Review of "The Color Purple"

Note:  Heather Headley is now playing the role of Shug Avery originated by Jennifer Hudson.

Very infrequently the theater transcends from simply a live event into something special.   Something magical.  That is what is taking place at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre in the outstanding revival of The Color Purple.  The reason is the three women starring in the production—Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson, and Danielle Brooks.  They deliver powerhouse, mesmerizing performances that will not be forgotten come award season. 

The story revolves around Celie, a poor African-American woman in the Deep South and her hardscrabble life.  She is married off to the uncaring, belligerent Mister, who sees her as someone to cook, clean, and take care of him and his household.  Her beloved sister, Nettie, once set to go off to college to become a teacher, has mysteriously vanished.  Other people that intersect her life include her stepson, Harpo, and his overbearing wife, Sofia; and the femme fatale, Shug Avery.  During the ensuing years Celie’s faith, inner strength and resolve keep her head high and moving forward as she is confronted with racism, sexism and, finally, liberation from her struggles, independence in life, and a long coming reunion with loved ones.

The acting corps is superb, led by the three female stars.  Cynthia Erivo as Celie, delivers a dazzling performance.  She has a steely determination and focus rarely seen in an actress.  You can feel her intensity as she triumphs over adversity after adversity.  Jennifer Hudson as the sultry Shug Avery doesn’t appear until the latter half of Act I.  But when she sashays on stage an invisible aura radiates throughout the theater announcing a true star has entered our midst.  Hudson is sexy, commands attention, and possesses a golden voice.  Her character is at times giddy, contemplative, and world-weary.  Danielle Brooks, as Sofia, is a fiery, non-nonsense woman.  Other notable actors include Isaiah Johnson as the gruff, boorish, and menacing yet, ultimately, sympathetic Mister; Kyle Scatliffe as the good-time, weak-willed Harpo; and Joaquina Kalukango as the pure, self-sacrificing Nettie.

The score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray combines gospel tinged songs, heartfelt ballads, raucous honky tonk, and African melodies.  It has two luscious signature songs—“Too Beautiful for Words” and “What About Love?”—and enjoys the advantage of being sung by a group of impressive artists.

Book writer Marsha Norman has taken Alice Walker’s acclaimed Pulitzer Prize winning novel and pared it down to its essence.  She gives breath to the assorted characters and successfully brings out such universal themes as love, loss, and empowerment.

John Doyle, the director behind such minimal Broadway productions of Sweeney Todd (I didn’t like) and Company (I did like) has successfully taken the larger, more embellished original show and carved out a straightforward, spare, and self-contained musical.  He concentrates on the characters, their interactions, and the score, which heightens the drama and focuses our attention on the foremost components of the musical.  He smartly doesn’t treat Hudson as the star but as a core member, which makes the production much fuller. 

The Color Purple, a musical that will make you believe in the magic of theater.

Review of "The Humans"

The Thanksgiving dinner of the Blake family appears, at first, to be like those held at households across the country.  People gather, they catch up, eat, and occasionally spar.  In The Humans, playwright Stephen Karam portrays this ritual get-together with meticulous, loving and at times heartbreaking accuracy.  The strength of the show is its matter-of-fact depiction of family interactions.  There are surprises and plot twists but, while intriguing and eye-opening, there is nothing out of the ordinary.   Throughout the course of the play a number of everyday problems and issues are slowly unveiled.  These include such commonplace concerns and topics as job security, relationship issues, aging parents, medical problems, living environs, and even the aftermath of 9/11.  Yet, this is not a play about a wildly dysfunctional family.  On the contrary, it is a production that scrupulously gives us a glimpse into the natural conversations and drama of workaday life.

The acting ensemble—and this is truly an ensemble effort—is superb.  Each member of the company is beautifully in sync with the others.  We truly come to believe we are peering into the syncopations and rhythms of a real family.  The cast includes Jayne Houdyshell as Deidre Blake, the pushy, somewhat misunderstood mother; Reed Birney as Erik Blake, the rather morose, blue collar father; Cassie Beck as the eldest daughter Aimee, lawyer with multiple professional and personal issues; Sarah Steele as the youngest daughter Brigid, a carefree spirit; Arian Moayed as Richard, Brigid’s much older boyfriend; and Lauren Klein as Fiona Blake, mother and grandmother spiraling into dementia.

The multi-level scenic design by David Zinn, is an all too authentic representation of a rundown, not all that desirable New York City apartment.  For members of the audience that scrounged for a decent place to live in their youth, the set will bring back knowing memories.

Director Joe Mantello has taken the cadences and regularity of family dynamics and made them seem effortless and unforced.  There are no wasted movements or unnecessary theatrics.  Every gesture, facial expression and punctuated speech is staged to make the whole larger then the sum of its parts.

The Humans, at the small, intimate Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway.

Review of "The Outgoing Tide"

Theatrical portrayals of individuals grappling with a family member at the onset of dementia is nothing new.  What separates The Outgoing Tide, playing at Square One Theatre in Stratford, from other productions is how it weaves a similar plotline of the show, ‘night, Mother, into the story.  Both plays deal with a central character’s unmitigated, matter-of-fact, life-ending decision.  Instead of simply viewing the destructive affects of this terminal condition, there is a somber, unimpassioned finality.

The three-character play centers around Gunner (Al Kulcsar) a feisty, retiree living on the coast of the Chesapeake with his wife, Peg (Peggy Nelson) of 50 years.  Gunner is in the early stages of dementia, at times lucid, at other moments lost in mind and thought.  Peg, desperately seeking a solution, wants them to move into a long care facility.  The thought is repugnant to her husband who has a more compelling and ultimate answer to his worsening situation.  Their son, Jack (Damian Long), arrives for what seems like an ordinary visit.  He has his own personal issues swirling around him such as a divorce and do-nothing teenage son.  At first, Jack’s visit seems well-timed, but there are more telling reasons why he has been called home.  By the end of Act I we better understand the cool, calculated agenda Gunner has set in motion.  The second act, while overly talky, slowly, yet assuredly leads to the inevitable denouement. 

The show, penned by Bruce Graham, will probably resonate more with older audiences that have experienced dementia up close or even at a distance.  The author imbues the mother and father with a rollercoaster of emotions as they confront the developing scenario.  The feelings are heartfelt and ring true.  Through the generous use of flashbacks we learn about the family’s past and secrets. The son, however, is less developed as a character and comes across as less sympathetic and appealing.  The resolution of the play, while disturbing and uncomfortable, has a feeling of realism and truthfulness.

The set by Greg Fairbend, Frank Fartley and Robert Mastroni is quaint and modest, but it is a fine representation of a small summer beach home with a detailed exterior and interior.

Al Kulcsar as the patriarch, Gunner, is scrappy, quarrelsome and resolute.  He convincingly portrays a man attempting to understand and deal with a terminal condition.  You many not agree with his logic, but you understand his reasoning.  Peggy Nelson as Gunner’s steadfast wife, Peg, is a jumble of conflicting emotions as she tries to stem the downward spiral of the family’s life.  Sometime her actions are in direct contradiction to each other but, then again, thinking and acting clearly is not necessarily the norm at this time.  Damian Long as the lone, suffering son, Jack, is somewhat of a conduit between his parents.  He comes across as rather bland and unassertive.  A more forceful presence would have provided an extra level of familial fireworks and dynamics.

Director Tom Holehan shrewdly keeps the pacing of the show askew.  At one moment an air of normalcy permeates the residence, an instant later an unprovoked tirade descends upon the household.  Holehan makes the very small performance space into an asset, bringing the audience more into the rhythm and flow of the production.  He also effectively sets the stage for the disconsolate finale. 

The Outgoing Tide, a poignant and heart-renching drama, at Square One Theatre in Stratford through March 20^th.

Review of "Burning Desire"

 Lou Diamond Phillip, the actor who is starring in the world premiere, Burning Desires, at Seven Angels in Waterbury, is captivating, has an engaging stage presence and charismatic allure.

Lou Diamond Phillip, the playwright who penned the comedy, Burning Desires, demonstrates his acumen as an insightful, intelligent writer.  However, the structure of this tale of the devil seeking nubile souls to add to his collection, is uneven and punctuated by lengthy monologues by the star.  They end up detracting too much from the main storyline of two, young single professionals seeking love and a long lasting romance. 

We first meet the present day Adam (Andrew) and Eve (Evan) at the supermarket where, with a little help from you-know-who, the two meet and are well on their way to a meaningful courtship.  The devil’s goal is simple—will he be able to convince each of them to sell their souls for true love?  He leaves little to chance by constantly interfering and disrupting their mostly harmonious lives.  Will he succeed?

As the writer, I wish Lou Diamond Phillip would have spent more time delving into his role as master manipulator as well as fleshing out and further exploring the relationship of the romantic couple.  This, combined with less reliance on his recitations, would have added depth to the play and made it a more rewarding production.

The three leads are splendid and show a good rapport and chemistry together.  Lou Diamond Phillips brings a dash of star power to the production, but he also demonstrates a nimble and proficient acting capability.  His Lucifer is witty, bewitching and a roguish schemer.  Tara Franklin (Evan) and Ryan Wesley Gilreath (Andrew) are attractive and appealing performers.  There is a believable attraction and playfulness between the two actors.

Director Richard Zavaglia does a satisfying job incorporating the two divergent segments of the show.  He smartly stages the delivery of Lou Diamond Phillip’s monologues like a full-throated carnival barker gleefully tempting and playing with the audience.  He also shows a nimble hand in guiding the interplay between the three actors, successfully capitalizing on their appeal and zest for the roles.

Burning Desire, at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury through March 13th.

Review of "Hamilton"

This review is adapted from my Off-Broadway review of the show.

Hamilton, the juggernaut that has seized the theater world, is a game changing musical.  In this respect, it can be compared to such pivotal musical theater productions as Oklahoma, A Chorus Line and Rent.  Hamilton’s move from the small, more intimate Public Theater Off-Broadway to the larger Richard Rodgers Theater has not diminished its power and significance.  It has actually enhanced its impact.

Just as composer (and star) Lin-Manuel Miranda brought an urban grittiness and a mixture of rap and traditionally-styled Broadway songs to his previous endeavor, In the Heights, Hamilton, again, fuses rap, hip-hop, and Broadway melodies into the best new musical to open in New York this year.  For many years.

The show is based on the life of one of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.  From my high school American history class, many years ago, I can only remember this historical figure as being the first Secretary of the United States Treasury and his duel with longtime nemesis, Aaron Burr.  That’s it.  In Hamilton, Miranda, who is also the book writer, presents a more vivid picture of this arrogant, brash, patriotic, and talented man.  He traces his life from the time he arrives in this country as a young immigrant to his appointment as George Washington’s senior aide during the Revolutionary War, his marriage, law practice in New York City, the many treatises he penned, including the majority of The Federalist Papers, his joustings with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and his untimely end.

It may sound like a dull subject for a musical, but Miranda brings his subject matter alive, supported by a multi-ethnic cast that don’t just present the material, but rather pounces on it.  As a theatrical presentation, the first act is more compelling and dynamic then Act II because Hamilton’s life was more colorful and dramatic.  The second half of the musical, while gripping and full of backroom deals and politics, is less rousing as it revolves around the machinations of a new nation coming to grips with how to govern itself.

The spirited group of actors bring the material to vigorous life.  This isn’t the staid group of older white males from 1776.  The performers are young, hip, and full of intensity.  The cast is led by Miranda’s splendid, multi-layered portrayal of Alexander Hamilton.  The forefather was full of zeal, brimming with insolence and indignation, but also a cerebral and impassioned man.  Miranda brings all these attributes to life.  Other notables include Daveed Diggs as a hang loose, chilled out Thomas Jefferson looking to find his groove; Leslie Odom, Jr. as the indecisive and and disdained Aaron Burr; and Jonathan Groff as a hilarious, though perceptive King George.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s score fuses current musical trends with conventional Broadway melodies.  They meld beautifully into an energetic and electrifying whole that both Broadway purists and younger audiences can embrace.

The choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, a frequent collaborator with Miranda, brings the urgency of a blossoming nation to the fore.  His dance arrangements and movements for the actors, as he did for In the Heights, flow from the action and situations on stage as opposed to developing inorganically.

Thomas Kail’s direction syncs wonderfully with Blankenbuehler’s choreography.  He has a good feel for the material whether it is the combative events portrayed in the show or the more poignant moments surrounding the statesman.  Even with minimal props and scenery Kail creates a world we want to know more about.

Hamilton, a musical theater must…if you can afford the tickets.

Review of "Noises Off"

The revival of Noises Off is not only consistently funny, but a wonderment in precision acting and movement.  This modern day farce, with slamming doors and frequent missteps, is a highly choreographed piece of theater magic…and mayhem.

The play begins as an inept British acting troupe is in the throes of final rehearsals.  The assorted thespians, bungle their lines, their entrances, and make a general mess of everything, much to the agony of the harried director.  In the beginning of Act II the company is near the end of their tour of the provinces.  Nerves are frayed and backstage shenanigans and hanky-panky among the players has left many hard feelings.  We see the exact part of the play from Act I, but from a backstage vantage point.  Audience members can see all the behind-the-scene pandemonium and discombobulation.  The latter portion of Act II is a third rendition of the play which, at this point, is a hopeless mess as the cast valiantly presses forward.

Playwright Michael Frayn has written a valentine to lovers of the theater, both for actors and audiences.  He delivers a lovingly slapstick, extremely clever and humorous show.  There is not one wasted scene or extraneous moment in the script.

The cast members are all outstanding and work so well together, which is absolutely critical for the show to achieve its diverting objective.  The more notable performers include Andrea Martin as the veteran character actress Dotty Otley.  Martin is pure and simply hysterical, but why should that be a surprise?  Throughout her career, no matter what the production, Ms. Martin has always been a beacon of comedy virtuosity.  Campbell Scott is hilarious as the director Lloyd Dallas.  His slow burns and growing frustrations with his charges are priceless.  David Furr is marvelous as the befuddled actor Garry Lejeune.  Megan Hilty is beautifully bewildered as the blonde bombshell Brooke Ashton.

Director Jeremy Herrin deserves special commendation for the exactitude he brings to the production and his meticulousness to detail.  He guides the cast, sometimes at a dizzying pace, with both nuanced, subtle performances as well as outright uproariousness, producing an always lively, very funny show.   

Noises Off, a thoroughly engaging, often side-splitting comedy, playing through March 13^th at the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Review of "Fiddler on the Roof"

The current revival of Fiddler on the Roof is a highly satisfying production with a solid cast, exuberant choreography, and a memorable score by the legendary team of Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock.  The book of the show by Joseph Stein, is based on the short stories of Sholem Aleichem.  It centers on Teyve (Danny Burstein), a milkman; his wife, Golde (Jessica Hecht) and five daughters all who live in the small Russian town of Anatevka.  It is a hard and demanding existence where the old ways are rapidly changing.  The focus of these changes are brought to the fore by Teyve’s three eldest children who’s courtship and marriage challenge age-old traditions and religious beliefs. 

What makes Fiddler such a beloved musical are its universal themes centering on family and religious tolerance and oppression.  In the cacophony of today’s Presidential election they resonant even more loudly.  While the Jewishness of the material is obvious and pronounced it is dealt with in a manner where all faiths, all audience members can relate to the subject matter.  Look at the original production’s accomplishments—it was the first Broadway musical to surpass 3,000 performances and for most of the 1970’s it was the longest running Broadway show in history.

The heartbeat of the musical is the score by the renowned Broadway team of Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock.  It’s richness is truly one of the most distinguished in all musical theater.  From the exuberant opening of “Tradition” to the joyous “If I Were a Rich Man” and “To Life” to the touching “Do You Love Me” to the closing, somber note of “Anatevka” there is not one song that isn’t a melodic, glorious gem. 

The cast is workman-like and skilled, which is an attribute to the production.  The character of Teyve, for example, is the central focus of the musical, and should be an everyday type person as opposed to being portrayed as the star.  Danny Burstein, as Teyve, displays this commonplace quality and hardiness of soul.  The audience can relate to his trials and tribulations of being a parent in a new age.  Jessica Hecht as his wife Golde, can be somewhat dour, but her steadfastness and inner fortitude provide a more grounded sensibility about the family’s struggles.  The three eldest daughters—Tzeitel (Alexandra Silber), Hodel (Melanie Moore), and Chava (Jenny Rose Barker)—are spirited, with one foot firmly in the future, but one foot proudly in the past.  Adam Kantor as Motel, the Tailor, is a bit too jittery and apprehensive at first before growing more comfortable and assured in his role.  Ben Rappaport as Perchik, the rebel student, is forceful with his convictions, but could be more attentive and affectionate to his betrothed.  Nick Rehberger as Fyedka, a Russian youth who is a non-Jew, does a convincing job of walking the fine line between his world and that of his future wife.

Director Bartlett Sher, who has successfully helmed such large-scale Lincoln Center productions as South Pacific and the current revival of The King and I, nimbly and energetically guides the large cast of Fiddler on the Roof.  Whether in scenes with a multitude of performers or those more intimate Sher shows his strength and artistry.  However, sometimes his sensibilities run rampant, creating a more bloated feel that takes away from the essence of a scene as in “The Dream” sequence.  His decision to use a fiddler, roaming the stage at integral moments, is unnecessary and distracting as is the opening moments of the show with the actor Danny Burstein playing a modern day relative looking forlornly at the remnants of his ancestor’s birthplace.

Choreographer Hofesh Shechter, a newcomer to the Broadway stage and a dance director of Israeli background, brings a unique dynamism and perspective to the production numbers.  The vitality and ethnicly-tinged dances honor and celebrate the tradition of original choreographer, Jerome Robbins.  At the same time he stakes out his own

Fiddler on the Roof, a triumphant and jubilant musical for audiences of all ages and faiths.