Great song from Brit indie rockers, with out gay lead singer Kele Okereke. Video below.
Tag: hot guys
Underground Thursday (on Friday): "Octopus" by Bloc Party
Theatre Review: "A Chorus Line"
There is no doubt in my mind that Michael Bennett was one of the greatest directors of musical theatre ever. He was a really good, even brilliant choreographer, but his directorial and dramaturgical intelligence is truly what made A Chorus Line and Dreamgirls things of theatre legend. Bennett possessed an unerring sense of how to tell a story with brisk economy and a profound gift for finding simple physicalizations for complex ideas. There is many a director-choreographer today that would like to think that they are Bennett’s equal, but the truth is that the very best barely come close.
Bennett may not have been the person who came up with the germ of the idea that became A Chorus Line (there have been lawsuits about the matter) – but there’s no question that he’s the reason it took the exciting, touching and profoundly expressive shape that made it the show that saved Broadway. Set during an audition for a mid-1970s Broadway show, A Chorus Line shines a light on the memories, dreams and fears of dancers vying for a place on a very small chorus line – only four dancers of each sex. Bennett’s imprint on A Chorus Line is so strong that most successful major productions have been reconstructions of his work by people involved in the original. In the case of the new Paper Mill Playhouse production that person is director-choreographer Mitzi Hamilton, a member of the workshops that led to A Chorus Line; she’s the basis for Val, the character who sings about “tits and ass” in “Dance 10, Looks 3”.
Hamilton has certainly put together one of the better acted and sung productions of the show I’ve seen. Gabrielle Ruiz sings “What I Did for Love” as beautifully as I’ve heard it done, and J. Manuel Santos gives the show’s crowning monologue, about a young drag queen and his family, as much depth and shape as I’ve ever seen it given. It’s a monster of a monologue, and as terrific as Santos is, I’ve yet to see an actor hit every moment in it.
Perhaps best of all, however, is Rachelle Rak as the very adult, smart and sexy Sheila. The role fits her like a glove, and there isn’t a moment, note or step of the role that she doesn’t hit full-on – sheer perfection. All in all, this is a stunningly solid version of a stunningly solid show, and surely not to be missed.
For tickets, click here.
For more reviews and interviews by Jonathan Warman, see dramaqueennyc.com.
Theatre Review: "Marry Me A Little"
This is my first exposure to Marry Me a Little, the Sondheim revue conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene in 1980. So, I have no clue about its original form, which seems to be much much loved in certain corners. I like this version just fine – it frames an assortment of lesser-known Sondheim songs with a vague dialogue-free story about two lonely strangers.
Two singles, alone in their New York apartments (a floor away from each other) on a Saturday night, ruminate over romantic hopes, fears and regrets. There’s some hints of sexting and on-line “dating” that I’m fairly sure weren’t in the original, but they don’t detract. Lauren Molina and Jason Tam are definitely appealing, and although they sing well enough, they were clearly cast more for their ability to act a song – a smart move on director Jonathan Silverstein’s part and crucial to putting the plot across as clearly as possible.
Tam and Molina also do a terrific job of communicating that they are in different apartments even though they may be mere inches apart, much aided by Silverstein’s razor-sharp staging. Plus, when their imagination puts them together they have a lovely chemistry, essential to putting over Sondheim’s sophisticated lyrics about the rewards and dangers of romance.
Also very smart is Josh Bradford’s evocative lighting design which clearly delineates the border between reality and imagination (where these dreamers spend a good chunk of time). Steven C. Kemp’s set puts us immediately in a recognizable place – “Her” is a cellist, “Him” a poet, and this looks very much like the Williamsburg apartments of writers and musicians that I know.
Charming, occasionally touching or sweetly funny, this Marry Me a Little isn’t earth-shattering, it’s just a reasonably satisfying evening of musical theatre.
For tickets, click here.
For more reviews and interviews by Jonathan Warman, see dramaqueennyc.com.
Jonathan Warman to direct "Hard Sparkle: The Short Plays of J. Stephen Brantley"
Jonathan Warman (director, New York premiere of Tennessee Williams’s Now the Cats With Jewelled Claws) will direct Hard Sparkle: The Short Plays of J. Stephen Brantley. Performances are for two nights only October 29 & 30 at The Duplex.
About this production, Jonathan says, “I have collaborated with J. Stephen more frequently than any other playwright. He is the most singular American playwrighting talent I’ve come across in any context, one of the most distinctive voices in the country. I am honored – astonished almost – to have worked with him as often as I have. He has rich reserves of humanity and compassion, and wry humor. His writing – which vibrates with rock and roll energy and yet possesses sweetness and aching psychological subtlety – is highly stimulating and challenging. He is very inspired by the voice of individual actors, and rehearsal (which he loves) especially fires his deeply theatrical imagination. I am thrilled to be pulling together some of his best work for this special, two-night-only showcase.”
The plays are:
Nevertheless – After nearly stabbing her husband at the breakfast table, Iris walked out of her Park Avenue apartment bound for Nashville, Tennessee. Returning to the dingy barroom where she misspent her twenties, she hopes to recapture some of the excitement of a bygone era. What Iris finds is Trevor, a washed-up-before-he-started country crooner, the hard truth, and a new start.
Hard Sparkle – Actress Anne Eaton-Hart has taken to her bed. Swindled of millions and having lost an Emmy to Susan Lucci, Anne is convinced she’s dying. While her devoted accountant Eddie does his level best to lift her spirits, nothing less than divine intervention will resurrect the self-obsessed star.
Break – During the late hours of a summer night on the coast of Eastern Long Island, a displaced Englishman and the drug addict who breaks into his home confront their differences and, more importantly, discover their secret similarities.
Hard Sparkle runs October 29 & 30 at 7pm. The Duplex is located at 61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue. Tickets are $12 plus a 2 drink minimum. To purchase tickets, call (212) 255-5438 or visit www.theduplex.com.
For more about Jonathan Warman’s directing work, see jonathanwarman.com.
Underground Thursday: "The Descent" by Bob Mould
New video from queer post-punk legend Bob Mould.
