Contest: Win Tickets to Standing on Ceremony

Update: The contest is now closed. Thank you to everybody who entered. The winner was picked completely at random from the entries. Congratulations to Randi!

Neil LaBute. Wendy MacLeod. Moisés Kaufman. José Rivera. Paul Rudnick. Doug Wright. Mo Gaffney. Jordan Harrison. Jeffrey Hatcher. This group of playwrights has two Pulitzer Prizes, four Obies, one Emmy, and three Tony nominations. They also wrote the seven short plays that make up Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, which starts previews on November 7 at the Minetta Lane Theatre. The plays star Craig Bierko, Mark Consuelos, Polly Draper, Beth Leavel, Richard Thomas, and Harriet Harris.

A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to Freedom to Marry and other organizations promoting marriage equality. I'm very excited to give away a pair of tickets to a show that supports this important cause. To be entered to win, write a comment on this post about why you want to see the show (a description of each play can be found here). For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (only one tweet or retweet will count for an extra entry). The winner will be chosen at random on Friday, October 28 at 5 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 Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

When Steve Jobs died on October 5 at the young age of 56, my Twitter feed was filled with messages about him, all positive. I think that's the first time I saw so many Twitter reactions completely without snark. People clearly felt a strong connection to this man. Monologist Mike Daisey's The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs started previews at the Public Theater a week later, on October 11, and opened last night (he has performed the show around the country). Jobs's death was incorporated into the show (Daisey doesn't work with a set script), but his look at the man and the company he created is no less critical.

It helps that Daisey is an Apple aficionado. He was one of the people who worshipped at the house of Jobs, but then one day he saw photos mistakenly left on iPhone taken by workers at a Chinese factory to test the camera on the phone. He began to wonder about the origins of his phone. He went to Shenzhen in China and visited Foxconn, the world's largest electronics manufacturer. He explains the conditions at the factory--the cafeteria, the dormitories, the nets used as a response to mass suicides, breaking up the stories about his own experiences in China with the history of Apple.

Two hours is a long time to listen to one man speak, but anyone who has seen Daisey perform (which I hadn't until last week) knows what a dynamic presence he is. Looking a bit like a cartoon character sitting behind his desk, constantly wiping his sweaty brow, shifting between a gentle and loud voice, he commands attention. The production, directed by his wife Jean-Michele Gregory, is simple, with Daisey sitting behind a desk, and not much more is needed. Suspense is added by Seth Reiser's lighting.

Daisey speaks about hearing the news of Jobs's death in a surprisingly moving end: "He was my hero. He was the only hero I ever had." As the audience wandered out of the theater, I overheard many grappling with turning on their beloved iPhones, but at the end of the day, this show is probably not going to make anyone give up technology or iProducts. And that's not what Daisey is advocating. What it will do is educate. And that's a good first step. (Flyers are handed out at the end of the show with more information about what you can do if you are compelled to take action.)

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Following Up With The Tempest Ladies

Remember when I told you about The Tempest Ladies? If that profile piqued your interest, the theater troupe released two videos of their production of The Tempest and are in the process of scheduling tour dates across the country. While you wait for the chance to see them live, watch the teaser:

The Tempest - Teaser from Tempest Ladies on Vimeo.

and the full trailer:

The Tempest - Trailer from Tempest Ladies on Vimeo.

Contest: Win Tickets to Chinglish

Update: The contest is now closed. Thank you to everybody who entered. The winners were picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations to Erin and Sarah P!

Of the new plays opening on Broadway this fall, the one that intrigues me the most is David Henry Hwang's Chinglish, which starts previews on October 11. The play, direct from Chicago's Goodman Theatre, is about an American businessman trying to launch a new enterprise in China. It's performed in both English and Mandarin (with English subtitles), which I'm assuming is a first for Broadway. Watch this video to learn more about the play:


To be entered to win a pair of tickets, tell me in the comments the funniest incorrectly translated sign that you've seen. If you can't think of one, you can tell me in the comments why you want to see the show. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (only one tweet or retweet will count for an extra entry). TWO winners will be chosen at random (each winner will receive a pair of tickets) on Friday, September 30 at 5 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 an over $35% discount through November 13th:
Call 212-947-8844 and mention code CDDMX815
Visit Broadwayoffers.com and use code CGDMX815
Visit the Longacre Theatre Box Office (220 W. 48th Street) and mention code CGDMX815
Orchestra/Front Mezz: $74.50 - $79.50 (regularly $116.50 - $121.50)
Rear Mezz: $62.50 - $66.50 (regularly $86.50 - $91.50)

Recommended Theater: After

When I heard about the execution of Troy Davis, who may or may not have been guilty, I couldn't help but think about Partial Comfort's After. In Chad Beckim's play, Monty (Alfredo Narcisco), convicted of rape at the age of 17, is finally cleared by DNA evidence after serving 17 years in prison.

Although After raises questions about our justice system, it is (fortunately) not overtly political. Beckim tells a very human story of people just trying to get by. Director Stephen Brackett smartly takes things slow, even though the show runs only 90 minutes.

In a sense, all the characters are imprisoned. Monty lives with the only family he has left, his sister Liz (Maria-Christina Oliveras), a workaholic who has just as much starting over to do as her brother. Monty's co-worker at doggy day care, Warren (Debargo Sanyal, who plays him too much like a caricature), is forced to be there because his father is the owner, even though he would rather be programming computer games. After so many years in prison, Monty is incapable of making decisions for himself. On a trip to CVS, he is overwhelmed by the selection of toothbrushes until sales associate Susie (Jackie Chung) offers to help him. She is spunky and eager, providing much of the comic relief, but as their relationship evolves, she starts to reveal her insecurities.

Monty isn't much of a talker, but Narcisco reveals so much with his facial expressions--pain, confusion, joy. His performance as a 17-year-old trapped in a 34-year-old's body is heartbreaking.

Tickets are only $18, so you have no excuse not to see After at The Wild Project. For an even better deal, Wednesdays are pay what you can.

FRINGE ENCORE SERIES: Facebook Me

"I'm really glad they didn't have Facebook when I was a teenager," I said to my friend after a performance of Facebook Me at the Soho Playhouse. Middle and high school are tough enough without an even easier way to spread gossip and make others feel inferior. Facebook Me was written by and stars the teenage girls of the Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Company, created in 2007.

Each character in the play will feel familiar--either because you knew her or were her. They deal with body images, jealousy, sexuality, fights with friends, all intensified through Facebook statuses, where everyone can see what you're doing all the time. For example, Liv (Sophie Hearn) made out with her best friend Nicky (Winnifred Bonjean-Alpart) at a party to impress a boy and a video was posted on Facebook. Now that boy won't accept Liv's "in a relationship" status and friends are shunning Nicky because they think she's gay.

Directors Katie Cappiello and Meg McInerney have done an admirable job of staging the play so that the many storylines flow. Only the beginning of the play, where everybody speaks over each other, is confusing. This is an effective way to set up the overwhelming nature of Facebook, but it goes on for too long. The talented actresses are all between the ages of 13 to 15, which adds an authenticity to the play.

Some of the behavior portrayed in the show doesn't just apply to teenagers. Stella (Eliza Price) is helping her friend Sarah (Danielle Stefania) start her first Facebook page. Sarah just wants to be herself, a girl who loves Molly Ringwald movies and The Muppets, but Stella says she needs to be a different, more adult version of herself on Facebook. How many people are guilty of creating different personas online? Everybody using social media, no matter what age, could probably learn something from this play.

Remaining performances are Sat 9/24 @ 2, Sat 9/24 @ 9:30, and Sun 9/25 @ 2 at the Soho Playhouse.

Contest: Win Tickets to Follies

Update: The contest is now closed. Thank you to everybody who entered. The correct answers were:
1) 5 (I counted Gypsy)
2) The Royal Family and Lend Me A Tenor
3) Gloria Swanson
The winners were picked at random from the correct answers. Congratulations to Bonnie and Greene!

Follies was the first musical to open on Broadway this fall, and what a way to kick off the season. It received mostly rave reviews and even some early Tony talk. Eric Shaeffer's production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical transferred to the Marquis Theatre from The Kennedy Center. The cast of 41 includes two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters, four-time Tony nominee Jan Maxwell, two-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein, three-time Emmy nominee Ron Raines, and Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige.

To be entered to win tickets, you must answer three trivia questions correctly in the comments section of this post.

The questions are:
1) How many Stephen Sondheim shows has Bernadette Peters starred in on Broadway?
2) Jan Maxwell was nominated for two Tony Awards in the same year. What two shows was she nominated for?
3) It is said that Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman based the show off a photograph of what famous actress?

I have enabled comment moderation until the contest ends. TWO winners will be chosen at random (each winner will receive a pair of tickets) on Friday, September 23 at 5 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!

Save on tickets with the discount offer 2BUDDY.**

Purchase Now Through November 6

$97 Orchestra/Front Mezz (reg. $135/$125)

$75 Mid Mezz (reg. $95/$85)

Call: 877-250-2929 Online: Ticketmaster.com

Visit: The Marquis Theater, 46th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave.

Website: www.FolliesBroadway.com

**Conditions: Valid for performances through 10/2/11 All prices include $2 facilities fees. Limit 8 tickets per order. Offer subject to availability and prior sale. ALL SALES FINAL. No refunds or exchanges. Telephone and Internet sales are subject to standard service fees. Offer may be revoked at any time or modified at any time without notice.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

FRINGE ENCORE SERIES: PigPen Presents: The Mountain Song

The new college graduates that make up the all-male PigPen Theater Company are doing well for themselves so far. This summer, PigPen became the first company to win the top honor for a play at the Fringe Festival. Company members were still students at Carnegie Mellon last summer when they won overall excellence in a production for The Nightmare Story. The Mountain Song is their first production as official New Yorkers.

The Mountain Song is a fable told by a mountain about a father searching for his mute daughter. The story holds up on its own, but what makes this a worthwhile theater experience is the way its told with the use shadow puppets, folk music, and other inventive bits of lighting and staging. The goofy and likeable cast is made up of seven skilled musicians and natural storytellers--Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Dan Weschler, Ryan Melia, Curtis Gillen, Alex Falberg, and Matt Nuernberger.

I don't think these guys need to worry about making it in New York. Coming up are a production of The Nightmare Story in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and a new show in Manhattan. But if you've never seen them, no need to wait. You still have time to catch The Mountain Song at the Soho Playhouse.

Remaining performances are Sat 9/17 @ 9:30, Mon 9/19 @ 8, Sat 9/24 @ 5, and Sun 9/25 @ 7:30

FRINGE ENCORE SERIES: The More Loving One

Another Fringe Festival has come and gone, taking the end of summer with it, but the Fringe Encore Series is just getting underway. The series features 18 of the most well-received Fringe shows, including winner of the FringeNYC overall excellence award for best production of a play, The More Loving One.

Cory Conley's play takes place in a college town and explores how a trial affects two couples--Matt (David Beck, who resembles Patrick Wilson in everything but his voice) and his wife Lauren (Adriana Degirolami) and their roommate Heinrich (Jimmy Davis) and his boyfriend Henry (Preston Martin), who have been together just as long as Matt and Lauren. The action mostly takes place on the evening of campus move-in day. Matt has spent most of the day testifying against his friend and colleague in a statutory rape trial and as the couples discuss the events of the day, more about their relationships are revealed. The play treads familiar territory, but it goes in some genuinely surprising directions. It's structured in a way that constantly keeps you guessing. Director Craig Baldwin does well by the flashback scenes that shed light on some of the conversations without feeling forced. There are some laugh-out-loud moments to lighten the tension, mostly courtesy of Martin. The characters aren't all that likable, which makes it hard to care what happens to them (you may find yourself wanting to throw things at them), but Conley is certainly a playwright to watch.

Remaining performances are Wed 9/14 @ 9, Tue 9/20 @ 8, Thu 9/22 @ 9:30, and Mon 9/26 @ 8

Photo credit: Ryan Mekenian

Contest: Win Tickets to Relatively Speaking

Update: The contest is now closed. The winners were picked using a random number generator and have been contacted. Congrats Kristen and Vance and thank you to everybody who entered.

One silver lining to the end of summer is the start of the new Broadway season. Relatively Speaking, an evening of one-act plays by Woody Allen, Ethan Coen, and Elaine May, starts previews on September 20. Each play represents a different branch of the family tree. Coen's Talking Cure deals with the insanity that comes from family. May's George is Dead explores the "hilarity of death." And Allen's Honeymoon Motel takes place on a wedding day. The cast of 15 includes Julie Kavner, Steve Guttenberg, Mark Linn-Baker, and Marlo Thomas.

I'm a Woody Allen fan, so I'm most looking forward to Honeymoon Motel. And I love Rhoda, so I'm also excited to see Kavner aka Brenda Morgenstern onstage. To be entered to win tickets, let me know in the comments which of the one-acts you are most looking forward to and why. I will pick TWO winners at random (each winner will receive a pair of tickets) on Friday, September 16 at 5 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!

If you don't win, you can save up to 40% with this discount offer:
Offer valid on all performances September 20 – November 6 when you order by October 20, 2011

Tickets starting at $45 and Orchestra/Front Mezz from $74 -$79

Visit: Ticketmaster.com (http://www.ticketmaster.com/Relatively-Speaking-tickets/artist/1617884) and use code RSTELE
Bring this offer to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre box office, 256 W. 47th Street (between Broadway and 8th ave)

Call 877-250-2929 and mention code RSTELE

Restrictions:
Offer subject to availability and prior sale. Offer valid for select locations only. Applicable only to specified performance dates and times. Not valid on previously purchased tickets and may not be combined with other offers. All sales final; no refunds or exchanges. Telephone/internet orders subject to standard Ticketmaster.com service fees. All prices include a $2.00 facility fee. Offer may be revoked at any time. Seat restrictions and other blackout dates may apply. When purchasing at the box office, present offer prior to ticket inquiry. Expires 10/20/11.

Completeness at Playwrights Horizons

You don't have to know anything about science to relate to Itamar Moses's romantic comedy between nerdy scientist types. And don't let the term romantic comedy scare you either. Completeness, directed by Pam MacKinnon, is an accurate portrayal of 20-somethings dealing with relationships.

Molly (Aubrey Dollar) is a molecular biology graduate student and Elliot (Karl Miller) is at the same school in the computer science department. They eye each other in a computer lab (David Zinn's set is deceptively simple at first, then revealing multiple surprises) and he offers to create a computer program that will help her in her research. It doesn't take long for them to end up in bed together and as much as they as they like each other, they both have trouble with commitment.

Moses has a gift for writing realistic dialogue and the leads speak it so naturally that at times it's hard to remember it's scripted. There are so many little details that ring true, like Elliot asking for Molly's number, then changing his mind and asking for her e-mail address because then it's more likely he'll actually get in touch. Even the scientific lingo, or at least the basic gist of it, is pretty easy to follow.

Miller played Elliot in the world premiere of Completeness at South Coast Repertory, but he joined this production already in rehearsals (he replaced Lucas Kavner, who replaced Michael Stahl-David). Considering Miller and Dollar must not have had much time to work together, their chemistry is even more impressive. The other two actors, Meredith Forlenza and Brian Avers play multiple roles, but they don't feel distinct enough.

There is one jarring scene in the second act that will probably prove divisive (without revealing too much, I thought it broke up the realism of the rest of the play and could have done without it, while others thought it was one of the best scenes). At least it will provide plenty to talk about it on the way out of the theater, as will the rest of the play.

Use code COMPBLOG for a ticket discount. Order by September 13 and tickets are $40 (reg. $70) for performances August 19-Sept. 4; and $50 (reg. $70) for perfs. Sept. 6-25. For tickets or more information, visit http://playwrightshorizons.org or call (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily).

Note: The production officially opens on September 13, but I was invited to a preview and asked to post my thoughts.

A Totally Awesome Show You Can't See Right Now

I saw this great theater piece the other night. I want to be able to tell you to go see it, but it was the last night of its three-night run at the Robert Moss Theater in New York and the theater company is based in Santa Barbara. But I'm going to tell you about it anyway, because you should know about Proximity Theatre Company.

Proximity is a non-profit youth theater company (the actors range in age from 16 to 29) that produces physical theater productions.

Shandy Wilkes by Proximity's co-artistic director Karina Richardson is a reworked version of The Marvellous Shandy Wilkes, presented by Proximity in 2009. It's a really sweet fairy tale about the power of love. Shandy Wilkes (Chiara Perez del Campo) was born with mirrors in her eyes that show people the thing about themselves they fear the most. Her own mother (Richardson) can't bear to look at her, so Shandy is mostly raised by her blind grandmother Maria Carmen (Siena Perez del Campo). Shandy's only friends are a fun-loving unicorn (Jake Himovitz) and a know-it-all dragon (Gabriela London), but eventually, Shandy has to go to school. Only Hymn (Himovitz) can look into her eyes because he is too young to have learned how to hate any part of himself. The rest of the students and teachers fear her, but she gets to keep coming to school on the condition that she will wear sunglasses. The play follows her through her teenage years when she reconnects with Hymn and into young adulthood.

The show has a great message and is appropriate for children, but is just as entertaining for adults. The youthful energy from the cast (most of whom juggle multiple roles) is infectious. Kyra Lehman's (doing double-duty as director) frantic choreography paired with Ken Urbina's original music gives the show a hip, modern edge, but never feels false or trying too hard.

New Yorkers, check out the two promo videos to get a taste of what you missed. If you live in or near Santa Barbara, I encourage you to keep your eye on Proximity's website for future show information. But here's hoping they will be back on the east coast soon.

FRINGE: Keepers

What's The Benefit, Inc. produces theater that highlights a specific charitable cause. Keepers, a musical about adoption based on real testimonials, was originally presented at Studio 54 last year as a benefit for Spence Chapin Adoption Services and now it's having its first run at Fringe. It's hard to really a judge a show when everybody's hearts are in the right place.

The program doesn't specify how much of the script is directly taken from testimonials, but there are four book writers--Spencer Lavallee, Nicco Franklin, Paul Daniel Cloeter, and Molly C. Blau (Franklin and Cloeter also appear in the show). Short monologues are interspersed with musical numbers, so as is the case with other musicals of this kind, it's hard for the characters to make a lasting impression. But there are many sweet (two brothers--one adopted--in trouble with the principal are as close as any brothers), sad (a man in prison never learned to love his adoptive parents), and funny (a lesbian couple joke that they have to go to the "ballerina store" so their daughter won't end up gay) moments. What the musical does well is present both the positive and negative sides of adoption from the points of view of both children and adults. The music by Daniel Wolpow and Cloeter is pretty, though I think the show would work just as well as a play. As a whole, the actors are better in the individual scenes than when singing all together as in the title number. Erin Breen is particularly memorable in the opening scene on her adopted daughter's first day of school as is Franklin as a young man who finds a box belonging to his birth parents.

If you know anyone who has been adopted or gone through the adoption process, you will probably be moved by the show in some way. Up next for What's the Benefit is Weaker People, a musical dealing with the issue of bullying.

The final performance of Keepers is Sun 28 @ noon.

FRINGE: The Legend of Julie Taymor, or The Musical That Killed Everybody

I was sick of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark before even the first preview. I was relieved when the musical officially opened, if only so I wouldn't have to hear about it anymore. But The Legend of Julie Taymor was so entertaining that I didn't mind hearing the the well-known saga again. I had a much better time at this Fringe show than at either version of Spider-Man.

The title is the only place where Julie Taymor's name is mentioned. In the musical by Travis Ferguson, producer Frank Kashowitz (Johnnie Moore) has the idea to turn the popular comic franchise Spider-Dude into a musical and he wants Bruno (Clint Carter), lead singer of the band U[squared] to write the music, but Bruno will only agree if they get Julie Paymore (a show-stealing Jennifer Barnhart) to direct.

Sure, Turn Off the Dark is an easy target, but Ferguson's attention to detail is impressive. The musical follows the trajectory of the spectacular failure pretty closely, from lead producer's death to delayed openings to actor injuries, so the more you know about its history, the more you'll laugh. For example, most avid theatergoers will recognize Lionel Weasel (Christopher Davis Carlisle, another standout in the cast), the gossip columnist intent on destroying Spider-Dude, as Michael Riedel of the New York Post. Of course, there is comic exaggeration. I doubt Riedel and Taymor have any sort of romantic history or that Christopher Tierney's accident was purposefully orchestrated by Taymor.

The score by Dave Ogrin (he and Ferguson co-wrote lyrics) is at its best when mocking Turn Off The Dark's score. A highlight is "Boy Falls From the Rafters"--sung by Barry Shafrin as the adorably naive Billy--a perfect send-up of "Boy Falls From The Sky." As someone who saw a preview of version 1.0, "Tweet , Tweet, Tweet!"--sung by audience members tweeting at the first preview--was an accurate depiction of what it was like to watch the mess of a show. ("Where are they going on the tangent? Still can't understand the words. 3 hours in. What's worse, the music or the dancing?")

The creators left no stone unturned with touches like Katie White's comic-book style props (even Starbucks cups are made of cardboard). I would like to see more from Ogrin and Ferguson, but now can we please stop talking about Spider-Man?

The final performance is Wed 24 @ 7.

FRINGE: Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story

Between Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending, The Bardy Bunch, and the musical Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story by Mariah MacCarthy, there is a lot of Romeo and Juliet going on at Fringe. Add in the somewhat disappointing Royal Shakespeare Company production I saw in July and you'd think I'd be all Romeo and Juliet'ed out. But I never mind revisiting the story when a production is done well or offers a fresh take.

MacCarthy's new spin is that Romeo and Juliet are two young women living in Verona, Iowa. Juliet (Brigitte Choura) is a rich beauty queen engaged to marry Paris (Nic Grelli) and Romeo (Lauren Hennessy) is a wannabe rock star. Their mothers (both played by men--Jeremy Michael Lagunas as Claire Capulet and Matt Welsh as Evelyn Montague) are running against each other for mayor. But the Capulet/Montague rivalry is deeper than that. When Romeo came out in high school (this Romeo and Juliet, at 21, are a little older than Shakespeare's characters), she received threats from Juliet's cousin Tybalt (Craig Hanson). The election is in full swing and Claire Capulet decides to throw a masquerade party. Romeo dresses like a man, hoping to woo college student Rosaline, but ends up dancing with the masked Juliet. By the time each realizes who the other is, it's too late--they've already fallen for each other.

The show works largely because of Hennessy and Choura and their fantastic chemistry. Both women draw you in completely in scenes together and apart. They are supported by a strong ensemble cast, especially Jordan Tierny as comic relief Mercutio and Hanson as frat boy Tybalt.

The other reason this show is so memorable is Brian Kirchner's rock-folk-pop-Lady Gaga hybrid score. The songs start off humorous ("Hey Bitch") and become haunting ("Star-Crossed Lover" performed by the choir Diana Oh, Julie Ek, and Lauren Weinberg). Kudos to Emily Rupp, who juggles guitar, ukele, flute, and vocals.

Ampersand does need some tightening. The two-and-a-half hour show could be shortened as some of the scenes feel extraneous or repetitive. For example, the scenes between Juliet and her grandfather (Anna Savant) are sweet, but don't add much and there is an argument with Juliet and Romeo that goes on for too long. Even with these quibbles, this musical has the strongest potential for life after Fringe that I've seen this year.

Final performance is Sat 27 @ 7:45.

Photo credit: Kacey Stamats

FRINGE: Welcome to Eternity

I really enjoyed Matt Saldarelli's Getting Even With Shakespeare at last year's Fringe. He abandons Shakespeare characters for a trip down the aisle with his new play, Welcome to Eternity, a series of seven short scenes between soon-to-be-married couple Amanda (Mary Schneider) and Patrick (Patrick Pizzolorusso). (I should probably disclose that I am "Twitter friends" with Pizzolorusso.)

According to program notes, Saldarelli, whose own wedding is in a few weeks, got the inspiration for the play when he told his fiancée that he wanted to write a graphic novel about her family. That idea became "Justice Family of America." As you can see, this isn't your typical marriage play. Though a lot of the issues raised--religion, dieting--are familiar, Saldarelli puts an original spin on them. For example, in "Catholic-22," Patrick and Amanda play a game to test her Catholic knowledge and in "Missionary Sundays," Patrick decides to add some spontaneity into their sex lives by trying out a new sexual position a day.

Saldarelli writes convincing dialogue in which his characters go off on believable tangents. (As in Getting Even With Shakespeare, conversations include many pop culture references.) Though each scene stands solidly on its own and together they start to form a picture of the couple, the play could do with some more establishing of why these two are together. They don't seem to agree on anything and we rarely see them being affectionate with one another. Yes, the play is about how the wedding takes a toll on their relationship, but I wondered why they fell in love in the first place. Luckily, Schneider and Pizzolorusso have an easy rapport that makes it easier to fill in the blanks.

Remaining performances: Sat 20 @ noon and Thu 25 @ 2

Photo credit: Dixie Sheridan

FRINGE: The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady

If you thought Romeo and Juliet was a story of woe, wait until you hear the tragedy of Keith Partridge and Marcia Brady. The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady is The Brady Bunch meets The Partridge Family meets Romeo and Juliet meets Macbeth meets Hamlet meets Much Ado About Nothing, with bits of other Shakespeare plays thrown in for good measure. So if you're a fan of either singing family or Shakespeare, you will probably find something to enjoy in this violent musical comedy.

The story takes place in the summer of '74, after both shows went off the air. The Partridges and the Bradys are in a Montague/Capulet-type feud when Keith (Erik Keiser) and Marcia (Cali Elizabeth Moore) fall in love. They devise a plan to trick Greg Brady (A.J. Shively) and Laurie Partridge (Carina Zabrodsky) into falling in love. Meanwhile, Carol Brady (Susan J. Jacks) convinces her husband (Jacks's real-life husband Nick Ruggeri) to kill his boss and Danny Partridge (Adam Wald) is haunted by the memory of his father and wants revenge on his mother Shirley's (Michelle Mazza) new husband Reuben (Craig Wichman).

Playwright Stephen Garvey clearly knows his Bradys, Partridges, and Shakespeare. Some of the Shakespeare jokes are appropriately sitcom corny. I particularly enjoyed references to my favorite Brady Bunch episodes, and I didn't feel like I was missing out when The Partridge Family references went over my head.

Eighteen is a large cast by Fringe standards and director Jay Stern deftly maneuvers the chaos. Everybody in the cast fits into their roles perfectly. Standouts include the four young lovers and Jonathan Grunert as Peter, whose "It's Time To Change" is one of the high points of the evening. Logan Medland has done a fantastic job of arranging the songs like "I Woke Up In Love This Morning" for musical theater storytelling. Lorna Ventura's choreography also lovingly references the sitcoms.

There are only three performances left and Friday's is already sold out, so if this sounds like your type of show, I'd suggest buying a ticket soon.

Remaining performances: Fri 19 @ 9, Sun 21 @ 8:45, and Wed 24 @ 2

Photo caption: Erik Keiser as Keith Partridge and A.J. Shively as Greg Brady
Photo credit: Tom Henning

FRINGE: Yeast Nation

Urinetown is considered the most successful show to come out of the Fringe Festival. The musical opened on Broadway in 2001 and won Tony Awards for best book, score, and direction of a musical. Greg Kotis (book, lyrics) and Mark Hollmann (music, lyrics) return to Fringe with Yeast Nation (The Triumph of Life) and sold out the run before the first performance. But I doubt that Yeast Nation will have the same trajectory as Urinetown.

If expectations weren't so high for Yeast Nation, it would be another amusing, quirky Fringe show, but it's hard not to make comparisons to Urinetown as it is so similar in style and themes. The musical takes place in 3,000,458,000 BC at the bottom of the primordial sea. Although the characters are yeast, the story, which involves power struggles and love against the odds, is familiar. Jan the Elder (George McDaniel)--if you know Urinetown, think of him as Caldwell B. Cladwell--enforces strict rules about reproduction, what the yeast can eat, and where they can go. But his son Jan the Second (Erik Altemus) falls in love with Jan the Sweet (Emily Tarpey) and starts to question his father. The show even has an Officer Lockstock and Little Sally in the form of Jan the Unnamed (Harriet Harris) and a precocious young boy, well yeast (Charlie Plummer), who narrate and break the fourth wall.

Yeast Nation feels long at two-and-a-half hours, but overall the strong ensemble keep energy and entertainment levels up when the show begins to drag. Standouts in the cast include Joy Suprano as Jan the Wise and Jan the Famished (Jennifer Blood), whose duet is a highlight of the show.

The score was catchy, but because Urinetown is one of the funniest musicals I've ever seen, I was expecting to laugh a lot more at the lyrics. Clearly, Kotis and Hollmann have a lot of talent, and I would love to see something completely different from them. Not that I mind musicals with bad titles or being told that my way of living is unsustainable.

Photo from left to right: Manu Narayan, Emily Tarpey, and Erik Altemus
Photo credit: Jay Sullivan

FRINGE: Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending

Romeo and Juliet is a timeless play, but many of the characters are insufferable and their actions frustrating. So, when I was reading over the 194 selections at this year's New York International Fringe Festival and came across the title Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending, I knew I had to see it. Finally, the chance to control the outcome. It turns out that even when you choose your own ending, the results may not be ideal, but you probably won't find a Romeo and Juliet as fun or short (only 90 minutes) as this one.

There are three points in the play at which audiences vote by a show of hand. The first is when Romeo (James Waters) goes to the masquerade at the home of the Capulets and has to choose between wooing Juliet (Kyra Corradin) or Rosaline (Katie Jeffries). My audience chose Rosaline. In this version, Rosaline is Tybalt's (Matthew Sparacino) sister and a Capulet, so it still turns out to be a tale of star-crossed lovers, except that Rosaline is older and more cynical than Juliet, so she rejects Romeo's advances at first. Waters, whose boyish looks work so well for the lovesick Romeo, and Jeffries make for a believable couple. I suppose it's possible that Rosaline could have been a Capulet, but this almost feels too easy. [Correction: Turns out, Rosaline is indeed a Capulet. Thanks to Katie Jeffries for pointing that out.] So that Juliet is not completely left out, Benvolio (Rob Mueller), who I always thought of as the character in Shakespeare's version the most free from blame, falls in love with her. Kudos to the actors, most of whom have to play multiple parts and memorize each combination of results on top of that.

The play was written by brother and sister team Ann and Shawn Fraistat (with some help from William Shakespeare, of course), who have a knack for writing Shakespearan rhyme so it blends easily with the lines from the actual play, even with some anachronistic language thrown in. There are 8 different endings to choose from, so you might find yourself wanting to go back and see what could have been.

Remaining performances for Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending: Thu 18 @ 7:30, Sat 20 @ 2:15, Sun 21 @ 2:30, and Fri 26 @ 4:15

Photo from left to right: Kyra Corradin as Juliet, James Waters as Romeo, Katie Jeffries as Rosaline

Traces, or A Circus for People Who Hate Circuses

I'm not a circus person. The thought of having to sit through one makes me a little queasy. If you're anything like me, don't let the word "circus" in the plot description of 7 Fingers's Traces freak you out. 7 Fingers was founded in Montreal in 2002 to bring circus to a human scale, according to program notes. Cirque du Soleil had similar beginnings, but those shows still feel larger than life. Traces feels less about spectacle and more about street art. And let's be honest, it doesn't hurt that the young cast is easy on the eyes.

In Traces, the performers wear regular clothes--no need for elaborate costumes. They take turns introducing themselves with birth dates (warning: if you were born before the late '80s, you will probably feel old), hometowns, heights, weights, and adjectives. Bradley Henderson is reliable and the oldest. Mason Ames is clumsy. Mathieu Cloutier is from Quebec. Valérie Benoît-Charbonneau, the only female in the group, is flirtatious. Philippe Normand-Jenny's parents are psychologists. Xia Zhengqi goes by Daqi and is insecure. Florian Zumkehr (pictured) is romantic.

Sometimes it doesn't even feel like you're watching a performance, just friends goofing off, as the seven make fun of each other or play around with skateboards and basketballs. But then they perform mind-blowing acrobatics like balancing on chairs, jumping through hoops, and climbing on poles (direction and choreography are shared by Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider). The show is very dance-heavy as well and incorporates elements of both hip hop and ballet. The tricks don't always land, but they will get up and try again, and that also adds to the humanness of the show.

This is a limited engagement at the Union Square Theatre through October 9 [Update: Traces has been extended through January 1], but I wouldn't wait to see it. If you need any more convincing to see this show, just watch a few of the videos on the Traces site. For bargain-hunters, $25 rush tickets are available the day of the performance.

Photo credit: Michael Meseke