BIG APPLE CIRCUS ANNOUNCES NEW RINGMASTER AND THE RETURN OF GRANDMA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Vivacity Media Group, 212-812-1483                                                       Leslie Papa, Leslie@VivacityNY.com
Whitney Holden Gore, Whitney@VivacityNY.com
Ailsa Hoke, Ailsa@VivacityNY.com

BIG APPLE CIRCUS
ANNOUNCES NEW RINGMASTER
AND THE RETURN OF GRANDMA

40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
BEGINS OCTOBER 26, 2017
AT LINCOLN CENTER

(NEW YORK – May 18, 2017) The search is over! Producers Big Top Works are thrilled to announce that Ty McFarlan will be the new ringmaster for the 40th Anniversary season of the BIG APPLE CIRCUS. It was also announced that McFarlan, who has extensive experience as a ringmaster including several years with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, will be joined by fan favorite Grandma (performed by Barry Lubin), who makes her triumphant return after a five-year absence. McFarlan and Grandma join the previously announced headliner Nik Wallenda, the legendary high wire walker and ten-time world record-holding daredevil, who will perform the seven-man pyramid with his family – a feat never before seen under the big top. BIG APPLE CIRCUS proudly returns to its long-time home at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park from October 26, 2017 – January 7, 2018 and will be followed by a national tour.

 No stranger to the big top, McFarlan served as ringmaster with Ringling Brothers for four years. He credits his thirteen-year tenure as an officer in the Army National Guard and a strict ‘‘military brat” upbringing with preparing him for the job of the evanescent emcee of the big top. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in criminal justice, McFarlan followed his heart into a theatrical career that included theatre, TV, films, and eventually a stint with a national theater group that lead him to where he truly belongs – the circus.

“There’s nothing quite like the rich history and family atmosphere that comes with a circus,” says Ringmaster Mcfarlan. “When you think about it, few things in America have more tradition than the circus, which predates baseball, apple pie and Coca Cola! I’m so honored to be able to join one of New York’s greatest traditions and to share this experience with my new BIG APPLE CIRCUS family.”

For 25 seasons, Grandma was an iconic staple of BIG APPLE CIRCUS. A member of the Clown Hall of Fame and the Sarasota Ring of Fame (the highest honor in American Circus), Lubin could not be more ecstatic to be returning to the Big Top after performing across Europe and the US. Aside from being widely known as the face of Big Apple Circus, Lubin has enjoyed a career performing and directing with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, numerous top circuses in the European market, and has developed shows for Nickelodeon, MTV, CBS, Sea World, Disneyland and Disneyworld.

“I’m over the moon to be re-joining one of New York’s most beloved organizations,” Lubin says. “There’s nothing like the BIG APPLE CIRCUS, and I can’t wait to bring Grandma’s old tricks – along with some fresh new material – to the shiny new BIG APPLE CIRCUS and their fantastic audience that I know and love.”

Big Top Works, an affiliate of Compass Partners LLC, became the new owners of BIG APPLE CIRCUS on February 14, 2017 following a live auction and approval from the Board of Directors.  Big Top Works is comprised of Compass Partners managing partners Richard Perlman, Jim Price and Barry Salzman (who is the lead partner on the Big Apple Circus venture), as well as industry veteran Larry Solheim – who has a 30-plus year career working on and general managing circuses including BIG APPLE CIRCUS’s 2015-16 season – and Neil Kahanovitz, a renowned spine surgeon, theatrical producer, and former circus performer. The new producers share a passion for, and history with, the circus arts and are building a sustainable business plan that will revitalize the BIG APPLE CIRCUS while also honoring the legacy of its 40-year history.  In addition to exceptional programing, Big Top Works is committed to maintaining BIG APPLE CIRCUS’s established community outreach programs including the Circus of the Senses, Autism performances and Circus for All – in New York City and on tour in the 2017-18 Season.

The BIG APPLE CIRCUS was founded in the summer of 1977 by circus performers Paul Binder and Michael Christensen, with a mission to present authentic and thrilling circus arts, in the intimacy of the one-ring Big Top, for audiences of all incomes.By 1979 the Circus was generating enough money to fund two Circus Arts Schools and in 1983, launched its first tour. Throughout its 40-year run, BIG APPLE CIRCUS distinguished themselves by offering many community outreach programs including providing free tickets to underprivileged children and underserved schools.

@BigAppleCircus
www.BigAppleCircus.com

BIOGRAPHIES

ABOUT TY MCFARLAN

Tyron ‘‘Ty” McFarlan credits his 13-year tenure as an officer in the Army National Guard and a strict ‘‘military brat” upbringing with preparing him to be a ringmaster with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and the emcee of the Greatest Show on Earth. He graduated from University of South Carolina with a degree in criminal justice and then followed his heart into a theatrical career that included local theatre, TV, films and finally a stint with a national theater group, ultimately leading to his dream job as he became the 34th ringmaster in Ringling Bros.’ 138-year history.

Ty says that besides the thrill of performing live, the things he likes most about circus life are its family atmosphere and rich history. ‘‘When you think about, few things in America have more tradition than the circus which predates baseball, apple pie and Coca Cola.”

Ty has also tried his hand at acting as he can be seen as a recurring actor on Warner Bros.’ long running television series “One Tree Hill” where he plays a character named Charlie.  He also has landed an episode on one of America’s favorite shows “Army Wives” on the Lifetime network where he can be seen playing the character known as Paul Broman.

Although Ty enjoys and plans to continue acting on the silver screen and performing under the big top, he also plans to pursue his passion for pattern-making and clothing design.  He hopes that his fresh spin on cutting edge fashion and movable fabrics will appeal to the “on the move” athlete and modern day dare devil the world over.

ABOUT BARRY LUBIN

Barry Mark Lubin was born at Atlantic City Hospital in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 3, 1952. His alter ego, Grandma was born on January 1, 1975 in Venice, Florida. Barry lived in Ventnor, New Jersey until attending Emerson College in Boston from 1970 to 1973, completing three years before taking a year off to try to figure out what to do with his life. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College auditions in Boston in the spring of 1974 changed his direction entirely.

Barry has enjoyed a professional relationship with Nickelodeon Networks co-creating, starring in, and executive producing two television pilots while partnering with renowned director, Yvette Kaplan. Barry developed and directed comedy segments for MTV, CBS’s Circus of the Stars, and many other projects both live and in television. Barry directed many routines for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s touring units, for BIG APPLE CIRCUS, Sea World of Florida, Disneyland and Disneyworld, Clown College, and many others. Barry was recently featured in the PBS mini-series, “Circus,” which chronicled a year on the road with the BIG APPLE CIRCUS (www.pbs.org/circus) Barry has directed numerous shows for BIG APPLE CIRCUS outside the Big Top Touring Unit.

Barry enjoyed 5 seasons traveling with Ringling, a three year stand-up comedy stint in San Diego, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York, 25 seasons with New York’s famed one ring circus, BIG APPLE CIRCUS where he became the “Face of the Big Apple Circus,” and numerous other appearances around the world. Barry has continued to bring Grandma to audiences in theaters, on television, in Festivals, and in other circuses in America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. He starred in “Stars en Der Manege” which was broadcast in 8 European markets, Circo Massimo in Italy two times, and numerous other international television appearances. In the US he has appeared on “Prime Time Live,” on the national broadcasts of the morning programs on NBC, CBS, and ABC, on PBS’s “Evening at Pops,” on “Late Night with David Letterman” 4 times, was featured on PBS’s mini-series, “Circus” produced by Show of Force, and many others.

Barry was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Sarasota Ring of Fame in 2012, the highest honor in American Circus. He received the Lou Jacobs Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. He has appeared in the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo twice, the only American clown to have received this honor. He has also appeared in the International Circus Festivals in Hungary, in Izhevsk and Moscow, Russia. He is one of only two American clowns to appear in the 80 year history of prestigious Wintercirckus of Circus Krone in Munich where he was named, “The World’s Funniest Grandma.” He was named only the 5th Legend of the Parade Award in the 75 year history of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, where he was a featured character in 15 appearances both live and on NBC.

Barry is presently writing his memoirs about his remarkable life both in and outside the magical world of the circus.

ABOUT COMPASS PARTNERS LLC AND BIG TOP WORKS, LLC

Compass Partners LLC (“Compass Partners”), is a Sarasota-based merchant banking and advisory firm that specializes in middle market companies and corporate restructuring.  Founded by Richard Perlman in 1995, Compass Partners has had a successful track record revitalizing and growing a number of businesses across a wide range of sectors, from food equipment to healthcare services.  In addition to Perlman, Compass Partners includes Jim Price and Barry Salzman, who is the lead partner on the BIG APPLE CIRCUS Big Apple Circus venture.  Big Top Works, LLC (“Big Top”), is the latest affiliate of Compass Partners and is the official owner of the BIG APPLE CIRCUS. In addition to Compass, Big Top is comprised of a team of investors who share a common passion for the circus arts including Neil Kahanovitz, an orthopedic surgeon, theatrical producer and former circus performer, and Larry Solheim, a 30-year circus veteran.

ABOUT NEIL KAHANOVITZ

As a child, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, the answer never changed, “an orthopedic surgeon and a circus performer.”  He achieved both dreams.  While attending medical school, Kahanovitz took a leave of absence to perform in the comedy trampoline act and later as an aerialist in circuses across the country. Once he graduated, Kahanovitz went on to a distinguished career in the medical field. He has been published in over 50 articles in scientific journals, written about spinal disorders in eleven medical textbooks and published a book on the care and treatment of low back pain.  He has served as President of the North American Spine Society and has received the prestigious Volvo Award for Low Back Pain Research, as well as a Commendation from The United States House Physician’s Office for his care and surgery performed on members of the United States Supreme Court and Congress.  He was also awarded one of the Soviet Union’s most prestigious civilian honors, The Order of The Supreme Soviet Medal of Personal Courage, for organizing relief efforts following a devastating earthquake in Armenia. Despite the success of his medical career, his show business interests resurfaced in the late 1990’s.  He has since produced plays and musicals on Broadway, in London’s West End, Chicago, Los Angeles and Off-Broadway.   He is thrilled to bring the BIG APPLE CIRCUS to its rightful place among the most cherished New York City cultural icons. And for a chance to run away with the circus. Not once, but twice!

ABOUT LARRY SOLHEIM

A proud veteran, Solheim has worked in the travelling entertainment field –  as a performing artist, composer/arranger, conductor, educator and, most notably, a production manager – for over 35 years. Most recently, he was the Vice President and General Manager for BIG APPLE CIRCUS, brought in to oversee the touring unit and identify the issues responsible for its declining financial situation. As General Manager, Solheim oversaw the circus’ 17-million-dollar operational budget, managed and optimized all elements of the touring operations, including its 150+ team members, and coordinated research and communications with all corporate departments and directors. Prior to the BIG APPLE CIRCUS,Solheim worked for TZ Productions as Musical Director and General Manager for 26 years, where he coordinated and managed performances in up to 70 cities per year (45 building venues and 25 tent venues).

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Ailsa Hoke
Vivacity Media Group
1650 Broadway, Suite 609, New York, NY 10019
212-812-1483 

    

Guest Review: “Face Off” A review of WAR PAINT at the Nederlander Theatre

Face Off

A review of

WAR PAINT
at the Nederlander Theatre
by Moshe Bloxenheim

April 26, 2017

WAR PAINT is a glamorous show with a marvelous cast, stunning sets, stylish costumes and a really engrossing Second Act.

Act Two shows the competing heads of the cosmetics and beauty industry, Miss Elizabeth Arden and Madame Helena Rubinstein, having survived Governmental hearings and the Food and Drug Administration’s investigations into their product lines. All seems bleak until the outbreak of war causes an increased demand for cosmetics and a need for technologies that are patriotically developed and supplied by both Mme. Rubinstein and Miss Arden’s companies. The Postwar boom places the two ladies in what seem to be unassailable positions in the cosmetics market. After a few years, the business changes as new competitors seek out the youth market, use new forms of advertising and sell product lines that our heroines deem tasteless and shoddy. Miss Elizabeth Arden and Mme. Helena Rubinstein must then face being figures of the past with shrinking empires who cannot adapt because their pride and high standards will not let them come to terms with a rapidly changing trade and radically different concepts of beauty. The ladies must also live with the effects that their drive and determination have left on their personal lives.

There is much that is thoughtful and sympathetic this last act and the show delivers some fine moments of theater. Unfortunately to get to Act Two, one must sit through a First Act that tells much about the protagonists but can’t quite figure out how to hook the audience.

Act One begins with Miss Elizabeth Arden approaching the height of her career as the socially approved supplier of cosmetics and beauty treatments. As her success increases, her husband and merchandising assistant Tommy Lewis chafes at the fact that he is his wife’s subordinate and cannot be a public part of MISS Arden’s success. To add to her worries, her competitor Madame Helena Rubinstein has returned from Europe and has repurchased the American wing of the firm she had sold off before the 1929 stock market crash. Mme. Rubinstein is zealously developing new products and treatments and her assistant Harry Fleming is eagerly providing new ideas to reestablish her cosmetics as a necessary luxury. Unfortunately he too is beginning to feel that his work is not being properly appreciated. Deep in the throes of competition new alliances are forged, relationships severed and the ladies bring the FDA down upon the entire cosmetics industry.

Based on Ms. Lindy Woodhead’s book “War Paint” and Ms. Ann Carol Grossman and Mr. Arnie Reisman’s documentary “The Powder & the Glory”, Mr. Doug Wright’s book for WAR PAINT clearly had to deal with an embarrassment of riches. It was a brave decision to focus on the ladies at their best and follow their paths to becoming obsolete relics in the fields that they had created, but the audience ends up being told about the things that make and drive Miss Arden and Mme. Rubinstein, rather than being shown what happened. True, there are quite a few interesting scenes, such as Harry Fleming showing Mme. Rubinstein how her face crème can be marketed in different ways or Miss Arden’s rejection of Revlon founder Charles Revson while she inspires his young lady assistant, but the actions are a double course of the characters: 

  • Being successful at any cost.
  • Making decisions that alienate the men in their lives because they are women.
  • Wondering what that horrible woman at the other company is doing.
  • Scheming how to get ahead of that horrible woman at the other company.

 None of these are bad story points by any means, but as they are currently presented they are easily topped by the more intriguing references of prior events – Mme. Rubinstein leaving Poland for Australia to escape an arranged marriage or Miss Arden’s being born as Florence Nightingale Graham, etc. Instead of fully focusing on how their climb has made them who they are, we see these ladies spend much of their time pushing concoctions on a credulous public, aggravating men and playing dirty tricks on one another. While this still provides Act Two with a solid basis to tell the story, it also leaves Act Two to do the work of pulling the audience in: Both ladies may be outsiders who aspire to an American Dream they are not allowed to be a part of, but there is little reason in Act One to care for either of them.

The cast is really great and work so very hard to make the most of WAR PAINT.

Ms. Christine Ebersole is amazing as Miss Elizabeth Arden, the lady who longs for acceptance into the highest social circles, but who has worked too hard to ever leave behind the days when she mixed up the face lotions herself. Even in Act One she has some magical moments such as her performance of the number “Better Yourself” which is sung to a young lady who also has business aspirations, but it is in Act Two where Ms. Ebersole shines, becoming downright heartbreaking in the angry self-review of her career “Pink”. We feel for this Elizabeth Arden who is appalled by the world that seems to be turning cheap and inferior while remaining as unwelcoming as ever.

As Miss Arden’s nemesis, Ms. Patti LuPone brilliantly creates a fierce and dominating Helena Rubinstein who has never left her past, in part because she knows that no one else will let her forget who she is: a Jew and a woman. She too must battle to keep ahead and she feels that every cosmetic advance she can create is hers and hers alone even if she hires the brightest people to help market her products. There are times when Ms. LuPone’s take on her character’s Polish/Yiddish accent (by way of Australia, London and Paris) defeats her intelligibility, but all vocal confusions are forgiven whenever Ms. LuPone lands a number. In the End of Act Two, Helena sings “Forever Beautiful”, a number about trying to stop time with art that could have easily been a tribute to a woman’s self-absorption and mania as a collector of her own portraits, but Ms. LuPone makes it a touching appreciation of a woman who is facing the end of her life without any of the consolations of love and family.

Tommy Lewis is the husband of Miss Elizabeth Arden. He is a very talented businessman and gives much to his wife’s enterprise, but resents being Mr. Elizabeth Arden. Harry Fleming begins as Mme. Rubinstein’s brilliant marketing and advertising man who is treated like a son and soon enough discovers some of the reasons Mme. Rubinstein’s male family members keep a good distance from her. Mr. John Dosetti’s Tommy Lewis is excellent as the husband who feels more and more out of place in his wife’s world. Similarly, Mr. Douglas Sills gives an admirable performance as Harry Fleming, a man who thinks he deserves more credit than Madame will give anyone. There is humor and much pathos in the fact that these two individuals can be so interchangeable in the lives of Mme. Rubinstein and Miss Arden that when they end up leaving these ladies both gentlemen merely switch bosses and much continues as before (which makes one wonder how intelligent Lewis and Fleming really are if they think the other lady would give them any more recognition – but who am I to quibble with a reality that does make for a darned good plot twist?). When watching Messrs. John Dosetti and Douglas Sills play these roles so expertly, I just kept imagining Director Michael Greif saying “You are the embodiment of all the emasculated men in the lives of these ladies.” A surprising highlight was their number “Dinosaurs” sung by the gentlemen at the end of their careers as they see their bosses and their companies being left behind by the youth culture and changes in fashion. Of course, after some of the really bad advice they both give their bosses in Act One (which brings on the FDA) I wondered why anyone would keep listening to them.

Mr. Erk Liberman’s Charles Revson is fine as a determined though unpolished male parallel to Miss Arden and Mme. Rubinstein and Ms. Steffanie Leigh is memorably eye-catching as Dorian Leigh. They also perform other people in the in the world of our two Ladies as do the rest of the superb company: Most notably Ms. Mary Ernster who summons up the best of Helen Hokinson’s Dowager cartoons from the New Yorker.

 Director Michael Greif clearly understands the importance of Act Two because he could have easily introduced an element of camp into Act One which might have made it more enjoyable (indeed it begs for camp) but that would have hurt the Second Act. Instead, regardless of its flaws, Act One is consistent with Act Two which gives the decline from greatness far more grounding. Mr. Greif also shows skill in how he deftly handles two lead characters who are constantly on the same stage yet cannot acknowledge each other’s presence. This makes for a wonderful payoff in certain scenes, especially at the end of the show.

Unfortunately he too cannot overcome the snags of Act One nor the problems with some of the numbers.

Elizabeth and Helena exhibit a dignity and maturity that does not allow for much in the way of high kicks and twirls, so Choreographer Christopher Gattelli makes them the center of a world that dances around them, creating some very imaginative numbers such as “Best Face Forward” an overview of how cosmetics can affect a woman’s world and “Step on Out” where Tommy Lewis and Harry Fleming both have a night out to blow off steam in their different (yet similar) ways.

Mr. Lawrence Yurman ably conducts Mr. Bruce Coughlin’s standard Broadway house orchestrations of Mr. Scott Frankel’s Music and Mr. Michael Korie’s lyrics. This makes for some songs that show off Mss. LuPone and Ebersol to their best advantage, and lay out the situations quite well. But besides the funny, self-pitying “Dinosaurs” and the angry “Pink” the tunes seemed to vanish from memory. The scenes were there, but not the numbers themselves. Additionally, certain pieces made very important points but didn’t know when to stop. “Now You Know” is Helena’s musing upon overhearing Elizabeth having one of her greatest disappointments right after Helena herself has been reminded that as a Jew she is still sometimes unwelcome. It is a sincere and sympathetic song that underscores their outsider status and similarity but kept on long after its message was delivered. Similarly the Revlon TV commercial “Fire and Ice” begins as the ideal contrast between the changing world of the 1950’s and the ideals of Elizabeth and Helena, but since it is also out to evoke the banalities of a television ad, this 60 second spot goes on for at least five or more minutes more than necessary as if the producers were determined to get their money’s worth of the gowns and mirror sets.

Admittedly, the sets and costumes are well worth showing off. Mr. David Corin has come up with some striking scenic designs that range from the beautiful salon backdrop of frosted geometric bottles and jars on row after row of illuminated shelves to the simple yet effective TV studio mirrors for the “Fire and Ice” number and the sedate St. Regis restaurant where people can be heard and not seen. Mr. Kevin Posner lights up each scene with great care allowing moments to successfully transition in a cinematic way and enables intimate scenes to flow easily into public displays.

The look of the people onstage is just as outstanding. Ms. Catherin Zuber’s exceptional costumes capture each period from the 1930’s to the 1960’s and Ms. Angelina Avallone’s makeup designs and Mr. David Brian Browns’ wigs are superb, making Ms. Ebersole a feminine vision of pink determination and giving Ms. LuPone the perfect look of Helena Rubinstein down to her the unforgettable jet black hair.

Mr. Brian Ronan’s sound system works admirably, assisting the performers on stage instead of taking over for them.

Overall, the stage work is truly top notch and the high caliber of the performances alone could have done much to make a reasonably good show become a must-see treat for the audience. But all the effort given to WAR PAINT is sadly defeated by a weak first act and an often unremarkable score.

NEDERLANDER THEATRE
208 West 41st St
Between 7th & 8th Ave

BOOK BY DOUG WRIGHT ~ MUSIC BY SCOTT FRANKEL ~ LYRICS BY MICHAEL KORIE
ALSO STARRING JOHN DOSSETT AND DOUGLAS SILLS
CHOREOGRAPHED BY CHRISTOPHER GATTELLI
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL GREIF

NEW BLOCK OF TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON!
BUY TICKETS

About the reviewer:

MOSHE BLOXENHEIM
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York. Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

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PRESS RELEASE: UPSTAIRS INFERNO DOCUMENTARY 

Note: There are no showings currently in NYC. Click this link http://www.caminaentertainment.com/Upstairs_Inferno/Screenings.htmlto get info on where you can see this life-changing film.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACCLAIMED GAY MASS MURDER DOCUMENTARY

UPSTAIRS INFERNO

From award winning director, Robert L. Camina and Executive Producers behind “Back on Board: Greg Louganis”, “Raid of the Rainbow Lounge” and “Southern Baptist Sissies”, comes UPSTAIRS INFERNO, a poignant and timely documentary chronicling the deadly 1973 New Orleans gay bar arson: an event that remained the Largest Gay Mass Murder in U.S. History for 43 years.

On June 24, 1973, an arsonist set fire to the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar located on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana.  For 43 years, it was the deadliest single event to affect the gay community in U.S. history.  Despite the staggering historical significance, few people know about the tragedy. Thirty-two people were killed and some bodies were never identified. One-third of the New Orleans chapter of the Metropolitan Community Church were killed in the blaze, including two clergy.  The primary suspect was never charged with the crime. The tragedy did not stop at the loss of lives. There were also the delayed injuries: lost jobs, fear, public ridicule and severed families. The devastation was compounded by the homophobic reactions and utter lack of concern by the general public, government and religious leaders. The fire permanently altered lives and was the root of many lifelong struggles.  

I think UPSTAIRS INFERNO (96 minutes) is the most comprehensive and authoritative film about the fire and its aftermath.   However, I didn’t want to create a stagnant documentary, with only an exposition of facts. Through very honest and intimate interviews, I wanted to humanize the story and show the real impact the fire had on the victims’ friends, families and the LGBT movement. It’s easy to trivialize a situation when you gloss over a headline in a newspaper (or a Facebook post). There is something about SEEING and HEARING the story from those who experienced an event, that truly makes it “real.” That’s what possesses the potential to create change.

However, UPSTAIRS INFERNO isn’t simply a stagnant exposition of facts. UPSTAIRS INFERNO brings humanity to the headlines by shining a light on the very painful effect the tragedy had on survivors, witnesses and loved ones.  Their interviews are gut wrenching, yet insightful.  Some of the people interviewed in the film haven’t publicly discussed the fire until now, especially on camera. The film is narrated by New Orleans’ own New York Times Best Selling Author, CHRISTOPHER RICE.

Featuring over 20 powerful interviews, it’s specifically noteworthy to mention that the film includes a rare, heartbreaking interview of a survivor who lost her lover, Reggie Adams in the blaze. As part of her long healing process, she legally changed her name to “Regina Adams” in honor of her “one true love”. In addition, the film includes Ricky Everett and Francis Dufrene (two survivors who barely escaped the inferno), a son of one of the victims, Reverend Elder Troy Perry (Founder of the Metropolitan Community Church), Johnny Townsend (Author, “Let the Faggots Burn”), Clayton-Delery Edwards (Author, “The Up Stairs Arson”), Clancy DuBos and Ronnie LeBouef (Two former employees of the Times-Picayune newspaper) and many more.

UPSTAIRS INFERNO is different than any other project the public has ever seen about the fire! UPSTAIRS INFERNO features exclusive interviews, reveals facts audiences have never heard and uncovers long lost artifacts, archival interviews and footage few people have ever heard or seen.

Audiences should expect to see a balance between investigative reporting and very intimate profiles of people lost or affected by the tragedy. The victims are more than statistics, more then names in a newspaper clipping or even names on a plaque.    These were unfinished lives, tragically cut short by a senseless act.   The victims and their families and friends left to cope with the aftermath deserved better treatment than what they got.  

“This is a gruesome story, there is no way around it and in light of June’s mass shooting at a gay bar in Florida, the parallels strike a painful chord”, acknowledges Director Robert L. Camina.  “Hopefully, now, more than ever, audiences walk away from the film with a renewed call for compassion: Compassion for those unlike us. Compassion for those who are hurting. Compassion for those in need.  Because there definitely wasn’t a lot of compassion when the deadly arson occurred.  In addition, I hope the film acts as a stark reminder that we need to seize the day.  We need to make sure we tell our loved ones every day that we love them, because we don’t know what lies ahead.  Life is fickle and unpredictable. Today may be our last chance.”

UPSTAIRS INFERNO recently received the JURY AWARD: HONORABLE MENTION at Frameline: the San Francisco International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, citing its “Special Contribution to Queer History“, the JURY AWARD: BEST MEN’S DOCUMENTARY FEATURE and AUDIENCE AWARD: BEST MEN’S FEATURE at the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AWARD at the Long Beach QFilm Festival, the JURY AWARD: BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM at the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the  AUDIENCE AWARD: FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY at the North Louisiana Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and the JURY & AUDIENCE AWARDS: BEST DOCUMENTARY at FilmOut San Diego.   In February 2017, UPSTAIRS INFERNO was honored to receive an invitation to screen at the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

This is an incredibly important story in LGBT history and its underlying message will resonate across the globe, not just in the U.S..  Especially in the wake of the Orlando tragedy, we must continue to educate and enlighten people.  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  UPSTAIRS INFERNO can open the door to a cathartic and constructive global conversation.

Some of the images in UPSTAIRS INFERNO are graphic in nature and may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

OFFICIAL TRAILER:

UPSTAIRS INFERNO – Trailer 1 [HD] (www.UpstairsInferno.com) from Camina Entertainment on Vimeo.

https://vimeo.com/94900386 or www.UpstairsInferno.com

CHRISTOPHER RICE  (narrator) is a New York Times best selling author.  His debut, “A Density of Souls”, was an overnight best seller, and was greeted with a landslide of media attention, much of it due to the fact that Christopher is the son of legendary vampire chronicler, Anne Rice.   Much of his writing is heavily influenced by the years he and his Mom lived in New Orleans.  Rice considers New Orleans his “hometown”.   Christopher currently co-hosts his own Internet radio show, THE DINNER PARTY SHOW, with fellow New York Times best selling novelist, Eric Shaw Quinn.  Rice recently published the novel, “The Vines”, which is set in the outskirts of New Orleans. Christopher Rice also wrote the adapted screenplay for Anne Rice’s novel, “The Tale of the Body Thief”, which was acquired by Universal Pictures in November 2014, according to Variety Magazine.

ROBERT L. CAMINA (director) wrote, directed and produced several short films before premiering his first full length documentary, RAID OF THE RAINBOW LOUNGE (2012) to sold out audiences, rave reviews and a media frenzy.  RAID OF THE RAINBOW LOUNGE recounts the widely publicized and controversial June 28, 2009 police raid of a Fort Worth, Texas gay bar that resulted in multiple arrests and serious injuries. The raid occurred on the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Inn raid.  The film, narrated by TV icon Meredith Baxter, screened during 33 mainstream and LGBT film festivals across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The film won several awards including 5 “Best” Film and 3 “Audience Choice” Awards.  The film also received attention from the Office of the White House, Department of Justice and a division of the U.S. State Department.  At their invitation, the Library of Congress hosted a screening in October 2014.
(www.RaidoftheRainbowLounge.com)

For more information:
www.UpstairsInferno.com 

Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/UpstairsInferno

Twitter:  @UPSTAIRSINFERNO 

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GUEST REVIEWER: Life behind the Wicked Stage. PERFECTING THE KISS

Life behind the Wicked Stage

A review of Mind The Gap Theatre & YouBlinked Productions presentation of

PERFECTING THE KISS

At the NuBox Theater/John DeSotelle Studios
April 20, 2017
by Moshe Bloxenheim

 

Billed as a “Mocumentary for the Stage”, Mr. Scott C. Sickles’ excellent play PERFECTING THE KISS is a savagely hilarious show that finds its wit in the way very real and flawed personalities pursue their desires even when it clashes with how they present themselves and what they want to achieve.

Helen McMillan – the former Stage Manager of Harvest Carruthers’ latest overwrought play – very bluntly begins by announcing that what we are about to see is a form of therapy. We are then taken back to the very first script reading of Harvest’s play where we see director Edwina cheerfully welcoming the sensitive and word-proud author, the two actors Mike and Buck and kind of acknowledging Helen. It is soon very clear that Edwina has her own reasons for casting Mike in this show and Mike is not exactly thrilled with either her motives or the show itself. Mike is also disconcerted by Buck’s rather overblown first reading which does not quite mesh with his own low-key style of rehearsing. But Harvest seems more and more fascinated by Buck even as he begins to change his sacred texts… and so it continues.

Mr. Sickles lets his situations evolve into farce in a way that is every bit as sidesplitting as it is realistic. This is theater: an industry where everyone acts on what they think they have heard and seen and are all too willing to take each other at face value. So actions and reactions pile up in a believable comedy of manners that works on multiple levels – firstly as a really funny show where people have to work together even while pursuing each other in a sort of mad Mobius strip of desire. Then there is the added treat of evil recognition for anyone who has been to one too many play readings or rehearsals of a certain offbeat theatrical type.

The cast is wonderfully directed by Ms. Paula D’Alessandris, who clearly understands that the characters of PERFECTING THE KISS are not mere theatrical stereotypes hyped up for a laugh, and that the reality of these people make the show even funnier. If there is any exaggeration it is all in the realm of possibility so that we can really feel Helen’s anguish even when we laugh at the ludicrousness of it all.

Ms. Helen McMillan is brilliant as the alternately pestered and ignored Stage Manager Helen McMillan (Yes, that is the name of both actress and character). As the Cinderella who blows up the Ball just as her fairy coach arrives, Ms. McMillan’s understated recollection of the egos and issues of the people involved absurdly heightens her sense of walking on emotional whoopee cushions. She is truly an actress who knows how wield a wry brief comment and isn’t afraid to use it.

As Harvest Carruthers, the playwright, Mr. Hugo Trebels presents one of those sensitive creative types who cannot easily write a simple sentence if several pages of dialogue can suffice. Of course every one of his written words is sacrosanct and woe betides the people who cannot read his mind: he wants to uplift the audience’s intellect. Mr. Trebels never misses a trick, whether Harvest is being outraged by the honesty of a person who truly admires him, flattered by one of his actors or taking out his frustration in his scripts revisions.

Harvest’s director Edwina O’Halloran is another prize piece of work. She is intent on keeping Harvest happy, while trying to make his play more presentable. But besides the many concerns involved with the show, Edwina wants actor Mike Porter to be in love with her and cannot appreciate the fact that Mike is gay. This all leads to some fascinating mind games which Ms. Janette Johnston‘s superb Edwina plays with great skill.

Mr. George Redner gives a fine tuned performance as Mike Porter, one of the two actors in Harvest’s play. Though he may not show it initially, Mike is one of those actors who will put everything he has into doing a good job – no matter what he thinks of the material and in spite of having to cope with Edwina’s maneuverings.

The other actor, Jonah ‘Buck’ Jackson is played with a delightful Gee Whiz charm by Mr. Patrick Harman. ‘Buck’ may seem innocent enough but he knows what to do when he needs to, even if he apparently has no idea how much Harvest is attracted to him. In addition, Messrs. Harman and Redner’s work as two actors of VERY different styles and their interactions in rehearsals are some of the comic highlights of PERFECTING THE KISS. Both gentlemen are truly believable in their offstage and onstage moments.

Naturally kudos must be given to Ms. Judith Feingold as the actual Stage Manager for helping PERFECTING THE KISS move forward convincingly with only lighting, sound and minimal sets.

 PERFECTING THE KISS is a truly funny show that I cannot recommend highly enough. Alas, it has just ended its limited run and I can only finish by wishing that it soon be brought back onstage again.

CAST & CREATIVES
PATRICK HARMAN – Jonah “Buck” Jackson
JANETTE JOHNSTON – Edwina O’Halloran
HELEN MCMILLAN – Narrator
GEORGE REDNER – Mike Porter
HUGO TREBELS – Harvest Carruthers
Directed by PAULA D’ALESSANDRIS
Written by SCOTT C SICKLES

About the reviewer:

MOSHE BLOXENHEIM
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York. Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

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Have You Seen This Dog? A review of “The Play That Goes Wrong”

Have You Seen This Dog?
A review of
“The Play That Goes Wrong”
at the Lyceum Theatre
April 6th – 7:00pm

When I saw The Play That Goes Wrong during its first week of previews, I was approached at intermission by one of the members of the ‘Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’, who are attempting to put on a 1920s’ murder mystery, asking me if I had seen a man with a yellow shirt I told him that I was wearing a yellow shirt to which he replied, “You’re no help at all!” and scurried away muttering under his breath.

At my second viewing last night, as a representative of the Press, I was reprimanded by another ‘Drama Society’ member for my scarf/tie was “Inappropriate for Theatre wear” and “Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to dress?” and followed up with other cast members apologizing to me and arguing with him about how he treats the American audiences.

Such are the antics before the show and during intermission contributing to arguably the funniest and most well executed comedies I have ever seen in my life!

The Play That Goes Wrong now playing at the Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street, NYC) is every door slamming, pratfall, missed cue, early entrance farcical comedy you have ever seen rolled into one and on steroids! It is nearly two hours of constant laughter, guffaws and “Oh no!” moments ever put on stage.

As I mentioned above, the members of the ‘Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’, are attempting to put on a 1920s’ murder mystery called, “The Murder at Haversham Manor”, written by Susie H. K. Brideswell, but that play isn’t really important, as a matter of fact, after two viewings, I’m still not sure ‘whodunnit’ or why! It’s the performance, or lack thereof, of the play that is the point here.

You can already sense that things are going to get out of hand from the moment you enter the Theatre and see the crew, led by Annie, the stage manager, played with a subtle brilliance by Bryony Corrigan (during previews I saw Nancy Zamit who was equally great) and Trevor, the company’s lighting and sound operator, played with expert daftness by Rob Falconer, (who spends most of the play in a box above stage right working lights and sound while texting and not paying attention),  who are puttering around on the stage fixing last minute set and prop problems. They even enlist the help of an unsuspecting audience member down front. Did I mention the completely inappropriate pre-show house music playing while all this is going on?

When the lights go down we are introduced to Chris, played with appropriate snootiness and skill by Henry Shields, who is the head of the ‘Drama Society’, ‘Director’ of the play, and who plays the character of Inspector Carter. He is obviously stalling for time as the crew is still readying the set, which keeps falling apart as quickly as they can fix it.

From here it gets crazy, so pay careful attention. Each person is three people. The Actor, the ‘Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’ member, and the character they portray in “The Murder at Haversham Manor”. Got it? Ok. Moving on…

The play within a play opens with Jonathan playing Charles Haversham, (played with deafening subtlety by Greg Tannahill, the worst corpse ever) who is dead (?) being discovered in his study at his engagement party by Robert (the purposefully overacted, pompously riotous, and agile Henry Lewis) playing Thomas Colleymoore, Charles’ best friend, and Dennis (daftly played by Jonathan Sayer) playing Perkins, Charles’ manservant, who can’t remember his lines and shouts most of them.

After discovering the body they try to figure out the best way to break the news to Sandra (delightfully hammed up and overplayed by Charlie Russell) playing Florence Colleymoore, Charles’ fiancè and Thomas’ sister who has also been having an affair with Max (who as portrayed with calculated silliness by Dave Hearn) playing Cecil Haversham ( who gets distracted by audience laughter and applause), Charles’ brother (as well as Arthur the Gardener).

Confused? GOOD! That’s how it’s supposed to be. But it’s not about who plays whom – it’s about the timing. TIMING IS EVERYTHING and it has never been better timed than by this group of actors. While what goes wrong, and I refuse to spoil it for you here, seems to be a sequence of random events ‘just happening’ they are, in reality, a series of perfectly staged ‘accidents’. What impressed me most is that there is nothing happening on that stage that isn’t planned down to the precise moment of execution by this amazing cast. In addition, the physical humor and the agility of the actors getting slammed by doors and trays plus the acrobatics perpetrated by all, including some of the, shall we say, heftier actors, is a thing of beauty as well. Combine that with the acting, overacting, missed cues, forgotten lines, and pratfalls and you have the audience laughing non-stop through both acts and remembering The Play That Goes Wrong long after the curtain (and more) comes down.

In The Play That Goes Wrong whatever can go wrong does go wrong and boy, does every second of it feel so right!


I would like to also mention that this all comes together under the expert Direction of Mark Bell, featuring a beautiful and perfect set design by Nigel Hook, with lighting design by Ric Mountjoy, sound design by Andy Johnson (with special thanks to Duran, Duran) original music by Rob Falconer; the real production stage manager, Matt DiCarlo, and exquisite period costume design by Roberto Surace.

Last but not least, a huge shout-out to J.J. Abrams who, on a rare night off from filming Star Wars in London, asked to see some original English theatre and fell so much in love with this play that he decided to bring it here to the Colonies for all of us to enjoy!

Thank you J.J.!

Oh… I almost forgot…

The Play That Goes Wrong (Running Time: 2 hours including one intermission) stars the original Olivier Award winning West End cast featuring Rob Falconer, Dave Hearn, Henry Lewis, Charlie Russell, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Greg Tannahill and Nancy Zamit.  (Bryony Corrigan was on for Nancy Zamit at this reviewed show).

Produced by Kevin McCollum, J. J. Abrams, Kenny Wax, Stage Presence Ltd. and Catherine Schreiber.

Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, The Play That Goes Wrong is a riotous comedy about the theatre. The play introduces The ‘Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’ who are attempting to put on a 1920s’ murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong…does, as the accident prone thespians battle on against all the odds to get to their final curtain call.

The Play That Goes Wrong is playing at The Lyceum Theatre – 149 West 45th Street, in New York, NY. For tickets call Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or 800-447-7400, or purchase them online.

GUEST REVIEWER: DEAR WORLD at The York Theatre

Small WORLD, isn’t it?

A Review of Musicals in Mufti’s concert production of

DEAR WORLD

At the York Theatre
by Moshe Bloxenheim 

Musicals in Mufti’s concert production of DEAR WORLD is one of those lovingly staged productions that can beguile an audience into wondering why this show didn’t work the first time? With a book based on Monsieur Jean Geraudoux’s play THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT and an often delightful score by Jerry Herman, DEAR WORLD relates how Countess Aurelia, Madwoman of Chaillot saves humanity from being overrun by the soulless seekers of money and power. In the Countess’ adventure the audience is introduced to the characters who make up her world and those who threaten it.

The Prospector and the three corporate Presidents seek to destroy the Countess’ beloved Paris for the lake of oil that they know is below the city. Mr. Gordon Stanley is a perfectly peevish Prospector who is driven by oil and cannot see any romance beside it. He fits perfectly in with the Presidents who are played with relish by Messrs. Stephen Mo Hanan, Peter Land and J. Bernard Calloway. All the gentlemen gleefully twirl a metaphysical villainous mustache with panache, bringing their best to their anthem of greed “Just A Little Bit More” and being merrily hissable in “The Spring of Next year” where they exult in the destruction of Paris.

The young executive Julian had been one of their crew until he realized that people would be hurt and Mr. Hunter Ryan Herdlicka manages to show this change of heart quite briefly and yet credibly. Indeed, under the Countess’ idealistic spell Julian goes from accomplice to uncertain to penitent to hero and lover and the handsome Mr. Herdlicka accomplishes the changes with charm and ease, most memorably in a tender scene where Julian pretends to be Adolphe Bertaut – the man who had broken the Countess’ heart many years in the past.
Nina is a waitress and general factotum at the Café Francis – the bistro where the Countess holds court and the place that the Prospector wants to destroy to start the oil drilling. Ms. Erika Henningsen makes a sweet and pretty Nina who clearly enjoys being a part of the Countess’ world. We root for her Nina and Julian to fall in love with each other and cheer when Ms. Henningsen sings “I Never Said I Love You” (even with its inept positioning in the show).

One of the Countess’ aides and links from the harsh real world to her romantic existence is Mr. Lenny Wolpe’s jovial Sewerman. From his number “Pretty Garbage” and onwards Mr. Wolpe creates a man who has his mind in the most delightful of gutters, giving cheerful denials about the outrageous world below that make it seem even more wonderful and fantastic. When the Sewerman gives a “sympathetic” defense of the rich in Act Two, Mr. Wolpe extracts some wonderfully timely comedy out of the moment.

It is a talent indeed to play a role without practically a word and Mr. Kristopher Thompson-Bolden makes a beautiful Mute – the observer of all and assistant to the Countess. For a man who will not speak, Mr. Kristopher Thompson-Bolden’s Mute is a real chatty soul and can even deliver a song with flair – allowing gesture and dance to supply the lyrics that are then picked up and sung by the other performers.

Other helpful men who brighten the stage are Mr. Dewey Caddell as the Police Sergeant and Ben Cherry who is the Waiter at the Café Francis.

Two other Madwomen assist the Countess: Ms. Alison Fraser gives us a striking and memorable Madame Constance, Madwoman of the Market. She could have jauntily stepped out of an Edward Gorey drawing but her fancies are less gothic and more aurally and erotically absurd.

Adding to the fun, Ms. Ann Harada’s superb Madmoiselle Gabrielle, Madwoman of Montmarte is relentlessly virginal and unsullied. Ms. Harada’s character could simply be childish and a bore about her imaginary lap dog, Dickie, but Ms. Harada makes us see why the others would care for her and even makes us wonder if we aren’t seeing the dog too, even though Mlle. Gabrielle then claims she hadn’t brought Dickie after all.

Finally, the Doyenne of Madwomen: Countess Aurelia, Madwoman of Chaillot.
Ms. Tyne Daly gives a definitive performance as the sanest Madwoman there ever was, living in a romantic dream that must be cruelly interrupted to save the beauty of the real world. As a Madwoman, Ms. Daly sensibly gives her Countess the only French Accent in this stage Paris and often seems to have to refocus her fantasy driven mind. Musically, Ms. Daly does not sing her songs prettily but delivers them to brilliant effect, making them truly enchanting. The Countess’ plea against reality “I Don’t Want to Know” is downright heart-stirring as Ms. Daly performs it. Then again, the Madwoman’s tea party in Act Two could easily become a scene stealing battle, but Ms. Daly is clearly at stage center joining in with Ms. Harada and Ms. Fraser in creating a wonderful piece of musical theater studded with comic gems. You want to hug and take care of Ms. Daly’s Countess even while knowing full well that she is more than capable of taking care of you.

Mr. Michael Montel directs DEAR WORLD with the clear understanding that the more intimate this show is, the better it will work and makes the most of the small York Theatre Stage with its basic setting by Mr. James Morgan and lighting by Brian Nason. He does his best to make us forget some of the bumpier moments of the book and well evokes the fairy tale atmosphere of this whimsical story.

There have been times when I have been to a musical that sadly manages to evoke earlier recording of the show by its current shortcomings. Happily, this cannot be said of DEAR WORLD where Mr. Christopher McGovern’s first-rate musical direction and piano playing – along with the fine bass and accordion skills of Mr. Louis Tucci – sound anything but spare.

Messrs. Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s original book for DEAR WORLD has been revised by Mr. David Thompson and he has made a noble effort of reworking and tightening the show, changing the song order, working with added material and introducing some numbers to better effect. While “Just a Little Bit More” is not my favorite number, it now gives a suitable way for our Villains to better define who they are and relocating “The Spring of Next Year” to Act Two gives these characters a number that lets them reestablish themselves to the audience as evil beings when they musically celebrate Paris’ impending ruin. The Countess’ “Kiss Her Now” has become a very satisfying moment, framing Julian and Nina’s love towards the end of Act Two. Still, even the concert premise cannot really overcome the clumsy placement of Nina’s lovely “I’ve Never Said I Love You” which suddenly erupts without rhyme or reason.

And then there is the Title Song.

Mr. Jerry Herman creates some unforgettable pieces: “I Don’t Want To Know”, “Each Tomorrow Morning”, “Kiss Her Now”, etc. – but the title song “Dear World” is one of those things that must be gotten through because it is a TITLE SONG. Messrs. Thompson and McGovern clearly have done their level best to make “Dear World” work as an anthem that will bring heart back to the protagonists but in spite of their efforts, it still feels like being beaten repeatedly between the eyes with a Hallmark Get Well card. One annoying aspect of the song is the fact that the people singing “Dear World” are the ones being forced save the world – it will not save itself like the song repeatedly insists. The song that immediately follows it, “One Person”, is actually more to the point and moves things forward. Perhaps it is heretical, but I think the show would be much better if “Dear World” was totally rewritten with more suitable lyrics or even dropped altogether.

Still, even in its current condition, DEAR WORLD is well worth it – as a marvelous entertainment with a great cast and as an appropriate fable for these times. Even the flaws are intriguing and some of the more creative spectators may leave the theater both thrilled with what they have seen and contemplating what might be done do to overcome the imperfections.

 Alas, DEAR WORLD closed March 5.

About the reviewer:

MOSHE BLOXENHEIM
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York. Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

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DEAR WORLD
Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
New Version by David Thompson
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Based on The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux as adapted by Maurice Valency
Directed by Michael Montel
Music Directed by Christopher McGovern
Featuring Tyne Daly
With Dewey Cadell, J. Bernard Calloway, Ben Cherry, Alison Fraser, Stephen Mo Hanan, Ann Harada, Erika Henningsen, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Peter Land, Gordon Stanley, Kristopher Thompson-Bolden, Lenny Wolpe 

GUEST REVIEWER: Return to the Comet

On revisiting NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, I was pleased to discover that several points in my original review of December 3, needed updating for the better.
The reconsideration will come before the original review. 
Thank you,
Moshe Bloxenheim
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Return to the Comet

 Some additional thoughts about
the current Broadway Production of

 NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

At the Imperial Theatre
February 19, 2017

by Moshe Bloxenheim 

Perhaps some performances have improved since December 3, or maybe on that night I had caught some cast members who were not at their very best.  It might even be that I needed a second visit to better appreciate the performances and the nuances of Ms. Rachel Chavkin’s direction.  Whatever the reason, I am delighted to say that I like NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 even more now than when I had seen the show on December 3, 2016 and much of the “roughness” I had then perceived has been smoothed out.
While I still believe that Pierre’s Act One number “Dust and Ashes” is an unnecessary and badly placed song, it is now harder for me to resent Mr. Josh Groban’s star turn because his Pierre has become an excellent portrayal of the alienated and injured man who saves himself by saving Natasha’s reputation and throwing off his affected cynicism.
While Ms. Denée Benton’s previous performance already revealed the naïve and adored young lady who is the charming Countess Natasha, I now find Natasha’s state of high emotion and eventual despair in Act Two when her world collapses far more sympathetic and believable.  Natasha is no noble heroine but a real human being gripped in the power of an infatuation that she does not fully understand.  It is through Ms. Benton’s interpretation that we feel for Natasha and appreciate this innocent girl’s desperation when love, attraction and desire threaten her ideals, reputation and life.
Mr. Lucas Steele has added subtlety to his already admirable Prince Anatole, heightening the sense of a swaggering, self-involved predator who can easily delude himself that he and his amour share the same fascination.  There is less of the Muscovite Frat-Boy out to score now and more of the man who is lost in the sense of his own desirability and need for pleasure: never deliberately evil or out to harm, but extremely dangerous and so very alluring.
Finally, thanks must go to Mr. Nicholas Pope for achieving a better level of amplification.  There is less far less sonic blasting in the show than there had been at the December 3rd show and the voices are clear and can be far more easily associated with the performers who produce them.
 
Now on to the original review…
 

Back from the Front  

A review of the new Broadway Production of

NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

At the Imperial Theatre

December 3, 2016

 
NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is a remarkable show that sweeps the audience into the chaotic and hedonistic world of Moscow during the Napoleonic wars.
Based on several chapters on Mr. Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel WAR AND PEACE, the story focuses on the Countess Natasha’s life-changing journey to this imposing city.  She and her cousin and dearest friend Sonya have gone to visit Natasha’s godmother Marya D. while she waits for her fiancé Prince Andrey to return from the war.  After paying a disastrous call on Andrey’s sister, the sacrificing Princess Mary, and his vicious and elderly father, Prince Bolkonsky, the distraught Natasha encounters the dangerously alluring Prince Anatole.  He is the brother-in-law of Pierre, an old family friend of Natasha.  Pierre has made a very unhappy marriage to Anatole’s sister, the unfaithful and manipulative Hélène.  In disgust at his life, Pierre isolates himself in his books, keeping a kindly but vague eye on the distressing world around him.
With the assistance of Hélène and his comrades, Anatole overwhelms the naïve Natasha with his fervent declarations of love. Ignorant of the fact that Anatole is already married, Natasha throws over her engagement to Andrey and prepares to elope with the romantic Anatole.  Sonya and Marya D. do their best to save Natasha in spite of herself, but it is Pierre who must try to put back the pieces of Natasha’s wrecked world and in doing so, discovers that he is not as isolated from life as he believes himself to be.
 
Ms. Denée Benton exhibits a girlish charm as the beautiful Countess Natasha.  Natasha knows she is pretty, loved and admired – especially due to her advantageous engagement to Prince Andrey – but in spite of the resentment this could have created, Ms. Benton shows the innocence of a girl discovering the big world that makes her very assumptions of rank and privilege downright endearing.   Ms. Benton lets us feel Natasha’s bewilderment as she rapidly finds herself clearly out of her depth and thrill to her discovery of what passion can be.  She has a fine acting range but in Act 2 there are moments that jar against the overall portrayal of the desperately heartbroken Natasha.  Perhaps it is the direction and staging, but Ms. Benton’s character sometimes comes across as shrilly self-dramatizing.  Musically, however, Ms. Benton is wonderfully consistent and does Natasha full justice at all times.
With her delightful vocal catch and country artlessness, Ms. Brittain Ashford’s Sonya is a delight to watch and hear.  She is truly an affectionate cousin, taking joy in being with Natasha, but when Natasha rushes into danger, Sonya understands that saving her dearest friend might cost her the friendship that she values so highly and Ms. Ashford’s performance of “Sonya Alone” is truly profound and honest.
Marya D. is a warm and caring hostess of these two young ladies while they are in Moscow and the glorious Ms. Grace McLean gives her role a booming enthusiasm that makes it impossible not to feel that she is welcoming the entire theater.  Whether Marya D. is chaperoning her charges and showing them the suitable pleasures of Moscow, or trying to avoid a disaster, Ms. McLean is no stranger to the grand manner, tossing off vital exposition in so matter-of-fact a way that it feels downright conversational.  Ms. McLean is always a vital presence in the show and unforgettable in the songs “In My House” and “A Call to Pierre” where she brings out Marya D.’s visceral turmoil in the face of Natasha’s crisis.
As the man who turns Natasha’s world upside down, Mr. Lucas Steele expertly plays Prince Anatole.  One can appreciate why Natasha loses her head over this charmer who is so invested in his own pleasure and aware of his own desirability that he assumes that everybody else will have a good time too, even his victims in amour.  In his acting and singing Mr. Steele never misses a note, whether Anatole is enticing Natasha at the ball, gathering up his resources for the elopement or having to face the ruin of his plans.
Hélène, Anatole’s sister is another fascinating and dangerous person and Ms. Amber Gray beautifully conveys her manipulative and dissolute allure.  In the alluring number “Charming,” Ms. Gray’s Hélène is the consummate seductress who turns Natasha’s head and makes the young Countess even more susceptible to Anatole.  Even when winning this young girl over Hélène exudes a slightly smirking air of someone who has lost all morals.  Hélène could be a truly evil character but Ms. Gray manages to let us feel the sadness of this lady who cannot comprehend anything better for herself than her lovers and her feckless brother.
If Hélène is a siren without virtue, Natasha’s intended Prince Andrey – starkly played by Mr. Nicholas Belton — provides the unspoken rebuke to all the indulgence that is going on in the face of war.  Though he is Natasha’s valiant hero, Andrey’s ideals seem better at a distance.  When Andrey does return, his rigid lack of empathy makes one feel that Natasha has a knack for unfortunate entanglements.  Mr. Belton also doubles in the role of Andrey’s father the decrepit and unpleasant Prince Bolkonsky.  Perhaps it fits in with the tongue-in-cheek conceit of this production, but I think that Mr. Belton’s dress-up charade of an elderly Prince could have been better developed to bring out more of the possessive decaying man who is out to embarrass his daughter and disconcert Natasha.
On the other hand Ms. Gelsey Bell’s Princess Mary is a brief but memorable character.  Both she and Mr. Belton are a worthy duo in “The Private and Intimate Life of the House” where Mr. Belton’s aged Prince Bolkonsky grinds down his selfless daughter, but it is Ms. Bell’s Princess Mary whose character gets fully shaded in as she combines the resentments and aggravation of this duty-bound young lady whose life is passing by with the protectiveness and even love that Mary feels as she watched her father’s deterioration.  The Princess Mary may be the only one who really cannot appreciate the fortunate and beautiful Natasha but Ms. Bell’s plain, spinsterish Mary with her isolation and anxieties deserves our sympathy.  Ms. Bell also makes a surreal impression in Act One as a stylized opera singer.
Speaking of stylized opera singers, Mr. Paul Pinto is quite striking as the other grotesque and stately performer at the Opera, and it is his rollicking, don’t-give-a-damn performance as the troika Driver Balaga that is a highlight of the evening.
Dolokhov’s role is described as “Minor” in the Prologue, nevertheless Mr. Nick Chokis ensures that he is a vital figure, providing a notable delivery as Hélène’s lover, noted duelist and Anatole’s comrade in dissipation.
The Prologue also asks: “What about Pierre?”
Mr. Josh Groban’s performance is very much in keeping with the outsider nature of everybody’s friend, the awkward and unhappy Pierre.  Unfortunately the direction Mr. Groban receives often seems to be intent on giving the audience their money’s worth of this famous star which does not assist the unity of the show.  There are times where he would be better served retreating into Pierre’s oft stated discomfort and confusion on the sidelines or offstage rather than remain left out on center stage (primarily in the piano pit where he plays some of his numbers).  It may not be Mr. Groban’s fault that he cannot become the definitive Pierre and we must settle for a star who gives a decent performance while singing beautifully.
The rest of the cast is made up of circuit party Muscovites, peasants and gypsies who are often undistinguishable from contemporary clubbers and that is both part of the fun and enhances the timelessness of the story.  They are certainly picturesque but are never mere window dressing.
 
Mr. David Malloy who created the book, music and lyrics of this fascinating adaptation of Mr. Leo Tolstoy’s novel does not attempt to create a period piece nor a modern reworking.  He presents the situations and the people and lets it all take place.  This creates some high powered storytelling where the action often happens at the same time as the narrative which describes it which can also shift speedily between a character’s viewpoint and that of the people around them.  Perhaps this is not always in keeping with typical musical theater but there are elements of a classic operatic mode and even something of a dramatic recital too.
Most of the incredible score is inseparable from what is happening.  Starting from the delightfully catchy opening Prologue which thumbs its nose at the current disdain for exposition and gleefully sets forth who is who in show, Mr. Malloy takes us through a variety of styles that push the story onwards – a folk song can become a dance rave; a quiet duet becomes an operatic challenge.  Conductor Or Matias and Music Coordinator John Miller both perceive how integral the music is and allow their skillful musicians to become part of the story.
For me, the only flaw in the dynamic score of NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is Pierre’s number “Dust and Ashes.”  It is a marvelous and thoughtful song and Mr. Josh Groban makes it a showpiece.  But it is the only song in the entire musical that does not add new insight to a character nor carry the action forward.  Instead, Mr. Groban takes the stage to sing a poetic and introspective song that restates much of what Pierre has already established, causing everything to grind to a halt for a badly placed star turn.  The audience loves “Dust and Ashes” but more for Mr. Groban’s sake than any other reason.  Placed where it is, the song actually weakens the show.
Besides the occasional highlighting of Mr. Groban, Director Rachel Chavkin obviously has worked hand in hand with Choreographer Sam Pinkleton in the inventive staging, uniting the different types of acting and singing and bringing the audience along as each step of the story unfolds.  Characters flow in and out of scenes and practically populate the Imperial Theater as they all head towards the shattering climax and its aftermath.  Even Ms. Mimi Lien’s flowing multileveled settings and Mr. Bradley King’s varied lighting schemes get into the act with performers in the audience, massive doors slamming and lights constantly moving and changing as if to comment on the story.
A show occurring in 1812 might be expected to have costumes firmly set in that time frame, but while much of Ms. Paloma Young’s attractive costumes and Ms. Leah J. Loukas’ wigs and hair designs are rooted in that era, these Napoleonically garbed performers could easily find themselves at home at the current Goth scene or one of today’s more baroque downtown gatherings.  This sense of timelessness allows even the use of modern light up sneakers or neon glow bands fit into the show as if in mocking comment on the idea that humanity is so much better now than in the turbulent years of the early 19th century.
Mr. Nicholas Pope is one of those Sound Technicians who sadly has yet to learn that even the loudest moment of a show can be handled with clarity and subtlety.  In justice, Mr. Pope’s sound design make the most quiet moments clear to the audience, but he cannot seem to comprehend what harm he is causing Mr. Malloy’s fine score, the excellent actors and the audience’s eardrums by his constant over amplifying of the show’s louder sequences.
Considering all the players and musicians who have to circulate through both the stage, orchestra and mezzanine areas of the theater, Production Stage Manager Karen Meek and her staff do first-rate work to make everything flow as seamlessly as it does.
 
While it might have its rough spots, NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is an amazing and engrossing show with a score that is unforgettable and I highly recommend it.
 
One final thought:  Since so much happens all over the Imperial Theatre, the best place to see NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is the Mezzanine.  Even the Rear Mezzanine gives a great view of all the proceedings.

About the reviewer:

MOSHE BLOXENHEIM
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York. Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

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NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812
Runtime 2 hrs. and 30 min. Open Ended Run

Credits Book, music and lyrics by Dave Malloy; Directed by Rachel Chavkin

Cast Josh Groban (thru 7/2), Denée Benton, Dave Malloy (on select performances 5/4-6/27), Okieriete Onaodowan (starting 7/3), Brittain Ashford, Gelsey Bell, Nicholas Belton, Nick Choksi, Amber Gray, Grace McLean, Paul Pinto, Scott Stangland, Lucas Steele, Sumayya Ali, Courtney Bassett, Josh Canfield, Ken Clark, Erica Dorfler, Lulu Fall, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Nick Gaswirth, Alex Gibson, Billy Joe Kiessling, Mary Spencer Knapp, Reed Luplau, Brandt Martinez, Andrew Mayer, Azudi Onyejekwe, Pearl Rhein, Heath Saunders, Ani Taj, Cathryn Wake, Katrina Yaukey and Lauren Zakrin

3 WAYS TO PURCHASE TICKETS

BOX OFFICE HOURS: MON – SAT, 10AM – 8PM SUN, 12PM – 6PM

RUSH POLICY

A LIMITED NUMBER OF $39 RUSH TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN PERSON AT THE IMPERIAL THEATRE BOX OFFICE AT 10AM (12PM ON SUNDAYS) ON THE DAY OF THE PERFORMANCE. LIMIT OF TWO TICKETS PER PERSON. SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. CASH AND MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED. SEATING LOCATIONS WILL BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOX OFFICE.


PRESS RELEASE: MCP ANNOUNCES CREATIVE TEAM FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT PERFORMANCE OF ‘CRAZY FOR YOU’

PRESS RELEASE
For inquiries, please contact:
Christine Rosenblatt, Marketing Coordinator
crosenblatt@mcp.us; 212-279-1147

MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES
COMPLETE CREATIVE TEAM FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
CONCERT PERFORMANCE OF ‘CRAZY FOR YOU’

New York, N.Y., February 6, 2017 – Manhattan Concert Productions (MCP) is proud to announce the following creative team for the 25th Anniversary concert performance of Gershwin’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy Crazy for You, on February 19, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center. Five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman, original choreographer, returns to now direct and choreograph the 25th Anniversary concert performance of Crazy for You alongside Broadway veteran Kevin Stites, who serves as Music Director and Conductor.

Susan Stroman, Director, Original Broadway Choreography
Kevin Stites, Music Director, Conductor
Beowulf Boritt, Set Designer
Jason Lyons, Lighting Designer
Peter Hylenski, Sound Designer
Chris Pantuso, Props Coordinator
Sarah Cubbage, Costume Coordinator
Rolt Smith, Production Stage Manager
Shannon Hammons, Associate Stage Manager
Jeff Whiting, Associate Director
Angelique Ilo, Associate Choreographer
Stacey Todd Holt, Assistant Choreographer
Greg Jarrett, Associate Music Director
Justin Stasiw, Associate Sound Designer
Simon Matthews, Production Sound Engineer
Paul Huntley, Associate Costume Coordinator
Tara Rubin Casting, Casting
Jeff Wild, Production Manager

In addition to Stroman’s choreography from the original production, this performance features a stunning Broadway and television cast, creative team, a chorus of 240 singers from across the United States and the enlarged forces of the New York City Chamber Orchestra.

The full cast includes: Rachel Bloom (Irene Roth), Rachel Dratch (Patricia Fodor), Harry Groener (Bela Zangler), Mark Linn-Baker (Everett Baker), Jack McBrayer (Eugene Fodor), Jerry O’Connell (Lank Hawkins), Nancy Opel (Lottie Child), Laura Osnes (Polly Baker), Tony Yazbeck (Bobby Child), Michael Biren (Billy), Jim Borstelmann (Custus), Christine Cornish Smith (Louise), Jeremy Davis (Sam), Jerry Gallagher (Moose), Anne Horak (Patsy), Rashaan James II (Junior), Naomi Kakuk (Vera), Amanda Kloots (Vera), Chris LeBeau (Jimmy), Alicia Lundgren (Mitzi), Brittany Marcin Maschmeyer (Elaine), Kaylee Olson (Sheila), Eric Santagata (Mingo), Angie Schworer (Tess), Victor Wisehart (Wyatt).

With music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, and book by Ken Ludwig, Crazy for You is based on the Gershwin brothers’ 1930 musical Girl Crazy, incorporating songs from several other productions as well. The story follows Bobby Child (Yazbeck), a banker who dreams of dancing for Zangler’s (Groener) Follies, the most popular show in New York City. After a failed audition, his mother sends him to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a rundown theater. There he meets Polly Baker (Osnes), who, unbeknownst to him, is the daughter of the theater’s owner.  Bobby falls in love with her instantly and hatches a plan to save the theater.

Following the success of The Secret Garden in 2016, Crazy for You marks the fifth installment of Manhattan Concert Productions’ critically acclaimed Broadway Series that has also included Parade, Titanic, and Ragtime.

Tickets, starting at $75, are currently on sale and may be purchased by visiting www.mcp.us; www.lincolncenter.org; calling CenterCharge (212) 721-6500; or visiting the David Geffen Hall box office at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza (Columbus Avenue at 65th Street)

ABOUT MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS

Manhattan Concert Productions (MCP) is an esteemed production company in its 18th season. MCP has provided opportunity to thousands of musicians in choirs, bands, and orchestras that have performed at famous venues throughout the United States and many countries abroad. Additionally, MCP regularly features the work of professional singers, actors, instrumentalists, conductors and composers. The guest musicians of the Crazy for You chorus will spend five days in New York City rehearsing and performing side-by-side with the professional principal cast and crew as part of Manhattan Concert Productions’ continuing mission of student and professional collaboration. Visit www.mcp.us to learn more.

The worldwide copyrights in the music of George and Ira Gershwin® for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin Family. Crazy For You®, The New Gershwin® Musical is presented by arrangement with TAMS-WITMARK MUSIC LIBRARY, INC. 560 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022. GERSHWIN is a registered trademark and service mark of Gershwin Enterprises. CRAZY FOR YOU is a registered trademark and service mark of Crazy For You Enterprises.

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CHRISTINE ROSENBLATT
MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS
Marketing Coordinator
Soprano, Manhattan Chorale
236 W. 30th Street, FL 3 | New York, NY 10001
t: 212.279.1147 x23   f: 212.279.1145   e: crosenblatt@mcp.us