Theater Review by Michael Dale . . .
With Manhattan temperatures regularly hitting the mid-90s this July, even the most serious-minded theatergoer is apt to be searching for frothier fare than a four-and-a-half-hour-long Eugene O’Neill revival.
Fortunately, puppeteers Dorothy James and Andy Manjuck‘s Bill’s 44th, playing a stint at HERE before venturing off for a second visit to the Edinburgh Fringe, is a joyful hour of good breezy fun for adults.
And yet . . . hear me out for a moment . . . between the laughs, smiles, and delighted chortles, Bill’s 44th does touch upon some of the issues O’Neill approached in his lengthy exploration of alcohol-infused disillusionment and loneliness, The Iceman Cometh.
But don’t worry. Part of the wonder of this piece is that it addresses the more somber aspects of growing into middle age without defusing the fun and creative surprises. And it’s no spoiler to tell you that Bill’s 44th has a massively happy ending that will send you cheerfully on your way into a hopefully somewhat cooler evening.
Our hero Bill, who is indeed celebrating his 44th birthday in this wordless presentation, is represented from the waist up by a life-sized puppet maneuvered onstage by Manjuck, who controls his head and one arm, and puppet designer James, who handles the other arm. A loveable nerdy dude with a swinger attitude, Bill sports a healthy dad bod under a big white sweater, and his oval head is graced by little more than thick eyebrows and a mustache.
At the outset, with Manjuck‘s legs providing his lower half, Bill is merrily dancing a spirited mambo in his bachelor pad (exposed brick!) to the opening rhythms of composer Eamon Fogarty’s soundtrack, reminiscent of those orchestral pop and swing LPs from the 60s that were frequently titled, “ . . . for Lovers.”
Bill is preparing quite a shindig for his yet-to-arrive guests, mixing a punch out of generous pours from bottles labeled “Alcohol,” “Liquor,” and “Booze,” assembling a plate of crudités, and breaking open a bag of potato chips. Impressive feats when you consider the two puppeteers are working their hands in tandem.
It looks like the party is about to get going when the doorbell chimes, but after two false alarms (a present from his mom left at the door and a pizza delivery to the wrong apartment), it seems that, perhaps, nobody’s coming.
After a couple more swigs of punch, Bill starts hallucinating that his decorations and refreshments have evolved into an apartment packed with guests (puppeteer Jon Riddleberger portrays additional characters), but not necessarily the welcome kind.
But before the evening can digress into full-on Eugene O’Neill territory, that gift from Mom helps Bill remember the boy he once was, and the man he has become in the ensuing decades.
Perhaps the simple message behind Bill’s 44th is to remember to love yourself before expecting others to love you. By the final blackout, our hero has learned the value of self-celebration and has discovered that once that happens, we in the audience are more than willing to join in the festivities.
Bill’s 44th. Through July 28 at HERE (145 6th Avenue, between Spring and Dominick Streets). www.here.org/shows/bills-44th/
Photos: Richard Termine