Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Assistance

Much like anyone who’s worked in an office can simultaneously cringe at and appreciate Office Space, anyone who’s been an assistant can commiserate with the poor office hacks in Leslye Headland’s acerbic new play, Assistance.

Headland’s sharp, efficient writing is in full effect in her keenly observed play, one in a series exploring the seven deadly sins. (This one is about greed. Bachelorette—so good at Second Stage Uptown a couple of summers ago—focused on gluttony, and has been adapted for the screen.)

It’s seven o’clock on a Friday night and Vince (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe) and Nick (Michael Esper) are still at work. Nick is staying to cover the late shift and train the new girl, Nora (Virginia Kull), who has been waiting in reception for four hours. They all work for Daniel Weisinger, a VIP (whom we never meet) with the worst and most oversized egotistical demands and expectations. (Meaning: he’s the most important person – ever, and he wants exactly what he wants—nothing more, nothing less—yesterday. It’s people like him that drove me away from DC and politics. Interestingly, Playwrights Horizons' artistic director, Tim Sanford, hypothesizes that The Weisinger Company is an entertainment company of some sort. I can't help but think it's some political or lobbying firm, though the play is set in New York City.)

Throughout the play, we watch the rotating roster of assistants, which also includes the eager Heather (Sue Jean Kim), the snotty but seductive Jenny (Amy Rosoff) and a shrewd and exacting Justin (the terrific Bobby Steggert). Like in Shame, it’s easy to see what motivates all the assistants: greed. Their greed for power and stature drives them to rationalize thoroughly irrational behavior as they slavishly chain themselves to their desks and phones. Greed is a deadly sin and, indeed, their greed is killing them. (Not quite literally, although one character does break his foot. Metaphorically, of course, the greed that keeps them in the hellish office definitely breaks their spirit.)

What is interesting about the office dynamics is the way they interact with each other. There’s certainly a pecking order. The first and second assistants (first Vince and Nick, then Nick and Nora) try to look out for one another. And while they don’t lie to lay blame on someone beneath them, they won’t hesitate to honestly rat out someone who’s third or fourth in line. Ultimately, when push comes to shove, their greed for the top prize takes over and each person is looking out for number one.

Most telling about the sycophantic assistants’ behavior and motivating forces are the incisive and insightful interludes sprinkled throughout Headland’s play. (The final one, courtesy of Jenny, is fantastic—it comes from nowhere but yet makes perfect sense and is fully satisfying.) Vince, Heather, Justin and Jenny are in the spotlight, and each makes excuses for allowing themselves to be exploited by Daniel. (We see Nick and Nora only in the office.) During Heather’s confessional, for example, she tells her mother, “This job made me important.” How sad it is that being someone’s lackey makes one important. What’s even sadder, I think, is that those of us who’ve worked for a Daniel know just how easy it is to fall into any of the assistants’ frame of mind and concur with Heather.

Directed by Trip Cullman (A Small Fire, Bachelorette), this cast is pitch perfect. Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) is funny and spot-on as the arrogant prick who gets ahead. Amy Rosoff impresses as Jenny, particularly in her manic final moments on stage. Bobby Steggart—in just one and a half scenes—draws a full character, and is so powerful during his interlude. His Justin is clearly drunk on the Kool-Aid, and even though he’s literally broken, he makes excuses to his therapist about why working for Daniel is so amazing. Steggart seems possessed and focused, and the production is richer thanks to his performance.

Handling the heaviest load are Michael Esper (American Idiot, iHo) and Virginia Kull (Sex Lives of Our Parents). Both display great range, showing off Nick’s and Nora’s layers with deceptive ease. They also have great chemistry, which makes their interpretation of Headland’s witty repartee thrilling. Esper is especially impressive as he subtly transitions from office goof to officious assistant to flirt and much more in between. He’s not an aggressive actor, but he commands attention with his raw and honest performance.

I’ve had such satisfying experiences with both plays in Leslye Headland’s cycle, and I’m looking forward to catching her meditations on the five other deadly sins.

Assistance runs at Playwrights Horizons through March 11. Visit playwrightshorizons.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

Bonus: Illustrator Ken Fallin's rendering of Assistance, as seen on Playbill.com:

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Monday, February 27, 2012

Oscar Wrap Up

Well, we have another Academy Award show and film award season under our belts. It's been a good year, with several terrific films and performances to consider (even if all of them didn't win or weren't nominated for Oscars).

But really, there are two things people care about when watching award shows: fashion and fashion. (Oh, and sometimes people care about the awards.) So, let's get to the fashion. (Visit E! Online for tons of photos and other red carpet coverage.)

There actually wasn't anything too remarkable on the red carpet - nothing terribly bad and nothing wonderfully incredible.

I thought Emma Stone and Natalie Portman looked grown up yet fresh in red. Stone was wearing a Jean-Baptiste Grenouille dress that was glamorous and included a red-carpet-only bow atop a beautifully rich red gown. And Portman was sporting a rather old, matronly silhouette, but the polka dots on her dress made it fresh and modern.


Um, and other than that I don't have too much to say about the fashion, but let's go through a quick run down: Berenice Bejo (above left) looked lovely and light in a mint green Elie Saab gown; Gwyneth Paltrow (above right), sans cape, looked good, showing off Tom Ford's trademark impeccable tailoring; Penelope Cruz went old-school in a classy and sophisticated Armani number; Cameron Diaz (right) stunned in Gucci, appearing less flighty fun-girl and more sophisticated woman; George Clooney looked perfect in his Armani tuxedo; Bret McKenzie (below left), with his slim and tailored tux, tussled hair and properly groomed beard is my pick for the night's sexiest, best dressed man; and Angelina Jolie looked like a movie star in Atelier Versace. Period.

And now, for the awards and the broadcast.

Seminal host Billy Crystal did a fine job hosting the awards. It was nice to have a good, old-school song-and-dance man at the helm. Crystal's ninth time hosting the awards didn't disappoint as he transitioned seamlessly from a clip montage to a Best Picture medley. (Although, the sound mix was horrible. I could barely make out what he was saying.) He kept his portion mercifully short and concise, getting, instead, straight to the awards.

There were dalliances into banter and clips and testimonials, though. I liked the bits in between, like the focus-group scene with Christopher Guest and crew, but overall I could have done without all the little bits and clip packages and had either (a) a shorter award show or (b) performances from the nominees for Original Song, like "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets. The Cirque piece was impressive, but thoroughly unnecessary. (Although, I did notice one of the performers from Zarkana on the stage.) And although it was nice to call attention to Governors Award Honorees James Earl Jones, someone needs to get him on a plane back to New York - he needs to rehearse for The Best Man, starting previews on Broadway March 6!!!

In any case, we did end up learning all the winners. As usual, I've listed selected categories below. Visit oscar.go.com for the full list of the evening's winners. (Winners are in bold)

Best Picture
After (spoiler alert!) Michel Hazanavicius won for Best Director, most of us were able to see this coming. Much as I liked The Artist, I still feel The Descendants, with its epic, classic and universal themes and pathos, should have won. But, like last year, Harvey Weinstein campaigned tenaciously for this award. And while it's an honor for The Artist, let us remember that several films we would all consider incomparable classics have not won this award (like this year's The Descendants and last year's The Social Network). So while we tuned in to find out who won, those honored on Oscar night aren't necessarily the best in the canon; they are simply the favorites of the Academy voters within that particular year. (Of course, this is just something I tell myself when my favorite doesn't win; when said favorite does win, the Oscar is obviously honoring the best of the year!)

Actor in a Leading Role
While this is isn't surprising, it wouldn't have been my pick. It's terribly difficult to compare these performances. It's not like all the actors played the same role and we're comparing their interpretations. Instead, we have to look at disparately different movies that ask incredibly different things of its actors. Dujardin was wonderfully charming in The Artist, but if I was an Academy voter, I would have voted for Clooney. (I have a feeling that, had it not been for Harvey Weinstein's relentless campaigning, the rest of the Academy would have done the same.) What do you think? 20 years from now, whose performance will we remember?

Actress in a Leading Role
  • Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
  • Viola David, The Help
  • Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  • Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
  • Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Well it's about time Ms. Streep won another one! I like that she began by thanking her husband, Don Gummer. She said, "Everything I value most in our lives you've given me." I haven't seen her performance. Truth be told I've only seen Viola Davis's performance in The Help so I can't justify this win, but I like Ms. Streep and I liked her speech, and everyone I know who's seen the film has said she's sensational - so I'm on board with this.

Actor in a Supporting Role
  • Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
  • Jonah Hill, Moneyball
  • Nick Nolte, Warrior
  • Christopher Plummer, Beginners
  • Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
At age 82, Plummer is the oldest actor to win an Oscar (not to mention the Film Independent Spirit Award he won the night before), and it's completely deserved. Plummer gave a light and charming speech, acknowledging his age and seeming sincerely grateful for the honor. I hope that this win makes people watch Beginners, because it's a terrific little film about learning how to love. Add it to your queue. You'll thank me later!

Actress in a Supporting Role
  • Berenice Bejo, The Artist
  • Jessica Chastain, The Help
  • Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
  • Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
  • Octavia Spencer, The Help
No surprise here. And though I haven't seen Janet McTeer's performance, I've seen the other four nominees and I'll agree that Spencer's win is deserving. For the sake of the award show, I'm glad she kept her speech within time and saved the thank yous to all the important people in her life for another time. Her acceptance speech is a good example of how you can be genuinely emotional but still not blubbering and effusive.

Cinematography
  • Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist
  • Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  • Robert Richardson, Hugo
  • Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
  • Janusz Kaminski, War Horse
Though I would have been happy had Lubezki won for The Tree of Life, I'm glad Richardson won for Hugo. This was a visually stunning film, due in no small part to the exquisite cinematography of Richardson. Kudos!!!

Music (Original Score)
  • John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
  • Ludovic Bource, The Artist
  • Howard Shore, Hugo
  • Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  • John Williams, War Horse
This is the right choice. As I said when the nominations came out, as a silent film, the score was another character and one of the main storytellers.

Music (Original Song)
  • "Man or Muppet," The Muppets, music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie
  • "Real in Rio," Rio, music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, lyrics by Siedah Garrett
First, let's just lament the fact that the Academy shamefully didn't invite Jason Segel and the Muppet company (and whoever sings "Real in Rio") to perform on the telecast. I, for one, would have loved to see Segel, Jim Parsons, Walter the Muppet and others perform. Second, yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Songwriter Bret McKenzie thanked "Jim Henson and his original team for creating the magical world of the Muppets," and I couldn't agree more!

Adapted Screenplay
  • Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
  • John Logan, Hugo
  • George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
  • Steven Zallian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
  • Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Much as I love honoring the wonder that is Aaron Sorkin's writing, I'm very happy with this award. Payne, Faxon and Rash wrote an incredible, epic, classic film, and this honor is very well deserved. (Plus, check out Jim Rash making fun of mimicking Angelina Jolie's pose!)

Original Screenplay
  • Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
  • Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
  • JC Chandor, Margin Call
  • Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
  • Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Yay!!! I thought that the big "mo" would carry The Artist to this award, but, thankfully, Woody Allen won for his fantastic script for Midnight in Paris, a wonderful and truly romantic comedy. And, I'm sure producers were happy the Allen wasn't actually on hand to accept so that they could go sans one more acceptance speech and keep the show running (somewhat) on time.

Directing
Okay. So Hazanavicius made a delightful film, and it's impressive that he was able to revive this old film making technique. But, I really wish Martin Scorsese would have won for his vision or Alexander Payne for his wonderful attention to detail and careful, sensitive direction of an epic family drama.

What about you, dear readers? Did your favorites win? Who got "robbed," and who, nominated or not, should have won?

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Friday, February 24, 2012

Media Morsels 2.24.12

  • Peter and the Starcatcher
    Star stuff is coming to Broadway. As we've known for several weeks now, Peter and the Starcatcher, which was magical last year at the New York Theatre Workshop, is heading uptown for a Broadway engagement at the Brooks Atkinson Theater. The show unveiled its new website this week, which comes complete with a priority pre-sale discount! Visit peterandthestarcatcher.com to order tickets for as little at $59. Also on the site: a video about crafting the show's poster (at right) and a FAQ sheet so you can enjoy every last bit of star stuff! Previews begin on March 28, and they're ready: they just announced the full cast!

  • The Lyons
    If you hear some roaring in the theatre district, it's probably coming from the Cort Theatre, where, it was announced this week, The Lyons will take up residency. The superb Nicky Silver play, which ran at the Vineyard Theatre last year (I loved it), is making the leap to Broadway this spring, opening sometime before the April 26 Tony eligibility deadline. Linda Lavin is confirmed to reprise her role as the Lyons matriarch and most of the off-Broadway cast (including Michael Esper) are expected to return, as well, according to the announcement on Playbill.com. Stay tuned for details!

  • Leap of Faith
    If you're excited about Leap of Faith coming to Broadway, then you'll remember that a few weeks ago, stars Raul Esparza and Jessica Phillips did a photo shoot for the show. You may also remember that a couple weeks ago they released a behind-the-shoot video (see below). Well, this week the actual promotional shots were released. They seem to say, "Hello. We are the cast of Leap of Faith, and we are sexy." (And I'm totally fine with that!) Visit the show's Facebook page to view all the photos by Joan Marcus, like the one at right, and then head over to leapoffaithbroadway.com to learn more and purchase tickets. (Bonus: On the website, you can listen to the title song!)
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Merrily We Roll Along

Having seen the Encores! production of Merrily We Roll Along, I feel as if I’ve gone through a musical theatre lover rite of passage. I had known of the show and was vaguely familiar with the plot and score but there’s nothing quite like seeing a top-notch production of a show to really hook you.
 
Merrily We Roll Along is an inspirational cautionary tale that follows three “old friends” on their journey from wide-eyed dreamers to hardened, jaded adults – but it’s told in reverse. When we meet Franklin Shepard (Colin Donnell), Mary Flynn (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and Charley Kringas (Lin-Manuel Miranda), they are showbiz and publishing veterans in their forties and they can barely stand to be in the same room with each other. Years of professional infighting (Frank is a composer and Charley his lyricist; Mary is a writer) have given way to the dissolution of what seemed to be an unbreakable bond. It’s an absolutely devastating story, and by telling it in reverse, Stephen Sondheim and George Furth craft an emotional masterpiece.

To tell this story in a traditional linear way would make for a really depressing and unsatisfying experience. Watching someone deteriorate is not particularly engaging. But rolling backwards is terrific. To know how the story ends and then see how everyone got there makes it a richer experience for the audience.

Remember the first time you saw Christopher Nolan’s Memento? Remember the second? It was the re-watching, the informed watching that is the pay off. So, too, with Merrily. Because we know how Frank, Charley and Mary end up, we can concentrate on getting to know who they are. Since we’re not concerned with moving the plot forward, we get to focus on the middle – which is always the best part. The middle is where the meat is – anything that’s interesting about a story is always in the middle. (That’s why we become so fascinated with serials – they explore the middle in a way that feature films usually don’t – and are often so disappointed with the series finales, which have to focus on wrapping up the plot.)

Telling the story backwards also makes certain moments much more powerful. For example, when Frank and Charley are in their early twenties toward the end of the show and they play “Good Thing Going” for “fancy producers and industry people,” we are moved by the tragically prescient nature of the song. These young kids have no idea what’s ahead of them but we do. We know that this good thing will be “going, going, gone,” and we are all the more sympathetic to the characters because of it.

From a craft and structure perspective, it’s also interesting to realize how certain songs and moments can only work by telling the story in reverse. The show ends with “Our Time,” in which Frank, Charley and Mary dream their dreams. If this was the first song in the show, if we met these three when they were 20 and on a roof top dreaming of their future, it would be really sappy. We’d probably roll our eyes. But because of Sondheim and Furth’s bold choice to tell the story this way, “Our Time” is almost elegiac. There’s not a trace of sappiness, and it wraps up the journey in a most devastatingly beautiful way.

Rolling along for the journey was a superlative cast. Elizabeth Stanley (Million Dollar Quartet) was seductive and modern as Gussie Carnegie, revealing layers in what could easily be a throw-away, stock-character role. Betsy Wolfe excelled as Beth Spencer, Frank’s first wife. Her interpretations of “Not a Day Goes By” (first in act one as the reprise, then the full song in act two) are rightly very different but very honest.

As the songwriting duo’s lyricist Charley Kringas, Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) was one-third hilarious, one-third raw nerves and one-third truly impassioned artist, a wonderful mix that revealed itself over time. His manic rendition of “Franklin Shepard, Inc.” was one for the ages.

Celia Keenan-Bolger (Peter and the Starcatcher) as Mary Flynn: Wow. The funny, the sad, the sorrow – they were all there in her performance. She has a tough role, but Keenan-Bolger brilliantly played both the hurt and pleasure inherent in being the third wheel. Mary Flynn strikes me as an underwritten part – Mary the character serves a purpose but on paper there isn’t much to her. Keenan-Bolger brought richness and pathos to the character, making the demise of the trio of old friends all the more excruciating.

And leading the pack as Franklin Shepard was Colin Donnell (Anything Goes). He was so strong playing against his natural charisma and charm. There are moments throughout when he’s sitting quietly at the piano. Subtly but surely, Donnell expresses Frank’s struggle between passion and pragmatism. Pouring his heart and soul into the performance, he drew a touching portrait of the artist as both a young and not-so-young man.

Even with the phenomenal cast, effective direction from James Lapine, a full orchestra (conducted by Rob Berman with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick) and spot-on costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, I’m still not sure Merrily could become a commercial success. (The show famously closed after just 16 performances in its only Broadway outing.) Because of the show’s structure, it is best enjoyed with a bit of background knowledge. Your average theatre-goer, a tourist buying a half-price ticket at the TKTS booth on the day of the show, doesn’t have that knowledge. The experience is then not as rich or enjoyable. It doesn’t make this a bad show, just not necessarily commercially viable. (Not that I’m rooting against commercial success (or that this production was meant to be one) I just think it would be tricky to pull off.) It seems something like this is best suited to concerts like this Encores! production. Now, if only there was a cast recording of this production… For now, I’ll settle for watching a loop of this rehearsal clip of Colin Donnell, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Celia Keenan-Bolger singing “Old Friends.”
View production stills on Broadwayworld.com.

This Encores! production of Merrily We Roll Along concluded its limited, two-week run on Sunday, February 19. Visit nycitycenter.org to learn more about the Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert series and to purchase tickets to the next production, Pipe Dream.
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Friday, February 17, 2012

Media Morsels 2.17.12

  • Grammy Wrap Up
    As expected, The Book of Mormon took home the prize for Best Musical Theater Album. (Watch Trey Parker, Bobby Lopez and Stephen Oremus's acceptance speech on Broadway.com.) The Boss performed a rousing rendition of the lead single "We Take Care of Our Own" from his forthcoming album, Wrecking Ball. The Foo Fighters performed twice (!!!), and then Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl joined Sir Paul McCartney on stage for a rock and roll jam session to finish the broadcast. But my favorite part was Dave Grohl's speech upon accepting one of the five Grammys he and the Foos won:

    "The human element of making music is what's most important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that's the most important thing for people to do. It's not about being perfect; it's not about sounding absolutely correct; it's not about what goes in a computer. It's about what goes on in here (points to heart) and it's about what goes on in here (points to head). Thank you. Long live rock and roll."

    Amen, Dave! Grohl later expounded on his comments via Rolling Stone and Facebook. (See the full list of nominees and winners on grammy.com.)

  • Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
    Benjamin Walker, the sexypants POTUS from Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, remains presidential in his new titular role, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter:
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Monday, February 13, 2012

How I Learned to Drive

I remember seeing a production of Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play How I Learned to Drive at a community theatre in South Florida when I was in high school. (Fun side note: the woman who played the lead showed up as my substitute drama teacher a month later.) From that production on, I have been fascinated by the play. I mined it for monologues for auditions and classes; I delighted in revisiting it for play analysis classes in college; and, every now and then, I think of “A Mother’s Guide to Social Drinking” when I’m out on a date. So I was excited to see Second Stage’s production of this modern classic (which comes complete with a Greek chorus), and my friend and I agreed that it lived up to our expectations.

The play is told in “reverse gear,” down shifting and changing lanes as necessary, as Li’l Bit (Elizabeth Reaser) tells us how she learned to drive – which is ultimately the story of how, beginning at age 11, she had a sexual relationship with her Uncle Peck (Norbert Leo Butz). (Kevin Cahoon, Jennifer Regan and Marnie Schulenburg offer great support as the Male, Female and Teenage Greek Choruses, portraying a variety of characters including Li’l Bit’s mother and Peck’s wife, Aunt Mary.)

What I find so remarkable about this play is the way it is sympathetic to both Li’l Bit and Uncle Peck. Vogel doesn’t write Peck as a monster. Certainly what he does in horrible and unforgiveable, but she writes a full character and so there are moments when you think, “Wow. What a good uncle. Look at how he’s instilling confidence in the youngsters in his life.” Of course, just as he’s gentle and encouraging with the young cousin Bobby in one scene, he’s lecherous and inarguably inappropriate Li'l Bit in the next.

By the same token, Li’l Bit isn’t written as an innocent bystander. Throughout the play, we see her willfully put herself in compromising positions, continually pleading with her mother, for example, to let her have alone time with Uncle Peck. (When the Female Greek Chorus, as Aunt Mary, points this out, it’s particularly powerful.)

And those complex characters come fully to life thanks to Butz and Reaser (under the effective direction of Kate Whoriskey). You may recognize Elizabeth Reaser from The Family Stone or her guest appearances on The Good Wife. I was impressed by her performance, especially the way she was able to transition between ages and attitudes. The structure of the play has Li’l Bit breaking the fourth wall and narrating some events directly to the audience. Reaser seamlessly went from a recovered, fully functioning adult to a confused, petulant 13-year old. She expressed every layer Vogel had written into the character.

She is equally matched by two-time Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz. To be fair, I’m inclined to like Butz, having fallen in love with his voice on the The Last 5 Years cast recording, and thrilling over some of his past stage roles, including his recent turn in Catch Me if You Can. But he had to work extra hard to get me to like him in this – he was, after all, playing a pedophile. And while I still don’t like Uncle Peck, Butz gave a terrific performance. Like Reaser, Butz deftly handled the complexity of his character. I was particularly chilled by the look in his eyes toward the end of the play. Uncle Peck and Li’l Bit have their final encounter and Butz sits on the edge of the bed with a possessed look on his face. It’s a look that says he’s empty inside; that he’s scared; that the last string of hope just snapped. Butz is entirely still – almost catatonic looking – but there is a frenzy of emotions swirling inside.

Don’t miss this excellent production. How I Learned to Drive runs through March 11 at Second Stage Theatre. Visit 2st.com for details and to purchase tickets.

Bonus: Elizabeth Reaser is interviews by Broadway.com

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Sunday, February 12, 2012

City Ballet: Interplay; Seven Deadly Sins; Vienna Waltzes

After the amazing all-Wheeldon evening a couple of weeks ago, I knew nothing at the ballet would compare. Still, I was looking forward to heading over to the State Theatre on Friday night because there were things I liked about or was intrigued by for each of the three pieces. Turns out that what drew me to this program met my expectations, though not much more.

First up was the Jerome Robbins classic, Interplay. This fun and mostly light-hearted ballet was Robbins’s follow up to the frolicking Fancy Free, and is a wonderful precursor to my favorite Robbins ballet, New York Export: Opus Jazz. (Remember: you can watch a great film adaptation of that ballet; City Ballet company members conceived, produced, directed and starred in this take on youth exuberance.)

I’ve seen and written in detail about this piece before so here I’ll focus on Friday night’s performance. Soloist Sean Suozzi (one of the Opus Jazz film co-conceivers) led the group in the first movement, “Free Play.” I was disappointed in his take because he didn’t really show anything. He looked like it was his first time dancing the role – continually looking down at the stage and rarely cracking a smile. He improved as the piece went on, and particularly when looking at and feeding off the energy of his fellow dancers.

As lackluster as Suozzi was, corps member Taylor Stanley thoroughly impressed, displaying an appealing grace and fluidity. Stanley danced with fellow corps member Lauren Lovette in “Byplay,” the sultry pas de deux that is always my favorite movement in Interplay. The two had good chemistry, giving off heat that I’m sure made its way to the back of the house. (Watching him dance on Friday night, it was no wonder the company member had just received the Janice Levin Dancer Award, given each year to one of City Ballet’s most promising corps members.)

Every time I see this ballet, I think it would be such fun to see a bill of Fancy Free, Interplay and Opus Jazz, so you can really see the progression of Robbins’s meditation on the youth culture. Peter Martins, are you listening?

Next up was The Seven Deadly Sins, Lynn Taylor-Corbett’s interpretation of Kurt Weil and Bertolt Brecht’s last major collaboration. While the company members can take care of the dancing aspect, they needed someone to sing. And thus, on Friday night I had the joyous challenge of choosing between watching master Wendy Whelan dance or master Patti LuPone sing. Decisions, decisions!

This is definitely a strange piece. It’s very Brechtian, employing the kind of unconventional story-telling Brecht and Weil probably would have loved. As a ballet, it’s just fine and a little strange; as an opera, it’s just fine and little strange. But as a piece of performance art, as one complete piece, it’s an interesting exercise – and a great excuse for a little crossover collaboration.

While it was great hearing Ms. LuPone sing (she appeared to be wearing her wig from Gypsy), and it’s always a joy to watch the incomparable Whelan dance her way through a story, the real stand out was soloist Craig Hall. Hall has been partnering with Whelan recently and his pas de deux with her in this was nothing short of extraordinary. It’s easy to fade into the background when Whelan is at work, but Hall makes his presence known, expressing through his body and dance a variety of beautiful and moving emotions. When will he be promoted to principal? (Again, paging Mr. Martins!)

Finishing the evening was Vienna Waltzes. I’ve seen this before and have thrilled over the ending (which I’ll get to in a moment), but I had forgotten just how long it takes to get there.

Set to pieces by Johan Strauss II, Franz Lehar and Richard Strauss, Balanchine’s ballet plays out over five vignettes. The contrast between the first two actually reminded me of Downton Abbey! The first vignette, set to J. Strauss’s “G’schichten aus dem Wienerwald,” is the upstairs world – Lady Mary and Matthew, the Dowager Countess, et al. Soloist Savannah Lowery and principal Tyler Angle lead a full ensemble in the woods (scenic design by Rouben ter-Arutunian). Their costumes, by Karinska, are heavy and starched. The piece is long and rather staid.

But then some of the trees go up in the fly and principals Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia (Anna and Mr. Bates?!?) come prancing in. Their costumes are light and flowy and the two dancers, and the corps they lead, appear as tree sprites come out to play. I did notice, though, that while Bouder is technically near flawless and she smiled the whole time, there’s nothing intriguing about her – no palpable personality to speak of.

The third movement, led by soloists Erica Pereira and Adam Henrickson, brought us neither the upstairs nor downstairs but rather the jesters of the court. The dancers stomped around all while making funny faces. It was frivolous—and mercifully short. Excellent principal dancers Teresa Reichlen and Jonathan Stafford come out for the fourth movement (backed by a sizable ensemble) and instead of the jesters we just watched, we’re now watching a lot of gestures. Which is frustrating. Reichlen and Stafford are such great dancers (and I hadn’t seen Stafford dance recently) that when they’re on stage, I want to watch them dance, not move around while miming.

At long last, we enter the fifth and prettiest movement. It begins with Sara Mearns dancing mostly alone, though Jared Angle comes out to assist now and then. Eventually all the dancers—the featured ones from each movement and nearly the entire company—flood the stage to close out the ballet with a flourish. And that’s the best part. (Not because it’s the end.) It’s not so much that the dancing is so titillating. It’s because of the wonderful aesthetic.

The upstage wall is mirrored—so the 50 dancers on stage look like hundreds—and the men are in tailed tuxedoes while the ladies wear beautiful white satin gowns with a train made for twirling. They all converge on stage to give the illusion of the grand ball we all wish we could attend. It is doubtlessly the most exciting part of a very long ballet. (I think some of the dancers may not love the ballet, either. After a matinee of Vienna Waltzes the following afternoon, corps member Justin Peck said via Twitter, “You know the Work ain’t good when the costume-changing is more exhausting and fulfilling than the time spent onstage.”)

This is my last ballet for the winter season, but performances continue through February 26. Visit nycballet.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

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