Love survives in " Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virgiinia Woolf"

It's a familiar scenario. Sometimes ringside seats come with that invitation to meet the senior
faculty.  

George (Tracy Letts) and Martha  (Amy Morton) are at it again in “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” in a fiftieth anniversary revival through February 24th   at the Booth Theatre. Theirs is a combative love story.

Tracy Letts as George, Carrie Coon as Honey, Amy Morton as Martha being subdued by Madison Dirks as Nick and  in “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? “ Photos by Michael Brosilow.

George and Martha duke it out in a battle royale over the course of one long and boozy night while Honey (Carrie Coon) and Nick (Madison Dirks) watch sometimes helplessly, sometimes actively. At first both Nick and Honey seem to be victims of the whirlwind that is Martha. While Honey seems oblivious, but Nick is an avid participant in the kind of games academics and battling marrieds play. 

"I would divorce you," Martha tells George, 'if you existed." Their huffing and puffing definitely blows this house down.  This is an epic production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."

 

Tracy Letts as George, Amy Morton as Martha and Madison Dirks as Nick and Carrie Coon as Honey in “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? “ Photos by Michael Brosilow.

Edward Albee, whose plays have won him a great deal of recognition-- several Pulitzer, a couple of Tonys and one for Lifetime Achievement in The Theatre in 2005,--   has brought recriminations and vituperation to the level of art in  “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”.

In its inaugural production in 1962, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” won the Tony Award. This season, “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” on Broadway  by way of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and directed by Pam MacKinnon, is on pace to once again grab some prizes.



For a more extended review of “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” see http://www.vevlynspen.com/2012/11/edward-albees-whos-afraid-of-virginia.html

To find out more about “Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” visit http://virginiawoolfbroadway.com

The Fabulous Andersons In A Tribute to The Dorseys

The joint is jumping, you better believe it!

Swing, swing, swing is in the air as the fabulous Andersons give a tribute to Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey at 59E59 Theaters through October 7th.  "The Anderson Twins Play The Fabulous Dorseys" is set to snippets from the film "The Fabulous Dorseys" with a charmingly cornball script by the brothers Will and Pete.

Pete Anderson, Jon-Erik Kellso, Kevin Dorn and Will Anderson in  "The Anderson Twins Play The Fabulous Dorseys" at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by Lynn Redmile.

The battles between siblings Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey are echoed on the bandstand by Pete and Will. The brothers Anderson, who also offer a standard Thursday night performance in the E-Bar at 59E59, talented musicians on the clarinet, sax and flute, are backed by their sextet in this cabaret production of "The Anderson Twins Play The Fabulous Dorseys."   

For more information and tickets, go to www.59e59.org.  

It's A Bright New Clear Day

You know you're in strange country when a strong, sane psychiatrist talks seriously about reincarnation.

David Turner as David Gamble, Jessie Mueller as Melinda Wells and Harry Connick Jr as Dr. Mark Bruckner in “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.” Photo by Nicole Rivelli

This peculiar territory is the premise of Alan Jay Lerner's and Burton Lane's 1965 musical "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever," at The St. James Theatre. (See opening night video.)

A word in retrospect, now that "On A Clear Day..." has drifted off into the sunset: Acting on "Law and Order" or performing one of his charming concerts, Harry Connick Jr. is a Sinatra for his generation. It has to be admitted that in "On A Clear Day...," he was not at his best, which is still pretty good.

The premise of the play is made all the odder still by script updates to Lerner's book contributed by Peter Parnell. Odder but still charming in its own loopy way.

Reset to 1974, with a bright psychedelic set by Christine Jones, "On A Clear Day..." is also enlivened by the presence, in addition to Harry Connick, Jr. as Dr. Mark Bruckner, of star discoveries, David Turner as his patient David Gamble and Jessie Mueller as Melinda Wells, David Gamble's most recent past life.

David stumbles into Dr. Bruckner's care after being inadvertently hypnotized, a trick the doctor performs during the class David goes to with his roommate Muriel (Sarah Stiles). It turns out that David is extremely susceptible to hypnosis.

David's sessions with Dr. Bruckner lead to the revelation that David was once Melinda Wells, an attractive and lively band singer from the '40s. When Dr. Bruckner meets her, he is smitten.

David Turner as David Gamble with Drew Gehling as Warren Smith, in a photo by Paul Kolnik

In the original version, Dr. Bruckner's patient was a woman. The original plot had none of the unwonted sexual-identity complications introduced in the current production.

Unwonted because Dr. Bruckner is straight. He is a man who, after three years, is still grieving the death of his wife. The complications, in which David thinks Dr. Bruckner is in love with him, and that he is in love with Dr. Bruckner, make the story line seem even more eccentric.

Kerry O’Malley as Dr. Sharone Stein, Dr. Bruckner's colleague and friend, in a photo by Paul Kolnik

David Turner is an exceptionally spirited performer. Drew Gehling who plays his lover, Warren Smith, is excellent. Jessie Mueller has plenty of talent. Lori Wilner's Mrs. Hatch, a secretary in the Kravis Institute where Dr. Bruckner works, delivers some very entertaining psycho-patter.
In fact, everyone in the cast of "A Clear Day..." does a terrific job in convincing us that all is well and normal. And the songs are truly lovely.

So, in short, all is forgiven, even though the day may be clear but the plot a bit foggy.

For more information about "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" visit http://onacleardaybroadway.com/
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A short history of "On A Clear Day..." can be found at Wikipedia:
The 1970 film adaptation, directed by Vincente Minelli, of the original Broadway hit (it received three Tony nods) starred Barbara Steisand, Yves Montand and Jack Nicholson. _______________________________________________________________________ Now that "On A Clear Day..." has drifted off into the sunset: Acting on "Law and Order" or performing one of his charming concerts, Harry Connick Jr. is a Sinatra for his generation. It has to be admitted that in "On A Clear Day...," he was not at his best, which is still pretty good.