'Burgh Vivant

By Michael Buzzelli

Before “Every Brilliant Thing” begins, Director Andrew Paul is handing out Oreo cookies and Mint Milano’s to the audience, while actor Marcus Weiss is handing out yellow Post-it notes with random numbers and words on them.

Number One: Ice Cream.

Number Four: The color Yellow.

Number One Thousand and Nine: Dancing in Public, Fearlessly.

“Every Brilliant Thing” is a one-man-show. It’s a biography, a TED Talk and so much more. It’s easy to forget that Weiss is playing a character, one created by Playwright Duncan McMillan.

Actor Jonny Donahue first played the role and gave it his own Zazz! Enough so, that he gets credit for his involvement.

This comedic show is about a mental illness. Weiss’s character is coping with a parent who is battling with suicidal thoughts. The character creates a list of all of the best things in life, calling it the list of “Every Brilliant Thing.? In reality, it is a simplistic coping mechanism from his childhood. The show is about how the list exits and enters his life.

Warning: There is some audience participation. Mostly, a patron will be called on to read their particular Post-It out loud. Sometimes, a theater-goer is coaxed into doing a little bit more.

Weiss – and I mean this in the best possible way – is a maniac. He’s carrying Robin Williams energy, bouncing around the stage infused with boyish charm. The quips are rapid-fire. But this show is mostly about heart.

The actor puts his audience at ease. It’s easy to feel like you’re listening to a very good friend describe his childhood.

It is such a natural performance. It’s easy to forget Weiss is playing a character. Hence the reason for the near-constant reiteration of this factoid.

Paul lets Weiss loose. He gives him a nearly bare canvas to slather layers of emotion like paint on Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait.”

Note: Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait, 1889” is inches thick with oil paint, the blues and the yellows are vibrant. He also struggled with suicidal thoughts his whole life.

While it’s gauche to criticize the audience, let’s say some people are more attuned to participation more than others.

Note: If the interactivity scares you, mention it to someone before the show, but don’t let it put you off from seeing it.

Johnmichael Bohach’s set is a Romy and Michele inspired nightmare (second reference to a Prom for no good reason). Bleachers on all sides surround a simple yellow square, but the walls are adorned with Post-It notes.

Weiss describes a moment when a needle plunks down on vinyl, finds the groove and the music begins. The moment was perfectly timed and captured by Sound Designer Mark Whitehead.

Number One Million, Four Hundred and Thirty-seven: Being inspired by great works of art.

– MB

“Every Brilliant Thing” runs until June 11 at the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theatre
in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland. For more information, click here.

If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately.

by Michael Buzzelli

When Baneatta (Rita Gregory) hangs up on an enigmatic caller right before gathering her family for her father’s funeral, a mystery is afoot in Douglas Lyons’ “Chicken & Biscuits.”

Baneatta loves her husband, Reginald (Sheldon Ingram), and has deep-seated resentment for her sister, Beverly (Karla C. Payne). While she loves her son Kenny (Mils James), she seems to despise his partner, Logan (Cole Vecchio).

Baneatta pulls an Endora every time she mentions Kenny’s boyfriend, calling him every L-word except for Logan.

Other guests at the funeral include Baneatta’s daughter Simone (a very controlled, buttoned-down Shakira Stephens), and Beverly’s daughter La’Trice (Tajionna Clinton).

There is another guest played by Angelique A. Strothers, but revealing her identity takes us deep into Spoiler Country.

“Chicken & Biscuits” found the perfect recipe for its cast.

This is mostly Baneatta’s story and Gregory excels in the role of the conflicted matriarch holding secrets and grudges.

Ingram’s booming baritone voice gives him the gravitas of the patriarch of the Mabry clan.

Payne plays it big and broad, and it works for the big, broad Beverly.

Though Strothers doesn’t appear until the second act, she makes the most of her scenes on stage. The character and the actor give off an air of quiet dignity, even when surrounded by chaos.

Mils James is another bright light in a dazzling chandelier of castmates. Fitting somewhere on the middle of the scale between the reserved mother and outrageous aunt. One of his best lines was unscripted. When an audience member’s cell phone goes off, he pivoted to the patron and said, “Why you got your cell phone on at my daddy’s funeral?”

Clinton’s La’Trice is a joy. Much like many teenagers, she is equal parts of a wide-eyed innocent and a world-weary pragmatist, vacillating between bored and excited in seconds.

The costumes, designed by Reverend Deryck Tines, are an integral part of the play.  Payne’s low-cut funeral-slash-clubbing dress for Beverly is a marvel to be seen. Hint: It accentuates “the twins.” Tines also fits Gregory’s Baneatta with a hat worthy of Kentucky Derby. He also makes James look dashing in a patterned suit (that looks like it came from Tines’ own closet).

Picture a mash up between “The Jerry Springer Show” and the slow-mo instant replay of a Monday Night Football game and you get an epic fight scene choreographed by Michael Petyak.

Director Eileen J. Morris takes great care in making sure each actor gets their moment. The pacing is swift and elegant. Transitions are quick and efficient with a few well-placed props that are easily moved around to create the illusion of different locations. Projections set the scene very effectively, much like an establishing shot in a film or TV show.

Lyons’ script is breezy and light but covers a lot of territory, including race-relations, gender-identity, homophobia and religion, but it’s never heavy-handed and almost always hilarious.  It’s mostly low-brow humor, but it’s a notch above a Tyler Perry sitcom. Most importantly, the acting is on point!

If you’re looking for an evening of laughs, look no further than “Chicken & Biscuits.”

-MB

They’re serving up “Chicken and Biscuits” now until June 17th  at the Dr. Vernell Audrey Watson Lillie Theater – 1300 Bingham Street , Pittsburgh, PA 15203. For more information, click here. 

By Joseph Szalinski

There’s been a murder at Trafford Performing Arts Center! Thankfully, it’s only onstage and part of The Theatre Factory’s fifth production of their 2022-2023 season, Red Herring. The play, from a script by Michael Hollinger, and directed by Joe Eberle, is a comedy-noir that finds three couples and a gaggle of wisecracking family and friends embroiled in a killing that may be connected to some covert Cold War shenanigans. Hilarity ensues.

While I had issues with the story itself, and other elements of the writing, the production managed to mine the text expertly enough to put on an entertaining show.

Frank (Justin Mohr), an FBI agent with the hots for homicide cop, Maggie (Misty Challingsworth), is a little more over-easy than hardboiled, but unlike a P.I., he has a government pension and health benefits. He’s the least dynamic of the characters, but when he cracks and his life becomes slightly scrambled, Mohr’s performance soars.

Challingsworth plays a wickedly tenacious Boston detective who’s a tad hesitant to return Frank’s advances. She’s able to transcend the trope-laden bounds of her character, heavy-handed dialogue and all, to deliver a performance exceedingly more palatable than Maggie’s meals.

Wrapping up the law-adjacent lot are Noah Kendall and Matt Solter, who each play a variety of roles. Kendall is introduced as Woody, a crime scene photographer, ahem…artist, and then later as Harry, a cornfed coroner who really likes Ike. While the former is but a blip in the narrative, it’s the latter that showcases the actor’s talents, and even overshadows his later appearance as a bartender. Solter, in similar fashion, is introduced as Petey, Frank’s coworker, a role that allows him to show off some dramatic chops, but also allows for a couple of chuckle-eliciting lines. His most comedic performance comes as Herbert the hunchbacked husband, who dutifully attends to his delightfully domineering wife, Mrs. Van Nostrand (Marie Chonko). The remaining two “appearances” of his are as the polite Dr. Kasden and as the corpse.

Playing Mrs. Kravitz, an innkeeper who harbors the play’s miscreants near the harbor, is Amy Mellisen, who shows the audience how to properly talk to the police. She is complemented by Jaron Carlson’s character, Andrei, a Russian fisherman who’s arguably the most likeable character, due in part to his humanity, affinity for the arts, unique accent, and the most unorthodox manner of communication.

Rounding out the cast are Louisa Pastorius, Mike Crosby, and Jim Kiley. Pastorius primarily portrays Lynn (Senator Joe McCarthy’s Daughter), the ditzy fiancée of physicist James (Crosby). Lynn is the most engaging character, for both her humor and the guilt that plagues her throughout the show. When not playing a passenger even Charon wouldn’t kick off his boat, Pastorius is uproarious as a clerk at the marriage office in city hall. Crosby does a great job of playing a commie who used to spy with his little eye, who then becomes a quasi-Quaker-cuckold whose newfound blind faith is the least irritating thing about him. His scenes with Marie Chonko as Lynn’s mother are where the two thespians shine. Kiley, who has some of the most subversive lines as a priest and then as Major Hartwell, sadly goes underutilized. While the characters themselves couldn’t really be expanded, he easily could’ve picked up one of the extra roles his castmates were granted.

On a technical level, the production excels. Although the blackouts are a tad long, it’s impressive that all of the scene changes can be accomplished in the dark; all being done about a set that’s marvelous in its continual evolution and use of space. Costume changes are done almost as effortlessly. The music perfectly complements the upcoming scene, or in one case, adds humor to a scene that just ended.

All in all, this is a production that demonstrates proper execution can elevate any script, permitting the cast has chemistry and that the crew helps to develop a world that can intrigue an audience and hold their collective fascination for a couple hours.

-JS

“Red Herring” runs until May 27 at the Trafford Performing Arts Center, 235 Cavitt Avenue, Trafford, PA 15085. For more information, click here. 

By Michael Buzzelli

In 1979, on the steep precipice of the 80s, Marvin (Chad Elder) leaves his wife, Trina (Jenna Kantor) and their son, Jason (Matthew Frontz) to be with his lover, Whizzer (Sal Bucci), exploding-and- then-reinventing his own high-strung, tight-knit family in “Falsettos.”

Marvin wants to have it all, his lover, his wife and his son.  While Trina is a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown unable to cope with the fact that her husband left her for a man.

Marvin convinces his wife to see his psychiatrist Mendel (Justin Borak), and sparks fly between his ex-wife and the doctor.  Because Jason is having difficulty dealing with his father’s abrupt departure, they convince the boy to see Mendel. Soon, Mendel is part of the family, driving Marvin into a jealous rage. It’s unreasonable, but it’s very human.

The one thing Marvin and Trina can agree on is that they want Jason to have his bar mitzvah, but the boy would rather sit up in his room and play chess by himself.

Later, we meet the lesbians next door, Dr. Charlotte (Natalie Hatcher) and her partner, Cordelia (Lindsay Bayer) just as an unknown virus begins killing ‘bachelors’ in New York City.

When Whizzer collapses on the racquetball court and is rushed to the hospital, the AIDS storyline kicks in full throttle. Jason doesn’t want to have his bar mitzvah without Whizzer, but he might have to go from reciting the Torah to learning Kaddish.

Spoiler alert: Mirrors will be covered.

The cast of Front Porch Theatrical’s “Falsettos” is exceptional. In 80s parlance, they are rad, gnarly and totally tubular!

Elder steps up to be the leading man here, belting his heart out in ballads, but it’s his soft, poignant rendition of “What more can I say,” that caused audience members to pull out their handkerchief’s and Valu-Pack Kleenex.

Kantor’s “I’m breaking down” is a moment of pure joy. A triumph! Her character runs through a gamut of conflicting emotions breaking down while cooking her Carrot-Banana Surprise (which sounds heinous by the way).

Side note: Bananas were harmed in the making of this song, but Trina is as much of a mushy mess as the yellow fruit by the end of the song.

Bucci is the quintessential Whizzer. He exemplifies the late-70s unrepentant “homo,” complete with a period-appropriate moustache.  He commanded the stage with charismatic energy.

Frontz is a tiny star-in-the-making. The sixth-grader holds his own next to his incredibly talented castmates.

Borak does an exceptional job as well.

The one thing this show needs is more Hatcher and Bayer. Their characters don’t enter the show until the second act, but they manage to become so essential to the plot and story, you begin to forget they weren’t around in the first act.

During the curtain speech, co-producer Nancy Zionts said, “You won’t believe you’re watching local theater,” and this reviewer folded his arms and went, “Yeah, right.” Words I ate by the final curtain.

Director Rob James gets everything right about this show. The sensitivity of the subject matter, the drama, the wit. It was masterful.

Johnmichael Bohach’s set is an homage to Cosmo Kramer’s “Levels!” The tiered stage gives characters plenty of space to spazz out and sing in.

There is also an amazing band under the direction of Deana Muro.

Note: “Falsettos” is a very Jewish, very gay play. If you admire Ron DeSantis, this is not the musical for you. There is a steamy tango between the two male lovers, and a shocking moment of domestic violence. While some would advise parental guidance, there is a point to be made against keeping the kids at home, especially if you have a queer-or-questioning child in your own tight-knit family.  They may feel “seen” and it could be a moment of revelation.

Use your best judgement.

At its core, “Falsettos” has a lot to say on a myriad of subjects, but they are all handled deftly by show’s creators William Finn and James Lapine.

What more can I say? It’s hot! It’s sweet! And the entire cast sparkles.

– MB

“Falsettos” runs from May 19 to May 28 at the New Hazlett Theater located at 6 Allegheny Square East Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.   

By Lonnie The Theater Lady

See a preview here.

Ian Olsen is is frighteningly demonic as he sings Epiphany (Sweeny Todd).He portrays a man whose mind is beginning to crack as he mourns the death of his wife. His malevolent facial expressions, evil tone of voice and tense body posturing are chilling. Well sung. Well acted.

Each and every number Anna Chesney sings is a wonder. The clear, pure sound of her expressive voice is mesmerizing. That coupled with her commanding stage presence is a joy to behold!

The entire company comically performs You Are the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me (Road Show). Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre, the director, directs an exchange among the company members that has the entire audience laughing. The choices she makes in staging throughout this show keep every number interesting, unique, and often humorous.

The show runs a bit long—just over two and a half hours, but it is a gorgeous  “must see,” not only for Sondheim fans, but for everyone who appreciates remarkable performances by fine vocalists.

By Michael Buzzelli

Amélie Poulain(Britt Dorazio), a waitress in a French cafe, is on a quest to bring joy to those around her, and, in doing so, discovers the joy deep within her in the musical version of the French film, “Amélie.”

There’s a lot of plot and a multitude of characters in this story, but we’re going to stick to the basics.

Strap in!

When her worry-wart father,  Raphael (Patrick Brannan), misdiagnoses Amélie with a heart condition at an early age, he and his wife, Amandine (Meighan Lloyd Harding) shelter her from the harshness of the world by homeschooling her. Unfortunately, during a trip to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, a suicidal tourist jumps from the roof, landing on and crushing her mother.

Raphael plants a gnome in his garden, housing the ashes of his late wife.

Cut to: Many years later, Amélie is working in a French cafe (the very real  Café des 2 Moulins), drifting and daydreaming through her life until she unlocks a small box of treasures (keepsakes and knick knacks from a young boy’s childhood) hidden in her apartment. She sets off on an adventure to find the original owner, and, thus, discovering her own long-buried secrets.

From that point, she is always concocting new and exciting ways to bring people closer together. At one point, she steals her father’s garden gnome, hands it off to her flight attendant friend who takes him with her on her excursions, sending her father photos of the gnome from around the world.

Then she “almost” meets Nino (Evan Krug) who loses his book of photos. Before she reunites him with his book, she falls for him, complicating her life in new and mysterious ways.

Dorazio is cuteness personified as Amélie. She is superb, charming the audience with her faux-French accent and big, bright eyes. Her hair, make-up and costume causes her to resemble the original Amélie, Audrey Tautou (“Amélie,” 2001).

Dorazio has some palpable chemistry with her leading man. Krug shines in his performance as Nino Quincampoix.

There are some stand out performances, mostly from delightful dream sequences that showcase the talents of the other performers around Dorazio and Krug. Most notably, Nathaniel Yost as fish, Gavin Calgaro as Elton John and Ben Nadler as the aforementioned garden gnome.

Don’t ask.

Suffice to say the show is brimming with quirky humor and sparks moments of pure unadulterated bliss.

Note: It might be unadulterated bliss, but, there are some very ‘adult’ situations. Not as many as you’d think, considering that Nino works in a sex shop. Enough to consider keeping the kids at home.

Other notable performances include Erin Bock as Georgette and Cait Crowley as Gina.

“Amélie” is deftly directed by Patrick Cannon, juggling multiple storylines and an enormous cast on a small stage. He capably moved the various plotlines together swiftly and seamlessly, working from the book by Craig Lucas (based on the five-time Oscar-nominated film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant).

Cannon turns the disadvantages of working in a “theater-in-the-round” stage into great advantage, turning lemons into lemonade.

“Amélie” reminds us that when we spread joy, it can return to us ten-fold. It also encourages us to embrace the miracles in the small moments. There are quite a few great moments and little miracles in this uplifting production.

– MB

“Amélie” runs from May 18 until June 4th at the Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive South, Canonsburg, PA 15317. For more information, click here. 

By Michael Buzzelli

Broadway and television star, Norm Lewis, performed at the O’Reilly Theater on Monday night, May 8, as the season finale of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Cabaret series. The performer sang iconic tunes from Broadway, starting with, of all things, “My Favorite Things,” from “The Sound of Music.”

In true Cabaret fashion, he shared trivia and personal anecdotes before launching into a each song.

Aside from his booming baritone, the performer was adept at making his audience feel comfortable, even loved. His rapport was enchanting. When Lewis spoke about being Broadway’s first Black Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera,” a woman in the audience shouted, “You were my first Phantom!” To which, Lewis replied, “I hope I was gentle.”

Not only did he share tidbits about his life in theater, and even shared the stage. He welcomed Pittsburgh’s own Billy Hartung to the stage. Hartung and his adult daughter Elizabeth took over for a tune. It was a beautifully rendered song between father and daughter, mere months away from when he will be walking her down the aisle.

When Lewis returned to the stage, he brilliantly belted out Broadway tunes including “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miserables” and “Porgy and Bess.”

Side note: He seamlessly blended two versions of “I Got Plenty of Nuttin'” from “Porgy and Bess,” but his songs from “Les Miz” were showstoppers! They were incredibly moving renditions.

Lewis turned “You Got Trouble” from “The Music Man,” into a singalong, when he asked the audience to sing the chorus. A rousing, delightful rendition followed. It seemed like there were some ringers in the seats, because it was expertly done.

Norm Lewis took a dull, Monday evening and turned it into an event. It was a successful end to a successful series.

-MB

The 2023-2024 season begins in October with Mauricio Martinez, returning to a renovated Greer Cabaret Theater, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, click here. 

 

Claire DeMarco

“Jersey Boys” takes us back to the origin of the boys from Jersey, how they started, their disappointments, failures and successes from both a career and personal perspective.

Tommy DeVito (David Toole), Nick Massi (Quinn Patrick Shannon) and Frankie Valli (Adam Marino) start singing in their neighborhood.  Frankie is just sixteen – the youngest of the group and the lead singer while Tommy is the boss.

At this point they have no original music of their own but rather settle on popular songs of the time or well-known melodies of prior time periods.

Bob Gaudio (Brecken Newton Farrell) is introduced to the group by Joe Pesci (Jeremiah Smith).  Gaudio is a singer/songwriter.  As a new singer in the group he also writes songs that fit their musical style and particularly emphasize Frankie’s voice.

Note:  Yes, Joe Pesci is the kid who later becomes the famous actor.

Around this time the boys we referred to as the group become the Four Seasons.  With Gaudio writing the music and Frankie singing lead, the Four Seasons rise to the top of the charts in the 1960’s with “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man” and the list goes on.

Fame doesn’t eliminate personal problems.  Frankie has marital problems and loses a daughter. Tommy’s gambling problem only increases as he has more money to throw away.

Tommy leaves the Four Seasons after they pay off his gambling debts (a debt he never pays back).  The group continued on with more hits and concert dates.

Note: Today Frankie Valli is the only original member still performing with a new group of backup singers still called the Four Seasons.

He appeared last week in Pittsburgh. Now in his 80’s he’s still riding high (as are his notes)!

Marino delivers a stand-out performance.  He does a fantastic job at creating the Frankie Valli falsetto singing voice.  He transitions easily from the young sixteen-year-old who wants to sing to a performer intent on success. Marino handles more than the singing and dancing as he shows emotional depth at Frankie’s daughter’s death and with his many marital woes.

Farrell shines as the singer/songwriter responsible for the group’s popularity.  His character develops from a rather quiet (at least quieter than DeVito) and business-like demeanor into a force that pushes the group forward.

As Tommy, Toole has the walk and movement of a tough New Jersey kid.  Toole plays Tommy as volatile, often times pushy.  Toole makes his character easy to be angry with but he also is able to bring out those moments when we actually feel sorry for him.

Shannon’s character is an essential member of the Four Seasons but he remains in the background most of the time.  He comes to the forefront when he powerfully and loudly confronts Tommy. Through his tired voice and physical posture he easily transitions into a worn-out performer who just wants to go home.

Marino, Farrell, Toole and Shannon not only sing well but their dance routines are well-executed.

Elena Doyno has a minor role as Frankie’s feisty wife Mary Delgado. When Frankie starts a F-Bomb tirade in their home with their children present, Doyno lashes out at him. After finishing her argument, Doyno with exact timing turns her head and responds with a vulgarity of her own.

This is a great musical production that showcases Frankie Valli, the Four Seasons and their many hits.

Note:  One minor concern was the occasional sound loss (not lengthy but noticeable).

Excellent direction and choreography by Natalie Malotke.

-CED

 “Jersey Boys” is a production of Pittsburgh Musical Theater and is presented at the Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA. It runs from May 4 through May 14.  For more information, click here. 

 

By Michael Buzzelli

Young and Innocent Richard Hannay (Ryan Warsing) is framed for the murder of a secret agent, Annabella (Rachel Pfennigwerth in several roles), and he must smash the ring of saboteurs to clear his name in “The 39 Steps.”

When Hannay goes to the theater, Annabella sits next to him. They watch Mr. Memory (Trevor Buda in a multitude of roles) spout facts on a variety of subjects. But Annabella, a foreign correspondent, is filled with suspicion as she sits in the theater. Fearing for her life, she begs Richard to take her home – to his home!

At his apartment (he’s just the lodger), she tells him of the rich and strange Mr. Jordan (Kendall Mason in a variety of roles) who is living in Scotland. He is the key to the 39 steps. Richard tries to seduce Annabella, but she is not a woman of easy virtue. However, in the middle of the night she is murdered – stabbed by some psycho. Now, Richard is framed for murder. He flees north by northwest – to Scotland to discover the secret of the 39 steps.

He meets strangers on a train. One stranger is Pamela (Pfennigwerth again), and she alerts the authorities when she realizes he’s a notorious killer.  Chaos ensues as the cops chase Hannay around the locomotive. He is in a frenzy as he tries to escape the police.

Soon, he’s handcuffed to Pamela and the check into a hotel room as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The cops show up there, but the farmer’s wife saves them. Pamela begins to have a shadow of a doubt that Richard is innocent. She helps him to catch a thief.

Patrick Barlow takes the novel, “The 39 Steps” and skewers it, poking fun of the Alfred Hitchcock film, his film library and just about everything else.

Scott Calhoon directs a madcap production of the show. It’s frenetic and crazy with a marvelous cast. The getaway action scene on the train is a piece of theatrical genius.

Kudos to Dialect Coach Lisa Bansavage for getting her actors to speak in dozens of accents.

Warsing is delightful as the charming Hannay.

Pfennigwerth is quickly becoming a Prime Stage favorite. She nails several roles with aplomb (and looks amazing while doing it).

Mason and Buda do a lot of the heavy lifting. They play every other role in the play. It’s amazing. Buda’s Mr. Memory is especially impressive when he rattles off a top-secret formula. Mason plays a hilarious villain seemingly inspired by Mike Myers’ Dr. Evil.

Barlow’s fat script could use a diet. While it’s a bit long for a comedy, it has some killer moments – literally and figuratively!

Don’t look for logic in “39 Steps.” As Hitchcock once said, “There is one thing more important than logic. Imagination.” Prime Stage’s version of “The 39 Steps” is nothing if not wildly imaginative.

Note: Take the kids. The might not understand all of the puns that are thrown from the stage, but they will enjoy the whimsical and silly show. It’s fun for all ages.

-MB

“39 Steps” runs until May 14 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here. 

by Michael Buzzelli

Khady (Tara Touzie) is leading her college basketball team toward a victory. Unfortunately, March Madness coincides with Ramadan, and Khady can’t eat or drink during the day as her team enters the Final Four in Kareem Fahmy’s “American Fast.”

During the fast, Khady gets hangry and takes it out on the people closest to her; her boyfriend Gabe (Terry Bell), her Coach (Hilary Ward) and her mother (Deena Aziz).

She becomes a world-renowned Muslim-American hero. She’s trending on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, but all she wants to do is win, even at the expense of her boyfriend, her coach and her mom.  The only people who have her back.

Ironically, the hero with the jump shot has feet of clay and gets caught in a spectacular lie. Her fans turn on her and things get very ugly very quickly.

“American Fast” seems like a play about sports, and while the game of basketball is heavily discussed, it is about faith, religion and relationships.

Khady (Tara Touzie) scores a H in a game of HORSE in “American Fast.” Photo credit: Kristi Jan Hoover.

Britton Mauk’s puzzle box set is delightful. At first, it looks austere and then it folds out and twirls about. It beautifully accents Jason H. Thompson’s projection design, which adds an extra layer to this gorgeous production.

Fahmy’s script sparkles under Jennifer Chang’s direction.

Aziz is superb as the Egyptian mother, Suzan. She is an excellent actor who oozes charm. Aziz delivers her lines with panache. It’s a marvelous performance.

Kudos to Denmo Ibrahim, the dialect coach who empowers Aziz to capture a sharp, Egyptian accent.

Bell’s Gabe is terrific. The actor has appeared in theater and television, including “Howards End” in Chicago.

Why mention that the actor was in a production of “Howards End?” Hold that thought. It will become clear shortly.

Ward does an excellent job as the Coach. She plays a bad ass with a soft side, and Ward nails it on every level.

Khady is not a likable protagonist. She is difficult, arrogant and unable to connect with the people who love and care about her. Touzie plays her with a marked determination and defined skill.

While there was a terrific cast, Khady’s character has difficulty connecting with her colleagues, her coach, her boyfriend and, even, her mother. It makes her a difficult character cheer for.

In E. M. Forster’s “Howards End,” he writes, “Only connect!”

I told you we’d get back to it.

Because Khady is an unsympathetic and nearly unrepentant protagonist, it was hard to connect with her, making her ups and downs on and off the court more a slog, even though it was a well-acted, well-written script with a gorgeous set. The connection is missing.

At the beginning of the play, two of City Theatre’s co-artistic directors, Claire Drobot and Monteze Freeland, tell us that “American Fast” is a work in progress. When Fahmy finds a way for Khady to connect with the audience without changing her character, he will have a hit on his hands.

It’s one revision short of perfection.

-MB

“American Fast” runs through May 23 at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. For more information, click here.