Allegiance @ The Longarce Theatre

Allegiance. A patriotic whirl.

George Takei put his soul into Allegiance. Known for being held in an internment camp in his youth, author’s Marc Acito, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione explain that his use of the word “Gaman” (meaning endurance and dignity) was inspiration for Allegiance. George’s deep-seated emotion regarding the 120,000 Japanese incarcerated during WWII was very evident in the play and Jay Kuo’s music and lyrics emulated it.

Directed by Stafford Arima, Allegiance began in 2001, where we meet a seasoned war veteran remembering Pearl Harbor in his old Army uniform. He is then approached by a knock at the door to reveal that his sister, one he has not seen in 50 years, has passed away. The performance then reels backward to Salinas, CA in 1941 where we meet the rest of the cast.

Portions of the play seemed out of order or misplaced until the very end, as its beginning brought the audience to the Kimura’s farm and the traditional Japanese celebration of the harvest. Setting the scene of a proud and boisterous Japanese family, costumes designed by Alejo Vietti and scenic design by Donyale Werle were complimentary and memorable. Lighting an sound by Howell Binkley and Kai Harada were also well matched and ushered in an artistic and historic atmosphere.

The Kimura family is a relatable bunch—a traditional Japanese father, Tatsuo (Christopheren Nomura), a sister forced to become a motherly figure, Kei (Lea Salonga), a brother trying to forge his way into manhood on his own terms, Sammy (Telly Leung) and a laughable and lovable Ojii-chan (grandfather, George Takei). The audience follows this family on their disheartening journey across the United States to their internment camp at Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Wyoming.

Kei (Lea Salonga) is lead on a personal journey throughout her time at the camp. Struggling with the weight of placing herself into a motherly role and stepping into her own, Salonga’s performance matches Kei’s struggles. Kei embodies more than just a woman’s obstacles during war and internment, Salonga brings to life the value of family and duty and how it can be juxtaposed to country.

Sammy (Telly Leung) is on a different path. Furious to think that he is not considered an American, Sammy bursts with energy and drive to bring the camp together and find a way to serve his country. Sammy emerges a national hero and Leung depicts Sammy’s stages of maturity and growth with ease. Sammy is the personification of the thousands of Japanese men who volunteered for service in suicide battalions and fought bravely to try to prove to the government that the Japanese people can be trusted and their families can be released.

Tatsuo (Christopheren Nomura) stood for honor and other traditional Japanese values. Not content to bow to an American government that has placed him in an internment camp, Nomura symbolizes the mental and emotional struggle of the 120,000 around him that have suffered the same fate.

Ojii-chan (George Takei) was my personal favorite. A light-hearted and deprecating Japanese grandfather, Takei brought Ojii-chan into the role of jokester and wise man. Coining the term “Gaman” when the town first arrives at Heart Mountain, Takei is the wayward spirit that brings order to his grandchildren and allows them to pursue the next levels of their lives.

Sammy’s lover, Hannah Campbell (Katie Rose Clarke) brought in the American people that were sympathetic to the interned Japanese while Kei’s lover, Frankie Suzuki (Michael K. Lee), showed the ability of the Japanese people to take a stand against the indecency of the American government.

Allegiance’s subject matter is seldom talked about and I appreciated that. Depicting historical events in a musical is always difficult and Allegiance struggled at points but triumphed at others. Truly I have not seen a much better interpretation of the dropping of the atomic bomb. However, the subject matter itself did not seem to leave a lot of room for artistic interpretation by the actors. Choreographer Andrew Palermo’s use of dance as an undercurrent was very well done. Although, costume designer Alejo Vietti did miss the mark on proper military uniform, a personal pet peeve of mine.

In closing, if you are a World War II history buff you may be disappointed. Allegiance was a work of art shedding light on a time of darkness, I enjoyed it but I would not see it a second time.

Review By: Alex Lipari
Photos By: Joan Marcus

You Can’t Take It With You @ The Longacre Theatre

You Can’t Take It With You, the classic Hart and Kaufman play, returns to Broadway this season after a 31-year hiatus with a bang, literally.  This timeless tale of love and happiness delights as it dazzles, with no shortage of imaginative personalities to entertain.  The fireworks onstage match the performances in brilliance.

The story centers around one family in New York City circa June 1936, whose way of enjoying their life pushes the boundaries of what others would consider normal.  As outsiders begin to encroach on the idiosyncrasies the family enjoys, conflicts inevitably ensue.  The first and last come in the form of government intervention into their way or being; while the central conflict focuses on the love between Alice and Tony.  Alice (Rose Byrne) is the “normal” member of the eccentric family where Tony (Fran Kranz) is the son of a Wall Street business man.  As the lovers try to force their two families together, their love is put to the test.  As they must, the lovers triumph in the end with the help of their families.  Grandpa, played by James Earl Jones, finishes his dinner prayer and the show with the epitaph that the show wishes to give: “We’ve all got our health and as far as anything else is concerned, we’ll leave it up to You.”

Scott Ellis delivers a free flowing chaos on stage that is as varied as the personalities that Hart and Kaufman provided.  The comfort that the family has in their house puts the audience at ease immediately, allowing the endearment of the family in all their quirky glory.  This comfort is aided in no small part by the beautifully intricate set design of David Rockwell, as well as the lighting by Donald Holder.

As an ensemble, the cast is a force.  Annaleigh Ashford as Essie steals the show over and over again.  Ashford’s caricature of Essie is hilarious and endearing.  Kristine Nielsen, playing Penelope Sycamore, delivers unerring comedic timing with every facial expression and line.  Reg Rogers as Boris Kolenkhov takes the wonderfully ridiculous to new heights of hilarity.  Supporting the action are Johanna Day, Julie Halston and Elizabeth Ashley as Mrs Kirby, Gay Wellington and Olga respectively.  Each brings a character full of verve and laughter, easily demanding the audience’s attention.

All in all, this is a performance by the entire ensemble that will leave you laughing all the way home; a great show that more than lives up to its great script.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photos By: Sara Krulwich
CrediSara Krulwich

Of Mice and Men @ The Longacre Theater

Of Mice and Men, the classic tale by John Steinbeck, finds new life on Broadway through the powerful performances of Chris O’Dowd and James Franco.  A tragic tale of love and friendship, Of Mice and Men tells the story of George and Lenny, two farm workers who travel together from job to job.  George, a smart and empathetic figure, takes care of Lenny wherever they go.  Lenny, who’s imposing physical stature juxtaposes his mentally disabled, is George’s companion and one true friend.  Together they move across California during the great depression to try and stake a claim to land that they can call their own.  Of Mice and Men tells the tale of their final job together, at a ranch in the Salinas Valley of California.

Franco and O’Dowd masterfully deliver the pain of this story straight to our hearts.  O’Dowd’s Lenny is sweet and childlike, delivering all of the innocence that makes it obvious why George would stay right to the very end.  Franco, for his part as George, is the perfect loving and firm parent that we can hope for Lenny.  Together, the pair brings us closer and closer to the tragic end that they themselves are even expecting.  But all the preparation in the world would not make this any easier.  Individually, O’Dowd and Franco’s performances are excellent.  As a pair, they are incandescent.  Their on stage affection for each other enhances Steinbeck’s already strongly written brother-like bond of George and Lenny.

Franco and O’Dowd are helped in no small part by the supporting cast.  Candy, played by Jim Norton, is immediately given our sympathy.  Norton’s performance is honest, easily winning the audience over from his first moment on stage.  Ron Cephas Jones’ Crooks is cranky and bitter, excellent executed.  Slim, played by Jim Parrack, is smooth and comfortable, completely at home on the stage.

Anna Shapiro’s direction is gives a casual and homey feel to the production.  With the exception of the out of place, pseudo artsy ending, the piece feels very organic.  Todd Rosenthal’s set brings the novella to beautiful life.  The detail wrought on the stage brings us instantly into every character’s life deep in the wild America of the 30s.  David Singer’s music completes the perfect picture.

The two and a half hour show flew by in the blink of an eye and ended with the audience tearfully on their feet.  You should not miss this limited engagement.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photos By: Richard Phibbs

First Date @ The Longacre Theatre

Everyone has experienced a first date and all the experiences that come with them. First Date is a musical that Austin Winsberg("Gossip Girl"), Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner (Secondhand Lions, Twice Charmed) throws all the most awkward first date experiences together with hilarity and song, including your gay best friend, perfect sister, past ex's and even your therapist, buzzing around Aaron and Casey heads.

When tightly wound Aaron (Zachary Levi) is set up with serial-dater Casey (Krysta Rodriguez) a quick drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious, high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds they are not alone on this date as Casey and Aaron's inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons and the wait staff get into the act. Dinner is served with sides of Google background checks, fake emergency phone calls, supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines. FIRST DATE is Broadway's new hysterical and hopeful new musical about the chances we take to find love.

Leading the cast are ridiculously talented actors, Zachary Levi ("Tangled") as Aaron and Kyrsta Rodriguez (Addams Family) as Casey. Zachary Levi is pure comedic gold, he knocks this role out of the park. He is quirky, funny and just god damn adorable. Levi wins the hearts of the audience the second he walks on to the stage, no doubt he was born for Broadway. Kyrsta Rodriguez is the prefect ying to Levi's yang. Although Miss Rodriguez clearly has a type, Wednesday in Addams Family, and Ana from 'Smash", she brings something different to this role that allows the audience to separate her from those other parts. Rodriguez doesn't get  a " Bring Down The House" number in this show, but she didn't need one because her songs were on point and comedic timing was impeccable. These two are surround by the perfect ensemble featuring  Sara Chase ("Arrested Development," The Toxic Avenger), Kristoffer Cusick (Wicked, Rent), Blake Hammond (Sister Act, Billy Elliot), Kate Loprest ("Boardwalk Empire," Hairspray) andBryce Ryness (Hair, Leap of Faith). These five individuals each bring something different and special to the show making the show go from nearly perfect to PERFECT!

FIRST DATE began performances Tuesday, July 9, 2013, and opened Thursday, August 8, 2013, at Broadway's Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). This show has something for everyone and it would be a mistake it you happened to miss it.

Chinglish @ The Longacre Theatre

More and more, it is impossible to find a product that reads “Made in the U.S.A.”  Ch¢ing×lish, the new comedy from David Henry Hwang (Tony Award winner for M. Butterfly), explores the ideas of overseas business.  While at first, this concept might now seem to be the most interesting of material, Hwang successfully blends comedy, passion, English, and Chinese to form Ch¢ing×lish, currently playing at the Longacre Theatre.  This piece, however, must come with a disclaimer – due to the fact that there is a great deal of the piece spoken in Chinese with the English translation projected on the walls of the set.  So, if you are ready to do some reading, Ch¢ing×lish is a unique theatre experience that really takes risks that pay off.

Daniel Cavanaugh is an American business man trying to establish business in China.  With the city of Guiyang preparing to open a brand new state of the art theatre, Daniel plans to enter this city and pitch perfectly translated signs for the theatre.  After enlisting the help of an English man who speaks fluent Chinese, Peter Timms, Daniel enters his first big business meeting in China.  The head of the operation Minister Cai Guoliang and Xi Yan seem to positively react to Daniel’s proposal; however, as the scenes progress, it becomes clear that not everything is as straight forward as it seems.  Relationships are twisted, personalities are stretched, and families are pushed to the brink.  In the end, everyone is forced to understand Ch¢ing×lish, a combination of language, culture, and business.

With a very relaxed and laid-back persona, Daniel is portrayed by Gary Wilmes (Adam Rapp’s Red Light Winter).  Wilmes starts the piece with a very strong voice and personality – taking a clam command of each situation, from business to love.  This personality, however, never reaches new levels; as dramatic and life changing events happen in Daniel’s life, he never shares any emotion above clam – leaving the whole performance feeling a bit flat.  This flatness was brought further into light when acting side by side with the beautiful and talented Jennifer Lim (film’s 27 Dresses and television’s The Good Wife) as the determined business woman in a man’s world, Xi Yan.  Lim takes control of the stage in each and every scene, commanding attention and focus.  Lim takes Yan to new dimensions that leave the audience longing for her success and happiness – especially when the reason behind her twisted games is revealed.  Lim combines Chinese and English to truly representing the meaning behind the title, Ch¢ing×lish.  Minister Cai Guoliang, the head of the company developing the theatre and Xi Yan’s boss, comes to life by Larry Lei Zhang (a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy).  Zhang delivers an entire performance in Chinese; however, with great expressions and larger than life movements, Zhang could do the entire performance without the provided subtitles.  His mannerisms were clear and direct making his performance highly entertaining and exciting to watch.  Unfortunately, Stephen Pucci (Royal Opera House’s Absent), playing interpreter Peter, falls victim to the flat lining syndrome that effected Wilmes. His approach to the character is full of life and importance; however, it never develops from there.  Pucci and Wilmes never take their characters on a journey throughout the piece, leaving the end result no different from point one.  Props have to given to the rest of the Ch¢ing×lish ensemble – constantly coming in and out of scenes as different characters each with a strong intent and direction is not easy; however these three actors do a truly brilliant job.

Ch¢ing×lish features direction from Leigh Silverman (Well) that is well focused and nicely done.  While some scenes fall a bit flat with actors simply sitting in chairs and not moving for a few minutes at a time, these mistakes can be forgiven for when the strong movements come into play.  Moving actors around a crazy good scenic design, creates the illusion that there is life outside of the four walls that the main characters live in.  David Korins (the current Godspell and An Evening with LuPone and Patinkin) takes the piece to a new level with his extremely intricate and rotating scenic design.  Moving from one location to another, Hwang’s script calls for many scene changes and different locations, each spinning on and off with ease and moving ensemble members to create scenes during the scene changes.  With walls and accessories appeared to be pulled right from the pages of a Chinese magazine, Korins delivers some stunning work.  Jeff Sugg (33 Variations) and Shawn Duan (Yo Gabba Live!) team up to create the extremely important projection design for the piece.  With each line of Chinese needed to be translated for the audience, Sugg and Duan produce projections that flow with ease and are easy to read and follow.  The piece is over all directed and designed nicely with great intent and strong story telling.

Ch¢ing×lish takes a strong risk in entering the world of Broadway.  Will theatre goers be able to connect to a story where over half is spoken in a different language?  The answer is yes they most certainly can!  With a powerful script, strong characters, and nice design, Ch¢ing×lish unleashes a new fusion of language to the American public.  Bring your glasses, get ready to read, and share a laugh because this is definitely a piece for theatre fans to check out.