I am so happy that this was the last show I saw, because it was very inspiring. Completely different from any other shows I saw on this trip, it was so bare and raw.The show is centered around Barry Champlain, a talk radio host in Cleveland Ohio, 1987. This entire production featured Liev Schreiber sitting at a desk with a microphone center stage, with a sound proof editing room behind him where characters came and went. Clocking in at only 1 hour, 40 minutes, we watched Champlain's life dissolve into a world of booze, drugs, depression, and loneliness as he pushed everyone in his life away.
The greatest thing about this production, not surprisingly, was Schreiber. His command and charsima onstage is uncanny, and I felt so priveleged to have the opportunity to see him live onstage. As he became increasingly inebriated throughout the show, Schreibers entire demeanor and physicality changed, until they switched the microphone back on and his character went back on air. His performance was so effective and captivating, I cannot imagine the show being as successful without him.
The supporting actors had fine moments themselves. Stephanie March (who I just found out is married to Bobby Flay) played the stations assistant, Linda MacArthur, who was in 
a sort of relationship with Champlain. Her desperation to be loved by him (or anyone, really) was palpable, and she did an excellent job of displaying her emotion on her face and her body for all to see. Michael Laurence played Stu Noonan, the producer of the radio show and Champlains close friend. Having worked together for quite some time on different shows at different stations, Noonan successfully interpreted his love/hate relationship with Champlain as a friend and a co-worker. His intenisty and emotion was strong and helped carry the secondary plotline. Peter Hermann played the hard-ass boss Dan Woodruff with such ease and confidence that, aside from Schreiber, he was the most believable character in the piece. Additional notice should be payed to the other members of the cast who, while they may not have had much (or any) stage time, provided the many voices of callers who interacted with Schreiber throughout the show.
a sort of relationship with Champlain. Her desperation to be loved by him (or anyone, really) was palpable, and she did an excellent job of displaying her emotion on her face and her body for all to see. Michael Laurence played Stu Noonan, the producer of the radio show and Champlains close friend. Having worked together for quite some time on different shows at different stations, Noonan successfully interpreted his love/hate relationship with Champlain as a friend and a co-worker. His intenisty and emotion was strong and helped carry the secondary plotline. Peter Hermann played the hard-ass boss Dan Woodruff with such ease and confidence that, aside from Schreiber, he was the most believable character in the piece. Additional notice should be payed to the other members of the cast who, while they may not have had much (or any) stage time, provided the many voices of callers who interacted with Schreiber throughout the show.The sheer simplicity and effectiveness of this show sets it apart drastically from everything else I saw on my trip. Blended with the execution of the stellar performances, I give the show an A. If you are in New York, go see it before it disappears for another 20 years.
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