this week in theater

TICKET GIVEAWAY: CONSENT

Susie (Angela Pierce) and Ron (Mark McCullough Thomas) share a tense moment in David Rhodes’s CONSENT

CONSENT
The Black Box Theatre
The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre
111 West 46th St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
Tuesday – Sunday through June 28, $60-$100 ($35-$85 with discount code UWANT2)
866-811-4111
www.consenttheplay.com

The matter of “consent” is a complex subject, one that writer-director David Rhodes explores in his new play, simply titled Consent. “Relationships can be incredibly sexy, but also incredibly scary, navigating power dynamics and personal needs while getting to know each other,” he says about the play in a statement. “My goal with Consent is to explore issues surrounding primal desire, vulnerability, passion, and shame and to let the audience make up their own minds as to what transpired.” In the play, Mark McCullough Thomas stars as Ron, an architect and former NFL player who has just come out as gay. The dramatic change in his life has an effect on his relationships with Emily (Catherine Curtin), Kurt (Michael Goldstein), and Susie (Angela Pierce), leading to professional and personal twists and tangles. Consent is written and directed by Rhodes, who has previously written and starred in the solo shows I’m Telling You and Rites of Privacy. The scenic design is by Scott Tedmon-Jones, with lighting by John Eckert, sound by Chad Raines of the punk band the Simple Pleasure, and video projection by Chelsie McPhilimy.

TICKET GIVEAWAY: Consent is running through June 28 at the Black Box Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center, and twi-ny has three pairs of tickets to give away for free for performances through June 21. Just send your name and daytime phone number to contest@twi-ny.com by Monday, June 8, at 3:00 to be eligible. All entrants must be twenty-one years of age or older; three winners will be selected at random.

THE 2015 TONY AWARDS

CURIOUS INCIDENT is nominated for six Tony Awards (photo by Joan Marcus)

Radio City Music Hall
1260 Sixth Ave. at 50th St.
Sunday, June 7, red carpet 5:30, show 8:00
www.tonyawards.com
www.radiocity.com

The 2014-15 Broadway season was a strong one, breaking records for both gross and attendance. Quality was up as well as quantity, with a bevy of musicals and plays worthy of high praise indeed. The Tonys will be handed out on Sunday night at Radio City, and below are my predictions for who will take home the prize, named after actress, director, and producer Antoinette Perry, the cofounder of the American Theatre Wing. In addition, you can read my review of every nominated show (save for one) here.

BEST PLAY
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Disgraced
Hand to God
Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
What Should Win: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, an utterly dazzling theatrical experience (by the way, was there really no room for Airline Highway in this category?)
What Will Win: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a treat for the eyes, ears, and brain

BEST MUSICAL
An American in Paris
Fun Home
Something Rotten!
The Visit
What Should Win: Fun Home, because there’s nothing else quite like it
What Will Win: Something Rotten!, because it’s a clever Shakespearean musical that rewards the audience’s love of theater

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
The Elephant Man
Skylight
This Is Our Youth
You Can’t Take It with You
What Should Win: This Is Our Youth, a powerful drama that not enough voters will remember (and hey, what about It’s Only a Play?)
What Will Win: You Can’t Take It with You, because it has aged so surprisingly well

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
The King and I
On the Town
On the Twentieth Century
What Should Win: On the Twentieth Century, for its sheer glee and love of life
What Will Win: The King and I, because it’s The King and I

FUN HOME made a wildly successful move from the Public to Circle in the Square (photo by Joan Marcus)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE
Fun Home, music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Lisa Kron
The Last Ship, music and lyrics by Sting
Something Rotten!, music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
The Visit, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb
What Should Win: Fun Home, because of its originality and daring
What Will Win: Something Rotten!, because it’s a celebration of all things Broadway

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Steven Boyer, Hand to God
Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
Ben Miles, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
Bill Nighy, Skylight
Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Who Should Win: Sharp, who boggles the mind as a boy on the autism spectrum, although Boyer is outrageous as a puppet-obsessed boy on the edge
Who Will Win: Sharp, in a very strong category where all are deserving

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Geneva Carr, Hand to God
Helen Mirren, The Audience
Elisabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
Carey Mulligan, Skylight
Ruth Wilson, Constellations
Who Should Win: Mulligan, who is sensational as a single woman coming to terms with her life
Who Will Win: Mirren, because she’s royalty on both sides of the pond

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
Brian d’Arcy James, Something Rotten!
Ken Watanabe, The King and I
Tony Yazbeck, On the Town
Who Should Win: Cerveris, who gives a complex, nuanced performance as a closeted husband and father
Who Will Win: Fairchild, who brings balletic elegance to Broadway while paying homage to Gene Kelly

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century
Leanne Cope, An American in Paris
Beth Malone, Fun Home
Kelli O’Hara, The King and I
Chita Rivera, The Visit
Who Should Win: Chenoweth, who is an unstoppable force of nature
Who Will Win: Chenoweth, because there’s just no stopping her

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Matthew Beard, Skylight
K. Todd Freeman, Airline Highway
Richard McCabe, The Audience
Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man
Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
Micah Stock, It’s Only a Play
Who Should Win: Parker, for his novel, downright friendly interpretation of King Henry VIII, although Freeman and McCabe are exceptional as well
Who Will Win: Freeman, who is beguiling as transgender Sissy Na Na

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You
Patricia Clarkson, The Elephant Man
Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
Sarah Stiles, Hand to God
Julie White, Airline Highway
Who Should Win: White, for her poignant portrayal of a brave woman struggling to get by day by day
Who Will Win: Clarkson, for her poignant portrayal of the brave woman who looks into John Merrick’s soul

Brad Oscar tries to predict the Tony future for him and Brian d’Arcy James in SOMETHING ROTTEN! (photo by Joan Marcus)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century
Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!
Brandon Uranowitz, An American in Paris
Max von Essen, An American in Paris
Who Should Win: Oscar, for joyfully going way over the top as the other Nostradamus
Who Will Win: Karl, who has quickly become a Broadway favorite

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Victoria Clark, Gigi
Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
Sydney Lucas, Fun Home
Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I
Emily Skeggs, Fun Home
Who Should Win: Lucas, for her marvelous turn as the youngest Alison Bechdel
Who Will Win: Lucas, who has a charming presence beyond her years

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Stephen Daldry, Skylight
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Scott Ellis, You Can’t Take It with You
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to God
Who Should Win: Elliott, for the wildly inventive and constantly awe-inspiring Curious Incident
Who Will Win: Elliott, the mastermind behind an unforgettable production

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Sam Gold, Fun Home
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
John Rando, On the Town
Bartlett Sher, The King and I
Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Who Should Win: Gold, for reinventing Fun Home on its move from the Public to Broadway
Who Will Win: Sher, for his third straight beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein revival at Lincoln Center

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Joshua Bergasse, On the Town
Christopher Gattelli, The King and I
Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Who Should Win: Wheeldon, who has brought ballet back to Broadway
Who Will Win: Wheeldon, for his ingenuity and craftsmanship

WOLF HALL: PARTS ONE AND TWO

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s WOLF HALL and BRING UP THE BODIES begins with music and dance before moving on to more dangerous activities (photo by Johan Persson)

Winter Garden Theatre
1634 Broadway between 50th & 51st Sts.
Wednesday – Sunday through July 5, $49.75-$122
wolfhallbroadway.com

Last season the Brits thrilled Broadway with Shakespeare’s Globe’s doubleheader of Twelfth Night and Richard III, performed as they were in the Bard’s time. This season’s biggest British theatrical event is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s twin bill — but this time they’re not doing Shakespeare. Instead, the Royal Shakespeare Company brings us its widely hailed stage production of Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker Prize–winning novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, set in the just pre-Elizabethan England of Henry VIII. The two plays, which run more than five hours together and can be seen either on separate nights or the same day (matinee and evening, with a break in between), follow the trials and tribulations of lawyer Thomas Cromwell (Ben Miles), a blacksmith’s son, as he deals with Cardinal Wolsey’s (Paul Jesson) battle with King Henry VIII (Nathaniel Parker), who wants an annulment from his marriage to Katherine of Aragon (Lucy Briers) so he can wed Anne Boleyn (Lydia Leonard) to provide an heir to the throne. The based-on-fact intrigue also involves the conniving, ambitious Stephen Gardiner (Matthew Pidgeon), the dangerous Sir Thomas More (John Ramm), the soon-to-be Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (Giles Taylor), Henry’s former mistress Mary Boleyn (Olivia Darnley), and untrustworthy court musician Mark Smeaton (Joey Batey). In the first part, Cromwell tries to balance his life with his wife, Lizzie Wykys (Darnley), and children, Gregory (Daniel Fraser) and Grace, while negotiating between the cardinal and the king. In the second part, Cromwell’s power has grown, as he is now adviser to the king, who has married Anne. But Cromwell has learned that the new queen, who has been unable to produce a surviving male heir, might have been unfaithful to the king, who has turned his attention to Jane Seymour (Leah Brotherhead). It all comes to a head in a gripping scene in which Cromwell grills the men who have purportedly bedded down with the queen.

Thomas Cromwell (Ben Miles) battles with Anne Boleyn (Lydia Leonard) in second part of WOLF HALL (photo by Johan Persson)

Expertly adapted by Mike Poulton (A Tale of Two Cities, Fortune’s Fool), the stage version of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies is very different from the recent six-part Masterpiece television series, which stars Rylance as Cromwell, Damian Lewis as Henry VIII, and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn. Director Jeremy Herrin (The Nether, The Absence of War) keeps things stark and spare, with all of the action taking place on Christopher Oram’s minimalist set, which is usually empty, save for an occasional chair, desk, or table. Scene changes are indicated by Paule Constable’s lighting and the actors walking to the edge of the stage, then turning back around. Oram’s costumes are elegant and dramatic, seeming to have stepped right out of classic historical paintings. The rounded front of the stage juts out into the audience, making for a spectacularly intimate experience, particularly for those in the first few rows. The acting is exceptional, led by Miles’s (The Norman Conquests, Betrayal) sensational portrayal of the complex Cromwell, who would make quite a chief of staff in contemporary America. Parker (The Audience, Speed-the-Plow) is a marvelously devious Henry VIII, Briers (Top Girls, Some Kind of Bliss) is fiery as the embittered Katherine, Jesson (The Normal Heart, Mr. Turner) brings a warm sense of humor to the cardinal, and Joshua Silver, in his Broadway debut, is steadfast as Cromwell’s loyal ward and chief clerk, Rafe Sadler. Jealousy, desire, power, ambition, and vainglory collide in Wolf Hall Parts One & Two, another must-see theatrical event from across the pond.

AN ACT OF GOD

God takes over the body of Jim Parsons in sinful new Broadway comedy (photo by Jeremy Daniel, 2015)

Studio 54
254 West 54th St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
Tuesday – Sunday through August 2, $55-$159
212-719-1300
anactofgod.com

In the chapter “Sacred Word, Profane Image” in her book Taboo Memories, Diasporic Voices, author Ella Shohat writes, “Although according to the Bible God made man in his own image, a few films have projected God in man’s image, making casting an unusually difficult task,” citing portrayals of the Supreme Being by George Burns, Vittorio de Sica, Robert Mitchum, Morgan Freeman, Alanis Morissette, and others. David Javerbaum’s devilishly funny new Broadway comedy, An Act of God, addresses that right at the outset, as Jim Parsons descends from the heavens to take a seat on a couch and chat with the audience. “I reside in all forms, yet my essence is formless, for I transcend all dualities, including that of form and formlessness,” God (Parsons) explains. “Yet tonight I have chosen to appear in form; specifically that of beloved television star Jim Parsons. For lo, I have endowed him with a winning, likable personality; and know of a certainty that your apprehension of My depthless profundities will be aided by his offbeat charm. And then, the irony of him starring in a show called The Big Bang Theory . . . I just couldn’t resist.” For the next ninety minutes, a primarily relaxed, easygoing Almighty presents a revised and updated version of the Ten Commandments for the twenty-first century, with the help of archangels Gabriel (Tim Kazurinsky) and Michael (Christopher Fitzgerald). While Gabriel reads passages from the Bible, Michael roams the audience, taking questions, starting out with innocuous queries but quickly getting into much larger metaphysical and existential matters of the universe as God addresses slavery, abortion, evolution, homosexuality, prayer, the Holocaust, incest, masturbation, Noah, Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, the history of Studio 54, and cell phones, all with tongue firmly planted in cheek. But as charming and friendly as he can be, this God can also show his wrath when necessary.

Archangels Gabriel (Tim Kazurinsky) and Michael (Christopher Fitzgerald) pose for a selfie with the Supreme Being (photo by Jeremy Daniel, 2015)

Just as former Daily Show head writer Javerbaum’s book on which the play is based, The Last Testament: With 100 Top Tweets from @TheTweetOfGod, was billed as “A Memoir by God,” An Act of God is “A One-God Show” starring the Supreme Being Himself; He even gets His own paragraph in the Playbill, identifying Him as the Creator and pointing out that this “is His first work written directly for the stage.” Emmy winner Parsons, who dealt with another imaginary figure on Broadway in 2012 when he starred as Elwood P. Dowd in the Roundabout revival of Harvey, in which his character has a giant invisible rabbit for a best friend, is appealing and charismatic as the Lord, wearing sneakers with his long white robe and pushing the merch. He has the audience eating out of the palms of his hands from the get-go, and it willingly gives him the benefit of the doubt even when the script gets too clever for its own good or plays too fast and loose with some very serious subjects. SNL vet Kazurinsky (Police Academy) and two-time Tony nominee Fitzgerald (Finian’s Rainbow, Young Frankenstein) are fine foils for Parsons, the former standing steadfastly at his podium, worshiping his Bible, the latter moving about like Phil Donahue or Jerry Springer, ultimately angering his boss when demanding deeper insight. Tony-winning director Joe Mantello (Airline Highway, Other Desert Cities) maintains a graceful pace on Tony favorite Scott Pask’s (Pal Joey, The Book of Mormon) elegant set, highlighted by a staircase leading up to the stars (and evoking the Merrie Melodies logo), where Peter Nigrini’s projections add an extra touch. The breezy show might not quite answer the questions of the universe that have perplexed humankind throughout the centuries, but An Act of God is a wickedly sinful way to laugh your head off at the foibles of our modern-day, religion-crazed culture, where even the Almighty can be a celebrity.

QUEEN OF THE NIGHT

The Queen of the Night (Katherine Crockett) greets her loyal subjects in immersive theatrical event (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Diamond Horseshoe, Paramount Hotel
235 West 46th St. between Broadway & Eighth Aves.
Tuesday – Sunday through June 28, $195-$475
212-706-7448
queenofthenightnyc.com
www.diamondhorseshoe.com

“This is the best dinner theater ever,” my companion said to me about halfway through Queen of the Night, the immersive, all-inclusive presentation running at the resurrected Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel. The six-thousand-square-foot nightclub, which was opened by impresario Billy Rose in 1938 and hosted many a celebrity and performer until its closing in 1951, is now home to the decadently delightful Queen of the Night, a three-hour affair inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute and the real-life adventures of the Marchesa Luisa Casati, the Italian heiress, patron, muse, and original female dandy who once declared, “I want to be a living work of art.” And that’s exactly what she is in the show, as portrayed by Martha Graham veteran Katherine Crockett in a tantalizing mask and an elegant, dramatic flowing white gown accessorized by two life-size sculptures of caressing gold hands. The abstract narrative ostensibly follows young initiate Pamina (Valerie Benoit-Charbonneau), the Marchesa’s daughter, who is caught between the sorcerer Sarastro (Will Underwood) and her true love, Tamino (Tristan Nielsen). But Queen of the Night is really about lavish spectacle, as minor characters perform dazzling acrobatics, diving through hoops, climbing poles, juggling unusual objects, riding a Cyr wheel, and dangling from the ceiling from aerial silk. (The circus elements come courtesy of Shana Carroll and her Montreal troupe Les 7 Doigts de la Main, including Olaf Triebel, Emilie Desvergne, and Zia Zhengqi; members of the company also appear in Diane Paulus’s current revival of Pippin.)

The audience sits around the central stage at the renovated and restored Diamond Horseshoe (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Ultimately, how much you enjoy Queen of the Night is up to you; the more adventurous and open you are to just about anything, the more unpredictable and exciting the experience will be. Upon entering the transformed, glittering nightclub, you are encouraged to explore, and explore you should, checking out every nook and cranny that security allows; you’ll find strange artifacts of a time gone by, perhaps get picked to pay tribute to the queen, and maybe even help shave Pamina’s legs in a bathtub while a man reads from a book about the G-spot. During the show, you are likely to get stroked by various servant-slave butlers or the queen herself and might also be chosen to take part in some of the wild activities going on around the stage. And if you want to taste all of the food — the kitchen serves salmon Wellington, chicken, and lamb you slice yourself, with various accompaniments — you’ll have to get up from your table and trade portions with strangers.

Performers get up close and personal in immersive QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Conceived by Randy Weiner, the producer of the Macbeth-inspired Sleep No More and cocreator (with Paulus, his wife) of the Midsummer Night’s Dream-based The Donkey Show, Queen of the Night is directed by Tony-nominated scenic designer Christine Jones (Spring Awakening, American Idiot), who is also currently helming the very different Theatre for One piece I’m Not the Stranger You Think I Am, a show of minimalist five-minute one-actor plays by famous playwrights for one audience member at a time. QOTN requires somewhat more intensive staging than that: Also deserving praise are lighting designer Austin R. Smith, fashion designer Thom Browne, set (and scent?!) designer Douglas Little, choreographer Lorin Latarro, interior designer Meg Sharpe, creative director Giovanna Battaglia, and executive chef Jason Kallert. As immersive theater goes, Queen of the Night has it all, mixing contemporary dance, acrobatics, fab costumes, magic, audience participation, and good food. There are three ticket levels, Gala ($195), Premium ($275), and Ultimate ($475), each of which comes with dinner but otherwise includes different amenities, seating, and access. If you allow yourself to get swept up in all the titillating pageantry, well, Queen of the Night just might be the best dinner theater ever.

FREE SUMMER THEATER 2015

New York Classical Theatre holds its first read-through of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, which they will bring to multiple parks this summer (photo courtesy of New York Classical Theatre)

What can compare to free open-air Shakespeare in a New York park on a midsummer night? The annual season celebrating the Bard all around the city has just begun, with presentations from such companies and organizations as New York Classical Theatre, Smith Street Stage, Boomerang, the all-female Manhattan Shakespeare Project, Hudson Warehouse, Hip to Hip, the Public Theater, and SummerStage. All of the below events are free, but, as always, Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte requires same-day ticketing. Don’t miss out on this city tradition; otherwise, as Will wrote in Sonnet 65: “O, how shall summer’s honey breath hold out / Against the wreckful siege of batt’ring days, / When rocks impregnable are not so stout, / Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?”

Friday, May 15
through
Saturday, May 31
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: Two Gentlemen of Verona, by the Drilling Company, directed by Hamilton Clancy, Bryant Park, Fridays & Saturdays at 6:30, Sundays at 2:00

Tuesday, May 26
Wednesday, May 27
Thursday, May 28
through
Sunday, June 28
New York Classical Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, Central Park, 103rd St. & Central Park West, Thursday – Sunday at 7:00

Wednesday, May 27
through
Sunday, July 5
Shakespeare in the Park: The Tempest, starring Jordan Barrow, Louis Cancelmi, Francesca Carpanini, Nicholas Christopher, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Chloe Fox, Rosharra Francis, Thomas Gibbons, Frank Harts, Sunny Hitt, Brandon Kalm, Olga Karmansky, Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Rico Lebron, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Tim Nicolai, Matthew Oaks, Charles Parnell, Chris Perfetti, Rodney Richardson, Laura Shoop, Cotter Smith, Sam Waterston, and Bernard White, directed by Michael Greif, Delacorte Theater, Central Park, 8:00

Wednesday, June 3
through
Saturday, June 20
Inwood Shakespeare Festival: Hamlet, by the Moose Hall Theatre Company, Inwood Hill Park Peninsula, 7:30

Wednesday, June 3
through
Sunday, July 26
Manhattan Shakespeare Project: The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Kate Holland, Central Park Summit Rock (June 3, 11, 25, 26, 28), Astoria Park (TBA), St. Nicholas Park (June 18, 20), Sunset Park (June 19, 21, 27), Morningside Park (July 9, 10, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25, 26), 6:00

Thursday, June 4
through
Sunday, June 28
Hudson Warehouse: Henry IV Part I, with Steve Guttenberg, directed by Nicholas Martin-Smith, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park, Thursday – Sunday at 6:30

Friday, June 5
SummerStage: Lemon Anderson ToasT, plus #LoveHustle with DJ Reborn and J. Keys, Red Hook Park, 7:00

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe will feature Elaine Del Valle’s BROWNSVILLE BRED in Betsy Head Park on June 13 (photo by Ron Marotta)

Saturday, June 13
SummerStage: Nuyorican Poets Cafe featuring Elaine Del Valle’s Brownsville Bred, Betsy Head Park, 7:00

Saturday, June 20
through
Sunday, July 19
Boomerang Theatre Company: Cymbeline, Central Park (69th St. & Central Park West), Saturdays & Sundays at 2:00

Tuesday, June 23, 30
Wednesday, June 24 & July 1
New York Classical Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, Prospect Park, enter at Grand Army Plaza, 7:00

Thursday, June 25, 4:00 (open dress rehearsal)
Friday, June 26, 4:00
Saturday, June 27, 2:00
Sunday, June 28, 2:00
River to River: Love of a Poet, by John Kelly, Arts Center, Governors Island, advance RSVP required

Tuesday, June 30
through
Sunday, July 19
Shakespeare in Carroll Park: Henry IV (Parts 1 & 2) by Smith Street Stage, directed by Joby Earle, bring your own seating, Carroll Park, 6:30 or 8:00

Thursday, July 2
through
Sunday, July 26
Hudson Warehouse: She Stoops to Conquer, directed by Ian Harkins, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park, Thursday – Sunday at 6:30

Thursday, July 2
through
Friday, August 7
Theatreworks USA: Skippyjon Jones Snow What (& the 7 Chihuahuas), Lucille Lortel Theatre, Sunday – Friday, times vary

Sunday, July 5
through
Sunday, July 26
SummerStage: The Tempest by Classical Theatre of Harlem, directed by Carl Cofield, Marcus Garvey Park, Tuesday – Sunday at 7:00

Wednesday, July 8
Friday, July 10
through
Sunday, July 12
New York Classical Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew, Teardrop Park, 7:00

Thursday, July 9
through
Saturday, July 26
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: As You Like It, by the Drilling Company, directed by Hamilton Clancy, Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, 114 Norfolk St., 8:00

Thursday, July 9
through
Thursday, August 13
Broadway in Bryant Park, Bryant Park Lawn, Thursdays at 12:30

Tuesday, July 14
through
Sunday, August 9
New York Classical Theatre: Measure for Measure, Battery Park by Castle Clinton, 7:00

Wednesday, July 15
through
Saturday, August 1
Inwood Shakespeare Festival: Henry IV, by the Moose Hall Theatre Company, Inwood Hill Park Peninsula, 7:30

Friday, July 17
through
Sunday, August 2
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: Romeo and Juliet, by the Drilling Company, directed by Dave Marantz, Bryant Park, Fridays & Saturdays at 6:30, Sundays at 2:00

Wednesday, July 22
through
Saturday, August 15
Hip to Hip Theatre Company: The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Merchant of Venice, performed in repertory in parks across the city, including Agawam Park, Crocheron Park, Cunningham Park, Forest Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, Socrates Sculpture Park, Sunnyside Gardens Park, and Van Cortlandt Park, preceded by Kids & the Classics, Wednesday – Sunday at different times

Thursday, July 23
through
Sunday, August 23
Shakespeare in the Park: Cymbeline, starring Hamish Linklater, Lily Rabe, Teagle F. Bougere, Kate Burton, Raúl Esparza, David Furr, Jacob Ming-Trent, Patrick Page, and Steven Skybell, directed by Daniel Sullivan, Delacorte Theater, Central Park, 8:00

Thursday, July 30
through
Sunday, August 23
Hudson Warehouse: Titus Andronicus, directed by Nicholas Martin-Smith, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park, Thursday – Sunday at 6:30

Friday, July 31
SummerStage: Mr. Joy by Daniel Beaty featuring Tangela Large, Clove Lakes Park, 7:00

Tuesday, August 11
Wednesday, August 12
Thursday, August 14
through
Sunday, August 16
New York Classical Theatre: Measure for Measure, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 7:00

Wednesday, August 12
SummerStage: The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 7:00

Thursday, August 13
and
Friday, August 14
SummerStage: The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music, preceded by a Master Class led by Darrin Henson, Marcus Garvey Park, 7:00

Friday, September 4
through
Sunday, September 20
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot: The Taming of the Shrew, by the Drilling Company, directed by Alessandro Colla, Bryant Park, Fridays & Saturdays at 6:30, Sundays at 2:00

DINNER WITH THE BOYS

Charlie (Dan Lauria), Big Anthony Jr. (Ray Abruzzo), and Dom (Richard Zavaglia) have a dinner to remember in the wilds of New Jersey (photo by Joan Marcus)

The Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row
410 West 42nd St. between Ninth & Tenth Aves.
Tuesday – Sunday through July 5, $75
212-560-2183
dinnerwiththeboysplay.com
www.theatrerow.org

I’ve never met Dan Lauria, best known for his role as the grumpy, put-upon father in The Wonder Years, but I get the impression that he’s a heckuva nice fella, the kind of a guy you wouldn’t mind sitting down and having dinner with. Lauria does just that in Dinner with the Boys, a slight but sweet mob comedy that he has written and is starring in at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row. Lauria, who has appeared on Broadway in the title role of Lombardi, playing the legendary Green Bay Packers coach, and as narrator Jean Shepherd in A Christmas Story: The Musical (no, the big lug doesn’t do any singing or dancing in the holiday show), wrote Dinner with the Boys as a vehicle for his friends Dom DeLuise, Charles Durning, Peter Falk, and Jack Klugman, but with those four no longer with us, the show is now a three-actor, four-character piece, featuring Lauria, Richard Zavaglia (Donnie Brasco), and Ray Abruzzo (The Sopranos). In a very suburban kitchen and small connected garden in the wilds of New Jersey (the set is designed by Jessica Parks, complete with a painting of the Last Supper and a framed photograph of Frank Sinatra), Charlie (Lauria) and Dom (Zavaglia) are living almost like husband and wife, cast off there after a mob hit went wrong. (Their names are tributes to Durning and DeLuise, spelled De Louise on the poster outside the theater.) Waiting for mob boss Big Anthony Jr. (Abruzzo), they talk over old times and wonder what the future holds, arguing like Felix and Oscar in The Odd Couple as longtime mob cook Dom prepares a very special dish. When Big Anthony Jr. arrives, Charlie turns into a pathetic, scared little boy as the boss, an angry man with a short fuse and a violent temper, rages on about the state of things — and what his plans are for the two men, which doesn’t exactly make them happy. But they’re not about to just sit back and let themselves get whacked.

Dom and Charlie dream about their future in DINNER WITH THE BOYS (photo by Joan Marcus)

Originally presented by NJ Rep in Long Branch, Dinner with the Boys is an intimate little story that gets lost in the Acorn. While plenty of the silly jokes and slapstick moments fall flat — oh, that poor zucchini — plenty of clever, funny exchanges that deserve bigger laughs end up buried like Charlie’s former partner, Leo. While it’s fun watching the interplay between the lovable Lauria and the adorable Zavaglia, Abruzzo is a disaster; director Frank Megna (Leather Heart) should have whacked his bombastic, cringe-worthy overacting, as Abruzzo devours a whole lot more than just the scenery. (His character would actually fit a lot better in another current mob tale, the very loud A Queen for a Day, which features a trio of Sopranos veterans.) It’s too bad, because somewhere in Dinner with the Boys is a tasty play, but only morsels satisfy in its current incarnation. On Tuesday nights, VIP packages ($129) include a postshow dinner with the cast at Tony’s Di Napoli, while Wednesday matinees (“Nonna’s Day”) come with a bottle of the Original Jersey Italian Gravy ($45-$55 with the code TRNONNA).