Broadway Barrage came early this year, perhaps as a normal reaction for missing one whole season during pandemic year. After a back-to-back season just last fall, we come back to Broadway after less than half a year to continue the tradition. All of the six shows have been awesome, though, and I feel as though this season has been worth it overall. I believe this is one of the few seasons in which all of the shows got five clovers from me. And yet, I still felt like I wanted more!
I rarely enjoy straight plays because of my short attention span, but the comedic timing in Plaza Suite is gold. Arguing whether Parker and Broderick have chemistry is moot given their status as a real-life couple. What you get to appreciate here is how they, as co-actors, give one another enough leeway to shine. Nobody is hogging the spotlight, what you see instead is a generous give-and-take between two seasoned actors. It’s a partnership after all, and their rapport makes this narrative work.
I got my tickets during the pre-pandemic reopening period for $160, which is considerable cheaper than the normal cost north of $400. I have always known that Hamilton exists and is widely popular, but always avoided it because of the prohibitive admission ticket which could buy me four to five different shows. In all honesty, I had no idea how the musical was going to be. And so, when the first act began and the actors started rapping, I was well beyond amused. Damn, there are plenty of worthy additions here to one’s Broadway showtunes repertoire!
I did not know that this was a 9/11 narrative, so I was surprised when I found out a few days prior to seeing the show. I mean, it’s a musical. How can you make a musical out of such a tragic event? Performed without intermissions, Come from Away is a heartwarming tale of solidarity in the midst of tragedy, that human trait we all share but tend to overlook in our daily lives. Punctuated with witty one liners and a dash of Canadian humor, you are bound to enjoy this feel good modern musical theater classic.
The last and only play I’ve seen with full nudity was Equus. Take Me Out has three nude scenes. Two are long and harmless post-baseball game locker and shower scenes with lots of dialogue as if the actors’ manhood were not in full display for everyone to see, because that’s totally normal in the sports world. I mean the post-game locker room nudity, not the theater voyeurism. The third and final scene is a trigger warning pivotal to plot development which can be quite disturbing if you’ve experienced something similar in real life. If you are not comfortable seeing guys onstage in all their naked glory, this show is not for you.
Another day another play featuring a TV star in the lead role. Since sometimes these plays tend to be mere vehicles for film and TV actors to test the waters in a Broadway crossover, my expectations were low, even more so because Parker’s Plaza Suite has been wildly entertaining in comparison. Well, Birthday Candles is simple and poignant, an ode or tribute, depending on your perception, to life and its mysteries as well as that endless quest for one’s purpose. The simplicity of the presentation jives, weirdly, well with the profound musings both expressed and subtly hinted upon by the dialogues.
Aside from that, come on, how do you INTENTIONALLY make everything go wrong without risking something going wrong for real? I mean, the mispronounced words and the forgotten lines all depend on the brilliance of your actors to make it not so obvious that they are just acting, but those falling walls and props! It takes great skill to choreograph those “accidents” without ending up causing a real accident. I can only imagine the amount of practice and coordination that it takes between cast and crew to make sure that The Play That Goes Wrong goes wrong according to plan without anything actually going wrong.
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