Monday, October 21, 2024

Weekly Margin 2024, W42: Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song, Bad Kreyòl, Street Theater, Good Bones, Honeyland

What: The latest from Alessandrini.
And? Uneven, as they all ultimately are, but it was worth it to see Danny Hayward perform "Wilkommen" as Joel Grey, Alan Cumming, and Eddie Redmayne with pitch-perfect accuracy.

Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Danny Hayward, and Chris Collins-Pisano. Photo by
Carol Rosegg.

10/15/24: Bad Kreyòl
What: Signature and MTC jointly present Dominique Morisseau's newest play about the reunion of two estranged cousins--one Haitian-born and running a high-end clothing boutique; the other a first generation Haitian American who is trying to reconnect to her roots in her father's homeland.
And? It's basically impossible to go wrong with a Dominique Morisseau script. Her work is always interesting, her characters always fully drawn, and the conflicts built in real, human ways. And adding Pascale Armand as one of the leads? Our cup runneth over.

Andy Lucien and Kelly McCreary as Thomas and Simone. Photo by
Matthew Murphy.

10/17/24: Street Theater
What:  As part of the company's 50th year in operation, TOSOS presents Doric Wilson's play about the hours leading up to the Stonewall Riots.
And? fan-freaking-tastic. full review here.

Antony Terrell as Boom Boom. Photo by Richard Rivera.

10/19/24: Good Bones
What: The Public Theater presents James Ijames's new play about an affluent Black couple in an unnamed city having the kitchen in their new home redone, as questions of gentrification and community come to the forefront.
And? Not as strong a work as Fat Ham, but it was okay. Very well acted, particularly by Khris Davis as Earl, the man hired to redo their kitchen, who has very strong opinions about the preservation of his community.

Mamoudou Athie, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Khris Davis as Travis, Aisha,
and Earl. Photo by Joan Marcus.



10/20/24: Honeyland
What: Theatreroo presents a new musical about four friends reckoning with the changing times of the 1960s and 70s, and their memories of who they used to be.
And? full review here.

Ben James Tyrrell, Anika Buchanan, Abby Goldberg, and Jacob Higdon as
Mike, Helen, Fran, and Tom. Photo by Thomas Mundell, Mundell Modern Pixels.





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