"Sex with Strangers" @ PCS

"Sex with Strangers" certainly does not live up to its provocative title. Director Brandon Woolley says in his Note that the title is what made the play stand out from the pile. I got the feeling again and again as the play wore on that the title gave the play a ton of unearned mileage.

I didn't hate "Sex with Strangers," it's just that it is persistently, insistently underwhelming. You see, I made special arrangements to avoid taking my mother, expecting to see and hear things I would feel uncomfortable having experienced with her in the next seat. While there was some-I guess you could say-- frank discussion, most of the prior- to-the-act scenes would have probably passed the Hays Office. This should not be construed as a plea for nudity, PCS' own production of "Venus in Fur" had no nudity and at times veered toward pornography. It even shared literary themes with "Sex with Strangers," and handled those in a far more interesting way as well. There was a moment when I thought I caught a whiff of cruel romantic betrayal ala the Poor Man's David Mamet, Neil LaBute, who has made a career of writing the same play several times, and despite this fact, they still manage to be entertaining. It is very sad indeed when you find yourself pining for a derivative twist pioneered by a man who has a reputation for being derivative himself and frequently of himself.  Every play I thought about when reflecting upon "Sex with Strangers" is better than "Sex with Strangers." None more so than PCS' "Threesome,"" a play with an equally salacious title, which delivered on its promises. Its final scene, in which a character screams desperately for her clothes, is ringing in my head at this very moment. My thoughts about "Sex with Strangers" on the other hand, will end with this sentence.

"Cuba Libre"

"Cuba Libre"is almost certainly Artist Rep's most ambitious production. It boasts impressive choreography, and of course a vibrant score. It is so nice to see a company like Artist's Rep. have the opportunity to flex it's muscles in a larger space--The Winningstad Theatre inside the Portland Center for the Performing Arts.

As they did with "Tribes" Artist Rep. makes elegant use of subtitles, but again, as with "Tribes" sometimes they were obscured or disappeared too quickly.

There are tragic moments in the show, but everything is made brighter with Tiempo Libre's buoyant score, which concludes with an audience participation dance-off. The show has Broadway buzz, so see it while you can.

"Adrift in Macao" @ Broadway Rose Theatre

"Adrift in Macao" struck as what it might be like had the writers of "Airplane!" penned a musical. This is a good thing. Add in the film noir setting, and you have a show tailor-made for many of my tastes. "Adrift in Macao" is my favorite type of Broadway Rose show, they have the musical-mystery down to a science. One of my favorite elements of this particular one was the lighting by Phil McBeth. Expressive lighting is essential to creating the film-noir look. In fact, it is the mood and design of the show that impressed me most. So much so, that my choice of production photo is the one I feel captures it best:

Dave & Phil Alvin @ The Aladdin Theater

My ears are still ringing from Dave and Phil Alvin's incredible and incredibly loud show at the Aladdin Theater last night. The volume of the show was somewhat unexpected given the first section of the performance, which was relatively subdued. This only served as build-up to the indescribably energetic songs later in the night. One song featured such a long interlude that Dave Alvin remarked from the stage that the audience could go for a meal and return before it was over. There was also an unbelievable drum solo by a female, which made me smile because my twin sister is a drummer and I thought of her. Another stand-out was a song about their brotherly feud. I do not know what started the bad blood between them, but I am very glad it has ended. The Alvin Brothers are one of the best duos in music today.

Marc Broussard @ The Aladdin Theater, 9-19-15

Marc Broussard never disappoints. His performance style always serves as an embodiment of why I love music. He puts every ounce of himself into a song. He performed many songs from his newest album, "A Life Worth Living," my favorite after his best-known album "Carencro" His songs are bayou soul at its finest. A Broussard show is the musical equivalent of a Charismatic Revival. It is truly something to behold. Au Long De La Rivere" a song that is as of now only available on the recording "Live from Full-Sail University" and just cries out for a studio-version.

Everyone should join me at his next show. I can almost guarantee he will become one of your favorites.

"Our Town" Portland Center Stage

"Our Town" is the kind of show you hear about all the time, but seldom see because there is a prevailing feeling that everyone has done it. Sort of like "Inherit the Wind," which I have read but have yet to see. "Our Town" is the story of life in Grover's Corners and follows its characters from birth to death. The image that has stuck with me since seeing it is the set in the Third Act, in which many actors sit in suspended chairs, in a version of the afterlife. It drew an audible gasp and its own applause from the audience.

I enjoyed the show, but I must agree with the two gentlemen I overheard, who lamented that something edgier was not selected instead, given that this was the Season Opener. Still, it is a truly ambitious undertaking, and worth your time.

"The Understudy" at Artist's Rep

"The Understudy" is a play about theatre and acting. This made me wary.  Sometimes writers writing about their own world isn't always exciting. "The Understudy" however is hilarious, though it must be noted that quite a bit of the humor is of the insider variety, including a brilliant off-handed takedown of Jeremy Piven and his dubious departure from "Speed-the-plow" due to mercury poisoning. The play could probably be described as a satire, but the word suggests viciousness, and "The Understudy" is very much a love-note to theatre. In fact, my favorite moment is the dance sequence at the end, a silly and yet elegant metaphor for the value of doing art for its own sake. I also conversed with someone after the show who said that in the script the only instruction is "they dance," which makes the unabashed goofiness of the dance all the funnier. If you are interested in watching what it takes to put on a show, and having a few laughs while you're at it, you will enjoy "The Understudy"

Crippled Critic Concert Preview: Marc Broussard @ The Aladdin Theater September 19th 2015

Marc Broussard's music is best described as bayou soul. He sings with all of himself, truly inhabiting the music. I first heard his work on the album "Carencro", and have been a huge fan ever since. Broussard's compositions cover a wide range of styles. There are songs like the thudding "Home" contrasted with sweet, tender tributes to each of his children. Perhaps the best of these tribute songs is "A Life Worth Living," the title track of his most recent album. The song celebrates his recently departed grandmother, and it is quite moving--especially live.  Other stand-outs from his most recent release include "Hurricane Heart" and "Man Ain't Supposed to Cry."

This will be an explosive show. As a small illustration of what I mean: I once saw Broussard in a intimate and brief radio-studio session concert, the the number of musicians on that stage would almost certainly rank among the most ever held on that small stage. They blew the roof off.

But, as testament to the "range" I mentioned earlier, I have also witnessed Broussard's low-key side, in a -if memory serves- mostly acoustic concert, with two other musicians trading off. This show was every bit as fantastic as the high-energy shows that he usually performs.

I am filled with excitement for this show, and I hope to see some of you there. You won't regret it.

Jason Isbell @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall August 8, 2015

I first saw Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit" opening for Justin Townes Earle. It was the very first time i saw an opening band come back for an encore, but the crowd was just that enthusiastic. Isbell's songs are of wildly differing volumes, but always poetic. I think his new album "Something More Than Free" might have eclipsed his previous effort, "Southeastern" (an album my father played incessantly for a long while.) I am not sure a word exists to adequately describe the level of loudness last night in the intimate and church-like Schnitzer., "wall-shaking" will have to suffice.

 I am so pleased to see Mr. Isbell rocket so far into fame since I saw his first solo show at the much smaller Aladdin Theater. I also must gratefully report that unlike the John Mellencamp show at the Schnitzer a few weeks ago, the audience stayed mostly in their seats, despite the rollicking atmosphere. The Schnitzer has a wonderful selection of accessible seating locations, and is a peerlessly beautiful venue. Jason Isbell deserves every bit of the accolades he will no doubt receive, and if my father elects to play "Something More Than Free" constantly, I will not mind.

"Oklahoma!" At Broadway Rose

I must confess that I thought "Oklahoma!" would be a little dry. It's old, and there have been more than a few things done to it over the years in a bid to inject new life. There was the Portland Center Stage production with an all-black cast that caused a little controversy in the press, and just before attending Broadway Rose's resolutely traditional production, I read that New York was going some strange "hipster" route with theirs. So imagine my surprise when I laughed as much as I did.

Joey Cote steals the show as the conniving peddler Ali Hakim. That is not to say that the uniformly spectacular cast didn't make its own impression, only that Hakim was hilarious.

"Oklahoma" was also a "so that's where that song is from!" show for me. As I watched it, I had the thought, "why would anyone mess with this?" So, put my vote in the "traditionalist" column. This comes as a bit of a shock, because I would have expected the opposite.

Broadway Rose's choreography is always fantastic, and "Oklahoma'" is no exception. In fact, my favorite part of writing a Broadway Rose review is picking out the press photo I will use at the end.