>> MANY HOLIDAY THEATER SHOWS
ARE ABOUT TO OPEN BUT TONIGHT
WE LOOK AT SHOWS BEYOND THE
NUTCRACKER, WE ARE JOINED BY
HEDY WEISS.
FOR SHOW UP IS "LOOKINGGLASS
ALICE".
YOU SAY THIS IS THE
QUINTESSENTIAL LOOKING GLASS
THEATER.
>> FIRST, IT IS THEIR NAMESAKE
SHOW THEY ARE MASTERS OF CIRCUS
AND MOVEMENT AND LOGIC AND
ILLOGIC AND THE OTHER REASON
THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT ON AND
OFF FOR 10 YEARS AND THIS MUST
BE REALLY THE BEST ADDITION OF
IT.
WE HAVE A LITTLE CLIP WITH
ALICE IN HER ENCOUNTER WITH THE
RED QUEEN.
>> CAN YOU TELL ME HOW I COULD
GET TO THE OTHER SIDE SO THAT I
MAY BECOME A QUEEN?
>> RUN, RUN, RUN.
>> SHE IS RUNNING AS FAST AS
SHE CAN.
YOU SAY IT IS MODERN.
>> THERE ARE ONLY FIVE ACTORS
AND EVERYONE IS NOT ONLY A
MASTER AT ACROBATICS AND
CIRCUS, MUSICAL INTERLUDES AND
DANCING, DANCING ON CHAIRS
TANGLES, WALTZES THEY ARE
FEARLESS AND THEY ALSO PLAY
MULTIPLE CHARACTERS IN THE COME
BACK IN 1 MILLION DIFFERENT
DISGUISES.
ALSO THEY MUST HAVE AN OXYGEN
MACHINE BACKSTAGE BECAUSE THEY
JUST GO FOR 90 MINUTES.
IT IS VERY CLEVER.
TWO ACTRESSES ARE ALTERNATING
IN THE ALICE ROLL.
>> IN TERMS OF THE
FAITHFULNESS OF THE MATERIAL
WHAT WOULD LEWIS CARROLL MAKE
OF IT?
>> I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE
SEEN IT WITH LEWIS CARROLL
BECAUSE I THINK HE WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT HOW THEY COULD MAKE
THIS REAL.
EVERYTHING HE DID IN TERMS OF
MEANINGS AND TIME AND RHYMES
AND RIDDLES, IT ALL BECOMES
REAL ON THE STAGE.
I SAW ADULTS LOOKING AT IT LIKE
THIS, SORT OF IT'S A GREAT
SHOW.
NOT TOO YOUNG BUT CHILDREN
CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE IT.
>> OUR NEXT SHOW IS SOMETHING
THAT WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY
IT'S CALLED THE "THE TESTAMENT
OF MARY".
>> THIS IS A ONE WOMAN SHOW
THE FAMOUS IRISH NOVELIST.
YOU COULD SAY IT'S A BIT
HERETICAL SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY
THAT BUT I SAY IT'S KIND OF
REALISM.
IT'S TAKING THE GREATEST STORY
EVER TOLD BUT BEING TOLD BY THE
SO-CALLED VIRGIN MARY.
SHE DENIES THAT SHE IS.
LATER IN LIFE.
SHE LOOKS BACK AT THE VERY
WORST EVENT OF HER LIFE WHICH
WAS THE LOST OF HER SON.
WE HAVE A CLIP IN WHICH WE SEE
MARY TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE
FIRST STARTED TO SEND HER SON
WAS MOVING AWAY FROM HER.
THEY HAD BEEN CLOSE AND NOW HE
WAS MOVING AWAY.
>> I DID NOT EAT MUCH.
AND I DO NOT REMEMBER THE FOOD.
ALTHOUGH MY SON AND I SAT
BESIDE EACH OTHER FOR MORE THAN
TWO HOURS WE DID NOT SPEAK.
THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD HAVE
SPOKEN UP.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE
SPEAKING TO THE STARS OR THE
FULL MOON.
>> THAT IS ACTRESS LINDA
WRIGHT SHE DOES A WONDERFUL
JOB.
IT SOUNDS VERY DARK AND IT IS
DARK BUT IT IS ALSO VERY FUNNY.
AND SHE IS WONDERFUL AND SHE
DESCRIBES HIS FOLLOWERS IT'S
KIND OF LIKE A'60S CALLED SHE
CALLS THEM THE TWITCH YOURS AND
THE MISFITS AND THEY ARE
OBVIOUSLY OUTCASTS ALL OF THEM
AND SHE IS VERY MOCKING ABOUT
THEM.
SHE IS BEING PURSUED BY THE
WRITER OF THE GOSPEL, ONE OF
THE WRITERS OF THE GOSPEL AND
SHE WILL HAVE NONE OF IT.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PLAY
YOU RIGHT SHE NOTES THAT SHE
THOUGHT RAISING LAZARUS WAS A
MISTAKE.
>> RATIONALE IS THAT HUMAN
BEING SHOULD NOT BE PLAYING
GOD.
THAT IS KIND OF A TOUCHY
SUBJECT TO SAY THAT.
AND ALSO YOU CAN'T MESS WITH
NATURE AND SHE THOUGHT THAT IS
WHAT THAT WAS AND SHE THOUGHT
IN PART THAT WAS WHY HE BECAME
SO DANGEROUS.
>> WHAT DOES THE AUDIENCE TAKE
AWAY FROM THIS DO YOU THINK?
WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY?
>> I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE
WATCHED THIS WITH POPE FRANCIS
AND AFTERWARD I WOULD HAVE
LIKED TO HAVE SAT DOWN WITH HIM
AND SAID WELL, YOU ARE A MODERN
THINKER IN MANY WAYS IS THIS
BABY THE WAY IT REALLY
HAPPENED?
THAT IS WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM
IT.
>> THE UNKNOWABLE.
NEXT IS SORT OF A HOLIDAY SHOW
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU
THOUGHT OF THE " THE HUMANS".
>> IT ALREADY HAS A DATE IN
NEW YORK WITH A DIFFERENT
PRODUCTION.
I THINK YOU CAN EITHER LOVE IT
OR HATE IT OR START OUT HATING
IT IN AT THE END LOVING IT.
IT'S ABOUT A FAMILY,
DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY THAT
GATHERS AT THANKSGIVING AND A
REALLY CRUMMY APARTMENT IN NEW
YORK THAT HASN'T HAD THE
FURNITURE MOVED IN YEARS AND
EACH ONE HAS PROBLEMS.
WE SEE A PAIR IN WHICH THEY ARE
SITTING AT DINNER AND THEY ARE
SAYING GRACE AND THE
GRANDMOTHER WITH DEMENTIA
SUDDENLY HOOKS ONTO SOMETHING.
>> FROM MY BOUNTY TO CHRIST
OUR LORD, AMEN.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER BRIDGET AND
AMY?
AMY AND BRIDGET?
>> DIG IN.
DON'T WAIT.
>> EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT.
>> YES.
>> IT IS A RAINBOW CHARD SALAD
PACKED WITH NUTRIENTS.
>> YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB.
>> AWESOME.
>> DIG A HOLE SHOWER.
>> SO I THINK IF YOU CAN SAY
THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS GOING
ON LIKE EVERYBODY HAS TOO MANY
THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR LIFE.
THERE IS THE DEMENTIA, THERE IS
THE LOSS OF A FINANCIAL FUTURE.
THERE IS A HEALTH SCARE.
>> THERE IS A SCANDAL.
>> THERE IS A SCANDAL.
THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP OF THE
YUPPIE GIRL AND HER BOYFRIEND
WHO HAS DEPRESSION AND SHE'S
NOT EVERYTHING SHE'S CRACKED UP
TO BE.I'VE SEEN OTHER PLACE
BY THIS PLAYWRIGHT THIS IS ONE
OF HIS TECHNIQUES.
EITHER AT SOME POINT YOU GO
ENOUGH OR YOU GO I KNOW THAT
PERSON AND I KNOW THAT PERSON
AND THEY JUST HAPPEN TO ALL BE
AT THE SAME TABLE.
>> A TABLE MOST PEOPLE WOULD
PROBABLY NOT WANT TO BE AT.
[LAUGHTER]
>> IT TURNS OUT TO BE ABSURD
AND QUITE TOUCHING AT THE END.
>> YOU LOVED IT MORE THAN I
DID.
I'VE BEEN TO SEVERAL SHOWS
THERE AND HAVE BEEN MESMERIZED
THIS ONE MAYBE NOT SO MUCH.
>> INCLUDING ANOTHER ONE THAT
WAS AT A TABLE AT THE
RESTAURANT.
>> MY WIFE DID LOVE IT.
THE ENSEMBLE ACTING WHAT DID
YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> I SAW THE DIRECTOR JOE
MONTELLO FROM BROADWAY HE IS
DIRECTING HE HAPPENED TO COME
AND SEE IT.
IF I WERE HIM, I WOULD SAY IT
IS DIRECTED BY PJ POPPER RALLY
THE ACTORS ARE REALLY GOOD JUST
LIKE LIFTED AND BRING IT THERE.