Tom Williams

. It has been years since I was at the intimate e.t.c. second stage to see a sketch comedy show . I very much believe that the smaller stage renders the comedy with more power due to the proximity of the players to the audience. Looking right into the eyes of the troupe-and they looking right into the eyes of the audience produces a connection that enhances the comic dynamic.

Despite being a tad dated, Boeing Boeing is still a crowd pleaser comedic farce. When you enter Drury Lane Theatre’s space, you’ll see a 60’s style room adorned with eight doors 9set design by Sam Ball). That usually means a madcap door-slamming farce. With Marc Camoletti’s wildly funny farce, terrific performances fuel an honest rendition of the farce format.

Buddy is a tribute to both Buddy’s unique talent and to the innovative and imaginative talent of this young guy from Texas. With a large assortment of terrific honest old-time rock music, Buddy is a nostalgic trip back for some and an intro to early rock for contemporary teens. A good time was had by all – this show is fun! Bring your dancing shoes.

This is s disturbing, yet enticing work filled with much subtext, ambitiously cynical take on life, love and self-worth.. In is also a scary story of self-destruction. I’ll say no more so at not to spoil the power of the conclusion. Richard Cotovsky is riveting as the failed writer while Rudy Galvan, in his finest role to date, is thoroughly calculating and intense.

Set in a Northside Chicago tavern, Black and Blue is the story of two brothers in a life-long argument over baseball. Jake (Anthony Tournis) is a diehard Cubs fan while his brother Tommy (Greg Caldwell) is a diehard White Sox fan. The play covers the ten years of Inter-league between the two Chicago baseball teams. The brothers bet which team (the Cubs or the White Sox) will more games against the other in a ten year period from 1997 thru 2007. This sports comedy is 90 minutes of screaming, shouting, and arguments between the two brothers and an assortment of bar patrons and the boy’s father.

With all that being said, let me state that this Non-Equity National Tour is still a worthy and sometimes moving theatrical event. Bernstein’s music and the Robbins’ inspired dances are so exquisite that this production is a terrific show to introduce teens to the magic of classical Broadway musicals. West Side Story certainly captures the angry voice of urban youths in the 1950′s. Much of that angst still resonates today. But in this high energy production – dance and a heart-throbbing score dominate. And that is all that is needed to make WST worth seeing

Famed poet Sherod Santos demonstrates his skill at dialogue and quirky character development in his 75 minute one act drama, Lives of the Pigeons. Two older men, Gus (Vincent Lonergan) and Max (Done Bender), old friends for years, spend many days in the park playing chess. Theses two exchange stories, social commentaries and observations about such things as the nature of “good behavior.” The quip that good behavior only is rewarded in prison; that in normal life good behavior goes unheralded.