Zorba - 42nd Street Moon Burns Up the Stage!; Valerie Simpson – Fabulous!; God Bless America – Bizarre – Hilarious!
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
May. 11‚ 2012
SCATHING CRITIQUE OF POP CULTURE is what you get in the hilarious “God Bless America” film comedy that shows American shallowness, boosted by a cruel layer conjured up from media propaganda. Everyone wants to get on the bandwagon – even if means shooting someone to get yourself in the limelight. The ‘take off’ of an American Idol type show, shows the lengths that T.V. will go to get ratings. In this film – they make an Idol out of one of the worst singers ever. And, guess what – they even make fun of him.
As I was watching the movie – I got a little worried that some idiots may think it’s funny to shoot people. After all – it’s in a movie. What really worries me is that they don’t know a satire when they see it. Most young people are already shallow, seeking out insane stunts just to get their face on T.V.
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Maureen McGovern – “Phenomenal Range!”; Laura Benanti – at Dazzling Venetian Room; Tom Judson Show – Abs and All!
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
May. 04‚ 2012
MAUREEN McGOVERN is a truly remarkable talent – as witnessed by the attendance at the famed Rrazz Room. McGovern, with her tonal purity of voice, really knows how to wrap the words around the tunes. Mind you, there are some really difficult instrumental passages – but she gets them in like it was a piece of cake.
She cleverly interplays with the piano. It’s all so perfectly worked out. You are left with awesome wonder when it’s all over. Her repertoire is truly vast. Maureen sings Folk, Country, Pop, and even a little bit of opera. Yep, she has a tremendous range of music that is not cluttered.
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Varla Jean Merman -- “The Book of Merman”
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 27‚ 2012
In Defense of the Slow, the long, the Boring -- there is no Defense. To escape the long and boring fare that is on most stages – you will rejoice when you discover Varla Jean’s show at the Rrazz. Her show is filled with imagination. The comedy is fresh, and the sexual innuendos never seem to end. Take my word for it – this is not a “Bummer Summer - cheap show!” Varla Jean is marvelously inventive. She is fantastic … gorgeous … and yes, delirious! “Oh-Wow!” I’ve never laughed so hard – ever! She is pure brilliance. There are more gut-busting laughs than you’ll be able to count!
Not only is Varla a marvelous comedian – she is also a really great singer. Heck, she sings everything from Pop, Broadway, Country and Opera.” Why doesn’t she have her own comedy show on a major Television Station? Will someone please tell those endlessly and uninteresting fat ass producers to get off of the casting couches, and hire some real talent.
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Anatol – “Mildly Amusing!;” Tommy Igoe Band – “It’s Band Magic!”
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 20‚ 2012
ANATOL IS POLITICALLY SLOW
Of course it was a time when Gentlemen bowed and scraped to put a hit on women. Any woman will do – just so they’re breathing. The direction by Barbara Oliver needs to speed things up. No, we don’t need a high-speed train to come through the stage, only some energy in the ponderous play.
Occasionally there is some buffoonery and snide remarks by Tim Kniffen as Max. He is probably the most amusing, but his projection would not hit the ball out of the park. Hard to hear some of it – clever as he is.
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Rumors – “Absolute Can’t Miss!”; Spamalot – “Rousing Entertainment”; Sugar is “Dazzling”
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 13‚ 2012
RUMORS – IT’S A WINNER!
“Rumors” is a farce that frolics in plot situation with highflying, edgy slapstick. The cast delivers each situation with physical agility, hiding out, gunfire, running around frantically among all the rich furnishing. But even the trendy has their problems.
This is a home that was built for the ultra rich (Doctors, Lawyers and wanna be Mayors.) They must somehow get themselves out of a tangled web of money, servants, ditzy wife’s and husband’s follies.
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Maple and Vine; Laramie Project; Hot Greeks
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 06‚ 2012
Katha and Ryu is a busy modern couple that is recovering from a miscarriage. Then, a new discovery comes along for them when a man comes into Katha’s High Rise office dressed in a spiffy 1950’s suit. Sort of like “Mad Men” the T.V. Series. The 50’s dude tells them they could be so much happier if they’d ditch the cell phones and the Internet to come to his community where he and his wife live in a 1950’s enclave. It’s very cultish – and everyone smokes and has the wife do the dishes and all the cooking. Now, if that’s not paradise – I don’t know what is.
The first act is not that exciting. Actually, I thought it would make a cute little skit for Saturday Night Live. However, the second act really gets the 50’s moving as their lives become more under the control of ‘The Society for Dynamic Obsolescence.’
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The Caretaker – “Gripping”; Aliens
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 30‚ 2012
THE CARETAKER – GRIPPING
Harold Pinter’s play put him on the map of Theatre greats. Before “The Caretaker” came along there was his “Birthday Party” that did not hold up as well. The Caretaker revolves around a disgusting, smelly man, who is basically a bum that is always looking for new ways to exist. A man with mental problems meets a drifter on the street (Jonathan). The mentally damaged occupant allows Davis (The Drifter) to stay at his trashed up tenement room. that is cluttered with junk everywhere. But to the Drifter, it is a treasure trove.
Aston begins to get fed up with the smelly tramp, and asks him to leave. They argue over an open Window. Davis wants it closed – and Aston wants it open. Also, he tells Davis that he wants him to leave, because he smells.
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Sunset Boulevard – “Hypnotic!”; Centaur – Noir Movie
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 23‚ 2012
SUNSET BOULEVARD is a musical with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton – and the glorious sumptuous music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The musical of course, is based on the 1950 BILLY WILDER film (Same Title).
Norma Desmond is a faded star of the silent screen era that lives in the past, in a decaying mansion on fabled Sunset Boulevard. A young good-looking young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally ends up on her property as he was trying to escape a bill collector. Norma falls for him – no make that -- she nails him to the wall so that he can’t escape. She finds out that he is a writer – and she has written a story that she hopes that a famous director, will ask her to make a comeback to the big screen. But, alas – what they really want at the Studio was her vintage car.
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A Bright Room Called Day – Brilliant!; Linda Purl – Star of Screen/Stage
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 16‚ 2012
A BRIGHT DAY CALLED DAY is sometimes poignant, sometimes sad and often very funny. This powerful portrayal of political catastrophe is simply incredible. The time and place is in the 30’s up until modern day. We see the play through the eyes of a group of artists, actors, and communists living in Berlin prior to World War II.
The main character, Agnes, lives her life by avoiding conflict. Of course, she hopes that things will get better. You don’t have to be a huge fan of Tony Kushner’s plays. But most people are. I’m one of them. The play has bizarre shifts that bring us into the depths of hell from liberalism to genocidal fascism. Needless to say – I was fascinated.
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Who Am I? Oh, Hello, I’m Maurice
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 09‚ 2012
MAURICE – FLAT OUT FANTASTIC
DIRECTOR GEORGE MAQUIRE has put together an awe-inspiring and brilliant new adaptation of E.M Forster’s Maurice. This is why we go to see live Theatre.
May 16, 2012
