Happy Belated Chanukah



Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Chanukah may be over, but it's not too late to get into the spirit. Jackie Hoffman's A Chanukah Charol is playing on Friday and Saturday nights at New World Stages through December 29.

As you may have guessed from the title, the one-woman show, co-written and directed by Michael Schiralli, is based on A Christmas Carol. Hoffman plays herself, or a version of herself, a Chanukah Scrooge who is frustrated with her career. Patrick Stewart (also played by Hoffman) narrates as she finds herself performing in a Chanukah show at a synagogue in Queens. After leaving the stage in the middle of her show, she is visited by three ghosts, and you can probably guess the rest.

Hoffman excels at bitter, self-deprecating humor. But as funny as the show is (some bits land better than others), she doesn't shy away from a few serious moments. The show runs at a little more than an hour. Any more and the schtick would wear thin, but as it is, it's the perfect length and it ends early enough that you can still attend a holiday party or two after.

Contest: Win Tickets to The Holiday Guys

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Sierra Fox!

Marc Kudisch and Jeffry Denman are not only two talented musical theater actors, they are also The Holiday Guys. I saw them in 2009 and am so glad they're back this year in The Holiday Guys in Merry Hanu-mas at the York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's. The show will run for two weeks from December 18 through the 31st. 

I'm delighted to have a pair of tickets to giveaway. In order to win, leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite Christmas/Chanukah/holiday/winter song. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it. You must be following on Twitter for the extra entry. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday, December 7 at 5:30 p.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

The winner will receive a voucher redeemable for two tickets to a performance of his/her choice. Blackout dates apply. Ticket voucher expires on December 30, 2012.

If you don't win and still want to see the show, or do win and want to go more than once, here is a special offer:

$29.50 tickets for Dec 18^th – Use Code HGRRM29

$39.50 tickets Dec 19^th thru Dec 23^rd – Use Code HGRRM39

$49.50 tickets Dec 26^th thru Dec 30^th – Use Code HGRRM49

*New Year’s Eve Shows - $64.50 (6PM) & $74.50 (10PM)

TO REDEEM:

ONLINE: Visit www.YorkTheatre.org and use code from above

PHONE: Call (212) 935-5820 and use code from above

The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s
619 Lexington Avenue (Enter at 54^th Street just East of Lex)

RESTRICTIONS: Subject to availability.  Offer may be revoked at any time.  Blackout dates apply.  

By the way, if you're looking for other holiday shows, I also have a discount code for Chris March's The Butt-Cracker Suite!, a recreation of The Nutcracker set in a trailer park playing at HERE Arts Center through December 29. If you saw Chris March on Project Runway, you know that the costumes are sure to be outrageous. 

For $25 tickets to all performances:

ONLINE: Click Here and enter code FLAMINGO

PHONE: Call 212-352-3101 and mention code FLAMINGO

RESTRICTIONS: Subject to availability.  Offer may be revoked at any time.  Blackout dates apply.  

The Ho-Hum Broadway Season Continues

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

There is one reason to see Theresa Rebeck's Dead Accounts and that is Norbert Leo Butz. But his manic energy has been on display in better plays than this one.

Butz plays Jack, who has just returned home to Cincinnati from New York City to his parents' house. His sister Lorna (Katie Holmes) still lives at home to help her ailing offstage father and her mother (Jayne Houdyshell). Jack is thrilled to be back in the land of Graeter's Ice Cream and Skyline Coneys, but Lorna senses that something is wrong. When we find out what it is, it isn't much of a surprise.

Rebeck seems to be trying to say a lot, but really she doesn't anything, or at least not anything new. People in New York are corrupt? There's nature in the midwest, food is cheaper, and the people are nicer? Yawn. She also hasn't written characters so much as situations, but Butz gives Jack more depth than is on the page. In the dialogue, it's impossible to tell why he ever married his wife Jenny (Judy Greer), but in his scenes with her, you believe his love for her. He and Holmes also have a sweet chemistry, but she hasn't improved much since her Broadway debut in All My Sons. She seems a little more relaxed here and bless her heart she is trying, but she still seems to think that all theater acting is is screaming. Josh Hamilton as Jack's childhood friend Phil, Houdyshell, and Greer are all wasted here as their characters are only there for Jack to have people to play off of.

The play moves quickly and is entertaining to watch (when Butz is on the stage anyway), but Broadway audiences deserve better, or at the very least some Graeter's to snack on during intermission.

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

One of my favorite things about December is that it means it´s time for my annual viewing of the movie Elf. I love that movie. A ridiculous amount. So, for me, no other version would ever be able to compare. The musical Elf debuted two years ago on Broadway and it´s back at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre for the holiday season. The good news is that the production, directed and choreographed by the reliable Casey Nicholaw, has improved since then, mostly due to the stronger cast, though I´d still rather watch the movie.

If you haven´t seen the film (you should probably stop reading and watch it right now), Buddy the Elf (Jordan Gelber) was raised Santa´s elves in the North Pole. When he finds out he´s human, he goes to New York to find his father Walter Hobbs (Mark Jacoby). Will Ferrell plays the sweetly naive Buddy in the movie and his are tough shoes to fill. It´s to Gelber´s credit that he doesn´t imitate Ferrell, but makes the lines his own, many recycled from the movie, in the book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin.

A Christmas Story is also on Broadway this season and as I have no love for the source material, I was able to enjoy it much more, but both provide laughs, heart, child actors who aren´t annoying (Mitchell Sink in Elf and Johnny Rabe in A Christmas Story), and a way to get into the holiday spirit.

Where's the Scandal?

Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

The most Scandalous thing about Scandalous is how dull it is. Aimee Semple McPherson had an interesting life, but you only get glimpses of it here.

The talented Carolee Carmello plays evangelist preacher Aimee Semple McPherson from a teenager through her rise to fame in Hollywood in the 1920s until the end of her life. This makes it difficult to follow the story as it's often hard to tell how old she is supposed to be. Kathie Lee Gifford's book goes through the story of her life chronologically without much dramatic tension. As nice as it is to see Carmello in a leading role, being on stage for almost all of the shows nearly three hour running time seems to already be taking its toll (the last two previews were canceled so she could go on vocal rest), which isn't fair to her. The rest of the actors (including George Hearn) are wasted with how little they are given to do with the possible exception of Roz Ryan, who gives us some brief and very welcome comic relief as Aimee's friend and former madam Emma Jo Schaeffer.

Kathie Lee Gifford's lyrics are very simplistic and the music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman is not bad, but it's very generic. Lorin Latarro's choreography is paint-by-numbers. The show is having a tough enough time--the canceled performances, the low grosses and attendance--without dumping on it some more. The kind thing to do might just be to call it a day and this one and let everyone move on.

Now I'm a Fandrew

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

I've already seen The Performers twice before it officially opened tonight at the Longacre Theatre. For me, this Broadway season has been pretty dull so far, and the shows I've been recommending have been off-Broadway: The Whale, The Other Josh Cohen, and Falling. But finally The Performers came along to spice up the Broadway season. It's not the most brilliant or daring play ever, but it's funny and delightful and it has Cheyenne Jackson not wearing much. Pretty much the perfect show after the rough few weeks New York has had.

The Performers is the Broadway debut of playwright David West Read, reuniting with his director of the more serious Dream of the Burning Boy, Evan Cabnet.

The play takes place on the night of the Adult Film Awards in Las Vegas. Lee (Daniel Breaker) is interviewing his former high school classmate who now goes by Mandrew Rod-dick (Cheyenne Jackson) for the New York Post. Lee is in town with his fiancée Sara (Alicia Silverstone), a schoolteacher and Fanilow.

The show has some raunchiness, but overall it's pretty tame as these are some really lovable porn stars. But I enjoyed the sweet love stories, even if they take the play in predictable directions. Read's script still surprises with some of the more random lines, which I don't want to spoil here. Ari Graynor as Mandrew's wife Peeps (short for Pussy Boots) gets the best lines and her delivery is always perfect. Jackson gets a chance to show off his flawless body in the first scene (special thanks to Jessica W. Shay for the costumes she puts him in) and to do what he does so well, play a dumb guy with a heart of gold. Breaker and Silverstone are stuck in the straight man/straight woman roles, but they do get some laughs, as does Jenni Barber as the dimwitted Sundown. Henry Winkler's role as the aging performer Chuck Wood is somewhat unnecessary, but it was nice to see him so game to make a lot of cock jokes.

Contest: Win Tickets to Golden Boy

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations @iamsarahmoore!

Last year I had a contest asking you about theater-related Halloween costumes. Since I enjoyed reading your answers so much and since it's almost Halloween, I'm bringing it back, only this time you can win tickets to the Broadway revival of Golden Boy. The play by Clifford Odets is about a young violinist who chooses to become a professional boxer. It starts previews at the Belasco, where it was first produced, on November 8. I'm looking forward to seeing this cast of 19, especially Danny Burstein (Follies), Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski, and Brad Fleischer (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo).

In order to win tickets to Golden Boy, leave a comment on this post telling me your best theater-related Halloween costume idea. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Monday, November 5 at 10:30 a.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

Contest: Win Tickets to Dead Accounts

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations Brian! If you didn't win, stay tuned on Monday for the last of this month-long series of contests.

Is it just me or is the world a better place when Norbert Leo Butz is on Broadway? Starting on November 3, he will be starring in Theresa Rebeck's Dead Accounts alongside Katie Holmes, Judy Greer (!!!), Josh Hamilton, and Jayne Houdyshell. Bonus: The play is directed by three-time Tony winner Jack O'Brien (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels). The show is about a family reuniting and a $27 million secret. I've been advised to eat before the show so you don't get hungry watching the actors eat, which they will be doing a lot.

Please note that these tickets are only for performances on November 5, 7 (matinee), 8, 9, or 10 (matinee). Please only enter if you are able to see the show on one of those dates. The show takes place in Cincinnati, so the characters eat Graeter's ice cream, which I'm hoping will be sold in the lobby. To enter to win tickets, comment on this post telling me your favorite ice cream flavor. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday or Saturday at the latest (not sure about the time because I will be traveling, but I will post the winner here as soon one is chosen). Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

Contest: Win Tickets to Peter and the Starcatcher

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Caryn Savitz!

So, you haven't gotten around to seeing Peter and the Starcatcher yet and you realize you need to see it before it closes on January 20. Or you have seen it and you want to see it again. Either way, I'm giving you a chance to win a pair of tickets.

The play by Rick Elice is a prequel to Peter Pan, but what really makes the show is the inventive staging by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and the design elements. (It won Tonys for scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design--all deserved.)

There are two ways to enter to win tickets:

1) Comment on this post telling me why you want to see the show.

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Wednesday, October 24 at 10 a.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

A Different Opinion on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

I was invited to the first preview of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which shows the confidence the producers have in the production. It's a transfer of a Steppenwolf production, so it's not as if the cast hasn't performed it many times in front of an audience. And it got rave reviews there, so the producers probably weren't worried. The show opened to raves again here on Broadway, but as much as I overall enjoyed the production, I have some reservations about it.

I've given this a lot of thought and I think my slight disappointment has a lot to do with the fact that this was my first time seeing the play (I haven't seen the movie either). So I have nothing to compare this production to except my ideas about what a production of Woolf should be like. Quick refresher: the play takes place on a New England college campus. George (Tracy Letts, in a stunning Broadway debut), a history professor, and his wife Martha (Amy Morton), the college president's daughter, invite a young couple, Nick (Madison Dirks) and Honey (Carrie Coon), over after a party. It turns into a night of booze and insults. This production, directed by Pam MacKinnon, really played up the laughs. As a result, I didn't leave as emotionally drained as I was expecting to. I guess I kept expecting a punch to the gut that never came (I don't know if that says more about me than the production).

I definitely think this is a production worth seeing, but I wonder if I would have been able to get more out of it if I had seen a more traditional interpretation as my first time seeing it on stage.

The Other Josh Cohen Is Better Than Real Life

One of the best shows I've seen at the New York Musical Festival is V-Day. That was in 2010 and I've been wanting that show to get an off-Broadway production ever since. That moment has finally arrived. It's now playing at the Soho Playhouse and it's been renamed The Other Josh Cohen, but it's still just as enjoyable as I remember. If you enjoy a good Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory reference, buy chocolate the day after Valentine's Day when it's 50% off, or like to laugh, this show is for you.

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Whenever I tell anyone the plot of the show, they say, "That sounds horrible." But trust me, it's delightful. David Rossmer and Steve Rosen wrote the show and they also both play Josh Cohen. Rossmer is the Josh Cohen of the present, narrating the story, and Rosen is the Josh Cohen of the past. Six days before Valentine's Day, Josh gets robbed of everything but one CD--Neil Diamond III (all the good songs are on volume II). All the songs (also by Rossmer and Rosen) are in the style of Neil Diamond and just as catchy (fingers crossed for a cast recording, but in the meantime some of the tracks are available on the website). The rest of the parts are winningly played by Kate Wetherhead and the band--Ken Triwush, Vadim Feichtner, and Hannah Elless.

Rossmer and Rosen are so likable, you can't help but root for them. And the show is laugh-out-loud funny, but also sweet and pretty wholesome. It's rare to find a show like that. It's only playing through November 11, though it deserves a longer life, but just in case, you probably should stop reading and just go get your tickets.

Contest: Win Tickets to Chaplin

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations Sarah P.! I have two more Broadway ticket contests next week, so stay tuned.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

If you haven't had a chance to see Chaplin the Musical yet (or you want to see it again), today is your lucky day. I've giving away a pair of tickets to the show, which stars Rob McClure as Charlie Chaplin and has a book by Thomas Meehan and a score by Christopher Curtis.

There are two ways to enter to win tickets:

1) Comment on this post telling me your favorite Chaplin movie. If you haven't seen a Chaplin movie, you can comment telling me why you want to see the show.

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday, October 19 at 5:30 p.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

For discount tickets as low as $49 to Chaplin the Musical:

Visit BroadwayOffers.com and enter code CLSD925

Or

Call (212) 239-6200 and use code CLSD925

Or

Bring this code to The Barrymore Theatre 243 West 47th Street (between 8th Avenue and Broadway)

Offer valid on select Orchestra and Mezzanine seats and subject to availability and prior sale. Not valid on prior purchases and cannot be combined with any other offer. All sales final; no refunds or exchanges. Telephone and internet orders are subject to standard service fees. All prices include a $2 facilities fee. Offer not available 11/19-25, 12/20-1/6/13. Other blackout dates may apply. Offer valid for performances starting 9/20/12 and expires 2/13/13 but may be revoked at any time.

Falling for Falling

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Falling, which opened last night at the Minetta Lane Theatre, educates about autism as well as moves while avoiding after-school special cliches.

Josh (Daniel Everidge) is 18 years old and severely autistic. He lives with his parents, Tami (Julia Murney) and Bill (Daniel Pearce), and sister Lisa (Jacey Powers). They have developed systems for keeping Josh and each other safe, such as the code word "peanut butter" to let each other know when Josh is agitated. When Bill's mother (Celia Howard) comes to town, it complicates Josh's routine.

Everidge is extremely convincing, so much so that it is jarring when he appears at one point in the show as a character without autism. There isn't a weak link in the cast, directed by Lori Adams, but Murney is also a standout. The audience feels every bit of her pain and the love she has for her family.

Playwright Deanna Jent, who has an autistic son, has given us an honest window into the lives of people with autism and their families, but not at the expense of character. We get to know and care for this family, which is especially impressive given that we only spend an hour and 15 minutes with them. Without giving too much away, credit must be given to movement and fight director Rick Sordelet for the most startling realistic violence I've seen on stage in a long time.

Contest: Win Tickets to The Other Josh Cohen

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random. Congratulations Monica!

I am so excited to have a pair of tickets to The Other Josh Cohen to give away. I haven't seen this incarnation yet, but I saw an earlier version called V-Day and it was the most enjoyable show I've ever seen at the New York Musical Festival.

The hilarious Steve Rosen and David Rossmer wrote and star in The Other Josh Cohen, a musical about a man whose apartment is robbed of everything but one Neil Diamond CD. The music is written in the style of Neil Diamond.

Want to win a pair of tickets to the show? There are two ways to enter:

1) Comment on this post telling me what recording artist you would choose to write a musical in the style of and why.

2) Tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it.

You can enter each way once, for a total of two entries. You must be following on Twitter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Wednesday, October 17 at 10 a.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

SPECIAL OFFER:
$32 tickets (reg. $35) Oct 10^th thru Oct 21^st

$39 tickets (reg. $65) valid Oct 24^th thru Nov 11^th

 HOW TO ORDER:

ONLINE: Click here and use code CODERED

 PHONE: Call 212-352-3101 and mention code CODERED

IN PERSON: Bring this offer to the SoHo Playhouse box office

LIMITED PERFORMANCES! OCT 10^TH – NOV 11^TH ONLY!

RESTRICTIONS: Offer valid through November 11th. Offer may be revoked at anytime and is subject to availability.  Not valid on prior purchase. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions; blackout dates and restrictions may apply.  Maximum of 8 tickets total with offer.