The Collaboration

 B+

Paul Bettany (An Inspector Calls, “A Very British Scandal”) and Jeremy Pope (Choir Boy, Ain’t Too Proud) are giving two remarkable performances as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, respectively, in Anthony McCarten’s (The Two Popes, A Beautiful Noise) biodrama about the two-year period in the mid-80’s during which these two artists, badgered by their dealer Bruno Bischofberger (Erik Jensen; Disgraced, Corpus Christi), worked together on a series of joint paintings for a keenly anticipated show. Warhol was already late in his career with declining interest in and prices for his works; Basquiat was the hot new discovery whose career was still in its early stages. The two men had diametrically opposed views of the role of art, but overcame their initial mutual antipathy to actually become friends. Basquiat was able to get Warhol to pick up a brush for the first time in 25 years. The first act describes the beginnings of their joint endeavor. The second act picks up two years later a few weeks before their joint show is due to open. For this play you want to stay in your seat at intermission, because black-and-white films of the two doing things together such as working out are projected on large screens on either side of the stage. I thought these projections were an integral part of the play that added significantly to the experience. Things get a bit melodramatic in the second act when we learn about Basquiat’s relationship with his girlfriend Maya (Krysta Rodriguez; First Date, In the Heights) and the police brutality incident that his close friend and fellow artist Michael Stewart endured. Unfortunately, the play breaks off before their show opens so we do not get the story of the critical reaction to the show and its effect on their friendship. The supporting actors create vivid characters. The set and costumes by Anna Fleischle (Hangmen) are evocative. The wig design by Karicean “Karen” Dick and Carol Robinson is a show all by itself. The direction by Kwame Kwei-Armah (artistic director, The Young Vic) is unfussy, although I did not see the point of having a DJ at the side of the stage before the play began and at intermission.  While the script at times seems uneven and incomplete, the performances by Bettany and Pope are reason enough to see the play. If you can't get there now, wait for the film version that is in the works. Running time: two hours 15 minutes including intermission.

 

NOTE: Dress warmly. Owing to the Samuel G. Friedman Theatre’s lack of a proper lobby to separate the auditorium from the street, the temperature in the theater drops precipitously before the show begins.

Some Like It Hot

A-

How brave the creative team of this musical adaptation of the classic Billy Wilder film were to tinker with a movie that enjoys cult status, especially since it had already been adapted as Sugar, a musical that ran on Broadway for over a year 50 years ago. Luckily for us, Mark Shaiman (music and lyrics; Hairspray), Scott Whitman (lyrics; Hairspray), Matthew Lopez (book; The Inheritance, Amber Ruffin (book), Casey Nicholaw (director/choreographer; The Prom), Scott Pask (scenic design; The Book of Mormon)) and Gregg Barnes (costume design; Mean Girls) have assembled a show that is not only relentlessly entertaining but adds a few interesting new twists to the story. The casting is superb: the ever enjoyable Christian Borle (Something Rotten!) hits all the right notes as Joe; J. Harrison Ghee (Mrs. Doubtfire) perfectly captures the duality of Jerry/Daphne; Adrianna Hicks (Six) makes the most of the less-developed role of Sugar; Kevin Del Aguila (Frozen) is hilarious in the expanded role of Osgood, and Natasha Yvette Williams (Tina) is a force of nature as Sweet Sue. The music is catchy, the choreography which includes lots of tap dancing is terrific, the deco sets are wonderful and the period costumes are splendid. By portraying Sweet Sue, Jerry/Daphne and Sugar as black, the authors have added a new dimension to the plot. By giving Osgood a back story, they strengthen the theme of identity fluidity personified by Jerry/Daphne. By not slavishly following the details of the film, they have created something that both honors the original and opens new doors. The result is a sure crowd-pleaser that should have a very long run. My only complaint is that the sound level at times became uncomfortably loud. Running time: two hours 35 minutes including intermission. 

Merrily We Roll Along

 A

My only previous experience of Sondheim and Furth’s (Company) 1981 famous flop was the extremely stripped-down version by Fiasco Theater three years ago. While that was enjoyable, it did not provide many clues why Merrily… has become a cult classic. It certainly didn’t prepare me for the exciting experience I had today at New York Theatre Workshop. This production is basically the same version that originated at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London several years ago and went on to the West End where it won the Olivier. There is so much to praise that it is hard to know where to begin. Perhaps the most important of its many strengths is the brilliant casting. The roles of Frank, Charley and Mary fit Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening), Daniel Radcliffe (Lifespan of a Fact) and Lindsay Mendez (Carousel) like gloves and they play off each other very well. The secondary roles are equally well-cast, including Krystal Joy Brown (Motown)as Gussie, Katie Rose Clarke (Miss Saigon) as Beth, and Reg Rogers (Holiday) as Joe. The songs are well-sung and well-integrated into the action. Jonathan Tunick’s orchestrations for reduced orchestra are fine, but the sound level was occasionally too loud. Soutra Gilmour’s flexible set serves the show well and her period costumes are a delight. Tim Jackson’s (Stepping Out) choreography is a treat. Finally, there is Maria Friedman’s (High Society) skillful direction, which pulls everything together brilliantly so that the gimmick of telling the story of youthful hope leading to middle-age disillusion backwards makes perfect sense. I hesitate to recommend the show too enthusiastically since the entire run is sold out. One can only hope for an extension or a move to Broadway. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.

Ohio State Murders

 B-

At the age of 91, Adrienne Kennedy is having her Broadway debut with this one-act play from the early 1990s, now at the James Earl Jones Theatre (formerly the Cort). Since I did not respond favorably to the only other work of hers that I had seen, “Funnyhouse of a Negro,” I had some misgivings about whether to attend. Since I never miss a chance to see Audra McDonald on stage, I overcame my reluctance and bought a ticket. Although my reaction was much less negative than my previous experience, I decided that her aesthetic is just not one for which I have an affinity. While the story itself is riveting, the fragmented, elliptic, impressionistic, time-bending narrative-heavy manner of the storytelling is at times confusing, frustrating and flat. Her depiction of the deep racism pervading the college experience at Ohio State in 1950 is disheartening and, in this instance, leads to violent consequences. While McDonald is fine as Suzanne Alexander, the famous author who returns to campus 40 years later to discuss the violence in her work, it is not a role that reveals her enormous range. Bryce Pinkham, known mainly for Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, makes a strong impression as her freshman English professor. The other roles are small ones. Abigail Stephenson plays her roommate, Iris Ann. Lizan Mitchell plays her landlady, her dorm manager and her aunt. Mister Fitzgerald plays her future husband and a boyfriend who pops up out of nowhere near the end of the play. Beowulf Boritt’s abstract set features an array of legal bookcases, some floating in air, and lots of snow. Dede Ayite’s costumes suit their characters well. Kenny Leon’s direction seemed flat, but that may have been in the spirit of the piece. Go if you’re an Audra McDonald completist or an Adrienne Kennedy fan. Running time: 75 minutes, no intermission.

Downstate

 A-

Once again Playwrights Horizons is presenting an important work by Pulitzer Prize winner Bruce Norris (The Pain and the Itch, Clybourne Park, The Qualms), who reminds us why he is one of our most provocative playwrights. This time out, Norris tackles a thorny issue that gets little attention – our system for isolating sex offenders who have served their time but are placed on a registry that severely limits their life options, often forever. Because of residency restrictions designed to restrict their contact with children, they often end up in group homes in areas that don’t want them with neighbors who demonstrate their opposition by harassing them in a variety of ways, some violent. We meet four such men in a church-sponsored home in downstate Illinois. Fred (Francis Guinan), a seemingly kindly man in his seventies confined to a mobility scooter, is a former piano teacher who molested two young male students. Dee (K. Todd Freeman), a former dancer, had a two-year relationship with a 14-year-old Lost Boy in a touring version of Peter Pan. The religious Felix (Eddie Torres), who molested his young daughter, avoids the others and prays a lot. Gio (Glenn Davis), a younger man whose crime was “merely” statutory rape of a girl who lied about her age, is a Level One offender, whose name will be removed from the registry in a matter of months. He resents being thrown together with Level Three offenders whose registration will be permanent. Ivy (Susanna Guzman) is the tough overworked parole officer who checks on them weekly. On the day the action takes place, Fred is visited by Andy (Tim Hopper), one of the boys he molested 30 years ago, and Andy’s wife Em (Sally Murphy). Andy is there to confront Fred and get him to sign a document listing all his crimes against Andy, including one he denies. Their visit does not yield the results he wants. Ivy has bad news for the four – the local jurisdiction has expanded their no-go zone, which will eliminate access to their supermarket and bus stop. She has worse news for Felix, who has been caught going to the library and using the internet. We also meet Effie (Gabi Samels), Gio’s young co-worker at Staples, a character whose inclusion in the play seems unwarranted to me. Andy has conveniently left his cellphone behind, which gives him an excuse to return without his wife. The second meeting between Andy and Fred becomes explosive. In addition, there is a tragic development which I thought had been telegraphed rather clumsily. The play raises many uncomfortable questions about punishment, forgiveness and victimhood that we are left to ponder. The production’s greatest strength is the high level of the acting. The entire ensemble is outstanding. Todd Rosenthal’s set is appropriately grim and Clint Ramos’s costumes are apt. Pam MacKinnon, who has directed other Norris successes, seems to have a special affinity for his work. If you seek a thought-provoking evening, look no further. Running time: two hours 30 minutes including intermission.