AmericanTheaterWeb Original News & Reviews

MAC and Bistro Award-winner Steven Brinberg brings his acclaimed show Simply Barbra to the New York stage for A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular along with Tituss Burgess, The Broadway Boys, and other special guests in a concert benefitting The Ali Forney Center, New York’s primary emergency housing resource for homeless LGBT youth. A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular will play at Symphony Space (2357 Broadway at 95th Street) on Saturday, December 20 at 8 pm.

Steven Brinberg is the premiere Barbra Streisand impressionist, having performed his show to international acclaim both on stage and television, including performances with frequent Streisand collaborator Marvin Hamlisch, who said of Brinberg’s performance, “You almost think, ‘My God! Is that really her?’” Christopher Denny, Mr. Brinberg’s long-time collaborator will serve as the evening’s musical director.

Tickets are $25-$65 (VIP tickets at $100-$125 include a post performance reception) and may be obtained in person at the Symphony Space box office (Tuesday-Sunday, 12pm to 6pm), over the phone by calling (212) 864-5400 (Tuesday-Sunday, 12 pm to 6 pm), and online at symphonyspace.org.

I feel as though I've been weirdly silent in terms of reviews over the past week or so. I guess I've been catching up on stuff just as it's closing (for instance Adam Rapp's Kindness at Playwrights Horizons, which I really, really liked) or have been writing for other publications. Tomorrow for instance, my review of Lord Oxford Brings You the Second America Revolution, LIVE will appear in The Village Voice. Additionally, my review of Grace Gummer's NYC debut in The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents will appear on TheaterMania and my review of Mike Birbiglia's Sleepwalk with Me will be in Back Stage.

Today, you'll find my thoughts on the new offering at The Flea, The Footage, in Back Stage (for ease of use, here's a link). Yesterday, my review of the Transport Group's Bury the Dead was on TheaterMania (a link).

As for the remainder of the week, I'll be taking in Billy Elliot, so that review – along with all of the others – will be on the site on Friday, and over the weekend, I'm scheduled to see MTC's Back Back Back and the Broadway revival of Mamet's American Buffalo, also for ATW review. In addition, I'll be catching The Funeralogues and the revival of Kurt Weill's Marie Galante for Back Stage review and the York Theatre Company's My Vaudeville Man, for Time Out New York.

And speaking of the York, one of the other things I'm doing these days is listening to a whole bunch of CDs. I want to return to my practice of doing a series of reviews of the year's music releases as a sort of gift-giving guide. One disc that I've been really stuck with – in the best way imaginable – is Original Cast Records' release of the theater's revival of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's The Body Beautiful, which is just simply a delight start to finish. This goofy tuner from 1958 about New York's then extraordinary boxing community marked the first collaboration between the men who would ultimately pen shows like Fiddler on the Roof together. The York's production has resurrected the show, and the buoyant Bock and Harnick score (which previously had languished on a live recording that had a limited LP and CD release) and I think that musical theater fans may end up wondering why such a fun piece of fluff has been hidden from their ears for so long.

A lot of the music in here is primarily comic – thanks to Harnick's extraordinary word-play, and I don't want to give up his clever rhyme for "what Sartre meant" – and I've found myself returning to "Beautiful" over and over. The show's not just comedy songs, though, there are some wonderfully poignant ballads, and all of the score is delivered with flair by a cast that includes Brad Oscar, Cady Huffman, Capathia Jenkins and Megan Lawrence.

This cast recording is rounded out with four bonus demo tracks for the show, featuring Bock and Harnick themselves. Although the tracks are some half-century old, they sound pretty darn good, and if they whet your apptetite, you may want to get yourself to York or the Original Cast Records website, the company has also issued a companion disc which features a host of additional demo recordings and other material related to the show, which is equally addictive and only available in these two places.

So, back to reviewing….you'll find my review of Roundabout Streamers here tomorrow and the Atlantic's Farragut North here on Thursday.

--- Andy Propst

Bazaar Productions announces its open artist application to the 2009 Berkshire Fringe. Over the last four years, The Berkshire Fringe has hosted more than 100 performers and presented three dozen new works that have blended genres, represented new styles, and delved into traditions underrepresented in the mainstream. Held in the Daniel Arts Center at Bard College at Simon's Rock in late July and August, the Festival will feature 21 days of new works of theater, dance and multi-media performances by emerging artists from across the United States.

Since 2005, The Berkshire Fringe has provided an opportunity for emerging artists to perform in a fresh, exciting and professional atmosphere. In 2009, six companies or individuals will be invited to participate. All will receive a state-of-the-art theater space, housing, assistance with marketing and publicity, extensive support from technical and front of house staff and a percentage of their box office. Bazaar Productions is solely dedicated to presenting new works at affordable ticket prices while focusing funds and resources to create an exemplary experience for all participating artists.

Prospective applicants may visit www.berkshirefringe.org for more information and to obtain application guidelines. Inquiries can be answered by e-mailing co-artistic director Sara Katzoff at sara(at)berkshirefringe.org or calling the offices of Bazaar Productions at (413) 320-4175. The deadline for submission is Monday February 2nd, 2009. All applications must be postmarked by February 2nd.