MATEO'S TOP 10 THEATRE PICKS OF 2012 (AND RICKY'S SECOND OPINION)

BY MATEO MORENO

1) LOVESICK (Connelly Theatre, NYC) There’s nothing more thrilling than to see a show come out of nowhere, have little to no information about it going in, and watch it completely take your breath away.  That was my experience with this Fringe NYC gem from Loft ensemble (based out of Los Angeles).  Written and directed by Larissa Wise, Lovesick tells the tale of Benjamin (Adam Chambers), a young man who lives in the cemetery with his two friends (Matt McCroskey, Noah Benjamin) and takes of nothing but darkness and things that go bump in the night.  It also tells the story of Sophia (Larissa Wise), a young woman who, along with her two friends (Marissa Galloway, Jessica Botello), celebrate everything bright and happy, sunshine and rainbows.  The two end up meeting when Sophia and her friends go skipping through the cemetery, dropping off flowers on graves.  Instantly, and for reasons they can’t explain, they’re drawn to each other and can’t stop this unflappable attraction.  Did I mention that it’s all told in verse, and that there are musical and dance moments in the show?  And that it’s hilarious and poetically romantic (I wept at the end and couldn’t be happier)?  It was unique, beautiful, and unlike anything I’ve seen in a very long time.  It was as if Romeo & Juliet decided to have tea with Tim Burton and they said, “Let’s make something beautifully weird…”  The cast were all tremendous; As the lead lovers, Chambers and Wise were shining examples of how two magnetic leads should be.  The ensemble were hilarious and wonderfully supporting.  Vanessa Vaughn was heartbreaking as Benjamin’s Mother, Jason Ryan Lovett was creeptastic as Frank, and Christina Joy Howard played Sally as if Helen Boham Carter showed up to rehearsal but was much more talented.  I don’t want to give much more away because those in LA have the chance to see it again when it opens at the Loft Ensemble Space on Jan 19^th.  See it.  Smile.  Then see it again.

Playing at: Loft Ensemble Space, 929 East 2nd St. Los Angeles, CA 90012, Jan. 19^th – Feb 24^th 2013.  For tickets and more information: http://www.loftensemble.com/

2) ONCE (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, NYC) There are several movie to musical productions playing on Broadway this season (three are even on this list) but one stands out of the pack for its pure inventiveness, poetic beauty, and downright gorgeous music.  Once has truly taken Broadway by storm since its Off-Broadway transfer from the New York Theatre Workshop (which was based on the film that won an Academy Award) and swept the Tony Awards in the process.  It’s worth all the hooping and hollering.  Tony winner Steve Kazee is wonderful as Guy and Tony nominee Cristin Milioti is equally as charming as Girl (the roles in the film were of course played by the songwriting team of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová).  The ensemble are powerful and vivacious, each playing the part as both actor and band in the show.  Irish playwright Enda Walsh has adapted the film beautifully for the stage and director John Tiffany has transformed what seemed unfilmable into what is now not to be missed on stage.  Trust me, this is one journey you won’t regret taking.

Playing at: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 W 45^th Street NYC.  For tickets and more information: http://www.oncemusical.com

3) WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (Booth Theatre, NYC) To see this revival by the entire acclaimed team from Steppenwolf’s production is like watching 3 hours of theatre magic.  Never have I been so moved by a production of Virginia Woolf and dare say I’ve never seen it nearly as funny as this production, led with swift and steady hands by director Pam MacKinnon.  Tracy Letts (a playwright himself having written among others August Osage County) plays George with such fiery, crackling energy you’d swear no one had ever actually read the piece before he did.  His interpretation of George is new, fresh, and mean.  Amy Morton (August Osage County) plays Martha with the same fire and wit, anger and energy, and the two are tit for tat perfectly matched.  Their scenes explode with what feels like only a lifetime of living together could accomplish.  And that’s not to say they’re the only people up there; Madison Dirks and Carrie Coon are also both fantastic, especially Coon.  Her increasingly drunk moments are absolutely perfect.  Edward Albee’s classic has never shined so brightly.

Playing at: Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45^th Street, NYC.  For tickets and more information: http://www.virginiawoolfbroadway.com

4) PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (Brooks Atkinson) Full of life, full of imagination, and full of Starstuff, Peter and the Starcatcher (and adaptation of the novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson) transferred from The New York Theatre Workshop onto Broadway and much like Once also won several Tony Awards for its creative production.  The prequel to Peter Pan is at once for kids and adults at the same time, creatively playing to both.  Tony winner Christian Borle (Smash) performed as if he was one of the great comedy legends of our time, Celia Keenan-Bolger was a beautifully charming Molly, and Adam Chanler-Berat was great as Peter, the boy who never grew up.  In fact, the entire cast is wonderful in this magical show, and Roger Rees and Alex Timbers direction is some of the most inventive you’ll see in NY right now.  Currently, Peter is closing on Broadway Jan. 20^th, but you can catch more “Starstuff” when it reopens at New World Stages Off Broadway later this year.

Playing at: Brooks Atkinson, 256 W. 47^th Street NYC through Jan. 20^th 2013.  For tickets and more information: http://www.peterandthestarcatcher.com

5) ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (The Music Box, NYC) A farce like this doesn’t really exist anymore, so thank God for the National Theatre of Great Britain for creating this hilarious production.  One Man, itself an adaption of the Italian classic play The Servant of Two Masters, starred James Corden (who won a Tony for it) playing a Butler who were serving two masters and mixed up everything to ridiculous amounts.  There were plants in the audience, breaking of the fourth wall throughout, and an onstage band “The Craze.”  There was rarely a moment when I wasn’t laughing or grinning from ear to ear.  This was truly a special production that doesn’t hit America too often.  Thankfully, One Man did.

6) INTO THE WOODS (Delacorte Theatre, NYC) A grim and powerful fairy tale adaptation, Into the Woods has always been one of my favorite Stephen Sondheim musicals.  It's a complicated score with a lot of information to tell over two acts.  Because of that, I’m a bit hard on productions usually (the less said about the 2002 Broadway revival, the better).  And many critics were hard on this production (though the public loved it, as it was extended) but the complete way out there changes to it is what I actually loved about it.  Gone was the traditional fairy tale costumes.  This production set it in modern times and had the narrator played by a young boy (who ends up in the end the son of the Baker).  It was hearfelt, hilarious, and very weird, and I throroughly enjoyed every moment of it.  Sarah Stiles stole the entire show in spades as Little Red Riding Hood (she wore a crash helmet, had an infectious giggle, and took pictures of everyone with a poloroid) but also good was Donna Murphy’s scheming Witch, Jessie Mueller’s delightful Cinderella, and Ivan Hernandez as a very sexual Wolf and the dim witted but hilarious Cinderella’s Price.  Not all aspects worked (Dennis O’Hare’s Baker was extremely one note) but almost all of it did, from the great casting to the inventive staging (The Giant shows up on stage and is voiced by Glenn Close!  The Witch is pulled into the ground!).  Directors Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel (who also directed this version in London) deserve a lot of credit for basically creating an all new vision to a beloved classic.

7) DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Ethel Barrymore, NYC) To see this latest revival of an American classic was like being transported back in time to the original production in 1949.  They used the same lighting, the same sound design, and the same set design.  The staging was the same, and it was all magnificently re-created by Mike Nichols.  Philip Seymour Hoffman was magnetic as Willy Loman, finding all the darkness and tragedy that the play intends and then some.  And Andrew Garfield was just as good as his song Biff Loman (in his Broadway debut).  A great ensemble case including Linda Emond, Fran Kranz, John Glover, and Finn Wittrock turned in great moments as well and it was truly a Golden age of Broadway feel.  Just beautiful.

8) A CHRISTMAS STORY THE MUSICAL (Lunt-Fontanne, NYC) To put it lightly, A Christmas Story holds a very special place in my heart.  It’s the movie I always play at Christmas and one of the movie I am most fond of playing at any time year round.  So I lowered my expectations seeing the musical version, knowing it couldn’t possibly hit the high mark I so desperately wanted it to.  And then it did.  The casting was perfect; Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years) was a perfect choice to narrate the story.  His warm voice feels like drinking a cup of Hot Chocolate on a cold winter day.  John Bolton and Erin Dilly were charming and hilarious as Ralphie’s parents (Bolton’s highlight was “A Major Award,” Dilly’s was “Just Like That”) and Broadway newcomer Johnny Rabe was an inspired choice for Ralphie.  The songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were fantastic, and under the wise direction of John Rando (Urinetown) the show shinned very birthly (and good LORD how about that Tap number by Luke Spring?!  I mean whaaaaa???!!!).  Creative and heartfelt without being cheesy, this is what a family musical should be.

9) FALLING (Minetta Lane Theatre, NYC) Strikingly beautiful and heartbreaking, Falling was truly original and struck a cord with me.  Deanna Jent’s new play starred Julie Murney (The Wild Party, Wicked) as a mother of two, one of who is an 18 year old autistic boy Josh (played with fierce power by Daniel Everidge).  Through the play, the mother battles with protecting the rest of her family or taking care of Josh.  Both actors put in tremendous performances and you watch (and sometimes squirm) as their family makes it through another day and then has trouble with the next.  It’s an important piece of theatre, one that was made even more striking with a talk back with the cast and creative team after my performance.  It’s not an easy topic to discuss or an easy show to watch, but it was indeed a beautiful one.

10) FUN HOME (Public Lab, NYC) Though not perfect (it is a Lab development series after all), Fun Home is a fascinating new musical by Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Lisa Kron (In the Wake), based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel.  It follows Alison (Beth Malone), a young adult who’s recounting her strange upbringing and how she eventually came out of the closet as a lesbian, much to the chagrin of her in denial mother (a powerful Judy Kuhn) and her in the closet father (Martin Moran).  As she recounts her childhood,  two other actresses play Alison; Alexandra Socha as teen Alison and Sydney Lucas as a child.  Socha was the most successful in finding all of the layers of Alison’s complicated life.  Malone and Lucas are both charming and moving, and Moran is powerfully sad.  A sad, solemn musical to be sure, but one that I’m sure will continue to grow and mature.  Hopefully it will make an appearance in NYC again soon.

A SECOND OPINION

BY RICKY JONES

TOP 10 BEST SHOWS OF 2012

1) INTO THE WOODS (Delacorte Theatre, NYC)

2) DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC)

3) GIANT (Public Theatre, NYC)

4) CYRANO DE BERGERAC (American Airlines Theatre, NYC)

5) WHO'S AFRIAD OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (Booth Theatre, NYC)

6) COCK (The Duke Theatre, NYC)

7) EMPIRE (Spiegelworld, NYC)

8) ONCE (Bernard B. Jacobs, NYC)

9) OTHER DESERT CITIES (Booth Theatre, NYC)

10) MURDER BALLAD (New York City Center - Stage II, NYC)