Tom Geier — Theater Critic

Ostrin takes his cue from Streetcar‘s tragic heroine, Blanche DuBois, who famously insisted, “I don’t want realism. I want magic.” Kowalski‘s deliberately artificial set-up makes Brando a far more crafty and underhanded man who goes to unexpected lengths to land the job; it also sometimes reduces many of the other players, including Williams himself, to caricatures in service of Brando’s ambition. Still, there are some effective moments, particularly in the way Ostrin orchestrates scenes that mirror key episodes in Streetcar — like Flynn-as-Brando’s version of the plaintive cry “Stella!” to his wounded lover. Kowalski offers a vision of the past that strays far from the shadows of the real, but ultimately settles for legerdemain rather than pure magic.

They sound terrific, which is another smart move because the 67-year-old Byrne, never the strongest vocalist, can warble a bit on sustained notes. The song list is old and new, from Kurt Schwitters' nearly decade old 'Primeval Sonata' with its Dadaesque lyrics to a Janelle Monáe protest song that he asked permission to cover after hearing the hip-hop and R&B chanteuse perform it at the Women's March. Yes, he includes plenty of Talking Heads hits to get fans on their feet. Byrne has a showman's command of the stage, but you may ask yourself why he bothered with his between-song riffs about the science of neural connections or pro forma shout-outs to progressive causes ('We're all immigrants!' 'Register to vote!'). During these lulls, which are at least mercifully brief, you may be tempted to cry out: Stop making sense! Start making more music!