The “National Stage”

So how about VCU, ay? It was pretty amazing having two college basketball teams from Richmond in the Sweet Sixteen but now to have one in the Final Four is, to carry the alliteration to an absurd level, fabulously phenomenal. The buzz in town about this accomplishment is feverish and I only wish I could have gone downtown last night to join in the craziness that was going on.

The phrase “National Stage” always occurs to me at a time like this. You’ll hear commentators saying that VCU has now arrived on the national stage. But what a complex concept that one is. With the democratization of media, I think it’s harder than ever to figure out what the “national stage” is, where it is, who is on it, how you get there, etc. etc. For instance, Rebecca Black exploded on the national stage just a couple of weeks ago but I know there is a big slice of America who still doesn’t know who she is or why they should know her.

To propose another variation on the theme: as Ms. Haubenstock points out in her review of “Almost Maine,” this show that didn’t make much of an impact on the “national stage” (if you consider Broadway to be that place as far as theater goes) has obviously appealed to regional and local theater directors across the country. So the show has gone on to make a nationwide impact of sorts, but not from a position on the national stage.

Anyway, there’s a long rant on perception, reality, quantity vs. quality and the LA/NYC arbiters of “what is important” encapsulated in there but I don’t want to get too deep with it. Too much esoteric thinking is bound to make my head hurt on a Monday. So, instead, I’ll mention that in addition to “Almost Maine,” “Something Intangible” opened this past weekend. I went to opening night, thoroughly enjoyed the show and will post some additional comments about it when my review comes out, which with any luck will be this Wednesday.

In the meantime, have you read any of the reviews of “How to Succeed in Business…” with Daniel Radcliffe? I’ve made it through a few. One thing I think is interesting is how one critic’s reaction can be so much different than another’s even though they both seem to have seen the exact same thing. And by that, I don’t mean just that they saw the same performance but that they picked up something specific about a production but each put a completely different spin on it. For instance, the enthusiastic Entertainment Weekly reviewer says that you could see Radcliffe working hard in his role (“he always lets you see him sweat”) and that this part of the production added to its charm. The grumpy NYTimes review points out the same thing: “You can almost hear an unseen coach’s voice whispering to Mr. Radcliffe, telling him when to do what. [Y]ou… feel the effort and eagerness with which Mr. Radcliffe responds to that voice.” But instead of praising that behavior, condemns it. You can say Brantley is just a curmudgeon and EW is just a frothy entertainment mag and that accounts for the different conclusions. I’d say they were both astute reviewers, just with distinctly different attutudes about what makes a quality production or effective performance. What would you say?

Finally, thanks to everyone who made suggestions for what show I should see on Thursday. After caucusing with my companion for the trip, we have concluded to give Spidey a try. I'm almost embarrassed to have picked morbid curiosity over interest in quality but I do feel like there is some value to have seen the "bad Spidey" if and when a "good Spidey" ever emerges. Of course, I may feel differently around 11pm on Thursday night...

A Question

I was saddened to read yesterday about the death of Lanford Wilson, one of the true playwrighting legends. Though I’ve seen “Fifth of July” and “Burn This,” I’m hopeful to someday see a production of “Hot L Baltimore,” the play that really put him on the map as I remember it. Though I think my review at the time was a little harsh, I have fond memories of Barksdale’s production of “Fifth” five or six years ago. It starred some of my favorite Richmond actors, including Chris Evans as the lead character’s lover. Not the Captain America Chris Evans though, just so there’s no confusion.

It’s been hard to get conversation rolling here on the blog as of late. Beyond the general down-turn in blog interest -- or some particularly boring posts from me -- I’m thinking it may be because I’m too often asking “big questions” about the nature of theater and the purpose of criticism and such. So, in an effort to get comments – any comment! – I’m going to try a simple question. I’m going to be taking a quick jaunt to NYC next Thursday and I want to see a show. As I do every time I’m planning a trip to Manhattan, I’m struggling with the choices. Should I get a nose-bleed seat to “Spiderman” just to see exactly how awful it is? Should I see something fresh and new that most people haven’t seen yet (“Priscilla”)? Or how about an old classic that I'm embarrased to say I've never seen (“Phantom”) or a newer not-quite-classic that I might be able to get great seats for (“Adams Family”)? Then there’s the possibility to see an awesome actor starring in a smallish vehicle off-Broadway (Andre Braugher in “The Whipping Man”).

What would YOU do if you were popping up to New York just for a day at this specific moment in time? What show are you itching to see and why? I’m interested in your thoughts, of course, but also, I need your help!

The One That Got Away

In the absence of other shows opening, reviews of “A Thousand Clowns” continue to trickle in with Mr. Griset’s take on the show in this week’s Style. The opening drought ends tomorrow with “Something Intangible” raising the curtain at the Firehouse.

Speaking of openings, it is with a slight feeling of sadness that I read about the musical adaptation of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” opening on Broadway this past weekend. The sadness doesn’t come from the decidedly mixed reviews (an overview of the reviews can be found here; the NY Times calls the show “…monotonous and mechanical” in its review). It doesn’t come from the fact that “Priscilla” essentially kicked “West Side Story” off Broadway, a production I wouldn’t have minded seeing again (OK, that’s a simplification but still…). No, this particular opening causes a little pang in my heart because only once in a while do I look at the pictures of celebs like Christie Brinkley and Bette Midler attending an opening and realistically imagine that I could have been there.

The story behind it is a little long and it’s not worth going through every detail but my son was up for a role in “Priscilla.” If you remember the movie at all, the main character, Tick, has a son named Benji who is supposed to be around 10 years old. In fact, the whole trip across the desert is spurred by Benji’s mom booking Tick in her theater.

As anyone who has been through the casting process for a big production knows, it can be a little grueling and, for us, “Priscilla” may have been the hardest ever. The casting directors had seen Cooper a couple of times but had still not made a decision last fall when a “Press Event” had been planned. Basically, the producers wanted to alert the media to “Priscilla’s” eminent Broadway opening before the production had a try-out run in Toronto. But they didn’t have a Benji yet so they asked us if Cooper could be a Benji stand-in for the event. We thought this was an encouraging sign about his chances to land the role.

So, back in September, Cooper actually appeared on a Broadway stage opposite Will Swenson (still a hot name from “Hair”). He didn’t get to sing but still, he got his own dressing room, he met a lot of cool Broadway folks, and he performed in a packed New York theater. Not bad for a kid from Richmond.

Unfortunately, very soon thereafter, the casting folks said they were looking at kids in Toronto for the role. The boy they eventually cast, Luke Mannikus, seems like a cute kid. And while a role in a Broadway show could have been life-changing for all of us Tlines, there is a certain sense of weird relief in seeing that the young Master Mannikus isn’t named in the Times review and his one big scene is written off as “ludicrous.” Perhaps it’s just as well the way things worked out.

My lovely wife and I were talking about “Priscilla’s” mixed reviews over dinner last night and my never-shy son chimed in, between bites of pasta, “It would have been better with me in it.” Hmmm... Maybe. But I’m not convinced our lives would have been better…even if I had met Christie Brinkley.

Teach Your Children Well

In case you missed him on the radio, check out Mr. Porter's blog to read about the love he gave to "A Thousand Clowns" in his latest review.

That performance arts training hotspot, SPARC, had another boffo event this past weekend. The faculty banded together to produce a cabaret spotlighting the significant talents of the staff. It was a great idea and made for a very entertaining show. In talking to some of the performers afterwards, some of them took the opportunity to do a piece they would never actually be appropriate for on stage, a good indication to me that the staff at SPARC aren’t just talented teachers, actors, dancers, and singers but also students of their respective genres. They could have phoned it in, just doing one of their usual audition pieces. But instead, they gave it their all, stretching themselves and providing a delightful show for everyone who attended.

The highlights from the show are really too numerous to single out. But it was a real treat to see Erin Foley in three monologues sprinkled throughout the evening and to learn that she’ll be in “Circle Mirror Transformation” at the Barksdale soon. Matt Polson was both tuneful and hilarious with his “I am Adolfo” and I liked that Ali Thibodeau and Robin Harris both got a chance to belt out a solo. The performance of “Without Love” begged the earnest entreaty: will someone do “Hairspray” here sometime soon? Please? And there was a dance/art/poetry piece that ended up being pretty entrancing. Given that it involved people getting paint all over their feet, it looked like a lot of fun too!

A real surprise to me was hearing such a big beautiful voice from Deb Clinton having only seen her on stage in straight plays. And finally, the whole evening was hosted by a coterie of SPARC’s most charming and talented students – Meg Carnahan, Allison Gilman, Jessie Jennison and Michael Thibodeau – who make me wish I was back in high school every time I see them together. When did theater kids get so cool?

Speaking of young Ms. Gilman, she is one of the kids featured in the cover story of the latest Richmond Family magazine that talks about SPARC quite a bit as part of talking about young performers in general. The issue has been out for a while so you may have seen it. Pick it up to read about Allison as well as Eric Pastore and Ellie Wilson (who played Gretl in “Sound of Music” not Liesl as mentioned in the article. Kinda funny though that the actress who played Liesl – Ali Thibodeau – is a teacher at SPARC). The article also features a somewhat hilarious juxtaposition, mentioning a certain Timberline kid and then following it by listing former SPARC student Jason Mraz and Tony-nominated actress Emily Skinner. Hmmm. Not exactly parallel in terms of their acclaim and accomplishments. Well, at least not yet…

One last SPARC-related tidbit: I just read today that Henley Street Theatre Company will be using SPARC’s black box space as their performance venue next season. Given the challenges of Pine Camp, I expect this will be a boon to Henley Street and probably not a bad thing for SPARC either. I love a win-win situation.

Spring Awakening

People are probably sick of me pimping for Entertainment Weekly but last week’s issue included not just one but TWO articles focused on Broadway. A preview of Daniel Radcliffe’s opening in “How to Succeed in Business in Without Really Trying” might be expected (there’s an excerpt online here) but there is also a fairly thoughtful piece on Jason Patric appearing in “That Championship Season,” a play written by his father (an interview available online). I mostly mention things like this because all EW cares about is what’s stirring at the top of the entertainment stew and when that something is theater-related, I think it’s a good indication of the enduring popularity of live theater. It also gives me something to write about.

But while I’m promoting other media outlets, let me make a push for the soon-to-be unfunded NPR which regularly has new content under it’s Performing Arts section. It’s the kind of place you can find an alternative take on “Spider-Man” (the article entitled “Don’t be so quick to write off the dark”), not to mention coverage of the “Arcadia” revival and Chris Rock’s new Broadway show. Now THAT is fair and balanced.

And I’m making a preliminary request from both of you readers for help with a possible intervention. As if falling under some seasonal spell, my wife has become obsessed with the current national tour of “Spring Awakening.” She already traveled to North Carolina last weekend to see the show and is now talking about heading to either Pennsylvania or New Jersey to see it again. The only show I’ve been similarly smitten by is “Les Miz” which I have not only seen in NYC a couple of times but traveled to DC (twice) and Kentucky to see on tour. Do you have any show obsessions you’d like to share?

Spring is the season for obsessions, after all, so enjoy the turn of the seasons this weekend (and Purim, too) and prepare to be obsessed with a new flock of local openings starting next weekend!

On Judas

I packed quite a few adjectives into my review of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” but one thing that I didn’t say specifically was that it was relevant. That seems like a pretty tepid adjective but it’s a pretty powerful endorsement in my book. Unfortunately, it’s not a word that I am frequently inspired to use in reference to a show. “Relevance” initially occurred to me during the testimony of Mother Theresa, the first scene that made me really sit up and take notice during the show. Here was a still-beloved contemporary figure being called to task for her less-than-spotless moral rectitude, a scene brought to vivid life thanks to performances by Jennie Meharg and Kristen Swanson. Certainly relevant as you consider that Pope John Paul II is set to be beatified in another couple of months. Kinda makes you wonder whether that whole sainthood thing is a little more complicated than you were taught in Sunday school, if not an outright farce.

Later on, we realize that there are compelling existential questions underlying Jennie Meharg’s character’s investment in Judas’s trial. And really, they are the kind of questions that we all face at different times in our lives. As the tragedy in Japan continues to unfold, how can we not wonder about the nature of God? Given the overwhelming scale of big tragedies and the prevalence of little daily tragedies, how do we find solace and/or hope? Simple honest people seem to be punished by fate when real modern-day villains (hello, Wall Street billionaires! And hey there, Khadafi!) wallow in their riches. How can you not wonder whether God really cares, perhaps whether he really exists?

Of course, the play does a great job of bringing it all down to a humanist level with the scene between Jesus and Judas and then Jonathan Conyer’s character’s coda. Whether we go to a physical hell or not, there is unquestionably an emotional hell and some people are living it every day.

I could talk about the content of this play for hours, making it a perfect “Acts of Faith” entry in my humble opinion, but it must be mentioned that Bo Wilson got some incredible performances out of his cast. I’ve slathered praise on David Clark and Ronnie Brown already but they deserve at least one more layer. Mr. Clark is a delight throughout the show and Mr. Brown is riveting as Pilate. Other stand-outs to me were Vinnie Gonzalez as Satan and Jill Bari Steinberg as Judas’s mother. And while Diana Carver was indeed hilariously profane as Saint Monica, I was pretty sure she was going wonky on some lines on opening night. Call me a stickler but I’m a firm believer that, before anything else, you have to know the lines.

This collaboration between Henley and RTP has certainly proven a winner and hopefully will lead to additional similarly exceptional co-pros in the future. This is the last weekend to see it and they’ve added a show on Sunday so there’s no excuse to miss it.

Last Weekends

I’m mostly trafficking in old news today, playing catch up after several days being fairly staggered throughout the weekend by events in Japan. But the T-D review of “A Thousand Clowns” came out this weekend and Mr. Porter posted a review of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” so there are plenty of other theater opinions to read out there.

For a myriad of reasons, I’ve seen several recent productions on their final weekend of performances. It has me pondering the tradition of critics going to a show’s opening night. There’s no denying the excitement and energy of opening night. But I’ve also seen productions gel as they go along, getting more relaxed and/or natural and/or fun from week to week (that was my impression of “BFG”). Of course, others get a little too loose as a run proceeds past its third or fourth week (I wondered if the “Jitney” cast was feeling a little fatigue going into their sixth week of performances this past weekend).

If a critics is supposed to give a sense of what the average patron will see, maybe the first Sunday matinee would be the best performance to see. Or maybe, since part of the joy of live theater is that every performance is a little different, it doesn’t really matter what show a critic sees?

Anyway, lest anyone think my question about “Jitney” is meant as a slight, it certainly is not. The production I saw at Sycamore Rouge last Friday was top-notch, great performances all around, and an entertaining night of theater. Toney Cobb is always solid, and his portrayal of Becker was spot-on, a real lived-in characterization of a proud man facing some hard life challenges. J. Ron Fleming was a hoot as Fielding and Delvin Young did amazing things with the smallish but pivotal part of Booster. I always love to see young talent like Justin Delaney (who was Youngblood) emerge. I only vaguely remember him from “Charcoal Street” and “Black Nativity” but he made a real impression with “Jitney.”

But my real favorite of the production was Ray Taalib-Deen and not just because his customer-service-pleasant refrain of “Car Service” always got a laugh. Turnbo is a character who somehow means well, even though his meddling in everyone’s business is the main source of dramatic tension during the play. Taalib-Deen’s soft voice lent a “gentle giant” vibe to the character and was a great asset when risen in outrage against Youngblood.

The show was a long one and there was a few spots that dragged. But in general Derome Scott Smith did an exceptional job of pacing the drama to balance the alternating ensemble scenes with the more syllologuy-like scenes. It’s definitely the best work I’ve seen from AART.

At this point, “Once on this Island” seems like really old news having closed two weekends ago, but my experience at the closing night performance was the best time I’ve had at a musical so far this year. Even with its tragic elements, it is such an exuberant show and, like the best of musicals, leaves you with several strong melodies that echo in your mind for weeks (“Waiting for Life” is playing in my head even as I write this).

There are numerous aspects of the Mill’s production that deserve recognition. Most all of the acting and singing was very strong, with particular kudos to Kris Roberts as TiMoune and Durron Tyre as Daniel. Both the lighting by Joe Doran and Leslie Owens-Harrington’s choreography were exceptional and director Tom Width brought it all together with flare. But the real, perhaps unappreciated star of this production was musical director Paul Deiss who led a rock-solid orchestra in keeping that lively, infectious Caribbean-tinged music flowing throughout the show. If there was a moment without music or sound of some sort I don’t remember it, so infused with melody is my memory of the show.

For those who are still following the ongoing saga of “Spider-man” on Broadway, there’s an interesting perspective offered by one journalist in Newsweek this week in response to Julie Taymor’s dismissal and the push of an official opening to the summer. I don’t know the show’s score but if it’s the antithesis of something like “Once on this Island” – that is, free of memorable melodies and engaging songs – then placing at a hearty chunk of blame for this massive fail in the laps of Bono and the Edge certainly seems warranted.

Sneaking one in

My review of "Last Days of Judas Iscariot" just showed up on the Style website. Supplemental commentary to come...

“J” names

There’s a line in the musical “Quilters” (now in rehearsal down at Swift Creek Mill and, based on what I’ve heard, peopled by a cast of awesome actresses) about the popularity of giving children names that start with ‘J.’ There’s also a great kid’s song -- a Timberline family favorite -- called “Favorite Names” all about ‘J’ names.

Two productions in town generating a lot of buzz are ‘J’ shows: “Judas Iscariot” and “Jitney.” This is the last weekend, you can catch the latter, so don’t hesitate to take the trip southward to Sycamore Rouge to check it out. “Judas” has been featured in a nice piece in Style this week and WCVE broadcast Joan Tupponce’s review of the show recently. I’m hoping my review will show up soon online and then I’ll expand on it.

I’m also collecting my thoughts on “Once on this Island,” which I saw the closing performance of last weekend. What a great production! More detailed thoughts to come…

Times Gone By

Joan Tupponce hasn’t been updating her blog recently but WCVE has been getting better (IMHO) at posting her audio reviews on their website. You can go to this link for a listing of all the recent ones they’ve broadcast, including her take on the still-running “Legacy of Light.”

I’ve had a few occasions to talk about “Godspell” since it closed two weekends ago and I’ve been intrigued at people’s impressions. On one extreme, one particularly harsh friend called the show “dated and dumb.” On the other, someone commenting on the post below said Nick Shackleford portrayal of Jesus was “one of the best performances I've seen in Richmond in a long time.” Among my critical pals, the response was also varied with even the most positive voicing some reservations, even the most negative admitting to some nice aspects of the Cadence production.

“Godspell” will always be a show I have a hard time being thoroughly objective about. It was the first musical I remember seeing as a kid and was really my entrée into any interest in theater. My high school’s production when I was a sophmore will in many ways remain the gold standard against which I compare all productions I’ve seen since, a now gauzy euphoric memory infused with the joy of discovery. This poses both positive and negative challenges for me when considering any production: I automatically react with excitement when I hear that fabulous music but I also instinctively know nothing will measure up to my memory.

But even carrying that baggage into the Cadence production, I left having really enjoyed it. I loved the 60s-era vibe that director Anna Johnson gave the production, the overall sense of freshness and innocense that emanated from the performances (this vibe was one some of my pals specifically did not enjoy). She also made good use of what was undoubtedly a challenging performance space. The choreography by Leslie Owens-Harrington was fantastic, skillfully keeping the players in compelling motion throughout a somewhat cramped space. Kim Fox’s music direction was strong and assured.

There weren’t any weak spots in the cast, a real testament to Ms. Johnson’s ability to lure top-notch talent to her projects. It’s always a joy to see new talent seize the opportunity a production like this provides and the unbelievably young T’arah Craig was a revelation: agile in her movement, sincere in her performance and amazing in her voice, partnering with Aly Wepplo to perform the sweetest version of “By My Side” I’ve ever heard. Daniel Cimo is someone who seems born to act, his emotions coming across so clearly from the stage, and it was impossible not to get caught up in Chris Hester’s antic energy. Carolyn Meade’s “Turn Back Old Man” was a distinct highlight and Wepplo seemed to be genuinely choked up at the show’s end, adding a real poignance to the finale.

But while both Shackleford and Russell Rowland did fine jobs, I think there was something of an inbalance in their relationship. Basically, I think Rowland is such a forcefull presence, particularly with that voice, that it was hard for Shackleford to be more compelling. And I wanted Jesus to be more compelling than Judas.

Another issue for me just has to do with the actual story of “Godspell,” which I was much more willing to let flow over me when I was younger. I’ve read a fair amount on the historical Jesus and the history of Christianity in the past decade. I’ve also had a touchy ideological relationship with the faith over the years, particularly with guidance offered by its more fundamental adherents. So its hard for me to put that stuff out of my head and just take in the dramatization of the history of Jesus as a nice little story (one of the reasons I appreciated the “free love” era vibe of the production was it helped me put all of that out of my mind as much as possible.)

So, in the final analysis, I thought it was quite a fine production, another feather in the cap of Cadence’s still-young cap. I was particularly glad that my sons got to see it because it’s a show I’ve wanted them to see and I’m happy they saw an excellent production instead of a marginal one. But seeing it also has had the lingering effect of making me wonder how anxious I’ll be to run out and catch the next production of “Godspell” that shows up on the radar (a Broadway production is being planned for this summer).

Speaking of Broadway, a new production I think people in regional theaters across the country will be checking out with interest is “Good People,” starring the always-intriguing Frances McDormand. David Lindsay-Abaire’s work has been a favorite of local theaters for years – Firehouse has done great productions of “Fuddy Mears” and “Rabbit Hole,” just to name a couple – so I would expect “Good People” to show up on a local stage as soon as the rights are available.

Still

My little finger’s still in a cast and typing is still a pain in the butt. So this will have to be short and sweet. My review of “Legacy of Light” was in Style this week. I’ve got a link up to the T-D review of “Judas” over to the right there but there is also a wonderfully written Richmond.com review by Ms. Jewett that was posted yesterday. My review of the production should show up online soon.

The same week I mention EW’s stage coverage they do a big spread in the magazine on “Broadway’s Craziest Season!” but, in a classic ‘dis to stage fans, the article is nowhere to be found on their website. Anyway, the article includes this interesting assertion: “Spiderman has arguably done s much as – if not more than – the TV show “Glee” to raise theater’s profile as a popular art form in the past few months.” Would you agree? Is this in line with the ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ ethos we hear so much about?

No openings this week but plenty of closings (“BFG,” “Once on this Island,” JCC’s “Kindertransport,” etc.). Just because a couple of shows are getting summer revivals – congrats to “Nunsense” and “Dog Sees God” – doesn’t mean anyone should get complacent about getting out there to see shows while they can!

Briefly

The Oscars are sometimes called the gay Super Bowl so in honor of last night's telecast you may want to go over to GayRVA and check out the review of "BFG" and what I think is a review of "Last Days of Judas Iscariot." The latter is kinda short and not written by the usual Mr. Miller so I don't know if he'll be weighing in as well. The T-D has not, as far as I can tell.

I've got much to say about this past weekend but I'm going under the knife in about an hour so it'll have to wait. What a lovely day for surgery, n'est pas?

Whiplash

As a pop culture junkie, I’ve been reading Entertainment Weekly as a wonderful guilty pleasure for years now. But it was only this week that I realized that the magazine’s website does a regular “This Week in Stage” column. This week’s column starts out with “Spiderman,” of course, but also goes gives a few quick hits on other happenings. It’s not Playbill.com, but it’s not bad for a quick review. Also, EW has a regular online “channel” for their theater coverage that you can get to here.

Speaking of the wall-crawler of the Great White Way, I enjoyed this review of the production in this week’s New Yorker. The concept of “musical of human sacrifice,” however, seems like just another flavor of things dreamt up in everything from “The Hunger Games” to “The Lottery” to Nascar. Are people going to Spiderman expecting / hoping to see an accident? Of course they are.

I’m eagerly anticipating the kind of theatrical whiplash one finds during the Acts of Faith festival in my theater patronage this weekend. I’ll enjoy the generally respectful, if rocked out, staging of things Christian and revelatory at “Godspell” after taking in the irreverent, imaginative musings on things Christian and punitive in “Last Days of Judas Iscariot.” While I don’t expect my belief system to be altered in any significant way, I do expect it’ll be an affirmation of the value of this festival: big issues make good theater.

Now you see ‘em, now you don’t

No, the title isn’t referring to what regular readers may think it’s referring to. Don’t know the whole story, am not expecting to find it out either.

Just as the air is full of anticipation early in January as a flock of new productions is getting set to fly, there is a wee bit of sadness in the air as a bunch of productions are now finishing up. Kudos to those long-running nuns out in Hanover – what an impressive ride it’s been for them. I’m happy that I’m squeezing in a visit to St. Mary’s to see “Godspell;” it would’ve seemed like a sin to miss it.

I hope and expect to see “The BFG” at least once more before it closes. There are a few truly delightful things worth highlighting about this show. First off, this is a show where the direction (by Chase Kniffen) is clearly and enjoyably evident. The affectations of everyone in the Queen’s court, particularly the hilarious interplay between the Queen and her maid, seem a clear translation of a director’s vision. Then there are the eye-popping technical elements – the fabulous giant heads, the luminous lighting, and the impressive rotating set. Even someone who didn’t like the story would have to be a little awed by the stagecraft.

Finally, there are the performances. David Bridgewater makes an absolutely wopsy giant, fleshing out an extreme character who could too easily be turned into a cartoon by a lesser actor. Susan Sanford reaffirms why Richmond is so lucky to have her back with her highly entertaining turn as the Queen. And little Ms. Wilson is just wonderful as Sophie. To see someone so little command the stage so effortlessly is quite amazing.

There are some real challenges to staging a show like BFG. One is competing with the source material because the book is really great. Convincingly evoking giant country – a landscape vividly described in the book – is a real challenge on stage as is projecting any real sense of gigantism. The mangled giant dialogue is also easy to lose track of if you aren’t familiar with it.

But IMHO the Theatre IV production does as good a job as can be expected surmounting these challenges and more than pays them back with the scenes in the Queen’s court that are my favorite. If you go to the show, try and go on a weekend where you can see Sarah Grady’s incredible costumes during the meet-n-greet. As extreme as they may seem on stage, they are even more so when seen up close in the Empire lobby.

One day until “Judas” and then a little hiatus until shows start opening again in mid-to-late March. So go see ‘em while you can!

Racism, God and Giants

It always surprises me what gets people’s dander up. But even more surprising is when the response to an angry tirade is well-mannered, articulate and effective. The esteemed Mr. Miller provides a model for such a response in his latest blog post where he takes on an expatriate Richmond actor and his accusations of racism. There’s just a wee undercurrent of something like sarcasm in Mr. Miller’s post but, for the most part (and IMHO), it provides more than sufficient rebuttal to any charges leveled against his company.

I know there are people in town who look at Theatre IV as something like the evil empire simply because they are the biggest company in town. But in terms of diversity of programming and hiring, I think they do pretty darn well. Maybe they could do better but I think there are probably a half-dozen other organizations I’d target for their lack of diversity before I’d take aim at Theatre IV.

But perhaps most mystifying to me is why the specific production (“BFG”) prompted this kind of charge. Is it just because it opened in February? That seems pretty arbitrary to me.

Style's issue this week has a double-shot from Mr. Griset, with his reviews of "Once on this Island" and "Romeo & Juliet" both available online. Style also slipped another review in last week, posting this “Godspell” review online on Friday. Check it out if you haven’t – both the review and the show! “BFG” continues to garner some coverage, with this review at Richmondmom.com and this little featurette in Style.

If you need your appetite whetted for “Judas Iscariot” opening this weekend, check out this preview in the T-D. Though you can’t find the cast list online very easily, rest assured that some of the finest talent in town is going to be part of this production. It may get crowded on the RTP stage but, in this case (as it was with “Take Me Out” last season), this kind of crowd is a good thing.

digital divide

so i busted up my pinkie finger over the weekend which is annoying in all sorts of ways, among them being that capitalization is kind of a bitch. typing in general isn't really a party either because unless i'm careful the splint on my left hand hits extra keys on the keyboard. ex: here12 is what happens`1 when i'm not32 care1ful.

so i'm not going to write out all of my impressions of BFG (thank you caps lock) right now. but here's a link to ms. haubenstock's review. this afternoon i go to the orthopedic specialist so by tomorrow i'll either be able to type better or won't be able to type at all. updates to come!

Nuts, bolts, etc.

With the Picasso exhibit opening at VMFA, I have been remembering a conversation I had a few years ago with an art curator in town. Until then, I really had no idea what he did. He was in the midst of hanging a contemporary art show and was talking about the challenges of lighting and position and location he was facing. As only a very casual visual arts patron, I thought you just slapped the stuff on the wall and were done with it. Hearing about this fellow’s long nights working with a somewhat temperamental artist on a very tight timeline gave me a whole new appreciation of that particular behind-the-scenes aspect of his job.

I wonder about the transfer coming up of “Jitney” from Pine Camp down to Sycamore Rouge and what the behind-the-scenes challenges are associated with that. Given that this was a move planned well in advance, I expect (hope) some consideration of what moving to a new space would entail. Twenty-five years ago I was a small and tangential part of a couple of moves of “Quilters” (yes, that one again…) from one venue to another and then to another space within the Empire. Each move required a little reworking of set and blocking and props and, as I remember it, the rustic set that perfectly filled up Shafer Street stage seemed a little lost and spread out on the main Empire stage.

One of my favorite productions of all time was “The Syringa Tree” which I saw in its original configuration on the Little Theatre stage in the Empire and always wondered how the staging on the Willow Lawn stage changed / enhanced / inhibited the show. As a reviewer, I often think it’d be cool to do a dual review of a show that’s moved – one venue versus another, one installation versus another, as it were. Of course, I’m lucky to get to any production in any space these days, let alone one production in two. Still, a boy can dream.

Speaking of more nuts and bolts matters, “The BFG”’s opening tonight has me appreciative (again) of the key role of stage manager in the smooth operation of any production. Wendy Vandergrift is stage-managing “BFG” and she is awesome. The energy, focus and good-humor she brings to the job makes everything (at least from the outside) seem like a party, even though I’m sure she’s just as tired and cranky as everyone else as the crush of tech week comes to a close. As a stage parent, no one is more important to me than the stage manager and yet, as a theater critic, I never mention the stage manager. (And probably never would – how can an audience member tell whether a show is well stage-managed?) That’s a weird little piece of cognitive dissonance I’m feeling right now.

There’s still lots of theater to see out there but make a space for “BFG” in your plans, if for nothing else to see the adorable Ellie Wilson (Gretel in “Sound of Music”) being, well, adorable again!

Facebook Frustration

I can’t access Facebook at work so I can’t include the links that I want to below. But if you are lucky enough to be able to get to Facebook, they should be easy enough to find.

First, Theatre IV’s next show, “The BFG (Big Friendly Giant)” is opening on Friday. This will mark the (possibly welcome) return of a certain pint-sized Timberline to the stage after his adventures out west. It also marks the (definitely welcome) return of David Janeski to the video production realm and he’s posted at least one (maybe more) behind-the-scenes video about the production on Facebook that is quite witty and entertaining, as they always are. I can’t find a link on the Theatre IV site but you can search FB for it.

Update: Here's a link to Theatre IV's page.

Second, last night I stumbled upon the Best Dates series that Richmond Shakespeare has been doing as part of its promotion of “Romeo and Juliet” and it’s a lot of fun. Liz Blake White and Jeff Cole are cute as a pair of buttons and the captions to some of the pics are drolly hilarious. Again, I can’t offer a direct link but you can go to the Richmond Shakespeare site on FB and find it.

Update: Here's a link to Richmond Shakespeare's page.

Speaking of R&J, the RVANews review by Susan Howson showed up yesterday. It’s worth a read. And speaking of reviews, Style has Mr. Griset’s take on “Dog Sees God” in this week’s issue.

As I hope you’ve noticed, the links to other blogs and websites are starting to appear over on the right side of the page. I still haven’t rebuilt the links to individual actors, including the “expatriates” section. But I’ll give a quick shout-out to one ex-pat who has a new show that was recently reviewed on the NY Theatre site. As per usual, former Richmonder Chris Harcum is wowing audiences with his one-man bravura performances. Way to go Chris!

Have a happy “hump day” and look for my guaranteed-to-be-biased review of “BFG” coming this weekend!

Where Art Thou

When I was in high school, my friends complained about studying Shakespeare. Even today many people who I talk to who love theater in general have no great affection for Shakespeare. But to me, Shakespeare has always been a rich mix of investigative discovery (specifically around the language) and hard-core stage theatrics. The language holds so many weird and wonderful gifts that pop up at unexpected times.

The most famous passage from “Romeo and Juliet” – Juliet’s balcony scene that includes the line “Wherfore Art Thou Romeo?” as well as the “rose by any other word would smell as sweet” assertion – may be familiar to even the most casual theater lover but still has surprises. For instance, for many years I thought the first line was Juliet pining for Romeo and essentially asking “where are you, Romeo?” in fancy Elizabethan speak.

It wasn’t until well after my college years that I picked up an annotated Shakespeare that explained that “wherefore” in the specific context of that scene is asking “for what purpose are you Romeo?” Once I knew that, the whole scene makes a whole lot more sense. For you hardcore Bard fans out there, this is old news. What’s unfortunate (IMHO) is that I’m sure that there are scads of people that have let that line go past them for years without giving it a second thought. I’m sure of that because I was one of them.

Anyway, if you were wondering where the Times-Dispatch review of “R&J” was, it’s in today’s paper. As I was perusing the T-D online, I also saw this picture apparently taken from a rehearsal for “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” the show that will close out this flurry of openings next week.

The T-D also offers a feed from the Associate Press so at the bottom of the “R&J” review you’ll see links to various national theater stories, including this one that recaps the latest on Broadway’s Spiderman. If you’d rather say “Turn off the Noise” to “Turn off the Dark” and are sick of that story, perhaps you’d like to read about fanboy conversation that’s springing up around the new Spiderman movie, specifically the organic/mechanical web spinner debate. Not to get all pedantic or anything but sometimes its kind of amazing to me that, with democracy seeming to be catching fire across the Middle East, these are the things people talk about. Oh well, as my hero Kurt Vonnegut famously wrote, so it goes.

Speaking of Envy…

Thanks to my anonymous pals out there who alerted me to the reviews of “Godspell” and “Romeo and Juliet” that are available online at some of the alternative media outlets in town (GayRVA and Richmond.com, respectively).

I really enjoyed reading both of these reviews. A well-written rave is always fun to read but I also have a tinge of envy with space that online writers have at their disposal. Not being constricted to a set number of words (me and Rich at Style) or column inches (the T-D reviewers) or minutes of airtime (WCVE folks) allows Ms. Jewett to write with enthusiasm and insight on “R&J” and for Mr. Mitchell to bring some historical / critical background to bear in his discussion of “Godspell.” They are lucky to have the space and we readers are lucky (IMHO) to have writers who care enough to use that space to enhance their reviews. Brava!

Keeping it fresh and friends

A couple of people have asked me about the new look for the blog. Two reasons for the change: I was really getting sick of looking at that old design. And also, I wanted to take advantage of all of the cute new widgets that the blogging programmers have come up with. I’m still figuring most of them out so some of the categories of listings that were on the old blog haven’t transferred over yet. But they will resurface as soon as I figure out how to incorporate them all. Honest.

One of the widgets is the “Followers” option. If you want to get notification when I post, it’s a handy little feature. I noticed that John Porter has more than 25 followers (oh, and his rave about “Legacy of Light” was posted recently). Do I have follower envy? Yes, I believe I do.

I don’t know why exactly, but I’ve seen a lot more sensitivity in the press and in marketing about how Valentine’s Day isn’t such a great celebration for some folks. At least one site I’ve seen suggests we remember the importance of friends at Valentine’s Day as well as loading up our sweethearts with gifts. I think this is a great idea. In fact, I was going to relate it to some recently opened theater productions. Sure, “Romeo and Juliet” is more famous for the titular love story but isn’t the friendship between Romeo and Mercutio also a pivotal and near-equally heartbreaking aspect of the play?

There isn’t an exact female equivalent in "R&J" but in “West Side Story” I think one of the most affecting and in some ways disturbing scenes is when Anita, still freshly grieving over the death of Bernardo, goes to the diner to tell Tony what’s going on only to be taunted and nearly raped by Tony’s pals. That’s some kind of strong bond that makes Anita willing to do that for Maria (that her lie about Maria’s death in response to the abuse ultimately leads to Tony’s death just makes it all the more tragic).

If you are looking for something to do with a friend to celebrate Valentine’s Day, you could always rent a classic old MGM musical to watch and bond over. Here’s a pretty amazingly comprehensive review of the best of all those old musicals that I came across recently.

The struggles of “Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark” have reached a new level of recognition in the cultural zeitgeist: if you happened to check out Saturday Night Live this past weekend, there was a moderately entertaining faux-commercial with a personal injury lawyer handling grievances from those injured by the production (he won awards all consisting of...wait for it...tickets to see the show). I’m still wondering whether all of this attention is a good thing or a bad thing; there is, after all, no such thing as bad publicity right?

I haven’t seen reviews of “Godspell” and “R&J” yet; I guess other things (the Grammies?) pushed them off the pages of the T-D. If anyone sees them before me, please let me know. I mean, that’s what friends are for, right?

Love!

The run-up to the massive love-a-palooza that is Valentine’s Day started for me on Tuesday. First, there was the romance-centric episode of “Glee,” where the unlikely Puck-Lauren wooing allowed for performance of one of my favorite songs of all-time (“Fat Bottomed Girls”).

Then, of course, there was the “Celebrity Sonnets” reading that Richmond Shakespeare held that evening. The range of talent on display was impressive, from the schmoes who barely got their iambs to pentameterize (yours truly) to real pros like Jacquie O’Connor who showed what a real actor can do with 14 short little lines. It was great fun watching Deb Clinton, Alan Sader, Matt Hackman, and Emma Mason play out the various mixings and matchings of love, using the Bard’s complex verse as a vehicle. Frankly, Mr. Hackman and Ms. Mason could have been reading random Facebook statuses – the electricity between those attractive young actors is palpable.

One perspective that I came out of the experience with was the concept of an actor’s instrument and the importance of keeping it tuned and exercised. There is a whole litany of tools that I did not have at my disposal because I don’t act or perform on a regular basis. What was so clear from comparing amateurs to pros that night is that there are subtleties involving tone of voice, changes of expression, simple gestures, rhythm and pacing that you only master with practice (or some really amazing innate talent). Even though there were things that I wanted to communicate that I could discuss or contemplate intellectually, my instrument was not adequately tuned to actually get them across. I think I did OK but I was fascinated by the thought of what a real actor could do with my sonnet employing the skills that I don’t have.

On Wednesday, Ms. Jewett on Richmond.com gave a little love to “Legacy of Light” with her review. I found out that day that my review of the show won’t come out until Feb. 23. Since it’ll be a while, I’ll offer this capsule, which is not quite as admiring as Ms. Jewett’s: I found the historical half of the story very engaging, anchored by great performances by Tamara Johnson as Emilie, Larry Cook as Voltaire and a heart-breaking, delicate and beautiful Maggie Horan as Pauline. However, I never warmed to the contemporary story and found some aspects of it downright annoying (to paraphrase the show, “annoyingly annoying”). But Mr. Miller did a particularly fine job when the past and present story lines mixed and technically, the show was wonderful, Ms. Hartman’s lighting being a real stand-out. More detail in print in 10 days or so...

I read on Thursday that Stephen Colbert will appear in a production of “Company” later this year. I love both Colbert and Sondheim but I’m a little wary of what will happen when the two come together.

And finally, love will definitely be in the air on stages this weekend, with the openings of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Godspell,” two shows I happen to love. So whether you celebrate love that is carnal, romantic or spiritual this weekend, have a lovely time!

Recovery

I’ve spent as much of the past 5 days as possible studying the inside of my eyelids, trying to recover from a lingering illness. I’ve emerged relatively successfully, though I am fearful of the potential for addiction to Nyquil. Dang, that stuff makes you sleep hard.

I was able to drag myself out of bed to take part in the wonderful evening that was Richmond Shakespeare's "Celebrity Sonnets" as part of its Second Tuesdays readers theater series. I'll write more on that soon. Anyway, I’ve got much to catch up on so here are scads of links:

This week’s Style is a definite picker-upper because it’s the mid-season Arts issue. Theatre-related articles in this one include Mary Burruss’s piece on “Romeo and Juliet” and my piece on Sycamore Rouge and upcoming co-productions. I’d also strongly recommend my colleague Rich Griset’s well-researched explication of the recent Virginia Opera kerfuffle.

The T-D has reviewed "Legacy of Light," "Dog Sees God" and "Jitney." Of these three, I’ve only seen “Legacy” so far and will put my two cents out there about it soon.

Mr. Porter has posted his review of “Once on this Island.” Raves all around for this one so far.

Also, one of the newer critics on the local scene – and the newest official member of the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle – is Liz Jewett who has been penning articles for Richmond.com lately. In case you missed them, here are links to her preview of “The Color Purple” and her review of “This Beautiful City.” I’ll be trying to link to her more often as I find her stuff.

The hits continue as “Romeo and Juliet” and “Godspell” open this weekend. Phew! Hardly enough time to take a breath around here!

Oh also, I snuck into rehearsal for Theatre IV’s upcoming “The BFG (Big Friendly Giant)” last night and saw the set that’s under construction. It looks like it’s going to be pretty cool. Watch for that one opening just around the corner…

Oh, and of course, the theater world has been abuzz about the reviews of the Spiderman musical hitting the papers even though the show hasn’t officially opened yet. You probably won’t be too surprised to learn that most critics have hated it. Here’s a link to a nice summary of the reviews. I especially like the cited recommendation from New York magazine’s reviewer that the show never open and just continue to be retooled forever. Intriguing idea…

UPDATE: Here's another summary that includes a link to the producers' response to the critical drubbing the show is receiving...

Triple Play

There are three plays opening this weekend and they may be among the most curiosity-spurring shows of the young year, each for a different reason. How does Bert Royal bring the Peanuts gang into their teenage years for “Dog Sees God?” How will Sycamore Rouge and AART blend together for “Jitney?” And what the heck is “Legacy of Light” even about?

I am cautiously hopeful about each of these productions. As the father of two teenagers, I’m kind of sick of shows that treat adolescents as joke fodder and little else (one of my very few beefs with “This Beautiful City”). Teenagers may be maddening, confused and even ridiculous but they are also struggling with one of the toughest transitions that people have to make. Based on what little I know about it, I can see the potential for “Dog Sees God” to be a two-hour long joke at teenagers’ expense. But I’m hopeful Mr. Maupin will encourage more shades and nuance in his production.

Preliminary reports I’ve heard (from biased sources, granted) suggest that “Jitney” is going to be great. This is a very eloquent play in its own street-wise way, and if the right actors are guided well, it can have the snap and pop of a great jazz performance. But it’s also thin on plot and relatively lengthy so the potential for drag is definitely there. My hope is that the influence of Sycamore Rouge – which has done an exceptional job at staging classics like “Streetcar” and “The Crucible” – will be seen in an AART production that hits all of the right notes.

I think “Legacy of Light” faces some of the same challenges Richmond Shakespeare’s “Arcadia” did last year. It’s a show with two plotlines set in different centuries and apparently employs some rich language. It’s female-centric and deals with real and relatively complicated issues. But I expect, like “Arcadia,” it is also funny and engaging. It seems like “Arcadia” found its audience; I’m hopeful audiences will be able to get over the vagueness and unfamiliarity of the title and give “Legacy” a fair shot as well.

An interim post

I’ve been trying to keep to a schedule of Mon-Wed-Fri blog posts but had to break that pattern today. I just found out yesterday that my review of “The Fiddler’s House” won’t be appearing in print but Style has posted it online. You can check it out here.

I’m not sure what else to say about this production. I went in really wanting to like it. I’ve heard great things about CAT’s productions over the past year or two. But the basic plotline of “Fiddler’s” was not only derivative of “Driving Miss Daisy,” which I highlight in my review, but of a half-dozen sitcom scenarios dating back at least as far as “All in the Family.” And the journey the characters take involves huge cultural and interpersonal shifts and the cast, as stalwart as they were, did not convince me that those shifts had taken place.

I remained intrigued by CAT’s “all Richmond premieres” season and will look forward to their next show – “Almost Maine” directed by Amy Berlin – in March. It’s a show that sounds like a real actors’ challenge, based on what I’ve heard, and should dovetail nicely with the sense of spring fever that we’ll hopefully be enjoying by that time.

Smash

The first review of Swift Creek Mill’s “Once on this Island” is in (Ms. Haubenstock’s take in today’s T-D) and it’s a rave. Looks like the Mill might have a hit on their hands with this one.

And speaking of hits, SPARC’s “The World Goes Round” that closed this past weekend was a definite smash. Though made up of a cast of students, the show was a winner in all respects. Director/choreographer Deb Clinton did an amazing job of guiding some of Richmond’s finest teenage talent through a review of Kander & Ebb songs. Many of the cast members have appeared on Richmond pro stages in the past and, if we’re lucky, many of them will appear on pro stages again in the future (in fact, would someone just go ahead and plan a production of “13” already and sign up this cast pronto before they get any older?)

I would gush about individual performances but I don’t have the time and feel like it might end up being repetitive – how many different ways can you say “awesome” after all? But while many of the teenagers were exceptional, I do have to single out a couple because of an aspect of performing that goes beyond just being a good singer. Both Makenzie Mercer and Allison Gilman had trouble with their mikes during the Saturday performance but neither of them let it ruin their solos. Both had the presence of mind to carry on, knock the volume of their voices up a notch perhaps, and bring their songs to a successful close. The ability to adapt to circumstances on stage shows a level of professionalism uncommon among those so young. As Seth Rudetsky would say, “Brava!” I also got a great kick out of the kids who ventured out into the audience to sing. That kind of variable interpersonal contact could rattle lesser performers but not these kids, another testament to their uncommon maturity.

Final accolades must be paid also to Tony Williams whose musical direction and accompaniment during the show was impeccable. I also really liked the costumes, though there was no customer designer listed in the program. Whoever coordinated that aspect of the production did a fantastic job. And one final shout-out to Ms. Clinton: sure, you had some really great raw material to work with but to mold such an entertaining evening out of a horde of teenagers takes great vision and skill. Nicely done. My only complaint is that the show only ran for one weekend. This was one I gladly would have returned to at least one more time.

And while I’m on the subject of smash hits, have you heard about the next “Glee”-like TV show that is in development for next season? I might groan a little at the idea of a show -- entitled "Smash" -- built around the behind-the-scenes going on during the staging of a Broadway musical if such a talented bunch of people weren’t involved in the development with Mr. Spielberg himself at the top of the list. I’ll be awaiting casting information on this one eagerly.

Tennessee and Tory

Mr. Porter on WCVE has weighed in on CAT's "The Fiddler's House." You can read his thoughts on his blog.

I’ve been reading a little bit lately about Tennessee Williams and the fact that 2011 marks 100 years since his birth. As such, centennial festivals in Williams’ honor have been scheduled in various cities throughout the country. But, as far as I know, no Richmond area theater is planning on anything Williams-related in the coming year.

Maybe that’ll change when 2011-12 seasons are announced this spring. Or maybe theater companies here are tired of rolling out the old faves, “Streetcar” or “Glass Managerie” or “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” But there are other interesting options. Take “The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore,” currently playing in New York. Or even more challenging, wouldn’t it be cool if some company put on “Green Eyes,” the little-known one-act that just closed. The New York production was staged in a hotel room and could only be watched by 14 people at a time. I’m thinking a scrappy company like Night Light Collective could call the folks over at the Jefferson and work something out. Wouldn’t that be fun?

And in my random internet surfing, I also came across this item about a Tori Amos musical in development. I’ve always had somewhat mixed emotions about Amos. What do you think – would a Tori musical be a delight or a disaster?

Twenty-three

Rich Griset’s review of This Beautiful City is in this week’s Style. He – like most reviewers in town – gave the show an appreciative rave. The winter season really starts to heat up this weekend with “Once on this Island” opening at the Mill. By my count, over the next 3 weeks six productions will be opening and that’s not even counting “The Color Purple” at CenterStage or the Kander & Ebb review that SPARC is putting on. Prepare to get busy!

For those of you who keep track of this sort of thing, the longest running musical on Broadway – “Phantom of the Opera” – celebrates the 23rd anniversary of its opening night today. It’s funny – in my experience, “Phantom” is a little like “Cats” used to be. It may have run forever but few people I talk to mention it as one of their favorite shows. So who is still going to see this show after 23 years? Just for the record: I have never seen it. It’s never risen to the top of my must-see list during those precious few trips I take to New York. Perhaps this year I’ll break down and give it a shot.

Yesterday I had my first rehearsal for the night of sonnets that Richmond Shakespeare is putting on Feb. 8th. I have a rather ridiculous history when it comes to acting. When I was a high school senior, I was in the ensemble of our production of “Once Upon a Mattress,” a task I was recruited for by my girlfriend at the time (a wonderfully talented singer who was playing the Minstrel) because of the lack of boys willing to try out. I was wisely paired with the best and loudest female singer in the ensemble so no one would hear anything that came out of my mouth. I had one line – something like “Get a rope!” – and I delivered it horribly.

Later, when I was working backstage for Theatre IV, the director of “Isn’t It Romantic” tried to block a scene to include some of us backstage guys. It was a scene in a café and one of the characters was supposed to wave at successive passers-by while having a conversation with another character. All we crew folk had to do was walk by and give a friendly wave or salute. Well, apparently we all looked so awkward trying to look natural just walking across the stage that the director decided to just have the character pantomime seeing acquaintances walk by. Clearly, the audience’s imagination would be more convincing than our acting. As it happens, I think I was about 23 years old at the time and perfectly happy to stay backstage and behind the scenes where I belonged.

Time and experience have put me on stages of various kinds since then. I’ve done training and conference presentations and taught college classes and even had to open an awards show once. But my acting technique has not gotten any better. As I quipped to the very patient Freddy Kaufman who is directing the night of sonnets, I covered the emotions from A to B in my reading. But don’t let that dissuade you from coming to the Feb. 8th performance. I’ll only be on stage for a minute and a half or so and there will be many professionals there who actually know what they’re doing. And I’m trying to recruit a loud and talented performer who might consider singing through my sonnet so once again you won’t have to hear anything that comes out of my mouth. Shhh. Don’t tell Freddy.

Buy local

Susan Haubenstock’s review of The Fiddler’s House was in Sunday’s T-D. Worth a read if you haven’t read it yet. My thoughts on the production will wait until my review is published but I will say that I concur with many of Ms. Haubenstock’s observations.

One of the intriguing things about Fiddler’s House is that is was written by – and the Chamberlayne Actors Theatre production is directed by – Richmonder Sheryle Criswell. Criswell’s play is the first in a whole season of Richmond premieres that CAT will be producing this year. That’s certainly a bold choice by the ever-intriguing company and it opens the door to a topic that I’ve wondered about for some time now.

Over the years, people have talked to me – or challenged me – with questions along the lines of “what would it take for Richmond to be a major theater town?” Some people have argued that we need to promote local playwrights like Ms. Criswell because only when we have home-grown talent doing significant new work will Richmond become a location of note in the theater world. Others have said that, regardless of the playwright’s home town, theaters in Richmond need to be doing more world premieres. This is certainly worthy of attention given the substantial amount of press directed towards Virginia Stage’s recent opening of SCKBSTD and work that the Signature in NoVA has done in the past that has eventually made it to the Great White Way (specifically Glory Days.)

I’m always intrigued by those who assert that only when Richmond gets better theater critics will Richmond theater garner world-class status. While I definitely think there are arguments to be made about the role of critics in the development and growth of a theater scene, I think that particular one puts the cart before the horse. Then there are those that tell me that, even with several fantastic collegiate theater programs in the area and one of the largest touring companies in the country located here (i.e., Theatre IV), Richmond is simply not big enough to foster a theater scene that could ever become significant on a national level and everyone should just focus on doing the best theater that can be done given the fiscal, demographic and institutional constraints inherent in producing theater in Richmond.

As always, I’m interested in what others – particularly others who are involved in local theater in a more day-to-day, livelihood-depends-on-it kind of way – think about this question. Or if they even think it’s a question worth asking. What do you think?

Speaking of

Last year’s lackluster season of American Idol pretty much put me off the show and, given that the only consistently coherent and honest judge left the panel, I wasn’t planning on watching much of this season. But, as you might have noticed, minutes after the premiere aired on Wednesday Facebook was alight with news about Richmond native Zak Resnick’s appearance. While it wasn’t clear during his 2 seconds of screen time on Wednesday, the former SPARC student and Artsie awards winning star of Barksdale’s 2009 production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” made it through to the Hollywood round. So hopefully he’ll get some more screen time in future shows. In the meantime, you can see an interview with him on the American Idol site. Congrats, Zak!

Speaking of Richmond natives making a splash on the national scene, the opening of SCKBSTD (with book by Clay McLeod Chapman) got some love from Playbill.com today, announcing the opening of the show at Virginia Stage. And speaking of Richmonders currently involved in something national in scope, Hannah Zold has been on the road with the national tour of the Elvis-centric “All Shook Up” tour. I haven’t found any website for the tour except for this Facebook page so I’m not sure about all of the tour dates. But if you happen to be in Macon, GA, around Feb 9th or 10th, be sure and check it out.

Speaking of national tours, several weeks ago I mentioned playing poker over Thanksgiving with the “back-up Santa” who was traveling on the Radio City Christmas Spectacular national tour. Well, in case you think only some hack would be playing that role, the actor in question – the very talented and extremely nice Robert J. Townsend – recently picked up a “Best Actor in a Musical” award at the Los Angeles-area Ovation Awards for his work in “The Story of My Life.” Congrats, Robert!

And speaking of awards, the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle recently went live with a website. It doesn’t have much on it yet but it does provide a list of nominees and award winners for the past 3 years. It’ll also be the go-to place for details of the 2011 awards event as specifics are nailed down. So stay tuned for more news, coming soon!

In the meantime, the number of running shows increases by one this weekend, with the opening of "The Fiddler's House" at Chamberlayne Actors Theatre. You can check it out or you might consider heading over to RTP to see "This Beautiful City," which by the way was just reviewed by John Porter. Have a great weekend!

Energizer Nuns

The Barksdale announced last night that "Nunsense" would be extended yet again, now continuing to Feb. 27. That will mean the production will run a total of 3 full months by the time it wraps -- quite an impressive feat. Congrats to the "Nunsense" cast and crew for creating such a popular show!

Primed for a Premiere

My piece on Clay McLeod Chapman is in this week’s Style. I’ve known Clay for many years now and have been happy to read about his continued success since leaving Richmond. This latest project – the world premiere of a full-scale production of SCKBSTD at Virginia Stage – has been particularly exciting since it represents so many great things: a prime opportunity for Clay, of course, but also a high-profile world premiere in Virginia. And new Bruce Hornsby songs!

Clay is a great interview because he talks a lot, and also because he says so many interesting things. He started our conversation talking about getting ready for opening night saying, “We’re burning the wick at every possible end at this point.”

He has a very realistic and humble perspective on landing this opportunity. “I want to chalk it up to my talent but really, it was just dumb luck in an elevator,” he told me. Literally, a guy overheard producer Michael Rafael talking about working with Bruce Hornsby in an elevator. Out of the blue, he said, “I just read this book. I hear this guy does theater. You should check him out.” And that is how the whole ball got rolling.

It was very interesting getting a perspective on Hornsby. Clay said, “Bruce is a bit of salty bastard. Rather than holding back, he likes to find the edge and keep on going.” Talking about his role in the process, Clay said, “In terms of the darkness of the material, the roles have been reversed. I’m more interested in telling a story that has darker themes but finding a light in the darkness. Bruce is up for messing with his fans. It was a surprise to me but it makes sense. He forged a career doing what he wants to do. It’s impressive to know that these are the songs he wants to write and there hasn’t been any compromise.”

Though the public at large may not be very familiar with director John Rando, you theater peeps probably know him best as the director of the original production of Urinetown. Clay had some insightful things to say about working with him. “John definitely knows how to deal with something that has a challenging title,” he said. “But I still think this is a stretch for him. It’s not Urinetown or Wedding Singer. He’s really taking on something that is darker.” His ability to do so impressed Clay a lot. “I am going to follow that guy wherever he wants to take me,” he said.

One final tidbit I’ll add is that there is an interesting connection between Clay and another playwright who has gotten attention in Richmond lately, Kyle Jarrow (who wrote Love Kills that was recently at the Firehouse). Here’s the story from Clay: “When I got the call [to work on SCKBSTD], I had never written a musical before. It’s a situation where first you say, “Yeah!” and then figure out how you are going to do it. Kyle Jarrow is a friend of mine and just by chance we had similar opportunities come up at the same time. We were both used to doing smaller shows and now we have these jobs doing larger scale things. So we got together and asked ourselves, ‘How do we try to do that?’ We said, ‘OK, now class is in session.’ And we collaborated on this indie musical called Hostage Song. It was an amazing experience. We created this musical, which is one of the personal favorite things I ever did, and we realized that it’s not as impossible.”

Speaking of things that aren’t impossible, it’s clear that independent filmmakers have more chances than ever to succeed, as is evidenced by the movie Antihero that will play at the Byrd next week (see the article in this week’s Style). I mention it because at least one, probably several, local theater faves are featured in this movie.

And one final bit of randomness, I was really interested to read Spinner’s listing of the best guitar riffs of all time. I like the article because it provides online samples of 50 really awesome songs. But it’s also the kind of thing engineered to incite controversy…just like when you award the “Best” of anything (like for instance, the best theater productions and performances in Richmond). It’s something I like to keep in mind, particularly as I look toward the 2011 RTCC awards...

Passed, Present and Future

Last week was a bit staggering in terms of the deaths of several monumental individuals who played important roles in the development of professional theater. These included playwright Romulus Linney; director and administrator Michael Langham, and theater pioneer Ellen Stewart. Their contributions were noted and lauded over the weekend, perhaps most poignantly when Linney’s daughter, Laura, skipped the Golden Globes. May they rest in peace.

The Times-Dispatch review of “This Beautiful City” came out last week. Give a look if you missed it.

Looking to the future, the Acts of Faith preview was last Friday, giving interested Richmond theatergoers a peak at what’s in store on stages over the next several weeks. I could only stay for the first half – I had an important appointment requiring the loss of my shirt in poker – but saw enough to have my emotions flung all over the place. I was heartened to see the cast from RTP’s “This Beautiful City,” whose voices and energy carried just as well (maybe better) on the big stage as they did in the little Altamont theater. The cast from Cadence’s “Godspell” had me all choked up with just a couple of selections from the show. That music is just amazing and, after the preview, I feel pretty confident Cadence will do well in presenting it.

The lead from the Mill’s “Once on This Island” – who I think is Kris Roberts? – was adorable and has a great voice, though a couple of notes seemed to go astray in her song. I expect that’ll tighten up as opening night approaches. The leads from CAT’s “The Fiddler’s House” had me a little concerned as their interactional rhythm was a bit rough. Here’s hoping this last week of tech and rehearsal helps smooth that out.

I was disappointed not to be able to see the second half of the preview but I was at least able to catch the fairly bizarre scene of Bruce Miller relating aspects of “Legacy of Light” accompanied by Audra Honaker’s tuneful humming. While that was a tad odd, it couldn’t match the presentation from “For Our Children Productions” in terms of weirdness. Devil masks on kids – I’m sorry but that’s creepy.

The whole event was presided over by the lovely Stacey Cabaj, a welcome presence regardless of the role she is playing. Even though the Acts of Faith festival has been going on for 7 years now, this was the first time I’d ever attended the preview event. You can bet I’ll make it a priority in the future. This kind of collective “appetite whetting” makes me wish something like this could happen near the end of the summer as well to preview all of the fall’s planned productions. Can you have a preview without a festival?

City Story

I’ve been trying to avoid the phrase “Laramie Project Lite” to describe “This Beautiful City” because it sounds diminutive and not altogether laudatory. But I don’t mean it that way. Compared to the monumental, ambitious, sometimes harrowing “Laramie,” just about anything seems more lightweight. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For instance, “This Beautiful City” is also light as in funny. Sometimes very funny. And that suits the subject given that the true story of Ted Haggard is sort of tragicomic – with big doses of Schadenfreude mixed in – versus the outright tragedy of Matthew Shepard.

Ultimately, I don’t think you can avoid invoking “Laramie” when talking about TBC because of a very good reason: both shows do an exceptional job of developing a sense of place, of presenting the story of a whole community, not just of a handful of characters in a specific setting. That broad-based sociological perspective is one of the things that make TBC a fascinating piece of theater. While essentially a documentary, the show enhances the dialogue lifted directly from interviews by wrapping some of it in song – spare, simply melodic songs by Michael Friedman – that are delivered exceedingly well by the cast in RTP’s production.

Some of the most riveting scenes involve juxtapositions of different viewpoints where the political is rendered dramatically personal. Each cast member plays multiple roles and, among the many exceptional portrayals by Andrew Hamm, the most bracing is of Mikey Weinstein whose stunning rebuke of the “churchification” of the military plays out next to a group of Air Force cadets earnestly declaring their faith as expressed in on-base prayer groups. And while I expect there is a field-day of parody that could be had in the explication of Ted Haggard’s hypocrisy and whack-job denial of his sexuality, TBC is ultimately more effective and intriguing by focusing on people’s reactions, from confusion to anger to glee.

However (did you sense there was a however coming?), the “research project” perspective also contributes to some of the shows problems. While a remarkable majority of the scenes present full-bodied, well-rounded characters, a couple still ended up presenting caricatures. And while that may be unavoidable, it left me feeling like the authors were trying to have their cake and eat it to, at least a little bit. We are clearly meant to empathize with the empowered trans girl (a flawless portrayal by Lanaya Burnette) but laugh at the Revolution House of Prayer zealots. There is reverence and respect in songs like “Freedom” and “Urban Planning” while a teenage girl’s confusion is wrapped up in the joke of a song, “Whatever.” It’s seems like if you are going to present these characters with dignity, don’t they all deserve respect?

But even as I write that, I realize I’m overthinking this a bit, which is also ultimately a good indictor of the value of this show, at least in my opinion. This is a show that could have been largely a joke at Ted Haggard’s expense or an over-obvious put-down of hypocrisy and, instead, ends up being reflective and thought-provoking, not to mention very entertaining.

I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight each member of the cast, since each has at least one moment – usually many moments – where they do great work. I loved the brittleness Christy Mullins gave to the Colorado Springs Economic Development Woman. Scott Melton’s Associate Pastor at Haggard’s church seems genuinely lost when Haggard’s “indiscretions” are exposed. Tarnee Kendell Hudson has many delightful moments but none so powerful as her turn as a New Pastor at the Emmanuel Church. And, in a scene both deceptively simple and insightfully complex, Jason Campbell renders Haggard’s son Marcus with refreshing regular-guy straightforwardness.

As far as its technical aspects, this is not a production I would place among RTP’s best. The set (by Philip Milone) is simply functional with pianist Kim Fox (who does a fine job as musical director) and a percussionist placed neatly in two islands. But having video and slides projected on a loose sheet evokes community theater, as does the somewhat flat and spotty lighting. The costumes (by Ashley Davis) were also fine, though I thought some, like the Emmanuel Choir Member outfit, were a bit cartoonish.

I hadn’t been planning to see TBC and was lucky that last night opened up so I could. If I were you, I wouldn’t count on luck; make plans to see it now or it’ll be gone before you know it.

First, the links

I’ve done some monkeying around with the links on the left nav bar recently. You’ll see Matt Polson listed among the “Otherwise Occupied” folks now, as the young videographer / director branches out into new projects. Also, as the number of active bloggers continues to plummet, I’ve moved a bunch of blogs to the “On Hiatus” area. These are blogs that haven’t had fresh material in the past 3 months.

I went to see “This Beautiful City” last night and will post some comments as soon as I can, hopefully by the end of the day. While looking for a review of the production at the T-D site, I stumbled across all sorts of other theater news out there. Locally, the talented Mr. Cosby will be delivering Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at City Hall today. This should be an energizing and celebratory event and I recommend checking it out.

The ongoing Spiderman saga continues with news both good (I guess) in terms of Glenn Beck’s endorsement (that he couldn’t deliver without an insult to boot – go Glenn!) and bad in terms of the production’s opening night getting kicked a month back…again.

On the left coast, the original “God of Carnage” cast will be getting together for a short run. Through a lucky circumstance, I’m going to be in LA for work during that time so you can bet I’ll be trying my hardest to wrangle me a ticket. I’m very intrigued to see what a LA theater experience will be like.

Finally, the Acts of Faith kickoff is tonight at the Empire. It should be quite a cavalcade of local stars. Are you going to be there?

Better and Between

I heard through the grapevine – well, actually from one particularly wonderful grape – that Derome Scott Smith of African-American Rep Theatre had suffered a seizure earlier this week. This source assures me that Derome is fine and recovering at home and also that the rehearsals of “Jitney,” due to open at Pine Camp on Feb. 5th are proceeding. Please join me in sending out healing and restorative thoughts and prayers to Derome.

Just because we’re in a “between” period when many shows have recently closed and others are prepping to open and so there are no theater reviews, don’t think there’s no reason to pick up a Style. In fact, the Arts coverage in this week’s issue is dominated by a piece by former critic/still theater gadabout Mary Burruss on nudity on stage and still-critical Rich Griset on an upcoming production of “Two Gentlemen of Lebowski.” Be sure to check them out.

I really appreciate Ms. Burruss’s article on nudity because it is one of those subjects that I think, at this point in our cultural development, wouldn’t be such a big deal but continues to be. However, even if you don’t have any problem with the actual nudity, there are interesting questions that arise with its inclusion in a production. There are the legal issues that are touched on in the article, some specific to our own wonderfully backward state. But then there are the myriad artistic issues: is the nudity called for? Does it serve the piece? Does it distract an audience more than it engrosses it? And particularly in this economy, there is even the cynical mercantalist slant: will it bring in a bigger audience?

On a basic level, I think theater is a celebration (and sometimes a condemnation) of everything that makes us human and certainly our naked bodies are a fundamental part of what makes us human. But then, why do some people still get so shaken up when actors are naked on stage? Is it just another version of the discomfort people feel at extreme emotions – overwhelming fury, hysterical grief – or physical violence portrayed on stage? What do you think?

Grab bag

Everyone I work with can’t stop talking about the weather that may or may be arriving tonight. I don’t know if it’s that social atmosphere or the actual stirred up meteorological atmosphere, but for whatever reason I can’t really think of a theme to organize topics along today. So here’s a bunch of random items in no particular order.

Billy Armstrong has taken over one of the lead roles in his own “American Idiot.” I’ve only read one review but it seems that this particularly punk/pop star can handle the stage pretty darn well.

This past weekend saw the closing of a couple of long-running show but don’t fret, the opening of the first show of the season is imminent. RTP’s “This Beautiful City” will open this week and, despite my aversion to all things related to Ted Haggard, I’m intrigued by this show. One of the cast members, Andrew Hamm, posted something on his blog about the show a couple of months back that is worth looking over before you go see the show.

I expect many/most of the people who read this blog know about Robyn O’Neill’s excellent email alert system with all sorts of key info about local theater sent to you automatically. If you don’t, I think you can go to the “Drop me a line” link at her website and get added to her list. Do it if you don’t want to miss out on anything.

We’re coming into what is traditionally a slow time on Broadway so there are many deals available, specifically through a site called “Season of Savings.” If you are planning a trip northward, it’s worth a look.

Finally, put Feb. 8th on your calendar if you are looking for a different kind of performance. Richmond Shakespeare’s Second Tuesdays series is going to be doing something special that night, involving people reading Shakespeare’s sonnets. These people will not necessarily be actor types. Several of them might in fact be of the more critical persuasion. So, if you’ve ever really wanted to turn the tables on a critic, well, your chance is coming up!

Fela! Broadcast Update

Well, I talked to a very nice manager person over at Bow-Tie (thanks, George!). He told me that his particular location wouldn’t be able to tap into the National Theatre Live network because they are committed to a “No Commercials” policy. He said getting involved with any of the simulcast networks usually involves promotion through commercials. They have done special broadcasts before but they’ve involved getting DVD copies of performances from a company called ScreenVision.

So Bow-Tie is off the list. But there are plenty more theaters in town…

National Theatre

I was intrigued to read about the National Theatre’s planned broadcast of the Broadway show, “Fela!” next week. It’s a show I’ve heard mixed things about so not one I’d make a priority on any trip to NYC. So the prospect of seeing it in a movie theater for a fraction of the Broadway price was appealing. But then I went to the National Theatre website to look for venues and found that there isn’t a single one in Richmond. The closest is in Charlottesville, or you could go up to DC.

At first I thought this was kind of appalling but then wondered, has any theater-aware person approached folks at any of the local movie “palaces” and let them know about this ongoing “stage on screen” program? So, when I get the chance at lunchtime today, I’m going to call over to Bowtie on Boulevard and ask. Can’t hurt, right? And if enough people call and ask, perhaps some movie theater will do something about it, right? Anyone want to volunteer to call the Byrd, the Westhampton and/or the Ridge?

I know there are live-theater purists out there who don’t think too highly of the transfer of stage to screen. Personally, I think it’s great, particularly on a movie screen where, while it may not be the same as live, it’s at least as big or bigger than live. What do you think? Does broadcasting live theater diminish the art form? I’d be very curious to hear that rationale debated.

Back in the Saddle

Just writing the phrase “back in the saddle” makes me think about when I was in middle school about a million years ago and I attended an All-Sports Camp one summer at Notre Dame. My counselor was a nice college student who snuck me and about a dozen other kids out of the dorm one night so that we could hang out next to the basketball stadium. Aerosmith was performing there and was so loud we could hear the whole thing clearly from outside. We only risked being out of the dorm for about a half-hour but in that time I clearly remember hearing both “Train Kept a-Rollin” and “Back in the Saddle Again.” Good times.

I write that was a sense of foreboding knowing the Steven Tyler will be featured in the upcoming season of American Idol. I’m far from promoting Kid Rock as a model of coherence but I tend to agree with his statements to the effect that Tyler “…is a sacred American institution…” and that doing Idol is “…the stupidest thing he’s ever done.”

And while none of that has anything to do with local theater (except in a very very tangential way that I can’t really talk about), it does set the stage for my return to the blogosphere. Some of the holiday shows are still running their course while at the same time things gear up for a veritable explosion of shows opening at the end of January / beginning of February. So I find myself both looking back and looking forward.

In the looking back department, it seems clear that the holiday period was very good to several companies, given the extension of “Nunsense” at the Tavern, the heap of good reviews and near-sell-out performances of “The Winter’s Tale,” and the continued warm response to “White Christmas.” Even in the non-pro world, things seemed bright – JCC’s “Oliver” sold out and the performance of SPARC’s “Twelve Elves of Christmas” that I attended was packed.

I was glad to see that Mr. Porter was also back in the saddle around mid-December and posted a slew of reviews on his site the week before Christmas. In case you missed them, here are some links:
Winter's Tale
Nunsense
White Christmas
Comfort and Joy

Congratulations to Bruce Miller and the Barksdale Buzz team for being named one of the top theater blogs in the country. I hope that this will inspire him to continue to post intriguing and occasionally challenging thoughts for all of us to ponder and discuss.

In the looking ahead department, the trials and tribulations of the “Spiderman” musical continue to draw national media scrutiny. I would be disdainful of this over-focus on one production if I also didn’t think that anything that draws more attention to live theater in this media saturated age is a good thing. However, easy to overlook amidst all of the national bluster and of more immediate interest to locals is the imminent premiere of “SCKBSTD” at Virginia Stage in Norfolk. The talent behind it is Virginia-centric (Bruce Hornsby, Clay McLeod Chapman) but with loads of national cred (the cast is full of Broadway vets). If you want to see perhaps the next big thing from Virginia heading to Broadway, you might want to take the ride down to the Tidewater. And if you have any hints as to how to pronounce the show’s title, I’d be happy to hear them!

Of course, right here in Richmond there is plenty to be excited about as well. As it usually is, the winter season here is filled with intriguing shows, starting with RTP’s “This Beautiful City” and story of Ted Haggard. While it may not have the searing backdrop of the Matthew Shepard story that “The Laramie Project” had, Haggard’s ongoing (and somewhat ridiculous) denial of his homosexuality also presents plenty of ripe material for theatrical exploration.

The new year is here and full of new possibilities. I can’t help but be hopeful about what it might bring. Heck, call me a Pollyanna but I’m even holding out the possibility that Steven Tyler might not even be a total train wreck on Idol.