Theater Reviews

Susan Granger’s review of ‘The Gardens of Anuncia” (Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center)

 

Rather than reading a biography, what a joy it is to watch the early life of famed Broadway choreographer Graciela Daniele in post-World War II Argentina, unfold on-stage at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center.

While present-day Ms. Daniele is embodied by 75 year-old Priscilla Lopez, who plays the title role of contemporary Anuncia, she is seen as a young woman (Kalyn West) who was raised in Buenos Aires in the ‘40s and ‘50s during the regime of Juan Peron and his wife Evita.

As a curious, unruly child, Anuncia studied ballet and, since she was a gifted dancer, her career took her to Paris, then New York, where she made her Broadway debut in 1964 in “What Makes Sammy Run?”

Three self-sacrificing women were pivotal in Anuncia’s existence: Mami, her mother (Eden Espinosa), who loathes the authoritarian government where she works as a secretary; Tia, her aunt (Andres Burns) who enjoys the company of men but maintains her independence; and Granmama, her feisty grandmother (Mary Testa), who is “agreeably separated” from her seafaring husband.

By example, they impart determination, resilience and compassion to ambitious Anuncia, whose father deserted the family when she was six. Interacting with these strong, matriarchal women, Enrique Acevedo and Tally Sessions juggle the various male roles, including a ‘magical realism’ deer that whimsically warbles one of the more memorable songs, “Dance While You Can.”

Originally produced in 2021 at the Globe Theater in San Diego, it’s the occasionally repetitive creation of composer/lyricist/librettist Michael John LaChiusa and perceptively directed by 84 year-old Ms. Daniele herself, sharing co-choreographic duties with Alex Sanchez.

According to LaChiusa’s program notes, “’Anuncia’ is not a biomusical; it’s more of a fantasia on a life, a riff on a memory play.” Sets are by Mark Wendland, costumes by Toni-Leslie James, lighting by Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, recreated by David Lander and sound by Drew Levy.

Apparently Anuncia traces her unusual name back to Biblical times when the Archangel Gabriel told Mary that, if she consented, she would bear God’s son, indicating that – although she was chosen – Mary was still free.

Freedom is a prevailing theme of this small-scale musical, which is quite charming and engaging, I just wished for more about Ms. Daniele’s later career which eventually garnered her 10 Tony nominations for directing and choreography, including her contributions to “Ragtime” and “Once On This Island.”  In 2021, she received a special Lifetime Achievement Tony.

“The Gardens of Anuncia” plays at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center through December 31^st.

Susan Granger’s review of “I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE”: (Classic Stage Company – Off-Broadway)

 

Barbra Streisand may feel as if her life-on-stage is unfolding backwards. First there was the revival of her signature show “Funny Girl.” Now “I Can Get It For You Wholesale” recalls her Broadway debut at age 19 as Miss Marmelstein – for which she garnered her first Tony Award nomination.

Adapted and revised from Jerome Weidman’s first novel and dark musical comedy by his playwright son John Weidman (“Assassins”), it’s set in 1937 in Manhattan’s Garment District, run by Jews, and introduces aggressive, ambitious Bronx-born Harry Bogen (Santino Fontana), a shipping clerk who is determined to make money as fast as possible.

“Life’s a cold cash situation,” he sings. “Bought and paid for – no obligation.”

Con artist Harry Bogen is the quintessential anti-hero. He kick starts his career when he breaks a strike and launches his own company. Eager to assimilate into gentile society, he swindles money from his childhood sweetheart Ruthie (Rebecca Naomi Jones) and trusting friends, hooking up with glamorous, gold-digger Martha Mills (Joy Woods) along the way. Then there’s his frustrated yet steadfast secretary, Miss Marmelstein (Julia Lester).

Selfish Harry Bogen embodies the nasty kind of stereotypical Jew that makes Jews like me squirm in embarrassment, particularly as Hamas is terrorizing and brutalizing our brethren in Israel.

Cleverly directed by Trip Cullman, Harold Rome’s music and lyrics, many inspired by traditional Jewish holy music, are memorable, particularly when sung by Fontana and Judy Kuhn, who plays his long-suffering “Eat a Little Something” mother.

Appropriately, is concludes around a Shabbat dinner table with “What money makes, money takes away.”

But even with Ellenore Scott’s brisk choreography, it’s not easy to overcome the jumble of wooden chairs and tables that constitute Mark Wendland’s cumbersome set design.

FYI: Back in 1962, Streisand’s future ex-husband Elliott Gould originated the role of Harry Bogen. When it was made into a 1951 movie, there was a gender-reversal with Susan Hayward playing a ruthless Seventh Avenue model who partners with salesman Dan Dailey and manufacturer Sam Jaffe to rise in the ‘Rag Trade.’

Presented by the Classic Stage Company, 126 East 13^th Street, “I Can Get It For You Wholesale” runs through December 17. Will a Broadway run be next?

Susan Granger’s review of “Job” (SoHo Playhouse – Off-Broadway)

 

Max Wolf Friedlich’s new play “Job” can be terrifying. Running a terse 80 minutes, it starts and ends with a gun – and, as handgun violence proliferates, we all become edgy when a firearm is center-stage.

Set in January, 2020, the drama revolves around stressed-out Jane (Sydney Lemmon), who works at a huge social media company in Northern California. When she has a shrieking breakdown at work, a video of her scary outburst goes viral.

In order to return to work, Jane must attend a mandated, psychological evaluation session with a therapist. Which brings her to the office of Dr. Loyd (Peter Friedman) where her combative attitude threatens to derail any semblance of crisis management, particularly since she’s carrying a gun

Jane is obviously overwhelmed and a bit emotionally lost. But she’s articulate and, perhaps, hyper-verbal about the significance of her role at the company. So is the weapon she’s carrying a threat or her version of a security blanket?

Calm and essentially kind, Loyd voices various observations about ethics, social justice and how the omni-present Internet has changed everyone, particularly the insistence that technology is beneficial and benevolent – even when it isn’t.

Like: I am my job and my job is me. This is my significance in the world.

Jane believes that she’s important – and that the work she does is valuable. Perhaps that’s because she’s a Millennial/Gen-Z and, being older, Loyd is a Boomer. He has the money and power, while she just wants to get back on the phone.

Since this play is a two-hander and there’s lots of ambiguity, the audience is left to ponder: Is this a parable or just the playwright’s observation on the generational divide?

Adroitly directed by Michael Herwitz, the production clearly benefits from Jessie Char and Maxwell Neely-Cohen’s sound design.

As more and more performances sell out, the run of “Job” at SoHo Playhouse has now been extended thru October 29^th. For tickets and more information, go to sohoplayhouse. com

Susan Granger’s review of “Back to the Future: The Musical” (Winter Garden Theater-Broadway)

 

Like the original sci-fi comedy classic, the Broadway adaptation “Back to the Future: The Musical” relates how teenage Marty McFly time-travels in a jazzed-up DeLorean DMC from 1985 back to 1955, when his parents first met.

Make no mistake – the plutonium-powered sports car is the star of the show. Everything – and everyone – else pales in comparison, partially because the actors bring little or no originality to their respective characters.

As Marty, Casey Likes (“Almost Famous”) earnestly imitates Michael J. Fox’s vocal inflections, rather than claiming the role as his own, while Roger Bart embodies eccentric Doc Brown with the kind of familiar shtick he used in “The Producers” and “Young Frankenstein,” not even coming close to the zaniness of Christopher Lloyd.

At two hours, 40 minutes, it’s nearly an hour longer than the movie – but the audience seems to relish every rehashed moment, detailing Marty’s quirky chagrin as realizes how nerdy his dad, George (Hugh Coles), is/was and how overtly flirtatious his mom, Lorraine (Liana Hunt), was – back at Hill Valley High School.

Bob Gale, who wrote the original screenplay with director Robert Zemeckis, once again collaborates with the film’s composer Alan Silvestri, along with songwriter Glen Ballard (“Jagged Little Pill”), on this pop-culture phenomenon which made its theatrical debut in Manchester, England, before transferring to London’s West End, where it won the 2022 Olivier Award as Best New Musical.

According to Gale, his inspiration for the adventurous romp emanated from seeing a photo of his father in an old high-school yearbook, which is why he still regards the characters as manifestations of relationships within his own family.

Working with production designer Tim Hatley, illusionist Chris Fisher and video creator Finn Ross, director John Rando navigates the technical transfer from screen-to-stage, including the tricky clock tower sequence.

It’s all slick and serviceable, if a bit pointless since the generic songs – aside from Chuck Berry’ “The Power of Love” and Huey Lewis and the News’s “Johnny B. Goode” – are quite forgettable.

My advice: if you really love the story, stream the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment movie again.

Susan Granger’s review of “On Golden Pond” (Ivoryton Playhouse)

 

Are you up for a road trip? Mia Dillon from Fairfield and James Naughton from Weston team up for a superb theatrical treat – “On Golden Pond” at the Ivoryton Playhouse, near Essex, Connecticut – and acting doesn’t get much better than this.

Watching and listening to their comedic interplay is as engrossing as sitting before any matched play of champions. Mia Dillon has an extraordinary presence and James Naughton has never been better. Their exquisitely modulated and richly satisfying performances exude a seamless simplicity. What a joy to see such talent endure.

If you’ve never seen “On Golden Pond,” written by Ernest Thompson, it revolves around Ethel and Norman Thayer, a retired professor and his perceptive wife who have always spent summers in her family’s rustic cottage on a tranquil lake in Maine.

While Norman is about to turn 80, this summer is no different – until their somewhat estranged daughter Chelsea (Stacie Morgain Lewis) arrives with her fiancé Bill (Josh Powell) and his snarky 13 year-old son, Billy (Sebatino Cruz).

Directed by Brian J. Feehan, the supporting cast is not only strong but displays a charming understanding of the faith and folly of aging that’s both funny and heartbreaking.

The only jarring note was when cynical Norman makes an obviously anti-Semitic remark. Perhaps in 1979, when the play was written, it was more acceptable to denigrate Jews. Now, it isn’t. That racist line should have been deleted because it comes across as a reprehensible verbal betrayal by a character whose curmudgeonly company we’ve come to enjoy,

FYI: The first Broadway production starred Frances Sternhagen and Tom Aldredge while Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda won Oscars for their respective roles in the 1981 movie version.

You can see “On Golden Pond” at the Ivoryton Playhouse through June 11.  For tickets, go to ivorytonplayhouse.org.

Susan Granger’s review of “Breathless” (59E59 – Off-Broadway)

 

My mother often said, “Your home is living space, not storage space.” So I’m not quite sure what she’s make of Laura Horton’s one-woman show “Breathless.”

Engaging actress Madeleine MacMahon embodies Sophie, an aspiring writer in her late ‘30s who is wildly, madly, totally besotted by clothes. She indulges her passion for designer fashion at sample sales, wardrobe clearances and charity thrift shops.

Bottom line: Sophie is a hoarder….or, as she puts it, “It makes me feel safe but it also suffocates me.”

Sophie’s angst is heightened by her need to hide this obsession from Jo, a woman to whom she’s romantically attracted after years of unsuccessful connections with men. Problem is: Jo is, essentially, a minimalist.

“There’s all the time in the world to see my place,” Sophie tells Jo, but – how long can she keep up this façade? Is it worth sacrificing the potential relationship?

Sophie’s sensitive, self-exploratory, comic monologue is funny, honest and heartfelt.

Directed by Stephanie Kempson with technical support from Natasha Whitley, Dan Heesemas, Holly Harbottle and Ellie Showering, it’s imported from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Playwright Laura Horton is Plymouth Laureate of Words, 2021-22, the first playwright and woman in that position…and obviously she’s devoted much time to researching the mental illness known as hoarding addiction.

According to Psychology Today, “Hoarding disorder can create social, professional, and functional problems that affect not only the individual but also the people around them.” And the Mayo Clinic website adds, “People with hoarding disorder may not see it as a problem, so getting them to take part in treatment can be challenging.”

Running 1 hour, 15 minutes with no intermission, “Breathless” is presented by Theatre Royal Plymouth as part of the Brits Off-Broadway Festival at the 59E59 Theatre on the Upper East Side through May 7, 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Granger’s review of “Plays for the Plague Year” (Off-Broadway at the Public Theater)

 

Suzan-Lori Parks was the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for drama for her 2001 “Topdog/Underdog,” but I’ve been intrigued by her prolific work ever since she became a mystifying force at the Yale Rep in New Haven.

Now at Joe’s Pub, Parks shares the stage with eight performers who play her husband, son, friends, cops and colleagues – living and dead – in a marathon, three-hour session, recounting 13 months of songs and stories written at the height of the recent Covid pandemic and punctuated by Parks performing her own music with a band (guitarist Rick Molino, bassist Graham Kozak, percussionist Ray Marchica).

These short vignettes – a play-a-day – chronicle Parks’s family life, working on a television project while guiding her eight year-old son (Leland Fowler) through the rigors of remote learning and nursing her quarantined husband (Greg Keller) through a long bout of Covid – in a one-bedroom apartment.

Directed and choreographed revue-style by Niegel Smith with Rodrigo Munoz’s imaginative costumes, there are additional Black Lives Matter commentaries that ‘bear witness’ to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Herman Cain. Above the stage, production designer Peter Nigrini displays the date attached to each memory segment.

There’s even audience participation since each of us fills out yellow notecards on which we write what we would like to remember about the pandemic year and what we would like to forget. Some of these are later read aloud.

“I had this belief that theater would save us,” Parks notes. “But it won’t. Not in the way I thought it would. But it does preserve us, somehow.”

A unique presentation, “Plays for the Plague Year” is at the Public Theater through April 30.

Susan Granger’s review of “Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical” (Off-Broadway  – Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s)

 

Whether or not you’ve been faithfully watching the Netflix sci-fi/horror series “Stranger Things,” there’s something to laugh about in writer/producer Jonathan Hogue’s campy, delightful satire “Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical.” Of course, if you’re an avid fan, it’s even funnier.

Background info: Now in its fifth and final Netflix season, “Stranger Things” is set in 1983 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where unauthorized experiments in a secret laboratory have opened a portal to an alternate dimension called The Upside Down, where there are monsters like the Demogorgon, a hideous humanoid with supernatural powers.

Meanwhile, nerdy local middle-schoolers have befriended a telekinetic young girl called Eleven, who managed to escape from the laboratory; they hide her and offer her sanctuary….So much for the TV series plot.

On-stage, it seems that young Will Byers (a puppet operated by Carolina Huerta) is now stuck in the Upside Down and needs to be rescued; his mother, Joyce Byers (Caroline Huerta), is, predictably, frantic.  Eleven helps Will’s pals Mike Wheeler (Nicolas Hermick), Dustin Henderson (Jeremiah Garcia) and Lucas Sinclair (Jamir Brown) find him, aided by Chief of Police Jim Hopper (Nicolaus Colon).

In a departure from the TV series, one of the primary characters turns out to be Nancy Wheeler’s best friend, Barbara “Barb” Holland (SLee) as the formulaic “frumpy best friend.”   They sing: “We’ll stick together, friends forever, and best friends never, they never die.”

Nancy is Mike’s older sister who is dating Will’s older brother, Jonathan Byers (Kyle Mangold), along with Steve Harrington (Kyle Mangold). Yes, it’s a bit confusing.

On the TV show, Barb mysteriously disappears and is eventually discovered to have been killed by the Demogorgon.  But – here – it’s “Barb’s Turn,” an energetic musical number. Justice for Barb!

With book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Hogue – who is pursuing a graduate degree in theater management & producing at Columbia – the show is directed by Nick Flatto with choreography by Ashley Marinelli, scenic design by Walt Spengler, lighting by Jamie Roderick, sound by Brendan McCann, and puppets by Matt Anderson.

Extended by popular demand, “Stranger Songs! The Parody Musical” will run at Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s, just off Times Square in Hell’s Kitchen, through August 13, 2023. FYI: You must climb six steps to get into the theater; plus, the two bathrooms are small and do not have wheelchair access.

Susan Granger’s review of “Camelot” (Vivian Beaumont Theater/Lincoln Center)

 

We all bring preconceived concepts when we go to theater. With “Camelot,” I have many. The source material – T.H. White’s “Once and Future King,” detailing the Arthurian legend, is my favorite book – and I was dazzled by Lerner & Loewe’s 1960 Broadway show with Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet. I can even remember how Jacqueline Kennedy associated it with her late husband’s brief tenure as President of the United States. Just the name “Camelot” strikes a deep resonance inside me.

So while I was eager to see the new version of “Camelot” at Lincoln Center, I was curious about Aaron Sorkin’s revision of Alan Jay Lerner’s libretto and Bartlett Sher’s casting. The first I found provocative, the second disconcerting.

Best known for TV’s popular “West Wing,” Oscar-and-Emmy-winning Aaron Sorkin is a master wordsmith; he’s updated T.H. White’s romantic fantasy to a more idealistically political concept, no longer filled with sorcery and spells.  After all, the reason France’s Princess Guenevere (Phillipa Soo) married England’s King Arthur (Andrew Burnap) was to broker a treaty between their nations.

While their union brings peace and prosperity, along with a new concept of equality and fairness, at no time does insecure, aloof Arthur express any modicum of affection for Guenevere. Instead, he calls her his “business partner.”  Indeed, he seems far too boyish, awkward and sexless to cope with her snarky sophistication – which makes one wonder if their union was ever consummated.

So when uber-manly, vainglorious Lancelot du Lac (Jordan Donica) arrives in court, it seems only natural for Genevere to be attracted to him. Sorkin hints that her adultery isn’t as much a betrayal as a desperate plea for physical affection. Of course, that’s not the way it’s reported by malevolent Mordred (Taylor Trensch), Arthur’s illegitimate son from a one-night stand with cynical, conniving Morgan La Fey (Marilee Talkington).

In 2019, Bartlett Sher staged a Lincoln Center concert version of “Camelot” with Lin-Manuel Miranda playing Arthur; too bad he could not repeat that aspirational casting. Eliminating the magic was one thing but not to offer exciting/enticing casting in its place is a major mistake.

Scenic designer Michael Yeargen disappoints by never showing an actual ‘Round Table’ on his overly-spare set but Jennifer Moeller’s medieval costumes are quite sumptuous and kudos to B.H. Barry’s rousing swordfight.

Fortunately Frederick Loewe’s original score remains intact – except “I Loved You Once In Silence” is sung before, not after they made love, which doesn’t make sense.  But Robert Russell Bennett & Philip J. Lang’s orchestrations are well served by Music Director Kimberly Grigsby’s 30-piece orchestra.

Performing Tuesday through Sunday at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, “Camelot” runs approximately 2 hours, 55 minutes with one intermission.

Susan Granger’s review of Judy Gold’s “Yes, I Can Say That!” (Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters)

 

At the very beginning of her provocative one-woman show, Judy Gold says that a comedian’s only goal on-stage is to make audiences laugh. Considering that criterion, the veteran stand-up performer’s hilarious “Yes, I Can Say That!” is a resounding success.

She’s not alone in her sentiment. Victor Borge said, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people,” Charlie Chaplin attested, “A day without laughter is a day wasted,” and Milton Berle noted, “Laughter is an instant vacation.”

“Calm the fuck down!” Gold demands, beginning her tirade against the sanctimonious book-banning, drag-queen-pursuing gestapo that comprises current Conservative eagerness to censor free speech.

Yet drawing the line isn’t easy. Gold admits that she once made a joke about a Hasidic woman in Brooklyn who had her wig ripped off while she was walking down the street with her children that totally backfired on her. But she cites her collaborator Eddie Safaty, who maintains, “Going to a comedy club and expecting not to be offended is like going on a rollercoaster and expecting not to get scared.”

Acknowledging the great – but often corrosive – female comedians who have influenced her, Gold imitates and cites Moms Mabley, Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers, Totie Fields, and Phyllis Diller. Plus, she acknowledges comedians who have been imprisoned – even murdered – by their governments, particularly Afghan’s Khasha Zwan, killed by the Taliban.

And she’s open about her venomous reaction to “misogynist pig” Jerry Lewis’ notorious appraisal: “A woman doing comedy doesn’t offend me, but sets be back a lot. I think of her as a producing machine that brings babies into the world.”

Openly lesbian, Gold confesses to a having a childhood crush on Brooke Shields and not ‘coming out’ publicly until the mid-‘90s.

Based on Gold’s 2020 book of the same name, it’s directed by BD Wong for Primary Stages; the show incorporates Shawn Duan’s clever projections and inventive stage business, serving as one woman’s very personal narrative, augmented by Lex Liang’s set design, Anshuman Bhatia’s lighting and Kevin Heard’s sound.

Gold has invited Sandra Bernhard to join her for an after-show talk-back and has scheduled Mary Trump to join her on Friday, April 14^th.

Running 1 hour 20 minutes with no intermission, “Yes, I Can Say That!” is Off-Broadway at 58E59 Theaters through April 16^th.