Other Desert Cities @ Booth Theatre

Politics, money, and scandal all come to a head in Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities.  Taking a look into the lives of wealth, this piece works hard to make the point that no matter where you live, what social groups you join, and how much you hide, every family has secrets and problems all of their own.  Led by a cast full of star power with the likes of Stockard Channing, Rachel Griffiths, and Judith Light, this piece does not fail to entertain; however, it does not make as strong of a statement as one might hope.  With over done direction and a somewhat predictable plot, Other Desert Cities might give a few laughs, but it does not make one leave the theatre in deep thought like a hard hitting drama should.

The Wyeth family owns a house in Palm Springs, California.  From the outside, their life looks normal and perfect - a gorgeous home, wealth, and country club friends.  Living in this house full time is Lyman, a retired actor turned politician, and his wife Polly, a retired Hollywood writer.  Returning home are the children - Trip, a television producer, and Brooke, the author who escaped California to reside in New York.  Together they seem like the typical bantering, loving family; however, not everything is what it seems.  When Brooke announces the topic of her new book that was written with the help of alcoholic Aunt Silda, family secrets are put to the ultimate test.  As drinks and drugs fly high, the Wyeth family is about to learn just how far a family can be pushed to the edge without falling off.

This ensemble of five was brilliant placed together and shines from start to finish!  Each one of them has defining moments on stage that make the audience fall in love with them.  Crating relationships with everyone and everything on stage, Other Desert Cities is truly like watch a master acting cast.  Leading the Wyeth family are Polly and Lyman, portrayed by Stockard Channing (Pal Joey and television’s The West Wing) and Stacy Keach (Indians) respectively.  Channing brings her quick wit and loving charm to the role of family care taker.  With dialogue that can be harsh and border line offensive, Channing works her magic spinning the audience around in circles to the point where Polly’s extremely Republican views almost begin sounding logical.  Commanding attention where ever she stood, Channing delivers a performance that lives up to her incredible work in the past.  Keach takes on the role of loving and protective father with grace and sophistication; his transformation from father to ruler of the family is wonderful to watch.  Together they make the perfect California duo - rich and lush on the outside, but filled with just secrets and pain on the inside.  Returning home for the holidays is no picnic for Brooke and Trip, played by Rachel Griffiths (television’s Brothers and Sisters) and Justin Kirk (television’s Angels in America) respectively.  Griffiths does a lovely job as the troubled daughter in the Wyeth family.  Returning home with a book that sheds light on a secret is not an easy thing to face; Griffith takes on the role and gives this character the heart and humanistic qualities needed for the audience to get on her side.  Trip may be the producer of a cheesy television reality show who smokes his fair share of pot and has his fair share of women, but he is also the smartest member of the family.  Kirk does a fantastic job of pulling the audience into the realities of the real world.  While Brooke might have escaped California, Trip is the only one who escaped the family.  Kirk develops this character with such skill that the audience is left in awe when his big moment comes of telling the family off.  Rounding out the cast of five is the remarkable Judith Light (Lombardi) as the few weeks sober Silda Grauman. Light does a fantastic job of making this character real and truthful.  Even full of flaws, the audience instantly loves Silda - due in part to this wonderful portrayal.  Light and Channing join forces for scenes that leave the audience rolling in their seats, yet deeply moved at the same time.  When two power houses come together, it is amazing how all script and directing faults are wiped away for a few brief moments.  This cast proves that brilliant acting can overcome weakness in book and movement.

Other Desert Cities is a nice piece with a simple plot and minimally complex characters.  While this might not be seen as a problem Off-Broadway, the transfer to the Great White Way might not have been the wisest decision.  While the big names bring in the money at the box office, not many will be leaving the theatre recommending Jon Robin Baitz’s (television’s Brothers and Sisters) latest piece to their friends.  While the dialogue is smart and witty, the overall themes and plot lines are far too predictable and lackluster.  This lack of action might have led to Joe Mantello’s (Wicked and Take Me Out) weak directing.  While the concept might have been to create wonderful pictures that represent a typical happy or distressed family, these images began to feel like too much making the piece almost look over directed.  There were shining moments in the technical field, however, with designers John Lee Beatty (Venus in Fur) on sets and Kenneth Posner (Catch Me If You Can) on lights.  The scenic design was stunning, with an open curtain, the audience had plenty of time to soak in the true beauty of the world that Beatty created.  The lush furniture, stunning alls of rock, and shining glass bar, all added up to one beautiful Palm Springs house.  Posner light the space so elegantly and created times of day that were unmistakable.  The audience actually started to sweat looking at the hot morning in a gorgeous California dream home.  These elements worked hand in hand with the ensemble to make this piece fell like a big time, gripping, Broadway drama.

While the script is weak and the direction is not at its best, the audience still walks out of the theatre not hating themselves for sitting through Other Desert Cities.  While there are other dramas to check out before this one, fans of Channing and Light will be happy to see these incredible women work their magic on stage each night.  While one may might want to spring for the cheep sets, Other Desert Cities features great acting and wonderful design.

Carrie @ The Lucille Lortel Theatre

The only thing worse than saying Mac_ _ _ _ in a theatre, is saying the word Carrie.  That is until now!  The updated version of the classic Broadway flop is back, and has a score to settle with all those who ever doubted her!  With some new revisions in the writing and score, the creative team of Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford, and Lawrence D. Cohen prove that a story about a girl with special powers who eventually blows up a whole town is a great idea for a musical.  Based off of the book by Stephen King, Carrie is back and out to kill the memories of so many years ago.

It begins as your classic high school tale - different girl in different clothes gets picked on.  Her name in this story is Carrie White.  Like all odd balls, Carrie has a family history that is less than normal; her mother Margaret believe fully in the word of the Bible.  Living in a holy house means that parts of the anatomy and changes in form are never discussed; therefore, when Carrie gets her first period in the locker room after gym class, it is the perfect time for Chris, Sue, and the rest of the class to attack a very frightened Carrie.  Miss Gardner runs to the aid of her student and makes sure that the other girls apologize for their actions; however, when Chris refuses, she is banned from prom.  This punishment sets a rage in Chris that is not to be messed with.  Soon Carrie will be humiliated and the whole town will be sorry.  Why one might ask - well, Carrie has just learned that she has telekinetic powers.

The mother-daughter relationship from hell is back and better than ever with two new star powers taking the spotlight.  Molly Ranson (Jerusalem) takes on the title character and not only blows away the school, but audience’s minds as well.  While Carrie White might be small, Ranson is larger than life.  Her ability to capture the essence and moods of this character is impeccable.  Carrie might get picked on and bullied at home and school, but on the inside she is a force to be reckoned with; Ranson brings this energy to the stage showing how truly human this special girl is.  The pain at home can be a bit much when your Bible loving mother is so brilliantly portrayed by Marin Mazzie (Next to Normal).  Approaching the role of Margaret White must be a daunting task - how can one keep a woman so crazed in reality?  Mazzie does it with ease and beauty, belting out some of the original scores most famous songs, including “And Eve Was Weak.”  Separate these two women are incredible, and together they literally make the stage burn to the ground.  The chemistry and passion behind the performances was so truthful and amazing to watch.  Around the White family is an ensemble that nicely pulls the story forward, and leaves time for a few others to shine.  Christy Altomare (Spring Awakening national tour) does a lovely job bringing the iconic character of Sue Snell, the lone survivor of the attack, back to the stage; along side with Derek Klena (off-Broadway debut) has her boyfriend, and soon to be prom date to Carrie, Tommy Ross.  Altomare and Klena worked really nicely together bringing this dark piece the light hearted air that it needs to stay connected to reality.  Also in the spotlight is Jeanna De Waal (American Idiot) as Chris Hargensen, the ‘it girl.’  While De Waal’s voice a bit too pop-like for the score, she did a great job keeping the teenage drama queen fresh and realistic, a role that is too often made cartoony.  The rest of the ensemble did wonderful work driving the piece forward, and bring this cult classic back into the New York scene.

While the book by Lawrence D. Cohen (TNT’s Nightmares & Dreamscapes) has been re-worked and the music and lyrics by writing team Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford (team behind the hit film Fame) has been re-mastered with new material, Carrie is still not perfect.  The dialogue and lyrics can still feel cheesy and forced at times; however, the design and direction of the show swoop in to save the day, and make Carrie a fresh, new, and exciting piece of theatre.  Led by director Stafford Arima (Altar Boyz), this recreation is dark, twisted, and a visual feast for the eyes.  Scenic designer David Zinn (Seminar) creates the perfect dreary high school - appearing to almost be ripped out of a black-and-white horror film.  This blank canvas allows the masters of lighting and projections to create a world unlike anything scene on stage before.  Kevin Adams (American Idiot) uses skillful lighting to create a world of color in a town that is all black-and-white.  Sven Ortel (Woman on the Verge…) brings the world of this piece into full realization using projections that appear to have been ripped right out of a black-and-white picture book from hell.  Together these artists join forces for the final scene of destruction that literally leaves the audience in shock!  This production team is exactly what this musical needed in order to be taken off of the ‘disaster list’ and onto the ‘must see list.’

There is nothing to fear when it comes to this ‘king’ sized revival of Carrie!  Keeping the piece completely camp free, MCC Theatre has made this piece feel vibrant, fresh, and, most importantly, human.  Deep down, Carrie is the tale of a girl who is different and the conditions that made her that way - a story that almost anyone can relate too - standing out because of that good Stephen King twist!  With a recent extension, Carrie is finally getting the run that it deserves - she is back, and this time means business!

Venus In Fur @ The Lyceum Theatre

Sex.  Power.  Lust.  Passion.  Venus in Fur returns to Broadway for a second limited run for a very good reason - it is a damn good show!  Based on the erotic and controversial novel of the same name, playwright David Ives captures the very essence of a true battle of the sexes.  In a male dominated world, it is up to one woman to change the odds and take control.  Featuring an all star acting couple in Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy, Venus in Fur is sexy, smart, sexy, funny, and sexy (was sexy mentioned already?).  Broadway has found its next great American drama in Venus in Fur!

Late one night, after sitting through tons of useless auditions, Thomas is ranting one the phone to his girlfriend.  Just as he announces that there is no hope of ever finding the lead for his new work, Venus in Fur, Vanda burst through the door full of a unique energy that Thomas finds himself starting to fall victim to.  After some convincing, Vanda has Thomas reading his own words and acting alongside her for this audition.  Complete with a bad of costumes and props, Vanda and Thomas begin to cross the line between text and reality; before long dialogue feels more natural and the world of his play starts to become the reality of the night.  With the girlfriend slipping farther and farther from Thomas’s mind, the erotic novel that was banned so many years ago starts to unfold before the audience - proving an audition that is so passionate and steamy, no one will soon forget about it!

A piece like this one is impossible to do without chemistry!  Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy have chemistry!  The text is lifted off the page and given life by these two incredible actors that each give the performance of a life time.  Nina Arianda (Tony Award nominated for Born Yesterday) continues her charge toward stardom tackling the very complex character that is Vanda.  Full of determination, Vanda storms onto the stage, and from line one commands the attention of both Thomas and the audience.  Arianda is hilarious, truthful, and all around brilliant to watch on stage.  Her understanding of the world she is in is magnificent.  Back in May, Entertainment Hour had this to say about Arianda, “It is clear that this is just the beginning of an extremely successful career for Arianda” (Born Yesterday review).  This statement is true once more as Arianda proves yet again that she is the next big Broadway star.  Thomas may seem all kinds of confident, but by the end of the piece, his outlook on life has surely been altered.  Hugh Dancy (films Ella Enchanted and Confessions of a Shopaholic) tackles this role with charm and skill that are beyond measure.  His ability to transform into each character on stage, between Thomas and the roles that Thomas reads throughout the audition, is amazing to watch; his commitment to find the truth behind each character is something that cannot be ignored.  Separate, these two could tear apart any piece of theatre; however, together they destroy the stage, in a good way of course!  The chemistry and fire between these two is almost indescribable.  The physical and mental attraction is there from the moment both appear on stage together; the audience watches as it grows and grows with each passing moment - the first time they lock eyes, the first time they read together, the first time they touch.  Both bring sex appeal while delivering performances that one can only hope will be acknowledged come June at this year’s Tony Awards.

Brilliant acting was not the only triumph that this new piece has to offer.  Playwright David Ives (The School for Lies) crafts the ultimate story based around a book that caused trouble so many years ago.  Ives provides the ultimate look into the ways that men and women look at the world - who holds the power?  Moving the actors in a small room is not an easy task, but director Walter Bobbie (Tony Award winner for Chicago) does it with ease.  Along with fight director Thomas Schall (War Horse), Bobbie brings both the world of theatre and the erotic novel to life.  Creating pictures and moments that truly reach out to the audience and pull them in, Bobbie creates a world that feels so natural yet surreal at the same time - a vision that was seen through by designers John Lee Beatty (Other Desert Cities) on set and Peter Kaczorowski (Wit) on lights.  Beatty’s scenic design is absolutely remarkable.  Literally placing the duo in a floating box, he creates the idea that these two souls are trapped together no matter how rough things might get.  This box of an audition room is light magnificently by Kaczorowski who uses all kinds of mood lighting to set the perfect tone for this piece.  Bring the team together is costume designer Anita Yavich (Chinglish), who leaves little to the imagination when it comes to sexy Arianda and plenty to the imagination when it comes to hunky Dancy.  This balance only adds to Ives’s brilliant battle between man and woman.

Back on Broadway, Venus in Fur is a not to be missed, mega hit that is running at the Lyceum Theatre through June.  This hot and powerful piece of theatre will be one that you will not soon forget.  Love it or hate it, you will not be able to stop talking about it!  This will honestly be one of the best pieces of theatre you will ever get to see!  Do not miss Venus in Fur!

Stick Fly @ The Cort Theatre

In a mansion in Martha’s Vineyard resides the LeVay family.  Secrets run high as class, race, and the justices of the world are thrown around as Lydia R. Diamond’s Stick Fly unfolds.  With a predictable script and lack luster acting, this new piece from producer Alicia Keys does not dazzle as much as one might hope that it would; however, even with that said, this new dramedy does not fall completely on its face.  Running now at the Cort Theatre through February 26, 2012, Stick Fly might be worth the price of a cheaper ticket.

With his new fiancé Taylor in hand, Kent LeVay returns home to show off his both his love and his new book that has just been picked up by a publishing company.  Not too long after, his brother, Harold, returns home with news of his new fling.  It soon becomes clear that Taylor and Harold have meet before, and the awkward tension does even begin to end there.  Just before dinner Joe LeVay makes his way up to the house; however, Mrs. LeVay is mysteriously absent.  Trying to not think the worst, the family moves on and quickly gets heated on topics of race and social economics when Harold’s new squeeze turns out to be white and not African American like the rest of the LeVay family.  While this banter is fun, it soon becomes clear that the maid, Cheryl, has a secret of her own to let lose; and, once revealed family bonds and relationships are pushed to the max for the LeVay family.

This ensemble of six, while portraying a family, never fully seems to gel on stage.  This problem could be contributed to the lackluster performances from the male ensemble.  Led by Dulé Hill (television’s Psych) and Mekhi Phifer (television’s ER) as the LeVay brothers, this piece does not feel to have the drive that it needs.  Hill plays Kent, the brother that is a mess up in the eyes of their father.  His performance felt pushed - forcing relationships and emotions.  Hill never really felt to connect to those around him and the text provided.  Phifer faced many of the same problems while playing Harold, the eldest brother who became a shining star doctor in the eyes of their father.  It felt as if he was always pushing for the joke as opposed to finding the truth in the scene.  While Hill and Phifer are respectable actors, they seem to never find their niche here on stage.  Concluding the male cast is Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Tony Award winner for Seven Guitars) as the all powerful head of the family.  Santiago-Hudson lands several scenes with perfection; however, in the final crucial moments of the piece he does not seem to commit to the actions required of him.  These lackluster male performances allow the females to shine throughout the entire piece.  Taylor, the nervous fiancé, is portrayed by Tracie Thoms of both Broadway and film RENT fame.  Thoms fully commits to each moment - being witty, smart, and sexy.  Her scenes are filled with humor and heart forcing the audience to be on her side from start to finish.  Feeding into Taylor’s crazy antics is Kimber, Harold’s new fling, played by Rosie Benton (Roundabout Theatre’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses).  Benton takes hold of her scenes moving group scenes along with wit and grace.  She does a wonderful job of trying to gel the ensemble together - a job that should never have been left to one woman.  Rounding out the cast is the beautiful Condola Rashad making her Broadway debut.  Rashad is light on her feet, has perfect comedic timing, and is an absolute joy to watch.  She is definitely an extremely talented young actress to look out for in years to come.  While split three and three, Stick Fly is one hundred percent a woman’s show.

This new piece from playwright Lydia R. Diamond (The Bluest Eye) is written really well; however, is over all really predictable.  The plot twists are not so much twists as “I totally saw that coming” moments - leaving the piece funny but not overly shocking.  The production team does not work together to make the piece feel like one over all piece that works together.  The scenic design by David Gallo (The Mountaintop), while gorgeous to look at, is not practical to the callings of the script - with most of the main action taking place in a small area far away from the audience.  This problem causes a strong disconnect from audience.  Lighting the space is designer Beverly Emmons (Tony Award winner for Amadeus).  The lighting caused strong problems with focus - often having the least important character in the brightest light, thus causing problems for the audience’s eye.  Providing the score for this piece is Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys.  The original score is perfect for the piece with upbeat tempos and fun rhythms; however, it was misused by director Kenny Leon (Fences).  While the piece was direct well with nice flow for the actors, the tempo of the overall piece was slow and never really took off; leaving plenty of time for the audience to notice the flaws in design and acting.

Stick Fly is built up as this tale of a family with a bunch of skeletons in the closet, and, while secrets are revealed, they are not so much skeletons as they are dust particles.  While the males and design never fully come together in unison, the women are a true delight on stage - making Stick Fly an okay production to watch.

Review By: Tom Garvin

Wit @The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

Twenty-one years ago, Margret Edson wrote a play drawing on her few years of work in a cancer and AIDS research hospital.  Four years later, the piece was placed on stage and has gone on to touch the souls and hearts of millions around the world.  Exploring the themes of life, death, and a laugh, Wit finally gets the star treatment that it deserves - a Broadway theatre and a mega star actress.  Cynthia Nixon pulls out all of the stops (returning to the Manhattan Theatre Club after winning a Tony Award for Rabbit Hole) to deliver a truly beautiful performance full of heart, soul, and, of course, wit.

Vivian Bearing, Ph.D., a strong, educated woman, has just been given only two hours to give one last lecture before her stage four ovarian cancer takes over.  Taking the audience on a journey of her life, her childhood, college life, and career all come into focus in order to better understand how life ultimately leads to death.  From a young age, Vivian is fascinated by words - each word has a meaning and is very clear.  This love carries her forward to study the works of poet John Donne and eventually teach his Holy Sonnets as a poetry professor.  It is soon discovered that all of her knowledge on Donne and words will not help as much as she may have wanted when the studier becomes the studied.  It is now up to Vivian to piece together the meaning of life before her time runs out.

This deeply moving piece is fully realized by Cynthia Nixon (of television’s Sex in the City fame) as Vivian.  As a cancer survivor, Nixon has a special connection to this role that shines through each and every scene.  Her transformation throughout the course of the piece is a master lesson in acting - turning Vivian into a master professor in all forms of art.  Clearly defining each moment in Vivian’s life from five years old to world class professor to cancer patient, Nixon takes a challenging piece and turns it into one grand poem.  Nixon delivers the performance of a life time (not to mention how stunning she looks even in a hospital gown and baseball cap)!  Around Nixon is a wonderful ensemble helping tell the tale of Vivian to all who enter the theatre.  The hospital staff trio is made up of Michael Countryman (Mary Stuart), Greg Keller (Manhattan Theatre Club’s Cradle and All), and Carra Patterson (Shakespeare in the Park’s Measure for Measure).  All three work well together to show the different dynamics between doctors, interns, nurses, and patients.  Patterson stands out as Vivian’s main nurse, Susie Monahan.  With a warm gentle smile and a huge heart, Susie is able to see past Vivian’s rough exterior and allow her to open up.  These two actresses left not a dry eye in the theatre, when the time comes for Vivian to explore the themes of death over an ice pop.  Also delivering a lovely performance is Suzanne Bertish (The Moliére Comedies) as Vivian’s college professor, E. M. Ashford.  While this role can be played very cold, Bertish transformed the character into an extremely demanding professor whose main lesson is to not let work control your life.  While Vivian should have paid closer attention, Ashford is there as her support system till the very end.  This small ensemble works really closely to create a story that is timeless, powerful, and unforgettable.

Relying on highly talented actors, this production of Wit took a simplistic approach to the design that paid off big time.  Featuring four posts and a wall, the scenic design by Santo Loquasto (Relatively Speaking) truly allowed for the text of the piece to shine.  Not allowing for the audience to get distracted by flashy sets, Loquasto paints the perfect backdrop for the piece’s many different locations.  Lighting this set with clever, yet simple lighting is designer Peter Kaczorowski (The Road to Mecca).  With nice lighting that always appeared to have Vivian as the brightest spot on stage, Kaczorowski created the concept of a lecture within a play wonderfully.  The whole package was topped with a bow that has Lynne Meadow’s (Collected Stories) name on it.  Directing a piece like Wit can be quite a bit of a challenge; however, Meadow’s fine direction gave the piece the right tempo and grace that it needed.  All of these elements brought justice to the words of playwright Margret Edson who crafted the script in a moving and profoundly funny way.

While it may have been many years in the works, Wit finally leaps onto the Broadway stage with top notch acting and beautiful design and direction.  In a time when cancer research is at an all time high around the world, Wit proves to touch the lives of all who come in contact with this piece.  Cancer has touched the life of almost everyone nationwide - whether you know someone who has the disease or if you yourself have had/have the disease - and therefore, Wit has the power to touch the heart and soul of all who step foot into the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

Review By: Courtney Labossiere