Coast of Utopia - Shipwreck

"Act first, the ideas will follow" - Michael Bakunin

After seeing Coast of Utopia Part One, Voyage, I was so excited to have two more parts to go. Part Two, Shipwreck, did not disappoint in the least. The rest of the theatre community doesn't think so either and the show has already extended through May 13th, with rumors it might run through June. Several of the actors are being mentioned for the Tony's (Brian F. O'Byrne, Billy Crudup, Ethan Hawke, etc.) so it will be exciting to see what awards the show takes in.


Shipwreck is the glorious evolution of the characters that were introduced in Voyage, and it focuses on the Herzen family during rebellious and revolutionary times. We no longer see the characters as hot-blooded students name-dropping and otherwise ignoring the "souls" (or serfs) or Russia. Shipwreck takes us into the life of Alexander Herzen (Brian O'Byrne) and his wife, Natalie (Jennifer Ehle). As the show opens, we glimpse into their estate outside of Moscow where Herzen learns he has finally been granted the right to travel outside of Russia - to treat his deaf son, Kolya. Through their journeys we get drawn into the happenings of the French revolution in 1848.

Some of the previous characters drop in to share their sentiments. We see a much older Belinsky (Billy Crudup) and a still rebellious Michael Bakunin (Ethan Hawke, seen waiving the flag in the picture to the left) as well as several others. The focus also shifts to the women, whereas in the Voyage they had too little of a part to play. Jennifer Ehle shines as Natalie Herzen who is exploring the idea utopian love through her marriage and an affair with a German poet, George Herwegh. Amy Irving also shows a different side as Maria, the estranged wife to Nicholas Ogarev (Josh Hamilton).

As for the execution of the show, I found myself loving it more and more. After seeing Voyage, I became quite enamored with Jack O'Brien's direction and the stunning sets from Bob Crowley and Scott Pask as well as the powerful and moving music that accompanies the production.

Really looking forward to Voyage and I say go see any of these shows, even if you can't seem them all. You won't be disappointed!

Photos - Newsday

The Apple Tree

I'm really behind on this post as I saw The Apple Tree a few weeks before the holiday. I've seen a lot of info since then about the show - mostly good, some indifferent. I think that's where I stand. For those who don't know, it's three separate stories using the same actors. We open with Adam and Eve (inspired by the stories of Mark Twain), followed by The Lady and the Tiger (story of a princess and her lover), and lastly Passionella (a chimney sweep turned glamorous movie star).

I enjoyed the show - but I felt like it was meant more for my parents that for me. It felt entirely dated and not very original. The music wasn't inspiring or memorable (no, I can't really recall any of the songs).

Kristen Chenowith gives a nice performance - and this was the first time I've seen her on stage, so I'm glad for that. I love Mark Kudisch (he can do no wrong) and this was no exception. Brian D'Arcy James also gave a lovely performance. As far as this being a show I'd recommend, ah...not so much.

Photos: nytheatre.com & Sara Krulwich/The New York Times