German Fiesta

I'm back in the mad city after a trip to Houston to watch my brother Jeff graduate from my alma mater, Rice University.

I watched plenty of high emotions on display in the sultry high temperatures, but I didn't see any actual theater in Texas. I do, however, have two new reviews up at Show Business Weekly this week:

American Fiesta is Austin-based Steven Tomlinson's funny and fact-filled solo show that chronicles his manic love for (read: obsession with) the multi-colored, go-with-everything dishes known as Fiestaware. I grew up eating off Fiestaware (not the overpriced antique originals, but the newer, shiner version), and it's easy to see how Tomlinson comes to fixate on the colorful, saturated hues. I still remember vying for certain colors at Thanksgiving dinner. Tomlinson smartly uses this obsession as a springboard for talking about the country's red- and blue-state divide. I made a side trip to Austin to visit my dear friend Simi (and family) over the weekend, and it is interesting to see, even geographically, how disparate the landscape is between New York City and the Texas countryside. At a Fiestaware convention, Tomlinson notes an overabundance of participants who are either young gay men or elderly Midwestern women. Fiestaware, it seems, could be a uniting force--not that he would allow us to draw any conclusions that easily ... this show is smart, witty, and challenging.

The Tony Award nominations came out this morning, and I was very disappointed that LoveMusik didn't make the list of nominees for Best New Musical. As you can tell by my review, I was enraptured with the unique artistry and dedicated courage of this production. Plenty of critics and audience members have dismissed the show as a bore, but to me, it was as intellectually intriguing and stimulating as theater can get. Slow-moving and deliberately paced? Yes. Razor-sharp and emotionally fulfilling? Yes, but only if you're willing to invest your heart and mind (and a bit of patience that pays off fully in the end).

Thankfully, Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy were both nominated for their marvelous, unforgettable characterizations of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, and the splendid David Pittu scored a nomination for his dynamic turn as playwright Bertolt Brecht. When I saw LoveMusik, I thought, "If only there were more shows like this."

I was thrilled to see Spring Awakening, another challenging (and German-derived) show (and probably my favorite of the season), rack up a slew of nominations, too. That cast is dynamite, and mark my words, they will rock out on the Tony telecast!