Meta Monumental Garage Sale at MoMA
This garage sale in MoMA's large atrium was put together by artist Martha Rosler. It actually made me think more than I thought it would, thanks to a chalkboard with the following message written on it: "Maybe the garage sale is a metaphor for the mind." The featured items were typical of any garage sale though the signage throughout was far more amusing. My favorites included a table labeled "porn and underwear" and another stating "mean people pay more." In addition, hidden cameras sneakily broadcast the shoppers to various spots (TV's for sale, etc) throughout the space. You could either read absolutely nothing into the event OR A LOT. What's junk? What's treasure? Who judges this? Who prices it? How? Are garage sales only an American phenomenon (note the flag)? Is it more about the items displayed or the experience? Does the act of displaying something change it? Are panties pinned to the wall art? Equal to some of the other "art" found elsewhere in the Museum? See what I mean!!! Meta indeed.
Glengarry Glen Ross
The theme of my annual end-of-the-year theatre excursion to NYC turned out to be revivals. There wasn't much new work on Broadway this fall that interested me, so I reluctantly gave in and turned to the "tried and true" on display this season. Glengarry Glenn Ross is my favorite David Mamet play, which isn't saying much. I don't find the first act's three scenes (basically three separate, one-on-one conversations) all that interesting, but the second act is far more rewarding. The raison d'être for this revival is Al Pacino, who is only slightly more than serviceable as Shelley Levene, memorably portrayed by Jack Lemmon in the movie. When he's not being hacky, he's rather quiet and reserved, and I never once felt the desperation of his character. The only cast member that stands out is Bobby Cannavale as Ricky Roma, Pacino's role in the movie. Acting circles around the other actors, Cannavale continues to impress. Otherwise, this production is mostly forgettable.
Laura Osnes at 54 Below
New York's newest cabaret space, 54 Below (so named because it is below Studio 54), is not only intimate (supposedly no table is farther than 24 feet from the stage), but it's also beautifully decorated in an old New York way. Though small (with a capacity of about 150), it's no wonder that it is attracting musical theatre's biggest and brightest. I was lucky enough to see Laura Osnes (of Grease is the Word reality TV fame, but also Anything Goes and Bonnie and Clyde on Broadway) sing an hour or so of Maury Yeston. I was completely blown away by the performer and the material, which included Yeston's entire December Songs cycle plus choice songs from Grand Hotel, Nine, and Phantom. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on who'll be here when I come to town!
Giant at the Public
I saw this musical in 2009 when it premiered at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. It ran 4 and 1/2 hours then, but the first act (running around 90 minutes) was absolutely brilliant and flew by. Unfortunately, the other two acts (and the remaining three hours) were just awful (and I feared stuck too closely to the novel it was based on). This new co-production with the Dallas Theater Center features a new director (Rent's Michael Greif) and designers, and has trimmed the show down to 2 acts and just under 3 hours. Lots of songs and scenes have been thrown out or re-ordered (unfortunately including within the original first act) with only one new song having been added. The result is that the show is much more even, but the material (and story) in the first half is still so much more interesting than the second half. Only four (minor) members of the Signature cast remain and I mostly prefer original leads (the current Jett, the James Dean role, is just blah and comes off a little too gay). This musical is ambitious and bravo to the Public for mounting what has it been an expensive production, but it's still just not that great of a show (even though I would love to hear a recording).
Murder Ballad by MTC at City Center
Without a doubt, this is the best thing I saw on the trip!!! And, I only went because I could squeeze in a 5 pm curtain. Boy, am I glad I did! This four actor, four man band piece is a real rock musical with four great performances from Karen Olivo (In the Heights), Will Swenson (Hair revival), Rebecca Noami Jones (Passing Strange and American Idiot), and John Ellison Conlee (The Full Monty). From the title, you know that one of them is going to kill another, but you have no idea how it's going to play out until the very end. It concerns a love triangle (the other actor mainly serves as a narrator/bar singer) and succeeds by portraying real characters in slice of life situations: the hipster bartender who can't commit; his just dumped, beautiful girlfriend who happily rebounds uptown; and the slightly overweight, older man who meets his out-of-his-league wife at just the right time. The action plays out all over the theater's bar setting (like Once, you can buy drinks at the bar before the show) and on a pool table that doubles as a bed. Much of the audience sits at tables in a central playing space with the actors sometimes sitting on your table and utilizing the "extra" chairs. The vocal performances are intense, it's mostly sung-through, and thankfully for the actors the show is only 80 minutes long. Hopefully the whole thing, including the show's fun and "cautionary tale" coda, will fit onto the just-announced cast recording, because this will be one that I won't be able to stop listening to ala Rent and Next to Normal. AWESOME WORK BY ALL INVOLVED!!!
The Heiress on Broadway
I had never been exposed to this material until seeing this totally disappointing (except for Judith Ivey) production now on Broadway. Jessica Chastain in the title role plays so much internally that it is just not fun to watch. Yes, she is devastating in the play's "someone must love me" scene, but otherwise never really seems alive, even at the conclusion. Yawn!
The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Roundabout on Broadway
This by-the-books revival should please most theatre-goers and I wish this was my first exposure to the show instead of the fourth. The cast is uniformly excellent with Will Chase maybe standing out above the rest. While the show might not hold up to repeated viewings, the score remains glorious (here augmented with the addition of one new song) and I look forward to the hopefully complete cast recording that has been announced.
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