What a fun night! Atlanta always does very well with these! 10p.m. on a Saturday night with the writers, then at some point the directors come in, then they choose their actors, and they rehearse, they tech - and a show at 8p.m. Sunday night, ending at 10p.m. Wow. Talk about your stress! But always something any professional can do!
"The Auction" by Nick Boretz and Sandra Sparks was kinda cute. It didn't have enough meat to keep it going and keep everyone interested as to what would happen next, but it was funny in its own right with Amanda Cucher as Linda, and Sarah Craig and auctionees at an auction Auctioneered by Aaron Gotlieb. Very impressed with Mr. Gotlieb: heard his name around but never saw him on stage.
"Art and Hope" - It was touching that the older sister, played by Judith L. Beasley, was paying for the younger sister's, played by Jaymee Vowell, wedding. Geoffrey M. Brown played the finacee, a lot younger than both of them. I wanted Judith to look up more when she was in the scene and we never got to see the facial expressions. Other than that, pretty decent.
'The Reality of Mother" - This could happen to anyone: crazy parent, sold the house, parent has to move. Very good twist though to find out sister Connie, played by Minnie Tee, is actually Joe's mom, played by Adam Archer. Was very impressed with Mr. Vince Canias who played Ben: nice voice and very good stance on stage.
"Peace in the Family" - Absolutely my favorite of the evening! Hysterical cat and dog conversation!! Go James Walsh and Brandon Lee on their collaboration of this piece! I would love to see the whole one-act play! They used a lot of dialogue that we, the pet owners, often think our pets would use when we're not in the room. It's just Hysterical! Well-done and well-played!
"Smothered and Covered" - What an excellent idea! Wedding morning, at IHOP, find out your dad is the server, and it's just too funny! Most notably is Daniel Burnley as Dwight, the server/father that left. Great thinking, Curt Shannon and Pamela Turner on this one! I'd love to see the whole thing!
"Remaking Elaine" - It was an interesting idea as a man is trying to fall in love with his ex-wife in another woman. His daughter and the ex-wife, Elaine, are the only two that see it's crazy. Especially since Elaine, played by Black Actress, Barbara Washington (dreads and all), makes the best lines to Stacy Sheets (playing Jaelyn, the fiancee?), as Stacy is White with short hair. Elaine's line: "She even looks like me!"
"The Untimely Passing of Sniffy Sherbert" - This might have gone a wee bit farther than it needed, but bending on the side of Monty Python. Teresa Harris played Delores Cul-de-Sac, who killed Sniffy Sherbert, the beloved cat of Ethan Scott who played Frank Sherbert. It was sad, it was cute, it was funny, but maybe a bit much for a mystery.
Oh yeah - and only Theater people would start singing scene-change music. Go the Turtles for that wonderful song that we all chanted: "When you're near me, baby the skies will be blue..."
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
"The Mousetrap"
Now, I like a good sleuth-style show. "The Mousetrap" is one I've stage managed in my past and I still enjoy it.
Button Theatre presented 'The Mousetrap" by Agatha Crhistie and I have to give props to Red Clay THeatre, where this was performed:
My God! What a gorgeous space and house!!! The seating was fantastic, the seats were comfortable, it wasn't too terribly hot or cold, the lighting was situated and hung perfectly, the lobby wasn't too small, nor too big - just lovely! The bathroom situation for the patrons is about the same as it is at 14th Street Playhouse: not enough stalls for the women. But hey, it is what it is.
My immediate props to Lighting Designer, Kelly Knowlton, for working well with Set Designer, Christopher Dills. Nicely done! The set was amazing and the attention to detail was superb. The lighting complimented the space very well, even helping with the darkness outside the windows to depict the winter and nighttime. My prayers to the crew for replacing the panel on the desk that came off in second act. SuperGlue, anyone?
Clint Horne, the Costume Designer, gets my praise on the dresses and suits. Very stylish, very classy, very fitting for every character. But Clint always does good work.
Caitlin Bruggeman played Mollie Ralston. Absolutely wonderful! Her performance was believable, was charming when it needed to be, and suspicious when the play called for it. She kept her British accent the entire show! Never faultered! Well done!
Mrs. Boyle, played very well by Parks Stamper, was a character the audience wished for dead and got their wish by the end of Act 1. Very well done by Ms. Stamper to be a character that played a very "negative Nancy" to the crew that resided in the Manor.
Major Metcalf, played by Bob Smith, was very believeable with the slight exception of the British accent that kept fading to a more American sound. But wow - well done on the costumes on him!
For Miss Casewell, played by Erin Leigh Bushko, the only problem was the cigarette: granted, most theaters do not permit live fire, but she kept puffing on it too often. In natural smoking, one doesn't puff on a cig that often. It was almost every other line. Best example would be any woman playing Sally in "Cabaret" - every actress that has played her has done a great job in mimicking the breaks in smoking a cig. Other than that, Miss Bushko did a great job being suspicious as well in this show.
Mr. Paracicini, played by Barry Hopkins, was a character I wanted dead at the get-go. A French accent for a man with an Italian last name? I wasn't buying it. Perhaps it's because I know the show, but come on - "non-discript" should not be immediately distinct. If he had combined a good bit of French and maybe two other dialects, that might have worked.
And Sgt. Trotter, played by John Stephen King, was right on point: kept his accent, kept his mannerisms and did a wonderful job of making everyone think everyone else was suspect. My props to Mr. King, not only for his eerie name, but to his performance.
In Act I.2, when Miss Casewell turned on the radio, there issued forth a really Asian or Indian sound from the radio cue. It was awful. I understand it was to chase Mrs. Boyle out of the room, but...ugh! Something more up-beat of the time would have been more appropriate. And leveling it out totally at some point would have been better, too.
All in all a good night at the theatre. I look forward to many more shows at the Red Clay's gorgeous theater!
Button Theatre presented 'The Mousetrap" by Agatha Crhistie and I have to give props to Red Clay THeatre, where this was performed:
My God! What a gorgeous space and house!!! The seating was fantastic, the seats were comfortable, it wasn't too terribly hot or cold, the lighting was situated and hung perfectly, the lobby wasn't too small, nor too big - just lovely! The bathroom situation for the patrons is about the same as it is at 14th Street Playhouse: not enough stalls for the women. But hey, it is what it is.
My immediate props to Lighting Designer, Kelly Knowlton, for working well with Set Designer, Christopher Dills. Nicely done! The set was amazing and the attention to detail was superb. The lighting complimented the space very well, even helping with the darkness outside the windows to depict the winter and nighttime. My prayers to the crew for replacing the panel on the desk that came off in second act. SuperGlue, anyone?
Clint Horne, the Costume Designer, gets my praise on the dresses and suits. Very stylish, very classy, very fitting for every character. But Clint always does good work.
Caitlin Bruggeman played Mollie Ralston. Absolutely wonderful! Her performance was believable, was charming when it needed to be, and suspicious when the play called for it. She kept her British accent the entire show! Never faultered! Well done!
Mrs. Boyle, played very well by Parks Stamper, was a character the audience wished for dead and got their wish by the end of Act 1. Very well done by Ms. Stamper to be a character that played a very "negative Nancy" to the crew that resided in the Manor.
Major Metcalf, played by Bob Smith, was very believeable with the slight exception of the British accent that kept fading to a more American sound. But wow - well done on the costumes on him!
For Miss Casewell, played by Erin Leigh Bushko, the only problem was the cigarette: granted, most theaters do not permit live fire, but she kept puffing on it too often. In natural smoking, one doesn't puff on a cig that often. It was almost every other line. Best example would be any woman playing Sally in "Cabaret" - every actress that has played her has done a great job in mimicking the breaks in smoking a cig. Other than that, Miss Bushko did a great job being suspicious as well in this show.
Mr. Paracicini, played by Barry Hopkins, was a character I wanted dead at the get-go. A French accent for a man with an Italian last name? I wasn't buying it. Perhaps it's because I know the show, but come on - "non-discript" should not be immediately distinct. If he had combined a good bit of French and maybe two other dialects, that might have worked.
And Sgt. Trotter, played by John Stephen King, was right on point: kept his accent, kept his mannerisms and did a wonderful job of making everyone think everyone else was suspect. My props to Mr. King, not only for his eerie name, but to his performance.
In Act I.2, when Miss Casewell turned on the radio, there issued forth a really Asian or Indian sound from the radio cue. It was awful. I understand it was to chase Mrs. Boyle out of the room, but...ugh! Something more up-beat of the time would have been more appropriate. And leveling it out totally at some point would have been better, too.
All in all a good night at the theatre. I look forward to many more shows at the Red Clay's gorgeous theater!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Harvest '09
Tonight was a good night of theatre, despite the thunder and lightening and rain. In Norcross, GA there is housed a small theatre company called "Onion Man Productions." They did quite well with their "New Crop of 10 Minute Plays."
I came in near the end of "Harry's Celestial Journey" by Bill Wellborn. But from what I saw, I liked it. There was a lady filming it in the back row and I wasn't sure if she was permitted or not, but hey: maybe she was.
"Santas' Night Out" by David Allan Dodson - very cute. I loved the dresses, especially the one worn by Margaret, played by Diane Hallen. The young lady with the slit down the front of her dress, Ms. Sherry Ingbritsen, I believe, probably should not have sat the way she did in that dress. Let's just say one wrong move and perhaps the men in the audience would have moved for a better view.
"Looking Down" by James Beck - I understood the premise of the play and the emotion was definitely there. I was waiting for more physical struggle between the two step-siblings, played by Travis Young and Jessica Fowler (or it might have been Nicole Convis).
"Real Space" by Kelly A. Young - I was just waiting for Mary Saville who played Dana to just haul off and hit Jason Caldwell, who played Delroy. The tension was there and if this really was reality TV, she would have hit him and there would have been a fight. I wanted the eye contact to be stronger with Dana's character as she kept looking away or looking at the floor in tense moments.
"A.M. Session" by Neal R. Hazzard - I caught the interesting reference, Mr. Wendell, from the song by Arrested Development. Very cute. And it opened the eyes for that kind of situation: he's "homeless, not brainles." Wow. There are those out there that don't want charity, they want someone's time. But one rotten apple ruins it for the bunch - but I digress.
"Next of Kin" by Daphne Mintz - I wondered why Travis Young, who played Captain Br., his chair was so low in relation to his desk. *shrug* Still, a good play.
"Monologues" by Patrick Cuccaro - This hits on a spot for so many with aging parents. Not until the end of the play did I understand why Lynne Jenson, playing the daughter, was re-folding already folded laundry for Tamyan Sager-Gandert, who played the Mother.
"Saved in 17 Syllables" by Lisa Brathwaite - Very nicely played by all. My only concern for director Sheri Mann Stewart: they came to the therapists' office - the first to sit would be the client, then the therapist. It's like going to someone's house: the guest sits first, then the person who lives there.
"Death in the Rough" by David L. Fisher - Many props to Mr. Fisher for a wonderfully funny play! I can't imagine what 2 hours worth of his writing would be like! Very entertaining! Very captivating! Would like to see more of this kind of work! And as funny as the subject is of a dead body and a golf course, who's to say that judges and attorneys and the like don't over-look things like that on their "days off"?
Noting all the scene changes, I'd have to give props to the Stage Manager, Joyce White, for being the fastest moving thing on stage! She did her best with her crew to get everything done. THere were a lot of set pieces for plays later on in the evening so it had to be precise and safety had to be a concern. Thoughts about the transition music: one song, please, and then, perhaps, fade out and fade up into another song if A) the actors are ready to be in place or B) the first song is about to end and the scene change is still happening. It was really weird to have the music cut off short and then another song come on. Smooth transition for the ears would have been better.
Well-done over-all to the production company!
I came in near the end of "Harry's Celestial Journey" by Bill Wellborn. But from what I saw, I liked it. There was a lady filming it in the back row and I wasn't sure if she was permitted or not, but hey: maybe she was.
"Santas' Night Out" by David Allan Dodson - very cute. I loved the dresses, especially the one worn by Margaret, played by Diane Hallen. The young lady with the slit down the front of her dress, Ms. Sherry Ingbritsen, I believe, probably should not have sat the way she did in that dress. Let's just say one wrong move and perhaps the men in the audience would have moved for a better view.
"Looking Down" by James Beck - I understood the premise of the play and the emotion was definitely there. I was waiting for more physical struggle between the two step-siblings, played by Travis Young and Jessica Fowler (or it might have been Nicole Convis).
"Real Space" by Kelly A. Young - I was just waiting for Mary Saville who played Dana to just haul off and hit Jason Caldwell, who played Delroy. The tension was there and if this really was reality TV, she would have hit him and there would have been a fight. I wanted the eye contact to be stronger with Dana's character as she kept looking away or looking at the floor in tense moments.
"A.M. Session" by Neal R. Hazzard - I caught the interesting reference, Mr. Wendell, from the song by Arrested Development. Very cute. And it opened the eyes for that kind of situation: he's "homeless, not brainles." Wow. There are those out there that don't want charity, they want someone's time. But one rotten apple ruins it for the bunch - but I digress.
"Next of Kin" by Daphne Mintz - I wondered why Travis Young, who played Captain Br., his chair was so low in relation to his desk. *shrug* Still, a good play.
"Monologues" by Patrick Cuccaro - This hits on a spot for so many with aging parents. Not until the end of the play did I understand why Lynne Jenson, playing the daughter, was re-folding already folded laundry for Tamyan Sager-Gandert, who played the Mother.
"Saved in 17 Syllables" by Lisa Brathwaite - Very nicely played by all. My only concern for director Sheri Mann Stewart: they came to the therapists' office - the first to sit would be the client, then the therapist. It's like going to someone's house: the guest sits first, then the person who lives there.
"Death in the Rough" by David L. Fisher - Many props to Mr. Fisher for a wonderfully funny play! I can't imagine what 2 hours worth of his writing would be like! Very entertaining! Very captivating! Would like to see more of this kind of work! And as funny as the subject is of a dead body and a golf course, who's to say that judges and attorneys and the like don't over-look things like that on their "days off"?
Noting all the scene changes, I'd have to give props to the Stage Manager, Joyce White, for being the fastest moving thing on stage! She did her best with her crew to get everything done. THere were a lot of set pieces for plays later on in the evening so it had to be precise and safety had to be a concern. Thoughts about the transition music: one song, please, and then, perhaps, fade out and fade up into another song if A) the actors are ready to be in place or B) the first song is about to end and the scene change is still happening. It was really weird to have the music cut off short and then another song come on. Smooth transition for the ears would have been better.
Well-done over-all to the production company!
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Underpants
How do I start...
Well, ...back and forth, I guess:
Pro - The 80s music in pre, intermission, and post show...and scene changes...was awesome!!! And, they fit the show. In lyrics, most definitely! Props to Sound Designer Barbara Cole Uterhardt for her understanding of what needed to happen!
Con - Not really my kind of show. Humor-wise it was too much "in your face" like Benny Hill. Lots of sexual innuendo visually and verbally.
Pro - The audience, although small, loved it. It was funny, it was truly entertaining and it captured the audience's attention before the intermission.
Con - Versati, played by Antjuan Tobias Taylor, wore a suit that looked a wee bit big for him. The legs and the arms of the jacket made him look like a child wearing a "big man's suit."
Pro - Klinglehoff, played by David Klein, was the best thing in the play! From the time he popped in during Act I to the time he actually delivered lines to set his character, he was excellent. Very prompt, very straight-forward, very set and believable in all the chaos onstage. He was the "straight man" in all the tomfoolery.
Con - Usually, within the first, oh, 10-20 minutes of a show, you know the time period and the place and all the basic stuff. This time around, the setting was not quite clear. What time period was this? Where in the world were they? Only later on when one of the characters mentioned that it was Germany did the audience get that it was set in Germany. But when? 1800s? 1900s? The costumes didn't depict a lot, other than it might have been Victorian or later. And with a King instead of a Chancellor, that told us quite a bit. But that didn't happen until much later in the story.
Pro - The set was very, very believable and very well-proportioned. Many props to Set Designer Darrell Wofford (who also played Theo) for his work on reading and understanding the script and what was necessary to make the ease of movement on stage work for the actors.
Pro - Props to Costume Designer Toni Sunseri for the women's dresses. Very, very nicely done! Movement, color - everything!
Over-all, it was an entertaining show, but not sure if Steve Martin was trying to adapt something that would come off more Moliere than Benny Hill on stage. It would interesting to see what the original by Carl Sterheim would have looked like.
Well, ...back and forth, I guess:
Pro - The 80s music in pre, intermission, and post show...and scene changes...was awesome!!! And, they fit the show. In lyrics, most definitely! Props to Sound Designer Barbara Cole Uterhardt for her understanding of what needed to happen!
Con - Not really my kind of show. Humor-wise it was too much "in your face" like Benny Hill. Lots of sexual innuendo visually and verbally.
Pro - The audience, although small, loved it. It was funny, it was truly entertaining and it captured the audience's attention before the intermission.
Con - Versati, played by Antjuan Tobias Taylor, wore a suit that looked a wee bit big for him. The legs and the arms of the jacket made him look like a child wearing a "big man's suit."
Pro - Klinglehoff, played by David Klein, was the best thing in the play! From the time he popped in during Act I to the time he actually delivered lines to set his character, he was excellent. Very prompt, very straight-forward, very set and believable in all the chaos onstage. He was the "straight man" in all the tomfoolery.
Con - Usually, within the first, oh, 10-20 minutes of a show, you know the time period and the place and all the basic stuff. This time around, the setting was not quite clear. What time period was this? Where in the world were they? Only later on when one of the characters mentioned that it was Germany did the audience get that it was set in Germany. But when? 1800s? 1900s? The costumes didn't depict a lot, other than it might have been Victorian or later. And with a King instead of a Chancellor, that told us quite a bit. But that didn't happen until much later in the story.
Pro - The set was very, very believable and very well-proportioned. Many props to Set Designer Darrell Wofford (who also played Theo) for his work on reading and understanding the script and what was necessary to make the ease of movement on stage work for the actors.
Pro - Props to Costume Designer Toni Sunseri for the women's dresses. Very, very nicely done! Movement, color - everything!
Over-all, it was an entertaining show, but not sure if Steve Martin was trying to adapt something that would come off more Moliere than Benny Hill on stage. It would interesting to see what the original by Carl Sterheim would have looked like.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Jesus Christ Superstar Gospel
The Alliance has done it again. In a big way.
This show was phenomenal from start to finish. So let me start from the top:
The set design, graced to the audiences by Michael Yeargan, was a wonderful canvas of white, cream, and grey. The levels of the Alliance were used in surprising ways with, not only the stage, but the stairway built above it. The traditional wings were gone, replaced by space of hallways and panels. Much props to Mr. Yeargan for placing the band, conducted by Michael Mitchell, on the stage, up-stage center of the action. It helps for the actors to hear the music, the conductor to see the actors, and silent communication to commence for the show.
Great shows like this can only become "real" to the audience, if two things happen:
A. the designers have actually read the show, and
B. the designers have talked to each other.
And they did.
The "paint" for Michael Yeargan's "canvas" was created by lighting designer, Robert Wierzel. And may the heavens help me to see another one of his shows from the balcony level! Mr. Wierzel's lights danced on that stage and created every single mood for this show: sometimes adding very subtle hints and other times adding explosive colors and patterns. It was an amazing feast for the eyes as the actors told their story on stage.
And what a story they told! I know this story from Sunday School from the early days of St. Helen's. Granted, I knew nothing of the original musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar", but I let this play tell itself. By definition, it is truly a "musical": no dialogue, no monologues - everything told in song and dance and spirit. I was delighted to see the talents of Eugene Russell, Valerie Payton and Ms. Bernardine Mitchell on the stage. God bless working actors! The talented Ms. Nicole Long proved her worth with 'I Don't Know How to Love Him', but the song was a wee bit whiny. I would have enjoyed her pulling back just a tad on the elongated notes and continuing to let the emotion show. But her standing ovation was well deserved. Darius de Haas was exceptional as Jesus. He worked his entire body, mind and spirit for this role and did it justice. Eric Jordan Young was a powerhouse as Herod, with his dazzling costume and sly-pimp choreography: to the point, the man just didn't want to be bothered with Jesus! Destan Owens worked his set pieces very well as Pilate. He was the actor who introduced the audience to the moving staircase. His gentle, well-formed steps on and off the staircase let those of us who work in theater take a deep breath and know that he'll be ok. Darryl Jovan Williams played a Judas that will forevermore be hard to beat. The audience wanted to despise him so badly, and when he busted out in "Jesus Christ Superstar", the whole audience was with him, regardless of what he had done.
Much props to Paul Tazewell for his choice in costume design. It was, like Mr. Wierzel's work, a simple canvas: a cast of predominately black performers in white costumes against a marble background. And it worked marvelously. The dazzling colors of Herod in his bright purple and gold, contrasting to the black suit of Pilate and the deep, rich red colors of the priests helped to bring the story to its deeper meaning.
The opening of Act II with the Last Supper was so well-placed that it could be a painting all by itself. 'Gethesemane" would have brought the audience to their feet had there not been more numbers to follow. It was so incredibly moving that many tears were shed around me (minus the woman next to me who fell asleep during the softer songs all evening.) The crucifixion was an amazing combination of Mr. Yeargan, Mr. Wierzel and the actors all working together to let symbolization say the words that they couldn't express.
There is talk of this show going to Broadway. And why not? It has all the makings of a star-musical, as long as they keep the entire cast. This unit worked so well together - anything else would not have the same energy. It was a beautiful, religious and moving experience for a Sunday evening.
This show was phenomenal from start to finish. So let me start from the top:
The set design, graced to the audiences by Michael Yeargan, was a wonderful canvas of white, cream, and grey. The levels of the Alliance were used in surprising ways with, not only the stage, but the stairway built above it. The traditional wings were gone, replaced by space of hallways and panels. Much props to Mr. Yeargan for placing the band, conducted by Michael Mitchell, on the stage, up-stage center of the action. It helps for the actors to hear the music, the conductor to see the actors, and silent communication to commence for the show.
Great shows like this can only become "real" to the audience, if two things happen:
A. the designers have actually read the show, and
B. the designers have talked to each other.
And they did.
The "paint" for Michael Yeargan's "canvas" was created by lighting designer, Robert Wierzel. And may the heavens help me to see another one of his shows from the balcony level! Mr. Wierzel's lights danced on that stage and created every single mood for this show: sometimes adding very subtle hints and other times adding explosive colors and patterns. It was an amazing feast for the eyes as the actors told their story on stage.
And what a story they told! I know this story from Sunday School from the early days of St. Helen's. Granted, I knew nothing of the original musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar", but I let this play tell itself. By definition, it is truly a "musical": no dialogue, no monologues - everything told in song and dance and spirit. I was delighted to see the talents of Eugene Russell, Valerie Payton and Ms. Bernardine Mitchell on the stage. God bless working actors! The talented Ms. Nicole Long proved her worth with 'I Don't Know How to Love Him', but the song was a wee bit whiny. I would have enjoyed her pulling back just a tad on the elongated notes and continuing to let the emotion show. But her standing ovation was well deserved. Darius de Haas was exceptional as Jesus. He worked his entire body, mind and spirit for this role and did it justice. Eric Jordan Young was a powerhouse as Herod, with his dazzling costume and sly-pimp choreography: to the point, the man just didn't want to be bothered with Jesus! Destan Owens worked his set pieces very well as Pilate. He was the actor who introduced the audience to the moving staircase. His gentle, well-formed steps on and off the staircase let those of us who work in theater take a deep breath and know that he'll be ok. Darryl Jovan Williams played a Judas that will forevermore be hard to beat. The audience wanted to despise him so badly, and when he busted out in "Jesus Christ Superstar", the whole audience was with him, regardless of what he had done.
Much props to Paul Tazewell for his choice in costume design. It was, like Mr. Wierzel's work, a simple canvas: a cast of predominately black performers in white costumes against a marble background. And it worked marvelously. The dazzling colors of Herod in his bright purple and gold, contrasting to the black suit of Pilate and the deep, rich red colors of the priests helped to bring the story to its deeper meaning.
The opening of Act II with the Last Supper was so well-placed that it could be a painting all by itself. 'Gethesemane" would have brought the audience to their feet had there not been more numbers to follow. It was so incredibly moving that many tears were shed around me (minus the woman next to me who fell asleep during the softer songs all evening.) The crucifixion was an amazing combination of Mr. Yeargan, Mr. Wierzel and the actors all working together to let symbolization say the words that they couldn't express.
There is talk of this show going to Broadway. And why not? It has all the makings of a star-musical, as long as they keep the entire cast. This unit worked so well together - anything else would not have the same energy. It was a beautiful, religious and moving experience for a Sunday evening.
Friday, December 5, 2008
A Christmas Carol
Wow. And let me just say again, wow.
The Alliance Theatre has done it again. This was my first year seeing this well-talked-about performance and it did not disappoint. From the setting to the singing to the acting to the lights to the effects...everything told this timeless story perfectly.
Much props to Mr. Michael Fauss for his flawless musical direction. Everything was superb.
Elizabeth Wells Berkes was stunning as Belle, the love-interest of Scrooge. Je Nie Fleming was delightful with words and movement as Mrs. Cratchit. It was wonderful to see Bernardine Mitchell on stage with her melodious voice and comedic timing. She really did make the piece. Thomas Piper was absolutely believable as the young Mr. Scrooge. The audience could tell in his performance the change in temperament that Scrooge went through. Minka Wilt was a doll with her excellent soprano voice and character talent as Bess and in the ensemble. Neal A. Ghant was hysterical as Bob Cratchit. In particular was his side movement when Scrooge offered him triple his salary. It was subtle, but it was hysterical! David Howard was absolutely lovely as Topper and did lend his vocal talents very nicely to the ensemble. Chris Kayser, of course, my favorite actor in Atlanta, did a smashing job as Ebenezer Scrooge. All of the children were quite well-behaved in the production and very serious about their role and having fun.
All in all, the show as very entertaining. Much applause to D. Martyn Bookwalter for the set design. This wasn't an easy show to set and prop, but they have pulled it off very well. The fog effect for the spirits was never too much and added to the mystery of the show. The flying actors made everything believable and the pulley system for the entrances and exits was amazing.
Well done to them all and God Bless Them, everyone!
The Alliance Theatre has done it again. This was my first year seeing this well-talked-about performance and it did not disappoint. From the setting to the singing to the acting to the lights to the effects...everything told this timeless story perfectly.
Much props to Mr. Michael Fauss for his flawless musical direction. Everything was superb.
Elizabeth Wells Berkes was stunning as Belle, the love-interest of Scrooge. Je Nie Fleming was delightful with words and movement as Mrs. Cratchit. It was wonderful to see Bernardine Mitchell on stage with her melodious voice and comedic timing. She really did make the piece. Thomas Piper was absolutely believable as the young Mr. Scrooge. The audience could tell in his performance the change in temperament that Scrooge went through. Minka Wilt was a doll with her excellent soprano voice and character talent as Bess and in the ensemble. Neal A. Ghant was hysterical as Bob Cratchit. In particular was his side movement when Scrooge offered him triple his salary. It was subtle, but it was hysterical! David Howard was absolutely lovely as Topper and did lend his vocal talents very nicely to the ensemble. Chris Kayser, of course, my favorite actor in Atlanta, did a smashing job as Ebenezer Scrooge. All of the children were quite well-behaved in the production and very serious about their role and having fun.
All in all, the show as very entertaining. Much applause to D. Martyn Bookwalter for the set design. This wasn't an easy show to set and prop, but they have pulled it off very well. The fog effect for the spirits was never too much and added to the mystery of the show. The flying actors made everything believable and the pulley system for the entrances and exits was amazing.
Well done to them all and God Bless Them, everyone!
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Weir
You know...there's nothing like a bunch of guys sitting around telling stories. And I was reminded of this wonderful past-time tonight at Onstage Atlanta with their production of "The Weir."
Nicely directed by Barry West. The blocking had purpose, the stage business when the actors were not the focus was superb, and the characters were real. Most notably, Mr. Darrell Wolfford, portraying the fun-loving, drinking-several-guiness-per-show character named Jack. He definitely livened the bar scene. Very heart-felt stories by everyone on stage.
Oh, and props to Darrell for the set as well. But, then again, when does he ever create a set less than spectacular?
The story was most definitely chilling in both acts and captures the audience in the very beginning. And it's always interesting to note when the title of the play is mentioned, and it was mentioned in Act I by Finbar, played by Kent Igleheart. 'The Weir", if I'm not mistaken, being a place where the water was refined or treated. There was a picture of it on the wall. So my only question, with all the wonderful stories in the bar...
...why was the play called "The Weir"?
Nicely directed by Barry West. The blocking had purpose, the stage business when the actors were not the focus was superb, and the characters were real. Most notably, Mr. Darrell Wolfford, portraying the fun-loving, drinking-several-guiness-per-show character named Jack. He definitely livened the bar scene. Very heart-felt stories by everyone on stage.
Oh, and props to Darrell for the set as well. But, then again, when does he ever create a set less than spectacular?
The story was most definitely chilling in both acts and captures the audience in the very beginning. And it's always interesting to note when the title of the play is mentioned, and it was mentioned in Act I by Finbar, played by Kent Igleheart. 'The Weir", if I'm not mistaken, being a place where the water was refined or treated. There was a picture of it on the wall. So my only question, with all the wonderful stories in the bar...
...why was the play called "The Weir"?
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