More than just about anything, I love good theatre. I love new theatre, theatre that makes you think, theatre that changes the ideas of what theatre can do, and mostly theatre that can move people.
As a young theatre professional in NYC, I want to bring the news of all new and exciting theatre.
The Secret Theatre is one of the best kept secrets in Queens. It took me nearly twenty minutes to find the place. Once you can deecipher betwee 44th Road, 44th Street, 44th Avenue and 44th Drive, you come to the arts building that houses The Secret Theatre (located on 23rd Street between 44th Road and 44th Avenue). But The Secret Theatre is not actually in said arts building, it's down the alley just right of the arts building. And there are two productions running concurrently, so make sure you go into the correct theatre.
However, it's all worth is for the production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which is playing in the theatre closest to the street (go up a small set of stairs to the plateau that forms the entrance to the theatre) produced by The Queens Players and directed by Katherine M. Carter.
The cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ms. Carter's production was sleek without being cheap, chic without being gaudy and an all-around good time. Employing a design reminiscent of Peter Brooks' "white box" Midsummer, Carter takes us to a dreamlike no-man's land. So dreamlike, in fact, that all of her performers are dressed in pajamas! This white set (complete with flowing white columns) serves the multi-faceted purpose of indicating every setting of the play, with the help of the beautifully whimsical light design from Lisa Hufnagle.
The play concerns the forbidden love between Lysander, an Athenian youth, and Hermia, whose father Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius, beloved for Hermia's childhood friend Helena. Make sense so far? To escape the harsh Athenian law, Hermia and Lysander flee through the forest, pursued by Demetrius who is, in turn, pursued by Helena. Also in the forest are a motley crew of handymen-turned-actors, lead by Peter Quince, rehearsing a play of Pyramus and Thisbe. Got that? All of these mortals find themselves entangled in the marital feud of Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies. And, in the morning, Theseus (of the Minotaur myth) will wed Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons, from later on in the same myth). Follow?
In the central roles of the lovers, James Parenti and Katie Braden (as Demetrius and Helena) provide the more slapstick and sex-driven humor to the more pastoral and domestic humor of Joe Mullen and Angelica Duncan (as Lysander and Hermia). This does not mean, however, that the slapstick is not provided by all. Mullen must, at one point, catch Duncan as she propells herself horizontally across the stage toward a cowerring Braden.
Next up are the mechanicals, a ragged bunch of actor-wannabes, provide a far less romantic brand of comedy than the lovers. Lead by Timothy J. Cox as Peter Quince, whose power is often usurped by the dramatic Nick Bottom, played by Chris Kateff, this is about the sorriest band of crude actors with the biggest hearts anyone could ask for. The performance of Pyramus and Thisbe in the last scene of the play--always a highlight of any production--is spot on campy, ridiculous and completely honest.
Tiffany Denise Turner, Chris Kateff, Trish Phelps and Sarah King
Finally, the fairies. Mischevous creatures who take joy in screwing with mortals. The first we meet is Jeni Ahfield, deliciously malicious in the role of Robin Goodfellow, better known as Puck, quickly followed by the imposing Randy Warshaw as Oberon and the devestatingly elegant Tiffany Denise Turner as his Queen Titania. Rounding out the fairies are the delightful Trish Phelps and Sarah King (who provides beautiful ukelele music throughout her scenes with her queen).
The production is whimsical and farcical, but not bagatelle. In its seriousness, in its humor, in its honesty, it is a delight from beginning to end.
A Midsummer Night's Dream runs at The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd Street, LIC through January 3rd. Tickets can be purchased through OvationTix.
Sorry I'm a little late with this one. Things have gotten busy since Festival Season has begun! The New York Fringe Festival has come and gone, and I saw two fascinating piece of theatre.
I've probably raved enough about the Five Flights Theater Company, who started out with their ensemble theatre piece Don't Step on the Cracks, which they took to the Woodstock Fringe Festival last summer along with You Are Cordially Invited..., before arriving at the New York Fringe Festival this summer.
The 5 Flights Theater Company
So, since my adoration for the work of this ensemble is no secret, I'll just spend a little time going over the highlights of this new streamlined, one-act Don't Step. The segment which probably always punches the biggest wallop for me is the monologue "Goodnight Moon," written and performed by Jake Bartush. spoken to the moon, a young man thanks a fellow student for bringing his parents back into his life after the suicide of the fellow student. Bartush's performance has only gotten better the more he's done this show. And the monologue itself is as fine a piece of writing as you'll find in any of the best audition books.
It was fascinating to come back to the character of "Nanny," portrayed by Laurel Casillo in Adam Delia's sketch about a young man coming to terms with his grandmother's Alzheimer's disease, since the company did an entire play (written by Casillo and Delia) around this character. Ms. Casillo is in fine form and still as transformative as ever.
What struck me this time as it hasn't before is the honesty and sincere commeraderie with which Nick Hepsoe and Will Lacker perform Eryck Tait's scene "O Captain, My Captain," in which Hepsoe's character deals with the fall of a favorite superhero. In the past the comedy of this scene has seemed to come from its absurdity, but this time it came from the integrity behind the words and the intensity of the emotions.
The piece was expertly reformed and reshaped for this theatre and this new one-act format by Eryck Tait. I said to my companion after the show, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing this show."
The other Fringe show I saw was a semi-autobiographical tale of coming of age--and simply coming--in Israel called Sex and the Holy Landby Melanie Zoey Weinstein. Trapped between the land of "sex farce" and "coming of age story," Sex and the Holy Land has some very fascinating potential. The play deals with Lili (Weinstein), a Long Island Jewess who travels to Israel with her best friends Chaya (Ruby Joy) and Or (Sarah-Doe Osborne) to find... something. There are parts that are wonderfully written and characters that are beautifully formed, though overall the play fails to deliver what it promises. It would seem that the play suffers from too much autobiography and not enough play, to the extent that the playwright has been cast as herself. A little bit of distance might do both playwright and play a great service.
But, to the successes of Sex and the Holy Land first. Probably the most affective convention Ms. Weinstein uses comes in the form of three Jewish mothers (played to exhaustive hilarity by Goldie Zwiebel, Michelle Slonim and Susan Slatin) who embody not only Lili's mother, but the mother or grandmother of anyone who's ever been guilt-tripped.
The play also comes with some beautifully grounded performances, mostly from Ms. Joy and Ms. Osborne who portray Lili's best friends. When the three are together, we understand why they all came. We see the bond that they share that brought them to the Holy Land together. Apart, there are strengths and weaknesses to the character. While Ms. Joy plays Chaya with subtle intensity, the character's basic motive--searching for sex to replace a missing father figure and uncertain belief in God--tends to come across as rather flat. One wishes that the play offered Ms. Joy the opportunity to really show what she's obviously capable of. However, when not following Lili, the play tends to lean in the direction of Or, also somewhat sex crazed, but devoted, for most of the play, to Dan the Man (Gabriel Sloyer), an American Jew who trained and fought in the Israeli army. Ms. Osborne really gets to show off her chops and her range when her character accidentally finds herself in a bind not easily broken. She shows us that this is a girl who likes fun, but knows when the fun has to end. Mr. Sloyer, portraying Or's army boyfriend, is no slouch either. His scenes with the women of the play are genuine and often touching, with a healthy dose of humor.
The staging by Lee Gundersheimer is often clever, though sometimes too much so for its own good, calling attention to its own cleverness. Still, the transitions were smooth and graceful, often resulting in striking stage pictures. Utilizing just a sheet and benches, Gundersheimer was able to create the beach and the desert, an airplane and a nightclub, and--most striking--Jeruselem's Western Wall.
Michelle Slonim (Jewish Mother 2), Goldie Zwiebel (Jewish Mother 1), Susan Slatin (Jewish Mother 3); Sarah-Doe Osborne (Or), Gabriel Sloyer (Dan the Man), Melanie Zoey Weinstein (Lili), Ruby Joy (Chaya)
The question becomes "Is this a play for people who are not Jewish or Israeli?" Looking at the overarching themes and goals for the main characters, it ought to be. If it could find a way to stick with its specificity without being about Judaism (the way that a play like Fiddler on the Roof or Agnes of God can be specific to a culture without being about its religion) then it can be, but at present there were too many alienating moments for those of us who are not Jewish (or at least don't identify that closely with that portion of our heritage). Since Lili herself doesn't seem to know exactly what she's trying to find in Israel, it's hard for us in the audience to follow her journey with much interest beyond the curiosity of "What's going to happen next?"
Unfortunately, though, the most alienating moment had nothing to do with Judaica at all. The climax of the play--and I use that phrase both figuratively and literally--comes when Lili is finally able to find her orgasm (possibly the thing she was looking for all along?), which comes with awkward tableaux and silly projections. If the moment was supposed to symbolize the release of Lili's hold on herself and her ability to let go and enjoy life, then the staging did not reflect that, which is a shame.
But sometimes, the good overrides the not-as good, and perhaps this play's niche audience spoke in praise loud enough, because the play has been chosen for the Fringe Festival's Encore Series, performing from September 11-22, so there's still a chance for you, faithful reader, to catch it and decide for yourself.
There's blood on my program from the show I saw last Friday night, and I'm not sure whose it is. You see, there were four zombies in the show, and I chatted afterward with all of them, so it could be any one.
The show I saw was called Hilarity/Belly Laughs and Snorts and it was an evening of short comedies produced by the newly formed 'Something Witty Productions,' headed by Alicia Rachel Becker and Dana Hunter (who recently appeared together in the wildly funny Happy Hour at the 45th Street Theatre).
Among the many performances in the nine absurdist comedies presented, many of them were admirable, but there were a few stand-outs. The absolute stand-out of the evening was Donna Brookbanks performance in Anne Breslaw's "Middle School Dance," directed by Alicia Rachel Becker. The piece seemed to be more guided than scripted as Ms. Brookbanks went through the motions of trying to find a dance partner among those in attendance (only to wind up dancing with a married man... eek!) and reminding us of all the awkwardness we'd like to pretend we didn't actually go through when we were pre-teens.
Phoebe Halkowich's performance in David Alex Andrejko's "Edgewise" was another stand-out, a tour-de-force performance as a self-centered, babbling Manhattanite. She should win a prize for memorization alone.
Also notable was Sarah King's wonderful performance in Joe Tracz's less than wonderful play "Death Comes for a Wedding," as an old woman who's ready to make a choice for herself for once. The quality of that play was especially disappointing given how wonderfully stylized his other play, "American Werewolf in Equus," was (both gracefully directed by Katherine Carter).
Both of the Artistic Directors got a chance to strut their stuff, as well. First, opening the second half of the show, Alicia Rachel Becker (under the direction of Maggie Levin) played a bi-polar new wife to husband Anthony Lobrasco in Brett Hursey's play "Scrambled." The play dealt with the question of fidelity when a man buys his co-worker a box of tampons. Though, for Ms. Becker, there seemed to be no question. As she scrambled the eggs, and with them her mind, she seemed certain that her time had run out when another woman's time had come.
Brett Hursey's other play, "The Stand-In," featured Dana Hunter as a desperate actress auditioning opposite a sock puppet. The key, it seems, to the comedy in this piece is the honesty and sincerity with which Ms. Hunter gave her all in this audition opposite the absurdity of Kyle Wood's performance as a manic director and Matthew Groff's performance as Xocko.
The evening came to a close with a play by Dusty Wilson called "Fortnight of the Living Dead." Danny Tenzer lead Adam Schneider and Brandon Waters in a fight against the--you guessed it--zombies that had overtaken their city. The plan, however, is foiled when the talented and attractive Allison Tebbano seduces each one of the party one by one, ending in a blood-lust orgy. Take that, Megan Fox. Tom Bonner's direction of the piece kept it in a healthy reality that the audience could both recognize and dread. Truth be told, I'd probably let Allison Tebbano eat my brains, too.
The producers kept their word with this one. There was certainly hilarity, there were certainly belly laughs, and I definitely heard a couple of snorts from the woman behind me.
It's so exciting! There are all of these amazing competitions going on in and around NYC, giving a vast variety of amazing performers the chance to strut their stuff and show off. I've been able to make it to some of these competitions and I'm very happy to say that the competition is tight. It's very hard to try to figure out who's going to win these.
I'm going to start with the MetroStar Talent Challenge. This is a competition that's been going on at the Metropolitan Room. I found out about the competition because of one of the Top Five contestants, Danielle Grabianowski. I was amazed by the talent! Of the three women in the top five, I will say with no hesitation that any one of them could easily take the win. I'll start by talking about Liz Lark Brown. Ms. Brown is one of the two "Kissin' Kazoo Sisters" who often perform with Joe Iconis:
(she's the taller one with the darker lipstick)
Ms. Brown opened her set with the lyric "The saddest thing about having one leg..." (paused long enough for the crowd to snicker appropriately) "... is that having one leg isn't the saddest thing about me!" She used this song of loneliness and physical disproportion to lead her into a beautiful rendition of "Sleepy Man" (God, but I wish I had a video of this to show you!), and that's not even the most impressive part. Her dulcet tones in "Sleepy Man" worked as the perfect set-up for her next line: "That song is dedicated to someone who has passed on." (Awwww!) "He's not actually dead, he's just dead to me." Count that among one of the biggest and longest laughs I've ever heard in any theatre. Her versatility from comic to dramatic and back again--add that to her incredibly impressive vocals--makes her a must-see cabaret performer.
Next, I'll mention Carole Bufford, who opened her bluesy set with "Gimme a Pigfoot":
Ms. Bufford is a trained musical theatre performer who chose to focus on that age-old American institution, the blues, for her set the night I was there. She runs the gamut from outlandish to subtle all within each song. She has a sense of humor that brings out the sincerest human emotions in every song she sang. And she's got a range to match. She also looks (as I'm not sure you can tell from the angle of that video) like Betty Boop, so it's lucky for her Ms. Boop will be coming to Broadway in a new musical next year!
Now, I'll talk about my friend Danielle Grabianowski. Danielle has one of the most unique voices I've ever heard. Listen to her BroadwayDemo, and I'm sure you'll agree. She seems very rooted in pre-1950s music (though she did mention that one of her latest influences is Regina Spektor). Her vocal quality and her understanding of the musical structure of those early years of American music make her a stand-out among many of today's cabaret singers. I was lucky enough to hear her sing what the judges referred to as possibly the definitive rendition of one of my favorite songs, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" It's this quality that won Danielle the title of 2008 1930s Idol last summer, another competition which she judged this year.
1930s Idol is an annual competition held in honor of Dorothy Parker's birthday. She would be 116 years old this year, and as Bill Zeffiro aptly puts it in his song "Happy Birthday, Mrs. Parker" I'm sure she doesn't wish she was here. But those of us who attended the finals last night were very glad we were there! A number of impressive performer sang their little hearts out--a la Depression Era crooners--in order to win the title of 2009 1930s Idol.
The first runner-up for the evening was the always entertaining and wildly funny Ritt Henn:
Mr. Henn could not sing one of his own compositions for the competition, but instead, wowed us with his hilarious rendition of "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" accompanying himself on ukelele and slap-bass. His comparisons of the bass (which stands even taller than he does) to his gal (mentioned in the song as being 5' 2", which would come about to Mr. Henn's shoulder) tickled the audience and obviously tickled the judges, as well.
The 2009 audience favorite was the amazing Merrill Grant:
Ms. Grant, a Shirley Temple fanatic, has an uncanny ability to mimic the vocal stylings of the 1930s in a way that doesn't sound mocking nor unintentionally comic, but sincere and nostalgic for an era long gone. I'm sure she was voted so high by the audience because she truly brought us all back to a time of black and white, toes tapping and Busby Berkely beauties.
The 2009 1930s Idol champion was the 2008 first runner up, Sigali Hamberger--who does not have any video or audio up anywhere. If you see her, tell her to remedy this. Ms. Hamberger brought the 1930s style sex to the evening, starting with her somewhat shocking and very funny rendition of "Primative Man" and concluding with a sultry "Do It Again" by the Gershwin brothers, surely steaming up at least a few sets of spectacles in the room (I was wearing my contact lenses which, to my knowledge, do not steam up). Among Ms. Hamberger's prizes was her own evening at Big Night Out, so we'll have to come back and see what she drums up when she has an entire hour to fill!
I would be remiss if I did not mention the other two of 1930s Idol's Top Five, the stunning and sweet Julie Leedes and the sassy and brassy Sierra Rein, both of whom gave the other contestants a good run for their money.
Well, competition season is not yet over, and we are getting right into the thick of festival season. I will be back next week with news from the NY Fringe Festival and I look forward to seeing what comes out of the NY Musical Theatre Festival next month. I'll also be sure to let you know who wins the MetroStar Talent Challenge, and perhaps I'll see you there next Monday night!
This is a quick shout-out for my friend Mimi Imfurst. Mimi is a drag queen whose holiday events "A Very Mary Christmas," "Mary: Like a Virgin" and "O, Holy Shit! It's Christmas" have been making controversial headlines for the past three years. She appears weekly in several cabarets and clubs throughout the city, and now she's entering RuPaul's Drag Race. Give this fierce and fiesty queen the national attention she deserves, and go vote for her. You can vote once every 24 hours, right here.
More theatre reviews to come very shortly!
Mimi as The Virgin Mary in "A Very Mary Christmas"
This isn't so much a review as a shout-out for some of my friends. As some of you know, I'm a regular at a bi-weekly cabaret/open-mic called Big Night Out hosted by The Fabulous Jennifer Wren and Musical Genius Bill Zeffiro. Bill and Jenny have recently found themselves homeless as the fantastic Reprise Room is no longer since Dillon's/Purnima has shut down (damn recession!). BNO will continue, however, on the East Side, for the time being. The last show I saw at BNO (ironically their first anniversary and also their last night at Dillon's) featured the music of composer John Meyer, and what an evening it was! It was an intimate affair, featuring the composer himself alongside Summer Broyhill (Hairspray), Bill Zeffiro and Jennifer Wren (complete in Judy drag). I cannot speak more highly for this terrific team and the wonderful shows they put on--and will continue putting on, despite their recent set-back. BNO resumes on May 7.
I also have to applaud the work of Peter Napolitano and Mark Janas at The Algonquin Salon, which meets every Sunday evening in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel. I have not been able to attend for several weeks, but found myself with some time to spare in the area of 44th and 6th this past Sunday, so I dropped in. I'm so glad I did. The atmosphere that Peter created, along with his guest host Hector Coris and Gonquette Sierra Rein was fun and sophisticated. It's also worth mentioning that The Salon, as well as Peter himself and many Salon/BNO regulars are up for some pretty big MAC Awards. Very exciting.
I urge you all to check out the cabaret scene in NYC, especially the open-mics, because that's where the new talent is coming out of the woodwork to strut their stuff. And if you're not from NYC (as I have devoted readers all over the country), next time you're in town, do slate some time for Big Night Out and The Algonquin Salon. You won't be sorry.
In other news, there is so much theatre coming up. Brand new for this blog: in the right-hand margin I list the shows that I've heard about coming up and that I plan on seeing and reviewing for you all. Scheduling may not permit me to get to all of them, but if you have any interest, just drop me an e-mail and I'll give you all of the information. And, as usual, if you or someone you know is in a show that's coming up, please e-mail rigano.reviews@gmail.com with all of the information and I'll post the show here and do my best to come and see it (comps are always welcome).
I have been remiss in my duties and for that, my most devoted reader, I apologize. In my last blog I promised a write-up of my then upcoming whirlwind weekend of theatre, and that weekend has come and gone with no write-up. But, a whirlwind weekend it was!
I'll start off with NYU Steinhardt's new production of the enigma known as Leonard Bernstein's Candide. It is known as "Leonard Bernstein's Candide" because his score for the musical (first billed as a "comic operetta") is the only element that has remained in the several productions that have felt the hands of Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, Felicia Bernstein, John LaTouche, Richard Wilbur, Hugh Wheeler, Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, John Caird and Lonny Price. The only other name that seems to come with every production is that of the novella's original author, Voltaire, and even he disappears sometimes. We can add to that list of names William Wesbrooks, who directed the production I saw down on West 4th Street at the Frederick Loewe Theatre.
This production, as Lonny Price's recent concert production did, forsook the trappings of time and place with the addition of more modern-day elements in production and costuming (including a sling-shot in the opening scene). However, where Price's production mixed the old with the new in an odd no-man's-land, Wesbrooks made it clear that his production took place in the here and now. While this goes along with Voltaire's original intent of current social satire, one wonders how strong the similarities truly are if we need to be shown them (and it brings to mind Lillian Hellman's blatant use of the Spanish Inquisition to represent the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in her original 1956 production).
Still, the productionproved a rousing one with many stand-out performances. Starting with that glorious Overture marvelously conducted by Michael Ricciardone and played by an onstage orchestra of 32 pieces (oh, that NYU might loan some of its musicians to the Roundabout Theatre Company) the evening proved to be one of extremely high energy. Crystal Mosser's manic performance of the other most-famous piece of music in the show, "Glitter and Be Gay" received one of the longest ovations I've had the pleasure of participating in.
The problems of Candide often lie in the second act once the characters and complications have been established, yet more misfortune must befall our hero before the conclusion. This production, I'm sorry to say, was unable to escape these problems. Starting off with a somewhat misplaced "Paris Waltz" (here labeled as "The Governor's Waltz") the second act of this show ran into more confusion than is perhaps necessary for Candide (including a new scene set in Cuba, credited to a dead Hugh Wheeler).
However, as with most productions of Candide (including Hal Prince's opera house production, the war-horse that this new production is based on) it is the performances and the music that carry the show. Marvin Avila was beautifully stylized with a voice that bathed the audience in innocence as the title character. Ms. Mosser's Cunegonde was a refreshing change from the mostly doe-eyed ingenues I've seen play the role, giving her bi-polar nature a much richer form with heavy accent of the depressive side. (Though, given the modern setting of the show, one wonders why Dr. Pangloss didn't give her a Prozac and tell her to shut up.) And to Dr. Pangloss. Paul Sandberg gave a fine performance as both Dr. Voltaire (of the realism camp) and Dr. Pangloss (of the optimism camp--this production omitted, as many do, the third philosopher Martin of the pessimism camp). The finest performance of the evening, however, belonged to Katharine Heaton as Cunegonde's faithful servant, the one-buttocked Old Lady. Ms. Heaton has a rich mezzo voice and spot-on comic timing. One rarely finds the combination of a well-trained opera singer and a true comedienne, and we often settle for one or the other with this role.
All-in-all, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre, and I cried--as I do--during the finale, "Make Our Garden Grow." It should be noted that the children sitting with the family next to me also seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. Bravo, NYU.
On to the other evening of theatre (actually going in reverse order). Are there seriously those of you who read this blog who have yet to attend a Five Flights show? Get on their mailing list, because you are missing delightful and insightful new theatre.
The newest installment from this exciting company derived from the idea that it is impossible to utilize super-heroes in live theatre. The effects ("woosh," "crunch," and "blammo," for example) are too necessary and only work on the page or the screen. So, Will Lacker set out to create a super hero drama in which the "boom"s and the "blast"s happen off-stage, while the drama unfolds onstage.
The result was The Custodian, the story of a janitor who--tired of cleaning up after super heroes--takes matters into his own hands. Eryck Tait is the title character who offers a surprisingly honest arc from beginning to end, surprising only considering the zany antics going on around him. His roommate Remy (Nick Hepsoe) plays video games all day and night, girlfriend (ex-girlfriend?) Wanda (Carlyn Kautz) is shacking up with Remy's childhood buddy Fing (Adam Delia) and there's a hostage super hero sidekick (Steve Yates) in his living room.
Early on, the play seems to take place in Manhattan as we know it. The trials and tribulations of the characters are familiar to us. The only things that seem out of place are the earthquakes (we'll later find out that those are caused by The Incredible Hulk). However, Lacker quickly employs the use of The Professor (Kacy Rice), a British know-it-all who pops up to explain the more archaic details of the story, to push the play from quirky to out-right ridiculous. Ms. Rice also appeared as a TV news anchor and a radio DJ, offering glimpses of life outside the apartment. (In other news, Ms. Rice's 21st birthday happened to land on the night of the performance I attended. Happy Birthday, Kacy!)
The ridiculous nature of the play and the honesty with which it was presented was truly a new great feat hurdled by the Five Flights Theater Company. And, true to Lacker's intent, there was only one special effect in the show (it could either be described as a "splat" or a "sploosh," or perhaps a combination thereof).
The best of all possible weekends spent with the best of all possible shows.
I have another whirlwind weekend of theatre coming up, and I’ll be sure to be back here with information on what’s certain to be an entertaining and thought provoking couple of shows (including NYU Steinhart’s production of the Leonard Bernstein classic Candide and a new play by bourgeoning pioneers Five Flights Theatre Company). Still, I’d be remiss if I left out the show I saw last weekend at Wallkill High School in upstate New York.
Now, I don’t have any real connection to Wallkill or its students. I’m not from the town, I didn’t attend or work at the school and I did not know anyone in their production of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. Well, that last part isn’t completely true: my brother, Paul, was the choreographer for this production, which is what brought me to Wallkill in the first place. But I did not feel any real responsibility to the players or staff going in.
Coming out, however, I had a huge grin on my face, the kind that comes from eating something really sticky and sweet or from seeing pure shameless musical comedy. For those of you who don’t know, Anything Goes is one of those pre-Oklahoma musicals that seldom pretends to have much of a plot, and even more seldom that the songs have anything to do with the plot (as a matter of fact, the only plot driven song in the show—an ode to Public Enemy #1—is hardly a minute long). It’s a vehicle for big voices, show-stopping numbers, great comic timing and tapping. Lots and lots of tapping.
To see these young performers dancing their feet off you’d never guess that all but a small handful had never taken a tap lesson before. Perhaps this is nothing more than a vain testament to the talent of the choreographer, my brother. But I truly think that there is little that could have gotten those kids tapping as they were (four of the girls did wings!) if the students themselves did not have the talent to learn and perfect those steps in the few months’ time they had to rehearse.
I must commend director Liz Bailey on her crisp and sophisticated staging of show, and for her educationally sound and experience-savvy policy of employing understudies for all of the major roles. The night I attended, the actress playing Reno Sweeney was too ill to perform.Elise Macur, her understudy, went on at the very last minute (I get the impression she was still zipping up as the overture played) and gave a solid performance in a demanding role made famous by the likes of Ethel Merman and Patti LuPone.
Additional kudos is owed to John Dunigan as Moonface Martin, Public Enemy #13, who managed to steal almost every scene he was in from everyone except for Abe Bliden who managed to hold his own in the role of Sir Evelyn Oakley. Crooners Sara Lobdell and Tyler Keeno, in the roles of the lovers hope Harcourt and Billy Crocker, leant just the right amount of gravity to their renditions of Porter favorites “It’s De-Lovely” and “All Through the Night.”
This is an online petition for our new President, Barack Obama, to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. This is something we've needed for a long time, and in the current financial climate, the arts are getting struck harder than before. Arts education programs in schools are being cut like never before and the new voices of the arts are finding it even harder to make themselves heard. We need the help wherever we can get it. The exciting part of this news is that so far there are 221565 signatures on the petition. I also read an article stating that a new petition has recently been formed against the appointment of a Secretary of the Arts. As of the writing of the article, that petition has six signatures. I think we all feel the way poster #221517, Laura Hope-Gill, feels: "It's time."
Expect new posts in the very near future, and as usual if you know of any exciting new theatre happening in the New York area, please let me know! feel free to comment here or drop me an e-mai: rigano.reviews@gmail.com.
I promised you all an update on the concert given by my friend--a fantastic singer/actress--Mary Fishburne. The show was called Drawn to You, a clever title for a cabaret act of songs created for a slew of legendary characters... cartoon characters. Mary opened the show with a silver-voiced interpretation of "What Can I Do for You?", a song by Edward Heyman and Sammy Timberg that was introduced to the world by the croaking voice of Popeye the Sailor Man. (Fishburne proceeded to muse that, although it is taboo to sing a song that was introduced by such a legend, she felt she brought a new quality to the song--singing.)
This proved to be a fantastic and charming opening for a fantastic and charming show. First of all, Ms. Fishburne is a delight. She brings an air of Southern charm combined with New York know-how, a stunning mix, to this performance. This is most apparent in her performance of the Alan Menken song "Pink Fish," a song about a Southern girl in New York discovering bagels and lox.
The other thing she and writer/director Jeffrey Sweet brought to the evening was a sense of sincerity. This was not a gimmick show. While they gave us the requisite jokes comparing Ms. Fishburne to the likes of Minnie Mouse and Olive Oil, she also brought a grounding--dare I say it?--third dimension to the material.
With material ranging from silver-screen Disney to classic television and back, the show, accompanied by the amazing Rick Hip-Flores, married whimsy to true human (or in some cases, animal) emotions for a beautiful show. Kudos to producer Jeff Landsman (of the York Theatre's Developmental Reading Series) for finding these artists and bringing them together.
In attendance the night that I saw the show was the daughter of legendary cartoon composer Sammy Timberg (of the Popeye opening number), who was there to see her father's material celebrated. We chatted beforehand and she asked me if I was Mary's boyfriend. I thought to myself after seeing the show, I should just lied and said "Yes!"
Happy New Year, all! I hope you all had sufficiently raucous December 31st celebrations. Mine were filled with theoretical discussions of theatre while making brand new friends (I kid you not).
I've got a few things to cram into this post. The first is a very belated review of a production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown that I saw at Marymount Manhattan College. Directed by Jesse Marchese, this production utilized--in many ways--found objects representing the scenery and props dictated by the script, much the way the original Off-Broadway production did. Jesse's theory, he told me, was that kids can make a performance space out of anything. His production certainly proved that point. Rather than recreating the 'Peanuts' characters of the cartoons, as the most recent Broadway revival did, this production--staged in a non-traditional space--gave the impression of kids putting on a show in their backyard.
The performances astounded me. As a teacher of young people (a number of my students came to see the show with me!) I've seen several children perform material from Charlie Brown. But there's something so thrilling about adults letting themselves go and embodying these small children with these big ideas. The best example of this would have to be Katie Hutchison's Sally Brown, characterized in equal parts by her capriciousness and her precosiousness. Austin Wolf was delightful as the put-upon title character, his optimism all but forcing you to root for him throughout the whole show. It was a joy to watch Melissa Benoist (who I named last year's break-out performance of the year) lose herself in the egomaniacal Lucy VanPelt, and even more a joy to hear her sing. The necessary air of maturity and sophistication was supplied by Kevin O'Malley who portrayed a Snoopy that one might find more suited to sipping martinis with the likes of Noel Coward or Alexander Wollcott than hanging out with that round-headed boy.
Overall, the production was a delight and my students from The Children's Acting Academy had a wonderful time. I hope to post photos from the production as soon as I can.
On a more serious note, New York is currently recovering from The Great Broadway Massacre of 2009, a day that will go down in infamy as that day that saw the simultaneous closing of nine Broadway shows (and put a number of friends of mine out of work). January 4, 2009, left a staggering number of Broadway houses dark, and while new shows are coming in, they're going much more swiftly. It could be argued that some of the shows that have left my friends on unemployment (Hairspray, for example) have stayed their welcome and met with a timely demise, while others (Spring Awakening, anyone?) were more difficult to fathom.
In any event, right now more than ever in recent memory, we need to support the arts however we can. We need to go to Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, tours, regional theatre, community theatre. We need to show our solidarity for the up-and-coming talent out there. The arts have never been an easy field to break into. But due to the current recession, performers, writers, creators of all kind are finding that there are fewer and fewer venues for their voices to be heard.
So, here's my New Year's resolution: I will go to see as many performances [especially of new talent] as my wallet will allow [comps are always welcome] and I will spread the word right here.
Here's how you can do your part: PLEASE let me know of shows that you or your friends are doing so that I can plug them and review them. And please, pass this blog on to your friends so that the word can spread even faster. Let's join forces to support the insane amount of talent that is out there all over the country waiting to be heard!
On that note, I have a few things to plug. First: the insanely talented Mary Fishburne will be performing in her new cabaret Drawn to You, featuring music from some of her favorite cartoons. The show opens December 7 (TOMORROW) and runs until December 11. It's sure to be a sensational evening, and you're sure to hear more about it from me.
I also have to give a shout-out and a big Thank You to The Fabulous Jennifer Wren (that's her full name) who hosts the bi-monthly open-mic/cabaret Big Night Out. Jenny is a big part of the coallition to give new voices a chance to be heard. Every other Thursday at their new home at Dillon's Lounge, she and Musical Genius Bill Zeffiro (that's his full name) can be found hamming it up and allowing others to do so, as well.
That having been said, I have a belated Christmas/New Year gift for you all. On December 17th, Jenny and Bill hosted a Holiday Extravaganza, and I was honored to be among the truly amazing composers and performers. Here is a video of me singing my song "(Let's Go) Under the Mistletoe."
The cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ms. Carter's production was sleek without being cheap, chic without being gaudy and an all-around good time. Employing a design reminiscent of Peter Brooks' "white box" Midsummer, Carter takes us to a dreamlike no-man's land. So dreamlike, in fact, that all of her performers are dressed in pajamas! This white set (complete with flowing white columns) serves the multi-faceted purpose of indicating every setting of the play, with the help of the beautifully whimsical light design from Lisa Hufnagle.
Tiffany Denise Turner, Chris Kateff, Trish Phelps and Sarah King
