Directed by Aimee Todoroff and Tonya Pinkins and now in performances at the Gloria Maddox Theatre, Visionary Voices begins with Susan Glaspell's Trifles, followed by Marita Bonner's Exit: An Illusion and ending with Glaspell's The People - three wonderful plays that are more engaging and poignant in their single acts than many full length shows ever have the opportunity of being. All three plays take place at or near the start of the twentieth century, craftily combining themes as relevant today as they were then - collaborating with suspenseful plots, troubled characters and questionable motives that, when put together, show just how clever Todoroff and Pinkins are. In both the structure of this show as a whole and the effect it has on the audience, the truth here is that Visionary Voices is more than a statement - it is definitely a production worth your time.
During her recent show at 54 Below, Rebecca Luker's renditions of 16 Jerome Kern songs-some of which were more obscure pre-1920 ditties-were lovely and engaging. But as a complete nightclub performance, Luker's show was neither a compelling one-woman concert nor captivating cabaret.
The NYC400 is the first-ever list of New York City's ultimate movers and shakers since the City's founding?from politics, the arts, business, sports, science, and entertainment.