The Gardens of Anuncia A New Musical by Michael John LaChiusa Directed and Co-Choreographed by Graciela Daniele Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse December 1, 2023 Production website 💉💉💉 out of 5.
The Gardens of Anuncia is an ode and celebration of the brilliant choreographer and director Graciela Daniela. It is perfectly staged at Lincoln Center – in that she was, at one time, the Director in Residence for the Lincoln Center Theater. Danielle has directed in choreographed eight shows on the stage – – this being her ninth. Her career is that of a theater legend. From her childhood as a baby ballerina in Buenos Aires to working as Bob Fosse dance, captain and Michael Bennett’s assistant to a collection numerous awards, and Tony Award nominations.
Manahatta Written by Mary Kathryn Nagle Directed by Laurie Woolery Public Theatre November 30, 2023 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
Manahatta written by Mary Kathryn Nagle takes place in present day Oklahoma as well as present day Manhatta known today as Manhattan. The show follows Jane Snake as she rises to the top ranks of Wall Street, while her family back in Oklahoma struggles to keep their home. The family struggles as they are paying for a mortgage with an ARM – a loan repayment feature that brought down so many families during the housing crash of the 1980s. The show tries to draw a connection between what was happening for this Indian family in the 17th century Manhatta and the current time. The play depicts the arrival of the Dutch settlers representing the Dutch East India Company, who subsequently take the land of and massacre the Delaware Lenape people, driving them out of Manahatta and Lenapehoking.
Life and Times of Michael K Adapted & Directed by Lara Foot In collaboration with Handspring Puppet Company St. Ann’s Warehouse November 29, 2023 Production website 💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
This was simply a magnificent and near perfect production. The first half of the show was particularly very moving. I knew that I was going to be in a for a real treat when I read that the show was going to use puppets as designed by Handspring Puppet Company, who is known for their puppets used in Warhorse. This production of Life and Times of Michael K used dance, film, music and breathtaking puppetry, to tell the story of JM Coetzee’s Booker prize-winning novel from 1983, which gives dignity to a humble man. Born with a cleft lip, institutionalized and treated with contempt throughout his life, Michael gets swept up in a dystopian civil war in South Africa as he attempts to bring his ailing mother back to her childhood home on a farm.
20 Seconds – a play with music Written and Performed by Thomas Sweater Directed and Developed by Jeremy Scott Blaustein The Pershing Square Signature Center September 14, 2023 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
This is a really tough play to review because the heart of the play is so true, so heartfelt and so important but the stage mechanics of it were so clunky. Clearly this work of love, resilience, and the undeniable “power of music to make real change in a persons’ life” belongs on the stage, but it could have used some better dramaturgy. Tomas Sweater’s autobiographical work leads us from his trouble childhood where music provided companionship to a career as a music therapist.
The Half-God of Rainfall Written by Inua Ellams Movement Direction by Orlando Pabotoy Directed by Taibi Nagar New York Theatre Workshop July 15, 2023 Production website 💉💉 out of 5.
The Half God of Rain was a mighty interesting show to see. It is not often you get to see a story about the Greek gods’ intervention in the life of a Nigerian basketball player . . . I was lucky to see it on only its second preview performance, so the cast was discovering things right along with the audience. I did have a couple of observations of the show. To begin the play was set in a stage filled with small black gravel. I thought this was a terrific idea as soon as the cast came out at the beginning and started to walk out in unison you could hear the crunch of the gravel beneath them. It was wonderful sound effect. I only wish that they had used this gravel more often during the show it was such a spectacular possibility for the show I just wanted them to exploit it further.
