Tag Archives: ScoBar Entertainment
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
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.
An Interview with Ed Asner
An Interview with Ed Asner
at The Metropolitan Room
January 16, 2016
before his performance of
A Man and his Prostate
written by Ed. Weinberger
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Bernie Furshpan & staff of the Metropolitan Room
Evan Seplow
For his generosity in taping and editing this interview
The Image Factory
evan@imagefactory.tv
http://imagefactory.tv
Office: 646-414-6668
Cell: 917-442-8426
Elli does Reggae with The Amazing Bottle Dancers
Elli does Reggae
with The Amazing Bottle Dancers
Upside Down
Vincz Lee feat Popcaan, Cali P, FireFly & Riga
Filmed in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Available on Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/ch/album/ups…
Video directed by Goodwiine
© Hemp Higher Productions
The Amazing Bottle Dancers
Cheyenne Gross, Elli, Brian Henry
Spencer Ryoma Baumgart
https://www.facebook.com/bottledancers/
https://twitter.com/BottleDancers
Vincz Lee:
http://www.vinczlee.com
FireFLY:
https://www.facebook.com/fireflylifei…
Riga:
http://www.hemphigher.com/
Elli sings at “Honor Thy Father” at The Metropolitan Room 01.12.16
Elli was asked to sing at
The Metropolitan Room
Tuesday, January 12th 2016
for
“HONOR THY FATHER”
A celebration of all fathers
and the story of the life of one sole survivor in particular, Bernie’s Father, Murray Furshpan
with the always amazing, Barry Levitt on the piano
The evening featured Julie Budd, Anita Gillette, Mark Nadler, Sara Zahn, Jim Brochu, Tom Gamblin, Elli thekingofbroadway, Lina Orfanos, Liz Mckendry, and Gary Crawford, Denise Spann-Morgan and Steve Schalchlin with Barry Levitt on the Piano
“The evening featured many singers who had relatives that experienced the horrors of the Holocaust, some relating their own family histories.
Steve Schalchlin, at the piano, opened with self-penned “Somebody Save Me a Seat,” the evening progressing as musical director Barry Levitt took over; singers offering up songs centered around love of family with great heart, emotion and memories such as Gary Crawford’s rendition of Steven Lutvak’s “Museums;” Lina Orfanos sung in Hebrew; Mark Nadler offered a one-of-a-kind “Ragtime;” Elli the King of Broadway sang Jerry Herman’s “Shalom” and “Milk and Honey” and Denise Spann-Morgan soared on the Exodus song, “This Land is Mine.”
Throughout, Bernie continued speaking about the man with endless soul and talent as a plasterer and craftsman – who plied his skills to such a degree that he was sought after to renovate John Lennon’s kitchen and bath. But most importantly, Murray was a Mensch (a person of integrity and honor).” from http://www.theaterpizzazz.com/honor-thy-father/
Original Video taken by Brad Naprixas
Elli sings a medley from Jerry Herman’s “Milk and Honey”
Watch DADDY LONG LEGS LIVE! HERE!
Hi there,
We are thrilled that our historic livestream of Daddy Long Legs is tonight!
We look forward to sharing our beautiful show with you all!
Just a reminder that our livestream will be played 4 times so theater fans across the globe can tune in. Our schedule is below:
8pm Eastern Standard Time (LIVE), December 10th
8pm Pacific Standard Time, December 10th
8pm Greenwich Mean Time, December 11th
8pm Japan Standard Time, December 11th
Once the livestream begins, it will be available on: www.DaddyLongLegsMusical.com/
We look forward to sharing this historic night with you.
Sincerely,
Ken Davenport and Michael Jackowitz
Producers of Daddy Long Legs
P.S. Share your thoughts with us on social media using #DaddyLongLegsLive for a chance to win a copy of the Daddy Long Legs cast album!
Greetings for Rosh HaShanah 5776
Greetings for
Rosh HaShanah 5776
Elli – The King of Broadway
&
www.BroadwayKingdom.com
Wish You and Your Loved ones a
Healthy, Happy, Sweet, Prosperous New Year 5776
In the year to come may the Al-mighty
grant you everything you need
(and a little of what you want as well!)
Kesivah v’Chasimah Tovah
Shana Tovah U’mesuka
May you be inscribed and sealed in
the Book of Life for a
Good, Sweet, Healthy New Year
I hope to see each and every one of you very soon.
Elli
***********************************
IMPORTANT HOLIDAY LINKS/INFO:
Make sure you hear the Shofar BOTH Days!
To Find Holiday Services Near You CLICK HERE
For Rosh Hashanah/Shabbos Candle Lighting Times
PLEASE CLICK HERE
For a Rosh Hashanah Holiday Guide Click HERE
For a Rosh Hashanah Meal Guide Click HERE
On Rosh Hashanah it is customary not to eat foods which are sour or tart (the gefilte fish will have to do without the horseradish…). Instead, we focus on sweet foods, symbolizing our desire to have a sweet year full of blessings and abundance. It is also customary not to eat nuts on Rosh Hashanah, as the numerical value of the Hebrew word for nuts (“egoz”) is the same as the Hebrew word for sin (“chet”).
The Other New York – Episode 1 – All About Background Acting
The OTHER New York
Elli Interviews NY Background Actors
(Preview –Watch in 1080p HD)
Air Date on http://www.mnn.org/ TBD
Elli sits down with a group of actors in NYC who do Background (Extra) work in Film & TV
as well as Principal (speaking) roles. Learn what it’s like to be ‘on set’ in NYC.
Courtesy Barbara Rosenfeld
GUEST REVIEWER: THE VISIT At the Lyric Theatre
Be our guest.
A review of
THE VISIT
at the Lyric Theatre
April 12, 2015 and April 21, 2015 – Opened April 23, 2015
THE VISIT offers so much that one does not usually get in a typical new musical nowadays: a score with memorable songs, a plot that is thought provoking and best of all, a Star Turn of the Highest Caliber. THE VISIT is also a brave show, in the sense that it does not try to stroke the audience’s sensibilities and even dares to make them work at understanding what happens onstage. In the VISIT, the citizens of the desperately poor Swiss town of Brachen welcome Claire Zachanassian, the richest woman in the world, who is returning to the hometown that she had fled long ago. The impoverished villages hope that they can persuade Claire to use her wealth to revitalize the town. To their surprise Claire agrees but lays out a deal. She will endow the village with untold billions if they kill the man who loved her, impregnated her and then denied being the father of her child, forcing her to flee Brachen when she was a young girl and make her own way in a cruel and dangerous world. That man is Anton Schell, an impoverished shopkeeper who can’t even win the respect of his own family. The leaders of the town indignantly reject such a horrendous offer, but soon after townspeople start buying expensive items from Anton’s store, charging their purchases to some unmentionable windfall they expect and talk darkly about how Anton had so foully wronged poor Claire…
Mr. Terence McNally has created an often powerful book based upon the original play by Mr. Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Mr. Fred Ebb’s lyrics and Mr. John Kander’s music further hone the sharpness of this Brechtian Fractured Fairy Tale. Justice, revenge, the violent collision of love and self-interest, and the moral fluidity of honorable people are all covered in rather raw terms, but somehow there is a humor and even lightness that flavors even the most severe and unsavory moments of this story with a touch of vaudeville. Messrs. McNally, Ebb and Kander work very carefully together contrasting the diverse feelings of the Brachen denizens with their attempts to form a united front in the face of poverty with such numbers like the community glee “Out of the Darkness.” They eventually show these same people descending into moral self-delusion with the bitterly entertaining “Yellow Shoes.” As far as Claire is concerned, her very first entrance provides her with firm dramatic footing augmented with strong numbers like the unforgettable matrimonial success catalogue “I Walk Away” or Claire’s soulful description of her feelings for and about Anton and their broken past in “Winter.”
Admittedly, not every song is a gem – Anton’s first number “I know Claire” has a very general feeling as if it could be from any show at any period from 1965 to the present. In fact there is sometimes an uneven style that seems less an attempt at being rustic and more a case of needing more work. Nevertheless much of what is on offer is choice indeed.
The opening scene of THE VISIT makes for a most appropriate introduction to the threadbare inhabitants of Brachen: Ms. Diana Dimiarzo’s plays the Mayor’s wife and local gossip and Messrs. David Garrison, Rick Holmes, Aaron Ramey, Timothy Shew and Jason Danieley are the town’s Mayor, Priest, Policeman, Doctor and Schoolteacher respectively: all are excellent as desperately respectable people who will throw aside all scruples if they have to, all the while convincing themselves of their decency.
Just as bad – and very good – are the members of Anton’s own family. Ms. Mary Beth Peil is wonderfully acerbic as Matilde Schell, a wife who never hesitates to reminds Claire that she is the woman who married Anton, yet doesn’t even find much satisfaction in that fact. Mr. George Abud is Anton’s son Karl and Ms. Elena Shaddow plays daughter Ottilie, showing a very effective indifference for a father who couldn’t even afford to let them have things from their own family store. The promise of prosperity brings this family and the town to life, even though they all have to keep tamping down that little part of them that knows what the price will be. Mss. Piel and Shaddow and Mr. Abud make this painfully clear in the song “A Car Ride;” a pleasant and simple number sung with Anton where the Schells enjoy what is the first happy family moment that they have had in many years. Everyone is delighted but the unspoken cost is still there.
Contrasting the dingy indigence of Brachen’s people is Claire Zachanassian’s astonishing entourage led by Mr. Tom Nelis’ imposing Butler Rudi. Mr. Matthew Deming is Eunuch Louis and Mr. Chris Newcomer takes the role of Eunuch Jacob. All three are always dressed in dapper suits, carefully hatted and walking in eye-catching footgear. These performers shine in their marvelously fantastic roles, often taking the spotlight with remarkably controlled insanity beginning with the Eunuch’s startling backup chorus in “I Walk Away.”
Since this is a show about a present that can never escape the past, the figures of the young Claire and Anton are part of every scene whether reenacting their amour or watching the current situation. Ms. Michelle Veintimilla and Mr. John Riddle truly haunt the show, vividly showing the joy of young love and standing aside as observers to the demands and cruelties of the real world. When Ms. Veintimilla and Mr. Riddle join their present counterparts (such as in the beautiful song “You, You, You”) the contrast of destroyed youthful romance and the cynicism, hurt and longing that has taken its place is deeply moving.
Of course the present Anton has long been a beaten down man who cruelly sacrificed love for security and has since had to make do without either. Mr. Roger Rees plays this role expertly rising from the miserable storekeeper to the hopeful former lover who dares to hope a little. Mr. Rees displays every turn of amazement, disgust and realization that is inherent in Anton Schell as he sees the past catch up with him and the future demand his removal. Mr. Rees makes it painfully clear that anyone in Brachen could have been as cruel and stupid as Anton had been in his youth, but there are times in the middle of THE VISIT when Anton is less caught by the story than bogged down in it.
Of course it is a task indeed for Anton to approach the level of the fabulous Claire Zachanassian – especially when Ms. Chita Rivera so embodies that adjective. This is natural, not only due to Ms. Rivera’s phenomenal performance but because Claire’s presence simply permeates the play – even when the action does not focus on Claire, it occurs because of her. Ms. Rivera imbues this glamorous and wealthiest of women with the world weary brio of one who is always in charge, but when Claire turns to the only happy memory of her past, Ms. Rivera lets the joy and pleasure of that youthful love melt her hardness. This is one of the reasons that Claire Zachanassian is not a monster of vengeance, but someone all too human and desperate to take back something that had been stolen from her so long ago. This performance keeps the play’s ending from being the grotesque finale that it might have been and transforms it into something that ought to be seen to be appreciated: a true example of Theatrical Power at its height.
Director John Doyle does amazing work with THE VISIT giving the story the universal feeling that a fable ought to have. But Mr. Doyle wisely never paints anyone as an outright villain, making the wrongs committed all the more real. People can disassociate themselves from bad actions that happen in the present just as they did so many years ago. Other folks may demonstrate what can happen when justice is withheld. But the moral caprices are far from alien. Unfortunately, while the show engrosses and appeals and appalls two thirds of the way through THE VIST seems to get stuck. The depiction of Anton feeling trapped and his putting up with the emotional justifications of an apologizing villager is essential but the storytelling at this point seems to go awry and put a drain on the energy of THE VISIT’s surreal narrative. Maybe Anton ought to have more or different emotional power as he watches his own world turn on him, but as done now, Anton, Mr. Doyle and THE VISIT seem to just soldier through this void, until theatrical balance returns. Happily the ending is well worth it.
Ms. Graciela Daniele’s choreography lets the citizens of Brachen make much use of Mr. Scott Pask’s spare scenic design with its decrepit railroad station setting and Claire’s vast pile of luggage and coffin. With the addition of Mr. Japhy Weideman’s lighting, we are taken all over Brachen from station to hotel to woods to past and present with amazing clarity, giving a wonderful meaning to the idea of dealing with people’s baggage. Then also, both Mr. Doyle and Ms. Daniele gives nodding acknowledgement to the notion that Claire Zachanassian now has some trouble with her limbs, but they allow Ms. Rivera to soar gloriously beyond such commonplaces as physical infirmity in this mythic role. When handling the young Anton and Claire too, director and choreographer are amazingly able to let these shades be a part of the action and still keep them firmly in the past.
Music Director David Loud contributes mightily with the orchestra allowing the different types of numbers – choral to star solo to ghostly echoes – to shine and fit the action even when the music suddenly shifts from one style to another.
The costumes by Ms. Ann Hould-Ward with hair and makeup by Messrs. Paul Huntley and J. Jared Janas are downright spellbinding with the dusty threadbare denizens of Brachen contrasted strikingly against the glamorous and dapper beings that are Claire and her crew and the cream white garb of the young Claire and Anton.
As it is now, Ms. Chita Rivera and Messrs. Kander and Ebb’s score make THE VISIT a truly amazing spectacle to behold and well worth the trip to the Lyceum Theatre, but there is still a feeling of inertia in the middle of THE VISIT that cannot be ignored and must be endured as one goes from the extraordinary start to its dazzling finish.
Running Time: 95 minutes, no intermission
LYCEUM THEATRE
149 West 45th Street
Between 6th Avenue and Broadway
Box Office Hours: Mon – Sat: 10am – 8pm | Sun: Noon – 6pm
Online Tickets: Or Call 
212.239.6200
About the reviewer:
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
EDITOR’S UPDATE: 04/28/2015