From Durham to Off-Broadway It was a bit like running into someone you know at Grand Central Station. In the middle of a crowd of words about “Matthew Passion,” Phil Hall’s new Off-Broadway play with music, came the jolt of recognition: “Mr. Hall was raised Southern Baptist in Durham, N.C.” The sense of familiarity came with the reference to Durham rather than Hall, whose credits haven’t stolen any headlines. But they’re absolutely solid: He’s a composer/lyricist/musical director who conducted “Play Me A Country Song” on Broadway, served as musical director and conductor of several national tours, and arranged the vocals for the Rodgers and Hammerstein revue “Some Enchanted Evening.” “Matthew Passion” concerns the passion of Christ; Matthew Shepard, the murdered Wyoming student; and a middle-aged HIV positive survivor who outlives his life expectancy. “The grace of these people and the human spirit is that we can go on and heal from these tragic acts, and by not forgetting, can impact the world,” Hall told the National Catholic Reporter. “The message is be all you can be and be comfortable with who you are. There’s no place we go where God is not there too.” We tried to reach Hall through the show’s Web site (www.matthewpassion.com) but hadn’t heard back at press time. But we did learn that one of his songs from the show, “You Need a Bitch Slap,” is available through cdbaby.com. “Matthew Passion,” which begins previews Thursday, officially opens April 2 and closes Easter Sunday, will be staged at the American Theatre of Actors’ Chernuchin Theatre on West 54th Street. |