I don't know whether it's quite right to call something tragic relief, but the scope of humor peppered with the moments of heartbreak is unique, and it works. Its balance of the snarky and the serious, the funny and the sad, the beauty and the beast of living, is spot on. Whether some of that can be traced to nostalgia for growing up in New Jersey in the '90s is up for debate, but what isn't is the soul of this show. Still, loving to see shows as they go through their final processes in previews, I won lotto seats and settled in.Īnd they sold me from the very start. IK: I first saw pieces of "Kimberly Akimbo" onstage at Broadwa圜on, and although intrigued, wasn't feeling anything particularly strong about it, good or bad. Based on the classic film, "Some Like It Hot" is a big musical with a big cast and big numbers.Īs much as I loved "Kimberly," "Some Like It Hot" was a joy from start to finish. Full of comedy and great performances, it's about a bright and funny teen who because of a rare disease looks like a 72-year-old woman. But it comes down to the very Jersey "Kimberly Akimbo" and "Some Like It Hot." The former is an entertaining little show that takes place in Bergen County in 1999. "Some Like It Hot," Matthew López and Amber RuffinīC: Let me start by saying there are good things about all of these shows.Martyna Majok’s play is about the complexity of caring and being cared for, and the ways we all need each other. But featuring a first-rate cast, "Cost of Living" was a remarkable, funny, dramatic and memorable production. It's about family, it's about hatred, it's about survival - and its marvelous cast, from the youngest up, bring it to life in ways that seem to transcend the stage.īILL CANACCI: I agree with just about everything you said. Rather than tell a Holocaust story, it tells the Holocaust story, with entry points for so many families' stories that ring true to history. That said, "Leopoldstadt" and its incredible amount of emotional depth is truly special. On themes ranging from antisemitism and racism to the rights and dignities of marginalized communities, these were all pieces audiences walked out of with a heaviness, leaving with the weight of questions, challenges, determination, anger or a thirst to learn more. Whether striking a nerve with a ripped-from-the-headlines feel or a global theme that manages to strike right into the heart of current sentiment, every one of these plays packed that urgent punch. ILANA KELLER: One of the marks of a great play is to feel relevant - especially when audiences walk out of the theater going "wait, WHEN was this written?"
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |