Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).
Bio
I have been writing on theater since 1982. A graduate from Manhattan College B.S. A member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, which recognizes excellence in both English and Science. I have produced 14 shows on and off Broadway. I've seen over700 shows
Stories (230/0)
'The Lifespan of a Fact'
The Lifespan of a Fact is a play about three people. It is based on a true story about a writer and a person who committed suicide by jumping off a building in Las Vegas. The show, however, is much more than that, much more. With three really strong actors on one stage and strong direction, this evening was a hit on all points. Emily (Cherry Jones) brings in Jim (Daniel Radcliffe) to fact check John D' Agata (Bobby Cannavale). John has been known to embellish on his past stories and Emily wants to keep him and the essay in line. The entire timeline of the play is on a Wednesday to Monday morning, when the deadline for the essay is due. Jim, just out of Harvard, does not see the difficulty of getting this done. In the opening scene, Jones and Radcliffe exchange some wonderful bantering which is both highly comical and somewhat enlightening as to how the publishing business works. Emily tries to warn Jim that John can be very difficult, especially when it comes to his writing as he is very protective of it.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea'
Danny and the Blue Sea is complicated. It has a minimal stage, it has very good acting but it also has a so-so plot. Danny would be recommended to all aspiring actors, they're that good. The plot, however, just does not add up. The show is about two people who meet in a bar, Danny (Jonathan Crimenti) and Roberta (Hannah Beck). Danny is anti social; he spends most nights in fist fights. He even believes he killed a man at a party the previous night. He is devoid of any feelings toward his mother, people he meets, or people he works with. Dubbed "The Beast" by his fellow workers in a trucking company, he is an outcast everywhere. He keeps to himself more by society's aloofness towards him rather than by his wishes. We think this as an audience, but writer John Patrick Shanley does not make this clear.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'Shame'
The Theater for The New City presented its street fair (they perform several times a summer in different Boroughs). In its beginnings as in now, New City wants to give both free theater throughout the city and at the same time wants to promote their in-house festival, which has been going on for the last two months. The Theater for The New City's mission statement is to provide radical theater as well as new works from new artists. At times, this theater can be hit or miss. It is difficult having consistent new works that are really good. As far as radical theater, it pales from the radicals in the 80s with the no nuke plays in the East Village. This year at the theater, it was mostly #metoo, LGBTQ movement plays, and equality in pay and some climate change plays. The Festival, however, is different. It gives authors leeway to put forth one acts, two acts, or any kind of set up the author wishes. The rates at the New City are encouraging for these aspiring playwrights.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'Private Peaceful'
Private Peaceful Written by Michael Morpurgo is a a resonant piece. Morpurgo has also written some other great pieces as well, War Horse being one of them. Peaceful is just as deep and meaningful as War Horse. The play is about a soldier, private Tommy Peaceful (Shane O'Regan"). It is his last night on earth, he will be shot in the morning for cowardice. Although he is anything but, and I will get to this later, he counts down the hours with the audience and his past as he spends his last time on earth in his cell. It is 10:30 AM, he talks passionately about his brother and hero, Charlie, who is three years older then him. He relives his childhood from Charlie carrying him on his shoulders to Sunday School with teacher Mrs. McCallister. He talks about how his father died chopping down a tree on the Colonels property. tommy would later blame himself for that death. He was present when the tree fell, his dad told Tommy to run and his dad didn't run himself.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'Unravelled'
Robert Massimi. Unravelled is a play about a mother, younger and older who loves her daughter unconditionally and a daughter who loves her mother as well, that is until she gets sick with both cancer, then dementia that is caused from the chemotherapy. Joy (Kittson O'Neil) and her mom (Suzanna Hay), the older mother are two different people from the beginning. Her mom is a hip, beautiful sexy women, Joy is a geeky nerd, who happens to at least be attractive. She would rather study the stars, the galaxy and the universe, it is her passion. Joy's lifelong ambition is to be an astronaut, unfortunately for her she is claustrophobic. She ends up doing the next best thing for her, she is a professor in the Ph.D program at a University. She teaches The Philosophy of Space and Time. Joy's life is put in turmoil, she is constantly being called home by her mom's nurse (La Donna Binns), and Joy's work is lacking, deeply stirring the ire of the Department chairman. Joy has missed a huge appointment with a Grant Foundation and the Chairman is not happy. We see Joy's conflict, her work is hurting, so is her social life. Joy really hates being home and seeing her mother like this. Her biggest conflict is that she has much guilt about how she now feels about her mother. She remembers her mom as a strong vibrant women who could type 300 words a minute, who was funny, as was this play at times. Joy's mom was the backbone of the family, her father ran off when she was a baby. Even though they lived with the grandmother, what Joy's mom said, went, she was the authority figure. Even though her home life was dysfunctional,(the grandfather ran off as well), they were both really happy to be in each others company. So when Joy sees her sick and not knowing where she is, she becomes both frustrated and upset often leaving her at odds with her mom's nurse. Joy feels that the nurse is not responsive to her mothers wacky behavior with the neighbors or when her mom ripped up there precious garden that they both planted when Joy was eleven years old.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'The Wizard Of Oz'
The Harlem Repertory Theater, whether it's Raisin In The Sun, In The Heights, or anything else, always delivers. The Wizard Of Oz played yesterday in Repertory with several of HRT's other shows. With its economical stage and even smaller area for the musicians, the show was welcoming from the beginning and all the way through. The band entertained the early comers for 30 minutes before the show began. Director Keith Lee Grant did a spectacular job in the way the musical developed and the constant flow throughout that keep the audience riveted in this fine production. Maggie Allen's projections, two to be exact, made perfect use of a small stage. We saw through Allen's work: Dorothy's house, the Witch's castle, Oz, the Yellow Brick Road, and the door to the wizard. The second projection was used as a mood piece, stars, bright lights and a darker side to when the show was melancholy. Between the direction and these projections, the show kept us alert and upbeat.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'Heist!'
Heist! at The Players Theater is a funny, campy spoof on a robbery gone bad. The musical begins with Jack, Chris and Betty robbing a bank. Chris gets shot in the process and is reportedly dead. Chris was Jack's best friend and by his death he is done with the robbery game. Instead, Jack has been reduced to the three monte card game con, one in which he is not good at. We find out later that he had a short term fling with Betty in the hopes of easing the pain over Chris's death. In his quest to get rich as a three card monte expert, he meets Patricia (Blair Medina), a street musician, and pick Pocket, and con women. He is intimidated by how well she works the streets and how much money she makes.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
Beloved
Beloved by The Scandinavian American Production Company is being performed at The Lion Theater, a small, intimate theater that is perfect for this production. It is a one act, 90 minute show that is a women cast (Elllinor Dilorenzo) who is extraordinary in her role as Katerina, a bored woman who wants more.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'The Mushroom Cure'
The Mushroom Cure is a one-person, one-act only play. It is performed by Adam Strauss who presumably has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder himself. The play starts out with Strauss trying to make a decision about buying the IPOD or the I RIVER. He goes through the pros and cons of each, and he can't decide. He goes through the whole process again, and he learns towards the IPOD. After deciding on the IPOD, he buys the I RIVER. He then beats himself up over the terrible decision. Sounds funny right? It is, but there is just one problem. OCD is a real problem. As a person who has had it since I was a child, the wacky things we do is funny to people watching our corky things but it is a real problem, hence the word disorder. Strauss portrays the compulsion brilliantly. How he beats himself up for not doing things that was he indecisive about from the beginning is funny to the audience but very accurate.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'Hamlet'
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, or SITPL as it is referred to, has been performing behind the Climente Theater since 1995. The Drilling Company is now the sole producer of SITPL. When it first started under Jennifer Spahr, she was the sole director and producer of the productions. Soon after her retirement, the Ludlow 10 began to produce Shakespeare and in 200 the Drilling Company co produced with the Ludlow 10. In 2005, The Drilling Company was the sole producer of what we see today in the "Parking Lot." In its 24th year, we find Director Karla Hendrick putting on Hamlet, and with a big twist. For the first time, Hamlet is played by a women (Jane Bradly), who I saw last fall in Gabriel-A Polemic. Bradly was quite good in this role; her facial expressions and timing made the show fun.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'Head Over Heels'
Robert Massimi. Head Over Heels at The Hudson Theater started out with much energy and excitement for the opening song, "We Got the Beat." The show was based on the Go-Go's songs and the performance had excellent choreography. The show's main nexus was based around the king of Arcadia, Basilius (Jeremy Kushnier), and his family. The king is looking for a suitor for his cherubic Pamela (Alexandra Socha), but she is not interested in a man. Her younger sister Philoclea is interested in a boy, however, Musidourus(Andrew Durand), a shepherd who is of no royal blood. This leads to a problem because the King will not allow it. The Queen, Gynecia (Rachel York), does not commit to anything. She goes through motions without any conflict. She sees a lot but says nothing as she would rather not rock the boat.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks
'A Walk on The Beach'
Robert Massimi. A Walk on The Beach at the Theater for The New City is an introspective of a heavy debate about a sculpture in Hyannis Massachusetts. The debate is whether or not John Kennedy Jr should be shown next to his father walking on the beach as an adult or a 3-year-old. At first, sculptor David Lewis (Jack Coggins) wanted young "John John." Ted and Caroline Kennedy would approve it if it was an older John Jr. David made a mock up of the sculpture to the horror of Charlie (John Carhart), an editor for the local newspaper. Between Charlie and the newspaper's board, they try to do everything to stop it from being presented to the local residents. The tempers start to get short between David, Charlie, and David's wife, Nancy (Elizabeth Bove). Nancy is out to protect her husband and is more worried that he will fall back into alcohol, (he's been sober for 22 years.) David has an ace in the hole; however, Louis (David Shakopi) is politically connected and intends to talk directly to Ted Kennedy and raise money for the statue as well. The only problem is as the pressure starts to boil, the Kennedy's do not want to get involved in a controversy. David feels that the deck is stacked against him. The only thing that keeps him going is the visits on the beach by JFK himself (James Earley.) JFK inspires David to do what is in his heart. He tells him that we never know what is right or wrong until we make the final decision.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).6 years ago in Geeks