Off-Broadway Review: A Day By the Sea EXTENDED THROUGH OCT. 23

Katie Firth, Jill Tanner, Kylie McVey, Polly McKie, Athan Sporek, Philip Goodwin, Julian Elfer, Curzon Dobell, and George Morfogen. Photo: Richard Termine.

A Slow, Very Slow, Long Day by a Quiet Sea
By Lauren Yarger

A family gathers for A Day by the Sea and surrounded by sand, colorful umbrellas and picnic baskets, they gaze out expectantly on the horizon waiting for something to ride in on the tide.

In this first New York revival of N.C. Hunter’s play, which had a 1955 Broadway run featuring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, they are disappointed – and so is the audience – because very little happens in the three-hour-with-two-intermissions production which marks the Mint Theatre’s first in its new home in residence at Theatre Row.

Unlike past productions like Women Without Men or The Little Journey, where audiences feel like they have stepped back in time and discovered a forgotten theater gem (the Mint’s specialty), A Day by the Sea has us wondering how this play ever got produced in the first place, let alone beat out others more deserving of a revival.

Directed by Austin Pendleton, who has a long history with the Mint, this production features good actors, but the slim plot, sketchy character development and exposition-laden dialogue don’t give them much to work with, unfortunately.

The family has gathered at the Dorset, England home of widow Laura Anson (Jill Tanner), who has in residence her elderly brother-in-law, David Anson (George Morfogen), who needs the constant care of Dr. Farley (Philip Goodwin, whom you might recognize from the “Pink Panther” movies), who is happy to read to the old man and help him dress for free lodgings where he thinks he can hide his addiction to alcohol.

Also on holiday are an old friend of the family who is recently divorced, Frances Farrar (Katie Firth), her two children from a previous marriage, Toby and Elinor (Athan Sporek and Kylie McVey), and their governess, Miss Mathieson “Matty” (Polly McKie).

When Laura’s son Julian (Julian Elfer) joins them, he makes it known to family barrister William Gregson (Curzon Dobell) that he still has no interest in co-managing the family’s estate with his mother. His dismissive attitude gives us an idea why things didn’t work out long ago between him and Frances. When Humphrey Caldwell (Sean Gormley) pays a visit to tell Julian he is being recalled from his post, mostly because he just isn’t liked very much, Julian begins a mid-life-crisis review of his life and wonders whether it is too late to accomplish something meaningful.

He begins to wonder whether he and Frances shouldn’t have a second chance. For reasons not exactly clear, though she appears to have always been in love with him, she isn’t interested in his proposal. There’s that sketchy character development raising its head.

The action (I use the term loosely) takes place in the garden of Laura’s home and at the picnic on the beach, both locations designed by Charles Morgan, framed with blurry leaves hanging overhead with large impressionistic paintings depicting the country side and beach as backdrops. The blurry art is indicative of the characters efforts to bring a sharper focus on the meaning of their lives. The costumes designed by Martha Hally don't change much between scenes, so the family looks a bit awkward at the beach in dresses and suits.

Matty perhaps has the clearest vision of what her life will be like if she doesn’t take some action. What chance does a plain-looking governess have of a family of her own when she forms bonds with other people’s children  only to have those ties severed when they no longer need her? She decides setting up house with the drunken doctor just might be her ticket to happiness (though it kind of makes us cringe to have a women sell herself so short, especially when the actress playing her has some impressive stage presence that might have been used for a more interesting character.) The audience laughed at the ages these two characters say they are: the actors seem beyond those years.

Not much happens in the way of developing any of those plots, however, despite moments of hope for insightful thought like when David metaphorically reflects:

“Years ago, there used to be a splendid elm tree standing there. And one October afternoon, in a great gale, it fell. What a sight! And a wrenching, tearing sound that seemed to fill the world.”

At one point in the first act, I counted seven audiences members sleeping. My thought at the start of the second act was that this point in the story would have made a better beginning and that most of Act One could be cut. The dialogue is so laced with explanations of past events to give us background that I audibly groaned when one of the characters mentioned a year worth remembering because I thought she probably was going to launch into a prolonged speech to tell us everything that had taken place during it. The doctor suddenly has a monologue about politics; characters sing for reasons that escape me.

Particularly annoying are awkward entrances by the actors throughout. Often actors seem to be walking onto stage and distracting attention  just so they can get to their marks for upcoming lines. Conversation stops, then we hear cued from offstage some lines of dialogue that telegraph, “Here come some more characters.” The two children appear to be posed (there’s a nice porch swing) so the audience will think, “Aww, aren’t they cute?” They need some additional experience on stage to develop technique, however, and we are unable to hear most of their lines (sound design by Jane Shaw).

Tanner is solid, even if her character is not. We’re never quite sure whether she is an overprotective mother who has spoiled her son’s chances at happiness or simply a woman doing the best she can with the life she has been given. Morfogen scores the most laughs. As the old man who frequently nods off, then suddenly wakes in the middle of a conversation, he has lines like, “Does something happen soon? It’s pretty dull, this,” which brought laughs of appreciation from the audience thinking the same thing.

A Day By the Sea plays through Sept. 24. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 pm. Special Wednesday matinee Sept. 21at 2:30 PM Tickets: $57.50 : Telecharge.com; 212-239-6200. More information: minttheater.org.

Additional Credits:

Lighting Design by Xavier Pierce, Sound Design by Jane Shaw, Properties by Joshua Yocum, Dialects and Dramaturgy by Amy Stoller; Hair and Wig Design by Robert Charles Vallance.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- No content notes. Enjoy.

Off-Broadway Theater Review: Implications of Cohabitation

Connie Saltzman, Andres de Vengoechea, Gladys Perez, Vanessa Verduga. Poto: Michael Blase

New Theater Group Features Work by Promising Playwright

By Lauren Yarger
Summer is a great time to find some gems Off-Broadway that might get overlooked in the crush of the regular Broadway season. Vanessa Verduga’s Implications of Cohabitation, getting a run at Theatre Row by Sudacas Theater, a new Latino-American company, is a recent find. With tickets at just $20.25, you’re not likely to find a bigger bang for your buck in New York.

The multi-talented Verduga (she’s a lawyer who among other things created the popular digital series and comic book “Justice Woman” and is recording her first solo urban Latino album called “Soy Mujer” -- “I am Woman”) creates interesting characters and thought-provoking situations, directed here by Leni Mendez.

Siblings Jenny (Connie Saltzman) and Kevin (Andres de Vengochea) are a bit surprised when their father, Nelson (Anthony Ruiz) turns their mother’s memorial service into a family reunion of sorts by inviting their half sister, Sara (Verduga, showing that multiple-talented thing again, plays this role in her play). Nelson had left their mother for a waitress in the Ecuadorian restaurant where they meet and the two families have never been close. Sara’s mother, Carmen (a solid Adriana Sananes) – loathingly referred to by Kevin and Jenny as their father’s baby mama -- also was abandoned by Nelson, when he left her to go back to his first wife.

Nelson compounds the awkwardness in the air by announcing that he plans to sell his home and move in with each his children to get to know them better. This, to put it mildly, doesn’t go over well with the kids. Kevin, an actor, and Jenny, a musician, feel their father doesn’t understand them and they are sure they can never measure up against Sara’s successful career as a lawyer.

Besides, there is some other cohabitation going on. The kids have things in their private lives that make it difficult to have a father move in: Sara lives with her fiancé, Ben, and has an ex, Jake (James Padric), who complicates things. Jenny enjoys taking hits off of her bong while composing and Kevin has a sexual partner who drops in behind the back of his live-in girlfriend, Amy.

Rejected from each of his children’s households, Nelson finds himself chatting on a park bench with a homeless man (David Pendleton) who offers some wisdom and advice.

Though the script needs an edit and some of the action in the 100 minutes with intermission could be tightened (one scene played like two actors groping for their lines), the characters are engaging and likable. They deal with real emotions and we can relate to most of what they experience (even annoyance with an overly enthusiastic waitress played by Gladys Perez).

When Carmen helps her daughter put on her wedding dress and tries to console Sara when she thinks her father won’t show up to give her away, we’re looking at real life, not just a drama at Theatre Row. I am looking forward to more from this theater company and this playwright is in my radar.

Implication of Cohabitation plays at the Clurman Theatre, 410 West 42nd St. NYC (Theatre Row) through Aug. 26. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm; Aug. 17 at 2 pm. Tickets: $20.25; (212) 239-6200; ImplicationsOfCohabitation.com

Credits:

By Vanessa Verduga; Directed by Leni Mendez, Assistant Direction by Joseph Barone, Scenic Design by Anna Grigo, Costume Design by Steven Daniel, Lighting Design by Jackson Miller, Sound Design by Lawrence Schober; Properties by Emilie A. Grossman.

Broadway Theater Review: CATS

Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy and Company of CATS. Photo: Matthew Murphy

A Steetlamp Sputters and Katz Makes the Memory Live Again

By Lauren Yarger

Some nonsensical poetry, amazingly realistic makeup and costumes, cat-like choreography and a dynamic score by Andrew Lloyd Webber caused a sensation when CATS opened on Broadway in in 1982.

The show gave us “Memory,” which might well be one of the most soul-stirring ballads ever written for the stage and forever nailed Betty Buckley’s star to her dressing room door. CATS went on to have far more than nine lives: it played on Broadway for the next 18 years and has been seen in more than 30 countries. So a revival begs the question of why now? Why this cast? Why is it worth $149 a ticket?

The revival which opened last week at the Neil Simon Theatre doesn’t offer a lot of good answers to those questions, except that “to hear Webber’s music played by a Broadway orchestra” (this one under the direction of Kristen Bodgett)  is always a good answer for why a show should be revived-- please bring back Sunset Boulevard!

The story – what there is of one, that is, -- comes from “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot in which we are invited to enter the night-time world of cats, who all have different personalities and secret names. They all also hope they will be chosen after the Jellicle Ball for a trip the Heavyside layer to be reborn into a new life. I have heard of the Heavyside layer, but don’t ask me exactly what a Jellicle is. The opening number “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” makes it clear right away that this is one of those shows, like Cirque du Soleil, where we’ll probably never quite understand what is taking place, but we’ll enjoy the visible and vocal display on stage.

Trevor Nunn directs again. John Napier re-creates his junk-cluttered alley set and costumes, which are similar to the original, but possibly less detailed. So what’s new?

Well, original Choreographer Gillian Lynne was replaced by Hamilton-hot Andy Blankenbuehler. Why, exactly, is a bit puzzling – especially to Lynne who created a bit of a fuss when she was passed over for the revival’s creative team. To be honest, these 2016 Cats seem more like they are just dancing around instead of making us forget they are actors and not really cats. Without that added charm, I felt like taking a big stretch into a cat nap at intermission.

There are a few highlights, however:

• Quentin Earl Darrington is compelling with a beautiful baritone as Old Deuteronomy, the wise old cat who gets to choose the member of the community who gets to go “up, up, up to the Heavyside layer.”
• Jess LeProtto (Mungojerrie) and Shonica Gooden (Rumpleteazer) have a fun, smoothly synched number where the choreography finally shines and when the audience seems most engaged.
• Georgina Pazcoguin’s graceful ballet causes kit Victoria to stand out from the caboodle.
• Christopher Gurr entertains as Gus and gets a few laughs.

British recording sensation Leona Lewis (“Bleeding Love”) plays the role Buckley made famous: Grizabella, the Glamour cat, a feline star who has fallen on hard times as an alley cat. She sings well and does justice to “Memory,” (though every nerve in my body didn’t tingle like when Buckley sings it). Lewis doesn’t have the acting skills for Broadway, however. She seems awkward and uncertain – which Grizabella should be, but we sense it’s more the actress than the cat.

The best thing in this revival is the Katz. No, that’s not a typo. Lighting Director Natasha Katz, that is. Lighting throughout the two-plus hours is exquisite – some of the best I have seen on stage recently. Every otherwise humdrum minute of this show is the cat’s meow because of her varied and skilled use of lighting.

The stage is animated by cat eyes glowing in the dark, hues of different color indicating mood, sprays of light introducing new cats, a moon shining down over the action, a mystical rocket jet beneath a flying tire (Projection Design is b Brad Peterson) Some lights create action, as do the actors, when they make their way into the house. Katz’s master work here is purrfectly illuminating.

Watch CATS play on the stage at the Neil Simon, 250 West 52^nd St. NYC. Performances are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday at 7 pm; Wednesday at 2 and 7:30 pm; Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 and 8 pm; Sunday at 1:30 and 7 pm. Tickets are $59 - $149: catsthemusical.com/broadway; 877-250-2929.

Additional credits:

Associate Choreography by Chrissie Cartwright, Orchestrations by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Cullen, Sound Design by Mick Potter.

Full cast:

Leona Lewis…. Grizabella

Giuseppe Bausilio ....  Carbucketty

Quentin Earl Darrington ....  Old Deuteronomy

Jeremy Davis ....  Skimbleshanks

Kim Faure ....  Demeter

Sara Jean Ford ....  Jellylorum

Lili Froehlich ....  Electra

Daniel Gaymon ....  Macavity

Shonica Gooden ....  Rumpleteazer

Christopher Gurr ....  Gus/Bustopher Jones

Tyler Hanes ....  Rum Tum Tugger

Andy Jones ....  Munkustrap

Kolton Krouse ....  Tumblebrutus

Eloise Kropp ....  Jennyanydots / Gumbie

Jess LeProtto ....  Mungojerrie

Georgina Pazcoguin ....  Victoria

Emily Pynenburg ....  Cassandra

Ariana Rosario ....  Sillabub

Ahmad Simmons ....  Alonzo

Christine Cornish Smith…. Bombalurina

Corey Snide ....  Coricopat

Emily Tate ....  Tantomile

Ricky Ubeda ....  Mistoffelees

Sharrod Williams ....  Pouncival

Richard Todd Adams Aaron Albano Callan Bergmann Claire Camp Francesca Granell Jessica Hendy Harris Milgrim Madison Mitchell Nathan Patrick Morgan and Megan Ort…. Ensemble

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- No content notes, but some very tight costumes reveal what is underneath.

Broadway Theater Review: Cirque du Soleil's Paramour

Broadway Theater Gets a Big Top with Cirque du Soleil Musical

By Lauren Yarger
Looking for that perfect show to do with the kids over summer or winter break? The first Cirque du Soleil show, written specifically for Broadway, just might be the answer.

Paramour officially opens the 2016-2017 Broadway season at high-flying Spider-man’s home, the now newly named Lyric Theatre, for which the show’s creators design it, with a tale of a love triangle during Hollywood’s golden age.  Ruby Lewis stars as Indigo, an actress caught between her egotistical director Jeremy Kushnier and true love Joey (Ryan Vona) – and that is more of the plot than I usually can convey from other Cirque du Soleil shows which leave the audience gasping at the physical feats being performed but usually scratching their heads in puzzlement over what the story was about.

Like most Cirque shows, there is music (composed here by the team of Bob and Bill) and a bunch of circus and acrobatic acts interwoven between the tunes and the plot.

The cursory love story (will Ruby choose her career or true love?) moves along, sometimes in an overblown fashion, because of lots of set design by Jean Rabasse. An exception is a terrific trapeze act where their story is acted out. This plot is way better, by the way, than Cirque’s last attempt to play a New York theater a few seasons ago with the really terrible Banana Shpeel up at the Beacon in Harlem.

There are lots of other movement too from tap dancing (choreography by Daphné Mauger) and elaborate aerial acrobatics (Acrobatic Performance Design by Boris Verkhovsky, Flying Machine Design and Choreography by Raffaello D'Andrea/Verity Studios and others). A cast of 38 actors, dancers,  aerialists, acrobats, and circus arts performers with acts including aerial strap artists, Chinese pole, contortion, juggling, Russian beam, teeterboard, tumbling, trampoline and  trapeze dazzle both skill-wise and because of the colorful, glittery costumes designed by Philippe Guillotel 

The most breath-taking act is a high-flying strap act featuring twin brothers – all to the backdrop of the filming of Cleopatra. This is definitely the Big Top taking Broadway by storm. It brought its audience -- whooping, whistling and talking – with it, but it is great to see kids experiencing a show on Broadway.

If Broadway (and its ticket prices) isn't for you, you still can enjoy Cirque du Soleil in a couple of its Off-Broadway homes this summer. Toruk—The First Flight, inspired by the movie “Avatar” plays Sept. 7-11 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and form Sept. 15-18 at the Prudential Center in Newark.  Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities is a period fantasy about a world where everything is possible. It begins a run under the bog top on Randall’s Island Sept. 29.

Paramour runs through Feb. 19, 2017 at the Lyric Theatre, 213 West 42nd St., NYC. Performances are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 3 and 8 pm; Sunday at 3 and 7 pm.  Tickets are $55- $145: www.ParamourOnBroadway.com (877) 250-2929.

Credits: Creative Guidance and Direction by Jean-Francoise Bouchard; Direction and Concept  by Philippe Decouflé;  Associate Creative Direction by Pascale Henrot; Associate Creative Director, Scene Direction and Story by Wes Hyler; Associate Creative Direction, Scene Direction and Story by Scott Zeigler; Set Design by Jean Rabasse ; Costume Design by Philippe Guillotel ; Choreography by Daphné Mauger  ; Lighting Design by Patrice Besombes  ; Props Design by Anne‐Séguin Poirier ; Projection Design by Olivier Simola, Sound Design by John Shivers and Christophe Waksmann, Associate Creative Direction, Acrobatic Design and Choreography by Shana Caroll;  Composition by Bob and  Bill (Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard); Lyrics and Composition by Andreas Carlsson; Acrobatic Performance Design by Boris Verkhovsky, Flying Machine Design and Choreography by Raffaello D'Andrea/Verity Studios,  Boris Verkhovsky, Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Design by  Pierre Masse, Makeup Design by Nathalie Gagné , Hair Design by Josh Marquette; Music Direction and Conducting by Seth Stachowski.

Broadway, Off-Broadway Theater Review: Oslo

Broadway, Off-Broadway Theater Review: Oslo

Update:

This play by J.T. Rogers has transferred to Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and has received Outer Critics and Drama Desk nominations.

Below is the review for the Off-Broadway production, also at Lincoln Center. The play seems at home in its larger space. It's still a bit too long in my opinion, but the ensemble is so good it's hard to lose interest. The topic is at once fascinating -- most everybody in the audience is unaware of these behind-the-scene negotiations that were the catalyst for the Oslo Peace Accords -- and relevant. In times when hatred makes it impossible to have civil discourse on just about any subject, the idea that people who have been enemies for thousands of years could sit down and talk as friends is refreshing.

-- Lauren Yarger

Information for the Broadway production at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 West 65th St., NYC:

Oslo tells the true, but until now, untold story of how one young couple, Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul (Jennifer Ehle) and her husband social scientist Terje Rød-Larsen (Jefferson Mays), planned and orchestrated top-secret, high-level meetings between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which culminated in the signing of the historic 1993 Oslo Accords. The original Off-Broadway cast of OSLO returns: Joining Ehle and Mays are Michael Aronov, Anthony Azizi, Adam Dannheisser, Daniel Jenkins, Dariush Kashani, Jeb Kreager, Christopher McHale, Daniel Oreskes, Angela Pierce, Henny Russell, Joseph Siravo, T. Ryder Smith, Stephen Schnetzer.

Sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Peter John Still and Marc Salzberg, and projections by 59 Productions.

Performances are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 7 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. lct.org

OFF-Broadway Review:

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Oslo Peace Accords

By Lauren Yarger

Don’t let what sounds like a boring premise – the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords – or the three-hour run time scare you away from Oslo the new J.T. Rogers play getting an Off-Broadway run at Lincoln Center.

Despite the fact that it could use a substantial edit (unless your name is Eugene O’Neill or Tracy Letts, your play doesn’t need three acts or two intermissions), this story of how the leaders of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Army ended up shaking hands on the White House lawn is engrossing and entertaining.

Bartlett Sher directs the large ensemble and keeps us from getting confused, even though there is some doubling in the mostly male cast. The truth is there was a huge cast of characters behind the scenes of the historic peace agreement and while President Bill Clinton probably enjoyed getting a lot of the credit, truth is the accords were thanks to a lot of secret meetings and negotiations headed up by a husband and wife in Oslo, Norway.

Mona Juul (an excellent Jennifer Ehle) is a well respected official in the Norwegian foreign ministry and reports to Jan Egland, the deputy foreign minister. She and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen (Jefferson Mays), the director of Fafo Institute for the Applied Sciences, realize they might have come up with a way for the two sides to begin talks. It will be tricky – it is illegal for Israeli government officials to meet with members of the PLO and Foreign Minister Johan Jorgen Holst (T. Ryder Smith) is vehemently opposed to the idea. But if they can just find a way to get the right people together in an unofficial way, they might get the ball rolling….

Enter Ron Pundak (Daniel Jenkins), a junior economics professor at the University of Haifa who is able to make initial contact. The negotiations begin with some lower ranking officials at the Borregaard Estate outside of Oslo, where Mona and Terje acts as hosts and the housekeeper and cook (Henny Russell) keeps everyone happy with waffles (Rogers interlaces a lot of humor in the script to balance the complexity of the dialogue).

Soon, negotiations are going so well that the big players are brought in for both sides. Hassan Asfour (Dariush Kashani), the official PLO Liaison at the US talks which are going absolutely nowhere; Ahmed Qurie (Anthony Azizi), the PLO’s finance minister; Uri Savir (Michael Aronov), director general of the Foreign Ministry; Yossi Beilin (Adam Dannheisser), deputy foreign minister; and Shimon Peres, foreign minister, hash out the differences between their nations and the steps toward peace. All the negotiations take place behind closed doors, but they break, out in the parlor with Toril’s waffles, they become friends, sharing jokes and telling stories about their families.

Things get tense when Terje oversteps his authority and begins acting as a negotiator, making promises and telling lies to keep the negotiations moving forward, but which in reality, could bring the whole process to a grinding halt.

The action takes us through about nine months and to various locations, all on one set designed by Michael Yeargan with cushioned benches circling the stage area on the floor. An architectural embellishment over the door at the rear where the men venture for their discussions is a reminder of the grand house they are in and of the importance of the negotiations taking place. The parlor room becomes like a family room as the friendships develop even while personalities clash.

The three-hours certainly could be reduced – perhaps by about 45 minutes (especially if that second intermission could be eliminated). While this usually would signify a weak play to me, that is not the case here. All the action and information as written is interesting, well written and directed. There’s simply too much material and as a result people were nodding off and missing a pretty decent play. Take a nap first (or opt for a matinee instead of an 8 pm curtain time) and go. You’ll see the Oslo Accords in a whole new light.

Oslo plays through Aug. 28 at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, 150 West 65^th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 pm; Wednesday, Friday, Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesdays and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm.  Tickets $107: lct.org/shows/Oslo; 866-811-4111

Additional Credits:

Lighting Design by Donald Holder, Sound Design by Peter John Still, Projection Design by 59 Productions.

Full cast:

Jennifer Ehle…. Mona Juul 

Jefferson Mays…. Terje Rød-Larsen

Michael Aronov…. Uri Savir

Anthony Azizi…. Ahmed Querie (Abua Ala)

Adam Dannheisser…. Yossi Berlin

Daniel Jenkins…. Jan Egelnd

Dariush Kashani…. Hassan Asfour

Jeb Kreager…. Trond Gundersen, German husband

Christopher McHale…. Thor Bjornevog, German diplomat

Daniel Oreskes…. Shimon Peres, Yair Hirschfeld

Angela Pierce…. German wife

Henny Russell…. Toril Grandal, Marianne Heiberg, Swedish hostess

Joseph Siravo…. Joel Singer

T. Ryder Smith…. Johan Jorgen Holst, Finn Grandal

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- God's name taken in vain

-- Language

Off-Broadway Review: Out of the Mouths of Babes

Image: Judith Ivey and Estelle Parsons. Photo: Carol Rosegg

What Happens When Four Women Who Loved the Same Man Get Together? Not What You Might Expect

By Lauren Yarger

Just throw out reality for about two hours and 15 minutes and you’ll be able to enjoy four actresses having a lot of fun on stage in Israel Horovitz’s bizarre comedy Out of the Mouths of Babes getting an extended Off-Broadway run at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village.

Headlining are two theater legends, Estelle Parsons, who has five Tony award nominations (the latest for her compelling performance in Velocity of Autumn) and an Oscar under her belt, and Judith Ivey, a Tony winner and multiple nominee too. They play two of the ex lovers/wives who show up in Paris for the funeral of the man they once loved.

Evelyn (Parsons), the second wife, lets herself into her former apartment (designed by Neil Patel) with its lofty ceilings and walls full of artwork only to be joined by his former lover, Evvie (Ivey) whom the man saw during his marriage to Evelyn. If that isn’t enough awkwardness to go around, they soon are joined by two others: another wife, Janice (Angelina Fiordellisi), who once tried to commit suicide by jumping out of one of the large windows overlooking the canal when she learned of the man’s infidelity to her, and Marie-Belle (Francesca Choy-Kee) who is the current occupant of the apartment, and who apparently still is receiving visits from her lover – the man they all adored -- in ghostly form.

Again, I stress that the plot is off-the-charts ridiculous, with the women joining together to keep Janice from taking the plunge again and listening as Janice and her tickle-happy ghost lover get it on in the other room. They say some very repetitive dialogue in a mediocre script that appears to have been written just to allow characters to say certain lines. A lot of those lines are pretty funny, but I am not sure they all would be without these amazing actresses saying them. Parsons and Ivey seem to get laughter from lines that aren’t really funny too, just by the way they deliver them.

The multi-generations represented by the four women tell us that the deceased spent most of his 100 years collecting women. And despite his infidelity, they all seem to still be carrying a torch for him. Marie-Belle, the youngest and hippest of them all, is totally without any jealousy and proposes that the women all share the apartment in a sort of living tribute to him….

So the subject matter isn’t exactly what we hope for when it comes to finally having a play on stage that has four female characters, and several more mature ones to boot. They are all professionals in some way – Evelyn was a journalist, Evvie is a Hollywood screenwriter and Janice is an academic, but all these women seem to be able to do is fawn over their former lover who doesn’t sound like he was such a great guy….

Getting to see Parsons and Ivey interact makes it worthwhile, however. It also is nice to see Fiordellisi, celebrating her 20^th year as Cherry Lane’s producing artistic director, get a turn on stage too (she goes back on Broadway to Zorba). I’d love to see them all in a play with something worth their acting abilities.

The combination of bizarre plot and male worship seems to work because of the engaging actresses cast by Director Barnet Kellman. There also is a surprise visit by a guest not credited in the Playbill. The show has been extended through July 31.

Out of the Mouths of Babes plays through July 31 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce St., NYC. Performances are Wednesday and Saturday at 3 and 7 pm; Thursday and Friday at 7 pm; and Sunday at 3 pm.  Tickets $66-$96:  www.cherrylanetheatre.org; 866-811-4111.

Other credits:

Costume Design by Joseph G. Aulisi , Lighting Design by Paul Miller, Sound Design by Leon Rothenberg. 

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

--  Language

-- God's name taken in vain