Kansas City Theatre Reviews
This page features reviews of theatre productions that have been performed in the Kansas City area. All reviews were written by Jamie Lin for KCStage.com and are listed starting with the most recent production.
American Heartland Theatre's Making God Laugh September 2012
The American Heartland Theatre delivers another successful production with the Kansas City Premiere of "Making God Laugh" by Sean Grennan. The whole cast ensemble delivers this joke packed script with talent and skill.
Each of the four scenes is 10 years apart, starting in Thanksgiving of 1980, showing three grown up children visiting their parents. The kids, played by Brian Miller, Jessalyn Kincaid, and William Warren, hadterrific chemistry, both with each other and their parents. Jessalyn stood out a little for me, but I think that was mostly because her character was given the most jokes. Don Richard and Kathleen Warfel made an adorable older couple and caring, though flawed, parents. Each actor had created characters that you could meet on the street in the real world down to the tiniest personality quirks and physical tics. Warfel was especially exceptional, as her character was slowly overcome by dementia.
The script was practically non-stop "jokes" for the first three scenes. Some of them fell a little flat, but the intention was clear. When the comedic moments weren't driven by the family interactions, they were simply time appropriate comments that would only be funny to someone who knows what is to come (Don't invest in Google! Go with Enron!). However, when the last scene came Ruthie (Warfel) was completely lost to dementia and it was all so sad that it was like hitting a brick wall after going 100 mph. There were still funny moments in the last scene, but it was a shock to the system to change dynamics like that so suddenly.
Overall this show was really enjoyable and I think everyone will be able to find something to relate to (though Catholics and actors might get a little special treatment). The ending was a little somber, and the wigs were a little obvious, but other than that, I was very happy with the performance.
"Making God Laugh" runs through October 21, 2012.
Each of the four scenes is 10 years apart, starting in Thanksgiving of 1980, showing three grown up children visiting their parents. The kids, played by Brian Miller, Jessalyn Kincaid, and William Warren, hadterrific chemistry, both with each other and their parents. Jessalyn stood out a little for me, but I think that was mostly because her character was given the most jokes. Don Richard and Kathleen Warfel made an adorable older couple and caring, though flawed, parents. Each actor had created characters that you could meet on the street in the real world down to the tiniest personality quirks and physical tics. Warfel was especially exceptional, as her character was slowly overcome by dementia.
The script was practically non-stop "jokes" for the first three scenes. Some of them fell a little flat, but the intention was clear. When the comedic moments weren't driven by the family interactions, they were simply time appropriate comments that would only be funny to someone who knows what is to come (Don't invest in Google! Go with Enron!). However, when the last scene came Ruthie (Warfel) was completely lost to dementia and it was all so sad that it was like hitting a brick wall after going 100 mph. There were still funny moments in the last scene, but it was a shock to the system to change dynamics like that so suddenly.
Overall this show was really enjoyable and I think everyone will be able to find something to relate to (though Catholics and actors might get a little special treatment). The ending was a little somber, and the wigs were a little obvious, but other than that, I was very happy with the performance.
"Making God Laugh" runs through October 21, 2012.
The Barn Players' Revolution: A Tribute to the Beatles August 2012
This weekend marks the annual Barn Players fundraiser, and with only three performances you could easily miss your chance to catch the show so make your plans now! Revolution: A Tribute to the Beatles, conceived and directed by Eric Van Horn, features a talented 14 member cast and 4 piece band. To ensure that they can raise the most money possible, not a single dime was spent on this production, not even to pay the participants. Because of that, even your ticket price can be considered a charitable donation! Friday and Sunday, admission is $20 at the door. Saturday night's performance is $35 at the door; the evening begins at 6:00pm and includes a silent auction, a full dinner, and an open bar.
I was lucky enough to be invited to a dress rehearsal/press night on Wednesday, so I got a sneak peek of the show to come. Two acts, stuffed with 46 Beatles songs and several videos on their history, provide a night of entertainment. The composition of the show and the tech designs are superb and the creative team is to be commended for their hard work.
The performance itself had a few hiccups, many of which were technical, and I hope will they be worked out before opening night. Microphones were cutting in and out, light cues were slow, the band often drowned out the ends of the voice overs, and a wireless guitar just refused to turn on at one point. These are all easy fixes, but if left alone they could potentially spoil an otherwise decent performance.
As far as the vocals go, I was torn. There were some really amazing performances but others didn’t quite hit the mark. I felt that there were several solos that were given to the wrong people just for the sake of giving everyone in the cast a turn. The parts were either out of their range or not suited to their particular vocal quality. Of course, it is also possible that they weren’t in their best voice. I have definitely been there as a performer and can understand the agony of squeaking on a high note that you usually nail or even losing your voice completely in the middle of a number. Hopefully everyone will be healthy and in top form for opening night. It is clear that everyone in the cast can sing well – if I didn’t care for someone in one song, they usually redeemed themselves with another solo later on – they just need to do so consistently.
That being said, I want to give credit where credit is due. The stand out vocal performances were “I Should Have Known Better”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Help”, “We Can Work It Out”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Strawberry Fields”, “With A Little Help From My Friends”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, “Dear Prudence”, and “Something”. The one song that stole the show was “Yesterday”, sung by Kristen Altoro. It brought tears to my eyes from both the beautiful sound and the excellent display of emotion. She simply sat on a stool and told a sad story with her music. If for nothing other than to hear this song, make sure you make it out to the Barn. Then you can say you saw Altoro in action before she hit the big time.
Overall, this was an entertaining show, especially if you’re a Beatles fan. Please support the Barn Players by attending one of the three performances of Revolution and tell a friend or 10!
I was lucky enough to be invited to a dress rehearsal/press night on Wednesday, so I got a sneak peek of the show to come. Two acts, stuffed with 46 Beatles songs and several videos on their history, provide a night of entertainment. The composition of the show and the tech designs are superb and the creative team is to be commended for their hard work.
The performance itself had a few hiccups, many of which were technical, and I hope will they be worked out before opening night. Microphones were cutting in and out, light cues were slow, the band often drowned out the ends of the voice overs, and a wireless guitar just refused to turn on at one point. These are all easy fixes, but if left alone they could potentially spoil an otherwise decent performance.
As far as the vocals go, I was torn. There were some really amazing performances but others didn’t quite hit the mark. I felt that there were several solos that were given to the wrong people just for the sake of giving everyone in the cast a turn. The parts were either out of their range or not suited to their particular vocal quality. Of course, it is also possible that they weren’t in their best voice. I have definitely been there as a performer and can understand the agony of squeaking on a high note that you usually nail or even losing your voice completely in the middle of a number. Hopefully everyone will be healthy and in top form for opening night. It is clear that everyone in the cast can sing well – if I didn’t care for someone in one song, they usually redeemed themselves with another solo later on – they just need to do so consistently.
That being said, I want to give credit where credit is due. The stand out vocal performances were “I Should Have Known Better”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Help”, “We Can Work It Out”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Strawberry Fields”, “With A Little Help From My Friends”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, “Dear Prudence”, and “Something”. The one song that stole the show was “Yesterday”, sung by Kristen Altoro. It brought tears to my eyes from both the beautiful sound and the excellent display of emotion. She simply sat on a stool and told a sad story with her music. If for nothing other than to hear this song, make sure you make it out to the Barn. Then you can say you saw Altoro in action before she hit the big time.
Overall, this was an entertaining show, especially if you’re a Beatles fan. Please support the Barn Players by attending one of the three performances of Revolution and tell a friend or 10!
The Living Room's Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead April 2012
Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Bert V. Royal is an “unauthorized parody” that follows the struggles of teenage versions of the popular Peanuts characters. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion, sexual relations and identity are among the issues covered in this very dark comedy. The “bare bones” style of this production is another perfect fit for the Living Room. The set was simple but effective, utilizing real grass and a fantastic special effect at the end of the performance which I won’t give away.
Because the use of the Peanuts characters was unauthorized, Royal has changed the names that the characters go by to avoid any legal ramifications. However, there can be no mistaking who is who in this impressive rendition of the script. CB (Charlie Brown), CB’s sister (Sally), Van (Linus), Van’s sister (Lucy), Trisha (Peppermint Patty), Matt (Pig-Pen), Beethoven (Schroeder), and Marcy (Marcie) are all present and accounted for. Snoopy and Woodstock are only mentioned in the first scene when we discover that the beloved beagle contracted rabies and, before being put down, tore the little yellow bird to shreds.
Director Bryan Moses could not have found a more perfect cast to portray these iconic, yet extraordinarily troubled characters. Amanda Burkhart shone as CB’s sister, a girl struggling to find herself, and delivered a very impressive monologue entitled “Cocooning into Platypus”. Her comedic timing and physicality were spot on. Megan Turek (Trisha) and Regina Weller (Marcy) make a fantastic and completely believable duo despite the fact that both of them are better known for their technical roles in theatre. I especially enjoyed their stereotypical best friend moments when they finished each others’ sentences only to turn and announce “I love you!” in unison. Their “Mean Girl” conversations were a welcome comedic relief from the more serious topics of the play. Kyle Dyck as Matt, the once filth-ridden child turned germaphob, gave a strong (and infuriating) performance. His portrayal of the testosterone driven, homophobic bully made him a character that the whole audience loved to hate, and yet we still felt a little sorry for him – a difficult balance to strike. Sean Hogge played the philosophical stoner, Van, who smoked the ashes of his old blanket in an attempt to become one with it. He had a particularly good moment in the cafeteria scene that featured him ranting about the absurdity of Mexican pizza. Jessica Franz, Van’s institutionalized sister, only had one scene to leave an impression on the audience and she succeeded. Her explanation of why she lit the little red headed girl’s hair on fire, the act that landed her in a padded cell, was dynamic and moving to the point where you were almost convinced the pyromania was justified. The two show stoppers were definitely CB and Beethoven, played by Bob Linebarger and Phillip Russell Newman respectively. Their emotional battle with homosexuality and the bullying and confusion brought on by it moved me to tears more than once. Their performances were so raw and real that I forgot I was watching my friends Bob and Phil; they truly transformed into their characters and left any semblance of themselves behind. These roles were the best I’ve ever seen from both of them.
The Living Room has never failed to impress me with their incredible productions and Dog Sees God is no different. This MUST SEE show runs until May 13th (with a possible two day extension if you play your cards right) so do not miss it. There are only 40 seats available for each performance so be sure to get your tickets early (you can order them online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242097 ). And so, without any hesitation or surprise, I give the Living Room another 5 out 5.
Because the use of the Peanuts characters was unauthorized, Royal has changed the names that the characters go by to avoid any legal ramifications. However, there can be no mistaking who is who in this impressive rendition of the script. CB (Charlie Brown), CB’s sister (Sally), Van (Linus), Van’s sister (Lucy), Trisha (Peppermint Patty), Matt (Pig-Pen), Beethoven (Schroeder), and Marcy (Marcie) are all present and accounted for. Snoopy and Woodstock are only mentioned in the first scene when we discover that the beloved beagle contracted rabies and, before being put down, tore the little yellow bird to shreds.
Director Bryan Moses could not have found a more perfect cast to portray these iconic, yet extraordinarily troubled characters. Amanda Burkhart shone as CB’s sister, a girl struggling to find herself, and delivered a very impressive monologue entitled “Cocooning into Platypus”. Her comedic timing and physicality were spot on. Megan Turek (Trisha) and Regina Weller (Marcy) make a fantastic and completely believable duo despite the fact that both of them are better known for their technical roles in theatre. I especially enjoyed their stereotypical best friend moments when they finished each others’ sentences only to turn and announce “I love you!” in unison. Their “Mean Girl” conversations were a welcome comedic relief from the more serious topics of the play. Kyle Dyck as Matt, the once filth-ridden child turned germaphob, gave a strong (and infuriating) performance. His portrayal of the testosterone driven, homophobic bully made him a character that the whole audience loved to hate, and yet we still felt a little sorry for him – a difficult balance to strike. Sean Hogge played the philosophical stoner, Van, who smoked the ashes of his old blanket in an attempt to become one with it. He had a particularly good moment in the cafeteria scene that featured him ranting about the absurdity of Mexican pizza. Jessica Franz, Van’s institutionalized sister, only had one scene to leave an impression on the audience and she succeeded. Her explanation of why she lit the little red headed girl’s hair on fire, the act that landed her in a padded cell, was dynamic and moving to the point where you were almost convinced the pyromania was justified. The two show stoppers were definitely CB and Beethoven, played by Bob Linebarger and Phillip Russell Newman respectively. Their emotional battle with homosexuality and the bullying and confusion brought on by it moved me to tears more than once. Their performances were so raw and real that I forgot I was watching my friends Bob and Phil; they truly transformed into their characters and left any semblance of themselves behind. These roles were the best I’ve ever seen from both of them.
The Living Room has never failed to impress me with their incredible productions and Dog Sees God is no different. This MUST SEE show runs until May 13th (with a possible two day extension if you play your cards right) so do not miss it. There are only 40 seats available for each performance so be sure to get your tickets early (you can order them online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242097 ). And so, without any hesitation or surprise, I give the Living Room another 5 out 5.
The Coterie's James and the Giant Peach April 2012
The Coterie's James and the Giant Peach was a delightful spectacle, entertaining the audience with shadow puppets, quirky songs, and a truly wacky cast of characters. This is definitely one worth taking the kids to.
Although I have never read Roald Dahl's book, I have seen the film adaptation so I was already familiar with the story when I went into the theatre: James, a miserable orphan living with two abusive aunts, has a run in with some magic that starts him off on a great adventure inside a giant peach with a group of giant talking insects. The characterizations of James' crazy companions stuck pretty faithfully to those that were portrayed in the movie (Centipede was a loud-mouth from New York, Miss Spider was a refined French woman, etc.)
At this particular performance, James was played by Ryan Emmons, a young newcomer to the Coterie stage. I was underwhelmed by his performance, but there are many factors to consider when contemplating the portrayal of this character. James is just a little boy, so he must be played by a young actor - this implies less experience in the field than his fellow cast mates. He is also British and Emmons is NOT so he was having to work with an accent that is unnatural to him. Finally, compared to the rest of the characters, James is just kind of boring. He has to play the straight man; Emmons didn't have much to work with. So, this time around, I wasn't wowed but I'm sure that with continued experience and exposure this young actor could really take off.
All of James' companions were extraordinarily well cast and played off of each other beautifully. The show stoppers, however, were Ron Megee (Aunt Spiker/Earthworm) and Matt Weiss (Aunt Sponge/Centipede). These two had amazing chemistry (if you can call constantly being at each others throats, regardless of which character they were playing, chemistry) and had me laughing myself to tears. Though this is a children's show, Megee and Weiss made sure that the adults were enjoying themselves as well, throwing in clever adlibs to give the "big kids" a break from the more juvenile humor. Special praise should be given to Weiss in particular - he not only had to wear a fat suit to play Aunt Sponge, but his Centipede costume weighted around 50 pounds! Kudos Matt!
Speaking of costumes...wow. They were perfect! Making people look like insects while still maintaining their humanity is no easy task. Costume designer Lauren Roark and her team are to be commended for a job well done.
Overall, this show was well packaged and a success. There were a few instances where light and sound cues were off but the performers handled it fine. The use of shadow puppets and silhouettes for certain parts of the story were simple, yet effective, and the kids seemed to love it.
Congrats to the Coterie on another great show! 4 out of 5.
Although I have never read Roald Dahl's book, I have seen the film adaptation so I was already familiar with the story when I went into the theatre: James, a miserable orphan living with two abusive aunts, has a run in with some magic that starts him off on a great adventure inside a giant peach with a group of giant talking insects. The characterizations of James' crazy companions stuck pretty faithfully to those that were portrayed in the movie (Centipede was a loud-mouth from New York, Miss Spider was a refined French woman, etc.)
At this particular performance, James was played by Ryan Emmons, a young newcomer to the Coterie stage. I was underwhelmed by his performance, but there are many factors to consider when contemplating the portrayal of this character. James is just a little boy, so he must be played by a young actor - this implies less experience in the field than his fellow cast mates. He is also British and Emmons is NOT so he was having to work with an accent that is unnatural to him. Finally, compared to the rest of the characters, James is just kind of boring. He has to play the straight man; Emmons didn't have much to work with. So, this time around, I wasn't wowed but I'm sure that with continued experience and exposure this young actor could really take off.
All of James' companions were extraordinarily well cast and played off of each other beautifully. The show stoppers, however, were Ron Megee (Aunt Spiker/Earthworm) and Matt Weiss (Aunt Sponge/Centipede). These two had amazing chemistry (if you can call constantly being at each others throats, regardless of which character they were playing, chemistry) and had me laughing myself to tears. Though this is a children's show, Megee and Weiss made sure that the adults were enjoying themselves as well, throwing in clever adlibs to give the "big kids" a break from the more juvenile humor. Special praise should be given to Weiss in particular - he not only had to wear a fat suit to play Aunt Sponge, but his Centipede costume weighted around 50 pounds! Kudos Matt!
Speaking of costumes...wow. They were perfect! Making people look like insects while still maintaining their humanity is no easy task. Costume designer Lauren Roark and her team are to be commended for a job well done.
Overall, this show was well packaged and a success. There were a few instances where light and sound cues were off but the performers handled it fine. The use of shadow puppets and silhouettes for certain parts of the story were simple, yet effective, and the kids seemed to love it.
Congrats to the Coterie on another great show! 4 out of 5.
The Barn Players' Sweet Charity November 2011
_
Despite several bumps in the rehearsal process, the cast and
crew of Sweet Charity were pumped and
ready to go on their opening night at The Barn Players. Congratulations to all
involved for pulling it together in time for an audience.
Sweet Charity is about an optimistic dance hall hostess (a woman who gets paid to dance with strangers) named Charity Hope Valentine. It’s a cute story about her search for love and a way out of her current life style, but with all due respect to Mr. Neil Simon, the script is kind of crummy. Director Eric Van Horn had the difficult task of putting together an entertaining night of theatre without much to work with when it came to the written aspect of the show.
The show opens with an impressive overture from the 14 member orchestra (how do they fit them all back there?) but the audience is left sitting in the dark for most of it, staring at the back of an actor in the gloom. I don’t know about the rest of the audience, but it left me feeling uncomfortable and confused as to whether a mistake had been made. In fact, there were a lot of moments throughout the show where the stage is in complete darkness unnecessarily; at first you think it’s to mask the scene change, but then the actors keep speaking through the black out. I would much rather be able to see the character while they are delivering lines, even if there is a set change going on behind them. Was there an issue with the light cues or was this a conscious choice? I don’t know.
Another thing that made me uncomfortable as an audience member, were the costumes. Charity and a few of the other hostesses were wearing incredibly short dresses. While the styles were completely time-period appropriate, they did not mesh well with the blocking/choreography. I was constantly expecting to see a flash of panty. There is actually a point where Charity is held upside-down with her legs straight in the air, and one of the ensemble members has to hold her dress up for her. In a situation like this, I would suggest either the blocking be changed, or another dress be worn.
MB Hurst, a newcomer to the area, played the title role. At the beginning of the performance I was very concerned; she seemed nervous, out of breath, and unprepared to tackle the part. As the show went on she settled into her groove and got the audience on her side. Charity is a loveable character and Hurst dialed up just the right amount of quirky. I was disappointed with some of her solo numbers, mostly because of the very long dance breaks during which she is on stage by herself. Hurst doesn’t appear to have any dance training, and while she pulled off the choreography just fine, it was simple and, unfortunately, boring. It was smart to not give her difficult choreography if she isn’t say, a professional tap dancer or something, but one can only watch a girl step-touch for so long. If the dance breaks had to stay in, I think it would have benefited Hurst as a performer to have some company out there with her. There were also times she lacked emotional connection to the lyrics, especially in “I’m a Brass Band” when she declares her utmost joy at finding Oscar. Smile, Charity! You’re in love! I would like to see Hurst in some straight plays as she really shined during the non-musical portions of the show. Her interactions with Oscar (Brian Shortess) were especially charming.
I was pleasantly surprised by Shortess. Having done Bye Bye Birdie with him (another one of Van Horn’s projects), I’m used to seeing him play the cool and confident type. It was wonderful to see him as Oscar, an overly shy, nervous wreck. In his first scene, he and Charity are trapped in an elevator and his frantic physicality and worried stutter are beautifully comedic. I was a little disappointed with his singing this time around (the title song, “Sweet Charity” was slightly pitchy), but having seen him before, I’m assuming he was having an off night.
I was most impressed with Charity’s three buddies, Nickie, Helene, and Carmen (played by Kristen Altoro, Danielle Gibbs, and Abby McInerney). Altoro had the strongest acting chops, but they were all power house voices with incredible belts. Their voices were well suited for each other so their harmonies were always spot on and well blended. Not to mention, these girls were hilarious. I especially enjoyed their improvised lines while they were covering a particularly long costume change.
The more minor characters were entertaining and cartoony (especially Dave Fullerton’s Vittorio Vidal, a foreign movie star). Their caricature style of presentation just added to the silliness of the writing and I think it was a good way to go. If the script is goofy, you might as well acknowledge the fact and run with it. And I don’t know if this was intended to be funny, but I thoroughly enjoyed the random dance breaks in the Pompeii Club scene. It was very “Austin Powers-esque” and quite literally made me giggle. If that was the intention, congrats. If not…oops.
As previously mentioned, this production has gone through a lot of turmoil to reach this point. While there is definitely room for improvement, I think they should be commended for their hard work and dedication. 3 out of 5 stars.
Sweet Charity is about an optimistic dance hall hostess (a woman who gets paid to dance with strangers) named Charity Hope Valentine. It’s a cute story about her search for love and a way out of her current life style, but with all due respect to Mr. Neil Simon, the script is kind of crummy. Director Eric Van Horn had the difficult task of putting together an entertaining night of theatre without much to work with when it came to the written aspect of the show.
The show opens with an impressive overture from the 14 member orchestra (how do they fit them all back there?) but the audience is left sitting in the dark for most of it, staring at the back of an actor in the gloom. I don’t know about the rest of the audience, but it left me feeling uncomfortable and confused as to whether a mistake had been made. In fact, there were a lot of moments throughout the show where the stage is in complete darkness unnecessarily; at first you think it’s to mask the scene change, but then the actors keep speaking through the black out. I would much rather be able to see the character while they are delivering lines, even if there is a set change going on behind them. Was there an issue with the light cues or was this a conscious choice? I don’t know.
Another thing that made me uncomfortable as an audience member, were the costumes. Charity and a few of the other hostesses were wearing incredibly short dresses. While the styles were completely time-period appropriate, they did not mesh well with the blocking/choreography. I was constantly expecting to see a flash of panty. There is actually a point where Charity is held upside-down with her legs straight in the air, and one of the ensemble members has to hold her dress up for her. In a situation like this, I would suggest either the blocking be changed, or another dress be worn.
MB Hurst, a newcomer to the area, played the title role. At the beginning of the performance I was very concerned; she seemed nervous, out of breath, and unprepared to tackle the part. As the show went on she settled into her groove and got the audience on her side. Charity is a loveable character and Hurst dialed up just the right amount of quirky. I was disappointed with some of her solo numbers, mostly because of the very long dance breaks during which she is on stage by herself. Hurst doesn’t appear to have any dance training, and while she pulled off the choreography just fine, it was simple and, unfortunately, boring. It was smart to not give her difficult choreography if she isn’t say, a professional tap dancer or something, but one can only watch a girl step-touch for so long. If the dance breaks had to stay in, I think it would have benefited Hurst as a performer to have some company out there with her. There were also times she lacked emotional connection to the lyrics, especially in “I’m a Brass Band” when she declares her utmost joy at finding Oscar. Smile, Charity! You’re in love! I would like to see Hurst in some straight plays as she really shined during the non-musical portions of the show. Her interactions with Oscar (Brian Shortess) were especially charming.
I was pleasantly surprised by Shortess. Having done Bye Bye Birdie with him (another one of Van Horn’s projects), I’m used to seeing him play the cool and confident type. It was wonderful to see him as Oscar, an overly shy, nervous wreck. In his first scene, he and Charity are trapped in an elevator and his frantic physicality and worried stutter are beautifully comedic. I was a little disappointed with his singing this time around (the title song, “Sweet Charity” was slightly pitchy), but having seen him before, I’m assuming he was having an off night.
I was most impressed with Charity’s three buddies, Nickie, Helene, and Carmen (played by Kristen Altoro, Danielle Gibbs, and Abby McInerney). Altoro had the strongest acting chops, but they were all power house voices with incredible belts. Their voices were well suited for each other so their harmonies were always spot on and well blended. Not to mention, these girls were hilarious. I especially enjoyed their improvised lines while they were covering a particularly long costume change.
The more minor characters were entertaining and cartoony (especially Dave Fullerton’s Vittorio Vidal, a foreign movie star). Their caricature style of presentation just added to the silliness of the writing and I think it was a good way to go. If the script is goofy, you might as well acknowledge the fact and run with it. And I don’t know if this was intended to be funny, but I thoroughly enjoyed the random dance breaks in the Pompeii Club scene. It was very “Austin Powers-esque” and quite literally made me giggle. If that was the intention, congrats. If not…oops.
As previously mentioned, this production has gone through a lot of turmoil to reach this point. While there is definitely room for improvement, I think they should be commended for their hard work and dedication. 3 out of 5 stars.
The Coterie's The Outsiders
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the story of two rivaling gangs in 1965 Oklahoma, is one of my favorite novels, so I had high expectations for the stage adaptation put on at the Coterie Theatre. I was not disappointed with the talented cast’s opening night performance. The show began with a loud “Howdy!” from the single guitarist who provided the musical underscore of the entire show, Brodie Rush. (He was phenomenal, by the way, and his music fit perfectly with the performance.)
The story is told by Ponyboy, a fourteen-year-old Greaser, played by Skyy Moore. Moore is a Texas native and The Outsiders is his Kansas City debut. I was very impressed with his narrative skills. He spoke as a real person would when they tell a story, rather than sounding as if he was just reciting one. He had terrific chemistry with the other actors and was pretty much the perfect fit for the character type. My only criticism would be that he became unbelievable in moments when Ponyboy was in extreme distress.
Ponyboy lives with his older brothers, Darry (Jeff Smith) and Soda Pop (Doogin Brown). Brown never ceases to amaze me with his performances – he looks like a completely different person in every production I’ve seen him in. His character could easily be over complicated, but Brown kept it simple. He demonstrated Soda Pop’s love for his family and friends, and everything else just fell in line. I was especially impressed with his heartfelt speech, begging his brothers to stop fighting and be a family. Smith, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment. When he was supposed to be angry he just yelled and stomped because those are the kinds of things angry people do; but he didn’t seem angry, he just seemed loud. He was playing “anger” rather than actually “being angry”. I feel that the main reason he was cast in this role is his physique. Smith is a professional wrestler and has the muscles to go with the job. I would prefer to see him in a less realistic style of theatre like his appearance in the Coterie’s Sorority House of the Dead last year.
Matthew Leonard plays Two-Bit, another Greaser. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Leonard’s, but I was not fond of this character. Two-Bit was a bit deranged and moved like a caricature of a Greaser. As with Smith, I would have preferred a more realistic interpretation of the character. Leonard really shines when it comes to his connections to his fellow performers; as long as he was making eye contact and not walking around, he nailed the performance. It was when he sauntered on or looked at an imaginary passing car that he lost his believability.
The last three Greasers were Johnny, Sandy, and Dallas, played by Brian Gehlein, Meredith Wolfe, and Tosin Morohunfola respectively. Wolfe had a small role but played the part well and had great chemistry with Brown. Gehlein had the tough job of playing a pretty pathetic character: Johnny is terrified for most of the play and in an iron lung for the rest of it. The iron lung really hindered his otherwise fantastic performance because he was standing up in it and it looked so ridiculous that it distracted from the dialogue. It was Morohunfola that stole the show for me though. It was as if he stepped right out of the pages of S.E. Hinton’s novel and onto the stage – he had the most honest, realistic, and believable performance. I was to the point of tears when he delivered his final monologue after Johnny’s death in the hospital. What an incredible talent!
Because the story was being told by a Greaser, the actors playing members of the other gang, the Socials, didn’t get as much stage time. Wilson Vance played Cherry, a sort of double agent for the Greasers, and I enjoyed her performance as the spunky spit-fire. The other Socs, played by Zachary Andrews, Scott Swayze, Laura Suddeth, and Kyle Dyck all sort of blended in together because we, as an audience, aren’t given the opportunity to get to know them as individuals; they were all fine actors and played their parts well. Dyck was lucky enough to play another character, Jerry, which was so very different from the Socs that he couldn’t help but stand out. Cathy Wood and Hughston Walkinshaw filled out the cast by playing all of the bit parts.
All of the technical aspects of the show were very impressive, especially the use of projections, and the designers and crew should be very proud. Director Jeff Church made some interesting and effective choices with this cast, including having some scenes performed out in the audience (though it was a little chaotic during the rumble: there were so many places to look that I felt like I was always missing something). Overall, this show was a success, and I congratulate all involved (including the AMAZING young comedy troupe that performed a 10 minute spoof of the play following the performance). My original rating was 4.5, but those crazy kids in the post-show entertainment convinced me to bump it up to a 5.
The story is told by Ponyboy, a fourteen-year-old Greaser, played by Skyy Moore. Moore is a Texas native and The Outsiders is his Kansas City debut. I was very impressed with his narrative skills. He spoke as a real person would when they tell a story, rather than sounding as if he was just reciting one. He had terrific chemistry with the other actors and was pretty much the perfect fit for the character type. My only criticism would be that he became unbelievable in moments when Ponyboy was in extreme distress.
Ponyboy lives with his older brothers, Darry (Jeff Smith) and Soda Pop (Doogin Brown). Brown never ceases to amaze me with his performances – he looks like a completely different person in every production I’ve seen him in. His character could easily be over complicated, but Brown kept it simple. He demonstrated Soda Pop’s love for his family and friends, and everything else just fell in line. I was especially impressed with his heartfelt speech, begging his brothers to stop fighting and be a family. Smith, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment. When he was supposed to be angry he just yelled and stomped because those are the kinds of things angry people do; but he didn’t seem angry, he just seemed loud. He was playing “anger” rather than actually “being angry”. I feel that the main reason he was cast in this role is his physique. Smith is a professional wrestler and has the muscles to go with the job. I would prefer to see him in a less realistic style of theatre like his appearance in the Coterie’s Sorority House of the Dead last year.
Matthew Leonard plays Two-Bit, another Greaser. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Leonard’s, but I was not fond of this character. Two-Bit was a bit deranged and moved like a caricature of a Greaser. As with Smith, I would have preferred a more realistic interpretation of the character. Leonard really shines when it comes to his connections to his fellow performers; as long as he was making eye contact and not walking around, he nailed the performance. It was when he sauntered on or looked at an imaginary passing car that he lost his believability.
The last three Greasers were Johnny, Sandy, and Dallas, played by Brian Gehlein, Meredith Wolfe, and Tosin Morohunfola respectively. Wolfe had a small role but played the part well and had great chemistry with Brown. Gehlein had the tough job of playing a pretty pathetic character: Johnny is terrified for most of the play and in an iron lung for the rest of it. The iron lung really hindered his otherwise fantastic performance because he was standing up in it and it looked so ridiculous that it distracted from the dialogue. It was Morohunfola that stole the show for me though. It was as if he stepped right out of the pages of S.E. Hinton’s novel and onto the stage – he had the most honest, realistic, and believable performance. I was to the point of tears when he delivered his final monologue after Johnny’s death in the hospital. What an incredible talent!
Because the story was being told by a Greaser, the actors playing members of the other gang, the Socials, didn’t get as much stage time. Wilson Vance played Cherry, a sort of double agent for the Greasers, and I enjoyed her performance as the spunky spit-fire. The other Socs, played by Zachary Andrews, Scott Swayze, Laura Suddeth, and Kyle Dyck all sort of blended in together because we, as an audience, aren’t given the opportunity to get to know them as individuals; they were all fine actors and played their parts well. Dyck was lucky enough to play another character, Jerry, which was so very different from the Socs that he couldn’t help but stand out. Cathy Wood and Hughston Walkinshaw filled out the cast by playing all of the bit parts.
All of the technical aspects of the show were very impressive, especially the use of projections, and the designers and crew should be very proud. Director Jeff Church made some interesting and effective choices with this cast, including having some scenes performed out in the audience (though it was a little chaotic during the rumble: there were so many places to look that I felt like I was always missing something). Overall, this show was a success, and I congratulate all involved (including the AMAZING young comedy troupe that performed a 10 minute spoof of the play following the performance). My original rating was 4.5, but those crazy kids in the post-show entertainment convinced me to bump it up to a 5.
Egads! Productions' Rocky and Bullwinkle Horror Picture Show KC Fringe 2011
It is no secret to my readers that I have a special place in my heart for Steven Eubank of Egads! Productions. So, of course, The Rocky and Bullwinkle Horror Picture Show Parody was at the top of my Fringe list. I managed to make it to the closing night and the theatre was packed.
This Eubank and Doss collaboration was nothing short of “astounding”. The fact that they found ways to connect a favorite cartoon to the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show and made a complete 80 minute show out of it was most impressive. I was also very glad to see Eubank on stage again as Dr. Bad-n-uffski (Boris/Dr. Frank-N-Furter) as I haven’t seen him perform since last year’s Fringe Festival in Khaaaaan! The Musical.
All of the actors were marvelous, each one nailing the cartoon voices spot on. I was especially impressed with Aurelie Roque’s Natasha, Doogin Brown’s Bullwinkle, and Samn Wright’s Dudley Do-right. My favorite performance was given by Noah Whitmore as Whip-Lash (Snidely Whiplash/Riff-Raff). His vocals on “Toon Warp” were wonderful and man, can he work a mustache! While everyone was very talented, I found the weakest link to be Rachel Pallente as Missile “Missy” J. Veiss (Rocket “Rocky” J. Squirell/Janet Weiss). She had a great voice, but she didn’t capture the spirit of the parody as well as the others. The costumes (courtesy of Casey McNamara and Regina Weller were clever) and the wigs (by Kelsey Kallenberger) added a really great touch. Also, I absolutely LOVED the projections (by Weller) featuring the silhouettes of the cartoon characters
While I commend Eubank and Doss and their efforts to include every song from Rocky Horror Picture Show, I felt that the show ran long and that a few songs toward the end were disjointed and unnecessary (particularly “The Floor Wax Show” and “I’m Up the Creek”). I think the show would have benefited by their absence, but I understand the motivation behind putting them in the production in the first place. I also struggled to hear some of the clever lyrics due to the poor audio balance. The musical tracks, while fabulous, often drowned out the actors’ voices.
I loved the show and laughed my butt off, but due to the sound issues, unnecessary songs, and slightly disappointing “Missy” I will have to give my very first 4 out of 5 to an Egads! Production. I would recommend this show to anyone (mature audiences only though) but they, unfortunately, have no plans to extend their run. However, Egads! will be reprising their incredible production of Evil Dead! The Musical this October, so mark your calendars. That is one you won’t want to miss.
This Eubank and Doss collaboration was nothing short of “astounding”. The fact that they found ways to connect a favorite cartoon to the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show and made a complete 80 minute show out of it was most impressive. I was also very glad to see Eubank on stage again as Dr. Bad-n-uffski (Boris/Dr. Frank-N-Furter) as I haven’t seen him perform since last year’s Fringe Festival in Khaaaaan! The Musical.
All of the actors were marvelous, each one nailing the cartoon voices spot on. I was especially impressed with Aurelie Roque’s Natasha, Doogin Brown’s Bullwinkle, and Samn Wright’s Dudley Do-right. My favorite performance was given by Noah Whitmore as Whip-Lash (Snidely Whiplash/Riff-Raff). His vocals on “Toon Warp” were wonderful and man, can he work a mustache! While everyone was very talented, I found the weakest link to be Rachel Pallente as Missile “Missy” J. Veiss (Rocket “Rocky” J. Squirell/Janet Weiss). She had a great voice, but she didn’t capture the spirit of the parody as well as the others. The costumes (courtesy of Casey McNamara and Regina Weller were clever) and the wigs (by Kelsey Kallenberger) added a really great touch. Also, I absolutely LOVED the projections (by Weller) featuring the silhouettes of the cartoon characters
While I commend Eubank and Doss and their efforts to include every song from Rocky Horror Picture Show, I felt that the show ran long and that a few songs toward the end were disjointed and unnecessary (particularly “The Floor Wax Show” and “I’m Up the Creek”). I think the show would have benefited by their absence, but I understand the motivation behind putting them in the production in the first place. I also struggled to hear some of the clever lyrics due to the poor audio balance. The musical tracks, while fabulous, often drowned out the actors’ voices.
I loved the show and laughed my butt off, but due to the sound issues, unnecessary songs, and slightly disappointing “Missy” I will have to give my very first 4 out of 5 to an Egads! Production. I would recommend this show to anyone (mature audiences only though) but they, unfortunately, have no plans to extend their run. However, Egads! will be reprising their incredible production of Evil Dead! The Musical this October, so mark your calendars. That is one you won’t want to miss.
Jess "Jay" Adkins' Inspiration KC Fringe 2011
In a word, brilliant. Inspiration is a beautiful combination of stage and screen, dance and sword play, comedy and drama. The show started with a short documentary style film describing the events leading up to the neo-modern civilization where all guns a knowledge of their manufacture have been destroyed. It was a terrific use of the media (which also allowed the play to have a “previous day” segment that would have otherwise been impossible without a narrator) and was accented by the beautiful contemporary dancing of Bobbie Foudree, Kat Kimmitz, and Marisa MacKay. The dancers returned as segues to each new scene: a really nice touch.
The costumes by Arwen Thomas were very cool and really added to the atmosphere of the play. The fight choreography was well done and always convincing. The program didn’t credit it to anyone so I’m assuming that it was the product of writer and director Jess “Jay” Akin. Each fight sequence was accompanied by original music, composed by Maksim Zintsov, giving them an action film feel.
The actors were well cast and well trained. It was clear that they were all very athletic as they not only had complicated fight choreography but a lot of running around. The ensemble members played several different roles, each with a new costume, so they not only had to run off stage and around to the other side, they had to change clothes. It was very impressive. All of the speaking roles were occupied by incredibly talented actors but, as always, there were a few that really stuck out in my mind. Aeon, played by Laura Suddeth, is of small stature but has the demeanor of a giant. She attacked each line with passion and fury (something that was necessary for the character to be successful, since most of what she said contained the word f*ck). Rufus Burns (Rick) had a beautiful monologue about the day he was rescued from the city that was delivered with haunting emotion. My favorite character was Joey, played by Grant Fletcher Prewitt. Joey was the young and dumb one who could use a sword but would prefer to run away. At the point in the performance where the character breaks down, Prewitt stole the show with his heart-wrenching sobs and real tears.
Inspiration was definitely one of my favorite shows, if not THE favorite. Congratulations to the cast in crew of this wonderful production; I hope to see it reprised in the near future. 5 out of 5.
The costumes by Arwen Thomas were very cool and really added to the atmosphere of the play. The fight choreography was well done and always convincing. The program didn’t credit it to anyone so I’m assuming that it was the product of writer and director Jess “Jay” Akin. Each fight sequence was accompanied by original music, composed by Maksim Zintsov, giving them an action film feel.
The actors were well cast and well trained. It was clear that they were all very athletic as they not only had complicated fight choreography but a lot of running around. The ensemble members played several different roles, each with a new costume, so they not only had to run off stage and around to the other side, they had to change clothes. It was very impressive. All of the speaking roles were occupied by incredibly talented actors but, as always, there were a few that really stuck out in my mind. Aeon, played by Laura Suddeth, is of small stature but has the demeanor of a giant. She attacked each line with passion and fury (something that was necessary for the character to be successful, since most of what she said contained the word f*ck). Rufus Burns (Rick) had a beautiful monologue about the day he was rescued from the city that was delivered with haunting emotion. My favorite character was Joey, played by Grant Fletcher Prewitt. Joey was the young and dumb one who could use a sword but would prefer to run away. At the point in the performance where the character breaks down, Prewitt stole the show with his heart-wrenching sobs and real tears.
Inspiration was definitely one of my favorite shows, if not THE favorite. Congratulations to the cast in crew of this wonderful production; I hope to see it reprised in the near future. 5 out of 5.
Ouanga's Hexing Hitler KC Fringe 2011
In 1941, five people gathered in a remote Maryland cabin to kill Adolf Hitler using witchcraft. That about sums it up. There’s more to it than that, but nothing I find worth mentioning. Despite the best efforts of the actors (the closest to success were Melody Butler and Doogan Brown), this script just couldn’t keep my attention. I had no emotional connection to the characters and, because the playwrights chose to write about something historical, I already knew that it wasn’t going to work so I wasn’t invested in the plot either. As rude as it may seem, I almost dozed off once.
With the way that lines were being delivered, the actors seemed to be reading a bedtime story rather than taking on characters. Most guilty of this were Kipp Simmons (William Seabrook) and Sarah Mae Lamar (Constance Kuhr), though their characters do a lot of actual storytelling so I suppose I should be a little more forgiving. All of the lines seemed forced and recited – just something that needed to be said so the next actor could get out their line.
I was very disappointed with this production and I wish that these talented locals would have been in a show that would have allowed them to shine. Hexing Hitler was a big letdown after writers Colley and Varney’s last Fringe show, Khaaaaan! The Musical (a smash hit). A valiant effort, but I would stick to comedies in the future. 1 out of 5.
With the way that lines were being delivered, the actors seemed to be reading a bedtime story rather than taking on characters. Most guilty of this were Kipp Simmons (William Seabrook) and Sarah Mae Lamar (Constance Kuhr), though their characters do a lot of actual storytelling so I suppose I should be a little more forgiving. All of the lines seemed forced and recited – just something that needed to be said so the next actor could get out their line.
I was very disappointed with this production and I wish that these talented locals would have been in a show that would have allowed them to shine. Hexing Hitler was a big letdown after writers Colley and Varney’s last Fringe show, Khaaaaan! The Musical (a smash hit). A valiant effort, but I would stick to comedies in the future. 1 out of 5.
ID8 Productions' Jason Has Mommy Issues KC Fringe 2011
“At age 30, Jason is plunging headlong into his very first midlife crisis. Thankfully, his mother is always around to offer unwanted advice.” That’s how Jason Has Mommy Issues by Michael Ruth was billed. I was completely unprepared for what was actually in store.
First off, Jason’s mother is never actually there, she is just in his head. That being said, Amy Eisele was a wonderful imaginary mom (though I was not a fan of her obviously fake hair piece). Secondly, his midlife crisis had a lot to do with a bump in the road with his boyfriend Thomas, the bump being an affair with Donnie who was introduced as a straight man.
Once I knew what was going on, I really got into this performance. It was a wonderfully written play and incredibly well cast. Jeremy Gassen (Jason) and Gregory Roberts (Thomas) had terrific chemistry; I wouldn’t doubt it if they were a couple in real life. Lanie, played by Cassandra Whitney, was their loud mouthed best friend and she fit the role perfectly, though I often found myself comparing her to Kathy Griffin as she has very similar speech patterns and inflections. Stephanie Charlton as Kate was natural and, at times, terrifying (she often spoke of very violent things as if they were nothing at all). I was most surprised by Donnie, portrayed by Matt Leonard. Wait, didn’t I just see him doing pagan rituals and impregnating women in Jet Propulsion? Not an hour later he is passionately kissing another man, and quite convincingly I might add. When asked about being a straight actor having to kiss a man on stage he said that it was a role, just like any other. I wish all performers had his mentality.
Ruth’s script was hilarious and smart and sad and touching and thought provoking and wonderful. Every scene had its purpose and no line was overdone. My absolute favorite line was, “This isn’t love, it’s reality. There’s very little overlap.” Congratulations to all involved in this production; I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. 5 out of 5.
First off, Jason’s mother is never actually there, she is just in his head. That being said, Amy Eisele was a wonderful imaginary mom (though I was not a fan of her obviously fake hair piece). Secondly, his midlife crisis had a lot to do with a bump in the road with his boyfriend Thomas, the bump being an affair with Donnie who was introduced as a straight man.
Once I knew what was going on, I really got into this performance. It was a wonderfully written play and incredibly well cast. Jeremy Gassen (Jason) and Gregory Roberts (Thomas) had terrific chemistry; I wouldn’t doubt it if they were a couple in real life. Lanie, played by Cassandra Whitney, was their loud mouthed best friend and she fit the role perfectly, though I often found myself comparing her to Kathy Griffin as she has very similar speech patterns and inflections. Stephanie Charlton as Kate was natural and, at times, terrifying (she often spoke of very violent things as if they were nothing at all). I was most surprised by Donnie, portrayed by Matt Leonard. Wait, didn’t I just see him doing pagan rituals and impregnating women in Jet Propulsion? Not an hour later he is passionately kissing another man, and quite convincingly I might add. When asked about being a straight actor having to kiss a man on stage he said that it was a role, just like any other. I wish all performers had his mentality.
Ruth’s script was hilarious and smart and sad and touching and thought provoking and wonderful. Every scene had its purpose and no line was overdone. My absolute favorite line was, “This isn’t love, it’s reality. There’s very little overlap.” Congratulations to all involved in this production; I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. 5 out of 5.
Kansas City Peep Shows' Jet Propulsion KC Fringe 2011
I walked into Jet Propulsion not really knowing what to expect, but what I got was an entertaining and educational night of theatre. Playwright Pete Bakely informed us on the mostly forgotten life and achievements of Jack Parsons, while still appealing to our desire for a show.
Jack Parsons was played by the dynamic Matt Leonard who threw himself into the character with reckless abandonment. He not only had to deliver several long, passionate monologues, but also had to perform a pagan ritual to the goat god Pan. I was impressed to his dedication to the part; even the slightest sign of timidity would have made the dancing and chanting look silly, but he owned it. I was on my feet for him at the end of the performance.
The famous author, L. Ron Hubbard was played by a very charismatic Ryan Neal. He had double duty, playing character and narrator of sorts, and handled it well. He had some fantastic facial expressions that really fit the part. I felt a little sorry for Neal at times because he was blocked to carry around a guitar that he only strummed once or twice. He would sing when he was filling the audience in on plot points, but he never played along with it. He just held it. I often lost what he was saying because I was so wrapped in the thought of, “Why bother with a guitar at all?”
Jeremy Lillig (Aleister Crowly) and Virginia Hubbard (various characters) did well in their parts but didn’t stand out in anyway either. I applaud them, however, for having to deal with an incredibly silly hand puppet (that resembled Dumbledore) and keeping a straight face. I don’t have any idea why Bakely felt the need to write in a puppet as a character, rather than just using another actor. It did not fit with the rest of the show at all and I found myself just waiting for it to get off stage. I couldn’t even tell you who the “character” was or how he was related to the plot.
Jet Propulsion was enjoyable and I learned a lot from it, but it wasn’t perfect. I think if the playwright works out a few kinks and ditches the guitar and puppet it will really help the show. At this point in time though, Leonard and Neil are what make this show worth seeing. 3 out of 5 stars.
Jack Parsons was played by the dynamic Matt Leonard who threw himself into the character with reckless abandonment. He not only had to deliver several long, passionate monologues, but also had to perform a pagan ritual to the goat god Pan. I was impressed to his dedication to the part; even the slightest sign of timidity would have made the dancing and chanting look silly, but he owned it. I was on my feet for him at the end of the performance.
The famous author, L. Ron Hubbard was played by a very charismatic Ryan Neal. He had double duty, playing character and narrator of sorts, and handled it well. He had some fantastic facial expressions that really fit the part. I felt a little sorry for Neal at times because he was blocked to carry around a guitar that he only strummed once or twice. He would sing when he was filling the audience in on plot points, but he never played along with it. He just held it. I often lost what he was saying because I was so wrapped in the thought of, “Why bother with a guitar at all?”
Jeremy Lillig (Aleister Crowly) and Virginia Hubbard (various characters) did well in their parts but didn’t stand out in anyway either. I applaud them, however, for having to deal with an incredibly silly hand puppet (that resembled Dumbledore) and keeping a straight face. I don’t have any idea why Bakely felt the need to write in a puppet as a character, rather than just using another actor. It did not fit with the rest of the show at all and I found myself just waiting for it to get off stage. I couldn’t even tell you who the “character” was or how he was related to the plot.
Jet Propulsion was enjoyable and I learned a lot from it, but it wasn’t perfect. I think if the playwright works out a few kinks and ditches the guitar and puppet it will really help the show. At this point in time though, Leonard and Neil are what make this show worth seeing. 3 out of 5 stars.
Bottoms Up Sketch Comedy Show KC Fringe 2011
Founder Emerson Rapp started the performance with an announcement, regretfully informing the audience that, despite their name, Bottoms Up is NOT a burlesque troupe. Once we were assured that there would be no boobs, the “best of” show began.
Every sketch was clever though some went over better than others (as is usual with all things comedy). Even when I didn’t particularly care for one of the sketches, they always got me laughing with the transition music. For example, a commercial advertising a supplement called “A-Leak” was followed by the song “Under Pressure”. I wasn’t sold on the sketch itself, but after I heard the song choice I was won over.
There were so many hilarious skits that it was hard for me to pick my favorites, but I finally narrowed it down to three. First there was a very short, reoccurring sketch that was placed at various points in the show. Two of the actors would come out as joggers (one using a shake weight, which was enough to crack me up before anything was said) and become disgusted by something happening on stage. The first scene was two women coughing and sneezing on each other. “Ew, I hate public displays of infection.” This theme appeared twice more with the words “erection” and “resurrection”. Clever and simple.
Next there was a woman trying to make sure she wasn’t being swindled by the covered wagon mechanic. He insisted that the problem was the dead horse, but she wanted him to prove to her that the horse was dead before she coughed up the dough to replace it. He then proceeded to…beat the dead horse. Trust me, it was funnier in person.
My absolute favorite sketch was a play on the famous Abbott and Costello “Who’s On First” joke. The couple was discussing the horror movie marathon they were planning on having that night – The Thing and It being the two culprits of the confusion. It was brilliantly written and a terrific homage to the classic scene. The best part? “We can’t start the movie right away because Dr. Who’s on first.”
Bottoms Up is a great team and together they produce some quality sketch comedy. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with. I’m sure this show has added great numbers to their following. Keep an eye on Bottoms Up because they are going places (but remember, no boobs here). 4 out of 5 stars.
Every sketch was clever though some went over better than others (as is usual with all things comedy). Even when I didn’t particularly care for one of the sketches, they always got me laughing with the transition music. For example, a commercial advertising a supplement called “A-Leak” was followed by the song “Under Pressure”. I wasn’t sold on the sketch itself, but after I heard the song choice I was won over.
There were so many hilarious skits that it was hard for me to pick my favorites, but I finally narrowed it down to three. First there was a very short, reoccurring sketch that was placed at various points in the show. Two of the actors would come out as joggers (one using a shake weight, which was enough to crack me up before anything was said) and become disgusted by something happening on stage. The first scene was two women coughing and sneezing on each other. “Ew, I hate public displays of infection.” This theme appeared twice more with the words “erection” and “resurrection”. Clever and simple.
Next there was a woman trying to make sure she wasn’t being swindled by the covered wagon mechanic. He insisted that the problem was the dead horse, but she wanted him to prove to her that the horse was dead before she coughed up the dough to replace it. He then proceeded to…beat the dead horse. Trust me, it was funnier in person.
My absolute favorite sketch was a play on the famous Abbott and Costello “Who’s On First” joke. The couple was discussing the horror movie marathon they were planning on having that night – The Thing and It being the two culprits of the confusion. It was brilliantly written and a terrific homage to the classic scene. The best part? “We can’t start the movie right away because Dr. Who’s on first.”
Bottoms Up is a great team and together they produce some quality sketch comedy. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with. I’m sure this show has added great numbers to their following. Keep an eye on Bottoms Up because they are going places (but remember, no boobs here). 4 out of 5 stars.
Different Choices Productions’ The Bottom of Everything KC Fringe 2011
The Bottom of Everything is billed as “a play about redemption and what happens when we fail” but I felt that it was so much more than that, and told in such a simple way. Derrick moves in with some old high school friends after spending three years in jail and falls back into old habits. This group of twenty-somethings work at jobs they don’t care about just to make rent and buy drugs and alcohol, giving the audience all the comedy and drama you could expect to receive from such circumstances. From drunken hook ups to overdoses, this play has it all covered and forces you to ask yourself, “What was your one mistake?”.
Playwright Denver Little succeeded in creating a script that felt like real life, rather than an imitation. The dialogue was natural and there was no unnecessary filler; it was incredibly well written. The only part that I found out of place and confusing was the very opening of the play. In complete darkness, a voice over is played. A man’s voice is telling a story and starts to sing a song. I couldn’t tell you what that man said or what the song was because it was so disconnected and hard to focus on when there was nothing to look at. All I can honestly remember is something about someone’s birthday. Other than that strange beginning, I was very impressed.
I was disappointed with Derrick, played by Justin Whittaker. There were several points during the performance in which he was an actor reading lines rather than a character living and responding in the moment of the play. Also, though this has no affect on his acting abilities, I was often very distracted by his strabismus (a condition of the eyes) because I could never tell where he was looking. Because it doesn’t change Whittaker’s performance in anyway, this probably wouldn’t have been a factor in a larger space because the audience would be too far away to tell.
Wes, played by Kyle Dyck, is the source of most of both the hilarity and sorrow. “Once a dumbass, always a dumbass,” he gives us plenty to laugh at for the first few scenes before going into a seizure from a heroin overdose. Even if I didn’t know Kyle personally, it would have been incredibly hard to watch. If you have ever seen a real seizure, you will know that Dyck is pretty much spot on. Nate was portrayed by the playwright himself, so he, of course, had no trouble playing the character as it was meant to be.
The most impressive performances were given by Bob Linebarger (Curtis) and Maggie Parker (Leta). Their characters were so incredibly real; nothing was overdone or undersold. When Leta is first introduced she is incredibly drunk and actors often struggle with making this believable. Parker was fantastic, using subtle movements, such as almost falling off of her high heel, to show her intoxication rather than staggering around the stage. In the final scene Curtis is crying over lost loved ones, and Linebarger had no trouble producing real tears. I often find myself shutting down when actors scrunch up their faces and wail to make it seem as if they are really weeping so I was glad when this was not one of those cases.
In general, this is a wonderful show (if you can stomach the hard hitting issues) and one that you really shouldn’t miss. I hope that this production is reprised for a fourth time in the near future so that more people will have a chance to see it and remember “this isn’t the end. It’s just the bottom.” 4 out of 5 stars.
Playwright Denver Little succeeded in creating a script that felt like real life, rather than an imitation. The dialogue was natural and there was no unnecessary filler; it was incredibly well written. The only part that I found out of place and confusing was the very opening of the play. In complete darkness, a voice over is played. A man’s voice is telling a story and starts to sing a song. I couldn’t tell you what that man said or what the song was because it was so disconnected and hard to focus on when there was nothing to look at. All I can honestly remember is something about someone’s birthday. Other than that strange beginning, I was very impressed.
I was disappointed with Derrick, played by Justin Whittaker. There were several points during the performance in which he was an actor reading lines rather than a character living and responding in the moment of the play. Also, though this has no affect on his acting abilities, I was often very distracted by his strabismus (a condition of the eyes) because I could never tell where he was looking. Because it doesn’t change Whittaker’s performance in anyway, this probably wouldn’t have been a factor in a larger space because the audience would be too far away to tell.
Wes, played by Kyle Dyck, is the source of most of both the hilarity and sorrow. “Once a dumbass, always a dumbass,” he gives us plenty to laugh at for the first few scenes before going into a seizure from a heroin overdose. Even if I didn’t know Kyle personally, it would have been incredibly hard to watch. If you have ever seen a real seizure, you will know that Dyck is pretty much spot on. Nate was portrayed by the playwright himself, so he, of course, had no trouble playing the character as it was meant to be.
The most impressive performances were given by Bob Linebarger (Curtis) and Maggie Parker (Leta). Their characters were so incredibly real; nothing was overdone or undersold. When Leta is first introduced she is incredibly drunk and actors often struggle with making this believable. Parker was fantastic, using subtle movements, such as almost falling off of her high heel, to show her intoxication rather than staggering around the stage. In the final scene Curtis is crying over lost loved ones, and Linebarger had no trouble producing real tears. I often find myself shutting down when actors scrunch up their faces and wail to make it seem as if they are really weeping so I was glad when this was not one of those cases.
In general, this is a wonderful show (if you can stomach the hard hitting issues) and one that you really shouldn’t miss. I hope that this production is reprised for a fourth time in the near future so that more people will have a chance to see it and remember “this isn’t the end. It’s just the bottom.” 4 out of 5 stars.
The Skinny Improv's Hamlet vs. Zombies KC Fringe 2011
As a scholar of Shakespeare and a lover of zombie flicks I knew that I had to see Hamlet vs. Zombies. It was a clever combination of the Shakespearean language of Hamlet and the campy feel of bad horror films.
It was clear that the co-authors, Jeff Jenkins (Horatio) and Bryant Turnage (Claudius), are experts on both subjects and utilized their knowledge to make some very witty theatre. I found myself and the rest of the audience bursting into laughter throughout the entire show. However, I am worried that those audience members who aren’t as well read in Shakespeare will miss out on some of the more obscure Hamlet references. The characters also referred to some lesser known zombie films that even I, an avid fan, had to dig pretty deep into my memory to remember.
That being said, the attention to those smaller details took the show to the next level. Simple things like confetti for blood, video journals instead of soliloquies, and the fact that Queen Gertrude has less clothing on every time she enters really give it an extra punch.
The majority of the cast had a great feel for the “spoof” style of the play, but there were a couple I was a little disappointed with. Jake Young as Polonius was underwhelming and I often felt like he was taking the character too seriously. Jennifer Eiffert (Gertrude) on the other hand took it way overboard and spent most of the time looking like a cartoon character. They both needed to find a happy medium: acknowledge the fact that you are in a spoof play but know that it’s only going to be funny if your character doesn’t know it. It’s a thin line to tread, but I think the rest of the cast succeeded.
Overall the show was really well written and very funny. I felt, however, that it drug on for a very long time (that was probably Hamlet’s fault…all that procrastinating). They could have a cut a full 30 minutes off of the show and it would have been sufficient. By the end of the 90 minutes, the motif was wearing thin.
That being said, it is definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of Shakespeare and/or zombies. You will never laugh this hard at one of Hamlet’s monologues anywhere else. 3 out of 5 stars.
It was clear that the co-authors, Jeff Jenkins (Horatio) and Bryant Turnage (Claudius), are experts on both subjects and utilized their knowledge to make some very witty theatre. I found myself and the rest of the audience bursting into laughter throughout the entire show. However, I am worried that those audience members who aren’t as well read in Shakespeare will miss out on some of the more obscure Hamlet references. The characters also referred to some lesser known zombie films that even I, an avid fan, had to dig pretty deep into my memory to remember.
That being said, the attention to those smaller details took the show to the next level. Simple things like confetti for blood, video journals instead of soliloquies, and the fact that Queen Gertrude has less clothing on every time she enters really give it an extra punch.
The majority of the cast had a great feel for the “spoof” style of the play, but there were a couple I was a little disappointed with. Jake Young as Polonius was underwhelming and I often felt like he was taking the character too seriously. Jennifer Eiffert (Gertrude) on the other hand took it way overboard and spent most of the time looking like a cartoon character. They both needed to find a happy medium: acknowledge the fact that you are in a spoof play but know that it’s only going to be funny if your character doesn’t know it. It’s a thin line to tread, but I think the rest of the cast succeeded.
Overall the show was really well written and very funny. I felt, however, that it drug on for a very long time (that was probably Hamlet’s fault…all that procrastinating). They could have a cut a full 30 minutes off of the show and it would have been sufficient. By the end of the 90 minutes, the motif was wearing thin.
That being said, it is definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of Shakespeare and/or zombies. You will never laugh this hard at one of Hamlet’s monologues anywhere else. 3 out of 5 stars.
The Barn Players’ Marvin’s Room
Marvin’s Room at The Barn Players in Mission, KS is nothing short of a homerun. I know that things are hectic this week with all of the Fringe shows, but you MUST find time in your schedule to see this show.
Scott McPherson’s play covers some pretty heavy subjects: dysfunctional families, teenage delinquency, cancer, and death. The most prominent theme, however, is LOVE. This message of love makes the audience laugh, cry, and contemplate their own lives and deaths.
When I walked into the theatre my breath was taken away by Doug Schroeder’s set. It was absolutely beautiful and yet incredibly simple, utilizing cool colors and basic shapes. Michael Ong’s projections were a perfect complement to the set, showing up in sections that corresponded with the shapes on stage.
Director Eric Magnus presented a brilliantly cast production with each actor being well suited to their role. The two shining stars were Jennifer Coville (Bessie) and Josh Brady (Hank), and the two scenes in which they are alone on stage were most definitely the highlight of the performance. Their relationship is that of an aunt and 17-year-old nephew who have just met for the first time. Bessie is trying to encourage Hank in ways that her sister Lee (Andrea James) could not, and the result is a reformed young man. Another terrific scene is when Bessie and Lee are talking in the middle of the night and Bessie finally shows her vulnerability. Coville’s performance had me in tears before I even realized I was crying.
This is a show you cannot miss. They close on August 7th so make sure you mark it on your calendar. It is not a show for the whole family so leave the kids (or any other patrons who get the giggles at inappropriate times) at home.
Congrats to the cast and crew of Marvin’s Room. 5 out of 5 stars.
Scott McPherson’s play covers some pretty heavy subjects: dysfunctional families, teenage delinquency, cancer, and death. The most prominent theme, however, is LOVE. This message of love makes the audience laugh, cry, and contemplate their own lives and deaths.
When I walked into the theatre my breath was taken away by Doug Schroeder’s set. It was absolutely beautiful and yet incredibly simple, utilizing cool colors and basic shapes. Michael Ong’s projections were a perfect complement to the set, showing up in sections that corresponded with the shapes on stage.
Director Eric Magnus presented a brilliantly cast production with each actor being well suited to their role. The two shining stars were Jennifer Coville (Bessie) and Josh Brady (Hank), and the two scenes in which they are alone on stage were most definitely the highlight of the performance. Their relationship is that of an aunt and 17-year-old nephew who have just met for the first time. Bessie is trying to encourage Hank in ways that her sister Lee (Andrea James) could not, and the result is a reformed young man. Another terrific scene is when Bessie and Lee are talking in the middle of the night and Bessie finally shows her vulnerability. Coville’s performance had me in tears before I even realized I was crying.
This is a show you cannot miss. They close on August 7th so make sure you mark it on your calendar. It is not a show for the whole family so leave the kids (or any other patrons who get the giggles at inappropriate times) at home.
Congrats to the cast and crew of Marvin’s Room. 5 out of 5 stars.
Theatre in the Park's Aida July 2011
Though I was familiar with the music, I had never had the pleasure of seeing Aida on stage prior to the opening night of the Theatre in the Park production. It is a truly beautiful love story with just enough humor and action to appeal to almost any audience member and the TTIP cast delivered a fine performance of it.
The set was perfect with some very cool rolling staircases, and the costumes by Todd Hoover-Holthus were phenomenal (the star of the show, if I had to pick just one). However, the rest of the technical aspects of the show were disappointing. The audio was poorly balanced so the band often overpowered the singers, making it difficult to understand them. There were also several occasions when the wrong mics were brought up, allowing us to hear the actors speaking backstage, and not hear the ones onstage at all. The lighting design, by Caleb Stroman, was beautiful, but the cues were often wrong, leaving a scene in the dark before it was over, or lighting the wrong actor. All of this considered, one has to remember that Theatre in the Park is a community theatre and each show only has a few days on the outdoor stage to work out the technical kinks before the show opens. I’m sure that these problems will fix themselves as the run continues.
The choreography by Liz Ernst was incredibly impressive and the ensemble was clearly full of trained dancers. It complimented the story and was quite a spectacle! However, there was so much of it that it almost took away from how good it was. Several of the dance sequences could have been shortened or cut altogether and the show would not have suffered from it in the least.
The actors in the principle roles had terrific chemistry with each other and beautiful voices. I was most impressed by Lindsey Jones in the role of Princess Amneris. She owned her character and nailed every note. I knew from the first song in the show that she would be my favorite. (And a question to the costumers: just how many dresses did she have!?) I was slightly disappointed with Legna Cedillo (Aida) and Robert Hingula (Zoser). Cedillo had a beautiful upper register and could belt like nobody’s business, but there were several occasions when her singing was pitchy. Also, her lower notes lost the clarity that was present in the higher parts of the song and sounded forced. It also seemed that she learned how to act by watching Rachel Berry (played by Lea Michelle) on Glee. Take that as you will. Hingula was a terrific villain but his singing style didn’t flow with the rest of the show. He has more of a rock sound when the rest of the performers sounded more soulful. This, of course, was just my personal preference, and says nothing against his level of talent. I’m not sure if it was director Greg Shaw’s choice to have Zoser sound so different from the rest of the cast or if it is simply the only way Hingula can sound. I had a similar review of his voice when he played Roger in the Barn Players production of Rent. Aside from these small critiques, the lead roles were well cast. (The program fails to mention that Lauren Frazier played the role of Nehebka, so I’d like to make sure that she gets credit for her work). This ensemble was a great team, and despite its large size, it was clear that all of the performers were like a family. I recommend you check out Aida before the family splits up and moves on to other endeavors. This is a show that will delight all ages (especially an extremely cool and well executed effect at the end of the play). 4 out of 5 stars.
The show closes on July 17th so make time to go out to the park with a family before the chance passes you by.
Theatre in the Park's Les Miserables - School Edition July 2011
Theatre in the Park closed their production of 'Les Miserables - School Edition, but with the amount of talent on the stage it's hard to believe the cast was composed entirely of students. To be quite honest there was very little to critique.
Charlie Meredith as Jean Valjean was perfectly cast for his abilities and put on a stellar performance. Keeping in mind that he is so young, I would have liked it if they had attempted to age him a little more. I was in the very front so I can't be sure what he looked like from the back, but he could have used a hair cut and a beard if he could manage one.
David McTeer (Javier) was, in a word, brilliant. From his performance to his appearance he could not have been more suited for the role.
All bias aside, it was the women who stole the show. Gabriela Delano (Fantine) and Katie Martin (Eponine) were absolutely breathtaking. When they were on stage I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They both sang effortlessly and had amazing breath control. When I spoke to Delano after the show she was incredibly polite and humble. I was very impressed. Keep an eye on these two young women Kansas City; they are going places.
Two other impressive young ladies were Anna Hastings and Lindsey Hart. Hastings had a beautiful solo as Young Cosette and Hart won the admiration of the entire audience as the little spit-fire Gavroche.
The rest of the cast was very strong, though some can still benefit from additional training. Alex Peterson (Marius) for example, clearly has a beautiful instrument, and will surely continue to land principle roles with a few more years of vocal lessons. Elise Poehling's (Cosette) soprano voice was clear and polished but her character didn't really stand out. She and some other the other minor characters will greatly improve with some acting classes.
These students are raw talent and they will most certainly get even better with age. Congrats on an amazing performance. 5 out of 5 stars.
Charlie Meredith as Jean Valjean was perfectly cast for his abilities and put on a stellar performance. Keeping in mind that he is so young, I would have liked it if they had attempted to age him a little more. I was in the very front so I can't be sure what he looked like from the back, but he could have used a hair cut and a beard if he could manage one.
David McTeer (Javier) was, in a word, brilliant. From his performance to his appearance he could not have been more suited for the role.
All bias aside, it was the women who stole the show. Gabriela Delano (Fantine) and Katie Martin (Eponine) were absolutely breathtaking. When they were on stage I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They both sang effortlessly and had amazing breath control. When I spoke to Delano after the show she was incredibly polite and humble. I was very impressed. Keep an eye on these two young women Kansas City; they are going places.
Two other impressive young ladies were Anna Hastings and Lindsey Hart. Hastings had a beautiful solo as Young Cosette and Hart won the admiration of the entire audience as the little spit-fire Gavroche.
The rest of the cast was very strong, though some can still benefit from additional training. Alex Peterson (Marius) for example, clearly has a beautiful instrument, and will surely continue to land principle roles with a few more years of vocal lessons. Elise Poehling's (Cosette) soprano voice was clear and polished but her character didn't really stand out. She and some other the other minor characters will greatly improve with some acting classes.
These students are raw talent and they will most certainly get even better with age. Congrats on an amazing performance. 5 out of 5 stars.
The Living Room's Carousel June 2011
“There will be, simply and without apology, a muscular strength to the telling of this story, and it will be as visceral and mean and lovely as the text upon which it is based. In breaking the icon of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s legendary classic, this production hopes to reveal its guts, its life-blood, its human complexity and simplicity to a contemporary audience.” That’s what the event description of The Living Room’s Carousel says, and the production goes above and beyond everything director Kyle Hatley hoped for.
Those of you expecting to see a classic rendition of Carousel will be disappointed (or incredibly relieved, depending on your feelings toward Rodgers and Hammerstein). This bold theatre experiment throws the audience into the darker themes of the musical with no set, no flashy costumes or dance numbers, and almost all of the lighting being provided by bare, dangling light bulbs. Hatley began the show with a speech declaring that “we are all students”, including the cast and crew, so each performance was a new and ever changing learning experience. I’m sure all of those present would be in agreement; everyone could benefit from taking a class or two from Professor Hatley.
The production begins with a light show during the overture (music provided by Eryn Preston and Sean Hogge) creating the illusion of being on a carousel. The actors surround the stage and pull the chains of the many light bulbs in various sequences. It was the most simple idea and, because of that, was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen on stage. The bare bones concept of the show forces the audience to think about the serious emotions behind the characters by stripping away the “fluff” of the classic musical. Hatley also used the space to his advantage by turning off the AC to make the audience feel as if they were outside (the programs were conveniently printed on fans) and having chorus members rip the curtains from the windows to reveal the Kansas City skyline. Basically, everything about the show made you go, “Oooo, that’s cool.”
Hatley assembled a perfect cast for this production; everyone was incredibly well placed in their roles. There were a few characters that stood out in my mind (something difficult to do when all of them were so wonderful). Firstly, Rusty Sneary (one of the Living Room’s founders) as Billy Bigelow was brilliant. He struck such a balance of good and evil in his character that you could see the inner struggle on his face at all times. The audience really roots for him to win his moral battles and do right by his family, even when they know that he won’t. Though singing is not his strongest suit, he can definitely carry a tune, and it seems fitting for Billy’s singing voice to not be astounding. Hatley and Sneary did some great collaborating for one hell of a protagonist.
Sara Goeke was another actor who really took it to the next level. Her performance as Carrie was incredibly realistic right down to the tiniest details of her facial expressions. Her banter with Julie (Molly Denninghoff) was convincing enough to make you feel like you were eaves dropping on a real conversation at a girl’s night. They had wonderful chemistry and I believed every word. Her song, “Mister Snow”, was adorable and really showcased her beautiful tone.
Nick Uthoff created perfect juxtaposition as the “bad guy”, Jigger. With his large stature, his physical presence is almost enough to create the intimidation factor needed to make the character work, but he didn’t rely on that solely. The way he carried himself and the sly grin that he wore efficiently spooked the audience; don’t mess with this guy. That being said, it would be easy to read every line like a brute with only violence on his mind, but Uthoff didn’t! He found moments to pull out the humor from Jigger’s lines and make him seem more like a real person than an archetype. I was especially impressed with the scene between him and Goeke; he showed that Jigger is a predator and a criminal, but that he still possesses human emotions so he isn’t just another “Disney villain”.
Lastly I would like to talk about the infamous Rodgers and Hammerstein ballet sequence (those two loved to throw in a symbolic dance in the second act). When “Billy Makes a Journey” back to Earth to see a day in the life of his now fifteen year old daughter, Louise, the plot is shown through dance. Anyone who has ever seen a high school production of Oklahoma! knows that this has the potential to go incredibly badly. Much to my surprise, I was blown away by the ballet in this production! The choreography by Steven Eubank was beautiful (duh….it’s Steven) and helped to tell the story but I feel like the dancers he had to work with could have turned anything to gold. Daria LeGrand and Kyle Dyck were absolutely breath taking as Louise and her lover. Each touch, each glance, held so much meaning, so much power, that it felt like the rest of the world was standing still to watch them dance. I managed to keep the tears back during Billy’s death scene, but the ballet wasn’t going to be as kind to me. It was so stunning that I want to say more about it but I can’t seem to find the words. Amazing.
I don’t often wear hats but I will put one on simply to take it off to Kyle Hatley and the brilliant cast of Carousel. They close June 20th so be sure to make your reservations (despite requests, they will not be able to extend the run of the show to allow more patrons to see it). DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW. It could change the way you see theatre for the rest of your life. I bet you never though you would see such an eye opening performance from a squishy arm chair. Five out of five stars.
Those of you expecting to see a classic rendition of Carousel will be disappointed (or incredibly relieved, depending on your feelings toward Rodgers and Hammerstein). This bold theatre experiment throws the audience into the darker themes of the musical with no set, no flashy costumes or dance numbers, and almost all of the lighting being provided by bare, dangling light bulbs. Hatley began the show with a speech declaring that “we are all students”, including the cast and crew, so each performance was a new and ever changing learning experience. I’m sure all of those present would be in agreement; everyone could benefit from taking a class or two from Professor Hatley.
The production begins with a light show during the overture (music provided by Eryn Preston and Sean Hogge) creating the illusion of being on a carousel. The actors surround the stage and pull the chains of the many light bulbs in various sequences. It was the most simple idea and, because of that, was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen on stage. The bare bones concept of the show forces the audience to think about the serious emotions behind the characters by stripping away the “fluff” of the classic musical. Hatley also used the space to his advantage by turning off the AC to make the audience feel as if they were outside (the programs were conveniently printed on fans) and having chorus members rip the curtains from the windows to reveal the Kansas City skyline. Basically, everything about the show made you go, “Oooo, that’s cool.”
Hatley assembled a perfect cast for this production; everyone was incredibly well placed in their roles. There were a few characters that stood out in my mind (something difficult to do when all of them were so wonderful). Firstly, Rusty Sneary (one of the Living Room’s founders) as Billy Bigelow was brilliant. He struck such a balance of good and evil in his character that you could see the inner struggle on his face at all times. The audience really roots for him to win his moral battles and do right by his family, even when they know that he won’t. Though singing is not his strongest suit, he can definitely carry a tune, and it seems fitting for Billy’s singing voice to not be astounding. Hatley and Sneary did some great collaborating for one hell of a protagonist.
Sara Goeke was another actor who really took it to the next level. Her performance as Carrie was incredibly realistic right down to the tiniest details of her facial expressions. Her banter with Julie (Molly Denninghoff) was convincing enough to make you feel like you were eaves dropping on a real conversation at a girl’s night. They had wonderful chemistry and I believed every word. Her song, “Mister Snow”, was adorable and really showcased her beautiful tone.
Nick Uthoff created perfect juxtaposition as the “bad guy”, Jigger. With his large stature, his physical presence is almost enough to create the intimidation factor needed to make the character work, but he didn’t rely on that solely. The way he carried himself and the sly grin that he wore efficiently spooked the audience; don’t mess with this guy. That being said, it would be easy to read every line like a brute with only violence on his mind, but Uthoff didn’t! He found moments to pull out the humor from Jigger’s lines and make him seem more like a real person than an archetype. I was especially impressed with the scene between him and Goeke; he showed that Jigger is a predator and a criminal, but that he still possesses human emotions so he isn’t just another “Disney villain”.
Lastly I would like to talk about the infamous Rodgers and Hammerstein ballet sequence (those two loved to throw in a symbolic dance in the second act). When “Billy Makes a Journey” back to Earth to see a day in the life of his now fifteen year old daughter, Louise, the plot is shown through dance. Anyone who has ever seen a high school production of Oklahoma! knows that this has the potential to go incredibly badly. Much to my surprise, I was blown away by the ballet in this production! The choreography by Steven Eubank was beautiful (duh….it’s Steven) and helped to tell the story but I feel like the dancers he had to work with could have turned anything to gold. Daria LeGrand and Kyle Dyck were absolutely breath taking as Louise and her lover. Each touch, each glance, held so much meaning, so much power, that it felt like the rest of the world was standing still to watch them dance. I managed to keep the tears back during Billy’s death scene, but the ballet wasn’t going to be as kind to me. It was so stunning that I want to say more about it but I can’t seem to find the words. Amazing.
I don’t often wear hats but I will put one on simply to take it off to Kyle Hatley and the brilliant cast of Carousel. They close June 20th so be sure to make your reservations (despite requests, they will not be able to extend the run of the show to allow more patrons to see it). DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW. It could change the way you see theatre for the rest of your life. I bet you never though you would see such an eye opening performance from a squishy arm chair. Five out of five stars.
The Barn Players' Shout! The Mod Musical May 2011
The Mother’s Day performance of Shout! The Mod Musical had a thin crowd, as was to be expected, but that did not keep the cast from giving an energetic performance. The six actresses and three-piece band were entertaining and obviously talented.
The scenery, designed by April Bishop, was bright and colorful providing a perfect atmosphere for the musical romp through the 60s in England. J. Patrick Inlow’s lights were complimentary – clearly the evidence of a great collaboration between designers (all of which are to be commended). Costumes, by Francie Kapono, were flattering and period appropriate. However, Blue’s costume looked slightly out of place with the others (thought I don’t claim to know everything about 60s fashion).
Director Guy Gardner, who received training in Florida with Disney, provided some stellar choreography and five loveable and relatable characters. (The sixth played the part of antagonist.) The singers sounded great together and it was clear that musical director Mackenzie Zeilke worked hard with them to ensure that the harmonies were spot on and well blended. There were a few sour notes, but not more than to be expected at a community theatre.
The Show started with a very cute video of five young girls projected onto a screen. At the end of the video they all struck a pose and the screen was dropped to the floor, revealing our characters in their places. It was a great start to the show that let the audience know the fun that was to come.
The characters (aside from the advice columnist, Gwendolyn Holmes) are named simply by the colors that they wear. A humorous voice over reads an article from Shout Magazine that describes the personalities that the colors represent (my favorite of which – and the shortest – being “Green is a bit of a slut”). I wish they had given these descriptions at the beginning of the performance because it seemed that they did not take on their personalities until afterwards.
Between the songs there were little vignettes in which the characters responded to articles in Shot. These were absolutely hilarious! My personal favorite was concerning marijuana. Each character reacted differently to the drug, and with a clever use of flash lights they really made the scene pop. It also had a terrific segue into “Goldfinger” (which got the band, Beth and the Boys, in on the fun)
Kristen Altoro (Yellow) played an American drawn across the pond by her love for Paul McCartney. This girl’s voice stole the show. Every time she had a solo I found myself saying “you go girl!” I was so happy when it was her that sang the title song “Shout!” This was her third production at the Barn and I hope to see her in many more. She also had a beautifully touching monologue about spousal abuse.
I can only use one word to describe Red (Chelsea Anglemeyer): adorable. The audience couldn’t help but love this Mizzou musical theatre major, the nerd of the group. Her singing was weak on the low notes and she lost her British accent, but she had an impressive belt and amazing breath control.
Whitney Armstrong as Green was hilarious! Her singing was strong and her comedic timing was spot on. She was definitely my favorite character. I especially enjoyed “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” during which she had a fake wedding with an audience member (who happened to be orange’s husband, and who also had to be dragged out of his seat). This is also Armstrong’s third Barn production and I have no trouble seeing why she is continually cast.
Orange, played by Alicia Stutlz, adopted her role as a typical, disgruntled house wife easily. She had a weak accent and was clearly more comfortable with the lower notes, but she really shined in the ballad “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.” I was caught up in the emotion of it and didn’t look down at my notes a single time. However, as the show went on, she seemed to slowly lose steam and fell behind their energy of the other performers.
Blue was originally played by Samantha Ware, but for this, and all future performances, understudy Teal Holliday has taken over the role. It was clear that she had not rehearsed enough (though I commend her for taking on the task of learning all five parts); there were times that she dropped out from the singing entirely and had to watch the other girls for choreography. With such a high energy show, her timid demeanor stuck out like a sore thumb, even though her character was described as confident. It was not until her solo in “You’re My World” that we got to see some life in her performance. Her accent seemed to fade from American to something like South African throughout the show, but none of them held a British accent when they were singing anyway. I don’t blame her in the least for her weak performance; she obviously just needed more rehearsal time.
Rachel Szmed played the one non-singing role, Gwendolyn Holmes. She was absolutely terrible – in all the right ways. The audience loved to hate her, which means she did her job well (though, with the way the character is written, it would be almost impossible for her to fail). My only complaint (again) was the less than convincing accent.
The show ended with an uplifting “where are they now” segment and a mash up of “Pictures of the Past” and “Downtown”. It was a pleasant end to a generally entertaining production. However, the curtain call number was “Shout!”, and while I was glad to hear Altoro sing another solo, I was a little put off by the fact that the audience was basically pressured into a standing ovation. If you have read my other reviews, you know that I don’t give those out lightly.
All things considered, I did enjoy the show. However, due to the poor accents, Stutlz’s loss of energy and Holliday’s poor preparation I can only give it three out of five stars.
The scenery, designed by April Bishop, was bright and colorful providing a perfect atmosphere for the musical romp through the 60s in England. J. Patrick Inlow’s lights were complimentary – clearly the evidence of a great collaboration between designers (all of which are to be commended). Costumes, by Francie Kapono, were flattering and period appropriate. However, Blue’s costume looked slightly out of place with the others (thought I don’t claim to know everything about 60s fashion).
Director Guy Gardner, who received training in Florida with Disney, provided some stellar choreography and five loveable and relatable characters. (The sixth played the part of antagonist.) The singers sounded great together and it was clear that musical director Mackenzie Zeilke worked hard with them to ensure that the harmonies were spot on and well blended. There were a few sour notes, but not more than to be expected at a community theatre.
The Show started with a very cute video of five young girls projected onto a screen. At the end of the video they all struck a pose and the screen was dropped to the floor, revealing our characters in their places. It was a great start to the show that let the audience know the fun that was to come.
The characters (aside from the advice columnist, Gwendolyn Holmes) are named simply by the colors that they wear. A humorous voice over reads an article from Shout Magazine that describes the personalities that the colors represent (my favorite of which – and the shortest – being “Green is a bit of a slut”). I wish they had given these descriptions at the beginning of the performance because it seemed that they did not take on their personalities until afterwards.
Between the songs there were little vignettes in which the characters responded to articles in Shot. These were absolutely hilarious! My personal favorite was concerning marijuana. Each character reacted differently to the drug, and with a clever use of flash lights they really made the scene pop. It also had a terrific segue into “Goldfinger” (which got the band, Beth and the Boys, in on the fun)
Kristen Altoro (Yellow) played an American drawn across the pond by her love for Paul McCartney. This girl’s voice stole the show. Every time she had a solo I found myself saying “you go girl!” I was so happy when it was her that sang the title song “Shout!” This was her third production at the Barn and I hope to see her in many more. She also had a beautifully touching monologue about spousal abuse.
I can only use one word to describe Red (Chelsea Anglemeyer): adorable. The audience couldn’t help but love this Mizzou musical theatre major, the nerd of the group. Her singing was weak on the low notes and she lost her British accent, but she had an impressive belt and amazing breath control.
Whitney Armstrong as Green was hilarious! Her singing was strong and her comedic timing was spot on. She was definitely my favorite character. I especially enjoyed “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” during which she had a fake wedding with an audience member (who happened to be orange’s husband, and who also had to be dragged out of his seat). This is also Armstrong’s third Barn production and I have no trouble seeing why she is continually cast.
Orange, played by Alicia Stutlz, adopted her role as a typical, disgruntled house wife easily. She had a weak accent and was clearly more comfortable with the lower notes, but she really shined in the ballad “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.” I was caught up in the emotion of it and didn’t look down at my notes a single time. However, as the show went on, she seemed to slowly lose steam and fell behind their energy of the other performers.
Blue was originally played by Samantha Ware, but for this, and all future performances, understudy Teal Holliday has taken over the role. It was clear that she had not rehearsed enough (though I commend her for taking on the task of learning all five parts); there were times that she dropped out from the singing entirely and had to watch the other girls for choreography. With such a high energy show, her timid demeanor stuck out like a sore thumb, even though her character was described as confident. It was not until her solo in “You’re My World” that we got to see some life in her performance. Her accent seemed to fade from American to something like South African throughout the show, but none of them held a British accent when they were singing anyway. I don’t blame her in the least for her weak performance; she obviously just needed more rehearsal time.
Rachel Szmed played the one non-singing role, Gwendolyn Holmes. She was absolutely terrible – in all the right ways. The audience loved to hate her, which means she did her job well (though, with the way the character is written, it would be almost impossible for her to fail). My only complaint (again) was the less than convincing accent.
The show ended with an uplifting “where are they now” segment and a mash up of “Pictures of the Past” and “Downtown”. It was a pleasant end to a generally entertaining production. However, the curtain call number was “Shout!”, and while I was glad to hear Altoro sing another solo, I was a little put off by the fact that the audience was basically pressured into a standing ovation. If you have read my other reviews, you know that I don’t give those out lightly.
All things considered, I did enjoy the show. However, due to the poor accents, Stutlz’s loss of energy and Holliday’s poor preparation I can only give it three out of five stars.
OCTA's The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) March 2011
It was a true delight to witness this phenomenal comedy on Saturday, March 26th. It was my first time visiting the space and I was very impressed with how they had transformed the old church into a beautiful and comfortable theatre. Upon entering, the audience is greeted by a vibrant and comical set designed by actor Shea Coffman. I loved the labels painted on the stage such as “C” for center and “You are about to break the fourth wall” on the edge. There were so many funny and interesting things to look at!
Though I knew the general concept of the show I was unprepared for the crazy trip that was director Kipp Simmons’s three-man extravaganza. They crammed so many clever jokes into this show that there was barely a moment that I wasn’t laughing (which at sometimes was an issue because I couldn’t hear the next few lines over the audience). I really appreciated the way they made things personal and relevant by making references to modern celebrities, local events, and their own eccentricities.
The three actors, Kyle Dyck, David Martin, and Reed Uthe, had amazing chemistry and comedic timing. Each of them had their own style and the audience was quick to catch on to their niches. Dyck (which, as joked about, is pronounced dick) was the “dumb one” who was always the first one to get confused and all of the female parts. I took a particular joy in his performance as we are good friends from the cast of the Brownville Village Theatre’s 2009 season. Even though he was constantly running around in different wigs pretending to vomit on the audience, we still got to see his serious side when he performed on of the monologues from Hamlet (which took up the entirety of Act 2) in the traditional style. Knowing him personally, I was already aware of his prowess for Shakespearean acting and I was glad they decided to showcase that talent. David Martin was the “goofy one” and his extreme height (6’6” I believe) really lent itself to that character. The highlight of his performance was his physical comedy; I especially enjoyed his take on the old man, Polonius, from Hamlet. Reed Uthe was the “pretentious one” who was supposed to be the one that knew the most about Shakespeare; so it was that much funnier when he got something wrong. His shining moment? Hamlet, of course! I think he did it best backwards.
From the witty banter with the sound guy, Bob, to the insulting of various audience members (though Kyle was kind enough to compliment me on my hair as he was running through the row behind me to get away from Reed), to getting everyone in the room to play a part of Ophelia’s personality, the show was a complete riot! I wish they would have had a longer run so that more people could have enjoyed this wonderful show. I haven’t laughed that hard since Edward Cullun took off his shirt! Do I even have to say it? 5 out ot 5.
Though I knew the general concept of the show I was unprepared for the crazy trip that was director Kipp Simmons’s three-man extravaganza. They crammed so many clever jokes into this show that there was barely a moment that I wasn’t laughing (which at sometimes was an issue because I couldn’t hear the next few lines over the audience). I really appreciated the way they made things personal and relevant by making references to modern celebrities, local events, and their own eccentricities.
The three actors, Kyle Dyck, David Martin, and Reed Uthe, had amazing chemistry and comedic timing. Each of them had their own style and the audience was quick to catch on to their niches. Dyck (which, as joked about, is pronounced dick) was the “dumb one” who was always the first one to get confused and all of the female parts. I took a particular joy in his performance as we are good friends from the cast of the Brownville Village Theatre’s 2009 season. Even though he was constantly running around in different wigs pretending to vomit on the audience, we still got to see his serious side when he performed on of the monologues from Hamlet (which took up the entirety of Act 2) in the traditional style. Knowing him personally, I was already aware of his prowess for Shakespearean acting and I was glad they decided to showcase that talent. David Martin was the “goofy one” and his extreme height (6’6” I believe) really lent itself to that character. The highlight of his performance was his physical comedy; I especially enjoyed his take on the old man, Polonius, from Hamlet. Reed Uthe was the “pretentious one” who was supposed to be the one that knew the most about Shakespeare; so it was that much funnier when he got something wrong. His shining moment? Hamlet, of course! I think he did it best backwards.
From the witty banter with the sound guy, Bob, to the insulting of various audience members (though Kyle was kind enough to compliment me on my hair as he was running through the row behind me to get away from Reed), to getting everyone in the room to play a part of Ophelia’s personality, the show was a complete riot! I wish they would have had a longer run so that more people could have enjoyed this wonderful show. I haven’t laughed that hard since Edward Cullun took off his shirt! Do I even have to say it? 5 out ot 5.
She and Her Productions' The Pillowman March 2011
Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman is both moving and disturbing, and on Monday, March
21st, director Trevor Belt and his cast did it justice. Those of you who haven’t experienced this
dramatic piece of theatre need to make it down to the Westbottoms this weekend
while you still have time. Musician
Caleb Hopkins set the mood with the eerie sounds of an old piano – it’s
slightly out of tune, but it really added to the ambiance of it all – and the
audience knew they were in for a trip, especially as they took their seats so
close to the action.
The play opens in an interrogation room where Katrurian, played by Coleman Crenshaw, is being questioned and beaten by Tupolski and Ariel (Rick Williamson and Matt Leonard, respectively) over the recent murders of children who have met their demise in the same fashion of the characters in Katurian’s short stories. It is soon revealed that they are also holding his mentally retarded brother, Michael (Jeremy Frazier) in another room. Without revealing any plot points, things get crazy and there is a lot of stage blood. Throughout the play, the audience sees many of Katurian’s stories acted out by Cheryl Barker, Jared Walters, Alice Pollack, and Quinton Barker, all of which did a wonderful job with the mostly silent characters.
Crenshaw’s performance as Katurian started out slow. When the lights came up and he was sitting there blindfolded, being startled by the sounds of Williamson in the room, it felt really contrived. I was not convinced. However, the further into the production (and the bloodier he got), Crenshaw became more and more believable. Once he hit his pace, he delivered an amazing character with real human emotions. You couldn’t help but feel for him as he was being mistreated, even while you doubted his innocence. His interactions with his brother were the highlights of his performance, showing a wide range and severe dedication to his character.
Williamson as Detective Tupolski was brilliantly funny. The man was so hilarious that you felt bad for laughing so hard when the topic of the play is such a serious one. His witty banter and sarcasm was perfect for his role as the “good cop” and you can’t help but like him. However, when his personality takes a meaner turn in the third act, the previous nice-guy demeanor doesn’t hold him back from laying down the law. The switch seemed a little over done to me and I feel it would have benefitted Williamson to pull back on the anger a little bit. Because the audience was so fond of him and his pleasant behavior from earlier in the play, it’s almost a shock to the system to see him so different at the end. Other than that small critique, a spot on job.
Frazier had a hard task ahead of him when he was cast as a mentally handicapped man. There is always the risk of over doing it and making it seem cartoonish and offensive. However, this was not an issue for him. Frazier played Michael more like a boy trapped in a man’s body and it was so natural that I’m sure he must be a fun loving guy, in touch with his inner child. Michael suffers more from ignorance, or even innocence, than he does from a lack of intelligence; Frazier hit the nail right on the head. You only ever see him interact with Katurian, but that’s all you need to fall in love with him.
I saved Matt Leonard for last for a few reasons: (1) I consider him a good friend, so I’m slightly biased, (2) I’ve got a lot to say about his character, and (3) my favorite part of the show involves him specifically. Leonard’s character Officer Ariel is, without a doubt, the bad cop. For reasons later revealed, he hates Katurian and has no problem showing that hate with his fists (all of that stage blood is entirely his fault). For the majority of the play, Ariel seems pretty two dimensional: a slightly sadistic cop who really enjoys “interrogations” and cigarettes. Let’s talk about the cigarettes. I’m fairly certain he went through at least a pack and a half over the course of the production. I understand that it is in the script and a staple for his character, but that is overkill. If you are sensitive to tobacco smoke, be sure to sit in the back because he is smoking like a chimney. Leonard uses it to show his character’s anger and frustration, but I think we get that enough from his facial expressions and physicality. He gets so into it that he speeds through each cigarette in half the time it should take to smoke. He also made the decision to do the scene changes with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Again, maybe it’s because I don’t want my friend’s lungs to shrivel up, but I think I would be concerned even if I didn’t know the actor. Ariel’s rage is very passionate and violent – Belt had everyone yelling a lot so Leonard had no choice but to crank it up to eleven since his character is supposed to be the loose cannon. I think it would have been just as effective, if not more, for him to have a seething rage, rather than a loud one. And everyone was pretty loud (shouting in such a small performance space might have something to do with it). But we did get to see the more understated emotions of Ariel in the third act and that is where my favorite part is. When Tupolski has flipped to “bad cop” it makes sense for Ariel to swap with him. Leonard has a beautiful moment at the end of the play in which he has no lines at all, but the subtle changes in his physicality and the softening of his face speak volumes. Yes, the play is about Katurian and his brother. But at that moment, when you see just how their story has affected this once raging cop, your eyes well up a little bit. I am so glad that McDonagh included this scene in his script, and that Leonard was there to do it justice.
Just like any production, there were a few things that could be improved upon. A lot of the blocking is down on the floor so some people have sight line issues, the light board operator is right behind the audience and whispered conversations could be heard, and then there is the trains passing the building and blowing their horns (which no one can do anything about anyway). But overall, I was extremely impressed (I gave one of those standing ovations that I’m so stingy with). I want to take just a moment to pat scenic designer Donovan Kidd on the back. You come in thinking, that’s simple enough, but then the first scene change comes and that thought changes immediately to, WOW that’s cool! Congratulations to Trevor Belt and his phenomenal cast. You have a show to be proud of. 5 out of 5 stars.
The play opens in an interrogation room where Katrurian, played by Coleman Crenshaw, is being questioned and beaten by Tupolski and Ariel (Rick Williamson and Matt Leonard, respectively) over the recent murders of children who have met their demise in the same fashion of the characters in Katurian’s short stories. It is soon revealed that they are also holding his mentally retarded brother, Michael (Jeremy Frazier) in another room. Without revealing any plot points, things get crazy and there is a lot of stage blood. Throughout the play, the audience sees many of Katurian’s stories acted out by Cheryl Barker, Jared Walters, Alice Pollack, and Quinton Barker, all of which did a wonderful job with the mostly silent characters.
Crenshaw’s performance as Katurian started out slow. When the lights came up and he was sitting there blindfolded, being startled by the sounds of Williamson in the room, it felt really contrived. I was not convinced. However, the further into the production (and the bloodier he got), Crenshaw became more and more believable. Once he hit his pace, he delivered an amazing character with real human emotions. You couldn’t help but feel for him as he was being mistreated, even while you doubted his innocence. His interactions with his brother were the highlights of his performance, showing a wide range and severe dedication to his character.
Williamson as Detective Tupolski was brilliantly funny. The man was so hilarious that you felt bad for laughing so hard when the topic of the play is such a serious one. His witty banter and sarcasm was perfect for his role as the “good cop” and you can’t help but like him. However, when his personality takes a meaner turn in the third act, the previous nice-guy demeanor doesn’t hold him back from laying down the law. The switch seemed a little over done to me and I feel it would have benefitted Williamson to pull back on the anger a little bit. Because the audience was so fond of him and his pleasant behavior from earlier in the play, it’s almost a shock to the system to see him so different at the end. Other than that small critique, a spot on job.
Frazier had a hard task ahead of him when he was cast as a mentally handicapped man. There is always the risk of over doing it and making it seem cartoonish and offensive. However, this was not an issue for him. Frazier played Michael more like a boy trapped in a man’s body and it was so natural that I’m sure he must be a fun loving guy, in touch with his inner child. Michael suffers more from ignorance, or even innocence, than he does from a lack of intelligence; Frazier hit the nail right on the head. You only ever see him interact with Katurian, but that’s all you need to fall in love with him.
I saved Matt Leonard for last for a few reasons: (1) I consider him a good friend, so I’m slightly biased, (2) I’ve got a lot to say about his character, and (3) my favorite part of the show involves him specifically. Leonard’s character Officer Ariel is, without a doubt, the bad cop. For reasons later revealed, he hates Katurian and has no problem showing that hate with his fists (all of that stage blood is entirely his fault). For the majority of the play, Ariel seems pretty two dimensional: a slightly sadistic cop who really enjoys “interrogations” and cigarettes. Let’s talk about the cigarettes. I’m fairly certain he went through at least a pack and a half over the course of the production. I understand that it is in the script and a staple for his character, but that is overkill. If you are sensitive to tobacco smoke, be sure to sit in the back because he is smoking like a chimney. Leonard uses it to show his character’s anger and frustration, but I think we get that enough from his facial expressions and physicality. He gets so into it that he speeds through each cigarette in half the time it should take to smoke. He also made the decision to do the scene changes with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Again, maybe it’s because I don’t want my friend’s lungs to shrivel up, but I think I would be concerned even if I didn’t know the actor. Ariel’s rage is very passionate and violent – Belt had everyone yelling a lot so Leonard had no choice but to crank it up to eleven since his character is supposed to be the loose cannon. I think it would have been just as effective, if not more, for him to have a seething rage, rather than a loud one. And everyone was pretty loud (shouting in such a small performance space might have something to do with it). But we did get to see the more understated emotions of Ariel in the third act and that is where my favorite part is. When Tupolski has flipped to “bad cop” it makes sense for Ariel to swap with him. Leonard has a beautiful moment at the end of the play in which he has no lines at all, but the subtle changes in his physicality and the softening of his face speak volumes. Yes, the play is about Katurian and his brother. But at that moment, when you see just how their story has affected this once raging cop, your eyes well up a little bit. I am so glad that McDonagh included this scene in his script, and that Leonard was there to do it justice.
Just like any production, there were a few things that could be improved upon. A lot of the blocking is down on the floor so some people have sight line issues, the light board operator is right behind the audience and whispered conversations could be heard, and then there is the trains passing the building and blowing their horns (which no one can do anything about anyway). But overall, I was extremely impressed (I gave one of those standing ovations that I’m so stingy with). I want to take just a moment to pat scenic designer Donovan Kidd on the back. You come in thinking, that’s simple enough, but then the first scene change comes and that thought changes immediately to, WOW that’s cool! Congratulations to Trevor Belt and his phenomenal cast. You have a show to be proud of. 5 out of 5 stars.
Egads! Theatre Company's In Trousers March 2011
Steven Eubank does it again.
Eubank and his team have managed to take William Finn’s obscure first work and transform it into a smash hit. I went into the Off Center Theatre on Sunday, March 20th, completely blind. The only thing that I knew about the production was that the show was written by the same person that brought us The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (a show that is very close to my heart). While the lyrics are strange and a bit cryptic at times, once you get into the flow of the show, you assimilate to the symbolism and can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
From personal experience I know that Eubank is a phenomenal director and choreographer, but where his genius really shines is in his ability to cast the right actors for the roles. This ensemble worked together so well that I’m not sure I could picture anyone else playing the roles. All four singing voices were perfect for their individual roles, but they also blended well.
Marvin, played by Jared Hill, is tossed back and forth between the past and the present, as well as some obscure dream land in the middle. Hill did a marvelous job at changing his character choices while still remaining, regardless of age or time, Marvin. From a 14 year old struggling with a crush on a teacher to a weary husband and father, Hill moved seamlessly through his character’s life journey (as far from chronological as it was). A very nice costume touch was the choice to keep Marvin in pajama bottoms for the entirety of the show. He was never ‘in trousers” until the end of the production.
Molly Denninghoff as Marvin’s estranged wife is as stunning as she ever was. I have been a fan of Denninghoff since her performance in another Egads! Production, Eating Raoul and I knew that I would not be disappointed. Every little facial expression told volumes and she captivated the audience with her heart-wrenching performance of “I’m Breaking Down” as she laments her failing marriage. The stage chemistry between Hill and Denninghoff really shined in “Breakfast Over Sugar” and a particularly understated bit of blocking that represented Martin finding out his wife is pregnant.
Marvin’s high school sweet heart, played by Katie Karel, provided most of the comedic relief for the show. Her narration during “The Rape of Miss Goldberg” was a simple announcement of “scene changes” and yet her physicality brought on near hilarity. At one point, “How America Got Its Name” came to a screeching halt because the audience just wouldn’t stop laughing at her rendition of Queen Isabella’s “royal laugh”. My only criticism for Karel’s performance is that there were times her face went blank and she seemed to be completely void of emotion. I’m not sure if this was a character choice that I just didn’t understand, or if she just zoned out.
Then there is Shelby Floyd who played Marvin’s sexy drama teacher, Miss Goldberg. Wow. This girl has got some serious pipes. I had heard Floyd sing prior to this performance and knew that she has an incredible instrument, but I was unprepared for the stellar vocals that she provided this production. My jaw nearly hit the floor when she brought her soulful sound to “Set Those Sails”. Again, wow. My only disappointment was that the script requires her to wear dark glasses for the majority of the show and so it was hard to see her facial expressions.
But we can’t forget the band! Kevin Bogan and his five cohorts were so good that you didn’t notice them, and they were right on stage amid the action! When the music is so flawless that you forget that it’s live, you know you have some talented musicians. And I want to also give kudos to Jeff Eubank for his set design which incorporated the instrumentalist into the small space without taking away from the action of the play. Bogan was literally level with the head of the bed and his keyboard was used as a bedside table, but you were never distracted by his presence there.
I am so glad that Steven decided to throw one more show into his season before giving Egads! a rest. I sincerely hope that this production will inspire more people to throw caution to the wind and try out some other obscure scripts. Egads! took a risk and it paid off tenfold…but then again, it is Steven Eubank.
5 out of 5 stars, without a second thought.
Eubank and his team have managed to take William Finn’s obscure first work and transform it into a smash hit. I went into the Off Center Theatre on Sunday, March 20th, completely blind. The only thing that I knew about the production was that the show was written by the same person that brought us The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (a show that is very close to my heart). While the lyrics are strange and a bit cryptic at times, once you get into the flow of the show, you assimilate to the symbolism and can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
From personal experience I know that Eubank is a phenomenal director and choreographer, but where his genius really shines is in his ability to cast the right actors for the roles. This ensemble worked together so well that I’m not sure I could picture anyone else playing the roles. All four singing voices were perfect for their individual roles, but they also blended well.
Marvin, played by Jared Hill, is tossed back and forth between the past and the present, as well as some obscure dream land in the middle. Hill did a marvelous job at changing his character choices while still remaining, regardless of age or time, Marvin. From a 14 year old struggling with a crush on a teacher to a weary husband and father, Hill moved seamlessly through his character’s life journey (as far from chronological as it was). A very nice costume touch was the choice to keep Marvin in pajama bottoms for the entirety of the show. He was never ‘in trousers” until the end of the production.
Molly Denninghoff as Marvin’s estranged wife is as stunning as she ever was. I have been a fan of Denninghoff since her performance in another Egads! Production, Eating Raoul and I knew that I would not be disappointed. Every little facial expression told volumes and she captivated the audience with her heart-wrenching performance of “I’m Breaking Down” as she laments her failing marriage. The stage chemistry between Hill and Denninghoff really shined in “Breakfast Over Sugar” and a particularly understated bit of blocking that represented Martin finding out his wife is pregnant.
Marvin’s high school sweet heart, played by Katie Karel, provided most of the comedic relief for the show. Her narration during “The Rape of Miss Goldberg” was a simple announcement of “scene changes” and yet her physicality brought on near hilarity. At one point, “How America Got Its Name” came to a screeching halt because the audience just wouldn’t stop laughing at her rendition of Queen Isabella’s “royal laugh”. My only criticism for Karel’s performance is that there were times her face went blank and she seemed to be completely void of emotion. I’m not sure if this was a character choice that I just didn’t understand, or if she just zoned out.
Then there is Shelby Floyd who played Marvin’s sexy drama teacher, Miss Goldberg. Wow. This girl has got some serious pipes. I had heard Floyd sing prior to this performance and knew that she has an incredible instrument, but I was unprepared for the stellar vocals that she provided this production. My jaw nearly hit the floor when she brought her soulful sound to “Set Those Sails”. Again, wow. My only disappointment was that the script requires her to wear dark glasses for the majority of the show and so it was hard to see her facial expressions.
But we can’t forget the band! Kevin Bogan and his five cohorts were so good that you didn’t notice them, and they were right on stage amid the action! When the music is so flawless that you forget that it’s live, you know you have some talented musicians. And I want to also give kudos to Jeff Eubank for his set design which incorporated the instrumentalist into the small space without taking away from the action of the play. Bogan was literally level with the head of the bed and his keyboard was used as a bedside table, but you were never distracted by his presence there.
I am so glad that Steven decided to throw one more show into his season before giving Egads! a rest. I sincerely hope that this production will inspire more people to throw caution to the wind and try out some other obscure scripts. Egads! took a risk and it paid off tenfold…but then again, it is Steven Eubank.
5 out of 5 stars, without a second thought.
The Living Room's Beirut December 2010
I was delighted to hear that Beirut would be making a special one-weekend-comeback because I had missed it the first time around. Doss Freel’s set was fantastic and really set the mood (as did the dim table lamps that provided the only lighting in the audience). Despite the foreboding atmosphere, I was unprepared for the intensity that was this performance. The characters of Torch (Matt Weiss) and Blue (Becca Scott) were so real that you almost felt like you were invading their lives rather than watching a show. You loved and hated them for their passion and stupidity, their tenderness and contrasting violence.
The show started off with an extremely long scene of simply watching Torch go about his dismal life (eating canned fruit, taking a long piss, listening to the radio). While I understand the reasoning behind this demonstration (to give us a glimpse into how dull and miserable living in Beirut is), I felt that it dragged on for too long. I quickly got bored, itching for Blue to show up. Once she did come in the door, all hell broke loose. The chemistry between Weiss and Scott was so incredible that I found myself rooting for Blue in her seduction of Torch, even though I knew that it would mean she would become infected. I wanted these two to be together because I could literally feel their need for each other in the air.
Beirut was full of violence (and a lot more nudity than I expected) but it wasn’t unwarranted. Director Scott Cordes knew just how to make this play sexy and dangerous without pushing the envelope with unjustified mature content. While I could tell that Weiss and Scott were actually exchanging real blows, I wasn’t concerned for their safety. As an audience member I could see how much they trusted each other because they committed to the roles, holding nothing back; something that could not be done with a performer you couldn’t completely rely on.
That night at the Living Room, I laughed and cried and longed for a love as true as Blue’s. Beirut delivered some of the best live theatre I’ve ever seen. 5 out of 5 stars.
The show started off with an extremely long scene of simply watching Torch go about his dismal life (eating canned fruit, taking a long piss, listening to the radio). While I understand the reasoning behind this demonstration (to give us a glimpse into how dull and miserable living in Beirut is), I felt that it dragged on for too long. I quickly got bored, itching for Blue to show up. Once she did come in the door, all hell broke loose. The chemistry between Weiss and Scott was so incredible that I found myself rooting for Blue in her seduction of Torch, even though I knew that it would mean she would become infected. I wanted these two to be together because I could literally feel their need for each other in the air.
Beirut was full of violence (and a lot more nudity than I expected) but it wasn’t unwarranted. Director Scott Cordes knew just how to make this play sexy and dangerous without pushing the envelope with unjustified mature content. While I could tell that Weiss and Scott were actually exchanging real blows, I wasn’t concerned for their safety. As an audience member I could see how much they trusted each other because they committed to the roles, holding nothing back; something that could not be done with a performer you couldn’t completely rely on.
That night at the Living Room, I laughed and cried and longed for a love as true as Blue’s. Beirut delivered some of the best live theatre I’ve ever seen. 5 out of 5 stars.
She and Her Productions' The Eight: Reindeer Monologues December 2010
Industry night for The Eight (a play about Santa being accused of sexual assault by one of his reindeer) was a chilly one (Tiffany Garrison-Schweigert and Jennifer Coville-Schweigert are still working on getting the heating up to full capacity. They were kind enough to bring in some portable heaters to keep the audience comfortable.) Being a Christmas play, the cold fit the atmosphere and complimented the beautiful holiday decorations. The Schweigerts have done a wonderful job making this space a welcoming place to see a show. Donovan Kidd’s set was simple, built to resemble a mall common area set up for kids to sit on Santa’s lap. Lighting design by Russell Langdon was strange at times with a black light effect that the actors were only in part of the time, and a go-bo that created the illusion of bars across half of the stage during one of the monologues. I was unsure of whether this was supposed to symbolize a stable stall or jail cell of some kind or if it was simply an oversight. Whatever the purpose, it just distracted from the performance. As a long time friend of Langdon’s, I have seen much of his work and so I was very surprised to see his name listed under lighting design. Perhaps Harvest is overworking him and he didn’t have enough to time to dedicate to this particular design.
Taylor St. John opened the show with his hilarious Dasher monologue, sporting a baseball cap under his antlers and four shots of whiskey. It was a terrific start to the show. His later appearances as Hollywood (Prancer) and Donner were also extremely well performed. I am always impressed by actors who are double (or in this cast, triple) cast and make fabulous distinctions between the characters. His first two monologues featured spot on comedic timing and his portrayal of Donner (Rudolph’s father) was both beautiful and tragic. The contrast between the funny monologues and the incredibly sad one was astounding and incredibly well executed.
Corbin Hernandez played Cupid and Comet. Cupid was incredibly disappointing and seemed to be playwright Jeff Goode’s poor excuse to use the word “faggot”. He was a stereotypical homosexual and I laughed more from being uncomfortable than from actually finding the monologue humorous. Hernandez did what he could with the part, but there wasn’t much hope for it to begin with. In contrast, his performance as Comet, a reformed bad boy taken in by St. Nick, was spot on. Even though by that point in the show the audience was aware that the jolly old elf really was a pervert, the character’s loyalty to him was so convincing that you almost liked Santa again.
Melissa Loper (Blitzen and Dancer) was another performer that had wonderfully distinct and well executed characters. These two does were so different that you almost forgot it was the same actress playing them! Blitzen’s monologue was a rally against Santa (and I really enjoyed director Jeff Newman’s choice to have the other performers come out into the audience to play protestors responding to her moving speech. St. John was especially funny in this portion.) Dancer was clearly an older character and revealed much about Santa without actually saying anything concrete. I congratulate Loper on a successful performance.
Ayla Glass closed the show with her sassy, yet heartfelt performance as Vixen (the victim). She made me laugh but also got me a little misty eyed at times. She was the only one that was blocked to move up to the platform with Santa’s chair at one point during her monologue and I was a little concerned when she sat down in her short skirt. Being so high up, I was worried that the audience might get a flash of something we weren’t supposed to. My fears were proven to be unwarranted and she left the chair unexposed. Another concern was when she was walking up and down the uneven stairs in her high heels. I’ve yet to decide if it was the stairs or the shoes that were the cause of this concern. However, I soon forgot about these minor details and was once again enthralled by Glass’ performance. She did a beautiful job of seeming tough but still violated.
Overall, Newman did a fantastic job casting this show (excluding Cupid, perhaps, but again, I feel that it was more of a writing issue than a directing or acting one). He did a great job with a flawed script. For example, Goode gave Hollywood a long speech about how does don’t have antlers when they do. In fact, does are the only reindeer that have antlers during the Christmas season because bucks shed theirs around November. The order of the monologues was also troublesome. Though they revealed plot points in a good order, they started very funny and got increasingly more depressing as the show went on. It might have been better for Goode to have arranged them in a way that gave the audience more ups and downs, rather than a slow downward spiral (the program does, after all, say “A comedy by Jeff Goode”). In the end, Newman chose to end the show by having Vixen place a large black dildo on Santa’s chair. I can only assume that this was an attempt to get one last laugh out of the audience so they didn’t leave in a foul mood. I think, however, that it left us more confused than anything. Wait, is it symbolism? Or does Vixen want him to literally sit on it? One audience member actually had to ask what it was (lucky for her, Newman’s brother and fellow performer Phillip Russell Newman was sitting behind her and able to explain). Despite what I believe to be a poorly written script, Newman and the cast of The Eight provided an entertaining night of theatre. 4 out of 5.
Taylor St. John opened the show with his hilarious Dasher monologue, sporting a baseball cap under his antlers and four shots of whiskey. It was a terrific start to the show. His later appearances as Hollywood (Prancer) and Donner were also extremely well performed. I am always impressed by actors who are double (or in this cast, triple) cast and make fabulous distinctions between the characters. His first two monologues featured spot on comedic timing and his portrayal of Donner (Rudolph’s father) was both beautiful and tragic. The contrast between the funny monologues and the incredibly sad one was astounding and incredibly well executed.
Corbin Hernandez played Cupid and Comet. Cupid was incredibly disappointing and seemed to be playwright Jeff Goode’s poor excuse to use the word “faggot”. He was a stereotypical homosexual and I laughed more from being uncomfortable than from actually finding the monologue humorous. Hernandez did what he could with the part, but there wasn’t much hope for it to begin with. In contrast, his performance as Comet, a reformed bad boy taken in by St. Nick, was spot on. Even though by that point in the show the audience was aware that the jolly old elf really was a pervert, the character’s loyalty to him was so convincing that you almost liked Santa again.
Melissa Loper (Blitzen and Dancer) was another performer that had wonderfully distinct and well executed characters. These two does were so different that you almost forgot it was the same actress playing them! Blitzen’s monologue was a rally against Santa (and I really enjoyed director Jeff Newman’s choice to have the other performers come out into the audience to play protestors responding to her moving speech. St. John was especially funny in this portion.) Dancer was clearly an older character and revealed much about Santa without actually saying anything concrete. I congratulate Loper on a successful performance.
Ayla Glass closed the show with her sassy, yet heartfelt performance as Vixen (the victim). She made me laugh but also got me a little misty eyed at times. She was the only one that was blocked to move up to the platform with Santa’s chair at one point during her monologue and I was a little concerned when she sat down in her short skirt. Being so high up, I was worried that the audience might get a flash of something we weren’t supposed to. My fears were proven to be unwarranted and she left the chair unexposed. Another concern was when she was walking up and down the uneven stairs in her high heels. I’ve yet to decide if it was the stairs or the shoes that were the cause of this concern. However, I soon forgot about these minor details and was once again enthralled by Glass’ performance. She did a beautiful job of seeming tough but still violated.
Overall, Newman did a fantastic job casting this show (excluding Cupid, perhaps, but again, I feel that it was more of a writing issue than a directing or acting one). He did a great job with a flawed script. For example, Goode gave Hollywood a long speech about how does don’t have antlers when they do. In fact, does are the only reindeer that have antlers during the Christmas season because bucks shed theirs around November. The order of the monologues was also troublesome. Though they revealed plot points in a good order, they started very funny and got increasingly more depressing as the show went on. It might have been better for Goode to have arranged them in a way that gave the audience more ups and downs, rather than a slow downward spiral (the program does, after all, say “A comedy by Jeff Goode”). In the end, Newman chose to end the show by having Vixen place a large black dildo on Santa’s chair. I can only assume that this was an attempt to get one last laugh out of the audience so they didn’t leave in a foul mood. I think, however, that it left us more confused than anything. Wait, is it symbolism? Or does Vixen want him to literally sit on it? One audience member actually had to ask what it was (lucky for her, Newman’s brother and fellow performer Phillip Russell Newman was sitting behind her and able to explain). Despite what I believe to be a poorly written script, Newman and the cast of The Eight provided an entertaining night of theatre. 4 out of 5.
The Barn Players' Rent November 2010
The Barn Players never fail to put on an entertaining night of theatre and their recent production of Rent was no exception. The comments to follow are extremely nit-picky and not all very nice so I want to begin by saying that I joined the standing ovation at the end of the November 19th performance (something that I do not do lightly). The show was well produced and the cast was impressive to say the least, but just like any critique, this one must contain criticism.
The set (by Tiffany Garrison-Schweigert) was a well designed recreation of the classic concept for the show. It used the small space to great effectiveness and allowed the large cast to fill the stage without seeming crowded. My only complaint was that the band (cleverly made part of the set by being kept in a cage made of metal fences) created serious sightline issues for those seated in house right. Charles Cline’s lighting design was nothing special but it did its job well. There were several instances of microphone problems but that is to be expected in live theatre. One thing that I did not expect was snow, and I got it!
Mark, played by Justin Dehmer, had the perfect range for the part, not to mention the look. He especially shined in his duets with Joanne and Roger because of his ability to blend his voice with others without losing his own unique sound. However, his portrayal of the independent film maker seemed to be a faded Xerox of Anthony Rapp’s performance in the film version rather than an attempt to make the role his own. Dehmer reminded me more of Charlie Brown, frustrated that life kept pulling the football out from under him, than a starving artist with a dream. His physicality was weak and he seemed to move about the stage with no purpose, only changing positions because he was blocked to do so. That being said, the average, non-acting theatre goer would most likely have enjoyed every aspect of his performance without being the least bit bothered by the minor lack of character motivation.
Robert Hingula played Roger with a little too much enthusiasm. His voice was well suited to the part but he took the rocker personae to an almost cartoonish level. His guitar playing was impressive (when he wasn’t turned upstage to fake the playing while the pit guitarist took over) and he shared Dehmer’s blending abilities. I was most impressed with his interactions with Mark and Mimi. When he wasn’t trying to “rock out”, the relationships he had with the other characters were so honest and pure that you couldn’t help but believe that he really did care about them.
Tom Collins, portrayed by Matthew King was a disappointment. The low notes were clearly out of his range and he had to speak them to even make the lyrics understood. I was extremely surprised to see him cast in this role after watching him give an impressive audition for the part of Angel. A tenor does not belong in this role. As far as his acting goes, it was okay. His interactions with Angel were sweet and very tender but anytime they kissed it seemed more platonic than romantic (I assume that this is solely because he was unaccustomed to kissing another man). He also seemed to occasionally take on physicality similar to Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Bradley Rose was another character that was cast out of his vocal comfort zone. Benjamin Coffin III is a tenor role and Rose was constantly reaching for the high notes and very rarely hit them on pitch and attempting runs that simply didn’t suit his style of singing. I wonder if director Eric Magnus would have done better switching King and Rose in their roles. However, I cannot deny that Rose was very committed to the role of villain, even taking on the traditionally sported bald look.
Eboni Fondren had a great night as Joanne. Her vocals were spot on and her acting was superb (I was especially impressed with her rendition of “We’re Okay”. The only mediocre moments were some serious mic troubles that threw her off in a couple of her songs and a very awkward attempt at a tango.
From the minute that Bryan LaFave took the stage as Angel I knew that he would steal the show. However, as the play went on, I was less and less impressed. “Today 4 U” was sung over a recorded track rather than with the musicians (a decision that made me wonder if he struggled too much with the live band). It was also very clear that LaFave had never played drums in his life as he used the recorded drum beat to fill in the gaps of his own percussion attempts. One thing I can say is that this man can rock some heels. He was jumping and spinning all over that stage and I was never concerned for his safety (though he was wearing an ankle brace, so perhaps I just missed the performance where he injured himself with some overzealous dancing). LaFave redeemed himself once his character started getting sick and the audience immediately connected with him again. The most beautiful moment, in my opinion, was his exit through the audience, wrapped in a white sheet. Being that close to your spectators allows for no forced facial expressions and he pulled off his dying moment beautifully.
Mimi Marquez is my absolutely favorite character in this musical and I went back and forth several times about my opinion on Linnaia McKenzie’s take. First of all, she is physically a very different body type than the traditional Mimi, sporting some curves and dark skin. That being said, her physicality was never an issue for me. This girl can move. Her singing voice was also perfect for the role. My issues with her came with her acting choices. She often seem to be more interested in what the audience thought of her than what the other characters did and it turned me off to her right away. She was projecting emotions rather than actually feeling them. However, as the show progressed she became more involved with her fellow actors and her performance became so much more believable. Her chemistry with Hingula was beautiful once she decided to focus on him rather than the audience. I’ve always been iffy about her death scene because it is written incredibly cheesy and therefore hard for anyone to make believable; McKenzie was no exception. When Mimi dies (however briefly), McKenzie looked as if she was going into an epileptic seizure making it even less believable than usual (not that I’ve ever witnessed someone dying in this manner, so it could have been incredibly accurate). Overall, McKenzie’s performance balanced itself out to be a decent one.
But which principle actor stood out the most? Mackenzie Zielke as Maureen Johnson! She made the role her own and my eyes always went to her when the stage was full of people. Zielke’s voice has always impressed me, but this was, by far, her most amazing performance. She threw herself into this character with reckless abandonment and I was with her all the way. Avery aspect of her character was believable, from her comedic physicality to her beautifully tragic relationship with Joanne. Her most shocking moment? Actually mooning Benjamin Coffin III. Well played, Zielke. Well played.
All of that being said the clear star of this show was the ensemble. The chorus stole the spotlight on this one with amazing vocals and beautiful characters. The program did not specify which actors played each individual part so I will just list the parts that stood out the most to me: Mark’s mother, the coat vender, the soloists in “Life Support” and “Seasons of Love”, and the drug dealer. Fantastic job, chorus. You took the cake.
With all of these comments I’m sure that I’ve upset someone along the way, but I still congratulate the cast of Rent on a successful production. I’m only one person and I saw only one performance. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
The set (by Tiffany Garrison-Schweigert) was a well designed recreation of the classic concept for the show. It used the small space to great effectiveness and allowed the large cast to fill the stage without seeming crowded. My only complaint was that the band (cleverly made part of the set by being kept in a cage made of metal fences) created serious sightline issues for those seated in house right. Charles Cline’s lighting design was nothing special but it did its job well. There were several instances of microphone problems but that is to be expected in live theatre. One thing that I did not expect was snow, and I got it!
Mark, played by Justin Dehmer, had the perfect range for the part, not to mention the look. He especially shined in his duets with Joanne and Roger because of his ability to blend his voice with others without losing his own unique sound. However, his portrayal of the independent film maker seemed to be a faded Xerox of Anthony Rapp’s performance in the film version rather than an attempt to make the role his own. Dehmer reminded me more of Charlie Brown, frustrated that life kept pulling the football out from under him, than a starving artist with a dream. His physicality was weak and he seemed to move about the stage with no purpose, only changing positions because he was blocked to do so. That being said, the average, non-acting theatre goer would most likely have enjoyed every aspect of his performance without being the least bit bothered by the minor lack of character motivation.
Robert Hingula played Roger with a little too much enthusiasm. His voice was well suited to the part but he took the rocker personae to an almost cartoonish level. His guitar playing was impressive (when he wasn’t turned upstage to fake the playing while the pit guitarist took over) and he shared Dehmer’s blending abilities. I was most impressed with his interactions with Mark and Mimi. When he wasn’t trying to “rock out”, the relationships he had with the other characters were so honest and pure that you couldn’t help but believe that he really did care about them.
Tom Collins, portrayed by Matthew King was a disappointment. The low notes were clearly out of his range and he had to speak them to even make the lyrics understood. I was extremely surprised to see him cast in this role after watching him give an impressive audition for the part of Angel. A tenor does not belong in this role. As far as his acting goes, it was okay. His interactions with Angel were sweet and very tender but anytime they kissed it seemed more platonic than romantic (I assume that this is solely because he was unaccustomed to kissing another man). He also seemed to occasionally take on physicality similar to Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Bradley Rose was another character that was cast out of his vocal comfort zone. Benjamin Coffin III is a tenor role and Rose was constantly reaching for the high notes and very rarely hit them on pitch and attempting runs that simply didn’t suit his style of singing. I wonder if director Eric Magnus would have done better switching King and Rose in their roles. However, I cannot deny that Rose was very committed to the role of villain, even taking on the traditionally sported bald look.
Eboni Fondren had a great night as Joanne. Her vocals were spot on and her acting was superb (I was especially impressed with her rendition of “We’re Okay”. The only mediocre moments were some serious mic troubles that threw her off in a couple of her songs and a very awkward attempt at a tango.
From the minute that Bryan LaFave took the stage as Angel I knew that he would steal the show. However, as the play went on, I was less and less impressed. “Today 4 U” was sung over a recorded track rather than with the musicians (a decision that made me wonder if he struggled too much with the live band). It was also very clear that LaFave had never played drums in his life as he used the recorded drum beat to fill in the gaps of his own percussion attempts. One thing I can say is that this man can rock some heels. He was jumping and spinning all over that stage and I was never concerned for his safety (though he was wearing an ankle brace, so perhaps I just missed the performance where he injured himself with some overzealous dancing). LaFave redeemed himself once his character started getting sick and the audience immediately connected with him again. The most beautiful moment, in my opinion, was his exit through the audience, wrapped in a white sheet. Being that close to your spectators allows for no forced facial expressions and he pulled off his dying moment beautifully.
Mimi Marquez is my absolutely favorite character in this musical and I went back and forth several times about my opinion on Linnaia McKenzie’s take. First of all, she is physically a very different body type than the traditional Mimi, sporting some curves and dark skin. That being said, her physicality was never an issue for me. This girl can move. Her singing voice was also perfect for the role. My issues with her came with her acting choices. She often seem to be more interested in what the audience thought of her than what the other characters did and it turned me off to her right away. She was projecting emotions rather than actually feeling them. However, as the show progressed she became more involved with her fellow actors and her performance became so much more believable. Her chemistry with Hingula was beautiful once she decided to focus on him rather than the audience. I’ve always been iffy about her death scene because it is written incredibly cheesy and therefore hard for anyone to make believable; McKenzie was no exception. When Mimi dies (however briefly), McKenzie looked as if she was going into an epileptic seizure making it even less believable than usual (not that I’ve ever witnessed someone dying in this manner, so it could have been incredibly accurate). Overall, McKenzie’s performance balanced itself out to be a decent one.
But which principle actor stood out the most? Mackenzie Zielke as Maureen Johnson! She made the role her own and my eyes always went to her when the stage was full of people. Zielke’s voice has always impressed me, but this was, by far, her most amazing performance. She threw herself into this character with reckless abandonment and I was with her all the way. Avery aspect of her character was believable, from her comedic physicality to her beautifully tragic relationship with Joanne. Her most shocking moment? Actually mooning Benjamin Coffin III. Well played, Zielke. Well played.
All of that being said the clear star of this show was the ensemble. The chorus stole the spotlight on this one with amazing vocals and beautiful characters. The program did not specify which actors played each individual part so I will just list the parts that stood out the most to me: Mark’s mother, the coat vender, the soloists in “Life Support” and “Seasons of Love”, and the drug dealer. Fantastic job, chorus. You took the cake.
With all of these comments I’m sure that I’ve upset someone along the way, but I still congratulate the cast of Rent on a successful production. I’m only one person and I saw only one performance. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
The Coterie at Night's Sorority House of the Dead October 2010
I was thoroughly excited for the Ron McGee double feature (Sorority House of the Dead and Young Frankenstein) on Monday the 25th at the Living Room. However, I left sorely disappointed by the first performance (though the staged reading that followed was a complete riot and very well received).
While the show had its moments, it was about an hour longer than it needed to be. They could have gotten the point across AND all of the successful jokes out in a mere 30 minutes. However, I did very much enjoy the dance sequences and crazy 80s styles.
Also, the space had a splatter zone in the front row. The audience was not warned of this until the house manager started passing out plastic to hold in front of them. I heard several complaints from these patrons who wouldn’t have minded sitting in a splatter zone, if they had only been aware of it before hand. The fake blood was only water that they didn’t even bother to color red, but I still consider it a common courtesy to advertise the fact that the audience members would be getting wet. There was also a character that swung fake limbs around, sometimes in his teeth, in order to spray more “blood”. However, a woman in the front row was actually hit in the face with an arm. I doubt that she paid $10 for that.
I guess that after seeing Evil Dead, there is just no appreciating other horror spoofs on stage.
While the show had its moments, it was about an hour longer than it needed to be. They could have gotten the point across AND all of the successful jokes out in a mere 30 minutes. However, I did very much enjoy the dance sequences and crazy 80s styles.
Also, the space had a splatter zone in the front row. The audience was not warned of this until the house manager started passing out plastic to hold in front of them. I heard several complaints from these patrons who wouldn’t have minded sitting in a splatter zone, if they had only been aware of it before hand. The fake blood was only water that they didn’t even bother to color red, but I still consider it a common courtesy to advertise the fact that the audience members would be getting wet. There was also a character that swung fake limbs around, sometimes in his teeth, in order to spray more “blood”. However, a woman in the front row was actually hit in the face with an arm. I doubt that she paid $10 for that.
I guess that after seeing Evil Dead, there is just no appreciating other horror spoofs on stage.
She and Her Productions' You're a Good Man Charlie Brown October 2010
She & Her Productions has done a terrific job of transforming the Crane building in the West Bottoms into an inviting performance space. The theatre seats are comfortable and set on risers to create excellent sight lines and there is a cozy room off to the side of the performance space where patrons can enjoy drinks. My only qualm with the facility was that there was only one, though beautifully decorated, bathroom.
The October 18th performance of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown was extremely entertaining and provided an all around fun night of theatre. The costumes, hair and makeup brought the audience back to their childhood days of enjoying the Peanuts comic strips and cartoons; Jennifer Coville-Schweigert (co-producer) and Tracy Van Unen were especially convincing as Lucy and Sally. The set was simple, but effective and the lighting by Russell Langdon, no stranger to lighting design, was extremely impressive for such a small space. The orchestra, led by J. Preston Schell, was completely up to par; I never heard a missed note and the sound was mixed well.
As to the performers, this show was very well cast though I was least impressed with Jason Patrick Pollard as the title role and Alisha M. Garnier as Snoopy. This could be because I hold actors in such pivotal roles to a higher standard, but Pollard seemed more monotone than sad and Garnier struggled with some of the notes (always a danger when casting a female Snoopy) and downright exhausted during her choreography. In her number “Supper Time”, I was concerned that she was going to pass out right in front of me! Perhaps this was just an issue in this particular performance. One must consider that actors are just as susceptible to fatigue and illness as everyone else.
Though all of the actors were entertaining (some more than others) my absolute favorite performance was given by Phillip Russell Newman as Schroeder. His voice was perfectly suited for the role and his energy topped all the rest. I actually felt like jumping up and celebrating Beethoven Day with him! Newman’s brother Jeff played Linus and he also gave a spectacular performance. His number “My Blanket and Me” included an impromptu tap dance that the entire cast participated in. It was clear that there were only a few with any tap experience and the rest of the performers struggled with the basics. I commend them for taking on the choreography with no previous training and know that I could do no better myself. Watching them dance, I could identify the names of the moves, but know that I would not be able to execute them any better than the novice dancers on the stage.
Overall, I give this performance a four out of five stars and I look forward to not only seeing more shows in this venue, but hope to participate in them myself. It is clear that She & Her Productions is on their way to being a very successful theatre company and I can’t wait to see it blossom. Congratulations to the cast and to director Tiffany Garrison-Schweigert on an entertaining production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.
The October 18th performance of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown was extremely entertaining and provided an all around fun night of theatre. The costumes, hair and makeup brought the audience back to their childhood days of enjoying the Peanuts comic strips and cartoons; Jennifer Coville-Schweigert (co-producer) and Tracy Van Unen were especially convincing as Lucy and Sally. The set was simple, but effective and the lighting by Russell Langdon, no stranger to lighting design, was extremely impressive for such a small space. The orchestra, led by J. Preston Schell, was completely up to par; I never heard a missed note and the sound was mixed well.
As to the performers, this show was very well cast though I was least impressed with Jason Patrick Pollard as the title role and Alisha M. Garnier as Snoopy. This could be because I hold actors in such pivotal roles to a higher standard, but Pollard seemed more monotone than sad and Garnier struggled with some of the notes (always a danger when casting a female Snoopy) and downright exhausted during her choreography. In her number “Supper Time”, I was concerned that she was going to pass out right in front of me! Perhaps this was just an issue in this particular performance. One must consider that actors are just as susceptible to fatigue and illness as everyone else.
Though all of the actors were entertaining (some more than others) my absolute favorite performance was given by Phillip Russell Newman as Schroeder. His voice was perfectly suited for the role and his energy topped all the rest. I actually felt like jumping up and celebrating Beethoven Day with him! Newman’s brother Jeff played Linus and he also gave a spectacular performance. His number “My Blanket and Me” included an impromptu tap dance that the entire cast participated in. It was clear that there were only a few with any tap experience and the rest of the performers struggled with the basics. I commend them for taking on the choreography with no previous training and know that I could do no better myself. Watching them dance, I could identify the names of the moves, but know that I would not be able to execute them any better than the novice dancers on the stage.
Overall, I give this performance a four out of five stars and I look forward to not only seeing more shows in this venue, but hope to participate in them myself. It is clear that She & Her Productions is on their way to being a very successful theatre company and I can’t wait to see it blossom. Congratulations to the cast and to director Tiffany Garrison-Schweigert on an entertaining production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.
Egads! Theatre Company's Evil Dead: The Musical October 2010
Steven Eubank is a genius. I have always maintained that Steven is one of the best directors in town and a pure joy to work with. Though I was not fortunate enough to be a part of his most recent production, Evil Dead the Musical, I am not at all upset that I was not cast. Every actor in this show was cast perfectly for their part and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, it is a musical parody of the Evil Dead movie trilogy featuring Bruce Campbell. I attended the 11pm performance on October 22nd (their late night shows not only have great discounts, but never fail to be a little more rowdy). I had the great pleasure of sitting next to the dramaturg, Matt Leonard, who is an absolute expert on the cinematic version of the story, and he was almost as entertaining to watch as the show itself as he quoted the famous lines along with the actors and cheered hardily at successful stage deaths.
I also decided to brave the infamous “Splatter Zone”, where patrons are pretty much guaranteed to get at least some stage blood on them. If you really want to get covered, all you have to do is nab a seat in the center of any of the stage side rows; that’s where the majority of the gore strikes. Egads Theatre Company has t-shirts for sale in the lobby so that you can take home a souvenir covered in blood if you so choose.
On to the performers: in a word, AMAZING. Eubank did a phenomenal job casting this show. All of the singing voices were perfectly matched to their characters and I was impressed with the breath control during the intense dance sequences (courtesy of choreography Derek Ferguson). Sam Wright (Ash) was a shoe in for Bruce Campbell and his lovey-dovey relationship with Linda (played by Aurelie Roque) was almost more disgusting then all the gore. Ethan Miller (Ed) had a very cute little number called “Bit Part Demon” and my only complaint was that he didn’t show off the tap dancing skills that he demonstrated in Egads’ last production, Eating Rauol. Noah Whitmore was absolutely hilarious as the sex driven Scott and had a beautifully grotesque death scene that featured him pulling out his own intestines. Whitmore was also the most liberal with sharing blood with the patrons in the “Splatter Zone”. Chioma Anyanwu (Cheryl) spent the majority of the show as an “evil dead” and the contrast of her evil voice from the original, shy Cheryl was astounding. She sounded like two completely different people and I’m sure that she had vocal fatigue from how much energy she threw into the role. I was also amazed by her incredible stage death when she went down like a felled tree with absolutely no abandon. Dana Joel Nicholson played the aptly named “good ol’ reliable Jake”; you could rely on him for a red neck good time and beautiful comedic timing (though the rest of the cast did not lack this in the least). Last, but not least, my personal favorite, Olivia Marsh. Marsh played two characters, Shelly and Annie, both sexy but different in almost every other aspect. I was very impressed with how she made a clear distinction between the characters (the audience would not need the different costumes and wigs to differentiate between the two). Shelly was a complete idiot, content to slate Scott’s sexual appetite and remember Cheryl’s name by using her vagina as a ventriloquist dummy, and Annie was an academic who insisted on being control of everything. Both characters featured scandalous costumes but no one in the audience seemed to mind whenever she bent over.
The set and lighting were perfect compliments to the performances of the actors with the special touch of blood actually shooting out of the stage. They also utilized fog very well. One particular moment I enjoyed was when a steady gust of air from downstage left blew back Roque’s hair during her duet with Wright. In the middle of the stage was a cellar door that Anyanwu often popped out of to spout off bad puns. Several of the actors had interactions involving the trap door and it appeared to be very heavy and slightly dangerous (it was slammed shut often). I know for a fact that Nicolson was injured during one of the previous performances when his arm was pinched in the door. This factor of the set, as well as some branches that attacked the characters, were very worrisome to me and I was concerned for the actors’ safety because of them.
Overall, Evil Dead the Musical receives a five out of five from me. I’ve never laughed so hard in the theatre. My hat is off to Steven Eubank and is marvelous cast.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, it is a musical parody of the Evil Dead movie trilogy featuring Bruce Campbell. I attended the 11pm performance on October 22nd (their late night shows not only have great discounts, but never fail to be a little more rowdy). I had the great pleasure of sitting next to the dramaturg, Matt Leonard, who is an absolute expert on the cinematic version of the story, and he was almost as entertaining to watch as the show itself as he quoted the famous lines along with the actors and cheered hardily at successful stage deaths.
I also decided to brave the infamous “Splatter Zone”, where patrons are pretty much guaranteed to get at least some stage blood on them. If you really want to get covered, all you have to do is nab a seat in the center of any of the stage side rows; that’s where the majority of the gore strikes. Egads Theatre Company has t-shirts for sale in the lobby so that you can take home a souvenir covered in blood if you so choose.
On to the performers: in a word, AMAZING. Eubank did a phenomenal job casting this show. All of the singing voices were perfectly matched to their characters and I was impressed with the breath control during the intense dance sequences (courtesy of choreography Derek Ferguson). Sam Wright (Ash) was a shoe in for Bruce Campbell and his lovey-dovey relationship with Linda (played by Aurelie Roque) was almost more disgusting then all the gore. Ethan Miller (Ed) had a very cute little number called “Bit Part Demon” and my only complaint was that he didn’t show off the tap dancing skills that he demonstrated in Egads’ last production, Eating Rauol. Noah Whitmore was absolutely hilarious as the sex driven Scott and had a beautifully grotesque death scene that featured him pulling out his own intestines. Whitmore was also the most liberal with sharing blood with the patrons in the “Splatter Zone”. Chioma Anyanwu (Cheryl) spent the majority of the show as an “evil dead” and the contrast of her evil voice from the original, shy Cheryl was astounding. She sounded like two completely different people and I’m sure that she had vocal fatigue from how much energy she threw into the role. I was also amazed by her incredible stage death when she went down like a felled tree with absolutely no abandon. Dana Joel Nicholson played the aptly named “good ol’ reliable Jake”; you could rely on him for a red neck good time and beautiful comedic timing (though the rest of the cast did not lack this in the least). Last, but not least, my personal favorite, Olivia Marsh. Marsh played two characters, Shelly and Annie, both sexy but different in almost every other aspect. I was very impressed with how she made a clear distinction between the characters (the audience would not need the different costumes and wigs to differentiate between the two). Shelly was a complete idiot, content to slate Scott’s sexual appetite and remember Cheryl’s name by using her vagina as a ventriloquist dummy, and Annie was an academic who insisted on being control of everything. Both characters featured scandalous costumes but no one in the audience seemed to mind whenever she bent over.
The set and lighting were perfect compliments to the performances of the actors with the special touch of blood actually shooting out of the stage. They also utilized fog very well. One particular moment I enjoyed was when a steady gust of air from downstage left blew back Roque’s hair during her duet with Wright. In the middle of the stage was a cellar door that Anyanwu often popped out of to spout off bad puns. Several of the actors had interactions involving the trap door and it appeared to be very heavy and slightly dangerous (it was slammed shut often). I know for a fact that Nicolson was injured during one of the previous performances when his arm was pinched in the door. This factor of the set, as well as some branches that attacked the characters, were very worrisome to me and I was concerned for the actors’ safety because of them.
Overall, Evil Dead the Musical receives a five out of five from me. I’ve never laughed so hard in the theatre. My hat is off to Steven Eubank and is marvelous cast.