Close Up Space

At the Manhattan Theatre Club at 55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue. The play opened on December 19, 2011 and was to run until February 5, 2012. Due to poor reviews it will close January 29, 2012

David Hyde Pierce won a Tony Award in 2007 for "Curtains. He also also won four Emmy Awards for "Fraiser"

Rosie Perez was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "Fearless".

Paul Barrow (David Hyde Pierce) is a book editor. His assistant Steve (Michael Chernus) is camping out in the office. Paul has his problems, his famous client Vanessa Finn Adams (Rosie Perez) is so mad at him she's thinking about going to another publishing house. His daughter Harper (Colby Minifie) is off the wall, talking Russian and causing havoc in his office.

There's a good story here but not the way it's presented. It's flat and at times it is too silly. The last character is an intern Bailey (Jessica DiGiovanni) who works for Paul.

Baily role adds nothing to the story. Steve role is mindless.

More could have been done with the father and daughter theme. Maybe even the client. The fathers guilt about his wifes death and the daughter who keeps reaching out to her father but who pushes her away.

The one thing I did like was the set. It's excellent. Todd Rosenthal did the scenic design. He won a Tony Award for "August Osage County" and a Tony nomination for "The Motherf..ker With the Hat".

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor