Rene Grayre Theatre reviews blog - René Grayre

Othello - Match:Lit

10/30/2016

See it if
a faithful, emotionally raw&physically intense Othello, stripped of costume or scenery with young, adept actors, crisply directed, interests

Don't See it if
you don't like immersive theatre, or an unrelenting exploration of the basest aspects of human behavior, no justice in sight.

Dim lights, haunting vocals between scenes & clever use of transparent gauze walls that surround the single peripheral rows that edge the square playing space all do much to keep the audience involved & the pace up at MatchLit's Othello.

In a solid, if somewhat uninspired production, this Othello sometimes soars emotionally, though its language rarely sings, even mysteriously and uniformly dropping in volume for much of Act ll, often being inaudible.

Though the young cast is game, committed and dives head first into this world of duplicity, jealousy, greed, misogyny, revenge, violence, racial prejudice & religious hatred, in the end it's the women in this production that bring home the emotional truth and immediacy of moment.

Claire Tyers' Desdemona is lovely and loving with a surprising inner strength that pushes back to resist the inevitable; Kristin Sgarro's Emilia is somewhat uneven, but when pushed displays an emotional depth and authority that's fresh, modern and in the moment. While Julian Thomas as Othello maintains a convincing rage with terrifying peaks, Woodrow Proctor's Iago, while voluble and present seems never quite evil, hateful or slimy enough to be the engine of all this tragedy. Aryanya Sederati as Bianca,Ty Baumann as Rodrigo, Nick Ritacco as Cassio and Mike Labbadia as the Duke round out this earnest cast.

Each new generation finds its own Shakespeare, and this Othello is a solid and serious attempt that should be seen and given the chance to grow and develop. Part of Match:Lit's mission is, in fact, to bring Shakespeare to younger audiences, and for that it is to be applauded and encouraged.

The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman

10/28/2016

See it if
you want to see a sweet yet edgy bit of the purest theatre, a reminder that the magic of light&shadow &the human voice are what move us most

Don't see it if
you don't like circus, sideshow or carney; musicals solely sung; gorgeous layered harmonies; oddities; or can't deal with magic made from spirit.

Also
A wonderful, sweet & haunting show built with the simplest of elements that call back our childhood sense of wonder & play.
Simple props & costumes, light, shadow & evocative songs accompanied only by gorgeous vocal harmonies & background vocal sound effects remind us of the possibility of theatre when laid bare.

The fully committed ensemble cast fully inhabits the world they present, and Mary Stuart Evans is terrific as the Woman in question. Lily Ali-Oshatz's book, lyrics & music (with Mark Galinovsky) are stunning and evocative, & her performance as the Ringmaster, M, completely seductive. Madeleine Walls's inventive staging and direction makes the most use of space, bodies & music, and creates an impressionistic style vaguely reminiscent of Fellini and Bergman, but fresh and totally her own. The other characters & Roustabouts add much, each very specific, each having their moments, making the most of them.

This show may not be for everyone — certainly not for the calcified, but should be widely seen & is highly recommended.

The Radicalization of Rolfe

10/23/2016

See it if
you'd like a serious, yet clever & funny, well written, smoothly directed & very well acted alternate take on Liesl's Sound of Music beau.

Don't see it if
you've no interest in plays that reference other plays; dislike the von Trapps and/or Nazis; or are disturbed by male displays of affection.

Also
The Sound of Music, like The Wizard of Oz or It’s a Wonderful Life — is a property that through time and commercial exploitation has been co-opted into a painless, feel-good family entertainment, its darkness and underlying politics long ago filtered out in spite of swastikas fluttering in the breeze.

In truth, this PG familiarization diminishes the intent and effect of the original; shows like Wicked or the recent May Violets Spring, which convincingly played out Shakespeare’s Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view and motivations, do much to revive and give depth to these stories by exploring alternate plots and situations.

In Rolfe — by fleshing out the minor, but ultimately pivotal character that ensures the von Trapps' escape — Andrew Bergh deftly and at first comically reveals the rarely explored persecution of gay men by the Nazis.

Well and plausibly written, tightly directed and well acted by a terrific cast, Rolfe stands on its own even without its Music in the background.

Men in Towels

10/22/2016

See it if you want to see a work in progress, an ultimately touching musical that examines what it was like to be gay in New York before AIDS and after.

Don't see it if you've no interest in gay baths, New York in the 70's or remembering the first ignored wave of young men that died in their prime from AIDS.

We've come a long way since an image of men in towels could instantly conjure the Baths or the amount of free, easy and sometimes even spiritual, guilt-free sex available in New York in the 70's, both gay and straight.

It's a history quickly receding from memory, especially in this confused, bare-it-all era of look but don't touch, and perhaps the most forgotten & unthought of are the thousands that died mysteriously in the first wave of what was then an unnamed disease.

It's an important story to tell, & Mr Alasá deserves credit for the attempt in this autobiographical work in progress which he has written, directed and narrates. The cast & songs evoke the era well, and though the characters and script often border on stereotype from our post Will & Grace vantage, the truth is that reality then was often like those stereotypes, played out in a newly liberated expression.

A simple, stripped down set serves both to evoke a room at the Continental Baths, where much of the action takes place, as well as to display a black and white documentary of New York in the 1970's in all its grungy, frightening glory, as well as a short grainy clip of one of Bette Midler's appearances at the Baths.

Problems in pace, structure & length might be addressed by a more objective co-director to help focus and tighten things. We, as an audience, are less and less sure of where and who we are as the evening progresses, and though Mr. Alasá does introduce himself at curtain, it's not quite clear that he is, in fact, more than just our Narrator.

An interesting project, Men in Towels should have the chance to develop and find its voice.

Public Enemy

10/18/2016

See it if
An attractive, sleek and contemporary Ibsen update is of interest, its progressive casting and political immediacy ironically almost too PC

Don't see it if
You prefer your Ibsen straight, with more traditional casting, making less sporadic philosophical points.

Also
A capable cast, a clean if clumsy Scandinavian-styled set and a quickly paced, trimmed down script — apparently pointed at and timed to the current presidential election and political events — this Public Enemy never quite adds up, and so falls short of the visceral emotional punch it seeks and by rights should deliver.

A climactic monologue, house lights up & delivered into an audience confused as to whether to respond to the direct questions asked of it, is so extended, wide-ranging & ultimately contradictory that its meaning & effect are blunted. Similarly, the doctor's descent into the madness of the principled individual fighting & holding out regardless of cost to those around him, seemed rather quick & just a bit pat.

Played essentially on two notes, Jimon Cole is appropriately self righteous as the local doctor; Guiesseppe Jones is smooth and reasonable as the mayor, but his shouting matches with the doctor don't quite ring true; and as the patient wife, Nilaja Sun unfortunately has little to do but wring her hands or smile.

Still, a timely show which may yet sharpen its focus; it could and should.

May Violets Spring

10/16/2016

See it if
A seamless mix of Shakespeare & fresh, inventive iambic pentameter clearly delivered, essentially creating a new play in the Canon appeals.

Don't see it if
You're such a Shakespearean purist that you'll pass on hearing the language sing so effortlessly & clearly from this fine cast. Just see it.

Through a close study of Hamlet & Shakespeare, a clever reshuffling and reassigning of monologues & speeches and the fearless addition of his own pentameters, James Parenti has essentially given us a new and unexpectedly modern play by the Bard. Its clever, inventive focus on Ophelia shines light on familiar material and breathes new life into it by providing alternate motivations.

The uniformly fine cast helps make it possible. Cristina Madero somehow speaks in iambic verse as if from birth, with a command & use that makes her Ophelia simultaneously classic & totally modern. Louis Sallan's Hamlet is freshly — and understandably — conflicted, and Gabrielle Adkins is a striking, unexpected Horatio with a firm presence.

Clear, conversational Shakespeare is a rare thing; go see this show.

(Note to the Production: suggest the sound of light rain at the end, increasing in volume after the bows to clarify and put a button on the final gesture. As is, intent is unclear & audience packs up prematurely.)

La Canción

10/8/2016

See it if:
You're Latino or want to be,understand some Spanish & enjoy supporting young actors & companies that add to the ethnic cultural fabric of NY.

Don't see it if:
You don't understand Spanish, don't like Hip Hop or Rap, bomba, bachata or Reggaeton — or need any or all of those explained to you.

La Canción is an honest & earnest bit of aspirational musical theatre. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, it’s way too long, and dramatically leans too much towards Telenovela melodrama. Musically, it runs the gamut of contemporary urban Latin, the accent here more on rhythm than on melody, so the songs are less memorable than they might be.

Like the show itself, the cast is likable but uneven, and stronger singers might have served the score better. That said, all performed with committed focus and presence, getting across the natural humor found across the Latinaje or “Latin-ness” of the Latino culture.

Standouts were Zulema Clares, funny and accurate as everyone’s Abuela in the Bronx; Diana Pou as Rafa's no-nonsense girlfriend Angie; and, most especially, Flaco Navaja, playing several parts but most notably Poco Loco, the charmingly crazed street vendor whose philosophical rants, and discussions with his beautiful imaginary girlfriend were hysterically funny and utterly convincing.

She Stoops to Conquer - TACT

10/7/2016

See it if:
You'd like a fresh & innovative take on this classic, both wry & modern delivered tongues firmly in cheeks by a wonderful & versatile cast.

Don't see it if:
You've no imagination, no ear for the music of language, no desire to see inventive, joyous actors sharing that joy — or need to see period furniture.

This is by far one of the best productions of this classic we're likely to see for some time to come, and certainly one of the most inventive in staging, approach and execution.

A large open space, minimal set, effective lighting and actors milling about the audience at times, place us firmly in the here and now, while the simple evocative costumes nod to some other time elsewhere in the past — all of which serves to free, and focus on, the language, which inspires the interplay and ingenuity of this terrific cast.

The pace and humor are quick, in a style mostly period with occasional, unexpected modern flashes. No tableaux here, the cast sings, plays silly instruments to great effect and, not simply breaking the fourth wall with Restoration asides, at times addresses the audience directly, quickly and several times making it one more integral character in the evening's events. We are all in this together.

Deftly directed by Scott Alan Evans, the well balanced and supportive ensemble has managed to create actual three dimensional characters that just happen to inhabit a comedy of manners world. Jeremy Beck, as the pathologically shy and extroverted Marlow, is almost completely over the top while somehow being utterly believable, vulnerable and sympathetic. Mairin Lee is gorgeous & mesmerizing with her intelligence, wit and presence as Kate Hardcastle; a fascinating actor whose interesting choices make it hard to look elsewhere when she's onstage; or off, for that matter — mind turning, ever-present when the company watches from the sides.

Richard Thieriot's Tony Lumpkin gleefully walks the thin edge of farce without falling into cliché, while Cynthia Darlow's Mrs. Hardcastle pushes past cliché into fresh and very funny territory; and Justine Salata as Miss Neville, Tony Roach as Hastings, James Predergast as the senior Marlow and John Rothman as Hardcastle, all have an emotional depth not usually found in Restoration comedy.

Seeing it a second time, it remains quirky, fun and extremely well done, fresh and modern; Oliver Goldsmith would be happy to have seen this production, and since he can't, everyone else should.

Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert

10/5/2016

See it if
You love Brel & Piaf & can appreciate a fun, entertaining & well-delivered performance of their music & great stories in an intimate setting

Don't see it
You're French; or Belgian: in spite of best intentions, the idea of an American singing in French may not be compelling.

Ms Gall's engaging charm, gorgeous looks and spirit, combined with her slightly self-deprecating humor, wit and enthusiasm do much to carry the evening. She’s a wonderful entertainer, and her love of the material is obvious. This, and her huge, well-trained operatic voice pull the audience right in; resistance is futile.

Nevertheless, that voice was a bit uneven on opening night, her high register at some moments occasionally (and surprisingly) sounding strained, and at other points her American sound coming through.

Still, her Under Paris Skies (Sous le Ciel de Paris) was a knockout, totally inhabited and authentic, as were her La Vie en Rose and Padam, Padam. La Chanson des Vieux Amants and Ne Me Quitte Pas are both gorgeous songs of amazing depth, but may have been approached with too much caution or respect and so seemed not yet fully inhabited by Ms. Gill.

Would that she’d sung Non, Je ne Regrette Rien before having the audience join in, and the last number, singing and harmonizing with recordings of both Brel and Piaf, seemed improvised and a bit unfocussed. Ms Gill needs her own solo, boffo & well deserved big finish.

Zamboni

10/4/2016

See it if:
You're a fan of zambonis & are up for a solid cast & smooth direction in a quirky, very funny but ultimately dark comedy of self-discovery.

Don't see it if:
You're too easily disturbed by the sometimes darker nature of the human soul & where it might lead — even if you're laughing all the way.

Zamboni is a terrific evening of theatre, at turns & simultaneously quirky, funny, disturbing & slightly abrasive (but in a good way) delivered by a terrific group of actors creating very real characters that will linger in the mind. We get them instantly—we know these people, recognizing in them hidden aspects of our own selves.

Joseph Franchini's Jamie is at once invisible, present, likeable, funny, sympathetic—yet creepy . Mickey Ryan brings subtle depth to what could easily have been a one- or two-note cliché as the rink manager, Dick, but delivers anything but;

Dawn Magee is wonderful & hilarious as Leeann, her believable zaniness suddenly cut with an unexpected dramatic edge. Lucy McMichael looked convincing as Jamie’s emaciated dying mother & though her emphysema seemed a little less so, her speech recounting her mirrored reflection was startling.

Finally,the lovely Mae Mitchell, as the candy store clerk Chloe/Lavender/Fantasia, with charm & wit nearly steals each of her scenes.