Ben is happy to be a second-semester senior who enjoys writing and theater (and writing about theater), as well as many, many, many other things.
Who is Colman Domingo? 
He was Orlando Jones’ replacement in The Wiz this past summer at City Center. He was in Passing Strange on Broadway, if you can remember that far back. (If not, you can check out the film, which Spike Lee shot during the final three performances of the show’s run.)
But who is Colman Domingo, really?
Aside from being amazingly talented, he is a man who loves his sentimental soul music. The music, for him, brings back the memories which make up the almost-90-minute one-man show, memories of growing up, from West Philadelphia on to college and beyond. And for Domingo, the memories, like the music, all come from the heart. [click to continue…]
Tagged as:
Colman Domingo,
Passing Strange,
Vineyard Theater
I had wanted to see the Neo-Futurists for some time, but was always too busy/lazy and never got around to asking for tickets. This particular week, though, it just seemed to make sense for no particular reason whatsoever. The Neos would appreciate this reasoning, I think. Also, another show popped up this time on the freelancers’ weekly email from Eric (monsieur Editor-in-Chief at High 5) — an improv night at the National Comedy Theatre — which piqued my interest. I had never heard of the place, but I like comedy about as much as the next guy, so I figured it couldn’t be all that bad. Impulsively, of course, I got tickets to both. It was an odd pairing, to be sure. [click to continue…]
Tagged as:
Kraine Theater,
National Comedy Theatre,
New York Neo-Futurists
The latest feel-good musical / revival of a feel-good musical has arrived! Yay! The newest production from New York City Center‘s Encores! series, The Wiz is back and bubblier than ever.
You know the basic story of The Wizard of Oz: a tornado whisks our protagonist, Dorothy, away to the magical land of Oz, from where she must find her way back home. Now picture The Wizard of Oz with an all-black cast. Good. Now picture the cast singing R&B. And…tada! That’s pretty much the premise of The Wiz. Instead of singing about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, we hear about the Wiz. “Follow the yellow brick road” becomes “Ease on down the road.” And so on (If you’re curious, look up “ease on down the road” on YouTube — there’s a great audio track from the 1978 movie which includes a young Michael Jackson as the scarecrow!
It’s a fun adaptation. Although the libretto could use a 21st century update — it does get clunky at times, weighed down with jokes that were probably much funnier when the show first came out, almost 35 years ago — but there’s no mistaking that it makes for a good time. [click to continue…]
Tagged as:
New York City Center,
The Wiz
Diane Walsh is a fantastic pianist. As the lights go down in the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, Walsh begins her virtuoso performance with the first in Beethoven’s set of thirty-three variations on a theme—the subject matter upon which Moisés Kaufman‘s newest play is based. Thankfully, we get to hear her throughout the evening, playing most of the thirty-three variations on a beautiful grand piano to the side of the stage. The composition is beautiful; the sound is beautiful; her performance is beautiful.
Unfortunately, just as a conductor cannot prevent a train wreck, beautiful accompaniment cannot save 33 Variations. As the first line of the play—Jane Fonda giving a lecture as Dr. Katherine Brandt, a musicologist who is dying of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)—dictates, Let us begin with the primary cause of things. Simply put, the play takes itself too seriously. [click to continue…]
Tagged as:
33 Variations,
Eugene O'Neill Theatre,
Jane Fonda,
Moisés Kaufman
Near the end of the third out of five in a series of increasingly inventive, if not outright original, shorts that comprise Love/Stories (or But You Will Get Used To It) — Itamar Moses‘ newest creation, currently at The Flea Theater‘s intimate Downstairs space — featured actor Michael Micalizzi, playing himself, candidly proclaims to fellow actor Laurel Holland, also playing herself, “In case you couldn’t tell, I’m not very articulate…it’s kind of my thing.” Micalizzi speaks for the assorted souls that populate Moses’ work, characters who more often than not find themselves stammering through half-baked explorations of love. [click to continue…]
Tagged as:
Itamar Moses,
Love/Stories (or But You Will Get Used To It),
The Flea Theater
$5 Tickets
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