Summer RW 2019 - Cipriani Wall Street

I know, I know, I am shamefully behind in blogging.  I have a post in my head about the Encores Off-Center series and I've also seen a few other new plays, but I just don't have the time to blog.  I apologize.  All I can do is try to do better.  Which won't happen until later in August...

Anyway, you all know Restaurant Week is my favorite time of the year!  I've been so busy, I've only scheduled one lunch so far, but I'm hoping to choose a couple more spots in the near future.  Last week, for a Summer Friday, I went with an office chum to Cipriani Wall Street.  I've long heard of Cipriani and I've long known that they are a pricey, old-time sort of place.  But the menu looked tasty and I generally enjoy a trip downtown.  



I really need to learn to stop taking my phone's GPS directions as gospel - almost always, when I go way downtown, my Google directions go haywire.  For some reason, I'm continually walking in the opposite direction.  And so it happened last week - thankfully, we caught it in time and arrived only a few minutes late for our lunch reservation.  Most of the customers were seated on the very nice veranda; my office chum and I decided we wanted to stay in the shade (and air conditioning), so we were the only party seated inside for lunch.

Cipriani Wall Street is definitely old-school, country club sort of place.  It's in a landmarked building, which is cool, with a Greek revival facade.  Lunch is served in the less formal area of the building, in Club 55, so we didn't get to see the famed 70-foot ceiling with a Wedgewood dome, but that's ok.  I probably would've felt out of place having a Summer Friday lunch in a place that swanky.

I was a little disappointed that the lunch menu I saw online was not the lunch menu that was offered last Friday.  I had been looking forward to the burrata and the linguine with clams!  But I guess $26 beggars can't be choosers.  I did, however, break the bank and get a bellini.  The Cipriani/Harry's Bar bellinis are quite famous, so I decided I needed to try one.  It was exceedingly delicious, with just the right amount of white peach puree and prosecco.  It was the perfect refreshing beverage for a very hot day.  I'm glad I splurged to try it.

For my appetizer, I chose the prosciutto cotto with provolone.  It was tasty and a pretty big portion.  I prefer prosciutto raw, instead of cooked, but that's ok.  The cheese was also very fresh and tasty.  It went very nicely with the bread basket our server gave us.  I will say that I expected a perhaps fancier plating, but I guess that's not part of their appeal.

For my main course, I got the sea bass with lemon and capers, served with rice pilaf.  Again, the food was delicious and portioned nicely.  And, again, it was rather a dull plating.  But the fish was perfectly prepared, with a crisp exterior and moist interior.  The sauce was perfectly balanced between lemon, butter, and capers, and the rice was perfectly fluffy.  I ate every last bit of it (and ate a little bit more bread to get all that yummy sauce).  There was just nothing exciting about it.  Delicious, but not exciting.  

Our server brought around the dessert tray (you can get an a la carte dessert for an extra cost), and they all looked delicious, but we opted not to get one.  My cocktail was pricey and dessert-y, so I figured that was good for me.  The strawberry shortcake looked amazing, though.  I guess I could go back and give it a try sometime, though, like most restaurants I choose for Restaurant Week, it's not really a 'go back time and again' place.  It's a pricey, special occasion locale, which is just fine.  One thing that's really nice about Cipriani Wall Street is that they have a very Italian notion about their dining service - the servers aren't intrusive and you can be there as long as you like.  That was fun.  I had a grand time chatting and laughing with my office chum, and I thoroughly enjoyed my delicious lunch plus cocktail.  Who needs every meal to be exciting?  I guess there's always room for tried, true, and reliable.  

What You Should See Right Now - recommendations

I have been very fortunate lately to catch moving and complex work that tells stories which are new to me and necessary to the world we live in now.  I'm grateful to brave producers for presenting them and I hope audiences will seek them out.  But, because I am in complete brain freeze at the moment due to work (excuse me, but summer is for regrouping, not working harder than ever!), I'm only going to offer brief recommendations for shows you should GO SEE RIGHT NOW (seriously, go buy tickets right now):

Bar Dykes - presented by TOSOS at the Flea Theater.  This play, written by Merril Mushroom in the 1980s but getting its NY premiere here, tells the story of a lesbian bar in the 1950s.  Well, the story of a lesbian bar but also so much more.  Everything, really, about a group of women you don't see on stage nearly enough. The theater space is small, so it's as if you're in the bar, hearing the lives of these women play out right in front of you.  The cast is absolutely sublime, their stories are funny/sad/heartbreaking and I loved every minute of this theatrical experience.  How far we have come and how far we have to go in recognizing everyone's humanity is presented in a terrifically directed and acted production.  The show runs until August 3, so I mean it, get your tickets now.  You're not going to see a show like this again soon.

the way she spoke - presented by Audible Theater at the Minetta Lane.  Isaac Gomez has written a powerful piece of theater that explores the trauma of the missing and murdered women in Juarez, Mexico, and also the role of the artist in exposing these traumas.  Kate del Castillo plays all of the roles - a version of herself as an actress called in to read this 'script,' the stand-in for the playwright who reports on how he put the script together, and also other important people in the victims' lives.  There is humor, yes, but also the play is unsparing in its depiction of the tragedy of patriarchy.  Character after character was drawn with empathy and compassion, except for the soldiers, who were depicted with all of their venality and privilege.  the way she spoke has beautiful dialogue telling an ugly story, even while it's trying to consider the way art can heal and help people move forward.  It's moving and unique and special and you should go see it right now.  I was also so lucky to be able to witness the post-show talkback between Isaac and playwright Luis Alfaro.  They were so generous and humble and insightful, talking about their process and their responsibility to their community.  It was an amazing coda to an incredible piece of theater.  I cried the next day when relating the evening to my boss - I was just filled with gratitude that I could be in the room with such people and such stories.  It just crystallized for me THESE are the stories I want; THIS is what I want to talk about and learn about.  

A Strange Loop - presented by Playwrights Horizons.  Yes, I returned for a second visit to Michael R. Jackson's amazing musical.  If anything, it's even more devastating (in the best theatrical way) the more you see it.  The performances have deepened (I am telling you, Larry Owens is giving a performance that will stand the test of time, he is absolute genius in this role) and the storytelling is even more detailed and pure.  The music grabs you and the lyrics stun you.  The book scenes are also gut-wrenching - did I mention the subway scene in my first review?  It's one of the best, most specific scenes of character development with a twist that's currently on stage right now.  I cannot recommend this show highly enough.  It's billed as sold out, but there were a few people there who got onto a standby list and who got into the theater.  They were especially thrilled by the show, but really, everyone was.  It was another great night at the theater and if I could see this show every night, I would.  I'm so excited a cast album is being recorded.

All of these shows are done with skill and grace and insight into parts of the human condition that are not regularly seen on stage.  The audiences were filled with people who were so moved to see themselves and their stories on stage and that moved me.  These are the types of show that move me right now - long may they reign.  And please let there be more brave producers willing to give everyone the chance to be moved.

Review - #DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment

I'm very fortunate that every now and then, free tickets to new shows come my way.  Often, they're for shows I wouldn't have seen otherwise, so I'm especially grateful.  I recently received a pair of tickets for the new Off-Broadway show #Date Me: An OkCupid Experiment.  A show title with a hashtag in it wouldn't normally be on my radar, but I thought, why not?  A beautiful gal pal came with me and a good time was definitely had.

We first met at Adella, a very cute little wine bar on the west side.  I had the flatbread with smoked mozzarella, figs, and proscuitto, along with a limoncello fizz (limoncello and proseco).  It was a very tasty treat before the show, which just happened to be in the theater across the street.  It was great to catch up with my beautiful gal pal and get some laughs in before the show.

The press information for the show states: "48 million Americans have tried online dating. #DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment is the outrageous, true story of one. Robyn is unlucky in love but determined to understand it better, so she logs on to the world’s most popular dating site: OkCupid. Creating 38 “undateable” profiles as an interactive scientific investigation into online dating, Robyn unwittingly sets in motion the social experiment of our generation. Part improv and character driven, with a central story centering on Robyn, a shy vulnerable comic too embarrassed to sign on as her real self, so she creates imaginary comic characters and makes one conclusive result: there’s no algorithm for love."

Sorry, backstory: I halfheartedly tried online dating a couple of times when I was younger.  Whenever I signed up on Match, it kept matching me with a guy with whom I'd already had an unsuccessful date.  So that didn't really give me a positive attitude towards the whole thing.  On another dating site, I asked a prospective match one of the pre-supplied questions and he decided he didn't want to get that personal.  Uh, ok.  I decided I would rather get rejected the old-fashioned way (to my face) and never tried online dating again.  Interestingly, a version of my previous statement was at the top of this show (I grant it's not an original thought, but it sill made me chuckle).

When you walk into the theater, there are screens everywhere, urging you to sign up for the show's app and create a profile.  I thought about it, but then I remembered the 'part improv' piece of the marketing blurb and I decided I didn't want to be part of the show.  It was probably a wise choice.  The show is set up sort of like a Ted Talk or seminar or something, with presentational storytelling, much breaking of the fourth wall, and lots of video technology.  There are also a couple of fun dance numbers, montages, and audience interactions followed by cast improv.

#DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment was actually really fun.  I was surprised at how much genuine laughter it gave me.  It's silly and goofy and high-spirited; my beautiful gal pal and I had a terrific time.  The performers were all fantastic and the audience members selected for the improv/audience participation portions of the evening were really good sports and lots of fun. One thing that keeps you laughing is that the cast frequently reminds you that the profiles and interactions are from actual people.  Real people said the crazy things that came out of the actors' mouths, which just made me laugh even harder at the weird foibles of today's dating scene (of which I am admittedly not a part).  If the messages weren't real, I would think that the script was crazily delusional!   

photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

The rest of the audience also seemed to be getting a real kick out of the production, so it was rather a fun fest.  My beautiful gal pal and I were sitting next to one of the audience participants and she was really a hoot.  I will say that my bad date story would've made a much better bad date story than the one they chose, but...it WAS my choice to sit out of the app and the merriment, so oh well.  But since you're already here, let me share that story with you:

During my time away from NY, I went to a 'bachelor auction' that was a fundraiser for a children's hospital.  I went as a favor to a friend.  When I was looking through the program, I noticed one auction lot that looked just up my alley:  a date to go see Mikhail Baryshnikov dance (this was obviously a number of years ago), with a special dinner beforehand.  I thought the cost seemed reasonable, so I put in a bid at the minimum level indicated.  And I won!  The gent seemed nice enough and we exchanged phone numbers at the end of the evening.

I mean, COME ON!

A couple of weeks later, Mr. Auction Date (let's call him AD, I've repressed his actual name) called to tell me that Baryshnikov was injured and was being replaced by some guy named Nureyev.  I'm like, uh, hello, RUDOLF NUREYEV?!  AD said yeah, he's old, I don't have any interest in seeing him.  I said, he's a superstar, I think it will be great.  AD said, nah, I exchanged our tickets for a Dan Fogelberg concert.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I tell you that I found Dan Fogelberg (a pleasant singer, sure) no acceptable substitute for Nureyev, let alone Baryshnikov, believe me.  Unfortunately, I was too non-confrontational to argue and so I paid way too much money to see Dn Fogelberg.  I have also repressed the concert.  Along with the special dinner, which I have a vague memory of being something picnic-y that we took with us, but I could be wrong about that.  The whole evening is a blur, but I do remember that AD was just so yucky.  There was no second date, clearly.  Ugh.  It's no wonder dating is never at the top of my to-do list - they never go well for me!

Anyway, I would've loved to see the terrific cast of #DateMe: An OkCupid Experiment do an improvisational rap about THAT bad date, but I guess some things might be too much for the universe.  If you go see the show (and if you can get a good discount, I'd recommend it as a fun and silly summer diversion), you have my permission to use my bad date story to see if it gets you on stage.  You never know! 

ABT 2019 - The Sleeping Beauty

Oh, much sadness fills the land because ballet season is over for another year.  At least ABT has announced some very cool stuff for the fall season, so I have that to look forward to.  But knowing that I had ballet every week has been getting me through some trying times in the office.  Hopefully, they will now blow over (though I'm so worn out, this report will probably be a very short one)...

Last night was The Sleeping Beauty; I've missed it since it's been gone!  You may remember that I enjoyed it when they presented this remounting - here are my reviews from 2015 and one from 2016.  I know some people find this version a little less enjoyable because it doesn't really have any bravura dancing, since it's done in late-19th-century style.  But I love it.  I'm such a plot girl, and this version beautifully tells the story of how love can conquer all.  I find the detail and richness of the steps just mine all of the beauty out of Tchaikovsky's score.  The miming throughout is also delightful, not overdone at all.  I wish I had more energy (and cash) to be able to see it again this week before it vanishes for another season.  Oh, and before I forget, the seat neighbor who declared me 'perfect' wasn't there last night, darn it.  The house was really sparse, yet again.  I wish I knew what ABT could do about these dwindling audiences.  

photo credit: Rosalie O'Connor

I was very happy to see that my regular subscription night's cast was the divine Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo.  They are my absolute favorite pair at the moment, I think, and they did not disappoint last night.  Lane was exquisite, just beautifully silky and smooth, with gorgeous footwork and amazing balances.  Her Rose Adagio was fantastic, so secure, though one of her balances was marginally shorter - what made it delightful, though, was that one of her suitors was danced by her real-life husband and they just nodded at each other, secure in each other's arms, and moved forward.  It was really lovely.  And Cornejo is just a prince.  A bit aloof, but kind, he then falls desperately in love with the vision of Aurora.  His solos were amazing, so strong and controlled, and their pas de deux were lovely.  You can just see their chemistry and connection in every step.

from the Met webpage

Everyone was terrific last night - Christine Shevchenko was a beautiful Lilac Fairy, the sparkling Skylar Brandt was a fun and flirty Canary, and Devon Teuscher was airy perfection as the Diamond Fairy.  My MVP Roman Zhurbin was again playing the King and he was regal and wonderful.  Blaine Hoven (who may be becoming an MVP, I'll have to keep an eye on him) was delightful as the Bluebird.  All of the kids from the ballet school were really grand and I may have again noticed that young boy who will be an absolute star.  I've got my eye on him, too.

I think this version of The Sleeping Beauty really gets the best out of the dancers - it's not about how high they can jump or how long they keep their leg extended above their head, but how the steps relate to the music and the story.  It's storytelling through movement and I really love it.  I hope they bring it back for years and years to come.  And I hope the warmth of my ballet joy lasts throughout the summer.

ABT 2019 - Swan Lake

Only two ballets left in my season - oh no!  I'm sad to see the season come to an end, I've enjoyed it so much.  Last night, the balcony was finally full; too bad it has to be an old workhorse that gets butts into seats.  But I'm glad the house was full for such a lovely performance, the screaming and cheering were thunderous throughout the performance of Swan Lake, which I hope made the dancers very proud.

I've seen Swan Lake a lot; I was just re-reading some of my previous blog posts about it.  It's fun to remember past dancer combinations and reactions - I mean, mainly my reaction is "I loved it!", but I have loved some performances more than others.  I really had a grand time at last night's rendition.  I'd have to put it up near the top of my all-time favorites, but it certainly didn't exceed my gold standard of all Swan Lake evenings (remind yourself of that one HERE).  

It was a happy coincidence that the dancer I most wanted to see dance Odette/Odile was the one scheduled on my regular night, Christine Shevchenko.  I've enjoyed her in other pieces and I was anxious to see her take on this classic.  I was a little less excited that her partner was James Whiteside, who I'm ever-so-fond of, but he can be lackluster in his characterizations (though his dancing and partnering are always first-rate).  I'm happy to report that Shevchenko and Whiteside were terrific together, very in sync and with tons of chemistry.  I'm sure as they develop as a pair, they'll get even better.  But they were already pretty great last night.

photo credit: Gene Schiavone

I admit I don't normally find Whiteside to be a compelling actor, but his throughline as Siegfried (I was surprised to see this was my first time seeing him in this role, I've seen him as Purple Rothbart in the past) was definitely more  sympathetic than I've seen before.  If I still feel he hasn't figured out some things yet (like, why does he leave his party? I don't see his reasoning), I'm at least glad to see forward movement in the acting area.  His dancing is always terrific, strong and powerful, yet extremely light and airy.  So I enjoyed his performance a lot, more than I thought I would, to be honest.  Joseph Gorak (who I was just complaining that I don't see enough) again played Benno, Siegfried's friend; I've seen him do the role a number of times and it's a nice one for him.  It shows his openness and natural ease with characterization and it gives him opportunities to dance beautifully without a lot of partnering (which I can only assume is the problem with his advancement/casting).  The peasant pas de trois was delightful, with Gorak, Cassandra Trenery and the sparkling Skylar Brandt.  They were all lovely and got huge rounds of applause.  Oh, speaking of huge rounds of applause, a great dancer from ABT's past, Martine Van Hamel, played Siegfried's mother and the crowd ate her up.  She was great, with wonderful mime.

photo credit: Gene Schiavone

Once we got to the lake, the first standout was the swan corps de ballet.  They were all terrific (I should mention here that as the lights went up before the start of the show, there was an announcement about many substitutions, I didn't get them all.  I'll only mention one a little later, but I won't be able to point out any of the individual swan dancers, since I have no clue if they were replacements or not), the four cygnettes were very uniform and clean, and the two solo swans were also lovely.  Christine Shevchenko was really lovely as Odette.  She was very soft and lyrical, with gorgeous arms and a beautiful back, and her mime was very expressive.  I could see the fear, then love come onto her face while Siegfried was wooing her.  I noticed she had a very birdlike head movement at the start and end of her first scene, as she was going in and out of her swan guise.  I thought she was gorgeous all around, though I will admit I didn't cry during that famous pas de deux.  I wasn't completely engaged emotionally, but again, I think that will come.  It was only her second go-round in the role.  The audience, however, adored her.  There was much riotous applause after all of her solos and duets with Whiteside.  He, as usual, was a wonderful partner, very attentive and secure.  I never worried for an instant during the difficult lifts, and I worry about most other principal male dancers.

They really pulled out all the stops after the intermission, in the Black Swan pas de deux.  They were both just powerful and fast and on fire.  Shevchenko's fouettes were terrific and she threw in some arm movements I hadn't seen before, which was cool.  And she had an unsupported arabesque that went on forever, it drove the crowd wild.  Whiteside was also leaping higher than I'd seen him leap before, which was also cool.  I had thought I was going to see Alexandre Hammoudi as Purple Rothbart, but apparently I didn't hear the announcement that Calvin Royal III would be playing him instead.  Well, Royal was also ON FIRE.  He was amazing, seducing everyone within his gaze, and his dancing was bold and sexy.  He had a problem with the unsupported arabesque, but he made it work inside his characterization.  I was tremendously impressed with him and it reminded me that I really want to see him as Siegfried someday.

photo credit: Rosalie O'Connor

After Siegfried has betrayed Odette and runs back to the lake, there's a little section of interpolated music with the swans in front of the curtain (while the set is being changed behind) that I normally tune out of, but it was quite good last night.  And the swans dancing was extremely thrilling after the deaths of Odette and Siegfried.  Thomas Forster was the Lizard Rothbart (and, again, how he can do so much great acting inside a rubber lizard suit, I'll never know) and he was incredible in that last scene.  My heart was actually racing and I'm normally just ready for the curtain call after the leads leap to the hereafter.  So that was exciting.  

The crowd was on their feet and gave a lot of love and loud applause to the company once the ballet was over.  My seat neighbor, who had grumbled about kids and their phones throughout the evening, leaned over and told me that I was the best person he had ever sat next to.  Actually, before the second act started, he leaned over and said "If I forget, I want to thank you for being an excellent seat neighbor."  I giggled at that, I must confess.  Then after the ballet was over, he sort of waxed rhapsodic about how he wished he could clone me and I was perfect to sit next to.  Well, there you have it!  Maybe from now on, I should mention MY qualities as a seat neighbor in a post!  You never know who's going to appreciate you!  He put a sweet little topper to a lovely evening.  I will never get sick of watching Swan Lake and I'm grateful to dancers who work so hard to learn, grow, and are ready to thrill me.

A Dreaded Round-Up Post

I just can't get around it, I have to lump a few shows together to try to catch up on my posting.  I have three shows this week and three more next week.  I went to a seminar last week that taught us about "brain dumps," so consider this my blogging brain dump that will help clear my brain for the fun stuff that's ahead.  I'll just offer a few thoughts on various recent stops on my magical tour.

A couple of years ago, I attended a reading of Carla Ching's Nomad Motel and enjoyed it quite a lot.  So when it was announced to be part of the Atlantic Theatre's season, I was greatly looking forward to it.  And when it was announced that the amazing Christopher Larkin, who I found to be brilliant in Hansol Jung's Wolf Play, would be in it, that made it even more tempting!  So a work pal and I headed to the Atlantic's smaller space to check it out.

photo credit: Ahron R Foster

Nomad Motel deals with disenfranchised teens trying to find their way in the world, despite parental and societal obstacles.  It also talks about what makes a home and how you can find your own family, outside of genetics.  Molly Griggs is Alix, who is supporting her family because her mother is incapable of handling things herself, and Larkin is Mason, living alone in a large house because his father is working in Hong Kong.  The twists and turns of Alix and Mason's relationship, with each other and with their parents, are engaging and utterly realistic.  Their dialogue and interactions were authentic and I bought their tentative connection to each other; how they learned from each other on how to keep dreams alive was also terrifically written.  I did think the production was rather leisurely paced and would perhaps have enjoyed more directorial oomph throughout, but I found Ching's characters, dialogue and storytelling to be first rate.  I look forward to seeing more of her work.  And I'm still co-president of the Christopher Larkin fan club, he's terrific.  

photo credit: Bjorn Bolinder

One of my very favorite performers is Jeremy Lawrence - each time I see him in Street Theater, he blows me away; I've also enjoyed his one-man play about Tennessee Williams, Talking Tennessee, over the years.  He has a cabaret piece called Lavender Songs: A Queer Weimar Berlin Cabaret that he's performed around the country and I've always kicked myself that I kept missing it.  Finally, I was able to catch the performance in the cabaret space at Pangea.  And I am ever so glad I did.

Lawrence plays the role of cabaret chanteuse Tante Fritzy, a drag performer in the years during the rise of Hitler.  All of the songs Tante Fritzy performs are authentic songs from the period, written by gay and lesbian artists (many of the songs have English lyrics translated by Lawrence himself) - they are not only delightful or moving songs, but pointed commentary on the treatment of 'outsiders' in Germany in the late '20s and early '30s.  Of course, the parallel to the terrors of today is completely chilling.

Tante Fritzy is an enchanting performer, including everyone in the audience in her performance; the piece is put together brilliantly, with the spiral into fear and defiance reflected by the numbers and the vocal quality that gets more reflective and tremulous as the show descends into sadness.  I wasn't prepared to be so moved by the arc of Lavender Songs, and I was on the verge of tears many times throughout the evening.  I was also punched in the gut by the last line, which is a reminder that we need to be vigilant and make sure the mistakes of the past don't return.  If this entertaining and thought-provoking cabaret piece comes your way, definitely check it out.  

I believe I've mentioned in the past that I'm a huge fan of Donald Margulies - I love his storytelling skills, his beautifully specific dialogue for universally recognizable characters, and the worlds he creates.  I will admit that in this busy time, I almost missed his new piece, Long Lost, playing at Manhattan Theatre Club's Off-Broadway space.  Thankfully, I got a random discount ticket offer and was happy to pick up a ticket for one of the last preview performances.  

Long Lost is about estranged brothers who are unexpectedly reunited after being apart for ten years.  Lee Tergesen is Billy, the black sheep of the family - tales of his misdeeds are unspooled slowly throughout the play; he's also a fast talker, who we're never really sure is telling the truth or building a lie.  Kelly AuCoin is the younger brother, who has pulled himself up by his bootstraps and now has the picture perfect life (or so we think).  His pain is always showing on his face, even when he's trying to mollify everyone.  Annie Parisse plays his wife and Alex Wolff plays their teenaged son.  All four cast members are smart, interesting performers who create authentic characters you feel sympathy for (even Billy, although he behaves pretty badly at times).  Seeing a story of people who are broken, who long to connect but often can't, is always moving to me.  Fractured families are also of particular interest to me right now (I enjoyed how the brothers remembered their youths differently, which is completely realistic to me), so I'm glad I made the time to see Long Lost.  There were unexpected moments, lots of humor, and illustrations of the difficulty of human connection.  I can always count on Donald Margulies to shine a compassionate light on characters who need it.  And being able to count on someone is a grand thing. 

Preview Thoughts on Toni Stone

My schedule has been so jam-packed that I hadn't been able to find a time to get tickets to Lydia Diamond's new play Toni Stone, produced at Roundabout's smaller Off-Broadway house, the Laura Pels.  Last week, an office chum had an extra free ticket (wahoo!), so happily, I squeezed in one.more.show.  I would pay for it later in the week with a near-exhaustion collapse, but oh my, Toni Stone was worth it...

I'm a big fan of Lydia Diamond, her play Stick Fly intrigued me, plus she is just a delightful person.  I'm also a big fan of baseball AND a big fan of stories of women who never got the credit they deserved!  Oh, and since last season's Choir Boy, I'm also a fan of choreographer Camille A Brown, who put together the wonderful movement that represented the baseball in the story.  So all signs pointed toward my enjoying Toni Stone and enjoy it I did.  I went with my office chum a little early over to the theater and we treated ourselves to the special Toni Stone cocktail: it was supposed to have ginger liqueur, pear liqueur, mint and sparkling wine in it.  I'm pretty sure it was just a big plastic cup of champagne, which I guess I was ok with.  I was maybe the tiniest bit tipsy before the play even started.  It didn't matter, though, I would've loved this play regardless.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

Toni Stone is about the sadly-forgotten Marcenia Lyle Stone, also known as Toni, who was the first woman to play as a regular on a big-league professional baseball team.  She played for the Indianapolis Clowns, a team in the Negro Leagues, in 1953, but her breakthrough has been pushed aside over the years and she is barely known anymore.  In this production, the absolutely incredible April Matthis plays Toni and she makes you want to know everything about this fascinating woman who shouldn't be a footnote, but a major entry in baseball history.  Matthis' performance is simply fantastic and a real tour-de-force.

photo credit: Sara Krulwich

As played by Matthis, Toni is funny, quirky, loving, and completely obsessed with the game of baseball.  She frequently rattles off baseball stats when she doesn't know what else to say.  The play goes back and forth in time, to describe the highs and many lows in Toni's life and career.  As a groundbreaking woman of color, she had to endure so much ridicule from her family, baseball crowds, other players, and management.  The fact that she remained completely and utterly herself is a triumph. The other eight performers play both her baseball teammates, as well as other important people in Toni's life.  The cast is, across the board, superb, with special mention to Kenn E. Head as Millie, Toni's only female friend, a kindly prostitute and another societal outcast.  Their relationship was so beautifully written.

Actually, each character, and there are a lot of them portrayed in this two-act piece, is written with much detail and specificity.  You got to know everyone as an individual, but also as a part of the team/society.  I just loved the way Diamond wrote this piece that seems as regimented, and as unexpectedly loose, as a baseball game.  The play is really a lot of fun, with laughs and enjoyable lessons about someone who deserves to be celebrated.  But the end of the first act is one of the most pointed excoriations of racism I've seen in a long time, while maintaining the loose, improvisational quality of the rest of the show.  I don't want to spoil the scene or the moment, but I had to mention it because I've been talking about it since I saw the show, and I've been thinking about it even more.  It was absolutely brilliant.

Even if you don't like baseball, you should definitely see Toni Stone.  In our lifetimes, there are so many people and stories that have been silenced or pushed aside - I am so drawn to stories that open our eyes to these lives and these people who endured so much to pave the way for others to follow.  And besides the delight of the play itself, I really believe April Matthis is giving a performance that people will be talking about for a long time; she is truly spectacular.  Thumbs way up to Roundabout for putting together this story about a strong woman, led by a female production team.  Now if they could do it more frequently in their Broadway houses, I would be delighted...