Last week, I spent a few blissful hours in NYC catching some marvelous shows.  Boy is a provocative new off-Broadway play which takes its inspiration from a real-life event.  In the 1960s, a young couple has twin boys and, during their circumcision, an accident shears off the penis of one of the boys (I know many of you instinctively covered your genitals – I did the same thing in the theatre).  Since the children are infants, the parents are presented with an interesting option – do they raise the castrated child as a sexually disfigured boy, or do they have the doctor construct a vagina, put the kid on estrogen, and raise him as a girl?  During this time period, most doctors believed nurture trumped nature.  The idea was that if the child were raised as a girl and had no knowledge of this medical history, “she” would grow up to be a well-adjusted female.  But, there’s something called puberty, and when that kicks in, so does nature.  It’s a provocative play – and an extraordinary role to be played by an extraordinary actor.  Bobby Steggert is such an actor and more than up to the challenge of playing the titular “boy”.  His sensitivity and struggle are palpable, and he never once lapses into caricature.

I’m not even sure how to describe Something Rotten – it’s as if Spamalot and Book of Mormon had a baby, which was raised by The Producers.  It’s irreverent, it’s outrageous, and it’s hysterical.  The story of two brothers trying to one-up William Shakespeare is crazy enough.  Throw in some catchy tunes and witty lyrics with triple entendres which send up virtually every show in Broadway history.  Add in great direction and choreography that makes a chorus line of old women in walkers seem tame.  And it all comes together in Something Rotten – one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.  While Brian d’Arcy James and John Cariani are the “stars”, the show is ably stolen by Christian Borle (as a buff rock star of a Shakespeare) and Brad Oscar (the lesser-known befuddled nephew of Nostradamus).  There’s not a bad performance on that stage.  I was certain I knew one of the sexy men skillfully playing various roles in the ensemble.  Sure enough, it was Aleks Pevec – who I vividly remembered from the 2007 LA production of Chess.  Yet another reason to check out Something Rotten.

It should be mentioned that when Borle leaves Something Rotten, he will go directly into the Broadway revival of Falsettos (previews begin on September 29th).  That show will also feature our very own Andrew Rannells.  But what’s more exciting is the musical Borle will be doing after Falsettos.  Alas, I’ve been sworn to secrecy.

My next theatrical stop was Charles Busch‘s Cleopatra.  At this point, it’s almost silly to trot out superlatives about what Charles and his troupe do.  I am repeatedly astonished by the skill, talent, and love that his efforts convey.  As usual, the entire run sold out even before the first preview.  But Busch has earned a loyal following and always delivers to us, his disciples.  The production has the joy and energy of kids putting on a show in their backyard – and that joy and energy comes right back at them from the audience.  Charles’ Cleo is kinda like if Susan Hayward played the role, with more than a dash of Mae West.  He steals snatches from Claudette Colbert, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor…and even Barbra Streisand (you have to see it).  Busch is surrounded by a fabulous cast – most notably Tony Sheldon (from Priscilla), who plays Caesar, Caesar’s wife Calpurnia, and one of Caesar’s successors, Marcus Lepidus.  What Tony does with his voice is mind-boggling – very reminiscent of early Peter Sellers from The Goon Show.  Although the run is technically sold out, there are a few tickets being released before each performance.  Try to snag one at SmartTix.com – the show closes on April 17.