Reviewed by Roy Berko
Clybourne Park: A fascinating view of neighborhood integration and gentrification
Have you ever wondered, after seeing a play, what might have happened to the characters or even the physical structure in which the story is set, before the play began or after it ended? Bruce Norris’s CLYBOURNE PARK does exactly that.
Flash back to 1959, where, at the conclusion of Lorraine Hansberry’s A RAISIN THE SUN, the black Younger family is about to move into the all-white Clybourne Park area of Chicago. Before the move, fearing the lowering of housing costs and white flight, the neighbors sent Karl Lindner, a bigoted community leader, to offer the Youngers money for not finalizing the deal. As it turned out, Lena, the matriarch of the family, refused the offer and the Youngers moved to a house numbered 406.
(Side note: the story parallels the plight of Hansberry’s family. In 1937, her father bought a home in Chicago’s segregated Washington Park area. The restricted covenants were challenged, resulting in a legal case [Hansberry v. Lee, 311 U.S. 32]. The Hansberrys won, moved in and the house now has National Landmark Preservation status.)
(Enter Norris) CLYBOURNE PARK takes us into 406, several days before the Youngers were to move in. Bev and Russ, the owners of the property, are grief stricken. Their son, Kenneth, who was accused of war crimes in Korea, had committed suicide in his bedroom. The family, which has been ostracized, decided to sell the house. We are never sure whether they sold to a black family to get back at their neighbors, or, as they state, were “unaware of the race of the new owners.” Lindner, the character from RAISIN, comes to plead with Bev and Russ to withdraw from the deal. After an emotional confrontation in front of a group of neighbors, the sellers refuse. (Exit Norris.)
(Re-enter Norris). The second act of CLYBOURNE PARK takes place in 2009. The same actors as in Act 1, playing different characters, are present. There is conflict as to whether the house, in what is now becoming a gentrified community, will be sold, leveled and a new structure built by a white family. African American Lena and her husband represent the local neighborhood association, and mention that her Great-Aunt moved her family to that house in 1959. (It is probably not by chance that the young lady has the same name as her Great-Aunt.) Racism enters as the blacks, who have rebuilt the neighborhood, don’t want white suburbanites to buy and change the character of the houses, many of which have been rebuilt to mirror their historical past.
Does the viewer have to know all of the intertwining stories in order to appreciate the Norris play? No, but it does add a psychological jolt to realize that we are watching the blending the ideas of two great playwrights. It is also eye-opening to realize that Hansberry, whose RAISIN IN THE SUN is considered the seminal black civil rights play, did not win a Pulitzer Prize for her script, but Norris did for his. One can only wonder if gender and race, subjects of both scripts, was a factor in Hansberry’s denial decision.
The play, under the adept direction of Pam MacKinnon, is spell binding. The pacing is excellent, the characters clearly developed, the settings are era correct and work well to convey the passage of time and neighborhood change.
Norris, an actor as well as a playwright, writes characters that live. This is a unified cast production, in which each participant carries equal weight for the success of the production. Fortunately, the cast, Crystal Dickinson, Brendan Griffin, Damon Gupton, Christina Kirk, Annie Parisse, Jeremy Shamos and Frank Wood each effectively textures his/her dual roles.
Capsule Judgement: Pulitzer Prize winning CLAYBOURNE PARK is an emotionally moving script that effectively highlights the still present distrust between members of different races. It gets an impressive production under Pam MacKinnon’s direction. It’s a significant play worth seeing.
(The on-Broadway production opened April 26, 2012 in the Walter Kerr Theatre for a 16-week limited engagement. )
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Tracie Bennett inhabits Judy Garland in END OF THE RAINBOW
Judy Garland, who was born Ethel Gumm, started in show business at the age of two-and-a-half. She later was coupled with her older siblings as the Gumm Sisters to become a well known vaudeville act.
Renamed Judy Garland, she was signed to a Hollywood contract and, in the late 1930s starred in the Andy Hardy movies with Mickey Rooney. She became America’s sweetheart in such films as The Wizard of Oz, Strike Up the Band, Babes on Broadway, For Me and My Gal and Meet Me In Saint Louis. Songs such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “The Trolley Song,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart” became synonymous with her name.
As was the case with many child stars, in adulthood she was deeply troubled. She became known as being unreliable and unstable and her career ebbed and waned.
She married for the first time at age 19 to bandleader David Rose. It was a short-lived union. She went on to marry Vincent Minnelli, bore daughter Liza, and soon was again divorced. And so the pattern of her life was set. Short-term relationships were ever present.
On June 22, 1969, at age 47, she died from an overdose of pills. She left behind a legacy of great performances, special memories, and a number of fanatic fans. Her popularity, over fifty years after her demise, is still strong.
Peter Quilter’s END OF THE RAINBOW, which is loosely based on the book, WEEP NO MORE MY LADY by Mickey Deans, Garland’s fifth and final husband, focuses on the latter stages of her life.
In the play, Garland is scheduled to appear at The Talk of the Town, in London. She is financially broke, helplessly addicted to drugs and booze, and has had an affair with the much younger Deans, thus bringing to an end her marriage to Mark Herron.
The drama with music makes it appear that Deans, who is portrayed as having an abusive personality, was attempting to save Judy from herself by restricting her addiction consumption. Some sources allude to Deans using Garland for his own advantages, such as making money from the tell-all book, which followed her death. Whatever the truth, the power of the play comes out loud and clear.
This is a well written script, with many emotional highs and lows, some laughs, and, of course, some glorious vocal sounds. As the program notes indicated, we are exposed to the elegant Judy (The Man Who Got Away), the befuddled Judy (When You’re Smiling), the out-of-control Judy (Come Rain or Come Shine). And, of course, there is Judy saying goodbye emotionally emoting Over the Rainbow.
The production, under the eye of Terry Johnson, is mesmerizing.
The cast is strong. Michael Cumpsty, as Judy’s gay long-time accompanist, is compelling as the only person in Judy’s later life who appears to have her best interests at heart. Cumpsty is totally believable in the role and is an excellent pianist.
Tom Pelphrey (Mickey) walks the fine line between caring and manipulative, giving just enough smarminess to make us question whether he is a good or bad guy. Jay Russell is fine in multiple minor roles.
The star of the show is the amazing Tracie Bennett as Garland. Bennett, who is making her Broadway debut after an impressive theater, film and television, career, claims to be “an actress by definition and not a singer.” She is compelling in both capacities. She doesn’t do a Garland imitation; she inhabits the persona and soul of Judy. She compels us to believe, to accept that the real Judy is on stage. This is a fine performance, worthy of standing ovations and awards!
The on-stage musicians are excellent. They play well and support rather than draw away attention from the action.
The technical aspects of the production are top notch. William Dudley’s scene and costume designs and Christopher Akerlind’s lighting enhance the style and mood.
Capsule judgement: END OF THE RAINBOW is a compelling script that gets a top-notch production under the guidance of Terry Johnson. Tracie Bennett is superlative, inhabiting the living presence of Judy Garland. Bravo!
(In an open-ended run at the Belasco Theatre.)
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GHOST THE MUSICAL… There are a lot of illusions going on!
There’s an adage in the theatre… the audience should not leave of the theatre mainly talking about the special effects and sets. GHOST THE MUSICAL proves that wrong. After the final curtain, the audience was excitedly raving about the on-stage special illusions, commenting about the comic level of Bruce Joel Rubin’s script, while humming the pleasant, if not memorable score, by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.
The production is based on the 1990 box office smash movie, GHOST, also written by Rubin. It starred Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg, who won the Academy Award as best supporting actress.
The musical closely follows the film’s story line. Sam, a young successful banker, who has recently moved in with Molly, discovers that there is manipulation of finances at the bank at which he worked. While returning from a restaurant, in which, once again Sam has difficulty verbalizing his love for Molly, the duo is robbed. Sam is killed.
He finds himself in the nether world, frustrated over his lack of truly communicating his feelings to Molly and concerned for her safety because of the awareness that Carl, his best friend and fellow bank employee, is the source of the financial manipulation. He enlists the help of Oda Ma Brown, a con artist and fake medium, to channel his thoughts to Molly. The results are amusing, and the plot twist open the door to numerous ghostly effects. Of course, as in all such stories, all ends well.
While some may be turned off by the unrealistic plot, this is an old fashioned two-Kleenex “chick flick,” meant as escapist entertainment. To appreciate all the positive aspects of the show, requires a suspension of literal belief.
The cast is excellent. Foremost are the comic talents of Da’vine Joy Randolph, who hilariously channels the medium, Oda Mae Brown. Brown doesn’t imitate Goldberg’s film antics, but develops a set of her own moves and sounds. Her “Are You a Believer?” is a show stopper, as is the scene in which she finds herself the short term possessor of 10 million dollars.
Richard Fleeshman (Sam) is the Broadway musical theatre matinee idol prototype… tall, handsome, gym sculpted body, good acting chops, and a great singing voice. His “Unchanged Melody” is well presented. He and Caissie Levy (Molly) have a realistic emotional connection, creating a believable relationship.
Levy, like Fleeshman, is natural and emotionally acceptable in the role. She has a nice singing voice, which she uses well in “With You” and “Nothing Stops Another Day.”
Bryce Pinkham’s vocals are musically on target, and he is effectively snarly as the friend turned bad.
Lance Roberts (Hospital Ghost), creates a poignant moment as he sings “You Gotta Let Go.”
Ashley Wallen’s well-executed choreography combines creative staging action and dance movements that enhance the story.
Jon Driscoll and his crew’s video and projection designs and execution are beyond impressive. The overall effect of street movements, ghost appearances and disappearances, and visual explosions, are visually awesome. Hugh Vanstone’s lighting, Paul Kieve’s illusions, and Bobby Aitken’s sound effects, all add significantly to the overall positive effect.
Capsule judgement: GHOST THE MUSICAL may not be a great musical, but it is a production that entertains, is filled with emotional tenderness and humor, and makes for a nice escapist theatre experience.
(In an open-ended run at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.)
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko. Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2012, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://RoyBerko.info. His reviews can also be found on NeOHIOpal and CoolCleveland.com.
Roy Berko, who is a life-long Clevelander, is a Renaissance man. Believing the line in Robert Frost’s poem “Road Not Taken,” each time he comes to a fork in the road, he has taken the path less traveled. He holds degrees, thought the doctorate from Kent State, University of Michigan and The Pennsylvania State University. His present roles, besides husband and grandfather, are professor, crisis counselor, author and entertainment reviewer… Read Roy Berko’s complete bio here