 |
| Developed & Performed by Duvall O'Steen Directed by Gretchen Cryer _____ Thursday, February 11 / 7:00 pm Guild Hall / 1 E. 29th St. / NYC 10016 Join The Episcopal Actors' Guild for Thrive, a moving chronicle of a breast cancer survivor's health and personal challenges, as well as her victories.
Based on "The Cancer Club" by Nuala Forsey, Thrive weaves together poetic pieces and memoirs that challenge our understanding and compassion for those touched by illness.
Directed by Gretchen Cryer of I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road. A wine and cheese reception will follow. Suggested: $10/members / $15 non-members RSVP: office@actorsguild.org / (212) 685-2927 |
Theater and Broadway with an added Christian perspective.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Thriving After Breast Cancer
Monday, January 25, 2016
Broadway Theater Review: School of Rock TOP PICK
 |
| Evie Dolan, Alex Brightman, and Brandon Niederauer . Photo by Matthew Murphy, |
School of Rock Teaches Lessons About How to Make a Great
Musical
By Lauren
Yarger
It
has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, a book by Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey”)
and a high-powered rock star performance. If that isn’t enough, School of Rock, the stage adaptation of
the popular 2003 movie starring Jack Black, has a ton of tiny talents – amazing
pre-teen kids who sing and dance and play their own instruments to rock out the
house at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre.
It’s
really good. In fact, I saw it twice because the first two times I had seats,
star Alex Brightman was out and I had to go back. It was no hardship, believe
me. (Thank goodness it wasn’t China Doll.)
Webber
has composed a score (supervised by Ethan Popp) that doesn’t sound
anything like his past accomplishments (Evita,
Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar to name a few), but which totally captures the
spirit of this comedy and setting (lyrics are by Glenn Slater). Fellowes also
shows his ability to diversify, so no one in his adaptation of Mike White’s screenplay
sounds like Lord Grantham chatting with Mr. Carson….
The story follows ne’er-do-well Dewey
Finn (Brightman) who gets kicked out of his band right before the Battle of the
Bands competition. He has been crashing at the home of his best friend, Ned
Schneebly (Spencer Moses), but when Dewey can’t come up with the rent, Ned’s
shrill, bossy girlfriend, Patty (Mamie Parris) tells Ned to throw him out.
Desperate, Dewey pretends to be Ned
and shows up for a high paying substitute teaching gig at Horace Green, a posh,
private prep school overseen by uptight Rosalie Mullins (Sierra Boggess) who
has as much love for rules and order as Ned does for rock music. The two,
obviously, immediately clash.
When Dewey discovers that some of
his kids play instruments and sing, he urges them to trade classical for rock
and they become “The School of Rock” to compete in the Battle of the Bands. While
they rehearse and keep the band a secret from their parents and Rosalie, the “teacher’
and his students form a bond, especially since Dewey believes in them and
listens to their needs when their parents won’t. The kids express their pain
and longing for parental approval in “If Only You Would Listen.”
Dewey becomes a real friend to:
·
Shy Tomika (Bobbi Mackenzie, vocals) who can’t
make her gay fathers understand that she misses her old school and friends even
if they think the new prep school is best for her. When she finds her voice, it’s
with a heartfelt rendering of “Amazing Grace” that makes us wonder how such a
powerful voice is coming out of such a little girl.
·
Geeky Lawrence (Jared
Parker, keyboard) who doesn’t know how to fit in and be cool. He is a hoot as
the nerd sex god.
·
Fashion-loving Billy
(Luca Padovan) who doesn’t want to play football like his father and
grandfather before him, but who prefers to read Vogue and design the band’s
costumes.
·
Over-achiever Summer (Isabella Russo) who
manages her mother and is obsessed with getting gold stars and getting into the
right college.
·
Zack (Brandon Niederauer, electric guitar), who
could be the next Jimmy Hendrix, but whose work-obsessed father never seems to
have time to listen.
·
Freddy (Dante
Melucci, drums), whose father wants him to pick up a hammer rather than a drum
stick.
·
And the rest of the band: Katie (Evie Dolan, bass), James (Jersey
Sullivan), Sophie (Corinne Wilson), Madison (Shahadi Wright Joseph), Shonelle (Taylor
Caldwell), Marcy (Carly Gendell) and Mason (Ethan Khusidman).
Director Laurence Connor puts the
cast through fast paces on a simple, quick-change set designed by Anna Louizos,
who also designs costumes. Most of the outfits for Boggess are rather
ill-fitting -- perhaps a visualization of “uptight” ? -- but they definitely are
unflattering. Direction gets an assist
from excellent Lighting Designer Natasha Katz who helps focus the action.
JoAnn M. Hunter (with Associate
Choreographer Patrick O’Neill) uses a lot of high-energy jumping and stomping
to give the kids movement for the loud rock numbers “Stick it to the Man,” and “You’re
in the Band.”
Brightman gets a workout as he
rocks the school for almost two and a half hours (you get the feeling he
genuinely likes these kids while he’s doing it) and makes Headmistress Mullins
wonder what happened to the free-spirited girl she used to be. That ballad, “Where
Did the Rock Go,” is the type of soul-gripping melody that makes Andrew Lloyd
Webber one of my favorite composers.
Some things missing in this otherwise
very satisfying production:
·
Any spark of chemistry between Dewey and
Rosalie. They don’t seem a good match and Boggess doesn’t seem comfortable in
the role. We never quite believe her uptight schoolmarm or her secret obsession
with Stevie Nicks.
·
Sound (designed by Mick Potter) problems
occurred in both performances I saw. Can’t hear the lyrics in some of the
louder numbers and for part of a performance, Boggess’s microphone wasn’t
working.
Don’t let that stop you from seeing
this musical, though. I totally enjoyed it – twice – and would go see it again.
The understudies I saw in a number of roles rocked out just as well as the
stars, especially young Ava Della Pietra who captured the audience’s heart with
Katie’s bass face.
School of Rock plays at the Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway, NYC. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7 pm; Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $59 - $145: (212) 239-6200;
schoolofrockthemusical.com..
Additional cast:
Emily Cramer, Natalie Charle Ellis, Alan H. Green, Michael Hartney, John Hemphill, Merritt David Janes, Gavin Kim, Jeffrey Samuel Kishinevskiy, Lulu Lloyd, Jaygee Macapugay, Cassie Okenka, Patrick O’Neill, Ava Della Pietra, Sofia Roma Rubino, Tally Sessions, Jesse Swimm, Jonathan Wagner, Hayden Wall, Jeremy Woodard
Christians might also like to know:
-- God's name taken in vain
-- Language
-- Homosexuality
-- Lyrics have Jesus throwing Dewey a beer
-- A prayer to the gods of rock
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Broadway Shows Back on Today
 |
| Lin-Manuel Miranda (center) and the Public Theater company of Hamilton. Photo: Joan Marcus. |
ALL BROADWAY MATINEE PERFORMANCES TO PLAY AS SCHEDULED TODAY, SUNDAY JANUARY 24
Saturday, January 23, 2016
All Broadway Shows Cancelled Today
Normal operations are expected to resume for tomorrow’s Sunday matinees.
Additional information will be posted on BroadwayLeague.com as it becomes available. For information about refunds and exchanges, theatergoers should contact their point-of-purchase.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Broadway Theater Review: Fiddler on the Roof
 |
| The cast of Fiddler. Photo: Joan Marcus |
It Breaks With Tradition, but this
Choreography is Worth Watching
By Lauren Yarger
Fiddler
on the Roof with music by Jerry Bock with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and a book by
Joseph Stein, based on the stories of Sholom Aleicheim, has been a part of
theater tradition as long as I can remember.
Ever since Zero Mostel made the part of Tevye the milkman
his own (he won the Tony in 1965 and reprised the role in the 1976 revivial)
the wonderful songs like, “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Miracle
of Miracles,” “To Life,” Do You Love Me” and Matchmaker, Matchmaker” have been
part of the American songbook -- and the fact that I could just list all of
those without having to consult a program proves it.”
Lets face it every high school has done Fiddler and there have been three
previous revivals in 1981, 1990, and as recently as 2004. So why do another
revival now. What about this one makes is so special that people should pay $157
a ticket to see it.
The answer is one word: the choreography. Hofesh Shechter
is a genius. Somehow he has remained true to the show’s original choreography
by Jerome Robbins, but has made it totally fresh and exciting. The dances take
on a life of their own and bring
depth
and passion to the story.
“Tradition,”
arguably one of the best opening numbers for a musical ever, is even more
exciting and celebratory. The choreography is worth the price of the ticket.
The rest of the production, directed by Bartlett Sher, is not as rewarding. Danny Burstein is a respectable Tevye, though he seems
much happier than I expect. Jessica Hecht is more downtrodden and reflects the
difficulty of her life.
Others like Samantha Massell Hodel and Alix Korey Yente, whose comic delivery is
off, seem miscast. A number of vocals
are weak and don’t blend well and some miss cues to begin songs. Music
Direction is by Ted Sperling.
Sher has people moving around on stage with no apparent
focus, He also has elected to introduce a confusing, modern prologue and
epilogue to the story. There also is a floating fiddler. Scenic Designer Michael
Yeargan suspends some rooftops too. These elements seem
out of place.
It’s always lovely to hear the score. It’s a real treat
to watch this choreography. But somehow, I won’t be surprised if I enjoy the
next traditional production I see a local high school just a bit more.
Fiddler floats at the Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway, NYC through Sept. 4. Performances are Tuesday and Thursday at 7 pm; Wedesday, Friday, Saturday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $35-$157: 800 432-7250; fiddlermusical.com.
Check out some of the neat choreography here:
Full credits:
Music by Jerry Bock; Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick;
Book by Joseph Stein, based on the Sholom Aleicheim stories; Direction by Bartlett Sher; Choreography by Hofesh Shechter, Scenic Design by Michael Yeargan, Costume Design by Catherine Zuber, Lighting Design by Donald
Holder, Music Direction by Ted Sperling
Cast:
Danny Burstein…. Tevye
Jessica Hecht…. Golde
Jenny Rose Baker…. Shprintze
Michael Bernardi…. Mordcha
Adam Danheisser…. Lazar Wolf
Adam Kantor…. Motel
Karl Kenzler…. Constable
Alix Korey…. Yente
Samantha Massell…. Hodel
Melanie Moore…. Chava
Ben Rappaport…. Perchik
Nick Rehberger…. Fyedka
Alexandra Silber…. Tzeitel
Jessica Vosk Fruma Sarah
Aaron Young…. Sasha
Jennifer Zetlan…. Shaindel
Hayley Feinstein…. Bielke
Mitch Greenberg…. Yussel/Baker
Adam Grupper…. Rabbi
Lori Wilner…. Grandma Tzeitel
George Psomas…. Avram
Julie Benko, Eric Bourne, Stephen Carrasco, Eric Chambliss, Jacob Guzman, Jesse Kovarsky, Reed Luplau, Brandt Martinez, Sarah Parker, Marla Phelan, Tess Primack, Silvia Vrskova, Jonathan Royse Windham…. Villagers
FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS
-- no content notes. If you haven't taken your kids to Fiddler yet, do. It's a story of family, faith and tradition.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Broadway Theater Review: Noises Off
Noises Off
By Michael Frayn
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
What's It All About?
It's a revival of the 1982 play by Michael Frayn about backstage drama while a group of actors tries to put on a play called "Nothing On." Andrea Martin (Pippin) stars as Dotty Otley, a middle-aged actress who has a lot of trouble remembering when she needs her props of sardines and newspapers. She makes her beau, Garry Lejeune (David Furr) jealous by pretending to be interested in Freddy (Jeremy Shamos), who gets a lot of nosebleeds. Meanwhile, untalented ingenue Brooke Ashton (a very funny Megan Hilty), who gets between the show's director, Lloyd (Dallas (Campbell Scott) and the assistant stage manager, Poppy Norton-Taylor (Tracee Chimo). Poppy's boss is overworked Tim Algood (Rob McClure), in a role that under utilizes the abilities of this Chaplin star). Rounding out the cast are Kate Jennings Grant as seasoned actress Belinda Blair and Daniel Davis (again a role that hardly taps the comic genius of the actor playing it) as Sheldon Mowbray, the veteran actor whose penchant for whiskey often causes him to mess up his entry cues.
What Are the Highlights?
Martin has some fun moments and Scott is entertaining in his frustration. Hilty is a hoot as the clueless and talent-less Brooke who stiffly recites her lines as written regardless of the mayhem going on around her (though it is hard to understand her when she yells). Derek McLane nicely executes the set, which transforms form the set of the "Nothing On" play to the backstage area where mayhem ensues.
What Are the Highlights?
Martin has some fun moments and Scott is entertaining in his frustration. Hilty is a hoot as the clueless and talent-less Brooke who stiffly recites her lines as written regardless of the mayhem going on around her (though it is hard to understand her when she yells). Derek McLane nicely executes the set, which transforms form the set of the "Nothing On" play to the backstage area where mayhem ensues.
What Are the Lowlights?
This play always seems like it's stretching to me. It's a typical farces with lots of doors, repeated gags and physical humor, but it just never seems to get me rolling in the aisles. The plot is just too ridiculous.
More Information:
Additional Creative Team: Derek McLane, Set Design; Michael Krass, Costume Design; Jane Cox Lighting Design; Christopher Cronin Sound Design; Todd Almond Original Music; Paul Huntley Hair and Wig Design; Lorenzo Pisoni; Comedy Stunt Coordinator; Elizabeth Smith
Dialect Consultant
Dialect Consultant
FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS
-- God's name taken in vain
--Language
-- Scantily clad actors
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Theater Critic Lauren Yarger
