The Minutes

 The Minutes
Studio 54
May 28, 2022 

Photo courtesy of The Minutes

Playwright Tracy Letts is very well known for bold, direct, in-your-face storytelling, yet The Minutes tops them all.  He crafted characters that are real.  You know them.  You like them.  You laugh at them.  You are them.  Mr. Letts structures this work so you follow these characters on their pursuit, yearning for the truth, until you find it.  Once you do, there is no going back.  

It is the weekly Big Cherry City Council meeting, a closed session.  Mr. Peel (played by Noah Reid) missed the previous meeting to attend his mother’s funeral.  He is welcomed back by Mayor Superba (played by Tracy Letts), who offers his condolences.  Mr. Peel asks the other council members what he missed from the previous meeting, including inquiring about Mr. Carp, another city council member (played by Ian Barford), who is not in attendance.  Everyone avoids these questions.  When the meeting starts, it is noted that the minutes from the previous meeting have not been prepared.  Mr. Peel is the only one concerned about this.  He continually brings up the absence of Mr. Carp and the omission of the minutes, yet his queries are incessantly avoided.  When an issue on the table requires a reference to the previous meeting, the minutes, which the clerk, Ms. Johnson (played by Jessie Mueller), was directed not to copy or distribute, are forced to be read.  The truth about Mr. Carp’s sudden disappearance is revealed, leaving Mr. Peel to make a life changing decision. 

Tracy Letts & Noah Reid
Photo courtesy of The Minutes

Mr. Letts brilliantly asks the question, “What happened to Mr. Carp?” in the opening scene.  This
driving questions draws you into about sixty minutes of action where you meet the characters and find out about the not too enthralling business of the town of Big Cherry.  You are fully engaged.  Truly invested.  The pay off, when the questions is answered, is far beyond any expectation.  Mr. Letts then takes it even further, giving insight into who we are as a nation and why we allow ourselves to become indoctrinated into beliefs and disciplines beyond imagination. 

Photo courtesy of The Minutes

The cast works as one solid unit, with leaders and outliers clearly defined.  The names of the characters offers insight into Mr. Lett’s intention for each character, and each actor delivers that intent superbly.  Noah Reid is naive and optimistic as Mr. Peel, persistently digging for the answers.  Tracy Letts is stalwart and steady as Mayor Superba.  Jeff Still and Cliff Chamberlain are steadfast and stubborn as Mr. Assalone and Mr. Breeding.  Danny McCarthy and K. Todd Freeman engage in meaningless discourse as Mr. Hanratty and Mr. Blake.  Austin Pendleton and Sally Murphy distractingly deliver the laughs as Mr. Oldfield and Ms. Matz.  Blair Brown is along for the ride as Ms. Innes.  Jessie Mueller is no-nonsense as Ms. Johnson.  Ian Barford is determined and straightforward as Mr. Carp.  

If you see anything this season make it The Minutes.  There is a frightening level of truth in Mr. Lett’s depiction of this small town and the people who inhabit it. 

Domenick Danza

Carousel

Carousel

Imperial Theatre

July 5, 2018

Photo courtesy of Carousel

The Broadway revival of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel is beautifully done.  The choreography is brilliant.  The set design by Santo Loquasto pulls you into a different time and place and blends the harsh realities in the story with the profound spiritual tale that raises the stakes.  The stellar cast creates genuine moments in the sweeping pace the show requires.  The ending is magic and true, emotional and mystical. 

Julie Jordan (played by Jessie Mueller) goes to the carousel with her best friend Carrie Pipperidge (played by Lindsay Mendez).  She catches the attentions of Billy Bigelow, the carousel barker (played by Joshua Henry).  They are magnetically drawn to one another.  Over time their relationship develops both tenderly and aggressively.  When Julie tells Billy she is going to have a baby, he realizes he needs to step up as a provider.  He joins his friend Jigger (played by Amar Ramasar) in a plan to rob a local businessman.  The robbery goes awry and, unable to face Julie, Billy kills himself.  He holds onto his aggressive demeanor in his meeting with The Starkeeper (played by John Douglas Thompson) at the pearly gates.  He is offered one visit to earth where he has a chance to redeem himself by helping his daughter, Louise (played by Brittany Pollack), who, at fifteen years old, is full of anger and resentment.

Jessie Mueller & Joshua Henry
Photo courtesy of Carousel

What stands out in this revival is how the first act is superbly structured.  Richard Rogers skillfully layers his music throughout the three scenes, while Oscar Hammerstein’s lyrics simply and succinctly tell the story in fluently sung dialogue.  Amid this musical synchronicity, Richard Rogers’ music unexpectedly swells into a theme that draws you deeper into the emotional life of the characters.  Joshua Henry, Jessie Mueller, and Lindsay Mendez exuberantly dive into these sections.  Their voices ring magnificently, creating truthful moments that draw you into the yearnings of their characters. 

Lindsay Mendez
Photo courtesy of Carousel

The ballet in the second act, where we meet Louise, is choreographer Justin Peck’s finest storytelling.  Louise’s character is clearly revealed through gesture, timing, and variations in her physical tension.  Brittany Pollack takes hold of all of these nuances and transports them into her scenes that follow the ballet. 

Photo courtesy of Carousel

Director Jack O’Brien focuses on the inner life of the characters in this production.  The story is in their personal conflicts.  His meticulous casting in these roles allows for the underlying desires of the characters to push the action of the play forward.  The ending makes sense on an emotional level, which is clear and intensely felt through Richard Rogers score.

Domenick Danza