Review Roundup: THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY Opens Off-Broadway

Following a sold-out run at Dixon Place, the limited 12-week engagement of the critically-acclaimed new play The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey officially opens tonight, July 27, 2015, at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43 Street).

THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, the new play written and performed by James Lecesne, will have scenic design by Jo Winiarski, lighting design by Matt Richards, sound design by Christian Frederickson, projection design by Aaron Rhyne, original animation & photography by Matthew Sandager, and costumes by Paul Marlow. 'ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS' is directed by Tony Speciale, with original music by Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik.

James Lecesne portrays every character in a small Jersey shore town as they unravel the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant 14-year-old boy who goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he disappears, Leonard becomes the unexpected inspiration for a town as they question how they live, who they love and what they leave behind.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Charles Isherwood, New York Times: Among the most remarkable - and moving - aspects of Mr. Lecesne's show is how vividly Leonard himself is evoked, although he is not a character in it, just a blurred image seen on a screen. We come away sharing Marion's feeling of loss, Ellen's feeling of indignation, but mostly the admiration all of Leonard's friends share for his tenacious belief in being true to himself in a world that was often hostile, and ultimately fatal.

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter: There's so much to admire about The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey that one practically feels guilty for not liking it more. James Lecesne's solo play about the disappearance of a 14-year-old boy is clearly a labor of love, and the writer-actor, playing nearly a dozen characters, delivers a tour-de-force performance. But for all its good intentions, the piece...feels thin and formulaic...It's a touching tale, but the hyper-theatrical manner in which it's presented inevitably places more emphasis on the performer than on the story. The characterizations border on the stereotypical and the one-liners too often feel forced, giving the evening the feel of an elongated sketch. Still, the show's message of tolerance is important and, unfortunately, all too relevant at a time when hate crimes still occur with frightening frequency. Through its illuminating lesson, at least, Leonard Pelkey shines brightly.

Marilyn Stasio, Variety: Chances are writer-performer James Lecesne will not leap down from the stage and slap you around for being unmoved by "The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey," his earnest one-man show lamenting the death of a sensitive gay teenager who was murdered for being sensitive and gay. But the threat of emotional blackmail still hangs over this sentimental play...Spinning in and out of character, Lecesne adopts a distinctive stance and voice, rather than costumes and props, to keep someone like Leonard's earthy aunt Helen, who raises the alarm when Leonard goes missing, distinct from her 16-year-old daughter, Phoebe, who offers the most succinct description of the missing youth...Not all of these characters are convincing, but what they have to say about Leonard is very interesting, indeed...Although we never actually meet Leonard but come to know him from the fond memories of his neighbors, he seems very much alive.

Adam Feldman, Time Out NY: In his new one-man show, adapted from his 2008 young-adult novel, Lecesne plays nine denizens of a small New Jersey town, where an effeminate and headstrong 14-year-old boy has disappeared. The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey's antibullying message is beyond reproach, and it pulls heartstrings successfully. But the characters are familiar and often bluntly drawn...and the central mystery lacks depth and suspense. A blend of Law & Order, The Laramie Projectand Encyclopedia Brown, the play does not sprout far enough beyond its teen-lit roots.

Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News: Colorful characters spill out of James Lecesne, like the door to central casting. First out, a good-hearted detective in small-town New Jersey. Then a ballsy beautician and her geeky teen daughter, a posh drama coach, a regretful father and others. Each plays a role in Lecesne's engrossing and touching one-man work...Guided by director Tony Speciale and aided by moody music from Duncan Sheik, Lecesne crafts an airtight 75-minute story about tolerance, evil and legacy. It's police procedural laced with pointed, but too preachy, public service..."Leonard Pelkey" is streaked with darkness, but Lecesne shines bright.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post: Part police procedural, part slice of life, the show is about the impact a flamboyant 14-year-old boy had on his Jersey Shore hometown. Looking back on the case that "put us on the MapQuest" -- Leonard's disappearance -- detective Chuck DeSantis recalls interviewing the friends, family and foes of a teen so out and proud, he made himself a pair of rainbow-soled platform sneakers...All of them...are played by Lecesne, who never stoops to caricature. Instead, he goes from character to character via swift changes in posture and accent, along with evocative observations... Lecesne...delivers a message of acceptance without being preachy. Intimate and affectionate, "Absolute Brightness" is about the difference one person can make -- and perhaps, with any luck, one show.

Jesse Green, Vulture: We should not need Leonard to be a great glowing soul in order to find his murder horrible...the Leonard project, based on Lecesne's 2008 young adult novel Absolute Brightness, carries over from its source the slight aroma of youth fiction, with its opportunistic sentimentality and simplified moral universe. It is also content to wrap its good intentions in a genre that now seems hackneyed. As a performer, Lecesne hits all his marks, nimbly transforming (in Tony Speciale's paint-by-numbers staging) from one character to another by rotating 360 degrees and altering his voice and stance...If the play weren't so sincere, you'd have to laugh. As it is, you simply disengage from the story, refocusing on the technique. And though Lecesne is an experienced storyteller...the genre needs more than mimicry to achieve expressiveness -- if expressiveness is even possible anymore in a format that asks so much of its cast.

Michael Glitz, The Huffington Post: Performer James Lecesne's latest one-man show confirms what everyone has known for two decades or more: he's a terrific performer. Lecesne creates clearly defined characters with a shrug of his shoulders and a change in his voice. Minimal props help him populate the stage with everyone from an awkward teen girl to a regular guy cop to a seen-it-all old lady puffing away on a cigarette with the raspy bark to show for it. As a showcase for Lecesne, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey succeeds...As a piece of theater, unfortunately, it fails. The story is cliched, the characters thin and literally nothing that happens truly comes alive or surprises. Only Lecesne's innate talent and considerable gifts (not to mention some crowd-pleasing jokes of the too-easy variety) make it a diverting affair.

Check back for updates!

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy