Theater, Theater, God How We Love the Theater

MBC and I arrived in NYC a bit earlier than Snags and Missy. It afforded us the chance to see one more play. We chose a play in preview called The Farnsworth Invention, written by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) about the invention of television and the fight for the ability to claim that distinction. Despite tremendous performances by Hank Azaria, as David Sarnoff and Jimmi Simpson, as Philo T. Farnsworth, this production has a way to go before the word Tony becomes associated with it. The characters are interesting and the story is epic when you look at how the medium has changed the world. But instead of delighting us with new perspective and information, it drags and sputters along

I think MBC hit on it right away when she noted Sorkin's famous walk and talk style. On Television we get a break from the frantic pace that this technique sets with the commercials. Not so on the Broadway stage. However with some adjustments in the pace and an overly scientific dialogue, this play could be worthwhile and entertaining.

Once we teamed up with the Tin Man, Snags and Cowardly Lion, Missy, we decided that we should see our one allotted Musical. Explanation is necessary here. Dorothy, MBC, refuses to see more than one musical per visit. Therefore this decision is always the most debated. This year Missy wanted to see Xanadau. Even I, the passive aggressive one, flinched.

We had all agreed the Disney on Broadway was for tourists. We are not tourists. We are New Yorkers in Exile. Avenue Q was fine. Putnam County Spelling Bee was charming, but overdone. Under no circumstances would we resort to seeing Tarzen, Lion King or Legally Blondie.

So there it was. Sitting there like glitter ball in the ballroom of a Victorian home, Xanadau. You never know, you know. Snags, Missy and I loved it. Instead of being a revival, it was staged as a satire for everything that was wrong about the eighties. It was done with humor and expertise by a cast of talented and energetic people, featuring the dynamic and funny Kerry Butler. She so captivated us with her switch from the goddess Clio to the rollerskating muse Kara, with the Aussie accent. You couldn't help but look on with a smile on you face and amazement in your mind for her performance.

(MBC laughed and smiled all the way through it. She however, claims that she was enjoying the gay guy next to her who gushed and vamped all through the performance. It's her story and she is after all, Dorthy)


When you go to Hot Tickets booth for discount tickets, you have to know some things in order to be successful and not look like a rube.

• Cash and Travelers Checks only. NO CREDIT CARDS. It doesn't matter what metal it represents. They don't take them.
• Have more than one play your willing to buy because by the time you get to the ticket booth the one you select first maybe sold out.
• DO NOT ASK FOR BETTER SEATS. They automatically give you the best seats available. If someone gets better seats from the theater at the last minute it's because someone turned them in and the customer was just plain lucky.
• There are two lines for tickets. Most people do not know that the little P next to the name on the board means play. Because there is less demand for these tickets, as a rule, there is a separate line for play tickets. It's always shorter. Ask a security person. They will help you find this line. Do not ask for tickets to musicals when you get to the booth. What happens is not pretty.
• Don't ask the booth people their opinions of the plays. They are busy.

What is fun are the people you meet in line at Hot Tickets. Many of them have seen the performances you are wondering about and have no ax to grind. If they didn't like it they will pretty much tell you so. After a few moments conversation you can ascertain if their tastes are comparable to yours. If someone tells me Lion King was the best thing they have ever seen on the stage, I'm going to discount much of what they say. If they tell me they haven't seen a good play since Proof, I probably will listen closer.

The final play we saw was part of and off-Broadway experience that is something you get after you realize that all the good plays are not on Broadway. Of course, it doesn't make any difference if you are going to the theater on Broadway or, in this case, Chelsea you have to take the S train, but you've read that story.

Eating outside in the delightful, reasonable and tasty confines of Elmo's, is an unexpected treat for a visitor in late October, but the unusual warm weather permitted it this time. After a promise to return for desert, we marched down to The Atlantic Theater for a performance of the critically acclaimed play by Lucy Turber, Scarcity. The Atlantic is a converted church space and is slightly quirky but effective as a performance space.

The cast, headed by the recognizable Kristen Johnston,(Tird Rock from The sun) took us on journey through the night featuring the visceral features of dysfunctional family. It was, excuse the cliche, like watching a car wreck just before it happens. You know what's going to happen. You want to warn the people in the vehicle, but you're powerless. The play survives on the timelessness of the lessons it portrays and the faint glimmer of hope it extends at the end.

The strong cast and solid script make this play my favorite, but admittedly this season was not strong for us. We all agreed. There were no bad plays, but we have seen better. Even in the case of Scarcity, I'm not sure I wasn't overly influenced by the meatloaf from Elmo's. Good food can put you in an accepting mood.