“Little Shop” Is Pure Joy

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

10/27/19, 5:49 PM

The new off-Broadway mounting of "Little Shop of Horrors" now playing at the Westside Theatre Upstairs is an absolute joy from start to finish.  Jonathan Groff is perfect as Seymour and Christian Borle is hysterical in multiple roles, most notably as Orin, the sadistic dentist.  This production also has the most talented and well utilized "Ronnette chorus" I have seen to date.   I love everything about this Michael Mayer directed revival, and despite having seen this show in too many iterations to count, this production feels new, fresh and timely.

A Disappointing “Inheritance”

While ambitious in scope and length, Matthew Lopez' 2 part, seven hour play "The Inheritance" is not a particularly good play. The acting is uneven, the characters are largely unbelievable or underdeveloped, there is undue reliance on narration and it feels more emotionally manipulative than genuine.  There is little depth or nuance to this play, which is overly melodramatic and trying to masquerade as more more literary than the writing merits.  Overall, a major disappointment that tells more than it shows.

Mesmerizing Ambiguities Abound In the Brilliant “Sound Inside”

Adam Rapp's "The Sound Inside" is brilliantly written, astutely directed by the master of restraint David Cromer & perfectly acted by Mary-Louise Parker and Will Hochman.  This is an intelligent and mesmerizing tale whose mysterious ambiguity will haunt me for weeks.   Don't miss this fine play in this flawless production that left me completely gobsmacked.

Not Much New to See In “The Michaels”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

10/23/19, 10:50 PM

The sense of thematic deja vu I had viewing "The Michaels" ‪@PublicTheaterNY‬ convinced me that I may well have had my fill of Richard Nelson's Rhinebeck set Chekovian plays. This is his least successful use of that style and setting.

Joshua Henry Soars In “The Wrong Man”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

10/23/19, 6:23 PM

The storyline may be slight, but a powerful & moving drama nevertheless emerges in the sung through "The Wrong Man" ‪@mcctheater‬ thanks to fine staging, beautiful ‪@traviswall‬ choreography & an astoundingly powerful & gorgeously sung performance by ‪Joshua Henry.

An Astonishing “Antigone” From Japan

Greek tragedies are replete with demonstrative emotions.  By contrast, Japanese theatrical styles are, in my experience, typically on the cooler ends of the emotional spectrum.   As a result, I had my doubts when buying my ticket to Director Satoshi Miyagi’s take on “Antigone” as presented by his Shizuoka Performing Arts Center which is now playing at the Park Avenue Armory through October 6.  But the concept seemed intriguing enough that I thought it was worth seeing, if only for the novelty of the approach.

I am pleased to report that this must see production of “Antigone” is an astonishing melding of Greek & Japanese themes and styles that left me gobsmacked and deeply moved.   Beautifully staged in the immense Armory Drill Hall space, this show provides an ample feast for the eyes, ears and minds of its viewers.  The staging is artfully composed, the movements are expertly precise and the music hypnotically merges with the action on stage.

What is especially surprising is how timely this show feels given its themes on abuse of power and the tension between the state and moral authorities.  Indeed, one cannot escape drawing parallels between this work and the whistleblower developments in Washington over the past week.  But of course, these themes are ones Sophocles was writing about almost 2500 years ago, and this production serves as a powerful reminder of the immutable essences of human nature that were expertly explored by our theatrical ancestors.

“Moulin Rouge” Is An Emotionally Hollow Jukebox Musical

‪"Moulin Rouge: The Musical" ‬is a vapid, overwrought jukebox musical with serious attention deficit issues whose embarrassingly cliched book is emotionally hollow at its core. Yes, it looks good & is technically proficient, but all of that is in service of lots of sound & fury signifying nothing.  There is not an ounce of chemistry between any of the actors on stage, and little snippets of pop songs do not make for an engaging score.

The show seems to be selling well at premium prices, and the audience response at the performance I attended sounded largely positive, which I fear will only encourage Broadway producers to back shows with flashy production values regardless of their meaningless books.  I hope that this show is not representative of the future of Broadway theater; if it is, I am very worried about that future.

On a more positive note, my return visit to Folksbiene's Yiddish language (with subtitles) "Fiddler On The Roof", now at the beautifully appointed Stage 42, was as rewarding as my first visit to this impeccable revival.  Even if you think you do not need to see another "Fiddler" in your lifetime, trust me - you need to see this production.

I also enjoyed several recent off Broadway plays, with my favorite amongst this group being Bess Wohl's intelligent and moving new play "Make Believe," which intelligently explores the impact of childhood neglect on adult behaviors.  "Make Believe" is given a stellar production at Second Stage Theater, and features one of the finest groups of child actors I have seen on stage.

I also found much to admire in the Public Theater's second summer Shakespeare In The Park production "Coriolanus."  Granted this production did not solve some of the inherent problems with the play as written, but the excellent lead performances from Jonathan Cake and Kate Burton made for an illuminating evening.  The Public's production of Louis Alfaro's "Mojada," a contemporary take on "Medea" focusing on US immigration issues, was also largely rewarding and well worth seeing.

Finally, going in I had low expectations for Hailey Pfeiffer's "Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow," a farcical riff on Chekhov's "Three Sisters."  Admittedly, farce is usually not a style of theater that works for me.  But the committed and excellent cast had me laughing throughout and provided thoughtful commentary on contemporary mores.  My low expectations were greatly exceeded.

“Six” Fires On All Cylinders

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

7/26/19, 10:47 PM

New musical "Six" ‪@chicagoshakes‬ with actors playing the pop infused wives of Henry 8 is a hugely entertaining, witty and expertly executed show that is sure to be a big hit in Boston and then on Broadway. #sixchicago

"Father Comes Home From The Wars" Deserves A Hero's Welcome at African American Rep

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

7/20/19, 11:13 PM

Do not miss Susan-Lori Parks' brilliant play "Father Comes Home From The War Parts 1,2 & 3" in its beautifully rendered Dallas regional premiere production ‪@AARTheater‬. This is a challenging play to produce and ‪@AARTheater‬ does this outstanding play proud with a cast, direction and staging that effectively explore and honor the complex and timely themes in Ms. Parks' play.

5 Highlights of 2019 Tony Awards Ceremony

Overall, the 2019 Tony Awards Ceremony broadcast on June 9 by CBS was rather listless.  Unlike his Tony hosting stint 2 years ago, I did not think James Corden made for a good host.   For the most part his comedic and musical bits seemed unoriginal and lacking in wit, with the exception of the "James in the Bathroom" number.  But the night was not a total loss.  I was glad to see "The Ferryman" win as Best Play, and "Oklahoma" justly won for Best Musical Revival.  In addition, I found the following 5 moments to be the highlights of the evening:

1.  Elaine May's win and eloquent acceptance speech for Best Leading Actress in a Play for her role in "The Waverly Gallery."  I will never forget Ms. May's astonishing performance in this play and was thrilled to see her win and hear her lovely speech.

2.  Ali Stroker's win and inspiring acceptance speech for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.  Ms. Stroker lights up any stage she graces, and the Radio City Musical Hall stage during the Tony ceremony was no exception.

3.  Rachel Chavkin's call to action acceptance speech after she won as Best Director of a Musical for "Hadestown."  She is right, the amount of untapped Broadway exposure by supremely talented women and people of color is shameful and needs to be corrected.

4.  The "Oklahoma" musical segment, which for me was the best musical performance of the evening and gave a hint of the absolute genius that is this revival.

5. The "Prom" number, like the show itself, put a huge smile on my face and had me dancing in my seat, and was my runner up for best musical performance of the night.

“The Secret Life Of Bees” Succeeds On All Fronts

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

5/26/19, 11:45 AM

"The Secret Life of Bees" ‪@AtlanticTheater‬ is an outstanding new musical, with a supremely talented cast blessed with heavenly voices, a beautiful score by Dunkin Sheik, a wonderful book by ‪Lynn Nottage‬ & expert direction by Sam Gold.

While the entire 13 member cast are worthy of great praise, especially worthy of note are the award-caliber performances by LaChanze, Saycon Sengbloh & Elizabeth Teeter.   

I would be surprised if this outstanding new musical, which is better that any of the new musicals that premiered on Broadway in the 2018-19 season, did not find its way to a Broadway theater.

“Octet” Is A Boldly Inventive New Musical

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

5/23/19, 4:03 PM

Dave Malloy's new musical "Octet" at Signature Theatre is boldly inventive and perfectly executed by its tremendous cast and astute director/design team. The show pulls you in with it's gorgeous music and unique sound, and stays with you long after you leave the theater.

“Everything Is Wonderful” Is Simply Wonderful

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/27/19, 11:08 PM

Chelsea Marcantel's "Everything is Wonderful," is a beautifully written play that explores faith, family & forgiveness in the context of an Amish family & community.  This outstanding play is given a sterling production ‪@WTTheatre‬ that should not be missed. The cast, direction & staging expertly navigate this complex and emotionally rich play.  

Dallas Theater Center’s “Twelfth Night” Is Must See Shakespeare

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/7/19, 4:57 PM

I have seen countless productions of "Twelfth Night," but the best, clearest, most nuanced & joyous version I have seen is now playing ‪at Dallas Theater Center's Wyly Theater. This production adeptly manages the problems I have encountered in other productions of "Twelfth Night" I have seen- namely length and a cohesive treatment of multiple plot lines.  This production lasts approximately 100 minutes and wisely condenses the original text and minor characters such that not a dull moment exists in this production.  Furthermore the pop-music playing 3 man band is on stage most of the performance and proves to be a unifying element hovering over and commenting upon the play's multiple plot lines, giving the play a cohesive structure.

The diverse and talented cast, beach themed set, sexual identity themes, and quick pace make this "Twelfth Night" fresh, fun and fabulous.  If you are in Dallas in April, don't miss this truly wonderful production.

“Tootsie” Serves Up Frothy Entertainment

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

4/1/19, 11:41 PM

Santino Fontana is excellent and the book has lots of humor, much of which lands, but ‪the new movie to Broadway musical adaptation of "Tootsie" suffers from excess length and lack of originality or surprise. It is entertaining but slight, and may do well with those seeking frothy entertainment.