POTUS

 POTUS
Shubert Theatre
May 26, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Potus

POTUS is a raucous and sidesplitting look at the behind the scenes happening at the White House.  Playwright Selina Fillinger has written an over the top script filled with funny lines, physical comedy, truthful characters, and a hilarious premise.  Director Susan Stroman works this cast of brilliant performers into a frenzy.  The action rises as the stress builds and the laughter culminates to a one line ending that says it all.

During an international meeting, the President of the United States makes a sexist and derogatory remark about his wife, Margaret (played by Vanessa Williams).  Harriet, the President’s Chief of Staff (played by Julie White), and his Press Secretary, Jean (played by Suzy Nakamura), are frantically figuring out how to spin it.  Stephanie, the President’s secretary (played by Rachel Dratch), is trying to prevent Margaret from seeing the president and making the situation worse.  Meanwhile, it is discovered that the president had an affair with a young, blond woman, Dusty (played by Julianne Hough), who is now pregnant with his child.  Harriet invited her to the White House to quiet the incident.  In addition, the President pardoned his sister, Bernadette (played by Lea Delaria), who was serving a prison sentence for international drug dealing.  When a reporter (played by Lilli Cooper), is interviewing the First Lady, she overhears and records the conversations where all this dirty laundry is aired.  Mayhem ensues, as Jean takes Margaret’s phone containing the recordings, and an accident takes place that could put all their necks on the chopping block. 

Julie White & Suzy Nakamura
Photo courtesy of Potus

The fast pace and high energy of the show is set in the opening scene between Julie White and Suzy
Nakamura.  These two skilled actors successfully light the fuse, and everything accelerates from there.  The set, designed by Beowolf Boritt, is on a turn table that quickly spins to reveal various rooms in the White House.  This allows for immediate changes, seamless transitions, and a continual build in the pace and comic timing. 

The Full Cast
Photo courtesy of Potus

The cast is phenomenal.  Julie White is full of vim and vigor.  She is a powerhouse.  Suzy Nakamura is enthralling.  Her character is constantly throwing obstacles, forcing the action to rise.  Vanessa Williams is aggressive and domineering.  Her portrayal of the First Lady is multi-layered and frighteningly truthful.  Rachel Dratch creates a character full of insecurity and very different from the others.  She makes the most out of every moment she is on stage.  Julianne Hough is perky and innocent as the President’s mistress.  She jumps right into the mix of powerful women, and rises to the challenge.  Lea Delaria is a grounding force.  Her character is full of surprises, carrying a bag of tricks on her shoulder from which she pulls out every imaginable prop needed for each sticky situation. 

As funny as this play is, it packs a thoughtful and provocative wallop at the end.  Go see it!  It is everything you could imagine from this magnificent cast. 

Domenick Danza

Cyrano de Bergerac

 Cyrano de Bergerac
The Jamie Lloyd Company
BAM Harvey Theater
May 14, 2022 

Photo courtesy of BAM

Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac is magnificently re-envisioned by Playwright/Translator Martin Crimp.  This production, originally scheduled to run at Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2020, is now running at the Harvey Theater.  Directed by Jamie Lloyd, this interpretation celebrates words: the power of the written word, the poetry in the rhythm of words, and the value of the spoken word.  This Olivier-winning production comes direct from London, and is not to be missed.

Cyrano de Bergerac (played by James McAvoy), a soldier, a poet, and a true romantic, is passionately in love with Roxanne (played by Evelyn Miller).  He has kept this secret hidden from her due to his ugliness.  He has an extremely large nose, which he is very sensitive about.  Anyone who comments on it is met with his vicious wrath.  When Roxanne falls in love with Christian (Eben Figueiredo), a new soldier in Cyrano’s regiment, she asks Cyrano to protect him.  Although brokenhearted, Cyrano agrees.  Christian, fully aware of Cyrano’s sensitivity, makes fun of his nose in full view of the other men in his regiment in order to prove his bravery.  Cyrano is about to pounce, when Christian’s name is revealed.  Cyrano befriends Christian out of loyalty to Roxanne.  He tells Christian of Roxanne’s love.  Christian explains that, when it comes to women, he is not good with words.  The two men enter a pact.  Cyrano will write letters to Roxanne and sign Christian’s name.  All goes well, until Christian realizes that it is Cyrano who Roxanne is truly in love with. 

James McAvoy as Cyrano
Photo courtesy of BAM & The Jamie Lloyd Company

This production is brilliantly staged in the style of spoke word performance.  In the opening scene the cast of eighteen line up on the stage and set the tone and rhythm for what is about to unfold.  They are a united ensemble.  They introduce the characters and the main story line.  Most of the dialogue/poetry throughout the play is direct address.  Therefore, the moments when the characters look directly at one another are amazingly powerful.  The relationships are strong.  The passion is visceral.  The poetry is enthralling. 

James McAvoy & Eben Figueiredo
Photo courtesy of BAM & The Jamie Lloyd Company

James McAvoy is commanding and charismatic as Cyrano.  Evelyn Miller is self-assured and demanding as Roxanne.  Eben Figueiredo is naive and arrogant as Christian.  Tom Edden is portentous and threatening as De Guiche. 

Cyrano de Bergerac runs at the BAM Harvey Theater through May 22.  Don’t let this unique and exciting production close without seeing it for yourself. 

Domenick Danza

The Land of Swollen Faces

 The Land of Swollen Faces
Kairos Italy Theater 
The Tank
May 13, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Kairos Italy Theater

The Land of Swollen Faces, a one character play by Paolo Bignami and translated by Carlotta Brentan, played for eight performances at The Tank (312 W. 36 St., NYC).  It was presented by Kairos Italy Theater, and part of the 2022 Homecoming Season.  The play packs a potent message of the long term effects from an environmental disaster.  The modest production elements allowed the audience to focus all their attention on the solo actor, Joseph Franchini.  His performance is highly engaging.  He creates a character that pulls the audience into the story, leaving a powerful impression on everyone watching.

Wimpy (played by Joseph Franchini) is a young boy living with his family outside of Milan, Italy.  He enjoys lying on the grass and watching the clouds.  He has his favorites.  One reminds him of a woman, and the other reminds him of a trumpet player.  He notices that they appear in the sky at the same time every afternoon.  When he gets older, he starts working at the chemical factory.  At first the factory is a remarkable place, full of strange smells and rigid structures.  After an explosion in the factory, some of the workers start getting sick.  Their faces swell up.  Wimpy’s supervisor tries to get the factory inspected and shut down, but since profits are good and the town relies on the factory for employment, management refuses to listen.  After a second explosion, more workers get sick.  Wimpy notices that the clouds in the sky are changing, growing darker, and that his face is starting to swell.  One by one, the workers from the factory die.  It is discovered that the land, water, and air of Wimpy’s town have become toxic.

Joseph Franchini creates an endearing character.  His Wimpy is simple minded and delightful.  The audience is amused by him, and builds trust in him.  This pays off when the action of the story turns serious and dangerous.  It is the fondness the audience has for Wimpy that emotionally engages them, making them concerned for his well-being.  This is how Mr. Franchini pulls the audience into the serious message of the story, allowing them to fully understand the severity of the situation and become aware of the long-term dangers of environmental accidents. 

Unfortunately, the final performance of The Land of Swollen Faces was on May 15.  Click HERE to check out the Kairos Italy Theater website for upcoming performances.  If this performance is an example of the quality of their work, they will all be well worth seeing. 

Domenick Danza

The Skin of Our Teeth

 The Skin of Our Teeth
Lincoln Center Theater
at the Vivian Beaumont
May 12, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

The Lincoln Center Theater production of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth is big, bold, and brilliant.  Director Lileana Blain-Cruz shrewdly juxtaposes the character interpretations, keeping the tension, conflict, and humor building throughout.  The third act rings with truth and relevance, as the actor are costumed in Civil War era attire.  Additional material by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins allows the direct address comments by the character of Sabina to be relatable to today’s audience.  The cast of twenty-eight works together as a tight ensemble, bringing this 1942 Pulitzer Prize winning three-act play to dazzling life on the Vivian Beaumont stage.  

Act I opens on Sabina (played by Gabby Beans), the housekeeper to the Antrobus family, preparing for Mr. Antrobus (played by James Vincent Meredith) to return from work.  We meet Mrs. Antrobus (played by Roslyn Ruff) and their two children, Gladys (played by Paige Gilbert) and Henry (played by Julian Robertson).  They are the perfect family, except for the alarming secrets they keep very well hidden.  Their existence is threatened by the ice coming from the north, moving everything in its path, and leaving people frozen in their homes.  They reluctantly open their home to a group of refugees in need of shelter and warmth, who help keep the fire burning as the ice approaches.  The world as they know it about to end.  

Roslyn Ruff, Julian Robertson, Paige Gilbert,
& James Vincent Meredith
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Act II finds the Antrobus family in Atlantic City among mayhem and merriment, during the convention of the order of mammals.  Mr. Antrobus declares “Enjoy yourself!” as the message of the day, while a Fortune Teller (played by Priscilla Lopez) predicts destruction by a great storm.  As Mr. Antrobus breaks the news to Mrs. Antrobus that he is leaving her for Sabina, the rain begins.  Mrs. Antrobus allows Sabina to escape with the family on a huge boat with two of each animal species.  They are prepared to start over. 

Act III is dark.  The war has ended.  The Antrobus family and Sabina have survived.  Gladys has a baby.  Mr. Antrobus and Henry return from war in serious dispute.  It is time to rebuild, yet Mr. Antrobus is tired and disheartened.  It will take community effort to restore the safety of their home if mankind is to endure. 

Gabby Beans as Sabina
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

From the minute the curtain goes up, Gabby Beans grabs the audience’s attention, and keeps them fully engaged and gleefully entertained for the full three hours.  Her Sabina is high energy and animated.  The tone of her direct address is distinctly different, setting up not only the humor in Mr. Wilder’s writing, but clarifying the device he employs throughout the play to punctuate his important messages.

James Vincent Meredith and Roslyn Ruff are strong and fearless as Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus.  They are fully in sync, especially when their characters are in dispute.  Ms. Ruff skillfully plays Mrs. Antrobus’ staunch determination with charm and appeal.  Mr. Meredith portrays Mr. Antrobus as a blustery, self-assured intellectual.  

Priscilla Lopez as The Fortune Teller
Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

Paige Gilbert and Julian Robertson are wonderful as Gladys and Henry Antrobus.  Their characters have a strong arc during Act I and Act II, and show tremendous growth and maturity in Act III.  Mr. Robertson delivers a heartbreaking moment in Act III that is truthful and genuine.  

Priscilla Lopez is mysterious, charismatic, and daring as the Fortune Teller.  Her character leads the narration in Act II, and Ms. Lopez skillfully brings the action to its well needed climax.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of The Skin of Our Teeth is running at the Vivian Beaumont Theater through May 29.  Don’t miss this production! 

Domenick Danza

How I Learned to Drive

 How I Learned to Drive
Manhattan Theatre Club
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
April 28, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

The Manhattan Theatre Club production of Paul Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive is mesmerizing.  Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse step into the award winning roles they created in the original 1997 Vineyard Theatre Off-Broadway production.  Director Mark Brokaw finds a pace that eases the audience into the unsettling events of the story.  We are lured into the action of the play as the darker side is exposed.  The story does not unfold, but jumps around in time, requiring the audience to piece the details together.   

David Morse & Mary-Louise Parker
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

When we first meet Li’l Bit (played by Mary-Louise Parker) and Peck (played by David Morse), they are sitting in a car.  There is a physical distance between them, but the sexual tension and discomfort is potent.  They could be any two people, until we hear her call him “Uncle” Peck.  The action jumps back to Li’l Bit's younger years.    She grew up in Maryland, in a family that made her feel less than whole.  At first, she finds companionship in her Uncle Peck.  Her company helps him stop drinking.  The affection between them grows, until Li’l Bit becomes unable to escape.  Her mother (played by Johanna Day) warns her against spending time with him.  Her Aunt Mary, Uncle Peck’s wife (also played by Johanna Day), is somewhat aware of what is going on, yet waits for it to pass.  Both women feel Li’l Bit is to blame what happens to her.  Li’l Bit survives the sexual misconduct inflicted on her by her Uncle Peck over the years, yet she carries him with her for her everywhere she goes.

Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse are brilliant as Li’l Bit and Uncle Peck.  Ms. Parker embodies a darkness within her throughout the play.  Mr. Morse flavors his character with a soothing southern charm.  They find moments of connection, attraction, disdain, and surrender that draw you into the events.  As Li’l Bit’s resistance builds in the later years of the story, Ms. Parker infuses the character with fierce determination.  Mr. Morse portrays the beginning of Uncle Peck’s downfall with a surprising level of vulnerability.  They are enthralling together.  

Alyssa May Gold, David Morse, Mary-Louise Parker,
Johanna Day, & Chris Myers
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

Johanna Day is powerful as Li’l Bit’s Mother and Aunt Mary.  Her characters have distinct voices, yet share a rhythm that shows the destructive forces that surround Li’l Bit’s upbringing.  Adding to this damaging atmosphere are Alyssa May Gold and Chris Myers as Li’l Bit’s grandmother and grandfather.  Ms. Day, Ms. Gold, and Mr. Myers work as a tight ensemble (“Greek Chorus” as listed in the program), building tension and keeping the action flowing.

Since 1997, Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive has been produced across the country, giving voice to victims of sexual molestation.  It is a most valuable work, addressing the effects of holding in a secret that can have a long term effect.  This Manhattan Theatre Clun production is well directed, skillfully acted, and masterfully produced.  Go see it!  

Domenick Danza

Mr. Saturday Night

 Mr. Saturday Night
Nederlander Theatre
April 23, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Mr. Saturday Night

Billy Crystal lights up Broadway in Mr. Saturday Night.  The show is full of one liners, double takes, and heartfelt moments.  The book is written by the same three who wrote to original move (Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, & Babaloo Mandel).  Jason Robert Brown’s score is lively and memorable.  Amanda Green’s lyrics are witty and character driven.  Director John Rando brings all the elements together and shines them up to create a fun new musical.  

The year is 1994.  Buddy Young Jr. (played by Billy Crystal), who was a famous TV comic in the 1950s, is now performing in Senior Homes and feels he has hit bottom.  When he is mistakenly listed as “recently deceased” on the Emmy Awards presentation, his brother Stan (played by David Paymer) flies in from Florida.  Stan was Buddy’s manager in the early days, until they had a falling out.  The Today Show calls Buddy for an interview to correct the error from the Emmy Awards.  Buddy feels this is his chance to make a comeback, so Stan calls in a favor with a big agency, who sends Annie Wells (played by Chasten Harmon) to discuss the possibilities.  In his usual style, Buddy manages to insult Ms. Wells, but she still wants to represent him.  Buddy has a rough road ahead, not just with his career, but in building back the relationship with his brother and healing the relationship with his daughter, Susan (played by Shoshana Bean).  

David Paymer & Billy Chrystal in the 1992 film
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Billy Crystal’s timing during his stand-up routines and old comedy sketches is impeccable.  He and David Payne have a strong connection as brothers, both having played these roles in the original 1992 film.  Their relationship plays out through rhythm and comic timing.  They create a few very serious moments that are genuine and touching.

Randy Graff plays Buddy’s wife, Elaine.  Her character is a grounding force for Buddy.  She is solid and charming in this role, keeping the characters around her connected and the action moving.  Shoshana Bean is engaging and charismatic as Susan.  Her energy pushes each scene forward.  Her solos are strong and emotionally engaging.  Chasten Harmon brings heart and determination to the character of Annie Wells.  She raises the stakes and builds the momentum of the story. 

David Paymer, Billy Crystal, Shoshana Bean, & Chasten Harmon
Photo courtesy of Mr. Saturday Night

The ensemble is made up of three amazing performers: Jordan Gelber, Brian Gonzales, and Mylinda Hull.  Each play numerous roles that resurface throughout the story.  They are full of surprises, while skillfully keeping the action connected and delivering the laughs.  

Mr. Saturday Night has all the humor and heart you expect from a Billy Crystal project.  The story is touching.  The performances are bold and honest.  The set design, by Scott Pask brilliantly incorporates the video and projection designs of Jeff Sugg.  Get a ticket today.  You will definitely enjoy this show.     

Domenick Danza

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf

 For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide /
When the Rainbow is Enuf
Booth Theatre
April 1, 2022 

Photo courtesy of
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide /
When the Rainbow is Enuf

Director/Choreographer Camille A. Brown brings For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf vividly to life on Broadway.  The show returns to the Booth Theatre forty-six years after its original opening in 1976.  The brilliant cast creates vibrant characters, infusing Ntozake Shange’s writing and poetry with energy and passion.

Seven women tell tales of youthful hope, bitter disappointment, and hurtful betrayal.  They rise above and find the light within themselves that keeps them moving on.  The poetry rings with truth.  The prose are crisp and bitingly clear.  The choreography expresses the wide expanse of emotions experienced by the characters.  The movement comes from the earth and fills the space with enthusiasm and joy. 

Tendayi Kuumba leads the opening sequence as Lady in Brown, commanding the attention of the audience and luring them in with her expressive rhythms.  Kenita R. Miller, as Lady in Red, delivers a monologue that tears your heart out, then lifts you to a higher place.  Amara Granderson plays Lady in Orange with humor and zest.  D. Wood is sultry and seductive as Lady in Yellow.  Stacey Sargeant, Lady in Blue, tells her stories straight from the heart.  Okwui Okpokwasili is tall and bold as Lady in Green.  Alexandria Wailes is fluid and passionate as Lady in Purple.  

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf is a unique journey through storytelling, poetry, and movement.  The show was groundbreaking in 1976, and is still relevant and innovative today.  It is playing at the Booth Theatre for a limited time, presently scheduled through August, so get your tickets right away. 

Domenick Danza