FYVUSH FINKEL LIVE!, presented by Folksbiene, at The Baruch Performing Arts Center, a look back at the life and long career of this ancient comedic warrior, is a variety show-- an evening of Yiddish nostalgia with song, dance, jokes, sketches, and a sprinkling of Finkel’s performing history from age fourteen to eighty-eight. With his musical sons pianist Elliot (fastest fingers in the west) and Ion (xylophone virtuoso) fronting the band and doing zippy turns, comedian Merwin Goldsmith outstanding in many roles, the amazing June Gable, dancer, singer, woman of many characters— each clear, different and all funny, the evening, filled with Showbusiness stories told by the old, but still impish Fyvush, is good natured, sweet, sentimental and very funny. Zanily costumed by Izzy Fields, directed with style by Motl Didner, filled with characters, caricatures, and vaudeville schtick, FYVUSH FINKEL LIVE! Is a toe-tapper, a smiler with lots of laughs, and a great time was had by all. Thru November 7th-- 646/312-5073.

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

Rich Orloff is a funny writer, and his SKIN DEEP, is a lark of a romp full of sexual innuendo, mostly gay, at a “Clothing Optional” hotel in Florida. Robby Sharp, whose goal is to be a Drag Queen Diva, is cute, funny, full of life and verve in and out of drag. Mary Theresa Archbold, with tools, is solid and vigorous as the hotel’s handyperson, and William Tatlock Green and Dee Dee Friedman are just right as the square couple who inherit the hotel. (Will they be influenced by the surrounding sexual freedom?) Timothy Scott Harris rounds it out as a threat. There is good gag after good gag, all well staged by Jeffrey C. Wolf, costumes by Jonathan Knipscher are just right, and if you like to laugh, try SKIN DEEP. Thru November 6th at Shetler Studios on 54th St.

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Curt Fissel has made a fascinating documentary film “Delicious PEACE Grows in a Ugandan Coffee Bean” communicating the lives and history of Ugandans and the product that sustains them: coffee. The communal interaction of Moslems, Christians and Jews, all black Ugandans, in the production of the superior bean is a powerful, vivid lesson for the world-- coffee is the peacemaker in this insightful, moving 40 minute film.

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

Barbara Kowa’s feature film DREAMIMG MALI is an Art film. It’s about Art and transformation as Kowa films Mali and its people revealing a blend of real and surreal. There is an abstract sensibility in its literal images and juxtapositions that show stories dreaming stories. The film goes far beyond documentary into a fantasy world blending Life and Art, people of Mali, cattle, iron ore, smelting, the work, the play, the philosophy and the music. Kowa has a great eye and great imagination and works with vivid life images including herself as the dreamer. The fact that she is physically one of the most beautiful women, in blonde looks and supple movement, you’ll ever see on a screen doesn’t hurt a bit. There are gorgeous sequences of the nature and peace of the land and water-- and the people. There is a great soundscape mixing native drumming and electronic sound creations by Marcus Schaller and Toba Seydu Trauré, and Schaller appears as iron sculptor, is co-camera and co-writer with Kowa of this extraordinary work. This is a personal voyage of discovery— a dream world blending Art and Life that lifts the viewer into a new relationship with our surroundings.

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

I have rarely seen a show as imaginative as Emma Rice’s adaptation and direction of Noel Coward’s BRIEF ENCOUNTER, now on Broadway. “The 39 Steps” comes closest. It’s a zany concoction extrapolated from the original play and movie about a basically doomed clandestine affair between two middle-aged married people, beautifully played by Tristan Sturrock and Hannah Yelland. With a terrific British ensemble cast including the strong, exaggerated (but believable) Dorothy Atkinson, Annette McLaughlin and Joseph Alessi, Rice gives us, in addition to the outer story, filmed sequences of the inner emotional dreams of the characters, songs of the time by Coward and Stu Barker (the musicians are actors, the actors musicians), action, music, dance, laughs, and true emotional engagement as the end of the affair arrives. With the flexible set by Neil Murray serving both serious background and stage for comedy (he also designed the costumes— straight ahead for the principals, just over the top for the comedy), with superb lighting by Malcolm Rippeth, BRIEF ENCOUNTER is a brilliant theatrical adventure— a rare piece of contemporary Commedia.

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

I hereby submit what might be the minority view of George Bernard Shaw’s MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION now on Broadway, but I stand by it. I thought the production of this bold play about a brothel owner and her daughter, which was a breakthrough in its time, failed in several respects, mostly casting and directing (by Doug Hughes- whom I liked for “Oleana” and “The Royal Family”)) I think they took the description of the daughter, played by a brash Sally Hawkins, too literally, and she comes across as stiff, practical, cerebral, and totally lacking in feminine charm which might have given reason beyond money for her suitors. And her major suitor, played by Adam Driver, is a repulsive slob spilled onto the stage who plays about a third of his lines in a disconcerting soprano voice and is as attractive as a lizard. Michael Sherry is excellent as the reverend, and Edward Hibbert and Mark Harelik are quite good. The charismatic Cherry Jones does well early in the play, although her use of lower class pronunciation, I guess to demonstrate her roots, doesn’t quite fit for me for a woman who has climbed high on the ladder and surely would have elevated her accent. Hughes doesn’t reign her in for the big confrontation scene with her daughter, and she chews up the scenery, basically on one note, for their big fight. Scott Pask’s settings are elaborate and terrific, costumes by Catherine Zuber are “to a T,” and David Van Tieghem’s subtle lighting creates nuances in mood. But for me, this production is not the right vehicle to carry Shaw’s original concept and compelling words about the plight of working class women as a commodity.

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

THE PITMEN PAINTERS by Lee Hall, based on William Feaver’s book about a group of actual coal miners in Newcastle, England who invited a teacher of Art to come to their community in 1934 to teach them Art Appreciation. The early implication in this remarkable play is that there is talent in all of us, and it sure comes out in the five miners represented. They all paint wonderful pictures, finding visual perspective, expressing imaginative ideas on their canvasses. They exhibited in northern England, and after the war in London. The play is fascinating, and the acting of the entire cast is quite good, although there are difficulties here and there in comprehending the accents. Phillippa Wilson as a Grande Lady is barely comprehensible, possibly partly because of her volume. The reproductions of the actual paintings are breath-taking. I realized later that there is a skew in the moral presentation— there were 25,000 mine workers. It was a handful, maybe twenty-five or so, who sent for the teacher. It was clear to me that their talent had been peeking out on its own, and the teacher brought it to fruition. Not everyone has talent (or we’d have no audience in Theatre nor buyers of Art). As James Joyce said in Tom Stoppard’s play “Travesties,” “An Artist should be able to do things that other people can’t do.” The actual men who did these fascinating paintings did what most people can’t do. They had the talent and soul of Artists, while they remained coal miners. The practical set and appropriate costuming by Gary McCann, the clear lighting by Douglas Kuhrt all enhance Max Roberts’ active direction. It’s a stimulating, riveting evening of first class Theatre.

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InProximity Theatre Company’s SIGHT UNSEEN by Donald Margulies is that rare occurrence where it bats a thousand in all departments: play, acting, directing, design (James J. Fenton), lighting (Lisa Soverino), costumes (Court Watson), everything is beautifully done. The play is about Art, about artists, about the interacting of several social levels, about ambition, the consequences of success, the consequences of love. It’s directed by a master composer of movement, action and emotion, Dorothy Lyman, with not a false note in the acting. The cast is Jonathan Todd Ross as the painter, Laurie Schaefer as his former love, Brent Vimtrup as her rural current husband and Bryn Boice as a German interviewer (or interrogator), and each is superb-- totally immersed in his or her character. Margulies is a terrific writer-- really smart, insightful, knowledgeable, and SIGHT UNSEEN runs through October 10th at Theatre 54, 244 W. 54th St. 212/868-4444. If you want to see Theatre at its best, catch it.

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


CARMEN—THE MOPERA, written and performed by the master clown Julie Goel, directed by Avner Eisenberg, is one of the most brilliant clown interpretations I’ve ever seen. As the backstage maid where the opera “Carmen” is being performed, Goell creates, out of the cleaning materials including her mop, brushes, dusters and a mask, etc., the characters in the opera, switching from persona to persona, physical character to physical character, voice to voice, with uncanny skill and great humor as she sings the familiar melodies. The exquisite timing of the switches, of the character transformations, requiring split-second action with a myriad of props, is nothing short of astounding. The meticulous care and what must have been long rehearsal that have obviously gone into this creation pays off in a fascinating, very funny, enthralling work. This “Carmen” is filled with laughs provoked by subtle (and sometimes blatant) comic shtick that will probably change your view of the opera forever. Brava!

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A Discovery: I went to see TERESE GENECCO & HER LITTLE BIG BAND at Iridium on 51st and Broadway. Wow! She has a strong, wonderfully musical, lyrical chest voice, and a “Little Band”- sax, trumpet, trombone, double bass, two drummers (trap and conga/bongo,) piano and a guitarist. She looks like a well-dressed 14 year old boy, and opens up her chops and rocks the room. She's lively, charming, and filled with humor and charisma, and the whole show is a class act— top level New York Cabaret-- good music and fun. And, excuse me— the food at Iridium is delicious. Terese comes across as a world class star who could carry a Broadway show. Guest artist Scott Barbarino, an aging Dean Martin, does an engaging guest shot. He brings on three beauties as Yah Yah girls— all real singers, and they are a delightful interlude in the show. The power, the strength of the show is Terese. She gives us a superb super-finale: a medley from “West Side Story” accompanied only by the bongo drummer, Mayra Casales. Spectacular. Then there is a final finale— each band member blows, and Woooo!!! Each is a master. This is one of the best shows in town, and they play at Iridium the last Tuesday of every month.

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

POST NO BILLS: The Songs of Joshua H. Cohen, directed by MK Lawson and performed by six recent NYU grads, is full of smart lyrics and engaging melodies. Songs about love and feelings hit the DNA of everyone, including old guys like me. Mating, dating-- in song. Cohen’s lyrics hit the brain as well-- they are cleverer than most of what I’ve heard in years, and it’s a real pleasure to experience smarts (and original melodies) of this level. Songs like “Everybody’s Perfect but Me” show Cohen to be a major talent. Someone should shape this great stuff into a show with a book and put it on Broadway.

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

THE AWESOME DANCE by Nick Storr is an intriguing, smartly-written New Age-ish play in several rather disjointed sections- the first is about three actresses who are waiting to see a powerful guru, and a distraught young man comes in. It ends in an orgy of violence. Part two is a non-sequitur with new characters and costumes, where a young man confronts a woman— something about his father dying, his sister, a traffic accident, a nurse. Part three has two lesbian women whose surrogate baby is being born in the other room, and a pot-smoking shamanic midwife. It stays interesting, even though I don’t know what they are talking about half the time as one of the women talks to a stuffed frog as the embodiment of the unborn baby. There are a few good laughs and two midwife stories— one about the experience of birthing a baby, which was interesting, the second a long dull mythical story. The ending of this scene is grotesque. Scene four is a strange New Years Eve party about sisters and a shy young man. One sister channels a dog and a bad person. This scene ends with the weird implication of death by sex. The totality of THE AWESOME DANCE is a bizarre mishmash with three very attractive, excellent, believable actresses nicely switching moods and modes in Jessa-Raye Court’s expressive costumes, Julie Cavaliere, Rachel Cornish and Caitlin Talbot and one inept actor, Dileep Rao, who doesn’t say one believable word in any of his portrayals. The best that can be said of him is that he says all of his lines. The upholstered set by Sylviane Jacobsen, although placed much too far downstage for sightlines, works well. The direction of the actors by Malinda Sorci is quite good, her staging is awful in the venue with seating on three sides-- actors totally block each other for long segments, so I couldn’t see faces for too much of the time. Since the play, despite its title has no dance in it, I suspect it gets its title from Strindberg’s “Dance of Death.” Strangely, it was all engaging even with its obscure, incomprehensible goings-on.

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

The new work by The Flying Karamazov Brothers,

4 PLAY, is the most exciting combo of juggling, sound, sight gags, and, yes, even dance, you’ll ever see. It’s a brilliant comedy show, and includes an almost classical, almost ballet comedic dance and a Polish coal miner’s dance. The juggling is the best you’ll see anywhere, and this show has more truly comedic (both high and low) non-juggling pieces than I’ve seen the group do through the years. Written and directed by Paul Magid, with input by his three co-jugglers Mark Ettinger, Rod Kimball and Stephen Bent, and terrific kiltish costumes by Susan Hilferty, 4 PLAY is totally entertaining, with amazing high skills, including rhythmic ball bouncing on a table, top notch clowning and juggling (including some in the dark) that reaches the sublime.

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INTERFAITH UNDERSTANDING WITH REV. BILL AND BETTY by Martin D. Hill, deftly directed by Leonard Jacobs, is high level political satire performed by Jen Ryan and Rik Sansone playing fanatical Southern evangelical Christian preachers. He is relaxed and sincere, she is hilarious— with the clean, clear facial expressions and timing of a Lucille Ball. They attack liberals, Gore, deny Global Warming, advocate guns and the bible. It’s full of malapropisms, concept reversals, pushing boundaries from profound to tastelessness. It’s a great comedy act (for a liberal audience), and I’m a pinko New Yorker, so I had a great time.

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