by Shari Barrett • Mar 26, 2019
Similar to David Bowie's awe-inspiring physical transformation in the title role on Broadway, the current production of Bernard Pomerance's THE ELEPHANT MAN, a classic true-life tale and heart-wrenching story that depicts the best and the worst of humanity, presented by Thursday Night Theatre Club at the El Portal in NoHo, features an amazing performance by Tom Vitorino in the title role. His first appearance occurs with Merrick completely covered by filthy rags and laying in the dirt at a travelling Freak Show. But it is Vitorino's physical transformation, dressed only in Victorian-era underwear, as his deformities are described by his friend and savoir, Dr. Frederick Treves (John Ralston Craig), that sets the stage for the incredible production which follows that scene.