REVIEW: In ‘Last Call,’ two music legends walk into a bar
Photo: From left, Helen Schneider plays Leonard Bernstein, and Lucca Züchner plays Herbert von Karajan in the new show Last Call, now playing New World Stages in New York City. Photo courtesy of Maria Baranova / Provided by KSA PR with permission.
NEW YORK — Peter Danish’s new play, Last Call, imagines what happened when two legendary conductors, Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan, met in the lounge of the Sacher Hotel in Vienna. As portrayed in the show, which is now playing at New World Stages in New York City, both music legends are nearing the final years of their life, and they decide to drop their rivalry and have an honest conversation over a few drinks.
The 90-minute work, directed by Gil Mehmert, is apparently based on a real meeting between the two conductors, but obviously the dialogue of what was said is invented for dramatic effect (the show actually reminds this reviewer of the recently closed Kowalski, which envisioned a meeting between Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando). The play is certainly aided by its casting. Helen Schneider plays Bernstein, and Lucca Züchner plays von Karajan. A third character, Michael (Victor Petersen), is the waiter at the bar, and he has a few other surprises throughout the evening.
This trio of actors is exquisite in how they portray their individual characters. For the two conductors, there’s a suggestion of the real historical figures, but this is not strict impersonation; it’s more embodiment, something deeper. Züchner, in particular, is something to behold as von Karajan; she offers a full-body performance, with a gravely voice, furrowed brow and slight hunch to the shoulders. Schneider is playing a slightly younger person, so her performance is more spry and energetic, though there are signs of Bernstein’s constant smoking catching up to him.
There’s something special about Petersen’s performance as well. He elevates Michael from a side figure to an integral part of the plot, and when he jumps into another character’s shoes, which is best kept a secret, the play receives what may be its best and most profound sequence.
The dialogue is mostly interesting and will hold the attention of the audience for the full 90 minutes. The subjects that Bernstein and von Karajan debate and discuss vary from the mundane to the elegiac, from the poetic to the comedic. They talk about great works that they’re associated with, the controversies involving von Karajan during World War II, their health problems and their sexualities.
There were times during the show when the rivalry between these two greats seemed a bit pushed and hyped for maximum dramatic effect. Some of the particularities of their back-and-forth seemed adopted for the sake of a narrative arc. Also, the scenic design is OK but could have ben enhanced. There’s an obtrusive brick wall that lines the back of the stage, and it’s so ho-hum that it actually proves distracting. The bar of this lounge is much nicer and sleeker, doubling as a bathroom set and proving to be multifaceted as the story progresses. The first part of the play is spoken in another language, with English supertitles broadcast on that brick wall, but from this reviewer’s vantage point, the text was difficult to read.
The reason to cherish Last Call is mostly because of those three performances. They are clearly having fun with the text, and the actors are offering respect and reality to their roles. They offer poignant portrayals that leave a lingering memory for the theatergoers at New World Stages.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Last Call, written by Peter Danish and directed by Gil Mehmert, stars Helen Schneider, Lucca Züchner and Victor Petersen. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission. Currently playing New World Stages in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
