Lots of Territory to Cover

Have you heard about this show currently playing in NYC called “The Grand Manner?” If not, here’s some interesting background on the show and its playwright. I mention it because the whole play is organized around a production of “Antony and Cleopatra,” which Richmond Shakespeare opens this weekend. Take advantage of the tiny break in the heat wave to go check it out.

I’ve been wondering whether I should just leave my review of “Rent” go without further commentary. It seems like I get into trouble when I try to be more forthcoming about my opinions about some shows if everything I say is not 100% positive. I guess that’s the nature of the business. But I should say that I probably thought longer and harder about this review than I have about any other one in a long time. Part of that had to do with timing. I usually write my reviews within 24 hours of having seen a show. But because of having to drive to Kentucky and back over the weekend, I didn’t sit down to write until Sunday, nearly three days after opening night. Luckily (or not, I guess, depending on your point of view), I had plenty of hours looking at the open road to try and figure out what didn’t sit right with me about the show.

There is no question that the performances were fantastic. I’ve already gushed a little about Durron Tyre’s powerhouse version of “I’ll Cover You” and Jaci Camden and Joy Newsome on “Take Me or Leave Me.” I also need to give credit to a couple of fresh faces in the cast that I hadn’t seen before – Terence Sullivan as Roger and Nadia Harika as Mimi. Though costumed a little oddly, Sullivan brings an appropriate amount of angst to his portrayal. Narika is adorable and, in the end, heartbreaking in her inability to break free either from drugs or Benny. My only complaint would be that she is maybe too adorable – I had a little bit of a hard time believing in her as an exotic dancer. But both Sullivan’s and Narika’s voices are grand and they have a distinct and compelling on-stage chemistry (see post below on Chemistry for background).

In fact, that esoteric quality of chemistry is found in abundance here. All of the couples have it and it’s ultimately what makes the show work. One of the most delightful aspects of the production is the somewhat antagonistic / somewhat empathetic chemistry between Nick Aliff’s Mark and Joy Newsome’s JoAnn. Their “Tango Maureen” was a first-act highlight for me.

Other random positivities: I loved Jaci Camden’s rendition of the performance art protest, with a mixture of defiance and absurdity and outrage and that little moment of self-reassurance when the reverb works, etc. Joy Newsome excels in her conflicted role, providing many great laughs – but also revealing a honest-to-goodness soul struggling with her love for Maureen. It took me a minute to warm up to Antonio Tillman as Angel but, when I did, I fell hard for him/her. The Tom Collins/Angel relationship really is the anchor of this show, at least in this production.

So as I was trying to figure out the aspects of the show that didn’t work for me, I reflected on some of the comments my companion for the night made. She had never seen the show before and, as I talked to her, I realized she was very confused about what was happening during much of the show. And when I thought of things in that light, I realized some of the challenges in staging “Rent” that I probably hadn’t thought about before. It’s essentially a one-set show that has to evoke many locations. There are so many ways to make this kind of thing work and not many of them were employed here. The lighting can help a lot with this -- I still remember fondly the Science Museum show about Charles Darwin where Lynn Hartman’s lights transformed a staid study full of books into a wild South American jungle. Instead, here the lights were generally too-dark with occasional flashes of brightness that I think were supposed to enhance the drama but ended up just adding confusion (IMHO).

It’s also a pretty big show that can feel pretty cramped on such a little stage. There are a lot of transitions in the show from one location to another and large influxes and outfluxes of cast members. I know this kind of thing is a challenge to stage but I didn’t notice a whole lot of order or logic in it. The sound engineering ended up being frustrating – for much of the show it was amazing: crystal clear voices with volume pumped high enough to stand clear of the band, some of the best sound I’ve heard in Richmond. But then there were interludes of feedback – always like nails on a chalkboard – and a couple key songs that got fuzzy in parts so that I missed lyrics.

A couple of random questions having nothing to do with the actual performance: no bios in the program? Maybe this was an environmental concern but I missed them. No song list in the program? Can’t think of an excuse for that one. And why does the Firehouse have “JoAnn” but on Broadway and everywhere else the character is “Joanne”?

In the end, what I ultimately came back to was the power of the source material – particularly the music – and the excellent voices employed to bring it to life. As I hope the review communicated, though it had its rough spots, this was a production worth experiencing. I have recommended it to friends who haven’t seen the show before and, when my wife goes to check it out, I may tag along again just to hear the songs and to allow Durron and Antonio to rip my heart out again.

Finally, for something completely different, you should consider checking out “Pulp” at Richmond Triangle Players, opening this weekend. This show was a lot of fun even when it was struggling along in the makeshift space at the Gay Community Center the last time RTP staged it. I expect it’ll be a lot spiffier in their new space.

Irene and Review

My review of "Rent" is in today's Style. I'll be augmenting it soon, hopefully tomorrow. Also, don't miss this piece on the lovely and talented Irene Ziegler, the talented actress whose career as a writer just keeps gaining more and more acclaim.

New Additions / New Voices

I finally have added blogs from Mr. Cole and Theatre in Battery Park to the navigation thingie there to the left. I've also put in Cadence Theatre Company's website link. Sorry for the delay. By the way, have you seen the casts for TBP and Cadence's upcoming shows? Very nice! It's great to see some of my favorite VCU folks (Kimberly Exum who was such a great Roxie in their "Chicago" and the lovely Lauren Hafner from "Tommy") in action. And "The Fantasticks" has some very fine folks as well.

There are a couple of closings this weekend but no pro opening that I know of. It's a chance to sneak out and enjoy SPARC's "Festival of New Works" performances (Friday and Saturday), if you are so inclined. It's a chance to see what the future of theater might include. Also, you're sure to see something you've never seen before.

Chemistry

There have been questions thrown about since the first review came out about the romantic chemistry between the leads in “The Sound of Music.” In the conversations I’ve had on the subject since then, it’s clear to me that “chemistry” is one of those non-descript descriptors that perhaps gets invoked a little too readily. Still, it’s one that I’m sure I’ve used before and I’m sure to use it again. In fact, I plan to use it most distinctly in this post.

Chemistry may be an elusive trait but, like so many things, you know it when you see it. It’s both the ability an actor has to make you thoroughly believe the feelings they are supposed to be having for another actor but also that magic spark that happens between two actors. It can probably be broken down technically – where is the actor looking? What gestures, big and small, is he/she using to indicate affection? How does their voice, their body language, their expressions reinforce the power of their emotions? Is he/she acting like someone in the throes of love would act? And is his/her partner responding in kind? But beyond any technical analysis, there is also usually a secret ingredient, something that can’t be easily distilled from the interaction. For that reason, lack of chemistry may not necessarily be an actor’s or a director’s “fault.” It’s part of the mysterious energy that happens on stage that makes a production work. “Chemistry” is one word used to encapsulate all of this, which makes it both useful and dangerous.

I think back to productions where I thought there was some great chemistry going on. Sycamore Rouge’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” was full of it, with Bill Brock, Terry Gau and Angie Shipley all working the intense emotions of that play for all they were worth. And speaking of Ms. Shipley, I thought she shared some fine romantic chemistry with Brett Ambler in “Urinetown” at the Mill a couple of years back. And speaking of the Mill, chemistry isn’t always romantic: John Moon, Jodi Strickler Smith and Paul Deiss shared a fantastic familial chemistry in “Greetings.” Ronnie Brown and Jimmy Glidden nearly crackled with antagonistic chemistry in “Take Me Out.”

And now I turn to “Twelfth Night,” Richmond Shakespeare’s current production that wraps up this weekend. I really enjoyed this show. In particular, the comic bits with the hilarious trio of Foster Solomon, Stacie Reardon Hall, and David Janosik (and assisted at times by Jonathan Conyers and their foil, Thomas Cunningham) are delightful. These actors are totally going for it – something that must be particularly difficult in the oppressive heat. Whenever any of these folks were on stage, I was happy.

However, the matter of chemistry comes in when I think about the principal love quadrangle between Viola and Orsino, Sebastian and Olivia. Susie Haubenstock called Laurel Maughan charming and I couldn’t agree more. I am also a big Katrinah Lewis fan and I love that she is given so much to dig into with Olivia. Her big beautiful expressive eyes are almost all she needs to convey the many moods of the tempestuous beauty. Both Andrew Ballard as Orsino and Zachary Page as Sebastian do fine work.

But even with all of these actors making the most of their roles, there were misfires among the romantic sparks. Page and Lewis did well together; I think Page’s surprise and delight at his character’s unexpected good fortune provided much of the energy that made that coupling pop. But I had a hard time really believing that Maughan was stricken with affection for Ballard, or that he similarly fell for her by the play’s end. Maughan and Lewis also didn’t click as intensely as I wanted them to. Particularly given that Olivia is supposed to be so disdainful, I did not feel the heat between them that would melt Olivia’s cold demeanor.

As I said, chemistry is elusive and also subjective. Many people may have picked up all sorts of electricity in the performances that they saw. And, if I were writing a review for print with a limited amount of words, I may not even mention this aspect of the show. There is so much that is right with this production, including excellent costumes and consistently exceptional supporting players, that I might not find room for it.

One last note on “Twelfth Night:” Billy Christopher Maupin plays a beguiling fool in a performance that I still find myself mulling over. My first impression was that he brought a little too much darkness and not enough sense of play to this role. I tend to like my fools a bit, well, foolish. But there was a certain genius to making his character somewhat muted, and at times, surprisingly contentious. I’m still not sure I loved the approach but it definitely intrigued me. (I should note that, having to skip out before the very last scene of the show, I apparently missed a final jig that I’ve been told is BC’s finest moment. So my characterization of his performance is therefore incomplete.)

If you want to see what I’m talking about, grab your tickets for “Twelfth Night” soon. Only 3 performances left. And any thoughts you have on chemistry -- good, bad or indifferent -- please share.

Sitting in Judgment

I'm off to be a different kind of theater critic: jury duty! In the meantime, here's Mr. Porter's positive take on "Rent."

Quaffle or Perfection

Though my review is written and out there in the effluvium somewhere awaiting publication, I continue to mull over “Rent.” It took a while for the enthusiastic rave by the T-D’s Ms. Haubenstock to show up online but I finally found it last night. In the meantime, I had been mulling over suggesting to the editors of Style that they hire Ms. Honaker as my replacement, due to her entertaining take on the show.

I must congratulate the casts of “A Servant of Two Masters” and “Twelfth Night” who suffered through some powerfully oppressive heat to put their shows on this past weekend. The old deodorant commercial said, “Never let them see you sweat,” but no amount of Dry Idea could stop the torrents of perspiration I’m sure sprang from these devoted actors. I hope everyone stayed good and hydrated.

Just as “Servant” came and went in a flash last week, so did the revue “A Slice of Minelli” at Richmond Triangle Players. Here’s Ms. Lewis’s review in the T-D for those who want to read about what they missed. And just when you thought it’d be going on forever, “The Sound of Music” comes down this weekend. If you’ve been putting off checking it out, time is running out.

Flash Review

OK, so the week went by and I didn’t have a spare brain cell to devote to CYT’s “Peter Pan” or Richmond Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” Believe it or not, I actually think a little before I write about shows and I wouldn’t want to put anything out there without putting at least a little thought into it. I’ve got 16 hours of driving ahead of me this weekend so perhaps I’ll have some time to think then.

Right now, however, thoughts of “Rent” are crowding everything else out of my brainspace. I was at opening night last night and am still processing what I saw/heard/experienced. I loved this show when I saw it on Broadway so one thing I’m having to do is cleanse myself of the expectations I might have had and, to paraphrase Maureen and Joanne, take this production as it is.

There are some amazing moments in this show. As Tom Collins, Durron Tyre has a searing second act show stopper that is almost worth the price of admission all by itself. The ensemble’s “La Vie Boheme” is a delightful romp and I think I could hear the duet between Jaci Camden and Joy Newsome on “Take Me As I Am” over and over again without getting tired of it.

But great moments aside (are there are many more I haven’t mentioned but plan to highlight in my review for Style), I am also trying to integrate some niggling questions I have about staging, lighting, and sound engineering that veered from crystal clear to fuzzy and full of feedback. I’ll try to bring all of that into something cohesive in the next couple of days but in the meantime, I’ll provide this one sentence flash review: Stoked by the prodigious vocal firepower of a jubilant young cast and sustained by Jonathan Larson’s rollicking rock-and-roll score, Firehouse Theatre Project’s production of the acclaimed musical “Rent” has so much power and intensity that it threatens to explode the confines of the intimate Firehouse stage.

My lovely mom-in-law arrived in town this week bearing a program from “Fences,” the result of a recent New York trip. In the program was a story written by Seth Rudetsky about quick changes and their potential for causing onstage disaster. He highlights a particular incident involving Richmond-born Emily Skinner. I couldn’t find that exact story online but here’s a link to the same story encapsulated in one of Seth’s columns from two years ago:

Speaking of Broadway, here’s an interesting story about the Great White Way in the wake of the recent Tony Awards. Weird how an award can have an impact…or not.

Two for Tues…er, Wednesday

Two reviews in this week's Style, one for "Twelfth Night," and another for "The Sound of Music." 'Nuff said.

Servant / Rent / As You Like It / Etc.

My first big theater-related disappointment of the summer comes this weekend. I’ll be heading out of town for a wedding – that’s not the disappointing part. But because of that commitment, I’ll miss the restaging of “A Servant of Two Masters” at Dogwood Dell this weekend. This delightful little romp produced by Henley Street featured a couple of my favorite performances of the past season: Richard Koch as the lead character Truffaldino and Christina Bellew in a couple different roles. If you missed it the first time, don’t make the same mistake twice!

Seeing the teaser from Firehouse’s “Rent” on Virginia This Morning yesterday really got my blood pumping in anticipation of this show. The looong, awkward pause before they start singing notwithstanding, both these women are powerhouses and I can’t wait to see them tear up the stage, along with the rest of their castmates. (Side note: when I was in the studio for the “Sound of Music” appearance on VTM, they ran the music off of a miked boom box. Not exactly high tech and I expect a glitch with that kind of setup was the cause of the awkward pause.) I’m also tickled that a song about lesbian love got performed so boldly on morning TV. Welcome to the 21st century, Richmond!

I’m glad some folks took the opportunity to shamelessly promote their upcoming work in the comments of a recent post. As I said there: it’s my blog but your forum, if you choose to use it. I know a tiny fraction of what goes on in this town and I started this blog to generate conversation, not to provide a platform from which to expound. My hope has been that it would leak out into the larger community and be another venue for promotion of Richmond theater in general. I don’t know how successful it’s been but that’s still my focus.

Anyway, along those lines, the talented Mr. Carlson has started a blog to talk about his upcoming Theatre in Battery Park production of “As You Like It,” another entry in the local Shakespeare sweepstakes. I know he’s got some good folks lined up to perform so it’s certainly a project that warrants attention.

Buffalo

I’m a little exhausted after a busy weekend including a fun-filled Father's Day and a theater double-header on Saturday where I was able to check out CYT’s “Peter Pan” in the afternoon and Richmond Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” in the evening. The big opening of the weekend was Swift Creek Mill’s “Moon Over Buffalo;” you can read Ms. Haubenstock’s measured response to the show in today’s T-D. While you’re reading that, I’ll try to recover enough to write up my impressions of the Saturday shows. Oh, and have you voted for Jason, Ellie and Jon yet? You can do so once a day!

Big Broadway Breakers

As mentioned before, here's the link to Jason Mark's Big Broadway Break audition. Vote now!

And Jason isn't the only local making a play for their big break. The adorable couple, Ellie Atwood and Jonathan Perez, who have done great work together in Stage 1's "Summer of '42" and Theatre IV "Sideways Stories from Wayside School," are leaving for the Big Apple in August. A little boost to their careers wouldn't hurt. Here's Ellie's audition and here's Jonathan's. Support your local faves!

Do Your Part

There are two unique opportunities over the next few days for anyone / everyone to play an active role in the local theater world whether you are a performer, technician, designer, or audience member.

First, beloved local composer/performer Jason Marks has entered the “Big Broadway Break” contest. This contest represents is an incredible opportunity for an artist to spend some time in New York and really focus on breaking into the biz there. Finalists are selected by popular vote and voting starts midnight on Saturday. As soon as I have a link to where you can vote, please go there and help get Mr. Marks get his break!

Second, Richmond.com is in the midst of its Adventure Quest, a wide-ranging contest where you can win 2 tickets to “The Sound of Music” and also be in the running for a $500 Apple gift card. The catch is that you have to sing a song from the show on the Empire stage. The judging will happen starting at noon next Monday. So, if you want a good excuse to get out of the heat, check out the details and plan to come on down. You might want to check out the other “quests” listed for the next couple of days – some of them look pretty fun.

In Conversation and In the Studio

An alternate title for this post might be: Why They’re Pros. The “Sound of Music” machine continues to chug through the summer and I continue to find additional reasons to be impressed with the production’s company. And, before I get in too deep, let me say that, while I may heap praise on these folks because I’m most familiar with what they go through, I’m also well aware that nearly every production has its share of amazing stories and challenging circumstances that it has to overcome.

There was a Coffee and Conversations event at the Barksdale last week, featuring Stacey Cabaj, Kara Harmon and young Cooper Timberline. It was an amiable little gathering skillfully emceed by Bruce Miller. Possibly the most amazing thing I learned during the hour-long session was some details about the journey of the lovely and talented Ms. Cabaj. You may know that she was in the running for the reality series, “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” that was focused on casting the female lead of the Canadian production of “Sound of Music.” What you probably did not know is that one of the reasons she did not make it into the final round of the London version of the show was because of concern on the part one of the producer over her recovery from a surgery where her jaw was broken in several places. After the surgery, she did not have feeling in much of the lower half of her face and she had to retrain herself how to sing again. The producer in question noticed what he thought was a small speech impediment because of this and that was enough for him to want her out of the competition.

Just this week, a subsection of the “Sound of Music” cast appeared on Virginia This Morning where they performed “Favorite Things.” Video of the spot is available online now and it sure seems like the song goes off without a hitch. I happened to be in the studio and can attest that the spot could have just as easily been a mess if not for the flexibility and professionalism of all involved. The song “Favorite Things” lasts about 2 minutes; shortly before the live broadcast, it was communicated that the spot was supposed to be 2 ½ minutes. Barksdale publicist Judi Crenshaw and director Chase Kniffen quickly improvised a way to include a piece of the scene preceding the song into the spot. Lines and blocking had to be altered slightly and the cast – the majority of them less than 10 years old – was instructed on these changes about 10 minutes before the show began. They had one brief run-through and then it was show time. Still, even with these last-minute alterations (not to mention getting their audio from a boombox versus an orchestra), everyone worked the scene as if they always did it that way.

To me, both of these anecdotes demonstrate an impressive level of professionalism. Ms. Cabaj worked through potentially crippling setbacks and has gone on to succeed in a role that puts incredible demands on her physically and emotionally up to 8 times a week. Both she and the cast of kids are flexible and adroit enough to navigate past obstacles without even a hiccup. I wish more theater-goers knew that putting on a show is a lot more than getting the lines right, figuring out some blocking and freezing it all in amber. The work than goes on before, during, and after the show requires more dedication, drive and ongoing creativity than most ticket-buyers will ever know.

All Over the Place

Any happy hangover from the star-studded Tony Awards ceremony has now faded. I’m still not sure what to make of the whole thing. The fact that so many of the big acting awards went to performers who were essentially imports from other realms sticks in the craw a little. With her performance on Sunday, Ms. Zeta-Jones raised serious questions about how she managed to score her Tony (though I have seen YouTube clips of her doing the song much better). Viola Davis’s and Scarlett Johansson’s speeches seemed earnest enough. I love Denzel Washington but, despite the times he has appeared on the New York stage, he is clearly of a different world (the “Tony Committee?”)

But the three things I’ll remember most about the broadcast are: 1) Katie Finneran’s “follow your dream” speech, 2) Green Day, and 3) Lea Michelle and Matt Morrison from “Glee.” Even though she has been a film and TV actress as well, Ms. Finneran seems to be much more a creature of the theater world and I thought her speech reflected that. I loved the varied reactions to Green Day: Nathan Lane politely clapping, Matt Morrison enthusiastically pumping his head back and forth to the beat, etc. And I think the Glee stars displayed some serious talent. After Sunday, Ms. Michelle is my new star crush of all time; sorry Catherine and Scarlett.

But in the afterglow of Sunday’s awards, something significant was happening here in Virginia that may have more of an immediate impact on local actors. Gov. McDonnell signed legislation that should stimulate the production of films in Virginia. As the impact of this bill takes hold, perhaps there will be a little flurry of opportunities for Richmond-area folks.

Two local media notes: Boomer magazine has a nice cover piece about Roger Gregory, judge and actor, who has appeared on the Barksdale stage a few times. Which is a good opportunity to mention that Amy Berlin (also of the lawyerly persuasion, I believe) and her compatriots in “Kitchen Witches” will be playing at CAT through this weekend, your last chance to catch them. Finally, Maria and the kids from “Sound of Music” were on Virginia This Morning this morning. I expect they’ll post video at some point and when they do, you can bet I will be linking to it. In the meantime, you can check out this video from a recent appearance on the show by a couple of the stars from CYT’s production of “Peter Pan.”

UPDATE: Here's that link to the appearance by the "Sound of Music" kids. Enjoy!

Sunday quickie

Recent Times-Dispatch reviews of "Twelfth Night" and RTP's "Fabulous Divas of Broadway."

Free, Glee, and Tone-ees!

So the Tonys are this weekend. I have to say that, honestly, I’m not feeling it too much this year. There’s not one specific show or performance I’m particularly excited about getting recognition. It’s a bit ironic too since two of my biggest all-time crushes (Ms. Zeta-Jones and Ms. Johansson) are nominated. Sean Hayes may be a perfectly fine host but I’m sure I’ll miss Neil Patrick Harris. I kind of hope “Ragtime” picks up a few wins as a poke in the nose of the producers who shut the production down too early but that’s a bitter attitude to bring to a more celebratory event. If you want to review of some of the highlights of previous years, you can read this piece. Remember “Avenue Q” versus “Wicked?” Now THAT was a year to be watching the Tonys. Will you be watching on Sunday?

Something that I’m more excited about than the Tonys is high-quality, free theater and it looks like Sycamore Rouge will be offering some this summer. Though in process for a while, it was confirmed yesterday that the Rouge’s July production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be absolutely free. And also held outdoors on the beautiful-looking grounds of the Battlesea Plantation. Do you need any more reasons to drive a few miles south this summer? I don’t.

In another realm, I’ve come to the opinion that “Glee” must be the most actively criticized show in history. After the season finale, my favorite rag, EW, wrote not just one but three different wrap-ups, including these two critical quibbles (one and two). It then immediately launched into dishing about next season. In the past couple of months, Facebook would light up with people in anticipation of – and then in post-show discussion of – the merits of each episode. Hey, I’m not one to try and put a damper on the critical process but I’m thinking people may want to chill out a bit. I remember when “Twin Peaks” came out (yes, I’m that old) and people went crazy over a show that was so completely different. But the joy for “Peaks” fizzled long before its second and last season clambered to a close. The fact that so many people were so excited about the show made its collapse that much more painful.

Personally, I think “Glee” has certainly made a misstep or two and the “theme” episodes have been highly divisive (I loved the “Gaga” ep, many people didn’t. On the other hand, the Madonna show was just a-ight for me.) But, in general, I have been consistently surprised at how well the show works. It may not always be cranking on all cylinders, but at least once every episode, something impresses me, whether it’s a blockbuster song, a particular arrangement, a wickedly funny line, an awesome bit of choreography or a clever plot point. And when they all work together, well, it’s still pretty magic. I’ve got high hopes for next season but also, I’m willing to overlook the small stumbles, let the show flow and soak in the overall high-quality of the whole endeavor.

She’s the Man

If you are looking for something to get you in the mood for Richmond Shakepeare’s upcoming production of “Twelfth Night,” I would heartily (if perhaps unexpectedly) recommend a viewing of the movie, “She’s the Man” from 2006. The film stars an enchanting Amanda Bynes back before she was a Twitter queen and just a promising comic actress. It also features a very hunky Channing Tatum before he became so well-known for his hunkiness. The plot updates and corrupts the general outline of “Twelfth Night” but keeps the essential mistaken-identity relationship between Viola, Sebastian, Olivia and Orsino. There are some truly ridiculous moments (i.e., most of the last 15 minutes) but there are also some hilarious scenes and great interplay between Bynes and Tatum. The movie is a family favorite (particularly with three female soccer players in the family) and so I have heard or seen it about a dozen times. If you don’t have high expectations, I think you’ll find it a nice diversion.

Speaking of expectations, the production of “Rent” that’s being assembled for the Hollywood Bowl sounds pretty amazing, with Neil Patrick Harris directing and Nicole Schwerzingsomething from Pussycat Dolls/Dancing with the Stars recently added to the cast. Personally, I’m just as impressed with the cast for the production opening later this month at the Firehouse and it’s a whole lot more convenient, so I’ll have no problem settling for that.

Sometime recently, I said something about the few shows that are about sports in reference to “Take Me Out.” Shortly thereafter, I started hearing about this new show called “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity,” which is all about the “sport” of professional wrestling. It’s sounds like a hoot and like a show I’d love to see done here, though it may be a challenge to cast. Still, it’ll go on the “maybe” list for the next trip to NYC…

By the way...

...does anyone know what happened to the production of "Langston is My Man?" It's still listed on the AART website as being scheduled to open this past weekend but I don't see it on the CenterStage schedule. Was it cancelled?

What a Day!

The Facebook world lit up on Saturday with news of what happened in and around the Empire Theatre. To say it was eventful is an understatement. To be brief(ish), a patron attending the matinee performance of “The Sound of Music” had a serious wound on her foot that she was unaware of, causing a pool of blood in the lobby and the first call of the day for an ambulance. During the matinee, power went out in the whole neighborhood, causing a blackout in the theater. Both Phil Whiteway and Chase Kniffen were on hand to help stall for around 20 minutes until power was restored. During that time, both audience and performers shared a magical experience as Phil leads everyone in a sing-a-long version of “Edelweiss” (alertly captured on video by Jonathan Perez).

Outside of the theater, things were not so magical as an SUV and a VCU police car collided little more than a block away apparently because of traffic lights not being operational. The vehicles plowed into the building at the corner of Marshall and Adams, which then partially collapsed (luckily, none of the passengers was apparently seriously hurt). This accident caused traffic in the area to be tied up for the next several hours.

After weathering the matinee, all seemed to be restored to normal but there was additional excitement at the end of the evening performance when a pregnant patron started going into labor at the top of the Empire Theatre stairs. She was eventually helped to the bottom of the stairs and made comfortable until the second ambulance of the day could come by the theater.

I was only personally around for the last circumstance so would take offense (just kidding) if anyone considers my attendance at previously memorable performances a curse of some kind. I did talk to several cast members who said it was about the weirdest day in the theater that they can remember. As per “The World According to Garp,” I hope this means that the SOM production has had its share of craziness for one run and that that’ll be it. But you never know…

I hope the benefit for Dogwood Dell at the Byrd on Sunday, the "A Thorn Between Two Roses" production, and the James Dean show at Sycamore Rouge all went off without any similar mishaps!

Weighing In

Style’s newest theatre critic, Rich Griset, weighed in on “Kitchen Witches” a few days ago. It’s not in the print edition so you might have missed it.

No one from Style has weighed in on “The Sound of Music” yet. I couldn’t have written one for print, for obvious reasons. But I can expound here so I might as well.

Even three weeks into the run, there continues to be things that impress me about this production. Technically, it is a real knock-out. Brian Barker’s set is among the best I’ve seen at Theatre IV. And I have to give an extra dose of credit to the scenic artists who worked on this production (Julie Gallager, Ann Minerick and Terrie Powers). The Austrian landscape they have created on stage is awe-inspiring. Every time I see the show, I find myself looking into the mountains as if the light might have changed or new crags or treelines emerged. It really seems like a living thing, assisted in no small measure by the lighting Lynn Hartman has engineered.

I don’t know where to start with the cast (I know what you’re thinking, the very beginning, right?) I guess I’ll get this out of the way before I go any further: I’m fairly convinced now that Ali Thibodeau can do no wrong on stage. She is an enchanting Leisl and one of the late-in-the-show highlights for me is her duet with Maria on the “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” reprise. Two wonderful voices that blend and complement each other extremely well.

Susan Sanford and Michael Hawke have the difficult task of performing the two songs in the show that will not be familiar to most audience members. I don’t think Chase could have picked a better pair. Not only do they both bubble over with personality, they have the technical skills to render these songs in such an engaging manner that even the more tongue-twisting aspects (“Mer-ced-eses!”) are clear.

I like the Elsa / George plotline trajectory in the stage version better than in the movie. It’s a little trite to simply have a girl-on-girl fight for George’s heart. The political subplot becomes a more living and affecting aspect of the story by having it disrupt the engagement.

In the same category of things that are different about the play, I’d have to put Jody Ashworth’s portrayal of Captain von Trapp. Christopher Plummer’s performance in the movie had a singular charm but there is a humanity in Mr. Ashworth’s portrayal that breathes new life into the story. I particularly like his work in the key scene when Maria and George have returned from their honeymoon and immediately are confronted by the Nazi presence. George is alternately elated to be home, furious and heartbroken about the Anschluss, and confused about how best to protect his family. Jody takes us through each of those emotions clearly.

And Stacey Cabaj – well, she must have walked through some big angel dust storm at some point in her life because she is just illuminated with a bright, beautiful spirit. The amazing part is that really only a fraction of it comes across on stage. In person, she’s even more appealing. I have always adored Julie Andrews as Maria but there is something a little prissy or even ethereal about her performance (that gauzy movie lighting has something to do with it). If anyone could make you forget about Julie Andrews with her down-to-earth, straightforward portrayal, it’s Stacey.

Of course, the kids are cute. But they are so much more, too. The fact that as a group they nail some pretty involved little numbers every single performance is extremely impressive. Can you imagine doing what Ellie Wilson does as Gretl when you were 6? Hell, I don’t think I was tying my shoes by myself yet. The stage version gives Brigitta a more filled out character and Meghan Cordner really takes that challenge head on and succeeds every single show. Oh, and the kid that plays Kurt, well, he’s not too bad either. My favorite scene in the entire show (not just because of Kurt) may be the “Lonely Goatherd” number because it is so different from the movie and all of the kids fill it with such life and energy.

I could ramble on about this production for a long time – and I may have to augment this post at some later time to do so. In the meantime, do plan and go see it. You won’t be sorry you did. I ran into a theater friend at a matinee this week who said she felt like “scream-crying” after every musical number. That’s the kind of reaction the show is spurring. Sure, some of that is undoubtedly nostalgia because of such a well-loved show. But the production pretty much kicks butt too.

More Reviews and More Out

Mary B’s review of “Crowns” hit newsstands with the latest Style and John P's take on CAT's "Kitchen Witches" is now available on his website. Also, old friend Tim Timberlake posted some very nice (if embarrassingly Cooper-centric) comments about “Sound of Music” on his blog recently. Thanks, Tim!

I haven’t been able to let go of “Take Me Out” even though it’s been two weeks since I saw it. It's one of those rare productions that I would have gladly seen a second time. A couple of thoughts regarding the cast: I ran into Eddie Tavares and he told me that he learned the Japanese he spoke in the show phonetically with the help of a Japanese friend of his. He had to say A LOT of Japanese so this must have been a monumental task. You really have to admire that kind of dedication.

Also, I had the pleasure of meeting Jimmy Glidden last weekend before he bolted back to NYC. I usually don’t go out of my way to introduce myself to actors because a) I’m shy and, b) depending on who they are or who they’re best pals with, the possibility for awkwardness is great. But I really wanted to meet Mr. Glidden because his performance in “Take Me Out” was so all-encompassing and natural – even for a somewhat extreme character – that it made me wonder whether any traces of the shy furtiveness he displays on stage would be evident in a casual interaction. I was delighted to find that he is a bright, intelligent and personable fella with an engaging personality that doesn’t seem to contain even a shade of the naïve xenophobe that he played in the show. This, of course, makes me that much more impressed with his work in the show – and I was pretty damn impressed already. I hope NYC treats him well.

Special Events

CAT’s “Kitchen Witches” got a bit of dressing down in the T-D review by Ms. Haubenstock this past weekend. This doesn’t seem to have cast an evil spell on ticket sales if I can believe some Facebook posts which indicate full houses for upcoming shows.

Some folks have asked me to mention some special events happening this upcoming weekend, which I’m happy to do. Local thespian Bill Brock has written a new play called “James Dean: Crossing the Finish Line” and will be directing a production of it as part of Sycamore Rouge’s Six Block Series. The show runs this Thursday through Saturday. World premieres are relatively rare around here so that alone makes this worth checking out. An interesting subject doesn’t hurt either.

The folks at Bifocals are staging a run of “A Thorn Between Two Roses,” a show where Jackie Jones plays a character named Sassy so I can only imagine what we can expect from her! Only two nights for this one, Thursday and Friday, so don’t procrastinate.

Out

Among the many great things about RTP’s “Take Me Out” is that it’s got something for everyone. I’ll avoid making this gender specific but, for sports-lovers, you’ve got a play about baseball. How many plays are there about sports? You can probably count them on one hand. For people who like hunky men, there are a slew of them partially or totally naked onstage, sometimes for extended periods of time. You’ve got plenty of laughs, from nicely cerebral ones (“the world’s old, there’ve been a lot of people; I extrapolate.”) to wonderfully slapsticky ones (almost anything involving Jay Welch’s Jason). My absolutely favorite part, however, is that you’ve got a script that is wholly original, exceedingly clever, nuanced and rich. It makes me curious about Richard Greenberg’s other works – he’s written some 25 or so plays but I’m only vaguely familiar with them, many of them only getting short Broadway runs.

Most notable for the Richmond production is the simply fantastic cast that director Scott Wichmann pulled together, anchored by bravura performances by Matt Hackman and Ronnie Brown, with an electrifying assist by Jimmy Glidden and genial, heart-warming support provided by Kirk Morton. The set with working showers is impressive – nice work John Knapp! – but made me wonder how warm the water was. I hope the guys weren’t wet and freezing along with naked. This was my first visit to the new RTP space and it was also charming, about a million steps up from the Fielden’s space in terms of quality (though lacking actual steps, thank goodness). I love the little bar tables in the back of the house and the selection of goodies at the bar.

I could wax poetic about “Take Me Out” for a while but mostly I want to post something before the show closes. I would strongly encourage anyone who has not seen this to figure out a way to see it in the next couple of days. It’s a truly exceptional theater experience.

Style and BarksTales

My summer theater preview posted on the Style site today as did Ms. Burruss’s review of “A Doll’s House,” which closes this weekend so don’t dawdle if you’ve been wanting to check it out. Also this weekend, CAT’s “Kitchen Witches” opens and it looks like it’s going to be a hoot.

Theater has always been related to wish-fulfillment for me at some level, which may be why it means so much to me. As a confused teenager in high school, I wished I had a girlfriend and then had my first quasi-mature love affair during a production of “Once Upon a Mattress.” I was hoping for some entrée into life in Richmond after moving here knowing nobody in town almost 25 years ago and I found one – as well as the love of my life – during a production of “Quilters.” While his mother and I wondered what might calm my over-eager young son, he found theater and launched a new and exciting chapter in all of our lives.

But on another level, working in that strange intersection between theater and journalism has allowed me to realize one of those overwrought platitudes that is regularly asserted clumsily on TV and in the movies, that is, that sometimes you can make your wishes come true. It may be on a rather simple and banal level, but still, wishes are wishes. For instance, many years ago I thought it’d be cool to have a theater awards in Richmond. I pushed that little pebble down the hill and now, thanks to the work of scads of people, the planning for the 3rd annual awards is in motion.

And speaking of overwrought, this is all a rather insanely grandiose introduction to the simple thought that came to me yesterday which was: “I wish there was a quick way to pull up any or all of the BarksTales episodes on YouTube.” I’ve been enjoying these regular reports from the intrepid “sage of the stage,” David Janeski, and have often wanted to pull one up to check it out a second time. I now know that there is a way to get to the Barksdale “channel” on YouTube and scroll through everything they’ve posted. But I figured that out after compiling the following list of the episodes and their links. Maybe someone else out there will find this useful as well.

Episode 8: Sound of Music Opening Night
SOM Interviews
SOM Night of Premiere
Episode 7: Scene Shop
Episode 6: Fairy Tale Ball
Episode 5: Costume Shop
Episode 4: Is He Dead?
Episode 3: Butterflies Are Free
Episode 2: Hugs and Kisses
Episode 1

Righting A Wrong

Call me an idiot (you wouldn’t be the first), but for months, my theatre reviewing colleague Joan Tupponce has been posting her reviews on her own blogspot/website and I have neglected to link to them. And that’s just wrong. So here are a couple of links to her most recent reviews:
"The Sound of Music" and "A Doll’s House."

I am reeling a bit due to the back-to-back finales of two of my favorite TV shows (“Lost” and “24). So I haven’t had my wits about me to write about RTP’s “Take Me Out” which I saw last Thursday and which was, to put it succinctly, incredibly awesome. It also occurred to me that I haven’t written anything review-like about “The Sound of Music.” Hopefully, I will gather a few wits today and have something on one or the other of these tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Oh, and also...

Was the Idina Menzel / Lea Michelle duet on "I Dreamed a Dream" on "Glee" last night just about the biggest musical theater geek-gasm ever? I'd say it was.

And anyone who doubts that you can build anticipation for a production with effective marketing art need look no further than the Firehouse posters for "Rent." Remaking the iconic "Rent" poster with the local cast's images is genius. I only wish I could find a copy of the image online somewhere so I could link you to it...

Grand Night to Take Me Out

This week’s Style has a review of RTP’s “Take Me Out” by Ms. Burruss. My schedule over the next couple of weeks will probably only permit me to see one show that’s currently showing and it’s looking like it’s going to be this one. As is always the case, too many shows, not enough babysitters…

There was also an online-only review of “A Grand Night for Singing” posted last week by Rich Griset, a tart pan of the Mill’s revue. I have not seen the show so I really can’t argue the merits of the review as far as describing the quality of the production. However, in terms of its journalistic merit, I greatly appreciate the specificity of the review. My biggest criticism of critics is when they make blanket criticisms without specific examples. You may not like what Mr. Griset has to say but he does an excellent job of backing up his assertions. I will say that I shy away from words like “atrocious” in my own reviews but, then again, I don’t shy away from superlatives when praising something so I can’t really fault someone from using them in criticism.

More fascinating to me than the review, however, is the response to it in the comments. If people take issue with a review, I would expect them to respond directly to the points the critic makes. Was the lighting all over the place or not? What about the set design – does the crown molding make sense or not? Was the choreography compelling or not? Saying “I've read book reports by high schoolers that were better written” is just name-calling.

But this comment in particular jumps out to me: “The other reviewers used by Style are friends and even family members of people who work in local theatre and their reviews show an avoidance of saying anything truly critical, with some rare exceptions. We need less cheerleaders and more Frank Riches.” Hmmm… I guess I resemble that remark…

It’s another iteration of what happens when a negative review gets published: many people rush to defend the object of the criticism and/or attack the critic. At the same time, a smaller subset are (sometimes secretly) thankful that somebody put in print what they’ve murmured to their closest friends, convinced that “tough love” is the what a critic is supposed to dole out. And the world continues to turn…

Cavalcade

There are scads of reviews to link to today. Ms. Haubenstock’s rave on “The Sound of Music” is old news now, having come out Sunday, but Ms. Lewis’s measured take on “Crowns” is hot of the press. Over at WCVE, Mr. Porter has held forth recently on “A Doll’s House” as well as “Sound of Music.”

Up north, Sarah Ruhl’s latest, “Passion Play” opened recently and seems to be promising. Garnering less positive notices has been “The Kid,” the musical adaptation of Dan Savage’s book about two gay men adopting. I really had/have high hopes for this one because I’m a huge fan of Savage’s writing. But I guess you never know what’s going to happen when you go from page to stage.

News about upcoming seasons here in Richmond keeps coming in. I’m excited and surprised that Barksdale might be able to land “God of Carnage” this soon. If it comes together, that may rival “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” on my highly anticipated shows list. Also, I hear it first-hand from Ms. kb saine down at Sycamore Rouge that their summer production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is going to be something special. Want a hint? Google “Battersea: A Hidden Treasure” for a clue.

Hits

So this weekend the Barksdale opens two big shows – “Crowns” in partnership with AART and “The Sound of Music” in partnership with itself, i.e., Theatre IV. Both of these should draw some big crowds. At least, I hope they do.

However, there are a whole slew of shows going on already (take a peek to the left for a list), and they certainly deserve your attention before they close up shop. I’ve heard many raves about Sycamore Rouge’s “The Crucible” and there are only a couple performances to go. Mr. Porter at WCVE recently raved about RTP’s “Take Me Out” and “Animal Farm” at the Mill seems like it might slip under people’s radar (and in case anyone’s wondering, I’m not the ‘Dave’ who commented on Ms. Haubenstock’s review. I don’t think Orwell’s book is a dreary topic – though I think a good adaptation of ‘1984’ might make for more theatrical fun.) And BTW, did “A Grand Night of Singing” at the Mill ever get a review? I never saw one.

(UPDATE: DUH! Of course, I saw one. As was pointed out to me -- thanks Joy! -- the link to the left pulls up the T-D review. So I saw it but it promptly fell out of my overcrowded brain. Sorry about that!)

Finally, thanks to Mr. Wichmann for alerting me to Aaron Sorkin’s article that wades into the whole Newsweek hubbub. It’s an interesting take. I see his point about the ridiculous celebrity-hungry culture – I tried to allude to it in my ramblings on this topic – but to me this is almost an argument that runs parallel to the original one. It’s also ironic to me that, if you go to the Entertainment section of Huffington Post where I found the Sorkin piece, the majority of the articles are all about salacious details regarding the personal lives of “stars.” It’s like a disease.

And in even more breaking news, the author of the original article has apparently accepted an invitation to hang out on the “Glee” set. Hmmm… I’m wondering what I could write to land me a similar invitation! I'm also wondering (i.e., hoping...) that this particular little drama has played itself out.

Breaking News

Apparently, the creator of "Glee" has now weighed in on the Newsweek article, calling for a boycott of the magazine. Read about it here.

And another thing: my review of "Is He Dead?" is in this week's Style. Check it out!

UPDATE: There have been a slew of responses to the whole Newsweek dust-up but here's another one that I like. There are a bunch of good lines in this one but the key line to me is near the conclusion: 'Actors who come out aren’t “distracting” except to those who are invested, for emotional or ideological reasons, in remaining distracted by them.' I agree.

Traveling back, Looking forward

Thanks to links from Facebook friends, I had seen the response from Kristin Chenoweth to a fairly ridiculous piece about gay actors not being able to play straight convincingly that appeared in Newsweek recently. Well, the backlash continues in this “Traveling Back to the 1950s” piece in today’s online “Entertainment Weekly.” I like this piece because it repeats and reinforces a key point: whatever characterizes an actor’s off-screen or off-stage life does not, by default, determine how effective they are in a specific role. I have seen plenty of gay actors convincingly play straight. Also, going way beyond sexual identity, I have seen actors who seem to have no real affection for children in real life very effectively play caring mothers and fathers. I’ve seen actors who are extremely caring and nurturing human beings turn into very believable sociopaths on stage. And I’ve seen actors who were arguably mentally ill portraying reasonably normal people.

Another point hinted at but not fully explored in either piece (as far as I can remember) is that most audience members have little or no information about the private lives of most of the actors they see. And though there is a salacious interest in the private lives of celebs, it is only for the top 10% of the 10% of very successful actors that this is really even remotely an issue at all.

I think the focus on Jonathan Groff is particularly funny. I was familiar with Groff, I may have even seen him in “Spring Awakening” (will have to check with the wife on that one…) and yet, I had no idea he was gay. And it didn’t matter in the least in terms of my enjoyment of him on “Glee.” His highly-theatrical turn as Rachel’s rival-turned-boyfriend struck me as just that: highly-theatrical, perfectly matching Rachel’s similar vibe. To consider it “gay” is a homophobic reinforcement of the notion that boys who love singing / dancing / performing – instead of the culturally accepted sporting pursuits – must OF COURSE be gay.

My point, though, is that knowing whether or not he was gay, straight, a vegetarian, a pedophile, or an Episcopalian did not effect my perception of Mr. Groff’s performance. The key to me – and I expect to the huge majority of viewers – was whether he was convincing and engaging in the role. It’d be interesting to pose the question to the original article writer: does the fact that the actor who plays Artie is not actually disabled change the way you think about his performance? In the final analysis -- and putting it as charitably as I can -- I think the Newsweek article says much more about the writer than about the subject that he was writing about.

Switching topics, I’m always excited during this time of year when theater companies are announcing their seasons for the fall. So far, I am particularly intrigued and delighted by the choice of “Waiting for Godot” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” as the season openers for Henley Street and the Firehouse, respectively. These are both dream plays for actors providing choice tidbits for scenery-chewers to bite into. From what I’ve heard, Larry Cook and Laine Satterfield have already been cast in the Richard Burton / Elizabeth Taylor roles at Firehouse. That should be an exceptional treat. Larry won an RTCC award last year, and Laine was nominated for both the 2009 and 2008 awards.

Media Bonanza

This weekend, the Times-Dispatch featured both an enthusiastic rave about Henley Street's "A Doll's House" and a fine preview of "Sound of Music," focusing on the children starring in the production. It's quite a band of kids and they're working their tales off getting ready for opening night on Friday.

Also, sometime in the last week or so, the local edition of "Skirt!" appeared with a nice piece on the lovely, talented, and simply delightful Ali Thibodeau, who will be Liesl in "SOM." It's on the newstands but I couldn't find the article on their website. Perhaps it'll show up soon.

Media coverage abounds! And I am hopeful my review of "Is He Dead?" will appear in Style this week. I guess we'll see!

"Entertaining and Provocative"

Those two words pretty much encapsulate what I consider good theater. And, according to Ms. Haubenstock with the T-D, that's what you can expect from RTP's "Take Me Out." 'Nuff said, as far as I'm concerned. Any technical concerns notwithstanding, it sounds like this one's a Must See.

If you want to see Night Light Collective's stealth production of "Alice in Wonderland," you better act fast. According to what I read on Facebook, the first weekend of the run is sold out.

And speaking of entertaining and provocative, I finally got around to reading last Sunday's Washington Post and enjoyed this mildly snarky, but also well-articulated review of the state of Broadway. It makes me think that a similar overview of the state of local theater is due, especialy since announcements of next season's plans are coming fast and furious these days. Sounds like a pitch to an editor is in the offing...

Dynamic Duo

There are scads of couples in town where both members are heavily involved in theater, couples that you can refer to just by first names: Joy & Eric, Debra & Joe, Robyn & Ginnie, etc., not to mention the recent knot-tiers Liz & David (congrats, Mr. and Mrs. White!) But this weekend it’s all about Jen & Scott. The gorgeous Jen Meharg peers out from the cover of this month’s Belle magazine as part of promoting Henley Street’s production of “A Doll’s House,” which is also previewed in this week’s Style. The Belle piece sports the byline of someone near and dear to my heart and I’ll link to it as soon as it’s available via the Style site.

Scott Wichmann is directing Richmond Triangle Players’ “Take Me Out,” a show that hasn’t received as much media attention but should benefit from great word of mouth, given the nubile young flesh that will be on display. This baseball-centric show seems like a truly original story and Scotty is the perfect guy to direct it. The show opens tonight and I’m anxious to see it (and not just for the nubile young flesh).

And if you happen to be in the downtown area for a show – taking in one of the last performances of Firehouse’s “Sex Drugs Rock & Roll” or either of the shows mentioned above, I’d recommend stopping into Tarrant’s on Broad Street for dinner, a drink or one of their amazing desserts. My beloved and I stopped in for a brief celebratory drink (19th anniversary!) last week and were delighted to see the always-charming Russell Rowland behind the bar. The black-n-tan he made me was delicious and the dessert we shared was pure decadence. (Clarification: Holly and I shared the dessert, not Russell and I. Grammar: oy!)

Congrats to Jen and Scott on what should be a very busy but very satisfying weekend!

The morning news

The Tony Award nominations are out. Have you seen them?

Mostly they make me sad, for two reasons. First, it’s an indication of how little I’ve been able to get to NYC that I haven’t seen any of the nominated productions. Sigh. Second, the several nominations of “Ragtime” is just another stab in the heart regarding the untimely demise of that production. Phooey. If you are similarly ignorant of most of these shows, you can read this commentary and be able to talk intelligently at cocktail parties when the Tonys come up (which they inevitably do, right?).

In local news, did you see this article about an original show performed at Freedom House? I didn’t until today, unfortunately. Anyone see it? Sounds interesting.

Divas

Well, my "Is He Dead?" review didn't make this week's issue of Style. But my "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" review did, so you can check that out. Also, if you want to read another opinion about the just closed "The Who's Tommy" at VCU, Style put up a review last Friday that I didn't see until today.

I've been behind the curve in mentioning this but there is a truly one-of-a-kind event happening tonight at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen. The "Three Divas" concert features Debra Wagoner, Cathy Motley-Fitch and Desiree Roots -- three of the area's best voices -- and they'll be accompanied by the wonderful Sandy Dacus. If you go, remember that curtain is at 7pm, not 8. You don't want to miss a note of this!

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!