In the last week and a half, I've had the very fortunate opportunity to attend three, count THREE Broadway shows. Here are my thoughts.

"Steel Magnolias" (sitting 5th row center...how that happened on a $25 ticket...I'm not sure) was a starfest. Delta Burke was an awesome Truvy. A very genuine approach to the character. Rebecca Gayheart played Shelby who was a ...good Shelby. I'm about to say something I never thought I'd say. Rebecca had the potential to make a great Shelby but being a ensemble piece was held back by the woman (who I normally adore) playing M'Lynn...Christine Ebersole. I was SOOOO disappointed. She was so mechanical....too mechanical and it might have worked if in the scene after her daughter died she let loose...but she didn't. That was worth the $25 right there and only the $25. What are we doing on stage now if we're strictly interested in reading lines and not telling the story? Marsha Mason played a Ouiser who anticipated what all her actors were going to say and how they were going to say it which therefore didn't make her lines funny but made the funniest character in the play Clairee. Frances Sternhagen was a MARVELOUS Clairee and was the most enjoyable of anyone in the cast. The only newcomer and non-celebrity is Lily Rabe as Annelle who just graduated a year ago from Northwestern. She got a well-deserved Broadway role. Also, very enjoyable.

"Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf" starring two actors who I love...Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin. Albee's writing I love anyway. I find people either love him or aren't willing to get him. Kathleen Turner played the ever vulgar and entertaining Marsha. She was AWESOME! Aside from the few overrated physical choices that could have been more clever, she was just great. Mireille Enos played Honey and was alright. Most people would think she was cute. She was alright...kind of bland, actually. But...she's a broadway actress...just coming off playing "Kate" in Tom Stoppard's "The Invention of Love"...another wonderfully controversial playwright. David Harbour played Nick who I recognized from the continual re-runs of Law and Order CI where he played one of the more enjoyable characters. I was excited to see him on-stage ...many of his scenes went up against George and that put him at a disadvantage because the one person who stole this show is the one who won the Tony for his performance....Bill Irwin playing the role of George. I reviewed Bill's last play he did at the Signature Theater. Always a brilliant actor who makes entertainment and storytelling look so easy because he so phenomenal at it. Bill's performance alone is enough to go see this show.

Finally, I went last night to opening night of previews of "Primo" starring another actor I adore...Antony Sher. He's a British actor who just came off an award winning run on London's west end with this one-man show regarding the experience of Primo Levi in the holocaust. Okay...aside from the pouring down rain all day yesterday and the dreary set (for obvious purposes), it was very hard for me to follow this show. In a one-man show, physicalization becomes especially important and there was very little of that. I felt somewhat like I was in a lecture hall. THIS IS PAINFUL TO WRITE. Because I adore the work this man has done. I saw him play Cyrano in London and he brought me to tears.

So, there you have it. Three shows all on Broadway right now. I'm hoping my next splurge to be either "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and/or "Spamalot".

xxox