Going the Distance

The title of this entry is my little tribute to Cake, one of my favorite bands. For you screaming liberals in the crowd (um, like me…), the band is also very lefty political, so that’s something. There’s a great quote on their website today from Senator Larry Craig. Oh my, how hypocrisy hurts.

Anyway, speaking of distance, there’s a cool little article in the Times-Dispatch about an exceptional cross-country runner named Susannah Piersol and, if you are reading this blog, you probably recognize that last name. Susannah is the daughter of Carol who is also mentioned in the article.

I read somewhere recently (maybe in a Barksdale press release) that Irene Zeigler has already been pre-cast in Doubt. What an excellent choice! I haven’t seen her onstage in a long time. For some reason, I thought of Katie McCall for that show. But she hasn’t been on stage in years as far as I know. Anyone know what she’s up to? And I wonder who they’ll cast as Father Flynn. Who do YOU think would be good? There are so many good actors in town who would be great for the role and of course it always comes down to who actually auditions (assuming they’re be open auditions). It’s probably bad form to speculate but still I wonder…Is Larry Cook too old? Is Brett Ambler too young? Would Justin Dray do it? How about Chris Evans – one of my local faves – where has he been anyway?

OK, enough with the bad form. I’m excited to be going to see “Urinetown” tonight. Mary at Style will be reviewing it – I’m just going for fun, a very rare occurrence for me these days. I’ll be sure and post my thoughts, though, if it turns out that I even have any when I’m not in “critic mode.”

Have a great holiday weekend!

Disappearing acts

I’m still digging the Barksdale Blog – and have to admire its regularity. I certainly think about posting every day or two, though obviously I don’t get around to it that often.

But I’ve also been intrigued by what I HAVEN’T been seeing on the B-Blog, which is some posts that have magically disappeared after being available for moments or hours. The most infamous of these was “Robin Arthur’s Ass,” which an alert reader sent to me the after it apparently was posted (I never saw it online) then quickly removed. It’s hilarious but perhaps too racy for the site.

Then just this week, there was a very nice entry on “Urinetown” at the Mill. The entry itself wasn’t controversial in any way that I could see, but the comments it generated were interesting and seemed to be headed to a contentious place. Shortly after I first checked out the posting, I checked back and it was gone. Hmmm….

And in an unrelated (to what I was just talking about or theater at all, really) note, the latest Style had me scratching my head a little. One of the movie reviews trumpets “Stardust” as the summer’s sleeper hit. This is at the same time as many summer wrap-ups are calling the movie one of the big losers of the summer. Based on its anemic box office compared to its price tag, one article I read called it “Starbust.” So is Style falling out of touch with reality? Or is it just an unfortunate choice of subhead? When is some more theater going to open up in town so there's more stuff to talk about?

d. l. is advertising (and more)

I had the very enjoyable occasion to speak to Mr. d. l. Hopkins the other day for an upcoming story in Style – one that I think (hope) will incite some debate. Among other things, I found out that both Mr. Hopkins and I have sons 7 and 3 years old. It’s always cool – and sometimes funny – to find out the things that people have in common. One of my favorite stories is when Harry Hamlin accidentally called our house in confusion after my wife interviewed him for a story. What I learned: some celebrities can’t figure out their cell phones either.

When I Googled d. l. in preparation for talking to him, I came across this very funny YouTube video called Behind the Ads, stirring up memories of the Slice Man days. It’s definitely worth a look.

I was also perusing an interview with Corbin Bleu and came across this little exchange:

Do you have a role model?
I really, really respect Jamie Foxx... He's a beautiful singer, he plays the piano wonderfully, he's an incredible actor. He's just a very well-rounded person. I very much admire that.

Sounds like you want your career to follow in his footsteps. How do you plan to do that?
Playing a few roles, and then go do another album, and then go work on Broadway! [Laughs] I love change. I love trying new things.

Bleu does Broadway! That’ll certainly get hordes of teenage girls (more of them) interested in theater!

And what did YOU think of High School Musical 2? (Don’t pretend you didn’t watch!) Though I thought much of it was hackneyed and some of it unintentionally hilarious (where were the backup singers hiding during Troy’s “Bet on It” romp across the golf course?), I was glad about one thing: they made Ryan the hero. Now for HSM 3 they just need to find a way to give Monique Coleman more to do.

Sir Links-a-Lot

I’ve been a little crushed for time (again) these days, so haven’t had a chance to put together a well-considered final chapter in my RVA Mag response. But until I do, here’s some interesting bits of other media I’ve seen lately, some pertinent, some less so.

There’s today’s story about Fantasia on Broadway, which kind of follows on nicely after my popular culture rap below. There was this piece that somehow I missed a week or so ago about Benny Ambush and his current landing place. I miss Benny – he had a challenging go of it here but he remained upbeat in every interaction I had with him.

Both the T-D and Style give the Will Power to Youth program its due today. Though Style spelled Cynde’s name right…

And in case you were wondering, it certainly does seem like Mary Burruss is the new main voice in terms of the theater scene for Style. So it goes. She’s a good writer and I’ll be back to writing papers for grad school in another week. As the summer's swan song, I’ll have a piece on local theater coming out in the Richmond Guide sometime soon. And of course I’ll keep on blogging; I just can’t let go of the scene altogether.

A while back, I pondered what big name stars would draw me to try me hardest to get to Broadway to see them. Well, Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner in Cyrano would do it.

Finally, can I just say that I’m already giddy with anticipation about “Doubt” playing at the Barksdale in February? I can’t wait to see who they cast and, assuming the cast doesn’t totally suck, I look forward to seeing the show at least twice.

High-minded elite (More RVA Mag)

That’s a loaded phrase, for sure, but to be honest, it’s not out of line with the reputation theater has had for a lot of people for a long time. But if that’s still where your head’s at, then you haven’t really been paying attention. At least since “Rent” hit Broadway in 1996, theater has rejoined the cultural mainstream. Need proof? How about hit movie adaptations of musicals like “Chicago” and “Hairspray.” The ongoing mega-popularity of experiences that mix theater with music, dance, and even circus, like Blue Man Group and Cirque de Soleil. And how about one of the most popular cultural experiences of recent history: High School Musical. Tonight when the sequel premieres, tweens, teens, and even older folks (like me!) will be enmeshed in the world of theater. Sure, it’s theater on TV but, hey, it’s still theater. And there’s no way to construe the audience HSM II will draw as high-minded elites.

I could mention the burgeoning hip-hop theater culture that is emerging or the gripping new plays like “Topdog/Underdog” that are starting to be appreciated not just on the fringes but in the mainstream. But Le Synge Bleu has already touched on that. What I’ll point out is that theater will always be an essential and ever-renewing cornerstone of popular culture because it is at the theater that people get the first taste of performance. Whether it’s a part of the kindergarten assembly or a skit done for the aunts and uncles at Thanksgiving, people who have a hunger for acting out usually hit the stage first. So even when people grow up to be movie and TV stars, they look back fondly on their days in theater, sometimes heading back for a stint in a high-profile role (Past: Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman, etc.; Future: Claire Danes). Sometimes putting loving or satirical nods to theater in their work (ex.: the recent Shrek the Third movie). And, as David Leong's ground-breaking training program that works with lawyers and doctors at VCU shows, theatrical skills can be vital or at least helpful in many other walks of life beyond stage or screen.

I think theater could do more to gain traction with the culture at large but, all things told, I think it’s doing pretty well. Still, Tony, you ask the question, “What can I do?” which I’ll take as an honest request for suggestions. Next post, I’ll try to address it.

Opportunity for Dialogue (More RVA Mag, Part 1)

Sorry Ms. Robin Arthur, but like it or not, blogs are where it’s at! (There’s more to that story but it’ll have to wait for some other day.) Why do I say this? Because only in a blog-filled world could I have gone on a low-grade rant about RVA Mag (and theater coverage in general) just a few days ago and then today get a considerate and interesting response from Mr. Anthony Harris, publisher of said mag. His response provides several opportunities for dialogue, I believe. So let’s get to it:

First off, thanks so much for your comment, Mr. Harris. It was a nice and unexpected surprise. You raise many good points and I’ll try to address what I can.

You ask, “Is there a theater scene in Richmond?” Oh my, yes. In fact, for a city the size of our town, there is a pretty remarkable theater scene. There are more than a dozen professional theater companies in Richmond and its environs and that doesn’t take into account the several dozen community, parochial, and scholastic programs in town. An average of one professional show opens every week here. Literally hundreds of people make their living producing, writing for, or acting in theater in Richmond. We have one of the largest children-oriented theater companies in the country with Theatre IV, one of the most respected GLBT-oriented theaters in the country with Triangle Players, and a theater festival (“Acts of Faith”) that has received national press coverage. But perhaps the best answer to your question springs from a source very close to you -- your own alma mater. VCU has a burgeoning theater scene led by a nationally-known fight director, David Leong, which has companions in programs at U of R, Randolf Macon, and Virginia Union.

I could go on and on about the theater scene here but trust me, its pretty fervent. Enough so that a magazine focused solely on Richmond Theater (Richmond Marquee) has sprung up to cover it. And maybe it’s just the circles you run in versus the ones I do but – between Theatre IV’s children’s shows, focused theater groups like Bifocals, seasonably popular offerings like Richmond Shakespeare’s summer shows, and educational programs like SPARC – I know a lot more people (regular people, not just theater people) who experience theater on a much more frequent basis than visual art. And as far as theater people go, I can’t go to Ukrop’s without running into a person (if not multiple people) I know from the theater world. They’re everywhere!

Gotta get to bed but as soon as I get a chance I’ll post my response to your question: does [theater] still have a place in the modern world except for the high minded elite? I have to say that the question is a little mind-boggling to me particularly if we are considering comparisons between theater and visual art (and given the “huh?” response I hear from so many people when they try to appreciate contemporary visual art). But I’ll try to keep my emotion in check when I respond.

Thanks again for your response, Tony, and please check back if you want to read more. And anyone else in “the scene” who wants to pipe up, please do!

Too little and maybe too much

During my recent visit to the Byrd Theatre, I saw an ad for RVA Magazine, an alternative mag that I know next to nothing about. But in perusing their website quickly, I only saw a single story about theater (a puff piece on Yellowhouse). What’s up with that? How can a magazine claim to be tapped into the local arts scene without coverage of theater? I found more articles about dance than theater and as many articles about roller derby as theater. For some reason, music is totally over-covered and RVA in particular seems intensely in touch with the visual art scene. I can only speak from personal experience but I’ve only been to two concerts in the past year, two art shows, and no dance performances (compared with a dozen plays). Are these other scenes really drawing a dramatically larger (richer? hipper?) audience than theater?

Though this criticism is directed at RVA, most of the local media are guilty. The T-D, Brick, and even Style generally underperform when it comes to covering theater – though Style I think is getting better with the welcome addition of Mary Burruss to the ranks of those covering live performance. I should also say that I generally appreciate Richmond.com’s level of coverage, posting more reviews from Joan Tupponce than I would have expected from a venue that is just a web presence.

What gets to me is that the existing reportage, which runs from less-than-expected to zilch, usually only covers the professional scene. In a perfect universe, the burgeoning college scene would also get the coverage it deserves, particularly given that – in my totally unscientific speculation – many of the popular college productions have drawn way bigger audiences than some of the less popular professional ones. Oh, but in those cases most of the theater-goers were college kids and we all know that their money and attention doesn’t count…

I could work myself up into a full-fledged rant about this but it’s Friday for one thing and also still so hot that I don’t want to do anything that might work up a sweat. But to give interested parties something else to think about over the weekend, I'll throw out another -- somewhat contradictory -- observation for consideration:

I am loving the Barksdale Blog but I honestly cannot keep up. I came back from vacation and started to peruse the new content (great piece on Vickie and Richard, Mr. Maupin) but had to move on after a couple of posts. I have the interest but just don’t have the time. To reiterate: I love that it's so informative and that Bruce in particular has put himself out there is such an accessible way. However, maybe it’s just me but it feels like too much of a good thing. Short and snappy are generally the guiding principles of the arts writing I do and also that I like to read. I know I’m just a blogger/critic who isn’t immune to rambling myself, but I think an outreach/marketing tool has to strike a balance between informing, entertaining and overwhelming. Just my two cents…

A King’s Perspective

Stephen King writes commentary for Entertainment Weekly, which I sometimes find annoying in its cloying “regular guy” attitude but appreciate at the same time because, you know, he’s Stephen King and he hasn’t really had to do anything to earn his pesos for a decade or two. His latest piece includes something that strikes a particular chord for the critic in me with its reminder to appreciate the joy “art” generates and its admonishment of those who seem critical for criticism’s sake (hello, Mr. Neman!).

As with so many things, the piece immediately made me think of the local theater scene. I reflected on the simple genius of the Barksdale’s offerings at Hanover Tavern. I may have sighed a heavy sigh when I first read that oldies like “Barefoot in the Park” were going to be produced there. But, damn that was a funny show. Same reaction – and same result – with “Odd Couple.” The folks at Barksdale obvious recognize that some shows – no matter how old and potentially dated – generate joy. You leave a good production of “Barefoot” feeling happy, it picks you up and sends you off in the world feeling like the world is a hopeful place.

I often have to battle with my inner snob and I can’t help but look forward to more cutting-edge and challenging material (both “Urinetown” and “Mr. Marmalade” on Richmond’s Fall slate have my interest peaked). But I also have to remind myself that I could probably be happy seeing “Godspell” once a month for the rest of my life (maybe alternating with “Les Miserables”). As Mr. King would say, some shows simply kick ass.

Which also made me think that I should compile a list of theatrical moments of the last ten years or so that gave me a joyful reaction on par with the one that Mr. King describes in his piece. Stay tuned loyal readers (both of you...) for that one.

Shrek, Neglect and other Dreck

I have been neglecting this ole blog for a while now, mostly because I’ve been out of town at the beach, enjoying a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of city living. But after a week of sun and sand (and a couple of days of beating the work madness back down to a low roar), I’m here again and already looking forward to a Fall full of interesting theater.

But in the meantime, it’s still summer (as the sweltering temps attest) and some summer shows are still winding down (as per the review of “Sleuth” in the latest Style). I totally missed the Steward School, SPARC, and New Writers shows this summer – did anyone else check them out? Were they good?

I also missed perhaps the biggest gathering of theater folks this summer at Erin and Tony’s engagement party, documented in a great series of pictures at JB’s blog. You’ll notice Mrs. Price featured in some of these pictures which is a bit ironic since my beloved recently bumped into Melissa at the “Member of the Wedding” auditions at the Barksdale. Both her daughter and mine were trying out for the lead role. I’ve thought about sending flowers (or Red Sox tickets) to Scott as an enticement to get him to cast my baby but I suspect he has integrity about that kind of thing…phooey.

And in a tangential theater note, I took my boys to see “Shrek the Third” last night, which IMHO was pretty dreadful and a dramatic downturn from the original. But I was amused at the framing bits of theater in the movie. If you think you’ve been subjected to an awful audience, check out the delightful bit of dinner theater at the beginning where even the three little pigs are heckling. And the dressing room in the alley was pretty inspired. A knowing understanding about the conventions of theater informed the big finale as well.

Even though American culture is dominated by movies and television, these scenes in Shrek show how theater is woven into the DNA of our artistic expression and continues to be a fundamental element of our cultural foundation.

Finally, a hardy welcome back to Richmond to Sara Heifetz; I look forward to seeing her back on stage in the not-too-distant future, perhaps after a certain blessed event…

New Yorker dreams

Every once in a while, I hear about something or read about somebody and think, “Man, if I was a REAL writer (and didn’t already have a full-time job, and four kids, and grad school, and a part-time job, and…and…and), I would so totally write a big fat feature about this and try to sell it to the New Yorker.”

That’s what I think when I read Eliza Skinner’s exploits on her blog. Eliza is the little sister of Emily who recently got splashy reviews with “Witches of Eastwick” in DC. From what I can tell, Eliza could give a seminar on the struggle for survival as a New York City performer. She seems to have about a dozen venues for her talent. For instance:

-> She has a well-reviewed one-woman show called “Shameless” that opens in LA in August.
-> She plays drums and sings for a band called Stickerbook that recently played a concert in Central Park.
-> She’s half of a two-woman improv comedy/musical group called I Eat Pandas.
-> She is a regular cast member in the improvisational musical “Baby Wants Candy.”
-> She is the sole chick in yet another sketch comedy/improv group called Hammerkatz.
-> …and to top it all off, the recent short film she wrote and produced for the New York edition of the 48-Hour Film project won several awards in the competition.

And even with all of that, I believe she still holds down an office job to pay the bills.

I think that it’d be a great and fun challenge to capture the whirlwind of a life she must lead as well as highlight her prestigious talents. I’ve thought about pitching the story to Style but somehow think they might suspect it for an excuse to get a weekend in NYC on the company nickel. And I don’t know if Eliza would want some old theater geezer tromping around after her with a tape recorder and a notepad. Still, maybe someday…

You can keep track of Eliza’s many gigs and delight at her often wicked sense of humor at her website.

And one last link for fun: did you know that Aaron Sorkin of “The West Wing” and “A Few Good Men” fame has a new play in development? Casting and a schedule for it have just been announced. Worth a NYC trip? Maybe?

Many thoughts but mostly links

I’ve had many theater-related thoughts lately but haven’t really had time to post them. Until I get some time, I do have some links. First, to the Style reviews of “Odd Couple” and to “Henry IV, Part 1.” I am particularly proud of the headline for the Hal review. Headline writing is an art onto itself (so much so that the VA Press Association gives awards in headline writing) and capturing a whole article in just a few well-chosen words can be a challenge. ‘Hal-apalooza’ is probably the best one-word headline I’ve ever come up with. (OK, just sprained my arm patting myself on my back…)

Then a link to a quick story that announces the Cherry Jones will be playing a woman president in the TV show, ’24.’ I have been a ‘24’ fan since the first season and used to write online commentary about the show at one of the many fansites. But, as you can see in this post, I thought this last season stunk up the joint. I was all prepared to drop ‘24’ from my TV lineup but Ms. Jones, most famous recently for her great work in “Doubt,” coming to the show may just make me tune in again.

Finally, I read recently that Danny Hoch has a new show opening soon (here's a piece about it on broadway.com). This should peak the anticipation of anyone who saw Scott Wichmann set the stage ablaze with Hoch’s “Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop.” A film version of that show is apparently out on DVD that, unfortunately, does not feature Scott…

Happy Campy

According to Hilton Als in the New Yorker, the new production of “Xanadu” is a hoot. In additional campy theater news, “Hairspray” is currently getting an amazing 94% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes, made even more amazing by the fact that the “Cream of the Crop” reviews (those that appear in national or major market publications) are 100% positive.

Critical love doesn’t always sway the masses so I still fear that this flick may underperform at the box office (plus, everyone is going to be shut-in this weekend reading Harry Potter, right?) But this outpouring of raves (even Daniel Neman liked it, I think!) has had an impact on my apathy. I may have to sneak out and see it sometime over the next week or two…

Richmond theater rules

Andrew Hamm had a recent post on his blog noting specifically the coolness of Scott Wichmann but also generally the unique nature of the theater community in this town. Theater people in Richmond are to a large extent incredibly friendly, accessible, and down-to-earth. If you want further proof of this, you can check out a comment Bruce Miller posted on this here blog not too long ago. It refers to a production out at Hanover Tavern last year that he directed.

His honesty and openness about the challenges in putting up this production are refreshing, though I would say his self-recrimination about his direction of the piece is a bit harsh. But regardless, how cool is it that Mr. Miller – founder / writer / director / artistic director / possibly most prominent name in local theater – would put such comments out for public consumption? It’s certainly a testament to the impressiveness of Mr. Miller but also a further reflection (IMHO) of the unique nature of the stage scene here.

Consolidated H4P1 rave

As I mention below, the latest Richmond Shakespeare production is good enough for 2 reviews. So it’s a perfect situation to put this silly blog to good use. Be sure and pick up Style next Wednesday to read my outpouring of adjectives in praise of the show. But until then, read below for some more specifics on what I liked.

Let’s start with the beginning (a very fine place to start, no?). Jack Parrish as Henry IV is riveting. Physically, emotionally, vocally, he is the most truly regal king I believe I have ever seen in a Shakespearean production. In writing my review, I kept searching for comparisons: “he’s as good as…” but frankly could not come up with anything that sufficed. His stature – tall, strong, commanding – married to that voice – gravelly but still dynamic – is unique and singularly appropriate for this Henry. I could totally see a son wanting to distance himself from such a father’s shadow, yet Jack also delivers the “come back to the fold” speech so earnestly, how could Hal not be inspired to better himself? The best thing I think Richmond Shakespeare could do is bring back Jack for Part 2. Promise me that and I’ll start working on my rave review right now to save time…

I really didn’t think things could get any better than that but then we meet Phil Brown as Hal. Brown is a looker, there’s no doubt about that, and how refreshing to see a director exploit that with Hal’s initial shirtless appearance. But there is obviously more to Mr. Brown and it’s clear from the first scene. Though he projects a casual insouciance and off-hand joie de vivre, there is some grit beneath that chin stubble and it comes to the fore in the occasional steely glance or thoughtful comment. It takes an accomplished actor to convincingly portray a lay-about like Hal is at the play’s beginning but then transform into the noble Prince Henry at the play’s end. Brown lays the groundwork early on and then follows through expertly in the final scenes. His grand testament to Hotspur before the final battle is captivating. That scene may be one of the best in literature in demonstrating the selflessness of inspired leadership and Brown nails it.

Oh, and Mr. Ricks as Hotspur is more than a worthy counterpoint to Brown. One of the aspects of this show that I enjoyed most was the way Ricks played out his emotions in his body language. The way he sometimes seemed to both fold his body in and lift it up when angered or frustrated; or his dramatic toss of the head – like an adolescent’s eye-roll writ large. I liked the early scene between Hotspur and King Henry where they clash over prisoners, where Ricks seems to be barely holding in his boiling temper and then finally lets it loose. If I had to find a metaphor for Ricks in this show I’d say he was like the Shakespearean version of the Tasmanian Devil – all swirling and tempestuous emotion. It was delightful to watch.

As Falstaff, Mr. Phillips did a fine job though I was just a little less impressed by him than the others. A good part of this has to do with the specific performance I saw. It was a first preview and Darryl was obviously still finding his way around some of his lines. In other plays, I’ve liked Falstaff to have a stealthy brilliance lying beneath all of the lies and bluster. But, maybe in part because of his problems with the lines, Phillips mostly projected buffoonery. He did this admirably well, though, and there were a few other audience members near me who obviously delighted in every word out of his mouth. And in the most unique moment of the night, director James Alexander Bond had to stop the play to replace the seat Phillips was sitting on that seemed on the verge of collapse. Staying in character, Phillips tossed off a couple very funny extemporaneous quips that brought the house down. It was exceptional thinking on his feet…or, I guess, his seat…

It was great to see Grant Mudge onstage again. Grant has a singular ability to make every word he speaks, no matter how densely “Shakespearean” the verse may be, absolutely clear to the contemporary listener. This was a particularly noteworthy feat in “Henry” as a couple of his characters spoke with thick accents. He also was a worthy playmate for Hal as Poins, matching the prince verse for verse in charisma and wit.

There are many other things I could rave about – the great costumes get a mention in my Style review, Andrew Hamm’s incidental music bridging and augmenting many scenes was always excellent and appropriate, the lovely lilting Welsh ballad was beautifully delivered by the lovely Alex Buchanan (...but why no bio for her in the program???). I’ve always thought back wistfully to the early days of RSF, where their looser, zanier versions of shows like “Two Gentlemen of Verona” brought exciting new life to Shakespeare. But this production was easily among my favorite 2 or 3 ever done by the RSF folks. It was exceedingly witty, bracingly dramatic, and just a deeply satisfying theatrical experience.

PS

It seems everywhere I look I'm seeing advertisements for "Hairspray." I have no major compulsion to see this flick but I'm an old fuddy-duddy. Are there folks out there chomping at the bit to see this? Even with all the hype, I have a sneaking suspicion this film is going to underperform at the box office. But I'd be happy to be proved wrong. What do you think?

Sicko

No, I didn't see the Michael Moore documentary. I AM the sicko today -- home from work with a summer cold. And in case there was any doubt, let me assure you that summer colds suck. As if the heat doesn't leave you feeling weary enough, add in a head full of snot and your brain might as well be drenched in tequila for all the clarity available to you.

The only benefit of this is that it affords me the opportunity to ramble on blog-wise about life in general and Henry IV in particular. Before I succumbed to this viral villain, my lovely wife and I were able to sneak out last Friday and see the movie “You Kill Me,” which is a wonderful black comedy. If you are tired of explosions, animation or millions of dollars of CGI effects, check out this modest, sharply-acted, very funny movie.

At the movie, we ran into an old friend who used to write reviews and we lapsed into a little side-conversation about the perils of reviewing (not life-threatening usually, but soul-threatening). For instance, we shared the sentiment that, when you review some 150-200 movies a year like Daniel Neman, your ability to say anything new or interesting might indeed become severely limited. We also touched on something like the opposite problem: whereas Mr. Neman is pretty tiresome in his dismissal of 90% of movies as trash, it is also incredibly hard to find new ways to say “excellent” or to get the point across that a production is particularly noteworthy.

I wrote a pretty peppy little 300-word rave about Henry (which won’t appear in Style until 07/25 – sorry!) but, as I told our friend in the lobby of the Westhampton, what I really wanted to say was, “You know all of those other plays that I said were awesome? Forget all that, this one is REALLY awesome!”

Let’s start with the beginning (a very fine place to start, no?). Jack Parrish as Henry IV is riveting. Physically, emotionally, vocally, he is the most truly regal king I believe I have ever seen in a Shakespearean production. In writing my review, I kept searching for comparisons: “he’s as good as…” but frankly could not come up with anything that sufficed. His stature – tall, strong, commanding – married to that voice – gravelly but still dynamic – is unique and singularly appropriate for this Henry. I could totally see a son wanting to distance himself from such a father’s shadow, yet Jack also delivers the “come back to the fold” speech so earnestly, how could Hal not be inspired to better himself? The best thing I think Richmond Shakespeare could do is bring back Jack for Part 2. Promise me that and I’ll start working on my rave review right now to save time…

I really didn’t think things could get any better than that but then we meet Phil Brown as Hal. But I think I’ll have to ramble on about what amounts to my man-crush on Mr. Brown at a later date. I’m feeling the need for my third nap of the day creeping up on me.

But one last thing for today, I'm glad Ms. Haubenstock also found much to enjoy in Henry. My only disappointment would be the placement of the review in a not-so-prominent spot with a pretty low-impact headline. I guess that’s the way it goes there these days.

Hal

I had a giddy good time at the first preview of “Henry IV” at Agecroft last night. There’s enough swell stuff in this production for two reviews so, after I finish writing up my Style one, I’ll post my leftover thoughts here. But, if you want my quick first impression, here’s the lead sentence I’m mulling over right now:

“From the moment it begins, Richmond Shakespeare’s production of “Henry IV, Part 1” positively crackles with energy, wit, and hearty bravado.”

Does that mean I liked it? Oh my yes!

Screen to Stage

Man, I have been planning to write about Claire Danes being scheduled to appear in Pygmalion ever since it was announced on Monday but haven’t gotten around to it. Then today’s Weekend section in the T-D had an item on it so I’ve got to put in my two cents. There’s a certain type of B-list movie star that makes for an intriguing and exciting stage presence and I’ve been waiting for just the “must-see” opportunity to run up northward. One of the first Broadway shows I ever saw was Noel Coward’s “Design for Living” starring Frank Langella (who was hot at the time because of his sizzling portrayal in “Dracula”), Raul Julia, and Jill Clayburgh. It was an enchanting production, Langella and Julia in particular just lighting up the stage.

More recently, I was pretty disappointed with Natalie Portman in “Diary of Anne Frank.” It wasn’t a bad production but Natalie didn’t do anything particularly noteworthy and, frankly, my sweetheart Holly T. will always be the ultimate Anne in my eyes.

To really get my motor running, the level of star power – and acting prowess – has to be just right to make the trek worthwhile. Julia Roberts or Denzel Washington are too strong both onstage and at the box office. Why pay hundreds or thousands of dollars and battle unseemly crowds just to see Julia flash her pearly whites? Cynthia Nixon is about perfect and I’m not sure why I didn’t break the bank to run up and see her in “Rabbit Hole.” Someone like Anna Paquin, Ryan Gosling, Lili Taylor or Ed Norton would also get me pulling every last string to see them. I would have also said Christian Bale or Kirsten Dunst before they both hit it so big with their superhero franchises; if either of them were to chose to grace the Great White Way, I’d be afraid of being overrun by comics fan-boys and girls.

Claire Danes is definitely in the ballpark. She’s one of those sneaky actresses who are usually better than you think they are going to be (I’d put Paquin in that category as well). She was great in her small role in “The Hours” and I’ll always have a soft spot for her because of her work in “Romeo + Juliet” (now THAT’S filmmaking!) and the tragically overlooked big-screen, non-musical “Les Miserables” (yes, she was Cozette in a cast that included Liam Neeson, Gregory Rush and Uma Thurman!). The problem here is the vehicle. “Pygmalion"? Ho hum. How I wish she had picked something a little more scintillating for her Broadway debut.

So I don’t think I’ll be doing any calisthenics to make it up specifically to see Ms. Danes. In fact, if there’s any “name” star that I’d work up a sweat to go see now it’d be Kate Mulgrew in “Iphigenia 2.0” off-Broadway. Great actress (before, after, and during “Star Trek: Voyager”) and interesting vehicle. And luckily (?), "Voyager" never got popular enough to generate too many fan-boys...

Henley Street

A story about recent start up Henley Street Theatre Company is featured in this week's Style. It's always exciting when a new producer joins the fray. More options for theater lovers, more jobs for deserving actors, more intriguing productions for critics (i.e., me!) to analyze.

I must admit to a similar feeling as Mary Burruss when I first heard about this new company -- more fresh meat for the art-meets-business grinder. I hope Mr. Previtera has a clear head when it comes to the challenges he and his cohorts will face. "Edgy" theater sounds great to me, but I don't have to rely on it to pay my bills. I also feel a little trepidation when I hear someone talk about O'Neill and Miller as daring. "Daring" to me has been some of Yellow House's productions (e.g., set in two rooms in a Fan row house). Or how about some Ionesco or Beckett? When I went to the Humana Festival a few years ago and they had telephone booth theater -- that was cool. I've heard about taxi cab theater too. If that's not quite environmentally friendly anymore, how about rick-shaw theater? Maybe Henley should host a weekend of truly "out-there" experimental theater if they want to be daring.

Of course, some of the most daring -- and exciting -- productions I've ever seen have been one-person shows (Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop; Syringa Tree; I Am My Own Wife, etc.). These also happen to be great for a new theater on a budget. There's no dearth of folks around here who can make a one-person show soar (Scotty & JB for starters...) Just a thought...

Armed and Erroneous

Finally got a chance last night to catch up on the other blogs out there, and found that I’ve been taken to task – very gently and respectfully, mind you – for mistakenly insinuating that the giant arm seen late in the second act of “Into the Woods” was NOT manufactured specifically for the production. I should have known better. I’ve never known Theatre IV to skimp on props, starting back in the day of the first “Quilters” (yes, I’m bringing that up AGAIN) which featured timbers borrowed from an authentic country fence, re-assembled into an striking series of on-stage risers…not to mention that huge and beautiful hand-stitched quilt.

So mea culpa, Mr. Miller et al. Maybe I’ll try some innovative investigative techniques – like posing a simple question to a TIV staffer – before making such accusations in the future…