32 Monday, June 27, 2011 DAILY NEWS NYDailyNews.com atoasttothe DavidHydePierceplaysaneurotichost in his latest flick, but he’s no fan ofNewYorkdinnerparties host

BYJACOBE.OSTERHOUT DAILY NEWS FEATURE REPORTER A scene from ‘The Perfect Host’ itles can be misleading. Contrary to the name of hislatestmovie,“ThePerfect THost” (arriving Friday), DavidHydePiercedoesnot ofteninvitelargegroupsoffriends over to his upper West Side apart- ment. “MypartnerandIaremuch more low-key,” says the 52-year- old actor, best known for his role asDr.NilesCraneinthesitcom “Frasier.”“Sure,we’llhaveafriend oversometimes,butIwouldn’tcall those dinner parties. They are not fancy.” On the other hand, Warwick Wilson, Pierce’s squirrelly characterinhislatestfilm,isthe consummate host. In anticipation of his guests’ arrival, he sets an im- maculate table and expertly chops “A gang of kids pushed me down Ifirstmovedhere,thecitywas with the musical comedy “It Shoul- vegetables,somethingthatPierce astairwellandtookmywallet a disgusting mess, but I loved it. da Been You” at the George Street hadtopractice. andthebottleofwinethatIwas Therewascrapalloverthestreets Playhouse in New Brunswick, N.J. “I’m not a good cook, so I had carrying. and Times Square was full of hook- Pierceisthefirsttoadmitthat to really work on my knife work,” “But what they ers and degenerates and not all actors make good directors, he says. “But that’s why I liked this really wanted was ‘WhenIfirst drug addicts, but there buthebelieveshiscaseisunique. character. He goes in so many dif- the drugs because was opportunity. “OnereasonImightbeokayat ferent directions, and complicated that was the only arrivedinNew “Now the city has directing is that as an actor I tend isalwaysmorefuntoplay.” conceivable reason York in 1981, been cleaned up. You tobeveryawareoftheentirepic- Ofcourse,Piercehashadbad thataguylikeme I decided that I canwalktothetheater ture,thecontextofeverythingthat luck with New York dinner parties wouldbeinthat district from the upper everyone is doing and how every in the past. neighborhood.” wouldstayaslong WestSideanditisclean rolefitsin,”hesays.“Ofcourse,I’m Whenhefirstmovedtothecity Afternearlythree as the pleasure and beautiful.” not far enough along yet to realize in1981,hewasinvitedtoafriend’s decades splitting These days, Pierce, my mistakes.” apartment in Morningside Heights time between Los ofbeinganactor whohaswonfourEm- Needless to say, Pierce has foraneveningget-together,but Angeles and New outweighed the mysandaTonyAward, comealongwaysincehisdaysasa tookthewrongtrainandexitedat York City, Pierce is very busy. youngactorandseasonalnecktie 125thSt.andMalcomXBlvd. does not make pain. So far, Notonlydoeshestar salesman for Bloomingdale’s. “WhenIgotoffthetrain,there such geographical so good.’ in “The Perfect Host,” “WhenIfirstarrivedinNew wasliterallyacaronfireinthe mistakes anymore. which allows him to Yorkin1981,IdecidedthatI street and I was just so impressed Notthathewouldhavethesame show off his chops as a complex wouldstayaslongasthepleasure that my friends would live in this problems if he did. character actor, but he is making ofbeinganactoroutweighedthe type of neighborhood,” he recalls. According to the actor, “When hisdirectorialdebutinOctober pain,” he says. “So far, so good.”

Jasmine Romero stars in James Baldwin’s “Blues Baldwin’s ‘Blues’ still glows for Mister Charlie.” BY JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ litically on message. Dramati- DAILY NEWS THEATER CRITIC ‘Blues for cally, it is less persuasive. Mister Charlie’ The play was inspired by hen James HHHHH the landmark 1955 murder of Baldwin’s racially New Haarlem Arts Theatre, Emmett Till, a black youth who charged “Blues W. 135th St. and Convent allegedly whistled at a white for Mister Charlie” W Ave. Through July 17. woman. His boastful white opened on Broad- Tickets: $25; (212) 868-4444 killers were tried and went way in 1964, it was hailed as scot-free. possessinga“fireoffury.” a promising launch for the Baldwin’s take, which The seldom-revived play theater. jumpsbetweenthepresent still burns. But after nearly a half- and flashbacks, follows Rich-

LRSAMARZÁN CLARISSA Through mid-July, it can be century, the play’s retro ardHenry(well-playedwith seenuptownatNewHaarlem earnestness and heavyhand- swagger and sensitivity by ArtsCenter,CCNY’snewpro- edness has downgraded its Reginald L. Wilson), a young fessional theater inside Aaron blazefromfour-alarmto black man and pastor’s son Davis Hall. something less explosive. who returns to his segregated The fine production marks As it decries racism, it is po- Southerntownafteranevent- 33 Monday, June 27, 2011 Rogersisacomicacewho It’s the eloquent perfor- Holland’s performance is at Fine support is give by John “All’sWell”startsandends All things considered about The play runs in repertory [email protected] mance of Parisse, known for “Law & Order,” that really stands out. Her Helena is teary, calculating, passionate, resigned. It’s a lovely star turn. times a bit too contemporary, buthemakesBertramsym- pathetic, despite his scorn for Helena. knows how to lighten things up.Hedoesn’tsomuchsayhis linesasexpelthemfromhis mouth so that each syllable packsapunch. Cullum,asthekingofFrance; Tonya Pinkins, as Bertram’s mother; and Kristen Connolly, as Helena’s nocturnal ally, Diana. withadance.Atfirst,Helena hasnopartner.Finally,she has Bertram. The last image of them isn’t of them twirling,however, or in an embrace. It’s of them facing each other, separated by a wide gap. their past, the suggestion of the tableau is clear: Inall’s the not end, well. with “Measure for Measure,” which opens Thursday. H ‘All’s Well HHHH he marital melodrama is set against the more comical undoing of Parolles (Reg Rogers), a cowardly braggart and Through July 31. Tickets: That Ends Well’ Free on first-come basis. Shakespeare’s late-career In one thread, Helena (Annie Memo: Don’t underestimate Sullivan’s production cov- Delacorte Theater, Central Park. T double-stranded tale toggles between courtly France and battle-torn Italy. Parisse), a late doctor’s daugh- ter, orchestrates her marriage to the noble Bertram (Andre Holland). He’s a reluctant spouse who won’t consummate the union with a lower-status wife until she meets two improbable demands. Helena. associateofBertram. ers virtually every inch ofopen-air the theater. Battle scenes, setatthebackofthestage, come with explosiveness and noisy intensity. A stately procession that emerges from theforestbehindtheDelacorte chargesthenightairwitha palpable melancholy. Annie Parisse, Andre Holland and Reg Rogers Dakin Matthews, “Well” done: (l.-r.) here’s no silly suitor in a mask. But between the presentationsoflong- stem roses and the obsessive single lady DAILY NEWS THEATER CRITIC Inthewronghands,youcould Fortunately, that didn’t Result:“All’sWell”isclear, It’s also easy on the eyes. BY JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ bent on getting one certain mantobehermate,youdon’t have to squint to see tracesABC’s of “The Bachelorette” in thePublicTheater’snew“All’s Well That Ends Well.” see how that parallel might have been blown out of proportion. A lame reality-TV conceit could’ve framed — and maimed — the ShakespeareintheParkrevival. happen because the show is in exactly the right hands. They belong to Daniel Sullivan, a director who avoids gimmicks andfocusesonexploringthe text and relationships for all theirworth,ashedidin“The Merchant of Venice.” classyandrichinemotions. Scott Pask’s arched set is airy and elegant, Jane Greenwood’s suits, gowns and military uni- forms convey time and place, and Peter Kaczorowski’s light- ing lends drama. Tom Kitt’s moody music adds its own urgency and beauty. T Gimmick-freetakeon‘All’sWell’hitsitoutofthePark Bard’s mating game

ONMARCUS JOAN DAVID HANDSCHUH/DAILY NEWS Pierce’s next FOCUS creative venture is directing a musical. NOW Dennis Jordan brings Nesmith’s canny staging Rarely do people overlap. while Jasmine Romero nicely conveystheconflictsofbeing Lyle’s wife. complexitytoParnellJames,a progressive white newspaper editor whose allegiance is torn between his own race and his friendship with blacks. underscores that tension. Scenes unfold on two side-by- side plain wooden platforms. Blackcharactersinteractonone side.Whitesontheother. When they do, trouble and the blues ensue.

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Richard embarks on a Thechanceforjusticefrom Director Eugene Nesmith, Earl Griffin is a solid presence ’64playlightsupNewHaarlemtheater ful eight years in Chicago. relationship with hometown girl Juanita (a restrained and lovely Franceli Chapman) until hefatallyrunsafoulofared- neck storeowner, Lyle Britten (Stephen Macari). anall-whitejuryinatownfullof bigotsisclearlynil. chairoftheCCNYTheaterand Speech Department, has as- sembledafinecastofworking actors and recent CUNY grads. as Richard’s minister father, DAILY NEWS