“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.

“The Jungle” Deserves To Be Seen

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

12/10/18, 1:25 PM

The National Theatre and Young Vic production of "The Jungle" ‪@stannswarehouse‬ adeptly calls needed attention to the plight of the world's refugees, even if the play can be a bit heavy-handed at times.  Here the setting is a refugee camp in Calais, France, but the issues addressed here application to refugees worldwide.  Environmentally staged in a brilliantly conceived manner with a fine cast, this show deserves to be seen far and wide.

I found both Lynne Nottage's "Fabulation" at Signature Theatre and Heidi Schreck's "What The Constitution Means To Me" at Greenwich House Theater to be entertaining, although at times the satire of the former felt a bit slight, and the latter fell victim to some of the limitations inherent to one person shows.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed both productions, which is much more than I can say for the torture I experienced watching Jeremey O. Harris' "SLAVE PLAY" at New York Theater Workshop. 

“Network” Lacks Compelling Drama

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

12/8/18, 9:21 AM

‬The National Theater adaptation of the the film "Network" now on Broadway features exciting stagecraft & a fine performance by Bryan Cranston, but the play itself is distancing & lacks a compelling or credible narrative.  Lost amidst the hustle and bustle of the staging is a consistent and credible sense of what motivates Howard Beale's actions.   I attribute this deficiency to the writing, not Cranston's performance as Beale.

Director Ivo Van Hove usually uses stagecraft in his productions to draw us in, but here his staging creates an emotional barrier between the stage & audience.  Overall, I would say this "Network" is a disappointment.

Elaine May Is Stunningly Great in Lonergan’s “Waverly Gallery”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

12/6/18, 9:57 PM

Elaine May's stunningly great performance elevates Kenneth Lonergan's astute & moving memory play now revived on Broadway. Expert direction by Lila Neugebauer and a beautifully measured performance by Lucas Hedges add to the mix to make this a show that should not be missed.  

I was somewhat underwhelmed by the 1999 premiere of this show off-Broadway, but this revival and Ms. May's performance reveal layers of meaning and emotion in this play that made this play feel new to me.

“Noura” Provides New Perspectives

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

12/6/18, 3:21 PM

Heather Raffo's "Noura" at Playwrights Horizons‬ artfully tells an Iraqi Christian US immigrant story as a bit of a riff on Ibsen's "A Doll House." It feels timely and relevant to our national nightmare emanating from DC.

“Hard Problem” Disappoints

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

12/6/18, 3:07 PM

"The Hard Problem"‬ is not top tier Stoppard, nor is it as clever as it aims to be. Still, the ‪@LCTheater‬ production makes about as strong a case for this show as there is likely to be.

Book Recommendation- Susan Orlean’s Immensely Compelling “Library Book”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

11/28/18, 7:09 PM

Susan Orlean's expertly written and highly engaging "The Library Book" is the best nonfiction book I read in 2018. It uses an inquiry into the LA Central Library 1986 fire as an access point to a public library rabbit hole that is compelling & inspirational.

"Lewiston/Clarkston" Is Beautifully Rendered; "American Son" and "The Thanksgiving Play" Are Engaging But Slight

Samuel D. Hunter is among my favorite contemporary playwrights.  His plays often focus on characters on the margin of American society, but he presents them in ways that tap into deep wells of audience empathy.  It is rare that I leave one of his plays dry-eyed.

On stage now at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater are "Lewsiton" and "Clarkston," two Hunter plays that have interweaving themes of connection, isolation and ancestral burdens.  These two plays are lovingly presented in a single evening with mutually exclusive expert casts, separated in time by a shared meal or snack.  I had seen and loved "Clarkston" previously in a more traditionally staged production at Dallas Theater Center (also directed by the Rattlestick production's director Davis McCallum), but "Clarkston" gains resonance when staged with its companion piece "Lewiston."   Together these two plays make for one of the best nights of theater I have experienced this year.  If you like serious theater you owe it to yourself not to miss this exquisite production.

There are things to admire in both "American Son" on Broadway and "The Thanksgiving Play" at Playwrights Horizons (including Kerry Washington's performance in the former and humorous dialogue in the latter), such that a decent evening of theater can be found at both shows.  However, both suffer from being a little slight even though they both adeptly address (albeit in very different theatrical styles) important issues regarding racism, representation and inclusion.  That is much more than I can say for "Mother of The Maid" at the Public Theater, an absurd play for which I would have to strain to say anything positive, despite the fact that it stars Glenn Close.

A Sweet & Often Funny “Prom”

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

11/9/18, 2:47 PM

‪@ThePromMusical‬ is overeager to please and has flaws, but it is sweet, often funny, has a talented cast & plenty of "zazz." I would score it as a "guilty pleasure" for me.

“The Ferryman” Is Fantastic

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

10/29/18, 11:20 PM

I was thrilled to discover that "The [Irish] Troubles" themed play "The Ferryman"‬ is just is good on Broadway as it was in London.  This stunning play is given an explosive production featuring an expert cast, most of whom were in the London production.  I am in awe of Sam Mendes' seamless direction of Jez Butterworth's beautifully constructed and written play, such that I am certain this will remain as one of my all time favorite theatrical experiences.

If you are in New York, you must not miss seeing this play.

“The Girl From The North Country” Dragged Down By A Leaden Book

KenderTheater (‪@KenderTheater‬)

10/28/18, 11:59 AM

"The Girl From The North Country" ‪at The Public Theater features Bob Dylan music that is beautifully sung, orchestrated and staged, but which are at odds with the unfortunate book scenes by Conor McPherson that are cliche ridden, wooden and flat. There are essentially two independent shows here that are at war with one another.  The play soars during its musical numbers, but the moment they stop, the energy of the show is sapped by the pedestrian play that often bears little or no connection to the Dylan songs.  However, the musical scenes alone may be worth the price of admission to this one.