Little Shop of Horrors Returns on Sept 21 with Jeremy Jordan

Post-covid theater news is busting out all over. The wildly successful off-Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors is coming back on September 21.

The amazing stars Tammy Blanchard and Christian Borle will return in their roles, and the lead will be turned over to Jeremy Jordan. I will confess to mixed feelings here. Mainly excitement, because I love Jeremy Jordan and his voice. But I am also a little wary of young handsome Mr. Jordan playing the totally nebbish Seymour. I suppose glass and a bad wardrobe will make it work.

I believe I last saw Jeremy Jordan on Broadway in Newsies and American Son. But he has shared his talents on the stage, film and television projects (like Smash and Supergirl)

Jeremy Jordan 

A Dozen Dreams Pulls Us Out of the Catastrophic

A Dozen Dreams is the theatrical / artistic installation designed to pull us out of our pandemic dreams and nightmares and then journey beyond them. I experienced A Dozen Dreams the day after the CDC mask mandate was lifted (although, still required during the show) and the installation could not have been better timed. 

Ellen McLaughlin’s “My Dream in this Moment"

A Dozen Dreams is a collaboration between 12 female artists and playwrights and an all-female design team; it was conceived by the team at En Garde Arts. It is a walk-through piece where you travel alone or in pairs, with voices (via sanitized headphones) guiding you through a labyrinth of dreamscapes. Each room was conceived, created and performed separately, but they all work in unison to help us make sense of the past year plus in isolation.

The artists’ voices’ themselves direct us, confront and comfort us in unexpected moments of clarity, empathy and exhaustion. The program will give you a description of the various rooms but the emotions generated by these spaces rolls up to hit you unexpectedly. Guided by the artist voices, you are in each of the 12 rooms less than 10 minutes. 

Depending on the viewer's experience, some rooms may make you agitated, while others you feel rushed - because it is almost impossible to take in the artist, the visuals and the emotion in the short time you have. I confess I wanted to sit on the floor in the room “As Hard As You Can” and listen to playwright and spoken word artist Ren Dara Santiago over and over. But you are forced on – just as the pandemic seemed to march on despite our wishes.

Andrea Thome’s “House Dreaming"

The experience is divided into three major parts. The opening vision is Ellen McLaughlin’s “My Dream in this Moment” which is described as ‘a collective memory of what theater used to be and a prayer for theater’s future role in bringing us back together.’ It is a melancholy reminder of what we have lost with theater, both singular and as a community.

Then you cross the mall (it is performed in the Brookfield Place in Battery Park) into the labyrinth, where the next 10 rooms are interconnected but separate, reminding you of half-forgotten places in your memory. In each room, one of the artists has created a singular dream, that we are invited to share with them. Some are coping dreamscapes; some are dreams of a better world and a few are rebirth dreams that hold the promise of a new path. The meat of A Dozen Dreams is here in the labyrinth where our expectations, desires and fears intersect.

Exiting the labyrinth, you cross out into the light for an epilog of a hopeful future, provided by Emily Mann’s “Spirit Dreams,” in which she awakens from a dream of something that was good and beautiful, in which she didn’t feel alone, and where her friend Kecia Lewis sings a beautiful song reminding us that the world is something we must recreate every day for ourselves and for each other.

The immersive experience is fantastic and, at the same time, a bit isolating. You know that there are people both ahead and behind you, and yet you go through it alone, forced into isolation as complete as the Covid lockdowns. This makes the release from the labyrinth back into the world of people all the more powerful.

Rehana Mirza’s“The Death of Dreams”

It isn’t traditional theater, we are still waiting for that to return. But it is emotional and moving theater, more visceral than zoom or pre-recorded shows. It is a step forward, and given the year we’ve all had, it is a step I could not wait to take. I was joyful at the end. Take someone with you if you can, you will want to dissect the experience later over wine and relax for the first time in a year.

A Dozen Dreams is therapeutic and hopeful, the promise of a better and different world to come.  It was conceived by En Garde Arts Founder and Artistic Director Anne Hamburger, with the visionary visual and environment designer Irina Kruzhilina and former Lark Artistic Director John Clinton Eisner, the playwrights featured in A Dozen Dreams are representative of a range of voices and experiences, from Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-nominated artists to fresh new talents. Authors include: Sam Chanse, Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Emily Mann, Martyna Majok, Mona Mansour, Rehana Mirza, Ellen McLaughlin, Liza Jessie Peterson, Ren Dara Santiago, Caridad Svich, Lucy Thurber, and Andrea Thome. Singer Kecia Lewis is featured in the dream of Emily Mann.

By Jeeves to Stream for 48 Hours starting Friday at 2 PM.

If you haven't seen By Jeeves, it is a charming little musical. 

Here is the synopsis provided by the company:

By Jeeves is the musical comedy by Alan Ayckbourn and Andrew Lloyd Webber based on the characters of P.G. Woodhouse. An adventure of the hapless Bertie Wooster (played by John Scherer), a young gentleman about town with a penchant for getting himself into personal difficulties, particularly with women. It is inevitably left to his unflappable manservant Jeeves (played by Martin Jarvis) to provide tify and elegant rescues. Enjoy this outrageous comedy as Jeeves guides Bertie through a series of hapless adventures and improvised chaos. A show that has to beseen to be believed!

I saw this years ago in London, and then once at the Geffen Theater in Los Angeles. I am looking forward to streaming this at The Show Must Go On on youtube.com. LINK It will start streaming on Friday, May 8th at 11am PT / 2pm ET for 48 hours only.

Classic Stage Company Will Stream Their "Conversations With..." the cast of Assassins

The Classic Stage Company was meant to produce Assassins this Spring, but obviously cannot due to the NY Theater lockdown. However, they have decided to stream a unique feature of their company which I think you will love. During this time when live performance with an audience is not possible, Classic Stage has begun producing new Classic Conversations online, short versions of the popular one-on-one conversation series between NYC's leading actors and their wonderful Artistic Director, John Doyle. Each conversation is an engaging peek into the life and career of the actor, and includes performances of songs that are especially meaningful to them, in a "Desert Island Discs" format (for you BBC Radio fans).

Their current virtual Classic Conversations are focused on the cast of Assassins, with new episodes premiering every Thursday at 6 pm ET on Facebook and YouTube. Previous conversations with Brandon Uranowitz and Will Swenson were delightful. Tavi Gevinson will chat with John on Thursday. 

I happened to see their conversation with Michael Cerveris live and it was a ton of fun. He shared great stories about the shows he has been in, his co-stars and throughout Mr. Cerveris sang songs that were meaningful to him.

To watch live or later on, visit CSC's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/classicstagecompany or the Classic Stage Company channel on YouTube. And for more information and the upcoming schedule, visit www.classicstage.org/classicconversations.

I hope you will find the Classic Conversations a welcome reminder of what to look forward to when our theaters are able to open their doors again. And if you enjoy them and are able, please consider supporting CSC at www.classicstage.org/CC. Like most not-for-profit theater companies, Classic Stage is utterly reliant on community, government and philanthropic support while its seats remain empty.

The Female Genius is a Welcome (Semi) Return to Theater

The current lockdown in New York has upended theater. Live venues are closed and both artists and viewers are struggling with how to present stories. Luckily for the viewer, there are some interesting things happening now that have been in the works previously. One of the best experiences is The Female Genius. Originally planned to be presented live on stage at the Wild Project and streaming at the same time, The Female Genius is available for streaming now. It is presented by Thirdwing, a digital theater company. The streaming version was completed, and the live version was in rehearsals before the lockdown was announced. Thirdwing is now presenting the streaming version of the show.

The Female Genius is a series of six vignettes look at great female writers. The proceed forward in both time as well as self-assuredness to make a coherent whole. Because Thirdwing was created as a digital company, the production values of the episodes are excellent. These were created and are meant to be streamed, echoing back to the teleplays of the 1950s or 1960sin which the theater setting is quite obvious.

Delissa Reynolds as Zora Neale Hurston with Timothy Thomas

Viewed in order, the women at the heart of these stories become more confident and independent over time – with one exception. The acting ranges from very good to excellent. Interestingly the performances are captured in a unique way. They are not shot from the perspective of a theater audience perspective. They are shot with close ups, cuts and the full complement of the visual vernacular. Slight sets and a single location mean the viewer is always aware this is a play, but the scenes pull the viewer into the story without forgetting it is a theatrical experience.

The Female Genius focuses on 6 women: Mary Shelly, Emily Dickenson, Gertrude Stein, Ayn Rand, Zora Neale Hurston and J.K. Rowling. None of these are one person monologues. Their struggles and processes are featured as they work through interpersonal dynamics with friends, lovers, admirers or enemies – sometimes in the same person.

In the first Mary Shelly confronts her own insecurities with Lord Bryon. It is an easy and light tale of struggle. In the second, Emily Dickenson berates her sister over access to her. Emily has no use for admirers in general and a male publisher in particular. In the third, Gertrude Stein grapples with her relationship with Alice. B. Toklas by mimicking male misogyny. At the halfway point in streaming these, the themes of male and female relationships seem to take over as Ayn Rand delivers a bonkers performance, that is stereotypically Ayn Rand. Maja Wampuszyc captures Rand in all her glory.

Krysten Wagner as Mary Shelly and Cameron Bossert

But in the fifth vignette, the story of Zora Neale Hurston deepens the narrative. Ms. Hurston was a black artist grounded in the Harlem Renaissance. This piece focus on her views on segregation and respectful treatment in the 1950s south. Delissa Reynolds, as Hurston, and Timothy Thomas are wonderful.

Finally, there is a story of J.K. Rowling that fails to take off fully. The actress (Meghan E. Jones) is great, but thematically we arrive back near the beginning of our story, with a woman who doubts herself and her craft.

The Female Genius works excellently as a whole experience. Playwright Rachel Carey provides six wonderful worlds that are fictional, but believable.  Working with Ms. Carey, Director Cameron Bossert creates an immersive world for the 7 – 10 minutes we stay with each story. Check them out.

The Female Genius
Playwright: Rachel Carey | Director: Cameron Bossert |Cast: Meghan E. Jones, Delissa Reynolds, Amy Lynn Stewart, Timothy Thomas, Krysten Wagner, and Maja Wampuszyc

Website: https://www.thirdwing.watch/

The Incredible Journey of Mr. Toole

You don’t have to read the Pulitzer Prize winning book A Confederacy of Dunces to have a great time at the show Mr. Toole. The show stands perfectly well on its on without reading Mr. Toole’s hilarious and Pulitzer Prize winning book. As a matter of fact, a remarkable amount of the story takes place after Mr. Toole himself leaves the scene. For a lover of the book, this is no surprise. A Confederacy of Dunces was published posthumously, and Mr. Toole tells the tale.

Ryan Spahn and Linda Purl in Mr. Toole

Ryan Spahn plays John Kennedy Toole- called Ken, returned from the army and teaching poetry at a girl’s college, while writing at night. He lives with his parents, his mother Thelma (Linda Purl in an epic turn) and his father John (well played by Stephen Schnetzer). Mother Thelma lives through her son in a possessive and suffocating manner. Ken is stuck at home, unable to afford leaving either financially or emotionally.

Ken is despondently alone, despite a gay love life and students that adore him. One young lady in particularly, Lisette (Julia Randall) has a crush on him and his writing that endures. He cannot break from his mother, even after Simon and Schuster show an interest in is novel. That interest results in two arduous years of rewrites that ultimately result in a final rejection which destroys him.

Thelma at a loss for purpose, then takes up the task of getting his novel published. Her single-minded determination destroys her marriage, her health and nearly her life. Her brother Arthur (Thomas G. Waites) saves her from a nursing home. But she is redeemed, in the end, by another writer, Walker Percy (John Ingle). Mr. Percy helps her to get the story published.

Mr. Toole is a wonderful experience, albeit not perfect. It is a little long, and the use of dual read poetry was superfluous for me. But these are minor issues in a show I adored. Playwright Vivian Neuwirth brings complex emotions to the fore and Director Cat Parker keeps the show moving briskly along.

Mr. Toole

Playwright: Vivian Neuwirth | Director: Cat Parker | Cast: Julia Randall, Ryan Spahn, Thomas G. Waites, Linda Purl, Stephen Schnetzer, John Ingle

website

The Sabbath Girl Delights at 59E59

The Sabbath Girl, now at 59E59 theaters, is a wonderful little romantic comedy of a show.  It starts Lauren Annunziata as Angie, a together young lady with a desire able job at a gallery and a brand-new apartment. As she shows off the apartment to her grandmother, Angelina Fiordellisi, we can feel the happiness.

She is interrupted from setting up her place by a knock on the door. This introduces Seth, Jeremy Rische, her neighbor. Seth is looking for the old occupant, who would sometimes help him on the sabbath. And now we have the New York meet cute. Together young girl, in her first apartment without roommates, and shy, adorable Orthodox Jewish man who needs help. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where this is going, but it is a sparkling journey none the less.

The Sabbath Girl with Lauren Annunziata and Ty Molbak

The complications are raised by Ty Molbak as Blake, a hot new artist Angie is trying to get at the gallery and Laura Singerman as Seth’s sister, Rachel. Ty is a great flirt, sexual and interesting, a far cry from the overbearing and obnoxious suitors in most rom-coms. It is great choice as we see Angie’s interest in this man grow.

Seth’s sister, Rachel, on the other hand, is a bit more formulaic. She does not approve of Seth’s attraction to a woman outside of their world and is not pleased. Rachel attributes Seth’s interest in Angie as a response to a bitter divorce and failing in his faith. Both obstacles are overcome in The Sabbath Girl that runs along quickly and well-paced. It is a smooth 85 minutes, but never feels rushed.

The older voice of sanity here is grandmother Nona, played by experienced performer Angelina Fiordellisi. Nona is Angie’s sounding board and confidante. She offers reasonable advice, a shoulder to lean on and is a constant reminder of the happiness real love can bring.

The Sabbath Girl was written by Cary Gitter and directed beautifully by Joe Brancato. If you are looking for a nice evening out, The Sabbath Girl is great. And, if you see it with someone you love, it is even better.

The Sabbath Girl

Playwright: Cary Gitter | Director: Joe Brancato | Cast: Lauren Annunziata, Angelina Fiordellisi, Ty Molbak, Jeremy Richse, Lauren Singerman

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