Ella

Enjoyable ‘ELLA,’ but without Ella

One of the problems in doing a show like ‘ELLA,’ which is now on stage at the Cleveland Play House, is that anyone who knows what Ella Fitzgerald looked like, sounded like, and acted like, expects the actor portraying the living legend to be that person.

Hal Holbrook is Mark Twain in his portrayal of the great writer in ‘MARK TWAIN TONIGHT.’ Several years ago, Wayne Turney appeared as Harry Truman in ‘GIVE ‘EM HELL HARRY,’ at Actors’ Summit. He didn’t just portray Truman, he was Truman.

Unfortunately, as good a singer and actress as Tina Fabrique is, she does not personify Ella Fitzgerald. She doesn’t look like, have the mannerisms or the voice of “The First Lady of Song.” That’s not to say she is bad, she is excellent. She just isn’t Ella.

Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. What made Ella great was the wide-range of her voice, her accurate ability to give meanings to the words she sang, and her amazing ability to scat (sing meanings using sounds rather than words). Her voice was a musical instrument.

Born in 1917, she was early orphaned. She made her first foray into entertainment in 1934 when she won an amateur night contest at New York’s Apollo Theatre. Because of her unattractive looks she was denied the promised follow-up paid performances, but through sheer determination and a keen manager she rose to fame. By the 1990s, Ella had recorded over 200 albums and by 1991 when she gave her final performance there, she had performed 26 times at the famed Carnegie Hall.

Fitzgerald’s personal life was not happy. Her marriages didn’t last. Her relationship with her son (actually a child conceived by her sister and brother-in-law who she adopted) was filled with angst. Poor health plagued her through much of her career. She experienced heart problems and as a result of diabetes was forced to have both of her legs amputated below the knees. She died on June 15, 1996.

‘ELLA,’ with book by Jeffrey Hatcher and conception by Rob Ruggiero and Dyke Garrison, chronologically follows part of the life of this great singer. It contains many of Ella’s hits including, “How High the Moon,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “You’ll Have to Swing It (Mr. Pagannini),” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Our Love is Here to Stay,” ”That Old Black Magic” and her signature piece, “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.”

Though at times the dialogue gets a little sappy, it bridges the songs together and generally tells Ella’s story.

Ms. Fabrique is a fine singer in her own right. She grabs and holds an audience. Her acting is also excellent. She is ably assisted by George Roth, as Fitzgerald’s manager, Norman Granz. The orchestra is fantastic. Brian Sledge is wonderful on the trumpet and George Caldwell (piano/conductor), Rodney Harper (drums) and Clifton Kellem (bass) are all fine musicians.

Capsule judgement: If you go to see ‘ELLA’ expecting to see and hear a personification of Ella Fitzgerald you’ll be disappointed. Instead, go to hear Tina Fabrique sing Ella’s songs and give yourself a taste of the life of the queen of scat. With that mindset, you’ll enjoy yourself!

Shaw Festival preview-2007

SHAW FESTIVAL’S 2007 SEASON PREVIEWED!

Every trip to the Shaw Festival, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, convinces me more and more that it is the premiere repertory theatre venue in North America. The plays are generally excellent, the acting company superb, the show variety provides something for everyone, and the settings and costumes are creatively and lavishly conceived.

The Shaw Festival is conducted in three theatres. This season starts on April 4 and runs through October 28, Tuesday through Sunday. Each day has matinee, evening and even some lunch time productions. For real theatre buffs that means a three night/four-day stay can result in experiencing seven shows. The festival is an easy four-hour trip from Cleveland on roads which pass through the wine countries of Ohio, New York and Canada. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a lovely city brimming with flowers, classical architecture and inviting shops. This is like going to theatre heaven.

Jackie Maxwell, Shaw’s Artistic Director, each year chooses a focus for the plays. This season it is matters of the heart , carried out with a blend of comedies, musicals and dramas.

This season’s plays include Bernard Shaw’s drama ‘SAINT JOAN;’ Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman’s musical ‘MACK AND MABEL;’ Georges Feydeau’s farce ‘HOTEL PECCADILLO;’ Somerset Maugham’s drama ‘THE CIRCLE;’ ‘THE PHILANDERER,’ a Shaw comedy; Tennessee Williams’ drama, ‘SUMMER AND SMOKE;’ Brian Friel’s humorous drama ‘A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY;’ the comedy ‘THE CASSILIS ENGAGEMENT’ by St. John Hankin;’ ‘TRISTAN,’ a musical with book, music and lyrics by Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey; and Lady Augusta Gregory’s ‘THE KILTARTAN COMEDIES,’ a duet of Irish plays.

Besides the plays, the Festival includes a reading series, Sunday coffee concerts, a Village Fair and Fete, seminars, backstage tours, pre-show chats, Tuesday Questions and Answers and Saturday Conversations.

For theatre information, a brochure, lodging suggestions or tickets call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to www.shawfest.com. Ask about packages that include lodging, meals and tickets. Also be aware that the festival offers Sunday night specials, day-of-the-show rush tickets and senior matinee prices.

For recommendations on bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants and other events, go to www.royberko.info and click on one of the Shaw listings.

Review of the reviewer (Bill Wade, Inlet Dance)

Thank you so much for your kind words! I was very proud of the dancers last night and hope they continue to improve with each performance this weekend. I'm going to FWD your review on to the dancers and my Board of Trustees; they will, no doubt, be encouraged and affirmed.

Thanks again for all you do.

Respectfully,
Bill Wade
Artistic Director/Founder
Inlet Dance Theatre
www.inletdance.org

Inlet Dance 3/07

Inlet wows audience at DanceWorks 07

Bill Wade, the Artistic Director of Inlet Dance Theatre, which is performing as part of Cleveland Public Theatre’s DanceWorks 07, is first and foremost a teacher. His long list of educational assignments centers on “impacting the lives of young people through educational programs.” He works with public school kids, often from school districts with limited financial means. This philosophy carries over into his dance company is composed of only four members. There also are three apprentices and eight trainees. Again, a stress on education.

Don’t get the idea that there is a lack of professionalism. The screaming, standing ovation that the company received in their Danceworks opening night performances, and the continued notes in my program which say, “wow,” “creative,” and “dynamic,” attest to the excitement and excellence of the program.

The evening opened with ‘SNOW,’ danced to the flowing and powerful music of Ryan Lott, the wunderkindt of local composers who creates for both Inlet and Groundworks Dancetheatre. As is the signature of Wade’s choreography, a strong gymnastic tone underlies the dancer’s movements. Beautifully costumed in unitards painted with nature scenes by Kristin Wade, the piece featured six dancers transforming their bodies into a series of snowflakes. Displaying strength, the flowing and powerful piece effectively paralleled movements to the music.

‘WINGED OPPOSITION’ was choreographed to surreal music and featured effective mechanical movements which were repeated over and over. Somewhat overlong, the format gave the illusion of choppiness, with the parts not always blending together.

‘A CLOSE SHAVE’ was totally delightful. Danced with muscular power by apprentice Joshua Brown and trainee Justin Stentz, Wade’s sense of humor flowed forth. It examines the concept of “a close call” which spanned the interaction between the dancers from mirroring each other as they shaved, to putting themselves into various risk areas intended to “clean up one’s image.” Brown and Wade were nothing short of amazing. The piece ended to screaming applause.

Stentz, who is exciting to watch on stage, and has to be ranked with the best male dancers in the area, used his gym-ripped muscular body to work with the equally proficient and powerful Leila Pelhan in ‘imPAIRed’ to create visual body intertwinings that were fascinating to watch. The dance is performed with both dancers blindfolded. It is the result of the company conducting residencies for visually impaired and blind students at the Cleveland Sight Center. It highlights sensitivity, caring and trust. This was a “WOW!’ experience.

‘IN, NOT OF,’ a company premiere, danced to another Lott piece, featured the company as well as the apprentices and trainees. The choreography is the result of Wade’s visit, as part of his participation in an international artist exchange program, to Easter Island. He used the island’s culture, images and philosophies to create a narrative work. The disciplined, flowing cast members used the company’s signature gymnastic movements to create an appealing piece.

Capsule judgement: Bill Wade is a fine choreographer who proficiently teaches his dancers his gymnastic and creative style of movements. The overall effect was a very enjoyable evening of dance.

Photo by Jim Ruthrauff (inmotion-photo.com)

Legends

‘LEGENDS’: legends trying to play legends

The late James Kirkwood, author of ‘LEGENDS,’ which is now on stage at the Palace Theatre, is a former resident of Elyria. In fact, the moorish house in which his mother, movie star Lila Lee lived on Washington Avenue, was supposedly the setting for his book ‘THERE MUST BE A PONY.’ He is also the co-author of the much awarded ‘CHORUS LINE.’ But, it’s not the Kirkwood name that is bringing in patrons to the Palace Theatre, it’s the monikers of Joan Collins and Linda Evans.

Joan Collins and Linda Evans are best known as the duo who starred as rivals in ‘DYNASTY,’ the 1980’s late evening soap opera. In the play, as in the TV show, they play characters who hate each other.

This is not ‘LEGENDS’ first showing in Cleveland. In the late 1980s a production starring Carol Channing and Mary Martin appeared here. The show had negative reviews for both the script and the performances and closed before the run of the tour was completed. Part of the reason for the closing was real-life conflicts between Channing and Martin. The friction is recounted in Kirkwood’s book ‘DIARY OF A MAD PLAYWRIGHT.’

As with the previous version, the producers intend to bring the show to Broadway after it finishes its tour.

‘LEGENDS’ centers on two desperate movie stars who are courted by an unscrupulous young producer to star in a Broadway show. He convinces them to be in the play because it would star Paul Newman. He also knows that both are financially destitute. Collins is Sylvia Glenn, the acerbic star originally played by Channing. Evans takes on Martin's part, the seemingly sweet Leatrice Monsee.

The script is not great. Parts of it are funny, but, in the main, the ideas are forced and predictable. Of the two stars, Collins is the more capable. She keys most of her laugh lines and seems to be having a great time. On the other hand, Evans is emotionally flat. She appears uncomfortable on stage. Her soft voice and underplayed personality worked on television, but the stage requires more. She’s like a wind-up Barbee doll with a mechanical voice.

The high points of the production center on three of the supporting characters. Tonye Patano is hilarious as Aretha, the caustic maid.

Joe Farrell is extremely funny as Martin, the producer. The scene, which follows his eating some hashish-laced brownies, is one of the funniest that you will ever see. There was spontaneous and prolonged applause following this segment.

Will Holman as Boom-Boom, a stripper hired to entertain at a bachelorette party, who errantly shows up during the negotiation between Sylvia and Leatrice, is dynamic. A scene in which he makes his well-developed exposed pecs dance brought extended laughter . At one point he wears only a small red heart on each buttock and a high hat covering his privates. The audience loved it.

Capsule judgment: Don’t go to see ‘LEGENDS’ expecting a well written and performed play. But don’t let that stop you. You will laugh, you will probably enjoy yourself, and that’s what many theatre-goers want. The chances of this production making it on Broadway? Nil!!

Rose Tattoo (Ensemble Theatre)

Rose fades at Ensemble!

Many theatres like to stretch themselves by selecting plays that challenge their directors, casts and audiences. Unfortunately, in some cases, the choices are unwise as the venue just isn’t up to the task. This is definitely the case with Ensemble and their present production, ‘THE ROSE TATTOO.’

The Tennessee Williams’ play which, as with many of his epics, is set in the South, opened in New York in 1951 to generally favorable reviews.

The plot, which spans a period of three years, tells the story of an Italian American widow in Louisiana who has allowed herself to withdraw from the world after her husband's death.

The script, not considered to be the quality of Williams’ ‘STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE’ or ‘GLASS MENAGERIE,’ continues his theme of women who find themselves in societies that they don’t understand and which don’t understand them. The writing follows the Greek concept of virility, as exemplified by the God Dionysus, who is also the god of worship. Both of these themes are significant threads in the story line.

This is a difficult script to stage. It requires a high level of acting skill and directing knowledge to make it meaningful and truthful.

Ensemble’s production, under the direction of Licia Colombi fails on all levels. The concept is weak, the stage movements chaotic, the acting shallow, the accents inconsistent, the costumes poor (how difficult is it to find a real sailor suit and shoes?), the set poorly conceived, and many of the props unrealistic.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Ensemble has to realize its limits. ‘THE ROSE TATTOO’ is a script well beyond their directing, performance and technical abilities.

HAY FEVER (Great Lakes Theater Festival)

Delightful ‘HAY FEVER’ at Great Lakes Theater Festival

Charles Fee, producing artistic director of the Great Lakes Theater Festival, loves farce, he relishes double-takes, over exaggeration and bigger than life situations. Noel Coward’s ‘HAY FEVER, now on stage at GLTF, was seemingly written for Fee to direct! It’s a script with no end of hysterics, directed by a man who breathes life into every possible hysterical moment.

‘HAY FEVER’ has been described as a comedy of bad manners. And that’s exactly what it is. The Blisses, who live in the English country side, give new meaning to the words, “dysfunctional family,” and all who come within their wild world get swept into the catacomb of zaniness. This group lives a life that is anything but bliss.

Noel Coward’s plays epitomize the sophisticated wit of the era between the two world wars. ‘HAY FEVER’ epitomizes the witty style and forked tongue of the English master of farce. Its 1925 opening was met with raves and established Coward as a major playwright. A 2006 revival of the show in London starred recent Academy Award nominee Dame Judith Dench and was met with similar raves.

The Bliss contingency consist of Judith Bliss, a recently retired stage actress obsessed about her age, her looks, and desire to be continuously indulged. Her husband David is a self-observed best selling author of bad books. Their adult children, Sorel and Simon, having been brought up in chaos, lack any sense of reality. Being overly dramatic is the norm. Into this eccentricity come a group of house guests. Unfortunately, as is the case with most of their lives, none of the Blisses know that each has invited a weekend visitor. The results are comedic chaos.

Coward once stated that the play has ‘‘no plot at all and remarkably little action. Its general effectiveness therefore depends on expert technique from each and every member of the cast [and the director’s creativity].’’ Fortunately for GLTF, their director and cast are up to the task. In the hands of a lesser company, ‘HAY FEVER’ could be a torturous experience. This is definitely not the case at GLTF.

Fee masterminds the fun. The pace is fast, the characters clearly etched, the laugh lines are all keyed, and the overall effect is wonderful.

Kathleen Pirkl Tague is correctly over-the-top as Judith. She creates THE drama queen of drama queens. This is one show in which over acting is needed, and Tague can over act! She is rivaled by Sara Bruner as Sorel. Bruner creates a character whose lack of reality is so normal and natural that it makes her believable. Jeffrey C. Hawkins flits around the stage like Tinker Bell. Hawkins so overdoes the roll that he makes us easily believe that his lack of reality is a norm. Aled Davies’s David perfectly characterizes the emotionally absent father who has disdain for the family and everyone else. The rest of the cast, Laura Perrotta, David Anthony Smith, Laura Welsh, Lynn Robert Berg and Elizabeth Ann Townsend are all wonderful.

Gage Williams’ set, Nicole Frachiseur’s costumes and Peter John Still’s sounds, all add to the goings-on.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘HAY FEVER’ is a laugh riot. This production is a must see for anyone who loves to have a good time in the theatre and care not about the worries of the world.

Song and Dance (Beck Center)

BECK’s ‘SONG AND DANCE’ a solid winner in spite of the concept

Sometimes a theatre-goer sees a production and realizes that the end is better than the means. This is the case with ‘SONG AND DANCE,’ now on stage at the Beck Center. Beck’s production, co-directed by the theatre’s artistic director Scott Spence and Verb Ballets’ artistic director Hernando Cortez is an audience pleaser in spite of the problems created by the format of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s script.

The song part of ‘SONG AND DANCE’ (Act 1) tells the tale of a young English woman (Emma) who arrives in New York, ready to find love and happiness in the Big Apple. But through a string of unsuccessful relationships, she finds something more important: self-awareness. The second act (Dance) concerns one of her lovers (Joe) and his attempt to find himself, his awareness of his love for Emma, and her ultimate rejection. Well, that’s kind of what the second act is about.

The reason for the disparity between the acts centers on the very way in which the show was conceived. The final product is a combination of two Webber pieces. The first, his ‘VARIATIONS ON PAGANINI'S CAPRICE IN A MINOR,’ which was developed in 1978 and the second, ‘TELL ME ON A SUNDAY,’ a song cycle written in 1980, which is based on “A Minor Caprice No. 24 by Paganini.” The latter was conceived by Webber for his cellist brother Julian, and was not intended to be a theatrical presentation. When listening to the second act, if the music sounds familiar, it is if you’ve seen ‘CATS.’ The score was also incorporated into that Webber musical.

Variations and ‘TELL ME ON A Sunday’ were wed when producer Cameron Mackintosh proposed they be combined under the umbrella title, ‘SONG AND DANCE,’ thus explaining the different acts of the show. The results may well confuse the audience which is probably looking for some clear hook between the two acts, which is hinted at, but isn’t really there.

The show, which originally premiered in London, was greatly altered before it opened on Broadway in 1985. The ending was changed from a situation in which the separated lovers realize their errors and reunite (London) to: he wants to reunite, but she realizes that she was looking for love in all the wrong places (Broadway), so they go their separate ways. In spite of very mixed Big Apple reviews, the show ran 474 performances. Many feel that the only reason the production lasted as long as it did was the star power of Bernadette Peters, who gained the Tony Best Actress award for the role.

The first act is a solo piece. Except for the scene changers and a non-speaking cameo by one of Emma’s lovers, the actress sings eighteen songs, including the beautiful “Tell Me On a Sunday,” and “Unexpected Song.” And the compelling, “Come Back With the Same Look in Your Eyes.”

Tracee Patterson is wonderful as Emma. Though her voice is a little shallow in the upper registers, she is such a strong actress that all is forgiven as she sings meanings not words to make each song a clear tale in itself. Her smiles, her tears, her emotional torment all shine clearly through. This is a very difficult role and Patterson carries it off with panache.

The second act is more problematic. It is beautifully danced by members of Verb Ballets. It features Mark Tomasic, one of the very best of the local male dancers, who is ably supported by the female members of the corps. The only weakness in the dance troupe is Sydney Ignacio, who does great gymnastics, but falls short when appearing on stage with such strong dancing talents as Tomasic and Brian Murphy.

Tomasic, who is not only a proficient dancer, but an accomplished actor, is excellent. It would be interesting to see him cast in a theatrical production in a role such as Curly in ‘OKLAHOMA,’ where he could not only sing and act the role, but dance the Dream Ballet as well.

One can only wonder why Cortez, who is a very creative and inventive choreographer, didn’t just create a second act which more clearly tells the story of Joe (Tomasic) so that it parallels the search that Emma goes through in the first act. This is hinted at, but never becomes the total focus. A clear story line would have made the dance, balance the song.

Larry Goodpaster’s orchestra is excellent. Ismael Kabar’s cello solos in the second act are finely crafted.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Beck’s ‘SONG AND DANCE’ is well worth seeing. It is another feather in the crown of the production center which has become the best over all theatre in the area...taking on musicals, dramas and comedies--and doing them extremely well.

'10!' (MorrisonDance)

Morrison Dance uninspiring as part of DanceWorks 07

After each of the pieces of ‘10!,’ Morrison Dance Company’s program of short pieces, which they are presenting as part of DanceWorks 07, there was polite applause. This, in spite of the fact that it was opening night and many of the audience members were friends or family of choreographer Sarah Morrison, or her dancers. The tepid response was right on target.

Though Morrison is a very proficient dancer, her choreography lacks dynamism. It lacks vitality. Most of what goes on during her staging is static. At no time is there a “wow” factor.

Even her signature piece, SKETCHES OF RODIN,’ lacked the imagery of Rodin’s sculptures, which supposedly inspired the piece. Rodin’s works are strong, command attention, make themselves stand out. Morrison’s piece, which consisted mainly of Kalindi Stockton rolling around the floor moving a piece of “marble,” was understated and anything but breathtaking.

The highlight of the evening were the masks created by Scott Radke, Morrison’s husband and artistic collaborator. Too bad the choreography wasn’t up to the visual impact of the artwork.

Capsule judgment: If Morrison Dance is ever to develop a strong following like Groundworks, Inlet and Verb Ballets, Sarah Morrison is going to have to expand her repertoire by either letting lose with her own creative juices or supplement her work with some other choreographers who are capable of taking the dancers to a new level.

THE CLEAN HOUSE (Cleveland Public Theatre)

Quirky ‘THE CLEAN HOUSE’ at CPH

‘THE CLEAN HOUSE,’ Sarah Ruhl’s award winning play, which is now in production at the Cleveland Play House, is the kind of show audiences will either love or hate. The overheard comments by exiting patrons at the conclusion ranged all over the place regarding their thoughts of the production.

The play was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best play written in English by a female playwright in 2004. Yet, reviews of the show’s productions in New York and elsewhere were very mixed. It was added to and taken off several theatre’s production schedules due to questions over audience appeal.

Ruhl indicates that the germ for the play came from real life. According to the author, the opening monologue, “I didn’t go to medical school to clean my own house,” came from a comment she overheard at a cocktail party. Ruhl took this statement and rolled out a play which explores relationships and our need for purpose, while examining the Great American class divide. Isn’t it interesting that the upper and middle classes who want clean homes, hire the lower middle and lower classes to do the work!

One of the most fascinating aspects of the play is that the author look at the rituals of cleaning and death as parallel processes. According to Ruhl, “the byproducts of life are waste and chaos, every time we clean we try to keep chaos at bay.” She parallels that to the role of the doctor, the occupation of her lead character, who spends her days helping her patients fight the byproducts of their diseases, but won’t apply the same principles to her life and her home.

Don’t get the idea that ‘THE CLEAN HOUSE’ is a tragedy. It has very serious undertones, but it is also about jokes and ice cream and apples. In fact, the most important writing element of the script is the attempt to create the perfect joke. Our heroine finally conceives it, but, like life itself, we never quite hear it, we never really “get” it.

With that philosophical exposition, what’s the play about? Lane, a successful and exacting American doctor, believes her home should be spotless but wants nothing to do with the cleaning of it. Mathilde, the Brazilian maid hired to clean Lane’s house, is completely uninterested in housecleaning – her parents were the funniest people in their village and she is obsessively focused on her search for the perfect joke. Virginia, Lane’s sister, has a cleaning fetish and believes it immoral not to clean one’s home. Lane’s surgeon husband has fallen deeply in love with one of his patients, a dying woman who has a unique view of life and death. All this combines to make for a potentially thought-provoking experience.

The Cleveland Play House production has an excellent cast, is well paced by director Davis McCallum and has a startling attractive set by Andromache Chalfant. The use of projections to interpret the Portugese spoken lines is creative.

Ursula Cataan, who has a Salma Hayek personality and resemblance, is delightful as Matilda. Patricia Hodges is properly uptight as Lane. Beth Dixon gives a practical base to Virginia, Lane’s sister. Janis Dardaris shines as the dying Ana. Only Terry Layman disappoints as Lane’s husband. He never seems real. Part of this may be due to the unrealistic lines he is given by the playwright and the equally non-believable situation of trekking in Alaska with the goal of finding a tree which supposedly will cure Ana’s cancer. (Would a doctor do that?)

CAPSULE JUDGMENT: Seldom do I leave a theatre with a feeling of ambivalence. This was not the case with ‘THE CLEAN HOUSE.’ I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it, I can’t recommend not seeing it, but I can’t say, “go.” I guess I’ll just have to go clean my house and delve into the psychology of the activity.

Shorn

Juliette Regnier showcases talents in ‘SHORN’ at Dobama

Juliette Regnier readily admitted during the after-show discussion of ‘SHORN,’ now being performed at Dobama Theatre, that she is an actress, not a playwright. In spite of this, Regnier has penned what, for lack of a better description, is a performance piece entitled ‘SHORN.’

‘SHORN’ brings to life the stories of three French women, who had sex with Nazis during World War II. Much like Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘THE SCARLET LETTER,’ who was branded with wearing the scarlet “A” to identify her as an adulterer, these “collaborators” had their heads shaved and were marched through the streets as models of shame.

It mattered little that one was truly in love with the young German, another needed food and the third plied her trade as a prostitute and it would not have mattered what nationality her sex partner was.

‘SHORN,’ according to Regnier “looks at women as ‘collateral damage’ during war time through the lens of French women accused of being ‘complicit’ with the Nazis. She has obviously achieved this, at least in the eyes of the women who responded during the play’s after discussion.

In spite of what I consider to be a very compelling bit of acting, I have some problems with Regnier’s piece of work.

The first is the piece’s format. ‘SHORN’ starts and stops with several interludes. The pieces don’t really flow together. The use of a mime/clown to make bridges isn’t clearly defined. Most of the time the clown appears to be exactly what it is, a theatrical bridging device to loosely hold the parts together. If Regnier is going to go further with this piece, she needs to more completely develop why a clown was chosen and what the purpose of that figure is. As is, it’s just gimmick for the sake of gimmick.

In addition, it would seem to serve Regnier’s message better if she stressed her self inscribed purpose of, “And suddenly I was faced with the non-judgmental question of just how would a woman/I respond during the war?” Maybe her “clown” might challenge the audience with that question, thus developing the theme.

And, I did not find the woman clearly etched. Each should be more clearly fleshed out so that their underlying motives and their reasoning for their actions would clearer.

Capsule judgment: ‘SHORN,’ which is getting its world premiere at Dobama is an interesting evening of theatre, one that is thought provoking. Yet, because of its flawed script, ‘SHORN’ leaves one wishing for a more complete experience.

Thoroughly Modern Millie

‘THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE’ lights up at Carousel

There is an old adage in the theatre, “The show must go on!” There are lots of legends about performers going on stage in the midst of tragedies and illnesses. Carousel Dinner Theatre has a reality tale to add to the list. On Saturday, Hollie Howard, who plays the title role of Millie in Carousel’s THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE,’ fell off the stage during the afternoon preview performance of the show. That evening was opening night!

What to do?

In the make believe world of theatre, as exemplified in such shows as ‘42ND STREET’ the understudy goes on, does a smash-up job and becomes a star. Well, that’s not what happened at Carousel. They mount their shows in a week, so the understudy doesn’t really get to learn her/his part until the show is running.

Howard, complete with taped ankle, went on after some adjustments to the choreography. Ironically, this was not the first injury for this production. Director Marc Robin, early in rehearsals, tripped over a piece of scenery, and hurt himself. Opening night was his first night off crutches.

Howard’s being hobbled hurt no one. In fact, if the announcement hadn’t been made before the show, the audience wouldn’t have known the difference. Howard danced well, sang even better, and portrayed the role to perfection.

In contrast to many musicals which are turned into films, ‘THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE’ was first a movie. It opened in 1967 and stared Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, John Gavin and Carol Channing.

In the early 2000s, the movie was adapted for the stage. It maintained the basic story line of the movie but, in an effort to be politically correct, it toned down the stereotypical traits of the Asian characters in the film. (Some will still find those stereotypes offensive.)

The plot revolves around Millie Dillmount, who, in 1922 comes to the Big Apple from Kansas determined to marry her wealthy boss. She sheds her country girl image and becomes a “modern” flapper in order to hook her man. On her first day in NY, she accidentally trips Jimmy Smith, an apparently ne'er-do-well paper clip salesman. Yep, you guessed it. He isn’t a ne’er do well, and in the tradition of trite musicals, after a few obvious plot twists, they go off into the sunset. Well, into the bright lights of Broadway, to live happily ever after.

The show, which is filled with lots of upbeat songs and many dance numbers, including some great tap dance routines, is dynamic, thanks to Robin’s setting a lightening quick pace, clearly developing the characters, and adding some fun gimmicks (such as having the Chinese lines projected in English on screens on the sides and above the stage). But most of all, he explodes the stage with creative choreography.

The cast is excellent. Howard brings Millie to musical and dramatic life. Brian Ogilvie is properly wholesome as Jimmy Smith. He dances and sings well. Donna Ryan is so bad as the scheming Ms. Meers, that she is good. Christin Mortenson effectively lets loose her big voice in “Only in New York.” Lindsey Clayton is fun as Miss Flannery, an uptight boss who turns into a goodie. Jim Sorenson is Broadway handsome and effectively develops the over-bloated Trevor Graydon, the richie on whom Millie has her sights set. Even the male dancers, who are often the weak link in many musical productions, are excellent.

The music, the sets, the costumes all work.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Carousel’s ‘THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE’ is everything that makes for good dinner theatre...a sprightly production, featuring a well chosen cast, guided by excellent direction. If you like theatre-light and don’t want to think a lot, but have a good time, you’ll dance happily out of ‘THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.’

Red Light Winter

Disturbing, unnerving ‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ at Bang and Clatter

Akron’s off-off Broadway theatre, THE BANG AND THE CLATTER, is presenting Adam Rapp’s controversial play, ‘RED LIGHT WINTER.’ This show is not for the feint of heart. It’s not for those who can’t tolerate full-frontal nudity, gross language, depiction of graphic sex, or don’t like to have their senses assaulted.

To be honest, I don't like the script, but I can't and won't deny that the raw smells, tastes and visions got into my senses and won’t get out. I don’t like the people. I don’t like what they represent. I don’t like that they can’t and or won’t save themselves from their destructive paths. Yet, I can’t get them out of my mind.

The name Adam Rapp may sound familiar, even if you aren’t a theatre person. A novelist, film maker and playwright, his book ‘THE BUFFALO TREE’ was brought to national attention when it was censored by the Muhlenberg School Board in Reading, Pennsylvania for its language and subject matter.

Rapp uses graphic language, sexual content and themes that are repulsive to some. Personally, I’m not shocked or turned off by his language or subject matter. But I am turned off by his style. I just think he writes speeches which don’t sound like they would be spoken by a normal person, writes characters that are overdrawn, and puts shock before substance. I find that he throws in gimmicks to move along the plot that often make no sense.

‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ begins in a small bedroom in a hostel in Amsterdam, where nerdy, unsuccessful playwright Matt attempts to kill himself. Right after his half hearted attempt fails, his traveling mate Davis turns up. The two are friends from college and are vacationing together in Europe. Davis has a present for Matt—a prostitute named Christina.

Christina appears to be French but, as Matt deduces, is actually an American. She undresses Matt, takes him to bed, then she exits, leaving behind a tape recorder and the fancy red dress she changed into just before bedding the somewhat shy and inexperienced young man.

Act Two takes place in New York, in Matt's apartment. If any more of the plot is revealed the effect of the evening will be ruined, so I’m stopping here with just the comment that the play has no curtain call and that is one of the dramatic highlights of the evening.

Okay, here are my issues with Rapp and his script. Yes, opposites may attract and people turn to those who are unlike themselves in order to get some thrills. But, that obsessive-compulsive insecure Matt would be friends with Davis, who has no redeeming qualities, is questionable. As written, Davis wouldn’t be an actual friend to anyone, least of all Matt, whose girl friend Davis stole some years back. As for Christina, she's something of an enigma throughout. At first I thought that it was the fault of Laurel Johnson, who plays the role. She has a bad French accent, is a weak singer, and her lines often lack unity of thought. Nope, it’s not Laurel’s fault. The character is poorly and manipulatively drawn by Rapp. Her language and lines don’t ring true. Questions abound: Why the false French accent? Why does she leave her dress and the tape recorder behind? Of all the people in the world, why does she seek out a scumbag like Davis when she comes to New York? The answer is that these are all plot development devices.

What is surprising is that ‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ was one of the finalist for last year’s Pulitzer Prize. With the quality of this script, no wonder no award was given.

As they are apt to do, the Bang and Clatter gives the play a good production. In fact, the production, outclasses the material, though trimming the first act (one hour and thirty minutes was way too long) and picking up the pace in the second act, would have helped.

Doug Kusak is generally on target as Matt. He probably has the clearest of the characters to interpret, even with the question of his loyalty to Davis. I found his interpretation of the closing scene a little unclear, but otherwise, it was a good acting exercise.

Mark Mayo knows no boundaries as Davis. He is way, way over-the-top. It can only be assumed that Director Sean McConaha really, really wanted us to hate Davis. He succeeded. I wonder what would have happened if Mayo had pulled back the character a little. If he had not screamed almost every line, over-acted ever gross action and syllable that spewed forth from his mouth.

The second act confrontation scene between Davis and Christina was so finely tuned it was pure emotional agony. It was almost unwatchable because of the uncompromising reality of the performers.

Gorgeous Laurel Johnson does what she can with the poorly written role of Christina/Christine/ Annie. Her physical change between the first and second acts is amazing. She perfectly transforms into a Keene painting of a hollow-eyed child looking at finality.

Capsule judgement: ‘RED LIGHT WINTER’ has to be one of the, if not the most disturbing productions I’ve ever seen. I’m writing this 24 hours after having seen the show and I’m still in a state of shock!

Death of a Salesman (Actors' Summit)

ACTORS’ SUMMIT does a good job of selling a Miller classic

Cleveland has become an Arthur Miller kind of town! Running concurrently are the master playwright’s THE PRICE (Ensemble Theatre) and THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Actors’ Summit). And, to the pleasure of local theatre-goers, both productions are excellent!

Arthur Miller, who died in 2005 at the age of 89, is considered to be one of America’s greatest modern playwrights. He authored many highly regarded works including ‘THE CRUCIBLE,’ ‘A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE’ and ‘ALL MY SONS.’

Many consider his greatest work to be ‘DEATH OF A SALESMAN,’ which premiered on Broadway on February 10, 1949, starring Lee J. Cobb. The play won a Tony Award, a New York Drama Critics' Award and a Pulitzer Prize. It was the first play ever to win all three of those awards.

Miller, who continued in his writing to probe, “Is this the best way to live,” features that theme in Salesman, which by most counts is the most studied American play in high schools and colleges.

The plot centers on Willy Loman, a salesman who has spent his whole life “way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine,” proud of his ability to sell anything to anyone and to provide for his family. In reality, this is a dream of the reality...he is not successful, nor well liked, nor providing for his family. As the play unfolds, he loses his job, the respect of his sons, and finally, his hope. He finds himself needing to face reality, but unable to do so.

Miller uses flashbacks to create a stream of conscious to illustrate Willy’s lack of reality. He is a modern day tragic hero, whose flaws lead to his destruction. He dies, as he has lived, by creating a false illusion. Is this the best way to live?

The play takes place in a small house in Brooklyn. Originally in the country, the home in the play is now surrounded by high-rise buildings. The house really exists. The Miller family lived there. Ironically, it is around the corner from my aunt and uncle’s apartment and, when I visited them, I would walk over to see the residence, and realized that it, much like Willy, was overwhelmed and lost by the reality of the world which surrounds it.

Actors’ Summit’s production, under the direction of Alex Cikra is quite good. Though a little slow in places, the play’s intent is clear.

A. Neil Thackaberry, coming off an amazing performance in Actors’ Summit’s ‘QED,’ gives Willy the right physical and emotional dimensions. Here is a stoop-shouldered hunk of a man who walks as if defeated, weighted down by not only his salesman’s valises, but by his self-created delusions. Interestingly, Thackaberry’s occasional stumbling over lines adds to the chaos in the character’s mind.

Paula Duesing does well as Linda, Willy’s brow-beaten enabler wife. One of her two major speeches is outstanding. Known as the “respect must be paid” soliloquy, in which she summarizes Willy as an undistinguished man whose name will never appear in a newspaper, Duesing is emotionally right on target. Unfortunately, the final speech, the requiem, when Linda states that she is unable to cry and questions why, now that “We’re free and clear” Willy has killed himself, lacks the emotional gut-shaking reality that is needed to close the curtain on Willy’s delusions.

This production, however, belongs to Nick Koesters as Biff, the only Loman capable of finally realizing that he is not the superstar that Willy has dreamt up. Koesters is outstanding. In the scene in which he finds out the truth about his philandering father, his body sags, his eyes well, his lips tremble, the life goes out of his eyes as his world crashes down. Bravo!

John Galbraith is fine as the clueless Hap, the other son, who is well on his way to becoming another Willy.

Cikra’s decision to multi-cast Marc Moritz as five different people is questionable. Though Moritz is excellent, several scenes lose their focus because Moritz is forced to literally play two people at once.

The set does more to distract than enhance the production. Not using see-through walls, which Miller meticulously describes in the play’s notes, distracts from our ability to separate Willy’s realities from his illusions.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘DEATH OF A SALESMAN’ is a brilliant play. Actors’ Summit generally does a fine job of showcasing this important work.

Natural Selections--Verb Ballets

‘NATURAL SELECTIONS’
--disappointing VERB BALLETS

Verb Ballets is one of the premiere dance companies in the Northeastern Ohio area. It was disappointing therefore, to watch a flow of patron bodies out of the Natural History Museum at intermission of the company’s recent ‘NATURAL SELECTIONS’ program. It was off-putting to hear the polite but generally unenthusiastic applause as the program finished. It was disappointing to hear comments following the concert such as, “That was a little raw” and “I thought this was a first class company.” It is more disappointing that after so many positive, usually rave reviews of Verb, that I have to write this column and question the program design of Artistic Director Hernando Cortez.

Cortez decided that his dancers needed to spread their wings and show their choreographic skills. This was an admirable idea. It was not wise, however, in my opinion, to do it by having an entire evening devoted to that mission. Especially an evening in which people paid for the “real” Verb Ballets. It might have been fine for a free performance, like the company does during the summer, but not in the middle of the regular season. Even one or two pieces sandwiched in might have worked, but a solid diet of “world premieres” by unknown and untested choreographers, was a questionable decision.

The final result was more like a college senior dance recital than an evening with a professional company. The ballets, in general, went from bland to promising, the dancing from undisciplined to nicely done, but not up to the level of the Verb Ballets that has received critical raves.

The evening opened with ‘PLEASE,’ choreographed by Catherine Meredith. Though generally well-danced by Erin Conway, Brian Murphy, Catherine Meredith and Mark Tomasic, the dramatic-toned piece failed to capture attention. It was pleasant but not compelling. Most strange was the ending. Without any climax, the dancing just ended. What was the conclusion? Where was the climax message of romantic love and romantic loss billboarded in the program notes?

Marcela Alvarez’s ‘VAGARIES,’ was uncreative. There was no true separation between the so-called dreams and nightmares, and no clarity of message. What was the piece supposed to say? In addition, the dancers were undisciplined and coordination of corps movements was sloppy. This was the low-point of the evening.

In ‘FOREVER IN MY MIND,’ Brian Murphy’s piece, the movements and the music blended beautifully . The dancers were quite disciplined. The story, which was billed as a poetic narrative, however, was not clear. Yes, the meaning of poetry is in the mind of the beholder, but a message must be there or the piece fails to have a total impact. It was nice to watch, but left out the important element of clarity of intent.

Of Erin Conway’s ‘FLUCTUATING HEMLINES’ the choreographer states that what we are watching is “pure show-stopping dance.” I only wish that had been the case. The piece failed to let loose. Often, the dancers were not coordinated. The promised athleticism was not present. The highlight segment was the duet between Anna Roberts and Mark Tomasic.

The most ambitious segment of the evening was Mark Tomasic’s ‘LUIS.’ Based on a story by Richard Selzer, a Brazilian doctor turned author, it is the dual tale of Luis and Selzer (named Cherubini in the selection).

Luis, a street urchin is poisoned when the glowing disk he thinks is a piece of a fallen star that will give him luck, turns out to be a radioactive part from a discarded medical instrument from Selzer’s hospital. Selzer, who led a life which he termed as, “a blind love for science, for technology, which produced a passionless barbarity,” after meeting and attempting to treat the dying Luis turns toward a passion for helping others.

With a script adaption by celebrated Cleveland playwright Eric Coble, Tomasic choreographed a well danced, but not completely successful tale. A lot of floor groveling, standing still, and dialogue failed to develop the needed pathos.

Jason Ignacio acceptably danced the role of Luis, but even though he wore a microphone, he was almost impossible to hear and his words were often unintelligible. Tomasic and the rest of the cast had the speaking volume, but except for Tomasic, the acting levels were poor. Erin Conway, for example, an excellent dancer, spoke flat lines. Someone needed to work with the cast on creating characters and speaking lines that had meaning.

Dr. Cherubini’s awakening, didn’t ring true. All we saw was him removing his rubber doctor gloves, stepping over and wandering through the people in the dump, not helping, raising, curing, or displaying compassion for them.

The piece has potential. Tomasic needs to expand the concept to create a more involving and evolving story through dance. It might be wise to step away from dancing the role of Dr. Cherubini and spend his entire time as the choreographer. However, considering the few males in Verb’s company, this might be impossible. (Side-note: the company must do something about its paucity of male dancers.)

To add to the evening’s problems was Raymond Kent’s lighting, which mainly consisted of dark stages with some accenting lighting. Missing was the company’s usual lighting designer Trad Burns ‘ creative and mood setting designs.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Going to a Verb Ballets’ presentation has been consistently a delightful experience. Unfortunately, this was not true with their latest offering, ‘NATURAL SELECTIONS.’

Review of the Reviewer's Reviews (Jeffrey Grover)

Roy,

Thanks for your continued good work bringing attention to important Cleveland performances, Roy.

All best,

Jeffrey Grover

Review of the Reviewer's Reviews (Alan Dawson)

I really enjoy your reviews. Keep up the good work.

Alan Dawson of Canton, OH

Chita Rivera, A Dancer's Life

Chita Rivera lights up stage at the Palace

On September 26, 1957, ‘WEST SIDE STORY’ opened at the Winter Garden Theater in New York. I saw the show on September 27. I went into the theatre not having read the rave reviews in the paper that AM. I was completely blown away. The Arthur Laurents, (book) Leonard Bernstein (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) conceived show was everything a Broadway musical should be. It told a modern version of ‘ROMEO AND JULIET,’ featuring the conflict between Puerto Ricans and “white” Americans. The music and lyrics were exciting. The cast superb. The person who totally enthralled me was Chita Rivera, playing the fiery and lusty Anita.

The dancer, singer, actress is presently telling her life story in ‘CHITA RIVERA, THE DANCER’S LIFE’ at the Palace Theatre in Playhouse Square. And it is a story worth telling.

Some interesting facts roll out in the production. Her first professional stage appearance was in Akron as a dancer in ‘CALL ME MADAM.’ Her first starring role was in ‘BYE BYE BIRDIE.’ She has twice appeared in major shows with Liza Minnelli (‘CHICAGO’ and ‘THE RINK). She has worked with the greatest choreographers in modern theatre including Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins and Michael Kidd.

The most enticing part of ‘CHITA RIVERA, THE DANCER’S LIFE” is the segment in which she talks about the choreographers and behind her, in silouhette, a line of dancers emulate each of the dance styles of these men.

Rivera, who starred on Broadway in such shows as ‘THE RINK’, ‘SWEET CHARITY’ and ‘CHICAGO,’ still has “it!” She is compelling on stage.

The well-preserved 74-year old can still flash the magical smile, move those sensual hips and kick moderately high though she needs some sit-down breaks. What is most interesting is that by all rules of medicine she should not even be on that stage.

In 1986 she was hit by a car. Her leg was shattered, requiring 16 screws to repair the damage. She was told she might not ever walk again. Her guts and determination transformed themselves into a will power that has allowed her not only to walk, but to dance for almost an hour-and-a-half in her present show.

Capsule judgment: If you love musical theatre, if you want to see the consummate musical theatre performer in what is maybe her final appearance in the spotlight, you’ll love ‘CHITA RIVERA, THE DANCER’S LIFE.’

The Price (Ensemble Theatre)

‘THE PRICE’ is right at Ensemble!

Arthur Miller, author of ‘THE PRICE’ now on stage at Ensemble Theatre, is one of the greatest of American playwrights. In his scripts, he asks, “Is this the best way to live?” He is a moralist, who holds humanity up to the highest standards. This philosophy is woven into such classics as ‘DEATH OF A SALESMAN,’ ‘ALL MY SONS,’ ‘THE CRUCIBLE,’ and ‘THE PRICE.’

‘THE PRICE’ takes place in the 1960’s in a cramped top floor of a Manhattan brownstone that is going to be demolished. The attic holds the used furniture of a once wealthy family. Victor, a middle–aged policeman near retirement, awaits the arrival of an agent to give him a price for the attic’s contents. The room is filled with memories. Memories of the 1929 Wall Street crash when the family’s money disappeared, of spending most of his youth caring for a father who gave his love to Victor’s oldest brother who had basically abandoned the man in his time of need. Into this setting comes Solomon, a 89-year old semi–retired dealer. He offers Victor a price which is accepted just as Vic’s brother returns, supposedly not to interfere, but to attempt to heal a sixteen-year rift.

Questions abound. Queries about power, the purpose of life, ethical responsibility, how decisions are made, and what people do to physically and emotionally survive. Paramount is the question, “What price do we pay for the decisions we make?”.

Ensemble’s production, under the adept direction of the crowned queen of local theatre, Dorothy Silver, is superb. The message is clearly revealed. The pacing is right. The performances on target. This is theatre at its finest, molded by a directing magician.

Charles Kartali as Victor, the brother who, in his thinking, made the “ethical” decision to give up his personal desires in order to be the “good” son, walks a fine line between being a martyr and a hero with the ability of a high-wire professional. He never crosses into the melodramatic, though that would have been very easy to do. His angst, his moral indignation, his certainty over his lack of certainty, is readily apparent. This is a fine, fine performance.

Reuben Silver, the elder statesman of Cleveland theatre, creates a fascinating character as Solomon, the used furniture dealer who must decide what price he must pay to continue to live his life in a productive manner. He imbues the character with mirth, emotional torture and reality. We feel sorry for him, while we admire his ability to go forward. Wow!

Maryann Elder, who portrays Victor’s frustrated wife, a woman torn between her desire for the better life she wants and loyalty to her husband, creates a clear characterization.

Joel Hammer as Walter, Victor’s brother, is believable and real. Do we accept his tale of why he abandoned the family? Do we accept that he is a “changed man” due to an awaking that came as a result of nervous breakdown? Again, the performance walks a fine line between drama and melodrama, with success.

Ron Newell’s set is amazing. There is more junk on stage then one could imagine. Where oh where did he unearth all the furniture and kitsch that totally populates the space?

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Kudos to director Dorothy Silver and her amazing cast for a highlight production. This is MUST SEE theatre.

Cuttin' Up (Cleveland Play House)

Play House’s ‘CUTTIN’ UP’ a valiant try, but...

Every once in a while a play has good intentions, but misses the mark. This is the case with ‘CUTTIN’ UP,’ now on stage at the Cleveland Play House

In his book Cuttin' Up: Wit and Wisdom from Black Barbershops, Craig Marberry, who conducted interviews in black barber shops across the country, delves into the world of black men and their relationships. In his research he found that the barber shop is, to many African American males, the place to talk, “solve the world’s problems,” and get a unique haircut which is a significant part of their identity. It is for men what the church is for many Black women.

Charles Randolph-Wright’s script, which is based on Marberry’s book, is set in a barber shop in Cleveland. Unfortunately, rather than having a central theme which follows a logical course, the script jumps around, often not completing one story before it segues into another. The material would have been much better as a series of vignettes that took 60 minutes, rather than an almost two-and-one-half hour production. The intermission

Director Craig Marberry doesn’t help the matter. The pace is slow, the action sparce, and the impact generally missing.

The cast ranges from adequate to excellent. In the latter category is Dorian Logan as the youngest of the barbers. He has a vitality and a “real” quality which is missing in some of the other performers. Darryl Alan Reed (Andre) , as the barber with a past, gives a creditable performance. Adolphus Ward as the wise veteran haircutter fails to project and many of his lines are lost. His character comes and goes, making this a surface level performance. Of the rest of the cast, who often play multi-roles, Bill Grimmette is delightful as the pompous Reverend Jenkins and Don King.

This is an intimate play. The large stage of the Bolton Theatre does not lend itself to a small three-chair barber shop, in spite of a spiffy set design by Michael Carnahan. The poor acoustics of the Bolton cause hearing problems. Many of the lines get lost in the towering ceiling and side balconies. It’s really a shame that the Play House does not have an intimate thrust or black box theatre that lends itself to a play like ‘CUTTIN’ UP.’

Capsule judgement: It’s too bad that “CUTTIN’ UP’ is such a weak script and receives such a weak production because the message it attempts to present is important and could have added significantly to Black History Month.

The Music of Jacques Brel

Kalliope’s ‘THE MUSIC OF JACQUES BREL is enjoyable, but ....

As I sat watching Kalliope Stage’s ‘THE MUSIC OF JACQUES BREL,’ my mind wandered back to the early 1970s when I saw the opening night of Berea Summer Theatre‘s JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS.’ This magical production starred Cliff Bemis, David Frazier, Providence Hollander and Terri Pieto. It was directed by Joe Garry, with musical direction by David Gooding.

In 1973 Garry was approached to bring the musical to the defunct State Theatre in downtown Cleveland. The projected two-week run become so popular that it was performed for the next two-and-a-half-years. It heralded the revival of what is now the Playhouse Square Foundation, the second largest theater facility outside of New York City’s Lincoln Center. Many think, if not for Jacques Brel, the theatres in Playhouse Square would have been bulldozed and the history of Cleveland forever changed.

Brel, contrary to common belief, is Belgian, not French. He made his impact, however, as a French cabaret singer and a commentator on life. His songs are generally about love, death and the struggles that life is, but he also wrote about the ironic nature of existence. He incorporates strong emotional perceptions and creates visual images with meaningful poetic vocabulary.

Instances from the BW/Playhouse Square production stand out. Gary and Gooding’s show flowed seemlessly from song-to-song, creating a unity of life’s highs and lows. Another factor was the quality of the voices and acting of the cast. There were no weak segments in that production. Emotions were felt and clearly displayed. There was no posing nor feigning of feelings. Especially exciting were the renditions of “Carousel” a glorious song about how we are euphorically carried on the merry-go-round of life, and the final selection,“If We Only Have Love,” a tribute to all that is good about living.

Interestingly, as nicely done as Kalliope’s ‘THE MUSIC OF JACQUES BREL’ is, it lacks many of the special components. The cast can sing well, but they generally lack the immersion, the magical qualities that are need to make the show great. They sometimes sing words, not meanings. They sometimes feign emotions.

Director Paul Gurgol’s concept doesn’t meld the songs. There are unnecessary blackouts between many numbers which break the mood.

For some inexplicable reason, Michael Hamilton, the musical arranger and/or Gurgol decided that “Carousel” is a song about getting out of sync with life, that life is frustrating confusion. And, try as they might, “If We Only Have Love,’ fails to explode with emotion and invite us to leave the theatre on an emotional high ready to face whatever the world throws at us.

Yes, this is not the same script. Kalliope’s ‘THE MUSIC OF JACQUES BREL’ and ‘JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS’ are different, but they are still Brel. And, no matter how you slice it or dice it, Brel’s musical sounds, meanings and passions are present. Hamilton’s arrangements often weaken the meaning of the songs. One tune has almost a country sound, several are given farcical interpretations which, though they may be audience pleasing, don’t do justice to Brel. Hamming it up, isn’t Brel. Feigning feeling is not Brel.

This is not to indicate the Kalliope production is bad. It isn’t. The average theatre-goer, as apparently did the majority of the opening night audience, will enjoy the experience. The musical fits into Kalliope’s intimate performance space. The cast, Jodi Brinkman, Joan Ellison, Chaz Statham, Adina Bloom and William Marshall have strong and clear voices. There are some nice moments. There is some good humor. But, there isn’t the consistent greatness of Brel. There is a quality of ordinariness that doesn’t inspire us to understand and appreciate the greatness that is Brel.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Director Paul Gurgol chose to do ‘THE MUSIC OF JACQUES BREL’ rather than ‘JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS,’ because he wanted to put his “own stamp” on the happenings. He did so. He has produced a pleasant, but not totally inspiring theatrical experience.

Equus

‘EQUUS’ at BECK is a brilliant and compelling MUST see!

Every once in a while a theatre-goer has an experience which almost defies words.

After the final curtain of Beck Center’s production of Peter Shaffer’s Tony Award winning drama ‘EQUUS’ I sat stunned. I had just seen what I consider to be the best over-all local production in my viewing experience. I don’t say that lightly. Readers of my reviews know that I am guarded in making sweeping generalizations. In this case I honestly and whole heartedly believe that I saw total brilliance at the show’s opening night performance.

Words flood my mind. Words like “brilliant,” “splendid,” and “captivating.” Later, I spent a fitful night, tossing and turning as I attempted to sleep, but, instead, lived and relived the theatrical experience.

‘EQUUS’ concerns Alan Strang who appears to be an introverted, obedient, not overly bright 17-year old with a passion for horses. One night he blinds six horses with a hoof pick. What drove him to do it? He is placed under psychiatric surveillance. He is an unresponsive patient who is woken each night by terrible nightmares, and his yelling “eck” over and over. Psychiatrist Martin Dysart eventually is able to help his patient grasp the answer to the psychological puzzle. In the process, Dysart finds out as much about himself as he does about his client. Dysart reflects: "That boy has known a passion more ferocious than I have felt in any second of my life. That boy stands in the dark for an hour, sucking the sweat off his god's hairy cheek!"

Shaffer based the play on a true English crime. From sketchy details, Shaffer constructed a fictional account of what might have caused the incident. Many theatre critics consider ‘EQUUS’ to be one of the most significant English language plays of the last half of the 20th century.

William Roudebush’s reimagination of the script brings forth meanings I never knew the play contained. I saw the original Broadway production in 1975. I find this production to be superior.

From the moment one enters the theatre to see six buffed males wearing only skin colored dance belts going through stretching exercises and watch as they morph into horses who paw the ground, flex their powerful flanks, whinny and gallop, until the startling conclusion, the viewer knows this is a special experience. Roudebush, aided by Martin Cespedes’ amazing choreography, has created a focused and involving experience that is not all show, but one that develops the author’s intent and purpose.

Roudebush doesn’t use gimmicks, such as having the horses created by the use of wire head sets, as was the case on Broadway. He and Cespedes transform men into horses. He doesn’t flaunt the full-frontal nudity, which is drawing ticket buyers to see Daniel Radcliff (of Harry Potter fame) in the forthcoming revival of the play in London. The nudity is so natural, so well ensconced into the essence of the play, that it is neither lewd nor intended to whet the prurient appetite to see an actor and actress perform unclothed.

Matthew Wright who portrays Martin Dysart, the psychiatrist, rivals Anthony Perkins’ performance in the original Broadway production. Wright clearly creates a human with unique abilities to work with those with mental illnesses, but who has personal frailties. The psychiatrist’s strengths and vulnerabilities are obvious in this intelligent character study.

Dan Folino’s Alan Strang, has a vulnerability and introspection that I think exceeds Tom Huce, who played opposite Perkins. Folino, known to local audiences mainly as a marvelous singer (e.g., ‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’) creates a tortured soul who is totally believable in his angst. Folino knows just when and how to not only go inside his soul but collapse in a primal scream. Folino’s performance is dazzling.

The rest of the cast is absolutely on target. Rose Leininger, Alison Garrigan, Geoffrey Darling, Lenne Snively, Jeffrey Glover and Bernadette Celemens each develop clear and consistent characters.

As the horses, Franklyn Singley, Jose Ayala III, Bill DePetro, E. Ray Goodwin, Jr., Ryan Lahetta and Vincent Martinez are mesmerizing. We never see men, we see horses. WOW!!

Don McBride reformatted Beck’s stage from a proscenium, having part of the audience sit on the stage, facing the rest of the audience, who populate the regular auditorium seating, allowing the spectators to become an intimate part of the action. This reformatting means that, at times, members of the cast are facing away from some audience members. Though there is a minor loss of sound, it does not cause the missing of many lines and is more than compensated for by the overall experience.

Light designer Trad A. Burns creates effects which greatly enhance the entire experience. The casting of shadows, the key-color lighting of certain parts of the stage, and the making for clear transitions, was a work of genius. Richard B. Ingraham’s sound design was also well conceived.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Beck’s ‘EQUUS’ is not a go-see, it is MUST-see. If you only go to one theatrical production this year, make it ‘EQUUS.’ It is brilliant, amazing, compelling and awesome!!!

Permanent Collection (Karamu)

‘PERMANENT COLLECTION,’ thought provoking, but inconsistent at Karamu

‘PERMANENT COLLECTION’ by Thomas Gibbons is presently in production at the Arena Theatre of Karamu. On the surface the play is about museums, race and culture. But, as one probes deeper, it is about how each of us perceives the world from our own perspective.

Gibson took his inspiration from the true story of the Barnes Foundation, an educational organization focused on art, located in Merion, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. The Foundation, which boasts one of the greatest collections of post Impressionist art in the world, has suffered great public turmoil since its eccentric founder, Dr. Albert Barnes, died in 1951. In a mind boggling action, Barnes left the foundation’s operation to Lincoln University, a historically black school. Eventually, because of a perceived racial divide, a number of lawsuits drained the Barnes of its endowment.

In the story, Gibbons explores the conflict between the newly-appointed African American director and the museum's longtime Caucasian education director who holds strongly to the museum's charter which forbids any changes to be made in the way the museum’s art is displayed. Fueled by an overzealous newspaper reporter, the private debate becomes public, and both men face off across the great racial divide.

The conflict is captured in a speech by the African American director who states, 'We pretend all things are equal, no culture is higher than another -- but in our hearts we know it's a lie. Shakespeare is better than folk tales. Bach is better than rap."

The play lays bare assumptions, beliefs, and bigotry as it defines itself.

Audience members are very likely to state, “He (Sterling North, the African American director) is right.” “No, (Paul Barrow, the caucasian director) is right.” No, North. No, Barrow. Gibbons’ well conceived use of language and plot devices carries us along on a journey of ever shifting darkness and light.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the play is that Gibbons is a white male. As he did in his wonderful ‘BEE LUTHER HATCHEE,’ which got a fine production at Karamu several years ago, Gibbons treads the line between the races with a deft and articulate hand.

The Karamu production does not live up to the potential of the script. The cast is inconsistent. Director Terrence Spivey failed to work with some of the actors on texturing their performances. Many of the lines are tossed away and lose their meaning. Yelling consistently substitutes for frustration and distress. In spite of this, some of the performances are acceptable.

John Busser is excellent as Barrow, but even he fades in the final scenes and seems to lose his characterization. Joseph Primes (Sterling North) has some excellent scenes as the museum director, especially those in which he is presenting controlled feelings. But he loses control of his voice and the character when he needs to show frustration and strength and fades into an unbelievable shell of the character.

Katrice Monee Headd nicely develops the role of Kanika, the African American assistant. Anne McEvoy consistently develops the role of a reporter, though she needed to be more cunning trying to develop the conflict into her fifteen-minutes of journalistic fame.

Rollin Mac Michael displays no understanding of how to effectively develop a role. He overacts and screams unnecessarily. Iris D. Tucker-Berry says words, avoiding the fact that those words have meaning.

John Konopka’s set design is wonderful. The floor of the theatre-in-the-round is a series of well-created impressionist art. Richard Morris, Jr.’s lighting design allowed for clear transitions.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘PERMANENT COLLECTION’ is an excellent script which has a powerful and though-provoking message. Unfortunately, the Karamu production fails to give full-life to the author’s powerful words and message.

‘PERMANENT COLLECTION’ runs through February 11 at the Arena Theatre of Karamu. For tickets call 216-795-7077.

Karamu’s next productions are the world premiers of ‘GREENSBORO FOUR,’ which runs from January 27 through February 18 in the Jelliff Theatre, and ‘JIM: FLESH AND BLOOD,’ a play about football player Jim Brown.

Groundworks Dancetheatre 1/07

GROUNDWORKS continues to entrance audiences

It’s been 9 years now since David Shimotakahara left Ohio Ballet to found his own dance company. GroundWorks Dancetheater bills itself as a highly innovative company of ballet trained artists dedicated to the development and presentation of new choreography and encourages collaboration with other art disciplines. It is that, and more!

It is one of the few companies that revels in not having a home of its own. The troupe can be found performing in churches, dedicated entertainment venues (such as Cleveland Public Theatre) and public buildings (e.g., The Cleveland Botanical Garden).

Its mottos include: “undiluted,” “unfiltered,” and “unprocessed.”

In its short history, GroundWorks has established itself as a major force in Cleveland dance. As evidenced by the sold-out performances at their recent run at the Botanical Garden, David and his dancers, have gained a loyal following. The dance-ophiles show up no matter the venue.

In their most recent program, part of the Landmarks Series 2007, the company premiered, “U ME U,” choreographed by Artistic Associate Amy Miller.
Centering on the theme “the repetition of an idea in continually changing contexts,” the piece was a collaborative effort between Miller, dancers Felise Bagley and Mark Otloski, and guitarist/music composer James Marron. The selection, though very precise in its movements, had the feeling of being created on the spot. The visual interaction between the dancers and the musicians, who seemed to pick up their cues from each other, was strong. As Marron’s strumming slowed, the dancers moved slowly. When the performers sped up, so did the music. The sounds varied from discordant, to riffs, to a flow of melodic sound. The piece was, at times, serious, at other times playful. This kind of performance takes a special relationship between the choreographer, musician and dancers. Fortunately, Groundworks has all three in place! “U ME U” is a fine addition to the company’s repertoire.

The remaining two segments, Shimotakahara’s ‘MAJOR TO MINOR” and “THE MUSIC ROOM” were restagings of former presentations. Both were danced to a collection of musical creations.

“MAJOR TO MINOR” used such music as “I Wished On The Moon,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” and “Every Time We Say Goodbye” to investigate the bittersweet and sometimes humorous take on people in the pursuit of love.” Dancers Felise Bagley, Amy Miller, Mark Otloski and David Shimotakahara were excellent in making the transition from jazzy, to finger snapping, to humorous, with ease. The highlight was the delightful segment created around the song, “Peanut Vendor.”

“THE MUSIC ROOM” centers around a door, created by Narelle Sissons’, which becomes the sixth performer as it moves, flips, is slammed and opens and closes as it serves as a means for entrances, exits, being a barrier, a hindrance, and finally, a piece of bewilderment.

One must wonder how long some of the company members will continue to carry on their arduous dancing. Several of the group are no long youngsters and have passed the age at which dancers tend to slow down or retire. It would be a shame for Groundworks to cease its wonderment because of the lack of new performers. It is rumored that the company has been holding tryouts to expand its dancing corps. It’s going to be hard to have anyone come in and match the skills of Shimotakahara, Miller, Bagley and Otloski. We’ve seen the difficulty that Jennifer Lott, a well trained dancer has had in matching the precision of the present company. When she dances in tandem with Bagley or Miller, as happened in the Botanical Garden program, the differences in technique and polish shine through. It can only be hoped that when necessary, Shimotakahara can find the likes of the present company.

Capsule judgment: Groundworks is one of the top dance companies in the area and deserves the adulation it is receiving.

Thom Pane (based on nothing)

‘NOTHING’ is something at DOBAMA

During the day on Friday, I spent a class period trying to explain the workings of the human mind to my Psychology class. I recounted that the brain is the product of both heredity and environment. I shared that it often goes off on tangents for no presently identified reason. I also shared that sometimes, based on the situation and our mood and motivation, disorganization of ideas, emotional breakdowns, and the resulting flow of thoughts can reveal a great deal about a person.

Oh how I wish my students had been able to share with me the opening night performance of Dobama Theatre’s ‘THOM PAIN (based on nothing)’. My “brilliant” lecture actually came to life through the talented one-man performance of Scott Plate as Thom Pain.

Will Eno’s ‘THOM PAIN (based on nothing)’ was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. It has been called funny, edgy, honest, engaging and raw.

It can’t be defined by traditional terms used for a theatrical script—drama, comedy, tragedy or farce. It defies description. What it is, is a look at life, the terror of life, the greatness of mortality, and the fragility and realities of existence. It is an odd and intoxicating affirmation of the value of being alive, with an underbelly probing into the uselessness and sometimes joy of being alive. It has the qualities of a Sartre and Camus existential probing into why one lives. It screams, “Why do we exist?”

The story is told with many stops and starts, pauses and digressions. The language is sometimes gross and often poetic. An ill-fated love affair is explained away with, “I disappeared in her and she, wondering where I went, left.” The language often contradicts itself. The character is so inconsistent that we never know whether we should believe anything he says.

Sound weird? It is. It’s probably one of the oddest plays you’ll ever see. For some it will be exciting, for others off-putting.

Someone actually got up about ten minutes into the play and walked out. He crossed right through the acting area to get into the cold night air. Was he a plant meant to highlight the nature of the production? When the man departed, Plate seemed confused. After a momentary pause, he launched into an “ad libbed” speech that tied the exit to his flow of thought and then used the device throughout the rest of the production to bridge ideas together. The same thing happened later when he “spontaneously” brought an audience member on stage and used him as a prop for yet another rambling tale.

I should have figured that this was going to be one of “those” evenings when, at the start of the show, Plate started to talk to the audience while he was standing in the dark. Was there a blown light cue by the techie in charge of illumination? The lights suddenly flashed on as the actor was telling us about the dark. The contradictions were startling.

Even the ending was not traditional. At one point, mid-sentence, Plate just left the stage and didn’t return. The audience sat, quietly, waiting to figure out whether we were in intermission, the actor had forgotten his lines and panicked, or the whole experience was really over. There was no closing curtain, no sudden rise in lighting level to signal, “it’s over.” Someone finally got up and left. Others followed. Yes, our experience was over.

Plate is marvelous! His confusion is real. The tears he sheds, the bodily shakes, the confused look in his eyes, the underplayed manic expressiveness on his face are real. Plate’s pain and Pain are real!

The show was directed by Joel Hammer, but who knows what his role was. Is this Plate’s conception or Hammer’s creation? It’s all part of those questions about the play that will never be answered.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘THOM PAIN (based on nothing)’ is a 70-minute, no intermission or late seating, compelling piece of theatre. Is it for everyone? No. If you like escapist comedy or light musicals this is not for you. But, if you want to think, and see a marvelous performance, get down to Shaker Square and have a meaningful, if thought confusing experience.