Gene & Gilda

By Joseph Cervelli

Just by the title alone "Gene & Gilda" you know exactly whom this sweet and likable play written by Cary Gitter at 59E59 Theaters produced by Penguin Rep Theatre is about. Two incomparable comic actors, Gene Wilder ( Jonathan Randell Silver) and his wife Gilda Radner (Jordon Kai Burnett. ) My first thought was I hope this is not going to be just an interview with both performers the guests of Dick Cavett  since there is a logo from his show on the back wall before the play begins.  But far from this being an interview play. Yes, Cavett does want to interview Wilder about not only his career but the untimely passing  of his wife at the age of 42.  Then suddenly Gilda come out on stage and urges Wilder to provide more information about their lives than he wants to. Wilder states emphatically that anything about his late wife is off limits but not to her. She wants the world to know about their loving and sometimes not always easy relationship.

They met on the set of a flop of a film they both were appearing in. It was truly a love at first sight relationship even though Gilda was still married and Gene had been married several times before. 

What I enjoyed about the way it is written and well directed by Joe Brancato is that it is told in chronological order so you are privy to not only the happy times but the bumps in the road of their relationship. And Gilda makes sure that we as part of the studio audience see the "good, the bad and the ugly." Wilder's career takes off while Radner's never goes that far other than on Saturday Night Live. Yes, she did make a few films and could have made more but illness prevented that. Her real claim to fame were several characters the most famous ones Roseanne Rosannadanna, Emily Litella and Baba Wawa. Burnett does well in the smart aleck remarks and most certainly in the dramatic ones. The last scene with her and Silver sitting on a bench in Paris is lovely and moving. Unfortunately, her impersonating Radner as the three characters mentioned is not as funny as I had hoped for.  True, no one could imitate Radner to the extent that she created these hilarious characters, but I was hoping for something more spot on. Still Burnett does give a good performance, and I admired her devotion towards Radner. 

On the other hand, Silver personifies Wilder. He looks and sounds like him. His imitation of Wilder portraying the unforgettable character Leo Bloom from the hysterical film "The Producers" is incomparable. I could swear I was watching a clip from the film. While it feels like it was just shoehorned in when not really necessary,  it worked. 

There are a couple of dance numbers which did not really work that well for me. The dramatic one which is near the end would have been just fine while the others turned into something too silly. 

I was impressed by Christian Fleming's simple but effective set and Brian Pacelli's stunning projections of among other locales the Carlyle worked perfectly. Also, Jose Santiago's lighting was evocative of the mood of the play. 

If you were fans of both or either of the couple then I would highly recommend a visit. It runs only about 80 minutes but it incorporates a lot about their work and relationships. You just wish that their life together could have lasted much longer. 

PHOTOS: Carol Rosegg

Tickets are available at the 59E59 Theaters 59 East 59th Street. 

 Lunar Eclipse

By Joseph Cervelli

Whenever I read that Reed Birney is going to be appearing in a play, I will be there. There are few actors who are as believable in their portrayals of characters as this immensely talented man. He and his son were outstanding in the last outing I saw him in "Chester Bailey." He and his co-star Lisa Emery are  incredibly moving in Donald Margulies latest poignant play presented by 2ndStage at The Pershing Square Signature Center's "Lunar Eclipse" gorgeously directed by the always exceptional Kate Whoriskey. 

At first glance not a lot goes on and most of the play is a reflection on aging. The play takes place on the farm that George and his wife own.  He comes from a lineage of farmers.  Birney is the curmudgeon George married to the more uplifting and grateful Em (an endearing Emery.)  Reflecting is not uncommon with older people and in most instances they look for the wonderful times they had though here there are differing attitudes. Despite the death of an overdose of drugs that their adopted son succumbed to they seem to have a good long distance relationship with their daughter. Yet, even then George seems to be tied up in a coil of sadness about not seeing her often saying that he was more distraught by the death of his dogs than his son. And what is surprising is that George was more upset that his son stole his beloved telescope to pay for drugs. George has always been fascinated with astronomy and the title of the play which deals with the Earth's shadow falling on the moon covering it completely is a metaphor for his falling into a blackening period in his life. Not helpful is the fact he may be developing dementia.

Em tries to comfort him every way she is able to. She is uplifting and hoping to convince him that they still have many years ahead of them. According to the predictions George has decided up there are about 22 years. They bicker (well George bickers and Em tries to calm things down) about whether he should be wearing a sweater since it has gotten colder as the evening goes on. There is a lot of humor throughout and  yet there is an aura of sadness. 

As the play goes on you begin to wonder if George was ever happy. He has the cloud of senility overhanging but was he always like this. But then Margulies does something wonderful near the conclusion, and you see both characters as teenagers. Having adults playing younger people is always a slippery slope. It rarely works, but when you have two exceptionally fine actors as these two, it works beautifully. They have found each other and there is definitely a love connection here. The growling George is smiling and tender while Em is exactly the same lovable person. It is a beautiful scene played to the hilt by both.

Walt Spangler's set design is bucolic and peaceful and the lighting design byAmith Chandrashaker along with the gorgeous video design by S. Kathy Tucker make the sky look amazingly realistic.

There is not one false moment in this shining show. Looking at it you think about your own personal life and wonder if you could have done anything to have improved up it or are you just happy with the way things turned out. Hopefully, the latter is the way you wish you have gone. And if you are a young person it would be wonderful to see the joys that lie ahead with someone you love and do everything to make it work.

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS

Tickets are available at The Pershing Square Signature Center 480 West 42nd Street. As of this date the show ends its run June 22.

The Black Wolfe Tone

By Joseph Cervelli

The two major questions in the emotionally moving solo play "The Black Wolfe Tone" with a hauntingly memorable performance by Irish actor Kwaku Fortune playing at The W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre at the Irish Rep are what caused his mental illness and how to deal with it. 

Fortune created a deeply disturbed character named Kevin suffering from bipolar disorder and as performed and with arresting direction by Nicola Murphy Dubey it will grab you from the very start of its 65 or so minutes. 

The very simple set is the outside of a mental institution in Ireland showing a tree minus any leaves. The symbolism there is apparent. Kevin is just as depleted. 

Being only a six row theater Fortune as Kevin  bears right into you. He looks at the audience smoking on his break and states that he has created us. What is almost frightening is how he  stares with a searing focus  from one person to the next  almost want them to understand his pain. Before the show started, I moved back a bit and happen to be in full line of his vision. I felt immediately immersed in his psyche as he looked at me asking "was it my parent's fault?" Then goes on to speak about his father who he doesn’t believe was responsible, although he was emotionally detached from his son.

He speaks about racism when accosted on a bus by a man who tells him to go back to his own country and Kevin responds by speaking in Gaelic with comments about this is his country. 

The play as written by Fortune is in stream of consciousness so while easy to follow there is some dialogue that is purposely convoluted in meaning. One of the most upsetting feelings he expresses is how "mania is the best drug on the planet." This truly expresses the feeling of someone with severe mental issues. They cannot deal with life as it is so enter another world which is easier for them to cope. 

The only other character is the voice of the nurse we hear (Clare Barrett). Fortune portrays the doctor who is taking care of him explaining about the drugs he is on to keep him as stable as possible. There is a playful give and take between he and the doctor who slowly is losing patience with Kevin trying to get him to understand he must work as hard as he can to deal with his illness so he can eventually leave the  institution. 

He had been transferred from a prison after writing in fecal matter "Fuck Da Guards" on the walls of his cell and starts to sing about raping their children, etc. It is apparent he needs a great deal of psychiatric help. 

He compares himself to Theobald Wolfe Tone who was an 18th Century figure who strived for Irish independence but not understanding he is not capable of leaving under his current situation. 

As he continues with his monologue things seem to be getting the worst of him. It is as if he has been all consumed by his mania. He explains being chased by boys with bats, crashing into a wall with his car, and then fighting with his brother that causes severe injury to him. And worse yet what occurs between he and his father.

He poses a question at the very end to you the audience he believes he created. You almost want to answer him but know it is not the answer he may want, though he knows the outcome. 

I would be amiss if I did not mention the excellent lighting by Adam Honore. I remember Honore's on target lighting for "Cats: The Jellicle Ball" among other shows and here the lighting is especially good. 

I urge you to see this overwhelmingly consuming new play with a volcanic performance by Kwaku Fortune. 

PHOTO: Carol Rosegg

Tickets are available at Irish Rep 132 West 22nd Street.

 

The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse

  By Joseph Cervelli

When the large canvas (set design by Stephanie Osin Cohen) comes down at the well acted but mostly juvenile new pop musical "The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse" at The Pershing Square Signature Center, I could recognize Paris Hilton but for a moment or two did not make the connection between the other two namely, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. They were more infamous than, perhaps, famous and the New York Post really tore into them naming them "Three Bimbos of the Apocalypse" about 20 or so years ago. In this new show designed for the Gen Z audience (a lot of the comments and dialogue I must admit went over my head) we meet teen detective Brainworm (apparently "worm" means something to the younger members in the audience.)  She is a YouTuber sleuth whose job is to try to find "missing girls." Brainworm is played by a wonderful Milly Shapiro whose character is agraphobic though she does venture out after four years in her apartment where she has her internet program to find the missing young woman Coco. 

This Coco (joyously played by Keri Rene Fuller)  is a not very well known pop artist but Brainworm notices the bracelet with her name printed on it. Apparently she has died right after the photo was taken. And there is also a still photo of Coco with her insane mother (think the mother of Carrie from the film here played by the always excellent Sara Gettelfinger) and some unknown person Kiki (Natalie Walker). 

There are two other "worms" in the show namely the flamboyantly gay Earworm (Luke Islam) and the supposedly straight Bookworm (Patrick Nathan Falk.) While both actors are fine they really are not given much to do and basically act as backgrouind singer/dancers. It takes a while to figure out not that they also are YouTubers but from different parts of the country. 

Things get more incoherent when Brainworm finally meets up with Coco who apparently has been kidnapped by her mother telling her daughter the world is coming to an end. But then later on Coco makes a comeback in appropriately garish costumes by Cole McCarty without much of an explanation except for the help of Brainworm. For some bizarre reason she is suddenly surrounded by her mother (when did the mother suddenly become part of her world?) and Kiki (you will find out who she really is.)

Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley are responsible for the book, music and lyrics. While the book is a mess and, at times, you almost give up on trying to follow it their score is tuneful and not as loud as you would think. Yet, it was not always easy to understand the lyrics. 

Jack Ferver is responsible for the energetic choreography along with Olivia Palacios who provided additional choreography and Rory Pelsue both directed and developed it. I wished he had paid more atttention to individual scenes making them coalesce into a flowing narrative. It appears to be linear in a non linear format.

But the young audience was having a most enjoyable time and with some work it could have been a lot better. You most certainly will not be bored!

Photos: Monique Carboni

Tickets are available at the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street. For theater schedule and tickets please go to: thenewgroup.org.

 Kowalski

By Joseph Cervelli

The title of the new play by Gregg Ostrin "Kowalski" at The Duke Theater should conjure up what you are about to see. Yes, it is that Kowalski. Stanley himself from one of America’s greatest plays  "A Streetcar Named Desire" by one of America’s greatest playwrights Tennessee Williams.  Unfortunately, the play really does not reveal all that much and becomes both talky and tedious.

While taking place at Williams' beach house in Provincetown 1947,  the play actually starts in 1977 with the playwright being interviewed by an unheard voice wanting to know about his latest play namely "Streetcar."  Now we are back to 1947 seeing Williams played much too affectatiously by Robin Lord Taylor who turns campy almost immediately.  Having seen interviews Williams liked to be grandiose but nothing like presented here. Not sure if the director Colin Hanlon's aim was to show the exaggerated humor of Williams or Taylor decided to exaggerate the character he was portraying, but it becomes annoying as the 85 minute play moves along sometimes at a snail's pace. 

We meet Margo Jones (an excellent Alison Cimmet) who is a good friend of Willams and co-directed his masterpiece 'The Glass Menagerie." Williams’ partner the volatile and inebrietated Pancho (a very good Sebastian Treviño) comes in and wants to go with Williams to pick up some sailors at a local bar. Williams is waiting for Brando to arrive to audition  him for the role of Stanley Kowalski as requested by "Streetcar's" illustrious director Elia Kazan, but he is already three days late. Pancho leaves for the bar and Margo goes to makes sure he gets in no trouble. 

While Williams is trying to get the toilet to work (there are also issues with fuses) in a rather cheap looking (terrific design by the always reliable David Gallo) beach house, Brando (Brandon Flynn) comes in and with a brash attitude starts making himself at home opening the refrigerator and acting like the house is his. Williams comes out to introduce himself and wants to know who this fellow is. For some unknown reason Brando only says that he is from New York. What was the point of playing coy? Williams thinks he is just a fan. It takes a while before Brando announces himself which makes little sense. 

The saving grace here is that Flynn not only resembles Brando but never comes on too strong or does an imitation. He is headstrong and full of arrogance but never goes too far over the top to become a caricature. He is perfectly cast for the role of Brando. Most of the play is banter between both of them. He explains why he was late in coming and talks about his acting and being on stage with the always controversial Tallulah Bankhead. Williams thinks he is too young for the role. After Williams tells him what tragically happened to his sister, Brando creates some story about a young woman he knows who also went through terrible mental treatment at a facility. However, he madehis story up for no apparent reason.d

Williams keeps asking Brando why he mumbles. The problem is that Flynn does not mumble which is something Hanlon should have paid more attention to. Flynn is so good that there is no reason I could see why he would not be able to make himself unclear as Brando sometimes did. This is brought up several times which is contrary to how Flynn sounds. 

A number of scenes are based on fact including Brando's  girlfriend who arrives with him. Only here for which gives Brando and Williams more time to blandly converse, the girlfriend is left at the bus station so comes to the house late. Ellie Ricker (Jo) is terrific as Brando's girlfriend in a thankless role which goes no where except for Williams fawning over her to make Brando angry. Why? There is a humorous moment offstage in which as Brandon Flynn calls Jo as he would yell out "Stella!" Williams looks perplexed for Brando told him he did not have the script to the play. You later find out he did.

A mistake is in not giving Flynn a few moments in reading lines from the play. Since Jones was according to what I read actually there when Brando  read it and was amazed by his delivery it would have worked beautifully here.

There is a great deal to work with but with Lord's overplaying the role of Williams even Flynn's terrific portrayal and Cimmet's equally fine performance they cannot do much to improve upon the  play which lumbers along. I doubt if Tenessee Williams would have approved. 

PHOTOS: Russ Rowland

Tickets can be purchased at The Duke on 42nd Street 229 West 42nd Street.

The play's limited engagement is scheduled to close on February 23.

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