'Nobody Cares' about Laura Benanti, but they let her entertain them

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, July 4, 2024


'Nobody Cares' about Laura Benanti, but they let her entertain them
Laura Benanti in her play “Nobody Cares” at the Minetta Lane Theater in New York, on May 8, 2024. While poking fun at her own agreeable malleability, Benanti flexes her talents in a show that will be available on Audible, without the physical dimension. (Sara Krulwich/The New York Times)

by Elisabeth Vincentelli



NEW YORK, NY.- Laura Benanti’s show “Nobody Cares,” at the Minetta Lane Theater, is being recorded and will soon be available from the comfort of your home. Future audiences are likely to enjoy Benanti’s autobiographical romp through her family life, her romantic and professional travails, her insecurities (see the title) and her often overwhelming need to please. They will appreciate the handful of original songs, which she wrote with music director Todd Almond — Benanti is a fabulous singer, with a Tony Award on her mantel for her sultry turn as Louise in “Gypsy.”

But because the show will be on Audible, those audiences will be made up of listeners, and they will miss out on the physical comedy of a woman who can communicate more with one raised eyebrow than most actors can with a lengthy monologue. Benanti dramatically throws herself on the floor during the number “Give It to Me” before effortlessly slithering back up. This might be an exorcism of the time she broke her neck while doing a pratfall as Cinderella in the 2002 revival of “Into the Woods.”

Did that accident make her change her reflexive compliance? Nope: “There wasn’t a strong enough neck brace in the world that could have kept me from nodding ‘yes’ to something I strongly disagreed with,” she says in the show.

That Benanti is a terrific all-around comedienne won’t surprise those who have seen, say, the musical “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” her impersonation of Melania Trump on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” or videos like the one in which she reimagined the obsessive Fosca from Stephen Sondheim’s “Passion” as a Times Square mascot. Now she’s exploring new-ish terrain in an evening-length show, directed by Annie Tippe, that stands out from her past solo projects by relying more on narration and embracing a confessional mode. The general approach is a little reminiscent of Sherie Rene Scott’s “Everyday Rapture,” from 2009 (though that piece had more songs, and they were covers).

After a beginning that feels stiffly self-conscious, Benanti loosens into her comedic rhythm and packs a lot into 90 minutes: a childhood as a theater nerd, three marriages, two daughters, perimenopause, shooting a nude scene in a recent prestige TV series. The production’s biggest missed opportunity might lie in how little Benanti interacts with Almond, who leads the five-piece band and occasionally pipes up with impeccably timed rejoinders, or with her backup singers, Barrie Lobo McLain and Chelsea Lee Williams.

She is especially skillful at navigating self-deprecation, a tricky mode that can come across as disingenuous humble-bragging when famous people do it. “I am a fully accredited Broadway star,” she says. Pause. “We use the term ‘star’ loosely in the theater. Sort of how people in Hollywood use the term ‘good friend.’ ”

Things are bumpiest when Benanti talks about motherhood. Gush is adjacent to mush, and the actress’ acerbic one-liners can’t quite cut the sentimentality that creeps into the show’s last third. Still, “Nobody Cares” points to a new stage — in both senses of the word — for Benanti as a performer and as a woman: Her people-pleasing drive still entails entertaining audiences, but she’s standing up for herself now.



‘Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares’Through June 2 at the Minetta Lane Theater, Manhattan; audible.com. Running time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.










Today's News

May 21, 2024

Making sense of the spring art auctions

A city with a medieval history of killing cats now celebrates them

Morphy's June 11-12 Fine & Decorative Arts Auction crowned by magnificent Tiffany Studios 'Peony' lamp

Works by Agnes Pelton, Rembrandt Peale and Joseph Leyendecker lead Heritage to $4.3 million American Art auction

Now open: "Theaster Gates: The Gift and the Renege" at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Re-creating Amy Winehouse's look on screen

Harry Cooper takes on new role as Bunny Mellon Curator of Modern Art at The National Gallery of Art

'Taking Venice': The strange story of the U.S. government and a painter

Rajiv Menon Contemporary opens group exhibition 'The Past is a Country: Indo-Nostalgia in Contemporary Art'

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts presents two new exhibitions

Painting by Marc Chagall soars to $199,700 at Ahlers & Ogletree

'Re-Discovering Native America: Stories in Motion with The Red Road Project' at Beford Gallery

Galerie Lelong New York represents Thailand-based artist Pinaree Sanpitak

Solway Gallery announces the passing of Jay Bolotin

SFMOMA announces new details regarding major commission by Kara Walker

'Megalopolis' premieres at Cannes: First reaction

'Nobody Cares' about Laura Benanti, but they let her entertain them

National Gallery of Art acquires two Netherlandish decorative objects from the 17th century

The (very brief) return of Gastr del Sol

Sandy Koufax's rookie-season Brooklyn Dodgers jersey realizes record-setting $1.8 million at Heritage Auctions

Uncut sheet of 'Pokémon' and 'Magic: The Gathering' cards brings record $375,000

Review: The tragic story of 'An American Soldier' comes home

After a wrenching bestseller, an author takes up her dream project

Can You Drive on Kratom?

How to Safely Use CBD Oil in Your Bong? A Step-by-Step Guide

From Dream to Reality: The Filmmaking Journey of Yalian Li

Layers of Meaning: Science, Art, Emotion

Enhance Your Tesla Experience: Top Seat Covers for Model 3 Owners

Joanna Li: The Luminous Reflections of Thought

Your Ultimate Guide to Having Commercial EV Charging Stations

Creating a Haven: Inside My Chicken Coop

Elevate Your Entertainment: Find the Perfect TV Unit for Sale

Enhance Your Outdoor Living Space with Stylish Furniture in Sydney

Creating the Perfect Haven: Designing a Large Dog Kennel




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful