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Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Singers soar above the flaws of ‘The Light in the Piazza'
If you can accept those tradeoffs, you'll be in a position to savor In particular, you'll have a chance to experience the stunning vocal power of Sarah-Anne Martinez as Clara, a 26-year-old woman on vacation in Florence with her mother, Margaret (Emily Skinner), in the summer of 1953. The way Martinez deploys her crystalline soprano in the title song, just to choose one highlight of her performance, is shiver-inducing. Advertisement For a reason we later learn — she suffered a brain injury in childhood that has affected her development in hard to predict ways — Clara tends to act on impulse. And when she falls in love with a 20-year-old Florentine named Fabrizio (Joshua Grosso), and he with her, Margaret faces a dilemma: Should she tell Fabrizio and his parents (William Michals and Rebecca Pitcher) the truth about Clara's condition? That, in Margaret's words, 'She is not quite what she seems'? Music director Andrea Grody and her orchestra bring out the lushness of Guettel's score, which is often lovely and always heartfelt, but could do with more tonal variety. As a matter of storytelling, 'The Light in the Piazza' takes a few short cuts, introducing what seem to be major conflicts, only to resolve them too tidily, with a song or a bit of dialogue, reflecting an impatience to get on to the next scene — and the next song. The result is a lack of necessary tension. Advertisement The cast of "The Light in the Piazza." Julieta Cervantes/Photo: �Julieta Cervantes That's when the quality of the cast's singing proves vital. While Martinez is on a plane of virtuosity all her own, Skinner and Grosso also sing beautifully. In dialogue and in song, Skinner lets us feel the anguish of a mother caught in a bind between the possibility of happiness for her child and the possibility of emotional devastation for that child. Grosso, who was in the cast of last year's ' The courtship between Clara and Fabrizio gets a bit too cutesy, but there is a genuine chemistry between Martinez and Grosso. It's vital that we believe the ardor of their love, even though they scarcely know each other, and we do. Martinez delivers a wonderfully subtle performance, equally convincing in communicating Clara's condition and general innocence via bright, birdlike movements and expressions —Clara is somewhat reminiscent of Laura Wingfield in 'The Glass Menagerie' — then transitioning to an explosive key for a riveting meltdown scene. To this observer, 'Piazza' leans in the direction of Italian stereotype in its depiction of Fabrizio's brother (Alexander Ross), and sister-in-law (Rebekah Rae Robles). Advertisement Greco, The Huntington's artistic director, shows an adroit touch in handling 'Piazza''s shifts in mood and atmosphere. From the mist-shrouded opening scene, there's a gauzily cinematic quality to the production, suffused with a swoony romanticism. A film version of 'The Light in the Piazza," starring Olivia de Havilland, Yvette Mimieux, and George Hamilton (!) was released in 1962, shorn of the 'The.' Scenic designer Andrew Boyce has created a movable set that is both visually arresting and versatile, swiftly establishing a sense of place as the musical moves from one locale to another. We all have our own definitions of true love. The implicit argument of 'The Light in the Piazza' is that the most important quality is unstoppability. THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA Book by Craig Lucas. Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel. Based on the novella by Elizabeth Spencer. Directed by Loretta Greco. Presented by The Huntington. At the Huntington Theatre, Boston. Through June 15. Tickets start at $29. 617-266-0800, Don Aucoin can be reached at
Telegraph
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Glass Menagerie, The Yard: A small piece of magic from an unsung London theatre
'We reimagine theatre to reimagine the world' runs the mission-statement of The Yard in Hackney Wick. A grand claim. But weighing the evidence of the past 14 years, the vaunt seems amply justified. As the east London space – an inspiring labour of love by founding director Jay Miller – reaches the final production in its current guise (it will be demolished to make way for a bigger, better equipped building, opening next year), it can take pride in its survival and achievements. For me, the stand-out remains Alexander Zeldin's Beyond Caring, a devastating piece about zero-hours contracts, which went to the National. But it's the overall ambience that counts – the sense of adventure that permeates its post-industrial environs, its night-clubby foyer, its frisky programme. It exudes rough magic. Which makes it a neat, if counter-intuitive, trick to mount The Glass Menagerie as the swansong. It might seem like a safe bet, but was once anything but. 'Darlin', we gonna change the whole theatre I'm telling you,' Margo Jones, who co-directed Tennessee Williams's succès fou on Broadway, declared on opening night in 1945. And, in holding its audience spellbound, Williams's autobiographically inspired 'memory play', conjuring a dream-like domestic scene of pent-up yearning in St Louis, did revitalise the art-form, its author striving to replace 'the exhausted theatre of realistic conventions'. Miller has lavished fitting amounts of devotion and attention to the evening, staying true to the script but also its invitation to innovate. With exquisite acting across the board and inspired set design from Cécile Tremolières, he forges a sense of something at once thrown together yet carefully crafted. Jolting sounds, eerie echoes, strains of music and abrupt lighting cues – creating fleeting apparitions – stir a sense that this is taking place inside the head of Tom Wingfield (Tom Varey), as he recalls the struggling mother (Amanda) and mentally fragile sister (Laura) he forsook. Miller has a painterly eye – denoting the core conflict in an initial tableau: Sharon Small's Amanda, indomitable yet isolated, to one side, on the other, by a fire exit, Jad Sayegh's Gentleman Caller, all male mystique in a mustard yellow suit and tipped fedora. Every scene feels freshly invigorated, every detail the gift of a subconscious prompting: the 'menagerie' of glass animals tended to by Eva Morgan's sweetly introverted Laura dangle on a triple-tier stand, as if suggestive of the wedding she'll never enjoy. Varey's malcontent Tom inclines to darting restlessness, spray-painting the back-wall as if colliding drudgery with frustrated creativity and at times illuminating the action by means of a head-lamp. That striking approach reaches its apotheosis in an unforgettable denouement, in which Varey escapes through that fire-door only to re-emerge – repeatedly – through the audience, a light bobbing in the void, as if doomed never to leave the past behind. The soundtrack to that? The wistful anthem Stay with Me by Shakespears Sister (itself a nod to lines in the text). I've seen this play many times, but this ranks as one of its finest iterations. Run extended to May 10. Tickets:
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Theatre shut for seven-year redevelopment unveils programme ahead of reopening
A theatre which has been closed for redevelopment since 2018 has begun unveiling its programme ahead of its reopening in September. Productions including The Glass Menagerie and Beauty And The Beast are among those audiences can see at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow later this year. As previously announced, the theatre will reopen with Small Acts Of Love, a play about the bonds formed between families in the UK and the US in the wake of the Lockerbie bombing in 1988. It is a new theatrical and musical collaboration between playwright Frances Poet and composer Ricky Ross, of Deacon Blue, and has been developed with support from those affected by the Pan Am 103 atrocity in December 1988. The Citizens Theatre moved out of its historic home in the Gorbals in June 2018, ahead of the first major redevelopment of the Category B listed building since it began life as a working theatre in 1878. Theatre chiefs said the redevelopment has brought the building into the 21st century while carefully preserving its unique Victorian heritage. Dominic Hill, artistic director of the Citizens Theatre, said: 'This is a very special moment as we start to unveil an exciting programme of shows and opportunities in the new theatre – for the first time in seven years. 'The first few months of programming reflects our commitment to both innovation and tradition, with more to be announced over the coming months. 'While the Citz has always celebrated the great works of drama from the past, the new theatre must look forward too and we've been working hard to develop new plays that showcase the talent of writers and artists working in Scotland. 'These new works embody the spirit of what this theatre has always stood for – creativity, community, and a deep connection to the city of Glasgow. 'I can't wait for audiences old and new, local and global, to experience these brilliant productions in a transformed Citizens Theatre, that will inspire audiences and great storytelling.' The theatre now has new accessible rehearsal, participation and studio spaces and a newly designed 150-seat Studio Theatre. Productions taking place in the autumn include Douglas Maxwell's comedy So Young, set in Glasgow, which explores mid-life meltdowns, grief and love. A new production of the Tennessee Williams drama The Glass Menagerie, presented by Dundee Rep Theatre in association with the Citizens Theatre, will visit in October. Later in the year audiences can look forward to the return of the Citizens' Christmas show, with a new, specially commissioned festive production of Beauty And The Beast. The Studio Theatre will host The Gift, for younger visitors aged 18 months to five years, as part of the festive programme. Tickets for the first shows will go on general sale from the end of March. Ahead of the reopening in September, local people will be invited into the theatre as part of a homecoming festival, with readings, exhibitions, tours and workshops celebrating the theatre's past, present and future. The theatre said its longstanding commitment to its neighbours in the Gorbals will continue through a new Gorbals Pass giving access to tickets for just £5 for locals with a G5 postcode. A new and expanded Participate programme will also be launched in the coming months, offering opportunities to theatre-makers from all communities, especially those traditionally marginalised. Catrin Evans, Participate director at Citizens Theatre, said: 'The reopening of the theatre is about offering a place of possibility and inspiring artistic expression for all. 'Our Participate programme has always been at the heart of the Citizens Theatre, and the new spaces and programme we can offer for creative engagement are a testament to that commitment.'
New York Times
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Tennessee Williams-Marlon Brando Tango, and Other Riffs on Classics
In the summer of 1947, when Marlon Brando was young, beautiful and not yet famous, the director Elia Kazan gave him $20 to get himself to Provincetown, Mass., from New York to audition for Tennessee Williams. Less than three years after bestowing 'The Glass Menagerie' on the world, Williams had a new play on the fast track to Broadway: 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' which needed a Stanley Kowalski. But Brando, at 23, was in no hurry to get to Cape Cod. He pocketed the travel funds, hitchhiked there and turned up at Williams's rented beach house days late. Enticing little anecdote, isn't it? Gregg Ostrin has taken that historical reality and run with it in 'Kowalski,' a diverting new comedy that blends fact with speculation. Brandon Flynn stars as a rough and clever Brando opposite Robin Lord Taylor as a Williams whose default setting is high dudgeon. 'Let me make something clear,' the playwright tells the actor in a Southern lilt that stays, thank goodness, well this side of sorghum. 'You can be late for Thornton Wilder. You can be late for Bill Inge. You can even be late for Arthur Miller. But you cannot be late for me.' Directed by Colin Hanlon at the Duke on 42nd Street, 'Kowalski' neatly sidesteps the largest trap lying in wait, because neither Taylor nor Flynn is doing an impersonation. Each is after an essence of his character, and finds it, satisfyingly. That's a crucial achievement, since mining treasures of theater history to make new work is always a double-edged endeavor. Audiences, like artists, love the prospect of a show that speaks a language we have already learned; familiarity helps at the box office. But our preexisting notions of who the characters are — whether because they were real-world celebrities or because they are borrowed from canonical dramas — can make us awfully tetchy about other artists' riffs on them. Like 'Kowalski,' which flatters the audience's knowledge of 'Streetcar' and Stanley, two other current plays on Manhattan stages use classic dramas as points of departure: Barbara Cassidy's 'Mrs. Loman,' which imagines the widowed Linda Loman's life after the end of Miller's 'Death of a Salesman,' and Forrest Malloy's 'Nina,' set among the student actresses at a conservatory where they perform Chekhov's 'The Seagull.' More about those shortly. On a New Englandy set by David Gallo, with a whale weather vane atop the cottage, 'Kowalski' finds the 36-year-old Williams living lovelessly and tempestuously with his younger boyfriend, Pancho (Sebastian Treviño in a thankless role). The director Margo Jones is also on hand, disgracefully underappreciated by Williams and portrayed so vibrantly by Alison Cimmet that it's too bad the play has so little room for her. Jo (Ellie Ricker), the young actress who traveled to Provincetown with Brando, gets more of its attention. The heart of the play is the cagey dance between Williams and Brando, each perhaps more interested in collaborating than he is willing to let on — though Williams ought to suspect Brando's eagerness when (historical tidbit) he fixes not only Williams's fuses but also his toilet. Instead, Williams phones Kazan, complaining that Brando 'has not shown me one ounce of respect.' Tennessee, man, get a grip. It isn't a deep show, but it is fun. Taylor and Flynn make these two good company. 'Mrs. Loman,' directed by Meghan Finn at Theater Row, is much more serious-minded. In a note in the script, Cassidy writes that she admires 'Death of a Salesman' but has 'always had immense trouble with the female characters and the misogyny' that she perceives in the play. So she has envisioned Linda Loman (Monique Vukovic) reshaping a life that had been almost entirely focused on her now dead husband, Willy, and their two sons, Biff (Matt McGlade) and Happy (Hartley Parker). It is an appealing prospect, yet the play is schematic, and Linda is disappointingly bland. She makes a new friend — the brash Esther (Linda Jones), who shows up at the Lomans' house after Willy's funeral with a dubious story about how she knew him — and begins to expand her world. But you can feel the playwright firmly pushing Linda and Esther together when they give in to a romantic chemistry that is, to the audience, undetectable. The strongest performance comes from Ara Celia Butler as Lena, Biff's girlfriend, ever watchful for opposition to their interracial relationship and other dangers of dating a Loman. The most vivid character is Happy, obnoxiously condescending to his mother and violently dangerous to other women. His rancidness finally stirs Linda to action, yet the play's flatness blunts any catharsis. 'Mrs. Loman' wants to be, like 'Death of a Salesman,' a potent social commentary. But it is reaching for something it hasn't figured out how to grasp. Directed by Katie Birenboim at Theaterlab, 'Nina' is the most inside-baseball of these three plays, which is precisely what makes it tantalizing to the drama-school crowd. In Malloy's fictional, Juilliard-esque conservatory, five actresses in their 20s share a dressing room (the set is by Wilson Chin) during their final year of training. It will culminate, in the spring of 2016, with a production of 'The Seagull,' a drama about theater artists and their dramas. Nina, the young actress who chooses the undeserving older man and the ill-advised path in Chekhov's play, is for these young actresses the most coveted role. Favored to get the part is Zoe (Katherine Reis), the teachers' darling, and one teacher's darling in particular. As she tells her classmate Kyla (Jasminn Johnson), who does not need the stress of such a confidence, Zoe is in love with their director, Andrew, who is 15 years her senior. But that is not the only secret to detonate among this group, which also includes the cautiously coupled up Erika (Aigner Mizzelle) and Lilith (Nina Grollman), as well as the rigid Cate (Francesca Carpanini). Each of these roles is juicy, and each is fully inhabited. If there is a cast standout, it might be Mizzelle for the devastating softness she brings to lines that could easily, and less effectively, have an edge. But all of these performers are funny, and at least a little heartbreaking. It is a #MeToo play, and generally a persuasive one. But it seems strange that John Patrick Shanley's 'the dreamer examines his pillow' comes in for such adoration from these millennial women, and that Joseph Campbell gets a shout-out. However influenced the students may be by their curriculum, these are more likely idols for fanboys than fangirls. Chekhov's Nina, though, traces a graceful ghost arc through the play, even as Kyla scoffs at the very notion of putting 'The Seagull' on. 'No one wants to see a play about people who do plays,' she says. 'It's so self-indulgent.' Sometimes, sure. But she's wrong about the appetite for them. When they're delicious, it can be ravenous.
