The older I get, the harder it is for me to separate my personal feelings from my critical thinking. If I love someone, I probably will love their work. I can, I think, see problems if they're there, but the positive feelings I have often outweigh the negative feelings. In a world that can be negative and mean, I'll embrace my overly-positive opinions and move on. Plus, I don't think there's anything wrong with context and admission of bias... :)
Wednesday night, I went to see dear David Johnston's new play Coney at the New Ohio Theater on Christopher Street. I had purchased my ticket quite a while ago and was happy the show had resumed performances after being dark during Storm Sandy. Of course, the night I went was the night of the snowstorm, so it was a bit of a slog to get down there, but it was worth it. The house wasn't all that full, though, so I'm guessing a few people decided it might not be worth it. Well, they're the ones who lost out. I was happy to have warmed up with a nice glass of sangiovese before crossing the street to the theater, I will admit. I was also happy to run into more friends at the theater. It gave me a nice warm feeling to be there, even though the weather outside was frightful.
For me, Coney is a lovely meditation on regret and acceptance and love. It's also terrifically funny. As always, David's characters are totally real people who say completely delightful things. His dialogue is always witty and true without being set-ups for jokes. The characters have a lived-in quality, so you completely buy the relationships between them. I'm pretty sure each character had at least one line that made me stop, sigh and think 'yeah.' That's such a gift--not a lot of writers nowadays trust their characters enough and instead throw punchlines around. David has written these wonderful characters, and the wonderful cast finds so many shades in each of them. I felt such affection for the young kids on their first date AND for the older gents who showed us a lifetime of friendship in just a few scenes AND for the carney folk just trying to make a living AND for the drunk gal whose life intersects with many of the other characters. I will admit to feeling less affection for the father and daughter and the random gal who briefly comes between them - I'm not sure why, though.
I think Coney is being given a terrific production by Blue Coyote Theater Group. The design utilizes the theater space very well and even uses the quirks of the physical space to its advantage. The lovely final images of fireworks will stay with me for quite a while. I give Coney a big thumbs up and encourage you to see it. But, as previously mentioned, I am totally predisposed to enjoy a David Johnston piece. :)
Last night, I caught the second preview of the new Broadway musical, A Christmas Story. Based on that beloved movie, this musical has a score written by two boys I just adore, so, again, it's hard for me to be objective. Plus, this was only the second preview, and I'm sure there will be changes made during the preview period. But, on the whole, I had a great time.
The movie is a lot of fun and so is the musical. They wisely kept most of the iconic moments, finding cute ways to musicalize them. I think the libretto retains the dry warmth of the movie's screenplay, with a little contemporary awareness that fits in well. The songs are tuneful and have great affection for the characters. I'll admit to having a particular fondness for the songs in the daydream/fantasy production numbers - I found the music and lyrics a little more sparkling in these numbers. But the other songs are also terrifically crafted with smart lyrics that don't call attention to themselves. That's a compliment, if you weren't sure.
The kids in this cast are terrific - adorable, but not so cutesy cute that you want to throw up. They all just seem like real kids and they're all really talented. The boy playing Ralphie is carrying a Broadway musical on his little shoulders and he does a great job. Plus, there's a nice feeling of connection between the boy and the adult who plays the narrator/Jean Shepherd/lots of other random characters. That simpatico was really sweet. All of the actors did a good job in carrying the essence of the characters we're all familiar with, but yet making choices that were unique to themselves. There were no slavish recreations of character choices, but you felt the flavor of the original story and the movie.
The staging and the choregraphy were nice, most especially the tap numbers. I so adore a tap number and adding tap dancing kids? Genius. The orchestrations were terrific and it was lovely to hear a tuneful, vibrant overture. There were quite a few kids in the house and they all seemed engaged throughout, which is a great sign. There were several technical glitches that I'm sure will be smoothed out by the time the show opens. The physical production seems a little cluttered to me, but there are a lot of scenes to get in and out of. Scene changes came to a halt a couple of times in the second act, and there were strange pauses here and there. I know they lost a few days in the theater due to Storm Sandy, so these are probably just growing pains.
All I know is, I had tears in my eyes several times - once, because two sweet, uber-talented kids I know are getting this wonderful Broadway debut, and I was so proud and happy for them - but also when the warmth and nostalgia for the movie, the story, for Christmas all came rushing over me. I'm sure the lady next to me thought I was insane, but shoot me. I'm an easy cry. I will definitely go back and see the show again, not only to support my friends, but to get that feeling of nostalgic happiness again. Plus, hello, they're selling the leg lamps at the concession stand. I can think of at least one friend who needs one...
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