Spring 2013 Theater Report: "Matilda" Triumphs; "Pippin" Thrills

After a rather lackluster fall theater season that saw the Steppenwolf revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" stand out as an exceptional and exciting production, this spring was initially looking to be bereft of any theatrical brilliance.  Then a little girl and the circus came to town and saved the day.

The little girl in question is none other than the RSC import "Matilda," who has taken Broadway by storm.  Add me to the chorus of theatergoers who were entirely transfixed by this show, although it took me a little time to get there.  After Act 1 I was left admiring "Matilda" as a good show with a terrific cast, most notably the title character played by Milly Shapiro.  But then the magic of the outstanding second act took hold and tied everything together in a blissful triumph.  Much of the stagecraft is breathtaking and the cast is superb.  Leaving the theater I was struck by how much I wanted to see the show again.  This is by far the best new show on Broadway.

As for the circus, that arrives in the form of the circus-inspired take on "Pippin," which is hugely entertaining.  I have not been taken with most of the output in recent years by director Diane Paulus, and I went into this revival with low expectations, notwithstanding the positive reviews from the Boston premiere of this production.  At first, the circus conceit seemed rather inorganic and forced.  But after the first song or two I started to buy into the concept and let myself be swept away in this enormously entertaining show that features two standout performances by Patina Miller and Andrea Martin.  The circus concept allows Ms. Paulus to divert attention away from the considerable flawed patches of the show as written, and that alone deserves high praise.

I also enjoyed "Hands On A Hardbody," which moved me despite some minor flaws; I was quite disheartened to see this show close so quickly.  This disappointment is especially painful given that the complete and unmitigated disaster that is "Kinky Boots" is playing to packed houses.   There is often no justice on Broadway.  I also felt that there was a considerable lack of passion in Classic Stage's revival of 'Passion," admittedly a show I have never warmed up to.  But I am happy to report that there is pure enchantment available in the form of R&H's perfectly cast "Cinderella," which was a pleasant surprise for me.

On the play front, this season has been largely a disappointment.  The new plays in New York that I liked best this spring were Christopher Durang's "Vanya & Sonya & Masha & Spike" and Jesse Eisenberg's "The Revisionist," a solid off-Broadway offering with the legendary Vanessa Redgrave.  The rest of the play bunch in NY this spring were either lackluster ("Assembled Parties," "Belleville," "Really, Really") or downright bad ("The Nance," "Old Hats," and "Hit The Wall").

Moving on to theater in Los Angeles, the highlights this season were two now closed shows, "Tribes" at the Taper, and "The Whale" at South Coast Rep, and one show still playing, "Slipping," RattlestickLA's dark but intriguing production that you should catch at the Lillian Theater in Hollywood before it ends its brief run.

Don't miss "Slipping" @RattlestickLA

Don't miss "Slipping" @RattlestickLA, a well written and produced look at dysfunctional relationships and their corrosive nature.  @WyattFenner took over the lead role tonight and is simply terrific.  He is one of the finest young actors in the country.  Macleod Andrews was also excellent.  Great to have Rattlestick Playwrights Theater providing LA with such great work.

"Matilda" on Broadway is the real deal - a well staged, smart, joyous show that restores one's faith in musicals, featuring the best group of child performers I have seen on stage: A

"The Nance" on Broadway - they don't make them like this anymore, thankfully. Not a genuine moment throughout this misfire: C-

"Smokefall" @SouthCoastRep provides a thoughtful take on life, love, family and time. A fine production: B

"A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder @OldGlobe was too silly to engage me; I could not wait for it to end: C-

OffBroadway "Belleville" @NYTW79 is a well produced play about a marriage on the brink of terror. Good dialogue, but for me, an elusive theme: B

Clowns are not my thing, so I can't fairly judge "Old Hats" @SignatureTheatr; but I enjoyed Nellie McKay.

Jesse Eisenberg's "The Revisionist" @CherryLnTheatre is an engaging play with a ringer- the peerless Vanessa Redgrave's great performance: B+

Broadway revival of "Pippin" is hugely entertaining with a well thought through circus conceit that makes rather dated material feel current and fresh: A-

"AssembledParties" @MTC_NYC features clever dialogue and good a acting, especially by Judith Light, in service of very little: B-

Here's what I liked about "Kinky Boots" on Broadway- absolutely nothing: F

The new Broadway musical "Hands On A Hardbody" could be tighter, but it drew me in, moved me and features some terrific music: B+

Off Broadway Gems Shine In LA

Two of last year's best off-Broadway plays have made their way to Los Angeles and have lost little of their considerable impact in their move westward. Indeed, both are highly recommended current LA area theater offerings if you like your theater probing and unafraid to tackle darker hues.

The David Cromer directed "TRIBES" at the Mark Taper Forum features many of the same cast members as the New York off Broadway production. The play focuses upon a highly dysfunctional British family whose seemingly most functional member is a son who was deaf from birth. That son enters into a romatic relationship with a woman who is hearing but going deaf, and was raised by deaf parents. The play raises a host of weighty themes and issues and features a terrific cast and the same expert direction as its NY predecessor. As much as I enjoyed this show at the cozy Barrow Street Theater in New York, I liked the Taper production even more, as the more elaborate set at the Taper meshed well with the play's inherent rhythms.

"TRIBES" is certain to be one of the best plays and productions Los Angeles will see this year, and I encourage you to see it before it closes on April 14.

The other recent outstanding off Broadway play that I just revisited is the entirely new production of Samuel D. Hunter's "THE WHALE" at South Coast Rep. The play features a grossly overweight man who is essentially eating himself to death. The play repeatedly subverts expectations and challenges common assumptions, in ways that are moving and illuminating. The play demands an incredible commitment and emotional investment by the actor playing Charlie, the larger than life lead character.  If Matthew Arkin does not quite reach the heights of Shuler Hensley's performance at NY's Playwrights Horizons, he brings a softer, gentler take to the role that is highly effective.

"THE WHALE" may not be for everyone (the Orange Country matron sitting next to me in the theater exclaimed out loud mid-performance that this was the worst play she has ever seen), but for theatergoers who like layered and challenging works that do not shy away from the darker elements of the human condition, this play is likely a good one for you.

Two well produced, nuanced and engaging plays in major regional theaters that are simultaneously playing in the LA area and are highly recommended. How refreshing. I hope it is a trend.

2012 TOP 10 THEATER

1. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (NY/ Broadway)
2. THE PIANO LESSON (NY/ Signature)
3. BIG MEAL (NY/ Playwrights Horizons)
4. THE WHALE (NY/ Playwrights Horizons)
5. THE WHITE SNAKE (SF/ Berkeley Rep)
6. PETER & THE STARCATCHER (NY/ Broadway)
7. TRIBES (NY/ Off Broadway)
8. THE CONVERT (LA/ Center Theater Group)
9. INTO THE WOODS (NY/ Public)
10. GOOD PEOPLE (LA/ Geffen Playhouse)

Honorable Mention: IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER (LA/ Fountain Theater); AS YOU LIKE IT (NY/ Public)

Remarkable Returns to Shows First Viewed In Prior Years: ONCE (NY/ Broadway); RED (LA/ Center Theater Group)

Number of shows attended: 74

Top 10 breakdown: 0 new musicals, 7 new plays, 3 revivals

2011's Top Acting Performances
Shuler Hensley in THE WHALE; Tracy Letts & Amy Morton in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?; Chuck Cooper in "THE PIANO LESSON"; John Hurt in KRAPP'S LAST TAPE