Operation Mincemeat

B+

The true story about British counterintelligence facilitating the invasion of Sicily during WWII by deflecting German troops to Sardinia through clever misdirection has proven to be catnip for authors, screenwriters and composers. There have been two books, two films, and three musicals. The present iteration, the musical version that has been running on Broadway to packed houses for almost a year, has attracted a cult following. The New York Times recently ran a piece about a woman who has seen the show 13 times. It started humbly with a British comedy troupe called Splitlip performing in a tiny theater and worked its way up to the West End where it won an Olivier for Best Musical. It crossed the pond with its original cast, who will be replaced by a mostly American one later this month. The five actors all play a multiplicity of roles. Their main roles are as five members of the MI5 group who created and implemented the plan of dressing up a corpse as a British officer with false papers in a briefcase chained to his wrist and depositing him off the Spanish coast where he would be retrieved and the false information about the invasion would be likely to reach German hands. The motley crew consists of Charles Cholmondeley, an awkward amateur naturalist played by David Cumming; Ewen Montagu, a proud member of the elite class with a strong sense of entitlement played by Natasha Hodgson; Hester Legatt, the unit's longtime secretary played by Jak Malone (who won an Olivier and a Tony for it); Jean Leslie, a new member of the typing pool with higher aspirations, played by Claire-Marie Hall; and Johnny Bevan, their boss, played by Amanda Jill Robinson, understudy for Zoe Roberts. Cumming, Hodgson and Roberts also wrote the music, lyrics and book, along with Felix Hagan. The book specifies that the roles of Hester Legatt and Ewen Montagu be played by members of the opposite sex. The set by Ben Stones consists of a mostly bare stage with props such as desks rolled in as needed. The grey back wall transforms to a variety of lighting patterns. Stones also created the costumes, some of which are delightfully over the top. The choreography by Tara Young adds a lot to the production, especially in a second-act number featuring tangled telephone cords and hats. Oddly, the show reminded me of Hamilton because they both utilize rapping mixed with pure music numbers. They both have characters played by unexpected kinds of actors: in the case of Hamilton, It’s the race or ethnicity of the characters that has been changed while Operation Mincemeat changes their gender. There is also a touch of Monty Python in the type of comedy. The pace of the show under Robert Hastie’s direction is brisk — one might say relentlessly so. I understand why it was so enthusiastically received by British audiences because it covers a bright spot in their history, but I am puzzled why it has become such a hit here. Perhaps in our troubled times, seeing a show about good guys in the government fighting off the tascists fulfills a longing. A line about the need to combat fascism got loud applause from the audience. Its type of humor is not my favorite and Its relentless pace eventually became a bit tiring for me. While I think it would benefit from a judicious trim, I can’t argue with success. It’s selling out almost every performance. Running time: two hours, 35 minutes.

Bug

B

The word “bug” has many meanings. As a noun, it can refer to an insect or a communicable disease. As a verb, it can mean “to annoy” or “to plant a surreptitious listening device.” All of these options apply in Tracy Letts’ 1996 shocker, now on Broadway in a powerful production imported by Manhattan Theatre Club from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre. I saw the play when it was off-Broadway 20 years ago and remember it for its shockingness and the amazing performance by Michael Shannon, whom I had not seen before. Its deep dive into the contagiousness of paranoia and conspiracy theories hasn’t lost its ability to discomfit an audience. It’s hard to imagine a better production than this one: the cast is uniformly excellent and the direction by David Cromer is superb. I must single out Carrie Coon who, as depressed 44-year-old waitress Agnes, once again demonstrates her enormous range and whose second-act monologue is breathtaking. As AWOL serviceman Peter, Namir Smallwood builds his meltdown slowly but skillfully. As Agnes’s lesbian friend R.C., Jennifer Engstrom creates a fully fleshed-out character economically. As Agnes’s ex Jerry, Steve Key is all too believable as an abusive spouse. Randall Arney is suitably ambiguous as Dr. Sweet. Takeshi Kata’s scenic design perfectly captures the seedy motel room where Agnes lives and undergoes a speedy transformation that I still haven’t figured out. Sarah Laux’s costumes amplify the personality of each character. The lighting by Heather Gilbert is excellent, as is the sound design by Josh Schmidt. Despite all these positives, I still can’t shake my reservations about the play itself – that it delivers shock for shock's sake and trades on gratuitous references to figures like Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski. I think that attempts to tie it to current events are a stretch. Nevertheless, if you want to see exceptional acting and aren’t grossed out at the prospect of an invasion of bugs, real or imagined, I recommend it to you. Note: Because of the extensive nudity, theatergoers must place their phones in a locked pouch, which is annoying for people like me who like to check their phone before the curtain and during intermission. If you are short and sitting in the front row of the Premium Circle, request a cushion because the high railing might block your view of the front of the stage. Running time: one hour 55 minutes including intermission.