On Broadway- Sunday In the Park With George

It takes a brave soul who is willing to take on a role so iconically identified with a Broadway legend. In the revival of Sunday in the Park With George, there are two- Jake Gyllenhaal, playing George, the role that Mandy Patinkin made famous, and Annaleigh Ashford, playing Dot and Dot's granddaughter Marie, roles that helped make Bernadette Peters a star.

I have seen Annaleigh Ashford in Kinky Boots, and her Tony Award-winning role in You Can't Take It With You (she was hilarious!), and she is the best thing about Showtime's Masters of Sex, playing Betty, the office manager who holds it all together amidst the chaos swirling around her. I adore her!

I knew she'd be fabulous as always, and she brings such a depth to the role of Dot, with her trademark humor and pathos. She is the definition of luminous in the role of Dot. As Marie, she gets to crack wise as the older woman who gets her chance to hold an audience for just a moment.

But it is Jake Gyllenhaal who was a surprise. As an actor, he has always chosen roles that stretch him- Brokeback Mountain, End of Watch, Nightcrawler and Donnie Darko spring to mind- and he does that again here. His George Seurat is an artist who is driven to create, and he plays him tightly coiled.

Sunday in the Park With George is a Sondheim musical, so the songs are no walk in the park to sing and Gyllenhaal has surprised everyone with his beautiful, powerful voice. (There is a video of him singing Finishing the Hat online that has everyone talking.)


The supporting cast is just as strong, including Robert Sean Leonard and Broadway vets Philip Boykin, Erin Davie, Ruthie Ann Miles and Brooks Ashmanskas.

The musical highlights of the show include the opeing number Sunday in the Park With George and its reprise at the end of Act II, and George and Dot's moving duet We Do Not Belong Together.

Sunday in the Park With George will bring you joy and tears, it is one show that I will always remember. The run ends April 23, and it is worth buying a full-price ticket for this one. It is a must-see, and it is playing in the newly restored Hudson Theatre, which is so lush and lovely.

The website for Sunday in the Park With George is here.

On Broadway- Sylvia

Annaleigh Ashford follows up her Tony-winning performance in You Can't Take It With You with another comedic tour-de-force in Sylvia.

She plays a dog that Greg, a man who seems bored with his job and his life played by Matthew Broderick, finds wandering in Central Park. Greg names the dog Sylvia and brings her home to his New York City apartment much to the dismay of his wife Kate, wonderfully played by Julie White.

Kate and Greg are now empty nesters, and Kate has gone back to school and found a job that she loves. She and Greg seem to be in a different place in life. He is bored with his job, looking for something fulfilling, and after years of raising children and caring for her husband, Kate is ready to dive into her career, and caring for a dog is not in the picture for her.

Anyone who has ever owned a dog will be charmed by Ashford's fantastic performance (and judging by the roaring laughter from the audience, most of them owned dogs). She is sassy and funny, and when she curses other dogs at the park, I laughed so hard because I imagined my dog used to think the same things.

Ashford has said that to prepare for her role she took dog obedience lessons with her own beloved dog, and her commitment shines through in her performance. She even managed the wet dog eyes. (I absolutely love her in Showtime's Master of Sex as office manager Betty, another award-winning worthy performance.)

Robert Sella steals the scenes he is in as three different characters, especially as Leslie, the therapist and Phyllis, the socialite. Broderick is very low-key in his performance, and I guess that is because Greg is so low-key.

I wasn't crazy about the ending to the show. You can't compromise when it comes to dog ownership, and someone has to give in. Let me just say that it's clear the author of the play is a man.

This is a show worth seeing for Ashford's performance, and I would recommend it as you can find discount tickets. It is a limited run show, so if you want to see it, more information is here.

On Broadway- You Can't Take It With You

Last week I went to see the broadway revival of You Can't Take It With You, starring the great James Earl Jones, Anna Chlumsky (Amy on VEEP), Richard Thomas (John-Boy Walton), Annaleigh Ashford and Kristine Nielsen.

The story of an unconventional family set during the end of the 1920's, it is an utterly charming comedy with a fabulous cast. James Earl Jones, who is over 80, still has the stage presence perfect for the patriarch of the Sycamore family. The man is absolutely amazing!

His daughter fancies herself a playwright since the day a typewriter was accidentally delivered to the house. She works on many plays simultaneously, but doesn't appear to finish any of them. Kristine Nielsen shines in this wacky role, much like she did in Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike.

She is married to Richard Thomas, who spends his time creating fireworks in the basement with his assistant. Thomas looks like he is having the time of his life in this carefree role, smiling the entire show. (Considering the beating he took as Agent Gadd on last week's season three premiere of FX's The Americans, I can see why he enjoys this role so much.)

Annaleigh Ashford steals the show as the daughter who believes she is destined to be a dancer. Her crazy dance routines, set to her husband's xylophone compositions, are hysterical and had everyone is stitches. (I hope she will be back in next season's Masters of Sex on Showtime as sensible and smart Betty- I love her!)

Anna Chlumsky plays the Marilyn to this family's Munsters. She is the only one who appears to have a paying job, and when she falls in love with the boss' son, and he wants to bring his family to meet her family, hilarity and craziness ensues. Her frustration and terror when the families meet is palpable.

An ensemble of this size (20) can be difficult to manuever, but everyone works together like a well-oiled machine. There is a lot of physical comedy, and the choreography is brilliant. We have IRS agents,  Russian emigres, high-society possible in-laws, the maid and her boyfriend, and a drunken actress who all combine with this kooky family to create a show that will leave you smiling as you leave the theater.

You Can't Take It With You is a lovely way to spend a few hours forgetting your problems as you lose yourself enjoying this loving, delightful, if kooky (Corn Flakes for dinner every night?) family.

The show closes in three weeks, so get your ticket soon. Discounts are available.
The website is here.