June 27th, 2007
   
Stephen Lang, a commanding, charismatic actor with great range, takes us on a visit to eight winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor from three wars WWII, Korea, Vietnam. Five are white, two are black and one is Japanese, and Lang clearly differentiates the
voices, physicality, attitudes of the men, taking us deep into their interiors. The play, adapted by Lang from a book of actual interviews by Larry Smith, is a powerful rendition of the stories and the personas of the men, with images projected suggesting the eras, the settings, the action. It is a remarkable work in all departments: directed with strength and clarity by Robert Falls, set by Tony Cisek, costuming by David C. Woolard, lighting by Dan Corey, sound design by Cecil Averett and projections by John Boesche-- all adding up to an exciting, gripping piece of theatre by one of our finest actors.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER and
lively-arts.com

Roundabout is now presenting John van Druten's 1940 romantic comedy OLD ACQUAINTANCE on Broadway, directed by Michael Wilson, and it's mostly lots of fun. Harriet Harris is a great farceur (farceuse?), and her over-the-top portrayal of an idiotic narcissistic pop writer lifts the entertainment level of the play and
drives the show. Her literary-writing closest friend, in love with a younger man, is played by the beautiful Margaret Colin in a solid performance. Corey Stoll is fine as the young man. Then there is Diane Davis as the nineteen year old daughter of Harris who gives a shrill, repellant performance- it's hard to believe anyone would fall in love with this unappealing flibetty-gibbet. Tilt! The set by Alexander Dodge is super in its detail, lighting by Rui Rita and costumes by David C. Woolard are just right. OLD ACQUAINTANCE
is really an old fashioned drawing room soap, and loses needed intimacy in this huge theatre, but we became caught up in van Druten's dialogue, and basically enjoyed the show.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER and
lively-arts.com

June 14th, 2007
   
Jana Robbins sparkles and shines in "Nobody Does it Like Me," her cabaret act based on Cy Coleman's songs. She weaves tales of her first Broadway gig and travel stories in with jazz riffs, as in "You Fascinate Me So." I loved her story songs- "On the Other Side of the Tracks," "Don't Ask a Lady." She's a fine actress, and fills all of her dramatic songs with strong emotion, and it grabbed me. For me, the most entertaining parts of her show are the humorous ones- and you know this is a Broadway star with great comic timing. Doyle Newmeier is a super accompanist, and the addition of her 84 year old mother doing "It Had to Be You" was sweet. The charm of the intricate counterpoints of Cy Coleman coming through this good lookin' intricate lady gives us a delightful cabaret experience.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER and
lively-arts.com

May 21st, 2007
   
CIRKUS INFERNO, the loudest and quietest show in town, gives us Jonah Logan, a super physical comedian, as a dead-pan Buster Keaton in conflict with everything in his environment and Amy Gordon, the supplest, rubberband on skates, who is a Chaplinesque Mime, a dancer/acrobat with a bit of Imogene Coca and Lily Tomlin in her. This is a superior clown show with amazing live sound effects created by James Fisher, and Anthony Venisse, a cross between M. Hulot and Pee Wee Herman, as a harried stage manager. See the fire-spewing dog! Shiver as you hear it bark and growl! See the fiery pogo stick! See the greatest
vacuum machine in the world! Explosions! Smoke! Crashes, bashes, mashes and smashes! These are great, stylized comic performers. Logan's knockabout/fall down skills are a rare treat, and Gordon's bit with a ukulele is brilliant: she sings in about twenty voices, personas, physicalities. What a show!
Directed with exquisite timing by the great Mime/innovator Rene Bazinet, I'd say CIRKUS INFERNO is for kids from about six to ninety. Too shocking and exciting for younger or older than that-- thrilling for the rest of us. At the New Victory on West 42nd
St. thru June 10th. 212/239-6200.

May 18th, 2007
   
Once again, with his final play, RADIO GOLF, August Wilson defines the term "wordsmith" and proves he is one of this country's greatest playwrights. This last of his brilliant decade by decade explorations of the Black experience in Pittsburg is another powerful, moving experience. The five member ensemble explore the ramifications of conscience in a contemporary
economic and political situation, pitting the climber James A. Williams against the economically stable Harry Lennix who is running for mayor. Both give strong performances, as does Tonya Pinkins as the wife. But the real excitement for the audience is the performances of Anthony Chisholm and John Earl Jelks as men whose lives have been at the lower levels of society, and who seem to express Wilson's deepest concerns. The characters in the play are all real people, and somehow even their simplest conversations grip you as the enthralling struggle unfolds. David
Gallo's huge, amazing set of a building that is crumbling, Susan Hilferty's realistic costumes and Donald Holder's lighting all lift this first class production to the highest level. Director Kenny Leon
keeps the action moving and the dialogue true. All in all, it's a splendid production of a wonderful play. August Wilson: a man who completed his ambitious life's task splendidly.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER and
lively-arts.com

I saw the performance of a charming Close-Up Magician, Eric DeCamps. He takes top-level magic pieces, and performs them perfectly: coins appear and disappear; his card work seems actual magic; he does cups and balls, the disappearing egg, uses a spirit box with ropes, and one I haven't seen before that is surely actual magic: bread chips and a cup. DeCamps, an
ingratiating persona, is a master of slight-of-hand, and his show, one of the best you'll see of this kind of magic, is entertaining from start to finish.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER and
lively-arts.com

May 07th, 2007
   
CORUM BOY, adapted by Helen Edmundson from the novel by Jamila Gavin, is a Dickensian melodrama-- a tale of brutal murder in the 18th Century told with a great deal of mournfully grotesque style punctuated with the magnificent music of Handel and Handelesque music by Adrian Sutton. There are lively schoolboys in chorus, dark pageantry, a totally predictable story: rich boy and poor boy want to be musicians (rich boy’s aristocratic father objects); there is a black slave boy who is in danger, a slimy evil-doer who kills babies (a vivid Bill Camp as the lowest of the low). The set and costumes by the very imaginative director Melly Still and Ti Green, the lighting by Paule Constable and Ed McCarthy, and the soaring Handel choruses provide the entertainment in the play. Although Still is a brilliant director, and the performers give terrific personifications from character to caricature, the play itself, basically about the brutality meted out to the poor, is full of contrasting stimulants to our sensibilities, and ultimately sinks into bathos, which can be a bit alienating.


In LoveMusik, book by Alfred Uhry, music by Kurt Weill, an examination of the life and music of Kurt Weill, Donna Murphy as the sprite Lotte Lenya gives us an amazing characterization unlike anything she has done before. This skinny little waif is sexy and sensuous, with impeccable comic timing, and a unique, very musical voice with great range in sound and emotion. She’s a delightful, mesmerizing presence. Weill’s music, with the words of the greatest lyricists of his time, is the root of LoveMusik, and Michael Cerveris as Weill is subtle and deep in his acting and singing, filling the theatre with the strength of his portrayal of a weak character. David Pittu sparkles as Bertolt Brecht.
The flow of the growth of the varied moods of Weill’s music, from Expressionism to snappy-cute and pop songs, is quite a trip. Harold Prince directs beautifully, with the sure hand and creative imagination of the master, and set by Beowulf Boritt, lighting by Howell Binkley and costumes by Judith Dolan well set the moods, tones and atmosphere of Europe and California. Weill is worth your while (sorry about that).


In Terrence McNally’s play DEUCE we have two old Acting Monuments, Angela Lansbury and Marian Seldes, playing two old Tennis Monuments watching a tennis match. Early in the play, when these two are on, it doesn’t matter what they say-- it’s interesting as these wonderful antiques watch the game. When we cut to the booth where the commentators are, it goes banal. A strange, odd-looking autograph hunter is introduced, I can’t figure out for what. There ore some good jokes throughout the play, it is, after all, McNally. There is LOTS of tennis history from a scrapbook. The names of famous players from the past and their histories are talked about. And-- it gets boring as nothing happens. The two actresses are marvelous in their expositions and soliloquies, but the play drifted into boring as they talked about each other and about growing old. The commentators, whom we cut back to a number of times, are truly stupid, so the word “satire” doesn’t work as a description of their attempt to emulate boring actual commentators. An hour into the play, I began to be sad, despite a laugh here and there, because of non-fulfillment of expectations (or hope) that I would be in for an intellectually and emotionally enjoyable trip. An hour and ten minutes into it, I began to think about what I’d have for dinner. So—I found DUECE to be basically trivial, long, and dreary, with some cutes. Direction of the commentators by Michael Blakemore is poor, without a believable word from them. And the weird casting of the fan—he looked like a thug, a threat. Nope. This was the longest, least interesting tennis match I’ve ever attended. DUECE is a double fault: play and director.

Richmond Shepard---- Performing Arts INSIDER and lively-arts.com

May 04th, 2007
   
There is more youthful exuberance and bounce in LEGALLY BLONDE (book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin) than in a Beverly Hills High School pool party. As directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, it's nothing but fun. You know the plot: Bev. Hills supposed Ding Dong goes to Harvard Law School in pursuit of a Dumb Dumb. Beautiful Laura Bell Bundy is the girl, and the charm oozes, drips and splashes- and she taps, too. This girl is hot! This is a real spectacle, with non-stop visual action, costumes by Greg Barnes that are as much fun as the dancing, and stage effects to applaud designed by David Rockwell. All the voices are cheery
and musical, and the subplot, the beautician and the UPS delivery man gives us two strong performers who fill the theatre: Orfeh, who is a star singer/comedian and Andy Karl, a super hunk. What a team! The entire cast is first rate. Can you make a good
Broadway musical of a film we've all seen? Yes-- they did it with songs, great design and performers, and action. If you're not in the mood for light-hearted fun, don't go.

Richmond Shepard-- Performing Arts INSIDER and
lively-arts.com