Off-Broadway Theater Review: Rose

Kathleen Chalfant. Photo: Carol Rosegg

Rose Kennedy, We Hardly Knew Ye

By Lauren Yarger

Those of us who are older think we have a good idea of who she is. Members of younger generations, born after the Kennedy dynasty was the top news story, might think they know her from events that shaped her life. But Laurence Leamer’s play Rose proves that we probably just know parts of the whole when it comes to the tragic life of Rose Kennedy.

We mostly know her as the mother of President John Kennedy, his politically active brothers Bobby and Teddy and daughter Eunice, who founded the Special Olympics. But did you know she had six other children, one of them mentally challenged and that she had to put up with a philandering husband who had many affairs, including one with actress Gloria Swanson?

The fascinating, often tragic events of Rose's life are explored in the play, being presented in its world premiere Off-Broadway by Nora's Playhouse, and in a brilliant portrayal by award-winner Kathleen Chalfant. Leamer, is the best-selling author of "The Kennedy Women," and "The Kennedy Men and Sons of Camelot" and incorporates information gleaned during 40 hours of interviews he taped with Rose Kennedy while working on her ghost-written autobiography. 

It is July, 1969 and we are invited into Rose's elegant Hyannis Port home (designed to incorporate projected photos by Anya Klepikov) as the matriarch awaits Teddy, who just a few days ago drive his car off a bridge in Chappaquiddick, MA, killing the passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.

Rose chats with the audience in between taking phone calls from family members like Jack''s widow, Jacqueline, who recently has decided to remarry Greek oil tycoon Aristotle Onassis and Ted's wife, Joan, who has turned to alcohol for comfort. (Leamer overuses the telephone technique in his first attempt at writing for the stage, but it is plausible that Rose would be fielding a lot of them after the tragedy).

Rose's husband, Joe, isn't any help. He's upstairs where he has been some time, bedridden following a stroke. All of the family relationships are strained here, we discover. Rose is distant from her daughters, who felt their male siblings got all of the advantages, and the brothers are all gone now, except for Ted.  Jack and Bobby were assassinated and the eldest son, Joe, was killed in World War II.

Tension also exists within the family because of decisions made regarding Rosemary, the family's oldest daughter, born with learning disabilities that were kept secret as the family came to social prominence. Eventually the young woman was put into an institution and subjected to a lobotomy which caused permanent damage. Joe Kennedy, Sr., apparently embarrassed by Rosemary's deficiencies and always looking for a "cure," ordered the procedure behind Rose's back. Yet, we're not sure that if she had  known, Rose would have been willing or able to do anything about it....

The nuanced performance by Chalfant, directed by Caroline Reddick Lawson, has us engaged throughout the 90-minute performance. The show has a very limited run, unfortunately, only through Dec. 13 at Theater Row. 

Other information:

Design Team includes Jane Greenwood (costumes), Caitlin Rapoport (lighting) and Jane Shaw (sound).

Named for the heroine of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Nora’s Playhouse is devoted to presenting a wide range of women's stories, told through the collaboration of women artists. Rose is the playhouse's first off-Broadway production. 

"Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter" by Kate Clifford Larson was published this fall.

Rose plays through Dec. 13 at the Clurman Theatre, 410 West 42nd St., NYC. Tickets are $65: 212-239-6200; www.norasplayhouse.org.

Christians might also like to know:

-- No content notes. Enjoy. There are some parts dealing with Rose's discovery of her faith at a convent school and how that faith helps her cope.

Off-Broadway Theater Review: Ripcord

Ripcord
By David Lindsay-Abaire
Directed by David Hyde Pierce
Manhattan Theatre Club
Through Dec.6

What's It All About?
Fabulous comedy/drama from Pulitzer-Prize winner Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Good People) about two women in the Bristol Place Assisted Living Facility. Abby Binder (Holland Taylor) has been enjoying a room all to her self for most of the years she has been at the facility, but recently Marilyn Dunne (Marylouise Burke) moved in and Abby wants her out. Bouncy, sunshiny Marilyn never stops talking, especially about her family and little grandson. Abby just wants to be left alone and in peace and implores home employee Scotty (Nate Miller), to pull some strings and get rid of her. The budding actor agrees -- if Abby will join Marilyn on a trip to a haunted house in which he is performing. As the roommates discover more about each other, Abby reveals that nothing frightens her while Marilyn apparently never gets angry. The women make a bet: if Abby can make Marilyn angry, she will get a single room again. If Marilyn can scare, Abby, however, she will stay and get Abby's bed with the view.

What ensues is hysterical hijinx as the women try to win the bet, with Marilyn involving her plucky daughter Colleen ("Saturday Night Live"'s Debbie Downer Rachel Dratch) and reluctant son-in-law Derek (Daoud Heidami). Also paying a visit is Abby's estranged son, Benjamin (Glenn Fitzgerald). Amidst the laughs, are some poignant human emotions -- Marilyn's marriage might not have been all that happy and Abby has reasons for building a wall of stone around her heart -- well acted by Holland and Burke who develop a splendid "Odd-Couple-esque"  relationship ably directed by David Hyde Pierce.

What Are the Highlights?
Great dialogue and non-stop laughs. At the end of the first act, everyone in the audience still was laughing, prompting each other to recall their favorite parts and laughing all over again. Many people voiced doubt that the second act could live up to the first and would be sure to disappoint, but I can tell you, they were pleasantly surprised and exclaiming, "That was awesome, when leaving the theater. I convey these comments so you will know I am not alone when I say that I haven't enjoyed a show this much in a long time.

The sets designed by Alexander Dodge lift the show to its full potential. They take us from the assisted living facility into the wild blue yonder and beyond.

The haunted house sequence left me in stitches, especially given how much I did not appreciate the Sleep No More experience at the McKittrick Hotel a few seasons ago....  Funniest baby-eating clown (also played by Fitzgerald) ever.

Again, in between the laugh lines is a nice story about family, friendship, forgiveness and fresh starts.

What Are the Lowlights?
The short run already is an an end.

More Information:
Creatives:Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), Jennifer von Mayrhauser (costume design), John Gromada (original music and sound design) and Thomas Schall (fight director).

Christians might like to know:

-- Language

-- God's name taken in vain

Broadway Theater Review: Allegiance

Lea Salonga and George Takei in a scene from "Allegiance" (c) Matthew Murphy

A Trek Through the Years to Tell Story of Life in the Japanese Internment Camps

By Lauren Yarger

Inspired by the true-life experience of its star George Takei (“Star Trek,” “Heroes”), Allegiance follows one family’s journey in this rarely explored part of American history on stage – life in the Japanese internments camps during World War II.

In this play, a mysterious envelope leads Sam Kimura (Takei) back 60 years to when he and his sister Kei (Lea Salonga of Miss Saigon fame making a long-awaited return to Broadway) try to survive after their family is transported to an internment camp. Young Sam is played by Telly Leung.

Sam enlists in the army to prove the family’s loyalty, but Kei, dealing day-to-day with government efforts to humiliate and indoctrinate the camp residents as well as with the shame of her father, Tatsuo Kimura (Christopheren Nomura), takes a different path. She becomes part of a resistance movement while finding romance -- and some difficult consequences-- with Frankie Suzuki (Michael K. Lee), who feels Sam’s decision to fight is a betrayal of his people.

A secondary romance flares between Sam and white nurse Hannah Campbell (Katie Rose Clarke), who changes her views about the camps as she gets to know the people living in them. Friend Mike Masaoka (Greg Watanabe) never stops fighting for the rights of the Japanese-Americans forced to give up their homes, businesses and lives. Family, perseverance and forgiveness are consistent themes.

The story is important, but the telling of it in the book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione falls flat. Music and Lyrics by Kuo are unimpressive (and very American-musical sounding with only a hint of the Japanese culture reflected), even if some impressive voices sing them (while it is wonderful to hear Solonga’s beautiful voice again, some of the songs seems composed just to give the singers an opportunity to belt). Choreography by Andrew Palermo is awkward and seems completely out of place.

Scenic Designer Donyale Werle and Costume Designer Alejo Vietti provide some of the creative highlights with color fading as the family’s situation turns bleak. Newsprint projected onto the set (design by Darrel Maloney) give a sense of the times. War scenes, directed by Stafford Arima, make us feel that we’re at the front. A number of scenes, totally unnecessary, could be cut, however, and trim the two-hour, 30-minute run time.

Allegiance runs through Feb. 14 at the Longacre Theatre,  220 West 48^th St., 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 $65 - $149: (800) 432-7250; allegiancemusical.com.

Ensemble:

Aaron J. Albano, Belinda Allyn, Marcus Choi, Janelle Dote, Dan Horn, Owen Johnston, Darren Lee, Kevin Munhall, Manna Nichols, Autumn Ogawa, Rumi Oyama, Momoko Sugai, Sam Tanabe, Elena Wang , Scott Watanabe and Scott Wise…. Ensemble

Creatives:

Music and Lyrics by Jay Kuo; Book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione; Direction by Stafford Arima; Choreography by Andrew Palermo, Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Lynne Shankel, Musical Direction by Laura Bergquist., Scenic Design by Donyale Werle, Costume Design by Alejo Vietti, Hair and Wig Design by Charles G. LaPointe; Lighting Design by Howell Binkley, Sound Design by Kai Harada, Projection Design is by Darrel Maloney. 

Christians might like to know:

-- No content notes.

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