Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Made In Heaven - Theatre Mania review
Reviews
Made in Heaven
Reviewed By: Barbara & Scott Siegel · Nov 3, 2009 · New York
Matthew Bondy, Alex Anfanger,
Kevin Thomas Collins and Maia Madison
in Made In Heaven
(© Carol Rosegg)
Matthew Bondy, Alex Anfanger,
Kevin Thomas Collins and Maia Madison
in Made In Heaven
(© Carol Rosegg)
If you think that one show about conjoined twins was all the theater market could bear, think again. Move over Side Show and make way for Made in Heaven, a deliciously dicey sex comedy in which two conjoined brothers share one penis and two different sexual orientations, now at the Soho Playhouse after a summer run at the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Jay Bernzweig's writing is broad, oftentimes vulgar, but it's also genuinely funny and consistently inventive. The result, under Andrew Shaifer's light direction, is 90 minutes of frolicsome fun.
The play begins with brothers Max (Kevin Thomas Collins) and Benjie (Alex Anfanger) waiting for Jessica (Maia Madison), the woman to whom they intend to propose marriage. Max, in particular, is full of joy at the prospect of this relationship working out, while Benjie is quick to point out all of the obvious obstacles. Finally, right before Jessica is to arrive, Benjie decides to come out of the closet. Max is stunned. How in the world could Max not have known? Well, that's part of the comic conceit of the entire piece.
The twist and turns of the plot all center on the conflicting desires of all four characters -- including "gay for pay" hustler Gilbert (Matthew Bondy) -- but the playwright keeps the motor running so smoothly throughout so that each new wrinkle, while perhaps not unexpected -- and perhaps even occasionally contrived -- still manages to be funny. And like a Marx Brothers movie, if you don't laugh at one joke, you'll laugh at another.
Made in Heaven is pointedly silly, but it has a lot of heart and four characters that are all rich in their comic potential. What's more, that comic potential is fully realized by some extremely zesty, even inspired, performances. Anfanger is comically adorable as the gay twin with a winsomely innocent yet comically exaggerated sexual desire. Collins is a wonderfully madcap actor who is out-and-out hilarious at physical comedy. Meanwhile, Madison gets to toss off her own fair share of comic lines with a ferocious quality, and Bondy plays his role with so much comic bravado that he almost steals the show.
Made in Heaven
Reviewed By: Barbara & Scott Siegel · Nov 3, 2009 · New York
Matthew Bondy, Alex Anfanger,
Kevin Thomas Collins and Maia Madison
in Made In Heaven
(© Carol Rosegg)
Matthew Bondy, Alex Anfanger,
Kevin Thomas Collins and Maia Madison
in Made In Heaven
(© Carol Rosegg)
If you think that one show about conjoined twins was all the theater market could bear, think again. Move over Side Show and make way for Made in Heaven, a deliciously dicey sex comedy in which two conjoined brothers share one penis and two different sexual orientations, now at the Soho Playhouse after a summer run at the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Jay Bernzweig's writing is broad, oftentimes vulgar, but it's also genuinely funny and consistently inventive. The result, under Andrew Shaifer's light direction, is 90 minutes of frolicsome fun.
The play begins with brothers Max (Kevin Thomas Collins) and Benjie (Alex Anfanger) waiting for Jessica (Maia Madison), the woman to whom they intend to propose marriage. Max, in particular, is full of joy at the prospect of this relationship working out, while Benjie is quick to point out all of the obvious obstacles. Finally, right before Jessica is to arrive, Benjie decides to come out of the closet. Max is stunned. How in the world could Max not have known? Well, that's part of the comic conceit of the entire piece.
The twist and turns of the plot all center on the conflicting desires of all four characters -- including "gay for pay" hustler Gilbert (Matthew Bondy) -- but the playwright keeps the motor running so smoothly throughout so that each new wrinkle, while perhaps not unexpected -- and perhaps even occasionally contrived -- still manages to be funny. And like a Marx Brothers movie, if you don't laugh at one joke, you'll laugh at another.
Made in Heaven is pointedly silly, but it has a lot of heart and four characters that are all rich in their comic potential. What's more, that comic potential is fully realized by some extremely zesty, even inspired, performances. Anfanger is comically adorable as the gay twin with a winsomely innocent yet comically exaggerated sexual desire. Collins is a wonderfully madcap actor who is out-and-out hilarious at physical comedy. Meanwhile, Madison gets to toss off her own fair share of comic lines with a ferocious quality, and Bondy plays his role with so much comic bravado that he almost steals the show.
"Made In Heaven" Website Review Clips
Made in Heaven
"A HUGE SUPPLY OF LAUGHS!"
- Associated Press, 3 November 2009
Read Jennifer Farrar's full review here.
"A GENUINELY FUNNY FARCE ... hilarious dialogue and inspired physical comedy. Adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "brotherly love"!"
- New York Post, 3 November 2009
Read Frank Scheck's full review at www.NYPost.com.
"A DELICIOUSLY DICEY SEX COMEDY ... genuinely funny and consistently inventive."
- TheaterMania, 3 November 2009
Read Barbara & Scott Siegel's full review at www.TheaterMania.com.
"A HUGE SUPPLY OF LAUGHS!"
- Associated Press, 3 November 2009
Read Jennifer Farrar's full review here.
"A GENUINELY FUNNY FARCE ... hilarious dialogue and inspired physical comedy. Adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "brotherly love"!"
- New York Post, 3 November 2009
Read Frank Scheck's full review at www.NYPost.com.
"A DELICIOUSLY DICEY SEX COMEDY ... genuinely funny and consistently inventive."
- TheaterMania, 3 November 2009
Read Barbara & Scott Siegel's full review at www.TheaterMania.com.
"Made In Heaven" Associated Press Review
wpix.com /sns-ap-us-theater-review-made-in-heaven,0,4454468.story
WPIX
Theater review: 'Made in Heaven' adds Siamese twins to a love quadrangle _ and get laughs
JENNIFER FARRAR
Associated Press Writer
11:48 AM EST, November 3, 2009
NEW YORK (AP) — A different twist on the eternal search for emotional fulfillment is provided by Jay Bernzweig in his new off-Broadway comedy, "Made in Heaven."
Brothers Max (Kevin Thomas Collins) and Benjie (Alex Anfanger) are conjoined adult Siamese twins, who share all major organs from the waist down.
On the eve of "their" engagement to their girlfriend Jessica, a cheerfully delusional, insecure woman (played with polished humor by Maia Madison,) Benjie confesses to Max that he's actually gay.
Sweetly naive Benjie has also selected his first gay date, from a catalog of male escorts, and the already-farcical humor increases with the arrival of Matthew Bondy as the handsome stud-for-hire, Gilbert.
Anfanger's wide-eyed, boyish face is perfect for his innocent character, while Collins has a more cynical appearance, displaying a wonderful range of expressions to suit every fresh revelation as the unusual love quadrangle progresses.
Bondy's part requires him to frequently stand around onstage wearing only briefs. While Gilbert is crass and opportunistic, downright lewd at times, Bondy's gym-toned attributes don't detract from his comedic timing or his ability to convey an occasional, if fleeting, thoughtful side to Gilbert.
Bernzweig has laced the script with humorous one-liners. When Max tries to tell Ben that Gilbert is nothing but "a bisexual Ken doll," the smitten Ben retorts, "Beauty has its own brains." There's also a lot of explicit sexual talk and cursing, although the actual sex, while frankly discussed, takes place offstage or underneath a blanket.
Director/producer Andrew Shaifer keeps the action moving pretty quickly, as the four characters experience overlapping sexual pairings during a monthlong trial of their relationships.
The affairs suffer from all the expected complications, particularly around the physical and emotional issues that the brothers must deal with. There are several sight gags, some of them almost tasteful. The three-legged twins do some hilarious comedic maneuvering, especially when one unconscious, flopping brother must be hauled around by the other.
Both Gilbert and Jessica become inconsistent in their commitment, while Max, who loathes Gilbert, tries to persuade both Ben and Jessica to operate with more self-respect. The power of brotherly love is definitely tested, but with a huge supply of laughs along the way.
"Made in Heaven" is in a limited run at the Soho Playhouse through Sunday, Jan. 3.
WPIX
Theater review: 'Made in Heaven' adds Siamese twins to a love quadrangle _ and get laughs
JENNIFER FARRAR
Associated Press Writer
11:48 AM EST, November 3, 2009
NEW YORK (AP) — A different twist on the eternal search for emotional fulfillment is provided by Jay Bernzweig in his new off-Broadway comedy, "Made in Heaven."
Brothers Max (Kevin Thomas Collins) and Benjie (Alex Anfanger) are conjoined adult Siamese twins, who share all major organs from the waist down.
On the eve of "their" engagement to their girlfriend Jessica, a cheerfully delusional, insecure woman (played with polished humor by Maia Madison,) Benjie confesses to Max that he's actually gay.
Sweetly naive Benjie has also selected his first gay date, from a catalog of male escorts, and the already-farcical humor increases with the arrival of Matthew Bondy as the handsome stud-for-hire, Gilbert.
Anfanger's wide-eyed, boyish face is perfect for his innocent character, while Collins has a more cynical appearance, displaying a wonderful range of expressions to suit every fresh revelation as the unusual love quadrangle progresses.
Bondy's part requires him to frequently stand around onstage wearing only briefs. While Gilbert is crass and opportunistic, downright lewd at times, Bondy's gym-toned attributes don't detract from his comedic timing or his ability to convey an occasional, if fleeting, thoughtful side to Gilbert.
Bernzweig has laced the script with humorous one-liners. When Max tries to tell Ben that Gilbert is nothing but "a bisexual Ken doll," the smitten Ben retorts, "Beauty has its own brains." There's also a lot of explicit sexual talk and cursing, although the actual sex, while frankly discussed, takes place offstage or underneath a blanket.
Director/producer Andrew Shaifer keeps the action moving pretty quickly, as the four characters experience overlapping sexual pairings during a monthlong trial of their relationships.
The affairs suffer from all the expected complications, particularly around the physical and emotional issues that the brothers must deal with. There are several sight gags, some of them almost tasteful. The three-legged twins do some hilarious comedic maneuvering, especially when one unconscious, flopping brother must be hauled around by the other.
Both Gilbert and Jessica become inconsistent in their commitment, while Max, who loathes Gilbert, tries to persuade both Ben and Jessica to operate with more self-respect. The power of brotherly love is definitely tested, but with a huge supply of laughs along the way.
"Made in Heaven" is in a limited run at the Soho Playhouse through Sunday, Jan. 3.
"Made In Heaven" NY Post Review
Joined in matrimony
By FRANK SCHECK
Last Updated: 4:31 PM, November 3, 2009
Posted: 12:12 AM, November 3, 2009
Even Alfred Kinsey might have been shocked by "Made in Heaven." This new comedy about conjoined twins linked by a part of the male anatomy adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "brotherly love."
The results are better than you'd expect. While Jay Bernzweig's comedy doesn't exactly inspire comparisons to Oscar Wilde, it's a genuinely funny farce that you'll only mildly disrespect yourself the next day for having liked.
Max (Kevin Thomas Collins) and Benjie (Alex Anfanger) seem to have adjusted to their condition pretty well, and are even planning on proposing to their zaftig, adoring girlfriend, Jessica (Maia
Madison).
There's only one slight hitch to the hitching: Benjie, as he's only recently accepted, is gay.
Jessica is barely fazed. "It's not like there's nothing to work with," she points out.
The problem then arises as how to satisfy Benjie's needs. He's already figured that out, having selected a male hustler from the ads in a gay magazine.
When Gilbert (Matthew Bondy) arrives for the assignation, he's only slightly nonplussed by the circumstances. But, despite a further complication that won't be revealed here, the foursome are soon living together in an arrangement that makes Noel Coward's "Design for Living" seem positively quaint.
It's all much funnier than it should be, thanks to the often hilarious dialogue and the inspired physical comedy from Collins and Anfanger. Wearing a single pair of oversize pants as if they've been sharing them forever, the two are particularly riotous in the scene in which Benjie is forced to fling his drugged, unconscious brother around like a rag doll.
Is "Made in Heaven" made in heaven? No. But it's a genuinely silly, entertaining romp that fits perfectly in the funky confines of the SoHo Playhouse.
NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc.
nypost.com , nypostonline.com , and newyorkpost.com are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2009 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy | Terms of Use
By FRANK SCHECK
Last Updated: 4:31 PM, November 3, 2009
Posted: 12:12 AM, November 3, 2009
Even Alfred Kinsey might have been shocked by "Made in Heaven." This new comedy about conjoined twins linked by a part of the male anatomy adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "brotherly love."
The results are better than you'd expect. While Jay Bernzweig's comedy doesn't exactly inspire comparisons to Oscar Wilde, it's a genuinely funny farce that you'll only mildly disrespect yourself the next day for having liked.
Max (Kevin Thomas Collins) and Benjie (Alex Anfanger) seem to have adjusted to their condition pretty well, and are even planning on proposing to their zaftig, adoring girlfriend, Jessica (Maia
Madison).
There's only one slight hitch to the hitching: Benjie, as he's only recently accepted, is gay.
Jessica is barely fazed. "It's not like there's nothing to work with," she points out.
The problem then arises as how to satisfy Benjie's needs. He's already figured that out, having selected a male hustler from the ads in a gay magazine.
When Gilbert (Matthew Bondy) arrives for the assignation, he's only slightly nonplussed by the circumstances. But, despite a further complication that won't be revealed here, the foursome are soon living together in an arrangement that makes Noel Coward's "Design for Living" seem positively quaint.
It's all much funnier than it should be, thanks to the often hilarious dialogue and the inspired physical comedy from Collins and Anfanger. Wearing a single pair of oversize pants as if they've been sharing them forever, the two are particularly riotous in the scene in which Benjie is forced to fling his drugged, unconscious brother around like a rag doll.
Is "Made in Heaven" made in heaven? No. But it's a genuinely silly, entertaining romp that fits perfectly in the funky confines of the SoHo Playhouse.
NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc.
nypost.com , nypostonline.com , and newyorkpost.com are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2009 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy | Terms of Use
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
