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- CLARISSA MARZÁN 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- DAILY NEWS NYDailyNews.com Monday, June 27, 2011 33 NOW Bard’s mating game FOCUS Pierce’s next creative venture is directing a musical. “Well” done: (l.-r.) Annie Parisse, Dakin Matthews, Andre Holland and Reg Rogers JOAN MARCUS Gimmick-freetakeon‘All’sWell’hitsitoutofthePark BY JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ It’s the eloquent perfor- DAILY NEWS THEATER CRITIC ‘All’s Well mance of Parisse, known for That Ends Well’ “Law & Order,” that really here’s no silly suitor in a HHHH H DAVID HANDSCHUH/DAILY NEWS stands out. Her Helena is mask. But between the Delacorte Theater, Central teary, calculating, passionate, presentationsoflong- Park. Through July 31. Tickets: resigned. It’s a lovely star turn. stem roses and the Free on first-come basis. Holland’s performance is at obsessive single lady T times a bit too contemporary, bent on getting one certain buthemakesBertramsym- mantobehermate,youdon’t Shakespeare’s late-career pathetic, despite his scorn for have to squint to see traces of double-stranded tale toggles Helena. ABC’s “The Bachelorette” in between courtly France and Rogersisacomicacewho thePublicTheater’snew“All’s battle-torn Italy. knows how to lighten things Well That Ends Well.” In one thread, Helena (Annie up.Hedoesn’tsomuchsayhis Inthewronghands,youcould Parisse), a late doctor’s daugh- linesasexpelthemfromhis see how that parallel might have ter, orchestrates her marriage mouth so that each syllable been blown out of proportion. A to the noble Bertram (Andre packsapunch. lame reality-TV conceit could’ve Holland). He’s a reluctant Fine support is give by John framed — and maimed — the spouse who won’t consummate Cullum,asthekingofFrance; ShakespeareintheParkrevival. the union with a lower-status ’64playlightsupNewHaarlemtheater Tonya Pinkins, as Bertram’s Fortunately, that didn’t wife until she meets two mother; and Kristen Connolly, happen because the show is in improbable demands. as Helena’s nocturnal ally, exactly the right hands. They Memo: Don’t underestimate ful eight years in Chicago. while Jasmine Romero nicely Diana. belong to Daniel Sullivan, a Helena. Richard embarks on a conveystheconflictsofbeing “All’sWell”startsandends director who avoids gimmicks relationship with hometown Lyle’s wife. he marital melodrama withadance.Atfirst,Helena andfocusesonexploringthe girl Juanita (a restrained and Dennis Jordan brings is set against the more hasnopartner.Finally,she text and relationships for all lovely Franceli Chapman) until complexitytoParnellJames,a comical undoing of has Bertram. The last image theirworth,ashedidin“The hefatallyrunsafoulofared- progressive white newspaper Parolles (Reg Rogers), a of them isn’t of them twirling, Merchant of Venice.” neck storeowner, Lyle Britten editor whose allegiance is torn T cowardly braggart and however, or in an embrace. Result:“All’sWell”isclear, (Stephen Macari). between his own race and his associateofBertram. It’s of them facing each other, classyandrichinemotions. Thechanceforjusticefrom friendship with blacks. Sullivan’s production cov- separated by a wide gap. It’s also easy on the eyes. anall-whitejuryinatownfullof Nesmith’s canny staging ers virtually every inch of the All things considered about Scott Pask’s arched set is airy bigotsisclearlynil. underscores that tension. open-air theater. Battle scenes, their past, the suggestion of and elegant, Jane Greenwood’s Director Eugene Nesmith, Scenes unfold on two side-by- setatthebackofthestage, the tableau is clear: In the end, suits, gowns and military uni- chairoftheCCNYTheaterand side plain wooden platforms. come with explosiveness all’s not well. forms convey time and place, Speech Department, has as- Blackcharactersinteractonone and noisy intensity. A stately The play runs in repertory and Peter Kaczorowski’s light- sembledafinecastofworking side.Whitesontheother. procession that emerges from with “Measure for Measure,” ing lends drama. Tom Kitt’s actors and recent CUNY grads. Rarely do people overlap. theforestbehindtheDelacorte which opens Thursday. Earl Griffin is a solid presence When they do, trouble and the moody music adds its own chargesthenightairwitha as Richard’s minister father, blues ensue. urgency and beauty. palpable melancholy. [email protected].