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 Philadelphia Elsewhere QUOTES TKTS PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS LETTERS TO EDITOR FILM LINKS MISCELLANEOUS Free Updates Masthead |
A CurtainUp Review
Tales of an Urban Indian
The first part of Simon's narrative covers his childhood and adolescence, growing up dirt poor while the white kids around him either ignored him or made fun of him. The second part covers his early career as an actor, his drug and alcohol addiction and his first attempts at rehab. This part could be called Tales of an Addict, since his Indian heritage is no longer an essential element. Strangely, for a show about assimilation, there's a lot of stereotyping: Whites are uptight, West Coast inhabitants are perpetually stoned, cockroaches speak in Mexican accents, and God is Jackie Mason. Much of i this is intentional. . . but still. . . Dennis is a sincere and heartfelt performer, and he manages to almost pull off the clichéd ending which, in less sincere hands, would degenerate into maudlin schmaltz. I'd love to sit down with him and hear more of his story over a cup of coffee, but watching him in this solo gives the impression that he's trying to be a stand-up comedian, complete with wacky characters and impersonations. If he would just be himself, he could completely charm an audience with his forthright honesty. No impersonations required.
|
Try onlineseats.com for great seats to
Wicked Jersey Boys The Little Mermaid Lion King Shrek The Musical South Pacific In the Heights Playbill 2007-08 Yearbook Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide |