Hillary and Clinton
Written by Lucas Hnath
Directed by Joe Mantello
Golden Theatre
June 8, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
Laurie Metcalf rules Broadway in the summer.One year Three Tall Women, one year Doll’s House Part 2, this year Lucas Hnath’s Hillary and Clinton – and a possible next summer with a Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf.And each one just keeps getting better and better.In way of thinking what makes Laurie Metcalf so wonderful on stage is the great ease she brings to her work.You sense no effort on her part.She is not obviously working.She is simply talking, reading and being with her partner – there is no artifice here.
Be More Chill
Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis
Book by Joe Tracz
Directed by Stephen Brackett
Lyceum Theatre
June 7, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
I made a big mistake in planning this trip with teenagers.I had thought that the most obvious of shows to take them to – the one that they are obviously jamming to on YouTube would be Be More Chill.I had thought that there wouldn’t be much for me in this production – but I was happy to “take one for the team.” Continue reading Be More Chill→
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Written by Terrence McNally
Directed by Rain Arbus
Broadhurst Theatre
June 6, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
It is an accomplishment to make a two-handed play like Frankie and Johnny work on the big stage on Broadway.But of course, when you have the rough, masculine and unique Michael Shannon, who can do anything, and Audra McDonald, who can do anything while looking gorgeous – – anything is possible.Continue reading Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune→
Safeword
Written by S. Asher Gelman
Directed by S. Asher Gelman
American Theatre of Actors
April 20, 2019 Production website
💉💉 out of 5.
If only this play needed a “safe word”But it clearly doesn’tThe play here is strictly vanilla and actually not very interesting vanilla.I do believe that our playwrights intention here was to introduce the average audience member to the world of bandage, domination, and sadomasochism – but what we get is more housewife with a cute whip.
The play starts out with a most provocative scene at the top of a set where a leather clad “dom” is abusing his willing victim.That got everyone’s attention – but it never back to that powerful first image.Sad when your best moment is the very first one of the show. Continue reading Safeword→
The Play That Goes Wrong
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields
Directed by Matt Dicarlo
New World Stages
April 19, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
The Play That Goes Wrong just keeps on going strong. This zany, wonderful farce had a long full life on Broadway and has recently been planted at New World Stage for one last blast of life before heading out on the road to tour. I was fortunate to see the production in the first few weeks on Broadway and was eager to see what had happened to it – with the necessity of greatly shrinking everything about the show. Here is my take on seeing the show on Broadway: The Play That Goes Wrong
Hillary and Clinton
