The cover, food, and drink charges at night spots like Feinstein’s at the Regency, the Oak Room, and the Café Carlyle cost more than a pretty penny; it’s more like a stunning dollar. Very rich people can leave at the end of an evening and feel that their wallets have just completed an extensive weight loss program. Nonetheless, these rooms often feature entertainers who are worth the money. Case in point: Patti LuPone. She’s putting on, and putting over, one of the most winning acts you will see this year.
LuPone is at Feinstein’s through November 20 with a show called The Lady with the Torch, Part II. She uses that torch to set the room on fire; this is one hot show in which everything works, including the song choices, the patter, and a thrilling combination of vocal talent and acting skill. We always knew how dramatic LuPone can be, so the biggest surprise of the evening is that she can also be very, very funny. Conceived and directed to perfection by Scott Wittman and accompanied at the piano by musical director Chris Fenwick, The Lady With a Torch is a triumph in every conceivable way.
Critics will sometimes say, “If you see one play, this year, see ‘such and such.'” We’re tempted to make such a statement about the Labyrinth Theater Company’s exquisite production of John Patrick Shanley’s Sailor’s Song — but we also want you to see the scintillating revival of Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea at Second Stage. And we’re excited at the prospect of seeing this fertile playwright’s third production opening in November: Doubt at Manhattan Theatre Club.
Right now, let us sing the praises of Sailor’s Song. This is an intensely romantic play that uses heightened reality to stunning effect. In its bare bones, it’s the story of a man who’s ready to make a sea change in his life, except that he doesn’t know how; he’s just smart enough to know that something is missing. That’s when he meets two beautiful sisters — one an alluring crackpot, the other sexy and soulful. He’s attracted to both of them but can’t decide which he should finally pursue. He meets the girls while taking a much-needed break: He’s in this small harbor town on a death watch, waiting with his uncle as his aunt dies of cancer.
Life, death, love, sex, forgiveness, redemption, and more are dealt with in this extraordinary play. There’s an exuberant creativity in Shanley’s script, Chris McGarry’s direction, and Barry McNabb’s choreography. And what an ensemble! Danny Mastrogiorgio portrays the Everyman hero with intelligence and a poignant vulnerability. His salty uncle is played by the endlessly expressive Stephen Payne. This actor is amazing; between his craggy good looks and whiskey-soaked voice, we are simply mesmerized by him. Katie Nehra and Melissa Paladino are enchanting as the sisters, and Alexis Croucher will break your heart as the dying wife. Sailor’s Song is not a musical but there’s music in it: Characters both alive and dead suddenly start to dance with a freedom that comes from deep emotion. This is a very rare play in that it expresses its intellectual content in almost purely theatrical terms. Breathtaking and brilliant — that’s Sailor’s Song.
Twenty years ago, Patrick Shanley burst upon the theatrical scene with Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. The current revival at Second Stage — directed by Leigh Silverman, and starring Rosemarie Dewitt and Adam Rothenberg — captures the electricity and the pathos of the original. The two wounded, barely functional protagonists in this desperate love story meet in a bar but they don’t meet cute; they meet angry, snarling, their defenses on high alert. Ultimately, though, their needs are more powerful than their fears. Wildly funny in a dark and painful way, their “courtship” is grippingly entertaining and ultimately moving.
See Danny and the Deep Blue Sea first, then see Sailor’s Song. You’ll find similar themes in both works but you’ll witness the transformation of a playwright through experience, craft, and the exponential growth of his talent. And then, no doubt, we’ll all see Doubt and go with it wherever Shanley wants to take us. He’s earned that right.
********************
Lucille Carr-Kaffashan
Good and Ready
Lucille Carr-Kaffashan calls her new act at Mama Rose’s Both Sides Now, but to see it is to be on one side: hers. We’ve caught three of her shows over the last few years. Each one of them has been significantly better than the last, and the first one wasn’t bad.
Her current show takes full advantage of Carr-Kaffashan’s lower vocal register; when singing in that range, she has a sweet, resonant sound that’s both sexy and warm. Her material, like her personality, is smart. This is a well-crafted show directed by Lennie Watts, with one of cabaret’s most consistently supportive musical directors at the piano: David Brunetti. Both Sides Now has been extended for two more performances on Saturdays, December 4 and 11, both at 4pm.
c – Thirteen (Twelve Angry Men plus Mario Cantone)
e – How can we possibly know? Who would have ever thought of Harvey in this role in the first place? But if you guessed “C” you’ve got a good chance of being right.
e – Osama bin Laden (the rap on him is, “Can’t sing, can’t dance, can shoot a little.”)
