Compelling and relevant Clybourne Park by Ensemble Theatre

 

Bruce Norris’s Clybourne Park is now on stage as the opening play in Ensemble Theatre’s debut year in its residency at Notre Dame College.  The play highlights racial, sexual and gender attitudes.  It won both the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play.   Clybourne Park is a follow-up to Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun, which looks at a house in a fictional Chicago urban area, before and after the Younger family moved in to it.     Hansberry’s play, titled after Cleveland poet Langston Hughes’ “Dream Deferred,” was the first script by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway.  It starred Sidney Poitier, Cleveland native Ruby Dee, Louis Gassett, and Claudia McNeil as Lena “Mama” Younger, the woman of the family, who decides to invest the payment from her dead husband’s insurance into the purchase of a house in Chicago’s all-white Clybourne Park neighborhood in order to allow the family to have a better life.  The play won the 1969 Tony Award for best play.   Raisin in the Sun was based, in part, on Hansberry v. Lee (1940), a real court case that centered on a class action suit by Lorraine’s father and the NAACP against Chicago’s restrictive covenants against Blacks living in certain areas of the city.   Hansberry wrote of the situation and the lawsuit: “That fight also required our family to occupy disputed property in a hellishly hostile ‘white neighborhood’ in which literally howling mobs surrounded our house. ... My memories of this ‘correct’ way of fighting white supremacy in America include being spat at, cursed and pummeled in the daily trek to and from school. And I also remember my desperate and courageous mother, patrolling our household all night with a loaded German Luger (pistol), doggedly guarding her four children, while my father fought the respectable part of the battle in the Washington court."   Norris, who is white, portrays fictional events, based on his imagination of what happened when, after the Clybourne Park neighborhood became almost all black due to white flight, and then later became an “in-place” for young white “liberal” families to buy and restore, or wreck and replace properties in the now gentrified area, complete with a Whole Foods.    Clybourne Park introduces Bev and Russ, who are in the process of packing to move out of their recently sold home in Chicago’s Clybourne Park neighborhood in September, 1959.     The house is filled with negative memories.  Kenneth, their son, a depressed Korean War vet, who was accused of slaughtering civilians, hung himself in the home’s attic.  The neighbors, rather than befriending the couple, shuns them.   In Raisin in the Sun, when the neighborhood association finds out that the house at 406 Clybourne Street has been sold to “negroes,” in order to “save the community’s property values” because of extrapolated Black in-flight, the association sends Karl Lindner to attempt to bribe the Youngers to not move into “their” neighborhood.  The pay-off is rejected.    In Clybourne Park, about an hour after Lindner went to the Younger family’s apartment, he comes to the Clybourne Street house to plead with Bev and Russ to consider the neighbors and the property values and cancel the sale.     Conversations reveal that Bev and Russ turned over the sale to a realty company, so they did not know anything about who bought the house.  They refuse to revoke the sale to the Youngers.   Arguments, the history of Bev and Russ’s conflicts with the neighbors and their need to move, ensue.     Their black housekeeper and her husband, who has come to take her home from work, become involved, when a trunk containing Kenneth’s mementos, which was buried in the backyard, are unearthed.  This lays the foundation for the riveting second act.   The setting for the second act of the play is exactly fifty years later in the same 406 Clybourne Street house as the first act.  Now it is dilapidated.  Present are an African American couple, the wife, who we find out is the great niece of Lena “Mama” Younger, a young white couple who are planning to demolish the house and building a grand new house on the property, and several lawyers.   There is underlying tension.  The planned replacement house doesn’t fit the building code requirements, and there are problems over the wording of the deed, but, most importantly, there are unspoken issues.     After much running around in verbal circles, racial, gender and sexual orientation issues emerge, full blast.  Offensive jokes, accusations, and insults abound. What hasn’t been said, is now vividly addressed.     During the mayhem, a workman, who is preparing the ground for the excavation for the new house’s foundation, enters.  He brings in the buried trunk, which is eventually opened.  The contents lead to the emotional climax of the play.   The play’s humor and pathos are nicely refined.  The cast (Brian Pedaci, Mary Werntz, Jailyn Sherell Harris, Christian Achkar, Nnamdi Okpala, Dan Zalevsky and Hannah Storch), except for some projection issues by several performers, are on target.  They generally don’t act; they realistically are the person they are representing.     In the past, Ensemble has been noted, and received awards for their use of electronic media to create proper illusions.  It is too bad that they didn’t use their skills to better represent the house as it transforms from a nice facility in act one to a run-down hovel seen in act two.  We needed to see the ripped wallpaper, boarded up windows and wooden floor streaked with water stains, not a map of the area.  That visual effect would have helped complement and complete this strong production.   CAPSULE JUDGMENT:   Clybourne Park is a unique evening of theater.  The Pulitzer Prize play is well written and relevant.  The production is basically well-conceived by director Celeste Consentino.  This is a go see production!   Clybourne Park runs through October 9.  For tickets call 216-321-2930 or go to https://www.ensembletheatrecle.org/   Special note:  After many years in the former Coventry Elementary School in Cleveland Heights, has emerged from the pandemic as the resident theatre partner of Notre Dame College, located in the Performer Arts Center of the campus located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid.  There is free parking in a lighted lot, adjacent to the theatre entrance.

AMERICAN MARIACHI @ Cleveland Play House

 

Music, humor, empathy--AMERICAN MARIACHI hits all the right notes @ CPH   Roy Berko   “Mariachi is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century.  It is usually played by a male group who play violins, trumpets and a guitar.  All of the players take turns singing lead and do backup vocals.”  The songs they sing celebrate their struggles, joys and growth.   A telenovela is a Mexican Soap opera.  The scripts are filled with overly-dramatic and stereotypical characters, obvious and transparent plots, and melodramatic acting. (Think television’s “Ugly Betty,” which not only followed the formula format, but was presented as a telenovela within a telenovela.)   Mariachi and telenovela are central to the present Cleveland Play House’s 20222-23 season opener, AMERICAN MARIACHI.   Lucha spends her days caring for her ailing mother, but longs to shake up her home life. When a forgotten record album sparks her mother’s memory, Lucha and her cousin strike upon a radical idea: to create an all-female mariachi band.  But it’s the 1970s, and girls can’t be mariachis … or can they?     Lucha and her spunky cousin hunt for bandmates, uncover the strong machismo attitudes of Hispanic men, reveal wife battering, run into disapproving relatives, and expose a hidden family story, while dealing with her mother’s Alzheimer’s disease.     Will the band come together? Will an odd-combination of women overcome societal attitudes and their personal angst?  Will they get help from unexpected sources?   Sound like a melodramatic epic?  Yes, it is a one hour, forty-minute telenovela, filled with mariachi music!   In comments of other productions, the reviews stated, “A vibrant ode to music and memory!”  “It is all about familia, amor and tradición.” “What we come away with, after laughter and even tears, is a warm feeling of familia and a greater appreciation of Mexican American pride, culture, and music!” “It's that rare show that brings tears and laughter, while using musical tradition to deal with modern issues.”   The live Mariachi music is well played and infectious.  It is expertly performed by Diego Lucero (guitarrón), Daniel Ochoa (vihuela), Ayan “Yaha” Vasquez-Lopez (violin) and Ricardo Vejar (trumpet).   Two of the songs were written by José Cruiz González, the script’s author.    There are original musical arrangements by Cynthia Reifler Flores.   The production is creatively directed by Henry Godine.  The use of Spanish at various times, adds a touch of authenticity.   Many members of the proficient cast performed in productions of the script at the Goodman Theatre Center, Alabama Festival and Dallas Theater Center.   Capsule judgment:  AMERICAN MARIACHI allows audiences to experience a telenovela, a Hispanic story-telling technique, and be exposed to mariachi music, while sharing a tale of universal angst.  The CPH production is well staged and performed.  This is a fine evening of theatre.    AMERICAN MARIAHI runs through October 9 at the Allen Theatre. For tickets 216-400-7000 or go on-line to clevelandplayhouse.com

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS cult followers will be devoured by Great Lakes production

 “The Reluctant Orchid,” a tale of a humble florist who uses a man-eating plant to get rid of his enemies and raise his own status was transformed into a low-budget 1960 black comedy film named LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.  Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman (lyrics and book) transformed it into a musical, which is now on stage at The Great Lakes Theater.

The film, and later the off-Broadway musical, developed cult followings.  It was so popular that when it moved from off-off Broadway to off-Broadway, it had a five-year run. 
When it closed, it was the highest-grossing production in Off-Broadway history.

Since then, it has had many, many reincarnations including a 2019 smash revival which starred Jonathan Groff, who appeared in Great White Way’s SPRING AWAKENING and HAMILTON, as well as TV’s smash hit GLEE.

Filled with rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, the musical’s catchy score, which includes “Skid Row” “Somewhere That’s Green, and “Suddenly Seymour” often evoke singing from those in attendance, and cult followers sometimes bellow out imitations of the “Feed Me” sounds of Audrey II, the blood thirsty plant who plays a major part in the story’s warped plot.  In its full glory, attending it is a lot like going to a staging or screening of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. (Side note: the staid GLT audience displayed few of the cult-followers tenacity.)

Howard Ashman, who wrote the lyrics and book, in the introduction to the acting edition of the libretto, states that the show "satirizes many things: science fiction, "B-movies, musical comedy itself, and even the Faust legend."

The musical opens with a trio of street urchins named Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon setting the 1960’s mood and foreshadow the tale, singing the title song and then acting as our Greek chorus, explaining the plot.  

We meet Seymour Krelborn, a geeky young man who was taken as a child from an orphanage by Mr. Mushnik, the owner of a failing florist shop located on skid row.  Also present are cranky Mr. Mushnik and Audrey, a pretty blonde who is in an abusive relationship with Orin Scrivello, a sadistic dentist. 

Seymour buys a mysterious plant that looks like a large Venus flytrap.  Since Seymour is secretly in love with Audrey, he names the plant Audrey II.

Though Seymour takes very good care of it, the plant does not thrive in its new environment. He accidentally pricks his finger on a rose thorn, which draws blood, and Audrey II's pod opens thirstily. Seymour realizes that Audrey II requires blood to survive.

Thus starts the farcical tale of how Audrey II’s blood-needs are met.  The florist shop becomes famous because of Audrey II, the abuser gets “done-in,” Seymour finds a way to be with Audrey, and a lot of other weird “stuff” happens.  Unless you are into “sadistic,” you’ll probably go home and toss out all your greenery.

The GLT production, under the spot-on direction by Victoria Bussert, Baldwin Wallace University’s Director of Music Theatre, and who has served for 36 years at Great Lakes, will delight the many LITTLE SHOP cult-nerds.  

Andrew Faria is geek perfect as Seymour.  He squeaks, physically stumbles, acts nerdy and endears himself in the process.  His “Grow for Me,” charms.  His scenes with the air-brained Audrey, delightfully performed by Sara Masterson, are comic classics.  Her rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green” evokes endearing sympathy for the character. 

Aled Davies fully develops the role of Mr. Mushnik.  Alex Syiek, a former Cleveland Critics Circle Best Actor in a Musical winner, is properly obnoxious as the sadist dentist.  Sydney Alexandra Whittenburg, Savannah Cooper and Kris Lyons sing, swing and dance with outright glee as the street urchins. 

Elijah Dawson steals the show as the voice of Audrey II.  Chad Ethan Shohet, the puppeteer, makes Audrey II scarily real.

Nancy Maier’s musicians, Jaclyn Miller’s choreography, and Jeff Herman’s scene design, Trad A Burns lighting design, and Danae Iris McQueen’s costumes all added to the quality of the production.  Too bad David Gotwold was not capable of balancing the voices with each other and the singing voices with the orchestra so that each voice could be clearly heard.  Many lyrics were lost due to sound problems.

Capsule Judgment:  LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is the kind of show that many love to hate while others love it.  The topics of abuse and drug use, which are not in the wheelhouse of musicals, sometimes turn people off, as does the phy-sci-centered plot.  The GLT production is as good as you are going to get.  It solidly hits all the comic and horror notes.  It’s a must see for the script’s fans!

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS runs through October 2, 2002 at the Hanna Theatre.  For tickets https://www.greatlakestheater.org/or call (216) 241-6000

BUYER AND CELLAR puts Beck at the delightful center of the gay world

Barbra Streisand’s career started in the gay nightclub, The Lion, located in New York’s Greenwich Village.  Her films and music have amassed huge support, especially from the gay community.  She, and her works, are larger than life, leading to her being selected by “Out Magazine” as one of the “12 Greatest Female Gay Icons of All Time.”  

 
Many drag and gay entertainers have taken on the Streisand persona, singing her songs and acting out their idealization of her.  None, probably has placed a more interesting spotlight on Barbra than Jonathan Tolins in his one-man comedy, BUYER AND CELLAR, now on stage at Beck Center for the Arts.
 
The play premiered on April 2, 2013 at the Rattlestick Playwrights in NYC. The production starred out gay actor, Michael Urie, best known known for his performances on television’s UGLY BETTY and YOUNGER.
 
The play follows Alex More, a struggling gay actor who is down on his luck after being fired from Disneyland because of his impatience with the annoying kids at the Magic Kingdom.  He lands a job keeping the basement shopping mall in Barbra Streisand’s Malibu home clean, organized, as well as servicing the customers – of whom there is only one – Ms. Streisand, herself. “He comes to learn there are few bigger or more spoiled kids in the world than those with privilege and money.”

In the play, after assuring the audience that the entire play is about a fictional person, working in a fictional location, for a celebrity so popular she is almost fictional herself, we are introduced to Barbra’s secretary, who administers the shopping center and its one employee.  More fantasizes about meeting the real icon.  At first he does not meet her, but eventually Streisand comes to peruse her collection, and the two strike up a friendly relationship. 

Side comments:  Streisand did construct a series of Main Street storefronts beneath the barn on her Malibu property, inspired by the Winterhur Museum in Delaware, where she houses her dolls and “tchotchkes” (brick-a-bracs), which are written about in Streisand’s 2010 coffee table book “My Passion for Design.” 
 
Also be aware that the script is liberally laced with Yiddish words and phrases.  Though not a requirement, “farshteyn” (understanding) Yiddish helps in grasping some of the humor. 
 
Winner of the 2014–2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, the playwright “ruminates with delicious wit and perspicacity on the solitude of celebrity, the love-hate attraction between gay men and divas, and the melancholy that lurks beneath narcissism.” 

This seriously funny slice of absurdist whimsy creates the illusion of a stage filled with multiple people, all of them with their own droll point of view
 
Reviews for productions of the 90-minute play state: “Hilarious!” “Beyond brilliant.” “This show will go down like butta'!” and “Fantastically funny.”
 
Beck’s production features multi-talented Scott Esposito, who has received recognition for his acting skills by Cleveland Critics Circle and Broadwayworld.com.  He has been seen locally in productions at Seat of the Pants Productions, Cain Park, Ensemble Theatre, French Creek Theatre, Lakeland Civic Theatre, Blank Canvas, Beck Center and Dobama.
 
Esposito has memorized and speaks hundreds of lines as the sole performer, portraying not only Alex More, but More’s boyfriend, Streisand, Sadie (Streisand’s alter-ego), and the great one’s secretary.
 
He handles all of the characters with consistency of sound and mannerisms.  He has a nice approach to comedy and his timing is excellent.
 
What is really impressive is not only Esposito’s grasp of all of the lines in this production, but that several weeks ago he portrayed the leading role in OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD at Seat of the Pants Productions, in which he also had many, many lines to memorize.
 
The show was creatively staged by director Jamie Koeth.
 
CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  BUYER AND CELLAR is a show that will delight gay audiences who will be able to laugh at themselves, as well as appreciate their perceived hero-worship of the world of divas, but should be a fun experience for the uninitiated into all things gay.  Scott Esposito gives a finely tuned performance in this well-conceived play. So, “bubalah,” If you want to escape from the world of covid and political stress, go see B&C, you may get “verklempt.”  
 
BUYER & CELLLAR runs September 9-October 9 in the Studio Theater of the Beck Center, 17801 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood. For tickets call 216-521-2540 or go on line to beckcenter.org