Roma Torre

On your way into the auditorium to see MCC’s Table 17 you may notice a sign on the wall quoting the playwright, Douglas Lyons, explaining his inspiration for the work. He referred to the “Black romcom cinema” of the 90’s and 2000’s as a thrilling movement that “permeated” his childhood. Sure enough, the play features a cast of endearingly quirky characters engaged in a romantic duel with sprinklings of humor amid the pathos of love lost and found. And I must say, Lyons and his terrific company did one better than the old romcoms. Table 17 is a deliciously heartfelt study of an ex-couple that’s as funny as it is profound.

There is not a word of dialogue in Illinoise, but this hybrid production fusing dance and music accomplishes far more than mere words can express. Inspired by Sufjan Stevens’ groundbreaking concept album, Illinois, choreographer Justin Peck came up with his own theatrical concept. With Jackie Sibblies Drury as co–book writer, they crafted a narrative that translates the emotional import of Stevens songs into a unique language that can best be described as poetry in motion.

It’s been nearly nine years since Hamilton took Broadway by storm, and now comes a worthy successor. Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tour de force, Suffs, short for suffragists, showcases the creative prowess of Shaina Taub, who assumes the roles of writer, composer, lyricist, and lead performer. But the comparison goes well beyond historical subject matter. Both productions seamlessly blend narrative and music while portraying determined individuals grappling with seemingly insurmountable challenges. While Hamilton chronicles Alexander Hamilton’s pivotal role in shaping the nation, Suffs sheds profound light on Alice Paul’s crusade for women’s suffrage.

Everything about this production feels original and dynamic. Directed by Danya Taymor, it’s a terrific collaboration highlighting all of the novel’s virtues while sidestepping most of the clunkier aspects. Many in the gifted cast are making their Broadway debuts; and the entire experience is enhanced by a creative team marked by youthful energy. And while you might think a story about teenagers in the 1960’s would be hopelessly dated today, it’s not. Thanks to canny stylizing and an emphasis on character development, the effect is deeply engaging and universal.

The show’s theme is that cyber culture has made us all vulnerable to stalking. And with the explosion of social media, we are all capable of being stalkers ourselves. They insist their “psychic” skills involve mental manipulation in which they are able to plant images in our heads through various associations and vice-versa. Still hard to believe when we see them reading our minds with consistent accuracy. And yet it’s hard to disbelieve them when they rely so heavily on random audience participation. Take this example: they ask a volunteer to leaf through a random book and pick out a word that only the volunteer knows. And then Ljung starts guessing the word, sounding out the letters one by one.

O’Reilly does bravura work both directing and portraying the hardened Screwballs. The veteran artist clearly knows the play all too well. Every scene, every character is crafted with a precise touch and he adds nuanced dimension in the most unexpected ways. The combined effect makes the production feel much bigger than the Irish Rep’s cramped stage might at first suggest. Kudos as well to set designer Charlie Corcoran and costumer Orla Long for capturing just the right tone in setting place and time.

It was only a matter of time before a stage adaptation of The Notebook came to fruition. Based on Nicholas Sparks’ best selling novel, the popular 2004 film starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling is a romantic (if rather schmaltzy) stunner. There is naturally a built-in audience for this musical, clamoring to know if it’s as good as the movie and how does it compare? And for those new to the tear-jerker story of Allie and Noah from opposite sides of the tracks, does it still resonate at all? The answer to that last question is most certainly yes, it does resonate. I think you’d have to hail from another planet not to feel something for these appealing characters. By the resounding sniffles heard throughout the audience, it most certainly succeeded on that front. And yet, despite some lovely songs and excellent performances, the musical is missing some keynotes.

What may seem like miscasting with the hunky Groff as the meekly innocuous Seymour was a stroke of genius. He's both endearing and dreamy, which adds a deeper dimension to his romantic pairing with Tammy Blanchard's Audrey. And if she seemed to struggle with some of the high notes, it only added to her vulnerable take on the role of the good-hearted masochist. Channeling Judy Holliday, her soulful pining for a decent home somewhere that's green was wrenching. And then there's Christian Borle, hilariously inspired as the nasty nitrous oxide snorting Oren Scrivello DDS. But that's far from all. Playing multiple roles, he distinguished each one with such particular virtuosity that he steals practically every scene he's in. It's a master class in comedy performance and if you see it just for him, you got your money's worth. The cozy venue upstairs at the Westside Theatre is perfectly suited to this hugely entertaining little show. I expect it to be planted there for many months, if not years, to come.

With The Connector, composer Jason Robert Brown has added yet another bravura score to his incomparable canon. His music draws on a rich palette of influences, and each song stands alone as a world unto itself. He is clearly in his element here, combining nuanced lyrics with an eclectic array of rhythms and melodies that both please the ear and propel the story. And it is a story that strongly resonates in our post fact universe.

The production is directed with great heart and welcome humor by David Cromer. It makes for powerful theater that’s as entertaining as it is enlightening. And it’s all terrifically enhanced by a sublime ensemble performing with absolute authenticity.

Two hours and fifty minutes. That’s all I knew about this production of the Tennessee Williams classic and I was prepared for a long sit. Not that there’s anything wrong with lengthy dramas but often the old plays could benefit from some surgical trimming. Well I’m very happy to say the La Femme Theatre Productions’ revival of The Night of the Iguana is an engrossing sit, beautifully acted under the direction of Emily Mann who mined every shred of nuance and wisdom embedded in this deeply felt work.

The play is some 40 years old but it holds up quite nicely today. Though Shanley makes clear it’s set in the Bronx, there’s no other direction indicating a period in time. In fact, it might be even more timely now considering the alienating nature of technology in contemporary society as people share the same space yet feel so far apart. I’m not sure why the play has not had more New York revivals beyond the one in 2004. Danny and the Deep Blue Sea may be a small play but it has a big heart beating erratically beneath its turbulent surface.

The perspectives in this play could only come from a woman. And considering how rare it is to experience dramatic works from female writers during the period, the Mint is giving us quite a treat. Baker’s nuanced characters and prescient themes offer unique insights to the past as well as our present. There’s a line in the play in which a wise woman exclaims “Why aren’t women satisfied to be women!” The sad truth is that in order to succeed, they needed to be more like men. The sadder truth is that after 106 years, we still have to ask that question.

It’s been said “dying is easy, comedy is hard”. Well, anyone who’s seen Gutenberg! The Musical might challenge that little showbiz maxim because Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells—the entire cast of this hilarious two-hander—are making the comedy seem downright effortless. The two stars, appearing together on Broadway for the first time since their Tony nominated turns in the original company of The Book of Mormon, are simply divine delivering a master class in musical comedy and likely setting a land/speed record for laughs per minute.

It’s going to be hard avoiding unfavorable comparisons to such other works as On The Town and A Star Is Born. And I wish I had better news to spread here. There’s a line near the end of the show in which a character says “Don’t bet against New York.” Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about its musical namesake.

Fans of Will & Grace, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Sean Hayes is delivering a tour-de-force performance, or shall I say a “twofer-de-force“ as he dazzles us with bravura skills as both actor and classical pianist. And if you think that this play set in 1958 about Oscar Levant—a man most audiences have never heard of–is too remote to hold much interest, you would be dead wrong. Good Night, Oscar is a captivating work, as hysterically funny as it is heartbreaking.

There’s a brilliant merging of the two plays when Ijames has Juicy recite verbatim Hamlet’s famous soliloquy “What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason…” It points to the two unhappy protagonists’ attempts to understand the human condition. But while Hamlet fails to appreciate humanity in all its messy glory, Juicy seems more hopeful. And if there’s any doubt about that optimistic tone, just wait till you see how Fat Ham ends. I was wondering how Ijames was going to wrap it all up, considering that in Hamlet practically everyone dies. Turns out to be a delightful surprise. Consistent with his message – choose pleasure over harm – Ijames offers us a gloriously uplifting takeaway that might have given even Shakespeare pause. Maybe they didn’t have to die after all.

The production will likely bring to mind two other ingenious displays of theatrical puppetry – Lion King and War Horse. Like them, Life of Pi does a phenomenal job of creating a sense of realism with extraordinary stagecraft. And while Life of Pi may not have the emotional punch of the other two shows, it succeeds in different ways. In light of Pi’s relentless pursuit of spirituality, the play prompts us to ponder our own beliefs, the nature of truth, morality, faith, and perhaps most resonantly, the incomparable power of live theater.

To anyone questioning Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize in Literature four years ago, I suggest you get a ticket to Girl From the North Country. Irish playwright Conor McPherson crafted this uniquely intimate work, and whether you call it a jukebox musical, a play with music or simply a theatrical tone poem, it is a ravishingly performed ode to Dylan's own poetic lyricism.​

I'm all for reimagining the classics through a modern lens, but Ivo van Hove took the notion literally when he added cameras to his staging of West Side Story, and transformed the Jerome Robbins/Leonard Bernstein/Arthur Laurents/Stephen Sondheim masterwork into an audacious hybrid of performance art. Gone is Jerome Robbins iconic choreography - the finger snaps, the ingenious mesh of ballet and modern dance - replaced by the geometric movements of choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. In this shortened version, we don't know if Maria feels all that pretty, the song is dropped along with the intermission. Rest assured though, Bernstein's magnificent score is mostly intact.

I'm all for reimagining the classics through a modern lens, but Ivo van Hove took the notion literally when he added cameras to his staging of West Side Story, and transformed the Jerome Robbins/Leonard Bernstein/Arthur Laurents/Stephen Sondheim masterwork into an audacious hybrid of performance art. Gone is Jerome Robbins iconic choreography - the finger snaps, the ingenious mesh of ballet and modern dance - replaced by the geometric movements of choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. In this shortened version, we don't know if Maria feels all that pretty, the song is dropped along with the intermission. Rest assured though, Bernstein's magnificent score is mostly intact.

Grand Horizons' has an identity problem. It aims to be both funny like a sitcom and poignant like a perceptive drama, and while it strains credulity at times, thanks to impeccable acting led by Jane Alexander and James Cromwell, the play's forced marriage of humor and pathos does have its moments.

Kenny Leon deserves much credit enhancing the play's message through directorial flourishes. He adds historical allusions to the African American experience throughout, beginning with a stirring call-and-response from the soldiers in a darkened barracks suggesting the early roots of African music. And later we see the troops marching in a thrilling sequence, combining military cadence with stylized movements. It all comes together quite powerfully, evoking the emotional wounds borne by a lifetime of soul-crushing hate. After some 40 years, 'A Soldier's Play' still hits home, summoning a world at war with itself.

'Jagged Little Pill,' much like 'Next To Normal' and 'Dear Evan Hanson,' is concerned with the collateral damage inflicted on us by family and social pressures. And given Morissette's empowering lyrics, in this #MeToo era, the entire show becomes a moving anthem of our time.

'Jagged Little Pill,' much like 'Next To Normal' and 'Dear Evan Hanson,' is concerned with the collateral damage inflicted on us by family and social pressures. And given Morissette's empowering lyrics, in this #MeToo era, the entire show becomes a moving anthem of our time.