Buena Vista Social Club

B+

 

This vibrant musical at Atlantic Theater Company was inspired by the bestselling 1997 album of authentic Cuban music from the 1950s played by the musicians who had performed it 40 years before at the long-gone titular venue, as well as by the Oscar-nominated 1999 Wim Wenders documentary about them. The talented director Saheem Ali (Fat Ham) developed the project with David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit) as creative consultant. Marco Ramirez (The Royale) wrote the book. The wonderful music, which is the beating heart of the show, is taken from the original album and its successors. The book, which overcompensates in breadth for what it lacks in depth, touches at least briefly on a lot of themes, including ambition, betrayal, colorism, class, regret and the stirrings of revolution. We meet several of the musicians at the time of the recording and flash back to fictionalized versions of their relationships during the 1950s. Omara (Natalie Venetia Belcon; The Glorious Ones) is a popular recording artist with a reputation as a diva, who condescends to fill in as singer on the album. In her youth, she (Kenya Browne) sang in a touristy sister act at the Tropicana with her sister Haydee (Dayana Esperanza; Mary Jane). When she is introduced to authentic Cuban music at the Buena Vista Social Club, she decides to leave her sister to sing with Ibrahim (Olly Sholotan; “Bel Air”) but his dark skin becomes an obstacle. The old songs played at the recording session stir up old feelings. The musicians are all superb, but I must single out tres player Renesito Avich and flutist Hery Paz for special mention. Choreographers Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck (Carousel) have created some lively nightclub dance numbers for three couples, but their abstract duos for surrogates of the young sisters left me cold. Arnulfo Maldonado’s (A Strange Loop) efficient set combines the seedy club with the recording studio, a seaside promenade and the Tropicana. Dede Ayite’s (Slave Play) costumes are appropriately colorful. At times I wished there were English translations for the songs, but surtitles might have been a distraction. The relative weakness of the book is more than compensated for by the quality of the musical performances. I think I would have enjoyed it just as much, if not more, if they had forgone the book and just presented a concert. Running time: two hours including intermission.

Spain

 C-

Although Second Stage describes their new play by Jen Silverman (Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties) as “seductive” and “funny,” I failed to be either seduced or amused by it. Silverman presents an imagined version of the circumstances behind the filming of “The Spanish Earth,” a 1937 documentary intended to win sympathy and support for the Spanish Republican government against Franco and his Fascist allies. The film was directed by Dutch documentarian Joris Ivens, written by John Dos Passos, Lillian Hellman and Ernest Hemingway, and edited by Ivens’s wife-to-be Helen van Dongen, all of whom except Hellman are characters in the play. Silverman posits that Ivens (Andrew Burnap; Camelot, The Inheritance) has become dependent on Russia to finance his films and has been ordered by his opera-loving KGB handler Karl (Zachary James; The Addams Family) to make a film promoting the Republican cause while carefully omitting any mention of Russian support. Karl, by the way, is the person who introduced him to Helen (Marin Ireland; Reasons To Be Pretty, Blue Ridge). Neither Joris nor Helen has ever been to Spain. We observe their strategizing to make the film, including their intent to play on the rivalry between Dos Passos (Erik Lochtefeld; Metamorphoses, Misery) and Hemingway (Danny Wolohan; To Kill a Mockingbird, Octoroon). Rifts in the relationship between Joris and Helen repeatedly emerge. After the film is made, the play suddenly jumps 80 years into the future with a scene in which the actor who played Karl is instructing the other four actors that movies are now passe and they must learn to use the internet to create propaganda. For me the play completely failed to cohere or find a consistent style. A couple of scenes that placed Hemingway in a recording studio seemed out of left field. His characterization seemed cartoonish compared to the other roles. Ireland and Bernap, who I have found compelling in previous roles, were bland here. James has a marvelous singing voice that I wish we had heard more of. Dane Laffrey’s (Parade, Once on This Island) set uses a revolving platform to create several settings with just a few suggestive props. Alejo Vietti’s (Allegiance, Beautiful) period costumes are apt. Tyne Rafaeli’s (The Coast Starlight, Epiphany) direction is unfussy, but cannot supply coherence  where there is none. All in all, it was a great disappointment. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

Poor Yella Rednecks

A-

Over six years have passed since Vietgone, Qui Nguyen’s refreshingly original play about a Vietnamese couple who meet in an Arkansas refugee camp, was presented by Manhattan Theater Club. Blending drama, comedy and rap with a comic-book sensibility, it was one of the fresher offerings of the 2016-17 season. Now the entertaining sequel, first presented at South Coast Repertory in 2019, has finally reached New York. Even though it is a sequel, it is absolutely not necessary for you to have seen the first play to enjoy this one. The good news is that most of the talented creative team is back and the off-kilter sensibility of the first play is intact. The new actors playing the central couple, Tong (Maureen Sebastian) and Quang (Ben Levin), are as good as their predecessors. The story picks up five years after the first play with Tong and Quang still struggling to thrive in redneck country. Their son, known as Little Man and portrayed by an expressive puppet created by David Valentine and manipulated by Jon Norman Schneider, is bullied at school, partially for not speaking English. Tong’s feisty mother Huong (the wonderful Samantha Quan) babysits him while Tong is at work as a diner waitress and speaks only Vietnamese with him, so he hears too little English. Other characters include Nhan (Jon Hoche), Quang’s devoted long-time friend, and Bobby (Paco Tolson), Tong’s feckless white former boyfriend. One of the play’s amusing features is the convention than when characters are speaking Vietnamese, we hear perfect English but when English is spoken we get a series of exclamations like “Yeehaw” and random words from pop culture that amount to gibberish. At times of strong emotion, the characters break out in rap (to beats by Shane Rettig) with lyrics one wishes were a little cleverer. A few over-the-top martial arts scenes are very funny. A crisis develops when Quang’s past suddenly catches up with him and jeopardizes his relationship with Tong. Tim Mackabee’s colorful set features huge letters spelling out YELLA that rotate to reveal various settings. Director May Adrales keeps everything moving briskly. Perhaps the play is overstuffed with goodies, but that’s barely a fault. Running time: Two hours 15 minutes, including intermission. For your convenience I have repeated my 2016 review of Vietgone below.

Vietgone

B+

Qui Nguyen’s new play at Manhattan Theatre Club's Stage I is hard to fit into a neat category. While the prevailing tone is comedic, it deals with some very serious issues. Its central focus is a Vietnamese couple who meet in a refugee camp in Arkansas. Quang (Raymond Lee) is a helicopter pilot wracked by guilt for being unable to rescue his wife and children when Saigon fell. Tong (Jennifer Ikeda) is an emotionally closed-off woman who wanted to escape with her younger brother but ended up being forced to take her difficult mother instead. Sexual sparks fly when Tong and Quang meet, but the emotional baggage they carry is a barrier to building a relationship. Besides, Quang wants to return to Vietnam to rejoin his family. We also meet Quang’s best friend, an American naval captain, a translator, a camp guard, a hippy couple, a redneck biker and even a character who purports to be the playwright. All the female roles except Tong are played by Samantha Quan; all the male roles except for Quang are played by Jon Hoche and Paco Tolson. The play incorporates a love story, a road trip with a hilarious kung fu sequence, a send up of ethnic and national stereotypes, broad (sometimes too broad) humor, all in the context of presenting an alternative view of the Vietnam era as seen from the other side. While the play is not a musical, every once in a while, when emotions are running high, a character will suddenly break out into rap. It’s unfortunate that I had just seen Hamilton a week before because the quality of the rap lyrics here (to music by Shane Rettig) can in no way compare to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work. The cast members are appealing, but the acting is uneven and often unsubtle. The first-rate production benefits from an excellent scenic design by Tim Mackabee, featuring a western scene of a highway with utility poles, power lines and billboards, greatly enhanced by Jared Mezzocchi’s projections. Anthony Tran’s costumes are excellent too. Director May Adrales skillfully holds it all together. It’s an unruly play that could use a slight trim, but its energy and inventiveness go a long way to make up for its shortcomings. I found it refreshing and worthwhile. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes including intermission.

I Can Get It for You Wholesale

A-

Classic Stage Company has revived this Harold Rome (Wish You Were Here, Fanny)/Jerome Weidman (Fiorello!) musical about Harry Bogen, a charming sociopath blazing his way through the garment industry in the late 1930s. The original 1962 production was notable for giving Barbra Streisand her first Broadway role at the age of 19 and for giving Elliott Gould’s career a boost. Weidman’s book, based on his own novel, has been revised by his son John (Pacific Overtures, Assassins) with the aim of bringing back more of the edginess of the novel including the reaction to antisemitism motivating some of the characters. While Rome’s music and lyrics are not up there with better-known midcentury classics, they are more than serviceable. Harry, skillfully portrayed by Santino Fontana (Tootsie, Sons of the Prophet), narrates the story himself and does not attempt to hide the awfulness behind his charm. Judy Kuhn (Fun Home, She Loves Me) lends warmth, wisdom and her glorious voice to the role of Harry’s mother. Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal, Fortress of Solitude) is fine as Harry’s hapless partner Meyer and Sarah Steele (“The Good Fight”) does well as Meyer’s wife Blanche. Greg Hildreth (The Rose Tattoo, The Robber Bridegroom) captures the ambivalence of Harry’s less trusting partner Teddy. Julia Lester (Into the Woods) triumphs as their secretary, Miss Marmelstein. In an interesting casting twist, both women competing for Harry’s attention – his friend since childhood Ruthie Rivkin and showgirl Martha Mills – are played by black actors – Rebecca Naomi Jones (Oklahoma, Big Love) and Joy Woods (SIX: The Musical, Little Shop of Horrors), respectively. Both are top-notch. Eddie Cooper, Victor de Paula Rocha, Adam Grupper, Darron Hayes and Hayley Podschun are fine in smaller roles. Mark Wendland’s (Next to Normal, Unknown Soldier) set consists mainly of about 10 plain tables and around 20 plain black chairs that are pushed around to represent several locations as needed. Ann Hould-Ward’s (Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods) period costumes are a treat. Choreographer Ellenore Scott’s (Grey House, Little Shop of Horrors) number for Harry and Martha is steamy. Director Trip Cullman (Lobby Hero, Punk Rock) mostly keeps things moving briskly although there are a few slack moments during the second act. CSC has provided a valuable service in bringing back this underappreciated musical. I was very glad to have the chance to see it, especially in a first-rate production. Running time: two hours 35 minutes including intermission. NOTE: Seats in Row A do not have arms.

Here We Are

B-

Although Stephen Sondheim did not live to see the premiere of his final musical, a mash-up of two surreal Buñuel films -- “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” and “The Exterminating Angel" -- co-conceived with book writer David Ives, he did authorize it for production. Nevertheless, I could not escape the feeling that it had not really reached its intended final form. The virtual absence of music for most of the second act is tortuously justified, but remained, for me at least, unsatisfying. For that matter, the amount and quality of the music in the first act seemed to indicate that the music itself had taken a back seat to the lyrics and the book. That being said, I hasten to add that these flaws should not deter anyone from seeing this lavish, star-studded production, now in final previews at The Shed. There is not one weak link in the stellar cast of 11. Francois Battiste, Tracie Bennett, Bobby Canavale, Micaela Diamond, Amber Gray, Jin Ha, Rachel Bay Jones, Denis O’Hare, Steven Pasquale, David Hyde Pierce and Jeremy Shamos are all superb in their roles. One only wishes that there were more opportunities for them to shine. O’Hare practically steals the show with his portrayal of various servants; he has one of the few stand-out numbers, early in the first act. David Zinn’s sets and costumes are major assets to the production, as is Joe Mantello’s assured direction. One must admire Sondheim for taking on the challenge of musicalizing Buñuel even if the results are not all one had hoped for. I do not foresee that Here We Are will ever be considered to be on a par with Sondheim’s finest work, but it is an interesting addition to the canon. Running time: two hours 20 minutes, including intermission.

Infinite Life

 C

It’s hard for me to believe that more than three months have passed since I set foot in a theater. I wish I could say that my return to theatergoing this afternoon was a positive experience, but, alas, I cannot. Today’s performance was a late preview of Annie Baker’s latest play at the Atlantic Theater Company. My expectations were not high because, with the exception of John, I have not found any of her plays enjoyable. I was baffled that Circle Mirror Transformation won an Obie and even more surprised when The Flick bagged a Pulitzer. The Antipodes had no point that I could detect. While her ability to capture the quotidien is admirable, her plays often seem to meander aimlessly. The current play is set in an alternative medicine clinic for pain management in Northern California where the treatment is based on fasting. Of the five female patients we meet, four are of retirement age, while one, Sofi (Christina Kirk; Clybourne Park), is in her late forties. Eileen (Marylouise Burke; John, Fuddy Mears) is a returning patient who once was a Christian Scientist. Yvette (Mia Katigbak; Awake and Sing!) seems to suffer from every disease imaginable. Elaine (Brenda Presley; The Lyons) has thyroid problems, as does her absent cat. Ginnie (Kristine Nielsen; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) is unabashedly nosy. Midway through the play the handsome Nelson (Pete Simpson; Is This a Room) arrives, and upsets the equilibrium. The play covers the ten or so days that Sofi is there for treatment. Her ailments are closely tied to her psychosexual problems. She is strongly attracted to Nelson. Some of the scenes are at night with the audience seeing little more than shadows. Sofi occasionally addresses the audience to inform us how much time has elapsed between scenes. Sofi’s experiences form the center of the action, to the extent that there is any. The other female characters are underdeveloped. The acting is uniformly strong, with Kirk and Burke standing out. The usually wonderful Nielsen is essentially wasted in this role. The scenic design by dots (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window) features seven rather dilapidated lounge chairs sheltered by a wall of ornamental blocks. The costumes by Asta Bennie Hostetter (John) suit the characters well. Director James Macdonald (The Children, Cloud Nine) gives the play lots of room to breathe. The audience included many young adults who laughed frequently. I envied them for finding the play congenial. Running time: one hour 50 minutes; no intermission.

Days of Wine and Roses

B-

It’s over 20 years since Kelli O’Hara (The King and I, The Light in the Piazza) suggested to Adam Guettel (The Light in the Piazza, Floyd Collins) that he write a musical for her and Brian D’Arcy James (Sweet Smell of Success, Into the Woods) based on Blake Edwards’s 1962 film about Kirsten and Joe, a couple struggling with alcoholism. That project has finally come to fruition on the stage of Atlantic Theater Company’s Linda Gross Theater. One might wonder why anyone would choose this screenplay to musicalize. The answer, in short, seems to be to provide a showcase for O’Hara’s prodigious vocal talents and acting chops. In that regard, it succeeds. However, the film does not yield itself easily to musicalization. Craig Lucas’s (Prelude to a Kiss, The Light in the Piazza) book generally hews fairly close to the screenplay, incorporating large blocks of dialog, but Guettel’s songs are not hummers and some of his lyrics neither advance the action nor deepen the characterization. The main difference in the musical is that the role of their daughter Lila (Ella Dane Morgan, Waitress) has been substantially enlarged, which somewhat blurs the focus. For some reason, the locale has been changed from San Francisco to New York. It is mentioned that Joe served in the Korean War and there is a brief hint that he suffers from PTSD. Since that war didn’t start until the middle of 1950, it seems strange that 1950 is listed in the program as the year the play is set. The other non-singing characters are well-cast. Byron Jennings (She Loves Me, Is He Dead?) is strong as Kirsten’s father and David Jennings (Tina, Once on This Island), no relation to Byron, is fine as Jim, Joe’s AA sponsor. Lizzie Clachan’s (Blindness, A Number) scenic design economically suggests a wide variety of locations. Dede Ayite’s (Slave Play, How I Learned To Drive) costumes fit the period. Michael Greif’s (Dear Evan Hansen, Machinal) direction is fluid and unfussy. For Kelli O’Hara fans, the show is a must see. I just wish that I found everything else as stirring as her performance. Running time: 95 minutes, no intermission.

King James

 B

After well-received runs at Steppenwolf in Chicago and Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, Rajiv Joseph’s (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Describe the Night) two-character play about fandom and friendship has reached New York in a Manhattan Theatre Club production at City Center Stage I. The royal personage of the title is LeBron James, whose basketball career in and out of the Cleveland Cavaliers is the focus of both devotion and frustration for Matt, a manically neurotic wine bar manager, and relatively more grounded Shawn, a would-be writer, who meet when Matt is forced by financial problems to sell his season tickets to the Cavs. The two bond over their shared fandom and become good friends. We observe the ups and downs of their friendship over twelve years at four key moments in LeBron James’s career. Luckily for us, the roles of Matt and Shawn are performed by Chris Perfetti (Sons of the Prophet, The Tutors) and Glenn Davis (Downstate, Wig Out!), who play exceptionally well together. The playwright shows us how shared fandom can serve as a socially acceptable basis for a platonic bromance. Matt is white and Shawn is black, a fact that becomes relevant for a brief scene late in the play. The lively dialog has a convincingly natural flow but I would have liked a stronger narrative arc. Todd Rosenthal’s (August Osage County, Linda Vista) set for the first act presents the rather generic looking wine bar where Matt works; the second act is set in the funky antiques cum upholstery store owned by Matt’s parents, which offers lots of interesting objects to look at. The costumes by Samantha C. Jones are apt. Kenny Leon’s (Soldier’s Play, Topdog/Underdog) direction is smooth. My only serious objection is to the inclusion of a DJ (Khloe Janel) who plays loud hip-hop music before the play and during intermission. Do we really need a trendy version of the national anthem complete with crowd noise before the play begins? In case you are concerned that the play is strictly for knowledgeable sports fans, you need not worry. It is completely accessible to all. Running time: two hours ten minutes including intermission

Primary Trust

 B+

Eboni Booth’s (Paris, “Julia”) new play at Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre has much to recommend it, including a superb cast, a wonderful set, lovely musical accompaniment and sensitive direction. My reservations about it originate with the script, which takes a long time to reveal where it is leading us and is sparing with its dramatic moments. The acting could not be better. William Jackson Harper (After the Blast, “The Good Place”), playing Kenneth, a 38-year-old loner whose hard-won stability is suddenly undermined when the job he has held for 20 years disappears, is so likeable and vivid that he immediately draws us in. Eric Berryman (Toni Stone) makes a believable person out of Kenneth’s longtime imaginary friend Bert. The always excellent Jay O. Sanders (Uncle Vanya, Rhinebeck Panorama) makes the most out of three roles, Kenneth’s past employer, his new employer and a snooty waiter in a white tablecloth restaurant. April Matthis (Toni Stone, The Piano Lesson) plays Corrina, a waiter at Kenneth’s favorite bar who tries to befriend him, as well as other waitpersons and bank customers whom she convincingly inhabits. Luke Wygodny (Hundred Days), on keyboard, guitar and cello, provides unobtrusive but welcome music to support the action. Marsha Ginsberg’s (English) delightful set presents miniature versions of the buildings surrounding the town square of Cranberry, NY. A feature of Qween Jean’s (Black No More) costumes is the use of changing shoes to represent different social roles. Knud Adams (English) directs with sensitivity. One problem that I had was that Harper made Kenneth such a sympathetic character that it was difficult to realize how troubled he really was. A minor annoyance was the overuse of a service desk bell to punctuate scenes. The excellence of the acting makes it well worth seeing. Running time: 95 minutes; no intermission.

 

The Comeuppance

 C

My reaction to the works of playwright Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins has been mixed. Three enthusiastically received plays that I enjoyed very much (Appropriate, An Octoroon, Gloria) were followed by two that I did not (War, Everybody). It has been six years since he has had a new play on a New York stage. Now he is winding up his Signature Theatre residency with this puzzling play now in previews at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre. In it we meet five friends who, except for one, are celebrating their 20^th high school reunion. These four, the membership of the self-styled Multi Ethnic Reject Group, have gathered for a pre-reunion get-together on the porch of Ursula (Brittany Bradford, Bernhardt/Hamlet), an underdeveloped character distinguished mainly by the fact that she has become a recluse since losing her sight in one eye. Her female friends are the childless Caitlin (Susannah Flood, Birthday Candles), who married a bigoted cop with two children and Kristina (Shannon Tyo, Regretfully So the Birds Are), a doctor who got her medical education in the military. A good Catholic with five children, Kristina has seen a lot, both in the military and in the pandemic, and eases her pain with booze. She has unexpectedly brought along her cousin Paco (Bobby Moreno, 72 Miles To Go) whose military service left him with a bad case of untreated PTSD. Emilio (Caleb Eberhardt, Choir Boy), a trendy artist living in Berlin who is back in the States briefly to supervise an installation of his work at the Biennale, has not seen the others in 15 years. There is another character as well. Through electronically modified voices, each character, at some point in the play, takes on the role of Death. By the third go-round, I had to stifle a giggle, which I don't think was the desired effect. The play touches on a checklist of traumas that the group has experienced, including Columbine, 9/11, and January 6. Furthermore, many underlying tensions within the group surface as the play progresses. The problem for me was that none of the characters or situations was sufficiently interesting to justify rambling on for two hours and twenty minutes without an intermission. The actors were all fine and the direction by Eric Ting (The Far Country) was fluid. Arnulfo Maldonado’s (A Strange Loop) set creates the cozy front porch of a small house, complete with swing, Adirondack chair, lots of plants and a bug zapper. Jennifer Moeller’s (Camelot) costumes are all suitable to their characters. I was disheartened when Jacobs-Jenkins decamped for the greener pastures of Hollywood to become showrunner, executive producer and writer for a Hulu series. Alas, his new play does not make his return to the stage cause for celebration.

Good Night, Oscar

B

As a fan of both Oscar Levant and Sean Hayes (Promises, Promises; “Will & Grace”), I was excited by the opportunity to see the latter portray the former on a Broadway stage. Hayes has been developing the project for almost a decade and, after a false start with another playwright, chose Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens) to do the script. The result is a cleverly crafted showcase for dramatic and pianistic talents that Hayes has not had a previous opportunity to display. The emotionally unstable Levant was a frequent guest on Jack Paar’s show because Paar (Ben Rappaport, Fiddler on the Roof) thought his unpredictability was good for ratings. He did appear on Paar’s LA debut show, but not, as the play posits, after being sprung under false pretenses for a four-hour pass from a mental institution by his wife June (Emily Bergl, The Ferryman). Until the telecast begins, we must get through lots and lots of exposition supplied by Paar, June, NBC head Bob Sarnoff (Peter Grosz, A Kid Like Jake), a star-struck aide Max (Alex Wyse, Waitress) who just happens to be Sarnoff’s nephew and Alvin (Marchant Davis, Ain’t No Mo’), the orderly who is tasked to keep an eye on Levant during his brief leave. We also get two rather awkward appearances by George Gershwin (a dapper John Zdrojeski, Heroes of the Fourth Turning) who, although dead for 20 years, appears to Levant during his hallucinations. At the end of his live on-screen conversation with Paar, Levant is wheedled into playing an excerpt from Rhapsody in Blue, which Hayes performs superbly while also remaining in character. Designer Rachel Hauck’s (Hadestown) set is an apt homage to mid-century modern and Emilio Sosa’s (Sweeney Todd) costume for June is a delight. Director Lisa Peterson (Light Shining in Buckinghamshire) gets us through the long exposition before the fun begins as expeditiously as possible. While the other actors served their roles well, most of the success or failure of the play rests on whether Hayes can create a plausible version of Levant. Although I thought he initially overdid the tics and restlessness, I found him increasingly convincing as the play progressed. Although he bears absolutely no physical resemblance to Levant, he actually started to look more and more like him. I’m not sure how much those who did not know Levant as actor, conductor, raconteur or pianist will appreciate the show, but Hayes’ performance is well worth seeing. Running time: one hour 40 minutes; no intermission.

Oliver!

 A

 By coincidence, the two finest musicals in New York right now are both set in the underbelly of 19^th-century London. My previous review was devoted to one of them, Sweeney Todd, which is essentially tragic with comic undertones. Oliver!, on the other hand, is basically good-natured with a touch of tragedy. Lionel Bart’s score has a super-abundance of delightful songs that, in this Encores! production, receive their due both from the orchestra and the actors. The voices, starting with 12-year-old Benjamin Pajak (The Music Man) in the title role, are superb. He stopped the show with “Where Is Love?”, as did the excellent Lilli Cooper (Mack & Mabel) as Nancy with “As Long As He Needs Me.” Raul Esparza (Company, Seared) creates an almost sympathetic Fagin, a far cry from Dickens’ creation. Tam Mutu (Moulin Rouge) is a properly menacing Bill Sikes. Julian Lerner’s Artful Dodger was more subdued than usual. Brad Oscar (The Producers) and Mary Testa (Oklahoma!) go well together as Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney. Thom Sesma (A Man of No Importance) and Rashidra Scott (Company) are fine as Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry. Michael Siberry (INK) is a sympathetic Mr. Brownlow. One of the show’s biggest treats is its young ensemble who are triple threats with first-rate singing, acting and, especially, dancing. Lorin Latarro’s (Into the Woods) ample choreography is inventive and makes the most of the stage’s shallow performing space. David Rockwell’s (She Loves Me) efficient set places the orchestra on a platform of rough wooden beams, with a backdrop of the London skyline at night, and two stairways that get lots of use. The score sounds wonderful under the baton of Encores! musical director Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Director Lear DeBessonet (Into the Woods) shows a real affinity for this material; The future of Encores! looks promising under her artistic direction. The production runs until May 14. Running time: two hours 20 minutes including intermission.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

A-

Of the four productions of this Sondheim/Wheeler masterpiece that I have seen over the years, this was probably the most musically satisfying. The 26-piece orchestra led by Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton) gives the wonderful score its due and the voices, led by Josh Groban’s (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) velvety baritone, are all a joy to hear. Fears that Groban did not have the gravitas for the role were totally misplaced. His Sweeney is a creditable creation. Annaleigh Ashford (Sunday in the Park with George) finds more humor than menace in the role of Mrs. Lovett. Some of her physical comedy is inspired. Gaten Matarazzo (Dear Evan Hansen) is a top-notch Tobias. Ruthie Ann Miles (The King and I) brings depth to the small but key role of the beggar woman. Maria Bilbao and Jordan Fisher sing the roles of Johanna and Anthony beautifully, but I found their characterization a bit wan. Jamie Jackson, John Rapson and Nicholas Christopher are fine as Judge Turpin, Beadle Bamford and Pirelli respectively. My main disappointment was in the scenic design. Mimi Lien (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) has an arched bridge crossing the stage that serves as a multitude of locations including Sweeney’s barbershop and Judge Turpin’s home. When Sweeney is at work, the bridge location distances him from the audience. There are no props or even a projection to suggest the judge’s home. The production uses Natasha Katz’s (Some Like It Hot) dramatic lighting rather than images to set the locations and the mood. Emilio Sosa’s (Trouble in Mind) costumes are apt; Mrs. Lovett’s wardrobe reflects her improved circumstances as the story unfolds. The choreography by Steven Hoggett (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) features tight unsettling groupings. Director Thomas Kail (Hamilton) keeps things moving smoothly most of the time, but there are a few spots where the narrative seemed rushed or muddy. I found my attention wandering occasionally during the long first act. I had been forewarned to expect an intrusively enthusiastic audience, but that turned out not to be the case. The only distraction was the temperature of the theater; there was a cold draft throughout the play that kept me in my coat. Despite that discomfort, it was an afternoon well spent. I can recommend it warmly. Running time: two hours 45 minutes, including intermission.

Summer, 1976

B-

When Manhattan Theatre Club announced a new play by David Auburn starring Laura Linney (The Little Foxes, Time Stands Still) and Jessica Hecht (The Assembled Parties, The Price), I felt a mix of emotions – hope that the playwright might once again achieve the heights of his 2000 Tony winner, Proof; delight at the thought of seeing one of my favorite actresses again; and apprehension at the prospect of seeing the other actress, who is a long way from a favorite of mine. My hope that Auburn would have another hit comparable to Proof was not fulfilled. The play consists mainly of a series of long monologues as two women of a certain age recall the summer they met in Columbus, Ohio long ago. Linney plays Diana, an artist and single mother of a five-year old daughter. Alice, played by Hecht, is the hippie wife of Doug, an economics professor striving for tenure. She meets Diana through a babysitting cooperative that Doug has created. As their two daughters bond, the women become unlikely friends. The recollections of their early friendship and subsequent developments, presented as they sit at opposite ends of a long table, are moderately interesting and sometimes amusing, but, for me at least, less than compelling. In a gimmick that did not work for me, Linney also plays Alice’s husband during certain scenes. Aside from that, Linney is the unaffectedly persuasive pro we have learned to expect. And then there’s Hecht. First of all, the makeup and lighting creatives have done her a great disservice, making her eyes look almost ghoulishly deeply set and her features unnaturally drawn. The unfortunate result is that she looks at least a generation older than Linney, who in real life is a year her senior. Furthermore, Hecht’s acting has always been too mannered for my taste. From the moment she opened her mouth with her broad version of a midwestern accent, I knew that my apprehension was well-founded. I think casting her as Alice was an unfortunate choice. The set by John Lee Beatty (Plaza Suite, Disgraced) is elegantly simple. Linda Cho’s (POTUS, Take Me Out) costume for Hecht shouts rather than whispers “hippie.” Director Daniel Sullivan (Proof, The Little Foxes, The Columnist) does his best to enliven what is a very static play, with limited success. I was not sorry I saw it, but I was disappointed that it wasn’t better. Running time: 95 minutes; no intermission.

Camelot

B

It has been over 62 years since I saw Lerner and Loewe’s (My Fair Lady, Gigi) Arthurian musical during its pre-Broadway Boston run. My memories are dim, but I do recall enjoying the wonderful music and clever lyrics sung by its three stars (Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet). I don’t remember much about the book, which is probably significant. The fact that it has not had a Broadway revival since 1993 has usually been blamed on its less-than-satisfying book. Now Lincoln Center Theater has engaged Aaron Sorkin (To Kill a Mockingbird) for a do-over and the result is in previews on the Vivian Beaumont stage. I don’t remember the details of the original clearly enough to say whether the revised book is a step forward or backward, but I will say that the material remains largely intractable. While the more intimate scenes work well, the attempt to squeeze in so much exposition, particularly in the second act, weighs heavily on the show. And it all leads to an ending that I found musically and dramatically unsatisfying. Nevertheless, I was grateful for the opportunity to hear the gorgeous songs again, sung by three fine singing actors (Andrew Burnap (Inheritance), Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Matias de la Flor (u/s for Jordan Donica), accompanied by a large orchestra. Burnap not only sings well, but is a fine actor. While I liked Soo, I thought she presented as more womanly than girlish. I was sorry to miss Donica, but de la Flor sang and acted convincingly. The set by Michael Yeargan (My Fair Lady) resembles the interior of a cathedral with props dragged in as needed. Since they did introduce a largish table, I was surprised it was not round. Jennifer Moeller’s costumes for the knights were initially rather drab in charcoal and black until colored capes were added later. The costumes for Guenevere were quite lavish. The choreography by Byron Easley (Slave Play) did not make a strong impression. Director Bartlett Sher’s musical winning streak at LCT (South Pacific, My Fair Lady, The King and I) led me to arrive with expectations that were too high. A word about seating – don’t get center seats in the first few rows because the jutting stage is quite high. I have heard complaints that from these seats the orchestra, which is underneath the stage, sounds too loud and the voices sound too weak. I was glad to have seen the show even though it disappointed in some respects. Running time: two hours 50 minutes including intermission.

The Coast Starlight

 B+

Keith Bunin’s (The Busy World Is Hushed, The Credeaux Canvas) clever, humane play at Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi Newhouse, takes place in the conditional. It deals with what might have happened if six passengers on the train between LA and Seattle had overcome their inhibitions and actually started to converse. The six are a diverse lot: Jane (Camila Cano-Flavia, Network), an animation artist who passes the time by sketching the other passengers; T.J. (Will Harrison, NY debut), a young Navy medic who doesn’t want to return to Afghanistan; Noah (Rhys Coiro, Dinner at Eight), a laid-back veteran who lives on a boat; Liz (Mia Barron, The Wolves), a hilariously unhinged woman fleeing a meltdown at a couples’ workshop; Ed (Jon Norman Schneider, The Oldest Boy), a beat-down salesman trying to find the hope to move on; and Anna (Michelle Wilson, Sweat), a black lesbian who has hidden the existence of her children’s uncle from them. All are vividly written and convincingly portrayed. The playwright explores how and whether they could have helped each other if only they had broken through to initiate a conversation. Arnulfo Moldonado’s (Power Strip) simple scenic design is well-complemented by 59 Productions’ projections (Flying Over Sunset). The costumes by Asta Bennie Hostetter (The Wolves) are suitable to each character. Tyne Rafaeli’s (Selling Kabul) direction is unfussy and assured. If you are looking for more action than talk, you may be disappointed, but if you want to get to know how these six people represent the human condition, you should find the play rewarding. Running time: 100 minutes, no intermission.

The Wanderers

 C+

 

After productions in San Diego, Pittsburgh and Washington, Anna Ziegler’s (The Last Match, Boy, Actually) two-family drama has arrived in Manhattan at Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre. The two Jewish couples at the center of the action are both Brooklyn residents, but otherwise have very little in common. When we first meet them on their wedding night, Esther (Lucy Freyer) and Shmuli (Dave Klasko) are members of the Satmar Hasidic community whose marriage was arranged and who barely know each other. Sophie (Sarah Cooper) and Abe (Eddie Kaye Thomas; Golden Age, The Submission) are writers in their thirties who have known each other virtually all their lives. Sophie is biracial, but that turns out to have very little to do with the plot. One of Abe’s books won a Pulitzer while Sophie’s only book bombed. Both wives are expected to defer to their spouse’s needs and both are chafing at their situation. At a book reading, the neurotic, self-absorbed Abe spots movie star Julia Cheever (Katie Holmes; All My Sons, Dead Accounts) in the audience, becomes obsessed with her, and begins an online relationship. For the first hour of the play, we are in the dark what, if any, is the connection between the two couples. Then there was finally a dramatic development that engaged my interest and, subsequently, a reveal that seemed too gimmicky. Each scene is a duo, either between a husband and wife or between Abe and Julia. The main feature of the set by Marion Williams (Him) is a long conference table with six chairs. The back wall is made entirely of pages of opened books, through which a blue light occasionally shines. The floor is piled with more books. Chapter titles are projected between scenes. I gathered that the set and titles were intended to lend a literary weight to the proceedings. It didn’t work for me. The costumes by David Israel Reynoso (Sleep No More, The Burnt City) were appropriate. The actors were competent but not outstanding. Those expecting a star turn from Katie Holmes will be disappointed. Barry Edelstein (All My Sons, The Twenty-Seventh Man) directed. I was left with a feeling of regret that nothing quite clicked. Others near me seemed to be enjoying themselves more. Running time: one hour 45 minutes without intermission.