Present Laughter
Starring Kevin Kline
Written by Noel Coward
Directed by Moritz Von Stuelpnagel
St. James Theatre
June 21, 2017
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

Kevin Kline is just so good in this – – but there is just so much of this!  After seeing 1984 last night I was so eager to see a play that behaved itself and delivered some acting and some story.  Present Laughter, I thought – – there’s the remedy.

It was such a beautiful play.  A gorgeous set full of theatrical decadence with doors a plenty and plenty of furniture to poise, pontificate, and pursue a dalliance.  The language of Noel Coward is so rich and so wonderfully sarcastic.  It is so nice to hear a play that has vocabulary that reaches beyond two syllables.   Continue reading Present Laughter →

1984
Written and Directed by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmilla
Hudson Theatre
June 20, 2017
Production website
💉 out of 5.

IN KEEPING WITH THE THE DELIVERY OF THIS PLAY, I WANTED TO TYPE THE ENTIRE REVIEW IN SCREAMING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS – – but I have better manners.

This was my first time in the beautiful Hudson theatre that just opened its doors a few months ago with Sunday in the Park with George.  It is a gorgeous building.  The lobby was good. But then I took my seat.

This play is such a huge f***ing mess.  They go through hundreds of flash pods that blind the audience on a regular basis.  It was as if they couldn’t think what to do with the actors in the scene – so let’s just blind the shit out of the audience.  Then the blinding wasn’t enough. Continue reading 1984 →

The Little Foxes
Written by Lillian Hellman
Directed by Daniel Sultan
Manhattan Theatre Club
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
June 18, 2017
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

I am such a fan of theatre the pushes the envelop and challenges the way we “think” theatre should be done.    I love when they take the “major dramatic structure” that I teach every day of my working life and mess around with it.  I celebrate the rule breakers.

Little Foxes is certainly a rule follower –  and what a beautiful rule follower it is.   Continue reading The Little Foxes →

Come From Away
Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
June 17, 2017
Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.

There are not enough words to tell you how wonderful this show is!  It is fun to experience; it sounds great; it is energetic; the cast is passionate about what they are doing, and you leave the theatre feeling so so good!  NYC has always had trouble tying to tell the story of 9/11 in the theatre.  Either the story becomes so political that it becomes more of a speech that leaves you cold – – or the 9/11 plays become so maudlin and so lost in the anger and sadness that all you want to do is weep.   9/11 stories were either about the head and they neglected the heart – or they were focused on the heart and they had nothing to say to your head.

Come From Away is the perfect blend. Continue reading Come From Away →