A Diminished “Hadestown” On Broadway

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/30/19, 6:03 PM

‪"Hadestown" which has made its way to Broadway is a pale imitation of the initial staging of the show I saw and loved ‪at New York Theater Workshop- it is too busy, the new chorus is distracting and the two young leads lack charisma, connection and adequate acting skills. But #AmberGray is still the best part of the show, the score is still great, there is one great staged number ("Wait For Me") and the beautiful ending is artfully restrained unlike most of the rest of the show. 

“Lehman Trilogy” Is A Thrilling Tale

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/30/19, 8:00 AM

The production design, direction and acting trio in "The Lehman Trilogy"‬ is simply breathtaking. What director Sam Mendes is able to conjure up with his design team and three stellar actors is a tribute to what exciting theatrical storytelling can be.

Glenda Jackson’s “Lear” Triumphs

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/29/19, 7:47 AM

Glenda Jackson is an astoundingly great Lear in Sam Gold's audacious & inventive ‪"King Lear" which features many other fine performances that make the production feel simultaneously current and timeless.  Worth special mention beyond Ms. Jackson are Ruth Wilson's Cordelia/Fool (a brilliant directorial choice to have her play both), John Douglas Thompson's protective Kent, Jayne Houdyshell's loyal Gloucester, Sean Carvajal's honorable Edgar and Pedro Pascal's slickly scheming Edmund.    While period purists may take issue with this production, Mr. Gold's production is refreshingly diverse, inclusive and teeming with life.  

A Stellar “Juno”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/27/19, 6:48 PM

‪@IrishRep‬ revival of "Juno And The Paycock" is stellar, and features a devastatingly great performance by Maryann Plunkett as Juno. The juxtaposition of humor in Act 1 and pain in Act 2 is masterful.

“Hillary” Is A Misfire

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/26/19, 10:56 PM

Laurie Metcalf & John Lithgow are outstanding actors, but they deserve much better than the pedestrian & unilluminating "Hillary And Clinton" - a rare misfire from fine playwright Lucas Hnath whose prior plays I have greatly admired.   I am mystified as to why this play is being mounted on Broadway, and I wish I could have my 90 minutes back.

“The Light” Is Gripping Theater

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/3/19, 9:55 PM

Loy A. Webb's new play "The Light" ‪@mcctheater‬ is a terrific, timely and important play given a great production that features excellent acting, and expert direction/staging.   MCC fittingly inaugurates its beautiful smaller theater with this fine work. Highly recommended.

“Merrily” Misfires

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/3/19, 6:27 PM

Sorry to report that Fiasco Theater's revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along" at Roundabout Theatre is a misconceived revival with acting that is too forced and singing that ranges from middling to painfully bad.    I have seen many productions of this show, but this was the worst I have seen to date.  The cuts to the show here eliminate the necessary emotion I have felt in other productions of this less than perfect show that is graced with a beautiful score.

“Daddy” Doesn’t Work

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/3/19, 11:48 AM

‪The New Group and Vineyard Theatre's new co-produced off-Broadway Jeremy O. Harris play "Daddy" raises some intriguing issues, but it fails to address them in a convincing way. The physical production is great, but the inconsistent acting and writing drag this way too long 3 hour play down.  On the bright side, actress Charlayne Woodard as the lead character's mother is great, as usual.

Quincy Tyler Bernstein Commands The Stage In “Marys Seacole”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/2/19, 4:50 PM

Actress Quincy Tyler Bernstine in #MarysSeacole ‪@LCTheater‬ #LCT3 proves once again that she is a force of nature who commands the stage. The play tells a historical story in a structurally creative way that engages and probative.

A Flashier “Choir Boy” On Broadway

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

3/2/19, 1:48 PM

Terrell Alvin McCraney's #ChoirBoyMTC ‪@MTC_NYC‬ on Broadway is much flashier & more populated/ choreographed than its more focused off-Broadway premiere. It makes the play louder and more entertaining, but detracts from the play's serious themes.

“Sea Wall/ A Life” Should Not Be Missed

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

2/28/19, 11:39 PM

The two insightful & thematically linked monologues of "Sea Wall/A Life" ‪@PublicTheaterNY‬ are perfectly performed by Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal.  I confess that I have a bias against plays that consist of actor monologues, but I rarely find them sufficiently engaging and theatrical.  But here, the exquisite writing, direction and acting dig deep and make this a production that should not be missed. 

Ambitious “Alice” Disappoints

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

2/28/19, 4:36 PM

Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater's new Alice In Wonderland themed musical "Alice By Heart" now playing ‪@mcctheater‬'s great new theater complex, features some great songs, a talented cast and inventive staging/ choreography. But the show is saddled with a muddled book that weighs it down and saps it of energy and emotion.

“Vera Stark” Shines In Outstanding Revival

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

2/27/19, 6:01 PM

‪Playwright Lynn Nottage must be proud of the outstanding revival of "By The Way, Meet Vera Stark" now gracing the stage ‪@SignatureTheatr‬.  Perfectly cast & staged, this fine, funny & smart play remains as timely & relevant as when I saw the play for the first time in 2011.

10 Best Theatrical Productions of 2018

This year's list of my favorite theater productions only includes productions viewed in NY, with Off-Broadway shows dominating the list.  Three musicals made the list, but all were revivals.  Mirroring last year, new plays nabbed 4 spots, and play revivals took 3.

Two shows that I saw again in 2018 would have made this list, but for the fact that I saw them in London last year and they made the top of last year's list, were the National Theatre production of  "Angels In America' and the Royal Court's production "The Ferryman."

In order of preference, my 10 favorite theatrical productions of 2018 are:

1.  OKLAHOMA [St. Ann's Warehouse]
      A radical new look at this classic that made it feel fresh, urgent & necessary.

2.  FIDDLER ON THE ROOF [National Yiddish theatre Folksbiene]
     Delivered in Yiddish with subtitles, this production mined emotions I never knew were in the show.

3.  THREE TALL WOMEN [Broadway]
      Glenda Jackson's force of nature performance anchored this beautifully rendered revival.

4.  HANGMAN [Atlantic Theater]
      Another perfectly delivered rollercoaster ride from Martin McDonagh

5.  MY FAIR LADY [Broadway/ Lincoln Center]
      A smartly tweaked revival making the show work in our #metoo era.

6.  THE WAVERLY GALLERY [Broadway]
     Elaine May's stunning performance is one I will never forget.

7.  LEWISTON/CLARKSTON [Rattlestick Playwrights Theater]
     Samuel D. Hunter's beautifully written works given a low key, powerful production.

8.  DANCE NATION [Playwrights Horizons]
     A timely & necessary exploration of what is is like to be a young woman.

9.  PARADISE BLUE [Signature Theatre]
     A perfect cast and elegant production complimented Dominique Morisseau's fine play.

10. MARY PAGE MARLOWE [Second Stage]
      A uniquely portrayed life of an ordinary woman illuminated universal themes of modern living.

Honorable Mentions: THE DAMNED [Armory]; LOBBY HERO [Broadway]; LIFESPAN OF A FACT [Broadway]; STRAIGHT WHITE MALES [Broadway/ Second Stage]

Best Performances of the Year: ELAINE MAY in THE WAVERLY GALLERY;  GLENDA JACKSON  in THREE TALL WOMEN;  LAUREN AMBROSE in MY FAIR LADY; JOHNNY FLYNN in HANGMAN; DANIEL RADCLIFF in LIFESPAN OF A FACT and BRIAN TYREE HENRY in LOBBY HERO

Guilty Pleasure of 2018:  THE PROM [Broadway]

A Stately And Distant “Mockingbird”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

12/11/18, 12:01 AM

"To Kill A Mockingbird" on Broadway is a stately production with some fine acting, but it feels too remote and lacks genuine emotion. The over-reliance on narration and organ heavy underscoring create further distance with the audience.  There is much to admire here, but there is not not enough dramatic fire on stage to fully engage viewers in the way the source material novel has engaged generations of readers.