Whisper House--Bewitching New Musical 

      By Joseph Cervelli

An oddly entertaining, gothic style new musical has just opened at 59East59 Theaters called "Whisper House"  and if you let yourself be seduced by it you will find it bewitching. What should grab you most especially is the deliciously atmospheric score by Duncan Sheik ("Spring Awakening") who is responsible for the music and joined by Kyle Jarrow ("SpongeBob SquarePants The Musical") writing both wrote the book and lyrics. While the book is fascinating  it is the very enticing score that lingers in your mind.

Not many shows begin with two ghosts singing the opening number and who rarely leave the stage singing as roaming balladeers.  Mostly ghosts portrayed are not evil but these two (Alex Boniello and Molly Hager) are seeking revenge for something you will discover later in the musical. The opening number is called "Better to be Dead" referring to each of the characters and you know you are in for something very different. While the premise is simple, director Steve Cosson keeps you guessing exactly what is the relationship between the ghosts and the humans and what are the secrets that are being kept. And the show segues thoughtfully into racism and how jumping to conclusions leads to dire consequences. 

The time period is 1942 and  12 year old Christopher (Wyatt Cirbus)  whose father was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor results in his mother being admitted to a mental facility for attempting suicide. Christopher's only family member is his Aunt Lily (Samantha Mathis) who was the sister of his dad and someone he has never met. Lily is a bit of a curmudgeon who never married and is living and running a lighthouse in Maine. She most certainly does not prefer having to care for a young boy.  Living in the bell tower is Yasuhiro (James Yaegashi) who emigrated to the United States long before war broke out. There is a kind and loving relationship between both of the adults. Yashuiro sings a lovely ballad about how difficult it was to make the transition to his new country in "The Art of Being Unseen." He sings about the memories in Japan and his devotion for Lily but cannot forget the reason he left his native born land. 

Complications come into play even though Lily and Christopher begin to forge a more understanding relationship when the sheriff (Jeb Brown) tells a story about a young boy turning in a German neighbor who might be a spy. The Sheriff sings the eerie "The Ballad of Solomon Snell" which will explain about the ghosts and indicates something concerning Lily that she explains to her nephew near the end of the show.

If not for xenophobia which ran rampant during this time period, things would not have taken a more serious and unpleasant turn for one of the characters affecting the others. 

The two ghosts are wonderfully played with an ethereal Hager and a very handsome Boniello who both harmonize together perfectly and move on and off the stage as if they are floating. They never seem to change their personalities which could have added a bit more to their characters, but they have this magnetic grace about them that you really find alluring in a daunting manner. 

Mathis makes her character much more likable as the musical  proceeds and a standout is Yaegashi as the kind and sympathetic character Yasuhiro. 

Brown does very well as the sheriff who becomes more understanding. While Cirbus is good I just wished he was a bit more animated. He has part of a song near the end and it would have added more to his character if the composers wrote a ballad for him somewhere earlier. 

The minimum but effective choreography is by Billy Bustamante and Alexander Dodge has created an inventive set design. 

Don't be put off by the coming and goings of the ghosts which may appear silly during the first 20 or so minutes because everything blends together very well.

 I found the show to be one of the most original of the season thus far. 

PHOTOS: Richard Termine

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

The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe--Lacks the Impact of the Original

    By Joseph Cervelli

Jane Wagner's 1985 hit play "The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" boasted an incredibly brilliant solo performance by Lily Tomlin portraying about twelve characters. The word portray does not accurately describe her ability to almost literally morph into each of them-- both male and female. The play itself while entertainingly clever could be a bit bewildering.  Yet, Tomlin clearly delineated each of the characters so you understood where Wagner was going.

With Cecily Strong now taking over Tomlin's role in a new revival at the beautiful Griffin Theater at The Shed, the show as not necessarily worn well with time. Wagner's tale of the interconnection and observations between men and women along with feminism and the arts seems frequently outdated. When Trudy the self proclaimed "crazy" homeless woman whom we are first introduced to and acts as a kind of narrator states, "I refuse to be intimated by reality anymore" it does not seem to have the effectiveness it once did. And when one character states that he reads The World Street Journal on acid it evokes a chuckle if not more. The alluding to Andy Warhol several times with art vs. soup falls flat. 

In order for this show to work with the multitude of characters you need an actor who can not only infiltrate but define that person. Strong is good but she never gets into the core of any of them even though she starts well with the first,  Trudy,  who is waiting for her alien friends to arrive. Appearing on Saturday Night Live for the past 10 years she can appear amusing and tender in her portrayals on stage, but she needs to do more. She should try to change her voice intonation more than she does and get into the various characters' psyche which which she rarely does. 

She does a fine job of portraying the rambunctious teen Agnes who wants to be a performance artist and  whose parents lock her out of the house.

While Chrissy is the young woman unable to hold any job Strong does not seem to have a grip on her role to make her more pertinent. 

Strong does better with the snobby socialite Kate who can't stand her hairdresser whom she amusingly calls Bucci The Arrogant  Her line about seeing an "uplifting" show had her "dozing off" probably  still resonates with theatergoers feeling obligated to like shows just because they may have gotten rave reviews. 

I had wished she portrayed the somewhat obnoxious Paul with greater fortitude creating more laughter about his attitude towards sex. I loved the line about his sex urge being "industrial strength" but minus any desire.

Strong does much better as the compassionate and lovable sex workers Brandy and Tina.

As Lyn, Edie and Marge there is a discussion of  the feminist movement which is more of a retrospective. While this is fine and certainly still pertinent, it needed to be updated to bring a fresher feel.  And Strong lacks the punch to make it as effective as it should be so basically it feels like a history lesson. 

Director Leigh Silverman could have had Strong show more vigor in creating the characters and there was no need for several props and an unnecessary colorful belts one of the characters wears later in the play. One other issue that works to the detriment of the show is the fact what was once a two and half hour or so play is now one hour forty five minutes. Not sure if this was Silverman's or Wagner's decision but not a good one. It takes a while to understand each character and the shortening of the play makes them more superficial than they should be.

While I still admire Wagner's work, with few updates it is less than dazzling and unless you have a highly animated and deeply believable characterization of every person the playwright has created you may find your interest sagging.  Sadly, that was how I felt. 

PHOTO CREDIT: KATE GLICKSBERG

Tickets are available at the Griffin Theater at The Shed 545 West 30th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues.)

 Mrs. Doubtfire--Hilarity Abounds With a Brilliant Rob McClure

       By Joseph Cervelli

Rob McClure was nominated but shamefully never won a Tony for his triumphant portrayal of Charles Chaplin in the underrated musical "Chaplin" several years ago. He certainly will be in the running again this season for his hysterically funny performance in the wonderfully appealing and family oriented musical "Mrs. Doubtfire" at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre based on the film of the same name. Originated on screen by the incomparable Robin Williams it must have been daunting for McClure to step into that role so associated with the late, great Williams. But McClure being such an incredibly talented performer makes the role his own. Yes, the Scottish accent and look are there but he does not replicate Williams. As Daniel Hillard before he becomes the fictionalized Mrs. Doubtfire, McClure comes across as a lovable lunatic playing with his kids like a child himself but also has a beautiful vulnerability he displays in various scenes. His transition from both personalities is done with such expertise that he is quite amazing. 

Daniel is a voice over actor more unemployed than not. He is a loving father to his three children Christopher (Jake Ryan Flynn,) Lydia (Analise Scarpaci) and Natalie (Avery Sell). The three actors are simply marvelous and believable. Scarpaci especially has a strong and lovely voice and Flynn is a comic find. The always excellent Jenn Gambatese plays the wife and mother Miranda who is starting a new clothing line. As much as she loves Daniel she cannot deal with his being constantly being unemployed nor his antics with the kids who love every minute of his silliness. For her it is like having another child. Things get worse when he throws Christoper a birthday party unbeknownst to Miranda and inadvertently hires a stripper. She finally files for divorce. The scene in the courtroom is beautifully moving as McClure practically begs the judge to reconsider his judgment that he only be allowed seeing his children on a Saturday with supervision.  His plea "I Want to be There" is a gorgeous ballad. That courtroom scene was reminiscent of the almost forgotten film "Penny Serenade" wherei  Cary Grant makes a similar plea. Impossible to not shed a tear at that moment in the film and just as impossible here. Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick wrote the versatile score filled with lovely ballads along with catchy, lively ones in the production numbers. And both Karey and John O'Farrell's book is heartfelt when not wildly hilarious. 

Daniel moves in with his make-up artist brother Frank (Brad Oscar)  in a rather shabby apartment. When Daniel finds out that his wife is hiring a nanny he creates the role of the Scottish nanny whom the kids eventually adore. Anyone familiar with the film knows exactly what transpires. The bookwriters have incorporated some terrific numbers especially the inventive one where as Doubtfire, Hillard tries to create chicken fricassee and turns to Siri for a recipe. What occurs is delightfully clever and extremely well staged by Lorin Latarro whose choreography is appropriately flashy and energetic. What I love about her work (as she showed in the underrated "The Visitor") is how infectious it is.    

The cast is a complete joy. There are few actors, as the saying goes, that can "read the proverbial phonebook" and make me laugh like Peter Bartlett who portrays the over the hill Mr. Jolly who  hosts a children's show as if he was hosting back in the 50's. Bartlett just says "hello" and he can have me laughing uncontrollably. I had wished they had included Bartlett in the second act's flamenco scene which has McClure doing quick changes as both Hillard and Doubtfire at lightning speeds. 

 

J. Harrison Ghee is a hoot as Frank's partner and costume designer who adores both Donna Summer and Jennifer Holliday. Don't dare say one disparaging word about either of them. 

Charity Angel Dawson is convincing as the case worker and belts out a number in the second act. While she does a great job, the dream sequence is silly and really makes no sense at all. 

The handsome Mark Evans is charmingly good as Miranda's love interest who invests in her clothing line helping to make it a success.  

Who but a director with wizardry skills but Jerry Zaks could be at the reins of such a fast moving and insanely funny show incorporated with real heart and feeling.

David Korins sets are appropriately on target and the wonderful Catherine Zuber again proves what a first rate costume designer she is. Philip S. Rosenberg's lighting is colorful and blends in perfectly especially with the costumes.

At the end of the show, When Mrs. Doubtfire takes over the aforementioned children's show she delivers a lovely sentiment which blends into the terrific "As Long as There is Love" that cannot but  touch you. 

"Mrs. Doubtfire"a jubilant and honest in these troubled times is the perfect anecdote.

PHOTOS: Joan Marcus

Tickets are available at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre 124 West 43rd Street. 

 

Clyde's--Lynn Nottage Again Proves to be One of the Most Gifted Playwrights Around

       By Joseph Cervelli

Well, if you want to meet, and you surely do not, the boss from hell may I introduce Clyde (a hilariously scary Uzo Aduba.) She runs a restaurant named after her in Lynn Nottage's sometimes rollickingly funny and more often than not a sharply serious new play "Clyde's" presented by 2nd Stage at The Helen Hayes Theater. Nottage is truly one of the most versatile and gifted playwrights around. From her intensely beautiful "Intimate Apparel" to her gorgeous musical adaptation "The Secret Life of Bees" and the Pulitzer Prize winning "Sweat" she never fails to disappoint. Director Kate Whoriskey as in the past (I believe this is her fifth show working with Nottage) captures the deep rooted emotions of all the characters.

The foul mouthed Clyde owns a sandwich shop which is popular with truckers off some road in Berks County, PA. All the action takes place in the not very clean kitchen of the restaurant so it would be a place to avoid. But for a quick ham and cheese with coffee this is the place. There is some talk about the fact that the restaurant is being funded by some undesirables whom you never see and is never delved into.     

Clyde herself was in prison for unknown reasons and the four workers she has hired all have been incarcerated for different reasons. Montrellous (Ron Cephas Jones) does not reveal why he served time until the end of the play but now that he is out wants to make more of the place by creating sandwiches that are not typical. He takes pride in his creations although Clyde wants none of it.  She wants what she thinks the customers will like and is concerned about what  those who are footing the bill for the purchase of the food would think.  Jones who is excellent both here as he is in the terrific Apple TV series "Truth Be Told" is a kind of father figure.  He acts as a buffer between the other workers and the callous Clyde. He also is a kind of poet and therapist telling them how making better food will help them gain respect among themselves. His introduction of Swiss chard to the workers is priceless. 

The two that have been working there the longest are Letitia (Kara Young) who is a single mom and has been in an abusive relationship. She and Rafael (Reza Salazar) who humorously considers himself a sous chef have a working kinship although he would like to carry it further. She was in prison for stealing prescriptive medications. Letitia played beautifully by Young is generally late trying to get a sitter for her daughter who is disabled. Of course, the coarse Clyde could care less while the hyperkinetic Rafael, a wonderful Salazar was in for a botched bank robbery shows compassion. There is one scene where Rafael gets angry with Letitia that can easily break your heart.

 

Into the picture comes Jason (Edmund Donovan) whom they both have little respect for. He served time for aggravated assault and has quite of bit of tattoos which sends up a warning of his being a racist to Letitia. Clyde almost fuels the flames between the three of them while Jason says that all he wants is "a paycheck and peace." If you saw Donovan's award winning performance in "Great Clements" several seasons ago you know how amazing an actor he is. He again proves himself here. 

The three of them start to get along thanks to Montrellous whose guidance helps them feel better about themselves and they may not create the best concoctions first try but it makes them gain dignity that  they never had before despite Clyde's every given chance to destroy that. Aduba creates quite a character in Clyde. She is brilliant showing a caring smile in which you think she just might be changing until it turns malevolent. She thinks nothing of physically hurting anyone of them as you learn she did. 

Takeshi Kata's set is on target and what is particularly interesting is Christopher Akerlind's fascinating lighting which works in conjunction with the show. As Montrellous starts to teach the three to make better food the lights take on an almost pinkish kind of light transporting them out of the harsh white lighting to a better place. 

Whoriskey beautifully balances the hilarity with seriousness. Watching the expressions as each of the four workers near the end is memorable. 

There is a wildly inventive ending involving Clyde which I won't dare give away. The clue might be (not a spoiler alert) something that occurs at the beginning of the play. That is all I will divulge.

"Clyde's" is most definitely one of the best shows of the season, thus far.

PHOTOS: Joan Marcus

Tickets are available at The Helen Hayes Theatre 240 West 44th Street. 

 Trouble in Mind--An Absorbing Work with a Knockout LaChanze

        By Joseph Cervelli

Alice Childress' absorbing and moving 1955 play "Trouble in Mind" is being given a dynamic production at the American Airlines Theater. It was well received when it opened over 60 years ago off Broadway but the producers who wanted to bring it to Broadway would not unless the playwright eliminated scenes that dealt firmly with racism. She rightfully refused. Thankfully, but sad that Childress is no longer around, it  has been brought where it rightfully belongs. 

The moment the astonishing LaChanze takes to the stage you know you are witnessing a performance that will linger long in your mind and hopefully on those of voters at award time. As Wiletta Mayer in this play within a play looks out at what is to be an empty theater with revelation that she will be starring in a new play called "Chaos in Belleville." She jokes with doorman Henry (played with conviction by Simon Jones) whom she recognizes from years ago when he was an electrician on one of her shows.

 

John Nevins (a very fine Brandon Micheal Hall) is a young Black actor who has little acting experience so Wiletta tries to give him some advice upon meeting the director. Both John and she form a bond because she knows his family from the town she grew up in.

The other actors all mill in. The only white female actor Judy Sears (a very good Danielle Campbell); the younger and flamboyant Millie Davis (a delightful Jessica Frances Dukes); and the oldest of the troupe Sheldon Forrester (a superb Chuck Cooper.) 

Michael Zegen gives a masterful performance as the play's director, Al Manners. He appears to be thoughtful and comforting until he proves to be both insensitive and a bully. What adds to his callousness is his own personal problems. Zegen who gave an especially fine performance in the last production of "A View From The Bridge"  gives an equally admirable one here. 

There is one other white actor in the play, Bill O'Ray (a very good Don Stephenson),who has this never ending speech from the play they are rehearsing. But O'Ray himself has his own prejudices with the black cast members never joining them for lunch. 

The racial aspects start to emerge as the actors read from the play which supposedly is to deal with sharecroppers and the horrors of lynching. But slowly as the actors recite their lines  they are nothing more than racist stereotypes. Al makes John wave his hands around with histrionics that certainly is degrading and Wiletta's emotions are just as insultingly stereotypical. Yet, she deals with it wanting the job as she had to do with so many other acting roles.  Sheldon also kowtows to the director even more so  trying to act as a buffer between actors and director. He is accused of being an "Uncle Tom" but just trying to keep his job knowing through years of experience that this was the way to sadly keep from being fired. There is one sensationally moving scene where Cooper  breaks out of his character's calm demeanor to give a devastating monologue about as a child he witnessed a lynching. 

Things get more heated and under Charles Randolph-Wright's astute direction.  Wiletta refuses to go though with one scene in which she states to Al whom she acted with years ago that a mother of a young man who is about to be lynched would never act that way. The combustibility between Al and Wiletta is electric. LaChanze  plays the role of Wiletta at that moment as a real mother would and not as written. It is an unforgettable moment. 

Here is a forceful work that took too long to get to Broadway but now it is here you would be quite foolish to pass this one up.

PHOTOS: Joan Marcus

Tickets are available at the American Airlines Theatre 227 W. 42nd Street

 Morning's at Seven--A Heartfelt Delight

        By Joseph Cervelli

I was unaware that the very well received Tony Award winning 1980 production of Paul Osborn's "Morning's at Seven" was not the original. The show premiered in 1938 and only played about 44 performances. Thankfully, the first Broadway revival ran for over 500. The show which is a perennial regional favorite is now being revived at St. Clement's Theater and it is a sheer delight with a superb cast you cherish every given moment. 

For some strange reason I never saw any production of "Morning's" so had this fear it would not hold up well and be some rickety relic. On the contrary. While there is a scene in which Carl (John Rubenstein) is going through a serious midlife crisis while  looking for a "fork in a road" and places his head against the tree is played for laughs you just need to accept the fact that depression was not taken as seriously as it rightfully is right now. There were some laughs at that scene but it does not exacerbate what turns out to be a temporary mental instability of the character.

Harry Feiner's pastoral looking set with two houses sit next to each other and Barbara A Bell's well calibrated costumes along with James E. Lawlor III's warm lighting set the mood for what is deceiving. Everything looks tranquil on the surface but there is a lot of tension between the four sisters three of which live across from each other. 

Taking place in 1922 in what is simply called "An American town" Cara (Lindsay Crouse) lives with her her husband, Thor, (Dan Lauria) and Cara's loquacious unmarried sister, Arry (Alley Mills.) While Cara seems very content (not long lasting)  there is a unsettling annoyance she feels for Arry. First, having her living with them for close to 45 years is not easy. Second, there is some other prickly issue I won't divulge that has been festering in Cara all this time. Thor is more of a laid-back type of guy trying to keep the peace between both of them. 

In the adjacent house lives sister Ida (Alma Cuervo) with Carl and their grown son, Homer, Jonathan Spivey. Homer who has been dating Myrtle (Keri Safran) for close to twelve years cannot commit to marriage despite the fact Carl has built a new house for them. The jittery Homer just cannot leave his home. 

There is another sister Esther (Patty McCormick) married to a retired snobbish professor David (Tony Roberts.) David dislikes the family calling them "morons" and with hilarious deadpan delivery announces to them,  "You all know how much you all depress me." He even forbids Esther from visiting them though the most grounded of the sisters refuses to comply. 

The key reason to pay a visit is the enchanting cast. Under Dan Wackerman's skilled direction he allows each actor to shine in their respective roles.

Crouse carefully balances her character's  love for Thor while trying to deal with the overbearing Arry. Lauria who gave a bravura performance portraying Vince Lombardi in the play "Lombardi" is on target  as Thor trying to offer advice to both his wife and sister-in-law who are at uncertain odds with each other. Mills who is a new addition to the show is perfect as a likable though annoying Arry whom you begin to feel sorry for. She wanted a home of her own but lives vicariously through her sister and brother-in-law. Cuervo does well as Ida trying to deal with her husband's issues and her son's own immaturity. McCormick easily makes Esther the most reasonable of the sister's probably because she does not live next to them. By the play's end you see exactly how shrewd a character she is and McCormick plays with with total believablity. 

Rubenstein is a joy as Carl and what a complete pleasure having that Broadway icon Tony Roberts back on stage. He certainly never misses with his wonderfully snarky remarks at the family. Both Spivey and Safran nearly steal the show with their impeccable comic turns. Safran is a real find reminding me of actress Julie Hagerty (who incidentally was in the 1980 revival.) She never tries to imitate Hagerty but has that same type of off beat humor. Her effusiveness at being almost nauseatingly polite when she first meets Ida is priceless. Watch what happens when she tries to be as ebullient to David. Spivey is completely entertaining as someone appearing to have a panic attack whenever he speaks and begins to drive the sweet Myrtle to wonder about their relationship. 

Osborne has written a play about old age and the travails that ensue but at the same time trying to get across the fact that as we age we need to embrace not only the years ahead but those family members that are still around. It is hard as he indicates to let go of past dalliances or lies that we have been through with those closest to us but to what end should we perpetuate them. His belief seems to be we may not forget but to forgive and move on.

PHOTOS: Maria Baranova

Tickets are available at Theatre at Saint Clement's 423 West 46th Street.

 

Mrs. Warren’s Profession--Briskly Entertaining with a Blithesome Cast

By Joseph Cervelli

As presented by the Gingold Theaterical Group and directed by David Staller at Theatre Row,  George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession has turned into a brisk affair (and no pun attended considering the play does deal with the title character's vocation.

Shaw does have the tendency amidst all his insightful writings about feminism, male privilege and morality to be loquacious to the point of boredom. In other hands this play could be deadly dull, but with Mr. Staller at the helm and a blithesome cast it moves quite swiftly. 

Scenic designer Brian Prather has created a bucolic garden scene in Surrey, England, with flowers adorning the various trellis’s and doorways. We first meet the mathematical whiz Vivie Warren (Nicole King.) While King is sedate in the role she is believable considering her character’s life has been devoted to studies and never really knowing her mother Kitty Warren (a delightfully exuberant Karen Ziemba.) Ms. Ziemba never fails to deliver and she is in high gear here. Vivie is expecting her mother who left her as a child to stay with others while she takes off for Europe in a profession she never reveals to her daughter in all these years. While waiting for her Vivie meets Praed (Alvin Keith) who is a good friend of Kitty’s. Dressed as a fop and effete he is love with all things of beauty and culture. He quickly reminds one of Cecil Vyse in E. M. Forster’s “A Room With a View.” Keith plays it to the hilt. 

The boisterous Kitty enters with her wealthy and somewhat surly Sir George Crofts (an always excellent Robert Cuccioli) who has affections for the young Vivie. He jokingly states he could be her father. There is more to this comment that the young woman could imagine. 

There are two other characters who balance things out. The ne’er-do-well Frank Gardner (David Lee Huynh) who spends his time gambling and tries to woo both ladies knowing they are each worth a considerable amount of money—especially Kitty. Huynh is good although he could take down his enthusiasm a bit. His scampering around is a bit overboard. His father Reverend Samuel Gardner (Raphael Nash Thompson) is the hypocrical male character that Shaw delights in creating.  The Reverend won’t enter a home of someone of dubious character yet we find out exactly how bogus his so-called puritanical behavior really is. Thompson adds humor though he could have displayed more pomposity that I would have expected from  his character. 

The profession in the title, of course, refers to the fact that Kitty started out as a prostitute out of necessity because there were very few opportunities in 1912 for women. She then along with her sister opened a number of brothels which prospered.  It helped having Crofts as a man helping with the investments. Things do not go well when Kitty explains all this to her daughter who has lived a sheltered life. 

The costumes by Asa Benally are appropriately dapper for the men and subdued for Vivie. I would have liked to have seen Kitty's somewhat more embellished. 

The messages of the objectification of women and the plight they were forced to endure comes across loud and clear along with the privileges of men in this especially fine and lucid production.

PHOTOS: Carol Rosegg

Tickets may be purchased at Theater Row 410 West 42nd Street.