Virginia Woolf with Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin as the psychological married misfits, give Edward Albee’s -- brilliantly brittle script new scalding intensity. Both Turner and Irwin are superb, brilliant and scary. You’ll hang onto every wicked word.

This is not the movie version of “Woolf” that starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. It was so bad, that I had to leave before it was over. They did not act – they screamed at each other constantly, destroying the subtle simmering meaning of Albee’s words. Yep, this is not your Grand Parents Virginia Woolf on the Golden Gate Stage.

Martha (Turner) and her Historian Husband (Irwin) are constantly trying to out do the other with jabs that are intellectually witty…but cruel at the same time. The play is filled with subterfuge, jealousies and constant bickering with booze flowing freely every evening. Sometimes the booze even flows in the wee hours of the morning. And that is the time that some people say and do things that they later will regret.

Woolf is not a happy play. How can it be? You are watching for three hours the destruction of human beings. How did this happen? What made them turn in to the couple from hell that no one would want to spend an evening with? It all comes together for you – and you realize that you have met George and Martha’s before. You just didn’t know it till now. They are called Vampires. They suck all the life out of you and the party. They’re not a fun couple.

Innocent lambs like a newly hired professor and his wife (David Furr and Kathleen Early) are lured into this trap hosted by George and Martha. The real reason for the Young Lambs marriage is dragged out during drunken talk, and Martha goes for the young husband. What Martha wants, she gets. The wife is a pitiful little thing who is like a fly just waiting to be swatted. And Martha does her best to do her in. Furr and Early give mesmerizing and painful performances.

And you thought the academic world was boring. Not so in this College town. The people who live here are diabolical. Here’s a glimpse of an evening at Martha and George’s quite little New England home. Martha sez to George: “If you existed, I would divorce you!” This is an evening you will not easily forget.

All four actors give impressive performances. The show is a Triumph!

At The Golden Gate Theater.

RATING: FOUR GLASSES OF CHAMPAGNE!!!! – trademaked – (highest rating)

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
…..and Roll Along, and roll along, and roll along.


CAST PHOTO 'Merrily We Roll Along'

The Sondheim musical was a disaster when it first opened in New York and supposedly has been reworked. It is still a dreary musical about people that you could care less about and their problems.

Everything is told backward. It starts out in 1997 and ends in the 60’s. Actually, the best part of the musical is the second act, when the people seemed more real, and you could care about them. When the play starts in 97, it’s ’Company’ all over again with the same boring people sitting around at cocktail parties. Oh, there are a couple of snazzy lines like this one: When a drunken middle-aged blonde gets drunk and is booted out. Someone says: “Who is she”. The other person answers: “No one – she’s a critic.” Now that’s funny. Too bad that there isn’t more of that brilliance in the dialogue. And as far as the music goes. It goes nowhere except to other Sondheim shows like Follies and Company. Sondheim has a habit of using the same music over and over. He just changes the words.

There is something about this show that makes me think that it is sort of autobiographical. Maybe Sondheim thought that his struggles as a young Composer would make a great musical. Unfortunately – if this is his story. Then his life was pretty boring in those days.

The voices were not that good at delivering the music. There were a couple of bright moments. A shining light came through the foggy nonsense occasionally, but most you will remember recycled stuff like the melody of “Not A Day Goes By” as being the same melody from Follies. You will also recognize the melody of “Old Friends – Like it was” being a melody from “Company.

I am a huge Sondheim Fan. I love many of his shows like “Sweeny Todd”, “Into The Woods” and many others. But this show needs to be completely gutted. It’s too long and it’s not exciting. However, I loved the sets.

My advice is…if you persist in seeing this show. Go ahead and buy the tickets, but don’t get there until the second act. The first act is god-awful! I just talked to God and he agrees. Oh, and yes, I know about the Critic that said its “just Amazing”. Well, that critic is now under psychiatric care.

JERSEY BOYS CAST GAVE A FURIOUS AND SEXY
PERFORMANCE AT ‘HELP IS ON THE WAY’



This was no Mickey and Judy show where they find a barn and say: “Gee kids, Lets put on a show.” It sure wasn’t – it was a marvelous and sensational show from beginning to end. Eric Bergen was just hilarious as the late Comic Paul Lind. He could go on the road with a show about Lind. And you know what? Tix would be flying out the box office window. What a talent this guy is. He sings, he’s handsome and he’s a fabulous comic and a super entertainer. Even though the cast did not sing any songs from the “Jersey Boys” show at the Curran Theater – they sang songs that they love. The opening of the show with all of them singing together under that fabulous lighting just took your breath away. Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t see it? Well, let this be a lesson to you. Don’t miss anymore of these special events put on by the World Famous Reaf Foundation/Help Is On The Way. Everyone of their shows is a stairway to the Stars. And they get the Stars. Plus, it’s all for charities. They and “Equity Fights AIDS, has helped in so many ways. When you buy a tix – you are supporting good causes and beside that, you see a great entertaining show. The next show will be coming up soon.

HOT TIX: The Current Jersey Boys cast will be singing their way to L.A. So if you want to see the current “Four Seasons” better get your Hot Tix now. They leave the first week of May.

Go to this web page for more info on upcoming shows: And you will be a Star and enjoy a little bit of illicit romance. www.helpisontheway.org.



The Photo of Lee Hartgrave Boy Reporter is by Jim Ferreira – Film Noir & Hollywood Glamour. www.lafterhall.com.

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