‘When I meet talented directors I get really giggly to the point of it being really ridiculous so that’s how I knew I respected them.’
-Gina Gershon
*Gina Gershon is currently starring as Gabriella in Broadway’s comedy BOEING BOEING. For ticket information visit: www.telecharge.com
The Fab Marquee review by David Stallings.
Classic comedies often lend themselves to musical adaptations. Kiss Me Kate is Taming of the Shrew, West Side Story is Romeo and Juliet, and there have been numerous interpretations of The Importance of Being Earnest. In 1997, Jeffrey Stock, Susan Birkenhead, and James Magruder undertook the classic Maurivaux farce, Triumph of Love, to lukewarm response at best. Now, more than ten years later, the Astoria Performing Arts Center has brought the musical back to New York for the first time since that short-lived production. Unfortunately, this production proves that even the best talent cannot save a misguided text and unmelodic score.
Abby Baum as Princess Leonide &
Tripp Pettigrew as Agis
Maurivaux’s play follows the young Princess Leonide (Abby Baum), who has fallen in love with a young man, Agis (Tripp Pettigrew). Agis is sequestered in a garden by his Aunt Hesione (Erika Amato) and Uncle Hermocrates (Richard Rice Alan) and forced to live without love. The two philosophers believe that a studious life led by the mind outweighs a life led by emotion. Thus, the weaker sex is banned from the garden so that Agis cannot fall prey to temptation. Princess Leonide disguises herself as a man and enters the garden to much mishap—seducing not only Agis but his aunt and uncle as well. The play is reminiscent of As You Like It and Leonide reminds audiences of Rosalind as she fights for love. In fact, this piece seems at times to be even more progressive as Leonide’s arguments overpower the aged Hermocrates.
The musical takes this clever and well-written classic and bares it down to a weak whimper. A musical at its best is a series of songs linked together by scenes. The scenes should be as well developed as any normal play. The only difference is that when the characters are filled with emotion, they can express themselves in no other way but song. Triumph of Love does not have scenes, but links tunes together with five to ten rushed lines that quickly further the plot. The tunes are not even real songs, but are recitatives. Recitatives are used in opera and are unmelodic sung phrases used to further plot rather than using spoken phrase. After over an hour of this odd music, the audience is finally granted one song, “Serenity”. The song comes too late and as beautiful as it is, cannot save the useless score. Equally as disconcerting is the thin book, which is filled with obnoxious quips and double entendres that have nothing to do with the wit of the original.
That being said, the ensemble collected by the Astoria Performing Arts Center is extremely talented. As Princess Leonide and her many disguises, Abby Baum is quite charming. Ms. Baum’s voice is impressive and well suited for contemporary musical theater. As the philosophical Hesione, Erika Amato steals the show. Originally a vehicle for Betty Buckley, Hesione is the most developed character in the adaptation. Amato steps up to the challenge well and sings “Serenity” so powerfully that you forget what show you are in for a moment. As the stoic Agis, Tripp Pettigrew, is endearing.
Erika Amato as Hesione.
Brian Swasey’s direction does little to salvage the wrecked text. Swasey has staged his actors to make the same crosses across the stage in almost every musical number. The same pattern was used so often that it seemed monotonous after a while. The set design by Michael P. Kramer was inventive and successfully took us to different parts of the sterile garden. Adam Coffia’s period costumes are delightfully colorful. Erik J. Michael’s light design was inconsistent. It was obvious that there was only one spot available. During duets, one actor was chosen to be highlighted while the other had to sing without light. The general wash was filled with so many gobos resembling foliage, that without the spot no one was truly lit.
It is rare that one sees a play and cannot find a weak link in the cast. The Astoria Arts Center should be commended for bringing such talent together. Certainly a good group, and hopefully the future will hold better material for them.
——————–
Astoria Performing Arts Center presents
Triumph of Love
April 25-May 11, 2008 (Thu-Sat @8pm; Sun @6pm)
The Broccoli Theatre
Tickets $15 advance purchase, and $18 at the door. For ticket purchase visit www.apacny.org. TDF Vouchers accepted.
The Broccoli Theatre | Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, 21-12 30th Road, Astoria | Queens.
“I’d rather do theater and British films than move to LA in hopes of getting small roles in America.”
The Fab Marquee review by Antonio Miniño.
First thing you think when you walk into the 3LD Art & Technology Center is, you are in for a hi-tech show, and then you notice you are in for a party. A party in a multimedia fire island, with two boardwalks, 4 ginormous screens, “all you can eat” hamburgers, hot dogs, and booze galore! You are surrounded by tempting buckets full of beer all over the “beach” floor, and there’s wine and soda if beer’s not your thing. Oh yeah, and a fantastic live cover band lead by Albert Kuvezi. You take a cushion, or a beach chair and pick a spot between the boardwalks and the screens, two hours later “the show begins” (doors open at 6pm so you can enjoy the bash).
Catherine Yeager, Gautham Prasad,
Allison Keating & David Tirosh
Charles Mee is best known for his plays of history and love, and I have to mention Big Love because you will be revisiting this masterpiece in Fire Island, just be sure to have a relaxed neck, you will be twisting left to right to figure out where the action is coming from. The actors are gliding through the crowd, they are part of the live band, they are… well, they are Fire Island. At first you are fully aware of what is going on, you are intrigued, engaged on the actions that happen on the screens, that are reenacted or completed by the actors around you. But the lack of narrative, of that ‘magic glue’ that puts all the pieces together in a play, was not there.
A cry to social love and understanding, a cry to things that must be left behind, or of moving on, but it might as well have been a night of monologues or scenes. I had a hard time trying to figure out if this was a play or not. Fire Island was missing Mee’s high stakes, battles of wit and bloody situations. Fire Island fell a little behind, but that didn’t stop it from being a memorable evening. This is a must for theatergoers that are more into the casual and free approach to the art form.
——————-
3-Legged Dog Productions presents
Charles Mee’s
Fire Island
April 10 - May 3, 2008
3LD Art & Technology Center
Tickets are $30.00 and $15.00 for Students, visit www.3ldnyc.org.
3LD Art & Technology Center | 80 Greenwich Street | Manhattan.
photo credit: Eamonn McCabe
‘What people really want in the theater is fantasy involvement and not reality involvement.‘
-Edward Albee
This entry was posted on Sunday, April 20th, 2008 at 13:53 and is filed underThe Fab Marquee review by A.K. Gobble
I Have Before Me A Remarkable Document Given To Me By A Young Lady From Rwanda is a new play by the award winning playwright, Sonja Linden, making its New York premiere presented by the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. This play follows the story of a young refugee named Juliet (Susan Hayward) as she struggles with her new life in a foreign country while dealing with her tormented past.
After witnessing her entire family’s execution and losing everything she owned, Juliet, a young survivor of the 1994 Rwanda massacre arrives in England under a refugee status and attempts to build a future for herself. Juliet’s dream of becoming a writer brings her together with an older gentleman, a burned out poet named Simon, (Joseph J. Menino) who works at the refugee center. Together they form an unlikely friendship of two people sharing their love for words and the healing powers they posses.
Joe Menino as Simon & Susan Heyward as Juliet
photo credit: Monte Stilson
Simon encourages Juliet to be brave, tell the stories of her painful past and confront her overwhelming emotions by putting them on the page. As Juliet attempts to oblige, we discover the unthinkable reality this young lady once lived and the extreme cultural differences she is currently experiencing.
This play is written in a very personal way; using much needed humor at times to relieve us from the horrors we are told.
I find it to be very hard to write a review on a personal and truthful story such as this. No matter what you see on stage you really want to root for these people! I was extremely moved by this play and found myself wanting to explore more on the subject beyond the night’s performance.
Linden, who wrote this play, based it on her own experience working at a refugee center as a resident writer and was inspired by her own encounter with a young survivor and her story.
Linden’s challenge was to transform these painful stories into a piece of theater that would engage an audience. A challenge, that was successful mostly in credit to her talented and wonderful cast.
The play is written as a series of memories recalled by Juliet, the young survivor. And although her stories are captivating enough on their own, I find that when actors are on stage they need actions to make the story come alive, otherwise there is no difference between watching a play and reading a book. A play needs tension, a conflict, an emotional peak to keep an audience interested and I feel that in this case it fell a bit short, mainly in the relationship between Simon and Juliet. The relationship was unclear and I didn’t see their need for each other. At the beginning their relationship seemed to be taking on a romantic turn, leaving the audience in suspense and wonder but it was quickly dropped with no explanations. I would have liked to see it play on some more; maybe even cross a line in order to bring Simon’s character more meaning.
As wonderful as the actor was, I would have liked to see Simon’s character more extreme, more disheveled, bringing out more of his own demons. I felt he was somewhat unnecessary since this play would have easily functioned as a one-woman show with some subtle changes and would have been as equally interesting.
The story takes a twist when Juliet receives some exciting news from home regarding her youngest brother. This turn was also underplayed in my opinion and should have created more of an emotional peak; the big climax of the play was unfortunately not delivered. I believe it was outshined by the previously strong moments and the horrific descriptions of the killings; something I wish Elise Stone, the wonderfully sensitive director would have focused on. Her work on this piece was very creative and her use of the space was smart. With almost no set to back them up the transitions and locations were very clear.
With all that being said, I found myself to be very engaged and interested in this woman’s life. It has opened my eyes to a part of the world I rarely think about. I thought the actors were terrific and dedicated. It was hard not to fall in love with Hayward’s Juliet who captured both her sadness and her strength so perfectly and Menino’s Simon who was so warm and fatherly.
On a special not I would like to mention the lighting designer, Tony Mulanix whose work on this piece really contributed to my emotional involvement at times, especially the gorgeous setting of the church and candles.
Gadi at the Market by Jacqueline (age 8) 2000.
Through the Eyes of the Children: The Rwanda Project
This play is performed in conjunction with the award-winning exhibit “Through the Eyes of Children- the Rwanda Project”. These photos taken by the young survivors of the 1994 genocide make perfect setting to the show as you make your way to the theater and again once out.
If you get a chance, go see this play! I promise it will touch your heart.
——————
Sonja Linden’s
I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document
Given to Me by A Young Woman From Rwanda
April 12-May 4, 2008
Tuesdays & Saturdays @ 8pm
Sundays @ 1:30pm & 7:30pm
Theatre at Saint Peter’s
Theatre at Saint Peter’s | 54th Street just East of Lexington Avenue
The Fab Marquee review by David Stallings.
Today, many people believe that musical theater began with Rodgers and Hammerstein, specifically with their Oklahoma. But before Oklahoma, there were plays filled with beautiful scores that simply did not move the plot forward. Before Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers worked with Lorenz Hart. The two wrote many beautiful scores and memorable songs. It was a pleasure this past weekend to see CAP21’s production of The Boys From Syracuse, to be reminded of one such score.
Caroline Dooner (Luciana), Jessica Wagner (Luce) &
Melanie Dusel (Adriana)
CAP21 presented the musical as part of their conservatory program—using students from their second year. Conservatory style programs build a wonderful acting company—similar to what other countries do with resident acting theaters. The groups practically live with each other for four years as they study and perform theater. This is surely an exciting time for young actors as they are allowed to focus on their craft and do not yet have to be concerned with selling themselves as entertainment property. In The Boys From Syracuse, the audience could see the excitement and enjoyment of theatre on the faces of each member of the young cast. The Faculty of CAP21 should be commended on choosing a piece well within the range of their students—all of whom had lovely voices.
The Boys From Syracuse is based on Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors and is set in Ancient Rome (think toga party). The plot follows not one, but two sets of twins separated at birth. A lively book by George Abbot takes Shakespeare’s tale and turns it into a sex comedy. The plot—filled with mistaken identities—has been maneuvered into the uniting theme of love. Antipholous of Ephesus (Kevin Wade) is married to Adriana (Melanie Dusel). Adriana gives up on her husband and love altogether when she suspects him of cheating on her. She sings the haunting ballad, Falling in Love with Love. The entrance of his twin brother unbeknownst of him only complicates matters—as of course Antipholous of Syracuse (Matt Dengler) falls for Adriana’s beautiful sister Luciana (Caroline Dooner). Each pair of Antipholous twins is matched with a pair of twin slaves—the Dromios (Craig Fogel and Matthew Steele). One of the Dromios is married to the kitchen maid, Luce (Jessica Wagner), whose unending sexual appetite exhausts both brothers. Filled out with a chorus of courtesans and citizens, The Boys from Syracuse is a delightful evening.
Matt Dengler (Antipholus of Syracuse) &
Craig Fogel (Dromio of Syracuse)
Overall, the cast faired well. The musicality of the group should be applauded as the harmonies were consistent and the blending was smooth. The one aspect lost is the crooning style of the thirties—which was very specific. The lovely ballads were sung well but missed that style—which adds to the romance of the piece. A big kudos should be given to Jessica Wagner as Luce. She truly embodied the period in every sense. Her timing and solid voice paired with a bright smile and sense of humor always brought new breath to the stage. Caroline Dooner as the ingénue Luciana proved to have a sweet likability. And the Boys from Syracuse themselves, Matt Dengler as Antipholous and Craig Fogel as his Dromio, had the most ease on stage.
Director Lawrence Arancio staged the production well in the tight space. He kept the pace light, bright, and brisk so the play ran under two hours. Choreographer James Bulleri adhered to the thirties’ style and students’ ability. The costumes (Melissa Daghini) were especially fun with the bold colors of comedy. All in all a fun night—and how often do you get to hear such a classic score?
—————–
CAP21 presents
The Boys from Syracuse
directed by Lawrence Arancio
April 3-13, 2008
The Shop
*This show is now closed, for information on upcoming CAP21 productions, visit www.cap21.org
“Rodgers and Hammerstein didn’t mean anything to me. I just wanted to have a hit, I just wanted to be like those people on the radio. It was all of a case of the present tense with no projecting into the future, particularly.”
-Art Garfunkel
(photo credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
“In my career, there have been three things that were challenging: playing gay; playing a Jewish woman; and playing Chekhov. The scariest part was playing Chekhov!”
-Bernadette Peters
(Photo detail from cover image of PS Classics CD
Sondheim Sings, Volume II: 1946-1960)
“I chose and my world was shaken. So what? The choice may have been mistaken; the choosing was not. You have to move on.”
-Stephen Sondheim
The Fab Marquee interview by Antonio Miniño.
“When you’re in trouble, you call D.W.” This is what companies such as Emerging Artists, The Gallery Players, The Looking Glass Theatre and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids have done when it comes to trusting someone with their costume designs. Winner of the 2007 Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Costume Design in The Looking Glass Theatre’s production of Bug Boy Blues, and working non-stop since the age of 8. David “D.W.” Withrow answers a couple of questions for The Fab Marquee.
David “D.W.” Withrow
I go by DW professionally because when I first moved to the city I assisted several designers named David and three of my professors shared my name, so I started going by my initials… I first got it as a nickname in middle school after Dark Wing Duck the Disney cartoon… “When you’re in trouble, you call D. W.” It fits.
I grew up with theatre. My grandparents started and were part of theatre companies their whole lives. I started working in the costume shop at age 8 as a junior intern at Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina. I used to say that I wanted to be an actor and a fashion designer, it wasn’t until I was like 13 that I realized what that really was and I haven’t stopped since.
Urinetown
The Gallery Players
I won the New York Innovative Theatre Award for outstanding costume design last year… that was cool… but my favorite job to date was as Isaac Mizrahi’s assistant on Three Penny Opera… It was the most amazing cast and was so much fun for me. I got to hand paint almost all of the clothes and felt really trusted and supported… He is such a riot.
I worked on this awful project that had the most bazaar script and all of these effects… I got to make an actress’ costume burst into flames, make a wig that moved like it was underwater, and make three dresses that magically tore off and disappeared into the floor of the set… I love magnets and fire, so I had a blast, but it was totally the most challenging thing I have ever done.
I think seeing how award-winning designers dress when they accept answers that question… I feel like what we do is more psychology of character and research of the period where fashion is all trend forecasting and bowing to the corporations that pay your bills… I find both to be art and hard to do and completely valid. For me the world of fashion is limiting and mainstream and the world of Theatre Opera and Dance provides endless opportunity to create and forces me to think outside the box and constantly adapt to the space and the actor.
Broadway Bares ‘07
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids
I am spending the summer designing regional theatre and doing Broadway Bares like every summer… I am shooting a movie in the middle of all of that which is always fun.
This month I have up: The Story of Herr Rath at Manhattan Theatre Source, Hoist the Colors at Manhattan Rep, Bordertown with (re:)Directions Theatre Co. at 14th Street Theater and Man of La Mancha at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn, which I am thrilled about and elbow deep in right now. I am building most of the costumes from scratch and painting the whole thing down and dirty. I get to do puppets and mask work and all of the things I love. The director, Tom Wojtunik, is really great with me and we have this trust and rapport that just makes doing a show this size on a budget this big a lot less daunting.
The Fab Marquee review by A.K. Gobble
Who amongst us hasn’t had their share of bad relationships and dates from hell? Especially when you’re a young single woman living in New York City! Well, Katherine Williams, who wrote and stars in her own show, sure knows what I am talking about!
My Dead Mother is Funnier Than You is a new play premiering at the ArcLight Theater on the Upper West Side, a gorgeous old church reincarnated as a 99 seat theater with beautiful arches and murals decorating its walls.
Katherine Williams as Nicole Reilly, Franklin Abrams as Mike
& Jaye Maynard as Laura Reilly
The play deals with love, death and the death of love, following a young woman named Nicole (Katherine Williams), as she tells her life story beginning with her mother’s death. As Nicole takes us through her journey, we discover a confused and lost girl who is looking for a partner, someone to understand her, someone she can talk to and laugh with; maybe someone to fill the emotional hole left by her mother’s passing. Nicole’s relationship with her family is complicated. Her father is dealing with his own loss and loneliness and her sister lives far away. In her search for love Nicole goes on many dates with a wide range of guys, and with each date, learns a little bit more about herself.
This comedic play is written in a very interesting way, using much sarcasm and dry humor, and although funny at times, I found the story to be redundant. A sort of personal take on “sex and the city” with excess baggage and repeating themes.
The lead character Nicole is portrayed in a very mature and intelligent way, yet she keeps on choosing these losers as boyfriends and it makes you wonder, what is going on? Especially when she shows you the fact that she recognizes their low value, yet still chooses to peruse.
Throughout the entire play the characters seem to be judging each other on stage using obvious physicality’s such as blank stares and eye rolls, as a response to each other, hoping to provoke laughter from the audience but in fact creating a sort of distance which makes it hard to love them and therefore understand their relationships, especially when it comes to Nicole and her Men. The guys are extreme personalities, portrayed as caricatures, which only adds to this difficulty.
The stealer performance of the night belongs to the talented and incredibly funny, Gabriel Silva who played, Mr. Brown, the family’s British poodle, owned by the father. Silva’s physicality was extremely convincing and his performance was focused and committed all the way through, although I couldn’t help but compare him to a cross between, Stewie the baby and Brian the dog, from the hit animated show, “Family Guy”.
The stage was divided in three sections, on the right was the family, on the left was the psychiatrist and in the middle, the Men. As the show progresses, Williams is forced to go back and forth many times between the sections and even run to get to her spot in time to speak, which hurts the flow of the play. The transitions are triggered by light cues, which are not crisp or strong enough and unfortunately were not working properly the night I saw the show.
With all that in play, the audience seemed to be enjoying themselves, laughing many times over the series of events, perhaps recalling their own horrific dating experiences.
The show runs almost two hours with no intermission and although long, I was generally entertained.
——————
PlaidBird Productions presents
Katherine Williams’
My Dead Mother is Funnier than You
April 3-April 13th, 2008
Thursday-Saturday @ 8pm
Sunday @ 3pm
The Arclight Theatre
Tickets: $18.00; , available online at www.Theatermania.com or by phone at 212-352-3101. For more information visit www.myspace.com/myfunnydeadmom.
The Arclight Theatre | 152 W. 71st St between Broadway and Columbus | Manhattan
“For a minute or perhaps two-and this is a long time-the theater makes man better and happier on this earth.”
-Jean Jacques Gautier
“For the theatre one needs long arms; it is better to have them too long than too short. An artiste with short arms can never, never make a fine gesture.”
-Sarah Bernhardt
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