Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell
Spalding Gray is alive and well and living in Greenwich Village. Or his words are, at least. The crew of five performing "Stories Left to Tell" does justice to the prolific writings of the observant, neurotic Gray, who committed suicide in 2004. Conceived by his widow Kathleen Russo, the show is a perfect blend of bizarre experiences and poignant family moments captured by Gray. No one, thank goodness, tries to impersonate him, but rather, bring their own personality to the writings, which range from his early years to his final days, in which horrible injuries from a car accident had made living unbearable. Hazelle Goodman, Frank Wood and particularly Ain Gordon all Lisa Kron, who is filling in for Kathleen Chalfant, was a little too tied to the book, but I'll chalk that up to her relative newness to the part. And Bruce Vilanch is fun in the rotating celebrity guest star spot. It won't be everyone's cup of tea -- I saw quite of few dozers in the half-full Minetta Lane Theatre -- but fans of Gray won't be disappointed. And special credit to any show that can effectively use two of the most obnoxious songs of the late 1990s: the Spice Girls' "Wannabe" and Chumbawumba's "Tubthumpin."
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
I've mentioned my Ernie Sabella curse before, which I finally broke with "Curtains. Well, I have a new curse: the Vice Principal Douglas Panch curse. I had the opportunity to return to "Spelling Bee" Friday night, and I was looking forward to seeing Mo Rocca's take on the deadpan, ad-lib-ridden role. Alas, he was out, and was replaced by Todd Buonopane, who was also filling the role for Jay Reiss the first time I saw the show. No matter. The original cast is long gone, but the show is still in great shape. Special credit goes to Jared Gertner, who has a slightly different take on the incredibly obnoxious character of William Barfee. He even made him a bit likable.
Today in New York City
OK, it wasn't a show, but could there have been a better day than today? Absolutely gorgeous. Clear blue sky, not too hot and a nice breeze. I took the occasion to walk all the way from the East Village to the north end of Central Park, rewarding myself afterward with a lemon slice and cafe au lait from the Hungarian bakery near the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. All in all, with the zigging and zagging, it was about a 7- or 8-mile walk, and the weather was nice enough that I didn't even break a sweat. For once, I'm glad I wasn't trapped inside a theatre today!
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2 comments:
I know what you mean about walking around the city. I spent five cold and somewhat wet days in New York in the middle of April. I spent a chilly Friday walking from Macy's in Herald Square up to the Museum of Natural History, then crossing Central Park and walking down Fifth Avenue to Rockefeller Center, then back to my hotel in Times Square. I figure I did about five miles. Then I had a great dinner. After taking in my first play on Broadway the night before, A Moon for the Misbegotten, I saw my first Broadway musical, Curtains, which I loved! I met the whole cast afterward at the stage door and got my picture taken with David Hyde Pierce. It was just an absolutely wonderful day that I'll never forget.
New York is just the greatest. I've lived in and visited other big cities, but something about New York just intimidated me. I'd never spent much time there. But I loved it. Everyone was friendly and helpful and I felt so safe and comfortable. I think it may be my favorite city in the world now. You have all sorts of things to do during the day, then an amazing array of theater to choose from at night. I envy you for living there!
I have to agree - the weather can't be beat....
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