Gotta Dance - Off-Broadway

On of my most striking memories from the New York stage was back in 1978 when The American Dance Machine presented a non-stop series of showstoppers from past Broadway musicals, which included Brigadoon, Cabaret, Desstry Rides Again, Half a Sixpence, and No No Nanette.  The company, founded by Lee Theodore, described its purpose to be “a living archive of Broadway Theatre Dance.”  Upon her death in 1987, the organization ceased.  However, in February 2012, Nikki Feirt Atkins founded American Dance Machine for the 21st Century in order to continue and advance the legacy of the late Lee Theodore.

 

This has culminated in a new Off-Broadway production entitled Gotta Dance.  As with the original show, almost 50 years ago, dance numbers from a variety of shows by a who’s who of choreographic greats are featured.  This time around, movie musicals, such as Singin’ in the Rain, are part of the program.  Choreographers represented include Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, Michael Bennett, Jerome Robbins, Susan Stroman, and Bob Fosse.  While many great dance routines are packed into the 90-miute, intermissionless show - A Chorus Line, Gypsy, West Side Story – I was disappointed there were not enough top tier production numbers from other outstanding musicals.  For instance, what about post 1978 shows such as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, 42^nd Street, The Tap Dance Kid, Me and My Girl, Newsies as opposed to Contact, Smokey Joe’s Café, or a tame “Sweet Georgia Brown” from Bubbling Brown Sugar?

 

The performers are first-rate, with some a bit more polished than others.  Ms. Atkins and multiple Tony nominated choreographer Randy Skinner direct the non-stop series of dance routines with care and skill.  While I do quibble about some aspects of the production, it is still a highly entertaining presentation, especially for dance aficionados.

Gotta Dance, playing Off-Broadway at the comfortable and spacious Stage 42.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Circus Fire - Theaterworks Hartford

The world premiere of Circus Fire, the latest production by Theaterworks Hartford, is a captivating, multimedia production chronicling the July 1944 Hartford Circus Fire, one of the deadliest blazes in U.S. history.  The show has been moved from the theater’s home on Pearl Street to the historic First Company Governor’s Foot Guard building at 159 High Street in downtown Hartford.  The show is performed in-the-round, with audience members seated in “bigtop” bleachers.  Playwright Jacques Lamarre has delved into a huge repository of historical and public documents, newspaper articles, court records and books on the subject to fashion a gripping narrative.  

Godfrey L. Simmons in Circus Fire.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

The play starts innocently enough.  A family – mother, father, and teenage daughter – are looking for the Circus Fire monument in Hartford.  A friendly neighbor shows them the spot, which is covered for repairs.  They peel back the tarp to take a look – I got goosebumps at this moment – and the circus begins.  Lamarre has broken the 90-minute, intermission-less show into three parts – denizens of Hartford preparing for arrival of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the performance, and the horrific aftermath.  Intertwined in these storylines is an investigator (a penetrating Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr.) seeking answers to the cause of the inferno, which took 167 lives and injured hundreds.  The actors and actresses – the largest cast in Theaterworks history – comes in from various entry points around the circular stage, performing multiple roles in front of the audience and in the catwalks high above the stage.   Added to the whirlwind of movement are large, vivid projections on the walls and ceiling of the building, which provide real-time footage of the events including the build-up to the tragedy and the fire itself.

Members of the cast in Circus Fire.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

Playwright Jacques Lamarre, Director Jared Mezzocchi, and Theaterworks Artistic Director are listed as having conceived the show.  All provide critical components to make Circus Fire such a riveting and spellbinding production.  Mezzocchi has superbly taken all the creative aspects of the show – Brian Prather’s restrained, but powerful Set Design, Rob Denton’s illumtinating Lighting Design, and Lindsay Jones’ Original Music and pulsating Sound Design – as well as his own Multimedia Experience and fashioned a vibrant, heart-stopping play that should not be missed.

 

Mike Boland in Circus Fire.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

The acting corps is tremendous as they portray so many characters from everyday housewives to ordinary circus workers to flummoxed politicians.  Out of the 12 performers, three need to singled out - Mike Boland, who is notable as a circus employee as well as Emmett the Clown; Godfrey Simmons, Jr., who in addition to his role as the investigator, makes a convincing ringmaster; and Janelle Anne Robinson, who enlivens so many characters, but most touchingly as a worker at the makeshift city morgue.

 

Godfrey L. Simmons and members of the cast in Circus Fire.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

Circus Fire, playing at the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard building at 159 High Street in downtown Hartford through May 31.  An event not to be missed.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

 

Jesus Christ Superstar - Goodspeed Opera House

The Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar, is the one true show that is the director’s perogative.  The sung through musical has no book, which allows the director total freedom on how to tell the story of the last week of Jesus's life, focusing on the conflict between Jesus and Judas.  I have seen many versions of the rock opera, and no two have been vaguely alike.

Justin Matthew Sargent and the cast of Goodspeed's Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

For the current Goodspeed Opera House’s production, Director Tatiana Pandiani, who has teamed up with Choreographer Amy Campbell, have presented a minimalistic staging where modern dance and movement are at the fore.  The focus is on the performers and the score, in my opinion, the best from the team of Webber and Rice.  The musical numbers carry on the tradition set by the musical Hair in 1968, mixing rock anthems with tender ballads (Hair was still running on Broadway when Jesus Christ Superstar opened).  Interestingly, Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar shared the same Director, Tom O’Horgan. 

Austin Lesch with Justin Matthew Sargent, Thabitha Moruthane, Stephanie Zaharis and Kathy Liu in Goodspeed's Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo by Meredith Longo.

The songs, under the spirited leadership of Music Director Adam Souza, move the story forward, while also defining the main character’s motives and feelings.  Jay Hilton’s deft Sound Design ensures the songs are strikingly rendered.  The best numbers include "Heaven on Their Minds," "Everything's Alright," "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "King Herod's Song," and a wildly entertaining rendition of "Superstar."  

Stephanie Zaharis with Justin Matthew Sargent in Goodspeed's Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo by Meredith Longo.

Ms. Pandiani helms the show with good pacing – the lights went up ending Act I in what seemed like a very short time.  Devising a set for Jesus Christ Superstar, which is suitable without being overwhelming, is a tricky balancing act for a Director.  For this production, she incorporates Riccardo Hernández’s scenic design of drawn curtains, boldly lit by Cha See’s continuously changing color scheme.  While simple in execution, the set occasionally comes across as too bare.  Sand across the stage – built out over the pit to allow more space for the actors – is effective in the impression it gives of the Mideast setting. 

Justin Matthew Sargent and the cast of Goodspeed's Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The choreography by Amy Campbell is at times moving, thought-provoking, but also curious.  The same can be said of Costume Designer Siena Zoë Allen’s mixture of fashionably hip wear by Jesus and members of his flock and the more formal black and gold robes of the priests and other authoritarian rulers.

 

The cast is uniformly strong.  Justin Matthew Sargent is spot-on with his portrayal of Jesus.  At times, low-key and nurturing, he is not immune to bouts of anger and disillusionment.  Austin Lesch imbues the character of Judas Iscariot with a well-balanced blend of internal torment and doubt as he becomes involved with the ultimate betrayal.  His voice, steeped in a true rock tradition, resonates quite loudly through the Goodspeed theater.

Austin Lesch and the cast of Goodspeed's Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

I have always found the role of Mary Magdalene to get lost amidst the turmoil of the show, but Stephanie Zaharis, petite in stature, possesses a forceful presence that enables her character to resonate within the turbulent times.  Jamari Darling provides a comedic touch to the character of Caiaphas which, while often funny, later in the show comes across as a disconnect to the sharp reality as Jesus is captured and put to death.

Nicolette Antonia Shin brings a highly theatrical portrayal to the role of King Herod.  While her show-stopping number – “King Herod’s Song” – is suitably over-the-top, it comes across as too kitschy.

 

Justin Matthew Sargent and the cast of Goodspeed's Jesus Christ Superstar. Photo by Meredith Longo.

 

Jesus Christ Superstar, playing at the Goodspeed Opera House through June 7.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

 

 

A Grand Night for Singing - 7 Angels

A Grand Night for Singing, a jukebox musical of the songs of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, the most well-known and beloved composing team in Broadway history, is pure enchantment.  Playing at Seven Angels in Waterbury through May 10, the show has a young, talented cast performing selections - both well-known and obscure - from the duo’s musical theater catalog.  They include songs from Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I, Carousel, Me and Juliet, and Cinderella.  The production has the sparkle and pizazz of a PBS special.

 

Morgan Cowling, Kenneth Galm, Abigail Hammond, Charles Romano, and Elizabeth Fox in A Grand Night for Singing at 7 Angels. Photo by Constantine Pappas.

The terrific five-person cast, performing on a bare stage, with minimal props, is backed by a superb quartet of onstage musicians under the first-rate leadership of Musical Director Richard Carsey.

Morgan Cowling, Elizabeth Fox, and Abigail Hammond in A Grand Night for Singing at 7 Angels. Photo by Constantine Pappas.
 

The artistry of Rodgers and Hammerstein is that many of their works are wonderfully crafted into mini stories, radiating with emotion, that are open to new interpretations and creativeness.   In A Grand Night for Singing some of the song’s usual gender roles have been reversed, producing a whole new meaning to the selections. There are dozens of musical numbers in the show including The Surrey with the Fringe On Top (Oklahoma!), Hello, Young Lovers (The King and I), If I Loved You (Carousel), It Might As Well Be Spring (State Fair), Maria (The Sound of Music), and Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific)

 

Elizabeth Fox, Morgan Cowling, Abigail Hammond, and Kenneth Galm in A Grand Night for Singing at 7 Angels. Photo by Constantine Pappas.

The five actors/actresses – Morgan Cowling, Elizabeth Fox, Kenneth Galm, Abigail Hammond, and Charles Romano - have solid musical theater credentials and perform each piece with flair and gusto.  Their acting prowess comes into play throughout the production, which only heightens the selections presented on stage.

 

Charles Romano, Elizabeth Fox, and Kenneth Galm in A Grand Night for Singing at 7 Angels. Photo by Constantine Pappas.

Director Constantine Pappas’ guidance is more subtle and understated.  However, there is a confident and assured intention to his direction.  He allows the songs to speak for themselves without adding distractions or fluff.

A Grand Night for Singing, an entertaining tonic for theater-goers of all ages.  Playing at Seven Angels in Waterbury through May 10.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Nunsense - Legacy Theatre

They’re back!  Yes, the Little Sisters of Hoboken are back raising a ruckus at the Legacy Theatre in the musical Nunsense.  One of the longest running shows in Off-Broadway history, the five-person cast members, sing, dance, tell jokes, and more as they attempt to raise money to bury a few of their flock that, sadly, were poisoned by the cook, Sister Julia.

Nunsense is at its best when the performers – together or individually – are vocalizing or strutting their stuff to Choreographer James Gray’s unpretentious dance numbers.  Gray, doubling as Director, keeps the shenanigans coming at an easy pace.  A quicker tempo would have made the production a more briskly entertaining show.

The cast of Nunsense, playing at the Legacy Theatre through May 17.  Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

 

The score by Goggin is the strength of the show.  The lyrics can be witty and the music quite tuneful.   They include such gems as “Nunsense is Habit Forming,” “Playing Second Fiddle,” and my personal favorite, “We’ve Got to Clean Out the Freezer.”

Dan Goggin also wrote the book, which is silly and crafted as a series of amusing sketches threaded together that finally concludes with the Sisters having their dilemma miraculously solved.  Some of the material – the shorter scenes - work better than the more drawn-out moments.  For example, a history quiz with the audience went on too long. 

 

Semina De Laurentis, Melissa Goldberg, and Sarah Viera in Nunsense, playing at the Legacy Theatre through May 17.  Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

While this is an ensemble show, the nominal star is Semina De Laurentis, who was in the original cast over 40 years ago.  Her Sister Amnesia is the convent’s jester and much of the humor passes through her lips.  While the actress (who is in her mid-70’s) might be a step slow, her singing voice has lost none of its power, and her comic timing is still fresh.

The other cast members imbue their characters with enough schtick and signature moments to keep the musical light and sprightly.  They are Keisha T. Fraser (Sister Mary Hubert), Melissa Goldberg (Sister Mary Leo), Jennifer Smith (Sister Mary Regina), and Sarah Vieira (Sister Robert Anne).

Nunsense, still a hoot, playing at the Legacy Theatre through May 17.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Lifespan of a Fact - Playhouse on Park

What is a fact?  How true does a fact need to be for a writer composing a non-fiction essay for a topnotch literary magazine?  This is the question that is continuously debated in the play The Lifespan of a Fact.  The plot focuses on John D’Agata (Shannon Michael Wamser), a writer full of bluster and conceit, who is having his latest piece fact-checked by Jim Fingal (Edward Montoya), a magazine’s intern, and recent Harvard graduate full of bravado, at least at first.  D’Agata is none too happy about the young man’s constant questions into his literary license.  When Fingal decides to fly to the writer’s Las Vegas home to personally confront him with his 130-page spreadsheet of errors, fireworks erupt.  Trying to referee the twosome’s hostility towards each other and their constant quarreling is the magazine’s editor, Emily Penrose (Suzanne O’Donnell).  She has a hard fast deadline rapidly approaching as she decides how far her star writer can push the envelope in matters of journalistic integrity. 

 

The play is based on a 2012 book by the real-life D’Agata and Fingal about the essayist’s account of a suicide in Las Vegas.  Playwrights Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell have turned the source material into an illuminating point-counter point on the nature of non-fiction writing.  The show is funny, at times, but the overt message is serious and one that, to this day, continually disputed.  On the one hand, the character of D’Agata sees nothing wrong with bending facts to his storytelling.  On the other hand, Fingal is just as determined to insist on factual accuracy.  Director Matt Pfeiffer subtly triangulates the three combatants around the stage as each asserts their own interpretation of a fact.  While the on-going arguments bring up fascinating points, the problem is how some “facts” are given the same weight as others.  For example, the bricks of a building should be brown, not red.  However, is that the same magnitude of seriousness as changing a teenage girl’s method of suicide to hanging from jumping off a building?

 

Shannon Michael Wamser brings braggadocio tinged with anger to the character of John D’Agata.  What is missing is a swashbuckling demeanor to go with his brashness.    Suzanne O’Donnell’s sharply layers the role of Emily Penrose with purpose, uncertainty, and forcefulness. Edward Montoya brings a convincing mix of emotions and traits to the character of Jim Fingal.  Lively and combative one minute, reserved and unsure the next.  His portrayal of an intern starting out in the world of magazine publishing is credible and persuasive.

 

Scenic Designer Patti Panyakaew’s collapsable set is ingenious as the performance space almost instantly transforms from a sleek office to the humble living room and kitchen area of D’Agata’s unassuming abode.

The Lifespan of a Fact, playing at Playhouse on Park through May 3.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.

Native Garden - Hartford Stage

There are a lot of “isms” in Karen Zacarías’ funny and pointed play Native Gardens.  The work nimbly incorporates issues of ageism, classism, a touch of racism, environmentalism, regionalism, and sexism into the plot, which focuses on a land dispute by neighbors in an upscale section of Washington, D.C.  Doctoral candidate Tania Del Valle (Alina Collins Maldonado) and her lawyer husband Pablo Del Valle (Bradley Tejeda), a young couple with a baby on the way, have recently moved into a fixer-upper in an upmarket neighborhood.  Next door is longtime residents Virginia Butley (Judith Lightfoot Clarke), a high-ranking engineer at a defense contractor and her husband Frank Butley (Greg Wood), a GSA employee and gardening enthusiast.  Their initial backyard get-together is unassuming and cordial until unchangeable events, long-held attitudes, and an incorrect property line sends the twosomes into a tizzy.  Encounters escalate, harsh words are exchanged on either side until an early blessing occurs and…brief blackout.  When the lights go up, it’s weeks later and let’s just say there is a “kumbaya” moment.  Everyone lives happily ever after.

Bradley Tejeda and Alina Collins Maldonado, and Greg Wood in Native Gardens at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson. 

 

With Native Gardens, Zacarías presents a simple problem that many audience members can relate to and then deftly, in a step-by-step manner, ratchets up the noise level and tension.  The focus here is on the yards of each household.  Scenic Designer Lawrence E. Moten III has crafted an beautifully landscaped set for the Butley’s backyard and a plot needing a lot of love for the Del Valle’s space.  For such an everyday setting, the playwright manages to layer in a great deal of contemporary issues that come across as natural and spontaneous. 

Bradley Tejeda and Alina Collins Maldonado, and Greg Wood in Native Gardens at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson. 

 

The show is impeccably directed by Nicole A. Watson.  She judiciously utilizes the 90-minute time frame to create two convincing households that are trying to delicately persuade the other of their misguided position.  Like a closely fought fencing match, Ms. Watson has the terrific ensemble cast consistently lunge and parry, attack and feint. 

Greg Wood and Judith Lightfoot Clarke in Native Gardens at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson. 

 

As stated, the performers are marvelous, each providing their own obsession and idiosyncrasy to forge a dynamic whole.  Greg Wood (Frank Butley) oozes anxiety and a passive/aggressive forcefulness.  Judith Lightfoot Clarke (Virginia Butley) exudes a confidence and vulnerability as a woman protecting her turf, but also scarred by years of proving herself in a hostile working environment.  Bradley Tejeda (Pablo Del Valle) effectively imbues his character with bravado tinged with fretfulness as he works to be a success at work and home.  Alina Collins Maldonado’s role of Tania Del Valle is the calm amidst the storm.  The actress superbly portrays a very pregnant woman who is, mostly, level-headed, at times mediator and antagonist.  Her practicality and inner fortitude play well as she jousts or cajoles the other characters.

 

Native Gardens, playing at Hartford Stage through May 10.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.