Burrowing...but not

Maybe it's the change in weather - I feel low and I feel as if I've been hibernating.  That I just want to stay in, brood, and stay away from people.  But I really haven't.  Since last we met, I've seen several things, a couple of concerts and a couple of previews.  Maybe my brain is tired.  Work has been stressful lately and there have been stressful moments on the personal front.  I haven't put anything into my Happy Jar for weeks.  What I think I need to do is recalibrate and relearn to embrace my joy.  But first, let me share what I've been up to for the last couple of weeks...

I guess in response to my lowness, I took myself to see TOSOS' production of Street Theater three times.  If you need a reminder, this is what I thought of the show the first time I saw it (HERE is my review).  Obviously, I loved it.  And I loved it again, all three times I was there.  I honestly laughed so much and cried so much, it was a little extreme.  My reasons for seeing it so much are many:  1) I wanted to support TOSOS, a theater company that is near and dear to my heart; 2) I wanted to support my friends working on and in the show; 3) I wanted to support a play I think deserves a more featured spot in contemporary American theater history; 4) I wanted to repeatedly experience the highs and lows and complete exhilaration the play gives me; 5) tickets were cheap; 6) and I wanted to shout a big F*CK YOU to various members of my family who would see my Facebook status updates, saying I was at a gay bar, every time I went.  I admit that reason #6 is not the most mature reason to see a show, but there you have it.  Anytime I get a chance to see Street Theater, I'm going to take it.

I went to see two events at Joe's Pub, both of which really shouldn't be reviewed.  What I WILL say is that the cheap seats at Joe's Pub are almost always behind a pole, so I need to save my pennies if I want to go there.  But, the food is pretty good.  The first night I went (to see a concert version of a friend's terrific new musical), I ordered the mini lobster rolls.  They were quite tasty, as was the alcoholic cider beverage that I enjoyed.  The second night I went (to see an event commemorating Banned Books Week), I got the rock shrimp tacos and the frozen sangria.  Delicious.  Since there's a drink and/or food minimum, you could do worse ordering these tasty treats off the menu.

I saw two preview performances of Roundabout Theatre Company shows: the Off-Broadway production of Anna Ziegler's The Last Match, and the Broadway revival of J.B. Priestley's Time and the Conways.  I enjoyed both performances.  Since they're still in previews, I'll only offer a few thoughts.  The Last Match is a play in my wheelhouse: it's about a men's tennis match at the US Open.  Hello.  It has my name written all over it.  The play takes place before and during a semifinal match - the two combatants are an American who has been on top for years (he seemed to me a combination of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer) and a Russian who has been highly touted for his talent, but hasn't quite made the breakthrough yet (he seemed to me a variation of Australian Nick Kyrgios, with maybe a dash of Novak Djokovic).  I found the play very intriguing, with bits of stylized theatrical tennis intermingled with inner monologues from the players.  Ideas of sports reflecting life, and how the two can co-exist, were very interesting to me.  The dialogue was spot on and the characterizations were very specific and interesting.  The other characters in the show were the American's wife and the Russian's girlfriend.  All four actors were quite good, handling the terrific dialogue very well and finding many spots for humor in the ebbs and flow of the match.  Maybe I found the drama of the tennis match was more compelling than the drama of the interior lives of the characters, and the ending didn't seem earned to me, but it's still early.  Even with my quibbles, I enjoyed myself.  You should go.

photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

Time and the Conways is a revival of a late 1930s play that deals with a seemingly happy family, first in 1919, then in 1937, then back to 1919 again.  I found the first act to be beautifully evocative of an era long-gone, and it seemed pretty timely with the idea that the classes will always be dissatisfied and will always try to rise against each other.  The first scene is right after the end of WW1 and the Conways are throwing a birthday party for the middle daughter.  We meet each of the Conway siblings and get a sense of who they are and an idea of who they will become - there are a few outsiders as well, and we're unsure of how they will fit into the picture moving forward.  The second scene in the first act takes place in 1937 and the Conways' situations have changed dramatically.  We see what they've all become and they're barely recognizable as the lighthearted creatures of the first scene.  Throw in some ideas about how time isn't linear, but is instead constantly evolving on top of itself and you can live your past and your present at the same time, and the first act had lovely things to say.  After intermission, the second act goes back to that party in 1919, and we now see those lighthearted young people in a different light, having seen how their lives turned out.  We see the moments that changed their lives and the missed connections that ruined everything.  One of the characters still seems to be struggling with the idea of the fluidity of time, and sort of lives in two dimensions, but I don't think that pay-off quite worked.  The second act was much less successful to me than the first.  I think the first act promised something that wasn't delivered.  But I had a good time - the acting was all good, the costumes were gorgeous, the set was terrific and the show was very well-directed.  Oh, and I spent the evening with a beautiful gal pal AND my ticket was free.  Once my seat neighbor finished his nap and stopped leaning on me, the experience was much better.  😉  

Then, last Sunday night, I had the joyful experience of attending the 25th anniversary concert celebration of Ahrens and Flaherty's My Favorite Year at 54 Below.  You may recall I saw a bare-bones production of the show at the York a couple of years ago (my review is HERE); I just love this musical.  It's so funny and joyful and free-spirited and rueful and emotional.  Seeing the concert was a fabulous experience and just what I needed during this low period.  Much of the cast was the same as I saw at the York - Douglas Sills was again divine as Alan Swann and Adam Chanler-Berat was perfect as Benjy Stone.  Carolee Carmello was a wonderful addition as Benjy's mom and it was fantastic to see the original Broadway Benjy, Evan Pappas, as our host.  At first, I was a little bummed that my seat was all the way over to the left, but it ended up being a fun place to sit because the actors were positioned all around us.  My tablemates were very nice and it was a grand evening.  Why, oh why can't I be rich so I can fund a revival of this fantastic show?!?!  Dang it.  I highly recommend your checking out the original Broadway cast album, and also checking out the 1982 film that inspired the musical.  You'll feel the joy, too.

I have a full couple of weeks coming up, with some ballet and new Broadway shows.  Let's hope the fog lifts and I can get back on the blogging train.  Thanks for being so patient...