The AndyGram - Broadway Theatre Reviews and Commentary

Michael Feinstein and Dame Edna at a blogger event to promote All About Me Photo: Andrew C. McGibbon

In a shocking announcement Monday at a blogger event for her new show with Michael Feinstein, All about Me, Australia’s grand-dame Dame Edna Everidge accused her long-time manager, Barry Humphries of embezzlement.  “He’s got scars on his wrists he got his hands caught so many times in the cash register” said Everidge.  An email seeking comment from Mr. Humphries went unanswered.

My Date with a Dame and a Queen

Dressed in her usual regal splendor, Dame Edna Everidge entered the blogger reception on the arm of the dashing Mr. Feinstein.  Everidge exclaimed that she has no idea what a blogger is.  She then introduced Mr. Feinstein and opened the floor to questions from the bloggers.  We were given instructions  that when it was our turn to ask a question that we give our “first name, religion and sexual orientation.”  From the get-go she had the room in the palm of her hand.  In fact, I’d venture to say that there were at most six or seven questions answered (barely) as Everidge digressed from tangent to tangent.

Peter Filichia from Theatermania.com asked Ms. Everidge if she had ever considered playing any of the great roles in the American musical theatre repertoire “Mame, Dolly, the undertaker in Oliver.”  She deflected the question by stating her philosophy of HOA, Helping Other Actresses, presumably by not going up against them for these roles.  When she was approached to play Queen Elizabeth in the 2006 film “The Queen” Everidge suggested that the producers ask Helen Mirren.  According to Everidge, Mirren was “desperate.”

Michael Feinstein and Dame Edna Photo: Andrew C. McGibbon

This event was the perfect event to try out parts of their new show.  Everidge and Feinstein made it clear that this combined production was a reconciliation of sorts.  After learning that both she and Mr. Feinstein had scheduled shows with nearly identical titles, the Shubert organization insisted that they combine the shows to save a theatre.  Oddly enough, All About Me will be presented at a Roundabout Theatre, Henry Miller’s Theatre.  Dame Edna made it a point to note that the theatre was named after a famous American pornographer. 

Upon introducing Mr. Feinstein, Dame Edna called him a musical historian saying that no one knew as much about the American songbook as Mr. Feinstein.  He replied that unfortunately, he wasn’t quite as familiar with the Australian songbook.  Dame Edna corrected him that it really was more of a pamphlet.  Off the top of her head Everidge named just a few of the songs in the Australian song pamphlet: “Waltzing Matilda,” “Tie My Kangaroo Down” (an homage to animal bondage), “Up with My Beer” and that old chestnut “What’s New Platypus.”  She also said she would be premiering a new addition to the pamphlet during her show, the title “A Dingo Ate My Baby.”

Feinstein appears set to, and you’ll pardon the expression, play the straight man to Everidge.  If you are familiar with Dame Edna’s British talk-show series, Feinstein is Ms. Everidge’s Madge Allsop.  If this is anything like her last Broadway outing, for which the Tony voters “threw Tonys at her,” Dame Edna: The Royal Tour, this will undoubtedly be a riotous night at the theatre where nothing is sacred and the gladioli fly.

All About Me begins previews starting February 22nd at Henry Miller’s Theatre with an opening night of March 18th. 

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Brian D'Arcy James and Laura Linney in Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still Photo: Joan Marcus

Every now and again a piece of theatre comes along that is so multifaceted and satisfy; Donald Margulies’ new play Time Stands Still which recently opened at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samual J. Friedman Theatre is that gem.  In it he tackles complicated issues that plague all couples relationships.  This case, however is complicated by the fact that this couple are a war photographer and a free-lance reporter.  Both have seen war and both have suffered for their work, he in psychological ways, she in physical. 

At a time when Haiti has just suffered an earthquake with more than 200,000 dead, and the last eight years of war with hundreds of thousands dead, Margulies also confronts us with the morality of chronicling the misery of these people.  Is it just for our own voyeuristic curiosity or does it serve a purpose.  If you are reporting that kind of carnage, how much can the human mind be expected to absorb before it can’t take any more. 

Laura Linny (Sight Unseen) is Sarah Goodwin, a war photographer who is tough-as-nails even after a run-in with a roadside bomb.  Brian D’Arcy James (Shrek), in a well deserved break from theatrical prosthetics and heavy green make-up is her boyfriend of eight years, James Dodd, a free-lance reporter.  They were both working in Iraq covering the war.  She has just returned after being seriously hurt by a roadside bomb.  He returned prior after suffering a mental breakdown.  He bears the additional weight of having left Sarah there alone, or so he thought.  After his departure, Sarah had an affair with their “fixer” (a translator hired by reporters).  He was killed by the road-side bomb that injured Sarah.

Laura Linney and Brian D'Arcy James in Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still Photo: Joan Marcus

Linny and James give outstanding performances as the conflicted Sarah and James.  They both come to an impasse by their careers and what they want from life.  It quickly becomes apparent that they’re trajectories, while they may have intersected these past eight years are starting to diverge.

Sarah’s boss Richard and his new, young girlfriend Mandy, played with a dry comic wit by Eric Bogosian (Talk Radio) is a man some might see as in the throes of a mid-life crisis.  He admittedly lives his life vicariously through Sarah and James and is, after all, a man with a girlfriend half his age.  Mandy is played with believable naiveté by Alicia Silverstone (The Graduate) returning to Broadway for the first time since her ill-fated debut in The Graduate several years ago.  We begin to like Mandy the more we get to spend time with her.  This appears to be the case with both Sarah and James who initially make no bones about the fact that they think this spring/fall relationship is nothing more than physical.

In fact, Richard and Mandy’s relationship at first appears to be that of, in Richard’s own words “one of those creepy middle-aged guys who prey on women half their age .”   But there is more to it than that and that makes James jealous, even more so after finding out that Mandy is pregnant.

Mandy is a terrific role for Silverstone.  During the time span of the play (a year) Silverstone gets the chance to grow from a naïve young girl to a mother who can speak for herself.  In one of the plays many funny moments James is describing getting Sarah out of Iraq after being injured; he says it was like “Brazil” (referring to the 1985 Terry Gilliam film.)  Mandy replies “I’ve never been to South America.”

Alicia Silverstone and Eric Bogosian in Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still Photo: Joan Marcus

She plays a pivotal role in forcing us to look at war and destruction with human eyes again.  As they look at photos of Sarah’s work Mandy becomes upset at a photo of a dying boy.  She lashes out at Sarah, taking her to task for continuing to shoot rather than taking him to the hospital.  Sarah’s response conveys the complexity of this issue as she explains patiently to her that the camera is there “to capture history, not stage it.”  Despite that, before the end of the play Sarah faces her own demons for her role in the horror she captured with her photos.  Prior to this the events she was recording were just a scene through a view-finder, just a moment in time.

James longs to settle down and even gets Sarah to marry him.  But Sarah thrives on the adrenaline rush of being a war photographer, never knowing what is coming next.  Their needs are not the same.  Anyone who has had a grown-up relationship will identify with both couples in this play.

Daniel Sullivan has directed a talented cast to perfect, layered performances in this terrific new play.  The physical elements with scenery designed by John Lee Beatty, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and costume design by Rita Ryack serve the production well. 

As of this writing, Time Stands Still has just announced an extension through March 27.  If you can get a ticket, I’d advise you not to miss it.

 

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Read full production credits at the Internet Broadway Database.

I'm the Greatest Star: Broadway's Top Musical Legends from 1900 to Today by: Robert Viagas (Applause, 425pp, $29.99) Imagine being given the go-ahead to write a book about the 50 greatest musical theatre stars from 1900 to today only to be told that you have to cut it down to 40 because it would put the project over-budget.  That’s exactly what happened to Robert Viagas and his lively new book “I’m the Greatest Star: Broadway's Top Musical Legends from 1900 to Today.”  To begin with, how do you narrow it down to even 50?  Viagas has found his answer, an algorithm.  By assigning values to things such as the degree of their stardom, the difficulty of their roles, the seeming ease with which they performed them, the overall quality of their work and a few other subjective criteria, Viagas has arrived at his 40.  My only question is, who’s going to tell Liza she didn’t make the cut? The book starts with Bert Williams and ends with Kristin Chenoweth.  In between we have mini biographies of some of the greatest talent to ever strut the boards, Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Ray Bolger, Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, and many, many more.  Viagas has a way with words that makes this a book you don’t want to put down.  The book gives you an historical vantage point from which to view the past 110 years of Broadway musical theatre.  Definitely a musical theatre must-have.  Buy it now.

Geniuses of the American Musical Theatre: The Composers and Lyricists by: Herbert Keyser (Applause, 305pp, $29.99) What Robert Viagas has done for Broadway stars, Herbert Keyser does with composers and lyricists of the American musical theatre.  His book “Geniuses of the American Musical Theatre – The Composers and Lyricists” is the perfect addition to our reading list for Musical Theatre 101.  The book covers 31 of musical theatre’s most prodigious writing talents.  It includes Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Alan Jay Lerner, Stephen Sondheim, and many, many more.    Mr. Keyser covers both the personal and professional lives; sometimes it isn’t pretty.  This book also gives you a broader perspective of the Broadway industry and how it has changed over the past 100+ years.  Buy it now.

Broadway Musicals Show by Show: Sixth Edition by: Stanley Green (Applause, 443 pp, $18.99)   “Broadway Musicals – Show by Show” is now in its sixth edition.  Originally published in 1985, the book’s author, Stanley Green passed away in 1990.  Since that time, his wife Kay Green has been keeping the book up-to-date (well, mostly).  This terrific reference book gives you the principal players for each show, including composer, lyricist, book writer, director, choreographer, leading actors, song titles from and a synopsis of the show, the total number of performances and even if the show has been recorded and on what label.  It also has a number of valuable indices in the back for theatre, major cast members, librettist, composer/lyricist, director and choreographer. Despite a somewhat glaring editing error on the entry for Forty-Five Minutes to Broadway, the George M. Cohan show, this book is a must-have for musical theatre fans.  The error I’m referring to is that it refers to the theatre where it originally played, the New Amsterdam.  It then goes on to say that the New Amsterdam is “now a movie house on 42nd Street west of Times Square.”  As you may or may not know, Disney leased the theatre and transformed it back to its original glory in 1997.  The copyright on this book is 2008.  Oops.  But it now.