John Lithgow: Stories By Heart

C+

I confess that I arrived at the American Airlines Theatre with a chip on my shoulder. I was annoyed that Roundabout had not only filled out its schedule with a warmed-over one-man show that had originated at Lincoln Center Theater ten years ago, but had chosen to place it in their largest theater. The cynic in me assumes that they were more interested in improving their bottom line than in satisfying their subscribers. That being said, at least the solo performer is John Lithgow (The Changing Room, The Sweet Smell of Success), one of our most versatile actors. It’s always a pleasure to see him, even when his material is less than compelling. The evening consists of his performance of two short stories, each preceded by reminiscences of his family, particularly his father. In the first story, “Haircut” by Ring Lardner, a small-town Midwestern barber regales a new customer with a tale that turns from comic to tragic. It was a story that Lithgow’s father read to him and his siblings at bedtime. Lithgow mimes all the appropriate gestures of giving a haircut, complete with sound effects. The nervous giggle he chose for the barber became annoying quickly. After intermission, he performs ”Uncle Fred Flits By,” a P.G. Wodehouse story with several characters that Lithgow entertainingly brings to life. It is a story that he credits for helping pull his ailing father out of deep depression when Lithgow read it to him. I enjoyed the family reminiscences he recounted before each story more than the stories themselves. I wish he had devoted the entire evening to an expanded sharing of his family memories. John Lee Beatty (Junk, Sweat, Disgraced) designed the set, a stately wood-paneled room with a cozy wing chair, a small table, a chair and a stool. Daniel Sullivan’s (The Little Foxes) direction tries to enliven the proceedings with modest success.

Running time: two hours including intermission. 

An Ordinary Muslim

B-

Hammaad Chaudry is a lucky man. His thesis advisor for his MFA at Columbia in 2014 was none other than Tony Kushner, who has helped steer his play through drastic revision and expansion— from 70 minutes to 2 1/2 hours - culminating in this production at New York Theatre Workshop. The focus of the play is the Bhatti family of West London in 2011. The father, Akeel (Ranjit Chowdhry), born in India but relocated to Pakistan after the partition, emigrated to England about 40 years ago and has worked his way into the middle class. His emotionally distant wife Malika (Rita Wolf; Homebody/Kabul) is recovering from a heart attack. The lead character is their assimilated son Azeem (Sanjit De Silva; Dry Powder), who works at a bank where he hopes to become branch manager. His wife Saima (Purva Bedi; East Is East), more religious than Azeem, has influenced him to give up alcohol and behave more devoutly. Saima is considering wearing a hijab to work, but Azeem is against the idea. Azeem’s older sister Javeria (Angel Desai) is making a rare visit from Manchester where she lives with her husband and two small children. Imran Jameel (Harsh Nayyar) is the leader of a revivalist Muslim group and his son Hamza (Sathya Sridharan; This Is How It Ends) runs the mosque where Saima is a volunteer. Imran and Akeel had a falling out many years before. The only non-Muslim character is Azeem’s longtime “real” British friend David (Andrew Hovelson; The Father), who also works at the bank. The playwright succeeds in capturing the difficulties of living in a society where one never feels welcome. He certainly does not idealize the Bhattis. Abuse, both physical and emotional, has been part of their family life. The parents and, to a large extent, the son are far from sympathetic, which posed a problem for me. The subplots about persuading first Akeel, then Saima, to attend religious retreats were confusing. I found the play was generally overstuffed and would be curious to see the 70-minute version. I was surprised to learn that no-one in the strong cast is a Muslim. Neil Patel’s (Time and the Conways) scenic design and Susan Hilferty's (Wicked, Present Laughter) costumes serve the play well. Jo Bonney (By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Father Comes Home from the Wars) directs with her usual sure hand. Running time: 2 1/2 hours including intermission.

queens

C+

This new drama by Martyna Majok (Ironbound) at LCT3’s Claire Tow Theater takes us to a basement in Queens where several immigrant women are living in a crowded illegal apartment. Most of them are from Eastern Europe, but one is from Honduras and another from Afghanistan. Most of the play is set in the basement in 2001, 2005 and 2017, but there are also scenes in Ukraine, Honduras and Georgia (the state, not the country). The jumping back and forth between years and places is occasionally confusing. Renia (a powerful Ana Reeder; The Big Knife), who we see rise from tenant to building owner, has left her young daughter behind and lives with that guilt. Inna (Sarah Tolan-Mee) is a young immigrant who suspects Renia might be her mother. Pelagiya (Jessica Love; Aubergine, The River), Aamani (Nadine Malouf; The Who and the What) and Isabella (Nicole Villamil) are three colorful residents who, unfortunately, disappear after Act One. Agata (Zuzanna Szadkowski) and Lera (Andrea Syglowski) have smaller but still important roles. Three of the actors (Mss. Love, Malouf and Villamil) also have a second role. The playwright captures the texture of life in the ad-hoc community formed by the women in the basement and offers some insight on what brought them there and what their hopes are. As a collection of character studies, the play succeeds, but as a coherent narrative, it needs work. There seems to be a trend this year to rush plays to production with really major revisions being made during previews. The set by Laura Jellinek seems too spacious for a basement apartment, but features a ceiling that lowers oppressively. Kaye Voyce’s costumes help define the characters. Danya Taymor has not been entirely successful in keeping the audience aware of when each scene takes place. Despite its flaws, the play offers a welcome glimpse at a group that has too often been overlooked. Running time: two hours 45 minutes including two intermissions.

The Amateurs

C

With the success of Marjorie Prime, expectations for playwright Jordan Harrison’s new play at the Vineyard Theatre were high. After his Pulitzer-nominated play set in the near future, Harrison has shifted his focus to 14th-century Europe during The Black Death. We follow a traveling theatrical group working on their new production of the mystery play “Noah’s Flood,” which they hope will win the approval of the local duke and, thereby, a safe refuge from the plague. We meet Larking (Thomas Jay Ryan; The Crucible. 10 out of 12), the pompous leader of the troupe who, of course, plays God. Roma (Jennifer Kim; Gloria), perhaps the most unpleasant person in the troupe, is pregnant. Hollis (Quincy Tyler Bernstine; Grand Concourse, Ruined), who is mourning the recent death of her brother, occasionally gets so wrapped up in speculating about the motivation for her lines that she goes blank onstage. The quiet Brom (Kyle Bertran; Head of Passes, Fortress of Solitude) is riddled with guilt over a secret relationship. Gregory (Michael Cyril Creighton; Stage Kiss), the troupe’s all-around handyman, is deemed by Larking too simple and too unattractive to appear onstage. A mysterious stranger The Physic (Greg Keller; Animal, Belleville) joins the troupe. About midway through the play, the author breaks the fourth wall: Creighton reappears as a character representing the playwright to discuss the origins of the play in his own experience of a more recent plague, to speculate about the emergence of the concept of the individual and to question the proper role of art in society. After this extended interlude, the play proper resumes. Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I feel the playwright should show us in the play what his intent is, rather than interrupt the play to tell us about it. The uniformly fine cast deserves better than this. David Zinn’s (Fun Home, The Humans) scenic design with its theater on wheels is a delight. Jessica Pabst’s (Can You Forgive Her?, Marjorie Prime) period costumes are excellent. Oliver Butler’s (The Light Years, The Open House) direction is unfussy. Even though the playwright’s attempt to do something different misfires, it fails interestingly. I look forward to seeing what he will try next. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

Kings

B-

Playwright Sarah Burgess, who had her Public Theater debut with Dry Powder,  a dark comedy about a private equity firm, is back with a new play that gives us a look at the corrosive effect of money on American politics as seen from the viewpoint of two lobbyists, a new congresswoman and a veteran senator. The well-connected Lauren (Aya Cash; The Light Years, The Other Place) used to work for Texas Sen. John McDowell (Zach Grenier; Describe the Night, 33 Variations) and now lobbies him. Kate (Gillian Jacobs; “Community”), a less successful lobbyist whose client list consists mostly of minor medical associations, is Lauren’s frenemy. Rep. Sydney Millsap (Eisa Davis; Passing Strange, Preludes), an African-American Gold Star widow from Dallas who has surprisingly won her seat in a special election, hasn’t yet learned how the influence-peddling game works and doesn’t want to. On the positive side, the play captures the soul-sucking tedium of spending hours on the phone calling potential donors and hosting a seemingly endless round of fundraising events. The example of lobbying against a bill to eliminate carried interest is timely. The illustration of the depths to which unidentified deep-pocketed donors will go to get their way is ugly if not shocking. I was relieved that there is no specific mention of the current occupant of the White House. The portrayal of three strong women characters is appealing. On the negative side, characters often seem more like contrivances than flesh and blood people and the tone occasionally veers toward the pedantic. The political maneuvering onstage offers no surprises to anyone who follows the news regularly, but in today’s climate, it is almost comforting for its predictability and familiarity. The play is intelligent and reasonably entertaining, but seems a bit repetitive. The significance of the title eluded me. The actors are all strong. The decision to stage the play with the audience on two sides is problematic. The scenic design by Anna Louizos (In the Heights, School of Rock) features four bar stools and two tables that are reconfigured with annoying frequency and occasionally revolve. Paula Tazewell’s (Hamilton, The Color Purple) costumes suit their characters well. Thomas Kail (Hamilton, Dry Powder) directed. Warning: You may have a craving for fajitas afterwards. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.

Jerry Springer -- The Opera

B-

It is easier for me to understand why it took 15 years for a fully staged production of this controversial Olivier-winning musical to reach New York (a concert version ran for two nights at Carnegie Hall in 2009) than to grasp how it won several best musical awards in London in 2003. In this thru-sung piece with music and lyrics by Richard Thomas (Anna Nicole) and book and additional lyrics by Stewart Lee, we visit the set of Springer’s notorious tabloid talk show, with side trips to Purgatory and Hell. It is hard to satirize a TV show that is essentially its own parody. The authors go for shock value, throwing in large doses of the profane, the salacious, the scatological and the blasphemous. For me, the novelty of hearing four-letter words sung from the stage faded quickly. The first act, though a bit long, was entertaining, but after intermission things headed south. The thinness of the material is almost counterbalanced by the quality of the performances. The cast, led by Terrence Mann (Pippin, Assassins) as Springer and Will Swenson (Waitress, 110 in the Shade) in the dual role of Warm-Up Man and Satan, is first-rate. Several have operatic voices that are thrilling to hear. Tiffany Mann and Luke Grooms are especially strong. Sean Patrick Doyle (Wig Out!) is notable in the transgender role of Tremont. The rather simple scenic design by Derek McLane (Sweet Charity, Noises Off) features a thrust stage with the audience seated on three sides. The costumes by Sarah Laux (The Band's Visit) are wickedly funny. The choreography by Chris Bailey is unremarkable and the direction by John Rando (On the Town, Urinetown) is a bit sluggish. The New Group deserves commendation for bringing a neglected work to New York and casting it with superb singers. It’s not for everyone, but if you place a high value on great singing and are not turned off by offensive language and themes, you might enjoy it. The rather young audience tonight responded with enthusiasm. Running time: two hours 15 minutes including interimssion.

Relevance

C

I was surprised to learn that JC Lee (Luce), the author of this new play in previews at MCC Theater, is a man. I erroneously assumed that a play about the battle between two feminists of differing generation and race must have been written by a woman. Perhaps it needed a woman to more clearly articulate what is at stake in their struggle. In any case, it came across to me as a muddled look at important issues. From moment to moment, it is hard to tell whether Theresa (the always wonderful Jayne Houdyshell; A Doll's House Part 2, The Humans), an established author on women’s issues, is really interested in defending truth in academia or just fighting to keep rising star Msemaji (the superb Pascale Armand; Eclipsed) from taking over her spotlight. Although Theresa loathes social media where everyone, no matter how stupid, has equal voice, when she discovers unsubstantiated evidence online that Msemaji may have misrepresented her biographical details, she is tempted to weaponize the information. The arguments about gender and race put forth by Theresa and Msemaji seemed circular and repetitive. There are two supporting characters — Kelly (Molly Camp; The Heiress, Close Up Space), moderator of their debate at an academic conference, and David (Richard Masur; Democracy, Olive and the Bitter Herbs), Theresa’s literary agent. The role of Kelly is satirized too broadly and David’s character seemed mainly there as a plot contrivance. The lack of a sympathetic character was an obstacle for me. The scenic design by Clint Ramos (Once on This Island, The Village Bike), with its revolving set and sliding panels and the projection design by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew were perfectly executed. The set for the hotel room has an LED cityscape outside the window that was so eye-catching that I became more interested in watching it transform than in paying attention to the actors. The costumes by Jacob A. Climer (Kid Victory) were spot-on. Director Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed) did her best with a shaky script. I wish that the script were up to the high level of the production. To me, this is one more case where a play was rushed into production before it was ready. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.

Hangmen

A-

After successful runs at the Royal Court and the West End in 2015, Martin McDonagh’s very dark comedy has reached New York in a top-notch production at Atlantic Theater Company. Fortunately, original director Matthew Dunster is back, along with three members of the original cast — Sally Rogers as Harry’s wife Alice, Reece Shearsmith as Harry’s former assistant Syd and the wonderful Johnny Flynn (Young Einstein in “Genius”) as the mysteriously menacing Mooney. Mark Addy ("The Full Monty," "Atlantis") has taken over the role of Harry, Britain’s second-best executioner, and makes it his own. Gaby French nails the role of Harry and Alice’s “mopey” 15-year-old daughter Shirley. The other actors — Owen Campbell (Indian Summer), Billy Carter (Shining City), Maxwell Caulfield (Entertaining Mr. Sloane), Gilles Geary, Richard Hollis (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), John Horton and David Lansbury (Anything Goes, Noises Off)—are all Americans, but they fit into the ensemble so seamlessly that I would not have guessed without reading the program. Dialect coach Stephen Gabis did his job well. The play is set in the north of England in the mid-60’s. During the first scene, we see Harry and Syd oversee the execution of a prisoner who emphatically protests his innocence. The rest of the play takes place two years later. Harry has retired and is running a small-town pub. On the day that the abolition of the death penalty takes effect, a reporter (Campbell) arrives and tries to interview Harry. He refuses to talk until the reporter loosens his lips by mentioning his archrival Albert Pierrepoint (a real person, played here by Caulfield) as an alternative source. Mooney, a mysterious stranger who is clearly not a northerner, arrives and expresses his interest in renting a room. Mooney attempts to ingratiate himself, first with Alice and then with Shirley. When Shirley disappears, Mooney is immediately suspected, thanks to information supplied by Syd, whom we at one point see meeting with Mooney in a cafe that suddenly appears above the main set. Gallows humor (appropriately!) grows more prominent in the remarkable scene that comprises most of the second act. There are strong overtones of Orton and Pinter. A running joke addresses the correct usage of ‘hung” and “hanged.” Costume and set designer Anne Fleischle has done much to enhance the production. I could quibble about the haziness of Mooney’s motivation, but it didn’t bother me while I was caught up in the play. While I don’t think McDonagh quite reaches the heights of some of his earlier plays such as The Beauty Queen of Leenane or The Cripple of Inishmaan, he has nevertheless written a play that is entertaining, disturbing and thought-provoking. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes including intermission.

A Walk with Mr. Heifetz

C-

James Inverne’s impressive resume includes work as arts writer and commentator for the Daily Mail, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and the Financial Times, editor of Gramophone and founder of magazines for the Sundance Institute and other arts institutions. He marks his playwriting debut with this well-intentioned but dramatically inert new play for Primary Stages at the Cherry Lane Theatre. In Act I, set in Palestine in 1926 under the British mandate, we meet Yehuda Sharett (Yuval Boim), kibbutz choir director, composer and amateur violinist, who has just attended a concert by Jascha Heifetz (Adam Green). He takes Heifetz for a walk in the hills during which he rebukes the famous violinist for the egotism of his career but also implores him for advice on how to become a better composer. Heifetz suggests he go to Berlin to study. In Act II, set in 1945, Yehuda is visited by his brother Moshe (Erik Lochtefeld; Napoli, Brooklyn), who went on to become foreign minister and then prime minister of Israel. Yehuda has stopped writing music and has become a recluse after his wife and sister are killed in an accident. Moshe attempts to lure him back into the world by persuading him how important music is to the soul of a nation. It’s all very high-minded, but, infortunately, not very dramatic. The different accents of the two brothers interject a discordant note. Boim’s Israeli accent is so thick that I could not distinguish between “walk” and “work.” In addition to the three actors, there is a violinist (Mariella Haubs) whose occasional short passages were more of a distraction than an enhancement. The set by Wilson Chin (Cost of Living, My Mañana Comes) converts from a rocky, hilly scene in the first act to a gloomy apartment in the second. The period costumes by Jen Caprio seemed appropriate to their characters. Andrew Leynse’s direction was unfussy. Earlier this season, Primary Stages presented another play (The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord) that was more polemical than dramatic. While this play was a big improvement over the earlier one, I think it’s time to seek a new direction. Running time: 90 minutes including intermission.