Showing posts with label Stephen Sondheim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen Sondheim. Show all posts

Sunday, October 29, 2017

NextStop Theatre targets 'Assassins'

Assassins is on stage at NextStop Theatre in Herndon/photo by Lock and Company 
 
Leave it to Stephen Sondheim to take an idea about assassins and write music and lyrics for a show. This is one you aren't sure is about assassins, but it is, with songs to boot.

Wikipedia says the play began off-Broadway in 1990 and opened in 2004 on Broadway, winning five Tonys.

The actors at Herndon's NextStop Theatre Company put on a big, provocative  show with lots energy and a desire to please, impressive for a young troupe in only its fifth year.
 

Their exaggerations and lampooning of guns, starting out with seven or eight lying on a table while a Secret Service agent stands immobile nearby (so etched in permanence I thought at first he must be a mannequin), is filled with coarseness and surprising bits of humor. (No one will leave humming, Walking on Sunshine.)

Action is swift. Director Jay D. Brock elicits strong portrayals about these detestable creatures, with standout performances by Bobby Libby as John Wilkes Booth (fierce in his opposition to President Lincoln and his creed) and Katie McManus, brash and obnoxious as Sara Jane Moore  who quietens her son (Logan Wagner) when she aims a gun at him, accompanied by soft, awkward laughs from some members of the audience.

Jaclyn Young bears an eerie resemblance to Squeaky Fromm (whose love for Charles Manson never ends). 

The subjects are not glorified but that the script gives them recognition is troubling. Their crimes are presented in vignettes in helter-skelter order. It's doubtful that audience members will recognize every character, like Samuel Byck (Alex Zavistovich), attempted assassin of President Richard M. Nixon, Giuseppe Zangara (Brice Guerriere) and Leon Czolgosz (Daniel Westbrook).

(I kept hoping JFK's murder would be omitted since I don't want to relive it over and over and over like the media presents.)


The timing of the show's opening weekend coinciding with President Trump's announcement that he would release documents related to JFK's assassination was prescient, however the producing artistic director, Evan Hoffman (who is also the sound designer) writes in program notes that he and Director Brock selected the title a year ago, and it has no relationship to the present administration.  
  
In no way do they seek to exalt the men and women portrayed or to castigate the current administration, Hoffman writes (Actually, that never entered my mind while watching the show. What I did think about was gun control and keeping weapons out of the hands of crazies, like assassins. The play's Broadway opening was delayed three years because of September 11.  How immune have we become to these horror stories, this production following so closely the tragedy of Las Vegas this month?  Not to fault the timing of the show which must "go on.")

"Our hope is by providing a relaxed and entertaining venue for the community to gather together and be immersed in stories highlighting diverse perspectives, that we can help break down barriers which divide."  What is the diversity here? That assassins think differently from you and me?


For gun control advocates, the play is a great selection to take on the road. That Americans continue to tolerate extreme violence and death and quickly discard these events from the public consciousness is almost as shocking as the sudden deaths presented. Who will be the next perpetrator to step up to the window and claim temporary fame? 

An excellent stage design (by JD Madsen) with flowing red velvet curtains as backdrop is clever and simplified, with emphasis on the American flag styled in flooring (meaning?) and platforms which have multiple purposes. A rectangular box at the front becomes a table, a seat, and the sound of gunfire when actors flip it on its side. 

Flashing lights (by Catherine Girardi) are not bothersome, but too-frequent and loud sounds of gunfire, especially when the chorus line aims the weapons at the audience (more than once) are jarring.


Marc Bryan Lilley is music director. Seven musicians make noticeable contributions with haunting solos by an electric pianist and percussionist. In vocals, group harmonies, naturally the strongest, are the best.

Playbill calls it a dark comedy but is it?  "Dark" and "bleak" certainly apply to "perhaps the most controversial Broadway musical ever written." That's up to the viewers.


Other cast members are the proprietor, Mackenzie Newbury; John Hinckley, Jr. Mikey Cafarelli; Charles Guiteau, Andrew Adelsberger; the Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald, John Sygar; Emma Goldman/Ensemble, Megan Adrielle; Gerald Ford/Ensemble, Jason Hentrich; Ensemble, Madeline Cuddihy and Colton Needles.

Also on the Creative Team are assistant director, Christie Graham; costumes, Kristina Martin; stage manager, Laura Moody;
props coordinator/ASM, Jade Brooks-Bartlett; costume apprentice, Marilyn Lopes; ASM, Quoc Tran; co-master electricians, Jonathan Abolins and Maeve Nash.
 
 
What: Assassins, book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.

When: Thursday through Sunday nights and weekend matinees, now through November 12, 2017.

Where: NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, VA 20170 in the back right corner of Sunset Business Park, near the intersection of Spring Street/Sunset Hills Road. Right off the Fairfax County Parkway. A wee big hard to find on a first visit, so allow an extra 15 minutes.

Free parking: Available near the door.

Admission: Tickets start at $20 with group discounts and student rush seats (if available). Call 866-811-4111.

Duration: A little under two hours without intermission

Rating: R due to frequent vulgar language and phraseology.

For more information: 703-481-5930 or info@nextstoptheatre.org
 

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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Olney's 'Sweeney Todd' is a thriller chiller and (update) prices, slashed!


"Darling!  I have a grand idea!" Mrs. Lovett (E. Faye Butler) sings her brainstorm to Sweeney Todd (David Benoit) at Olney Theatre Center. Photo: Stan Barouh

From the moment the blood starts trickling down the red curtain, flowing from the title Sweeney Todd, you know you're in for a spine-tingling, delicious treat, different from the happy, sunny shows you often see on stage, and you shall not be disappointed at the Olney Theatre this fortnight. 

I loved, loved, loved Sweeney Todd! But then, the macabre has always been an attraction for me.
"Watch that razor, laddie" Judge Turpin  (Thomas Adrian Simpson) tells Sweeney Todd  (David Benoit) in Olney Theatre Center's production. Photo: Stan Barouh

Readers, the Olney has done it again:  With lights, camera, and action, the legendary tale of Sweeney Todd, the butcher barber of Fleet Street, unfolds in music before you to devour and admire.  

For theatre fans, Sweeney Todd is must-see.

David Benoit is Sweeney, who, I am certain, will earn a Helen Hayes nomination.  He's strong, he's passionate, and he's consumed by revenge on the conceited, the arrogant Judge Turpin (Thomas Adrian Simpson), whom you grow to detest for the evil the judge has wrought: sending Sweeney to prison for a crime Sweeney didn't commit,  brutalizing Sweeney's wife and then becoming the guardian of the couple's young daughter, Johanna (Gracie Jones), whom, as years pass, Judge Turpin, has grown to admire and desire to become his own wife.

Sweeney will have none of it!  And returns to London from prison determined to right his wrongs. 

The tone of the show descends, like a roller coaster running down a  mountain while gathering momentum and more energy and sinking faster and faster before it hits rock bottom, ending in a pile of destruction.

The star of the Olney's Mary Poppins, Patricia Hurley, is back for Sweeney, this time as little more than a startling pile of rags upon the floor, a role she performs with her usual dexterity and mastery.  

The voices are strong and powerful, none finer than that of Anthony (Jobari Parker-Namdar) who is Johanna's boyfriend.

Mrs. Lovett (E. Faye Butler) is the funny, vivacious and buxom wannabe girlfriend of Sweeney whose eyes almost pop out of her  haid when she dreams up a special concoction for treats for her home menu. (Helen Hayes Nomination:  Best Supporting Actress.)

I am convinced Sweeney's lighting by Colin K. Bills will earn Bills a Helen Hayes nomination.

The set by Milagros Ponce de Leon beautifully transitions from a dark and shadowy gallows, a prison, and insane asylum in tandem roles on the darkened stage which never relinquishes its underground atmosphere of a mole's hole.

A brighter day for Sweeney Todd?  There is none.

Music by the unseen and much appreciated 12-piece orchestra under the direction of Christopher Youstra with Doug Lawler conducting is spot-on, per custom.

Jason Loewith, Olney's artistic director, directs with masterful strokes, putting all the talents of his fine cast on display. 

Seth Gilbert's costumes are fitting, dark, and brown with barely a trace of color in keeping with London's underground tomblike environment.  

The play shows the power of revenge and its consequences.  If you want to see a different revenge ending, try The Salesman, an Iranian film nominated for this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, however lacking in Sweeney's passion and force, power and intensity (a little too bland for some of us).

Sweeney is so horrible it is bound to be based on (partial) truth because, as Mark Twain wrote: "Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't." 

Wikipedia says Sweeney Todd comes from legend and none other than Charles Dickens and his Pickwick Papers  (be careful of  kitten pies), which was followed ten years later, in 1846 by a serial (different author) about the gristly tale. 

Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway in 1979 and is it any wonder after seeing this marvelous presentation that it captured eight Tony Awards?

Sweeney Todd  bears a resemblance to another chapter in the annals of debauchery, namely Eating Raoul , a film distributed in 1982, sure to delight black comedy lovers and highly recommended.


Sweeney is not a show for children under age 12 but certain to make an impression on those who are older and possibly instill in them a lifelong love of theatre like a high school presentation of Bye, Bye, Birdie did for me in the ninth grade.  (Which seems so tame for today's high schoolers.  Still, lots of fun!)

 
Sweeney Todd is a story to be enjoyed by all who are hungry for a little more to taste than plain and happy Broadway tales.

Bon appetit! 

Other cast members are Michael J. Mainwaring, Frank Viveros, Rachel Zampelli,Kenneth Derby, Jade Jones, Benjamin Lurye, Quynh-My Luu, Alan Naylor, Adam Strube, Janine Sunday, Joseph Torello, Melissa Victor, and Laura Whittenberger.

And crew: Tommy Rapley, choreographer; Zach Campion, dialect coach; John Keith Hall, production stage manager; Casey Kaleba, fight director; Matt Rowe, sound; Debbie Ellinghaus, managing director; Zachary Borovay, projection director; Dennis Blackledge, director of production, and Anne Nesmith, wigs and hair.

What:  Sweeney Todd:  The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


When:  Wednesday through Sunday eves at 8 p.m. with a Wednesday matinee at 2 p.m., Feb. 22,  and weekend matinees at 2 p.m. with the last show at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 5, 2017


































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Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, 
Olney, MD 20832

How much: Tickets begin at $38 with discounts for seniors, groups, military, and studentsUpdate:  Prices cut in half!

Select Performances of Sweeney Todd

Get 50% off Adult tickets to these performances of Sweeney Todd:
Wednesday, March 1 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, March 2 at 8:00 pm
Friday, March 3 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 4 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, March 4 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, March 5 at 2:00 pm
To redeem, visit olneytheatre.org, select ADULT ticket type and enter the code ST50 or call the Box Office at 301.924.3400 and mention the code. Valid only for select Sweeney Todd performances. Subject to availability. Not to be combined with any other offers. Not valid on previously purchased tickets. All sales final. This offer expires at 12:00pm on March 5, 2017.

Duration:  Two hours, 45 minutes with one intermission 

Refreshments:  Available and may be taken to seats

Parking:  Free and plentiful on-site

For more information and tickets: 301-924-3400 for the box office or 301-924-4485

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Signature Theatre's 'Company' is mixed

Company's group dancing is tops at Signature Theatre in Arlington/Scott Suchman

If you want to discourage anyone from getting married, Company is the play to see. I went expecting to hear more humor than reality.

The ending of this musical, now on stage at Signature Theatre in Arlington, is not a “happy" one.  Depending upon which way you lean, it's either "for" or "against" marriage, and it's left to the viewer to decide.  Throughout the presentation, however, most of the characters "suffer" marriage and all its pitfalls and are miserable.  (Hmmm, maybe an opportunity to appreciate your own relationship and strive to make it better?)

The music is routine and forgettable.

Company did earn six Tonys when it was nominated for 14 in 1971 (a record), so somebody up there must like it, but it is the composition, written by the notable
Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930) who based it on George Furth's book, which is mediocre. Who cares in 2013 what marriage is for a bunch of provincial New York dilettantes?


April (Madeline Botteri) and Bobby (Matthew Scott) up in the swing/Scott Suchman

Given the script, Signature's director, Eric Schaeffer, does an admirable job, yet the production lacks soaring flash and dash.   

"Bobby," or "Robert," acted and sung passably by Matthew Scott, is a 35-year-old bachelor who surrounds himself not with other singles, but with five married couples who, natch, try to get him to jump on their loveless boats and get married.  (Misery loves company.) Why would Bobby want to hang out with them? Why would anyone?

Bobby has three girlfriends, about par for today's course, and is smitten by none. Marta (Carolyn Cole), by looks and appearance seems out of sync with the other two (Jamie Eacker, also dance captain, and Madeline Botteri), and all three women deliver some of the strongest performances of the production, especially Botteri who plays the stereotypical air brain airline hostess whose bed romp with Bobby was about the best I've seen on stage. 



The three girlfriends, from left, Marta (Carolyn Cole), Kathy (Jamie Eacker), and April (Madeline Botteri)/Scott Suchman

The costuming (Frank Labovitz) is an excellent fit with the ordinary which mirror the show's general malaise.  Everyone is dressed up in muted grey and white or bone, except for Bobby in a dark blue shirt.  For the striking dance numbers (Matthew Gardiner), the apparel is classy. (One gratuitous scene was a female solo dance number which left me confounded as to its purpose.)

The set's frame (Daniel Conway) remains stationary, but that is immaterial since frequent scene changes of furniture and lighting shifts (Chris Lee) combine to deliver an abstract stage filled with triangles, shadows, and glorious cool mood lighting, presenting theatregoers with a viewpoint of watching a light show while perched on a refrigerator shelf or on a spaceship.  It's a rambunctious ride with large, changing photographs high on the backdrop to distract and create confusion. 
 
A nine-piece orchestra under the direction of Jon Kalbfleisch complements the production nicely without overpowering any voices. Matt Rowe's sound is inconspicuous, the best kind.

The production's highlights belong to the excellent group choreography, and the vignettes acted by Erin Weaver as Amy and Erin Driscoll as Jenny.  Women rule this show.  And three of the couples are really married:  Joanne (Sherri Edelen) is married to Larry (Thomas Adrian Simpson), Sarah (Tracy Lynn Olivera) is married to Harry (Evan Casey), and Jenny is married to David (James Gardiner).
Will she (Erin Weaver as Amy) or won't she? Marry Paul (Paul Scanlan) in Company/Scott Suchman

This production is not for the young, but for comfortably married old folks, i.e. "baby boomers" (certainly for not anyone considering d-i-v-o-r-c-e!) and theatre-lovers, too, especially in halls that are as seductive as Signature’s. 

Two years ago Sondheim’s Follies left the Kennedy Center after a month’s run,  bound for New York, so why can’t this go to New York, too?  It’s certainly better than Follies. 

What:  Company

When:  Now through June 30 every night with weekend matinees, too.  Dark on Mondays.

Where:  Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, Virginia 22206

How much:  From $30.  
Click here for tickets.

Metro station: Pentagon and then, a short bus ride from there.  Use Metro's Trip Planner to plan a route.

Free parking:  At two nearby garages.  Check here. 

For more information: 703-820-9771 or email tickets@signature-theatre.org.

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