Channeling Streisand in a one-character play

July 26, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

In 2010 celebrated singer, actor, director, and gay icon Barbra Streisand released My Passion for
Design, a coffee table book full of photos and text by her about her extravagant Malibu estate, or more
precisely, her exceptional wealth and good taste.
It was an invitation to mockery and jealousy, like so much of Babs career and public persona, but one
over-the-top detail in the book captured the imagination of playwright Jonathan Tolins. Inspired by a
decorative arts museum in Delaware, Streisand transformed a barn basement into a shopping mall full of
her stuff. Tolins ran with this ridiculous fact and created a satire in which there is a clerk who organizes,
dusts, prices and sells all the objects as well as mans the popcorn and frozen yogurt machines for the
singular, predictably demanding, customer.
The result is Buyer & Cellar, a witty and hilarious one-man show, now playing at Mason Street
Warehouse. Nic Cory plays Alex More, a two-bit L.A. actor whos just been fired from a job as mayor of
Toontown at Disneyland and lands the gig as the stranger dressed as Mr. Whipple in [Barbras]
basement. Cory also plays Barry, Alexs delightfully snarky boyfriend, an underemployed screenwriter
and habitual TCM watcher; Sharon, Streisands personal assistant who suffers no fools; James Brolin;
and the diva, of course, herself.
He embodies and juggles the characters and dynamic scenes between them with aplomb, and though he
does a wonderful job physically channelling Streisand with small gestures and postures, his vocal
acrobatics and achievements are the most impressive. In fact, this show would make for an excellent radio
drama.
The set, designed by Stephen Dobay, is simple and dressed all in white, and features a false proscenium,
two tables, a chair and a bench against a backdrop of 60 drawers. Jennifer Kules lights it mostly in pastels,
and the lighting design beautifully creates distinct shifts in time and scene, as does the music, often
snippets from Streisands most memorable films.

Director Michael Heitzman puts it all together with blocking that fills the stage and creates convincing
spaces, though Corys delivery of the smart and funny dialogue can practically stand alone. Heavy with
pop culture references, especially to Streisands career, it both celebrates and makes fun of gays, Jews,
Brooklyn, and L.A., and the best audiences will be savvy about all of the above and understand more than
a little Yiddish.
The right audience is crucial to this performance. Since Cory has no other actors to play with on stage, he
relies on energy from the crowd to fuel him. The biggest energy and laughs come from the high-pitched
scenes between Barry and Alex, and Barrys incredibly funny synopsis and analysis of The Mirror Has
Two Faces is practically worth the cost of admission.
Above all, the pleasures of this show are in witnessing the great imaginative powers of obsession unfold
with delight. Its a wonderful conceit in homage to one of our greatest living icons and all of us who may
aspire to be such a worthy diva.