SlideShare a Scribd company logo
Welcome
STEVE COSSON
Review: ‘Gone Missing,’ Now a
Poignant Reminder of a Life Cut Short
The two-night revival of “Gone Missing” at New York City Center is
both a very good show and a very bad, very cosmic joke. Because
this documentary song cycle is about loss: of minds, rings, a dog,
the hour badly spent. And the irretrievable loss, the one you can
hear in pretty much every plink and strum from the onstage band,
is the loss of the show’s composer, Michael Friedman, who died a
year ago from AIDS-related complications. Which makes “Gone
Missing” an accidental and indispensable elegy.
The show, which has a book by Steven Cosson, was
originally created and performed by The Civilians
theater company in 2003. It was built on more-or-
less verbatim interviews that company members
conducted with both people who have lost things
and people whose job it is to find them. Mr. Cosson
arranged the interviews into a series of monologues,
and Peter Morris dreamed up some public radio-
style segments, while Friedman composed songs
that expanded, sweetly and tartly, on the themes
that emerged.
The songs range — any Friedman score (“Bloody
Bloody Andrew Jackson,” “The Fortress of
Solitude,” “Pretty Filthy”) is almost necessarily
rangy — from mariachi to Burt Bacharach bossa
nova. Some of the anecdotes that connect them
are cute, and some are alarming. Good luck
forgetting the crack about a “Colombian necktie.”
Most are funny, including a prized bit about an
actress who lost a shoe at P.S. 122 back when it
was still called P.S. 122.
As the cop who defines the Colombian necktie says, sometimes
humor is the only way to meet horrifying loss: “You got to laugh.
You just got to laugh.” Ken Rus Schmoll directs a six-person cast
for this production, part of the Encores! Off-Center season: Taylor
Mac, Susan Blackwell, David Ryan Smith, Deborah S. Craig and
John Behlmann, alongside the longtime Civilians member Aysan
Celik. The setting is minimal, the costumes pleasantly generic,
Karla Puno Garcia’s choreography decidedly low profile and Mr.
Schmoll’s direction affectionate and barely there. The actors still
carry scripts, though that is no bar to Mr. Mac’s dangerous
enthusiasm or Ms. Blackwell’s mild-mannered insanity or Ms.
Celik’s infectious disdain.
I saw “Gone Missing” at the long-gone Belt
Theater in 2003 and then again a few years
later at the Barrow Street Theater. Listening
on Wednesday night, I was thrilled to
discover that I remembered every single
song, though I hadn’t heard them in more
than a decade.
This is a thing about Friedman’s
compositions. In the moment, they can
seem disposable pastiche. But their
lightness is indelible. There’s surprise in
the way that the recognizable signatures
play against the brainy, wrong-footing
rhymes.
That said, the songs don’t sound the same.
We’re all 15 years older (those of us who got to
grow older, anyway), and the points of impact
have shifted. Hearing them, I felt a happy-sad
nostalgia, not only for the composer himself but
also for the theater scene that birthed him —
those theaters in the East Village and the Lower
East Side and those post-show bars, many of
them now gone.
At the Encores performance, I caught some jokes
that had whizzed past me before. From the
Gershwin-ish “The Only Thing Missing”: “Think
what my nephew Chris/ Just lost at his bris.”
Because yes, ha ha ha, foreskin. But also, who
names a Jewish kid Chris? And don’t tell me
Friedman needed the name for the rhyme,
because he could rhyme anything. I give you
“Etch A Sketch,” a song about memory loss,
which pairs “tabula rasa” and “Kinshasa.”
I heard something else in that song, a
rhymed chorus that didn’t really rhyme:
“I’m an Etch a Sketch (But now I’m all
shook up)/ I’m a piece of wax (But now
the imprint’s lost.”) That slant rhyme
makes the song deliberately unfinished.
It’s up to us listeners to make it whole.
There was audible sobbing during “Etch A
Sketch” and more during the final song
“Stars,” which has a verse so apt it’s pretty
much unbearable: “So when I leave you,
you’ll know, I’m just a shadow, an echo/
You never possessed me/ Never
possessed me.” That song ends in a half
cadence, forever unresolved.
For More Information Visite The Link
https://www.stevecosson.com/
Sarasota Fl Bioidentical Hormone Doctor
Sarasota Fl Bioidentical Hormone Doctor

More Related Content

What's hot

Stoker Review
Stoker ReviewStoker Review
Stoker Reviewmillynmeg
 
Moulin rouge
Moulin rougeMoulin rouge
Moulin rouge
saerBonito
 
Production theories
Production theoriesProduction theories
Production theories
SanNahar
 
Light and Dark
Light and DarkLight and Dark
Light and Dark
David Clarke
 
Types of drama
Types of dramaTypes of drama
types of drama
types of dramatypes of drama
types of drama
Roselle Joy Dela Cruz
 
Shakespeare's life
Shakespeare's lifeShakespeare's life
Shakespeare's lifeBryan_Chia
 
Creative writing
Creative writingCreative writing
Creative writing
JenniferOestar2
 
Historical and Biographical Approach on Hamlet
Historical and Biographical Approach on HamletHistorical and Biographical Approach on Hamlet
Historical and Biographical Approach on Hamlet
Yuna Lesca
 
Poetry
PoetryPoetry
Poetry
iteclearners
 
Power point presentation #1
Power point presentation #1Power point presentation #1
Power point presentation #1Bkwrm172
 
Hamlet: A revenge play
Hamlet: A revenge playHamlet: A revenge play
Hamlet: A revenge playjskotnicki
 
Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A English first year ...
Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A  English first year ...Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A  English first year ...
Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A English first year ...
Babu Appat
 
HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.
HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.
HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.
AleeenaFarooq
 
paper1
paper1paper1
Call sheet
Call sheetCall sheet
Call sheet
alanabusby
 

What's hot (20)

Stoker Review
Stoker ReviewStoker Review
Stoker Review
 
Moulin rouge
Moulin rougeMoulin rouge
Moulin rouge
 
Romeo n juliet
Romeo n julietRomeo n juliet
Romeo n juliet
 
Production theories
Production theoriesProduction theories
Production theories
 
Light and Dark
Light and DarkLight and Dark
Light and Dark
 
Types of drama
Types of dramaTypes of drama
Types of drama
 
types of drama
types of dramatypes of drama
types of drama
 
Shakespeare's life
Shakespeare's lifeShakespeare's life
Shakespeare's life
 
Creative writing
Creative writingCreative writing
Creative writing
 
Historical and Biographical Approach on Hamlet
Historical and Biographical Approach on HamletHistorical and Biographical Approach on Hamlet
Historical and Biographical Approach on Hamlet
 
Poetry
PoetryPoetry
Poetry
 
Types of drama
Types of dramaTypes of drama
Types of drama
 
Power point presentation #1
Power point presentation #1Power point presentation #1
Power point presentation #1
 
Hamlet: A revenge play
Hamlet: A revenge playHamlet: A revenge play
Hamlet: A revenge play
 
Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A English first year ...
Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A  English first year ...Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A  English first year ...
Elegy written in a country churchyard for the use of B A English first year ...
 
HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.
HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.
HISTORY and ORIGIN OF DRAMA.
 
NCTBS_TorontoReview
NCTBS_TorontoReviewNCTBS_TorontoReview
NCTBS_TorontoReview
 
Edward Thomas
Edward ThomasEdward Thomas
Edward Thomas
 
paper1
paper1paper1
paper1
 
Call sheet
Call sheetCall sheet
Call sheet
 

Similar to Sarasota Fl Bioidentical Hormone Doctor

Music in english teaching part 2 movies
Music in english teaching part 2 moviesMusic in english teaching part 2 movies
Music in english teaching part 2 movies
Self-employed
 
Volle militere eerbetoon deur-trike
Volle militere eerbetoon deur-trikeVolle militere eerbetoon deur-trike
Volle militere eerbetoon deur-trike
PieterUys7
 
Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29
Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29
Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29
Suresh Ramasubramanian
 
Reviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ drama
Reviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ dramaReviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ drama
Reviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ dramaHolly Jonson
 
Please Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the Dead
Please Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the DeadPlease Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the Dead
Please Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the Dead
Christian Crumlish
 
Composers in the movies
Composers in the moviesComposers in the movies
Composers in the movies
andkiri
 
The 20 most memorable songs of film
The 20 most memorable songs of filmThe 20 most memorable songs of film
The 20 most memorable songs of filmQwaliti.com
 
Case study media
Case study mediaCase study media
Case study media
asma tanvir
 
Feature design
Feature designFeature design
Feature design
Scott Sheldon
 
History of musicals unit 27 full presentation
History of musicals unit 27 full presentationHistory of musicals unit 27 full presentation
History of musicals unit 27 full presentation
RamyBenFredj
 
12.broken records band query
12.broken records band query12.broken records band query
12.broken records band query
Joel Brooks
 
Play Critique Essay
Play Critique EssayPlay Critique Essay
Play Critique Essay
Paper Writing Services
 
Music plays presentation
Music plays presentationMusic plays presentation
Music plays presentation
cycyeastwood
 
httpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docx
httpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docxhttpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docx
httpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docx
pooleavelina
 
Me clientlist march14th2012
Me clientlist march14th2012Me clientlist march14th2012
Me clientlist march14th2012Michael Einfeld
 
70-07-theforbiddenroom
70-07-theforbiddenroom70-07-theforbiddenroom
70-07-theforbiddenroomThomas Pashko
 
Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8
Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8
Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8stompper
 
Musical Theatre History
Musical Theatre HistoryMusical Theatre History
Musical Theatre Historymbegovich
 

Similar to Sarasota Fl Bioidentical Hormone Doctor (20)

Music in english teaching part 2 movies
Music in english teaching part 2 moviesMusic in english teaching part 2 movies
Music in english teaching part 2 movies
 
Volle militere eerbetoon deur-trike
Volle militere eerbetoon deur-trikeVolle militere eerbetoon deur-trike
Volle militere eerbetoon deur-trike
 
Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29
Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29
Quiz at KCircle Hyderabad, November 29
 
Reviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ drama
Reviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ dramaReviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ drama
Reviews for Rapid Rocket Productions’ drama
 
MAR 2015_selected-pages
MAR 2015_selected-pagesMAR 2015_selected-pages
MAR 2015_selected-pages
 
Please Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the Dead
Please Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the DeadPlease Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the Dead
Please Forget You Knew My Name: Secretly Influenced by the Dead
 
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen SondheimStephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
 
Composers in the movies
Composers in the moviesComposers in the movies
Composers in the movies
 
The 20 most memorable songs of film
The 20 most memorable songs of filmThe 20 most memorable songs of film
The 20 most memorable songs of film
 
Case study media
Case study mediaCase study media
Case study media
 
Feature design
Feature designFeature design
Feature design
 
History of musicals unit 27 full presentation
History of musicals unit 27 full presentationHistory of musicals unit 27 full presentation
History of musicals unit 27 full presentation
 
12.broken records band query
12.broken records band query12.broken records band query
12.broken records band query
 
Play Critique Essay
Play Critique EssayPlay Critique Essay
Play Critique Essay
 
Music plays presentation
Music plays presentationMusic plays presentation
Music plays presentation
 
httpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docx
httpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docxhttpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docx
httpstheater.nytimes.com mem theater treview.htmlres=9902e6.docx
 
Me clientlist march14th2012
Me clientlist march14th2012Me clientlist march14th2012
Me clientlist march14th2012
 
70-07-theforbiddenroom
70-07-theforbiddenroom70-07-theforbiddenroom
70-07-theforbiddenroom
 
Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8
Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8
Nme m 2014_04_12_downmagaz.com 8
 
Musical Theatre History
Musical Theatre HistoryMusical Theatre History
Musical Theatre History
 

Recently uploaded

A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024
A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024
A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024
Indira Srivatsa
 
高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样
高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样
高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样
9u08k0x
 
Treasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles online
Treasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles onlineTreasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles online
Treasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles online
Hidden Treasure Hunts
 
Create a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdf
Create a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdfCreate a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdf
Create a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdf
Genny Knight
 
240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf
240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf
240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf
Madhura TBRC
 
Skeem Saam in June 2024 available on Forum
Skeem Saam in June 2024 available on ForumSkeem Saam in June 2024 available on Forum
Skeem Saam in June 2024 available on Forum
Isaac More
 
Matt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdf
Matt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdfMatt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdf
Matt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdf
Azura Everhart
 
I Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledge
I Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledgeI Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledge
I Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledge
Sabrina Ricci
 
The Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy Director
The Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy DirectorThe Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy Director
The Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy Director
Mark Murphy Director
 
Reimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a Success
Reimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a SuccessReimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a Success
Reimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a Success
Mark Murphy Director
 
Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __
Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __
Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __
catcabrera
 
Hollywood Actress - The 250 hottest gallery
Hollywood Actress - The 250 hottest galleryHollywood Actress - The 250 hottest gallery
Hollywood Actress - The 250 hottest gallery
Zsolt Nemeth
 
This Is The First All Category Quiz That I Made
This Is The First All Category Quiz That I MadeThis Is The First All Category Quiz That I Made
This Is The First All Category Quiz That I Made
Aarush Ghate
 
Christina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptx
Christina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptxChristina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptx
Christina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptx
madeline604788
 
Meet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and Love
Meet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and LoveMeet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and Love
Meet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and Love
get joys
 
Tom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive Analysis
Tom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive AnalysisTom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive Analysis
Tom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive Analysis
greendigital
 
Scandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.za
Scandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.zaScandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.za
Scandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.za
Isaac More
 
哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样
哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样
哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样
9u08k0x
 
Meet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog Eternal
Meet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog EternalMeet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog Eternal
Meet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog Eternal
Blog Eternal
 
From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...
From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...
From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...
Rodney Thomas Jr
 

Recently uploaded (20)

A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024
A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024
A TO Z INDIA Monthly Magazine - JUNE 2024
 
高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样
高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样
高仿(nyu毕业证书)美国纽约大学毕业证文凭毕业证原版一模一样
 
Treasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles online
Treasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles onlineTreasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles online
Treasure Hunt Puzzles, Treasure Hunt Puzzles online
 
Create a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdf
Create a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdfCreate a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdf
Create a Seamless Viewing Experience with Your Own Custom OTT Player.pdf
 
240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf
240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf
240529_Teleprotection Global Market Report 2024.pdf
 
Skeem Saam in June 2024 available on Forum
Skeem Saam in June 2024 available on ForumSkeem Saam in June 2024 available on Forum
Skeem Saam in June 2024 available on Forum
 
Matt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdf
Matt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdfMatt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdf
Matt Rife Cancels Shows Due to Health Concerns, Reschedules Tour Dates.pdf
 
I Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledge
I Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledgeI Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledge
I Know Dino Trivia: Part 3. Test your dino knowledge
 
The Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy Director
The Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy DirectorThe Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy Director
The Evolution of Animation in Film - Mark Murphy Director
 
Reimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a Success
Reimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a SuccessReimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a Success
Reimagining Classics - What Makes a Remake a Success
 
Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __
Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __
Snoopy boards the big bow wow musical __
 
Hollywood Actress - The 250 hottest gallery
Hollywood Actress - The 250 hottest galleryHollywood Actress - The 250 hottest gallery
Hollywood Actress - The 250 hottest gallery
 
This Is The First All Category Quiz That I Made
This Is The First All Category Quiz That I MadeThis Is The First All Category Quiz That I Made
This Is The First All Category Quiz That I Made
 
Christina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptx
Christina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptxChristina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptx
Christina's Baby Shower Game June 2024.pptx
 
Meet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and Love
Meet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and LoveMeet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and Love
Meet Dinah Mattingly – Larry Bird’s Partner in Life and Love
 
Tom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive Analysis
Tom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive AnalysisTom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive Analysis
Tom Selleck Net Worth: A Comprehensive Analysis
 
Scandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.za
Scandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.zaScandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.za
Scandal! Teasers June 2024 on etv Forum.co.za
 
哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样
哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样
哪里买(osu毕业证书)美国俄勒冈州立大学毕业证双学位证书原版一模一样
 
Meet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog Eternal
Meet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog EternalMeet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog Eternal
Meet Crazyjamjam - A TikTok Sensation | Blog Eternal
 
From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...
From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...
From Slave to Scourge: The Existential Choice of Django Unchained. The Philos...
 

Sarasota Fl Bioidentical Hormone Doctor

  • 2.
  • 3. Review: ‘Gone Missing,’ Now a Poignant Reminder of a Life Cut Short The two-night revival of “Gone Missing” at New York City Center is both a very good show and a very bad, very cosmic joke. Because this documentary song cycle is about loss: of minds, rings, a dog, the hour badly spent. And the irretrievable loss, the one you can hear in pretty much every plink and strum from the onstage band, is the loss of the show’s composer, Michael Friedman, who died a year ago from AIDS-related complications. Which makes “Gone Missing” an accidental and indispensable elegy.
  • 4.
  • 5. The show, which has a book by Steven Cosson, was originally created and performed by The Civilians theater company in 2003. It was built on more-or- less verbatim interviews that company members conducted with both people who have lost things and people whose job it is to find them. Mr. Cosson arranged the interviews into a series of monologues, and Peter Morris dreamed up some public radio- style segments, while Friedman composed songs that expanded, sweetly and tartly, on the themes that emerged.
  • 6.
  • 7. The songs range — any Friedman score (“Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” “The Fortress of Solitude,” “Pretty Filthy”) is almost necessarily rangy — from mariachi to Burt Bacharach bossa nova. Some of the anecdotes that connect them are cute, and some are alarming. Good luck forgetting the crack about a “Colombian necktie.” Most are funny, including a prized bit about an actress who lost a shoe at P.S. 122 back when it was still called P.S. 122.
  • 8.
  • 9. As the cop who defines the Colombian necktie says, sometimes humor is the only way to meet horrifying loss: “You got to laugh. You just got to laugh.” Ken Rus Schmoll directs a six-person cast for this production, part of the Encores! Off-Center season: Taylor Mac, Susan Blackwell, David Ryan Smith, Deborah S. Craig and John Behlmann, alongside the longtime Civilians member Aysan Celik. The setting is minimal, the costumes pleasantly generic, Karla Puno Garcia’s choreography decidedly low profile and Mr. Schmoll’s direction affectionate and barely there. The actors still carry scripts, though that is no bar to Mr. Mac’s dangerous enthusiasm or Ms. Blackwell’s mild-mannered insanity or Ms. Celik’s infectious disdain.
  • 10.
  • 11. I saw “Gone Missing” at the long-gone Belt Theater in 2003 and then again a few years later at the Barrow Street Theater. Listening on Wednesday night, I was thrilled to discover that I remembered every single song, though I hadn’t heard them in more than a decade.
  • 12.
  • 13. This is a thing about Friedman’s compositions. In the moment, they can seem disposable pastiche. But their lightness is indelible. There’s surprise in the way that the recognizable signatures play against the brainy, wrong-footing rhymes.
  • 14.
  • 15. That said, the songs don’t sound the same. We’re all 15 years older (those of us who got to grow older, anyway), and the points of impact have shifted. Hearing them, I felt a happy-sad nostalgia, not only for the composer himself but also for the theater scene that birthed him — those theaters in the East Village and the Lower East Side and those post-show bars, many of them now gone.
  • 16.
  • 17. At the Encores performance, I caught some jokes that had whizzed past me before. From the Gershwin-ish “The Only Thing Missing”: “Think what my nephew Chris/ Just lost at his bris.” Because yes, ha ha ha, foreskin. But also, who names a Jewish kid Chris? And don’t tell me Friedman needed the name for the rhyme, because he could rhyme anything. I give you “Etch A Sketch,” a song about memory loss, which pairs “tabula rasa” and “Kinshasa.”
  • 18.
  • 19. I heard something else in that song, a rhymed chorus that didn’t really rhyme: “I’m an Etch a Sketch (But now I’m all shook up)/ I’m a piece of wax (But now the imprint’s lost.”) That slant rhyme makes the song deliberately unfinished. It’s up to us listeners to make it whole.
  • 20.
  • 21. There was audible sobbing during “Etch A Sketch” and more during the final song “Stars,” which has a verse so apt it’s pretty much unbearable: “So when I leave you, you’ll know, I’m just a shadow, an echo/ You never possessed me/ Never possessed me.” That song ends in a half cadence, forever unresolved.
  • 22.
  • 23.
  • 24. For More Information Visite The Link https://www.stevecosson.com/