Weekend Theatre: May 22-25
Julie Jesneck (Sandy) and Nick Robinson (Nick), in foreground, with Matthew Boston (Murray), in "A Thousand Clowns" at the Intiman. Photo by Chris Bennion.
RECOMMENDED - Final weekend! - The Last Letter @ New City Theatre. "What are you supposed to say about a Holocaust play? The Last Letter is good, it's worth seeing, but in a strange way that's not saying much, because you're talking about the story itself, not the performance. But then again, that may say as much about New City's artistic choices as anything: sometimes, less is more, and revealing the story is mostly a matter of getting out of the way." (1404 18th Ave. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m. Tix $15.)
OPENING A Thousand Clowns @ the Intiman. A big messy show about the end of 1950s normalcy that follows the travails of an odd-ball family in the turning-point year 1962. (Fri. 8 p.m., Tues.-Thurs. 7:30 p.m. 201 Mercer St. Tix $40-$55.)
ALSO PLAYING
Titus @ WET. A modern re-imagining of the lesser known play in which Bill Shakespeare took off in a Quentin Tarantino direction and produced two hours and some of perverted bloodbath. (Fri.-Mon. 8 p.m. 608 19th Ave. E. Tix $10-$18)
Grease @ 5th Avenue. "If you just want a sing-along, Grease will suit you fine. However, if you're looking for the character development or chemistry of the movie, this production will disappoint. Oh, and this Taylor Hicks guy (American Idol Season 6 winner), who's almost being touted as the show's star, makes nothing more than a glittery cameo." (Fri. 8, Sat. 2 & 8, Sun. 1:30 & 7. 1308 Fifth Ave. Tix $29-$88)
Picasso at the Lapin Agile @ the Balagan. "Martin tried multiple times to get this play about the big forces of the Twentieth Century--embodied by Einstein and Picasso--swirling around a Parisian bar made into a movie without success, but if he could ever get the project together, and if Hanks could take some time off from his busy ripping-off-Umberto-Eco career, and if, perhaps, Martin himself could take on a role...well, let us tell you right now--that movie would fucking suck. But stage the thing in some Capitol Hill basement in front of a boozed-up audience (hey, we're all at the Lapin Agile!), and you've got something pretty great." [Read our review.] Tix $12-$15.)
Rabbit Hole @ Hugo House. "It's easy to enjoy the cast--you meet the family at their most fragile point, so unable to keep it together that they're reduced to a caricature of miscommunication, but then you gradually get to know (or guess at) the vibrant personalities so distorted by grief and stress. But that still leaves the question of why to go see a play that, for all its brusque, mordant humor, has such sadness at its heart." [Read our review.] (1634 Eleventh Ave. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 & 7 p.m. $15.)
CLOSING
Lovetanic @ the Historic University Theatre. Local comic geniuses Wing-It Productions are halfway through the run of Lovetanic, a semi-improvised musical based on the story of the Titanic. (5510 University Way NE. Fri. 8 p.m. Tix $10.)
