Dear Jack, Dear Louise (Penguin Rep Theatre and Shadowland Stages)

By Harry Forbes

Playwright Ken Ludwig’s touching two-hander concerns the extraordinary World War II-era courtship of his parents before they had ever actually met: Jacob (Jack) Ludwig, a medical doctor stationed at an Oregon army hospital; and Louise Rabiner, the aspiring Broadway performer. The fathers of both were friends and had suggested they write to each other.

The play premiered in 2019 at Washington DC’s Arena Stage, and now stars Alexandra Fortin and Michael Liebhauser. They are utterly engaging as Jack and Louise begin their awkward, then increasingly comfortable, correspondence. Jack especially is, at first, shyly stiff and formal in their exchanges, but the effervescent Louise loosens him up soon enough.

Ludwig deftly balances the poignancy and humor of the situation, and skillfully avoids any sense of the static sometimes characteristic of an epistolary format. “Conversation” flows briskly between the two, each on opposite ends of the stage. Director Stephen Nachamie must be commended for the smooth pacing, as well as for guiding his appealing leads to give pitch perfect performances. The rom-com flavor of the first act gives way to high drama and heightened suspense in the second, which sees Jack stationed overseas.

It will no doubt amaze younger audience members to learn of a pre-computerized time when, in a situation such as Jack and Louise found themselves, they could only communicate through letters, not even seeing photos of the other until their correspondence was well underway. Though Jack and Louise would not actually meet until V-E Day, Louise did have a memorable visit Jack’s parents in Pennsylvania, and her recounting of the trip -- including the hordes of relatives who greeted her at the train station, and the events which followed -- is a comic highlight. 

Given Louise’s theatrical leanings, showbiz buffs will get a kick out of cultural references to period offerings like “Blithe Spirit,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Hellzapoppin',” and “Oklahoma,” though (one small nitpick) some of the chronology in that regard is somewhat inaccurate. In any case, when Louise volunteers at the Stage Door Canteen, there are fun references to Betty Grable, Hedy Lamarr, and other silver screen luminaries. 

Christian Fleming’s simple setting -- mainly Jack’s army quarters, and Louise’s New York apartment -- cannily differentiated by lighting designer Keith A. Truax -- and swing-era costumes convey the times beautifully. So, too, does Jeff Knapp’s sound design encompassing, as it does, a mood-setting 40s playlist and vivid sounds of battle.

Ludwig is a hugely prolific and unfailingly entertaining playwright as everyone knows, but on this occasion, given the deeply personal subject matter, he writes with particular warmth and genuinely touching sentiment.

(59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street; boxoffice@59e59.org or 646-892-7999; through February 16)

Photo by Dorice Arden: (l..-r.) Michael Liebhauser & Alexandra Fortin

English (Roundabout Theatre Company)

By Harry Forbes

I didn’t catch Sanaz Toossi’s 2022 play about four students taking an English proficiency course in Iran when it played the Atlantic (in a co-production with Roundabout). But now, here it is on Broadway under the auspices of Roundabout, after winning the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2023. And a very worthy play it is.

It took several minutes to engage me, as I feared the humor of the piece would have rather too much to do with the stumbling malaprops of the native Farsi speaking students. But as “English” progresses, Toossi’s themes of language and how it impacts one’s sense of national identify and native culture becomes clear and profound. 

Right from the start, you tune into Toossi’s clever device of having the cast speak in unaccented English when they are, in fact, speaking Farsi. But when they attempt their often fractured English, they speak with an accent. We get a sense of their "real" selves through the former.

The time is 2008, and their instructor is Marjan (Marjan Neshat) who has lived in Manchester, England for nine years, before returning to her native Karaj. She insists that only English be spoken in the classroom, but the role is frequently broken by her frustrated pupils.

The students, ostensibly there to prepare for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam, include Elham (Tala Ashe) who, as we soon learn, has already failed that test several times. She resents having to learn English but is determined to work in Australia in the field of gastroenterology. Roya (Pooya Mohseni), older than the others, needs to learn English so she can join her son and grandchild in Canada, and not embarrass her son who, it seems, disdains his Iranian heritage. And Goli (Ava Lalezarzadeh), a cheerful 18 year old who simply believes English will be a useful tool in the future. Her elucidation of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” song, her contribution to a “show and tell” exercise, is the play’s comic highpoint. 

Quite different than the rest is the one male student Omid (Hadi Tabbal), whose English is far better than all the others but says he recognizes his shortcomings in the language. He and Marjan bond over their mutual enjoyment of Western rom-coms like “Notting Hill” and “Moonstruck,”  which Marjan screens in her office to learn greater proficiency. Along the way, an unstated affection grows between them. 

In the classroom, tensions build as the female students wonder whether the struggle to learn English is worth it, at the same time they ponder whether they stand to lose more than they gain from immersing themselves in a language so removed from their own. Tellingly, though, Marjan reveals at one point that she likes herself better in English.

All of this is absorbing and thought provoking and Knud Adams directs with great sensitivity. The cast is uniformly excellent.

The action plays out on Marsha Ginsberg’s revolving box set which allows us to see everything from different angles though occasionally the vertical beams that limn the classroom, block our view of the action; ditto some of the furniture. Reza Behjat’s lighting subtly delineates the time of day. And there is a superbly effective use of music (mostly piano) to cover the scene changes which complement the emotional mood of the preceding scene, and balances the plainness of the classroom setting. . Likewise, a swelling symphonic interlude near the end makes the action before and after even more poignant. 

(Todd Haimes Theatre, 227 West 42nd Street; roundabouttheatre.org or 212-719-1300; thrugh March 2)

Gypsy (Majestic Theatre)

By Harry Forbes

It was only a matter of time before Audra McDonald would join the distinguished line of post-Ethel Merman interpreters of that arguably most demanding of leading lady musical roles -- Rose, the ultimate stage mother -- and she is, as you would expect, quite superb. 

Though it scarcely seems so long, it has already been 18 years since the first-rate Patti LuPone revival, so this latest one is not premature. And director George C. Wolfe’s production is a fine one across the board. Intriguingly, the advance publicity made clear that, far from color blind casting, McDonald would be playing Rose pointedly as a black woman, with her children Gypsy and June presumably of mixed race parentage.  I wondered how that would be conveyed apart from the actual casting, or how the conceit might impact the integrity of the original Arthur Laurents’ book. 

But, as it happens, nothing’s been altered in the script, and race doesn’t overtly figure in any of the plot turns, even on a subliminal level. (Rose’s machinations to get her kids booked meets the standard impediments, but race isn’t one of them.) Still,  this is not color blind casting for McDonald indeed plays the role as a scrappy black woman with the pointed vocal inflections of a woman of a certain class and era. And in so doing, she  creates a unique characterization unlike other Roses we’ve seen, and reminding us yet again of what a potent actress she is even apart from her lustrous voice.

Vocally, McDonald’s trained soprano voice might not seem the ideal fit for the belting Rose, and some of her register shifts are a tad disconcerting at first. But, for the most part, she sings in a chest voice, only morphing into purer soprano tones on the highest notes. 

“Rose’s Turn” is delivered with tremendous ferocity earning a deserved ovation, but she also scores delightfully in the lighter moments like “Have an Egg Roll, Mr. Goldstone,” and “Together, Wherever We Go.” 

She’s got strong support from Danny Burstein, brilliant as Herbie, the manager who loves her, and provides the family with a temporary semblance of stability. And Joy Woods, so impressive in last season’s CSC revival of “I Can Get It For You Wholesale,” makes an ideal Gypsy, sweet and awkwardly self-effacing in the early scenes, luscious as the strip tease artist she becomes. 

The three strippers who instruct novice Gypsy with “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” are among the best, and the number, familiar as it may be, comes out freshly minted.  Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas, and Mylinda Hull wring every ounce of humor out of the number as Tessie Tura, Mazeppa, and Electra. 

And Kevin Csolak is a sensational Tulsa, delivering one of the best versions of “All I Need is the Girl.” Camille A. Brown eschews the sacrosanct Jerome Robbins choreography for her own and her work in this number and throughout is terrific. 

Baby June (Jade Smith at my performance) was surely the most acrobatic within memory, and she morphs neatly into Jordan Tyson’s older June. Tyson’s “If Momma Was Married” duet with Woods is another highpoint. Elsewhere, though I felt both Junes were at times undercut by Wolfe’s exaggerated staging of their numbers.

Andy Einhorn leads his forces in a polished account of score, though I must confess I thought the famous overture was a tad short of pizzazz. On the other hand, audience members at my performance yakked all the way through it, so perhaps the blame lies there. 

Santo Loquasto’s set deftly handles all the scenes from Rose’s father’s Seattle house to the elaborate Minsky set piece of Gypsy’s strip. Toni-Leslie James’ costumes are spot on, and Mia Neal’s hair and wig design, Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenthauer’s lighting, and Scott Lehrer’s sound are top of the line.

(Majestic Theatre, 245 W 44th Street; GypsyBway.com)

Photo by Julieta Cervantes: (l. - r.) Audra McDonald & Joy Woods

Elf (Marquis Theatre)

By Harry Forbes

When “Elf” premiered on Broadway back in 2010, I opined that the show was so good it could easily have staying power well beyond the new year. My cheeky advice went unheeded, of course, and the show closed after playing its planned seasonal run. But it was brought back at Christmastime a couple of years later. 

And now, here it is again, this time with a thoroughly new production team, with its essential quality emerging as remembered. 

Polls have repeatedly named the 2003 Will Ferrell film “most popular Christmas movie” so, for most, a synopsis is probably superfluous. But for the uninitiated, “Elf” tells of central character Buddy, who had been brought to an orphanage by his dying mother and subsequently managed to climb into Santa’s sack, so was raised in the North Pole believing himself to be an elf. 

When Santa finally reveals Buddy’s backstory, Buddy travels to New York to meet his birth father, Walter Hobbs, previously unaware of Buddy's existence. Long since remarried to Emily, Walter now has a young son, Charlie, one who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus any more than the work-consumed Walter. When a DNA test verifies Buddy’s parentage, Walter reluctantly takes him in. Eventually, Buddy lands a job in Macy’s Christmas department where he falls for the loveless Jovie. It’s hardly a spoiler to reveal that all is set right eventually with a giant affirmation of Santa Claus. 

Once again, I admired the economy of Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin’s script which satisfyingly honors the film’s screenplay by David Berenbaum. And the tuneful, old-time Broadway score by Matthew Sklar (music) and Chad Beguelin (lyrics) -- under the musical direction of Alan Williams -- is a pleasure to hear again.

Smartly cast with Broadway pros Ashley Brown and Michael Hayden as Charlie’s parents; “Tina” alum Kaylen Davion as Jovie, Jennifer Sánchez as Walter’s good natured secretary Deb, Kai Edgar as Michael, Kalen Allen as a beleaguered Macy’s manager, and Sean Astin skillfully switching between Walter’s bottom-line boss Mr. Greenway and jovial Santa. All are excellent.

Musically, Brown and Edgar knock it out of the park with their two duets, “I’ll Believe in You” and “There is a Santa Claus.” Davion scores with her soulful “Never Fall in Love.” And Sanchez in a particular bright spot in all her moments, musical and otherwise. 

As Buddy, Grey Henson proves a worthy successor to role originator Sebastian Arcelus, and tops his previous Broadway work in “Shucked” and “Mean Girls” with an altogether delightful performance. 

Philip Wm. McKinley directs at a brisk pace, and Liam Steel’s choreography is great fun. 

Gareth Owen and Peter Fitzgerald’s sound design is somewhat overamped in the current style, but the dialogue and lyrics are never distorted Tim Goodchild’s set and costume design -- lighted by Patrick Woodroffe with video design by Ian William Galloway & Mesmer Studios --  sets the festive tone, and there are several nice scenic surprises which delight. 

In its modest but winning way “Elf” more than holds its own with all the current musical offerings on Broadway, and, a rarity, actually sends the audience out humming at least one of the tunes, the earwormy “Buddy the Elf.” 

(Marquis Theatre, 210 West 46th Street; ElfOnBroadway.com; through January 4)

Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade: (l.-r.) Grey Henson, Sean Astin

Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco Theatre)

By Harry Forbes

This new musical with Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen as futuristic robots is surely the most unexpectedly and disarmingly delightful show of the year so far. A 2016 Korean hit, which swept the Korean Musical Awards and has already had successful runs in Japan and China, and also a 2020 engagement at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA., from which this production emanates, the show should win more hearts and fans on Broadway.

The setting remains Seoul, Korea in the “near future,” the program facetiously tells us. In this world, so-called Helperbots -- lifelike robots -- serve the humans until they are “retired” to the Helperbot Yards where they live in neat, ultramodern studio apartments.Oliver (Criss) and Claire (Shen) are two such. Though there is little to no interaction among the residents, and Oliver’s only companion is his trusty house plant, Claire one day knocks on Oliver’s door when she finds she is running out of power and needs a charge.

The insular Oliver is reluctant to answer much less help her, but eventually, he succumbs. Claire gradually wears down his resistance to more social interaction, and before long, they will take an adventurous journey to a distant island where Oliver plans to reunite with his former master James who imbued in Oliver a serious love of jazz. Despite Claire's skepticism, Oliver insists that James had been a true friend, not merely his master. Claire, for her part, hopes to witness the wondrous fireflies there. 

Although these bots are not programmed for love, of course, we know that romance is sure to blossom. I don’t want to give much more away but suffice to say, their odyssey becomes a profoundly spiritual and moving experience for them as well as the audience. 

Criss as the inferior (and more robotic) model 3 bot does some of the best work of his career in a superbly disciplined and downright lovable performance, while Shen compliments him beautifully as the more gregarious and advanced model 5. 

Two other excellent performers round out the cast: Dez Duron as lounge singer Gil Brentley who pops up periodically echoing Oliver’s infatuation with jazz, and Arden Cho as James and several other characters. 

One of the nicest surprises about this show is that it’s not yet another over amplified rock musical, but a gentle, jazz-infused  score with songs that genuinely arise out of the situation. Will Aronson and Hue Park share the superior composing honors. The show it reminded me of most in its unpretentious charm was the Michel Legrand “Amour” in 2002. I do hope that “Maybe Happy Ending” surpasses that one’s unfortunately short run, and perhaps Criss’ starry participation will ensure healthy box office.

Directed with supreme sensitivity by Michael Arden (who also helmed the earlier Atlanta mounting), there’s not a false emotional note here, and everything unfolds on Dane Laffey’s classily simple but elegant set. Laffey also collaborated on George Reeve’s stunning video design. Clint Ramos’ costumes, Peter Hylenski’s sound, and Ben Stanton’s lighting are all state-of-the-art perfect for this material. 

Highly recommended. 

(Belasco Theatre, 111 West 44th Street; www.maybehappyending.com or Telecharge or 212-239-6200)

Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman: (l.-r.) Helen J. Shen, Darren Criss

Strike Up the Band (MasterVoices)

By Harry Forbes

Director/conductor Ted Sperling has again done George and Ira Gershwin proud with his one night performance of the first of the team’s three political satires. (The MasterVoices Orchestra and Chorus has already triumphed with the later works, “Of Thee I Sing” and its follow-up “Let ‘Em Eat Cake.”)

Back in 1927, “Strike Up the Band” had a troubled genesis. Its out-of-town tryout in Philadelphia was rapturously received by critics, but the public proved indifferent, and the show (with its book by George S. Kaufman) didn’t come to Broadway until 1930 in significantly different form with a revised book by Morrie Ryskind. The result was more musical than operetta, and spotlighted the comic talents of top-billed Bobby Clark and Paul McCullough. So, too, the Gershwin brothers rewrote half the score. Here’s footage of George Gershwin at rehearsals for the revised version.

For this revival, Sperling and co-book writer, theater historian Laurence Maslon, retained the 1927 structure while including some of the best of the 1930 material. Thus, we were able to hear such delights as “Hangin’ Around With You,” “Mademoiselle from New Rochelle,” and “I’ve Got a Crush On You,” among others, from the latter. There was some character reassignment. But their new book was, all in all, a skillful blend of both, and never felt bloated. The musical parts derived from the Tommy Krasker restorations done for the Nonesuch recordings in 1991.

The plot concerns Horace J. Fletcher (John Ellison Conlee), a dimwitted cheese manufacturer who, with the help of Washington VIP Colonel Holmes (David Pittu), instigates a war with Switzerland when the latter objects to a tariff about to be imposed on imported Swiss cheese. Fletcher wants the tariff as it will drive up the price of his competition, and help him corner the domestic market. 

His daughter Joan (Shereen Ahmed) falls for investigative reporter Jim Townsend (Bryce Pinkham) though her father expects her to marry his right hand man C. Edgar Sloane (Claybourne Elder). Meanwhile, the factory foreman Timothy (Phillip Attmore) is romancing Horace’s executive assistant Miss Meade (Lissa deGuzman). 

Wealthy dowager Mrs. Draper (amusing Victoria Clark, miles removed from her recent “Kimberly Akimbo” role) hopes to enlist Fletcher in her program to send deprived country kids to the big city (an amusing twist on the usual such philanthropic venture). Throughout it all, a character named George Spelvin (very funny Christopher Fitzgerald, channeling Lou Costello) weaves in and out of the story morphing into various wacky roles. 

It took a while for the silliness of the premise and the hokeyness of the dialogue to catch fire, but about halfway through the first half, everything clicked, thanks largely to the charm and skill of the marvelous cast, many MasterVoices veterans. And certainly, many of the show's themes -- politics, war, even tariffs -- resonate today. Encores resurrected the show back in 1998 with a stellar cast but I can’t recall enough of it to make a detailed comparison.

Apart from the classic title song (rousingly performed here), this is the show from which those classic songs “The Man I Love” and “I’ve Got a Crush on You” emanate. And it was fascinating to be reminded of their original context. The former -- gorgeously sung, first by Ahmed, and then in duet with Pinkham -- was sublime. And the latter, so often done as a ballad today, was a jaunty number for deGuzman and Attmore, leading into a spirited dance. 

The performance, in fact, included more dancing than ever before, niftily devised by Alison Solomon, and also -- for the first time with MasterVoices -- tap dancing. Of the principals, deGuzman and Attmore had the lion’s share of hoofing which they executed as skillfully as their singing.

Pinkham was in particularly lustrous voice, and earned an especially big hand for his final number “Homeward Bound,” originally performed by a soldier character. Clark had plenty of opportunity to show off her high soprano range. And Conlee, Elder, Pittu, and Fitzgerald -- all dramatically and comically solid -- shone in their vocal moments.

The Gershwins were Gilbert and Sullivan fans, and Ira is said to have admired especially Gilbert’s witty lyrics. Though the music is quintessential Gershwin, all the many choral interjections and extended musical sequences are structurally reminiscent of G&S and operetta in general. And, in that regard, the MasterVoices chorus sounded splendid from their opening “Fletcher’s American Cheese Choral Society” number and all the rest. The musical comedy numbers are there, sure, but the operetta elements are unmistakable, especially the Act One Finaletto wherein Townsend reveals his big discovery that Fletcher’s premium cheese is, in fact, tainted with Grade B milk. 

Three fascinating podcasts hosted by John McWhorter of "The New York Times" -- with Sperling and Maslon, “New Yorker” cartoonist and editor Bob Mankoff, and John Mauceri, conductor of the Nonesuch recordings, respectively -- break down the many facets of the show. 

(Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Avenue; October 29th only; www.mastervoices.org)

Photos by Toby Tenenbaum:

(Top) Dancers

(Below) (l.-r.) Lissa deGuzman, Shereen Ahmed, Bryce Pinkham, Victoria Clark, John Ellison Conlee

(Bottom) Christopher Fitzgerald & company

Sunset Blvd. (St. James Theatre)

By Harry Forbes

Andrew Lloyd-Webber is having quite the year. First, there was the acclaimed off-Broadway "Cat"-less reworking of his "now and forever" megahit. And now, here's a stripped down, highly stylized reversioning of the 1993 musical which, on the West End and Broadway, was dominated by John Napier’s majestic hydraulic set and grand staircase, and with the cast outfitted in Anthony Powell’s stylish period costumes. 

Director Jamie Lloyd’s current production dispenses with these traditional elements and even basic props, though Soutra Gilmour’s scenic design is striking and hardly less elaborate, in its way, than the original. And the cast is chicly decked out in non-period specific black (also Gilmour), on a mostly darkened smokey stage.

Lloyd’s 2023 production of “A Doll’s House” was virtually a blueprint for this, which includes an even more spectacular breaking of the fourth wall than he managed for that Ibsen revival. 

The four principals from London have been imported for Broadway. And they are all excellent: Tom Francis in the film’s William Holden role of writer Joe Gillis accidently finding himself on the property of silent film star recluse Norma Desmond when he drives there to evade his car being repossessed by the agents chasing him; David Thaxton as Norma’s fiercely protective manservant Max; and Grace Hodgett Young as Betty the studio assistant who falls for Joe, unaware of his involvement with the aging Norma. 

Apart from Lloyd’s imaginative staging, what keeps us riveted is Nicole Scherzinger’s unique portrayal of Norma. She is absolutely mesmerizing. 

Is she better than all the Normas who have come before her, such as Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Betty Buckley, Elaine Paige and long run champ Petula Clark? I’d say it’s more a case of apples and oranges as the staging is so very different, and let's not forget those earlier interpreters of the role were each special in their own ways. 

Scherzinger certainly has the terpsichorean edge on her predecessors, as her lithe and sensual moves as devised by choreographer Fabian Aloise add another dimension to the role. So, too, there’s now a younger version of Norma sinuously danced by Hannah Yun Chamberlain. (Aloise’s choreography for the rest of the ensemble is quite striking as well, and gives them plenty to do in light of the streamlining elsewhere.)

Supporting roles like Joe’s friend (and Betty’s fiance) Artie (Diego Andres Rodrigquez), studio exec Sheldrake (Tyler Davis), and so on, have relatively brief onstage stime. The focus is squarely on the leads here. Even the role of legendary director Cecil B. DeMille is represented only by a giant silhouette voiced by one of the ensemble.

The score itself sounds as lush and sumptuous as ever under the direction of Alan Williams. There have been some cuts in the music including “The Lady’s Paying” and “Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering” sequences. But those numbers incorporated tunes heard elsewhere in the score anyway.

The elaborate and impressive video design is the work of Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom. A webcam follows the characters throughout as their images are projected on the expansive backdrop. And, of course, it’s Norma who plays to the camera most of all, in sometimes a shamelessly hammy way perhaps not quite in the manner of a once great lady of the silver screen, even a self-deluded one

But no matter. It’s still a great performance. Throughout the evening, I kept wondering how Scherzinger would fare in the traditional Trevor Nunn staging. And I finally decided she’d be equally powerful even sans Lloyd’s almost Kabuki-like stylization. As it is, she earns two midshow ovations for her big numbers “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” And at the end of the show, the audience rewards her and the rest of the cast with a thunderous and, unlike so many shows these days, absolutely genuine ovation.

There were projections in the original Nunn staging, but Lloyd really goes to town with the cinematic flourishes, even including movie style credits at the beginning and end of the show. 

Clearly this revisal is something to see.

(St. James Theatre, 246 West 44th Street; SunsetBlvdBroadway.com)

Photo by Marc Brenner: Nicole Scherzinger