June 21st, 2009
   
NIGHT SKY, a play by Susan Yankowitz about an intellectual woman whose life comes to a crashing divergence with the onset of aphasia as a result of an accident. While the process the woman, brilliantly played by Jordan Baker, goes through is academically interesting, the writing is, in a way, naïve in terms of Theatre. There is quite ordinary familial interaction both before and after the accident as the main character goes through the slow painful process of rehab. The writer knows a lot about science, and there are lectures from a professor, but as a play it is interesting and laborious at the same time. Everything seems overdone, including too much time spent on the work towards recovery of a minor character (well played by Dan Domingues who also is fine in several other small roles) and a dense daughter with simplistic, ordinary domestic problems. NIGHT SKY, although well directed by Daniella Topol, with excellent lighting by Peter West on an imaginative simple set by Cameron Anderson, seems to be a play for an audience of therapy students. The extraordinary performance by Jordan Baker in the role of a lifetime which she fulfills beautifully would the a reason to see this play. Otherwise-- too much Science and not enough Theatre.

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

May 22nd, 2009
   
Don't go to see the new musical "9 to 5" unless you want to have a foot-stompin' good time. The sharp book by Patricia Resnick (based oh the film), snappy, innovative choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and crisp, clean direction by Joe Mantello takes the entertainment to the highest level in this story of three women employees versus the mean, misanthropic boss, played by Marc Kudisch, one of the most exciting Broadway stars we have. The power of his voice, his surprising physicality with incredible comedic moves, and his presence which fills the huge theatre brings the show to the stratosphere. The three women, a strong, solid Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, a true star, in the Parton role, Stephanie J. Block's lyrical voice, plus Kathy Fitzgerald as a comic foil with choice juicy moments, and a chorus of top-notch Broadway dancers, totally fulfill this musical entertainment with phenomenal integration of story and dance. Great, lively set design by Scott Pask, gorgeous lighting by Jules Fisher and Kenneth Posner and sensational costumes by William Ivey Long, lovely songs, both lively and moving by Dolly Parton is all straight-ahead great fun. This is a joyful show, with heart, that makes me happy to be a reviewer.

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

May 07th, 2009
   
Samuel Beckett’s WAITING FOR GODOT was a breakthrough play that introduced a new era in theatrical experimentation-- using a simple situation to explore deep issues like the bleakness of life on Earth. The set by Santo Loquasto for the current version now on Broadway is an unbleak landscape-- what should be a barren expanse stretching to infinity with one bare tree and a couple of rocks is filled with huge boulders— suggesting caverns behind them and possible hiding places-- undercutting the sense of the play. There are two great clowns in the show, Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin, augmented by the immense, vivid John Goodman as the symbolic capitalist and a terrifically idiosyncratic John Glover as the symbolic worker enchanted by his chains. Lane is hilarious, with a sense of Commedia unsurpassed— totally immersed in the character, and believable both when “acting and ”performing.” Irwin is best when “performing” – doing clown
schtick with Lane in Act two, and their comic fol-de-rol alone is worth the price of admission. Jane Greenwood’s costumes are both appropriate and creative, and lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski’s fast sundowns and fast sunrise work well. Director Anthony Page’s sense of timing makes the boredom of nothingness seem filled with (almost) excitement. I’ve see lots of “Godot”s, and this one is probably the funniest of them all.

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

May 01st, 2009
   
Bond Street Theatre’s THE MECHANICAL, written and directed by Michael McGuigan, is a stylized fairy tale for adults woven around Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” — a disassembling and reassembling of the original, with references to other mechanical creations like Pinocchio, and the titular Mechanical —a chess-playing machine (?) from the 1800’s. Performed by an adept cast of Physical Theatre Artists on a fold-out stage with projections, masks and puppets, full of interesting visual images, it is well-lighted (by Benjamin Tevelow) with a soundscape that includes contemporary underscoring and classical selections. Imaginative costumes by Carla Bellisio complete the visual style. There is great detail and creativity in the props and costumes of this really odd tale as we see Shelley writing the story of Frankenstein (a vivid Brian Foley), his wife Elizabeth (the lovely Meghan Frank who designed the puppet girl and also plays Mary Shelley in a
mask), and The Creature. The show has a Commedia feel as two lively, vivacious, cute-as-a-button imps, Joanna Sherman and Anna Zastrow, set the scenes. All of the actors “perform” rather than “act” except for Joshua Wynter in three roles including The Creature. He is mostly realistic-- a contrast in style. The play is full of surprise elements and tangents, and some of the verbals could use clarifying or cutting-- if more of the story could be told by their excellent movement techniques, and some elements that don’t advance the story were excised, it would lift this unusual show even higher as an entertainment. Thru May 10th at Theatre for the New City- 1st Av & 9th St. 212/254-1109

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

April 28th, 2009
   
OK— here’s the story: I couldn’t find my notes on the show I saw, THE BOBS, and asked Nicholas Wolfson, the painter and musician who attended with me, to write something. He did, and then I found my notes. So you get both-----

NICK WROTE: It’s shocking to discover a musical group that is brilliant, possesses a huge cult following, and is (until now) completely unknown to oneself! THE BOBS, appearing at the Metropolitan Room, filled me with pleasure, leaving me astounded and wondering where here have I been all my life, and where have THE BOBS been all of my life? This is a highly talented, intelligent, deeply original humor-and-jazz-quartet that captivates us with charming, family-friendly, superb entertainment. They invent sounds and rhythms that put us into a whole new world of musical expression. One of my favorites was GET YOUR MONKEY OFF MY DOG. One suspects THE BOBS, who have been performing for 28 years, are not household names for the simple reason that they can’t be readily characterized and pigeonholed by our category-dependent music industry. Find them on the web, hurry to their next show!

I WROTE: THE BOBS is a lively, exciting a cappella group who do all the orchestral sounds with their mouths as they sing. It’s a fun throwback for me, and probably a new experience for most of you, but this is a hot, entertaining gang in top-level, world class performance. Who needs instruments? They ARE the instruments, and their songs range from amusing to amazing. I haven’t had so much fun since I stood in a stairwell At Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and do-wopped with two math majors and a chicklet. They do a brilliant Bach interpretation that will knock your socks off. THE BOBS is one of the best cabaret shows ever, certainly THE best accapella group I’ve ever experienced. It’s clean, it’s family-oriented, they should be making the big dough in Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

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

April 24th, 2009
   
British playwright Alan Ayckbourne has a penchant for complex theatrical architecture in the constructing of his plays, which are mostly innovative domestic comedies. THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, now at Circle in the Square on Broadway, is one of his boldest experiments: three separate plays, each a viable entity in itself, with the same characters, covering the same time span, in three settings at a Victorian estate. If we want to know what happens to characters as they leave the garden in the first one I saw, “Round and Round the Garden,” we can come back and see the indoor scenes that took place in ”Living Together” and “Table Manners,” but each stands alone, and if you only see one, you’ve had a complete, satisfying play. Matthew Warchus brilliantly directs the six member English cast, and they are all excellent, each clearly defined, each a unique figure frustrated by life. Norman, the title character, played by a repellant/attractive
Stephen Mangan, married to the flexibly exuberant distant Ruth (Amelia Bullmore), seductively trolls for romance outside of his marriage with his sisters-in-law, the long-suffering Annie (Jessica Hynes) and the feisty Sarah (Amanda Root). The male counterparts, the dim, stalwart Tom (Ben Miles) and the distracted inept Reg (Paul Ritter) are great contrasts to the wild Norman. It’s all full of English fol-de-rol and romantic mischief, and the secret knowledge of interactions in the other plays makes each succeeding episode extra fun. Settings by Rob Howell are nicely revelatory of the land and interiors, and costumes perfectly show inner character of each in this marvelous ensemble, well lighted by David Howe. Comedy meister Warchus directs with a sure hand, and all of the complex physical business and verbal thrusts work seamlessly to create a superior comedic experience.

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

April 23rd, 2009
   
Peter Oswald’s very long, very talky new version of Friedrich Schiller’s 1800 play MARY STUART, directed by Phillida Lloyd, gives us two strong women, Harriet Walter as Queen Elizabeth in a complex powerful performance, and Janet McTeer as Mary, as usual a powerful presence-- but here she is a declaimer who sings many of her lines in a kind of hammy recitation, especially as the play winds to its foregone emotional conclusion. All of the men and the one other woman, Maria Tucci, are quite good, with strong, stark portrayals. The physical style is interesting— dungeon wall, stark, a few benches. Men in suits and ties, women in period costumes works well (set and costumes by Anthony Ward). Mary’s final red gown is spectacular- sexy-- she is gorgeous. Lighting by Hugh Vanstone is superb. The play is filled with long monologues about the political and personal with much subterfuge and anguish sung unendingly. People around me nodded out-- some snored. At the end we see a ranting, unrepentant, self-destructive Mary, beautifully gowned-- Elizabeth was clearly right to kill her.

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