The Only Living Pickpocket in New York

My nephew and I were both really looking forward to The Only Living Pickpocket in New York so we braved the large crowd at the Broadway for The Rocky Horror Picture Show to see it there last night.  It is an intriguing character study with a career best performance from John Turturro.  Harry Lehman (Turturro) is an old-school pickpocket in a city that has moved on without him.  His usual tricks no longer provide enough for him to care for his disabled wife Rosie (Karina Arroyave) so he breaks into a vintage car and steals a duffel bag filled with cash and a USB.  He takes the USB to his old friend Ben (Steve Buscemi) who owns a pawn shop and acts as his fence but he doesn't know what it is and sends him to Frank (Kelvin Han Yee), another fence who specializes in electronics, who eventually buys it.  Unbeknownst to Harry, the owner of the car is Dylan (Will Price), the scion of a powerful crime family, and the USB is a crypto wallet that he is is desperate to get back.  Dylan locates Harry using footage from street cameras and threatens Rosie to motivate him to return it.  He races against time across the boroughs of New York, calling on his old friend Detective Allan Warren (Giancarlo Esposito), Frank's grandson Ernie (Michael Hsu Rosen), his estranged daughter Kelly (Tatiana Maslany), a young pickpocket and possible protege (Mark Cayne), and Ben's daughter Eve (Victoria Moroles), before showing Dylan's grandmother Moira (Jamie Lee Curtis), the crime boss, that an old dog still has a few new tricks.  I really liked the juxtaposition between the different generations because, even though the young characters have a greater fluency with technology, they still benefit from the wisdom of the older and more experienced characters (and vice versa).  I also liked gritty portrayal of New York (this reminded me of the crime dramas of the 1970s with the production design, the natural lighting, the use of grainy film effects in the cinematography, and even the retro score) as a repudiation of the soulless gentrification of the city.  Harry is an interesting character because, even though he is extremely flawed, he evokes sympathy with how he cares for the people in his life and Turturro embodies all of these contradictions with subtle changes in expression (there are so many close-ups of his world-weary face), especially in scenes that show his growing desperation, his tender care of his wife, and his heartbreaking encounter with his daughter.  It is a powerful, yet restrained, performance and the rest of the cast is also outstanding.  I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

The Smashing Pumpkins at the Delta Center

I love seeing The Smashing Pumpkins in concert (I've seen them multiple times including a rather memorable night at Saltair when my friends and I got stuck in the parking lot for over an hour after the show because the cars were packed in like sardines).  They always put on an epic show and last night was no exception!  They played for over three hours, with a very brief intermission between their two sets, and I loved every minute!  The first set was in honor of the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and featured 16 tracks from this seminal album.  I definitely enjoyed hearing the hits, including "1979," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Tonight, Tonight," "Thirty-Three," and "Zero," but it was also fun to hear "Cupid de Locke," "Galopogos," and "By Starlight" because they are not played live as often.  The second set was billed as a career-spanning journey through four decades of hits, deep cuts, and newer material.  The hits included "Disarm," a funky version of "Ava Adore," "Mayonaise" (I had forgotten how much I love this song), "Today," and "Cherub Rock."  Some of the deep cuts were "Machina, Machina" and "Sojourner" and the new material included "Edin," "Pentagrams," and "War Dreams of Itself" from their most recent album Aghori Mhori Mei and "Black Stars" from the forthcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping soundtrack (I hadn't heard this before and I really liked it).  The visuals were incredibly theatrical with graphics announcing each song title projected on large screens (the ones used in the first set mimicked the original artwork for Mellon Collie and the ones in the second set were inspired by their classic music videos) and the lighting design was very dramatic with dark purple, blue, and pink stage washes.  Frontman Billy Corgan was in rare form last night because he was much more animated than I have ever seen him before and he joked that half the crowd hadn't been born when Mellon Collie was released.  He is is such a weirdo (complimentary) because he came on stage wearing a long black leather tunic over a flowing skirt (he switched to white for the second set) but he sounded fantastic and his guitar solos were amazing (especially during "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans").  It seems like I have been anticipating this show for so long (I bought the ticket months ago) and it was even better than I was expecting!  I had the best time and, as with the other times I've seen them, I would rank this among my very favorite concert experiences.

Little Shop of Horrors at PTC

Last night I got to see another really fun production of Little Shop of Horrors, this time at PTC, and it is one of the best I've seen! A meek and awkward floral assistant named Seymour Krelborn (Andrew Faria) discovers a strange and interesting carnivorous plant, which he names Audrey II after his coworker crush, while working at a failing flower shop on Skid Row. As Audrey II grows larger and larger by feeding on his blood, it brings Seymour sudden fame, fortune, and the affections of Audrey (Alanna Saunders), but it soon demands more blood than he can spare. Driven by desperation and ambition, he feeds Audrey's abusive boyfriend, Oren Scrivelo (Brandon Espinoza), and their boss, Mr. Mushnik (David Benoit), to the plant only to realize too late that Audrey II's ultimate goal is world domination. The reason why this is one of my favorite musicals is because the music is a fabulous pastiche of popular rock and roll, doo-wop, and Motown songs from the 1960s (you will be humming them for days after seeing the show) and I especially love the use of a girl group to narrate the story. Lauren Wilmore, as Crystal, Maya J. Christian, as Chiffon, and Tyler Symone, as Ronnette, were highlights of the show for me because they harmonize beautifully in the songs "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Skid Row (Downtown)" and they are very lively whenever they suddenly appear on stage to serve as backup singers and dancers in other songs. The rest of the performances are equally outstanding. Saunders sings "Somewhere That's Green" with a voice full of yearning but then she belts out "Suddenly, Seymour" after gaining some confidence and just about blows the roof off the theater. Faria displays an earnestness that is fun to watch (although I wish he had leaned more into Seymour's physical awkwardness) and his versions of "Grow for Me," "You Never Know," and "Sudden Changes" are nuanced and vibrant. Benoit is very persnickety but he lets loose in "Mushnik and Son" to great comedic effect (I loved the way he uses a scarf throughout the song but especially when he imitates a matador with it). Espinoza is completely over the top in "Dentist!" and "Now (It's Just the Gas)" but he almost steals the show by portraying three completely different characters in "The Meek Shall Inherit" (he had the audience laughing out loud). I can't forget the R&B stylings and the diabolical laugh of Nicholas Ward, who voices Audrey II, because he gives the plant a lot of personality. I was also impressed with Joe Gallina, as Audrey II's puppeteer, because he seamlessly matches Ward's vocal performance with his physical one and I particularly loved seeing the plant dance in "Feed Me (Git It)." The stage is dominated by a large and elaborate set for the flower shop (I loved the attention to detail, especially the refrigerated display cases with glass doors) with only a small alley in front for other scenes (my one criticism would be that this doesn't allow for more dynamic choreography). Finally, the colorful period costumes and wigs are a lot of fun (especially those worn by the girl group). This is a really entertaining show that is perfect for Halloween and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs through November 7.

Wicker

Last night I had a lot of fun seeing Wicker at the Broadway with my sister.  The Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) lives in a conservative and superstitious medieval village near the sea where the inhabitants are known by their occupations and women are treated as the property of their fathers and then their husbands.  She is mocked and harassed because of her unmarried status and independence (and also for her stench) so she decides to take matters into her own hands and asks the Basket Weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband.  Once the Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgard) is completed, he marries the Fisherwoman, treats her with love and respect, and satisfies her every want and *ahem* desire.  Soon all of the men in the village are disconcerted by the Wicker Husband's behavior towards his wife because their wives begin to expect the same treatment.  The Tailor's Wife (Elizabeth Debicki) is incredibly jealous and makes the Fisherwoman doubt that the Wicker Husband could actually love and be faithful to someone like her.  This leads her to question his loyalty but the Basket Weaver devises a plot to reconcile them and expose the villagers for their narrow-minded behavior.  This is a delightful fable with a lot to say about the dangers of conformity and gender inequality (the marriage ceremony involves having the groom place a collar on the bride) but it is also surprisingly romantic despite the absurd premise.  There are lots of really wild sex scenes (of the bed breaking variety) but the most sensual moment in the movie involves a dance at a wedding in which the Fisherwoman and the Wicker Husband act as if there is no one else around them.  There are also some really tender scenes in which she slowly falls in love with him (that made me and my sister swoon) and I absolutely loved the reason for his devotion to her.  Colman is brilliant in the way she portrays her character's physical and emotional transformation after experiencing love and her performance is quite funny (she has perfect comedic timing) but also extremely vulnerable.  Skarsgard is strangely compelling despite the fact that he is covered in wicker (the practical effects are amazing) because he fully commits to the physicality and his eyes convey so much emotion.  I also really enjoyed Dinklage, especially when he philosophizes about his creations.  Finally, the production design, costumes, score, and illustrated chapter titles create a fairy tale vibe that adds to the charm.  Even though I am a big fan of Skarsgard, I was still surprised by how much I loved this and I highly recommend checking it out.

Bright Star at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

Last night I was so excited to see Bright Star at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse because it is one of my favorite musicals. I think the story about second chances is incredibly moving and I love the bluegrass music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Billy Cane (Ryland Mahony) returns home to Hayes Creek, North Carolina after World War II and briefly reunites with his childhood friend Margo Crawford (Grace Jensen) but then decides to go to Asheville to try writing for The Asheville Southern Journal. He meets the uptight editor Alice Murphy (Teaira Burge) who then transforms into a wild and rebellious girl who loves Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Porter Beesley) in Zebuon, North Carolina during the 1920s. The narrative alternates between the two timelines as Alice learns to deal with heartache and loss and Billy learns the importance of home and the one who loves him. I was really impressed by Burge's performance because she does a great job portraying Alice at two different ages and her emotional renditions of "Please, Don't Take Him" and "I Had a Vision" are incredibly powerful and brought tears to my eyes. The rest of the cast is also really strong and I especially enjoyed Jensen's version of "Asheville" (it is my favorite song in the show and she adds a lot of vulnerability as a girl worried that the boy she loves will forget her), Mahony's version of "Bright Star," and Beesley's version of "Heartbreaker." Another shoutout goes to Ian Wellisch as Darryl Ames because he is hilariously overwrought (I've seen him in several shows at this theatre and he always makes me laugh because he is so over the top). The choreography is a lot of fun, especially for "If You Knew My Story," "Way Back in the Day," "What Could Be Better" (the way that lanterns are incorporated is really cool), and "Another Round" but I also liked the inclusion of the ensemble in "Whoa, Mama" and "Firmer Hand/ Do Right" (I don't remember seeing that before). The set features a large wooden barn with doors that open to reveal projections that enhance, but do not dominate, the scenes.  Various pieces are seamlessly brought on stage by the ensemble to become Margo's bookstore (I loved the ladder on the bookcase), Alice's office, the Mayor's office, the cabin in the woods, and other locations. The lighting design is used to great effect during a key scene on a train. The barn doors are closed so the flashing lights visible through the wooden slats give the impression of a train car that it is traveling at speed (I always look forward to seeing how this particular scene will be staged in every production I see and this one did not disappoint). I always prefer productions that have a live band on stage but the Terrace Plaza Playhouse does a great job with this show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through November 14 (except Halloween).