'As the World Turns' Alum Colleen Zenk Mesmerizes in "Other Desert Cities"

Brenda Withers, Colleen Zenk, Peggy J. Scott, Malachy Cleary and
Davy Raphaely star in "Other Desert Cities" at Hudson Stage Company.
Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

Three-time Emmy Award nominee Colleen Zenk is best known for her 32-year run as Barbara Ryan on As the World Turns. From 1978 to 2010, viewers saw Barbara go from young heroine to town bitch to mother-from-hell, and many places in between. Since the iconic daytime drama ended its run five years ago, Zenk has played a number of fascinating characters on stage and screen. Her turn as Tallulah Bankhead in "Looped" was absolutely fascinating, and her portrayal of a madame in the Old West in Thurston earned her two Indie Series Award nominations. She is currently starring as Polly Wyeth in "Other Desert Cities" at Hudson Stage Company in Armonk, New York, and her performance is, once again, mesmerizing audiences.

In "Other Desert Cities," it's Christmas Eve in Palm Springs, and novelist Brooke Wyeth (Brenda Withers) is back home from new York to celebrate the holidays with her well-heeled parents, brother and aunt. The long-awaited reunion is soon set alight by a bombshell: Brooke is about publish a tell-all memoir that exposes the most painful chapter of the Wyeths' buried past, one that has impacted the lives of the entire family.

Brenda Withers, Colleen Zenk and Davy Raphaely.
Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

As Brooke's mother, Polly, Zenk's portrayal is at times both hilarious and heart-breaking, and she brings Jon Robin Baitz's words to life in such a riveting way that you can't take your eyes off the stage.

Rounding out the stellar cast are Malachy Cleary as Lyman Wyeth, Davy Raphaely as Trip Wyeth, and Peggy J. Scott as Silda Grauman. This must-see production of "Other Desert Cities" is directed by Dan Foster, who recently directed Zenk and Raphaely in a Nantucket production of the show.

"Other Desert Cities" runs through October 31. For tickets and more information, visit hudsonstage.com.

"Looped" at Stageworks/Hudson: Ms. Tallulah Zenk Takes Us On A Transcendent Theatrical Safari

Colleen Zenk stars as Tallulah Bankhead in "Looped" -
Photo: Sue Coflin: Max Photos

In the pantheon of famous postmodern, sex-positive, third-wave feminist contrarians, many of whom are now genuine American icons, Tallulah Bankhead remains a paradigm of the art of performance, even a half-century after her passing.

Before Lady Gaga, Jane Fonda and The Superstars of Andy Warhol's Factory (in fact, before the television, film and radio industries even existed), Tallulah was a bearer of that particular cultural space treasured, even venerated, by those of us who champion the soap opera. That space where actors and their characters achieve singularity, and where the memories of the daily exposition of the story are inextricably entangled with the day-to-day drama of our own lives, both public and private.

Where does the guile and contrivance of the theater end, and the realness of, well, real life, begin? I am very grateful - delighted - that the star of LOOPED, Colleen Zenk, and Stageworks/Hudson, under the elegant and canny direction of Laura Margolis, conspire to liberate us from such boundaries as curtains and footlights, reinforcing the romantic, even Bankheadean conviction, "All the world's a stage."

REVIEW: Run To See "My Big Gay Italian Funeral"

Run, don't walk to see the fabulous new play "My Big Gay Italian Funeral," a funny heartwarming story of a dysfunctional family dealing with death and the drama that comes along with it. Creator, producer, and actor Anthony J. Wilkinson's writing rings true and his characters are brought vividly to life in expert performances.

As if stepping up as the head if the family wasn't stressful enough for Anthony Pinnunziato, superbly played by Wilkinson himself, he has to deal with the return of a brother he hasn't had a relationship with for over 15 years. While "My Big Gay Italian Funeral" progress it becomes apparent that through all the hilarious banter, what lays at the heart of this story is love.

REVIEW: "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" Still Going Strong Off-Broadway

Anthony Wilkinson & Brandon Goins are currently starring in "My Big
Gay Italian Wedding" at St. Luke's Theatre

Anthony Wilkinson’s soapy comedy of love and emotional ennui, "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" is still going strong Off-Broadway, where it's charming audiences with a smart script and hilarious performances. Writer Anthony Wilkinson portrays Anthony Pinnunziato, a wacky but lovable Italian guy who surprises his family with news he is going to get married to his Polish boyfriend, Andrew (Brandon Goins). What ensues after the announcement is comedy gold.

Add to the mix Anthony’s eclectic group of friends, his best friend Mario (Drew Little), waring exes Lucia and Connie (Liz Gerecitano, Meagan Robar), the Diva Rodney (Erik Ransom, who also plays another FUN role), and the adorable Frankie (Nick Varricchio). Then theres Gregorio (Paul Moon), a friend from Andrew’s past who threatens the couple’s happy ending.

Theater Review: "A Dance For Rylie" Soars

by Damon L. Jacobs

Some of my favorite stories on daytime were told with characters who yearned to be together despite having profound individual differences and emotional and physical barriers to overcome.   Steve and Kayla on DAYS, Todd and Blair on OLTL, and more recently Olivia and Natalia on GL, were all great examples of couples where shame and fear became the biggest obstacle to love, versus tired gimmicks like dead spouses and evil twins.   I was reminded of these more interesting and complex relationships while enjoying A Dance For Rylie, a new musical being performed at 45 Bleecker Street, in New York,  NY.

Rylie (Philip Deyesso) learns he is HIV positive during the first few minutes of the show.  His initial instinct, as is for many, is to isolate himself and cut off from friends and family.  Fortunately his best bud Samantha (Kimberly Michelle Thomas) coaxes him into a night on the town, during which he meets and falls in love with HIV negative Matthew (Adam Ryan Tackett).  How does Rylie overcome his shame and fear while getting closer to the man he loves? How does he respond to his mind's messages to run away from Matthew while his heart begs him to let go?  These are exactly the conflicts that made the aforementioned couples on daytime so compelling, and what makes "A Dance For Rylie" such a fascinating and rewarding theater experience.

THEATER REVIEW: "Marrying George Clooney" Delivers Big Bang for Entertainment Buck

No doubt the three modern, mature women of Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis (MGC) are familiar with Coco Chanel's timeless sartorial advice, "Before you leave home, look at yourself in the mirror and take one thing off." It seems to me that this poignant and funny confessional comedy is presently in the process of checking itself out in the mirror. Still in its infancy, the spanking-new work displays an abundance of energy, ideas and inspiration. But it would, no doubt, benefit from more focus and refinement. Luckily, that's what nonprofit theater organizations like CAP 21, host of MGC's world premiere, are for.

THEATER REVIEW: Robin Strasser, Special Discount Elevate Show to "Must See" Status

For the present iteration of Nora and Delia Ephron's adorable "Love, Loss, and What I Wore," the legendary artists behind ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Hon. Dorian Lord, GOSSIP GIRL's Countess Dorota Kishlovsky, and GILLIGAN'S ISLAND's Mary Ann Summers appear live and in person at the intimate Westside Theater. For soap fans, it's a dream cast, but it won't be here for much longer.  A new quintet will take over in March--so grab your girlfriends now, and go!

WLS Theater Review: "Follies"

A group of friends come together for one last hurrah when a beloved institution of yesteryear is set to be destroyed after it is perceived as obsolete and antiquated.  They reminisce about how things “used to be” and reflect pensively on choices made in their youth. Am I describing a 2011 soap gathering, or the opening moments of Broadway’s new revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1971 musical “Follies?”  Sadly, it could apply to both.  So it’s a damn good thing that “Follies” dazzles, amazes, and astounds its audience, while sharing stories of ruin, regret, and remorse. 

For those unfamiliar with the premise, the show takes place on the eve of destruction of the Weismann “Follies” theater, a New York palace that housed skimpily clothed female singer and dancers between the two major World Wars.  Thirty years after the shows stopped running, we learn the theater, “in a final burst of glory, will become a parking lot.”  The ingenues of Follies past, and their husbands, are gathered in 1971 for one last night of singing, dancing, remembering, and questioning. 

WLS Theater Review: "The Normal Heart"

Do you remember the summer of 1981 when a strange form of “gay cancer” began to sweep through the New York community?  Do you remember when the government refused to fund research to learn about the unknown disease that was decimating a generation of gay men? Do you remember when there was no medical way to find out if you were a carrier of this mysterious illness? Do you remember fearing that you could be the one spreading it to everyone else? Do you remember when you would run into a friend on the street and learn a week later they were dead?  Do you remember watching someone you love decompensate and die right in front of you?

If you are younger than 40, then you may not have a memory, much less knowledge, of any of these happenings that were so common in the early years of the AIDS epidemic.  That, in and of itself, is reason enough to see the new Tony Award-nominated staging of Larry Kramer’s, “The Normal Heart.” But aside from the historical and educational relevance of the 1985 play, there is an electricity in this staging that embodies the urgency and desperation experienced in those early traumatic years.  This is exactly the passionate and pertinent production that is so needed in a 21st century society that would rather deny and forget the impact of HIV and AIDS. 

Beyond the powerful messages, moral quandaries, and political struggles presented, the audience is also treated to first rate acting.  From the very back of the theater, I could feel actor Joe Mantello unraveling in his astonishing performance as Ned Weeks.  As the tortured activist (based on playwright Kramer himself), Mantello captures all the self-loathing, confusion, anger, and impulsive energy that infused Kramer’s early responses to the AIDS crisis.  It is fascinating and uncomfortable to see this actor popping out of his skin as he witnesses the infrastructure of his world collapsing around him.

Other standout performances include Jim Parsons (BIG BANG THEORY), contributing a stirring and inspiring performance as a young southern activist caught up in the trauma and tragedy, while Lee Pace (PUSHING DAISIES) portrays a grounded, rational, and torn president of a new gay organization.  Benjamin Hickey (THE BIG C) lends the entire production a layer of emotional gravity which makes you wish the theater gave you Kleenex on the way in, while Ellen Barkin (BEFORE WOMEN HAD WINGS) brings all the action to a grinding halt in her profound and shocking performance as the doctor who urges Weeks to rally gay men to action.  Her monologue in the second act denouncing the government’s lack of research funding literally gave me chills and provided a moment in theater that no one in the audience will soon forget. 

Thirty years later, why revive “The Normal Heart?” Because contrary to what you may hear, people with HIV and AIDS are still suffering. Nineteen states have cut funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) thereby making it impossible for people in need to have access to the medicines they can save their lives, and more states may soon follow suit.  Service organizations that help to provide housing, food, and clothing for people with HIV are facing severe budget cuts in the third year of our worst recession since before the crisis started.  Even in the best of circumstances, the medicines that are available do not work for every body.  And yes, “The Normal Heart” reminds us that people we know and love are still dying from this ferocious disease, and more than 18,000 will die from AIDS this year.  Kramer’s play will tell you what the news won’t:  It was unconscionable to sit back and ignore AIDS in 1981, and it is unacceptable to do nothing about it in 2011. 

The We Love Soaps TV Team is walking in the 2011 New York AIDS Walk this Sunday, May 15th, to raise much needed funds for Gay Men’s Health Crisis, God’s Love We Deliver, and other service organizations that help to provide health care, food, shelter, and mental health programs for people living with HIV.  A simple donation makes it possible for someone living with this disease to have a meal, a coat, life saving drugs, and an improved quality of life.  If you can’t come see “The Normal Heart” then please consider the messages behind it.  AIDS kills.  We can change the world through our actions.  Let’s start changing it today.

S.A.S.S. (Short Attention Soap Summary)

WHAT IS IT:  "The Normal Heart" written by Larry Kramer, directed by Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, featuring Ellen Barkin, Joe Mantello, John Benjamin Hickey, Jim Parsons, as well as Luke MacFarlane (BROTHERS & SISTERS) and Wayne Alan Wilcox (GILMORE GIRLS).

WHY SOAP FANS WILL LOVE IT: Every show in the history of daytime has used tragic illness to illuminate a beautiful heart-wrenching tear-jerking story.  "The Normal Heart" does this but offers you a cogent history lesson as well.

BOTTOM LINE: People who are shocked by the soulless reckless behavior of certain ABC/Disney execs that resulted in the deaths of ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE will relate to the soulless and reckless behaviors of certain government execs displayed in "The Normal Heart" that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

VERDICT: If you have a heart, "normal" or otherwise, you owe it to yourself to catch this profoundly moving play before it closes on July 10th.  Buy tickets here. 

- Press here to make a donation for the We Love Soaps TV team in the 2011 AIDS Walk

Damon L. Jacobs is a Licensed Therapist in New York City who specializes in treating depression, stress management, HIV/AIDS related concerns, and grief/loss issues. He is also the author of the popular book "Absolutely Should-less: The Secret to Living the Stress-Free Life You Deserve," currently available at Amazon.com. For more information about scheduling an appointment or a speaking engagement, please email him at Shouldless@gmail.com.
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WLS Theater Review: "Catch Me If You Can"

What's a delicious recipe for a Broadway treat? Take a stylish, successful detective film (based on a true story!) and add a score by Marc Shaiman ("Hairspray"; Billy Crystal's medleys for THE ACADEMY AWARDS). Then serve it up with a well-loved TV icon & theater veteran (Tom Wopat of THE DUKES OF HAZZARD; ALL MY CHILDREN; CYBILL). How could you not have a theatrical delight?

On paper, "Catch Me If You Can" seems to have it all, and for this it has been met with great expectations—eager anticipation that has been heightened by the fact that the production has been in development for almost a decade. Is the finished product greater than the sum of its parts? Maybe not. But it is, for the most part, just about as rewarding as an informed Broadway audience would expect.

WLS Theater Review: "Colleen Zenk LIVE!"

Colleen Zenk did a final run-thru of her new cabaret show "Colleen Zenk: LIVE!" yesterday in New York City. I had the honor to attend and let me tell you, the audience that is lucky enough to catch the April 8th performance at the Bob Egan's New Hope nightclub is in for a real treat.  The Emmy-nominated actress has upped her game to bring her fans a delightful mixture of familiar standards and original songs, each and every one with her own unique stamp.  And of course, there will be dancing as well!

WLS Theater Review: "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"

A hilarious and uplifting Broadway classic has returned to the Al Hirschfeld Theater, with a cast that's almost too good to be true and a timeless message that is surprisingly relevant in 2011. As a Pulitzer prize winner which has been revived twice in 15 years, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" is something of an American theater war horse. The music is sometimes romantic, sometimes comedic, and always fun. The book is fast-paced, clever, and witty. And the performances are just as charming, spirited, and silly as they ought to be for a sixties-era socially satirical musical comedy—and then some. A crowd-pleaser with something for everyone, this production of How to Succeed may be the best bet on Broadway right now for all those out-of-town friends and relatives. Moreover, it is definitely a must-see if you're a fan of any of the lead actors—and with the extraordinary celebrity heft of this cast, almost everyone is “in love with” at least one of them!

WLS Theater Review: "Cactus Flower"

Hey there, groovy cats!  Are the winter blues becoming a drag? Are bad times bringing you down? Is life feeling like one never ending bummer?  Then come on down to Westside Theater (at 403 W.43rd street in New York City) for the fantastic nifty groovalicious vibes of Cactus Flower, the new Off-Broadway staging now starring the "Cool Rider" from Grease 2 Maxwell Caulfield, and soap alum Lois Robbins. 

WLS Theater Review: "Priscilla Queen of the Desert"

A spectacle of unimaginable proportions has taken over the Palace theater! Sure, if you're looking for cultural gravitas, see Thomas Stoppard's "Arcadia" (opening March 17 at the Barrymore). If you want classic hijinks, see the Pulitzer-winning "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" (featuring Michael Park and Tammy Blanchard and opening March 27 at the Hirschfeld). But for the utmost in contemporary Broadway realness—flying chorines, impossible chapeaus, handclapping anthems—sashay down to the Palace Theater, pick up a feather boa and a sippy-cup cocktail, and join the exuberant, spectacular journey that is New York's production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

WLS Theater Review: "Love, Loss, and What I Wore"

Scientists tell us that memories stored in the brain can be triggered by certain smells, sounds, and sights.  But what about the memories triggered by a certain outfit, accessory, or bag you once used.  Can our clothing and apparels be just as important in marking time, relationships, and life changes? According to Delia and Nora Ephron's play Love, Loss and What I Wore you bet your sweet bra they can!

This fun and touching play, now featuring the irrepressible Kim Zimmer (OLTL, STEAMBOAT), examines how various characters recount significant events in their life via outfits in their closet.  Topics such as relationships with mothers, sisters, husbands, weight gain, aging, illness, financial struggles, mothering, and even Madonna, are all touched upon through the lens of clothes worn at certain landmarks.  There are moments of levity (frequently provided by Zimmer, Tony nominated Orfeh, and 30 ROCK’s Katrina Bowden), moments of nostalgia and sentimentality, and some of emotional gravitas.  When Sabrina La Beauf (THE COSBY SHOW) shares the process of coping with a cancer diagnosis, you are right there with her feeling terrified and resilient.  When Barbara Rhoades (ex-GENERATIONS) discusses feeling left out and ignored as an aging woman in a department store, you can’t help but feel the loss and despair that comes from such an experience.

WLS Theater Review: "My Big Gay Italian Wedding"

Two impossibly handsome young men fall in love in New York City.  After a year they decide they are ready to commit to marriage.  What can possibly go wrong?  Fortunately for the audiences of "My Big Gay Italian Wedding," quite a lot! This is largely thanks to Anthony Wilkinson who has written a comedic, socially relevant, and wildly entertaining theater piece.

The show begins with Anthony Pinnunziato (played by Wilkinson) telling his Brooklyn Italian family of his engagement.  The Pinnunziato clan has only recently begun to accept Barack Obama as President, much less embrace their gay son going through a traditional wedding ceremony to his Polish partner.  But true to the message embedded throughout the show, love and loyalty overcome old ways of thinking. Soon the whole family, including Ilene Kristen's delicious Aunt Toniann, stands behind him, and wants to pay for the lavish event. 

But this is only the beginning of what stands to prevent marital bliss.  Try throwing in an overprotective best man, an embittered ex-lover, a magniloquent wedding planner, a hypocritical priest, an unpredictable drunken drag queen, and two very angry lesbian ex-lovers and you just begin to get a sense of what obstacles lie in the path of true love.

WLS Theater Review: "Into the Woods"

Ever wonder what happened after Rapunzel nabbed her Prince? After Jack chopped down the beanstalk? Or after Cinderella and her man lived "happily ever after?" Are you a fan of GENERAL HOSPITAL's Anthony Geary (Luke), and enjoy sitting side-by-side in an informal venue with your favorite GH stars? If so the new Lucid By Proxy's production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony winning musical "Into the Woods" is a must see for you. 

What's Underneath Florenica Lozano's "Bed"?

The term "magical realism" refers to an artistic piece that incorporates fantastical elements into realistic circumstances.  This inclusion underlies an emotional and/or political message that allows the viewer to be impacted and have a heightened dramatic experience that s/he may not ordinarily absorb from a down-to-earth linear story.  Great authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, and Laura Esquivel, have all incorporated facets of magical realism into their literary works with great success.  Following in the vein of these prolific storytellers comes Florencia Lozano and her dramatic new play, "underneathmybed."

The play centers on the Jiminez family, living in a Boston suburb on March 1, 1982.  Pre-adolescent daughter Daisy introduces us into this world where there exists much arguing, strife, resentment, and tension.  Her father Esteban is constantly expounding to his daughters (and anyone who crosses his path) of the violent atrocities occurring in Argentina which led to the family fleeing to the United States.  Young Daisy hears about these detailed acts of violence and consequently has nightmares and vivid fantasies of such traumas being committed against her.  She is terrified of what is under the bed, around the corner, behind the stairwell, to the point of being unable to sleep, eat, or control spontaneous vomiting.  "I can't stop the bad thoughts," she shares, as she constantly fears being attacked. That, combined with the normal fears and challenges of becoming a teenager, has led Daisy to become one stressed out and emotional kid!

WLS Theater Review: "The Revival"

“Lord, please make me pure...but not yet."

From St. Augustine in the late 300s, to contemporary British singer Robbie Williams, this prayer has encapsulated the inner conflicts within a person's mind, heart, and genitals.  It is a brilliant and eloquent way of demonstrating how the tension between what one wants and what they think they “should” want have been dramatically at odds throughout history.  The new Off-Broadway “The Revival” takes a stab at this discrepancy in fresh and contemporary ways. 

Eli (Trent Dawson) is a married sophisticated ivy-league educated preacher who has recently taken over his deceased father’s church in the rural town of Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Eli has ambitions to “alter the collective consciousness” of his congregation, while they simply want an entertaining mega-church. He wants to appeal to their mindset, they want him to appeal to their “souls.”  He wants to feed them intellectual nourishment,  they just want instant “hellfire and brimstone.” He wants to reveal to them their “limited perceptions of God,” they want to make him, “The hot new Christian thing.”

Soon Eli runs across a young homeless drifter named Daniel.  It is not long before the two are carrying on a tumultuous affair and Eli must confront his own inner battles.  How can he rectify his sexual desires with his religious intellect? How can he appease the congregation while staying true to himself? How can he call himself a vegetarian, yet feel “admiration” for someone who is capable of violently brutalizing an animal?

WLS Theater Review: "underneathmybed"

The term "magical realism" refers to an artistic piece that incorporates fantastical elements into realistic circumstances.  This inclusion underlies an emotional and/or political message that allows the viewer to be impacted and have a heightened dramatic experience that s/he may not ordinarily absorb from a down-to-earth linear story.  Great authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, and Laura Esquivel, have all incorporated facets of magical realism into their literary works with great success.  Following in the vein of these prolific storytellers comes Florencia Lozano and her dramatic new play, "underneathmybed."

The play centers on the Jiminez family, living in a Boston suburb on March 1, 1982.  Pre-adolescent daughter Daisy introduces us into this world where there exists much arguing, strife, resentment, and tension.  Her father Esteban is constantly expounding to his daughters (and anyone who crosses his path) of the violent atrocities occurring in Argentina which led to the family fleeing to the United States.  Young Daisy hears about these detailed acts of violence and consequently has nightmares and vivid fantasies of such traumas being committed against her.  She is terrified of what is under the bed, around the corner, behind the stairwell, to the point of being unable to sleep, eat, or control spontaneous vomiting.  "I can't stop the bad thoughts," she shares, as she constantly fears being attacked. That, combined with the normal fears and challenges of becoming a teenager, has led Daisy to become one stressed out and emotional kid!