June 16th, 2005

ALTAR BOYZ is a hot show. Fun from start to finish. It's a five man singing/dancing/jumpin' troupe with a twist: mock Christian religious content, but the irreverence is actually reverent, and the boyz are the cutest, the jokes are funny (and that's good in a comedy), and they are all fine singers. The mix of a movie star type: Scott Porter, an adorable gay: Tyler Maynard, a street kid who can do a mean break dance: Andy Karl, a Latino: the energetic Ryan Duncan, and, somehow, a Jew: David Josefsberg, gives us an assortment of characters, each of whom is engaging,
charming and top-level professional. Sharp book by Kevin Del Aguila, clever songs by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, great contemporary choreography by Christopher Gattelli, smart direction by Stafford Arima and terrific vocal and musical
arrangements by Doug Katsaros and Lynne Shankel, with
Natasha Katz's snappy lighting, Gail Brassard's costumes and set by Anna Louizos, all combine to give us one of the most enjoyable evenings in town.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER, and
lively-arts.com

Where else but at The Algonquin should a musical about the Algonquin Round Table be playing? As you enter the lobby there's an atmosphere in the old hotel that starts you off with a glimpse into the past that seques into the show in the Oak Room: THE TALK OF THE TOWN, now playing there on Sunday and Monday nights. As I said in my review of an earlier edition of the show: How can contemporary writers dare to attempt to rival the wit of the literary cavaliers of The Algonquin Roundtable? Ginny Redington and Tom Tawes pull it off with dash and aplomb. Some of the quips are by Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander
Woollcott and the others, but the lyrics, newly coined, are in the same league. The singing is good and, somehow, so is the dancing on the tiny stage. Think you're clever? Spend an evening with Benchley, Parker (the outstanding Kristin Maloney), Wolcott (a bouncy Rob Seitelman), Edna Ferber (Donna Coney Island-- a singing Margaret Hamilton), et al, and have your funny bone tickled. There's also some pith- insight into what it is to be a writer. Director Dan Wackerman gives us a smart, stylish, sophisticated show in a perfect setting.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER, and
lively-arts.com

I caught the current edition of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, and it's easy to see why it won the awards for the sparkling costumes (William Ivey Long) and choreography (Jerry Mitchell)- it's spectacular: marvelous gymnastic flipping, flying, twirling, legs
flying, bodies twirling, with a magnificent set by Scott Pask and brilliant direction by Jerry Zaks. Gary Beach carries the show, and Robert Goulet's baritone still resonates in this moving production
about long-term love. Jerry Herman's songs are still powerful, Harvey Fierstein's adaptation of the book from Jean Poiret's play is clever and poignant. It's a very entertaining, big, splashy, Broadway musical with fun and feeling.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER, and
lively-arts.com

June 8th, 2005

Elaine May's three one acts under the heading AFTER THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC provides an evening of light entertainment with a strong, sparkling cast, headed by the incomparable Jeannie Berlin whose behavior nuances, quirks and comic timing are fascinating,
funny and unique. The rest of the cast includes some of the best in town, including J. Smith-Cameron and the startlingly adept, agile Eddie Korbich, a mouse who roars, in a marvelous duo in "Curtain Raiser," Second is "Giving up Smoking," a mix of engaging and overdrawn about lonely people, friendship, and the
frustrations of dating. Berlin is funny, Jere Burns is touching, Brian Kerwin is crass and insecure, and Smith-Cameron is radiant as a dying woman. The third play, "Swing time," about two couples, old friends, who decide to have group sex, is a farce featuring the
same foursome in a stage full of neuroses. It's full of jokes, and once again Berlin is funny and engaging whether the material is or not, and Smith-Cameron provides the guts, the soul. She's amazing. This is an evening of light comedy by a talented cast,
directed with a deft touch by Daniel Sullivan, with a super design team: John Lee Beatty (set) and Michael Krass (costumes). We had a good time.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER, and
lively-arts.com

May 5th, 2005

Director Walter Bobbie has transformed SWEET CHARITY into a charming contemporary tale, and since old versions are not playing across the street, why compare? Christina Applegate is an adorable, absolutely delightful, gamine, with both a grace and
gracelessness that is totally captivating. The production (dazzling set by Scott Pask, fine lighting by Brian MacDevitt) around her is a slick contrast to her ingenuousness, with eccentric, stylized
choreography by Wayne Cilento, who in some parts creates his own exciting new vocabulary. Costumes by William Ivey Long are made for real dancing, and the chorus really dances. The story is rather light and short, and they fill the show with production numbers to entertain us between the progress of the plot, and
they mostly do a good job. Denis O'Hare, cute as hell, shines in the "stuck in an elevator" scene with Applegate with his physical comedy, and Paul Schoeffler, Ernie Sabella, Janine LaManna and Kyra Da Costa are all strong and appealing in their roles. The whole conception is visually exciting, and it's a privilege to see a star of Applegate's magnitude, exuding talent and personality, live on the stage- she's absolutely riveting (and gorgeous).

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER, and
lively-arts.com

May 2nd, 2005

Oh Boy! Want to see a demonstration of how good, how vivid real acting can be? Check out GLENGARRY GLENROSS, David Mamet's dazzling drama now on Broadway. It's the most exciting acting ensemble in town. Alan Alda will give you a lesson on how to do a
nuanced monologue-- his encounters as a nervous, failing, older salesman with the very controlled Frederick Weller as his supervisor are like a mongoose darting at a cobra. The nervous energy that Gordon Clapp exudes as he tries to con the stolid Jeffrey Tambor into a crime is full pf prickly tingles and Tambor is like a lump of Styrofoam that you have to push hard to make an impression. Then there's Liev Schreiber (his first name should be spelled "Live"- because is he ever!). He inhabits his role as a
smooth con/salesman like a silk glove that needs just tiny fine tunings in its manner such as the shrug of putting on a jacket, or a sleeve adjustment. He's the epitome of slick, and his presence in mesmerizing- strong, fulfilled, and complete, including a perfect
Chicago accent. The man is one of the most dynamic actors on the contemporary stage, and it's a delight to see him work. He totally becomes the character. And Tom Wopat, rounding out this band of players, subdues himself into the perfect patsy. It's great
Theatre, and thanks to director Joe Mantello for giving us this exquisite show, and to Santo Loquasto for the perfect settings of a Chinese restaurant and a sales room. Kenneth Posner subtly sneaks his light shifts onto the stage, finally illuminating with the
golden glow of the rising day near the end of the play. All in all, a great Theatrical experience.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER, and
lively-arts.com