Accent on Youth, a play by Samson Raphaelson at the Manhattan Theatre Club Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. In this mostly superb production, with a fabulous set by John Lee Beatty, the stage looks just like 1930's Vandam photos of Broadway's Golden Age of which this 1934 comedy by Samson Raphaelson, a playwright we had not been familiar with, is a stellar example. An expert crafstman, Raphaelson penned some of the most beloved movies in history including "The Shop Around The Corner." Starring David Hyde Pierce in a role that could have been written for him, "Accent on Youth" is a rare treat, a look into drawing room comedies of the 1930's, a genre that is seldom seen on Broadway.
The starring role of Linda Brown is nicely played by Mary Catherine Garrison, a cute ingenue, but considering it was the name role in 1934 when it starred Constance Cummings, it's a pity that an A list star like Kristin Chenoweth wasn't cast. Garrison and Pierce do not strike any sparks, so the best work is done when he's playing against the excellent Byron Jennnings and the hilarious Charles Kimbrough who nearly steals the show as the muscular elderly butler.
We had a great time as did the audience. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. B

Exit The King, a play by Eugene Ionesco at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Starring Geoffrey Rush, Susan Sarandon, Lauren Ambrose, William Sadler, Brian Hutchison, and Andrea Martin, directed by Neil Armfield. This was the first time we've seen "Exit the King" and we all found it a powerful meditation on what it means to die, the egoism of the individual, what the achievements of a lifetime amount to, the connections we all have to our loved ones and to the earth. Many plays explore this theme - the great Our Town which is currently having a historic run a the Barrow Street Theater is one of them. But using absurdest elements in a linear style, Ionesco's play hits hard even while eliciting bellyfulls of laughs. Part of this is due to the extraordinary performance of Geoffrey Rush, one of the most dazzling bravura physical demonstrations we've ever seen. Rush is astonishing, and moving as he clings to life, and at the end lets go of it. His performance is matched by two other cast members: beautiful Lauren Ambrose who is also a physical wizard and the herky jerky Guard of Brian Hutchison. They've each found the center of the play. Two other exceptionally skillful players, Andrea Martin and William Sadler play for belly laughs Vaudeville style. They are effective and know their way around a stage, but we felt their approach was inconsistent with the work of Rush and Ambrose. Unfortunately, Susan Sarandon as Queen Marguerite, looking absolutely ravishing in her green gown, is out of her depth. She apparently neither possesses the skill to play her role, nor even the voice. She is miked, and, if possible over miked (the whole cast is miked, but discretely - not so Sarandon), and in her big, key scene at the conclusion of the play, her flat, unmodulated and unsculpted reading of her lines missed countless opportunities with what should have potentially been the most poetic words in the play. How much Martin, Sadler and Sarandon might have benefited from a more unified vision by the director we will never know. 'We also felt cheated, from our upper mezzanine seats, when the King wandered into the audience to perform some of his most effective (but to us invisible) lamentations. But what is great about this production is epically so, most especially the legend in the making performance of Geoffrey Rush making this "King" a must see. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade B+

Waiting For Godot, a play by Samuel Beckett at Studio 54, presented by Roundabout Theatre Co. Starring Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman and John Glover. Directed by Anthony Page. With four superb actors at the top of their game, a terrific set and masterful direction, the venerable absurdist classic is given a near ideal performance at Studio 54. John Glover, a solid actor, gives the performance of his life as Lucky; John Goodman reveals unexpected resources as the bellowing Pozzo; Bill Erwin gives an acting clinic in movement and pathos as Vladimir; and Nathan Lane at last finds a role in a non musical that showcases his mighty talent.
This is a must. It's still in previews. Book now. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A

Joe Turner's Come and Gone, a play by August Wilson. Presented by the Lincoln Center Theater at the David Belasco Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher. "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" is an American masterwork, every sentence, every word is perfect in this powerful saga about the residents of a black boarding house in Pittsburg in 1911. In the sure hands of Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone rises to heights rarely seen on Broadway, especially this year in a season of one shallow star vehicle after another. Chad L. Coleman is a powerhouse Harold Loomis, he gives his all, shouting himself hoarse, in an idiosyncratic performance that will probably have critics divided - love him or hate him. We loved him and so did the audience on the night we saw this preview. Perhaps he's still working out the role. The rest of the cast is brilliant with Ernie Hudson a warm befuddled Seth Holly, his wife played wisely by La Tanya Richardson Jackson; a fantastic turn by Roger Robinson as the magical Bynum Walker and a breakthrough performance by the juvenile Amari Rose Leigh as Zonia, the daughter of Loomis. The set by Michael Yeargen is superb, the swirling background changes from smoky Pittsburgh steel plants to the swirling heavens of a mystical Ryder painting. Lots of Tony nominations and a few likely winners will come out of this production. This is an unforgettable night in the theater. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

Kelli O'Hara at the Cafe Carlyle. We didn't opt for the dinner, just the early seating at 8:30. She came in at around 9, talked and sang her way into our hearts, and we (and everyone else) cheered at the end, at about 10pm. An enchanted hour of pure pleasure, the finest soprano voice in New York or anywhere else singing Sondheim, Rodgers, Styne, and Loewe. We learn about her life, her history, her training, and hear a comic song about it, see her dance a love duet with her husband Greg Naughton. The Cafe Carlyle is a classic, and Kelli O'Hara fits the place like a glove. Once upon a time, we saw Bobby Short; then there was Barbara Cook; and now Kelli O'Hara. She belongs.
Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test A