When we expanded The Cosmic Circus to have a dedicated website just for Broadway, we knew we wanted to promote local productions from our corners of the Cosmos. My partner in Broadway and co-host to The Cosmic Curtain, RJ, grew up in community theater, so it became a passion project to find as many local community and professional theaters here in Michigan and use our platform to help shine a light on their incredible work. This is how we stumbled upon Michigan Stage, a professional theater that offers programs that make theater accessible to all ages, regardless of life circumstances. Their involvement in the community is what makes Michigan Stage truly special. Recently, they’ve expanded into their own productions, beginning with Lost in Yonkers.
Lost in Yonkers, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, has also clinched four Tony Awards, one for Best Play. It was penned by Neil Simon, a prolific playwright who authored over 30 plays in his lifetime and received three Tony Awards and a Golden Globe for his work. Michigan Stage’s rendition of Lost in Yonkers, directed by Rob Roznowski, promises a unique and captivating experience. The play stars Joshua Gabriel Kroll and Kristofferson Morrison as Jay and Arty, with Elise Castle, Joseph Sfair, Karen Sheridan, Drew Parker, and Katie Della Mora joining them on stage.
Michigan Stage is working hard to provide quality theater experiences for all, which was apparent in Lost in Yonkers, one of my favorite plays of recent years. Read on for more about this beautiful experience!
[Warning: Spoilers from Michigan Stage’s production of Lost in Yonkers are below!]
To Grandma’s house, we go in Lost in Yonkers
At such young ages, Jay (Kroll) and Arty (Morrison) have experienced such intense changes in their lives. Having recently lost their mother to an unspoken illness, the fifteen-and-a-half-year-old Jay and his thirteen-and-a-half-year-old brother Arty are unceremoniously sent to live with their grandmother. Their father, Eddie (Sfair), took out loans for his wife’s medical bills and, therefore, has to work as a traveling salesman to pay them all back.
If everything goes according to plan, Eddie will have paid off all the loans in about ten months and return to his children. However, it will not be an easy year for Jay and Arty, as their father’s family is all sorts of dysfunctional. Their grandmother (Sheridan) is an immigrant from Germany whose horrible childhood impacted her relationships with her children. She’s cold, harsh, and cruel, which has led to neurotic children.
Eddie is timid and nervous. He’s afraid of his mother, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. He’s overly emotional, a weakness to his mother and brother, so he tries to hide that from them. Bella (Castle) was the child who stayed behind to tend to her mother, putting up with years of abuse, both mentally and physically. The abuse has taken its toll on her, with her mind slipping away from what is a defense mechanism. She’s forgetful and simple in ways that everyone reminds her of regularly. Her mother refuses to let her grow up because then she’d be alone, so instead, she keeps Bella tucked into a box and is forced into the caretaker role.
Gert (Mora), who isn’t in much of the show, has developed a vocal tick where she sucks in the air during moments of speaking. She even notes that it becomes significantly worse when she’s around the family due to the stress they bring. Last but not least is Louie (Parker), the troublemaker of the siblings. Louie developed a hard exterior at a young age, being the only one who would go head-to-head with his mother. However, he’s turned to a life of crime to compensate for the generational trauma he’s suffered from.
It will take Arty and Jay every ounce of grit and resilience to get through it, but perhaps there’s room for the entire family to grow before the year is over.
A talented cast brings this Neil Simon play to life
In the current theater landscape, there isn’t a strong presence of plays. If you think about the vast majority of shows that have toured recently or are going strong on Broadway, it’s musicals. So when I get to see a play, it makes it feel special because I don’t see them that often. It’s even more of a treat when the play is exceptional, such as Lost in Yonkers.
I’ll be completely honest: I knew nothing about the story before going into it, although I had heard the name before. I didn’t know what to expect in the slightest, but what we got was some incredible acting from the talented cast. Joshua Gabriel Kroll was the major player in the show, with so much personality that it filled the entire stage. You could feel the energy coming off him, balanced well with the more even-keeled Kristofferson Morrison. Together, the two nailed the narrative experiences of Jay and Arty, who go from feeling lost to finding themselves and a better family by the end.
Elise Castle was impressive as Bella, who seems to grow the most throughout Lost in Yonkers. Bella dreams of more than the life she’s living but is trapped due to her life circumstances. She works for her mother, caring for her when she isn’t in the shop. Her entire world revolves around her mother, but by the end of the play, she begins to live for herself. Castle gives an incredible performance in this nuanced character.
Drew Parker also deserves as much praise as Louie. His character doesn’t come into Lost in Yonkers until late in Act 1, but he stole the show in nearly every scene he was in. Parker’s Louie is loud and crude, but he quickly switches between emotional extremes. His performance gave me chills quite a few times, a testament to his skills.
Michigan Stage’s Lost in Yonkers isn’t one to miss
The talent and quality of Michigan Stage’s production of Lost in Yonkers was apparent from the moment you walked into the auditorium. The set and costumes bring you into the world of the 1940s with ease, but the best part of Lost in Yonkers was the cast that embraced the heartbreaking story of generational trauma and made it come alive. If this production is any indication of the other shows Michigan Stage is putting on, then it won’t be long before everyone in the Michigan theater scene will know their name.
Michigan Stage’s Lost in Yonkers production is running now through July 20. Be sure to get tickets before they sell out and check out their future productions, Peerless (July 18 through July 28) and Guys & Dolls (July 25 through August 3). Let us know what local productions you’ve seen on social media @mycosmiccircus and @boxseatbabes!
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