First night in town, I saw Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph. Gorgeous, lyrical, elliptical play. Not typical Broadway fare at all--more like something that would play once at South Coast Rep or the Intiman, then the script would show up in American Theatre, then it would get an occasional production at high end colleges. My theatre friends all say Robin Williams is what allows it to play on Broadway, and if so more power to him. (To be fair, it was also a Pulitzer finalist.) I really loved this show and admired it. The content is being almost unbearably sad and brutal at times. And it is dazzlingly beautiful, funny, and brainy. Magnificent cast, especially Arian Mouayed and Hrach Titizian.
Saturday afternoon, after 2 hours trying to crash Book of Mormon, I saw The Motherfucker with the Hat. Very funny, and Bobby Cannavale acts the hell out of the lead role. Otherwise, the play was a little thin, and three of the other actors, all very good, strike me as miscast. (I'd kind of like to see Robin Williams in Chris Rock's role and Rock as the tiger in the other play, actually.) Anyway, worth it to see Cannavale!
Saturday night, another two hours doing Book of Mormon groveling, then to Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth. One of the best shows I've ever seen. In my life! It is sprawling, Shakespearean, disturbing, and hugely uplifting. Mark Rylance's performance deserves every superlative that's been written about it and more. After the show, I found myself at the stage door without even knowing how I'd got there. I just needed to be with the people who'd made this world. (And one by one, they all came out and were darling and charming. Mr. Rylance appeared a good 20 minutes after the others had come and gone, and he was so gentle and generous with every young admirer. Extraordinary.
Sunday afternoon, saw some friends' show in the East Village. Really wanted to like it, but the mix of tones and acting styles was really jarring, and there were some odd writing choices I couldn't get past. That said, my guys did a fantastic job producting it--smashingly directed and acted.
Sunday night, watched the Tonys with a couple of lovely young NY actors and their partners. Very fun to see the show with people in the city and in the community who had plenty of opinions and gossip to share. And I'd already seen enough since getting to town that I could have opinions, too. Plus we all knew a couple of the chorus boys. And it was great to see Mark Rylance give one of his weird speeches the night after I shook his hand!
Tuesday night, The Normal Heart. I had been planning to get a day ticket, but after they won so many awards I decided not to take any chances, which turned out to be a good thing. I had a great seat, and the theatre was packed. It is an odd production, actually, directorially heavy-handed, beautifully acted, weird design. Doesn't matter. Weak script. Doesn't matter. It's an important play in so many ways. And it works because it works. There was a talk-back after, and the producer said her main objective for mounting this show now was to introduce it to a new generation. Brava. And indeed, the crowd was half 60ish Jews and homosexuals and half 30ish dancers and actors. God bless us every one. Then Kushner talked! He has mellowed so much, but when he gets going you start to see that the rational and irrational anger are both still there, and that the lion heart beats on. It was a good night.
Wednesday night, I went down to Hoboken and of all things sat through a tech rehearsal. But it was for the 7th Inning Stretch, a show dear to my heart, and so . . . I was in heaven. Only saw my friend Chris for the odd minute here and there, but it was great to watch him in his world.
Thursday night, saw the play I hadn't liked that much again (because it was my friends' show and kind of the point of the trip). Liked it less, admired the production more, and had a great time at the gala afterwards. Although it was 200 degrees in the theatre.
Friday, home. All good. No regrets, not even Mormon ones.
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