Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test

The Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test is our personal and highly opinionated Commuter's Guide to New York theater and cultural events, with an emphasis on Broadway and Off-Broadway theatrical productions. The test is simple: is an event worth the always expensive, time consuming, and too often horrendous struggle to commute to New York City from New Jersey, Long Island, Upstate New York or Connecticut? Only truly great or near-great performances and productions may meet this stiff challenge!

Name:
Location: Princeton, New Jersey, United States

James Camner is an antiquarian dealer of autographs, manuscripts and printed music and books of Opera, Classical Music, Theater, Dance, and Film, as well as a published author of more than 10 books on the performing arts including "How to Enjoy Opera" (Simon and Schuster), "The Great Opera Stars in Historic Photographs" (Dover), "Stars of American Musical Theater in Historic Photographs" (Dover - with Stanley Appelbaum); was for over 20 years a reviewer for Fanfare Magazine and has written feature articles and reviews for Opera News.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Third Story, a play by Charles Busch at the Lucile Lortel Theatre. Starring Charles Busch and Kathleen Turner, directed by Carl Andress. Every year we subscribe to the MCC Theatre company in order to see their annual presentation of a Neil LaBute play. But at the last minute, this year's was canceled, and we ended up with "The Third Story." We had liked Busch's "Tales of The Allergist's Wife, especially the first act (the second is a relative let down) and with Kathleen Turner, we figured this was a good alternative. Turner is fine, and Busch does his expert work in drag - all right so far. And Busch's concept for a play about writing, imagination, creation, control, children is intriguing. But that's it, that's all there is. All of this, including the superb sets and production is wasted on a sophomoric, inane, campy play without one decent line of dialog. Oh the audience, loving Busch's drag work, chortles. And they laugh at lines like "I'm a Nebraskan at heart" (talk about provincial snobbery). But this is empty, devoid, worthless, not worth the commute, not even worth crossing the street. Because of the cast and production values, we give a + to the grade of F, making this an F+

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Hedda Gabler, a play by Ibsen, adapted by Christopher Shinn, directed by Ian Rickson, starring Mary Louise Parker. The Roundabout Theatre Company. When Hedda Gabler was a brand new play, it was daring and controversial. Over the years it became a fossilized classic only resuscitated by the individual brilliance of the Hedda. In this outstanding new adaptation by Christopher Shinn, the play suddenly seems new again, sizzling and contemporary, and the slate-like texture of Ibsen's landscape is heightened. But even so, it still requires a great Hedda, and in Mary Louise Parker, the Roundabout gives us a Hedda that will be talked about for years. Looking absolutely beautiful in the superb traditional period costumes, Parker is sexy and sizzling, she prowls the stage like a lioness and her physicality and grace are riveting. The eroticism she brings to the part is stunning, shocking, dazzling; it is impossible to take one's eye off of her. More than any other Hedda I've seen, even including the great Fiona Shaw, whom I was privileged to see in London, Parker brings out the merciless sociopathic qualities of Hedda. As Tesman, Michael Cerveris is quite good and while the Judge of Peter Stromare is a mustache twirling scene chewing villain, he works well in forming his "triangle" with Parker and Cerveris. Unfortunately, the production falls short in the weak performances of Paul Sparks as the doomed writer Ejlert, and most especially in the utterly unbelievable Anna Reeder as Thea. Reeder, who was very good in "Top Girls," is not credible as a rival to Mary Louise Parker's Hedda. The set is superb, and the lighting designer Natasha Katz deserves to take a bow all her own. Despite the uneven quality of the cast, this is a can't miss because of Parker's special genius. I predict that one day, Parker's Hedda will be spoken of the way Alla Nazimova's was in the first third of the 20th Century. This was a sold out preview performance - it opens in one week and it's sure to be a very hot ticket. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A-

Friday, January 09, 2009

Orfeo ed Euridice, an opera by Gluck. The Metropolitan Opera House, starring Stephanie Blythe, Danielle De Niese and Heidi Grant Murphy, conducted by James Levine. The great Mark Morris production of Gluck's masterwork "Orfeo ed Euridice" is back on the boards at the Met and with a much different cast. The very large Stephanie Blythe is a force of nature as Orfeo, unlike the light voiced David Daniels of two years ago. She blasts her way through the role, with very little sublety, but a lot of heart and more voice than anyone who has sung this role in many years. Danielle De Niese is a wonderful Euridice, plastic and animated, her lovely voice ideal in the role - she turns a perfect trill. Heidi Grant Murphy alas, has little voice left it seems. Perhaps she had a cold. She is perky and charming, but surely there are other soubrettes who would fare better these days. James Levine's conducting has if anything deepened in his feeling for the work. Hearing a majestic voice like Blythe's in this sublime timeless score is an opportunity not to be missed. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. A-