Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 7 June
This is the most fascinating and entertaining play I saw this year. The production is pervaded by and exudes a wonderful energy, bolstered by inventive musical numbers that serve as kinetic montage-esque sequences and John Lee Miller's passionate, electric performance. Ink is very British, with plenty of references to the Fleet Street Establishment and the class system. The dialog is clever and snappy, while still being highly accessible. I wish I had had the time in my schedule to see Ink a second time, since there was often a lot going on with both the dialog and the staging, so I feel like a second viewing would have revealed new insights and moments of delight. As it was, I left the theatre quite delighted indeed.
Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, 3 May
Rattlestick does it again with another well-executed "issue" play, this time about parole reform. The lead performances by Keith Randolph Smith and Zenzi Williams were powerful and Broadway-caliber. Lockdown is valuable because it humanizes the issue of parole reform and opens up a dialog around this topic without passing judgment, being preachy, or telling the audience how / what to think. The play also demonstrates that people have vast capacity for change and then asks if it is fair to judge and define a person based on past actions alone. The performance was followed by an informal, informational presentation that built upon the themes of the play. While parole reform is a multifaceted issue, Lockdown and its related programming can begin to help unravel it.
New York City Center, 10 August & 7 September
Due to some scheduling uncertainty, I ended up with tickets to see this show twice, and I'm so very glad that I did. The plot is Peter Pan meets Romeo & Juliet (minus the death), and the overwrought teen vibes somehow manage to be charming. Andrew Polec (as protagonist Strat) and Christina Bennington (as his lady-love Raven) are both excellent, but my favorite cast member was supporting player Danielle Steers, whose voice could be a dead ringer for Cher's, especially on the standout number "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad". Lena Hall and Bradley Dean (as Raven's parents) are also a lot of fun to watch; their performances are melodramatic and over-the-top, but that's exactly what is called for when it comes to songs like"Paradise by the Dashboard Light", which Dean partly performs wearing a pink metallic speedo. Bat Out of Hell is super campy, slightly goofy, a lot of fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously (as evidenced by the inclusion of that speedo), making it a delightful theatrical experience.
Citi Field, 11 May
On the surface, Luzia seems like a standard Cirque du Soleil touring Grand Chapiteau show. However, it is much better than recent tours like Totem, Amaluna, and Ovo for a few key reasons: the clown is actually funny and not annoying, the Mexico theme is clear and well-executed, and there is a waterfall. You read that correctly – there is an actual waterfall in the middle of the stage... in a tent. The waterfall is used several times throughout the show; each time it is surprising and beautiful, and it literally caused my jaw to drop. The most jaw-dropping moment of all is when the water is used to create images inspired by Mexican culture and other motifs from elsewhere in the show. This manifests as a curtain of water that contains animals, flowers, trees, geometric patterns, and more. It was like nothing I have ever seen before, it it totally blew me away. Luzia is one of the best Cirque shows I've seen in a while, and is right up there with Alegria and Verekai in terms of quality and creativity.
Lyceum Theatre, 7 December
This is the most festive of productions, featuring Campbell Scott as a terrific Scrooge, and Andrea Martin and LaChanze as the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, respectfully. The Lyceum is a lovely, intimate theatre, made even more intimate by the choice to build the stage out into the orchestra section. This take on A Christmas Carol goes for very low and dark lows, but that allows fro the highest, most joyful of highs, which Scott embodies thoroughly. Indeed, this production captures the spirit of Christmas that Dickens was surely aiming to conjure up. Before the show begins, cast members hand out (or throw) clementines and cookies, then there are plenty of hand bell carols, two snow storms, and a feast is gathered via cloth chutes and parachuted Brussels sprouts. The whole thing is rather magical and community building. Campbell Scott is a wonder to behold; after Scrooge is visited by the ghosts, Scott makes the character's elation contagious, and he clearly has formed a special bond with the young actor playing Tiny Tim, who happens to be a child actor with cerebral palsy. After a grueling week of work, this production helped me remember that the holidays are a magical time of year, especially when you stop to appreciate the little things.
NYTW Next Door, 22 February
This play about a flight attendant's last day of work before retiring is set on a plane, and thus the theatre was set up to resemble an aircraft cabin. Bonnie's Last Flight is both absurd and thoughtful -- as well as wholly original. This play is fresh, creative, and joyful due to its fusion of traditional theatre with technology and low-touch audience interaction (i.e. it's "interactive", but not in an obnoxious or uncomfortable way). I left the theatre feeling refreshed and delighted, while also ruminating on the power of friendship and the meaning of family.
Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 24 August
This musical is far from perfect, but it is so much damn fun! From the minute you walk into the theatre and are surrounded by fairy lights, a red windmill, and a huge blue elephant, you are transported to a vibrant, magical version of the Paris of Baz Luhrmann's fever dreams that we all know so well. My main issues with the show are (a) the first act is much better than the second; (b) they used part of "Gimme Shelter," which is such a dark song, and did not create the right vibe for anyone familiar with the lyrics to the entire song; and (c) that while Karen Olivo has a fantastic voice (her version of "Diamonds Are Forever" is right up there with Shirley Bassey's), I did not for one minute believe that she was delicate or consumptive. That being said, if you don't compare the musical too closely to the film, and just enjoy the music, it's hard not to have a good time while bopping along to songs like "So Fresh, So Clean," "Royals," "Shut Up and Dance," "Bad Romance," and a mash-up of "Crazy" with "Rolling In The Deep" that works much better than it should. For a music geek such as myself, the number of song snippets packed into this show was delightful.
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