JOSEPH has always been more of a crowd-pleaser and less of a critic's darling, and this entertaining - if not slightly off-balanced - production could prove to be more of the same.
Arguably, the show has always belonged to the Brothers, but few directors acknowledge this. The exception is Jayme McDaniel, who is no stranger to the material. The production comes to vibrant life whenever his solid, strong unit is on stage either as siblings or as members of the ensemble. Their energy is infectious as they are provided dance breaks which feel fun instead of forced. Individual numbers "One More Angel," "Those Canaan Days," and "Benjamin Calypso" are genuinely entertaining.
Anthony Federov is a good-looking Joseph with a powerful voice, and he fares better when he is not over-pronouncing everything. The same can be said for Jennifer Paz, the gorgeous Narrator with a refreshing persona. Her delivery could be softened in some areas to be more effective.
According to his bio, McDaniel has staged the show before, and in some areas it seems that he has merely transplanted his previous production to this stage and forgot to transfer it to an arena setting. An example is when Joseph meets the Pharaoh, and there are men and women lined up on either side. The "let's face this side of the theatre now" approach during the dance is obvious.
The production is at its best when it strays from literal interpretation as when the Brothers sing "The dreams of our dear brother are..." ala "Cool" from WEST SIDE STORY. The Narrator is thoroughly enjoying her cocktail provided for her during the calypso number. However, seeing the Pharaoh portrayed as "The King" and watching a 1960s send-up of "Go, Go, Go Joseph" remind the audience just how stale and dated the show is.
Still, if you are looking for carefree family fare (except for the girls' costumes during "Potiphar") this JOSEPH will certainly do. B-
Friday, August 06, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 03, 2010
GIN & IT
Review coming soon of GIN & IT playing at the Performance Space 122 in New York!
It is a performance piece about the Alfred Hitchcock movie ROPE.
It's hard to describe but awesome to watch.
Catch it now--you will NOT be disappointed!
It is a performance piece about the Alfred Hitchcock movie ROPE.
It's hard to describe but awesome to watch.
Catch it now--you will NOT be disappointed!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
BROADWAY ON CD
GLORY DAYS
music and lyrics by Nick Blaemire
book by James Gardiner
Ghostlight Records
So much can happen in one night.
Such is the concept behind GLORY DAYS, which debuted and closed in one night in 2008. Listening to the CD, it is easy to appreciate why the producers were excited about launching the production on the Great White Way - the musical is the perfect antidote to the exhausting parade of both movies-turned-musicals and over-the-top visual extravaganzas.
Unfortunately, it is also easy to understand how a cavernous theatre could swallow the intimate production, portrayed with refreshing reality by its four actors - Steven Booth, Andrew C. Hall, Adam Halpin, and Jesse JP Johnson.
The score - penned with heartbreaking honesty by Nick Blaemire - introduces us to four best buddies who reunite after their freshman year in college. We hear them struggle as they resist or accept change and face maturating and accepting life as it is and not how they wish it to be.
Fortunately, this slice-of-life avoids stilted and forced dialogue as many musicals before it have suffered; the friends' verbal exchanges are credible and accessible.
Hopefully, this charming musical will be re-discovered so it can enjoy more than one night of glory. B
music and lyrics by Nick Blaemire
book by James Gardiner
Ghostlight Records
So much can happen in one night.
Such is the concept behind GLORY DAYS, which debuted and closed in one night in 2008. Listening to the CD, it is easy to appreciate why the producers were excited about launching the production on the Great White Way - the musical is the perfect antidote to the exhausting parade of both movies-turned-musicals and over-the-top visual extravaganzas.
Unfortunately, it is also easy to understand how a cavernous theatre could swallow the intimate production, portrayed with refreshing reality by its four actors - Steven Booth, Andrew C. Hall, Adam Halpin, and Jesse JP Johnson.
The score - penned with heartbreaking honesty by Nick Blaemire - introduces us to four best buddies who reunite after their freshman year in college. We hear them struggle as they resist or accept change and face maturating and accepting life as it is and not how they wish it to be.
Fortunately, this slice-of-life avoids stilted and forced dialogue as many musicals before it have suffered; the friends' verbal exchanges are credible and accessible.
Hopefully, this charming musical will be re-discovered so it can enjoy more than one night of glory. B
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Light Shines on This Grey Garden!
GREY GARDENS @ The Lyric Stage, Boston MA
Director Spiro Veloudos has proven again how much can be accomplished in such an intimate space. He provided an up-close and personal look into the lives of Big & Little Edie while showing us how vast and empty their estate and lives were. Leigh Barrett was outstanding in the challenging leading roles, and the rest of the cast kept up with her. The production flowed effortlessly with grace and ease. It was humorous and tragic but never became corny or trite. A marvelous production of an extraordinary musical.
Grade: A
Director Spiro Veloudos has proven again how much can be accomplished in such an intimate space. He provided an up-close and personal look into the lives of Big & Little Edie while showing us how vast and empty their estate and lives were. Leigh Barrett was outstanding in the challenging leading roles, and the rest of the cast kept up with her. The production flowed effortlessly with grace and ease. It was humorous and tragic but never became corny or trite. A marvelous production of an extraordinary musical.
Grade: A
Thursday, May 07, 2009
JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA
During Act One of JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA, this pundit recalled Carol
Burnett talking about the "Mama's Family" skits from her
variety show. She has admitted that not one joke was written into any of
their sketches. For the most part, the same can be said for Speakeasy's
most bold and daring production to date. It truly is one of the most
over-the-top and hilarious shows one could ever see, but not as uproarious
as one might expect...thankfully.
Expert director Paul Daigneault has always been capable of discovering the
moments within the larger moment, and he makes no exception here. With
assistance from a stellar book and score, he paces the show with proper
ebb and flow so the audience is not bombarded with intense mania.
Yes, the audience erupts into manic laughter, but not at what the "guests"
are saying, but in the juxtaposition of it all: the highest form of art
showcasing the lowest form of entertainment. There is much humor in
hearing gorgeous, classically-trained singers shooting out naughty
language.
However, it is not long before Daigneault unveils the point of the entire show. Underneath the damaged goods lie an abundance of yearning and longing. What television has exposed as "trailer trash" and "losers," JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA reveals as humans and everyday-people searching for a place in life. And, if they find love or
self-love along the way, that's a bonus. This is apparent in the numbers
"I Wanna Sing Something Beautiful" and "I Just Wanna Dance" performed with
heart-breaking reality by Kerry A. Dowling and Joelle Lurie, respectively.
Ariana Valdes anchors the first act in a performance both tragic and funny
as Baby Jane.
To their credits, the entire ensemble is outstanding and bring to their parts their own vulnerabilities.
Yes, it is Act Two that has many people worked up into a lather, and
possibly rightfully so due to Religious references. This show is not intended for those who are easily offended or hyper-sensitive (but I went away). However, Timothy John Smith, arguably the show's strongest performer, allows us in, and we all learn a
little bit more about ourselves and each other than we had expected.
Grade: A
Burnett talking about the "Mama's Family" skits from her
variety show. She has admitted that not one joke was written into any of
their sketches. For the most part, the same can be said for Speakeasy's
most bold and daring production to date. It truly is one of the most
over-the-top and hilarious shows one could ever see, but not as uproarious
as one might expect...thankfully.
Expert director Paul Daigneault has always been capable of discovering the
moments within the larger moment, and he makes no exception here. With
assistance from a stellar book and score, he paces the show with proper
ebb and flow so the audience is not bombarded with intense mania.
Yes, the audience erupts into manic laughter, but not at what the "guests"
are saying, but in the juxtaposition of it all: the highest form of art
showcasing the lowest form of entertainment. There is much humor in
hearing gorgeous, classically-trained singers shooting out naughty
language.
However, it is not long before Daigneault unveils the point of the entire show. Underneath the damaged goods lie an abundance of yearning and longing. What television has exposed as "trailer trash" and "losers," JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA reveals as humans and everyday-people searching for a place in life. And, if they find love or
self-love along the way, that's a bonus. This is apparent in the numbers
"I Wanna Sing Something Beautiful" and "I Just Wanna Dance" performed with
heart-breaking reality by Kerry A. Dowling and Joelle Lurie, respectively.
Ariana Valdes anchors the first act in a performance both tragic and funny
as Baby Jane.
To their credits, the entire ensemble is outstanding and bring to their parts their own vulnerabilities.
Yes, it is Act Two that has many people worked up into a lather, and
possibly rightfully so due to Religious references. This show is not intended for those who are easily offended or hyper-sensitive (but I went away). However, Timothy John Smith, arguably the show's strongest performer, allows us in, and we all learn a
little bit more about ourselves and each other than we had expected.
Grade: A
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Dirty Duncing
The current tour of “Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story On Stage,” or what not to do when re-creating one medium to another.
There is a difference between a “transfer” and a “transplant.” The former is when a piece of art is adapted from movie to stage, and there is some effort involved. What works in a movie does not necessarily work on stage. This is Basic Theatre 101.
The latter is when the movie is literally dumped onto a stage. Virtually word for word. Step by agonizing step. And it does not work.
Eleanor Bergstein wrote a very good script for the movie with several lines both iconic and significant, and, no, the one about putting Baby in a corner does not top the list.
Baby’s introduction “…it never occurred me to mind” spoke volumes in the movie, but on stage, Amanda Leigh Cobb (Baby) sounded like she was introducing herself at the beginning of “A Chorus Line.” “My name is Baby, and I was born in…” She was also defending herself against the relentless, vociferous music with its hammering bass line. She fared well as an actress, but was not directed to fully complete her transformation. Merely applying make-up and dressing differently do not equate finding oneself and commencing the growing-up process.
With Josef Brown as Johnny, we went from the ruggedness of Patrick Swayze to Brown’s pretty-boy musculature. Not necessarily an insult since he is a good dancer, but it would have been more satisfying to see him perform original choreography rather than mirroring that of the film’s. And if the actor hails from Australia, fine. Let Johnny originate from Australia. That would have been more acceptable than listening to a dude raised on the streets of New York but sports an Aussie accent, Mate.
Brita Lazenga as Penny was one heck of a dancer with rubber bones and legs that extended to the ceiling, and her material at least allowed her to execute some dramatic texture, but, alas, she was underutilized in Act Two.
The more frosting, the less there is cake. The complicated and complex set obviously masked the fact that the material was below standards. Just because someone was on a bridge in the movie does not mean we needed to see the tautological movements of the hydraulics, which were less exciting and more exhausting. Projected images were an insult to the audience: we got it. They were at a camp. We didn’t need to see movies of cabins and the lake. As if the projected images of the dancers (while they were dancing) were not distracting enough, it did not help that ten couples performed ten different dances, so the audience had no idea where to look. Even Baby and Johnny withdrew into the discombobulating mess. For the record, the dancers were quite good, or at least they appeared to be.
The final confrontation between Baby and her father lacked immediacy and urgency because instead of arguing at the table, Dr. H. needed to go to his chair, as in the movie. He and the chair rotated on the turntable. And Baby followed him. And she ambled on the turntable. By the time they argued, we forgot why.
All this for a chair.
The projected images of the water behind him were completely distracting and not required.
And the log needed to descend from Stage Right. Completely and languidly. And finally Baby and Johnny arrived. It would have been more fluid had the log entered on one side, while the actors entered on the other. This is called a Transition. A Transition is a change from one scene to the next, and this production suffered agonizingly sluggish ones.
Lisa’s comical Hawaiian song was cute in the movie because we caught the second half of it and were spared the first half. In this production, she dragged out the entire unfunny song. We were embarrassed for her.
The projected images of the field and water while Baby was learning the lift were unattractive.
Even the climactic blink-and-you’ll-miss-it lift was, well, anticlimactic. This was due to the fact that the paint-by-numbers finale was unnecessarily laborious.
The production clocked in at just about three hours, and this pundit felt and heard every second.
22 years ago, the phrase “Dirty Dancing” was impressively metaphoric for both Baby’s maturation process and one’s exploration of the forbidden. Both concepts were defenestrated last night. And defenestrated quite well. The only thing dirty about last night’s performance was the fact that a buck was spent to make a buck, and the producers are expecting audiences to spend $150 to applaud familiarity.
Grade: D-
There is a difference between a “transfer” and a “transplant.” The former is when a piece of art is adapted from movie to stage, and there is some effort involved. What works in a movie does not necessarily work on stage. This is Basic Theatre 101.
The latter is when the movie is literally dumped onto a stage. Virtually word for word. Step by agonizing step. And it does not work.
Eleanor Bergstein wrote a very good script for the movie with several lines both iconic and significant, and, no, the one about putting Baby in a corner does not top the list.
Baby’s introduction “…it never occurred me to mind” spoke volumes in the movie, but on stage, Amanda Leigh Cobb (Baby) sounded like she was introducing herself at the beginning of “A Chorus Line.” “My name is Baby, and I was born in…” She was also defending herself against the relentless, vociferous music with its hammering bass line. She fared well as an actress, but was not directed to fully complete her transformation. Merely applying make-up and dressing differently do not equate finding oneself and commencing the growing-up process.
With Josef Brown as Johnny, we went from the ruggedness of Patrick Swayze to Brown’s pretty-boy musculature. Not necessarily an insult since he is a good dancer, but it would have been more satisfying to see him perform original choreography rather than mirroring that of the film’s. And if the actor hails from Australia, fine. Let Johnny originate from Australia. That would have been more acceptable than listening to a dude raised on the streets of New York but sports an Aussie accent, Mate.
Brita Lazenga as Penny was one heck of a dancer with rubber bones and legs that extended to the ceiling, and her material at least allowed her to execute some dramatic texture, but, alas, she was underutilized in Act Two.
The more frosting, the less there is cake. The complicated and complex set obviously masked the fact that the material was below standards. Just because someone was on a bridge in the movie does not mean we needed to see the tautological movements of the hydraulics, which were less exciting and more exhausting. Projected images were an insult to the audience: we got it. They were at a camp. We didn’t need to see movies of cabins and the lake. As if the projected images of the dancers (while they were dancing) were not distracting enough, it did not help that ten couples performed ten different dances, so the audience had no idea where to look. Even Baby and Johnny withdrew into the discombobulating mess. For the record, the dancers were quite good, or at least they appeared to be.
The final confrontation between Baby and her father lacked immediacy and urgency because instead of arguing at the table, Dr. H. needed to go to his chair, as in the movie. He and the chair rotated on the turntable. And Baby followed him. And she ambled on the turntable. By the time they argued, we forgot why.
All this for a chair.
The projected images of the water behind him were completely distracting and not required.
And the log needed to descend from Stage Right. Completely and languidly. And finally Baby and Johnny arrived. It would have been more fluid had the log entered on one side, while the actors entered on the other. This is called a Transition. A Transition is a change from one scene to the next, and this production suffered agonizingly sluggish ones.
Lisa’s comical Hawaiian song was cute in the movie because we caught the second half of it and were spared the first half. In this production, she dragged out the entire unfunny song. We were embarrassed for her.
The projected images of the field and water while Baby was learning the lift were unattractive.
Even the climactic blink-and-you’ll-miss-it lift was, well, anticlimactic. This was due to the fact that the paint-by-numbers finale was unnecessarily laborious.
The production clocked in at just about three hours, and this pundit felt and heard every second.
22 years ago, the phrase “Dirty Dancing” was impressively metaphoric for both Baby’s maturation process and one’s exploration of the forbidden. Both concepts were defenestrated last night. And defenestrated quite well. The only thing dirty about last night’s performance was the fact that a buck was spent to make a buck, and the producers are expecting audiences to spend $150 to applaud familiarity.
Grade: D-
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Random Thought 51
There are two types of people...
1: those who want to do everything
2: those who think they have to do everything.
1: those who want to do everything
2: those who think they have to do everything.
Friday, June 13, 2008
NSMT MAKES CONTACT -- ALMOST
Welcome to the abstract, surreal world of CONTACT, originally done by Susan Stroman. Director/Choreographer Tome Cousin does a great job of re-creating and re-staging Stroman's choreography; the ensemble is a pleasure to watch.
Part 1 was effective and fun with the sexy servant, fun-loving Girl-On-Swing, and silly Aristocrat. Kudos to them for putting a swing on the NSMT stage, and kudos to Sean Ewing for his impressive acrobatics.
Part 2 was saved by Sally Mae Dunn as "wife" whose acting and dancing abilities effectively carried the act. Unfortunately, Cousin decided to focus on finding some humor in the situation to lighten the mood. The scene would have been stronger if he had focused on the dramatic texture and emotional devastion it had required. No one should laugh during that scene. But the dancing was fantastic.
Part 3 fared better thanks to handsome Jarrod Emick whose emotional arc reached everyone in the audience. Cousin did some nice effects with movement and lighting. Examples include the "Walk/Don't Walk" and "Simply Irresistable" segments. If he could have brought the scene to a stronger emotional level, the sharp, snappy dancing would have created more of an impact.
With her sick extensions, Naomi Hubert as Girl In The Yellow Dress was nothing shy of phenomenal.
Yes, go see CONTACT for the dancing and the emotions it evokes. ALL of the characters were attempting to make contact with someone, and this musical is a reminder that throughout the ages we are all reaching out to someone, and this is what good theatre should do.
Grade: B
Part 1 was effective and fun with the sexy servant, fun-loving Girl-On-Swing, and silly Aristocrat. Kudos to them for putting a swing on the NSMT stage, and kudos to Sean Ewing for his impressive acrobatics.
Part 2 was saved by Sally Mae Dunn as "wife" whose acting and dancing abilities effectively carried the act. Unfortunately, Cousin decided to focus on finding some humor in the situation to lighten the mood. The scene would have been stronger if he had focused on the dramatic texture and emotional devastion it had required. No one should laugh during that scene. But the dancing was fantastic.
Part 3 fared better thanks to handsome Jarrod Emick whose emotional arc reached everyone in the audience. Cousin did some nice effects with movement and lighting. Examples include the "Walk/Don't Walk" and "Simply Irresistable" segments. If he could have brought the scene to a stronger emotional level, the sharp, snappy dancing would have created more of an impact.
With her sick extensions, Naomi Hubert as Girl In The Yellow Dress was nothing shy of phenomenal.
Yes, go see CONTACT for the dancing and the emotions it evokes. ALL of the characters were attempting to make contact with someone, and this musical is a reminder that throughout the ages we are all reaching out to someone, and this is what good theatre should do.
Grade: B
Friday, May 16, 2008
Not Quite Springtime for Hitler
First-time director was last seen @ NSMT's disastrous production of
CABARET, and he clearly learned nothing. Rule #1 in an arena theatre --
please address all patrons. Although we were located in Section B seeing
the sides of everyone, my heart went out to our fellow audience members
who were forced to see everyone's backsides for over two laborious hours.
This was an ambitious project with a daunting legacy for him to tackle,
and it should have been handed over to someone more experienced.
Max was amiable enough but lacked the intensity to sustain this character.
By the middle of Act Two, it was clear that he had run out of steam. Leo
fared better, maintaining a solid and consistent character throughout.
Ulla had a good character and a nice singing voice but lacked oompf. When
she announced that she would "belt," she needed to do so.
Franz, Robert, and Carmen were a joy to watch and made "Keep it Gay"
everything it should be.
As a matter of fact, Franz was arguably the best part of the production.
And, yes, those cartoonish lockers were ugly and blocked everyone's view
in Section D. There are other ways to create the illusion of chorus girls
popping out of them. The joke about the unattractive girl was thrown away.
The color choices for the office were hideous, and one wondered why Ulla
didn't paint it all white as is scripted.
The costumes were sufficient but unoriginal.
Kudos to the old ladies who brought life and enthusiasm to "Along Came
Bialy." That number looked and worked nicely.
The biggest disappointment of the evening was, sadly, "Springtime for
Hitler." Although everyone made the most of a tiny stage and addressed
everyone in Section F and ignored everyone else, the number overall felt
tired and underwhelming. The climactic swastika looked more like a plus
sign, and without acknowledgement to the audience what this was supposed
to look like, that image was missed. The Tenor had trouble keeping up with
the song, and his voice disappeared several times.
Overall, there were some elements that made the evening enjoyable, but it
seemed amateurish and not up to the level this musical requires. C-
CABARET, and he clearly learned nothing. Rule #1 in an arena theatre --
please address all patrons. Although we were located in Section B seeing
the sides of everyone, my heart went out to our fellow audience members
who were forced to see everyone's backsides for over two laborious hours.
This was an ambitious project with a daunting legacy for him to tackle,
and it should have been handed over to someone more experienced.
Max was amiable enough but lacked the intensity to sustain this character.
By the middle of Act Two, it was clear that he had run out of steam. Leo
fared better, maintaining a solid and consistent character throughout.
Ulla had a good character and a nice singing voice but lacked oompf. When
she announced that she would "belt," she needed to do so.
Franz, Robert, and Carmen were a joy to watch and made "Keep it Gay"
everything it should be.
As a matter of fact, Franz was arguably the best part of the production.
And, yes, those cartoonish lockers were ugly and blocked everyone's view
in Section D. There are other ways to create the illusion of chorus girls
popping out of them. The joke about the unattractive girl was thrown away.
The color choices for the office were hideous, and one wondered why Ulla
didn't paint it all white as is scripted.
The costumes were sufficient but unoriginal.
Kudos to the old ladies who brought life and enthusiasm to "Along Came
Bialy." That number looked and worked nicely.
The biggest disappointment of the evening was, sadly, "Springtime for
Hitler." Although everyone made the most of a tiny stage and addressed
everyone in Section F and ignored everyone else, the number overall felt
tired and underwhelming. The climactic swastika looked more like a plus
sign, and without acknowledgement to the audience what this was supposed
to look like, that image was missed. The Tenor had trouble keeping up with
the song, and his voice disappeared several times.
Overall, there were some elements that made the evening enjoyable, but it
seemed amateurish and not up to the level this musical requires. C-
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Random Thought 50
You will not be happy with what you will receive unless you are happy with what you now have.
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