Yes, you read correctly, three plays in less than a week. I think that’s a record for me. Quick, get me to a musical before they revoke my gay card! Here’s a (sort of) brief run-down of my thespian pursuits of late.
Master Class
Samuel Friedman Theatre
Saturday, June 18, 2pm performance
Yes, detective Lacey sure has come a long way. Though there’s still an odd Brooklynese twang to her unspecified European(?) accent.
I saw the original Broadway production way back in my Manhattan School of Music days with Zoe Caldwell. Her Callas was over-bearing, powerful and, well, a bitch. Tyne Daly lends a more sympathetic light to La Divina, an approach I prefer. Though still a Diva, Daly let’s a bit of Callas’s vulnerability filter through that steely exterior and gives us a more human characterization.
The singers are uniformly strong, with tenor Garrett Sorenson the standout. Sierra Boggess plays the role that won Audra the Tony. I didn’t think the Little Mermaid had it in her, but she surprised me with an easy high C, though her bottom and middle are thin and sometimes pushed. Still, it’s a great performance and a surprisingly strong legit voice.
I’m now obsessed with Tyne ’s Callas wig and the production shot with those thick, penciled-in eyebrows. I think I have this year’s Halloween costume idea!
The real Callas
Tyne's Callas
War Horse
Vivian Beaumont @ Lincoln Center
Saturday, June 18, 8pm performance
I’m gonna’ sound like a total cheeseball here, but the physical production of War Horse is truly magical. Ugh. I can’t believe I just typed that. I don’t know how else to describe it. These ain’t your typical puppets.
The story itself is a bit of a stretch and the cast works hard to add depth to a stage full of under-written characters, but the sum effect is satisfying if a bit dreary. I’m sure the upcoming Speilberg film will succeed in turning this children’s story into a full-blown historical tearjerker. I can’t wait to weep in the movie theatre.
Born Yesterday
Cort Theatre
Wednesday, June 22, 8pm performance
Well, the buzz has been crazy surrounding Nina Arianda’s performance and rightly so. She adds a warmth and humanity to the ditzy Billie. What Belushi lacks in subtlety, he makes up for in commitment and Robert Sean Leonard lends a dignified honesty to Paul.
The play creeks a bit with age, but the abusive relationship between Harry and Billie is universal and timely. Seriously, I thought I was in for an evening of zany, laugh-out-loud comedy and instead was met with a treatise on abuse and power. Who’d ‘ave thunk it?
The set is gorgeous, the incidental music is awful and the first act takes about 20 minutes to really get rolling, but it’s worth the ride.
On a side note, if you're in the Rockefeller Center area and need cheap eats, check out Bill's Bar and Burger. They have awesome steak fries and an incredible beer selection.
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