REVIEW: "Inherit the Wind" in Bloomington

Performance: Saturday, September 12th @ 2:00pm

Location: Waldron Arts Center (Cardinal Stage Company, Bloomington, IN)

As I continually seek productions that are relevant, thoughtful, and engaging, community buzz about the Cardinal Stage Company's production of Inherit the Wind caught my ear. This production was a collaborative endeavor between Cardinal Stage and Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences as a part of their them=es=ter focusing on "Evolution, Diversity, and Change".

Inherit the Wind asks the audience to weigh a topic that is just as relevant today as it was in 1925. The play, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, was inspired by the real events that played out in Dayton, Tennessee. The production's progam highlighted that, "a substitute biology teacher...named John T. Scoops volunteered himself as a violator of the Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in schools."

Lights up. We meet the youngest Hillsboro residents, Howard (Adam Berndt) who triumphantly pulls a worm from the ground, dangling it in front of the face of Melinda (Amara Crook) and allowing us to witness the innocence that will be a stark contrast to the courtroom drama that will follow. Similar to Scoops, Bertram Cates (Brian Bradshaw) finds himself arrested charged, and tried for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution, which brings together the equal and opposite forces of Matthew Harrison Brady (Ernest Perry, Jr.), follower of the word of the Bible, and Henry Drummon (Danny Goldring), called "the Devil" by young Melinda as she flees his presence. Head to head they argue and defend their beliefs in the evolution v. creationism debate.

Which side wins the ruling, I will not reveal, but I can say that this large ensemble cast created a realistic glimpse into the struggle and heartbeat within this small southern town where the controversy takes place. It would be difficult to identify a weak link among sincere and energetic performance. To bring such talent together from not only the Bloomington community, but from around the country allowed the audience to travel exactly to where it says it will -- It might be yesterday. It could be tomorrow.

It was a great honor to see the stage work of Goldring and Perry, whom I recognize from some of their previous television work. They were worthy adversaries on stage with power that kept me on the edge of my seat. My one wish for this production was a larger venue. While I appreciated the "in the round" choice, there were clearly some theatre-goers whose views were blocked during the courtroom scenes and there were moments of near misses with set pieces coming in and out. In addition, there is a certain level of discomfort when there are, at times, over twenty-five actors on stage at once. As the Cardinal Stage Company continues to work to establish a professional regional theatre in Bloomington, I am unsure if the local venues will be able to keep up.

No Review for "The Rockae"

For anyone who may have actually been looking forward to a review of the Indiana University Musical Theatre Department's Premiere Musical, The Rockae -- unfortunately, there isn't one coming.

For those unfamiliar with the musical (considering it's short run off-Broadway), it was created by Peter Mills (with music by Philip Glass), who left us with a heavy metal/80's glam rock musical of Euripides' The Bacchae - where Dionysis is a rock star. If you have reservations, I did too. Intially, I planned to attend the performance and simply leave at intermission if I didn't like the show enough to stay; however, upon learning that there was no intermission AND having watched the opening number posted on YouTube, which you will find here, I just couldn't bring myself to attend. You can judge for yourself.

REVIEW: "Present Laughter" in Brown County

Performance: Sunday, August 9th @ 3:00pm

Location: Brown County Playhouse, Brown County, IN

Noël Coward's play Present Laughter, is one that I had never read, nor had I seen a performance of before attending this Brown County Playhouse Production. The play was written in 1939, but not produced for the first time until 1942, which continues to support my feeling that many of the plays chosen for the summer Brown County productions are rather dated for those theatre goers who are searching something substantive to sink their teeth into.

First, I must say that I found myself asking throughout the performance, "what is the point of this play?" and "what is the playwright trying to say?" I would venture to say the answer is "not much". Coward himself is quoted on the introductory page of the play as saying, "Present Laughter is a very light comedy and was written with the sensible object of providing me with a bravura part." Coward was the first actor to play the lead role of Garry Essendine (standing in the photo to the right).

This slow moving play follows the days in the life of actor Garry Essendine (Paul DeBoy) leading up to his departure for Africa. Cared for by his attentive personal assistant, Monica Reed (Abby Rowold), Garry deals with a series of friends, family, and strangers who fawn over him and/or complicate the final days before his departure.

The two stand-out performances came from equity actors Paul DeBoy and Shannon Koob (Joanna). DeBoy's British accent, demeanor, and embodiment of the self-absorbed Essendine were brilliant. Even while the play was slow, it was enjoyable to watch DeBoy's performance. The stage heated to its highest point as Joanna, who happens to be Garry's producer's wife, makes advances toward him. Koob's performance was sultry and her chemistry with DeBoy lit the stage. The highest moments in the play were those scenes at the end of Act I and in Act II, where the audience had the opportunity to take in their banter.

There is one Indiana University MFA student who is one to watch for in the upcoming IU season. Abby Rowold, who was also seen in There Goes the Bride this summer, was very enjoyable to watch, had good timing, and seemed even stronger in the role of Monica Reed. Curiously, the 2009/2010 IU Theatre Season will include Major Barbara, which is a show that Rowold is very familiar with, as she has played the role of Barbara Undershaft in Chicago.

While there were certainly some bright spots in this production, I anticipate that this is the last summer Brown County Playhouse season that I will attend. This theatre goer prefers productions that take risks and inspire thought, rather than simply entertain, though Present Laughter fell a bit short of even this.

REVIEW: "Up" in Chicago

Performance: Saturday, August 1st @ 7:30pm

Location: Steppenwolf Theatre

I have been attending productions at the Steppenwolf Theatre since 2001 when I was looking for a show to see and sight unseen purchased a ticket to The Drawer Boy. Since then, the Steppenwolf has become my favorite theatre and I make a couple trips up every year to see productions.

I was greatly anticipating seeing Up not only for the story it would tell, but also to see another show directed by Tony Award winning director, Anna Shapiro. I became a fast fan of her work after seeing August: Osage County during it's original run at the Steppenwolf before making its way to Broadway.

Playwright, Bridget Carpenter's inspiration for Up came from her knowledge of Larry Walters, a truck driver who took flight in a lawn chair attached to 45 helium filled weather balloons in 1982. Eleven short years later, in 1993, Walters would commit suicide. Carpenter said in an interview, "That haunted me. I found it sad but unsurprising, somehow. I couldn't stop thinking about the flight, how magical it was. I think I wrote Up because I wanted to meet the man that did this beautiful, funny thing."

As the lights went down in the theatre, I took one breath in and the audience around me disappeared; I didn't exhale until the lights came up for intermission. It felt as if only moments had passed and it came as a shock to once again realize that I was sitting amongst hundreds of other theatre-goers.

Walter Griffin (Ian Barford) had his own story of flight in his homemade aircraft and spends his days chasing after the next invention, just out of his grasp, that will bring him the same recognition. Walter's wife, Helen (Lauren Katz) works full time as a mail carrier to support the family, which includes high school aged son, Mikey (Jake Cohen). Lives intersect when Mikey meets another student with no friends, Maria (Rachel Brosnahan), who also happens to be pregnant and her aunt Chris (Martha Lavey). I would be remiss if I did not mention Walter's muse, Philippe Petit (Tony Hernandez).


Above: Rehearsal Photos - (Top) Rachel Brosnahan & Lauren Katz (Bottom) Ian Barford

Below: (Top) Tony Hernandez in rehearsal (Bottom) Philippe Petit in 2009

This talented cast flawlessly wove a story that makes one question how to balance imagination and dreams with daily responsibilities. How many people give up their dreams and squelch their imagination to focus all of their energy on making a living, taking care of family, and creating financial security? How many throw caution to the wind to pursue their dreams, indulge their imagination, and follow what they love?

Anna Shapiro (left) expressed, in an interview with Martha Lavey (Artistic Director & Cast Member), "Up speaks to the experience of not being recognized in your expression, of living a life where your imagination is not valued. As I lamented the demands of my life, I was brought up hard against how rare it is to be a person whose expression is allowed, let alone lauded or appreciated." Shapiro's direction offered a fluidity that created poetry on stage. While direction is required, it is rare to take in a performance where it is as complimentary to the story as in Up.

Up closes August 23rd, 2009. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who may be in the Chicagoland area. You will not be disappointed. I already have plans to take in Fake and Parallelogram in the 2009/2010 season.

To see additional photos and videos from this production or to learn more about the Steppenwolf Theatre, visit their website, here.

*NOTE: Cast photos came from the Steppenwolf website and interview excerpts were taken from the Up program.

REVIEW: "Jersey Boys" in Chicago

Performance: Friday, July 31st @ 8:00pm

Location: Bank of America Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

I have been told numerous times by my theatre loving friends that Jersey Boys is a must see production. When I discovered that I was barely going to miss the opening of Spring Awakening and that I would see Jersey Boys instead, I will admit that I was feeling pretty lukewarm. My likings tend to fall in the direction of musicals with original songs and Broadway seems to have taken to the idea of "recycled" music. I did, however, go in with an open mind and ready to enjoy a night of theatre and I am so glad that I did!

To a rapt audience, Jersey Boys brings the story of Frankie Valli (once known as Francis Castelluccio) and The Four Seasons from the days of singing under the street lights in New Jersey, through the loss and gain of band members, money, and the fame that still follow Valli today. It is impossible to find fault in any of the performances and the performances of Michael Cunio (Tommy DeVito), Michael Ingersoll (Nick Massi), Shonn Wiley (Bob Gaudio, and Dominic Scaglione, Jr. (Frankie Vallie) provided immediate transport back to the height of The Four Seasons fame. Not a moment went by when you didn't believe their portrayals of these musical legends.

While caught in the grip of the music, large screens hanging above the stage held projections representing sixities style comic strip images that helped to set the mood. The set was simple with a silver metal staircase stage left that led up to a walkway that stretched the length of the stage and off stage right, which provided a very poignant exit. Small rolling set pieces and large neon signs took the audience from place to place seemlessly.

The only true fault I could find in the production were some microphone malfunctions during the first half of the show, which caused the audience to lose brief moments of dialogue. I can definitely say that I have been converted. While productions such as Mama Mia and Movin' Out used artists' music to create a new and unique story, Jersey Boys used all of The Four Seasons' music as a way of tell THEIR story. The audience was able to experience their music within the context of how and when it was created. I left energized and have had the music playing in my head every since.

If you are interested in learning more about Jersey Boys in Chicago, click here. Frankie Valli continues to perform around the United States. In fact, he will be performing at the Indiana University Auditorium this coming season. Valli is now 75 years old.

REVIEW: "There Goes the Bride" Brown County Playhouse

Performance: Sunday, July 26th @ 3:00pm

Location: Brown County Playhouse, Brown County, IN

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Brown County Playhouse, in Brown County, Indiana - this theatre is a Summer Stock extension of the Indiana University Theatre Department. My overall opinion of the Playhouse is a mixed one after years of seeing shows there. Myself and my friends tend to be the youngest in attendance by at least 35 years (the 30 somethings are definitely not the target audience) and the selections of plays seem to reflect this.

There Goes the Bride was published in 1975 by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. Needless to say, the play includes a pending wedding, which is waylaid by the uncontrollable antics of the father of the bride. The IU Theatre Department website goes on to describe:

"The morning of the wedding, harassed advertising executive Timothy Westerby hits his head and happily awakens beside Polly Perkins, a 1920's Flapper girl straight out of his current advertising campaign. Of course, no one else can see or hear her. Imagining himself back in 1926, Timothy falls in love, the current wedding preparations plummets into pandemonium, while desperate friends and family do their utmost to get the father of the bride back to reality in time to walk his daughter down the aisle."

The highlight performances in this production were not by the IU Theatre Department students, but instead, Nancy Lipschultz (Daphne, grandmother of the bride) and her counterpart Ken Farrell (Gerald, grandfather of the bride). The comedic timing of this pair was impeccable, in addition to their individual character strengths. It was easy to spot Lipscultz as a professor of Voice and Speech in the Department of Theatre and Drama at Indiana University, as her British accent was clearly the strongest of this ensemble cast. Farrell, who played the partially deaf grandfather provided a great mixture of the reality and comedy of an aging man and more than once brought tears to my eyes from laughter.

I was somewhat disappointed in the casting of Matthew Buffalo as Timothy (father of the bride). While I have thoroughly enjoyed his past performances and could find very little fault, aside from perhaps the attempt at a British accent, in his performance in this production, he simply did not project the air of man old enough to have a daughter of marrying age. He seemed to be the one ensemble member who stood out in terms of appropriate casting.

The show seemed to get off to a slow start, but quickly picked up. While I often find farce to be a bit tired and outdated, I did find myself letting out a good laugh every so often. The cast had great chemistry and played off one another well, which kept the show moving at an enjoyable pace throughout. What was very impressive was the ability of the cast to maintain the energy of the show after the intermission. Since no time has passed from the moment the lights go down to when they come back up, I had some initial concern about their ability to maintain the momentum.

While I will continually wish that the summer shows were a bit more up to date, or at least time honored classics, There Goes the Bride was great entertainment for a summer Sunday afternoon.

New Autographed Playbill: Chandra Wilson

She's most often recognized as the quick witted Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy, but as we all know, many of our favorite large and small screen actors/actresses are also talented under the big lights of the stage.

Chandra Wilson has been a part of Broadway productions, including On the Town, Avenue Q, and Caroline, or Change. While she was a replacement in the 1996 revival of Chicago at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, it was announced at the 2009 Tony Awards that she would be joining the current Broadway cast at the Ambassador Theatre.

I couldn't miss the opportunity to add another autographed Playbill to my collection, and Chandra Wilson would make a great addition. I sent her a letter at the Ambassador Theatre three weeks ago and while my letter arrived after her performances had ended, the Stage Production Manager was kind enough to send a Playbill autographed by the entire cast of Chicago while Ms. Wilson was a part of the production.

I'm thrilled to add this to my growing collection!