Review of "A Doll's Life, Part 2"

It’s been 15 years since Nora walked out on her husband and children in Henrik Ibsen’s classic play of self-determination, A Doll’s House.  But, now she’s back in A Doll’s House, Part 2, a sequel as envisioned by playwright Lucas Hnath.   The very talkative play is sporadically funny and thought-provoking as it presents themes on marriage, independence, woman’s rights, and tradition.

Tasha Lawrence as Nora in "A Doll's House, Part 2."

The production begins as Nora (Tasha Lawrence) appears at the door she so famously closed.  In a quick conversation with her former housekeeper, Anne Marie (Amelia White), the audience learns all about the last decade and one-half of Nora’s life, her rationale for leaving, and her desires for the future.  She then reveals the real reason for her sudden reappearance, which necessitates what could be a difficult tete-a-tete with her abandoned husband Torvald (Sam Gregory) and his acquiescence on carrying out an important, long-forgotten administrative task.  When the initial exchanges with her still wounded husband fail, Nora attempts to induce the Anne Marie, who has stayed in the household, into her plans as well as the daughter, Emmy (Kira Player), she barely knows.  In the end, the main protagonists are back at the beginning, maybe having a little more understanding between them.

 

Tasha Lawrence and Amelia White in "A Doll's House, Part 2."

Writer Hnath has constructed a unique work that honors the original while branching out with his own viewpoints.  He expands on the nature of marriage and love, which would have been extremely provocative during the play’s timeframe, but are just as stimulating in today’s world. 

While proffering a central character that is exceedingly independent, the playwright has also fashioned Nora as a woman who, ostensibly, runs away when faced with difficulties.  She also looks to others to solve her problems.  In a sense, how independent and forward thinking has she become?

 

Tasha Lawrence and Sam Gregory in "A Doll's House, Part 2."

The cast is consistently satisfying, led by Tasha Lawrence as Nora.  The actress, while showing perseverance and commitment to her character’s beliefs, could have given a more layered performance to better gain sympathy from the audience and more effectively show emotion outside her own focus. Sam Greogry gives Torvald a somber, damaged quality.  Still suffering from his wife’s sudden departure all those years ago, he convincingly portrays a man trying to comprehend the changes swirling around him.  Amelia White’s portrayal of the long-time housekeeper, Anne Marie, provides a dash of comic relief as she banters, argues, and tries to fathom the motives of her former mistress.  Ms. White comes across as the most genuine character as she demonstrates compassion and combativeness while seemingly lost in a transforming world.  Kira Player, who plays the daughter, Emmy, is slightly stilted in her performance, but possesses a reserve and stalwartness like her stage mother.

Director Jenn Thompson has a difficult task in conceiving an entertaining production since, even though this is a four person show, throughout nearly all of its 90 minutes, only two characters are on the unadorned stage at one time.  The effect can be like a tiresome 15-round boxing match with “punches” and “counter punches” being thrown, but not the occasional knockdown to liven up the match. There would have been more drama if the character of Nora was more nuanced.  While she comes off as independent, confident, and self-assured her intense self-focus and almost utter lack of empathy becomes wearisome.

 

Alexander Dodge's set for "A Doll's House, Part 2."

Alexander Dodge’s Scenic Design is boxed-shaped and bare bones—a few chairs and an imposing door, center, at the back of the stage.  Along with Philip Rosenberg’s Lighting Design incorporating harsh, fluorescent lights, it is highly effective in its allusion to the caged, trapped nature of the four characters.

A Doll’s House, Part 2, provocative discoursing that is moderately rewarding.

Review of "The Engagement Party"

What do friends and family really think about each other? What secrets or private thoughts, once unsheathed, may fracture iron-clad friendships or splinter intimate relationships. That’s the takeaway from The Engagement Party, a gripping world premiere production at Hartford Stage.

The evening gathering at the Eastside New York City apartment of Josh (Zach Appelbaum) and Katherine (Beth Riesgraf) is to celebrate their engagement.  Invited to the party are the bride-to-be’s parents, Gail (Mia Dillon) and Conrad (Richard Bekins); and Katherine’s best friend Haley (Anne Troup) and her husband Kai (Brian Lee Huynh).  Also joining the festivities are Alan (Teddy Bergman), a mutual friend and Johnny (Brian Patrick Murphy), Josh’s childhood pal.

There is gaiety, reminiscing, and a relaxed liveliness to the evening.  Soon, however, cracks begin to appear in the shimmering veneer.  A requested favor, to advance a wife’s career, is flatly denied.  Jealousy over income levels is exposed.  Other tidbits of seemingly unimportant information seep out in conversation.  And then, the simple act of misplacing an engagement ring—valued at $300,000--swiftly ignites the undercurrent of hostility and distrust that has been bubbling under the surface all night long, resulting in a rapid disintegration of civility among the guests and a harrowing secret finally released.

Playwright Samuel Baum has produced a well-written, finely plotted play that is both unsettling and uncomfortable, at times, to watch.  But that makes the production more viewable as its twists and turns keep audience members at the edge of their seats waiting for the next shoe to drop or soul-searching accusation to be made.  His characters are vulnerable, pitiful, and confused.  His gut-wrenching finale is like a punch to the stomach, leaving patrons dazed and in doubt.

The ensemble cast works seamlessly together.  Each actor presents a well-rounded portrayal of their character. 

Director Darko Trenjak self-assuredly guides the troupe of performers, starting off the action with a mannered familiarity before he adroitly begins to reveal the cracks and rifts among the characters.  A play like The Engagement Party needs to be shepherded through its paces carefully for maximum impact.  The director, who ends his stint as Artistic Director at the venerable playhouse this summer, achieves these results with blistering effectiveness.

Scenic Designer Alexander Dodge has crafted a modern-looking, sleek, multi-level apartment that is radiantly lit by Lighting Designer Matthew Richards.  While the rotating structure, revealing three distinct sets is the embodiment of sophistication, it’s non-thrust nature creates too much of a divide between audience and performers. 

The Engagement Party, a superb work where trust and truthfulness is in short supply.  The 85 minute, intermission-less production plays at Hartford Stage through February 3^rd.

Review of "The Cher Show"

Almost anyone who has seen The Cher Show, the mildly diverting jukebox musical tracing the highs and lows of the iconic singer and actress, will agree that Stephanie J. Block, who plays the eldest of the talented performers playing the show’s namesake, is sensational.  Sure to receive a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, this year might finally be Ms. Block’s time.  Can you believe?

 

The three Chers from "The Cher Show" - Teal Wicks, Stephanie J. Block and Micaela Diamond.

The production, like last season’s Summer, the Donna Summer musical, casts three women to play the central character at different points in her life.  There is Babe (Micaela Diamond), the teenage Cher; Lady (Teal Wicks), who portrays the diva at mid-career; and Star (Stephanie J. Block), the older, wiser woman.  Unlike Summer, the trio of actresses in The Cher Show appear in combinations on stage, at many moments all together.  In between and during scenes, they discuss their (her) life, show business choices, celebrate the high moments, and lift each other up when all seems lost and hopeless.

The book by Rick Elice, as with many musicals centered on the works of an artist, is problematic.  How should the musical be structured?  What points in a decades long career should be included and omitted?  The Cher Show combines episodic moments that are perfunctory and informative along with more imaginative and artistically satisfying scenes. The result is a show where the parts are greater than the whole, resulting in a lukewarm mash-up.

 

Jarrod Spector (Sonny Bono) and Micaela Diamond ('Babe' Cher) in "The Cher Show."

The musical covers all the bases you would expect, starting off with Cher’s meeting, marriage, and volatile career with Sonny Bono (Jarrod Spector), with significant emphasis on their television show.  There are her other relationships (Gregg Allman and Rob Camilletti, a.k.a Bagel Boy), singing career, Hollywood phase, setbacks and comebacks.  And, of course, there are the Bob Mackie costumes in all their minimal and sequined glory.  The famous and infamous outfits are paraded throughout the production.

The cast is led by the three actresses that play Cher.  They are engaging, vivacious, and full of passion.  They also possess powerful singing voices.  While Ms. Diamond and Ms. Wicks delivered accomplished performances, it is Ms. Block that truly exudes the star power necessary for the production to succeed at some level.  Her mannerisms, facial expressions, and singing voice are spot on.  But, the seasoned Broadway musical veteran also knows how to deliver a well-rounded, magnetic performance and, here, she makes the audience her own, just like Cher.  Jarrod Spector has Sonny Bono down pat, from his nasal vocalizing to his overachieving drive and his Svengali like control over his wife and partner.  Emily Skinner as Cher’s demanding, but supportive mother, Gloria Holt, makes the most of her time on stage, providing reassuring and compassionate encouragement.

 

The cast of "The Cher Show."

The songs include all Cher’s most well-known songs, including “Dark Lady,” “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” “Believe,” and “If I Could Turn Back Time.”  They are passionately and enthusiastically sung by the cast.

When Director Jason Moore moves away from the straightforward storytelling, The Cher Show, can shine.  This is embodied in the “Dark Lady” production and the wonderfully frivolous move sequence featuring racks and racks of Bob Mackie designs.  The director also manages to bring forth an undercurrent of female empowerment as, but the show’s end, the singer/actress is a more confident, self-directed performer.

Choreographer Christopher Gatteli’s dances are energetic and reminiscent of the numbers you would see on a TV variety show or a Las Vegas extravaganza.

Bob Mackie’s costumes sizzle with their outrageous and whimsical designs.  There’s even one of the more entertaining production numbers centered on his creations.

The Cher Show, a nostalgic diversion for the true fan.

Review of "Murder for Two"

My favorite theater genres are:

1.    Musicals

2.    Comedies

3.    Murder Mysteries

Happily, all three are embodied in the very amusing, ingeniously written, and energetically performed two-person show, Murder for Two, playing at Playhouse on Park through February 3^rd.

As with many whodunits the story begins in the drawing room of a large, hilltop mansion where the wife of Arthur Whitney, a well-known author, is throwing him a surprise birthday party.  Unfortunately for the book writer when he arrives inside the darkened structure a gun is fired, fatally killing him.  Who fired the fateful shot?  Each of the suspects, played with giddy aplomb by Trevor Dorner, has a solid motive.  Enter would-be detective Marcus Moscowicz, played with equal comic dexterity by John Grieco, who methodically, or maybe more accidentally, happens upon the multitude of clues and red herrings to eventually solve the case.

The two actors have a finely honed chemistry that translates into unbridled zaniness and semi-controlled madness.  Trevor Dorner sometimes seems possessed as he ricochets from one character to another making each one as believable as the next. They include a prima ballerina, the local psychologist, the cranky couple next door, and the wife of the murder victim.  For good measure, he also embodies the officer’s love interest and a boy’s choir of 12.  Well, actually, three (you’ll get the joke by attending a performance).  John Grieco has only one character to focus on but, nonetheless, needs all his comedic acting prowess to stay in sync with his off-center partner. 

The score, by Joe Kinosian, who also wrote the amusing and clever book of the show, and Kellen Blair, is quick-witted, inventive, and tuneful.  It would be interesting to hear fully orchestrated versions of each tune.  All the songs are performed by Grieco and Dorner, who also demonstrate their considerable musicianship by accompanying each other on the on-stage piano.

Scenic Designer David Lewis has stuffed the small Playhouse stage with all the accouterments of a gothic manor, giving the set a mysterious ambiance.

Director Kyle Metzger expertly guides the two thespians through the fast-paced production, coming up with enough shtick and sidesplitting shenanigans for two shows.

Murder for Two, imaginative, original, and diabolically funny, playing at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford through February 3rd.

Review of "Network"

The stage adaptation of the 1976 film classic Network succeeds solely for the tour-de-force performance of Bryan Cranston as the aged, downtrodden newsman Howard Beale who, on the brink of professional collapse, rises Phoenix-like to become a modern-day prophet railing against corruption, greed, and political ineptitude.  There is a lot of flash and glitz to the production, courtesy of Scenic Designer Jan Versweyved, but it is the performance of Cranston, which sets the stage ablaze with fury and passion.

As with the movie, the focus is on Howard Beale, a venerable TV news anchorman for a second-rate network, who has been fired from his lofty position due to poor ratings, by his best friend, Max Schmacher (Tony Goldwyn), the news division head.  On his last broadcast Beale disregards the text scrolling on the telepromoter and goes on an impromptu, profanity-laden speech where he declares he will commit suicide on-the-air. Aghast, the network executives immediately fire him until his friend convinces them to give him one more chance for a dignified exit.  Once again, Beale starts ranting when the cameras begin rolling and the network looks to immediately cut ties with the seemingly off-hinged newsman.  However, unexpectedly, the ratings soar during the broadcast.  A young, driven producer, Diana Christensen (Tatiana Maslany), with questionable moral and ethical views, sees the potential of a ratings bonanza for a TV program allowing Beale to speak his mind and convinces the network’s higher-ups to keep him on the air.  At first, the Howard Beale show becomes a top-rated, money-making machine, but eventually the appeal wanes.  This triggers a series of cascading events, affecting the lives and careers of all the central protagonists.

In his screenplay for the film, written over 40 years ago, Paddy Chayefsky, was eerily prescient on the evolution of TV news and corporate consolidation.  What he fabricated then is common place today - the all-powerful influence of television, corporate intrusion into the newroom, the blending of news and entertainment (It was only one year after Network’s cinema release that Roone Arledge, President of ABC Sports, was promoted to President of ABC News), and the consolidation of media companies.  Even the birth of reality programming can be traced to the central plot of the movie.  Lee Hall’s adaptation of the screenplay is a faithful rendering, which highlights all the central plot points of the film.

Director Ivo Van Hove keeps the production fast-paced, mirroring the frenetic bustling and energy in a TV newsroom.  He scatters technology about the stage, giving the performance space a real TV studio feel.  The production dazzles when Van Hove has Cranston out front.  Otherwise, the corporate interplay and backstabbing, while intriguing, are not as compelling.  The relationship between Max and Diana is also not too engaging.  One of the central difficulties the director faces is creating cinematic type moments on stage.   He does, at times, succeed as when Arthur Jensen (Nick Wyman), the corporate president, stands high above the stage, preaching the gospel of corporate supremacy to a flummoxed Howard Beale.

As stated previously, the cast is led by the riveting performance of Brian Cranston as Howard Beale.  Superlatives such as triumphant, brilliant, and outstanding can all be used to describe his portrayal.  His “I’m mad as hell” speech is simply mesmerizing.  Tony Goldwyn instills the Max Schmacher character with a tired, defeated, and almost soul-less quality.  He has a foot in both the old and new world of electronic journalism.  The seasoned actor gives a passionate portrayal of a man who’s life, like his friend, is also spiraling out of control.  Tatiana Maslany imbues Diana Christensen with a cold-hearted determination who will do almost anything for a rating point or increased audience share.  But while appropriately callous and uncompassionate in her professional and personal life, she could have been even more icy and calculating.

Jan Versweyved set design is very high tech, the centerpiece being a large screen, which encompasses the back of the entire stage, bringing the action up front and personal.  At certain points, when the projection system is not displaying the activity on stage it can be somewhat distracting as the segmented screen shows multiple commercials from the late 1960’s, early-1970’s.  Remember “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin,” Alka Seltzer’s “That’s a spicey meatball,” and “Hai Karate?”

Network, a solid production with a magnificent performance by Bryan Cranston, now extended through April 28^th on Broadway.

Review of "Hamilton"

The long-awaited juggernaut known as Hamilton arrived at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts this week.  For theater-goers lucky enough to obtain tickets, they will encounter a production that lives up to the pre-arrival hype. 

The brilliance of the musical is not just because of the distinguished score by Lin-Manuel Miranda.  Every element in the show is breathtaking and combines to create a scintillating theatrical experience.

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, a more vivid picture of this arrogant, brash, patriotic, and talented man is presented.  Miranda, who also wrote the book of the musical, traces Hamilton’s 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.

Initially, this may sound like a dull subject for a musical, but Miranda brings his subject matter alive, distilling author Ron Chernow’s 827 page book into a history lesson for the ages.  Act One is more impelling and dynamic then Act Two because Hamilton’s life was more colorful and dramatic, as a theatrical presentation.  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 brings the material to vigorous life.  This isn’t the staid group of older white males from the musical 1776.  The multi-ethnic performers are young, hip, and full of intensity.  The cast is led by Austin Scott’s splendid, multi-layered portrayal of Alexander Hamilton.  The forefather is full of zeal, brimming with insolence and indignation, but also a cerebral and impassioned man.  Scott, tall and lanky, brings all these attributes to life.  Other notables include Paul Oakley Stovall as a stately and solemn George Washington; Bryson Bruce as a hang loose, chilled out Thomas Jefferson looking to find his groove; Josh Tower as the indecisive and disdained Aaron Burr; and Peter Matthew Smith as a hilarious, though perceptive, King George.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s score fuses current musical trends, rap, and hip-hop 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, is simply dazzling.  He brings the urgency of a blossoming nation to the fore.  His dance arrangements and movements for the actors flow from the action and situations on stage as opposed to developing inorganically.  There are straightforward choreographed numbers, but the strength of his work in how totally ingrained it is within the very structure of the production.

Thomas Kail’s direction is exciting and powerfully framed.  His imagination is boundless and the inventiveness he conveys on stage is thrilling.   His collaboration with Blankenbuehler’s choreography is positively symbiotic.  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, already one of the highlights of this season’s Connecticut theater scene, playing at the Bushell Center for the Performing Arts through December 30th.

Review of "Paradise Blue"

In the early part of the 20^th century, the Detroit neighborhood known as Black Bottom, was the center of African American life in the city.  It was one of the only areas where African Americans could legally reside and own businesses.  The Paradise Valley section was the entertainment epicenter where jazz music and nightclubs flourished until federal housing policies allowed prejudiced and intolerant local politicians to literally level the areas in the name of urban renewal.  

The cast of "Paradise Blue."  Photo by T. Charles Erickson. 

In the highly satisfying Paradise Blue, the playwright Dominique Morisseau has taken this little known historical event and crafted a tale that explores ambition, loyalty, and confronting the ghost of one’s past.  The play is the second in her trilogy known as “The Detroit Projects.”  All three shows are earmarked for Connecticut productions this season – Detroit ’67 will be on the boards at Hartford Stage beginning in February 2019 and The Skeleton Crew will be seen at The Westport Country Playhouse in June 2019.

 

Stephen Tyrone Williams in "Paradise Blue."  Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The show revolves around Blue (Stephen Tyrone Williams), a struggling jazz club owner/player.  He is no-nonsense in the way he runs the nightclub he inherited from his deceased father and in his temperament in leading his musical quartet.  With the abrupt departure of their bass player, the only two musicians remaining are the pianist, Corn (Leon Addison Brown), an older man who is somewhat of a father figure to Blue and P-Sam (Freddie Fulton), an impetuous young drummer.  Blue’s live-in girlfriend Pumpkin (Margaret Odette), an obedient and passive woman who recites poetry while not cleaning and cooking (the club also functions as a rooming house), rounds out the group until a mysterious, flirtatious female named Silver (Carolyn Michelle Smith), takes a room in the joint.

 

Leon Addison Brown and Carolyn Michelle Smith in "Paradise Blue." Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Silver, with her secretive background and motives, is the catalyst for the dramatic arc in the show.  Her interactions with each person causes them to consider anew their standing within the confines of the nightclub as well as their purpose in life.  This reevaluation spills over into direct confrontation as the play comes to its convulsive end.

 

Freddie Fulton, Leon Addison Brown and Stephen Tyrone Williams in "Paradise Blue." Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Ms. Morisseau has created five distinct personalities that, through the course of the play, are shaken by life-changing decisions and turmoil.  They come across as fully fleshed out characters that have different motives, which are adeptly broadened as the play develops .  She incorporates soulful jazz music and a bit of other-worldly spirits to tell their story.  She nimbly incorporates societal and interpersonal practices of the time-period, all under the backdrop of political and social upheaval.

Stephen Tyrone Williams‘s Blue is a man buckling under the weight of self-imposed aspirations and a crippling psychosis.  The actor can be playful, stern, and bullheaded.  He gives a deeply layered performance of a man slowly succumbing to his inner demons.  Leon Addison Brown imbues Corn with a touch of old-school wisdom as well as weariness.  It is a deftly shaded portrayal of a man going through the motions of living until his zest for life is reawakened.  Carolyn Michelle Smith is sexy, independent and determined as Silver, a cagey seductress who stirs the pot within the jazz club with unexpected and daring results.  Margaret Odette’s Pumpkin is deferential and dutiful.  The actress is a simmering cauldron of pent-up emotions and fears that are unleashed at the show’s climax.  Freddie Fulton’s P-Sam can be juvenile and irresponsible. While not the most nuanced performance, his characterization does shine light on the loneliness and alienation African Americans felt during these times.

 

Carolyn Michelle Smith and Margaret Odette in "Paradise Blue." Photo by T. Charles Erickson,

Director Awoye Timpo sets down the parameters of the production from the get go.  Within the first ten minutes the audience knows a lot about each character and their possible motives.  He slowly, even cautiously, ratchets up the tension as the show progresses with once solid alliances becoming frayed and new relationships are created.  The developing friction is balanced with meditative moments and musical interludes that deepen the story.

Daniel Kluger’s sound design - from the melodious trumpet solos to the otherworldly resonances - is enriching and vibrant.  The simple nightclub setting by scenic designer Yu-Hsuan Chen is straightforward, with his upstairs apartment piece skillfully emerging in and out of view.

Paradise Blue, playing through December 16^th at Long Wharf Theatre.