Mark Rylance Is the Biggest Attraction in 'Jerusalem'

Johnny “Rooster” Byron is a proud non-conformist in "Jerusalem." Photo by Simon Annand.

BY TAMARA BECK

JOHNNY “Rooster” Byron (Mark Rylance) is not a revolutionary; he is the revolution!

Johnny, the dubious hero of “Jerusalem,” a play about one man’s resistance to conformity, dispenses drugs and drink to minors out of a ramshackle trailer in the woods near a middle-class English town.

In “Jerusalem,” currently at the Music Box Theatre in an extended run through 21 Aug., Jez Butterworth has written an idyll of squalor. The “Jerusalem” of the title refers to a hymn, beloved in England, inspiring optimism and hope, and venerating the uniqueness of the country.

Johnny, in his renegade ways, aspires to that same spirit, in a kind of “Live Free or Die” fashion. The town’s youngsters are drawn as much to his dissident and subversive nature as they are to the “epic” parties he throws. (See video at http://www.jerusalembroadway.com/media/video/)

Johnny has no desire to be respectable. His war with authority is in part a class war. His neighbors and the local constabulary are more interested in removing Johnny’s eyesore of a home so that a housing development can be built near the Wiltshire forest than in stopping his illegal trade.

Mackenzie Crook as Ginger in "Jerusalem." Photo by Joan Marcus.

In “Jerusalem,” MR, who lends his exuberance to every role, has material worthy of his colossal talent. By the way, MR was rewarded for his performance with the 2011 Best Actor Tony. Johnny, who moves in a non-stop whirl of action and inventive talk, weaving his own myth, gets all of MR’s unstinting dynamism.

Although MR’s portrait overwhelms, the large cast includes many a worthy performance, including a very fine turn by Max Baker as Wesley, a local innkeeper forced to choose propriety over his friendship with Johnny. Geraldine Hughes as Johnny’s ex-wife, Dawn, also stands out as a troubled soul undermined by her addictions.

There are myriad reasons besides the extraordinary performances to see JB’s odd and exciting new drama. Be warned, however – “Jerusalem” is a challenge and many may find it offensive. It is also brilliant.

Visit http://www.jerusalembroadway.com/ to learn more about “Jerusalem.”

Both Broadway and Tony Awards Should Take a Bow

Joshua Henry as Haywood Patterson and the company of "The Scottsboro Boys." The controversial musical had a short Broadway run but will soon be going on tour. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

BY TAMARA BECK

THE American Theatre Wing’s 65th Annual Tony Awards was a sparkling and spectacular infomercial for Broadway, not that the Great White Way needs much publicity these days. Ticket sales for the 2010-11 season were more than $1 billion, and the theatre-going public chose from 42 new productions.

More important, however, than box office grosses, the quality of the product this past season was superb. So much so, that in some awards categories, the losers were at least as exciting as the winners. Of course, one should be prepared for some disappointments – it’s an awards show, after all. The ceremonies, however, were anything but disappointing.

Tony host Neil Patrick Harris was an impassioned and convincing pitchman. A high point of his act was the duet with Hugh Jackman, host of Tonys past. It was full of uproariously funny vaudevillian patter. Though the show was a hard sell of Broadway, it was blessed with a lot more showing than telling. Segments from all the nominated musicals demonstrated the magic of the stage in the best possible light.

Mark Rylance won a much deserved Tony for his role in "Jerusalem." Photo by Simon Annand.

Among the winners was “War Horse,” which trotted off with five Tonys, including one for Best Play. It was not the favorite of this reviewer, however. That honor goes to Stephen Adly Guirgis’ elegiac “The Motherf**’ker With The Hat.” (See review at http://www.bit.ly/jYPDhJ).

Every line in the text of the play whispers that it is a classic new American drama. It also would have been nice if Elizabeth Rodriguez and Yul Vazquez had left with Tonys for Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role In A Play and Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Play, respectively.

No disappointment where Mark Rylance is concerned. It is thrilling that he took home a Tony – his second – for Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Play for his work in Jez Butterworth’s astoundingly-written downmarket drama, “Jerusalem.” He portrays Johnny “Rooster” Byron with all his verve and sinew and was nothing short of brilliant. MR always gives his prodigious all, even in the egregious “La Bete” in which he starred earlier this season. (See review at http://www.bit.ly/kDf6xE).

Bobby Cannavale and Elizabeth Rodriguez in “The Motherf**ker With The Hat.” All three were overlooked when the Tonys were handed out. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Meanwhile, who thought “The Book of Mormon” would win big? Duh, everyone. (See review at http://www.bit.ly/jeTY9w). Out of 14 nominations, it got nine Tony wins, including Best Musical. Incidentally, bravo to Nikki M. James who captivatingly savored her win for Best Featured Actress In A Musical and refused to leave the stage until she finished her thank-yous.

Note to everyone, the little-seen and excellent “The Scottsboro Boys” received 12 nods despite its abbreviated run, and yes, no wins. (See review at http://www.bit.ly/lNqW29). On a happy note, Don Cheadle, who introduced the performance segment from musical, had welcome news for its champions: “The Scottsboro Boys” will soon be on tour!

The biggest winner of the night? Without a doubt, Broadway.

‘City Love Song’: Around Town and Now Around the World

Jack Finnegan has taken his "City Love Song" abroad. Photo by Nina Segal.

Jack Finnegan, an amiable young man, left his job and apartment to become a rover.

He chronicles his wanderings around the United States by rail in “City Love Song,” recently at the Americas Off Broadway Festival at the 59E59 Theaters (http://www.59e59.org). Like his ramblings, the sometimes poetic descriptions of the U.S. cities he visited, drift.

The New York show ended last month, but JF has taken his show on the international. After stops in stops in Rio de Janeiro and Casablanca, he opens in Berlin tomorrow through 21 June. Other stops include:

Istanbul, Turkey: 21-28 June
Cape Town, South Africa: 28 June – 5 July
New Delhi, India: 7 July – 11 July
Shanghai, China: 11 July – 18 July

Visit www.citylovesong.com to learn more about Jack Finnegan and follow his “City Love Song” project.

3fer: 'La Bête' 'A Life in the Theatre' 'The Sneeze'

Joanna Lumley, Mark Rylance and David Hyde Pierce, above, in “La Bête." Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight, middle, in "A Life in the Theatre." Bottom, Chris Mixon and Rachel Botchan in "Drama" from "The Sneeze." Photos from www.labetetheplay.com, Carol Rosegg and Gregory Costanzo, respectively.

BY TAMARA BECK

JUST because they are theater, doesn’t mean they are theatrical. Following is my take on three.

With little to recommend David Hirson’s “La Bête” but its failure on Broadway in 1991, it’s hard to see the need for this revival. It’s a mess not even the accomplished Mark Rylance (Valere), the talented David Hyde Pierce (Elomire), the excellent Stephen Ouimette (Bejart) can put in order. Joanna Lumley’s (The Princess) sends us a postcard from a soap opera; her under-the-top performance lacks charm, wit or even camp. (See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Un8-vfcW0&feature=player_embedded).

Set in the 1600s, “La Bête” is about a troupe of actors whose patron, The Princess, forces the company to take in a self-aggrandizing fool, or lose her patronage. It is also a farce about philistines at the gates. Director Matthew Warchus indulges too much of the chaos for which he has been praised, but thanks to the impeccable timing of his cast he serves the script’s rhyming verse well; it moves along, without any one actor stepping on another’s lines - brief respites from the monotony.

Meanwhile, they meet by the stage door after the show, the young actor, John (T.R. Knight), and the old actor, Robert (Patrick Stewart), and compliment each other’s performance. They dish about co-stars we will never see and criticize each other ever so delicately.

They rehearse a variety of scripts as if they are a two-man rep company.

Stagehands move flats and bring in props. The actors act out scenes or put on grease paint. The actors change costumes at least two dozen times. We see them as WWI soldiers on the front lines; shipwrecked sailors on the “salty, salty water;” as civilized gents in Robert’s office discussing that fact that John knows that Robert is the father of the child his wife is bearing; at sword play in fanciful costumes. They are stretching and exercising at a barre.

It is a droning 88 minutes that David Mamet takes from us for his “A Life in the Theatre,” a Broadway hit in 1977.

The monotony here is broken up by a few funny scenes such as Robert doing a send-up of a “Les Miz”-type drama. Plenty of slapstick, and an entertaining bit has the French flag flapping in front of his face as Robert loses his wig. The audience was content to laugh at much less broad comedy. Even scene changes got applause. DM’s signature repetition of lines elicited a hearty response, too.

Inexplicably drawing laughs was an exchange between John and Robert that went something like this:

Robert: So, you’re off.
John: Yes, I’m off. I’m hungry.
Robert: You’re hungry, I can’t eat after a performance. Well, so, you’re off.

DM, who is often prolifically profane (“Glengary Glen Ross,” “Speed the Plow”), to his credit shows considerable restraint here, using the “f “ and “c” words only sparingly.

A livelier and more vibrant way for life to be spent in the theater is with “The Sneeze.” These vignettes based on Anton Chekhov’s stories and plays by Michael Frayn (“Noises Off”) are played out by The Pearl Theatre Company.

“The Sneeze” is directed by the company’s first-year director, J.R. Sullivan, with gusto. Set in a rural Russian theater, the interludes between scenes include some singing, some dancing.

The actors have excellent timing. Among the players, Chris Mixon stands out for his physical comedy in the title piece as well as in “Drama” and particularly in the finale, “The Proposal.” He is joined by Rachel Botchan, a veteran of the 26-year-old company in an equally stellar turn in “Drama” and “The Proposal.” The actors are not the only ones in the ensemble who merit a mention. Lee Stark as an inconsolable widow and Bradford Cover, the man who has come to collect her late husband’s debt in “The Bear,” give piquantly uproarious performances.

The production has a great balance of comedy and romance.

Visit http://www.labetetheplay.com/ to learn more about “La Bête; http://www.broadwaysbestshows.com/show/A-Life-in-the-Theatre to learn more about “A Life in the Theatre," and http://www.pearltheatre.org/index.php to learn more about “The Sneeze.”