Something “Wicked” this way comes
“Wicked” that “thrillifying” musical is casting its magical spell at the Bushnell through December 9.
The musical, first produced on Broadway in 2003 where it won Tony Awards for costumes and set and best actress in a musical, is based on the novel by the same name, written by Gregory Maguire.
Basically it is the story of L. Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” but all upside down, inside out, and backwards, from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West.
That witch, named Elphaba (a tip of the hat from Maguire to Baum, whose initials L.F.B. make up her acronymed name) is, as most know, green as green can be, from the tip of her head to the bottom of her toes.
Bookish Elphaba, played with underdog passion by understudy Marcie Dodd at last Thursday’s matinee performance, is roomed with the young, blonde and beautiful Glinda, the eventual Good Witch, at witches’ boarding school, and it is “loath” at first sight. Glinda is played to comic perfection by Katie Rose Clarke.
Its a story of girl meets girl, girl loathes girl, girl likes girl, boy comes into the picture and falls in love with girl, but “witch” girl? And…well, the ending won’t be “spoil-afied” here.
The story eventually catches up to the plot of the original, with Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion making cameo appearances.
But there are other subtexts within the plot, too, with grown up political implications. The Wizard of Oz, played with alacrity by P.J. Benjamin, is manipulating the world he runs to maintain his power, with the help of his public relations assistant, the Madame Morrible, played with “fantabulicious eviliosity” by Alma Cuervo.
The color green also symbolizes the fragility of nature. In this Ozian world where the animals could speak, but are eventually literally used as scapegoats by the Wizard with the unwitting assistance of Elphaba, to make Oz citizens unite against nature to explain why the world has gone horribly wrong.
The music has a “popish” fast-paced up beat, and the performers were all energetic, professional, and well rehearsed, singing songs such as “No One Mourns the Wicked,” “Wonderful,” and “For Good.”
Particularly moving song was the song at the end of Act One, “Defying Gravity,” sung with power and passion by Dodd.
Clarke as Glinda the Good Witch was “spenderificently” goofy as the perfectly popular and spoiled Glinda. Her comic talents were well showcased in the song “Popular.”
At one point early on in the musical Glinda’s will is thwarted and she says in a stunned manner, “I didn't get my way…I think I need to sit down.”
Later in the classroom, when the learned professor Dr. Dillamond, who happens to be a sheep, played “baaaa-rilliantly” by Tom Flynn, is waxing philosophic about the problems in their world, Glinda blurted out “Don’t you think you could just stop harping on the past and teach us history instead?”
There is a prince, because honestly, what fantasy tale could be complete without one?
However, in this musical that prince, named Fiyero, is a partying callow cad, played with just the right air of entitlement by Cliffton Hall, who proudly announces he is working on “learning to live the unexamined life by dancing through life.”
The steel-girded, solid set with outsized clockwork gears designed by Eugene Lee resembled an industrial nightmarish vision right out of a Tim Burton movie.
The costumes by Susan Hilferty were unequivocally brilliant in color, detail, variety, and design. From Glinda’s “Little Mermaid”-like light blue glittery gown, to the asymmetrically ruffled and petticoated party dresses of the ensemble, to Madame Morrible’s bustled floor-sweeping extravaganza, the costumes were a fanciful amalgamation of Dr. Seuss-meets-Christian Lacroix’s haute couture in munchkin land.
This musical appeals to all ages, but seems to resonate particularly with teenagers, with its moral that appearances are deceiving. Last Thursday’s matinee performance was filled to near capacity, and over half the attendees were school-aged kids. But is the show too frightening for the very young?
At the conclusion of the show one 9-year-old boy told his mother that he thought the flying monkeys were creepy, but his 4-year-old brother was unfazed.
However, children younger than four-years-old are not allowed by management to see the show. Those flying monkeys were pretty creepy.
A good litmus test for the musical would be, if your child has seen the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” and isn’t frightened, then by all means, they are vigorously “encouragized” to go see “Wicked.”
WICKED
Three Stars
Theater: The Bushnell
Location: The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by Winnie Holzman. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Directed by Joe Mantello. Musical staging by Wayne Cilento. Set by Eugene Lee. Costumes by Susan Hilferty.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours, with one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday Nov. 8 p.m., Saturday Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Tuesday- Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. through Dec. 9
Tickets: $39-$84. Call 987-5900 or visit their Web site at www.bushnell.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Katie Rose Clarke...Glinda
Carmen Cusack...Elphaba
Cliffton Hall...Fiyero
Alma Cuervo...Madame Morrible
Deedee Magno Hall...Nessarose
Brad Weinstock...Boq
P.J. Benjamin...The Wizard of Oz
Paul Slade Smith...Witch’s father, Ozian official, Wizard and Dillamond understudy, ensemble
Tom Flynn...Doctor Dillamond
Kyle Hill...Chistery
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Wizard in Wicked says show is Wonderful
Unless you are Kermit the frog, being born green ain’t easy.
That’s just part of the story behind “Wicked,” the Broadway musical coming to the Bushnell Memorial as part of its national tour.
Based on the novel of the same name, written Gregory Maguire, the show is the “pre-quel” to the story of the Wizard of Oz, before Dorothy came on the scene.
“Wicked” examines at the relationship between the green witch of the north, Elphaba, and the Glinda, the witch of the west.
“When you are born green, and people pick on you, it makes you mean,” P.J. Benjamin who plays the role of the Wizard in the musical, says.
“The eventual acceptance of that person who is not born ‘normal’ is what makes the show have such a universal appeal,” Benjamin observes.
A theatre veteran with over 35 years of experience, including roles in “Chicago,” “Torch Song Trilogy,” and “Pippin,” the Chicago, Il. native is excited about his current character.
Of his role as the Wizard in the land of Oz, Benjamin says: “He is a little darker than in the movie. What do you do when things are falling apart around you? He takes the pressure off himself by turning on the animals,” placing all the blame for on what he perceives, and wants everyone to believe is their common enemy.
Benjamin, who said he never missed a day for sickness during his year and a half touring with “Wicked,” and rarely has missed a day in his long career, said he Hartford will be his last stop with the show.
“I love playing the role of the Wizard, but it is time,” he acknowledges. “All the ingredients came together and made this show. It is wonderful to be a part of this.”
With over 35 years on the stage, Benjamin said nothing he has ever done before has had the impact on audiences the way this musical has.
“What is interesting about this show is that appeals to everyone,” the actor says. “I think because you have two witches with two different points of view who learn to accept each other.”
Benjamin says in addition to its appeal to adults as well as children, “Wicked” has a universal message of acceptance of those who are different, which strikes a chord with audiences everywhere.
“If everyone could do that in the world, what a better place it would be,” Benjamin says. “I am glad kids are seeing our show. Maybe they will become more accepting of others.”
In addition to the show’s theme, Benjamin says “the music is terrific and it is a funny show, and a touching show.”
The music and lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz of “Godspell” and “Pippin” fame, with the book by Winnie Holzman.
“It is wonderful to see so many children coming to the show, and the grandparents and adults,” Benjamin adds. “It is not just for kids.
And even though he wouldn’t say how the musical ends, he did say “one thing good about our show is there is a surprise ending.”
The show opens in Hartford on Wednesday, Nov. 14 and runs through Sunday, Dec. 9.
To purchases tickets, call the Bushnell box office at 987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org
Unless you are Kermit the frog, being born green ain’t easy.
That’s just part of the story behind “Wicked,” the Broadway musical coming to the Bushnell Memorial as part of its national tour.
Based on the novel of the same name, written Gregory Maguire, the show is the “pre-quel” to the story of the Wizard of Oz, before Dorothy came on the scene.
“Wicked” examines at the relationship between the green witch of the north, Elphaba, and the Glinda, the witch of the west.
“When you are born green, and people pick on you, it makes you mean,” P.J. Benjamin who plays the role of the Wizard in the musical, says.
“The eventual acceptance of that person who is not born ‘normal’ is what makes the show have such a universal appeal,” Benjamin observes.
A theatre veteran with over 35 years of experience, including roles in “Chicago,” “Torch Song Trilogy,” and “Pippin,” the Chicago, Il. native is excited about his current character.
Of his role as the Wizard in the land of Oz, Benjamin says: “He is a little darker than in the movie. What do you do when things are falling apart around you? He takes the pressure off himself by turning on the animals,” placing all the blame for on what he perceives, and wants everyone to believe is their common enemy.
Benjamin, who said he never missed a day for sickness during his year and a half touring with “Wicked,” and rarely has missed a day in his long career, said he Hartford will be his last stop with the show.
“I love playing the role of the Wizard, but it is time,” he acknowledges. “All the ingredients came together and made this show. It is wonderful to be a part of this.”
With over 35 years on the stage, Benjamin said nothing he has ever done before has had the impact on audiences the way this musical has.
“What is interesting about this show is that appeals to everyone,” the actor says. “I think because you have two witches with two different points of view who learn to accept each other.”
Benjamin says in addition to its appeal to adults as well as children, “Wicked” has a universal message of acceptance of those who are different, which strikes a chord with audiences everywhere.
“If everyone could do that in the world, what a better place it would be,” Benjamin says. “I am glad kids are seeing our show. Maybe they will become more accepting of others.”
In addition to the show’s theme, Benjamin says “the music is terrific and it is a funny show, and a touching show.”
The music and lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz of “Godspell” and “Pippin” fame, with the book by Winnie Holzman.
“It is wonderful to see so many children coming to the show, and the grandparents and adults,” Benjamin adds. “It is not just for kids.
And even though he wouldn’t say how the musical ends, he did say “one thing good about our show is there is a surprise ending.”
The show opens in Hartford on Wednesday, Nov. 14 and runs through Sunday, Dec. 9.
To purchases tickets, call the Bushnell box office at 987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org
Monday, October 29, 2007
"1776" the musical a soupcon of romance at Goodspeed
Who would have thought that the story of our founding fathers’ political debates for independence from England would be fertile material for a Tony Award winning musical?
First produced in New York in 1969, it seems an unlikely combination to be sure, but one that ultimately succeeds in the current production at the Goodspeed Opera House.
Through debate, song, some humor, and a soupcon of romance, the Goodspeed, under the direction of Rob Ruggiero, has put together an entertaining and ultimately informative show, particularly instructive for those of us who managed to snooze through our American History class in high school.
The story, music, and concept were the brainchild of Sherman Edwards, a former history teacher who was also a successful songwriter.
Based on actual events with some artistic license, the decision to claim independence from England cobbled together in a sweltering Philadelphia in the summer of 1776 was not a foregone conclusion. Of the 13 colonies at the time, many were opposed to declaring war against England for a variety of reasons.
It is a complement to the musical that so many different characters were able to develop such distinct personalities in a relatively short period of time.
The casting couldn’t have been better, with everyone, from tall, handsome Thomas Jefferson played by Edward Watts with proper reserve towards the delegates and playful passion with his spouse, to the diminutive firecracker-tempered John Adams, played with intensity and passion by Peter A. Carey, to Ronn Carroll playing the wise and witty gout-ridden Benjamin Franklin, looking just as one imagines Ben should look, and behave.
At one point, Franklin begs the strident incessantly shouting Adams: “Softly John, your voice is hurting my foot.”
And while none of the songs had a “tune you can’t get out of your head” melody, they all worked well together — sometimes as exposition set to music, and other times as powerful drama — most notably at the beginning of the second act when Edward Rutledge, the South Carolina delegate, played with energy and punch by Glenn Seven Allen, sings a moving condemnation of northern hypocrisy in the song “Molasses to Rum,” about the economics of slavery.
A side note. There is an essay of dubious origin floating around in cyberspace called “The Price They Paid,” claiming many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence suffered a variety of atrocities by the British, including torture, before they died.
While the online document appears official, and has been believed on face value by many to be true, by and large it is not.
There are kernels of factual events within the propaganda piece, but ultimately it has been found by another online resource, called www.snopes.com, to be largely an exaggeration of events with fanciful layers of fiction.
The Snopes group researches urban legends and myths of all kinds to determine, where possible, what is true and what is false.
Build in 1876 by shipping and banking businessman William Goodspeed, could there be a more fitting venue for this musical than the historic Goodspeed Opera House?
Once again, Goodspeed appears to have spared no expense on their lavish costumes, designed by Alejo Vietti.
From the elaborate embroidery detailing on the southern delegates’ colorful velvet frocks, to the more simple and somber woolen outfits of the north, the costumes assisted immeasurably to visually recall who was who in this large, stellar cast.
On the challengingly small stage at the Goodspeed, a scant 21 feet wide, the set designed by Michael Schweikardt is a miracle of inventiveness, including a clever sliding brick wall used effectively in several scenes.
If you think you know who cast the last vote that changed the tide of American history, and what his motives were, you may be in for a surprise at the end of this fine ensemble performance.
1776
Three Stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main Street, East Haddam.
Production: Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Book by Peter Stone. Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Scenery design by Michael Schweikardt. Costume design by Alejo Wietti. Lighting design by John Lasiter. Orchestrations by Dan DeLange. Assistant musical director William J. Thomas. Production manager R. Glen Grusmark. Production stage manager Bradley G. Spachman.
Running time: 3 hours, with one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (select performances at 2 p.m., Nov. 1, 8, 15, and 29); Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.; and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., with Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m. through Sunday, Dec. 9.
Thanksgiving week schedule, Monday Nov. 19 and Friday Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $26 - $66. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their Web site at www.goodspeed.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Peter A. Carey...John Adams of Massachusetts
Ronn Carroll...Ben Franklin of Pennsylvania
Edward Watts...Thomas Jefferson of Virginia
Glenn Seven Allen...Edward Rutledge of South Carolina
Jayne Paterson...Abigail Adams*
Teal Wicks...Martha Jefferson
Will Lampe...Roger Sherman of Connecticut
Jay Goede...John Dickenson of Pennsylvania
Paul Jackel...Robert Livingston of New York
Alan Rust...John Hancock of Massachusetts
Jack Agnew...Dr. Josiah Bartlett of New Hampshire
John Newton...Stephen Hopkins of Rhode Island
Michael A. Pizzi...Lewis Morris of New York
Marc Kessler...James Wilson of Pennsylvania
Trip Plymale...Caesar Rodney of Delaware
Jerry Christakos...Jonathan Witherspoon of New Jersey
Kenneth Cavett...Col. Thomas McKean of Delaware
Dean Bellais...George Read of Delaware
Paul Carlin...Samuel Chase of Maryland
Michael P. White...Joseph Hawkes of North Carolina
* Beginning Oct. 31, Rebecca Watson will replace Jayne Watson.
By Kory Loucks
Journal Inquirer
Who would have thought that the story of our founding fathers’ political debates for independence from England would be fertile material for a Tony Award winning musical?
First produced in New York in 1969, it seems an unlikely combination to be sure, but one that ultimately succeeds in the current production at the Goodspeed Opera House.
Through debate, song, some humor, and a soupcon of romance, the Goodspeed, under the direction of Rob Ruggiero, has put together an entertaining and ultimately informative show, particularly instructive for those of us who managed to snooze through our American History class in high school.
The story, music, and concept were the brainchild of Sherman Edwards, a former history teacher who was also a successful songwriter.
Based on actual events with some artistic license, the decision to claim independence from England cobbled together in a sweltering Philadelphia in the summer of 1776 was not a foregone conclusion. Of the 13 colonies at the time, many were opposed to declaring war against England for a variety of reasons.
It is a complement to the musical that so many different characters were able to develop such distinct personalities in a relatively short period of time.
The casting couldn’t have been better, with everyone, from tall, handsome Thomas Jefferson played by Edward Watts with proper reserve towards the delegates and playful passion with his spouse, to the diminutive firecracker-tempered John Adams, played with intensity and passion by Peter A. Carey, to Ronn Carroll playing the wise and witty gout-ridden Benjamin Franklin, looking just as one imagines Ben should look, and behave.
At one point, Franklin begs the strident incessantly shouting Adams: “Softly John, your voice is hurting my foot.”
And while none of the songs had a “tune you can’t get out of your head” melody, they all worked well together — sometimes as exposition set to music, and other times as powerful drama — most notably at the beginning of the second act when Edward Rutledge, the South Carolina delegate, played with energy and punch by Glenn Seven Allen, sings a moving condemnation of northern hypocrisy in the song “Molasses to Rum,” about the economics of slavery.
A side note. There is an essay of dubious origin floating around in cyberspace called “The Price They Paid,” claiming many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence suffered a variety of atrocities by the British, including torture, before they died.
While the online document appears official, and has been believed on face value by many to be true, by and large it is not.
There are kernels of factual events within the propaganda piece, but ultimately it has been found by another online resource, called www.snopes.com, to be largely an exaggeration of events with fanciful layers of fiction.
The Snopes group researches urban legends and myths of all kinds to determine, where possible, what is true and what is false.
Build in 1876 by shipping and banking businessman William Goodspeed, could there be a more fitting venue for this musical than the historic Goodspeed Opera House?
Once again, Goodspeed appears to have spared no expense on their lavish costumes, designed by Alejo Vietti.
From the elaborate embroidery detailing on the southern delegates’ colorful velvet frocks, to the more simple and somber woolen outfits of the north, the costumes assisted immeasurably to visually recall who was who in this large, stellar cast.
On the challengingly small stage at the Goodspeed, a scant 21 feet wide, the set designed by Michael Schweikardt is a miracle of inventiveness, including a clever sliding brick wall used effectively in several scenes.
If you think you know who cast the last vote that changed the tide of American history, and what his motives were, you may be in for a surprise at the end of this fine ensemble performance.
1776
Three Stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main Street, East Haddam.
Production: Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Book by Peter Stone. Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Scenery design by Michael Schweikardt. Costume design by Alejo Wietti. Lighting design by John Lasiter. Orchestrations by Dan DeLange. Assistant musical director William J. Thomas. Production manager R. Glen Grusmark. Production stage manager Bradley G. Spachman.
Running time: 3 hours, with one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (select performances at 2 p.m., Nov. 1, 8, 15, and 29); Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.; and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., with Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m. through Sunday, Dec. 9.
Thanksgiving week schedule, Monday Nov. 19 and Friday Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $26 - $66. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their Web site at www.goodspeed.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Peter A. Carey...John Adams of Massachusetts
Ronn Carroll...Ben Franklin of Pennsylvania
Edward Watts...Thomas Jefferson of Virginia
Glenn Seven Allen...Edward Rutledge of South Carolina
Jayne Paterson...Abigail Adams*
Teal Wicks...Martha Jefferson
Will Lampe...Roger Sherman of Connecticut
Jay Goede...John Dickenson of Pennsylvania
Paul Jackel...Robert Livingston of New York
Alan Rust...John Hancock of Massachusetts
Jack Agnew...Dr. Josiah Bartlett of New Hampshire
John Newton...Stephen Hopkins of Rhode Island
Michael A. Pizzi...Lewis Morris of New York
Marc Kessler...James Wilson of Pennsylvania
Trip Plymale...Caesar Rodney of Delaware
Jerry Christakos...Jonathan Witherspoon of New Jersey
Kenneth Cavett...Col. Thomas McKean of Delaware
Dean Bellais...George Read of Delaware
Paul Carlin...Samuel Chase of Maryland
Michael P. White...Joseph Hawkes of North Carolina
* Beginning Oct. 31, Rebecca Watson will replace Jayne Watson.
By Kory Loucks
Journal Inquirer
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Chick, the Great Osram, like the man is flawed but ultimately fascinating
What happens when an immovable object meets an irrepressible force? Plenty of fireworks, frustration, but in the end, a legacy that is remarkable.
That is the story, told in three monologues, based on the life of J. Everett Austin, Jr., known as “Chick,” a young and fearless visionary, who came to Hartford at the tender age of 27 from Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum to be the director of the Wadsworth Atheneum.
So often museums seem to be repositories of the old and dead, but Austin arrival in Hartford attempted to change all that. He dragged the oldest museum in the country from the ancient, stuffy past towards the cutting edge of modern vital art.
It must have been a trying time to be a museum director anywhere — first with the Great Depression, and then World War II. Despite his rocky relationship with the board of directors, Austin remained there for 16 years, until he was asked to leave in 1944, moving on to direct the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla.
But in that 16 year span, what a legacy Austin left Hartford, particularly in the realm of modern art, but also accumulating important masterworks by Baroque painters such as the Italian artist, Caravaggio.
It is difficult to imagine today how the surrealist, cubist, and expressionist art of Pablo Picasso (who had his first America retrospective at the Wadsworth), Vincent Van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, Salvador Dali, Alexander Calder, Paul Klee, and Joan Miro could have been viewed with such violent and intense revolt, but that was exactly what Austin was up against.
The play is a chronological retelling of Austin’s life through three monologues, the first and last by Austin and the second by his wife, Helen. It felt like a lively, entertaining lecture on one man’s passion and vision of art, particularly modern art.
The first scene is set at Trinity College where Austin taught art history, the second is a living room at the couples’ home, which still stands on Scarborough Street in Hartford, and the third is a stage set where Austin preformed as a magician, the Great Osram.
Austin took the name of “Osram” from the name of a German light bulb company.
If ever there was an instance of perfect casting, this is it. Robert Sella, who plays Chick, looks uncannily like Austin, whose photograph is part of the program, and inhabits the character of the passionate and flawed man with energy and wit.
However, no matter how energetic one is, nothing but monologues gets to be a bit monotonous after a while.
Helen, well played by Sella’s real-life partner, Enid Graham, emerges as a sympathetic and unexpectedly non-conventional, but ultimately lonely woman — heartbreakingly in love with a flamboyant, gifted, narcissistic, gay man — love story that notably parallels Cole Porter’s complex relationship with his wife, Linda.
There were times during the production when the imaginary third wall was broken, and the actors would speak directly to the audience, but then at other times they would lament that there was no one there to share their story, which felt confusing and awkward.
The last act, featuring Austin’s magic act where he is dressed as a sea-god, and then transitions to his illness, had at times a silhouetted thorn bush branch lighting, which perhaps was an attempt to create a surrealistic theatre, but ultimately was difficult to follow and felt disjointed.
Rarely has a play’s program been such an excellent companion to a play. Thoroughly researched, it not only has a synopsis of Austin’s career, but also includes major events from 1927 till Austin’s death from cancer in 1957 at the age of 57.
In light of the financial difficulties the museum is currently struggling under, the timing of this play couldn’t be better. It is an entertaining reminder of the remarkable gift Austin’s legacy of vision and passion left us all.
CHICK, THE GREAT OSRAM
Three Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: By David Frimm. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scenic design by Tony Straiges. Costume design by David C. Woolard. Lighting design by Rui Rita. Original music and sound design by John Gromada. Magic consultant, Marc Gilday. Production stage manager Gregory R. Covert. Associate producer and dramaturg, Christopher Baker. Associate artistic director, Jeremy B. Cohen. Production manager, Deborah Vandergrift.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday (Oct. 28 only) at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., with Wednesday matinees on Oct. 31 and Nov. 7. Show runs through Nov. 11. No evening shows on Wednesday, Oct. 31 or Sunday, Nov. 11.
Sunday, Oct. 28 2 p.m. matinee and 7:20 p.m. shows will have a text screen display of dialog simultaneous with performance for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.
“Afterwords” discussion after the show led by artistic staff and actors on Oct. 23, Oct. 30 and Nov. 7 matinee.
Sunday afternoon discussion, Nov. 4, with associate producer Christopher Baker and special guest after the matinee performance.
Tickets: $37.50- $68.50. Call 527-5151 or visit their Web site at
www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Robert Sella...Chick
Enid Graham...Helen
What happens when an immovable object meets an irrepressible force? Plenty of fireworks, frustration, but in the end, a legacy that is remarkable.
That is the story, told in three monologues, based on the life of J. Everett Austin, Jr., known as “Chick,” a young and fearless visionary, who came to Hartford at the tender age of 27 from Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum to be the director of the Wadsworth Atheneum.
So often museums seem to be repositories of the old and dead, but Austin arrival in Hartford attempted to change all that. He dragged the oldest museum in the country from the ancient, stuffy past towards the cutting edge of modern vital art.
It must have been a trying time to be a museum director anywhere — first with the Great Depression, and then World War II. Despite his rocky relationship with the board of directors, Austin remained there for 16 years, until he was asked to leave in 1944, moving on to direct the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla.
But in that 16 year span, what a legacy Austin left Hartford, particularly in the realm of modern art, but also accumulating important masterworks by Baroque painters such as the Italian artist, Caravaggio.
It is difficult to imagine today how the surrealist, cubist, and expressionist art of Pablo Picasso (who had his first America retrospective at the Wadsworth), Vincent Van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, Salvador Dali, Alexander Calder, Paul Klee, and Joan Miro could have been viewed with such violent and intense revolt, but that was exactly what Austin was up against.
The play is a chronological retelling of Austin’s life through three monologues, the first and last by Austin and the second by his wife, Helen. It felt like a lively, entertaining lecture on one man’s passion and vision of art, particularly modern art.
The first scene is set at Trinity College where Austin taught art history, the second is a living room at the couples’ home, which still stands on Scarborough Street in Hartford, and the third is a stage set where Austin preformed as a magician, the Great Osram.
Austin took the name of “Osram” from the name of a German light bulb company.
If ever there was an instance of perfect casting, this is it. Robert Sella, who plays Chick, looks uncannily like Austin, whose photograph is part of the program, and inhabits the character of the passionate and flawed man with energy and wit.
However, no matter how energetic one is, nothing but monologues gets to be a bit monotonous after a while.
Helen, well played by Sella’s real-life partner, Enid Graham, emerges as a sympathetic and unexpectedly non-conventional, but ultimately lonely woman — heartbreakingly in love with a flamboyant, gifted, narcissistic, gay man — love story that notably parallels Cole Porter’s complex relationship with his wife, Linda.
There were times during the production when the imaginary third wall was broken, and the actors would speak directly to the audience, but then at other times they would lament that there was no one there to share their story, which felt confusing and awkward.
The last act, featuring Austin’s magic act where he is dressed as a sea-god, and then transitions to his illness, had at times a silhouetted thorn bush branch lighting, which perhaps was an attempt to create a surrealistic theatre, but ultimately was difficult to follow and felt disjointed.
Rarely has a play’s program been such an excellent companion to a play. Thoroughly researched, it not only has a synopsis of Austin’s career, but also includes major events from 1927 till Austin’s death from cancer in 1957 at the age of 57.
In light of the financial difficulties the museum is currently struggling under, the timing of this play couldn’t be better. It is an entertaining reminder of the remarkable gift Austin’s legacy of vision and passion left us all.
CHICK, THE GREAT OSRAM
Three Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: By David Frimm. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scenic design by Tony Straiges. Costume design by David C. Woolard. Lighting design by Rui Rita. Original music and sound design by John Gromada. Magic consultant, Marc Gilday. Production stage manager Gregory R. Covert. Associate producer and dramaturg, Christopher Baker. Associate artistic director, Jeremy B. Cohen. Production manager, Deborah Vandergrift.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday (Oct. 28 only) at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., with Wednesday matinees on Oct. 31 and Nov. 7. Show runs through Nov. 11. No evening shows on Wednesday, Oct. 31 or Sunday, Nov. 11.
Sunday, Oct. 28 2 p.m. matinee and 7:20 p.m. shows will have a text screen display of dialog simultaneous with performance for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.
“Afterwords” discussion after the show led by artistic staff and actors on Oct. 23, Oct. 30 and Nov. 7 matinee.
Sunday afternoon discussion, Nov. 4, with associate producer Christopher Baker and special guest after the matinee performance.
Tickets: $37.50- $68.50. Call 527-5151 or visit their Web site at
www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Robert Sella...Chick
Enid Graham...Helen
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Chick, The Great OsramThree Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: By David Frimm. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scenic design by Tony Straiges. Costume design by David C. Woolard. Lighting design by Rui Rita. Original music and sound design by John Gromada. Magic consultant, Marc Gilday. Production stage manager Gregory R. Covert. Associate producer and dramaturg, Christopher Baker. Associate artistic director, Jeremy B. Cohen. Production manager, Deborah Vandergrift.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday (Oct. 28 only) at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., with Wednesday matinees on Oct. 31 and Nov. 7. Show runs through Nov. 11. No evening shows on Wednesday, Oct. 31 or Sunday, Nov. 11.
Sunday, Oct. 28 2 p.m. matinee and 7:20 p.m. shows will have a text screen display of dialog simultaneous with performance for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. “Afterwords” discussion after the show led by artistic staff and actors on Oct. 23, Oct. 30 and Nov. 7 matinee. Sunday afternoon discussion, Nov. 4 with associate producer Christopher Baker and special guest after the matinee performance.
Tickets: $37.50- $68.50. Call 527-5151 or visit their Web site at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Robert Sella…. Chick
Enid Graham…. Helen
What happens when an immovable object meets an irrepressible force? Plenty of fireworks, frustration, and in the end, a legacy that is remarkable.
So often museums seem to be institutions of the old and dead. But there was a time in 1927 when a young and fearless visionary, J. Everett Austin, Jr., known as “Chick,” came to Hartford from Boston’s Fogg Museum to change all that, when he was appointed the director of the Wadsworth Athenaeum at the youthful age of 27.
Ah, the fearless audacity and confidence of youth. Austin dragged the oldest museum in the country, from the ancient stuffy past to the cutting edge of modern art.
It was a trying time to be a museum director anywhere - first with the Great Depression, and then World War II. Despite his rocky relationship with the board of directors, Austin remained there for six years, until he was asked to leave in 1944, and then went to direct the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla.
But in that short six year span, what a legacy Austin left Hartford, particularly with modern art, but also accumulating important masterpeices by baroque painters such as the Italian artist, Caravaggio.
It is difficult to imagine today how the surrealist, cubist, and expressionist art of Pablo Picasso (who had his first America retrospective at the Wadsworth), Van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, Salvador Dali, Alexander Calder, Paul Klee, and Joan Miro could have been viewed with such violent and intense revolt, but that was exactly what Austin was up against.
Of course, looking back now, his views and vision have all been vindicated, but at the time modern art was so new it was disturbing and misunderstood for many.
From the representational paintings, which Austin called “dead art,” to paintings in the moment, in the “now,” with visions right out of the artists’ imagination – that was where Austin’s passion lay.
Austin’s vision was to have the Athenaeum to be the center of all the arts, not just paintings, but also music, theatre, dance and, during his brief tenure was able to get the International style Avery wing built onto the museum, with it’s theatre, that still stands today. To that end, he invited the Russia ballet impresario George Balanchine to Hartford, but Balanchine eventually chose to settle in New York.
The play is a chronological retelling of Chick’s life through three monologues, the first and last by Chick and the second by his wife, Helen. It felt like a lively, entertaining lecture on one man’s passion and vision of art, particularly modern art.
The first scene is set at Trinity College where Austin taught art history, the second is a living room at the couples’ home, which still stands on Scarborough Street in Hartford, and the third is a stage where Austin preformed as a magician, the Great Ostram.
If ever there was an instance of perfect casting, this is it. Robert Sella, who plays Chick, looks uncannily like Austin, whose photograph is part of the program, and inhabits the character of the passionate and flawed man with energy and wit.
Helen, well played by Sella’s real-life partner, Enid Graham, emerges as a sympathetic and unexpectedly non-conventional, but ultimately lonely woman, heartbreaking in love with a flamboyant, narcissistic, gay man.
There is nothing sadder than being in love alone.
Rarely has a play’s program been such an excellent companion to a play. Thoroughly researched, it not only has a synopsis of Austin’s life, along with a chronology of his career and life, but also includes major events of the time, from 1927 till Austin’s death from cancer in 1957.
There were times during the production when the imaginary third wall was broken, and the actors would speak directly to the audience, but then at other times they would lament that there was no one there to share their story, which felt confusing and awkward.
The third act, with Austin’s magic act and then his illness, had at times a silhouetted thorn bush branch lighting, which perhaps was an attempt to create a surrealist theater?, but ultimately was difficult to follow and felt disjointed.
In light of the financial difficulties the museum is struggling under currently, the timing of this play couldn’t be better. It is an entertaining reminder of the remarkable gift Austin’s legacy of vision and passion left us all.
And perhaps the museum's board of directors might want to take a page from history, while searching for their next museum director.
Monday, October 08, 2007
The Arabian Nights
The Arabian Nights production at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre at the University of Connecticut is a Persian delight of sights, sounds energy and color.
The story of the Arabian Nights, here adapted by Mary Zimmerman, is an old one. A compellation of tales and legends gathered from oral traditions of India, Persia, Syria, Egypt and Arabia, and first written in Arabic around 1,200 years ago, may be familiar to many.
Also known as “1001 Nights,” the central story focuses on a king, Shahryar, (played with authority by Luke Daniels) who kills his wife after she is found in the arms of another. He proceeds to marry and summarily executes a new bride nightly, until he marries Scheherezade, (play by Lauretta Pope with gritty determination).
Scheherezade determines to tell Shahryar a tale nightly- each night ending with a cliffhanger so compelling he postpones her imminent death one more night, night after night for 1001 nights.
But what many may not know about this story is the variety, rich beauty, and humor within the numerous allegories, poetic allusions, fables and moral tales themselves.
The troop of 16 actors and musicians, a truly ensemble cast, weave an enchanting spell of visual and musical magic.
The first act has a carnival-like bawdy atmosphere, with precision juggling, energetic acrobatics and perfectly timed choreography are a perfect fit for this youthful college production.
The second act is more subdued, with a glorious elegiac, although rapid definition of the Koran shared with confidence by Hillary Leigh Parker, playing Sympathy the Learned.
The costumes, but Katarina Urosevic, are a visual riot of oranges, fuschias, purples, and blues. Particularly notable were the learned men’s vibrant robes at the start of the second act, in stark contrast to Sympathy's simple cream-colored garb.
The set on the thrust stage at the Nafe Katter Theatre was bestrewn with silken pillows and piles of oriental rugs, worked well to enhance the enchanted, mystical atmosphere.
Places evoked and referred to in this production, such as Iraq, Iran, Baghdad, and Basrah, are important reminders that the Middle East is much more than an embattled and war-scarred land, but home to a complex and glorious culture worth understanding, appreciating and respecting.
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
Three Stars
Location: Nafe Katter Theater 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: By Mary Zimmerman, Directed by Dale AJ Rose. Scenic design Isaac Ramsey. Lighting Design by Jen Rock. Costume design by Katarina Urosevic. Composer, Jamal Mohamed. Production stage manager by Mary P. Costello. Voice and speech coach, Karen Ryker. Choreographer, Monica Willding. Technical direction by John W. Parmelee. Choreographed by Monica Willding. Movement coach, Gregory Webster. Musicians Nickolai Ruskin and Fugan Dineen on percussion.
Running time: About 2 1/2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Oct. 14.
Tickets: From $11 to $28. Call 486-4266 or visit their Web site at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Luke Daniels...Shahryar and others
Lauretta Pope...Scheherezade and others
Catherine Yudain...Dunayzade and others
Nicholas Dillenburg...Harun al-Rashid and others
Michael Hanson...Jafar and others
Christopher Hirsh...Madman and others
Heddy Lahmann...Perfect Love and others
Daniel Sheridan...Jester and others
Dean Alcott...Greengrocer and others
Meghan O'Leary...Butcher and others
Andrew Grusetskie...Clarinetist and others
Dan O'Brien...Boy and others
Kate Shine...Girl and others
Joseph Gallina...Abu al-Hasan and others
Hillary Leigh Parker...Sympathy the Learned and others
Wayne Pyle...Ishak of Mosel and others
The Arabian Nights production at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre at the University of Connecticut is a Persian delight of sights, sounds energy and color.
The story of the Arabian Nights, here adapted by Mary Zimmerman, is an old one. A compellation of tales and legends gathered from oral traditions of India, Persia, Syria, Egypt and Arabia, and first written in Arabic around 1,200 years ago, may be familiar to many.
Also known as “1001 Nights,” the central story focuses on a king, Shahryar, (played with authority by Luke Daniels) who kills his wife after she is found in the arms of another. He proceeds to marry and summarily executes a new bride nightly, until he marries Scheherezade, (play by Lauretta Pope with gritty determination).
Scheherezade determines to tell Shahryar a tale nightly- each night ending with a cliffhanger so compelling he postpones her imminent death one more night, night after night for 1001 nights.
But what many may not know about this story is the variety, rich beauty, and humor within the numerous allegories, poetic allusions, fables and moral tales themselves.
The troop of 16 actors and musicians, a truly ensemble cast, weave an enchanting spell of visual and musical magic.
The first act has a carnival-like bawdy atmosphere, with precision juggling, energetic acrobatics and perfectly timed choreography are a perfect fit for this youthful college production.
The second act is more subdued, with a glorious elegiac, although rapid definition of the Koran shared with confidence by Hillary Leigh Parker, playing Sympathy the Learned.
The costumes, but Katarina Urosevic, are a visual riot of oranges, fuschias, purples, and blues. Particularly notable were the learned men’s vibrant robes at the start of the second act, in stark contrast to Sympathy's simple cream-colored garb.
The set on the thrust stage at the Nafe Katter Theatre was bestrewn with silken pillows and piles of oriental rugs, worked well to enhance the enchanted, mystical atmosphere.
Places evoked and referred to in this production, such as Iraq, Iran, Baghdad, and Basrah, are important reminders that the Middle East is much more than an embattled and war-scarred land, but home to a complex and glorious culture worth understanding, appreciating and respecting.
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
Three Stars
Location: Nafe Katter Theater 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: By Mary Zimmerman, Directed by Dale AJ Rose. Scenic design Isaac Ramsey. Lighting Design by Jen Rock. Costume design by Katarina Urosevic. Composer, Jamal Mohamed. Production stage manager by Mary P. Costello. Voice and speech coach, Karen Ryker. Choreographer, Monica Willding. Technical direction by John W. Parmelee. Choreographed by Monica Willding. Movement coach, Gregory Webster. Musicians Nickolai Ruskin and Fugan Dineen on percussion.
Running time: About 2 1/2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Oct. 14.
Tickets: From $11 to $28. Call 486-4266 or visit their Web site at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Luke Daniels...Shahryar and others
Lauretta Pope...Scheherezade and others
Catherine Yudain...Dunayzade and others
Nicholas Dillenburg...Harun al-Rashid and others
Michael Hanson...Jafar and others
Christopher Hirsh...Madman and others
Heddy Lahmann...Perfect Love and others
Daniel Sheridan...Jester and others
Dean Alcott...Greengrocer and others
Meghan O'Leary...Butcher and others
Andrew Grusetskie...Clarinetist and others
Dan O'Brien...Boy and others
Kate Shine...Girl and others
Joseph Gallina...Abu al-Hasan and others
Hillary Leigh Parker...Sympathy the Learned and others
Wayne Pyle...Ishak of Mosel and others
Monday, October 01, 2007
Somers Village Players’ “Don’t Drink the Water” is Community Theater at its best
When it comes to Woody Allen, he’s either you’re cup of tea, or he isn’t. Not many writer/actor/directors bring out such visceral and divergent reactions as the diminutive and prolific raconteur.
If you do like his humor, then the current production of “Don't Drink the Water” is 100 percent Darjeeling. The comedy was first produced on Broadway in 1969, when Allen was 33-years-old, and subsequently made into a movie starring Allen and Jackie Gleason, and then again into a television movie in 1975.
The plot centers on a boorish husband, Walter Hollander, played with Archie-Bunker like bravado by Ron Blanchette, his wife Marion, who suffers him with remarkable good nature, played by Joan Perkins-Smith, and their daughter, Susan, charmingly played by Emily Frederick.
The three Americans are vacationing for some reason in a communist country sometime in the 1960’s, somewhere behind the Iron Curtain. Walter inadvertently takes photographs of a military installation and all heck breaks loose.
The three run, guns firing behind them, into the American Embassy where the Ambassador's failure of a son, Axel Magee, is attempting to hold down the fort whilst his father, played by John McKone, is away. Axel is the Woody Allen character, played with just the right level of whiney ineptitude by Frank LoBianco.
The screwball cast of characters, include a Catholic priest-come-magician, Father Drobney, played with sweet sincerity by David Crowell, who has holed up at the embassy for six years, a chef, played with flamboyance and fun by first-timer Ernie Santanella, a gun-toting communist humorously played by Peter Desauliners, and the Sultan of Bashir, played with appropriate hautiness by Tim Lavery.
The Ambassador’s assistant, Kilroy, played with uptight reserve by John Lepore, gets to be the unfortunate victim of numerous physical calamities, none funnier than when he gets a concussion and thinks he is both Orville and Wilber Wright.
Like Allen’s movies “Sleeper” and “Bananas,” the play has a subversive political bent, with countless sight gags and one-liners of the “Take my wife — please” vaudevillian variety — think Bob Hope and Groucho Marx — but with an ensemble cast of 15 members playing 14 roles.
And play they do. In fact, at times it was difficult to tell who was having more fun, the audience or the actors, which is as it should be.
The Somers Village Players, now in their 30th year, are in their new location at Joanne's Café and Banquet House, with seating for 150. The stage was a three-quarter set, which guaranteed a good seat from almost any table, after a satisfying buffet dinner.
Director Gus Rousseau and the cast pulled off the daunting task of keeping this one-funny-line-after-another moving at the breakneck pace it required.
There were a few inconsequential acting jitters here and there, which is understandable considering the amount of dialog this play has, but the actors’ persevered impressively and seemed more relaxed in the second act.
Honestly, how many times in your life will you hear the words “submarine” and “your silver pattern” in the same sentence and have it make perfect sense?
The lighting by Dick Oswald and Justin Martin was spot-on, as were the sound effects by Martin — those little details are often only noticed when they go wrong, and they never did.
The costumes, by Carolyn Sullivan and Peter Desauliners were simple but effective, with special mention going to the remarkably horrid wig wife Marion wears, particularly after she and Father Drobney, dubbed “the Holy Houdini” by Walter, attempt to get him out of a straight jacket. This is Community Theater at its best.
Don’t Drink the Water
Three stars
Location: Joanne's Café and Banquet House, 155 Main Street, Somers
Running time: Two hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Oct. 5 and 6. Social hour starting at 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $33, including buffet dinner, with cash bar. Call 749-0245 for reservations.
Production: By Woody Allen. Directed by Gus Rousseau. Produced by Betty Domer. Stage Manager, Joyce Benson. Stage Crew, Sue Moak and Sherry Samborski. Set Décor, Blinky Calder, Sherry Samborski, and Joyce Benson. Lighting by Dick Oswald and Justin Martin. Set Construction by David Crowell, Emily Fredrick, Justin Martin, Tyler Anderson, Ron Blanchette Jameson, Nathan, Jen and Tim Lavery, Dick Oswald, Kathryn and Gus Rousseau. Sound by Justin Martin. Props by Sherry Samborski. Costumes by Carolyn Sullivan and Peter Desauliners. Box office, Dee and John Moak. Program by Shirley Warner. Front of House, Sue Moak. Prize Coordinator, Betty Domer. Goodie Prize Table, Marilyn Anderson. Photography by Dick Jackson. Display by Joanne Chadbourne. House Flowers by Becky Smith. Public Relations by Dee Moak. Publicity by Wendy Peterson, Tim Lavery, Gloria Knak, Dee Moak, George Warner, Anne Kirkpatrick, Shirley Warner, John Moak, Dottie Cowan, Fred Domer, and Malcolm Chadbourne.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Ron Blanchette...Walter Hollander
Joan Perkins-Smith...Marion Hollander
Emily Frederick...Susan Hollander
Frank LoBianco...Axel Magee
David Crowell...Father Drobney
John Lepore...Kilroy
Peter Desauliners...Krojack
John McKone...Ambassador Magee
Ernie Santanella...Chef/Kasner
Sally Frederick...Burns
Tim Lavery...Sultan of Bashir
Sherry Samborski...Sultan's First Wife
Sue Moak...Countess Bordoni
Jeff Lipton...Novotny
When it comes to Woody Allen, he’s either you’re cup of tea, or he isn’t. Not many writer/actor/directors bring out such visceral and divergent reactions as the diminutive and prolific raconteur.
If you do like his humor, then the current production of “Don't Drink the Water” is 100 percent Darjeeling. The comedy was first produced on Broadway in 1969, when Allen was 33-years-old, and subsequently made into a movie starring Allen and Jackie Gleason, and then again into a television movie in 1975.
The plot centers on a boorish husband, Walter Hollander, played with Archie-Bunker like bravado by Ron Blanchette, his wife Marion, who suffers him with remarkable good nature, played by Joan Perkins-Smith, and their daughter, Susan, charmingly played by Emily Frederick.
The three Americans are vacationing for some reason in a communist country sometime in the 1960’s, somewhere behind the Iron Curtain. Walter inadvertently takes photographs of a military installation and all heck breaks loose.
The three run, guns firing behind them, into the American Embassy where the Ambassador's failure of a son, Axel Magee, is attempting to hold down the fort whilst his father, played by John McKone, is away. Axel is the Woody Allen character, played with just the right level of whiney ineptitude by Frank LoBianco.
The screwball cast of characters, include a Catholic priest-come-magician, Father Drobney, played with sweet sincerity by David Crowell, who has holed up at the embassy for six years, a chef, played with flamboyance and fun by first-timer Ernie Santanella, a gun-toting communist humorously played by Peter Desauliners, and the Sultan of Bashir, played with appropriate hautiness by Tim Lavery.
The Ambassador’s assistant, Kilroy, played with uptight reserve by John Lepore, gets to be the unfortunate victim of numerous physical calamities, none funnier than when he gets a concussion and thinks he is both Orville and Wilber Wright.
Like Allen’s movies “Sleeper” and “Bananas,” the play has a subversive political bent, with countless sight gags and one-liners of the “Take my wife — please” vaudevillian variety — think Bob Hope and Groucho Marx — but with an ensemble cast of 15 members playing 14 roles.
And play they do. In fact, at times it was difficult to tell who was having more fun, the audience or the actors, which is as it should be.
The Somers Village Players, now in their 30th year, are in their new location at Joanne's Café and Banquet House, with seating for 150. The stage was a three-quarter set, which guaranteed a good seat from almost any table, after a satisfying buffet dinner.
Director Gus Rousseau and the cast pulled off the daunting task of keeping this one-funny-line-after-another moving at the breakneck pace it required.
There were a few inconsequential acting jitters here and there, which is understandable considering the amount of dialog this play has, but the actors’ persevered impressively and seemed more relaxed in the second act.
Honestly, how many times in your life will you hear the words “submarine” and “your silver pattern” in the same sentence and have it make perfect sense?
The lighting by Dick Oswald and Justin Martin was spot-on, as were the sound effects by Martin — those little details are often only noticed when they go wrong, and they never did.
The costumes, by Carolyn Sullivan and Peter Desauliners were simple but effective, with special mention going to the remarkably horrid wig wife Marion wears, particularly after she and Father Drobney, dubbed “the Holy Houdini” by Walter, attempt to get him out of a straight jacket. This is Community Theater at its best.
Don’t Drink the Water
Three stars
Location: Joanne's Café and Banquet House, 155 Main Street, Somers
Running time: Two hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Oct. 5 and 6. Social hour starting at 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $33, including buffet dinner, with cash bar. Call 749-0245 for reservations.
Production: By Woody Allen. Directed by Gus Rousseau. Produced by Betty Domer. Stage Manager, Joyce Benson. Stage Crew, Sue Moak and Sherry Samborski. Set Décor, Blinky Calder, Sherry Samborski, and Joyce Benson. Lighting by Dick Oswald and Justin Martin. Set Construction by David Crowell, Emily Fredrick, Justin Martin, Tyler Anderson, Ron Blanchette Jameson, Nathan, Jen and Tim Lavery, Dick Oswald, Kathryn and Gus Rousseau. Sound by Justin Martin. Props by Sherry Samborski. Costumes by Carolyn Sullivan and Peter Desauliners. Box office, Dee and John Moak. Program by Shirley Warner. Front of House, Sue Moak. Prize Coordinator, Betty Domer. Goodie Prize Table, Marilyn Anderson. Photography by Dick Jackson. Display by Joanne Chadbourne. House Flowers by Becky Smith. Public Relations by Dee Moak. Publicity by Wendy Peterson, Tim Lavery, Gloria Knak, Dee Moak, George Warner, Anne Kirkpatrick, Shirley Warner, John Moak, Dottie Cowan, Fred Domer, and Malcolm Chadbourne.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Ron Blanchette...Walter Hollander
Joan Perkins-Smith...Marion Hollander
Emily Frederick...Susan Hollander
Frank LoBianco...Axel Magee
David Crowell...Father Drobney
John Lepore...Kilroy
Peter Desauliners...Krojack
John McKone...Ambassador Magee
Ernie Santanella...Chef/Kasner
Sally Frederick...Burns
Tim Lavery...Sultan of Bashir
Sherry Samborski...Sultan's First Wife
Sue Moak...Countess Bordoni
Jeff Lipton...Novotny
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