Post written by Lissa Brennan

As we waited for the audience to troop into Carnegie Music Hall for the live performance of Green Porno on Friday, Isabella Rossellini's famously gorgeous face could be seen repeatedly popping out from behind the curtain.

Due to some difficulties at the will-call counter, the show began a good 15 minutes late, leaving the acclaimed actress stranded in the wings while the audience slowly filed in. Rather than sneakily, coolly peering through a tiny break, Rossellini stuck her whole head out. The gesture was charming and endearing, and an encapsulation of the woman and her performance.

Combining video clips from the Sundance Channel series about animal sex that she wrote, directed and starred in with a spoken performance somewhere between lecture and storytelling, Green Porno was an hour of solid entertainment from beginning to end.

There were a couple of costume changes, executed onstage. Rossellini had a smattering of props, ranging from exuberant blossoms to paper sea creatures, briefly taken up then unceremoniously discarded, tossed on the floor behind her.

The text and the clips itself could have been performed with another actress, or even actor, as the star, and would still have merited a hearty round of applause. But the standing ovation belonged to Rossellini, who was nothing but enchanting from beginning to end.

Here's my preview of the show for CP, including an interview with Rossellini.