Buckle up, folks, it's the Thanksgiving week roundup!
What: Roundabout hosts the West End hit adaptation of Sophocles's play, translated by director Robert Icke into a contemporary political thriller. Oedipus here is an idealistic politician on the final day of his campaign for office, with his wife on his arm, his brother in law advising him as speechwriter, his three children in attendance, and his mother as an unexpected visitor. In the wake of his campaign promises to release his birth certificate and to solve the mystery behind his predecessor Laius's sudden death thirty-four years ago, secrets are unwillingly dragged into the light, and well--you know the story right? Everyone knows the story here.
And? While I've had a mixed experience with Icke's work in the past, this adaptation and production are extraordinarily good. Mark Strong and Lesley Manville are doing such fully realized work, you forget they're actors. Oedipus and Jocasta are genuinely in love and they truly want to do good; and despite any damages he may incur, Oedipus is dead set on finding out the truth and doing right by it. Which, of course, is what you need to make the agony of a Greek tragedy work. Lesley Manville in particularly is absolutely heartbreaking as you see the realization of the full truth register on her face, in her gut. I couldn't take my eyes off her.
The production itself outside of the performances is also very well structured: a formerly pristine white space with rotating walls and large glass windows, full of the stuff and chaos of campaigning. As these are gradually cleared, all of the furniture being slowly moved out, we become aware of the lie of transparency in this space, of the obstacles to clear sight and truth. But we also approach closer to the purity of that truth, the clean white space where there is nowhere left to hide. Meanwhile (not subtly, but still effectively) a large digital clock counts down the minutes until the results of the election come through and his victory is assured. It is also, we know, counting down the minutes until the truth is revealed. And indeed, the clock hits zero when Jocasta tells Oedipus who he actually is and what he's done.
Just excellent work all around.
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| Jordan Scowen, Olivia Reis, Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, James Wilbraham, Anne Reid, and Bhasker Patel as Eteocles, Antigone, Oedipus, Jocasta, Polyneices, Merope, and Corin. Photo by Julieta Cervantes. |
11/25/25: Chess
What: Danny Strong's rewrite of the notoriously messy but beloved musical makes its way to Broadway, starring Lea Michele, Nicholas Christopher, and Aaron Tveit. What is it about? Depends on the version you're watching but the tl;dr is: chess literally and also as a metaphor for Cold War machinations, and also there's a love triangle that is actually a quadrangle.
And? I don't know what to tell you guys. Well, I do, but I'm disappointed to do it. It's so weird, I remember liking Danny Strong's revision to the book in DC. Was I wrong, or have they kept working on it to the degree that it's reverted back into a mess again? This script feels both overwritten and underwritten: the Arbiter's narration is too peppered with tired references to today's political woes and too dumbed down to the lowest common audience denominator. On the flip side of that, the dialogue scenes that remain are so underwritten that the rest of the cast has almost nothing to work with. Svetlana is reduced to a mustache-twirling sex kitten (though I lay the blame for that not only on Strong but also director Michael Mayer). Shakespeare Forum's credo is that "love is the strongest choice." If there's no actual love left between Svetlana and Anatoly, where is the tension on whether or not he should return to the USSR? Meanwhile context has been broken enough that Florence's big second act solo, "Someone Else's Story," is completely isolated from any other scene such that it may as well be a concert performance on PBS (granted, the lyrics are generic enough that the song can be reassigned to anyone else and still pretend to make sense). Florence walks out on stage, stands and delivers, the audience cheers, and off she goes again. I also don't understand either the song's placement in the eleven o'clock spot, or why it's played so positively. She's about to lose the love of her life and she knows it. Florence is--and I think always has been--let down by the script. She's meant to be the main character, but nearly every action she takes is in service of someone else, always a man. You can argue that the point of the story is that they're all pawns being controlled and sacrificed by the officers of the state, CIA agent Walter and KGB agent Molokov, but in that case wouldn't a great arc be Florence stepping away from pawn status and becoming the queen she should be? Guys, wouldn't that be nice? They claim she's one of the best chess players in the world. Why isn't she better at this kind of strategy?
Actually let's talk a bit more about that "what action are we playing here" question. "I Know Him So Well" is one of my favorite two-woman duets in musical theater. It just sounds so lovely. But it should be about both Florence and Svetlana realizing (or thinking they realize) that they can't hold onto Anatoly. Florence sings "he needs security" because she believes he will leave her and return to his wife; Svetlana sings "he needs his fantasy and freedom" because she believes he will never return home but continue to wander the world as a refugee with a lover, not a wife. That's what the lyrics mean. And again, that's the exciting tension, both fully convinced they know him so well while also demonstrating he remains unknowable. If they're both playing the song like Florence has already won, what am I watching? Why are they doing this to Zelda?
Back to the Arbiter (this review is as messy as the show). At first I loved the use of his role: narrator and puppet master I could get behind (excellent use of him with the choreography of the ensemble), but treating his role like someone spoon-feeding Cold War politics to first graders grated on me almost immediately. Either trust the show or don't; either trust the audience or don't. Either do a concert or do a show.
And the design! Let's pick on them too (this is turning into the rant I did about Company a few years ago). The scenic design is pretty sparse and concert-y, which, fine, I guess. However, there is a moment in the first act when a full bed with headboard appears out of the trap in the floor. I thought, "ah, things are finally real and concrete because their connection is concrete and real, and the aesthetic is about to transform." Nah. Back to minimalism after that. So I don't understand that choice. I also don't understand the costume design. Are we playing with black and white chessboard color palette or aren't we? Is Svetlana's burgundy dress meant to show she doesn't belong on the chessboard? Then why is she given calculated moves? I just ... come on, y'all, tell a coherent story.
"Other than that, Zelda, how was the play?" Incredible performers. Truly. These voices are unreal. Sean Allan Krill as Walter isn't given enough to do for his talent, but he makes a meal out of what he has. Likewise, as his USSR counterpart Molokov, Bradley Dean gets to shine the way he deserves. Though I was routinely annoyed by the lines handed to the Arbiter, Bryce Pinkham remains a delight onstage. Lea Michele's Florence is let down by the writing, as ranted above, but what an absolute treat to hear her put her mark on this score. She knows how to texture a lyric: when to keep it close and intimate and when to belt it out. Aaron Tveit's Freddie is appropriately a mix of insufferable and charismatic enough to make you want to forgive him. He's excellent throughout (and has a fun bit of costume choreography in "One Night in Bangkok"--guys, I know they can't cut this song because it's the biggest hit from the show, but they really should cut this song if they want to script to ever actually work), and really lets everything explode in his big second act number "Pity the Child." And Nicholas Christopher as Anatoly? This is a star-making role. He's been quietly on the rise for a while now and it's such a gift to see him claim the spotlight the way he deserves. He has such physical restraint, cool as a cucumber, which makes it all the more powerful when he finally lets loose his rafter-shaking voice. His "Anthem" was unlike any other rendition of that song I've heard.
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| Aaron Tveit as Freddie with the ensemble of Chess. Photo by Matthew Murphy. |
11/26/25: The Seat of Our Pants
What: The Public Theater presents a musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder's century-spanning The Skin of Our Teeth.
And? Skin of Our Teeth is such an odd show. When done right, with a director who understands the tricky tone, it's incredible. When done with a muddier understanding, it's just a long and confusing slog. I'm happy to report that Ethan Lipton's musical adaptation as directed by Leigh Silverman nails it. Equal parts rustically charming, quietly heartbreaking, knowingly absurd, with a dash of self-aware narrative breaking to interrogate the actual function of the play, Seat of Our Pants does excellent work to capture the essence of Wilder's Pulitzer-winning play about a series of world-ending catastrophes and the question we ask on the way to inevitable oblivion: Can we survive this, too? Do we keep going? How? Will we keep reinventing ourselves to try again, or is this our last shot to get it right? Act one presents the Antrobus family at the beginning of human creation but the end of the ages of dinosaurs, as an ice age overtakes the world and they and their neighbors huddle around a dying fire. Act two brings the Antrobus family to Atlantic City, where Mr. Antrobus has just won an election and encourages everyone to just enjoy themselves, oblivious to the drowning hurricane threatening their harbor. And act three opens as "the war" concludes, with people returning home and trying to return to business as usual. In this act the disaster is not only the destruction of human lives but the destruction of the souls and psyches of the survivors. Do we keep going? Yes. We keep trying. Maybe this time we'll get it right.
Another show with a terrific ensemble, led by the incomparable Ruthie Ann Miles as Mrs. Antrobus: golden voiced, crisp and clear, and trying not to let the cracks in her mask show, a muscle in her cheek twitching with suppressed emotion. Equally excellent is Micaela Diamond as the fourth wall-breaking maid and sometime homewrecker Sabina. Her large eyes hold back a fountain of tears as she pushes herself to keep the engine going of a play she doesn't understand. Also of note is the lovely Ally Bonino (of Suffs fame), with her quiet presence, kind smile, and sweet clear voice carrying us through the more heartbreaking moments in the show.
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| Ruthie Ann Miles, center, as Mrs. Antrobus, with other refugees from the flood. Photo by Joan Marcus. |
11/26/25: Art
What: Yasmina Reza's long-running play returns to Broadway, with Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris. Serge has just spent massive amount of money on a modern minimalist painting that his friend Marc dismisses as a white square of "shit," and their other best friend, the conciliatory Yvan tries desperately to keep the ensuing fight from disintegrating a 25-year friendship.
And? I read the play years ago but had never seen it, so was interested in seeing what all the fuss was about. Honestly, this was a good fun night at the theater. Not life-changing, but quick and sharp and expertly performed by three very differently mannered actors. I'll be honest, I wouldn't think of putting these three together: Bobby Cannavale, gravelly voiced and known for his dramatic work more than comedic; Neil Patrick Harris, polished and clever with well-honed and precise physical comedy; and James Corden, as famous for his offstage antics as on, but at his best when playing a somewhat hapless soul trying to fight his way out of a paper bag. And though these three disparate actors do manage to make that unlikely alchemy work, I found myself asking the entire show "how did you come to be friends in the first place?" That's the question the play asks as well, when all three seem to have so many long-running resentments unspoken until now. Special note here for David Rockwell's deceptively simple scenic design: for all their differences, the three friends live in identical grey-scale nondescript apartments, with the only variation being, notably, the art they choose to display on their respective walls. And of course costume designer Lindo Cho garbs each of them in the same color palate with only style variations.
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| James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris, and Bobby Cannavale as Yvan, Serge, and Marc. Photo by Matthew Murphy. |
11/27/25: Marilyn Maye at 54 Below
What: Singing legend Marilyn Maye performs for Thanksgiving night at 54 Below.
And? Y'all this woman is 97 and still kicking. Literally. She started doing kicks onstage. She's still got a powerful throaty belt and an earthy sense of humor. Even when she forgets a lyric or isn't sure what song is next, she rolls with what's happening, banters easily with both audience and band, and is clearly having a good time. It's not that she doesn't want to nail it--one or twice she had the band go back a phrase or two so she could have another run at it--but she doesn't let it phase her. This woman has the business of show in her body down through her marrow. My favorites among her repertoire are probably "I Will Survive" and "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News."
11/28/25: Little Bear Ridge Road
What: Samuel D. Hunter's play about a man at loose ends who returns home after the death of his father, reuniting with his estranged aunt.
And? Laurie Metcalf, as always, is extraordinary. In anyone else's hands, some of her larger moments could easily veer into cartoonish, but not in hers. I'm not sure how I feel about Micah Stock, but his more aggressive delivery of nearly every line is balanced well by John Drea as the love interest he didn't expect to find. The play didn't grab hold of my heart like Hunter's previous play, A Case for the Existence of God, but it does manage to nail a bittersweet and moving final beat.
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| Micah Stock, Laurie Metcalf, and John Drea as Ethan, Sarah, and James. Photo by Julieta Cervantes. |
11/28/25: The Baker's Wife
What: CSC presents Joseph Stein and Stephen Schwartz's ill-fated musical (and the origin of the beloved "Meadowlark" song) about a small town in France delighted to welcome a new baker and his surprisingly young wife. When she is tempted away by a handsome young man, the baker and town fall into chaos and misery.
And? I see why people want to rescue this show. I also see why they struggle to do so. The mien of the show is rustic and charming, with a sweetly romantic score by Stephen Schwartz. But it's an odd story that doesn't quite make sense. And I hate to say this but I see why "Meadowlark" got cut the first time around--it messes with the structure. It's a stunning song, but 1, it's a song justifying a foolish infidelity against a sweet man, not the glorious escape from an oppressive existence it sounds when sung out of context; and 2, it's so gorgeous with such a good climax that it seems like the act one finale--but it's not.
But under Gordon Greenberg's direction, this production comes as close to a rescue as I think one could. Jason Sherwood's scenic design is beautifully atmospheric in CSC's thrust stage, bathed in Bradley King's warm lighting. Even with the company singing in multiple directions, Jason Crystal's sound design balances their voices beautifully without letting them be overpowered by the orchestra. The ensemble is lovely, led by the affable and earnest Scott Bakula as the baker Aimable and Ariana DeBose as his enigmatic wife. Our performance had Wendi Bergamini covering Judy Kuhn's role of Denise with quiet strength and a full heart. Robert Cuccioli is always a welcome presence onstage, lending his rich voice, quiet dignity, and expressive eyes to the cafe owner Claude. And filling out the other townspeople are so many beloved performers including Manu Narayan, Kevin Del Aguila, Sally Murphy, and Arnie Burton, among others.
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| Ariana DeBose and Scott Bakula, center, as Geneviève and Amiable, with the cast of The Baker's Wife. Photo by Matthew and Evan Zimmerman. |
11/29/25: Ragtime
What: Lincoln Center hosts the Broadway transfer of Encores!'s revival of the beloved McNally/Flaherty/Ahrens musical, about the complicated caste system in New York (white people, Jewish immigrants, and Black people) at the turn of the 20th Century.
And? I am so pleased that unlike the recent transfer from Encores! of Into the Woods, Lincoln Center's transfer has indeed expanded the production beyond its concert staging: still evoking that staging, but on a larger, more sumptuous scale. The original production was beyond opulent and ambitious, including a newly renovated theater (well, two theaters into one) and a working Model T Ford; the second Broadway production was trying to evoke that same expansive style but came off looking a bit cheap. This production is often minimalist in set pieces, but each piece is detailed and crafted, communicating a lot with a little. And with gorgeous costumes by Linda Cho, clean direction by Lear DeBessonet, and graceful choreography by Elleanore Scott, the production feels sumptuous without getting in the way of the story and its complicated interlocking parts. The entire ensemble does strong work, but the three protagonists are particularly strong. Caissie Levy, though she's had a slow start with me, has been growing on me over the course of Caroline, or Change, Next to Normal, and now her stunning and subtle work as Mother. Any other shows she does, I'm in. I adore Brandon Uranowitz, who continues to steal my heart with every role he plays, and Tateh lets him show off a large range: the deep love and protectiveness over his daughter, the fiery rage he feels against the cruelty toward immigrants in New York, and his exuberant joy when he finally finds a path to success. And Joshua Henry, oh Joshua Henry. Is there anyone like Joshua Henry? Every role is performed with his full body. Alive and full of energy, his joy, his agony, his determination, his dignity, all infuse him and expand outward to encompass the audience. And that voice, those full round tones, that otherworldly powerful sound. He sounds wonderful on every cast album, on his television appearances, but it's something else to hear him live, to have him fill the theater with "Wheels of a Dream" and "Make Them Hear You." I hope this is the year he finally wins a Tony Award.
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| The cast of Ragtime. Photo by Matthew Murphy. |
11/29/25: Masquerade
Yes I went back! Don't judge me. Our 8:15pm pulse featured Anna Zavelson as Christine, Jeff Kready as the Phantom, and Alex Ross as Raoul. A notable thing: both Kready and Ross have similar hair and build, which rather underlines the fact that both men are a bit too convinced they can control Christine's fate. As usual, the entire cast is in good voice and delightful, and Zavelson and Kready are particularly golden-throated. We had a few special moments: the opening butler, clocking that this was my mom's first time, escorted her up the stairs leading to the champaign and overture room; I got pulled into the center of the rehearsal hall to "play" the piano while Carlotta sang; Christine handed her second letter to my mom; we had a perfect view of both the rise of the chandelier and its crash; and we were positioned in the exact right space for the reveal of the "Masquerade" song, complete with confetti.
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| Jeff Kready and Anna Zavelson as The Phantom and Christine. Photo by Oscar Ouk. |
11/30/25: Archduke
What: Roundabout hosts Rajiv Joseph's fantasized vision of the indoctrination of the assassins set to ignite the fire of the First World War.
And? Patrick Page is always good, but I'll be honest, I liked the Wilma Theater's version of this play a lot more. The design was more interesting (shoutout to Matt Saunders's enigmatic set design), and the actors playing the boys--Suli Holum, Sarah Gliko, and Brandon J. Pierce--were odder and more interesting. Between this and Fat Ham, I'm a little stumped why excellent productions at the Wilma aren't transplanted whole cloth to New York, but recast and restaged. Steppenwolf productions get the full transfer. I will say, I still love the hopeful ahistorical ending, even as we know the reality of what is to come.
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| Jason Sanchez, Adrien Rolet, Jake Berne, and Patrick Page as Nedeljko, Trifko, Gavrilo, and Dragutin "Apis" Dimitrijevic. Photo by Joan Marcus. |
a repeat visit. always charming
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