I had the opportunity to see John Guare's "Six Degrees of Separation" on Broadway shortly before it closed. Having seen the original at Lincoln Center with the incomparable Stockard Channing for whom the part of Ouisa was written, I did not expect a whole lot. But, although it would be unfair to compare the performance of Allison Janney to Channing's, the cast which includes John Benjamin Hickey and Corey Hawkins is outstanding and kudos to director Trip Cullman for making the play new. The premise of the play, which spawned the now-famous 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon', is a young black man insinuating himself into the lives of a WASP family on the Upper East Side by posing as a friend of their children from Harvard and, coincidentally, the son of Sidney Poitier. How easily they choose to be duped! How attractive fame and celebrity are. And how tragic ultimately for the young man, because, after all, this really just creates a small ripple in their lives. It's a play about aspiration and ultimately very sad.
Benjamin Millepied's L.A. Dance Project at the Joyce was probably the most exciting theatre I saw this month. And it's dance!!! Plus, added bonus, Natalie Portman (or "Portwood" as my dance mad neighbor in Row C called her) was in the house. Just joking. I didn't even see her. The most impressive of the four pieces performed in the program I saw was Justin's Peck's Murder Ballads. Peck is the hot new choreography talent from the New York City Ballet. Here he uses the dancers' virtuosity completely and the colorful casual clothing and backdrop tamp it down and and draw us in and make us feel that it is no big deal. This was followed by Merce Cunningham's Minevent with music by John Cage and performed in full view by Adam Tendler. I'm not a huge fan of Merce but this work, despite the very unflattering unitards, was a wonder of synchronicity. After the intermission we were treated to In Silence We Speak and Orpheus Highway, both choreographed by Millepied. Although my seat mate was back for a second time to see In Silence We Speak, a moving mother-daughter duet, I was stunned by Orpheus Highway and Millepied's use of mixed media, dancers on the screen in the California desert with the same dancers live mimicking their moves, all to The Triple Quartet by Steve Reich, performed, again live, by PUBLIQuartet. A super shout out to Millepied for not just providing inventive choreography but for choosing to work with a superbly trained group of dancers of all different body types.
"War Paint" at the Nederlander Theatre might have been more accurately title "Battle of the Divas." And this is indeed the only reason to visit this new musical about the rivalry between Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden starring Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersole. The new musical from the Scott Frankel and Michael Korie ("Grey Gardens") and directed by Michael Greif("Dean Evan Hansen") fails to deliver. The music is wan and story feels stretched beyond interest. But those voices! I suppose I would be happy to hear either of these divas sing the phone book.
The premise of "Cost of Living" by Martyna Majok at The Manhattan Theatre Club is intriguing and holds ones attention, particularly the performances of two disabled actors. Where it failed for me was that the play ends with a focus on the two non-disabled characters which I felt was a betrayal of the play's promise. I was so much more interested in the quadriplegic Ani and John (and need to point out that the actors playing these roles, Katy Sullivan and Gregg Mozgala, although disabled, are not quadriplegics). Ani, a victim of a car accident who has lost not just her legs but the ability to use her other limbs is full of rage. John, who was presumably born a quad has learned to embrace life, albeit with advantage that being from money provides. Although I felt cheated by the ending, Victor Williams as Eddie does give a tour-de-force performance. Jo Bonney direction is impeccable except in the casting of Jolly Abraham as Jess who overacts and overacts and overacts. Have I stressed that enough?
The Roundabout's "Napoli, Brooklyn" is the not the work of an exciting new playwright to watch, as advertised. Sorry. The play by Meghan Kennedy is pretty standard kitchen-sink drama about an Italian family in Brooklyn, Park Slope apparently, in 1960. Throw in two immigrant parents from Napoli, three rebellious daughters (well, two to be exact), a hammy Irish butcher, a black co-worker, a little lesbianism, domestic violence and a plane crash and voila! You get the idea.... We really didn't need to see this again. It feels like we've been air-lifted back to 1960 and stale ideas. What could have possibly drawn the great Gordon Edelstein to direct a play whose most interesting and intriguing aspect is the picture on the front of the program? Stick to the classics, Gordon!
