In 2015, it all seemed to be a novel concept. That’s the year Jordan Harrison’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated Marjorie Prime premiered Off-Broadway. Certainly, artificial intelligence had been developed, but in the ten years since, its sophistication and abilities have reached levels that are both beneficial and ethically questionable. Now, the piece has returned, this time on Broadway.
The use of AI rests at the center of Harrison’s drama about Marjorie (June Squibb), an octogenarian who lives with her daughter, Tess (Cynthia Nixon), and her son-in-law Jon (Danny Burstein). Christopher Lowell rounds out the cast as Walter, a computerized version of Marjorie’s deceased husband, known as a “Prime.” With short-term memory loss and slight dementia plaguing Marjorie, the robotic form of her late spouse reappears in his thirties and relays information provided to him by Jon and Tess.
No family is without its secrets and hardships, but this one has endured unspeakable loss. As the layers are peeled away over the show’s 90 minutes, it becomes clear that virtual relationships are easier to navigate and control than those involving human interaction. With a “Prime,” reactions, recollections, and behaviors can be tweaked to appease the living.
Director Anne Kauffman, along with her exceptional cast, ensures that Harrison’s script never becomes sappy or maudlin. On the contrary, it is a stark yet fascinating work that often cuts close to the bone for those facing the imminent mortality of aging parents and friends.
Still, there are moments of levity, thanks largely to Squibb, who manages to give depth to a character that is simultaneously determined, vulnerable, sweet, frustrating, and lovable. At 96, Squibb is playing a role older than the script defines and is doing it with seemingly effortless flair. Too many stories featuring seniors devolve them into doltish individuals, but Marjorie Prime elevates its lead player to a place of grace and dignity even if she is, like the rest of us, deeply flawed.
Nixon’s Tess is harder to embrace as she clings to deep-seated resentments towards nearly everyone in her orbit. Burstein’s Jon balances her negativity with a more hopeful and positive outlook. Both, however, are skilled stage veterans who continually find the complexities and humanity of every part they inhabit.
Collectively, the cast and story provide an unflinching mirror to ourselves and our current technological moment, leaving us challenged and deeply reflective.
Chess: Aaron Tveit – Photo: Matthew Murphy
The stakes should be high in the first Broadway revival of Chess. Two chessmasters, Anatoly Sergievsky (Nicholas Christopher) and Freddie Trumper (Aaron Tveit) are vying for the love of one woman, Florence Vassy (Lea Michele), while competing against one another in a Grand chess tournament during the Cold War. Heavy stuff, right?
Yet Bryce Pinkham’s Arbiter, popping in to narrate and undercut the action, detracts from an already brittle storyline and tips the show into melodrama.
The original 1988 Broadway production was a legendary flop. Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, of ABBA fame, joined forces with Sir Tim Rice to produce music and lyrics, while Rice wrote the book. The ambitious show was intended to stick it to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom Rice had a falling out. Yet just two months after opening, Chess shuttered and that season, Phantom of the Opera swept the Tonys — a checkmate from Lloyd Webber if ever there was one.
Since then, Chess has attained cult status. Concert performances have been staged, and many attempts have been made rewrite its confusing and convoluted book. This time, Danny Strong tackles the story, but under Michael Mayer’s direction, it lacks the intended dramatic tension, primarily because, at its heart, it is still a soapy song-and-dance piece.
At least the singing and dancing here are spectacular. One of the primary reasons many love Chess is due to its incredible score, and this trio elevates it to new heights. Tveit is particularly strong in the nearly impossible to sing, “Pity the Child,” while Christopher ends Act One with the stirring “Anthem.” Michele has several moments to flex her vocal prowess, particularly in “Nobody’s Side” and later, with Anatoly’s ex-wife Svetlana (Hannah Cruz), in the famous pop ballad “I Know Him So Well.”
Choreographer Lorin Latarro infuses the show with thrilling dance moves that are hip and electric. Combined with Kevin Adams’ pink and purple fluorescent lighting, the dancing give the piece a contemporary edge.
This Chess is enjoyable enough, and fans of its stars are likely to overlook any shortcomings. One just wishes for a more compelling game.
Marjorie Prime (★★★★☆) is playing at the Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th St., through Feb. 15. Tickets range from $58 to $273. Visit 2st.com/shows/marjorie-prime.
Chess (★★★☆☆) is playing at the Imperial Theatre, 249 West 45th St., through May 3. Tickets range from $84 to $421. Visit chessbroadway.com.
Jacob Dickey doesn't have a to-do list of musical roles. But if he did have a to-do list, he says, "I feel like Sky Masterson would definitely be on that to-do list."
Good thing, then, that he's currently starring as Sky Masterson in the Shakespeare Theatre's vibrant new production of Guys and Dolls, directed by the Washington National Opera's Francesca Zambello.
Romping through Runyonland alongside Rob Coletti as fellow gambler Nathan Detroit, Julie Benko as missionary Sarah Brown, and Hayley Podschun as saucy showgirl Miss Adelaide, Dickey cuts a dashing figure in a role he's practically been preparing for since before his voice changed.
Putting aside the curious question of why the Shakespeare Theatre Company has taken to staging musical theater -- this season it's Guys and Dolls -- the happy news is that director Francesca Zambello doesn't need to keep her day job (although let's hope she does).
She may be the artistic director of the Washington National Opera, but she's clearly got the eye, ear, and vision for a whole different kind of crowd. This is no-holds-barred Golden Age rom-com song-and-dance magic brought fully to life with some serious spectacle. From scenic designer Walt Spangler's mind-blowing industrial shop space, with all its peeling paint and careworn shop décor, to a live orchestra conducted with complete and utter flair by James Lowe, it's something to behold.
Not since Hedwig and the Angry Inch have I so enjoyed a one-person musical about an internationally ignored female artist overshadowed by her famous male partner as much as I enjoyed Rebecca Simmonds and Jack Miles' enchanting In Clay.
Making its American premiere at Signature Theatre, following sellout runs in London, the jazz-infused portrait of early-20th-century French ceramicist and painter Marie-Berthe Cazin doesn't have too much else in common with hard-rocking Hedwig. Except that both shows are powered by a knockout batch of songs, and the galvanizing force of a woman reclaiming her time, her art, and her story.
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