Image from www.newyorkcitytheatre.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 masks

You will never look at Hitchcock the same way again…

The 39 Steps is about a man named Richard Hannay, who goes out in search of some excitement and gets more than he bargains for.  The play stars four actors portraying over 150 roles.

Image from www.playbill.com

There’s not much of a set, which I guess makes sense for this stage adaptation of a movie.  The most consistent part of the set is the brick wall in the background, with various objects brought in by the performers or offstage.  The lighting is what really makes this play, since it makes up for the bare stage by setting the mood of certain scenes.

The costumes were pretty good and realistic.  By combining the costumes with various props and hats, the actors were able to portray many characters.  It was probably the most entertaining part of the play, to watch the performers go in and out of costume.

Image from www.playbill.com

That doesn’t mean the acting wasn’t good.  I absolutely loved it in this play.  I found myself looking forward to what character the actors will portray next.  While I thought all the actors were amazing, I thought that the actor portraying Man #1 was the best.  He had more accents and in my opinion, drew more laughs.  All the actors did an excellent job portraying their characters with drama, yet making it appear more like a comedy.

Image from www.luxechronicles.com

If you don’t know by now, I thought this show is brilliant.  There was never a moment when my mind wandered at all.  It was good to see something that’s supposed to be a drama but be (purposely) a comedy.  I’ve seen it at the Cort and recently at the Helen Hayes, and I was glad to find out that it was pretty much the same.  It’s a play that’s more suited for a smaller stage.

I would recommend this show to teens and adults, especially the Hitchcock fans.  It’s a great show to take someone who’s never seen a Broadway show, because it’s not like anything else on Broadway.  I don’t recommend counting all the roles portrayed onstage as it will take your attention away from the performance.

Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes w/intermission

Image from Oasis Journals

Rating: 3 out of 5 masks

You’re probably wondering why anyone in their right mind would make a stage musical out of one of the worst movies of all time.  But I guarantee you, it’s worth checking out.

The show takes place in Santa Monica and Mount Olympus.  It’s about an artist, portrayed by Cheyenne Jackson, who through a muse named Kira (Kerry Butler) realizes his dream of Xanadu, which is basically a roller disco.  I’m assuming there’s a lot of inside jokes related to the movie, since I had never seen the movie.

The set is pretty sparse, with some risers for the audience onstage and the occasional piece of scenery coming in to show the scene change for Mount Olympus.  I really liked the lighting and visual effects, especially in the first scene, where the chalk mural that Cheyenne Jackson’s character works on comes to life.  There’s a lot of color onstage, almost like different colors of spilled paint.

My favorite characters were Calliope and Melpomene, who were two of Kira’s sisters.  They were so hilarious and definitely stole the show.  I loved how they interacted with the audience that were sitting onstage.  My favorite scene was towards the end when one of them explains why she appeared in a scene without her sister due to the fact that one of them had to play another character in the same scene.  It’s funny for people who get theatre and I’m guessing quite informative to people who aren’t familiar to theatre.

Image from Playbill

I think one of the best parts of the production is the audience onstage during the show.  I think it’s cool to be able to see the show happening around you, especially if once in awhile, you get to have your chance in the spotlight.  The only characters that I remember interacting with the audience were Melpomene and Calliope.

Image from Photo Bucket

I would recommend this show to anyone who is actually a fan of the movie.  It is completely appropriate for people of all ages.  And if you find yourself actually not liking this show, rest assured, it’s only 90 minutes long.

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission