A Night in Vegas (Bleecker Street Theater)
Gay Drama Strikes a Nerve
Theater review by: William George
In the opening moments of A Night in Vegas by Joe Marshall the audience is confronted by a few things: an over affectionate gay couple on vacation, a callboy and a penis. The truth is that this collection of scenes was much more than a comedy. The best and most moving moments were when the actors were being real to the situation.
The third scene rang as the most truthful. Rick (Drew Stark) finds Andrew (Jason Romas) stranded at a gay bar. The two return to Rick’s hotel room and begin discussing their lives. Andrew is eager to have sex with Rick but Rick is not so forthcoming and the two spend the night connecting as human beings. Drew Stark played a beautiful unease, the desire of sexual attraction vs. the fear of being hurt. Jason Romas played a person yearning to connect and with the need not only to be screwed but also held.
The fourth scene dealt with the set up of what if you leave a deaf guy and a blind guy in a room, plus they hate each other. The result was hysterical as the metaphor of the ability to not communicate was personified by actual physical ailments. Both Chris von Hoffman (Marc-deaf) and Denis Hawkins (Tom-blind) handled their ailments with sincerity and hilarity. It was a fantastic mix that was very affective
The second half of the last scene was the strongest moment in the show. Twenty-year-old Josh (Scott Lilly) begins to take responsibility for his own actions. He admits the world has changed him and he longs to be reconnected with what he calls, “the other Josh.” Gay bars and being the new hot thing had given him an attitude. With the help of his older friend Tim (Bill Purdy) he discovers the Josh he’d lost.
The Bleecker Street Theatre is located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York City.
Premium Tickets are $50; General Admission is $35 and can be purchased
by visiting Telecharge.com
