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.

M. Butterfly

C+

Since I did not see either the original 1988 Broadway production or the 1993 film, I approached this revival, directed by Julie Taymor, without preconceptions. Although I had read the mostly negative reviews and the criticisms of David Henry Hwang’s revised script, I was prepared to enjoy the production on its own terms and, to some extent, I did. Clive Owen (Old Times), whose natural charm makes him an unconventional choice to play the socially awkward Rene Gallimard, carries it off well. In the key scene where Song Liling (Jin Ha; Troilus and Cressida) enchants him by performing an aria from Madama Butterfly, he is undermined by unfortunate makeup that makes him look like a drag queen; in later scenes he is much more believable as a woman. Incidentally, he is an exceptional dancer in one of the Chinese opera scenes, all of which are quite colorful and energetic. The secondary roles are competently filled by Enid Graham (Bull in a China Shop) as Rene’s wife Agnes, Murray Bartlett (HBO’s “Looking”) as Pinkerton/Marc, Michael Countryman (Six Degrees of Separation) as Sharpless/Toulon/Judge, Clea Alsip (The Way We Get By) as Pinup Girl/Renee, and Celeste Den (Chinglish) as Comrade Chin. The set design by Paul Steinberg with large movable panels that slide and swivel is eye-catching at first but grows tiresome quickly. Constance Hoffman’s costumes are excellent. The complex story of sexual fantasy, self-delusion, the blindness of love, espionage, Western imperialism, and the Chinese cultural revolution remains fascinating even though the playwright’s revisions to bring it closer to actual events may have added too much information at the cost of mystery. There are occasional moments, particularly at the trial, when it becomes too much like a geopolitical lecture. Nevertheless, there is much to admire. Running time: two hours 20 minutes including intermission.