The New York Times praises Gregory in Thalia Follies with Jane Curtin
'THALIA FOLLIES: AT LAST -- AN ELECTION!'
Jane Curtin obviously thinks that Tina Fey shouldn't be having all the fun. So on Friday and Saturday Ms. Curtin will be looking at us through Kawasaki-style glasses as she plays Gov. Sarah Palin getting a lesson in geopolitics from Henry the K (Isaiah Sheffer, the Symphony Space artistic director, as Mr. Kissinger) at the Thalia Follies cabaret.
In this political satire with original omnipartisan sketches and songs -- and some old tunes -- Ms. Curtin, doubling as Cindy McCain, will also find the music in beer distributorship. Other cast members include, above from left, Kathryn Markey, Gregory Jones and David Buskin.
The Chalks (Leenya Rideout, Mary Brienza and Ms. Markey, whose signature number is ''Hog Wild & Hog Tied'') will give equal time to the Democrats with ''Between Barack and a Hard Place,'' and the cast will bemoan that ''It's Hard to Make Fun of Obama.''
''It's all too easy to focus on mooses and funny Palin material,'' Mr. Sheffer said, adding, ''We do.'' But he also promised, in true presidential candidate style, to tackle the real issues.
Sneak previews of John McCain's and Barack Obama's cabinet and Supreme Court picks are on the slate, along with a march to Mr. Sheffer's ultraright song ''The Culture Wars,'' to the tune of ''The Ballad of the Green Berets.''
Some of the numbers are wince-inducing: ''This Nearly Was Mine'' by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (Ivy Austin); ''Havin' Our Baby,'' delivered by Ms. Austin and Mr. Jones as the you-know-which unaltared couple. Impeachable sources, however, indicate a hand-clapping reception for the jazz singer Marion Cowings in ''Obama Done Tol' Me.''
(Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $25, advance; $30, day of show; $20 for members.)
