Saturday, January 28, 2012
Our Town is Everyone's Town at The Broad Stage
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| Helen Hunt in David Cromer's Our Town Photo: Iris Schneider |
Though not a musical, I highly recommend David Cromer’s Our Town, starring Helen Hunt as stage manager, currently running at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica.
Mention Thornton Wilder’s play to almost anyone and chances are they have read it, seen it, done it, or know someone who’s done it, and they’ll certainly have an opinion about it. My first experience with it was in grade school watching the older kids present it in the school basement. We didn’t have a wide range of artistic productions in my small town but we did have teachers who cared enough to expose us to as much as they could.
These were golden moments when we were able to escape our regular class routine and watch a live performance, and oh how we loved them. Even at that early age we somehow understood that days weren’t meant to be taken for granted; a theme that hovers quietly behind the bustling activity of Our Town. No, that comes later when youthful exuberance gives way to adult practicality. Earning a living, raising a family, and making something of our lives all too often blinds us to the inevitability that a day will come when our time is up. If you haven’t made the most of it by then you’re out of luck because life isn’t a rehearsal. For good or bad, it’s all we have.
Efficient is the word that comes to mind when thinking about David Cromer’s Our Town in its current iteration at The Broad Stage. Previously a hit off-Broadway and in Chicago, its power lies in its simplicity, its compactness, that reveals a heartbreaking truth about life but in a way that doesn’t play to cloying sentimentality.
Cromer honors Wilder’s intention that the play be performed with no set, very little scenery and minimal props. A few chairs, tables, school books and green beans to be snapped are about all you’ll find on a stage that was specially constructed on top of the existing seats in The Broad’s auditorium, in effect creating a brand new “black box” where there was nothing but air before.
The audience sits on three sides of the playing area and quickly become part of the fictional New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners. Actors enter and exit at the corners of the rectangular room, and use the space between the first row of seating and the bleachers as sidewalks through town. Kids race to school, a drunken Simon Stimson (Jonathan Mastro) borders on the edge of an explosion, and George (James McMenamin) and Emily (Jennifer Grace) play out a significant moment in their courtship in this 3-foot wide walkway that could be anytown USA.
Told in three acts with two intermissions – Daily Life, Love and Marriage, & Death and Eternity – it’s the first time I was surprised when we reached the end of an act. Too often the play feels endless, but not at The Broad. Each act seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. Perhaps it is because there is so much to take in, even in its simplicity. The house lights remain up through most of the show and with actors so close to the audience there is always someone within a few feet to study close up. It’s fascinating to watch stage manager Helen Hunt, for example, as she watches the action. You can read a thousand thoughts in her eyes.
Almost every other stage manager I’ve seen in Our Town has been an older, kindly, meandering, gray-haired gentleman smoking a pipe that I’m sorry to say makes me just want to tune out after awhile. Not so with Hunt. Fully present and quietly determined, she orchestrates the action with precision and an inner strength of purpose that directs not only the actors but we in the audience as well. When she describes the beauty of the last bright glow of the morning star before it goes down behind the mountain, we feel it. When she mentions a rooster crowing at daybreak, we hear it. And when she describes the town itself, from the Congregational Church to the jail in the basement of the Town Hall/Post Office building, to Polish town across the tracks, we see it.
Much of the original cast returns to Cromer’s production, supplemented by local actors who collectively create an outstanding ensemble. And the spectacular final scene in which Emily returns for one more ordinary day on earth is one quite extraordinary surprise. Don’t miss Our Town. which runs through February 12 at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Click Here for tickets and more information.
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Labels: broad stage
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Bringing Jan Karon's "At Home in Mitford" to Life as a Musical
Featured in the cast are David Holmes as Father Tim, Kelly Lester, Tess Ferrell, Elise Dewsberry and Jerry Martin, along with Evelyn Halus, Ellen Dostal, Johanna Kent, Christopher Maikish, Andrea Press, Ben Ryan, Stephen Vendette and Peter Welkin.
The show is adapted from the very popular and much loved Mitford series of books by writer Jan Karon and I was interested in hearing how Ferrell, Johnson and Wise developed the musical. Here’s what they had to say.
What inspired you to write a musical based on Jan Karon’s books? Were you already familiar with them?
Carl: Several years ago I had finished writing a commissioned musical based on John the Baptist and was trying to decide what to do for my next project. My priest at my church suggested I consider writing a musical based on the Mitford series of books. At that time I hadn’t read any of them, so he gave me a set of books-on-tape. I listened to them on a long drive, and found myself circling my destination until the book was over!
How did you approach Jan Karon with the idea?
Carl: On a whim, I contacted the book’s publisher to see if the musical theater rights to the book were available, and to my surprise they were. I asked Jan if anyone had ever tried to adapt her books for musical theater. She said that there was a non-musical stage adaptation, but that nobody had ever approached her about a musical. I think she was surprised by the idea, and agreed to let me have a year to try. We came back a year later on deadline and presented her with a completed show and a recording of a read-through. She liked the work and we incorporated her notes into the revised script, which we’ll be presenting in Burbank.
So she liked what you’d done with it?
Chana: Yes, Jan was very enthusiastic about the material we presented, and we were happy to get her approval. When Carl approached me with this project, I wondered what it would be like in terms of my capability of writing the thoughts and feelings of a Christian cleric (given that I'm Jewish). But Carl and I worked together previously on a short musical film called The Coffee Quintet that we shot earlier in the year and it was a great experience. Carl and Cynthia, along with lyricist Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), have also worked together writing a 15-minute musical called The Rightful Monarch of America so I knew we were in good hands all the way around. In the end, writing lyrics for this show was a very broadening and rewarding experience.
Cynthia, as the bookwriter, where did you come into the writing process?
Cynthia: The bookwriter goes to work first and is charged with pioneering the way. I started writing the Mitford musical book in May 2008, with Chana adding lyrics starting in late fall, and Carl adding music in December. My musical book created the character voices and the plot of each scene.
Has it been difficult writing the lives of characters that another author has created?
Cynthia: Jan’s Mitford series is massively popular, and it’s always a challenge meeting fans’ expectations for the characters they know and love. She is an enormously popular writer and this is her first foray into musical theatre. What plays on the page is different from what plays onstage. I like working with her characters, and I like working with her. Mostly I love when she reads my dialogue in her wonderful, warm North Carolinian accent.
At Home in Mitford is about second chances for all – that’s it’s never too late to find true love, safety, peace, family. Jan’s bio mirrors that. She was in her teens when she had her only child, and divorced at age 20. She rose through the ranks to build a successful advertising career, but after much soul-searching, she abandoned it at age 50 to become a novelist. We’re lucky she did.
Tell us a little about the development process you went through.
Carl: We developed Mitford through the Academy for New Musical Theater’s writing curriculum. The advantage of this was that we had monthly deadlines, monthly feedback and a goal of doing a full reading at the end of the year. It was a very compressed schedule, but it kept the project from languishing, and allowed us to complete the first draft within the time Jan had given us.Chana: Our concert reading in May was directed by Allison Bibikoff (Xanadu) and accompanied by Tom Griep. Some of the actors that were with us then are reprising their roles in the upcoming reading. That early reading was very helpful and allowed us to see where we needed to make changes.
For what audience is the musical geared?
Carl: Jan Karon’s books are sometimes thought of as Christian book market-oriented, but I think she sees her books as more about everyone’s life experiences. The mythical town of Mitford is a metaphor for Anytown U.S.A. The people and their relationships she writes about could be in any small town in America. I think that part of the appeal of her books is that almost anyone can find something to relate to in her characters and their lives.
Chana: I see this as a very traditional type of musical. In contrast to some of the edgier musicals being done today, this is a musical you can safely bring your grandma to without worrying if she'll be offended by the language or the situation.
And the future of At Home in Mitford?
Carl: While we don’t know if the show will fit within the current trends on Broadway, we think this show will have broad appeal to family-oriented audiences in most other parts of the country.
At Home in Mitford will be presented at 7:30 pm on October 26 at The Colony Theatre, 555 N. Third Street in Burbank, CA. For reservations go to http://bit.ly/BWdcc.
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Carl Johnson is a two-time Emmy Award-winning film and television composer (Invasion America, Aladdin: the Animated Series), and has recorded his music with symphonies around the world, conducting in London, Canada, Japan, Los Angeles, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic. His feature films include Piglet’™s Big Movie, Disney’™s Hunchback of Notre Dame II, and Winnie the Pooh™’s Grand Adventure. Carl has also composed over 60 hours of music for TV projects, including Animaniacs and Batman: the Animated Series for Warner Brothers, Gargoyles and The Mighty Ducks for Disney, and Invasion America and Toonsylvania for DreamWorks.
Chana Wise began writing irreverent parodies to popular show tunes when she was a little girl, and just really never stopped (although now she is occasionally reverent). Among her recent projects are lyrics for the ANMT mini-musical Ahead or Behind. She is currently working on two original new musicals; Bagels! with Carl Johnson, and Cuban Nights with Nic De Armendi and Jonathan Price
.Cynthia Lewis Ferrell works internationally as a librettist and playwright. She is the winner of the Jerome Lawrence Fellowship in playwriting and the Conquest Prize for her essay “Cries that Register.” With works developed via 24th Street Theatre, Moonlight Studios, Celebration Theater and Theatricum Botanicum, her recent staged pieces include Jerome Lawrence Festival winner Snapshoot, the musical and Tennessee Williams Festival finalist 3DB Inside. Latest award: Spektrum Villa Music’s 2009 commissioning of Angeleno with Peter Michael von der Nahmer (Germany). She is a member of ASCAP, ALAP and the Dramatists Guild, and is published by Doubleday NY.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Musical News for Thursday, November 7, 2013
A Christmas Memory is a tender portrait of a rare friendship across the generations with a musical score that will bring love and light to everyone’s hearts for the holiday season. Set in 1933 in rural Alabama, young Buddy is being raised by three eccentric cousins. He is closest to his elderly cousin Sook, still a child herself in many ways, and as Christmas nears, she and Buddy gather ingredients to bake holiday fruitcakes for those who've had a memorable impact on their lives in the past year. Sook’s sister Jennie is concerned that the time Buddy spends with Sook will cause him to grow up soft. Enlisting the aid of their bachelor-brother Seabon, she plots to separate the best friends for their own good. The show runs Dec 29 with opening night set for Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 pm. www.lagunaplayhouse.com
The cast includes Jolie Adamson, Anthony Bravo, Andrew Byer, MarLee Candell, Cadence Cole, Melody Cole, Jessie Ellico Franks, Georgan George, Mary Harmon, Scott Harris, Matthew Herrmann, Ranya Jaber, Zayd Jaber, Randy Wade Kelley, Kelly Kitko, Alison Lani, Amelia Maschek, Karl Maschek, Lisa Musser, Hector S. Quintana, Dale Sandlin, Olivia Schlueter-Corey and Tim Stafford. A gala champagne reception and light buffet follows the Friday, Nov. 29 performance. Tickets: (626) 355-4318 or www.sierramadreplayhouse.org
In the Heights runs March 28 – April 6, 2014. Rehearsals begin February 17 for non-Equity performers, and March 3 for Equity performers. All roles are open, and all roles are open to Non-Equity talent. 3 Equity contracts are still available, to be cast from among the following roles: Usnavi, Nina, Kevin, Camilla, Abuela Claudia, and Daniela. There is pay for all roles for age 18 and up. Although they encourage all ethnicities to attend the auditions, they are looking for actors who can play Latino. The look is specific for this show, and will be a consideration during casting.
Cast limited to age 16 and above. Please bring picture and resume, and sheet music in the proper key, accompanist provided. Music in the style of show is strongly encouraged. No recorded music or a capella, please. Non-union please limit song to one minute. Note: Those auditioning for Graffiti Pete and ensemble dancers should attend a dance call, rather than a singing appointment. Dates:
Thousand Oaks Auditions
Hillcrest Center for the Arts, 403 W. Hillcrest, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Principal and Singing Appointments:
Sunday, Nov. 10 – 1:00 -5:00 pm
Tuesday, Nov. 12 – 4:00 -11:00 pm
Dancers’ Call for all dance roles:
Sunday, Nov. 10 – 6:00 pm
Los Angeles Auditions
Madilyn Clark Studios, 10852 Burbank Blvd., N. Hollywood, CA 91601
A.E.A. Principal Appointments:
Monday, Nov. 11 – 10:15 am -1:00 pm
Dancers’ Call for all dance roles:
Monday, Nov. 11 at 2:30 pm
All roles are open. All auditions are by appointment only. To schedule an audition, please call (805) 497-8614 x 3. When leaving a message, please include your name, role(s) for which you’d like to be considered, telephone number, and whether or not you’re a member of Actors’ Equity Assn. Please also leave your preferred date/time for audition. Callbacks to take place on November 14, 18, & 19, and are by invitation only. Click here for complete breakdown of roles and information about an audition-preparatory Master Class, given by Morgan Marcell.
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Labels: cabrillo music theatre, laguna playhouse, performance riverside, sierra madre playhouse, troubies. falcon theatre