Sunday, May 20, 2012

New Victory announced Season of Family-Friendly Fare

The New Victory Theater will launch its 40th anniversary season with the U.S. premiere of URBAN by Circolombia, an edgy, thrilling and inspiring circus featuring young Colombian performers who share their real-life stories through acrobatics, aerial work and tremendous feats of strength. URBAN, which was originally commissioned by Roundhouse London as part of CircusFest 2010, will run from October 12 through October 21. 

The season:
Urban
U.S. Premiere
Circolombia
Cali, Colombia
October 12 – 21
Circus
Playing at The New Victory Theater

An original commission for CircusFest 2010 at London’s Roundhouse, URBAN, created in the barrios of Colombia, features autobiographical performances with “an edginess that lifts them above the everyday” (The Stage). Vigor, danger and attitude infuse every act, from feats of strength to the trapeze, tightrope and triple dutch routines. Reggaeton music underscores lyrics like escribe con los pies, poeta de la calle—write with your feet, poet of the street— in this 2010 Brighton Fringe Festival Audience Choice Award winner.

URBAN is recommended for everyone over the age of 8.

Ring A Ding Ding
U.S. Premiere
Oily Cart
London, England
October 17 – Nov 11
Theater
Playing in Studio 3A/B at the New 42nd Street Studios

Alice and her dog are having a “wuff” day. When she demands that her furry friend stop chasing his tail “right now,” he runs away, sending her into a tricycle-riding tizzy. From London’s acclaimed Oily Cart, creators of innovative, multi-sensory and interactive productions for the very young, RING A DING DING is an imaginative and energetic work of participatory theater. 

RING A DING DING is recommended for ages 3-5.

Mojo
U.S. Premiere
Theatre-Rites
London, England
October 26 – Nov 4
Physical Theater
Playing at The New Victory Theater

Objects take new forms and spring to life in fantastical and funny ways in MOJO, a collage of puppetry, illusion, dance and live music by Theatre-Rites (Mischief, New Vic 2009). Lauded internationally for their distinct interest in multi-disciplinary work for young people, Theatre-Rites collaborates with a variety of sculptors, poets, painters, and video or installation artists to present children with unusual contemporary imagery and push the boundaries of theatrical form.

MOJO is recommended for everyone over the age of 5.

Black Violin
Miami, Florida
November 9 – 25
Music        
Playing at The New Victory Theater

They played to sold-out houses at The New Victory in 2009, and now, virtuoso violinists Kev and Wil B return with their funky fusion of classical, jazz, hip-hop, blues and R&B. With DJ TK on the turntables, Beatdown on the drums, and Joe Cello on the cello, these Apollo Legends perform a concert of new compositions, classic favorites and pop cover tunes. Black Violin has toured with Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Akon, Diddy and Linkin Park.

Black Violin is recommended for everyone over the age of 6.

FROM THE GROUND UPU.S. Premiere

Circus Oz
Melbourne, Australia
November 30 – December 30
Circus
Playing at The New Victory Theater

Circus Oz returns to The New Victory for the fifth time this holiday season when they launch the U.S. tour of their brand new show, FROM THE GROUND UP. Starring acrobats, jugglers, trapeze artists, and a live rock band, FROM THE GROUND UP features all the hallmarks of a Circus Oz show: irreverence, eccentricity, and astounding circus feats -- each one topping the last.

FROM THE GROUND UP is recommended for everyone over the age of 5.

I, Malvolio

U.S. Premiere
Tim Crouch
Brighton, England
January 11 – 20, 2013
Theater
Playing at The Duke on 42nd Street

The puritan killjoy of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night finally has his say in this poignant one-man tour-de-force by British scribe Tim Crouch. A hilarious, charged and often unsettling rant from a complex man full of pride, passion, rage and humiliation, I, Malvolio is a compassionate deconstruction of one of classical literature’s most misunderstood characters.

I, MALVOLIO is part of a series of solo Shakespeare pieces written and performed by Tim Crouch that was commissioned by the Brighton Festival. The series also includes: I, CALIBAN (inspired by The Tempest), I PEASEBLOSSOM (inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and I, BANQUO (inspired by Macbeth). Mr. Crouch received the award for Best Male Performer for his performance in I, MALVOLIO at the Brighton Festival 2010.

I, MALVOLIO is recommended for everyone over the age of 11.

The Mark of Zorro

Visible Fictions
Glasgow, Scotland
February 8 – 24, 2013
Theater
Playing at The New Victory Theater

From acclaimed Scottish theater company, Visible Fictions (Jason and the Argonauts, New Vic 2009), comes THE MARK OF ZORRO, a timeless tale about a mysterious masked avenger. Using simple props and physical ingenuity, the cast of three conjures all the drama, wit and suspense of an action flick.

The script for THE MARK OF ZORRO was originally commissioned by and co-produced with the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. Visible Fictions has collaborated with The Seattle Children’s Theatre, The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and The Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis.

THE MARK OF ZORRO is recommended for everyone over the age of 7.

GRUG

Windmill Theatre
Adelaide, Australia
February 20 – March 17, 2013
Puppet Theater
Playing in Studio 3A/B at the New 42nd Street Studios

Windmill Theatre (Plop!, New Vic 2012) returns with GRUG, a new puppetry show for the littlest theatergoers and their families. Based on author Ted Prior’s hugely popular character about the top of a Burrawang tree that comes to life, this playful show’s protagonist serves as an inspiring role-model with perception, curiosity, determination and creativity.  

GRUG is recommended for ages 2-5.

As You Like It

Acting Company
New York, New York
March 1 – 10, 2013
Theater
Playing at The New Victory Theater

When Rosalind’s uncle banishes her from the palace, she, her cousin Celia and the court jester, Touchstone, flee to the Forest of Arden, where they soon find themselves entangled in a beguiling game of love, deceit, desire and mistaken identity. This production of Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT by Tony Honors recipient for Excellence in Theatre, The Acting Company, is directed by Pig Iron Theatre’s Dan Rothenberg (Chekhov Lizardbrain).

AS YOU LIKE IT is recommended for everyone over the age of 12.

Bello Mania

U.S. Premiere
Bello Nock
Sarasota, Florida
March 15 – 31, 2013
Circus

The circus superstar Time Magazine calls “America’s Best Clown” performs and directs his brand new show, BELLO MANIA. With his signature gravity-defying hairdo, Bello Nock, a former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown along with his talented troupe of circus all-stars performs trampoline and bungee jumping routines, handstands on a high wire and much, much more “all the while making audiences laugh with his brilliantly comic timing and gusto” (The New York Times).

BELLO MANIA is recommended for everyone over the age of 4.

The Intergalactic Nemesis

Book One: Target Earth
The Robot Planet                 
Austin, Texas
April 5 – 14, 2013
Live Action Comic Book
Playing at The New Victory Theater


Originally crafted as a radio play in 1996, THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS was subsequently published as a comic book, and then staged as a theatrical production.

THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS was an Official Selection of Fantastic Fest 2010 (Austin, TX), the biggest genre film festival in the country, specializing in fantasy, sci-fi and action films. It's been featured on “Conan O'Brien” and NPR.

THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS is recommended for everyone over the age of 7.

Le Grand C

U.S. Premiere
Compagnie XY
Lille, France
April 18 – 28, 2013
Circus
Playing at The New Victory Theater

In LE GRAND C, a collective of 17 acrobats performs heart-stopping stunts with distinctive style and trust in each other as their only safety net. They create one astounding human formation after another to make a portrait of expressive movement, powerful physicality and continuous surprise. “Wonderfully unfussy yet loaded with delightful surprises and genuine risk” (The London Times).

LE GRAND C is recommended for everyone over the age of 7.

Fragile

U.S. Premiere
Le Clan des Songes
Toulouse, France
April 25 – May 12, 2013
Puppetry
Playing in Studio 3A/B at the New 42nd Street Studios

In FRAGILE, a word-free work of Puppet Theater, an inquisitive, Chaplin-like fellow embarks on a journey carrying a suitcase filled with magical surprises. Bunraku and shadow puppetry combine with haunting original music to provide a poetic narrative for each vignette in the story. Inspired by the Italian animation series, “La Linea” (The Line, 1975-84) by Osvaldo Cavandoli, FRAGILE is part two of a trilogy created in 2007.

For the past 20 years, Le Clan des Songes has developed theater with powerful and dreamlike imagery, primarily using puppets and animated forms. The Company has performed in many major theaters and festivals throughout France, including the prestigious Charleville Mézières International Festival.

FRAGILE is recommended for everyone over the age of 4.

David Bruce and Glyn Maxwell’s

The Firework Maker’s Daughter
B
ased on the Novel by Philip Pullman

U.S. Premiere
Co-produced by The Opera Group and Opera North in association with ROH2 and Watford Palace Theatre
London, England
May 3 – 12, 2013
Opera
Playing at The New Victory Theater

Based on the enchanting novel by celebrated author Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials trilogy), this new opera tells the story of one girl’s quest to become a firework maker. David Bruce and Glyn Maxwell’s THE FIREWORK MAKER’S DAUGHTER Based on the Novel by Philip Pullman, which is directed by John Fulljames (The Enchanted Pig, New Vic 2010), boasts a grand, expressive score by Mr. Bruce and a witty libretto by Mr. Maxwell, both of which are inspired by world folk traditions. Accompanying a cast of five singers are stunning creations from Cambridge-based puppet design company, Indefinite Articles.

This production was co-commissioned by The Opera Group and ROH2.

THE FIREWORK MAKER’S DAUGHTER is recommended for everyone over the age of 8.

Rennie Harris Awe-Inspiring Works
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 17 – 26, 2013
Dance
Playing at The New Victory Theater

Urban dance guru and Alvin Ailey Award recipient, Rennie Harris (Legends of Hip-Hop, New Vic 2004, 2006; Puremovement, New Vic 1999), delivers street dance with straight-up Philly soul in Rennie Harris Awe-inspiring Works, aka RHAW. With music as diverse as its dance styles, RHAW features a youthful company of nine dancers who put fresh spins on pop and lock, b-boy, house, hip-hop and boogaloo to create funky, upbeat depictions of city life, young love and growing up.

Mr. Harris started Rennie Harris Awe-inspiring Works in 2007 as a youth organization driven by community outreach, education and mentorship. In 2001, in addition to receiving an Alvin Ailey Award for Choreography, he received three Bessie Awards for Rome & Jewels and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.

This project is partially supported by a grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a program developed and funded by The Heinz Endowments; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and The Pew Charitable Trusts; and administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

RHAW is recommended for everyone over the age of 6.

The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly

Theatre Lovett
Dublin, Ireland
May 31 – June 9, 2013
Theater
Playing at The Duke on 42nd Street

In The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly, actor Louis Lovett spins a fantastical yarn about a young heroine with the voice of an angel (an angel who can't sing at all) who knows it's up to her to save the day and rescue an entire city . This “riotously inventive” (The Scotsman) one-man production written by Finegan Kruckemeyer is directed by Lynne Parker, one of Ireland’s most celebrated directors.

For her contributions to Irish theater, Ms. Parker was awarded the Irish Times Special Tribute Award in 2009 and an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from Trinity College Dublin. 

This production was originally commissioned by The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children, and produced by The Ark in association with Theatre Lovett.

THE GIRL WHO FORGOT TO SING BADLY is recommended for everyone over the age of 7. 

A sneak peek at The New Victory Theater 2012-2013 Season can be found on YouTube at the following address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooMcmymFaag

Ticket Information : Available online starting July 17 or by telephone starting July 24. To purchase tickets online, visit NewVictory.org, and to purchase by phone, call 646-223-3010. 

Full-price tickets for individual productions, as low as $14 each, will also be available from August 7, 2012, either online or by phone. Beginning September 4, The New Victory Theater box office (209 West 42nd Street) will be open Sunday and Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.

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Gracewell Prodiuctions

Gracewell Prodiuctions
Producing Inspiring Works in the Arts
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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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