Comments, anyone?

 I would like to take this opportunity to remind readers that I enjoy hearing from you. A few of you have been sending your remarks directly to my email address. That’s fine, but the other readers don’t get to see those. It’s really very easy to add a comment to a review. On the info line immediately following every review, you will see the word “comments” or “no comments.” Click on whichever one you see and it will open a box for you to write your comment in. Below the box, it says “Comment as.”  For some technical reason that I don’t understand, you should select “Anonymous.” If you want to identify yourself, add your name to the comment itself. Then hit “Publish” and you’re done. I look forward to hearing from more of you.

Flying Over Sunset

C

When I first read that James Lapine (Falsettos, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George) had written the book for a Broadway musical about an LSD trip shared by Aldous Huxley (Harry Hadden-Payton; My Fair Lady), Clare Booth Luce (Carmen Cusack; Bright Star, Carrie) and Cary Grant (Tony Yazbeck; On the Town, Prince of Broadway), I thought it was a joke. When I learned that it was really true, I didn’t know whether to admire the producers for their bravery or pity them for their foolishness. I was encouraged that Lapine engaged Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, If/Then) to write the music and Michael Korie (Grey Gardens, War Paint) to write the lyrics. Regular readers of this blog know that, as a rule, I don’t think people should direct their own material because they are too close to it to be objective. Therefore, an alarm went off when I read that Lapine would also direct. It was with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension that I arrived at the theater today. I really hoped that something so far outside the box might succeed. Alas, it does not. Although there is much to admire —some fine performances, some glorious singing, a few satisfying scenes, clever choreography that incorporates tap, and spectacular sets and projections, its elements do not cohere and it ultimately adds up to very little. Nothing we learn about the three celebrities is that interesting. The back story of their LSD guide Gerald Heard (Robert Sella; Sylvia, Verité) is virtually ignored. The music and lyrics were disappointing. When it finally ended after 2 3/4 hours, I had to wonder what was the point. The four leads strive mightily to create full-blown characters. The other six cast members (Kanisha Marie Feliciano, Nepal Joshi, Emily Pynenburg, Michele Ragusa, Laura Shop and Atticus Ware) are all strong. At only 13, Ware has the presence of a Broadway veteran; his tap dance number with Yazbeck is one of the show’s highlights. Unfortunately, it is also one of the numbers that, while entertaining by themselves, do not advance the book or develop the characters. If I had to pick the people who come off best, it would be Beowulf Boritt (Act One, Sunday in the Park with George) for his amazing sets, 59 Productions (Oslo, An American in Paris) for their beautiful projections, and Michelle Dorrance, in her Broadway debut, for her innovative percussive choreography. I am not sorry that I saw it and salute Lincoln Center Theater for taking a chance on something so unconventional. However, my prevailing reaction is disappointment.

Selling Kabul

B+

In her timely, gripping new drama at Playwrights Horizons, Sylvia Khoury (Power Strip) demonstrates great skill in building and maintaining enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat for much of the play. She further shows a remarkable ability to capture the workings of an entire society by focusing tightly on the life of one family. It is 2013 and the U.S. is drastically reducing its forces in Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban to strengthen their grip on Kabul. They are determined to find and punish all Afghanis who aided the U.S. including those who worked as translators such as our protagonist Taroon (Dario Ladani Sanchez). We meet him after he has been in hiding in the apartment of his sister Afiya (Marian Neshat; Queens) for over four months awaiting the U.S. visa that he had been promised. Interestingly he is portrayed as reckless, selfish and shortsighted rather than as a sympathetic hero. His wife is giving birth to their first child, but it is not safe for him to visit the hospital. In an ironic twist, Afiya’s husband Jawid (Mattico David; Noura) runs a shop making uniforms for the Taliban and she assists by sewing some of them at home. Afiya has been avoiding all social contacts including her neighbor Leyla (Francis Benhamou; The Profane) and her 5-month-old baby to prevent anyone from discovering Taroon. A surprise visit from Leyla is cause for severe tension. The situation only becomes more tense when it is confirmed that the Taliban are definitely seeking Taroon and he must try to leave the country immediately. Decisions are made that test each character’s ethics and lead to momentous consequences. Some of the acting is superb, particularly Ms. Neshat and Mr. David. The set by Arnulfo Maldonado (A Strange Loop) and costumes by Montana Levi Blanco (A Strange Loop) are convincingly realistic and the direction by Tyne Rafaeli (Power Strip) is smooth. With so much going for it, you may wonder why I don’t praise the play more effusively. One reason is that Mr. Sanchez’s portrayal of Taroon leaves much to be desired; he does not have the range to match the character’s development over the course of the play. The other reason is that there are a couple of giant holes in the plot; you will probably be too caught up in the action to notice them while you are watching the play, but they are likely to bother you later. Despite these problems, the play is well worth seeing. I do wish that they had not found it necessary to bookend the play by assaulting the audience with the deafening sound of a helicopter. Running time: 100 minutes, no intermission.

The Alchemist

B+

Red Bull Theater is in fine form with this lively version of Ben Jonson’s 1610 farce. The same creative team — Jesse Berger, director; Jeffrey Hatcher, adaptor; Alexis Distler, set designer; and Tilly Grimes, costume designer — who brought us The Government Inspector have created another audience pleaser. The uniformly excellent cast of ten skilled farceurs performs with a combination of precision and abandon. To escape the plague, a wealthy Londoner has retired to the country and left his house under the care of his butler (Manoel Felciano), who invites two con artists, Subtle (Reg Rogers) and Dol Common (Jennifer Sanchez), to join him and turn the house into a base for perpetrating lucrative scams on gullible locals. Their intended victims include Abel Drugger (Nathan Christopher), a meek tobacconist; Dapper (Carson Elrod), a legal clerk with a gambling habit; Sir Epicure Mammon (Jacob Ming-Trent), a rich man and his skeptical servant Surly (Louis Mustillo); Ananais (Stephen DeRosa), a religious fanatic; Kastril (Allen Tedder), an angry young man, and Dame Pliant (Teresa Avia Lim), his widowed sister. The ensuing antics are too convoluted to describe here. The six doors, two stairways and one secret panel all get lots of use. The dialogue is filled with amusing anachronisms. The plot even manages to work in a touch of James Bond and a Brooklyn accent. The frantic activity wears a bit thin after intermission, but that’s a minor complaint. It’s a delightful treat for those who care for this sort of thing. If you liked The Government Inspector, you will probably enjoy The Alchemist. (Running time: two hours including intermission.)

Company

B

The much-anticipated London production of this Sondheim classic, which was shut down by the pandemic on the day it was supposed to open, has finally started previews on Broadway. The attention-grabbing gimmick of this version, under the direction of the renowned Marianne Elliott (Angels in America, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse), is to change the central character Bobby to Bobbie (Katrina Lenk; Indecent, The Band’s Visit). While I would have no problem with this change if it somehow enriched the experience, I thought it added nothing except novelty. As if that were not enough tinkering with George Furth's book, Amy has become Jamie and the impending wedding is now a same-sex one. This change did add something: it made the story more contemporary and gave “Getting Married Today” to the wonderful Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon, War Horse), who aced it. I suppose it is politically incorrect to make note of it, but three of the five married couples are interracial. Because of the gender bending, we are able to witness that rare species, the straight male flight attendant, who is delightfully played by Claybourne Elder (Road Show, One Arm). The rest of the cast is generally strong. It’s a treat to see Christopher Sieber (The Prom, Shrek, Spamalot) and Jennifer Simard (Mean Girls, Disaster!), as Harry and Sarah, go at each other. The trio of Bobby Conte (A Bronx Tale), Manu Narayan (My Fair Lady) and Elder deliver a top-notch ”You Could Drive a Person Crazy.” Conte also delivers a first-rate “Another Hundred People,” undaunted by Liam Steel’s hyperactive choreography. Unsurprisingly, Patti Lupone’s (War Paint, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd) “The Ladies Who Lunch” brought half the audience to its feet. And then there’s Lenk’s “Being Alive,” which I regret to report is underwhelming . Much as I have enjoyed her elsewhere, I must confess that I found Lenk generally disappointing. She did not demonstrate why her diverse group of friends found her so special, so there’s a hole at the center of the show. And then there’s Bunny Christie’s (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TIme, Ink) lavish set, which seemed to be based on the idea that more is more. It moves side to side, forward and backward, up and down, with pop-ups and restless 8-foot-high illuminated brightly colored letters that get shoved around the stage. It’s impressive to the point of distraction. Despite my reservations over many details, I found the evening enjoyable. The audience went wild, so I expect most people, particularly those who haven’t seen it before, will enjoy the show. As for me, it made me want to rewatch John Doyle’s streamlined version starring Raul Esparza on YouTube. (Running time: two hours 55 minutes including intermission.)

Kimberly Akimbo

A

David Lindsay-Abaire (Good People, Rabbit Hole, Fuddy Meers) and Jeanine Tesori (Caroline, or Change; Fun Home, Violet) have joined forces to turn his early dark comedy into a musical. I am happy to report that the result, now in previews at Atlantic Theater Company, is thoroughly satisfying. Although Kimberly (Victoria Clark; The Light in the Piazza, Sister Act) is just turning 16, a rare illness has aged her at 4 1/2 times normal speed, so she has the mind of a teenager in the body of a 70-year-old. She is further saddled with a dysfunctional family — an alcoholic father, Buddy (Steven Boyer; Hand to God, The Explorers Club), a narcissistic hypochondriac pregnant mother, Pattie (Alli Mauzy; Cry Baby, Wicked) and Debra (Bonnie Milligan; Head over Heels, Gigantic), her sociopathic ex-con aunt. At her New Jersey high school, she forms a friendship with Seth (Justin Cooley), a nerd with a fondness for anagrams. We also meet two mismatched pairs of fellow students — Delia (Olivia Elease Hardy), Martin (Fernell Hogan II; The Prom), Teresa (Nina White) and Aaron (Michael Iskander). All five principals have at least one song that develops their characters. The other songs are all well-integrated into the book to move the plot along. We learn why Kimberly’s family had to move away from Secaucus in the middle of the night. Debra stirs things up with a plan to make some fast money. There is much reason to laugh, but a realization that an underlying sadness is rarely far away. Ms. Clark is, not surprisingly, excellent but Ms.Milligan almost steals the show with her larger-than-life performance. The young actors portraying the sidekicks are all fine. The choreography by Danny Mefford (Fun Home, Dear Evan Hansen) includes a clever ice skating number. David Zinn’s (Fun Home, Choir Boy) unit set effortlessly transforms to several locations. The costumes by Sarah Laux (The Band’s Visit, The Humans) befit the characters well. The direction by Jessica Stone (Dancing at Lughnasa, Absurd Person Singular) is smooth and assured. All in all, it’s a rare treat. It received a standing ovation, which I have not seen before at the Linda Gross Theater. (Running time: 2 1/2 hours including intermission.)

Clyde's

 A-

Twice Pulitzer-awarded playwright Lynn Nottage (Ruined, Sweat) wrote this comedy with serious overtones and a touch of magic realism at the same time that she was working on Sweat. Both share a Reading, PA setting but are otherwise quite different. Clyde’s (formerly called Floyd’s when it premiered at the Guthrie Theater in 2019) is the name of the roadside sandwich shop owned by the titular character (Uzo Aduba, Godspell, “In Treatment”). All her employees have been recently released from jail. Taking full advantage of the fact that they are desperate, she treats them abominably and tries to squeeze any drop of hope out of them. We meet Letitia (Kara Young, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven), a young single mother with a chronically ill child; Rafael (Reza Salazar; Sweat, My Mañana Comes), a romantic Latino; newly hired Jason (Edmund Donovan, Greater Clements, Lewiston/Clarkson), who is covered with gang tattoos; and Montrellous (Ron Cephas Jones, “This Is Us,” “Mr. Robot”), an older man of philosophic bent who inspires the others with his quest for the perfect sandwich. We learn the backstory of each employee. As they work, they describe to each other their vision of sandwich perfection and occasionally make one for the others to try. Significantly, Clyde refuses to try any of Montrellous’s creations. The acting is universally superb. The set by Takeshi Kata (Cambodian Rock Band), lighting by Christopher Akerlind (Indecent, The Last Ship) and costumes by Jennifer Moeller (Sweat, Aubergine) contribute greatly to this Second Stage production. Kate Whoriskey, who has often demonstrated her affinity for Nottage’s work before (Ruined, Sweat, Intimate Apparel), directs with smooth precision. The ending will definitely get your attention. A word of caution: don’t attend when you are hungry — the rapturous descriptions of ideal sandwiches will have you salivating. (Running time 100 minutes, no intermission.)

What Happened?: The Michaels Abroad

B-

Have you ever been to a party where you don't know anyone but the host, where the other guests are talking about people you don't know and topics that don't resonate for you? That's how I felt watching Richard Nelson’s 12th and final installment of his Rhinebeck Panorama at Hunter College. It received almost universal praise from the critics, some of whom thought it was the best of the series. I wish I could agree. Perhaps 18 months away from the theater has dulled my critical faculties. Maybe I am entering curmudgeonhood. In any case I found the once fresh idea of watching the actors move the kitchen furniture, lay the rugs and set the table had become a bit stale. The chairs were an odd assortment, as usual, and the sink and stove were in their proper places. The main difference was that this kitchen was not in Rhinebeck, but in Angers, France. All seven characters are gathered for a tribute to Rose Michael, the illustrious modern dancer to whom each is related, either as widow (Maryann Plunkett), ex-husband (Jay O. Sanders), daughter (Charlotte Bydwell), niece (Matilda Sakamoto), former colleagues (Haviland Morris and Rita Wolf) or admirer (Yvonne Woods). Most of the play is spent mourning her recent death. She was dying of ovarian cancer, but COVID finished the job. The highlight of her tribute is to be a performance of some of her works by her daughter and niece. Luckily for us, they preview their performance for those assembled. The dances (by the late, great dancer/choreographer Dan Wagoner) are charming and well-performed. Their performance was, for me, the high point of the afternoon. The other good news is that the cozy Hunter theater with only two rows of seats on all four sides is perfect for Nelson's intimate plays. Unllke at the Public Theater, hearing is not a problem. Since it closes today, I won’t take up more of your time, except to say that I thought that even Nelson stalwarts Plunkett and Sanders did not inhabit their characters as thoroughly as usual. Maybe the play would have been more impactful if it had been performed sooner after the first Michaels play. I am sorry that I did not find it more rewarding. Running time: one hour 50 minutes without intermission.

Chicken & Biscuits

Sanctuary City

C

Over a year and a half has passed since I last set foot in a theater. My exile ended today with a visit to the Lucille Lortel Theatre for New York Theatre Festival’s production of Martyna Majok’s Sanctuary City. I felt a mixture of eagerness and anxiety when I arrived at the theater. There were two lines, one for people with tickets in hand or on their phone and the other for will-call. I showed my ID, Excelsior Pass and ticket and found my seat. Even allowing for deliberately leaving empty seats between theatergoers, the size of the audience was far from the capacity. The usher patrolled the house reminding people to keep their masks on properly.

My expectations were rather high since I had liked Majok’s Cost of Living a lot and had found her immigrant drama queens flawed but interesting. Once again she has turned to the immigrant community for her subject. This time the focus is on two Latinx “dreamers” in Newark who are 17 when the play begins shortly after 9/11. I was moderately taken aback that the two leading characters were identified only as B and G. The benefit of depriving them of first names was not apparent to me. B (Jasai Chase-Owens; The Tempest and A MIdsummer Night’s Dream at the Public) is a bright hard-working young man whose mother decides to return to her homeland, leaving him alone in Newark. G (Sharlene Cruz; Red Bull/Hunter’s Mac Beth), a friend since third grade, has a mother who has brought home a series of abusive boyfriends who sometimes have included G in their abuse. She has often “crashed” with B for safety. Their sleeping together remains chaste, which should set off alarm bells for what follows. Just before G turns 18, she becomes an American citizen by virtue of her mother’s naturalization. To save B from a bleak future, G offers to marry him so he too can become a citizen. They rehearse answering the immigration officer’s likely questions to authenticate a marriage, Without clinching the deal, G goes off to Boston on a scholarship. Up to that point, the play has been highly stylized, with sentences and even fragments of sentences being repeated either with or without variation. Short scenes are repeated out of sequence for no apparent reason. I did not feel that the stylization enhanced the material. The style of the play becomes much more naturalistic when it jumps ahead almost four years. G has returned from Boston on a school break. B is strangely hostile to her. We then meet the third character, Henry (Austin Smith; Hamilton, An Octoroon), whose presence gives us new information about B. The rest of the play is mainly a contest between G and Henry to win B’s exclusive company. I found the story more than a little implausible. Specifically, I could not believe that G could have been so blind to B’s nature. I had trouble understanding what motivated her. All three actors are attractive and do justice to their roles. The abrupt shift in style midway through the play puzzled me. Rebecca Frecknell, Associate Director of London’s Almeida Theatre, is listed as director, but Caitlin Sullivan (Hundred Days at NYTW) is credited as Remount Director. The set by Tom Scutt consists mainly of a bare elevated platform; his costumes did not draw attention. Finally, I feel that the title is a misnomer. What is commonly understood by "sanctuary city" has almost nothing to do with the play.

While it was a pleasure to be back in a theater, I am sorry that the occasion was a bit of a disappointment. Running time: 100 minutes, no intermission.