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

Apologia

Apologia

Roundabout Theatre Company

Laura Pels Theatre

September 29, 2018

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Stockard Channing is brilliant in Apologia, Alexi Kay Campbell’s play presently being produced Off Broadway by Roundabout Theatre Company.  The theme of self-forgiveness is prominently explored as a mother faces the feelings she kept buried deep within herself for decades, caused when her children were taken from her by their father.  Mr. Campbell has written rich, complex characters.  Through skillful dialogue and a precise structure, the story unfolds to reveal their unspoken truths.  Director Daniel Aukin masterfully builds the tension to a stunning climax.

Peter (played by Hugh Dancy) brings home his girlfriend, Trudi (played by Talene Monahon) to meet his mother, Kristin Miller (played by Stockard Channing), during her birthday celebration.  Kristin is 

The cast of Apologia in rehearsal
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

a world renowned art historian and political activist with an intimidating demeanor.  She is of American descent and has lived in England since she was twenty-two.  She is taken back by the discovery that Trudi is not only American, but enlightening Peter to be a born again Christian.  Her sons, both Peter and Simon (also played by Hugh Dancy), cannot live up to her highly idealistic expectations.  This includes her disappointment that Simon is dating Claire, a materialistic soap opera star (played by Megalyn Echikunwoke).  When conversations opens about Kristin’s newly published memoire, Peter attacks her because she did not mention him or his brother in the book.  The basic core beliefs of everyone are brought into question, and Kristin unearths and faces her deepest sense of loss and failure.

Stockard Channing & Director Daniel Aukin in rehearsal
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Stockard Channing creates a monumental character in Kristin Miller.  The stories she tells are mesmerizing and moving.  She has a genuine chemistry with the four other actors with whom she shares the stage.  Hugh Dancy is charming and personable as Peter, then dark and introspective as Simon.  The character of Peter has a powerful moment of confrontation with his mother toward the end of Act I.  Mr. Dancy flows into that moment and delivers it with sincere force that raises the stakes for all the characters.

John Tillinger, Talene Monahon, Stockard Channing, 
Playwright Alexi Kay Campbell, Hugh Dancy, 
Megalyn Echikunwoke, & Director Daniel Aukin
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

In the opening of the play Talene Monahon portrays Trudi as meek and polite when she meets Kristin Miller.  Ms. Channing plays these scenes with high self-esteem and graceful condescension.  Ms. Monahon’s Trudi does not flinch.  She firmly holds her ground while being highly impressed by Kristin’s intelligence and self-assurance.  In the second Act, Ms. Monahon reveals the source of Trudi’s strength.  We see her as an equally powerful woman to Ms. Channing’s Kristin.  There is a tender moment of bonding between the two women at the end of Act II, which pushes Ms. Channing’s character to brutally face her truth.

Playwright Alexi Kaye Campbell’s most skillfully crafted dialogue is in the opening scene of Act II, between Simon and Kristin.  The scene has a rhythm and tone that draws the audience slowly and deeply into the emotional depth of both characters.  The connection between Ms. Channing and Mr. Dancy in this scene is sincere and caring.  All the action prior to this scene pours into this important interaction, then magnificently flows forward to the end of the play.

This play is amazing!  The word “apologia” is defined during the play and on the program cover as meaning “a vindication, a justification, an explanation.”  It is said that it is very different from an apology.  Apologia is running at the Laura Pels Theatre though December 16.  You must see it!

Domenick Danza

Skintight

Skintight

Roundabout Theatre Company

Laura Pels Theatre

June 2, 2018

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Joshua Harmon’s new play, Skintight, is currently being produced by Roundabout Theatre Company.  The play makes profound statements about beauty, aging, and acceptance.  The characters are uniquely drawn and skillfully developed.  By creating characters in a wide range of ages, Mr. Harmon is able to present multiple points of view on his theme.  Director Daniel Aukin finds the rhythm of each character and uses the variations to build the conflict in the story.

Idina Menzel & Eli Gelb in rehearsal
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Jodi (played by Idina Menzel) makes a surprise visit to her world famous fashion designer father, Elliot Isaac (played by Jack Wetherall), on his seventieth birthday.  She knows her father does not like surprises, but she is in need of quality family time because her ex-husband just became engaged to a twenty year old.  She proclaims her disgust in his obsession over youth and beauty.  She then meets her father’s twenty year old boyfriend, Trey (played by Will Brittain).  The conflict rises when Jodi’s twenty year old son, Benjamin (played by Eli Gelb) arrives.  At first his spoiled, privileged attitude puts everyone on edge, until his attraction toward Trey creates a bigger problem.

The character of Elliot Isaac has a beautifully written monologue near the end of Act II that speaks of love and his attraction to Trey.  Jack Wetherall openly delivers it with sincerity and heart.  Idina Menzel portrays his daughter Jodi’s unacceptance of this explanation of “love” with powerful passive resistance.  She calls it “lust” and speaks of seeking the deeper joys in life.  Her character’s inability to accept her own aging is clearly reflected in her distaste for her father’s choices.

The Director, Cast, & Playwright of Skintight
Photo by Walter McBride
Courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Will Brittain plays Trey as a man comfortable in his own skin.  This is beautifully juxtaposed by Eli Gelb’s portrayal of Benjamin’s awkward self-consciousness.  These two actors build the multilayers of their characters through Mr. Harmon’s well-crafted dialogue, revealing their intention and desires.  Act I ends with a cliff hanger as these two actors create a true moment of connectedness that is interrupted by the character of Elliot Isaac.

The split level set by Lauren Helpern is elegantly designed.  It illustrates the heightened sense of style on which the main character built his empire.  It also enhances the theme of the power in the attraction to beauty.  Jess Goldstein further carries this ideal in her costumes, which magnificently complement the color and line of the set.

Skintight is playing at the Laura Pels Theatre through August 26.  The writing is excellent.  The characters are intriguing.  The themes are clear, bold, and relevant.

Domenick Danza