Friday, May 24, 2013

Quote from Michael Healey's "The Drawer Boy"

Morgan in Michael Healey's The Drawer Boy:
Well, the way we choose which cow to kill for meat is related to milk output. Lowest producer gets the axe. The cows know this, and they produce as much milk as they can, to keep from - you know - being chosen...Go into the barn, sit down with the cows. At first, they'll seem real casual. But just watch them for a while, and before long you'll see just how much pressure they're labouring under.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Two More Octogenarians Going Strong

Cicely Tyson and Buzzy Pizzarelli

Last month, during intermission at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, there was a heated debate in the rear orchestra about the age of the show's star - Cicely Tyson. A gentleman unseen to me consulted his smart phone and confirmed to his companions that according to the Times, many incorrectly give Ms. Tyson's age as 79 but in fact she is 88.  At 88, Ms. Tyson graces the Broadway stage after some 30 years in Horton Foote's reflective play The Trip to Bountiful. Once her age was confirmed, I returned to my reverie, completely charmed by the fiery actress and thinking of my grandmother - a spirited nonagenarian herself.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Three Off Broadway Musical Theater Experiences


Catching up with my neighbor the other day, we got on the topic of Broadway. She mentioned that her brother was visiting town and asked what's new and interesting. I mentioned Pippin, Matilda and Kinky Boots. By the end of our conversation, she was very intrigued by Pippin; so I suspect her brother may be seeing the circus style revival during his NYC visit. Reflecting on our conversation though, had my neighbor asked what's new and different, I wouldn't have mentioned the splashy Broadway musicals; I would have steered her Off Broadway to Here Lies Love, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, and maybe even Murder Ballad.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Need a Pick Me Up...Then Check Out "Old Hats"


 


These days, after crunching numbers all day, I usually need a pick me up by the middle of the week. Bill Irwin and David Shiner's slapstick and clowning around was just what the doctor ordered when I experienced their show Old Hats earlier this week. 

With a near perfect mark from Stagegrade and described as "ebullient" by the Times, I am not sure what took me so long to see this show at the Signature Theater. But I'm glad I I finally did because I smiled until my face almost hurt

Monday, May 13, 2013

Reality Check...The Business of Broadway is Tough and Not Diverse

Skim through Backstage's The 25 Most Powerful People on Broadway and note NO racial diversity; thank goodness for the few women who appear on the list.  

First up (of course) are the men who run the Broadway theaters. Then there are several  directors and producers. Finally, there are a couple of journalists and casting directors.

We...I get the picture; we...I understand who runs Broadway.
   
So, don't be surprise by Keli Goff's article Black Producers Still Rare on Broadway when you learn that there is only one African American duo who hands on produce Broadway shows - Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones. And they only joined the Broadway party in recent years.

And don't be surprise when you check out Alisa Solomon's The Not-So-Bountiful Trip to Broadway and learn that the number of black directors working on Broadway in last decade can be counted on one hand.  By the way, congrats to Debbie Allen, Kenny Leon, Marion McClinton, Charles Randolph-Wright, and George C. Wolfe.