Believe it or not, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is based on actual events that occurred in the 1970s in Texas, when the television media exposed that there was a still-operating whorehouse in Texas, The Chicken Ranch. While the musical takes creative liberties, it raises the real question of whether the movement to close this ranch was actually for the better or worse. The proprietor (don’t call her a “madam”) takes good care of her employees, including health benefits; donates regularly to her community, and treats her girls and their “guests” with respect. Obviously, this production is not for everyone. There is some minimal language usage, very brief partial nudity, and a controversial subject matter. However, if you can handle a little controversy, then you should definitely make the time to see this incredible production with an incredibly catchy score (“Hard Candy Christmas” is guaranteed to be stuck in your head for days). Riverside Dinner Theater, once again, demonstrates that their high-quality, professional-caliber productions make them one of the best places to see productions in the DC Metro area.

The head of the Chicken Ranch, Miss Mona Stangley is portrayed by Kathy Halenda, and her performance is truly brilliant beyond words. This woman could take her place among the great divas of the Broadway stage. Her vocals were powerful, touching, and hauntingly beautiful. She commands the stage and every member of the cast and audience without ever over-acting or reaching to create that response. She is able to maintain a feeling of high-energy, while playing a character who is calm, cool, and gracefully strong. She has one monologue about where she was when Kennedy was assassinated that was so touching. Her timing is excellent, and she really becomes this woman. In the last scene, even when she doesn’t say much, you can tell exactly what she is thinking and feeling even in her silences. All of this leads up to her performance of “The Bus from Amarillo,” which in the last moments, shows that, just when you think she and the production couldn’t get any better, they do.

The other incredible standout performance in the production came from Sheri Hayden as Doatsey Mae. In just two scenes, she created a likeable and believable character, and her performance of “Doatsey Mae” was outstanding. She has a voice that is so sweet and warm that you are absolutely memorized. All of the other women were truly outstanding as well. In “Hard Candy Christmas,” each of the women finally gets a chance to show off her incredible voice. Each of the women also do a great job of creating her own little character throughout the piece. Especially enjoyable are Sarah Pruden as Angel, Brittnie Worley as Shy, and Andrea Kahane as Ginger. Kimberly Knight’s Jewel is very good, and she really gets to strut her stuff in “Twenty-Four Hours of Lovin’.”

The men are not quite as strong as the women, but, then again, it is really the female characters that run the show in this production. This is not to say, however, that the men are not very, very good. They are very, very good; these women just set the bar incredibly high. Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd was portrayed by Chris Gillespie. Throughout I wanted to see a little more depth from him, and there was a glimpse of that during “Good Old Girl.” Although, in the end, it may have just been that there is not much depth to Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd. He gave a solid performance and has a lovely voice. The other men also gave solid performances. The male ensemble especially wowed with their choreography during “The Aggie Song.” Robert L. Nelson was quite enjoyable as the Governor in his number “The Sidestep.”

The set and the costumes were detailed, appropriate, and professional. The lighting was actually a complete design that created moods and enhanced the choreography. Riverside does not forget the power of really using lighting as something more than making the stage visible. There was an especially neat moment when all the lights were black, and flashlights were used. The choreography was incredible. Each number had a unique style and was creative. The cast was so well-prepared that no one missed a step.

Sometimes, the best compliment you can give a Director is that his or her presence was unseen. When something doesn’t flow or work, that is when we see the Director in the cracks between the flaws. When a production is a little too over-rehearsed and mechanical, we see the Director’s too-heavy grip. However, when the Director has best done his or her job, we see something that feels so natural and spontaneous that the Director just disappears from view. Patrick A’Hearn is almost never visible in this production. The only slight critique that I have is the decision to add “I Will Always Love You” at the end. A’Hearn explained that it was because of audiences expecting to hear the song since it had been added in the movie. However, I think the script is stronger and the character of Miss Mona is consistent if she never actually says those words and “The Bus from Amarillo” remains the end. I think A’Hearn could have trusted that his production and cast were so good that the audience would forget about expecting to hear “I Will Always Love You.”

The bottom line is: “Texas Has a Whorehouse in It,” and you need to hurry and see it before time runs out.

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Riverside Dinner Theater

Disclaimer: Riverside Dinner Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

As a chubby Baltimore girl who spent several years working as a school teacher in the city and seeing the still crippling effects of racial segregation, few shows warm my heart like Hairspray. It was stunning on Broadway and still stunning as a film. Was it possible to continue to bring that same level of WOW factor to Fredericksburg, Virginia? In the hands of Riverside Dinner Theater and Mark Minnick (Director & Choreographer), it was able to do that and so much more. There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe this production.

Minnick stayed very true to everything that has made Hairspray a success. From the moment that Tracy started belting “Good Morning, Baltimore” in the standing bed, it was clear that he was paying enough homage to the Broadway production to give loyal fans what they were expecting to see. At the same time, between his blocking, choreography, and direction and the stunning cast of top-notch local performers, the production breathed new, fresh life into the original and had nuances, both humorous and heart-warming, that were all Riverside’s own. Minnick also did a seamless job of making sure that the stage never went dark, using crossover songs and choreography to transition between scenes.

The set, designed by Joseph Wallen, was both intricate and simple at the same time. It led to easy transitions and flexible use with choreography concurrent with stunning and detailed visuals. The lighting design of Phil Carlucci was breath-taking as a result of his use of color against the cyclorama and the precision of the design in complimenting the choreography. The costumes designed by Gaye Law and wigs were gorgeous and obviously presented no problems to the actors even with some very quick changes.

The excellent job done by the production team set the stage perfectly for the incredible performances to come. Cuellar’s Tracy was as full of energy and heart and beautiful belt as any Tracy could be. She easily filled the very big shoes of the role and captivated the audience from beginning to end. Still, the most amazing performances in the show came from E. Lawson and Michael as Tracy’s parents, Edna and Wilbur. Lawson’s Edna was drag at its finest. At the right moments, you believed that he was truly a woman and it was touching and sweet. And, at the right moments, you remembered he was a man and it was hysterical. Michael’s Wilbur was funny, sweet, and wise, and he had an absolutely beautiful voice. Their duet “Timeless to Me” was perfection in every aspect.

Strong and beautiful vocals, high-energy and precision-perfect dance skills, and colorful yet real characterizations were consistent qualities of every single member of the cast. Matt James’ likeable Corny Collins, Ghandchilar’s zany Penny, Kevin Scott’s conflicted Link, Sheri Hayden’s wickedly vain Velma, Abby Hart’s self-absorbed Amber, and Tillman’s sizzling Seawood were all equally as incredible, and the cast did an excellent job of alternating the spotlight as appropriate. Another amazing standout was Kimberly Fox as Motormouth Maybelle. Everything about her was strong and inspiring. Her “Big, Blonde, and Beautiful” made you want to get up and strut your stuff, while her “I Know Where I’ve Been” made you want to continue to be a champion for change and true equality. As her daughter Little Inez, TayAndra Allen is also one to watch. With a voice like that, she has quite a future ahead of her.

Watching this true masterpiece, it felt like Broadway had actually come to Fredericksburg. It is also important to note that the ambience, service, and dinner were almost as first-class as the production. Forget the other dinner theaters, and take the trip to Riverside.

Cast (In Order of Appearance)

• Tracy Turnblad: Priscilla Cuellar
• Corny Collins: Matt James
• Edna Turnblad: James E. Lawson
• Penny Pingleton: Tina Ghandchilar
• Velma Von Tussle: Sheri Hayden
• Amber Von Tussle: Abby Hart
• Link Larkin: Kevin Scott
• Seaweed J. Stubbs: Antonio Tillman
• Little Inez: Tayandra Allen
• Motormouth Maybelle: Kimberly Fox
• Wilbur Turnblad: Jason Michael
• Prudy Pingleton/Gym Teacher/Matron: Sarah Pruden
• Mr. Pinky/harriman F. Spritzer: Robert L. Nelson
• Gilbert: Ricardo Coleman, Jr.
• Thad: Kenneth Gary
• Duane: Calvin Register, Jr.
• Council Members
  • Tammy: Alyssa Bornschein
  • Brad: Adam Workman
  • Fender: Kendric Walpole
  • Brenda: Carley Burtt
  • Sketch: Joshua Adam Kelly
  • Shelley: Adelyne Anderson
• The Dynamites
  • Judine: Natasha Sanders
  • Kamilah: Mariah Jenkins
  • Shayna: Diane Pollock
• Alternates (some Wednesday Matinees)
  • Tracy: Rebecca E. Law
  • Edna: Jason Michael
  • Wilbur: Doug Wall
  • Seaweed: Calvin Register, Jr.
• Understudies
  • Penny: Carley Burtt
  • Corny/Link: Joshua Adam Kelly
  • Velma: Sarah Pruden
  • Motormouth: Diane Pollock
  • Character Man: Doug Wall
  • Duane: Anthony Williams
  • Little Inez: Mariah Jenkins
• Female Teen Ensemble Swing: Brittnie Worley
• Male Teen Ensemble Swing: Alan Schlichting

Crew

• Produced by Rollin E. Wehman
• Directed and Choreographed by Mark Minnick
• Musical Direction by Rollin E. Wehman
• Set Construction by Curtis Craddock & John Mahon
• Scenic Design by Joseph Wallen
• Scenic Artists: Matthew P. Westcott & Maria Duke
• Lighting Design by Phil Carlucci
• Costume Design/Coordination: Gaye Law
• Production Manager: Chalmers Hood
• Stage Manager: Ben Feindt
• Associate Artistic Director for Riverside Center: Patrick A’Hearn

Disclaimer: Riverside Dinner Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Note: Part 1 of this interview

Mike: So are you already looking at next season?

Patrick: We are. We will probably have everything solid this Thursday I think we have another meeting, but we are discussing possibly opening next season with Miss Saigon. We have talked about doing our first play here at the Riverside and we are exploring the idea of doing Lend Me A Tenor because that’s always a good comedy for a theater that has done only musicals. It is a comedy. This is not a summerstock town. A lot of people go away. The traffic in the summertime down here is not great so I think the way to go is to do something popular but more low budget with not a lot of cost. The cuts on royalties of musicals are huge so we are talking about doing that and then the theatre has never done Always, Patsy Cline so we are thinking about doing that.

Mike: That is a two person show.

Patrick: Yes two person, very small. So that is our plan now for the Summer. Of course none of this is concrete yet. We definitely want to do Dream Girls next Fall. We have talked about possibly doing Cabaret because we were supposed do it this season because everyone has responded well to Chicago and that may be back on the bill. This theatre has never done Anything Goes which is charming, a little old fashioned, but it’s got the tap in it so that is being explored. There is a Johnny Cash review called Ring of Fire. One of the top requested shows that everyone asks for is South Pacific.

Mike: Kennedy Center is doing it.

Patrick: I know, that is the new Lincoln Center production. It is a beautiful production. I saw it. So who knows we might regroup and think about doing that. Combination of new current stuff maybe bring some older tried and true. But always with looking to doing things with a new fresh approach. Not necessarily with doing it the way it has always been done. That is my goal I think.

Mike: That is one of our things that we like to see. Since we see mostly community theatre with a smattering of professional in the DC area. Rent is one we kind of got sick of. So many theaters did it. They all did it the same way it’s been done. Finally in one of our reviews we said why does Mark always wear a scarf? That set off a firestorm. “Have to do a scarf. It’s in the script.” It’s actually not. We were reading the program for your Chicago today and it said choreography is mostly Bob Fosse’s. I do not know the original so I don’t know what was and what wasn’t. So where is that line of creating something new versus what people are expecting to see.

Patrick: Well, with a show like Chicago there is a certain expectation. When I was going to direct it and we were going to do the show I, and I hate to sound territorial, but having been a part of that ’96 revival production, even before I had any intention of auditioning for it and being cast in the show, I saw it on Broadway when they transferred it and I was pretty blown away. Because to me it was simple, but the entrances were dynamic. Everybody had some kind of special. I loved Velma’s entrance coming up on the lift.

Mike: That was totally unexpected.

Patrick: I loved my exit “music please.” This version of Chicago was born from the Encore series that they do. Are you familiar with that? At City Center in New York? They started that 10 years go where they take musicals that didn’t get their just desserts and do them in a concertized version at the City Center on 55th Street. It runs for about two or three weeks. This version of Chicago they were not planning it for Broadway. They were planning to do it at City Center just to get it back on its feet again.

I’ll never forget the day after it had opened at City Center, I think it was front page of the Times. Everyone was saying unbelievable. So immediately everyone was grabbing it to transfer it to Broadway. So when I saw the show, I’ve been in the business a long time and we were going through this period of all spectacle musicals and there wasn’t much substance. It was all about how the pretty picture was going to look. When I got into the theater it was all about how the book had to be strong. The music had to be strong. And then the set was always done quite wonderfully, but you always left something to the imagination with the theater goer. Today with Cats and Les Miz, which I was a part of, everything is so big and grand. Phantom.

So it was nice to see a production of Chicago that was simple yet star quality entrances and the music and everything carried itself. So with that being said, when we were going to do it here I was partial to that version. Not just because I had been in it. Then there were certain definitive things that I saw. Having watched clips of the ’75 production with Gwen Burton and Chita Rivera. Having been a part of this revival that Ann Reinking took a lot of that and of course she had a very close relationship with Bob Fosse and put her own take on it. It’s sexy and it’s sensual. When I hired the choreographer to do this show I had seen some of his own stuff where he had done it in other places. He is a Fosse fanatic, but he was able to take some of the Fosse and make it his own. What we tried to do here and what I would try to continue to do is be respectful of what the intention was, but not be afraid to put a little different spin on it.

One of the things in doing this production I wanted to try to do something slightly different and put my own spin on it was the recreation film at the beginning. Because I thought that it would be kind of cool. We see Roxie shoot Fred Casely. But we only hear about it in the monologue, Velma walking in on her husband and sister in bed. So I thought it would be cool thinking in terms of the people who have seen the movie to give it a little more and do that. So I’m not afraid to take a chance with that. The response to that has been big. I love that because you hear that third gunshot and then you hear the bleed through of the Chicago song. We added those little touches that are not a part of the revival production. You don’t get, other than the Roxie song and the lighting you don’t get a lot of visuals. I’m not afraid to take a chance. Maybe if I ever do Rent I won’t put Mark in a scarf.

Mike: We saw a production where they didn’t and it was fantastic.

Patrick: Oh really?

Mike: They totally started from scratch. There was a part where one of the people gave him a Christmas gift and it was a scarf. He was like,”Nah.” It was great.

Patrick: I’m not partial to Rent. I saw it on Broadway and it’s not my bag. I don’t know if this community would support a show like Rent. But here again in the summer what we are going to do with Lend Me A Tenor and Patsy it may be something that would fit in a four week run. Because you don’t want to limit yourself. It’s good to pull in a younger audience. Always keep an open mind, but I think it’s important to try to take a fresh look at things. I also support the theory that if it’s not broken don’t try to fix it. So does that answer your question? In a very long way.

Mike: Yeah. It’s tough. There was a thing a couple years ago Urinetown was done at some community theater in Ohio. And one of the people who saw the original Urinetown saw it and was like, “hey that’s my set.” And they sued them saying you can’t use my stuff. So that is one of the things in the back of my head.

Patrick: I heard all about that. Even with doing this production you have to be careful on when you get the rights to Chicago it really is the 75 version. The revival script is not out there. Now a lot of us who have done the production know the staging and know a lot of the stuff so we are able to do things. But that is why you would want to do things and shake it up a little bit. Make it a little bit different. Because you don’t want to do it verbatim. I directed Evita here last summer and we did that a little bit different. Again being respectful of how Larry Fuller did the choreography. Being respectful, but not being afraid. For Evita I added “You Must Love Me” which was done for Madonna for the film. I thought maybe there was a way to maybe put it in to the production that played beautifully. I as an artistic person have to do something a little different and will continue to do that.

Mike: So do you get a little more leeway being a regional larger theater in what you can do to the script?

Patrick: I don’t know.

Mike: I mean like adding stuff. I know the shows I’ve worked. I stage manage. The shows I’ve worked it’s always been that you can’t edit anything. It’s a contract. I don’t know if that’s a community theatre thing.

Patrick: Well we asked permission with Evita. And they were fine with it because it was actually done in the revival that they did in London about four or five years go they added it. So I think why not? I think they are bringing it back to Broadway and I think the intention is to put that in there. I certainly would not go way off line without getting permission. One of the things with Chicago people complain about some of the language and such, but then I say to people that’s the script. We can’t all of a sudden tamper with it. Even if people think it comes to a vulgar word or taking the Lord’s name in vain or anything like that. You really have to be careful when you tamper with somebody’s. Put yourself in the author’s shoes. If I wrote something I would not want to do see it and say my gosh what did they do with my show? So I don’t think it gives us being a larger regional facility. I don’t think it gives us any license. I would not do anything unless I asked permission because I have a reputation. Having come from where I come from I certainly would not want anyone down here with “Get’ em!” “Why is he doing this?” So, no I don’t think this gives us any license to do it, but here again you want to take a chance and be creative and you want to make things current, exciting and fresh.

Mike: You mentioned briefly on the phone when we talked on the phone last week that you were hoping to expand your pool of talent for shows. How can we get DC people to be interested in working down here?

Patrick: One of the things I’m exploring down here is a way to have some housing with the theater. Occasionally we do bring in somebody from New York and we have a barter system with one of the hotels down here that has been really good to the theater. But it would be great to have some situation where if we do employ people from DC as far south as Richmond to have a place for them to stay. I also think by trying to do some of these current fresh shows like Hairspray and Dream Girls and Chicago that there is talent out there that goes “Oh I want to do that show.” So I think that opens the door to people wanting to travel a little bit down from DC from Richmond.

Funny story. When I first came to this area my parents had relocated from upstate New York. I was born and raised in central New York. They relocated to Fredericksburg when I was in college in Syracuse. I graduated and came down to visit them and I got a little bored. Fredericksburg was not what it is today back in the late ’70’s. I had only done theater as a hobby at this point. I was reading the Washington Post and saw an audition for the Harlequin Dinner Theater which was over in Rockville, Maryland. It is no longer, but it was there for quite some time. I went over and auditioned for a production of My Fair Lady and I was cast. I used to commute from here to Rockville. And loved every minute of it. I don’t think we were making that much money at the time. It was a situation where you could wait tables, but I did the commute because I loved what I was doing. And it was a stepping stone. It was a starting point. And in so many ways you life kind of goes full circle. If I hadn’t come here and if I hadn’t taken that drive to the Harlequin and somebody saw me in that audition and asked me to audition for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat which was done at Ford’s Theater back in 190-81 before it later went to Broadway, and I got caught up in that whole thing and subsequently did the show and the tour and that start really launched my career. I’d have to say a bit of a commute for me ended up being something that tuned out really really good. I’m back here now because in essence I’m kind of giving it back by saying why not come back to this area and kind of taking what you’ve learned in almost 30 years and try to do some great things in the area. My point is I do want to open up the doors to getting people down whatever it takes to get people down from the DC area. Get them up from the Richmond area absolutely.

Mike: Are you involved with the kids’ program that Riverside does?

Patrick: Somewhat. We are looking at revamping that a little bit, too. Bringing in some new directors, trying to do newer works. We are discussing right now doing a premier piece here that a composer has put together. I think that also has to be strong and fresh and current because those are your future performers. I also stress the fact that that is your younger audience as far as your main stage because those are the adults who are bringing their children in the day time. If they see something that really appeals and really makes a difference they are libel to buy a ticket and say hey let’s go see Chicago or let’s go see Hairspray. So I think it’s important to keep the children’s theater very very strong. And involving the children from the community.

Mike: A lot of the theaters we cover struggle for tech help. How is it down in the Fredericksburg area with the technical end of things?

Patrick: What endeared me to this facility when I came down six seven years ago. Mr. Wehman brought me in and I did a Broadway concert thing here. I was pretty amazed by the facility. I worked in dinner theater many years ago and most of the dinner theaters that I know of throughout the country did not exist as theaters. They existed as old grocery stores or warehouses or something else that was converted into a theater. And it’s usually theater in the round or theater in the square. I know there is Toby’s up in Baltimore and that was something else before it became a dinner theater.

This facility was created for theater. There is great fly space, a proscenium stage. For anybody who is looking to do this it’s a wonderful space to train. I think we are able to entice people that really want to learn. The scene shop that we have here is amazing. They are totally doing the drops and the sets right now for It’s A Wonderful Life. We have a wonderful facility to create here. I think sometimes it’s like going to a great university. If your facility is strong. I remember when I went to Syracuse one of the things that attracted me to the university it was like working in a network. The facility that they have.

One of the things I’m trying to do here is bring in some really talented directors and choreographers so that the people who work here get a chance to work with some really great people. I believe in the facility and that’s one of the main reasons why I thought this place needs to be even more on the map than it is. I was willing to shake my life up a little bit to come down here and try being on this side of the table for a while and be creative. I think that lends itself to getting a good technical staff. There are nice toys to play with.

Mike: Do you have a sense of the market size for this area? You ask people in the DC about theater and they will say The Kennedy Center, the National and all these other 200 little theaters they don’t mention. So it seems like a lot of the area is neighborhood or community oriented.

Patrick: There is a built in subscription base here. There is a built in audience that knows the theater now. It’s been in existence 12, going on 13 years now. I think in order for a theater like this to survive you have to pull from your outer regions. I know that 95 is not conducive for travel all the time. But we have found like with Chicago we’ve had repeat business. We had a former conductor of the National Symphony in DC down here a couple Sundays ago and he sought me out. I came out to meet this gentleman and he gave me a big hug and he said,”wow!” He said, “You know there’s this presumption with dinner theater, but this was theater! This was great. I loved the show and we’re going to come back and bring a bunch of people.” They live in DC. Is there a way to get down here, you can take the VRE.

This is what I have tried to convey to the board, if you put on a polished, wonderful production, I know myself I’ll drive. I’ll go an hour or two to see something that’s really really good. I think that’s what you’ve gotta do. You’ve gotta open your market. The Fredericksburg proper area the population is like 25,000. You’ve got to really expand into, technically this is Stafford County. I drove down and we did a television interview performance thing on CBS Channel 6 in Richmond yesterday. It was not even an hour to get down here. I think you have to set your sights on doing some great theater and get the word out and then hopefully people won’t mind doing a bit of a drive to get down to do it.

Getting back to your question that’s why we need to pull talent from those areas. We have a gentleman from the DC area who is doing It’s A Wonderful Life. He’s done a lot of theater up in DC and he’s happy to drive down. He loves the facility and wants to work here. The woman who plays Mama Morton in Chicago, she’s from the DC area and she loves it here. I think the detriment go being in a smaller area with theater is it can tend to get very cliquish and very neighborhoody and the same people. I think with something like theater, music, anything like that, you’ve got to shake it up. You’ve got to give something different to look at, something different to hear. So it’s so important to reach out to those areas and I reached out to you and to reach out to other people to get down to see us from further away than ten miles.

Mike: Well, thank you for talking with us, and introducing us to the Riverside Dinner Theater.

Patrick: Oh, it was a pleasure.

Disclaimer: Riverside Dinner Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for our review of Chicago.

Note: Part 2 of this interview will be posted on Tuesday the 9th)

Mike: This is Mike Clark with ShowBizRadio. Today we are talking with Patrick A’Hearn, the Artistic Director for the Riverside Dinner Theatre in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Thanks for having us over today.

Patrick: Thanks for having me.

Mike: We just saw your production of Chicago.

Patrick: Yes. Absolutely. It’s fun to be finally presenting the show here after trying to get it for awhile. It seems to be a crowd pleaser, which is always good when you are planning the season at dinner theatre. We are pretty proud of the production. We have a strong cast and our production elements are strong so we are happy to fill the seats.

Mike: So you’re halfway through the season.

Patrick: We opened with Footloose then Into The Woods and Chicago, so we will be halfway through after Chicago. We have extended it one week because of the demand for the show. There is a lot of repeat business so we decided to run it through Thanksgiving. Then we open It’s A Wonderful Life on December 1st.

Mike: And A Wonderful Life is not the regular radio version that a lot of people do?

Patrick: I did not even know that? Is there a radio version?

Mike: We do a lot of community theater. There are four different groups in the DC area doing It’s A Wonderful Life the Radio Version in December.

Patrick: Wow, I did not even know that.

Mike: We have seen it twice last year and a couple times this year.

Patrick: And it is like an old radio show?

Mike: They have a sound guy in one corner with different sound effects boxes and things and everybody has a script and they all dress in their forties outfits and they come up.

Patrick: That’s interesting.

Mike: So when we saw that we said, “my gosh they are doing that too.” But then the MC before Chicago saying it was a musical.

Patrick: It is a musical. We were supposed to have White Christmas. And then at the last minute they pulled the rights. So I believe the Barksdale Theatre in Richmond is doing it and for some reason they beat us to the punch. They have the restriction like we have the restriction for Chicago and they did not want to give it up.

Interestingly enough we are doing Hairspray next season and we have the restriction on that. Little Theatre of Alexandria wants to do Hairspray. It’s interesting how it works. They called us and said “Would you mind?” And we didn’t. Because I think everyone needs to co-habitate together. If all theaters do well, that’s a good thing.

This is a musical version. When White Christmas went by the wayside it came to the plate of let’s do The Sound of Music. I thought “oh boy.” The theater has done The Sound of Music twice. I joked with Mr. Wehman (the General Manager) and asked him what are we going to do with all these people who thought they were going to see White Christmas? And you’re going to go to them and say Oh don’t worry about it we’re going to do The Sound of Music and put a Christmas tree in the Von Trapp family living room and sing Christmas carols instead of Edelweiss? He said it was a good idea. I said, no I think we need to stay in the Christmas vein. Last year they did Scrooge. I didn’t know if going for the Alan Menken Christmas Carol was the right thing to do this season.

I discussed with him about doing a Christmas season spectacular that we would produce in house because I know a lot of theaters do that. Then I thought It’s A Wonderful Life. I remembered that Sheldon Harnik had written the lyrics to a production of that and thought that might be interesting. So we looked into It’s A Wonderful Life and we actually did our homework. We went on YouTube and listened. There are about five or six musical versions. The one that we chose is by a married couple Susan and Philip Kern, and Jerry Lowe. I just thought it was simple and the music was nice so we decided to go with that version.

Mike: That makes sense. That’s good. Try something different.

Patrick: Try something a little different. Everybody thinks ugh – It’s Wonderful Life, The Musical; so we tried to get something that did not detract from the movie. We wanted to keep it in the same vein as the movie. I think it’s a charming story and the music written for this particular production does not detract.

Mike: It’s still what people will sort of remember from the movie.

Patrick: Oh, absolutely it’s very true to the script. I would hate to say verbatim, but it’s pretty darn close to what you’ve seen. It’s delightful. It’s selling like hot cakes. Because we have extended Chicago for one week it’s only I think about four weeks then we go right into Hairspray which opens the beginning of January.

Mike: Then you finish with Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Patrick: We finish with another edgy show. Yes we are going out on a limb. I said to Mr. Wehman we need to be careful not to do too many of these. We had initially thought that maybe Whorehouse isn’t going to be everybody’s ticket in this area and we thought maybe the groups would not call and already the groups are signing up. I’m actually going to be back on the bill to direct that one. I really want to play up the country music portion of it. Really try to do authentic country. This is an area that loves country so rather than make it about what everybody thinks it’s about to really push the musical aspect of it in terms of the music aspect of it. So that’s what we are going to do.

Note: Part 2 of this interview will be posted on Tuesday the 9th)

Chicago is a Tony award winning musical with book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse; music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Chicago takes place in 1920’s Chicago and is the story of two women in jail, one for killing her lover who tried to leave and the other who came home to find her husband in bed with her sister. Both used their sexuality and sensationalism to try to get away with their crimes. Marred only by a few sound problems, Chicago‘s exciting acting and exceptional choreography by Christopher Noffke make it a must see musical.

Roxie Hart was the fiery redhead played by Sabra Michelle. Michelle had sassiness about her that played to the audience. She knew how to work a crowd to get the right amount of sympathy from the audience using her voice and body to get the right response. Her cellmate Velma who had already had her “five minutes of fame” was played by Vilma Gil. Unlike Michelle, Gil was much angrier at the world and her place in life. Her onstage presence was more sultry and her dance routines were much more provocative. The hot shot lawyer that everyone was after (and also to win their cases) was the stylish Billy Flynn played by Gary Best. Best knew how to win an argument and used all his flair and pizzazz to do it. The ethics were left at home. John Hollinger was heartbreaking as Roxie’s husband Amos. He was easily manipulated and cast aside when his purpose had been met. His song “Mister Cellophane” showed his human side, and that he wasn’t caught up in the celebrity status of his wife.

The set was made up of a large multi-level platform, with hidden steps and elevators allowing for the cast to appear and vanish quickly. The absence of color (everyone’s costume was mostly black) gave the show a dark and sinister quality which was not a bad thing. A huge “Chicago” marquee lit up in several different ways to help emphasize various scenes. The singing and dancing were well done; many of the dance numbers featured many players. “The Cell Block Tango” made fun of each girl’s situation, and each actor sold their part. The only distraction were some sound and microphone issues. For example, some of the female dancers had mics that rustled against their clothes or thumped as they rolled around on the floor. One unique part of this production was a video that played at the very top of the show. This video allowed us to see the point of view of Roxie Hart and the crime she is accused of.

Enjoy a good menu and an excellently performed production of Chicago. The show has been extended through November 27th.

Director’s Notes

I am excited and proud to finally bring Chicago to the Riverside Center. After our pursuit of licensing rights for almost four years, this show has now become a reality for our illustrious stage.

I have a fondness and personal attachment to Chicago, having appeared as Mary Sunshine in both the first national tour and the Las Vegas production that starred Chita Rivera and Ben Vereen. I can remember seeing the revival back in 1996 and being dazzled from th first notes of the horns playing “All That Jazz” straight through to the end of the “Hot Money Rag.” What sophistication, sensuality, excitement, and star quality! How wonderful for Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb to finally get their reward for a show that was ahead of its time in 1975 and completely overshadowed by the opening of A Chorus Line the same year. Murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery-just like the reality television world we live in today. A dark parable of American injustice, this sexy musical extravaganza not only sensationalizes its two starts, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, for th murders of their husbands, but also propels both of them to showbiz stardom. If Roxie and Velma had been around today, they probably would have their own television show called “The Real Housewives of Chicago.”

Thanks to Annie Reinking’s splendid choreography “in the style of Bob Fosse” and the delicious wit of director Walter Bobbie, Chicago went on to win 6 Tony awards in 1997, including Best Musical Revival. Still running on Broadway, it has become Broadway’s longest running revival and the sixth longest running show in Broadway history. In 2002, Chicago was released as a feature film and later went on to win an academy Award for Best Picture.

I believe what makes Chicago such a winner is how it resonates in today’s media driven society. Adding to its potency is the fact that it is based on the true stories of the 1924 trials of murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, as covered by Maurine Dallas Watkins for the Chicago Tribune. Kander and Ebb’s musical score produces several showstoppers and cleverness of basing them on traditional vaudeville acts and star performers is intriguing. this character-driven musical excites from beginning to end!

And that is my mission for this production of Chicago — to excite you, our audience, from beginning to end. I could not have accomplished this without a wonderful cast, production staff and technical crew. I pay special tribute to Christopher Noffke for his electrifying re-creation of some of Annie Reinkings’s choreography as well as his own take on Bob Fosse’s style. As always, my gratitude and admiration go out to Ron Wehman for his willingness to tackle this great show, his keen musical sensibilities, and “all that jazz”…..

Patrick A’Hearn

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by the Riverside Dinner Theater.

Cast

• Velma Kelly: Vilma Gil
• Roxie Hart: Sabra Michelle
• Fred Casely: Adam Workman
• Sergeant Fogarty: Brian Baez
• Amos Hart: John Hollinger
• Liz: TaLon Thomas
• Annie: Sheri Hayden
• June: Heather McIntosh
• Hunyak: Abby Hart
• Mona: Christin Pristas
• Matron “Mama” Morton: Wynn Creasy
• Billy Flynn: Gary Best
• Mary Sunshine: M. James
• Go-To-Hell Kitty: Rachel Simpson
• Harry: Ricardo Coleman, Jr.
• Aaron/The Jury: Calvin Register, Jr.
• Doctor/The Judge: Brian Baez
• Martin Harrison: Anthony Williams
• Court Clerk: Ricardo Coleman, Jr.
• Bailiff: Josh Kelly
• Announcer/Reporter: Kenneth Gary
• Reporter/Photographer: Nicholas Rivera-Miller

Understudies

• Roxie: Sheri Hayden
• Velma: TaLon Thomas
• Amos: Robert L. Nelson
• “Mama” Morton: Andrea Kahane
• Billy Flynn: Alex Balian
• Mary Sunshine: J. Kelly
• For all other roles: Jake Bumbrey, Kylie Clark, Kendall Mostafavi

Crew

• Director: Patrick A’Hearn
• Producer: Rollin E. Wehman
• Musical Director: Rollin E. Wehman
• Scenic Design by: Curtis Craddock, Mathew P. Westcott, Phil Carlucci
• Choreography by: Christopher Noffke
• Lighting Design by: Phil Carlucci
• Costume Design/Coordination: Chris Hlusko
• Scenic Artist: Matthew P. Westcott
• Production Manager: Chalmers Hood
• Stage Manager: Ben Feindt
• Associate Artistic Director for Riverside Center: Patrick A’Hearn
• Assistant to the Director: Carole Shrader
• Opening Video produced by: Jonathan Dodd
• Dance Captain: Christin Pristas
• Technical Director: Phil Carlucci
• Lead Costume Coordinator: Patricia Lynch
• Assistant Stage Manager: Tracy Abercrombie
• Senior Stage Technician: Paul Johannes
• Senior Stage/Audio Technician: Ashton Banks
• Stage Technician: Tommy Cleary
• Stage Technician Swing: Martin Deffner
• Stage Technician Swing: Rendel Sogueco
• Stage Technician Swing: John Mahon
• Senior Lighting Technician: Rebecca Mahon
• Senior Lighting Technician: Steve Thompson
• Senior Audio Technician: Roberrt Walpole
• Set Carpenter/Welder: Curtis Craddock
• Properties Mistress: Kylie Clark

Disclaimer: Riverside Dinner Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.