Crossings

By Brenda Grande

Crossings is a performance based on real interviews from immigrants. The stories are about the experiences that each immigrant faced when he or she came to the United States. Every actor plays their part extremely well and makes their stories come to life. Some actors even play multiple parts.

The play begins with so much energy. The nine actors are spread out on the stage and sitting down with the audience when the lights go off. All of a sudden you hear screaming, laughing, singing and music all at the same time. The lights come up to reveal a game show where the winner gets a green card. This part of the play is hysterical and fun to watch.

After the game show, we hear the stories of the characters. You start to feel the pain, happiness, fear and ambition of the characters as they struggle to come to the United States. Each person had a different reason for coming here. Almost all of the characters did not speak English when they first came to the United States and had to face a lot of difficulties.

One of the actors who stood out to me was Mi Sun Choi. She cried, screamed and was not afraid to look weird. Her character, a Korean woman, gave up everything so that she could come to the United States.

These stories are true and are important to be heard because this country is made up of immigrants. As someone with immigrant parents, I think it is important for everyone to understand why so many people try to come to the United States.

I was very impressed with Crossings and I recommend this show to everyone. This is a must-see show!

http://www.stagesonthesound.com/

FringeTastic 2009!

Have you heard of FringeNYC?

Over 200 performance arts companies (big and small) are presenting work around the city for two weeks. Ploggers are spending every waking moment seeing and writing about these shows just so YOU know what to go see.

Keep checking back to see what we've seen - and what we recommend!

And check out these $5 tickets to 20 of the FringeNYC shows through High5!

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West Side Story

By Amy Leon

Are you…loyal?

Set in New York in the 1950s, West Side Story is a beautiful tale about the for­bidden love between a white gang member, Tony, and the sister of the leader of the rival Puerto Rican gang, Maria. The story follows the progression of Tony and Maria’s love and how their actions affect their families and communities.

The dancing is phenom­enal; every movement onstage captivates the eye and ex­presses true talent. Not all the singing can compare to the elaborate dancing, but was still very enjoyable.

Earlier Broadway produc­tions and the movie did not contain much Spanish, but Lin-Manuel Miranda (from In the Heights) translated por­tions of the dialogue and a few songs for this revival, chang­ing the entire dynamic of the show. It made sense - wouldn't recent immigrants from Puerto Rico speak some Spanish? You should know that if you expecting to hear "I Feel Pretty," you will be getting "Siento Hermosa" instead.

West Side Story is an all time favorite and I gladly welcome it back to Broadway!

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $26.50 lottery rush beginning 2 ½ hours before the show • The Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway. Visit www.broadwaywestsidestory.com for more information.

Hair

By Torffick Abdul

Are you…free?

Hair is a musical about a group of young hippies living in New York City during the 1960s. The story intertwines the lives of Claude, a hippie seeking his rightful place in the world, and his friends and family. On the streets of New York, this group of hip­pies fight for civil rights at home and for an end to the Vietnam War overseas. Inside themselves, they struggle to find a balance between identity, the hippie lifestyle and the responsibility to one’s family and one’s country.

Hair is a great way to experience history while listening to a catchy mix of rock and roll. I recommend this musical to everyone — though, there is a scene con­taining nudity that might not be appropriate for all ages.

I left the theatre with a newfound respect of the hip­pie culture. After seeing Hair, all I wanted to do was grow my hair out, sing and shake my head frantically! Who knew a musical named after the elongated silky strands growing from the human scalp could be so inspira­tional?

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $25 lottery rush beginning 2 ½ hours before the show & $25 standing room tickets when performance is sold out • Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 W. 45th St. Visit www.hairbroadway.com for more information.

Coraline

By Nat Marcus

Are you…brave?

Coraline is a musical based on the children’s book of the same name. Although I never read that book, I still found this show entertaining.

Nine-year-old Coraline and her parents have just moved into a new apartment building full of quirky and puzzling residents. Coraline spends her time exploring the mysterious yard and creaky buildings, but nothing peaks her interest. One day she finds a door that leads her to an alternate reality and the life that she has always dreamed of: meals are delicious, toys can talk and nothing is ever boring. How­ever, Coraline soon realizes that this perfect life might be too good to be true and she might be trapped in this other world forever.

Jayne Houdyshell, at age 56, does an excellent job of portraying a nine-year-old. Her mannerisms and physicality perfectly reflect the mindset of a young antsy girl.

I would recommend Coraline to anyone in the mood for something different. It’s full of excellent performances, amusing music and an enthralling and unnerving story.

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $15 student rush • Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St. Visit www.mcctheater.org for more information.

Next to Normal

By Mariana Quinn-Makwaia

Are you…understanding?

Next to Normal is a musical about a not-quite-normal family trying to hold itself together. Diana, a stay-at-home mom struggling with bipolar disorder, attempts to juggle the chemicals in her brain with her reality at home. Her husband, Dan, works hard to pretend that everything is fine. Their seventeen-year-old son, Gabe, is very close to Diana, while their sixteen-year-old straight-A-student daughter, Natalie, feels ignored. At times, it is difficult to determine the differ­ence between reality and what is happening inside of Diana’s head.

While Next to Normal has hilari­ous moments, it does not shy away from bringing up truths. Diana’s struggle with mental illness and Dan’s attempts to save their marriage were so emotional that I choked up a few times.

Natalie’s rollercoaster into drugs and depression was simplified a bit too much, almost to the point of being cliché. Perhaps if she had been the main character, she would have seemed less like a health teacher’s imper­sonation of a teen.

Next to Normal is deep, genuine and comedic. If you are a fan of rock musicals (hint, hint, Spring Awakening), don’t miss this show!

HOW TO SEE THE SHOW: $25.00 general rush • Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St. • Visit www.nexttonormal.com for more information.

Avenue Q

By Claire Pienaar

What do you get when you combine a story that takes place on the wrong side of the tracks, a (literally) colorful cast of characters and some very crude and immature humor?

Nope, not Adult Swim. I’m talking about Avenue Q, a musical collaboration of puppets and humans and monsters alike.

Though it was initially confusing to distinguish between humans and puppets, the puppets soon had enough life to be actors on their own. The human puppeteers handled their inanimate counterparts very well, while showing identical expressions in their own faces and body language. Some characters did not wield puppets and instead interacted with the puppets as they would with each other.

Most of the performance was composed of comedy, a type that rings with honesty and lets people make light of their own moral flaws (maybe everyone is a little bit racist…sometimes…) Parts of the play were meant to cause the audience discomfort, including the gratuitous puppet sex scene, and Rod the Republican’s tune about his “girlfriend that lives in Canada”. However, the use of puppets is what made all of the near-blasphemy in the musical more acceptable.

Avenue Q has been running since 2003 and has been very popular among our generation. Since many teenagers in New York City have already seen the musical, bits of humor and lessons from the musical have influenced our culture. Never having seen the show before, I sat through it once and recognized almost half of the jokes as ones my friends have been telling me about for years.

Avenue Q is wonderful for teenagers and adults alike. The continuous humor and brutal honesty will keep you laughing and cringing throughout the entire show!

Ruined

By Sabrina Khan

Lynn Nottage’s Ruined is an intense and sexually charged drama that draws the audience to the stage. Ruined tells the heroic tale of Mama Nadi and the young women she harbors in the war ridden Democratic Republic of Congo. While several factions of militia and rebel forces tear the villages apart and destroy the lives of its inhabitants, Mama Nadi discovers a way to remain safe—by consorting with these very factions.


Set in a quaint village bar, the play begins in a rather lighthearted manner. Mama Nadi is busy cleaning when she is visited by the “Professor,” a salesman who brings her supplies such as lipstick and condoms. They discuss business in a humorous tone, but the mood shifts when The Professor offers Mama Nadi some additional cargo—Sophie and Salima, two homeless young women. It turns out that Mama Nadi provides more services than just food and drink. Her innocent pub is actually a brothel that serves all of the men fighting in the war. We soon meet Josephine, the most popular prostitute, who helps Mama Nadi run the business.

Mama Nadi makes no distinction between those she welcomes, as long as they follow her one rule of not bringing loaded weapons into the bar. At first it seems that Mama Nadi is safe from conflict because she shows no loyalty to either side, but her flexibility makes her even more vulnerable.


Sophie, Salima, and Josephine tell their stories throughout the play. Each story about their ruin is more heartbreaking than the last and moves the audience to sympathize with these women who must sell their bodies to the very men who stole them from their homes. Sophie, the most physically scarred of these women, is exempt from the usual brothel duties and takes on singing and bookkeeping to pay for her room and board. Her singing is the only soothing aspect of Ruined, the music of which exemplifies the essence of the struggle of the citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ruined pays homage to the women who have no voice of their own. It is as suspenseful as it is moving and will not disappoint.

How to see the show: New York City Center, Stage I, 131 W. 55th St. Visit www.mtc-nyc.org for schedule and more information.

Award Season

by Christa Tandana

Every spring many organizations honor specific shows with awards.

You may have heard of THE TONY AWARDS, an annual awards ceremony for the best of Broadway’s current season, presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Awards include Best Play, Best Musical, Best Performance, Best Lighting Design and many more.

Other awards include the Drama Desk Awards, Lucille Lortel Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Drama League Awards, Equity Awards, Obie Awards and more. Some are specifically for Broadway productions, some just for Off-Broadway, and some for both.

So, why would anyone want to win a TONY or other award? Well, just like a movie gains popularity for winning awards, so does a play or musical. Even receiving a nomination gives a show publicity as well as public recognition from people outside of the world of theatre. For example, In the Heights, set in Washington Heights with a largely Hispanic cast, won four TONY AWARDS (including Best Musical) as well as receiving nine other nominations. People who previously were not interested in the show all of a sudden realized that this wasn’t a show to miss!

What shows do YOU think should win awards? Let us know in the comments!

33 Variations

By Amalia Queller

After a 46 year hiatus from the stage, Jane Fonda makes an outstanding comeback in Moisés Kaufman’s new Broadway play 33 Variations. Ms. Fonda plays Dr. Katherine Brandt, a mother and musicologist who embarks on a journey to discover the mystery behind Beethoven’s obsession with “a grain of sand” waltz by Diabelli. While on this journey, Katherine discovers the love that exists between mother and daughter as well as friends and lovers.

While struggling with the acceptance of her terminal diagnosis, Katherine and her daughter Clara are finally able to understand each other. As their relationship is reborn, Clara is able to grow on her own and allow someone else into her life. Katherine travels to Austria in order to see into the mind of Beethoven. The audience is able to watch Beethoven struggle with composing as Katherine questions why the maestro would take on such a trivial piece of music.

When the two worlds collide, the real connection between Beethoven and this simple waltz is apparent – it is not until Katherine is truly able to comprehend the simplicity and beauty of the work that she is finally able to truly understand her daughter.

33 Variations has dynamic energy and passion. Katherine and Clara as an example of any mother and daughter who just can’t seem to break through to each other. This play exceeds its potential with strong actors and even stronger writing. It transcends age, gender and style and brings classical music into a forum where even hip-hop obsessed teens can appreciate the sheer beauty of the works.

How to see the show: $30 student rush tickets with ID • Eugene O'Neill Theatre, 230 W. 49th St. Visit www.33variations.com for schedule and more info.

Exit the King

by Ben Ellentuck

Ionesco’s absurdist masterpiece Exit the King is back on Broadway and not a moment too soon.

Geoffrey Rush stars as the narcissistic King Berenger, whose ineptitude has left his kingdom on the brink of ruin. In his circus of a royal court—where actors sport more makeup than Michael Jackson—the King’s first wife, Queen Marguerite (Susan Sarandon) and his conniving doctor/executioner/astronomer/advisor (William Sadler) try to convince him that he and his kingdom will die in 90 minutes, and therefore must relinquish control of the kingdom and himself.

As King Berenger, Rush is an absolutely hysterical diva. Reminiscent of a tipsy grandmother, he delivers a tour-de-force performance of comedic and poignant proportions. Sarandon shines in a affecting turn at the end of the evening, helping Berenger truly evolve into the next stage of his existence. Lauren Ambrose (of Six Feet Under fame) provides a satirical contrast with her thanklessly melodramatic Queen Marie, the King’s significantly younger second wife (and main love interest). Neil Armfield’s direction is solid, building nicely towards a disturbing conclusion.

At the end of the evening, there is one man who rises above all others. Known as the father of the Theatre of the Absurd, Ionesco reigns supreme. The new translation (by Rush and Armfield) is adequate, despite some cheap twenty-first century references. Ionesco’s surreal masterpiece is too good for such unnecessary distractions. His material floats fluidly between comedy and tragedy, often occupying a snug space encompassing both territories. Ionesco shows a human side to our leaders that is just as relevant today as it was in 1962, the year the play first premiered. The conflicts are riveting because the characters' desires are simple and crystal clear. Ionesco's perfect grounding allows him flexibility with structure, language and theatricality—all while keeping us thoroughly engaged.

The end result? Go see it for yourself!

How to see the show: $26.50 student rush tickets with ID • Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St. Visit www.exitthekingonbroadway.com for schedule and more information.

August: Osage County

By Amalia Queller

Have you ever…thought that your family was crazy?


August: Osage County shows a dysfunctional family dealing with drug use, incest, infidelity and death. Even if your family hasn’t experienced any of these issues, you will still be able to relate to the characters–whether as the granddaughter sneaking out of the house to smoke pot or the home health aid caught in the middle of another family’s conflicts. All of the drama (and there is a lot of it) takes place under one roof, a hot house on the plains of Oklahoma–important not only as a location, but also as a state of mind.

All of the actors deliver compelling performances, especially Estelle Parsons. She plays Violet, the controlling and pill-popping grandmother at the helm of the family, who is able to manipulate her relatives through guilt and aggression, which only causes pain to everyone in her path.

As the family problems and secrets come to the surface, some relationships grow stronger while others are lost forever. After seeing this play, I felt grateful for the simpler dysfunction of my family.
How to see the show: $29.50 student rush tickets with ID • Music Box Theatre, 239 W. 45th St. Visit www.augustonbroadway.com for schedule and more information.

Ruined

By Amy Leon

Have you ever…felt unsafe in your environment?

Ruined is a captivating play that forces you to face the realities of both physical and psychological violence.


Inside the walls of Mama Nadi's bar and brothel, we witness the problems that arise for women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during civil war. This violence is in contrast with the music and dancing that fill the bar and shed light on the culture of the DRC in a very natural way.

Mama Nadi has taken in three new girls, though it is unclear whether for profit or protection. The women are constantly “visited” by soldiers from both sides of the fighting; men who feel entitled to brutalize, rape and dehumanize the women to the point of ruin.

I recommend Ruined, however be prepared for its intensity. Even though it deals with a subject the world is afraid to publicize, I think it is important to face the darker parts of the world we live in.

How to see the show: New York City Center, Stage I, 131 W. 55th St. Visit www.mtc-nyc.org for schedule and more information.

UnCensored

By Derick Sherrier

Have you ever…really been heard?

If you only had one word left, what would you say?

Theatre, a place for exploration and creativity, is where actors can truly discover themselves—UNCENSORED gives us that opportunity.

Members of the MCC Youth Company, comprised entirely of NYC high school students, spend months after school creating monologues, scenes and poems about our lives. Some of these pieces become part of UNCENSORED, the Youth Company’s annual spring performance.

Having a piece in UNCENSORED is an amazing feeling because it is something that you have created, literally leaping from paper to stage and announcing itself. Every word and sentence of each piece is chosen carefully; we fine-tune our pieces and play around with the language and staging in order to find the best representation of our work. Sometimes we find that a piece is stronger when other voices are involved, so a monologue might be broken up for three people to say. The hardest part of the process is hearing that one of your pieces will be cut. It’s frustrating, but sometimes less is more.

Being in UNCENSORED is letting your voice be heard.

How to see the show: April 23-25 & April 30-May 2 at 7pm · $5 student tickets · Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street. Visit http://www.mcctheatre.com/youthcompany/performances.html

Garden of Earthly Delights

by Claire Pienaar

Have you ever…felt good and evil in the same day?

Garden of Earthly Delights combines dance and theatre to interpret a triptych (three-section painting) painted by Hieronymus Bosch. The abstract choreography has deep biblical symbolism as the characters travel between heaven, earth and hell.


Dancers were lifted into the air, sometimes high above the audience. Musicians wove in and out among the dancers shrouded in monk robes, at points even dancing themselves. In one instance, the spotlight was focused on a dancer attempting to seduce a cellist in order to take his bow. The cellist impaled the girl in the stomach with his bow and continued to play.

At times, the movement was hard to follow. When all fourteen cast members were on stage doing something different, it was difficult to know where to look.


I recommend Garden of Earthly Delights to people who appreciate modern dance, complex symbolism, or just something distinctive and strange. If you have conflicts with simulated nudity and sexuality, or find it hard to comprehend conceptual performances, then this might not be the best show to see.

How to see the show: $30 student rush tickets • Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane. Visit www.gardenofearthlydelightsnyc.com for schedule and more information.

Shrek the Musical

By Monikha Reyes

Have you ever…felt like you weren’t normal?

Shrek the Musical brings out the child in all of us. Sticking closely to the popular book and movies, this modern fairytale shows the importance of never judging a human, animal or ogre by its exterior. Shrek is forced to rescue Princess Fiona in order to keep his swamp to himself and on his journey learns to accept himself and the creatures around him.

Princess Fiona, the alternative damsel in distress played by Sutton Foster, is quite a character. She tries to be the perfect princess by sitting still and looking pretty, but all she really wants to do is burp and fart. She feels comfortable and happy with Shrek, but these feels conflict with what she’s always believed.

Sutton Foster took a moment to talk to PxP about her role in the new musical.

What is the message of Shrek?

Shrek is about not judging a book by its cover. It’s all about misconceptions – the big bad wolf isn’t really bad, the wicked witch isn’t really wicked and the princess isn’t all she seems. It’s all about embracing who are you are on the inside and letting your freak flag fly!

How does Princess Fiona define beauty?

Fiona struggles with this. She’s raised as a princess and to believe all of the storybooks that she grows up reading in her tower. It’s confusing for her. She thinks that she has to be this one way, but yet constantly struggles with it. By meeting and falling in love with Shrek, she learns to truly accept who she is on the inside. Shrek says a beautiful line to her at the end of the show:

“Once upon a time to look like us would be a pity,
But now we know that beautiful ain’t always pretty.”

She finally realizes that to be truly beautiful, you don’t have to look a certain way. You can be beautiful in many ways.

Can you relate to Fiona in that way?

Absolutely! I think we all can. As women, we’re surrounded by magazines telling us what’s supposed to be beautiful or sexy or attractive or desirable, and we have to work very hard to find strength and our individuality and to be confident with who we are and what we look like.

Being an actor, people have preconceptions of what I’m supposed to look like or what I’m supposed to be like, and I’m all about just trying to be as authentic to myself as possible.

What is it like to burp and fart onstage?

It’s always been a dream of mine. My favorite part of it is the way that the audience responds. They often can’t believe that it’s happening! It’s really fun just to be able to tilt your butt.

I think that scene’s pretty ingenious. I just love that it becomes a fart-off. It begins as a challenge, but Shrek and Fiona realize what they have in common and fall in love with each other. It’s so ridiculous, but pretty great.

Did you see the movie before you started to work on Shrek?

I’ve only seen the first one.

Has that influenced your interpretation of Princess Fiona?

Definitely. I feel like these characters were created so iconically, so my job was to honor a character already created. At the same time, going from an animated film to a live theatrical production, we had a lot of creative license to really make the characters our own. It was nice to have a template to bounce off of while bringing the characters to physical life.

What do you think makes a hero?

I think a true hero is someone who’s true to themselves and true to their friends and is kind. That’s what Shrek is. It’s not about scaling tours or fighting dragons – it’s about trying and dreaming big and being authentic.

What advice do you have for young artists?

Take as many opportunities as you can. Never stop learning. Learn from your peers and also from your teachers. Be kind to the people you work with. Be open to new ideas, new ways of thinking. Always be really willing to learn.

How to see the show: $26.50 lottery rush at M&M’s World, 1600 Broadway; $36.50 student rush • Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway. For schedule and more information, visit www.shrekthemusical.com

The Play Was...

What's another way to say that you liked or hated a play?
Ploggers brainstormed some creative responses:

The Play Was "Good"
OMG!
The play was bitchin’
The play was energizing and invigorating.
Spectacular! Stupendous! A marvel of the modern stage!
The play was engaging.
It positively penetrated my soul.
The play was sassy!
Colorful.
The play was like the cherry on top of an ice cream cake!
The play was phenomenal.
The play was delicious!
Awww-some!
LMAO! LMFAO! OMG! OMFG!
The play was thought provoking.
The play was unlike most.
Dazzling.
Had the time of my life!
The play made me salivate with joy!
Visually stimulating.
The play was mind boggling fun!
Unbelievable!
Fab!
There were so many captivating moments.
I want to go see it again!
The play was o-o-okay.
The play was intellectually stimulating.
I have never seen a production quite like this.
It was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
I am speechless.
The play stimulated me mentally.
The play intertwined my being (in a good way).
It was out of the world.
I was glued to that stage.
It touched me.
Socially relevant.
Extremely memorable.
The play was mentally captivating.

The Play Was "Bad"

The play did not meet my ecstatic expectations.
Horrid!
The play was grotesque!
The play was disgusting!
The play was bleh.
Sucked balls.
The play was atrocious.
It tried too hard.
If my life depended on the plays outcome I would have died.
That play wasted 3 hours of my life.
Arrgh.
The play let me down.
I was so disappointed!
Despicable.
Surprisingly, the play had a way of crushing my interest.
Ruptured my heart
I might have been killed by that.
I died a little inside…
I felt like I lost a piece of my soul.
This was a waste!
The play was horrific!
The play was atrocious and abominable.
Patronizing, overly-pretentious.
This play was not meant to be publicly presented for a reason.
This play tries too much.
The play was dreadfully boring.
Alienating, forgettable, sleep inducing.
It corrupted my innocent soul and mind.
My eyes and ears may never again function.
The play made my brain hurt.
This is a play?

Add your own responses in the comments!

Othello

by Sarah Abdalla

Othello is about a black leader in a white society. Shakespeare touches on many issues, including gender, race, social class and betrayal.

The relationship between Othello and Desdemona is extremely significant because a white woman like Desdemona was expected to marry a white man. Being in an interracial couple has never been easy, but Othello and Desdemona have a particularly difficult time. Had Othello not maintained a high status that put him in the top social class, he would not have been able to marry a girl like Desdemona.

Other characters, such as Bianca and Emilia, forced me to question the role of woman. Othello made me realize that women have come a long way. For the most part, women are respected and treated equally in today’s society. We are definitely a progressive nation.

Overall, I recommend Othello and think that that it was well done. The set was really simple and the acting was tremendous. It did feel long at some points, but with the music and the action, I felt like I was living it!

That is why I love theater – you can release the other thoughts and worries that occupy your mind and become a part of the action in front of you.

$10 Student Tickets! Visit http://www.tfana.org/othello.html for more information.

Freshwater

by Mariana Quinn-Makwaia

As I stepped into the Julia Miles Theater, I was greeted by the sound of cicadas. A colorful quilt was hung across the stage as a makeshift curtain and the lighting was designed in such a way that I could almost feel a warm summer breeze - a nice change from the harshness of the weather outside.

Freshwater by Virginia Woolf is about a model, Ellen, and the eccentric artists that she lives with—a photographer, a philosopher, a poet and a painter (her husband). Ellen feels suffocated and yearns for a simpler life, and when she receive a love note from a young sailor, she decides to take her chances.

The comedy was endless. Characters broke from their Victorian accents to drop a side note to the audience in an American drawl, causing a wave of laughter as the actor jumped back into a dramatic rant.

Most of Freshwater was movement and monologues; the dialogue was mostly between the two romantic leads when they met halfway into the play. The physical comedy was fantastic. It was as if the director, Anne Bogart, told each actor to try to upstage anyone speaking. For example, while one actor spoke, another was at the top of a ladder with a wizard's hat on.

Freshwater is a short and delightful play. Every problem is solved with silliness and a constant pulse of wit and intelligence.

$20 Rush Tickets – visit www.womensproject.org for more information.