Like Water for Chocolate (American Ballet Theater) (2023)

Christopher Wheeldon's adaptation of the classic Mexican novel runs three acts, nearly three hours. My main qualm is the medium. I'm all for dance, but it's not really an effective way of communicating plot. And it's very plot heavy for interpretive dance. You need to read the synopsis in the program to really appreciate it. And yet I felt like there were too many scenes that didn't have enough dance.  What you'd call 'book scenes' in a musical, they convey plot without songs; well here they "convey plot" without dance which is to say nothing. I've mostly in the past seen just vignettes, independent scenes, not really a whole plot ballet. Even The Nutcracker is lighter on plot, and full of irrelevant Arabian/Chinese/etc dances. The dance scenes are fabulous though. Act II features the most dance. The music by Joby Talbot is beautifully cinematic. It sounds like a movie score--I thought it might have actually been from the movie adaptation. But it's original for the ballet. The final pas de deux features a soprano solo too, the first spoken words of the whole ballet, just at the very end. I also loved the instrumentation with the guitar solo. The show has the sound and look of Mexico. The production is beautiful. The final image of the lovers set aflame in the air is breathtaking.

Dark (2017-20)

The first season of the German-language series Dark was unlike anything else on TV. It was high-concept sci-fi show, a time travel drama.  And in the beginning it was manageable to follow.  I quite liked season 1--I actually watched 8 episodes straight to catch up to Philip and Nancy and David in a lazy day. But come season 2 and 3, when they started to introduce alternate worlds, it was nearly impossible to comprehend. And we watched it a lot more slowly, so we forgot things. Not to mention the huge cast of actors playing the characters at several ages that were easy to forget. I've never known a show so complicated to require a dynamic family tree, courtesy of Netflix. And there were many details that were found on the tree that I never quite caught in the show.Whoever was writing this show had an incredible grasp on the characters, recurring themes, objects, places, times and all that to keep it straight. Every episode ended on a crazy cliff hanger. The show legitimately made me go WTF constantly. They do know how to keep you hooked even when you can't make sense of it. After much reading, I think the ending is pretty satisfying but I wouldn't have got it all on my own.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-23)

At the best of times, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was the funniest show on TV.  I think Amy Sherman-Palladino was well aware of the criticism often levied against it by the New York Jewish viewers. It leaned heavily into Jewish stereotypes, and as the show progressed, it got more and more extreme. She said yes and doubled the ante. The parents were especially overbearing. But they were such genuine characters. And they were hilarious. It's a supremely winning cast.

The final season takes a daring narrative turn. We see several flash forwards, showing us where the characters end up. The rest of the season fills in the gaps to show us how they got there. Similar to Insecure, we see how a tight friendship dissolves. The ending has 3 endings: a televised set, a flashback to a restaurant scene with Luke Kirby, and a flash forward to Midge and Susie. The last one was sweet but I think I could've done without it. It might've been more poignant to end on Wo Hop. Luke Kirby tenderly played Lenny Bruce, a real life legendary comedian. There is a beautiful scene in which he performs All Alone on the Steve Allen show, word for word, beat for beat. It's funny and sad and poignant and perfect. I know Midge and Susie's relationship is the heart of the show, but Lenny is the real history behind the show. It gives the show some more heft above a standard comedy.

The look of the show was gorgeous. The costumes and set design transport you to the glamour of the 60s. It filled that Mad Men sized hole on television. The music drops too were very well done. I think the best arc on the series was when they went to the Catskills, aka the Borscht Belt. Takes you back to Nevele.

Succession (2018-23)

For quite a long stretch of time during the golden age of TV, Succession was the best show on air.  From the beginning, it spoke to our nightmare times. The Roy family was most closely modeled on the Murdochs but there is something undoubtedly Trumpian about it all, isn't there? It's so painfully realistic, it's terrifying at times. Succession was the perfect balance of comedy and (Shakespearean) tragedy. And it wasn't just clever writing. It was the comedic performances and the hilarious cameraman controlling the zoom lens. There are so many iconic moments that have entered the culture. I'm talking "L to the OG", boar on the floor, two safe rooms, crack some greggs to make a Tomelette, etc. Really any scene with Cousin Greg. 

The final season was announced ahead of the season premiere. Succession ran a tight four seasons, left us wanting more, rather than overstaying its welcome. There was a clear series arc that the showrunner Jesse Armstrong had clearly thought out.  And it took a bold swing in Season 4 Episode 3 that paid dividends. The final 3 episodes were excellent. I feel like they really stuck the landing. The final season leans more tragedy ("You are not serious people") than comedy, but it has its moments, like "it's not that lemony" and Connor arguing with Roman about ambassadorships. 

And how about that opening song by Nicholas Britell!

Camelot (2023) (Broadway)

Camelot has some issues with the book, in that there's too much book and not enough songs. All the songs are nice and pretty but there aren't that many of them and they don't really advance the plot. They sing about the weather (Camelot) and months (The Lusty Month of May) and seasons (If Ever I Should Leave You), which is weather and months combined. Also they cut Follow Me, and the whole character of Nimue. It could use more ensemble numbers. The end of Act I and the beginning of Act II need songs. Philippa Soo is excellent as Guenevere (totally robbed by the Tonys committee). Her voice is so crisp and pure. Just too much talking scenes. Jordan Donica is good too but not as extraordinary as he was in My Fair Lady though he rightfully is Tony nominated. I think If Ever I Should Leave You isn't as perfect for his voice as On the Street Where You Live. We unfortunately didn't see Andrew Burnap as Arthur, but his understudy was pretty good. I know it's mostly straight acting but Arthur has a couple songs and the understudy probably had more musicality anyways considering Burnap has never done a musical. The set and costumes are wonderful. It feels like you're really transported to Camelot. They make use of projections on the back wall and on the cathedral-shaped eaves.  

Plot wise I could see why Aaron Sorkin wanted to do this. It's about a benevolent leader trying to create his idealized world where people are good. And everyone wants him to fail. Everyone doubts him, and they ultimately bring about his downfall because they can't accept the goodness of people. That's how Arthur loses his war against human nature. Is it foolhardy? Or righteous? Act 2 is much darker as Camelot crumbles from the inside. Act 2 introduces critical new characters that I did not care for: Mordred and Morgan Le Fay (a scientist and Mordred's scorned mother in this production who tells Arthur it can't last). The changes are not all sensible as they're often arguing about nothing.

I think you also can't talk about Camelot without mentioning Jackie Kennedy. She may have made it all up. I, for one, kind of find it hard to believe that JFK liked to listen to the soundtrack. It's a nice story. For one brief shining moment, there was this ideal society. Reality of course is that JFK never achieved that. And if anyone really believed he would they were kidding themselves--maybe I'm the cynical knights. Maybe she was trying to say something about adulterers being burned at the stake.

Guys and Dolls (West End)

Guys and Dolls might just be the most fun I've had at the theater ever. It genuinely put a smile on my face. Despite standing for 3 hours, after spending the whole day walking around the British Museum. Staged in the round, the standing floor audience is literally in the thick of the action. They're the best seats in the house for just 39 quid. The stage is made up of several rising platforms that the audience is encouraged to encircle by several stagehands with the toughest job in the room, managing a moving stage and shepherding the audience. The cast also interacts with the audience and stands among them. In the Havana scene, they're encouraged to dance along and create a party atmosphere. Sky Masterson threw a sweaty towel in my direction, and right on cue, we shimmied out of the way. Even closer than if you were sitting in the front row, we're literally up at the edge of the stage looking up at the action. Big Julie is very tall. There's nothing necessarily about the play that calls for immersive staging but it creates an exciting atmosphere. It's a kinetic production with wonderful staging.

The actor Andrew Richardson plays Sky Masterson, the Marlon Brando part, in what I could only describe as a Bobby Cannavale-esque way.  He's really good. Celinde Schoenmaker plays Sarah, a role I could see Jessie Mueller in. The actor I'd really call out though is Cedric Neal who plays Nicely Nicely. He absolutely kills it in the showstopper "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat". I unfortunately chose to move to the opposite end of the stage for Act II, which was the back of the scene. He puts it all out there, belting and stomping. The audience gave them 3 encores to repeat the chorus, even the music director and band took a bow. It literally stopped the show. Not to mention that Neal performs with a doo-wop group in the intermission in what is probably the second best scene. After the final bows, there's a literal dance party with the cast and audience together to disco versions of the soundtrack. I would've stuck around if we didn't have to rush to a late dinner.

Witness for the Prosecution (West End)

I had seen the Marlene Dietrich movie adaptation of the Agatha Christie play, and I remembered that there was a twist though I didn't fully remember what the twist was. Agatha Christie is very popular on the West End, The Mousetrap still going strong, and actually coming to Broadway. But I chose this one instead for its innovative staging in London County Hall. London is full of formerly government buildings that retain their beautiful architecture and find new life as theaters or hotels or condos, etc. But what a great idea to stage a courtroom drama in the gorgeous chamber. We bought the cheapest full view seats, and while they're technically full view if you sit forward and to the side, in any comfortable position the huge structural column obstructs the view of the bench and jury box. The jurors are actually audience members who paid a premium. And they are furiously taking notes on something throughout the performance. And one of them was designated foreman and announced the not guilty verdict. They have lines! Center stage is the defendant's box. And the defendant is mostly silent save for the occasional outburst. Up in the gallery though, there was an actress who yelled out right next to us. At the end of the play, when the twist is revealed, the audience was audibly shocked. There was actually so much audience awe that people were getting shushed. And it is a damn good twist.