This is “Being Alive” as Bobbie sings, ending the production for this generation. What a genius is Sondheim to create a piece that can be transformed and adapted so no one can say they changed this or that – it simply morphs, and each person takes away their own lessons, or not.
Sound, lighting, ambiance, and music, were marvelous this evening for Billy’s Stritch’s Birthday Bash at the wonderful Birdland’s Theater. Stritch was classically debonair, elegant, handsome, and looking sharp in his light blue suit, crisp white shirt, and jacket adorned with a pocket handkerchief. He mentioned something about “ age 59”, but I heard a fellow audience member call out “27”.
Jackson is a playful, soulful, dedicated artist as only Nottage could script. She humanizes MJ into a man to whom we relate and love. Even the skeptics in the audience paused to entertain something rare today – the other side of the story. Hearing MJ speak up for himself was powerful. Frost’s soft-spoken and demure manner made us lean in to hear what he was saying. His peaceful demeanor allures and provides the space to understand more than is simply stated.
There is something inherently wrong with a plot that features two women arguing over who has it worse off – one with three miscarriages or the other with five. Loosely based on the historical six wives of England’s King Henry VIII, the plot is a contest among the Tudor women to see who has suffered the most. Each wife panders to the audience, expressing their woes to be selected as the biggest loser. Midway they realize the absurdity of their arguing, and that the only thing that unifies them is a man. They decide to stop bickering, end the contest, and focus on a final musical number denoting their reconciliation.
In the Music Man, the handsome, urbane Jackman’s Harold Hill and lovely Sutton Foster were joyfully resplendent, bringing sunlit cheer to The Winter Garden
At Victor’s Cafe there are several traditional and satisfying rice dishes, seafood, and meat choices, but it’s best to leave room for dessert. There are seven choices, but I consider the Flan de Huevo ($9) the best. A caramel sauce that tempts you to drink it from the plate surrounded by the Cuban-style egg custard.
When Holden William Hagelberger as Trevor opens his mouth in Trevor the Musical and belts out the first song “Do You Know/On With the Show,” the audience realizes they will enjoy this production, no matter what the storyline is. The fantastic voice and natural acting talents of young Hagelberger are on display throughout this two-act play, set in fictional Lakeview Junior High School in 1981.
Kafka Metamorphosis the Musical at 54Below cleverly blends Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Letters to His Father into a rollercoaster ride. Massini’s dialogue is genius with real, raw emotion traded by factory walkers who, while they may seem different from one another, share the desire to keep their jobs and pay their bills.
