Flashing back yet again!

Happy Friday!  I can't believe this was eight years ago - and after all my talk about loving this playwright's work, I can't believe I haven't gotten tickets to his latest series of plays at the Public.  I need to work on that...  Oh, and to the right is yet another photo of a spot I hope to see in November.  I'm thinking of posting a photo every week, just for fun.




7/29/2008:  Finally!  Can you believe I haven’t seen a show in nearly two months?!  I can’t.  So the Golden Age of MissTari Reviews is probably over.  Now you’ll have time for your regular lives since you won’t have my huge and rambling reviews to read on a steady basis.  Oh well.

A handsome friend and I went to the revival of Richard Nelson’s Some Americans Abroad last night at Second Stage.  I saw the original off-Broadway and Broadway productions of the play at Lincoln Center when I first moved to New York—I remember really enjoying the play and having a great time.  I actually saw it three times.  Though, when my handsome friend asked me for recollections of the original production, I had to admit I couldn’t remember a thing!  I sort of had a recollection that Bob Balaban and Frances Conroy were in it, but other than that—nothing.  So does that say something about the play?  Or me?  I’m not sure.

I enjoyed myself again last night, but I’m thinking part of my original enjoyment was due to the fact that I was teaching at the time (and the characters in the play are mainly academics).  Now that I’m so far away from that part of my life, it didn’t feel as immediate.  I still chuckled knowingly, but didn’t feel as if this production of this play was telling me anything new or fresh.  As always, Nelson’s dialogue is clever and quick, but, in this instance, it didn’t really seem to serve a purpose. It wasn’t to enlighten anything about the play.  At least, I don’t think it did.  These pretentious Americans, who hate pretentious Americans, have great conversations and get into interesting situations, but they don’t really say anything about anything.  Although, now that I think about it, that could be the point.  The pretentious Americans, who talk and talk and talk about how smart they are, don’t really say anything.  It IS an interesting dichotomy, but I don’t think the play is well-served by this production.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

The actors are ok, for the most part, though I didn’t love the wife of the professor who fears for his job.  But I mainly didn’t love her hairdo, which apparently severely impacted my enjoyment of her characterization.  ;)     I liked Tom Cavenaugh well enough, though a couple of times I wanted to shout at him “think and act at the same time!!” There were a lot of pauses for thinking, since they were playing academics, you know.  They think a lot.  Well, speed up the thinking!  Halley Feiffer as the young former student who now lives in London was quite a hoot, though.  I’m going to keep my eye on what she does next. And I always enjoy Enid Graham.  

My handsome friend hit the nail on the head, I think, when we were discussing the production afterwards.  The problem really lies with the director, who didn’t really direct the piece to have any momentum or forward motion.  All of the scenes just sort of lie there, then there’s a blackout, then the actors move the new set pieces off/on stage. Every scene, same thing.  There didn’t really seem to be any sense of urgency anywhere, so I really fault the pacing and the direction.  I did like the concept of leaving all of the set pieces, once they were used, upstage.  The idea of these ugly Americans leaving pieces of themselves everywhere they went was clever, but that’s about the only directorial choice I did enjoy. 

It’s an interesting dilemma—I’m now forever predisposed to enjoy Richard Nelson’s plays because I loved the original production of Some Americans Abroad so much!  I've probably seen ten or so of his plays since.  But now I’ve seen another production of that first play and I didn’t love it as much.  Will I be tougher on him in the future?  Probably not. I do look forward to what he writes next.  I like his use of dialogue and, generally, what he has to say.   So I guess I would say that if you get a discount, I’d recommend your seeing this production.  It’s definitely not the best use of this play, but it’s entertaining enough.  And I always think Nelson is worthwhile.

I’m seeing A.R. Gurney’s new play next week (lucked into a free ticket), but after that, who knows?!  Perhaps I should get a second job to pay for theater tickets!  Something to think about, I guess…

Review - Good

When I was in high school, our drama teacher suggested we all join the Fireside Theatre book club and read plays.  Since reading was my passion from an early age, and theater was becoming my passion, I quickly joined.  I was a member of Fireside, off and on, for years, and treasure the scripts that survived all of my moves over the years.  One of the scripts I particularly enjoyed was C.P. Taylor's Good.  I found the idea of how a supposedly 'good' man could become a Nazi a very provocative one.  When I was in undergrad, our summer theater did an excellent production of Good, some of which is still in my memory (which is kind of amazing since I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday).  During grad school and my years at a community theater, I always suggested the play for production, but no one ever took me up on my suggestion.  All of that is to say that I've been thinking about this play for over 30 years and when a discounted ticket came up on TDF for an Off-Broadway production, I immediately hit the 'buy' button.  It was a sobering evening at the theater.

This election season is an especially apt time to be producing Good.  Watching an intelligent, well-reasoned man rationalize himself into the Nazi party, then the SS, and then into his horrifying position at the end of the play rather mirrors how some people have been persuaded to leave their reason behind over the last few months.  Watching a man whose first priority is the easy way out, the way that gives him the most security and comfort, was also quite chillingly current.

photo credit: Stan Barouh

Good is a horrifying tragedy, with many comic and musical interludes.  It's part memory play, part stream of consciousness performance art.  I think this particular production was less successful with the comedy and the music (instead of live musicians interacting with the cast, we had recordings that often weren't at a high enough sound level to have much of an effect), but the acting, especially from the lead actor, was mainly very strong and that made the second act and the arc of the play pretty compelling.

There were some odd, weak directorial choices, but there were also some very strong and powerful statements as well, especially the end of the first act and the end of the play.  I was quite breathless both times, and the power of those scenes made me forget some of the weaknesses that came before.  Plus, again, everything seemed so relevant and timely, at times it was scary. Listen to what one of the characters says (this quote is taken from my Fireside Theatre copy of the script):  "Hitler's got all the power he needs now. They're bound to drop all that racial shit they had to throw around to get their votes... They can't afford not to.  I know that... But I can't believe it."  When I heard that, I gasped.  And there's no way you can't be horrified by what happens at the end.  The lights went out, the audience sat there for a moment, then the applause started.  And then...

We all rather quietly walked out of the theater and across the lobby to the elevator to take us back upstairs to the exit.  I was still pretty shaken by what I had watched.  When we got on the elevator, one of the audience members said, "Well, we're all watching the rise of another regime right now!"  Everyone in the elevator nodded.  And then someone else said, "On both sides!"  And everyone else in the elevator nodded.  I thought, wait, what?!  These are intelligent, well-reasoned, savvy, NYC-theatergoing people and they can say THAT?! More horror, as far as I was concerned.  I may have cried all the way to the subway.  And had more realizations that this kind of thing can happen any time, anywhere. And that scared me again.  So I guess producing Good now DID do what it set out to do, but not in the way that I expected.

Summer Friday at the Morgan

My plans got changed for last week's Summer Friday - since it was so hot, I thought about just going home and sitting in my air conditioning, but then I thought about how much my electric bill is, and about how I live in NYC and should always take advantage of fun culture around here.  I'd been to the Morgan Library & Museum before, but there's an exhibit there currently that I wanted to catch before it closes and it was a quick commute there from my office, so...voila.  A fun few hours at the Morgan.  I took a lot of photos, some of which I'll include at the end.  I went a little crazy with one of my photo apps, but I think some of those shots are really pretty.

The exhibit I especially wanted to catch was "Rembrandt's First Masterpiece."  I do love Rembrandt - his use of light and muted colors appeals to me greatly.  Hearing that this piece hadn't be exhibited in America before only increased my interest.  When I got to the museum, the gal at the front desk told me a guided tour of that exhibit would be starting in five minutes, if I was interested.  Yay! I love a guided tour!  Our tour guide, Richard, was excellent.  He told us about Rembrandt's life and career before this painting and how the painting was discovered.  He showed us interesting aspects of the painting itself, along with walking us through some of the exploratory drawings Rembrandt did and explaining process and media to us as well.  It was thoroughly enjoyable - I think he got carried away because we were a small, but lively, group who asked a lot of questions.  At one point, after nearly an hour, he looked at his watch and said, "Wow!  I'm way behind!"  I learned a lot from a very charming guide.  After the tour was over, I stayed in the exhibit room to look even more closely at the painting, "Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver," and at the other drawings.  There are some exquisite things in that room.

When I finally finished there, I walked across the hall to another exhibit, "City of the Soul: Rome and the Romantics."  You don't have to invite me twice to an exhibit about Rome. The exhibit 'examines the evolving image of Rome in art and literature with a display of books, manuscripts, prints, photographs, and drawings' (as described on their website).  I was tickled to see a painting of Rome by J.M.W. Turner, especially after seeing his whaling paintings last week at the Met.  But other works were lovely as well, and I ended up buying one of the postcards in the gift shop.  I hope all this Italy surrounding me is part of the good karma that will get me there in the fall...

After the Rome exhibit, I went to the back of the museum, to Pierpont Morgan's original library, along with an amazing rotunda and his study.  I tell you, seeing such wealth is overwhelming.  I mean, I'd love to have an amazing library like that, but I'd be afraid to have some of those priceless pieces of art just hanging around!  I did get a thrill out of seeing a Gutenberg Bible, and a first folio of Shakespeare's work, and a letter from Frederick Douglass on discrimination (heartbreaking in today's world to see how far we HAVEN'T come), a piece of music handwritten by Chopin, and a Dada text.  There was so much to see, it was crazy!  I'm fortunate to have been there on a day when the museum wasn't too busy - I thought on such a hot day, it would be packed in there, but happily it wasn't.

There were a couple of exhibits I missed, since I was starting to get a little tired, so I think I might have to go back.  Maybe next time my mom is here, she loved seeing the pictures I was texting her.  I made a couple of purchases in the lovely gift shop and home I went. Another lovely Summer Friday in the books!  On this week's Summer Friday schedule: Restaurant Week lunch #1!  I can't wait!  :)

well, THIS is going on my Christmas list!

Flashback to fireworks, onstage and off!

Happy Summer Flashback Friday, everyone! This is a fun flashback - I loved seeing this show, both at City Center and again when it moved to Broadway.  What a show!  What a cast!  A great memory (and I can't believe it's nine years ago already!)...

7/22/07:  Hi.  Saw Gypsy Tuesday night at City Center and had a grand time.  It’s just a beautifully written show (contrary to the opinion of the idiots sitting behind me; seriously, you can't say you're a theater lover and then try to tell me this isn't one of the best American musicals ever written).  This production is terrifically cast and wonderfully performed.  It’s the perfect summer getaway show—I had a smile on my face from start to finish.  Well, except of course for the scenes where I was crying or couldn’t breathe.

Patti was phenomenal.  From start to finish, a roller coaster Rose.  But so real.  And her singing was amazing.  I didn’t catch any of the mush mouth stuff that people frequently bring up as a criticism of her work.  She found some new stuff in Rose that I hadn’t seen before, and I’ve seen this show at least ten times over the years.  In fact, all of the actors found new shadings I’d never seen before, much to my happiness.

I will say, though, that even though I love Patti, and found her wonderful in this production, I feel the audience took their Patti-love a little too far.  The sustained applause for her at her entrance was a little much—ok, we all know people LOVE her, but let the skit get rolling for heaven’s sake! She’ll know you love her without stopping the show.  And the standing ovation during “Rose’s Turn”?  Again, a little much.  I want to see how she flows OUT of this amazing number into her last scene, and it’s hard to do, let alone see, when there are people standing and applauding and screaming.  I hate to curb people’s responses, but show the love during the curtain call, people!  I’m just not a fan of SOs during performances.  Never have been, never will be.  There was actually an interesting story in the Times recently about this development. I’ll try to find it, if people are interested.

Back to the review.  Before this production, I thought Jonathan Hadary was the best Herbie I’d ever seen, but my goodness, Boyd Gaines just rocks.  From the very first scene, you get this palpable sense of the physical and emotional connection between Rose and Herbie. Plus, his genial sense of humor combined with a steely center of affection for Rose and her girls makes him a formidable presence alongside Patti.   You just really feel that this is an unshakeable relationship, until Rose does the unthinkable in the burlesque house.  You get the same kick in the gut that Herbie does as he walks out.  Boyd is really wonderful.

I also really liked Laura Benanti, whose casting made me think "huh?".  Her “Little Lamb” was lovely, very moving, and the strip sequence was terrific.  I was also really blown away by her in the last scene with her mother.  Really really wonderful stuff that, again, I’ve never really seen explored in quite that way before.  And I LOVED the gal playing Dainty June. Her name is Leigh Ann Larkin and I am going to keep an eye on her next move.  She was just great.  Wow!  What a radically different interpretation of that character!  But so logical that you wonder why I haven’t seen it done this way before!  Plus, it’s really incredible how the kids are planting the seeds of their adult counterpoints performances in the beginning of the show.  Arthur Laurents has done a terrific job of directing, yet again. It was the same Gypsy we want to see, yet different.  Wonderful. 

Oh, and the fantabulous trio of strippers, Marilyn Caskey, Alison Fraser and Nancy Opel? Sublime.  And I got teary-eyed AGAIN at one of my favorite pieces of stagecraft ever—when the strobe lights go and the kids dance off and the adults dance on.  I just love that. It’s such a perfect theatrical moment.  It almost always makes me cry.  I’m such a softie.

I also loved seeing one of my very early boyfriends (who is distressingly old and makes me feel ancient), Bill Raymond, as Rose’s FATHER.  Argh.  I am truly getting old.  But he was very good, as expected.

The house wasn’t full, so you could probably get in, if you have a mind to.  I’ve heard that tickets are up at TKTS right before showtime.  I was in the mezzanine and there were lots of seats available, contrary to City Center’s ‘sold out’ reports.  I’m just saying. You’ll have a good time—honest!

p.s.  OH, and I almost forgot the best part!  Well, not the BEST part, but it was so cool—when I came out of the theater and was walking to the R train at 57th Street, there were fireworks going off in Central Park!  I don’t know why, but I got to stand and see some fireworks! Which seemed pretty apropos after seeing the fireworks that were on stage at City Center. Whee!  

Random Photos of Recent Excursions

We're entering the 'not much going on - trying to save money for trip' phase of my life, so be prepared.  I have a couple of shows coming up, along with some Restaurant Week lunches, but posts will most likely be fewer and farther between.  To make sure you don't forget about me, I thought I'd post some random photos from recent jaunts about town. And there will be some flashback posts every now and then.  This photo at left is a shot of a place I hope to go come November...

For last week's Summer Friday, I went over to the Met and enjoyed looking at two of their current exhibits - Turner's Whaling Pictures and From the Imperial Theater: Chinese Opera Costumes of the 18th and 19th Centuries.  I'll put photos below.  I love the Met.  I probably should've devoted this summer's Fridays to just exploring different sections of the Met, since I have my free idNYC membership to play with.  I have plans for the next couple of Fridays, but I will keep the idea in mind.  Oh, I have to mention one thing that tickled me: as is my custom, I got totally lost in the Met.  I wanted to look at the Arms and Armor exhibit on my way out of the museum and send some pictures of it to my nephew.  I asked one of the guards for directions and here's what she said - "You'll see Christ.  In wooden form.  Just go that way."  I wondered for a moment if she was still giving me directions or saying something else.  But, no, you'll see from a photo that she was going with an important directional landmark... :)

Last night, I went over to Dixon Place and saw a beautiful gal pal in a workshop production. My beautiful gal pal was sublime, as always, and, as ever, I have no perspective, so...that's all I can say.   But I did get a couple of good cloud/sun/moon shots, so I'll include them below, too, along with some random photos of things that caught my eye.  Hope to see you again sometime soon!!