Sunday, July 31, 2011
Celebration Theatre Presents Spider Saloff in The Roar of the Butterfly
Based on a true story, this musical comedy is a tour de force with characters everyone will fall in love with. In the tradition of Lily Tomlin and Tracey Ullman, Ms. Saloff portrays eight different gender bending characters in this hysterical and moving new show. The scene revolves around a memorial service for Butterfly, an Asian drag queen who has been a colorful and inspirational character in the lives of the attendees - an unlikely and diverse group, all of whom are portrayed by Ms. Saloff.
The Roar of the Butterfly is a comedy with a message and contains poignant moments touching on subjects of diversity, human loss and dysfunctional relationships. This show is not suggested for children under 13 years old without an adult.
Tickets are $35.00 for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday performances, and $30.00 for the Thursday performance. Celebration Theatre is located at 7051B Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. Click Here for tickets and more information.
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Labels: celebration theatre
Friday, July 29, 2011
Ryan Scott Oliver and the Joy of Mapping Out the Dream
Here he talks about the intricacies of his writing process and about creating a life in musical theatre.
Ryan, did you always know you were a writer?
I think I started tinkering with it in seventh grade but by high school I knew that it was something I had a huge passion for and that’s when it became the main focus. I was always very creative and I found that writing, whether it be text or music, was something that really held my interest.
Do you think growing up in Southern California in the land of entertainment contributed to your creativity?
Actually, no. Hollywood and the notion of the entertainment part of LA was really foreign to me because I’m from Pasadena and Sierra Madre, which is very suburban, and there’s really no art in my family. My first major exposure to music and theatre was in a musical theatre camp when I was in fifth grade. That was when I realized how much I enjoyed it. Then, about eight years ago, I became artistic director of that organization, which is now called The Pasadena Musical Theatre Program, so it’s been a full circle experience.
What made you decide to take over PMTP?
One of my skills, in addition to being a writer, is that I’m a good producer and I think that when you’re dealing with high school kids, what they need is a leader, more than necessarily a visionary. They need somebody they trust that can put them in the best light and teach them how to become young professional adults. I respond to that because when I was younger, I was always anxious to go to the next level. Many of my big breaks were due to concerts and events of my work that I self-produced, and that’s what we do at PMTP. We try to teach kids to make their own life.
Are there teachers that have had a big impact on you personally?
Absolutely. I would say there are four in particular that have had the biggest impact. The first is Gayle Bluemel, the teacher who started PMTP. She made me see how you could love an art form and how an art form can bring life joy. I also had a music teacher in middle school named Cindy Abbott, who is coincidentally the music director now at PMTP, and she had an intensity and a strictness and a passion for the work that said that it’s not good until it’s right. And that’s very much something I believe in. Then in high school I had a teacher named Stephanie Vlahos, who taught opera. She was a major visionary and she taught me that theatre wasn’t necessarily licensing shows from MTI. It’s not just Oklahoma. Theatre can be weird and strange and creative. You can take something familiar and make it new and that had a huge, huge impact on me.
And at UCLA I had a teacher named John Hall, who ran the musical theatre workshop there. John was a performer and what he did better than anybody else was his method of direction, which was a performance in itself. When you were in rehearsal with him you were laughing and having the greatest time. He could be hard on you but you never took it personally because you knew that he cared and you knew that he was doing it to put perspective on the situation. Because of him I don’t baby the students I work with. I want them to know the reality but still have some fun in the process.
You mentioned intensity. Much of your own writing has an underlying intensity in it. There is a grittiness to the stories you explore. Has that always been there or did your teachers help bring that out in you?
I would say my parents are what brought out the intensity in me in the sense that they’re both really, really hard workers and very passionate about making a lot of life and work. And I’ve always been attracted to the darker things in life, though I’m very much an optimist myself. I believe that in songs I’ve written like “The Ballad of Sara Berry” or even “Lost Boy,” which are about terrible or sad things happening, that the character is either so motivated toward becoming something in life or so intensely desperate for it that they do bad things. Or, conversely, they make the best of being dealt a bad hand.
I think that ability to extract what is hidden within a character is one of the most exciting things about your work.
I very much view myself as a storyteller, and a composer and lyricist, rather than a song writer. It can seem like semantics to some but for me there’s a big difference. My goal is to dramatize an event effectively, and to locate the most attractive and the highest element of a specific dramatic moment and then turn that into a song.
Do pieces change as you write them or at a certain point do they begin to write themselves?
When I look at a piece of theatre I really feel like I know what moments should be songs and in that way they write themselves. I’m a big Stephen King fan, and I’m also a big fan of his book “On Writing,” In it he references something I think is really true; that stories either fossilize or unfossilize themselves to a good writer. If you’ve done your research and your homework and you have experience, once you start to sweep away the things that don’t matter, what is supposed to be there, what is inevitable, will emerge.
That’s a really intelligent way of approaching the work. Does it ever feel crowded inside your head?
Is it crowded inside my head? Yes. That’s an ongoing thing but I also think that’s not specific only to me but true of a lot of artists, and I also think that’s what forces artists to create. That’s what’s interesting about the title of Out of My Head. For intellectual people and artistically-minded people, there’s a desperation to express, or to control, or to make sense of the many things going on inside your mind.
It began as a show called Making Beautiful and I hated that title more than anything in the world. I actually refer to it as the title that dare not speak its name. Someone approached me about putting together a revue of my work and it was produced in 2005 in New York. The show was my first professional production and afterward I decided that I wanted to continue working on it. It felt very unfinished and what’s hard is that one of the main perks of a revue is, it is what it is. The structure of it is so interchangeable and if it stops being interchangeable then I think it stops being a revue.
So I enlisted Kirsten Guenther, the book writer of my musical Mrs. Sharp to help with the revision. She wrote some monologues and restructured the show and I threw in some new songs I had written and took out some old ones. Then that version was performed in a few more places but it still felt unfinished.
It wasn’t until this current production that it finally seemed to have become what it wanted to become. If anybody saw a previous version of the show, this one will feel like a completely different show, not only because of the new book, revised structure, and brand new concept, but also because there a lot of new songs. I’m really excited to present this show to Los Angeles.
It sounds like it has morphed into a fuller version of itself, thanks in part to your own growth as an artist.
Absolutely. One of the things that is interesting about the revision process, and I really give Kirsten credit for how she revised it, is that being here working on Jasper I haven’t had a lot of time to work on the show myself. She really facilitated the transformation, sort of like Eliza going from a flower girl to a sophisticated woman. There were a number of lyrics referencing being 21 and a lot of the songs had an angst on them that I didn’t think would be effective to a non-college audience. The show now is really for and about adults, whereas the previous version was really for the 18 – 22 demographic.
Press materials say the show is ‘a song cycle about mental illness which shows the strength of the human spirit. It follows five individuals from the moments of their breakdowns through their breakthroughs showing the mental power which is intrinsic in each of us.'
That’s a pretty good way of describing it. I give the Mechanicals a lot of credit for providing the framework for us to do this recreation of the show. A lot of it conceptually was shepherded by Jacob Harvey, who directed the show, and I think the company deserves a lot of credit for what the show has become as well.
Did they approach you about doing it?
Yes. One of the cast members, Emily Clark, was in the original concept version and Jacob Harvey and Eric Bilitch, artistic directors of the Mechanicals, were high school classmates of mine. Now here we are, twelve years later, back doing theatre again.
How does music inform what you do in the rest of your life?
That’s a good question. I rarely listen to music simply for pure pleasure, though I have a huge playlist of songs that just keeps getting longer and longer. When I listen to them I keep thinking they will work themselves into something I’m going to do eventually.
Have there been any particular defining moments you feel have shaped your path?
I very much view my life in periods of time and periods of focus. Life has been very kind in terms of its sweetness and so there’s nothing that stands out that way, but as I write, I sort of go through, or am in, these periods of time. I feel like I’m coming out of the New York period that I’ve been in the last five or six years and I feel like I’m moving into something new.
Speaking of new, can you talk about some of the other projects you have coming up?
And finally, where do you find the most joy in your crazy career?
I would say in the process. The product, which is the emotional part, can never be as perfect as the process by which you arrive at the product. The process is the mapping out of the dream and nothing can be more exciting and fulfilling than that. By mapping out the dream I mean mapping out the song, planning the musical, constructing the sequence, orchestrating the song.
In Jasper there is a lyric that I love, not because I think it’s clever or even that profound, but because it means a lot to me and it references ‘the work of my days.’ It’s that. I love to work. And I love to work hard. And if my life was nothing but process I would be happy. So it’s that…and of course having people who love you to share all of that with.
Out Of My Head
July 29 – August 21, 2011
The Mechanicals Theatre Group
http://www.mechanicalstheatregroup.com/MTG/HOME.html
Jasper in Deadland
August 5 – 6, 2011
The Pasadena Musical Theatre Program
www.pasadenamusicaltheatre.com
For more information about Ryan Scott Oliver and his upcoming projects visit http://www.ryanscottoliver.com/.
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Labels: mechanicals theatre group
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Cabrillo Music Theatre is Alive with The Sound of Music
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| Shannon Warne, Tom Schmid and the Von Trapp children Photo credit: Ed Krieger |
One of the highlights of my trip to Salzburg a few years ago was seeing locations that had been used for the filming of The Sound of Music, along with a few that didn’t appear, like the church where Maria and Capt. Von Trapp were actually married. And, yes, I did fling my arms out on a hill and sing, “The hills are alive with the sound of music…” What true musical theatre lover could resist, especially one who grew up with the classics and still loves them today.
Happily, this family favorite is currently alive in Thousand Oaks as Cabrillo Music Theatre revives the stage musical The Sound of Music, directed by artistic director Lewis Wilkenfeld. The glossy, community-driven production seems right at home in a city that takes great pride in its “Broadway in your backyard” hometown theatre.
In the starring roles are Shannon Warne as the very spirited Maria and Tom Schmid, who portrays a much more subdued than usual, Capt. Von Trapp, though when the pair sings, separately or together, the Rodgers & Hammerstein magic shines. Michael G. Hawkins is the opportunistic Max Detweiler, infusing the role with a delicious playfulness that left me wanting more, and Kristina Van Horst proves that, no matter what you do, the littlest Von Trapp will always steal the show.
The ensemble of nuns, led by Marilyn Anderson as the Mother Abbess, also does heavenly justice to the gorgeous choral arrangements of “Preludium,” “Gadeamus Domino,” and “Confitemini Domino,” not often remembered because of the number of other popular songs from show. And hearing favorites like “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and the title song brought to full blush under the baton of musical director Darryl Archibald never gets old.
For all of its charm, it is still odd to hear songs long associated with beloved film scenes appear in different locations in the stage version, like hearing Maria sing “My Favorite Things” as a duet with the Mother Abbess at the Abbey instead of in the famous bedroom scene, which now contains “The Lonely Goatherd.” Sorry, no puppets in the stage musical. If you can set aside those expectations, however, you’ll find Cabrillo’s The Sound of Music to be every bit as entertaining as you would hope it to be.
The Sound of Music runs through July 31st. For tickets and more information go to http://www.cabrillomusictheatre.com/.
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Labels: cabrillo music theatre
TAP-a-holic is Offering my Readers a Discount on Classes!
Hillary Ayn Ryan’s Tap-a-holic is the home of TAProbics, the most unique, cardio dance class around. Classes are for adults of ALL ages and ALL levels, with the focus on fun. Students can start from wherever they are, even the very beginning, and work their way through the levels at their own pace.
She has an Intro to Tap Dance Workshop this Sunday, 7/31 at 10AM if you’d like to see how much fun it is. Classes take place at Evolution Dance Studio, 4200 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood. The cost is $20, or $15 if you bring a friend.
You can also check out her website for more detailed info at http://www.tapaholictapclasses.com/.
TAP-a-holic offers 3 types of Tap classes, + Hip-Hop:
Broadway-style Tap Lessons (new class series start 8/2, 8/6 & 8/7)
4-week dance classes; Technique + a new dance is learned every month and built on from week to week. Levels offered: Absolute Beginner, Level I, Level II, Level III.
TAProbics
Pay as you go classes - packages are available. A fun, totally unique, full-body cardio dance workout for all levels that burns a ton of calories!
Workshops
One-time, pay as you go classes. This month's workshops: Intro to Tap.
Hip-Hop
Pay as you go classes - packages are available. A fun class that appeals to all levels.
**First-time students mention Musicals in LA
for $10 off your first series of classes**
About the instructor:
Hillary Ayn Ryan is a professional actress and the owner of TAP-a-holic who began dancing at the age of four. Her teaching experience includes all types of dance to students ranging in age from 2-70. Finding that there were very few, if any, classic Broadway-style tap dance classes for adults, and none that catered to absolute beginners, Hillary kept her teaching focus to just that. She is the creator of TAProbics- one of the most unique, fun workouts around. Her choreography was recently featured on the hit show, "Desperate Housewives". And, she was voted #1 Dance Instructor in LA 2010!
Happy Tapping!
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Rocket Science Receives Staged Reading
The musical features book by Patricia Cotter, music by Stephen Weiner, lyrics by Jason Rhyne, and orchestrations by Remy Kurs, and is produced by Marcia Seligson and Michael Kerker. Richard Israel directs and musical direction is by Darryl Archibald.
Rocket Science is the story of 16-year-old Hal Hefner, a lifelong stutterer who is bright, funny and stuck behind a wall of words he can't quite get out of his mouth. When the queen of the high school debate team plucks him from obscurity, Hal begins a life-altering journey to tackle his biggest challenge: finding his true voice.
Performances will take place Wednesday, August 3 and Thursday, August 4 at 8:00 pm. Admission is free but an RSVP is required by emailing info@lafestival.org or calling 310-827-2850.
Barnsdall Gallery Theater is located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd. (within Barnsdall Art Park), Los Angeles, CA 90027.
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Thursday, July 21, 2011
Rex Smith Stars in Kritzerland's The Schmidt & Jones Album
Up next for Kritzerland at the Gardenia is an evening devoted to The Schmidt & Jones Album on Wednesday, August 3rd, 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm.
The tribute will star Rex Smith along with Melody Hollis, Will Collyer, Michael G. Hawkins, Michaelia Leigh, Lauren Rubin, and Camille Saviola, under the direction of musical director, John Boswell.
Schmidt and Jones are responsible for writing the longest-running off-Broadway show in history, The Fantasticks, as well as 110 In The Shade, I Do! I Do!, Celebration, Philemon, The Bone Room, and others.
Dinner begins at 7:00 pm and will guarantee you a table. Cover charge is $15 with a two-drink minimum. No drink minimum with dinner. For reservations call 323-467-7444. The Gardenia is located at 7066 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038.
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Labels: kritzerland
FCLO Skyroom Gets Ready for Las Vegas Live
A perfect marriage of classic and contemporary Vegas hits, this is the music of famous entertainers who have starred in Las Vegas, including Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Nat/Natalie Cole, Louis Prima/Keely Smith, Elvis, and others.
Showgirls are featured in dance numbers and a specially constructed runway has been added for this show, which stars Don Lucas and Kelli Provart. Tickets for the waiter served dinner and show are $49-$59, VIP seats $99. Catering is by La Vie En Rose. Bar opens 6:30 pm; Dinner 7pm and show at 8pm.
For more information go to www.fclo.com.
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Labels: fclo
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Cabrillo Music Theatre Presents The Sound of Music
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| Shannon Warne with "the Von Trapp Children" Photo: Ed Krieger |
Cabrillo Music Theatre will open its new production of The Sound of Music on Friday, July 22nd in the Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.
The production will be directed by Artistic Director, Lewis Wilkenfeld, with musical direction by Darryl Archibald and choreography by Heather Castillo. It stars Cabrillo favorite Shannon Warne (Seven Brides For Seven Brothers) as Maria, while Tom Schmid (Broadway’s Annie Get Your Gun) makes his Cabrillo debut as Captain von Trapp. Also starring are Southern California theatre veteran Michael G. Hawkins (Cabrillo’s 42nd Street) as Max Detweiler, Laura Cable (National Tour of Cats) as the Baroness, and opera performer/director Marilyn Anderson as the Mother Abbess.
The Sound of Music runs through Sunday, July 31st. A post-show discussion with cast, staff and audience will follow the Saturday, July 23rd, 2:00 pm performance and post-show sing-a-longs will follow all matinee performances.
The theatre is located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. For tickets and more information go to http://www.cabrillomusictheatre.com/.
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Labels: cabrillo music theatre
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Perspectives: A Week On The Great White Way
Our favorite on-the-road musical theatre reporter recently returned from a whirlwind trip to New York. Here's his Broadway rundown. Enjoy!By Roving Theatre Geek, Shephard Summers
***NO SPOILERS***
**BOOK OF MORMONIt’s a barrel of naughty monkeys from the get-go! Scathingly funny and critical, ribald and over-the-top… but it’s also just plain smart. The music – each song tuneful and rich in arrangement (the choral elements are wonderful) –tho not always for those who flee from 4-letter words. It’s old-fashioned in its sincere, straight-up format, but bitingly observant in its earnest portrayals. But what I don’t hear a lot of critics and fans sharing is the fact that this is also an honest and smart commentary. Any liberties taken seem to be in favor of story-telling, never at the expense of honesty. In fact, the truth is what is so damn funny about this story. I laughed til my eyes teared, and couldn’t wait to see what each song brought. But in the end, the message of what the Africans teach the Mormons is what I found the most brilliant. I can’t stop playing the cast CD (even tho I may not be singing EVERY song outloud).
Sutton sold us the tickets. I don’t mean personally, I mean, I’d go see her sing the phone book. I’ve seen her in many things, yet I don’t think I’ve ever seen her pull a full-fledged sassy Carol Burnett type performance out of her hat. She was brassy and world-wise, and fun to watch. The rest of the cast is… well-cast! The direction has a tongue-in-cheek spirit that livens the old-fashioned material significantly. And Joel Gray was charming, sweet and funny. I can’t imagine a Sutton Foster fan (or even a Cole Porter fan) being disappointed in this light musical romp.
Like Mamma Mia!, it’s meant to be an evening of fun! This was our second viewing, because we wanted to see the differences between the West End and Broadway productions. Bette Midler smartly tailored some song replacements to fit the American palette, tho I admit I have a fondness for some of the songs cut because they were in the original movie. Tony Sheldon is so fun to watch, such a natural and dry performance, yet warm as well. And Nick Adams was adorable and cheeky (in more ways than one). Also after enjoying Will Swenson in HAIR, I wasn’t expecting to see such a heart-felt and sincere portrayal of a gay man at odds with being a father and his lifestyle. Very endearing, very believable. PRISCILLA is spirit-lifting! Who doesn’t love zaftig divas in feathers serenading the audience while flying through the air above a shockingly pink LED bus full of drag-queens?
We were beyond thrilled to get tickets to this limited run. I should hope this production will at least land in LA for a run. I hadn’t seen the original production of course, but I was blown away by this cast: Joe Mantello, Ellen Barkin, John Benjamin Hickey, Lee Pace, Jim Parsons, Mark Harelik, Luke MacFarlane, Patrick Breen, Wayne Wilcox and Richard Topol. As word-crafted as this writing is, this play is about showing, not telling: we see the impact of the aids epidemic taking its toll on those fighting so hard to gain the slightest ground…while being ignored and cast aside. By the end, I was in tears, not only for the tragic disregard for human life and the stomach-punch to humanity, but the play brought me to the emotional center of my own struggle to rise above being diminished for simply being gay. I don’t know if it’s possible to have more humanity than this play portrays, breaking down what it means to be human… like the title says… the normal heart.
I had no idea what to expect, but went on the recommendation of a theatre friend. In addition to finding Marc Shaiman’s very recognizable and fun song-stylings, I found a smartly crafted story, that begins at the end, rewinds humorously backwards, then forwards, keeping the indefatigable detective (Norbert Leo Butz) at the mercy of the feisty fellon (Aaron Tveit). Shaiman crafts songs to match the lower-key, more realistic story than HAIRSPRAY. But the story moves along nicely, its clever mouse staying one step ahead of the patient cat. This show’s big numbers are fun, but where it really shines are its pairings. Norbert and Aaron, Tom Wopat and Aaron, Norbert and Tom, Aaron and Kerry Butler..etc. (we loved Tom as the beguiling father figure, singing ala Sinatra and Sammy with his son --Aaron). And I absolutely loved Kerry Butler’s 11th hour torch song. While it’s hard to beat HAIRSPRAY’s exuberance and dancy fun, this musical is deftly carried by Norbert and Aaron, perfectly matched and singing and dancing at the top of their game.
Looks like it might be time for a summer road trip!
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Labels: broadway, shephard summers
Lee Meriwether to star in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The production will be directed by Barbara Mallory Schwartz and Lloyd J. Schwartz. Snow White features book by Scott Martin, lyrics by Rob Meurer. and music by Richard Berent.
In this retelling of the classic story, as with all Storybook Theatre presentations, there are plenty of songs and opportunities for audience participation as children from the audience become the seven dwarfs and try to prevent Snow White from biting the wicked queen’s apple. The show is especially appropriate for children 3 to 9 and their families.
Lee Meriwether has enjoyed a remarkable career since she was crowned Miss America: A star on nine TV series, ranging from “The Today Show” (on which she was the first female anchor) to “Mission: Impossible” to “Barnaby Jones” and her current recurring role on “All My Children”; films, including her iconic role as the first Catwoman in the 1966 Batman, and the more recent, The Ultimate Gift, and No Limit Kids; as well as many, many stage roles, like Rockers, Nunsense, and Spoon River Anthology.
For reservations call 818-761-2203 or go to http://www.theatrewest.org/.
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Labels: theatre west
Friday, July 15, 2011
SHREK The Musical Makes a Splahy Entrance at the Pantages Theatre
Once upon a time in a kingdom known as Duloc, there was a big green curmudgeonly ogre named Shrek who lived alone in a swamp, and all was well…at least until the day Lord Farquaad banished Pinocchio, Tinkerbell, and all the rest of the fairytale characters to the very same swamp, making for one ginormously ticked off ogre.
David Lindsay-Abaire’s book and lyrics are screamingly funny, with twisted storybook cameos by more fairy tale characters than you can count. Pay attention musical trivia buffs for you’ll hear a wealth of inside jokes that provide some great gut-busting laughs when you recognize them. There are winks to Dreamgirls, Wicked, Gypsy, Les Mis, Rent, Once Upon a Mattress and even Disney’s own The Lion King, but it’s all in good, lighthearted fun.
Jeanine Tesori’s music is everything you would hope for in a fantasy fairytale like SHREK, from the big, bright, beautiful storytelling opening number appropriately titled “Big Bright Beautiful World,” to the rollicking introduction of that “towering colossus of moxie” Lord Farquaad in “What’s Up Duloc.” I loved the three Princess Fionas singing in “I Know it’s Today” and that she progresses from day 23 to day number 8, 423 in the tower waiting to share true love's kiss with her terribly late prince.
Funniest of all are comedy songs like “Morning Person”, in which an exuberant Fiona sings, dances, and accidentally destroys innocent creatures of the forest (it even features a to-die-for tap sequence with a chorus line of handsome rats), and “I Think I Got You Beat” which becomes a one-upmanship contest between Shrek and Fiona of gassy proportions.
And though Shrek is a big, scary monster to those in Duloc who only take him at face value, by the time he sings his Act I finale “Who I’d Be,” he has more than worked his way into your heart. His explanation to Donkey that ogres are like onions is absolutely true and this ogre has only to peel away the layers until they reveal the diamond underneath.
Co-direction for this appealing national tour is by the Broadway team of Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, with choreography by Josh Prince and music direction by Andy Grobengieser.
SHREK is a big, splashy, colorful feast for the eyes and ears that carries with it lovely lessons about truth, acceptance, and the value of having friends. It is the perfect choice for a summer musical for the whole family.
SHREK the Musical will play the Pantages Theatre for three weeks only through July 31st. Click Here for tickets and more information.
Photo Credit: ©2010 DreamWorks Theatricals, Joan Marcus
**This was also the first time that the theatre invited patrons to purchase tickets to sit in what they called the "Social Swamp" on July 12th and be able to tweet and post messages to Facebook. It was a full section that night and the running commentary on twitter was especially fun to read. Kudos on a great idea, Pantages!
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Labels: pantages
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Classical Theatre Lab's As You Like It: The Musical
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| Paul D. Masterson (Orlando), Rachele Gueli (Celia) and Jessica Pennington (Rosalind) Photo credit: Chad Restum |
Love is in the air in The Classical Theatre Lab’s outdoor summer offering, As You Like It: The Musical, now playing in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park. Produced in the round with a few simple benches for set pieces and folding chairs for the audience, this cheerfully optimistic tale transports you to the Forest of Arden where two young lovers have sought refuge. Rosalind (Jessica Pennington) arrives after being banished by her uncle, Duke Frederick (Steve Peterson), and Orlando (handsome Paul D. Masterson) takes to the woods when he learns that his brother (Noah Gillett) has vowed to kill him.
Mistaken identities, professions of love gone awry and all manner of comical situations follow as they and a myriad of colorful characters cross paths in the woods. That Arden also contains a band of singing and dancing merry men wielding giant cheese wheels and baguettes only adds to the fun.
Director Tony Tanner brings his version of As You Like It in at about 90 minutes and serves it up in the outdoor courtyard of the Great Hall. That’s an easy length for the whole family to enjoy and with the sky overhead and a cool breeze in the air, you couldn’t pick a better way to pass a summer evening. July performances take place at 6:00 pm in Plummer Park and August shows in King’s Road Park are at 4:00 pm, except for August 7 which is at 11:30 am.
Pennington is deliciously feisty as Rosalind, biting into the Bard’s text with aplomb. She experiences love as a vexing and perplexing jumble of contradictions and her education of Orlando on the subject of how to woo a woman (while she is disguised as a boy) is a delight. So, too, is Matthew Henerson’s Touchstone, the witty fool who accompanies Rosalind and her cousin Celia (Rachele Gueli) into the forest. His likeable, wise guy observations make for plenty of laughs as he pokes and prods at the foolishness of those around him.
Tanner has also written some charming songs for his adaptation, like the a cappella opening number, “It Was A Lover and His Lass”, a comical brother duet in which Duke Frederick and Orlando sing of the perils of having a brother, and a Rosalind/Celia duet that has them pondering “How Would I Like To Fall In Love Today.” Orlando raps “Oh Rosalind” in the forest and also has a hysterical country song where he realizes he’s falling in love with “the boy”, and Rosalind shines in a number of bold songs that find Pennington in great voice.
At times some of the supporting characters lack the volume needed to be heard in the outdoor venue and underplay their performances, but that aside, this gentle introduction to one of Shakespeare’s easiest to understand romantic comedies is exactly what a summer night calls for. Enjoy!
As You Like It: the Musical is produced by Alex Wells and presented by the City of West Hollywood and The Classical Theatre Lab. Performances at the two venues are free but reservations are recommended. Click Here for more information or call 323-960-5691.
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Labels: classical theatre lab
STAGES Festival of New Musicals Moves to Los Angeles July 15, 16, 17
The 16th Annual STAGES FESTIVAL is just about here. For fifteen years the festival took place in Chicago but this year it moves to Los Angeles, hosted by The Academy for New Musical Theatre. See eight brand new musicals in concert in one weekend July 15, 16 and 17. Here’s a rundown of the new musicals featured in the festival:
Windjammers
By Robin Share (book & lyrics) and Clay Zambo (music & lyrics), Peter Welkin, (director), Ross Källing (musical director)
Starring: Zachary Ford, David Holmes, R. Scott Thompson, Daniel Stewart, Rebecca Johnson, and Melissa Bailey
Now and Then a Hero
By Larry Todd Johnson (book & lyrics) and Jake Anthony (music), John Sparks (director), Jake Anthony (musical director)
Starring: Mark Arthur Miller, Celia Chavez, Dana Meller, Elise Dewsberry, Ed Martin, and Jimmer Bolden
Powder Puff Pilots
By Marian Partee (book), Cindy O’Connor (music), and Noelle Donfeld (lyrics), Myrona DeLaney (director), Dennis Castellano (musical director)
Starring: Melissa Dunham, Jenna Locke, Kari Marie Yancy, Hallie Dickinson Mayer, Sarah Weiss, Melissa Glasgow, Samantha Hertz, Sarah Beth Markus, Whitney Kane, Kayla Hart, Madeleine Barker, Molly Samson, Stephanie Leatham, Erin Suth, Ian Parmenter, Garrett Bales, Anthony Fontana, Chris Hull, Sinan Zafar, and Tony McConville
In The Mind of Olympians
Musical revue by Shrubshall & Free and Scott Guy (book), music & lyrics by writers and composers at Mercury Musical Developments (London) and ANMT (Los Angeles)
Directors: David Holmes, Andrea Press, and Christopher Hamilton
Starring: Stephen Simon, Noelle Britton, Christina Valo, Sari Rose Poll, Ben Hensley
Performances for these shows will take place at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd in N. Hollywood. Click here for a complete schedule of show times.
90-minute showcase versions of four additional musicals will also be presented at ANMT, 5628 Vineland Avenue in N. Hollywood. They are:
Mary Marie
By Chana Wise (book & lyrics), Carl Johnson (music & lyrics)
The Angel of Painted Post
By Adrian Bewley (book), Matthew Levine (music), Richard Castle (lyrics)
Ghost-s
By Kincaid Jones (book), Brian Woodbury (music & lyrics), Noelle Donfeld (lyrics)
The Ring
By Eric Dodson (book & lyrics), Alan Ross Fleishman (music)
Click Here for tickets and more information.
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Labels: anmt
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Head Over Heels for Gilbert & Sullivan Festival Begins August 19th
The cornerstone of the festival is the new production of the 1888 opera The Yeomen of the Guard directed by Eugene Hutchins with musical direction by Brian Asher Alhadeff, which will run August 19 – September 24.
Col. Fairfax, an admired military hero, has been condemned to die for the practice of sorcery, a maliciously fraudulent charge. To prevent his estate from going to his accuser, Fairfax contrives to marry a stranger, street singer Elsie Maynard, before the colonel’s scheduled execution. Meanwhile, Sergeant Meryll and his daughter Phoebe plot to have Fairfax escape by disguising him as Phoebe’s brother Leonard, also a military hero. Wilfred the head jailer schemes to his own advantage by pretending to have slain Fairfax during an escape attempt. With multiple schemes in play, things don’t go exactly as planned. Who will marry whom, and whose heart will be broken?
The cast includes Maria Elena Altany, Michelle Caravia, Glenn Fernandez, Joseph Garate, Michelle Holmes, Steve Kubick, Michelle McWilliams, Luis Marez Ordaz, Jay Parker, Ryan Reithmeier, Katherine Trimble, Tara Waldschmidt and Matthew Welch.
The creative team includes Edward Hayners, Jr. (set design), Shon leBlanc (costume design), Wes Chew (lighting design), Jennifer Scott (technical director/properties), Brenda Goldstein (stage manager).
The Yeomen of the Guard runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm and is dark on August 21. The performance on Friday, August 19 is preceded by a Gala Opening Night light buffet and Champagne reception at 7:15 pm. The performance on Friday, August 26 will be both ASL interpreted for the hearing-impaired and audio described for the blind.
In addition, the lobby of the venue will include an art exhibit of works inspired by The Yeomen of the Guard curated by Sue Li.
Also scheduled as part of the Festival is a Sunday Play Series featuring staged readings of plays by W.S. Gilbert...
August 28 at 7:30 pm
A Medical Man
A frothy and clever farce about a confirmed bachelor who places a personal ad and gets more than he bargains for.
Sweethearts
What happens when a girl meets a boy and they meet 20 years later? See the before and the after in this delightful comedy of manners.
September 11 at 7:30 pm
Engaged
Meet Cheviot Hill, a stingy romantic, who has one tiny problem. He proposes marriage to every woman he meets. One of Gilbert’s most successful non-musical plays will have you in stitches as you see what happens when all these women meet. Niki Hevesy directs.
...and a Thursday night Gilbert & Sullivan Concert Series at 7:30 pm:
September 1
Featuring: Tara Waldschmidt, Ryan Reithmeier, Maria Elena Altany and Joseph Garate. Accompanist: Dan Bridston
September 8
Featuring: Michelle McWilliams, Glenn Fernandez, Maria Elena Altany and Jay Parker. Accompanist: Dan Bridston
September 15
Featuring: Glenn Fernandez, Michelle McWilliams, Tara Waldschmidt and Steve Kubick. Accompanist: Dan Bridston
September 22
Featuring: Pasadena Master Chorale
Sierra Madre Playhouse is located at 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024. There is ample free parking behind the theatre. Tickets for The Yeomen of the Guard are $25 for all seats. Tickets for other festival events are $20 each. SPECIAL: A festival pass that admits patrons to all events is $50, a potential savings of $95. Reservations: 626-355-4318, or go online at http://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/.
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Labels: sierra madre playhouse