BWW Reviews: BUYER AND CELLAR at GSP is Fantastic

"That's all acting and directing is, a form of play."

-Buyer and Cellar

Buyer and Cellar is now on stage at George Street Playhouse through March 29th. This one-man show is written by Jonathan Tolins, directed by the theatre's Artistic Director, David Saint and stars the ever-talented John Tartaglia. Picture perfect staging and Tartaglia's incredible performance compliment the clever premise of this play.

Buyer and Cellar uses Barbra Streisand's coffee table book, My Passion for Design as the platform for the plot. It is a fictional tale of an underemployed actor, Alex More (John Tartaglia) who becomes the paid curator of Streisand's collection of costumes, dolls, clocks and other items that are meticulously arranged in a faux shopping mall located in the basement of her lavish Malibu Beach property. As Streisand ventures into the cellar to act as a "buyer," Alex becomes the shopkeeper, confidant and even the drama coach to the famous actress in a hilarious series of scenes. This quirky, yet touching play is truly unique. As the story evolves, the personality of each character becomes more and more interesting.

Tartaglia seamlessly makes rapid character transitions as he plays the multiple roles of Alex, Barbra Streisand, the grouchy supervisor at the estate, and his boyfriend, Barry. He nails each and every part with just the right tenor. You will laugh out loud when Alex fusses about the doll store playing shopkeeper or when Barry shows his contempt for Streisand's discontent. But the most captivating scenes are those that occur between Alex and Streisand. Tartaglia brings so much verve to the character of the iconic actress and songstress that you will forget that there is only one actor onstage.

You may not leave the theater being a Barbra Streisand admirer, but the show will definitely make you a John Tartaglia fan. See it with friends and I suggest you will want to see it again.

Once again GSP has assembled a fine design team to bring Buyer and Cellar to life with original scenic design by Andrew Boyce, lighting design by Christopher J. Bailey, projection design by Alex Koch.

Buyer and Cellar is onstage at George Street Playhouse through March 29th. The show is 90 minutes without an intermission. The theatre is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick in the heart of the city's bustling arts district. They are easily reached by mass transit and convenient parking is available nearby. Tickets may be purchased by calling (732) 246-7717 or visiting www.GSPonline.org.

Photo Credit: T. Charles Erickson

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