| 5-day, 8-show trip, at least one spoiler | |
| Posted by: Ann 04:37 pm EST 02/10/25 | |
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| Could have been 9, but I'm still resisting The Outsiders pricing. In order, building to my favorite: * The Antiquities from Vineyard/Playwrights Horizons: I appreciate and admire it without enjoying it a whole lot. It is a style my brain has trouble with. Food for thought, but not surprising for me. * Liberation at Roundabout Laura Pels: Ohio, 1970, women's lib, right in my memory bank wheelhouse. A group of women (most, for my perspective, the age of the women whose kids I babysat, plus one that was probably about my grandmother's age) in a rec center gym forming and developing a women's consciousness raising group. I found it more interesting at the beginning than I did as things progressed. In a prologue, the main character, whose name I believe is Lizzie, is a playwright, she says, who wanted to write about her mother's experiences before she got married and so she talked to some of the women who were there with her (Lizzie's mother has recently passed away). So, we have a then/now construct and the Lizzie actress plays her own mother in the then part. Is this Bess Wohl's story or complete fiction? I haven't read enough about it yet. The actresses are pretty good and the characters are interesting, but they didn't seem real to me. And it seems like they admit they didn't really grow/change that much from being in this group, so not an encouraging story. Still very early in previews, so I hope to hear better reports as it goes on. The spoilers: They use the Yondr pouch because there is full nudity of the whole female cast. Of course, someone's phone went off anyway, but that's not the point of the Yondr. Also, as I get distracted by details in period pieces, it drove me crazy that a child's colorful Superman backpack figures in the plot and I'm sure kids didn't carry those backpacks in 1970, at least not where I was in Ohio. (also, the banners on the wall listing sports championships listed the teams as "boys" when there weren't girls organized sports teams at that time, so the designation wasn't necessary - again, at least not for me where I was in Ohio. It seems the show goes from 1970-1973 and Title IX was in 1972, so by the end, maybe it fit). Oh, and a good amount of herbal smoking that produced the strongest smoke I have ever experienced in a theater (it doesn't bother me, but for someone who is sensitive, it would be noticeable). * The Curse of the Starving Class from New Group at the Signature Center: who said Martin McDonagh left a messy stage? Don't forget about Sam Shepard! There's plenty of blood, bruises, thrown things including artichokes and laundry, urination, a car explosion, and normally a live sheep, though she couldn't make the performance I attended because her handler had a medical emergency. So we had a carpenter's horse stand-in (yes, a horse standing in for a sheep). Oh, and there's nudity of one character, but no Yondr. I had never seen the play before and it was thrilling high mayhem. Stars Calista Flockhart and Christian Slater did a fine job as some desperate people. Also a lot of smoking, but I could barely smell it. If you want to see this play, I would recommend this production. It is still early previews. * Dakar 2000 - Manhattan Theatre Club at City Center: takes place around Y2K, but that's not the main thing. Two-actor short play by Rajiv Joseph. It's a story about a young man (he purposely doesn't make it perfectly clear what "really happened" and what didn't, but I think it's all fiction) who is a Peace Corps worker and meets an older woman who is some kind of government operative. No point in spoiling details. I found it to be an enjoyable diversion. * Garside's Career from the Mint Theater at Theatre Row: happy to report it is (for me) a "good Mint show," like many I have seen but unlike a few of the recent ones. Good cast, good set, and good plot. It's about an over-ambitious young politician and his downfall. And the woman who waits for him and picks up the pieces. * Urinetown at Encores!: I didn't see the original in New York, but I did see several productions shortly after (including one at CMU with Patina Miller playing Pennywise). I loved it then and I still do. It is a bit of one joke gone too long, but at least at City Center, I enjoyed every minute. Keala Settle was in for my performance and she was terrific. Most of the others were, too. I didn't like the way the way they had Jeff Hiller play his character, McQueen, holding that pinched look the entire time and too mincy. I loved the ensemble, each of whom really got into playing individual characters (where has Graham Rowat been? There was a time when he seemed to be in everything). You can sub-title this one "Kevin Cahoon has a ball" - I loved him. Jordan Fisher's "Run, Freedom, Run!" was great, Stephanie Styles really nailed the role of Hope, Rainn Wilson was terrific (though the only one who seemed to read quite a bit from a clipboard). I had forgotten Taran Killam had to drop out, but thought Greg Hildreth was a terrific Lockstock. Not enough for Christopher Fitzgerald to do as Barrel, though. * Grangeville at Signature: Another wonderful Samuel Hunter play. Paul Sparks (in the role Brendan Fraser was supposed to play) is perfection - so much so that I can't imagine Fraser in the part. Brian J. Smith (my favorite gentleman caller, well not mine exactly) is also spot on. Two-man show; they are estranged brothers working things out. Each actor also plays another character and I really the way they staged that. In fact, the staging is very simple but also wonderful. Jack Serio directs. Highly recommended, especially if have like other Hunter plays. * Gypsy, or Audra in Gypsy: thrilling and exhausting (yes, I just sat in my seat, but her energy was overwhelming). I don't know what else to say about her, but yes, she can do anything. I really liked the staging (maybe some of the kids' work was too exaggerated), loved Danny Burstein, liked the rest of the cast very much. A real highlight of the season and, yes, worth every penny (or maybe I should say "nickel" now that pennies are out). Save up and go. I also saw one film, "I'm Still Here" (most definitely not Follies) - excellent - and the Clock exhibit at MoMa (don't get me started; it's one of my favorite museum exhibits of all time - I will be going back). And cold, snow, ice and slush. See you in the spring. |
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