The British Invasion

Betting that the Upper East Side, long-starved for important Off-Broadway theater since being abandoned by the Manhattan Theatre Club, would respond to small, critically acclaimed shows from England, the three new state-of-the-art theaters at 59E59 recently offered a series of such productions. It was called “Brits Off-Broadway” and the Brits did smashingly well, so we hope they’ll be back again next year.

One of the very best of the plays was The Straits by Gregory Burke. Since it’s set in Gibraltar in 1982, U.K. audiences might have viewed this play as a sharp comment on their nation’s colonial heritage; it takes place during the Falklands war and deals with the racist attitudes of its young male British protagonists toward the Spanish locals. Americans more likely related to it in terms of the alienation of these characters, seeing the three boys as dysfunctional examples of a new generation of England’s angry young men — except that the characters are generally dumber than their earlier counterparts and their anger is essentially misdirected.

The bare essentials of the plot concern two older English boys, Doink (James Marchant) and his pal Jock (Freddy White), who take under their wing a younger kid named Darren (Peter McNicholl). The only person who suspects that these two aren’t the best influences on Darren is the boy’s big sister, Tracy (Alice O’Connell). All of the characters hang out on a rocky piece of beach (symbolically and impressively designed by Neil Warmington), unintentionally betraying each other in ways that are heartbreakingly profound. Driven by insecurity, loneliness, and jealousy — not to mention lust — the four characters in this riveting play grow up to be the wounded (and wounding) adults of today. Stylishly directed by John Tiffany with mesmerizing choreography by Steven Hoggett, the production moved surely towards its chilling finale.

Among the other works in the “Brits Off-Broadway” series that drew our attention were two one-person shows, No Fear! and Berkoff’s Women, both of which played in repertory and starred Linda Marlowe. The latter piece in particular provided the star some with some mighty juicy acting opportunities, most notably when she interacted with the audience. Also part of the series was Hurricane, a one-person show based on a true story. Written by and starring Richard Dormer, it’s about the rise and fall of a champion snooker player. Showy in the extreme, the acting choices here seemed to rule the play, rather than the other way around. Nonetheless, Dormer’s fiery performance was impressive even if the play finally was not.

Next up at 59E59 is a series of four plays in a showcase called East to Edinburgh. Having just brought several productions from England to the U.S., the venue now intends to highlight four American works that are heading over to the U.K. to be seen in the famous Edinburgh Festival later this summer. The series runs from July 13 through August 1 in Theater C, a small space that will house some very big talent.

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Monday Night Mecca

We arrived late at Birdland for the reopening night of Jim Caruso’s Cast Party. As we approached the door of the famous jazz club on West 44th Street, we wondered if Caruso’s fourth home in less than seven months would become the Monday night Mecca for New York nightlife that he had been on the verge of creating when the show was forced out of the King Kong Room last January. As we walked into the club, the answer was thrillingly obvious. Birdland was jammed! We were lucky to get a table and, over at the bar, the crowd was several layers deep. This was, by far, the biggest audience in Cast Party history — and the place had a glow on.

All of Caruso’s past homes have had their drawbacks but Birdland seems to have every base covered: It has a great location in the theater district, a genuine stage, a terrific piano, very good sight lines, a full menu and food service till 1am, and a spacious bar area off to the side for those who are there for the industry schmooze-fest. The club might want to accommodate the schmoozers still further in ways that don’t interfere with the music, but that’s a wrinkle that will undoubtedly work itself out. Meanwhile, Caruso’s maiden voyage at Birdland was a huge success.

The evening benefited greatly from the virtuosity of Billy Stritch on piano and Steve Doyle on bass, and the best and brightest of musical theater and cabaret were on hand; such veterans as Jana Robbins, Bobbie Horowitz, Robert Cole, and Ruth Hastings had the crowd roaring. So did new kids on the block Toxic Audio, Mychelle Colleary, Julie Garnaye, and the duo of Annaleigh Ashford and Craig Jessup. The talent just kept on coming: Ritt Henn, The Chalks, Kate Shindle, etc., etc. And when word gets around that Caruso is filling Birdland to the rafters, many other gifted folks will no doubt show up to do their stuff.

How grand a night was this? Barbara had to report for jury duty in the morning but simply couldn’t leave the Cast Party until after 2am, and even then she was reluctant to go. At least justice was served at Birdland with the arrival of Caruso and company.

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[To contact the Siegels directly, e-mail them at siegels@theatermania.com.]