31. October 2010 by admin.

F. J. Hartland

Director Scott Wise has given the Conservatory Theatre Company of Point Park University another huge triumph with the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Set in 1922 in New York City, Thoroughly Modern Millie follows the trials and tribulations of a young girl from Kansas who wants to become a “modern woman” and find love.  With a book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan and new music and lyrics by Scanlan and Jeanine Tesori, the musical is based on the film of the same name.

My only complaint is that Act One is a little long, but that is not the fault of Wise and his spirited cast.  And for those of you who read my reviews, it’s that’s my only gripe, then it must be a pretty marvelous production.

Tall and leggy Jessica Ernest plays Millie.  Not only does she have the ideal look of a 20’s flapper, she can really belt out a tune.  She totally wowed the audience by belting out “Gimme, Gimmee.”

Leah Fox is hysterically funny as the evil Mrs. Meers.  When Fox is “on,” she is brilliant.  Now if she could make her performance consistent, she could get applause at each and every one of her exits and steal the show.

Sam Tanabe and Adam Soniak are charming as the brothers Ching Ho and Bun Foo who serve as Mrs. Meers’ flunkies.

As night club chanteuse Muzzy, Jaclyn McSpadden has an amazing voice, and her presence lights up the entire stage.

In the role of office manager Miss Flannery, Elissa DeMaria is a delight and proves there’s no such thing as a “small” role.

And as is typical in a Point Park production, the chorus is high-energy and oozes with talent.

The art deco set by Michael Thomas Essad is stunning and glides effortlessly from scene to scene.  Costumes by Don Difonso capture the feel of the Roaring Twenties (although I do question the color palette of Millie’s outfits).  Choreographer Jeremy Czarniak (who also serves as assistant director) puts the dancers through their paces; while I usually am blasé about dance,  I was mesmerized.

The orchestra (under the baton of Douglas Levine) is spectacular, giving Thoroughly Modern Millie a rich, lush sound.

From the opening moments to the choreographed curtain call, Scott Wise and the Conservatory Company give Pittsburgh audiences a show well worth seeing.  It is a delight to the eye and the ear.  Be sure to put it on your “Must See” List!

Thoroughly Modern Millie runs through November 7.

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30. October 2010 by admin.

F. J. Hartland

Several years ago, the University of Pittsburgh Repertory presented both parts of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America.  It was a landmark achievement and a pinnacle for the Department of Theatre.

History is made again with their current production of Allison Moore’s Slasher, billed as a “horrifying comedy.”

It is an embarrassing low point.  A real nadir.

When I arrived at the Stephen Foster Memorial, I was greeted by a young woman in the box office—who was eating soup.  In her defense, the soup looked really good.  Little did I know that the soup would be the highlight of the evening!

The curtain on opening night went up a full FIFTEEN MINUTES late.  Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but Slasher runs ninety-minutes without an intermission.  In truth the show runs ninety-six minutes, so we were trapped for nearly two full hours without a break.

With Slasher director Holly Thuma has a real hot mess on her hands that goes wrong on so many, many levels.

First is the location. Pitt has a perfectly fine Studio Theatre (where Slasher would be ideal).  Instead, this production (and the audience) is shoe-horned onto the STAGE of the Charity Randall.

The acoustics are ghastly; the sight-lines, worse.  (I actually sat through several two-person scenes where I saw the face of only ONE of the actors).

And this decision to place the show on the stage means the acting space is slightly larger than a postage stamp (always such a wise move when you have a character in a motorized wheelchair).

Also, the audience is so close that the “special effects” look cheesy and amateurish.  If the audience was given some distance, the effects might have worked.

The entrances are narrow passageways, and the poor, hardworking stage crew has to navigate through them with cumbersome set pieces…sometimes slamming into the actors.  (Perhaps this was Thuma’s attempt at creating comedy?  If so, it was a success because it was damn funny).

And let’s talk pace.  Slasher is about a low…low…low budget horror film being made in Texas.  Consequently, the scenes are short and episodic.  Instead of using a unit set so scenes could move quickly, Thuma has chosen to do black-outs (to facilitate scene changes), totally disrupting any pace the play might have.  So it’s an evening of short scene…scene change…short scene….scene change…short scene…you get the picture.  Slasher ends up being a herky-jerky stop/start ride.

Then there’s the problem with tone.  What kind of play is this?  Thuma never seems to know, so each scene appears to be from a different show, making Slasher uneven at best.

The cast has talent (like the wonderful Sam Turisch.  Between this and last year’s campy Dracula, I hope the University is paying him a bundle of money!)) and shows promise (Sarah Turocy is very funny in a multitude of roles, but especially as do-gooder Christi Garcia.  Likewise, Fred Pelzer has a great opening scene with Turich).  But like the audience, they, too, are trapped like rats on this sinking ship run aground by Captain Thuma.

She, though, is not alone to blame.

Who is the Theatre Department at the University of Pittsburgh deemed this dreck worthy of an educational institution?  Really?  (Slasher would be so much more at home at some third-rate community theatre instead of a prestigious university).

Probably the same “genius” who said, “Let’s open the play on the Friday night of Pitt’s Homecoming.  That way streets will be closed…Oakland’s already limited parking will be even further compromised…and there’ll be a half-hour fireworks show right outside the theatre, making much of the play even more inaudible than it already is?”

Why not open the play Thursday and take Friday off?  Or wait and open the play Saturday?

Although with Slasher, I might have been grateful for a ninety-six minute fireworks display to drown the entire thing out.

My advice…stay home and find out where that young woman got the soup!

Slasher continues through November 7.

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24. October 2010 by admin.

PART SPOOF, PART HOMAGE: THE 39 STEPS

F. J. Hartland

It used to be that Hollywood made movies out of play; now they make Broadway plays out of Hollywood movies.

Part spoof, part homage, The 39 Steps brings Alfred Hitchcock to the stage and is the current offering at City Theatre.

Richard Hannay is a bored Englishman who tries to escape the monotony of his life by going to the theatre.  In keeping with the mantra “be careful what you wish for,” he ends up embroiled in murder and international espionage on the bring of World War II.

Like the play The Mystery of Irma Vep relies on rapid costume changes to enable a small ensemble of actors to play a long list of characters.

Hats off to Tom Beckett and Evan Zes (as Man 1 and Man 2) who play a multitude of characters (sometimes several in a single scene).  They are amazing as they switch from costume to costume, accent to accent, gender to gender.

Sam Redford makes a dashing Richard Hannay.  He channels Robert Donat, Ronald Coleman and Rex Harrison into one polished performance.

Rebecca Harris is hysterically funny as femme fatale Annabella (her fur is a hoot), but she isn’t as compelling as the sensitive Pamela (which, unfortunately, is the role she plays the longest).

All the actors, however, are as nimble and adept as gymnasts in all the physical demands placed upon them in The 39 Steps.

Director Tracy Brigden keeps the play moving swiftly, but the gimmick wears thin by Act Two.  The play would be funnier if condensed to a ninety-minute no-intermission romp.

Peter Cooke’s set is paradoxically lush and shabby at the same time.  The side stages are beautifully detailed, looking like the prop store room of an old MGM Studio.  The main playing space pieces look rather flat in comparison.  I understand that with all the scenes, the sets need to be simple (using old trunks for the train is brilliant), but more could be done.

Lighting by Andrew David Ostrowski captures both the feel of a film set AND the genre of film noire.

There are some good belly-laughs and Hitchcock aficionados will appreciate the inside jokes.

When The 39 Steps is funny, it is very, very funny.  When it’s not, it’s somewhat flat.

The 39 Steps continues through November 7.

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10. October 2010 by admin.

ROUND AND ROUND IT GOES

F. J. Hartland

Set in Vienna in 1900 La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler examines the circles of human sexuality. 

Famous for its structure, in the first scene A has sex with B.  Next B has sex with C.  Then C has sex with D and so on…

The REP at the Pittsburgh Playhouse gives the play a very stylish and beautiful production under the direction of Robin Walsh.

The production begins with a lively dance (choreographed by David Vinski) that fills the playing area (and also clues the audience in to the upcoming circular events of the play).

The cast is quite strong—with the possible exception of weak link Christopher Spare as the Count.  Stand-outs include Richard Keitel as the Husband, Mallory Campbell as the delightful Sweet Young Thing and a very funny Robyne Parrish going over-the-top as the flamboyant Actress.

Director Walsh could tighten up some of the slower scenes (like the last one), but overall she has done a fine job making this classic palatable for modern-day audiences.

The visual aspects of La Ronde are glorious. 

Stephanie Mayer-Staley’s set makes the most of the small Studio Theatre space.  Doors are hidden in the walls, the center section rotates and various chandeliers are lowered to indicate a change of space.  Golden gilded mirrors fill the walls of the space.  More gilding decorates the ceiling.

The stage crew moves quickly to change props and re-arrange furniture; Walsh has also choreographed cast members to appear making other wise tedious set changes entertaining.

Scott Weston’s lighting properly sets the mood and also contains some revolving effects in the style of old-fashioned lights.

The turn-of-the-century costumes by Michael Montgomery are detailed and stunning.  Done in beiges and light pastels, both the men and women are dressed to perfection—including undergarments—which we see a great deal of in La Ronde.

Overall, it is a beautiful production…if only it moved along at a slightly quicker pace.

Seating in the Studio Theatre is limited, so reservations are an excellent idea.

La Ronde continues through October 24.

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8. October 2010 by admin.

ALL HAIL THE ROYAL FAMILY

F. J. Hartland

The Public Theatre takes audiences through a fun-filled frolic through the 1920’s with its latest production of The Royal Family by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.

And it’s a rollickingly good time!

The family in question is the Cavendish clan, a family of actors loosely based on the Barrymore dynasty (yes, the same one Drew is from).

Kaufman is still renowned today for his gift to make audiences laugh.  When teamed with Ferber, the characters always have more depth and richness; the plots more serious moments.  It’s the best of both worlds.

Jenny Sterlin plays Fanny Cavendish, the matriarch of the group, always poised to go on the road to perform.  Sterlin delivers each one of Fanny’s zingers right on target, but she also plays the moments of drama with flair.

Helena Ruoti fairs far better in this vehicle than she did in The Little Foxes.  She is bright and engaging as the much put-upon (and successful) Julie.  Julie does eight shows a week while trying to keep the creditors from her door…and she’s just about has enough.  When she reaches her breaking point, it makes for high drama–and high comedy!

Scoring big laughs is Jennifer Regan as sister-in-law Kitty.  With her incessant whine and phony charm, she becomes the epitome of the relative everyone loves to hate.

Stealing the show is David Whalen as the swashbuckling Anthony Cavendish.  Whalen parodies John Barrymore perfectly, capturing both the man’s charm and his childishness.

Director Ted Pappas keeps the pace lively and brings the three-act show in at under two-and-a-half hours.  He also gets his cast to play in the acting style of the era.  It may seem old-fashioned, but it fits this script to a “T.”  Pappas has also selected just the right music for pre-show and intermissions to get you into the feel of the period.

James Noone’s set is nothing less than spectacular.  Get there early so you can spend some time taking in all the rch detail!  From its floors of wood and marble to its lavish aubergine walls to its art deco stair railing, it captures the extravagances of the 1920’s.  (And special kudos to Zeva Barzell, James Fitzgerald, Matt Lang and Charlie Wein who climb and descend that l-o-n-g staircase at lightning-fast speed!)

Equally breath-taking are Susan Tsu’s costumes, many of them lined with lush fur.  The ats, the gloves, the shoes each bring back the details of that era’s fashion.

So plan to spend some time with the Cavendishs in a bygone era.  It’s a good, old-fashioned night of fun in the theatre.

The Royal Family continues through October 31.

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2. October 2010 by admin.

POWERFUL PERFORMANCES IN POWERFUL PLAY

F. J. Hartland

Thelma is a widow who lives with her divorced daughter Jesse, an epileptic with a wayward son.

Jesse finishes the laundry while Thelma snacks on junk food, waiting for her weekly manicure.  All in all, it’s a typical Saturday night for these women.

Typical, that is, until Jessie announces she’s going to kill herself within the hour.‘

night, Mother, Marsha Norman’s Pulitizer Prize-winning drama, is the current offering at Off The Wall Theatre in Washington PA.And it’s terrific.The script has two amazing things going for it. 

First, the women do the most mundane chores while engaged in a life-and-death debate.  Towels are folded, the slip cover is replaced on the sofa, hot cocoa is made…all while the clock ticks away for Jessie. 

Second, the dialogue is so witty, clever and, yes—even downright, laugh-out-loud funny…something you would not expect in a play with such serious subject matter.

Director Maggie Balsley has avoided the trap of turning ‘night, Mother into a “talk-fest.”  Instead she keeps the women busy, wisely reserving stillness for the high emotional moments. Also, Balsley gets top-notch performances from her two actresses.

Virgina Wall Gruenert pulls out all the stops as Thelma, using whatever tactics necessary to keep Jesse alive.  If she doesn’t reduce you to tears before then, the last three minutes are sure to do the trick. She really displays her “acting chops” by showing an incredible range of emotions.

The usually glamorous Elena Alexandratos transforms herself (with the help of costumer Debi Meny) into the frumpy Jessie.  Paradoxically, it is planning her suicide that has given Jessie a purpose to her life.  It’s not that her life is unhappy…or happy…it’s just not.    Like Gruenert, Alexandratos displays a full range of emotions from joy to despair.

The women play off each other extremely well and have developed a true “chemistry” of a real mother/daughter relationship.  Although they are the only two characters in the play, the way they discuss others, you can actually visualize this band of dysfunctional misfits. 

Opening night the cast earned a richly-deserved standing ovation.

Paul A. Shaw’s set is beautifully detailed with a colorful afghan, knick-knacks, a working stove and refrigerator as well as running water.  It is so realistic that you will forget you are watching a play and will believe you are sitting in your grandmother’s cluttered living room.

So pick up a box of tissues on your way to Washington PA.  You’ll be glad you made the trip (and glad you bought the tissues. Trust me–you’ll need them).

‘night, Mother continues at Off The Wall through October 16.

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1. October 2010 by admin.

WEEK 4 ENDS WITH LAUGHS AT PNWF

F. J. Hartland

The 20^th Anniversary Season of the Pittsburgh New Works Festival ends with laughs.

The bill of one-acts begins with Take Two Aspirins and Call Me in the Morning by Geoffrey Craig.  It’s a one-woman show that allows Arlene Merryman to give a tour-de-force performance as Lily Montgomery, a playwright who has fallen and broken her leg.  Trapped in her New York City apartment, her cell phone is her only lifeline.  Merryman plays not only Montgomery, but all the people she encounters on the telephone: her leading actor, her ex-husband, her son, her doctor, a nurse, several client representatives, etc.The gimmick of having Merrymen play both sides of the conversations is confusing at first.  Why does she do some of the voice herself and why are others recorded?  Nonetheless, Merryman does a wonderful job portraying a myriad of personalities.  Director Allison M. Weakland (and playwright Craig) should think about editing the script.  If it were tighter, it would be even funnier.

Sandwiched in between two comedies is Fortune Teller by George J. Bryjak.  A couple seeks out a fortune teller to tell them what’s become of their soldier son.  The husband is a believer; the wife is not.

Directors Clyde Adams and Naomi Grodin keep the repetitive story moving.  The very talented actors Bill Creen and Sandy Boggs are somewhat trapped in playing the one-dimensional husband and wife.  Playwright Bryjak forces them to have the same argument over and over again.  Grodin does not resort to caricature as the fortune teller; instead, she gives a subtle and understated performance.

The funniest play of the evening (and perhaps the entire four week Festival) is Drop It by Mike Rubino.  Set in a coffee shop, Anthony Mahramus (as Kurt)  and James Michael Shoberg (as Rob)  play two loser buddies, who attempt to end Kurt’s problems in the romance department.  The two men form the perfect comedy duo.  They are both unlike in comedic style and in size, but together Mahramus and Shoberg have real chemistry and play off each other.  They “click.”  Their work—along with that of director Rob Gorman—turn Drop It into some of the biggest belly laughs of the evening!

Week 4 of the Pittsburgh New Works Festival continues through October 3.

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