8/12

CLOSER THAN EVER, lyrics and direction by Richard Maltby Jr. and music by David Shire is a musical review without a through line of specific characters.  The theme is: The Foibles of Romance.  The songs about love-- finding it, losing it, missing it, are full of ironic comments on marriage, and the tribulations of relationships.  Each song is about different people, each with his or her own insecurities and neuroses, which we recognize, and so are amused by the universality, and by the cleverness of the thoughts, the words and the fine performances, which are filled with good comic schtick as well as sentiment.  The lyrics are smart, literate, with cute rhymes and verses all performed by four fine singers: Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, George Dvorsky, Julia Murney and Sal Viviano, accompanied by sensitive ivory-tickling at the piano by Andrew Gerle.  There are group numbers like one on exercising that are a fun expansion of the vision.  Set design by James Morgan is simple and clean, and specific area lighting by Kirk Bookman enhances all. CLOSER THAN EVER is a pleasant divertissement with charm, humor and excellent performances.

Richmond Shepard—

Performing Arts INSIDER and lively-arts.com

8/24/12

HARRISON, TX: Three Plays by Horton Foote--- What a theatrical treat!  The first one, BLIND DATE, takes place in 1928 where a date has been secured for a reclusive, generally negative young woman (Andrea Lynn Green) by her relative (Hallie Foote) with her husband (Devon Abner) mostly interested in his dinner. The young man (Evan Jonigkeit) tries to communicate with the girl by playing games.  It is a perfect cast, with Ms Foote giving a brilliant, mannered performance.  There is a rare pleasure spending time with Foote’s reflections of reality in the world of his characters, taking it one step beyond ordinary reality to create a gentle new believable theatricality that rings humanly true.  It’s a gem.

The second play, THE ONE-ARMED MAN, also placed in 1928, is a splash of an idea-- a hyper-dramatic tangent from anything I’ve seen of Foote’s work: a violent confrontation between a psychotic one-armed man (the dynamic, scary Alexander Cendese) and his former employer (Jeremy Bobb).  Devon Abner rounds out another perfect cast.  It’s a gripping, surprise piece of Foote’s canon with terrific performances.

The third, MIDNIGHT CALLER, set in 1952, takes place in a boarding house, where a group of basically semi-functioning people live.  This group includes the wonderful Jayne Houdyshell, the lively neurotic Mary Bacon, and two new elements brought into the mix of tenants: the very attractive Jenny Dare Paulin, and Jeremy Bobb.  Andrea Lynn Green shines in a role totally contrasting with her one in “Blind Date”.  Hallie Foote and Alexander Cendese have small (but vital) roles in this play in which each character is clearly defined in a masterful theatrical production.

The trilogy is directed in great style and sensitivity by Pam MacKinnon on a well-designed set by Marion Williams, beautifully  lighted by Tyler Micoleau.  Costumes by Kaye Voyce are perfect. 

Horton Foote was one of America’s greatest playwrights, and HARRISON, TX is a prime example of his work.

Richmond Shepard—

Performing Arts INSIDER and lively-arts.com

August 22nd, 2012

THE LAST SMOKER IN AMERICA, with book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Peter Melnick, is a broadly-played cartoon taking anti-smoking to its absurdist limit.  It’s a totally imaginative trip to a bizarre future performed by four top-level singer/actors in stylized, sometimes sparkling, costumes by Michael McDonald who give us a surreal trip to a fantasy world on a brilliant flexible set by Charlie Corcoran full of innovations and surprises, with lighting by Jeff Croiter and Grant Yeager that enlivens everything.  The writing is sharp and funny, the music lively and catchy.  What an ensemble director Andy Sandberg has assembled: they sing, they dance, they wriggle like a slinky— John Boulton, playing the husband of the smoker, surprises with a physicality that takes the character beyond itself, Farah Alvin’s battle to smoke is a comic gem, Jake Boyd, who I think could be a movie star, as their son has a hilarious rap number that will floor you, and Natalie Venetia Belcon has the voice, personality and comic ability to freeze as well as move that should make her a full Broadway star.  The friend who was with me said, “Where do you find a cast this good?”  I said, “Hey- it’s New York- the best in America come here, and these are the best.”  All in all, THE LAST SMOKER IN AMERICA is one of the most fun shows in town- masterful entertainment in all areas.  What a show!

Richmond Shepard—

Performing Arts INSIDER and lively-arts.com

BALLET NY is an excellent company with well-trained dancers performing engaging work nicely showcasing (mostly) new choreographers.  The work is extended ballet movements influenced by a contemporary use of the body. In “Triptych” a beautiful supple flexible woman (Kelsey Coventry) and her sturdy lifter/holder (Michael Eaton) give us a graceful, fascinating adagio choreographed by John-Mark Owen.  Unfortunately another couple, not moving, is placed downstage center blocking, and thereby breaking our involvement with, the upstage couple who are moving beautifully.  The downstage couple, the gorgeous Nadezhda Vostrikov and strong Fidel Garcia, get their turn to dance their duo, and Owen gives us an innovative use of bodies flat and in diagonals in patterns of movement.  Next was a charming, romantic garden romp by Jennifer Goodman and Luke Manley, “Duet from The Other,” which was originally choreographed by the legendary Agnes DeMille and was here staged by Amanda McKerrow.  In “The Garden of Souls,” choreographed by Medhi Bahiri, Jason Jordan takes his performance far beyond holding and lifting— he and Jennifer Goodman really dance together in this strong lively piece, and Veronika Rogoza’s costumes are outstanding in bold design and flexibility.  The finale, “Trois Movements,” is a lovely piece of classical ballet choreographed by Medhi Bahiri danced by five women and three men to the music of Albinoni. Up to this point in the evening, there is not a leap in sight-- not really a featured dynamic action by a man. Here they do really dance, leaps and all.  It’s a joyful work, elegantly costumed by Rogoza, and the dancers do something that few classical dancers do in a piece like this- they smile. It’s delightful.  So is the entire experience of
Ballet NY.

Richmond Shepard—

Performing Arts INSIDER and lively-arts.com