FUNERAL OF LAUGHTER

Even if you have already attended church on Sunday, head over to St. Luke’s Theatre for a convivial and gay Italian funeral.   In fact, the title of the show is “My Big Gay Italian Funeral”.   Keep in mind that although the word “gay” connotes “male homosexual” the word is also defined as “cheerful” and “hilarious”.   In this case, this off-Broadway hit encompasses both definitions.

Anthony Wilkinson is the star as well as the playwright of a stereotyped Italian funeral having already done the same with My Big Gay Italian Wedding.   Whereas the wedding focuses on a same sex Italian wedding, this one focuses on the death of the patriarch Joseph Pinnunsiato.  

The play opens to this Staten Island located funeral parlor and funeral director, Maurizio Grande (Brett Douglas).  Chairs facing the down stage coffin with a place to kneel .   This is for the first viewing and various people will be popping in. 

It is best that I give a list of characters.  Angela Pinnunziato (Donna Castellano) is John’s wife.  There are three children, Anthony (Wilkinson), Peter (Brain Patrick Murphy), and Maria (Marissa Perry).   Anthony, who is older than Peter, are both gay.  Peter will be bringing his lover, Dominick Vitale (Mustafa Gatollari), who was formerly with Anthony.   This will be a focus on a ten year upset between the brothers.

Maria is single and seeing Rabbi Howie Horowitz.  I know… this is already sparking your laughter.  Not going to reveal more than this.

Then there is Aunt Toniann Naso, sister to Joseph, (Debra Toscano) and the one character that helps create the hilarity at the funeral (for us), Ondine Ozzupacci (Beth Dzuricky).   She is not related to anyone.  She is a member of the Tuesday Ladies Coffee Clutch.  Joseph owned a bowling alley and she had been bowling there for 25 years.   She will not only seem to grieve the most but make phones calls to whoever is in Angela’s cell phone list.  OY!  Oh yes, nobody knows who she is. 

A second scene will take place at a gay club in Brooklyn, ten years ago.  This gives us the opportunity to see bits of a drag show and meet Connie Scuccifuffio (Meagan Robar) and her lover, Lucia Fuccio (Liz Geracitano) who although not present lovers have remained friends of Anthony.

Kudos for Anthony Wilkinson the author and Sonia Blangiardo for directing this talented cast. 

Being Italian or knowing enough about Italians will most likely get you guffawing more.   Even if you’re not in this category, you “get it”.   The gay aspect of the script will sell itself.   

Bring tissues for both tears of laughter and the part that will bring other emotions.

ALL IN THE TIMING AT PRIMARY STAGES

It was as if I were at an improvisational theatre at Primary Stages. This particular stage presented a 20^th Anniversary revival of playwright David Ives’ All In The Timing.  The set has a backdrop of some clocks, one of which is working (but not the correct time).  There are six doors, three on the right and three on the left.  A coffee mug and flower in a vase sits on top of a café table with two chairs. Betty (Liv Rooth) sits there reading a book.  Bill (Carson Elrod) enters. It’s a rainy night. Bill asks Betty if the seat is taken. She answers and you hear a bell.  Bill asks if the seat is taken and Betty gives another answer.  The scene continues this way as with just about each answer, you hear a bell and the dialogue changes.  It’s as if an improv, but it’s not and does lead to dialogue and a happy ending. This particular scene is called, “Sure Thing”.

All In The Timing is composed of six brain teasing sketches that run from amusing to hilarious, not all of which employ the “ring of the bell” schtik.

“Words, Words, Words” is the next sketch. There are three desks, each with a typewriter and each of the desks bares a name: Milton (Matthew Saldivar), Swift (Carson) and Kafka (Liv). They are monkeys in the lab of Columbia University.  There is a rubber tire hanging from a rope for them to play on. Premise? Three monkeys, left alone in a room, each with a typewriter will eventually produce Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”.  Great scene of when they pause and aware that they are being looked at, posed in the “hear no evil, etc.” and dialogue reflecting that.  Somewhat crude on the physical humor and does make a point in all of our lives.

In “The Universal Language,” a stuttering woman, Dawn (Jenn Harris), shows up in a classroom where a professor, Don (Carson) waits to teach the world his answer to Esperanto, a language called Unamundo.  We hear words such as “Velcro” for “welcome” and “How are you?” becoming, “Harvard U”.  Dawn’s motive for learning the language is that it doesn’t make her stutter. The words do wind up connecting the characters and after awhile the audience can even recognize Don’s language.  Be sure to notice the backdrop of words and you can most likely figure out what it says even before Don speaks.

Interpishon.  “Philip Glass Buys A Loaf of Bread begins the second half.  It’s another “ring the bell”.  There is a baker behind a glass case housing one loaf of bread.  Philip Glass (Carson) enters to ask for a loaf of bread.  There are two women in the room.  The scene changes with different dialogue and movements with rhythms in the background.  At one point an “Uderbaker” (Eric Clem) comes out from behind the backdrop.  The entire scene is quite funny but would have been much funnier had I known who composer Philip Glass was.

“The Philadelphia” follows taking place in the present at a restaurant in New York City.  Al (Matthew) is seated at a table relaxed and wearing sunglasses.  Mark (Carson) enters in a bit of a frenzy.  It appears that no matter what Mark asks for he is given the opposite.  Al tells him that he is trapped in “Philadelphia”. Al gets word that his is fired from his job and doesn’t seem to care as he is in the state of “California”. He’s not even moved by his wife leaving him. At the end, we find that the waitress (Jenn) is in the state of “Cleveland”.  The sketch is hilarious.

The concluding play, “Variation On The Death of Trotsky” (Saldivar) reflects on the last day of his life, assisted by his wife (Liv) and his assassin, Ramon (Eric Clem). Trotsky is seated with an ax sticking out of his head.  His wife is reading out loud about the assassin and the ax.  Another “ring the bell”. Mr. Ives places his exiled Russian, in a time warp in which destiny is played in a loop while the bell rings as he dies every day.
Each of the actors is certainly on key when it comes to the timing but would not have gotten off the ground if it weren’t for Director John Rando’s talent.  Primary Stages is located at 59E59 Theaters. The play has been extended until April 14^th.  www.primarystages.org

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F#@KING UP EVERYTHING

New York: - Bowing to public pressure over the use of the word “f#@king” in its title, the producer of the hit rock musical comedy F#@KING UP EVERYTHING, which last week announced plans for its off-Broadway debut in March at the Elektra Theatre, announced today that the name of the show has been changed. It will now be known as F#%KING UP EVERYTHING.

Producer Jeremy Handelman said “We've agonized over this issue since the show first took the stage over three years ago to great acclaim at the NY Musical Theatre Festival. But I believe in change, and this opens up a whole new window of opportunity for the marketing of our show.” Asked whether other titles were considered, Handelman replied, “Absolutely! For instance, we tried switching the order of the “#” and the “@” symbols in focus group testing but that just confused people. One title that did test well was MY FAIR LADY but our intern informed us that unfortunately that title had already been used.”

Economics played a role in the game-changing name change. “Statistical research proves that shows with “%” in their title sell 47% more tickets than shows with “@” in their title,” said Handelman. But it's not just a crass commercial decision. David Eric Davis, who wrote the music and lyrics added, "It brings an entirely new dimension to the world of our show that [co-book writer] Sam Forman and I are excited to develop further."

Director Jen Wineman admitted that the original title was one reason she was drawn to the show: “This completely changes my concept for the production. My agent is looking into whether it constitutes a breach of contract.”

Asked for a reaction, Stephen Sondheim exclaimed, "Why didn't I think of that!" A different view came from rock legend Iggy Pop who said, "What's the big f#@king deal, or should I say big f#%king deal, it's still the same f#@king show." Handelman declined to comment in response to Mr. Pop's statement.

F#%KING UP EVERYTHING begins its off-Broadway debut at the Elektra Theatre (669 8th Ave; between 42^nd  & 43^rd  streets) on March 15 and will open on March 24, with tickets currently on sale through May 18, 2013. Tickets are $25-$79 (preview tickets are $25-$30) and can be purchased by calling 866-811-4111 or visiting www.fuckingupeverything.com. Music and lyrics by David Eric Davis, book by Sam Forman and David Eric Davis, directed and choreographed by Jen Wineman with orchestrations and music direction by Matt Hinkley.

Creative team includes: Deb O (Set Designer), Melissa Trn (Costume Designer), Joel E. Silver (Lighting Designer), Daryl Eisenberg, CSA (Casting Director), Jeremy Handelman (Producer), Joseph Lavezzo (Associate Producer), CAP21 (Associate Producer) Lisa Dozier King (General Manager).

FOREVER DUSTY A DRAG

This just in! Forever Dusty will host a one-night-only Sing-A-Long performance on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 7:00 PM.  Audience members at this special performance will be invited to participate and sing along to Dusty’s greatest hits, including “Son of a Preacher Man,” “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” “I Only Want to Be With You,” along with other classics included in the show, like “Wishin’ and Hopin,” “Tell Him,” and many more. The evening will be co-hosted by comedian Seth Herzog (often seen on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) and Drag Diva Sherry Vine (Here TV’s “She’s Living For This”), and fans are encouraged to dress in their best Dusty blonde beehive wigs and 1960s garb. It was also announced today that a new block of tickets for the show is currently on sale through Sunday, April 7

WORKING WORKS WELL

How do take a 36 character cast of an Off-Broadway musical and work it so that six actors play all of the roles in a span of about 90 minutes?  Working is the name of the production that was first presented on Broadway in 1978 with stars that included Patti LuPone and Joe Mantegna.  It is now being presented in an Off (not sure if is Off-off) Broadway venue, 59E59 (Yes, it's located at 59 E. 59th Street), by the Prospect Theatre Company and called "Working, A Musical".

Working, from the book by Studs Terkel, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso (with additional contributions by Gordon Greenberg (who directed this production) included songs by Craig Carnella, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers & Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz and James Taylor. It's all about finding significance in your jobs.

As the audience enters, we see actors preparing, stage crew setting up the stage, and the stage manager doing a pre-show check.  Half lights and the Stage Manager is cuing lights and some videos. Some are projections and we can see three old tape recorders playing at different points. One is of Chicago radio broadcaster Studs Terkel, who published a best selling compilation of interviews that involved a cross section of Americans talking about their jobs.  The entire company sings, "All The Livelong Day".

Let me first give you the cast:  Marie-France Arcilla, Joe Cassidy, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nehal Joshi and Kenita R. Miller.  Now, I'll give you the cast of characters in order of appearance along with the numbers.

Mike Dillard, ironworker (Joe). Rex Winship, hedge fund manager (Joe). Amanda McKenny, project manager (Kenita). Freddy Rodriguez, fast food worker (Nehal) as he and the ensemble sing, Delivery.

Rose Hoffman, school teacher (Donna). She sing "Nobody Tells Me How". Terry Mason, flight attendant (Marie). Frank Decker, interstate trucker (Jay). He and the ensemble sing, "Brother Trucker".

Raj Chadha, tech support (Nehal). Sharon Atkins, receptionist (Marie). Kate Rushton, housewife (Kenita). She sings, "Just A Housewife".

Conrad Sweibel, UPS delivery man (Jay). Roberta Victor, prostitute (Kenita). Candy Cottingham, fundraiser (Donna). Grace Clements, millworker (Marie). She and the ensemble sing, "Millwork".

The entire cast will sing, "If I Could've Been".  Allen Epstein, community organizer (Nehal). Anthony Coelho, stone mason (Nehal). He sings, "The Mason". Eddie Jaffe, publicist (Joe). Delores Dante, waitress (Donna). She sings, "It's An Art".

Joe Zutty, retiree (Joe). He sings, "Joe". Tom Patrick, fireman (Jay). Utkarsh Trajillo, elder care worker (Nehal).  Theresa Liu , nanny (Marie).  Utkarsh and Theresa sing, "A Very Good Day".

Maggie Holmes, cleaning lady (Kenita). She and ensemble sing "Cleanin' Women". Ralph Werner, student (Jay). Charlie Blossom, ex-newsroom assistant (Nehal). Mike Dillard, ironworker (Joe) returns and sings "Fathers and Sons" along with an ensemble.

The last number is called "Something To Point To", sung by the company.   It is all about those that work who do not get the recognition but can point to a building, bridge, road or something that they can recall having even a tiny piece of the action involving the job that they do. "The lumber was cut, decisions were made, the office is run, the coffee is sold, etc.".

Working, A Musical will have it's run at this venue until December 30th.  The running time is 90 minutes with no intermission, now renamed, "inter-pish-ion" by Mark Lord and myself.  For those who are not privy to the Yidish word, "pish", it means "pee".  Any intermission is an interpishion.

My critique. Most times a cast member would go off stage and return in a different outfit for the different character.   There were many times that two members of the backstage crew would come onto the stage and redress the actor to change to another character without a change of lighting. Clever!

Favorite number was "It's An Art", due to both the humor, singing and presentation.  Kudos to Donna who got it.  Good voices.  All in harmony and professional.  However, there wasn't any particular performer that I would go out of my way to hear at a nightclub.  Talented cast.  All on cue. Good choreography by Josh Rhodes.  Band was hidden above the "cubicles". 

Here is Mark Lord's critique of the show.  
"All of the songs in the show are holdovers from Broadway, with two new additions by Lin-Manuel Miranda,
of "In the Heights" fame. A few of the original numbers have been cut. Several lines have been added, too,
bringing the show a more up-to-date feel and lending it greater relevance.

Here, a cast of six talented and versatile performers takes on over two dozen roles. This means a lot of very quick costume changes, several of which are cleverly done in view of the audience. The wardrobe assistants pitch in with panache."

The choreography is simple but effective. Scene changes are interwoven seamlessly. Use of multi media
recordings and projections enhances the show's effectiveness. The show runs 95 minutes without intermission and flies by. In today's economy, it takes on extra poignancy."

For a complete schedule of upcoming shows go to www.59e59.org   

BARE, THE MUSICAL SHOULD BE "BROADWAY"

When I heard the description of the Off-Broadway production of Bare, I trumped up images of Broadway’s Spring Awakening with a gay plot.  As I scrambled through the actors’ bios, it did not surprise me to learn that there were at least four who were either in the Broadway version or touring.  That’s not bad since I happened to have loved Spring Awakening (saw it three times).

Curtain opens…oh, that’s right…there is no curtain.  The set has back and side fixtures of dozens of photos.  I couldn’t get close enough to see, but I think that they were photos of the students that were probably taken via a cell phone or such. 

Peter, (Taylor Trensch) a 16-year-old and sort of nerdy looking boy is upstage.  We are in the hallways of St. Cecilia’s Church. There is a large photo behind him stretched across the top of half the stage, that of high school students in the cast.  “I was asked to say a few words. I thought I should begin by telling you who I am. You know how, when you see a group picture, you try to find yourself in it? I never do that. I’m always surprised I’m there. I have a photographic memory. Another thing you probably didn’t know about me.  So I remember all of it. Every moment. It started on President’s Day. Well no, to be completely accurate, it started on Ash Wednesday. It began with a photograph”.   Time is then wound to earlier in the year.  Flashback.

Most of the cast enters to opening song taken place at Church, Fr. Mike (Jerold E. Solomon) at the pulpit.  Cast continues with “Million Miles From Heaven”.   Blackout. Lights go up to see Peter and Jason (Jason Hite) lying together in bed at Jason’s lake house.  Jason is a “jock”.   They are discussing Jason’s audition to play Romeo in the school play as well as a signal for them to be alone, “Can I borrow your math book?”

Let me get in some of the characters before I continue.  We have Ivy (Elizabeth Judd), the slut…we’ll at least rumor has it from the school she had gotten transferred from…then there is Jason’s sister, Nadia (Barrett Wilbert Weed) and Madison (Sara Kapner) who believes the rumors.  Needless to say, Jason gets the part of Romeo and is playing opposite Ivy.   Matt (Gerard Canonico), who also auditioned for the part of Romeo, is in love with Ivy and now Jason, who doesn’t want to come out will need to prove himself of being “normal” by making it with Ivy.  Get the picture?

Sister Joan (Missi Pyle), who was also transferred from another school, is hip to it all and just wants the students to lead a happy life.  She is directing the play and believes that roles can be played by either gender, since there were only male actors back in the days of Shakespeare.  Her father was a dj and mother a singer.  Pyle gets to show off her voice and style in a most of the cast number called, “Don’t Tie Up The Request Line” which turns into a lounge act, her being “Mary”.

  

Some more to point out….Diane (Alice Lee) who is a bit naïve with some of the funniest lines, Zack (Casey Garvin), the challenging “jock” and Alan (Alex Wyse) a Jewish boy who transferred due to it being “the best school in the area”.  He’s best lines were, “I’m not allowed to date girls who aren’t Jewish. Can’t choose you unless you’re Chosen. Sorry ladies. Choosy Jews choose Chosen Chicks.”

Enough of the plot as I don’t want to give away the rest.  It’s time to congratulate those talented people who were responsible for Bare starting with the music.  Damon Intrabartolo wrote the music and Jon Hartmere (who also wrote the book), composed this contemporary rock musical worthy of buying a CD. I’ve heard that one is not yet available. So sad.   Stafford Arima directed this need to go to Broadway winner.  Travis Wall gave us the choreography.  Thank you Travis.  

I have to say that the entire cast came together to pull off what I feel was the best musical for this season, especially since I love comedy as well.   Okay, they threw in a token "Jew" but for comedy. The “baring one’s soul” plot came across with little clichés, plenty of comedy, as well as the important drama, great music, and a cast if harmonious voices.   My only disappointment is that Bare is “Off-Broadway” and deserved an upgrade.   I give Bare two thumbs up and a big toe!  Don’t miss it!  

See it at the New World Stages, 340 W. 50^th Street (there are five stages at this venue).