Leslie's Last Day in NYC . . .

Wednesday was a busy day that started with a visit to MOMA with my pal, Ben. We both really enjoyed the exhibit of Martin Kippenberger's work and had a nice morning as museum buddies.

I jumped on a bus to the Lincoln Center to see a matinee of a new musical, Happiness, in the smaller theatre downstairs from where South Pacific is playing. I found it to be an innovative, energetic, and heart-warming production. The setting is a subway car in NYC that turns out to be the "next step" after death for the nine people on board . . . each is given a chance to think of a perfect moment in their lives in order to relive it throughout eternity. I know it sounds kind of corny, but it was actually cool to see each person's moments relived on stage (with very innovative use of a central set and choreography), and to see what might happen to those who hadn't stopped long enough to make such moments in their lives. The music and the voices of each of the actors were perfectly suited to each situation. Hunter Foster was great as the "guide" to what came next, and he had a wonderful number that used every bit of the small stage, including a ladder held by several of the dancers. Sebastian Arcelus (Jersey Boys, Wicked), as a workaholic who rushes onto the subway car but isn't supposed to be there and Ana Maria Andricain (South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast), as a glamorous young woman who isn't what she appears to be, are also terrific--what beautiful voices! The reviews were mixed on this one, but I recommend it highly.

Wednesday night, I went to the full dress rehersal of Finian's Rainbow , an Encores production at the City Center. This 1947 musical has always been one of my favorites, and it is rarely revived, so I was thrilled to have a chance to see it. The plot is a little crazy--Irishman Finian McLonergan ( played by the wonderful Jim Norton, who we loved in The Seafarer), and his daughter travel to a small Southern town in the state of "Missitucky" with plans to bury a stolen pot of gold in the shadows of Fort Knox, believing that it will grow and multiply. A leprechaun (the cute and hilarious Jeremy Bobb), shows up determined to recover his treasure. Soon enough, the daughter falls in love with the most handsome local boy (played by Cheyenne Jackson, who's pretty damned handsome and has a gorgeous voice), and the racist local sherif is "wished" into a black man. I was so happy to see that the NYT gave the production a rave review, and it was recently announced that the production is Broadway-bound. My short trip to NYC ended with drinks with Casey, Matt, and Ben and an early bus ride home to get back to work on Thursday. Next up, Ann and I spend a week in June!!

Leslie's NY Trip--Day Two

On Tuesday, I took in a film at the Lincoln Plaza Theatre. Fados is a tribute to the Portuguese musical genre known as fado. There is no story here--and at first this made me a little impatient--but once I realized what was going on, I sat back and enjoyed what I was watching. I was totally unfamiliar with this genre of music--the driving force seems to be a mix of melancholy, dramatic scenarios, and emotional, poetic lyrics. The use of mirrors, lighting effects, semi-transparent screens, and vibrant colors frame each song and highlight each set of talented singers and dancers. By the end of "Fados" I was torn between enjoying the performances and thinking to myself that I wish it would end. I am glad I saw it, however, and if you're a fan of dance or music, you should check it out. For a taste of the movie, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOE5ERp-s4

After a much needed nap, I headed out to see a new play by Moises Kaufman, 33 Variations. Jane Fonda plays an American musicologist–a Beethoven specialist named Katherine–who decides to go ahead with a research trip to Bonn, Germany, even though she's just been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. The play doesn't wallow in Katherine's disease, thank goodness. Instead, it focuses on her obsession with unlocking the mystery of why Beethoven spent so many of his last years composing thirty-three variations of what most considered to be a very insignificant waltz by Anton Diabelli. Katherine's obsession and her insistance on staying in Bonn as her condition worsens creates added tension in an already complicated relationship with her daughter. Her daughter has struck up a romance with the nurse who's been caring for her mother (Colin Hanks), and both eventually made their way to Bonn. Scenes featuring Beethoven, his assistant, and Diabelli blend in with Katherine's story as it unfolds. On top of all this, there is also a pianist performing the Variations as they are discussed. A lot to pack into one play, but, for the most part, it works pretty well. Fonda (who looks great at 71!) is stronger in the second act as she begins to succumb to ALS. Grenier certainly looks the part, and he gives a great portrayal of Beethoven as a passionate and volitile genius. The set emphasizes the magnitude of Beethoven's work by filling the stage with sketchbooks, archival boxes, and sheet music. At times the script is touching and also very funny, but, in the end, it attempts to tell too many stories, taking away from the power of the central story of Katherine's transformation.

Leslie's NYC Trip--Day One

I was lucky enough to have another quick trip to NYC this week when I tagged along with my husband who was on a business trip. Although Ann was consumed with jealousy, I plunged ahead and saw four more plays! Most theatres are dark on Mondays, so I chose an Off-Broadway play that just opened called Rooms: A Rock Romance at New World Theatre. Although the plot of this two character play is pretty predictable, the excellent score (that ranges from cararet songs to punk rock to a crazy, wildly inappropriate bat mitzvah number) and the performances from the two talented actor/singers, Leslie Kritzer and Doug Kreeger, made for an entertaining evening.

The set-up is your basic "boy meets girl" scenario--Monica, who refers to herself as a "Scottish Jewish Princess" and a lyricist in search of a composer, meets a poor Catholic boy, Ian, who lives in his bedroom with his guitar and his booze. Before long, they've won a trip to London which leads to a recording contract as punk duo Lillian Filth and Perry Comatose. You can fill in the blanks after that, but the songs, the performances, and the kick-ass rock band on stage transform what could have felt tired and cliche into an original take on the inevitable love story of two opposites who attract. Leslie Kritzer is perfectly cast--she commands the stage with her great comic timing and her wonderful voice--and Doug Kreeger is just as good. I would recommend it highly ($25 tickets are available on broadwaybox.com!).

We Love Being Cutting Edge!

The CBs love to open the New York Times in the morning and see the Art section full of articles and reviews about plays we've seen. Last Monday was just such a day. Front page--great review of God of Carnage (the previous day had a long interview with Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini. Next page--a blurb about the upcoming Encores production of Finian's Rainbow at the City Center that Leslie has tickets to when she goes to NYC with her husband. Following page--an article about Ruined. It's great to be a Culture Buddy!

Day Five - Sunday in the City

Leslie and I went our separate ways Sunday morning; Leslie to visit our favorite waiter, Jose, at Pigalle's and me- Ann- to visit my son, Adam, in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. After a nice visit and a good breakfast, I raced back to Times Square in order to check out of our hotel and see the Sunday matinee of Becky Shaw at The Second Stage Theater on 43rd Street. Becky Shaw is written by Gina Gionfriddo, who writes for Law & Order, and largely focuses on a blind date between two mismatched people. The show is billed as a comedy gone bad, and we are left wondering who is the more toxic person on the date. We saw some familiar faces in this play; Annie Parisse from Law & Order plays Becky, the terrific Kelly Bishop plays the mother (she is also the grandmother on The Gilmore Girls), and the actor David Wilson Barnes who plays Max. Like God of Carnage the ground keeps shifting in this play and alliances keep changing. We both liked this play very much. Thw writing is crisp, and the actors were well cast. We raced to Port Authority and caught a Greyhound back to NH after five great days in our favorite place.

Saturday in the City

We saw two pretty amazing shows on Saturday. First up was the matinee of Impressionism starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons. Irons (one of Leslie's favorite actors!) plays a mysterious photojournalist who meets up with a gallery owner played by Joan Allen. Their stories are told through a series of flashbacks and the audience slowly understands why these people have trouble with intimacy. As their understanding of each other grows, love blossoms. The use of beautiful Impressionist paintings flashed on the curtain in between scenes gave it a lovely surreal feeling, and, of course, the two stars were wonderful. The play is a little clunky, but it was a thrill to see these stars.

Saturday night we saw Ruined in a small theater at the City Center. This new play by Lynn Nottage is getting quite the buzz, and its run has been extended twice. It is certainly a powerful, albeit emotionally exhausting, play. The setting is a brothel in the midst of war-torn Congo. Mama Nadi is the brothel/bar owner (her character is modeled after Mother Courage). As rebels and soldiers come in and out of the brothel, Mama Nadi tries not take sides. The concept that the soldiers and rebels are equally brutal and destructive is emphasized by the choice to have the same male leads playing both factions. The women of the Congo are caught in the crossfire, and, ironically, working at Mama Nadi's whorehouse is safer for them than being in their communities where they are targets for kidnapping and rape. The four actresses (including Phylicia Rashad's daughter in her NY debut) who play leads each give amazing performances. In the end, it becomes a story of human resilience and strength, and even love. Nottage previously won an Obie and, hopefully, will win more awards for this gripping and very moving play. Our friend Casey thinks Ruined may win the Pulitzer Prize this year.

Our favorite Boyz- Casey and Ben- met us for laughs and drinks after the show. Only one day left in the city and then the long bus ride back to our real lives!

Celebrity Sightings

Not too many sightings this trip--Jeremy Irons walking down the street, Howard Stern getting into a cab, Phoebe Cates at her new store, Blue Tree, on the East Side, Lauren Graham and Oliver Platt signing autographs after Guys and Dolls, Art Moore (Program Director of Live with Regis and Kelly) having lunch . . . hopefully more to come!

Day Three In NYC!

Nothing makes the CultureBuddies happier than a big Broadway musical with a full orchestra, great songs, a gorgeous set, and lots of dance numbers. Because there is nowhere on earth that you can see a show of this scope and size other than on Broadway, we were in CB heaven Friday night at Guys and Dolls. Has anyone ever written a better score than Fred Loesser did for this show? Just one amazing song after another. The numbers were wonderfully performed by Lauren Graham as Adelaide, Kate Jennings Grant as the Mission worker Sarah, and Sky Masterson adorably played by Craig Berko. Oliver Platt played Nathan Detroit, and he is definately the weakest link, but he held his own with all the singers and dancers. This show is just plain fun! The dance numbers alone make it worth the price of admission:
Luck Be a Lady Tonight was wonderful with every male in the cast involved in this great dance number which was beautifully choreographed. The other standout song and dance number was Titus Burgess' full blown Gospel rendition of Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat. Lauren Graham is just adorable as Adelaide. It was a great night of musical theater.

Earlier in the day we travelled up to the Lincoln Plaza Cinema to see the Swedish film Everlasting Moments. A 2 1/2 hour film about a woman in the early 1900s locked in a marriage with her only outlet a camera. A long, lovely, very moving film which the CBs recommend.

Day Two--NYC!

Highlight of the Day: Ann and I took in The Jewish Museum's exhibition of artwork created for Russian Jewish theater productions in the 1920s and 1930s. The exhibition captures a period in the early years of the Soviet Union when visual artists, including Marc Chagall, Natan Altman, and Robert Falk, joined forces with avant-garde playwrights, actors, and theatrical producers to create a theater experience for the masses. The exhibit includes paintings, costume and set designs, posters, photographs, and film clips.

In 1920, Marc Chagall was creative director for the company. The exhibit shows his his sketches for stage sets, costumes and make-up; these are amazing enough. More amazing, however, is a whole room devoted to a set of murals Chagall created to be hung in the Moscow State Yiddish Theater. Incredibly, these murals had been rolled up in storage since 1950 in a gallery in Moscow. Chagall himself was not even sure they had survived until, in 1973, he returned to the Soviet Union for the first time since 1922 and signed the murals at the museum. In 1989 they were restored, and The Jewish Museum has them all on display. On one wall, four murals depict Dance, Drama, Literature, Music, The Banquet, and Love on the Stage. Along the top, a long mural captures Chagall's version of a wedding banquet feast. A fifth mural covers the entire opposite wall--this mural is a carnival-like explosion of color, humor, and composition. I could not get enough of sitting in this room and soaking it all in. What a rare privilege it was to be able to see such masterpieces up close.

Another Highlight: Drinks with the boyz (Casey and Ben) after our Thursday night show. Silly fun and laughter as usual. Ann and I are older, but often less mature, than the boyz. We presented them each with their $20 cash prize for tying as winners of our Satellite Oscar pool, and they were thrilled.

Low Point of the Day: The Roundabout Theatre's production of Hedda Gabler. The only good point was that it had a magnet we could add to our collections.

Day One--NYC!

The CultureBuddies left Nashua at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and made it to the city in time for a matinee of Blithe Spirit, a new revival of the Noel Coward play. We were looking forward to seeing that handsome devil Rupert Everett, and we both wanted to see Angela Lansbury on stage. Unfortunately, the play was a disappointment: it seemed so dated and the chemistry just wasn't there. The jokes were tired and lame and the play just seemed to drag on and on. Rupert was the only bright light (and was a handsome drink of water) coming down a staircase in a tux as the play opened, and even he seemed bored.

After a quick nap, we felt recharged and set off to see a new play, God Of Carnage. In short, it was fantastic! James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels play two couples whose sons have been in a playground fight; the play takes place during an afternoon gathering in one of their homes to talk about the incident in a "civilized" way. By the end of the ninety minute play, their meeting has become a free for all with all the politeness thrown aside. It is hilarious; the laughs come from the increasingly dark truths that emerge about marriage, parenting, moral responsibility, and human relationships as "civilized" behavior deteriorates. The actors are wonderful; it's unusual to see a play with four actors playing equal roles, and this one is perfectly cast. Marcia Gay Harden was a standout as the mother who is trying to mediate the meeting and does "passive aggressive" like no one else!

We crashed early after two very different plays in one day. Although we don't predict good reviews of Blithe Spirit, we agree that God of Carnage is sure to be a huge hit this Broadway season.

New York City, Here We Come!!

We're getting really excited for our next trip to NYC-- it's been too long! We will be staying four nights and seeing seven productions (yes, we are insane). Our schedule is a star-packed mix of old chestnuts and new plays.

Guys and Dolls--a new revival starring Lauren Graham and Oliver Platt
Hedda Gabbler--a new translation of Ibsen's classic starring Mary-Louise Parker and Tony-award winner, Michael Cervantes
Becky Shaw--a new drama by Gina Gionfriddo playing Off-Broadway
Blithe Spirit--a revival of Noel Coward's play with an all-star cast that includes Angela Lansberry, Christine Ebersole, and Rupert Everett
Ruined--a new play at the NY City Center which had an acclaimed run in Chicago (our pal Casey predicts it will win the Pulitzer this year)
Impressionism--a new play by Michael Jacobs starring Tony winners Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen
God of Carnage--the Broadway premiere of a new "comedy of manners . . . without the manners" starring James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels, and Hope Davis

Shoud be a great trip!