The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey BAM Theatre truly does much of the most exciting work in NYC. And it’s in the middle of the ghetto. Regardless of the location, the show was packed full of people ready to hear the words of prophetic American playwright, Tony Kushner. Celebrities abounded at this random Wednesday night performance (notably Chelsea Clinton, who’s father is refered to in the show, and Monica Lewinsky as “his whore.” There was an audible gasp by the whole audience, most likely due to her presence).

Much of the first act is the monologue of The Homebody, a wordy, eccentric, lonely, depressed, charming character, played brilliantly by Linda Emond. At the end of her largely erratic and fantastical speech, she decides to take a trip to Kabul, Afganistan. (The play was written before Sept. 11th, but its first production at the New York Theatre Workshop was roughly six months after the attacks, making Kushner seem somewhat of a psychic.) The Homebody is never seen again. We then see her husband (Reed Birney) and her daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who have traveled to Afganistan to try to retrieve her body. The plot consists of the daughter Priscilla and her journey throughout the city in which she learns that her mother may not in fact be dead, as they are being lead to believe. The play ends ambiguiously; we never discover the Homebody’s whereabouts.

When I saw this play for the first time two years ago, it really struck me. So much of the play is brilliantly riveting. There are some dead moments, and a few places where the dramatic pauses seemed eternal. Kushner’s tragic flaw is that he is not able to distinguish between the moments when he is saying a lot, from the moments that he is only saying a little. I wish he could figure out how to make appropriate cuts; this show, with its two intermissions, runs about 3 1/2 hours.
Ms. Gyllenhaal plays Priscilla with a subtlety that was new to the role. The previous actress was over-the-top dramatic at most points and gave no real arc to the character. Maggie gave a strong, subtle, intelligent, realistic performance. Its nice to see her on the stage.

The other notable performance is that of Rita Wolf, as the Afgan woman. In her first scene, she tears through text written in French, English, and Arabic (?), with lightning speed and unparalleled intensity. As she begs for her life, we believe that is exactly what is at stake.
Kudos also to the set designer, James Schuette. A vast improvement from the last version.
Kushner really has so much to say. I just wish he knew how to pick and choose a little better. Regardless, this is a very important play. Politically, it is here at a very relevant time, and forces us to think, and to pity. It’s effectiveness is undeniable.

My good buddy Erin hooked me up with comps to Fiddler tonight. They are papering for Tony season. And the impressive size of the Minskoff Theatre makes the show harder to fill up.
To steal an observation from Seinfeld, and insert “Fiddler” for “sex;” Sex is like pizza. Even when its bad, its still pretty good.

The best thing about the production is the set design. It is deceptively simple; appearing rather bare, but incredibly multifunctional. Tom Pye should be thrilled with his accomplishment.
The cast was solid; they made the choice to cast actors that sing, rather than showy Broadway belters. Which is better for the show; these modest types wouldn’t express themselves in that way.

Alfred Molina played a great Tevye. He brought out all the layers of the character, and won us over in the first scene. Even though he’s not a singer at all, he’s great for the role.
I was thrilled to see Nancy Opel as Yente. Her comic ability and great belt was a bit underused, but its a great part in a great revival, so she can’t complain too much.

John Cariani as Motel was one of the funniest physical comedy performers I’ve ever seen. His super gangly-gawkiness was charming and hilarious. Something I’d never thought of as possible in the role.

Joy Hermalyn makes a fabulous cameo as the flying ghost of Fruma Sara. She is adequately scary and is an amazing singer.

The weakest link in the cast, unfortunately, by a lot, is Sally Murphy as Tzeitel. Her singing voice was fine and pretty. Her speaking voice, while acting, sounded exactly as if she were singing. So everything she said sounded over the top and silly. She overacted, and it was bad.

My issue with Fiddler is, and has always been, its length. The three hour epic, albeit a classic, has a few numbers that are unnecessary, and perhaps should have been cut.

The chorus is powerful and strong, and well held together. The cutoffs were perfect, as was their diction. This is an impressive feat for such a massive group of singers. The show sounds great and it really looks great, so it really has a lot going for it. Best of luck at the Tonys.

Embedded, at the Public Theatre, is the resident political protest production in town at the moment. Actor Tim Robbins wrote and directed the piece, and as a last ditch effort to keep the show running for a few more weeks, has joined the cast in a bit role. The show did exactly what I expected it to, but I wasn’t expecting to have so much humor and so much heart in it, in addition to its politcal agenda. The show follows the plotlines of several characters and their experiences in “Gommorah,” a fictional land representing the middle east. The lives of several news journalists and soldiers are shown arriving at the war, and the various tragedies that befall them. I liked particularly the plotline of the young soldier whose boyfriend is murdered in front of her on the field, and she has all her legs broken. A Gommoran doctor hides her in the hospital, claiming that she has died, and essentially saving her life. Robbins was wise in his suggesting that not all Iraqis hate Americans, they don’t all think the same, and they all have various personal agendas (the doctor’s brother had been killed in the war).

The one part of the show that was purely leftist was the recurring portrayal of American Republican Politicians as freakish dummies in grotesque, plastic masks. While these moments in the show were comic relief, they also served to depict a government that was completely corrupt and inept. Their last appearance in the show, after they realize the campain in Gommorah is a failure, is them getting all jacked up and screaming like sports fans about the next country’s ass they wanted to kick. They start listing off fictional countries but then one guy says, oh wait, no, not that one, I have a summer home there. This drives the point home that politicians do not care about death and destruction, only if it affects them personally.

The use of hardcore heavy metal created a mood of frenzied anger, much like war itself.
The acting was top notch, and I recognized one guy from “The X-Files.”

My companion for the evening had the criticism that the play didn’t say anything “new” about the war. My argument to that is this. Most everything that could be said, has already been said. This war has been criticised from day one. However, sometimes, we need to be reminded as to why we oppose it. When we see people, albeit fictional people, being personally affected (and killed), it is a good reminder and brings the matter further into our consciousness. I assume that is what Robbins was trying to do, and if so, he was completely effective.

The Magnetic Fields are technically “indie rock,” but they are so much more than that, and their show at Town Hall truly showcased their talents. Steven Merritt, with his gorgeous bass voice and little ukelele, is a man of paradoxes. Masculine yet homosexual, embittered yet hilarious, witty yet melancholy. His lyrics are full of truth and beauty, but always stated simply, and always with an ironic twist.

I like the choice that was made to reduce the sound of the band, this way, the songs stood for themselves. It was only piano, guitar, cello, and ukelele. I did miss their synth-pop sound of some of their previous work. However that’s just another thing that makes this band so interesting, the can take a song and make it sound nothing like its original version.

The highlight of the show, for me, was a little tune called “Busbee Berklee Dreams.” I got teary, everyone must hear it.

In between songs, Steven and Pianist/ Backup singer Claudia Gonson had such great chemistry and banter between themselves and with the audience. Everything they said was funny and engaging. Merritt’s comic timing in his ad-libbed speech is better than most actors I know.
The opening act, a lone performer named Andrew Bird, was excellent as well. He sang with the emotion and ferocity of Jeff Buckley. Unlike Buckley, Bird accompanied himself on the violin, the guitar, and was playing some kind of sample track that he mysteriously controlled by several switches at his feet. I wonder, what would he sound like with a full band. However, his one-man-band show was an amazing feat of talent and songwriting. I definitely got lost and wrapped up in his gorgeous sounds, as if an ocean wave was carrying me away.

This world famous circus company sets up its tents on New York’s Randalls Island each summer (or at least, this one, and last). Last year’s Varekai was their newest work. This year, they did Allegria, which is a show that has been in existence for several years. Whereas Varekai had somewhat of a story line, and was ballet-esque in form, Allegria is more standard circus fare. There are more traditional clowns, trapeze artists, the strong man, and the fire eater/breather. In general, I think Varekai is a stronger, more creative production. In Varekai, the costumes were largely based on animals or nature; in Allegria, they mostly remained their humanity. Which perhaps is the point: Cirque du Soleil is a celebration of the accomplishments of human beings; and the costumes perhaps were a celebration of humanity (not of nature). The order in which the productions were created is apparent.

Highlights were the contortonist, the fire spinner-guy, and the two flippy guys on the trampoline beams. Any Cirque du Soleil production is worth seeing; its a spectacle truly unlike anything else in the world.

Too bad the tickets are ridiculously expensive, with no clear way to get discounts or comps.

Fascinating Aida consists of Dillie Keane, Adele Anderson, and Liza Pullman. The Cabaret trio is making their New York debut in the new, “Brits-off-Broadway” theatre festival. The group has won many awards and is quite popular in England (according to the program). Cabaret is a tough art form; there are no fancy lights, sets, or costumes to hide behind. These ladies are true pros and while not groundbreaking or terribly original, are very entertaining.

The evening bounced back and forth between moments of melancholy and of happiness, of reflection and of comedy. Some numbers were simply sung while standing, others were fully choreographed. My favorite moments were when their pianist, Russel Churney, jumped into the act. His song and dance numbers were a highlight, as was his fabulously understated comic timing.

The second act had better songs. “Taboo” is a number that basically lists things that one just mustn’t do. Their raunchy, dirty side was most evident here. I wish they hadn’t used this type of comedy so sparingly, because, really, there is nothing funnier than old ladies that say “fuck” a lot.
“Ealing Broadway Baby” was a heartwrenchingly real story of a struggling actress past her prime, played and sung by Ms. Keane, and presumably and autobiographical tale.

“Suddenly New Zealand” is a brilliant song about how the state of the world, specifically because of American politics (specifically Bush), is going to hell, and that suddenly life in New Zealand doesn’t sound so bad, even though it has “sheep, and lambs, and sheep, and lambs, and sheep….and the occasional goat.”

Their encore, a hilariously ridiculous spoof on German Cabaret (”As long as its German), sung in a throaty, heavily accented voice, complete with them falling all over their chairs, was excellent.
A final note on the art of Cabaret; it is not about vocal quality, necessarily. It is about showcasing new work. The fact that they were not the best singers in the world didn’t bother me one bit; they were likeable characters that I wanted to be spending my time with. Which is difficult to accomplish. I’ve seen many singers who were technically perfect, but gave me no warmth. These ladies certainly did.

Cabaret is not an art form that America is likely to embrace, or even acknowledge, but if it did, “Fascinating Aida” would be beloved.

Seeing “Merrily we Roll Along,” at the Gallery Players in Brooklyn, was exciting for me, for several reasons. First, an opportunity to hang out in Park Slope (super cool place.) Second, to see my friend Erin Williams star as Beth, and my friend Michael Ruby (from “Lost”) was an ensemble member. Third, and most noteworty, is that this rarely performed cult-status Sondheim show, was mostly unknown to me. Now I know that it is a work of true and rare brilliance that only Sondheim is capable of. I also understand why it is rarely done. The show starts in 1976, and progressively moves backward to 1957. Therefore, you have to cast actors that can play an age range of twenty years. Making things even more difficult is that where most actors in most plays are able to change and develop a character arc throughout a performance, these poor saps have to do it backward! Challenges noted, they all did a superb job.

Notable songs in the musical are “Not a Day Goes By,” sung flawlessly by Ms. Williams, “Old Friends,” and “We had a good thing Going.” The score has been attacked by critics for having no catchy fun tunes, but the score is far more sing-able than I had been led to believe by these criticisms.

I also see why most audiences would be put-off by this show. The story ends (at the beginning) tragically, and the story begins (play ends) full of hope and dreams. Meanwhile, as the audience, we already know what becomes of these people, and the paths that their lives have taken, while they are all starry eyed and full of youth. We have already seen the mistakes they are doomed to make and we pity them. Its a truly tragic story, full of fascinating characters. Furthermore, not every single question is answered for us. For example in the first scene, we see a man impoverished. The next scene, he is absent. The scene after that, he is a wealthy producer. We have to fill in the gaps of these people’s histories that Sondheim chose to leave out. What a fascinating experiement. And what a good handle on it this cast has. Good show.

This long-running musical revival was closing in a few weeks, so I figured it was time to see it. Sam Mendes’ directorial concept of a classic was truly inspiring. It was dark and tragic when it needed to be, and lighthearted and fun when it needed to be. Sets were perfect. Lighting and costumes were perfect. Bernadette Peters as Rose was perfect; not at all miscast as early reviews had stated. The difference in her portrayal is that she gave Rose a sexuality and coyness that had been absent in past Merman-esque portrayals. It was a nice change of pace. Her voice sounded tired, but who can blame her. A woman in her mid to late fifties, belting out challenging music eight shows a week for two years; I forgive her for not sounding the way she does on her studio-recordings. And honestly the quality of her singing wasn’t too far from that.

The supporting cast was perfect- brilliant casting from all angles.

Even the pit was noteworthily good. And with a female conductor, no less.

I really have nothing bad to say about this show other than the fact that our seats were pretty crappy. We did buy them that day, so what do you want.

It really had everything you expect a Broadway show to have visually, and then went the extra mile with the great acting. The characters have so many layers that it makes sense that the actors have been able to make new discoveries and deepen their performances after so many months of performance. They haven’t gotten stale, they’ve gotten better.

Movin’ Out, the Billy Joel/ Twyla Tharp collaboration, is possibly the most overrated B’way show I’ve ever seen. As a child, I grew up listening exclusively to Billy Joel, and to this day, I know each and every lyric to each and every song. And I was able to enjoy the show on that level. But I could have stayed in my house and listened to his CD’s for free.

I had heard that Michael Cavennaugh, the piano player/singer in the band was fantastic, and worth seeing the show for. What was not advertised at all (a tiny note in the playbill, once you are already in your seat) is that he doesn’t perform Wednesday matinees. So I saw some guy who I had never heard of, who was fine, but that’s just not fair.

Twyla Tharp is clearly very passionate about her dancers. So passionate, in fact, that she chose to let the stage be almost completely bare so as not to detract from “the art of the dance.” If you are passionate about dance, that might not be a problem. However, I came to see a Broadway show. Yes, I was aware that it is indeed a ballet, but it was so bare-boned-scaled-down-minimalist that you have nothing else to look at except the dancers. Which I guess was the point. And they were great dancers. I just don’t think you can call it a Broadway show.

And yes, its hard to do plot with no dialogue, but the story was so simple that it was almost insulting.

The highlights of the show were the two war scenes- “We didn’t start the fire” and “Goodnight Saigon.” They did a tad more with lighting and costume and set for these moments. They had the potential, as did the whole show, to be exposive. But it just wasn’t.