I recently spent 10 days in New York, staying with my brother and sister-in-law in Brooklyn. I managed to get to 9 shows while there, and this post will rank these shows from best to worst.

From left to right: Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez Photo: Monica Prendergast

This production, of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along took me off-guard, as it surprisingly makes it to the very top of my list. This was a masterful production featuring strong performances from the three leads and other smaller roles. This was one of Sondheim’s rare flops, although I learned from Sondheim himself, at a staged reading of the musical some years back, that he felt the show was cursed. In out of town tryouts, a dancer died when he fell into the pit. This tragedy marked the show, and it flopped in its first run on Broadway. There have been successful revivals over the years, but it’s hard to imagine one as good as this one. The backwards timeline of the story, telling the story of the friendship between Groff as composer Franklin Shepard, Radcliffe as lyricist and playwright Charley Kringas and Mary Flynn, a novelist and journalist, shows us how the friendship begins, and 20 years later, how it sadly ends.

From left to right, Michael Shannon, Jeff Biehl, Toussaint Francois Battiste, Ajay Naidu and Paul Sparks. Photo: Monica Prendergast

My second pick was a masterful production of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, starring Michael Shannon as Estragon and Paul Sparks as Vladimir. The production, directed by Arin Arbus at Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn, was wonderful. Both leads gave blistering performances, and I was reminded yet again, how important this towering play of the 20th century is, and will always be. The supporting performances by Ajay Naidu as Pozzo, Jeff Biehl as Lucky and Toussaint Francois Battiste as Boy, were all excellent. There are so many lines that resonate in this play, perhaps the most memorable being, “They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it’s night once more.” I also love it when the clowns ‘see’ the audience and judge it to be “a charnel house”.

Curtain call of Some Like it Hot. Photo: Monica Prendergast

Third pick, another pleasant surprise, was the musical version of the popular Jack Lemmon/Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe movie, Some Like it Hot. The show looked fabulous, with gorgeous costumes and sets, some fabulous tap dancing by the leads and the ensemble, and some songs that worked. Both of the lead performances, Christian Boyle as Joe/Josephine and J. Harrison Ghee as Jerry/Daphne were excellent, funny and even moving at times. Ghee won a Tony for their performance, one of the first non-binary performers to win. At the end of the show, we feel that Jerry will stay committed to being Daphne, shifting the story into the 21st century very well. The show also won a Tony for best choreography, and the dancing was thrilling, with tap dancing being the main form. Adrianna Hicks as Sugar was also very effective in her role. A winner!

Curtain call for The Frogs. Photo: Monica Prendergast

My fourth pick was a revival of Sondheim’s little-known musical The Frogs. The MasterVoices chorus, under the direction of artistic director Ted Sperling, presented a production of The Frogs at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Friday, November 3, and Saturday, November 4, 2023. The cast included Douglas Sills, Kevin Chamberlin, Marc Kudisch, Chuck Cooper, Peter Bartlett, Dylan Baker, Jordan Donica, Candice Corbin, and Nathan Lane. My sister-in-law and niece sing in MasterVoices, and it was such a pleasure to see and hear this musical, first performed, famously, at Yale University in 1974 in a swimming pool, featuring Meryl Streep. It was revived in 2004, with additional material by Nathan Lane, who played the Narrator in the performance. The show featured wonderful singing and dancing by a dance chorus, well-supported by the MasterVoices choir. I thoroughly enjoyed this show, which had some genuine laughs and looked like everyone involved was having a wonderful time.

Curtain call for Kimberly Akimbo. Photo: Monica Prendergast

Another wonderful show, coming in fifth! The show tells the story of a lonely teenage girl, Kimberly Levaco, who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age rapidly, thereby giving her the appearance of an elderly woman, and how, according to Playbill, “[f]orced to maneuver family secrets, borderline personalities, and possible felony charges, Kim is determined to find happiness in a world where not even time is on her side.” Victoria Clark plays the lead role, masterfully, earning her a Tony award for best leading actress performance and Bonnie Milligan, as Kimberly’s aunt Debra, a Tony for best supporting actress. The musical features some lovely songs and strong performances from Steven Boyer as Kimberly’s father and Alli Mauzey as her mother. The teen performers also shine in their roles. Another winner!

Oratorio Society of New York concert at Carnegie Hall

My sister-in-law also sings for the Oratorio Society of New York, and I was very happy to see her sing Bach’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall. Both pieces were sung beautifully, by both the choir and the supporting singers. A lovely concert!

Curtain call of Here We Are. Photo: Monica Prendergast

Seventh on my list was Sondheim’s final musical, Here We Are. Here We Are premiered at The Shed‘s Griffin Theatre in previews on September 28, 2023 and officially opened on October 22, 2023 running until January 21, 2024 (after being extended from January 7). The production, directed by Joe Mantello, features a cast including Francois Battiste, Tracie Bennett, Bobby Cannavale, Micaela Diamond, Amber Gray, Jin Ha, Rachel Bay Jones, Denis O’Hare, Steven Pasquale, David Hyde Pierce, and Jeremy Shamos. While ‘musical’ is a bit of a misnomer in this case, act one does feature some songs, while act two becomes more of a play. The musical was inspired by two Buñuel films, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel. The show follows a group of friends as they try to find a restaurant to eat brunch in on a Sunday morning. The play takes a dark turn as we realize this group has become trapped (by what? Their collective fears of the outside world perhaps?) in the embassy of the fictional country of Miranda. Unable to leave, they stew in their collective fears. Director Joe Mantello has a wonderful cast to work with here, including Bobby Cannavale and David Hyde Pierce. But overall, the so-called musical is a dark one, and not to everyone’s taste. I liked it, but its ranking tells the tale.

Curtain call for Shucked. Photo: Monica Prendergast

Eighth for me was the musical Shucked. While a pleasant way to spend the afternoon, the musical is very slight, centering on a small town in corn country where the corn is dying. Protagonists here are Maizy and Beau, who are engaged. But with the death of the corn, Maizy decides to leave Cob County to see if she can fix the corn. She travels to Tampa where she meets a podiatrist and con artist named Gordy. He agrees to go back with her to help her save the corn. When they arrive, Beau is very unhappy, especially as he sees Maizy getting closer to Gordy. Gordy tricks the town into believing he has cured the corn, but he hasn’t. Maizy and best friend Lulu have a falling out and further shenanigans ensue. At the end of the show, Maizy and Beau are back together and Gordy has taken up with Lulu. The show has some pleasant songs, and the cast give it their all (impressive for a Wednesday matinee!), but the overall impression is of a show that goes in one ear (sorry!) and out the other.

Curtain call for Daphne. Photo: Monica Prendergast

Last on my list was the play Daphne by Renae Simone Jarrett, performed at Lincoln Center. The synopsis of the play reads: “Daphne has left the city to live with her girlfriend Winona in the woods, and things in the house are beginning to sour. As the days slip through her fingers and a series of unsettling incidents make her question the boundaries of her reality, a strange transformation takes hold of Daphne’s body. Daphne is a surreal and moving new work about the stories we tell ourselves, and the moments we’re forced to choose between difficult truths and comfortable illusions.” That all sounds good, right? But the play itself I found confusing and frustrating. Described by critics as, “Endlessly engaging” and “An intriguing psychological puzzle”, I sometimes wondered if they saw the same play I did. While I thought the two leads were fine, Jasmine Batchelor as Daphne and Kelly McQuail as Winona, their relationship was never clear to me, as Winona seemed to dominate Daphne quite horribly. And while the show had the decency to be a one-act of 85 minutes, I never felt very engaged. Overall, a palpable miss! But a great set design.

So that’s it! My recent New York trip, ranked!

Left, Naomi Simpson as Annie; Right, Trevor Hinton as Paul (Photo credit: Times Colonist)

I saw the first performance of Misery on Tuesday night, based on the Stephen King novel and starring Naomi Simpson as Annie Wilkes and Trevor Hinton as Paul Sheldon, the famous novelist she rescues and imprisons after freeing him from a serious car accident. Some may be familiar with the 1990 film, directed by Rob Reiner, which earned Kathy Bates an Academy Award for her performance as Wilkes. The novel appeared in 1987, and this stage adaptation was written by William Goldman. Director Michael Armstrong has put together a gold standard cast, with strong performances from both Simpson and Hinton, with solid support from Sarah Murphy as the local Sheriff, who gets involved with the case and (spoiler alert!) meets with a predictable fate.

The play sets up the action right away, as we see Paul in his bed, being nursed by Annie. He is in tremendous pain, suffering from two broken legs. He begs for his pain medication, which Annie doles out, often not soon enough for Paul. We find out the she is Paul’s “number one fan”, having read all of his books in the Misery Chastain series, Victorian bodice rippers that have proved very popular, in particular with women. Paul manages to sneak out of his room on some occasions, to seek more pain medication and to find out more about Annie. They share a dinner together one night, and Paul tries to drug Annie’s wine, in an escape attempt. This fails when she knocks over her glass. When Annie reads Paul’s latest Misery book, she flies into a rage when she reads that Paul has killed off his main character. She buys a second-hand typewriter and insists that Paul write a Misery novel that revives her heroine.

Later, when Annie discovers that Paul has been getting out of his room, she punishes him by smashing his ankles (in the novel, she cuts off his foot with an ax, so I’m happy we were spared that!) When the local Sheriff comes around, Annie shoots her to death, leading Paul to become desperate about his chances to escape. To provoke Annie into a final confrontation, he burns his new book, enraging Annie, then attacks her, finally knocking her out with the typewriter and smothering her in his bed. He makes his escape, but we imagine that recovering from the trauma of this experience, over a number of months, will take a lot of time.

Both Simpson and Hinton are excellent in their respective roles. Simpson portrays Annie as warm and caring at times, cold and cruel at others. She navigates the role with ease, and it’s a pleasure to see her work here. Hinton is also very strong as Paul, showing us his terror and fear, and his resolve to survive, no matter the cost. It costs him an awful lot, as we see, but his determination to survive burns in him, and keeps him going. Director Armstrong moves the action along well, and is supported by an effective set design by Armstrong and Hans Saefkow, with lighting by Jason king and atmospheric music of the period designed by Jason King, costumes by Rachel McAdam and lighting by Rebekah Johnson. Julian Cervello was the fight director. Overall, this was an enjoyable production, well worth seeking out. Recommended. Tickets are available at https://bbrt.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/15441

Left, Hannah Mitchell (Lady Macbeth); Right, Jessica O’Gorman (Macbeth). Photo: Lucy Layton

On Saturday night, I saw Macbeth: The Scottish Slay, playing until the 25th at Vancouver’s Oddfellows Hall. This review will be somewhat biased, as the director of the production is my niece, Bronwen Maeve. But I can say with all honesty that I was very impressed by the production; the acting, lighting and sound were all top-notch, with some standout performances. Maeve has cast the play intentionally all-female, inspired by her enjoyment of the TV series Pretty Little Liars, mashed up with Shakespeare’s ever-popular tragedy. It works, and works surprisingly well! We begin with the witches, played by Xiaoqing Ye, Julia Abreu and Sophie Offei, with appropriate witchy glee and taunting Macbeth from the play’s beginning with their truthful/untruthful prophecies. Macbeth is played with great confidence by Jessica O’Gorman, who portrays the ambition and the torment in good balance throughout. Lady Macbeth is another strong performance from Hannah Mitchell, whose sleepwalking scene was very well done. I also liked Holly Collis Handford’s Banquo, in particular her delight in haunting Macbeth in the famous banquet scene. When she gives him the finger, with both hands, before exiting, it was exactly the kind of edgy moment this production has in abundance.

Another strong performance can be seen in Macduff, played by Fiona Jenkins. The scene where the news reaches her that her wife and children have been killed was very effective, so much so that I shed a tear. And her final battle with Macbeth provided the satisfaction of knowing she is going to best him, as she reveals the witches’ final falsehood, that she was born via a Caesarean birth. Macbeth, meanwhile, delivered both of the monologues late in the play with confidence and commitment. “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” is one of the best-known soliloquies in Shakespeare’s canon, as the failing king realizes that his life is drawing to a bloody end, “signifying nothing.”

The staging of the play in Vancouver’s Oddfellows Hall is simple but effective. Three small stages are used throughout to create levels, and are particularly effective when used by the witches. The backdrop of shiny silver works well, and the costumes are all black, featuring short black dresses of various kinds, with the witches wearing glittery makeup that highlights their otherworldliness. Simple but effective lighting by Colleen Bayati works well, and sound design is also effective, by Max Livant. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this production, which was clear, committed and cohesive throughout. Tickets (which are going fast, so don’t delay!) are available here: https://plainstage.com/events/macbeth-the-scottish-slay. Go out and support this troupe of emerging theatre artists, you’ll have a wonderful time!

Last night I saw the first preview performance of I Think I’m Fallin’ a so-called ‘jukebox musical’ based on the songs of Joni Mitchell. This production features strong singing, singers who also play guitars, keyboards and a baby grand piano, and a through-line that allows all five singers and musicians to shine. The cast includes Jonathan Gould, Linda Kidder, Anton Lipovetsky, Hannah Mazurek, and Chelsea Rose. I was pleased to see the cast includes a mature artist, Linda Kidder, who plays a mean electric guitar! Jonathan Gould and Chelsea Rose (who I saw in Bard on the Beach’s wonderful Beatle version of As You Like It this summer) are both strong singers and actors, although I found the sexual tension established between the two to be a bit extraneous and a distraction that took me out of the show. Anton Lipovetsky was seen last season in Morris Panych’s Vigil, and is wonderful here as well (he is also the Musical Director) . Hannah Mazurek mostly provides piano and rhythm support, but was very talented in those roles. The programme lists Treena Stubel as choreographer, although I was stymied somewhat to see that on stage. Michael Shamata directs with his usual fluidity and co-created the show with local composer and musician Tobin Stokes. Jeremy MacLeod does the sound design, and Alan Brodie lights the show effectively with assistant lighting design support from Keith Houghton. Cory Sincennes designed the set and costumes, both of which worked well. Highlights for me included songs Circle Game, Both Sides Now, Chelsea Morning, Carrie, River, and (of course), the title song. Anyone who loves Joni Mitchell’s music will enjoy this show! Recommended. Runs until November 26th with tickets available at https://www.belfry.bc.ca/i-think-im-fallin/#sp_crew