We're entering the summer doldrums theater-wise, I guess. I don't see much in July or August, as a rule. But I was feeling a little bit of withdrawal, so I picked up a ticket to see last night's Off-Broadway production of The Sensational Josephine Baker at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row. The evening didn't get off to a great start when the show started about a half-hour late. There was a school group of about 25 kids who were on their way, and I can understand trying to keep that kind of disruption to a minimum, but still, that's a long time to make the rest of us wait.
Finally the show began (and the kids did come in late with minimal fuss). Apparently, this is an updated version of a show that ran previously in 2010. The playwright and actress Cheryl Howard performed in Europe as Josephine Baker and became so intrigued with the woman's life and career, she wrote her own play. I agree that Josephine Baker is a compelling figure, both as a performer and as a woman, but I'm not sure this particular piece is the most compelling example of celebrating her.
For one thing, this one-woman show isn't necessarily dramatic - events are presented chronologically, in more of a book report format. I'm rarely a fan of "and then she did..." kinds of work. The transitions can be clumsy at times: Howard will just wander back between scenes and wipe her brow or take a drink. I can appreciate how exhausting this piece must be for Howard, she's onstage alone for over an hour, but I kept thinking the director should've been able to come up with a more interesting way to segue between scenes. The original songs that are used at the top of the show are pretty generic, so musically, it was hard for me to get really involved until the terrific period songs that Josephine Baker actually performed were introduced. Also, at times, because the other characters Howard performs (including Josephine's grandmother and one of her rivals) are so compelling, sometimes Baker herself becomes a cypher. I'm thinking it might've been more successful for me if the author had chosen one method, either Baker herself relating the story, or the other characters relating Baker's story. I could be wrong, of course. Oh, and I felt like there was at least one scene missing. One moment, Josephine was singing with joy and the toast of Paris, the next she was vindictively screaming at her lover. Again, I understand that, historically, once Josephine came back to the US, she experienced great pain and hardship, but it just happened so quickly onstage, I wasn't prepared.
Having complained, I will say that I think the show is a worthwhile visit, due to the amazing acting talent of Cheryl Howard. She is a brilliantly charismatic performer and delineates the many characters beautifully. She also performs Josephine's signature numbers thrillingly. The end of the show, presented in a concert format, is wonderful and sends you out on a high note (even with the gasp of sadness that comes when you read the slides that are projected onstage). I felt the thrill of young Josephine's first glimpse of freedom when she arrived in Paris, and I felt her fear of losing it all. I just wish the script itself was more deserving of this wonderful performance.
I've been very lazy in the Summer Friday experiment department (and today I'm just too tired for a museum or a fancy lunch. A nap on the couch is all I have the energy for...), but I have enjoyed several recent outings.
I finally went to see Pixar's Brave and LOVED it. I definitely want to go back and see it again. I loved seeing a female heroine not defined by a man and I found the mother/daughter story touching. The score by Patrick Doyle was beautiful and the scenes of the gorgeous countryside were breathtaking. If the storytelling isn't as thrillingly idiosyncratic as Up or the Toy Story trilogy, well, ok. Thumbs still way up from me. Oh, and the short film that precedes Brave, La Luna, is gorgeously enchanting. I may have teared up at how beautiful it was...
I met a friend downtown at Tribeca Tavern, another locale I'd never visited before, and enjoyed myself. I always enjoy seeing this particular chum - we have completely different tastes in theater, so it's fun to debate the merits (or lack thereof) of selected shows. It's also nice to have someone on whom to practice flirting that won't go anywhere. :) Beer-lovers would adore Tribeca Tavern, they have scads of modestly priced beers on tap and in bottles. I'm not really a beer lover, so I got a glass (or two) of a nice Malbec and enjoyed a thin-crust margherita pizza. Tribeca Tavern is definitely worth another visit, though the grown men carrying skateboards rather threw me for a loop...
Another wonderful New York experience: I got to attend a rooftop cocktail party at a gorgeous location. It was for work, but I still enjoyed myself enormously. It became difficult to take many photos, since I had a drink in one hand and needed another hand for passed snacks, but I got a few good ones. :) The official photographer, Ken Goodman, also got some fun shots with me in them (he got the one at right). It was a lovely evening and I am completely envious of people who can work in such beautiful surroundings. Times Square is fun, but 'beautiful' it is not. Let's all raise a glass and hope for more gorgeous nights this summer...
**five years ago, I adored Patti LuPone in the City Center summer production of Gypsy; three year's ago, I enjoyed Geoffrey Naufft's Next Fall Off-Broadway; last year, I had a good time at Death Takes a Holiday, though the guy playing Death took a holiday too (god love an understudy)... :)
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