How Zak Resnick Became My New Theater Crush

You might not have heard of Bert Berns, but you've definitely heard his songs. "Twist and Shout." "I Want Candy." "Hang On Sloopy." Just to name a few. People remember who performed these songs, but not who wrote them, in large part because he died at the young age of 38 from heart problems. The new musical A Piece of My Heart sets out to bring him out of obscurity. This may not been part of the original plan, but it also introduces audiences to Zak Resnick, who plays Berns.

Photo credit: Jenny Anderson

Yes, he's attractive (see photo), but it is his gritty voice that leaves the biggest impression (considering he shares the stage with talent including De'Adre Aziza, Leslie Kritzer, and Derrick Baskin, this is no small feat). I'm going to need a cast album, so I can hear him sing those songs again. He also has an easy charm and later in the show makes for a believable tortured musician.

I know there's more to theater than cute boys, but I also felt it was my duty to get Resnick on your radar. You're welcome.

The Atomic Bomb Set To Rock Music

When I told my mom I was seeing a new musical Atomic (she likes to hear about the shows I see), she said, "Like the atomic bomb?" and laughed, thinking it couldn't actually be about that. But I explained that I was indeed seeing a musical about the atomic bomb, or at least about the team of scientists who developed it as part of the government-funded Manhattan Project.

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

But as unlikely a topic as it may seem for a musical, there's a lot of rich material. Perhaps too much. The book by Danny Ginges and Gregory Bonsignore mostly focuses on Leó Szilárd (Jeremy Kushnier), whose discovery of the nuclear chain reaction was crucial to building the bomb, but it also packs a lot in--a framing device in which J. Robert Oppenheimer (Euan Morton) is giving testimony at the Atomic Energy Commission hearings and even the love story between Leó and his wife Trude (Sara Gettelfinger). As a result, it doesn't give each adequate space and it sometimes feels unfocused. Atomic is at its best when exploring the ethical questions (Should the bomb have been dropped even though the war was essentially over? Did they save even more lives in the long run than they took?) and the psychological effects on the team after the dropping of the bomb.

The music by Philip Foxman, who co-wrote lyrics with Ginges and Bonsignore is generic rock and all the songs sound pretty similar, but the cast, which also includes David Abeles as Arthur Compton, the leader of the project, and Jonathan Hammond as a sex-crazed Enrico Fermi, really brings it vocally, especially Kushnier. It's unfortunate that Morton only had one song, but he makes for a fun narrator. You could do a lot worse for a summer musical.

Contest: Win Copies of Martin McDonagh Plays

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was chosen at random from the entries here and on Twitter. Congratulations, Pandora!

The Cripple of Inishmaan, one of my favorite productions of the season, is sadly closing soon--on July 20. Maybe you saw the play and want to learn more about McDonagh or maybe you're already a fan of his other work, but I'm giving away copies of his Tony-nominated plays The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Lonesome West.

In order to enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling me which plays of McDonagh's you've seen or read. You can also tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (if you enter this way, you must be following on Twitter to win). You can enter once each way for a total of two entries. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday, July 10, at 3:00 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!

And if you want to know more about The Cripple of Inishmaan, here's a backstage video with the always charming Daniel Radcliffe, including a tour of his dressing room as well as Sarah Greene's: