Best of the First Half of the New Season

By Joseph Cervelli

Here are shows in no particular order that I felt merit the best for the first half of the new theater season. There seemed to be more shows during this first half  than I recall but nothing like what will be turning up in March and April. By then every  Broadway theater should have a show. And let's not even get to the off Broadway deluge. So, before that occurs, let me take a deep breath and here are those I felt were the best I have seen from May through December. 

"Gypsy"

For those that thought Audra McDonald's soprano voice would not fit the score of my personal favorite musical "Gypsy" think again. She combines soprano with belting. And the result is pure bliss. We are so overwhelmed with her heavenly voice that it is easy to forget what a truly fine actress she is. I shall never tire of "Rose's Turn" the penultimate 11 o'clock number, and her rendition was stunning beyond all measure. I did have some issues with George C. Wolfe's streamlined version and as much as I like Joy Woods I was disappointed with her portrayal of Louise. Yet, the moment that overture begins I was in pure delight. 

"Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical"

While "A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical" has a disappointing book with too much of an emphasis on his five wives it is vastly entertaining thanks to the music, the actors who portray his wives and the superb James Monroe Iglehart in the starring role. A big minus was not having a character play the one and only Ella Fitzgerald with whom Armstrong made some beautiful music together.   

"Swept Away"

The first half of "Swept Away" was a pulsating musical with a dynamic cast and excellent score. The shipwreck was one of the most ingenius production  numbers I have seen in a long time. But then the second half becomes a bit stagnant with the survivors of the sinking of their ship on a lifeboat. Not a lot you can do in a lifeboat to make the musical that interesting despite the fine performances of five of the actors. Even resulting to cannabilism does not perk your interest that much. Still, it did deserve to have a longer life instead of closing recently. 

"Death Becomes Her"

This new musical might be vulgar and crass but there is no doubt it is also hysterically funny. Based on the fairly entertaining film both Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard are wildly over the top and it works in every way. Also, don't want to forget the terrific Christopher Sieber who really shines in "The Plan"  what seemed like an underappreciated number by the audience I attended with. The sets and scenery were both glorious to look at. True, the score was not top notch, but it worked for the show. 

"Maybe Happy Ending"

Out of nowhere comes a charming little show with a wonderful Darren Criss as an outdated robot. The music is pleasant and the sets are quite remarkable. I was not as enthralled as others were with the show, but it still is worth seeing for Criss and his co-robot Helen  J. Shen. 

"Another Shot"

A show which should have played much longer is "Another Shot" about addiction recovery. Some found it predictable which in a way it was,  but the performances and sincerity in this show made it definitely worth seeing. One of the top shows of the season, thus far.

"Romeo and Juliet" 

This Gen Z version "Romeo & Juliet" is a fun romp before it turns serious. Sam Gold has directed with great creativity and while I was disappointed in a good but not memorable Rachel Zegler as Juliet;  Kit Connor makes a perfect Romeo. 

"Hold On To Me Darling"

Adam Driver gives an amazing performance as a country music star who returns back home for his mother's funeral in a thrilling revival of Kenneth Lonergan's "Hold On to Me Darling." Running about three hours I found it all blended together. Not one false move in this show.

"Our Town"

 If you have not yet caught the superbly moving revival of "Our Town" before it closes may I suggest you go at once. Kenny Leon has directed the show with such sentimental beauty and Jim Parsons is the most humorous Stage Manager of any previous production I have seen. A classic story about remembering the little things in our life could not be more appropriate in the current world we live in. 

"Fatherland"

"Fatherland"was a knockout of a show based on court transcripts and taped dialogue dealing with an ultra right wing instigator who supported the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Turned in to the authorities by his son, there is not one moment that was not gripping. And Ron Bottitta gives a performance for the ages. 

"Hills of California"

"Hills of California" is an unforgettable journey about four sisters who reunite in England for their dying mother. So much is going on that it is almost impossible to condense what is happening here other than the daughters are unique in their own way. Laura Donnelly gives an award winning performance portraying the mother and daughter who moved to America. 

"Someone Spectacular"

Here is an unusual play about a grief counseling center where the participants are not exactly getting along all that well with each other. So, what is going to happen when the counselor does not show up. It is an intriguing work and beautifully acted with quite a special ending. 

"Still"

Still" was one of the first shows I saw this season and a special play with two very remarkable performances Jayne  Atkinson and Tim Daly as a couple who broke up about 30 years ago and meet again at a hotel bar. The only issue was an ending that left you hanging or does it? 

"Once Upon a Mattress"

The best revival I have seen of "Once Upon a Mattress" which was at City Center has made it to Broadway. Sutton Foster is a complete joy as swamp Princess Winnifred who is a candidate to marry Prince Dauntless (a wonderful Michael Urie). Unbeknownst to her, his mother sabotages each candidate. It is just pure fun.

HONORABLE MENTION

Mia Farrow was the saving grace in the not very good "The Roommate" which so much just did not make a lot of sense. I am not into watching drag shows but heard good things about "Drag The Musical" and it was lots of fun. Runs too long and despite predictability a very enjoyable cast and tuneful score with some clever lyrics. While "A Guide For the Homesick" was a choppy play that had no real central focus the two leads McKinley Belcher III and Uly Schlesinger were excellent--especially Belcher III. While "The Beacon" had a number of issues not quite believable it boasted an award caliber performance by Kate Mulgrew. "Table 17" was entertaining if not totally successful though the two highlights were Michael Rishawn hilariously playing three roles and a very sweetly seductive performance by the always winning Kara Young. "N/A" was a not very exciting play with the two characters basically portraying Nancy Pelosi (Holland Taylor) and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (Ana Villafane.) Taylor is always a pleasure to see on stage and Villafane gave a breakout performance as Ocasio-Cortez. She looked and acted like the U.S. Representative from New York. Tory Kittles gave a standout as a Vietnam objector from the south who meets more problems as a Black  man moving up further north to North Carolina. I had some issues with the play but not the performances most especially Kittles. 

PHOTOS: 

1) Julieta Cervantes

2) Jeremy Daniel

3) Emilio Madrid

4) Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

5) Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

6) Joan Marcus

7) Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

8) Julieta Cervantes

9) Daniel Rader

10) Maria Baranova

11) Joan Marcus

12) Julieta Cervantes

13) Joey Moro

14) Joan Marcus

 

 

A Guide for the Homesick

    By Joseph Cervelli

Despite two outstanding performances, McKinley Belcher III as Teddy and Uly Schlesinger as Jeremy  Ken Urban's "A Guide for the Homesick" at DR2 is a choppy, mess of a play that meanders all over. You also never have any strong feelings for the characters no matter how well both actors each play two different roles.

The action takes place in a hotel room in Amsterdam. Both enter quite jovial and your first thought might be that they are friends though far from it. They are laughing carrying six packs of beer and they have just met a little while ago in the hotel bar. So, what is Jeremy doing in Teddy's room you might wonder. Your  first thought might be that he came up there for sex though Jeremy does firmly insist that he is not gay. It seems that he missed his flight to Boston and has no hotel room. Are we to believe that he expected someone to ask him to share a room? Already this does not make a lot of sense. Teddy seems to be more jittery speaking about a friend of his, the unseen Ed, who left suddenly for the States. It seems Ed was not himself the day before his departure and Teddy is concerned if he even got onto the plane. His phone rings constantly and it is from Ed's fiancee Margo. Why doesn't Teddy answer it as Jeremy asks. His reasoning for not answering it is not to scare her which makes no sense. More like inconsiderateness. 

Teddy who is gay thinks that Jeremy might also be so he casually touches him which Jeremy is repelled by. Teddy thinks it might be because he is Black.  Jeremy assures him that is not the case which is indeed it is not, but more of someone who cannot face his sexuality. Jeremy changes the subject and speaks about his recent year in Uganda as a medical assistant. With the help of Abigail Hoke Brady's lighting which dims a bit there is a flashback of Jeremy helping a gay Ugandan (Nicholas) who has been tested for AIDS (negative). He has a married lover and things are as expected extremely homophobic in that country. Here Belcher III takes the role (excellent African accent) of Nicholas. The action bounces back from Amsterdam to Uganda frequently and as horrific as the conditions are there for gay people the play does not bring forth any new information we are not sadly aware of. It seems the playwright's intent by his interaction with Nicholas,  Jeremy suddenly realizes why his engagement to his fiancée has suddenly ended. Not exactly anything new here and even when Jeremy and Teddy eventually have sex it is hardly surprising.

And then the lighting switches back to the present time but only we are now again in another flashback. Jeremy has taken the role of the manic Ed who may have overdosed on meds and pot. He is jumping all over the room as Teddy is trying to calm him down. Eventually, Jeremy who has been "in the closet" so to speak confronts Teddy about his possibly being in love with his boyhood friend Ed which hastened his departure. 

Belcher III quite good in both "The Royale" and "Death of a Salesman" gave an especially bravura performances in the unforgettable "The Light," a few seasons ago. He again proves he is among our finest actors around. Schlesinger does very well as the confused Jeremy and his role as the unstable Ed is pitch perfect. 

Shira Milikowsky's direction is as good as it can possibly be though she can not make a lot of sense of the absurdly deficient conclusion. 

Speaking of something not making sense, first there is a knock on the door and when Teddy opens it, there are what looks like wash cloths or small towels in an open wooden container. Then later when Jeremy goes out of the room he is soaked by rain you see pouring down. Is the housekeeping service walking around with no overhang and getting soaked? And this being a hotel I would think the corridor would be indoors not like a motel. This was not quite thought out by scenic designer Lawrence Moten III and neither is the play. 

Photos: Russ Rowland

Tickets are available at the DR 2 Theater 103 East 15th Street. Limited engagement ends February 2. 

 Gypsy

By Joseph Cervelli

Having seen all those ladies who portrayed the one and only Madam Rose on Broadway starting with Angela Lansbury, I never thought anyone could match either Lansbury or the more recent one by the galvanizing Patti LuPone. LuPone's interpretation of the penultimate number "Rose's Turn" was an implosion unlike other interpretations with the fury of the ultimate domineering stage mother. But as the line goes, "Here she is boys, here's Rose" and now we have the most incredible and most moving Rose to date. I am speaking of Audra McDonald in the latest production of "Gypsy" at the Majestic Theatre. I was one of those who thought as wonderful an actor and singer as she is, could she as a soprano render those remarkable songs by Julie Styne and Stephen Sondheim in the style they were designed to be done? They wrote those songs fit for a belter not necessarily a soprano. So how does McDonald do it!? She actually infuses her soprano voice with a belting quality. Quite a feat and it works brilliantly. More on McDonald in a bit. 

Let's get to director George C. Wolfe's production of my favorite musical of all time. For me it is the most perfect musical on so many levels. The illustrious score, the book by Arthur Laurents based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, roles that actors can imbue themselves into, etc. Yet, despite the pluses in Wolfe's concept there are several minuses.  First to the postive.   

 

Taking place during the waning days of vaudeville which Rose cannot accept, the variety act she devised for her daughters Baby June (excellently played by understudy Marley Gomes) in the starring role and the older sister Louise (well played by understudy Summer Rae Daney) as part of the ensemble never fully takes off. They travel around the country though never really being successful.  So far things work well with the show under Wolfe's direction. He also makes sure that Rose and the candy salesman Herbie (a wonderful Danny Burstein) who becomes the girls’ agent have a more loving relationship than in other productions of the show. This is the first time that somewhere in the musical I wished the composers had written  a number for him. Burstein would have hit it it "out of the park."

One disappointment is that during the Fourth of July number either Wolfe or choreographer Camille A. Brown decided to do something which falls flat. A small but delightful highlight has always been having the two girls dance in that holiday number with strobe lights on them as they tap to the back of the line transitioning into older versions of themselves. Instead of having June and Louise almost magically appear here they walk out from the strips in the flag. What was always a sparkling occurrence is now uninspired

Brown's choreography is generally fine and Kevin Csolak as Tulsa (the young man whom the teen June leaves with) does a terrific job in the fabulous "All I Need is the Girl." He is joined in the dance number with the now grown Louise (Joy Woods.) 

I admired Woods in "The Notebook" though here I was disappointed. I noticed that her dancing with Csolak just did not work that well. And she was also lackluster in other scenes. Her singing in the  touching "Little Lamb" is just fine but her expression of sadness is not there. But worse yet, and this could be the fault of Wolfe, the problem intensifies. When Rose and the girls go into the Burlesque Theater,  Louise has the opportunity (especially after June departs) to have the one shining moment that Rose wanted for her daughters. Louise is rightfully terrified to break into her stripper number and Woods plays that fear well. But the big problem is that as she travels from one Burlesque Theater to another you see only a moderate change in her personality. She should exude confidence and playfulness, but under Wolfe's unspectacular direction in this part of the show she is sadly quite dull. Her almost halting quality in the role of an established and renowned stripper makes little sense which I am surprised Wolfe was not more attuned to.

The legendary scenic designer Santo Loquasto does a good job in keeping the sets a bit skimpy which falls into place with the demise of vaudeville though there could have been more pizzazz in scenes where Louise performs in larger production numbers as she tours the circuit.  Toni-Leslie James costumes are on target and that long time lighting duo Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer are always tops in their field. 

Those three crowd pleasing strippers--Mazeppa (Lili Thomas), Electra (Mylinda Hull) and especially Tessie Tura (a hilarious Lesli Margherita) do not fail to disappoint. 

As with this and all past productions, you know that Rose loves her daughters and wants to make especially one a big star, but somehow you always had a feeling she was living her own theatrical aspirations through them. But here I never really got the feeling she wanted stardom for herself until the last few moments of her final number which is a refreshing change. When Rose started singing "Rose's Turn" she seemed so unsure of her life. Tears resulting from all the hard work she put into her daughters' careers  (one successful and one not) come flowing with the grateful realization that one of her daughters became a star.  Shortly thereafter in the number frustration that maybe she herself could have had a stage career comes to fruition. The overflowing of all the varied feelings she has during this scene is the most believable and moving I have encountered. 

Despite the reservations in this production, there are none concerning Audra McDonald. She delivers the role with a locomotive determination and yet never over the top. Miss her at your own peril.

PHOTOS: Julieta Cervantes

Tickets are available at the Majestic Theatre 245 West 45th Street. 

 

Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now!

By Joseph Cervelli

If you have seen all the new shows that have recently come in and in need of something different and may I add quite delightful, I urge you to get to New World Stages to see the very enjoyable "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now!" 

The musical runs about 80 or so minutes and you will certainly be very entertained especially more so if you are acquainted with the three wonderful female perfomers. The show stars three of the women who were leads in one of the most joyous Broadway musicals in decades "Hairspray." Of course, I am referring to Marissa Jaret Winokur, Laura Bell Bundy and Kerry Butler. The three also wrote and co-directed  "Mama."  Winokur won a well deserved Tony for that role while the other two were nominated for shows they hadappeared in. I don't know the dynamics of what happens when shows close or whether performers stay in touch or not but these three have been friends for 22 years. 

All three wanted to be stars as youngstersand they have certainly achieved their goals. Bundy started out as a beauty pageant child and was Miss Pee Wee Hemisphere which gets some laughs. She did look quite adorable as you can see in the video screen behind the performers. She speaks about her mother not realizing how those young girls were exploited without any knowledge of that. Bundy is certainly the most athletic with her baton twirling and mimicing among others Judy Garland. Her most famous role for which she rightfully was Tony nominated was in "Legally Blond:  The Musical." I don't recall whom she ran against but she gave a dynamo performance in that not great but fun filled musical. Sorry I missed her in "Ruthless"  for which she was nominated for Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards. She really sings and dances up a storm in her big number from "Blond." She has not lost her abundance of energy. 

Winokur tells three anecdotes about when she was in "Hairspray" and they were a bit upsetting. One dealing with salary, another with the producers and their demands about her clothing and Liza Minelli's backhanded (not intentional) remark about Winokur's weight. Her voice is as strong if not even stronger than when she appeared in that show. She breaks into "Some People" and a few notes from "Rose's Turn." She does more than an admirable job. Maybe, the next "Gypsy" after the current one on Broadway will be one she will audition for. She calls up an audience member whom I am sure was pre-selected to play the character of Linc from "Hairspray" and this young man did a great job. Not sure if he is an actor but might consider audtioning for some roles. 

Butler played in about 12 shows when their Playbill covers were shown on the video screen. And what a difference between all of them. Her voice while excellent is less of a belter than the other two ladies but that is a good counterbalance. I am grateful she sang the more subdued and lovely "Somewhere That's Green" from "Little Shop of Horrors." She was wonderful in that production and she was superlative in both "Xanadu" (Tony Nod) and the underappreciated "Beetlejuice."

Besides singing and dancing (they must have choreographed, wonderfully may I add, since no choreographer is listed) they speak about their friendships and family. Winokur had the very upsetting news about having cancer at the start of "Hairspray" and thankful is now cancer free. It was very sweet to see photos of their children and spouses. 

Near the end of the show they sing a few bars of "Old Friends" and you really believe they most definitely are. You will walk away feeling like they could be your friends, too.

The show happily is now extended till December 21.

PHOTO: Russ Rowland

Tickets are available at New World Stages 340 West 50th Street

 Another Shot 

By Joseph Cervelli

"Another Shot" playing at the Signature Theater can have two meanings. The most obvious one is another shot of alcohol at a bar or another shot at rehab. In the case of this honest and deeply affecting play written by Spike Manton and Harry Teinowitz with very convincing performances both meanings could apply though it mostly refers to the first one.  

Teinowitz was a popular sports-radio announcer in Chicago before he was arrested for DUI. Not very smart when a cop stops you and your response to his "Are you drinking?" is "Are you buying?" Your first impulse might be a chuckle but then it is pointed out that of 25 million alcoholics only 5% are in rehab. Dan Butler who played the hilarious womanizer on the tv series "Frasier" does very well as Harry. Butler portrays Harry as a wisecracking (the real Harry was a stand up comic, too) guy who thinks he is full of humor. He acts as both narrator and one of the alcoholics in the rehab center (set design by Beowulf Boritt.) He like many who first come to rehab for either alcohol or drug addiction are  in denial. Something clicks later on in the show which is extremely touching that makes Harry realize he must get sober. This is where Butler really excels. He has the comedic touch but fights back tears when he receives something in the mail from one of his daughters.    

It is wonderful having the always excellent Gregg Mozgala back on stage here portraying Isaiah the OxyCodin addicted pharmacist. Just hearing the choice he made between choosing between his partner and pills is heartbreaking.  

Andrea (a fine Samantha Mathis) has been in and out of rehab and who feels lost with a mother she calls a "bitch." Her life seems consumed more by alcohol than communicating with friends. I wish we got to know more about her than what is told here.

Chike Johnson is superb as Vince someone also fighting alcoholism for a good part of his life but this time he seems to have gotten himself together. Laughing and joking he appears to be on his way to recovery despite being in and out of rehab.  Married with two young kids he is determined to make a huge change in his life despite the obstacles of liquor.

A wonderful Portia (Barb) is the  rehab therapist who oversees this group as someone herself who had a severe drinking issue and now is in charge of group meetings. She also handles individual issue of the five assigned to her group. She knows enough about the consequences of the disease and those afflicted with it, since she was a patient once herself. 

The youngest of the group George (a very believable Quentin Nguyen-Duy) seems to be having a very difficult time staying sober and just when you think he has made it, he returns from a bike ride inebriated with his bike destroyed.  When he and two others decide to go to Walgreens your first thought might be what can be the harm in that.  Portia knows the havoc that can be caused when someone addicted decides to go to any pharmacy. 

During scene changes, names are flashed on the back and side walls with the amount of time they are been sober along with sharing their voices with brief statements about what it was like while alcoholics. 

 Jackson Gay's notable direction give perfect authenticity to the play confirming the fact that alcoholism and drug addiction are truly diseases and not choices.  I must say I was one of those people when in my 20's  thought well "can't they just stop." Quite naive in my thinking until I had some friends who just could not stop without any kind of intervention. 

This is not the kind of play where all things come to a happy ending, unfortunately. And the humorous moments that were evident earlier in the play dissipate and become tragically real.  This despite the fact that you find yourself cheering them on and hoping they all become recovering addicts. 

Some of the writing in the first 30 minutes or so has a stereotypical feel but then this important work becomes more intense and stirring as it moves on. 

PHOTOS: Joan Marcus

Tickets are available at The Pershing Square Signature Center 480 West 42nd Street. 

Sunset Blvd

By Joseph Cervelli

There is no doubt that Nicole Scherzinger's singing in the chaotic, concert like feel of Jamie Lloyd's  interpretation  of the classic "Sunset Blvd." at the St. James Theatre is certainly unforgettable. Too bad most of the show which has an over indulgent feel is not so memorable. 

Nicole Scherzinger is astounding in her rendition of two of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beautiful songs in his  gorgeous score (lyrics and book by Don Black & Christopher Hampton) first heard when the original with sets and costumes premiered back in 1994. Scherzinger's  "With One Look" has her hitting notes that I could not imagine be replicated, but they are when she sings the 11 o'clock number "As If We Never Said Goodbye" which she knocks the audience out with. 

What Lloyd fails at is capturing the essence of the storyline which captures the mental breakdown of the once famous Norma Desmond (Scherzinger) when she begins to realize that her fame as a silent film star is gone and there will be no comeback. Under Lloyd's direction  there is no feel of allegiance to the essence of the storyline. It is told fleetingly and unless you are familiar with the movie or original Broadway production you will be lost. I understand he wanted to create something original on his own terms but call it something entirely different. 

There is no set to speak of rather a black background with lots of smoke along with a huge screen that frequently has the actors' faces cast upon them. Different members of the ensemble walk around holding  cameras with lights on both sides as the actors look into them showing up in dramatic close ups on the screen. You can almost see the pores of their skin which makes for some comic moments. 

Tom Francis sings beautifully as Joe Gillis a struggling screen writer who meets with his agent Sheldrake (Tyler Davis) and his assistant Betty Schaefer (a very good Grace Hodgett Young). When they are not going to accept his script he leaves with no money and escapes from the repo guys by parking his car in Desmond's driveway. In this production unless you listen very carefully you could be lost during these scenes. So, it helps if you are not a novice to the show. Unfortunately,  Francis’s  acting is on the bland side. His relationship with Norma lacks all chemistry and even the eventual relationship with Betty falls flat. What Lloyd has decided which does not help is have the actors at various times not speaking directly to each other but out to the audience. 

Max von Mayerling (David Thaxton) also has a strong voice though as Norma's butler and former husband I was not sure if he was playing his role for laughs. His anger comes through almost in a ferociously gangster manner as you see him grimacing on the oversized screen. Thankfully, he does a tender job of "The Greatest Star of All." 

Scherzinger as mentioned has an unforgettable voice though her acting especially in the first act is frequently silly bouncing on the floor, meowing (remember she was once part of the Pussycat Dolls) and making these bizarre faces (flashed on screen) as she announces to Joe she wants to play the 16 year old Salome although she is actually 40. She does get better in the second act when she has her unfortunate breakdown. However, you should be able to see this deterioration in her. Lloyd seems not to care about this. He is more concerned about originality and have the actors in constant state of motion. One scene that makes no sense is when Norma and Joe are dancing in her house on New Year's Eve while Betty is walking through. 

The ensemble wearing street clothes is adequate enough although some of the choreography like squirming all around on their backs and stomachs (choreography by Fabian Aloise) is bizarre. 

What makes even less sense is how Lloyd has staged the title number which opens the second act. You might sit there in disbelief as it begins with Joe walking backstage passing dressing rooms passing one cardboard figure of Andrew Lloyd Webber and a mug with Jamie Lloyd Productions and as he walks downstairs to the exit of the theater you see members of the ensemble kissing. He then walks down 44th Street through Shubert Alley singing "Sunset Blvd." Did some commmitte change the name of both for the run of this show.

If you never saw the show before you might enjoy it, but if you know the story well Lloyd's dismantlement turning it more concert than theater with little understanding for the tragic plight of Norma Desmond and almost no emotional impact will be seriously disconcerting. 

PHOTOS: Marc Brenner

Tickets are available at the St. James Theater 246 West 44th Street. 

Fatherland

By Joseph Cervelli

In the program, "Fatherland" playing at New York City Center Stage II  states the show is verbatim theater which means "every word comes from court  evidence, public statements and the official transcript of THE UNITED STATES VS. GUY WESLEY REFFITT." In the event the name is not familiar (as it was not to me) he was the first person to be convicted in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. What makes it even more incredible is that he was turned in by his nineteen year old son, Jackson (beautifully played by Patrick Keleher). 

Before you think this is a staid reading of court transcripts think again. "Fatherland" is a powerful, emotionally gritty and upsetting rendering of what occurred on that infamous day that we should never forget. 

What conceiver and director Stephen Sachs so expertly accomplishes is to do his best to present Reffitt (played brilliantly and exhaustingly by Ron Bonitta) as a manic ultra right wingbeliever in former President Trump and/or as his lawyer (well played by Larry Poindexter) stated someone suffering from severe emotional issues and taking Xanax proving he is not well. Anna Khaja portrays the U.S. Attorney a bit too laidback.

What works so very well is that the show does not exclusively play in the courtroom (only a few chairs and two tables as designed by Joel Daavid) which basically occurs at the end of the 80 minutes. At first you hear Reffitt  speaking about his prosperous job as someone who has worked on an oil rig and then that job collapsed throwing the family into ruin. He makes a statement which many of the more radical followers of Trump follow which is he provides an "outlet" for them to basically say and do what they want and need. I have several good friends who do support the former President who are quite intelligent and just feel he will be a better leader. But then there are those who are almost psychotic in their beliefs as in Reffitt. 

Jackson recorded the conversations before and after his father marches to the Capitol. This is why the play feels like it not just from transcripts. They re-enact what is on the tape. And I liked the fact Sachs have them moving around the stage almost using the table as furniture in their home. 

There is not doubt that as crazed Refitt has become he still loves his son but his devotion to the cause of those extremists supporting Trump has him accosting his son threatening to kill him if he finds out he has turned him in. Jackson pulls no punches calling his dad a traitor and there is sadly no reasoning with him.

What is scary is seeing all the rounds of ammunition in boxes that Reffitt decides to bing to the Capitol. 

What is brought out and might  not bring a shining light on Jackson is that he has arranged for a GoFund page for himself which raised over $150,000. Reffitt's lawyer questions this especially emphasizing the money was exclusively for himself despite Jackson's claim his mother and sister turned it down. 

What I found very touching is when Reffitt in his final statements shows Jackson squirming in his chair fighting about tears thinking what his father has become. And what is frightening is when Reffitt speaks slowly in a normal voice until his frighteningly prophetic  that next time they will not be so "cordial." That truly gave one shivers.

"Fatherland" is so well acted and pure theater that don't let the fact that it comes from transcripts, etc. deter you. You owe it to yourself to see this mighty new play. 

PHOTOS: Maria Baranova

Tickets are available at the New York City Center Stage II 131 West 55th Street.