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Newsletter At A Glance
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October 29th, 2009
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CHECK OUT THE SHOWS THIS WEEKEND!
I'll Be Back Before Midnight at Kudzu Playhouse 101 Dalmations at The Cobb Energy Centre
In The Heights at the Fox
"You're
only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."
Robin Williams
WIN TICKETS TO IN THE HEIGHTS!
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101 Dalmatians-The Musical
starring Rachel York!Pack
 N OTHING LIKE A HOUND DOG Grade: B What do you get when you combine 101 dog puns, a spectacular musical diva
performance, a bad idea that eventually pays off, and Styx? You get "The 101 Dalmatians Musical," barking
into the Cobb Energy Center as part of a nationwide tour. And, I found it surprisingly delightful, in spite of the
presence of, well, of so many dogs. First, let's talk about the story. You may think you know it,
based on the Disney franchise. But, adapters BT McNicholl and Dennis DeYoung (yes, the Styx Dennis DeYoung) have gone
back to the original source novel by Dodie Smith. Since I've never read it (as I suspect is true for many of us), I
was pleasantly surprised by new characters and new situations. For starters, Perdita is not Pongo's mate (that honor
belongs to "Missus"). Perdita is indeed here (with perhaps the best "power ballad" in the show),
but I'll let you discover her place in the plot. We're also introduced to an urbane Dalmatian named Prince, who is the
narrator for our story. Although his connection to the plot can be easily guessed, he nonetheless is a welcome host,
displaying all those qualities we humans look for in a dog. He even does an informal audience poll after intermission
("Paws in the air, those who prefer dry food over wet."). True, most of the plot points are there
- the puppies, the kidnappings, the Badun Brothers, the trek through the snow, the nation-wide barking chain, the happy ending
at Christmastime. There's an Act Two gypsy sequence that feels more like padding than real plot development, but it's
couched in a snappy production number that ends on a funny note, so, it's "good" padding. But
the villainess! Oh, yes, we still have Cruella De Vil, personified in scene-chomping splendor by Broadway Diva Rachel
York. Ms. York is an infernal greed machine, parading through the story in her stiletto stilts (more on that later),
belting number after number with the ceiling-shattering force we've come to expect. When her big opening number ("Hot")
steams forth, she emanates the kind of oven-blast heat that singes the eyebrows of the poor unfortunate front row souls.
If she weren't already a Broadway legend, this would make her one (if, indeed, Disney ever lets this version get to New York,
which I doubt). Now, let me talk about the bad idea. So that all the main canine characters can be
played by humans (wearing natty white-and-spots turtlenecks and slacks), the human characters clomp through the show wearing
18-inch stilt shoes. A clever idea to suggest scale, but, in practical terms, it makes all the pet humans walk as if
they were on a tight rope. Usually taking an arms-out-for-balance stance, any real subtext is over-written by the "God-I'm-going-fall-if-I-have-to-dance-in-these"
look of panic every time they move. Only Ms. York carries herself as if she were born wearing stilts. And, truth
to tell, by the end of the show, I got used to the awkward gaits, and can muster up some forgiveness. Since this is
only the second stop of the tour, I can easily see how, eventually, the rest of the cast will soon come up to Ms. York's confidence-level. As to the supporting cast, Chuck Ragsdale is a charming and engaging Prince, James Ludwig and Catia Ojeada
have beautiful chemistry as Pongo and Missus, Julie Foldesi has too-many heartbreaking moments as Perdita (yes, hers is a
sad back-story). Mike Masters and Kristen Beth Williams also make pleasant (if underwritten) Mr. and Mrs. Dearly, Pongo
and Missus' "Pet Humans." Michael Thomas Holmes and Robert Anthony Jones are funny as the Badun brothers (here
called Jasper and Jinx), who even get a nice "Musical Gangster" type number ("Having the Crime of Our Lives").
And, a gaggle of kids as the puppies are a scrabbly and energetic lot, starting off the second act with a marvelously done
"Break Out" number. And, of course, kudos have to go to the troupe of well-trained actual Dalmatians who make
a sweet tableau at the end of Act One, and a raucously funny frolic at the end of Act Two. And, continuing
with the humans-playing-dogs concept, I loved how cheap punnery informed their design. The Scottish Terriers, of course,
wore kilts and too-thick-to-really-understand brogues, the Dachsunds were boy scouts with German accents, and don't get me
started on the French Poodles and Bulldogs. And, of course, no popular-culture dog reference was left unmentioned. Oh, did I mention I loved most of the songs? Though very musical-theatre in tone, they still reflect
the Styx-influence composer Dennis DeYoung brings to the table, and many of them are truly memorable (the aforementioned "Hot,"
"Having the Crime of Our Lives," and Perdita's "One True Love"). I hope this score will be recorded
some day, but, in the meantime, I suppose I'll have to "make do" with the occasional download. I also have
to praise "A Perfect Family," Pongo and Missus' early song about how their kids will be perfect and well-behaved,
unlike the high-maintenance "brats" they encounter in the park every day. Every parent in the audience smiled
in rueful recognition of their own mis-placed pre-natal ambitions. On a technical note, the sets
were nicely impressionistic, showing an exaggerated perspective that made the out-of-proportion "humans" actually
make sense. The Dearly's living room had a pair of over-tall chairs that reflected that same skewed perspective.
And the rescue-trek was backed by a nicely realized map of Britain that traced Pongo and Missus' journey in the time-honored
way of a slowly lengthening line of lights. If a follow spot occasionally produced awkward reflections on the scrim,
well it didn't happen often enough to be too distracting. So, if you're looking for some nice family-friendly
fun of a non-frightening variety this weekend, I wouldn't be barking up the wrong tree to recommend you give this a shot.
It's always a pleasure to see non-Disney versions of stories we thought we knew, and, in this case, we're given a tuneful
delight that will send you back to your homes smiling and wondering why you ever chose to be a cat person. Or wondering what your own pet (or child) is REALLY thinking when she smiles at you. -- Brad Rudy
(BKRudy@aol.com) | Historic Production of:
PARADE
has been cast.
Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown's Parade is set to open January 9th in Marietta, GA. The historic
Marietta cast has been announced. In The role of Leo Frank is Jason Meinhardt, a two time MAT award winner for acting in a
musical. Michelle Peck will take on the role of Frank's devoted wife Lucille. As Mary Phagan, Tara Folio (who was up for a
major role in Brown's 13) will play the murdered child. Other notables include Leslie Bellair as Iola Stover, Don Goodner
as Hugh Dorsey , Jessica Ainsley as Lizzie Phagan, and Patrick Hill as the young Soldier. More casting is set to be announced
within a week.
Parade tells the story of Leo Frank (Meinhardt) accused of the murder of Phagan (Folio). It won
a Tony for composer Brown in 1999 for his score. Phagan was from marietta, and Frank was lynched there. The show is produced
by John Christian, directed by Rob Hardie and music directed by Mark Schroeder. Anna Galt is the choreographer.
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WIN TICKETS TO
IN THE HEIGHTS!
TONY WINNER!
Best Musical!!
It's simple! Just email us why you want to see this musical in 20 words or less. The best one (Judged by staff) wins 2 tickets
to opening night this Tuesday! Just reply to this email with your "reason", and you and aguest may be sitting
at the Fox watching this Tony Award winning musical! Now, about the show! Show Dates
Nov. 3-8, 2009 - Atlanta Fox Theatre
IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including BEST
MUSICAL!, is a sensational new show about chasing your dreams and finding your true home.
With an amazing
cast, incredible Tony Award-winning dancing and a thrilling Tony Award-winning score, IN THE HEIGHTS is an exhilarating journey
into a vibrant Manhattan community - a place where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze
carries the rhythm of three generations of music.
Experience the next chapter of the classic American story at
the most joyous, exciting and award-winning new musical on Broadway. Find out what it takes to make a living, what it costs
to have a dream, and what it means to be home...IN THE HEIGHTS.
Don't miss In The Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams
premiering on PBS Great Performances May 27th.
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BUY MY HOUSE! PLEASE!
Aurora Theatre
REWRITE THIS SCRIPT! PLEASE!
Grade: C
Stop me if you've heard this one. This guy just lost his job, and his wife is in a family way.
It looks like they're going to lose their lovely home, unless they can find someone to buy it. And get this
- the funny part is that - THE ECONOMY TANKED AND NO ONE'S BUYING!!!
What? That doesn't
make you laugh?
Therein lies a major problem with Gabriel Dean's "Buy My House, Please!" currently
enjoying a World Premiere run at the Aurora Theatre. Unemployment, recession, and foreclosure may be nice and topical,
and they may be the grist for a dark comedy. Here though, the set-up is just an uncomfortable contrivance for a not-very-necessary
satirical swipe at Reality TV, an unfocused sit-com that sets up a straw-man target and skewers it with a sword possessing
the sharpness of a whiffle-ball bat. After a contrived and unfunny first act that puts our distressed couple under the
thumb of a relentlessly obnoxious Reality Show producer, the second act switches mood gears completely, and offers some scenes
of genuine human contact, bolstered by some lovely performances, but totally undercut by too many by-the-numbers emotional
contrivances, none of them remotely believable. It even shamelessly goes for our heart-strings with an orphaned child.
It's really like a Mad Magazine "Lighter Side" sketch that decides (too late in the game)
to be a parenting sob story. I found the premise about as appealing as a comedy about the death of a child.
This is really a shame, because Bethany Ann Lind and Matthew Myers make the Larks such an appealing couple
at the start that it's hard to believe they'd be the type to look for Reality TV relief. Sure, their situation is difficult,
but it is far from desperate. That the script believes their only option is TV sell-out is a sign their creator hasn't
thought through the realities of unemployment and overextended bills, but just wants to exploit a contemporary situation for
cheap laughs. That producer Shelby Whitstone is written as a totally reprehensible cretin who even the amazingly talented
LaLa Cochrane cannot make likeable is a sign he's more interested in vilifying Hollywood with a waxwork caricature than in
making a real villain for our hapless couple to engage.
The farcical elements in Act One never
take off - three "minions" of the producer play a gaggle of differently costumed faux "buyers," but the
script requires them to leap from character to character with a frequency and transparency that makes the scene laughless,
and it sinks like a stone. When a real buyer makes an offer, it was almost a relief that the frenetic cavorting comes
to a halt.
Then we get to the treacly mess that is Act Two. The "buyer," a widow with
her young daughter, reveals she was under contract as much as the Larks. She comes into the house (in a totally unbelievable
way) and has to confront Ms. Lind's Bryn Lark. Completely discarding the dark farce of the first act, Mr. Dean's script
now tries to make his characters actually acknowledge what the economy has done to them and their lives, but it is shallow,
and the discussion too often just sets up a weak gag or a false "heart-tug" moment. It says virtually nothing
about the economy or how people in this situation should act in response. And the script has to rely on a badly motivated
character conversion and a Deus Ex Machina tree collapse to actually resolve the plot threads for a sorta kinda ending.
As I said above, the cast is uniformly excellent, and gives the production a charm that only dissipates after
the realities of the situation have sunk in. There are some amusing (if not laugh-out-loud) moments, and, I didn't hate
the show completely. Scenic Designer Britt Hultgren Ramroop has created a nicely elegant living room set, but the video
additions don't add much of anything for me, and the post-curtain-call "Behind the Scenes" video vignettes were
largely unintelligible.
And, to be fair, the play has potential. I think Reality TV may be a too-easy
target for satire, and the comedy to be found in the Larks' distress needs either the commitment of a truly dark vision or
the more gentle approach that acknowledges the very real problems inherent in their struggle. A few of the characters can
stand a little more development, a little more "voice" (too many of the characters talk with distressingly similar
styles and vocabularies), and, a little less caricature.
And it needs to be more focused, to commit
to either farce or character-based humor. Jumping from one to the other is just irritating and reduces the plausibility
of both to almost zero.
I think Aurora is to be commended for taking a chance on a World Premiere, and
for giving this particular piece a polished and professional veneer. To be fair, my expectations may have been sabotaged
by the subject matter, and the audience I was with had a positive buzz as they were leaving (I assume it was a "laughing
on the inside" sort of pleasure, as the audible laughs were few and far between).
Still,
I can't help feeling a lot of sympathy for the Larks, and not a little disdain for those who would exploit them,
Mr. Dean included.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
| THAT
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Open Casting Call on Saturday November 7, 2009 from 9:30am-3:00pm
Short description: GET DISCOVERED BY AGENTS!
Calling all KIDS ages 4-17 this is your chance to show your Talents to Casting Agents! That Kid's Got Talent is a free open
Audition on November 7, 2009. It is an opportunity to be seen by top Atlanta Talent Agents. That Kid's Got Talent is sponsored
by Curtain's Up Inc, Applause for Kids, and Clix Portrait Studios. Call now for more information, to reserve your spot, and
GET DISCOVERED!
|
From the Bookshelf: "Fool" by Christopher Moore
There's always a bloody ghost.
And there's always a bloody wanker out there ready to muck about with our favorite stories, not
mention ready to make bloody mincemeat out of history, geography and F^%#king France.
Which
brings me to "Fool," the new(ish) novel by Christopher Moore. Pocket is a fool, a consummate performer
who lives for the bawdy joke and the piercing quip. His current station is at the right hand (or, more accurately,
right foot) of one Lear, King of Great Britain, about to make the mistake of his life. And you only think you
know what happens next.
Mr. Moore has done the miraculous here. He has retained most (not quite
all) of the tragic trappings of Shakespeare's masterpiece, but has created one of the bawdiest romps and funniest novels I've
ever read, one that celebrates the life of the performer, and, even while decimating a classic of the stage, displays a profound
and deep-rooted respect for the source. A paradox, you say? That's only fitting, since paradox is Pocket's stock-in-trade.
The book sets the tone with a Page One Warning:
"This is a bawdy tale. Herein
you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and
profanity, as well as non-traditional grammar, split infinitives, and the odd wank. If that sort of thing bothers you,
then gentle reader pass by, for we endeavor only to entertain, not to offend. That said, if that's the sort of thing
you think you might enjoy, then you have happened upon the perfect story!"
Right away, he sets up
his hash-of-history stew:
"The stage is more or less mythical thirteenth-century Britain,
with vestiges of British culture reaching back to pre-Roman times still loitering about. Generally, if not otherwise
explained, conditions may be considered damp."
Resetting the tale in post-Norman England allows Mr.
Moore to play around with the London Tower, and relegate Cornwall to Wales and Albany to Ireland (simultaneously recreating
a geography that never existed and hinting at the true cause of the Balkanization of Great Britain). If this isn't the
Celtic Dark Age Lear we've come to expect, it certainly feels that way. Amid all the tomfoolery, we also see pointed
barbs at religions in conflict. At times Lear is the ultimate Christian crusader, burning witches and walling up women
(in convents of course). At other times, he's a Druidic paragon, invoking all sorts of Gods and Spirits to appease his
vengeances and piques.
Now, that I've (hopefully) piqued your interest, here is what you don't know.
As stated at the top, there's a bloody ghost. She seems to be pulling Pocket's strings and setting all sorts of things
in motion, helped by a trio of witches who wandered in from MacBeth-land. Pocket himself was a foundling, left on the
door steps of a convent (The Abbey at Dog Snogging) by person (or persons) yet to be revealed. He is the pampered pet
of the nuns, led by Mother Abbess Clive, the one with the Adam 's apple, the five-o'clock shadow, and the penchant for using
novices to keep his bed warm on those cold winter nights.
When a new anchoress moves into the abbey, it's
Pocket's duty to feed and entertain her. Oh, you're not familiar with that term? In Pocket's England, an anchoress
is a truly devout nun who spends her life in a walled up cell, only a small cross-shaped opening allow access to food (and
sanitary disposal). Ah, the Medieval Church! Of course, this particular anchoress is not a willing guest, and
she teaches Pocket all about entertaining, story-telling, acrobatics, juggling, and all the gymnastic f$%#kery that will be
the hallmark of his career. Until, they're caught at it one day. The anchoress is completely sealed away, and
Pocket is taken off to be hanged (not for the last time - a running gag is his blasé "whatever" every time
someone threatens to hang him).
Eventually, he winds up in Lear's court as the chief babysitter and entertainment
for young Cordelia, and he soon becomes her champion. From this point, the story proceeds as laid out by Shakespeare,
with the addition of the ghost, the MacBeth witches, and an apprentice fool named Drool, who is LARGE, simple, and likes to,
well, to drool.
So, why did I love this book so much?
Well, besides it being
a major laugh-fest (you know, you get the oddest looks on the bus when you sit there giggling hysterically), it celebrates
performance of all kind. It's also a ringing indictment of the sort of privileged aristocracy represented by Lear and
his family. Pocket may be a fool, but he is smarter than everyone around him (except, possibly Cordelia), and he finds
it incredibly easy to manipulate them and send the story off in directions Shakespeare was too polite to share with us.
And, seeing the story from another point of view even sheds light on the original, gives ample subtext and
back-story that, in spite of the difference in tone (and outcome) rarely, if ever, contradict the play. I can easily
envision future productions of "Lear" in which the actor playing the Fool takes ideas from Pocket's playbook and
runs amok with them.
Another reason I love it is because of the wild extremes of mood and tone.
Lear is, if nothing else, painted in a much worse light than we've ever seen before, his actions driven from a medieval sense
of entitlement as much as from old-age fogginess. He is truly a bastard among kings! And yet, his ultimate fate
is still moving, still sad. Along with that, we do understand how and why Regan and Goneril misbehave as they do, even
sympathize with their vendetta against their father. At the same time, we're appalled at the extremes they take their
actions.
So, what we have here, is a bawdy romp through Medieval England, an off-kilter look at one of
the stage's greatest tragedies, an ode to the art of performance, a wicked-sharp poke-of-poison addressed to the upper classes,
some first-class f$%#kery, and even a happy ending (for some).
So, if you want to nitpick about
the liberties taken with the plot, with history, and with geography, all I can say is, "Stop being such a bloody
wanker, you git!"
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
"Fool"
by Christopher Moore, William Morrow Books, 2009 ISBN-978-1-61523-434-9
Amazon site: http://www.amazon.com/Fool-Novel-Christopher-Moore/dp/0060590319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256658494&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble Site: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fool/Christopher-Moore/e/9780060590314/?itm=1&USRI=Fool | |
Newsletter At A Glance
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October 8th, 2009
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CHECK OUT THE SHOWS THIS WEEKEND!
"Patriotism
is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it." George Bernard
Shaw
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RAIN
A+
It's 1964. Johnson is president and tonight on the Ed Sullivan
show, the English pop sensation sweeping the nation - the Beatles... oops! I mean Rain.
Rain starts out the Beatles tribute even before the lights dim. Large projection screen to either side of the stage
treat patrons to Beatles trivia displayed on a background of 60's tie-dye. Then the lights go down and up comes footage
of 1964 and President Kennedy. All leading up to Ed Sullivan announcing tonight - Rain! The curtain goes up and
low and behold, 4 guys in suits with mop haircuts begin singing. They look and sound remarkably like the Beatles and
are performing on a set that one would swear was the Ed Sullivan set. Add to it that the screens are now displaying
the image of these musicians in black and white, almost as if it is 1964, and you have the essence of the Rain show.
The producers have even added these musicians to the old footage of Ed Sullivan so it seems he is congratulating them after
the performance. These talented musicians take us on a journey through the illustrious career of a band
that changed music and culture. The journey starts on the Ed Sullivan show, moves to Shea Stadium, covers the era of
Sergeant Peppers and the White Album, and ends up on a roof top. In between we are treated to footage from those concerts,
young women screaming and fainting, fans dancing, Rain stepping from an airplane, photos and album covers. Even commercials
of the era remind us that we are no longer in 2009, but the 60's and 70's. Footage from the Vietnam War reminds us of
the Beatles' pursuit of peace and love amid a time of turmoil. Each photo or video clip has been cleverly adjusted so
that the original Beatles are replaced by the musicians of Rain. And those musicians move, talk, walk, and wave exactly
as we all expect them to, having seen those same photos and clips so many times before. The illusion that in fact Rain
was the band we all remember is so well orchestrated that you almost forget they are Rain and expect the next announcer to
say The Beatles! The influence of the Beatles on music and culture is immeasurable. Their timeless melodies
and intricate harmonies are still better than nearly every "pop" song produced in the last twenty years. How
else would you explain the massive success of The Beatles' Rock Band video game or the 2.25 million albums sold within the
first five days of this year's remastered album release? From the moment The Beatles stepped onto the stage, they were
a phenomenon. There are many musicals being made from the songs of popular groups, including Queen, Abba and the Four
Seasons, but these lack the force and the staying power of The Beatles' music. Yes, people will always recall the most
popular songs by other bands, but how many bands had 30 or more songs that you instantly recognize? The music of Rain makes me wish I could have attended original Beatles concerts. I wanted to stand up, sing along,
sway and dance, scream and shout and feel like I was 16 again and these musicians were actually worthy of a teen crush.
The Fox audience may not have originally gotten into the mood as much as I did, but the musicians weren't going to let them
just sit there and take it in. No sir! Before long we were all singing along, clapping, waving our arms, and dancing
in our seats. I never thought I would see such a reaction from the normally subdued Fox crowd, but who can resist the
pull of the classic Beatles' songs? The crowd loved the show so much the band treated us to an encore.
The encore was obviously planned, how else would they have the footage ready? But who cares? We wanted more
and they gave it to us. We spent an evening hearing classics like "Twist and Shout", "Hey Jude",
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts' Club Band" and "Imagine". And imagine we all did - that time had reversed
and the Beatles were back on stage. I think it is the closest someone of my generation could come to really hearing
a live Beatles show. The only critique I have is that they didn't play everything. But then again, with a repertoire
that large, how could they in one evening? The audience left the Fox and reentered 2009 feeling energized, hopefully,
and happy and that alone is always worth the price of admission. All in All, what can I say but "Go
see Rain!" A+ - Jessica Clements
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101 Dalmations starring Rachel York!
Just
one Option in a Mini-Season Pack
With the highly-anticipated 2009-2010 seasons fast approaching, Broadway
Across America - Atlanta and Atlanta Broadway Series are pleased to present even more options to Atlanta theatre fans with
a trio of mini-season packages. Selections include Family Fun and Broadway Fans an offer something for everyone-from
seasoned Broadway enthusiasts to first-time show attendees. Packages will be available beginning Saturday, September
12.
"We hand selected these packages with a goal of creating the ultimate theatre experience for Atlanta
patrons," said Stephanie Parker, Vice President for Atlanta Broadway Series and Broadway Across America - Atlanta.
"With the variety of great shows coming to the city this year, these exclusive mini-season packages allow Broadway
fans even more flexible options to see their favorites."
ATLANTA BROADWAY SERIES
"Family Fun Package"spotlights both new and treasured family favorites:
101 DALMATIANS
October 28-November 1, 2009 Cobb Energy Centre
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF March 16-March 21, 2010
Cobb Energy Centre
MARY POPPINS
April 29-May 16, 2010
The Fox Theatre
Family Fun packages start at
$70.50 and are available online at www.AtlantaBroadwaySeries.com or by calling 877.451.7469 (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday)
beginning Saturday, September 12.
BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA - ATLANTA
"Broadway Fan Package
1" highlights the most talked about shows of the season:
IN THE HEIGHTS
November 3-November 8, 2009 The Fox Theatre
SPRING AWAKENING
March 9-March 14, 2010
The Fox Theatre
AVENUE Q
May 18-May 23, 2010
Cobb Energy Centre
Pricing for the Broadway Fan 1 packages begin at $50.75.
"Broadway Fan Package 2" brings Broadway classics to Atlanta's doorstep:
THE 39 STEPS
December 1-December 6, 2009 Cobb Energy Centre
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
January 26-January 31, 2010
The Fox Theatre
SOUTH PACIFIC
April 6-April 11, 2010
The Fox Theatre
Broadway Fan packages start at $50.75. Broadway Fan packages can be purchased
online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com or by calling 800.278.4447 (10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday) beginning Saturday, September
12.
About Atlanta Broadway Series
The Atlanta Broadway Series, created in partnership by WH Management
Group and Key Brand Entertainment, is a new series of blockbuster Broadway programming presented at the Cobb Energy Performing
Arts Centre, a state-of-the-art venue that opened to popular and critical acclaim in September 2007.
About Broadway Across America
Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment
industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and
plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America
is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America
and throughout the world. Broadway Across America most recently produced Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS on Broadway,
while current and upcoming productions include WEST SIDE STORY, BLITHE SPIRIT, MINSKY'S, and the DeafWest production of PIPPIN.
Broadway tours include DORA THE EXPLORER, FROST/NIXON, SPAMALOT, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. For more
information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
| |
GODSPELL 
From the Light Booth: "Godspell"
Epidemic Theatre Co
This week, I am demonstrating the essentially shallow nature of my character by working lights for a production
of "Godspell," which, some of you may know, is not my favorite piece of Musical Theatre. My reasons for taking
this gig are two-fold: Theatrical Outfit's 2008 production of the show proved (at least to my satisfaction) that "Godspell"
has its charms, especially when a non-traditional, non-judgmental approach is taken, emphasizing the play's vaudevillesque
"Let's put on a show" aspects. The second reason is that this is a production of a fairly brand spanking new
theatre company, and it's always exciting being part of the start of another branch of the ever-expanding Atlanta theatre
community tree.
THE PLAY
Just
to get the obvious over with quickly, "Godspell" is a collection of songs and skits loosely based on the Gospel
According to St. Matthew. A disparate group of folks gather around a charismatic leader who offers songs and stories,
sketches and parables, until the inevitability of the story's resolution "rains on their parade." My basic
antithesis to the show (apart from world-view religious disagreements) was based on the traditional approach of the cast "clowning
up" to play the story - they inevitably become indistinguishable from one another, losing any individuality in their
rush for salvation and acceptance. Much of the traditional emphasis also seemed to be driven by Old Testament "Do
this or suffer eternal damnation" scare tactics, and, in my eyes, reduced the story to cult-like behavior.
Theatrical Outfit's production, though, allowed the characters to keep their individuality, showing the ensemble to be
driven more by acceptance of each other and affection for their leader. When presented in the context of an
energetic entertainment, it made the "message" far more palatable even to skeptical minds like mine.
To my great relief, this is also the tactic taken by Epidemic Theatre Company. Though, as of this writing,
tech week is still in its opening days and it's too early to judge how effective it will be, the rehearsals have been a pleasure
for me, and much of the music, particularly "All for the Best," "Turn Back, O Man," and "We Beseech
Thee," is really beginning to grow on me.
THE COMPANY
This is only the second production for Epidemic Theatre Co. (following a spring mounting of Moliere's "Tartuffe").
Their website (http://www.epidemictheatre.webs.com/) lists their mission as
"Epidemic Theatre
Group is a professional community of diverse artists gathered together by a passion to educate, enlighten, and entertain through
dramatic presentation, educational outreach, and seeking to foster original talent in all levels of stagecraft and theatrical
performance."
My experience with them so far is that they are mostly young (20's and 30's), very
talented, very organized, and very committed. Almost the entire cast turned out for "Move In" day,
and put together a large and very detailed set in a few hours. Rehearsals have been remarkably free of "diva
moments," and everyone is focused on ironing out all the issues that they face before opening.
They say that new theatre companies succeed or fail on luck and focus. This company is providing the focus.
Luck will have to be left to, well, fortune, I suppose.
The company is led by Jennifer Loudermilk
(president) and Rebecca Hardy (Vice-President). They can be contacted at their web site, or via E-Mail to Epidemictheatre@gmail.com.
THE CAST AND CREW
JESUS
William Brown
JOHN / JUDAS Lee
Sanders
ENSEMBLE
Cat Lyons
Becca Hardy
Becky Dever
Dana Hammett
Alex Lipsky
Lext Girard
Krystal Simmons
Michelle Wynn
Music Director
Jennifer
Loudermilk
Piano
Jennifer Blaske
Lead Guitar
Chris Kearney
Drums
Alexis Brookins
Bass
Matthew Pino
Director
Matthew Pino
Choreographer Krystle
Simmons
Production Manager Amanda Whittle
THE RUN
"Godspell" runs for
5 Performances only, Thursday - Saturday (10/8 - 10/10) at 8:00 PM with a 2:00 PM matinee on 10/10 and a 3:00 PM
matinee on 10/11. It will be performed at Marietta's Mountain View Art Place, 3330 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta,
GA, 30066. Tickets are $14, and are available at the door. Reservations can also be made at the
Epidemic Theatre's web site.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
|
NETHERWORLD
From Behind the Mask:
Netherworld 2009
Welcome, my friends. The nights are getting longer, crisper, darker.
A chill wind is stretching its drizzle-damp and skeletal claws into your "safe place." Screams and
crowds are gathering in a certain antique mall in Norcross. It can only mean one thing. Netherworld is
opening its doors, and raising its roof with thrills, chills, and more adrenalin than you can shake a blood-dripping
chainsaw at.
For the ninth straight year, I will be deserting the theaters of Atlanta (sorta kinda), donning
the grotesque persona of the Netherspawn I am, and ... Well, to be honest, I'm a big chicken, so I'll probably be lurking
in the parking lots rather than inside. Hey, at least I get to be the "exposition" part of your visit.
This is Netherworld's 13th year of operation, so the bones and omens say it will be a propitious
time to recap what has gone before. So, for the main house, we give you "Blood Night." Yes,
it's vampires, uber-vampires, gnarled and putrid and not the sleek and sexy neck-biters popular media would have
you swoon over. This is Goulich the Foul, the darkest vampire of all. And he has sent his minions to
collect 13 skulls of the most evil creatures imaginable. These are the horrors you have seen in years past
- Harvestman, Leviathan, Collector, Carnivore, Abomination, Cursed, and all the others. Once all the skulls
have been collected, Goulich will rise from his 1,000-year sleep and ravage the darkened world. But even he
is only a pawn of a darker, more ancient evil. Will you survive the Blood Night? Will you want to?
Meanwhile, downstairs, Necrotech labs is in a Code Red situation. Manufacturers of the potent new energy drink "Zombie
Rampage**," the labs are closing down tours because certain, um, side effects have gotten loose, and not even
General Magillicuddy's highly trained Black Ops soldiers can help you, once the rampage begins!
The first crowds this past weekend were enthusiastic and raring to be scared, in spite of the soggy skies and hip-deep
humidity. For the first time, I donned a silicon full-head mask to portray General Magillicuddy and keep the civilians
passing through in an orderly fashion ("I said IS THAT CLEAR?"). I managed to bellow everything at full tilt
volume without rupturing my vocal chords, and I loved being totally unrecognizable. Of, course, being silicon, the headpiece
collects sweat like a rain gutter, and I think I lost twelve pounds in just my head (I'm not such a fathead, you are now permitted
to quip). On the plus side, rain rolls of my head like water off a silicon mask, and there's no latex-and-body-paint
cleanup to worry about at the end of the night. I suspect this will be the character I settle into for the entire season.
There are a lot of new gags and scares this year, the actor count is over a hundred, and opportunities abound
for your participation. The "Show" starts as soon as you get out of your car, and doesn't really end until
you're safely enroute home. I think you will be especially thrilled by the new stuff (you WILL get wet on this ride),
as well as the return of some old favorites (the mirror hall, the Gatherer, and the Bathroom-that-time-forgot). New
olfactory thrills (gut churning as some of them are) only add to the ambience, and real live cockroaches and leeches are part
of the show. Oh, and be careful not to get splashed when a certain zombie head goes all "Scanners" on you.
Yes, this is a simple PR piece (out even before the rest of the Media get their "Press Night" -
Neener Neener!), but, in my humble and biased opinion, it's worth a visit (or four), especially if you're the type who is
addicted to the adrenaline rush of sudden scares, creeping dread, and ghastly visions of cruelty. And that's just the
line to get your tickets!
To get the whole scoop, as well as links to videos and other fun stuff (including
a snazzy Necrotech Labs site), please visit www.fearworld.com. Netherworld is open every night from October
2nd through the 31st, with extended weekend hours November 6 & 7 and 13 & 14 (We have to be there for
Friday the 13th!).
Now, if you're out of line and are not maintaining order, may I suggest you
DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY! IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, STICK A STRAW IN IT AND SUCK IT UP!!!!!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
** You've seen the ads:
ZOMBIE RAMPAGE Energy Drink, now
with Necromuten 7!tm
The shocking new energy drink strong enough to raise the dead!
This cutting edge "extreme" beverage is taking the market by storm! Created by Necrotech Labs, this is the
first product in the food industry designed by a pioneering bio-weapons defense contractor! Using chemicals developed to make
our soldiers fight harder and longer, it's no wonder ZOMBIE RAMPAGE can help you study for that test or drive 18 hours in
a row during spring break!
Although ZOMBIE RAMPAGE is still awaiting FDA approval, we can now offer this
tasty and powerful elixir on a limited basis to specialized markets through this excusive offer! Visit NETHERWORLD Haunted
House in Atlanta GA this October and be one of the first to experience the power of ZOMBIE RAMPAGE!
Strong
enough to raise the Dead!
| | | | |
Newsletter At A Glance
|
August 20th, 2009 | | |
 Dear Roy,
Our website
will be down a few days for updates. This newsletter is in it's entirety.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
[Abridged] at Blackwell Playhouse
Lend Me A Tenor at Rosewater Theatre
A Brief Editorial I was glancing at The Sunday Paper this week and
read their list of the ten best shows in Atlanta in the past year. While I agree that all the shows listed were superb, I
take issue with one statement that I also feel made the list somewhat biased. The writer applauded the more edgier works and
implied that they should be congratulated more so than theatre companies that produced Froth as in Sound Of Music & beauty
& The Beast. Just because a show doesn't deal with edgy political issues, homosexuality, sex in general and dicey language
does not mean that it is worthless. I too applaud these theatres for doing the edgy work, however the non edgy work still
has meaning and is just as much art as those shows with edge. I don't like narrow mindedness. And to elevate one form of art
because it deals with moral issues, or another because it is edgy are both equally narrow minded. I know actors and
directors and staff who have poured themselves body & soul into these "Frothy" shows. To dismiss these shows
as 'Lesser than" is just plain offensive. It's like the pompous actor who says that he will only do "serious"
plays and looks down on comedy. They don't realize that the old adage is true-Dying is easy, comedy is hard. I directed a
musical recently and had an actor come in that looked down on musicals, but filled a role as a favor. When it was all said
and done, he told me that he realized now, how hard these shows were to pull off. In fact, he said it was his biggest challenge
as a performer thus far. So, let's be an all inclusive artistic community. There is room to applaud all well done work, edgy
or not! Rob Hardie Editor
|
Cotton Patch Gospel
Theatrical Outfit
THE MOST REPEATED STORY EVER RETOLD
Grade: B-
Is there a story more often retold than the Gospel of St. Matthew?
From "Godspell" to "Corpus Christi," writers have put Jesus' life story into a context that speaks to
"people like us," retells the story in terms that make its religious underpinnings relevant to those previously
thought excluded. Can it be long before we see an Atheist's retelling of the story?
Indeed,
there is a lot to like about the story, even for a cranky old heretic like me. What's not to like about a story of redemption,
of the underdog beating the "powers that be," of the appeal for unconditional love and honesty? I often make
the case that you don't need to believe in magic to enjoy the Harry Potter books, so it makes sense that you don't have to
be religious to enjoy the Christ story.
The original "Cotton Patch Gospel" was written by Clarence
Jordan in the late sixties as a retelling of the New Testament in terms of the American South and its endemic race relations.
Jerusalem became Atlanta, Rome became Washington DC, and Jesus became a preacher travelling the by-ways of small-town Georgia.
In 1988, Theatrical Outfit founder and artistic director made a stage play of the Matthew section, enlisting Harry Chapin
to provide songs. Now, Mr. Key has restaged the piece, ceding the central narrator role to Daniel May.
As there is a lot to like about the story, there is a lot to like about this adaptation, this staging. Mr. May, as
expected, attacks the role with the same love of story-telling that informed his performance in the "The Pillowman"
(though with somewhat not-so-creepy stories). He role-plays with a wide roster of character voices and postures, and
keeps the audience spellbound, even with such a familiar story.
And, the story itself fits its Georgia setting
naturally and pleasantly. I especially liked how big-budget televangelists and Nashville-bound Gospel Bands become the
"Pharisees" and the "Keep-my-hands-Clean" players of the Good Samaritan story. I liked how the innocents-butchering
Herod becomes a Georgia governor in bed with the Klan, with the actual atrocities fitting nicely into the history of the Klan
itself. And I liked how Harry Chapin's songs were more bluegrass than gospel, more folkie ruminations than respectfully
somber hymns. The feel of the play is more one of non-judgmental joy in song and brotherhood than on preaching and self-righteous
pontification.
Which is not to say there aren't rough spots for the non-believer. One of my least favorite
parts of the story is Jesus' denunciation of his family, his advice to leave those you love in the service of God - not to
be picky, but what an egotistical, cheesehead thing to preach! Here, fortunately, this is not left unquestioned, as
we then get a moving song from Mary and Joseph about the loss of their son.
Theatrically, I think the play
is somewhat diminished by its story-teller monologue format. Scenes are "played out" for us, only with one
side of the conversation missing. Since the "scenes" where the response is silence are alike dramatically
to those where the response is not, it creates a bit of a stylistic disconnect that can be distracting.
In
addition to Mr. May, Eric Moore and Krystal Washington provide ensemble support in various roles (though few of them actually
interact in any meaningful way). Their roles are primarily musical, and both performers deliver the vocal goods.
The band also occasionally fills in some characters, and show themselves adept and making their lines natural and character-specific.
Kudos to Scott DePoy, Buck Peacock, Ryan Richardson, and Rick Taylor for being able to talk and play, often at the same time.
They also had the "feel" of a real band who enjoyed playing together - hardly surprising considering this was not
the first "CPG" production they've been part of.
So, just to wrap this up, I found this show a
lot more enjoyable than "Tent Meeting" from earlier this year, though not quite as much as the "Godspell"
Mr. Key put together a few years ago. It tells an oft-repeated tale with style and with joy, and showcases a dynamo
performance from Daniel May and the ensemble. It preaches without being "preachy" and makes some intriguing
leaps to connect the Jesus story with 20th-century Georgia.
And it reminds us non-believers that faith does
not have to be judgmental, that the belief in the lessons trumps belief in the man, and that choices made "in the name
of God" can have real consequences on these we should love.
And it has a whole churchbus-load of banjo-pickin'
and fiddle-playin' bluegrass that you can't help but tap your toes to. Now that's something to believe in!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
|
CenterStage North
CHEMISTRY
IMBALANCE
Grade: C
At a wedding a number of years ago, the minister raised more
than a few chuckles by telling us grooms usually want the bride to "stay just as she is," while brides want to change
the groom into "what she wants him to be." Both ambitions are doomed from the start, as people (for the most
part) will grow and change in ways totally unexpected and totally surprising, sometimes along "the same path," sometimes
along disappointingly divergent byways.
This thought is at the core of Craig Lucas' 1990 play, "Prelude
to a Kiss," in which a new bride literally becomes someone else. Peter and Rita meet at a party, struggle through
the awkwardness of new attraction and new love, and marry. At their wedding, an old man, a stranger to them both, kisses
the bride. Faster than you can say "McGuffin Goes SyFy," the two change bodies and Peter is off on a Jamaican
honeymoon with an old man who looks like his new wife.
I've always liked Craig Lucas' work, and this play
has long been a favorite of mine, so it was with some pleasure that I approached this production by CenterStage North, with
my very good friend Pete Borden playing "The Old Man." Indeed, the production (now closed) had a lot to recommend
it - a minimalist set (black curtains and few pieces of furniture, including a large beanbag sofa that screams to be collapsed
onto), excellently evocative lighting (applause to Jeff Costello for a job well done), and a surprisingly touching performance
by Mr. Borden.
The problem with this particular production was that I didn't especially believe the relationship
at its center. Brandon Lee and Jessica Crow each give nice performances, but, it was as if they were worlds apart as
a couple. Their "meet awkward" scene was punctuated by too many long silences, and their scripted "instant
attraction" to each other was undercut by their reluctance to actually look at each other, by their total lack of eye
contact. I don't know if this was an actor's choice to "play shy" or a director's choice to "cheat front,"
but, in either case, it indicated a total lack of chemistry between two characters who supposedly "can't take their eyes
off each other," whose actions are rooted in a compulsion to "drink in the sight of each other as often as possible."
Indeed, the same silences that punctuated this scene were repeated throughout the production. Lucas
writes very naturalistic, often overlapping dialog, but this show came across as if it were written by Pinter - line - silence
- line - silence - line silence. Unfortunately, unlike in Pinter, the silences weren't laden with subtext and meaning,
they were just hesitancies, as if the next line were struggling to get from memory to tongue. This made at least two
potentially light and happy scenes come across as inappropriately serious and "meaningful," and made the evening
drag more than was healthy.
This lack of chemistry between the two main characters was also emphasized by
the Mr. Lee's real-life spouse playing the minor role of a co-worker of Peter's. Their scenes together did have chemistry
(no doubt based on the actors' real-life affection for each other and Jaime Lee's charm and talent), but they tended to throw
the whole story off-balance.
On the other hand, Ms. Crow and Mr. Borden obviously spent a lot of time with
each other, learning each other's mannerisms and patterns of speech, so that when the "switch" came, they were perfectly
credible "in each other's bodies." This is perhaps the most difficult part of any production of this play
(a part the 1992 movie of it got totally wrong), but here, it was compelling and salvaged the second half of the play for
me. In particular, their final scene together was moving, the pacing and lines overlapping in true Lucas-ian fashion, and
ended everything on a high note for me.
Still, the "chemistry imbalance" of this mounting only
shows how important emotional subtext is, how if we don't believe in the attraction between two characters, it translates
into a skeptical approach to their relationship - if the characters don't seem truly interested in each other, it's impossible
for the audience to be truly interested in their story.
"Prelude to a Kiss" is a well-written play,
an acknowledgement that it is personalities rather than appearances that form the true bond between the couples (though I
do appreciate it when Peter tells Rita "I miss your face" when she's "inside" the Old Man). I like
how the "switch" is something both characters "want," how it's resolved by mutual desires. I like
how the supporting characters are fully-formed people, not plot-convenient constructs (and kudos to Ms. Lee, Scott Fant, Kim
Bennett and Mylane Wilson for making them interesting). I like how the situation is "pro-gay" without seeming
to be gay.
I liked how the leads in this production got "the hard stuff" right, how Mr. Lee charmed
us with his story-telling and self-deprecating sense of humor. I liked how Mr. Borden was not afraid to show us Rita's
attraction to Peter, how he showed us his frustration with their situation.
I just wish I had believed the
relationship that was the reason for us being there.
Like the bride and groom in the minister's message,
it changed the play in a way that diverged from the path I wanted it to take.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
| |
| Jason Robert Brown's PARADE
To Get Marietta Premier 
Rob Hardie will be directing with Annie Cook as
music director. "This story touches us on many levels", says Hardie. Hardie also says
he is honored that Artistic Director John Christian asked him to helm it. "It's a brave step by an artistic director
that many have chosen not to take", He says. The musical will open January 8th. With a book by Alfred Uhrie.
|
KISS ME, KATE
Aurora Theatre
ANOTHER OPENING
Grade: A
At the risk
of sounding like a fan-boy stalker, let me say at the outset that I adore Natasha Drena, that I would pay to watch her sing
the phone book, that she's the best thing to happen to Atlanta Musical Theatre, and that she is absolutely the best Lilli
Vanessi I've ever seen. That she is part of a wonderful production (at the Aurora Theatre) is just icing on the cake.
For those who consider theatre history irrelevant, let me recap. "Kiss Me, Kate" was Cole Porter's
late '40's "comeback" - his return to success after years (decades?) of failures and disappointments. A backstage
look at a musical production of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," it was ostensibly a thinly-veiled portrait
of the Lunts, the famous husband-wife acting team of the time. That it was written by a husband-wife writing team (Bella
& Samuel Spewack) just added verisimilitude to an otherwise not-so bald and unconvincing narrative.
Let
me pause here for a digression. "Shrew" is often considered an anachronism, a misogynistic look at out-dated
gender roles. Indeed, I was unfortunate enough once to see a production in which the director took an un-PC glee in
the degradation of Katharine, who thought Katharine really needed to be taken down a few pegs, and who made the initial "taming"
sequence more of a vicious rape scene than a wooing of potential equals. It was, without a doubt, one of the worst productions
I've ever seen. The irony of this approach is that, for the Elizabethan time from which it sprang, its view of gender
roles was markedly advanced. "Shrews" were usually "tamed" with violence and cruelty. Petruchio,
in contrast, takes a more fun-oriented, non-violent approach. A close analysis of the play shows that his games and
humiliations aren't what "tames" Katharine, but her recognition that she can have fun with him, that they are "two
of a kind," that she can give as good as she gets.
This is also what has always appealed to me about
"Kiss Me, Kate." Written at a time when gender roles were beginning to change (World War II sent women into
the factories and into roles of leadership), it too shows a husband and wife who are truly equals, and whatever "taming"
occurs" is rooted in Lilli's recognition in what she is giving up, both personally and professionally. And, after
the curtain closes, you know she and Fred will fight like cats and dogs happily to the end.
So, how does
Aurora tackle this show? At first glance, there are some choices that seem odd, even misguided. One of the gangsters
a woman? No chorus? A perhaps too-young Fred Graham?
Let me tackle those one at a time.
First of all, making the Second Gangster female adds a dimension that works. She comes across as Bonnie to the First
Gangster's Clyde, and their "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" number adds a sexual subtext you can almost taste - yes,
the single-entendres have always been there, but now they're directed at each other, and it's a joy to behold. Bethany
Irby makes her no less threatening, and the whole idea adds a new dimension to the gender-role motifs that ooze out of the
show like so much greasepaint. The idea works so well, I wonder why it's never been tried before.
The
lack of chorus also works. We still have Ralph and Hattie, Hortensio and Gremio, so the chorus numbers have enough voices
for a full sound. The biggest roadblock is "Too Darn Hot," which would require them to be both "onstage"
and "backstage" at the same time, but this is easily hurdled by just cutting the references to what's happening
"onstage," and making it an "at-intermission" number. It is also credible that an "on-the-cheap"
production like Mr. Graham's "Shrew" would try to get along with as few "extras" as possible.
Which leaves the casting of J.C. Long as Fred Graham. Mr. Long is a wonderful actor with a substantial Shakespeare
resume (indeed, earlier this year, he was one of the best "Ariels" I've ever seen). That being said, he comes
across as being in his early thirties, which, of course, is far too young to be a convincing impresario with a long career
behind him. Indeed, his voice is more in the upper baritone / tenor range, than in the lower baritone / bass range I've
grown accustomed to in prior Freds. That he pulls it off is a credit to his talent and to his interactions with Ms.
Drena's Lilli. Indeed, I ended up believing them as a couple, believing him as Fred, and buying his performance, with
some minor lingering doubts.
Of course, as I said above, it is Ms. Drena's Lilli that centers this show.
Beautiful of face and voice, she creates two characters who hit every note right, who makes me laugh at unexpected times,
who sells every song, every fight, every hurt, and who really makes this show her own. I loved everything she did, and
don't think I've ever laughed as much during "I Hate Men" as I did here. She made the final song an ode to
love rather than a dirge of submission. I loved everything she did.
This was also very nicely designed
- a sturdy "backstage" anchoring the set, with flimsy and cheap-looking curtains and wagons filling in for the "Shrew"
sets. Two nicely painted "show curtains" add to the "show within a show" feel, and commendations
are well-earned by scenic artist Sarah Thomson.
Now, I can't leave this column without a few words about
Wendell Brock's AJC review of this play. He, in effect, praised everything I did, only knocked it down a few pegs for
being "too long." Indeed, he literally stated a theatre should not take up so much of its audience's valuable
time. To that, all I can say is "Huh?" Musicals of the forties and fifties all represented a full "night
out," none were under two hours. All I can say is, I wonder why Mr. Brock is writing for the theatre if, indeed, it takes
up so much of his "valuable time" (indeed, he'll criticize any show over 90 minutes for being "too long").
I can't think of a better way to spend three hours than watching a production this luminous, this imaginative, this well-done.
I don't even resent the loooooong commute to get to Lawrenceville.
I also can't leave without venting about
something else - period shows in which modern actors' tattoos are fully visible. I have nothing against tattoos in general
(well, maybe I do, but that's neither here nor there). But, it's too-often forgotten that they are a relatively recent
"fad" (post eighties), and, before that, they were found primarily in sailors, sideshows, and biker bars.
Now I can imagine one, maybe even more ex-sailors being part of a production company like Fred Grahams. But, I seriously
doubt their tattoos would be modern styles like Chinese characters or sunbursts. As nicely choreographed as "Too
Darn Hot" was (kudos, as usual, to Ricardo Aponte's work) , I was distracted by the very visible tattoos. If it's
period, cover them up (or turn them into anchors)!
So, despite the venting in my last two paragraphs, I loved
loved loved this production, and, unless you have ADHD like Mr. Brock, I daresay you'll love it too.
And it ends with one of the best kisses you're ever likely to see on stage.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
|
 THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) New American Shakespeare Tavern
THIS JUST NEVER GETS OLD
Grade: A+
This is the fourth
production of this goof that I've encountered, and I've never seen a production I didn't like. Each cast brings to the
party their own personalities, their own takes and ad-libs, and each passing year brings new topical digressions and allusions.
Even the original radio shows by the Reduced Shakespeare Company (from whose foreheads this script sprang, near fully grown,
if childish and vomit-ridden) still makes me laugh. So it was that I left the Shakespeare Tavern's current
venture, my face numb from sheer laughing. I do have to confess that I missed the tavern's prior mountings,
so I went with few expectations, other than a chance to see Shakespeare professionals tackle the parodies from a place of
experience. They didn't disappoint. I expected great things from Andrew Houchins and Tony Brown, both of whom
I cited as deserving Suzi nominations for previous work this season (and they delivered). But, for me, it was relative
newcomer Paul Hester who almost ran away with the show. Bringing a wide-eyed innocence to all his characters, he also
brought a smorgasbord of character voices and attitudes that added an unexpected talent-razzle to the silliness. I especially
liked his Juliet (a 21st-century 'tween if I ever heard one) and his more mature (if that's the right word) Ophelia.
And, to top that off, he hit the serious "What a piece of work is man" digression out of the Globe. I definitely
look forward to seeing more from him this season. What makes this such a fun show to revisit is seeing how
different casts handle the interaction. Half the pleasure is seeing how the three actors show such disbelief (and horror)
at the antics of their co-stars, how they all strive to corpse each other (and, it was fun this to time to see old pro Tony
Brown "lose it" a couple times). This is a play that allows such "unprofessional" lapses, and even
encourages them. This was a case, too, of the audience being a fourth character, of "heckling" being encouraged
and responded to in kind. So what new stuff does this mounting have to offer the repeat viewer? More
than one Michael Jackson reference, a nice Sarah Palin Joke, prop silly string filling in for vomit, boxer shorts as part
of the wardrobe, a Hamlet swordfight that was more Looney Tunes than bravura choreography, just to name a few off the top
of my head. And what same old same old stuff does this production make seem fresh and new? The "Othello"
rap, the reverse (and really-fast "Hamlets"), the bad wigs, the seemingly effortless character and costume whiplash-changes,
the "Titus Andronicus" cookfest (made nicely fresh by GSF's recent full production), the bad Scottish accents, the
"Hamlet" Ophelia-subtext audience-participation digression, pretty much everything else, and, especially, the frequent
interactions with the audience (which, of course, is what the Tavern does best). Earlier this year, I took
the Tavern's production of "Irma Vep" to task for being all-schtick-no-acting. This was almost the response
to that observation - a play that was also "all-schtick," but, in this case, it was grounded by real characterization
and real acting. Sure, the cast was, in effect, playing themselves (or at least fictional versions of themselves), but
I never got the impression the schtick was desperate gimmicks from the "actor's bag of tricks." This time,
it came across as well-planned, well-executed comic business that was fully appropriate and fully appreciated. So, if you love Shakespeare, love the Tavern's style, love to laugh, this is a production of a show that never seems to
get old. And, it looks as if there are several productions in the area from which you can choose. This is one I loved. . -- Brad
Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com | |
Newsletter At A Glance
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August 6th, 2009 | | |
What a great Newsletter! Several Reviews by Brad and a chance
to win apair of tickets to GREASE! Support your local theatres!!!
PIPPIN at Stage Door
Quote Of The Issue
"You learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh, but you can never truly love someone
until you find out what makes them cry."
-Jessica Tandy
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WIN GREASE TICKETS!
Just follow the instructions below, and you and a friend can win tickets
to GREASE!
Grease opens this Friday at
the Fox! You can win a pair of tickets for Friday night and we are also giving away a pair for Tuesday (starring Taylor Hicks).
Here is all you have to do-
Just email us your favorite "Grease related moment". we will pick a pair
of winners for Friday and a pair for Tuesday!
Please tell us the night you prefer.
Now-about GREASE:
Grease, TIME Magazine's 2007 pick for "#1 musical of the year," is rockin' across the country in
this new production direct from
Broadway.
Take a trip to a
simpler time of poodle skirts, drive-ins, and t-birds. "Bad boy" Danny and "the girl next door"
Sandy fall in love all over again to the tune of your favorite songs: "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'"
and "We Go Together" as well as additional songs from the hit movie: "Grease," "Hopelessly
Devoted To You" and "You're The One That I Want."
So throw your mittens around your kittens and hand jive the night away with the show that'll make you want to
stand up and shout, "a-wop-bop-a-loo-bop a-wop-bamboom!" Grease!
.
AUGUST
7 - AUGUST 16, 2009
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE
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Mr. Hobbs Vacation
Kudzu Playhouse
TAKING A BREAK
Grade: B-
Every now and then, I have
to toss my "critic's bag of standards" out the window, and take a break from judging plays based on some
literary ideal. Every now and then, I have to just "go with the flow," and enjoy a play that has
no higher aspirations than to give an audience a laugh or two. Often, when I have friends and family involved
in a show, my "strictness glasses" come off and I indulge my biases (clearing my conscience by letting
all y'all know them beforehand).
Such a case is happening now, with "Mr. Hobbs' Vacation," a
piece of comic fluff written by Kudzu Playhouse founders (and owners) Jeannie and Wally Hinds (with whom, indeed, I have become
friendly over the past couple weeks). This show is a Kudzu perennial, often revived, always pleasant to experience.
I could take the time now, to catalogue each and everything wrong with this script - an ending right out of
the "never do this" Writing 101 rule book, characters going off stage for two minutes then coming back talking about
an hour's worth of off-stage activity, jokes that fall flat, local references that are almost out-of-date, characters a razor's
edge from caricature (or a razor's edge within).
But, the bottom line for me was, this show was a lot
better than I expected. The performances are alive and funny, the characters sharp and contrasting, the dialogue
character-centric and precise. And, more to the point, I found myself laughing a lot more often than I do
at many professionally-produced supposed comedies.
Brink Miller again plays Howard Hobbs, an overworked
CPA dragged onto a "family vacation" by his wife Ellie (a nicely underplayed Barbara Scott Sherry). Quicker
than you can say "I've seen this before," the vacation descends into utter catastrophe, complete with unwanted relatives,
obnoxious neighbors, bratty grandkids, and a summer house in need of ICU. All poor Howard wants is a little "me"
time with his fishing rod, but some new emergency is always ready to rob him of the escape he needs.
Rial
Ellsworth and Sheila Oliver nicely ham it up as the loud and obnoxious neighbors, Real-life sisters Morgan and Katie Keel
play Howard's bickering daughters Mandy and Abby as if they were real-life sisters. Larken McCord adds a nicely neurotic
note as Howards adult daughter Jane (she with the bratty kids), and Ben Tieslau, Dan Carter Brown, and Omar Ingram are hysterically
over-the-top as three punk-rock friends of Howard's daughter. Mr. Ingram, in particular, has absolutely no understandable
lines, but managed to crack me up every time he mumbled his incoherent sounds.
Playwright Wally Hinds himself
turns in the best work I've seen from him as Howard's cheesy and conniving brother-in-law Ray. His wheeling and dealing,
snobbery and hypochondria, whining and control-freak Monopoly Godding all help to build a convincingly unpleasant housemate.
A special nod also needs to be made to him for convincing his twin brother to join the cast as a gold-toothed handyman with
a taste for septic tank repair.
If I were to give the Hinds' some recommendations for the next trip through
the typewriter - Howard Hobbs comes across as the calmest, sanest character on stage. He desperately needs a bigger
touch of desperation. I hate to say go further over the top with the catastrophes, but that's never a bad idea.
Right now, the piece is very episodic, one scene going to another, one catastrophe coming in sequence. Perhaps if there
was more if a progression that a series - say, bad event one leads to bad event two, with each one being exponentially more
chaotic than the one before. And, for crying out loud, fix that ending.
What we do have now, though,
is a very funny piece, a good platform for strong community theatre actors to flex their weirdness muscles, a fine exercise
in comic timing and slow burns, and a nicely produced, directed, and performed comedy that tries to do little more than make
you laugh.
That it succeeds so well is a testament to all involved.
Now, about
that break we were talking about needing-
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
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A COOL DRINK A WATER
Horizon Theatre
MAKING IT RIGHT
Grade: A+
In the World Premiere production of Thomas W. Jones' "A Cool Drink a Water,"
we meet a family (the Youngs) on the edge of dysfunctional implosion. Benita hides in the bathroom with the ghost of
her mother, afraid to tell her husband Asa she's pregnant. Benita's brother Walt and his wife Ruthie bicker in the other
room about their son Trane, recklessly pursing a non-career as a rap artist. And a developer is offering what can only
be described as a shipload of money for the house Walt and Benita have lived in since they were children, when their parents
made the bold step of integrating a suburban segregated neighborhood.
If the names and situation gives you a "Raisin in the Sun" case of Déjà
vu, that is purely intentional. We're several decades removed from the explosive racial politics of the earlier classic,
and we're now looking at the more intimate, more divisive strains of family politics. What happens to a marriage when
experience turns youthful dreams into a bitter pill? What happens to your pride when "The Man" cares more
about his bottom line than your lifetime of loyalty? What happens to your adult children when your own bitterness does
all it can to strangle their dreams in the cradle?
And, above all, in the midst of all this turmoil, how can they keep their sense of humor and
their unbreakable affections?
Other writers have already kvetched about this script not being up to the standards set by Lorraine Hansberry's classic
(as if any "sequel" could ever hope to do that), kvetched about the humor and seriousness being a bad mix, kvetched
about the problems being resolved in a too-fast (almost sit-com) manner, kvetched about this and kvetched about that and kvetched
about too many other damn things that tell you more about the writer than about the play they're kvetching about.
What I saw was an honestly-written
almost perfect script that looks at a family at a crisis point, a family whose light and dark moments credibly spring from
the same character well, a family that doesn't solve its problems so much as sublimate them. It was performed by an
almost perfect ensemble that was in turns angry and funny and irritating and wholly like most families we've known (or been
part of). It was directed at an almost perfect pace (by Andrea Frye) and wore an almost perfect design that wallowed
in the middle class styles and preferences of generic suburbia. For me, this was an almost-perfect play.
As to the charge that it is not "up
to" Hansberry's standards, well, as much as it embarrasses me to admit it, I'm not as familiar with "Raisin"
as someone writing about theatre should be. I've never read or seen it, though, by the time you read this,
that will be remedied (thanks to DVR and a Sunday B.E.T. rebroadcast of Kenny Leon's 2008 telefilm of it).
Still, I suspect it will end up
being an "apples and oranges" comparison - Ms. Hansberry was writing about a particular moment in her own history,
her focus on the clash between the personal and the political, a racially charged diatribe against entrenched suburbia.
Mr. Jones, on the other hand, is writing about the entrenched habits and silences of families who have shared a history-rich
home for many years. He is writing about what happens when those silences clash, when those families have splintered
goals, when the bonds of long-term history threatens to be pulled in too many directions over too short a time. By giving
his Young family a thinly-disguised similarity to Ms. Hansberry's Younger family, he is merely providing us some expositional
(and presumably litigation-free) shorthand, making us think we know these people's experience and history.
Playwright Jones steps on stage
himself as the irascible and quick-to-anger (and quick-to-forgive-and-joke-about-it) Walt. It is a marvelous creation,
both from a writing and an acting standpoint. His Walt snaps and snarls at his wife and son, is quick to judge and condemn
their words and choices. But he also can't help but wear his love and pride for them in the open, as quick to share
a joke (and a calculated and funny seduction) as he is to share a wounded roar. When he lets himself honestly relate
how his forced "early retirement" was like a stake through his pride, the moment pays off because of all the groundwork
he's laid for us, the layers of sarcasm and anger and humor that have scarred that wound over.
Every bit his equal, Donna Biscoe's Ruby matches him snarl
for snarl, caress for caress. If ever two characters were predestined to share a life together (locked tooth and claw
and caress), these two actors capture them. That their respective goals and dreams have become almost mutually exclusive
is the crux of their conflict, the irreconcilable difference that is never resolved, though the strength of their performances
makes us believe it one day will.
Marguerite Hannah and E. Roger Mitchell play Benita and Asa with empathy and conviction. Ms.
Hannah starts the play off, and it is her conversations with "Mama's ghost" that set the emotional tone
of the piece. Mr. Mitchell is equally compelling, an idealistic African doctor whose benevolence was decimated
by one too many dying children. Convincingly conveying his wounded (but not-yet-dead) idealism through a generic
"Africa" accent, Mr. Mitchell conveys his pride and love and the wounds caused by Benita's silences.
Enoch King raises young Trane
a few steps higher than the "angry young rap artist" he first appears. He is totally committed to his music,
and totally committed to escaping the disapproving shroud his father has created for him in this house.
And powerhouse Bernadine Mitchell gives
Mama Lee a fierce independence that makes her come across as a real character, not a filtered memory of Benita's imagination.
She even gets a sing a bit, and float over the proceedings like the ghost of Hansberry's Mama she's supposed to suggest.
I was even convinced by her frustration at not being able to "reach out and slap you, Girl!"
As I said before, this is a play about family, and it is a
true ensemble, with no actor (or character) outshining the other, even when they all want to "take center stage"
in each other's lives at the same time. The corny jokes they tell each other feel like "favorite stories,"
the quick outbursts of anger are fully in control, fully resolved by a joke or a slap, fully in character for people who have
shared a house for so many years. They are aggravating, funny, warm, chillingly bitter, and totally human creations.
On a hot summer night, "A
Cool Drink a Water" goes down as pleasantly as a fresh breeze through a bedroom window, as welcome has a cold beer shared
with friends you haven't seen for too many years, as memorable as a fight you had with your Mom when you were a teenager.
See it, before another writer
has a chance to kvetch!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK TO CONTINUE
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Essential Reviews
ICE GLEN
Essential Theatre
WORDS AND WISDOM
Grade: B
I like words. I believe in words. Words, when put in the right order, when
marinated with a certain elegance and passion, can do more than we and all our (other) toys can ever hope to accomplish.
Nothing feels as good as a kind word, or as harsh as a cruel one. Sticks and stones may indeed break bones, but words
will break spirits, impasses, dilemmas, and, when given with a sneer or a tin-ear, words will even break wind (so to speak).
And, for two people, Sarah Harding and Peter Woodburn, words are at the heart of a classic crossed-purpose dilemma.
Living in a familiar, late 19th-Century new England, Sarah is a reclusive poet who uses words to describe, to understand,
to converse with her world. They are tiny pieces of her soul, private, life-affirming, protecting. Peter is a
publisher, who accidentally stumbles upon a few of Sarah's poems and wants to share them with the world. He, no less
than Sarah, loves words and how they make him make sense of life. Unlike Sarah, it is other peoples' words that drive
his aesthetics, other peoples' art that he feels compelled to share with the world.
For Sarah, it's as if he has
asked her to strip naked before a million strange eyes.
Joan Ackermann's "Ice Glen" is the story of
Sarah and Peter, the surprising turns their conflict brings to their lives, the surprising accommodations they are both able
to make. In the hands of director Ellen McQueen and the Essential Theatre 2009 Festival, it's a nicely acted ode to
words, a love song to the power and beauty of speech and idiom and poetry and emotion.
Performed as an ensemble piece,
it's a work that gives each actor a moment to shine, gives them all a swirling stew of interacting needs and emotions and
half-spoken, half-felt doubts and insecurities. Dina Shadwell gives Sarah a confidence and depth that rings true - we
never hear any of her poetry, but Ms. Shadwell made me believe she was a poet. Not a spinster in the Jane Austen or
Emily Dickinson mold (we hear vague references to an ex-husband, a lost family), she is nevertheless reclusive, preferring
the company of slow-witted Denby (a marvelous Jim Sarbh) to her socially-conscious landlady, Dulce (Ann Wilson), and especially
to the (to her) arrogant Peter Woodburn. She's not lonely, but she's happiest when she's alone with her forest (and its wisdom),
with her creatures (and their wisdom), with her words.
Servants Grayson (a marvelous Spencer G. Stephens) and Mrs. Roswell (a
nicely broguish Jo Howarth) provide nice comic support, carrying most of the exposition load, creating incredibly precise
characterizations and interactions. These may be the two best supporting performances of the year (so far).
If there is a weakness here, it may be with Jayson Smith's Peter Woodburn. I haven't decided if it's a weakness
in how the character was written or how it was performed, but I found him, as a whole, monochromatic and unconvincing.
He makes some emotional choices (and actions) which seem "out of the blue," then acts as if everything
were going "according to plan." He never seemed to evoke any passion for words, any emotion at all,
but said his lines as written, with no apparent subtext or causation. Considering the strong characters with
whom he shared the stage, this, for me, subverted the overall effect of the play, making it one I liked rather
than one I loved.
Still and all, this is a good play, and a welcome addition to this year's Essential Play Festival.
The period was nicely evoked by Jane Kroessig's costumes, by the drapery-heavy (and fluidly moving scene changes, and, above
all, by the from-another-time, more-literate-than-life personalities of the characters, and the actors who played them.
The title refers to a hiker's goal, a secluded glen that, even in the heat of summer, never loses its rime or reason, a small
oasis of permafrost far from the frozen north. Symbolically, I suppose it could refer to that secret and secluded place
in Sarah Harding that is circumscribed by her poetry, by the words that protect that secret core, the naked persona that remains
hidden from the heat of public acclaim (or even any other reader).
But, even stripped of its meaning, isn't "Ice Glen"
a beautiful, evocative phrase in and of itself? And isn't "Ice Glen" (the play) a beautiful and evocative
collection of words and wisdoms and characters and moments guaranteed to thaw the permafrost heart of anyone hardy (and hearty)
enough to brave the hike?
If my own words have any reason to exist, if I have used them with elegance (and not a little passion),
I trust you will know the answer without me putting it into even more words.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
FOOD
FOR FISH
Essential Theatre Play Festival
MALNOURISHMENT
Grade: C "What happens to dreams after you wake up?" At
one point in Adam Szymkowicz' "Food for Fish," a young writer says this with all the gravitas and self-importance
of the Dalai Lama pondering the wisdom of the ages. Yet, at its root, this is a fairly meaningless and pretentious
question. Much like most of what passes for "New Age" wisdom these days. And, unfortunately,
much like most of the play in which it's said. Bobbie is a young semi-suicidal
writer, working on a novel that no one will read (he tosses the completed pages into the Hudson River). In his spare
time, he trolls the streets of Manhattan, kissing unsuspecting women. One sign of the wrong-headedness of this script
is that Mr. Szymkowicz apparently considers this a whimsical idiosyncrasy, rather than the act of sexual assault it truly
is. The book Bobbie is writing is a meandering tale of three Manhattan sisters, longing
for escape to New Jersey. Their gravedigger father died a year ago, and they still have his encoffined body in the living
room. The oldest sister is played by a man, her husband is played by a woman. They resemble a real family that
has become part of the writer's life, and the moments where reality and fiction overlap and diverge are the crux of the play.
This, in and of itself, is a wonderful idea. The first act is set up as a montage of scenes
depicting events we're not sure are fiction or "reality." Bobbie falls in love with the youngest sister ("Sylvia"),
who is an investigative reporter looking into the "kissing bandit" spree that has struck Manhattan. Since
Bobbie and S ylvia take turns directly narrating the play, we're not sure we're getting different versions of what's really
happening, Sylvia's point of view as filtered through Bobbie's narration, or total fiction. Again, this was a meta-narrative conceit I really enjoyed. Where
the play lost me was when the second act took on a more realistic air, when we saw events that couldn't possibly have come
from Bobbie or Sylvia's experience or imagination. It was at this late stage that I began to realize that the various
theatrical conceits (cross-gender, cross-racial casting, bizarre character quirks, etc etc etc) hid a basically empty core,
that the play really had nothing new to say about human nature or relationships, that the plot elements resolved themselves
in a painfully ordinary, painfully predictable fashion. We're basically being told that it doesn't matter if a particular
sequence was fiction=2 0or non-fiction, because the universe of the imagination makes no distinction between the two.
We're basically being told that dreams have as much reality as waking life, and it actually matters what happens to them after
we wake. Now this is an idea, a conceit, I not only reject, but also find
a little obnoxious, even subversive (in a bad way). Sort of like the idea that there is no objective reality, only what
our minds make of it. Sort of like the mindset that an act of sexual assault is only a character quirk, or the idea
that an obsession with a father's corpse is only an expression of emotional need. Sort of like the offensively patronizing
joke that three sisters sighing for New Jersey can carry as much leitmotif weight as three other literary sisters longing
for Moscow (after all, how difficult can it be for these people to jump into a subway for a day-trip to Newark?). Sort
of like the thin and pointless tactic of cross-casting genders merely to make a lame joke about "gender roles" without
developing the implications of=2 0those roles beyond a few stereotypes and caricatures and without making any thematic point
about those roles and stereotypes.
Considering
the level of on-stage talent, both from a cast perspective and a design perspective, the thematic (and narrative) failures
of this piece are especially disappointing. Brent Nicholas Rose gives us a pleasantly unpleasant Bobbie, believably
giving him the charm required to make him attractive to Sylvia, believably hinting at the dark past that drives his more depressive-compulsive
habits. Kate Graham is an attractive and intelligent Sylvia, keeping us guessing as to her true motives, her true feelings,
surprising us with sudden hurts and insights. Their unfolding relationship is one of the few pleasures to be had from
watching this story unfold, a least until the playwright's contrivances get between them and their first kiss.
I do have to (somewhat shamefully) confess that it took me a few scenes to catch on
to the20cross-gender casting. Yes, I'd read the program and knew it was happening, but conveniently forgot which characters
it involved. Sarah Falkenburg Wallace gives a marvelous performance as Dexter, a cubicle drone confused by sexual politics
and the emotional whirlpool his life is swirling through. And, as his wife Barbara, Charles Swint creates a real person
and not a drag parody of a person. Eve Krueger gives second sister Alice a drive and charm that belies the silly contrivances
written into her character. Her obsession with her brother-in-law is credible, her disappointment with the men she dates
palpable. And Kelly Criss does some marvelous yeoman work in several characters, both male and female. I especially
liked her (his?) turn as a crotch-scratching, beer-swigging friend of Dexter's. The set is a Manhattan streetscape cutting through Bobbie's elevated cramped work/living space and the sisters' more
elegant digs, complete with coffin. A silhoue tted city-scape along the back nicely hints at a fence that should suggest
a barrier between Manhattan and New Jersey (but isn't really allowed to do so). The actors are well-directed (by Peter
Hardy) with an eye toward fluid transitions and ambiguous connections that support the good ideas the script's first act promised.
"Food for Fish" is both an allegorical and a literal reference to words and
dreams and more physical sustenance tossed into the Hudson River. Based on the excerpts from Bobbie's book we're given,
based on the hollowness beneath the contrived eccentricities that litter the surface of this play, I can only assume this
food is filled with empty calories, and will offer little nourishment to the fish or to the hapless playgoer.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com) CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE AND LETTER GRADE
| | | AUDITIONS-ALL NEW!
Legend Of Sleepy Hollow
Blackwell Playhouse is holding OPEN auditions on Monday, Aug. 17 @ 7:00 pm & Tuesday, Aug. 18 @ 7:00 pm for our
production of Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Casting 6 Men and 5 Women (ages 17 to 60 yrs.) and 8 Youth (ages 12 to 16 yrs.). Previous
experience not required. Please be prepared with a one minute dramatic monologue (of your choice). Will also cold read from
script. Rehearsal Schedule will be posted at auditions. Call Backs (if necessary) will be announced at time of audition. No
appointments taken, you will be seen in the order of arrival! Performance dates are every Friday & Saturday Night @ 8:00
pm, Oct. 23 thru Nov. 14. Blackwell Playhouse is located at 3378 Canton Road, Marietta, GA 30066. Please email any questions
to candace@blackwellplayhouse.com.
Little Women
TLAC Auditions:
August 18, 19, 20 7pm-10:00pm for Little Women For Ages 10 and up.
Bring a prepared song that shows off your
voice.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for movement.
Cold readings from the script.
Performances will
be October 24-November 15
Please call 678-494-4251 for an appointment 3-4 weeks prior to auditions.
Rehearsal
and performance schedule available at:
http://www.tlaclive.org/downloads.php?cat=TLAC%20MASTER%20CALENDAR
Character breakdown: http://www.tlaclive.org/auditions_upcoming.php
CLUE-THE
MUSICAL
Theatre On Main
Audition dates are 8/17 & 8/18 from 7 PM - 10 PM by appointment only. Please
send an email to clueauditions@gmail.com to reserve a time. Director, George Canady.
A Christmas Carol
Kudzu Playhouse is holding open non-equity auditions for A Christmas Carol by Wally
Hinds on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 7pm. We will be casting 14 men (15-65) and 12 women (15-65).
Be prepared to do cold readings from the script. Also by prepared to sing 16 bars from the song of your choice to show you
vocal range. There are non-singing roles. *We are looking for people who play musical instruments for the musical scenes.
Please be prepared to play. *We are also looking for dancers for the party scene.
Charles Dickens shows us Ebenezer
Scrooge as he falls asleep in his dingy, cold quarters on Christmas Eve. The old miser is visited by three ghosts, each revealing
to Scrooge the wrong doings of his and what will happen if he continues in his evil ways. This traditional holiday classic
for the whole family is filled with old English Christmas Carols guaranteed to fill you with the Christmas spirit and warm
your heart. The audition will be at Kudzu Playhouse at 10743 Alpharetta Highway in the Brannon Square Shopping Center in Roswell,
Ga. 30076. The show will run November 27-December 24, 2009 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Saturday and
Sunday at 3pm. Email kudzuplayhouse@aol.com or call the box office at 770-594-1020 if you have any other questions. There
is a detailed character breakdown on the web site at www.kudzuplayhouse.org.
Prepare a one minute comedic monologue.
Call backs will be 8/19 from 7p-10.
Tuesdays With Morrie
WHO:
The Pumphouse Players
WHAT: Open auditions for "Tuesday's with Morrie"
WHEN:
August 24th & 25th at 7:30PM
WHERE: The Legion Theatre, 114 West Main Street Cartersville, GA
HOW: www.pumphouseplayers.com for further information and character breakdown
PLAZA SUITE
(all auditions downstairs at the Holly Theatre)
Saturday, August 15th: 1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M
Sunday, August 16th: 1:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Please call the Holly Theatre (706-864-3759)
to set an audition day and time. There will be readings from the script. FYI: There are two Plaza Suite scripts
in the Holly Box Office that you can come in and peruse or check out over night. The theatre is open 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.
Tuesday through Friday.
Performance Dates: Thursday through Sunday: October 8-11, 22-25.
Possible holdover dates: October 29-November 1. (No performances Gold Rush Weekend)
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| Newsletter |
July 31st, 2009 | | |
What a great Newsletter! A Review of
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof by our own Brad Rudy, and a review of 42nd Street! Support your local theatres!!!
PIPPIN at Stage Door
Quote Of The Issue
At this stage, what would be rewarding would be for audiences to want to watch.
Sean Penn
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CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
THE SMELL OF MENDACITY
Grade: A+
As
the honeysuckle heat of July begins to step aside for the torrid inferno that is an Atlanta August, what creaky metaphor should
I evoke to describe "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Tennessee Williams' love letter to mendacity? The dance references
I shuffled on for my "Suddenly, Last Summer" comments seem especially ill-suited for a play in which only one person
seems to be dancing at any particular moment. I could probably make a case that this is a simple two-step, but only
if one of the partners were sitting on the sidelines, ignoring the dancer.
For the moment, I think I'll
leave my literary pretensions in the liquor cabinet (where they probably belong), and tea-total my way through a simple description.
In Act One, we meet Maggie the Cat, aka Margaret Pollitt, purring spouse to one Brick Pollitt, apple-of-the-eye
of Big Daddy Pollitt. Big Daddy is a Mississippi Delta plantation owner, "Twenty-eight thousand acres of the richest
land this side of the Valley Nile." Brick is a professional drinker. Maggie is a talker. In what is
essentially a 45-minute monologue, Courtney Patterson is the epitome of the Southern Gentlewoman, scheming, passionate, envious,
suspicious, telling us anything and everything except what we (and she) really want her to say. Daniel May (as Brick)
drinks and grunts.
In Act Two, Maggie is replaced by Tim McDonough's hulking Big Daddy, a life-force
who takes full control of any room he's in, a cancerous lion roaring his rage at the dying of the light. In
what is essentially a 45-minute monologue, he tells us anything and everything except what we (and he) really want
him to say. Daniel May (as Brick) drinks and grunts.
In Act Three, that risky third hour
when audiences normally get restless and begin checking their watches, all the lying and mendacity is laid bare, all the seething
resentments and hostilities burst from their graves, and the play generates an excitement and watchability that is absolutely
spell-binding.
I have to take a moment here for a digression. Mr. Williams' scripts have a tendency
to burst from the page, as if the production were fully-formed in the readers' minds, a reason there is usually little directorial
intervention, why most productions tend to be recreations of the author's mind. I want to quote you a stage direction
that, in essence, introduces what I'm about to discuss:
"The bird that I hope to catch in the rest
of this play is not the solution of one man's psychological problem. I'm trying to catch the true quality of experience
in a group of people, that cloudy, flickering, evanescent - fiercely charged! - interplay of live human beings in the thundercloud
of a common crisis. Some mystery should be left in the revelation of character in a play, just as a great deal of mystery
is always left in the revelation of character in life, even in one's own character to himself."
I
quote this now, because it goes straight to the heart of much recent post-Stonewall analysis of the play - that is, the simple
(and pat) reduction of the conflict to one of Brick's latent homosexuality. Indeed, a case is often made that, if Brick
were allowed by the ethos of his society to fully engage in his undeclared (even unacknowledged) desires for his friend Skipper,
there would be no play.
I submit that an equally valid case could be made for Big Daddy being just as
homosexual - his very real disgust with Big Mama, his preference for Brick over older son Gooper (what kind of name is that?),
his "gentleman doth protest too much" talk of lechery and "poontang," his history as a protégé
of a pair of "confirmed bachelor" landowners, even his seemingly out-of-character tolerance for anything that "may
have happened" between Brick and Skipper - all these elements can lead to a similar (and valid) interpretation.
What sets Williams' work apart from more recent politics-on-my-sleeve rage-at-the-ethos offerings, though, is
that, even if these explanations are true (as indeed they very well may be), this play is so much more. Since true feelings,
true from-the-core characteristics are buried by so much, well, by so much mendacity, we are left only to speculate as to
the truth or falsehood of these analyses. And, since the truth obviously matters so little to these characters (while
paradoxically being ALL that matters), we are left with a moving and compelling interaction of characters with at-odds goals
and desires thrown into an emotional cauldron heated by an outsized southern sun. And we're left, in more ways than
one, acknowledging the wry reality of the oft-repeated observation, "wouldn't it be funny if that were true."
I have to add at this point that I totally disagree with many of the nay-sayers who have nit-picked this
and that about this production (the casting, the performances, the unexpectedly inappropriate laughter, the length).
Agreed, Megan McFarland is not the Plus-Size you might expect from a Big Mama, but her padded costume and out-sized personality
sold me on the character (and made Big Daddy's comments about her size even more cruel). Ms. Patterson, I thought, was
totally credible as Maggie, her volume intelligible, her passions real. Mr. McDonough's Big Daddy was spot-on perfect,
keeping his motivations and fears below the surface (but apparent), ruling the roast like the crueler-than-life icon he needed
to be. Tess Malis Kincaid and Chris Ensweiler made Brother Man and Sister Woman more than the paper-thin foils they're
sometimes reduced to, giving them a credibility that makes their actions (and disappointments) valid and even a bit sad.
The minor minor roles are more than mere "prop characters" and the children are charming and aggravating.
Daniel May gives a beautifully nuanced performance in what is probably the most difficult role - Brick
must spend most of the play drinking himself into a calmness, listening while the "talkers" force him into a captive
audience role. Mr. May ALWAYS has something going on beneath his quiet, ALWAYS uses the words spewed over him to propel
him deeper into the bottle. I believed his protestations of innocence regarding his relationship with Skipper, I believed
his guilt over his part in Skipper's death, I even believe that at one time he was actually attracted to (and maybe even in
love with) Maggie. And, when we finally get to his own late-in-Act-Two monologue, all these conflicting depths and currents
burst forth in a totally convincing ode to love and loss and self-delusion. This is, indeed, a remarkable performance.
Kat Conley's set beautifully evokes the ghost-like quality that Mr. Williams describes in his script - high
walls fade into silhouettes of trees, the outside gallery suggests the wealth and opulence of the south, the entertainment
center / liquor cabinet provides the magnet that keeps calling to Brick. The lights and sound by Mike Post and Clay
Benning evoke the heat and sweat of the summer night, giving us the glow of fireworks, lightning, and moon in beautifully
realized paintings of color and sound. And Jasson Minadakis makes a welcome return to the area, orchestrating his cast
in a perfectly paced symphony of words and silences and outbursts and resentments, picking up pace at exactly the right moments,
slowing to a quiet calm just when respite is needed.
I've recently written about plays that feature families
on the edge of dysfunction, families that possess of core of affection that is the lifeline through their spats and miscommunications.
Here, though, we see a family without that lifeline. I suspect that love is alien to the Pollitts, that spouses are
for breeding only, that children are no-neck monsters who exist only to carry on the family traditions. Even the love
Big Daddy expresses for Brick seems forced, convenient, unconvincing.
I suppose my quandary is thus resolved
- you can't grow metaphorical cotton in a field so barren.
And wouldn't it be funny if that
were true?
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE
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BLACK VOICES
- Original Dreamgirl Jennifer Holliday will be a featured artist in the encore hit presentation of Black Voices: The
Hidden Bruises from July 30 through Aug. 2, during the National Black Arts Festival. Presented by the Clark Atlanta
University Department of English and the Urban Theater Company of Atlanta, Inc., the play will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Davage
Auditorium in Haven-Warren Hall on the campus of CAU.
Best known for her role as Effie White in the original
Broadway production of "Dreamgirls," Tony Award-winner Holliday said, "I am pleased to lend my time and talent
to CAU and these gifted young people in educational theatre. The arts have been hit hard by our recession, and performing
artists have to reach back even more to enhance the vitality of the arts and its positive impact on the lives of our youth."
Voted "Best Play" in the 2009 CAU Student Life Awards, the production explores the psyche and resilience of African-American
children, through song, dance and drama. First presented in March, the work is one of only four university productions
invited to the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., in August.
(more)
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2
Black Voices: The Hidden Bruises is a new work, the third and final installment in a trilogy, written by CAU English
professor Willie L. Todd Jr. The first two segments of Black Voices received much acclaim and were respectively
one of only three university productions invited to the 2003 and 2005 National Black Theatre Festivals.
Todd said, "We are elated that Ms. Holliday is joining us on stage for the Atlanta run. She is a gem that
will take our production to a whole new level. As a matter of fact, the cast and crew cannot calm down from
the news that she is performing with us."
Due to the subject matter, the production is recommended for mature audiences only and youths 13 and up. Tickets are
$12 in advance and $15 at the door and are available online at www.ticketsareavailable.com, in the CAU English Department
and the CAU Bookstore. Call (404) 880-6733 for more information.
Formed in 1988 by the consolidation of two historic
institutions, Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869), Clark Atlanta University is the largest of the United Negro
College Fund institutions with an enrollment of more than 4,000 students. Clark Atlanta University is accredited by
the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097:
Telephone 404-679-4501) to award the Bachelor's, Master's, Specialist and Doctor's degrees. The Carnegie Classification
lists CAU as a Research University - High Research Activity. CAU is listed as one of the best southeastern colleges
by The Princeton Review and has been selected to the Washington Monthly's 2008 list of best colleges and universities.
National business and consumer publications rank Clark Atlanta high among the best buys in American higher education
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
| |
42nd Street
Less Talk, More Tapping
Rating: B-
"42nd Street"
pays homage to all of those glitzy, glamorous musicals of the 1930's - full of snappy, memorable tunes, lots of high-energy
tap dancing...and the thinnest of storylines to tie the musical numbers together.
Stop me if you've heard
this one. A small-town girl goes to New York for a shot at making it big on Broadway and wanders onto the stage
of a cash-strapped Broadway director planning to put on the biggest show of his career. A few mishaps and misunderstandings
later, the girl ends up replacing the aging leading lady at the last minute and fulfills her dreams.
Sound familiar? The story of "42nd Street" was first introduced to us in a novel in 1932 (and
subsequent movie the following year). It has also been used as the basis of many other movies and theatrical
productions ever since. It was not turned into an actual stage show of the same name until 1980 (when it won
the Tony for Best Musical).
Let's face it: This is a dance show. This is not an emotional,
plot-driven show. This is not one of those shows where the Broadway diva belts until the walls start to shake.
People come to see this show because it's full of top-notch choreography...and that is exactly what this production
delivers. Unfortunately, there's all that time in between the dance numbers to get through, as well.
I give credit to Steve Blanchard (who plays the director, Julian Marsh) and Denise Nolin (who plays the writer,
Maggie Jones) for trying to make the best out of a lack-luster script. They, by far, gave the best performances in the
show. Loretta Swit, who is the most well-known of the cast, does not play the role of fading star Dorothy Brock as diva-ish
as one might expect, but she can still sing with great bravado. Everyone else in the cast, while completely acceptable
in their roles, were focused much more on the dancing.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind
you. As I said, this is a dance show. And as a dance show, it absolutely delivers. The choreography is the
best part of the show, which is vital when the song selections are some of the most well-known jazz standards around, such
as "Lullaby of Broadway", "We're in the Money", and (of course) "42nd Street".
Ultimately, I must admit that I was entertained by the dancing and the infectious energy of the cast. I even caught
myself whistling the title song as I was leaving the theatre. If you are a fan of the Busby Berkeley musicals of the
30's and 40's, then this show is right up your alley...if you don't mind a bit of pointless dialogue in between songs.
-Zip Rampy
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE AND LETTER GRADE
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ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Georgia Shakespeare
'TWAREN'T BRILLIG ENUFF
( B- )
'Twas Tuesday in a hot
July
It would be no mistake
A trip to Oglethorpe
for I
With spawn to undertake.
She was a fractious whining soul
And I was tired
and grim.
But see (we must!) the rabbit hole
And Alice, blue and trim.
It was a show with twee design
The scenery was a book!
It framed the story oh-so-fine,
With dreamy penciled look.
And four young actors played the roles
That spilled from Carroll's tale.
It was ambitious, (lofty goals!)
But somewhat off the rail.
From several mouths, the accents flew,
The pace was rushed and rapid.
Alas, too fast, the mush-mouth grew
Th' effect too thin and vapid.
Though many British voices came
From characters and critters,
Poor Alice stayed in Yankee frame,
The mix gave me the jitters.
But yet the puppetry was grand,
The Dormouse and the Cat,
The King of Hearts, as well, well-planned.
The voices trim and pat.
I liked the work of M.B. Cohen,
His puckish grin was swell,
From voice to voice he kept a-goin'
He had me in his spell.
And Allison Corke (give her a hand)
The Queen of Hearts made great.
But Alice in GSF's Wonderland
Was far too wan and straight.
The lure of this story is all of the words
And all of the nonsense that's said.
But when the lines are too fast for us nerds,
It's jabber that's easier read.
Another word that must be shared,
If it isn't re-affirmy --
The kids who went just sat and stared
When they weren't slithy squirmy.
So, in conclusion I will state
This was a noble try.
It wasn't bad, it wasn't great,
And parts of it did fly.
The plan was good, the ideas nice,
And half the cast I liked.
The pace went by in half a trice
Next time, I'll be more psyched.
The time has come (the critic wrote)
To end this little ditty.
The rhymes are far too weak and rote,
The sense too snacker-snitty.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK TO CONTINUE
| | | Auditions
ANNIE
TUE 9-Feb 7-10PM
WED 10-Feb 7-10PM
THURS 11-Feb 7-10PM
For ages 8-Adult
Be prepared to sing a song that shows off your voice
Cold readings from the script. Dress for movement.
Performances will be April 16-May 16, 2010
Please call 678-494-4251 for an appointment 3-4 weeks
prior to auditions.
Rehearsal and performance schedule available at:
http://www.tlaclive.org/downloads.php?cat=TLAC%20MASTER%20CALENDAR
Character breakdown: http://www.tlaclive.org/auditions_upcoming.php
Little Women
August
18, 19, 20 7pm-10:00pm
for Little Women
For Ages 10 and up.
Bring a prepared
song that shows off your voice.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for movement.
Cold readings
from the script.
Performances will be October 24-November 15
Please call 678-494-4251 for an
appointment 3-4 weeks prior to auditions.
Rehearsal and performance schedule available at:
http://www.tlaclive.org/downloads.php?cat=TLAC%20MASTER%20CALENDAR
Character breakdown: http://www.tlaclive.org/auditions_upcoming.php
How To Succeed In Busines Without Really Trying
Button
Theatre will be holding auditions for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" on Saturday, July 18 from
1:30 to 4:30 and Monday, July 20 from 7:30 to 10, with callbacks on Tuesday, July 21 from 7:30 to 9:30. Auditions will be
held at The Red Clay Theatre in downtown Duluth. Please prepare 16 bars of 2 contrasting pieces of music and be ready to do
cold readings from the script. Accompanist will be provided. We are looking for 20 men and women ages 18 - 60. All actors
will be paid a stipend between $400 and $100 depending on the roll. The show wil run two weekends.
Director: Mary Carolyn
Conti, Music Director/Accompanist: Paul Tate
Rehearsals will start in mid - August
and the show will run October 1 - 11, Thursday - Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2.
Auditions
are by appointment only, to make an appointment call 678-407-0772
A
Year With Frog & Toad
The Kudzu Family Playhouse is holding open non-equity auditions
for A Year With Frog and Toad on August 8 (Saturday) at 2:00pm. We are casting 5 men (10 up thru adult) and 9 women (10 up
thru adult) Be prepared to do cold readings from the script and sing 16 bars from the song of your choice to show your vocal
range. A Year With Frog And Toad remains true to the spirit of the original stories as it follows two great friends, the cheerful
and popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation in the spring, they proceed
to plant gardens, swim, rake leaves and go sledding, learning life lessons along the way, including a most important one about
friendship and rejoicing in the attributes that make each of us different and special. The show will run from October 10-November
8, 2009 on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm and two shows on Saturday evenings at 7pm on October 24 and November 7. The audition
will be at the theatre, 10743 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell, Ga. 30076. Contact Jeannie Hinds or Suzanne Clark at 770-594-1020
if you need directions. You may also email the theatre at kudzuplayhouse@aol.com or go to the web site at www.kudzuplayhouse.org.
A Christmas Carol
Kudzu Playhouse
is holding open non-equity auditions for A Christmas Carol by Wally Hinds on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September
16, 2009 at 7pm. We will be casting 14 men (15-65) and 12 women (15-65). Be prepared to do cold readings from the script.
Also by prepared to sing 16 bars from the song of your choice to show you vocal range. There are non-singing roles. *We are
looking for people who play musical instruments for the musical scenes. Please be prepared to play. *We are also looking for
dancers for the party scene.
Charles Dickens shows us Ebenezer Scrooge as he falls asleep in his dingy, cold quarters
on Christmas Eve. The old miser is visited by three ghosts, each revealing to Scrooge the wrong doings of his and what will
happen if he continues in his evil ways. This traditional holiday classic for the whole family is filled with old English
Christmas Carols guaranteed to fill you with the Christmas spirit and warm your heart. The audition will be at Kudzu Playhouse
at 10743 Alpharetta Highway in the Brannon Square Shopping Center in Roswell, Ga. 30076. The show will run November 27-December
24, 2009 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. Email kudzuplayhouse@aol.com or call
the box office at 770-594-1020 if you have any other questions. There is a detailed character breakdown on the web site at
www.kudzuplayhouse.org.
THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
OF A TRAILER TRASH HOUSEWIFE
The Process Theatre and Onstage Atlanta announce auditions for their co-production of the southeastern premiere of the dark
comedy-drama "THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A TRAILER TRASH HOUSEWIFE" by Del Shores.
All
roles are open. The show will run August 21-September 13 at Onstage Atlanta.
Blues Singer-Blues Singer.
Sexy and Beautiful with a powerful voice.
J.D. Winkler-40's-50's-Once handsome
quarterback, now the racisit, abusive adulterous,alcoholic husband.
Willadean Winkler-40'-50's-The
trapped,weathered and abused housewife who has a beautiful heart and soul.
Rayleen
Hobbs-30's-The much married waiteress with the great body, the hard,lived in face who
desperately needs acceptance.
La Sonia Robinson-30's-African American. Willadean's neighbor and best friend who
speaks her mind and has little fear.
Auditions are on Saturday 6/13 from 1pm-6pm at Onstage Atlanta and will be
in 30 minute timeslots. Auditions will be cold readings from the script. If auditioning for the blues singer please prepare
32 bars of a blues song. Stipend Paid.
For an appointment email your your headshot & resume to theprocesstheatreco@yahoo.com
along with your time preferences to audition, also include the characters you would like to read for. Someone will get back
to you to set up your audition time.
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|
| Newsletter |
July 21st, 2009 | | |
What a great Newsletter!
A Review of Jim Crowe & Forum by our own Brad Rudy, and the last weekend for Wild Party...
Quote Of The Issue
I think theater is powerful. The best experiences I had in the theater are more powerful
than the best experiences I had in movies.
William H. Macy
|
JIM CROW
AND THE RHYTHM
DARLINGS
Essential Theatre Play Festival
PASSING
Grade: A
The post-reconstruction Jim Crow laws in the south have
always been an easy target for patronizing northerners to aim their self-righteous indignation arrows at. Essentially
segregation encoded into the legal system, these laws provided the means for bullies and bigots to openly terrorize anyone
who didn't pass their rigid racial and religious muster.
What's not so easy to see are our own sub-conscious
"Jim Crow" laws - those expectations we all have that are just as rigid, just as cruel in their effects.
It is the special genius of Vynnie Meli's marvelously intense "Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings"
that it makes expected theatrical tension out of the usual cast of bullies and victims, but it also (ever so subtly) humanizes
the bully and (ever so subtly) shows how the victims themselves participate in and even imitate this institutionalized bigotry.
Stripped of its period and its drama, this is essentially a play about pretense, about achieving a goal by "passing"
as something "other."
Starting off in a northern jazz bar, we see a group of musicians sharing
a drink and a flirtation with a waitress. The men joke and brag and carry their masculinity as boldly as a fragile statue.
The waitress is tired and not in the mood for their games. As the party breaks up, we follow the hot shot young sideman
back home, to discover a secret that the band will probably never know. Jazz is, after all, a man's world.
After this syncopated, but minor-key prologue, we shift to few months later and a couple hundred miles farther south.
We're in the dressing room of Vi and Peggy, two lady jazz musicians playing a gig in the deep south. Vi is a local girl
returning home, well versed on the games that need to be played to pass in the Jim Crow south. Peggy is the savvy northerner,
impatient with games, just wanting to play music. The wars in Europe and the South Pacific have created new opportunities
for women in industry, in sports, and in the arts. And Peggy wants to ride that wave as long as she can. They
are eventually joined by Rhoda, another member of the group. Actually white and Jewish, Rhoda is trying to pass for
mulatto, so she too can play. But she has committed two unforgiveable sins - she has gone out partying with a "man
of color," and she is sharing a dressing room with two "woman of color."
And a leering
and bullying policeman is determined to see that the laws of the land are carried out.
If I have
one complaint about this piece, it's that the prologue seems disconnected from the main body of the piece. A stronger
connection could have been easily devised -- since they're played by the same actresses, why not make the Sideman and the
Waitress actually be Vi and Peggy? And, if the prologue band is choosing its name at that time, why does the dressing
room set feature a faded poster bearing their name only a few months later?
Still, the piece is united
by the theme of "Passing" - Passing for Male, Passing for Black, Passing for Christian, Passing for Human - and
by the presence of musician Delesa Sims, underscoring all with her hot sax and cool moods. Politics and Themes aside,
this is a play about music, and about people who love that music, women who will do whatever it takes to play it (wherever
it takes them). Vi is fully aware of the risks involved with returning home - she KNOWS what these people are capable
of - yet the lure of the music is simply too much to resist.
Director Betty Hart has orchestrated a beautifully
realized ensemble. Enisha Brewster embodies Vi with a world-weary acquiescence that centers the play and grounds the
angry rants and flourishes given to Peggy by DeAndrea Crawford. Rachel Bodenstein gives Rhoda a funk and rhythm that
should fully convince anyone of her fictional heritage, unless, of course, they were predisposed to think the worse of anything
told to them in a black musician's dressing room. And Daniel Burnley gives the red-neck policeman a loathsome quality
that makes us dislike him at sight (he is so close to being a stereotype), but he has a moment of grace early on that makes
his later actions even more difficult to watch. Nadir Mateen does yeoman work in a handful of other (token) male roles.
As this is part of a repertory of plays, Rob Hadaway's set is spare and portable (easily moved wall pieces
and furnishings). Yet, in combination with Trish Harris' lighting, it is very evocative of the period, and serves the
story very well.
And, the final confrontation is edge-of-seat tense, edge-of-reason cruel.
The resolution depends solely on how well Ms. Meli and the cast have created these characters, how well Peggy has assessed
the policeman's fears and assumptions, how well Ms. Sims' music captures and builds the suspense. That the scene succeeds
so well is a testament to the work of writer, director, cast, and crew.
"Jim Crow and the Rhythm
Darlings" is a short (80 minutes) riff on a familiar theme. It starts out with one group of characters, but quickly
passes on the melody to another, showing us ecstatic and dramatic variations, a literary counterpart to a hot jam session,
with the key changing with a flick of a make-up sponge or a policeman's baton.
It's a play about "passing"
that you would be foolish to pass on by.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE
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DORA THE EXPLORER
Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America are teaming up to bring "Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of
Lost Toys," starring the world's most famous Latina explorer, to Atlanta from August 21-23 for six performances.
The last Dora "Lost Toys" U.S. tour was seen by more than 1.2 million people during its 2003-2004 run.
The "Dora the Explorer Live!" shows have grossed more than $85 million in sales worldwide, traveled
to more than 255 markets across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Southeast Asia and have been seen by 2.7
million kids and parents.
Tickets are on sale now. Pricing starts at $12; tickets can
be purchased through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com,
or by phone at
1-800-982-2787. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.
"'Dora the Explorer Live!' is a culturally rich, interactive theatrical show for preschoolers
and their families,"said Stuart Rosenstein, Senior Vice President, Resorts and Theatricals, Nickelodeon Recreation.
"This show has captured preschool audiences everywhere. We're thrilled to introduce it to a brand-new
audience and to work with the same extraordinary team who brought other successful Nickelodeon shows to life."
"Dora is to kids what the Rolling Stones are to parents - she's one of the biggest stars in the world,"
said Stacey Burns, Vice President of Family Production for Broadway Across America. "'Dora the Explorer Live!'
has proven to be one of the most successful family titles on the road in recent years. It truly is a blockbuster."
Featuring familiar songs, a captivating storyline and all the characters children have come to love,
"Dora the Explorer Live!" showcases Dora's friends, including special helper Backpack, best friend Boots, cousin
Diego, Map, Swiper the Fox, Tico and Benny. Each step of the gang's journey consists of a problem or puzzle that
Dora and the audience must solve together in order to move on to the next challenge. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses
her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, teach the audience Spanish words and overcome obstacles.
"Dora the Explorer Live!" is based on Nickelodeon's hit animated series, Dora the Explorer, which
currently ranks as the number-one-rated preschool show on all of commercial television. Dora is a seven-year-old
Latina heroine, whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests.
Both the Dora TV and stage shows are designed to actively engage their audiences using a variety of learning techniques.
"Dora the Explorer Live!" is directed by Gip Hoppe who has worked with Nickelodeon on other
successful productions, including: "Blue's Clues Live!" and "Blue's Clues Live! - Blue's Birthday
Party"; "Dora's Pirate Adventure"; and "Go, Diego, Go Live!" Hoppe also wrote and
directed the Broadway play "Jackie: An American Life." He is a founding member and co-artistic director
of the Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre.
"Dora the Explorer Live!" is written by Chris Gifford,
who, along with Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner, created Dora the Explorer. Gifford and Walsh Valdes serve
as executive producers of the TV show.
Performances will feature set and costume designs by
Tony Award-winners David Gallo and Gregg Barnes, respectively. Gallo has been recently represented on Broadway
with "The Drowsy Chaperone", "Xanadu", "Thoroughly Modern Millie", "You're A Good
Man, Charlie Brown," "Lion In Winter," and "Little Me". He was also the production
designer for "Jackie: An American Life."
Tony Award-winning Costume Designer Gregg
Barnes' credits include: "Legally Blonde", "The Drowsy Chaperone", 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels",
"Flower Drum Song," "Disney on Ice - Princess Classics," "Side Show," "Scooby-Doo
in Stagefright - Live on Stage!", "Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show" and Madison Square Garden's
"The Wizard of Oz."
"Dora the Explorer" airs at 10:30 a.m. and noon (ET/PT) weekdays
on Nick Jr., a specially designed programming block airing on Nickelodeon weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (ET/PT). Completely
dedicated to preschoolers ages 2-5, Nick Jr.'s Emmy, Peabody and Parents' Choice Award-winning programs are curriculum based,
fun and commercial free.
For more information about "Dora the Explorer Live!", log on
to www.nickjr.com or www.broadwayacrossamerica.com
The performance schedule for "Dora the
Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys," is as follows:
Friday, August 21
7 p.m.
Saturday, August 22
11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m.
Sunday, August 23
11 a.m., 2 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
| |
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED
ON THE WAY TO
THE FORUM
GODS OF THE THEATRE, SMILE ON US
Grade: A
(Bias Disclaimer: I recently
worked on a production at Blackwell Playhouse, I'm friends with "Forum" director Rob Hardie, and I'm acquainted
with a good chunk of the cast. I have no idea whether this predisposes me to like anything they do, or to be
overly critical of anything they do).
Friends, Actors, Countrymen, lend me your ears. I
come today to praise this play of Ancient Rome, not to bury it. If you like to laugh, if the silliest of excess is your
reason for existence, if Gods of the Theatre pointing at goings-on and snickering is your idea of good time, "A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to Forum" is probably a better choice than "Two Old Guys Talking About Silence."
Walking into the dim theatre, we're greeted with the sight of three houses crowding onto Blackwell's small
stage, their perspectives askew, their stucco slathered with the entire Crayola palette. We're serenaded by the likes
of Monty Python, Weird Al Yankovic, Tom Lehrer, and Allan Sherman. The Latinate inscription of "E Pluribus Boobum"
across the lintel of one of the houses promises that subtlety will not be part of the evening's menu.
Then Zip Rampy comes on, sings about comedy, and we're off on a non-stop flurry of preposterousness, gags, romance, gags,
lusty ladies and the men who lust for them, gags, music, and gags. The ratio of gags-that-hit to gags-that-miss is ridiculously
high, and the whole thing whizzes by in a fast-paced fog that beggars description.
The critic in me wants
to pooh-pooh the choice made by Brian Clements to play the thick-skulled Miles Gloriosus with quiet-voiced sarcasm (which,
by definition, implies intelligence), and I would, if I weren't laughing so hard at the results. I'd want to savage
the lighting designer for making the musical numbers dimmer than the book scenes surrounding them (not to mention chastising
the actors for rampant inability to "find their light"), and I would, if I weren't laughing so much. I'd want
to knock on director Rob Hardie's round head for letting the pace slow down at the climactic chase scene, and I would, if
I weren't laughing so much.
Through all the laughter, though, I DO have to praise the aforementioned Zip
Rampy, who gives Pseudolus all the expected comic flourishes I've seen in a thousand other productions of this show, and still
surprises with a plethora of Rampy-specific flourishes I'd never seen before. Patrick Hill is wonderfully hysterical
as Hysterium, Jonathan Horne is a nicely gangly and awkward Hero, Katie O'Neill is one of the hottest (and dimmest) virginal
Philias I've seen, and Murray Sarkin's Erronius stops the show every time he crosses the stage.
All the
singers fit Sondheim's songs to a "T" and none of them are overpowered by the Piano and Violin tag-team that accompanies
them. The choreography works, especially in the courtesan dances during "House of Marcus Lycus." That
it was all done on a beautifully designed, nicely constructed set (designed by Reed Higgins) is just icing on the olive oil.
But, ultimately, it's the laughs, the humor that sell this show. This is a show where absurdity reigns
supreme, where anachronism is the rule, and where no pun (or theatrical allusion) is too low to be conquered. This is
where the play succeeds, where it takes off and flies. Yes, there were a lot of things that were crudely (even ineptly)
done, a lot of choices that strove for the laugh rather than for the "real moment." But, when all is said
and done, when you laugh as much as I did, when you leave the theatre with such a warm and fuzzy feeling of well-done, none
of that critic-stuff matters.
So, friends and comrades, if you would laugh yourself into stitches, hitch
up your horses, and wend your chariot's path Blackwell-ward. It's definitely a Comedy Tonight!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE
|
| 42nd Street Taps Into Atlanta
"We are thrilled to bring back the tap dancing musical extravaganza 42nd STREET," exclaims Christopher
B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. "And starring as the perennial leading lady 'Dorothy Brock," is the
sublime Loretta Swit,an amazing actress whose career spans stage, screen and television roles from Mame to 'Hot Lips Houlihan'
in M*A*S*H*. Our brand new production is sure to delight audiences of all ages! Join us for an unforgettable experience
and see one of the all-time great musicals at the Fabulous Fox Theatre from July 28 through August 2. Tickets are on
sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com."
Based on the 1980 Tony-Award winning musical, 42nd STREET tells the story of young Peggy Sawyer who comes to New York in search
of fame and fortune. She catches the eye of one of the most powerful directors on Broadway, Julian Marsh. As can
only happen in a Broadway musical, Peggy is discovered, hired, fired, and eventually becomes the star of the show! In
between the intrigue and the plot twists are thrilling dance numbers, fabulous sets and gorgeous costumes, and some of the
most famous songs ever heard on a Broadway stage including "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me," "We're In
The Money," "The Lullaby of Broadway," "About A Quarter To Nine," "Shuffle Off To Buffalo,"
and the title song, "42nd Street." Theatermania.com cheers "When you add up all the dancing feet and
the wonderful songs 42nd STREET is good, old-fashioned fun!"
From the source material of 1930's movies including "42nd Street" (1933), "Gold
Diggers of 1933," "Dames" (1934) and "Gold Diggers of 1935," Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble wrote
the book, based on the novel by Bradford Ropes. Harry Warren wrote the music, and Al Dubin wrote the lyrics for the
1980 stage premiere. Broadway icon Gower Champion created the Tony Award winning choreography and directed the original Broadway
production which ran for more than 8 years and is one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.
Starring in 42nd STREET as Broadway diva
"Dorothy Brock" is the legendary Loretta Swit. Few actresses can capture the imagination of a generation of
television viewers with the charm of Ms. Swit. As quick-witted, impassioned "Major Margaret Houlihan" of television's
most honored series, M*A*S*H*, she became an American icon, and with the popular program now in worldwide syndication, new
fans continue to enjoy her lavish portrayal of the sensuous, comedic "Major Houlihan." Ms. Swit made her Broadway
debut in Same Time, Next Year opposite Ted Bessell, and later appeared in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, replacing Cleo Laine.
She has toured with national companies of Any Wednesday and with two companies of Mame. She appeared in more than
500 performances of Shirley Valentine, a role for which she won Chicago's most prestigious theatrical honor, the Sarah Siddons
Award. She has starred in more than 25 movies on television, including the original "Cagney and Lacey," in
which she created the role of "Chris Cagney." Her movie credits include Freebie and the Bean with James Caan
and Alan Arkin, Stand Up And Be Counted with Jacqueline Bisset and Blake Edward's S.O.B. with Julie Andrews and William Holden.
Ms. Swit's wildlife series, "Those Incredible Animals," was shown twice weekly on the Discovery Channel for
an amazing five year run, and now can be seen on Animal Planet.
Also starring in this new production of 42nd STREET:
Steve Blanchard ("Julian Marsh")
His Broadway credits include Beauty and the Beast, Camelot, The Three Musketeers and A Christmas Carol. And on television
he's appeared in "Law and Order," "Another World," and "The Guiding Light." He will be starring
in the upcoming national tour of Little House On The Prairie opposite Melissa Gilbert.
Shannon M. O'Bryan ("Peggy Sawyer") She has performed
the role of "Peggy" on Broadway, as well as all over America and abroad. Other Broadway and New York credits
include White Christmas, City Center's Encores: Follies, Face The Music and Of Thee I Sing.
Austin Miller ("Billy Lawlor") He has starred in
the First National Tours of Hairspray ("Link"), Grease ("Kenicke"), and Smokey Joe's Café
("Michael"). He was a runner up on the popular TV reality series: "Grease: You're The One That
I Want." For more information visit www.austinmilleronline.com
Also in the cast are the following: Tony Lawson ("Pat
Denning") He starred as "Thenardier"in Les Misérables on Broadway and was featured in National Tours
of Damn Yankees, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera. Denise Nolin ("Maggie Jones")
Her National Tour credits include Disney's High School Musical, The Producers and Guys and Dolls. Sarrah Strimel ("Anytime
Annie") Her Broadway credits include Young Frankenstein, The Producers and Encore's Stairway To Paradise. She was
featured in National Tours of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Producers. David Titus ("Abner Dillon") David
starred Off-Broadway as the original "Mother Superior" in Nunsense A-Men, regionally with Sally Struthers in Best
Little Whorehouse, and in Mame with Christine Ebersole. James Young("Bert Barry") His Broadway credits include
Crazy For You ("Custus"), My Fair Lady ("Zolton Karpathy") with Richard Chamberlain, Me And My Girl ("Bill
Snibson"), The Tap Dance Kid and A Chorus Line.
The Creative Team for this new production features Norb Joerder as Director and Choreographer.
His extensive Broadway credits include 42nd STREET with Jerry Orbach and Tammy Grimes, La Cage Aux Folles with Gene Barry
and Lee Roy Reams, Gypsy with Lanie Kazan, Guys and Dolls with Vic Damone, The Music Man with John Schneider, Annie Get Your
Gun with Andrea McArdle, My Fair Lady with Michael Moriarity and a critically acclaimed revival of Camelot starring Robert
Goulet.
John
Visser will serve as Musical Director. He conducted the National Tour revivals of South Pacific, Camelot, Man of La
Mancha, Anything Goes starring Mitzi Gaynor, Guys and Dolls with Maurice Hines and the 30th Anniversary Tour of The Fantasticks
starring Robert Goulet.
Rounding out the Creative Team are: James Fouchard as Scenic Designer, Roger Kirk as Costume Designer, Paul Miller as Lighting
Designer, Megan Henninger as Sound Designer and Bill Newberry as Teen Ensemble Director. Casting is by Barry Moss and Bob
Kale.
42nd STREET
will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from July 28 through August 2, 2009. Performances are Tuesday-Friday
at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm and 8 pm and Sunday at 1:30 pm and 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets,
at 800-982-2787 and online at www.ticketmaster.com Ticket prices range from $20-$67.50. Special group
rates are available through the Fox Group Sales Dept. at 404-881-2000.
Theater of the Stars celebrates our 57th Anniversary as one of the nation's premier regional
theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing
the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence, visit www.theaterofthestars.com.
CLICK TO CONTINUE | |
What a great Newsletter!
A Review of Legally Blonde by our own Brad Rudy, Pippin opens and more...
Quote Of The Issue
I felt a little green, because Shakespeare writes the thought process within the
text; it was tricky not to think of what to say and then say it, and instead just deliver the lines.
Neil
Patrick Harris
Legally Blonde 
Theater Of The
Stars
OBJECTIONS OVERRULED
Grade: B-
The Broadway hit "Legally Blonde: The Musical" has brought
its stylish energy to the Fabulous Fox for a fashionably short run. Opening night was filled with understudies, with
not-quite-up-to-expectations performances, and with hordes of pleased and happy fans (my rabidly Elle-centric daughter included).
As a self-designated judge of the proceedings, it's my task to rule on objections raised.
Objection #
1: Last year, MTV aired an energetic (but badly filmed) version of the original production. This touring
version is scaled down, and, with too many less-impressive choices made by the design and direction team.
Judgment: The opening set was actually more interesting than the heads-in-the-windows design from the original.
The background columns translated nicely from UCLA's Delta Nu to the hallowed halls of justice. Other sets (the actual
courtroom, Elle's room, the salon) were the same (at least as far as my memory serves). Transitions between scenes were
smooth and elegant. OBJECTION OVERRULED!
Objection # 2: Here, the choreography was underwhelmingly
simple. Group numbers usually involved everyone merely walking in a circle. The athletic "Whipped
Into Shape" had about half the energy and half the people, many of whom were off the beat. Elle's "essay"
was tap-less and muddled.
Judgment: All true. But not relevant. The musical strengths
of this piece are the numbers themselves. Well-constructed "exposition" numbers ("What you Want"
and "Chip on My Shoulder" in particular) trump the choreography, which, truth to tell, was never a selling
point for this show and this story. OBJECTION OVERRULED!
Objection # 3: This show
succeeds or fails on the strengths of its leading actress. Becky Gulsvig has a nasal voice that carries through
on her songs, making them go down as easily as press-on nails across slate. Her early scenes are shallow and
by-the-numbers.
Judgment: True up to a point. However, once Elle hunkers down and applies
herself, once she develops her friendship with Emmett, Ms. Gulsvig's charm carries the day, her interactions take off, her
sense of timing scores, and she wins over at least one cynical observer. In spite of the whining voice, I still must
say, OBJECTION OVERRULED!
Objection # 4: The supporting cast is weak. Understudy
Nick Dalton brought absolutely nothing to the table as Warner and D.B. Bonds' Emmett was too movie-star handsome
to be interesting.
Judgment: Maybe so, but what about Natalie Joy Johnson's Paulette?
Ken Land's Callahan? Megan Lewis's Vivienne? Ven Daniel's Kyle? Even understudy Sara Andreas' Brooke?
All were spot-on characterizations, all sold their songs with abandon, all raised surprising laughs and found truthful
moments amidst the excess surrounding them. Even Mr. Bond proved more interesting as the play continued.
Again, and fer shure, OBJECTION extremely OVERRULED!
Objection # 5: The script has many weak
points. The Ireland digression in Act I is amusing, the extended line dance in Act II just stops the show cold.
Is it necessary (or credible) to move the trial to the bathroom? Is Vivienne's Act II "conversion" foreshadowed
enough to be credible?
Judgment: In the MTV broadcast, I thought these same things. However,
then and now, the sheer momentum of the production lets me overlook them. So, for now, let me sustain the objection,
but forgive the lapse.
Objection # 6: The show requires far too much willing suspension of disbelief.
Is it credible that an air-headed blonde could easily get into Harvard and get to argue a high-profile murder case while still
a student?
Judgment: I heard this same objection after the original movie came out. I'll
say now what I said then - if you think Elle is an "air-headed blonde," the problem is with you, not with
her. She is set up as intelligent, driven, and successful. So, she carries a dog, likes to shop, and
looks great in pink. How is this a measure of her intelligence? The script then (and now) goes to great
lengths to justify what she does and how it happens. That it does so breezily and with a sense of humor is
a credit to the writers, and, to one with an open mind, requires absolutely no willing suspension of disbelief.
OBJECTION now and for all time OVERRULED!
Final Verdict: The audience voted with its hands
and feet, and I followed. The show is a winner. The objections noted only serve to bring down the show's arbitrary
score, not to bring down the enjoyment to be had from it. The score is a delight to hear, the usual Fox sound system
problems were nowhere in evidence, the design is impressive and dazzling, and the (admittedly "B") cast brings so
much good stuff to the table, that these objections seem petty and pointless.
My verdict has to be "SNAPS"
to "Legally Blonde: The Musical."
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
Yes,
you can win tickets to the opening night show of the popular-Legally Blonde! Just
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE
|
7/13/2008
From the Light Booth:
Valerie Kennedy Recitals
For the past six July's, now, I've designed and worked
lights for the annual marathon of Valerie Kennedy Student Voice Recitals. For the past couple of years, I've also written
about the experience, talking about new shows and songs discovered, and, more important, giving some notice to some seriously
talented up-and-coming performers. Part of Ms. Kennedy's agenda is to give her students a taste of real performance
in front of a real audience, including detailed technical design and execution. As we all know, part of the performing
life is exposing your hard work and developing talent to the incoherent ramblings of pompous pundits and artistic yea-or-nay-sayers.
Which brings me to this column.
For those who are new to the area, Valerie Kennedy is
one of the best (if not THE best) voice teacher in Georgia. Her graduate students can be found on Broadway, in touring
companies, in opera companies, even in the wilds of Summer Stock. One of the pleasures of having this gig over the span
of several years is seeing how her students grow from year to year. Today's breathtakingly talented seniors were little
more than children trying to stay on key when I started doing this. Not that there aren't amazingly talented children
in the bunch, but even they get better year-by-year. A hallmark of Ms. Kennedy's recitals is the number of "alumni"
who return every year to participate in the recitals, as well as the number of adults who turn to her. (If my own singing
voice weren't so hopelessly vile, I'd consider it myself.)
In any case, here are a few highlights of
this year's concert:
New Shows to Seek Out: This year, there were numerous songs from workshop
"song cycles," college projects, and off-off-Broadway shows, that may (or at least should) see mainstream life before
too long. Two that have seen New York (even Broadway) productions are the latest Jason Robert Brown ("Parade"
and "The Last Five Years") opus, "Thirteen," and the Off-Broadway hit "[title of show]."
But my favorite of the new stuff was a little you-broke-my-heart-so-die-die-die song called "In Short." This
is from a musical called "Edges" (Is there a CD? B&N doesn't list one), described as written by college students
about such universal subjects as love, commitment, identity, and meaning (yes, THAT list). It may sound like dorm-room
pretention, but this song was a well-written hoot. And I found the performance by Sarah Gooding (who has amassed a bunch
of professional credits at the tender age of 15) to be much better than the college efforts I found on YouTube.
As to "[title of show]," this is a show about the writing of a show, and this year's recital had two songs from
it - "Two Nobodies from New York" (performed by Mason Bonner and Zac Phelps and "A Way Back to Then"
(performed by Abby Holland). I loved both songs (and the performances), and the whole self-referential concept
has been something that has appealed to me ever since I first saw Fellini's "8 ½" during my own
pretentious college years.
Trouper of the Year: I think, rather than cite any one performer who
responded well to technical glitches and foul-ups, I think it's appropriate at this point to commend everyone who performed.
Yes, there were times when the sound system made unpleasant noises, where mikes went in and out, and, even two cases where
the background tracks cut out completely mid-song. And, without exception, the performers all acted as if nothing were
out of the ordinary, or acted as if the mistake were a planned part of the performance, or simply waited patiently while we
bozos in the booth got all our ducks in a row. I do feel compelled, though, to offer a personal apology to Katherine
McCauley, for having a "senior moment" and forgetting to bring up her "bow" light after an exquisitely
beautiful rendition of "Unusual Way" (from "Nine").
As a non-musical digression,
I also have to give a shout-out to sound engineer Charles Teer. I got to work beside him all week, and he showed remarkable
grace under technological pressure. At one point mid-week, the Art Place's sound bound went completely bonkers, blowing
out and dying ignominiously. Rather than panicking and jumping out the booth window (as I would have done had a similar
mishap befallen the lighting board), he got on the phone and had a replacement board delivered, installed, and up-and-running
in less than hour. Well done!
Best Classical Performance: Even though I am singularly
unqualified to judge classically trained singers, and even though this entire section was amazing to hear, I do want to commend
a few pieces for their overall dramatic effect. Justin Murray gave a spirited "Mattinata," an Italian love
song from 1909 that has attained "folk" status. Shubert's long and difficult "Shepherd on the Rock"
was given a beautiful airing by Abby Holland, Katherine McCauley, and Samantha Blinn (who, incredibly, learned her part in
less than a week to fill in for an ailing friend). They were given lovely clarinet accompaniment by John Buck.
And, the aforementioned Sarah Gooding gave us a pert and sassy "Any Girl Fifteen or Older (Ana Donna a Quindici Anni)"
from Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte." I especially liked how she stopped the audience from applauding at a false
ending by flirtatiously holding up her finger while peeking from behind her fan. It was the perfect blend of voice and
character. As usual Linda Uzelak provided the piano accompaniment and was a joy to hear (not to mention a pleasant lady to
work with).
Other outstanding performances: Last year, I praised then 10-year-old Shelby Hunt's
big-voiced gospel number. She returned this year with a spectacular "I am Changing" (from "Dreamgirls").
If she can sing like this at eleven, what will she be like when she's actually old enough to play the role? Ten-year-old
Georgia Murray knocked "Shy" ("Once Upon a Mattress") out of the castle, Megan Mavity did a nice Spanish
patter with Shakira's "Estoy Aqui," Denae Reyna gave us our expected Susan Boyle moment with a nicely done "I
Dreamed a Dream," Katie Jacoutot gave an exquisitely ethereal "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (the version heard in
"Across the Universe"), Justin Murray sang Josh Groban's "Remember Me" but ceded the spotlight to ballerina
Christy Delenick for a marvelously compelling musical moment, Laura Kinney's "I'm Still Hurting" (from "Last
Five Years") was memorably moving, and Christie Fisher nicely channeled her inner hippie with "Frank Mills"
(which, I understand, she'll also be doing in Seven Stage's September production of "Hair"). Youngest performer
kudos go to Ethan Bloomer, who tackled (and easily dispatched) Studs Turkel's difficult "Neat to be a News Boy."
Most energetic kudos go to Will Paoness's non-stop dancing in "Ladies' Choice" (not to mention his contributions
to the "Chorus Line" medley). Rockingest performance goes to Taylor Baudry, who somehow managed to back
up her rendition of the Eagles' "Get Over It" with the Eagles themselves (don't ask). Finally, wonderful ensemble
work was done by the group who nailed every number in the "Songs For a New World" medley, nicely led and staged
by Robby Glade (Mr. Glade, Samantha Blinn, Caroline Freedlund, Denae Reyna, Justin Murray, and, last year's MAT musical winner,
Reed Higgins).
I'm looking over the 98 numbers that were performed, and I could cite at least two dozen
more pieces that were marvelously performed, that moved me and touched my funny bone in surprising ways. As I've often
said, these students (and graduates) are all insanely talented, all have a marvelous sense of character and showmanship, and,
when given the opportunity, blend together in group numbers that look as if they'd been rehearsed for weeks.
As you can see, these recitals are made up of a very eclectic collection of sources, styles, and genres. I've come
to look forward to this week every year, and, although the schedule is long and grueling, the talent and eagerness of everyone
involved is infectious and invigorating. Most of the audiences were comprised of family and friends of the students,
but, anyone who loves musical theater, opera, pop music, or just seeing young talent reach for the stars, should seek these
out. (This year, it was four recitals spread over ten hours).
These are the singers we will
be reviewing (favorably) in years to come. I could find something good to say about each and every artist (and I apologize
here to all the students I didn't mention). I am impressed more each year, and look forward to discovering new and obscure
musicals, fresh favorites, and unbelievably exciting music.
And now, there're only 51 weeks until we
get to do it again!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
| |
"Pippin" opens This Friday!
 Stage Door Players
With a newly revised script and score, STAGE DOOR PLAYERS presents "Pippin"
by
Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson, opening July 17 and playing through August 9.
Show times are Thursday,
Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM, and Sunday
afternoon matinees at 2:30.
Once upon a very
dark time, young prince Pippin longed to discover the secret of
true happiness and fulfillment. He seeks it
in the glories of the battlefield, the
temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power. Finally,
he finds it
in the simple joys of home and family.
The show features the amazing talents of Denise
Arribas, Will Bradley, Chuck
Calvello, Kida Davis, Courtney Foster Donohue, Josh Donohue, M. Reed Higgins, Courtney
Loner, Chase McGrath, Robert Oliver Norris, Tim Stylez, Craig Waldrip, and
Rachel D. White.
The show is
directed by Robert Egizio, with Musical Direction by Linda Uzelac, and
Choreography by Jen MacQueen.
Production Manager Courtney Loner heads an award winning design team that includes
Jim Alford (Costume Design),
Dan Bauman (Sound Design), Mike Magursky and J.D.
Williams (Lighting Design), and Chuck Welcome (Scenic Design).
Stage managed by
Hayley Brotherton.
For reservations, please call the Box Office at
770-396-1726, or visit us online at
www.stagedoorplayers.net.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE
|
| TITUS
ANDRONICUS
Georgia Shakespeare
RECIPE FOR REVENGE
Grade: A
"Titus Andronicus" was Shakespeare's most popular play during his lifetime. It's easy to see why.
Filled with cataclysmic violence and mayhem, it is also filled with moments of self-righteous revenge, simple-at-first-glance
characterizations, moments of clownish black humor, and even occasional flights of poetic fancy, even if they pale when compared
to the Bard's best works. All-in-all, it was a perfect afternoon's entertainment, especially when you can take your
flagon of mead next door to the bear-baiting pits afterwards.
And yet, in modern times, the "Titus
Andronicus" star had faded a bit, tarnished, ironically, by the more mature Shakespearean canon that was to follow.
The story line is simplicity itself - imprisoned Goth Queen takes vengeance on the General responsible for her son's death,
then General takes vengeance for her vengeance. No matters of philosophical import, no bravura complexity of character,
no nuance or irony. These are larger-than-death, almost inhuman characters in the tradition of the larger-than-life
tragic heroes of the ancient world.
Still, watching Georgia Shakespeare's new production, I couldn't help
but be struck by how, well, with how Shakespearean it all is. Goth queen Tamora (often described, with some justification,
as a character who makes Lady Macbeth seem like a Girl Scout) is wickedly vicious to the core. Yet the script still
paints her with human tones - her actions are born out of the rage of a defeated monarch, the grief of a sorrowing mother.
Her actions are coldly horrible, yet the young Shakespeare makes them coldly understandable. Aaron the Moor is from
the "Appearance-Defines-Character" school of Elizabethan dramaturgy - he is dark of face, so, by definition, he
is dark of character.** And yet, the appearance on the scene of a newborn son awakens in him an empathy that cannot
possible extend to the Strangers in the Strange Land he finds himself. And Titus himself, long before Hamlet pondered
mortality and madness, feigns insanity in the service of his own revenge plot. He knows and acknowledges his lesser
place in the Medieval "Chain of Being," and even violently defends his own place in that chain. Yet, when
he is betrayed by those above him, he has no qualms about violating the sanctity of that chain with self-righteous regicide.
First and foremost, tough, this is a tale of horror. Innocence is defiled, limbs are hewn, bloody handprints
symbolize the rule of law, and rule of blood is taught to youngest of all. We secretly wallow in the gore, sharing the
victors' sense of primal justice. We say we flinch at the grotesque, but we can't help staring with wide-eyed satisfaction,
like a family picnic at a lynching. This is a play that lets us wallow in the righteousness of our modern more-civilized
ethos and still enjoy the excess of a less-enlightened barbarianism. It lets us judge our meat pies while we eat them.
And, for me, this is why "Titus Andronicus" cannot be dismissed as the immature product of a vengeance-besotted
era, why it carries more than a promise of the classics that would follow it. It uses its simplicity, its bending to
the tastes of its audience, its grandiose characters and gestures, all in the service of painting a portrait that is quintessentially
human. So human, in fact, that it still resonates to a 21st-century politically correct audience.
As expected, Georgia Shakespeare has mounted a handsome and professional production. Lit in blood and earth tones, the
set suggests the post-modern ruins of an abandoned art gallery. Abstract metal figures, vaguely human and vaguely suffering,
line the two-story set. Costumes are contemporary(esque) for the most part, though the Goths retain a Germanic barbarian
quality of dress, and Aaron suggest nothing less than a Middle East Pasha. Klimchak's percussive soundtrack with its
aboriginal overtones creates a complex emotional tone - these characters (in part) look as if they are part of a civilized
world, yet their words and deeds and musics suggest nothing less than proto-human primal impulse and passion.
As to the cast, I was actually puzzled by the casting of Chris Kayser in the title role. Although he brings to the
part his usual skill and power, his appearance is thin and clerical, hardly the overpowering warrior I would have expected.
(As his brother Marcus, Tim McDonough towers over the cast, and, physically, would have made a much more as-large-as-expected
Titus.) On the other hand, Mr. Kayser does have the uncanny ability to make everyone on stage nervous. If he is
physically overshadowed by others on stage, he is never emotionally overshadowed. He commands every scene he's part
of, and his very thinness makes him seem more human, more heartbreaking, more shocking.
I was also taken
a bit by surprise by Joe Knezevich's almost-heroic portrait of the emperor Saturninus. Perhaps my expectations are too
biased by Alan Cumming's weasley portrayal in the Julie Taymor movie of this play, but I definitely was not expecting such
a, well, such a normal character. But, as the play progressed, I began to see the intelligence behind the choice.
All of sudden, the opening "election" seems less arbitrary, more justified. All of a sudden, the emperor becomes,
not a co-conspirator of Tamora's, but another victim, a pawn of the web of vengeance spun by someone more evil than himself.
Yes, Saturninus makes some questionable choices and behaves in ways that may baffle us. But still, there is plenty of
textural support for the choices made here, and plenty of emotional pay-off.
As the ill-fated
Lavinia, Sarah M. Johnson brought an over-abundance of layers to the story. Believable as the chaste ingénue,
she quickly grows into the giddy-with-love newlywed, and is absolutely heartbreaking after her defilement and mutilation,
frustrating with her inability to communicate, riven with physical and psychological wounds that cannot be imagined, yet,
seemingly, are here experienced.
And, of course, as expected, Tess Malis Kincaid offers a Tamora
who is frightening, alluring, powerful, and every inch the Goth Queen she should have remained. If her two
sons come across as extras from a "Road Warrior" movie, she is a true original, a bitter and intelligent puppeteer
who does not, who cannot, allow any humanity or empathy stop her plan. That I felt a tug of regret at her final
fate is a testament to her ability to fully flesh out what is often a one-dimensional villainess.
This is not a play for the squeamish. Director Richard Garner has not toned down the scenes of violence, even lets
the attack on Lavinia stretch for many agonizing minutes as her tormentors treat her as a cat treats a mouse, as a plaything
before a meal. Limbs are lost, heads are bagged, flies are eaten, blood pours like wine.
And yet,
for all its Grand Guignol flourishes, this is still the story of two people seeking revenge on each other.
And it proves, beyond any doubt, that the old proverb is wrong.
Revenge
isn't best served cold.
It's best served hot and steaming in its own juices, preferably
backed into a pie crust of bone and blood.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
** Doesn't this Elizabethan world view make you respect
the achievement of "Othello" even more so? Shakespeare was, in effect, thumbing his nose at the overwhelmingly
popular sentiments of the time, creating a character whose nature was belied by his face, and making the blackest of characters
(Iago), the fairest of face.
CLICK TO CONTINUE | |
| Newsletter |
July
8th, 2009 | | |
What
a great Newsletter! A chance to win tickets to the opening night of Legally Blonde! How can you go wrong?
Quote Of The Issue
"When you do bad things, bad things happen to you."
-Farrah Fawcett
|
Win Legally Blonde Tickets
Theater Of The
Stars
Oh My Gawd!
Yes, you can win tickets to the opening night show of the popular-Legally Blonde! Just reply to this email
or send one to theatrenews@atlantatheatrebuzz.com with the answers to the following trivia questions. All correct answers
will be put in a drawing to win. You must respond by this Friday at noon!
Q) What is the name of Elle's dog?
Q) What is Elle's major before she switches to law?
Q) What color
is Elle's resumé?
Q) What is her boyfriend Warner's nickname for Elle?
Q) What
kind of hair process helps Elle solve a murder case?
That's it! Simple! The show is July 14th
at 8pm!
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE And Letter Grade
|
The Scoop on BLONDE
The hilarious MGM film is Broadway's
new smash hit musical,
and now LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL is coming to you. Legally Blonde follows sorority
star Elle Woods, an underestimated blonde who doesn't take "no" for an answer.
When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more "serious, "
Elle puts down
the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law.
The
show runs July 14th-July 19th
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style. After turning
Broadway and MTV hot pink,
this "Feel-Good Song and Dance Juggernaut" (New York
Magazine) is "The Best New Musical Around!" (WOR)
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
| |
"Forum" opens This Friday!
 Blackwell's Summer Musical
inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251-183 BC), specifically
Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria, it tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his
freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including puns,
the slamming of doors, cases of mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another),
and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from the line that vaudeville comedians often used to begin a story:
"A funny thing happened on the way to the theater". The musical's original 1962 Broadway run won several Tony Awards,
including Best Musical and Best Book. A Funny Thing has enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a
successful film.
"These people are off the hook funny". says director Rob Hardie. He speaks of his cast
with great affection. "These guys are so funny, I'm scared people will miss the plot because they are too busy laughing".
He has nothing but praise for a group of actors headed by Zip Rampy (MAT Nominee). Music direction is by Annie Cook, with
choreography by Katie O'Neill. One cast member said that they can't believe everything in the show is so spot on from set,
costumes and direction. "the set is so different, it is what Reed (Higgins) does-he makes a stage a canvas. And the show
it's self is a perfect fir for Rob Hardie, he is in his best element with type of material".
Cast members
have nothing but praise for staff and other cast members. They sseem to have that real respect that comes from working with
staff and cast you admire. Stage manager Cheri Mattox jokes, "A talented cast with Zip & Patrick (Hill), Annie Cook's
music direction, and
Rob's off balanced thinking...what more can an audience ask for?" Indeed.
The show
opens This Friday and runs every Friday and Saturday at 8pm through August 7th with select Sunday matinees. Go to www.blackwellplayhouse.com
for more information.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE
|
| ROCK
N ROLL
7/2/2009 From the
Bookshelf: "Rock 'n' Roll" by Tom Stoppard
Does, for the sake of argument, Tom Stoppard, so to speak, exist?
I'm sitting beside a (large)
pile of scripts that seemingly bear his name, so, barring mass-illusion or self-delusion or literary-allusion, one (meaning
I) may assume that, in the ledgers of Publisher Accountants and Production Offices, there exists an entity, virtual or flesh,
legally referred to as "Tom Stoppard."
Accessing an admittedly unreliable human memory system,
one (meaning I), can recall the image of a male human purporting to be "Tom Stoppard" allegedly accepting an award
as displayed on an electronic video device, which male human bears a striking resemblance to photos splashed on some of the
scripts cited above. This male human, if memory is to be trusted separate from its socio-political context, was also
witnessed by one (meaning I) in a live setting, specifically the curtain call of a limited run of a play (with symphony) entitled
"Every Good Boy Deserves Favor," reportedly also authored by said "Tom Stoppard."
Let us assume, then, for the purposes of this essay, that "Tom Stoppard" does indeed exist, and is not
the fictional creation of a young Czech ex-patriate.
Philosophical caveats thus dispensed with,
let's talk about "Rock'n'Roll*," the latest theatrical opus penned by the alleged Mr. Stoppard (nominated for the
Best Play Tony for 2007/2008). "Rock'n'Roll" is a sweeping panorama of Czechoslovakia in the years between
the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution, a study in contrasts between an Ivory Tower Dissident, and a Rock'n'Roll enthusiast
whose obsession becomes a political liability, a portrait of entrenched radicalism, generational politics, artistic integrity,
and personal loss. Though smaller in scope than Mr. Stoppard's previous Magnum Opus (the three-play "Coast of Utopia"),
it aspires to an equal breadth and depth. Tackling the personal, the political, the historical, the generational, it
is a "what-if" rumination - What if Mr. Stoppard had returned to his native Czechoslovakia rather than remaining
in England? And, it contains a veritable list of "Top 40 Hits" - unanswered questions found in most of Mr.
Stoppard's work:
When does
dissent become complacency?
How does fervent revolutionary drive atrophy into stick-in-the-mud conservatism?
Is it the personal or the political that truly drive our choices?
Do you fix society to improve humankind, or must you fix humankind to un-break society?
To these,
let us add the "Rock-n-Roll"-specific:
How can you establish a workers' paradise when
the Husáks of the world toss a friendly bloke in jail for long hair and a talent for rhythm guitar?
Do plays with intelligent characters speaking eloquently about big issues spanning decades of life and disillusionment
work as well on the stage as they do on the printed page?
Since, by now, my pseudo-Stoppard patois has
either bored you to You-Tube escape, or caught your attention, this may be a good time for a literary digression.
The frontispiece of the Grove Press Edition of "Rock'n'Roll" lists no fewer than 25 plays, 6 television
scripts, 8 radio scripts, 2 movie scripts, and 1 work of fiction, all penned (and published) by Mr. Stoppard.
Although I've read a good chunk of these, I've only seen a small portion. Still I'd like to talk about some
threads that connect a lot of these disparate works.
Mr. Stoppard began the 1960's as a London Theatre
Critic. A 1964 Ford Foundation Grant let him spend five months in a Berlin mansion, emerging with a short version of
what was to eventually become "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," a play that finally saw stage lights at the
National Theatre in 1967. Right away, we see what were to become recurring tropes and themes - a strong sense of the
theatrical, personal powerlessness in the face of politics, literary gamesmanship, and, above all, truly eloquent and dazzling
flashes of language and character. "R & G" was, in fact, the first professionally produced and acted play
I ever saw (a 1970 New York touring company), and I have never grown tired of it, or its central "game." What
is the "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" game? Do you really have to ask? Now, how can I explain?
Should I even try? How is it even relevant to this discussion?
My next close-encounter-of-the-Stoppard
kind came three years later, when I was tapped to play "Inspector Bones, CID" in a college production of "Jumpers."
Whew! How can one (meaning I) describe this play? Essentially, it's a lecture on moral philosophy punctuated by
acrobatics and lounge songs. George Moore is composing the lecture, while ignoring his much younger wife, who, along
the way, has fantasies of being a singer and is spiraling into schizophrenia and adultery, with perhaps a touch of murder
thrown in. The acrobats, who may or may not have political motives, are part of her fantasy world. If this sounds
dotty in the extreme, well it somehow works, with all the disparate elements colliding in a final theatrical fantasy, as Dotty
(yes, that's her name) sings "Heaven, How Can I Believe in Heaven?" (to the tune of "Sentimental Journey")
while Moore uses Zeno's Paradox (if you don't know, don't ask - it'll never get to you) to prove that St. Sebastian died of
fright.
Other examples of Mr. Stoppard's near-obsession with absurd spins on theatrics include "The
Real Inspector Hound" (1968) in which two critics at a cheesy murder mystery find themselves fatally bound with the characters
on stage, "The Real Thing" (1982) in which Theatre and Life-of-Playwright collide with adulterous results, "Rough
Crossing" (1984) a "Showfolk-at-Sea" farce (translated from Molnar) in which a production MUST be made perfect
before docking in New York, and "On the Razzle" (1981) a fast-paced translation of the Austrian play that also was
the source material for "The Matchmaker" and "Hello Dolly!" ("On the Razzle," by the way,
was given a marvelous video treatment by the BBC in a production that starred Felicity Kendall in the, um, male lead.
Yes, it is a play about role-playing!). Even his most literature-inspired work cannot escape the siren call of the footlights
- "Travesties" (1974) is centered on an historical oddity - in 1918, Dadaist Tristan Tzara, novelist James Joyce
and Leninist Vladimir Lenin were all in Zurich at the same time. The play brings them all together in an orgy of modernist
aesthetic, literary, and politically revolutionary blather. So, why are Cecily and Gwendolyn from Oscar Wilde's "Importance
of Being Earnest" wandering around the plot?
And, of course, what could be more theatrical
than Mr. Stoppard's script for the movie "Shakespeare in Love?" This was, to my mind, one of the best-written
movies of the 1990's, and I (and, apparently, the Academy voters) consider it a triumph of excellent-screenplay over razzle-dazzle
direction (as seen in "Saving Private Ryan" - a movie most excellent the first time you see it, but one that falls
completely apart with repeated viewings).
Even "Arcadia" (1993), with its juxtaposition with
1804-then and 1993-now is a very theatrical argument that, when it comes to art and love, the more things change,
the more they stay the same.
Of course, his other recurring theme is that of politics, particularly the
progressive politics of Russia and Eastern Europe. Many of his plays feature characters at a crossroads between the
idealism of their progressivism and the harsh realities of the despots who purport to practice them. "The Coast
of Utopia" is, for example, a tapestry of 19th-Century Russia, exploring the philosophical and societal roots that lead
to the Soviet State, laying an idealistic groundwork for the missed opportunity that was to come. His "Play with
Symphony" ("Every Good Boy Deserves Favor") is, really, a gulag piece -- a political prisoner shares a mental
hospital cell with a man (with the same name) who hears symphonies in his head (Eli Wallach and Rene Auberjonois played the
roles in the Lincoln Center production I saw). Even though this started as an idea by Andre Previn, the script is pure
Stoppard, complete with flights of fanciful words (and notes), disdain for bureaucratic oppression, and ironic twists.
And here is an ideal point to return from digressionland to "Rock'n'Roll." Just
to segue, one of the characters asks where the Soviet state lost its Marxist ideals. The response is
"1918. ... When Soviet Communism collapsed it was further away from the theory than when it started
- so I'd say it went wrong at the beginning. ... It's not Communism if the revolutionary elite is giving the
orders and the workers are still taking them."
But, "Rock'n'Roll," like Mr. Stoppard's
other works, is less about dry political discourse and more about people "up against it," living "in the trenches"
in the worlds created by political forces and trends. Dedicated to Václav Havel, it is about Czechoslovakia,
how it responded to the Soviet invasion of 1968, and how it survived. Jan is a young philosophy student at Cambridge,
under the tutelage of Max, the "Grand Old Man" of British Communism. When the tanks roll into Prague, Jan
returns for his mother, and stays. Through the next 20-plus years, Jan tries to keep his "head low," jumping
through the hoops the Soviets have set up for their Czech "family." But his obsession with Rock-n-Roll, particularly
the underground band Plastic People of the Universe, takes him into a Kafkaesque quagmire of interrogations and prisons and
concerts-on-the-sly and black market LP's. Meanwhile, back in Cambridge, Max is becoming more entrenched in his impractical
and out-moded revolutionarism. He loses his wife to cancer, his daughter to alienation, and his grand-daughter to a
more intelligent (and honest) intellectualism. Max is, at heart, an Ivory-Tower Communist, one who cannot comprehend
what people living in supposed-Communist countries actually experience. He even considers voting for Thatcher because
"the Labor Movement has abandoned all our principles." He has noting but disdain for the Czechs, even after
the fall of Communism:
" How the years roll by! Dubcek is back. Russia agrees to
withdraw its garrison. Czechoslovakia takes her knickers off to welcome capitalism. And all that remains of August '68
is a derisive nickname for the only Communists left in the Communist Party. I'm exactly as old as the October Revolution
... My life would have been neatly encapsulated if I'd dropped dead in March."
History has indeed
passed Max by, and he has become the singular oxymoron, the conservative communist. Yet, Mr. Stoppard is still able
to make him (a bit) sympathetic, charting his fading memory, his family losses, and his political sidelining with equal compassion.
And, the play is quintessentially English. I can't quote the line entirely (this is a family website
after all), but, at one point prior to her death, Max's dying-of-cancer wife has correctly sized up a visiting student, and
tells her:
Eleanor (pleasantly): "Lenka, don't try to shag my husband till I'm dead, or I'll
stick "The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" up your rancid [insert c-word here], there's a dear."
Still, let's remember, this play is called "Rock'n'Roll," not "A Happy Discourse on Communism
and Czechoslovakia" (or "How to be Crude While Staying Well-Mannered"). Rock'n'Roll is a major
character, a thematic thread that binds the characters to their times and countries. Starting with a drug-induced vision
of Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett playing a Pan Pipe to Max's hippie daughter, ending with the Rolling Stones' 1990 concert in Prague.
Specific songs are used between scenes (sometimes in full, sometimes in part), and Stoppard adds a post-"Travesties"
James Joyce tribute by including a Barrett-performed Joyce poem ("Lean out of your window, Golden Hair") as a recurring
leitmotif. The shards of Jan's police-destroyed LP collection mirror his broken idealism. The music is another
target for Max's diatribes. And a recurring scene is an illegal "John Lennon Tribute Wall" that is torn down
by the police every night and rebuilt by the rock-n-rollers ("Don't call us dissidents!") every morning.
"Rock'n'Roll" is, above all, a beautifully realized argument that, in the world of politics,
Ivory Tower revolution cannot a hold a gently waving candle to the true rebellion that is music (or, for that matter,
any art).
So, if indeed, "Tom Stoppard" does not exist, "Rock'n'Roll" is the perfect
argument for why he should (his 1968, 1976, 1984, and 2007 Tonys, not to mention his 1998 Oscar, notwithstanding).
Thank you, TomasStraussler, for making him so!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
* "Rock'n'Roll" by Tom Stoppard, Grove Press, New York, NY, 2006, ISBN-13: 978-0-8021-4307-5
$13.00
CLICK TO CONTINUE | |
Newsletter
|
June 30th, 2009 | | |
It's a great weekend to catch a show!
Quote Of The Issue
"In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we
must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust,
we must still dare to believe."
-Michael Jackson |
Wild Party Onstage Atlanta
Another
look
TOXIC RELATIONSHIP SYNDROME
Grade: B
A lot has already been written about how "The Wild Party" depicts the decadence of the 1920's,
how the characters are generally unlikeable, and how the performances at OnStage Atlanta are a mis-balanced mix of over-the-top
star-making talent hits, and not-quite-there misses. Not much has been written about two aspects of the story, aspects
that, to my mind, humanize the characters and make their story worthier of more than look-at-the-train-wreck rubbernecking.
What I'm talking about is the penchant these people have for addictive behavior and finding the most toxic relationships possible.
Before dropping into my main discussion, I do have to comment that the history of "The Wild Party"
is as intriguing as the story itself. Originally written as a narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March, it didn't find
a publisher until 1928. It has often been described as a thinly-fictionalized account of the party that ended Fatty
Arbuckle's career, despite the fact that, even with all the decadence on view, there is no overweight movie star and no rape,
and it takes place on the opposite side of the country - apparently shallow analysis is not just a contemporary phenomenon.
A 1975 movie tried to add details from the Fatty Arbuckle story, but left in March's rhymed verse, and the result was pretty
pretentious and dull. Then in 2000, two separate musical versions appeared in New York, one on Broadway with music by
Michael John LaChiusa, and one off-Broadway, with music by Andrew Lippa. It is the Lippa version we're seeing at OnStage
Atlanta.
Just for the record, I'd like to echo others' ecstatic praise for stars Mary Nye Bennett, Marcie
Millard, and Geoff Uterhardt, for director Barbara Cole Uterhardt, for choreographer Anthony Owen, and for music director
Lenae Rose. Like others, I was also disappointed by the weaker "fourth wheel" Mr. Black, and would like to
add that I found he had a lot of pitch problems, as did Madeleine True's "Lesbian Love Song." Still, these
weak points were not enough to lessen the overall impact of the piece (my lower grade notwithstanding), and, the reported
balance problems between orchestra and cast were apparently solved by the time I got to see the show. Additional praise
must also go to set designer Anthony Owen and lighting designer Tom Gillespie, who created an apartment that felt seedy enough
for us to reach out and touch the cockroaches.
For the uninitiated, the story concerns vaudevillians Queenie
and Burrs, a couple for three years, now bored with each other. A descending spiral of physical and emotional cruelties
lead them to throw a party, a public spectacle for them to play out their games of jealousy and humiliation, washed with an
unhealthy dose of 1920's drug-and-sex-laced decadence (you WILL need a cold shower after seeing this show). Their games
take an unexpected turn when former hooker Kate brings along the unassuming Mr. Black, a kind man who sees through Queenie's
games and responds to the "virginal soul" within. Queenie finds herself attracted to him in ways that are
almost healthy, that could provide a lifeline from the "Toxic Relationship Syndrome" she shares with Burrs.
It all leads to an incredibly tense and violent finale.
This is what appeals to me about this story - Mr.
Black's attraction-at-first-sight wakens in Queenie a sense of her own self-destruction, a sense that she finally recognizes
her own addiction to edge-of-danger excitement and violent passion, a sense that there is a part of her that is still human,
that is, ironically, in some ways, virginal. Sex to her has always been a game, a risk, an entertainment, a needle to
the soul - for the first time, she recognizes that it may also be a lifeline, that, when coupled with actual respect and affection,
it can provide even more excitement than the drug-and-danger variety she has always known. Maybe my own romantic nature
is reading too much into this, that Queenie is, at heart, a thoroughly despicable character who deserves no less than she
gets. But, in Ms. Bennett's hands, I did feel sympathy for her, and, by the end of the show, I actually began to like
and feel sorry for her.
Mr. Lippa underscores this theme by the song "Two of Kind," sung
by the pugilist Eddie and his diminutive Mae - these are two characters who love and accept each unconditionally, and this
song provides a nice counterpoint to the cruel sorts of relationships we see in the others. We also see other characters
pair up and bond, other characters whose cruelties are a pale imitation of their hosts'. And, by ending Act One with
the duet of Queenie's "Maybe I Like it This Way" and Burrs' "What is it About Her," he shows us that these
two characters do have a need for each other (toxic as it may be), and the moment is truly sublime.
Other
moments in this play that really worked for me were the big dance numbers, the group pieces "Juggernaut" and "Let
me Drown," and the smaller-scale, more wistful "Jackie's Last Dance" in which the androgynous and mute Jackie
(an outstanding Leslie Bellair) covers the entire set in an athletic and erotic expression of love and desire, all while (almost)
everyone else sleeps in drunken exhaustion.
Ms. Uterhardt has blocked her large cast on her small stage to
perfection, focusing our attention exactly where it needs to be, staging the fight between Eddie and Burrs realistically,
and orchestrating the final moments into a tense ballet of movement, music, and violence. When Queenie belts out her
final "How Did We Come to This?" it's a breathtakingly moving moment of song and regret, that works entirely because
of the fragile thread of humanity that Ms. Bennett, Ms. Uterhardt, and Mr. Lippa have skillfully woven.
This
is a difficult and challenging play, one that should only be attempted by the bravest of souls. It depicts the depths
to which lack-of-love toxicity can send the human spirit. But, at heart, it has a glimmer of optimism, in that it shows
us (and Queenie), that what happens at the Wild Party, doesn't necessarily have to stay at the Wild Party.
.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE And Letter Grade
|
6/30/2009 From
the Bookshelf: "Reasons to be Pretty" by Neil LaBute
"Name the as@#$le who
first invented mirrors."
That's how Neil LaBute starts his preface to the published version
of his latest play, "Reasons to be Pretty" (Faber and Faber, ISBN-13: 978-0-86547-998-2, $14.00), nominated for
a passel of 2008/2009 Tonys including Best Play.
It's indicative of how this writer goes straight for the
jugular, but often in the service of a slyer, more subtle theme. Yes, "Reasons to be Pretty" is,
at root, about how our self-image controls our self-worth, and how, when our image is questioned, how we go to unreasonable
lengths to regain our footing. But, more than that, this is a play about growing up, about communication, and
about "brown stamps" (those tiny grudges we collect in our relationships that suddenly "pay off"
in an emotional explosion totally out of proportion to direct cause).
The play starts "Deep
in the middle of it. A Nice little fight. Wham!" Steph and Greg have been a couple for four years,
though they are not married. Steph is exploding over a conversation Greg had with his best buddy (Kent) that found its
way back to her. Apparently, Kent was drooling over a new extravagantly beautiful co-worker, and Greg replied that he
was glad he was with Steph, who has "just a regular face." Of course, Steph took that to mean "You think
I'm ugly and can't stand to look at me!"
I can picture all the guys out there silently nodding.
Yes, this has happened to me! I say a compliment and it gets twisted into an insult! I can picture all
the women also nodding. He NEVER knows what he's really saying, and his words, even if meant as a compliment,
show what he REALLY thinks!
That the scene goes so far over the top, complete with blue-streak blue language,
tossed crockery, and final break-up is a dramatic device that makes it not only horrifyingly funny to read, but, also starts
the play out with a toxic bang. Any actress attempting to play Steph has the unenviable task of making her sympathetic
in spite of coming across like a psychotic, but it will be the key to making productions of this play work.
The play then follows Greg as he attempts to reconcile with Steph. Since their every scene turns into a cursing slugfest,
we are left to wonder why he doesn't just move on. It's the process of letting go, of "moving on," of, in
fact, growing up that is the heart and soul of this play, a four-character piece that contrasts Greg and Steph's toxic encounters
with the more staid and seemingly complacent marriage of Kent and his wife Carly, who, not to belabor the point, is strikingly
beautiful (and Steph's best friend). They work third shift at a generic blue-collar factory, Greg and Kent as line workers,
Carly as a security guard. Somewhere along the line, Carly gets pregnant, Kent starts an affair, and Steph finds someone
else. And, somewhere along the line, Greg grows up, seeing the worst of himself in his friend, and makes some mature
and grown-up choices for himself.
What sells this play for me (and makes it one I hope gets a local production),
I can't really talk about without playing spoiler. Suffice it to say, Steph is not a psycho (unless you consider "High
Maintenance" and "Psychotic" to be the same), and her final scenes are both "Aha!" satisfying, funny,
and moving. I also like how Mr. LaBute gives all four characters their "moment alone" with the audience, letting
them ruminate on the nature of beauty and "prettiness," how they react to others' attractiveness as well as their
own, what they really find attractive in themselves and others. They even get to indulge in some expected Labutesque
cynicism:
Steph (about Greg): "He's
got a good face, really, not knockout but very OK." (This after blowing up at him for saying something very
similar about her)
Kent: "Behind every pretty woman you'll find a guy who's tired of
f#%^ing her."
Carly (about her unborn daughter): "I really hope she's no more than pretty,
that's my wish... because I'd hate that for her ... to be this object. Some thing that people can't help gawking at ..."
(Digression - I really like how Mr. LaBute has constructed Carly's language, thought to thought in convoluted meanderings,
difficult to excerpt, but profoundly amusing to read.)
Greg (about magazine-model beauty):
"You ever hear one of those women speak? Take you a carton of Cialis to get back to where you're even curious
about taking her into the bedroom after that, I promise you."
Oh, yes, we'll be hearing these
monologues at auditions for a long time to come! More to the point, these are all four well-written characters, just-turned-adult
shallow without being badly-written shallow. In other words, they do a lot of shallow things to mask the not-so-shallow
things they don't want their friends (and lovers) to know. It's, in effect, a coming-of-age story in which three of
the characters "come of age" ten years later than they should have (I suspect Kent will always be a spoiled little
kid, though I can see how, in the right actor's hands, he could remain charmingly boyish).
This is a wonderful
actor's play, and I think it would be a great fit for Theater in the Square's Alley Stage or OnStage Atlanta (in spite of
actually being "from Broadway"), both of which have a respectable track record with Mr. LaBute's work. Eventually,
it may even become a community theatre staple, because of its small cast, its "open" production requirements (a
set as simple or complex as budget and creativity allow), its contemporary dress, and its stylishly frequent cussing.
For now, it remains a fast and invigorating reading experience, not to give away the ending or anything,
but it ends with Greg telling us:
"Yeah, I'm pretty much a grown-up now. I seriously
am! (Grins) How in the hell'd that happen? I dunno ... don't ask me."
Yeah,
growing up is pretty much not being afraid to admit you don't know.
I guess.
I don't know!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
|
| MUSICAL MAT NOMINATIONS
ANNOUNCED
CATS, LaMancha & Producers fair well!
Okay and your MAT nominees are...
Leading Actor, Musical
Lee Sanders - "Old
Deuteronomy" -
CATS - Blackwell Playhouse
Matthew McClure - "El Gallo" - The
Fantasticks
- The Button Theatre
Jason Meinhardt - "Cervantes/Don
Quixote/Alonso Quijana" - Man of La
Mancha
- Kudzu Playhouse
Allen Cox - "Leo Bloom" - The
Producers - The Rosewater Theatre
Leading
Actor, Play
Zip Rampy - "John Proctor" - The
Crucible - Blackwell Playhouse
Maurice
McGruder - "Hoke" -
Driving Miss Daisy - ACT1 Theater
DeWayne Morgan - "Arnold" -
Torch Song Trilogy - The Process
Theatre Co.
Leading Actress, Musical
Emily Sams - "Lucy"
- You're a Good
Man, Charlie Brown - Theatre on Main
Tracy Vaden Moore - "Luisa" - The
Fantasticks
- The Button Theatre
Diane Mitchell - "Josefine/Monica" -
Romance/Romance - Southside
Theatre
Guild
Leading Actress, Play
Jessie Bishop - "Shelby" - Steel
Magnolias
- Theatre on Main
Jennifer Allman - "Lotty Wilton" -
Enchanted April - Kudzu Playhouse
Jo Howarth
- "Gloria" - Don't Look at
the Fat Lady - The Process Theatre Co.
Julie Gibbs - "Juliet"
- Romeo &
Juliet - North Fulton Drama Club
Barbara McFann - "Daisy" - Driving
Miss Daisy
- ACT1 Theater
Major Supporting Actor,
Musical
Nick Morrett - "Munkustrap"
- CATS
- Blackwell Playhouse
Reed Higgins - "Padre/Prisoner" -
Man of La Mancha - Kudzu
Playhouse
Snapper Morgan -
"Manservant/Sancho" - Man of La
Mancha - Kudzu Playhouse
Major
Supporting Actor, Play
Brink Miller - "Deputy-Governor
Danforth" - The Crucible - Blackwell
Playhouse
Kevin Renshaw - "Boolie" - Driving
Miss Daisy - ACT1 Theater
Doug Stewart -
"Wilson" - Whose
Wives Are They Anyway - Southside
Theatre Guild
Major Supporting
Actress,
Musical
Sarah McClure - "Hortense" - The
Boyfriend - ACT1 Theater
Jennifer
Smiles-Plumley -
"MungoJerry" - CATS - Blackwell
Playhouse
Sarah Peavy - "Cinderella"
- Into the
Woods - The Historic Holly Theatre
Gretchen Gordon - "Ulla" - The
Producers - The Rosewater
Theatre
Major Supporting Actress,
Play
Qate Bean - "Mercutio" - Romeo &
Juliet
- North Fulton Drama Club
Jessica DeMaria - "Nurse" - Romeo
& Juliet - North Fulton Drama
Club
Dara Davis - "Tina" - Whose Wives
Are They Anyway - Southside Theatre
Guild
Minor
Supporting Actor,
Musical
Joe Arnotti - "McCavity" - CATS -
Blackwell Playhouse
John Stephen King - "Mortimer" -
The Fantasticks - The Button Theatre
Ramon Rodriguez - "First
Nighter,
Cop, Accountant, Bryan (Set Designer),
Jack (Wandering Minstrel), Stage Crew,
Bavarian, Nazi
#2, O'Riley, Convict" -
The Producers - The Rosewater
Theatre
Minor Supporting Actor, Play
Jim Dailey - "Capulet" - Romeo &
Juliet - North Fulton Drama Club
Thomas Strickland - "Prince
Escalus/Apothecary" - Romeo & Juliet -
North Fulton Drama Club
Bryan Lee - "David"
- Torch Song
Trilogy - The Process Theatre Co.
Minor Supporting Actress,
Musical
Rachel
Busic - "Rapunzel" - Into the
Woods - The Historic Holly Theatre
Alison Paul - "Antonia/Prisoner"
-
Man of La Mancha - Kudzu Playhouse
Cheryl Rogers - "First Nighter, Red
Head, Shirley, Hold
Me/Touch Me,
Bavarian, Little Old Lady, Prison Guard"
- The Producers - The Rosewater
Theatre
Minor
Supporting Actress,
Play
Dorie Turner - "Lady Capulet" -
Romeo & Juliet - North
Fulton Drama
Club
Rene' Voige - "Sarah Good" - The
Crucible - Blackwell Playhouse
Diane Mitchell
- "Laura Baker" -
Whose Wives Are They Anyway -
Southside Theatre Guild
Youth Award,
Musical
Jaime Certusi - "Little Red
Ridinghood" - Into the Woods - The
Historic Holly
Theatre
Rachel Glazer - "Lucinda" - Into the
Woods - The Historic Holly Theatre
Kasey Willis
- "Florinda" - Into the
Woods - The Historic Holly Theatre
Youth Award, Play
Kimberly
Maxwell - "Mary Warren"
- The Crucible - Blackwell Playhouse
Allie Carroll - "Becky Spencer"
- The
Homecoming - Lionheart Theatre Co.
Emily Brooks - "Patty Cake
Spencer" - The Homecoming
-
Lionheart Theatre Co.
Costume Design, Musical
Suzanne Heiser - The Boyfriend -
ACT1 Theater
Lee Sanders & Rob Hardie -
CATS - Blackwell Playhouse
Tricia Stewart - The Producers
-
The Rosewater Theatre
Costume Design, Play
Jane Kroessig - Don't Look at the
Fat Lady - The Process Theatre Co.
Jane Kroessig - The Crucible -
Blackwell Playhouse
Frances Coven
Beaudry & Jim
Dailey - A Company of Wayward
Saints - Old Alabama Road Company
Heather May - Whose
Wives Are
They Anyway - Southside Theatre Guild
Set Design, Musical
Carolyn Choe
- You're a Good Man,
Charlie Brown - Theatre on Main
Tim Link, John Christian, Cheri
Mattox, &
Rob Hardie - CATS -
Blackwell Playhouse
Wally Hinds - Man of La Mancha -
Kudzu Playhouse Set
Design, PlayG. Scott Riley - No Sex Please, We're British - The Rosewater Theatre Tim
Link & Katy Clarke - The Homecoming - Lionheart Theatre Co. Heather May, Keith Anderson, &
Glen Emory - Whose Wives Are They Anyway - Southside Theatre Guild Lighting Design, MusicalBradley Bergeron & Keith Bergeron - CATS - Blackwell Playhouse David Shelton - Man of La Mancha - Kudzu Playhouse G. Scott Riley - The Producers - The Rosewater Theatre Lighting Design,
PlayMitch Marcus - The Crucible - Blackwell Playhouse Murray Mann - Driving Miss Daisy - ACT1 Theater Jim Dailey - A Company of Wayward Saints - Old Alabama Road Company Sound
Design, MusicalKeith Bergeron & Rob Hardie - CATS - Blackwell Playhouse Ambrosia Dickerson,
Leigh Ann McIlvain, & Glenn Whitehead - Into the Woods - The Historic Holly Theatre Wally
Hinds & David Shelton - Man of La Mancha - Kudzu Playhouse Sound Design, PlayJon
Summers - After Ashley - The Essential Theatre Topher Payne - Above the Fold - The Process Theatre
Co. Chuck Polasky - The Crucible - Blackwell Playhouse Murray Mann - Driving Miss Daisy - ACT1
Theater Moira Thornett Director's
Award, MusicalRob Hardie - CATS - Blackwell Playhouse Mary Carolyn Conti - The Fantasticks - The Button Theatre Adriana Bosna Warner - Man of La Mancha - Kudzu Playhouse G. Scott Riley - The Producers - The Rosewater Theatre Moira Thornett
Director's
Award, PlayEllen McQueen - After Ashley - The Essential Theatre Alyssa Jackson &
Thomas Strickland - Romeo & Juliet - North Fulton Drama Club Barbara Cole Uterhardt - Torch Song Trilogy - The. Process Theatre Co. Heather May & Jonny May - Whose Wives Are They Anyway
- Southside Theatre Guild Overall Performance of a
Musical
CATS - Blackwell Playhouse Man of La Mancha - Kudzu Playhouse The Producers - The Rosewater Theatre Overall Performance
of a
Play
After Ashley - The Essential Theatre Don't Look at the Fat Lady - The
Process Theatre Co. Above the Fold - The Process Theatre Co. ChoreographyPamela
Hines - The Boyfriend - ACT1 Theater Nicole Dramis - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - Theatre on Main Jennifer Smiles-Plumley - CATS - Blackwell Playhouse Stephen Gamba - Into the Woods -
The Historic Holly Theatre Jane Morgan, Katie O'Neill, & Monique Barrett - Romance/Romance - Southside Theatre Guild Music DirectionSusan Everhart - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
- Theatre on Main Ginny Lockhart - The Fantasticks - The Button Theatre Spencer G. Stephens -
Man of La Mancha - Kudzu Playhouse Bob Russell & Frank Steele - The Producers - The Rosewater Theatre Original Work
West of Eden by Letitia Sweitzer Don't Look at the Fat Lady
by Topher Payne Above the Fold by Topher Payne The 2009 MAT Awards
Ceremony will take
place at
the historic Earl Smith
Strand Theatre in downtown
Marietta on Sunday,
September 27. The night
begins with a Red Carpet
Greeting event starting at 5:00
pm. Then the ceremony gets
underway at
6:30pm. There
will be plenty of time to
congratulate the winners and
line up that next audition at
the
VIP Party Reception
following the ceremony at
Shillings on the Square.
|
Jude Law In HAMLET
Another reason To Visit Broadway
Producer Arielle Tepper Madover announced June 30 that the current acclaimed Donmar Warehouse
production of Hamlet - starring Jude Law in the title role - will arrive on Broadway Sept. 12 for a 12-week engagement at
the Broadhurst Theatre. Michael Grandage directs.
In a statement director Grandage said, "Following our recent productions
of Frost/Nixon and Mary Stuart, I am delighted we have been invited to bring another of our productions to Broadway. We feel
very privileged to be part of such a vibrant theatre community and it is exciting to think that so many people will get to
engage with our work and to witness Jude Law's extraordinary performance." Hamlet will conclude its sold-out run at London's
Wyndham's Theatre Aug. 22. It then travels to Kronberg Castle, Elsinore, for a sold-out run Aug. 25-30. The limited run of
Hamlet will officially open on Broadway Oct. 6. Law will be joined onstage by the Donmar Theatre company of actors from London
and Elsinore. Complete casting for the New York run will be announced at a later time. "In Shakespeare's definitive tragedy,"
press notes state, "the King of Denmark is dead. Consumed with grief, Prince Hamlet (Jude Law) determines to avenge his
father's death with devastating consequences for his family and the kingdom." The production is designed by Christopher
Oram with lighting design by Neil Austin. Composer and sound designer is Adam Cork. The New York run will mark Law's first
time on the Broadway stage since his Tony-nominated debut in 1995 in Indiscretions. Law, who last appeared on the London stage
in the Young Vic's productions of Dr. Faustus and 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, is best known for his film roles in "The Talented
Mr. Ripley," "Road to Perdition," "Wilde," "Sherlock Holmes," "The Imaginarium of
Dr. Parnassus," "The Repossession Mambo," "Sleuth," "My Blueberry Nights," "The Holiday,"
"Closer," "Alfie," "The Aviator" and "Cold Mountain". Michael Grandage is artistic
director of the Donmar Warehouse. He made his Broadway debut with the Tony Award-winning Frost/Nixon. Previous Donmar Warehouse
shows in New York include the Tony Award-winning productions of Cabaret, Take Me Out, The Real Thing, Frost/Nixon and Mary
Stuart; the latter is currently playing the Broadhurst. As part of the Donmar's commitment to greater accessibility, Arielle
Tepper Madover has announced that more than 100 tickets priced at $25 will be available at every performance through Telecharge.com
and the Broadhurst Theatre box office. Tickets will go on sale to American Express cardholders July 1. The production will
be on sale to the general public beginning July 18. Tickets, priced $25-$116.50, will be available through Telecharge.com
or (212) 239-6200.
CLICK TO CONTINUE |
|
Quote Of The Issue
"Change is such hard work"
-Billy Crystal |
| | Wild Party Onstage Atlanta
LOTS OF LIFE IN THIS PARTY
Grade: A-
Alright, let's just go ahead and get this out in the open right now:
This show has lots of alcohol and substance abuse, lots of simulated sexual activity (straight, gay and interracial),
and some physical abuse of women. If you find any of these things offensive or unsettling, then you might
want to skip this show. After all, the show is about a WILD party...not a TAME party. (I only say this because
there have, apparently, been a few walkouts at almost every show so far, and it can't have been because of the quality of
the production.) That said, if you have been exposed to Spring Awakening or even a racier production of Cabaret, then
you should be just fine.
The story, based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem, is simple:
After three years of shacking-up together, Queenie and Burrs (both vaudeville performers) realize that the passion has
faded, and their relationship is seemingly adrift in a sea of boredom and frustration. What are a showgirl and
clown in the Roaring Twenties to do? Invite all their friends over for a night of debaucherous revelry in an effort
to rejuvenate their dwindling affection for each other. However, when Queenie's best friend (or should I say 'frienemy'),
Kate, arrives with a stranger known only as Mr. Black, the evening goes in a completely different direction than intended.
From the moment you enter the theatre, you can see that this is not going to be the idealized version of the
1920's we've come to expect from shows that take their cues from The Great Gatsby (I'm looking at you, The Drowsy Chaperone).
The set is beautifully designed to resemble an apartment that could quite easily have been located near the tenements
on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, but still comes equipped with it's own private bathroom (though its "fourth wall"
is missing too, giving us a glimpse at EVERYTHING that goes on in there).
There are many highlights in this
production. First and foremost are the two leading ladies, Mary Nye Bennett as Queenie and Marcie Millard as Kate.
They both shined, bringing copious amounts of character and vocal power to the stage. In fact, I'm glad that
they opted not to use microphones for this show, because (if you will forgive the hyperbole) it's quite possible that the
audiences' heads could have exploded from the sheer force of Marcie's belting during her number "Life of the Party"
had it been amplified.
Other stand-outs: Geoff "Googie" Uterhardt as Burrs, the menacing,
lovelorn clown. Cathe Hall Payne had perfect comedic timing as the hysterical, self-proclaimed lesbian,
Madeleine True. And Leslie Bellair brought a moment of sheer beauty to the stage as Jackie, the androgynous mute
dancer, with her balletic turn in a piece entitled "Jackie's Last Dance".
The entire ensemble was
very strong. The group numbers were always in unison, whether dancing or singing, and the energy was quite
high throughout the show. The choreography stayed very true to the time period and worked very well for such a large
cast when considering the size of the dance space. And, on a personal level, there were no scene changes to
sit through since it all takes place in the apartment. (I realize this might not seem very
important, but I have recently had the unfortunate experience of sitting through some musicals with lengthy scene changes
that took the audience right out of the show.)
So, what's not to like?
I did notice a balance
problem between the band and the cast. However, it was not the band overpowering the cast...it was that the cast
were overpowering the band! Part of this problem is due to the band being located somewhere off to the side backstage
instead of onstage or out with the audience. As I mentioned before, the two female leads are vocal powerhouses,
but when they started belting, I could not hear the music at all (and I was sitting in the second row). Likewise,
when the entire cast is singing at full force, the band was completely drowned out. I'm assuming that the cast
could still hear the band, since they all stayed on the same pitch, but I would have liked to hear a better blending
of the voices with the music.
Another balance problem came in the form of Timmonte Hood in
the role of Mr. Black. Mr. Hood's vocal stylings were clearly not at the same standard as the other lead characters.
Do not misunderstand me - he has a nice voice. He just tended to go with a softer, jazzier vocal style as opposed to
the more 'Broadway' style exhibited by Queenie, Kate and Burrs. At times, it was a nice touch to compliment the softer
elements of the story. However, it did not work when the four had to sing in unison, which happens about three different
times in the show.
Overall, though, these weaknesses do not bring the show down. The strong ensemble,
the delightful choreography, and the period costuming and set design really make this an entertaining evening of theatre.
As long as the thought of a little debauchery does not repel you, I would definitely recommend making the trip to Decatur. -Zip
Rampy
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE And Letter Grade
|
Billy Crystal's
One Man Show Hits Cobb Energy Centre! 
It was announced today that Billy Crystal will bring 700 SUNDAYS, his Tony Award-winning Broadway blockbuster,
to Atlanta's Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre December 16-20 as part of a six-city American tour of limited engagements.
700 SUNDAYS, a play performed and written by Mr. Crystal with additional content by Alan Zweibel is directed by two-time Tony
Award winner Des McAnuff.
700 SUNDAYS, an autobiographical journey, is an original two-act play in which
Billy plays numerous characters that have influenced who he is today. It deals with his youth, growing up in the jazz world
of Manhattan, his teenage years, and finally adulthood. It is about family and fate, loving and loss.
"I
have thought about 700 SUNDAYS at least once a day since the last time I performed it in Australia two years ago. My
love for these characters from the canvas of my life and the incredible connection that I feel with audiences while sharing
this personal story have made this one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. I knew I wasn't done performing
it and I knew I'd like to bring the show back when the time felt right. I'm so happy to be playing Atlanta this fall,"
said Mr. Crystal.
In its opening week on Broadway, 700 SUNDAYS broke the house record for highest weekly
gross at the Broadhurst Theatre and then continued to top its own record every week. The week ending May 22, 2005, marked
the highest grossing week, not only for the Broadhurst Theatre, but also for any non-musical production in Broadway history,
taking in $1,061,688 at the box office.
The show won the 2005 Tony Award for Special Theatrical Experience and
both the 2005 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Solo Performance.
Following the
Broadway production, Billy played sold out limited engagements of 700 SUNDAYSin Toronto, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and
Los Angeles. Billy then took 700 SUNDAYS to Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, where both engagements sold out upon announcement
and won the 2007 Helpmann Award for Best Special Event.
Produced by Janice Crystal, Larry Magid and Face
Productions, 700 SUNDAYS has a scenic design by David F. Weiner, lighting design by David Lee Cuthbert, projection design
by Michael Clark and sound design is by Steve Canyon Kennedy.
Atlanta Broadway Series presents this show
as a 2009-2010 Season Special. 700 SUNDAYS will play at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Wednesday, December 16 through
Sunday, December 20. Shows during the week start at 8:00 p.m. Shows on Saturday are at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday show is at 3:00 p.m. Ticket on-sale information will be released at a later date.
CLICK
HERE TO CONTINUE...
|
| End Days
Horizon theatre
NON-OVERLAPPING POST-TRAUMATIC MAGISTERIA
Grade: B
In his 1999 book Rock of Ages, philosopher and scientist Stephen Jay Gould wrote what he thought was "a blessedly simple
and entirely conventional resolution to ... the supposed conflict between science and religion." He described
this concept as "Non-Overlapping Magisteria," a high-falutin' phrase, which essential means that Science and Religion
look at (and explain) the universe in ways (and using questions) that are, at root, fundamentally different; that they aren't
necessarily contradictory, and, paradoxically, can often complement each other. (Or, as he obscurely put it, "science
and religion do not glower at each other...[but] interdigitate in patterns of complex fingering, and at every fractal scale
of self-similarity.") While I don't necessarily agree 100% with this view (see postscript below), this
argument is at the heart of Deborah Zoe Laufer's "End Days," currently being given a nice production at Horizon
Theatre. This is a play with characters of different faiths (and extremes of faith) in conflict with each, but it remains
refreshingly free of judgmentalism. The characters (eventually) accept the faiths (and lack thereof) of each other,
and, in fact, recognize the emotional voids they fill and fail to fill. The Stein family are 9/11
survivors. Dad (Arthur) was a high-salaried manager in the World Trade Center, and missed being a victim only through
a chance encounter. All sixty-five people who worked for him disappeared in a flash of religious extremism. Mom
(Sylvia) spent the day wondering if her husband and daughter (Rachel) were still alive. All three have dealt with their
post-trauma in different ways. Arthur has resigned completely from the human race, spending his days napping in his
pajamas and his nights not sleeping. Sylvia, without giving up her essential Jewishness, has embraced Apocalyptic Evangelical
Christianity, sees visions of Jesus, and spends her days preparing for the Rapture. Rachel has Gothed out, living in
a cocoon of alienation, flirting with her own vision (physicist Stephen Hawking). The shadows of Ground Zero dominate
their lives (both figuratively and literally - the set is backed by silhouettes suggesting the both the shards of the ruined
towers and the fences the Steins have built to keep themselves safe. But, this is a comedy. So, into
their lives comes Nelson Steinberg, a sunny classmate of Rachel who dresses like Elvis and stalks like a warm puppy.
He brings purpose to Arthur's days, Science to Rachel's life, and acceptance to Sylvia's passions. As played in a delightful
turn by Nick Arapoglou, Nelson is the outsider, the catalyst of healing, the one with his own traumas who nevertheless keeps
a disgustingly cheerful optimism that is a joy to watch. When Sylvia misinterprets an itchy eye in her phantom
Jesus, she's certain the Rapture is coming on Wednesday, and the family (with Nelson) joins her for the final vigil.
If they're more interested in waffles and dip than in repenting sins they have to strain to recall, well, at least they're
together, and Sylvia won't have to relive that awful day wondering if they'll "make it." And we are all blessed
(if you'll forgive that term from a skeptic) with an evening in the theatre watching marvelous actors portraying dimensional
characters who do not live in a plot-contrived vacuum, who are not mouthpieces for a playwright's obsessions and passions,
and who aren't afraid to digress and grow and talk about the seemingly "important" stuff. What
struck me while watching this play was that, yes, they talk about the big questions - God and Science and Physics and Trauma
and Hebrew School. But they show us that the most important things in their lives are the small steps, the grace notes
that define their characters and their relationships. This is a family in which a trip to the grocery store is a profound
victory, a sudden kiss is a shock to both giver and receiver, a borrowed book is a door to a new universe (or at least a new
window on the one that's always been there). It's a family in which the quest for redemption takes a back seat to the
quest for water chestnuts. I was reminded of a blatantly humanistic comment at the end of Archibald MacLeish's adaptation
of Job (J.B.), in which J.B. says of God, "He does not love. He is!" to which his wife responds, "But
we do! There's the wonder of it." This play, like "J.B.," ascribes love and family as the only
sane human response to the mysteries of God's whims and Science's paradoxes. On a purely dramaturgical level,
"End Days" is filled with clever bits and ideas. For one, the imaginary Jesus and the imaginary Hawking are
played by the same actor (a wryly amusing Adam Fristoe - BTW, kudos on some fast costume changes, and kudos on the wonderful
sound design in recreating Hawking's computer-voice). For another, green stars move randomly against a backdrop of over-sized
planets, which double as projection screens. For still another, the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the characters all
have credible psychological roots, back stories that are both moving and "there-but-for-fortune-(or the grace of God)-go-I"
recognizable. The cast gives some of the finest ensemble work of the year, with no member upstaging or outshining
the others. The Steins are played by Stacy Melich (Sylvia), Robin Bloodworth (Arthur), and Maia Knispel (Rachel), and
they made me believe they were a family. The petty irritations, the unspoken affections, all those subtle interactions
that are at the root of the best ensemble work, are here in evidence. They were a family I wanted to get to know better,
or to sit down and discuss Science and Religion over a game of Hearts. One of the paradoxes of quantum physics,
is, that, at a sub-atomic level, things get really weird - the basic "stuff" that forms atoms is both matter and
energy, particle and wave. It changes depending on how we observe it. As Nelson puts it, "If you ask it a
particle question, it's matter, if you ask it a wave question, it's energy." This same paradox is equated to the
debate between Science and Religion - if you ask the Universe a Science question, it's a physical place, if you ask it a Religion
question, it's a spiritual place. What is not a paradox is the "End Days" theme that love and emotion
provide a real healing when Religion and Science conspire to tear at the forces that bind us together. --
Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com) Postscript (A Soapbox Digression): My biggest objection to the "non-overlapping
magisterial" premise is the parts that do overlap - Religion too often makes claims more suited to science and vice versa,
hence Creationism and Scientism. A popular cliché is that "Science tells us how the Universe works, while
Religion tells us why." My biased response to that is, "No, Religion doesn't tell us why. It tells us
a story that makes us believe we know why. And if we believe we know, we stop asking." I hope I never stop
asking. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
|
CHESS- IN CONCERT
PBS Great Performances
WORK IN PROGRESS
Grade:
C
Lyricist Tim Rice opens the recent PBS Broadcast of his "Chess"
in Concert adaptation by telling us that he has been working on it for twenty-five years, and, maybe, this time, he got it
right.
Well, yes and no.
World events have certainly passed this piece by - can Cold War
political brinksmanship hold the attention of a contemporary audience? Could it, perhaps, work as a period piece curiosity?
Since I have found prior versions colder than a Russian Embrace, I may be the wrong person to ask. I always thought
that "Chess" was a triumph of musical craftsmanship over compelling storytelling. After all, chess as a metaphor
for politics and love has to be a thematic trope older than chess itself.
Of course, that means that
a "concert" format may be the best presentational mode. Fortunately, the result is a sequence of songs and
performances that soar with intelligence, with emotion, and with spine-tingling theatricality. It is backed up with
a large and full symphony and chorus, and staged with some clever design schemes, fluid dances, and mega-large computer screen
backdrops.
Unfortunately, it's filmed by an ADHD-riddled fool who never lets the camera stay still long enough
to appreciate any of the (admittedly few) human moments of interconnection, and seldom cuts with any sense of the rhythm of
the music. The choreography, while beautiful and often elegant, misses a lot of opportunities to clarify story moments.
And the sound mix tends to overpower and muffle too many of the lyrics. (I had originally ascribed this to my less-than-perfect
television speakers, but others with better equipment have made the same complaint.)
To fill you in on the
history (and ever-changing plot) of this, it all started with a concept album 1983. Mr. Rice and the creative force
behind ABBA (Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus) put together a series of songs that sorta kinda told a fictionalized version
of the Fisher-Spassky World Chess Championship. Layered with Cold War politics, the players are "handled"
and manipulated by their respective countries, hoping to win a small propaganda victory. Toss into the mix a beautiful
woman who loves both players, a defection, and a ravenous media corps, and you have the potential for a dynamic and compelling
piece.
A few of the numbers have taken on lives of their own - "Anthem," "One Night in Bangkok,
""I know Him So Well," and "Pity the Child" have been "covered" often, and, usually, well.
But "Chess" didn't become a "show" until 1989, with some very dramatic plot changes (instead of two tournaments
a year apart, we're given a single contest). Songs were added and dropped, and, the show was not a huge hit, though
it does have a devoted following. I saw a touring company in early 1990 starring Broadway diva-to-be Carollee Carmello,
but my memory of that production is dim and unreliable. I do remember not liking it too much, but not hating it, either.
Now, we are given a third version, a concert presentation from London's Royal Albert Hall, that brings back
the structure of the original concept album, but keeps the songs from the stage version. And, rather than a traditional
concert with singers and musical stands in front of the orchestra, this was really a full production, staged above and below
the symphony, costumed and choreographed. It was like a play in which a symphony orchestra was both a character and
part of the set.
Superstar Josh Groban has been cast as Anatoly, "Rent's" Idina Menzel and Adam
Pascal reunite to play Florence and Frederick, and British singer Kerry Ellis holds her own as Svetlana. The performances
are a mixed bag. Mr. Groban is not an actor, but has an intensity in close-up that makes his scenes work, and, when
he gets into the final phrases of "Anthem," he is positively sublime. If you're going to cast a singer rather
than an actor, this is obviously the show (and role) for which to do so.
I was more disappointed with Mr.
Pascal. He obviously gives us a Frederick who is young and arrogant, but, on "Pity the Child," he had a casualness
of demeanor that over-intellectualized the song, reducing this heartfelt confession to an uninvolving memory. Worse
still, his voice tended to pinch on the final moments when the song needs to soar. Instead of giving this unpleasant
character a human and empathetic moment, Mr. Pascal gives us only the pained expression of a singer going to places beyond
his vocal range.
The women fare much better. Ms. Ellis is given a second act song normally sung at
the end by Florence ("Someone Else's Story") that she knocks out of the arena. And, as expected, Ms. Menzel
gives Florence an intensity and vulnerability that makes us understand her changing loyalties and affections. When these
two get to their duet ("I Know Him So Well"), it's breathtaking, both in the way their voices blend, and in the
way, their stories collide.
I like the way the singers were dressed in black and white, how the dances were
choreographed over the chess games themselves (though I would have liked to see the choreography reflect more what was actually
happening on the chessboard). I liked how the screen set the globe-hopping scenes, how a flurry of color infected the
"One Night in Bangkok" scene, how the British parody "Embassy Lament" adds a dash of humor without going
overboard, and how the new "Soviet Machine" sequence furthers the plot while recalling "Mother Russia"
musical ideas and harmonies. The cheerleader sequence - not so much!
But, in the final analysis, I
still find the whole thing cold and uninvolving. The video adaptation was irritating and "Look Ma! I Have a Camera!"
excessive. Too many ballads had rapid cuts, all of the dance scenes spent too many moments looking at the two guys standing
at the chess board instead of the dancers, too many times we get a glimpse of what was on the huge screen that left me wanting
more. And too many of Tim Rice's clever and rapid lyrics were totally incomprehensible over the ginormous orchestra
and chorus.
So, while I have no desire to keep this on my DVR or get the DVD, I WILL be looking up the CD,
to enjoy the truly wonderful musical moments.
And, of course, to follow along with the lyric sheet to see
what they were actually singing!
.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
The Cast of "Chess
in Concert":
Idina Menzel - Florence Vassey
Adam Pascal - Frederick Trumper
Clarke Peters
- Walter de Courcy
Josh Groban - Anatoly Sergievsky
Kerry Ellis - Svetlana Sergievsky
Marti Pellow - The Arbiter
David Bedella - Alexander Molokov |
|
|
| Newsletter |
June 19th, 2009 | | |
It's a great weekend to catch a show! Support your local theatres!!!
Wild Party at Onstage Atlanta
Caught On The Hop at Kudzu Playhouse
The Producers at Rosewater Theatre
The Sting at Blackwell Playhouse
Shakespeare IN Hollywood at The Pumphouse Players
Quote Of The Issue
I haven't had that many women - only as many as I could lay my hands on.
Dudley Moore |
| A Midsummer Nights Dream
 Georgia Shakespeare
(BACK) INTO THE WOODS
Grade: A
Shakespeare's "Dream" is probably his most accessible and familiar story. Theaterreview.com lists no fewer
than 17 productions, 2 of which have my own reviews attached (though I did see a third in my pre-Dedalus days). I have
personally been part of three separate productions, and seen a half-dozen more in venues outside of Atlanta (including Canada's
Stratford Festival - and the less said about that Zorba-esque production, the better).
And yet, this latest
production by the Georgia Shakespeare summer festival makes the whole familiar trifle seem fresh and new.
Still,
this will be a difficult production to describe, because so many of the tactics and ideas are, on the surface, silly and ridiculous
and absurd. Yet, through some magical June alchemy, it all comes together and works like, well, like a dream.
As we enter Oglethorpe's Conant Arts Center, we are met with a cluttered and mundane backstage playing area. Dressing
Room tables fight with cast-off props and electrical equipment for space. We are, firmly and resolutely, in a contemporary
theatre, not a forest, not an Athenian palace, not a Shakespearean "Wooden O." Headsetted techies test lighting
cues, stage managers sweep the floor, and actors warm up. An actress is called forth to read a curtain speech, the first
cue is called, and we're off.
As if by magic, the playing space clutter is silently whisked away, the lights
transform the area, and we're off in a world created by our imaginations.
This is the perfect way to start
this story. Let's be honest here - we're dealing with contrived historical plot tropes, with magical illusions, with
fairies and sprites. Can any realistic approach hope to match the world our imaginations can build when left to their
own devices? Once the production has established that we're in a theatrical arena, that the players trust us to "fill
in the blanks," they can do just about anything.
And that's exactly what they do. Stiff-collared
Jacobean costumes are quickly discarded (for no reason that I could discern) and the lovers are off to frolic (virtuously)
in their underwear. Workers in modern coveralls pop out of laundry baskets to rehearse their play. The king and
queen of the fairies float over the entire stage, covering miles of real estate without taking a step under their own power.
(Kudos for almost-silent casters!) Office chairs turn into, well, I'm not sure what they turn into, but in my mind's
eye, they let the lovers roll over hill and dale, floating unrestrained, powered only by their passions that change as easily
as an office chair rolls. The stage and all the space above it are soon filled with running and rolling, flying and
floating fairies and lovers and dreamers.
And an energetic (and vaguely priapic) Puck prounces about like
a pinball in heat (why walk when he can leap!).
Unlike the Tavern's current (and unnamed) excursion into
the ridiculous, this production embraces the silly and absurd with a child's giddy fervor, not forgetting that a sense of
humor and a sense of human are needed to make it work. This is ridiculousness that is actually funny, that uses bits
and schtick with abandon, but that grounds it all in honest human emotion. This is ridiculousness that truly appeals
to the imagination, that recognizes that there are no "shortcuts" to the funny-bone.
If this production's
Hermia starts out as blandly ineffective, not allowing her voice to rise above a barely discernible mushmouth mumble, it's
really the only weak spot in the cast, and, once the lovers roll into the forest, she finds her stride and energy. The
Kincaids (Mark and Tess) imbue the older couples (Theseus and Hippolyta, Oberon and Titania) with a comfortable familiarity
that underscores their bickering with a real sense of connection. Joe Knezevich and Daniel May give Lysander and Demetrius
a maturity of demeanor that sets off nicely an immaturity of action. And, as Helena, Allison Corke is a revelation,
a red-headed dynamo who commands the stage from her first entrance, using the character's sulkiness more as a weapon than
as a character trait. This is a Helena truly deserving the combined affection of the fairy kingdom and their drug-addled
Athenian dupes.
But, as usual, it is the Rude Mechanicals who are the comedic backbone of this production.
Chris Kayser's Bottom is a work of hayseed art, a prancing, braying force of nature not afraid to go out on the most precarious
director's whim for a laugh. No matter what sort of silliness is practiced on him by Puck, Oberon, and production director
John Dillon, he remains, at bottom, Bottom. He is quite ably matched by Neal Ghant's cigarette-chewing gruff and manly
Flute, by Chris Ensweiler's officiously toadying Quince, by Tim McDonough's stout and wall-like Snout, and by the gentle purring
of Brian Harrison's Snug (as in "comfortably snug as a bug"). And, as usual, the final "Pyramus and Thisby"
exercise in excess elicits guffaws and snorts from the audience, and provides even more comic invention than I'm used to seeing
in this sequence.
Klimchak's percussion-centric score (played by all the cast), sets the moods marvelously,
Mr. Dillon directs his players at a brisk (but not too breathless) pace, the backstage set morphs into whatever our imaginations
want it to be, and the cast tackles Shakespeare's familiar lines with gusto and (after the first scene) energetic precision.**
This is, indeed, a "Dream" well-met by moonlight, and one from which it's a bit of a shock to
wake for that mundane commute home.
It's a marvelous start to what promises to be a marvelous summer season
at Oglethorpe.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
**Was it my imagination, or did Michael
Bradley Cohen's buff and energetic Puck actually drop the "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" line? There
were some nice edits in the script (not really starving for Starveling, if you catch my drift), but this one seems odd.
By the way, if, in your nocturnal sylvan wanderings, someone with a snout should offer you directions, just
say "No!"
CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF ARTICLE!
|
"IN THE HEIGHTS" - CHASING
THE BROADWAY DREAM
PBS's "Great Performances"
BACKSTAGE PREVIEW
Grade: A+
This review is a bit of an oddity.
Last week, PBS' "Great Performances" aired a backstage documentary on the making of last year's Best Musical Tony
winner, "In the Heights." Normally, I'd relegate these thoughts to a non-review "forumesque" column,
but, in this case, the film was so engaging, so steeped in those fantasies of stardom and theatre we all share, and so devoid
of "New Star" Diva moments, that I believe it deserves a full (and graded) review.
Let me preface
these remarks by saying I have not seen "In the Heights," nor heard its score (apart from the underwhelming rap
number performed on last year's Tony broadcast). The strongest aspect of this film was that it introduced more of the
score to us, and what a varied and affecting collection of songs it is! All of a sudden I REALLY want to see this show
(and, I presume, I will when the touring company hits the FOX this season), and I REALLY want to get the CD.
Structurally, the film focuses on five of the actors - including creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Oliva (who
went on to win a Tony this year for her Anita in the "West Side Story" revival). These are all young first-timers,
and they bring to the film life stories that could have been appallingly tragic if they didn't have such optimistic outlooks.
Parental Abandonment, Serious Dance Injuries, Run-Ins with the Law, even an autistic child - all are mentioned casually in
passing as if they weren't life-wrenching traumas, but just "part of what makes me me."
And
the talent! Great Scott, if we could bottle what these kids have, we'd all be rich! Mandy Gonzalez has the face
of an angelic child, but the belt voice of a Merman. Karen Oliva is smoking sultry (an obvious choice for Anita), but
layers it with a vulnerability that's heartbreaking in both her interviews and the few onstage moments we get to witness.
Both these women hit ranges of power and emotion that few these days can hope for. Try sampling "It Won't be Long
Now" or "Everything I Know" (if you can find them), and you'll see exactly what I mean. And their giddy
excitement during their first Broadway Rehearsal is a vivid (and enjoyable) reminder of those dreams we all shared at that
age.
Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is the driving force behind this show. With script help by playwright
Quiara Alegría Hudes ("26 Miles"), he has fashioned a "from my own life" portrait of his Washington
Heights neighborhood and all the various characters who dwell there. I liked his surprise at discovering he can create
a musical out of his own life and times ("it doesn't have to be some historical costume piece"), and I like how
his enthusiasm infects the show and its cast. It's a telling point when Ms. Hudes makes the comment about her own contribution,
"every time there's text, the show stops, just waiting for the next number." Mr. Miranda is a talent to watch.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea -- I really loved this film, and I hope you do too!
So, if you can find this film on your local PBS dial, I strongly recommend you fall under its spell. Previews and
some numbers can be found at:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/in-the-heights-chasing-broadway-dreams/preview-of-in-the-heights-chasing-broadway-dreams/761/
and, I daresay, it'll be available on YouTube or on DVD before too long. The film is directed at
a fast pace by Paul Bozymowski (who also did the "Final Days of Rent" video), and is a compelling balance of interviews,
backstage and rehearsal clips, onstage performance, and "at home with the cast" vignettes. It's a marvelous
introduction to this show, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
For the record, Broadway Across America
will be bringing "In the Heights" to the Fox Theatre later this year (November 3 - November 8), and I've already
cleared my calendar for opening night. ¡Atytention será pagado!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
|
| Wanna
Go To A Wild Party?
Onstage Atlanta
Adapted from a book-length poem written in and about the
Roaring Twenties, THE WILD PARTY tells the story of one wild evening in the Manhattan apartment shared by Queenie and Burrs,
a vaudeville dancer and a vaudeville clown. In a relationship marked by vicious behavior and recklessness (mirroring the time
in which they live), they decide to throw a party to end all parties. As the guests arrive, we meet an assortment of people
living on the edge. Queenie and Burrs set out to make each other jealous, but Queenie begins to fall in love with her conquest
named Mr. Black. After a long night of decadence, Burrs' jealousy erupts and he comes to a violent end at Mr. Black's hand.
In the stark light of a new day, Queenie moves out into a brighter world, although not necessarily a brighter future, leaving
the passed-out revelers in her wake.
An award-winning score by Andrew Lippa provides excitement and drive for this tale
of passions out of control. Capturing the sound of a bygone era with a nod to the present one, he makes us realize that moral
decadence is not only limited to our past.
The show is directed by Barbara Cole-Utterhardt, with music direction
by Lenae Rose. Add to that a stunning set and choreography by Anthony Owen and you have the makings of a great show.
Show Dates: June 20, 21, 26, 27, 28
July 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25. For info CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
|
Get ready
for Legally Blonde
"We are absolutely tickled pink to bring LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL to town," states Christopher
B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. "This fun-filled musical is a hot ticket and is getting raves from audiences
and critics across the country! It makes a wonderful date night destination or a great girls night out, so grab some
friends and make plans to raise your spirits with Elle, Bruiser, and the ladies of Delta Nu. Join us from July 14-19
at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, at www.ticketmaster.com and 800-982-2787."
Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take "no" for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for
someone more "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has
gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
In its first year on Broadway,LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL earned seven 2007 Tony Award nominations, ten 2007 Drama Desk Award
Nominations, a 2007 Outer Critics Circle Award and the chorus of the musical was honored by Actors' Equity Association's Advisory
Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) with the first ever ACCA Award. The musical also ranked in the top ten list of the
most requested Ticketmaster "Arts & Theatre Events" for 2007. LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL received three 2009
Touring Broadway Awards in New York City on May 4, 2009. The show won awards for Best New Musical, Best Production Design
and Best Choreography of a Touring Production. The Awards, presented by The Broadway League, honor excellence in Touring Broadway.
It is the only such national award.
Becky Gulsvig, the Elle understudy in the original Broadway cast, is
Elle Woods in the tour. Fans of the MTV reality show "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods", which
premiered on June 2, 2008, will recognize two familiar faces in the tour casting: Third runner-up Rhiannon Hansen plays Elle's
best friend Margot and fourth runner-up Lauren Zakrin is an ensemble member and understudies the role of Elle. The reality
show represented the musical's second venture with MTV. In the fall of 2007, MTV aired LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICALin
its entirety to stellar ratings and was subsequently nominated for two 2007-2008 Daytime Emmy Awards.
CLICK |
|
|
MAT AWARD NOMINEES!
 Yes, the MAT Awards have announced the nominees for Play &
original work categories. Many surprised were and were not on the list (Usually the case with Awards).
|
TONY AWARDS!
Billy Elliot was the big winner of the Tony's on Sunday night. Great performances by the cast of Hair (won
best revival of a musical), and Angela won her 5th Tony!
Best Musical
*Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
*David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish ‚ Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock
of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in
a Musical
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
*Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
Best Revival of a Musical Guys
and Dolls
*Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story
Best Play Dividing the Estate
*God of Carnage
Reasons
to Be Pretty
33 Variations
Best Revival of a Play Joe
Turner's Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
*The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Hope Davis,
God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
*Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
Best Performance by
a Leading Actor in a Play
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
*Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski,
Reasons to Be Pretty
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
*Karen
Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy
Elliot, The Musical
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
David
Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
*Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson,
Hair
Best Special Theatrical Event *Liza's at The Palace
Slava's Snowshow
Soul of Shaolin
You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W.
Bush Best Direction of a Musical
*Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot,
The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair
Best Direction of a Play
Phyllida Lloyd,
Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
*Matthew Warchus, God
of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests
Best Original Score (Music
and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre Billy Elliot, The Musical
Music: Elton John
Lyrics: Lee Hall *Next to Normal
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
9 to 5: The Musical
Music and Lyrics: Dolly Parton Shrek The Musical
Music:
Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland,
Reasons to Be Pretty
*Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root,
The Norman Conquests
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
John
Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman
Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
*Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and
Gone
Best Book of a Musical *Billy Elliot, The Musical,
Lee Hall
Next to Normal, Brian Yorkey
Shrek The Musical, David Lindsay-Abaire
[title of show], Hunter Bell Best Choreography
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
*Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, Hair
*Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal
Best Sound
Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
*Gregory Clarke, Equus
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
*Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark
Wendland, Next to Normal
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson,
Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests
*Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side
Story
*Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Best Lighting Design
of a Play
David Hersey, Equus
David Lander, 33 Variations
*Brian
MacDevitt, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
Best
Orchestrations
Larry Blank, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
*TIE Martin Koch,
Billy Elliot, The Musical
*TIE Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical
Best Costume Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz,
Blithe Spirit
*Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart
Best Costume
Design of a Musical
Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot,
The Musical
*Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
Michael McDonald,
Hair
* Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Jerry Herman
Regional Theatre Tony Award
Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.
Isabelle
Stevenson Award
Phyllis Newman
Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
Shirley Herz |
|
The Mystery Of Irma Vep
The New American Shakespeare Tavern
THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP
DESPERATE MEASURES
Grade: C-
In her program "Director's Notes" for the Shakespeare Taverns frantic mounting of "The Mystery
of Irma Vep," director Heidi Cline writes that "... even in the most heightened comedy, there must be truth
and a heartbeat of real life to hold on to." I agree completely. Unfortunately, that is precisely
what is missing from this production.
Charles Ludlam's comedy, described as a "gothic romp
on the theme of eternal love," essentially takes Daphne DuMaurier's "Rebecca" plot and tosses it into a cuisinart
with Monster Movie tropes (ALL of them) and flavors it with a ridiculous sense of the absurd and a lot of drag comedy.
When this play works (and I have seen two prior productions that did), it is a gaily hysterical laughfest performed by two
actors in a marathon of fast changes and seemingly effortless character switches.
In the Tavern's production,
Jeff McKerley and Dolph Amick desperately pull out everything from their gag bags - they mug, they fall, they grimace, they
flash, they schtick, and they even sing. What neither of them do is act. I didn't see one moment in the over-long
two-and-a-half-hour marathon that resembled anything or anybody real or remotely human. Rather than touching the sublime ridiculousness
of the concept, the efforts on display smacked of desperation. Worse, we could see the effort, the sweat - "fast
changes" were too slow and noisy, with the lone actor on stage "vamping" to kill time, and the result was often
askew, unbuttoned, and sloppy. There was a moment in Act Two, granted, where Mr. McKerley was able to quickly go from
Stage Left to Stage Right as two different characters in a heartbeat, but this only showed the "should have beens"
I expected throughout.
This is a difficult show to pull off, and the late Mr. Ludlam, in my opinion, didn't
make it easy - did he really need to include mummies, vampires, werewolves, AND zombies? The Act Two sojourn to Egypt
sometimes strikes me as pointless "padding," and the Act One "Intruder" scene is seemingly forgotten until
the very end. Still, when performed with wit and apparent effortlessness, these problems can be surmounted, as we saw
eight years ago in Actor's Express zippy production. Here, the Egypt sequence goes on far too long, and the show stops
absolutely dead to change the set back to "Mandercrest."
I do have to commend the set designers
here (Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay) for creating a believably tacky country estate in front of the Tavern's permanent fixtures.
The mid-Act Two change is tightly choreographed and clever, but, we are still stuck for a too-long stretch watching a lot
of people move around furniture and scenery.
Which brings me to my next point - is this an appropriate
show for this venue? Normally, a set-heavy show such as this would be reconceived and adapted for the space. I
have difficulty coming up with a workable concept to do that with this show (though I daresay those more creative than I probably
could). Still, no such attempt was made here, and it was done "straight" (so to speak). On the other
hand, the Tavern's usual break-the-fourth-wall style was very much in evidence, and I don't think it served this play particularly
well. The nudge-nudge-wink-wink asides to the audience were too distracting, reminding us too much that what we are
seeing is pure artifice (and not the good kind). This is the first time I've not found the late-in-the-play character
confusion of Lady Enid and Nicodemus particularly amusing, and that was chiefly because of Mr. McKerley's mugging at the time.
Real confusion is funny. The performer reminding us that he is playing both roles is not.
I also
have to give credit (begrudgingly) to composer and pianist Renee Clark. She sits at the keyboard and plays
throughout the entire play, sometimes even interacting with the performers, and it is an impressive achievement.
Unfortunately, though, I don't think it was especially effective. It's not like we're watching a silent movie,
so does every moment of the play require underscoring? Too much of time, I found it too distracting.
If you've never seen this show before, you will probably find it enjoyable and often funny, though never in
a stop-the-show-to-wait-for-laughs way, and much (not all) of the audience I was with had a good time. But, if you come
with any expectations, I'm afraid you'll be as disappointed as I found myself to me. Mr. McKerley's schtick is very
familiar (and his stock gestures too often carry over from character to character), and amusing, but I'm beginning to find
it a bit stale. Mr. Amick, similarly, seems more interested in creating "bits" than in creating characters.
The show, as a whole, really needs to tighten its pace, but, more important, these two need to remember to act. Remember
acting? I know they can do it (they have before). Perhaps a reminder from Hamlet himself is in order:
O, there be players that I have seen play, and heard others praise, that have so strutted and bellowed that I have thought
some of Nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably. Reform it altogether!
And let those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them, for there be of them that will themselves laugh,
to set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too, though in the mean time some necessary question of the play be
then to be considered.
Indeed, in the rush for laughs, exposition and story were too often left in the
dust. Granted, the plot of the "Irma Vep" is ridiculous and over-the-top. But to make it work,
we have to find a thread of humanity that we recognize. Otherwise, we're watching desperate clowns clowning
desperately. And desperation is for farce, not for parody.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
|
Casting Complete for August
Complete casting has been announced for the national tour of the Broadway's Tony Award-winning Best Play
of 2008, August: Osage County, the sprawling and darkly comic drama by Tracy Letts.
As previously announced,
Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons, who played pill-poppin' Oklahoma mama Violet Weston in the Broadway run, will lead the
cast. The tour launches in Denver at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on July 24.
The production - all three acts and
three-and-a-half hours of it - is directed by 2008 Tony Award-winner Anna D. Shapiro.
Joining Parsons are Shannon
Cochran as Barbara Fordham, Jon DeVries as Beverly Weston, Libby George as Mattie Fae Aiken, Stephen Key as Little Charles,
Emily Kinney as Jean Fordham, Laurence Lau as Steve Heidebrecht, Marcus Nelson as Sheriff Deon Gilbeau (and understudying
Bill and Steve), Paul V. O'Connor as Charlie Aiken, Jeff Still (late of Off-Broadway's acclaimed Our Town) as Bill Fordham,
DeLanna Studi as Johnna Monevata, Angelica Torn as Ivy Weston, Amy Warren as Karen Weston, Avia Bushyhead (understudying Johnna
and Jean), Stephen D'Ambrose (understudying Beverly and Charlie), Barbara Kingsley (understudying Violet and Mattie Fae),
Bryn Magnus (understudying Little Charles and the Sherriff) and Kim Martin-Cotton (understudying Barbara, Karen and Ivy).
August: Osage County also won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Letts' plays include Superior Donuts, Man From Nebraska,
Killer Joe and Bug.
According to the producers, "this grand and gripping new play tells the story of the Westons,
a large extended clan that comes together at their rural Oklahoma homestead after the alcoholic patriarch disappears. Forced
to confront unspoken truths and astonishing secrets, the family must also contend with Violet, a pill-popping, deeply unsettled
woman at the center of the storm."
Parsons played Violet in the Broadway production of August: Osage County from
June 2008-May 2009. Critics raved.
The Broadway run continues at the Music Box Theatre. Phylicia Rashad stars.
The show's creative team includes Tony Award winner Todd Rosenthal (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Ann G. Wrightson (lights),
Richard Woodbury (sound) and David Singer (original music).
August: Osage County is produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jean
Doumanian, Steve Traxler and Jerry Frankel.
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It's a great weekend to catch a show! Support your local theatres!!!
Caught On The Hop at Kudzu Playhouse
The Producers at Rosewater Theatre
The Sting at Blackwell Playhouse
Shakespeare IN Hollywood at The Pumphouse Players
Quote Of The Issue
don't need to
convince anybody that I know kung fu, but maybe somebody needs to know that I really can act, without doing a Chinese accent
or a funny walk.
David Carradine |
Jersey Boys-The Review
Fox Theatre
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
Grade: A
I must admit up front that I am biased
in reviewing this show. I have been an unabashed fan of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons since my childhood back in the
mid-1970's. By then Valli was at the tail end of his hit making machine days. I remember warbling along to "My Eyes Adored
You" and "Who Loves You Pretty Baby" on the radio. These songs have remained close to my heart for over 30
years. So this show is like a musical slice of Nirvana for me - with extra cheese! Yet, I feel that one does not necessarily
have to be a fan of Frankie Valli to become of fan of "Jersey Boys".
As genres go, the "jukebox
musical" gets much respect as the late Rodney Dangerfield. These often popular shows built from classic pop songs, often
of one particular composer or performer (recently Mamma Mia! or All Shook Up) may rake in the huge box office dollars, but
not necessarily the Tony Awards come June. A distinct exception is Jersey Boys, the 2006 Best Musical Tony winner, an involving
"behind the music" biography of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, motored by over two dozen of their song hits
spanning from 1962 through 1975. The show, thanks to a fast-moving, Jersey joke-laden book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice,
a first-rate cast led by Joseph Leo Bwarie as Valli and those catchy, toe-tapping songs written by band member Bob Gaudio
and Bob Crewe. During the late 1950's and pre-Beatles 1960s, the music scene was overcrowded with guy groups. However,
The Four Seasons had a distinctive pop sound, due largely to Valli's unique falsetto, multi-octave singing voice that can
make even a brutal mob boss cry like a baby. Surely every Baby Boomer ticket buyer goes into Jersey Boys already knowing such
numbers as Sherry, Walk Like a Man, Big Girls Don't Cry and Oh, What a Night. I dare anyone who goes to see this not to have
at least one of these songs stuck in their head for days afterwards.
The revelation is the group's dramatic back story, which is not glossed over, to say the least, in "Jersey Boys".
They were in and out of jail in their early days, in debt to the mob and the IRS, bitterly squabbling among themselves and
juggling the challenges of family responsibilities while on the road. These were, at some times, not always the most likable
guys on the block. And the book isn't afraid to reveal all of their flaws and shortcomings. It is more than enough to keep
our interest between musical numbers. Still, Jersey Boys starts slowly, as the group goes through growing pains assembling
the right band, name and sound. Then, almost an hour into the first act, magic happens with an appearance on American Bandstand
singing Sherry and the show explodes into concert mode. Most of the Four Seasons' big hits are delivered presentationally,
onstage or on-air, but a few advance the plot, like Bye Bye Baby, sung by Valli as his girlfriend and his daughter leave him.
Two-time Tony-winning director Des McAnuff stages the production crisply on and around Klara Zieglerova's Erector Set set.
Choreographer Sergio Trujillo handles the precision movement routines that complement the group's song stylings.
When John Lloyd Young originated the role of Valli on Broadway, he was hailed as a unique talent who would be difficult
to replace. On tour, Bwarie disproves that concern, giving a tremendous, triple-threat performance. He sounds a great
deal like Valli, but also displaying considerable acting chops and athletic dance skill. I read in the AJC that an actor must
attend an intensive "Frankie Camp" program to learn how to sing and move like Valli just to be able to audition
for role, with no guarantee of being cast.
Playing the group's originator, Tommy DeVito, Matt Bailey
takes on the lead narrator chores, which gets passed around to the other members, Nick Massi (Steve Gouveia) and Gaudio (Josh
Franklin). The performers are all up to the show's substantial tasks and occasionally have spotlight moments, but like their
Four Seasons alter-egos, they are ultimately mere back-up to Valli.
Eventually, with colossal success
come colossal in-fighting. Power struggles and mounting personal problems divide the once tight-knit group. Valli decides
to goes solo, as the others retire from the group, forced or otherwise. Much is made of Valli's struggle for another hit and
Gaudio writes him a song outside of the usual Four Seasons formula. Disc jockeys refuse to play it, even though crowds are
said to go crazy when he sings it live. That is exactly that happens when the audience hears this "art song" - I'll
leave you to discover the title - a high point of Act Two.
Be warned, however, that this show is packed
full with "Authentic Jersey Language" and is not suitable for more sensitive ears. Which are also not served
when The Fox cranks up the sound system to a heart-pounding, Nigel Tufnel-eleven level. There's also a scene in Act One that
contains some graphic stage violence that seems more at home in an episode of "The Sopranos" than a Broadway Musical.
But, as the title suggests, these are "Jersey Boys" after all.
Barbara J. Rudy
(Mrs. Dedalus, humbly filling in for Dedalus this week)
CLICK HERE TO SEE GRADE & REST OF ARTICLE!
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TONY AWARDS!
There are two things America needs to know about the Tony Awards broadcast's 2009 host, actor Neil Patrick
Harris, in order to make sense of his latest assignment. One, he has a history in the theatre. And two, he
has plenty of hosting experience. When the star of the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" was announced
as the master of ceremonies of this year's program, there was a bit a head-scratching around the media world. Harris hardly
seemed like an obvious choice. He isn't the face that immediately pops into your mind when you think "theatre person,"
or even "awards show person." And he wasn't in any Broadway show that played the 2008-09 season. But the New
York theatre community has known Harris as a capable and steady stage presence for years. "My first big chance was Proof,"
said the actor, talking about the time he entered the Broadway production of the David Auburn play in 2002. "That was
my first big test." The next year, he did a stint playing the Emcee in the long-running Roundabout Theatre Company
production of Cabaret. In 2004, he originated a role, playing the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald in the Roundabout revival
of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Assassins. Critics were impressed with Harris' performances. And Harris was impressed
by the people around him. "What I found so wonderful is everyone was so supportive of one another. That's very different
from how it is in Los Angeles. There is a bit more of a competitive edge there. Here, you have softball leagues, and after-show
drinking at Angus McIndoe, and the Easter Bonnet Competition. It's just a lovely community." When Harris learned
the Tony people were looking for a host, he made sure they knew he was interested. What got him the gig was when the Tony
people watched him hosting the 2009 TV Land Awards, which were held April 26. "They invited me to a long lunch, which
I took as a good sign." While very busy as an actor, Harris has cultivated a healthy sideline as a witty, breezy,
likable awards show host. He was host of the 2008 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and the 2008 World Magic Awards. It
was perhaps a measure of the industry's assessment of his emcee-ing abilities that "Saturday Night Live" asked him
to be the host of one of its 2009 shows. If the words "World Magic Awards" stopped you cold in the previous
paragraph, they shouldn't have. Harris is an adept amateur magician and has etched out a reputation for himself on the talk
show circuit as a man willing to perform a few tricks for the audience. However, Harris said he doesn't plan to pull any quarters
out of any ears during the June 7 Tony broadcast (CBS-TV 8-11 PM, ET). "I don't see the role of the host as being
a performer," he said. "I might feel differently if the nature of the show wasn't so much about performance. But
the Tonys are all about showcasing these shows on Broadway that are playing every night. For the host to be performing, too,
seems to me a bit counterintuitive." That's not to say that Harris won't do a little singing and dancing. He also
has something up his sleeve that he chooses not to reveal. "I think I've come up with something clever that
hasn't been tried yet," he said, cryptically. The man still best known to a large section of the public as kid
doctor on TV's "Doogie Howser, M.D." was born in Albuquerque, NM, and grew up in Ruidoso, NM. His parents were lawyers.
He broke into show business by tagging along with an older brother to an audition for a fourth grade play. He won a role:
as Toto in The Wizard of Oz. Thus began a successful career as a child actor. Harris has considerably stretched his
professional profile since taking on the role of Barney Stinson in the hit CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." A
comically repellent womanizer, Barney is about as far from Doogie as you can get. In "Harold & Kumar Go to White
Castle and "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," he played a character called Neil Patrick Harris, a
drug-addled, perverse parody of his true persona. During the Hollywood writers strike, he took on the title role in Joss Whedon's
cult musical web series, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." And he took on a role (as a Very Smart Fellow) in Prop
8-The Musical, a music video written by Hairspray's Marc Shaiman satirizing the California ballot proposition that amended
the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. The on-line video became
a web phenomenon. The actor is plenty busy in the week leading up to the Tony ceremony. "One of the provisos
of taking the job," he said, "is they said the host would have to get out there and promote to the show."
Spots on "The Daily Show," "The View" and "David Letterman" were promptly booked, not
to mention countless interviews with print, radio and internet journalists. On "The View," he'll
be interviewed by Whoopi Goldberg, a former Tonys emcee. "I'm going to ask her from some hosting tips,"
said Harris.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
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The Sting
Classic
Movie Hits The Stage
Blackwell Playhouse
From the Cast: "The Sting" at Blackwell Playhouse
Those of you old enough
to remember the caper know what's coming. It was a simple grift! Just make the switch, send the mark
on his way, and split the take. But, when the mark is a runner for Doyle Lonnegan, and the fixer is useless,
and your partner has been (deleted by the spoiler police), what're you gonna do? Gather a bunch of your friends,
and put on a show, that's what!
This weekend, Blackwell Playhouse is going back to the days of
vaudeville, that bygone era of baggy-pants comedians, almost-adequate musicians, fast-talking floozies, and Big Cons!
Only tonight, it's a play, a comedic (if tragic) retelling of the story of Johnny Hooker and Henry Gondorff and their legendary
sting of mobster Doyle Lonnegan.
And, just to keep me from writing a review, director Rob Roy Hardie
has tossed a coupla small parts my way, and conned me into designing lighting for the whole caper. And, truth to tell,
I've been having the time of my life! For one thing, I get to go to rehearsals NOT presided over by my lovely and talented
spouse. For another, I DO get to rehearse with as lively and friendly and talented a bunch as you're likely to encounter
(at least until the next show).
Dan Van Heil and Randy Randolph have the unenviable task in stepping into
the roles etched into our memories by Redford and Newman waaaayyyy back in 1973. Mr. Van Heil also gets to play live
snibbles and bits of the Scott Joplin soundtrack. Still, a few minutes into the show, we trust your memory of the movie
will fade into the senior fog where it belongs, and you will join the ride. Director Mr. Hardie (sir) steps into the
late Robert Shaw's Irish brogue to be the bad guy Lonnegan (type casting of the finest kind), and more than fifteen others
play multiple roles, as any self-respecting vaudevillian should. For the record, in Act One, I'm the train conductor
for the poker scene, and in Act Two, I'm FBI Agent Polk. That is, when I'm not up in the light booth running cues.
Other main roles are filled out by Katy Harlow (our narrator Billie), James Calhoun (crooked cop Snyder),
and Jennifer Fischler (our gum-popping Card Girl). The rest (and I know I'm missing some late-to-the cast new arrivals
here, for which I truly apologize) are Jason Cash, Pete Courtney, Glen Vernado, Cheri Mattox, Kim Grigsby, Alejandro Gutierrez,
Jerry Harlow, Steve Rapper, Rene Voice, Debby Thomson, Jason Ahrens, and Barbara Bruce. Mr. Hardie (sir) and Mr. Gutierrez
are designing the sound, I'm designing the lights, Ms. Mattox doubles as Stage Manager, and Mr. Gutierrez is Assistant Director
(especially for all those pesky Lonnegan scenes). The set is by. Mr. Hardie and was built by anyone we could grab and
drag into the theatre.
My own humble opinion is that the Vaudeville framing device serves this story very
well, setting the period (1936) and style and giving the characters a larger-than-life outrageousness that the movie could
not attempt. I followed suit by keeping the lights in the amber palette with blue accents, giving (I hope) a classic
sepia look to the whole affair. And the musical interludes (there are several) are being kept at an under-rehearsed,
we've-done-this-so-often-we-don't-care-about-staying-in-key feel. This group knows Vaudeville is dying, and they're
only too happy to help it along.
Still, they have a story to tell, and I'll leave it to you to judge how
well they tell it, and how much fun it really is. (Hopefully, as much fun as it is for us!) It's been over thirty-five
years since the movie won the Academy Award (shockingly beating out my all-time favorite Bergman movie, "Cries and Whispers"),
so the plot twists and turns should amuse a new generation who consider Redford and Newman as a couple of "old guys who
used to make movies."
At one point, Gondorff describes their plan, "The Wire," as so out-of-date,
Lonnegan won't know anything about it. That's our expectation of this production, as well. And, as for those of
you who are old enough to fondly remember the movie, well, what mark isn't a willing participant of the con?
"The Sting" opens Friday, June 5, at Blackwell Playhouse (3380 Canton Road in Marietta), and runs Friday and
Saturday nights at 8:00 PM throughout June. There are a couple of Sunday matinees, too, but durned if I remember when
they are (Editor's insertion - June 14 and 21). For more information or for reservations, 678-213-3311 or go to www.blackwellplayhouse.com.
We've done the Set-Up. You're the Mark. Come on up and be Played!
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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Valley Girl To be Musical
Jason Moore, director of Broadway's Avenue Q, Steel Magnolias and Shrek: The Musical, is signed to direct
a new movie musical based on the 1983 film comedy "Valley Girl." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie
from MGM has a fresh screenplay by Amy Talkington. Producers Sean Bailey and Matt Smith of Idealogy are producing. It will
mark Moore's feature-film directing debut. He was a Tony Award nominee for his direction of Avenue Q.
The original teen
romantic comedy, "Valley Girl," directed by Martha Coolidge, starred Nicolas Cage as Randy, a Hollywood punker,
and Deborah Foreman as Julie, a materialistic suburbanite from the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. The junior prom
figures heavily in the plot.
"Valley speak" soon became an internationally known way of communicating, with
conversations spiked with phrases like "totally!," "omigod," "fer sure" and "grody
to the max."
Reportedly, the new "Valley Girl" will have a "Romeo and Juliet"-style
plot using a new wave soundtrack from the '80s.
Broadway's Moore has directed episodes of TV's "One Tree
Hill," "Everwood" and "Brothers & Sisters."
MGM's reboot of "Fame"
will be in movie theatres Sept. 25.
CLICK TO CON | |
 | January 9
2009
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| | | | | | | Congratulations to Dona Cucich and Dan Shelles on winning the "STOMP" tickets! Many
new shows are opening this week. Remember, it is important to support local theatre!
QUOTE OF THE ISSUE:
I
think the most liberating thing I did early on was to free myself from any concern with my looks as they pertained to my work.
Meryl Streep
| |  | | | | | Always...Patsy Cline Opens at Theatre On Main |
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Andrea Redd stars as Patsy
Cline in Theatre On Main's production of Always...Patsy Cline that opens January 9th. The
show also features Carolyn Choe as Louise and a live on-stage band. Always...Patsy Cline is more than
a tribute to the legendary country singer who died tragically at age 30 in a plane crash in 1963. The show is based on a true
story about Cline's friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk
in 1961, and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death. The musical play, complete with down home country humor,
true emotion and even some audience participation,includes many of Patsy' unforgettable hits such as Crazy, I Fall to Pieces, Sweet Dreams and Waking After Midnight, 27 songs in all. The show's title was inspired by Cline's letters to
Seger, which were consistently signed "Love ALWAYS... Patsy Cline." You don't want to miss the special production that
is sure to please. Always...Patsy
Cline runs January 9th - 24th,
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM. There is a Sunday matinee on January 18th at 3 PM. Tickets purchased in advance
are $15, $12 for seniors and students. Tickets sold at the door will be $18 for all tickets. For tickets and reservations
call 770-565-3995. For more information about this and other shows, visit Theatre On Main's website www.theatreonmain.net
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| | Review: Doctor Faustus | |  1/4/2008 DOCTOR FAUSTUS
New American Shakespeare Tavern
DARKNESS AND MEMORY
***** ( A+)
In the beginning, there is darkness.
Silence. Thirty Seconds. Sixty. Perhaps more. In this region of no senses, how are we to know?
The sound of a heavy door clangs. Chains rattle. Shadows form. An androgynous figure, sometimes
male, sometimes female, sometimes both, sometimes neither, wanders among the tables, scattered arena-like around a central
field of battle. He (or is it she?) lights candles, bringing form from the darkness, shadow from the night. We
see in the arena an arcane design, mystic runes portending a pact beyond our wisdom.
And we see the results
of that pact. We see a man of knowledge squander all opportunity for goodness. We see that androgynous figure
portray all the characters in the man's life (if, indeed, it is his life). We see an endless, eternal battle, the
constant mano-a-daemano that is the man's eternity. We see the price he pays for his wisdom. And we hear the
eternal poetry of the 16th-Century ethos from which the tale came forth.
And in the end, the figure wends
her (or is it his?) way among us, dousing all light, returning the arena to the Stygian darkness from whence it came.
And in the end, we hear the clanging of that door, forever closing us off from grace and redemption.
In the end, there is darkness. Silence. Thirty Seconds. Sixty. Perhaps more. In this region
of no senses, how are we to know?
Jeff Watkins, Artistic Director of the New American Shakespeare Tavern,
is fond of telling us his mission is the words of the Bard, the style of the Elizabethan era, that his role as director takes
back seat to the role of the words. Forgetting for moment that that, in itself, is a directorial choice (as are the
hundreds of accommodations made to please a contemporary audience), here, his role is central. He is the "Star"
(if you will) of this production. And it is an incredibly agile star turn. The first play of the year may, indeed,
bring us the best Directing Achievement of the year.
Mr. Watkins has adapted Christopher Marlowe's multi-character
history of the Faustus legend to be performed, in the round, by two actors, Maurice Ralston and Laura Cole. He shows
himself a master of "in-the-round" blocking paradigms, of creating a mood, of building suspense, of using twenty-first
century staging techniques to tell this sixteenth-century story (despite the program's insistence we are in the nineteenth
century). And, most dramatically, he his moved the story from its historical roots, and placed it in Hell itself.
He shows us that eternal re-enactment of a life spent in excess, can carry torment greater than any physical torture a pitiless
God can prescribe. This production is far more Watkins than Marlowe, and I loved every minute of it. It is one
of those plays that, at the end, the audience sits in silence and darkness for a long interval, before a single brave soul
(not I - I have no such courage) breaks the spell with slow applause.
Like all Good Theatre, this production
is excellently produced and acted. Laura Cole, especially, deserves credit for her chameleon-like Mephistopheles - her
portrayal of the seven deadly sins alone displays a mastery of physicality, emotional accuracy, and mocking characterization.
And Maurice Ralston does his expected turn as the doomed Doctor, always ambivalent about the price he is paying, always subconsciously
aware that he is actually living his fate, not building its foundation.
Like all Great Theatre, this production
sends my mind wandering through a labyrinth of questions and philosophies - Why is memory such torture? Why is emotional
torment more piercing than physical torment? Why does darkness and silence fill us with dread? I daresay, none
of these questions would be evoked by a straight-forward reading of the original Marlowe text.
And, like
all Great Theatre, it lingers for hours, perhaps (we shall see) days. Why does the walk from the theatre to the parking
lot now seem like a journey through purgatory, complete with tormentors asking for change? Why does the music on WABE
(sacred and profane songs for the New Year) seem especially synchronous to this play? Why do I lie awake for hours (on
a work night), pondering eternity, virtue, and darkness? What can I possibly write that will do justice to the power
of this production?
In the end, there is darkness. Silence. Thirty Seconds. Sixty.
Perhaps more. In this region of no senses, how are we to know?
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
| One Singular Sensation at The Fox
|
"A CHORUS LINE" SET TO DAZZLE ATLANTA AUDIENCES AT THE FOX THEATRE - MARCH 3 - 8,
2009
ATLANTA - The 30th Anniversary Production of A CHORUS LINE comes to The Fabulous Fox Theatre
in Atlanta for a special engagement March 3 - 8, 2009, presented by Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America - Atlanta.
Winner of nine Tony® Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, A CHORUS LINE showcasesa group of working dancers auditioning
for a Broadway musical while revealing their individual stories, personal joys and disappointments. A CHORUS
LINEis the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.
This new production ofA CHORUS LINE
reclaimed its place in the heart of Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W 45th St) where it opened to rave reviews
on October 5, 2006. Ben Brantley of The New York Timeshails the show "Heaven on Broadway!" Elysa
Gardner of USA Today calls it "Exhilarating and endearing, it still has a freshness and fervency too seldom seen in
contemporary musicals," while The New York Daily Newsexclaims "There's nothing better! The show thrills from
the opening number to the glittering finale," and Jeffrey Lyons of WNBC TV hails it "An American Masterpiece.
A show for the ages." A CHORUS LINE is directed by its original Tony® Award-winning co-choreographer Bob
Avian and is produced by John F. Breglio.
A CHORUS LINE, conceived and originally choreographed and
directed by Michael Bennett, features a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and
lyrics by Edward Kleban. Baayork Lee re-stages the original choreography.
Tickets for A CHORUS
LINEgo on saleSunday, November 16and prices start at $18 (subject to change). They can be purchased through authorized
ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre box office (660 Peachtree Street NE), Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at 404-817-8700. For group orders of 15 or more, please call 404-881-2000.
The performance schedule for Atlanta's engagement of A CHORUS LINE is as follows:
Tuesday,
March 3...................8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4...............8:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 5...................8:00
p.m.
Friday, March 6.......................8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 7...................2:00 p.m. and 8:00
p.m.
Sunday, March 8.....................1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
To learn more about A CHORUS
LINE, please visit the official A CHORUS LINEwebsite at www.AChorusLine.com.
Broadway Across
America: Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and led by Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway
Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout
a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production
of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Current productions
include Tony Award-winners BOEING BOEING and SPAMALOT, 13 A NEW MUSICAL, as well as THE BACKYARDIGANS. Upcoming productions
include WEST SIDE STORY, DORA THE EXPLORER and the Broadway premiere of Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS opening this
2008 holiday season. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
|
| Auditions | Bye Bye Birdie
The Holly Theater announces auditions for Bye Bye Birdie! Auditions will be held at The Holly Theater Monday January
19th 2PM - 8PM. Please prepare 16 measures of a Musical Theater vocal selection. You may sing a song from the show. An accompanist
will be provided so bring sheet music that is clearly marked in the appropriate key OR you may bring an accompaniment CD.
Please call 1-706-864-3759 or contact nick@hollytheater.com to set up your audition time. Call backs will be Tuesday January
20th from 6PM-9PM if needed. Rehearsals - Two week night rehearsals and one weekend rehearsal until tech week. Performances
dates are; March 19th, 20th, 21st, 26th, 27th, 28th, April 2nd, 3rd,and 4th at 8PM and March 22nd, 29th and April 5th at 2PM.
Nunsense
Button Theatre will be holding auditions for Nunsense on
Monday, January 26 from 6 to 9, with callbacks on Tuesday. Auditions will be held at The Red Clay Theatre in downtown Duluth.
Please prepare 16 bars of 2 contrasting pieces of music and be ready to do cold readings from the script. Accompaniest will
be provided. Rehearsals will start March 9 and the show will run April 9 - 26, Thursday - Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2. Auditions
are by appointment only, to make an appointment call 678-407-0772 or email mconti(at)buttontheatre.com. All roles will be
paid. For directions, role descriptions and other information please visit us at www.buttontheatre.com.
Professional Auditions "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2"
The Legacy Theatre, a full-time professional
theatre, is holding auditions by appointment only for Disney's High School Musical 2. NON-EQUITY PERFORMERS. Auditions
will be held Sunday, March 1 from 1:00PM-4:30PM at The Legacy Theatre at 1175 Senoia Road, Tyrone, GA 30290. Auditions are
open to ages 18+. Those 17 and under, please refer to our Youth Ensemble Auditions. Seeking high-energy actor/singer/dancers
who can portray teenagers. Please prepare one contemporary pop or musical theatre song in the style of High School Musical
or from any of the three HSM movies. Accompanist provided. Recorded accompaniment is fine, player provided. May be asked to
read from the script or sing a selection from the show. May be asked to attend a dance callback to be held later in the afternoon.
Please bring appropriate attire. Paid positions and apprenticeships available. Must have appointment. Rehearsals begin June
22. Performances are July 10-August 2. For more info or to make an audition appointment e-mail Mark Smith, Artistic Director,
mark@thelegacytheatre.org or call (404) 895-1473.
The Wizard of Oz
Auditions for Wizard Of Oz will be held January 13 & 14 7pm-10:00pm
For Ages 10 and up. Bring a prepared song
from any musical. Not all characters are singing roles (see website for list of characters). Wear comfortable clothes and
shoes for movement. Cold readings from the script. Performances will be April 24-May 17. Please call 678-494-4251 for an appointment
Father of the Bride
Blackwell Playhouse to hold open auditions for
Father of the Bride. All roles available and are non-equity. Audition dates: Wed. Jan. 28 @ 7pm and Thurs. Jan. 29 @ 7pm.
Appointments not taken, seen in order of arrival. Show runs every Friday & Saturday @ 8pm with Sunday matinees @ 3pm March
13 thru April 4. Rehearsal dates TBA. Please contact Candace@blackwellplayhouse.com for more information.
You Can't Take It With You
Cherokee Theatre Company in Canton, GA will hold
auditions for this beloved classic comedy on February 9 & 10, 2009, at 7:30PM on the main stage of the Cherokee County
Arts Center, 94 North Street, Canton, GA. Performance dates are May 8 & 9 and May 15 & 16. Rehearsal schedule will
be posted on the web site (see below). The large cast is made up of men and women,ages ranging from early 20's to late
60's. "You Can't Take it With You", written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman,is the story of the delightful,
if eccentric, Sycamore family, whose daughter, Alice, falls in love with Tony, the son of the proper, but unhappy, Kirby family.
The mayhem begins with the Kirbys arrival for dinner on the wrong evening and finding the Kirbys at their zaniest, and continues
when the tax collector comes for Grandfather. This format is the forerunner of what has become the standard for television
sitcoms and promises to be fun for both actors and the audience. For more information and directions see www.cherokeetheatre.org.
| | | |
 | October 8
2008
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| Many shows closing and opening! Brad Rudy gives us a great review
or two. And the Wicked Lottery is back!
QUOTE OF THE ISSUE:
From Kelsey, I have learned among many other things the value of turning on
a dime and how you can have an extremely funny and extremely poignant moment with absolutely no separation in between... and
sometimes in the same moment.
David Hyde Pierce
| | | | | |
BRAD RUDY CORNER
|
LOOKING OVER THE PRESIDENT'S SHOULDER Theatre
in the Square
SILENT
WITNESS
Grade: A
To be sure, not much happens in James Still's "Looking Over the President's Shoulder,"
currently on view at Marietta's Theatre in the Square. A man, waiting for a bus, talks to us, alone and unsupported.
At the end, he catches his bus and moves on with his life. That's it.
But, oh my stars and
bars, what he talks about! His name is Alonzo Fields (played with quiet intensity by Barry Scott). And, for twenty-two
years (1931 - 1953), he was a servant at the White House. He was a silent witness to four presidencies, two wars, one
economic recovery, and countless state visits by the dignitaries from abroad and the not-so-dignitaries from Hollywood.
He knew Marian Anderson before the world ever heard a note. And, today, no one knows his name.
The appeal of this play, of this collection of anecdotes, is its uncanny ability to let us share Mr. Fields' witness,
to make us similar "flies on the wall" of great events and great people, to make those great people human - Errol
Flynn drunkenly cavorting about the White House, Mr. and Mrs. Hoover dressing formally for family dinners, Eleanor Roosevelt
creating a maelstrom of activity just be being home, Winston Churchill skinny-dipping in Florida, The King of England steadfastly
suppressing a stammer to toast his World War II Allies, Mr. Truman sending flowers to the funeral of Fields' mother.
These are the details that stick out, the moments of history we seldom think about, seldom know, seldom acknowledge.
The irony is that throughout his career, Alonzo Fields had to stand by silently, not even giving a hint of
what he heard, what he witnessed. He could even have been fired for smiling at a joke told at dinner. And, he
was in the last place he wanted to be. A musician by training and inclination, he would rather be in Boston (or his
native Indiana) singing or teaching music. But he had a family to support and job opportunities were scarce for opera
singers, least of all African-American opera singers. In one cruel throw-away line, he comments that it was alright
to invite Marian Anderson to the White House to sing, but she would never be asked to dine.
Another thing
that stood out for me was how life at the white house could change so drastically from administration to administration.
The Hoovers were sober Quakers who rarely entertained, who treated their staff with quiet respect. The Roosevelt White
House was a beehive of activity and tension and witness to a parade of world leaders and celebrities; but they were, at heart,
aristocrats who treated the staff well, but with tolerance rather than acceptance. The Trumans were egalitarians, who
introduced their staff to visitors by name, who treated them as equals. The Eisenhowers were unpredictable, but distant
(at the Inaugural luncheon, Mr. Fields even gives a foreshadowing "He needs to grow up" observation about new Vice-President
Nixon).
Mr. Scott captures Alonzo Fields in all his quiet dignity. He never raises his voice, always
keeps our interest, loses himself in reverie at a sudden memory, a sudden hint of song. If his "role-playing"
is more Barry Scott than Alonzo Fields, I could accept the device. Alone on stage for two 45-minute monologues, he rarely
varies his volume or pitch, but he is never monotonous, always engaging. This is a performance to remember, as I'm
sure I will.
Before seeing this play, I had never heard of Alonzo Fields or Barry Scott. To be
sure, this play has sparked my interest, and I have been googling them both all morning.
Before
seeing this play, I thought I knew the Presidents, their politics and characters, the way they treated the world. After
hearing the words of this previously silent witness, I realize how little I know.
Alonzo Fields left
the White House in 1953, soon after the administration of Dwight Eisenhower began. He lived for over forty years after
that. But the play, the narrative, ends with that bus ride away from history. That, my friends, is our loss.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
FINN IN THE UNDERWORLD
Actors Express
INTIMATIONS OF SENSE AND MEANING
Grade: B
It's 9:37 PM. Do you know where your children are?
Other writers have praised
the sets and style of "Finn in the Underworld," but have gone on to say "I just don't get it."
Director Freddie Ashley reports a theatre-savvy actress/patron saying about "Finn in the Underworld,"
"I didn't understand it, but I can't stop thinking about it."
My own personal take
is that I could give you my interpretation of what it "means," as could half-a-dozen other writers, and I daresay
all the "takes" would be different, and would have no relevance to your experience of this play, and would, in my
humble opinion, diminish its effect.
So, let me frame this review in the form of questions, questions
that may have several "correct" answers, or no "correct" answer. Let me couch my opinion by saying
the point of the play to me was to create a mood, a creepy feeling that kept me off-balance and questioning the (lack of)
evidence before my eyes. The performances by Marianne Fraulo, Mira Hirsch, Doyle Reynolds, and Louis Gregory were rich
with indecipherable and ambiguous sub-text, and the mood left me with a haunting feeling I can't shake. Let me repeat
a point I've made before, that sometimes a theatrical experience is better for leaving questions open and unanswered,
for only intimating a dream-sense, for using sensation and (seeming) incoherence to create a coherent mood. Tying "meaning"
into a neat bow is not the point, and would, again, diminish the experience.
It's 9:37 PM.
Do you know who your children are?
Does "Finn in the Underworld" owe its style to the tradition
of surrealism, the stream-of-consciousness techniques mastered by writers like Rimbaud and Joyce and Woolf? If so, why
do you expect its meaning to fall into your lap like cobwebs from the ceiling?
Does the "reality"
of "Finn in the Underworld" owe more to the reality of dreams and disjointed schizophrenic hallucinations than to
the contrivances of strict cause/effect plot crafting?
When you wake shuddering from a nightmare, what
has more meaning for you, the illogical story-thread of the dream, or the shaking terror it caused you?
When the analyst of your dreams tells you "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," how do you know whether or not it's
true? And does it really matter?
In "Finn in the Underworld," we see four actors.
I, for one, do not believe we see four characters. Am I wrong? Are we seeing disturbed people play-acting?
Or are we in the mind of one of the characters' disturbed fantasies, the one continually popping those blue anti-psychotics
(or are they placebos?), the one who could be conflating different people, different memories, different hallucinations?
Could the entire play be her mind's eye's drug-or-psychosis addled vision of a guilty / horrific
incident that won't stay dead? Are the incidents in the shelter, those she is not part of, only her projection/justification
for a guilty secret, traumatic witness, imagined terror?
Taking another track, can the play instead be
the result of genetic evil manifesting itself as a ghost that passes from character to character, from generation to generation?
After the final moments of the play, what will the sisters find in the shelter? A recently dead young
man, or a long-past dry-bones skeleton from the past? Will they both come out?
Is the gentle irony
of the shelter being the most feared room, the center for the ghosts/hauntings/nightmares lost on all but the most analytical
lit-major mind?
Can watching/participating in another's dream/nightmare/hallucination ever equal
the cause-effect illogic of the dreamer/mad(wo)man?
Does the constant time-jump structure, particularly
to the ever-repeating 9:37 PM, indicate a contrivance to build effect-cause mood-logic, or is it a symptom of an a-logical
imagination? Are the various 9:37 PM scenes taking place on different days, different years, or they different interpretations
of a single madness-inducing trauma?
When Finn is in the scene with the sisters, does he only interact
with one of them, or was that a delusion of my own memory trying to over-interpret what is the product of madness (or evil)?
Is he really there?
Doesn't most of what we know, most of the exposition, come from the least reliable
character? Or, again, is that my faulty memory creating a pattern that wasn't really there (My own "Madonna-on-the-Grilled-Cheese"
simulacra, if you will)?
What about the extremity of the gay sex subtext/übertext/ur-text?
Is it another aspect of the hallucination, or a motivation for the original, if indeed there was an original, trauma?
Will you be reading this before the play closes on October 4th, or is every question I raise now moot and pointless?
Would it make sense to write a review in which sense and order are imposed on a work in which sense and
order are, at best subverted my madness (or evil), at worst irrelevant?
It's 9:37 PM. Do you
know what your children are?
-- Brad
Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
| Get The Best Wicked Seats For Only $25
|
 WICKED ANNOUNCES LOTTERY FOR $25 SEATS PERFORMANCES BEGIN OCT. 8 AT THE FABULOUS FOX THEATRE ATLANTA - (Oct. 3, 2008)
- A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be playing
Oct. 8 - Nov. 2 at The Fabulous Fox Theatre, as part of the 2008-2009 seasons for Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America
- Atlanta and the Atlanta Broadway Series. Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time, those who wish to participate
in the ticket lottery may come to The Fox Theatre box office and enter their names in the drawing. Thirty minutes later,
names will be drawn for a limited number of seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person
at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person.
In addition to $25 lottery seats, tickets
are still available throughout the engagement, but they're flying out the door! Complete performance schedule,
pricing and information on how to purchase tickets is listed below.
In Atlanta, WICKED will play Wednesday,
October 8 through Sunday, November 2; Tuesday - Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m. and Sundays
at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Special Thursday matinees will take place on October 9 at 1:00 p.m. and October 30 at 2:00
p.m. Prices vary in range depending on performance, seat location, and date of purchase and start at $31.00.
Tickets are available through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at 404-817-8700. Orders for groups of 20 or more may be
placed by calling 404-881-2000.
WICKED is a new musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Disney's Enchanted,
Academy Award winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by
Winnie Holzman ("My So Called Life,"
"Once And Again" and "thirtysomething") based on the 1995 best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire.
The musical is directed by 2003 and 2004 Tony Award
winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair
de Lune, Glengarry Glen Ross) and features musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who's Tommy,
How To Succeed). WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The
Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in
the land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious
and very popular.
WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to
become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
WICKED features set design by Tony
Award winning Eugene Lee (Ragtime, Show Boat, Candide, Sweeney Todd), costume design by Tony winner Susan Hilferty (Spring
Awakening, Into the Woods, Assassins), lighting design by Tony nominee Kenneth Posner (Tony Award winner for The Coast of
Utopia, Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King, Man of La Mancha). Stephen Oremus is the show's
music director. Orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.
The national tour of WICKED has "cast quite a spell" (Washington Post) throughout North America. It opened
at Toronto's Canon Theatre on Tuesday, March 8, 2005 and sold out a seven-week run. WICKED has continued to break
box office records and sell out multiple-week engagements in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia
and Boston to name a few.
WICKED, "Broadway's biggest blockbuster" (The New York Times),
began performances in New York on Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at The Gershwin Theatre and continues to be the top-grossing
show on Broadway. WICKED is "good enough to run for a decade or two," proclaims The Wall Street Journal.
It's "a cultural phenomenon," exclaims Variety. "If every musical had the brain, the heart and
the courage of WICKED, Broadway really would be a magical place," states Time Magazine.
The Chicago
company of WICKED took the stage on Friday, June 24, 2005 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre,
and the Los Angeles production of WICKED started performances at the Pantages Theatre on February 10, 2007.
There are currently four international productions of WICKED: a London production, which opened in September 2006 at the
Apollo Victoria Theatre; a Japanese-language production, which opened on June 17, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan; a German-language
production, which opened in Stuttgart on November 15, 2007; and an Australian production, which recently opened in Melbourne,
Australia this July.
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Mannheim Steamroller Rolls to Atlanta
|
 Christmas, no matter where and how it is celebrated, finds its heart and soul in holiday music. International
favorite Mannheim Steamroller (www.mannheimsteamroller.com) perfectly captures the spirit of the season this year when it
arrives in Atlanta for one performance only on Friday, November 28 at The Fox Theatre, presented as a season special by
Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America - Atlanta. The tour is produced by Chip Davis' Sound Track Inc. and
Magic Arts & Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tix Corporation (Nasdaq: TIXC). "The Christmas Music of Mannheim
Steamroller by Chip Davis," will feature the band's unmistakable sound in an extravagant multi-media show.
Tickets for Mannheim Steamroller go on sale Sunday, September 28. Prices start at $30.00
(subject to change), and tickets can be purchased through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre box office,
Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 404-817-8700. Orders for groups of 15 or more
may be placed by calling: 404-881-2000.
"We'll play songs from our new CD, but we'll
also take plenty of time to showcase many favorites from our previous [multi-platinum] Christmas albums," said Mannheim
founder and composer Chip Davis. "The music, along with our state of the art multimedia production, is meant to make
this an experience for the whole family."
"Chip Davis has created a touring blockbuster with Mannheim
Streamroller," says Lee Marshall of Magic Arts and Entertainment. "The show is a holiday tradition for families
and we are thrilled to bring it back to cities across the country."
Known for its now classic arrangements
of "Silent Night," "Deck the Halls," and "Angels We Have Heard On High," the latest Mannheim
holiday albums, "Christmas Song"and"Christmasville,"mark Mannheim Steamroller's eighth and ninth
Christmas titles. Total album sales for the Christmas series have exceeded 35 million copies worldwide thus far, surpassing
that of industry icons and solidifying the band's place in music history as the largest selling Christmas artist of
all time. Said Davis, "We want to give all our fans the chance to see the band live. There's something that
is even more moving and meaningful when you share in the creative exchange."
That same flow
of creativity is what led to Davis' breakthrough of Mannheim's sound, best described as "18th Century classical
rock," a convergence of analog, acoustic, electronic and digital music. The band first burst on the scene with their
"Fresh Aire" series. In 1990, Davis received a Grammy Award for Best New Age Recording for the seventh in the
series.
Davis promises that upcoming holiday tour dates will showcase the band's ability to break
new musical ground. "Christmas music should touch people in a way that is familiar. Yet by giving the songs a 21st
Century perspective, a door opens deep inside. In an instant, the season's message of hope and miracles comes alive."
For more information about the band's national tour, or to sample Mannheim Steamroller albums, visit
www.mannheimsteamroller.com.
About Mannheim Steamroller/ Chip Davis' Sound Track Inc.
Founded
by Chip Davis, Mannheim Steamroller is a musical fusion of acoustic, analog, digital and electronic sounds. Named after
an 18th Century musical term that now translates as "crescendo," the group first exploded on the scene with their
album "Fresh Aire." Davis went on to produce seven more in the "Fresh Aire" series, culminating in a
Grammy Award for Best New Age Recording for the seventh in the series. In addition, the band has also recorded nine Christmas
albums, which have sold more than 35 million copies worldwide. The group is also active in environmental issues. After fire
devastated Yellowstone National Park in 1988, Davis created a two-hour concert tour, a gold album "Yellowstone: The
Music of Nature," and raised more than half a million dollars for park rebuilding projects. The Mannheim name extends
out from music to include a collection of products-bath and body, home, select food items and clothing-to complement the
musical experience.
About Magic Arts & Entertainment
Magic Arts & Entertainment, headed
by Lee Marshall and Joe Marsh, is one of the foremost tour producing companies in the United States. In addition to
Mannheim Steamroller, the company is also currently producing the North American tours of "Michael Flatley's Lord
of the Dance," "The Magic of David Copperfield," "Jesus Christ Superstar" starring Ted Neeley,
and "Rain, A Tribute to The Beatles." They are also producing the upcoming tours of "Bob The Builder Live"
and "101 Dalmatians! The Musical!" As former owners of Magicworks Entertainment, Marshall and Marsh produced
and promoted some of the world's most successful concerts, theatricals and family shows.
| |
| June 12th
2008
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The site is back up and updated. Thank you all for your patience.
We have a great review by Brad, a thought provoking article and more!
QUOTE OF THE
ISSUE:
I make two movies a year to take care of the butcher and the baker and
the school fees. Then I try to write, but it's not that easy. Acting is what's easy.
David Niven
Quote of the issue-
| | | | | |
Mama Mia Review!
|
MAMMA MIA!
Broadway Across America
ABBA-DABBA-DO!
Grade: B+
First,
a confession. During the '70's and '80's, I was a despiser of all things Disco, was underwhelmed by
ABBA and their hits, and would not be caught dead at one of their concerts. When "Mamma Mia!" opened on Broadway
more than six years ago, I went my ho-hum way and ignored its success, resisting my normal urge to buy and play to death any
Broadway Musical CD.
Last year,
though, I heard "Winner Takes it All" somewhere and thought it was a great song (bear in mind, during its original
release, I was a true Musical Geek, and most pop hits were way under my radar). Imagine my surprise when I discovered
it was an ABBA song from "Mamma Mia!" So, still not wishing to invest any of my own funds on what amounts
to a compilation disk, I put the Original Cast CD on my Christmas List (near the bottom), and, of course, my lovely Dancing
Queen of a spouse indulged me, and I found it in my (oversized) stocking.
Okay, I liked it! Sue me!
And now I've seen the show, and I found it not only made the songs more enjoyable and
more layered, but the songs themselves enhanced the story and were the driving force behind the musical "Benny Andersson
and Björn Ulvaeus never knew they wrote." I loved this play!
To recap the plot, Sophie is a twenty-year-old about-to-be bride. She has been raised
by her single Mom on an idyllic Greek getaway Island, never knowing who her father was. A few months before her wedding,
she finds her mother's diary, identifies three men who could be her father, and secretly invites them to her wedding.
Chaos, reconciliation, time-unhealed emotional scars, tears, recrimination, and laughter ensue. Right here, "Mamma
Mia!" shows an edge over most other "jukebox" compilation musicals. This is a story that could stand
on its own, as a light comedy without music. The fact that the story arose out of the songs themselves is testament
to the fact that they were more than the "Disco Fluff" I had judged (and dismissed) them to be - they had a narrative
power of their own, they were structured with their own plots, and the body of work itself had enough consistent motifs and
themes that an engaging narrative could be built from them.
If some of the musical "fits" aren't exactly seamless, and once in a while draw inappropriate
laughter, more often they are a perfect match, with the songs revealing undercurrents in the characters and the story revealing
undercurrents in the songs. Also, more often, the laughter was a result of instantly recognizing the song and enjoying
the clever way it fit into the story.
Of course, my favorite moment was "Winner Takes it All," in which Sophie's Mom, Donna, exults over
the man who betrayed her decades earlier. It was an angry moment that revealed all the love and loss and triumph of
those twenty intervening years. Indeed Susie McMonagle's Donna is the emotional center of this play, and she is
given ample opportunity to display her range along with her brilliant singing and dancing. Other highlights include
"Take a Chance on Me" (which almost came across as a comic riff on Ionesco's "The Chairs"), a haunting
"Slipping Through my Fingers"(which made me dread the day I have to say goodbye to my own daughter), and, of course,
"Dancing Queen" (which was staged as a comic reflection on the foolishness of youth by Donna and her two friends,
Rosie and Tanya).
I do have some
quibbles, but so what? If Rose Sezniak's Sophie was a bit flat in her dialog scenes, she more than made up for it
in Singing Power, and was able to throw tons of sexuality into "Lay All Your Love on Me." If Donna's friend
Rosie comes across as clichéd and stereotyped, Kittra Wynn Coomer's energy and skill gave her a comic life force
that couldn't be denied. If the younger characters aren't given the depth of the older, well, hooray for that
- as an old fart myself, it's nice to see my generation take center stage. If the final moments seem rushed and
contrived, well, that too I can forgive.
I also want to commend the "fathers" (John Hemphill, Martin Kildare, and Michael Aaron Lindner) for creating
such diverse characters. Mr. Lindner's late-in-the-show "reveal" about his spouse was a beautifully realized
moment that, on paper, probably seems out-of-left-field. I also really liked Michelle Elizabeth Dawson's Tanya.
She had a MILF-esque quality and self-deprecating sense of humor that I loved (in fact, I was tempted to title this review
"MILF's Amok," but was afraid that would be a tad demeaning). Her "Does your Mother Know" is
another highlight of energy, talent, and humor.
On a technical level, the set was both simple and beautiful, an elegant revolving "taverna" that unified
the action without losing the opportunity for spectacle. However, I found the lighting strange - anyone coming downstage
seemed to disappear (were the front-of-house lights missing or just glitched-out?), with back and side lighting seemingly
at odds with the moods. But, when the music started, we're treated to all the flash-bang wizardry that computers
and imagination can give us, this time without upstaging the characters and story.
Afterwards, people were saying this was a fun, fluffy show, but it wasn't
O'Neill or Ibsen. Well, no. And I'm sure the pleasures you get from High Drama couldn't be confused
with those here. Or can they? What we have in "Mamma Mia!" is a story of loss, love, redemption, confusion,
living with bad choices, surviving with emotional wounds, being impulsive in spite of "lessons learned," letting
go, holding on, and finding dreams. What's so fluffy about that? The bouncy lights and throbbing music that
gild the edges do not lessen the range of emotion on display, do not lessen the range of emotion evoked.
So, all I can say is, "Thank you for the Music,"
while I eat my crow.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
1-2100
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| | The Fact of The Matter! | Just An Opinion-
A recent theatre site posting was full
of a hateful diatribe about local awards, certain people and a few other bits of their obvious frustration at something. I
do want to take one question from this person and lay it out there to dissect.
"
If people were any good, why wouldn't they be perusing their art in NYC or LA?"
I guess that is a fair question, so I will try to give it a fair answer.
1.
Many people are. I know of hundreds
of Atlanta actors who went to SETC and then got called to NYC and other cities for more auditions. Not to embarrass anyone,
I won't mention names.
2. One can pursue a Pro career in Atlanta. With Tyler Perry, Turner and many other
companies, we are pursuing more paid work. In theatre, I know several pro-theatres and several that act in them. We have The
Alliance,Theatre In The Square, Theatre Of the Stars, Peachtree Battle, Menopause and more.
3. "If it's not pro, it's not worth doing"
is silly. I believe that there is great, good and bad theatre. All of these can take place
in the pro or amateur arena. The logic that if one is successful in acting means they are talented, and those that stay amateur
are not-is just wrong. If that is the case, I guess the Olsen Twins, Bob Saget and Keaneu Reeves are brilliant.
4. Why not get the guts
and go for it? Well many have jobs and security or families. Many are still in school
and need to work on their craft. Uprooting ones life is not for everybody. Perhaps husbands should leave wives and mothers
abandon children to prove they are any good. just leave and go to NYC!
5.
No art should be invalidated. If it is an expression of ones craft, hard work and heart, it deserves to be respected.
It also can have it's own awards to pay tribute to all that work.
In all
things, respect ones choices and their art.
TheatreGuy
| TONY
AWARD NOMINATIONS
Nominees for the 62nd Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards follow:
Best Play:
August: Osage County
Rock 'n' Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps
Best Musical:
Cry-Baby
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu
Best Book of a Musical
Cry-Baby, Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
In the Heights, Quiara Alegria Hudes
Passing
Strange, Stew
Xanadu, Douglas Carter
Beane
Best Original Score
Cry-Baby, Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger
In The Heights, Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
The Little Mermaid, Music: Alan Menken and Lyrics: Howard Ashman
and Glenn Slater
Passing Strange, Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald Lyrics:
Stew
Best Revival
of a Play
Boeing-Boeing
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereueses
Macbeth
Best Revival of a Musical
Grease
Gypsy
Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific
Sunday in the Park With George
Best Performance By
a Leading Actor in a Play
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n'
Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth
Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson,
Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County
Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a
Musical
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park With George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers and Hammerstein's
South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered
Affair
Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara, Rodgers and Hammerstein's
South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park With George
Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Play
Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raúl
Esparza, The Homecoming
Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David
Pittu, Is He Dead?
Best Performance
By a Featured Actress in a Play
Sinead Cusack,
Rock 'n' Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Rondi
Reed, August: Osage County
Best Performance By a
Featured Actor in a Musical
Daniel Breaker,
Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers &
Hammerstein's South Pacific
Robin De Jesús,
In The Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald,
The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Boyd Gaines,
Gypsy
Best Performance
By a Featured Actress in a Musical
de'Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New
Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In The Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers &
Hammerstein's South Pacific
Best Direction of a Play
Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson,
The Seafarer
Anna D. Shapiro, August:
Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing
Best Direction of a Musical
Sam Buntrock,
Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South
Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu
Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In the Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered
Affair
Best Scenic
Design of a Play
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage
County
Anthony Ward, Macbeth
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with
George
Anna Louizos, In the Heights
Robin Wagner, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Michael Yeargan, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Best Costume Design of a Play
Gregory Gale, Cyrano de Bergerac
Rob Howell, Boeing-Boeing
Katrina Lindsay, Les
Liaisons Dangereuses
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Best Costume Design of a Musical
David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Martin Pakledinaz, Gypsy
Paul Tazewell, In
the Heights
Catherine Zuber, Rodgers &
Hammerstein's South Pacific
Best Lighting
Design of a Play
Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Donald
Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County
Best Lighting
Design of a Musical
Ken Billington,
Sunday in the Park with George
Howell Binkley, In the
Heights
Donald Holder, Rodgers & Hammerstein's
South Pacific
Natasha Katz, The Little
Mermaid
Best Sound Design of a Play
Simon Baker, Boeing-Boeing
Adam Cork,
Macbeth
Ian Dickson, Rock 'n'
Roll
Mic Pool, The 39 Steps
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, In the Heights
Sebastian Frost, Sunday in
the Park with George
Scott
Lehrer, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Moses Schreier,
Gypsy
Special Tony
Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Stephen Sondheim
Regional Theatre Tony Award
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Special Tony Award
Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981), in recognition of his historic contribution to American
musical theatre in the field of orchestrations, as represented on Broadway this season by Rodgers & Hammerstein's
South Pacific.
|
Auditions
|
CATS
Auditions for Cats-The Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber will
be Sunday, June 22 at 6:30pm, Tuesday the 24th at 7PM. Callbacks will be June 24th at 7pm. All auditions are at the Blackwell
Playhouse at 3380 Canton Rd in Marietta. If you have any questions contact candace@blackwellplayhouse.com . The show is directed
by Rob Hardie with Annie Cook (Music Director) and Jennifer Smiles (Choreographer). Only those 16 years or older can audition
unless personally invited by the directing staff. Bring sheet music or a CD for background tracks. A musical theatre
song, please. You may audition from the show. Please bring some sort of photo and resume if you can. There will be dancers
who sing as well as just singers who will do very little dance. All roles availible. Non equity,non paid. The show opens September
12th-Oct 5th.
Looney
Tunes Talent Show
Six Flags Over Georgia will hold non-equity individual auditions
for the casting of the Looney Tunes Talent Show. To be performed from 9am-6pm five days a week during the Summer Season May
23-August 11, 2008 at Six Flags Over Georgia. This is a thirty minute scripted talent show that will be performed six times
throughout the day. Casting Requirements: male or female 5'4" to 5'7" tall, slender build between the ages
of 16-25. Must have an outgoing personality and be able to speak comfortably to an audience of 20-500 people; Simple Choreography
will also be required. Must be able to work in full costume. Compensation will be on an hourly / day rate based on experience.
Position will run through August 11, 2008. All interested applicants please contact Six Flags Over Georgia Entertainment at
770-739-3400 x 3126 to set up an audition time or e-mail sbranstetter@sftp.com for further information.
Back Side Of Stone Mountain
Polk Street Players
announce non-equity auditions for the original comedy "Back Side of Stone Mountain." Auditions will be held on Tuesday,
June 24th and Wednesday, June 25th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in Room 144 of St. James' Episcopal Church, 161 Church St., Marietta,
30060. Parts are available for 6m (ages 20-50) and 4w (ages 20-50). All performers will play multiple roles. Auditions will
be by cold readings from the script. Head shots/resumes preferred, but not required. Rehearsals will begin shortly after July
4th. Performances will be from September 11th through September 27th. Parking is available in the lot facing Polk Street,
across the railroad tracks. Enter the building by the door facing the tracks. For more information, contact Pete Borden, director,
(770) 992-9509, petebcoot@aol.com.
The Boys in the Band
TheatreWhole World Theatre in Atlanta is now casting for the classic gay play
The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley and will be directed by Michael Snow. There are 9 roles for men and we are open to all
ethnicities between the ages of 20-45 with one role requiring an African American man age 27-40. We are looking for natural
comedic performances; not stereotypes. Auditions will be held the week of June 9. Actors will be given sides for the auditions.
Rehearsals begin June 23 and show opens August 7 and will run Thursday-Saturday eves thru September 13 with possible extension
of 2 weeks. Please email headshots and resumes to: michael.boysintheband.snow@gmail.com
Altar Boyz
Horizon Theatre company seeks male actors who can sing and dance to appear in
the upcoming production of ALTAR BOYZ The Musical. Rehearsals begin in August and performance dates are 9/12 - 11/16. Please
send resume and headshot to casting@horizontheatre.com.
Disney's Aladdin
Disney's Aladdin Suwanee Performing Arts will be casting ALL ROLES for Singers,
Dancers and Tumblers/Acro ages 13-18 for Disney's Aladdin to be performed August 8 and 9 in Suwanee Town Center's
Amphitheatre. Auditions are being held May 17 and are by appointment only. All auditioning should prepare one song and come
prepared to dance. Dancers/Tumblers/Acro should still prepare a song, but will be considered primarily upon technique. A negotiable
performance fee will be assessed. Call ASAP to make your appointment. Suwanee Performing Arts 678-482-6333
Peachtree Battle Atlanta ShowGuide Ansley Park Playhouse, home of Atlanta's record-breaking comedy hit "Peachtree Battle", will be holding quarterly
auditions for all roles in the production. We are looking for the following actors: Caucasian female (age range 45-55) - strong-willed
socialite; Caucasian male(age range 45 - 65); Caucasian female (age 60 +) feisty grandmother; African-American female (age
range 18 -25); Caucasian female (age range 20 - 27); 2 Caucasian males (age range 18 - 27); Hispanic or Asian female (age
range 20 - 24). Please send both a headshot and resume info@ansleyparkplayhouse.com to receive an audition appointment time. All positions are contracted and paid. Performances are every Thur. - Sat. 8pm and
Sun. 3pm. For further information please visit www.ansleyparkplayhouse.com. Please no phone calls.
2008 Summer Season Fabrefaction Theatre
Company is holding auditions for its 2008 Summer Season. Productions are for a variety of age ranges and include: Disney's
Sleeping Beauty Kids (rising 1-6 graders) June 13-14, Thoroughly Modern Millie (rising 7-graduated HS seniors)
June 20-21, Bat Boy the Musical (students in 7-12 grade and professionals 18+) July 18-19, The Beauty Queen of
Leenane (2m 1w 1 older woman 55+) July 25-26, and Sondheim's Assassins (professionals 18+ and one boy 7-14)
August 8-9. No pay offered. Students in high school or younger pay tuition. Scholarships and financial aide available. For
the musicals please prepare 1 contemporary monologue and 1 song from musical theatre. For Beauty Queen, please prepare 2 contemporary
2 minute monologues. Non-equity auditions. Auditions held at our theatre at 925 Bowen Street Atlanta GA 30318 (right off of
Howell Mill Road). Headshot/recent picture and resume required for all auditions. Auditions held May 13-16 starting at 7:00pm.
To sign up for an audition slot please email info@fabrefaction.org or call 800-567-2940. For more information please go to our website at www.fabrefaction.org Rumors
Kudzu Playhouse will hold open non equity auditions for Rumors by
Neil Simon on June 17 (Tuesday) and June 18 (Wednesday) from 7-9pm at 10743 Alpharetta Highway, Brannon Square Shopping Center,
Roswell, Ga. 30076. Four couples are invited to the house of a deputy New York City mayor and his wife to celebrate their
tenth wedding anniversary. The party never begins because the host has shot himself in the head (a flesh wound). An attempted
suicide - or is it? A missing wife, missing cook, a damaged car, whip lash, a reoccurring back spasm, and rumors galore add
to the comedic mayhem and the situation gets progressively more difficult to sustain when nobody can remember who has been
told what about whom. Performances will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2:30pm from August 29-September 28, 2008.
5 men and 5 woman between the ages of mid 20's and 60. Go to www.kudzuplayhouse.org or call 770-594-1020 if you need any other information. See you at the theatre | |
| April
29th
2008
|
| | |
| |
| Dear Roy, |
A Blackwell
Award Recap and a new Rudy review!
If you want a show "Reviewed" submit your request to us at theatrenews@atlantatheatrebuzz.com.
Request should come from a director or theatre staff. The reviewer should be supplied with a minimum of 1 comp ticket.
Next Issue-A Mother's day issue with where to take mom to eat, shows to see and
more!
Also- PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL & ASK FOLKS TO SUBSCRIBE!
Quote of the Issue:
Of Katherine Hepburn's acting in
the 1934 flop, The Lake, Dorothy Parker quipped that the actress "ran the gamut of emotions from A to B."
Quote of the issue-
| | | | | | Woods, Mockingbird & Magnolias win big at Blackwell
|
Marietta - The 1st Annual Blackwell playhouse Awards were given out
Sunday evening at a ceremony at the playhouse. The awards show was hosted and put together by Joey Cochran with help from
Jessica Ainsley, Kevin Tillery and Rob Hardie.
As this newsletter focuses primarily on adult theatre, that is
what we will cover. Rob Hardie won both Play & Music awards for Best Show/Director (Into The Woods & Steel Magnolias).
John Christian won for the children's play. Snow White. Other Into the Woods winners were Amanda Pickard (Best Villain),
Sydney Ransom (Leading actress), Cody Wilson (comic Relief & Supporting actor), Dan Rich (Actor in a minor role) Leslie
Ridgeway (Comic Relief) and Lucy McBride (Minor female). Other Steel magnolias include: Tomi Lavinder (Best actress in a leading
role), Pam Sharpe (Supporting) and Robin Thornhill (Comic Relief). Annie Cook won for Music Direction, and Brian Clements
for lighting design.
The Wizard of Oz scored a win for best youth in an adult show for Rachel Farley. Arsenic
& Old lace served up awards for Lee Sanders (Villain, best supporting) Joey Cochran (Comic Relief). Colleen Hargis won
best supporting actress in a musical with her turn as Ziegfeld's favorite, and Mark Owen won best actor in a musical for
portraying Will Rogers. Garner martin won best youth in an adult show for playing Will's son.
Kevin
Tillery took away the best actor statue for his portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, while daughter Kara Tillery
won best youth in an adult play for playing Scout. Lou Brock won for playing Tom & Becky Dever for playing Maella.
Frankenstein won an award for Deryl Cape for his eerie lighting design.
Entertainment included songs from past
shows performed by Jessica Ainsley, Rachel Farley, Amanda Pickard, Sam Blinn and Amanda Whittle. Rob Hardie performed "Parody"
songs for each nominated show ala Billy Crystal's Oscar spoofs. Kevin Tillery did a "Brief" comedy bit and Cochran
and Ainsley did several comic bits.
An award for service named after Glen Nadel was given out to Lee Sanders.
| |
|
|
EXPECTING ISABEL
Synchronicity Performance Group
EXPECTING WHAT?
Grade:
C So, what was I expecting when I
walked into Lisa Loomer's "Expecting Isabel," currently in production at 7 Stages from the Synchronicity Performance
Group? What I wasn't expecting was a dramaturgically weak offering from a playwright
whose works are "taught in university drama programs." What I wasn't
expecting was a thin performance by Stacey Melich in a leading role. What I wasn't
expecting was a clunky and distracting lighting scheme only a few steps above "performing under work lights."
What I wasn't expecting was a profound sense of been-there seen-that déjà
vu (though I should have). Yet, all this is what I saw. To be fair, I also saw some nice ensemble work, some clever and lively directing from Rachel May, and
a stand-out performance by Daniel Triandiflou, who has the marvelous ability to show us what he's thinking and feeling,
even when his words are saying something else. Miranda and Nick are New
Yorkers trying to have a baby. They go through a sequence of painful and comically humiliating fertility exercises until
they realize their only hope is adoption. This opens up a whole new set of painful and comically humiliating adoption
hopes and disappointments, testing their marriage and their happiness. If
this sounds a bit like the 1977 Public Theatre Obie Winner "Ashes" (in which a pair of New Yorkers try to have a
baby, go through a sequence of painful and comically humiliating fertility exercises until they realize their only hope is
adoption, then go through a whole new set of painful and comically humiliating adoption hopes and disappointments, testing
their marriage and their happiness), well, I said I should have expected the déjà vu. I've been told it's unfair to compare a current play with an older one that contemporary audiences
probably never heard of (and, to be sure, I know of no production of "Ashes" since its New York run), but I don't
really agree. It's no more unfair than comparing different productions of oft-performed plays. In this case,
the two plays are so alike (almost bordering on plagiarism), even down to the structure of the two main characters directly
addressing the audience, and all supporting characters played by an ensemble in multiple characterizations), a comparison
is not only inevitable, but necessary. To begin with the dramaturgy, I found
Nick and Miranda to be extremely contrived characters - each has a defining characteristic (Miranda pessimistic, Nick optimistic)
that creates manufactured conflict, but little else. Their background feels contrived and unreal (unemployed artist
and Greeting Card writer who own a New York Apartment and can go $50,000 in debt). Their actions feel forced on them
by the playwright, not natural extensions of the thin characters they've been given. Most of the humor in the first
half is based on broad stereotyping (overbearing Italian family, alcoholic mother) that it feels a little unclean, and wears
out its welcome faster than it should. Even worse, we're TOLD that Miranda's Mother's alcoholism is a contributing
factor to her chronic depression, but what we're SHOWN is a comic drunk in the Dean Martin vein, who is treated with bemused
distance by Miranda. It's a shallow character in the service of cheap laughs. In addition, the playwright indulges in every cliché from the Book of Childbearing, bringing them out and
displaying them as if they were something new and original. And worse, the rift in Nick and Miranda's marriage is
brought up, then dropped completely, as if it were inconsequential, or worse, solved by the addition of a baby. A "musical
number" of mothers and prams is tossed in that lasts far too long with far too little effect. And the play finally
ends with a supposedly moving resolution, which is undercut by a last line that, again, goes for a cheap laugh rather than
for credibility. When compared to the "Ashes" conclusion ("We're going to have to build our marriage
on something other than the ashes of our desire for children"), it's sit-com, movie-of-the-week material.
What saves the play from being completely dismissable is Daniel Triandiflou's performance
as Nick. Yes, he starts out with all the Italian New Yorker stereotypes firmly in place, but he transcends them with
his optimistic, likeable reactions, with his believable angers and disappointments, and with the skill with which he hides
his dashed hopes from Miranda without hiding them from us. He's able to generate most of the laughs that are based
on character rather than clichés. Unfortunately, Stacey Melich as Miranda is surprisingly thin (surprising considering
how good she's been in previous shows) - she has the lion's share of storytelling, but doesn't really get inside
of Miranda. Again, she tells us a lot about herself, but shows very little. She rarely goes beyond the everything-will-out-for-the-worst
main characteristic, even to the point of showing little surprise when good things happen. I never believed her transition
from her "Who needs a child?" starting point to the obsessive "Anything for a Child" actions of the main
plot. The ensemble helps by making their multiple characterizations funny and believable,
even when they're one-dimensional. Suehyla El-Attar (as expected) is funny in everything she does, Maria Sager has
a marvelously moving moment as a Puerto Rican mother with far too kids, Tiffany Morgan makes Miranda's lush of a mother
amusing and credible (despite being obviously younger than Ms. Melich), and Allen Hagler, David Howard, and Lauren Vandemark
all show great range and energy in about dozen different roles. On a technical
level, the set is abstract enough to make the many scenes flow smoothly and quickly, and Director Rachel May shows her usual
flair of staging the scenes with pace and wit. However, the lighting is distracting and clunky. Using only two
colors (white front and amber side), the scheme bumps from "scene" to "aside to the audience" pictures
clumsily and unnecessarily, drawing too much attention to itself and to the fact that the timing of the cues is too often
"off." A leaf gobo is tossed in for some park scenes, but it is left white, and only succeeds in putting distracting
shadows on the actors' faces. So, what did I expect? I expected an update
of the "Ashes" story - fertility options are a lot more varied now than they were in 1977. I expected a well-crafted
script from an honored and studied playwright. I expected Synchronicity's usual high level of professionalism and
craft. I expected a deep and wide-ranging performance from Stacey Melich. What
I got was a shallow, badly constructed "issue play" that based its laughs on humiliation and stereotype, that broke
no new ground that wasn't already covered thirty years ago. What I got was a production that distracted with bad
technical design and execution, and that ultimately disappointed. And yet, it was a play that can't be dismissed,
that provides some moments of genuine pleasure and reflection, and that puts the spotlight on an actor I hope we'll see
more of in the future. Who could have expected that?
|
Lawrenceville, Ga.,
(April 18, 2008) -Aurora Theatre celebrates the end of the first full season in the Metro Waterproofing Strickland
Family Stage with quite possible the funniest farce ever written. Michael Frayn'sNoises Off isthe farce to end all farces. The playis a behind-the-scenes British comedy about an ill-fated theatrical production
full of humorous twists, including the set that revolves to display the backstage shenanigans. Noises Off will ensure our first anniversary in this amazing new facility ends
on a hilariously high note. By the time the new Aurora Theatre celebrates
its 1-year anniversary on May 26, 2008 we will have presented a total of 366 individual events. "I often think that this production
of Noises Off would never have been possible
without the courage of our Board of Directors. They realized it was time to for us to grow," reflects Anthony Rodriguez,
Aurora Theatre Producing Artistic Director. "It's not just ability to build a 2-story set that we have made possible.
The City of Lawrenceville and this incredible venue have given Aurora the ability to take the performing arts to new highs
for Gwinnett County." He adds this final point, "We have only scratched the surface of our artistic potential.
The 2008-2009 Season is going to be our strongest ever featuring regionally acclaimed artists like Susan Booth, Artistic Director
of the Tony-Award-Winning Alliance Theatre".
For the Mom who loves to have her funny bone tickled, Aurora
Theatre has a phenomenal Mother's Day Weekend package. Purchase tickets to Noises Off at Aurora Theatre for any performance Mother's Day weekend and you will be eligible to purchase a $25 gift certificate
for Brunch at McCray's Tavern for only $20. Mother's Day brunch will be served both Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM
to 3 PM both days. As this is a busy holiday for restaurants, a limited number of packages are available, so purchase today.
Cast & Crew
Jill Hames
Dotty Otley
Matt Brady
Lloyd Dallas
Jeff McKerley*
Garry LeJeune
Megan Hayes
Brooke Ashton
Veronika Duerr*
Poppy Norton
Robert Egizio
Frederick Fellowes
Sally Robertson
Belinda Blair
Anthony Rodriguez
Tim Allgood
Eric Brooks
Selsdon Mowbray *Denotes member of Actors
Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
|
Auditions
| | Peachtree
Battle Atlanta ShowGuide Ansley Park Playhouse, home of Atlanta's record-breaking comedy hit "Peachtree Battle", will be holding quarterly
auditions for all roles in the production. We are looking for the following actors: Caucasian female (age range 45-55) - strong-willed
socialite; Caucasian male(age range 45 - 65); Caucasian female (age 60 +) feisty grandmother; African-American female (age
range 18 -25); Caucasian female (age range 20 - 27); 2 Caucasian males (age range 18 - 27); Hispanic or Asian female (age
range 20 - 24). Please send both a headshot and resume info@ansleyparkplayhouse.com to receive an audition appointment time.
All positions are contracted and paid. Performances are every Thur. - Sat. 8pm and Sun. 3pm. For further information please
visit www.ansleyparkplayhouse.com. Please no phone calls.
The
Music Man The Twilight Theatre will hold auditions for The Music Man May 4th @ 2:00 PM & May 5th @ 7:00 PM. The show will be directed by Jared C. Wright.
Casting needs: Charlie Cowell, A rival salesman who tries to expose Harold.(25-60); Harold Hill, A dynamic con man, pretends
to be a traveling salesman (Baritone: A flat - High F; 25-45); Mayor George Shinn, A blustery politician -(Non-singing; 35-65);
Ewart Dunlop, Bickering schoolboard member/quartet member (25-55); Oliver Hix, Bickering school board member/quartet member
(25-55); Jacey Squires, Bickering school board member/quartet member (25-55); Olin Britt, bickering school board member/quartet
member (25-55); Marcellus Washburn, Harold's old friend and ex con, dating Ethel Toffelmier (Tenor: G - High A; 25-45);
Tommy Djilas, the town "bad" boy - a spotlight dancer, likes Zaneeta Shinn (15-24); Marian Paroo Stuffy, town librarian
and piano teacher (Soprano: Low G - High A; 25-40); Mrs. Paroo Marian's Irish mom (Mezzo: Aflat - Eflat; 45-65); Amaryllis
Marian's young piano student (Alto: C-E; 8-13); Winthrop Paroo Marian's lisping baby brother (Unchanged male/Alto:
C-Eflat; 8-13); Shinn Mayor Shinn's peacock wife; head of the Woman's Auxiliary Club" (Alto: D-D; 30-60) Zaneeta
Shinn, The mayor's oldest, daffy daughter, likes Tommy Djilas (15-22) Gracie Shinn The Mayor's youngest daughter (6-14)
Alma Hix Gossipy wife of a Quartet member/Pick-a-little Lady (25-60); Maud Dunlop, Gossipy wife of a Quartet member/Pick-a-little
Lady (25-60); Ethel Toffelmier The "pianola" girl; Pick-a-little Lady; Dating Marcellus Washburn (25-60); Mrs. Squires
Gossipy wife of a Quartet member/Pick-a-little Lady (25-60); Constable Lock Town "law and order." (45-70+); Also
need Newspaper Readers, Conductor, Traveling Salesmen, Townspeople/Kids (6-99).uditions Held at: (Dates: May 4th @ 2:00 PM
& May 5th @ 7:00 PM. Heritage Christian Church, 2130 Redwine Road, Fayetteville, GA 30215. Performances Dates: Fridays
& Saturdays; July 11, 12, 18 & 19 - @ 8:00 PM. Auditions will consist of: A pre-prepared song is required, no accompanist
may be provided, so bring a cd or tape (cued to your song) to aid you. Cold readings from the script and improv exercises
as well as some dancing may be required, so dress accordingly. Anyone who can play a musical instrument is encouraged to attend.
Playing a musical instrument is NOT a requirement for this show.
Auditions for Odd Couple (Female Version)
We will be holding auditions for Neil Simon's Odd Couple (Female Version) on Mon. May 19 and Tues May
20 at 7:30 pm at the Legion Theater in Downtown Cartersville.
Come Back To The Five And Dime
CenterStage North Theatre announces auditions for the upcoming
production of "Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" by Ed Graczyk. Directed by Jeffrey
Bigger. Audition dates are Tuesday May 6th and Wednesday May 7th from 7PM to 9PM at The Art Place Mountainview (3330
Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, GA 30066). Show dates are August 8 - August 17, 2008. Needed are 8 women and 1
male ages 20-40. All roles open, small stipend paid. Auditions will consist of cold reading from the script. No
appointment necessary. Bring a headshot and resume. For more details visit online at www.centerstagenorth.org
or send an email to feedback@centerstagenorth.org.
General Chorus Audition
The Atlanta Opera will be holding general chorus auditions on May 10, 10:30 am-4:30 pm at The Atlanta Opera
Center (1575 Northside Drive, N.W, Bldg. 300, Suite 350, Atlanta, Georgia 30318). Casting will be for the 2008-09 season Madama
Butterfly, La Cenerentola, Il Trovatore, Der Fliegende Holländer and Akhnaten. Requirements to audition:
must be at least 18 years of age, must be a local / regional resident due to the rehearsal schedule, and must be available
to rehearse evenings and weekends. Please prepare two complete pieces from the following genres: opera, art song, or classical
musical theatre (Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, musical theatre before 1990, etc.). One selection should be in
a foreign language and the other in English. You may bring an accompanist or one will be provided for you; please bring sheet
music. Call 404.881.8801, ext. 114 or email auditions@atlantaopera.org to schedule an audition time; please include a phone
number and email address in the message. Auditions are by appointment only; requests to audition must be received by May 8.
We will only hear singers who have not previously auditioned for The Atlanta Opera Chorus.
2008 Summer Season Fabrefaction Theatre Company
is holding auditions for its 2008 Summer Season. Productions are for a variety of age ranges and include: Disney's
Sleeping Beauty Kids (rising 1-6 graders) June 13-14, Thoroughly Modern Millie (rising 7-graduated HS seniors)
June 20-21, Bat Boy the Musical (students in 7-12 grade and professionals 18+) July 18-19, The Beauty Queen of
Leenane (2m 1w 1 older woman 55+) July 25-26, and Sondheim's Assassins (professionals 18+ and one boy 7-14)
August 8-9. No pay offered. Students in high school or younger pay tuition. Scholarships and financial aide available. For
the musicals please prepare 1 contemporary monologue and 1 song from musical theatre. For Beauty Queen, please prepare 2 contemporary
2 minute monologues. Non-equity auditions. Auditions held at our theatre at 925 Bowen Street Atlanta GA 30318 (right off of
Howell Mill Road). Headshot/recent picture and resume required for all auditions. Auditions held May 13-16 starting at 7:00pm.
To sign up for an audition slot please email info@fabrefaction.org or call 800-567-2940. For more information please go to
our website at www.fabrefaction.org Rumors
Kudzu Playhouse will hold open non equity auditions for Rumors by Neil Simon on June 17 (Tuesday) and June
18 (Wednesday) from 7-9pm at 10743 Alpharetta Highway, Brannon Square Shopping Center, Roswell, Ga. 30076. Four couples are
invited to the house of a deputy New York City mayor and his wife to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. The party
never begins because the host has shot himself in the head (a flesh wound). An attempted suicide - or is it? A missing wife,
missing cook, a damaged car, whip lash, a reoccurring back spasm, and rumors galore add to the comedic mayhem and the situation
gets progressively more difficult to sustain when nobody can remember who has been told what about whom. Performances will
be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2:30pm from August 29-September 28, 2008. 5 men and 5 woman between the ages of
mid 20's and 60. Go to www.kudzuplayhouse.org or call 770-594-1020 if you need any other information. See you at the theatre.
| |
| | | |
| March 11th
2008
|
| | |
| |
| Dear Reader, |
A bunch
of shows opening and some great reviews by Brad Rudy. This looks like a good week to catch a show. Also, check out our site.
We are updating it every Tuesday now. Brad also has a review of Great Expectations. Click Here to see it!
Also- PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL & ASK FOLKS TO SUBSCRIBE!
Quote of the issue-
I think theater ought to be theatrical ... you know, shuffling the pack in different
ways so that it's -- there's always some kind of ambush involved in the experience. You're being ambushed by an
unexpected word, or by an elephant falling out of the cupboard, whatever it is. TOM STOPPARD, interview, March
10, 1999 | | | | | | You're A Good Man Charlie Brown
Button Theatre
|
HAPPINESS IS
Grade: B+
(With Apologies to Charles Schulz and Clark Gesner)
Happiness Is
Going to a Musical
with my Little Girl.
Seeing an old Favorite Done Right.
Being Pleased with additions and changes to that old Favorite.
Happiness Is
Any Time spent with the words of Charles Schulz
Any Time spent with Characters of Charles Schulz
Any Time spent with the Wisdom of Charles Schulz
Happiness Is
Seeing Kristie Krabe with Blonde Hair.
Seeing Kristie Krabe on stage at any time.
Seeing Kristie Krabe make me forget Kristin Chenoweth.
Happiness Is
Seeing talented people perform for the first time.
Seeing Maura Carey Gebhart make crabbiness HOT HOT HOT.
Seeing Nick Arapoglou channel a dog.
Happiness Is
Seeing a musical with live musicians.
Seeing a musical with no artificial amplification.
Seeing a musical in which the cast can actually sing and dance
and act.
Happiness Is
My little girl begging me to play the music from a show we just
saw.
Hearing my little girl rattle off the "Peter Rabbit"
lyrics after hearing the
song only once.
Any time I can spend with my little girl in a theatre.
For Happiness is any time and any show at all, that makes me
feel this good.
-- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
Postscript: I apologize if the structure of
this pseudoreview does not let me go into more detail. This ensemble is one of the most talented groups
I've seen in days (I admittedly have seen a lot of talented ensembles this year), this is one of my all-time shows, and
the production is a delight for kids (round-headed or otherwise) and their children. My quibbles are pointless,
and will remain unsaid, because the positives of this production overwhelm them and makes them petty. This
show is a gift to us all | |
| Riverdance Returns To The Fox
|
RIVERDANCE, the thunderous celebration of Irish music, song and dance that has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions
of people around the globe, will play eight Farewell Performances at The Fabulous Fox Theatre from May 13
- 18 as part of the Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America - Atlanta 2008 season.
Tickets for RIVERDANCE will go on sale Sunday, March 16. Tickets for RIVERDANCE are $25.00-$62.00 and
available through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 404-817-8700. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed
by calling 404-881-2000.
The performance schedule for RIVERDANCE
is:
Tuesday, May 13
8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14
8 p.m. Thursday, May 15
8 p.m. Friday, May 16
8 p.m. Sunday, May 18
1 p.m., 6:30 p.m. "Since 1996, the success of RIVERDANCE
in North America has gone beyond our wildest dreams," said producer Moya Doherty. "The fact that
the show continues to draw and excite audiences 13 years after its debut in Dublin is a tribute to every dancer, singer,
musician, staff and crew member who have dedicated themselves to the show."
Composed by Bill
Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, to date, RIVERDANCE
has played over 10,000 performances, been seen live by more than 21 million
people in over 300 venues throughout 32 countries across 4
continents. They have traveled well over 500,000 miles (or to
the moon and back!), played to a worldwide television audience of nearly 2 billion; sold over 2.5
million copies of the Grammy Award-winning CD (certified Platinum in the US) and
over 9 million videos making itone of the best-selling entertainment
videos in the world!RIVERDANCE had its world premiere at the Point Theatre, Dublin, in February 1995, where it opened to unanimous critical acclaim.
What began as a seven-minute dance segment on the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest (televised
to over 300 million people in Europe) and then quickly turned into a full-scale production has become much more than an
international theatrical success. "I believe Riverdance has been
basically a pathfinder," said Niall O'Dowd, founder of Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice newspaper. Along
with the peace process in Northern Ireland and the economic miracle in Ireland proper, the show "has been a hugely important
part of a transformation of the image of Ireland in the last 20 years."
In a flash, RIVERDANCE
became Ireland's greatest ambassador and the thirst began. RIVERDANCE changed
the face of Irish dance and despite its imitators, has remained on top and was voted the #1 Variety/Family Entertainment
Show in the US (1998).
There have been
many milestones along the way including the distinction of being the largest Western musical to play China; a record-breaking
line of 100 Irish dancers mesmerizing 85,000 people at the 2004 Special Olympics in Dublin; a 10th Anniversary
celebration at Radio City Music Hall; dancing in Red Square and on the Great Wall of China and much more.
Of all the performances
to emerge from Ireland in the past decade, nothing can compare to the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of RIVERDANCE.
An innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song, RIVERDANCEdraws on Irish
traditions and the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music to the present day capturing the imagination
of audiences across all ages and cultures. This extraordinarily unique show features an international company all performing
to the magic of Bill Whelan's music. The Atlanta engagement of RIVERDANCEis presented by arrangement with Broadway
Across America-Atlanta. Broadway Across America-Atlanta proudly presents
Broadway productions in Atlanta as a member of Broadway Across America. Broadway Across America-Atlanta thanks its sponsors for their continued support of the Series: The Georgian Terrace, as
the Official Hotel, Sprint PCS as the Official Wireless Provider, Fidelity Investments and Publix.
| PROOF,
now playing at Theatre On Main
On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday,
Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now,
following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions
of Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind.
Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the
most difficult problem of all: How much of her father's madness or genius will she inherit? This play by David
Auburn won several Tony awards and can now be seen in a version directed by Alan DeRocher. The cast includes Kellen John,
Jessica Reidell, Mark Bradbury & Daniel Sickbert. For more information go to: www.Theatreonmain.net
| |
| March 3rd
2008
|
| | |
| |
| Dear Reader, |
This newsletter has 2 great Rudy Reviews! Plus some info on Galaxy Musical Theatre. Many openings this
week including proof at Theatre On Main, A Musical review at Kudzu and Teachers! The Musical at Blackwell Playhouse.
In Fridays, you will learn about a new restaurant (Simon's) that you will love & more auditions!
Also- PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL & ASK FOLKS TO SUBSCRIBE!
Quote of the issue-
It is a hopeless endeavour
to attract people to a theatre unless they can be first brought to believe that they will never get in.
CHARLES DICKENS, Nicholas Nickleby |
| | | | |
The Missionary Position
Horizon Theatre Co
|
ON
BALANCE
Grade: A For me, Religion in Politics
has become a "Hot Button" Issue. For me, faith is (or should be) a matter of personal conscience,
and should not dictate how politics is made. For me, Secularism is an ideal that demands a political (that
is, governmental) neutrality towards religion and matters of faith. Of course, most of us have a penchant for combining our values
with the religious texts that often provide their genesis (if you'll forgive the play on words). The
most difficult thing in the world is to separate "what we believe" from "why we believe it," to recognize
that the "values" we identify as religious, are shared by those who don't share our particular faith (or lack
thereof).
All this
is to let you know the philosophical filters through which I watched Horizon Theatre's production of "The Missionary
Position" by Keith Reddin. That I believe this is an excellent play given an excellent production
should, on no account, blind you to its virtues if, in fact, you believe everything I said above is hogwash of the highest
order.
In summary,
Roger (Brik Berkes) is a "Christian Political Operative," a consultant in the campaign of an unseen Republican
Presidential hopeful. He holds court in "Multiple Hotel Rooms Across the Nation," all looking
the same except for the painting above the bed and the view off the balcony. He develops an intense dislike
for the Candidate's Finance Manager (Anthony Rodriguez) and an affection for a Conservative Congressional Candidate (an
hysterically funny Tess Malis Kincaid). A single act leads to a conflict of conscience and politics and
creates a denouement that has come distressingly familiar to those of us who follow politics with an avid, indeed, with
a voyeuristic obsession.
On the whole,
I found a lot of balance in this play. We do NOT see a wafer-thin caricature of the sort of buffoon those
of us on the Secular Left suspect is under the expensive suits of Evangelicals who enter the political arena.
We DO see his blinders, the filters we suspect are there on everyone who is passionate about any belief, religious
or otherwise.
We are given
one disturbing scene in which Roger makes a snap judgment about a pregnant cleaning woman, and cruelly lectures her about
salvation and responsibility, knowing nothing about her or her situation. This is balanced by a surprisingly
tender scene, a dream Roger has about a long-lost love, and a happiness he could have enjoyed. And we
see Roger being treated in the end in the exact same way (with the exact same blocking) in which he treated the hapless
maid earlier.
This
is a very tightly written script, that would, in lesser hands, seem contrived. Every action, every argument
is balanced by another in which a lie or minor hypocrisy is revealed, or a character is made to pay, to be "hoist on
his own petard." All the Hotel Rooms are the same (because they're on the same set), but this
lets Roger be confused about where he is. The device also comments on the homogenization of Americana.
All the maids are played by the same actress (a marvelous Bethany Irby, who handles with aplomb at least four different
dialects and five different characters), but this makes it inevitable that Roger will mix them up. His
Dream scene then justifies why he would think they look alike. I think the key to the success of this play is Brik Berkes.
He is on stage from beginning to end, and must make us not only like this character, but understand why he acts as
he does, why he MUST make the choices he does. We can respect his Passion and his Drive, even if we disagree
with its justification. For me, his performance opened this character to a level of understanding I didn't
expect, given my own blinders. Yes, he makes mistakes, can be a judgmental prig, and embodies all the
misguided Religious-Polical confluence we expect. But he is surprisingly likeable, surprisingly unhypocritical
(in some ways), and, when faced with his mistakes and shortcomings, unsurprisingly repentant. At one point,
he makes a long monologue involving the death of his step-father moving and appalling at the same time - and true to the
character and the play. This is one of the best performances of the year, and some of the finest work
I've seen from Mr. Berkes.
Tess Malis
Kincaid again makes us realize she is one of the best comic actress in this (or any) city. She takes what
is essentially a comic foil character, one who embodies all the clichés we Lefties have come to expect from the Right,
but finds the humanity and humor in her. We don't laugh at any "gags" or "schtick"
she has come up with, but by the truth of the character she has created for us. She makes us laugh by
simple vocal inflection, body posture, and honesty. I loved everything about her performance!
Rounding
out the cast, Anthony Roderiguez is hilariously gruff and profane (I think my ears are still bleeding from some of his Mamet-like
dialog) who perfectly embodies the savvy political operative this (and every) candidate needs. His Neil
is a perfect counterpart to Mr. Berkes' Roger, and their conflict is honestly arrived at, honestly portrayed, and perfectly
realized.
With many
(though, to my mind, not enough) references to the current political circus, this production is timely, funny, provoking,
and, to my mind balanced.
Of course,
given my own unbalanced mindset, this may be a position you approach with a missionary skepticism. -- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com) |
|
Shake up at Galaxy
|
 What happened? Many of those hopeful to audition were stunned to learn on Saturday that
Galaxy was canceling their upcoming production because of funding issues. the actual official word on their web page is:
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Galaxy
Music Theatre's upcoming production of the rock opera TOMMYhas been postponed until further notice. Please stay tuned for information
regarding upcoming events at Galaxy Music Theatre.Low funding is an issue for many theatres these days. We have seen Onstage Atlanta and
other pillars of the theatre community ravaged by financial problems. To be fair, Galaxy seems to be hitting the same brick
wall over and over. at least three productions have been halted due to financial problems. George M was halted while it was
in rehearsal and so was A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To The Forum. This now makes 3 times. We believe this may be a record.
Many are asking, why does this keep happening to Galaxy. Is it poor planning? You think they
would have the financial thing figured out before they move forward. On the other hand, Galaxy and it's artistic director
has brought us many great shows over the years. Mostly because of the vision of artistic directorS. Craig McConnell. Sometimes it takes a risk taker to achieve
the great shows that he has achieved is the past. One suggestion-A smaller budget musical? The truth is, despite the frustration
of Galaxy closing yet another show before it has begun-we love them, appreciate what they have added to the community and
hope that we can help them get back on their feet!
Email us Galaxy and let us know
hoe we can help!
R. Lilly
|
COMPANY
PBS
BOBBY UNBOUND
Grade:
A+ In the dark of the morning, on the first of March, a local PBS station
finally broadcast the "Great Performances" taping of the 2006 Broadway Revival of "Company," the groundbreaking
Sondheim musical from 1970. It was worth the wait (and the DVR Memory). Conceived
originally as a series of sketches about Marriage and Manhattan by actor George Furth, the musical enters the head of Bobby,
a bachelor turning 35, as he contemplates the ups and downs of marriage and bachelorhood. He is "Best Friends"
with five couples, and a willing audience to the marital dramas and comedies that unfold for him. Riddled with ambivalence
("Sorry-Grateful" being the song that best embodies all the confusions that marriage, that any close relationship,
brings), the musical is funny and sad and moving and infuriating and melodic and atonal, often all in the same moment.
Central to this production is the outstanding Tony-nominated performance by Raúl Esparza.
Productions of "Company" rise and fall on how "Bobby" is presented. A few years ago, Actors Express
gave us a production with an outstanding supporting cast, but a Bobby who wallowed in self-pitying angst without an ounce
of charisma. Back in my Central PA days, I stage-managed a production with a similar problem - outstanding supporting
players, but a weak Bobby played by a jerk who couldn't help making his Bobby a jerk. Here, though, we see the appeal
Bobby has for this group of couples. Mr. Esparza is always appealing, always charming, always THINKING. The Video
Camera gives us a window to his mind that would be lost in a theatre - everything is a calculation, a comparison, a judgment
- you can see the gears turning behind his eyes. This is a character with all the scripted paradoxes in place, outgoing
yet tight-assed, lonely yet never alone, successful yet yearning. When he finally lets his guard down, with a from-the-soul
"NO" before "Being Alive," it's not a "Poor Pitiful Me" overreaction like we saw at AE,
it's a plea to "Get your voices out of my head and let me work this out!" Throughout, he has been struggling
with the sense that something is missing, something unknown. It's not "marriage" per se, that's missing
(the too-easy too-common interpretation), it's the entire spectrum of life, the panoply of conflicts and pleasures that
make up being "not alone." A word needs to be said here about director
John Doyle's stylistic flourish of having the cast provide the accompaniment (we'll see this take on "Sweeney
Todd" when the touring company comes to the Fox in a few months). This works especially well here - it emphasizes
the "in Bobby's Head" nature of the piece - these friends provide not only the soundtrack of Bobby's life,
but the accompaniment as well. The fact that the cast becomes bound to their instruments is not the impediment you would
think. It requires them to be on stage throughout. And this device takes
on a symbolic aura when Bobby finally sits down at the piano for "Being Alive" - by becoming "bound" to
an instrument like his friends, he is paradoxically becoming "unbound" in his mind. And, the instruments become
a source of amusement when they are used as props - Joanne tapping here champagne glass instead of a triangle, the trio of
"girlfriends" playing sax "Doo Doo Do Doo's" instead of singing them, April's Tuba (you heard
that right) being used as a seduction aid (you heard that right, too). The set is dominated by the Grand Piano, which
plays at various times a park bench, a bar, a bed, and, oh yes, a Grand Piano. The only other set piece is a Greek Column,
with all the phallic implications intact (and exploited). The supporting cast (many
of whom were cast in Cincinnati, where this production premiered) also deserve "shout-outs" and thanks. I
especially liked Heather Walsh's Amy (this is the funniest "Getting Married Today" I've ever seen), Elizabeth
Stanley's Bubble-voiced April, and Barbara Walsh's Joanne. But it's Mr. Esparza's Bobby who dominates
this production (in a passive, "I'm just watching" way, of course). Purists
may object to the cutting of the "Tick Tock" Dance number, the changing of the Tap Line in "Side by Side"
to an instrumental line, and the staging of the "Karate Scene" with the fighters on opposite sides of the stage,
but I don't. (Well, I did miss "Tick Tock"). What is gained is worth sacrifice, and more.
This production proves that the play is not "cemented" to a '70's mileau, that the views of marriage remain
relevant almost forty years after they were written, that the songs have melodies that stay with you (as Mark Twain once said
about Wagner, "the music isn't as bad as it sounds"), and that Raúl Esparza is certainly bound for stardom.
This is a great production of a great play given a very good video treatment (Broadway
Director Lonny Price directed the video aspect - a good choice). This won't be deleted from my DVR any time soon
-- I really liked spending time in its company. -- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)
| |
| Feb 8
2008
|
| | |
| |
| Dear Reader, |
Lots of productions! Also, some new auditions posted. Coming up in a few weeks: We will post how you can
win tickets to Broadway Across America's Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neely.
Check out Actor's Apparel-To
view these, CLICK HERE.
Also- PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL & ASK FOLKS TO SUBSCRIBE!
| | | | | |
Blackwell Playhouse Goes Into The Woods
|
It opened on Broadway in 1987 to critical acclaim. Bernadette Peters solidified herself as a Broadway icon
in that production playing the Witch. Later Vanessa Williams tried on the role. The show has had plastic, wooden and dancing
cows. It is none other than Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine's , Into The Woods. The show with a very different view
point on commonly known fairy tales.
The Blackwell Playhouse opens their production Friday night. The show (Directed
by Rob Hardie) features Sydney Ransom and Brian Clements as the Baker's Wife & Baker and Amanda Leigh Pickard as the
Witch. The show also features Samantha Blinn as Little Red, Megan Luckett as Cinderella and Ali Guitterez as Jack.
The show is music directed by Annie Cook and choreographed by Jennifer Smiles. Songs include: Giants In The Shy, The Steps
Of The Palace and No More.
The show runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm thru March 1st. Special Matinees with
Teenage understudies play on thw 17th & 24th of February at 3:00PM. The Blackwell Playhouse is at 3378 Canton RD in Marietta
, GA. Call (678) 213-3311 for tickets.
|
|
Aurora offers Valentine's
Day Treat!
| Aurora Theatre is
giving patrons a decidedly different entertainment option this Valentine's Day weekend by offering a special edition of
the popular series Funny Fridays. After a very successful first endeavor last October and overflowing crowds in January it
is clear that Gwinnettians are enjoying the club comedy presented by Aurora Theatre in conjunction with Uptown Comedy Corner.
This special V-Day Edition of Funny Fridays on February, 15 at 8:00 PM is a last minute addition to the Aurora Theatre Calendar.
The original Uptown Comedy
Corner helped launch the careers of stars like
Chris Tucker, Damon Wayans, Mo'Nique, Bruce Bruce, and many
more top comics continues to be an crowd favorite in Atlanta's midtown. Funny Friday's are presented
with real comedy club feel in the Discovery Point Studio Theatre at Aurora Theatre. Don't miss your chance to catch a rising star at Aurora Theatre and with seating for only 90 you will want to
reserve your tickets today. The featured
act is the comic troupe The Blacktop Circus, the nation's
leading African-American improvisational comedy troupe, with host comedian
extraordinaire Swift and a group of new comics for each date in the series.
The Blacktop Circus is always funny, always positive, using audience
suggestions and turning them into hilarious scenes, songs, and sketches. Then after tickling your funny bone as a group the
individual members will showcase their skills with a set of stand-up. Tickets $15
Aurora Theatre Subscribers $12
678.226.6222 www.auroratheatre.com | ONSTAGE OFFERS A LESSON
BEFORE DYING
|
Button Theatre, Gwinnett County's newest professional theater, will present the hit musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, March 6 - March 30 at the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts
at the Gwinnett Center. Directed by Button Theatre founding member Mary Carolyn Conti, with musical direction by Ginny Lockhart
and choreography by Kristie Krabe. Music and lyrics by Clark Gesner with new and revised scenes by Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party).
This is Button Theatre's second production, and is sure to be fun for the
whole family. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is best described as an average
day in the life of Charlie Brown made up of little moments in his life, from Valentine's Day to the baseball season, from
wild optimism to utter despair, all mixed in with the lives of his friends (both human and non-human) in the span of a single
day, from the bright uncertain morning to the hopeful starlit evening.
The story of the play itself is told through
a series of vignettes that m! imic the four-panel format used by the original cartoon strip, "Peanuts." This panel
format is supplemented with longer passages that are vaguely reminiscent of Shakespearean soliloquies and by musical interludes.
The cast includes Charlie Bradshaw as Charlie Brown, Nick Arapoglou as Snoopy, Matthew Carter as Linus, Maura Carey Gebhardt
as Lucy, Kristie Krabe as Sally and Nathan Phillips as Schroeder.
Performances are Thursdays - Sundays and begin
at 8 pm with a 2 pm matinée on Sundays. Tickets for the performances are $20.00. Group and Senior rates are also available.
Tickets can be reserved by calling 770-831-0591 or by going to the www.buttontheatre.com. Season tickets are also available for $50 each and will include You're a Good Man,
Charlie Brown and the remainder of Button's Season - Barefoot in the Park
and Company.
|
| AUDITIONS |
Auditions sponsored by:
The Who's TOMMY
Galaxy Music Theatre will hold open, non-equity auditions for "The Who's TOMMY," on Sunday,
March 2nd at 6:00 p.m., and Monday, March 3rd at 7:00 p.m., at Onstage Atlanta. We are seeking eleven men and seven women,
between the ages of sixteen and thirty. The show will be blind cast with regard to race, so persons of any ethnicity are encouraged
to audition. Women should be able to belt well in the alto range. Men should be able to belt in a pop tenor range. Please
prepare two songs in the pop/rock genre. Broadway show tunes are discouraged, unless they are from a show that is pop/rock
in style. An accompanist will be provided. Please bring your sheet music. Auditionees should also be prepared to dance/move.
"The Who's TOMMY" will be produced on the mainstage at Onstage Atlanta, May 8-24, 2008. The show is directed
by Jeffery Brown, with musical direction by Anne Cook and choreography by Nicole Morris. A small stipend will be paid. For
more information or to make an audition appointment, please call 404-658-1460, or email info@galaxymusictheatre.com.
2008 Summer Musical Revue Highlands Playhouse will be holding auditions for it's "70th Jubilee Musical Revue", a revue
of great Broadway songs Feb. 16, 11am - 2pm. We are looking for 3 female, 2 male singers that can sell a song and also move
well. Audition Requirements: 2 songs - up-tempo & ballad - headshot and resume preferred but not required - pianist provided
and/or CD accompaniment is allowed. This will be held at Atlanta Lyric's Byers Theatre, 1705 Commerce Dr. Atlanta, GA
30318. Auditions are by appointment which are made by calling Sam Dunaway / 770-981-4305. The show will rehearse in Atlanta
July 14th-19th and run for 3 weeks (Tuesday-Sunday) in Highlands, North Carolina July 21st - August 10th. Lodging and financial
compensation is provided.
Spring/Summer
season Stone Mountain Park, a division of HFEC (Dollywood, is gearing up
for the Spring/Summer season with a new country music revue produced by IO Productions. IO Productions is based in Cincinnati,
Ohio and has been producing sensational theme park entertainment for over eight years. IO is the proud recipient of two IAAPA
Big E Awards for Best Overall Production as well as three individual Big E Outstanding Performer Awards going to their singer/dancers.
We are also casting for improv street performers and musicians, singer/actors for our train show and Veggie Tales sing along,
ring master type personalities for our new Backyard Circus show, storytellers, costumed mascots, show barkers and many more.
Over 40 positions available! Auditions will be held February 13th 1:00-5:30pm, February 14th 5:00-9:30pm and for returning
employees February 15th 1:00-5:30pm at Stone Mountain Park. Actors and Singers: Be prepared to do a one-minute comedic monologue
suitable for family entertainment. Singers, be prepared to sing 16 bars of an upbeat pop/musical theatre song with accompaniment
(bring sheet music) that shows your range. Accompanist provided. Be prepared to do a movement combination taught at auditions.
Specialty Performers: Be prepared to perform 90 seconds of your best material. Musicians: Be prepared to play three 30 second
selections to show your versatility. Please include at least one Bluegrass or Country selection. Mascots/Ushers/Handlers/Barkers:
Be prepared to do a cold reading which will be provided when you arrive. Be prepared to do a movement combination taught at
auditions. Please bring a headshot and resume. Callbacks will be held the day of your audition. Wear clothes and shoes you
can move in. To schedule an audition call 770-498-5681.
2008
Summer Musical Revue Highlands Playhouse will be holding auditions for it's
"70th Jubilee Musical Revue", a revue of great Broadway songs Feb. 16, 11am - 2pm. We are looking for 3 female,
2 male singers that can sell a song and also move well. Audition Requirements: 2 songs - up-tempo & ballad - headshot
and resume preferred but not required - pianist provided and/or CD accompaniment is allowed. This will be held at Atlanta
Lyric's Byers Theatre, 1705 Commerce Dr. Atlanta, GA 30318. Auditions are by appointment which are made by calling Sam
Dunaway / 770-981-4305. The show will rehearse in Atlanta July 14th-19th and run for 3 weeks (Tuesday-Sunday) in Highlands,
North Carolina July 21st - August 10th. Lodging and financial compensation is provided.
Stone Mountain Park, a division of HFEC (Dollywood, is gearing up
for the Spring/Summer season with a new country music revue produced by IO Productions. IO Productions is based in Cincinnati,
Ohio and has been producing sensational theme park entertainment for over eight years. IO is the proud recipient of two IAAPA
Big E Awards for Best Overall Production as well as three individual Big E Outstanding Performer Awards going to their singer/dancers.
We are also casting for improv street performers and musicians, singer/actors for our train show and Veggie Tales sing along,
ring master type personalities for our new Backyard Circus show, storytellers, costumed mascots, show barkers and many more.
Over 40 positions available! Auditions will be held February 13th 1:00-5:30pm, February 14th 5:00-9:30pm and for returning
employees February 15th 1:00-5:30pm at Stone Mountain Park (directions: Click HERE.) Actors and Singers: Be prepared to do a one-minute comedic monologue suitable for family entertainment. Singers, be prepared
to sing 16 bars of an upbeat pop/musical theatre song with accompaniment (bring sheet music) that shows your range. Accompanist
provided. Be prepared to do a movement combination taught at auditions. Specialty Performers: Be prepared to perform 90 seconds
of your best material. Musicians: Be prepared to play three 30 second selections to show your versatility. Please include
at least one Bluegrass or Country selection. Mascots/Ushers/Handlers/Barkers: Be prepared to do a cold reading which will
be provided when you arrive. Be prepared to do a movement combination taught at auditions. Please bring a headshot and resume.
Callbacks will be held the day of your audition. Wear clothes and shoes you can move in. To schedule an audition call 770-498-5681.
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Adults and childrens of all ages, sizes, and body types are heartliy encouraged to join us in this wonderful
rendition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Audtions will be held February 25 and 26 of 2008. Please prepare a 1 minute
monologue, and be ready for a cold script reading! We look forward to meeting you. For more information you can visit our
website, http://www.henryplayers.com/, call 770.914.1474, or email TheHenryPlayers@gmail.com
Les Miserables; School Edition
All youth ages 10 through 19 are encouraged to audition for this moving musical. The rehearsal will be done
in a workshop format focusing on instruction for youth interested in learning about acting, singing, character development,
and techinical stage set design as well as lighting design. Auditions will be held March 24, 25, and 27. Please prepare a
1 to 2 minute song, a 1 minute monologue, and be prepared to read cold from the script. An audtion workshop will also be held
for this who would like to understand the audition process and prepare for this and other audtions. See our website http://www.henryplayers.com/, or email TheHenryPlayers@gmail.com for more information
The Sound of Music
Auditions for ages 8 & up for the Towne Lake Players production of "The Sound of Music". Tuesday
March 11, Wednesday March 12, and Thursday March 13 from 7-9:30pm by appointment only. Prepare a broadway-style song and bring
a tape, cd or sheet music if available -- you may sing acapella. Auditions will also consist of cold readings from the script.
Rehearsal times and dates will be posted on the website and distributed at auditions. Performances scheduled May 16 - June
1, 2008. after February 11, 2008 to make an appointment.
Beauty and the Beast
Auditions for ages 8 & up for "Beauty and the Beast" Tuesday March 25, Wednesday March 26,
Thursday March 27 by appointment only. Prepare a song and bring a tape, cd, or sheet music if available -- you may sing acapella.
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Rehearsal times and dates will be posted on the website and distributed
at auditions. Performances for "Beauty and the Beast" are June 11 - 29, 2008.
|
| | |
| |
| OCT 23 2007
|
| | |
| |
| Dear Reader, |
New Reviews are in and can be seen by CLICK HERE for those. October is a great theatre month. Check out all the openings and ongoing shows at www.Atlanta theatrebuzz.com
Also- PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL & ASK FOLKS
TO SUBSCRIBE!
| SUZI AWARDS UPDATE
|
Join us for the celebration
as the awards are announced!
The 2007 Suzi Bass
Awards
Monday * November 5, 2007 * 8:00 pm
The Egyptian Ballroom
at the Fabulous Fox Theatre
Tickets $25.00
Creative Black Tie
(Ticket includes catered after-party) Cash Bar.
For tickets, please visit www.suziawards.org
Below please find
the list of currently running "Suzi eligible" shows.
*****PLAYS*****
Bach at Leipzig
Presented by Aurora Theatre.
Through October 28, 2007. Thursdays
through Saturdays at 8:00 PM. Saturdays and
Sunday at 2:30 PM.
Please contact the box office at 678-226-6222.
www.auroratheatre.com
Comparing Books
Presented by Jewish Theatre of the South. Through November 4, 2007.
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM. Sundays at 3:00 PM.
Please
contact the box office at 770-395-2654
www.jplay.org
Rabbit Hole
Presented by Theatre in the Square. Through November 11, 2007.
Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM. Wednesday 11/07/07 at 2:30 PM.
Sundays at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM. Please contact the box office at 770-
422-8369.
www.theatreinthesquare.com
Richard III
Presented by Georgia Shakespeare. Through November 4, 2007.
Thursdays through Sundays at 8:00 PM. Sundays at 2:00 PM. Please
contact
the box office at 404.264.0020.
www.gashakespeare.org
*****MUSICALS*****
Jacques Brel is Alive and
Well and Living in Paris
Presented by the Alliance Theatre on the Hertz Stage. Through
October 28, 2007. Tuesdays through Fridays at 8:00 PM. Saturdays at
2:30 and 8:00 PM. Sundays at 2:30 and 7:30 PM. Please contact the
box
office at 404.733.5000.
www.alliancetheatre.org
The Water Coolers: An Office Musical
Presented by Horizon Theatre. Through
November 11, 2007. Wednesdays
through Fridays at 8:00 PM. Saturdays at 8:30 PM.
Sundays at 5:00
PM. Additional matinees on Saturday 9/29 and 10/6 at 3:00 PM.
Please contact the box office at 404.584.7452.
www.horizontheatre.com
******************************************
What
does "Suzi Eligible" mean?
Five judges see submitted shows on opening
night, then each judge
votes for any elements they deem OUTSTANDING.
Based on those votes and according to the published formula, the
judging chair determines whether the show is designated "Suzi
Eligible."
"Suzi Eligible" means the production is eligible for nomination at
the end of the season. The rest of the judging panel is then
required to see the show before it closes.
Also, a "Suzi Eligible"
designation means that the producing theatre
is required to provide a complimentary
ticket for each of the 22-25
judges on the panel.
All elements of the show are included in the nominating ballot at the
end
of the season, not just the elements that secured the designation.
For more
information, please visit our website at www.suziawards.org
**************************************
| | | | | | Monster Bash &
Last Chamce to Catch Bach at the Aurora!
|
The Metro Waterproofing Strickland Family Main Stage will be frightfully decked out
for this special Halloween Show and guests are encouraged but not required to come in costume. This Spooktactular event includes
selections from The Phantom of the Opera, Little
Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Wicked and much more! Tuesday October 30 at 8:00 PM
Tickets $20
Aurora Theatre Subscribers
$15
678.226.6222 
| Blithe Spirit
opens in Acworth
|
 Try to imagine the goings on when a deceased wife turns up to haunt her
husband and his current wife! This is
the setting for a hilarious comedy involving
mayhem, trances, and ectoplasmic manifestations.
Watch as this menagerie of characters struggles
to come to term with each other.
That is the premise of Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward. the show opens this Friday at Theatre
On Main in Acworth. The show is directed by Bernadette DeRocher, and stars Tony Bowers, Patti Tuckett, Ginny Slifcak,
Michael Dillson
Rene Voige, Barbara McFann, and Samantha Darby.
For more information go to Theatreonmain.net
|
| AUDITIONS |
CINDERELLA
Arcado Community Theatre announces auditions for the Rodgers and Hammerstein's
musical Cinderella on Monday, October 22 and Thursday, October 25, from 7:00-9:00 P.M. at Arcado School, 5150 Arcado Road,
Lilburn, GA. Looking for six women, four men, plus numerous small roles, and a large singing/acting/dancing ensemble. Cold
reading from script. Prepare one song. An accompanist and CD/cassette player will be available. Non equity, non paid. Rehearsals
will begin January 7 and performances are March 7-9, 2008 at Shiloh High School in Gwinnett County. Call 770-682-6633 for
further information. Into The WoodsBlackwell Playhouse in Marietta, GA will be holding auditions for Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods.
Auditions will be held at the playhouse, located at 3380 Canton Road in Marietta on Sunday, November 11th at 6pm and Monday.
November 12th at 7pm. Auditions will consist of a 1 minute comic monologue, a "Sondheim" style song and possibly
some movement. Call Backs to be determined. The show will run Feb 8th-March 1st on Friday & Saturday nights. There will
be 2 1/2 weeks off from rehearsal starting Dec 19th-Jan 3rd. The show is Directed by Rob Hardie, Music Directed by Annie
Cook and choreographed by Jennifer Smiles. For more information email the director at MrHardiesir@aol.com, or call the playhouse at (678) 213-3311.Various Auditions at The Legacy
The Legacy Theatre, a full-time professional theatre, is seeking to immediately cast several roles in its
2007-2008 mainstage and children's season. NON-EQUITY PERFORMERS ONLY. Currently seeking to cast the role of "Harry
Heywood" in It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Plays the role of Clarence the Angel as well as 11
other roles. Versatile, older character actor with strong vocal and acting skills. Performances are Nov. 23-Dec. 16. Weekends
only. Rehearsals begin November 2. Also seeking to fill the role of "Will" in Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs
of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Strong singer and "mover." Review experience a plus. Could play Will Parker, but also
right for Lt. Cable. Vocal Range: C to F sharp. Performances are Jan. 25-Feb. 17. Also casting the role of "Timothy"
in The Cay. African-American male with the ability to play 70+ years old. Speaks with West Indian accent. Physical actor,
large stage presence, preferably familiar with children's theatre. All ages welcome to audition. Performances Feb. 4-15
at 9AM and 11AM, Mon.-Fri., one Sat. morning performance. Paid positions. To be considered for these roles please send headshot
and resume via e-mail to mark@thelegacytheatre.org or by mail to The Legacy Theatre, PO Box 984, Tyrone, GA 30290. For more information call the theatre at (404) 895-1473.
Nutrition Theatre FoodPlay Productions is casting FoodPlay, an Emmy-Award-winning, fun-filled nutrition theater show featuring
amazing juggling, colorful characters, motivating messages, music, magic, and audience participation to help children learn
how to take charge of growing up healthy and fit. Rehearsals start January/February, Performances run February thru May/June
(depending on contracts) at schools in the Middle to Eastern U.S. Pay, travel, lodging, and some meals provided. Seeking -
Coach: male or female with an energetic physicality. Must be willing to learn basic juggling. Janey/Johnny: male or female
with a background in juggling, youthful appearance and energy. Advanced juggling and other special skills a plus. Must be
proficient in basic juggling and willing to learn some tricks. Both actors must be able to present a good role model for young
children, have a strong speaking voice, great stage presence and an interest in working with children. Both actors must be
over 18 and have a valid driver's license. Auditions will be held by appointment November 1st starting at 10AM at the
Meeting Room in the Microtel Inn 1840 Corporate Blvd NE Atlanta, GA 30329. To schedule an appointment, send pix and resumes
by October 26th to 1 Sunset Ave, Hatfield MA 01038 ATTN. Cecilia Lighthall or by email: cecilia@foodplay.com. Wear comfortable clothing; prepare a 2 minute family appropriate comedic monologue, perform a cold reading and demonstrate
special skills. GENERAL AUDITIONS (Georgia Shakespeare) Actors may call
Brooke Collins, Company Manager (404-504-3403) to schedule an appointment for the Georgia Shakespeare 2008 General Auditions.
The dates for the 2008 season auditions are as follows: Sunday, October 28: Equity and Non-Equity actors; Monday, October
29: Equity actors ONLY; Tuesday, October 30: Equity actors ONLY Wednesday, October 31: Equity actors and Non-Equity actors.
All general auditions are held in Atlanta, at the Conant Performing Arts Center, on the campus of Oglethorpe University. These
auditions are by appointment only. All audition days will run from 10:00AM to 1:00PM and 2:00PM to 5:00PM. Actors will schedule
a 10-minute time slot. A general audition for Georgia Shakespeare includes two contrasting monologues, 90 seconds each, at
least one of which MUST be from Shakespeare. Actors must bring a headshot and resume. Casting opportunities for the 2008 repertory
summer season include William Shakespeare's As You Like It, Sophocles' Antigone, William
Shakespeare's All's Well that Ends Well. Our fall
show will be William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. The opening dates are as follows: June 13 (As You Like It),
June 27 (Antigone) and July 11 (Alls Well that Ends Well) for the summer rep season, and October 10 (Merchant), respectively.
There is additional casting opportunity for the educational tour of William Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet and Shakespeare's Greatest Hits!, non-equity actors only, directed by Allen
O'Reilly. Contract will be from the beginning of January through the end of March. More information can be found at www.gashakespeare.org.Please Note: If you attended the Atlanta Unified Auditions this spring then that will also serve as a General Audition for Georgia
Shakespeare. We will review all headshots and resumes from Unifieds before scheduling callbacks for the various projects in
our 2008 season.
The Wiz
True Colors Theatre Company announces auditions for ages 7-27, for The Wiz, directed
by Kenny Leon, on October 13 and 14. All audition appointment info is listed on the company's website, click above. Appointments
are highly recommended, walkups will be accommodated as time allows. To schedule an appointment, one must email an application,
available to download on the company's website. Please have the following prepared for your audition: One- to two-minute
poem or monologue; a verse of a song (a capella); and be prepared and dressed appropriately to learn and perform a dance routine.
The Wiz rehearsals will begin mid-November and the production runs December 19 - 30, 2007. Theater of the Stars will hold auditions for adult roles
in a brand new production of ANNIE on Friday, November 9 at the Atlanta Opera, located at 728 West Peachtree Street, at 10
am. Call Backs will be at 2 pm and this will also be a Dance Call. The show is scheduled to go into rehearsals in Atlanta
on December 31, 2007. Performance dates at the Fabulous Fox Theatre are January 9-13, 2008. Looking for male and female actors
who sing and dance well. Must bring two head shots and resume. Bring your own sheet music and be prepared to sing one short
standard musical theater song. Musical accompaniment will be provided. Equity auditions on November 9 by appointment only.
Contact Marguerite Daniel at Theater of the Stars, 404-252-8960, or marguerite@theaterofthestars.com Into
The WoodsBlackwell Playhouse in Marietta, GA will be holding auditions for Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods. Auditions
will be held at the playhouse, located at 3380 Canton Road in Marietta on Sunday, November 11th at 6pm and Monday. November
12th at 7pm. Auditions will consist of a 1 minute comic monologue, a "Sondheim" style song and possibly some movement.
Call Backs to be determined. The show will run Feb 8th-March 1st on Friday & Saturday nights. There will be 2 1/2 weeks
off from rehearsal starting Dec 19th-Jan 3rd. The show is Directed by Rob Hardie, Music Directed by Annie Cook and choreographed
by Jennifer Smiles. For more information email the director at MrHardiesir@aol.com, or call the playhouse at (678) 213-3311.High School MusicalAuditions for ages 10 through 18 only (5th grade through 12th grade)
for the Towne Lake Players non-equity production of "Disney's High School Musical". Tuesday November
6, Wednesday November 7, and Thursday November 8 from 7-9:30pm By Appointment Only.
Cold Readings from the script.cd or sheet music if possible - or sing
a cappella. Rehearsal times and dates will be posted on the website and distributed at auditions. Performances scheduled
January 11 - February 3, 2008. Call 678-494-4251 to make an appointment. The Towne Lake Arts Center
- 6576 Commerce Pkwy Woodstock, GA 30189
Prepare an upbeat, pop song, bring tape, www.tlaclive.org
ANNIE - Theatre Of The Stars
Theater of the Stars will hold auditions for youth chorus and ensemble
roles in a brand new production of ANNIE on Saturday, November 10th at Dillard's Department Store at Atlantic Station
in the Children's Department from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is from 10-11 a.m. and children must be at registration
in order to audition. Atlantic Station is conveniently located at the 16h Street Exit of 1-75 & I-85 in downtown Atlanta.
There is plenty of parking in the P-1 lot at Dillard's. For directions and more information about Atlantic Station visit
their web site at www.atlanticstation.com Interested girls between the ages of 7 and 13 years old who sing and dance should bring two 8X10 head shots and resumes,
with all contact information attached. Head shots will not be returned. You must have these materials with you in order to
audition. Children should be prepared to sing songs from the show to audition, including "Hard Knock Life" and "You're
Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile." Musical accompaniment will be provided. This audition is for chorus roles and ensemble
parts. Performance dates are January 9-13, 2008 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Conducting these auditions will be Director/Choreographer
Norb Joerder and Children's Music Director Bill Newberry. Joerder's credits include The Music Man with John Schneider
and Annie Get Your Gun with Andrea McArdle. Newberry is the Music Director for Camp Broadway, the vocal coach for American
Idol finalist Diana DeGarmo, and most recently worked with Theater of the Stars on the family favorite The Wizard of Oz and
the smash hit, Disney's High School Musical. Contact: Marguerite Daniel at Theater of the Stars, 404-252-8960 or marguerite@theaterofthestars.com Centerstage North Theatre will conduct open, non-Equity auditions
for it's Holiday production of the backstage farce "Inspecting Carol" by Daniel Sullivan. Auditions will be
on Monday, October 15th from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at The Art Place - Mountain View, located at 3330 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta,
GA 30066. Needed are 5 men ages 25-60+ (one male role is specifically for an African-American) and 4 women ages
30-60. No appointment necessary. Please come prepared to do cold readings from the scipt. No pay offered for this production.
Rehearsals begin the week of October 22nd. Show dates are December 7th - 16th. For more information, please visit website,
www.centerstagenorth.org or emal director Barbara Rudy @ BKRudy@aol.com. No telephone calls, please.
Annie
ANNIE AUDITIONS! Holly Theatre. Orphan Roles :Saturday, October 13th from 10-4
pm Adult Roles on Monday, October 15th from 7-10 pm The Holly Theatre Company announces auditions for the main stage production
of ANNIE, to be presented November 29-December 16th at the Historic Holly Theatre. Auditions for the 7 orphan roles (including
Annie) will be held on Saturday, October 13th from 10-4 pm. Call-backs will be held the same day at 4:30 pm. All who wish
to audition must be able to do so on that Saturday and be available for call-backs if necessary. Auditions for the Annie and
the orphans will consist of one song (can be from the show), a cold reading and a brief dance audition. Please bring your
sheet music clearly marked and in the correct key. An accompanist will be provided. CD tracks are also acceptable. All auditioning
must be available to commit to rehearsals on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7-10 pm and Saturdays from 1-5 pm. Rehearsals
will be held over the Thanksgiving weekend, and all cast must be available. Auditions for the adult lead, supporting adult
and ensemble roles will take place on Monday, October 15th from 7-10 pm with callbacks that same evening. Please prepare one
up-tempo Broadway style song, bring sheet music clearly marked and in the correct key. CD tracks are acceptable. Cold readings
and a brief dance audition will also be required. All auditioning must be available to commit to rehearsals on Monday and
Wednesday evenings from 7-10 pm and Saturdays from 1-5 pm. Rehearsals will be held over the Thanksgiving weekend, and all
cast must be available. Directors: Colleen Green & Leigh Ann McIlvain Choreographer: Becky Binion Production Manager:
Nick DeMore To sign up for an audition time, please contact Nick DeMore at the Holly business office at 706-864-3759. We are
only able to take as many auditionees as we have slots available for and will sign people up on a first come, first serve
basis.
Footloose Jerry's Habima Theatre, recipient of the 2007 Spirit of Suzi Bass Award,
announces auditions for the male lead role of Ren in FOOTLOOSE. Jerry's Habima Theatre, now in its 15th season, hires
a professional actor each year to augment it's ensemble of adult actors with developmental disabilities. This is a unique,
amazing, unforgettable opportunity for the right actor. Auditions will be held on Monday, October 22nd, from 7:00-9:00 pm
at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in Dunwoody, home of Jewish Theatre of the South. Please be prepared to sing
a song and do a cold reading. Rehearsals begin in January, show closes March 30th. Non-Equity only. Paid position. For further
information, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Dina Shadwell at 770-395-2626 or dina.shadwell@atlantajcc.org. Inherit the Wind
Inherit the Wind by Jerome
Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Directed by Joseph McLaughlin Auditions-November 30@7:30pm and Dec 1 @2pm Cold reading from the
script Cast Needed: 1 boy & 1 girl - preteen, 5 women - 20's and up, and 18 men - 20's & up On a scorching
July day in 1925, a trial began in Dayton, Tennessee, pitting two intellectual greats of the time against each other. At issue
was a state law banning the teaching of evolution and a Dayton teacher's knowing infringement of that law. For twelve
days, Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes captured the nation's attention as a media circus swept through Dayton, carrying
the historical event to a world of readers and listeners. Thirty years later, playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
published their dramatized account of the trial in Inherit the Wind. Though they fictionalized and consolidated much of the
actual event, the essence endures. For as they brought history to life again, they found the central issues were as current
as ever, and the American public embraced the play as a great drama. Today, more than forty years since Inherit the Wind reached
Broadway, America continues to revive the story both in film and on stage. Performance Dates-Feb 29,March 1,2,7,8,9,14,15,16
All auditions are held at the Norcross Community and Cultural Arts Center-10 Britt St. Norcross GA 30071 For more information
call 770-806-0935 or see our website lionhearttheatre.org
| |
| Sept 20th 2007
|
| | |
| |
| Dear Reader, |
First off, Brad has a new review of God's Man In Texas. CLICK HERE to view.
You can win 2 tickets to the Holly Theatre's production of: CHICAGO. Just answer the following question: Name 3 actresses who have played
the role of Roxie Hart on Broadway. Of those that answer correctly, we will pull one winner. just reply to this email with
your answer!
Thank you to Colleen at the Holly for helping us out with this promotion!
Also, check out
our new columnist:Theatre Guy. He will write a new column every week, that you can
post your comments on!
Also- PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL & ASK
FOLKS TO SUBSCRIBE!
| CHICAGO
ROCKS THE HOLLY
|  CHICAGO, The Musical, The Holly Theatre Company's most anticipated musical
of the season will be showing live on stage at the Historic Holly Theatre Sept. 28-Oct 14th.
CHICAGO is a Kander and Ebb musical
story of murder, greed and the quest for stardom as two chorus girls in Chicago in the 1920's prohibition era fight their
way top billing with the press. CHICAGO is a true satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and that
ever present concept of the "celebrity criminal". CHICAGO is electrifying with sensational dancing and a dazzling
score which includes "ALL THAT JAZZ". "RAZZLE DAZZLE" and many more. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10
for students. Get tickets and info by calling: 706-864-3759
or online at http://www.hollytheater.com |
| | | | | Theatre Guy asks: Is
the Atlanta Theatre Community a "Divided House"?
|  My First column, and already I am stirring the stew. I have come to a conclusion after listening to several backstage,
cast party and on line conversations. Atlanta thespians can be quite cruel. It kind of baffles me. You see, I am not naive.
I understand the clique thing. In fact, while some might argue that it is wrong for theatres to have them, I disagree. I am
not a director, or an artistic director. I do understand people having a comfort level with those they have worked with before.
Bonds and friendships develop. If the clique gets in the way of "common sense" casting, then I might take issue.
I thank the theatre gods that this usually does not happen. The strange trend I am seeing is folks putting down others levels
of talent, so to raise there own. Saying things like,"that person has no business being on stage!" Very rarely
when that comment is made, is it actually true. Why can't we accept that there are many levels of actors, theatres and
productions? Why can't we support all levels, instead of pushing our own agenda as the only game in town? I have heard
horrid comments made at the expense of newbie actors. I guess what I am trying to say is: WAKE UP! We are in the minority.
In a society where sports gets the attention and funding, we should applaud any new theatrical endeavor (now matter how tiny).
It furthers our cause! Every new actor is a new "Convert" to our theatre world (And a potential audience member
if they stick around). Anyone who has acted in a local show sees the need for men, yet we chase away newcomers. We often make
them feel inferior. We should keep in mind that we didn't always know what we know or have our current skill set. Let's
nurture and help our community grow. I really believe that it is this self serving attitude that is bringing down the once
theatrical giants like Onstage and Theatre Decatur. I do believe that there is hope and people who see this. Onstage is starting
to grow again. Theatre Decatur is bringing in more new blood. the playground is big enough for all. So, let's not scoff
at the kids who aren't ready for the monkey bars.
Have a comment on this? CLICK HERE! | I LOVE
YOU, YOUR PERFECT, NOW CHANGE!
|  I
LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro Music by Jimmy Roberts
SEPTEMBER
27 - OCTOBER 14, 2007
Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays at 8pm & Sundays at 2pm Theatre Decatur
is proud to present "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change", which will perform instead of "Driving
Miss Daisy." With book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts "I Love
You, You're Perfect, Now Change" will be sure to entertain and delight. This celebration of the mating game takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary
conundrum known as "the relationship." Act I explores the journey from dating and waiting
to love and marriage, while Act II reveals the agonies and triumphs of in-laws and newborns, trips in the
family car and pick-up techniques of the geriatric set. This hilarious revue pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, to those who have fallen
on their face at the portal of romance, to those who have dared to ask, "Say, what are you doing Saturday
night?" Tickets are $18-24. |
The Beams Are Creaking
|
Samford Studio's production of "The Beams are Creaking" is about Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, who established a seminary and a new church in addition to joining a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Beautifully
written, this poignant story will touch your mind, heart, and spirit.
Samford is a theater located on the campus of AvondaleFirstBaptistChurch in Avondale Estates.
Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00PM and Sundays at 2:00PM, September 21 to October 7. (However, there will be no performance on October 5.) Tickets
are $15.00. For more information or to order tickets, go to www.samfordstudio.com, or call 404-915-6863. Group rates (only $12.00) are available for groups of ten or more. To order group tickets,
please call us.
Starring Dave Lauby as Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Scott Buckley, Jackson Cole, Dean Fowler, Johnny Griffin,
Cy Lynch, Daryle Maroney, Angela Mitchell, James Ogden,
Tere O'Harrow, Alan Thiemann Directed by Laura Griffin
|
| AUDITIONS |
Annie
ANNIE AUDITIONS! Holly Theatre. Orphan Roles â€" Saturday, October
13th from 10-4 pm Adult Roles on Monday, October 15th from 7-10 pm The Holly Theatre Company announces auditions for the main
stage production of A | |
|
