Good News

The box office news from Broadway is certainly good, with “American Idiot” apparently going gangbusters, a situation that can only be helped by Green Day’s impromptu performance after a show last week. Generally good notices on Denzel Washington in “Fences” should continue the positive receipts.

I’m not sure what the overall story is locally but I’m hopeful that the positive review of “The Crucible” inspires folks to head down to Sycamore Rouge. Also, I was pretty amazed by the full house at Barksdale’s “Is He Dead?” last Sunday. This is the kind of broad farce that has appeal for everyone – even my 6 year old – so I hope it grabs a decent audience. My review should be in tomorrow’s Style but I have to rectify some absences in my review. First off, due to space, I wasn’t able to give anything more than a listing of Millet’s partners-in-ruse, played by David Janeski, Derek Phipps and Joe Carlson. These guys are great and, if this play had been written as a modern-day movie, would warrant their own Marx Brothers kind of a spin-off. Carlson exudes an energetic jocularity that I expect typifies the 19th century American and is really the engine of the play’s plot. Janeski is a fine counterpoint as the practical German, and Phipps makes for an entertaining and somewhat dim Irishman.

I also was not able to expound on the only disappointment for me in the show, which is the squandering of substantial female talent in the cast. Joy Williams and Kimberly Jones Clark are both formidable actresses; it’s a little disheartening that they have so little to do in this show. Aly Wepplo is always fun to watch and she is a fitting object of Millet's affection here. But her role here is a bit of a stereotype, in contrast to her character in “Putnam County Spelling Bee” which was a real joy. Kristan Swanson is the only actress given much to work with and she does a great job with it.

I enjoyed Beau Marie’s performance very much, particularly his growing fervor in the second act. As would be expected, David Bridgewater tears into his bad-guy role with gusto and makes much more of it than is on the page. And the always-welcome Matthew Costello does well with his subsidiary, somewhat sad-sack role.

But I left the show remembering Joe Pabst most distinctly. His reactions onstage, whether as the snooty art buyer or the dutiful manservant, are always perfectly measured for maximum comic effect. Well done, Mr. Pabst.

It was interesting to read the little bit in the program about Mark Twain and the development of “Is He Dead?” I know a little bit about Twain’s experience with theater, which was not always particularly great. I read his collaboration with famous frontier writer, Bret Harte, called “Ah Sin,” for a class I took a couple of years ago. This play was setup to be a blockbuster: it involved two literary superstars and it starred Charles Bledsoe, a huge stage star of the day thanks to a particular sub-genre of plays that featured bumbling Chinese characters.

The character of “Ah Sin” was taken from a poem Harte had written, commonly known as “The Heathen Chinee,” that was arguably the most often reprinted poem of the latter 19th century and helped spur waves of anti-Chinese discrimination at the time. (It’s always intriguing to me to consider that, while discrimination against African-Americans is debated over and over again, the wholesale discrimination against Chinese immigrants – which transcended geography and class, was codified in American law and celebrated by an author as beloved as Twain – has mostly faded into obscurity.) The play was notable for my research because, in it, various epithets are hurled at the Chinese character; he is called everything from “a moral cancer” to a “slant-eyed son of the yellow janders [i.e., jaundice].” Good times!

The play was a dud. Not a “close after one night” abject failure, but a mediocre play that faded surprisingly quickly given the hoopla surrounding its development. Anyway, the whole experience did nothing to inspire Twain to focus any more on playwriting and reportedly left him pretty bitter. It may have been one of the reasons he never pushed “Is He Dead?” Like they say, once bitten, twice shy.

Seeing the Future

I'm only moderately embarrassed to say that I used to watch "American Idol" religiously. Only moderately because in the past there were usually several people competing that were pretty darn good. The subsequent success of people like Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, etc., bares that out.

This season I DVR the show and skip through everything except Crystal Bowersox's and Soibhan Magnus's performances (and then skip the ridiculous "judging"). I watch Crystal because she is always exceptional, I watch Soibhan because she is always interesting.

I'm thinking that I should've been watching more closely, however, so I would have a better sense of the Broadway stars of tommorrow based on the number of people from "Idol" showing up there. It was announced a while back that Ace Young and Diana Digarmo were joining the cast of "Hair." Now there's video showing them in action. It kinda makes me wonder (and cringe a little, too) to think of Katie Stevens or Tim Urban or (gulp) Big Mike appearing on Broadway in a year or two.

Hugs

The fabulously talented and nearly constantly working Melissa Johnston Price posted a notice on Facebook that today was “Hug an Actor/Techie/Theatre Geek Day.” If you’re reading this, you undoubtedly know one of these types so get out there and hug someone!

If you are having trouble finding an actor/techie, etc. just out on the street somewhere, you could always go to Martini Night at the Firehouse tonight, where doors open at 7pm before the performance of “Sex Drugs Rock & Roll.” Not only will you find theatre types there, I would expect hugs will be exchanged much more freely after a couple of martinis.

I haven’t expounded on “Sex Drugs…” mostly because my Style review isn’t out yet. I think I packed my most cogent thoughts into it and hopefully it will be in next week’s issue. But, in a nutshell, I can say that this is a bravura performance by Robert Zukerman. He does some amazing things on stage and his ability to transition from characters like the emotionally fragile bottle man to the sleazy, angry, ravenous rock lawyer is breath-taking. I am glad that the Firehouse brought such a rollicking, challenging show to Richmond and supported it by hiring some exceptional talent like Mr. Zukerman and director David Denson.

We have been blessed in this town by some truly remarkable one-person shows over the years and this production takes a prominent place among them. However, I can’t say it’s my favorite of those, maybe because there is a pretty bleak worldview lurking amongst many of these stories. While the show is bracing and fun to watch, it’s a bit like a really strong, dark beer with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Intoxicating but also a little off-putting.

And while I’m expounding just a little, I wanted to mention something that has been kicking around my head over the past couple of days. It’s no secret that acting is a vocation where the superficial, i.e., physical beauty, plays a part more prominent than most any other profession (except perhaps for modeling). There aren’t that many professions where you can lose a job for not being blonde enough or skinny enough or tall enough – and that’s just the way it goes. But in a bit of a paradox, it’s also a unique realm where, thanks in part to stage magic and thanks even more to really compelling talent, people who are not necessarily traditionally beautiful can seem strikingly gorgeous. So it’s an arena where physical beauty can seem the primary concern and yet, at the same time, can seem totally irrelevant.

I’ve met some of the most beautiful people I’ve ever known thanks to theater; I was even lucky enough to marry one of them. The cast of “Tommy” at VCU right now is full of some seriously gorgeous kids. But I’ve also met actors who project such a compelling personality, people who many may not consider stunningly attractive, who I just cannot take my eyes off of when they are on stage (there are about a half-dozen people I could list here but I don’t want to somehow imply that anyone I mention is NOT physically gorgeous in their own way). I’m sure others have written about this paradox more eloquently than me but still, it’s something I’m finding fascinating right now.

And with that, as Seth Rudetsky would say, Peace Out! And have a great weekend!

And another...

Mary Burruss's review of "Butterflies Are Free" is in this week's Style. FYI!

Late Addition

I just noticed that John Porter posted his review of "Tommy" last night. Many thanks, Mr. Porter, for a nicely articulated (as always) rave.

Rock Rolling

As “The Who’s Tommy” rolls into its final weekend at VCU, it’s interesting to read the reviews and raves about “American Idiot” on Broadway. The two shows seem like they may be similar in many ways: kick-ass songs, great staging, soaring performances, but some narrative rough spots. I was ambivalent about “AI” but am feeling more than a little compelled to try and see it now.

On the other hand, by most appearances “Spider-Man: The Musical” continues to flounder, what with Alan Cumming dropping out of the project now (never really saw him as the Green Goblin anyway but, oh well…) I continue to vacillate between hoping against hope that this project actually makes it to the stage and wondering why they still keep trying.

Sycamore Rouge opens “The Crucible” this weekend so check it out. This production has a huge cast filled with some folks new to the Rouge stage but familiar to Richmonders (Jeff Cole, Stephen Ryan, Rick Gray, etc.) Worth special mention is the appearance of the doyenne of Richmond theater, Una Harrison, as Rebecca Nurse.

Finally, I wrote about “Tommy” a while back and mentioned the choreography without mentioning the choreographer. The lovely and talented Bethany Lynn Emery was the one who came up with the steps and she did an exceptional job, IMHO. Sorry for leaving her out before. My bad.

Multimedia

You've probably already seen the reviews of Firehouse's "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" and the Barksdale's "Is He Dead?" that have been in the T-D over the past several days. Good notices, fer sure, and I'll be adding my two cents from Style any day now.

The weekend was my chance to catch-up on all of the media that the pesky network people at my work screen out so I can't read it / see it / hear it. If you haven't yet, you should check out the new weekly "BarksTales" vodcasts from Barksdale / Theatre IV, hosted by the very entertaining "sage of the stage" David Janeski. I laughed out loud on some of the bits from the interview with Matthew Bloch from "Butterflies are Free" and the conference room scene in the inaugural episode was also great. Great deadpan from Phil Whiteway too. For the more education-minded, they slipped a nice piece on "Hugs n Kisses" in there as well.

I continue to be impressed with the theater coverage that the NPR show "All Things Considered" features on a regular basis. Here is a link to their performing arts "hub" where, among other things, you can pull up their interesting story about Menier Chocolate Factory theater in England, which I had never heard of. It has been the initiating company for many recent West End / Broadway transfers, like the just opened "La Cage Aux Folles" starring Kelsey Grammar. They are just opening a production of "Sweet Charity" so I guess we can expect that to move over here in another year or so.

Finally, there was a fascinating story on "This American Life" last week that equated some of the investment misconduct that caused the recent financial crisis to the Mel Brooks' musical, "The Producers." They even went so far as to rewrite the lyrics to one of the songs with Wall Street-oriented language. Enlightening as well as entertaining. And that's not always so easy to pull off.

What I'm looking forward to

I'll post my preliminary thoughts about Firehouse's "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll," which I saw last night, after I finish writing my review. I'm not sure when the Firehouse announced their next season but I'm already looking forward to the fall's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" I've never seen this story on stage, just the movie version. I expect the Firehouse will assemble a killer cast and I can imagine a few great possibilities in the different roles already...

Speaking of casting, this announcement about a revival of "Harry Potter Succeeds in Business Without Really Trying" should have thousands of fans making plans as well as a few Broadway producers already counting their money...

Another Helping

Mr. Porter posted a couple of his reviews yesterday, a rave about "Elizabeth Rex" and a qualified endorsement of "Butterflies are Free."

A couple of days ago someone commented with a question about my thoughts on “Full Plate Collection,” which I saw during its successful run at Theatre IV’s Little Theatre last month. In short, I thought it was an impressive and highly-entertaining debut for this new play. Above all, it was a wonderfully smart show, addressing issues of feminism and empowerment in a playful and creative way. I was a little mixed on some of the songs but “Rack ‘Em Up” was a scream, a fantastic tribute to mammary glands that must have greatly taxed Ms. Ziegler’s thesaurus.

The performances were consistent in their excellence, though I have to say that I loved Laine Satterfield’s “Boopsie” most of all, in part because she had a few fabulously twisted/funny lines. Melissa Johnston-Price and Debbie Walton as the hosts were delightful and little Hanna Clinton is growing into an impressive stage veteran. I also loved Stacie Reardon Hall’s “bad mommy” but I don’t want to explore that one too closely; I’m sure it points to something deeply psychologically wrong with me.

My concerns about the show run along the lines of wondering how invested stage-goers can get in characters that are supposed to be “icons” rather than real people. There’s a certain emotional distance built in with the setup that complicates things. For instance, the blurry line between the Rosemary character being symbolic versus real made me have a mixed reaction to her final scene. Though Kimberly Jones-Clark’s performance was wonderful, I ended up feeling a little more manipulated than moved.

Having said that, I really enjoyed the handling of the Babs character, and the way her portrayal – with a first-rate performance by Courtney McCotter – highlighted the complexity of the whole objectification issue. Sure, Babs is shallow and obsessed with the superficial but that’s the plate everyone wants to buy. Hmmm…

So, all-in-all, a fun and feisty night of entertainment that makes you think without being boring or pedantic. That’s a triumph in my book.

Mean Pinball

While I’ve had trouble pulling up the online version (this should be the link), the latest Style has a story about “Tommy” at Theatre VCU. I appreciate that there’s a story about theater even though it’s the music issue. The band for the show certainly does kick some butt. On opening night when curtain was quite a bit delayed, they did some great covers of era-appropriate songs, particularly some tunes by the Allman Brothers, which happens to be director Barry Bell’s favorite band.

I’m not impartial in any way in regarding this show, in part because of my son’s participation, but also because the enthusiasm of the cast and the huge crew associated with this show has been pretty infectious; I guess that’s one of the benefits of them all being college kids and thereby having scads of energy. There are many actors whose performances I adore in this show, among them Caylyn Temple as Mrs. Walker and Jaci Camden as The Gypsy.

However, this is a show that’s hard for me to love unconditionally. It’s a completely sung-through show that I think could really benefit from some dialogue, in part because the rock-song lyrics don’t always provide a whole lot of character depth. The fact that they could change which character gets killed early on in the show (I won’t spoil the secret in case anyone doesn’t know) between the movie and the play says something about the non-specificity of the lyrics. The final plot twist as encompassed in the song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” could use a little explication as well. In general, the first act doesn’t provide a whole lot of opportunity to really know the characters, a situation that improves in the second act. Also, the most iconic characters are a bit one-note, due largely to them having one big song then little else used to flesh them out – Uncle Ernie, Cousin Kevin, The Gypsy (who is only on stage for one scene).

But given that, many of the songs are just knockouts, with the dynamic pulse of “Pinball Wizard” beating behind much of the show. The numerous projections and effects that Bell employs make up for some – but not all – of the shortcomings of the show as written. And, though one-note, those iconic characters are pretty entertaining, particularly the Gypsy. And this production’s choreography (have to lookup the choreographer…) varies from fun to electrifying.

In general, I think it is an A minus production of a B-ish show. I think my lovely and talented son does a pretty good job of being deaf, dumb and blind but, of course, I’m a little biased there.

Gleeful

I’ve heard many mixed reactions to the TV show “Glee” over the past several months but I would expect many musical theater geeks are going to be going a little ga-ga over tonight’s episode that marks the return of the show after a long hiatus. Both Jonathan Groff and Idina Menzel are going to be featured, with Groff a potential love interest for off-stage/off-screen BFF Lea Michelle’s Rachel. Here’s hoping these stage stars translate to the screen as well as Lea has.

Names in the News

It’s so cool to see a picture of the lovely (Richmond born and bred) Emily Skinner on Playbill’s site, particularly in connection with an announcement that the Chicago production of “Billy Elliot” will be running through October (at least). Congrats to Emily for an extended run of what sounds like a great translation of the Broadway hit.

Also, in “named shows” news, here’s an item sure to make many people feel old. The original “Annie” – Andrea McArdle – will be playing Miss Hannigan in a production of the musical in North Carolina this summer. Seems like the basis for another theater trivia quiz: can you think of other situations like this that have happened for other shows? A prominent Oliver growing up to play Fagan, for instance? One of the Sound of Music kids playing Maria? Hmmm….

Reviews of the two pro shows opening this past weekend are now linked to in the “Now Showing” section over there to the left. Sounds like Ms. Lewis from the T-D had a entertaining weekend of theater! I was at opening night for “The Who’s Tommy” at Theatre VCU, of course, and had a great time. I won’t offer a complete review – because I can’t really be impartial – but I’ll makes some comments later this week (maybe tomorrow). Come back if you’re interested.

The Name Game

Recently, during intermission of CYT’s wonderful production of “Cinderella,” my family and I were talking about title roles. Kaylin Mercer was stunning and delightful in the title role of that show, assisted in no small part by an extremely charming prince, Davis Harrison (I always find it particularly heartening when a dynamic young male performer gets a chance to shine.) Beyond Kaylin’s great performance, the conversation was spurred by our realization that Cooper has been fortunate to have the opportunity to play the title character in three shows – “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (alternately known as “Willy Wonka, Jr.” so there is potentially a dispute there), “Oliver,” and the just opening “The Who’s Tommy.”

This got us wondering just how many shows we could think of where there even IS a title role. We decided that some shows – “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Phantom of the Opera,” for instance – didn’t really count because, for instance, in “B ‘n B” the character’s name is Belle, not Beauty. So how many shows are there with a character’s name in the title? We came up with “Billy Elliot,” “Annie,” “Peter Pan,” “Really Rosie,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge,” “Jack and the Beanstock,” “Shrek,” and “Mary Poppins.” As you can see, the bulk of these tend toward the child-oriented. I’m sure there are dozens of grown-up shows that I’m not thinking of but, overall, I was surprised that we couldn’t come up with more.

One new addition to this particular canon would be the current Broadway production, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” which sounds like a winner to me. If I was going to NYC anytime soon (sigh…), it’s the show I would want to see, with “The Glass Menagerie” being a possibility, too. I would NOT care to see “The Addams Family.” I love Bebe but really? Honestly, I had the same reaction to “Shrek.” I just didn’t see the value-add of putting that story on stage.

Of course, folks might argue that putting “The Who’s Tommy” on stage wasn’t a value-add either. Check it out at Theatre VCU and let me know what you think.

Bluefish, etc.

Hey, did anyone go to the Virginia Production Alliance's Master Class on Tuesday? It's a great idea and I wish I had heard about it before it was too late. Cheers to Irene Zeigler, Jennifer Massey, and other Richmond folks for agreeing to share their stories.

An anonymous commenter asks about RTP's "Last Summer at Bluefish Cove." Sorry that Style didn't cover that one but Ms. H at the Times-Dispatch gave it a rave and there's a fantastic review by John Porter at his website . I also have to apologize because I was using old information for reference and didn't realize the show ran through this weekend. I've added it to the "Now Showing" listing.

Speaking of coverage, there's a nice piece on Richmond Shakespeare's Elizabeth Rex in the current T-D and a review of CAT's Radium Girls in this week's Style. And if there was any doubt that there are theater lovers in Richmond, the news that "Wicked" broke box office records should dispel that notion. Maybe?

NOTE: "The Who's Tommy" opens on Friday, not tonight, if anyone was confused by my last post. FYI!

Spring Fever

Another flurry of shows is getting ready to open in the next two weeks, starting this weekend with Richmond Shakespeare’s “Elizabeth Rex” and Barksdale’s “Butterflies are Free.” Next weekend, Sycamore Rouge, Firehouse and Barksdale/Willow Lawn will be opening shows. Sneaking in there will be “The Who’s Tommy” at Theatre VCU – opening tomorrow night. It’s not a professional show but I’m recommending it to anyone and everyone because there is a boy near and dear to my heart playing the young Tommy. Eric Stallings – a standout in last year’s “Altar Boyz” at Swift Creek Mill – will be the grownup Tommy and the show is going to be a technical whiz-bang, based on what I’ve seen in rehearsal.

For those who might wander back here after my long absence, I can’t promise that the blogging will continue. Beyond my usual general crazy busy-ness, I’ve had a little bit of a crisis of faith as far as Richmond theater goes. Some of the reasons for that may or may not show up here in the future. In the meantime, like so many other things, it’s one day at a time.

Full Plate indeed

I have to apologize to those who come to this space expecting to see more up-to-date information and even the occasional cogent thought regarding theater. Beyond my own personal dramas and joys, there have been the bigger picture stories that have distracted me. I’ve been delighted by the support garnered by the “Pennies in Protest” group in response to a planned Richmond visit by a national hate group. Some good friends of mine are behind this effort and I am so proud to know them. It’s efforts like these that stem the tide of “the world’s going to hell” sentiment that wells up inside me sometimes.

The Chilean disaster has been difficult to read about, particularly on the heals of Haiti. But it is heartening to hear about a Latin American country that does have a highly functioning government and a solid infrastructure. My thoughts go out to those who have suffered losses there and I hope the country is able to recover relatively quickly. One somewhat surprising side-effect of the quake there is that it shortened the length of our days! This is not welcome news for anyone already feeling over-scheduled, as I am.

The women behind “Full Plate Collection” got some good coverage this past weekend as part of the Minds Wide Open festival and HATTheatre got some love from John Porter, with his review of “Awaken the Spirit.” I’m trying now to schedule a chance to see Firehouse’s “Crumble,” a review of which was in the T-D recently.

I’m wondering whether my “Gleek”-ness has reached a level that I’d consider a trip to New York to catch the “Glee” tour. I think it’s funny that a musical has been written for Lea Michelle without even including her in the planning.

We’re lucky here in Richmond to have a talented belter who give Ms. Michele a run for her money. Check out Mackenzie Mercer on YouTube doing “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” if you don’t believe me. She’s in “Cinderella” at CYT these days – not something to miss!

Hope you enjoy your (shorter) day!

First "Crumble" Review...

...in today's Times-Dispatch. Great cast in this one, sounds like quirky good fun.

From Virginia Senate press release

"The Democratic-led Senate of Virginia today passed a two year budget that will help protect jobs and critical services in the Commonwealth. The Senate budget minimizes cuts in public education, higher education, public safety and health care services while investing in economic development initiatives that will create jobs and promote economic growth in the Commonwealth..."

"...The Senate preserved funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts, a group that had been targeted for elimination by the House of Delegates."

So far, so good...

Tribute and Action

I've been late to the game in posting about this but there's a fabulous tribute that has been organized for this Friday in honor of Robert Watkins and deVeaux Riddick. Details are in this nice long Times-Dispatch story from this past weekend.

Also, Ms. Lewis reviewed "Othello." I didn't understand the "played Saturday night" references; is this show double-cast? Hmmm... Mary Burruss's review of RTP's "Facing East" is in this week's Style. Thinking I may ask my Mormon sister-in-law to check that show out with me...

I have struggled with a desire to say something about the Chris Dovi affair at Style but have decided I should just keep my fool mouth shut. It's a journalism issue, not a theater one so not one you probably want to read about. Should you want to, though, there's a recap in DC's City Paper.

Much more important to you who may be reading this: the Virginians for the Arts Rally is Thursday. Be there!

Real money

Check out the Bruce Miller's latest post at the Barksdale blog about the VCA situation. The line that hits me the hardest: "The elimination of state funding to the Virginia Commission for the Arts will cost Theatre IV and Barksdale Theatre an additional loss of $190,000 per year." You think arts in Virginia are in dire straits now? Our legislators are doing their best to make it worse.

More on the budget and VCA

I just got a note from Jacquie O'Connor from Henley Street and will reprint verbatim. If you don't think state funding for the arts has any real effect, you're wrong and if this budget goes through, we'll all feel the pain.

From Jacquie:
"I just spoke to Trish Poupore who heads the Virginians for the Arts. She told me that it is important to state in your calls or faxes that right now Virginia is at one of the lowest levels of support of any of the surrounding states. We understand the need for cutbacks, but the VCA was already cut by 30% over the last two years - certainly a fair share of the burden of the deficit. If this agency is eliminated we will be the first state in the US to have no state agency for the arts (not something that a city that just built CenterStage should be proud of!)

I encourage all of you to write and fax in your letter or call within the next two days (she also said that there is no time for a mailed letter and e-mails will be ignored.) The debate will take place on the floor this Weds, so anything sent after the end of this week will have no impact. She also asked that we send letters to the editor of the RTD within the next 2 days.

To find your representatives and more information: http://www.vaforarts.org/."

Overloaded

I’ve got too much to talk about to squeeze it all into one post so some things will have to wait until tomorrow. First off, new reviews: Ms. Lewis’s review of Sycamore Rouge’s “Jar the Floor” in the Times-Dispatch and John Porter’s review of Barksdale’s “First Baptist of Ivy Gap.”

Second, the latest budget from your state legislature includes provisions for drastically cutting state support of the arts, eliminating the VA Commission for the Arts by the end of FY12. If you are care about the arts in Virginia, you might want to contact your legislator and get after him/her with some of these talking points about state funding.

In news that is related only in my mind, I recently ran into Trish Poupore who used to be my neighbor at our last house on northside. I didn’t realize that she was the Executive Director of Virginians for the Arts – a great advocacy group that I now have even greater respect for knowing that she’s running the joint.

Finally, I was recently turned on to Ken Davenport’s blog. Mr. Davenport is a producer in New York, currently at work at a revival of “Godspell” (YAY!), and an interesting writer. If you want some insight into the inner-workings of New York professional theater, check it out.

Single and Searching

This weekend, I’m essentially functioning as a single parent, which leads to several unique opportunities as well as challenges. Opportunity-wise, there are fewer schedules that I have to coordinate. I was thinking I might take advantage of that and sneak off to a show. I will most likely have a 6 year old in tow, however, and the challenge is that all of the shows opening these days are so grown-up. I’d love to see “Grapes of Wrath,” and I will before it closes, but John Porter's review and its reminder of the 3 hour running time (even before considering some of the subject matter) makes it decidedly not a kid’s show.

Surprisingly, “Othello” is a possibility just because with Shakespeare sometimes the language just flows over a younger child and they just take in the pageantry of a show. RTP’s “Facing East” and the Mill’s “Pete n Keely” are surprisingly similar in this one way: I fear that most of the best stuff (whether searing and emotional, or goofy and comical) would go right over a 6 year old’s head. If I was single and childless for the weekend, I would consider “First Baptist of Ivy Gap” out at Hanover Tavern because I’m partial to shows featuring beautiful and talented actresses. However, while I’m sure there are important lessons imparted by this show, I don’t think my son is ready to receive them.

So I’m thinking my best option might be Sycamore Rouge’s “Jar the Floor,” which certainly sounds grown-up but also accessible for a younger person (if the reviews I’ve read that categorize it loosely as a bit like an African-American “Golden Girls” are any indication). But even as I mull over the options, I am reminded how lucky I am to live in a city where I have so many choices.

Them Already Damned People

I haven’t seen “The Grapes of Wrath” yet but I’m working my way through the book. I know the Henry Fonda movie version is different from the book and I expect the play adaptation is as well. But about 2/3 through the book, the Joads have arrived at a government camp and young Rose of Sharon is accosted by a local holier-than-thou evangelical woman. There’s a great little throw-away piece of dialogue that I found amusing. The woman explains that the people of the camp have a dance every Saturday night. The woman finds this sinful:

“You let me warn you now. Every Sat’dy night when that there strang band starts up and should be a-playin’ hymnody, they’re a reelin’ – yes, sir, a-reelin’. I seen ‘em. Won’t go near, myself, nor I don’ let my kin go near.” She paused for emphasis and then said, in a hoarse whisper, ”They do more. They give a stage play.” She backed away and cocked her head to see how Rose of Sharon would take such a revelation.

“Actors?” the girl said in awe.

“No, sir!” the woman exploded. “Not actors, not them already damned people. Our own kinda folks. Our own people. An’ they was little children didn’ know no better in it, an’ they was pertendin’ to be stuff they wasn’t. The devil was jus’ a-struttin’ through this here camp”

My!

Facing Mondo

Mr. Porter had posted his assessment of RTP's "Facing East." I drove by the new Altamont venue after lunch at Joy Garden earlier this week. It looks great and I'm looking forward to seeing a show there. Still no posting at the RTD of the review of "Ivy Gap." So it goes.

“Brilliance” = Hypocrisy

I’m an unabashed liberal when it comes to social issues. I could go into a long diatribe about my personal whys and wherefores but it’d probably bore you. I’m just saying it up front because, if it’s a problem for you, I would suggest you stop reading.

I’m currently all het up because of a recent political maneuver in the Virginia General Assembly. As detailed in this summary, the House recently acted to divert funding from a proposed pro-choice license plate away from Planned Parenthood. Look, I don’t really care if there is a pro-choice license plate. But some people care enough about at least the appearance of fairness in government and these people acted to create an alternative to the already-out-there “Choose Life” license plate. I’m cynical enough to feel convinced there is actually very little fairness in government but I’m willing to play along.

While I frankly don’t care enough to lobby for something trivial like a license plate, I do get steamed when politicians, in what “pro-life advocates are hailing as a brilliant legislative move,” target this effort in a specific and prejudicial way. This is not brilliance, it’s simple hypocrisy. It’s Virginia politicians saying that they want to change the rules that apply to everyone else because they don’t like this one group and its perceived agenda. I’m sure there was plenty of high-fiving among douche bag legislators when they came up with this plan. Personally, I’d like to see them banished to a specific level in hell.

The Virginia Senate passed the original bill where the funds generated by the license plate will go where they were originally targetted. If you care at all about this, you’ll encourage your legislator to support the Senate version when this bill is reconciled.

Perhaps most ridiculous to me is that this is what our politicians are wasting our tax dollars on. I’d love to see such legislative “brilliance” put to use in lowering our taxes while maintaining our infrastructure, or into innovative ways to improve social services, or into moving Virginia up from its rank as 31st in the country in state support for the arts. That would be the sign of a forward-looking, solution-oriented legislature of the kind that would truly be serving the interests of Virginians. This license-plate manuever is classic hypocritical, spiteful, and tricky politics at its worst. The only “brilliant” thing about it is that those who engineered it will probably end up being praised for ingenuity instead of vilified for their lack of principles.

Au Revoir, Aaron

I got a quick note from Aaron Gilchrist of NBC12 mentioning that he was taking a job in Washington. Richmond’s loss is definitely Washington’s gain. Aaron was more than just a host for the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle awards this year, he was a classy and committed partner in making the event come off well. The famous Forrest Gump phrase about a box of chocolates definitely applies to any “celebrity” you sign up to headline an event. I expect there are some who just show up, stand where they are told, and stick to the script. Aaron truly embraced the RTCC awards, attending last year even when he wasn’t hosting, and bringing many original and inspired touches to the proceedings this year. Perhaps more important than anything else, he was an exceptionally good sport, smart, enthusiastic, not pompous in the least, a joy to work with and approaching everything with a good sense of humor. It also didn’t hurt that was exceedingly easy on the eyes!

I don’t often get an opportunity to tune into the Noon news but, every time I was able to, I was impressed by Aaron’s on-air skills. Next week will be Aaron’s last at NBC12. Please tune in to check out his last days and join me in wishing him well in his future endeavors!

PS: I just realized that I pulled Henley's "A Servant of Two Masters" from the "Now Showing" listing even though it still has a show this Friday. Sorry about that! Also in scheduling news, Richmond Shakespeare usually does staged readings every second Tuesday. However, because of the weather weirdness (I expect), their take on "The Merchant of Venice" starring the lovely and amazing Foleys, will take the stage next Wednesday (Feb. 24). FYI!

Up in the Air

The recent weather events seemed to throw many plans / projects into a whirlwind of reschedulings, cancellations and catch-ups. That’s certainly been the case here at my blog. If we don’t get dumped on again today, perhaps some semblance of normalcy can return.

Several shows have managed to open and a few reviews have hit the papers. Susan Haubenstock raved about RTP’s “Facing East;” the new facility plus an opportunity to see the lovely and talented Melissa Johnston Price has put this show on my “must see” list. (BTW: my lovely wife says that Vera Farmiga, who is so incredible in the movie "Up in the Air," reminds her of Ms. Price; what do you think?) I’ll also have to get out to the Barksdale / VCU co-pro of “Grapes of Wrath” which Ms. Haubenstock was not as enamored of. But I’m reading the book for school so seeing the story in 3D is imperative. It also may act as a little bit of a Cliffs Note situation for me: I’m having a heck of a time slogging through the text.

The Times-Dispatch had a little bit of a weird placeholder for a review of “First Baptist of Ivy Gap.” I’m not sure if a review actually appeared in the paper – maybe it got lost in the snow?

I made it to the last performance of “Song of Mulan,” where there was an absolute crush of humanity at the box office before the show started. Many kudos to the Theatre IV box office staff for handling the mess of reschedulings and changes and various special circumstances, all while their credit card system seemed to have crashed. Much patience and professionalism was demonstrated.

I’ll have some thoughts on “Mulan” and “Grapes” in the days ahead. In the meantime, I’ve also added a few more “Otherwise Occupied” links. Feel free to send me more if you like. I can’t promise an overwhelming response but every little bit helps, right?

Pete ‘n’ Keely ‘n’ Susie

Somewhere amidst the past snowy few days, Susan Haubenstock’s review of “Pete ‘n’ Keely” appeared in the Times-Dispatch. I’m glad other critics are managing to get to these shows. Personally, since Henley’s “Servant” it’s been a no-go for me. Hopefully that will change in the coming weeks. (Also, if you want to see some fun pictures from "P-n-K," you might check out Robyn O'Neill's website that has several entries referring to the show.)

To follow up on the below, the checks are in the mail, abetted by a little Super Bowl-related windfall. Also, if you look to the left there, I’ve started to build a list of theater peeps I know who offer not-strictly-theater related services and who have a website that I can link to. I’ll continue to add to the list as I find / hear of others. Also note that I’ve linked to the RVAT website’s “Services” page where people who don’t have a full-fledged website (and even those that do) can list themselves. Finally, I’ve included a link to the “Richmond Theatre Loop” Ning network. I was a little confused by a previous experience with Ning but I know many people use it with much success.

Two Half-formed Ideas

I’ve heard / read statements from three different local theater companies about the serious impact the snow is having on their finances. Here’s a wacky idea that I’m going to follow through on come Monday morning: I’m going to send a check that would cover one admission to companies whose shows I might have gone to these two past weekends but didn’t because of the snow. And I would encourage anyone who reads this to do the same. Pick your favorite company, or even a few, and send them a check for one admission (or, if you can, two or 10 admissions). It won’t completely make up for lost attendance from these past weekends but every little bit will help.

Also, it occurred to me recently that many of the talented theater folks in town have prodigious and varied talents off the stage and many offer services that other theater people might want to make use of. Jimmy Hicks is an accomplished massage therapist. Jen Meharg and Vicki McLeod are personal trainers. Michael Hawke is a real estate agent. My wife tells me Lauren Leinhaas-Cook does catering. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Wouldn’t you prefer to support one of your fellow thespians as you go about your business?

But where can you go if, for instance, you are looking for a personal trainer and you’d like to see if a fellow theater person offers those services? Is there some secret underground listing? Nowhere I know of. That’s kind of a shame. I might suggest that people could talk to Lisa Kotula about listing themselves in the Richmond Marquee. Or, if people are interested, I was thinking of adding a new section on the left side there to post links to folks’ professional listings if they have them. I have to think up a snazzy / silly name for it but, once I do, I’ll be moving the link to Robyn O’Neill’s Photography web page into it forthwith, at least, and any other links I can come up with. Any other ideas for increasing commerce between those of the theatrically-inclined?

Golda's Balcony

Historical theater is something very near and dear to my heart. I was spurred to read Mark Twain as a kid thanks to a TV broadcast of Hal Holbrook's seminal, long-running show dramatizing the life and wit of Mr. Clemens. One of my favorite local productions was Swift Creek Mill's production of "Diary of Anne Frank" starring my lovely wife and Paul Deiss. I spent a semester studying 19th century theater, finding out how vital it was to the building of American culture and how instrumental it was in spurring the Civil War (via stage adaptations of Uncle Tom's Cabin). Scott Wichmann's astounding work in "I Am My Own Wife" remains one of most riveting performances I've ever seen.

Starting tonight, the JCC will be running a production of 'Golda's Balcony' starring one of Richmond's finest actresses, Jackie Jones in the story of Israel's Golda Meir. The weather might get in the way this weekend but you should try to find a chance to see it. Beyond what will undoubtedly be a bravura performance by Ms. Jones, it's a great opportunity to take in some fascinating history in an easy-to-digest and entertaining format. History lives via this kind of theater and theater lives by making this kind of history vital and relevant.

Pete 'n' Keely

Sometimes I'll go for months without hearing the mellifluous voice of John Porter on the radio. It seems I've heard every single one of his reviews so far this year, including his not-so-favorable take on the Mill's "Pete 'n' Keely" that was broadcast last night. I don't know what that portends for the year ahead, but I'm not complainin'.

Mulan

Oh, and I almost forgot, "The Song of Mulan" squeezed in their opening night before the blizzard and Susan Haubenstock had a review in Sunday's paper. FYI!

Gush

While helping to prepare a moderately epic meal on Sunday – the snow enabling the whole Tline clan to gather and eat at the same time for the first time in what seemed like eons – I had an unfortunate cheese grater accident that ripped a fairly sizable chunk out of the tip of my right index finger. The resultant bandages are making typing quickly a bit of a challenge – resulting in numerous ‘n’s turning into ‘m’s – so I apologize for any typos that may follow.

Luckily, I had already spent many hours out in the glorious snow by that point, my favorite time being wandering through the still significant blizzard early Saturday afternoon. I hope you enjoyed the weather as well.

Before the deluge of white began, two-thirds of the clan had managed to make it out to “A Servant of Two Masters” on Friday. Maybe it was because it had been more than a month since I’d seen a show or maybe it was because the house was packed with an overflow crowd of theater lovers who managed to be enthusiastic without being obnoxious but, whatever the reason, I left the show with an irrational urge to heap praise on the production and all involved. As I tend to refrain from such gushing torrents of positivity (I think they revoke your critics card if you do that too often), I’m going to narrow my praise to three specific people.

Of course, I have to mention Richard Koch who showed extreme dexterity and a depth of silliness in his portrayal of the titular servant. Mr. Koch has done an amazing job playing one of the Marx Brothers before but, to me, this role was kind of like all three of them rolled into one. Koch was adroit at projecting the sarcastic wit, the scatological and slapstick humor, some rapid-fire wordplay and even the kernel of dignity and pride that the role required. Just as with last season’s “Richard III,” this was a production that shined the spotlight distinctly on one of Richmond’s finest talents and Richard was more than up to the challenge.

I was delightfully surprised by the performance of Christina Billew, who brought an extravagant physicality to her role as Clarice, the young betrothed maiden whose life becomes a torrent of conflicting emotions. Her kewpie-doll good looks – enhanced by fabulous make-up – served her character well but it was her commitment to the extremes of the situations that enlivened all of her scenes. I don’t know how long Christina has been in and around Richmond – for quite a time I think – but I saw her in a completely new light on Friday. I hope to see her on stage again soon.

Finally, director James Ricks does a fantastic job of shaping the frantic and frivolous into a sharp and coherent whole. The action moved at a brisk pace that enhanced the fun and there were several moments – even in the midst of Richard’s most manic machinations – where a steady hand could be sensed guiding the proceedings. I think Mr. Ricks has always done fine work but this show – added to the good stuff I heard about “Shining City” – made me add him to the short list of directors whose next production I will look for with heightened anticipation.

Of course, there were many other highlights in this production – the hilarious and sumptuous Lyddall Bugg, the bravado of Matt Hackman, the flamboyant costumes by Rebecca Cairns, etc. etc. – but I want to keep the fever of my enthusiasm at a low boil. If you haven’t seen this production, you owe it to yourself to go and be thoroughly entertained.

Weather

As Richmond hunkers down for something that might actually resemble the good old fashioned snow storms I used to experience back in ole Clevesburg, OH, various performances are getting canceled or postponed all over town. I'm sneaking into "Servant of Two Masters" tonight and the opening of "The Song of Mulan" is supposed to go on as planned. But the Saturday and Sunday performances of "Mulan" as well as "Servant" and "Crimes of the Heart" -- are all off. What's a theater lover to do on Saturday? Some suggestions:

-- Pull out that old copy of "Chicago" on DVD, both to clear the bland taste that "Nine" might have left behind and also to make up for not being able to get to NYC to see "A Little Night Music" with Catherine Zeta-Jones.

-- Practice a new audition song. You know that Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" is officially a valid audition song ever since "Movin' Out.?" I love that song and it's got everything: uptempo bits, slower parts and all highly dramatic. Just sayin.

-- Listen to all of Seth Rudetsky's decontructions, available at his website.

-- Gleek out on the first episodes of "Glee" also on DVD.

-- Alphabetize your musical soundtracks. Look online for different version of musicals you already own (the Canadian company of "Joseph" anyone?)

-- If you've read everything you'd ever want to read about Shakespeare, read the (still fairly recent) book about his wife, oddly enough called "Shakespeare's Wife."

Any other suggestions?

Crimes and Commedia

Mr. Porter has weighed in on CAT’s “Crimes of the Heart” and this week’s Style has a post-opening preview type piece on Henley Street’s “Servant of Two Masters." I don’t remember the Paul Reubens flicks – though I’m sure I knew them at some point – and can name two Watchmen (Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan) without resorting to Google which is kind of amazing since I can barely remember all of my children’s names. And hey, have you been watching Jackie Earle Haley in “Human Target?” He’s pretty good. I’m still not sold on the show but I like Jackie. I’ll try to have something relevant to say about theater some day soon. Of course, I’ve been trying for years now and haven’t quite made it… Still, even a crazy squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

My To-Do List

► Go see Henley Street’s “A Servant of Two Masters.” Reviews by Susan Haubenstock in the T-D and John Porter on WCVE have both been positive.

► Get an email address for Rich Griset, a new freelancer for Style who wrote up a online only review of Cadence’s “Fool for Love.”

► Break down and make an appointment to have the car fixed before it breaks down.

► Consider the pros-and-cons of Corbin Bleu joining the cast of “In the Heights,” including the potential degradation in production quality (con) and the potential increase in my ability to persuade members of my family to go see a show they know nothing about (pro).

► Work on convincing explanation to wife of the necessity for seeing “A View from the Bridge” starring the gorgeous Scarlett Johansson. Borrow from EW review that lauds Liev Shreiber’s performace.

► Consider possibility of greater success in convincing wife of necessity of seeing CAT's "Crimes of the Heart" with its cast of several beautiful, talented women, not just one.

► Reminisce about the carefree days spent watching “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” in the distant past.

► Be thankful for the exceptional experience that was the CenterStage LightsUp celebration this past weekend.

Lucky

I was lucky enough to hear John Porter's review of "Fool for Love" on the radio last night. The complete text is on his blog site. I didn't realize RTP's "Facing East," originally scheduled to open this weekend, had been pushed back to February. Still plenty to see this weekend with Henley Street's "Servant of Two Masters" offering an IDR tonight and CAT's "Crimes of the Heart" opening this weekend, already having sold out their Sunday show. As Seth Rudesky would say, "Brava!"

I was also lucky to squeak into one of Barksdale's "Putnam County Spelling Bee"'s final shows last weekend. The show was a hoot but my experience was somewhat marred by a "scream laugher" sitting in the row in front of me, two seats over. Her screeching laugh in response to every hint of a joke -- starting with Debra Wagoner simply walking on stage -- occasionally drowned out the dialogue and funny lines at times and in general got on my nerves. When I have some time, I may write out some of my impressions of the actual show. It might not mean anything in the scheme of things, but it'll be a good exercise for me, should I need to actually review a show sometime in the near future.

Cadence review

If you haven't seen it, Susan Haubenstock's review of Cadence's "Fool for Love" is in today's T-D. Check it out!

Missing bits

The downside of not picking up Style until Thursday = I missed Mary's story on Cadence that was the Arts lede this week. D'oh!

Also, apparently I am WAY behind on my reality show aptitude because I didn't know that local model, Rozlyn Papa, was involved in quite a steamy little controversy on this season's "Bachelor." I expect I should care, but honestly, I don't.

Also, since I've not seen a link to it elsewhere, let me provide a link to Virginia Living's story on Theatre IV and its touring program, written by one of my favorite local scribes and a nice person besides, Caroline Kettlewell.

Fools, non-foolish variety

As a mini-followup to my last post, I like how Henley Street is promoting “A Servant for Two Masters.” They started early, alerting folks to the show back in December, and they have focused on Richard Koch in the starring role. I don’t know this as a fact, but I assume this approach worked well for their last season starter, “Richard III,” and I hope they find similar success with this production. I expect I’m going to love Mr. Koch in the role, particularly since memories of him making out with my wife on stage every weekend have nearly faded.

For those who may not have heard, there’s a new company in town, Cadence Theatre Company, and they’ll be offering their first production, “Fool for Love,” at the Firehouse starting tomorrow night. Beyond her participation in the founding of the Firehouse, Cadence artistic director Anna Senechal Johnson also worked with the Company of Fools folks out in Idaho for many years. If I’m remembering correctly, the last person to return to Richmond after an extended stint in Idaho was Rusty Wilson and he’s certainly done well for himself. Ms. Johnson has landed a top-notch group of actors for “FfL” so I think expectations are pretty high for this production.

Speaking of landing actors, the producers of one of my minor obsessions (“Glee”) recently announced that they’ll be casting folks for the show as it starts up in April via an open casting call / reality show. I can imagine many talented local teens having a decent shot at this or who could at least give it a try. I don’t think we’ve had a Richmond resident on a prominent reality show since Elliot Yamin and look how well that turned out.

Not Just Semantics

In a very courteous and well-written response to my last post, Anonymous says that people who think Richmond theater is semi-professional may be right, that it may be a matter of opinion. While I understand his/her line of thinking, I think he/she is patently wrong. When I go to dictionary.com, the first definition I see (pulled from the Random House dictionary) for ‘professional’ is “following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain.” Some of the other definitions cited mention variations on “performed by persons receiving pay.” There is also several definitions that cite the contrast between someone who is paid for something versus someone who does something as a pastime.

In theater, like many other professions, if you can find someone to pay you for it, you are a professional. It’s a fact, not an opinion. I stand with Mr. Hamm per his response and I base it on my personal experience as well. There were a couple of years when I worked as a computer consultant, a freelance writer and a school administrator all at the same time. The amount I was paid was directly DISproportionate to the amount of time I spent on each vocation. That is, if somebody asked me what I did for a living, based on how much time I spent I would say school admin but based on what was paying the bills, I would say computer geek (the factual answer to that would have been “my wife’s salary” but that’s another road we needn’t go down right now…)

Having said that, I completely agree with Anon that any debate over whether a work of Richmond theater is “professional” or not isn’t the principle obstacle in the way of improving or bolstering the local stage scene. The show that prompted the original comments starred Joe Inscoe, an actor with decades of TV and film work to his credit. It was directed by Chase Kniffen who has worked professionally in theater here and in New York since he was a teenager. If these aren’t accomplished theater professionals, who is? That still didn’t stop some people from disliking the show. Over the holidays, I saw the latest “Drifty” show at the Mill, starring (among others) Tom Width, Joy Williams, and Audra Honaker, three performers who I believe are among the few folks in Richmond who work full-time in theater, who are therefore in even the most narrow definition, theater "professionals." The show was wonderfully entertaining but is it what people who call Richmond theater generally “semi-pro” have in mind when they think of “professional theater?”

In my opinion, while the “professional” aspect of the Richmond theater situation is important, it is also somewhat of a distraction, rather than something that lies at the root of the issue. I contend that the best of Richmond theater can pretty much stand up to the best of theater anywhere. Two of last season’s standouts in my mind were “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and the Mill’s “Altar Boyz.” Both involved professionals offstage and on of the caliber you’d find anywhere (including New York), both imported talent from bigger markets, and both were technically superior. I’d defy anyone to show me a production staged anywhere else of these shows that was appreciably better. Something like “Fully Committed” with Scott Wichmann could hardly be done better anywhere else because so much of the play has to do with the lead actor and Scott was phenomenal. This season’s “Boys Life” at the Firehouse was head-and-shoulders above the production I saw in New York years ago, again largely because of the quality of the actors involved.

So maybe an argument could be made that beyond some of these leading productions, there is a fair amount of mediocre theater here. This is true everywhere and if you think otherwise you haven’t seen enough Off Off Broadway shows or some of the fringier shows in other major markets. I’m not exactly an expert on this but I have seen dreadful Shakespeare in Denver, very average second-tier shows in DC and a couple of highly touted Off Broadway shows that were not impressive. And you can bet many or most of the people involved in those shows were not full-time “professional” theater artists based on the narrow definition the people Anon is talking about might be basing their opinions on.

People who tout quality in other markets are most often traveling to those markets to see the marquis productions; after all, do most people travel to New York or DC to see Off Broadway dreck? And as for the “real shows” that come to Richmond, didn’t I hear that “Avenue Q” had a non-Equity cast? So what does that say about the “professionalism” of that production?

Anyway, I would suggest that the key issue here remains education / promotion. As I’ve been told by several folks in the biz, the population at large is more highly influenced by TV these days than any other media and there is very little TV advertising for local theater. The Internet has a growing influence but theater still has trouble reaching the Internet demo. Beyond the functional aspect of education / promotion, I think an increased focus on aspects of local theater that cry out “professional” would be an important part of the message. Taglines that include phrases like “starring award-winning actress, Audra Honaker” or “from the producers of last season’s smash ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’” work in movie promotion, maybe they could work in theater promotion.

I certainly don’t have definitive solutions to the woes of local theater companies. But I think that as long as some people are convinced that local theater is “semi-pro,” there will be problems.

One final point to this ramble (and one I may have to take up later): I enjoy people who say that what critics need to do is judge more harshly – as if harsh judgments will somehow magically make theater better (versus a more likely outcome: convincing many potential patrons to stay away). I would counter that what critics need to do – in the dwindling amount of space that they are given to do so – is to judge constructively. I would also humbly suggest that what more theater professionals might consider is responding constructively to criticism. As someone who experiences both sides of that equation, I know that neither side is particularly easy. Still, I do think it’s a general direction worth pursuing and one that may hold the key to the long-term well-being of those in Richmond involved in either critical or theatrical pursuits.

Education and Conversation

Bruce Miller has been blogging up a storm over at the Barksdale Buzz the past week or so. Personally, I’m still in recovery from the holidays. It may take me a week (or 6 or 12) to get back into a blogging groove.

Speaking of grooves, Barksdale’s “Spelling Bee” certainly seems to be in a good one. I called about tickets for the show this weekend and was told they are sold out. Congrats to the crew from Putnam County; seems like this one is turning out to be another winner for the Barksdale.

At some point this past week, I checked back to see what additional comments Ms. Burruss’s review of “A Christmas Carol” had generated. I was surprised and delighted to see that Mary had offered a response to some of the comments. I think there are many down sides to the democraticization of media that the Internet has wrought, for instance, the way so many articles now are met with a flurry of rants and incoherence in the comments section of any online publication. But among the plus sides are the opportunities for useful dialogue – rare but still possible – and also the insight into broader sentiments among a population that comments can provide.

In these particular responses, I was fairly appalled by the comments of “Markus” who called all theater in Richmond semi-professional at best. I think it’s fine that people disagree with a review; by all means, talk back and argue with a critic. But his comments show a basic misunderstanding of Richmond theater in general – one that I fear is more common than people might expect. I have retold several times the story of people who used to ask me when the next “real show” (that is, traveling production) was coming to town. The concept that Richmond professional theater is not professional is a persistent one.

(As a quick aside, I’d be curious what Markus does for a living. An actor paid in Richmond is a professional actor just like a stockbroker or lawyer getting paid in Richmond is a professional. Is a stockbroker or lawyer “semi-professional” because he’s working in a smaller market?)

To be fair, the average consumer has a right to be confused. Traveling shows get bigger hype – regular and splashy TV and newspaper ads. On the other side of the spectrum, you have productions offered by well-healed amateur programs – CYT or VCU – that have production values (and budgets) that easily outstrip those of the majority of Richmond’s pro theaters. The confusion apparent in the Style comments is a testament to the need for some education and awareness-raising among the locals.

The problem, of course, is who is going to do that? Local theaters don’t typically have enough money for widespread public education, let alone to promote their actual productions. I used to try to squeeze the occasional education tidbit in my reviews but it was hard not to make them sound pedantic and I also used to have twice as many words for my reviews. I still think a podcast or regular radio show about Richmond theater would be an awesome thing but who is going to do it (me? Find me 8 more hours every week and we can talk), who is going produce it and would anyone listen to it?

I think the revamped Arts Council could do some great things along this line but I have serious questions about how on the ball they are. I saw in a recent Facebook message from Jerry Williams that the Arts Council is having some meeting about the Regional Cultural Action Plan next Tuesday but their website has no details and I haven’t heard anything else beside that one status post. Anyone else have any details?

Anyway, while some of the comments filled me with dismay, some of the responses to Markus were heartening. I have seen some appalling stuff in Washington and New York and I have had many phenomenal theater experiences in Richmond. Unlike many movies, theater experiences don’t have to involve millions of dollars to be electrifying. And the size of the town doesn’t dictate the quality of the theater. A town with the population of 3 could have the best theater in the country – if the residents were Scott Wichman, Jennie Meharg and a great director (pick your favorite). Anyone who thinks otherwise has a lot to learn.

Of course, maybe we just need to get Brad and Angelina to come see a show down here and the media frenzy alone would fuel a season of sold-out shows, whether they were any good or not.

Happy New Blog

Sometimes the New Year brings new awareness. It has for me on a few levels, but one obvious one is becoming aware of many other blogs out there that are authored by folks involved in the Richmond theater world. I just stumbled across one set up by Stefani Zabner, a nominee for an RTCC award for her work in the Mill’s “Of Mice and Men” last season. Best of luck in your health-related revamping, Ms. Zabner.

Also, it’s a good time to mention the prodigious blog output by Ms. Caroline Sumner, a theater student at VCU who has worked on several productions in the area and was recently engaged to Adam Mincks, one of the winners of the RTCC Best Ensemble award last season. She has blogged about Shakespeare and her personal desires in the past, but has recently set up a chronicle specifically related to her engagement. While you’re checking those out, you might also weigh in with an opinion in response to her recent assertions about standing ovations.

I also have been keeping an eye on the First Fridays blog, as well. It seems to cover more of the visual arts scene but theater has been involved in First Fridays as well so something of interest may pop up there too. I know there are other blogs out there, some more active than others (going to get back in the saddle, Mr. Cole?) If anyone brings them to my attention, I’d be happy to link to them on this site. I can’t promise any big spike in traffic but every little bit helps, right?

Catching Up / Wrapping Up

What lies ahead of you and what lies behind you is nothing compared to what lies within you. -Mohandas K. Gandhi

This has been perhaps the most exhausting December I’ve ever had with certainly many wonderful bonding moments with friends and family but with many more hours scrambling to finish things or get places. The day or two that life came to a near dead stop thanks to the snow storm were the only brief respite I found. My number 1 resolution going into this new year is to stop rushing around so much and calm the frak down. My yoga class starts next week. The irony may lie in how much energy I expend rushing to get to yoga class in time…

Anyway, it’s nice to see Mr. Miller back in the blogging saddle over at the Barksdale Buzz. I echo Bruce’s hopes that next year be the best ever for local theater. Along those lines, at some point Barksdale announced their Hanover season for 2010. Quite an interesting line-up that I’ll have to ruminate over a bit before I offer any commentary.

December was full of announcements of additional movie/TV stars coming to Broadway. I was a little surprised about the Valerie Harper announcement – maybe just because in my mind she’s still “Rhoda” and I don’t imagine her as an aging screen star. But then again, in my mind I’m still in my mid-20s. The Megan Mullally/Patton Oswalt announcement was noteworthy to me more for the announcement of a revival of “Lips Together, Teeth Apart.”

The site Popeater weighs in on the whole celebrity-on-Broadway phenomenon in an article that is an interesting read (and that includes an embedded link to a roundup of reviews of significant star turns of recent years). Of course, it may be more fun to respond to the Entertainment Weekly question as to who would make the best “Santaland Diaries” Crumpet, a rare engagement on that site with theater as a noteworthy medium.

I’ve started to hear the PSAs about the “Acts of Faith” festival on WRIR which is great. It’s hard to believe that whole calvalcade of shows will be kicking off in just a few weeks. Mark your calendar for the opening event – it’s free!

There are still a number of great shows leftover from the holiday season that are worth catching. There are just two more chances to see "Black Nativity," now at the Empire. I'll of course be seeing "Greetings" this weekend but will also carve out a couple of nights in the coming weeks for "Spelling Bee" and "Bus Stop." I was wavering a little on "Bus Stop" but a hot-as-a-volcano shot of Alia Bisharat on Facebook has convinced me that it's a must see (yes, I'm just that shallow).

There are all sorts of "Best of 2009" stories out there right now. I've done stories like that about Richmond theater in the past but am pretty much done with offering opinions for the year. Mostly, I hope you and your loved ones have a happy and safe New Year and I thank you for your participation, whatever it has been or continues to be, in helping to keep theater the lively and thriving art form that it is. Take care.

Kids

I don’t really like kids. This may seem paradoxical for someone who has four of them, but it’s the truth. I can remember distinctly co-hosting a birthday party for a bunch of 6 or 7 year olds with my lovely wife some 20 years ago and feeling totally overwhelmed and freaked out. I still have flashbacks about that when any of my kids has a bunch of pals around and the chaos factor starts rising.

One side effect of my son’s involvement in local theater has been meeting a bunch of kids – his fellow ensemble members – who may be just delightful enough to cure me of my child anxiety. The recent production of “A Christmas Carol” had a great gaggle of talented kids who were always fun to be around, generally well-behaved and imaginative, and all well-able to hold an intelligent, respectful conversation with an adult.

I don’t know if it’s a chicken/egg kind of thing: kids with certain qualities are attracted to theater or working in theater builds certain characteristics in children. Whichever way it is, it made hanging around with them when the production was running and at the final cast party entertaining and fun. From the quiet and calm intelligence of Lillie Izo to the happy-go-lucky attitude of Xavier Dobbins, the assertive and sunny personality of Hanna Clinton to the mischieviousness that lies behind the stoic exterior of Charie Dacus, it was a fine group of new pals for Cooper.

Of course, Eric Pastore and Susie Redling are practically old Theatre IV veterans at this point so their engaging professionalism was expected. However, I hadn’t met Jessie Jennison before this show and she is perhaps the single most enchanting teenager I’ve ever met (close race with Ali Thidodeau who, since turning 18, has graduated from the ranks of wonder-teens to those of simply fabulous young women).

I am not closely acquainted with the cast of “Black Nativity” but if the incredible dancers that make up that cast are even half as mature and interesting as they appear on stage, then they are additional examples of the cool theater kids phenomena exemplified by the “ACC” crew. Yet another reason to support local theater: building character in another generation of performers. Or at least helping to make them more tolerable to be around.

More Links

Links are easy and about all I can manage this time of year. The announcement came last week that Idina Menzel would indeed be appearing in "Glee" in the Spring. All of you "Wicked" fans should be stoked. In other Broadway actors on TV news, reps from my current total obsession, "True Blood," recently announced some casting that includes a few actors that will be familiar to Broadway fans. Perhaps we're heading back to the days where the road to Hollywood started on 42nd Street?

Happy Linking

Lest I be accused of focusing my linkage just on Style, here are two links to reviews of Sycamore Rouge's "Santaland, etc..." that did NOT appear in Style, one in the Progress-Index and the other in GayRVA. The wonderful Ms. Saine gets some nice props in both write-ups.

Also, I recently heard from the intrepid Chris Harcum, former Richmond theater vet now making a name for himself in NYC. Speaking of his name, it was mentioned by the editor of the New York Theatre Experience in a list of memorable performances in the company of Jane Fonda, James Spader and David Alan Grier, etc. Very nice! Congrats, Chris; can't wait to get up there to see you in something someday soon.

Missed One

Mary Burruss's review of "Santaland Diaries and Season's Greetings" at Sycamore Rouge must not have posted yet when I checked yesterday. But it's on the site today; check it out.

Nine…days from Christmas

This week’s Style has a review of Theatre IV’s “A Christmas Carol” from Mary Burruss – a review that appears to have attracted negative commentary within minutes of appearing online. One side comment: critics are often lambasted because of a lack of specifics in their criticism, something I’m sure I’ve been guilty of. However, when someone criticizes a critic and utilizes such adjectives as “hateful” and “misinformed” (and when that someone does not have the space limitations that a reviewer has), I need some specifics to take that criticism seriously. I can understand disagreeing with Mary’s review but what exactly is she “misinformed” about? My much less ire-inducing review of “Black Nativity” also appears this week.

Speaking of critcizing critics, I’m intrigued with the reactions so far to the new onscreen musical “Nine.” If you peruse Rotten Tomatoes, you’ll see a very sharply divided response, some critics using words like “simply sensational” or “sophisticated, sexy and stylish.” More common are words like “disaster” or “cluttered and stagebound” and this nice bon mot: “Nine thrashes about in search of "cinema" the way a child thrown into the deep end of a pool flails for a flotation device.”

As a big fan of Marshall’s screen adaptation of “Chicago,” I’ve been looking forward to “Nine” and the previews featuring very lavishly shot footage of some gorgeous women has only reinforced my anticipation (I’ve never been a particular fan of Kate Hudson but she seems to have a show-stopper in “Nine,” though it looks like Penelope Cruz may cause the most jaws to drop.) The sharply mixed critical response has me wondering what exactly is going on. In my quick read through some of the reviews, I didn’t get a sense of what specifically might be wrong with the movie. The review that gave me the most distinct insight was the “Movie Dearest” blog. The review also provided additional insight by noting that the leading ladies are “GLBT faves,” a statement I scoffed at when I first read it but then when I thought about it a bit, I could see where he was coming from.

Anyway, I’ll be hoping to sneak away some night to check out “Nine” once it opens here. But in the meantime, there are still too many shows to catch! It’s not fair that, in the midst of all the holiday shows, JCC’s “Fiddler on the Roof” closes this weekend also. Oy!

Grab Bag

In browsing podcasts, I’ve checked in periodically with the Playbill Radio offerings. They’re pretty good and pretty good is better than the sometimes gawd-awful American Theatre Wing interviews. Anyway, PBR recently started offering Seth Rudetsky’s column in podcast format, to which I say “Brava!” He’s an often high-larious read and is an even more entertaining listen.

One side benefit for Richmonders of listening/reading Seth is that former-Richmonder Emily Skinner pops up not infrequently. Seth’s Dec. 7 column mentions Emily as an understudy for Linda Eder in “Jeckyl and Hyde” and semi-famously singing for Ms. Eder from off-stage when she had laryngitis. If you read Mr. Rudetsky’s bio, Emily’s name also shows up.

Speaking of Broadway, the news came out over the weekend that Jennifer Morrison from “House” would be joining the stacked-with-big-names revival of “The Miracle Worker.” To be honest, it just makes me less interested in seeing it. It may be an irrational prejudice, but I’ve only seen one movie star-centric revival before – “The Diary of Anne Frank” with Natalie Portman – which really wasn’t bad but was still underwhelming enough to sour me on similar productions for a long time.

In good news for “Gleeks,” the TV show announced it would be fanning the fires of fandom during its hiatus with new content in the coming months. That’s nice but it won’t be the same as the whole show. Oh well – “Lost” is back in February so it’s not like there won’t be anything to keep me warm and happy during the freezing days of February.

Chappy Chanukah!

What better way to celebrate Hanukkah than to see Theatre IV’s “A Christmas Carol”? Of course, given the myriad ways to spell Hanukah, perhaps Barksdale’s “Spelling Bee” would be more appropriate?

Anyway, I just needed an excuse to mention “A Christmas Carol” because I haven’t really talked about it in depth. There are many things I really love about this production:

♥ Joe Inscoe. How can you not love Joe? His Scrooge is kind of unique in my opinion. Maybe because Joe has such a genuine goodness to him, I think his Scrooge comes across less an evil ogre and more a seriously wounded individual, which then lends more poignancy to the scenes of Christmas past. It may be a subtle thing, and maybe just something I read into the performance, but still, it makes for a particularly effective variation on the old theme in my opinion.

♥ The matching of the Ebeneezers – from Eric Pastore to Chris Stewart to Joe – is an awesome bit of casting by Chase Kniffen. Particularly when Chris and Joe are onstage together, you can totally imagine Chris as a younger Joe. Both are charismatic and engaging in similar ways.

♥ In contrast to my esteemed critical cohort, Ms. Haubenstock, I love Ali Thibodeau’s big solo as Belle, perhaps because I’d probably love almost any opportunity for a big solo for Ali. I also heard influences from “Beauty in the Beast” in some of the music but it wasn’t in “Look Into Your Heart,” but more a touch of “Be Our Guest” in the beginning of the Fezziwig party song.

♥ The “Peace, Peace, Peace” dovetail with “Silent Night” is pretty brilliant work by Jason Marks and one of my favorite pieces of music I’ve heard in the theater in a while. And not just because my son starts the whole thing out (though that undoubtedly has some influence). Mostly, I just think it’s an ingenius melding of old and new that enhances both. Nicely done, Mr. Marks!

♥ David Janeski as both Marley and Bob Cratchit. My love of Marley’s ghost may have as much to do with the technical elements – great makeup and costume, cool entrace and exit – as David, but for Cratchit, it’s all about the acting. I’ve appreciated Mr. Janeski’s work in several productions but I don’t know that I’ve ever managed to point him out specifically. Here, he encompasses the heart and soul of the production – the loyal and steadfast worker, the warm and affectionate father, the lover of the season even in the face of adversity – and does a fantastic job of it. The extent to which an audience falls in love with the Cratchit family largely has to do with Bob (and maybe a bit of the the little hobbling boy as well) and my sense is that audiences are loving these Cratchits.

♥ Chris Stewart’s ghost of Xmas-Yet-To-Come. Scary? Hell to the yeah! Nice work by Chris and great idea of Chase’s to put such a frightening face on the typically faceless future.

There is a lot to talk about with this production and plenty of elements that I like, some that I think are just OK, and even a couple I do not particularly like at all. But the fact that I can list off a half-dozen that I love without even straining is an indication of a winner in my book. If you haven’t seen it, make a point of checking it out. Only two more weekends!

Scrooge You

I missed the review of “A Christmas Carol for Two Actors” in the T-D on Wednesday; sorry about that. I love the idea I heard floated while down at Theatre IV last weekend of a “Scrooge-off” between the many Ebeneezer’s currently treading the boards in town. Joe Inscoe, Matt Hackman, Grant Mudge, and, of course, Lauren Leinhaas-Cook could make a grand chorus of “bah-humbugs.” (I’m not sure who is going to be Scrooge in the “Mrs. Bob Cratchit” reading; I should probably find that out.) Perhaps this could be held at CenterStage on one of the next two Mondays after the RichShakes show? Just a thought.

Celebration

I am both celebrating and mourning the year’s final episode of “Glee” that aired last night. This show would earn points solely by offering kick-ass performances of some of the best-loved show tunes ever every week. “I’m telling you” last night was a killer, certainly in the J-Hud vacinity if not quite surpassing it, and bringing “Defying Gravity” to a greater audience is one of the show’s finest public services. But in addition to these bonuses for the musical theater crowd, the show delivers some great biting satire, dark humor and a surprising number of genuine tear-jerking moments. Sure there are misfires (I was tired of the fake pregnancy subplot about 2 months ago), but no other show has riveted my attention so completely since “Lost” premiered more than 5 years ago.

And for other “Gleeks” out there, you’ll be excited to hear that it’s looking like Idina Menzel may be doing a guest stint next year. Together with Jonathan Groff, there will be some serious Broadway shine to the series come April. (For even more serious Gleeks, you may enjoy Entertainment Weekly’s Top Ten moments gallery.)

Speaking of celebrations, I’m overdue in offering my rave – albeit a qualified rave – on African American Repertory’s production of “Black Nativity.” Hopefully my full review will come out next week, but in the meantime I cannot heap enough praise on the young troupe of dancers that enlivens this show. Mostly made up of middle schoolers, these 6 dancers were the absolute highlight of the production for me. Not only was their energy and enthusiasm addictive, it was tempered and enhanced by fine form and creative choreography (by Willie Hinton). The 4 girls were delightful but I was paying special attention to the athletic and charming boys (Johnnie Mercer, Jr. and Brandon Penn) for several reasons: they spend the first act half-naked, always an attention-getter; the two of them are such an interesting contrast and compliment to one another; and I have two sons who are both getting more and more interested in dance. Whenever the dancers were on stage, I was entranced by this production.

However, there was plenty of times – particularly in the second act – when the dancers were not on the stage. Luckily, the musicality of this production was first rate, with a great band and some phenomenal singers. Still, the second act was mostly a revival meeting/choir performance with no narrative and very little choreography/theatricality used to enhance the proceedings. As the production soldiered on toward – and eventually surpassed – the two hour mark, I was increasingly bored. I also thought it a bit of a shame that Dustin Faltz and Katrina Carol Lewis, two fine actors with sterling voices who play a fabulous Joseph and Mary in the first act, were relegated to the chorus. I did enjoy Margaret Joyner’s costumes in both acts, the colorful native ware in the first, the fine and fancy Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes in the second.

I have to admit that I was a little concerned early on when the distinct religiosity of the production was announced so clearly (the powerful and appealing preacher Alfred Powell states something to the effect: “you didn’t expect a sermon today did you?” Well, no, I didn’t.) Not that it matters much, but I was raised Catholic; currently celebrate in a dual faith home, supporting our local synogogue with our membership; and consider my beliefs largely in line with what I know of Thomas Jefferson’s. I only mention that because perhaps if I was an evangelical Christian, I would have been more swept up in the testifying of the second act. Mostly, as a theater lover, I was disappointed that theater took a back-seat to faith in the second act. When they were riding more side-by-side during much of the first act, I was deeply satisfied and entertained by the trip.

Overall, I’d say the production was a successful and welcome leap forward for AART. I hope they can continue to bring this level of energy, professionalism, and talent to the stage in their upcoming productions. Namaste.

Sneaky

The T-D snuck a rare Tuesday review in today, Susan Haubenstock's take on Sycamore Rouge's "Santaland Diaries and Seasons Greetings." Check it out!