Smokefall @ The Lucille Lorte Theater

“Time past and time future allow but a little consciousness. To be conscious is not to be in time. But only in time can the moment in the rose-garden, the moment in the arbour where the rain beat, the moment in the draughty church at smokefall. Be remembered; involved with past and future. Only through time time is conquered.” This T.S. Eliot poem from The Four Quartets sets the scene and provides the title for MCC Theater’s Smokefall. What follows is an existential night of theatre moving through life and time while merging realism, fantasy, magic, and even a little bit of vaudeville. 

            At first glance, Smokefall shows a wooden house, a normal family home one has when growing up. The daily routine commences- pregnant mother Violet assembles breakfast, father Daniel gets ready for work, daughter Beauty and grandfather Colonel prepare for their days. What looks like the quintessential “normal” family is quickly struck away, as Footnote, played by Zachary Quinto (The Glass Menagerie, Angels in America American Horror Story, Heroes) narrates the inner workers of each character, including the two unborn twins. What seems happy on the outside harbors some deeper darker secrets.

            The morning unfolds throughout Act 1, as we learn how each family member’s life is about to change forever and the consequences it has on the others. Finally, Violet goes into labor, and we dive into the world of the twins, who exchange views on the world they are about to enter into, leading to hard questions and difficult decisions. Act 2 jumps into the future, as one of the twins has grown and has a son of his own. It is here that Eliot’s poem truly becomes realized, as time constantly shifts back and forth, showing the audience how the past and future coexist and everything comes together. Events from the past play out alongside the characters in the present, and they all interact with one another, showcasing how fragile and simply symbolic time really is.

            The entire cast was moving and provocative, many doubling as several different characters or in various stages of life. The women particularly stood out. Taylor Richardson’s (Annie) Beauty, at 14-years-old shows a tremendous amount of maturity in her performance, specifically in the second act. Robin Tuney (The Craft, The Mentalist, Prison Break) is captivating in her theatrical debut as Violet, as we see her shifting between a hopeful expectant mother, an optimistic young lover, and a woman who has been crushed. Zachary Quinto conquers the most roles, tripling as Footnote, Fetus Two, and Samuel- each distinct in their mannerisms and philosophers. Quinto was particularly enrapturing when he was simply watching the action developing in front or around him; he was constantly engaged and reactive.

            The show runs at 1 hour 40 minutes (including intermission) and the pace is perfect. You are constantly absorbed in what is happening, nothing ever felt slow or dragging. If you’re interested in a show that will warm your heart but also gasp as you’re on the edge of your seat- especially one that will make you think about time and life- check out Smokefall at the MCC Theater’s Lucille Lortel Theatre (231 W 29^th St.) before it blows away March 20^th. 

Review By: April Sigler

Photos By:Tina Fineberg 

Lost Girls @ The Lucille Lortel Theater

One of the greatest things about NYC is how culturally diverse it is at any given moment.  The tourists, the many who have migrated here and those who were born and raised here, give NYC a feel like no other that often makes us forget there is any other place in the world.  However, we are starkly reminded that a world exists outside our stomping grounds in director, Jo Bonney’s hit, Lost Girls.

While some of the details were further from reality (like some of the accents), almost everything else transports you instantly to Manchester, NH.  Richard Hoover does an excellent job with the turntable set, complete with such subtle authentic touches like the framed picture of Tom Brady on the wall.  The vernacular used, while some may find offensive, was truthful with raw honesty.  John Pollono’s writing is modern, conversational and effortless; it is as if you are a fly on the wall in this New England home.

Lost Girls tells the story of Maggie (Piper Perabo), the single mom who lives with her mother, Linda (Tasha Lawrence) who is struggling to make ends meet and Lou (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), her recovering alcoholic ex-husband, and their search for their missing daughter during a winter snowstorm.  Maggie awakes to go to work and finds that her car has been stolen.  She calls the police to report the car stolen and Lou, who is a police-officer, comes by to take down the police report.  He brings his all forgiving, very devout, almost annoyingly perfect new wife, Penny (Meghann Fahy).  This quartet proves to be a great source of laughs, as you witness the completely uncomfortable situation of the four of them trying to make the best of this incredible awkwardness.  Ms. Lawrence has some great crass moments, and when combined with Ms. Fahy’s holier than thou responses, you cannot stop snickering.  When the group realizes that Maggie and Lou’s daughter has actually taken the car, the tone becomes more serious.  As the group struggles to figure out the whereabouts of their (grand) daughter, we learn about Maggie and Lou’s rocky past and how they are dealing with the difficulties of co-parenting with a new step-mom in the picture.  

The story turns as you meet the young girl (Lizzy DeClement) (who you suspect is the daughter of Maggie and Lou) and boy (Josh Green) who have runaway from their homes.  The unnamed duo have run away in an attempt to get the girl down to Florida to meet her significantly older boyfriend (who turns out to be her mom’s ex).  They get into some trouble when the boy stands up to a local guy who tries to get too handsy with the girl at a local bar.  They hurriedly return to their hotel room where while they are hiding from this tough guy,  the boy professes his long time love for the girl.  The girl decides to be with the boy and they have sex.  They

These two storylines are intermingled together as the set literally revolves to show each story as it unfolds.  You learn about Lou’s troubled past, including rough nights on the job and how they translated to his personal life and contributed to his failed marriage.  The story unfolds so naturally, with the actors doing a spectacular job of being totally present in the moment, you forget they are just acting.  While some of the bigger names might bring you in the door, there was spectacular performances throughout the cast; most notably through Mr. Green’s and Ms. DeClement’s candid performances playing angsty, irrational teenagers who make lifelong decisions about love, even going so far as creating a blood oath.  Ms. Fahy and Ms. Lawrence are spectacular as polar opposites that really shine when they come together.  And Ms. Perabo and Mr. Moss-Bachrach play excellent parents who are dealing with the fact that they are still in love with one another after all this time.  This is definitely one not to miss, so catch it at the MCC Theater at The Lucille Lortel Theater now playing through Nov. 29!

Review By: Renee Demaio

Photos By: Joan Marcus

The Legend of Georgia McBride @ The Lucille Lortel Theatre

Mike Donahue and the MCC Theater have given New York a romp of a good time in their current production of The Legend of Georgia McBride.  Matthew Lopez’s script is hilarious in its brazen honesty.  It is a wonderful and positive story about finding your inner strength to follow your own destiny.  Mike Donahue’s direction helps us smoothly move through the story with carefree ease and laughter, setting up the heartfelt moments for greater impact.

The cast is simply dynamite.  Dave Thomas (Casey/Georgia) plays a perfectly humanized hero.  His innocence and charisma on stage are the perfect combination for the struggling Elvis turned drag queen. He is a joy to watch transform and you will fall in love with his every persona.  Thomas’ chemistry with Afton Williamson (Jo) is stellar.  Williamson is perfectly cast as the loving and nagging wife of Dave.  She is lovely with an air of Zoe Saldana about her.  Wayne Duvall (Eddie) plays the club owner (who is always looking to make a buck) with ease. We should want to hate him, but you just can’t help loving every moment he is on stage.  Keith Nobbs (Rexy/Jason) is hilarious as both characters - showcasing his deadpan humor as Jason and countering it with Rexy’s alcoholic, shade induced comebacks.  Last and certainly not least is Matt McGrath (Tracy).  McGrath plays to the audience akin to Charles Bush, laying out quips, puns and movie homages like it is Christmas.  The ease which McGrath lands each line and gesture is perfection.

The production team for The Legend of Georgia McBride stepped up to match the brilliance of the cast.  The lighting design, delivered by Ben Stanton, would do any rock band proud.  Donyale Werle’s set was so well designed, I spent the first ten minutes sitting in the theater before the show started wondering what the actual space looked like and what was the set.  This set is as detailed as Disney themes its attractions. The sound by Jill B C Du Boff was had just the right balance.  Top that off with a diverse and eccentric costume design from Anita Yavich complimented by makeup and wig design by Jason Hayes and you have yourself one of the best shows in New York City.

There are only a few shows that I would say you will be sorry you missed and this one is right up there at the top. It also features some of the best lip-syncing you will ever see.  Go.  It is fun with a soul.  More theater should be like this.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photo By: Sara Krulwich

Airline Highway @ The Samuel Friedman Theater

The Hummingbird Motel is the church where retired burlesque club owner and prophet to those with “bad luck, bad tempers” who suffer “no bullshit, no pretending” conducts one last sermon to her congregation of duckies in “Airline Highway by Lisa D’Amour and directed by Joe Mantello. Miss Ruby is about to meet her Maker so her flock is going to give her a send-off complete with booze, music and tortilla chips-be-damned in the place where they “don’t bury all [their] dirty stuff under the sidewalk.”

With young Zoe, guest of former resident bad boy, as the witness to the event, her query for high school sociology paper on subcultures spotlights the “messy and honest and real” lives of these morally questionable misfits. The characters, as colorful as the streamers and a New Orleans funeral procession have mostly reconciled the ghosts of their past, integrating them into their lives. And where they haven’t, there is inconsolable grief and heartache. Miss Ruby scolds all for letting the world make them feel small and disposable. Her greatest encouragement is to revel in the mystery of our sexual selves.

Thoroughly entertaining, the cast delivers an authentic presentation of these down-and-out, has- beens, wannabes, and parental disappointments in such a way to endear them to us. We are at once grateful to not be in their situation while also envious of their loyalty and dedication to each other. For them, there is no greener grass; reflecting upon what might have been is a luxury they cannot afford. And in that place, they find freedom where there is “no magic fucking fairy dust” to give them any delusions about who they are and their place in the world.

As I left the Samuel Friedman, I saw several of the cast mates out chatting with the matinee crowd. Maybe that it was the first warm, sunny day in the City for months had something to do with it, but it seemed more likely that these people truly enjoyed what they created and presented to us and were happy to bask and reminisce.

Opening night is April 23 and I say “Go!” And then maybe make your way down to New Orleans for some beignets at Café du Monde where you can sit and watch people, much like the Hummingbird Motel residents, headed home in the wee hours, who will ask nothing of you other than to live your life the best you can and to not forget them.

Review By: Michele Seven
Photos By:Sara Krulwich

Hand To God @ The Lucille Lortel Theatre

Looking for a riotous and raucous night of religious slander and sock puppets?  If so, Hand to God is the place to be!  

Jason (Steven Boyer) is going through a difficult time in his life with the death of his father.  Lucky for him, he has Tyrone, his sock puppet, to help him through it.  It becomes clear quickly that this may not be lucky at all.  Between offending, Jessica (Sarah Stiles), the girl Jason is interested in and straining the relationship with Jason’s mother Margery (Geneva Carr), Tyrone causes Jason continual heartache.  Jason hopes to end his friendship with Tyrone.  Tyrone, however, has other ideas.  As the story unfolds, will the local bad boy Timothy (Michael Oberholtzer) get pushed too far?  Will Pastor Greg (Marc Kudisch) be able to handle what looks to be a possession?  Find out with this wonderfully offensive comedy that pushes the envelope of what might be appropriate in a Trey Parker/Matt Stone style.

Robert Askins’ script delivers humor on many levels.  His writing enraptures the audience, grabbing laughs like a shopping spree while simultaneously connecting the audience with all of the characters tragedies.  He is helped in this enterprise in no small way by the extraordinary cast.  Kudisch delivers the axiomatic Pastor with ease, giving us just the right hints into his deeper motives.  Oberholtzer is perfectly believable as the confused, love struck bully.  Stiles execution of dry humor makes for a hilarious counterpoint to the high chaos around her while Carr takes that volatile energy to new heights with her emotional tirades.

Boyer delivers both Jason and Tyrone with frightful ease.  His incredible versatility is simply awesome, a flawless Jekyll and Hyde act.  He delivers hilarity and horror with literally the same breath, an elite talent.

The production deserves its accolades as well.  Kudos must be given to scenic designer Beowulf Boritt and lighting designer Jason Lyons.  The set is peppered with amusingly appropriate religious propaganda at the start and transforms into a hilarious setting for the second half of the show.  The poster over Jason’s bed is especially enjoyable.  The lighting effects as well as set design are fully believable and help draw the audience even further in.

All in all, you will not be disappointed with Hand to God.  It is a road down insane hilarity that should not be missed.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photos By: Gerry Goodstein

The Snow Geese @ Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The 1900s come alive in Snow Geese, the world premier drama by Sharr White directed by Daniel Sullivan and starring Emmy and Tony award winner Mary Louise Parker.

Recently widowed, Emily Gaesling(Mary Louise Parker), had decided to throw her annual hunting party to honor her eldest son, Duncan(Evan Jonigkeit), on his deployment overseas and her late husband’s memory, despite the fact that his spendthrift ways have left the family buried in debt. She is determined to believe that they are just as well off as they always were, refusing to listen to her younger, more level headed son, Arnold(Brian Cross).

Mary Louise Parker is no stranger to the theatre and has been seen in such shows as Proof, How I Learned to Drive, Angels in America, and of course her award winning television show “Weeds”. Usually dynamic and volatile onstage, I found her performance to be somewhat stilted due to the mannerisms she had adopted for the role. The effect made her less personable and relatable to the audience eliminating any sympathetic feelings for her character.

 

Brian Cross made his confident Broadway debut as the younger Gaesling brother. His chemistry with his older brother made them a strong familial duo with Evan Jonigkeit proving to be a great example of a leading actor of our generation.  While Cross’s love story with the maid, Victorya(Jessica Love) a Central European refugee from a once prominent family, created empathy.

Worth mentioning, is Victoria Clark’s performance as the discreetly intervening sister, Clarissa, and her immigrant husband Max(Danny Burnstein), who despite being an American citizen for thirty years has been ostracized due to growing German hostility stemmed from the war. Heartwarming, engaging, and truly stunning are just a few words that come to mind to describe Clark and Burnstrein. Their story is heartbreaking and poignant.

Jonigkeit’s exuberance over “fixing” the problems overseas are sharply contrasted with Cross’s accounts of the rising casualties and Victorya’s personal accounts of hardship bringing to mind the harsh realities of war. The audience can’t help but draw a parallel between World War I and the modern day conflicts in the Middle East creating a drama worth talking about long after the curtain goes down.

The set designed by Tony award winner John Lee Beatty, was simply stunning. The set would rotate to create different dimensions throughout the play. I felt completely immersed into their world.  Japhy Weideman, the lighting designer, made the set come alive and set the mood perfectly.

Snow Geese is playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and is only running through December 15^th, so get your tickets now. 

Photos by: Joan Marcus
Review By: James Russo & Sarah Brown

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!