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A CurtainUp Review
Being Audrey
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A chauffeur's daughter is still a chauffeur's daughter, no matter how you dress her up..—Claire as Sabrina
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Cheryl Stern in Being Audrey
(Photo: Carol Rosegg) |
In Being Audrey, Transport Group Theatre Company's new musical making its premiere at The Connelly Theatre, playwright James Hindman and composer/lyricist Ellen Weiss imagine how a woman in crisis might seek comfort in picturing herself as the glamorous actress.
Claire Stark is a New Yorker lives who lives with her wealthy husband in a Fifth Avenue apartment not far from Tiffany's. When her husband collapses and is taken to the emergency room, she retreats into a Hepburn-inspired fantasy that takes her through many of the actress's classic films: Roman Holiday, Funny Face, Love in the Afternoon, Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Jack Cummings III directs a cast of seasoned professionals, from Cheryl Stern, who plays the Audrey-channeling Claire to Brian Sutherland, who is Claire's morphing romantic interest, a man arbitrarily named "Fred." Even journalist, novelist and producer Dominick Dunne joins the cast as the unseen narrator.
So what is it that makes Being Audrey seem so amateurish? Perhaps it is simply that no one can be Audrey or the polished men who surrounded her. Those who try can end up looking dumpy, clumsy and inadequate.
But that's not the only hurdle Being Audrey has to leap. The play depends on an audience that not only has an almost obsessive interest in Hepburn but one that has seen and remembered her major motion pictures. All others will be left out in the cold.
The dozen songs Weiss has written for the show are adequate but not particularly memorable, although "Being Audrey" does have a bit of a bang. There's not much of a set, but there are lots of hanging curtains and props pushed on and off the stage. It all moves with a speed that borders on frenzy. Fortunately, choreographer Scott Rink keeps the actors from bumping into each other.
Watching Being Audrey reminds one of sitting in a high school auditorium watching youthful thespians trying to perform in roles beyond their abilities. They have bucketfuls of energy, but they're just not up to the job. Anyone interested in seeing the magic of the real Audrey Hepburn should stay home and rent a few of her films.
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Being Audrey Book by James Hindman Music and lyrics by Ellen Weiss Directed by Jack Cummings III Musical direction, arrangements and orchestration by Larry Meyers Musical staging and choreography by Scott Rink Cast: Cheryl Stern (Claire), Brian Sutherland ("Fred"), Stephen Berger (Dr. Givenchy and others), Andrea Bianchi (Dr. Leraby and others), Valerie Fagan (Nurse Trina and others) Mark Ledbetter (Dr. William and others), Michael Maricondi (Pablo and others), Blair Ross (Dr. Think Pink and others), Dominick Dunne (Narrator) Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission Transport Group, 220 East 4 Street, between Avenues A & B (212) 564-0333 From 3/27/09; opening 4/05/09; closing. 4/26/09 Thursday and Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm and 8pm; Sunday at 3pm, and Monday at 7pm Tickets: Tickets $38 - $45t (212) 352-3101 Reviewed by Paulanne Simmons April 2, 2009 |
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Try onlineseats.com for great seats to
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Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide
Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide