NY Spring 2010 Report #1/ Off Broadway Gems -"Scottboro," "Orphans" and "Rain"

The biggest excitement being generated in the early portion of the Spring 2010 NY theater season can be found off-Broadway, where I recently sampled three solid new shows now playing to, for the moment, sold out (or near sold out) houses.

The first, and best of the lot is the new Kander & Ebb musical "The Scottboro Boys" which is given an exciting, audacious and sparkling production helmed by director Susan Stroman. Everything about this show is top-notch, from the score, to the technical aspects (lighting, sound, sets), to the talented cast. The story focuses on the historical Scottsboro Boys incident that took place in the early 1930s, when a group of young African American men were falsely accused and convicted (multiple times, after multiple successful federal constitutional appeals) of raping two young white woman who were travelling on the same train in Alabama.

In a very bold and risky move, the show is performed minstrel-style, which is somewhat off-putting at first glance. But before long, the brilliance of the concept shines through - minstrel shows are all about denying the essential humanity of the performers - the same denial of essential humanity that African Americans faced in the early 1930's which provided the breeding grounds for the travesties of justice depicted here. The show's style in quite reminiscent of two earlier Kander & Ebb shows - "Chicago" and "Cabaret," and "Scottsboro" is just as good as those now classic musicals. The performances are outstanding, with a particular star making turn provided by the lead performance of Brandon Victor Dixon. At times the show shocks its audience with its stereotyped racial portrayals, but nothing is more shocking than the treatment that the Scottsboro boys received from the Alabama state judicial system.

Essential for a successful musical, the score on first hearing is tuneful and beautiful. Particular standouts in the score are "Go Back Home," "You Can't Do Me" and the title tune. The tone of the show veers from joyous, to melancholic, to disturbing - all emotional reactions that its canny creators surely intended. There are rumblings that this show may move to Broadway. It will be a challenge to make this show work in that environment, but the real shame would be not giving this amazing show, which Fred Ebb was working on at the time of his death, a chance at a bigger audience and the greater exposure that a Broadway run would provide.

Another outstanding show playing off-Broadway is Horton Foote's three-part, nine hour opus "The Orphan's Home Cycle," which I recently caught in one of the scarce full day (it starts at 11am and ends after 11pm) "marathon performances." The first part of three is the most breathtaking and focused, although the second part is also very strong. By the time I made my way through the third and final part, I have to admit feeling that the show's themes were repeating themselves too often; but it is a minor problem amidst a major work. I could also take issue with some of the acting, but overall, the acting is solid, especially the outstanding lead performance of Bill Heck who plays the main character, Horace Robedaux.

An interesting companion piece to "Orphan's Home Cycle," albeit in a much more condensed form, can be found at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse Theater where the Australian dark family drama "When The Rain Stopped Falling" recently opened. A similar "sins of the father" theme can be found in both works, although many of the particular sins handed down from prior generations differ in the works, at least in name. But the inability of family members to communicate, and the consequences of such failure, are central themes in both plays.

The acting in "Rain" is quite strong, but the real star of the production is the sensitive and elegant direction by the supremely talented director, David Cromer. Cromer ensures that all of the theatrical elements - e.g., the actings, set, staging, music and lighting, are carefully calibrated and synchronized to allow for the themes of the play to slowly and beautifully reveal themselves. Walking out of Lincoln Center after the show, I felt a strong urge to read the lyrical
"Rain" script, which thankfully can be quickly obtained from Amazon.com!

These three solid off-Broadway shows provide an exciting and solid base for the spring 2010 theater season in New York.

Well Produced Revivals in Los Angeles

There has not been much worthwhile to write about the Los Angeles theater scene since the year began, but there are 2 revivals of Pulitzer Prize winning plays now playing in Los Angeles that are worth seeing.

The first is the Mark Taper Forum's revival of the 1965 Pulitzer winning drama The Subject Was Roses by Frank Gilroy, starring Martin Sheen, Frances Conroy and Brian Gereghty. The plays is unquestionably dated and plays like a standard Playhouse 90 domestic melodrama. If one knows the play, one might question why it is worth reviving today. The answer is simple if one could amass an expert cast as the Taper and director Neil Pepe have done here. Sheen, now playing the father rather than the role of the son he played on Broadway many years ago, is great, as is Gereghty. But the best acting is provided by Conroy, who inhabits her character with unbounded depth and emotion. The acting (and unfussy direction by Pepe) provide ample reason to see this show before it closes on March 21.

The other revival worthy of note is Wit, the 1999 Pulitzer winning drama that remains relevant and fresh today, and is given sensitive and expert treatment by the Actors Co-op in Hollywood. I saw this show at it 1995 premiere at South Coast Rep, and then again off-Broadway with Kathleen Chalfant in the starring role (not to mention the fine HBO tv movie version starring Emma Thompson). All of these prior versions had outstanding lead performances, and the Actors Co-op rendition does very well in that department in the form of Nan McNamara playing Prof. Vivian Bearing. In the first few minutes watching this show, I feared that that Ms. McNamara was not going to be able to navigate the frailties and vulnerabilities written into her role, but she not only pulled it off, she did so with flying colors. The play, by one time playwright Margaret Edson, is extremely well written, and the entire production here works. I highly recommend you seeing this before its scheduled closing on March 28.

Check back later in March for reports on winter/spring theater in New York, where the biggest excitement on the early part of the season is unquestionably off-Broadway.

Top 10 Theater Productions of the Decade (2000-2009)

1. August: Osage County (2007, dir. by Anna Shapiro)
No other play this decade had the emotional scope of this tartly funny masterpiece

2. Doubt (2005, dir. by Doug Hughes)
John Patrick Stanley's intensely engaging play with a star turn performance by Cherry Jones

3. Big River (2003 revival, dir. by Jeff Calhoon)
Deaf West Theater created a beautiful and moving new way to experience a musical - in sign and song

4. Metamorphoses (2001, dir by Mary Zimmerman)
Seeing this shortly after 9/11 in NYC was beyond moving; it lit the way to a new level of hope and understanding

5. The Crucible (2002 revival, dir. by Richard Eyre)
Liam Neeson and Laura Linney were incredible in this perfect production of one of my all-time favorite plays

6. Next To Normal (2009, dir. by Michael Grief)
At the end of the decade, provided proof that the musical is not dead, but can tackle serious issues in a moving way

7. Light In The Piazza (2005, dir, by Bartlett Sher)
Lincoln Center gave this a sterling production, highlighted by a life changing performance by Victoria Clark

8. 110 In The Shade (2007 revival, dir. by Lonny Price)
Sheer musical delight provided by a racially mixed cast (headed by the amazing Audra McDonald) that proved the case for color-blind casting

9. Into The Woods (2002 revival, dir. by James Lapine)
Another post 9/11 production that helped provide meaning and understanding to a battered world

10. Hairspray (2002, dir. by Jack O'Brien)
The traditional musical in all its glitzy and fun glory that succeeds in its aim- provide a fun escape to its audience

Honorable Mention: Proof (2001 dir. by Daniel Sullivan); Frozen (2004 dir. by Doug Hughes); Pillowman (2005 dir by John Crowley); Sweeney Todd (2006 revival dir. by John Doyle); South Pacific (2008 revival dir. by Bartlett Sher); Our Town (2009 revival dir. by David Cromer)

5 BEST THEATER TRENDS OF THE DECADE
1. Internet ticketing & internet theater chat boards
2. Continued survival of the musical form
3. Growth of regional theaters and non-profits, as proven by their role in nearly every work listed above as the decade's best (although I greatly fear what the retrenchment caused by the bad economy means for the next decade of theater)
4. Times Square "steps" above TKTS booth creating a public space devoted to theater
5. Digital production enables every musical score to be released on CD for posterity

5 WORST THEATER TRENDS OF THE DECADE
1. Cell phones ringing during performances (and sometimes answered mid-performance)
2. Musicals that parody the form
3. The fact that "Wicked" is the most successful show of the decade
4. Need to cast movie stars to have a successful Broadway run
5. Every musical score gets released on CD (obviously this trend leaves me with mixed feelings), including those that would be best proceeding silently into oblivion

2009 Top 10 Theater Productions

1. Next To Normal (NY/ Broadway) ****
2. Our Town (NY/ Off Broadway) ****
3. Cripple of Inishmaan (NY/ Atlantic Thater) ****
4. Norman Conquests (NY/ Broadway) ****
5. Othello (Seattle/ Theater for New Audience) ****
6. Brother/Sister Plays (NY/Public) ***1/2
7. Ruined (NY/ MTC) ***1/2
8. Farragut North (LA/ Geffen) ***1/2
9. Ragtime (NY/ Broadway)***1/2
10. American Idiot (Berkeley Rep) ***1/2

Honorable Mention: Lydia (Taper/LA); reasons to be pretty (NY/ Broadway); Anita Bryant Died For Your Sins (LA/ WCE); Let Me Down Easy (NY/ Second Stage)

Remarkable Returns to Shows First Viewed In Prior Years: Memphis (NY); Mary Stuart (NY)

Number of shows attended: 87 (up from 83 last year)

Top 10 breakdown: 2 new musicals, 3 new plays, 5 revivals

2009's Top 10 Acting Performances
1. Jude Law (Hamlet)
2. Ayesha Anoine (My Wonderful Day)
3. Angela Lansbury (A LIttle Night Music)
4. Dearbhla Molloy (Cripple of Inishmaan)
5. Wyatt Fenner (Anita Bryant Died For Your Sins)
6. Thomas Sadowski (reasons to be pretty)
7. Chris Pine (Farragut North)
8. Bobby Steggart (Ragtime)
9. James McMenamin (Our Town)
10. Portia (Ruined)

The Worst in Theater:2009
Happiness (Lincoln Center)- which describes what I would have felt if there was an intermission that would have relieved me from my misery watching this disaster

West Side Story (Broadway)- an anemic, boring production of a show that I previously thought was near indestructible

Pain & The Itch (Boston Court)- the title accurately describes what one feel watching this unpleasant work

Parade (Taper)- illustrated what results when you cast a musical with actors who cannot sing, and it was not pretty

Finian's Rainbow (Broadway)- why?

Fela! (Broaway)- see Finian's Rainbow

Equivocation (Geffen)- nothing equivocal about it; this was one bad production

What Michael Ritchie is doing to LA's Center Group Theater (Ahmanson, Taper & Kirk Douglas)- he is slowly destroying the artistic institution that Gordon Davidson built; the dismantling of a real season at the Kirk Douglas is especially sad

Fall 2009/ NY Theater Report

I saw a wide variety of new theater during several recent trips to New York City this fall. For ease of reference, I will classify them as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

First, the GOOD:

The fall has yielded two solid new musical productions, one a new work and the other a revival.

Memphis at the Shubert Theatre is an exciting new musical that portrays the emergence of African American music in 1950's Memphis as the backdrop for a story of a partially fictional white DJ who introduced this new style of music to a general audience. Parts of the show may seem derivative of other shows and the book isn't deep or groundbreaking, but the score, cast and production are enormously entertaining. While the entire cast is great, leads Chad Kimball and Montego Glover give Tony-worthy performances. I have not had as much fun as an audience member at any new musical since "Hairspray." Unquestionably, this is a real crowd-pleaser, but one that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

The Broadway revival of Ragtime is far superior to the original Broadway production of this fine musical in almost every way. This beautifully sung and staged production expertly presents the show's themes, and (unlike the original Broadway production) does not shy away from acknowledging the darker themes of the underlying book and the show itself. While it is true that Quentin Earl Darrington as Colehouse and Stephanie Umoh as Sarah do not have the vocal or acting chops of their roles' originators (Brain Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald), they are nevertheless quite good. In addition, Bobby Steggart as "the younger brother" gives a mesmerizing performance that turns a relatively minor role into a key one. The orchestra and group numbers are simply sublime. I cannot image any other revival this year coming even close to the quality of this production.

As for dramas, I highly recommend the Public's The Brother/Sister Plays, a trilogy of related plays set in New Orleans by the exciting young playwright Terell Alvin McCraney. While I preferred Part 2 to Part 1, both Parts are ambitious and exciting theater presented by an outstanding cast. Together with last year's "Wig Out," McCraney is proving to be a major new voice in American theater.

Also in the outstanding acting category is the force-of-nature performance given by Jude Law in the Donmar Warehouse production of Hamlet at Broadhurst. His supporting cast is spotty in terms of quality (only Ron Cook as Polonius comes close to Law's performance), but no matter. This show is all about Hamlet, and Law gives the finest live performance of that role that I have seen. This production only runs through early December; see it soon if you are in NY.

In addition to The Brother/Sister Plays, off-Broadway has several more fine new plays in Broke-ology at Lincoln Center's Newhouse Theater and Let Me Down Easy, Anna Deavere Smith's touching new healthcare focused show at Second Stage. Both are limited runs through early December, so time is running out to see these expertly produced shows.

Now for the BAD:

Sorry folks, but who had the bright idea that Finian's Rainbow was ripe for a revival? Certainly not the creators of the current revival at the St. James Theatre, as this production is dated, dull and flat. Notwithstanding a fine performance by the amazing Jim Norton, there just seems to be no good reason to revive this show. Similar problems of feeling dated befell the now closed production of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs. I sat in the audience of this one thinking - why? Apparently, I was not the only one given the show's quick shuttering. Although not dated in the same way, Sarah Ruhl's new play In The Next Room or the vibrator play, also left me wondering - why? It was a pointless exercise that tries but fails at farce or any meaningful social commentary. The only thing interesting about this show is its title.

And finally, the UGLY:

Off Broadway's Circle Mirror Transformation and Fela! at Broadway's O'Neill Theatre were both very painful sits for me. The former was annoying and trite, and Fela! did nothing to earn the exclamation point in its title, failing to provide any coherent narrative while trying to force way too much pointless audience participation. IMHO, you would do well to skip both, despite the fact that some critics will undoubtedly sing the praises of both works for reasons that escape my comprehension.

FALL 2009 THEATER PREVIEW & ANITA BRYANT

Although it will be difficult for the 2009-2010 theater season in New York to come close to the banner prior year, the shows scheduled to open in New York this fall have great promise.

The production that has me most excited are "The Brother/Sister Plays, Parts 1 & 2" at the Public. Authored by the immensely talented young playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, the three plays offered as two shows begins previews at the Public in late October. McCraney wrote last season's "Wig Out," which was one of the highlights of the prior season for me. From all accounts, these plays build on, and go beyond, that promise.

The other plays that I look forward to in NY this fall include Sarah Ruhl's "In The Next Room (or the vibrator play)," which also begins previews in late October. Ruhl's plays can be hit or miss for me, but the reviews from the Berkeley Rep production of this play suggest this is among her best works to date. I am also looking forward to the nine Horton Foote plays that make up Signature Theater's three-show event "Orphans Home Cycle." The three shows are being introduced over time, and I think I will wait until Spring 2010 to catch one of the few all day marathons.

I also hope to catch Jude Law in Michael Grandage's Donmar Warehouse production of "Hamlet." This will likely be a tough ticket to get if it receives the favorable notices here that it received in London.

On the musical front, one of my favorite shows from last year - "Memphis" is finally finding its way to Broadway. The same two outstanding leads (Chad Kimball & Montego Glover) have been retained from the prior productions, and I am hopeful that the latter part of the second act has been improved. I also hope to finally catch "Fela!," which I missed off-Broadway last year. The revivals of "Ragtime" (from DC's Kennedy Center) and Encore's "Finian's Rainbow" also hold much promise.

I am waiting for more word on "Broke-ology" at Lincoln Center's Newhouse, Anna Deveare Smith's "Let Me Down Easy" at Second Stage, Roundabouts "Ordinary Days," and the David Cromer directed Neil Simon revivals of "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound."

The fall does not look nearly as promising on the West Coast due, in part, to retrenchment from the major west coast regionals such as the Center Theater Group. Nevertheless, among the productions that I look forward to seeing are the touring company of "August: Osage County" at the Ahmanson, "Parade" at the Taper, "Equivocation" at the Geffen, Annette Benning's "Medea" at UCLA, The Druid Ireland's "Walworth Farce" and "New Electric Ballroom" both at UCLA, and "Saturn Returns" at South Coast Rep. I am also intrigued by the new Green Day musical "American Idiot" which I will see at Berkely Rep in September. I loved the Green Day album of the same title, but wonder if it will work dramatically. Time will tell.

So, what is with the Anita Bryant in this post's title? That would be a reference to the exciting production of Brian Christopher William's funny and moving "Anita Bryant Died For Your Sins," which is given a sparkling production at West Coast Ensemble's El Centro theater. This show proves how great small venue theater can be. Critical to the show's success is a true star-making perfomance by young actor Wyatt Fenner. Fenner will unquestionably be at the top of many casting agents' lists for his incredible work in this show. I cannot say enough good things about his performance, but the whole cast of the show deserves praise. To those in SoCal, you owe it to yourself to book to this show before it sells out its limited run.

NY Report #3- May 2009

I caught Next To Normal on Broadway last weekend, and among the things that amazed me about this exciting new musical, was how much the show has improved since it was mounted off-Broadway at Second Stage last year. The creators have tightened and thematically focused the show, and eliminated only the things that did not work. The mixed-tone and somewhat silly moments that were in the show's off-Broadway stint have been eliminated, leaving an intensely moving work that is the most emotionally rich Broadway musical since "LightIn The Piazza." Next To Normal is, by far, the best musical of the 2008-09 Broadway season, anchored by amazing performances by Alice Ripley and Aaron Tveit. Ripley will almost surely win the Best Actress in a Musical Tony, and Tveit should have won the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Just one problem - he was not even nominated. By far the biggest slight of the Tony nominations, I cannot fathom how his incredible Broadway debut was passed over in favor of five other, less than stellar and far inferior, performances.

I also loved all three plays that make up The Norman Conquests trilogy, which I caught in a three-play-in-a-day "marathon" last Saturday. I had feared that the show might be getting unjustifiable great reviews, but this production deserves all of the praise that has been heaped upon it by both the London and New York critics. The shows are funny, extremely witty and emotionally genuine. The acting ensemble is simply priceless, although I cannot avoid singling out Amanda Root's particularly brilliant performace. Director Matthew Warchus, who earlier worked his comic magic on a rather limited God of Carnage script, proves with "Norman" that he is the best comedic director working in English language theater today.

Speaking of undeserved critical praise, the lackluster and uneven Broadway revival of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come And Gone was a major disappointment for me. While this revival is graced with one excellent performance (by Roger Robinson) the rest of the acting is either mediocre or downright bad. "Joe Turner" may be my favorite Wilson play, so this production was especially problematic for me. Director Bartlett Sher's otherworldly take on the material, which is beautifully staged from a technical perspective, is just plain wrong for this material. This production was woefully inferior to the small scale "Joe Turner" that was mounted by LA's excellent Fountain Theater a few years back.

There is not much good that can be said about Craig Lucas's The Singing Forest , whose closing performance at the Public I caught a week ago. I was impressed by this play at a reading I saw a few years ago at South Coast Rep, although I recognized that a full staging would be difficult to pull off. While I still feel that some of Lucas' writing here is very good, at least as staged at the Public, this play is an unworkable mess.

There is more excellent theater playing in New York right now than in any year in recent memory. Do yourself a favor- go to New York and patronize sample some of this outstanding work. Combining my various recent NY posts, here in order of preference are the shows now playing in New York that I would recommend: Next To Normal, The Norman Conquests, Our Town, Ruined, Mary Stuart, and reasons to be pretty.

NY Report #2- April/May 2009

On my second spring 2009 trip to New York I had the displeasure of seeing Arthur Laurents' Broadway revival of the classic musical "West Side Story" that is playing to packed houses. Sorry to say, there is almost nothing to recommend this poorly directed, poorly sung, poorly acted production. Matt Cavenaugh as Tony falls woefully short of the vocal demands for that role. Josephina Scaglione as Maria sings her role well, but her acting is wooden and one-note. Sadly, the actress playing Anita that has received much praise was out the performance I saw, and her understudy shouted instead of sang. Curtis Holbrook is a complete ham as Action, an interpretation of the role that is simply wrong for this show. Watching this mess, I could not help but think of the many ways this revival should have been done differently. And notwithstanding the fact the this show is selling out nearly every performance, the audience reaction to the show when I saw it was lackluster at best. I could go on and on about what this production does wrong to one of the best musicals ever written, but nothing matches the travesty that is done to one of the greatest Broadway songs ever written - "Somewhere." The hokey, horribly staged scene in which this song is peformed nearly had me running for the exits. Memo to Broadway: Please stop having Arthur Laurents direct and destroy classic musicals.

I also saw two funny new plays on my quick trip to NY. The first, "God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza has a dream cast of four (Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden) and is smartly directed by Matthew Warchus. While I found the play funny, and suspect this production does everything right with the source material, the play itself is rather shallow and forgetable. Nevertheless, it is worth seeing for the fine cast, particularly Ms. Harden's performance which is probably the best comic acting seen in NY this year, and perhaps in many years.

In contrast to the lack of depth in "Carnage,"Neil LaBute's new play "reasons to be pretty" sticks with you long after seeing it. This third play in a thematic LaBute trilogy ("Fat Pig" and "The Shape of Things" are the other two) takles similar themes as "Carnage" (e.g., dysfunction in relationships). LaBute probes the sources of the dysfunction, unlike Reza. The characters in "pretty" also seem like real people rather than the sitcom-ish types found in "Carnage." Of the likely nominees for the Best Play Tony Award this year, I think "reasons to be pretty" is light years ahead of the other new plays and should win the award, although I think it may lose to either "Carnage" or "Dividing The Estate" (the latter of which was a horrible production, but there will be sympathy to give the award posthumously to much loved Horton Foote). I should also note that the performance Thomas Sadoski gives in the lead role in "pretty" is breathtaking, and adds layers of depth to the script.

I will be making another trip to NY in May to see "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," the "Norman Conquests" marathon trilogy, "Next To Normal" (again) and "The Singing Forest." I will report on those shows later in the month.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the one current play I would recommend is "Lydia" at the Taper, which is a lyrical and moving play that is given a beautiful production. The show is very dark, and will turn off people who do not like their theater to address serious and disturbing subject matters. Indeed, the number of walk-out at the Taper the night I saw the show were among the highest I have witnessed there. But no matter; if you like challenging, well written dramas, don't let that stop you from seeing this fine and moving new work.

NY Report- March 2009

Notwithstanding the difficult economic times, theater is alive and thriving in New York. There are more openings of new shows on Broadway, most notably new plays, than in any year of recent memory. My trip this month to New York focused primarily on off Broadway shows, but upcoming trips to the city in April and May will focus on new Broadway productions.

There are a number of outstanding shows playing (or which recently closed) off-Broadway, as evidenced by three excellent shows I attended. Perhaps most notable is the outstanding new production of "Our Town" conceived and directed by Chicago's David Cromer, who also stars as the Stage Manager. Cromer gets to the essence of Thorton Wilder's conceit and provides a focused and unique production that is shorn of the typical warmth and sentimentality that usually accompanies productions of this work. To those familiar with this show, that may seem counter to the essence of Wilder's work, but the brilliance of this production is that Cromer makes you understand why his stripped down Brechtian approach is much more faithful to Wilder's works than any other production of this show that you may have experienced. This is a show that will leave you thinking and rethinking about it for weeks. If you love theater, you owe it to yourself to see this "Our Town" at the Barrow Street Theater in the Village.

Having seen, and been disappointed by, a Los Angeles production of Martin McDonagh's "The Cripple of Inishmaan" nearly ten years ago at the Geffen Playhouse, I could not imagine the great reviews and sold-out status that accompanied Ireland's Druid Theater Company production of this show at the Atlantic Theater. Call me insufficiently imaginative, because this now closed show was pure theatrical heaven on stage. In the hands of what is perhaps the finest ensemble cast I have seen on stage, this work by the master McDonagh was laugh out loud funny, witty and incredibly moving. There are rumors of a possible Broadway run of this show in the fall, although the intimacy of the Atlantic stage could never be recreated on Broadway. Still, US theatergoers deserve to see more of this show. If it is revived on Broadway, don't miss it. It is not one of McDonagh's weaker works (a conclusion I reached after the woeful Geffen production), rather, it may be his best.

Lynn Nottage's "Ruined" at the Manhattan Theater Club's City Center Stage is without much doubt, the best new American play of the year. This co-production with Chicago's Goodman Theater where the show first premiered, is expertly acted and directed, but the work itself is the rare play which expertly melds political themes with strong, dramatic personal storylines. This depiction of life in a "house of ill repute" in war torn Congo is, at the same time, paradoxically both off-putting (with respect to the indignities suffered by the women characters) and yet incredibly engaging. The cast is outstanding across the board, but special mention is due Saidah Arrika Ekulona as the Mother Courage stand-in Mama Nadi, and the amazing Broadway debut performance of Condola Rashad. Ms. Rashad provides a graceful and genuine performance of a type that is rarely found in an actor of her age. I would be very surprised if this play does not win the Pulitzer in April, and further surprised if it does not transfer to Broadway, where it rightfully belongs.

That is the good news out of my recent New York visit. As for the bad, I felt unhappy and trapped and the inaptly named "Happiness," a world premiere small scale musical at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse Theater. Despite the many great talents involved (Susan Stroman as director-choreographer, John Weidman on book, and Hunter Foster and Joanna Gleason in the cast), this show is an unengaging turkey.

Although not a disaster of "Happiness" dimensions, I was significantly less than thrilled with the Broadway revival of "Hair" at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theater. Watching this show, I could not help but be struck by the nagging feeling that there is simply no good reason to revive this show. Perhaps a great director with a unique vision for this show could provide such a reason, but the uninteresting (except for a precious few moments) direction by Diane Paulus provides no such vision. The critics largely liked this past summer's Central Park staging of this production, and perhaps they will provide similar accolades when this show opens tomorrow. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the audience with which I saw this show seemed to be loving every moment. I did not hate it- I just did not particularly like it. At least in this incarnation, the show seems to have lost whatever meaning it once had.

I will continue my New York reports after my April and May visits to the city.

As for Los Angeles theatergoing, not much new since my last report, except to recommend the new drama "Goldfish" now playing at South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa. It is expertly written and acted, and is the best show I have seen thus far this year in the Los Angeles area. I expect this relatively inexpensive to stage show will have a healthy life beyond SCR in regional theaters across the country; it also deserves a successful off-Broadway run, and MTC, Second Stage or Roundabout would be wise to pick this up for one of their off-Broadway stages.

Early March Update

Over two months into 2009, and not much worthwhile to report on the theater scene, which thus far in '09 has been limited to Los Angeles for me. The most recent play I have seen - "A Skull in Connemara" at Theatre Tribe in NoHo was well done, but weakened by sub-par acting in a few lesser characters.

Although not without some serious flaws, on first viewing I enjoyed most of Deaf West's "Pippin" at the Taper, which had a few brilliant scenes. Then I saw this production a second time, and nearly everything clicked. While still not as good as Deaf West's "Big River," I thoroughly enjoyed this very creative take that updates an otherwise dated show.

The direction and acting of "Time Stands Still" at the Geffen is top-notch, but the play itself is one of the weaker efforts by a very good playwright (Donald Margulies). I thought "Battle Hymn" [insde] the Ford was creative, unique and well produced, but had a few cringe-inducing scenes that need to be excised if this play wants to find a life elsewhere.

The supposedly Broadway-bound "Minsky's" at the Ahmanson was not horrible, but simply mediocre. "Fata Morgana" at the Pacific Resident Theater did not work for me, and suffered from some very bad acting. Two shows that I would put on my "painful sit" list were "Taking Over" at the Taper and "Stormy Weather" at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Hopefully things will improve on my first trip of the year to New York next weekend. I hope I have some good things to report from that trip; I suspect I will. Until then....

2008 Top 10 Theater Productions

1. Memphis (LA/ La Jolla Playhouse ) ****
2. South Pacific (NY/ Lincoln Center) ****
3. Wig Out (NY/ Vineyard Thater) ***1/2
4. Next To Normal (NY/ Second Stage) ***1/2
5. 33 Variations (LA/ LaJolla Playhouse) ***1/2
6. 1001 (LA/ Boston Court) ***1/2
7. Shipwrecked (LA/ Geffen) ***1/2
8. American Tales (LA/ Antaeus) ***1/2
9. Road Show (NY/ Public)***1/2
10. Ragtime (LA/ MTLA) ***1/2

Honorable Mention: Lost Plays of Tennessee Williams (LA)

Remarkable Returns to Shows First Viewed In Prior Years: August: Osage County (NY); Passing Strange (NY); Spring Awakening (LA/ Natl Tour)

Number of shows attended: 83

Top 10 breakdown: 4 new musicals, 4 new plays, 2 musical revivals

2008's Top 10 Acting Performances
1. Chad Kimball (Memphis)
2. Kelli O'Hara (South Pacific)
3. Clifton Oliver (Wig Out)
4. Aaron Tveit (Next To Normal)
5. Paulo Szot(South Pacific)
6. Tonya Pinkins (And Her Hair Went With Her)
7. Gregory Itzin (Shipwrecked)
8. Montego Glover (Memphis)
9. Daniel Blinkoff (American Tales)
10. Jayne Atkinson (33 Variations)

The Worst in Theater:2008
"Joan Rivers Project" - this Geffen Playhouse show needed more reconstructive surgery than Joan herself

"Gypsy" with Patti Lupone on Broadway, which seemed more like a one (irritating) woman show than an integrated production; the largely rave reviews were completely at odds with what I experienced suffering through this limp revival that paled in comparison to the Sam Mendes revival a few years back

"Sunday In The Park with George," the London import on Broadway - loved the computer graphics, everything else in the show left me cold

"Vanities" the new musical based on the play that played Pasadena Playhouse...it should have stayed in play form; as a musical it was a painful mess

"House of Blue Leaves" - the only thing good I can say about this revival that opened the refurbished Taper, was that I liked the new theater restrooms I visited prior to curtain; it was downhill from there

"Dividing the Estate" on Broadway was an acting and directorial nightmare; the largely good reviews it received stunned me

"Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson" was, to put it mildly, bloody, bloody awful

September 2008: Memphis Rocks

Since my last posting in July, there had not been any theater worthy of note. That changed last week when I travelled down I-5 to La Jolla Playhouse to see an outstanding production of the new musical "Memphis." The story of a 50's era white DJ in Memphis, TN who introduces black music to a segregated society, is not very original in theme. At times, the show's so-so book seems like a little bit of a series of other recent popular works (you can see traces of "Hairspray," "Dreamgirls," "Jersey Boys," and the movie "Talk To Me"). But no matter. Given the outstanding lead performances (especially by Chad Kimball) and a tuneful and toe tapping score, combined with fluid and exciting musical direction and staging (kudos to director Christopher Ashley), and you end up with what may be the most enjoyable new musical in several years.

"Memphis" runs through the end of September, and opens a few months hence in Seattle. If this show does not make it to Broadway, and have a successful run there, I will be very surprised.

Consumer alert: one show, supposedly going to Broadway, that you would be wise to miss is "Vanities" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Sitting through this misguided mess was one of of the most painful experiences I have had outside of a dental office. Save your time and money and pass this show, or else do yourself a favor and see "Memphis" before it closes.

July 2008 Update/ South Pacific is Sheer Perfection

The highlight of the year thus far in theater is now playing in New York at Lincoln Center in the form of the outstanding Broadway revival of "South Pacific," starring the radiant Kelli O'Hara as Nellie Forbrush and the perfectly cast Paulo Szot as Emile de Becque. Every detail of this production, from the casting, to the sets, to the glorious sounding orchestra is sheer perfection on stage. In stark contrast to the overacted revival of "Gypsy" with Patti LuPone that I saw earlier in the year, "South Pacific" is quiet and subtle, allowing the rich emotions embedded in the work to flourish. "South Pacific" was a big winner at last month's Tony Awards, and deserved every accolade it received. and then some.

Speaking of the Tony Awards, Kelli O'Hare deserved to win (but did not) over the scenery-chewing performance of Ms. LuPone. That was not the biggest injustice wrought by the Tony's this year, however. The biggest slight has to be awarding the Best Musical Tony to the mediocre-at-best "In The Heights" over the year's unquestionable (IMHO) best musical, "Passing Strange." I saw "Passing Strange" again during my last NY trip, and the show is even better on Broadway than at the Public, and hold up well on second viewing. I fear "Passing Strange" will soon close, while "Heights" will have the longer run that "Passing Strange" should have had.

My NY trip included two other theatrical disappointments- a terribly cast and cold "Sunday In The Park With George" at Studio 54, and a well cast but unevenly written "Saved" at Playwrights Horizons.

As for the Los Angeles theater scene, I recommend "American Tales" by Antaeus at the Deaf West Theater, "Shipwrecked" at the Geffen and "The Lost Plays of Tennessee Williams" at the Coast Playhouse. While these recommended productions are not perfect works, they each prove to be intriguing and inspiring productions. Although the "American Tales" production may be lacking outstanding singing talent (the fine actors in the show have minimal singing credentials), the show itself is creative, unique, smart and engaging. I would love to see this show at some future date on the Taper or at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse stage. "Shipwrecked" is an engaging love letter to theater and story telling, and "The Lost Plays" provide a chance to see some lesser Willimas works that are nonetheless beautiful in their own way. While it has not been a stellar year thus far on local LA stages, these three shows are current stand-outs that are well worth a visit.

My next posting will likely have reports on plays in San Diego and Chicago.

May 2008 Update

I have not posted an update since the end of 2007 because (in addition to being consumed by my work on the Obama '08 campaign) there was not much new theater worth mentioning in the first five months of 2008. A January trip to New York included another visit to "August: Osage County" (which was again great) and an interesting, if flawed musical premiere, "Next To Normal" at Second Stage. An April trip to New York yielded a disappointing "Gypsy," (Patti LuPone = unmitigated scenery chewing), an overwrought "Macbeth," and interesting but cold new musical entitled "Adding Machine."

Don't even get me started on theatrical drought that Los Angeles was proving to be in '08. At least until early May. The drought ended with a moving and well cast reading of "Goldfish," a new play by John Kolvenbach that was featured as part of South Coast Rep's 2008 Pacific Playwrights Festival. It has been announced as one of next season's plays at SCR, one which I will definitely see again. The next day I was fortunate to catch La Jolla Playhouse's outstanding production of Moises Kaufman's new play "33 Variations," which featured an amazing performance by Jayne Atkinson as an ailing Beethoven scholar. If this play makes it to Broadway (and it deserves to), I think it would be a success both commercially and critically. (Note: my immense respect for the works of Richard Greenberg will prevent me from telling you what I thought about his odd new play entitled "The Injured Party" at South Coast Rep.)

Today, I saw yet another fine work at the Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena in the form of "1001" by Jason Grote. I was totally entranced by this unique and challenging work that at first confuses and then slowly reveals itself and its timely and probing themes. I left the theater wanting to see the show again, which I hope to do before it closes on June 8. As this is the only show recommended in this post that is still playing in Los Angeles, I recommend this show above all others I have seen that are playing in LA at this time.

I will be back to New York in a few weeks to see "South Pacific," "Sunday In The Park With George," "Saved," and "Passing Strange" (again). My report will follow that trip, which I hope will provide further candidates for my Recommendation list on the right side of this blog.

2007 Top 10 Theater Productions

1. August: Osage County (NY/ Broadway) ****
2. 110 In The Shade (NY/ Broadway) ****
3. Quality of Life (LA/ Geffen Playhouse) ****
4. Sleeping Beauty Wakes (LA/ Kirk Douglas) ****
5. Passing Strange (NY/ Public Theater) ***1/2
6. Argonautika (SF/ Berkeley Rep) ***1/2
7. Durango (LA/ East-West Players) ***1/2
8. The Seafarer (NY/ Broadway) ***1/2
9. Coast of Utopia: Shipwreck (NY/ Lincoln Center)***1/2
10. Clay (LA/ Kirk Douglas) ***1/2

Honorable Mentions

Black Watch (LA/ UCLA Live); Dying City (NY/ Lincoln Center); Eurydice (NY/ Second Stage); Fat Pig (LA/ Geffen Playhouse); Frost/ Nixon (NY/ Broadway); And Neither Have I Wings To Fly (LA); The Piano Teacher (LA/ South Coast Rep)

Remarkable Returns to Shows First Viewed In Prior Years

Spring Awakening (NY/ Broadway)

Dear Friends and Theater Blog Readers:

2007 is unquestionably the year that the dramatic play returned to preeminence both on Broadway and off. While 3 of this year's top 10 shows were musicals, and they were quite good, it is this year's plays that provided the most exciting moments among the 85 productions I attended in 2007.

At the apex is the most exciting and well written American drama since "Angels in America" in the form of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater production of "August: Osage County." The writing, acting, staging and direction are pure perfection. When you watch this 3.5 hour show, the time flies by as you are sucked into the drama wondering where it will next turn. If you are in New York within the next few months and have time to do only one thing, do yourself a favor and see this funny, touching show. My hats off to the producers who decided to take a chance on this wonderful production.

But "August" is not the only new play this year that has me excited about the current state of theatrical dramas. Jane Anderson's thought provoking and touching "Quality of Life" received a dream cast production at the Geffen Playhouse. Mary Zimmerman's beautiful modern take on Greek mythology again scored in "Argonautika," which began in Chicago, and stopped in Berkeley on its way to DC in '08.

Los Angeles was fortunate to have East West's moving and sensitive production of emerging superstar playwright Julia Cho's "Durango," as well as the Kirk Douglas' Chicago import (Chicago again - sense a trend?) "Clay" which defies classification (is it a play, a one-person show, a musical - or all of the above?). Not easily forgotten is "Coast of Utopia: Shipwreck," the second part of Tom Stoppard's Russian historical trilogy, whose brilliance greatly outshined the final part of the trilogy ("Salvage") as well as Stoppard's disappointing new Broadway play ("Rock 'n Roll"). The year's dramatic highlights also included Conor McPherson's very funny and perfectly cast new play "The Seafarer."

As for musicals, nothing new and worthy of note appeared on Broadway in 2007. However, Roundabout's revival of "110 In The Shade" anchored by Audra McDonald's incredible performance was nothing short of revelatory. Away from Broadway, the Public's "Passing Strange" (which is headed to Broadway in early 2008) breathed new life into the musical form, in much the same way as "Spring Awakening" did last year. The Deaf West/ Kirk Douglas premiere of the original signed/sung (a la "Big River") "Sleeping Beauty Wakes" contained some of the most touching theatrical moments for me this year. All three shows were "small" musicals which worked in ways that the year's big, lavishly staged new musicals did not even approach. They each had tons of heart, which is so much more effective than expensive sets and costumes.

Before closing, I wanted to alert you to some new changes on this Blog. In addition to the recent redesign, I have added a "Recommended Shows Now Playing" section on the right that I promise to continuously update so that you can access "up to the moment" recommendations for theater in LA & NY. Furthermore in response to requests, I have added movie and book recommendations to the blog which can also be found on the right margin. These too will be continuously updated.

Feel free to e-mail or leave me any comments you wish on this blog. Special thanks to my partner Eric and step-son Bryan who accompanied me to many shows throughout the year without complaint, and without snoring even when they happened to be sleeping through a scene or two. Best wishes for a great holiday and new year.

-Randy

2007's Top 10 Acting Performances

1. Audra McDonald (110 In The Shade)
2. James Norton (The Seafarer)
3. Amy Morton (August: Osage County)
4. Deanna Dunagan (August: Osage County)
5. JoBeth Williams (Quality of Life )
6. Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange)
7. Matt Sax (Clay )
8. Laurie Metcalf (The Quality of Life)
9. Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
10. Linda Gehringer (The Piano Teacher)

2007's Biggest Disappointments

"Coram Boy" - the only thing more puzzling than this play itself was the wrong-headed thinking of the producers' who imported this multimillion dollar disaster from London's National Theater. What were they thinking and/or smoking?

"Damn Yankees" at Reprise!, which featured Jason Alexander's revisionist and enormously silly tinkering. The most notable aspect of this mess was the change the baseball team featured from the Washington Senators to the Los Angeles Dodgers - not exactly a bold and daring move. Note to Jason- in the future, please don't.

"History Boys," made last year's Best 10 List for the NY production imported from London's National Theater, but the Ahmanson's poorly cast and acted home-grown production proved that home-grown is not a guarantee of quality, but can be quite rancid.

"King Lear" by the Royal Shakespeare Company had Ian McKellen entirely disrobe at one point, illustrating that this emperor, and this production to which some people paid over $2000 aticket, had no clothes.

"A Little Night Music" South Coast Reps' messy, poorly sung production of this Sondheim classic proves yet again that the play's not the thing - it's the production.

"LoveMusik" was a Kurt Weill jukebox musical that didn't sound good in concept; it did not sound good in the theater either.

"No Strings" was another Reprise! fiasco which should have been called "No Talent" because that is what was everyone involved with this show had.

"Third" at the Geffen Playhouse was a complete mess. This time the problem was with both the play and the production. A painful sit.