Peter and the Starcatcher at the Empress Theatre

I think Peter and the Starcatcher is the perfect production for a small community theatre like the Empress because the show uses imagination to tell the backstory of Peter Pan so the set is usually very minimal and the actors pantomime much of the action and use ordinary objects as props like children do while playing make-believe. I saw the Empress Theatre's version last night and I absolutely love what they did with it because it is, well, very imaginative! Lord Aster (Brad A. Goodman), a "starcatcher," travels with a trunk of "starstuff" on a fast ship called The Wasp in order to destroy it before the pirate Back Stache (Alexander Richardson) and his first mate Smee (Gwen Jonsson) can steal it. His daughter Molly (Camille Bassett), an apprentice "starcatcher," is placed on a slower ship, The Neverland, with another trunk as a decoy and meets three orphan boys, including an unnamed boy (Koda Smith), while on board. When Molly discovers that the trunks have been switched, she convinces the orphans to help her complete her father's task. However, Black Stache also discovers the switch and attacks The Neverland which leads to a confrontation on an island, populated by hostile natives and enchanted by the "starstuff," during which Black Stache is transformed into the villain Captain Hook and the boy is transformed into the hero Peter Pan. I was impressed with some really clever staging and choreography, especially when cast members locate their costumes on stage and become their characters in front of the audience, when Black Stache attacks The Neverland with the Jolly Roger flag and uses it in a duel with the Union Jack, and when the crocodile appears from the balcony (with two red lights as eyes and strings of white bunting as teeth). I also loved all of the ingenious props (the model ships in bottles representing The Wasp and The Neverland and the hairbrush used as a microphone are so fun) and costumes (I laughed out loud at the iridescent fans used as mermaid tails and the woven placements worn by the natives). Everyone in the cast, many of whom play multiple roles, brings a childlike sense of wonder to their characters, especially Smith because he is incredibly vulnerable as Peter, Jonsson because she is so hilariously befuddled as Smee, and Zack Anderson because he (this role is always played by a man to great comedic effect) is very silly as Molly's nanny Mrs. Bumbrake. My favorite character in this show is Black Stache and Richardson definitely did not disappoint with his petulant facial expressions and over the top physicality, particularly in the scene when he loses his hand. I love this show (I think it is because, like Peter Pan, I never grew up) and I love this production because, more than any other version I've seen, it really does feel like a group of people who are using their imaginations to tell a story! I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here) during its run through October 11.

One Battle After Another

I have been trying to keep my expectations in check lately because I have been disappointed by many of my most anticipated movies this year but it was really hard not to be excited for an early screening of One Battle After Another at the Broadway last night.  Luckily the hype for this is real because both my nephew and I loved it!  "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are militants in a far-left revolutionary group known as French 75.  When the group rescues migrants from a detention center in California, Perfidia humiliates the commanding officer, Colonel Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), and he becomes fixated on her.  Pat and Perfidia begin a relationship and eventually have a daughter they name Charlene.  However, when a mission goes wrong, Lockjaw captures Perfidia which forces Pat and his daughter to go on the run and assume the names Bob and Willa Ferguson.  Lockjaw locates them living in a sanctuary city in Texas sixteen years later and, under the guise of a drug enforcement raid, he dispatches soldiers to capture Willa (Chase Infiniti) for reasons.  Deandra (Regina Hall), a French 75 member, arrives to warn them and Bob turns to Willa's karate sensei, Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro) for help rescuing her from Lockjaw.  This is an incredible spectacle with lots of twists and turns that kept me completely engaged and fantastic action set pieces that kept me on the edge of my seat, especially a suspenseful chase sequence involving three cars on an undulating road in the desert (the way this is filmed is absolutely brilliant because you never really know where the cars are in relation to each other and I was holding my breath the whole time).  This also had me and the rest of the audience laughing out loud, particularly the interactions between DiCaprio and del Toro and a running bit where Bob cannot remember any of the passwords used by French 75.  As funny as this is, the relationship between Bob and his daughter is really touching and the message about fighting for social justice is powerful.  DiCaprio is always great and Penn really leans into his character's villainy in one of his best performances but I was especially impressed with Infiniti because she delivers on both the emotion and the physicality (I really liked her character's arc).  This is one of Paul Thomas Anderson's most entertaining movies and it is one of my favorites this year.  I highly recommend it!

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

I was on the fence about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey because the trailer didn't really do it for me but I ultimately decided to see it at the Broadway last night because I really like the director Kogonada (I think After Yang is brilliant) as well as actors Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie.  I should have trusted my instincts because I found this very disappointing.  David (Farrell) and Sarah (Robbie), both unhappy and alone, are compelled to rent the same 1994 Saturn SL from a quirky agency in order to attend an out of town wedding.  They meet and immediately decide that they are all wrong for each other but, when Sarah's car won't start, David offers to drive her home.  However, the GPS device (voiced by Jodie Turner-Smith) directs them to stop at various locations where they find doors that are really portals to various moments from their past, both real and imagined, which provide them with epiphanies intended to help them realize that they belong together.  I have to admit that this kind of movie is not really my thing but I think that even fans of the genre will find this as lifeless and boring as I did.  The premise of going back in time to learn from past mistakes is really intriguing but I could never figure out what the characters were meant to learn from these interludes because there are so many conflicting ideas and the filmmakers clearly think they are more profound than they actually are.  Farrell and Robbie are good actors but their performances in this are so bland (Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kevin Kline are more interesting in their brief time on screen as employees of the car rental agency) and they have absolutely no chemistry (at no time did I think the characters belonged together).  The dialogue is incredibly contrived, even for a high concept film, and I started losing interest after yet another endless conversation about how wrong Sarah is for David.  Some of the visuals are gorgeous and I liked all of the Laufey needle drops but this was definitely a slog to get through and I recommend giving it a miss.

Sister Act at HCT

Last night I went to Sister Act at HCT and, even though I wasn't especially looking forward to it because I have seen it so many times, I had a lot of fun watching this production. The musical is based on the 1992 movie of the same name and follows a lounge singer named Deloris Van Cartier (Mack) as she wreaks havoc on the convent where she has been placed for her protection until she can testify against her mobster boyfriend by taking over the choir. The entire cast is fantastic but I really liked Mack because she gives Deloris an emotional depth that I haven't see before, especially in her renditions of "Fabulous, Baby" and its reprise, Aioleoge Lesa as Curtis because he has a deep and sonorous voice (he reminded me of Barry White) and his version of "When I Find My Baby" is silky smooth, Christian Patrick Wawro as Eddie because he also has a great voice and his performance of "I Could Be That Guy" is very entertaining, and Ric Starnes as Monsignor O'Hara because his facial expressions are hilarious (I almost died laughing when he introduces the nuns like Ed McMahon introducing Johnny Carson). I also really enjoyed Bonnie Wilson Whitlock (she is a hoot in every show she is in) as the elderly nun Sister Mary Theresa and Sharon Lynn Kenison (another favorite from many local shows) as the cantankerous nun Sister Mary Lazarus because they both maintain their amusing characterizations throughout the whole show. I loved the choreography for the nuns in "Take Me to Heaven," "Sunday Morning Fever," and "Spread the Love Around," because the patterns they create across the floor are very creative (the integration of several props is especially fun), and for Curtis's henchmen TJ (Alec Powell), Joey (Abrin Tinney), and Pablo (Angel Martinez) in "Lady in a Long Black Dress," because they had the entire audience laughing out loud, especially for all of TJ's seductive poses! The sets are completely over the top with an awesome 1970s aesthetic (the shag carpet!) and I was quite impressed with the attention to detail, particularly in the dive bar and Eddie's apartment (it is very clever how it transforms into a club for the reprise of "Fabulous, Baby"). The Gothic arches hanging throughout the theater and the stained glass windows on the LED screens really add to the overall effect. The costumes also have a 1970s vibe (the leisure suits!) and I especially loved the pink and gold lamé outfits worn by Deloris's back-up dancers in the reprise of "Fabulous, Baby" and I loved how the Monsignor's vestments and the nuns's habits get more and more elaborate and bedazzled as the show goes on. This production really won me over and I recommend it for a fun night out (go here for tickets). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through October 25.

Note:  I also highly recommend the thoroughly entertaining show The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 now on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through November 15 (go here for tickets).

The History of Sound

I have wanted to see The History of Sound ever since I learned about it because I am a big fan of both Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor and I finally had the chance last night at the Broadway.  It is a meditative, meandering, and melancholy portrait of forbidden love so, of course, I absolutely loved it!  Lionel Worthing (Mescal), a sensitive farm boy from Kentucky, and David White (O'Connor), a wealthy and charismatic orphan from Newport, Rhode Island, meet in 1917 as students at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and bond over their shared love of folk music.  They begin an affair but are separated when David is drafted to fight in World War I and Lionel returns to the farm.  They are both unhappy without each other so, after the war, David invites Lionel to assist him while traveling throughout rural Maine to collect recordings of folk songs on wax cylinders.  Even though he is happier than he has ever been during this interlude, Lionel realizes that a relationship with David is not possible when he suggests getting teaching positions near each other and they reluctantly part. He attempts to communicate with David but gives up when his letters go unanswered and spends the next few years pining for him while pursuing unhappy relationships and performing in Europe.  Lionel eventually finds closure and lets the memory of David go only to discover later in life the impact they both had on each other.  I really love a scene where Lionel explains that sound is able to be captured on a wax cylinder because, even though it cannot be seen, it creates a vibration that can be felt and this becomes a meaningful metaphor for the relationship between Lionel and David.  The narrative moves at a languid pace (so much longing!), loses focus in the second half (I really missed the presence of O'Connor on screen), and concludes with heartache and yet I still found it to be very compelling.  The cinematography featuring muted colors is beautiful, the score is incredibly evocative, and the nuanced performances are lovely.  I also really enjoyed all of the folk music used throughout, especially "The Unquiet Grave" because it foreshadows an important turning point for Lionel.  This might not appeal to everyone because it is so restrained but I recommend it to fans of the actors.