Altair, and choreography, by Bridget Spencer, set a limitless boundary within the restricted walls of this fantastical place.  The characters intertwine.  The emotions run raw.  The excitement is consistently high.

Keep an eye on this company.  They are a true ensemble of artists.  They perform with selfless ownership of the material, and skillfully blend with genuine passion.  Playwright Marjorie Murillo shared that the script, written by her and Edoardo Tesio, came from group discussions about relationship experiences and their perspectives on the meaning of love.  The letters handed out during the action of the show were the impetus they used to build each of the characters.  

Love’s Concordia Bar is playing at The Flea through April 19.  It is a uniquely wild experience. 

Domenick Danza

Balance in the Asylum

 Balance in the Asylum
The Reiter Group
The Tank
April 14, 2025 

Photo courtesy of The Reiter Group

Blanche in the Asylum is a haunting exploration of the years Blanche DuBois spent in a mental institution after the conclusion of A Streetcar Named Desire.  Playwright Tim McNeil does a deep dive into this classic Tennessee Williams character.  The detail in the writing is striking.  The portrayal is stunning.  The turn in the action is riveting.

Blanche (played by Tim McNeil) has been in the asylum for thirty-five years.  She writes poetry and dwells on the fact that she is no longer “sexed.”  She openly talks about having at one time been a nymphomaniac, but that is all in the past.  The voice of Stanley, however, echoes in her head as if it is in the present.  “We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning.”  Blanche revisits her discussion with her late husband, Allan.  She shares what she witnessed when she walked in on him, and openly speaks of his homosexuality.  Blanche is waiting for her sister, Stella, to arrive for her weekly visit.  Instead, she is visited by Dr. Joy (played by Kelly O’Malley), who is there for their daily check-in.  Balance is given her medication, and is forced to swallow a difficult truth. 

Playwright/Actor Tim McNeil as Blanche
Photo courtesy of The Reiter Group

Tim McNeil delivers a riveting portrayal of Blanche in her later years.  He utilizes impeccable timing to creates several intense moments, allowing humor to flavor the effect of his storytelling.  His Blanche is powerless in her present environment, yet empathetic in her inner world.  This brings a level of authenticity to the interpretation, as it is beautifully reflection of the Blanche we know from A Streetcar Named Desire.

Kelly O’Malley starkly introduces reality to Blanche’s world as Dr. Joy.  The lighting shifts, the mood changes, and the entire story transforms.  It is a brilliant surprise, bringing the play to a mesmerizing conclusion. 

Blanche in the Asylum played at the Tank for only one weekend.  It closed on April 14.  Keep an eye out for its return.  Hopefully, it will be back.  If you are a Tennessee Williams fan, you will find it intriguing. 

Domenick Danza

Humpty Dumpty

 Humpty Dumpty
Chain Theatre
April 12, 2025 

Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

In Humpty Dumpty, playwright Eric Bogosian strips four characters of everything they believe themselves to be, forcing them to face some stark truths.  The Chain Theatre production spares no expense bringing this play to fruition.  Scenic designer David Henderson creates an isolated environment, complete with every rustic comfort that would send any urbanite off the deep end.  Director Ella Jane New guides each cast member to find the breaking point for their character as they unravel and face their flaws and weaknesses.  

It is the year 2000.  Four high-powered city dwellers decide to take a week off from everything and spend it in a rural town, hours away from their daily stress.  No work.  No phones.  No computers.  Max (played by Kirk Gostkowski) is eager to start his week vacation in this rustic, cozy environment.  His wife, Nicole (played by Chritina Elise Perry), continues to connect to her office, answering calls and demanding they meet every deadline.  Their friend, Troy (played by Gabriel Rysdahl), arrives with his girlfriend, Spoon (played by Marie Dinolan), and bags full of expensive gourmet foods and wine.  When the power goes out, the handyman, Nat (played by Brandon Hughes), brings a lantern and supplies to get them through the next day or two.  Nicole is freaked out by the loss of power, while Spoon finds it relaxing and grounding.  As days go by with no electricity, yet sporadic and skeptical information from the outside world, each of them faces their breaking point.  Nat leaves in a frustrated huff, then Spoon disappears.  In a moment of weakness, Nicole asks Nat to stay at the house with her and Max, pushing them to face the truth about their relationship.  When the lights come back on, nothing is the same. 

Marie Dinolan, Gabriel Rysdahl, Kirk Gostkowski,
& Christina Elise Perry
Photo courtesy of Chain Theatre

Kirk Gostkowski, Christina Elise Perry, Gabriel Rysdahl, and Marie Dinolan do a brilliant job establishing their high-powered characters in the opening scenes.  They are all successful in their own right and have no problem exhibiting their pride.  Troy is the most pompous and the first to crack.  Gabriel Rhysdahl genuinely plays this moment with a heightened vulnerability and aggressiveness.  Marie Dinolan experiences Spoon’s downfall from the inside.  She skillfully displays this implosion with subtle panic.  Brandon Hughes portrays Nat with an underlying sense of danger and mystery.  The power shifts when he is left alone in the house with Max and Nicole.  In these scenes Kirk Gostkowki and Christina Elise Perry strip the characters of Max and Nicole bare.  Their emotions are raw.  Their anxiety is high.  Their terror is intense.  The action goes way over the top, and Mr. Gostkowski and Ms. Perry play these moments with daring honesty, bringing the action to a sudden and stunning conclusion.

This is the New York premiere of Mr. Bogosian’s play, which was written twenty-five years ago.  It remains fresh and relevant, especially in a time where technology rules our lives and uncertainty is waiting outside the door.  

Humpty Dumpty is playing at Chain Theatre through May 3.  

Domenick Danza

On a personal note: A special shout out the Stage Manager, Grace Loeb, and her crew for a great job on this very heavy prop show, which includes food.

 

Scammed Into Love

 
Scammed Into Love
Theater for the New City
April 6, 2025 

Photo courtesy of Scammed Into Love

Briana Bartenieff’s musical, Scammed Into Love, is bold, cunning, and witty.  Her writing pushes the envelope with its biting humor and pertinent message.  J.H. Greenwell’s music is striking, crossing a number of genres with a clear rock inspiration.  The collaboration between J.H. Greenwell and Ms. Bartenieff on lyrics proves highly effective.  The songs help to define the characters, focus the objectives, and move the plot forward.

Olivia (played by Maya Partridge) gets her first job straight out of business school.  She thinks it is at an insurance company, but finds out it is a scam call center.  Her boss, Lorelei (played by Audrey Latt) tells her the first rule is to not get emotionally involved with the callers.  When Olivia transfers a challenging caller to Lorelei to manage, Lorelei finds herself breaking that most important rule, risking everything. 

Photo courtesy of Scammed Into Love

In the opening scene, the characters appear two dimensional with clear and simple objectives.  The audience is fully engaged by the comic timing, clever staging, and catchy music.  As the story progresses, the multiple layers of these characters are exposed.  The audience is drawn into their secrets and deeper yearnings.  Audrey Latt delves into this exploration as Lorelei, the main character.  Her staunch, all-business exterior quickly unravels, challenging her core beliefs and toppling the life she built for herself.  She has a life changing decision to make during the second act.  The audience is riveted as she faces her inner fears.  She, along with Sandy Melissa Garcia (playing Sam), beautifully carry the action to its conclusion.

Rosie Allenson, Maya Partridge, & Braderick Morrison
Photo curtesy of Scammed Into Love

Maya Partridge’s character, Olivia, reveals her true self in Act II.  It is a surprise, even though the seeds are well planted in Act I.  Ms. Partridge pulls this reveal off with tact and humor.  Rosie Allenson and Braderick Morrison play Bella and Tommy, two ruthless employees of Lorelie.  The timing and scorn in their bickering is priceless, keeping Act I moving at a stunning pace. 

Ms. Bartenieff’s play is an inspired combination of humor, sarcasm, and social reflection.  The shady actions of the characters are common in today’s environment.  Lorelei defends herself in Act II.  Her rationalization is understandable and accepted.  She is the ‘villain’, yet the audience roots for her to get away with her crimes, especially after she atones.  It is a fascinating look at the values and principles held by our present-day society. 

Scammed Into Love is playing at Theater for the New City through April 20. 

Domenick Danza