Buyer & Cellar
l. to r. Daniel Berger-Jones and Phil Tayler in the Lyric Stage production of Stones in his Pockets. Photo: Mark S. Howard.
Make no mistake, celebrity has always been a thing. There have always been stars floating just out of reach of mere mortals on the ground, but still close enough for us to see how they shimmer just so. There have always been said mortals to gulp down the glamour and the myth. More than 170 years ago, Charles Dickens headed to the United States ostensibly to see the working conditions here. But he also railed against copyright infringement and, in an early incarnation of a press tour, held readings to bolster book sales. When he landed in Boston it was the best of times and the worst of times. Fans mobbed him on the streets grabbing for pieces of his clothing and locks of hair. If that was the case in fledgling America, it should come as no surprise that celebrity engulfs modern America.
Long after film turned actors into giants and the Beatles turned music into mania, social media drove celebrity home. Right into our phones where we could see our stars eat, shop and unwisely record their own indiscretions. And we could interact. Fans could reach out to Lady Gaga despondent over life in the margins. Just like her! And she responded with a celebrity caress—an assurance that it would be okay. Suddenly we could live with the stars. It’s that celeb-centric environment that fuels the wild and witty romp afforded in Jonathan Tolins’ comedy Buyer & Cellar making its Boston premiere at The Lyric Stage, December 4th through January 3rd.
The play centers on Alex, a struggling actor, who idolizes Barbra Streisand to such an extent that he totes around her 2010 tome, “My Passion for Design.” The lush coffee table book (which she really did publish) documents her Malibu gardens, a lifetime of antique collecting and her New England inspired home complete with a mill house and water wheel. That home also happens to feature a street of shops in her basement (which she really did build) that houses her doll collection and other assorted antiques. In Buyer & Cellar, Alex lands a job as the sole employee hired to run Streisand’s shops, which puts him in day-to-day contact with his idol. Essentially the fan has reached the final frontier. Actor Phil Tayler plays Alex, not to mention Streisand, her husband James Brolin and Alex’s partner Barry in the one-man show. “It’s not hiding this obsessive idolatry of Barbra Streisand,” Tayler says. “She’s one of these people who almost has a Beatles-like following which is crazy.”
What ensues is a hilarious take on our celebrity culture—how the stars live, think and interact. Which, unless you have your own water wheel, you probably can’t understand. “I think [playwright Tolin] might be targeting celebrity, but I do know one thing for sure, he’s playing with celebrity,” Tayler says.
The local actor who’s become a reliable force in Boston theater and at the Lyric in particular in shows like Avenue Q and Sweeney Todd, was drawn to the play for the challenge of playing multiple roles. “It keeps you on your toes for sure,” Tayler says. But it’s a skill he honed in his Kansas high school where he was a three-time state champion in speech and debate competitions. “I learned how to affect characters through lightning fast transitions in body and voice,” he explains. “Not many actors think it’s comfortable. I think they like to sink into a role and let the progression of a show wash over them every night. I can drop into any moment of that arc whenever I want.” Including in his momentary turns as one of the most famous singers on the planet.
As the play progresses, Alex’s encounters with Streisand become more frequent. The star seems to grow enamored of the little mortal tending the til in her basement. Anticipating portraying the legend, t’s conviction wavers. “She’s gonna be a beast,” he sighs, rattling off the early Streisand films he’s begun watching to prepare for the role. “She’s just so quirky. She’s been everywhere. Just start with Funny Girl and you’re like, how do I put a finger on this woman?” It’s proof that celebrity is elusive even for the people who know how to play it best.
Jared Bowen is host of the weekly television series, Open Studio with Jared Bowen, and WGBH’s Emmy Award-winning executive arts editor.