"Crossing Mnosose" @ PCS

"Crossing Mnosose" has some of the most impressive scenic design I have seen in years. Unsurprisingly, the scenic designer (Todd Rosenthal) has many Broadway credits. Also worthy of note is how well the historical story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with the modern story of Standing Rock, and the Dakota Access Pipeline. Sadly, I must admit that Standing Rock had almost completely disappeared from my memory, until the play brought it back to mind. This play has a strangely short run, so if you'd like to see some of the most wow-inducing stagecraft you'll see in a Regional Theatre, you'd better hurry.

"Jesus Hopped the A Train" @ CoHo

I fell in absolute love with the writing of Stephen Adly Guirgus when I was introduced to it via Artists Rep's production of "The Motherfucker with the Hat", had it rekindled with "Between Riverside and Crazy", and now it continues with "Jesus Hopped the A Train." In my review of "Motherfucker" I described Guirgus's dialogue as "verbal sprints." That description holds true for "Jesus Hopped the A Train. This time, however, I was struck not only by the incredible speed, but by the dialogue's near-musicality. It's basically a symphony of profanity.

"Jesus Hopped the A Train" was one of a handful of shows I have anticipated from the beginning of the Season. it continues Coho's long tradition of presenting productions with minimalist-sets that let local actors take the well-deserved spotlight. In this, it's Bobby Bernea, as a serial-killing Christian Convert, of  all things. I've said a version of the following in my reviews of Guirgus's work: it embodies the essence of the violent, visceral reasons I love the theatre. Plays like this are what I hope to see.

"A Grand Night for Singing" @ Broadway Rose

"A Grand Night for Singing" is a collection of Rogers and Hammerstein classics, arranged in revue. This revue is bookless, and so I was grateful for the detailed playbill, which noted where each song was from. This made things more grounded than they were in the similar  Kander and Ebb revue Broadway Rose did a few years ago. I overheard someone else say that despite the fact she was a pretty big fan of the duo, there were songs she hadn't heard, which suggests that material varies fairly widely. Of the numbers I recognised, quite a few if them were from previous, equally good Broadway Rose full-productions. If you liked their versions of "Oklahoma" and "The Sound of Music", you'll enjoy this show. If those I hadn't heard, the solos were my favorite. These songs are a lot to have on a single person's shoulders, but the vocalists at Broadway Rose never disappoint.