Theater Reviews

“I Just Want to Tell Somebody”

Susan Granger’s review of “I Just Want to Tell Somebody” (Theater for the New City/Off-Broadway)

 

Just when many Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters are temporarily closing because of the Covid-19/Omicron pandemic, the Theater for the New City has extended the premiere of this remarkable solo show through January 30.

Written and performed by Ronald “Smokey” Stevens, it’s an autobiographical chronicle of how Smokey’s rise as a Black performer on stage and screen was torpedoed by his cocaine addiction, which inevitably led to his incarceration, and then how he was able not only to recover but also to revive his career.

Adapted from his confessional memoir “I Just Want to Tell Somebody: The Autobiography of Ronald Smokey Stevens,” it’s a one-man, two-character play, starring suave Smokey as himself and his caustic, demonic nemesis called “D Man.”

Because his name might not be immediately familiar, director Stephen Byrd wisely inserts various archival video clips of his ensemble appearances, including Smokey tap dancing with Charles “Honi” Coles in “Bubbling Brown Sugar” and as one of the Crows dancing with Michael Jackson in “The Wiz.”

Inevitably, Smokey’s career trajectory encompasses many of the highlights of Black musical theater in film and on television – which he acknowledges, citing ground-breaking Black producer/directors like Woodie King Jr., organizer of the New Federal Theater, and Robert Hooks, co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company and creator of the D.C. Black Repertory Company.

Smokey is now a documentary filmmaker and Artistic Director of Capital City Readers Theater in Washington, D.C. and recipient of the @NAACP 11th annual Theater Award.

Kudos to Larry Law’s multimedia and Alexander Bartenieff’s lighting design.

“I Just Wanted to Tell Somebody” held its first preview on January 6 with Opening Night on January 7. Audience members must show proof of vaccination to attend, and masks are required for all audience members.

This show’s original closing date was January 23 but it has been extended through January 30 at the Theater for the New City, located at 155 First Ave. at East 10th Street. For tickets, call 212-254-1109.

 

 

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“Assassins”

Susan Granger’s review of “Assassins” (Classic Stage Company – Off-Broadway)

 

After the death of Stephen Sondheim, I felt compelled to re-visit this cynically macabre musical, presented as a stripped-down revival, focusing on the desperately demented people who decided that their only remedy was to grab a gun and kill the President of the United States.

What didn’t occur to me until I was in my seat was how relevant the show is today, as investigations and prosecutions of those who participated in the January 6th Capitol insurrection and attempted assassinations of multiple members of Congress move forward.

In an insidiously stark fairground with a stars-and-stripes painted set, it follows the Proprietor (Eddie Cooper), who supplies weapons to nine volatile murderers as they pursue their various targets: “Everybody’s got the right to be happy/Everybody’s got the right to their dreams”….followed by “”Hey, fella, feel like you’re a failure? Feel misunderstood? C’mere and kill a President.”

Starting with frustrated actor John Wilkes Booth (Steven Pasquale), who went to the theater to target Abraham Lincoln in 1865, and including Lee Harvey Oswald (Ethan Slater), who shot John F. Kennedy in Texas,  they tell their tales – in counterpoint to a folksy Balladeer (also Ethan Slater).

But there are also the wannabe killers who were foiled: Leon Czolgosz (Brandon Uranowitz) who loathed William McKinley; Giuseppe Zangara (Wesley Taylor) who shot at Franklin D. Roosevelt; Samuel Byck (Andy Grotelueschen), whose target was Richard Nixon; John Hinckley Jr. (Adam Chanler-Berat) who went after Ronald Reagan; and Gerald Ford’s frustrated femmes Squeaky Fromme (Tavi Gevinson) and Sara Jane Moore (Judy Kuhn).

Based on Charles Gilbert’s darkly comic concept with a prescient book by John Wideman & music/lyrics by Sondheim, it premiered Off-Broadway in 1990 at Playwrights Horizons. Then in 2004, it opened on Broadway. In this 2021 incarnation, it’s cleverly directed by John Doyle (“Sweeney Todd,” “Company,” “Pacific Overtures”), who excels with ensemble presentations but – in this case – needs a choreographer.

For me, the most memorable moment was when delusional Charles J. Guiteau (Will Swenson), the jittery lawyer who shot President James A. Garfield in 1881, swings his gun around at the audience.  I immediately thought about the so-called ‘prop gun’ that Alec Baldwin aimed on the set of “Rust.” He said he had no idea it would kill the director. What if this ‘prop gun’ exploded?

Running one hour and 45 minutes, “Assassins” plays through Jan. 29, 2022 at the Classic Stage Company.

 

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“In the Southern Breeze”

Susan Granger’s review of “In the Southern Breeze” (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater – Off-Broadway)

 

The Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is proud to produce works “that will lead to positive social change as they embody their core values of community, equity, empowerment and artistic freedom.”  In partnership with Mansa Ra, the current production is “an autobiographical fever dream, spotlighting mental health recovery and centering the Black male experience.”

According to Mansa Ra, idea for this production began in 2015 as “two simple questions to four of my friends: Does being Black scare you as much as it scares me?…How do we stop living in fear?”

His play begins as a nameless, obviously depressed Black Man (Allan K. Washington) arrives home, checking to be sure the deadbolts are set. He’s relieved to strip off the fixed smile he wears in order not to be threatening to others, calling it: “The Obama Deluxe.”

“Everybody was freaking out about quarantine, cooped up with nowhere to go,” he muses. “But I was glad. I finally had a real excuse for not leaving my apartment.”

After he rhetorically questions, “Has there ever been a happy place for Black men in America?” the stage suddenly goes dark as a surreal Time Travel segment begins.

Terrified Madison (Charles Browning) is an escaped slave in 1780. Tennessee sharecropper Lazarus (Victor Williams) is a union organizer in 1892. Hue (Biko Eisen-Martin) is a Black Panther in 1971. And Tony (Travis Raeburn), who turns out to be Lazarus’ great grandson, is a gay AIDS activist in 1993.

One comes to realize that “In the Southern Breeze” takes its title from “Strange Fruit,” Billie Holiday’s anti-lynching protest anthem, as dread of racial violence permeates the drama.

“But the noose is still there. Why is that noose still there?” the Man anxiously asks. “It gets prettier and smarter and more complicated and more camouflaged. But it hasn’t gone away.”

It’s a compelling concept, well-acted under the direction of Christopher D. Betts on Emmie Finckel’s set, lighting by Emma Deane, costumes by Jahise Lebouef, music by Allen Rene Louis and sound by Kathy Ruvuna.

Running 65 minutes with no intermission, “In the Southern Breeze” is performed virtually and in-person through December 12, 2021, at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 234 Waverly Place…tickets available at https:www.rattlestick.org.

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“Approval Junkie”

Susan Granger’s review of “Approval Junkie” (Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre – Off-Broadway)

 

By her own admission – from winning her Atlanta high school Miss Aphrodite beauty pageant, to graduating with a Master’s degree from Harvard – Faith Salie is the ultimate approval seeker. So, having enjoyed her comedic commentaries on “CBS Sunday Morning,” I was in her corner before this introspective, one-woman show even began.

Based on her 2016 book of essays, “Approval Junkie” chronicles her persistent striving for success -whatever that word means.

Is success measured by being svelte? Faith Salie describes herself as a person who once “considered rice cakes a sensible dinner,” as part of her “tortured crusade to be thin,” restricting herself to 800 calories and two workouts per day. That led to anorexia.

Is validation achieved by pleasing her first husband – a.k.a. “wasband”? When he asked her to get an exorcism, she actually did – at an Ayurvedic Healing Center in a strip mall in Sarasota, Florida.

Not surprisingly, when Salie finally opted to end the marriage, she still yearned to look “sexy” during divorce hearing.

Does one find affirmation in re-marriage, even if you met your future spouse, as she did, through “Gay Date”?

Then is perfection measured by procreation? Salie endured egg-freezing, artificial insemination and IVF.

If you live in New York, do you measure success by getting your four year-old into the right kindergarten? That, apparently, involves a nerve-wracking “observed play date,” among other indignities.

“Seeking approval has not undone me,” Salie admits. “It’s built me.”

Admittedly, I found all of this far more amusing than my husband did, even though he, too, is an admirer, often listening to lighthearted Salie on NPR’s quiz show “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me.”

Wearing a belted, navy silk jumpsuit and beige heels (courtesy of costume designer Ivan Ingermann), Salie’s adroitly directed by Amanda Watkins and polished by Jack Magaw’s minimalistic set design, Amanda Zieve’s lighting, and Brandon Bush’s sound design.

“Approval Junkie” plays at the Minetta Lane Theatre until December 12. For tickets and information: www.audible.com. And, if you cannot get there, rest assured that Audible is recording this 90-minute show for future release.

 

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“Diana: the Musical…on Broadway”

Susan Granger’s review of “Diana: the Musical – on Broadway” (Longacre Theater)

 

Producers of “Diana: the Musical” were clever to have Netflix stream this new pop musical before it opened because I suspect – sooner rather than later – the ‘live’ performance will be only a memory.

By any theatrical standards, it’s not very good – certainly not as compelling as “The Crown,” as intriguing as Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer,” or as comprehensive as the recent CNN series. But there is still something fascinating about a tacky, campy musical interpretation of the Diana/Charles/Camilla scandal.

From the beginning, as she sings “Underestimated,” it’s obvious that Diana (Jeanna de Waal) is a hapless heroine, facing two formidable adversaries. There’s scheming adulteress Camilla Parker-Bowles (Erin Davie), encouraging her lover Charles (Roe Hartrampf) to marry this naïve, virginal 19 year-old to produce  Windsor heirs. Plus the omnipresent, trenchcoat-clad paparazzi, relentlessly hounding Diana.

Supporting players include the Queen and Diana’s step-grandmother/romance novelist Barbara Cartland (both played by Judy Kaye), along with Diana’s butler Paul Burrell (Bruce Dow), her older sister Sarah Spencer (Holly Butler) and hunky lover James Jewitt (Garth Keegan), emerging bare-chested like a Chippendale’s dancer, proclaiming: “You don’t need a messy divorce! All you need is a man on a horse!”

One of the more bizarre scenes is the fight-ring staging when the smirking Princess of Wales confronts her cheeky rival with lyrics heralding “the thrilla’ in Manila with Diana and Camilla.” It has more suds than a soap-opera.

With ironic book/lyrics by Joe DiPietro and simpering music/lyrics by Bon Jovi’s keyboardist David Bryan (Tony winners for “Memphis”), it’s inanely directed by Christopher Ashley (Tony winner for “Come From Away”) with couture costumes by William Ivey Long.

Years ago, producers would have shunned filming a musical, thinking that it would cannibalize theatrical sales but – in the case of “Chicago” – it only helped. Even poorly received film adaptations, like “Phantom of the Opera” and “Rent,” seemed to help lift their respective stage productions.

So, while “Diana the Musical” is embarrassingly abysmal and will inevitably be considered a Broadway flop, audiences will have the Netflix version to remember why.

 

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“Lackawanna Blues”

Susan Granger’s review of “Lackawanna Blues” (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre – NYC)

 

After its introduction at the Public Theater back in 2001, playwright/actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson has finally brought his autobiographical one-man play to Broadway, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club.

Performing in front of a depiction of the Lackawanna house’s brick façade, Santiago-Hudson nostalgically recalls growing up in the titular upstate New York town, located near Buffalo, which – back in the 1950s – was flourishing because of its proximity to the steel industry.

In a series of loosely-connected vignettes, dynamic Santiago-Hudson deftly embodies 25 different characters, including the strong Black matriarch, Miss Rachel Crosby, known as Nanny, the protective proprietor of several boarding-houses, a savvy entrepreneur who raised young Ruben when she realized that his working single mother (a drug addict) left him alone all day.

“Nanny was like the government – if it really worked,” he notes.

Plus there are the “ramblers and drifters,” including Ol’ Po’ Carl, – a veteran of the Negro leagues, whose friend suffers from “roaches of the liver” –  Numb Finger Pete, Small Paul, Sweet Tooth Sam, and Bill, Miss Rachel’s perpetually unfaithful romantic partner. Not to forget the pampered resident raccoon who shows up every morning for a home-cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast.

Santiago-Hudson also plays the harmonica and sings, accompanied by Blues Hall of Fame Guitarist Junior Mack, utilizing music composed by the later Bill Sims Jr., who was Santiago-Hudson’s original collaborator on the show.

Kudos to scenic designer Michael Carnahan, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designer Jen Schriever, and sound designer Darron L. West.

FYI: After its Off-Broadway premiere as a one-man memory play at the Public Theater in 2001, “Lackawanna Blues” was turned into a 2005 HBO made-for-TV movie, directed by George C. Wolfe and starring S. Epatha Merkerson, who won an Emmy, along with Hill Harper, Terrence Howard, and Rosie Perez; it’s still streaming on YouTube.

At the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th Street, the one-act, 90-minute “Lackawanna Blues” has been extended through Sunday, November 7, 2021.

 

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“The Lehman Trilogy”

Susan Granger’s review of “The Lehman Trilogy” (Nederlander Theater on Broadway)

 

Broadway’s back – with Covid precautions firmly in place. Theatergoers are required not only to bring proof of vaccination but also a photo ID for verification. If you ‘forget’ any of these items, your ticket is promptly refunded and you’re urged to come back another time.

Having run that gauntlet (which, admittedly, does slow the entrance process), you’re reminded several times to keep your mask in place, covering both your nose and mouth.

Beginning with a brief prologue, set in a plexiglass office in a Manhattan skyscraper, “The Lehman Trilogy” chronicles the fascinating rise and fall of the Lehman brothers, who journeyed from Bavaria (Germany) to America to seek their fortune.

Arriving in New York Harbor in 1844, Heyum (Americanized to Henry) Lehmann (Simon Russell Beale), son of an Orthodox Jewish cattle merchant, settled in Montgomery, Alabama, opening a small general store, selling clothing and fabrics. His ambitious younger brothers Emanuel (Adrian Lester) and Mayer (Adam Godley) soon joined him and expanded the family business.

Before the Civil War, the Lehmans were cotton brokers. Afterwards, they opened a bank, financing Reconstruction. They capitalized railroads, the Panama Canal and survived the 1929 Depression. They invested in airlines and backed productions of films like “King Kong” and “Gone With the Wind.”

Gradually, over the decades, their descendants transformed their business – from selling cotton to selling financial services, like collateralized debt obligations.  At the same time, their assimilation into the American mainstream increased as their observance of Jewish traditions/customs declined.

Written in Italian by Stefano Massini, translated by Richard Dixon, and adapted by Ben Power, it’s classic Greek tragedy. Utilizing the ancient philosophy – ‘Hubris-Ate-Nemesis’ – it details how reckless enthusiasm, disregarding moral rules in an overestimation of one’s abilities and economic power, inevitably leads to punishment and destruction.

What’s extraordinarily brilliant in this storytelling tour-de-force is director Sam Mendes’ casting these three skillful actors in myriad roles, utilizing minimal costume changes and few props. In London, they were collectively nominated as Best Actor at the Olivier Awards, the British equivalent of the Tonys, as I suspect (and hope) they will be here.

Running 3 hours, 15 minutes with two intermissions, “The Lehman Trilogy” plays through January 2, 2022 at the Nederlander Theater at 208 West 41st Street.

 

 

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“Six”

Susan Granger’s review of “Six” (Brooks Atkinson Theatre – Broadway)

 

There’s a good reason why audiences stand and cheer when the curtain goes up on this rollicking rock ‘n’ roll musical. Its original opening night occurred just as the Covid pandemic shut down the Great White Way.

Now, 19-months later, it’s back on Broadway, situated on a single, concert-style set, designed by Emma Bailey, with a “Ladies in Waiting” onstage band and performed without an intermission.

For those unfamiliar with the concept: six strutting women play the various wives of England’s King Henry VIII, appearing in historical order and each vying for approval as the most worthy Tudor Queen for having endured the most cruelly wretched spousal dismissal.

Their lyric – “Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived” – sums it up completely.

Adrianna Hicks starts off as Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, whose devout Catholic faith prevented divorce, causing Henry VIII to part from the Pope’s Church of Rome in order to marry Anne Boleyn, hilariously played by Andrea Macaset, who warns “Don’t Lose Ur Head.”

Then there’s Abby Mueller as Jane Seymour, belting the ballad describing Henry’s “Heart of Stone,” and Brittney Mack as Anna of Cleves, resentful because Henry VIII divorced her he felt she wasn’t as attractive as the portrait that preceded her arrival from Germany. Given a contemporary spin: “I didn’t match my profile picture…”

Courtney Mack follows as teenage Katherine Howard, executed on a fabricated charge of treason, and finally Anna Uzele concludes as Catherine Parr, who outlived feckless Henry by a year..

British lyricists/composers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss wrote this exuberant ‘girl power’ musical while taking their final exams at Cambridge. After five Olivier Award nominations during its West End run, it’s been touring ever since with Ms. Moss co-directing with her Cambridge classmate James Armitage, becoming – at 27 – the youngest-ever female Broadway director.

Choreographed by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille and costumed by Gabriella Slade, “Six” has an open-ended run at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. And for audiences concerned about Covid, masks must be worn and vaccination credentials, along with photo ID, are conscientiously matched/checke

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“Tiny House”

Susan Granger’s review of “Tiny House” at the Westport Country Playhouse

The Westport Country Playhouse opens its 90th season with a virtual production/regional premiere of “Tiny House,” a contemporary comedy by Michael Gotch, directed by Mark Lamos and edited by Dan Scully.

Set on the Fourth of July, it’s meant to be a house-warming gathering. Nick (Denver Milord), an architect, and Sam (Sara Bues), a social-media maven, have decided to leave urban life behind as they settle into the off-the-grid tiny house they’ve constructed for themselves on a woodsy hillside.

They’ve invited Sam’s mother Billie (Elizabeth Heflin) and Sam’s Uncle Larry (Lee E. Ernst), a high-school biology teacher who’s fascinated by the flora and fauna that surrounds them.

Unbeknownst to Sam, Nick has also included their unconventional neighbors, former Renaissance Faire hippies Win (Stephen Pelinski) and Carol (Kathleen Pirkl Tague), whose conversation includes frequent allusions to Shakespearean plays. Plus there’s a ‘surprise’ visit from Bernard (Hassan El-Amin), a quirky hunter/survivalist who warns them of impending doom.

As these five characters banter about downsizing, ecology, politics, and pregnancy, their respective backstories emerge.

Made during the Covid-19 pandemic, the actors filmed themselves in separate locations. Since there’s no physical interaction between them, their performances vary – from captivating, charismatic Elizabeth Heflin to savagely zealous Hassan El-Amin to static, expressionless Sara Bues.

Most jarring are the inconsistent eyelines, which affect the continuity. Eyelines determine where actors look while performing a scene. Matching eyelines is an editing technique that gives the illusion that two characters are looking at each other.

During close-ups, this best achieved by having the actor focus on a mark – like a red X – next to the camera lens. Without skilled eyeline matching, it’s difficult to follow who is interacting with whom.

The camera movement guideline called the 180-degree rule draws an imaginary axis between two characters. When the camera crosses that imaginary line, the characters switch places on the screen.

As a result, their eyelines no longer match up properly and they don’t appear to be looking at one another – which leads to a distracting disorientation, diluting the power of the dialogue and confusing the plot.

But if you miss theater, it’s an interesting hybrid. “Tiny House” streams through Sunday, July 18. For tickets and viewing information, go to westportplayhouse.org or call 203-227-4177.

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“West Side Story”

Susan Granger’s review of “West Side Story” (Broadway Theater)

 

It feels bizarre to ‘review’ a show that’s been temporarily closed because of the Corona virus, but I suspect that it may re-open when permitted.

From the time it was announced that Belgian director Ivo van Hove (“Network,” “The Little Foxes,” “A View From the Bridge”) would stage a bold revival with avant-garde choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, who heads a dance school in Brussels, it sounded intriguing.

Discarding all traces of the 1950s, including Jerome Robbins’ iconic, finger-snapping ballet moves, this new version is set in a present-day urban jungle.  Retaining Leonard Bernstein’s syncopated score, Stephen Sondheim’s sardonic lyrics and Arthur Laurent’s tension-filled script, it re-tells Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” tale against the backdrop of gang conflict.

But now the Jets are no longer all white; they’re multiracial and their whirling, contemporary movements include hip-hop and martial arts. The Sharks are of Latino descent, their dances reflect Afro-Caribbean culture and there’s some Spanish patter between songs.

Many gang members carry iPhones, and one dancer in each gang captures on-stage action with a Steadicam, displaying the footage on a huge screen that covers the entire back of the stage.

Therein lies the problem. Luke Halls’ video projections – some ‘live,’ others prerecorded – completely overpower the performers onstage. That’s augmented by the complete lack of romantic chemistry between the hopeful young lovers, Maria (Shereen Pimentel) and Tony (Isaac Powell). And eliminating Maria’s “I Feel Pretty” solo dilutes the musical’s female energy.

Instead, Van Hove amps the testosterone brutality, particularly when the Jets try to gang-rape Anita (Yesenia Ayala) in the third act. Well, not really the third act, since there’s no intermission; the show runs, unbroken, for 105 minutes.

Adding to the confusion, the extended rainstorm soaks the performers, even drenching some of the pit musicians. One immediately becomes aware of how dangerously slippery the floor must be, drawing unnecessary attention to Jan Versweyveld’s set and An d’Huys costumes while minimizing the pivotal love story.

If and when it re-opens, be prepared for a gritty, totally reimagined version of “West Side Story.”

 

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