A Bronx Tale @ The Longacre Theater

I feel like I have said this in many shows I review, but I honestly did not know what to expect when I sat down in the Longacre Theatre to watch A Bronx Tale. I did not know it was originally a one man show, and a movie, I am late to the party!  It is safe to assume that you are going to watch someone’s tale in the Bronx, Belmont Avenue to be exact.

We follow the story of Calogero. The year is 1960 and we are in a stereotypical Italian “neighborhood.” And what’s a classic neighborhood without some grown men carrying baseball bats and handling some “business”.  The young Calogero, played beautifully by Hudson Loverro, witnesses a murder and the show takes off and doesn’t slow down. Calogero decides he’s not a rat and the neighborhoods leader, Sunny, decides he’s one of the guys. Instantly we have a struggle between Sunny, and Calogero’s father. What kind of man will he become?

Did I forget to mention that this show is actually a musical! It’s hard to believe because the show is filled with so much drama, information, and yet the music doesn’t feel forced at all. Some stand out numbers were, Roll em, where we see how Sunny makes a lot of his money, and meet (for lack of a better world) the rest of the mob. Another song I just can’t get out of my head is “I like it” which gives young Calogero a chance to shine and shows us he’s ok with being one of the guys.

We see Calogero grow into a man. And that’s when things get real difficult. The world is changing and so is the neighborhood.  Calogero, played by Bobby Conte Thornton does a fantastic job moving this show along, and makes the whole audience fall in love with him.  So, it’s obvious he needs a love interest. Enter Jane, a girl from the other side of the neighborhood, Webster Avenue to be exact. Racial tensions rise, fights between the neighborhoods occur, a real Romeo and Juliette vibe.

My only problem with this show was a lot of things we glossed over. I wanted to see more of the love story between Calogero and Jane. I wanted more struggles between Sunny and Lorenzo. I wanted more of Rosina, his mother. I think there might have been too many side plots.

The cast was absolutely amazing. Lorenzo, played by Richard H Blake will absolutely tear your heart out and break it to a million pieces and blow you away with his voice. Lucia Giannetta (Rosina) and Ariana Debose (Jane) both had amazing solos but again, wish I got to see them more! Nick Cordero (Sunny) makes me remember why I will always have a crush on an Italian man. He has such a charm you can’t help but love him and root for him the entire show.

A Bronx Tale has something for everyone. It’s filled with lovely little comedic gems such as a ‘girlfriend test’ and just good ole neighborhood charm that will make anyone reminisce on their youth. This could be… One of the great ones.

Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Joan Marcus

PARTY PEOPLE @ The Public Theater

Writing this review has been one of the hardest things I have had to do. Not because the show, but because what it stands for and how relevant it is today.  With that being said excuse me if this review is a little scattered.

Party People takes place now. We follow the Journey of Malik and Jimmy, two millennial’s who are putting on a show to celebrate the party. (The party meaning Black panthers and Young Lords) The opening scene we see Malik (Christopher Livingston) practicing a monologue expressing his anger of never being good enough to be a Black Panther like his father. Enter his right hand man Jimmy (William Ruiz) who has an alter ego Primo but we will get to that later. Jimmy gives Malik a pep talk on how they are prepared for this show and just like that we find ourselves back in the 60’s in the middle of the civil rights movements.

We see Black Panthers and Young Lords fighting together using slam poetry, jazz, hip hop to have their voices heard. It took everything in me to not chant with them. IT AINT JUST! Throughout these flash backs we come to see each revolutionary and all the struggles they went through with the corrupt world we live in and with each other in the party. By intermission we come back to the present and we see the revolutionaries enter the show, which is all about them. They make small talk, until deep secrets rise. 

Act two we learn about spies and betrayal in the party, but we mostly focus on our new generation. How are we fighting for what is just! Do we just hide behind a hashtag and a keyboard? The party calls us weak, lazy, because we use a Facebook status to voice our opinion. What will we DO! How will we make Black lives matter?  “They don’t want us truly free, that’s how a man like Donald Trump is elected president”.

Party People is the most honest, truthful, realistic show in New York right now. The cast is filled with an amazing talented ensemble. And is truly an ensemble piece. The use of multi media is used to perfection and helps show the difference between generations and how we are all evolving.

Leaving the show I was emotionally drained. Walking down the stairs at the Public I heard some people say, “it was good, but really long”. I don’t know why but that stuck with me. It was long, yes, but it was necessary. Just like how these next four years will be long. Just like how we are still fighting for people to be equal. When will it end? IT AINT JUST!

All my babbling aside, I encourage every human to see this show. It is so powerful, inspiring, and important! I promise you will leave the theatre fired up and ready to make a change, and not hide behind a hash tag.

Review By: Briana Burnside

Photos By: Sara Krulwich

AUBERGINE @ PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS

Everyone loves food. How can you not? You need it to survive. But what happens when you think about food? You start to have a certain relationship with it, a relationship which turns to stories, those stories then turn into memories, those memories comprise the wonderful story that is your life.

It’s hard to picture, but think about it. What is your favorite food? When I was five years old I was living in Washington, I was just playing tetherball with my brother and he hit the ball so hard I had no time to block my face and suddenly I tasted blood. The ball knocked out my front tooth. I ran into the house crying and my Dad gave me some salt water and calmed me down, but my mom, she made me mac n cheese with the swiggly noodles and alfredo sauce.  I remember playing with the noodles in my gap and hearing my family all laugh. All of these memories flood in my mind from a simple box of mac n cheese. Julia Cho manages to write a beautiful story about love, loss, and the beauty that comes after. Aubergine is a play that everyone must see!

Lights fade up on a woman who shares a touching story about her love for the perfect pastrami sandwich that she will never taste because her father was the only one who could make it. He passed away from cancer. This monologue sets up the entire story.

Enter Ray (Tim Kang), who we see in a hospital watching his father die. After the doctor told him to take his dad home we transition to his home, which surprisingly the only room where the hospital bed would fit is the dining room. We are introduced to Lucien (Michael Potts) the hospice nurse who is a breath of fresh air in a lifeless room. He grounds the show and even though he is always surround by death, he grabs the light of life and radiates. Once Lucien forces Ray out of the house we learned more about his personal life, as we are introduced to his ex girlfriend, Cornelia (Sue Jean Kim). Cornelia represents the wall around Ray, and his emotional state. He can’t let anyone in. But that wall slowly breaks down once Cornelia gets in touch with Ray’s uncle who lives in Korea. Uncle who only speaks Korean brings Rays culture back to his life, which also brings up bad memories. We relive in some flashbacks seeing that Rays father never supported his cooking career. His uncle is convinced his dying brother wants turtle soup, and forces Ray to cook one last meal.

Tim Kang delivers a flavorful performance. He never leaves the stage, its as we are watching a meal be prepared in front of us. We see the ingredients he uses and mixing all these different relationships together, and finally after watching the food bake, we see this beautiful result. Yes, it might be missing a piece, but the meal is savory and leaves you wanting more, or just makes you look forward to your next meal. Most people are trained to think death is the end, but really it’s another beginning.  

If you are in need of some type of closure, in need to feel some sense of home, or in need of some beautiful theatre, make your way to Playwrights Horizons and see, Aubergine. Guaranteed to resonate with every generation and leaving you full of… well... That’s up to you.

Review: Briana Burnside
Photos: Sara Krulwich

Small Mouth Sounds @ The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre @ Pershing Square Signature Center

In musicals, we sing because words cannot express how we feel, and when singing fails us our body takes over and we dance. What people fail to realize is that the most powerful thing we can do is be silent. (Kind of odd an odd statement since our world is a scary violent place right now.) Small Mouth Sounds brings everyone in the audience back to neutral. It’s a therapeutic retreat that none of us signed up for, yet you feel like a part of the show, and end up questioning your own self.  

The space is bare, except for six chairs. The only music you here is coming from pure nature, raindrops, rustling of the bushes, and a casual audience member. As we anticipate how this show is going to start, Max Baker (Jan) enters and simply sits. We watch him for what feels like an eternity just sit there. Yet I couldn’t look away. Slowly but sure we see the rest of the cast file in, and get just enough exposition to learn what is going on before we go on the journey of, silence.

This show has an incredible team of actors. Marcia DeBonis (Joan) gives a heart breaking yet hopeful performance. She manages finding the light even in the darkest times and you can’t help but smile along with her. Opposite DeBonis, we have, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, who somehow made me feel like I was listening to her talking. The way you watch her body transform from beginning to end is unbelievable. She took me on a journey I was not prepared for, and it was breathtaking. Every show needs a consistent heartbeat and Max Baker did exactly that. He only says about five words total the entire show, but they are the most powerful. Watching Mr. Baker on stage made me feel comfortable and warm and all I wanted to do was hug him. He was the heart of the show. Every show needs a little comedy, and Babak Tafti (Rodney) fulfills that playing a true yogi. He perfects the physical comedy, and talk about great comedic timing, which is even more impressive, because they are silent! Matching his comedic chops we have, Zoe Winters (Alicia). She plays a woman who clearly on the verge of a breakdown, might be a little snobby, yet you can’t NOT root for her. And lastly, rounding out the cast, Brad Heberlee (Ned).  Herberlee is the only actor on stage that gets a full monologue. And IT BLOWS YOUR MIND! He has such ease to his performance; you almost feel you are intruding in his personal space. From his comedic moments, to his deep secrets, you can’t take your eyes off him.

It’s fascinating when you lose the power of speech, how every movement you make tells a story. How you sit, stand, even sleep.  We also see how much noise we can actually make by not making any. Small Mouth Sounds was truly a beautiful piece of theatre. It was refreshing, inspiring, and even spiritual. Thank you Small Mouth Sounds. You have changed me.


Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Sara Krulwich

The Total Bent @ The Public Theater

Attention all dreamers, outcasts, idealists, and rebels! Make your way to The Public Theater immediately and see, The Total Bent! If you are looking for a piece of theatre to question all your beliefs look no further! The Total Bent will take you on a ride that will make you rethink who you truly are as a person.

We are set into what looks like an old recording studio and all we see is a microphone with a single light. All of a sudden are ears are filled with the soothing voice of Joe Roy (Vondie Curtis Hall). The creators set you up to feel relaxed and then BAM! The band kicks in and a gospel rock fills the theater and he belts “That’s why he’s Jesus, and you’re not, whitey”.  We find out that Joe is a popular preacher in Alabama and his son; Marty (Ato Blakson Wood) is quite the opposite. The time is 1960 in the heat of the civil rights movement and Marty wants his father to make an album about protest. Throughout the show we see their struggle grow and intensify. Luckily with the brilliant music by, Stew and Heidi Rodewald they manage to give the show a satire feel with dark comedy undertones.

Ato Blankson-Wood (Marty) gives an outstanding performance. He gives off a magnetic energy that makes you root for him the entire show. We follow his journey from a teen that doesn’t like his father but too shy to truly stand up for himself, to a full on rebel (or in this case, sinner. Marty has the sex appeal to make every woman and man desire him, a true rock n roll STAR! In seeking revenge on his father, enter a sleazy music producer Byron Blackwell (David Cale) who manages to take everyone’s beliefs and throws it out the door. He loves black gospel rock and yet he asks why out of all the people in the world “why do black people still believe in god?” This causes the final break and Marty and Joe go to war. Vondie Curtis Hall (Joe Roy) gives you almost a cheesy car salesman vibe but he’s selling Jesus. “I’m a hoe and God is my pimp.” Despite his shallowness about making money and self-absorption, you still don’t hate him. Mr. Curtis Hall delivers a monologue towards the end about shooting the television  (he’s a TV preacher) because everything is a lie, essentially bringing us back to the beginning of who are we, what is our identity.

I know this seems like a lot of drama! But Thank goodness for the friends turned back up singers/dancers Andrew (Jahi Kearse) and Abee (Curtis Wiley). They bring us comedic relief whether it is a funny one liner or complete fear of papa Joe.  The band also interjects with the plot and with the audience, giving us the feeling of history with the character and its not just background music.

The Total Bent will change your life, mind and question everything you ever thought. It re- educated me and I didn’t even realize I needed the lesson. Which is a sad truth about most people today. Make your way to the Public Theater to see this important piece of theatre! 

Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Joan Marcus

Tuck Everlasting @ The Broadhurst Theatre

Are you feeling down in the dumps? Are your adult responsibilities draining you? Well, head down to the Broadhurst Theatre and see, Tuck Everlasting... immediately!  As you enter the theatre you are immersed into a magical forest. You can’t help but awe at the stars and this giant tree (which I had to physically restrain myself from climbing.) The entire creative team does a fantastic job crafting a world we want to live in.

The show tackles the timeless question: IF you could live forever, would you? We follow the adventure of Winnie Foster, who stumbles upon a family that is a little odd and discovers a secret about them that she can never break! Winnie Foster played by the amazing Sarah Charles Lewis, manages to make the entire audience fall in love with her! You can’t help but smile every time she’s on stage, and boy does she have a voice! Oh, did we mention she is only eleven years old?

The Tuck family has more baggage than anticipated but you can’t blame them, they are over one hundred years old! They are led by Mom (Carolee Camello) who brings a sweetness yet stern presence to the stage. Dad(Michael Park) who manages to make dad jokes actually funny (who knew?). And rounding out the family are oldest brother Miles (Robert Lenzi) who grounds the Tuck family and Jesse (Andrew Keegan Bolger) whose energy bounces off stage, making you want to go wherever he goes!

We can’t forget about comedy duo Hugo (Michael Wartella) and Constable Joe (Fred Applegate). Following their case to find Winnie is sugar sweet, charming and hilarious. In addition, Winnie’s Mother (Valerie Wright) and Nana (Pippa Pearthree) serve memorable moments; you wish they were somehow incorporated more!  Tough cookie Nana almost steals the show!

Jesse Tuck and Winnie Foster capture your hearts early in the show. Once they climb a tree, you are sucked into this whimsical forest. The whimsy was at its peak during the Fair. Everything from the set, costumes, lighting, DANCING, captured the true magic of the show. It made every child gasp in the audience. It made every adult reminisce a childhood memory.

This show has something for everyone, every type of person, every type of dreamer, at any age. We have adult humor that goes over the kids' heads, and we have spectacle to keep them entertained. It was truly a great night of musical theatre. Tuck Everlasting will make you smile throughout the entire show… until the end. There is something for every generation, just watch out for the evil banana.

Review By: Briana Burnisde
Photos By:  Greg Mooney

Straight @ The Acorn Theater @ Theater Row

If you want to see a play with an epic love triangle in only ninety minutes you need to see Straight the play. Now, do not automatically assume it’s a generic predictable love rom- com because it is the complete opposite! Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola have written a great play that pushes the audience to see beyond a label and raise awareness that basically we all judge people way to much.

The play focuses around Ben, who in a simple sense is struggling to figure out who he is as a person. As the play progresses we see he has feelings for a man named Chris. But hold on, Ben also has a long time girlfriend, Emily. A pretty simple plotline but oh does it take you on a roller coaster of emotions.  The entire play is set in Ben’s living room. You see how he morphs almost to a different person around Emily and Chris. We only see all three characters in one scene together and it is honestly the most awkward and intense feeling I have ever felt!

Watching the story I couldn’t figure out whom I was rooting for. We have Ben (Jake Epstein) who is struggling with his sexuality, is he bi sexual, straight, gay?! Then we have Emily (Jenna Gavigan) who is the loyal and supportive girlfriend who loves Ben unconditionally, despite his willingness to move in with her and take their five-year relationship to the next level. And Lastly, Chris (Thomas E Sullivan) the younger college student who seems to be the smartest person in the room despite he’s only a sophomore in College.  

Since the entire story takes place in Ben’s living room the space seemed so intimate, I felt like the stereotypical fly on the wall. But I can’t seem to get the scenes between Ben and Chris out of my head. Thomas E Sullivan gave an amazing performance that ultimately made me watch him the entire show and wanted to see how he would react to everything. Jake Epstein really pulled at my heartstrings, but also made me want to slap him. (Which I mean in the nicest way.) The chemistry between Sullivan and Epstein was undeniable and not going to lie… very hot! Overall this cast was a lot of fun to watch and they took me on an amazing journey with them.

This show has such an important message to share with everyone. I never really thought about how labels can affect someone’s life. I never really thought about what I would label myself as. Would I just say straight, female, person? People are so much more than just their sexuality, yet we obsess to try to find what category we fall under. This play really has me thinking and talking about this subject, which is a reflection of great theater! If you want to challenge your mind and take part of this discussion, head down to The Acorn Theatre and see Straight.  Plus you really need to see how all these relationships turn out, it will leave you wanting more.

Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Matthew Murphy

These Paper Bullets @ The Linda Gross Theater

I may come off as a snob in this review, but when I heard “Billie Joe Armstrong has a new musical coming out and its based off of Shakespeare!” I kind of turned up my nose and thought “it won’t be the end of the world if I miss it.” MAN WAS I WRONG! These Paper Bullets just became my new favorite play! If you enjoy music, if you enjoy Shakespeare, if you enjoy a classic farce, make your way to the Atlantic Theater Company!

The setting is in London, 1964 and the world is going crazy for the boy group, The Quartos, which have a severer resemblance to the Beatles. We meet the band backstage in their dressing room (naturally) after they give a rock star opening! We meet the girls Higgy and Bea, one the model, the other her fashion designer. Then the door opens are we see flying bras and underwear, and the boys make their appearance: Pedro the Drummer, Claude the lead singer, Ben on guitar, and dark mysterious Balth on Bass.

Like any great farce we have rumors, lies, and false identities, which comes to life from this brilliant ensemble! We follow the struggle to marriage for Higgy and Claude who fall in love at first sight, and the commitment issues Ben and Bea experience because both are to stubborn to express their feelings. Ariana Venturi portrays Higgy who does an amazing job at capturing an over dramatic drama queen and yet making her lovable, and polar opposite Claude, played by Bryan Fenkart, who manages to make “straight lace/ average/ boring” type, fun and hilarious. Once we finally get Higgy and Claude on the same page, we have Ben and Bea’s “relationship” hit the fan. Bea played by Nicole Parker is a standout STAR! Her comedic timing was perfection, she commanded the stage, and I couldn’t stop watching her. And then we have her partner Ben, played by the talented Justin Kirk, who had the audience eating out of his hand. He’s the “guys, guy” that all the men want to be friends with, and the sexy man all the ladies want to marry. The cast has so many great comedic actors that you must see this show to see it yourself.

Jackson Gay does a fantastic job directing this piece. The staging was wonderfully done, and the show has so many great stage pictures that if I couldn’t hear I would know what exactly was going on. The show had an amazing balance between Shakespeare and rock n roll, that it helped modernize the piece and honestly made it easier to follow the story line. Everyone should take a note from Rollin Jones, because this is how you successfully modernize Shakespeare and make it a hit!

If you are a fan of great music (thanks Billie) the 1960’s lifestyle, and a good ole farce, make your way to see these paper bullets! It will be a night of fun, and who knows, you might actually meet the Queen of England at a royal wedding.

Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Walter McBride

Plaid Tidings @ York Theater Company

If you want a fun, warm, feel good musical that takes you back in time, you need to head over to The York Theater Company and see Plaid Tidings. This musical is a special holiday edition to Forever Plaid written and directed by Stuart Ross. Going into this show I was nervous that I haven’t seen the original musical, but the writing was so clever that I did not miss a beat.

Stuart Ross sets the musical in modern time, the Plaid Lads have been brought back to life and try to find the reasons why they have been brought back to earth, and they rely on the audience to help them discover their mission. The crazy plaid boys do a brilliant job of enticing the audience and bringing us along for the adventure.

The company consists of only four actors. We have Frankie portrayed by Bradley Beahen, who grounds the show, he’s the leader of the pack, and has a fantastic reality check with Rudolph the red nose reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. Next, we have Sparky, who lives up to his name. Sparky is played by Jose Luaces who managed to light up the stage whether he was singing, or just crossing the stage. Then we have Jinx, who was the shy plaid, but man did he have a voice! Ciaran McCarty plays this role perfectly, and you can’t help but fall in love with him. And the last Plaid Lad, Smudge. John- Michael Zuerlein plays Smudge, and in my opinion is the heart of the group. He can’t seem to keep up with the choreography and has the best physical comedy bits, but he breaks down and tells us the “uber dream” for the group, which is to have a Christmas Special on broadcast and to make people feel warm and gooey inside. And lets not forget the wonderful pianist, James Followell, who is on stage the entire time and deals with the Plaid Lads, but never misses a beat!

Along with a fantastic cast, the set was very impressive. It took you back in time and you feel like you are in the audience for a live taping. You enter the theater and all you see are Christmas lights and four mics. Little did you know that throughout the show, pop out platforms, and revolving doors would surprise you the entire night. The costumes were classic. They capture the “old school feel” and there was plenty of plaid.

Smudge talks about the Plaids uber dream and making the audience feel warm and gooey, and I must say, mission accomplished! I could not stop smiling during this show. The only thing that would make it better is if I had a cup of hot chocolate, because this space was so intimate, you really feel like you are at home watching a Christmas special on TV. This show was an amazing time, everyone should see it this holiday season, and you are guaranteed a smile and lots of laughs!

Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Carol Rosegg