Thanksgiving Break

Theater News and Reviews will resume Dec. 3. Happy Thanksgiving!

Broadway Theater Review: Richard III and Twelfth Night

Richard III and Twelfth Night

By Lauren Yarger

The Globe is presenting Richard III and Twelfth Night in repertory at the Belasco Theatre in what is becoming one of the most Shakespeare-filled seasons on Broadway in recent history (Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth are on the Great White Way at the moment too).

Mark Rylance stars in both as Richard and as Olivia. Here are thoughts on the presentations, which are presented with all-male casts as they were in Shakespeare's time (in fact, I wasn't even able to detect any microphones in use). 

The audience is invited to come about 30 minutes prior to curtain to witness the ritual of the actors getting into costume and to see the lighting of the chandeliers using 100 beeswax candles. Some audience members are seated on stage in two levels of box seats and occasionally the actors interact with them.

Both productions feature period-instrument-playing musicians on stage (they are up on top of the oak-paneled backdrop wall) with music by Claire van Kampen. And as is the Globe's tradition, each performance ends with a delightful Elizabethan dance curtain call.

Any time you can see Rylance on stage, go. He's brilliant. I took very few notes during Richard III, partly because I know the story and partly because Rylance was so fascinating, I just sat back and watched. His take on Richard is different (not really surprised). This king seems half inebriated and half mad with the thought of power and securing England's throne for himself regardless of whom he might have to kill to do it. His bursts of joyful laughs are at once humorous and frightening.

Standing out is Richard is Joseph Timms as Lady Anne, whom Richards woos despite the fact that he has killed her husband and her father-in-law and in spite of his physical deformities, depicted here as a limp and a malformed left hand. Also riveting is Samuel Barnett as Queen Elizabeth, whose ill-fated sons are the boys in the tower.

In Twelfth Night, Rylance plays Olivia, the unrequited love interest of Count Orsino (Liam Brennan). She falls in love with Viola (Barnett), who, washed up on shore after a shipwreck, assumes the disguise of a man in Orsino's service. Rylance's Olivia is very frail and frazzled. Her quick little steps under the voluminous Elizabethan gown brings guffaws. (The costumes, meticulously researched and created by Jenny Tirimani, are engrossing to observe themselves).

This Twelfth Night, my personal favorite of Shakespeare's comedies, is really very funny. Lots of laughs throughout and one of the best jobs of making Viola and her twin brother, Sebastian (Timms), look alike in any production that I have seen. Stephen Fry plays a satisfying Malvolio, Colin Hurley is notable as a humorous Sir Toby Belch and Paul Chahidi is a surprisingly nasty Maria.

While I recommend seeing both productions just for the opportunity to see Rylance and to experience Shakespeare in its original form, neither production is my favorite for these particular works. Directed by Tim Carroll, the pace of Twelfth Night is too slow (a number of nearby audience members nodded off and one was snoring rather loudly). If you aren't already familiar with the plot, you will have trouble following it. Because the action takes place against the stationary backdrop setting, it is not clear at all that Viola has washed up on shore following a shipwreck -- or that Sebastian is her twin brother. The whole man-playing-a-woman-playing-a-man thing was confusing for many. 

Richard III plays more effectively against the interior set -- until the battle scene. Carroll has Richard being visited by some ghosts that look like kids trick-or-treating with sheets over their heads, then seemingly attacked in his castle, where he appears to be running through arched doorways pledging his kingdom for a horse.... It just doesn't work. In addition, sounds from outside the theater, like groups of people laughing or talking and police and fire sirens, can be heard in the house and too often remind us that we are not really in 16th-century England.

Richard III and Twelfth Night play in rep at the Belasco, 111 West 44th St., NYC through Feb. 1. http://www.shakespearebroadway.com/.

Christians might also like to know:

-- Two men kiss, but in the context of one being a female character.

Quick Hit Off-Broadway Theater Review: Disaster! A 70s Disaster Movie Musical

Jennifer Simard and Mary Testsa. Photo: © Jeremy Daniel

Disaster! A 70s Disaster Movie Musical
Written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick
Original Concept by Seth Rudetsky and Drew Geraci
Music Director and Orchestrations: Larry Pressgrove
Choreographed by Denis Jones
Directed by Jack Plotnick

What's It All About:
It's a send up of those famous disaster movies of the 70s. You've heard of them if you don't remember them: "The Poseidon Adventure," "Airport," "Earthquake," "The Towering Inferno".... with songs from the time period fit into the silly plot about the grand opening of New York's first floating casino and disco. Many, many disasters of many, many kinds threaten the casino and the various characters, played by a large, enthusiastic ensemble. Heading the cast are Broadway vet Mary Testa and Rudetsky, popular afternoon host on SiriusXM's Broadway program, among other credits in the industry both as a performer and as a musician. Plotnick recently joined the cast too when an actor departed and that is who I saw the afternoon I attended. It is a corny, groan-inducing, slapstick kind of funny.

What are the highlights:
Rudetsy's consummate knowledge of songs and lyrics makes for some unexpected and humorous selections among the songs which include "Alone Again Naturally," "Daybreak," "Hot Stuff," "Hooked on a Feeling," "Don't Cry Out Loud," and, of course, "Feelings," among others from the era.

Testa on a stage is a treat any time (and made even more entertaining by the horrendous orange plaid pantsuit designed for her by Brian Hemesath). She had the blue-haired matinee crowd rolling in the aisles as a woman (slightly reminiscent of Shelly Winters' character in the "Poseidon Adventure") who tries to keep her illness and impending death, complete with its Tourette-like outbursts, a secret from her devoted husband, Maury (Tom Rhys Farrell). Young Jonah Vernon charmed the crowd playing both  in-peril twins Lisa and Ben while managing to sing with himself. The real standout here, though, is Jennifer Simard as understated, guitar-playing (think "Airport") Sister Mary, who is a hoot as a conflicted nun trying to bring souls to the Lord while fighting her addiction to the slot machines ("Torn Between Two Lovers....")

What Are the Lowlights:
At two hours and 10 minutes, it's way too long. It's not a direct spoof of the disaster movies (which is kind of disappointing), just an homage to them, so the joke can only go so far before it gets old. The silly plot and minimally designed set by Josh Iacovelli (who also designs the lighting) would lend themselves better to a dinner theater setup like the one hosted across the street at Sophia's Downstairs.

Information:
Disaster! plays at St. Luke’s Theatre, 308 West 46th St., NYC. A previous version of Disaster! played weekly performances at The Triad Theater in NYC from January – March 2012. This production marks the show's Off-Broadway premiere.

Performances: Mondays and Tuesday at 7:30 pm; Wednesdays at 2:30 pm; Fridays at 8 pm. Tickets are $39.50 – $69.50: 212-239-6200; (800-447-7400 (outside of NYC); disastermusical.com.

Full disclosure: One of the members of the ensemble is the daughter of a close friend and I have recused myself from commenting on her performance or the role she plays.

--Lauren Yarger

Christians might also want to know:

-- Lord's name taken in vain

Quick Hit Off-Broadway Theater Review: The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters

Laura Heisler, Rob Campbell and Candy Buckley. Photo: Joan Marcus

The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters
By Marlayne Meyer
Directed by Lisa Peterson
Playwrights Horizons

What's It all About?
Bet you didn't know there was a patron saint of sea monsters. No one does, except for Aubrey Lincoln (Laura Heisler), who regularly dons wedding dresses, lights candles and prays to St. Martyr Bride for the perfect husband. She might need the help of saints when she takes up with her "soulmate," alcoholic Calvin Little (Rob Campbell), who calls her Audrey and who just might have killed his last wife. Mothers aren't any help here. Aubrey's controlling mom, Lynette (Candy Buckley), shares her daughter's diary with the family priest and Calvin's repulsive, sociopath mother, Helen (also Buckley) is evil incarnate. The couple is surrounded by a bunch of loony tunes too -- Calvin's best friends are Speedy (Danny Wolohan), who's not exactly Speedy in the brain department, and Canadian Bill (Hayes Thigpen) who has a crush on Aubrey. Aubrey's best friend is Penny (Jacqueline Wright), the abused wife of Calvin's brother, Jack (Wolohan), who takes after his mother. Her landlady is Mrs. Carlsen (Buckley again), who let's Aubrey stay on even when she gives her rent money to Calvin and despite the objections of her crazy daughter, Molly (Wright). Mrs. Carlsen's son, Tom (Thigpen) helps out by providing physic predictions. There even are some forest and sea creatures who come to visit....

What are the Highlights?
A fine ensemble cast, ably directed by Peterson, who keeps the pace just right for the two-hour-15-minute-show. Complete transitions between multiple characters are made with the help of costuming by Paloma Young. Whimsical set design by Rachel Hauck includes everything from a forest to an ocean to puppet creatures.

What are the Lowlights?
It's a bit on the bizarre side without definitive focus. If you toss aside any thoughts of reality, however, you can enjoy this humorous, if unclear glimpse into backwoods family life we might not otherwise experience.

Information:
The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters plays at Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd St., NYC through Dec.1. http://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/patron-saint-sea-monsters/.

Christians might also like to know:
-- Language
-- Sexual dialogue
-- Sexual activity
-- Lord's name taken in vain
-- Tarot cards and reading

Quick Hit Off-Broadway Review: Domesticated

Laurie Metcalf, Jeff Goldblum and Misha Seo. Photo: Joan Marcus

Domesticated
By Bruce Norris
Directed by Anna D. Shapiro
Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Lincoln Center

What's It All About?

Vanessa Aspillaga, Mia Barron, Robin De Jesus, Jeff Goldblum, Lizbeth Mackay, Emily Meade, Mary Beth Peil, Karen Pittman and Misha Seo join Laurie Metcalf in a new play by Bruce Norris (Pulitzer-Prize winner for Clybourne Park). 

When doctor-turned-politician Bill (Goldblum) is caught in a scandal, his author wife, Judy (Metcalf) stands by him, even though the prostitute he was entertaining, Becky (Aleque Reid), is in a coma and Bill might or might not have put her there by causing her head injury. His actions have a negative effect on his family. Daughter Casey (Emily Meade), who gives new meaning to the words angry, rebellious child when her college tuition money is in jeopardy, and adopted daughter Cassidy (Misha Seo), who internalizes her insecurities. Even housekeeper Pilar (Vanessa Aspillaga) gets caught in the backlash.

Bill's plight is very amusingly compared throughout the play with Cassie's school report on the dominance of females and the virtual unimportance of the male in certain species. Slides are shown on screens above the action which takes pace on a minimal in-the-round set, through which designer Todd Rosenthal creates the image of a boxing ring. A fight to the death is more what happens for the couple's marriage, especially when Judy discovers that Bill's infidelities have been many and include her best friend and his attorney, Bobbie (Mia Barron). The situation becomes more difficult when the prostitute's mother, Jackie (Lizbeth Mackay), takes her story public. 

Clueless Bill just doesn't seem to understand what all the fuss is about and is surprised when women might object to his resuming his career as a gynecologist.... 

"What am I, a salmon?" he asks. "I'm supposed to mate once and die?"

Maybe it has something to do with how he was raised by a mother (Mary Beth Piel in one of four roles) who still thinks he can do no wrong? When he complains to his family that he isn't happy, we want to laugh him out the door.

What Are the Highlights?

Metcalf is brilliant as a woman betrayed, not only by her husband, but by her own ability to discern what is happening around her or to control it. The dialogue is witty and bitingly true. Goldblum brings enough to his reprehensible character to make him understandable if not likable. Standing out is Karen Pittman who is an absolute hoot as an Oprah-like television interviewer. I suspect I will be in the minority on this, but I liked Domesticated far more than Clybourne Park. Funny, dark stuff expertly directed. Metcalf's sharp, sarcastic dialogue contains a lot of unfinished sentences -- but we know exactly how to fill in the blanks.

What Are the Lowlights?

Some of the plot twists verge on the absurd.The second act loses steam.

Information:
Domesticated plays at the Mitzi E. Newhouse theater at Lincoln enter, 150 West 65th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $75 to $85: box office; telecharge.com; www.lct.org.  A limited number of tickets priced at $30 are available at every performance through LincTix, LCT’s program for 21 to 35 year olds.  For information and to enroll, visit LincTix.org.

Christians might also like to know:
-- Language
-- Very graphic, Sexual dialogue
-- God's name taken in vain
-- Transvestite

Quick Hit Off-Broadway Theater Review: The Landing

Julia Murney, David Hyde Pierce and Frankie Seratch. Photo: Carol Rosegg

The Landing
Music by John Kander
Book and Lyrics by Greg Pierce
Choreography by Josh Rhodes
Directed by Walter Bobbie
The Vineyard Theatre

What's It All About?
John Kander's first full new theatre collaboration with another writer since the passing of Fred Ebb. (Kander and Ebb gave us Scottsboro Boys, Chicago, Cabaret and many others). The Landing is three separate stories of desire, love and loss starring David Hyde Pierce, Julia Murney, Paul Anthony Stewart and Frankie Seratch. David Loud is musical director and orchestrations are by Larry Hochman.

The first story, Andra, has Pierce as a narrator with Stewart as Ben, a carpenter working on cabinets in the home of a woman (Murney) whose husband neglects her and her son, Noah (Seratch), while he works. Ben,'s love of stars and constellations, along with an understanding of lonely kids (his daughter is shy because of a disfigurement) appeal to Noah and the two form a friendship. The second story , The Brick, has Pierce playing a brick from the wall bloodied in the Valentine's Day Massacre, which seduces a boy's aunt, who is bored with her husband. The third tale, The Landing, has Pierce and Stewart as a gay couple adopting a son who comes with a odd background -- and perhaps a sinister purpose.

What are the Highlights?

Pierce on stage is always a treat.Bobbie lends nice touches to enhance the stories.

What Are the Lowlights?

All three stories are a little strange and end up being rather depressing. Is there music, yes. Do I remember it? No. There are strains of the Kander sound, but no tunes that stand out.

Information:

The show has been extended and will conclude with a special VIP benefit reception for patrons following the final performance Sunday, Nov. 24 at 3 pm. The Vineyard is at 108 E. 15 St., NYC. http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/the-landing/.

Christians might like to know:

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Homosexual activity

Quick Hit Off-Broadway Theater Review: This Is My Office

David Barlow. Photo: Carol Rosegg

This Is My Office
By Andy Bragen
Performed by David Barlow
Directed by Davis McCallum
The Play Company
at chashama, 210 East 43rd St., NYC

What's It All About?
Well, it's a bout an office, and memories, and father/son dynamics. Andy' Bragen writes a site-specific piece for The Play Company in a store-front office on East 43rd Street. David Barlow plays Bragen, trying to write in an office provided to him through a grant, when he discovers an old photograph. He realizes that the office used to be his father's and that he had visited when he was a young boy. The realization triggers memories and the strained, yet poignant relationship between the father and son is revealed. The audience begins in seats in the front office, then moves with Barlow to other rooms for the 85-minute presentation without intermission.

What Are the Highlights?
It is directed by Davis McCallum. He was the draw for me to see this show because I admired his work on the Pulitzer-Prize winning Water by the Spoonful at Hartford Stage and the very excellent The Whale at Playwrights Horizons.

What Are the Lowlights?
I am not a fan of interactive theater. Call me odd, but I want to go sit in a seat and watch, not have to wear a listening device and roll my little office chair around corners to keep up with the actor, or worse, have him come speak to me directly or wheel my chair around for me because I rolled in his way. The monologue seemed very long and rambling, and for the most part, was not engaging.

"I will get to the point very soon. I promise," he told us one point.

At times it was hard to tell whether Barlow was having trouble remembering where he was in the script or if the dialogue had been written that way to try to sound natural.

Information:
The show runs through Dec. 8. Tickets: $30-40 at playco.org or 866-811-4111; due to the intimate space, tickets are extremely limited. The not-for-profit chashama nurtures artists by transforming unused property into 'space to create'. This Is My Office received workshop productions at Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep in July 2010, and at Studio Roanoke in April 2011.

Christians might like to know:
-- Sexual dialogue
-- Lord's name taken in vain
-- Language

Free Presentations of Filichia's 'Adam's Gifts' Set at Lutheran Church

Adam's Gifts by Peter Filichia will be presented in three performances 7 pm Dec. 19, 20 and 21 at St. John's Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher St., NYC.

In a seasonal riff on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Adam's Gifts is a story of redemption and the heart-melting surprise of feeling needed. It stars Broadway performers William Parry, Maureen Silliman,  and Philip Hoffman. Rounding out the cast are Julia Peterson and Hayden Wall.

Filichia is the theater critic emeritus for both the Newark Star-Ledger and its television station, News 12 New Jersey. He writes a weekly column for Musical Theatre International. He has served four terms as president of the Drama Desk, the New York Association of Drama Critics and is now head of the voting committee and the emcee of the Theatre World Awards. A frequent contributor to theater publications and the writer of many cast-album CD liner notes, he lives in New York City. This World Premiere production of Adam's Gifts is directed by Daniel Neiden; casting consultant Nancy Carson; and co-produced by June Rachelson-Ospa, a member of The League of Professional Theater Women.

Filichia also wrote the recently released "Strippers, Showgirls, and Sharks: A Very Opinionated History of the Broadway Musicals That Did Not Win the Tony Award."

Tickets are FREE with a donation to St. John's "at the door." Reservations required. Contact info@adamsgiftstheshow.com.

Take a Holiday Ride for a Rolling Theater Experience

For folks looking for fun things to do with the family while in New York this holiday season, The Ride's holiday version announces a second season Nov. 20 through Jan. 5

The Ride has played 27 months of sold-out tours with  74,800 customers taking the 4.2-mile journey that has been termed “a Passport to New York City.” Four motor coaches become a fleet of traveling, audience-participation theater. They are specifically designed theatrical vehicles; the tallest allowed by federal law, fitted with stadium-style seating that orients the 49passengers sideways to look through the massive windows that deliver New York as the most successful Broadway show on earth. The multi-million dollar coaches are equipped with surround sound, 3,000 LED lights and 40 video screens.  (I took a tour ast year. Read about it here: http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/2012/12/what-to-see-and-do-this-holiday-season.html#.UnzpWvmUQnM)

This year's Holiday Ride schedule:

NOVEMBER 2013
Nov 15th, 2pm, 4pm (Previews)
Nov 16th, 7pm, 8:30pm (Previews)
Nov 17th, 12 noon, 2pm, 4pm (Previews)
Nov 18th, 7pm, 8:30pm (Previews)
Nov 20th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov 21st, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov 22nd, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov 23rd, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov 24th, 2pm, 4pm
Nov 25th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov 26th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov 27th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov, 28th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Nov, 29th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Nov 30th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm

DECEMBER 2013
Dec 1st, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm
Dec 2nd, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 3rd, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 4th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 5th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 6th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 7th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 8th, 2pm, 4pm
Dec 9th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 10th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 11th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 12th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 13th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 14th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 15th, 2pm, 4pm
Dec 16th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 17th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 18th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 19th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 20th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 21st, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 22nd, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 23rd, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Dec 24th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Dec 25th, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 8:30pm
Dec 26th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Dec 27th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Dec 28th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Dec 29th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Dec 30th, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm

JANUARY 2014
Jan 1st, 7pm, 8:30pm
Jan 2nd, 7pm, 8:30pm
Jan 3rd, 7pm, 8:30pm
Jan 4th, 7pm, 8:30pm
Jan 5th, 2pm, 4pm

THE BOX OFFICE:
Located on 42nd Street between Broadway & Eighth Avenue.
Directly beside Madame Tussauds.

TICKETS: $74

Individual Tickets:
ExperienceTheRide.com & 866-811-4111

Groups: 212-244-2551 x168
Holiday Groups: 212-244-2551 x168

Broadway Theater Review: After Midnight

The cast of After Midnight. Photo: Matthew Murphy

Cotton Club Musical is Entertaining Class Act
By Lauren Yarger
Dulé Hill and Fantasia Barrino head the cast of the don't-let-it-end, entertainment-packed musical revue After Midnight playing Broadway in a production based on last season's sold-out NY City Center Encores! and Jazz at Lincoln Center presentation of Cotton Club Parade with musical direction by Wynton Marsalis.

This foot-stomping, hand-clapping good time with excellent choreography by Director Warren Carlyle is pure entertainment. The 90 minutes without intermission comes to a fabulously staged curtain call way to soon. I wanted more and gladly would have sat through another hour and half. And that's not something I say about many shows.

Hill, known to many for his TV work on "The West Wing" and "Psych," doesn't have a Broadway belt voice, but holds his own and charms us in the role of a sort of MC/narrator in the presentation as conceived by Jack Viertel. It doesn't take the route of most jukebox musical by trying to put an unlikely story around a bunch of songs. Instead, Hill occasionally gives us times and places and uses the words of poet Langston Hughes to create the mood.

The show's thrust is its singing and dancing. Popular singing star Fantasia is one of several guest artists planned for the s how's run. She will be followed by Grammy Award-winners k.d. lang (2/11/14 – 3/9/14) and Toni Braxton & Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds (3/18/14 – 3/30/14). Future “Special Guest Stars” will be announced soon.

The show isn't dependent on star power for its locomotion. A cast of 25 excellent vocalists and dancers: Tony Award-winner Adriane Lenox reprising her critically acclaimed role as the blues singer with a sense of humor; Julius “iGlide” Chisolm from the renowned dance crew RemoteKontrol, reimagining Harlem’s popular 1920’s “snakehips” dance; hip hop star Virgil J. Gadson; Tony Award-nominated modern dancer Karine Plantadit; Michael Jackson’s tap coach Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and tap-dancing choreographer Jared Grimes in stunning tap routines.

The cast also includes a male quartet comprised of Grammy Award-nominee and member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band Everett Bradley, Cedric Neal, T. Oliver Reid and Monroe Kent III; a female trio of Broadway vets including Carmen Ruby Floyd, Rosena M. Hill Jackson and Bryonha Marie Parham; and accomplished dancers Marija Abney, Phillip Attmore, Christopher Broughton, Taeler Elyse Cyrus, C.K. Edwards, Danielle Herbert, Bahiyah Hibah, David Jennings, Erin N. Moore, Justin Prescott, Tony Award nominee Desmond Richardson, Allysa Shorte, Monique Smith and Daniel J. Watts.

After Midnight also features The Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars, a world-class big band of 17 musicians hand-picked by Marsalis up on the stage in the tradition of The Duke Ellington Orchestra: Mark Gross,
Godwin Louis, Dan Block, Andy Farber and Kurt Bacher on woodwinds; Gregory Gisbert,
Bruce Harris, Alphonso Horne and James Zollar on trumpets; Wayne Goodman, Art Baron and James Burton III on trombones; Adam Birnbaum on piano; James Chirillo on guitar Jennifer Vincent on bass and Alvester Garnett on drums. Musical supervision and additional arrangements are by Daryl Waters.

This ensemble triggers something I never remember seeing before: at the end of the curtain call, the audience sits down to hear the postlude -- no dashing up the aisle before the house lights come on for a quick exit for this musical.

The show's creative elements wow the crowd also. The ballroom at the cotton club is designed by Jean Lee Beatty with precision lighting by Howell Binkley. Isobel Toledo, the fashion designer who created First Lady Michelle Obama's first inaugural gown, designs the flashy, swirling deco costumes.

It's all really, really good -- and one of the most enjoyable shows I have seen in a long time. A personal highlight for me was the precision "penguin" routine. I could have watched a whole show of just that.

Tap on over to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 West 47th St., NYC After Midnight. http://www.aftermidnightbroadway.com/.

Christians might also like to know:
-- Language

Broadway Theater Review: Betrayal

Star Power Sells Out at the Box Office
By Lauren Yarger
Nine scenes, travelling backward in time, tell the story of Betrayal, Harold Pinter's 1978 play getting a sold-out Broadway revival thanks to the star power of Daniel Craig, a.k.a. James Bond, and his movie-star wife Rachel Weisz.

Stories that don't use chronological time lines, or which are dependent on film stars for box office sales, usually don't excite me, but this play, as directed by Mike Nichols, who is more than experienced at directing stars of stage and screen, is worth the trip.

Craig already proved himself to be a good stage actor when he appeared on Broadway a few seasons ago with Hugh Jackman in A Steady Rain. His return to the Great white way following his last Bond flick, "Skyfall," caused a rush on the box office, especially when it was announced that Weisz ("The Constant Gardener," "The Deep Blue Sea," "The Bourne Legacy") would be making her Broadway debut in the play alongside her real-life husband.

Joining them, as the third party in the triangle is Rafe Spall, also making his Broadway debut. Kind of have to feel for the guy. After the show, conversations alluded to "Daniel Craig" and "The not Daniel Craig guy." Even more intimidating must be having to get rather intimate with James Bond's wife...

The story follows the relationship between Emma (Weisz) and Jerry (Spall) who meet up in 1977 after not having seen each other for two years following an affair of seven years. She is married to his former best friend, Robert (Craig) and is thinking about leaving him after a fight the night before. She felt a need to see Jerry and asked him to meet her. It's obvious that the sparks between them are not extinguished and that the embers could reignite given the chance.

The scenes that follow take us backward in the relationship -- to 1975 -- the last time they did see each other, when they called off the affair -- and to various stages of the relationship over the years, back to its beginning in 1968. It goes from exciting to mundane, but never is perfect. Emma always seems to want something more. She endeavors to make the apartment they use for secret rendez-vous a home, but how can it be when their homes, with spouses and children, are somewhere else? Ian MacNeil uses simple set pieces to create locations. The illicit apartment is very boring, in a gray shade of blue, indicating a lack of warmth.

Pinter's usual repetitive dialogue is annoying, but the structure is smart and when we get to the beginning of the relationship, we're left with some new thoughts about just who has betrayed whom.

Craig and Spall are very good and even a fourth character, a waiter, played by Stephen DeRosa, stands out in his small role. Weisz seems less comfortable in her role, but holds her own.

Betrayal plays through Jan. 5 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 West 47th St., NYC. http://betrayalbroadway.com/.

Christians might also like to know:
--Language
--Sexual activity

Broadway Theater: A Night with Janis Joplin

By Lauren Yarger
Sorry, this show has the distinction of causing me to do something I never do -- leave at intermission.

Not because it's a bad show. In fact, the performances by Mary Bridget Davies as Janis Joplin and backup singers the Joplinaires Taprena Michelle Augustine, De Adre Aziza, Allison Blackwell and Nikkia Kimbrough, who also perform as Chantel, Bessie Smith, Odetta, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Etta James, among others, are really terrific.

No, I left because the intense flashing lights (Justin Townsend designs the set and lighting) as the curtain went up, combined with the very loud music triggered a migraine and I had to go seek medication and a dark room at intermission. So I can;t really review the show for you, but I can tell you that if you are a fan of Joplin, you will like it. Davies, in her Broadway debut, gives a deep portrayal, singing the songs with rock gusto (accompanied by very good orchestra under the musical direction of Ross Seligman (Watch for award nominations for Daves. She's that good.) She offers some thoughts and memories from time to time -- and that's where those other singers come in thanks to the book written by Director Randy Johnson.

The Queen of Psychedelic Soul describes herself as an everyday woman who feels the blues. Her goal early in life was to enjoy sex and get high. Drugs claimed her life at age 27. Kacee Clanton plays the role of Joplin at certain performances (no doubt because of the strain on the voice to perform eight shows a week).

The splashy costumes and 1960s jeans and peasant type shirt worn by Joplin are designed by Amy Clark. Patricia Wilcox does the choreography.

There was some language in the first act.

Odysseo -- Rodeo Meets Cirque du Soleil in Stampede of a Production

By Lauren Yarger

Finally back from a prolonged road trip to share with you a wonderful show I saw while in Washington, DC.

It's Cavalia's Odysseo, a gigantic production featuring 63 horses and 47 artists (riders and tumbling performers). It's a veritable rodeo meets Cirque du Soleil and it is selling out where ever it goes. The DC show has been extended through Nov.10 at the Harbor Yard. Next stop: Seattle. Check http://www.cavalia.net/en/odysseo for information.

The action takes place in a huge tent on a stage with a panoramic backdrop that changes to different terrains as the story takes us to different places around the earth (though, ike with Cirque du Soleil, the story kinds of gets lost in the wake of all of the thrilling visuals and music taking place).

I'm just going to paste here some information from the show because this isn't really something I can "review" in the regular sense. Trust me, it's worth it, even before the amazing finale which floods the stage with a river and falls through which the horses ride. A great show for the family:

From the show:

Odysseo: Larger Than Life 

The horse has marked human history and progress more than any other animal. Horses have 

taken us to the ends of the earth, enabled us to build bridges between cultures and expand 

civilization. It is the beauty and harmony of this ancient relationship, this meeting of two worlds 

– those of horse and man – that inspired the creators of Cavalia’s second show, Odysseo. As 

friends, partners and inseparable performers on stage, 63 horses and 47 artists lead the viewer 

on a great journey in yet another world – a world of dreams – where, together, they discover 

some of the planet’s most unforgettable landscapes. 

With this new creation, Cavalia marries the equestrian arts, stage arts and high-tech theatrical 

effects at never-before-seen levels. A veritable revolution in live performance, Odysseo 

comprises a list of superlatives: the world’s largest touring big top, the biggest stage, the most 

beautiful visual effects, and the greatest number of horses at liberty. 

The creators of this new ode to the horse made the decision to indulge their wildest artistic 

ambitions. Their gamble paid off: Odysseo pushes the limits of live entertainment by creating a 

larger-than-life show that sends hearts racing, but it is also a feast for the eyes that succeeds in 

delivering the spectacular with soul.

Scenography and Visual effects 

To give life to this extraordinary equestrian adventure, Cavalia created a 17,500 square feet 

stage, in the middle of which rise two hills each three storeys tall. Some 10,000 tons of rock, 

earth and sand are trucked in and then sculpted to create the vast space of freedom where 

human and horse come to play in complicity. 

Above the stage hangs an imposing technical grid capable of supporting 80 tons of equipment 

including, a full-sized merry-go-round, far beyond anything attempted to date on any touring 

show and comparable to the best-equipped theaters of Las Vegas, London or New York. 

Odysseo presents a “live 3-D” voyage with extremely high-definition computer graphic images 

that transport the audience across the world’s most beautiful landscapes. To project these 

breathtaking graphic backdrops on an immense cyclorama the size of three IMAX screens, 

Odysseo uses projectors as powerful as those illuminating the grandest movie theaters. But 

whereas a cinema has only one projector, Odysseo uses 18 simultaneously! 

A world of dreams and fantasies 

The dream begins in a misty, enchanted forest where horses graze and frolic under a sky of 

rolling clouds and a setting sun. Horses, riders, acrobats and musicians embark on a soulful 

journey that leads them from the Mongolian steppes to Monument Valley, from the African 

savannah to Nordic glaciers, from the Sahara to Easter Island. 

Throughout this grand voyage, spectators discover urban stilters and applaud the prowess of a 

troupe of African acrobats. Viewers are mesmerized by horses powering angelic aerialists in a 

four-person silks act that takes them into the skies. To the sound of an African harp called a 

Kora, audiences witness the beauty of 20 horses lying on sand dunes awaken. They will likewise 

appreciate the beautiful liberty number, uniting purebred Arabian horses directed by inaudible 

vocal commands from their kneeling trainer. 

The scenes follow the seasons and their attendant wonders. At times, the horses and people in 

this fabulous caravan become too numerous to count. 

The Odysseo epic wraps up with a fantastic crescendo as the stage is inundated with 80,000 

gallons of water in just a few minutes. A vertiginous virtual waterfall overhangs the resulting 

lake, in which horses, riders and artists join to frolic, leaving behind them the traces of their 

splashes and an astonished audience. 

A show that feeds the soul 

Although the audacity, inventiveness and monumental scope of Cavalia’s new creation may 

boggle the mind, the essence of this magnificent equestrian odyssey lies elsewhere. Beyond the 

impressive technical display and equestrian and acrobatic numbers that are unlike anything 

ever seen on stage, Odysseo is first and foremost a work that feeds the soul. In these difficult, 

troubled times, Odysseo offers up something gentle, even tender. The poetry flowing from this 

grand adventure shines a light on a more humane world where human and horse may live in 

harmony. For just a few hours, the spectator sets off to discover new horizons, the limits of his 

imagination, and gets to experience a waking dream in a world where beauty, serenity and 

hope reign. 

CAVALIA’S ODYSSEO WHITE BIG TOP 

Standing 125 feet tall, the White Big Top is a traffic-stopping addition to the skyline of each city 

Cavalia’s Odysseo performs. When visitors enter, they are immediately transported into a lavish 

and intimate environment reminiscent of any permanent theatre. 

Following the instant success of the first Cavalia show in 2003, Latourelle began to dream of 

how to break through the limitations of a big top tent. The biggest challenge was to open up 

the performance area. Latourelle knew that such unprecedented flexibility would allow him to 

showcase more horses and acrobats to create mind-boggling scenes. This involved removing 

supporting masts from the stage, a common staging issue in tent shows. A specially-designed 

big top was created in Europe, where the weight of the structure shifted from masts to three 

arches above the tent. The Italian firm Canobbio, in collaboration with Artistic Director 

Normand Latourelle, designed the tent and supervised construction. Asteo of France and 

Genivar of Canada supervised engineering operations. The arches that support the massive 

structure were built by Show Canada. 

More than twice the size of the structure created for Cavalia’s original production, the White 

Big Top is the size of two NFL football fields. The 17,500 square feet stage, larger than a hockey 

rink, and the 50-foot wide backstage area offer a vast playground for more than 30 cantering 

horses. The grandiose stage also offers incredible possibilities for large-scale stagings 

A total of five tents comprise Cavalia’s Odysseo village. 

A show that feeds the soul 

Although the audacity, inventiveness and monumental scope of Cavalia’s new creation may 

boggle the mind, the essence of this magnificent equestrian odyssey lies elsewhere. Beyond the 

impressive technical display and equestrian and acrobatic numbers that are unlike anything 

ever seen on stage, Odysseo is first and foremost a work that feeds the soul. In these difficult, 

troubled times, Odysseo offers up something gentle, even tender. The poetry flowing from this 

grand adventure shines a light on a more humane world where human and horse may live in 

harmony. For just a few hours, the spectator sets off to discover new horizons, the limits of his 

imagination, and gets to experience a waking dream in a world where beauty, serenity and 

hope reign. 

FUN FACTS 

 Odysseo features 63 horses of 11 different breeds including the Appaloosa, Arabian, 

Canadian, Holsteiner, Lusitano, Oldenburg, Paint Horse, Quarter Horse, Spanish 

Purebred (P.R.E.) and Warmblood. 

 The horses are from Spain, Portugal, France, The Netherlands, Germany, The United 

States and Canada. 

 There are 47 artists - riders, acrobats, aerialists, dancers and musicians. 

 The artists are from around the world including the United States, Canada, Brazil, 

France, Belgium, Guinea, Russia, Spain and Ukraine. 

 There are 350 costumes and 100 pairs of shoes and boots in the show. Artists may have 

up to seven different costumes. 

 An artist may have no more than 90 seconds to do a quick costume change between 

numbers. 

 A team of 20 artisans, including four cutters, 13 dressmakers, one property master, one 

designer and one shoemaker worked in the Cavalia studios to create the costumes. 

 Materials used in the costumes include linen, silk, cotton, leather and some imitation 

fur. The use of natural fibers gives the clothes a sheen and lets them fall in a way that 

synthetic fibers simply cannot match. 

 The costumes are adapted to the artists’ needs, especially those of the acrobats and 

riders, to facilitate their onstage movement while not compromising their appearance. 

 The on-tour costume department consists of one wardrobe person and three dressers 

who launders, mends and cares for the costumes. At times during the show, they juggle 

15 simultaneous wardrobe changes. They have two sewing machines, one shoe-repair 

machine and one overlock machine.

TICKETS in DC - Ticket are priced from $34.50 to $149.50 + applicable taxes and fees. For a memorable evening, the Rendez-Vous package offers the best seats in the house, exquisite buffet-dinning before the show, open bar, desserts during intermission and an exclusive visit of the stable after the show. This unique VIP experience takes place in a luxurious tent alongside the White Big Top. The Rendez-Vous package prices range from $154.50 to $229.50 + applicable taxes and fees.

ABOUT CAVALIA INC. – Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Cavalia Inc. is an entertainment company that specializes in the creation, production and touring of innovative shows for audiences of all ages. Founded by Normand Latourelle, the company has an expertise in equestrian and performing arts, and is known for making the most of cutting-edge technology, multimedia and special effects, which allows for the creation of magical, unique, never-before-seen theatrical experiences. Cavalia, seen by some 4 million people across North America and Europe since its 2003 debut, celebrates the relationship between humans and horses by loosely recounting the evolution of this bond. Odysseo, which premiered in 2011, takes the next step, leading viewers on a great journey where horses and humans, together, discover some of the planet’s most unforgettable landscapes. Follow Cavalia Inc.’s latest developments at www.twitter.com/cavalia or www.facebook.com/cavalia.