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The 2016 New York Drama Critics'
Circle Awards were
presented at Feinstein's/Studio 54 Below. It is
always a grand affair, with delicious food and an
open bar. The awards were presented to Stephen
Karam by Joe
Mantello for
his play The
Humans. His six member cast were there to
congratulate him. George
C. Wolfe received
the Best Musical Award for Shuffle
Along. His choreographer Savion
Glover introduced
him. Other special awards were presented to Oskar
Eustis, Lois Smith, Ivo van Hove and JanVersweyveld,
by David
Henry Hwang, Harris Yulin, Sophie Okonedo and Ben
Whishaw. They were fine selections, and the
recipients and presenters were charming company. I
enjoyed every moment.
The Drama League presented their 82nd
Annual Drama League Awards at
a ceremony and luncheon at the New York Marriott
Marquis. The winners for Outstanding Musical was Hamilton,
Play The
Humans, Revival of a Musical The
Color Purple and
Play A
View from the Bridge. Lin-Manuel
Miranda won
the Distinguished Performance Award presented by Audra
McDonald, and special awards went to Deaf
West Theatre,
Sheldon Harnick and Ivo
van Hove. Megan
Hilty and Zachary
Levi hosted
the ceremony. The many nominees for awards included Jessica
Lange, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Williams, and ,amy,
many more too numerous to mention. It was wonderful
afternoon.
I was invited again to see the
revival of The
Color Purple, book by Marsha
Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda
Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen
Bray, based on the novel written by Alice
Walker. Heather Headley replaced Jennifer
Hudson, and was superb. Cynthia
Erivo is
the leading lady, and has already won the Outer
Critics Circle Award as Outstanding Actress in a
Broadway Musical. She is also nominated for the
Drama Desk and Tony Awards. I am not a betting man,
but I have no doubt that she will win both awards.
She is absolutely brilliant.
Off-Broadway, Indecent,
by Paula
Vogel, at the Vineyard Theatre, is a play with
music, with choreography by David
Dorfman, directed
by Rebecca
Taichman. Three musicians, two of whom composed
the music, complement a seven member cast. The play
is based on a scandal when Sholem Asch wrote God
of Vengeance in
the early twentieth century in Germany. Since it is
about a daughter of a brothel owner falling in love
with one of his prostitutes, the playwright and the
actors were branded as immoral and they were
prosecuted. Fortunately, today, no one think
lesbians are immoral, and their lovemaking is
generally accepted. The acting is fine, as is the
music and dancing, but the play is a history lesson
rather than an entertainment.
Turn Me Loose,
by Gretchen
Law, at
the Westside Theatre, is a play about the comic
genius Dick Gregory. Joe
Morton gives
an outstanding performance as the activist/comedian,
which tells his life.The opening night party at 42
West, 514 West 42nd St, was one of best Off-Broadway
opening night parties ever. A delicious buffet
dinner was served with an open bar. The venue is
lovely, and there was dancing throughout the night.
Among the many guests were Dick
Gregory, producer John
Legend and Stephen
Lang. I repeat, it was a swell party to quote Cole
Porter.
American
Ballet Theatre (ABT) opened its season at the
Metropolitan Opera House with Sylvia,
music by Leo
Delibes, choreography by Frederick
Ashton. It is a charming production with
splendid music, played magnificently by the
orchestra, conducted byOrmsby
Wilkins. The story is silly about Sylvia (Hee
Seo), one of Diana's nymphs, who is loved by
Aminta, a shepherd (Roberto
Bolle) and pursue by Orion, an evil hunter (Cory
Stearns). |
Thanks to Eros, god of love (Jeffrey
Cirio), all ends happily. The sets and costumes
by Robin and Christopher
Ironside, with additional design by Peter
Farmer, are lovely, and the dancing by all the
principal dancers mentioned above is exceptional.
However, in the second act, Patrick
Frenette and Gabe
Stone Shayersteal the show with clever, humorous
dancing as slaves to Orion. They were delightful and
merited their well deserved ovation.
One of my favorite events is the 34th
Annual Fred and Adele Astaire Awards at
NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. After
a cocktail reception, the program included
performances by many dancers and the celebrity
presenters announced the winners in the various
categories. There was a three way tie for
Outstanding Choreographer in a Broadway Show with Andy
Blankenbuehler Hamilton, Savion
Glover Shuffle
Along and Sergio
Trujillo On
Your Feet!. Outstanding Female Dancer in a
Broadway Show was Jane Krakowski She
Loves Me and
Male Dancer Phillip
Attmore Shuffle
Along. Special Awards were presented to Judith
Jamison, Nigel Lythgoe, Maurice Hines and Dr.
Joan Fallon. A VIP After Party followed the
ceremony at the Hebrew Union College, where our
dinner companions included Lee
Roy Reems,
Sandi Duncan and Don
Correia. It was the conclusion to a magnificent
evening.
The tdf/Irene Sharaff Awards 2016 was
held at the Edison Ballroom. One of my favorite
designers Michael Yeargan received
the Robert
L. B. Tobin Award for Sustained Excellence in
Theatrical Design 2016 presented
by one of my favorite opera and theatre directors Bartlett
Sher. Together they were responsible for the
revivals of last year's The King and I and
this year's Fiddler
on the Roof, two of my happiest evenings on
Broadway. A 15 minute memorial tribute to Dorothy
Jeakins was
the highlight of the evening. She won three Oscars
for her beautiful costumes and was responsible for
many the costume design on Broadway shows. She was a
remarkable talent
I attended the Samuel
Waxman Cancer Foundation's Luncheon & Fashion
Presentation showcasing Oscar de
la Renta, hosted by Andrea
Stark in
her elegant apartment. Her home is simply
spectacular, filled with her favorite artworks. Her
guests were treated to a delicious buffer and
excellent Prosecco. It was a glorious afternoon..
All the cast and creative team of Eclipsed showed
up at Sardi's, as their cast member Lupita
Nyong'o received
her caricature. It was a wonderful occasion, and Lupita
looked lovely. She is giving a brilliant
performance in the play, and deserves all the
nominations she is receiving this season on
Broadway.
Our dear friend, Jane
Pontarelli invited
my wife and me to a lovely reception sips
to a fun and healthy summer at
Beautique, 8 West 58th St. where Dr.
Luiza Petre shared
some easy ways to cut calories while
enjoying favorite cocktails and snacks. It was a
celebration for Jane's Play
Pink Golfing Benefit. By the way, Jane is
responsible for my marriage to Xiuli
Meng M.D. Nine years ago, Xiuli attended Jane's
charity luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental. I asked
her at which table she was seated. She said table
27. I said I was at table 9, and I would see if I
could switch her to my table. After lunch, she
walked me home, and she said Do
you live here? at
888 8th Avenue, because 8 is a lucky number in
Chinese. I asked if she would like to see my
apartment. She said yes. She came up to my home that
afternoon nine years ago and never left. If I
had lived at 777 7th Avenue, we never would have
married!
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