Frigid ’11: Joe, the Perfect Man

Joe Mal does not seem to know actors are supposed to call Macbeth the “Scottish Play.” It hardly matters though. There is no possible way he will pass his audition, but it will not be for a lack of trying in Rachelle Elie’s one . . . man show Joe: the Perfect Man, one of thirty independent productions, each no longer than an hour, currently running as part of the 2011 Frigid Festival.

Somewhat akin to Chris Farley’s Matt “Down by the River” Foley, Mal desperately seeks redemption by landing a part in Shakespeare’s cursed play. He will do anything, including pulling up members of the audience to run scenes with him. Frankly, Perfect probably works better when Elie has a larger talent pool to recruit from than the performance I saw. Still, Mal/Elie is clearly game to “audition” for anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Indeed, Elie is a fearless performer. However, there is something unsettling about the way the production blurs the distinction between comedy and tragedy. Ultimately, it is hard to judge how exactly we are supposed to react to Mal, with laughter or pity. Still, Mal fares better in his Macbeth mash-ups than the illustrious Peter O’Toole and Kelsey Grammer did in their notorious productions.

Given the Frigid mandated hour’s running time, every show in the festival moves along at a good clip. Definitely worth checking out (especially Matthew Wells’ break-neck Scarlet Woman), the festival runs through Sunday (3/6) at the Kraine Theater, the Red Room, and Under St. Mark’s. Mal auditions at the Kraine again tonight (3/4) and Sunday afternoon.

Frigid ’11: My Pal, Izzy

Though his roots were humble, young Russian-Jewish immigrant Israel Baline would eventually represent the American experience through music better than nearly any other songwriter, present, past, or future. Of course, the man now remembered as Irving Berlin for his enduring classics like “God Bless America,” “Blue Skies,” and “White Christmas” had to start somewhere. In the persona of Rebecca Rosenstein, a not-quite star of Vaudeville and supposed neighborhood acquaintance of the prodigious popular composer, Melanie Gall fashions a cabaret-style memory play out of Berlin’s rarely performed early Tin Pan Alley songbook in My Pal, Izzy: the Early Life and Music of Irving Berlin, which is currently running as part of the 2011 Frigid Festival, featuring thirty independents productions, each no longer than an hour.

Of course, there is a reason why Berlin’s pre-“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” songs are so rarely performed. Primarily, it is a function of changing tastes. Berlin started out trying to give the people what they wanted, succeeding more than most. However, even Gall in the guise of Rosenstein apologizes to an extent for his first published work of juvenilia, “Marie from Sunny Italy.” Still, you have certainly heard worse.

True to the era, many of Gall’s selections are more or less novelty songs, but that does not mean they are not interesting as musical ornaments of an era gone by. Gall seems to understand this, performing them straight, but adding considerable dramatic flair where she can. She channels her inner Mae West for “If You Don’t Want These Peaches” (you know about “peaches,” right?) and enjoys the political incorrectness (circa 1909) of “My Wife’s Gone to the Country.”

Though Gall’s renditions are often somewhat operatic (not surprisingly, given her background), it is frankly in keeping with the expectations of early 1900’s music hall audiences. In fact, she finds real depth in “When I Lost You” and delivers quite a rousing closer in “That Dying Rag,” suggesting at least two of Berlin’s earliest might potentially deserve a revival apart from the context of a tribute show like Izzy. She is ably accompanied by John Murphy, who is unfortunately stuck with a keyboard (it obviously clashes with the 1916 vibe, but the Kraine is a small space, so there’s probably no way around it).

Izzy is a well-conceived exploration of the Great American Songbook, staking out some unclaimed musical territory that works far better than one might expect. Indeed, it would be fascinating to hear her recast some of these tunes with contemporary arrangements sometime in the future. Recommended for lovers and students of American song, Izzy runs again this coming Wednesday (3/2), Thursday (3/3), and Saturday (3/5) at the Kraine Theater in New York’s East Village, not too far from Berlin’s boyhood Lower Eastside neighborhood.

(Photo: Karen Young)

Frigid ’11: Scarlet Woman

If you can explain the plot of Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep, you’re way ahead of Humphrey Bogart’s Philip Marlowe. Frankly, he should have won an Oscar just for the conviction of his fast-talking non-explanation at the film’s climax that makes absolutely no sense, but is all kinds of awesome. As if the noir saga of the Sternwood family were not convoluted enough, Matthew Wells adds generous helpings of Murder My Sweet, Out of the Past, and The Brasher Doubloon in his two-femme fatale film noir mash-up Scarlet Woman, which is currently running as part of the 2011 Frigid Festival of easily manageable stage productions clocking in at about an hour’s running time.

A young woman is out to find her father’s killer. Good luck keeping her name straight. It will change many times over the course of an hour. Naturally, it turns out the old man had a secret past and she might not even be who she thinks she is. Role reversals are the order of the day, as Megan Hill and Candy Simmons tackle about a dozen or so parts interchangeably (including a couple of guys), all with familiar names for classic noir cineastes.

Defying coherent plot summary, Scarlet affectionately purees the hardboiled genre with some wickedly clever dialogue. Despite throwing in everything including the kitchen sink, Wells makes the pieces fit together surprisingly well. Effectively staged by Rob O’Neill, the production makes the most of its simple sets and shadowy backlit backdrop to create the appropriate atmosphere of perpetual twilight.

Hill and Simmons are a blast to watch as whoever they might be at a given moment: Carmen Sternwood, Kathie Moffat, take your pick. In fact, it is hard to imagine sustaining the energy they bring past the Frigid-mandated one hour mark. It is also hard to think up any further crazy plot points they could possibly throw at the audience.

Scarlet has much the same appeal as the recently closed Broadway hit The 39 Steps, but at fraction of the ticket cost and about half the investment of time. A thoroughly entertaining stage romp, Scarlet is a clear highlight of this year’s Frigid Fest. It runs again this Tuesday (3/1), Wednesday (3/2), and Saturday (3/5) at the Kraine Theater.

(Photo: Anna Dvorak)