Hello There Richmond Theater Fans!!!

Hello There Richmond Theater Fans!

I am extremely excited to join Dave and this theater blog project. Theater in Richmond has a lot of potential but I am sure most of you will agree that theater on the whole is currently the poor stepchild of the local arts community. My mission is to build theater back up and ultimately to surpass its past glory and help theater resume its rightful place at the head of the arts pack. How to accomplish this? Well we simply have Deborah Wagoner wave her Glenda wand and poof..... No really- I cannot change the world but can only do what I can do:
1. Through the graces of that Texas dreamboat, Brandon Reynolds, the Arts and Culture Editor of STYLE weekly I promise to do my best and constructively review all plays that I am allowed with the intention of encouraging us all to raise the bar with each production. (Please know this is not easy to do in 300 words but I try)
2. Encourage as many theater related articles as possible for STYLE which I consider the "go to" place for arts information in Richmond.
3. Start a local theater club to help facilitate people making time to go to see local and regional theater. This theater club will also go to DC and maybe NYC to see stuff in order to get a little perspective on the theater world beyond the tri-cities. I am open to discussion about the best way to organize this club, get members, and how to choose plays to see.
4. Come play with my theater critic Idol, Dave, and create some more buzz about Richmond Theater.

So now you know a little about me and my hopes and dreams, if you like you can come meet me in person. Please come out to First Fridays tonight and visit me and some of the Art Cheerleaders at our bake sale in front of Gallery 5. We are having a bake sale to raise money to pay for our uniforms.

If you want to go to a show- my fellow Art Cheerleader, Billy Christopher Maupin is performing in "Mr. Marmelade" which I caught last Sunday. It is great! The script is hilarious - it is like a study in Freud and play therapy. I took my psychologist mom and she is still pondering it a week later. So you can go see "Mr. Marmelade" and then pop down to Gallery 5. The first person to visit The AC's tonight and mention to me that you read this blog today gets a ticket to see "Dancing in the Vineyard" this Sunday at 3:00pm- for details go read my article about the event at www.styleweekly.com.

Big thanks to Dave T.
caio,
Mary B.

Generations

I have never been that interested in being on stage. I ended up there once – hooked into the chorus of a high school “Once Upon a Mattress” production because my girlfriend was playing the princess. The director wisely placed me next to the girl who could sing the loudest to drown out my croaks. After that experience, I was more than happy to just toil around backstage, but I have remained pretty entranced by the people who have the guts and skill to perform.

But I have had a weird mix of feelings in respect to my children auditioning. My eldest daughter snagged one of the leads in Theatre IV’s production of “Hansel and Gretel” several years back, which I think she enjoyed, and she was the lead in her middle school production of “The Quiltmaker’s Gift.” But still, she never seemed really compelled to be on the stage. Happy when she was there, but not always thinking about trying to get back. Which was all fine with me: though I of course think she is enormously talented, I don’t think she was born to be on stage. An acting life doesn’t quite fit her temperament, at least in my opinion.

But I’m a little less laissez-faire about my son, mostly because I think he could be pretty good. And if you think this is JUST filial devotion talking, it’s also tempered with some cold, hard critical calculations. Chief among these is that he’s small for his age; he’s 7 years old but could easily play 4. He got kind of a stunt casting gig for Theatre IV many years ago. It didn’t require a lot of skill on his part, but it did inspire what I still consider one of my best pieces of writing (still findable in the dungeons of Style’s archives).

Anyway, I dropped him at Theatre IV for auditions earlier this week and ran into many familiar parents, hauling their next generation talents in for a shot at “Christmas Story” and “Peter Pan.” My boy might still be a little young and inexperienced for a role this time. And that’ll be fine. But if not today, I do hope he gets his shot someday because I think he would thrive in the theater. And as long as parents like me keep encouraging our kids to give an audition a shot, theater will continue to thrive. Because there will continue to be generations of kids who grow up wanting to encourage their children to do the same. Even if they never wanted to be on-stage themselves.

Another Voice

When I started this here blog I had some vague hope that it would be a place that theater-lovers of all stripes could visit and chime in with their thoughts, that it would truly grow into “A forum for the discussion of theater…” Generally, I think things have gone pretty well and I have been very pleasantly surprised when something I’ve thrown out there has gotten a response, favorable or not.

But it has still been mostly a one-way conversation, and sometimes I feel a little like a poser. I only see a fraction of the plays that get produced in town and, while I have my few theater pals, I don’t have anything resembling a network of sources or anything like that. Mostly, what I have is an abiding interest in and appreciation of theater and I find it fun to interact with others with similar interests, even if it is mostly in the virtual world.

Which is all a long introduction to this very happy announcement: I have asked Mary Burruss if she would like to contribute to the conversation and she has agreed to do so. Sometime in the next few days or weeks or so, you’ll start to see posts from her show up here in addition to mine. You probably have seen Mary’s byline in Style and some of you may know her from her producing role this past summer with “Austin’s Bridge” at the Firehouse. Mary clearly also has an abiding interest in theater and I think she has proven herself to be a fair-minded critic and an entertaining writer.

I am very excited that we’ll have Mary’s voice added to the conversation. I am also hoping that, once she starts contributing, she’ll tell two or three friends about this blog thereby doubling or tripling its readership!

Welcome aboard, Mary!

Not Theater

So Style has two theater reviews in this weeks issue! But I didn’t write either one, Ms. Burruss talks up “Zanna, Don’t” and “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” instead.

That’s not to say I’m not all over Style this week. The China-America Festival of Film and Culture opens this week and I wrote two pieces that talk it up. One is on the Toppings, a couple that has covered China as journalists for more than half a century, and the other is an interview with a Chinese television producer. For those with an abiding interest in (and, in some cases, fear of) China, I’d recommend checking out the festival’s offerings to enhance your sense of the country’s fascinating culture.

Members Only

When I talked to Lisa at Richmond Marquee a couple of weeks ago she said that I liked to “stir the pot” as it were. Maybe the following is one of those times when I do so…or not. You never know with these things.

Anyway, I wrote up my review on “The Member of the Wedding” last night. When it shows up in Style next week you’ll notice that, while I generally enjoyed it, I also left the theater after the show with a nagging sense of wanting more. There were a few reasons for this. If you are familiar with Carson McCullers’ book, you know that there’s an interesting subplot involving a soldier that Frankie meets and later agrees to meet in a bar. It’s a highly charged subplot and I wondered why it was left on the cutting room floor when McCullers adapted her story for the stage. Just too racy for the general public?

Also, I had a feeling similar to one I had at “Austin’s Bridge” a few months ago. In that play, the most intriguing character to me was the resident facility’s “bad girl;” her story seemed much more interesting than many of the other ones that the play focused on.

In “Wedding,” I found myself fascinated by the African-American characters. It wasn’t that Frankie and her family were boring exactly, but the trio of Berenice, T.T., and Honey had the makings for a true pot-boiling plot. How did Berenice lose her eye?! Does T.T. know about her first true love and how does he feel about it? Why does Honey have such a chip on his shoulder? What exactly happens to him in prison and who is responsible? Not to be flippant about it but these seemed like much more compelling questions than ‘will Frankie make a new friend?’

There’s a question about race mixed up in all this, but it’s not a simple one. This was a play written decades ago so it doesn’t surprise me that the focus is on Frankie. And while there are many plays out there that feature African-American characters prominently, from what I’ve seen, they can be as “black-centric” in the same way that other plays are “white-centric.” I guess what frustrated me about “Wedding” is that it had many of the elements of a true multi-racial theater experience – Berenice is after all the main character – and with a little more of tilt toward the black characters, it could have really gotten there. Instead, the only real transition explored is Frankie’s (even John Henry’s heartbreaking transition is tossed off in last act comment). Couldn’t we have seen Berenice go through a transition? Sure, she is someplace different at the end of the play but we don’t see a whole lot about why or what exactly is happening for her.

Obviously, none of this is the fault of Barksdale’s production, which was top-notch within the limitations of the script. I particularly liked Brian Barker’s set design, which seemed to capture almost an entire house and its neighborhood within a three-quarter thrust stage’s limitations.

So that’s at least some of what I thought. What do you think?

No need to wait

I have to once again express my appreciation and respect for Bruce Miller who took the time to comment on behalf of Chase Kniffen (scroll to the bottom). I don’t know who “anonymous” is, but he/she has given us all quite an opportunity to toot Chase’s horn. So thanks, Mr./Mrs. Anonymous.

Speaking of tooting horns, yours truly is mentioned in the latest Richmond Marquee, now available at theaters near you. And hey, isn’t it about time you thought about subscribing?

If you haven’t read it already, JB has a great recounting of her 40 under 40 night. Style did something right for a change! (OK, maybe not for a change, but they did do something especially right.)

I’m trying to organize my thoughts about “The Member of the Wedding” and will try to post something soon. I’m also trying to figure out how I’m going to manage to see “Stuart Little” and “Richard II” in the next couple of weeks. Anyone know somebody who does clones?

Ran into Justin Dray out at the Village Shopping Center today and wondered what was the last thing I saw him in onstage. I had to go all the way back to “Volume of Smoke” in 2005, which ironically enough, just opened at Theatre VCU this past weekend. I hope to see him in something else again soon.

And just because “Wedding” left me feeling a little sad and sentimental, here’s a little inspirational pick-me-up courtesy of my rabbi:

How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment to start to improve the world.
-ANNE FRANK

Broadway Bits

Many things to talk about but not much time. So there's always national news to fill the space: I’ve seen a few articles hyping Claire Danes in Pygmalion; always interesting to read the mainstream media’s take on a big name actress working on the stage. Also, USA Today has a fall Broadway preview today, with a big piece on “Young Frankestein.”

Some related thoughts: A friend who saw Stoppard’s “Rock-n-Roll” in London said it is moderately dreadful and I saw a production of “The Grinch” last year, which was fine but when it comes down to it, not as good as the original ½ cartoon. And I really enjoyed Mel Brooks when I was an adolescent but I don’t know that the basics of his humor have gone anywhere since. I didn’t see “The Producers” but also don’t feel like I missed anything much. I love the movie “Young Frankenstein” but I have no burning desire to see a stage version. So I’m still waiting for the new, exciting, original play for this fall, i.e., this year’s “Doubt” or “Spring Awakening.”

And finally, something that has me both scared and just a touch excited is this item on Bono teaming up with Julie Taymor to produce a stage version of “Spiderman.” It could be an interesting experiment. Or it could be like Jim Steinman’s long-gestating desire to stage a musical version of “Batman”: a sketchy idea that never really gets filled in.

Go JB!

Congratulations to Ms. Steinberg for being named one of Richmond's Top 40 Under 40! Well deserved! And here's a few more exclamation points to add to the ones in the article!!!

Also, here's how I condensed my thoughts about Mr. Marmalade in print. Check it out.

Bon Chance and other stuff

Robin Harris-Jones (see, the hyphen DOES get included sometimes…) recounts her side of the story of us running into each other last week. What a sucky day! Sorry, Robin, that you were having such a rough time of it but rest assured that, even in yoga clothes and sans make-up, you looked lovely.

My side of the story is not quite as eventful but I do have to say that Robin did not catch me at my finest, being as I was a little crazed because my daughter made me PROMISE absolutely to mail her letter THAT DAY without fail and the only chance I had to do that was on my lunch break where I also fit in a small little jaunt from downtown to University of Richmond to attend my History of Modern East Asia graduate school class. And who was it SO important to get this letter in the mail to? Zac Efron, of course… Oy.

But back to Robin: I actually see theater people around town quite frequently – Frank Creasy at “The Camel” a couple of months ago, Cynde Liffick jogging down Monument Ave., Jennifer Frank at Ukrop’s, Stephanie Dray at that great bread place on Cary Street last year, etc… But while I know who these people are, they usually don’t really know me. They may know my name but even people I’ve interviewed, I have often just talked to them on the phone. Most of the time, I don’t say anything to any of these folks. It’s not like it’s a paparazzi situation or anything, but generally I feel I should just leave people to their own devices unless there is a compelling reason not to. I’m also kind of shy so what I just said is really just a big rationalization…

Anyway, the main reasons I approached Ms. Harris-Jones were that a) she did look like she might be in some distress and, well, what guy with half-a-brain and any sense of chivalry just walks past a lovely young woman in distress? And b) while I have seen Robin on stage many times, I have never met her and I know from her blog that she is leaving Richmond very soon. So it was perhaps my last opportunity – albeit a relatively awkward and brief one – to wish her well on her journey to the Big Apple.

Anyone who has seen – or worked with – Robin at Theatre IV or Barksdale or most recently at the Firehouse knows that she is a greatly talented actress and singer. Please join me in wishing her the best of luck in her adventure northward. And Robin, just one suggestion before you go: you might carry an extra set of keys with you once you get up there, just in case!

The T-D has had all sorts of reviews lately, with Zanna, Don’t; The Member of the Wedding; and The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail all opening last week. Busy busy busy! I won’t get a chance to check out MOW until this weekend. But I would suggest you pick up this week’s Style. There should be a special little piece honoring a member of the Richmond theater community. Intrigued?

Lateness

I promised Morrie I'd post this over the weekend but then it got lost in the madness. Sorry Morrie. Hope it's not too late:

The Firehouse Theatre Project has an immediate need for an non-Equity actor for the upcoming production of Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman. The part is Burton Strauss, the Dean of Humanities of a small liberal arts college in New England. The character is 45-65, "old school" and professorial in manner. This is a paying role. The show opens 10/25 and runs Thurs., Fri., Sat., through 11/17 with matinees on 11/4 and 11/11. Rehearsals begin immediately. Interested actors should call Morrie Piersol at 804-359-2003.

Also, Mary's review of "Urinetown" is in this week's Style in case you wondered whether that was ever go to show up. I particularly like the review's subheading; I expect that's the Arts editor Brandon Reynolds' work. He's a clever guy; he's the only editor who has ever changed stuff I've written that I ended up liking better afterwards. The review is laudatory of course!

Roles Reversed and MySpace

I had a nice chat with Lisa Kotula the other day, talking about blogging, MySpace, online social networking, etc., as relates to Richmond theater. It was weird to be interviewed since I am used to being the one doing the interview. I hope I said some moderately relevant stuff.

After talking to Lisa, I started thinking that maybe journalists make good interview subjects because they anticipate questions or they understand how reporters have to build a story from an interview. But then later that day I interviewed a former editor from the New York Times and he was not a good interview at all. He spent a lot of time saying stuff that was neither very quotable nor frankly very interesting. So that blows that theory.

Another thing I thought about after talking to Lisa is the fact that I don't usually list the MySpace pages of theater folks, like in the "No People Like Show People" section over there on the left. I've come across a few of them -- just found the one Brett Ambler has in connection with his band Captain Slicktalk the other day, in fact. There are a couple reasons I don't list them: one is that the MySpace domain is blocked for access at my work which isn't a huge problem because I could surf MySpace at home, but it's just annoying enough to make me avoid it. The other reason is because I think of MySpace pages a little different (though I probably shouldn't). When it first came out, MySpace was really more for personal networking between friends and relatives. Now, of course, a MySpace page is part of some bands' business plans, etc., but I'm still stuck thinking that if people have their own space, maybe I should respect that and shouldn't reveal it to the whole world.

But I'm a flexible guy. What does anyone else think? Is my thinking about MySpace terribly outdated and reinforced by general fuddy-duddy-ness? Should I list the MySpaces for local theater folks that I know about? Do you care? Do you already have enough sites that you're surfing anyway and you don't need any more? Let me know.

Sweet Stuff to Spread

There are some shows that you love when you watch them and then afterwards you wonder what was so great. Then there are some shows that don’t seem to work quite right when you are in the theater but then come together in your head after you leave and you can’t stop thinking about them. With “Mr. Marmalade” I’ve had a weird variant of this kind of post-show experience. I’m finding that I like the play as written – and as I remember it – less than I did at first. But my appreciation of how well it was staged has increased.

What I find frustrating about the writing was that I can’t quite make the ideas behind the scenes come together in a way that makes sense. Some of the scenes are just a little too surreal to dovetail with reality, but is that done to show how a four-year old perceives the world? The correlations with “real world” adulthood are a little too matchy-matchy with the dynamics of real grown-ups if this is really supposed to be a four-year old perspective. And what about the real adults in the show? They’re just a bit too clueless to be “real” adults so is the playwright attempting some level of social commentary? And if so, what exactly is he saying? I propose some possibilities in my review for Style (not to be published until next Wed. – sorry). During the show, I just let the narrative flow over me. When I try to connect the dots afterward, it just makes my head hurt.

But given that, I have much more respect for Rusty Wilson and his crew for putting together such an entertaining production. One scene that I remember fondly every time I think of it – probably because I’m just weird – is the “Mr. Marmalade with the leaf-blower” scene. It’s great that you get just snatches of the story – which sounds like a doozy – in between the obnoxious blasts of sounds. It’s an almost “anti-theatrical” scene and I loved it simply for that. I also appreciate Laine Satterfield’s performance more in retrospect. During the show, she seemed to me like the eye at the center of the storm as all the rest of the characters swirled around her. Thinking about it now, I realize that a more appropriate metaphor is that she is the show’s anchor. Her consistency in a role that could be more all of the place (after all, the character is four, an age when even normal children can seem schizophrenic) is what keeps the show on track.

Tony Foley and Erin Thomas are very good in their various roles, the only problem being that all of the characters are pretty odious (even the house plants) so it’s harder to appreciate the performances. One thing to note though is the great transition Erin makes from the mom to the babysitter. It’s one of those actor things that’s just fun to watch as she so clearly defines the two characters, with speech, posture, affect, etc.

I didn’t have time to go on in my Style review about Andrew Boothby’s performance, which is really pretty excellent. In the T-D’s review, Ms. Haubenstock seems to denigrate the fact that some of the characters are “types.” Well, in the case of Mr. Marmalade, I think that’s kind of the point. And one thing I think Boothby does particularly well in the show is capture all the aspects of the different “types” he plays. He really made me believe he was a harried exec and then alternately abusive addict and then alternately a repentant 12-stepper in recovery. Even though they are “just types,” it takes a skilled actor to fully inhabit each one in turn and make it live and breath.

I loved Larry as Larry; it’s virtually impossible for me not to like Larry at this point. He’s just one of those actors that brings a spark to whatever he does. The way he (or maybe this was Rusty’s direction as well) captures the weird rhythms of children at play was great. But, having said that, I think there were times when Larry’s performance moved ever so subtly from “the way children act” to “the way adults portray children when acting.” There were just a few times when I asked myself, would a five-year really do something like that? And my answer to myself was No, I don’t think so. Part of that is undoubtedly the writing and maybe even some direction. Still…

As I will say in my review, and I’ll reiterate here, the real revelation for me in this show is Mr. Maupin’s performance. His character is definitely a “type,” the low-self-esteem, abused, gay assistant. But Mr. Maupin is so earnest and sincere in his performance – the spot-on a capella singing being the cherry on top – that he totally transcends the stereotype. My second favorite scene in the show (after the leaf-blower scene) is Billy’s last moments on stage as the play ends. It’s a sweet little coda to a sometimes frantic and overwrought play. It’s also a scene where the quality of Mr. Wilson’s direction I think really shines through. So often, I don’t really know how to praise a director because the best ones are responsible for everything but then their influence is hard to pin down in terms of how things unfold for the audience; they’re the magic, invisible hand pulling all the strings. Rusty really did an excellent job rendering a coherent and convincing staging of this play. Good job, Firehouse folks!

Friday

Wow – what I difference a few days make. Since Monday, a new plan has emerged for the missus and I to visit NYC in November. I found a hotel in Manhattan (perhaps the only one that is not a certified flea bag) that isn’t charging more than $300 a night for a room. And as that came together, I scored seats for ‘Spring Awakening’ and a new London transplant called ‘Jump,’ that sounds like a hoot. I had a fine time enjoying Marmalade last night and will write more about that after I manage to get my many and varied thoughts condensed into a review. And the weather is cooling off meaning Fall is just around the corner. Ahhhhh!!!

Upcoming

So of course the day after I idly wonder about what shows would be good to see on Broadway, I come across two Playbill sites, one that shows upcoming Broadway shows, the other showing Off-Broadway shows. You gotta love the Internet! Now I have all sorts of shows to dream about seeing...

Closer to home, I'm looking forward to seeing Mr. Marmalade tomorrow night. It sounds like it may be a little over the top but not by any means boring. So that's a good thing. Plus it's got Andy Boothby in it who has a very mystical and long-standing connection to my family (come over and visit your son any time, Andy!) as well as a bunch of other good folks. Bring on the suicidal youngsters!

Corrections, News and Notes

I got a very nice note from Larry Gard who tells me I've been listing his program incorrectly. It's the Carpenter Science Theatre Company not "that theater company in the Science Museum" or whatever I used to call it…

Ms. Jones tells me (or told me a month or so ago) that Talent Link has moved up to Richmond from Norfolk. You thesps looking to get represented, check 'em out.

I've been a little down these days -- had been planning a Fall trip to Broadway and it’s not looking like it’s going to work out. It’s harder to leave four kids behind then you would think, particularly since my strategy (“leave ‘em 50 bucks and the phone number for Papa John’s…”) was summarily shot down by my beloved. I can take some solace in the fact that the latest big musicals have been receiving either downright nasty reviews (“Grease” in the NYTimes and EW) or at best mixed (“Xanadu,” liked by the NYTimes, by EW not so much). Of course, “Grease” can take some solace that even in the first post-back-to-school week it’s still drawing some pretty good box office. “Xanadu” – not so much.

So what would I even want to see on Broadway? Well, I still haven’t seen Spring Awakening or Drowsy Chaperone and there’s that Kevin Kline/Jennifer Garner “Cyrano” thing starting next month. But I always like to see an edgier, buzz-worthy off-Broadway joint to balance out the big splashy stuff. But besides “Iphigenia 2.0” which closes in a couple of weeks, “Scarcity” closing mid-October, or the new production of “The Misanthrope” (new production but old play) what’s out there? Anybody heard anything about “33 to Nothing?” Oh, and can anyone babysit for 4 charming (mostly) children for a weekend sometime in October or November?

If you want to daydream about Broadway like me, you can check out this photo gallery in Entertainment Weekly showing big screen stars and their recent appearances on stage.

U-town and Angelika

So the funny thing is that I had started writing down my thoughts about Urinetown on Monday and was kind of stumped. I wanted to talk about Angela Shipley, who has now officially joined the list of my favorite actresses in town, but had reached an impasse. I had two things in particular I wanted to say:

First off, while watching Urinetown, I had no idea who she was until I read the program at intermission. What was great about that? Well, I just saw her a couple of months ago in Austin’s Bridge, a stand-out performance in a show I ended up not particularly liking, and yet I didn’t recognize her as Hope Cladwell. Her Donna in “Bridge” was earthy and warm and genuine while Hope is naïve and flighty and coquettish. The characters are so different, I never would have imagined them played by the same actress. And yet Angela embodied them both completely and beautifully.

Secondly, I like that she doesn’t overplay Hope, who is a character who could be simply ridiculous (Brett Ambler also does a great job of not overdoing it with Bobby). But even though she doesn’t go too broad, she does bring some great comic business to the stage. I particularly liked her seemingly guileless ripping open of Bobby’s shirt, to just listen to his heart (hmmm…sure…) And of course the "dancing while tied up" scene is impressive. Finally, because she doesn’t overplay the farcical Hope, her turnaround at the end fits just fine and anchors the stirring, almost bittersweet conclusion.

But I didn’t post these thoughts earlier in the week because in general, if you’re listing things, three is the way to go. Two just doesn’t cut it. Lock, stock and barrel; blood, sweat, and tears; etc. etc. Threes just work better. I thought about pointing out that in the program she thanks Tom and Paul for taking a chance on a “newbie.” Ha! Clearly, after “Bridge” and “U-town,” (not to mention Agamemnon’s Daughters at Sycamore Rouge), she is no longer a novice so that piece of modesty was endearing. But that tidbit didn’t seem compelling enough to round out the three.

But now, thanks to her comment on “Worst Ever,” I know that she reads this blog. THAT is certainly an indication that not only is she a superior actress but also an Internet surfer with refined tastes, giving me a third thing to praise her for!

In addition to Angela’s performance, there were many other great things to enjoy in “U-Town.” I thought Scott Melton was excellent as Officer Lockstock, lending the perfect amount of gravitas to the hilarious self-referential vignettes. The “Tell Her I Love Her” song got me laughing – not to Mr. Guffaw levels, but close – and showcased Audra’s abundant talent. Brandon Becker’s choreography was notable, peppered as it was with wonderful little dance jokes (Hey Brandon, going to be able to drop back to “just” singing and acting for the Plaid Xmas show?)

My friend (and perhaps yours too!) Jerry enjoyed the show a great deal, having hated the Broadway production he saw several years ago. Both the lovely mrs and I enjoyed the show a bunch as well. But there is sometimes a problem with a show as wink-wink, nudge-nudge self-aware as “U-town” is: the show asks you to care about people and their relationships and motivations, at least enough to pay attention during the show, but then also makes it clear in the attitude of the show that none of it is to be taken too seriously – it is after all only a musical. There’s a little bit of emotional dissonance there that diminishes the show a bit – at least that was how Mrs. T and I ended up feeling.

I’m not going to march out a parade of adjectives like Ms Haubenstock did in her review’s list of how transcendent everyone in the cast was. I do agree that everyone did a great job, though, and I hope the show is drawing some good crowds.

Another thought, not related to U-town at all: it was cool but a little confusing to see Erin Thomas and Laine Satterfield in the paper last week. The story connected to their picture was about the new Stony Point school partnership but Erin and Laine both had their SPARC shirts on and were not quoted or mentioned specifically in the article. I’m glad Laine, Erin and SPARC all got some exposure, I just wonder whether the editors thought very clearly about the picture and how it fit with the story.

Response

I meant to write a quick note but then got going and couldn't stop, so please check out my too long response to Mr Anonymous's comment on my "Arts 25" post. And throw in your own two cents as well while you're at it.

A Simple Piece of Cloth

I was wandering around University of Richmond on Wednesday and saw a flier about a free staged reading happening there. I wouldn't have given it a second look except that it has some really good people doing it, including Jodi Strickler Smith and Darryl Clark Phillips. Below are some details -- check it out if you want free access to new, interesting theater! I think the best shot for tickets would be to email Ms. Mullin or you could try to navigate the U of R phone system which I admit I am woefully ignorant of. And I PROMISE I'll be writing about Urinetown as soon as I can -- life just keeps getting in the way of good blogging...

A Simple Piece of Cloth by Jeffrey D. J. Kallenberg, tells the story of a family coping with cultural assimilation and the death of the patriarch in a comic but truthful manner. The story deals with the cultural, moral, and philosophical issues surrounding a family feud over the rightful heir to the recently deceased patriarch’s "prayer shawl from the old country."

Mr. Kallenberg teaches the James Joyce Seminar at Columbia University and runs his own business in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has done writing and "script doctoring" for various television and film production companies and is well-known throughout the New York City professional theatre community.

Each open-reading will be followed by a discussion with the cast and author. Friday, September 7 and Saturday, September 8 at 7:30PM.

From: Debbie Mullin Cost: Free but tickets required - call 8980

The Arts 25

I know some people think of me as “the voice of Style” when it comes to its theater coverage. But any of you who have worked for publications of any kind, large or small, know that the “voice” of a publication can be a tricky thing. In the worst cases, companies that buy ads dictate content, sometimes even writing it themselves, which makes a publication basically just a big marketing vehicle. In the best cases (for a writer, at least), an editor consults extensively with a writer about upcoming story possibilities, usually lets him/her determine what stories he/she is going to cover, and then runs the resulting stories with very little editing for content. In those cases, the publication's voice is pretty much the voice of the writer (at least on whatever particular beat that writer is covering).

For several years, I was living the best-case scenario due to the kind of working relationship I had with the editors at Style. It was a sweet deal but also a fair amount of work and I just didn’t have the time to cover everything that I really thought needed covering. So over time and as editors have changed, I now have something in between the best and the worst cases. I can generally determine what I’m going to cover and my stories are usually run without much editing for content. However, my communication with Style is very sporadic and I don’t really know what the magazine is planning. Many times I have been surprised when a theater-related story shows up in print.

This is all a lead-up to my comments on the current “Arts 25” issue of Style, which has many interesting pieces, several on theater folks, and one that I wrote (this one on d.l. Hopkins). I think Style picked out many good people to highlight and think they did a great job in covering Scott Wichmann, Carol Piersol, Grant Mudge, and Derome Smith. I’d also point out the piece on Patrick Farley, a friend of mine, a really nice guy, and a very talented architect (whose wife was in the production of “Company” at Dogwell Dell – so there IS a theater connection).

However, I must be honest and say that I had little input on this selection of influential people on the local cultural scene. I received notice about the issue the afternoon before the decisions were made on who to highlight. I was at work and couldn’t really respond. When I was able to compose an email about it later that night, I suggested several people, none of whom ultimately made it into the magazine. I mean no disrespect to those who were chosen but below is the short list of theater-related people I suggested. And I’m curious: who do YOU think belonged on the list, which was presented to me as “25 people influencing the arts right now.”

Chase Kniffen
Rusty Wilson
Lisa Kotula
Artisia Green / Rebekah Pierce: Founders of Arteka Theatrical Productions (are these guys still around?)
Brett Ambler / Audra Honaker
Scott Wichmann

Oh, and one last thing: my Fall theater preview also shows up in this latest issue. Check it out!

Worst Ever

Oh my, “Urinetown.” What a funny, crazy, self-referential place to visit! I’d like to comment more on the musical but unfortunately, my most resonant memory from this show will be the worst audience experience ever. I’ve had bad audience experiences before. In fact, just this summer at “Odd Couple” at Hanover Tavern I was sitting right behind an unfortunate man with oozing, open sores on his bald head, which wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t also been sitting next to the woman with the worst halitosis in the universe. I felt less oogy – and less aware of bodily fluids – sitting through the movie “Dawn of the Dead” than through that play.

But for “U-Town,” the nemesis was behind us. My wife, my friend Jerry, and I were sitting in the second row, stage right. A woman two rows behind us had the most annoying, loud, high-pitched and persistent laugh ever. This woman must very rarely leave the house because she seemed delighted about everything from electricity to humans walking upright. The flow of the first act was like this: actor enters scene (woman starts tittering), other actor sets up joke (loud laugh), first actor delivers joke (screeching cackle), scene continues (small aftershocks of laughter until tittering begins again, punctuated by “oh my”s and other sighs of almost orgasmic delight). At no point in the show was there ever no sound coming from this woman. So, at least one person was overjoyed with “Urinetown.” However, everyone around her was annoyed as hell.

So, being a grown up and since the house was not quite full, our party moves to stage left for the second act, far away from the cackling, squealing theatergoer from hell. We park ourselves third row up from the stage and are delighted when the sound of titters are just a faint simmer of sound from the other side of the theater. The second act gets rolling and suddenly directly behind us, we hear a deep-voiced, “HA HA HA!” Yes, the male counterpart of Ms Titterer is right behind us. His rhythm is more like this: actor enters, other actor sets up joke, first actor delivers joke (man hollers “HA HA HA HA HA”), scene continues (man continues yelping “HA HA HA HA HA” overwhelming all succeeding dialogue…)

We looked at each other in disbelief. Were we just cursed? After the second outburst from Mr. Guffaw, we got up unceremoniously and moved to the back of the house. We were able to enjoy the rest of the show in relative peace. And we certainly did enjoy it. More on that in my next post…

But I just want to say, I know things can be pretty tough for you guys on stage sometimes. But it’s not always a picnic for us folks out in the audience either. Just so you know…

Going the Distance

The title of this entry is my little tribute to Cake, one of my favorite bands. For you screaming liberals in the crowd (um, like me…), the band is also very lefty political, so that’s something. There’s a great quote on their website today from Senator Larry Craig. Oh my, how hypocrisy hurts.

Anyway, speaking of distance, there’s a cool little article in the Times-Dispatch about an exceptional cross-country runner named Susannah Piersol and, if you are reading this blog, you probably recognize that last name. Susannah is the daughter of Carol who is also mentioned in the article.

I read somewhere recently (maybe in a Barksdale press release) that Irene Zeigler has already been pre-cast in Doubt. What an excellent choice! I haven’t seen her onstage in a long time. For some reason, I thought of Katie McCall for that show. But she hasn’t been on stage in years as far as I know. Anyone know what she’s up to? And I wonder who they’ll cast as Father Flynn. Who do YOU think would be good? There are so many good actors in town who would be great for the role and of course it always comes down to who actually auditions (assuming they’re be open auditions). It’s probably bad form to speculate but still I wonder…Is Larry Cook too old? Is Brett Ambler too young? Would Justin Dray do it? How about Chris Evans – one of my local faves – where has he been anyway?

OK, enough with the bad form. I’m excited to be going to see “Urinetown” tonight. Mary at Style will be reviewing it – I’m just going for fun, a very rare occurrence for me these days. I’ll be sure and post my thoughts, though, if it turns out that I even have any when I’m not in “critic mode.”

Have a great holiday weekend!

Disappearing acts

I’m still digging the Barksdale Blog – and have to admire its regularity. I certainly think about posting every day or two, though obviously I don’t get around to it that often.

But I’ve also been intrigued by what I HAVEN’T been seeing on the B-Blog, which is some posts that have magically disappeared after being available for moments or hours. The most infamous of these was “Robin Arthur’s Ass,” which an alert reader sent to me the after it apparently was posted (I never saw it online) then quickly removed. It’s hilarious but perhaps too racy for the site.

Then just this week, there was a very nice entry on “Urinetown” at the Mill. The entry itself wasn’t controversial in any way that I could see, but the comments it generated were interesting and seemed to be headed to a contentious place. Shortly after I first checked out the posting, I checked back and it was gone. Hmmm….

And in an unrelated (to what I was just talking about or theater at all, really) note, the latest Style had me scratching my head a little. One of the movie reviews trumpets “Stardust” as the summer’s sleeper hit. This is at the same time as many summer wrap-ups are calling the movie one of the big losers of the summer. Based on its anemic box office compared to its price tag, one article I read called it “Starbust.” So is Style falling out of touch with reality? Or is it just an unfortunate choice of subhead? When is some more theater going to open up in town so there's more stuff to talk about?

d. l. is advertising (and more)

I had the very enjoyable occasion to speak to Mr. d. l. Hopkins the other day for an upcoming story in Style – one that I think (hope) will incite some debate. Among other things, I found out that both Mr. Hopkins and I have sons 7 and 3 years old. It’s always cool – and sometimes funny – to find out the things that people have in common. One of my favorite stories is when Harry Hamlin accidentally called our house in confusion after my wife interviewed him for a story. What I learned: some celebrities can’t figure out their cell phones either.

When I Googled d. l. in preparation for talking to him, I came across this very funny YouTube video called Behind the Ads, stirring up memories of the Slice Man days. It’s definitely worth a look.

I was also perusing an interview with Corbin Bleu and came across this little exchange:

Do you have a role model?
I really, really respect Jamie Foxx... He's a beautiful singer, he plays the piano wonderfully, he's an incredible actor. He's just a very well-rounded person. I very much admire that.

Sounds like you want your career to follow in his footsteps. How do you plan to do that?
Playing a few roles, and then go do another album, and then go work on Broadway! [Laughs] I love change. I love trying new things.

Bleu does Broadway! That’ll certainly get hordes of teenage girls (more of them) interested in theater!

And what did YOU think of High School Musical 2? (Don’t pretend you didn’t watch!) Though I thought much of it was hackneyed and some of it unintentionally hilarious (where were the backup singers hiding during Troy’s “Bet on It” romp across the golf course?), I was glad about one thing: they made Ryan the hero. Now for HSM 3 they just need to find a way to give Monique Coleman more to do.

Sir Links-a-Lot

I’ve been a little crushed for time (again) these days, so haven’t had a chance to put together a well-considered final chapter in my RVA Mag response. But until I do, here’s some interesting bits of other media I’ve seen lately, some pertinent, some less so.

There’s today’s story about Fantasia on Broadway, which kind of follows on nicely after my popular culture rap below. There was this piece that somehow I missed a week or so ago about Benny Ambush and his current landing place. I miss Benny – he had a challenging go of it here but he remained upbeat in every interaction I had with him.

Both the T-D and Style give the Will Power to Youth program its due today. Though Style spelled Cynde’s name right…

And in case you were wondering, it certainly does seem like Mary Burruss is the new main voice in terms of the theater scene for Style. So it goes. She’s a good writer and I’ll be back to writing papers for grad school in another week. As the summer's swan song, I’ll have a piece on local theater coming out in the Richmond Guide sometime soon. And of course I’ll keep on blogging; I just can’t let go of the scene altogether.

A while back, I pondered what big name stars would draw me to try me hardest to get to Broadway to see them. Well, Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner in Cyrano would do it.

Finally, can I just say that I’m already giddy with anticipation about “Doubt” playing at the Barksdale in February? I can’t wait to see who they cast and, assuming the cast doesn’t totally suck, I look forward to seeing the show at least twice.

High-minded elite (More RVA Mag)

That’s a loaded phrase, for sure, but to be honest, it’s not out of line with the reputation theater has had for a lot of people for a long time. But if that’s still where your head’s at, then you haven’t really been paying attention. At least since “Rent” hit Broadway in 1996, theater has rejoined the cultural mainstream. Need proof? How about hit movie adaptations of musicals like “Chicago” and “Hairspray.” The ongoing mega-popularity of experiences that mix theater with music, dance, and even circus, like Blue Man Group and Cirque de Soleil. And how about one of the most popular cultural experiences of recent history: High School Musical. Tonight when the sequel premieres, tweens, teens, and even older folks (like me!) will be enmeshed in the world of theater. Sure, it’s theater on TV but, hey, it’s still theater. And there’s no way to construe the audience HSM II will draw as high-minded elites.

I could mention the burgeoning hip-hop theater culture that is emerging or the gripping new plays like “Topdog/Underdog” that are starting to be appreciated not just on the fringes but in the mainstream. But Le Synge Bleu has already touched on that. What I’ll point out is that theater will always be an essential and ever-renewing cornerstone of popular culture because it is at the theater that people get the first taste of performance. Whether it’s a part of the kindergarten assembly or a skit done for the aunts and uncles at Thanksgiving, people who have a hunger for acting out usually hit the stage first. So even when people grow up to be movie and TV stars, they look back fondly on their days in theater, sometimes heading back for a stint in a high-profile role (Past: Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman, etc.; Future: Claire Danes). Sometimes putting loving or satirical nods to theater in their work (ex.: the recent Shrek the Third movie). And, as David Leong's ground-breaking training program that works with lawyers and doctors at VCU shows, theatrical skills can be vital or at least helpful in many other walks of life beyond stage or screen.

I think theater could do more to gain traction with the culture at large but, all things told, I think it’s doing pretty well. Still, Tony, you ask the question, “What can I do?” which I’ll take as an honest request for suggestions. Next post, I’ll try to address it.

Opportunity for Dialogue (More RVA Mag, Part 1)

Sorry Ms. Robin Arthur, but like it or not, blogs are where it’s at! (There’s more to that story but it’ll have to wait for some other day.) Why do I say this? Because only in a blog-filled world could I have gone on a low-grade rant about RVA Mag (and theater coverage in general) just a few days ago and then today get a considerate and interesting response from Mr. Anthony Harris, publisher of said mag. His response provides several opportunities for dialogue, I believe. So let’s get to it:

First off, thanks so much for your comment, Mr. Harris. It was a nice and unexpected surprise. You raise many good points and I’ll try to address what I can.

You ask, “Is there a theater scene in Richmond?” Oh my, yes. In fact, for a city the size of our town, there is a pretty remarkable theater scene. There are more than a dozen professional theater companies in Richmond and its environs and that doesn’t take into account the several dozen community, parochial, and scholastic programs in town. An average of one professional show opens every week here. Literally hundreds of people make their living producing, writing for, or acting in theater in Richmond. We have one of the largest children-oriented theater companies in the country with Theatre IV, one of the most respected GLBT-oriented theaters in the country with Triangle Players, and a theater festival (“Acts of Faith”) that has received national press coverage. But perhaps the best answer to your question springs from a source very close to you -- your own alma mater. VCU has a burgeoning theater scene led by a nationally-known fight director, David Leong, which has companions in programs at U of R, Randolf Macon, and Virginia Union.

I could go on and on about the theater scene here but trust me, its pretty fervent. Enough so that a magazine focused solely on Richmond Theater (Richmond Marquee) has sprung up to cover it. And maybe it’s just the circles you run in versus the ones I do but – between Theatre IV’s children’s shows, focused theater groups like Bifocals, seasonably popular offerings like Richmond Shakespeare’s summer shows, and educational programs like SPARC – I know a lot more people (regular people, not just theater people) who experience theater on a much more frequent basis than visual art. And as far as theater people go, I can’t go to Ukrop’s without running into a person (if not multiple people) I know from the theater world. They’re everywhere!

Gotta get to bed but as soon as I get a chance I’ll post my response to your question: does [theater] still have a place in the modern world except for the high minded elite? I have to say that the question is a little mind-boggling to me particularly if we are considering comparisons between theater and visual art (and given the “huh?” response I hear from so many people when they try to appreciate contemporary visual art). But I’ll try to keep my emotion in check when I respond.

Thanks again for your response, Tony, and please check back if you want to read more. And anyone else in “the scene” who wants to pipe up, please do!

Too little and maybe too much

During my recent visit to the Byrd Theatre, I saw an ad for RVA Magazine, an alternative mag that I know next to nothing about. But in perusing their website quickly, I only saw a single story about theater (a puff piece on Yellowhouse). What’s up with that? How can a magazine claim to be tapped into the local arts scene without coverage of theater? I found more articles about dance than theater and as many articles about roller derby as theater. For some reason, music is totally over-covered and RVA in particular seems intensely in touch with the visual art scene. I can only speak from personal experience but I’ve only been to two concerts in the past year, two art shows, and no dance performances (compared with a dozen plays). Are these other scenes really drawing a dramatically larger (richer? hipper?) audience than theater?

Though this criticism is directed at RVA, most of the local media are guilty. The T-D, Brick, and even Style generally underperform when it comes to covering theater – though Style I think is getting better with the welcome addition of Mary Burruss to the ranks of those covering live performance. I should also say that I generally appreciate Richmond.com’s level of coverage, posting more reviews from Joan Tupponce than I would have expected from a venue that is just a web presence.

What gets to me is that the existing reportage, which runs from less-than-expected to zilch, usually only covers the professional scene. In a perfect universe, the burgeoning college scene would also get the coverage it deserves, particularly given that – in my totally unscientific speculation – many of the popular college productions have drawn way bigger audiences than some of the less popular professional ones. Oh, but in those cases most of the theater-goers were college kids and we all know that their money and attention doesn’t count…

I could work myself up into a full-fledged rant about this but it’s Friday for one thing and also still so hot that I don’t want to do anything that might work up a sweat. But to give interested parties something else to think about over the weekend, I'll throw out another -- somewhat contradictory -- observation for consideration:

I am loving the Barksdale Blog but I honestly cannot keep up. I came back from vacation and started to peruse the new content (great piece on Vickie and Richard, Mr. Maupin) but had to move on after a couple of posts. I have the interest but just don’t have the time. To reiterate: I love that it's so informative and that Bruce in particular has put himself out there is such an accessible way. However, maybe it’s just me but it feels like too much of a good thing. Short and snappy are generally the guiding principles of the arts writing I do and also that I like to read. I know I’m just a blogger/critic who isn’t immune to rambling myself, but I think an outreach/marketing tool has to strike a balance between informing, entertaining and overwhelming. Just my two cents…

A King’s Perspective

Stephen King writes commentary for Entertainment Weekly, which I sometimes find annoying in its cloying “regular guy” attitude but appreciate at the same time because, you know, he’s Stephen King and he hasn’t really had to do anything to earn his pesos for a decade or two. His latest piece includes something that strikes a particular chord for the critic in me with its reminder to appreciate the joy “art” generates and its admonishment of those who seem critical for criticism’s sake (hello, Mr. Neman!).

As with so many things, the piece immediately made me think of the local theater scene. I reflected on the simple genius of the Barksdale’s offerings at Hanover Tavern. I may have sighed a heavy sigh when I first read that oldies like “Barefoot in the Park” were going to be produced there. But, damn that was a funny show. Same reaction – and same result – with “Odd Couple.” The folks at Barksdale obvious recognize that some shows – no matter how old and potentially dated – generate joy. You leave a good production of “Barefoot” feeling happy, it picks you up and sends you off in the world feeling like the world is a hopeful place.

I often have to battle with my inner snob and I can’t help but look forward to more cutting-edge and challenging material (both “Urinetown” and “Mr. Marmalade” on Richmond’s Fall slate have my interest peaked). But I also have to remind myself that I could probably be happy seeing “Godspell” once a month for the rest of my life (maybe alternating with “Les Miserables”). As Mr. King would say, some shows simply kick ass.

Which also made me think that I should compile a list of theatrical moments of the last ten years or so that gave me a joyful reaction on par with the one that Mr. King describes in his piece. Stay tuned loyal readers (both of you...) for that one.

Shrek, Neglect and other Dreck

I have been neglecting this ole blog for a while now, mostly because I’ve been out of town at the beach, enjoying a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of city living. But after a week of sun and sand (and a couple of days of beating the work madness back down to a low roar), I’m here again and already looking forward to a Fall full of interesting theater.

But in the meantime, it’s still summer (as the sweltering temps attest) and some summer shows are still winding down (as per the review of “Sleuth” in the latest Style). I totally missed the Steward School, SPARC, and New Writers shows this summer – did anyone else check them out? Were they good?

I also missed perhaps the biggest gathering of theater folks this summer at Erin and Tony’s engagement party, documented in a great series of pictures at JB’s blog. You’ll notice Mrs. Price featured in some of these pictures which is a bit ironic since my beloved recently bumped into Melissa at the “Member of the Wedding” auditions at the Barksdale. Both her daughter and mine were trying out for the lead role. I’ve thought about sending flowers (or Red Sox tickets) to Scott as an enticement to get him to cast my baby but I suspect he has integrity about that kind of thing…phooey.

And in a tangential theater note, I took my boys to see “Shrek the Third” last night, which IMHO was pretty dreadful and a dramatic downturn from the original. But I was amused at the framing bits of theater in the movie. If you think you’ve been subjected to an awful audience, check out the delightful bit of dinner theater at the beginning where even the three little pigs are heckling. And the dressing room in the alley was pretty inspired. A knowing understanding about the conventions of theater informed the big finale as well.

Even though American culture is dominated by movies and television, these scenes in Shrek show how theater is woven into the DNA of our artistic expression and continues to be a fundamental element of our cultural foundation.

Finally, a hardy welcome back to Richmond to Sara Heifetz; I look forward to seeing her back on stage in the not-too-distant future, perhaps after a certain blessed event…

New Yorker dreams

Every once in a while, I hear about something or read about somebody and think, “Man, if I was a REAL writer (and didn’t already have a full-time job, and four kids, and grad school, and a part-time job, and…and…and), I would so totally write a big fat feature about this and try to sell it to the New Yorker.”

That’s what I think when I read Eliza Skinner’s exploits on her blog. Eliza is the little sister of Emily who recently got splashy reviews with “Witches of Eastwick” in DC. From what I can tell, Eliza could give a seminar on the struggle for survival as a New York City performer. She seems to have about a dozen venues for her talent. For instance:

-> She has a well-reviewed one-woman show called “Shameless” that opens in LA in August.
-> She plays drums and sings for a band called Stickerbook that recently played a concert in Central Park.
-> She’s half of a two-woman improv comedy/musical group called I Eat Pandas.
-> She is a regular cast member in the improvisational musical “Baby Wants Candy.”
-> She is the sole chick in yet another sketch comedy/improv group called Hammerkatz.
-> …and to top it all off, the recent short film she wrote and produced for the New York edition of the 48-Hour Film project won several awards in the competition.

And even with all of that, I believe she still holds down an office job to pay the bills.

I think that it’d be a great and fun challenge to capture the whirlwind of a life she must lead as well as highlight her prestigious talents. I’ve thought about pitching the story to Style but somehow think they might suspect it for an excuse to get a weekend in NYC on the company nickel. And I don’t know if Eliza would want some old theater geezer tromping around after her with a tape recorder and a notepad. Still, maybe someday…

You can keep track of Eliza’s many gigs and delight at her often wicked sense of humor at her website.

And one last link for fun: did you know that Aaron Sorkin of “The West Wing” and “A Few Good Men” fame has a new play in development? Casting and a schedule for it have just been announced. Worth a NYC trip? Maybe?

Many thoughts but mostly links

I’ve had many theater-related thoughts lately but haven’t really had time to post them. Until I get some time, I do have some links. First, to the Style reviews of “Odd Couple” and to “Henry IV, Part 1.” I am particularly proud of the headline for the Hal review. Headline writing is an art onto itself (so much so that the VA Press Association gives awards in headline writing) and capturing a whole article in just a few well-chosen words can be a challenge. ‘Hal-apalooza’ is probably the best one-word headline I’ve ever come up with. (OK, just sprained my arm patting myself on my back…)

Then a link to a quick story that announces the Cherry Jones will be playing a woman president in the TV show, ’24.’ I have been a ‘24’ fan since the first season and used to write online commentary about the show at one of the many fansites. But, as you can see in this post, I thought this last season stunk up the joint. I was all prepared to drop ‘24’ from my TV lineup but Ms. Jones, most famous recently for her great work in “Doubt,” coming to the show may just make me tune in again.

Finally, I read recently that Danny Hoch has a new show opening soon (here's a piece about it on broadway.com). This should peak the anticipation of anyone who saw Scott Wichmann set the stage ablaze with Hoch’s “Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop.” A film version of that show is apparently out on DVD that, unfortunately, does not feature Scott…

Happy Campy

According to Hilton Als in the New Yorker, the new production of “Xanadu” is a hoot. In additional campy theater news, “Hairspray” is currently getting an amazing 94% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes, made even more amazing by the fact that the “Cream of the Crop” reviews (those that appear in national or major market publications) are 100% positive.

Critical love doesn’t always sway the masses so I still fear that this flick may underperform at the box office (plus, everyone is going to be shut-in this weekend reading Harry Potter, right?) But this outpouring of raves (even Daniel Neman liked it, I think!) has had an impact on my apathy. I may have to sneak out and see it sometime over the next week or two…

Richmond theater rules

Andrew Hamm had a recent post on his blog noting specifically the coolness of Scott Wichmann but also generally the unique nature of the theater community in this town. Theater people in Richmond are to a large extent incredibly friendly, accessible, and down-to-earth. If you want further proof of this, you can check out a comment Bruce Miller posted on this here blog not too long ago. It refers to a production out at Hanover Tavern last year that he directed.

His honesty and openness about the challenges in putting up this production are refreshing, though I would say his self-recrimination about his direction of the piece is a bit harsh. But regardless, how cool is it that Mr. Miller – founder / writer / director / artistic director / possibly most prominent name in local theater – would put such comments out for public consumption? It’s certainly a testament to the impressiveness of Mr. Miller but also a further reflection (IMHO) of the unique nature of the stage scene here.

Consolidated H4P1 rave

As I mention below, the latest Richmond Shakespeare production is good enough for 2 reviews. So it’s a perfect situation to put this silly blog to good use. Be sure and pick up Style next Wednesday to read my outpouring of adjectives in praise of the show. But until then, read below for some more specifics on what I liked.

Let’s start with the beginning (a very fine place to start, no?). Jack Parrish as Henry IV is riveting. Physically, emotionally, vocally, he is the most truly regal king I believe I have ever seen in a Shakespearean production. In writing my review, I kept searching for comparisons: “he’s as good as…” but frankly could not come up with anything that sufficed. His stature – tall, strong, commanding – married to that voice – gravelly but still dynamic – is unique and singularly appropriate for this Henry. I could totally see a son wanting to distance himself from such a father’s shadow, yet Jack also delivers the “come back to the fold” speech so earnestly, how could Hal not be inspired to better himself? The best thing I think Richmond Shakespeare could do is bring back Jack for Part 2. Promise me that and I’ll start working on my rave review right now to save time…

I really didn’t think things could get any better than that but then we meet Phil Brown as Hal. Brown is a looker, there’s no doubt about that, and how refreshing to see a director exploit that with Hal’s initial shirtless appearance. But there is obviously more to Mr. Brown and it’s clear from the first scene. Though he projects a casual insouciance and off-hand joie de vivre, there is some grit beneath that chin stubble and it comes to the fore in the occasional steely glance or thoughtful comment. It takes an accomplished actor to convincingly portray a lay-about like Hal is at the play’s beginning but then transform into the noble Prince Henry at the play’s end. Brown lays the groundwork early on and then follows through expertly in the final scenes. His grand testament to Hotspur before the final battle is captivating. That scene may be one of the best in literature in demonstrating the selflessness of inspired leadership and Brown nails it.

Oh, and Mr. Ricks as Hotspur is more than a worthy counterpoint to Brown. One of the aspects of this show that I enjoyed most was the way Ricks played out his emotions in his body language. The way he sometimes seemed to both fold his body in and lift it up when angered or frustrated; or his dramatic toss of the head – like an adolescent’s eye-roll writ large. I liked the early scene between Hotspur and King Henry where they clash over prisoners, where Ricks seems to be barely holding in his boiling temper and then finally lets it loose. If I had to find a metaphor for Ricks in this show I’d say he was like the Shakespearean version of the Tasmanian Devil – all swirling and tempestuous emotion. It was delightful to watch.

As Falstaff, Mr. Phillips did a fine job though I was just a little less impressed by him than the others. A good part of this has to do with the specific performance I saw. It was a first preview and Darryl was obviously still finding his way around some of his lines. In other plays, I’ve liked Falstaff to have a stealthy brilliance lying beneath all of the lies and bluster. But, maybe in part because of his problems with the lines, Phillips mostly projected buffoonery. He did this admirably well, though, and there were a few other audience members near me who obviously delighted in every word out of his mouth. And in the most unique moment of the night, director James Alexander Bond had to stop the play to replace the seat Phillips was sitting on that seemed on the verge of collapse. Staying in character, Phillips tossed off a couple very funny extemporaneous quips that brought the house down. It was exceptional thinking on his feet…or, I guess, his seat…

It was great to see Grant Mudge onstage again. Grant has a singular ability to make every word he speaks, no matter how densely “Shakespearean” the verse may be, absolutely clear to the contemporary listener. This was a particularly noteworthy feat in “Henry” as a couple of his characters spoke with thick accents. He also was a worthy playmate for Hal as Poins, matching the prince verse for verse in charisma and wit.

There are many other things I could rave about – the great costumes get a mention in my Style review, Andrew Hamm’s incidental music bridging and augmenting many scenes was always excellent and appropriate, the lovely lilting Welsh ballad was beautifully delivered by the lovely Alex Buchanan (...but why no bio for her in the program???). I’ve always thought back wistfully to the early days of RSF, where their looser, zanier versions of shows like “Two Gentlemen of Verona” brought exciting new life to Shakespeare. But this production was easily among my favorite 2 or 3 ever done by the RSF folks. It was exceedingly witty, bracingly dramatic, and just a deeply satisfying theatrical experience.

PS

It seems everywhere I look I'm seeing advertisements for "Hairspray." I have no major compulsion to see this flick but I'm an old fuddy-duddy. Are there folks out there chomping at the bit to see this? Even with all the hype, I have a sneaking suspicion this film is going to underperform at the box office. But I'd be happy to be proved wrong. What do you think?

Sicko

No, I didn't see the Michael Moore documentary. I AM the sicko today -- home from work with a summer cold. And in case there was any doubt, let me assure you that summer colds suck. As if the heat doesn't leave you feeling weary enough, add in a head full of snot and your brain might as well be drenched in tequila for all the clarity available to you.

The only benefit of this is that it affords me the opportunity to ramble on blog-wise about life in general and Henry IV in particular. Before I succumbed to this viral villain, my lovely wife and I were able to sneak out last Friday and see the movie “You Kill Me,” which is a wonderful black comedy. If you are tired of explosions, animation or millions of dollars of CGI effects, check out this modest, sharply-acted, very funny movie.

At the movie, we ran into an old friend who used to write reviews and we lapsed into a little side-conversation about the perils of reviewing (not life-threatening usually, but soul-threatening). For instance, we shared the sentiment that, when you review some 150-200 movies a year like Daniel Neman, your ability to say anything new or interesting might indeed become severely limited. We also touched on something like the opposite problem: whereas Mr. Neman is pretty tiresome in his dismissal of 90% of movies as trash, it is also incredibly hard to find new ways to say “excellent” or to get the point across that a production is particularly noteworthy.

I wrote a pretty peppy little 300-word rave about Henry (which won’t appear in Style until 07/25 – sorry!) but, as I told our friend in the lobby of the Westhampton, what I really wanted to say was, “You know all of those other plays that I said were awesome? Forget all that, this one is REALLY awesome!”

Let’s start with the beginning (a very fine place to start, no?). Jack Parrish as Henry IV is riveting. Physically, emotionally, vocally, he is the most truly regal king I believe I have ever seen in a Shakespearean production. In writing my review, I kept searching for comparisons: “he’s as good as…” but frankly could not come up with anything that sufficed. His stature – tall, strong, commanding – married to that voice – gravelly but still dynamic – is unique and singularly appropriate for this Henry. I could totally see a son wanting to distance himself from such a father’s shadow, yet Jack also delivers the “come back to the fold” speech so earnestly, how could Hal not be inspired to better himself? The best thing I think Richmond Shakespeare could do is bring back Jack for Part 2. Promise me that and I’ll start working on my rave review right now to save time…

I really didn’t think things could get any better than that but then we meet Phil Brown as Hal. But I think I’ll have to ramble on about what amounts to my man-crush on Mr. Brown at a later date. I’m feeling the need for my third nap of the day creeping up on me.

But one last thing for today, I'm glad Ms. Haubenstock also found much to enjoy in Henry. My only disappointment would be the placement of the review in a not-so-prominent spot with a pretty low-impact headline. I guess that’s the way it goes there these days.

Hal

I had a giddy good time at the first preview of “Henry IV” at Agecroft last night. There’s enough swell stuff in this production for two reviews so, after I finish writing up my Style one, I’ll post my leftover thoughts here. But, if you want my quick first impression, here’s the lead sentence I’m mulling over right now:

“From the moment it begins, Richmond Shakespeare’s production of “Henry IV, Part 1” positively crackles with energy, wit, and hearty bravado.”

Does that mean I liked it? Oh my yes!

Screen to Stage

Man, I have been planning to write about Claire Danes being scheduled to appear in Pygmalion ever since it was announced on Monday but haven’t gotten around to it. Then today’s Weekend section in the T-D had an item on it so I’ve got to put in my two cents. There’s a certain type of B-list movie star that makes for an intriguing and exciting stage presence and I’ve been waiting for just the “must-see” opportunity to run up northward. One of the first Broadway shows I ever saw was Noel Coward’s “Design for Living” starring Frank Langella (who was hot at the time because of his sizzling portrayal in “Dracula”), Raul Julia, and Jill Clayburgh. It was an enchanting production, Langella and Julia in particular just lighting up the stage.

More recently, I was pretty disappointed with Natalie Portman in “Diary of Anne Frank.” It wasn’t a bad production but Natalie didn’t do anything particularly noteworthy and, frankly, my sweetheart Holly T. will always be the ultimate Anne in my eyes.

To really get my motor running, the level of star power – and acting prowess – has to be just right to make the trek worthwhile. Julia Roberts or Denzel Washington are too strong both onstage and at the box office. Why pay hundreds or thousands of dollars and battle unseemly crowds just to see Julia flash her pearly whites? Cynthia Nixon is about perfect and I’m not sure why I didn’t break the bank to run up and see her in “Rabbit Hole.” Someone like Anna Paquin, Ryan Gosling, Lili Taylor or Ed Norton would also get me pulling every last string to see them. I would have also said Christian Bale or Kirsten Dunst before they both hit it so big with their superhero franchises; if either of them were to chose to grace the Great White Way, I’d be afraid of being overrun by comics fan-boys and girls.

Claire Danes is definitely in the ballpark. She’s one of those sneaky actresses who are usually better than you think they are going to be (I’d put Paquin in that category as well). She was great in her small role in “The Hours” and I’ll always have a soft spot for her because of her work in “Romeo + Juliet” (now THAT’S filmmaking!) and the tragically overlooked big-screen, non-musical “Les Miserables” (yes, she was Cozette in a cast that included Liam Neeson, Gregory Rush and Uma Thurman!). The problem here is the vehicle. “Pygmalion"? Ho hum. How I wish she had picked something a little more scintillating for her Broadway debut.

So I don’t think I’ll be doing any calisthenics to make it up specifically to see Ms. Danes. In fact, if there’s any “name” star that I’d work up a sweat to go see now it’d be Kate Mulgrew in “Iphigenia 2.0” off-Broadway. Great actress (before, after, and during “Star Trek: Voyager”) and interesting vehicle. And luckily (?), "Voyager" never got popular enough to generate too many fan-boys...

Henley Street

A story about recent start up Henley Street Theatre Company is featured in this week's Style. It's always exciting when a new producer joins the fray. More options for theater lovers, more jobs for deserving actors, more intriguing productions for critics (i.e., me!) to analyze.

I must admit to a similar feeling as Mary Burruss when I first heard about this new company -- more fresh meat for the art-meets-business grinder. I hope Mr. Previtera has a clear head when it comes to the challenges he and his cohorts will face. "Edgy" theater sounds great to me, but I don't have to rely on it to pay my bills. I also feel a little trepidation when I hear someone talk about O'Neill and Miller as daring. "Daring" to me has been some of Yellow House's productions (e.g., set in two rooms in a Fan row house). Or how about some Ionesco or Beckett? When I went to the Humana Festival a few years ago and they had telephone booth theater -- that was cool. I've heard about taxi cab theater too. If that's not quite environmentally friendly anymore, how about rick-shaw theater? Maybe Henley should host a weekend of truly "out-there" experimental theater if they want to be daring.

Of course, some of the most daring -- and exciting -- productions I've ever seen have been one-person shows (Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop; Syringa Tree; I Am My Own Wife, etc.). These also happen to be great for a new theater on a budget. There's no dearth of folks around here who can make a one-person show soar (Scotty & JB for starters...) Just a thought...

Armed and Erroneous

Finally got a chance last night to catch up on the other blogs out there, and found that I’ve been taken to task – very gently and respectfully, mind you – for mistakenly insinuating that the giant arm seen late in the second act of “Into the Woods” was NOT manufactured specifically for the production. I should have known better. I’ve never known Theatre IV to skimp on props, starting back in the day of the first “Quilters” (yes, I’m bringing that up AGAIN) which featured timbers borrowed from an authentic country fence, re-assembled into an striking series of on-stage risers…not to mention that huge and beautiful hand-stitched quilt.

So mea culpa, Mr. Miller et al. Maybe I’ll try some innovative investigative techniques – like posing a simple question to a TIV staffer – before making such accusations in the future…

Finally - a title!

So much to say and so little time...

You probably saw the item in the T-D about Living Word changing it's name. I'm a little disappointed about this since their old name is so evocative. But "living word" does have a Biblical ring to it. Too bad in a way because to me it's a great general designation for theater -- taking words and bringing them to life on stage.

I'm still getting used to this whole new design with the T-D -- and not really sure I like it. The Sunday "Flair -- Life -- Travel -- All the important stuff in life" section in particular seems like a place they just dump all the random bits into, only using fewer of them. But I guess it's indicative of the newspaper biz. Anyway, I was nicely surprised getting back to town on Sunday and seeing the piece on Janet Leong. Many of you may know her as the ex-wife of David Leong, the chair of VCU's Theatre Dept. But she's an amazing masseuse and a cool person besides.

I was also totally surprised to see that there's a musical version of "Xanadu" opening on Broadway. Have I been asleep at the switch or what? I guess I have a better understanding of where John Lahr from the New Yorker was coming from. I really hope this is so totally campy bad that it's good. Otherwise, what's the point?

Also, I found out yesterday that my review of "Odd Couple" probably won't run until July 25th. Though I've done it before, I'm coming to realize it's bad form to post my reviews here before they show up in Style. So here's a few key sentiments from my review:

-- The key line: "An entertaining reminder of both the humanity and the hilarity of “The Odd Couple” is now playing at the Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern. "

-- Scott and David are of course amazing. But Jennifer Franks and Jen Meharg are also fantastic in their one big scene. The dynamics of the scene with the Pigeon sisters are just great, David in particular making the whole scenario a belly-laugher as he tries to juggle Felix's reticence and the girls' randiness.

-- I think Jeff Clevenger is one of the most natural actors on stage I've ever seen. In everything I can remember seeing him in, he just inhabits the role, never too showy, impeccable timing. He's got it all.

With the cast that he has, Joe Pabst could hardly go wrong. And he certainly hasn't. It's a great production. More complete thoughts on it will be available at newstands near you in...about two weeks...Oy.

Blogger weirdness?!?

For some reason, I can't give my posts a title these days. Not sure what that means. For now, in case you haven't seen it, here's a link to my full review of "Into the Woods." More to come -- as soon as blogger lets me...

Darkness Falls

A lot of unsettled weather last week caused several show cancellations. Outdoor event “The Tempest” faired the worst as might be expected but even “Austin’s Bridge” got hit. It’s mentioned in Ms. Haubenstock’s review at the T-D but you can also check out Robin Harris Jones’s blog for a more complete account of the night.

Ms. H’s thoughts on “Bridge” seem very similar to the ramblings of another local critic that I’ve read. Hmmm…a case of brilliant minds thinking alike?

I’ve updated my links to the left – though they are still obviously incomplete and have a couple broken spots. But it finally occurred to me to add “Company of Fools” to the expatriates. Duh! Denise Simone, John Glen and others are still going strong out there in Idaho – John was the first Richmond director I ever met and had the opportunity to work for, certainly lucky for me. And they still regularly borrow local fave Debra Wagonner for their summer shows.

The T-D also weighed in on “The Odd Couple.” It’ll be a couple of days before I can gather my thoughts about that one. Stay tuned!

Petrified by the unknown?

I came home Wednesday night to the latest New Yorker and found a pretty provactive piece on theater. Oh, the reviews aren't particularly controversial (very positive marks for "Eurydice" and "Rabbit"). But critic John Lahr starts out the article with this sweeping statement:

"Producers, who live or die on the accuracy of their reading of the public mood, have registered the current climate of fear and exploited our need for succor. The glut of movies-into-musicals and refurbished revivals is a kind of “Pimp My Mind” of theatre. Audiences are happy to pay top dollar to see what they already know; it’s the unknown that petrifies them."

As both a patron and a critic, I'm a little taken aback by this statement. Maybe I'm not up on the very latest that's playing on Broadway, but I'd say there continues to be a steady stream of challenging shows -- like oh, Tony winning "The Coast of Utopia" and "Spring Awakening" for instance -- getting produced. I don't feel petrified by the unknown -- I relish every foray into new territory that I hear about.

What do you all think?

Into the Woods

“Into the Woods” at the Barksdale has already received all sorts of rave reviews – and I really like how they’ve integrated critical comments and pictures on their web site. Check it out if you haven’t seen it – it’s pretty cool.

But due to the often complicated scheduling of things at Style, my review won’t come out until next week. As you’ll see when you read it, I’ve added my own smatterings of high praise. I love the show and thought it was a fine production. In particular, I loved the nuance and depth I saw in Robyn O’Neill’s performance as the witch. And I could have watched Rita Markova all night; she is just lovely and extremely talented. I guess I have a thing about beautiful brunettes with knock-out voices (are you reading, Mrs. T?) And so you won’t think I am just a leering sexist, I found the princes’ both exceptional. Mr. Resnick and Mr. Rowland doing “Agony” and its reprise were about my favorite parts of the show.

But unlike Ms. Haubenstock and others, I didn’t feel this production deserved an unconditional rave. On opening night, I heard someone miss a note. Not unusual so I didn’t give a second thought. But then someone else missed another note. When it reached 3 or 4 instances, I couldn’t ignore it. I don’t have the best ear in the world but after all of those hours of “American Idol,” I know when something’s “pitchy.” This is also in contrast to “Austin’s Bridge” which I just saw last week – the songs may have been somewhat less complicated in that show but I didn’t hear a bad note all night at that opening. And that was with only piano accompaniment where I believe a vocal clunker would have stuck out more plainly.

There was also at least one song where the tempo seemed odd (OK, it’s Sondheim but even odder than you might expect) and another when the violin seemed to be playing off a different score entirely.

I also was unimpressed with the scenic design, though in fairness this is in comparison to the incredible work the Barksdale has put on before. And I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that giant’s arm before; perhaps in something Theatre IV has done in the past?

These are all minor indiscretions, particularly in the face of how good everything else is, and some of the musical mishaps may have been ironed out by this point in the run. Also, in fairness I should say that I still have tucked in my memory banks the Swift Creek Mill production from 15 years ago, which set the bar pretty high in terms of this show. I try to avoid straight comparisons between productions at all costs but I can’t deny that the fond recollection of that production influences how I have seen every production of “Woods” since.

My complete opinion will be available in Style next week but you don’t have to wait until then to weigh in. Am I off my gourd criticizing “Woods?” Let me have it!

Damn, it's hot

I sympathize for those folks who will be putting on "The Tempest" tommorrow night. That's going to be a hot, sweaty performance. Oh, and by the way, my review of "The Tempest" is in this week's Style. It's pretty much exactly the same as what I posted below but still, there's a picture on the Style site, so that's something.

I had lunch today at The Camel on Broad Street, which is on the same block as the Firehouse Theater and just a few block down from Fielden's. I heartily endorse it for any theater person, and anyone else besides. It's a funky space, right below the WRIR studios, the food is good and they make great smoothies. Yum!

Austin's Bridge

I saw Austin's Bridge last Thursday, my third show in two weeks. Reminiscent of when I used to see a show a week; those were the days...

I'll link to my full review as soon as it's posted but as you will find out when you read it, I wasn't totally enthralled with this show (it's posted -- you can read it here). My biggest problem was that I didn't ever care about the main character, Austin, as much as I did about several of the other characters, particularly Ronald, Ruth, and Diane. I didn't find the transition Austin went through in the first act very believable -- his dramatic transition from shallow opportunist to caring guardian just didn't work for me.

I was disappointed because the cast members all had excellent voices and, starting with Robin Harris Jones's first number, I was thinking the songs would carry the show nicely. (Small point, but the program didn't list the name of any of the songs which was a little annoying...) (Other quick aside: I've loved Robin Harris in just about everything I can remember seeing her in. I hope she lands another high profile lead sometime soon.) But somewhere around the end of the first act, they all started running together in my memory. Especially after seeing "Into the Woods" which has so many distinctive songs, I felt more variety in song structure was needed. But that's a hard one to judge after just one listen -- I wish I had a CD of the score to take home to give it another listen.

Just like with "The Tempest," I heard more opinions about this show than I usually do. A couple people absolutely loved it, but I was told second-hand that one person (a retired "critical" person who most local theater vets know...) thought it a bit of a mess. I tried considering the show for a while as a writer's problem: how would I change the structure so that it worked better for me? I guess I would change the focus more to Ronald and Ruth and make Austin a subsidiary character. But that would be hard given that the show is..um...kind of about him. So then I went back to writing my review...

Anyway, feel free to weigh in with your opinion of the show if you saw it. Or even if you didn't. Maybe you like the poster? All opinions accepted.

More and more!

Man, just as soon as I start mentioning blogs, I find out about more!

In addition to the Barksdale Buzz mentioned below, there is also a Theatre IV specific blog. Not as buzzy at this point, but it may grow!

Also, I got a communique from one of Richmond's great expatriates, Rick St. Peter, who tells me that things are hopping out at the Actors Guild of Lexington (Ky). He blogs at length here -- and also regularly borrows Richmond great Scott Wichmann for his productions. I'm looking forward to seeing Scotty work his magic with Felix Unger this weekend out at Hanover Tavern.

Finally, one of Richmond's most talented actresses (yes, I'm spreading the compliments thickly today!) has recently started up a blog as well, that she mentioned in one of the comments below. But I'm waiting on confirmation from her to list it here on the main page. You can go searching or wait until I get the word...

It's clearly getting to the point where I could just do blogstuff 24/7 -- reading, surfing, commenting, etc.. With all this, who has time to see shows?

Link maintenance

Well, I've finally got some of the "Now Showing" links up, but I know this isn't a comprehensive list. I also haven't weighed in on everything that's playing so some links just go to the show's website.

I've also started the process of reviewing some of the other left-side links I've got. Oy, maintenance is a bitch. But I have found some interesting things as part of the web surfing. One is stumbling upon the Barksdale Blog, which also got a shout out in the T-D this past weekend. I wonder if the person monitoring the comments for them (Judi?) is going to be swamped as a result.

I also noticed that Eric Dobbs has a blog, as does ‘Rick Gray. Neither of these guys seems to update their posts that often, though (now I don't feel so bad...) ‘Rick describes himself as moving from conservative Democrat to moderate Republican to liberal Dem. Perhaps we can rope him into the white-hot political debates that rage over on Andrew Hamm’s blog???