Into the Woods

Wow, and wow, Alliance! On two different ends. So first, the first act was just boring - no excitement, the actors just seemed to be tired or just trying to catch up with the music. The latter part of Act I was great - caught up with everything, the audience was engaged, excellent. Act II was MUCH better than Act I - more movement, more investment in the story - everything! Not a lot of choreography in this show- just a lot of movement. Nothing to get excited about. The Baker's Wife, played by Courtney Balan, was fantastic! What a role for her! She was the character that most of the audience (around me, at any rate) was entertained by. The Witch, played by Angela Robinson, was ok, but she was an alto. I've done the show before (playing Lucinda, the Wicked StepSister) and our soprano,Samantha Friedman, was outstanding in the role of the Witch. My friend whom I saw the show with stated his confusion on the Witch's exit in the second act, as he expected her to turn back into ugly and she just walked off stage. Don't get that. We saw her move, we saw the smoke, and then she just turned and walked off stage. The Mysterious Man, played by Walter Hudson, could have done more, as he was one of the key people with information. The Wolf, played by Hayden Tee, was pretty funny in his sexually-suggestive sort of way. Little Red Riding Hood, played by Diany Rodriguez, was cute and did the character very well. It was also good to see inter-racial casting- the Cinderella's Father, played by the ever humorous Brandon O'Dell, married to a black woman, played by Chandra Currelley, and her daughters, Jeanette Illidge and Amber Iman. That was a very good choice in mixing that up. Cinderella's singing voice was wonderful -Jill Ginsberg was very clear, very concise, and her frustration was understood through her character. The Princes, played by Hayden Tee and Corey James Wright almost took the show from the Baker's Wife - they were hysterical with "Agony" and "AgonyReprise." Great stuff, gentlemen! Jack, played by Jeremy Wood, was pretty funny, too, and very real to his character. The set and lights were amazing! Well done to Todd Rosenthal, Set Designer and Ken Yunker, Lighting Designer, for reading the script and talking to one another - there's no way in the world that beautiful set would work without a conversation between lights and set. The moon upstage left was the most remarkable (according to those around me). Very subtle, but good idea. Mr. Rosenthal used the space very well and everything could be seen and it was just totally effective. It's a good show to see, even if you miss the first 10 minutes of the show...

Noises Off

What a pleasant evening at the theater! "Noises Off" opened Friday, July 29, 2011, at Georgia Shakespeare at the home of Oglethorpe University. The show started relatively on-time, which, theater-goers everywhere love. After a short curtain speech from Producing Artistic Director and Director of the show, Richard Garner, we thrown into the world of the rehearsal of the play, "Nothing On." What a surprise to hear Chris Kayser, playing Lloyd Dallas, sitting out in the house with us! His own table, his own chair, his own microphone and his own brand of blunt commentary on the happenings on stage. And what better way to let the audience really know and feel the frustrations of rehearsal for a show, especially on the night/morning before opening, than to use the audience area along with the stage. It wasn't expected and it was a delight for all senses! Definitely not a "late seating" kind of show! Belinda Blair, played by Tess Malis Kincaid, was a delight to see on stage! Her movements her tactfulness and her costumes (mad props to Costume Designer, Doug Koertge - that dress was gorgeous!) set her character well! Joe Knezevich, who played Garry LeJeune, had great comedic timing with his jealous rage and physical falls.
By far, though, Selsdon is my favorite character. In every production that I have seen of this show, he really is my favorite. And Allan Edwards did not disappoint. He wasn't oaf-ishly drunk as some others have played him, and somehow, he was more "real." He was like an uncle or close older male that a family would have over for dinner all the time. Brooke Ashton, played by Ann Marie Gideon, did a fine job as well. Her character was spot-on with the dialogue, no matter what the cost, and her sweet nature was very pleasant to see on stage.
I feel for the SM (played by Scott Warren) and the ASM (played by Caitlin McWethy.) I've been in their shoes and understand their pain. Well done with the characters and trying to keep that show together!
Kat Conley, the set designer, did very well with the construction of not only what the audience sees, but the set that the "show audience" does not see. She created it very simply and easy enough to move on the revolving stage. Good use of the space!
Over all, this is an enjoyable night of entertainment for everyone! I definitely encourage everyone to see this show!

The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Now, we didn't really know what to expect when we walked down to the lobby of OnStage Atlanta for this show, but man! That lobby just set the mood immediately! Two women, sittin' in chairs, with their feet in a kiddie pool, sippin on PBR, surrounded by pork rinds and jarred pickles. How outstanding is that?

This was the kind of story I can appreciate: it had a beginning, it had a middle and it had a surprising conclusion. Well done on the art form!

The three "muses", Alli Simpson, Jennifer Hendrickson and Paige Mattox, set the scenes and the story quite well. Norbert, played by Charlie Miller, was such a sad character. Poor thing - he tries to do right and then, in the end, he has a dilemma. Patty Mosley played Jeannie and what a voice! Excellent natural character, excellent voice, excellent pace on stage - she'll be one to watch on the Atlanta stage! Pippi, played by Olivia Kaye Sloan, can definitely play her dancer part well. The wig made every outfit for her stand out. Duke, played by Trey Getz, was the one that helped with the surprising ending. The sniffing of the substances was a bit much after the 3rd or 4th time - we got the point. The waving around of the gun was pretty silly.

Props to director DeWayne Morgan for picking a great cast to tell this story. Very funny choreography created by Colleen Shanon Gaenssley The set was well worked and definitely not too much, thanks to the insight of Set Director, Nadia Morgan. And much love to Sound Designer, Barbara Cole Uterhardt for the pre-show and intermission music. Outstandingly funny to hear "Elvira" after all these years.

One of the best things that could be heard was a patron walking past "I never knew there was a theater here" - and I noticed she applauded the most at the end. Well done for the arts!

All in all a good night for all and it's good to go and just laugh at stereotypes of all kinds along with the reality of a marriage with its own bizarre problems. Definitely a must see, and definitely a re-mount must!

"Rent" - maybe not

It's not my favorite piece of performance art in the first place. I saw it on Broadway in 2004 and didn't like it. Saw the movie sometime later and cried. Agreed to see The Atlanta Lyric Theatre's production because a) some fantastic people are in it and b) I've never been to the Strand Theater.

Now I gotta tell ya - the Strand is beautiful. The lobby reminded me of something out of 1920s/30s style. Very good decor. Didn't realize there was a balcony. Bathrooms could have been bigger, but that's the complaint of every woman who goes to theatre.

So, the show - eh. I agreed with one of my friends who came with me: it shouldn't be billed as a "musical" but more of a "concert." Choreography was fantastic, but what would you expect from Ricardo Aponte, who, btw, is bigger than this town. He's just exceptional!

All the acting was very good, very standard. No one was really standing out - everyone worked as a unit. A group. It was a true ensemble. Angel, played by Adam Carl Peyton, stood out for a while, but even in the ensemble scenes, he didn't steal it - he worked with everyone. There were a couple of places where the music was louder than the actors: one I definitely can remember was Act II when Angel was surrounded by the white blanket cover and he was singing...well, his mouth was moving. The music was just too loud.

Would have loved to have seen more of Googie Uterhardt and Jas Sams, just because I've seen them do other things and their power on stage is fantastic as well. But maybe another time, another show.

It's not the actors' fault. It's not the Lyric's fault. It's not even the Strand's fault. It's just the story - the show itself. The audience reaction was more of what you would find at "Rocky Horror Picture Show" - we all know the music, it's a big hit, it's a legend - and it has no real point to it.

Break a leg is sent out to the cast - may they have a wonderful run, and before they become famous, may I see each and every one of them in another show.

Big River

Now, this was Lionheart's first attempt at a musical, and I must say, they did quite well. Starting with the set: with no designer listed, but lots of people credited to help construction and painting, this set works for this stage. And good use of the set as well with the raft as part of another platform and the actors moving tables and chairs out as necessary. Well done on that! Nothing too extravagant and it wasn't needed. Costumes were right on, minus the wedding ring on one of the Loafers in the show. Again, nothing too extravagant and nothing took away from the story.
Lighting was very simple and needed to be, minus the darkness when actors were singing on the raft.
Sound: now, really. It was a recording sometimes and sometimes the two-man band. Someone needed to follow someone else musically. There were times that the actors were ahead of the music and vice-versa. Not a lot, but it did happen. The score itself was delightful and I can't wait to hear the entire score online.
Now, the actors:
Huck, played by Sam Weyen, was very well done. Eye contact was great, movement was with purpose and he kept the small mistakes on stage as part of the show. Only those looking would find the slips. Well done!
John Jones played Jim and did very well. John is mostly known for a medium, baritone-ish voice but in this show, he showed his bass. Deep, rich voice and the eye contact and movement was just like Mr. Weyen's. Well done!
Miss Watson played by Marianne Shelburn wasn't too bad, but her singing voice was a little off. Perhaps it was the night, but the pitch was not quite on with the other singers throughout the show.
Nysie Padgett did quite well as the Widow Douglas. It's always good to see Nysie on stage but she did quite well this time and had a very warm demeanor with her characters.
Bob Smith did very well with his Judge Potter character and the townsperson that could play the harmonica. Bob's vocal talent is always good to hear as he improves with every show he's in.
There were four boys, played by Sam Weyen, Sam Casey, David Strube, Shemar Yearwood and Matthew Connel. Not real sure who was who, but the gentleman with the red hair, the young African-American boy and Tom Sayer could have used a little bit more work on focus and being the character. The dark-haired boy was excellent and looked like he was having a blast on stage!
The Duke, played by Jason Caldwell, and the King, played by Steven Miller, were both delightful! Very on point, great with their comedy - they felt real. Loved them!
Pap, played by James Connor, was phenomenal. Not a lot of people can play drunk and not make it sloppy - Mr. Connor was very believable and very enjoyable. I can't wait to see him in other work and playing more comedies on other stages.
Over-all it was a great night and the refreshments were even better. Thanks to Lionheart for the night and best of luck to them in the future for their musicals!

Love Song

As tired as I was, I didn't really want to go out and about on an SEC weekend to do anything. But my friend, B, raved about this fantastic show over at Onstage Atlanta called "Love Song" and that I must see it and he'll go with me to see it again.
So I went.
And laughed and loved and observed and just really enjoyed the evening!
I must discuss the actors first:
DeWayne Morgan played Harry - oh - my - God! How natural, how smooth, how forceful, how real - just...everything! DeWayne was a totally different person from any other character I've ever seen him play! Nothing in his movements were forced, he felt real and just overall a real man who really is trying to help his wife and her brother. Excellent work!
Cathe Hall Payne played Joan, and, as gorgeous as she was on stage, the audience couldn't see her most of the time. Most of Act I we saw her back. Granted, the suit she wore was fabulous, but her face and hair out-shone everything else. It would have been nice to have seen her cheat to the audience in most of Act I.
Marcelo Banderas played Beane - a very quiet character, not unlike the actor himself. But He made the audience believe in his relationship with the woman who broke into his room. He felt for her, he changed, his behavior was such that it captured the tempo and pace of the show.
Colleen Shannon Gaenssley played Molly - and how crazy and wacky was she? She's a doll, and her character cared so much for Beane that it was sweet to see at times.
Angie Short was the waitress and it was good to see some comic humor in this very serious actress.

Props to the costume designer, Bobbie Elzey. DeWayne and Cathe were dressed impeccably! Good choices, well-done with the lights and the set - just markedly perfect.
Nicely done with the lighting choices from Tom Gillespie, although the timing on the table lamp in the living room could have been a tad bit after the main lights in the apartment area. It just looked weird to see that lamp "bump" up right before the rest of the lights. Very eerie choices of dimming and brightening for Beane's area.
Charlie Miller, the director and Sound and Set Designer, did a really good job on the music. I could tell it was his private collection. :) The set worked: in a small space like that, you'd think more would be "busy", but in this case - it was tasteful. Everything that was in place had a purpose. Very nicely done.

All in all, a very good night of theater. The story itself made me care about Beane and care about how Joan was dealing with Beane and the reality that they both had to face. It's hard - and no one ever volunteers for that kind of pain or those kinds of decisions. Well done to the cast!

The Wizard of Oz

The Cobb Energy Center hosted a wonderful show today - "The Wizard of Oz." Even though a professional traveling show and experts in their craft, I had an eye on certain things:

1. Glenda the good witch, played by Sarah Amandes, was wonderful. Her "bubble" when it left her in the first act hit lighting instruments as it flew out. Oops.
2. The tornado in Act I was outstanding! Mad props to the graphics, Second Home Productions, and set designer, Tim McQuillen-Wright, on that! Well done on the projection, the sound by Shannon Slaton, and the screens flying in!
3. Uncle Henry, played by Ryan Wagner - no. He needed to be older and not so young and whiny.
4. Toto, played by Dusty, was adorable!! A real dog on stage! He stole the show! He was so well-behaved, got all his cues right - he was wonderful! Makes me want to be a pet-wrangler for a show!
5. The Lion, played by Jesse Coleman, was fantastic - very funny, but I really, really wanted the New York accent. There are just some words like "verb" and "nerve" that just made the original Lion from the movie.
6. The three crows in the Scarecrow scene, Mark Chandler, Ben Gleichauf and Geoffrey Mergele - what a great idea! Excellent comedic timing and the voices were superb! Good idea!
7. Same thing with the trees, McKayla Marso, Anne Marie Snyder and Alishia Suitor - turning into three beautiful women and singing with the Tin Man, Beau Hutchings - well done! Great idea!
8. The theater itself was gorgeous. There were enough ushers to last that place a lifetime!
9. Props to the set designer, Tim McQuillen-Wright for the top of the show and the Kansas backdrop. Made me miss home. Well done!
10. I had all kinds of problems with the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Pat Sibley. And not only because I can play it better. Her entrances the entire show were awful. Her exits were "blah." Her costume was "ugh." And her voice - God, I wanted something a little bit more serious and scary.
11. Interesting spin on the Tin Man, Beau Hutchings and why he was rusted - my friend told me the movie left out the original book's reason for him and it was nice to hear.
12. The Tin Man (Hutchings) - see, when they first meet him and oil him, they only oiled his mouth and arms, and then he automatically moved? What about his legs? If he didn't need oil for his legs he could have moved a long time before they got there. WTH?
13. The interaction between the Scarecrow, Andrew Haserlat and the Tin Man (Hutchings) when the Lion (Jesse Coleman) is doing his scene is hysterical - what good comedic timing between those two!
14. Ok, going back to the firs time we see the Scarecrow (Haserlat) - um...here's the thing - you hear the crows for a good bit before seeing them appear...and it was a tad loud. Why? We got the point that they're in a field - let it go. A few "caws" and be done with it.
15. Ruby slippers looked great.
16. Emerald City - oh my god, props to the Costume Designer, Tim McQuillen-Wright! What a great use of different shades of green! Well done with the background!
17. Loved the song "Up at noon, lunch at one and out by 2p.m." - only in the land of Oz.
18. "King of the Forest" song - waaayy too fast.
19. The guard for the Wizard of Oz, Ryan Wagner, was hysterical. He's so funny. Great acting job!
20. The actual mechanical face of the Wizard of Oz reminded me so much of 'The Wiz' - now I gotta watch that again.
21. They skipped the whole scene of how the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow dressed up as guards to break in and get Dorothy. But it's ok - I know they had to do something for time sake.

Well done and should be viewed in any city!