It was an easy decision to avoid putting my/the Ten Best
Plays/Musicals/Theater Experiences in alphabetical order…also too much thinking
involved to put them in order of preference. How I arrived at my list was,
however, easy as I simply referred back to my own barely legible calendar which
led me to either my reviews, or to wife/theater-companion LucyAnn’s brilliantly
conceived, artistically designed and organized scrapbook of programs, photos,
and comments…not that they influenced me at all…ahem. You may notice that I
consider some of the twofers as a one….don’t ask.
“Fun Home” and “Good Person of Szechwan”
Lisa Kron and Taylor Mac in "Good Person of Szechwan" (photo by Carol Rosegg)
Two musicals at the Public Theater that were produced
virtually together, back to back or side by side as it were truly outstanding
and unforgettable: “Fun Home,” has a wonderfully invigorating score by Jeanine
Tesori and a sensitive/engrossing book by Lisa Kron for which director Sam Gold
and a sterling cast (with three terrific actresses who played Alison Bechdel at
three stages of her growing up) that also included Michael Cerveris and Judy
Kuhn gave us a heartfelt look into the formative years of the renowned Lesbian
graphic artist. I am sure that Bertolt Brecht is actually doing cartwheels in
his grave in praise of the Foundry Theater’s audaciously performed, hilariously
and poignantly (what a combination) re-imagined musical version of his
trenchant political satire “Good Person of Szechwan.” It wasn’t enough that
multi-talented Kron wrote the book for “Fun Home” but she appeared as a major
character in “Good Person,”…wow! If I were king of the forest, I would have
moved both of these productions to Broadway for extended runs.
“King Richard III” and
“Twelfth Night”
Mark Rylance as Viola (above), as Richard (below)l
Talk about double headers: Call them the “Globe ” trotters,
or anything you like, but the visiting Britishers from London’s renowned
Shakespeare’s Globe Theater presented the Bard as he has never before been so
delightfully honored. “King Richard III,”
and “Twelfth Night” were both presented with an eye and ear for faithfulness to
the time when they were first played. Led by Mark Rylance (in drag) in the
comedy and as a comedic (don’t be upset) Richard, a superb company of players
directed by Tim Carroll made this combo in repertory the seriously don’t miss
theatrical event of the season. Playing at the Belasco Theater through February
1.
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”
It isn’t a prerequisite that you are a fan of the vintage
British film comedy “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” (that catapulted Alec Guinness
to stardom) to be thoroughly amused by the antics of a cast headed by Jefferson
Mays (in the Guinness role) and Bryce Pinkham in “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love
and Murder,” a buoyant musical comedy version with a very melodic score by
Steven Lutvak and a sparkling book/adaptation by Robert L. Freedman that made
every death a delight. At the Walter Kerr Theater.
“The Jacksonian”
“The Jacksonian”
The queen of Southern Gothic comedy Beth Henley was back in
top form with “The Jacksonian,” a funny and still scarily macabre play about a
young girl who witnesses her dentist father spiraling out of normalcy (to put
it mildly) after he is kicked out of his home by his nutty (to put it
succinctly) wife to take up residency in a seedy hotel. Awesome, creepy and
off-the-wall performances by Ed Harris, Glenne Headly, Bill Pullman, Amy
Madigan and Juliet Brett (what an ensemble) were prompted by director Robert
Falls. For certain it was the best and
most lingering nightmare of the year.
“Passion”
“Passion”
Melissa Errico and Ryan Silverman
(photo by Joan Marcus) in "Passion"
This discomforting romantic chamber opera by Stephen
Sondheim is in some ways a challenge, but in more ways further proof that an
uncompromisingly serious score by one of the American Theater’s most
extraordinary composers can thrill a conventional traditional theater audience
with its dramatically melodic content: the seduction of a handsome soldier by a
homely and sickly woman. The Classic Stage Company’s stunning revival was designed
and directed by John Doyle. Judy Kuhn as the homely Fosca made life difficult for
the gorgeous Melissa Errico, and good-looking Ryan Silverman.
“Kinky Boots”
“Kinky Boots”
Billy Porter and several of The Angels (photo by Matthew Murray) in "Kinky Boots"
For “Kinky Boots” Cindy Lauper wrote a terrific score,
Harvey Fierstein wrote an excellent book and director/choreographer Jerry
Mitchell brilliantly assembled all the elements. Derived from a minor British
film comedy about a failing shoe factory that discovers that designing fetish
footwear is the key to success, it had heart and soles and it won (stole???)
the Best Musical Tony last spring away from that annoying little British twerp
“Matilda.” Still playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theater.
"The Nance"
Nathan Lane as "The Nance"
I suspect that Nathan Lane is simply not capable of being in a play or musical that doesn’t get on my best list. With that said, the incomparable Lane played the title role in Douglas Carter Beane’s socio-political play about an unhappy man who becomes a victim of Mayor LaGuardia’s morality stand and harsh crackdown on open homosexuality in the entertainment field, specifically burlesque in New York during the mid 1930s. Maybe not a great play, but certainly a damn good one, as lavishly produced and splendidly directed by Jack O’Brien for Lincoln Center Theater. A strong dose of political activism was woven into a touching gay romance.
“Buyer and Cellar"
Michael Urie in "Buyer and Cellar" (photo by Sandra Coudert)
This is a wittily written (Jonathan Tolins) terrifically
acted one-person (Michael Urie) play about a young gay out-of-work actor who
finds a temporary job as a shopkeeper in entertainment icon Barbra Streisand’s
underground mall. Opening to rave reviews for the originality of the play’s
premise as well as for Urie’s engaging performance, “Buyer and
Cellar” has extended its run so many times, it seems to have become a permanent fixture
(like a tchotchka in Streisand's home) at the Barrow Street Theater. The combination of the endearing Urie’s battery
of chit-chat about himself and also about La Streisand and her meticulously cared for collectables will have you laughing aloud. Playing at the Barrow Street Theater, 27 Barrow Street.
"Here Lies Love"
Ruthie Ann Miles in "Here Lies Love" (photo by Joan Marcus)
No kinky boots for
Imelda Marcos, the former first lady and present congresswoman of the
Philippines whose huge collection of
shoes have no place in this swirling, whirling musical tableau during which the
audience follows the action and musical numbers all performed on platforms kept
in almost constant motion by a strong body of stage-hands. Within a great
space, the audience swayed, danced, and responded to the pulsating score by David
Byrne and Fatboy Slim and the passionate
story about a woman consumed by love, politics, adoration, and fame. It was a
lot to deal with but it was a thrilling adventure in interactive theater. Dressed
in colorful costumes, the talented company made a spectacle of themselves and
of the era they evoked. And everyone at the Public Theater had a good time…adding to the great season for the Public Theater.
As I said, I can’t
limit myself to ten, so here is the rest of the best, none of which are still
running…except in my mind.
"reasons to be happy"
"reasons to be happy"
Josh Hamilton and Jenna Fisher in "reasons to be happy"
(photo by Joan Marcus)
Neil LaBute made his
long over-due Broadway debut (he was already famed for a commendable/sizable
body of work that found a following/success Off-Broadway and London) with this trenchant
play whose title (although written out in lower case) not too subtly refers to
his lower-case characters trapped by circumstance and economics, but not by
their desire for a better life.
“The Flick”
Louisa Krause and Aaron Clifton Moten in "The Flick" (photo Joan Marcus)
Annie Baker’s play
about a small group of young employees at a neighborhood movie house caused a
mild furor among the subscribers when it opened at Playwrights Horizons. Many,
however, including me were immediately absorbed by their particular obsessions,
deeply personal problems and their relationship to one another over the course
of three hours. This play, under Sam Gold’s compliant direction, tried the
patience of many but I found it outstanding as well as mesmerizing.
“The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters”
“The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters”
Laura Heisler and Rob Campbell in "Patron Saint of Sea Monsters" (photo by Joan Marcus)
It was difficult to
make complete sense of everything or anyone in Marlane Meyer’s wacky and
bruising play in which the line between human and animal behavior of the
characters is as blurred as is the play’s various themes that seem to waver between
the spiritually metaphysical and the brutally realistic. It’s all about what
happens when a young woman returns to her roots to set up a medical clinic
somewhere in the Midwest in the middle of a jungle and rekindles
relationships….not too easily. Another head-spinner imaginatively staged and
directed by Lisa Peterson for the evidently adventurous (we hope) Playwrights
Horizons crowd.
“The Mutilated”
“The Mutilated”
Penny Arcade and Mink Stole in "The Mutilated"
Wouldn’t Tennessee
Williams be delighted to know that his deliriously wacky one-act comedy about
the unlikely bond between a feisty, down-on-her-luck, over-the-hill prostitute
and a reclusive, love-starved and “mutilated” woman of wealth would reappear in
a vibrantly comedic production directed with flair and finesse by Cosmin
Chivu? Amidst the playing and singing
by a jazz band Tin Pan, and the meandering of an intriguing supporting cast,
the leads (both notable “Underground” stars) Penny Arcade and Mink Stole won
our hearts with their poignantly funny performances. Williams may have been
stoned when he wrote this, as he probably was when he wrote the provocative
“The Two Character Play” that was also well received earlier this season.
How could I sign off
without sharing what I considered to be the worst theater experiences of the
year? Allow me to just list a few of them that reached the nadir with no more than a graphic word or more … but I want to be able to (years from now) look back and say with pride,
“I’m glad I don’t remember (therefore no photos) that dog at all.”
“Clive” – With no
intermission, there was no way to bail on this boring updating of Brecht’s
“Baal.”
“Breakfast at
Tiffany’s” – Not again? Now about that cat….
“Matilda” – (Okay be shocked) What the
devil were they singing about…couldn’t hear one word clearly.
“Far From Heaven” - Not
far enough
“The Explorers Club”
– Proving even a farce can be unfunny.
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