CHOIR BOY is an insightful play about a group of African American teenage boys attending a private boarding school, an institution steeped in a tradition of honor and pious faith. Often unsupervised or under-supervised, these young men must figure out for themselves what these traditions mean, with results that are sometimes character building and sometimes damaging. This is a strong contender for the Tony, but I do not think it will be the winner. Read on.
WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME was written by and stars Heidi Schreck. Its title tells you what it is about, but it's also a very personal story that examines the ways in which the U. S. Constitution was designed to protect and defend white men over minorities and women, as told through the lens of several generations of the women in Schreck's family. Powerful, timely, and well performed, this, too, is a strong contender. Still, I do not think it will be the winner.
INK is a masterfully performed, directed, and staged play about the battle to turn the tabloid, The Sun, into the top selling newspaper in all of Britain. The puppet master is Rupert Murdoch, and his chief puppet is The Sun's editor, Larry Lamb. Murdoch, of course, is of interest to Americans because of his ownership of Fox Corp., including Fox News. But time and distance make the story of The Sun of historical interest only, and the play has little of enduring substance to offer. No Tony. Read on.
GARY was a late and and surprising entry to the Broadway season. Written by the quirky New York performance artist, actor, singer, and playwright Taylor Mac, GARY is suffused with blood and gore and low comedy of the fart jokes variety. Its story tells of three minor characters from Shakespeare's ultra-violent play TITUS ANDRONICUS, who are left to clean up the mess ahead of the inauguration of the next emperor. Unexpectedly, it makes for an often dizzily funny, sometimes even thrilling evening, thanks to grand and glorious performances by Nathan Lane, Kristine Nielsen, and Julie White. This one and WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME are decidedly non-traditional Broadway fare, and either one might draw the votes to take the Tony. Still, read on for my prediction.
THE FERRYMAN embraces comedy, drama, and melodrama in equal measure as it depicts both an intimate family saga and an expansive examination of the devastating impact of the entrenched "Troubles" of Northern Ireland. It is richly imagined, smartly directed by Sam Mendes, and smashingly performed by a cast of 22 adults, teenagers, children, and one infant, plus a live rabbit and a goose, who fill every inch of Rob Howell's set, a beautifully rendered farmhouse at harvest time. It is pretty much flawless, and I predict it will take the Tony for Best New Play.
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Feel free to share this blog with your friends, and to offer up your own theater stories by posting a comment. I also invite you to check out the website Show-Score.Com, where you will find capsule reviews of current plays from Yours Truly and many other New York critics. I saw all five and reviewed CHOIR BOY, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, and THE FERRYMAN so if you want more information, you know where to go.
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