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SHOW REVIEW: The Old Man and The Old Moon – by Margaret Hart


I took a break from my blog for a while, and I am happy to be back, to talk about an incredibly creative and thoroughly entertaining Off-Broadway show my family and I just had the pleasure of seeing, called The Old Man and The Old Moon, at The New Victory Theater in New York City—one of my favorite theaters. It is beautiful and intimate, and there’s not a bad seat in the house. We have been fortunate to see many wonderful productions there.

Old Man Old Moon Playbill CoverThe Old Man and The Old Moon is imaginative and appeals to all ages, but especially to the child in all of us.  My 9 ½ year old son loved it, and judging by the chirps of laughter from all the kids in the audience, and the standing ovation at the end, so did everyone else. I’ve said this before about shows at the New Victory, and I’ll say it again: “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” The New Victory brings the most original, intelligent, creative, and thought-provoking shows to its audiences. 

The Old Man and The Old Sea is no exception. It is best described as a folk-rock fable about a man who is committed to keeping the moon illuminated by filling it up with liquid light. I don’t want to spoil it, but it is also a story about his commitment to his wife, and how he temporarily abandons his job as light keeper to the moon, to sail across the sea in search of his beloved, when she goes missing. It is a fascinating tale, told through narration, dance, music and song, and the most creative use of lights, shadows and puppets.  When I sat down to review the program, I knew the performance was going to be great when I read it is supported, in part, by a Presenters’ Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation.

The performance is written, directed, produced, and stars seven multi-talented male actors who make up the PigPen Theater Co: Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi and Dan Weschler. The creative production team has designed a beautifully unique set. Ocean waves are created by the actors billowing sheets of blue fabric across the stage, and a ship by the actor’s bodies forming a “V” shape. It is whimsical and delightfully simple.

The PigPen Theatre Co. was established at Carnegie Melon School of Drama in 2008, when the actors were freshman. They have performed their unique style music, film and theater around the country, earning them kudos from The New York Times, Time Out New York, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Boston Globe, NYC Fringe Festival, and, their debut album was recognized in the top ten Huffington Post 2012 Grammy preview. Find out more about this talented group at PigPenTheater Co.  

The Old Man and The Old Moon is in a limited engagement, through October 13, 2014, so hurry and get tickets if you can, as there are only 15 performances beginning September 26 and running though October 13, 2014. Visit the New Victory Theatre website to order tickets, order by phone at (646)-223-3010 or stop by the Box Office at 209 West 42nd Street, open Sunday and Monday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm., and Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 to 7:00 pm. Tickets range from $10 to $25 for members, and full price tickets start at $15. The performance runs 90 minutes with no intermission and is recommended for everyone age 8 and up. And that’s another thing about the New Victory Theatre, all tickets are affordable. When was the last time you paid significantly less than $100 for an orchestra seat at a Broadway show?

I can’t say enough about The New Victory Theatre. Every time my family and I see a performance there, we are greeted by friendly faces and helpful ushers. They pass out booster for kids; you don’ have to leave your seat. They have lockers for stashing all your bags if you’ve been shopping. They usually have a hands on exhibit to accompany a show, which makes it even more fun for kids. And more…It is one of the oldest and longest running theatres in New York and there’ a reason for that. They do it right. Find out more about The New Victory Theatre on their website.

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