The Irish… And How They Got That Way - Music Theatre of CT

The Irish… And How They Got That Way, a musical revue that combines snippets of Irish history with an assortment of Irish-centered songs, is receiving a high-spirited production at the Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC).  The show is performed by a multi-talented cast of five.  They play a variety of instruments – guitar, mandolin, piano, violin, and cello for songs that include folksongs, ballads, comedic numbers, and tunes written by Broadway legend George M. Cohan.  Interspersed between the musical interludes are recitations, stories, facts and figures about the Irish – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The show, written by the Pulitzer Prize winning author, Frank McCourt, delves into the bitterness, joy, anger, and sadness of the Irish experience, both at home and abroad.

The cast of The Irish… And How They Got That Way.  Photo by Alex Mongillo.

The production at MTC has shaved about 30 minutes from a previous staging of the show I attended, which was 2 ½ hours.  The current length is perfect for this type of show.  Director Kevin O’Connor keeps the performers constantly on the move, pausing every so often for the occasional ballad – did anyone say “Danny Boy?”  He has molded an ensemble that works well together and clearly enjoys each other’s company.  O’Connor has astutely played to the actor’s strengths.  For example, Hillary Ekwall is a classical celloist, which she shows off to fine fashion.  Erin Margaret Williams grew up as a competitive Irish Step Dancer.  She adds intermittent high-stepping, crowd-pleasing flourishes to the revue.  The other cast members, who also sing and play with gusto – Zachary Anderson, Jeff Raab, and Joseph Torello – are all superb with their vitality and outward enjoyment of the material.

Jeff Raab and Erin Margaret Williams in The Irish… And How They Got That Way.  Photo by Alex Mongillo.

Some of the stories and historical facts are associated with the 1840 potato famine.  This period of shortages and deprivations are eye-opening, as well as appalling, bringing a somber tone to the production.  However, O’Connor doesn’t allow the mood inside the small performance space to become overly somber. 

Hillary Ekwall in The Irish… And How They Got That Way.  Photo by Alex Mongillo.

The pocket-size stage is another strength of the show, allowing the vibrancy, energy, and camaraderie of the actors to be in full focus of the audience.  Scenic Designer Sean Sanford has transformed the space into a highly detailed Irish pub, which contributes greatly to the ambiance of the show.  Longtime MTC Costume Designer Diane Vanderkroef has fashioned a variety of late 19^th and early 20^th century garb appropriate for the Irish at home and abroad.  Jon Damst’s Sound Design is beautifully rendered, allowing vocals to float above the musical numbers.

 

The cast of The Irish… And How They Got That Way.  Photo by Alex Mongillo.

The Irish… And How They Got That Way, playing at the Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk through March 22.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Mountaintop - Playhouse on Park

The Mountaintop, receiving a superb production at Playhouse on Park, is a fictional work by playwright Katori Hall that takes place on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.  Set in Room 306 of the Lorraine Hotel, this two-person show is a captivating and affective piece of theater.

 

The production opens in a small, disheveled, ordinary looking hotel room.  King (Torrey Linder) is ruminating about the weighty undertakings he needs to address while in Memphis to support the sanitation worker’s strike.  Seeking a cup of coffee, he calls for room service and soon a young, attractive maid, Camae (Jasmine Shanise) arrives. The two quickly develop a very comfortable rapport.  The conversations between the sassy, care-free hotel worker and the revered civil rights leader range from portentous themes to more run-of-the-mill topics.  They become friendly and playful until a surprise twist adds a more otherworldly and meditative end.

Torrey Linder and Jasmine Shanise in The Mountaintop.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Playwright Katori Hall took inspiration for the play from King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, delivered the night before his assassination.  In that address he declared, "We've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end.”  An eerie premonition the night before his death.  Hall has crafted the show to allow the characters to discuss and debate numerous highly charged issues of the day, including race, the civil rights movement, and political turbulence.  King also confides to Camae about his misgivings, fears and even death. 

 

Hall took a lot of push back for humanizing the spiritual leader - showing “warts and all” - but the portrayal, in a fictional manner, allows for a fuller picture of King the human being. Some of the character monologues approach preachiness, but the overall impact is engrossing and powerful.

 

Torrey Linder in The Mountaintop.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Torrey Linder is a natural to play Martin Luther King, Jr.  He has handsome features, and a booming voice finely enriches his oratorical remarks and flourishes.  However, the strength in his performance is the manner he presents the clergyman as an ordinary man who changed a nation.  The actor convincingly conveys the multiple layers to King’s persona as he struggles with the weighty issues of the day.  He is both confident in his on-going work but, at times, questioning his resolve and actions.

 

Jasmine Shanise brings spunk and a street-smart toughness to the role of Camae.  She is nobody’s fool and quickly develops a well-rounded portrayal of her character.  Her patter can occasionally be too quick, but once she settles into the role, the easy going, yet fitful rapport she has with the civil rights giant becomes more natural. She demonstrates her acting range as the frisky, soul-searching banter in the beginning of the play turns more solemn and supernatural.

Jasmine Shanise in The Mountaintop.  Photo by Meredith Longo.

Working within the premise of playwright Katori Hall’s fictional scenario, Director Jamil A.C. Mangan deftly creates an interaction between the two protagonists that is believable and organic.  He effectively incorporates enough busyness and creative machinations to keep the momentum of the two-person show flowing without going stale.  He skillfully directs a seamless transition between the two segments of the show, beautifully and artfully sequencing to the transcendental conclusion.

 

Patti Panyakaew’s set design has a claustrophobic and disheveled authenticity.  Matthew Weisgable’s lighting and Carter Mangan Jr.’s sound design, especially with the lightning and thunderstorm raging outside the hotel room - almost Biblical in its rage - is extremely effective.   Christian Killada’s projection array at the show’s conclusion is compelling and haunting.

 

The Mountaintop, playing at Playhouse on Park through March 22.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze? - Seven Angels Theatre

The two-person play, The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?", receiving its New England premiere at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, is a melancholy and whimsical journey touching on family, grief, and the afterlife.  The action takes place at a small cottage high above the Irish Sea.  There, two brothers reflect on their lives, past, present, and future.  There is angst, joy, and unforeseen revelations to their debates and introspections.  A twist to the story is that the older brother, Jamie (Nick Roesler) is a ghost, a fact his younger sibling Tommy (John R. Howley) is slow to accept.  With this premise, the stage is set for the duo’s sometimes humorous, often impassioned, and always devotional reflections.

Playwright Joseph Bravaco delves into the playfulness and intensity of brotherly love and disagreements.  The issue with The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?", is its lack of real drama and tension.  There are moments that engage, but they are few and far between.  While introducing a spiritual component to the play ratchets up the interest, the intrigue it entails slowly wanes.

Nick Roesler and John R. Howley in The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?" Photo by Constantine Pappas.

Director Sasha Brätt attempts to vary the action and interactions within the drama, but is limited by the back-and-forth banter of the script, and Charles O’Connor’s minimalist set – a quaint, compact kitchen connected to a spare yard, a weathered wooden bench serving as its focal point.

The two actors are very good.  Their rapport comes across as natural, both in the love and pain they show each other.   Nick Roesler’s Jamie jousts, prods, and dotes like a caring, concerned older brother.  John R. Howley is terrific as Tommy.  He reveals a range of emotions leading up to a heartrending conclusion.

The One Good Thing or "Are Ya Patrick Swayze?", playing at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Counter - Theaterworks Hartford

The short (75 minutes) one-act, The Counter, provides a slice-of-life at a smalltown diner.  The show, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through March 22, is is an intimate story between two individuals (with a brief appearance by a third person) looking to cope with their simple lives, engage, and build trust with each other. 

 

Katie (Justis Bolding) helms the front of the eatery where Paul (Tim DeKay), a retired firefighter, is always her first customer.  Simple premise.  However, one morning, Paul proposes a rather odd, atypical request of the proprietress.  This sets into motion a reckoning by both characters, each with their respective pasts and possible futures.  

Justis Bolding and Tim DeKay in The Counter.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

 

Through a number of scenes, showing the passage of time, playwright Meghan Kennedy slowly explores the evolving relationship between the two protagonists.  This is not a love story, but of a tentative friendship where heart-to-heart tête-à-têtes reveal deeper truths.  There is easy-going ruminating, humorous leavened with pathos, in the dialogue that could be overheard at any local diner.  At certain points, especially towards the end, the plot can seem contrived, with a somewhat hurried ending.  The inclusion of the town doctor, Peg (Erika Rolfsrud), provides a short, but important element to the play. 

 

Bolding and DeKay, under the uncluttered, straightforward direction of Rob Ruggiero, each give a naturalistic performance.   The actress provides a dash of spunk, independence, and a charm befitting a smalltown diner.  Tim DeKay, who is fast becoming a favorite at Theaterworks Hartford, could be an amalgamation of the denizens of the TV sitcom Cheers.  Sometimes gruff, self-deprecating, and willing to talk your ears off, the actor effectively presents a multi-layered character looking for direction and tethered to hope.  Erika Rolfsrud delivers a well-honed, no-nonsense, yet vulnerable, performance in a role that provides an integral piece of Paul’s backstory.

Justis Bolding and Tim DeKay in The Counter.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

 

The interior of Set Designer Tijana Bjelajac’s diner is detailed and authentic looking.  Matthew Richards’ lighting design adds a touch or realism as the sun sets and rises each day over the venerable establishment.

 

The Counter, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through March 22.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.