CurtainUp
CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings
HOME PAGE

SITE GUIDE

SEARCH


REVIEWS

REVIEW ARCHIVES

ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP

FEATURES

NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings


LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway

NYC Restaurants

BOOKS and CDs

OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Connecticut
Philadelphia
Elsewhere

QUOTES

TKTS

PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS

LETTERS TO EDITOR

FILM

LINKS

MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
A CurtainUp Review
The Lily's Revenge

By Miriam Colin

This play may last the rest of your life.— Time embodied by Miss Bianca Leigh
The Lily's Revenge
A scene from The Lily's Revenge
I like theatrical events of epic proportions, but I confess that I approached Taylor Mac's The Lily's Revenge with some trepidations. Almost five hours of even the most inspired and cutting edge multimedia theater, seemed like a big chunk of commitment. But Taylor Mac is a darling of downtown aficionados and the show sounded too intriguing to miss.

I'm pleased to report that Mac's Extravaganza had me exiting the Here Arts Center more exhilarated than exhausted. The four acts of this cheeky epic staged by six directors, feature forty-plus performers (with Mac am amazing standout in the central role), puppets, live music and spectacular costumes by the aptly named Machine Dazzle. That's just a short list of -- the variously daffy and dazzling delights. The big surprise was that the show was not only remarkably entertaining but actually had something deeper on its mind. Sure there were times when I would have been happy with a fast forward clicker, but there was enough variety and yes, serious meaning, to maintain my glad-I-came enthusiasm.

The various acts are broken up with three intermissions that exceed the usual ten minutes in order to accommodate reconfiguring the performance space for each part and which proved to be entertaining in their own right as the show extends beyond the performance space so that the audience has a chance to roam into dressing room, hallways, stairs and bathrooms. These intermission segments are staged by the sixth director, Kristin Marting, to expand the sense of a fantastical coup de-theatre experience.

To try to give you an idea of what it's about. There's the playwright as the title character — a flower that emerges from its pot to fulfill his yearning to be a man. The strange clown's journey that ensues entails dozens of songs, an orgy, a dream ballet and a film with doll film star and the strangest striptease ever, a whole act in various poetic forms. I could go on, but this is truly a show that must be seen and heard to appreciate its ambitious array of visual surprises that more or less embrace the whole history of the theatrical art and to contemplate the message meaning beneath the surface.

While not perfection in the sense that that everything works seamlessly or that the ensemble doesn't have its weak spots, the overall effect is that you've been part of something special. It could just be that the character of Time quoted above has it right: " This play may last the rest of your life."

The Lily's Revenge a musical in four acts by Taylor Mac
Music by Rachelle Garniez
Directed by Paul Zimet, Rachel Chavkin, Faye Driscoll, Aaron Rhyne, David Drake and Kristin Marting.
Music direction, Matt Ray.
Cast: Miss Bianca Leigh (Time, Stepmother),Taylor Mac (Lily), Amelia Zirin-Brown (Bride Deity), James Tigger! Ferguson (The Great Longing
Ensemble: World Famous Bob, Edith Raw, Kayla Asbell, Heather Christian, Matthew Crosland, Machine Dazzle, Kristine Haruna Lee, Ellen Maddow, Glenn Marla, Muriel Miguel, Frank Paiva, Tina Shepard, Rae C. Wright, Salty Brine, Daphne Gaines, Ikuko Ikari, Barbara Lanciers, Kim RosenVanessa Anspaugh, Jonathan Bastiani, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Saeed Siamak, Nikki Zialcita, Una Aya Asato, Mieke Duffly.
Sets: Nick Vaughan
Costumes: Machine Dazzle
Lighting: Seth Reiser
Makeup: Derrick Little
Puppets: Emily Decola
Choreography: Julie Atlas Muz
Original drum music: Stefan Schatz
Sound: Matthew Tennie
Video: Aaron Rhyne
Stage manager: Julia Funk
Running time: 4 hours and 50 minutes, with 3 intermissions
From 10/31/09; opening 11/01/09; closing 11/22/09
Tickets: $35.00
Here Arts Center 145 Avenue of the Americas
Reviewed by Miriam Colin November 5, 2009
REVIEW FEEDBACK
Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
  • I agree with the review of The Lily's Revenge
  • I disagree with the review of The Lily's Revenge
  • The review made me eager to see The Lily's Revenge
Click on the address link E-mail: esommer@curtainup.com
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V):

Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review.

You can also contact us at Curtainup at Facebook or Curtainup at Twitter
Subscribe to our FREE email updates with a note from editor Elyse Sommer about additions to the website -- with main page hot links to the latest features posted at our numerous locations. To subscribe, E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com
put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message -- if you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country.
South Pacific  Revival
South Pacific


In the Heights
In the Heights


Playbillyearbook
Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook


Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide


broadwaynewyork.com


amazon




©Copyright 2009,

GUCCI

|

Aluminium Chronograph

|

PEAK new fashion ladies venting air spring heighten casual sport shoes P8004E

|

Tiffany & Co Hook and Eye Ring

|

mbt shoes

|

MBT Shoes

|

Tiffany&Co Daisy 925 sterling silver rings

|

Rolex

|

Louis Vuitton

|

Affliction Boots

|

Nike Shoes

|

Nike Dunk

|

MP5 Wholesale

|

Atlanta Falcons

|

Abercrombie Pants Wholesale 002

|

Louis Vuitton

|

UGG Boots Mulberry Genuine Australia classic Tall Ugg Boots

|

GUCCI Handbags

|

UGG Boots Classic Argyle Knit Chocolate 5879

|

Louis Vuitton Business Card Holder Ebony

|

MBT Men's Kisumu Tan Sandals

|

MBT Chapa

|

ugg boots

|

MBT Kisumu 2 White Men's Sandals

|

Nike Shoes

|

Louis Vuitton Monogram Denim Messenger Bag PM m95865

|

Bailey Button Uggs

|

Sexy Costume QS0169

|

Phone Wholesale

|

Bikinis Sets

|

Wholesale

|

Car DVD Player

|

LV

|

Tourbillon

|

Tiffany tiffany replica ring

|

Superleggera J12 White

|

Tiffany

|

rolex

|

Mouse Wholesale

|

Nike Air Max 2003

|

Monogram Groom

|

GUCCI

|

Wholesale

|

Nike Air Max LTD (dark blue/white) No.372340

Elyse Sommer.
Information from this site may not be reproduced in print or online without specific permission from esommer@curtainup.com