September 2013: NYC

Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins at the Barrow Street Theater (Off-Broadway, for-profit)

I resisted this one-man, one-act comedy until now because the premise of an out-of-work actor being hired by Barbra Streisand to man her basement shopping mall didn't appeal to me. Great word of mouth finally made me buy a ticket and I'm glad I did even though it's exactly what I expected. It features a wonderful performance by Michael Urie (of TV's Ugly Betty and so great as a replacement Prior in the Off-Broadway Angels in America), who not only has personality in spades, but also elevates the show beyond what is on the page. Despite the proclamation at the top of the show that he wouldn't be impersonating Babs, that's exactly what he does and does well. Urie's Streisand though is the older, bored Babs who barely speaks above a whisper. Their exchanges in the basement shopping mall provide the show's highlights with Babs quizzing the new hire on the items on display, attempting to get him to lower the price of one item, and even one day procuring a coupon when he repeatedly doesn't budge. It's easy to see why this show has already turned a profit: it's very entertaining. Yet, the serious moments get a little ridiculous since we know none of this really happened. See it in New York or next year in Chicago.

Laura Benanti at 54 Below 

I couldn't resist taking in a late-night show by one of my favorite musical comedy actresses in my favorite cabaret space. This was Benanti's second engagement at 54 Below and meant to celebrate the release of the CD documenting the first. Possessing a great voice and an engaging personality that easily gets her cast in show after show, Benanti is also downright hilarious. I listened to the CD after seeing her live and the material is mostly the same though each performance had a few unique moments of priceless spontaneity thanks to her quick wit. Always enjoy seeing Laura Benanti on stage!

Magritte, the Mystery of the Ordinary at MoMA

This new exhibit organized with,and later traveling to the Menil Collection in Houston and the Art Institute of Chicago collects many, but not all, of Magritte's surrealist masterpieces. It's a small show and by no means a retrospective, but it's a great chance to experience Magritte's bizarre work and even notice the many recurring images and themes. Loved it!

Le Corbusier, an Atlas of Modern Landscapes at MoMA

Exhibits about architecture need lots of models to draw me in. Thankfully, there are quite a few in this retrospective of Le Corbusier's work, which also includes painting and objects of design. As great of an influence on modern architecture as Le Corbusier was, I feel that his own work doesn't hold up as well as those who followed him. Even masterpieces like Villa Savoye feel very dated. Meh.

American Modern, Hopper to O'Keefe at MoMA

This small "exhibit" is really just a packaging of MoMA's own holdings of the eponymous artists as well as their contemporaries like Stuart Davis, Alfred Stieglitz, and Andrew Wyeth. Enough said.

The Two-Character Play by Tennessee Williams at New World Stages (Off-Broadway, for-profit)

I'm not exactly sure what this two-character, two-act play is about and that is partly the fun of it. Two siblings making up a traveling theatre company, having been abandoned by the remaining members, perform a semi-autobiographical play written by the brother, but heavily altered by the sister as it's being performed. This late work by Williams is a cryptic mess as the characters weave back and forth between the drama on and off stage with the audience not always knowing which they are watching. While the script may be less than desired, the performances are not, as Amanda Plummer and Brad Dourif are fully committed and always watchable. A must see for my theatre education, but definitely not for the general public.

Sarah Brightman at Radio City Music Hall

I semi-regretted buying a ticket to see Sarah Brightman for the following reasons: I've always suspected Ms. Brightman of lip-synching in concert, for the first time ever I really disliked her new CD, and it prevented me from seeing the opera Anna Nicole at BAM (even though the London version was taped and is commercially available) since my ticket didn't sell on StubHub. This is the most stripped down concert I've seen Brightman perform, with a single large video screen, a small band, and a two dancers, which isn't to say that it wasn't good, because it was, with great visuals and get this, I think she was actually singing live!

The Old Friends by Horton Foote at Signature Theatre (Off-Broadway, non-profit)

This entertaining portrait of a group of wealthy, hard-drinking Southern friends and family is the most searing and vicious "new" dram-com since August: Osage County. The "new" is in quotes because Foote started writing this in the 1960s and he died in the 2009, with this posthumous production being labeled as a world premiere. Regardless, this play is fun, fun, fun with some juicy parts, the juiciest played here with expert malice by Betty Buckley. Thankfully, there are also characters, including that of so-great-in-Foote's-A-Trip-to-Bountiful Lois Smith, to root for as they try (and try) to extricate themselves from the craziness surrounding them. Glad this one finally made it to the stage!