WHAT? DID YA'LL THINK THAT ME N THE MRS HAVE NO CULTURE? THAT WE ONLY GO TO CASINOS, BOXING MATCHES, BASEBALL GAMES AND DRINK WINE? HAH! SINCE WE LIVE IN THE MECCA OF THE ARTS, WE DO ENJOY A GOOD, QUIRKY OFF BROADWAY SHOW ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES A YEAR. HERE ARE THREE THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
ADRIFT IN MACAU ***
I AM NOT BIG ON MUSICALS, BUT THIS SHOW HAD SOME LAUGH OUT LOUD, FUNNY MOMENTS. IT IS A MUSICAL SPOOF OF MUSICALS WITH KETCH PARODIES AND
STEREOTYPES THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT. SOMEHOW THEY MANAGE TO COME TOGETHER FOR AN ENTERTAINING AND AMUSING EVENING. THE MAJORITY OF THE AUDIENCE HAD AT LEAST A GOOD SMIRK ON THEIR FACES MOST OF THE TIME. THIS IS THE THIRD SHOW OF PRIMARY STAGES 22ND SEASON AT THE 59 E59 THEATERS. THE ACTORS CAMPED, SPOOFED AND DID JUST ABOUT EVERY STEREOTYPE YOU WOULD EXPECT. WE ESPECIALLY ENJOYED TEMPURA ( ORVILLE MENDOZA) AS THE INSCRUTABLE ASIAN SIDEKICK . MICHELLE RAGUSA AS CORRINA CAME OFF AS LUCILLE BALL LIKE IN HER PERFORMANCE AS CORRINA. WE THOUGHT NEWSDAY'S REVIEW WAS PRETTY GOOD. OH WHAT THE HAY, GO SEE IT AND HAVE A SOME CHUCKLES AND LAUGHS.ALL THAT I WILL EVER BE
HAD SUCH HIGH HOPES FOR THIS ONE. WRITTEN BY ALAN BALL, HE OF SIX FEET
UNDER & AMERICAN BEAUTY FAME. THIS WAS PLAYING AT THE NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP. ONE OF OUR FAVORITE LITTLE OFF BROADWAY THEATRES. THE PLAY IS BASICALLY ABOUT OMAR , (PETER MACDISSI) A HUSTLER / PROSTITUTE OF MIDDLE EAST ORIGIN IN LOS ANGELES, AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH DWIGHT (AUSTIN LYSY), A POOR LITTLE LOS ANGELES RICH BOY. THE PLAY STARTED OUT INTERESTING ENOUGH AND THEN IT JUST BECAME BORING, LIKE SOMETHING YOU HAVE SEEN BEFORE BUT A WATERED DOWN VERSION. PETER MACDISSI , WHO I THOUGHT WAS OUTSTANDING AS OLIVIER IN SIX FEET UNDER PUT ON A PERFUNCTORY AND UNINSPIRED PERFORMANCE. AUSTIN LYSY'S ACTING WAS BETTER BUT THERE WAS NO SAVING THIS SHOW FOR JIMITHEGREEK. WE WERE OUT OF THERE AT INTERMISSION AND HOME IN TIME FOR SPORTS CENTER. FOR MORE ON THIS PLAY READ MATTHEW MURRAY'S REVIEW. HE SAT THRU THE WHOLE SHOW!
RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATION: ONE OF OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IS A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE THEATRE; THE MERMAID INN. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A BAD MEAL AT THE MERMAID. EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL. WE USUALLY GET A BOTTLE OF VINO AND FIVE APPETIZERS AND WE ARE GOOD TO GO. THE PLACE IS WARM, GREAT FOOD AND REASONABLY PRICED. OH, NO DESERT BUT THEY DO GIVE YOU A FREE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE PUDDING IN AN ESPRESSO CUP.
A VERY COMMON PROCEDURE *
THE TITLE SHOULD BE A VERY DISTURBING PLAY AT THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATER 121 CHRISTOPHER ST, NY. THIS PLAY IS PRODUCED BY THE MCC THEATRE WHICH HAS PUT ON SOME FINE SHOWS, ESPECIALLY THE MERCY SEAT BY NEIL LABUTE WITH LIEV SHREIBER & SIGOURNEY WEAVER. ONCE AGAIN I DIGRESS. THIS PLAY IS ABOUT A NY JEWISH COUPLE WHO LOSES THEIR PREMATURELY BORN DAUGHTER AFTER A DOCTOR BOTCHES HIS FIRST OPERATION. OBVIOUSLY THE COUPLE DO NOT RESPOND WELL. IN FACT THEY HANDLE IT BADLY WITH CLICHES, CONVERSATIONS AND METAPHORS. EVEN THOUGH THE ACTING WAS WELL DONE, THEY ALMOST IMMEDIATELY LOST ME AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY WHEN THE MOTHER CAROLYN (LYNN COLLINS) ANNOUNCES: "I masturbate to the thought of having sex with the doctor who killed my baby."
ALRIGHT SO THIS WAS THE ATTENTION GRABBER AND THERE WAS NO INTERMISSION AND LYNN COLLINS IS NOT BAD TO LOOK AT FOR AWHILE. SO BASICALLY THE THREE CHARACTERS SPEND THE NEXT HOUR++ REVEALING - CONFESSING THEIR THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS. THIS IS DONE THRU THE INTERACTIONS WITH EACH OTHER, THEIR NARRATIONS AND THEIR DIRECT DIALOGUE TO THE AUDIENCE GIVING US MORE BACKGROUND. THE HUSBAND MICHAEL (STEPHEN KUNKEN) AND DOCTOR ANIL (AMIR ARISON) COME UP WITH PRETTY DECENT ACTING JOBS BUT THEY CANT SAVE THE SHOW. SO SHE (CAROLYN) ENDS UP SLEEPING WITH THE DOCTOR WHO KILLED HER INFANT AND THE TRIO HAVE AN INCONCLUSIVE HASHING ABOUT AT THE END. I DIDN'T GET IT AND I THOUGH IT WAS ALL POINTLESS. EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, THE MRS JIMITHEGREEK AGREES!
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