harumph !
back...
yes... i am...
summer... GARBO... more summer... chicago... about to start work on the return of GARBO... but that did not stop YOUR thetheaterbuff from kicking off the FALL THEATER SEASON... here i am... just for YOU...
yep...
and don't say i don't work hard for you... cause, lord knows, i DO... yes, that was me... running... literally RUNNING... well, ok, a trot-like run... more than a JOG... less than a RUN... but sorta RUNNING down 10th avenue on sunday, september 10th at 1:45-sh...
you see... at 12 pm, i caught Jeton Neziraj's Demolition of the Eiffel Tower at John Jay College... Ariot Myrtaj killin', killin'... CRAZY killin'... a damn STAGED READING... taking the READING... owning it... KILLIN' and SKILLIN' it... ALL OVER THE PLACE... anyway...
after being KNOCKED OUT by myrtaj's performance there... i had to RUN... RUN, i tell ya...
to the AMERICAN AIRLINES THEATER on 42nd...
sat down... wouldn't say i was sweating... kinda just shiny, but a matte-ish kinda shine... the kind you let stay because the air conditioning blends with it and it cools you in a more efficient manner...
before i knew it, a shirtless man walked out on stage... in a towel... came out and started playing a piano...
what a FANTASTIC omen for thetheaterbuff coverage this season... nice !!!
anyway...
let's get REAL about MAN AND BOY... everyone is basically sitting there... WAITING... for FRANK LANGELLA to come out... seriously, NO ONE would be going to see MAN AND BOY on BROADWAY if FRANK LANGELLA was not going to appear on that stage...
people in MY audience were so CRAZED with anticipation for FRANKIE... that when MICHAEL SIBERRY entered... EVERYONE APPLAUDED WILDLY... they thought is was FRANK !!! it was really, really FUNNY...
MICHAEL SIBERRY's agent, mom and tailor will be SO THRILLED with this set up... this is likely to happen EVERY night... you feel the audience realize it is NOT LANGELLA... this, of course, is after they ponder...
"wow, i haven't seen FRANK in a while... has he changed THAT much?"
"he looks odd! not bad... just NOT like himself!"
MICHAEL SIBERRY will experience a GREAT internal chuckle EVERY night ! god bless, mr. SIBERRY !!!
well, FRANK does eventually enter... the applause was SOOOO tenative... we were AFRAID now... is that him? wait, looks like it... yeah... i guess... i hope...
ok...
well, as for FRANK... there is a LOT of HARUMPH-ING going on... it is a performance made of HARUMPHS and SILENCES...
BUT... WOW...
the NEGATIVE SPACE builds up... it catches up with you... it is STILL catching up with me a few days later... LANGELLA delivers...
no surprise... but the early HARUMPH-ing had me worried...
i REALLY enjoyed the show... great story... lotsa pathos... glamour... drama...
it has stayed with me... and i will probably return !!!
the BUFF is BACK... talk soon !!!
