‘Rain’ is blustery and dreary

What’s the formula for bringing a tough-minded, hard-edged play about a pair of seasoned, case-hardened Chicago cops to full fruition on stage?
Someone apparently thought the problem could be solved by recruiting a couple of A-list action stars, one from Australia and the other from England, and have them directed by a gifted Irishman. Given the fact that the play is both undistinguished and formulaic, is it really so surprising that the overall result is disappointing and even somewhat amateurish?
The Australian, Hugh Jackman, is talented way beyond his fame as Wolverine in the X-man franchise, including success on Broadway playing the late Peter Allen in “The Boy From Oz.” The Englishman, Daniel Craig, isn’t limited to being the sixth and latest actor to play Ian Fleming’s James Bond in the ongoing 007 series. Although “A Steady Rain” marks his American stage debut, Craig is familiar for his work on the British stage, including having played the lead in the London production of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America.”
The Irish director, John Crowley, younger brother of stage designer Bob Crowley, has solid New York credits, including the Broadway production of Martin McDonagh’s “Pillowman” and a respectable Roundabout Theater Company revival of Sean O’Casey’s “Juno and the Paycock. Jackman and Craig will be wrestling with Crowley’s odd, unfinished-feeling production until December 6, when the mostly sold-out show reaches the end of its limited run.
Denny Lombardo, Jackman’s character, and Joey, the cop played by Craig, have been the closest of friends since childhood. The free-wheeling, morally loose Denny has a family, while the inhibited Joey has never married. He idolizes his pal, who is clearly the Alpha Male in his life. The lonely Joey isn’t equipped with a surname, but his partner refers to him as a “Mick.” He spends most of his evenings, and takes most of his meals, at Denny’s house, with his friend’s wife and the couple’s two young sons.
Playwright Keith Huff has structured “A Steady Rain” as a series of brief monologues, with the actors acknowledging each other’s presence only sporadically. Each actor mostly sits alone under the harsh glare of a powerful overhead light, dishing out fragments of the story, as though undergoing an interrogation.
Huff’s tale is a litany of horror and misbehavior with details of murder and mortality which defy credibility. Not only are Craig and Jackman not particularly convincing either as cops or as Chicagoans, but there’s a bigger, more destructive problem: their acting styles are so different and mutually so incompatible that the actors almost seem to be appearing in different plays. Craig is in fairly solidly in character, wearing a cheap suit and sporting a decidedly un-Bondlike moustache. Jackman, on the other hand, with his trademarked charm and ebullience fully in operation, might almost be hosting an awards show on television. The stars are, to put it mildly, not on the same page or even close.
“A Steady Rain” is a jumble of a drama, despite the presence two undeniably talented actors, who, in this case, are working below the top of their game.

“Luck” ? Performed by Megan Riordan ? Written by by Megan Riordan, Dodd Loomis and Shawn Sturnick ? at Theater C, 50East59 Theaters ? Though Oct. 11, 2009
Flame-haired Megan Riordan doesn’t believe in luck, and she should know, having been raised in the risky world of Las Vegas casinos, where her father, Max, was a veteran dealer. Nor only did he teach her the tricks of the trade, but he turned her into an active member of the gambling team of which he was a key part.
In “Luck,” Riordan tells fascinating tales from her life growing up among professional gamblers, and also lets her audience in on some of the “secrets” of the casino tables. As fascinating as Riordan’s material is “Luck” has a resonant quality which doesn’t make itself apparent until the brief show is well underway.
There’s a quality about the artist that indicates that some part of he resents the manner in which she was raised. The winningly poignant tone of the show, along with its inherent humor, makes it more appealing than it would have been had it settled for being merely comedic. It’s part confessional, part stand-up comedy, and part cabaret act. Director and co-author Loomis has staged the show with a good sense of pace and an appealing informality. It’s well worth a visit.