High Spirits (2026) (Encores!)

At its core, Encores! at City Center is about reviving shows you've never heard of with big names on little rehearsal. High Spirits embodies this spirit. Almost everyone was on book, save for Rachel Dratch who hardly has any lines, though she is hilarious just moping around. Andrea Martin was not only on book, but she lost her spot and had to halt the show. Steven Pasquale kindly hustled over to help her find her line. That was the funniest part of the show because she's such a comedienne about it. The show is a musical adaptation of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. Coward's wry humor is light and British. It's like watching Downton Abbey; the latest Downton movie actually featured a visit from Mr Coward himself. Philippa Soo has the sensibility and mannerisms for it. She plays opposite her real life husband, Pasquale, playing his second wife. The plot is about a seance that brings back his first wife's ghost. None of the music is all that memorable, or good frankly, but Katrina Lenk has a couple songs as the first wife that suit her voice nicely. Overall, it's a weird show. It actually quite closely resembles the plot of Death Becomes Her. But it's not as funny or fun as Death Becomes Her. 

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.
 

American Son (2018) (Broadway)

I had a really incredible experience at the Booth Theater last week. A big thanks to American Express for making it possible by bringing together a selection of employees and students at a really special performance. In the audience was Eric Garner's mother and coincidentally Shaun King's daughter was one of the students. This groups of students, mostly studying theater and performing arts, were inspiring. They gave me hope for humanity by showing us their love and support for each other in the face of adversity. The post-show discussion was full of displays of emotion. Your heart breaks for them. I don't know why Steven Pasquale skipped the Q&A but he missed out on an event as powerful as the show itself. Kerry Washington was there sitting cross-legged and barefoot. She is extremely intelligent, a great speaker and a real down to Earth leading lady.

The play is brilliant. It's a must-see for our time, getting at the heart of a system that is stacked against African Americans. It illuminates the unique challenges faced by black people in America. It takes place in a Florida police station in the middle of the night. The rain pours down backstage outside the windows. Kerry Washington's son is missing. And the policeman on-duty is not providing her information about her son's whereabouts. The one thing we know is that his car was involved in an "incident". That incident could be anything, as we are frequently reminded, but we have our suspicions. Knowing our society, our mind goes to the darkest place without hesitation because it is all too common that young men of color are stopped by the police. The writing is excellent. The plot points reveal themselves with precision, every word is chosen carefully and delivered perfectly. Go see American Son.