This review of Peace, Love & Yolanda at The Metropolitan Room was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
Peace, Love & Yolanda
A Celebration Of The Rev. Yolanda Songbook
Musical Director: Kenneth Gartman
The Metropolitan Room
34 West 22nd Street
New York, New York 10010
Reviewed 8/6/16
Peace, Love & Yolanda was a two-hour celebration of the life and songbook of Rev. Yolanda, a two-time MAC Award Winning, Blues Hall of Fame, Outmusician of the Year 2003, and GLBT Hall of Fame Honoree who just turned 60 and is celebrating 25 years of songwriting, performing and ministry. Rev. Yolanda is a self-described trans/femme gender queer performance artist, and interfaith minister. Born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama ("The hit record capital of the world"), Tony Mapes sang gospel music and tried to get a record deal. When that fell through, he moved to the East Village, became a political activist, and met the Radical Faeries in 1992. He moved to a Faerie commune in Vermont (where the bond between the residents co-created HOME in mutual love and respect honoring the divine in each of us) and began his life as Yolanda, eventually ending up in Burlington, where her Radical Faerie, Transgender Warrior, GLBT social activist songwriting took off with her dream band, Yolanda & The Plastic Family. In 1999, Yolanda was invited to play on Queer Music Night at CBGBs. After two years of performing, she decided to move back to New York City, eventually becoming the first "hostess" at Freddy Freeman's newly formed Bear Music night, called Bearapalooza. In her continuing journey through life, she eventually found the love of her life, got married, and attended One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in 2009. By 2011, she was Rev. Yolanda and in 2012, she began her music ministry with her MAC Award-winning show, Rev. Yolanda's Old Time Gospel Hour. Through her ministry, she works to "co-create circles of love" and helps people recognize "the light of the divine" in each of us.
There were many special guests who made arrangements to attend this show. In fact, I felt as if I were sitting through an episode of This Is Your Life, an American Reality documentary series first broadcast on NBC Radio from 1948 to 1952 and then on NBC Television from 1952 to 1961 (It was originally hosted by its creator and producer Ralph Edwards and was revived in later decades). During Peace, Love & Yolanda!, we are introduced to a woman who went to High School with "Tony Mapes" and drove up from Alabama to help him celebrate his life and career. Before "Rev. Yolanda", Musical Director Kenneth Gartman knew her as "Roger." Similarly, many other individuals from all aspects of Rev. Yolanda's life were present in the room. Too often, people's lives are only truly celebrated after they die. It was very nice to see a fitting tribute to a respected and loved individual who is still alive and in the prime of their artistic productivity. To use Rev. Yolanda's words, "HIV positive & 60 years old. How about that!" There is an old saying you can live as many lives as you wish - and Rev. Yolanda is definitely confirming that statement is true. Who knows what the next chapter of her life will bring? I wouldn't be surprised if one day she decides to run for Governor of the State of New York!
In this show, we saw the celebration of her songbook, from the beginning of her career up to now. Rev. Yolanda sang "Alien Love Child" (her anthem to The Radical Faeries), "Muscle Shoals" (a tribute to her home town - "The South Will Rise Again!"), "Love Divine", "Step Back", "Primal Sensation" (with Jess Jurkovic as guest pianist), and her most popular song, "We Are Angels" (OutVoice's Top 10 Song Chart of 2015). The show also featured guest stars from the world of theater, cabaret, and the queer music scene who have been on the journey with Yolanda and hold a special place in her heart. Those guests included Freddy Freeman (founder of Bearapalooza), who sang "A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry"; Raissa Katona Bennett ("Christine" in Phantom Of The Opera), who sang "Control Queen" (Funny Lyrics: "Everyone in the world has their own place and that's where they should stay!" - very Trumpian - and"If people in my life would just do what I say, they'd be O.K."); Tym Moss (host of Artists Exposed With Tym Moss), who sang "Eat Me" (Lyric: "Don't tell me what to do! What's the matter with you!"); Tanya Moberly (2016 MAC Award Best Female Vocalist) singing "Nice Girl"; Candy Samples (Drag Superstar) performing "The Sickness Of Beauty"; Kenneth Gartman (Musical Director, pianist, singer, MAC Award Nominee) singing "The Boy Who Sings The Blues"); Doreen Younglove, who sang "Freedom"; Jim Keyes (guitarist, singer, songwriter), who sang "Home"; and Rev. Shawn Moninger, who performed the Love & Light Medley. Besides the talented Jim Keyes, the band (this night called The Yolandaleers) featured the very talented Matt Vander Ende on drums, Dennis Michael Keefe on bass, and Emily Mikesell (Radio Gals original cast) on background vocals and fiddle.
Peace, Love & Yolanda was a one-off special. If you missed it, you are just going to have to live with that for the rest of your life and make every effort to attend Rev. Yolanda's 61st Birthday Bash, if there is one. This show was absolutely wonderful, filled with soaring melodies and joy filled lyrics. Her message is to love yourself and to be all you can be! We can then take the light that shines in each of us out into the world to share that love. Did I mention there were images from Rev. Yolanda's life projected on the wall during the show, including one that was so graphic, it had to be censored so the audience members wouldn't go blind or have nightmares. There were many other surprises, in fact, far too many to mention in this short review of an afternoon show, which flew by with no intermission.
Rev. Yolanda views herself as a combination of Louise Hay and John Waters. That may well very be, but in my opinion, Rev. Yolanda is her own unique special creation unlike anyone else in the world. She is a loving and caring individual who makes the world a better place simply because she is in it. I encourage you to buy her CDs and see her full feature length rocku-docku-dramadey Rev. Yolanda's Old Time Gospel Hour - The Movie (www.goyolanda.com). She is absolutely fabulous! For more information, visit www.Yolanda.net
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Applause! Applause! Review of BenDeLaCreme's Inferno A-Go-Go at The Laurie Beechman Theatre by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of BenDeLaCreme's Inferno A-Go-Go at The Laurie Beechman Theatre was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
BenDeLaCreme's Inferno A-Go-Go
Written & Performed by BenDeLaCreme (Benjamin Putnam)
The Laurie Beechman Theatre
407 West 42nd Street
New York, New York 10036
Reviewed 7/30/16
BenDeLaCreme is best known from Season 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race where she won "Miss Congeniality" and has since been voted one of the show's "15 Fan Favorite Queens Of All Time." In 2014, the premiere of Terminally Delightful wowed New York City audiences and in 2015, her follow-up show, Cosmos, blended Carl Sagan with cocktail culture. Now, in 2016, BenDeLaCreme is back with her latest show, Inferno A-Go-Go. In this adventurous descent into Hell as a passenger aboard Carnal Cruises (motto: We'll see you...in Hell!) and armed with her "Gone To Hell" brochure and a God Pass, she travels and visits all Nine Circles of Hell (Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence, Fraud & Treachery) as depicted in the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy, eventually meeting the Devil himself at the center of the 9th Circle. BenDeLaCreme's Ninth Circle looks nothing like the Ninth Circle Steakhouse (139 West 10th Street between Greenwich Avenue & Waverly Place) which closed down in 2002. That unpretentious bar always made you feel welcome and was the place everyone met up after a long evening out on the town. The only Devils there were the bartenders who sold extremely cut cocaine to unsuspecting customers.
BenDeLaCreme agrees to the disclaimer and ignores the sign at the entrance to Hell warning, "Abandon All Hope Those Who Enter Here!" With the aid of video clips, songs, puppets and characters she has created, BenDeLaCreme takes the audience on a journey into "a world of eternal suffering" or "Suffer Rings", a term she claims to have trademarked. Limbo, the first circle of Hell, contains the souls of the uncommitted and the unbaptized. Lust, the second circle of Hell, has the souls of those who were addicted to internet porn and homosexuals who spent all their time on Grindr. Gluttony (or Self-Indulgence) is the third circle of Hell, represented by a puppet who, through ventriloquism, speaks about how her last soiree was covered by the Devil's Advocate. You also get to visit a part of Hell "where after the third world children finish their sewing, you are able to harvest their bones for ivory." Yes, I know. It doesn't make any sense, but I still found the line to be very funny.
BenDeLaCreme had trouble entering the City of Dis. The walls of Dis were guarded by fallen Angels and our heroine is threatened by the Furies and Medusa. An angel sent from Heaven secures her entry but the City of Dis is nothing like she thought it would be. She ends up being "disrespected" and told "you are so ugly that when you were born, the doctor slapped your mother" and "you are so ugly that even the tide wouldn't take you out." When she arrives at the third ring of the 7th circle, she finds a desert full of gays who are "always thirsty." We are told Nancy Reagan has also been sent there. Even though she is not gay, it is still her Hell." Violence, the 7th Circle, also contains a Trump-like character wearing a baseball cap imprinted with the phrase, "Make Hell Great Again." He is a vigilante who believes it is his duty as a proud Hellian to judge and punish those who were murderers and terrorists. The only problem is that his punishments seem to be much more severe if the perpetrator is a person of color. In the end, this Trump-like character and BenDeLaCreme get into a fight when she argues "My Butt Matters" and he responds with "All Butts Matter."
When we finally meet the Devil via video clip at the center of the 9th Circle of Hell, he speaks as if he is The Wizard Of Oz, saying, "Come forward! I am Satan - The Great & Powerful. Silence! I know why you have come. You want to understand the nature of suffering." When he got to the point when he said, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!", BenDeLaCreme couldn't find that man. Satan needed to remind her it was a solo show and that she has been the only person on stage for the entire show. This reminder was not as obvious as you might think. Throughout the show, we are introduced to different characters, all played by BenDeLaCreme, and projected to us on screen. BenDeLaCreme interacts with these characters throughout the show. I was struck at how different each of her characters was: accents, mouthing, eye movements, and gestures - she was consistent and never broke character, breathing life into her on-screen creations, making her conversations with them seen real and live; her timing was superb and she barely ever stepped on the screen characters' lines (and vice versa); despite a quick and demanding pace. In short, it seemed like actual conversations, instead of a performer talking to a recording. Amazing! What a ton of work and rehearsal this must've taken! I'm in awe!
Her puppets also had distinctive personalities and accents, all the more amazing considering she was speaking both parts. Hers was by far one of the best ventriloquist performances I have ever seen. Additionally, the video clips were of the highest quality - sound production, animation, editing and everything else (which is considerable) that goes into producing a video. The entire structure of the show was beyond amazing, integrating many facets of her multiple talents. In addition to clever costume changes - several during entertaining and audience-diverting movie clips, and one on-stage, mid-performance, flawlessly removing the top costume (the dilapidated, burned, ripped up one) and revealing, seemingly effortlessly, the glittery red number hiding beneath (the sexiest, most alluring costume of the evening), drawing a very imaginative contrast. The audience actually was heard to say "aaaahhhh," the same expression of wonder you might expect to hear at a fireworks display.
The nature of suffering and the punishments we observed suggest that the decisions we make while we are alive dictate the nature of our punishments in Hell after we are dead. In the 8th Circle of Hell, we find Sorcerers who used Magic to foresee the future by forbidden means. These Fortune Tellers, who attempted to "usurp God's prerogative by prying into the future" have "their heads twisted around on their bodies" so "these sinners are compelled to walk backward for eternity." Those who sought to penetrate the future cannot even see in front of themselves. And so it is! We create our own Hell by the decisions we make in life. Trying to put a positive spin on this dark topic, BenDeLaCreme says, "If we have the power to create our own Hell, think of what else we could create. We all make the hell we live in but we are in control and can change the course of our lives for the better. Yes, it's scary to realize we have a choice but if we don't act to improve our own lives, the only punishment you should expect is having to live your entire life with your insufferable self!"
Don't miss Inferno A-Go-Go, BenDeLaCreme's theatrical blend of burlesque, comedy, performance art, songs, ventriloquism, video clips, and music that provides an evening of entertainment about an eternity of suffering. If you haven't been on a vacation for a while, what better escape is there than to take a rollicking romp through the nine circles of Hell, using "Dante's Inferno" (the original travel brochure of the damned) as your guide.
BenDeLaCreme's Inferno A-Go-Go runs at The Laurie Beechman Theatre through August 19, 2016 (schedule varies). Tickets are $22.00 plus a $20.00 food/drink minimum. A $40.00 VIP ticket including priority seating and meet-and-greet is also available. To purchase tickets, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.SpinCycleNYC.com. For more information about BenDeLaCreme, visit www.BenDeLaCreme.com
BenDeLaCreme's Inferno A-Go-Go
Written & Performed by BenDeLaCreme (Benjamin Putnam)
The Laurie Beechman Theatre
407 West 42nd Street
New York, New York 10036
Reviewed 7/30/16
BenDeLaCreme is best known from Season 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race where she won "Miss Congeniality" and has since been voted one of the show's "15 Fan Favorite Queens Of All Time." In 2014, the premiere of Terminally Delightful wowed New York City audiences and in 2015, her follow-up show, Cosmos, blended Carl Sagan with cocktail culture. Now, in 2016, BenDeLaCreme is back with her latest show, Inferno A-Go-Go. In this adventurous descent into Hell as a passenger aboard Carnal Cruises (motto: We'll see you...in Hell!) and armed with her "Gone To Hell" brochure and a God Pass, she travels and visits all Nine Circles of Hell (Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence, Fraud & Treachery) as depicted in the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy, eventually meeting the Devil himself at the center of the 9th Circle. BenDeLaCreme's Ninth Circle looks nothing like the Ninth Circle Steakhouse (139 West 10th Street between Greenwich Avenue & Waverly Place) which closed down in 2002. That unpretentious bar always made you feel welcome and was the place everyone met up after a long evening out on the town. The only Devils there were the bartenders who sold extremely cut cocaine to unsuspecting customers.
BenDeLaCreme agrees to the disclaimer and ignores the sign at the entrance to Hell warning, "Abandon All Hope Those Who Enter Here!" With the aid of video clips, songs, puppets and characters she has created, BenDeLaCreme takes the audience on a journey into "a world of eternal suffering" or "Suffer Rings", a term she claims to have trademarked. Limbo, the first circle of Hell, contains the souls of the uncommitted and the unbaptized. Lust, the second circle of Hell, has the souls of those who were addicted to internet porn and homosexuals who spent all their time on Grindr. Gluttony (or Self-Indulgence) is the third circle of Hell, represented by a puppet who, through ventriloquism, speaks about how her last soiree was covered by the Devil's Advocate. You also get to visit a part of Hell "where after the third world children finish their sewing, you are able to harvest their bones for ivory." Yes, I know. It doesn't make any sense, but I still found the line to be very funny.
BenDeLaCreme had trouble entering the City of Dis. The walls of Dis were guarded by fallen Angels and our heroine is threatened by the Furies and Medusa. An angel sent from Heaven secures her entry but the City of Dis is nothing like she thought it would be. She ends up being "disrespected" and told "you are so ugly that when you were born, the doctor slapped your mother" and "you are so ugly that even the tide wouldn't take you out." When she arrives at the third ring of the 7th circle, she finds a desert full of gays who are "always thirsty." We are told Nancy Reagan has also been sent there. Even though she is not gay, it is still her Hell." Violence, the 7th Circle, also contains a Trump-like character wearing a baseball cap imprinted with the phrase, "Make Hell Great Again." He is a vigilante who believes it is his duty as a proud Hellian to judge and punish those who were murderers and terrorists. The only problem is that his punishments seem to be much more severe if the perpetrator is a person of color. In the end, this Trump-like character and BenDeLaCreme get into a fight when she argues "My Butt Matters" and he responds with "All Butts Matter."
When we finally meet the Devil via video clip at the center of the 9th Circle of Hell, he speaks as if he is The Wizard Of Oz, saying, "Come forward! I am Satan - The Great & Powerful. Silence! I know why you have come. You want to understand the nature of suffering." When he got to the point when he said, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!", BenDeLaCreme couldn't find that man. Satan needed to remind her it was a solo show and that she has been the only person on stage for the entire show. This reminder was not as obvious as you might think. Throughout the show, we are introduced to different characters, all played by BenDeLaCreme, and projected to us on screen. BenDeLaCreme interacts with these characters throughout the show. I was struck at how different each of her characters was: accents, mouthing, eye movements, and gestures - she was consistent and never broke character, breathing life into her on-screen creations, making her conversations with them seen real and live; her timing was superb and she barely ever stepped on the screen characters' lines (and vice versa); despite a quick and demanding pace. In short, it seemed like actual conversations, instead of a performer talking to a recording. Amazing! What a ton of work and rehearsal this must've taken! I'm in awe!
Her puppets also had distinctive personalities and accents, all the more amazing considering she was speaking both parts. Hers was by far one of the best ventriloquist performances I have ever seen. Additionally, the video clips were of the highest quality - sound production, animation, editing and everything else (which is considerable) that goes into producing a video. The entire structure of the show was beyond amazing, integrating many facets of her multiple talents. In addition to clever costume changes - several during entertaining and audience-diverting movie clips, and one on-stage, mid-performance, flawlessly removing the top costume (the dilapidated, burned, ripped up one) and revealing, seemingly effortlessly, the glittery red number hiding beneath (the sexiest, most alluring costume of the evening), drawing a very imaginative contrast. The audience actually was heard to say "aaaahhhh," the same expression of wonder you might expect to hear at a fireworks display.
The nature of suffering and the punishments we observed suggest that the decisions we make while we are alive dictate the nature of our punishments in Hell after we are dead. In the 8th Circle of Hell, we find Sorcerers who used Magic to foresee the future by forbidden means. These Fortune Tellers, who attempted to "usurp God's prerogative by prying into the future" have "their heads twisted around on their bodies" so "these sinners are compelled to walk backward for eternity." Those who sought to penetrate the future cannot even see in front of themselves. And so it is! We create our own Hell by the decisions we make in life. Trying to put a positive spin on this dark topic, BenDeLaCreme says, "If we have the power to create our own Hell, think of what else we could create. We all make the hell we live in but we are in control and can change the course of our lives for the better. Yes, it's scary to realize we have a choice but if we don't act to improve our own lives, the only punishment you should expect is having to live your entire life with your insufferable self!"
Don't miss Inferno A-Go-Go, BenDeLaCreme's theatrical blend of burlesque, comedy, performance art, songs, ventriloquism, video clips, and music that provides an evening of entertainment about an eternity of suffering. If you haven't been on a vacation for a while, what better escape is there than to take a rollicking romp through the nine circles of Hell, using "Dante's Inferno" (the original travel brochure of the damned) as your guide.
BenDeLaCreme's Inferno A-Go-Go runs at The Laurie Beechman Theatre through August 19, 2016 (schedule varies). Tickets are $22.00 plus a $20.00 food/drink minimum. A $40.00 VIP ticket including priority seating and meet-and-greet is also available. To purchase tickets, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.SpinCycleNYC.com. For more information about BenDeLaCreme, visit www.BenDeLaCreme.com
Friday, August 5, 2016
Applause! Applause! Review of Theatre Box Of Floral Park's production of Michael McKeever's Suite Surrender at United Methodist Church Of Floral Park by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of Theatre Box Of Floral Park's production of Michael McKeever's Suite Surrender at United Methodist Church Of Floral Park was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
Suite Surrender
Written by Michael McKeever
Director: Daniel Bubbeo
Stage Manager: Karen Brucia
Theatre Box Of Floral Park
Suite Surrender
Written by Michael McKeever
Director: Daniel Bubbeo
Stage Manager: Karen Brucia
Theatre Box Of Floral Park
United Methodist Church Of Floral Park
35 Verbena Avenue
Floral Park, New York 11001
Reviewed 7/29/16
Suite Surrender was first produced in January 2008 by the Caldwell Theatre Company in Boca Raton, Florida. It is set in 1942 at the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel where two rivaling divas will be performing at a USO show sponsored by the Palm Beach Ladies F.U. (For Unity) designed to entertain the troops enabling them to "let off steam." In the past, that "steam" took the form of a naked soldier with a lampshade on his head being taken out of the wall of the Presidential Suite but management seems willing to bear the costs especially when the father of the head of Palm Beach Ladies F.U. is the Chairman of the Board of the hotel. This weekend, the Palm Beach Ladies F.U. is sponsoring the Navy and hopes the Marines will also show up. Will there be bonfires in the lobby? Who will end up being thrown off balconies into the pool and will Mr. Boodles survive? How many times can Dora Del Rio, the local gossip columnist, be hit in the head and not suffer serious trauma? Will Murphy Stevens and Francis get back together despite his having had his pinky toe shot off? Can Otis truly "be seen" despite his constantly telling people, "I'm not here!"? Will Mr. Pippet find true love and is his attachment to the bouquet of red roses given to him some evidence he might be open to a relationship with the bellhop? What fireworks will result from the fact that the divas, Claudia McFadden and Athena Sinclair, have both ended up in the same Presidential Suite occupying different bedrooms without the other being aware of that fact? Can Bernard S. Dunlap, the Hotel Manager, find a solution before violence and bloodshed erupts or will he simply have a nervous breakdown? White Roses! Red Roses! Unconscious People! Two Bellhops! Two Diva Assistants! Five Doors! Anything is possible!
Reviewed 7/29/16
Suite Surrender was first produced in January 2008 by the Caldwell Theatre Company in Boca Raton, Florida. It is set in 1942 at the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel where two rivaling divas will be performing at a USO show sponsored by the Palm Beach Ladies F.U. (For Unity) designed to entertain the troops enabling them to "let off steam." In the past, that "steam" took the form of a naked soldier with a lampshade on his head being taken out of the wall of the Presidential Suite but management seems willing to bear the costs especially when the father of the head of Palm Beach Ladies F.U. is the Chairman of the Board of the hotel. This weekend, the Palm Beach Ladies F.U. is sponsoring the Navy and hopes the Marines will also show up. Will there be bonfires in the lobby? Who will end up being thrown off balconies into the pool and will Mr. Boodles survive? How many times can Dora Del Rio, the local gossip columnist, be hit in the head and not suffer serious trauma? Will Murphy Stevens and Francis get back together despite his having had his pinky toe shot off? Can Otis truly "be seen" despite his constantly telling people, "I'm not here!"? Will Mr. Pippet find true love and is his attachment to the bouquet of red roses given to him some evidence he might be open to a relationship with the bellhop? What fireworks will result from the fact that the divas, Claudia McFadden and Athena Sinclair, have both ended up in the same Presidential Suite occupying different bedrooms without the other being aware of that fact? Can Bernard S. Dunlap, the Hotel Manager, find a solution before violence and bloodshed erupts or will he simply have a nervous breakdown? White Roses! Red Roses! Unconscious People! Two Bellhops! Two Diva Assistants! Five Doors! Anything is possible!
The entire cast of this production of Suite Surrender is excellent and they do the very best they can with the material. The play itself is not hilarious and leaves a lot to be desired but as light, entertaining fare on a hot summer evening, it serves its purpose and enables the audience to have a few good laughs. Helena Geberer Eilenberg shines as Claudia McFadden, a role she seems to have been born to play. Kerry Boyle holds her own as Athena Sinclair. Chris Murtha leads the cast in the main role of Bernard S. Dunlap, the Hotel Manager. He does a fine job portraying a man facing an impossible dilemma who does his best to keep the crisis under control with the help of his two bellhops - Matt Paris, a charismatic actor who plays Francis, and Peter Goike, a talented fellow who plays Otis (not really his mother's name). While Dunlap doesn't take the time to learn the names of his own bellhops because they are not very important to him, that same treatment is returned in kind when Athena Sinclair doesn't take the time to get his name correct. Matt Paris and Peter Goike have a good rapport on stage. I must add that Otis definitely should have been fired by the Hotel Manager for asking both divas for their autographs. It turns out the Palm Beach Royale Hotel may not be as upscale as they make it out to be. Adrianne Noroian is perfectly persistent and annoying as Mrs. Everett P. Osgood, the head of the Palm Beach Ladies F.U., and Liz Palladino is quite believable as Dora Del Rio, the gal with the poison pen. Melissa Virdone has a strong stage presence as Murphy Stevens, Athena Sinclair's Assistant, and James Basile is appropriately meek as Mr. Pippet, Claudia McFadden's Assistant. Given that fact, I was pleased to learn from the program, that for his own protection, Mr. Basile "has been known to puff his fur up in order to appear larger to potential predators."
The funniest scene in the play takes place when Mr. Pippet is fighting Francis demanding the return of the bouquet of red roses that was given to him. Mr. Pippet is on top of Francis on a couch, screaming "Give it to me! Give it to me!" When he saw that Claudia McFadden, his boss, was observing this awkward scene, Mr. Pippet says, "Oh, that's not good!" Finally, a hilarious line!
You can catch the final performances of Suite Surrender on August 4-6, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for seniors (65+) and $5.00 for children 18 & under. Call 516-900-2031 for reservations. For more information, visit www.TheatreBox.org
You can catch the final performances of Suite Surrender on August 4-6, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for seniors (65+) and $5.00 for children 18 & under. Call 516-900-2031 for reservations. For more information, visit www.TheatreBox.org
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Applause! Applause! Review of Claude Solnik's Year Of The Iguana at Studio Theatre Long Island by William Dobbins
This review of Claude Solnik's Year Of The Iguana at Studio Theatre Long Island was written by William Dobbins and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
Year Of The Iguana
Written by Claude Solnik
Directed by David Dubin
Studio Theatre Long Island
141 South Wellwood Avenue
Lindenhurst, New York 11757
Reviewed 7/30/16
Tennessee Williams was perhaps one of the best playwrights of American theatre, crafting rich poetry interwoven with heartfelt psychological studies of the human condition, thus innovating theatre and enlightening society along the way. In his autobiography, Memoirs, Mr. Williams suggested to the reader that to really know who he was, one needs to read his plays. In Year Of The Iguana, a new play currently being performed at Studio Theatre Long Island, author Claude Solnik presents a biographical portrait of Tennessee and the influences in his life story that shaped the work of this legendary writer and poet.
We are introduced to Mr. Williams during one of his brief stays at a mental health facility, later in his life after a fall from grace, enduring bouts of depression and addiction to alcohol and prescription medicine. He interacts with a nurse who recognizes him, on what it's like to be a famous writer and know Hollywood stars. However, their scenes reveal how his mind always seems to be reliving the past which in turn influences the creation of his new plays, and we begin the journey that introduces us to the elements that shaped him and his craft.
Mr. Solnik has his character of Mr. Williams narrate his own biographical play, commenting to the audience directly, then stepping into the action of his own memories - just as Tom does in Williams' initial Broadway success The Glass Menagerie. It is an effective mode of storytelling, allowing him to illustrate the early years of Tennessee's dysfunctional family life, and especially the complex and deep bond with his fragile sister Rose, who in the years that follow will undergo increasing mental instability. We see the family dynamic first mapped in The Glass Menagerie: the absent, abusive, alcoholic father; the overbearing fussbudget mother having to bear the brunt of running the household alone; the sweet, yet helpless sister, with no foreseeable prospects; and the stifled young writer, too sensitive to the conditions of those around him, overwhelmed by the dysfunction and longing for escape. The family moves repeatedly, making it difficult to establish lasting connections, and perhaps fueling Tennessee's appreciation of conversation, connection, and empathy. Rose's story is perhaps the most tragic and influential. Diagnosed schizophrenic and committed in her youth to lifelong psychological institutional care, she was the victim of early lobotomy treatment, horribly botched, leaving her a shell of the lively sister Tennessee had loved so dearly. Some things that are broken cannot be fixed. Mr. Solnik proposes that Rose was Tennessee's muse, propelling him to write prodigiously and prolifically about the fallen, tragic characters, the injustices of life, and desperate people trapped in their condition, amidst great denial, searching for hope or escape from the realities of life.
Release from a life on a leash, under the treading of those that keep you tied up in the dark, food for their impending feast - such is the metaphor of the eponymous beast in Tennessee's Night Of The Iguana, the play from which Mr. Solnik takes his title. He suggests Tennessee constructed this last worthy play while ruminating in recovery at the mental health facility he always feared would be his destiny, like his sister Rose, perhaps feeling like the ill-fated beast on his last rope. But the other scenes suggest that Tennessee kept all of his family, his lover Frank Merlo, and other significant people, walking around in his head at all times. This is the most compelling facet of Mr. Solnik's play - that Williams is, in fact, all of the people in his past with their voices coming through in his writing, in different illustrations of character and theme. We come to realize Tennessee writes prodigiously not only to follow his passion. Writing has become more than just a vocation - it is his identity. But it is revealed he also writes to maintain order over his precarious internal life and to keep his terror of ending up institutionalized like his sister Rose, at a distance. Dramatic questions are raised in the play such as: Are we shaped by nature or nurture? Are we fated to become our parents? Is literature a form of therapy in itself to keep great writers sane? Is it a form of cannibalism to pick the tragic events of our loved ones to present as literary consideration for our own profit? and Do the greatest tragedies in people's lives act as the agitating grain of sand in the shell that produces the valued pearl?
Tennessee cultivated illusion, writing Blanche's lines in A Streetcar Named Desire, "I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth." However, such a master knew how to manipulate the truth to best poetic effect, essentially making the truth more profoundly veracious in illusion. Some of the liberties taken with chronology for Mr. Solnik's play, however, do not illuminate - such as a scene taking place between Tennessee and his father long after his father had died in real life in 1957. Since a convention had already been set in the play with characters coming and going as ghostly memories, why set this biographically inaccurate scene in reality? Additionally, some scenes in the play felt simply expositional, relating to facts, or seizing the opportunity to insert a clever real-life quote from Tennessee, but lacking in character-based or circumstantial dialogue. However, the most disappointing aspect of this promising play with interesting themes was that this representation of Tennessee's life seems rather boring, which is quite contrary to the reality of his extraordinary life. A reading of some of the more insightful biographies, such as the recent Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage Of The Flesh by John Lahr, reveal the real Tennessee to be mercurial, hilarious, bitchy, insightful, sad, driven, loyal, betraying, removed, aggrandizing, cultured, salacious, romantic, and a genius - all of these complexities and conflicting elements are missing from this play. Had they been present, it would have created a more engaging, accurate, and exciting portrayal.
The enjoyable aspects of this production are in exploring the ironic poetry that simply existed in Tennessee's life: as his sister Rose has lost functions of her brain, so has Tennessee in his drug abuse; as his sister is schizophrenic, so is Tennessee in his carrying the ghosts of his past around in his head; as he becomes more famous, the more he feels he has sacrificed his sister and her tragedy at the altar of his success; the more Tennessee tries to escape into illusion, the deeper he is entrenched in the elements that haunt him and hold him down; and the more he achieves his dreams of notoriety, acceptance and literary achievement, the more he is poisoned by the trappings of that success.
The performers commit strongly to the scenes they are given, though the play would benefit from an expansion of some of the supporting roles, exploring relationships more deeply. Rosemary Kurtz provides needed solace and empathy as Tennessee's nurse, and Lisa Meckes is engaging as his overwrought mother Edwina, who is written far less overbearing here than Tennessee's plays would indicate. Edward Cress is solidly earnest as the young, yet suppressed, Mr. Williams, and later Tennessee's lover Frank Merlo, and Nicole Intravia is compelling as the delicate Rose, smiling through her pain, and later heartbreaking in her efforts at connection after Rose's lobotomy. The character of Williams' father, C.C., played by James Bradley, provides the only real menace in the family dynamic, but even his characterization is simply that of a man unable to give what his family needs from him. A household with the kind of ongoing emotional trauma outlined in Tennessee's life is not presented dramatically here and is merely touched on as biographical points.
As for the main character of Tennessee Williams and narrator of the story, Michael Harrison Carlin has been cast. Mr. Carlin had not memorized his words into the second week of performance, and carried with him his script, posing as Tennessee's unfinished manuscript throughout the entire production. Seeking almost every line with a look back down to the highlighted pages, he was still unable to convey much of the logic of the text and only hinted at a characterization. This presentation made any theatrical illusion impossible and seemed against the very notion of a performance. The audience was left to wonder what a fully realized leading performance, full of nuance and connection with the other hardworking actors onstage might look like, and his performance was clearly a disservice to the vision of the play, let alone an insult to paying audience members.
Working around this obvious impediment, David Dubin's direction was still solid and kept pace with the many episodes of Tennessee's life. Though the play traverses Williams' youth in the 1930s, his soaring success in the 1950s and 1960s, his decline from fame in the 1970s and untimely death in 1983, we see little that reflects these very different eras in either word or surroundings. The scenes, however, shift smoothly between Mr. Williams' hospital stay, and his many biographical flashbacks and ghostly visitations of people from his past, with transitions in staging and lighting. Erick Creegan's serviceable set functioned as a backdrop to Tennessee's hospital room, family home, New York apartment, and the fitting grand rattan peacock chair that was Mr. Williams' base for the play's narration.
Overall, the ideas and themes of the play are intriguing, poetic, and hold the promise of a more fully realized production. The supporting characters need more depth and internal life and the scenes need to be more conversational and revealing about the personality of Tennessee Williams instead of being thematic and biographical. Studio Theatre Long Island is wise to gamble on interesting playwrights such as Claude Solnik, and I would recommend the theatre to any adventurous audience member seeking insight along with their entertainment. The play runs through August 7, 2016. For more information and to purchase tickets ($25.00), visit www.StudioTheatreLI.com
Year Of The Iguana
Written by Claude Solnik
Directed by David Dubin
Studio Theatre Long Island
141 South Wellwood Avenue
Lindenhurst, New York 11757
Reviewed 7/30/16
Tennessee Williams was perhaps one of the best playwrights of American theatre, crafting rich poetry interwoven with heartfelt psychological studies of the human condition, thus innovating theatre and enlightening society along the way. In his autobiography, Memoirs, Mr. Williams suggested to the reader that to really know who he was, one needs to read his plays. In Year Of The Iguana, a new play currently being performed at Studio Theatre Long Island, author Claude Solnik presents a biographical portrait of Tennessee and the influences in his life story that shaped the work of this legendary writer and poet.
We are introduced to Mr. Williams during one of his brief stays at a mental health facility, later in his life after a fall from grace, enduring bouts of depression and addiction to alcohol and prescription medicine. He interacts with a nurse who recognizes him, on what it's like to be a famous writer and know Hollywood stars. However, their scenes reveal how his mind always seems to be reliving the past which in turn influences the creation of his new plays, and we begin the journey that introduces us to the elements that shaped him and his craft.
Mr. Solnik has his character of Mr. Williams narrate his own biographical play, commenting to the audience directly, then stepping into the action of his own memories - just as Tom does in Williams' initial Broadway success The Glass Menagerie. It is an effective mode of storytelling, allowing him to illustrate the early years of Tennessee's dysfunctional family life, and especially the complex and deep bond with his fragile sister Rose, who in the years that follow will undergo increasing mental instability. We see the family dynamic first mapped in The Glass Menagerie: the absent, abusive, alcoholic father; the overbearing fussbudget mother having to bear the brunt of running the household alone; the sweet, yet helpless sister, with no foreseeable prospects; and the stifled young writer, too sensitive to the conditions of those around him, overwhelmed by the dysfunction and longing for escape. The family moves repeatedly, making it difficult to establish lasting connections, and perhaps fueling Tennessee's appreciation of conversation, connection, and empathy. Rose's story is perhaps the most tragic and influential. Diagnosed schizophrenic and committed in her youth to lifelong psychological institutional care, she was the victim of early lobotomy treatment, horribly botched, leaving her a shell of the lively sister Tennessee had loved so dearly. Some things that are broken cannot be fixed. Mr. Solnik proposes that Rose was Tennessee's muse, propelling him to write prodigiously and prolifically about the fallen, tragic characters, the injustices of life, and desperate people trapped in their condition, amidst great denial, searching for hope or escape from the realities of life.
Release from a life on a leash, under the treading of those that keep you tied up in the dark, food for their impending feast - such is the metaphor of the eponymous beast in Tennessee's Night Of The Iguana, the play from which Mr. Solnik takes his title. He suggests Tennessee constructed this last worthy play while ruminating in recovery at the mental health facility he always feared would be his destiny, like his sister Rose, perhaps feeling like the ill-fated beast on his last rope. But the other scenes suggest that Tennessee kept all of his family, his lover Frank Merlo, and other significant people, walking around in his head at all times. This is the most compelling facet of Mr. Solnik's play - that Williams is, in fact, all of the people in his past with their voices coming through in his writing, in different illustrations of character and theme. We come to realize Tennessee writes prodigiously not only to follow his passion. Writing has become more than just a vocation - it is his identity. But it is revealed he also writes to maintain order over his precarious internal life and to keep his terror of ending up institutionalized like his sister Rose, at a distance. Dramatic questions are raised in the play such as: Are we shaped by nature or nurture? Are we fated to become our parents? Is literature a form of therapy in itself to keep great writers sane? Is it a form of cannibalism to pick the tragic events of our loved ones to present as literary consideration for our own profit? and Do the greatest tragedies in people's lives act as the agitating grain of sand in the shell that produces the valued pearl?
Tennessee cultivated illusion, writing Blanche's lines in A Streetcar Named Desire, "I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth." However, such a master knew how to manipulate the truth to best poetic effect, essentially making the truth more profoundly veracious in illusion. Some of the liberties taken with chronology for Mr. Solnik's play, however, do not illuminate - such as a scene taking place between Tennessee and his father long after his father had died in real life in 1957. Since a convention had already been set in the play with characters coming and going as ghostly memories, why set this biographically inaccurate scene in reality? Additionally, some scenes in the play felt simply expositional, relating to facts, or seizing the opportunity to insert a clever real-life quote from Tennessee, but lacking in character-based or circumstantial dialogue. However, the most disappointing aspect of this promising play with interesting themes was that this representation of Tennessee's life seems rather boring, which is quite contrary to the reality of his extraordinary life. A reading of some of the more insightful biographies, such as the recent Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage Of The Flesh by John Lahr, reveal the real Tennessee to be mercurial, hilarious, bitchy, insightful, sad, driven, loyal, betraying, removed, aggrandizing, cultured, salacious, romantic, and a genius - all of these complexities and conflicting elements are missing from this play. Had they been present, it would have created a more engaging, accurate, and exciting portrayal.
The enjoyable aspects of this production are in exploring the ironic poetry that simply existed in Tennessee's life: as his sister Rose has lost functions of her brain, so has Tennessee in his drug abuse; as his sister is schizophrenic, so is Tennessee in his carrying the ghosts of his past around in his head; as he becomes more famous, the more he feels he has sacrificed his sister and her tragedy at the altar of his success; the more Tennessee tries to escape into illusion, the deeper he is entrenched in the elements that haunt him and hold him down; and the more he achieves his dreams of notoriety, acceptance and literary achievement, the more he is poisoned by the trappings of that success.
The performers commit strongly to the scenes they are given, though the play would benefit from an expansion of some of the supporting roles, exploring relationships more deeply. Rosemary Kurtz provides needed solace and empathy as Tennessee's nurse, and Lisa Meckes is engaging as his overwrought mother Edwina, who is written far less overbearing here than Tennessee's plays would indicate. Edward Cress is solidly earnest as the young, yet suppressed, Mr. Williams, and later Tennessee's lover Frank Merlo, and Nicole Intravia is compelling as the delicate Rose, smiling through her pain, and later heartbreaking in her efforts at connection after Rose's lobotomy. The character of Williams' father, C.C., played by James Bradley, provides the only real menace in the family dynamic, but even his characterization is simply that of a man unable to give what his family needs from him. A household with the kind of ongoing emotional trauma outlined in Tennessee's life is not presented dramatically here and is merely touched on as biographical points.
As for the main character of Tennessee Williams and narrator of the story, Michael Harrison Carlin has been cast. Mr. Carlin had not memorized his words into the second week of performance, and carried with him his script, posing as Tennessee's unfinished manuscript throughout the entire production. Seeking almost every line with a look back down to the highlighted pages, he was still unable to convey much of the logic of the text and only hinted at a characterization. This presentation made any theatrical illusion impossible and seemed against the very notion of a performance. The audience was left to wonder what a fully realized leading performance, full of nuance and connection with the other hardworking actors onstage might look like, and his performance was clearly a disservice to the vision of the play, let alone an insult to paying audience members.
Working around this obvious impediment, David Dubin's direction was still solid and kept pace with the many episodes of Tennessee's life. Though the play traverses Williams' youth in the 1930s, his soaring success in the 1950s and 1960s, his decline from fame in the 1970s and untimely death in 1983, we see little that reflects these very different eras in either word or surroundings. The scenes, however, shift smoothly between Mr. Williams' hospital stay, and his many biographical flashbacks and ghostly visitations of people from his past, with transitions in staging and lighting. Erick Creegan's serviceable set functioned as a backdrop to Tennessee's hospital room, family home, New York apartment, and the fitting grand rattan peacock chair that was Mr. Williams' base for the play's narration.
Overall, the ideas and themes of the play are intriguing, poetic, and hold the promise of a more fully realized production. The supporting characters need more depth and internal life and the scenes need to be more conversational and revealing about the personality of Tennessee Williams instead of being thematic and biographical. Studio Theatre Long Island is wise to gamble on interesting playwrights such as Claude Solnik, and I would recommend the theatre to any adventurous audience member seeking insight along with their entertainment. The play runs through August 7, 2016. For more information and to purchase tickets ($25.00), visit www.StudioTheatreLI.com
Monday, July 25, 2016
Applause! Applause! Review of Walter Michael DeForest's Van Gogh Find Yourself at 59E59 Theaters by Dr. Thomas G. Jacoby
This review of Walter Michael DeForest's Van Gogh Find Yourself at 59E59 Theaters was written by Dr. Thomas G. Jacoby and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
Van Gogh Find Yourself
Written & Performed by Walter Michael DeForest
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
New York, New York 10022
Reviewed 7/15/16
Van Gogh Find Yourself is part of East To Edinburgh (New York's Annual Edinburgh Festival Preview). The piece was written and performed by Walter Michael DeForest, who promoted the show as an "interactive portrait play." My biggest issue with Van Gogh Find Yourself might very well be a generational one. I can remember a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator visiting my school when I was young. This actor had studied the life of TR and performed a three-dimensional portrayal of the ex-President in a given year. This meant that questions from later in his career were "off-limits" in the sense that, if you asked the actor about things that hadn't happened to him yet, he would only appear mystified. All other questions were "fair game" and we certainly asked some doozies.
Walter Michael DeForest's portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh, which he calls an "interactive portrait play" is a very different animal. It's more like a person you might meet in a bar or cafe saying to you, "Hey, let me pretend to be Van Gogh for a little while and tell you some stories from his viewpoint, so you get a better appreciation for who the man was." This could be somewhat confusing for an older audience, as this is not like the impersonations of historical figures to which they might be accustomed. Before the show began, DeForest grabbed an audience member's cell phone and held it aloft: "Look at this amazing device that shows pictures and can let you communicate with people on the other side of the world!" Okay, you might think, an actual Van Gogh transplanted into the modern world. But that's not the show at all. We are presented with a Van Gogh who has certainly grown the proper red beard, but who talks freely about his own death and his perspective on his own life from after his passing, as exemplified in his comment to a person who wrote to Vincent's mother after his death questioning some of his "line choices" in his art. Van Gogh said, "I just told him he'd understand, later." You did no such thing, Vincent, you were dead!
If all this seems unbearably confusing, that's not a fair description of the performance. The stories are well told and interesting, starting with Van Gogh's earliest career, as an evangelist with the Dutch Reform Church assigned to a mining region in southern Belgium, where he became acutely aware of the poverty and suffering of the miners. He spoke of his friendship with Paul Gauguin and offered a fascinating perspective on the incident of his earlobe getting cut off, and his drunken attempt to present the severed lobe to a local prostitute. Even his explanation of his suicide raises questions about what actually happened in that field in Auvers-Sur-Oise. Clearly, DeForest has done his research and developed an artistic interpretation of Van Gogh, the man, as opposed to Van Gogh, the artist. Thought-provoking indeed, but not really an "interactive portrait play" in the sense one might expect. The type of interaction that occurred consisted of things like "What's your name? Nice name." and the constant sketching of portraits for audience members, which seems intended to portray the artist's known creative compulsion. As the portraits are given to the audience members, DeForest tells them the price, "Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars", "Two Million Dollars", and the like. DeForest has stated, in the program, his intention to break the Guinness Book of World Records' existing record for "Most Portraits Drawn In 12 Hours" at the upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, where he is scheduled to perform this work many times. His commitment to drawing attention to "Van Gogh Find Yourself" is admirable, but the constant brand naming and "hash-tagging" with repetition of the catch-phrase can become distracting at times.
My suggestion to Walter Michael DeForest would be to find a clear intent for his considerable talent as writer and performer, to decide if this is indeed a play of interest to small academic groups or art enthusiasts, as he states at the end. If that is the case, he might do well to set aside the name-branding and the record-setting, and focus a little more on the artist's actual influences and experiences. Or, conversely, DeForest could take this in a very different direction, bringing to life an immortal steam-punk Van Gogh, not bounded by time or space or historical anachronism.
The truest moment of the performance occurs when DeForest as Van Gogh describes a clay sculpture of an elephant he made when only nine years old. When his mother showed off her son's accomplishment to an acquaintance, young Vincent crushed the sculpture, saying, "I did not do this for you. I did this for me." It's hard for an audience not to draw a parallel between young Vincent and Walter Michael DeForest, considering this statement and regarding the performance. For more information, visit www.vangoghfindyourself.com
Van Gogh Find Yourself
Written & Performed by Walter Michael DeForest
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
New York, New York 10022
Reviewed 7/15/16
Van Gogh Find Yourself is part of East To Edinburgh (New York's Annual Edinburgh Festival Preview). The piece was written and performed by Walter Michael DeForest, who promoted the show as an "interactive portrait play." My biggest issue with Van Gogh Find Yourself might very well be a generational one. I can remember a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator visiting my school when I was young. This actor had studied the life of TR and performed a three-dimensional portrayal of the ex-President in a given year. This meant that questions from later in his career were "off-limits" in the sense that, if you asked the actor about things that hadn't happened to him yet, he would only appear mystified. All other questions were "fair game" and we certainly asked some doozies.
Walter Michael DeForest's portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh, which he calls an "interactive portrait play" is a very different animal. It's more like a person you might meet in a bar or cafe saying to you, "Hey, let me pretend to be Van Gogh for a little while and tell you some stories from his viewpoint, so you get a better appreciation for who the man was." This could be somewhat confusing for an older audience, as this is not like the impersonations of historical figures to which they might be accustomed. Before the show began, DeForest grabbed an audience member's cell phone and held it aloft: "Look at this amazing device that shows pictures and can let you communicate with people on the other side of the world!" Okay, you might think, an actual Van Gogh transplanted into the modern world. But that's not the show at all. We are presented with a Van Gogh who has certainly grown the proper red beard, but who talks freely about his own death and his perspective on his own life from after his passing, as exemplified in his comment to a person who wrote to Vincent's mother after his death questioning some of his "line choices" in his art. Van Gogh said, "I just told him he'd understand, later." You did no such thing, Vincent, you were dead!
If all this seems unbearably confusing, that's not a fair description of the performance. The stories are well told and interesting, starting with Van Gogh's earliest career, as an evangelist with the Dutch Reform Church assigned to a mining region in southern Belgium, where he became acutely aware of the poverty and suffering of the miners. He spoke of his friendship with Paul Gauguin and offered a fascinating perspective on the incident of his earlobe getting cut off, and his drunken attempt to present the severed lobe to a local prostitute. Even his explanation of his suicide raises questions about what actually happened in that field in Auvers-Sur-Oise. Clearly, DeForest has done his research and developed an artistic interpretation of Van Gogh, the man, as opposed to Van Gogh, the artist. Thought-provoking indeed, but not really an "interactive portrait play" in the sense one might expect. The type of interaction that occurred consisted of things like "What's your name? Nice name." and the constant sketching of portraits for audience members, which seems intended to portray the artist's known creative compulsion. As the portraits are given to the audience members, DeForest tells them the price, "Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars", "Two Million Dollars", and the like. DeForest has stated, in the program, his intention to break the Guinness Book of World Records' existing record for "Most Portraits Drawn In 12 Hours" at the upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, where he is scheduled to perform this work many times. His commitment to drawing attention to "Van Gogh Find Yourself" is admirable, but the constant brand naming and "hash-tagging" with repetition of the catch-phrase can become distracting at times.
My suggestion to Walter Michael DeForest would be to find a clear intent for his considerable talent as writer and performer, to decide if this is indeed a play of interest to small academic groups or art enthusiasts, as he states at the end. If that is the case, he might do well to set aside the name-branding and the record-setting, and focus a little more on the artist's actual influences and experiences. Or, conversely, DeForest could take this in a very different direction, bringing to life an immortal steam-punk Van Gogh, not bounded by time or space or historical anachronism.
The truest moment of the performance occurs when DeForest as Van Gogh describes a clay sculpture of an elephant he made when only nine years old. When his mother showed off her son's accomplishment to an acquaintance, young Vincent crushed the sculpture, saying, "I did not do this for you. I did this for me." It's hard for an audience not to draw a parallel between young Vincent and Walter Michael DeForest, considering this statement and regarding the performance. For more information, visit www.vangoghfindyourself.com
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Applause! Applause! Review of BroadHollow Theatre Company's production of Into The Woods at Bayway Arts Center by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of BroadHollow Theatre Company's production of Into The Woods at Bayway Arts Center was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
Into The Woods
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by Jason P. Allyn
Costume Design by Joseph Kassner
BroadHollow Theatre Company
at Bayway Arts Center
265 East Main Street
East Islip, New York 11730
Reviewed 7/22/16
Into The Woods opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987, and closed on September 3, 1987 after 765 performances. The show was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning three in the categories of Best Score (Stephen Sondheim), Best Book (James Lapine) and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason). The 2002 Broadway revival began previews on April 13, 2002 and opened April 30, 2002 at the Broadhurst Theatre, closing on December 29, 2002 after a run of 18 previews and 279 regular performances. The revival won Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design. In 2014, a theatrical film adaptation of Into The Woods was produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $213 million worldwide.
The musical intertwines the plots of several original Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales. The main characters are taken from "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack And The Beanstalk", "Rapunzel", and "Cinderella", as well as a number of others. The musical is brilliantly tied together by a story involving a childless Baker and his Wife (the original beginning of The Grimm Brothers' "Rapunzel"). The Baker's neighbor, an ugly old Witch, reveals that the source of the couple's infertility is a curse she placed on the Baker's line after catching the Baker's father in her garden stealing greens, including six "magic" beans. She agrees to lift the curse if the Baker and his Wife can find the four ingredients she needs for a certain potion - "the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold - all before the chime of midnight in three days' time." While in the woods, the Baker and his Wife run into many of the storybook characters, while at the same time we are given insights into their lives, challenges, morality, and how far each is willing to go to achieve their selfish goals. Does the end really justify the beans? Can you kill someone (Jack's mom) for the sake of the greater good while at the same time allowing indiscriminate death and destruction by not turning Jack over to the Lady Giant, who seeks revenge (or justice) for his having killed her husband and for stealing the golden harp and the goose who lays the golden eggs?
This production of Into The Woods, another hit for the BroadHollow Theatre Company, features high quality and talented performers, an exquisite set, and colorful costumes. Bob Butterley was very impressive in the role of Baker, a character who learned to appreciate the contribution his Wife could make to help them achieve their mutual goals. Maryellen Molfetta-Evans played the Baker's Wife and was very much his equal in terms of having a strong personality, which is probably why they always fought so much. Both were willing to justify more and more questionable actions in order to lift the curse and have a child. While the Baker's attempts to keep his Wife safe ultimately fail, he did learn not to repeat the mistake his own father made by abandoning him when times got tough. Joy Butterley rose to the challenge to successfully portray the complexity of The Witch, a no-nonsense realist willing to accept "the blame" so long as she could do what was called for. Andrew Morrison was perfect in the role of Jack, a rather simple boy, who loved Milky-White, his cow. As his mother said, "Children can be very Queer when it comes to their animals." So why should Jack's life be spared? He is a thief and a murderer. Does he get a pass because he is mentally challenged or is he protected by his friends simply because they know him? They proceed to kill the Lady Giant even after acknowledging that "witches can be right" and "giants can be good." Perhaps the ultimate moral relativism is saying that defending your friends, right or wrong, is ethically justified in all circumstances simply because you believe it is the right thing to do, regardless of the chain of events and reactions you may set in motion. So Jack lives and the Lady Giant dies! But they must not forget, "Someone is on your side. Someone else is not. While we're seeing our side. Maybe we forgot: They are not alone. No one is alone!" Actions have long-term consequences!
The supporting cast was very strong, especially Londier Collier, who was Rapunzel's Prince and Wolf 2, and Caitlin Blair Thistle, who was the selfish, and yet, curious, Little Red Riding Hood who sometimes strayed from the path and, in so doing, lost her innocence. Cinderella also faced a crisis not quite knowing what she wanted in life. Sure, she wanted to go to the Ball, but as she said, "Wanting a Ball is not wanting a Prince." She also questioned, "how can you know what you want till you get what you want and see if you like it?" I had problems hearing David Kacinski, who played the Steward. I am not certain if the problem was technical or just a matter of projection. In any case, it was a distraction. Every cast member made a significant contribution to the success of this production, which I highly recommend you see.
There are many serious problems with the program that made it difficult to figure out who played what roles. Elizabeth Degennaro and Kristen Keller are both listed as playing Jack's Mother. Kami Crary and Nikki Sislian are both listed in the role of Step Mother. If these actors were playing the role in different performances, this should have been noted in the program or in a supplement handed out to the audience on the evening of the show. No one is listed as having played Cinderella. Perhaps it was Tamralynn Dorsa, for whom no role is listed. In addition, no one is listed as having played the Narrator, but based on custom, I am going to assume it was James R. Lotito, the same actor who played The Mysterious Man. Although his was a small role, he handled it extremely well and left a lasting emotional impact on the audience especially when encouraging his son not to run away as he did. ("Running away, let's do it! Free from the ties that bind. Trouble is, son, The farther you run, The more you feel un-defined. For what you have left undone, And more, what you've left behind.") That is good advice for anyone considering running away from their problems. You end up facing, "Just more questions, different kinds."
Some of my favorite lines in this musical are when The Witch tells Rapunzel, "Princes wait there in the world, it's true, Princes yes, but wolves and humans, too." The Baker's Wife cautions, "If you know what you want, you go and you find it and you get it. You many know what you need but to get what you want, better see that you keep what you have." Finally, reflecting his complete resignation and emotional pain upon the loss of his wife, the Baker said, "No more riddles. No more jests. No more curses you can't undo. Left by fathers you never knew. No more quests. No more feelings. Time to shut the door. Just - no more!" And yet, faced with his own child, a princess who lost her prince and castle, a girl who lost her grandmother, and a boy who lost his mother, the Baker rallies. Cinderella says, "Hard to see the light now." The Baker responds, "Just don't let it go" and together they say, "Things will come out right now. We can make it so." I wish!
There are two remaining performances of Into The Woods on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, July 31, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $23.00 for adults and $21.00 for seniors 65 years of age or older. You can call 631-581-2700 for reservations or else visit BroadHollow Theatre Company's website at www.BroadHollow.org
Into The Woods
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by Jason P. Allyn
Costume Design by Joseph Kassner
BroadHollow Theatre Company
at Bayway Arts Center
265 East Main Street
East Islip, New York 11730
Reviewed 7/22/16
Into The Woods opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987, and closed on September 3, 1987 after 765 performances. The show was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning three in the categories of Best Score (Stephen Sondheim), Best Book (James Lapine) and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason). The 2002 Broadway revival began previews on April 13, 2002 and opened April 30, 2002 at the Broadhurst Theatre, closing on December 29, 2002 after a run of 18 previews and 279 regular performances. The revival won Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design. In 2014, a theatrical film adaptation of Into The Woods was produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $213 million worldwide.
The musical intertwines the plots of several original Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales. The main characters are taken from "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack And The Beanstalk", "Rapunzel", and "Cinderella", as well as a number of others. The musical is brilliantly tied together by a story involving a childless Baker and his Wife (the original beginning of The Grimm Brothers' "Rapunzel"). The Baker's neighbor, an ugly old Witch, reveals that the source of the couple's infertility is a curse she placed on the Baker's line after catching the Baker's father in her garden stealing greens, including six "magic" beans. She agrees to lift the curse if the Baker and his Wife can find the four ingredients she needs for a certain potion - "the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold - all before the chime of midnight in three days' time." While in the woods, the Baker and his Wife run into many of the storybook characters, while at the same time we are given insights into their lives, challenges, morality, and how far each is willing to go to achieve their selfish goals. Does the end really justify the beans? Can you kill someone (Jack's mom) for the sake of the greater good while at the same time allowing indiscriminate death and destruction by not turning Jack over to the Lady Giant, who seeks revenge (or justice) for his having killed her husband and for stealing the golden harp and the goose who lays the golden eggs?
This production of Into The Woods, another hit for the BroadHollow Theatre Company, features high quality and talented performers, an exquisite set, and colorful costumes. Bob Butterley was very impressive in the role of Baker, a character who learned to appreciate the contribution his Wife could make to help them achieve their mutual goals. Maryellen Molfetta-Evans played the Baker's Wife and was very much his equal in terms of having a strong personality, which is probably why they always fought so much. Both were willing to justify more and more questionable actions in order to lift the curse and have a child. While the Baker's attempts to keep his Wife safe ultimately fail, he did learn not to repeat the mistake his own father made by abandoning him when times got tough. Joy Butterley rose to the challenge to successfully portray the complexity of The Witch, a no-nonsense realist willing to accept "the blame" so long as she could do what was called for. Andrew Morrison was perfect in the role of Jack, a rather simple boy, who loved Milky-White, his cow. As his mother said, "Children can be very Queer when it comes to their animals." So why should Jack's life be spared? He is a thief and a murderer. Does he get a pass because he is mentally challenged or is he protected by his friends simply because they know him? They proceed to kill the Lady Giant even after acknowledging that "witches can be right" and "giants can be good." Perhaps the ultimate moral relativism is saying that defending your friends, right or wrong, is ethically justified in all circumstances simply because you believe it is the right thing to do, regardless of the chain of events and reactions you may set in motion. So Jack lives and the Lady Giant dies! But they must not forget, "Someone is on your side. Someone else is not. While we're seeing our side. Maybe we forgot: They are not alone. No one is alone!" Actions have long-term consequences!
The supporting cast was very strong, especially Londier Collier, who was Rapunzel's Prince and Wolf 2, and Caitlin Blair Thistle, who was the selfish, and yet, curious, Little Red Riding Hood who sometimes strayed from the path and, in so doing, lost her innocence. Cinderella also faced a crisis not quite knowing what she wanted in life. Sure, she wanted to go to the Ball, but as she said, "Wanting a Ball is not wanting a Prince." She also questioned, "how can you know what you want till you get what you want and see if you like it?" I had problems hearing David Kacinski, who played the Steward. I am not certain if the problem was technical or just a matter of projection. In any case, it was a distraction. Every cast member made a significant contribution to the success of this production, which I highly recommend you see.
There are many serious problems with the program that made it difficult to figure out who played what roles. Elizabeth Degennaro and Kristen Keller are both listed as playing Jack's Mother. Kami Crary and Nikki Sislian are both listed in the role of Step Mother. If these actors were playing the role in different performances, this should have been noted in the program or in a supplement handed out to the audience on the evening of the show. No one is listed as having played Cinderella. Perhaps it was Tamralynn Dorsa, for whom no role is listed. In addition, no one is listed as having played the Narrator, but based on custom, I am going to assume it was James R. Lotito, the same actor who played The Mysterious Man. Although his was a small role, he handled it extremely well and left a lasting emotional impact on the audience especially when encouraging his son not to run away as he did. ("Running away, let's do it! Free from the ties that bind. Trouble is, son, The farther you run, The more you feel un-defined. For what you have left undone, And more, what you've left behind.") That is good advice for anyone considering running away from their problems. You end up facing, "Just more questions, different kinds."
Some of my favorite lines in this musical are when The Witch tells Rapunzel, "Princes wait there in the world, it's true, Princes yes, but wolves and humans, too." The Baker's Wife cautions, "If you know what you want, you go and you find it and you get it. You many know what you need but to get what you want, better see that you keep what you have." Finally, reflecting his complete resignation and emotional pain upon the loss of his wife, the Baker said, "No more riddles. No more jests. No more curses you can't undo. Left by fathers you never knew. No more quests. No more feelings. Time to shut the door. Just - no more!" And yet, faced with his own child, a princess who lost her prince and castle, a girl who lost her grandmother, and a boy who lost his mother, the Baker rallies. Cinderella says, "Hard to see the light now." The Baker responds, "Just don't let it go" and together they say, "Things will come out right now. We can make it so." I wish!
There are two remaining performances of Into The Woods on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, July 31, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $23.00 for adults and $21.00 for seniors 65 years of age or older. You can call 631-581-2700 for reservations or else visit BroadHollow Theatre Company's website at www.BroadHollow.org
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Applause! Applause! Review of Maggie's Little Theater production of Guys & Dolls at St. Margaret Parish Hall by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of Maggie's Little Theater production of Guys & Dolls at St. Margaret Parish Hall was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
Guys & Dolls
Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows
Director: Barbara Auriemma
Choreographer: Nic Anthony Calabro
Music Director: Frank Auriemma
St. Margaret Parish Hall
66-05 79th Place
Middle Village, New York 11379
Reviewed 7/16/16
Guys & Dolls is a musical with characters and plot elements based on "The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown", "Blood Pressure", and "Pick The Winner" - short stories by Damon Runyon written in the 1920s and 1930s. Runyon's stories concerned gangsters, gamblers, prostitutes, bootleggers, and other characters of the New York underworld, who had colorful names such as Nicely Nicely Johnson, Big Jule (from Chicago), Angie The Ox, Liver Lips Louie, Society Max, Harry The Horse, Rusty Charlie and Benny Southstreet. The plot involves a constant search for a "safe location" to hold a crap game and an unlikely love affair between Sargeant Sarah Brown, the head of the Save-A-Soul Mission, and Sky Masterson, an unrepentant gambler. Meanwhile, after a 14-year engagement, Miss Adelaide continues her efforts to snag Nathan Detroit, the imperfect man she loves. Both women decide in the end it is better to marry the men they love now and "bring them in for alterations" later.
The musical premiered on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24, 1950. It ran for 1,200 performances, winning five 1951 Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. An all-black cast staged the first Broadway revival of the show, which opened on July 11, 1976 in previews, officially on July 21st, at The Broadway Theatre. The show closed on February 13, 1977 after 239 performances and 12 previews. The 1992 Broadway revival at the Martin Beck Theatre was the most successful American remounting of the show since its original opening. It ran from April 14, 1992 to January 8, 1995, with 1,143 performances. It received eight Tony Award nominations and won four, including Best Revival. A 2009 Broadway revival of the show opened on March 1, 2009 at the Nederlander Theatre. That revival closed on June 14, 2009 after 28 previews and 113 performances.
This was my first time seeing a show produced by Maggie's Little Theater and I must say I was very impressed. The main actors in this production were top-notch, talented performers. Alan Perkins was perfectly cast in the role of Nathan Detroit and Dolores Voyer was very perky and effervescent as Miss Adelaide, his long-suffering fiance. I was particularly impressed with Anthony Edward George Faubion, who stole the show as Benny Southstreet, and Joe Paciullo had a strong stage presence as Nicely Nicely Johnson. Michael Perkins was very believable in the role of Big Jule, the gun-wielding Chicago gangster who Sky Masterson slugged. In real life, Big Jule wouldn't have just let that pass when he regained consciousness. While Alex Jamison (Sarah Brown - The Mission Doll) and Nic Anthony Calabro (Obadiah "Sky" Masterson) acted and sang extremely well, I found their chemistry lacking. In addition, not a lot of discretion was used when selecting actors to play many of the supporting roles in this show and more time should have been spent coordinating their dance moves. As it was, many of the minor characters visibly came across as amateur actors, included for the sake of being inclusive. The show featured a live orchestra, whose members included Frank Auriemma (Piano), Ed Voyer (Bass), Kevin Neyer (Drums), Jared Newlen & Erica D'Ippolito (Reeds), Scott Kulick (Trumpet), and Stephen Souza (Trombone).
Guys & Dolls contains such popular Broadway show tunes as "Fugue For Tinhorns", "I'll Know", "Bushel And A Peck", "Adelaide's Lament", "Guys & Dolls", "If I Were A Bell", "I've Never Been In Love Before", "Take Back Your Mink", "Luck Be A Lady", "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat", and "Marry The Man Today". There are also some very funny lines in the show. On his way to the Save-A-Soul Mission located at 409 West 49th Street, Big Jule says,"If it gets around Chicago that I went to a prayer meeting, no decent person will talk to me!". When Sky Masterson is told the missionaries are, unsuccessfully, "out every day trying to find the sinners," he responds, "Have you tried the nighttime?". Nathan Detroit, who is having trouble finding a location to host his crap game, tells Police Lt. Brannigan, "The heat is on, as you well know, since you now have to live on your salary." Finally, reflecting on how she is going to enjoy being a wife instead of a showgirl, Miss Adelaide says, "I'm going to love being in the kitchen...I've already tried all the other rooms."
Maggie's Little Theater is a very professionally run operation. The staff is friendly. The concession items, on sale before the show and during intermission, are reasonably priced ($2.00 for hot dogs, $1.00 for soda). They even sold home-made brownies for a buck a square. I bought four myself! If you are looking for something interesting and entertaining to do on a hot summer night, I highly recommend you see one of the remaining performances of Guys & Dolls on Friday, July 22nd at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, July 23rd at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, July 24th at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors and $12.00 for children and can be reserved by calling 917-579-5389 or online at http://www.maggieslittletheater.org/
If you have seen Guys & Dolls before, you will be impressed with the quality of this production. If you haven't, you don't want to miss this opportunity to experience it for the first time. If you are a man who has never seen a musical before, Neil Patrick Harris wants you to know that theater "is not just for gays anymore." (https://youtu.be/3BHyfYiBt5o) Still, it may be true that many men may have experienced live theater for the first time at the urging of a woman. So if you see a man in a theater, perhaps "you can bet even money he's only doing it for some doll!"
Guys & Dolls
Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows
Director: Barbara Auriemma
Choreographer: Nic Anthony Calabro
Music Director: Frank Auriemma
St. Margaret Parish Hall
66-05 79th Place
Middle Village, New York 11379
Reviewed 7/16/16
Guys & Dolls is a musical with characters and plot elements based on "The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown", "Blood Pressure", and "Pick The Winner" - short stories by Damon Runyon written in the 1920s and 1930s. Runyon's stories concerned gangsters, gamblers, prostitutes, bootleggers, and other characters of the New York underworld, who had colorful names such as Nicely Nicely Johnson, Big Jule (from Chicago), Angie The Ox, Liver Lips Louie, Society Max, Harry The Horse, Rusty Charlie and Benny Southstreet. The plot involves a constant search for a "safe location" to hold a crap game and an unlikely love affair between Sargeant Sarah Brown, the head of the Save-A-Soul Mission, and Sky Masterson, an unrepentant gambler. Meanwhile, after a 14-year engagement, Miss Adelaide continues her efforts to snag Nathan Detroit, the imperfect man she loves. Both women decide in the end it is better to marry the men they love now and "bring them in for alterations" later.
The musical premiered on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24, 1950. It ran for 1,200 performances, winning five 1951 Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. An all-black cast staged the first Broadway revival of the show, which opened on July 11, 1976 in previews, officially on July 21st, at The Broadway Theatre. The show closed on February 13, 1977 after 239 performances and 12 previews. The 1992 Broadway revival at the Martin Beck Theatre was the most successful American remounting of the show since its original opening. It ran from April 14, 1992 to January 8, 1995, with 1,143 performances. It received eight Tony Award nominations and won four, including Best Revival. A 2009 Broadway revival of the show opened on March 1, 2009 at the Nederlander Theatre. That revival closed on June 14, 2009 after 28 previews and 113 performances.
This was my first time seeing a show produced by Maggie's Little Theater and I must say I was very impressed. The main actors in this production were top-notch, talented performers. Alan Perkins was perfectly cast in the role of Nathan Detroit and Dolores Voyer was very perky and effervescent as Miss Adelaide, his long-suffering fiance. I was particularly impressed with Anthony Edward George Faubion, who stole the show as Benny Southstreet, and Joe Paciullo had a strong stage presence as Nicely Nicely Johnson. Michael Perkins was very believable in the role of Big Jule, the gun-wielding Chicago gangster who Sky Masterson slugged. In real life, Big Jule wouldn't have just let that pass when he regained consciousness. While Alex Jamison (Sarah Brown - The Mission Doll) and Nic Anthony Calabro (Obadiah "Sky" Masterson) acted and sang extremely well, I found their chemistry lacking. In addition, not a lot of discretion was used when selecting actors to play many of the supporting roles in this show and more time should have been spent coordinating their dance moves. As it was, many of the minor characters visibly came across as amateur actors, included for the sake of being inclusive. The show featured a live orchestra, whose members included Frank Auriemma (Piano), Ed Voyer (Bass), Kevin Neyer (Drums), Jared Newlen & Erica D'Ippolito (Reeds), Scott Kulick (Trumpet), and Stephen Souza (Trombone).
Guys & Dolls contains such popular Broadway show tunes as "Fugue For Tinhorns", "I'll Know", "Bushel And A Peck", "Adelaide's Lament", "Guys & Dolls", "If I Were A Bell", "I've Never Been In Love Before", "Take Back Your Mink", "Luck Be A Lady", "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat", and "Marry The Man Today". There are also some very funny lines in the show. On his way to the Save-A-Soul Mission located at 409 West 49th Street, Big Jule says,"If it gets around Chicago that I went to a prayer meeting, no decent person will talk to me!". When Sky Masterson is told the missionaries are, unsuccessfully, "out every day trying to find the sinners," he responds, "Have you tried the nighttime?". Nathan Detroit, who is having trouble finding a location to host his crap game, tells Police Lt. Brannigan, "The heat is on, as you well know, since you now have to live on your salary." Finally, reflecting on how she is going to enjoy being a wife instead of a showgirl, Miss Adelaide says, "I'm going to love being in the kitchen...I've already tried all the other rooms."
Maggie's Little Theater is a very professionally run operation. The staff is friendly. The concession items, on sale before the show and during intermission, are reasonably priced ($2.00 for hot dogs, $1.00 for soda). They even sold home-made brownies for a buck a square. I bought four myself! If you are looking for something interesting and entertaining to do on a hot summer night, I highly recommend you see one of the remaining performances of Guys & Dolls on Friday, July 22nd at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, July 23rd at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, July 24th at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors and $12.00 for children and can be reserved by calling 917-579-5389 or online at http://www.maggieslittletheater.org/
If you have seen Guys & Dolls before, you will be impressed with the quality of this production. If you haven't, you don't want to miss this opportunity to experience it for the first time. If you are a man who has never seen a musical before, Neil Patrick Harris wants you to know that theater "is not just for gays anymore." (https://youtu.be/3BHyfYiBt5o) Still, it may be true that many men may have experienced live theater for the first time at the urging of a woman. So if you see a man in a theater, perhaps "you can bet even money he's only doing it for some doll!"
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