Reviews: Swept Away; Elf the Musical

Wayne Duvall, John Gallagher, Jr., Stark Sands
and Adrain Blake Enscoe in
Swept Away.
Credit: Emilio Madrid

The temptation to come up with disastrous voyage metaphors when evaluating Swept Away, the new musical at the Longacre after runs at Berkeley Rep and Arena Stage, is great. The folk-rock tuner employing the music of The Avett Brothers mainly from their album Mignonette, even at an relatively short, intermissionless 90 minutes, is a difficult slog. The cast is passionate and director Michael Mayer does his best to enliven the static story, largely with the aide of Rachel Hauck’s impressively gargantuan set and Kevin Adams’ thrill-ride lighting, but John Logan’s book fails to develop beyond melodramatic malarkey about redemption and brotherly love and the show sinks without a trace.

The premise isn’t exactly promising. A patient in a 19th century tuberculosis ward is haunted by three maritime ghosts (they sway in unison to suggest the pitching of a ship). They demand he tell their story to his fellow indigents (the audience) and his gruesome part in it. The rest of the show is a flashback to an ill-fated whaling sojourn which ends in shipwreck and tragedy. None of the four protagonists are given names and aren’t fully fleshed out beyond a few cliched traits. The Mate (John Gallagher, Jr.) is the patient of the prologue and we eventually learn he’s a scurvy sort. Big Brother (Stark Sands) is a pious goody-goody determined to bring his adventure-hungry Little Brother (Adrian Blake Enscoe) home to the farm, but gets caught on board. The Captain (Wayne Duvall) grumbles about serving on a broken-down vessel in a dying industry. 

In the first half of the show, not much happens expect the crew of 12 stomps around Hauck’s detailed shipboard, singing of hard work and loose women, performing David Neuman’s Carousel-inspired choreography. They’re all manly men, you see. About 40 minutes in, the ship is scuttled in a massive storm (cue the wind machine), Hauck’s set performs a miraculous transformation, and we are adrift with the four main characters in a lifeboat. The chorus have all drowned, but they return briefly as back-up for one number.

Stark Sands and Adrian Blake Enscoe
in Swept Away.
Credit: Emilio Madrid

It’s possible to create vital drama in such a confined space. Look at the film and stage versions of Life of Pi, or Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Lifeboat. But the admittedly infectious songs by the Avett Brothers tend to be repetitious. An emotional point is made and then repeated at length. (Weirdly, the songs are listed alphabetically in the Playbill rather than in order of being sung.) Similarly, Logan’s book states a theme and then just delivers it again without much development. Mayer tries his best to provide conflict and drama, but he can’t do much beyond revolving the lifeboat.

Gallagher provides a measure of dark spark as the tormented Mate. The highlight of the show is his catalogue of the character’s past grim occupations. While explaining his motivations for a particularly heinous act he’s contemplating committing in the lifeboat (no spoilers), the Mate lists his previous nefarious jobs from con man to overseer of slaves. Gallagher creates a haunting narrative with a few lines and fleshes out a character the author leaves incomplete. Sands and Enscoe have lovely voices and sweetly sell their solos and duets, but their sibling roles are skimpy. Duvall’s Captain is a similar cipher despite the actor’s efforts to fill in the blanks. Swept Away wants to be a dark voyage of the soul but is only a short cruise around Broadway.

Grey Henson and Sean Astin
in Elf the Musical.
Credit: Evan Zimmerman for
MuprhyMade

At the other end of the entertainment spectrum, the revival of Elf the Musical at the Marquis has no greater goal than to provide two and half hours of jolly Yuletide cheer and succeeds with “Sparklejollytwinklejingley” joy, to quote one of Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin’s clever songs. Based on the 2003 film comedy starring Will Farrell, this production staged by Philip Wm. McKinley is a stripped-down, speedy version of Casey Nicholaw’s original which played Broadway in 2010 and again in 2012. Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin’s sharp book remains a giddy delight, smart enough for both kids and adults. They’ve also eliminated some of the cringeworthy elements of David Berenbaum’s original screenplay such as an awkward shower scene with Farrell and Zooey Deschanel.

Grey Henson, who has previously had outstanding supporting roles in Mean Girls and Shucked, is perfectly cast as Buddy, a taller-than-average human raised as one of Santa’s diminutive helpers after stowing away in the jolly old man’s toy sack. The central joke here is Buddy acts like a naive child in an adult’s body once he treks to NYC to find his dad Walter Hobbs, a workaholic publishing exec (appropriately grumpy Michael Hayden). Henson skillfully conveys Buddy’s bubbly enthusiasm and innocent love of fun without tipping over into cloying overkill. He underplays Buddy’s cluelessness and avoids excess treacle. It’s entirely believable he can charm a pair of hardened Gotham cops or take over the decorating duties of cynical Macy’s employees. Henson also puts over his musical numbers with dash and splash.

Grey Henson, Kayla Davion and the cast
of Elf the Musical.
Credit: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Kayla Davion makes the most of her one number as Buddy’s cynical love interest. Sean Astin delights as a merry and warm-hearted Santa as well as imparting blustering brutality as Walter’s brutally market-minded boss. Jennifer Sanchez is vivid and edgy as Hobbs’ harried secretary with a harsh, hilarious Noo Yawk accent, adding volts of comic electricity to her every scene. Ashley Brown mixes starch and spice to Hobbs’ wife and Kai Edgar is energetic as his son, Buddy’s half-brother. 

Tim Goodchild’s sets augmented by Ian William Galloway and Mesmer Studio’s video designs create the right holiday atmosphere for this family favorite. Bring the kids and your inner child.

Swept Away: Opened Nov. 19 for an open run. Longacre Theater, 220 W. 48th St., NYC. Running time: 90 mins. with no intermission. telecharge.com.

Elf the Musical: Nov. 17—Jan. 4, 2025. Marquis Theater, 210 W. 46th St., NYC. Running time: two hours and 20 mins. including intermission. ticketmaster.com.

Review: A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical

James Monroe Iglehart in
A Wonderful World:
The Louis Armstrong Musical
Credit: Jeremy Daniel

What a wonderful show. A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical at Studio 54 after engagements and workshops in Miami, New Orleans, and Chicago, is an absorbing, dazzling musical focusing on the life of the titular beloved jazz icon. James Monroe Iglehart masterfully embodies the great Satchmo, precisely imitating his signature rumbling growl and conveying the enveloping warmth of his performance style as well as his roiling inner conflicts. 

The only complaint is Aurin Squire’s book tends to get repetitive and could lose about 20 minutes. The show’s basic structure is at fault. The action is divided into four sections, each devoted to one of Armstrong’s quartet of wives. We go through the brilliant trumpeter-singer-bandleader’s struggles with the white show-biz establishment and underworld figures of New Orleans, Chicago, Hollywood and New York, and the ups and downs of his marriages each time.  By wife number four, a sameness settles in. However, the diverting and exuberant musical numbers, made up of songs made famous by Armstrong and performed by a sparkling cast, rescue the proceedings from dullness. There are also stabs at social commentary with Armstrong burying and finally explosively expressing his anger at the brutal treatment of African-Americans.

James Monroe Iglehart and cast in
A Wonderful World:
The Louis Armstrong Musical
Credit: Jeremy Daniel

The staging is smooth and efficient, with the flexible set by Adam Koch and Steven Royal transitioning to multiple settings, but it’s difficult to know who to credit with the direction. Iglehart and Christina Sajour are listed as co-directors while Christopher Renshaw, who also conceived the show with Andrew Delaplaine, gets a sole credit as director. In addition, Rickey Tripp is the choreographer (snappy dances) and musical stager. World probably went through many phases during its out-of-town gestation period with a plethora of creative cooks. Fortunately the broth is not spoiled. Branford Marsalis (orchestrations and arrangement) and Daryl Waters (music supervision, vocal and incidental arrangements and additional orchestrations) do a magnificent job of recreating several decades’ worth of standards ranging from “Black and Blue” to “It Don’t Mean a Thing” to “Hello, Dolly!” which earned Armstrong his sole Gold Record and knocked the Beatles off the top of the charts. Toni-Leslie James designed the sumptuous and splashy costumes. 

James Monroe Iglehart and cast in
A Wonderful World: The Louis
Armstrong Musical
Credit: Jeremy Daniel

Iglehart commands the stage, but does not hog it. This is far from a one-man show. As Armstrong’s spouses, Dionne Figgins as razor-toting prostitute Daisy Parker, Jennie Harbey-Fleming as ambitious, no-nonsense Lil Hardin, Kim Exum as fun-loving and giddy Alpha Smith, and Darlesia Cearcy as starchy, determined Lucille Wilson all have individual moments to shine vocally and dramatically. Dewitt Fleming Jr. displays terrific tap skills as Lincoln Perry, aka the movie star Stephin Fetchit, who portrayed a stereotypical version of black servitude on screen and offers Armstrong advice on getting along in the racist cinema industry. Gavin Gregory is especially effecting as King Joe Oliver, Armstrong’s mentor, who falls from the top of the New Orleans jazz world to poverty-stricken obscurity. Jimmy Smagula is appropriately gruff and edgy as Armstrong’s manager. 

Despite some slackness in the book, Wonderful World delivers a wonderful two and a half hours, reconnects audiences with one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, and showcases a star-making central performance by Iglehart. Give this World a visit.

Opened Nov. 11 for an open run. Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., NYC. Running time: two hours and 20 mins. including intermission. criterionticketing.com

Reviews: Maybe Happy Ending, Drag: The Musical, The Big Gay Jamboree, We Live in Cairo

Helen J. Shen and Darren Criss in
Maybe Happy Ending.
Credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

The almost-human robot is a familiar protagonist in science fiction and social-commentary narratives. Karel Capek’s RUR, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun and Never Let Me Go, Ian McEwan’s Machines Like Me and Ray Bradbury’s The Electric Grandmother are just a few of the texts exploring the themes of artificial beings taking on human emotions and coping with obsolescence. The enchanting but hardly innovative new musical Maybe Happy Ending at the Belasco after runs in South Korea and Atlanta, features a similar plot. Set in a near future in Seoul, two robots, rejected by their owners for varying reasons, fall in love and find happiness. That’s it—the whole show is based on this gossamer-thin, cliched story arc. Luckily, Dane Laffrey and George Reeve’s ultramodern design, Michael Arden’s sleek direction, Will Aronson and Hue Park’s sweet and lilting score, and endearing cast elevate this simplistic sci-fi tale to an enchanting entertainment.

Oliver (a boyishly adorable Darren Criss) lives in a one-room apartment in “Helperbot Yards,” a sort of retirement home for robots. He has been waiting years for his owner to reclaim him. His world is changed when his neighbor Claire (delightfully sparkly and sharp Helen J. Shen), similarly discarded by her humans, requests to use his charger. After initial conflicts, the two take a road trip to find Oliver’s long-absent owner and for Claire to see the annual migration of nearly-extinct fireflies. Of course, the at-first combative pair connect romantically. Though the book by Aronson and Park lacks surprises, the sweetly simplistic story manages to pull our heartstrings. 

Criss gleefully captures Oliver’s Pinocchio-like innocence, channeling Brent Spiner’s Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man as a child-mechanical man. Shen plays a more advanced model bot, who is more aware of the harsh reality of how humans can easily discard their mechanical friends. She endows Claire with a quick wit and worldliness, perfectly complimenting Oliver’s goofy naivete, and also displays Claire’s hidden vulnerability. Dez Duron, a finalist on TV’s The Voice, lends smooth vocals to the proceedings as a bandleader idolized by the jazz-loving Oliver, offering commentary on the action with Aronson and Park’s creamy tributes to 1940s melodies. Marcus Choi is moving as Oliver’s former owner and his emotionally blighted son.

The futuristic sets by Laffrey and the amazing video design by Reeve (with additional video by Laffrey) create an expansive fantasy world where bots like Oliver and Claire are part of the electronic landscape and where memories and emotions can be altered at the press of a button. Maybe Happy Ending may be a bit like previous robot-fueled plays, movies and novels, but touches the heart and reminds us what it’s like to be human and in love.

Off-B'way Update: Streetcar, Threepenny, Macbeth in Stride at BAM

Patsy Ferran and Paul Mescal in
A Streetcar Named Desire in
London
Credit: Marc Brenner

Brooklyn Academy of Music will host an Olivier Award-winning revival of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning classic A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Oscar nominee Paul Mescal (Aftersun, All of Us Strangers, Gladiator II) as Stanley Kowlaski. Directed by Rebecca Frecknall (Cabaret), this Streetcar revival began life at London's Almeida Theater in 2022 and then transferred to the West End in 2023. There the show won Oliviers for Mescal and Anjana Vasan as Stella. Mescal, Vasan and Patsy Ferran as Blanche DuBois will repeat their London performances.

Streetcar will began performances in London at the Noel Coward Theatre Feb. 3-22, 2025 and then transfer to BAM starting Feb. 28 for a limited run until April 6. Streetcar has been presented on Broadway nine times and first opened in 1947 with Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter. 

Whitney White rehearsing for 
Macbeth in Stride.
Credit: Lauren Miller

BAM will also present a production of The Threepenny Opera from the Berliner Ensemble and Macbeth in Stride, Whitney White's reimagining of the Scottish play with Lady Macbeth as a powerful black woman. Both productions will begin in April. Macbeth in Stride is a co-production with Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, DC, Philadelphia Theater Company, and Yale Repertory Theater. 

B'way Update: Follow-Up on Scherzinger, LuPone, Lewis Controversies

Nicole Scherzinger in 
Sunset Blvd
Credit: Marc Brenner

Nicole Scherzinger has issued an apology in response to internet buzz that she is a Trump supporter and should be penalized by  boycotts of her show and denying her a Tony Award for Sunset Blvd. The brouhaha all started when Scherzinger responded with a like to an Instagram post of British comedian Russell Brand sporting a red hat with the slogan "Make Jesus First Again." (The font and style of the hat resembled Make America Great Again hats sported by MAGA Trump voters.) Scherzinger commented "Where can I get that hat?" The post was jumped on several Internet users as Scherzinger's Trump support and they went nuts, calling for her head. I wrote that the former Pussycat Doll can vote for whoever she wants. It should not effect her performance or her chances for a Tony. In responses to the furor, she issued the following statement on Instagram:

“I deeply apologise for the hurt caused by my recent engagement with some social media posts.

“When I commented on these posts, I made the mistake of not realising that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related and I apologise to anyone who understandably reached that conclusion.

“Many presumptions are being drawn, which do not reflect who I am, what I stand for, or who I voted for.

“Many of the marginalised communities feeling hurt and concerned by the results of the presidential election are people I care about most.

“I stand with them, as I always have, throughout my life and career.

“If you know me, you know that.

“Like so many others, in times of adversity and uncertainty, I turn to my faith.

“I believed that the posts I engaged with were about encouraging people to choose love and faith – ‘putting Jesus first’.

“For me Christ embodies peace, compassion, hope, and above all – unconditional love, especially for those who may feel it the least right now.

“I come from a place of love and I will always support values that bring us closer together. It’s so important we come together with compassion, and love one another more now than ever. Nicole.”

If all Scherzinger did was like a hat that resembled a MAGA Hat, she didn't do anything worthy of censure. Even if she liked something Trump did or said, she has a right to her opinion and to express it. Bur she didn't do that. The overly hysterical reaction to Scherzinger's brief comment demonstrates the over sensitivity of certain members of the Left and is an example of the kind of self-righteous, intolerant, overblown behavior that pushes people away from the Democratic Party and may be part of the reason Harris lost. (Ironically, Trump is also guilty of characterizing those who disagree with him as "the enemy.")

In related news, Kecia Lewis characterized Patti LuPone's describing Hell's Kitchen as "too loud" as a racist (if unintentional) microaggression. LuPone's show The Roommate and Lewis' show Hell's Kitchen share a wall. LuPone complained sound from Hell's Kitchen was bleeding into The Roommate during quiet moments. LuPone contacted the sound team at Hell's Kitchen and requested the sound levels be adjusted. It was also reported when a fan asked LuPone to autograph a Hell's Kitchen Playbill, the star responded, "I'm not signing Hell's Kitchen, they're too loud." The sound team did change the levels and LuPone sent flowers and a thank-you note to the sound team.

"In our industry, language holds power and shapes perception, often in ways that we may not immediately realize," said Lewis, who won a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in Hell's Kitchen, in her open letter to LuPone. "Referring to a predominantly Black Broadway show as 'loud' can unintentionally reinforce harmful stereotypes, and it also feels dismissive of the artistry and the voices that are being celebrated on stage." 

Lewis then called on LuPone to apologize. 

What should LuPone have done differently? Should she have done anything differently? 

B'way Update: Scherzinger, LuPone, Lewis Controversies

Nicole Scherzinger in
Sunset Blvd
Credit: Marc Brenner

The Internet is buzzing with outrage that Nicole Scherzinger, star of Sunset Blvd, has been "outed" as a Trump supporter, her show should be boycotted and she has lost her chances for a Tony. I disagree with this stance entirely. I hate, loathe and despise Donald Trump, but Scherzinger has a right to support whoever she wants and to state her views publicly without fear of reprisal. I am seeing Sunset Blvd next week and if she is as great as word of mouth has it, I intend to applaud her. If she gives the most outstanding musical performance this season, she has my vote for a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle. I'm not going to have lunch with her or try to be her friend, but that's beside the point. If we start penalizing artists for views we disagree with, then we are no better than Donald Trump or Joseph McCarthy. Jerome Robbins and Elia Kazan did some despicable things, i.e. naming names before the HUAC committee, but they are still great artists and should not be "cancelled." Vanessa Redgrave deserved her Oscar for Julia despite her unpopular pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel stance.

Kecia Lewis and Maleah Joi Moon in
Hell's Kitchen.
Credit: Marc J. Franklin

In other news, there is a mini-brouhaha going on between Patti LuPone of The Roommate and Kecia Lewis of Hell's Kitchen. The two shows occupy neighboring theaters, the Booth and the Shubert. LuPone complained the Alicia Keys musical was too loud and could be heard during quiet moments of LuPone's two-character non-musical. In a letter on her Instagram account, Lewis, Tony winner for Hell's Kitchen, countered that LuPone was committing a racially motivated "microaggression." LuPone has a right to voice her opinion about the sound level of her neighbor's show. I think Lewis went too far in calling it a microaggression and labelling LuPone's concern racist, but I'm not going to boycott all of Lewis' future performances because of her opinion which I disagreee with. 

Everyone needs to take it down a notch.

B'way Update: Fahrenheit 451; More Gilded Age Casting

Julie Christie and Oskar Werner in
Francois Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Ray Bradbury's 1953 science-fiction classic Fahrenheit 451 will be adapted for the Broadway stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok (Cost of Living). Bradbury's dystopian novel is set in a near future where firemen set books to blaze rather than rescuing people from flames. There have been two film versions of the novel. Francois Truffaut, in one of his rare English-language movies, adapted the work in 1966 with Oskar Werner, Julie Christie and Cyril Cusack. Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon starred in a 2018 TV version for HBO. This will be the first time a Bradbury work has been seen on Broadway. A program of three one-acts based on his short stories titled The World of Ray Bradbury played Off-Broadway in 1965.

Majok said, "The relevancy of mind domination and the end of the world in our current age needs no words; what struck me most in Fahrenheit 451 was its lens on our loneliness. How our yearning for connection and fear of its absence can be feasted upon. How we long to devote ourselves to something true and lasting in a fracturing society. And the ways we blow up our lives to unearth the truth we've buried – which will shatter us into our most honest selves. As Bradbury writes, 'We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in awhile.'"
 
“It is a privilege and thrill to bring this seminal novel to the stage, with one of our most visceral and acclaimed living writers,” said the producers in a statement. “Mr. Bradbury’s and Ms. Majok’s works both stem from the deeply human and personal, and we’re excited by the significance of this collaboration.”
 
The Bradbury Estate commented that, “We are delighted to bring Fahrenheit 451 to a new audience, with the impact and intimacy that only theater can offer, to be working with producers who care so deeply for the work and with Martyna Majok, a truly great dramatist of enormous intelligence, sensitivity and skill.”

Book Review: Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor

(Bought at Barnes and Noble. Full price. The perfect  big, fat, juicy, movie-star book to read on my ten day cruise of the Mediterranean.) When Roger Lewis says his book contains everything about Taylor and Burton, he means it. We get considerations of how their film roles paralleled their real lives including some really obscure films (such as The Flintstones for Taylor and several early English works for Burton), itemized lists of the personal effects left by their separate estates with the auction prices, a rundown of the TV-movies based on their lives and Benny Hill's parody of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, wherein the British comic played both stars. 

Weighing in at 600 densely-packed pages, Lewis assesses the notorious couple's impact on pop culture and public morals, their bacchanalian extravagant lifestyle, and their movie legacy. He often goes off on tangents, offering pages of details on figures whose paths the Burtons crossed: Andy Warhol, Sophia Loren, even Sylvia Plath. His analysis is pithy and sharp, ever sympathetic to his subjects and harsh to their critics. He sees them as emblems of an era, their explosive union tragic. They did love each other, but their temperaments did not allow them to stay together. A normal, settled marriage where you make compromises in order to live with each other was not for them. Taylor turned out to be the stronger of the two, her career and life continued while Burton spun out of control, succumbing to booze and hard living at 58.

This is far from a conventional movie-star biography. Lewis does not strictly follow chronological order in charting Burton and Taylor's meteoric rise and world-famous romance. He does separate the book into five sections, like the acts of a Shakespearean play: each of the subjects' lives before they met; the chaotic production of Cleopatra where they collided (featuring a day-by-day breakdown of the entire shooting schedule), their explosive two marriages; and their lives after their second and final divorce. 

Lewis inserts himself and his prejudices into his narrative. We learn of his prolonged illness (making him sympathetic to Taylor's many health issues). There is more than a hint of homophobia here as Lewis makes unnecessary, unfunny gags about Taylor's many gay friends (her favorite hairdresser and confidante is labelled "nelly"; Dirk Bogarde is described as a repressed homosexual as opposed to the fiercely straight Burton; Cecil Beaton is supposedly afraid of Taylor's breasts and that's why he didn't want to photograph her). 

Despite its flaws, Erotic Vagrancy (named for the Pope's description of the Burtons' adulterous behavior on the Cleopatra set), is a huge banquet of movie gossip and social commentary. Not all the courses are nutritious, but they are wickedly delicious.

Pre-Election Day Outlook: Cautiously Optimistic

It's the day before the 2024 Presidential election and I am mildly hopeful about Harris winning and Trump losing. The polls all indicate a 50-50 race with a few trends such as Iowa favoring Harris slightly. Given Trumpy's criminal convictions, atrocious record on abortion rights and tarriffs, siding with dictators and wanting to be one, cognitive issues and being as old as dirt, I'm astonished that it's still this close. But I think she will win due to recent statements and actions in the past few days which will push the few remaining undecided voters into her camp. Speaker of the House Johnson has said they will get rid of Obamacare and the CHIPs Act if the GOP retains the House. Elon Musk has stated Trump has promised him a top position, managing government budget cuts which will result in crashing the economy. Musk has openly stated there will be a down turn in the economy, but that's OK. It's only short term and everything will work out in the end. Certifiable loon RFK Jr. claims he'll be a Health Czar and you know what that means: no more vaccines or fluoridated water. Didn't Sterling Hayden warn about that in Dr. Strangelove? 

In the past week, I've had run-ins with pro-Trumpers which froze my blood a bit. Last weekend, I unwisely engaged with a vendor here in Jackson Heights. He was an older white guy selling crap outside the supermarket. A young passer-by asked him if he wanted to buy a Harris T-shirt. I know I should have stayed out of it, but I joined in the conversation and the vendor proceeded to go off on racist rant about Trump saving the country from invading hordes of immigrants. I tried to be reasonable, citing statistics that crime was down and that communities benefitted from new people, but there was no way this guy was going to listen to logic or even a differing opinion. He denounced me as a traitor to my race and cited the fact that in 1920, Queens was 90 percent white and now it was only 52 percent or something. Therefore, the white race was being eliminated. "Wow," I said, "You're going to say that in Jackson Heights? You're going to openly admit you're a racist in this diverse neighborhood?" This guy wanted to sell his junk to people he despised and feared? I realized I never should have said anything and backed away.

A few days later, I overheard a similar confrontation and this time I kept my big fat Democratic mouth shut. I was sitting in Herald Square at the public tables and, at the table next to me, two co-workers, one white, one Hispanic, were disagreeing about the race. The white guy was playing the inflation card, saying gas was $4 a gallon (I pay $3.19), prices were all outrageous and Puerto Rico did have a garbage problem, so what's the big deal? The Hispanic guy was just smiling and shaking his head. I wanted to tell the white guy it's a good thing he lives in NY and therefore his vote doesn't count because of the electoral college. But I didn't. 

I don't know if I'll watch the election returns. The tension might destroy me. So maybe an old movie instead.

Cruise to Mediterranean Pt. 4: Naples, Rome (briefly)

Traffic in Naples

Day 9: Naples
Our final port was Naples where we had last been in 2016. On this last trip, we loved the crowded, messy city and took a train to Pompei to examine the ruins left by the eruption of Vesuvius. This time we strolled through the Archeological Museum and then had lunch at Trattoria Del Fernandino restaurant recommended by friends. I had prosciutto and mozzarella salad followed by sea bass. We took a cab from the museum to the restaurant and the traffic was terrible. The cab driver complained about the constant congestion of his city. The lunch was very good. We took a long walk back to the ship and relaxed. Our final night on board consisted of packing, a last round of Team Trivia (and winning a visor), having drinks with the friends we made and eating dinner in the Broad Dining Room. 

Day 10: Disembark in Rome

We got right off the ship and boarded a bus to the Rome airport, an hour outside the city. (We had been to Rome recently, so we decided to just go home rather than linger another few more expensive days.) The flight back was calm and I caught up on more episodes of Elsbeth. Once back in the US, we had to take a cab to Long Island where we had left our car with relatives. That was a mistake. Way too expensive. Next time, we'll take an Uber or Lyft, but we didn't want to have to take a shuttle to the car service meeting area. Short-sighted on our part. 

It was a wonderful trip and Oceania is a great cruise line. Our package included four shore excursions, a drinks package including wine and/or champagne, and four specialty restaurants. Most lines nickel and dime you to death, but almost everything was included with Oceania. The ship wasn't too big so getting on and off at ports wasn't a hassle. No kids, probably because it was during school. So I would recommend Oceania.

At the archeological museum in
Naples

Cruise to Mediterranean, Pt. 3: Corfu, Katakolon, Olympia, Catania

Day 6: Korfu

Eating gelato in Korfu

We had no excursion today, so we took one of those hop-on, hop-off red tour buses at 11 am after a leisurely breakfast (When we had excursions, we'd have to wake up at 6:45 am and order breakfast from room service.) The bus was 22 Euros per person and we figured it would at least give us an overview of the island which is lovely and relaxed. Jerry wanted to go to the Archeological Museum, but after finally finding it near a bus stop at the obligatory old fort, we discovered the Museum was closed that day. Instead, we went shopping in the charming old city with winding, narrow streets like everywhere else we'd been. We had a light lunch and indulged in gelato--cookies and cream and cheese cake flavors combined. In addition to postcard and magnets, we bought belts and a wooden mixing spoon.

Day 7: Katakolon, Olympia
For our last excursion, we got a bus from the port of Katakolon and drove for about 30 mins. to the site of the ancient Olympic games. A lot of ruins. I guess the highlight was standing in the open stadium where the races were held thousands of years ago. We were rushed into the arched entrance by our guide, looked around--it just a wide open field--and then we had had to rush to get back to the bus. It was interesting to see the remains of the temples to Zeus and Hera and the spot where the Olympic torch is lit every four years. 

Helmets at the Archeological Museum
at Olympia 

On the way back to the bus, I squeezed in the site's archeological museum. I had to run through it in order to make it back to the bus on time. There were several fascinating exhibits including hundreds of little clay animals which the ancient Greeks made and placed in the ground in front of the temples as offerings to the gods instead of real animals. 

After the bus ride back to Katakolon, I wandered around the tiny seafront town before reboarding. I found a tiny beach where I dipped my toes in the cool water and got sand in my shoes. I had lunch at a waterfront cafe.

Day 8: Catania, Sicily

There was a huge Norwegian cruise liner parked next to our medium-sized Oceania ship in Catania with a water slide on one side descending several stories. That would be kinda scary. As in Korfu, we took a Hop-on, Hop-Off bus to get to know the city on the coast of Sicily. Unfortunately, we did not get a good view of Mt. Etna, the city's volcano which keeps turning up in crossword puzzles. The clouds obscured the mountain entirely. The narration on the bus did inform us that some believed the volcano was inhabited by the spirit of England's Queen Elizabeth I because she made a deal with the devil for her kingdom and it erupted not long after her death.

St. Agnes in Catania, Sicily

We got off the bus in Bellini Square, saw a statue of the composer with figures from his operas Norma, etc, an ancient ruin, and the church of St. Agnes who was martyred with hot coals. She is beloved of the city because they are constantly under threat of fiery destruction because of the volcano, just as she was.

Lunch was at a Chinese restuarant (not bad). The bathroom door said "Thinking Room." We strolled to Piazza Duomo which was quite lovely and took the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus back to the port. The tourist shops sold trinkets referencing The Godfather since the Corleones were from Sicily.

Cruise to the Mediterranean, Pt. 2: Kotor, Split, Bari, Otsuni

Day 3: Kotor, Montenegro

One of the many cats of
Kotor, Montenegro

I started the day on the outdoor deck of the buffet, sprawled in my chair like that photograph of Faye Dunaway the morning after she won the Oscar for Network (and it should have been Liv Ullman for Face to Face). I was so relaxed because today there would be no excursions, no agenda. I just took the tender into the port of Kotor, Montenegro with no particular plan. Like Dubrovnik, there was a walled fortification enclosing a quaint old town center. I wandered around, bought postcards and refrigerator magnets. There were cats everywhere. I was tempted to go into the Cat Museum for 1 Euro, but it looked cheap even at the ridiculously low admission price, plus the second floor was closed for renovations. It probably would have consisted of kitschy kitty art with felines assuming human activities like shopping or commuting to work. So I went into a church for free and made an Instagram reel with the photos, set to Madonna's Like a Prayer. (I recently discovered how to make reels with musical accompaniment.)

Dinner at Red Ginger was wonderful. I had salmon with scallop ceviche, lobster and avocado salad, and bay Scallop trio with lobster pad thai. Peach tea and fruit salad for dessert. The entertainment was decent with the ship's singers and dancers performing a pop music revue featuring the hits of artists of my generation like The Pointer Sisters, The Bee Gees, Cher, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion and Tina Turner. They ended with "River Deep, Mountain High."

Day 4: Split, Croatia

We learned from the on-board lecture that Split was famous as the site of the retirement palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, the only one to step down voluntarily. Most others were assassinated or died of natural causes. Diocletian reigned from 284-305 CE

Game of Thrones, Season 4,
filmed in Split, Croatia

and died in 311. He was considered a great ruler at the time with many public works to this credit, but because he mercilessly persecuted Christians and fed them to the lions in the coliseum, his reputation has stunk through the centuries and we hear very little about him today. Split is also famous as the filming location of several episodes of the HBO hit series Game of Thrones. I'd never watched a single episode, but we signed up for an excursion tour of a castle and the dungeons of Diocletian's palace where several scenes from GOT were filmed. The tour was titled Dungeons and Dragons or something catchy like that. Our guide gave us every detail about the episodes filmed at the castle called Klis. In Split where I later wandered around, there was a Games of Thrones shop and a museum. Now I will have to watch those segments so I can say, "I was there."

Day 5: Bari and Otsuni, Italy

Otsuni, the White Lady

From Bari, Italy, I took an excursion to a town called Otsuni in Brindisi. I had no idea what to expect, except that that brochure called the town "The White Lady." It was an hour's drive from the port and I thought, "I hope I didn't make a mistake." My fears were soon allayed when we walked from the bus to the town and I saw a gorgeous white-walled town with beautiful small squares, churches, and art galleries. Our guide walked us around the beautiful back streets into the town square with its statue devoted to St. Francis of Assisi. One interesting sight was a stylishly attired elegant woman walking her dog and picking up its leavings, never losing her poise or pose.

I had lunch at an open air cafe with fellow passengers and a swarm of flies. The waitress told us the insects were attracted by the wine-processing system which started in October. There was so many hanging around my prosciutto and mozzarella, I finally had to accept their presence and only occasionally swatted them away. 

We drove back along the sea. Right off the bus, I got on the shuttle to Bari and found a little trolley car thing for 15 Euros for a city tour. At first I thought it was a rip-off because we drove around along the seaside embankment and a little ways into the town and then back. But then a guide named Donnatella got off with me and two other ladies from the ship and said she would give us a brief tour of St. Nicholas' basilica. Outside the basilica was a statue of St. Nicholas (the inspiration for Santa Claus and Father Christmas) donated by Vladimir Putin because there is a large Russian population there. Donnatella gave us some info on the church and we went in. I asked her how Italy left about Putin. She diplomatically replied "We are divided." I responded so was America. Then the trolley took us back to the port, so it was worth 15 Euros. 

I decided to walk around a bit since I had time before the ship would leave. I found an artist's studio where she sold magnets made of clam shells for 2 Euros. Lately, I've bought a magnet from every country, city and town I've been to. The refrigerator is getting a bit crowded.

B'way Update: Good Night Sets Dates and Theater, Etc.

George Clooney in the 2005 film of
Good Night and Good Luck.

The spring sprint to the Tonys is almost totally set. The previously announced Good Night and Good Luck, starring and co-written by Oscar winner George Clooney has announced dates and a theater. The play about legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow's battles against McCarthyism in the 1950s will begin previews at the Winter Garden Theater on March 12 with an April 3 opening. The script is based on the 2005 screenplay by Clooney and Grant Heslov. Clooney will play Murrow in the Broadway version but played a different role in the film. Tony winner David Cromer, currently represented Off-Broadway by The Counter at Roundabout's Laura Pels, directs.

The Winter Garden is an unusual choice for this straight play since it has mostly housed large-scale musicals such as Funny Girl, Mame, Pacific Overtures, Cats and most recently Rocky, The Music Man, and the current tenant Back to the Future which closes on Jan. 5, 2025. The last non-musical to play the Winter Garden was Wolf Hall, the two-evening stage version of Hilary Mandel's expansive novel of Thomas Cromwell and his role in the ill-fated marriage of King Henry VIII to Anne Boelyn.

This announcement means only one previously announced spring Broadway production has yet to find a home or performance dates--the latest revival of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.  

Cruise to the Mediterranean, Part 1: Malta, Dubrovnik

For the second year in a row, we booked a cruise on Oceania to the Mediterranean, visiting many ports we have never been to before (Last year's cruise to Greece and Turkey was so wonderful we booked again on the same line.) We started in Valletta, Malta which we didn't see much of because we were both so exhausted and jet-lagged from the flight from NYC with a stop-over in Rome, we took a long nap in the hotel. There was a cute small beach club just for hotel guests, but we didn't have time to take advantage of it. But we did go to dinner at a local restaurant called Gululu with a lovely waterfront view. I had rabbit and thought of Bugs Bunny. We strolled around. Malta was very nice but we didn't get more than a glimpse of it. The only thing I knew about it was The Maltese Falcon and the fact that Popeye was filmed there. We'll have to go back. 

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Day 1-2: Day at Sea and Dubrovnik, Croatia: We got on board our ship the Marina the next day and headed for our first port Dubrovnik, Croatia. We had a day at sea before reaching Dubrovnik. There was a sumptuous brunch buffet in Grand Dining Room with caviar, lobster tails, chocolates, custards, fruit cups, croissants, and endless other goodies. It was so nice to get away from the madness of our current awful Presidential election, but the insanity intrudes on this serene scene. At a table near us, two couples were discussing Trump and a man stated the truth: he's a convicted felon. A Trump supporter at the next table, shouted "You don't know what you're talking about. That's not the whole story." The first man replied, "I'm talking about this with my friends. Not with you." The irate second gentleman bellowed, "You're talking loud enough for me to hear and I don't have to listen to this" and he stormed off , soon followed by his silent wife. The anti-Trumpers laughed the incident off and continued with their brunch. 

The sumptuous brunch buffet

That night I played Team Trivia with five other passengers and we dubbed ourselves the Can-Am team since two of of players were from Canada. The entertainment that night was a musical revue featuring four singers and seven dancers. It was okay. The cast was talented and the material was familiar. Later in the week, the shows were similarly safe with a comedian and a vocalist alternating with the ship's ensemble. The best show was a revue emphasizing dance with numbers reminiscent of Gene Kelly in An American in Paris and Bob Fosse's bowler hats and white gloves.

Once in Croatia, we booked a tasty wine-tasting excursion out in the countryside followed by a fun boat ride. After the boat ride, we took the shuttle bus from the port to the Dubrovnik town center where discovered the common theme of this cruise: walled cities surrounded a charming "old town." Many of the ports where points of defense for countries constantly at risk for invasion. The region was a shifting map of borders and warring ethnicities--Yugoslavia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, etc. etc. The walls provided protection and the interior towns became quaint tourist attractions. We wandered around the tourist-choked narrow streets and broad squares.

On board ship, the meals were excellent. During the course of the cruise, we dined at the four specialty restaurants--Jacques (French), Red Ginger (Asian Fusion), Toscana (Italian), and Polo Grill (steakhouse). All were first-rate. I think I enjoyed Toscana best where I had seafood linguine and filet mignon with spinach and gorgonzola cheese. The dessert was peaches in brown sugar sauce. 

I like Oceania because they include almost everything upfront as opposed to other cruise lines which nickel and dime you to death. Our package included the four specialty restaurants, four shore excursions, a drinks package for wine and champagne (but not cocktails), and a concierge-level room with a balcony.

Our ship the Marina

B'way Update: Smash and Sondheim

Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee in
Smash, the NBC-TV series.

Two upcoming Broadway shows, Smash and Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, have announced specific details on dates, theaters and cast members. Smash, the musical based on the NBC-TV series, will begin previews at the Imperial Theater on March 11, 2025 prior to an April 10 opening. Robyn Hurder (A Beautiful Noise, Moulin Rogue) and Caroline Bowman will head the company as Ivy and Karen, two actresses vying for the lead in a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Bowman will leave the company of Sunset Boulevard where she is standby for Norma Desmond. The cast will also feature Brooks Ashmanskas (The Prom) as Nigel, Krysta Rodriguez (Spring Awakening) as Tracy, John Behlmann  (Shucked) as Jerry, Kristine Nielsen (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) as Susan, Jacqueline B. Arnold (Moulin Rouge!) as Anita, Bella Coppola (Six) as Chloe, and Casey Garvin (Some Like It Hot) as Charlie. Rodriguez is the only cast member to have also appeared in the NBC series as a recurring character, although in a different role. Nielsen did have a guest shot in one episode. 

Six-time Tony winner Susan Stroman directs with a book by Bob Martin (Drowsy Chaperone) and Rick Elice (Jersey Boys) and a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray) which will comprise of tunes from the series as well as new ones.

Producer Robert Greenblatt said, “Neil, Steven, and I are elated to announce that Smash is definitely coming to Broadway this season, a dozen years after the series ended on NBC! We always knew Shaiman & Wittman’s fantastic score belonged on Broadway, and our show is a clever, funny adaptation of the series — with a few surprises — that we hope will delight die-hard fans as well as anyone who didn’t see the series.” 

Neil Meron said, “Working with our incomparable director, Susan Stroman, our first-class bookwriters, Rick Elice and Bob Martin, and our original series choreographer, Josh Bergasse, has been a joy. This dream team has created the quintessential new musical about the rollercoaster ride of creating a new musical. (Very meta!) And it not only sends Broadway up, but sends Broadway a big love letter at the same time.”

Manhattan Theater Club announced that its production of the revue Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, presented in association with Cameron Mackintosh and Daryl Roth will begin previews at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater on March 25, 2025 with an opening set for April 8.

Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, Bonnie
Langford and the London company of
Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends.

Joining previously announced Broadway Legends Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga will be Jasmine Forsberg, Kate Jennings Grant, David Harris, Bonnie Langford (Mel, companion of Doctor #6 and #7 from Doctor Who), Tony Award winner Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone), two-time Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk winner Gavin Lee (Mary Poppins, SpongeBob Squarepants), Ryan McCartan, multiple Olivier Award nominee Jason Pennycooke, two-time Olivier Award winner Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Maria Wirries, and Daniel Yearwood. Peters, Salonga, Langford, Lee and Secombe also appeared in the London production of the show. The company will also include Kevin Earley, Paige Faure, Alexa Lopez, and Peter Neureuther. The final co-star will be announced soon.