rOcKS @ 'The Scottsboro Boys,' 'Elf,' & 'A Free Man Of Color'

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/18/10 at 11:11pm

SCOTTSBORO, which I believed to be a masterpiece at the Vineyard, has gotten even BETTER in it's current incarnation. Joshua Henry erased much of my memories of Brandon Victor Dixon by completely recreating the character from the ground up. His interpretation is totally different and totally as effective. The music is still gorgeous, the book is wonderful, and that last moment is the stuff of theater history. Just brilliant. Susan Stroman deserves another Tony for her direction here at this point in the game. I find it hard to believe that anyone can top her work...she wrings so much emotion and tension out of hardly any costumes to speak of and a bunch of movable chairs. Her work here is incredibly innovative and stunning. I will admit, this is a show that's easier to admire than it is to LOVE, but I also think that's because the story itself is so difficult to "love," if that makes any sense. It probably doesn't. Regardless, I admire it a whole lot. It's one of the most original things Broadway has seen in a while.
**** out of ****

I have no shame in admitting that I had tons of fun at ELF. Look, the book sucks. The jokes are lame, most characters and relationships are underdeveloped, and it's totally pedestrian. And the score couldn't be more generic. Every song sounds the same. But for some reason, I grinned from ear-to-ear for the entirety of this production. For all of it's flaws, and there are many, it is performed with such gusto, flair, energy, and sheer joy that it's virtually impossible not to enjoy yourself. Sebastian Arcelus is a fine Buddy, exuding tons of charisma. And of the rest of the cast members, Beth Leavel stood out per usual with her impeccable comedic timing and better-than-ever-sounding pipes. For the Christmas season, this is a more than serviceable limited run. The mezzanine was about 50% full the night I went, but I imagine as it gets closer to the holidays it will start selling out. I liked this production a HELL of a lot better than WHITE CHRISTMAS, for the record, which I found to be a lumbering bore. If you want some mindless, tuneful, bright, Christmasy theater, look no further. Go in with those expectations, and you will be more than pleased.
*** out of ****

I just got back from opening night of A FREE MAN OF COLOR at The Vivian Beaumont. And I hate to report how much of a stinker this show is. Are there some funny moments? Sure, and mostly all of them are provided by the always-reliable Veanne Cox, but that's about all this show has to offer. Guare seemed to bite of a little more than he could chew. To say this show is overstuffed would be the understatement of the decade. As the show goes on, so many balls are being tossed into the air that you can't help but flinch because you know they're all gong to come plummeting to the floor. It's very grand, it's very big, but it never really seemed to say anything new or important. It all seemed kinda pointless to me. And it ended about four different times. Jeffrey Wright is very good, as usual, but I couldn't help but wonder how his voice will sustain the entire run. He screams SO MUCH. By the end of this evening's show alone, his voice was beginning to waver and crack. The design elements are lovely, particularly the costumes, but that's about it. I was not a fan. At all. And for the record, at least 20 people in the loge walked out during intermission. On opening night.
* out of ****

Updated On: 11/19/10 at 11:11 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/18/10 at 11:45pm

I saw the very first preview of A FREE MAN OF COLOR, and then I, too, was at it's Opening performance tonight. It was 30 minutes shorter tonight, thank the theatre gods.

I disagree with you when you say it has nothing important to say. I think it does. I think the battle to be a free man of color in this "free" nation was an important one. I think it's important to tell the story of how a country fought so hard to earn its freedom but failed to fight to maintain it (and that history is repeating today with gay rights).

At least this is what I think the play is. It's hard to say. It's hard to say because the play doesn't know what it is. What starts as a sexcapade later becomes an intellectual piece, and then becomes a political play, and then again intellectual. Sex-comedy. Intellectual. Political. Historical. Political. Intellectual. The play tries to do too much. It tries to earn its "substantial" ending but there is so much setup that the audience doesn't need that by the time the ending comes, we don't care anymore. We just want it to end. (And end for REAL this time, but hint at an ending that actually just becomes a segue into a new scene.)

Jeffrey Wright's Act I performance is interesting and comical. Wright's Act II performance is exhilarating and colossal.

The play will win for Best Costumes at all awards shows for theatre this year.

Spotted in the house: Marian Seldes, S. Epatha Merkerson, Ben Stiller, Tony Kushner, and Ben Stiller.

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 12:05am

I'm glad to hear both Ben Stiller and Ben Stiller were in the audience- I wonder if they chatted at Intermission....

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 12:15am

I saw it several weeks ago and was totally bummed out. First, because I didn't understand what they were talking about for a lot of the time (my fault, I guess). Second, because I thought the writing really stunk -- Guare's forays into the Restoration Comedy mode were AWFUL. Third, it assumed too much knowledge on the audience's part to get the gist of the piece. Fourth, because some really fine actors (Wright, McMartin, et. al.) were totally wasted in doing this junk. You might have guessed that I didn't like it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 5:34am

Rocks -- totally understand your comments about Scottsboro. And odd thing to "love", but I did just the same.

[jaxel614]

Posted: 11/19/10 at 5:03pm

Great to keep reading all the praise for Scottsboro Boys! Just snagged two front row seats for a few weeks from now!