Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) - Broadway

The saying, ‘big things come in small packages” is never more true than in the new musical comedy, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).  The two-person show, which plays like a fairytale movie romcom, is endearing, heartfelt, and a little bit magical.  You will not leave the theater (or for that matter, during the show) without a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eyes.

The engaging book by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, who also wrote the upbeat score, concerns Dougal, a late 20 year-old Brit who has come to U.S. to attend his father’s wedding.   The young man has never met or even been acknowledged by this dad.  Nonetheless, he is over-the-moon about the upcoming nuptials and arriving in The Big Apple.  Dougal is played by Sam Tutty, whose exuberance and boyish charm are infectious.  From the moment he belts out the high-spirited opening number, “New York,” he has won over the audience.  Meeting him at the airport is Robin, also in her mid-20’s, and the younger sister of the bride.  A running joke is Dougal referring to her as “Auntie.”  Christiani Pitts, in the role of Robin, (who New York audiences may remember from her role as Ann Darrow in the short-lived King Kong), is a cynical, tough New Yorker on the outside, and a self-doubting Brooklynite on the inside.  While she initially appears as a hardened soul, the actress effectively teases out the role to, eventually, imbue the character with warmth and determination.

After picking up Dougal, Robin wants to just go back to her unappealing life, working as a barista in a coffee shop.  Dougal wants her to see the town with him.  After some playful bickering, she acquiesces, to a degree, but does let him help her pick up the wedding cake.  Spoiler alert – they don’t carry it across New York, but the scene does set up the story for the remainder of the musical.  Barne and Buchan could have settled for the libretto to just be stuffed with silliness and inane adventures.  The twosome, however, have fleshed out the backstory of each character and storyline.  Everything is not what it appears, which provides for a more realistic, honest encounter, and fulfilling ending.

 

As mentioned, the duo also wrote the music and lyrics.  Many of the numbers are beautifully rendered with optimistic, hopeful tunes mixed in with lighthearted and endearing songs.  One word to describe the score – refreshing.

 

Director/Choreographer Tim Jackson skillfully guides the musical to its gratifying conclusion, a difficult task for a two-person show.  His choreography is muted, but provides the occasionally energetic boost to the production.  He adeptly incorporates Soutra Gilmour’s whimsical Scenic Design – two pyramids of suitcases atop a rotating stage – and Jack Knowles sharp Lighting Design to create a show that appears larger than its small scale.

 

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), a show not to be missed, playing at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway.

Art of Murder - Seven Angels Theatre

There are three essential ingredients for a murder mystery to work on stage:

1. The believability factor
2. The understandability of the plot
3. Some twists and turns

The Art of Murder, playing at Seven Angels in Waterbury through November 30, contains all three, making it a diabolically entertaining show.  It’s not a whodunnit, but a whydunit.  Playwright Joe DiPietro - Broadway (Nice Work If You Can Get It – book, Memphis - book and lyrics), Off-Broadway (The Toxic Avenger - book and lyrics; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - book and lyrics) – has infused the show with comedy and drama, which allows for a more relaxing theatrical experience.

 

Without giving away much of the intrigue, the action takes place in the living room of a quaint Litchfield County home, impeccably rendered by Scenic Designer Kimberly Jackson.  An appealing detail by Ms. Jackson is the inclusion of paintings from the Mattatuck Museum that decorate the walls.  Uber artist, Jack Brooks, an arrogant, ego-centric painter, resides in the abode with his wife, Annie, an artist in her own right, and live-in maid, Kate.  A visit by Jack’s New York City art dealer, Vincent, is the catalyst for, as the saying goes, the plot to thicken. 

 

The strength of Art of Murder is the number of deceptions and artful trickery permeating the script.  Just when you think the play will tilt one way, it takes a sharp 180-degree turn.

 

Director Travis Kendrick-Castanho keeps the constantly changing machinations at a well-paced tempo.  His decision to have of Jack (Constantine Pappas) and Vincent (Tom Simonetti) play their roles in a more over-the-top manner enlivens the production.  He incorporates Charles O’Connor’s Lighting Design and his own Sound Design to effectively add a spine-tingling jolt to the show.

 

The cast is game for whatever comes their way.  Charlene Hong-White is suitably deceptive as Annie, delectably imbuing her character with both submissiveness and strength.  Tom Simonetti is delightfully bombastic, providing vitality and comedic affectations as Vincent.  Gemma Berg, in the underwritten role of Kate is, nonetheless, an integral part of the thriller. Constantine Pappas, the Artistic Director of Seven Angels, deserves a special nod in the role of Jack, having to step in at the last minute to replace the actor Reid Sinclair, who was ill.  Even with script-in-hand, Pappas was able to portray the self-important artist with vivacity and zeal.

 

There are just a few performances remaining of Art of Murder, playing at Seven Angels through November 30.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Fox on the Fairway - Music Theatre of Connecticut

The playwright Ken Ludwig is a master of farce, and his zany comedy, The Fox on the Fairway, is receiving a spirited production at the Music Theater of Connecticut.  There are twists and turns layered upon more twists and turns.  An innocuous reference early in the show becomes a key point later on in the play.  What seems implausible becomes possible.  The storyline?  I don’t want to reveal too much so as not to spoil the fun.  Simply, the plot revolves around the annual golf tournament between two country clubs.  A sizeable bet between the two clubs’ Executive Directors becomes the catalyst for the fun and silliness that emerges.

Josh Powell and Ted Gibson in The Fox on the Fairway.

Director Amy Griffin embraces the farcical nature of the show with slamming doors, physical humor, fast pacing, and romantic folly.  Even with all the absurdity and dashing about, she effectively keeps the cast from going overboard in their characterizations.  The humor comes more from the continuously changing situations than the histrionics of the cast.  Sean Sanford’s unpretentious tap room Scenic Design, with its numerous doorways and tactically placed furniture, is just right for all the shenanigans that take place in the show.  Jon Damast’s strategically inserted Sound Design contributes greatly to the folly.

Josh Powell and Missy Dowse in The Fox on the Fairway.

The ensemble is all in for the merriment, playing their characters with a self-assured effervescence.  Whether they are called upon to roll on the floor, jump on the furniture, smash a P.A. system, or chase (or be chased) around the set or down the aisles, the cast is up to the challenge.  Josh Powell, a frequent performer on Connecticut stages, is splendid as the perpetually flummoxed Mr. Bingham, the head of one country club.  Sean Hanlon, is perfect as Dickie, the arrogant, pretentious leader of the rival club.  Fresh-faced Ted Gibson gives an exuberant performance as the naïve, inexperienced Justin, the newly hired assistant to Mr. Bingham.  His fiancée, the waitress Louise, is played with bravado, charm, and a touch of desperation by Erin M. Williams.  Missy Dowse, enticingly imbues the character of Pamela, Treasurer at Mr. Bingham’s club, former wife of Dickie, with a sultry playfulness and calculating swagger.  Anette Michelle Sanders is ideal as the strident and shrill Muriel, wife of Mr. Bingham.

Sean Hanlon and Anette Michelle Sanders in The Fox on the Fairway.

The Fox on the Fairway,  a riotous time at the theater, playing at the Music Theater of Connecticut through November 23.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Importance of Being Earnest - Westport Country Playhouse

The Westport Country Playhouse opened its 95^th season with an uneven production of the classic Oscar Wilde comedy The Importance of Being Earnest.  Wilde’s wit, humor, and intellect is on full display in the show.  The issue is the pacing of the production.  Director Melissa Rain Anderson, primarily in Act I, has the characters hurrying about James J. Fenton’s stylishly rendered set.  The somewhat flashy performances, the dashing about, and clambering up and down the center staircase, while amusing, can also be distracting.  Less would have been more, allowing the comedy to come naturally from the repartee and well-planted bon mots.

L-R: Kristen Hahn, Katy Tang, Triney Sandoval, Anthony Michael Martinez, Christine Pedi, Jan Neuberger, and Michael Raver in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

 

 In the show, two young men, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, both lead double lives.  Jack lives in the country but pretends to have a wicked brother named “Ernest” so he can enjoy the pleasures of London.  In reverse, Jack’s friend Algernon relishes the opportunity to play in the country under the assumed identity of “Bunbury.”  The name of “Ernest” plays a key role in the work.  The secretive guises create a tricky problem with their love lives - Jack with Gwendolyn Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin, and Algernon with Cecily Cardew, Jack’s ward.  Complicating the whole affair is Algernon’s aunt, Lady Bracknell, an imposing, highly opinionated matron; Gwendolyn’s governess, Ms. Prism; and an over-stimulated priest, Canon Chasuble.  In the end, surprises are sprung, and happiness prevails for all.

L-R: Michael Raver and Anthony Michael Martinez in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

 

The centerpiece of The Importance of Being Earnest is the role of Lady Bracknell.  When she enters the stage, the character should demand the audience’s undivided and devoted attention.  Christine Pedi, garbed in one of Costume Designer Annie J. Le’s sumptuous outfits, is daunting and haughty, but the actress is not domineering within her scenes.  She becomes just one of the players.   

L-R: Kristen Hahn, Mark Silence, and Katy Tang in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15.   Photo by Carol Rosegg.

 

Anthony Michael Martinez’s Algernon is a foppish, vain, man about town, but the actor is slightly over-the-top in the role.  Michael Raver is more controlled as Jack Worthing, but almost too woeful and distressed.  Katy Tang’s Gwendolyn is attractively focused on her desires.  Kristen Hahn’s Cecily, as delicate as a butterfly is, nonetheless, resolute and unyielding with her wants and yearnings.  The two women, when together on stage, provide an entertaining verbal joust.  The other players - Jan Neuberger as the proper, yet restless, Miss Prism; Triney Sandoval as the frisky, jocular Canon Chasuble; and Mark Silence as the unexcitable and tolerant butlers – deliver ample support to the production.

L-R: Kristen Hahn, Anthony Michael Martinez, and Christine Pedi in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

The Importance of Being Earnest, playing at the Westport Country Playhouse through November 15.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.