‘Awake and Sing’ at The Public Theater

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Now playing at New York’s Public Theater, “Awake and Sing” is considered to be the finest of Clifford Odets’ plays. It premiered on Broadway in 1935. This revival is being performed by The National Asian American Theatre Company under the leadership of Artistic Producing Director Mia Katigbak and Associate Producer Peter Kim. This marks their 25th Season in residency with the Public Theater. Stephen Brown-Fried directs an all-Asian American cast. Scenic design is by Anshuman Bhatia, lighting design by Gina Scherr, costume design by Alexae Visel, and sound design by Toby Jaguar Algya.

photo credit: William P. Steele

photo credit: William P. Steele

“Awake and Sing” is about a three-generation Jewish family living in a Bronx apartment during the Great Depression who are in search of a good life. Living conditions are tight and cramped as three generations of the Berger family occupy a small apartment in the Bronx in 1933 – 1934. Bessie Berger is the over- bearing matriarch of the family who deep down is concerned with preserving her family but has a miserable temper that leads to severe consequences. Bessie has shown that she can help achieve great things for her family as she previously helped her brother Morty go through law school which has helped him become a successful business man that the family turns to in times of need. Bessie’s husband, Myron, appears to be weak as he is reconciled to allowing his wife to run the family and the household in her rough shot manner. However, in some ways, he is the emotional heart of the family. Daughter Hennie Berger wants more out of life but when an unexpected pregnancy happens, she follows her mother’s instructions and marries hard working and diligent Sam Feinschneber and settles for a life of mediocrity. Other members of the household are Jacob, the grandfather who loves to listen to his Caruso records, son Ralph who works hard but dreams of more, and Moe, a decorated veteran from World War I who is not content to live a conventional life and is wildly attracted to Hennie. The play’s action takes place over a one year period which allows character development to surface and leads to an unexpected ending.

Be prepared to be won over by the acting in this play. The very fine cast includes Mia Katigbak who recreates her OBIE Award-winning role as the matriarch Bessie and is amazing to see in this play. Additional cast includes Sanjit De Silva, Mel Duane Gionson, Teresa Avia Lim, James Saito, Jon Norman Schneider, David Shih, Alok Tewari, and Henry Yuk.

Although it is set in 1933, the issues are still seen today thus making it a very relevant piece of work for new generations who are experiencing hard times both from the economy and from being immigrants.

More photos from the show can be seen on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetsGoToTheTheater?ref=tn_tnmn

“Awake and Sing” is playing a limited engagement in The Public’s Shiva Theater (425 Lafayette Street). It will run through Sunday, August 2, 2015. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Public Theater’s website at http://publictheater.org.

Dinner Before the Show

Thanks to Olivia Clement who wrote this article on Playbill.com, I ate dinner at Dorado Tacos & Quesadillas. Located at 28 East 12th Street, Dorado is very casual with a small seating area. You give your order at counter and they bring it to you when it is ready.

Photo by Karen Nowosad

Photo by Karen Nowosad


I started with an order of chips, guacamole, and salsa which would easily feed two people. The chips were perfectly baked, the salsa was nicely seasoned, and the guacamole was to die for. I also ordered a Baja Original Taco (beer battered Atlantic whitefish with cabbage, crema, pickled onions, and salsa fresca) and a Grilled Fish (grilled mahi mahi with cabbage, crema, tomatillo & avocado salsa). The tacos are on small soft corn tortillas and they were delicious. That day, the special taco was a grilled salmon which I would like to have tried, but honestly, I was completely filled after eating what I described above. My bill was $13 and change. Not bad for a dinner in New York City!

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‘Something Rotten’ is not that all!

The spring season of new shows on Broadway is underway. I’m taking advantage of good prices to see some of the new shows. One of the first that I saw was “Something Rotten” a new musical at the St. James Theatre.

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How can a former English teacher turn down an opportunity to see a show that deals with Shakespeare? I couldn’t especially when the show ran an amazing special sale which was to attend one of the first three previews for $15.95. That’s right, 15.95! That amount was selected since the play was supposed to have taken place in 1595. So I opted for the second night and had a great seat in the mezzanine. It was packed that night and it turned out to be a fabulous audience who were very into the show and willing to let the actors know how much they were enjoying it.

And it is a very enjoyable show to see. It deals with a writing team made up of two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, who are well played by Brian d’Arcy James and John Carianai. They can’t make a go of writing plays because William Shakespeare is dominating the scene. Shakespeare is depicted as a rockstar, dressed in leather pants, leather jacket, and slick haircut. He moves with grace and ease and is quite fetchingly played by Christian Borle, formerly of the series Smash. There is one musical number in the first act called “A Musical” that brought the audience to their feet with a great standing ovation. (I predict a Tony appearance for that song)

The laughs and jokes are plentiful and fast moving. In fact, a few times, there seemed like there were too many to zero in on. Perhaps since it was a preview, they were trying them out. The first act was absolute perfect, but I did feel like the second act needed some work. This was a preview I saw and seeing the quality of what was there, I have no doubt that there will be fixes made that will move this show up into the ranks of “must see this season.”

There are discounts around for this show, but beware they are due to expire soon. For example, Playbill.com currently has one that needs to be redeemed by 21 Apr 2015. “Something Rotten” does not officially open until April 22, 2015 and their attendance so far is averaging 97%. Check out discounts now as this could become a difficult ticket to get if the trend continues.

Just wanted to mention that the staff at the St. James Theatre were fantastic! They were enthusiastic and very helpful. They did a great job helping people feel comfortable that evening.

A fun cartoon on the outside of the St. James Theatre for 'Something Rotten' Photo by K Nowosad

A fun cartoon on the outside of the St. James Theatre for ‘Something Rotten’
Photo by K Nowosad

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‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ – An Amazing Show now at the Paper Mill Playhouse

I was privileged to be a part of the Paper Mill Playhouse’s Opening Night audience for The Hunchback of Notre Dameon Sunday, March 15, 2015. This is a show of grand, yet simple proportions. Grand with the music, setting, staging and of course the cast. Simple proportions in that it doesn’t rely on technology to make it’s points; instead, it gives rise to one’s imagination to make a picture of what is happening.

You can read more on my Examiner.com column. However, speaking of pictures, here are some from the Paper Mill Playhouse that are used with their permission.

Photo by Jerry Dalia; Left to right: Michael Arden (Quasimodo) and Ciara Renée (Esmeralda)

Photo by Jerry Dalia; Left to right: Michael Arden (Quasimodo) and Ciara Renée (Esmeralda)

Photo by Matthew Murphy; Left to right: Andrew Samonsky (Phoebus) and Ciara Renée (Esmeralda)

Photo by Matthew Murphy; Left to right: Andrew Samonsky (Phoebus) and Ciara Renée (Esmeralda)

Photo by Matthew Murphy; Ciara Renée (Esmeralda) and the company of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Photo by Matthew Murphy; Ciara Renée (Esmeralda) and the company of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Photo by Kevin Berne; Patrick Page (Frollo) and the company of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Photo by Kevin Berne; Patrick Page (Frollo) and the company of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Photo by Matthew Murphy; Michael Arden (Quasimodo) and the company of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Photo by Matthew Murphy; Michael Arden (Quasimodo) and the company of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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