An Off-Broadway review of “Broad Strokes” By Cat Cohen at The Lucille Lortel Theater
By Antonio
My first NYC acting teacher once asked us, “Why are you an actor?” As we came up with answers we thought she was looking for—“We want to tell stories” or “We want to share our love of theater with the world”—she kept screaming “NO!” at our confused 18-year-old faces. Then, with a big drag on her cigarette (Yes, she was allowed to smoke in class while teaching), she looked us dead in the eye and said, “You are an actor because on the day you were born, your heart was broken!”
So, of course, I was completely won over by Cat Cohen’s exhilarating new musical show, “Broad Strokes,” at The Lucille Lortel Theater. In Cat’s story, she suffered a stroke at 30, which was caused by having a congenital hole in her heart, which, according to my acting teacher, left her no other choice but to devote her life to the theater. And we are all the more blessed by her relentless pursuit of being special, completely rejecting her essential “normal girl” vibe.
Her mind is like a machine gun, able to shoot off multiple jokes a second. She has an incredible talent to flow from her comedy right into a song, which further illuminates her insatiable curiosity to examine every minutia of her lived experience. She is ruthless at getting to the heart of the moment, exposing her vulnerability, and equally persistent in finding the humor in the next moment. The music, by Cat and David Dabbon (music supervisor and orchestrator), feels so organic to her story and explodes with positivity. She knew that there was no other choice but to embrace this preposterous reality: she had a stroke at 30 and had to have surgery to fix a hole in her heart.
Derek McLane’s set was a beautiful feminine gothic castle, perfect for our heroine to retire by the sea. It created an ideal backdrop for Kelsey Randall’s alluring Disney princess costume design. The band, also led by David, was an extraordinary ensemble. They supported Cat and the story with an effortless touch and a rousing energy.
Alex Timbers’ direction gave this show a stunning sequence and helped showcase Cat’s incredible talent. He knew where to let the comedy flow and where to drop into the truth. I left the theater wanting more and will be checking out her two Netflix specials, her poetry, and her podcast as soon as possible.
I was so impressed by Cat’s ability to allow her sense of the absurd to carry her through a frightening health crisis. She immediately saw possibilities when many of us would only see despair. I, like many others in the audience, recognize that we have had friends or family members who have experienced a TIA and had to have a PFO closed. Sharing such a personal story, I never once felt pity for Cat, nor did I think she wanted our pity. She only desired our laughter and applause. In Cat’s capable storytelling hands, she created a musical that looked deep into her own heart and shared her deepest desire. To be special.
* Addison Dewitt, “All About Eve,” Written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz & Mary Orr