The Boys in the Band

A-

Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking 1968 play has always evoked a variety of reactions. While many praised it for presenting the first unapologetic look at a group of gay characters onstage, others condemned it because these characters displayed so much self-loathing. I try to keep in mind that the play is set at a moment before Stonewall drastically changed gay life and provided an outlet for internalized homophobia. Crowley’s characters find refuge with each other against a hostile world. I am also saddened as I think back to the original production by the knowledge that many members of the cast later died from the as-yet unknown scourge of AIDS. The idea that a 50th anniversary production would be mounted on Broadway with a star-studded cast of out gay actors would have seemed inconceivable in 1968. And so it was with a lot of baggage that I arrived at the Booth Theatre. I had forgotten just how funny the dialogue is with its many bitchy outbursts. I had also forgotten how nasty the play turns during its final third. The cast is uniformly strong. In the crucial role of Michael, the host of the evening’s party, Jim Parsons (Harvey, The Normal Heart, "The Big Bang Theory") delivers. When he turns vicious after a few drinks, it is truly shocking. Zachary Quinto (The Glass Menagerie) delivers the goods as Harold, the self-hating pockmarked birthday boy. Matt Bomer ("White Collar," "The Normal Heart") is a sympathetic — and very buff — Donald, the underachiever who stands by Michael. Andrew Rannells (Falsettos, The Book of Mormon) is fine as Larry, whose promiscuity threatens his relationship with the uptight Hank (Tuc Watkins; White Lies), who has left a wife and two children for Larry. Robin de Jesus (In the Heights) is wonderful as the unabashedly effeminate Emory. Michael Benjamin Washington (Mamma Mia!) is quietly moving as the only African-American in the group. Charlie Carver ("Desperate Housewives") is a hoot as Cowboy, the hustler Emory has bought Harold for his birthday. Brian Hutchison (Man and Boy) plays the problematic role of Alan, Michael’s college roommate, who makes an unexpected appearance. David Zinn’s (Amelie, Fun Home) bilevel apartment set is guaranteed to elicit real estate envy. His costumes are also excellent. Director Joe Mantello (Three Tall Women, The Humans) has done his usual fine work with this fine ensemble. I still have problems with some of the play’s structure. The telephone game that fills most of the last 40 minutes seems both artificial and vicious. Michael’s attempt to manipulate Alan seems out of context. However, there is no escaping how hilarious much of the play is, which goes a long way toward forgiving its shortcomings. Running time: one hour 55 minutes, no intermission.

Conflict

B+

The Mint Theater turns out first-rate productions of little-known early 20th-century British plays with such regularity that it would be easy to take them for granted. The latest example is a 1925 play by Miles Malleson that combines romance, politics and class.  Malleson (1888-1969) had such a productive career as a character actor in films (over 120) and as a screenwriter (20 screenplays, including The Thief of Baghdad in which he also played the sultan) that his work as a director, producer, translator of Moliere and playwright could be overlooked. In the present play, we meet Lord Bellingham (Graeme Malcolm; Equus, Hapgood), his bored, frivolous daughter Lady Dare Bellingham (Jessie Shelton; Hadestown), her stuffy beau Major Sir Ronald Clive, D.S.O. (Henry Clarke), her widowed friend Mrs. Tremayne (Jasmin Walker; Avenue Q) and the family butler Daniells (James Prendergast; Incident at Vichy). Dare is growing tired of the endless round of balls and dinners, but won’t commit to marrying Clive, her lover for over a year. Tom Smith (Jeremy Beck; Hindle Wakes), a former classmate of Clive’s at Cambridge who has fallen into dire poverty, turns up one night to beg for help. A year and a half later, Smith has regained his footing and is running as a Labour candidate for Parliament against Clive. Smith’s landlady, Mrs. Robinson (Amelia White; Crazy for You), is unimpressed with his politics, but Dare is intrigued. Will Lord Bellingham and Clive reveal a secret about Smith that could ruin his political and romantic future? I won’t tell. As usual, the Mint offers a strong cast, a splendid set (by John McDermott; Sense and Sensibility) and striking costumes (by Martha Hally; Women without Men). Jenn Thompson’s (Women without Men) direction reveals an aptitude for this material. It may not be as witty as Shaw, but it’s not as didactic either. I enjoyed it. Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes including intermission.

The Beast in the Jungle

C+

The last time composer John Kander, book writer David Thompson and director/choreographer Susan Stroman worked together at the Vineyard Theatre, the result was the critically acclaimed The Scottsboro Boys, which went on to Broadway where it had the dubious distinction of being nominated for 12 Tonys but winning none. That production had the added benefit of lyrics by the late Fred Ebb. This time out, what the creative trio has come up with is not a traditional musical, but a “dance play” with no lyrics and relatively little dialogue. Since Stroman’s last dance play was the Tony winner Contact, the return to that form sounded promising, especially with a cast led by Peter Friedman (The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island, The Treasurer), Tony Yazbeck (On the Town) and Irina Dvorovenko (On Your Toes at Encores). Alas, the sum of all these talents does not approach the level of either previous collaboration. The inspiration for the book is Henry James’ well-regarded novella about a self-centered man so fearful that some terrible event will upend his life that he does not allow himself to be open to love. Since the tale by James is long on psychology but short on events, Thompson had his work cut out for him to turn it into a viable book. He did not hesitate to add new characters and events to liven things up. Stroman had varying success in selecting aspects of the story that could be told through dance. Some of the dance numbers are quite effective while others are embarrassingly kitchy. The chorus of six female dancers often seems superfluous. Kander’s music made surprisingly little impression on me. The scenic design by Michael Curry (The Lion King, Frozen), sensitively lit by Ben Stanton (Dot, The Low Road), has some striking elements. The three leads as well as Teagle F. Bougere (Is God Is) all perform well. Much as I admire all involved for their efforts, I regret to say that I found the results underwhelming. Running time: one hour 45 minutes, no intermission.

Travesties

A-

In his early plays, Tom Stoppard’s need to show the audience how clever he is was tempered by a playfulness that made this habit bearable and, in the present case, thoroughly enjoyable. I did not expect to be so delighted by this rollicking production imported by Roundabout Theatre from London’s Menier Chocolate Factory. A brilliant director, Patrick Marber (Closer), and a superb cast led by Tom Hollander (King Lear, Tartuffe) combine to make as strong a case for the play as I could imagine. Don’t be intimidated by the complexity of the setup. Stoppard has taken the fact that James Joyce (Peter McDonald; The Weir), Lenin (Dan Butler; Twentieth Century) and Dada founder Tristan Tzara (Seth Numrich; War Horse, Golden Boy), were all living in Zurich in 1917 and has imagined their interactions, as recalled in the addled memory of Henry Carr (Hollander), a minor British consular official, 50 years later. Did I mention that Stoppard presents the story as a riff on Oscar Wilde’s The Important of Being Earnest? You needn’t waste a moment reacquainting yourself with the principal characters. Just arrive early enough to read the two-page cheat sheet in your Playbill and you’ll be fine. We also meet Lenin’s wife Nadya (Opal Aladdin; Hedda Gabler), Carr’s sister Gwendolyn (Scarlett Strallen; A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), his enigmatic butler Bennett (Patrick Kerr; The Ritz) and the left-leaning librarian Cecily (Sara Topham; The Importance of Being Earnest). Amidst the hilarity, we get arguments on the proper role of the artist in society. There’s also a bit of song and dance. The inventiveness rarely flags. The actors are all wonderful. I expected Tom Hollander to be fine, but was surprised by the manic physical humor of Seth Numrich. Tim Hatley (Private Lives) designed the dark paneled set decorated with blank books and scattered pages, as well as the attractive period costumes. My one complaint is that it may be too much of a good thing. It’s hard to maintain the appropriate level of attention for so long. If you let your attention slip for even a moment, you are likely to miss some allusion or quip. I had a much better time than I expected to. Running time: two hours 40 minutes including intermission.

Our Lady of 121st Street

A-

Signature Theatre set the bar so high for their Stephen Adly Guirgis residency with last year’s first-rate production of his 2000 drama Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train that I was a bit apprehensive about whether they could maintain that high standard. I needn’t have worried. Their revival of this dark comedy from 2002 is every bit as good, if not better. This ensemble piece with twelve characters — and I do mean characters — is more like a series of connected sketches for pairs of actors than a plot-driven narrative, but with sketches that display Guirgis’s talent for writing inspiredly raunchy urban dialogue for a variety of damaged characters, that’s enough to keep me happy. A motley crew of past and present parishioners of a Harlem church have gathered for the wake of Sister Rose, a stern but loving nun who taught them all. The wake has been indefinitely postponed because someone has stolen Sister Rose’s body from the casket. We meet Victor (John Procaccino; Our Mother’s Brief Affair), an angry man whose pants were stolen while he slept; Balthazar (Joey Auzenne), an alcoholic cop; Rooftop (Hill Harper; Toast, Blue), an L.A. radio show host who abused his former wife Inez (Quincy Tyler Bernstine; The Amateurs); Father Lux (John Doman; The Other Thing), the priest who has to hear Rooftop’s first confession in 30 years; Flip (Jimonn Cole; X: Or, Betty Shabazz vs. The Nation), a closeted attorney who has brought along his less-than-butch lover Gail (Kevin Isola; Brooklyn Boy); [Why would any parent name their son Gail?] Norca (Paola Lazaro; To the Bone), a nasty woman with a short fuse; Edwin (Erick Betancourt; Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train), whose life is devoted to caring for his mentally disabled younger brother Pinky (Maki Borden; Inanimate); Marcia (Stephanie Kurtzuba; Billy Eilliot), Sister Rose’s neurotic niece; and Sonia (Dierdre Friel; Leap of Faith), whose reason for being there is hazy. As these characters engage, the ensuing dialogue is most often hilarious, although there are tender and sad moments as well. The actors are all solid. Mr. Harper and Ms. Kurtzuba are standouts in the showiest roles. Walt Spangler’s (Escape to Margaritaville) versatile set economically sets the mood. Alexis Forte’s (Between Riverside and Crazy) costumes are apt. Phylicia Rashad’s (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) direction is smooth and assured. I was enjoying myself so thoroughly that I was taken aback by the play’s abrupt and rather downbeat ending. Compared to the play’s other achievements, this disappointment was a minor blemish. Running time: two hours including intermission.

Paradise Blue

B

Things look very promising upon arrival at the Linney Theatre at Signature Center for the final installment of Dominique Morisseau’s (Skeleton Crew, Pipeline) Detroit trilogy. The walls of the theater are covered with vintage posters for jazz concerts. The set by Neil Patel (An Ordinary Muslim; Time and the Conways) evokes the look of a seedy bar in the Black Bottom area of that city in 1949. At one end we see an upstairs rental room perfect in period detail down to the mauve chenille bedspread. Two huge electric PARADISE signs overhang the set, each facing half the audience seated on opposite sides of the stage. A lively burst of jazz plays as the lights dim. We meet each of the colorful characters: Blue (J. Alphonse Nicholson), the bar’s owner and trumpet player; Pumpkin (Kristolyn Lloyd; Dear Evan Hansen, Invisible Thread), Blue’s lover, cook and cleaning woman, who likes to memorize poems; Corn (Keith Randall Smith; The Piano Lesson, Jitney), pianist, widower and longtime friend of Blue’s; P-Sam (Francois Battiste; Prelude to a Kiss, Head of Passes), a young drummer down on his luck; and Silver (Simone Missick), a sultry black widow who rents the upstairs room. Blue’s bar is at the heart of a thriving area of black-owned businesses, threatened by a new mayor who wants to eliminate “blight.” Each of the characters has personal reasons for wanting the bar either to remain open or to close. The characters, mostly richly drawn, would feel right at home in an August Wilson play except for Silver, who seems to have wandered in from a noir film. Skillful director Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Jitney, The Piano Lesson) is in his comfort zone. The period costumes by Clint Ramos (Night Is a Room, Appropriate) are wonderful. Because the production has so much going for it, I am sorry to report that the play does not fully live up to its promise. The plot is not as coherent as it should be. The character of Blue is so relentlessly unsympathetic and devoid of charm that it is hard to care about his fate; I am curious whether another actor could have fared better with the role. Nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing the other first-rate actors making the most of juicy roles. Ms. Lloyd and Mr. Smith are especially fine. It’s not up there with Morisseau’s  Skeleton Crew, but it is still worth seeing. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes including intermission.

A Brief History of Women

B

After missing the 2017 season of Brits Off Broadway, Alan Ayckbourn, happily, is back at 59E59 Theater with his 81st play. I could quibble about the title— the play is neither brief nor a history of women. “Sixty Years at Kirkbridge Manor” would have been a better fit, because all four segments of the play take place in that location between 1925 and 1985. Seeing the wonderful set by Kevin Jenkins provides a treat even before the play begins. Jenkins, who is also responsible for the great costumes, has cleverly managed to squeeze a paneled study, a marble-floored entrance hall, a terrace and a corner of a ballroom onto the Theater A stage. The set is subtly altered as the manor house is converted, first to a girls’ school, then to a community arts center and, finally, to a boutique hotel. The set change between the final two segments was so clever that it drew a round of applause. The central character is the calm, reactive Anthony Spates (Anthony Eden), first seen as a 17-year-old farm boy working part time as footman at the manor house, later as a 37-year-old teacher at the girls’ school, then as the 57-year-old administrator of the arts center and, lastly, as the 77-year-old retired hotel manager filling in during his successor’s vacation. One of the pleasures of an evening of Ayckbourn is relishing his superb actors in the multiple roles they are called upon to play. Five of the six — Eden, Frances Marshall, Laura Matthews, Laurence Pears and Louise Shuttleworth —were new to me. The sixth, Russell Dixon, is a welcome returnee who can effortlessly steal any scene he is in. The physical abuse of women described in the first part could well have been ripped from today’s headlines. The attitude toward women expressed by the lord of the manor is antediluvian. One can argue about how much progress has been made over 60 years. As he often does, Ayckbourn injects an interesting theatrical restriction into the proceedings: we can only hear the characters in the room that Spates is in. Others may be chatting away in another room, but we do not hear them. While the roles are juicy and the dialogue entertains, there are a few dry spots along the way. You may find the ending predictable, but you will likely still be moved by it. Ayckbourn is one of the few playwrights who does well directing his own work. Even when he is not at the top of his form, he is worth seeing. I look forward to play #82. Running time: 2 1/2 hours including intermission.

Light Shining in Buckinghamshire

I

I can only comment on the first act of Caryl Churchill’s problematic 1976 play about mid-17th century England because I fled the theater at intermission. After Rachel Chavkin’s great success directing Hadestown at New York Theatre Workshop, she was apparently given free reign to choose her next project there. Unfortunately for us, she chose Churchill’s long, preachy, basically undramatic treatment of the political-religious background of the English Civil War. The choice is especially surprising because NYTW already presented the play once before in 1991. In the first act, the intrepid cast of six — Vinie Burrows, Rob Campbell, Matthew Jeffers, Mikéah Ernest Jennings, Gregg Mozgala and Evelyn Spahr — portray a variety of characters whose lives illustrate the enormous social injustices of the era. The act concludes with a reenactment of key moments of the Putney Debates, an unsuccessful attempt to agree on a more equitable constitution. The ongoing struggle for greater social justice is certainly still relevant for us today, but perhaps one has to be British to fully appreciate this play. For me it was sheer tedium. Director Chavkin is not at the top of her game. The production dresses the characters in period-appropriate costumes (by Toni-Leslie James) but conspicuously mixes in such modern props as plastic shopping bags, a cellphone, a Coke bottle and a cardboard coffee cup. For no particular reason, the actors speak mostly through microphones. An electric signboard above the spare set (by Riccardo Hernandez) provides useful information to introduce each scene but remains on with distracting open captioning of the actors’ every word. And words there are aplenty. I could not abide the thought of sitting through another 1 1/2 hours of them. Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes including intermission.

The Metromaniacs

B

If you have seen one of David Ives’s three previous riffs on classical French comedy — The School for Lies after Moliere, The Heir Apparent after Regnard and The Liar after Corneille — you will know exactly what to expect from this latest “translaptation” (what he calls his translated adaptations). A featherweight plot is sustained by the cleverness of Ives’s rhymed and often amusingly anachronistic couplets, artfully delivered by a talented cast in a stylish production. That’s what Ives again delivers, but this time out it does not seem quite as effortless. Ives had to dig deep to find his source, an obscure 1738 play by a virtually forgotten author, Alexis Piron. Based on actual events, it relates how a scorned Parisian poet got back at the literati by assuming the persona of a Breton shepherdess whose poetry charmed them all including Voltaire. In Ives’s version, the multiple impersonations and mistaken identifies are so complicated that even the actors get confused. The humor is a bit broader and the quality of the rhymes is a bit lower. The delightful cast includes holdovers from previous Ives plays — Christian Conn, Adam LeFevre and Amelia Pedlow — in addition to Noah Averbach-Katz, Adam Green (The Witch of Edmonton), Peter Kybart (Awake and Sing) and Dina Thomas (Tribes). Alas, Carlson Elrod, whose previous Ives performances added so much fun, is absent this time. Murell Horton is back with more wonderful costumes and Michael Kahn again directs with flair. The set design by James Noone (Sunset Boulevard) is also excellent. If you have not seen one of the earlier plays, you will probably be delighted; if you have, you might be a bit disappointed. Ives has apparently moved his New York base from Classic Stage Company to Red Bull Theater. CSC”s loss is a win for Red Bull. Running time: one hour 50 minutes including intermission.

Links to reviews of earlier Ives plays:

The School for Lies https://bobs-theater-blog.blogspot.com/2011/05/school-for-lies.html

The Heir Apparent https://bobs-theater-blog.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-heir-apparent.html

The Liar https://bobs-theater-blog.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-liar.html