How Now, Dow Jones at FringeNYC

One of the FringeNYC shows enjoyed the most was How Now, Dow Jones, produced by UNSUNGMUSICALSCO.INC. There was nothing about it that put in on the "fringe" of theatre, except for maybe the fact that it was a revival of a Broadway show that didn't do very well in 1967.

I can imagine why it didn't do very well - it has a corny plot and jaunty music, in a time when musical theatre of the late 60s was beginning to change to be less big Broadway show and more theatrical and serious.

It's about an engaged couple who both work in the financial district. He's stalling until the Dow Jones average hits 1,000. She happens to be the "voice" of the Dow Jones. Frustrated and depressed, she meets a charming young man who's equally frustrated and depressed. They hook up - whoops, she becomes pregnant. In order to force her fiance into expediting their marriage, she falsely announces that the Dow Jones has hit 1,000. Alas, chaos. But the real father saves the day leads the way - thank goodness because the finale was so fun that the audience couldn't help but clap along!

It wasn't hard to have fun - the show was terrifically revised and directed by Ben West. Ben has rightfully been honored with an Overall Excellence Award for Direction by this year's FringeNYC. Rommy Sandhu provided the classic choreography, including a very well excuted dance break by "Dow" (Shane Bland) and "Jones" (Dennis O'Bannion), and complete with the original choreography employed in Step to the Rear.

I loved the leads. As the hero, "Charley", Conlin Hanlon was just dishy with All-American charm and he sang just fine too. The leading lady, "Kate" was played by Cristen Paige. She was just perfect as the earnest young woman. She has a lovely soprano voice. (I knew I saw her somewhere before but couldn't place her - guess what? She played George Hearn's daughter in the Signature's The Visit! Yes!)

Fred Berman , as the brilliant young magnate "Wingate", was absolutely delightful. The rest of the cast - Cori Silberman, Elon Rutberg, Shane Bland, Dennis O'Bannion, and Jim Middleton - delivered just fine, easily lending to the fun.

Even as a revival, some songs cut from the original were restored, the story updated a bit (an hilarious joke about Lehman Brothers wasn't lost on me) and it was cut down from the original running time. Although I'm not sure it belongs in Fringe, it was still better than some shows I've seen at Musicals Tonight, Musicals in Mufti and even a few at Encores!, especially since they were completely off-book.

Ben West is also the Artistic Director of UNSUNGMUSICALSCO.INC, a "production company dedicated to the preservation of musical theatre through the presentation of infrequently performed works." Current projects in development include new versions of Platinum, Lend an Ear and Rock 'N' Roll! The First 5,000 Years.

Perhaps there should be a festival of musical revivals. I know my pal Kevin is with me on this. There are just countless musicals from the 1940s through the 1970s that I'd just love to see, particularly Prettybelle, Henry, Sweet, Henry, I Had a Ball, No Strings, House of Flowers, The Grass Harp, Allegro etc....

The Rainbow Connection

The cast of Finian's Rainbow started their rehearsals today! The first preview of this Broadway revival begins on October 8th at the St. James Theatre on 44th Street.

Meanwhile, Finian's Rainbow is tweeting news of the show, the cast, and rainbow connections.

Discounted tickets are available via BroadwayBox, or go to the box office beginning next week on September 8th.


(Chelsea and I caught sight of a rainbow in Washington Square Park fountain recently!)

Union Squared at FringeNYC

One of the FringeNYC plays I saw was Union Squared at The Players Theatre on MacDougal.

By David S. Singer, Union Squared is the story of a Wall Street broker whose mother reveals that he will inherit millions of dollars that were illegally deposited in a Swiss account by his late father. Complicating matters, and what becomes the main issue, is that he accidentally texts plans for a tryst with his mistress to his wife. The wife not only befriends the mistress but falls in love with her. The play itself is interesting and timely. In fact, The New York Times profiled Mr. Singer earlier this month.

Unfortuately, the cast - Levi Sochet as the stockbroker, Carlina Ferrari as the wife and Annie Meisels as the mistress - failed to execute. Chalk the failure up to poor acting and some plain and awkward and irritating miscasting. Adding to the failure were the excruciatingly long scene changes and the clipped directing by Diana Basmajian. The only bright point was veteran actress Anita Keal, who effectively plays not only the mother, but also a wise bag lady and a funny couples counselor. Unfortunately her talent and experience stand out like a sore thumb compared to the miscasting of the rest of the actors.

Move the love triangle to the background and bring forward the consequences of the inheritance, and with a different cast and director, this could be a really great, interesting story.

Shrunken Heads at the Peter Jay Sharp

Shrunken Heads, by Wild House Productions, needs to extend! Unfortunately, it closes today at 2:00. It's playing at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater on the 4th floor above Playwright's Horizons.

The press release synopses is "Dr. Bob Hyde, a successful psychiatrist, just wants to have a quiet, peaceful weekend at his country estate, where he can commune with nature and relax in his Jacuzzi, far away from his patients. No such luck. The various women in his life interfere - from his neurotic patient Dorothy Putney, to his daughter Caroline and ex-wife Jennifer - determined to drain him of all his money. Head games come alive in this fast-paced farce, where family drama plus biting wit equals 'Shrunken Heads: a case of high comedy.'"

Angela Astle swiftly and efficiently directly this comedy by M.Z. Ribalow. It reminded me in a sense of What About Bob?, and was just as funny.

Stephen Alan Wilson plays the exasperated and doctor with the air of self-importance and intellectual superiority. Mel House plays his younger and infinitely patient second wife, who is much wiser than she lets on. Diana Henry, riotously plays the doctor's first wife almost like she's "Vera Charles" and practically steals the show. Kim Weiler plays Dorothy, a cross between trailer trash and the Bill Murray-like patient. She's outrageously funny. Rounding out the cast are Ean Sheehy as Dorothy's jealous husband, Allison Layman as the doctor's daughter and David Gelles Hurwitz as her boyfriend.

It's a quick 1 hour and 45 minutes with a 15-minute intermission and frankly, another act would not be unwelcome. The $18 tickets for today's performance are available online at www.TicketCentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at Playwright's Horizons box office.

Q&A with Owen Dara of White Horses: An Irish Childhood

One FringeNYC custom is for members of shows to paper the line of people waiting on line for other shows. On Sunday, I was waiting on line, and had the opportunity to meet Owen Dara as he was handing out postcards for his show, White Horses: An Irish Childhood. I had the chance to visit with him about White Horses:

What is your show about?
White Horses is about the struggle of growing up with parents who have conflicting views of how their children should be raised. Ma was a dedicated Catholic, Da never went to Mass. Her family was educated, his was working class. He loved to watch tv, she was convinced it was the primary tool of the devil. It's about a boy struggling to understand where he fits in, and how he is going to find his place in the world--a journey of constant searching and ultimate realization. It is also a comedic look at Irish society during an era when the Catholic church was unquestionably divine, and family problems were never acknowledged or talked about outside the home. It is about universal familial relationships.

This was originally your memoir? Is it published?
The memoir was published in 2007 by Breaking Tide, a company started by myself and Jessica Lancaster, which also produced "Transmission" my recently shot feature film.

What inspired you to write it?
I was taking a writing class and was given an assignment by my teacher, Jim Krusoe. The assignment entailed creating a story using 5 particular nouns, which he wrote on the blackboard. I was feeling uninspired, so I just wrote something about my childhood in order to quickly fullfull the assignment before class. He handed it back to me the following week with the most positive feedback I had ever gotten from him up to that point. I was pleasantly surprised, and became inspired to write about other events of my childhood. Before long I had the first draft of my book.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
My main collabarators are Dan Toscano and Elizabeth Duck. They have been on board as directors since I finished the very first draft of my show. They are both wonderful people and extremely talented. Elizabeth helped me mostly with the character work. I remember during our first rehearsal, she got down on the floor and pretended to be a 4-year-old child playing in a sand pit. "Come on Owen, help me build a sand castle" she said with child-like enthusiasm. I joined her and we were both 4-year olds, who played in the sand for the rest of the afternoon. She also found appropriate activities for most of the other characters that I play in the show. Her commitment to character was enormously helpful to my process. Dan helped me mostly with structuring the script. He is an extremely funny person, who has a wonderful sense of what scenes should be cut and of which characters need more time on stage than others. Since my father was a potter, Dan also suggested that we build a pottery wheel (which he finished and decorated beautifully) for use on stage during some scenes where I play my father. Now I can't imagine the show without a pottery wheel. Each of my directors probably had an equal share in blocking the piece.

Any plans for another run somewhere?
I have no plans to run the show elsewhere for now. After FringeNYC, I will return to LA to continue post production on my feature film. As soon as that's done, I will definitely be open to doing a run of the show again.

Do you have duel citizenship with Ireland?
I am a citizen of Ireland (born and raised), Australia (spent most of my 20's there), and USA (been here for 10 years).

Guinness or Harps?
Actually I prefer Murphys, the local brew of my native Cork.

White Horses, an Irish Childhood runs at Venue #7, Manhattan Theatre Source and can be seen tonight, Thursday the 27th @ 7:15pm and on Sunday, the 30th @ 12 Noon. Tickets are available via FringeNYC.org.

(Photo by Dan Toscano)

Quote of the Day

Die-hard Lansbury fans noticed that her Madame Arcati bore more than a fleeting resemblance to her hilarious Salome Otterbourne in the 1978 movie "Death on the Nile." When I asked her about that recently, she said, "You're damn right it does!"

About Angela's characterization of Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit, from Michael Riedel's column, August 21, 2009


(Yes, I was hoping it would be so back on October 13, 2008)

The Antartic Chronicles at FringeNYC

I caught the final FringeNYC performance of The Antarctic Chronicles at The Players Loft on MacDougal Street.

Billed as a "Factual Frozen Comedy", it's a one woman show by Jessica Manuel about her job as a support employee in the Antartic. Interspersed with music, dancing and some silly videos from her time there, it's a zany story. Jessica told why she decided to go in the first place - living a dull, white break life hoping to live extraordinarily. The arc of her excitement of first arriving in Antarctica to practical madness from the months of cold (-80 below!) and no sunshine is nothing short of hilarity. Jessica is a ball of energy and can really tell a story, complete with the crazy miming of her job assignment in the fuel department to time in the galley.

Not that I ever had any desire to go to Antartica in the first place, now I know I don't need to go thanks to this story that made me feel like I was there - but in a good way. It was a quick hour of stand up comedy - fun and full of laughter. It didn't hurt that the Player's Loft was cooled down to a welcoming antartic feel on such a steamy day.

All Day Angela on TCM

All day today, Angela Lansbury is today's Star of Turner Classic Movie channel's Summer under the Stars . See why Angela is one of our greatest character actresses - three Oscar nominations for Gaslight, The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Manchurian Candidate and the Golden Globe winner for The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Manchurian Candidate. My favorites of today are The Manchurian Candidate, Gaslight, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Death on the Nile (Salome Otterbourne!!!), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Unfortunately, they aren't showing my other favorites, The World of Henry Orient, The Private Affairs of Bel Ami or If Winter Comes. However, I've never seen Season of Passion, so I'm excited to see it in the lineup - DiVaR is set!

6:00 AM The Harvey Girls (’46)
8:00 AM Tenth Avenue Angel (’48)
9:30 AM A Lawless Street (’55)
11:00 AM All Fall Down (’62)
1:00 PM The Manchurian Candidate (’62)
3:15 PM Private Screenings: Angela Lansbury (’06)
4:15 PM The Reluctant Debutante (’58)
6:00 PM Bedknobs and Broomsticks (’71)
8:00 PM Gaslight (’44) (also Essentials Jr.)
10:00 PM Kind Lady (’51)
11:30 PM Death on the Nile (’78)
2:00 AM The Picture of Dorian Gray (’45)
4:00 AM Season of Passion (’59)

Kate Baldwin, how are things on the World Wide Web?

Kate Baldwin has an official website now! Check out www.kate-baldwin.com to see gorgeous new pictures of Kate (Guess what? She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside!), get news of her upcoming Broadway show Finian's Rainbow, and information and photos from her previous performances.

Also, here's the best news - Kate's first solo album, Songs of Lane & Harburg - Let's See What Happens on the PS Classics label will be released on October 20th, around which time Kate tells she'll be doing an appearance and signing. She also says she has a really exciting gig coming in December. The music direction is by Rob Berman and Tommy Krasker is the Executive Producer. Jonathan Tunick and the Broadway Moonlighters also make an appearance! The song list, provided exclusively to yours truly from Miss B. herself, is quite thrilling (and I know my friend Kevin will love the first track):

1. That Something Extra Special
Jule Styne & E.Y. Harburg
(From Darling Of The Day, 1968)
Orch. Sam Davis

2. How About You?
Burton Lane & E.Y. Harburg
(from Babes on Broadway, 1941)
orch. Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick, clarinet

3. Moments Like This
Burton Lane & Frank Loesser
(from College Swing, 1938)
orch. Georgia Stitt

4. Come Back to Me
Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner
(from On a Clear Day
You Can See Forever, 1965)
orch. Jonathan Tunick

5. Here’s to Your Illusions
Sammy Fain & E.Y. Harburg
(from Flahooley, 1951)
orch. Steve Marzullo

6. Have Feet, Will Dance
Burton Lane & Dorothy Fields
(from Junior Miss, 1957)
orch. Rob Berman

7. How Are Things in Glocca Morra?
Burton Lane & E.Y. Harburg
(from Finian’s Rainbow, 1947)
orch. Rob Berman

8. Poor You
Burton Lane & E.Y. Harburg
(from Ship Ahoy, 1942)
orch. Joshua Rosenblum

9. Paris Is a Lonely Town
Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg
(from Gay Purr-ee, 1962)
orch. Jonathan Tunick

10. I Like the Likes of You
Vernon Duke & E.Y. Harburg
(from Ziegfeld Follies of 1934)
orch. Rob Berman

11. Let’s See What Happens/
Open Your Eyes
Jule Styne & E.Y. Harburg
(from Darling of the Day, 1968)
Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner
(from Royal Wedding, 1951)
orch. Rob Berman

12. Where Have I
Seen Your Face Before?
Burton Lane & E.Y. Harburg
orch. Joel Fram

13. He Wasn’t You
Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner
(from On a Clear Day
You Can See Forever, 1965)
orch. Joseph Thalken

14. I Don’t Think I’ll End It All Today
Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg
(from Jamaica, 1957)
orch. Jason Robert Brown

15. The World Is in My Arms
Burton Lane & E.Y. Harburg
(from Hold on to Your Hats, 1940)
Rob Berman, piano

Finian's Rainbow begins performances on October 8th at the St. James Theatre on 44th Street.

A Little Night Music Revival News, i.e. I just threw up a little

I woke up to a voice message from Steve on Broadway alerting me to "news" from Michael Riedel of the New York Post. In FROM ANGELA TO ZETA - ZETA-JONES IN 'NIGHT MUSIC,' SO LANSBURY STAYS IN CAST, Michael says that Catherine Zeta-Jones will play Desiree and Angela Lansbury will play her mother, Madame Armfeldt, in the upcoming revival of A Little Night Music.

Now, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth: ANGELA! YES! I TOLD YOU SO! But, Catherine?

Ugh. Damn it, we have so many beautiful and fabulous out-of-work BROADWAY stars perfect for Desiree and producers had to go to Hollywood to get practically a b movie actress whose main credits are a cell phone commercial and being married to a huge giant legendary star? Please.

And reportedly "Sondheim called Zeta-Jones and persuaded her to do "Night Music"? Puh-lease. (Mr. Sondheim, since you're so persuasive, it would be nice if you'd make some calls to make sure the original orchestrations remain in place.)

Okay, okay. Catherine won an Oscar for her Velma Kelly in the film of Chicago. I admit that I've warmed to that performance - come on, it's hard not to - it's Chicago, it's Kander & Ebb. But, that ain't eight times a week on Broadway, baby. Sigh.

Still, It's ANGELA LANSBURY. It's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. I'll be there. This revival is set to begin at the Walter Kerr (hello, I can see this theatre from my office) this December.

For the Love of Christ! a swinging new musical

Ben Knox wrote the book, music and lyrics for the new "swinging" musical, For the Love of Christ! He also stars in this FringeNYC show. It's his attempt to teach the hypocritical religious a lesson on living and letting live. He does a fine job with it too, much to the credit of the very even, clever and swift moving direction by Holly-Anne Ruggiero and cast, not afraid of having over-the-top fun.

For the Love of Christ! is the story of a closeted gay and unhappily married man named Charlie (Knox) with a very religious wife (Kristy Cates) and two confused teenage children (Eryn Murman [one hell of a surname] and Jamaal Wilson) in 1979. Following his curiosity and the hunky French Canadian airline steward Jésus (Dan Amboyer), he ends up at a bathhouse, run by Dante and Pauly, a very funny duo (Eric Rubbe and Steven Strafford respectfully, and they steal every scene!). Bringing condemnation on the whole thing, and being even more hypocritical, is the Reverend Father, sort of a combination evangelist preacher/Catholic priest, played by Marty Thomas, who has an affair of his own with the wife.

While the story doesn't always make sense, it's a silly, dirty romp of a great time. There are a few misses - the Reverend Father has a penchant for altar boys - something that wasn't really so in know back in 1979. It also only touches the edge of the consequences of random liaisons in gay bath houses, which is perhaps too serious to tackle in this campfest. Knox doesn't hold back on punches and sometimes it's quite offensive to Christian sensibilities, but there's truth behind the jokes as well.

However, with its nicely arched but highly campy score, it's mostly reminiscent of a full length Forbidden Broadway sketch and never overdoes the "holier than thou" theme. The anthem-like "Get What You Want," a preachy tuner in the vein of the traditional musical theatre anthem (think La Cage), was the highlight of the score. The vocals of the cast are mostly great too - it's always fun to hear the soprano rise above the rest of chorus, and of course, Kristy Cates has no trouble delivering on these notes. Also particularly fun was the choreography by Holly Cruz, with its nod to traditional chorus dancing and soft shoe, complete with a very funny dream ballet in the final scene.

Overall it's a tightly run show, with an efficient set, and laughter comes easily. The Cherry Lane was packed with an appreciative audience on Wednesday night. There are three more times to catch this romp: Fri 21 @ 5, Mon 24 @ 3, & Fri 28 @ 7. Tickets are available via www.FringeNYC.org.

How Now, Dow Jones Q&A

I've added How Now, Dow Jones to my must-see FringeNYC show list. Rather than a new work, this show is a "revisal" of the musical How Now, Dow Jones which ran at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre from November, 1967 until June, 1968 for a total of 220 performances. Although it was nominated for a slew of Tony awards and won one for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Hiram Sherman, it was basically a commercial flop.

How Now, Dow Jones, set in Wall Street, follows Kate who announces the Dow Jones numbers. Her fiancé (played by Elon Rutberg) will not marry her until the Dow Jones Averages hits 1,000. In this new production by Unsung Musicals Co. Inc., the cast has been cut and the intermission eliminated. But, they've managed to add three new songs. Fortunately, the most memorable song, Step to the Rear, from the original remains and is moved to the finale. It should be fun to see what this musical farce about the financial district looks like today, when the average Dow Jones index fluctuates over 9,000.

I spoke with two cast members, Elon Rutberg who plays Herbert P. Magruder and Cori Silberman who plays Cynthia Pike, about their roles and careers:

Elon – You’re a press associate in your day job. In HNDJ, you’re both actor and press?
Yup. Ben (West, the director) and I have worked together in a number of capacities before - one of which was actually working in Jeffrey Richards' (the producer and press agent who is my boss during the day) office. So when Ben brought me onto the project as an actor, I was more than happy to act as press agent as well.

What role are you playing?
I play the role of Herbert P. Magruder, the fiance of Kate, the voice of the Dow Jones. We've been engaged for 3 1/2 years, and I'm basically delaying the wedding until the Dow hits 1000, so my investments can do a little better and I can provide for her in the way I'd like. Kate, however, is none too happy about the delays, and,
well, let's just when a little alcohol and reckless behavior are mixed into that, you've got the first plot complication of "How Now, Dow
Jones".

Ever have aspirations to work on Wall Street?
A small part of me would love to watch the stock ticker on Bloomberg news and be on the phone with my broker looking for the best new stocks to buy (like my mom has been taken to doing recently as a hobby), but really, no. Pretty much everyone in my family are artists, so being a stockbroker or anything like that wasn't even on my radar while growing up.

How are your investments doing?
Most of my stock was purchased for me by my grandparents, and are now mostly in mutual funds. Sad to say, they took quite a punch in the collapse last year. I think I lost a good 40% when the market dived. But I just signed up with an awesome new investment manager. I have faith that he'll be able to guide my stocks and mutual funds back up.

Cori - Is this your first Fringe show?
This is my first time performing in a FringeNYC show and it has been a great experience. I had a wonderful time producing MOVIE GEEK and LOST: HOW A CERTAIN TV MEGA HUNK STOLE MY IDENTITY at the Fringe in 2005 and 2007.

What role are you playing?
I play Cynthia Pike, a tour guide at the New York Stock Exchange who is obsessed with Mr. Wingate, the CEO of Wingate and CO. After reminding him of a brief "encounter", I agree to become his mistress, despite never actually seeing him because of his busy schedule. Like many people, Cynthia is a good hearted, fun loving woman who tries to do right by her friends while getting caught in some questionable romantic situations in her search for her dream husband.

Who’s your inspiration?
In the theatre world, I am always inspired by strong and quirky women who know who they are and don’t apologize for it. Personally, my family and friends are always a source of inspiration, comfort and love. Specifically, my father, a self made man, inspires me daily with his tireless work ethic, his belief in being able to accomplish the impossible, and his warm and compassionate nature.

You’re a producer as well. How is it to get in front of the audience instead of behind the scenes?
I started as a performer so it feels great to be back on stage. Performing has always been my passion so while I love to do both, I am so very happy to be a part of this cast.

What’s next for you?
I am fortunate to be able to spend my days at AMC working with the original programming team. As for my next show or production, I am not sure yet.

This FringeNYC production of How Now, Dow Jones (www.HowNowDowJones.com) starring Cristen Paige (Spelling Bee, The Visit, Cry-Baby), Colin Hanlon (Rent, I Love You Because) and Fred Berman (The Normal Heart, Room Service) will began performances on Saturday at the Minetta Lane Theatre. There are two more opportunities to catch their show - Thursday, August 20 at 8:15 PM and Sunday, August 23 at 5:45 PM. Tickets are available via TicketWeb or at FringeNYC.org.

Another recording from La Diva Renée

http://www.reneefleming.com/verismo/

Today: Mary Stuart closes on Broadway

In the second act of Peter Oswald's version of Friedrich Schiller’s Mary Stuart, Harriet Walter's Queen Elizabeth proclaims to Janet McTeer's Queen Mary,

"All your plots wrecked, no alleyway assassins, no desperate adventurers determined to be your errant knights. Yes Lady Mary, it is all over! No more fools will stumble into your clutches. Now the world’s eyes are elsewhere!"

Indeed. But I wish it weren't so. Farewell to this beautiful, consuming play. Farewell Harriet Walter. Farewell Janet McTeer. May we meet again soon, whether on Broadway or in your England.



























Photo from eposay.com

The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side at PS122

I adventured down to Performance Space 122 (PS122) on the Lower East Side with my friend Byrne of stagebuzz.com last night. Going to the Lower East Side is always like crossing into a foreign land and I feel like an old square visiting my college hipster kids.

It was my first time at PS122 and even though I'm still new to this off-off Broadway environment, I immediately felt at home in the downstairs, intimate blackbox theatre. We were there for The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side, presented by The Amoralists, and starring Matthew Pilieci as Wyatt, James Kautz as Billy, Mandy Nicole Moore as Dawn, Sarah Lemp as Dear, Nick Lawson as Evan and Charles Meola as Donovan. Derek Ahonen is the playwright and the director.

The set looks like a tiny, dilapidated New York apartment - telling posters and graffiti on the wall, empty beer and liquor bottles everywhere and a chockablock of unusual instruments giving us a clue of it's inhabitants. Great jiving music was playing over the excellent sound system.

As the lights go up, there is immediately a very physical fight between the two male characters, one only in dirty pair of underwear, one looking like he stepped out of the cast of Hair. I was immediately on edge as I thought, "Oh great, hippies."

But these are not the hippies of Hair. These are the vegans and hipster anarchists of current day New York's Lower East Side. As the story unfolds, it's revealed that the two women, Dawn, still a teenager and street singer and Dear, a thirty-something former lawyer now a manager of a vegan restaurant, are more than just living with the two men, Wyatt, a former prostitute/squatter/day laborer and Billy, a junkie/alcoholic/anarchist/journalist. The four of them have conceived an extended sexual family, living off the land and only in the now. Each loves each other and each sleeps with each other, without jealousy and without discrimination toward sexual preference.

Dear is the only one who seems to have no real hang ups. She's practically the leader, certainly the mother-figure, of this chaotic group of misfits. Dawn is running from a physically and sexually abusive family. Billy is afraid to join the anarchist as he turns to drugs and alcohol. Wyatt is afraid of what happens after death and goes into panic attacks at the thought of the unknown.

The story heats up when Billy's 20 year old brother Evan, also a journalism major, comes for a visit from Iowa. It seems as though he might have been sent by their parents, but his motive is to party and get laid. He's a vulgar, closed-minded frat boy. He was so vile, I found myself siding with the hippies!

If you plan on seeing this play, this is where you should stop reading, as this is when the fun sets in.

While Evan is mouthing off to his brother Billy, the other three members of the family are trysting in the bathroom shower and overhear him. Here comes the most audacious entrance I've ever seen on a stage. I've seen nudity on a stage, but this has nothing on that.

All three, still wet from their shower, run in gleefully to Evan's shock. What really mortifies Evan is that Wyatt, played by the physically well built Matthew, is fully erect. It is the most unabashed, fearless display I've ever seen. The audience was dying with laughter at his antics and poor Evan's horror. What was really great about the scene was Nick Lawson performance as Evan. He perfectly displayed the horror and embarrassment of a big talking young buck. Evan manages to overcome his embarrassment as he is unable to resist the taunting seduction by Dawn, who is barely younger than he.

Things settle in. The family lives as usual, and makes an attempt to educate and open Evan's mind. They offer him the opportunity to "interview" them. This gives them the opportunity to sell their belief system. While they talked a good talk, none of them are that convincing. What was hard for me to buy in to was the irrationality of these ideas of free love, living off nothing with no goals, especially when the preaching was coming from such anti-conformists as a former prostitute and a drug addict.

The only one of the family members who is semi-believable is the calm and logical Dear. She delivered an unforgettable idea, "The opposite of love is indifference." She claims that she wouldn't begrudge one of them leaving the family if they found another love. She had almost an unreal patience when all around her seemed like chaos and insanity at times.

I also wondered what it was that drove Dear away from her law practice. From the little we heard of it, it wasn't exactly the typical corporate law firm so I'm not sure why she left it to live as the manager of a vegan restaurant so she could shack up with the family.

Everything falls apart with the family unit when their benefactor Donovan arrives. He is the owner of the building where they live and work in their vegan restaurant. He holds the purse strings, although he doesn't necessarily give them money other than funding for their effort. He's a crass kidder and guilt ridden trust fund rich. Irritating from the first moment of his entrance, he only has bad news for them when he finally has to tell them that he has sold the building and they have only three days to get out.

Now comes the third and only weak act of the three. Always seeming half witted and carefree until now, the aloof Dawn's fragility comes to the forefront and runs away. The young brother Evan follows her. Things really go awry when Donovan comes back. He professes his love for Dear and attempts to persuade her to run away with him, by tempting with her enough money to do any of the good acts she wishes to do. What's unbelievable here is that she actually seems to consider it.

They are interrupted by another chaotic entrance by Wyatt. This time he's carrying a mute, paralyzed Billy. Billy appears to be tripping. When he finally comes to, he tell them that he has seen the light, literally. He is suddenly not afraid to return to the anarchist. This throws Wyatt into another panic attack. Evan and Dawn return and reveal that they not only are they in love, but will not remain with the family and are returning to Iowa. Once again, Nick Lawson shows how he delivers the acting. Evan's final moments with his brother is absolutely tender and heartbreaking.

And finally, Dear has a breakdown and is furious at Dawn's abandonment. Not only are they losing Dawn, but Billy will not be with them. Their family unit is over, as is the experiment of the extended sexual family. The flaw in Billy's plan is that he is now paralyzed although it's not clear if it's only an hysterical paralysis or what. All the while this happening, they are moving out of the apartment. It's a little confusing in all of the chaos.

This act was just as chaotic as the others, but not in an entertaining, funny or even thought-provoking way. To me, it was almost a punishment for their attempt to forgo the conventional. However, the first two acts are so incredibly entertaining and interesting that I found myself agreeing with their ideas of living for a better Earth, of not leaving a carbon footprint, of not judging. I even forgot that I was a square upper west sider for those two hours.

This play is an incredible, physically fast moving presentation. It's almost like you're not watching a play - this is only partly because of this very memorable play. The actors are fantastic - seamless, real, fearless, audacious, unabashed and tender when they need be. I don't know how they do this 5 or 6 times a week.

It's no wonder that this show has extended from its original end date in June. It's now running until August 23rd.

Q&A with Kristy Cates - Star of For the Love of Christ at Fringe!

One of the FringeNYC shows opening tomorrow is For the Love of Christ! It's a new musical by Ben Knox (and starring Ben) in which Kristy Cates plays Angela, a religious zealot who finds love in an unexpected way.

Kristy was in the Original Broadway Cast of Wicked and understudy to the lead role of Elphaba. She starred as Elphaba in the Chicago and first National Tour productions of Wicked. Most recently Kristy played Madison in Click, Clack, Moo at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Other credits are Ruth Wallis in Boobs! The Musical, Snapshots (by Stephen Schwartz), the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ Princess Ida and the world premiere of the new musical Unbeatable (original cast album available at www.unbeatablemusical.com). She’s worked in other regional theatre as well as on the concert stage at New York’s Joe’s Pub, The Duplex, Chicago’s Metropolis - even Palace of Versailles in Paris!

Kristy recently added the role of vocal/audition coach and voice teacher to her repertoire. She is offering private lessons and is thrilled to be a new member of the MAXTHEATRIX team.

Is this your first fringe show?
Nope! Two years ago I did a play in the Fringe called "The Other Side of Darkness." It was written by my dear friend, Phil Geoffrey Bond and starred myself, the sexy David Rudd, and the amazing Rob Maitner. It was one of the only straight plays I've ever done - and I loved it.

The press release for FLOC says there are "maniacal monkeys". Anything like the flying monkeys in Wicked?
Hmmm...well, I haven't seen their costumes yet, but I CAN tell you that the wonderful young men playing monkeys in FLOC could easily play monkeys in Wicked. The monkey's in Wicked are never really used for evil - but they sure are in FLOC! And they fall from the sky....tied together....in pastel colors. So, no...not really!

You played "Ruth Wallis" - did you get a chance to meet her before she passed away?
I did! And what a saucy woman she was! And tiny! She loved our production, which was really heartwarming and gratifying. She was one of those straight shooters, you know? Very sassy and very quick. I do remember her telling me I had a better "rack" than she could ever dream of - and it made me crack up. Have you ever had a 75 year old woman tell you that? It was too much. Ruth was very supportive and an absolute doll. It was an honor to portray her on stage AND be able to spend some time with her in a social setting. I will never forget her smile.

You performed at Palace of Versailles in Paris? The actual Versailles - as in King Louis the 14th? What did you wear?
Yes, the actual Versailles. AMAZING. We performed in the part of the palace used primarily by Marie Antoinette (I know, whhhuuuuuttttt?!!?). I remember the woman who was running the joint was freaking out during our sound check. I guess they had never allowed anything but classical music in the palace before....and here I am, belting out Defying Gravity. It was priceless. Before we performed, they fed us in one of the rooms in the basement that was used for prisoners - we actors get no respect. No, seriously, it was incredible...eating in the basement of Versailles, singing in the ballroom where Marie Antoinette used to dance with King Louis, all those cute French waiters. WOW. I wore a long black gown by Laundry. I starved myself to fit into it - and it showed enough cleavage to make Marie proud!

Any dream roles you'd like to take on?
Ooh. Sure. Lots. I was cast as Eva Peron last summer - but opted to do a new show (Unbeatable) instead. It turned out to be a great choice because playing a woman with breast cancer was a life changing experience, but I'd still love to play Eva someday. I'd also love to play Mama Rose in 15-20 years, Donna in Mamma Mia, Fantine, The Baker's Wife, Chris in Miss Saigon. Yes, I DO mean Chris. I could sing the hell out of "Why God, Why?" And pretty much any role Carolee Carmello (my idol) has ever played.

How's the teaching going?
Thanks for asking! It's going well. Slow, but well. I've been so busy (yay for working!) that I haven't had much time to build up my client list, but the students I do have are amazing. I think what makes me unique as a teacher is that I have a lot of different "specialties" to bring to the table. I've been in NYC for 10 years - and I've probably been on over 1000 auditions. I know how to market, to network, to prepare for an audition. I also have a good eye for what translates in the room and what doesn't (much better for others than myself, unfortunately) and a great ear. I feel like I can offer people a very well rounded lesson/coaching. I kind of had to learn how to "mix" half way through my run as Elphaba. I thought it was ok to fully belt out those notes night after night....and I WAS fine until I got strep throat and sang through it for a week. After that, I had to develop a strong and reliable mix...much safer and EASIER than belting 8 times a week. It's taken me a while, but my voice teacher, Matt Farnsworth (and Liz Caplan before him), taught me SO much about placement and safe singing. I would like to help others achieve that safe, strong, amazing place - so that they don't have to go through what I did and they can feel confident every time they open their mouth to belt it out!

Any plans to record an album? If so, any specific tunes or composers would like to record?
People ask me this all the time...but would anyone really buy it? Besides my family members? I don't know....I adore Jason Robert Brown, Lippa, Schwartz, Billy Joel...and Jazz standards. Maybe someday.

What's your next project?
Well, after doing a "G" rated show every morning - "Click, Clack, Moo" at the Lucille Lortel Theatre -and a PG -17 show at night - "FLOC" - where I basically sexually devour a preacher (my sweet friend, Marty Thomas) on stage, I am headed to St. Louis next month for another run of Unbeatable (http://www.unbeatablemusical.com/). The show was scheduled to be playing at New World Stages right now, but due to monetary woes, we never made it into the city. It's a fantastic show about a woman living with (not dying from) breast cancer. It's a challenging and rewarding role and I'm looking forward to revisiting it soon. Other than that, who knows. Anyone wanna hire me? :)

Catch the amazing Kristy in For the Love of Christ! at the Cherry Lane in only 5 performances at the Cherry Lane Theatre (8/15 @ 2:15; 8/19 @ 10pm; 8/21 @ 5pm; 8/24 @ 3pm; 8/28 @ 7pm). This highly anticpated show, with this star studded cast, is almost sold out! Get your tickets through the official FringeNYC website.

FringeNYC!

The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) begins tomorrow, August 14th and runs through August 30th.

The First Annual New York International Fringe Festival took place in 1996. Thirteen years later, it's larger than ever with approximately 1500 volunteers, 4,500 artists, and an audience of 75,000. Touted as "New York's Best Staycation", there are 201 shows showing at 18 different venues over these 16 days. At only $15.00 a show, that's quite an inexpensive vacation.

Because these 201 shows are sharing these 18 venues, each show has a limited time to get in, set up, put on their show, and get out - at least five times each over the two weeks!

I have six shows already lined up: And Sophie Comes Too, Union Squared, The Antartic Chronicles, The Crow Mill, Look After You and For the Love of Christ.

That leaves me 195 more shows to choose from! Leave a comment or email me if there's a show you'd like to recommend or make sure that I see.

The Queens take the radio

Okay, I missed this. Maybe you did too. On May 22nd, Mary Stuart's Harriet Walter and Janet McTeer were on the Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC. Their voices! I could listen all day. And they are so very smart. Dear readers, you only have SIX opportunities left to see their brilliance on stage - Mary Stuart closes this Sunday.

Chita's ceremony

Okay, the sound didn't work, but you can see how proud Chita looks. Plus doesn't she look like she's having a great time? That little shrug around 25 seconds? It's about the mention of her additional SIX Tony nominations in addition to her two wins. Brava, Chita!

Yankee Diva on Soundcheck

Joyce DiDonato, one of my favorite mezzos who just happens to blog as the Yankee Diva , released her new album Furore back in January. Yesterday, WNYC's Soundcheck aired a repeat broadcast of John Schaefer's conversation with Joyce. Give it a listen and don't forget to buy this incredible album of Handel mad scene arias.

Obvs Harriet Walter (except the Real Helen Mirren isn't a choice)

Chita: Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient

Tomorrow, Broadway Diva Chita Rivera will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Along with Chita, 15 other recipients have been chosen, and cited as "agents of change": Nancy Goodman Brinker, founder of breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen for the Cure; philanthropist Dr. Pedro Jose Greer; internationally renowned physicist Stephen Hawking; the late pro-football player turned congressman Jack Kemp; Senator and health care advocate Edward M. Kennedy; tennis pro Billie Jean King; civil rights advocate Reverend Joseph Lowery; American Indian preservationist Joe Medicine Crow; the late gay right’s activist Harvey Milk; Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor; director and actor Sidney Poitier; former President of Ireland Mary Robinson; geneticist Janet Davison Rowley; anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu; and anti-poverty advocate Muhammad Yunus.

Tomorrow, August 12th, at 3:00 pm eastern, http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ will stream the ceremony live. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is "America’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

Met Opera: Our Work is (mostly) Done

Work at Lincoln Center continues on, but at least our Met Opera ticket work is mostly done. Yesterday, Sally and I met at 1:00 pm and had our tickets in just about an hour - Der Rosenkavalier 10/19, Elektra 12/15, Carmen 1/5 La Fille du Regiment 2/10, and Armida 4/22. It was the first day of the individual ticket sale to Guild Members at the Supporting Level. I wisely upgraded so I wouldn't have to go through the same stress of last year. That being said, there are a number of operas we plan to rush (Thank you Dr. Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman!). We also intend to make some purchases at the New York Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall to round out what will surely be a fabulous 09/10 season.

On the Way Down, by Ashberry Procuctions, at Access Theatre

On Thursday night, I saw the new play On the Way Down by Michael Rudez, produced by Ashberry Productions. It's the story of three buddies in their late twenties - one married woman, two single guys - on their annual holiday in the Hamptons.

The premise interesting - it's their annual trip for fun and relaxing in the quiet Hamptons. For some unknown reason, this time all 8 million New Yorkers are in the Hamptons as well - it's hot, overcrowded, and there's no food left. However, Rudez more or less abandons this premise for a different, more sinister, yet somewhat confusing plot that seems to suddenly appear out of nowhere. A tragedy has occurred although it's only presented through confrontations between the two guys.

The three buddies have a little alone time before the woman's husband arrives. At first, the mood is fun and teasing, recalling old times in college and of previous trips. It's clear that these three have a history of more than just friends, although it's unclear how deep it is.

The actors, Lindsay Wolf, Steven Todd Smith and Rocco Chierichella, execute this story nicely. In particular, Smith handles his role with finesse and a calm maturity. Wolf is lovely and she seems to the easy going one of group as well as the glue that holds them together. As the story unfolds, it's clear that she is also the one who is the driving force of the conflict between them all, although the reason itself isn't always clear. She executes a bit of mad scene well, conveying sort of a confused mid-life crisis although her character is a little to seemingly young. Chierichella, the aloof playboy of the group, plays it rather stereotypically, although he's good at confrontational scenes if maybe too methodically.

It's easy to relate to these characters, who are all dealing with change in relationships, career and burdens of expectations and growing older. The storyline itself is choppy, but compelling and, overall, even though the story itself could use some streamlining, it's a good time in this great little blackbox at the Access Theatre. There are three more chances to catch the production - today at 2 pm, tonight at 8 pm and tomorrow night at 8 pm. Access Theatre is at 380 Broadway, just above Canal.

I came home and poached an egg.

I saw the 7:45 pm showing of Julie and Julia at the AMC Loews 34th Street 14. It was a full house - everybody laughed, everybody cheered, and during the credits some men called out, "Dinner! Dinner!" If I hadn't been so hungry from watching all of the delicious cuisine being cooked, I would have gone in for a second helping. Instead, I came home and poached an egg, quite perfectly, merci beaucoup. Every moment of this film is très magnifique!

Quote of the Day

"When I go out, I'm in the schlubbiest clothes. You know, I'll never get a date. Nobody wants to date Madame Morrible anyway."

- Tony Winner Rondi Reed, in on Broadway.com.

Met Opera: It's almost today!

Our Annual Met Opera Season Ticket Planning Session will take place this Saturday night with the aid of a very complicated spreadshet and a blender or two of Sally's Famous Margaritas in Chelsea. Then, bleary eyed, with currency and schedule in hand, the Great Ticket Scramble is Sunday morning. Maybe we'll just head straight there from Chelsea.

Boot Scootin' on Broadway in 2010

I'm gonna be dustin' off my ropers to get ready to boot scoot on Broadway when the new musical Pure Country comes to town. Pure Country is being developed into a stage musical from the 1992 film of the same name which starred George Strait. It wasn't a great movie, but the music was undeniably great to any country fan, especially this George Strait fan.

Joe Nichols has been cast in the George Strait role. Today, producers announced that Lorrie Morgan will make her debut as his manager, campishly played in the movie by Leslie Ann Warren.

As far as the book goes, bookwriters Rex McGee (who also wrote the movie) & Peter Masterson
have a lot of room for improvement. I could be grumpy about yet another sub-par movie (even if it was a hit - hello, Wedding Singer, 9 to 5, Legally Blonde... - being made into a musical, but I won't be with this one if the music is as great as it was in the movie. Steve Dorff on music and John Bettis on lyrics have a lot to live up to. In fact, Joe Nichols has a lot to live up to - in the Country Music world, especially in Texas, George Strait is known as King George. Word on a premier date is coming soon.

George Strait in Pure Country:


Lorrie Morgan:


Joe Nichols: