Broadway Theater Review: Misery with Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf

By Lauren Yarger
It has all of elements of the book and the movie: a helpless author, trapped in a remote house with his crazy "number-one" fan. The stage version of Stephen King's chilling novel Misery also offers film star Bruce Willis making his  Broadway debut opposite a formidable Laurie Metcalf.

The parts you remember from the book and movie (starring James Caan and Kathy Bates) are there, so you will recognize the story easily, but so is something else you might not be expecting: laughter.

The audience roars at some of the most horrifying moments in this psychological drama. It took me by surprise at first, then I came to appreciate it, if not feel comfortable with it.

Director Will Frears, and Metcalf in particular, seem to embrace the fact that many of the folks sitting in seats already know the story and create a feeling of empathy with Willis' character. We know what he is feeling and we know exactly what is going to happen to him, so the laughter usually is sympathetic. It's just unexpected at first, because if you ever have watched Bates' chilling performance or sat with the blanket pulled up over your head while reading the gripping novel, you probably weren't laughing.

The story (adapted for the stage by William Goldman) is set in the snowbound home of Annie Wilkes (Metcalf) in a remote part of Colorado. Paul Sheldon (Willis) awakes in Annie's home following a car crash that has left him bedridden with two broken legs and other injuries. The snow storm  has taken out phone lines and closed the roads into town, but Annie, who apparently has some medical training, has set the fractures and pumped Paul full of painkillers.

While Paul can't wait for the phones to come back so he can contact his agent, Annie couldn't be happier at the turn of events. She is the self-proclaimed, number-one fan of Paul's series of novels following the adventures of a protagonist named Misery, and as his number-one fan she knows that he was in the area to finish a book, the only copy of which was on the front seat with him when the car crashed.

Annie begs for an opportunity to read the new manuscript, and Paul, appreciative of her help, agrees to let her have a look.

The book isn't what Annie was expecting, however, and when she discovers that Paul has killed off Misery and brought an end to her adventures, Annie appoints herself editor and insists Paul rewrite the story. As Annie's unstable mental condition becomes evident, Paul tries to keep the woman appeased while planning to escape. Annie takes extreme measures to keep Paul on task, however -- yes, the hobbling scene is gruesomely depicted, though to roars of laughter, which is kind of more frightening than the act itself, if you think about it.

Leon Addison Brown completes the cast as Buster, a police officer who suspects that all might not be well at the Wilkes' house, the rooms of which are revealed by a revolving stage designed by David Korins, who put his budget there,  rather than into the very fake-looking snow on the exterior of the house.

Metcalf, as always, is brilliant. Behind the smiling, adoring fan is a manic, dark, sadistic misery just waiting to rear its ugly head. Willis, on the other hand, is strangely one-dimensional, as though trying with all effort not to let any part of his "Die Hard" or other super-hero film characters be seen. As a result, Paul doesn't seem very afraid of Annie and even appears to be OK with her mistreatment. We don't get a sense of the author trying to mask his terror, agony or despair.

If we did, it would be harder to join in the laughter, I suppose. I enjoyed it, but was expecting more from this 90-minute, no-intermission adaptation. Lighting design by David Weiner, sound design by Darron L. West, and original music by Michael Friedman don't create the suspenseful, on-the-edge-of-your-seat feel that should be there.

Misery plays at the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44^thSt., NYC through Feb. 14. Performances are Tuesday - Thursday at 7 pm, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $69-$165: 800-432-7250; miserybroadway.com

Christians might like to know:
-- Violence
-- Language
-- Blood

Happy Thanksgiving

May you enjoy the blessings of the season with loved ones.

If you are enjoying Broadway shows over the holiday week, check out this great chart from Samuel French about changes in showtimes.

http://www.samuelfrench.com/breakingcharacter/?p=4228

Broadway Theater Review: Sylvia with Matthew Broderick and Annaleigh Ashford

Annaleigh Ashford and Matthew Broderick. Photo; Joan Marcus

Annaleigh Ashford Unleashes Her Comedic Abilities and Might Just Be Grooming Herself for Another Tony Nod
By Lauren Yarger
Annaleigh Ashford, who delighted last season as an inept ballet dancer in You Can't Take It With You returns to the Broadway stage in another comedic triumph as a poodle crossbreed with an attitude in A.R. Gurney's Sylvia.

She's definitely the highlight of this revival and might well be on her way to another Tony Award nomination.

The Gurney play follows the relationship between Greg (Matthew Broderick)  who is going through a midlife crisis and the stray he brings home from Central Park (in the backdrop against the couple's apartment, created with floating set pieces by David Rockwell..

"I think you're God," the lovesick dog tells her new master, who finds a boon companion in the pup.

Her finer pedigree is masked by a grungy exterior until a good grooming reveals Sylvia's beauty (designer Ann Roth lets Annaleigh create to pooch with minimal costuming -- a dog collar, a fluffy sweater, some knee pads and a few other trimmings; Wig and Makeup design is by Campbell Young Associates.

The whole "man's best friend" thing doesn't sit well with Greg's wife. Kate (Julie White). however. She was looking forward to spending more time with her husband, now that the two are empty nesters.

Kate soon is competing with Sylvia for Greg's attention and tension enters the home, especially when Greg starts taking time off from work to play with the dog and Sylvia insists on lounging on the furniture, which is strictly forbidden.

While Ashford is entirely engaging, as is Gurney's deceptively deep script,Director Daniel Sullivan's casting of Broderick and White is problematic. They seem mismatched with absolutely no chemistry. They look like hostile acquaintances, not a couple of high school sweethearts who have been together for decades and as a result, Greg's relationship with Sylvia seems the better of the two.

And how can we not prefer this adorable pooch. While actresses often choose to play Sylvia as merely highly energetic, Ashford brings personality and attitude to the role. She has us laughing, whether she is showing appreciation for a treat received as a reward for doing a boring dog trick that seem to entertain humans, or pulling on the end of her leash in an all-out, hate-fest directed at a cat. She's worth the price of the ticket. (You can attend an interview with Ashford with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge on Thursday, Dec. 3. For details, click here.)

Rounding out the cast is David Sella, who tries too hard in three minor roles: Tom, a guy Greg befriends at the dog park, Phyllis, Kate's uptown society friend and Leslie, the couple's therapist who is going through some gender identity issues of his own.

Sylvia is man's best friend through Jan. 3 ( an earlier closing than had been scheduled) at  the Cort Theatre, 138 West 48th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday - Thursday at 7 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $37 - $147: (800) 432-7250; sylviabroadway.com.

Christians might also like to know:

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Language

-- Sexual situations

Off-Broadway Review The Humans

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Some Thanksgivings, You Shouldn't Go Home Again
By Lauren Yarger
You can't go home again. And sometimes that might be a good thing.
Stephen Karam's play The Humans, getting an extended Off-Broadway run by Roundabout Theatre Company makes that clear -- at least to the perfect home we may have created in the back of our minds -- and intelligently raises a number of issues we all struggle with when it comes to family: midlife crisis, fears, breaking away, betrayal, illness and forgiveness -- all things human. And just in time for the holidays.

It's Thanksgiving and the Blakes are breaking with tradition this year. Erik (Reed Birney) and Deirdre (Jaye Houdyshell) are not hosting dinner in their Scranton home. Instead, they have driven to Chinatown, NY to celebrate at the new place with a lot of potential where their daughter,  Brigid (Sarah Steele) and her boyfriend, Richard Saad (Arian Moayed) have just moved. (The pre-war duplex in need of work is designed by David Zinn).

Joining them are Brigid's down-on-her-luck sister, Aimee (Cassie Beck), who is still emotional after a breakup with her long time girlfriend. She also just found out she isn't going to make partner at her law firm, in part due to having to take a lot of sick days because of a flare up of her colitis.

Completing the family portrait is "Momo (Lauren Klein), the girls' Alzheimer-ridden grandmother who doesn't always remember them. She rambles incoherent sentences and has become the full-time project of Deirde. She appears to take care of her mother-in-law with joy, but feeling needed may be her real motiviation.

On the surface, the family seems loving and supportive as they join in traditional Irish songs. But beneath the facade, annoyances brew. Erik is haunted by something and seems particularly agitated by the noise that can be heard from an apartment upstairs. Festering resentment works its way into the conversation to spotlight just how difficult family relations can be.

Joe Mantello directs deep and moving performances, particularly from the always excellent Birney and Houdyshell.  There isn't necessarily a defined plot to Karam's play, and it does leave a lot of questions unanswered. It is more like a guided eavesdropping into the lives of the people and is absorbing throughout.

The Humans is part of Roundabout’s New Play Initiative, a collection of programs, designed to foster and produce new work by emerging and established artists. The Humans is the second play commissioned by Roundabout fromKaram (Speech and Debate and Sons of the Prophet.

The Humans plays through Jan. 3 at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre,  111 West 46th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday evening at 7:30 with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday
matinees at 2 pm. Tickets are $79: 212-719-1300; roundabouttheatre.org.

Christians might also like to know:
-- Language
-- Homosexualtiy
-- Sexua dialogue

Off-Broadway Theater Review: Hir

Your Family Might Not Be the Craziest Option This Holiday……
By Lauren Yarger
If you are dreading Thanksgiving and the family time it brings, think again. Your crazy uncle Harry or weird Aunt Sally might look pretty good when compared to the bizarre family in Taylor Mac’s Hir getting a New York premiere Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons where it has been extended through Dec. 20.

This family gives being stuck eating turkey with odd folks a certain dignity. Because you haven’t really defined odd until you meet this clan created by Mac and directed here by Niegel Smith, who is the artistic director at the Flea.

First of all, most everybody coming to the theater is asking how to pronounce the title. What does it mean? Well, it sounds like “here” and is a gender neutral pronoun to use when referring to a transgendered person, instead of his or her. The term comes into play when Isaac (Cameron Scoggins) returns from several tours in a war zone, where he specialized in collecting the blown-up body parts of his fallen comrades-in-arms to send back home. The experience has left him shaken and unable to stop throwing up. After dreaming of coming home for so long, Isaac discovers that he has just walked into another war zone.

His father, Arnold (Daniel Oreskes), had a stroke over a year ago and his mother, Paige (Kristine Neilsen), failed to let him know. She has been enjoying torturing the man, who wanders around in a diaper and dress, forced to do Paige’s bidding in their shabby home (designed by David Zinn), which is kept a mess (she refuses to clean) and frigid with an air conditioner kept running full blast against Arnold’s wishes (a metaphor for the icy atmosphere in the home, no doubt.) 

Arnold gets sprayed with water like a disobedient pet if he doesn’t obey, or sometimes, just because Paige feels like it…..

If that weren’t enough, Isaac discovers that his sister, Max (Tom Phelam) is now his brother, Max. Apparently she/he has decided to go for hormone therapy, grow a beard and change genders (unfortunately Smith casts a male in the role. Why not a transgenedered or male-looking woman?) It’s a lot for Isaac to take in all at once, but when he gets his bearings, he tries to support Max, but can’t get behind his mother’s cruelty to his father, even if it is payback for years of treating his wife horribly.

Can this family find a way to forgive and support each other? While the questions raised are thought-provoking, the over-the-top environment in which they are explored makes them hard to relate to and leaves us not quite sure what we’re supposed to think about anything. 

Paige is pretty much insane (though any time we get to see Nielsen play a crazy woman, it’s worth the price of the ticket) and needs some heavy duty therapy immediately. Her husband and son/daughter need to be removed from an unhealthy environment and Isaac’s attempts to clean up their mess are inadequate, especially since he has his own, very big issues looming.

It’s an engaging, if puzzling two hours. 

Hir is extended through Jan. 3 at Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd St., NYC. Performances are Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 and 7 pm. Tickets $65-$80: www.TicketCentral.com; (212) 279-4200.

Christians might like to know:

-- Obvious sexual identity issues-- Max also thinks "hir" is gay, because now that she's a he, he is attracted to men.....

-- Max considers Noah a genderphobe because he took male and female animals aboard the ark.

-- Sexual images

-- Sexual dialogue

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Language

Broadway Review: Dames at Sea

An Ocean of Dancing Doesn’t Wash Away Not Having a Bernadette Peters

By Lauren Yarger
Written as a parody of Busby-Berkeley grad Gold Digger musicals from the 1920s, Dames at Sea saw a life half a decade ago Off Broadway starring then newcomer Bernadette Peters.

It never had a Broadway run until now – and there probably is a reason.  It needs Bernadette Peters – or someone like her who has the ability to pull off a silly, over-the-top kind of role. The current production, starring Eloise Kropp Ruby, a girl who arrives in New York and steps into her first Broadway musical – a la 42^nd Street – falls short. Kropp is well meaning, but doesn’t have enough oomph to pull it off. It’s not her fault. The silliness of plot (book by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller, who also write the lyrics) requires a big name for a Broadway run. It’s that simple.

This doesn’t mean the show isn’t entertaining, however. It is. As long as you throw that plot right out the window and sit back to enjoy the dancing, choreographed by Randy Skinner, who also directs.

Ruby, fresh off the bus from Utah, does about a 30-second audition and lands her first Broadway role in Dames at Sea, starring diva Mona Kent (Lesli Margherita). She’s offered a pace to stay by castmate Joan (Mara Davi) so what more could a starving showgirl want? Oh, wait for it  – romance! Enter handsome sailor/wannabe-songwriter Dick (Cary Tedder) who takes her for a sandwich after returning the bag she left behind on the bus. Voila! They fall in love! There’s even a subplot of romance between Joan and former beau Lucky (Danny Gardner), Dick’s best friend.

But wait. Mona casts her lustful eyes in Dick’s direction and trouble ensues. Will Dick and Ruby make it in spite of Mona’s manipulations?

The tides turn against everyone, however, when Director Hennessey (John Bolton) announces that the theater where Dames at Sea is playing is scheduled for demolition. Can Dick and Lucky convince their captain to host the show aboard their ship? Think Busby Berkeley and you’ll have some idea of how this turns out.

The music by Jim Wise is mainly a vehicle for some big old fashioned dance numbers with lots of tap (remember, it’s not about taking anything too seriously – like songs called “Choo-Choo Honeymoon,” “That  Mister Man of Mine” and “The Sailor of My Dreams.” Anna Louizos designs fun sets to accommodate the cheesy plot (including a wrecking ball that disturbs rehearsal….)

It’s an entertaining, if not totally satisfying two hours and 10 minutes at the theater. The most impressive part is the illusion, created by Skinner and the relatively small ensemble (rounded out by Tessa Grady, Kristie Kerwin, Ian Knauer and Kevin Worley, that there is a full chorus singing and dancing up on stage.

Dames at Sea make waves at the Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44^th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm; Check schedule changes for holiday weeks. Tickets are $67 - $154.50: (800) 432-7250; damesatseabroadway.com.

Christians might also like to know:

-- No content notes. Enjoy.

Stars Shine at Drama Desk Diamond Jubilee

 The Drama Desk celebrated its 65th anniversary Sunday with a glittering party at Sardi's. Members and past winners of the Drama Desk Award were on hand. President Charles Wright honored former member Sam Norkin, whose artwork was on display, thanks to his wife, Francie and daughter, Sue Fallon. He also announced the appointment of Leslie (Hoban) Bake as the organization's new Historian. A toast was made to the organization's past. present and future.

Anna Leigh Ashford and Judith Light. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Leslie (Hoban) Blake, Tonya Pinkins, Richard Ridge ad Ty Jones,  Artistic Director Classic Stage Harlem

Susan and Jefferson Mays and Lauren Yarger. Photo: Barry Gordin

Lauren Yarger, Suzanna Bowling and Annalieigh Ashford Photo: Barry Gordin.

Lambs Club Shepherd Marc Baron and Robert Cuccioli. Photo: Barry Gordin.

John Cullum and Lauren Yarger. Photo: Barry Gordin

John Cullum and Reed Birney. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Playwright Stephen Karam, actor Reed Birney, Poriducer Jamie LeRoy (and behind them, playwright A.R. Gurney and Richard Ridge. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Leslie (Hoban) Blake, Robert Sella, Jamie LeRoy and Charles Wright. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Reed Burney and Jefferson Mays. Photo: Barry Gordin.

The gathering.  That's Joan Copeland seated center. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Playwrights Joe DiPietro and Stephen Karam with Randie Levine Miller. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Joan Copeland, Robert Blume. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Richard Ridge with Michele Lee. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Isa Goldberg, Jefferson Mays and Patrick Christiano. Photo: Barry Gordin. 

Robert Cucclioli, Lauren Class Schneider and Richard Ridge. Photo: Barry Gordin.

Broadway Theater Review: On Your Feet!

Josh Segarra and Ana Villafane. Photo: Matthew Murphy

The Rhythm of This Show is Gonna Get You

By Lauren Yarger
Another jukebox musical has hit the Broadway boards this year, but this time, the music will probably get you.

On Your Feet! Is the story of the relationship and music careers of seven-time GRAMMY® winning international superstar Gloria Estefan (Ana Villafañe) and her husband, 19-time GRAMMY® winning producer-musician-entrepreneur Emilio Estefan (Josh Segarra).

With a book by Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman, The Bodyguard Musical), we follow how the two meet, rise to the top of charts with their band, the Miami Sound Machine, and make it through life’s challenges including Gloria’s near-fatal car crash.

The two meet in Miami, where Gloria’s mother Gloria Fajardo (and excellent Andrea Burns), a woman who once dreamed of making it big as a singer, discourages her daughter’s ambitions in the hope that she will have a more secure future. She also just doesn’t like Emilio and isn’t behind that relationship. Her mother, Consuelo (a delightful Alma Cuervo) goes behind her daughter’s back to encourage the romance.

Dinelaris’ book, which tends in the way of too many biographical stage scripts, includes far too much information and countless scene changes and flashbacks (with little Gloria and Emilio played by Alexandria Suarez and Noah Johnston and younger Emilio played by  Eduardo Hernandez, who also doubles as the couple’s son, Nayib). Director Jerry Mitchell might have insisted on a few cuts to tighten up the production.

Trying to tell every single thing that ever happened to these folks for more than 30 years in just under two and a half hours cobs up the storytelling a bit, but the really glamorous costumes by Esosa, the combustible choreography by Sergio Trujillo (assisted by Maria Torres and Marcos Santana) and the pace of the Cuban-flavored music, played on a stage by a large great-sounding band (some of whom are original members of the Sound Machine) directed by Lon Hoyt, keep us fully entertained. A conga line for which members of the audience are snatched concludes the first act, but folks are bopping and enjoying the music throughout.

Hits like “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “1-2-3,” “Get On Your Feet,” “”Mi Tierra,” “Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” and “Reach,” are included as well as an original song written by Gloria and her daughter Emily Estefan.

It’s a feel-good musical and we can’t help but admire the spirit and triumphs of Gloria and Emilio Estefan (both portrayed well here with great vocals to match) and feel grateful that they have shared their story with us.

On Your Feet! rocks out the Marquis Theatre, 1535 Broadway, NYC. Performances are Tuesday and Thursday at 7 pm; Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $55 - $199: onyourfeetmusical.com; 877-250-2929.

Full Creative:

Featuring Music Produced and Recorded by Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Miami Sound Machine; Book by Alexander Dinelaris Direction by Jerry Mitchell; Associate Direction by Andy Senor, Jr.; Choreography by Sergio Trujillo, Associate Choreography by Maria Torres and Marcos Santana, Scenic Design by Eugene Lee, Set Design by David Rockwell, Projection Design Darrel Maloney, Costume Design by Esosa, Wig and Hair Design by Charles G. LaPointe, Lighting Design by Kenneth Posner, Sound Design by SCK Sound Design, Music Direction and Arrangements by Lon Hoyt, Orchestrations by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Additional Orchestrations by Jorge Casas and Clay Ostwald, Dance Music Arrangements and Dance orchestrations by Oscar Hernandez. 

Additional cast:

Fabi Aguirre, Karmine Alers, Yassmin Alers, David Baida, Natalie Caruncho, Henry Gainza, Linedy Genao, Carlos E. Gonzalez, Nina Lafarga, Genny Lis Padilla, Omar Lopez-Cepero, Hector Maisonet,Marielys Molina, Doreen Montalvo, Liz Ramos, Eliseo Roman, Luis Salgado, Marcos Santana, Martín Solá, Jennifer Sanchez, Brett Sturgis, Kevin Tellez, Eric Ulloa, Tanairi Sade Vasquez and Lee Zarrett…. Ensemble

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- No content notes. enjoy.

Broadway Theater Review: Therese Raquin with Keira Knightley, Matt Ryan and Judith Light

Keira Knightley Makes Broadway Debut in Moody Period Piece

By Lauren Yarger

A film star making her Broadway debut isn’t always the lead when writing about a show, but in the case of Keira Knightley and Roundabout Theatre’s production of Thérèse Raquin, that probably is the most interesting thing about the production.

In early previews, the star was praised for going on with the show like a trouper when a fan threw flowers from the balcony and shouted a marriage proposal before being escorted from the building. Shortly after, the star sustained an injury and a show was cancelled.

Now that the show has opened at the appropriately dark Studio 54, Knightley, the  star of films like “Love Actually,” “First Knight (with Clive Owen also making his Broadway debut this Fall with Roundabout  in Old Times) and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” to name a few, still might be the most interesting to write about.

She gives a very good performance (directed by Evan Cabnet) and holds her own on a stage glittering with other stars like the always excellent Judith Light (Lombardi, Other Desert Cities – and TV’s “Who’s the Boss?”), handsome Matt Ryan (TV’s “Constantine”) and Gabriel Ebert (Brief Encounter). The play, adapted by Helen Edmundson, based on the novel by Emile Zola, is kind of a bummer with under-developed characters whom we don’t like much. All of this set on Beowulf Boritt’s grey, colorless set (which perfectly conveys the mood) with drab colors on 1868 period costumes (designed by Jane Greenwood) kind of have us checking our watches a lot during the two-hour and 30 minute look at an unhappy wife.

Thérèse agrees to a loveless marriage to her cousin Camille (Ebert) when his forceful and coddling mother, Madame Raquin (Light), insists. Hypochondriac Ebert seems disinclined to consummate the marriage and Thérèse sinks into the depression of boredom broken weekly by the visit of some friends: Superintendent Michaud (David Patrick Kelly), Monsieur Grivet (Jeff Still) and Suzanne (Mary Wiseman), who all have their own sort of monotonous routine.

One day, everything changes, however. Camille brings home his once childhood friend and philandering artist, Laurent (Ryan). Suddenly all of Thérèse’s pent up passions are unleashed and she and Laurent begin a passionate affair which has dire consequences for Camille and Madame Raquin, as well as for the adulterers themselves, who find it difficult to live with the choices they have made.

It’s a dark, brooding piece which somehow doesn’t satisfy. 

While Light was compelling as the controlling and vengeful mother, it seems her talent is underused in the role. Even a switch from the family’s home in a small village on the Seine to a new apartment in Paris doesn’t change the look. Everything is dark and gray. When Thérèse and Laurent first consummated their passion (and we get to see a lot of graphic coupling) I expected the walls of the room to glow, the light to soar to brightness (design by Josh Schmidt, who also contributes original composition) -- something like that -- but there is nothing. Their passion is as boring as everything else on stage (and as dark as the black interior décor of Studio 54).

Lighting and blocking also diminishes from the climax of the play when Madame Raquin enjoys some seeing some justice done.

Thérèse Raquin plays at Studio 54, 254 West 54th St., NYC through Jan. 3, 2016. Performances are  Tuesday - Saturday at 8pm Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm (check for changes during holiday weeks). Tickets $47–$137. roundabouttheatre.org.

Christians might like to know:

--Sexual activity

-- Sexual dialogue

Drama Desk Celebrates 65 Years with Diamond Jubilee

And You are Invited....

The Drama Desk will celebrate 65 years of excellence in theater and 60 consecutive years of its coveted awards with a Diamond Jubilee party Sunday, Nov. 15 at Sardi’s.

Former Drama Desk winners will be on hand to celebrate with the organization whose membership consists of writers, editors, publishers and broadcasters who cover the New York theater scene. The Drama Desk Awards, currently produced by TheaterMania, are unique in that Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows compete in the same categories. Awards nominators and voters often see hundreds of shows in a season before voting.

The Diamond Jubilee will include a short program with special presentations, recognition of the Drama Desk winners in attendance, hors d’oeuvres and beverages, souvenirs and a toast to the organization’s past and future.

A limited number of tickets to the intimate gathering have been reserved for the general public. To reserve tickets ($65), visit http://tinyurl.com/Dram-Desk-Jubilee or call (866) 811-4111. The event will take place from 5 to 7 pm Sunday, Nov. 15 at Sardi’s, 234 West 44th St.

“The Drama Desk consists of a modest number of media professionals whose awards, presented each spring, celebrate outstanding accomplishments on stages all around New York City,” said President Charles Wright. “This month’s get-together at Sardi’s, coming at the halfway point between the 2015 and 2016 awards, is an opportunity for the Drama Desk family (along with friends) to celebrate our organization’s longevity and the accomplishments of our founders and members over the past 65 years.”

For more information about the Drama Desk, visit dramadesk.org.

Broadway Review: The Gin Game with James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson

A Peek at the Deal Life Holds for Us in its Deck of Cards

By Lauren Yarger
It’s just a friendly game of gin rummy. Or is it?

Two residents at a senior home play an innocent Gin Game, but as they reflect on their lives and try to see whether they can support each other in friendship, the real cards being dealt become harder to hold close to the vest in D.L. Coburn’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning play getting a Broadway revival directed by Leonard Foglia.

Weller Martin (James Earl Jones) is not excited to be a resident of a seedy home for the aged (he had wanted to go to a private nursing home) and is happy to find a possible gin rummy partner in Fonsia Dorsey (Cicely Tyson), who also never seems to get any visitors.

Soon Weller is frustrated as Fonsia somehow manages to win every hand, sometimes right after the deal (a duty which Weller keeps as his own, refusing to share dealing with Fonsia as he makes a meticulous, and humorous counting of each card with every deal). Is it beginner’s luck, a divine gift?

At first, he is amused, but eventually, Weller comes to see his constant losing as a metaphor for the bad hand God has dealt him in life. His violent temper is unleashed and the gin game turns into a contest between the two for domination and respect.

Elements of their lives (and its hard knocks – pun intended) are exposed and laid vulnerable as they meet for game after game on the nursing home porch set designed by Riccardo Hernandez, who also does the costumes. David Van Tieghem’s sound design gives us a glimpse of the happy gatherings taking place inside the home, but in which Fonsia and Weller don’t take part, dismissing them as somehow beneath their notice. Failures, disappointments, insecurities and questioning the place of God in their existence are explored and veer the play into the somewhat depressing discarded pile of life.

Jones and Tyson are engaging and have good stage rapport (though some of Foglia’s blocking seems unfocused). The actors follow nicely on the heels of Hume Cronin and Jessica Tandy, who starred in the original Broadway production in 1977 (also at the John Golden Theatre where this current revival plays) and Charles Durning and Julie Harris in the 1997 revival.

The Gin Game deals up some good acting through Jan. 10 at the Golden, 252 West 45th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday and Thursday at 7 pm; Wednesday at 2 pm; Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 and 8 pm; Sunday at 3 pm (check for schedule and casting changes). Tickets:  $75 - $141: (800) 432-7250; thegingamebroadway.com.

Christians might also like to know:

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Language