The Ballad of Little Jo

Two River Theater
in

Guest Review

The remarkable new musical, The Ballad of Little Jo, tells the reimagined story of the real woman, Little Jo Monaghan.  The limited facts of her story are best captured in the playbill:  “When the well-liked rancher Jo Monaghan died in 1904 of pneumonia at the age of 56, his death was mourned by many in his town of Rockville, Idaho. Although he was quiet and kept mostly to himself, he had developed a reputation in his 37 years in the area as a good man and a hard worker. As his body was prepared for burial, a secret was revealed: “Little Jo” was a woman."

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The End of Longing

Lucille Lortel Theatre
in ,

2.5 out of 5 Stars

We are members of MCC Theater and the beauty of membership is that you go see things that normally might not enter your radar.  So when The End of Longing, written by and starring Matthew Perry, came along as part of the membership, our reaction was . . . huh, well let’s see what Chandler Bing can do.

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The Little Foxes

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
in ,

4 out of 5 Stars

Lillian Hellman’s play, The Little Foxes (Tony Award nomination – Best Revival), was first performed on Broadway in 1939 but it remains a thoroughly modern play with themes that are relevant today.  Grab the arms of your seat and be prepared for heaping doses of greed, sibling rivalry, scheming, manipulation, exploitation of the community, self-aggrandizement, domestic abuse, racial bias, parent/child clashes, and more greed.

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Bandstand

Bernard B. Jacobs Theater
in

Guest Review

The TV promos do this show a disservice. While they do showcase the music and its performance, they do little to differentiate this show from a jukebox musical.  I assure you it is not one of those.  In Bandstand (directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbueler, music by Richard Oberacker, book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker), original music serves the story, rather than the other way around.  The music is performed by actors and this is a welcome modern turn we have seen done in Cabaret, Bright Star, and Come From Away, among others.  It is awesome, really.

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Macbeth

The Connelly Theater
in ,

4 out of 5 Stars

Let’s start at the beginning - Shakespeare is Shakespeare.  The very word may set off a visceral reaction in theatergoers.  A Shakespeare performance will never be an easy stroll in the park (unless of course you're there to see Shakespeare in the Park).  Preconceptions aside, this is a mesmerizing show from start to finish. 

Throughout the performance, I couldn’t help but think how much William Shakespeare himself would have been wildly entertained by this production of Macbeth. From the direction by Rory McGregor, set design by Margaux Maeght, lightening design by Cha See and Ted Boyce-Smith, sound design by Rowan Spencer, and acting performances by the entire cast, this production rings the bell in all categories. 

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The Women of Padilla

Two River Theater
in

Guest Review

Let me preface my review with this: I loved the play. I feel compelled to write about The Women of Padilla because it moved me, and I want to encourage others to be moved as well. I hesitate because the play is delicate, and I am afraid that my words will weigh it down and obscure that lovely feature. In the world presented by playwright, Tony Meneses, we meet the ad hoc family, fitfully created. Women left behind after their husbands - eight brothers - have left for a mysterious, yet sadly familiar war.

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Vanity Fair

The Pearl Theatre Co.
in ,

3.5 out of 5 Stars

I am settling into my seat at the Pearl Theatre Co on 42nd street for a single reason - Kate Hamill. The production I am here for is written (adapted) for the stage by Ms. Hamill who also stars in the show. The persistent afterglow of her recent work in Sense and Sensibility (which I saw twice, Melissa, three times) urges our return to her stage. Our commitment was well rewarded. Ms. Hamill creates a unique style of theater that is right down the center of the plate of what I most enjoy in a theatrical outing. Titles like Sense and Sensibility and Vanity Fair (novel by William Thackeray, production directed by Eric Tucker) can potentially strike a fuddy/duddy chord in many minds. Once again Ms. Hamill reanimates famous but potentially stale classics into vibrant 21st-century works of wonder. Her shows mesmerize with contemporary rhythms.

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The Price

American Airlines Theatre
in ,

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Arthur Miller’s play, The Price, does something that most Miller plays don’t do; it will make you laugh.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t heavy moments, this is Arthur Miller after all, and there are no light moments in the likes of The Crucible, Incident at Vichy, Death of a Salesman, or A View from the Bridge. But this play has charm and wit to go along with the heavy bits.

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Kinky Boots

Al Hirschfeld Theatre
in

Guest Review

We didn't quite know what to do after brunch that day we were visiting New York City but my brother Eric suggested that we get in line at TKTS and see what show we could get into. Of the available shows, I wanted to see Kinky Boots, not because I knew anything about the show but because I had seen the title for so many years and it was a provocative one. We all agreed and were lucky to get great seats.  

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Man from Nebraska

2econd Stage Theatre
in ,

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Man from Nebraska moves quickly -  seventeen scenes conclude in under two hours. While the first several scenes contain minimal dialogue the plot evolves rapidly: the drive to church, the robotic participation from a church pew, the same post-church cafeteria meal, Sunday television, getting ready for bed. What really needs to be said? After all, this is Nebraska – you can drive 300 miles without so much as turning the wheel. The repetitiveness of Ken and Nancy’s routine is obvious. They are in their own self created Groundhogs Day.

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Yen

MCC Theater at The Lucille Lortel Theatre
in ,

4 out of 5 Stars

Imagine finding yourself in the cockpit of a 747 at 30,000 feet without the faintest clue of how to fly an airplane.  Navigating through this predicament is metaphorically identical to the situation our main characters find themselves in Yen, a bold new play written by Anna Jordan and directed by Trip Cullman, as they reside in their decrepit flat on the fringes of British society. To say our characters don’t know how to operate the controls is an understatement; they don’t know what the controls look like or that control is even possible.  Bobby and Hench are 14 and 16-year-old half-brothers who, for all intents and purposes, have been abandoned by their alcoholic mother.  They have gone completely feral.  The boys only taste of control is at the touch pad of their video games. It is clear to see early on that this is a voyage that is on a collision course.

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The Band's Visit

Atlantic Theater Company
in ,

4 out of 5 stars

The trouble all started because Arabic has no "p" sound, and regularly replaces it with "b".  The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra from Egypt is scheduled to perform at an Arab cultural center in Petah Tikva in Israel.  Alas, the aforementioned miscommunication lands the band in Beit Hatikva, a fictional town in the middle of the Israeli desert. This tiny town has no hotel and very few places to eat. But this town does have interesting characters who find this band’s predicament a welcome diversion to life in Beit Hatikva with a “B” . . . boring, beige and bland.  The fact that all these characters are Egyptian and Israeli brings instant color to the landscape.

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Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

Imperial Theatre
in ,

4 out of 5 stars

That the world is a stage is well demonstrated in this exhilarating production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. The Imperial Theater has been transformed for this show in a way that brings the performers into the audience and the audience onto the stage.  There is a continuum flowing between the orchestra, stage, and mezzanine. The fourth wall is not broken, it is removed entirely.

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Small Mouth Sounds

Signature Theatre Company
in ,

3.5 out of 5 stars

What on earth is Small Mouth Sounds about?  I must confess as much as anything, the answer to the question is a large part of what drove me to purchase my tickets.  I think we have a right to know.  As it turns out, Small Mouth Sounds, written by Bess Wohl and directed by Rachel Chavkin, is barely about sounds at all.  It “speaks” far more about the human condition.

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