#thenance

[dacub83]

#techiscoming #set #setdesign #theatre #smallspace #smallbudget #bigshow #thenance

[dacub83]

#lightcages #burlesquedressingroom #thenance #gypsy and other shows! #theatre

[marvinjamal730]

#thatsnotmyname #Nancy #TheNance #DontCallMeThat #littleshit #ihateyousomuchrightnow LOVE YOU JWEED

[nytheatrereviews-blog]

The Nance: No Wimp of a Show

Nathan Lane packs in a versatile powerhouse performance in The Nance at the Lyceum Theatre.   The play is set in 1937 Manhattan, and tells the story of Chauncey Mills, a burlesque performer who is famous for portraying a character known as “The nance,” an effeminate clown who makes gay double entendres that are meant for comic purposes.  In reality, homosexual acts are punishable by law and the famous performer himself is known to frequent local cruising spots that are surveyed by undercover cops.  In the first scene we see him in one such place, a dinner, where he sits reading a newspaper.  An older gent walks by clinking his spoon in his tea which prompts Chauncey to place his hat unwelcomingly on the chair next to him.  When a young handsome drifter takes his place, Chauncey casually removes the hat.  The boy’s name is Ned (played with puppy dog naivety by Jonny Orsini), he has just come down from Buffalo, where he has left his wife, knowing that he has sexual feelings for men.  Chauncey takes him in and gives him a bed for the night, one which he doesn’t leave for quite some time.

Meanwhile we meet the other burlesque performers at the Irving Place Theatre, the homophobic Efram (the comedic turned serious Lewis J. Stadlen), who sneers at Chauncey’s behavior, but still remains his friend, and the three female burlesque performers who are the real reason men come to the show (and who we find out, Chauncey’s queer fans work off in the balcony after the ladies get them hot), Sylvie, Joan, and Carmen, played by very talented performers, including miss Cady Huffman, who won a Tony working with Lane in The Producers.  The theatre is where the show’s highlights take place, since every other scene is a skit from the burlesque performance, we see these talented actors flip from uproarious physical comedy to the serious drama happening backstage.  Lane is by far the most accomplished actor in the show.  He’s in nearly every scene and alternates aguish to lightheartedness so effortlessly.  His timing is spot on. One has to wonder how at age 57 an actor could be put through a workout such as this and never falter, but that’s what has always beguiled me about the craft. I sat in the front row his performance looked as easy for him as breathing.  It's also to the show's credit that it's written to match his vaudvillian style of acting. 

The off-stage scenes involve domestic life between Chauncey and Ned.  Chauncey is “of another time” so he puts it.  He has lived a life of discreet trysts in the park and picking up “trades” as he calls them.  He doesn’t have the capacity or patience to love, even the handsome Ned who is nearly 30 years younger than him and seems infallibly committed and loving (not something you see every day).  This causes Ned pain and ultimately sums up the show’s main point, which is the cost that gay men paid at a time when society is was so much against them that they could lose their jobs and be thrown in jail for kissing in public or even casually dinning together.  The law’s decency standards have damaged Chauncey to the point of no return—he finds love, but can’t believe he is deserving of it. 

The set and lighting design are spot on.  The play is beautiful to look at.  The rotating set allows the actors to move from the backstage set piece to the stage without us ever losing sight of them.  Watching Lane bounce from a scene of drunken yelling, to crying, to performing a burlesque comedy routine, is thrilling.  There’s something here for everybody, even if you don’t care about the domestic or political scenes, the show is entertaining enough as a vaudeville act with dramatic pauses.  I for one enjoyed the variety that the show had to offer immensely.  It all worked together so well, it entertained and educated.  For a straight (but gay) play on Broadway, you won’t get more bang for your buck this season.

Rating: ****1/2 stars out of five.