Dana H.

B

Following LA and Chicago productions, Lucas Hnath’s (A Doll's House, Part 2; Hillary and Clinton, Red Speedo) fact-based one-woman drama has reached New York, where it is now in previews at Vineyard Theatre. In a sense, Hnath did not actually write the play. Almost all the words we hear are those of his mother, Dana Higginbotham, recorded in a series of interviews conducted by Steve Cosson, artistic director of the investigative theater group, The Civilians. Late in 1997 Ms. Higginbotham, a hospital chaplain, was abducted and held in captivity for five months by an ex-patient who was raised in the Aryan Brotherhood. When she suggested that her son write a play about her experience, Hnath resisted for years, fearing that he was too close to the material. Finally he found a way to approach the story: having a disinterested party, Cosson, interview her. Hnath then edited and shaped transcripts of these interviews into the work we see. To preserve his mother’s voice to keep the result authentic, he found an ingenious solution: he cast an actress to lip-sync her words. Since that actress is the magnificent Deirdre O’Connell (Fulfillment Center, By the Water, Circle Mirror Transformation), his solution works brilliantly. What sounds like a stunt turns out to be very effective; without uttering a sound, Ms. O’Connell brilliantly brings Dana’s words to life. Seated in a chair in the middle of Andrew Boyce’s set suggesting a generic motel room like the ones she stayed in during her captivity, O’Connell/Dana H. answers Cosson’s questions, occasionally referring to the dog-eared manuscript in her lap. Her memory is often muddled, but she provides enough harrowing details to make the audience squirm. She raises many issues, including the reluctance of the police to go against a member of the Aryan Brotherhood to help her, the propensity of someone who was physically abused by her parents to think that she deserves the punishment she is getting, the thought that her abductor is the incarnation of her spiritual condition, and the long-term PTSD that the incident left. At one point the interview format is interrupted by a flashy, noisy interlude that I found questionable and unnecessary. The ending provides some uplift as she describes her work as a hospice chaplain easing the transition from life to death. Les Waters (In the Next Room, Big Love) directs with a sure hand. Kudos to the lip-sync consultant Steve Cuiffo. There are many unanswered questions, including how her son, even though away at college, could have been ignorant of her plight for so long a period. While I have some reservations about the play, I was thrilled to witness Deirdre O’Connell’s amazing performance. Running time: 75 minutes, no intermission.

Happy Birthday Doug

C-

Drew Droege’s previous one-man show, Bright Colors and Bold Patterns, was a very funny look at the perils of gay assimilation seen through the eyes of a guest at a same-sex wedding in Palm Springs. Its humor was not just funny but anchored in social commentary, which might explain how it became a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Unfortunately, his new show, now at SoHo Playhouse, is totally devoid of any social significance, consisting solely of a series of impersonations of guests at a 41st birthday party held in the private room of a Los Angeles wine bar. The guests all seem to be related to the entertainment industry so there are “in” jokes aplenty. A guest named Christopher refers to his absent partner Don, suggesting a tie to Isherwood and Bachardy which was confusing because Isherwood died in 1986. Another guest is the ghost of Oscar Wilde, whose presence does not add wit. While Droege is a talented performer, the writing lacks focus here. The only overarching theme seems to be bitchiness. Tom Detrinis directed. Most of the audience seemed to be having a wonderful time. I was not. Running time: 55 minutes.

West Side Story

B

I will confess that I groaned when I heard that hotshot European director Ivo van Hove was going to direct this much-beloved musical. Having disliked his videocentric versions of The Damned and Network, I shuddered to think what he would do when he got his hands on this Laurents-Bernstein-Sondheim classic. When I further learned that he would not be using the iconic Robbins choreography so critical to the show’s success, I grew even more fearful. Judging from today’s preview at the Broadway Theatre, most of my fears turned out to be unwarranted. True, this production depends even more on video than the two shows I mentioned, but the video projections are generally better integrated into the production. While Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s choreography is no match for Robbins’s work, it has lots of energy and suits the production well. The omissions (e.g. “I Feel Pretty”) and reinterpretations may offend those who are devoted to the original versions, but they serve the director’s darker and grittier vision of the show. The young, diverse cast are excellent dancers, good actors and at least adequate singers. The two female leads, Shereen Pimentel as Maria and Yesenia Ayala as Anita had strong voices. Two of the male leads, Isaac Powell as Tony and Dharon E. Jones as Riff were out for the performance I attended, but their understudies, Jordan Dobson and Ahmad Simmons respectively, were fine. Amar Ramasar was strong as Bernardo. The costumes by An D’Huys were eclectic and not much help in distinguishing the Jets from the Sharks. The excellent lighting by Jan Versweyveld, who also designed the set, was important in that regard. The tattoos by Andrew Sotomayor are excessive and mostly unattractive. The set consists mainly of a video screen that covered the entire back wall that opened partially to reveal the drugstore and the bridal shop. The video design by Luke Halls is at the heart of the production. At times, it is used to amplify what the actors are doing. It was initially difficult for me to know where to look but I soon adjusted. At other times, the projection shows street scenes that, for some reason, move slowly forward. Elsewhere, it illustrates the current song, e.g. Puerto Rican hurricanes for “America” and abuse by police for “Gee, Officer Krupke.” Occasionally, it provides commentary on the present, such as a view of the border wall with Mexico. Most usefully, it shows the action in the drugstore and bridal shop which are basically too small and too far away to see properly. There are a couple of pandering gestures to the audience: the gang members gratuitously strip to the waist for the rumble and one of the gangs includes a same-sex couple. The show has been streamlined to 105 minutes, which allows less time for character development. I suspect that the less devoted you are to earlier productions, the more likely you are to enjoy this one. I think a younger audience will find it very appealing. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.

The Confession of Lily Dare

B+

If you have a low tolerance for high camp and Charles Busch’s (The Divine Sister, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife) brand of female impersonation, you can skip this play and the rest of this review. If, on the other hand, you are a Busch devotee, you will want to hurry to the Cherry Lane Theatre for his newest play's Primary Stages premiere. My fears that Busch’s usual shtick might have gone stale by now proved unfounded. As both performer and playwright, he is in good form. In the words of the program, the title character, played by Busch of course, goes “from convent girl to cabaret chanteuse to infamous madame.” Busch has been very generous to the rest of the cast, particularly to Jennifer van Dyck (The Divine Sister, Two Shakespearean Actors) and Christopher Borg (Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind), both of whom get ample time to shine in multiple juicy roles. The other three actors only have a single role to fill. Nancy Anderson (Wonderful Town, A Class Act) and Kendal Sparks (Judith of Bethulia, Where’s Charley) are both fine as Lily’s longtime friends. The final cast member is none other than Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera, Anything Goes), who fits right in as Lily’s suave nemesis. As in any Busch work, there is no shortage of laugh lines. Lily’s cabaret rendition of “Pirate Joe” is worth the price of admission. The action does lag occasionally; a slight trim would be beneficial. The costumes by Rachel Townsend and wigs by Katherine Carr are a show all by themselves. The set by Brian T. Whitehill (You Should Be So Lucky) is not at the same level, but good enough. Carl Andress (The Divine Sister, Die Mommie Die!) once again shows his talent for directing Busch’s work. Depending on your comfort level for camp, you will either be delighted or miserable. Running time: two hours including intermission.

Grand Horizons

B+

Of the three Bess Wohl plays to make it to New York this season (the other two were Continuity and Make Believe), this new play, which marks Wohl’s Broadway debut. is far and away the funniest and slickest. While it lacks the innovation of Make Believe or Wohl’s earlier play Small Mouth Sounds, and has a few minor problems, it is irresistibly entertaining. Furthermore, it provides a marvelous showcase for two fine actors, Jane Alexander (The Sisters Rosensweig, First Monday in October) and James Cromwell (“Babe,” The Invention of Love), as well as juicy roles for the other five actors. Shortly after Nancy and Bill move into the titular senior community after their 50th anniversary, Nancy suddenly announces that she wants a divorce. Bill does not object. Their two adult sons, the practical, unemotional Ben (Ben McKenzie; “The Report”) and the overemotional Brian (Michael Urie; Torch Song, Buyer & Cellar), arrive, along with Ben’s very pregnant wife Jess (Ashley Park; Mean Girls), to attempt to talk them out of divorce. There are two additional characters, Tommy (Maulik Pancholy; It’s Only a Play, “30 Rock”) and Carla (Priscilla Lopez; In the Heights, Pippin), each of whom has a marvelous scene that probably should have been cut despite its entertainment value. The dialogue is very funny and often witty but occasionally stoops to sitcom level. Amidst the hilarity, there are moments that raise thought-provoking issues of identity, parenthood, female empowerment, and the difficulty of clear, honest communication. Most of the time, the mix works well. The production levels are very high. Instead of a curtain, there is a gigantic projection by Bryce Cutler (Soft Power) of an aerial view of row after row of identical attached houses. The set by Clint Ramos (Torch Song, Once on This Island) shows the first floor of one of the units, blandly neutral, accented by safety grab bars in peculiar places. The costumes by Linda Cho (The Lifespan of a Fact) befit the characters well. Leigh Silverman’s (The Lifespan of a Fact, Chinglish) direction is assured. While it may not be the best play I have seen recently, it certainly is the funniest. The audience loved it. Running time: two hours ten minutes including intermission.

NOTE: Did Second Stage learn nothing from the mistakes made at the Tony Kiser Theater when they renovated the Helen Hayes Theater? Once again, the cramped seats are unstaggered with very narrow armrests and little legroom.

A Soldier's Play

A-

It has taken almost 40 years for Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1981 drama about the corrosiveness of racism to reach Broadway, but it is finally here, in previews at Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre, in a riveting production directed by Kenny Leon (American Son, Raisin in the Sun). Although it is technically a murder mystery, the issue of who is responsible for the death of a black sergeant at a Louisiana army base in 1944 is hardly the main point. Fuller paints a shameful picture of the status of black American troops, particularly in the Deep South, during WWII. The unit we meet is made of former Negro League baseball players, who are tasked with the most menial chores when they are not playing ball for the base’s glory. Their sergeant (David Alan Grier; Dreamgirls, Race, Porgy and Bess), whose duties include coaching the team, is a hard man to please. When he ends up with two bullets in him, the suspects include the local klan, racist white officers and disaffected members of his unit. A black JAG captain (Blair Underwood; A Trip to Bountiful, Paradise Blue) with a law degree is brought in to conduct an investigation of the murder, to the consternation of the unit’s white captain (Jerry O’Connell; “Jerry McGuire,” “ Mission to Mars”), who does not want to make waves. The story is told largely in flashbacks narrated by each man being interrogated. While the play is occasionally creaky, for the vast majority of the time, it is absolutely gripping. The entire ensemble (Nnamdi Asomugha, Good Grief; McKinley Belcher III, The Royale; Rob Demery, Jared Grimes, Billy Eugene Jones, The Jammer; Nate Mann, Warner Miller, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; J. Alphonse Nicholson, Paradise Blue; Lee Aaron Rosen, Indian Ink) is superb. The performances by Grier and Underwood are sensational; O’Connell’s, not quite as strong. Leon has interpolated moments involving singing and stylized movement, some of which work better than others. Derek McLane’s set, composed mainly of wooden planks, is appropriately stark. If you are uncomfortable with racial epithets, be forewarned that there are plenty. The play’s final moments are quietly devastating. Although circumstances specific to the military have changed a lot since WWII, as a society it is depressing to see how far we have yet to go to overcome racism. Running time: one hour 55 minutes, including intermission.

The Sorceress

B

The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) has returned to the Museum of Jewish Heritage with another restored Yiddish operetta, this one written by Avrom Goldfaden in 1877 and historic for being the first Yiddish theater piece produced in New York back in 1883 (by Boris Thomashevsky no less.) It is the first fruit of the Global Restoration Initiative, a painstaking effort to restore and present significant works of the Yiddish theater. Wisely edited from three hours down to 85 minutes, It offers a peek at what passed for popular entertainment in an earlier era. One of its features is the incorporation of tropes from fairy tales into the operetta’s book. As fans of NYTF have come to expect, the production values are very high, with excellent actors, musicians, costumes (by Izzy Fields), a clever set (by Dara Wishingrad) and lively choreography (by Merete Muenter) that makes the most of a smallish stage. Jazmine Gorsline and Josh Kohane are fine as the affianced couple. Rachel Bolchan is a convincing evil stepmother. The drag role of Bobe Yakhne is enthusiastically performed by Mikhl Yashinsky. Steve Sterner is a hoot as the itinerant merchant Hotsmakh. Motl Didner’s direction keeps the pace brisk. As usual for NYTF, there are surtitles in both English and Russian. While pleasant enough, the work is far from memorable. (For memorable, you’ll have to try the Russian coffee cake at the museum’s restaurant, Lox.) The show almost makes up in charm what it lacks in depth. If you expect something as good as NYTF’s The Golden Bride, you may be disappointed. I am afraid that the Times’s Critic’s Pick designation may set expectations too high. Lower yours a notch and you are likely to enjoy yourself. Running time: 85 minutes; no intermission. Closes December 29.