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Mostly Cloudy Something for everyone; theater tonight!
Book right now for Broadway’s “It’s Only a Play,” “You Can’t Take It With You” and the exquisite — in every dimension — “The Curious incident of the Dog In The Night-Time.” The latter, based on Mark Haddon’s electric best-selling novel, brings us the haunting, life affirming tale (with young newcomer Alex Sharp’s name likely etched in for a nomination as Best Actor for next year’s Tonys!) of Christopher Boone, a brilliant, idealistic and sensitive autistic youth trapped in a world whose rules and realities seem to defy reason. With a dazzling electric grid set that draws us into and separates us from his advanced thinking, and compelling supporting performances there’s no doubt why the play swept London’s Olivier Awards — and will take your breath away.
Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize winning “Disgraced” comes to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre from last season’s successful premiere at Lincoln Center — with its theme ethnic beliefs, prejudicer and intolerance that are seemingly recurring news stories. The revivals of a “reimagined” “ Side Show” and “The Elephant Man” (starring Bradley Cooper) are already prime ticket sellers (the latter here for only a 14-week run). For now, the toughest ducat, playing for 12 weeks only seems to be “The River,” a new play by Jez Butterworth (a name that brings visions of “gripping” to mind) beginning previews on Oct. 31, with that ‘vision unto himself’ — Hugh Jackman — in the title role.
’Stalking the Bogeyman’
Audacious, provocative, emotionally haunting are only a few of the descriptive adjectives that turn up in Off and Off-off-Broadway reviews. The current must-see productions cover all the above.
Currently challenging one’s sensibilities and perhaps one day Broadway-bound is a raw, riveting, potently moving play based (by director-adapter Markus Potter) on an article journalist David Holthouse published in 2004 and later adapted for the radio program “This American Life.”
Set in Anchorage, Phoenix and Denver from 1978 to 2004. Roderick Hill is brilliant as the damaged youth whose parents, having moved to Anchorage, were befriended by a lovely couple (here called the Crawfords), played by Kate Levy and John Herrera. It was the Crawford’s son, then a 17-year-old jock (brilliant turn by Eric Heger) who scarred David’s life forever — with his shame (he never went to his parents) finally overcome by his adult resolve to hunt down his attacker, and kill him.
When David belatedly shares his burden with his parents, their call to the Bogeyman’s parents, made by mother Nancy, will shatter your heart. And with no time to recover from that chilling encounter, David’s pursuit of his nemesis brings “Chasing the Bogeyman” to it’s even more haunting resolution without revealing the play’s final scenes, as now grown Mr. Hill confronts his rapist, that catharsis is as moving as any experience you will have at theater.
In an era where sexual violations against youths are in ever-more public scrutiny, “Stalking the Bogeyman” is finally, a mind-opening challenge that “attention must be paid.” The subject is tough. The reward is your heightened awareness every time you hear of abuse of our youth. A must, must see. 340 W. 50th St., Telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200 or stalkingthebogeyman.com.
Don’t say ‘It’s Only a Play’ just go!
When I giggled through the glow of “It’s Only A Play” the evening after it opened, the audience was obviously packed with seasoned theatergoers. All of whom, including this critic, seemed to be delighted with the countless “in jokes” and references in Terence McNally’s play.
With a dream cast comprised of Nathan lane, Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing, Megan Mullalley, F. Murray Abraham, Rupert Grint and newcomer Micah Stock — a sensation in his Broadway debut — there’s no doubt your pleasure will be multiplied by your familiarity with McNally zinging putdowns of show-biz in general and in it’s particulars. These include nods to the producers who make it all happen (think Scott Rudin and Daryll Roth — not among the many producers of “It’s Only A Play!), the favorite watering spas of the theater community (“If they can’t get us into Orso —make it Joe Allen’s”) — and so on into this deliciously hilarious romp of a show. But even if you can’t tell Sardi’s from the above — there is a difference!) there’s a full banquet of spoofing tidbits to be enjoyed at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. With bravos to director Jack O’Brien it may be “Only a Play”— but one that will send you up the aisles in the euphoria that comes from delicious-tasty if not always reverent humor. Who could ask for anything more? (Telecharge.com, 212-239-6200.)
