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.

 

The Counter

By Joseph Cervelli

Meghan Kennedy's new play "The Counter" at The Roundabout at Laura Pels Theatre starts off on a slow path and then ends unsuccessfully about a server Katie (Susannah Flood) at a coffee shop in upstate New York and a patron Paul (Anthony Edwards)who is the first early morning customer arriving for a coffee six days a week. He has been coming there for two years the amount of time that Katie has been employed. I have to say that coffee might be the only thing I would order in Walt Spangler's minuscule and dingy looking coffee shop.

In the early part of the play, Paul has a bombshell request for Katie which really doesn't go anywhere and then for the rest of the 75 minute show the dialogue becomes mostly mundane. Strangely, Paul and Katie know each other for so long, and yet I never felt any kind of camaraderie between them. Granted there is no love interest on either part, but it does feel like they should know some things after spending time alone for two years just about every day until other patrons came into the diner. If there were other customers I would understand a lack of communication, but Paul is especially talkative so it would make sense if they would have some small talk.  Katie comes out with a rather unfeeling remark to Paul about his being there is just "until" the next person arrives meaning he is not really a special patron but then expresses her concern when he misses a day due to his having a cold..  Before he asks her to do something for him he wants to know if they can be friends within the diner but not really outside of it.  He reveals his secret about being a recovering alcoholic for 11 years (he is retired) and then his having an affair with the town doctor Peg (Amy Warren) while her husband was battling cancer. 

Katie divulges a rather unusual secret being she has 27 emails she has not deleted from her phone from her ex-boyfriend for the past two years. While we never see the boyfriend but hear his voice  (Will Brill)  from his emails it seems rather disconcerting.  They were dating for a while but nothing much seemed to have occurred between them because he wanted to put her "on a pedestal" and treat her as almost untouchable. Instead of just ending the relationship she moves away to the current location. That seems a bit far fetched unless he made threats to her. And why not just break it off and contact the authorities if he starts to harass her.  What makes even less sense is whys kept those emails unless she has some strong feelings for him. 

Peg visits the diner and there is a brief encounter between her and Paul. She reveals some information to Katie about Paul (he saved a family in a fire, took care of his ailing mother and brother and joined the Peace Corps). 

I wish Kennedy would have explored this further in conversation between both of them. 

One interesting thing that David Cromer has done as director is have the light change color and spotlight (lighting design by Stacy Derosier)  the characters when are having an internal monologue or when Peg and Paul have one brief intimate moment. 

The performances are good though not memorable. 

What is extremely disappointing is the ending of the play. It has an unfinished feel to it. Almost like Kennedy did not know what more to say about her characters . What makes little sense is what Katie decides to do in a blink of the eye even though Paul gives his go ahead which I did not believe for a moment. And the bombshell request I briefly mentioned just fizzles out. Has Paul reconsidered? There’s really nothing to convey keeping  his decision or changing it. 

Somewhere there is a honest and moving play here but as presented left me feeling completely unfulfilled. 

PHOTOS: Joan Marcus

Tickets are available at the Laura Pels Theatre 111 West 46th Street.