THE NOTEBOOK (6/25/14): John Douglas Thompson in “Satchmo at the Waldorf”; “Tick, Tick… Boom!” courtesy of Encores! Off-Center

John Douglas Thompson in “Satchmo at the Waldorf”

Better known as the theater critic for the Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout is also the author of a number of plays. His latest, the formulaic one-man show, “Satchmo at the Waldorf”, depicts Louis Armstrong at the end of his life. It seems that the raison d’être for the play is to serve as a vehicle for a skilled and magnetic actor, much in the vein of the current Broadway hit “Lady Day” starring the incomparable Audra McDonald. Luckily, “Satchmo” has John Douglas Thompson to helm the production at the Westside Theatre. He’s all you could hope for as he runs through the predictable gamut of emotions. He transcends the material and makes it a master class of acting, particularly as he switches characters, adding dimensionality to the enigma that is the great trumpeter and entertainer. I’m glad I caught yesterday’s matinee before the show closes this weekend.

 

“Tick, Tick… Boom!” courtesy of Encores! Off-Center

Yesterday evening, I made my way to City Center to catch the revival of Jonathan Larson’s tuneful and heartfelt “Tick, Tick… Boom!” courtesy of Encores’ wonderful new series, Off-Center. I have a soft spot for the score, having listened to it repeatedly when the terrific original Off-Broadway cast album was initially released. Last night’s cast was largely excellent. Lin-Manuel Miranda put his heart and soul into the performance, and the engaged audience was clearly affected by it. Despite his vocal limitations (especially with Raul Esparza’s vocals clearly etched in my mind), Lin-Manuel did well to channel Jonathan’s spirit. Karen Olivo and Leslie Odom Jr. provided tremendous support throughout, both in the vocal and acting departments (Karen’s “Come to Your Senses” was a thrilling highlight of the evening). At one point, Lin-Manuel’s mike failed, at which point Karin and Leslie provided some fun and endearing mugging. Don’t miss it.

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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