31. July 2010 by admin.

HOWLING IN THE WOODS

F. J. Hartland

Lapland after World War II is the setting for The Howling Miller, a world premiere being presented by Quantum Theatre at the Frick Park Environmental Center.

Written by Quantum’s Artistic Director Karla Boos and the play’s director Peter Duschenes, the play is adapted from the novel by Arto Paasilinnia and looks at the effect a newcomer has on a small town in northernmost Finland.

Sadly, it seems like Boos and Duschenes don’t know what kind of play they’ve written.  Some scenes play as stark reality…others like a scene from a children’s play.  Is it a comedy…a psychological exploration…a drama?  Overall, it lacks focus.  Each scene seems to be written for a different genre.  It leaves the viewer confused and wondering what exactly are we to get from The Howling Miller.

And while Duschenes directs the opening of the show with excellent pace, it begins to drag before Act One is over.

The cast is not to blame.  They are excellent.

Lithe Tristan Farmer gives an athletic, acrobatic performance as the newcomer.  He runs, leaps, bounds, jumps, does cartwheels and rides a bicycle.  And he is also full of charm and sex appeal.  His character might be insane…but he is also sweet and lovable.  The fluidity of his movement and his amazing balance are amazing to witness.

Melinda Helfrich is hysterically funny and sweet as the overzealous 4-H Director who firmly believes in the power of vegetable gardens.

Hats off to the delightful ensemble cast (John Gresh Robert Haley, Jason McCune, Andy Place and Mark Conway Thompson) who brilliantly play multiple roles—everything from townspeople to mental patients to reindeer (yes, you read that right.  Reindeer.)  Unfortunately, the program only lists one character for each actor, so it takes some time and mental maneuvering to figure out who is who.

The set by Tony Ferrari blends in beautifully with the outdoor location of The Howling Miller.  Herman Pearl’s strategic sound design makes a significant contribution in creating the feel of each scene.

Other local theatres could take notes on Quantum’s front-of-house.  Everyone from box office to ushers to parking lot attendants could not be more kind, gracious and helpful.

On the other hand, Quantum takes the prize for the most uncomfortable seating.  Tiny folding chairs are crammed too close together on platforms that are too small to allow one to pass if anyone else is sitting in a row.  The stairs are uneven…and quite steep.  After being wedged in for the first act, I was in such pain that I could not return for Act Two.  In fact, I was still smarting when I got out of bed this morning.

And it’s not a good sign that I haven’t spent a moment since wondering how it all ends.

The Howling Miller continues through August 22.

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21. July 2010 by admin.

WELCOME TO THE 60’s: HAIRSPRAY

F. J. Hartland

Set in nearby Baltimore and based on the cult film by John Waters, the musical Hairspray is rocking it at the Benedum for CLO.

It’s 1962 and Baltimore s a segregated town.  Spunky Tracy Turnblatt wants to integrate the Corny Collins Show, an American Bandstand kind of show.

Directed by Barry Ivan, CLO gives us a lively, colorful show that will make you want to dance in the aisles.Katrina Rose Didericksen is full of charm and pep as Tracy.  She also has a powerful voice.  My only criticism is that she’s really not the “full-figured” girl Tracy is supposed to be.  It is obvious she is padded to look heavy.  But other than that, she is thoroughly engaging.

Niki Scalera is a comic delight as Tracy’s nerdy best gal-pal Penny.  With every joke, Scalera lands a bulls eye.

MadTV’s Paul Vogt plays Tracy’s hefty and loving mother Edna.  And he gives it 110%.  Whether singing, dancing or wise-cracking, Vogt is larger-than-life and proves he is as at home on stage as he is on camera.  Likewise, Jim J. Bullock comes as a complete surprise as Tracy’s dad Wilbur.  More than just a sitcom caricature, Bullock is a singing and dancing showman.  The two reduce the audience (and each other) into gales of laughter during the “(You’re) Timeless to Me” number.

Diminutive Drew Lachey plays Corny Collins and does not seem as comfortable on stage as Vogt and Bullock.  With more confidence,  he could be quite good.

As Seaweed J. Stubbs, Rashad Naylor is sweet and sexy and one helluva smooth dancer.

In Act Two Kecia Lewis-Evans as Motormouth Maybelle brings down the house with her powerful and moving rendition of “I Know Where I’ve Been.”  The audience burst into cheers and applause long before the song concluded.

Hats off to Madeleine Doherty who plays three various characters.  Her transformations are so complete, you have to look in your program to realize it’s the same performer.  Sadly, Stuart Marland is unable to do the same with his variety of characters.

David Rockwell and William Ivey Long provide colorful sets and costumes…and it’s amazing how much Baltimore resembles parts of Pittsburgh.  One would swear Tracy lived somewhere in Lawrenceville or the Southside!

There were some opening night glitches—particularly with the follow spotlights.  But they will certainly be resolved quickly, I hope.

Get to the Benedum and see Hairspray before it closes on August 1.

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7. July 2010 by admin.

ROLLICKING FUN: THE PRODUCERS

F. J. Hartland

CLO presents a sure-fire evening of rollicking fun with their current production of The Producers.

Funnyman Mel Brooks adapted his film of the same title into the multi-Tony Award-winning musical.  And while I don’t think it’s the greatest musical by any stretch of the imagination—CLO certainly does it justice.  It sure is FUN!

Max Bialystock, a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer (played brilliantly by John Tracy Egan), meets accountant and producer-wanna-be Leo Bloom (Jim Stanek), who convinces Bialystock that (through some clever bookkeeping) they can make more money with a Broadway flop than with a hit.  They then begin to look for the worst script, most talentless director, etc.

With his performance Egan pays tribute both to Nathan Lane (Broadway’s Bialystock) and to Zero Mostel (who played the role in the film).  Egan is a large man—yet performs the physical demands of the role with ease.  He can be bombastic when he needs to be—and graceful when called upon to do so.  And Egan brings down the house with his star-turn number “Betrayed” late in Act Two.

Pittsburgh native Joe Stanek also makes the most of physical comedy as nervous accountant Bloom.  Clutching a shred of blue baby blanket, Stanek is hilarious whether having a full-fledged panic attack or dreamily falling in love with the Swedish actress Ulla.

The show is filled with outstanding performances, so it’s hard to pick favorites.

Ashley Spencer is very funny (and very beautiful) as the shapely Swedish bombshell Ulla.  N’Sync alum Joey Fatone gives an impressive performance as Nazi playwright Franz.  (I mean we knew he could sing and dance—but he also  has a gift for comedy!)  And John Walton West nearly steals the show as Carmen Ghia.  West doesn’t even need words to be funny;  his body language speaks for itself.  And he makes two of the funniest exits I’ve ever seen on stage.

Direct from the Broadway production, Robin Wagner’s set and William Ivey Long’s costumes are spectacular.  And Andrew David Ostrowski’s lighting meshes beautifully.

Director Bill Burns keeps the show moving at a lively pace.  The book does tend to break down in Act Two, but overall, the show is fast and full of laughs.

Hands down, with its amazing cast and stunning physical production, The Producers is the best show so far in CLO’s 2010 season.  You’d be a fool to miss it.

The Producers continues through July 18.

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27. June 2010 by admin.

NOT SO S’WONDERFUL

F. J. Hartland

CLO Cabaret is currently offering a Gershwin revue entitled S’Wonderful.

Using the tunes of the Gershwins to create “a new Gershwin musical” (as S’Wonderful is billed) is nothing new.  The musical Crazy for You was a highly successful Broadway hit utilizing the same idea.

Unfortunately, S’Wonderful lacks the charm and the entertainment value of Crazy for You.S’Wonderful takes place in a variety of locales in a variety of decades (New York in the 1920’s, New Orleans in the 1950’s, etc.). 

Sometimes the songs fit well into each vignette; sometimes, they are painfully shoe-horned in. 

The final sequence was particularly lackluster and just seemed like a sorry excuse to find a way to work in any songs that couldn’t be wedged in elsewhere.  It has no build and certainly brings the show to a dull-as-dishwater climax.

The hard-working cast (Courtney Bassett, Michael Campayno, Trevor McQueen Eaton, Jessica George and Montaja Simmons) is not to blame for this fiasco.  They give 110% for nearly two hours of singing, dancing, changing costumes and moving set pieces. 

With a better script, I am certain this cast has the talent to make it work.  Unlike the “book” material, these performers are worthy of the great songs they have been given.

The very handsome Campayno is particularly funny as an egotistical movie actor; Bassett does a charming Carol Burnett-esque star-turn in Act Two.  In fact, Bassett has a great deal of presence on stage. 

One can not help but notice her.Musical director Deana Muro is at the grand piano.  As she did in Forbidden Broadway, she is more than just the accompanist.  Muro is fascinating to watch, and when the production was over, I think I would’ve preferred just hearing (and watching) her perform the Gershwin hits.

Lewis Folden’s set is simple, yet effective, and he uses interesting projections to create various atmospheres.  It blends well with the lighting by Andrew David Ostrowski. Vince Perce’s choreography is pedestrian.

Perhaps it would have behooved Ray Roderick (who conceived and directed S’Wonderful) to place it in a totally modern setting (a bar, an airport terminal, etc.) to show the timelessness of Gershwin’s music.  Being stuck in a time-warp does nothing to showcase the beauty of these tunes.

George and Ira deserve better.

S’Wonderful continues through September.

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25. June 2010 by admin.

ANOTHER NIGHT IN THE TRAILER PARK

F. J. Hartland

A trailer park trash family in Texas hires a hit man to kill the mother in order to collect on her life insurance policy.

This is the basis for Killer Joe by Tracy Letts, the current offering from barebones productions.

Letts is well-known for placing dysfunctional families on stage (as in August: Osage County), but Killer Joe finds itself more deeply rooted in the Jerry Springer Show.

And you just know that when a family whose sum total IQ is about 100, their well-laid plans are not going to go smoothly.  In fact, it’s going to be a full-fledged disaster.

Directed by Kim Martin, the production finds the humor in this dark, dark story—making it something of a guilty pleasure.  One laughs, then feels badly for doing so.  She also keeps the show well-paced.

In keeping with past barebones productions, the talented cast is top-notch and the production values are very high.

John Gresh makes the ideal cuckolded husband in his grimy T-shirts and love of television.  For all his show of bravado, the father is a weak man (evidenced by his fear of the junkyard dog that is tied to the side of their trailer home).

Turning in a strong performance as the trashy step-mother is Lissa Brennan.  (When she sprays perfume up under her skirt, her husband refers to the area as “the gates of Hell.”)

The very tall John Steffenhauer (who has to duck for all his entrances and exits), convincingly portrays the not-too-bright redneck son Chris.  Chris is deep in debt to a vicious drug dealer.  He is also deep in love with his sister Dotty.  Dotty is a sleep-walking, sleep-talking young woman—who often seems comatose, even when she is awake.  Hayley Nielsen captures Dotty’s idiosyncrasies all while giving her an air of innocence.

Patrick Jordan plays Joe Cooper, who is a police detective by day, hit man by night.  Jordan is charming when the role calls for it—and terrifying when need be.  He also looks great without his clothes on (which is something of a barebones tradition now—not that I’m complaining).

Between scenes Pittsburgh music legend Joe Grushecky performs live—an added treat for theatre-goers.  The gritty sound of his brand of rock/blues makes for the perfect accompaniment for Killer Joe.

Douglas McDermott’s set is well-detailed, but seemed a little spacious for a trailer (maybe it’s a double-wide?).  I think a more confined playing space would have added to the tension of the show.  Scott Nelson’s lighting was appropriate, although one scene was terribly bright.  There are a number of “special effect” by Benzy—all of which looked quite real—not like staged “effects” at all.

It’s an excellent production; I just wish I liked the script.  Or even one of the characters.

Leave the kids at home as there is plenty of nudity, violence and graphic language.

Killer Joe continues through July 10 at the Hazlett Theatre. 

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23. June 2010 by admin.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: CURTAINS

F. J. Hartland

What happens when a stage-struck detective is called in to investigate the murder of the leading lady during the out-of-town try-out for a musical headed to Broadway?

Naturally, he solves the murder…and fixes the show!This is the backdrop for Curtains, the Kander and Ebb musical currently playing at CLO.  It’s really a Kander and Ebb valentine to show business and the musical theatre.

With its “show within a show” premise (a silly rip-off of Oklahoma! called Robbin’ Hood), Curtains is a big old-fashioned, fun-filled musical comedy “whodunit,” filled with intrigue, romance…and murder.

Malcolm Gets is absolutely charming as Lt. Frank Cioffi, the lonely homicide detective who spends his yearly vacation performing in community theatre.  Despite an on-again-off-again Boston accent, Getz proves himself a real song-and-dance man with his delightful singing voice and smooth dance moves.

Sally Struthers is in top-notch form as the wise-cracking producer Carmen Bernstein.  She delivers the show’s funniest lines.  At one point Gets had to hold…and hold…and hold for the audience to stop laughing at one of her zingers.  (My favorite line, however, was the one dealing with her daughter’s taste in clothes, make-up and men!)

Rob Sutton makes a memorable CLO debut as composer Aaron Fox.  His moving rendition of the love ballad “I Miss the Music” was a stand-out.

As stage director Christopher Belling, Stuart Marland plays comic high camp—and rivals Struthers for the number of stinging one-liners.

J Branson’s set is perfect in creating both the looks of the “backstage” scenes as well as the glossy look of a frothy 1950’s Broadway musical.  Likewise, lighting by John McLain in on the money.

Act One is sheer bliss—funny, full of energy and leaves you wanting more.Things tend to get bogged down in Act Two—though it’s not the fault of director Charles Repole or his very talented cast.  The book just seems to sag.

Curtains does save some surprises for the end.  Not only does Cioffi catch the killer—there is another twist that I won’t spoil for you.  But I can tell you, it took me by complete surprise.

And kudos to the technical staff of Curtains.  Other than a few late microphone pick-ups, this was the smoothest CLO opening night I can re-call.

After the somewhat ponderous Oliver! and the less-than-perfect Miss Saigon, CLO has really hit its stride this season with Curtains. 

If you like murder mystery, romance and/or big, old-fashioned musicals, don’t miss Curatins, playing through June 27.

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20. June 2010 by admin.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

F. J. Hartland

Phase 3 Productions has carved a niche for itself by exposing Pittsburgh to plays unseen (and often unheard of) here before.

And with their current production of Lion in the Streets by Judith Thompson, Phase 3 continues that trend.

Directed by Melissa Hill Grande, the play is a perfect “black box” vehicle, told with a few cubes and a rack of costumes for the six member cast to play nearly 30 characters.  Various settings are represented by having a cast member write the location in chalk on the back blackboard-like wall.

Lion in the Streets tells the story of a young girl who has been brutally murdered.  Or does it?

Act One has a La Ronde-type format with one character from each scene moving into the next scene.  In Act Two the technique tends to fall apart.  At times the only thing that seems to be holding the vignettes together is a sheet which becomes a variety of props: a bed sheet, a towel, a shawl, a veil, a research report, etc.

The six member cast (Eric James Davidson, Kathleen Hagerty, Allison Scarlet Jaye, Adam Pribila, Sheridan Singleton and Jocelyn Snyder) all have memorable moments—but it is Pribila who shines.  Whether playing an elderly priest, a young boy or a sadistic actor, he achieves the most distinct (and complete) characterizations.

Singleton as the murdered girl Isobel often becomes shrill.  That combined with the less-than-ideal acoustic at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, she becomes unintelligible.

While some of the individual scenes are compelling, the play goes on too long.  And while I enjoy a play that prompts questions, Lion in the Streets begs the wrong kind of questions.  For example, sometimes the characters can’t see the ghost of the dead girl Isobel, other times some can—why?  How much time actually transpires during the course of the play?  What do these vignettes have to do with the girl’s murder?  Is the girl going through some kind of personal purgatory?  The list continues…sorry, but I have no answers.

With Lion in the Streets Phase 3 has created some very interesting dots.  They just haven’t connected them yet.

Lion in the Streets continues at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre through June 27.

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9. June 2010 by admin.

VOICES SOAR IN MISS SAIGON

F. J. Hartland

The scars of war linger long after the conflict has ended. 

Nowhere is that truer than in the cast of the Viet Nam conflict, whose wounds are still felt today.

The experiences of Chris, a young American soldier, and Kim, the woman he meets and falls in love with two weeks prior to the fall of Saigon, carry more than memories in the musical Miss Saigon, the current offering from Pittsburgh CLO.

“Musical” is perhaps not the correct term.  Miss Saigon (like its predecessor Les Miserables) is completely sung (and with  tragic conclusion) and is more correctly categorized as opera.

Pittsburgh CLO has certainly found the voices fit for this challenging score.

Ma-Anne Dionisio is diminutive—but don’t let her size fool you.  The voice is powerful and she commands the stage as Kim.  As Chris, Aaron Ramey is equally strong vocally—but you would expect that as he is a powerfully built man.  Both also play the pathos of Miss Saigon quite well.Unfortunately, there is no real chemistry between the two…making their “love at first sight” meeting ring not so true.

Kevin Gray plays the ultimate hustler, the Engineer.  The sound system at the Bendum is doing him no favors.  He was especially hard to hear for the first half of Act One.  Josh Tower as Chris’s best friend John is equally saddled with the same problem late in Act Two.  Both men give noteworthy performances—but it would have been nice to hear all of their work.

Becca Ayers plays Chris’s new American wife Ellen.  Ayers sang beautifully, but her costume and make-up made her look more like Chris’s mother than his new, young wife.

Director Barry Ivan keeps the show moving (and even at this pace, it runs 2 hours and 45 minutes).  However, he often has performers leave the set and go to center to sing (where they are often poorly lit by John McLain).  Why not just bring the actor directly downstage (making it look like he/she is still in the scene) and perhaps be better lit?

Also, the American Dream number has been totally transformed from the original concept—and doesn’t fare very well for it.

Parts of Michael Anania’s set were good—but others failed miserably.  John and Ellen’s hotel room set was as terrible as I’ve seen in the lowest budget high school musical.

I attended this production with a friend who is something of a Miss Saigon aficionado; I think this was his sixth time to see the show.  He commented that while the singing was on a par with the Broadway production, this was undoubtedly the smallest production in term of scope, cast size and set. 

This was my first time to see Miss Saigon…and I walked away with the same impression. 

For example, in the pivotal (and much hyped) helicopter scene, Chris can’t find Kim.  She was hard to miss in that small crowd.  I could see her from Row G—why can’t Chris?

These amazing vocalists (Gray, Dionisio, Ramey, Ayers and Tower) deserve a better production than they are getting.

Miss Saigon continues through June 20.

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4. June 2010 by admin.

BUT IS IT ART?

F. J. Hartland

“My friend Serge has bought a painting…”

So begins Yasmina Reza’s play Art now playing at the Public Theatre.  And who knew that a work of art could cause such turmoil for Serge and his two dearest friends Marc and Yvan?

It makes for a witty, funny evening that explores relationships and the nature of art.

Rob Breckenridge is perfect as the snide Marc—who laughs at his friend’s purchase.  It is easy to see why Serge would take offense at his friend’s hyena-like bray.

Darren Eliker is sufficiently pompous as the novice art collector.  You can easily read his childish delight in his new purchase—and his disappointment when no one else sees what he sees in his white painting…or “not white” as Serge would say. 

And Harry Bouvy steals the show as the neurotic Yvan, who is the butt of Marc and Serge’s jokes.  Yvan also has the misfortune of being caught in the battle between Serge and Marc.  Bouvy earns well-deserved applause for his lengthy monologue about his disastrous upcoming nuptials.  But when the going get really tough, he curls up in a chair in the fetal position.

It is the rapport between these three men that make Art the achievement it is.  They create an ideal ensemble that manages to find every single laugh in Reza’s script.

Director Ted Pappas has given a smooth, very funny production punctuated with cool jazz music.  It is a speedy evening—approximately 90 minutes.  But the slickness of the show makes it seem even shorter.  The only thing that made me shudder was when Serge pulled a bowl of olives out of a drawer in the coffee table…I had visions of moldy, fuzzy olives.

Anne Mundell’s minimalist set with its pastel colors is perfect.  Phil Monat has created lighting that is in harmony with the set and the mood of the play.

It is a fun-filled evening, well-worth seeing…full of laughs and the absurdites of friendship. 

And yes…it is also art.

Art continues trough June 27.

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2. June 2010 by admin.

AS LONG AS HE BEATS ME: OLIVER!

F. J. Hartland

Pittsburgh CLO has launched its 64^th season with a production of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist.

It is a colorful, high-energy production—sure to please.  Perhaps a better production that the material warrants, with its flat characters and musical numbers that do nothing to propel the show along… 

Kate Shindle shines as Nancy, imbuing her with such warmth and charm that it is impossible not to fall in love with her.  Her rendition of “As Long as He Needs Me” absolutely soars and is one of the show’s highlights.  (Of course, she sings this song right after the man who “needs her”—as a human punching bag—the sociopath Bill Sykes has slapped her to the ground.  So I always think of the number as “As Long as He Beats Me.”  Nancy—get help…get away…do something!) Local talent Joseph Serafini plays the title role.  The diminutive twelve-year-old has a powerful voice as evidenced in “Where Is Love?”  After hearing that song butchered in so many productions of Oliver! it was a treat to hear it sung so masterfully by young Serafini.  He is also quite a good actor as well.

Christian Whelan plays the menacing villain Bill Sykes.  While he has a commanding presence, his thick (and loud) accent makes much of what he has to say incomprehensible.  Ditto on Joe Jackson as Noah Claypoole.

Robin Lounsbury gives a humorous and memorable performance as the Widow Corney.  Not as successful is the television star Mark Indelicato (from Ugly Betty) who plays a very one-dimensional Artful Dodger.

In all honesty, the show should be called Fagin!  It is the role with the most characterization—and usually the one that stays in the audience’s mind.  Patrick Page gives a commanding performance, dominating the stage whenever he appears.  Personally, I found his character choices more appropriate for Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, but he does give the performance to watch.

Mark Morton’s massive set is spectacular.  It fills the Benedum’s stage but always keeps the set changes moving swiftly.  Lighting by John McLain has some dark spots and it was hard to tell if they were done on purpose to create a mood—or not.

The orchestra (under Musical Coordinator Frank Ostrowski) was spectacular.  Likewise, the ensemble sparkles, adding energy (and gymnastics) to the evening.

Director Richard Stafford keeps the pace of the show crisp and the evening runs about 2 hours and ten minutes.  However, there is some awkward staging with actors upstaging one another.  Also, the major event of Act Two (spoiler alert…stop reading now if you don’t know the ending), the murder of a character is completely obscured.

Oliver! continues through June 6. 

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