Posts Tagged ‘Pippin’

“Caesar & Cleopatra” Takes the Throne at Theatre One

Fine acting, a rarely performed play, and a story that moves from period to present are all drawing cards for George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar & Cleopatra at Theatre One -Theatre Row.  With so many Broadway offerings at big-ticket prices and often-limited availability, this show is a dream: the price is right, the actors are in prime form, and the storyline is intriguing. And it’s from the vaults of theatrical history dating from 1898.

In the intimate Theatre One, actors enter from a myriad of directions – from on stage, from above stage, and from the back of house.  You’re surrounded in what is akin to 360 degree staging.

The story is a progression of the development of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, from a child (a kitten) to a true queen (a lioness) through the guidance of Caesar. If the story sounds familiar, it’s one of George Bernard Shaw’s favorites: the tutelage of an ingénue to transform her into a diva.  The recent restaging of My Fair Lady was that story; Shaw’s Pygmalion-My Fair Lady hints at what can be expected  in Caesar and Cleopatra.

Ftatateeta, Cleopatra’s nurse, is the first character onstage in a role that reminds one of Leading Player in Pippin. She explains what will transpire, she invites you the audience to participate, and she fills in the blanks while also acting her role.  “You will help me. You will all help me. We will all dream together,” she cajoles. And thus the show begins.

Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

Next come a mélange of Romans and Egyptians, with a story of supremacy, aid and ultimate learning. Humor is interjected in places with characters like Apollodorus the Sicilian milking his heritage for all it’s worth and Cleopatra’s brother Ptolemy, the rightful ruler of Alexandria, depicted as an Avenue Q-like puppet.

Produced by the Gingold Theatrical Group, Caesar & Cleopatra is a show that offers a peek into dominance, greed and power while also extolling the virtues of clemency and wisdom. The themes resonate today, without a doubt.  Director David Staller sums it up, “Caesar & Cleopatra reminds us of the vital importance of being an active part of our lives, of having the courage to make bold personal choices with the caveat that we take responsibility for those choices, and above all, to always leave our hearts open to discovery and to love.”

Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

Caesar & Cleopatra runs through October 12, Theatre One – Theatre Row, 410 West 42ndStreet.  Tickets are available at https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Caesar-and-Cleopatra/Overview?AID=AFF000009900&cm_mmc=Playbill-_-affiliate-_-web-_-AFF00000990.

Pippin’s Circus Troupe Performs at City Center: April 16-26

Sequence 8If you loved the amazing acrobats and circus acts in Tony-award winner Pippin, you won’t want to miss Séquence 8, a stunning nouveau cirque performance by Les 7 Doigts de la Main from Montreal. Canada seems to be the homeland of death-defying, creative and gorgeous acrobatics.  Think Cirque du Soleil but with hip hop, theater, skateboarding, dynamic music and the acrobatics and humor that we’ve come to love.

It’s exciting that this show is finally coming to New York, after playing to audiences in 15 countries since 2012.

Sequence 8Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers) was founded in 2002 by seven Montreal-based artists. The company’s name is a twist on the French idiom “the five fingers of the hand,” used to describe distinct parts united tightly, moving in coordination towards one common goal. In addition to having performed their own shows for the past 12 years, the company developed circus choreography for the hit Broadway revival of Pippin. For the 2014 Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony, Les 7 Doigts de la Main staged a 600-person spectacle that was broadcast to approximately four million viewers.

NY City CenterNew York City Center has again taken a premier stance in putting forth creative programs for the city, including the acclaimed Encores! musical theater series which mounts “forgotten” musicals with full orchestration, top Broadway stars, and minimal staging. City Center is also home to many distinguished companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, City Center’s Principal Dance Company, and Manhattan Theatre Club.  Their newest offering, the Encores! Off-Center series features landmark Off Broadway musicals filtered through the lens of today’s most innovative artists.  When you visit, be sure to look up at the ceiling – the restoration of a few years ago has made this theater an architectural landmark in its own right.

Séquence 8 will run for 12 performances, from April 16–26: Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 and 8 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $25-$110. More information at www.NYCityCenter.org.

Broadway Shows to See NOW (and soon)

Theater lovers, if you watched the 2013 Tony Awards two weeks ago, you know there are some shows you have to see.  There are also four that are closing in the next week that I would recommend searching out.  Here’s a list with my comments so you don’t miss out.

I’ll Eat You Last – Bette Midler’s one-woman show depicts the raunchy, aggressive, and sometimes self-pitying life of talent agent Sue Mengers in the 70s.  It’s the Divine Miss M completely transformed into Hollywood’s brash, super-agent, who represented a glittering roster of filmmakers and actors including Barbra Streisand, Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, Mike Nichols and Cher.  Directed by Joe Mantello.  Closes Sunday June 30. Booth Theatre, 222. West 45th Street, Manhattan. www.IllEatYouLast.com.

Ann – Holland Taylor (the sassy mother on Two and a Half Men) is Texas governor Ann Richards in this one-woman show at Lincoln Center.  The show offers a very personal look into the life of the wise-cracking Richards and her trials and tribulations as both a high-power politician and family woman. Closes Sunday June 30.  Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 West 65th Street, Manhattanwww.TheAnnRichardsPlay.com.

Lucky Guy – Although Tom Hanks didn’t win a Tony award for this show by the late (and great) Nora Ephron, his Broadway-debut performance is still up there with some of the greats.  If you love New York history, and especially the sagas of New York tabloid journalism, this show is for you.  The rest of the cast, including the wonderful Maura Tierney (Maddie on The Good Wife) and Tony Award-winner Courtney B. Vance, is terrific, too. Directed by George C. Wolfe.  Closes Wednesday July 3.  Broadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44th Street, Manhattan. www.luckyguyplay.com .



Silence! The Musical – Not the faint of stomach, this parody of Silence of the Lambs, made a successful transition from off-off-Broadway to off-Broadway with its hilarious depiction of Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling (the impression is dead on) , and, especially, the lambs themselves. Closes Sunday July 7.  Elektra Theatre, 669 Eighth Ave., Manhattan. www.silencethemusicalnyc.com.

Others not to miss (but difficult to get tickets) are:

Pippin – Tony winner for Best Revival of a Musical, the magically recast Pippin is a glorious evening of circus, music, theatrics, and Bob Fosse dance.  Tony Award winners Patina Miller and Andrea Martin are breathtaking as are the entire cast of players.  Music Box Theater, 239 West 45th Street, Manhattanwww.PippinTheMusical.com.

Kinky Boots – Tony award winner for Best Musical, this is another show that’s having a nearly sold-out run.  Without ruining the story, suffice it to say that kinky boots are the salvation for a shoe manufacturing company down on its luck.  Billy Porter, Tony award winner, is memorable.  Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 West 45th Street, Manhattanwww.KinkyBootsTheMusical.com

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