Thom Pain (based on nothing)
Starring Michael C. Hall
Written by Will Eno
Directed by Oliver Butler
Signature Theatre
November 24, 2018 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Watching Thom Paine (based on nothing), with Michael C. Hall is a 70 minute romp round the existential racetrack that feels very much like Beckett brought back to life.In fact, as I was sitting there, I began to see this play and imagining what it would be like to have seen Waiting for Godot– now told in the 21st century and now played out after the death of Estragon.What would Godot be like after the death of one member of its infamous couple?How would Vladimire hold forth on a world when there was no one to verbally spar with him?Can you imagine the pain of all those jokes and pondering landing on ears that were no longer there to answer.Existential on steroids for sure . . . Continue reading Thom Pain (based on nothing)→
The Waverly Gallery
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Lila Neugebauer
Golden Theatre
October 27, 2018 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
From its start, I did not think I was going to like this experience at all.The beginning of the play was so such of an obvious, relentless set of jokes about having a mother that is VERY hard of hearing and goes about repeating herself time after time.It was funny for a few minutes then it just became relentless.I thought I was going to be in for entire afternoon of cheap jokes on aging.But then the play changed. Continue reading The Waverly Gallery→
Carousel
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Choreographed by Justin Peck
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Imperial Theatre
June 13, 2018 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Carousel is such a wonderful, full meal of a musical.What is wonderful about this production is that it both works to explore and embrace the darker side of this bad-boy-learning-his-lesson musical.The director, Jack O’Brien is not afraid to go down a bit of a dangerous road with this musical.Choreographer, Justin Peck fresh from the New York City Ballet, is truly remarkable – he creates a a blending of classical ballet and harsh, sharp masculine dancing. Continue reading Carousel→
Skintight
Written by Joshua Harmon
Directed by Daniel Aukin
Roundabout: Laura Pels Theatre
June 12, 2018 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
What could ever draw Idina Menzel to the stages of NYC without giving her single song to sing?Skintight was the show that did it!I worried that the show was going to somehow ride off of her notoriety with Rent, Wicket or even Frozen, but blessedly I was wrong.This show was rough, crude and certainly a puzzle.Idina’s character has a father who is massively successful in the fashion industry and has recently taken in a 20 year old man as his partner – as she calls him his “boy toy”.This is even more disturbing in that she has a son the same age.And to make it even more, more disturbing she is recently divorced from a husband who decided himself to marry a woman in her twenties.Everyone in the show wants someone in their twenties!Everyone wants someone hot! Continue reading Skintight→
Travesties
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Patrick Marber
Roundabout: American Airlines Theatre
June 13, 2018 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
You are going to get an awful lot when you attend an Wednesday evening seeing Travesties (especially when you see it as your second show of the day).You are going to see a history lesson, farce, educational seminar, musical mixed with some highbrow intellectualism and some lowbrow silly fun and games.It really does become a bit overwhelming.l wished there was a remote on this show, and that I could pause and rewind many moments to figure out exactly what is happening and how exactly I am to feel about it – but forget that!It is more like a roller coaster that, once out of the gate, stops for no one. Continue reading Travesties→
Thom Pain (based on nothing)
