The world is all at sixes and sevens in CRT’s production of "The Skin of our Teeth"
STORRS - Predictions of the end of the world have been greatly exaggerated - despite current economic conditions. Fear and uncertainty in an unpredictable world, and the fact that history repeats itself, are a couple of the recurring themes that run through Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer prize-winning play "Skin of Our Teeth."
Originally opening in 1942 at the Schubert Theatre in New Haven, this production at the University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Repertory Theater is one that isn’t regularly on the local theater circuit.
While Wilder’s "Our Town" is an oft-produced perennial favorite, "Skin of Our Teeth" is more of a mouthful to chew.
Wilder really went wild with this play, breaking with all sorts of conventions, at times having his characters speak directly to the audience and breaking through that invisible fourth wall. This just wasn’t done and must have been shocking and completely unprecedented in its time.
He also deals with themes like: "It’s a dog eat dog world," "Life as we know it can change in an instant," and "history is doomed to repeat itself."
The characters are archetypes, always tricky to make personal, here played by professional actors and undergraduates.
When the play begins in fact there is a short video by filmmaker Fergus J. Walsh featuring the characters as two-dimensional paper puppets stiffly moving through their world - an apt visual for this allegorical play.
Biblical, historical, and poetic allusions abound. First set in the home of the Antrobus’, the mister and misses played by Christopher Oden and Victoria Adams-Zischke, are the Adam and Eve, then Noah and his wife as the Biblical archetypes, with the servant and temptress Sabine and narrator played by with irreverent energy by Julia Coffey.
Gladys and Henry Antrobus are the children, played with youthful naivete by Sarah Murdoch and with scapegoat anger by Daniel O’Brien.
Think of it as a theatrical lecture, where the actions and statements make little logical, linear sense but are servants to Wilder’s conceits.
For example, be prepared to hear the Mrs. Antrobus announce their 5,000th wedding anniversary, and observe a wooly mammoth and dinosaur, played by Michael Truman Cavanaugh and Lauren Horoszewski, try to escape the impending ice age in the Antrobus’ living room, while Mr. Antrobus is busy inventing the wheel, the lever, algebra, and the alphabet. The man has his hands full, while wife in apron guards home and hearth.
Act II is set at an Atlantic City boardwalk beautifully rendered by scenic designer Issac Ramsey, with asymmetrical bathhouses, where Mr. Antrobus (in Greek Antrobus means "human") has just been elected president of the Fraternal Order of Mammals at their 600,000 annual convention. The costumes too in this act are a riot of colors and off-kilter socks, by Katarina Urosevic.
Act III is set back at the Antrobus’ home after a seven year war that decimated just about everything. Mr. Antrobus says war is easy compared to peacetime everyone goes back to their old selfish ways.
Many characters are introduced throughout the play, such as the officious broadcast official played by Zachary Kamin, along with muses, refugees, conventioneers, and the past-knowing fortune-teller played by Rachel Rosado.
When O’Brien’s Henry breaks out of character and apologizes for attempting to kill the character of his father, his confusion and distress felt legitimate and real. He was riveting.
Chance, confusion, and hazards are all mixed up into this soup-to-nuts play where the world is all sixes and sevens.
What goes around comes around in this thought-provoking, well-performed play.
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH
3 Stars
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Helene Kvale. Scene design by Issac Ramsey. Costume design by Katarina Urosevic. Lighting design by Jen Rock. Sound design by Wilson Tennermann. Production stage manager Mary P. Costello. Technical direction by Scott Bartley. Voice and text direction by Krista Scott. Puppet design by Rebekah Eyre. Movement direction by Kristin Wold. Film by Fergus J. Walsh.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. through Dec. 3 through 6. No performances are scheduled for Thanksgiving week.
Tickets: Range in price from $11 to $28. Call the box office at 860-486-4266 of visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Julia Coffey ... Sabina
Victoria Adams-Zischke ... Mrs. Antrobus
Christopher Oden ... Mr. Antrobus
Sarah Murdoch ... Gladys
Daniel O’Brien ... Henry
Peter Mutino ... Mr. Fitzpatrick
Catherine Yudain ... Telegraph boy, Usher, Crowd
Jeremy Garfinkel ... Doctor, Conveener
Aaron Johnson ... Professor, Conveener
Zane M. Roberts ... Refugee, Conveener
Jordan J. Jones ... Homer, Conveener
Alison Barton ... Miss E. Muse, Ivy
Cayla Buettner ... Miss T. Muse, Chair Pusher
Brittany Green ... Miss M. Muse, Crowd, In Chair
Zachary Kamin ... Refugee, Broadcast official
Tom Foran ... Judge Moses, Defeated Candidate
Rebecca Ricker-Gilbert ... Refugee, Crowd, Hester
Scott Cooke ... Refugee, Lifeguard, Fred Bailey
J. D. Gross ... Announcer
Rachel Rosado ... Fortune Teller
Robert Rosado ... Crowd, Mr. Tremayne
Michael Truman Cavanaugh ... Mammoth
Lauren Horoszewski ... Dinosaur
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
"South Pacific" an enchanted evening at the Opera House Players
EAST WINDSOR - Now that most of the leaves have fallen and the days are noticeably shorter and colder, what better way to spend an evening than in the tropics?
The Opera House Players production of "South Pacific" has all the elements of a classic musical, including many unforgettable songs, such as "Some Enchanted Evening," "I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair," "Bali Ha’i," and the beautiful love song "Younger than Springtime."
The timing couldn’t be better for this production of the award winning 1949 musical since it opened just after Veterans Day and is running through Thanksgiving weekend.
The musical is set on an island in the south pacific during World War II, where some of the soldiers based on the island are getting ready to entertain the troops during the Thanksgiving holiday, while others are preparing for a secret strategic battle against the Japanese.
There are two romances, one between perky Ensign Nellie Forbush, played with naïve enthusiasm by Janine Flood, and an older French plantation owner, Emile de Becque, played with appropriate reserve and a decent French accent by Michael Corman.
The other is a romance between a youthful Lt. Joseph Cable, USMC, played by Dallas Hosmer, looking like a young, blond Elvis Presley, and an island girl, Liat, played by Taryn Scozzari.
Flood plays Nellie with a confidence and homespun Little Rock corniness that is delightful, and feels quite genuine when she sing songs such as “Cockeyed Optimist.”
This well-cast musical, directed by Lesley Gallagher, is a sexy, tender, and romantic production, with lots of kissing.
The acting is stronger than the singing, which isn’t to say the singing isn’t good, but the acting is perfectly natural and believable.
It’s also a lot of fun, with comic relief provided by Paul Aherne who plays Luther Billis and Reva Kleppel, playing the pigeon-English speaking Islander, Bloody Mary.
Aherne has a fine strong voice, and looks almost too good in coconuts, while Kleppel precisely captured the feeling of a straight talking, manipulative (in a good way) entrepreneur.
The two Polynesian children are outstanding. Pearl Matteson who played Ngana and Nicolas Cote who played Jerome. Their parts are small, but important, and they make the show special singing their sweet "Dites-Moi" and their adorable skipping dancing.
The musical confronts serious issues, such as preconceived prejudices and racism, which gives the show depth and prevents it from becoming too syrupy-sweet.
Racism is highlighted in the song "You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught," sung with sarcasm and anger by Hoyer’s Cable. It’s sad to think that racism is still relevant almost 70 years after this musical was first produced.
The cast and crew clearly worked hard to put this show together and all did a yeoman’s job. A general recommendation to the cast is to remember to have fun when fun is to be had, and to make the comedy even broader.
The pace of the singing and dialog and the transitions between the two could speed up a tad, especially in the beginning. Often in musicals the orchestra overwhelms the singers, but that is never the case in this production, with musical direction by Deborah Curylo.
The painted backdrop of a beach with islands, by Chimera Costume and Scenic Services, sets the tone of a tropical island with a Tiki lounge feel, complete with palm trees that are both painted and free-standing.
The numerous scene changes are all done smoothly and quickly. The lighting, designed by Diane St. Amand, and sound too are excellent, particularly with the radio reception, which had to be technically challenging to arrange, but works.
If you can’t afford to take a trip to the islands this year, and who can these days, "South Pacific" at the Opera House Players is the next best thing to being there.
SOUTH PACIFIC
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: 107 Main Street, Broad Brook
Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Direction and choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Music direction by Deborah Curylo. Producer and costumes by Moonyean Field. Lighting design by Diane St. Amand. Scenery by Chimera Costume and Scenic Services.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours, with a 20-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 30.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $12. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR... CHARACTER
Janine Flood ... Ensign Nellie Forbush
Michael Corman ... Emile de Becque
Dallas Hosmer ... Lt. Joseph Cable, USMC
Reva Kleppel ... Bloody Mary
Paul Aherne ... Luther Billis
Samuel Greene ... Capt. George Bracket, USN
Michael May ... Cmdr. William Harbison USN
Giovannie Copeland Mendez ... Stewpot
Aaron Mulmeyer ... Professor
Ricardo B. Plamenco III ... Radio OP Bob McCaffrey
Tammy Young Cote ... Lt. Genevieve Marshall
Khara C. Hoyer ... Ensign Lisa Manelli
Emily Stisser ... Ensign Connie Walewska
Brianna Mello ... Ensign Bessie Noonan
Taryn Scozzari ... Liat
Pearl Matteson ... Ngana
Nicolas Cote ... Jerome
Marc Gallagher ... Voice of Lt. Buzz Adams
EAST WINDSOR - Now that most of the leaves have fallen and the days are noticeably shorter and colder, what better way to spend an evening than in the tropics?
The Opera House Players production of "South Pacific" has all the elements of a classic musical, including many unforgettable songs, such as "Some Enchanted Evening," "I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair," "Bali Ha’i," and the beautiful love song "Younger than Springtime."
The timing couldn’t be better for this production of the award winning 1949 musical since it opened just after Veterans Day and is running through Thanksgiving weekend.
The musical is set on an island in the south pacific during World War II, where some of the soldiers based on the island are getting ready to entertain the troops during the Thanksgiving holiday, while others are preparing for a secret strategic battle against the Japanese.
There are two romances, one between perky Ensign Nellie Forbush, played with naïve enthusiasm by Janine Flood, and an older French plantation owner, Emile de Becque, played with appropriate reserve and a decent French accent by Michael Corman.
The other is a romance between a youthful Lt. Joseph Cable, USMC, played by Dallas Hosmer, looking like a young, blond Elvis Presley, and an island girl, Liat, played by Taryn Scozzari.
Flood plays Nellie with a confidence and homespun Little Rock corniness that is delightful, and feels quite genuine when she sing songs such as “Cockeyed Optimist.”
This well-cast musical, directed by Lesley Gallagher, is a sexy, tender, and romantic production, with lots of kissing.
The acting is stronger than the singing, which isn’t to say the singing isn’t good, but the acting is perfectly natural and believable.
It’s also a lot of fun, with comic relief provided by Paul Aherne who plays Luther Billis and Reva Kleppel, playing the pigeon-English speaking Islander, Bloody Mary.
Aherne has a fine strong voice, and looks almost too good in coconuts, while Kleppel precisely captured the feeling of a straight talking, manipulative (in a good way) entrepreneur.
The two Polynesian children are outstanding. Pearl Matteson who played Ngana and Nicolas Cote who played Jerome. Their parts are small, but important, and they make the show special singing their sweet "Dites-Moi" and their adorable skipping dancing.
The musical confronts serious issues, such as preconceived prejudices and racism, which gives the show depth and prevents it from becoming too syrupy-sweet.
Racism is highlighted in the song "You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught," sung with sarcasm and anger by Hoyer’s Cable. It’s sad to think that racism is still relevant almost 70 years after this musical was first produced.
The cast and crew clearly worked hard to put this show together and all did a yeoman’s job. A general recommendation to the cast is to remember to have fun when fun is to be had, and to make the comedy even broader.
The pace of the singing and dialog and the transitions between the two could speed up a tad, especially in the beginning. Often in musicals the orchestra overwhelms the singers, but that is never the case in this production, with musical direction by Deborah Curylo.
The painted backdrop of a beach with islands, by Chimera Costume and Scenic Services, sets the tone of a tropical island with a Tiki lounge feel, complete with palm trees that are both painted and free-standing.
The numerous scene changes are all done smoothly and quickly. The lighting, designed by Diane St. Amand, and sound too are excellent, particularly with the radio reception, which had to be technically challenging to arrange, but works.
If you can’t afford to take a trip to the islands this year, and who can these days, "South Pacific" at the Opera House Players is the next best thing to being there.
SOUTH PACIFIC
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: 107 Main Street, Broad Brook
Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Direction and choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Music direction by Deborah Curylo. Producer and costumes by Moonyean Field. Lighting design by Diane St. Amand. Scenery by Chimera Costume and Scenic Services.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours, with a 20-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 30.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $12. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR... CHARACTER
Janine Flood ... Ensign Nellie Forbush
Michael Corman ... Emile de Becque
Dallas Hosmer ... Lt. Joseph Cable, USMC
Reva Kleppel ... Bloody Mary
Paul Aherne ... Luther Billis
Samuel Greene ... Capt. George Bracket, USN
Michael May ... Cmdr. William Harbison USN
Giovannie Copeland Mendez ... Stewpot
Aaron Mulmeyer ... Professor
Ricardo B. Plamenco III ... Radio OP Bob McCaffrey
Tammy Young Cote ... Lt. Genevieve Marshall
Khara C. Hoyer ... Ensign Lisa Manelli
Emily Stisser ... Ensign Connie Walewska
Brianna Mello ... Ensign Bessie Noonan
Taryn Scozzari ... Liat
Pearl Matteson ... Ngana
Nicolas Cote ... Jerome
Marc Gallagher ... Voice of Lt. Buzz Adams
Monday, November 10, 2008
"The Latest Mrs. Adams" a bargain of fun
ENFIELD - Bowling balls, mistaken identities, and ghosts have never been so funny as they are in the Valley Repertory Company’s production of "The Latest Mrs. Adams."
The play, written by George Tibbles, is kind of a combination of a television situation comedy and an homage to the 1930’s screwball comedies.
Set in a Connecticut town 59 miles outside of New York City, Sam Adams, has just married for the second time, to Lily - she being the latest Mrs. Adams.
They move into his family’s farmhouse, only to discover his deceased wife’s mother, Betsy Jefferson, is still living there, along with Sam’s uncle, the irascible John Quincy Adams, and perhaps the ghost of the first Mrs. Adams.
Sam, played with enthusiasm and appropriate exasperation by Mark Vogel, wants the in-laws out, but Lily, a New York City dress designer, has a big heart and wants to help them.
She even invites the homeless drunkard living under the bridge, Ethan Allen, played with delightful deadpan humor by Jason Fregeau, to come in from the cold and stay with them a while.
Complications ensue when Ethan Allen abruptly dies in his bedroom, and Betsy and John Quincy try to claim credit for murder, while bowling balls periodically roll down the stairs, and the ghost of the first Mrs. Adams, played with dancing grace by Elizabeth Mathieu, flits about the stage.
The cast is terrific and talented, from Lily, played with caring compassion by Patty Coope Piellucci, the grammatical perfectionist Betsy, played with ditzy confidence by Jan Albetski, the half-blind lecherous old grouch John Quincy, played to perfection by Jim Byrne, Jr., to the local constable, Enrico Rossini, played with silly officiousness by Logan Lopez.
From the first entrance of Fegueau’s Ethan Allen, where he is dressed like a giant ace bandage with a newspaper hat, he has the audience in stitches. Byrne’s John Quincy, with his hat with flaps, is quite funny too, not so much with one-liners, but with his timing and his conviction that the second Mrs. Adams is a hooker, and her daughter is one of her "girls."
The comedy has lots of sight gags, as well as some literary highbrow humor as well. While Ethan Allen is still alive, Lily’s daughter, Camille Littleton, played by Laura Wittenberg, says to her mother, that the old Connecticut farmhouse reminds her of something out of Balzac.
The local derelict Alan snickers and pleads with her to say something else lewd, to which she responds, "Charles Dickens," which really gets him going.
Lily figures out that Betsy misses her deceased daughter, the first Mrs. Adams, and so Betsy unconsciously becomes her and dresses up as her ghost, claiming that her daughter comes back because the doctor didn’t put the sheet over her face and her soul slipped out through her nose. Rather than treating the various characters with disdain, however, Lily shows them compassion and love, and they blossom under her caring affection.
The setting of the entire play is the farmhouse’s living room and dining area, solidly designed by Eric J. Albetski, however, there are a number of breaks between scenes as props are moved about.
It would be great to have some background music between scenes, rather than just dead silence. The scene changes don’t take all that long, but without any music, the time drags.
At $10 a ticket, the Valley Repertory Company’s production of "The Latest Mrs. Adams" is a bargain at twice the price, with just the right blend of comedy, mystery, and plot to keep you entertained all evening long.
THE LATEST MRS. ADAMS
Three Stars
Theater: Valley Repertory Company
Location: 100 High Street, Enfield
Production: Written by George Tibbles. Directed by Lisa Eaton. Produced by Celeste Estvanik. Technical direction and set design by Eric J. Albetski. Stage Manager Jason Fregeau. Lighting design by Ken Estvanik.
Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Nov. 22.
Tickets: $10, $8 for seniors over 60 and youth under 12. Call 860-749-4665 or visit their website at www.valleyrep.com
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Mark Vogel ... Sam Adams
Patty Coope Piellucci ... Lily Adams
Jim Byrne, Jr. ... John Quincy Adams
Jan Albetski ... Betsy Jefferson
Elizabeth Mathieu ... Abigail Adams
Jason Fregeau ... Ethan Allen
Laura Wittenberg ... Camille Littleton
Logan Lopez ... Enrico Rossini
ENFIELD - Bowling balls, mistaken identities, and ghosts have never been so funny as they are in the Valley Repertory Company’s production of "The Latest Mrs. Adams."
The play, written by George Tibbles, is kind of a combination of a television situation comedy and an homage to the 1930’s screwball comedies.
Set in a Connecticut town 59 miles outside of New York City, Sam Adams, has just married for the second time, to Lily - she being the latest Mrs. Adams.
They move into his family’s farmhouse, only to discover his deceased wife’s mother, Betsy Jefferson, is still living there, along with Sam’s uncle, the irascible John Quincy Adams, and perhaps the ghost of the first Mrs. Adams.
Sam, played with enthusiasm and appropriate exasperation by Mark Vogel, wants the in-laws out, but Lily, a New York City dress designer, has a big heart and wants to help them.
She even invites the homeless drunkard living under the bridge, Ethan Allen, played with delightful deadpan humor by Jason Fregeau, to come in from the cold and stay with them a while.
Complications ensue when Ethan Allen abruptly dies in his bedroom, and Betsy and John Quincy try to claim credit for murder, while bowling balls periodically roll down the stairs, and the ghost of the first Mrs. Adams, played with dancing grace by Elizabeth Mathieu, flits about the stage.
The cast is terrific and talented, from Lily, played with caring compassion by Patty Coope Piellucci, the grammatical perfectionist Betsy, played with ditzy confidence by Jan Albetski, the half-blind lecherous old grouch John Quincy, played to perfection by Jim Byrne, Jr., to the local constable, Enrico Rossini, played with silly officiousness by Logan Lopez.
From the first entrance of Fegueau’s Ethan Allen, where he is dressed like a giant ace bandage with a newspaper hat, he has the audience in stitches. Byrne’s John Quincy, with his hat with flaps, is quite funny too, not so much with one-liners, but with his timing and his conviction that the second Mrs. Adams is a hooker, and her daughter is one of her "girls."
The comedy has lots of sight gags, as well as some literary highbrow humor as well. While Ethan Allen is still alive, Lily’s daughter, Camille Littleton, played by Laura Wittenberg, says to her mother, that the old Connecticut farmhouse reminds her of something out of Balzac.
The local derelict Alan snickers and pleads with her to say something else lewd, to which she responds, "Charles Dickens," which really gets him going.
Lily figures out that Betsy misses her deceased daughter, the first Mrs. Adams, and so Betsy unconsciously becomes her and dresses up as her ghost, claiming that her daughter comes back because the doctor didn’t put the sheet over her face and her soul slipped out through her nose. Rather than treating the various characters with disdain, however, Lily shows them compassion and love, and they blossom under her caring affection.
The setting of the entire play is the farmhouse’s living room and dining area, solidly designed by Eric J. Albetski, however, there are a number of breaks between scenes as props are moved about.
It would be great to have some background music between scenes, rather than just dead silence. The scene changes don’t take all that long, but without any music, the time drags.
At $10 a ticket, the Valley Repertory Company’s production of "The Latest Mrs. Adams" is a bargain at twice the price, with just the right blend of comedy, mystery, and plot to keep you entertained all evening long.
THE LATEST MRS. ADAMS
Three Stars
Theater: Valley Repertory Company
Location: 100 High Street, Enfield
Production: Written by George Tibbles. Directed by Lisa Eaton. Produced by Celeste Estvanik. Technical direction and set design by Eric J. Albetski. Stage Manager Jason Fregeau. Lighting design by Ken Estvanik.
Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Nov. 22.
Tickets: $10, $8 for seniors over 60 and youth under 12. Call 860-749-4665 or visit their website at www.valleyrep.com
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Mark Vogel ... Sam Adams
Patty Coope Piellucci ... Lily Adams
Jim Byrne, Jr. ... John Quincy Adams
Jan Albetski ... Betsy Jefferson
Elizabeth Mathieu ... Abigail Adams
Jason Fregeau ... Ethan Allen
Laura Wittenberg ... Camille Littleton
Logan Lopez ... Enrico Rossini
"Pvt. Wars" a compelling introspective production
MIDDLETOWN - Although the play "Pvt. Wars" by James McLure is specifically about military veterans - their efforts to overcome adversities are experiences that all can identify with.
Set in the common room of a Veterans hospital, three psychiatric patients with different backgrounds share a common bond of trying to assimilate back into society. The fact that they can leave at any time is a theme that playwright James McLure returns to throughout the rich and interesting play.
Dana O’Neal plays Gately, the only character whose wound is visible, with a visible jagged long scar and bruise on his bald pate. Gately is working feverishly to repair a radio, whose parts are constantly pilfered by his two companions, the macho Silvo, played by Phil Godeck, and the patrician Natwick, played by Foster Reese.
Gately says if he can repair the radio, it is a sign that America's free enterprise system works, and would also mean that he can leave the hospital. O’Neal beautifully captures the essence of emotional instability in the character of Gately who frequently bursts into tears without much provocation, but also shows an emotional intelligence and keen insight into his the heart’s of his two friends.
Reese’s Natwick starts out almost too affected in his affectation, but improves as the play progresses. Natwick’s modus operandi is to initiate topics and then say: "I don’t want to talk about it." He isolates himself within himself, but then resents the fact that he is isolated. He is a know-it-all, and who hides in his mind, but is trapped by it too.
Natwick says: "I am an invention of myself," and that is his isolation.
When Gately says that coyotes mate for life, Natwick is compelled to one up him by saying that dolphins mate for life too. This isn’t true, since dolphins are notoriously promiscuous, but a telling insight into Natwick character, because this is how Natwick tries and fails to connect, through information rather than communication.
It is Gately who is the wise one, knowing just what to say at times. Natwick is trying to write an original poem, but constantly compares himself unfavorably to the likes of T. S. Eliot. When Natwick quotes from an Eliot poem: "Do I dare to eat a peach?" Gately is totally flummoxed by this and quizzes Natwick about the poem’s meaning. Just like trying to explain a joke, explaining a metaphor looses everything in translation, resulting in a hilarious exchange.
Similarly, the discussion of suicide that Natwick is contemplating and Gately is listening to, is hysterically, blackly funny, delivered with perfect timing, without missing the serious point.
Godeck’s is sensitive portrait of the man’s man, Silvo. If not for the war and his own life-altering wound, Silvo is the kind of man ill-prepared to delve into his inner psyche, and scares himself, and others, by frequently acting out. He is obsessed with sex, flashes the nurses often, and says at one point that "sperm has one hell of a sense of direction." Silvo does not, and therein lies his tragedy.
Each of the numerous scenes is like a mini play, punctuated with complete blackouts, which have an almost musical hypnotic rhythm to them, all seamlessly directed by Kathy Keena.
There are frequent sexual innuendoes and frank sexual talk, which makes this a show for adult's only. The program gives this show a PG-13 rating for language and sexual situations.
The newly formed Veterans Memorial Theatre Company is by veterans, dedicated to veterans, with plays about veterans, which doesn’t take sides, or deal directly with a political agenda. The theater at the Green Street Arts Center is an intimate studio space, with seating for about 55 people, which is perfect for this intense, well acted, fine play.
PVT. WARS
3 Stars
Theater: Veterans Memorial Theatre Company
Location: Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown
Production: Written by James McLure. Directed by Kathy Keena. Produced by Clark Bowlen and Michael Eck. Designed by Clark Bowlen. Stage managed by Ben Pitz.
Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15 at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $15, $10 for veterans, seniors, and students. Call 860-623-6587 email them at vetstheatre@snet.net
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Dana O’Neal ... Gately
Phil Godeck ... Silvo
Foster Reese ... Natwick
Frank Schiavone ... Voice of Psychiatrist
MIDDLETOWN - Although the play "Pvt. Wars" by James McLure is specifically about military veterans - their efforts to overcome adversities are experiences that all can identify with.
Set in the common room of a Veterans hospital, three psychiatric patients with different backgrounds share a common bond of trying to assimilate back into society. The fact that they can leave at any time is a theme that playwright James McLure returns to throughout the rich and interesting play.
Dana O’Neal plays Gately, the only character whose wound is visible, with a visible jagged long scar and bruise on his bald pate. Gately is working feverishly to repair a radio, whose parts are constantly pilfered by his two companions, the macho Silvo, played by Phil Godeck, and the patrician Natwick, played by Foster Reese.
Gately says if he can repair the radio, it is a sign that America's free enterprise system works, and would also mean that he can leave the hospital. O’Neal beautifully captures the essence of emotional instability in the character of Gately who frequently bursts into tears without much provocation, but also shows an emotional intelligence and keen insight into his the heart’s of his two friends.
Reese’s Natwick starts out almost too affected in his affectation, but improves as the play progresses. Natwick’s modus operandi is to initiate topics and then say: "I don’t want to talk about it." He isolates himself within himself, but then resents the fact that he is isolated. He is a know-it-all, and who hides in his mind, but is trapped by it too.
Natwick says: "I am an invention of myself," and that is his isolation.
When Gately says that coyotes mate for life, Natwick is compelled to one up him by saying that dolphins mate for life too. This isn’t true, since dolphins are notoriously promiscuous, but a telling insight into Natwick character, because this is how Natwick tries and fails to connect, through information rather than communication.
It is Gately who is the wise one, knowing just what to say at times. Natwick is trying to write an original poem, but constantly compares himself unfavorably to the likes of T. S. Eliot. When Natwick quotes from an Eliot poem: "Do I dare to eat a peach?" Gately is totally flummoxed by this and quizzes Natwick about the poem’s meaning. Just like trying to explain a joke, explaining a metaphor looses everything in translation, resulting in a hilarious exchange.
Similarly, the discussion of suicide that Natwick is contemplating and Gately is listening to, is hysterically, blackly funny, delivered with perfect timing, without missing the serious point.
Godeck’s is sensitive portrait of the man’s man, Silvo. If not for the war and his own life-altering wound, Silvo is the kind of man ill-prepared to delve into his inner psyche, and scares himself, and others, by frequently acting out. He is obsessed with sex, flashes the nurses often, and says at one point that "sperm has one hell of a sense of direction." Silvo does not, and therein lies his tragedy.
Each of the numerous scenes is like a mini play, punctuated with complete blackouts, which have an almost musical hypnotic rhythm to them, all seamlessly directed by Kathy Keena.
There are frequent sexual innuendoes and frank sexual talk, which makes this a show for adult's only. The program gives this show a PG-13 rating for language and sexual situations.
The newly formed Veterans Memorial Theatre Company is by veterans, dedicated to veterans, with plays about veterans, which doesn’t take sides, or deal directly with a political agenda. The theater at the Green Street Arts Center is an intimate studio space, with seating for about 55 people, which is perfect for this intense, well acted, fine play.
PVT. WARS
3 Stars
Theater: Veterans Memorial Theatre Company
Location: Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown
Production: Written by James McLure. Directed by Kathy Keena. Produced by Clark Bowlen and Michael Eck. Designed by Clark Bowlen. Stage managed by Ben Pitz.
Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15 at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $15, $10 for veterans, seniors, and students. Call 860-623-6587 email them at vetstheatre@snet.net
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Dana O’Neal ... Gately
Phil Godeck ... Silvo
Foster Reese ... Natwick
Frank Schiavone ... Voice of Psychiatrist
Monday, November 03, 2008
The once and future king and queen reign supreme in Manchester Little Theatre’s "Camelot"
MANCHESTER - One thing that is consistently admirable about community theater is the spirit of community and teamwork, and the Little Theatre of Manchester’s production of "Camelot" is no exception.
This classic Tony Award-winning musical is set in medieval England, and is based on the King Arthur and the chivalrous Knights of the Round Table legend.
In this musical choreographer Todd C. Santa Maria also plays the wicked Mordred, illegitimate son of King Arthur, while the magician Merlin is played by set designer Fred T. Blish, and all the cast members pitch in to help with scene changes - even King Arthur, played by Mike Zizka, carries his own bench to and from the stage.
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them," as Shakespeare says in "Twelfth Night."
King Arthur hits all three categories, being born to greatness, but not knowing it, has it thrust upon him when he pulls the sword, Excalibur, from the stone, and eventually, reluctantly accepts and embraces his fate as the once and future king of legend.
The play begins when a youthful King Arthur, played by the awesome Mike Zizka, meets his betrothed queen, Guenevere, well played by Alysa Auriemma.
Auriemma has lots of spunk and plenty of flirty sass to spare, along with a lovely singing voice, which ranges from sweet to powerful.
Zizka is fantastic as Arthur. He believably inhabits the part’s transitions, from reluctant ruler, to smitten lover, to compassionate and heartbroken man.
Also terrific and amusing is Art Bradbury as the ditzy and loyal King Pellinore.
Bradbury’s Pellinore has some amusing lines such as: "Sometimes when I get my teeth into something, I have to leave them there." Bradbury infused his part with energy and life, as did the previously mentioned Blish as the all too little seen Merlin.
Santa Maria’s Mordred is marvelously over-the-top evil, although his "dagger as nail file" business is a bit over-used. He is the perfect foil as the "medieval delinquent" to Arthur’s fledgling attempts at civilizing a barbaric world.
Arthur wryly observes to Mordred: "The saying, ‘blood is thicker than water was invented by undeserving relatives.'"
While he has a good singing voice, unfortunately Jonathan Escobar’s Lancelot du Lac leaves a lot to be desired. He is the only character who does not speak with an accent, the others all English - his would have been French - but that isn’t the main problem.
It’s tough to play someone who considers himself to be perfect, as Lancelot does, but simply being uptight doesn’t cut it.
The overflowing passion, commitment, and self-denial needed to strive for perfection, along with the naïvely arrogant self-confidence to think he is perfect, is missing, and instead a stiff and wooden rigidity unsatisfactorily fills the void.
Its difficult to imagine what Guenevere sees in him, as the part demands, but Auriemma does the heavy lifting here and rises to the occasion.
The scenes change from forest, to castle, to forest, and field, and director Michael J. Forgetta wisely chooses to have the set be suggestive rather than elaborately realistic - instead investing their budget into a myriad of period costumes by David Addis. Notable are Morgan Le Fey and her courtesans who were dressed in earthy, wood-nymph garb, as well as the king and queen’s many glittering raiments.
As sweet and cute as the middle school children in the play were, why did Forgetta choose them to play predominant ensemble parts meant for adults? It is disconcerting and distracting, and makes the production at times feel like a school play rather than the semi-professional musicals that the Little Theatre of Manchester consistently produces.
The musical direction by the capable Paul Coffill was great, but a little loud when the actors were singing quieter ballads. The gorgeous, romantic Lerner and Loewe songs, such as "If Ever I Would Leave You," "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood," "What Do the Simple Folk Do?," and the inspiring signature song "Camelot," are all beautiful and uplifting.
Although there are some imperfections in "Camelot," in the end the King and Queen, Zizka and Auriemma, carry the day.
CAMELOT
2 1/2 Stars
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: Books and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Music by Frederick Loewe. Directed by Michael J. Forgetta. Musical direction by Paul Coffill. Choreographer Todd Santa Maria. Stage Manager Marguerite Kelly. Set designed by Fred T. Blish. Lighting design by Jared R. Towler. Sound design by Advanced Lighting and Sound. Costumes by David Addis.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Thursday, Nov. 6, and Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m., and through Nov. 16.
Tickets: $21 - $28. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Mike Zizka ... Arthur
Alysa Auriemma ... Guenevere
Jonathan Escobar ... Lancelot du Lac
Art Bradbury ... King Pellinore
Todd C. Santa Maria ... Mordred
Marge Kelly ... Morgan Le Fey
Fred T. Blish ... Merlin
Doug Stoyer ... Sir Dinidan, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Scott Ironfield ... Sir Lionel, Squire Dap, Guilliam, Rogue Knight
Diane Lareau AmEnde ... Lady Sybil, Herald, Ensemble
Ann Azevedo ... Lady Anne, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Andreanna Buccheri ... Page, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Charles Burns ... Clarius, Bliant, Rogue Knight, Ensemble
Donato DiGenova ... Sagramore, Colgrevance, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Rogue Knight, Ensemble
Jason Fazzino ... Horrid the Dog, Court Jester, Tom of Warwick
Yvonne Jacques ... Lady Clothilde, Ensemble
Patri-Ann Morgan ... Page, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Joan Notghi ... Lady Jane, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Cassie Wood ... Nimue, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
MANCHESTER - One thing that is consistently admirable about community theater is the spirit of community and teamwork, and the Little Theatre of Manchester’s production of "Camelot" is no exception.
This classic Tony Award-winning musical is set in medieval England, and is based on the King Arthur and the chivalrous Knights of the Round Table legend.
In this musical choreographer Todd C. Santa Maria also plays the wicked Mordred, illegitimate son of King Arthur, while the magician Merlin is played by set designer Fred T. Blish, and all the cast members pitch in to help with scene changes - even King Arthur, played by Mike Zizka, carries his own bench to and from the stage.
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them," as Shakespeare says in "Twelfth Night."
King Arthur hits all three categories, being born to greatness, but not knowing it, has it thrust upon him when he pulls the sword, Excalibur, from the stone, and eventually, reluctantly accepts and embraces his fate as the once and future king of legend.
The play begins when a youthful King Arthur, played by the awesome Mike Zizka, meets his betrothed queen, Guenevere, well played by Alysa Auriemma.
Auriemma has lots of spunk and plenty of flirty sass to spare, along with a lovely singing voice, which ranges from sweet to powerful.
Zizka is fantastic as Arthur. He believably inhabits the part’s transitions, from reluctant ruler, to smitten lover, to compassionate and heartbroken man.
Also terrific and amusing is Art Bradbury as the ditzy and loyal King Pellinore.
Bradbury’s Pellinore has some amusing lines such as: "Sometimes when I get my teeth into something, I have to leave them there." Bradbury infused his part with energy and life, as did the previously mentioned Blish as the all too little seen Merlin.
Santa Maria’s Mordred is marvelously over-the-top evil, although his "dagger as nail file" business is a bit over-used. He is the perfect foil as the "medieval delinquent" to Arthur’s fledgling attempts at civilizing a barbaric world.
Arthur wryly observes to Mordred: "The saying, ‘blood is thicker than water was invented by undeserving relatives.'"
While he has a good singing voice, unfortunately Jonathan Escobar’s Lancelot du Lac leaves a lot to be desired. He is the only character who does not speak with an accent, the others all English - his would have been French - but that isn’t the main problem.
It’s tough to play someone who considers himself to be perfect, as Lancelot does, but simply being uptight doesn’t cut it.
The overflowing passion, commitment, and self-denial needed to strive for perfection, along with the naïvely arrogant self-confidence to think he is perfect, is missing, and instead a stiff and wooden rigidity unsatisfactorily fills the void.
Its difficult to imagine what Guenevere sees in him, as the part demands, but Auriemma does the heavy lifting here and rises to the occasion.
The scenes change from forest, to castle, to forest, and field, and director Michael J. Forgetta wisely chooses to have the set be suggestive rather than elaborately realistic - instead investing their budget into a myriad of period costumes by David Addis. Notable are Morgan Le Fey and her courtesans who were dressed in earthy, wood-nymph garb, as well as the king and queen’s many glittering raiments.
As sweet and cute as the middle school children in the play were, why did Forgetta choose them to play predominant ensemble parts meant for adults? It is disconcerting and distracting, and makes the production at times feel like a school play rather than the semi-professional musicals that the Little Theatre of Manchester consistently produces.
The musical direction by the capable Paul Coffill was great, but a little loud when the actors were singing quieter ballads. The gorgeous, romantic Lerner and Loewe songs, such as "If Ever I Would Leave You," "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood," "What Do the Simple Folk Do?," and the inspiring signature song "Camelot," are all beautiful and uplifting.
Although there are some imperfections in "Camelot," in the end the King and Queen, Zizka and Auriemma, carry the day.
CAMELOT
2 1/2 Stars
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: Books and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Music by Frederick Loewe. Directed by Michael J. Forgetta. Musical direction by Paul Coffill. Choreographer Todd Santa Maria. Stage Manager Marguerite Kelly. Set designed by Fred T. Blish. Lighting design by Jared R. Towler. Sound design by Advanced Lighting and Sound. Costumes by David Addis.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Thursday, Nov. 6, and Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m., and through Nov. 16.
Tickets: $21 - $28. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Mike Zizka ... Arthur
Alysa Auriemma ... Guenevere
Jonathan Escobar ... Lancelot du Lac
Art Bradbury ... King Pellinore
Todd C. Santa Maria ... Mordred
Marge Kelly ... Morgan Le Fey
Fred T. Blish ... Merlin
Doug Stoyer ... Sir Dinidan, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Scott Ironfield ... Sir Lionel, Squire Dap, Guilliam, Rogue Knight
Diane Lareau AmEnde ... Lady Sybil, Herald, Ensemble
Ann Azevedo ... Lady Anne, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Andreanna Buccheri ... Page, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Charles Burns ... Clarius, Bliant, Rogue Knight, Ensemble
Donato DiGenova ... Sagramore, Colgrevance, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Rogue Knight, Ensemble
Jason Fazzino ... Horrid the Dog, Court Jester, Tom of Warwick
Yvonne Jacques ... Lady Clothilde, Ensemble
Patri-Ann Morgan ... Page, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Joan Notghi ... Lady Jane, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
Cassie Wood ... Nimue, Courtesan of Morgan Le Fey, Ensemble
"The Rainmaker" shines at the Ivoryton Playhouse
IVORYTON - The charming old facility that is now the Ivoryton Playhouse was built in 1911 as a recreation hall. It evolved into the first self-supporting summer stock theater in the country. It has expanded well beyond summer stock today, and offers quality theatrical productions throughout the year.
The Ivoryton Playhouse is located about an hour from the Manchester area. Probably one of the more enjoyable ways to spend the intermission between acts is to view the many photographs of famous actors who graced the Ivoryton Playhouse’s stage through the years.
The Ivoryton Playhouse is like the Holy Grail of Theater, with faded head-shots of such luminaries as Tallulah Bankhead, Alan Alda, Buddy Ebsen, Mae West, Treat Williams, Elaine Stritch, and many, many more - some whose faces are more familiar than their names, which are listed along with the plays they starred in at the Ivoryton Playhouse.
It probably isn’t accurate to call the Ivoryton Playhouse a community theater in the strictest sense, since some of the actors are professional; however, it is a fine combination of professional and amateur actors.
Their last regular season production for 2008 is the "The Rainmaker."
Written by N. Richard Nash, "The Rainmaker," ran on Broadway in 1954, and might be most familiar as the classic movie by the same name, starring Burt Lancaster and Hartford native Hepburn.
The play is set somewhere in the west on a cattle farm during a drought in August of some year in the middle of the last century.
A father, H.C. Curry, and his two sons, Jim and Noah Curry, pray for rain, as well as for a husband for H.C.’s daughter and the boy’s sister, Lizzie Curry.
It is set in a time when getting "hitched" was essential to a woman’s identity, in the view of society. At the time, if you were a woman and didn’t get married you were labeled a spinster and an old maid, and consequently, a failure.
Elizabeth Erwin plays Lizzie with just the right balance of intelligence and self-doubt. She gets all gussied up to have dinner with the town’s divorced deputy, File, sensitively played by Timothy Fannon, who doesn’t show. She lashes out in frustration and embarrassment to her father, saying: "I don’t want you to lasso me a husband."
H.C. is indulgent and caring with his children, and is played with palpable love and kindness by Larry Lewis. The younger and slower Jim is played with sweet effervescent energy by John Noel, while Danny Kirkwood plays the eldest brother, Noah, the exasperated, practical disbeliever of the family.
Into this family scene walks a fast talking con man named Starbuck who promises he can make it rain for $100, and so begins the dreamers and believers versus the practical realists.
"My method is like my name, all my own," exclaims Starbuck, played with a flood of energy and charisma by Colin Lane. He comes in like a tidal wave feeding the family full of the dreams and hopes they are all starving for.
Lane is just right for the role, but his Australian accent (or is it Irish?), which is barely detectable in the first act, blossoms in act two, while his western twang fades out more than in. Not that that matters too much, since it only accentuates his con artist persona.
David Cardone rounds out the cast as the observant and caring Sheriff.
The solid set by Dan Nischan is divided into thirds, with a sheriff’s office, barn, and the family’s living room. The costumes are all good, by costume designer Pam Puente, except Lizzie’s dressy dress looked like something that would be worn to a garden party today, and is too low cut for a modest gal like Lizzie.
The recorded musical interludes played between scenes are fine, except when the music starts before the scenes end, or worse still, plays in the middle of the love scene, when it is really distracting. In film it works, not so much in live theatre.
Perhaps it derives from watching award shows where the music kicks in when the actors’ acceptance speeches go on for too long, but here it is jarring, and takes away from what the actors were saying.
Those minor points aside, overall "The Rainmaker" is a touching, old-fashioned evening of heart-felt entertainment in a very special venue.
THE RAINMAKER
3 Stars
Location: Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT
Production: Written by N. Richard Nash. Directed by Julia Kiley. Stage manager Johanna K. Levai. Set design by Dan Nischan. Costumes by Pam Puente. Lighting designed by Tate R. Burmeister.
Running time: 2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Nov. 16.
Tickets: $30 for adults, $25 for previews and seniors, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the box office at 860-767-7318, or visit their website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Elizabeth Erwin ... Lizzie Curry
Colin Lane ... Bill Starbuck
Timothy Fannon ... Deputy File
Danny Kirkwood ... Noah Curry
Larry Lewis ... H.C. Curry
John Noel ... Jim Curry
David Cardone ... Sheriff Thomas
IVORYTON - The charming old facility that is now the Ivoryton Playhouse was built in 1911 as a recreation hall. It evolved into the first self-supporting summer stock theater in the country. It has expanded well beyond summer stock today, and offers quality theatrical productions throughout the year.
The Ivoryton Playhouse is located about an hour from the Manchester area. Probably one of the more enjoyable ways to spend the intermission between acts is to view the many photographs of famous actors who graced the Ivoryton Playhouse’s stage through the years.
The Ivoryton Playhouse is like the Holy Grail of Theater, with faded head-shots of such luminaries as Tallulah Bankhead, Alan Alda, Buddy Ebsen, Mae West, Treat Williams, Elaine Stritch, and many, many more - some whose faces are more familiar than their names, which are listed along with the plays they starred in at the Ivoryton Playhouse.
It probably isn’t accurate to call the Ivoryton Playhouse a community theater in the strictest sense, since some of the actors are professional; however, it is a fine combination of professional and amateur actors.
Their last regular season production for 2008 is the "The Rainmaker."
Written by N. Richard Nash, "The Rainmaker," ran on Broadway in 1954, and might be most familiar as the classic movie by the same name, starring Burt Lancaster and Hartford native Hepburn.
The play is set somewhere in the west on a cattle farm during a drought in August of some year in the middle of the last century.
A father, H.C. Curry, and his two sons, Jim and Noah Curry, pray for rain, as well as for a husband for H.C.’s daughter and the boy’s sister, Lizzie Curry.
It is set in a time when getting "hitched" was essential to a woman’s identity, in the view of society. At the time, if you were a woman and didn’t get married you were labeled a spinster and an old maid, and consequently, a failure.
Elizabeth Erwin plays Lizzie with just the right balance of intelligence and self-doubt. She gets all gussied up to have dinner with the town’s divorced deputy, File, sensitively played by Timothy Fannon, who doesn’t show. She lashes out in frustration and embarrassment to her father, saying: "I don’t want you to lasso me a husband."
H.C. is indulgent and caring with his children, and is played with palpable love and kindness by Larry Lewis. The younger and slower Jim is played with sweet effervescent energy by John Noel, while Danny Kirkwood plays the eldest brother, Noah, the exasperated, practical disbeliever of the family.
Into this family scene walks a fast talking con man named Starbuck who promises he can make it rain for $100, and so begins the dreamers and believers versus the practical realists.
"My method is like my name, all my own," exclaims Starbuck, played with a flood of energy and charisma by Colin Lane. He comes in like a tidal wave feeding the family full of the dreams and hopes they are all starving for.
Lane is just right for the role, but his Australian accent (or is it Irish?), which is barely detectable in the first act, blossoms in act two, while his western twang fades out more than in. Not that that matters too much, since it only accentuates his con artist persona.
David Cardone rounds out the cast as the observant and caring Sheriff.
The solid set by Dan Nischan is divided into thirds, with a sheriff’s office, barn, and the family’s living room. The costumes are all good, by costume designer Pam Puente, except Lizzie’s dressy dress looked like something that would be worn to a garden party today, and is too low cut for a modest gal like Lizzie.
The recorded musical interludes played between scenes are fine, except when the music starts before the scenes end, or worse still, plays in the middle of the love scene, when it is really distracting. In film it works, not so much in live theatre.
Perhaps it derives from watching award shows where the music kicks in when the actors’ acceptance speeches go on for too long, but here it is jarring, and takes away from what the actors were saying.
Those minor points aside, overall "The Rainmaker" is a touching, old-fashioned evening of heart-felt entertainment in a very special venue.
THE RAINMAKER
3 Stars
Location: Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT
Production: Written by N. Richard Nash. Directed by Julia Kiley. Stage manager Johanna K. Levai. Set design by Dan Nischan. Costumes by Pam Puente. Lighting designed by Tate R. Burmeister.
Running time: 2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Nov. 16.
Tickets: $30 for adults, $25 for previews and seniors, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the box office at 860-767-7318, or visit their website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Elizabeth Erwin ... Lizzie Curry
Colin Lane ... Bill Starbuck
Timothy Fannon ... Deputy File
Danny Kirkwood ... Noah Curry
Larry Lewis ... H.C. Curry
John Noel ... Jim Curry
David Cardone ... Sheriff Thomas
Monday, October 27, 2008
"Spring Awakening" surrealistic, stunning play at Uconn
STORRS - It takes a little while to adjust to the many German names and characters in "Spring Awakening," written by Frank Wedekind and translated by Jonathan Franzen, but a little bit of patience is a small price to pay to appreciate this remarkable, controversial masterpiece at Connecticut Repertory Theater’s studio theater.
It is difficult to believe this play about adolescent angst, rape, masturbation, sadism, homosexuality, and suicide was written in 1891, and not just because of the violence and the subject matter.
No, the amazing thing about this play is the fantastical, surrealistic artistry and stunning black humor, that so far ahead of its time when written, and may still be too much for some.
Wedekind was born in 1864 to a young actress and singer and a much older father who was a physician and political radical. They lived in Germany where Wedekind became a favorite of the bohemian set, writing the brilliant "Spring Awakening" when he was only 27 years old.
Wedekind also loved the circus life. In this play, creatively directed by 2004 Fine Arts graduate Joe Jung, they use fantastic distorted music that vacillates between psychotic circus-type songs to contorted music box melodies.
The parents and authority figures in the play all wear masks, which works on numerous levels. First, all the actors are undergraduates who clearly would look too young to be middle aged, but more importantly, the masks give them a cold, impersonal, expressionless persona. The masks also symbolize the psychological masks behind which the adults withhold truths from the teenagers, and ultimately from themselves.
Ali Perlwitz perfectly embodies the naïve, sheltered 14-year-old Wendla Bergmann, dressed in Alice-in-Wonderland pinafores, who is spoiled and both over and under-protected by her Victorian mother, played with complexity by Brittany Bandani.
Christine Cirillo’s costumes beautifully emphasize the surrealistic Victorian mood. Outstanding is the wildly imaginative peek-a-boo hoop skirt worn by Melchior Gabor’s mother, played with passion and intelligence by Anastasia Brewczynski.
The solid wooden set designed by Rachel Levey is both simple and complex, with surprising and effective use of the deep stage, visually complimenting the play with further layers of complexity and depth.
The 14-year-old boys in the play are under tremendous pressure to succeed in school, with Melchior, played with teenage rage and grief by Joe Cisternelli, and his best friend, the failing student Moritz Stiefel, played with tormented strife by Daniel Seigerman.
The visual at the end of the play when Moritz speaks with Melchior is an image not easy to forget and is black humor at its best.
Noah Weintraub is alternately touching as the young homosexual Hansy Rilow, and harrowing as Headmaster Hart-Payne. In fact, the only truly loving and honest relationship is gay love affair with Ernst Robel, well-played by Seth Koproski.
Melissa Kaufmann plays the promiscuous childhood friend of Moritz, Ilse, with perky grace. She also portrays the kooky cartoonish Reverend Bleekhead.
It’s a shame not to be able to mention every actor, because they were each terrific, no matter which part they played, and many played multiple roles.
This controversial, brilliant, satirically poetic play about adult hypocrisy and teenage tragedy has been made into an award-winning musical by the same name, which is running on Broadway.
Although there is no nudity or profanity in "Spring Awakening," still it might not be for everyone. However, it is honest, sensitively acted and directed, and truly a play worth experiencing.
SPRING AWAKENING
3 1/2 Stars
Location: Studio Theater, 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Frank Wedekind, translated by Jonathan Franzen. Directed by Joe Jung. Scenic design by Rachel Levey. Costume designed by Christine Cirillo. Lighting designed by Ben Strauss. Sound design by Chad Lefebvre.
Running time: 3 hours including one intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, through Nov. 2.
Tickets: $11 to $29. Call 860-486-4266 of visit their wbesite at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Ali Perlwitz ... Wendla Bergmann
Joe Cisternelli ... Melchior Gabor
Daniel Seigerman ... Moritz Stiefel
Noah Weintraub ... Hansy Rilow/Headmaster Hart-Payne/Dietheim
Melissa Kaufman ... Ilse/Reverend Bleekhead
Mandy Weiss ... Martha Bessel/Prof. Starver/Locksmith
Cassandra Bodzak ... Thea/Fetch
Brittaney Talbot ... Inna Muller/Prof. Schmalz
Seth Koproski ... Ernst Robel/Prof. Brockenbohn/Helmuth
Arron Lloyd ... George Zirschnitz/Prof. Blodgett/Gaston/Dr. Seltzer
Evan Wynkoop ... Lammermeier/Prof. Killaflye/Rupert/Ziegenmelker
Brittany Hart ... Otto/Prof. Fitzongue/Reinhold
Jack Fellows ... Mr. Gabor/Mr. Stiefel/Masked Man
Brittany Bandani ... Mrs. Bergmann
Anastasia Brewczynski ... Mrs. Gabor/Dr. Procrustes
STORRS - It takes a little while to adjust to the many German names and characters in "Spring Awakening," written by Frank Wedekind and translated by Jonathan Franzen, but a little bit of patience is a small price to pay to appreciate this remarkable, controversial masterpiece at Connecticut Repertory Theater’s studio theater.
It is difficult to believe this play about adolescent angst, rape, masturbation, sadism, homosexuality, and suicide was written in 1891, and not just because of the violence and the subject matter.
No, the amazing thing about this play is the fantastical, surrealistic artistry and stunning black humor, that so far ahead of its time when written, and may still be too much for some.
Wedekind was born in 1864 to a young actress and singer and a much older father who was a physician and political radical. They lived in Germany where Wedekind became a favorite of the bohemian set, writing the brilliant "Spring Awakening" when he was only 27 years old.
Wedekind also loved the circus life. In this play, creatively directed by 2004 Fine Arts graduate Joe Jung, they use fantastic distorted music that vacillates between psychotic circus-type songs to contorted music box melodies.
The parents and authority figures in the play all wear masks, which works on numerous levels. First, all the actors are undergraduates who clearly would look too young to be middle aged, but more importantly, the masks give them a cold, impersonal, expressionless persona. The masks also symbolize the psychological masks behind which the adults withhold truths from the teenagers, and ultimately from themselves.
Ali Perlwitz perfectly embodies the naïve, sheltered 14-year-old Wendla Bergmann, dressed in Alice-in-Wonderland pinafores, who is spoiled and both over and under-protected by her Victorian mother, played with complexity by Brittany Bandani.
Christine Cirillo’s costumes beautifully emphasize the surrealistic Victorian mood. Outstanding is the wildly imaginative peek-a-boo hoop skirt worn by Melchior Gabor’s mother, played with passion and intelligence by Anastasia Brewczynski.
The solid wooden set designed by Rachel Levey is both simple and complex, with surprising and effective use of the deep stage, visually complimenting the play with further layers of complexity and depth.
The 14-year-old boys in the play are under tremendous pressure to succeed in school, with Melchior, played with teenage rage and grief by Joe Cisternelli, and his best friend, the failing student Moritz Stiefel, played with tormented strife by Daniel Seigerman.
The visual at the end of the play when Moritz speaks with Melchior is an image not easy to forget and is black humor at its best.
Noah Weintraub is alternately touching as the young homosexual Hansy Rilow, and harrowing as Headmaster Hart-Payne. In fact, the only truly loving and honest relationship is gay love affair with Ernst Robel, well-played by Seth Koproski.
Melissa Kaufmann plays the promiscuous childhood friend of Moritz, Ilse, with perky grace. She also portrays the kooky cartoonish Reverend Bleekhead.
It’s a shame not to be able to mention every actor, because they were each terrific, no matter which part they played, and many played multiple roles.
This controversial, brilliant, satirically poetic play about adult hypocrisy and teenage tragedy has been made into an award-winning musical by the same name, which is running on Broadway.
Although there is no nudity or profanity in "Spring Awakening," still it might not be for everyone. However, it is honest, sensitively acted and directed, and truly a play worth experiencing.
SPRING AWAKENING
3 1/2 Stars
Location: Studio Theater, 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Frank Wedekind, translated by Jonathan Franzen. Directed by Joe Jung. Scenic design by Rachel Levey. Costume designed by Christine Cirillo. Lighting designed by Ben Strauss. Sound design by Chad Lefebvre.
Running time: 3 hours including one intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, through Nov. 2.
Tickets: $11 to $29. Call 860-486-4266 of visit their wbesite at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Ali Perlwitz ... Wendla Bergmann
Joe Cisternelli ... Melchior Gabor
Daniel Seigerman ... Moritz Stiefel
Noah Weintraub ... Hansy Rilow/Headmaster Hart-Payne/Dietheim
Melissa Kaufman ... Ilse/Reverend Bleekhead
Mandy Weiss ... Martha Bessel/Prof. Starver/Locksmith
Cassandra Bodzak ... Thea/Fetch
Brittaney Talbot ... Inna Muller/Prof. Schmalz
Seth Koproski ... Ernst Robel/Prof. Brockenbohn/Helmuth
Arron Lloyd ... George Zirschnitz/Prof. Blodgett/Gaston/Dr. Seltzer
Evan Wynkoop ... Lammermeier/Prof. Killaflye/Rupert/Ziegenmelker
Brittany Hart ... Otto/Prof. Fitzongue/Reinhold
Jack Fellows ... Mr. Gabor/Mr. Stiefel/Masked Man
Brittany Bandani ... Mrs. Bergmann
Anastasia Brewczynski ... Mrs. Gabor/Dr. Procrustes
"Big River" a big hit at Goodspeed
EAST HADDAM - "Big River" won seven Tony Awards in 1985, including best musical, and although over 20 years old, if the production at the Goodspeed Opera House is any indication, it is destined to become a classic.
The musical, with words and music by Roger Miller, is closely based on Mark Twain’s novel the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
Written by Twain after "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," both while he was living in Hartford, it picks up where "Sawyer" leaves off.
Huck and Tom are rich, having found a heap of money - $6,000 a piece. Huck’s father, a river grifter, played with greasy menace by Kenneth Cavett, gets wind of his son’s good luck and comes back to ostensibly claim his boy, but really he just wants the cash.
However, while in a drunken rage Huck’s father tries to kill him, so Huck runs away on a river raft, and discovers the slave Jim is also running away, in a desperate attempt to avoid being sold.
The story is set in 1840’s America along the Mississippi River, when slavery in much of the country was legal.
Huck is tormented by his conscience throughout much of the play for harboring a slave, but try as he might, he finally gives up, saying that he likes Jim too much and can’t betray him - resigning himself to being a morally-inferior, bad person.
Will Reynolds is fine as the affable Huck, who is in practically every scene, and serves as the musical’s narrator, although he occasionally pushes the "awe-shucks" routine, by and large he capturing the innocent, undereducated but cheerful tone of Huck.
Russell Joel Brown who plays Jim isn’t a physically over-whelming presence, nor did he sing louder than the other performers, but almost as soon as he stepped on the stage, he just about stole the show.
When Jim and Huck sing their first duet, "Muddy Water," about half way into the first act, and other duets following, the show transforms from a solid performance into something special.
John Bolton and Ed Dixon make an amusing comic pair as the con artists, the Duke and the King, and Jeremy Jordan is convincing as the clever Tom Sawyer.
The musical drags in the middle of the second act when there is more talking and less singing, but when the music kicks in, it picks up momentum again.
The music ranges from bluegrass, to gospel, to beautiful quiet ballads, like the lovely "River in the Rain," and "Worlds Apart."
Cavett as Huck’s pap sings the high-spirited "Guv’ment," a song that some Rush Limbaugh loyal listeners might love.
The set by Michael Schweikardt, transforms into the Mississippi, complete with a "floating" raft.
No doubt about it, "Big River" is an entertaining American original that the whole family would enjoy.
BIG RIVER
Three Stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, Route 82, East Haddam
Production: Music and lyrics by Roger Miller. Book by William Hauptman, adapted from Mark Twain’s novel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Choreographed by John MacInnis. Costume designed by Alejo Vietti. Lighting designed by John Lasiter. Sound design by Jay Hilton. Scenic design by Michael Schweikardt.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and selected 2 p.m. performances; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.; Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., with selected Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m. through Nov. 30.
Thanksgiving week schedule, Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m., Monday, Nov. 24, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Friday Nov. 28 at 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29 at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 30 at 2 and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $26 - $63. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their website at www.goodspeed.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Will Reynolds ... Huckleberry Finn
Russell Joel Brown ... Jim
Jeremy Jordan ... Tom Sawyer
Mary Jo McConnell ... Widow Douglas
Nancy Johnston ... Miss Watson, Sally Phelps
Robin Hayes ... Judge Thatcher
Danny Marr ... Ben Rogers
Adam Shonkwiler ... Joe Harper, Young Fool
Daniel Kwiatkowski ... Dick Simon
Kenneth Cavett ... Pap Finn
Ed Dixon ... The King
John Bolton ... The Duke
Marissa McGowan ... Mary Jane Wilkens
Jill Kerley ... Joanna Wilkens
Steve French ... Counselor Robinson
A’lisa D. Miles ... Alice
Christine Lyons ... Betsy
Robin Hayes ... Silas Phelps
David M. Lutken ... The Musician, the Doctor
EAST HADDAM - "Big River" won seven Tony Awards in 1985, including best musical, and although over 20 years old, if the production at the Goodspeed Opera House is any indication, it is destined to become a classic.
The musical, with words and music by Roger Miller, is closely based on Mark Twain’s novel the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
Written by Twain after "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," both while he was living in Hartford, it picks up where "Sawyer" leaves off.
Huck and Tom are rich, having found a heap of money - $6,000 a piece. Huck’s father, a river grifter, played with greasy menace by Kenneth Cavett, gets wind of his son’s good luck and comes back to ostensibly claim his boy, but really he just wants the cash.
However, while in a drunken rage Huck’s father tries to kill him, so Huck runs away on a river raft, and discovers the slave Jim is also running away, in a desperate attempt to avoid being sold.
The story is set in 1840’s America along the Mississippi River, when slavery in much of the country was legal.
Huck is tormented by his conscience throughout much of the play for harboring a slave, but try as he might, he finally gives up, saying that he likes Jim too much and can’t betray him - resigning himself to being a morally-inferior, bad person.
Will Reynolds is fine as the affable Huck, who is in practically every scene, and serves as the musical’s narrator, although he occasionally pushes the "awe-shucks" routine, by and large he capturing the innocent, undereducated but cheerful tone of Huck.
Russell Joel Brown who plays Jim isn’t a physically over-whelming presence, nor did he sing louder than the other performers, but almost as soon as he stepped on the stage, he just about stole the show.
When Jim and Huck sing their first duet, "Muddy Water," about half way into the first act, and other duets following, the show transforms from a solid performance into something special.
John Bolton and Ed Dixon make an amusing comic pair as the con artists, the Duke and the King, and Jeremy Jordan is convincing as the clever Tom Sawyer.
The musical drags in the middle of the second act when there is more talking and less singing, but when the music kicks in, it picks up momentum again.
The music ranges from bluegrass, to gospel, to beautiful quiet ballads, like the lovely "River in the Rain," and "Worlds Apart."
Cavett as Huck’s pap sings the high-spirited "Guv’ment," a song that some Rush Limbaugh loyal listeners might love.
The set by Michael Schweikardt, transforms into the Mississippi, complete with a "floating" raft.
No doubt about it, "Big River" is an entertaining American original that the whole family would enjoy.
BIG RIVER
Three Stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, Route 82, East Haddam
Production: Music and lyrics by Roger Miller. Book by William Hauptman, adapted from Mark Twain’s novel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Choreographed by John MacInnis. Costume designed by Alejo Vietti. Lighting designed by John Lasiter. Sound design by Jay Hilton. Scenic design by Michael Schweikardt.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and selected 2 p.m. performances; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.; Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., with selected Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m. through Nov. 30.
Thanksgiving week schedule, Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m., Monday, Nov. 24, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Friday Nov. 28 at 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29 at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 30 at 2 and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $26 - $63. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their website at www.goodspeed.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Will Reynolds ... Huckleberry Finn
Russell Joel Brown ... Jim
Jeremy Jordan ... Tom Sawyer
Mary Jo McConnell ... Widow Douglas
Nancy Johnston ... Miss Watson, Sally Phelps
Robin Hayes ... Judge Thatcher
Danny Marr ... Ben Rogers
Adam Shonkwiler ... Joe Harper, Young Fool
Daniel Kwiatkowski ... Dick Simon
Kenneth Cavett ... Pap Finn
Ed Dixon ... The King
John Bolton ... The Duke
Marissa McGowan ... Mary Jane Wilkens
Jill Kerley ... Joanna Wilkens
Steve French ... Counselor Robinson
A’lisa D. Miles ... Alice
Christine Lyons ... Betsy
Robin Hayes ... Silas Phelps
David M. Lutken ... The Musician, the Doctor
Friday, October 24, 2008
Resurrection fails to uplift
HARTFORD - There may be six members in the cast of "Resurrection," but there is one voice only that is heard - writer Daniel Beaty The play feels like a grand attempt to illuminate, justify, and solve the American Black males’ struggle, but it fails on many levels.
First and foremost, and probably most importantly, it is boring. It is also decidedly uninspiring.
It feels alternately like a lecture and a sermon, where the characters speak sometimes to each other, and other times in monologue, of their personal troubles, which are evidently meant to represent the larger picture of the American Black males’ struggle, according to Beaty.
There is the 60-year-old Bishop who is addicted to Ho-Ho snack cakes, a running not-funny joke throughout the play, and is a diabetic; Mr. Rogers, 50, who unfortunately says; "Welcome to Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood," and owns a failing health food store in the ghetto.
Isaac, 40, is the successful son of the bishop and is a closet homosexual; 30-year-old Dre, a former drug addict and ex-con; 20-year-old Twon from the projects who is going to college; and 10-year-old Eric, a science protégé, and Mr. Roger’s son.
Throughout the world premiere production at the Hartford Stage Company, the problem is not with the actors, who are all fine, but with the format, which feels impersonal, distant, and at times amateurish, with constant, unvarying slam poetry-style speak.
According to the program notes Beaty has performed at the White House and is an accomplished singer, actor, writer, composer, and poet, was a winner of a 2004 poetry Grand Slam and has performed in "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry."
Unfortunately the spontaneous, improvisational nature of slam poetry doesn’t translate well to a formal theater setting —- at least in this show.
Even the stage at the Hartford Stage Company has been altered to an arena stage, distancing the audience even further from the characters.
Perhaps "Resurrection" was Beaty’s attempt was at grandeur and greatness, but it seems forced, overlong, and dictatorial.
At times things are over-explained and at others important information is left out.
The Ho Ho snack cake theme comes up from time to time, and one particular instance when the Bishop talked about them in somewhat amusing way, the audience obligingly laughed.
As soon as they did, however, the Bishop immediately drops the "I have diabetes-2”" bomb, which felt like the rug was pulled out from under the audiences’ collective feet. This approach succeeded in creating distrust and caution by the audience towards the play from there onward.
Maybe that was Beaty’s goal, but it certainly seemed like he was trying to win the audience’s sympathy at other times.
Then there is the former drug addict Dre. Did Dre know he was HIV positive before he made his girlfriend pregnant and infected her? If he was, then he really is heinous. But he never says. That is an important character point left unexplained.
It felt like Beaty was heavy-handedly telling the audience: "This IS the black man’s struggle." "This IS where you laugh." "This IS where you are uplifted."
No one likes to be beaten over the head with opinions, or told how to feel, no matter how well intentioned or politically pertinent.
There is also far too much screaming and hollering in this play. It felt like one long yell.
The men in the play talk of the women in their lives in stereotypical terms. They are either Saint-like Madonnas placed on pedestals, or seductresses looking to ruin their lives.
The original music by Daniel Bernard Roumain was very good, but far too brief, as was the fine choreography by Hope Clarke.
This play started out as a successful reading last season at the Hartford Stage Company, and it should have been produced as such, in the more casual venue.
The message is good, the intention is honorable, but something got lost in translation.
RESURRECTION
1½ Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by Daniel Beaty. Music composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain. Scene design by G. W. Mercier. Costume design by Karen Perry. Lighting design by Victor En Yu Tan. Sound design by Michael Miceli. Choreography by Hope Clarke.
Running time: 1 ¾ hours with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday Oct. 28 and Nov. 11, Wednesday Oct. 29, Sunday Nov. 2, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees performances Saturday, Nov. 15, Sundays and selected Wednesdays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 16.
Tickets: $23 - $66. Call 527-5151 or visit their website at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Jeffery V. Thompson ... 60/The Bishop
Michael Genet ... 50/Mr. Rogers
Alvin Keith ... 40/Isaac
Che Ayende ... 30/Dre
Turron Kofi Alleyne ... 20/Twon
Thuliso Dingwall ... 10/Eric
HARTFORD - There may be six members in the cast of "Resurrection," but there is one voice only that is heard - writer Daniel Beaty The play feels like a grand attempt to illuminate, justify, and solve the American Black males’ struggle, but it fails on many levels.
First and foremost, and probably most importantly, it is boring. It is also decidedly uninspiring.
It feels alternately like a lecture and a sermon, where the characters speak sometimes to each other, and other times in monologue, of their personal troubles, which are evidently meant to represent the larger picture of the American Black males’ struggle, according to Beaty.
There is the 60-year-old Bishop who is addicted to Ho-Ho snack cakes, a running not-funny joke throughout the play, and is a diabetic; Mr. Rogers, 50, who unfortunately says; "Welcome to Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood," and owns a failing health food store in the ghetto.
Isaac, 40, is the successful son of the bishop and is a closet homosexual; 30-year-old Dre, a former drug addict and ex-con; 20-year-old Twon from the projects who is going to college; and 10-year-old Eric, a science protégé, and Mr. Roger’s son.
Throughout the world premiere production at the Hartford Stage Company, the problem is not with the actors, who are all fine, but with the format, which feels impersonal, distant, and at times amateurish, with constant, unvarying slam poetry-style speak.
According to the program notes Beaty has performed at the White House and is an accomplished singer, actor, writer, composer, and poet, was a winner of a 2004 poetry Grand Slam and has performed in "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry."
Unfortunately the spontaneous, improvisational nature of slam poetry doesn’t translate well to a formal theater setting —- at least in this show.
Even the stage at the Hartford Stage Company has been altered to an arena stage, distancing the audience even further from the characters.
Perhaps "Resurrection" was Beaty’s attempt was at grandeur and greatness, but it seems forced, overlong, and dictatorial.
At times things are over-explained and at others important information is left out.
The Ho Ho snack cake theme comes up from time to time, and one particular instance when the Bishop talked about them in somewhat amusing way, the audience obligingly laughed.
As soon as they did, however, the Bishop immediately drops the "I have diabetes-2”" bomb, which felt like the rug was pulled out from under the audiences’ collective feet. This approach succeeded in creating distrust and caution by the audience towards the play from there onward.
Maybe that was Beaty’s goal, but it certainly seemed like he was trying to win the audience’s sympathy at other times.
Then there is the former drug addict Dre. Did Dre know he was HIV positive before he made his girlfriend pregnant and infected her? If he was, then he really is heinous. But he never says. That is an important character point left unexplained.
It felt like Beaty was heavy-handedly telling the audience: "This IS the black man’s struggle." "This IS where you laugh." "This IS where you are uplifted."
No one likes to be beaten over the head with opinions, or told how to feel, no matter how well intentioned or politically pertinent.
There is also far too much screaming and hollering in this play. It felt like one long yell.
The men in the play talk of the women in their lives in stereotypical terms. They are either Saint-like Madonnas placed on pedestals, or seductresses looking to ruin their lives.
The original music by Daniel Bernard Roumain was very good, but far too brief, as was the fine choreography by Hope Clarke.
This play started out as a successful reading last season at the Hartford Stage Company, and it should have been produced as such, in the more casual venue.
The message is good, the intention is honorable, but something got lost in translation.
RESURRECTION
1½ Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by Daniel Beaty. Music composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain. Scene design by G. W. Mercier. Costume design by Karen Perry. Lighting design by Victor En Yu Tan. Sound design by Michael Miceli. Choreography by Hope Clarke.
Running time: 1 ¾ hours with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday Oct. 28 and Nov. 11, Wednesday Oct. 29, Sunday Nov. 2, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees performances Saturday, Nov. 15, Sundays and selected Wednesdays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 16.
Tickets: $23 - $66. Call 527-5151 or visit their website at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Jeffery V. Thompson ... 60/The Bishop
Michael Genet ... 50/Mr. Rogers
Alvin Keith ... 40/Isaac
Che Ayende ... 30/Dre
Turron Kofi Alleyne ... 20/Twon
Thuliso Dingwall ... 10/Eric
Monday, October 20, 2008
Dennehy commands the stage in Eugene O’Neill’s "Hughie" at Long Wharf
NEW HAVEN - Practice certainly makes perfect in Chicago’s Goodman Theatre production of Eugene O’Neill’s tight, taut one-act play, "Hughie," starring the inimitable Brian Dennehy and Joe Grifasi at Long Wharf Theatre.
This is the fourth time Dennehy and Grifasi have teamed up in this play and their familiarity with their parts and with each other make this a rich and rewarding experience.
Set in 1928 in the wee hours of the morning, Dennehy plays a two-bit grifter named Erie Smith who lives in a seedy New York City hotel, whose tawdry lobby was designed by Eugene Lee.
The stage in Stage II at Long Wharf is an awkward size and shape - long and narrow, and Lee utilizes it exquisitely to create an authentic, detailed lobby, subtly mirroring Erie’s psychological mindset of better days gone by.
Erie enters after a drinking binge, because Hughie, the night clerk, and his captive listener and probably only friend, has just died. Erie is a full-time gambler, mostly betting on horses, with apparently no family and even fewer friends. He tells the new night watchman, played by Joe Grifasi, that he hasn’t won a race since Hughie died, and his confidence has gone along with his former friend.
Erie is a man who can only exist in the presence of another, and is deeply lonely and occasionally admits it. The many "dames" he brags about seem to be all blond and all paid for.
O’Neill has never been known for his optimistic repartee, and he is true to form here in a play that was written near the end of his life and was somehow spared from being destroyed along with numerous other unpublished works that O’Neill incinerated.
At 70, Dennehy, a Bridgeport Conn. native, is a bit old for the part of the 59-year-old Erie, but that actually works to his advantage, making the character initially appear distinctly frail and even more sad and pitiful.
As the play continues though, Hughie is propelled by his own momentum - displaying a con man’s perpetual toothsome smile, mirthless laugh, and non-stop blather.
Through this thin façade chinks of honest self-reflection appear, such as when Erie laments to the night watchman that Hughie gave him confidence, and says, half-defensively: "What I fed Hughie weren’t all lies, they were stories."
It seems a positive play because Erie finds in this night clerk a replacement for his need for an audience to authenticate himself, to make himself feel better temporarily, but he misses the opportunity for real change and locks himself further into his uncomfortable but familiar self-delusions.
Meanwhile, the night clerk is Erie’s audience - listening. Probably one of the most difficult things to sustain unselfconsciously for an actor is to just listen, and Grifasi is great at it, with his vacant, dreamy lifetime night clerk stare, interspersed with real interest in the gambling lifestyle.
O’Neill, who spent many summers in New London, struggled with alcoholism and depression all his adult life. He is the only American playwright to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, but his perspective is as deeply dark and troubled as it is fascinating, with plays such as "A Long Days Journey into Night," "The Iceman Cometh," "Desire Under the Elms," and "Mourning Becomes Electra."
If you have never seen an O’Neill play, "Hughie" is a great one to test drive, and if you have, it is a priceless opportunity to see two consummate actors at work in a concise and complex play by an American icon.
HUGHIE
3½ Stars
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Written by Eugene O’Neill. Directed by Robert Falls. Set design by Eugene Lee. Costume design by Rachel Anne Healy. Lighting design by John Culbert. Sound design by Richard Woodbury.
Running time: 50 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and selected Sundays at 7 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday selected Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. extended through November 16.
Tickets: $22 to $62. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Brain Dennehy ... Erie Smith
Joe Grifasi ... Night Clerk
NEW HAVEN - Practice certainly makes perfect in Chicago’s Goodman Theatre production of Eugene O’Neill’s tight, taut one-act play, "Hughie," starring the inimitable Brian Dennehy and Joe Grifasi at Long Wharf Theatre.
This is the fourth time Dennehy and Grifasi have teamed up in this play and their familiarity with their parts and with each other make this a rich and rewarding experience.
Set in 1928 in the wee hours of the morning, Dennehy plays a two-bit grifter named Erie Smith who lives in a seedy New York City hotel, whose tawdry lobby was designed by Eugene Lee.
The stage in Stage II at Long Wharf is an awkward size and shape - long and narrow, and Lee utilizes it exquisitely to create an authentic, detailed lobby, subtly mirroring Erie’s psychological mindset of better days gone by.
Erie enters after a drinking binge, because Hughie, the night clerk, and his captive listener and probably only friend, has just died. Erie is a full-time gambler, mostly betting on horses, with apparently no family and even fewer friends. He tells the new night watchman, played by Joe Grifasi, that he hasn’t won a race since Hughie died, and his confidence has gone along with his former friend.
Erie is a man who can only exist in the presence of another, and is deeply lonely and occasionally admits it. The many "dames" he brags about seem to be all blond and all paid for.
O’Neill has never been known for his optimistic repartee, and he is true to form here in a play that was written near the end of his life and was somehow spared from being destroyed along with numerous other unpublished works that O’Neill incinerated.
At 70, Dennehy, a Bridgeport Conn. native, is a bit old for the part of the 59-year-old Erie, but that actually works to his advantage, making the character initially appear distinctly frail and even more sad and pitiful.
As the play continues though, Hughie is propelled by his own momentum - displaying a con man’s perpetual toothsome smile, mirthless laugh, and non-stop blather.
Through this thin façade chinks of honest self-reflection appear, such as when Erie laments to the night watchman that Hughie gave him confidence, and says, half-defensively: "What I fed Hughie weren’t all lies, they were stories."
It seems a positive play because Erie finds in this night clerk a replacement for his need for an audience to authenticate himself, to make himself feel better temporarily, but he misses the opportunity for real change and locks himself further into his uncomfortable but familiar self-delusions.
Meanwhile, the night clerk is Erie’s audience - listening. Probably one of the most difficult things to sustain unselfconsciously for an actor is to just listen, and Grifasi is great at it, with his vacant, dreamy lifetime night clerk stare, interspersed with real interest in the gambling lifestyle.
O’Neill, who spent many summers in New London, struggled with alcoholism and depression all his adult life. He is the only American playwright to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, but his perspective is as deeply dark and troubled as it is fascinating, with plays such as "A Long Days Journey into Night," "The Iceman Cometh," "Desire Under the Elms," and "Mourning Becomes Electra."
If you have never seen an O’Neill play, "Hughie" is a great one to test drive, and if you have, it is a priceless opportunity to see two consummate actors at work in a concise and complex play by an American icon.
HUGHIE
3½ Stars
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Written by Eugene O’Neill. Directed by Robert Falls. Set design by Eugene Lee. Costume design by Rachel Anne Healy. Lighting design by John Culbert. Sound design by Richard Woodbury.
Running time: 50 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and selected Sundays at 7 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday selected Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. extended through November 16.
Tickets: $22 to $62. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Brain Dennehy ... Erie Smith
Joe Grifasi ... Night Clerk
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
"Sweeney Todd" a dark and intimate musical opera filled with revenge
HARTFORD - Revenge is a dish that is best served cold, unless it comes in a tasty meat pie.
Those unconventional pies along with some powerful music, are served with zest in the Bushnell Memorial Theater’s unplugged version of "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
This production features 10 vocalists who also play all the instruments in a musical operatic tour-de-force performance that is darkly ironic and about as bleak as it gets.
The show is set in 19th Century London where grime and filth, death and cholera ran rampant during the infant stages of industrial age.
It is based on a legend of a vengeful, psychotic barber who is wrongfully sent to jail by an amoral judge who commanders the barber’s wife and infant daughter.
Todd returns years later to seek his revenge, with razor in hand. Mrs. Lovett, Todd’s landlord and pastry shop owner is short on meat. Todd begins his killing spree and Lovett comes up with the ingenious though gruesome plan to use the accumulating bodies created by Todd’s vengeance against humanity as the pie’s meat filling. Necessity is the mother of invention.
The musical opera was made into a 2005 movie starring Johnny Depp, and directed by Tim Burton, and would be a fine film to see as a precursor to this show - sort of like cliff notes.
The movie was much more realistically explicit and visual, while this stage production thankfully has more symbolism and conceptually wrought violence.
When the barber Todd slits his victim’s throats, for example, it is done with a broad gesture, a flash of red lights, with the "blood" poured from one bucket into another.
The original Stephen Sondheim production first premiered on Broadway in 1979 with a 27-piece symphonic orchestra and a 30-member cast, directed by legendary director Harold Prince.
This more intimate, pared down version of "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" with the actors doubling as the chamber orchestra, was first produced by John Doyle in 2005, primarily because his regional theater couldn’t afford a huge production.
The vocalists/musicians at Mortensen Hall were all professional and capable, with the grim Sweeney Todd played commandingly by Merritt David Janes, and the terrific Carrie Cimma playing the zealous and industrious entrepreneur meat pie baker Mrs. Lovett.
Judge Turpin, played by Connecticut native David Alan Marshall, has a stunning bass voice, but he is far too young and good looking to play a creepy evil judge old enough to be the father of a teen-age daughter, Johanna, played by Wendy Muir.
Muir has a gorgeous soprano voice and plays the cello like nobody’s business, but she is a brunette, and the musical opera refers to her yellow hair repeatedly. A wig would have been a good idea.
The humor doesn’t get much blacker, such as when Mrs. Lovett and Todd sing in "A Little Priest" that eating actors isn’t so great, because they always arrive "overdone," while priests are the best, because they have lived a clean life.
When his victims die under Todd’s blade, the ensemble sings that "they went to their maker incredibly shaved."
Set in an insane asylum, this interpretation seems to pose the question - do the real crazy people reside inside or outside the nuthouse?
The strong cast sang the complicated, sophisticated, dissonant music clearly and well, beautifully illuminating the subtle harmonics in Stephen Sondheim’s eccentric and ironic score.
SWEENEY TODD - THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
3 1/2 stars
Theater: The Bushnell
Location: Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Direction recreated by Adam John Hunter. Sound designed by Shannon Slayton. Lighting designed by Paul Miller.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Oct. 19.
Tickets: $16.50 - $65. Call 860-987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Merritt David Janes ... Sweeney Todd
Carrie Cimma ... Mrs. Lovett
Matt Cusack ... John Fogg
Chris Marchant ... Tobias
David Alan Marshall ... Judge Turpin
Patty Lohr ... Beggar Woman
Bob Bohon ... The Beadle
Duke Anderson ... Anthony
Wendy Muir ... Johanna
Ruthie Ann Miles ... Pirelli
HARTFORD - Revenge is a dish that is best served cold, unless it comes in a tasty meat pie.
Those unconventional pies along with some powerful music, are served with zest in the Bushnell Memorial Theater’s unplugged version of "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
This production features 10 vocalists who also play all the instruments in a musical operatic tour-de-force performance that is darkly ironic and about as bleak as it gets.
The show is set in 19th Century London where grime and filth, death and cholera ran rampant during the infant stages of industrial age.
It is based on a legend of a vengeful, psychotic barber who is wrongfully sent to jail by an amoral judge who commanders the barber’s wife and infant daughter.
Todd returns years later to seek his revenge, with razor in hand. Mrs. Lovett, Todd’s landlord and pastry shop owner is short on meat. Todd begins his killing spree and Lovett comes up with the ingenious though gruesome plan to use the accumulating bodies created by Todd’s vengeance against humanity as the pie’s meat filling. Necessity is the mother of invention.
The musical opera was made into a 2005 movie starring Johnny Depp, and directed by Tim Burton, and would be a fine film to see as a precursor to this show - sort of like cliff notes.
The movie was much more realistically explicit and visual, while this stage production thankfully has more symbolism and conceptually wrought violence.
When the barber Todd slits his victim’s throats, for example, it is done with a broad gesture, a flash of red lights, with the "blood" poured from one bucket into another.
The original Stephen Sondheim production first premiered on Broadway in 1979 with a 27-piece symphonic orchestra and a 30-member cast, directed by legendary director Harold Prince.
This more intimate, pared down version of "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" with the actors doubling as the chamber orchestra, was first produced by John Doyle in 2005, primarily because his regional theater couldn’t afford a huge production.
The vocalists/musicians at Mortensen Hall were all professional and capable, with the grim Sweeney Todd played commandingly by Merritt David Janes, and the terrific Carrie Cimma playing the zealous and industrious entrepreneur meat pie baker Mrs. Lovett.
Judge Turpin, played by Connecticut native David Alan Marshall, has a stunning bass voice, but he is far too young and good looking to play a creepy evil judge old enough to be the father of a teen-age daughter, Johanna, played by Wendy Muir.
Muir has a gorgeous soprano voice and plays the cello like nobody’s business, but she is a brunette, and the musical opera refers to her yellow hair repeatedly. A wig would have been a good idea.
The humor doesn’t get much blacker, such as when Mrs. Lovett and Todd sing in "A Little Priest" that eating actors isn’t so great, because they always arrive "overdone," while priests are the best, because they have lived a clean life.
When his victims die under Todd’s blade, the ensemble sings that "they went to their maker incredibly shaved."
Set in an insane asylum, this interpretation seems to pose the question - do the real crazy people reside inside or outside the nuthouse?
The strong cast sang the complicated, sophisticated, dissonant music clearly and well, beautifully illuminating the subtle harmonics in Stephen Sondheim’s eccentric and ironic score.
SWEENEY TODD - THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
3 1/2 stars
Theater: The Bushnell
Location: Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Direction recreated by Adam John Hunter. Sound designed by Shannon Slayton. Lighting designed by Paul Miller.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Oct. 19.
Tickets: $16.50 - $65. Call 860-987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Merritt David Janes ... Sweeney Todd
Carrie Cimma ... Mrs. Lovett
Matt Cusack ... John Fogg
Chris Marchant ... Tobias
David Alan Marshall ... Judge Turpin
Patty Lohr ... Beggar Woman
Bob Bohon ... The Beadle
Duke Anderson ... Anthony
Wendy Muir ... Johanna
Ruthie Ann Miles ... Pirelli
Friday, October 10, 2008
Suffield Players' homespun "Mornings at 7" a fine family affair
SUFFIELD - Watching "Mornings at 7" at the Suffield Players is like seeing a sitcom and soap opera all wrapped up in 1930’s mid-western family.
The cast moves smoothly on a small stage made even smaller by the two impressive home facades, solidly designed by Konrad Rogowski and constructed by a large and capable crew.
The play is set at the two homes of married sisters Cora and Ida, with an unmarried sister, Arry living with Cora and Cora’s husband Thor, and a fourth sister, Esther, living with her husband, David, down the road.
Ida and her husband Carl have a son, David, who is 40-years-old and engaged for seven years to Myrtle. The question in this gentle family tale is, will David ever take the plunge and get married?
Watching this production, which has a lot of character-driven humor, one gets the feeling that even when they argue and disagree, these people really care for and about each other.
Myrtle, played with perky tension by Karen Balaska, arrives at the homestead with Homer, played by Stephen Grout, who is terrific as the simple and sweet son, who speaks in a slow and measured pace.
Homer’s father Carl, played by set designer Rogowski, suffers from occasional identity crisis, which the family euphemistically calls his "spells."
Some of the dialog is a bit dated, such as when one of the characters says: "Marriage gives a woman dignity," and when Myrtle talks about quitting her job when they get married.
Three of the sisters are in their late 60’s, while their oldest sister, Esther, who is in her early 70’s, is played with earthy wisdom and humor by Kelly Seip. She is married to an intellectual isolationist, David, played by Dana T. Ring, who doesn’t want Esther to see her family, whom he calls morons, according to the easy-going Homer.
Jane H. Maulucci plays Arry Gibbs, the unmarried sister who is petulant and has a quick temper. Maulucci finds a delicate balance, creating an interesting and funny portrait of a complex character, rather than a superficial stereotype.
There were times during this long production where they were all on stage, talking away, and the conversation felt so real and natural, it was as if they really were just a family talking.
The costumes by Dawn McKay were appropriate for the era, including details such as a lovely little embroidered handkerchief in Arry’s pocket, and bobby socks and flats for the women.
Director Rayah Martin directed the large cast in this production with confidence and at a good pace.
Now a-days plays that aren’t musicals usually run for three hours, and that’s too bad. It is probably a reflection of our shortened attention spans, having been exposed to decades of 30-minute TV spots.
Perhaps two intermissions could have been shorted to one, placed between two longer acts, but that is a small quibble in this well-acted, well-directed, solid, sweet, and homespun play.
MORNINGS AT 7
3 Stars
Location: Mather Hall, Suffield
Production: Written by Paul Osborn. Directed by Rayah Martin. Stage manager Becky Schoenfeld. Technical director and lighting design by Jerry Zalewski. Set designed by Konrad Rogowski. Costumes designed by Dawn McKay.
Running time: 3 hours with two intermissions.
Show Times: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through Oct. 26.
Tickets: $17, $15 for seniors (62+) and students.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Bruce Showalter ... Thor Swanson
Cynthia Lee Andersen ... Cora Swanson
Jane H. Maulucci ... Arry Gibbs
Pam Amodio ... Ida Bolton
Konrad Rogowski ... Carl Bolton
Stephen Grout ... Homer Bolton
Karen Balaska ... Myrtle Brown
Kelly Seip ... Esther Crampton
Dana T. Ring ... David Crampton
SUFFIELD - Watching "Mornings at 7" at the Suffield Players is like seeing a sitcom and soap opera all wrapped up in 1930’s mid-western family.
The cast moves smoothly on a small stage made even smaller by the two impressive home facades, solidly designed by Konrad Rogowski and constructed by a large and capable crew.
The play is set at the two homes of married sisters Cora and Ida, with an unmarried sister, Arry living with Cora and Cora’s husband Thor, and a fourth sister, Esther, living with her husband, David, down the road.
Ida and her husband Carl have a son, David, who is 40-years-old and engaged for seven years to Myrtle. The question in this gentle family tale is, will David ever take the plunge and get married?
Watching this production, which has a lot of character-driven humor, one gets the feeling that even when they argue and disagree, these people really care for and about each other.
Myrtle, played with perky tension by Karen Balaska, arrives at the homestead with Homer, played by Stephen Grout, who is terrific as the simple and sweet son, who speaks in a slow and measured pace.
Homer’s father Carl, played by set designer Rogowski, suffers from occasional identity crisis, which the family euphemistically calls his "spells."
Some of the dialog is a bit dated, such as when one of the characters says: "Marriage gives a woman dignity," and when Myrtle talks about quitting her job when they get married.
Three of the sisters are in their late 60’s, while their oldest sister, Esther, who is in her early 70’s, is played with earthy wisdom and humor by Kelly Seip. She is married to an intellectual isolationist, David, played by Dana T. Ring, who doesn’t want Esther to see her family, whom he calls morons, according to the easy-going Homer.
Jane H. Maulucci plays Arry Gibbs, the unmarried sister who is petulant and has a quick temper. Maulucci finds a delicate balance, creating an interesting and funny portrait of a complex character, rather than a superficial stereotype.
There were times during this long production where they were all on stage, talking away, and the conversation felt so real and natural, it was as if they really were just a family talking.
The costumes by Dawn McKay were appropriate for the era, including details such as a lovely little embroidered handkerchief in Arry’s pocket, and bobby socks and flats for the women.
Director Rayah Martin directed the large cast in this production with confidence and at a good pace.
Now a-days plays that aren’t musicals usually run for three hours, and that’s too bad. It is probably a reflection of our shortened attention spans, having been exposed to decades of 30-minute TV spots.
Perhaps two intermissions could have been shorted to one, placed between two longer acts, but that is a small quibble in this well-acted, well-directed, solid, sweet, and homespun play.
MORNINGS AT 7
3 Stars
Location: Mather Hall, Suffield
Production: Written by Paul Osborn. Directed by Rayah Martin. Stage manager Becky Schoenfeld. Technical director and lighting design by Jerry Zalewski. Set designed by Konrad Rogowski. Costumes designed by Dawn McKay.
Running time: 3 hours with two intermissions.
Show Times: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through Oct. 26.
Tickets: $17, $15 for seniors (62+) and students.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Bruce Showalter ... Thor Swanson
Cynthia Lee Andersen ... Cora Swanson
Jane H. Maulucci ... Arry Gibbs
Pam Amodio ... Ida Bolton
Konrad Rogowski ... Carl Bolton
Stephen Grout ... Homer Bolton
Karen Balaska ... Myrtle Brown
Kelly Seip ... Esther Crampton
Dana T. Ring ... David Crampton
Monday, October 06, 2008
CRT’s "A Man For All Seasons" an inspiring, relevant history play
STORRS - It’s good to be king - not so good to disagree with one.
Not so good for staying alive, either, but then no one lives forever, as Sir Thomas More, played by Michael McKenzie, says numerous times in "A Man for All Seasons," a serious and often amusing play based on historic events in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s inspiring production at the University of Connecticut.
Although about 500 years after the actual events, Sir Thomas More’s heroic, stoic integrity and refusal to bend to the will of national authority, is timeless.
Even More’s enemies, of which there were many, recognized and even admired his unimpeachable character.
The play is set in early 1500 in England, when young King Henry VIII, who was just beginning out on in his life-long wife-elimination campaign, (he had six when all was said and done) wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, because she bore him no sons.
At this time in history the Catholic Church rule in Europe was absolute, and the Catholic Church was and is opposed to divorce.
So, the king, who was a passionately religious Christian guy, just created a new Christian religion, the Church of England, that he would lead.
In comes Thomas More, a devote and passionate Catholic, who was by this time appointed Lord Chancellor to the young king, was held in high esteem by many.
More refused to sign an oath stating that the king was the supreme ruler of the church, and that lead to his eventual downfall - eloquent and crafty legal arguments not withstanding.
This is first play of CRT’s 2008-09 season, with professional actors and undergraduate students, creates an exciting synergy of experience and youth.
Michael McKenzie as More is commanding and engaging in a challenging role. He hits just the right balance of world-weary humanity, mixed with impudent humor and sage wit, as when he says: "I trust I make myself obscure," when pressed to incriminate himself.
John Windsor-Cunningham played More’s nemesis, Thomas Cromwell, the man acting as the king’s agent to try to break More into submission.
Windsor-Cunningham plays Cromwell with commanding authority and expansive intelligence, but then isn't it always more fun to play the bad guy?
One would expect the professional actors to do well, and they don’t disappoint, including the More’s wife Alice, played with feisty devotion by Bonnie Black; Jerry Krasser as the exasperated and loyal friend The Duke of Norfolk; the sycophant Richard Rich, played by Peter Mutino; and the pragmatic Common man, payed by Greg Webster.
It is the undergrads, however, who rise beyond expectations, including the officious Spanish ambassador Signor Chapuys, played with flourish by Robert Rosado, Daniel O’Brien as William Roper the youthful heretic, and Meghan O’Leary as More’s intelligent and educated daughter.
Most compelling and really astonishing though is Zachary Kamin, as the ruddy young King Henry VIII.
Although Kamin, a junior in their acting program, is only on stage for a small part of one scene, he basically steals the show.
Displaying a mercurial temperament, Kamin embodied the contradictory characteristics of supreme confidence, magnanimous friendship, absolute authority, and magnetic charisma essential for the role, and for the play’s success.
The period costumes of heavy brocade, by Lucy Brown, were solid and well-suited to the story, particularly impressive was Rich’s transformation from threadbare to flamboyant.
Directing with authority, Gary M. English, CRT’s artistic director, also designed the single set. With a large wooden Tudor door in the center of the stage, and sturdy steps leading off stage and to a balcony, the set easily morphs into More’s home, a jail, a street, and a courtroom, with the aid of a few props.
In the program notes, English said the abstract environment was meant to suggest the architecture of ships as well as Tudor authority, but the boat symbolism was too obscure.
While the world’s unstable political and social framework changes with the weather, what connects us to the past, and will always make this play relevant, is the critical importance of being true to oneself, no matter what - something that is sometimes easier said than done, but which never goes out of style.
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
3 stars
Location: Nafe Katter Theatre, 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Robert Bolt. Direction and scene design by Gary M. English. Costume design by Lucy Brown. Lighting and projection design by Tim Hunter. Sound design by Emily Tritsch.
Running time: 3 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday and Sunday. through Oct. 12.
Tickets: $11 to $29. Call 860-486-4266 or visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR... CHARACTER
Michael McKenzie ... Sir Thomas More
John Windsor-Cunningham ... Thomas Cromwell
Jerry Krasser ... The Duke of Norfolk
Greg Webster ... The Common Man
Peter Mutino ... Richard Rich
Bonnie Black ... Alice More
Meghan O’Leary ... Margaret More
Dale AJ Rose ... Cardinal Wolsey
Robert Rosado ... Signor Chapuys
Thomas Foran ... Chapuys’ Attendant
Daniel O’Brien ... William Roper
Zachary Kamin ... King Henry VIII
Cayla Buettner ... The Woman
JD Gross ... Archbishop Cranmer
STORRS - It’s good to be king - not so good to disagree with one.
Not so good for staying alive, either, but then no one lives forever, as Sir Thomas More, played by Michael McKenzie, says numerous times in "A Man for All Seasons," a serious and often amusing play based on historic events in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s inspiring production at the University of Connecticut.
Although about 500 years after the actual events, Sir Thomas More’s heroic, stoic integrity and refusal to bend to the will of national authority, is timeless.
Even More’s enemies, of which there were many, recognized and even admired his unimpeachable character.
The play is set in early 1500 in England, when young King Henry VIII, who was just beginning out on in his life-long wife-elimination campaign, (he had six when all was said and done) wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, because she bore him no sons.
At this time in history the Catholic Church rule in Europe was absolute, and the Catholic Church was and is opposed to divorce.
So, the king, who was a passionately religious Christian guy, just created a new Christian religion, the Church of England, that he would lead.
In comes Thomas More, a devote and passionate Catholic, who was by this time appointed Lord Chancellor to the young king, was held in high esteem by many.
More refused to sign an oath stating that the king was the supreme ruler of the church, and that lead to his eventual downfall - eloquent and crafty legal arguments not withstanding.
This is first play of CRT’s 2008-09 season, with professional actors and undergraduate students, creates an exciting synergy of experience and youth.
Michael McKenzie as More is commanding and engaging in a challenging role. He hits just the right balance of world-weary humanity, mixed with impudent humor and sage wit, as when he says: "I trust I make myself obscure," when pressed to incriminate himself.
John Windsor-Cunningham played More’s nemesis, Thomas Cromwell, the man acting as the king’s agent to try to break More into submission.
Windsor-Cunningham plays Cromwell with commanding authority and expansive intelligence, but then isn't it always more fun to play the bad guy?
One would expect the professional actors to do well, and they don’t disappoint, including the More’s wife Alice, played with feisty devotion by Bonnie Black; Jerry Krasser as the exasperated and loyal friend The Duke of Norfolk; the sycophant Richard Rich, played by Peter Mutino; and the pragmatic Common man, payed by Greg Webster.
It is the undergrads, however, who rise beyond expectations, including the officious Spanish ambassador Signor Chapuys, played with flourish by Robert Rosado, Daniel O’Brien as William Roper the youthful heretic, and Meghan O’Leary as More’s intelligent and educated daughter.
Most compelling and really astonishing though is Zachary Kamin, as the ruddy young King Henry VIII.
Although Kamin, a junior in their acting program, is only on stage for a small part of one scene, he basically steals the show.
Displaying a mercurial temperament, Kamin embodied the contradictory characteristics of supreme confidence, magnanimous friendship, absolute authority, and magnetic charisma essential for the role, and for the play’s success.
The period costumes of heavy brocade, by Lucy Brown, were solid and well-suited to the story, particularly impressive was Rich’s transformation from threadbare to flamboyant.
Directing with authority, Gary M. English, CRT’s artistic director, also designed the single set. With a large wooden Tudor door in the center of the stage, and sturdy steps leading off stage and to a balcony, the set easily morphs into More’s home, a jail, a street, and a courtroom, with the aid of a few props.
In the program notes, English said the abstract environment was meant to suggest the architecture of ships as well as Tudor authority, but the boat symbolism was too obscure.
While the world’s unstable political and social framework changes with the weather, what connects us to the past, and will always make this play relevant, is the critical importance of being true to oneself, no matter what - something that is sometimes easier said than done, but which never goes out of style.
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
3 stars
Location: Nafe Katter Theatre, 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Robert Bolt. Direction and scene design by Gary M. English. Costume design by Lucy Brown. Lighting and projection design by Tim Hunter. Sound design by Emily Tritsch.
Running time: 3 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday and Sunday. through Oct. 12.
Tickets: $11 to $29. Call 860-486-4266 or visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR... CHARACTER
Michael McKenzie ... Sir Thomas More
John Windsor-Cunningham ... Thomas Cromwell
Jerry Krasser ... The Duke of Norfolk
Greg Webster ... The Common Man
Peter Mutino ... Richard Rich
Bonnie Black ... Alice More
Meghan O’Leary ... Margaret More
Dale AJ Rose ... Cardinal Wolsey
Robert Rosado ... Signor Chapuys
Thomas Foran ... Chapuys’ Attendant
Daniel O’Brien ... William Roper
Zachary Kamin ... King Henry VIII
Cayla Buettner ... The Woman
JD Gross ... Archbishop Cranmer
Monday, September 29, 2008
"Arsenic and Old Lace" born in Windsor
WINDSOR - Don’t be fooled, just because the Windsor Jester’s production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" happens to be set in Brooklyn, New York. The screw-ball comedy is Windsor, Connecticut born and bred, and produced in conjunction with Windsor’s month long celebration of the town’s 375th anniversary.
In the comedy, two elderly aunts, played with delightfully sweet ditziness by Lisa Coleman Hasty and Joan Perkins-Smith, lure elderly lonely gentlemen to their home where they poison them with arsenic-tainted elderberry wine.
In the notorious real case, from 1914, Amy Archer Gilligan was convicted of poisoning Franklin Andrews and others in her home for the elderly in Windsor. Gilligan was eventually judged insane and lived out her days at the Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown.
It may seem an odd premise for a comedy, but the play, written in 1939 by Joseph Kesselring, ran successfully on Broadway, and was subsequently made into an equally fine Frank Capra film starring Cary Grant and Peter Lorre in 1944.
One of the aunts sums it all up when she casually explains: "Murder is one of our charities."
In addition to the two wacky old aunts, there are three nephews. Teddy Brewster, played with terrific bravado by John Zeugner, as a man who is convinced he is President Theodore Roosevelt. One of the aunts says: "We would so much rather he be Teddy Roosevelt than nobody."
Jonathan Brewster, a psychopathic serial murderer, is another of the nephews, played with spooky meanness by Edwin Lewis III, and Mortimer Brewster, a theater critic, is the third brother.
Mortimer Brewster, played by Andrew Small, is the sanest of the bunch, and discovers his aunts’ "very bad habit" and tries to figure a way to keep them from going to jail, while doing his best to get rid of his bad brother Jonathan.
Mortimer tries to get out of reviewing a play that night because of what he has just learned about his aunts, but can’t so he asks his aunt for a piece of paper so he can write his review on the way to the theater, to save time. One of the aunts assures him that the odious business of theater reviewing will disappear when theater does - in a year or two.
The large cast were all fine, including including Lorrie Bacon who does the most she can with the ingenue part, Ron Blanchette as the freakish and energetic plastic surgeon Dr. Einstein, Clark Rogers as the thoughtful Rev. Dr. Harper, Bill Allen as the frustrated Irish Police Lt. Rooney, and Mark O’Donnell as Officer O’Hara the enthusiastic aspiring playwright.
Director Sharon Leigh Burr does a masterful job of keeping the dialog and action moving at a fast pace, while having little bits of business incorporated into the scenes, such as when a strange white shoe shows up, which belongs to one of the dead men.
Perhaps it would have been best to squeeze the three acts into two, and have just one intermission midway through the comedy.
Special mention goes to set designers Neal Brundage and John Zeugner for their excellent, expansive living room set with period furniture, including the extra-sturdy flight of stairs, well built for President Roosevelt to charge up.
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
3 Stars
Location: L.P. Wilson Community Center, 599 Matianuck Ave., Windsor
Production: By Joseph Kesselring. Directed by Sharon Leigh Burr. Produced by the Windsor Jesters Board of Directors. Stage manager Sandy Miller. Set designed by Neal Brundage and John Zeugner. Costumes by Gerry Traczyk and Joan Brundage. Sound design by Kim Miller. Lighting design by Jim Simon.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, including two intermissions.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday Oct. 3 and 4 at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $15, $12 for seniors and students. Call 860-688-1526 or visit their website at www.windsorjesters.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Lisa Coleman Hasty ... Aunt Abby Brewster
Joan Perkins-Smith...Aunt Martha Brewster
Andrew Small ... Mortimer Brewster
Edwin Lewis III ... Jonathan Brewster
John Zeugner ...Teddy Brewster
Lorrie Bacon ... Elaine Harper
Mark O’Donnell ... Officer O’Hara
Ron Blanchette ... Dr. Einstein
Bill Allen ... Lt. Rooney
Mike Colburn ... Mr. Witherspoon
Jeff Ingram ... Officer Brophy
Dan Petronella ... Officer Klein
Clark Rogers ... Rev. Dr. Harper
Carroll Toal ... Mr. Gibbs
WINDSOR - Don’t be fooled, just because the Windsor Jester’s production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" happens to be set in Brooklyn, New York. The screw-ball comedy is Windsor, Connecticut born and bred, and produced in conjunction with Windsor’s month long celebration of the town’s 375th anniversary.
In the comedy, two elderly aunts, played with delightfully sweet ditziness by Lisa Coleman Hasty and Joan Perkins-Smith, lure elderly lonely gentlemen to their home where they poison them with arsenic-tainted elderberry wine.
In the notorious real case, from 1914, Amy Archer Gilligan was convicted of poisoning Franklin Andrews and others in her home for the elderly in Windsor. Gilligan was eventually judged insane and lived out her days at the Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown.
It may seem an odd premise for a comedy, but the play, written in 1939 by Joseph Kesselring, ran successfully on Broadway, and was subsequently made into an equally fine Frank Capra film starring Cary Grant and Peter Lorre in 1944.
One of the aunts sums it all up when she casually explains: "Murder is one of our charities."
In addition to the two wacky old aunts, there are three nephews. Teddy Brewster, played with terrific bravado by John Zeugner, as a man who is convinced he is President Theodore Roosevelt. One of the aunts says: "We would so much rather he be Teddy Roosevelt than nobody."
Jonathan Brewster, a psychopathic serial murderer, is another of the nephews, played with spooky meanness by Edwin Lewis III, and Mortimer Brewster, a theater critic, is the third brother.
Mortimer Brewster, played by Andrew Small, is the sanest of the bunch, and discovers his aunts’ "very bad habit" and tries to figure a way to keep them from going to jail, while doing his best to get rid of his bad brother Jonathan.
Mortimer tries to get out of reviewing a play that night because of what he has just learned about his aunts, but can’t so he asks his aunt for a piece of paper so he can write his review on the way to the theater, to save time. One of the aunts assures him that the odious business of theater reviewing will disappear when theater does - in a year or two.
The large cast were all fine, including including Lorrie Bacon who does the most she can with the ingenue part, Ron Blanchette as the freakish and energetic plastic surgeon Dr. Einstein, Clark Rogers as the thoughtful Rev. Dr. Harper, Bill Allen as the frustrated Irish Police Lt. Rooney, and Mark O’Donnell as Officer O’Hara the enthusiastic aspiring playwright.
Director Sharon Leigh Burr does a masterful job of keeping the dialog and action moving at a fast pace, while having little bits of business incorporated into the scenes, such as when a strange white shoe shows up, which belongs to one of the dead men.
Perhaps it would have been best to squeeze the three acts into two, and have just one intermission midway through the comedy.
Special mention goes to set designers Neal Brundage and John Zeugner for their excellent, expansive living room set with period furniture, including the extra-sturdy flight of stairs, well built for President Roosevelt to charge up.
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
3 Stars
Location: L.P. Wilson Community Center, 599 Matianuck Ave., Windsor
Production: By Joseph Kesselring. Directed by Sharon Leigh Burr. Produced by the Windsor Jesters Board of Directors. Stage manager Sandy Miller. Set designed by Neal Brundage and John Zeugner. Costumes by Gerry Traczyk and Joan Brundage. Sound design by Kim Miller. Lighting design by Jim Simon.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, including two intermissions.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday Oct. 3 and 4 at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $15, $12 for seniors and students. Call 860-688-1526 or visit their website at www.windsorjesters.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Lisa Coleman Hasty ... Aunt Abby Brewster
Joan Perkins-Smith...Aunt Martha Brewster
Andrew Small ... Mortimer Brewster
Edwin Lewis III ... Jonathan Brewster
John Zeugner ...Teddy Brewster
Lorrie Bacon ... Elaine Harper
Mark O’Donnell ... Officer O’Hara
Ron Blanchette ... Dr. Einstein
Bill Allen ... Lt. Rooney
Mike Colburn ... Mr. Witherspoon
Jeff Ingram ... Officer Brophy
Dan Petronella ... Officer Klein
Clark Rogers ... Rev. Dr. Harper
Carroll Toal ... Mr. Gibbs
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
One-man show, "Defending the Caveman" funny examination of the battle of the sexes
NEW HAVEN - The battle of the sexes has never been funnier than in Long Wharf Theatre’s production of "Defending the Caveman."
Written by comedian Rob Becker, this one-man show examines what Becker’s play calls the dramatically different cultures that men and women inhabit, and different customs they exhibit. What he is really examining, though, is the social paradigm, and the roles we unconsciously accept.
"Defending the Caveman" ran for 702 performances over 2 ½ years at the Helen Hayes Theater, and has the distinction of being the longest running one-person show on Broadway.
At the Long Wharf Theatre’s production, Michael Van Osch plays the role of Becker, which he has done at different theaters in the United States and Canada since 2004, and he confidently knows this part inside out.
Throughout history, dating back to the caveman days, Becker says, man’s main job was to hunt - a focused, primarily non-verbal, and competitive activity. Men interact with each other through negotiation, while women, according to Becker, were in charge of gathering food, a more cooperative process, which required more oral communication.
He tells his story within the "circle of sacred underwear" that he amusingly tosses about the stage.
"Defending the Caveman" begs the question - against whom? The answer is against what Becker says are unfair claims by women that men are all assholes.
He says, for example, that a man would never ask another man: "Did you ever want to cry but you just don’t know why?" but a woman will ask that same question to another woman without a qualm.
The problem with this theory is that his generalizations can veer on the over-simplistic.
For example, he says that when young girls played baseball when he was a kid they would rather talk to each other on the field than catch the ball - so of course all the implication is that all women prefer chatting to playing baseball.
Even more incendiary, is when he says that women are not logical. That got a rise from the predominantly female audience Sunday, until he explained what he meant, which was that women are not as rigid in their thinking as men.
Becker is on somewhat safer ground when he talks about himself.
Men, he says, must have a specific goal, which is why he can’t stand to go shopping with his wife with no aim in mind.
"I can’t stand it - we have no goal here," he cries.
Some statements are just plain hilarious, such as went he says that guys would never ask, "Want to go sit by the water for a day and just hang out?" but will do just that if they have a goal, such as fishing.
"It’s the smallest goal you could possibly have, putting a hook in the water to catch a fish," Becker explains.
There is some profanity and graphic discussions about sex, making this show definitely not for kids.
Despite issues with some of his conclusions, "Defending the Caveman" really is a tearfully funny, sometimes surprisingly sweet, and thought provoking show.
DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN
3 stars
Theater: Long Wharf Theatre
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Written by Rob Becker
Running time: 1 3/4 hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a second show Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. through Oct. 12.
Tickets: $28 — $38. A $14 service fee will be added to every Internet purchase, which includes a $10 handling fee and a $4 facilities and restoration fee. Call the box office at 1-800-782-8497 for reservations, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org.
Actor ... Character
Michael Van Osch ...Rob Becker
NEW HAVEN - The battle of the sexes has never been funnier than in Long Wharf Theatre’s production of "Defending the Caveman."
Written by comedian Rob Becker, this one-man show examines what Becker’s play calls the dramatically different cultures that men and women inhabit, and different customs they exhibit. What he is really examining, though, is the social paradigm, and the roles we unconsciously accept.
"Defending the Caveman" ran for 702 performances over 2 ½ years at the Helen Hayes Theater, and has the distinction of being the longest running one-person show on Broadway.
At the Long Wharf Theatre’s production, Michael Van Osch plays the role of Becker, which he has done at different theaters in the United States and Canada since 2004, and he confidently knows this part inside out.
Throughout history, dating back to the caveman days, Becker says, man’s main job was to hunt - a focused, primarily non-verbal, and competitive activity. Men interact with each other through negotiation, while women, according to Becker, were in charge of gathering food, a more cooperative process, which required more oral communication.
He tells his story within the "circle of sacred underwear" that he amusingly tosses about the stage.
"Defending the Caveman" begs the question - against whom? The answer is against what Becker says are unfair claims by women that men are all assholes.
He says, for example, that a man would never ask another man: "Did you ever want to cry but you just don’t know why?" but a woman will ask that same question to another woman without a qualm.
The problem with this theory is that his generalizations can veer on the over-simplistic.
For example, he says that when young girls played baseball when he was a kid they would rather talk to each other on the field than catch the ball - so of course all the implication is that all women prefer chatting to playing baseball.
Even more incendiary, is when he says that women are not logical. That got a rise from the predominantly female audience Sunday, until he explained what he meant, which was that women are not as rigid in their thinking as men.
Becker is on somewhat safer ground when he talks about himself.
Men, he says, must have a specific goal, which is why he can’t stand to go shopping with his wife with no aim in mind.
"I can’t stand it - we have no goal here," he cries.
Some statements are just plain hilarious, such as went he says that guys would never ask, "Want to go sit by the water for a day and just hang out?" but will do just that if they have a goal, such as fishing.
"It’s the smallest goal you could possibly have, putting a hook in the water to catch a fish," Becker explains.
There is some profanity and graphic discussions about sex, making this show definitely not for kids.
Despite issues with some of his conclusions, "Defending the Caveman" really is a tearfully funny, sometimes surprisingly sweet, and thought provoking show.
DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN
3 stars
Theater: Long Wharf Theatre
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Written by Rob Becker
Running time: 1 3/4 hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a second show Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. through Oct. 12.
Tickets: $28 — $38. A $14 service fee will be added to every Internet purchase, which includes a $10 handling fee and a $4 facilities and restoration fee. Call the box office at 1-800-782-8497 for reservations, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org.
Actor ... Character
Michael Van Osch ...Rob Becker
Monday, September 22, 2008
"Best of Friends" is the best of times at the Village Players
SOMERS - Appearances can be deceiving, and they certainly are in the Village Players’ production of the witty comedy "Best of Friends," where nothing is as it seems.
The play takes place in present day Brooklyn, New York, in the living room of famous writer Archer Connaught, played by Mark Depathy. He and his much younger 24-year-old girlfriend, Daryl Stoddard, played with efficient control by Linden Ela are presumed dead after the airplane he was flying crashes in ocean.
His abandoned and apparently placid wife, Josie, played with breezy confidence Dorrie Mitchell, is reveling in the attention showered upon her as the bereaved widow, until Archer appears unexpectedly asking for a divorce.
Josie tell her daughter Kate, played with fine bitter uptightness by Darlene LaPointe, that "death doesn’t part you, living together does."
When Kate asks why Archer left her, Josie says resignedly, "I think I bored him - I would have left me too."
Archer and Josie also have an aimless adult son, Merrill, played with intense fervor by Clint Moffie.
There is also a befuddled lawyer who was retained to get the rights for a movie of Archer’s life, Felix Hakaday, well played by Robert Winstanley.
The play has many amusing one-liners and director Shirley Warner does an excellent job keeping the expansive pithy dialog moving at a fast clip. The set, also designed by Warner, is solid and functional.
Notable too are the excellent sound effects, which are timed perfectly, and the professional touch of having music unobtrusively playing during the scene changes - Sound and lighting by technical director Justin Martin.
Sometimes supporting roles have an easier time because they don’t have the burden of exposition, and such is the case here.
The smaller, but no less important parts were all well-played, the inebriated and delightful juggler and possible justice of the peace, bemusedly played by James Stoughton, and the book agent Hazel Dunn, played with world-wearing knowingness by Mary Korostynski.
Also hilarious is Merrill’s nervously ditzy young wife, Lib, played by Stephanie Plangenza.
At one point Josie flippantly states: "I tell lies - It is one of the few things you can enjoy at any age."
Another of those things one can enjoy at any age is watching a dedicated group of actors put on a comedy where the truth is ultimately secondary to the fun.
BEST OF FRIENDS
3 stars
Location: Joanne’s Café and Banquet House, 145 Main Street, Somers
Production: Written by James Elward. Directed, with set design by Shirley Warner. Produced by Betty Domer. Technical direction, lighting, and sound by Justin Martin. Costumes by Sherrie Samborski.
Running time: About 2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday though Oct. 4. Social hour starting at 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $33, including dinner, with cash bar. Call 860-749-0245 for reservations.
Actor...Character
Dorrie Mitchell ... Josie Connaught
Mark Depathy ... Archer Connaught
Darlene LaPointe ... Kate Connaught
Clint Moffie ... Merrill Connaught
Stephanie Plagenza ... Lib Connaught
Linden Ela ...Daryl Stoddard
Robert Winstanley ... Felix Hakaday
Mary Korostynski ... Hazel Dunn
James Stoughton ... Mr. Bedloe
SOMERS - Appearances can be deceiving, and they certainly are in the Village Players’ production of the witty comedy "Best of Friends," where nothing is as it seems.
The play takes place in present day Brooklyn, New York, in the living room of famous writer Archer Connaught, played by Mark Depathy. He and his much younger 24-year-old girlfriend, Daryl Stoddard, played with efficient control by Linden Ela are presumed dead after the airplane he was flying crashes in ocean.
His abandoned and apparently placid wife, Josie, played with breezy confidence Dorrie Mitchell, is reveling in the attention showered upon her as the bereaved widow, until Archer appears unexpectedly asking for a divorce.
Josie tell her daughter Kate, played with fine bitter uptightness by Darlene LaPointe, that "death doesn’t part you, living together does."
When Kate asks why Archer left her, Josie says resignedly, "I think I bored him - I would have left me too."
Archer and Josie also have an aimless adult son, Merrill, played with intense fervor by Clint Moffie.
There is also a befuddled lawyer who was retained to get the rights for a movie of Archer’s life, Felix Hakaday, well played by Robert Winstanley.
The play has many amusing one-liners and director Shirley Warner does an excellent job keeping the expansive pithy dialog moving at a fast clip. The set, also designed by Warner, is solid and functional.
Notable too are the excellent sound effects, which are timed perfectly, and the professional touch of having music unobtrusively playing during the scene changes - Sound and lighting by technical director Justin Martin.
Sometimes supporting roles have an easier time because they don’t have the burden of exposition, and such is the case here.
The smaller, but no less important parts were all well-played, the inebriated and delightful juggler and possible justice of the peace, bemusedly played by James Stoughton, and the book agent Hazel Dunn, played with world-wearing knowingness by Mary Korostynski.
Also hilarious is Merrill’s nervously ditzy young wife, Lib, played by Stephanie Plangenza.
At one point Josie flippantly states: "I tell lies - It is one of the few things you can enjoy at any age."
Another of those things one can enjoy at any age is watching a dedicated group of actors put on a comedy where the truth is ultimately secondary to the fun.
BEST OF FRIENDS
3 stars
Location: Joanne’s Café and Banquet House, 145 Main Street, Somers
Production: Written by James Elward. Directed, with set design by Shirley Warner. Produced by Betty Domer. Technical direction, lighting, and sound by Justin Martin. Costumes by Sherrie Samborski.
Running time: About 2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday though Oct. 4. Social hour starting at 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $33, including dinner, with cash bar. Call 860-749-0245 for reservations.
Actor...Character
Dorrie Mitchell ... Josie Connaught
Mark Depathy ... Archer Connaught
Darlene LaPointe ... Kate Connaught
Clint Moffie ... Merrill Connaught
Stephanie Plagenza ... Lib Connaught
Linden Ela ...Daryl Stoddard
Robert Winstanley ... Felix Hakaday
Mary Korostynski ... Hazel Dunn
James Stoughton ... Mr. Bedloe
Monday, September 15, 2008
"No Child" a lesson in hope over experience
HARTFORD - Once again TheaterWorks has produced thought-provoking, relevant theater.
"No Child" tells the story of a teaching artist at the Malcolm X High School in the Bronx, New York.
Originally performed as a one-woman Off-Broadway show by its creator and playwright Nilaja Sun at the Barrow Street Theater in New York, this production wisely divides the multitude of characters among four actors.
Donnetta Lavinia Grays plays Ms. Sun with earnest eagerness, while the other three actors, Lizan Mitchell, Portia, and Anthony Mark Stockard, switch from one character to another with lightening speed and remarkable talent.
Mitchell’s first remarkable character is a high school janitor who has been cleaning the high school since 1958 and gives the history of the decline of the facility. The set is one dilapidated cinderblock school room with cracked and broken wire-embedded windows, well designed by Brian Prather.
The exotic atmosphere of a predominantly black and Hispanic high school was likely foreign territory for the primarily Caucasian audience Saturday. It was an education in the state of the inner-city educational institutions, as well as the external world of single parent families, gang violence, and the effect of poverty on change.
The story line follows Sun’s character as she attempts to produce a play at the high school with a class of 10th grade students, while confronting changes in teaching staff, mutinous students, and a supportive administration.
At one point Sun, who is black, says in frustration: "I can’t even help my own people. The whole system is falling apart- we are getting them ready for jail-we have abandoned them."
Portia, whose characters’ morph from the school’s authoritative but kind principal Mrs. Kennedy, to the rigid security guard, to a teenage mother-to-be, and others, is convincing in all.
Anthony Mark Stockard also is remarkable, transforming instantly from one persona to the next. He uses his sweatshirt hood as an aid for one character, and plays a convincing sassy teenage girl named Sharika, an Asian boy, an angry class leader named Jerome, and a competent authoritative teacher.
In addition to the male janitor Mr. Barry, Mitchell is fascinating and totally committed as the naïve Asian teacher, a boy who can barely speak named Phillip, a barking Russian teacher, and more.
The slang and accents are thick, peppered with profuse profanity, and are spit out at a rapid-fire pace, but somehow the actors manage to make most of the dialog intelligible, with assistance from dialect consultant Gillian Lane-Plescia.
Sad statistics abound in this play about the lamentable state of inner-city schools. Principal Kennedy says one class had seen five different teachers in a year, while 79 percent of the student body has experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Sun says: "Those kids in there need a miracle - They need a miracle everyday."
It all seems pretty grim, but there is plenty of humor and hope that elevates "No Child" into something quite special.
Occasionally this one act play feels a little preachy, but there is no doubt Sun has lived this life and listened well to the hearts and minds of the kids, and ultimately honors their struggle for meaning and self-respect in a harsh and difficult world.
NO CHILD
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: TheaterWorks
Location: 233 Pearl Street, Hartford.
Production: By Nilaja Sun. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Lighting designed by John Lasiter. Costume designed by Peg Carbonneau. Sound designed by J. Hagenbuckle. Dialect consultant Gillian Lane-Plescia.
Running time: 1 hour and 15 minutes, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The show will run through October 12.
Tickets: Unassigned seating is $37; $47 on Friday and Saturday nights. Center reserved seats $11 extra. $11 student rush tickets at showtime with valid identification, subject to availability. For tickets call 860-527-7838 or visit their website at www.theaterworks.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Lizan Mitchell ...Various Characters
Donnetta Lavinia Grays ... Ms. Sun
Portia ... Various Characters
Anthony Mark Stockard ... Various Characters
HARTFORD - Once again TheaterWorks has produced thought-provoking, relevant theater.
"No Child" tells the story of a teaching artist at the Malcolm X High School in the Bronx, New York.
Originally performed as a one-woman Off-Broadway show by its creator and playwright Nilaja Sun at the Barrow Street Theater in New York, this production wisely divides the multitude of characters among four actors.
Donnetta Lavinia Grays plays Ms. Sun with earnest eagerness, while the other three actors, Lizan Mitchell, Portia, and Anthony Mark Stockard, switch from one character to another with lightening speed and remarkable talent.
Mitchell’s first remarkable character is a high school janitor who has been cleaning the high school since 1958 and gives the history of the decline of the facility. The set is one dilapidated cinderblock school room with cracked and broken wire-embedded windows, well designed by Brian Prather.
The exotic atmosphere of a predominantly black and Hispanic high school was likely foreign territory for the primarily Caucasian audience Saturday. It was an education in the state of the inner-city educational institutions, as well as the external world of single parent families, gang violence, and the effect of poverty on change.
The story line follows Sun’s character as she attempts to produce a play at the high school with a class of 10th grade students, while confronting changes in teaching staff, mutinous students, and a supportive administration.
At one point Sun, who is black, says in frustration: "I can’t even help my own people. The whole system is falling apart- we are getting them ready for jail-we have abandoned them."
Portia, whose characters’ morph from the school’s authoritative but kind principal Mrs. Kennedy, to the rigid security guard, to a teenage mother-to-be, and others, is convincing in all.
Anthony Mark Stockard also is remarkable, transforming instantly from one persona to the next. He uses his sweatshirt hood as an aid for one character, and plays a convincing sassy teenage girl named Sharika, an Asian boy, an angry class leader named Jerome, and a competent authoritative teacher.
In addition to the male janitor Mr. Barry, Mitchell is fascinating and totally committed as the naïve Asian teacher, a boy who can barely speak named Phillip, a barking Russian teacher, and more.
The slang and accents are thick, peppered with profuse profanity, and are spit out at a rapid-fire pace, but somehow the actors manage to make most of the dialog intelligible, with assistance from dialect consultant Gillian Lane-Plescia.
Sad statistics abound in this play about the lamentable state of inner-city schools. Principal Kennedy says one class had seen five different teachers in a year, while 79 percent of the student body has experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Sun says: "Those kids in there need a miracle - They need a miracle everyday."
It all seems pretty grim, but there is plenty of humor and hope that elevates "No Child" into something quite special.
Occasionally this one act play feels a little preachy, but there is no doubt Sun has lived this life and listened well to the hearts and minds of the kids, and ultimately honors their struggle for meaning and self-respect in a harsh and difficult world.
NO CHILD
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: TheaterWorks
Location: 233 Pearl Street, Hartford.
Production: By Nilaja Sun. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Lighting designed by John Lasiter. Costume designed by Peg Carbonneau. Sound designed by J. Hagenbuckle. Dialect consultant Gillian Lane-Plescia.
Running time: 1 hour and 15 minutes, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The show will run through October 12.
Tickets: Unassigned seating is $37; $47 on Friday and Saturday nights. Center reserved seats $11 extra. $11 student rush tickets at showtime with valid identification, subject to availability. For tickets call 860-527-7838 or visit their website at www.theaterworks.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Lizan Mitchell ...Various Characters
Donnetta Lavinia Grays ... Ms. Sun
Portia ... Various Characters
Anthony Mark Stockard ... Various Characters
Monday, September 08, 2008
HSC production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
HARTFORD - Ain’t love grand? There sure isn’t enough it in the world, but there is no lack of love, in all its manifestations, in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" by William Shakespeare, at the Hartford Stage Company.
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream" is one of the few plays Shakespeare wrote that was an original plot, and not based on a historical work.
Director Lisa Peterson chose to set the play in the 1950’s, with costume design by Ilona Somogyi, which works well for this play, although the forest setting and fairies are delightfully timeless.
The story follows the loves, romantic and other, of various characters - from the Duke Theseus who is marrying Hippolyta, played commandingly by David Andrew Macdonald and Johanna Day who also play the Fairie King Oberon and the Fairie Queen Titania - to the four young people, Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena.
Demetrius, played by Jake Lacy, is in love with Hermia, played by Christina Pumariega. But Hermia loves Lysander, played by Sanjit De Silva, while Helena’s love of Demetrius goes unrequited. Susannah Flood plays Helena.
"The course of true love never did run smooth," says Lysander, and never were more true words spoken. All kinds of love, and jealousies are evident here - the love of Titania for her foundling child, who Oberon wants, the paternal love of a father, Egeus, played by Everett Quinton, for his daughter, Hermia.
While the women remain relatively constant, the men behave pretty badly, starting from the top with the Fairie King Oberon who has his assistant Puck, played with impish glee by Francis Jue, give a love potion to Titania, Demetrius, and then Lysander.
Many strange and weird things happen once the youths are in the woods, and Peterson has them all run and roll and cavort about with impressive energy and strength.
Sometimes a little too much energy. When Hermia, who is used to always being doted upon, all of a sudden is despised by her love Lysander for no apparent reason, she doesn’t seem shocked enough, and says: "O weary night, O long and tedious night," as if she could run a marathon.
For those who think Shakespeare is difficult to understand, this play, with plenty of broad sexual innuendo, should present no problem. Shakespeare wrote for the common man of his day and his comedies are meant to be much bawdier than many realize.
Shakespeare hardly ever resorted to swearing in any of his plays, choosing instead to use more creative and amusing invectives such as "vixen," "churl," and "acorn."
The original music by James Paul Prendergast was lovely, particularly original and pleasant was setting Oberon’s dialog to music, and the charming, enchanting sounds of the fairie’s singing.
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged cupid painted blind," laments poor, confused Helena on the fickle, flighty changeling nature of love. She is used to being ignored, and when the tables are turned and the men chase after her, she thinks there is a conspiracy afoot.
There is the subplot with a play within a play, where a troupe of amateur actors rehearses a play about two ill-fated lovers, Pyramus and Thisby. Puck turns one of the actors, named Bottom, played with proper bravura by Lucas Caleb Rooney, into a Donkey and Titania is made to fall in love with him.
The play within the play at the end was a bit long, and even though it is faithful to the original, it would not have been missed if it had been deleted.
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream" slowly cast a love spell on the audience, lulling all into a sense of enchanted joy, happiness, and intoxicating love.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Three Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Lisa Peterson. Scenic design by Rachel Hauck. Costume design by Ilona Somogyi. Lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge. Composed by James Paul Prendergast.
Running time: 2 ½ hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees performances Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through October 5.
Tickets: $23 - $68.50. Call 527-5151 or visit their Web site at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Johanna Day ... Hippolyta/Titania
David Andrew Macdonald ... Theseus/Oberon
Francis Jue ...Puck/ Philostrate
Everett Quinton ...Egeus/Quince
Jake Lacy ...Demetrius
Sanjit De Silva ...Lysander
Christina Pumariega...Hermia
Susannah Flood...Helena
Lucas Caleb Rooney ...Bottom
Steven Boyer ...Flute
Nathan Johnson...Starveling
Kathy Deitch...Snout
Robert Patrick Sheire...Snug
HARTFORD - Ain’t love grand? There sure isn’t enough it in the world, but there is no lack of love, in all its manifestations, in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" by William Shakespeare, at the Hartford Stage Company.
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream" is one of the few plays Shakespeare wrote that was an original plot, and not based on a historical work.
Director Lisa Peterson chose to set the play in the 1950’s, with costume design by Ilona Somogyi, which works well for this play, although the forest setting and fairies are delightfully timeless.
The story follows the loves, romantic and other, of various characters - from the Duke Theseus who is marrying Hippolyta, played commandingly by David Andrew Macdonald and Johanna Day who also play the Fairie King Oberon and the Fairie Queen Titania - to the four young people, Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena.
Demetrius, played by Jake Lacy, is in love with Hermia, played by Christina Pumariega. But Hermia loves Lysander, played by Sanjit De Silva, while Helena’s love of Demetrius goes unrequited. Susannah Flood plays Helena.
"The course of true love never did run smooth," says Lysander, and never were more true words spoken. All kinds of love, and jealousies are evident here - the love of Titania for her foundling child, who Oberon wants, the paternal love of a father, Egeus, played by Everett Quinton, for his daughter, Hermia.
While the women remain relatively constant, the men behave pretty badly, starting from the top with the Fairie King Oberon who has his assistant Puck, played with impish glee by Francis Jue, give a love potion to Titania, Demetrius, and then Lysander.
Many strange and weird things happen once the youths are in the woods, and Peterson has them all run and roll and cavort about with impressive energy and strength.
Sometimes a little too much energy. When Hermia, who is used to always being doted upon, all of a sudden is despised by her love Lysander for no apparent reason, she doesn’t seem shocked enough, and says: "O weary night, O long and tedious night," as if she could run a marathon.
For those who think Shakespeare is difficult to understand, this play, with plenty of broad sexual innuendo, should present no problem. Shakespeare wrote for the common man of his day and his comedies are meant to be much bawdier than many realize.
Shakespeare hardly ever resorted to swearing in any of his plays, choosing instead to use more creative and amusing invectives such as "vixen," "churl," and "acorn."
The original music by James Paul Prendergast was lovely, particularly original and pleasant was setting Oberon’s dialog to music, and the charming, enchanting sounds of the fairie’s singing.
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged cupid painted blind," laments poor, confused Helena on the fickle, flighty changeling nature of love. She is used to being ignored, and when the tables are turned and the men chase after her, she thinks there is a conspiracy afoot.
There is the subplot with a play within a play, where a troupe of amateur actors rehearses a play about two ill-fated lovers, Pyramus and Thisby. Puck turns one of the actors, named Bottom, played with proper bravura by Lucas Caleb Rooney, into a Donkey and Titania is made to fall in love with him.
The play within the play at the end was a bit long, and even though it is faithful to the original, it would not have been missed if it had been deleted.
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream" slowly cast a love spell on the audience, lulling all into a sense of enchanted joy, happiness, and intoxicating love.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Three Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Lisa Peterson. Scenic design by Rachel Hauck. Costume design by Ilona Somogyi. Lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge. Composed by James Paul Prendergast.
Running time: 2 ½ hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees performances Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through October 5.
Tickets: $23 - $68.50. Call 527-5151 or visit their Web site at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Johanna Day ... Hippolyta/Titania
David Andrew Macdonald ... Theseus/Oberon
Francis Jue ...Puck/ Philostrate
Everett Quinton ...Egeus/Quince
Jake Lacy ...Demetrius
Sanjit De Silva ...Lysander
Christina Pumariega...Hermia
Susannah Flood...Helena
Lucas Caleb Rooney ...Bottom
Steven Boyer ...Flute
Nathan Johnson...Starveling
Kathy Deitch...Snout
Robert Patrick Sheire...Snug
Friday, September 05, 2008
A lot to love in Monty Python’s SPAMALOT
HARTFORD-The musical comedy "Monty Python’s SPAMALOT," playing at the Bushnell through Sunday, should come with a warning.
Those attending a performance of the hilarious, irreverent, and silly show may find they leave the theater with permanent smiles stuck to their faces, toes that won’t stop tapping, and be forever unable to look on anything but the bright side of life.
A sure sign of a great musical is having that one song you just can’t get out of your head. For "Monty Python’s SPAMALOT" that song is undoubtedly "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."
The musical is based on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," which is derived from the BBC television show "Monty Python’s Flying Circus," that ran from 1969 until 1974.
Set in 932 A.D. it loosely tells the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their search for the Holy Grail.
For those who remember the film, it’s a delightful walk down nostalgia lane, with the Knights of Ni and their demand for a "shrubbery," the knight who suffers "just a flesh wound," the plague victim who insists "I’m not dead yet," catapulted cows, killer rabbits, and many more characters and incidences from the film.
But it isn’t necessary to have seen the movie or even the television show to enjoy the 2005 Tony-award winning musical. The songs are upbeat and tuneful. In addition to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," other memorable tunes include "Find Your Grail," and "The Song That Goes Like This."
At one point Sir Dennis Galahad, played with handsome bravura by Ben Davis, questions King Arthur, played with kingly authority by Jonathan Hadary, about what makes him think he is a king. Arthur says he got the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, played with over the top campiness by Esther Stilwell, to which Galahad says, "Soggy blondes, with their backsides in ponds, can not replace the electorate."
In an irreverent diva turn, Stilwell’s Lady of the Lake complains that her part isn’t big enough, and sings, "All the Tony awards won’t keep me out of Betty Ford."
The characterizations are first rate, including the large ensemble chorus, with a number of the actors playing multiple roles, such as the effeminate Prince Herbert, played to perfection by Christopher Sutton, who also plays the Historian, Not Dead Fred, a French Guard, and a Minstrel.
There’s lots of flatulent humor, plenty of Las Vegas-style dance numbers, choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with many candy-colored, sparkling costumes, by Tim Hatley, who also designed the Disneyland-meets-the-Middle-Ages set.
The show is directed by legendary director Mike Nichols, who also directed the movie "The Graduate," as well as Broadway plays such as "The Odd Couple," and "Barefoot in the Park." Nichols did a commanding job of keeping the show moving at a fast and upbeat pace.
One of the original Monty Python cast members, Eric Idle, wrote the book for the show, as well as co-wrote the music with John Du Prez, and the songs couldn’t be better.
There’s even a surprise guest cameo at each performance that is a real hit with the audience.
This is the second time "Monty Python’s SPAMALOT" has come to the Bushnell, and if the audiences’ reactions are any indication, it definitely won’t be the last.
MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: The Bushnell
Location: William H. Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Directed by Mike Nichols. Book and lyrics by Eric Idle. Musical director Ben Whiteley. Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. Set and costume design by Tim Hatley. Lighting design by Hugh Vanstone. Sound design by Acme Sound Partners. Choreography by Casey Nicholaw.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Today and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $16.50 -$72. Call 987-5900 or visit their Web site at www.bushnell.org
ACTOR... CHARACTER
Jonathan Hadary ... King Arthur
Esther Stilwell ... The Lady of the Lake
James Beaman ... Sir Robin, Guard 1, Brother Maynard
Christopher Sutton ... Historian, Not Dead Fred, French Guard, Minstrel, Prince Herbert
Brad Bradley ... Mayor, Patsy, Guard 2
Patrick Heusinger ... Sir Lancelot, The French Taunter
Ben Davis ... Sir Dennis Galahad, The Black Knight, Prince Herbert’s Father
Christopher Gurr ... Dennis’ Mother, Sir Bedevere, Concorde
Eric Hayden ... Sir Not Appearing
Richard Costa ... Monk
Matt Allen ... Nun
John Cleese ... God
Darryl Semira ... Sir Bors
Richard Costa, David Havasi, Christopher Sutton ... French Guards
Davad Havasi, Darryl Semira, Christopher Sutton, Paula Wise ... Minstrals
HARTFORD-The musical comedy "Monty Python’s SPAMALOT," playing at the Bushnell through Sunday, should come with a warning.
Those attending a performance of the hilarious, irreverent, and silly show may find they leave the theater with permanent smiles stuck to their faces, toes that won’t stop tapping, and be forever unable to look on anything but the bright side of life.
A sure sign of a great musical is having that one song you just can’t get out of your head. For "Monty Python’s SPAMALOT" that song is undoubtedly "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."
The musical is based on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," which is derived from the BBC television show "Monty Python’s Flying Circus," that ran from 1969 until 1974.
Set in 932 A.D. it loosely tells the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their search for the Holy Grail.
For those who remember the film, it’s a delightful walk down nostalgia lane, with the Knights of Ni and their demand for a "shrubbery," the knight who suffers "just a flesh wound," the plague victim who insists "I’m not dead yet," catapulted cows, killer rabbits, and many more characters and incidences from the film.
But it isn’t necessary to have seen the movie or even the television show to enjoy the 2005 Tony-award winning musical. The songs are upbeat and tuneful. In addition to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," other memorable tunes include "Find Your Grail," and "The Song That Goes Like This."
At one point Sir Dennis Galahad, played with handsome bravura by Ben Davis, questions King Arthur, played with kingly authority by Jonathan Hadary, about what makes him think he is a king. Arthur says he got the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, played with over the top campiness by Esther Stilwell, to which Galahad says, "Soggy blondes, with their backsides in ponds, can not replace the electorate."
In an irreverent diva turn, Stilwell’s Lady of the Lake complains that her part isn’t big enough, and sings, "All the Tony awards won’t keep me out of Betty Ford."
The characterizations are first rate, including the large ensemble chorus, with a number of the actors playing multiple roles, such as the effeminate Prince Herbert, played to perfection by Christopher Sutton, who also plays the Historian, Not Dead Fred, a French Guard, and a Minstrel.
There’s lots of flatulent humor, plenty of Las Vegas-style dance numbers, choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with many candy-colored, sparkling costumes, by Tim Hatley, who also designed the Disneyland-meets-the-Middle-Ages set.
The show is directed by legendary director Mike Nichols, who also directed the movie "The Graduate," as well as Broadway plays such as "The Odd Couple," and "Barefoot in the Park." Nichols did a commanding job of keeping the show moving at a fast and upbeat pace.
One of the original Monty Python cast members, Eric Idle, wrote the book for the show, as well as co-wrote the music with John Du Prez, and the songs couldn’t be better.
There’s even a surprise guest cameo at each performance that is a real hit with the audience.
This is the second time "Monty Python’s SPAMALOT" has come to the Bushnell, and if the audiences’ reactions are any indication, it definitely won’t be the last.
MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: The Bushnell
Location: William H. Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Directed by Mike Nichols. Book and lyrics by Eric Idle. Musical director Ben Whiteley. Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. Set and costume design by Tim Hatley. Lighting design by Hugh Vanstone. Sound design by Acme Sound Partners. Choreography by Casey Nicholaw.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Today and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $16.50 -$72. Call 987-5900 or visit their Web site at www.bushnell.org
ACTOR... CHARACTER
Jonathan Hadary ... King Arthur
Esther Stilwell ... The Lady of the Lake
James Beaman ... Sir Robin, Guard 1, Brother Maynard
Christopher Sutton ... Historian, Not Dead Fred, French Guard, Minstrel, Prince Herbert
Brad Bradley ... Mayor, Patsy, Guard 2
Patrick Heusinger ... Sir Lancelot, The French Taunter
Ben Davis ... Sir Dennis Galahad, The Black Knight, Prince Herbert’s Father
Christopher Gurr ... Dennis’ Mother, Sir Bedevere, Concorde
Eric Hayden ... Sir Not Appearing
Richard Costa ... Monk
Matt Allen ... Nun
John Cleese ... God
Darryl Semira ... Sir Bors
Richard Costa, David Havasi, Christopher Sutton ... French Guards
Davad Havasi, Darryl Semira, Christopher Sutton, Paula Wise ... Minstrals
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Unsinkable Carrie Fisher performs "Wishful Drinking" at the HSC
HARTFORD - "Born to simple folk," Carrie Fisher jokes about life in her one-woman show "Wishful Drinking" at the Hartford Stage Company.
Any way you look at it, Carrie Fisher has had quite a life. She is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and film icon Debbie Reynolds.
Her mother may have starred in the movie "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," among many other films, but that title just as aptly sums up Carrie Fisher’s life and her will to not only survive, but thrive with her sense of humor intact.
Her show is a walk down memory lane - her recollections as a celebrity child, singing in the chorus in one of her mother’s shows on Broadway (Isn’t that what all children do? she asks), to her own iconic performance as Princess Leia in “Star Wars," all while tossing out clever, witty one-liners at light-saber speed.
The set, by Alexander V. Nichols, who also is the lighting and production designer, is a cozy living room, with an asymmetrical backdrop that neatly serves as a projection screen, with images of her famous parents and many other well-known visages, including the woman her Eddie left Debbie for Elizabeth Taylor, who subsequently left Eddie Fisher for Richard Burton, and on and on.
Think of the love-triangle as Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Anjelina Jolie of the 1960s, she says.
When her father started having an affair with Taylor, Fisher understates: "It made marriage to my mother awkward."
Carrie Fisher has had some extreme experiences, like when a gay pal of hers, R. Gregory Stevens, died in bed next to her in 2005 - a traumatic experience she goes into great detail about.
She speaks also of her relationship with the singer and songwriter Paul Simon, with whom she felt "the secret handshake of shared sensibility." They were together for years, but eventually parted. The director Mike Nichols said she and Simon "were two flowers without a garden."
She talks a lot about her struggle with substance abuse, as well as the bipolar diagnosis that she carries with her like an extra appendage. Being bipolar and manic she says makes her feel that "instant gratification takes too long."
While Carl Marx may have believed that "religion is the opiate of the masses," Fisher says, she took "masses of opiates religiously."
But for a couple of memory lapses, due she says to her recently receiving electroshock therapy, her light banter and quick, sardonic wit is best showcased when the house lights go up and she engages the audience in a question-and-answer repartee. She gently teases, cajoles, and wins the hearts of the audience members with her charm, grace, and desire to please.
Her insider experiences starring in "Star Wars" are funny. She says these days she is tracked "by a small band of stalkers," and has seen her "Princess Leia" likeness with that kooky ear muff wig, in the form of shampoo bottles where her head twists off, soap, a doll, and even a Pez candy dispenser.
She revealed that the "Star Wars" creator and director, George Lucas, told her she couldn’t wear a bra in the films. When she asked why, Lucas said: "Because there are no bras in space."
Fisher says her life makes a good anecdote, but a bad reality. Lucky for the audience, they get to reap the reward of her many trials and travails. Hopefully she gets some joy out of sharing her life too - She sure deserves it.
WISHFUL DRINKING
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford, Conn.
Production: Written and performed by Carrie Fisher. Directed by Tony Taccone. Scenic design, lighting design, and production design by Alexander V. Nichols.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. through August 17. There will be no Sunday evening performance.
Tickets: $26 to $55. For further information call their box office at 860-527-5151, or visit their website a www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Carrie Fisher...Herself
HARTFORD - "Born to simple folk," Carrie Fisher jokes about life in her one-woman show "Wishful Drinking" at the Hartford Stage Company.
Any way you look at it, Carrie Fisher has had quite a life. She is the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and film icon Debbie Reynolds.
Her mother may have starred in the movie "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," among many other films, but that title just as aptly sums up Carrie Fisher’s life and her will to not only survive, but thrive with her sense of humor intact.
Her show is a walk down memory lane - her recollections as a celebrity child, singing in the chorus in one of her mother’s shows on Broadway (Isn’t that what all children do? she asks), to her own iconic performance as Princess Leia in “Star Wars," all while tossing out clever, witty one-liners at light-saber speed.
The set, by Alexander V. Nichols, who also is the lighting and production designer, is a cozy living room, with an asymmetrical backdrop that neatly serves as a projection screen, with images of her famous parents and many other well-known visages, including the woman her Eddie left Debbie for Elizabeth Taylor, who subsequently left Eddie Fisher for Richard Burton, and on and on.
Think of the love-triangle as Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Anjelina Jolie of the 1960s, she says.
When her father started having an affair with Taylor, Fisher understates: "It made marriage to my mother awkward."
Carrie Fisher has had some extreme experiences, like when a gay pal of hers, R. Gregory Stevens, died in bed next to her in 2005 - a traumatic experience she goes into great detail about.
She speaks also of her relationship with the singer and songwriter Paul Simon, with whom she felt "the secret handshake of shared sensibility." They were together for years, but eventually parted. The director Mike Nichols said she and Simon "were two flowers without a garden."
She talks a lot about her struggle with substance abuse, as well as the bipolar diagnosis that she carries with her like an extra appendage. Being bipolar and manic she says makes her feel that "instant gratification takes too long."
While Carl Marx may have believed that "religion is the opiate of the masses," Fisher says, she took "masses of opiates religiously."
But for a couple of memory lapses, due she says to her recently receiving electroshock therapy, her light banter and quick, sardonic wit is best showcased when the house lights go up and she engages the audience in a question-and-answer repartee. She gently teases, cajoles, and wins the hearts of the audience members with her charm, grace, and desire to please.
Her insider experiences starring in "Star Wars" are funny. She says these days she is tracked "by a small band of stalkers," and has seen her "Princess Leia" likeness with that kooky ear muff wig, in the form of shampoo bottles where her head twists off, soap, a doll, and even a Pez candy dispenser.
She revealed that the "Star Wars" creator and director, George Lucas, told her she couldn’t wear a bra in the films. When she asked why, Lucas said: "Because there are no bras in space."
Fisher says her life makes a good anecdote, but a bad reality. Lucky for the audience, they get to reap the reward of her many trials and travails. Hopefully she gets some joy out of sharing her life too - She sure deserves it.
WISHFUL DRINKING
3 1/2 Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford, Conn.
Production: Written and performed by Carrie Fisher. Directed by Tony Taccone. Scenic design, lighting design, and production design by Alexander V. Nichols.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. through August 17. There will be no Sunday evening performance.
Tickets: $26 to $55. For further information call their box office at 860-527-5151, or visit their website a www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Carrie Fisher...Herself
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Perky, lively "Half a Sixpence" at Goodspeed
EAST HADDAM - If entertainment is what you’re looking for, then "Half a Sixpence" the perky, lively, perfectly cast musical at the Goodspeed Opera House is for you.
Based on a novel written by H.G. Wells, best known for his science fiction, the musical is set in 1900 Folkestone, England. It traces the rise and fall and rise of Arthur Kipps, played with impish verve and perpetual charm by Jon Peterson.
Kipps is a shop apprentice who inherits 300,000 pounds, leaves his long-time girlfriend, the maid Ann, played by Sara Gettelfinger, sees the world and falls for a wealthy young woman, Helen, played by Julia Osborne, only to lose his fortune, and then get it back, having invested in a play before he loses his fortune, which turns into a run-away hit.
Peterson, who will be 46 on Saturday, has the look of perpetual youth, with a head of hair that defies gravity. Trained from the age of 9 as a classical ballet dancer at the Royal Ballet School, Peterson is a lithesome dancer who more than keeps up with fellow dancers half his age.
"Half a Sixpence" was written as a vehicle for the English entertainer, Tommy Steele, who starred in the show in England and then in 1965 on Broadway. It was later made into a film starring Steele.
The musical looses some momentum during the two scenes without music in the middle of the first act, but thankfully picks up once the songs return.
Once again, the Goodspeed does what they do best - squeeze a bunch of sparkling talent on a tiny stage - highlighting lesser-known but fine musical treasures.
On a proscenium stage only 28 feet wide and 19 feet deep, with barely any room in the wings, the terrific dancers and singers perform precise ensemble numbers, choreographed by Patti Colombo.
The period costumes by David C. Wollard are as numerous as they are gorgeous - especially outstanding are the candy-colored striped party outfits at the Ragata at the end of Act One, and the rich jewel-toned satin gowns in the solarium scene at the start of Act Two.
There is no lip-synching here - although how they can dance as strenuously as they do and belt out the numerous songs is difficult to fathom.
The songs, by David Heneker, are a fine mix of rousing upbeat ensemble numbers, like "Money to Burn" where they do amazing rhythmic beats with beer mugs in a beer hall, to sweet ballads, such as "I Know What I Am," by Sara Gettelfinger’s Ann and the winsome duet "Long Ago," sung by Gettelfinger and Peterson.
Gettelfinger has a fine powerful voice, as does Donna English who plays Mrs. Walingham. Also notable are Jeff Skowron as the overacting playwright Chitterlow, the uptight Young Walshingham played by Carrington Vilmont, and Cheryl McMahon as the silly Mrs. Botting.
All and all "Half a Sixpence" is a rollicking, ripping good time - proving once again that the American Musical is alive and well and living at the Goodspeed Opera House.
HALF A SIXPENCE
Three stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, Route 82, East Haddam, Conn.
Production: Music and lyrics by David Heneker. Book by Beverley Cross. Directed by Gordon Greenberg. Choreographed by Patti Colombo. Music direction by Michael O’Flaherty. Scenery design by Rob Bissinger. Costume design by David C. Wollard. Lighting design by Jeff Croiter. Sound by Jay Hilton.
Running time: 2 hours including one intermission
Show Times: Performances are Wednesdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be performances on select Thursdays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. through Sept. 9.
Tickets: $26 - $63. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their Web site at www.goodspeed.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Jon Peterson...Arthur Kipps
Danny Gardner ... Sid
Cameron Henderson ... Buggins
Wes Hart ... Pearce
Kate Marilley ... Flo
Elise Kinnon ... Victoria
Caroline Massagee ... Kate
James Judy ... Shalford
Rod Roberts ... Carshot
Sara Gettelfinger ... Ann
Donna English ... Mrs. Walsingham
Julia Osborne ... Helen Walsingham
Carrington Vilmont ... Young Walsingham
Jeff Skowron ... Chitterlow
Cheryl McMahon ... Mrs. Botting
EAST HADDAM - If entertainment is what you’re looking for, then "Half a Sixpence" the perky, lively, perfectly cast musical at the Goodspeed Opera House is for you.
Based on a novel written by H.G. Wells, best known for his science fiction, the musical is set in 1900 Folkestone, England. It traces the rise and fall and rise of Arthur Kipps, played with impish verve and perpetual charm by Jon Peterson.
Kipps is a shop apprentice who inherits 300,000 pounds, leaves his long-time girlfriend, the maid Ann, played by Sara Gettelfinger, sees the world and falls for a wealthy young woman, Helen, played by Julia Osborne, only to lose his fortune, and then get it back, having invested in a play before he loses his fortune, which turns into a run-away hit.
Peterson, who will be 46 on Saturday, has the look of perpetual youth, with a head of hair that defies gravity. Trained from the age of 9 as a classical ballet dancer at the Royal Ballet School, Peterson is a lithesome dancer who more than keeps up with fellow dancers half his age.
"Half a Sixpence" was written as a vehicle for the English entertainer, Tommy Steele, who starred in the show in England and then in 1965 on Broadway. It was later made into a film starring Steele.
The musical looses some momentum during the two scenes without music in the middle of the first act, but thankfully picks up once the songs return.
Once again, the Goodspeed does what they do best - squeeze a bunch of sparkling talent on a tiny stage - highlighting lesser-known but fine musical treasures.
On a proscenium stage only 28 feet wide and 19 feet deep, with barely any room in the wings, the terrific dancers and singers perform precise ensemble numbers, choreographed by Patti Colombo.
The period costumes by David C. Wollard are as numerous as they are gorgeous - especially outstanding are the candy-colored striped party outfits at the Ragata at the end of Act One, and the rich jewel-toned satin gowns in the solarium scene at the start of Act Two.
There is no lip-synching here - although how they can dance as strenuously as they do and belt out the numerous songs is difficult to fathom.
The songs, by David Heneker, are a fine mix of rousing upbeat ensemble numbers, like "Money to Burn" where they do amazing rhythmic beats with beer mugs in a beer hall, to sweet ballads, such as "I Know What I Am," by Sara Gettelfinger’s Ann and the winsome duet "Long Ago," sung by Gettelfinger and Peterson.
Gettelfinger has a fine powerful voice, as does Donna English who plays Mrs. Walingham. Also notable are Jeff Skowron as the overacting playwright Chitterlow, the uptight Young Walshingham played by Carrington Vilmont, and Cheryl McMahon as the silly Mrs. Botting.
All and all "Half a Sixpence" is a rollicking, ripping good time - proving once again that the American Musical is alive and well and living at the Goodspeed Opera House.
HALF A SIXPENCE
Three stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, Route 82, East Haddam, Conn.
Production: Music and lyrics by David Heneker. Book by Beverley Cross. Directed by Gordon Greenberg. Choreographed by Patti Colombo. Music direction by Michael O’Flaherty. Scenery design by Rob Bissinger. Costume design by David C. Wollard. Lighting design by Jeff Croiter. Sound by Jay Hilton.
Running time: 2 hours including one intermission
Show Times: Performances are Wednesdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be performances on select Thursdays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. through Sept. 9.
Tickets: $26 - $63. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their Web site at www.goodspeed.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Jon Peterson...Arthur Kipps
Danny Gardner ... Sid
Cameron Henderson ... Buggins
Wes Hart ... Pearce
Kate Marilley ... Flo
Elise Kinnon ... Victoria
Caroline Massagee ... Kate
James Judy ... Shalford
Rod Roberts ... Carshot
Sara Gettelfinger ... Ann
Donna English ... Mrs. Walsingham
Julia Osborne ... Helen Walsingham
Carrington Vilmont ... Young Walsingham
Jeff Skowron ... Chitterlow
Cheryl McMahon ... Mrs. Botting
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Fabrique fine in "Ella"
HARTFORD - Fabulous, fun, phenomenal, fantastic, and fascinating, Tina Fabrique reincarnates jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald in the Hartford Stage Company’s production of "Ella."
Produced in collaboration with the Connecticut Theatre Festival, this jazz concert wrapped in a mini-biographical documentary of Fitzgerald’s life, is all Ella, all the time.
For over two hours Fabrique sang and sang and sang some more. Where mere mortals would have faded, Fabrique only improved as the night progressed.
By the end of the show the full house practically leapt to its collective feet in spontaneous applause. One woman in the front row genuflected to Fabrique in a display of awe and admiration no one disagreed with.
The sleek single set, designed by Michael Schweikardt, had three sensational circular arches accented with delicate vertical beads.
It was a theater in 1966 Nice, France, but it could have been any curvilinear Art Deco stage from the 1940’s, right out of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers film.
Each song, and there were many, such as "They Can’t Take that Away from Me," "Heaven," "Night and Day," and "A Tisket a Tasket," (a child’s nursery rhyme Fitzgerald set to music), was accompanied by a terrific jazz combo, with the four musicians doubling as the various men in her life when needed.
Notable in the band was trumpet-player Thaddeus Wilson who gave a ripping imitation of Louis Armstrong and sang with Fabrique.
Looking at one set, as lovely as it was, for over two hours risks monotony, but the playful, rainbow-hued, ever-changing lighting by John Lasiter kept the eye entertained, while the ear feasted on Fabrique’s Ella.
Three Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Book by Jeffrey Hatcher. Conceived by Rob Ruggiero and Dyke Garrison. Music directed and arranged by Danny Holgate. Set designed by Michael Schweikardt. Costume designed by Alejo Vietti. Lighting designed by John Lasiter. Sound designed by Michael Miceli.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday performances at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sunday and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through July 27.
Tickets: $28 to $55. For further information call their box office at 860-527-5151, or visit their Wwebsite a www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Tina Fabrique ... Ella Fitzgerald
Harold Dixon ... Norman Granz
George Caldwell ... Piano/Conductor
Rodney Harper ... Drums
Clifton Kellem ... Bass
Thaddeus Wilson ... Trumpet
HARTFORD - Fabulous, fun, phenomenal, fantastic, and fascinating, Tina Fabrique reincarnates jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald in the Hartford Stage Company’s production of "Ella."
Produced in collaboration with the Connecticut Theatre Festival, this jazz concert wrapped in a mini-biographical documentary of Fitzgerald’s life, is all Ella, all the time.
For over two hours Fabrique sang and sang and sang some more. Where mere mortals would have faded, Fabrique only improved as the night progressed.
By the end of the show the full house practically leapt to its collective feet in spontaneous applause. One woman in the front row genuflected to Fabrique in a display of awe and admiration no one disagreed with.
The sleek single set, designed by Michael Schweikardt, had three sensational circular arches accented with delicate vertical beads.
It was a theater in 1966 Nice, France, but it could have been any curvilinear Art Deco stage from the 1940’s, right out of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers film.
Each song, and there were many, such as "They Can’t Take that Away from Me," "Heaven," "Night and Day," and "A Tisket a Tasket," (a child’s nursery rhyme Fitzgerald set to music), was accompanied by a terrific jazz combo, with the four musicians doubling as the various men in her life when needed.
Notable in the band was trumpet-player Thaddeus Wilson who gave a ripping imitation of Louis Armstrong and sang with Fabrique.
Looking at one set, as lovely as it was, for over two hours risks monotony, but the playful, rainbow-hued, ever-changing lighting by John Lasiter kept the eye entertained, while the ear feasted on Fabrique’s Ella.
Three Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Book by Jeffrey Hatcher. Conceived by Rob Ruggiero and Dyke Garrison. Music directed and arranged by Danny Holgate. Set designed by Michael Schweikardt. Costume designed by Alejo Vietti. Lighting designed by John Lasiter. Sound designed by Michael Miceli.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday performances at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sunday and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through July 27.
Tickets: $28 to $55. For further information call their box office at 860-527-5151, or visit their Wwebsite a www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Tina Fabrique ... Ella Fitzgerald
Harold Dixon ... Norman Granz
George Caldwell ... Piano/Conductor
Rodney Harper ... Drums
Clifton Kellem ... Bass
Thaddeus Wilson ... Trumpet
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