All in Review
Dominique Morisseau completes her “Detroit Cycle” with “Paradise Blue”, a tail-end jazz-age noir tale about the cost of history and bigotry through the lens of Detroit’s racist city planning in the late 1940s. Expertly written in the vein of August Wilson and Tennessee Williams, rivetingly staged by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and finely acted by a terrific ensemble, this play is another triumphant entry by Ms. Morisseau, and a “must see” of the spring season.
“Dance Nation” at Playwrights Horizons is Clare Barron’s explosive and raw look at a ragtag troupe of 11-to-13 year-old competitive dancers as they discover their bodies, their power, and their ambition amid the glorious horror of adolescence. Both messy and explicit, this hilarious and unsettling new play is refreshingly weird and thrillingly honest, featuring an excellent ensemble cast and perfect direction. Catch this one if you can.
Last week, MasterVoices, New York’s acclaimed 130-member chorus, presented a two concert production of “Orphic Moments” at Jazz at Lincoln Center as part of its 76th annual concert series.
“Unexpected Joy”, a new musical at the York Theatre Company, contains several unexpected joys: a groovy, folk rock score, an intriguing original story mining contemporary themes, and a quartet of strong female vocal performances; and some unfortunate faults: a script and direction lacking dynamism, stereotypical characters and sitcom-deep dialogue, and a pat ending. The whole show feels dated and unrealistic, with an “agree to disagree” closing message about LGBT equality that I found troubling.
“Me and My Girl” is a fizzy, frothy, and funny British musical from the 1930s, updated in the 1980s, presented with period pizzazz as part of City Center’s Encores! concert series. With a fancifully simple story and charming, if forgettable score, this show offers pure lighthearted escapism. If you’re looking to think, skip it, otherwise, serious musical theatre fans should catch this chance to see a classic.
The 2017-2018 Broadway season comes to a close with three play revivals: an excellent, energetic production of “The Iceman Cometh” with Denzel Washington; a perfunctory and pageant-like production of “Saint Joan” starring Condola Rashad; and an absolutely ravishing London transfer of Tom Stoppard’s brilliant “Travesties”, starring Tom Hollander.
Marin Ireland gives a ravishing performance in a first-rate revival of Tennessee Williams’ rarely seen “Summer and Smoke”, jointly produced by Classic Stage Company and Transport Group. This lyrical, low-rent Southern Gothic tragedy is stripped to its bones by director Jack Cummings, III, allowing the actors to shine uninhibited and deliver riveting and magnetic performances. This play is a highlight of the spring season in New York, and should not be missed.
“Symphonie Fantastique”, MacArthur “genius” Basil Twist’s whimsical and hallucinatory 1998 underwater puppet show, is now receiving a dazzling and entrancing limited engagement revival as part of HERE’s 25th anniversary season. If you are looking to experience something you have never seen before, I highly recommend you check it out.
A roundup look at three shows that opened Off-Broadway in April. Roundabout’s “Bobbie Clearly” struggles with tone while the Public’s “Miss You Like Hell” is lovely but muted. I highly recommend MCC Theater’s stunning “Transfers”.
The Public Theater's Mobile Unit presents a free production of “Henry V” for a short sit down at the Public following a 20 stop tour through the five boroughs. It’s bare bones and thrilling, infused with comedy by director Robert O’Hara. A comedic history play? Purists should stay away. Those looking to ease into Elizabethan text should check it out.
“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” is a flat and soulless jukebox tribute to the “Queen of Disco” that disgraces the genre she created by offering thin orchestrations, inauthentic choreography, and a song listing that includes too many obscure cuts from later in her career. LaChanze’s radiant performance is not enough to salvage this joyless and unfocused show. Save your money and listen to Summer’s iconic songs instead.
Harry Potter makes his Broadway debut in a new play that is an astonishing thrill ride packed with plentiful twists and turns in a production that marks a triumph of stagecraft and skillfully captures the spirit and sensibility of the beloved book series and film franchise. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is pure magic, and a must-see for any Harry Potter fan or acolyte.
