Review - Songs From An Unmade Bed (Counter Productions)

Review by Byrne Harrison
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

Songs From An Unmade Bed, the song cycle featuring lyrics by Mark Campbell and music by a number of composers, celebrates the small, quiet moments in urban gay life - no coming out stories, no politics, no wringing of hands over the state of things today. It's just the sly smiles after a tryst, a boyfriend's charming but somewhat inept attempts to play the cello, and seeing a lover naked for the first time. Nothing profound and earth-shattering. Just normal, everyday events.

Brian Dunham takes on the songs with appropriate enthusiasm. He cuts a pleasant figure, and has a good voice, though he tends to become overly breathy on his high notes. He shows a particular gift for the show's quiet and touching numbers, and is able to create an almost palpable wistfulness during some of the songs. Some numbers which are a little more cynical in nature, or those that have a hint of anger, are not as effective, as he has a tendency to miss the wry, self-deprecating humor that should accompany them. Overall, however, he performs well and keeps the audience engaged.

The show is perfectly suited for Counter Productions' intimate studio space on Whaler's Wharf, and director Susan Grilli uses the space to maximum effect. There are a few times when she allows Dunham to wander into shadow, but this is a minor distraction. Music Director Jim Rice and Cellist Elizabeth Schultze perform well, though there are times when Dunham and Rice seem slightly out of sync. These lapses never last particularly long, but they are enough to pull one out of the moment.

Despite a few rough patches, Songs From An Unmade Bed provides a pleasant diversion for those seeking theatrical pleasures in Provincetown.

Songs From An Unmade Bed
Lyricist: Mark Campbell
Composers: Debra Barsha, Mark Bennett, Peter Foley, Jenny Giering, Peter Golub, Jake Heggie, Stephen Hoffman, Lance Horne, Gihieh Lee, Steven Lutvak, Steve Marzullo, Brendan Milburn, Chris Miller, Greg Pliska, Duncan Sheik, Kim D. Sherman, Jeffrey Stock, Joseph Thalken
Diretor: Susan Grilli
Music Director: Jim Rice
Cellist: Elizabeth Schultze

Featuring: Brian Dunham

Counter Productions Studio
Whaler's Wharf
237 Commercial Street

Closed July 27th

Review - Canned Ham (TWEED TheaterWorks, Kearns Artist Services, and David Drake Productions)

Review by Byrne Harrison
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

Shows featuring former porn stars seem to have become de rigueur in Provincetown during the summer season. They draw in the crowds, not because the actor is talented or the show is compelling, but because the actor is (or was) sexy, and there is a high likelihood that he will get naked at some point in the show.

In that sense, it comes as no surprise that Tom Judson makes his first appearance in Canned Ham posing on a platform, a jockstrapped Olympian made flesh. What does come as a surprise is when he picks up an accordion a few minutes later and starts belting out "Lullaby of Broadway." This is clearly not your typical porn star memoir. This one has a sense of humor... and a talented performer.

Judson tells of the long and winding road that led from musical theatre (he was in the touring companies of Cabaret and 42nd Street) to his chance meeting with director Chi Chi LaRue. It was Chi Chi's perseverance which led to the creation of "Gus Mattox," Judson's porn alter ego, and his eventual winning of the GayVN Performer of the Year Award, sort of a Best Actor Oscar for gay porn, at the inconceivable for the industry age of 45.

Unlike many of the one-man porn star shows, Canned Ham never becomes a morality tale. No descent into drug use and degradation for Judson, porn is merely another in the amazingly long and diverse line of jobs that he has had in his life. For him, porn was a lark. That seems to be how Judson approaches much of his life, with a kind of joy and wonder.

That's not to say that Canned Ham is all light and humor. Part of what led Judson on this particular path was the death of his lover from AIDS. Though it was the roughest period of his life, it led to one of his most sublime experiences on the island of Capri, one that he describes in magical detail.

As a performer, Judson is open and amusing, with an infectious, likeable grin. At times his performance lacks a certain spontaneity - that spark that makes the audience feel that they are the only ones that Judson has told these stories to - but in the long run, his personality and the stories themselves more than make up for this. He is approachable, and happy to meet his fans after the show (and, of course, to sell them merchandise - an adorable Canned Ham t-shirt). He is just as winning offstage as on.

Canned Ham is worth seeing just for the charming and multi-talented Judson. His life stories, good natured backstage bitchery (Judson's porn co-star Pierre Fitch takes a bit of a pounding, so to speak, as does Teri Hatcher), and musical talents combine for a fun evening of theatre.

Canned Ham
Written and Performed by Tom Judson
Directed by Kevin Malony
Costumes by William Ivey Long

The Art House
June 6-September 6, 2010

Review - John Thomas & Company featuring Adam Berry and Ben Griessmeyer (The Waterford Tavern)

By Byrne Harrison
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

It's vacation time at StageBuzz.com, and what could be more relaxing than exploring the theatre scene in Provincetown? As expected in the East Coast's most vibrant arts community, there are a myriad of plays, musicals and cabaret to experience. Reviews, of course, will follow.

In the meantime, I highly recommend that people visiting P'town on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer head to the Waterford Tavern to see Adam Berry and Ben Griessmeyer perform with pianist John Thomas during his afternoon cabaret show on Captain Lavender's Deck. This talented trio performs a nice mix of songs, concentrating on the standards. Their song list is flexible, changing depending on their mood and on which of their talented friends drop by. A recent Saturday featured some of their co-stars from Candide, in which Adam and Ben are performing under John's musical direction, and showcased a few songs from the show. Friday's performance was more traditional, featuring such standards as "Blue Skies," "Get Happy," "Summertime," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," while working in some William Finn ("I'd Rather Be Sailing"), Alicia Keys ("If I Ain't Got You"), Jonathan Larson ("I'll Cover You"), and other current pop and Broadway artists.

Although the music is always the most important thing in a cabaret act (and frankly, Berry, Griessmeyer and Thomas have that well in hand), I'll admit that what brings me back to see Berry and Griessmeyer perform isn't just the duo's vocal abilities. The two, who are partners both personally and professionally, have such wonderful chemistry that they are a constant source of fascination. As they perform, they share glances, smiles and the occasional good natured eye-roll if something goes south. Berry's face lights up when Griessmeyer nails a particularly challenging song. Griessmeyer can be seen silently singing along with Berry at times with a big smile on his face. It's charming to see two people so happy to be performing together.

Captain Lavender's Deck is a fairly small space and the shows are well attended, so if you want to be seated during the performance, it pays to get there a little early. The Waterford Tavern features good food, strong drinks, and a charming and attractive wait-staff, so being early is never a burden.

The Waterford Inn, Cafe & Tavern
386 Commercial Street

Fridays and Saturdays, 4:30-6:30 PM.

Review - Man Boobs (Three Monos Ensemble and the Fresh Fruit Festival)

Review by Byrne Harrison
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

Playwright J. Julian Christopher doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the issue of body image in his play Man Boobs, currently being produced as part of the 8th Annual Fresh Fruit Festival. Spence (Jeffrey Marx) has a lot going for him. He's a curator at a library, well-read and well-spoken. He has a handsome man, Marty (Robert Valin), actively pursuing him, not just for sex, but possibly for something a little deeper. But no matter what he has or is being offered, he can't see himself in a positive light. Spence is very overweight and is suffering from crippling self-esteem issues.

Where Marty sees a handsome and sensitive man, Spence sees only man boobs. He views himself as a punchline in some sort of cosmic joke and sabotages his relationships by waiting for the other shoe (imaginary though it may be) to drop.

Thrown by Marty's request that they spend the night at Spence's apartment (they've mostly had a series of semi-public trysts to this point), Spence's unease about getting physical with Marty seems to be based more on this invasion of his space, but as Marty cajoles and Spence demurs, the real issue comes to light. Spence's refusal to take off his shirt, and what happens when he finally does, brings everything to light - his self-loathing, inherent suspicion of anyone who finds him attractive, and various humiliations from his childhood.

Can he overcome this for a truly open and non-judgmental man? Well, let's not give away too much.

Christopher's play is mostly well written, though I don't think there is enough of an attempt to give each character his own voice. Considering the differences in their backgrounds, truck driving, working class Marty often sounds quite a bit like white-collar bibliophile Spence. More distinctive voices would highlight those times when their roles reverse, Marty showing his surprising depth and empathy while Spence becomes almost monosyllabic in his shame and self-hatred.

Robert Valin is terrific as the horny and jovial Marty. He is especially effective during his heartbreaking attempts to break through Spence's reserve and suspicion, and during a great scene where he catches a glimpse of himself through Spence's eyes. As Spence, Jeffrey Marx is good, though he seems to have issues with his timing, often pausing before speaking in a way that slows down the scenes (and undercuts the emotion of the particularly fraught moments) and seeming at times to bobble his lines. In fairness, this is not uncommon in festivals due to the short rehearsal times involved. All this said, Marx does an amazing job during Spence's breakdown after removing his shirt. His performance at that moment is raw and moving.

Though this production is in need of a stronger touch by director Web Bogole, there is a lot to recommend it and Christopher's script.

Man Boobs
Written by J. Julian Christopher
Directed by Web Begole
Producer: Kristen Luciani
Lighting Design: Sheila Donovan
Set Design: Web Begole, J. Julian Christopher
Sound Design: J. Julian Christopher
Stage/Light Crew: J. Julian Christopher, Sheila Donovan, Richard Ponce
Postcard Design: J. Julian Christopher

Featuring: Jeffrey Marx (Spence) and Robert Valin (Marty)

Cherry Lane Studio Theater
38 Commerce Street

Closed July 24th

Just Because

French and Saunders' take on "I Know Him So Well" from Chess.

$8 Tickets to ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIG, GAY DANCE PARTY

8coupons has teamed up with Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party Off-Broadway to offer 188 lucky people tickets for $8 (reg. $51.25). Tickets are first come, first serve and available for performances July 27 through August 10.


Who: www.8coupons.com & www.abrahamlincolnsbiggaydanceparty.com

What: 8coupons OCHO LOCO! First 188 people can see Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party for $8!

When: $8 tickets available for performances from July 27 through August 10.

Where: Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party is located at The Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd St.)

Why: In this politically charged mash-up comedy, a fourth-grade Christmas pageant in Lincoln’s rural Illinois hometown questions Honest Abe’s sexuality and sets off a firestorm of controversy. A thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud funny, and uniquely American story unfolds from three different character’s viewpoints - the audience decides the order - creating a truly democratic theatre-going experience. Finally, a Party you can get behind! What could be more American than that?


How: OCHO LOCO! Tickets now on sale. Be the first 188 - 2 Ways To Order:

1. Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! coupon from 8coupons.com and show your phone to the box office to redeem. Use promo code: OCHOABE.
2. Visit www.broadwayoffers.com or call 212-947-8844 and use promo code: OCHOABE.


Link: http://www.8coupons.com/discounts/theater-row-new-york-10036#14347


The Conditions: $1.25 facility fee will be added to each ticket (Total $9.25). Limit 8 tickets per order! Additional service fees may apply to phone/online orders. This offer is subject to availability and can be revoked at anytime.

Broadway Stands Up For Freedom On July 26th

Join the New York Civil Liberties Union for Broadway Stands Up for Freedom!, their annual star-studded concert to support the youth programs of the NYCLU.



Broadway Stands Up for Freedom will take place Monday, July 26 at 7:30 PM at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Pl. at Washington Square South.

Check out a video clip of last year's showand buy tickets on their website.

This year's show includes performances by Tony Award winners and nominees Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow), Rebecca Luker (Mary Poppins), Nellie McKay (The Threepenny Opera), Anthony Rapp (Rent), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), J. Robert Spencer (Next to Normal), and many more!

Host and Musical Director: Seth Rudetsky
Honorary Chair: Tony Kushner

Uncut: The Finale at The Triad Theater on July 14th

By Byrne Harrison
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

After a year of performing her relationship-inspired cabaret show, Melissa E. Driscol is bringing Uncut to a close. Uncut: The Finale will be Wednesday, July 14th at the Upper West Side's Triad Theater.

The show will feature what we have come to expect from Driscol's productions: songs; scenes from Driscol's adventures and misadventures in dating; sexy, gay dancing boys (The Dancing Bottoms); Miss Stonewall 2009, Chocolatina; Miss Fire Island, Ariel Sinclair; After Party's Brandon Cutrell; Bobby Stamper's musical direction; Maria Gentile's direction; and Jamie Delgrosso's choreography.

Come see this young woman’s journey through love, life, and the pursuit of happiness! All this and new songs, new scenes, and lots of fun new dances.

Also appearing in Uncut: The Finale are Adam Chandler, Charles Rockhill, Gabrielle Taryn, Lawrence Baca, Matthew Dean Fletcher, TJ Fix, Matthew Shofner, Joshua Brooks and Josh Smith.

Wednesday, July 14, 8pm

The Triad Theater
158 West 72nd Street at Broadway

Tickets can be purchased for $10 at www.brownpapertickets.com

$8 Tickets to Puppetry of the Penis

8coupons has teamed up with Puppetry of the Penis Off-Broadway to offer tickets for $8 (reg. $49.50) for performances July 13 at 8pm, July 14 at 8pm and July 15 at 8pm. Tickets are $18 (reg. $49.50) for performances July 16 through July 24.

Who: www.8coupons.com and www.puppetryofthepenis.com

What: 8coupons OCHO LOCO! See Puppetry of the Penis for as little as $8!

When: $8 tickets available for performances on July 13 at 8pm, July 14 at 8pm, July 15 at 8pm. $18 tickets available for performances from July 16 - July 24; all shows start at 8pm.

Where: Puppetry of the Penis is located at the Bleecker Street Theatre (45 Bleecker Street just east of Lafayette Street)

Why: Because New York is all about shock, astonishment, and delight!

How: OCHO LOCO! Tickets now on sale. 2 Ways To Order:

1. Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! coupon from 8coupons.com and show your phone to the box office to redeem. Use promo code: 8PUPPET.
2. Visit www.broadwayoffers.com or call 212-947-8844 and use promo code: 8PUPPET.


Link: http://www.8coupons.com/discounts/puppetry-of-the-penis-new-york-10012

The Conditions: $1.50 facility fee will be added to each ticket. Limit 8 tickets per order! Additional service fees may apply to phone/online orders. This offer is subject to availability and can be revoked at anytime.

FRIGID New York Presents Mini Fridge

By Byrne Harrison

It's winter in July as Horse Trade Theater Group and FRIGID New York bring back a few of their best shows from this season's FRIGID New York Festival. If you missed these shows in February and March, you have two days to catch them again.

The Mini Fridge features tenderpits, the latest for Art's Heart creator Anthony Johnston. Check out a sample of both plays below. It also features transgender butch Kestryl Lowrey's play about masculinity, XY(T), from the 2008 FRIGID New York Festival.





Here's the full line up.

Friday, July 2

6:30pm tenderpits
The part-autobiographical, part-fictionalized story of a young man’s immigration from Canada to New York City- and of his realization that he is, in fact, a wizard. From the creators of Art’s Heart (Winner, Outstanding Solo Show FringeNYC 2009) comes a sick new show about identity, magic and armpits. Do you believe?

8:30pm No Traveller
In a narcissistic attempt to win her family’s attention, Abigail decides to perform the greatest stunt of all- attempted suicide. When her childish venture turns into unexpected reality, Abigail finds herself trapped in purgatory – a warped version of her apartment with two exits. Heaven or Hell. As a result of her foolish mistake, there is atonement and penance to be paid. . . and time is running out.

10:30pm Vodka Shoes
Rather than abuse her, Leslie’s alcoholic father would buy her shoes, drag race the lawnmower, and burn the neighbor’s bills, while her mother managed a doomed Christian bookstore and prayed in tongues over Leslie’s ailing sister. Leslie’s storytelling navigates a humorously tragic journey through childhood with frighteningly endearing characters.

12am Canuck Cabaret

Saturday, July 3

6:30pm XY(T)
Do you have the balls to become a man? XY(T) brings to life a series of questions, contradictions, and characters around the theme of testosterone. Veering between playful, poignant, hilarious, and disconcerting, transgender butch Kestryl Lowrey strips away layers of gender and self in pursuit of sex and sanity within embodied masculinity.

8:30pm Ramblings of a Gentleman Scumbag
Lucky Chengs Balloon man, delusional comic, and man of no God tries to justify 34 years of poor life choices and degeneracy. Profiled in Playgirl, FHM Magazine, Time-Out NY Magazine, Murdock is not your Father’s balloon man. A straight man in a gay world, a feminist in the sex industry, a ridiculous man in a ridiculous world.

10:30pm Kill the Band
KILL THE BAND IS THE ORIGINAL, COMEDY ROCK AND ROLL, ANTI-CABARET! Coinciding with the release of their first concept album, KILL THE BAND takes you on a cleverly comedic, musically theatrical trip through the band’s breakdowns and breakthrough.

12am Canuck Cabaret featuring Kill The Band

And if this wasn't enough, there will be a 4th of July BBQ on Sunday at 1 PM.

The mini-festival will play at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($15, $25 Two Show Pass, $30 Three Show Pass) are available by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.horseTRADE.info.

Slap&Tickle on the Radio

Slap&Tickle director David Drake and playwright David Parr will be discussing the show today on WOMR Radio 92.1 FM in Provincetown at 12:30 Eastern.

Click here to go to the WOMR webpage and listen to the live stream.

George Bernard Shaw and Gay Rights

George Bernard Shaw was a fierce advocate for human rights. Consider this story from David Staller, founder and artistic director of the Gingold Theatrical Group.

In 1889, London, a man who described himself as a 'conservative minister' was arrested as an accomplice in the operation of a house of male prostitution. A trial was quietly and without notice, carried out. Then a publication called TRUTH broke the story as a sensational cover-up with promises to name names. Various well-known aristocrats were being threatened with penal servitude, blackmail and death-threats. Finally, some names were printed with the expected summons to law. With the solemn understanding that the crime in question involved adults and not children, Shaw recognized this as a violation of basic human rights and wrote to the editor of the threatening newspaper.

"I am sorry to have to ask you to allow me to mention what everybody declares unmentionable. My justification shall be that we may presently be saddled with the moral responsibility for monstrously severe punishments inflicted not only on persons who have corrupted children, but on others whose conduct, however nasty and ridiculous, has been perfectly within their admitted rights as individuals. To a fully occupied person in normal health, with due opportunities for a healthy social enjoyment, the mere idea of the subject of the threatened prosecutions is so expressively disagreeable as to appear unnatural. But everybody does not find it so. There are among us highly respected citizens who have been expelled from public schools for giving effect to the contrary opinion; and there are hundreds of others who might have been expelled on the same ground had they been found out. Greek philosophers, otherwise of unquestioned virtue, have differed with us on the point. So have soldiers, sailors, convicts, and in fact members of all communities deprived of intercourse with women. A whole series of Balzac's novels turns upon attachments formed by galley slaves for one another - attachments which are represented as redeeming them from utter savagery. Women, from Sappho onwards, have shown that this appetite is not confined to one sex. Now, I do not believe myself to be the only man in England acquainted with these facts. And I strongly protest against any journalist writing, as nine out of ten are at this moment dipping their pens to write, as if he had never heard of such things except as vague and sinister rumors concerning the most corrupt phases in the decadence of Babylon, Greece and Rome. I appeal now to the champions of individual rights to join me in a protest against a law by which two adult men can be sentenced to twenty years penal servitude for a private act, freely consented to and desired by both, which concerns themselves alone. There is absolutely no justification for the law except the old theological one of making the secular arm the instrument of God's vengeance. It is a survival from that discarded system with its stonings and burnings; and it survives because it is so unpleasant that men are loath to meddle with it even with the object of getting rid of it, lest they should be suspected of acting in their personal interest. We are now free to face with the evil of our relic of Inquisition law, and of the moral cowardice, which prevents our getting rid of it. For my own part, I protest against the principle of the law under which the warrants have been issued; and I hope that no attempt will be made to enforce its outrageous penalties in the case of adult men."

-- George Bernard Shaw (see COLLECTED LETTERS edited by Dan H. Laurence, p.230)



George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 ~ 2 November 1950) was born in Dublin and moved to London when twenty. His first success was as a music and literary critic, but he was drawn to drama. He decided to write plays, and continued to write them until his death at 94. He was fiercely proud of being a free-thinking humanist, dedicated to presenting the cause of human rights for all.

Project Shaw is the Gingold Theatrical Group's monthly staged reading of the complete works of George Bernard Shaw. Between 2006 and 2009, every sketch, full-length and one-act play was performed using all-star casts. Many of these plays had never before been seen in New York, or anywhere in this country. This constitutes more than 60 of Shaw’s plays, all performed to sold out audiences.

The next Project Shaw performances will be Man and Superman on July 19th, Candida on September 27, Captain Brassbound's Conversion on October 25, How He Lied to Her Husband on November 22, and Heartbreak House on December 20th.

Broadway Bares XX: Strip-opoly Smashes Records

By Byrne Harrison
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

Far from its humble beginnings in 1992, when seven dancers stripped at a downtown bar and raised $8,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, this year's Broadway Bares XX: Strip-opoly made history by raising $1,015,985 to benefit BC/EFA, marking the first time that the $1 million dollar mark was reached. This goal was set in January by Broadway Bares creator and executive producer, Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell.

This year’s total shatters the previous fundraising record which was set in 2008 when $874,000 was raised. To date, the 20 editions of Broadway Bares have raised more than $7.5 million for BC/EFA.

Jerry Mitchell said in a statement, “Some people thought it couldn’t be done, especially in today’s economy, but we did. . . I couldn’t imagine a more spectacular way to celebrate 20 editions of Broadway Bares for Broadway Cares.”

The evening featured the work of 15 choreographers and 216 of the sexiest male and female dancers from Broadway’s biggest shows baring nearly all to benefit BC/EFA. A $150,000 check from M·A·C Viva Glam was presented to BC/EFA by M·A·C’s Senior Vice President Jennifer Balbier who also saluted the extraordinary skills of 93 M·A·C make-up artists who worked on the show.

Highlights from this year’s Broadway Bares XX: Strip-opoly included:

· Kristin Chenoweth, Euan Morton, and Vanessa Williams performing the side-splitting opening number “The Best Game in Town” by David Nehls (The Great American Trailer Park Musical) which featured Chenoweth and Williams rising on a bright red swing over the adoring crowd.

· Joshua Buscher showed off tremendous assets and an amazing stimulus package as the featured strip in “The Bank.”

· Special guest appearances were made by Lucy Liu on behalf of “the community chest,” while Jackie Hoffman sent Katie Finneran “directly to jail” for stealing scenes, referencing her Tony-winning performances in both Promises, Promises and Noises Off.

· Felicia Finley and Rachelle Rak turned the heat up on “Connecticut Avenue” as a Stepford wife introduced to the community’s new, rowdy neighbor.

· The crowd went wild over the “Boardwalk” which featured Broadway actors playing the cast of the hit MTV show “Jersey Shore” including Jennifer Cody as ‘Snookie’ and John Carroll as ‘The Situation.’

· Broadway Bares XX poster boy Charlie Williams appeared as an attentive bell hop who ended up in only a wash-cloth when repeatedly answering the call for “more towels, please” from statuesque hotel guests, played by some of La Cage Aux Folles’ Cagelles.

· Kyle DesChamps and a host of hot inmates lost their stripes and turned the tables on their warden, played by Bares favorite Sebastian LaCause in “Go to Jail.”

· Vocal powerhouses Alysha Umphress and Diana DiGarmo grabbed the spotlight from dozens of nearly naked dancers with their dynamic renditions of Journey’s “Lights” and Queen’s “Play the Game,” the event’s grand finale.

· Choreographer Nick Kenkel showcased his racy hip-hop moves on two teams of high-speed dancers in “Pass Go.”

· On “Orient Avenue,” The Living Art of Armando stopped the show with dazzling acrobatics high above the crowd.

· A finale that showcased celebrities and iconic dancers from the previous 19 editions of Broadway Bares that culminated with Jerry Mitchell taking the stage in the tribal head dress and loincloth he wore as ‘The Indian of The Dawn’ from 1992’s The Will Rogers Follies, the performance on a tom-tom that inspired Broadway Bares.

For more information on Broadway Bares and the other marvelous fundraisers for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, please visit the BC/EFA website.

Want to see what you missed?

Interview With Lenny Schwartz of The Six Month Cure

By Byrne Harrison
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

Name: Lenny Schwartz
Play: The Six Month Cure
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: www.daydreamtheatrecompany.org

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I used to act in high school and college... my first play I was in was Anything Goes in 1993 in high school in Cranston, RI. I wanted to be an actor...and even graduated with a B.A. in performance! I actually got started. It was in college I wrote my first play. I was bored in a math class and I started to write my first play, Lost In a Daydream in 1995. At the end of the class I had a full script and an A in the class. 15 yearsa later I am still writing and look forward to what the future brings!

Who are your biggest influences?

For me it's a mixture of comic books, theatre, books and film: For comics Alan Moore, Daniel Clowes, Will Eisner. For Theatre: Harry Segall, Arthur Kopit, and Neil Labute. Books: Chad Kultgen and Tom Perotta. Film: Peter Weir, Michel Gondry, Woody Allen... too many to count!

What is your show about?

The play is about Kate, a comic book collecting grandmother, who goes on a road trip during her final months alive to the biggest Comic Book Convention in the world. Along the way she meets Mandy, a lost soul and slowly start to fall in love with each other.

What inspired you to write it?

Why I wanted to write this show is that I feel that there are not enough interesting characters for women to play. There are so many great actresses and most of the time, women are relegated to performing in shows about certain body parts. And those shows are great, but I always felt there are many more dimensions and stories that can be told about women. I also wanted to write a story about love. Not heterosexual or homosexual... just love. A story in which the gender and the sexual orientation become secondary and the emotion involved are at the forefront.

What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?

I am impressed by the eco-friendly ideas brought forth by the festival.
We have learned a lot about how simple things like recycling set pieces, costumes, props etc, really make a difference. It is fun to learn those things in a creative setting.

Plus they donate a portion if the proceeds to charity from every show. My company in RI does the same thing. The idea of the arts being useful to helping those less fortunate is awesome and something I always want to be a part of.

What charity have you chosen and why?

Sloan Kettering Cancer Research. It fits into a lot of the themes of the play and they are a spectacular originization. It is an honor to raise money for them.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I am writing and directing two shows for the coming year. One is called Black Friday which debuts in Rhode Island in November 2010. It is a twisted holiday show. Then in the spring i am doing a bio play on silent film star Buster Keaton. The play, entitled Buster Keaton: Fade To Black, is a script that I have been working on and off on for the past ten or so years. However it won't be a typical bio and will be in the style more of his films... self-reflexive, inventive, and full of ideas.

And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?

I would say "Keep believing, young Schwartz. Your dreams will come true. Oh and don't go out with that girl on October 2 1994. She's crazy and will try to run you over with that car. Even if she says it was an accident."

The Six Month Cure
Written by Lenny Schwartz
Directed by Norah Turnham

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Venue: The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street

Performance dates:
Fri 6/18 @ 7pm
Sat 6/19 @ 1:30pm
Sun 6/20 @ 11am
Sun 6/20 @ 8:45pm

Meet the Cast - Promises, Promises and Next Fall

There are two upcoming opportunities to meet the casts of two top-rated Broadway shows at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble.

Celebrating the release of the new cast recording of Promises, Promises, Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth, Tony Goldwyn, Katie Finneran and Dick Latessa will be signing copies of the new CD on Thursday June 24, at 5:00 PM.

On Friday June 25, at 5:00 PM, the cast members of Next Fall will be on hand to discuss the creation and themes of this new work exploring love, commitment and religion. Guest moderator will be author Tom Santopietro.

The Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble is located at 1972 Broadway, New York, NY.