Reverend's Reviews: A Critic's Life

Film, literary, TV and/or theatre critics such as yours truly have long been the butt of jokes aimed at us and our profession. These haven't necessarily been undeserved, but I've never seen a serious depiction of a truly unethical, possibly evil critic until I watched Anand Tucker's new film The Critic. Now in theatrical release in the US, it demands attention for multiple reasons but especially for 85-year-old Ian McKellen's delectable performance in the title role.

The out and proud McKellen plays Jimmy Erskine, whose increasingly caustic opinions have held sway over the London stage — and those artists inhabiting it — for more than 40 years. When we meet Erskine in 1934, he is revered and feared in equal measure. A negative review from him can close a show and destroy careers. Erskine clearly enjoys his power and the perks that come with it. These perks include a degree of needed social-legal protection, since he is a closeted gay man during a time when homosexuality was criminalized.

When the longtime owner of the newspaper to which Erskine has long contributed suddenly dies, the critic soon finds himself at odds with new owner David Brooke (played with nice subtlety by Mark Strong). Brooke disdains Erskine's influence, attitude and sexuality, and tells his chief critic to be "more beauty, less beast" when it comes to his writing. Erskine, feeling his job and status threatened, concocts a plan involving an ambitious actress to bring Brooke down. Things quickly get out of hand, with more than one life lost along the way.

The Critic, adapted by Oscar nominee Patrick Marber (Closer, Notes on a Scandal) from Anthony Quinn's novel Curtain Call, is well worth seeing for McKellen's darker-than-usual turn alone. However, additional strong performances are given by Alfred Enoch (well-remembered from TV's How to Get Away with Murder) as Erskine's longtime assistant/"lodger," Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia, The King's Man) as the unfortunate actress manipulated by Erskine, and Oscar nominee Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) as the actress' mother. The film also boasts lovely period art direction, costumes and cinematography.

At the film's opening, Erskine correctly informs viewers that the word critic is derived from the Greek and Latin words for "judge." Elsewhere he declares, "Theatre is eternal and matters more than politics." With this in mind, this consistently-published critic of 28 years — who has long striven to be ethical and is definitely not evil (depending on who you talk to, lol)—turns to judging two of the hottest, politically-related tickets currently on Broadway!

Oh, Mary! is a much-ballyhooed transfer from Off-Broadway that was both written by and stars queer performer Cole Escola. Escola has been recognizable in LGBTQ circles for a while now, thanks to their appearances on TV's Search Party, Mozart in the Jungle, Difficult People and numerous YouTube sketches. But the success of Oh, Mary! — which has just been extended at NYC's Lyceum Theatre through January 19th, 2025 — has elevated Escola to a whole new level. Reverend was thrilled to attend a performance last month.

Their outrageous gay-leaning farce presents a knowingly, lovingly contrary image of the historical Mary Todd Lincoln. Despite serving as First Lady to then-President Abraham Lincoln, she was — according to Escola alone — a frustrated, unhappily married, alcoholic, wannabe cabaret star. Escola plays all this to the hilt, and then some. Their Mary hides liquor bottles throughout the Oval Office, verbally and emotionally abuses her servant-chaperone, and challenges her barely closeted gay husband (reincarnated by out actor Conrad Ricamora) at every turn. She also happens to be completely clueless about the civil war ravaging the USA during her husband's administration. Mary eventually falls for the hunky theatre coach (James Scully) "Honest Abe" hires for her, though her husband's ulterior motives become decidedly apparent.

Everyone's destiny collides at Washington DC's infamous Ford Theater the fateful evening of April 15th, 1865. Yet Escola's one act play climaxes with Mary's ultimate cabaret performance that absolutely brings down the house. It's no wonder Oh, Mary! won numerous Off-Broadway awards last season including several from GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, of which Reverend is a member. Watch for it to potentially dominate this season's Tony Awards following its transfer to Broadway. Escola and their radical revisionist-history comedy are fully deserving of all the accolades they are receiving.

Once Upon a Mattress is back on Broadway in a delightful revival starring two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster. The original 1959 production of this comedic adaptation of The Princess and the Pea famously made a star of Carol Burnett. Additional tours, revivals and TV versions have been headlined by the likes of Dody Goodman, Imogene Coca, Sarah Jessica Parker and Tracey Ullman, not to mention thousands of high school ingenues.

If Foster wasn't already a star of stage and screen, this current production would surely make her one. Her singing and dancing as the hapless Princess Winnifred are as impressive as ever; it's her Lucille Ball-rivaling comedic skills on display here that are a guffaw-inducing revelation. They begin at Foster's entrance. Covered in filth, garlands of moss and even leeches (which she ends up hurling into the audience), she immediately establishes herself as the dirtiest, rowdiest Winnifred to date. Foster's hilarious antics continue through the finale and include stuffing her mouth with grapes, exuberantly dancing the punishing "Spanish Panic," and contorting herself repeatedly on the musical's titular pile of bedding. Her performance could assure her another Tony Award next year, although Audra McDonald's upcoming turn as Mama Rose in Gypsy will likely offer stiff competition.

Shamelessly aiding and abetting these shenanigans are out co-star Michael Urie (known for TV's Ugly Betty and Younger as well as his numerous, award-winning stage credits) as Prince Dauntless, Winnifred's royal intended; Saturday Night Live and Wicked veteran Ana Gasteyer as the conniving Queen Aggravain; and previous Tony Award nominees Brooks Ashmanskas, Daniel Breaker and Will Chase. Lear Debessonet (who was just appointed the new director of Lincoln Center Theatre) directs with winning playfulness, and Lorin Latarro provided the energetic choreography.

Also adding to the frivolity are Foster's longtime collaborator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who smartly updated the musical's rather creaky book. Untouched, however, is the classic score composed by the late Mary Rodgers (Richard's daughter) and Marshall Barer. This Once Upon a Mattress can be enjoyed by all ages, as the giggles of numerous young children seated near me testified. Get thee to NYC's Hudson Theatre asap!

As Reverend recently said to my hospice chaplain day job supervisor: If you would have told me when I was a teenager or young adult in Arizona that I would one day be living adjacent to New York City and regularly attending/reviewing Broadway shows, I would have said "That will never happen." This critic stands humbly, gratefully corrected.

Reverend's Ratings:
The Critic (Film): A-
Oh, Mary! (Broadway): A
Once Upon a Mattress (Broadway): A-

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: MaXXXine, Cats and NYC Pride Shows

Midsummer has brought an abundance of cinematic and theatrical thrills. From new twists on serial killer and alien invasion tropes, to a fantastic revival of a classic musical plus a new off-Broadway LGBTQ event, there is truly something for everyone available right now. Here is Reverend's rundown:

MaXXXine, now playing in theaters from A24 releasing.
Mia Goth's title scream queen turned murderess first made a splash in 2022's X, then became the retro Pearl in last year's gory throwback to an earlier era of filmmaking. Writer-director Ti West again proves himself to be a master at recreating cinematic eras with this new sequel, set in the excessive mid-1980's. Goth returns as now-porn star Maxine Minx, who is desperate for mainstream crossover success and will stop at nothing to achieve it.

Soon after being cast in the lead role of sequel-within-a sequel The Puritan 2, Maxine's friends start turning up dead and a creepy private investigator played by none other than Kevin Bacon begins trailing her. Could her imperious director, the real-life serial killer dubbed "The Night Stalker," and/or Maxine's religious fanatic father be behind things? No spoilers here. While MaXXXine doesn't quite reach the deliriously campy heights of Pearl nor the intensity of X, it is a worthy entry in this smart and lovingly self-aware series. Goth remains one of today's most exciting, unpredictable big-screen actors. And I really hope they release this movie's song soundtrack — featuring the likes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Kim Carnes, ZZ Top, New Order, Animotion, John Parr and more — on old school CD!

A Quiet Place: Day One, now playing in theaters from Paramount Pictures.
This engrossing prequel to actor-director John Krasinski's previous two sci-fi/horror films about blind yet sound-sensitive aliens decimating the human race revitalizes things in a rather ingenious way: It relates the beginning of the invasion from the perspective of a terminally-ill woman and her therapy cat. I'm not kidding. Eventually, they meet up with an anxiety-stricken young man who becomes an unexpected ally, but this movie definitely belongs to Lupita Nyong'o's Samira (or Sam for short) and the impressively loyal Frodo (played interchangeably by two real cats, Nico and Schnitzel).

Sam is making her anticipated final visit to New York City with fellow residents of her hospice on the day the vicious aliens arrive, which can be perceived as either unfortunate or fortunate timing. She subsequently makes her way through the devastated metropolis in single-minded pursuit of her dying wish: a slice of pizza from her favorite Harlem restaurant. Uniquely, the intervention of the aforementioned young man (Joseph Quinn of Stranger Things and the upcoming Gladiator II) threatens to upend her plans more than the aliens.

As written and directed by relatively new but gritty filmmaker Michael Sarnoski (Krasinki was apparently busy with his Jack Ryan series and charming, recent movie IF), Day One is unexpectedly thoughtful and moving. I can attest to its authenticity as a depiction of a dying woman's experience, since I work full-time with diverse hospice patients. Thankfully, most dying people don't have to contend with evil aliens in addition to their serious illnesses!

Cats: The Jellicle Ball, now being performed through August ​11th at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC) in New York City.
Speaking of cats, Frodo above isn't the only feline currently strutting their stuff in audience-pleasing offerings. The 40-year old stage musical Cats, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and inspired by the writings of T. S. Eliot, has been re-envisioned as an NYC-set queer ballroom story à la the classic documentary Paris is Burning and more recent FX-Hulu series Pose. This new interpretation is nothing short of sensational, and one of my all-time favorite theatrical experiences to date.

I was not a fan of the original production of Cats; in fact, I prefer the much-maligned 2019 film. I love actual cats and have 3, but the sight of adult dancers in feliney leotards plus ears and tails left me underwhelmed. Happily, there are few literal feline allusions in this new Jellicle Ball. Instead, co-directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch have re-defined the term cat as "slang for any queer person or ally who is part of the Ballroom scene," in the context of their production. They are aided delightfully by co-choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, not to mention an amazing cast of LGBTQ performers and allies headlined by 78-year old Tony Award winner Andre De Shields as Old Deuteronomy. Best of all for fans of Paris is Burning like me is the participation of Junior LaBeija ("O-P-U-L-E-N-C-E!") as Gus, the Theatre Cat!

The palms of my hands were sore from applause by the end of the performance I attended, and I had cried at least twice. If you'll be anywhere near NYC this summer, you simply MUST attend Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

From Here, also being performed now through August 11th by Renaissance Theater Company at the Pershing Square Signature Center in NYC.
I closed out Pride weekend in NYC with a preview performance of this striking new musical inspired by the tragic shooting of 49 LGBTQ people and allies at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida 8 years ago. Donald Rupe wrote, scored and directed a semi-autobiographical and undeniably affecting story that focuses on a group of friends impacted by the massacre in various ways.

The engaging Blake Aburn leads the cast and holds center stage throughout as Daniel. While struggling for acceptance from his mother for being gay and having difficulty committing to a long-term relationship, Daniel nevertheless secures a chosen family of devoted friends. Although they all survive the June 12th, 2016 shooting at Pulse, they understandably bear emotional and spiritual scars. The musical gives almost everyone a literal spotlight in which to share their experience.

Rupe's book and songs are strong as are his cast members, who are mostly transplanted from Orlando and making their NYC stage debuts. His direction is at times too self-referential and threatens to become cloying but thankfully did not during the performance I attended. Most bothersome to me was the sound mix in a theater that is ultimately too small for this powerful production. Here's hoping From Here graduates soon to a larger venue in NYC and/or elsewhere.

Reverend's Ratings:
MaXXXine- B+
A Quiet Place: Day One- A-
Cats: The Jellicle Ball- A
From Here- B

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Women Rule On & Off Broadway

Good for you if you've seen the award-winning musical Six, either on Broadway or on tour. But that show proves to be soooo 2021 when compared to three bold, female-centric new musicals currently reigning over the NYC theatre scene. They've also been nominated for multiple New York critics' awards in recent days, with potential Tony Award nominations pending for two of them later this week.

Teeth, adapted from Mitchell Lichtenstein's generally acclaimed but definitely challenging (especially if you are male) 2008 film, recently had its world premiere at Playwrights Horizon. The movie's plot involving a teenage girl who develops a rare case of vagina dentata hardly screams out "musical material," but co-writers Michael R. Jackson (of A Strange Loop and White Girl in Danger fame, both of which I loved) and Anna K. Jacobs ran with the possibilities they perceived.

Their graphic yet humorous adaptation follows the film closely until the final third, when it becomes an over-the-top, dystopian tale of newly-empowered women avenging themselves against men... by chomping off their penises and making them obedient zombies! Jackson's lyrics for songs with such titles as "Modest is Hottest" and "According to the Wiki" are typically clever, and the musical is well supported by Sarah Benson's direction and Raja Feather Kelly's choreography. Jeremy Chernick's special effects, which include a climactic onstage inferno, are also worth noting.

Sorry for the short notice, but Teeth did close yesterday after being extended twice. I'm hopeful it will have a robust life in regional and/or community theaters in the future.

Choreographer Raja Feather Kelly also has a sizable hand in Lempicka, the truly stunning musical that just opened on Broadway. It is inspired by the dramatic life of early-20th century painter Tamara de Lempicka, about whom I knew very little when I entered the Longacre Theatre. I exited the theatre 2 ½ hours later thoroughly enlightened, inspired and entertained.

A revealing book and stylistically diverse songs, both co-written by Carson Kreitzer and Matt Gould, depict the title artist's journey from Revolution-era Russia to Paris through World War II. She ultimately ends up elderly and unknown in 1970's Los Angeles. Lempicka was married to a man, with whom she had a daughter, but also enjoyed relationships with women. Last but not least, she became and is remembered today as a groundbreaking painter.

Director Rachel Chavkin (an award winner for both Hadestown and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) applies her typically bold, engrossing style to this bio-musical. Kelly's choreography is stylish and energetic, although the use of dance struck me as fairly constant and overly busy during the first half of act one. The actors, however, are the true stars here, which is as it should be. Star Eden Espinosa was out of the performance I saw due to illness but her standby/understudy, Mariand Torres, was sensational even though she reportedly had little full-show or full-cast rehearsal time beforehand. Amber Iman, as Lempicka's model/lover Rafaela, was no less potent. Other standouts among the hard-working cast were Andrew Samonsky, George Abud, Natalie Joy Johnson and, of course, Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel in a couple of roles. Leavel reduced the audience to tears with her beautiful 11 o'clock number, "Just This Way."

It's a bit early to know how Lempicka might fare long-term. Successful musicals not based on a movie, a book and/or a political figure are pretty rare nowadays. A significant number of Tony Award nominations on April 30th would help raise its profile. I certainly wish this important, exciting show a long run on Broadway, on tour, and beyond.

Suffs is the other estrogen-fueled, newly-opened Broadway musical. Its title is short for suffragists, those early-20th century American women who fought for the right to vote when only men were allowed to do so. Readers of a certain age may have previously learned about them via the "Sufferin' Til Suffrage" Schoolhouse Rock cartoon and song.

This new musical was written by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub, who also headlines the all-female and non-binary cast (taking a cue from last season's Broadway revival of 1776) as real-life suffragist leader Alice Paul. Taub doesn't have the most commanding stage presence but plenty of dramatic electricity is provided by her fellow cast members Nikki M. James (a Tony winner for The Book of Mormon), Jenn Colella (a Tony nominee for Come From Away) and others. I also applaud director Leigh Silverman for casting some disabled actors.

Suffs is a more traditionally scored and staged production than the other shows reviewed here, which perhaps makes it more crowd-pleasing. I expect it to make a strong showing when Tony Award nominations are announced tomorrow. Taub's songs are serviceable if not particularly memorable save for the climactic "Keep Marching." Ditto re: Mayte Natalio's choreography. I highly recommend the show, though, as both a valuable history lesson and a pleasant theatre-going experience.

Reverend's Ratings:
Teeth: B+
Lempicka: A
Suffs: A-

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: New Play Pride House Explores Fire Island's History

The LGBTQ+ mecca that is Fire Island, located off the coast of New York's Long Island, has served as the setting of numerous movies (Longtime Companion, the aptly-titled Fire Island), plays (Lips Together, Teeth Apart) and TV series (American Horror Story: NYC) over the years. This makes sense, as the summertime resort destination has been attracting members of our community for well over a century.

TOSOS (The Other Side of Silence), NYC's oldest LGBTQ+ theater company, is currently celebrating the start of its 50th season with the world premiere of Pride House. It runs through this Saturday, February 10th at the Flea Theater. Please visit their website for full info and tickets. Playwright Chris Weikel explores the dramatic, and comedic, dynamics among a microcosm of Fire Island inhabitants during the globally-tumultuous years of 1938-1939.

The play's setting is a Cherry Grove cottage owned by Beatrice "Bea" Farrar, which she shares with her ex-husband Thomas and two Jewish children they are temporarily sheltering from the growing spread of Nazism in Europe. Bea is happy to count among her friends a number of gay men who also make frequent use of her home. Her ex-husband is also gay, but Thomas has remained on mostly friendly terms with Bea. Weikel, the cast, and director Igor Goldin evoke numerous challenges that impacted real-life Fire Islanders at the time including the Great Depression, homophobic neighbors, racism and, last but not least, the Great Hurricane of 1938.

Alas, Pride House ultimately suffers from trying to tackle too many issues and incorporating too many characters. While addressing the rampant antisemitism of the time (with definite parallels today) is noble, the inclusion of the two Jewish children proves to be one issue and two characters too many. I feel the play would be more focused and effective if it concentrated specifically on Bea and the colorful gay men in her life. Even the homophobia they confront via Bea's neighbors could be alluded to rather than personified. These excesses also make an already lengthy play feel that much longer.

On the plus side, Pride House features an excellent, fully-committed cast led by Jamie Heinlein as Bea (and in spite of some flubbed lines during the February 3rd performance I attended). Also deserving of specific mention are Jessica Disalvo as an Italian ex-patriot lesbian named Natalia and London Carlisle as Edwin, a black Broadway dancer. Best of all is the hilarious Jake Mendes as Stephen, the deliciously sardonic sidekick to shrill theater queen Arthur (played by Tom Souhrada). Evan Frank's set design and Ben Philipp's lovely, period-accurate costumes are similarly praise-worthy. Here's to TOSOS and another 50 years!

Reverend's Rating: B

Reverend was also privileged to recently attend Jonah, another world premiere play in NYC. Rachel Bonds' potent work isn't a biblical tale and there are no whales involved, but it does include a powerful religious message. Presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company, it is running at the Laura Pels Theatre through March 10th.

It's difficult to describe the plot of Jonah without revealing spoilers. Gabby Beans (a deserving Tony Award nominee last year for her turn in Lincoln Center's revival of The Skin of Our Teeth) headlines the play as Ana, a young woman dealing with the unpredictable aftereffects of sexual abuse. Beans is riveting, especially since she never leaves the stage during the 100-minute performance. She is very well supported by Samuel H. Levine, Hagan Oliveras and John Zdrojeski as the various men in her life, some of whom may be imaginary/fantasized.

Danya Taymor (who is a niece of The Lion King director Julie Taymor) provides engrossing direction, utilizing various sleight-of-hand techniques in the lighting and staging to keep audience members on their toes. However, my friends who attended the performance with me and I had issues with Wilson Chin's unchanging set, which serves as multiple locations in multiple time periods. More variation in the set design or decor would have been helpful in this regard.

I also have concerns, as an ordained priest-bishop, about the play's critique of Confession or the sacrament of Reconciliation as practiced by both Catholics and Mormons/LDS. God knows there have been many abuses of the sacrament over the centuries but I can attest to the beauty of the practice, as both confessor and confessee, when it is done or celebrated in a legitimate, non-exploitive way. Still, I appreciate playwright Bonds' serious treatment of this and other spiritual/theological matters. All in all, Jonah is excellent and demanding of patronage.

Reverend's Rating: A-

While the general population is currently focused more on movie-related awards and top-ten lists, Reverend was excited to realize recently that last year was the first year I attended a substantial number of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions since moving from California to Connecticut nearly 6 years ago. Subsequently, I was moved to identify my picks of the 10 best NYC theatre productions of calendar year 2023 (in alphabetical order):

• & Juliet
• Camelot (revival)
• Dear World (revival)
• Here Lies Love
• How to Dance in Ohio
• The Jerusalem Syndrome
• Purlie Victorious (revival)
• 1776 (revival)
• The Shark is Broken
• White Girl in Danger

Honorable Mention: Titanique
This musical spoof of James Cameron's Oscar-winning movie has been running off-Broadway nearly 3 years now, but last year was the first time Reverend saw it in person after watching an early, streamed performance in 2020 at the height of COVID-19. It was/is an utter, must-see delight.

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Tony-Nominated Penises and More Now on Broadway

Broadway is back in full swing, and Reverend was delighted to attend several of this season's most ballyhooed productions the weekend before Tony Award nominations were announced on May 9th. Whether you are a Tyler Perry hater, a Fanny Brice/Beanie Feldstein admirer or a full-frontal penis lover, there is truly something for everyone currently playing on the Great White Way!

Let's not beat around the bush and begin with the best of the bunch: A Strange Loop, Michael R. Jackson's unapologetic yet exhilarating look at race, homosexuality, Christianity and the American musical. It led the 2022 Tony Awards nominations with 11 nods including Best Musical, after previously winning the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama following its off-Broadway premiere. Ironically and somewhat unexpectedly, it will be competing against MJ The Musical about late, child-abusing pop singer Michael (no R. and no relation) Jackson. I anticipate and hope that A Strange Loop will win Best Musical even though some older, conservative (i.e. straight, white) Tony voters might be put off by its many graphic descriptions and/or depictions of gay sex. And yet, these contribute to the musical's soul-baring strength.

The show centers on Usher (Jaquel Spivey, fantastic in his Tony-nominated Broadway debut performance), a gifted writer plagued by self-doubt and insecurities. These are personified by six talented, charismatic actors who play his "Thoughts" in addition to other characters including Usher's domineering, anti-gay parents. Company members John-Andrew Morrison and L Morgan Lee have also been nominated for Tonys this year in addition to Spivey. In a case of art imitating life imitating art (the titular "strange loop"), theater-lover Usher is intent on creating a "big, black and queer ass" Broadway musical inspired by his life experiences. To say he and creator Jackson succeed is an understatement. The musical's songs and book are exceptional, making for 105 minutes (with no intermission) of hilarity and heartbreak in equal parts.

Usher/Jackson and A Strange Loop pull no punches when it comes to criticizing Tyler Perry's pandering approach to the black community, "gay white male tyranny" and a certain "terrorist" popularly known as Beyoncé. Despite and/or because of this cultural boldness, the musical boasts an unusually high number of prominent and diverse producers including RuPaul Charles, Alan Cumming, Mindy Kaling, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Don Cheadle, composer duo Pasek and Paul and longtime Steven Spielberg compatriot Frank Marshall. It is, quite simply, the LGBTQA theatrical event of the year. (I have tickets to see it again during Pride weekend in NYC!)

Sadly, the weekend's biggest disappointment was the current revival of Funny Girl. Tony Award nominators were similarly underwhelmed but I was able to find at least a few pleasures in past Tony winner Michael Mayer's staging, especially once one gets over the temptation to compare current star Beanie Feldstein with the legendary Barbra Streisand. Streisand originated the role of Fanny Brice in 1964, and the then-22-year-old became an overnight sensation. She recreated her performance for the 1968 film adaptation, (in)famously tying with Katharine Hepburn (in The Lion in Winter) to win that year's Academy Award for Best Actress.

Yes, whoever was going to play Fanny in the long-in-the-works revival has big shoes and a big voice to fill. (Personally, I would love to see Lady Gaga play the role either on stage or film.) However, it is simply unfair to compare any actress-singer to Streisand, who is in a league of her own. Feldstein proves herself a charismatic presence and great dancer (including tap), and she pulls off the musical's dramatic moments well. Unfortunately, her singing – at least the night I saw her – left a lot to be desired. She's a belter and sounded best during the big/loud numbers. But she often sounded flat or verging on the edge of flatness during many of the quieter songs. Perhaps even worse for a show called Funny Girl, Feldstein simply wasn't very funny.

On the plus side, lesbian comedian Jane Lynch is funny and can sing. She threatens to run off with the show as Fanny's mother but generously restrains herself. Jared Grimes, as Fanny's friend and mentor Eddie, is a very impressive tap dancer and his performance secured the revival's lone Tony nomination. I was looking forward to seeing and hearing hunky Ramin Karimloo live for the first time, but he was reportedly out with COVID-19 so his less-hunky understudy Jeremiah James filled in efficiently as Fanny's gambler husband, Nicky Arnstein. David Zinn's central rotating set was also efficient but became more of an eyesore as the show progressed.

Bottom line: Fanny Brice needs to be played, wherever and whenever, by a funnier actress who can sing well. They don't have to be Barbra Streisand, as if anyone can be. God help whoever plays Streisand in the inevitable (probably posthumous) bio of her life.

I decided to save the full-frontal penis play revival Take Me Out for last, knowing Reverend's more pervy readers would want to read my review of it first. I'm just kidding.... kind of. But seriously, what gay or bi man – or straight or bi woman – wouldn't be interested in a locker room full of hot naked actors playing professional baseball players? However, this presupposition has presented unusual challenges for the Tony-nominated revival of Richard Greenberg's Tony-winning 2002 play. Audience members have to place their cell phones in locked baggies upon admission, then have the baggies unlocked by theater staff when the performance is over. Despite this arguably extreme security measure, footage of the full-frontal locker room scene appeared online the week after I saw it. (I swear it wasn't me!)

The always enjoyable, out Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays Mason Marzac, gay financial advisor to MLB superstar Darren Lemming. Early in the play, Lemming publicly comes out as gay himself, inspiring diverse reactions from his teammates, managers, and fans. He and Marzac, who initially has zero interest in the American pastime, gradually bond. Meanwhile, a troubled player by the name of Shane Mungitt threatens their team's success and becomes implicated in the tragic death of Lemming's best friend. Greenberg's plot is soapy at times but it remains compelling.

In addition to Ferguson, Grey's Anatomy hottie Jesse Williams (as Lemming) and Michael Oberholtzer (as Mungitt) are all up for the Tony Award in acting categories, and the production is up for Best Revival of a Play. Take Me Out remains timely since, sadly, no active major league baseball player has come out before or since its original Broadway run. The play is even more timely today as an allegory for American democracy, threatened as it is by growing internal threats. But it's the infamous onstage nude shower scenes that prove truly timeless.

Reverend's Ratings:
A Strange Loop: A
Funny Girl: C
Take Me Out: B

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Interview: Basking in the Afterglow with S. Asher Gelman

Good communication is key to the success of any long-term relationship – gay, straight or otherwise. Without honesty and openness, there is little chance for growth. Don’t just take my word for it; ask your local marriage or relationship counselor.

This month will mark the West Coast premiere of the hit Off-Broadway and London sensation Afterglow. This gay-themed play recently opened and performs through Saturday, June 19th at the Hudson Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles. Tickets are available at here. Of note, the play opened simultaneously in Madrid, Spain and will also enjoy productions this season in Ft. Lauderdale, San Juan, and Buenos Aires.

Written and directed by S. Asher Gelman, Afterglow is a raw one-act play exploring the emotional, intellectual, and physical connections between three men and the broader implications within their relationships. When Josh and Alex, a married couple in an open relationship, invite Darius to share their bed one night, a new intimate connection begins to form. All three men must come to terms with their individual definitions of love, loyalty and trust as futures are questioned, relationships are shaken and commitments are challenged.

The LA cast will feature Noah Bridgestock as Josh, James Hayden Rodriguez as Alex, and Nathan Mohebbi as Darius. This production also boasts the original Off-Broadway team of designers.

S. Asher Gelman

Creator S. Asher Gelman is a director, choreographer, playwright and producer. Afterglow, which ran for 14 months Off-Broadway in 2017-2018, was his first original play. He subsequently produced the Off-Broadway musical We Are the Tigers, written by Preston Max Allen, followed by Gelman’s second play, safeword. He most recently directed and choreographed two dance films, The Greatest City in the World and in memoriam.

Originally from Chevy Chase, Maryland, Gelman received his Bachelor’s degree in Dance and Theater from Bard College and his Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from George Washington University. While living in Israel, he co-founded The Stage, Tel Aviv’s premier English language performing arts organization, and served as its first Artistic Director from 2013 to 2016. Gelman today serves on the Advisory Board of the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College. He lives in New York City with his husband, Mati.

This talented multi-hyphenate recently spoke with me in advance of Afterglow’s LA premiere.

CC: What is Afterglow about, in your own words?
SAG: It’s about honesty and communication, and what happens when it falls apart. Or when relationships fall apart because we can’t communicate honestly and openly with each other.

CC: What was the genesis of the story or play?
SAG: About eight years ago, while my husband and I were living in Tel Aviv, we opened our relationship. Then I met a man and we were together for a couple months. But soon it became clear that he wanted to supplant my husband and ruin my marriage. I knew at the time that I did something wrong but I didn’t understand what. That search within myself was the seed that would become the play. I ultimately wanted the situation to be the antagonist rather than any one character.

CC: Are you making any changes or updates for the LA production?
SAG: The show has become more nuanced, because my understanding of the situation has become more nuanced. My husband and I now have a partner, and I have a boyfriend. We all understand polyamory much better now. There is no room for nuance in our society today, when communications are distilled to a few words in a text message or a few minutes online. My whole team is understanding and taking this more nuanced approach, and its amazing working with them.

CC: How was the casting process? Is this the first time that these actors are doing the play?
SAG: Correct, although our original Alex is now the assistant director. Fun fact: We were supposed to open in LA two years ago and our final day of callbacks was March 12th, 2020, the day Broadway shut down. One of the actors was cast then so he’s had the part for two years. The others were cast via video or Zoom more recently. We all returned to LA on March 12th, 2022, exactly two years since we all left. These actors are so giving, so generous, and it’s a joy to work with them. A joy and such a privilege.

CC: Has anything surprised you or particularly touched you in terms of reactions to your play?
SAG: Look, the dream is you hope your mom sees it and then everyone beyond her is a net positive. (Laughs) One year ago, I saw the first foreign performance in Madrid. It was in Spanish, which I don’t understand, but I wrote the play so I could understand it. It was beautiful. It’s been amazing to see it touch so many people and hear from people from all over the US and all over the world. In New York, I knew some people who wouldn’t see the show with their partners because they were afraid of the conversations it might engender. I thought it was terrible that their relationships were so fragile because they were living in fear. The worst thing is not to be alone; it’s to be in a relationship and be unhappy.

CC: Wow, that is sad. I’m curious: Did you begin your performing arts career as a dancer?
SAG: I did both dancing and acting. I was a little theatre brat in middle school, and then I went on and got my BA and MA. I never studied playwriting until my husband and I moved to New York in 2016. I was surprised writing came so easily to me. And then it was amazing to see these characters I’d written on a page, these lives, come to life on stage!

CC: And now you are moving into film, correct?
SAG: I made a couple of dance films during the pandemic. I love that I can use different mediums to tell different stories. We try to label and pigeonhole people as one thing, and now I’m doing all the things I can do! I do not know what is next for me, and I love that. I can do whatever I want!

CC: That’s awesome! What do you hope California audiences will take from Afterglow?
SAG: I hope they take away the same thing that every other audience has taken away from it: the courage to have the difficult conversation, whatever the conversation is about. To have that bravery and move your life to a better place.

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Race Relations

 

Whether white/Caucasian, black/African-American, Hispanic/Latinx or other, racial differences remain an enduring source of both tension and celebration in our good ol' U.S. of A. An intriguing assortment of new theatrical, cinematic and home video offerings explore this with considerable success.

Slave Play is currently one of the hottest tickets on Broadway and definitely the most provocative. Written by the young, black and unabashedly queer playwright Jeremy O. Harris (who, coincidentally, was doing a theatre residency at Yale University earlier this year while I was doing a chaplain residency at the neighboring Yale New Haven Hospital), it is a satiric yet hard-hitting look at three bi-racial couples – straight and gay – seeking to address their relationship issues via "antebellum sexual fantasy therapy." In short, they each re-enact a 19th century master-slave dynamic under the supervision of two researchers. Are you sensing the potential for controversy yet?

Harris' play is presented in three acts but without an intermission. Act one introduces the three couples as they play out their various scenarios. While definitely uncomfortable in the use of racial slurs as well as abusive power, these scenes are also unexpectedly, intentionally funny as the modern characters adapt to their regressive situations. Most interesting is the gay couple because the white partner, who is revealed to believe himself to be black, plays slave to his legitimately-black "master."

Act two details the couples' processing of the experience with the researchers, who realize they are in over their heads as things turn confrontational. The final act focuses on one couple, the black Kaneisha (a standout performance by Joaquina Kalukango) and white Jim (Paul Alexander Nolan, who is nude for most of it), as they directly, painfully address their power/control imbalance.

All the actors are excellent in their physically-revealing and emotionally-challenging roles, which necessitate comic timing in addition to absolute seriousness. Robert O'Hara provides incisive direction as well. I came away from the play wishing Harris had shown how the other two couples end up as he does with Kaneisha and Jim. Nevertheless, Slave Play is disturbing, thought-provoking, amusing, and erotic in equal measure while engaging throughout. That's no easy feat when dealing with our country's dark history of slavery and its enduring legacy.

Newly available on home video from Breaking Glass Pictures is writer-director John Butler's Papi Chulo. This dramedy stars out actor Matt Bomer (the Magic Mike movies and currently Will's fiancée on TV's Will & Grace) as Sean, a gay weatherman on the verge of a mental breakdown after an apparent breakup with his longtime partner. In the process of having the deck of his home re-painted, he hires a middle-aged day laborer named Ernesto (Alejandro Patiño from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs).

Sean, desperate for companionship, is soon paying Ernesto to join him on personal day trips. Despite their differences in age and ethnicity plus a language barrier since Ernesto is Spanish-speaking, the two men develop an unexpectedly profound friendship. Ernesto proves to be the catalyst for Sean's eventual effort to put his life back together. Bomer and Patino are great together, and enjoyable support is provided by the fun actress-comedians Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs, Reno 911) and D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place's all-knowing Janet).

Papi Chulo proves to be a touching film despite some uneveness in tone and late-hour screenplay histrionics. Butler deserves credit though for respecting Ernesto and Sean as their own men, culturally-speaking. Most amusing are scenes wherein Ernesto speaks truthfully with his supportive wife on the phone about the nature of his and Sean's relationship, often in Sean's presence but in Spanish. The movie shows that truth, respect and friendship can overcome any differences.

While racial differences aren't made an issue in Doctor Sleep, the terrific new sequel to The Shining now playing in theaters, they are present nonetheless. A young black girl with powerful psychic abilities named Abra teams up with the grownup Danny "Doc" Torrance, the prequel's similarly gifted but white child, to take down a nasty group of deathless RVers who literally suck "the shine" from unsuspecting children. Their cunning leader is Rose the Hat, and the climactic battle between her, Danny and Abra is set in the notoriously evil Overlook Hotel.

Mike Flanagan (who previously helmed Gerald's Game and Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House series) does a superb job of both adapting Stephen King's 2013 sequel novel and honoring Stanley Kubrick's 1980 movie, which King largely disavowed. One of the most significant differences between The Shining novel and film is that the Overlook burned down at the end of the novel while Kubrick left it standing. Fortunately, Kubrick's decision has given Flanagan as well as the film's legion of fans a great cinematic opportunity to return to the long abandoned but still haunted resort. King has reportedly approved of Flanagan's take.

Here's Danny!

I would love to see Doctor Sleep's lead trio of Ewan McGregor (as the long-tormented Danny), Rebecca Ferguson (Rose) and talented newcomer Kyliegh Curran (Abra) receive serious awards consideration. Indeed, Ferguson makes Rose the Hat one of the most memorably vile movie villains in some time, tearing into innocent children with no reservations. Veteran actor Carl Lumbly makes several welcome, spectral appearances as Dick Hallorann (played by the late Scatman Crothers in the 1980 movie), while Cliff Curtis (Fear the Walking Dead) has a nice turn as Danny's compassionate new friend.

References to Kubrick's film abound, arguably too much at times. Most importantly, though, Doctor Sleep illustrates in a quiet yet powerful way how racial differences don't matter at all when it comes to defeating the forces of evil.

Reverend's Ratings:
Slave Play (on Broadway): B+
Papi Chulo: B
Doctor Sleep: A-

Reviews by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Reviews: Theatre on the Fringe

 

Long Beach, California's International City Theatre (ICT) has presented a number of bold, challenging plays throughout its 33-year history.  With Cardboard Piano, however, the company goes farther than I have known them to go during the 12 years I have been associated with them.  ICT is staging the West Coast premiere of Hansol Jung's powerful, lesbian-themed drama now through May 20th at the Beverly O'Neill Theater.

caryn desai, ICT's Artistic Director/Producer, caught the world premiere of Cardboard Piano at 2016's Humana Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.  She was deeply moved and felt immediately inspired to seek the rights to present it locally.  Although Jung is Korean, the playwright drew from Uganda's tortured political history for her latest work.

During the 1980's-1990's, more than half a million Ugandans were either killed or expelled from the county between four different, harsh presidential regimes.  A civil war raged in the country for 21 years.  The play opens in 1999, on the eve of the new millennium, and concludes 15 years later.  This provides a glimpse into conditions both during and after the civil war.

It is difficult to relate the plot of Cardboard Piano without revealing what might be considered spoilers by those who haven't seen it. As the play begins, a young American missionary in Uganda, Chris, is solemnizing her same-sex relationship with a local girl, Adiel.  The couple has prepared to flee Chris's disapproving parents and the troubled country right after their marriage ceremony.  Fate intervenes tragically via the arrival of Pika, a teenaged soldier.

Chris returns alone to Uganda in 2014 and the small church her father established there.  An unexpected reunion as well as a chance meeting with Adiel's gay cousin provides Chris with both challenge and hope as she tries to reconcile with her past.  As the play's author has observed, "Religion can do two opposite things: it can destroy, hurt, and be an instigator of violence, but it can also be the only thing capable of controlling that violence."  This is well-illustrated during the course of Cardboard Piano.

desai directs this provocative work with her usual clarity and compassion.  Scenic designer Yuri Okahana, working with ICT for the first time, has provided an impressive set for the action to take place.  Most impressive though is the four-member cast, two of whom play double roles.  I felt Allison Blaize lacked a little focus or commitment on opening night with her performance as Chris but this could have been due to nerves.  Dashawn "Dash" Barnes, JoJo Nwoko and Demetrius Eugene Hodges were excellent.  All four actors are to be commended for their willingness to take on this emotionally wrenching play.

While exiting the theater, I overheard another attendee say "Well, not every play can have a happy ending."  This is true but I believe Cardboard Piano has an open, ultimately hopeful ending.  Kudos to ICT for having the courage to mount this noteworthy premiere.

For tickets, call 562-436-4610 or visit the ICT website.  Use coupon code CENTER18 at checkout for a $10.00 discount on each ticket that will also benefit the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach.

Plenty of us LGBTQ folk feel like we’ve long lived on the fringes of society. The irony is that over time we’ve become cultural tastemakers, deciding which TV shows, movies, plays and musicals are truly worthy of attention.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an annual, open access, community-derived event celebrating freedom of expression and collaboration in the performing arts community. Begun in 2010, this year’s dates are June 7th-24th. World-premiere plays, musicals, revivals and other theatrical events will infiltrate the Hollywood neighborhood. Fully-equipped theaters, parks, clubs, churches, restaurants and other unexpected places will host hundreds of productions by local, national, and international arts companies as well as independent performers.

Participation in the non-profit fest is completely open and uncensored. This free-for-all approach underlines the festival’s mission to be a platform for artists without the barrier of a curative body. By opening the gates to anyone with a vision, the festival is able to exhibit the most diverse and cutting-edge points of view the world has to offer. Additionally, by creating an environment where artists must self-produce their work, the Fringe motivates its participants to cultivate a spirit of entrepreneurialism in the arts.

The Fringe concept was incubated in Edinburgh, Scotland more than 70 years ago. In 1947, eight performance groups appeared uninvited on the “fringes” of the exclusive Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has since grown into the largest arts festival in the world with hundreds of artists, thousands of performances, and millions of patrons every summer. It annually grosses over $100 million for the local economy and remains the biggest tourist draw in the UK.

Fringe Festivals have since sprung up in dozens of cities around the world. Diversity in programming is strongly encouraged to provide a true festival atmosphere. This typically results in a number of projects with LGBTQ interests. 2018’s offerings will include:

• The Importance of Being Oscar, which follows Oscar Wilde at the end of his life. Released from prison, he discusses love, loss, morality and lack thereof. A whimsical and heartbreaking tribute, laced with Wilde’s own words and wit.
• The Actor’s Nightmare, by award-winning gay playwright Christopher Durang, is a one-act comedy exploring different styles of theatre (Shakespeare, Beckett, Coward) and how one man deals with being thrust onstage to perform without having seen his lines.
• Expectations High, written by teens for teens (and anyone who has ever been a teen). Overheard humor, rumor, drama, trauma, bromance, romance and karma play out during passing periods in high school.
• Snap Honey. Do you wanna get snapped? Grab a seat, get some tip money and enjoy female impersonator Vageena Honey as she tells the story of her rise to fame in a no-holds-barred diva style.
• The Book That I’m Going to Write, by Judy Garland. Tasked with dictating her memoirs alone to a tape recorder, the legend's life story quickly gives way to the searing inner-rage and personal revenge fantasies of a woman left robbed and broken by decades of abuse in Hollywood, now living the profound heartbreak of not being heard.
• A Pride of Queers. What does it mean to be queer? What is queer art? And how do we approach the truth, the vanity, and the stereotypes to find something new? Come and find out.
• My Calico Soul, a theatrical journey about taking all the labels that get thrust upon us or even give to ourselves and fully embracing them, including bisexuality.
• Cameron’s in Drag, an emotionally driven musical about adolescence and the difficulties of a young black teen being bullied as he struggles with gender identity, both at his private high school and at home with his widowed father.
• The Craftlesque, a musical-burlesque parody of the cult classic horror film The Craft!
• Salve Regina: A Coming of Gay Story. Born in Puerto Rico to an ultra-religious mother and a domineering father is not easy, especially when it’s likely you are a big Queen. Thank God for Madonna.
• Lorelei: I'm Coming Out. Glitter, Grace, and Grindr… who says the life of a drag queen is easy?
• Converted. Matt and Zeke get caught having sex at a gay conversion therapy camp in southern Ohio is just the beginning of this one-act comedy.
• Sex and the Musical. A new parody musical, this prequel to Sex and the City answers the question of how our favorite ladies became friends.
• Les Deux Remember This: The Musical. This juke box musical begins in 2006 where Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton go out to the famed club Les Deux and discover that their Bentley can time travel.
• Marilyn Monroe: The Last Interview. Subtitled "The Raw Truth of a Hollywood Legend", this solo show is based on Marilyn's final interview for Life Magazine in 1962.
• The Bitch is Back: An Elton John Cabaret. A musical journey through Elton John’s hits from the early 70’s to the late 80’s.
• The Oz Monologues goes beyond the story you already know, exploring each of the beloved characters from The Wizard of Oz... with a poetic and irreverent modern take.

Who knows, some of these shows could go on to off-Broadway or even Broadway as previous Fringe offerings have done.  For more information about these performances and the festival, visit the HFF website.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Reverend's Preview: Awards Give Voice to Our Community

Artwork by David Kawena

 

Many of us, myself included, prefer singing in the shower to singing on stage in front of hundreds of people. Fortunately, the 270 active members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) have no such fear, especially when it comes to using music to support voice-less and even bullied LGBTQ youth.

GMCLA's 6th annual Voice Awards gala will be held on May 20th at the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles. Featuring a silent auction along with incredible musical performances, the event benefits the chorus's youth outreach initiatives including the Alive Music Project and the "it gets better" Tour. Attendees include a diverse audience of over 700 guests ranging from corporate, entertainment industry and business executives to celebrity friends and noted philanthropists. The gala has raised $1.5 million since 2012 and hopes to add significantly more this year.

Founded in 1979, GMCLA has grown to be one of the largest all-male choral organizations in the United States. It has also become one of the largest LGBT advocacy organizations in the world, boasting a diverse and inter-generational membership. Now under the leadership of new executive director Jonathan Weedman, GMCLA "has a deep history of service within the LGBT community, singing at countless memorials, making and commissioning music that helps the community to mourn, to celebrate, to dream, and to prepare for victory" over social and political forces that still oppose LGBT equality. The chorus's members donate over 60,000 volunteer hours annually to make GMCLA’s mission of musical excellence and community partnership a reality.

The annual Voice Awards honor those who, according to their press release, "advance our world, refute silence, lend a voice to the oppressed, exhibit leadership and give hope to those living under the weight of silence." 2017 Community Leader Voice Award will be presented to Gwen Baba, who has a long history of involvement with both the Human Rights Campaign and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, while the Visionary Voice Award will go to the Logo TV channel.

Renowned composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz will be the recipient of the 2017 Vanguard Voice Award. Schwartz has written the scores for such popular stage hits as Wicked, Pippin and Godspell. He won Academy Awards for the animated films Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt, and received additional nominations for Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted.

"I'm very proud to be receiving the GMCLA Vanguard Voice Award," Schwartz told this writer via email. "I had a wonderful experience with the chorus when they performed my choral piece Testimony, which is based on interviews for the "it gets better" project, and it meant a lot to me when they brought performances of that piece into schools around the country. It's not easy for writers to have a social impact, but organizations such as the GMCLA help make that possible."

Indeed, GMCLA operates two innovative community projects that offer education and outreach to over 50,000 middle and high school youth in our public school system. The Alive Music Project is a music education and outreach program focused on LA-area middle and high schools. It will be expanding this year to incarcerated youth throughout Los Angeles. The "it gets better" Tour, meanwhile, educates youth and reduces incidences of bullying and violence across the US where over 85% of LGBT students are physically or verbally abused each year. In addition, GMCLA supports the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, an organization with the mission "to fiercely empower trans and gender-expansive people to love their voices and perform with courage and strength."

Support of the Voice Awards helps GMCLA fund its general operations and continue offering these very important programs.

To purchase Voice Awards tickets or sponsorships or for additional information, visit the GMCLA website.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.