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.)

Allegro **

For Rodgers and Hammerstein, the third time was not a charm. Their 1947 attempt to do something a bit experimental, with a Greek chorus, ballet sequences and a plot that could be described as Thornton Wilder with a touch of Brecht, was a letdown after Oklahoma! and Carousel. It ran nine months, had a brief national tour and was thereafter largely neglected. Now Classic Stage Company has revived it. Sort of. One could argue whether reducing the cast from 67 to 12, throwing out the DeMille ballets, simplifying the plot to fit into 90 minutes and subjecting Allegro to the John Doyle treatment with actors doubling as musicians leaves enough of the original to even be called a revival. There are still a handful of good songs including “A Fellow Needs a Girl.” “ So Far” and “The Gentleman Is a Dope,” but the moralistic plot about the virtues of small-town life and the evils of the big bad city is embarrassingly simplistic. Claiborne Elder is fine as Joseph Taylor Jr. as are Malcolm Gets and Jessica Tyler Wright as his parents and Alma Cuervo as his grandmother. Elizabeth A. Davis is strong as Jenny. Megan Loomis and Jane Pfitsch each do well with their respective songs. The other members of the hardworking cast are praiseworthy too. Ann Hould-Ward's costumes are evocative of the period. Theater history buffs will want to see the show, but for others it is not a “must-see.” 

Venice **

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)

After productions in Kansas City and Los Angeles, this hip-hop musical “inspired by” Othello has arrived at the Public Theater. Shakespeare’s plot has been so substantially reworked that you would do well to forget that connection. Shakespeare did not give us a dystopian society, chemical warfare, government by corporation enforced by mercenaries, revolution, half-brothers, a Lady Gaga-type singer or a bomb at a public occasion (too soon after Boston, in my opinion). The book by Eric Rosen, who also directed, is cluttered and overcomplicated. The music is by Matt Sax, who collaborated with Rosen on the lyrics. There is also a frustratingly vague credit for additional music by Curtis Moore. Sax, who appears as the play’s MC, bears an uncanny resemblance to Lin Manuel Miranda. So do his lyrics (maybe all hip-hop just sounds alike to my uneducated ear.) The cast is generally strong. For me the standouts were Leslie Odom Jr. (Sam on “Smash”) in the Iago-like role and Victoria Platt as Emilia, his wife. Haaz Sleiman (“Nurse Jackie”) and Jennifer Damiano (“Next to Normal”) are fine as the central couple, Venice and Willow. Jonathan-David (“A Civil War Christmas”) and Claybourne Elder (“One Arm”) make the most of their parts. While I found hip-hop appropriate for “In the Heights”, it seemed monotonous and alien here. Some of the musical numbers that break away from sing-song are quite moving, particularly a duet for Willow and Emilia in Act Two. The ending with the MC’s reminder that it’s just a play, followed by an upbeat song, struck a false note. Since this is a Lab production, the set and costumes, by Beowulf Boritt and Clint Ramos respectively, are simple but effective. The audience was wildly appreciative. I would not be surprised if it moves to an extended run at another venue. Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes with intermission.

Tennessee Williams' One Arm **

In 1946 Tennessee Williams wrote a short story about an 18-year-old Navy boxing champion who loses an arm in an auto accident, turns to hustling when he can't find a job, and ends up on death row for killing a client in a fit of rage. In the mid-'60s Williams made the story into a screenplay which he periodically tried to get produced, without success. It's not hard to imagine why: an actor may be willing to do many things to get a part, but losing an arm is not one of them. Moises Kaufman has now adapted the screenplay for the stage under the aegis of his Tectonic Theater Project as well as The New Group. Kaufman's previous work has always interested me, so I was curious to see what he would do with One Arm. Claybourne Elder (is that a name worthy of a character on a soap opera or what?) makes Ollie Olsen so striking that it is easy to understand the mesmerizing effect he had on his clients. The matter of the missing arm is cleverly handled by strapping Elder's right arm to his torso so it is not usable. Clearly, this would not work in a movie. The rest of the fine cast (Noah Bean, Todd Lawson, KC Comeaux, Steven Hauck, Christopher McCann, Greg Pierotti and Larisa Polonsky) all play multiple characters. Polonsky is especially good in three very different roles. Derek McLane's stark set and David Lander's harsh lighting convincingly suggest Olson's cell on death row. In a series of flashbacks, we gradually learn how he got there. At play's end there is a coup de theatre that is clever but ultimately pointless. Although I found the adaptation sporadically interesting, I still think Williams - and Kaufman - should have left well enough alone. The short story is a classic and loses rather than gains impact from being blown up into a screenplay or a theater piece.