Here We Are (The Shed) (2023)

Here We Are is Stephen Sondheim's final unfinished work. It is a long gestating adaptation of Luis Bunuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (they can't eat) and The Exterminating Angel (they can't leave), a combination of two brilliant surrealist fantasies.  I think Sondheim knew he wasn't going to finish it. You can see it in Act II. There are scenes that clearly left room for a song. There's a little bit of under-scoring. But Act II is virtually a straight play. And supposedly the cop out is that the nature of The Exterminating Angel doesn't call for music because they're trapped in a room, but I don't really buy that excuse. He just didn't finish it and they left it that way. Act II though has a phenomenal set. And I actually quite like the simpler set in Act I too with the banquette/signs that descend from the ceiling to form makeshift restaurants, along with the cool virtual grass on the sides of the stage.

I don't remember such an explicit eat-the-rich bent to the movie, but it works here and I think makes it relevant and modern. The music in Act I is extremely Sondheim. The wordplay, rhythm, and music are all reminiscent of his classics. I think my favorite was the patter song sung by a fantastic Denis O'Hare at the first restaurant. I didn't know his name but I recognized him from The Good Wife/Fight, though not until I saw him up close. Before the play actually starts, O'Hare and Tracie Bennette in their maid and butler outfits tidy the immaculate stage walls and mirrors. The other standout for me was David Hyde Pierce who essentially plays Niles form Frasier and has just the type of one-liners. It's a star-studded cast of theater vets paying homage to the legend. 

Aside, in a rather quiet moment of Act II there was a loud disruptive noise coming from what I can only guess was the HVAC system. I thought maybe it was part of the show at first, as the actors briefly paused but the show went cause they're professionals. Though the sound went on for quite a while.
 

The Normal Heart (2014)

Unfortunately, I missed the Tony-winning production of The Normal Heart a couple of years back.  In the movie adaptation, Jim Parsons reprises his role, while Mark Ruffalo takes over the lead from Joe Mantello, demoted from his Tony-nominated performance as Ned Weeks to a supporting role.  Julia Roberts plays the role that won Ellen Barkin a Tony, and Matt Bomer plays the role that won John Benjain Hickey a Tony.  As with all of HBO's annual Emmy contenders, the acting is superb, scoring six well-deserved acting nominations.

The Normal Heart tells a very important story about the lack of attention the AIDS epidemic was receiving in the early eighties and I am surprised it had not been adapted for film earlier.  In any case, the issues are still relevant today.

The transition from stage to screen is evident.  There is a lot of grandstanding, soapbox speeches, and furious monologues.  It is very theatrical and though I did not see the play, I'm sure it worked well on stage.  But these theatrical elements are slightly awkward on screen.