Marcel’s

On Easter Sunday after 2 church services was our destination. I was the guest of one of my sisters, her husband, and their 3 children who live in the DC area. Located in the Foggy Bottom area of DC this restaurant is French/Belgian with the emphasis on French. They were serving a pre fix Easter ‘brunch’ (more of a ‘linner’ [lunch and dinner] if you ask me) that was absolutely divine for $65 per person. I could not resist the salmon as a starter which was served with marinated asparagus and field greens. It was perhaps the best salmon tartar I’ve ever tasted. The portion was generous and the presentation lovely with a circle of salmon topped by rows of asparagus spears, finished with delicate greens. For a main course the filet of beef was what I finally decided upon after much back and forth over the lovely choices. I do not ordinarily order meat rare as so few restaurants can properly execute this temperature but had no doubts that they would be able and so they did and it too was perfect. Served stacked with ‘mashed potatoes’ which I should have paid more attention to in order to be able to recreate, but alas the food was sublime and the company most entertaining (and well behaved, there were after all 3 children) that I did not give the meal the devoted attention that it deserved. (I’ve made a pact to start carrying a small notebook for the expressed purpose). Dessert was a crepe suzette unlike anything I’ve ever had on the streets of Paris that was finished by our front waiter with a flaming Grand Marnier poured from a metal pitcher. Lovely! My brother in law ordered a crisp white Loire Valley at the urging of my 10 yr. old nephew that was dry and fruity (alas again I did not have the note book!) After a phone call to him to clarify unfortunately I really was not paying attention as his selection was unavailable and so what was served was upon the recommendation of the sommelier and broinlaw did not pay strict attention either!
On a scale of 1 to 10
Service: 10
Food (presentation, flavor, originality) 9
Décor: 7
Highly recommended. They also have a pre theatre pre fix with free limousine service included to and from the Kennedy Center when one has valet parked ($8) with them.

Awake and Sing at the Belasco Theatre – Lincoln Center Theatre Production

I had more questions about this production than I had comments. To me one of the major problems with this production is that in the course of viewing it the questions are raised one after the other which led to no suspension of disbelief. I’d really love it if some of this kind of information were carried in the program notes somewhere in the Playbill.
For starters a little bit about the play which was written by Clifford Odets (1906-1963) in 1934. It originally opened February 19, 1935 at the Belasco for 120 performances. At the time the original staging by the Group Theatre participants using an American adaptation of Stanislavsky methods made the play revolutionary. That was then. The play is about a Russian émigré Jewish family living in NYC during the time of the Great Depression and hanging on just barely. Events shred away layers and expose the various characters flaws and also subsequent developments. The artifice used here in the 3rd act of having most of the characters experience life changing revelations (and then change their lives) seems both trite and childish. As did the artifice used by the set designer; Michael Yeargan. Bit by bit the set disappears; rises to the rafters, sinks into the stage. You get the idea; the walls between the characters disappear as the walls inside the characters disappear as (yup you guessed it) the actual walls of the set disappear! Please. Granted it was beautifully executed on a technical level but how obvious can you get. If Mr Yeargan is responsible for this idea is he thinking that the theatre going public is so dense that they need to observe a physical metaphor for the character development? I had trouble not laughing at this artifice once I realized that somewhere a grip had not made a mistake by not lowering one of the curtains and lowering one of the walls…
Next to the lighting: the first to acts cast huge shadows of the actors onto the walls of the set. They do not come from the ambient street light or sunlight from the one window or from the lamps or the chandelier over the dining room table but appear to be inspired by a H.S. media club geek let loose with a spot in the back of the auditorium. Whatever this was trying to accomplish I didn’t get it. If it was a metaphor of the ‘shadows’ our actions cast…..well…..sorry, I had to pause ‘cause I just had a little vomit in my mouth. Again no suspension of disbelief. Is this a new trend the Lincoln Center Theater is trying to start? ‘Come to the theatre but feel like you’ve never left home or for that matter actually been to the theatre…’ The lighting designer Christopher Akerlind is very talented with many credits to his resume including The Light in the Piazza which was brilliant. Again what were you thinking and what was the point? Program notes would help.
Zoe Wanamaker was brilliant as Bessie Berger. Ben Gazzara (who is a highly accomplished actor and has been brilliant in many play, films, television) desperately needed a voice coach. There was nothing about the accent he is ‘using’ that said Russian, Jewish, or Grandpa. Actually is did seem like he was trying really hard to speak broken English which again; no suspension of disbelief. I was watching someone ‘acting’. Lauren Ambrose probably best know for playing the daughter in 6 Feet Under was adequate but her tortured transition from manipulated victim to champion of her destiny was not believable but that likely was the directors call. Too bad. She did look really, really lovely throughout even while being surly. Pablo Schreiber who played Ralph Berger the son really held it up as an idealistic and enthusiastic youth swimming in the bitter world of adults who have lost all sense of illusion, compassion, and in some cases morals. Difficult to play the male ingénue with such conviction and he did a good job. Mark Ruffalo reprised the role played by Walter Mattheu in the television version of the one legged embittered returning war vet with great ease. His character as the boarder living with the family is one that does not go through an enormous transition but rather grows into an understanding of what and who he needs in order to have a successful life which was most believably played by Mr. Ruffalo. Plus his prosthetic leg was really great and one truly pictured a stump of thigh fitting into it. The rest of the supporting cast was, well, supportive.
Most of all I’d love to know why the Lincoln Center Theatre chose this for one of the season’s pieces.

Etcetera etcetera

325 West 44th Street
212-399-4141

Last night before going to see Awake and Sing in previews BF1 (theatre person), Jo (professional writer with book deal currently working for national magazine) and myself met for dinner at Etc. The interior designers sensibility was a bit wacky; one wall of stone facing one of highly polished wood made for terrible acoustics once the tables filled up which is ridiculous and unnecessary in a small space. Additionally attached to the stone (or tile, or concrete what ever the hard surface was) wall were a series of ‘sculptures’ of silver metal mesh that I thought for all the world upon entering were wall sconce lighting fixtures which would have been interesting. These were not. Plastic Philippe Starke chairs were comfortable and colorful but all in all the décor is unsuccessful, disjointed, and thoughtless in details such as sound which should be a given.
Service was wonderful. Maitre’d made thoughtful suggestions, our waitress asked if we were going to the theatre so our meal could be appropriately timed and it was. Even the bus staff was attentive and mostly non-invasive which made for a very pleasant dining experience. BF1 started with the paper thin octopus which we could not figure out from its appearance how it was possibly prepared. Turns out the entire creature is put into a special cylinder with weights which smashes it to cylindrical shape and then it’s sliced. Interesting and tasty but I was grateful to get the preparation description after the starters had been cleared. Jo had the Frisee salad which as salads go was perfect and I started with a Casoncelli, stuffed with veal which are one of the chef’s specialties. They were special. Following were an order of Gnocchi for BF1 (not a big fan so did not try but BF1 assured us they were great). The salmon in a pistachio crust which Jo ordered was lovely and I had a Lamb shank that had been cooked till it was fork tender with small gnocchi which I actually enjoyed; hum, maybe I do like Gnocchi after all. As Jo’s upcoming book is on the topic of sweets we could not leave without sampling some of them and so she had the warm chocolate cake and I the warm apple tarte, both served with home made ice cream sitting on lovely lace like cookie confections.
During the course of eating conversation got around to the horrors of dating in NCY, especially for 30 something straight women which was initiated by Jo. “I had this blind date.”
I deadpanned while looking her in the eye, “you’re so adventuresome to go out with a sightless person, I’ve never been out on a date with anyone handicapped.” Ok, not my best material but after looking slightly confused she laughed. BF1 immediately chimed up, “Don’t quit your day job,” with a look of ‘I can’t believe you think that’s funny you ass hole’ on his face. Really I should have added, “Let me clarify; I’ve never dated anyone handicapped until now.” This is the second time he’s put me down in front of friends of mine he’s meeting for the first time and call me crazy but I’m just not finding it endearing. Comments like that always seem like there’s some underlying tension between a couple which is why they find it acceptable to criticize one another in front of others. Which of course (shamefully) does not bring out the best in me as my unspoken response indicates. After the meal the bus staff served cookies with the coffee which BF1 place directly by his cup while exclaiming, “All for me, yum.” Not being able to leave it alone I responded, “Of course they are. They’re always served to the person who’s picking up the check.” He moved the plate across the table to me. Petty on my part and it really gives me no satisfaction to live up to perceptions. IE: ‘you’re an asshole’ so I act like one. I like to think I’m the kind of person who is above displaying unattractive behavior and it always pisses me off when the mirror is held up and I see someone I don’t want to be. It’s amazing to me how fragile our sense of self can be sometimes. I suppose that I’m actually beginning to care about BF1, otherwise I wouldn’t be bothered. Plus I was so constantly and consistently put down by the man I previously lived with for 7 years that anything that smacks of a dig gets my Irish up! I’m beginning to wonder if most of the ‘mines’ that we navigate on the dating field are not actually our own.

The Drowsy Chaperone

This is by far the funniest musical I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. BF1 got comp tickets for Wednesday night. It was a little complicated of an evening planning wise as I was having a small dinner party on Thursday night (it was great; served wild mushroom and leek soup, Caprese with about the best mozzarella from the Italian market at Chelsea Market, Eggplant parmesan with fettuccine noodles topped with sautéed wild mushrooms and pesto. I’ll gladly post the recipes for any of these if anyone would like) and needed to do some prep work on the cooking after work and before joining up with the gang for dinner before the show. It all worked out; I called BF1 from the cab and had him order me seared tuna at Film Center Café 635 9th Ave between 44th and 45th Streets where I met them at 7. Female friend beside me commented that it appeared that the waitress was flirting with me (happily, she was) which did not go unnoticed by BF1 who proceeded to hug and kiss me when the 5 of us were standing up to leave ostensibly to thank me for picking up the check for the group. (All are in theatre with smallish incomes). Really I felt more like a fire hydrant being marked by a dog.
Anyway on to the show; it’s playing at the Marquee in the Marriott, recently home to The Woman in White. (I may be one of two people who really liked that show. Sir Lloyd-Weber bashing seems to be all the rage amongst theatre people and intellictualistas alike of late.)
The curtain rises on a black stage (to clarify; unlit not African/American) and the voice coming from the stage starts the laugher even before the lights come up on the somewhat dingy apartment of a man who turns out to be the ultimate theatre queen. He then proceeds to share with us the record album from his favorite guilty pleasure of a show: The Drowsy Chaperone. The stage is soon bursting with the characters from the recording with whom he interacts in his own mind and narrates for us. I laughed from the beginning to the end, almost making myself sick in the process. Be forewarned there is no intermission and well…..let’s just say the last ½ of the show was not comfortable due in large part to my laughing. So be prepared and wear a ‘Depends’, you won’t regret it and you don’t want to miss a minute of this wonderful production. It’s still in previews so as of yet unreviewed by the professionals. I think that once it is tickets will be hard to come by and you definitely don’t want to miss this show or for that matter this particular cast each and every one of whom is spectacular! My prediction in writing: 4 Tony’s: costumes, sets, musical, and book. It’s really that good. The cast includes Georgia Engel, Bob Martin, Edward Hibbert, Sutton Foster, Beth Leavel, and Troy Britton Johnson all of whom are spot on. So click the above link (the title) and book your tickets. I guarantee you a magical night of musical theatre and great joy!