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NEW YORK - Laura and Linda Benanti: Mothers Know Best at 54 BelowI supposed three are sweeter things than watching Laura and Linda Benanti show us (and each other) a good time. Offhand, nothing comes to mind. Perhaps that is because I am still basking in the glow of their two-hander ending its current run this evening, July 24. I can only hope for your sake that they will be back. Billy Stritch, Music Director for Laura and Linda Benanti “Mothers Know Best” at 54 Below. Courtesy billystritch.comThese two are a tag team of the best order. They show off what is the core of their musicianship: a boatload of skill and a soupçon of sass. The musicians who back them are of the same flavor, beginning with Music Director Billy Stritch. Ann Klein on guitar is a lovely surprise. Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums complete this excellent package. Linda Benanti at her voice studio. Screen capture by Edward Kliszus, courtesy lindabenantivoicestudio.com.They turn their opening number, “Que Sera Sera” (Livingston and Evans), into a laundry list of things to worry about in the “What Will Be” department (deodorant poisoning and the election are two). Linda is featured next with two old standards, “The Shadow of Your Smile” (Mandel and Webster) and “I Had a Dream About You” (Maury Yeston), which might have been schmaltz in another person’s hands, but this Benanti put the right tone on both of these songs that were favorites of her parents. Laura Benanti. Courtesy laurabenanti.comBenanti the Younger returns to the stage, wiping her eyes. “My mother makes me cry,” she tells us just before she directs an audience member to fix his seat position so he doesn’t hurt his neck because that would be upsetting to her. Sprinkled throughout the night are Benanti stories that reflect the journeys that both of these women continue to experience. “Wives and Lovers” (Bachrach and David) is turned into a scathing sendup of the confinement of women, which was, in a word, exhausting. The elder Benati relates the real COVID estate transactions (can we move in, Mom?) that brought precious time with grandchildren as they learned new words daily. This leads to the liquid poetry of “Words” (Maury Yeston). Laura Benanti. Courtesy laurabenanti.com“Vanilla Ice Cream” (Bock/Harnick) from “She Loves Me” is gifted to us next, along with the child in the audience who sent Benanti original drawings that she still has. Benanti was and is an eclectic mix of qualities that she is feeding out in the wilds of New Jersey. Life seems to be filled with EVENTS that propel her forward to the next event. One of those was her encounter with an angel – Chita Rivera – who, during the run of “Nine,” gave over half of her dressing room to Benanti, who was recovering from surgery. Each night, as Benenti was singing “Unusual Way” (Maury Yeston) to Antonio Banderas, she was actually singing to Rivera. Laura and Linda Benanti on stage in Laura and Linda Benanti: Mothers Know Best at 54 Below. Courtesy 54below.orgBenanti the Elder follows with “The Man Who Got Away” – a rough and rich tribute to Judy Garland (with a Garland story, of course).“Recovering Ingenue” (Benanti and Almond) is a tribute to both Benanti’s paths that led them to where they are. Their penultimate number is a duet of “One More Kiss,” a soaring investigation of love’s power.The final “I’m Gonna Miss This” (Benanti and Klein) is a touching tribute to the spot where these two lives and loves intersect. Sometimes, life gives you such rich material that you must put as many stories as possible into a show. The Benanti Duo is rich with tales that hit us where we live. They are mothers and daughters of each other. What could be better than that?Laura and Linda Benanti: Mothers Know Best at 54 Below54 Below254 West 54th StreetNY NY 10019Catch them if you can. Tickets HEREReaders may also enjoy our reviews of John Pizzarelli and the Swing 7 at Birdland, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp: Celebrating Friendship and History, Yachtly Crew, Opera in the Garden by ON SITE OPERA, Norm Lewis at 54 Below, Tony Danza, Meg Okura at the Met Museum, Laura Benanti at the Minetta Lane Theater, Brazilian Jazz at Le Bab Ilo in Paris, and Marilyn Maye birthday celebration at 54 Below.https://youtu.be/AarSccJPVlU?si=TPl1wl7pP8C7k8E5

NEW YORK - JOB at the Helen Hayes TheaterIt is a good thing that JOB, by Max Wolfe Friedlich, is at the Helen Hayes Theater. The Hayes is next to Sardi's. Sardi's is where you want to go after seeing this show because you will need to debrief. Don't just toddle off home without having a drink (alcohol or mocktail) and chatting with your theatre companion. If by chance you have no companion, go in anyway because Jeremy, the upstairs bartender, has definite opinions on the conclusion of JOB. You can debrief with him. Sardi's. Courtesy sardis.comI rarely have the privilege to see and review a production more than once. And when I have, it was certainly not a two-hander. Lucky for me, I got this opportunity with JOB. Because not only did I get to admire Friedlich's writing's intricacies, but I also got to witness this pas de deux between Peter Friedman and Sydney Lemmon. Talk about a study in acting.The time is January 2020. We all remember that January…the location is outside of Silicon Valley. Jane (Lemmon) has had a few emotional issues, okay, a certified meltdown while on the job at a big tech company (We are told we know the one, but do we? Google is owned by Alphabet, who also owns FitBit and Waze. Facebook is now Meta and owns Instagram and What's App. Even as we speak, start-ups are starting and being bought.). Jane's meltdown went viral, and she was suspended from her job until she got the all-clear from a therapist. Lloyd (Friedman) is the therapist of choice, presumably hired by Jane's company. Lloyd is the patron therapist of lost causes. He tells Jane that he is the best. JOB at the Helen Hayes Theater by Max Wolf Friedlich. Courtesy Instagram #fr1edl1chJane's job at the unnamed company is to ferret out objectionable posts on the Internet and banish them to Hell. But each time she does, a piece of her goes along for the ride so that by the time we meet her, there is little of Jane left. By objectionable, I do not mean "in bad taste." I mean the kind of videos that are violent in ways we cannot imagine. Jane wants her job back because she is the line of defense. She tells Lloyd, "The internet isn't some fringe "young people" thing anymore – it's where we live. It's our home and I am the front line of defense – there's nobody else. All of the worst things in the world come right to my computer screen."Did I mention the gun?It's no secret as we see it right away. And while Jane agrees to put it away in her flimsy cloth bag, we never forget it is there. Neither does Lloyd. It is the gun that tips the scales and makes Lloyd a hostage. One could argue that he has plenty of time to dash out the door, but the action is so fast, and Jane so nimble that the image of them going toe to toe is not out of reach. Sydney Lemmon as Jane in JOB at the Helen Hayes Theater. Courtesy Instagram #sydney_lemmonAs it is, Jane more or less takes over Lloyd's office, moving furniture and clearing off an end table to make into a seat. Jane bears the weight of the text as she scrambles to get enough of her thought process and circumstances out so that Lloyd will write the words that will give her her job back. Either that or, well, you know.awhileLloyd, on the other hand, must listen. And Friedman is a damn good listener. Lloyd must unravel this Rubrics Cube of a person who speaks in code. He has to dip in like a laser surgeon and get out before Jane has time to lunge like a feral cat. Her life depends on it, and so may his, which is why the choice for Jane to give her two most important monologues to us instead of Lloyd was a mystery. We are depending on Lloyd to keep us grounded. We get our cues from his reactions. When the focus is entirely on Jane, we are lost. It takes us a while to get righted again. Unfortunate.The dialogue here is like a tennis match on steroids. Just when you think a point is made, an invisible umpire calls "foul," and you are back to an even score. Lloyd is the solid place against which Jane hurls her whole self. Without Lloyd, there would be no Jane. She would burst into flame and disappear.Even as the story winds up, the game piles high with Aces and match points until the stakes become life and death.While the text is often lumpy and filled with switchbacks, the superb performances of Friedman and Lemmon are the centerboard on this vessel. Friedman's text allows us to fasten ourselves to the whirlpool that is their relationship. We stay there until we are asked to disembark with a final scene that leaves us gasping. JOB, by Max Wolf Friedlich playing at 2NDSTAGE at the Helen Hayes Theater. Courtesy 2st.comTell Jeremy we sent you.JOB at the Helen Hayes TheaterBy Max Wolf FriedlichDirected by Michael HerwitzWITH Peter Friedman and Sydney LemmonScenic design by Scott Penner, costume design by Michelle J. Li, lighting design by Mextly Couzin, sound design by Cody Spencer, and original music by Devonté Hynes.At The Helen Hayes Theater. Through September 29. Tickets HEREReaders may also enjoy our reviews of Inspired by True Events, A Hundred Circling Camps, Oh Mary!, The Journals of Adam & Eve: The World’s First Love Story, The Edge of Nature at La Mama, Empire the Musical at New World Stages, If These Wigs Could Talk by Panti Bliss at the Irish Arts Center, and Elevator Repair Service Ulysses.

NEW YORK - Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp: Celebrating Friendship and History at 54 BelowIf you are a fan of either Adam Pascal or Anthony Rapp or have seen the musical RENT more than once – this is a show intended for your very person. As it happens, I am 33% there. I am indeed a fan of Anthony Rapp for his television work in Star Trek Discovery, in which he played the first openly gay crew member, Lt. Commander Paul Stamets. I admired the writing on that show, and Rapp brought just the right amount of unpredictability to his role. Adam Pascal. Courtesy 54below.orgAs for Mr. Pascal – I was not familiar with his work before this show.And most importantly – I never saw Jonathan Larzon’s RENT. Both men were in the original cast. I didn’t see it downtown at New York Theatre Workshop, where it premiered in 1986. I didn’t see it when it moved up to Broadway that same year. I didn’t see it during its 12-year run that ended in 2008. I didn’t see the 2005 movie adaptation. A scene from RENT from the Official Trailer, Stratford Festival 2023. Screen Capture by Edward KliszusGuilty as charged with no explanation.But let me tell you—just about everyone in the rambunctious audience I joined last night saw one or more of these iterations. From the sound of their joyful sing-along efforts, these folks soared with pride as they joined in on all six of the songs Pascal and Rapp selected from the RENT score. There were a few other songs they grabbed onto as well.Pascal and Rapp were prepared for this. Along with their musical director, Daniel Weiss (who played in the orchestra for RENT), Lee Moretti (guitar), Paul Gil (Bass), and Jerry Marotta (Drums), they created a trajectory that featured key musical phrases to alert the audience as to what was coming. This tight combo loves a good lead-in that will nearly set the audience ablaze.Not only do they set us up and have a fabulous time doing it – they nearly blow us out of the room. I don’t know how or why it was decided that louder was good and loudest was best. The musical accompaniment (including Pascal’s guitar) was nothing short of hot and fierce. The volume was so loud that the lyrics were lost when Pascal and Rapp sang. The evening felt more like a rock concert – and 54 Below is not suited for that. There was no let up except for a sprinkling of songs (“I-95” , “Solsbury Hill” , and “Seasons of Love” .) Each of these had snatches of lyrics that were understandable. Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal on stage at 54 Below. Photo by Michael Allan GalvezLike I said – I came into the theatre unarmed. I was frustrated to the extreme that I could not understand the lyrics. For the rest of the audience, however, this was not a problem because they knew the songs – or at least the chorus bits like …”525,600 minutes…” and were happy to sing along wherever they could fit in. All around me, folks were rocking out in their seats and bobbing their heads up, down, and to and fro. We sat next to a delightful couple from Ontario who had come into town for birthday celebrations. They knew RENT pretty much by heart. For them, this evening was awesome. No question. I have to say their joy WAS contagious.Watching Pascal and Rapp reminded me of watching “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” back in the day. We sure did NOT know all the lyrics to that music, but that didn’t stop us from belting out, “Let’s Do the Time Warp Again” over and over and over. A scene from the The Rocky Horror Picture Show trailer (1975). Screen capture by Edward KliszusLike I said, if you are already a fan of these gents or RENT, you will have a huge treat in store.Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp: “Celebrating Friendship and History”54 Below254 West 54th StreetNY NY 10019August 6-10 and 13-17. TICKETS HERE. The stage at 54 Below. Courtesy 54below.orgReaders may also enjoy our reviews of Yachtly Crew, Opera in the Garden by ON SITE OPERA, Norm Lewis at 54 Below, Tony Danza, Meg Okura at the Met Museum, Laura Benanti at the Minetta Lane Theater, Brazilian Jazz at Le Bab Ilo in Paris, and Marilyn Maye birthday celebration at 54 Below.https://youtu.be/VKTWSb7Lyd8?si=xdSrKcHa-BOnsG0N

NEW YORK - Inspired By True EventsIn the first five or so minutes of “Inspired By True Events” by Ryan Spahn, we watch as Mary (Dana Scurlock), the stage manager for this woe-begotten theatre company in Rochester, completes the thankless job of cleaning up after the actors. She covers all the minuscule bases. Emptying out the coffee filter of cold grounds. Dumping the old coffee in a nearby slop sink. Rinsing the coffee pot. Filling it with water. Emptying the new water into the well of the coffee maker. Filling the fresh filter with new coffee grounds. Placing said filter into the coffee maker. Turning the coffee maker on. In addition, she tosses the food containers, takes out the trash, and places a new bag in the trash can.In some ways, this is the most fascinating part of the play. The task at hand is clear, and the actor performs her duty very well. Trash and old coffee are the obstacles, and she dispenses with everything before she lets herself enjoy a cup of Joe,Let me say right off the bat that these actors are doing the best they can. However, the text they have to work with, combined with an absence of directorial guidance, sends them off the rails, where they remain moored in a swamp of, well, I don’t know what.The one bit of life in the play is Mallory Portnoy as Eileen, who is self-referential in the extreme. The play they are performing has just opened to the best reviews ever (we never find out what the play is about even though we see bits of it on the in-house monitor), and tonight’s performance is sold out. This could mean an extended run that would show those other theatre people who are who in Rochester. Fresh from a biking accident (it was the car driver’s fault for not seeing her, of course), Eileen arrives at the theatre hyped up on adrenaline and ready to take on anyone who gets in her way. She doles out empathy and sympathy when it is convenient and/or important for her. And she is sparing with the doses. Here, Spahn’s writing gives Eileen enough layers and nuances that Portnoy can create a whole person with some nice comedic touches. Eileen is the embodiment of the actor we all want to avoid – especially if we are sharing a dressing room with them.Funny thing about that – the program notes tell us that all 35 people crammed together in the tiny audience space are sitting in the actual Green Room (actors’ reception area) of the Out of The Box Theatre. Even the characters call it a Green Room. What is odd about that is that the tiny cast puts on makeup and changes into costumes in this little space that – and that makes it a dressing room. Hmmmm.There are other inconsistencies – why does Mary mention she is going to a wedding but never leaves? What was the crash in the “Other” dressing room? Were there mice in the vent? Will Robert (Lou Libertore) ever stop steaming his shirt? And why can we barely understand Colin (Jack DiFalco) in the final, very important scene of this play?The lack of depth in Spahn’s writing overall leaves gaping holes in this story. However, even those that could be addressed were Knud Adams's forthcoming direction in creating characters with needs and challenges. As it was, all the tiny audience of 35 could do was watch the actors pass the time while we counted the minutes until this production wound down and coasted into the station where we would be allowed to disembark. As we exited the theatre, even the blistering heat felt refreshing.Inspired By True EventsBy actor/writer Ryan Spahn, directed by Knud AdamsWITH Jack Difalco as Colin, Lou Liberatore as Robert, Mallory Portnoy as Eileen, and Dana Scurlock as Mary.Scenic design by Lindsay Fuori, costume design by Siena Zoë Allen, lighting design by Paige Seber, sound design by Peter Mills Weiss, and props design by Sean Frank. The Technical Director is Sajari Hume. Production Management is by Out of the Box Theatrics.Out of the Box Theatrics154 Christopher St, #1ENew York, NY 10014(929) 565-5961Through August 4. Tickets HEREReaders may also enjoy our reviews of A Hundred Circling Camps, Oh Mary!, The Journals of Adam & Eve: The World’s First Love Story, The Edge of Nature at La Mama, Empire the Musical at New World Stages, If These Wigs Could Talk by Panti Bliss at the Irish Arts Center, and Elevator Repair Service Ulysses.https://youtu.be/7NuaK29J1fM?si=601Te_ia7gSIe9-2

NEW YORK - Oh Mary! on BroadwayFor starters, the horse is out of the barn and halfway to the Northern Forty when the curtain goes up on “Oh Mary!” created by and starring Cole Escola. Cole Escola, playwright and star of Oh Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. Photo by Mitch ZacharyJust in case you Have been living under a rock for the past few months, there are announcements and quotes a-plenty showering down upon you from every angle. Beginning with “The Greatest Play of The Generation” and continuing on with “You’ll Be Losing Your Mind With Joy” – I don’t know who penned the first, nor do I know what “The Generation” means. The second is from our very own New York Times and is self-explanatory. Conrad-Ricamora and Cole Escola in a scene from Oh Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. Photo by Emilio MadridPalm fronds abound. They are well deserved.I say all of this to underscore that watching this play is a little like catching a ride on a runaway stagecoach – with no less than six horses. There are some serious twists and turns (the press people have requested we give nothing away in terms of the plot) that leave your head spinning, and the speed with which the tale unravels leaves a person little time to laugh. I myself did not laugh once. I was too busy admiring the script and every element of this production. Conrad Ricamora. Courtesy #conradricamoraPlaybill quotes Escola as saying that the Mary we see is based on a “Third-grade knowledge of the historical figure.” Lucky for us it stops at that level. If the grade went up any higher, Escola would have us turning our mental wheels. With “Oh, Mary!” there is no time for thought. There are only the fleeting opening moments during which we leap on board. James Scully, cast member of Oh Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. Courtesy #scullynjamesWe see immediately that Mary is a self-absorbed and suffocated woman whose only fun is to drink whiskey (perhaps with a paint-thinner chaser), and these bouts leave her exploding with possibilities. The fact that her husband is the President is of little interest. Ditto that pesky war everyone is talking about. Who is it that’s at war, and what does it have to do with her? WHY is she not being released from the box of a home where she is more or less held prisoner? Bianca Leigh in the cast of Oh Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. Courtesy # bianca_leigh2000Mary will stop at nothing to secure her release. She will take up painting (no success there). She will study with a tutor (no success here either). What she will not do is give up her dream of escaping the White House and returning to a life she loved. The facts are incidental and not to be taken seriously. The only thing to be taken seriously is the wild ride that Mary creates for herself. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.Escola has created a Mary who is Scarlett O’Hara on uppers. This Mary is at the center of her own universe, and everyone else is a tiny planet orbiting around her. Each of the characters listed in the program is identified in relation to Mary (one of the many smart moves in this production): “Mary’s Husband (Conrad Ricamora), Mary’s Teacher (James Scully), Mary’s Chaperone (Bianca Leigh), Mary’s Husbands Assistant (Tony Macht)”. Tony Macht in the cast of Oh Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre. Courtesy tonymacht.comWe travel at such a dizzying pace that the audience barely notices when there is a lull in the action. We have been riding so high that when the story sags, we remain bodies in motion and hurtle past the dip to catch up to the plot when it looms upward into our path and pirouettes into a whizz-bang conclusion.Escola and this exquisite cast have created a Neverland that rivals anything J.M. Barrie created. With hoop skirts, top hats, and cravats fully secured, they invite us to leave our seats and follow Peter Pan’s travel instructions given to Wendy: “Second star to the right and straight on till morning.” Barrie continues – “but even birds, carrying maps and consulting them at windy corners, could not have sighted it with these instructions.”Thank goodness Mary knows the way. Mrs. Abraham Lincoln. National Archives at College Park, Public DomainPS The gown goes with. She is not giving up that puppy.Oh, Mary! On BroadwayWritten by and starring Cole EscolaDirected by Sam PinkletonWITH Cole Escola as Mary Too Lincoln, Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband, James Scully as Mary’s Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant, dots (Scenic Designer), Holly Pierson (Costume Designer), Cha See (Lighting Designer), Daniel Kluger (Sound Design and Original Music), Drew Levy (Sound Designer), Leah J. Loukas (Wig Designer), Addison Heeren (Props Supervision), and David Dabbon (Musical Arrangements). Casting by Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA. Original Gowns for Cole Escola by Astor Yang.At the Lyceum Theatre49 West 45th StreetNew York, NYRuns through September 15, 2024. 80 minutes running time. TICKETSReaders may also enjoy our reviews of The Journals of Adam & Eve: The World’s First Love Story, The Edge of Nature at La Mama, Empire the Musical at New World Stages, If These Wigs Could Talk by Panti Bliss at the Irish Arts Center, and Elevator Repair Service Ulysses,https://youtu.be/vKA2Jo70wNA?si=u3guq8YHi9KaeMJ4

NEW YORK - If These Wigs Could Talk by Panti Bliss at the Irish Arts CenterDear Dr./Ms. Panti Bliss – the only thing wrong with this show is the title.It should be “From Hidden Basements to Castle Courtyards” because that is the tale you are giving us. You are a political giant who found your way to lead through drag. Wigs-shmigs. You are bigger than wigs.If you, dear reader, would like a taste of Panti’s achievement, look no further than the documentary “Queen Of Ireland. “ Raised in the 1970s and 1980s in Country Mayo, Ireland, where the popular acronyms were BVM – Blessed Virgin Mary – and TG – Thank God, and there were few professions open to a gay person. That was it. Period. Full Stop. So Panti had to follow her instincts, and those led to “Hidden Basements.” It was a time of gender discombobulation, and it seemed that Bliss’s only job was to drink until drunk and run around like a mad person. Still, everything was hidden, done in the dark. It wasn’t until Bliss saw a regal drag queen that fate came calling.Drag queens do not hide. They sparkle. They seek the spotlight. They are unapologetic and they invite you to love, love, love them. THIS was something Bliss could understand. In she leaped. And now, as a mature human of 55, Bliss wonders out loud to us. “What is my role now?’ Now that drag queens are swimming in a sea of youngsters raised on RuPaul who have no concept of the decades of struggle – what is the job now?This is an extraordinary evening of storytelling. Bliss visits us in the audience to set up her thought process. Who is the youngest person here (three 23-year-olds fess up)? Is this their first drag show? – OH NO! And who is the oldest person here? This takes a bit more coaxing, but once we all got on board, there was a heated contest. Cathy – age 77, won. Is this YOUR first drag show? Bliss asks. OH, NO, says Cathy. So look at us, Bliss says – we are decades apart and still connected to drag. A scene from If These Wigs Could Talk by Panti Bliss at the Irish Arts Center. Courtesy irishartscenter.orgTime for stories!The stories flow. An invitation from the Irish Ambassador of Austria to come to Bliss’s own film premiere, for which she had to dig up a date when her beau flaked. There is the dildo (Gerth Brooks) smuggled into a West End show. And the time Bliss and father went to an art show in Dublin. These are not gay stories – they are stories, and Bliss knows how to deliver.A couple of sections are devoted to Bliss’s parents, who have always been supportive. The mister was a country vet and had seen more cruelty, joy, and oddities than most of us can imagine. He viewed Bliss’s coming out as a part of nature’s many unexplained gifts. The missus became a sort of celebrity after the release of “Queen of Ireland” when men who had left Ireland because they could not live an openly gay life wrote to her with the stories they never got to tell their own parents.The show becomes a clarion call for equality worldwide. Today, trans people are the canaries in the coal mine. The rest of us may think we are not affected, but just look around at what is going on. When Ireland became the first country to legalize gay marriage by popular vote, Bliss was at the center of the 2015 celebration in the courtyard of Dublin Castle. Hence, “From Hidden Basements to Castle Courtyards.”The new charge is to take that nine-year-old victory and deliver its promise worldwide. And when the fascists full of fear try to stop you, tell them where to head in. Just as Bliss did at the first Gay Pride Parade in County Mayo – and that was a recent 2022.You can find that moment here.This show is a call to arms backed up by some hilarious and captivating stories. This is not a casual wig discussion. Drag queens, Bliss reminds us, refuse to be invisible. Drag queens, and the others who are not US are dancing in the light in a world that despises them. They are RADICAL.If These Wigs Could Talk by Panti Bliss at the Irish Arts CenterWritten and Performed by Panti BlissDirected by Phillip McMahonIrish Arts Center11th Avenue and 51st Street, New York, NYCClick HERE for tickets and informationReaders may also enjoy our reviews of Elevator Repair Service Ulysses, N/A at Lincoln Center, Much Ado About Nothing at the Gene Frankel Theater. Ella the Ungovernable at the Theater for the New City, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Paper Mill Playhouse.https://youtu.be/z-GUI5Oy120?si=4Rugj1fTHO6nT7Js

NEW YORK - N/A at Lincoln CenterLet’s cut to the chase. Go see “N/A” at Lincoln Center. Click on this link RIGHT NOW! And bring a guest with you. Bring someone who is willing to be engaged and inspired. This is a brilliant production. An engaging, intriguing script and actors who achieve perfection.To be clear: “N/A” is not only ABOUT politics, it will immerse you in politics.Sounds like not fun?Au contraire. L-R: Ana Villafañe and Holland Taylor in the Office of the Minority Leader in a Scene from N/A at Lincoln Center. Photo by Daniel RaderMario Correra‘s script imagines the way in which “N” (Holland Taylor) – Nancy Pelosi (the first female Speaker of The House) and “A” (Ana Villafañe) – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (the youngest female member of the House ever elected) get to know one another over the space of nearly four years. The script is dense, complicated, and very very funny. We are put on notice about the humor and incisive dialogue in the first few minutes. N enters her own office to find A (having just won her first primary) broadcasting on social media. She surprises A.A – Where did you come from?N – Baltimore. Where did you come from?This is a skillful depiction of two of the most powerful women in Congress. While N has more experience, A has a fire in her belly. N understands the system that will create l-a-w-s that will change the country. A only sees the big ticket, big picture items: Universal Health Care, Green New Deal, abolishment of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) – and that is just for starters.From the get-go, N is out ahead of her junior. Not only in the banter that these two engage in from moment One. N has been in the House since before A was born. While A sees the image of the project, it is N who knows where the nuts and bolts are located and where the skeletons are buried. A sees the goal, and N sees the blueprint. A does not see N as a radical, but N has been agitating for decades while raising her five children. Not a lot phases N. Even the passion of A. Anger and agitation are meaningless without results. And numbers. 218 votes in the House and 60 in the Senate. Without those, nothing will get done. L-R: Ana Villafañe and Holland Taylor in a Scene from N/A at Lincoln Center. Photo by Daniel RaderA does not take N’s prognostications lying down. She fights back, and she fights hard. The arguments are so convoluted (Taylor and Villafañe make it look way too easy) that we have to fasten our seatbelts and hang on. Matters outside N’s office are noted. A IS elected in 2018, N is re-elected Speaker (not without some visible arm twisting, and not without A noting her own power in casting her vote). January 6 happens.These two Members of Congress go toe to toe with every step. They trade punches that hit. Each takes the other down a few pegs. But both return to the ring refreshed and energized. They are sparring partners in the best sense because they understand the mechanics and lure of debate. In other hands, this could have come off as a catfight. Not so here. Under Diane Paulus’ direction, these women reveal themselves as two mature souls duking it out because the stakes are high. The survival of our country is on the table, and each of these women is prepared not only to fight but to listen.In the end, no one concedes. No one gives up. N is no longer Speaker, but she is still a member of Congress and a formidable one. A has a plan she will not disclose, as well as a few years under her belt. They both experienced the riot on January 6th. Both know they would have been killed if they had been found. Sadly, that is one thing they have in common. L-R: Holland Taylor and Ana Villafañe in a Scene from N/A at Lincoln Center. Photo by Daniel RaderWe know these two will share more plots and positions, but not without a dust-up or two. What would be the point of that?On the odd chance that you know ANYONE on the fence in the upcoming elections – bring them to see this show. If they are still on the fence after seeing this production, turn the page and move on.N/A at Lincoln Centerby Mario Correa (Dark Waters, TAIL! SPIN!,) directed by Diane Paulus with Holland Taylor and Ana VillafañeArtisticMyung Hee Cho (Scenic & Costume Design), Mextly Couzin (Lighting Design), Sun Hee Kil (Sound Design), POSSIBLE, Lisa Renkel (Projection Design)Tickets can be purchased through www.NAThePlay.com or by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200. Through August 4th.Readers may also enjoy our reviews of Much Ado About Nothing at the Gene Frankel Theater. Ella the Ungovernable at the Theater for the New City, Whale Fall Abyss, All of Me at The Pershing Square Signature Center, Mention My Beauty at Pangea, HOME by the Roundabout Theatre Company, The Welkin by the Atlantic Theater Company, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Paper Mill Playhouse.https://youtu.be/HNFI-XjgU0k?si=tgVPL6XnoBZMucavhttps://youtu.be/QqvUz0HrNKY?si=gkrC1BYeHv8wkwU2