With plenty of PG-13 rated Borscht Belt, burlesque-style “nudge nudge, wink wink” spinning humor, Arlington’s Signature Theatre is bringing a musical bauble, the premiere of Cloak and Dagger or the Case of the Golden Venus.

It is musical theater under the confident direction of Eric Schaeffer meant to bring a respite from the real world. And that is a very good thing, given the real world lately.

Cloak and Dagger has a full complement of hard-working purposeful groaners of jokes that Milton Berle may have written, some delightful hip-swinging ala Mae West by way of Harvey Feinstein, and mugs that Sheldon Leonard once played. If those names are fresh in your mind, along with Sunday nights with Ed Sullivan, or a trip to the Catskills, or perhaps the modern equivalent, a cruise ship meandering about. You can have a ball especially if you are in the mood for some anodyne bawdiness.

As the Signature marketing material notes, the storyline is this: “Third-rate detective Nick Cutter is down on his luck when a beautiful blonde bombshell tosses a very intriguing case (and herself) into his lap. For the next 90 minutes, Nick races through every New York neighborhood in this zany, mile-a-minute whodunit.” All in early 1950’s New York City. It isn’t Stacey Keach as Mike Hammer, but as a singing detective.

Four actors play the nearly 20 roles. Well make that two actors play nearly 18 roles. The cast includes Erin Driscoll as Jessica Rabbit, oops, I meant Helena Troy. Driscoll was most recently seen at Signature in The Three Penny Opera. Down-on-his-luck Detective Nick Cutter is played by Signature newcomer Doug Carpenter. The other 18 characters are under the amusing purview of Helen Hayes Awardees Christopher Bloch and Ed Dixon.

Oh, and one other small detail. Dixon also wrote the book, music and lyrics for this world premiere production of Cloak and Dagger. His score of about nineteen numbers, including several reprised songs, is a pastiche of lyrics and melody that mimics the spoofing nature of the production and its off-beat characters. There are plenty of percussion and sax-like notes that emanate from conductor Jenny Cartney and her jazzy four-piece band that includes keyboard, reeds and drums. Colorful orchestration by Jordon Ross Weinhold adds personality to each of the characters.

Some cute songs and their titles include “A Real Woman” with a vamping Mae West (Dixon) and an animated “Shake Your Maracas” (Bloch and Dixon). Driscoll gets to use her lovely, lovely voice in a torchy number entitled “Doors Close.” Carpenter’s beefy baritone opens the show with musical introductions of what the show is about: “The Worst of Times” and “The Best of Times.” Is the score memorable? Not really. But so what.

As for the dialogue; the quips can be witty shtick delivered with a knowing glance to make sure the audience is in on it. The broad pokes at the many different people who make up New York are not meant to harm.

The show is full of old-fashioned, New York City accented car-chase speed playful dialogue. The actors move about the minimally adorned stage (Daniel Conway) through three well-used doors, matching the dialogue delivery speed. There is also a large, sturdy-appearing marquee over the doors that provides a place for large black and white photos of New York City to be seen to set a New York state of mind.

The ever-changing costumes for Block and Dixon by way of Kathleen Geldard are a bright treat of flowing silks, or perhaps polyester, character defining hats, suits with wide lapels, and bemusing cross-dressing attire. And, there is also one very special neon yellow glowing image of the Lady in the New York harbor. Wig designer Anne Nesmith certainly enjoyed herself with her campy selections. As for Driscoll, she is wrapped in a form-hugging, cardinal red pencil dress.

Up for something with amusement, silliness, and banter propelled by a lively score and excellent voices? Then head off to Cloak and Dagger at Signature Theatre. It is a screwball musical to ice you down during this summer heat wave. Marvel at what tongue-in-cheek delivery whether straight dialogue or song can prove; a good time.

Photo Gallery

Helena Troy (Erin Driscoll) sings ‘Doors Close’	Helena Troy (Erin Driscoll) tosses an intriguing case to Nick Cutter (Doug Carpenter)
The Irish Landlady (Ed Dixon) sings ‘A Real Woman’	Manny (Christopher Bloch) sings ‘An Agent’
Helena Troy (Erin Driscoll) sings ‘Chinatown Blues’	Fat Tony (Ed Dixon), Nick Cutter (Doug Carpenter) and Gino (Christopher Bloch) sing ‘Who Put the Mob In’
Stanley (Christopher Bloch) and Helena Troy (Erin Driscoll)	Nick Cutter (Doug Carpenter, center) and Pinsky’s Chorus Girls sing ‘Shake Your Maracas’

Photos by Margot Schulman

Cast

• Nick Cutter: Doug Carpenter
• Helena Troy: Erin Driscoll
• Character Man Two: Christopher Bloch 
• Character Man One: Ed Dixon

Artistic and Design Team

• Book, Music & Lyrics by Ed Dixon
• Directed by Eric Schaeffer
• Orchestrations: Jordon Ross Weinhold
• Music Director: Jenny Cartney
• Scenic Design: Daniel Conway
• Costume Design: Kathleen Geldard
• Lighting Design: Collin K. Bills
• Sound Design: Lane Elms
• Wig Design: Anne Nesmith
• Stage Manager: Julie Meyer

Disclaimer: Signature Theatre provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Throughout American Century Theater’s production of Abby Mann’s Judgment at Nuremberg, ensemble members portraying Nazis and their victims act as silent witnesses — ghosts, if you like — whose presence provides context for the legal proceeding at its heart. But these are not the only ghosts haunting any production of this powerful script: the memory of the Stanley Kramer’s 1961 film, with a brilliant cast including Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Maximilian Schell (who won an Oscar for his performance), Richard Widmark, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, and even the then young and pretty William Shatner is hard to keep out of one’s mind when viewing the stage version of Mann’s story.

At the center of the play is retired American judge Dan Haywood (Craig Miller), brought to Germany to preside over the 1947-48 trial of German judges who had collaborated, or actively participated, in Nazi-era injustices. The headline-grabbing war crimes trials, convicting Goering and other leading Nazi figures, were already complete, and the looming threat of a Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union was leading many to believe gaining support from a revived German nation was more important that pursuing justice against smaller fish.

Haywood is the very figure of what we would want an American judge to be: low-key; kind; seeking the intellectual, historical, and cultural background of the case; understanding of the complexity of human motives; and focused entirely on justice, notwithstanding considerations of realpolitik. Miller is utterly believable in the role, never showy, always inhabiting the character. Some of his best moments are those in which he expresses uncertainty — “I don’t know what to think,” he says more than once. Even when delivering the sternest of judgments, he does do in a compassionate tone. Without attempting to channel Spencer Tracy, Miller makes Haywood a memorable and admirable figure.

In what is the play’s showiest role, defense attorney Oscar Rolfe, Steve Lebens does, to an extent, channel Maximilian Schell’s take on the role. A brilliant advocate, adept at devastating cross-examination, he acknowledges the horrors of the Nazi regime while, as a German patriot, he insists that it is not right to brand the entire German nation as criminal, something he sees as the inevitable implication of the trial. As he questions witnesses who were treated brutally in the defendants’ courtrooms, trying to show that there may have been a legally sound basis for executions and sterilizations, he knowingly reopens their emotional wounds. Lebens is at is best when facing the moral compromises of his own position, attacking people he knows to have been victims on behalf of persons who he knows acted unjustly, not only in the cause of his lawyer’s obligation to zealously defend his clients but in the cause of defending the honor and future of his nation.

The tragic principal defendant, Ernst Janning (Michael Replogle), was a leading jurist and legal scholar before and after the Nazis took power. He gave credibility to the Nazi legal system, and he personally and knowingly made unjust decisions on behalf of that system. As Haywood comments toward the end of the play, Janning loathed the evil he did, yet still chose to do it. In the film, Burt Lancaster gave Janning a commanding presence, dominating even those scenes in which he had no lines, proud even in taking responsibility for his crimes. Replogle takes the role in a quite different direction, displaying less gravitas while giving Janning a somewhat diffident, almost academic air, with an overlay of humility, more willing to admit, in his voice and body, that his choices in life have defeated him.

The approach Replogle takes to Janning is echoed, in one important respect, by Karen Rosnizeck’s Mrs. Bertholt. Both members of the pre-Nazi elite, they hated Hitler and his followers not so much for their evil as for their middle-class grossness. Mrs. Bertholt recounts a story in which Janning told Hitler to his face that he was too “bourgeois,” and Janning himself recoils at sharing prison quarters with his fellow prisoners, who in addition to their corruption were not the sort of people with whom he would ever have shared time and space. Mrs. Bertholt is the widow of a Wehrmacht general hanged for his part in the Malmedy massacre (the murder of 84 American POWs during the Battle of the Bulge). Aristocrats both, they despised the Nazis but supported the war as patriotic Germans defending their country. This class division among the Germans, and Hitler’s success in co-opting the old elites despite their disdain for him, are sometime-forgotten aspects of the period’s history that Mann illuminates in the script.

Rosnizeck’s Mrs. Bertholt is a gracious, civilized figure whose expropriated house provides quarters for Judge Haywood. Rosnizek’s portrayal emphasizes Mrs. Bertholt’s bitterness over her husband’s execution and over the entire war crimes trial enterprise — she stalks out of the final court session after the guilty verdict is announced — but could have benefitted from an additional touch of world-weariness. Rosnizeck also served as the production’s accent coach, and she and the actors playing German characters deserve credit for very credible German accents.

Colonel Ted Lawson (Bruce Alan Rauscher), his memory seared by the sight of the Dachau concentration camp, is appropriately aggressive as the prosecutor, seeking to punish as harshly as possible anyone associated with the Nazi regime. Frequently over-matched by Rolfe as a trial tactician (apparently to the point of neglecting to cross-examine one defense witness), Lawson sometimes gives way to his frustration, yet has the overwhelming moral force of responding to Nazi atrocities on his side (he shows films of the death camps at one point in the trial). A stronger sense of the overwhelming anger eating away at Lawson’s soul would have been a welcome added dimension to Rauscher’s portrayal.

Mann’s script is filled with short character roles, all of which were played successfully. Christopher Henley, as Rudolph Peterson, a now-timorous and nervous victim of sterilization, and Mary Beth Luckenbaugh, as Maria Wallner, a victim of a show trial that resulted in the execution of an elderly Jewish friend, stood out. Luckenbaugh chose to make the character angrier, and less destroyed, than the equivalent character in the movie, played by Judy Garland. The choice worked.

This was one of American Century’s more ambitious shows technically. Sean Allan Doyle’s complex sound design included such items as excerpts from Hitler’s speeches, Nazi marches, snippets of Wagner, bird sounds in the prison courtyard, and a clang when a prison sequence began. They all fit the occasion and were cued impeccably. The production made extensive use of projections (credited to Patrick Lord and Shayne Weyker), for settings (e.g., the courtroom, the prison, scenes of the city, though not any of Nuremberg in its late-40s bombed-out state) and for the films of the carnage of the concentration camps. These were shown at one end of the oblong playing area, with a distracting but probably unavoidable cutout around the defendants’ dock. In the playing area, with audience seating on either side, Patrick Lord’s set design featured the defendant’s area at one end, the judges’ elevated bench at the other, set dressing pieces in between. The set worked effectively for the courtroom scenes but was less evocative for some other settings, such as the Judge Haywood’s residence, a bar, or the venue of a concert that Judge Haywood attended with Mrs. Bertholt.

Rip Classen’s costumes were appropriate to the period and the characters. Particular blessings upon him for getting the right color for U.S. Army uniform jackets of the era, something I have seen done wrong in more productions than I care to think about. The most notable, and very effective, feature of Marc Allan Wright’s lighting design were the four large fluorescent ceiling fixtures, which provided harsh illumination in the courtroom scenes, especially when they came on quickly following a scene with lower lighting.

Along with the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, American Century consistently produces the best and most interesting dramaturgical material in the area. The Audience Guide for Judgment at Nuremberg is one of the most valuable the group has produced, containing fascinating history of the events portrayed in the play as well as thought-provoking discussions of the legal and ethical issues raised by the war crimes trials. Even if you don’t pick up a copy — and I recommend doing so — this is a play to see not only as well-produced and acted theater, but as a springboard for thought and discussion about matters that have a great deal of contemporary resonance.

Director’s Notes

Judgment at Nuremberg deals with the Allied war-crimes trials held just after World War II, in which significant players in the Nazi regime were made to answer for their actions between 1933 and 1945. Specifically, it treats the portion of the trials that dealt with judges who decided cases during the Third Reich that sent defendants to grisly fates, often on trumped-up charges. (Names have been changed in Abby Mann’s play, but the characters are based quite closely on real historical figures and actual trials.)

Much as the play deals with a particular slice of modern history, it sadly remains relevant today, as war-crimes, genocides, imperialist invasions, and politically-motivated kangaroo courts fill the daily news-stream. Mann told his story first as a life television play, then as a star-studded Hollywood motion picture, and finally as a Broadway play — keeping much of the material intact from medium to medium. We’re presenting the Broadway script, adding selected material from the film, and introducing a framing device that brings “ghosts” from Hitler-era Nuremberg into a silent dialogue with Mann’s eloquent writing.

In the published edition of Mann’s Broadway play, there is an optional narration that starts the action. I felt it would make more sense to print it here rather than including the device of a theatrical narrator in the staging. The playwright starts with a telling point about the continuing legacy of the Nuremberg trials and gives us a concise bit of context for the events you will see unfolding on the stage. Mann, in his “narration” writes:

On January 1, 2001, then President Clinton signed the Rome Treaty for an International Criminal Court. He said, “In taking this action, we reaffirm or support for international accountability and for bringing to justice perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity based on our involvement in the Nuremberg tribunals that brought Nazi war criminals to justice.” Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina called Mr. Clinton’s decision “as outrageous as it is inexplicable. I have a message for the outgoing President. This decision will not stand.” Many others echoed Helms’ objections, including President Bush. Their reason was it could inhibit the ability of the United States to use its military to meet alliance obligations and participate in multinational operations.

The first of the Nuremberg trials were concluded on October 1, 1946. Herman Goering, Reichsmarshall. Charged with conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity. The verdict: guilty on all accounts. The sentence: death by hanging. Rudolph Hess, Deputy Fuhrer. Verdict: guilty on two counts. Sentence: life imprisonment. Joachim von Ribbentrop, Reich Minister for Foreign Affairs. Verdict: guilty on all counts. Sentence: death by hanging.

Nuremberg, Germany. October 1, 1946. The conclusion of the trial of 22 top Nazis accused of war crimes. Twelve were sentenced to death. Three were acquitted. Seven received prison sentences ranging from ten years to life.

October 16, 1946. The sentences of death were carried out. Julius Streicher. Von Ribbentrop. Wilhelm Keitel. Ernst Kaltenbrunner. All except Herman Goering who cheated the hangman by taking his own life.

The first of the Nuremberg trials were over. Still to come were twelve more trials of 177 diplomats, generals, SS officers, high Nazi officials, doctors, judges, directors of IG Farben, leading German business and professional men, whose cooperation was essential to the success of the Nazi conspiracy.

We hope you find the play as compelling as the actors and I did while working on it.

Photo Gallery

Ellie Nicoll as Mrs. Halbestadt. Background: Jean Miller as ghost	Christopher Henley as Rudolph Peterson. Background: Tel Monks as Judge Ives
Michael Replogle as Ernst Janning, Kim Curtis as Emil Hahn, Victor Gold as Werner Lammpe, Tom Fuller as Frederick Hoffstetter.	Mary Beth Luckenbaugh as Maria Wallner. Background: Tel Monks as Judge Ives.
Bruce A. Rauscher as Colonel Lawson. Background: Kim Curtis as Emil Hahn, Tom Fuller as Frederick Hoffstetter.	Karin Rosnizeck as Frau Bertholt, Craig Miller as Judge Haywood.
Paul Klingenberg as Judge Norris, Craig Miller as Judge Haywood, Tel Monks as Judge Ives.	Michael Replogle as Ernst Janning, Craig Miller as Judge Haywood.
Steve Lebens as Oscar Rolfe, Michael Replogle as Ernst Janning.

Photos by Johannes Markus

Cast

• Colonel Lawson: Bruce Alan Rauscher
• General Merrin: Lyle Blake Smythers
• Judge Haywood: Craig Miller
• Captain Byers: Jorge A. Silva
• Judge Ives: Tel Monks
• Judge Norris: Paul J. Klingenberg
• Emil Hahn: Kim Kurtis
• Frederick Hoffstetter: Tom Fuller
• Werner Lammpe: Victor Gold
• Ernst Janning: Michael Replogle
• Oscar Rolfe: Steve Lebens
• Dr. Wickert: Ron Sarro
• Mrs. Halbestadt: Ellie Nicoll
• Frau Bertholt: Karin Rosnizeck
• Rudolph Peterson: Christopher Henley
• Dr. Gueter: Larry Kolp
• Maria Wallner: Mary Beth Luckenbaugh
• Elsa Lindnow: Vanessa Bradchulis
• Feldenstien: Jay Delehanty
• Ensemble: Alan Diaz, Paul Alan Hogan, Colin Martin, Jean H. Miller, Lynley Peoples, Gray West

Production Staff

• Director: Joe Banno
• Production Manager: Ed Moser
• Stage Manager: Lindsey E. Moore
• Set Design/Projections Design: Patrick Lord
• Projections Research: Patrick Lord
• Costume Design: Rip Claassen
• Lighting Design: Marc Allan Wright
• Sound Design: Sean Allan Doyle
• Assistant Stage Manager/Board Operator: Chris Beatley
• Master Carpenter: Michael Salmi
• Scenic Painter: Stephanie Chu
• Assistant Carpenter/Scenic Painting: Alex Kellogg
• Master Electrician: Juan Ramirez-Cortes
• Wardrobe Assistant: Cathering Casino
• Publicist: Emily Morrison
• Photography: Johannes Markus
• Program Design: Michael Sherman
• House Manager: Joli Provost
• Outreach Coordinator: Maia Falconi-Sachs

Disclaimer: American Century Theater provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Within Mount Vernon High School’s production of Aida: School Edition, several aspects of the performance stood out; namely, the performance of the titular character, played by Erin Hugee. Throughout Hugee’s performance, she not only maintained a sense of professionalism in her vocals, but was able to stand apart from an ensemble of diverse voices during large group numbers. In her performance of “Easy as Life,” Hugee held her ground as she belted powerful notes from her position at center stage; furthermore, she commanded the attention of the audience during the trio performance of “A Step Too Far” through powerful facial expression. Hugee’s portrayal of Aida within MVHS’s Aida: School Edition was not only marked by a consistent vocal performance, but formed a character complete with evident depth.

The set of MVHS’s Aida: School Edition, although simplistic in design, provided a sense of purity throughout the turmoil of the show. The dual-leveled set allowed for a differentiation in height upon the stage, as well as an added level of interest to each scene. Although set changes were nonstop throughout the show, the simple set pieces allowed for transitions marked by minimal interruption. Furthermore, the inclusion of the hieroglyphics (which accurately depicted lyrics from the score) was a minute detail which carried with it a profound effect: not only did it enhance the sense of the period, but emphasized the importance of the lyrics that each cast member sang throughout the performance. Although not the most complex, MVHS’s set for Aida: School Edition allowed for a clean acting space while retaining professionalism.

The ensemble of “Nubians” within MVHS’s performance of Aida: School Edition achieved what every ensemble strives to achieve: ambiguity. Each was able to meld into a seamless ensemble while simultaneously standing out as individual performers. Alicia Foster, specifically, was able to blend into an ensemble while dancing during numbers such as “Dance of the Robe,” while standing out in roles such as the Jail Guard during Aida’s meeting with her father. Not only did she deliver her lines with conviction and motive, but also remained in character throughout the scene, even when away from the focus of the scene. Throughout the entire ensemble’s performance during MVHS’s Aida: School Edition, a sense of unity was present while each performer was able to succeed individually.

Although simplistic in spectacle as most high school shows are, MVHS’s Aida: School Edition did not disappoint in delivery. Each member of the cast assumed a personal ownership within their performance which was largely evident, and lent to an overall entertaining show. Not only did the uncomplicated aspects allow for more of a focus upon the performance of the cast, but allowed for a reminder of the audience on the theme of the show: love is timeless, love is simple, love is blind.

by Aiden Carroll of Heritage High School

Steel Magnolias is the perfect title for a play about the lives of six strong, sturdy Southern women. Perhaps better known as an iconic 1989 movie starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts and Shirley MacLaine, it creates a challenge for the actresses in the roles to make the characters their own and avoid comparisons.

Director Sherri Edelen has cast the current production at the Riverside Center in Fredericksburg wisely; choosing actresses with enough similarities to their legendary counterparts to make the characters recognizable, yet with enough talent to make these women their own unique creations.

As Artistic Director Patrick A’Hearn points out in pre-show announcements; Steel Magnolias marks the first non-musical production in Riverside’s 16 year history and it is a strong choice.

The play takes place in the 1980’s in Truvy’s beauty shop in the small southern town of Chinquapin, Louisiana. It focuses on the bonds of love and friendship between six local women.

The shop is not only the heart of the entire play, but its owner, Truvy is the heart of the group of women. As portrayed by Andrea Kahane, Truvy is a more down to earth, southern version of Roseanne, throwing out one-liners of greeting card wisdom and dishing out the gossip.

Her group of friends include bride-to-be Shelby and her domineering, protective mother M’Lynn. Emily Perkins is warm, spunky, optimistic and child-like as Shelby. Constance Shofi is steady and controlled as the rock of the group M’Lynn.

Jennifer Joyner truly develops Annelle, from Truvy’s shy, self-conscious and mysterious new assistant to a stronger, deeply grounded religious young woman. Rounding out the group are two of the town’s older and wealthier residents, widow and former town first lady, Clairee and local curmudgeon Ouiser. Carol Hagy is proper and dignified as Miss Clairee, but it is Kathy Halenda who steals the show as Ouiser. Her every movement and line demonstrated her comedic timing. Even when preparing coffee on the sidelines, Halenda was a joy to behold with her campy business.

As the play advanced, the six actresses gelled in creating characters who were not caricatures rather were quirky, and funny yet believable. The dialogue and rapport were natural, as the actresses maintained an energetic pace and cut one another off or talked over one another as real people and friends tend to do. This all makes the ending even more powerful as you feel their love for one another and their shared pain.

The only thing I would have changed with this production involved the set from scenic coordinators Matthew P. Wetscott and Stefannie Smith. While the set itself was appropriate as Truvy’s 1980’s beauty shop, I found a backdrop where the ceiling would have been, filled with alternating white cloudy skies and solid white bare trees a bit distracting and out-of-place. Gaye Law’s costumes were appropriate and highlighted the characters’ quirks while Joseph Wallen’s lights helped set the mood and highlight the action and emotion.

One nice touch didn’t go unnoticed — a Dolly Parton song playing on the radio!

Strong performances filled with laughs and tears make Riverside Center’s production of Steel Magnolias a strong choice for southern charm and entertainment on a warm spring evening.

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Riverside Dinner Theater

Cast (in order of appearance)

• Truvy Jones: Andrea Kahane
• Annelle Dupuy-Desoto: Jennifer Joyner
• Clairee Belcher: Carol Hagy
• Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie: Emily Perkins
• M’Lynn Eatenton: Constance Shofi
• Ouiser Boudreaux: Kathy Halenda

Production Staff

• Producer/ Artistic Director: Patrick A’Hearn
• Direction: Sherri Edelen
• Scenic Design: Matthew P. Westcott, Stefannie Smith
• Lighting Design: Joseph Wallen
• Costume Design: Gaye Law
• Production Manager: Carole Shrader
• Technical Director: Phil Carlucci
• Stage Manager: Ben Feindt
• Rehearsal Stage Manager: Marc Brunhofer
• Assistant Stage Manager: Ashton Banks
• Senior Stage Technician: Steve Thompson
• Stage Technicians: Geoff McPherson, Eric Jones
• Lighting Technicians: Emily Griffith, Kim McDowell, Kathryn Moncure
• Audio/ Lighting Technician: Hannah Shrader
• Costume Master: Chris Hlusko
• Costume Assistants: Amber French, Shania Stewart
• Head Rigger: Paul Johannes
• Properties Supervisor: Kylie Clark

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

Happy times for those who will harken back to their youth when AM radio played the Top 40 hits of the 1960’s. The Creative Cauldron’s Shout! The Mod Musical will be comfort food for those who know each lyric and opening musical note from a time when the songs were fresh and new; song by female singers hoping to make their way onto American Bandstand.

All and all, Shout! The Mod Musical is an earnest production of a musical that will gladden the hearts of Baby Boomers who know the show’s playlist of about 20 hit songs selected by the show’s co-creators Phillip George and David Lowenstein. I use playlist as a term rather than score; this is jukebox theater of a specific moment in time and taste. It is from a non-FM radio-view.

Cast of Shout! The Mod Musical. From left: Yellow Girl (Aimee Barnes), Green Girl (Iyona Blake), Red Girl (Melissa Berkowitz), Blue Girl (Sarah Anne Sillers), and Orange Girl (Ashleigh King).

The Creative Cauldron’s production is the Washington area professional theater company premiere of the Shout! The Mod Musical. It was produced Off-Broadway in 2006.

Shout! The Mod Musical is set in London between 1962-1970. It follows the lives of five women in age from the early 20’s (The Red Girl), to the 30’s and perhaps a bit beyond (Green, Blue, Yellow and Orange girls). Yes, the female characters are identified as “girls” and by the color of what they wear. They are not given first names. No first names is rather fitting as the characters are one-dimensionally drawn, with little blood or soul.

The book is a shaky connection of dialogue and scenes that connect songs with the fictional characters. The book is a slim wisp of eye-rolling jokes, as well as some reminiscences about societal changes brought with the Pill and relationships with men. A clever touch is a regular focus on each of the character’s attachment to a self-help column written by “Gwendolyn Holmes ” for “Shout,” a slick and glossy London-based magazine. The matronly Holmes character provides antiquated guidance to those who seek out her guidance. The advice generally involves wearing a better shade of lipstick, trying a new hairdo or suggesting that while the fault for the boredom in a relationship may be with the man, it is the woman’s place to make things right.

The Yellow Girl (Aimee Barnes) is the American character. She has travelled to London to have a look at Paul McCartney. The Orange Girl (Ashleigh King) is married, but suspects her husband may be cheating. The Blue woman (Sarah Anne Sillers) is wealthy and vain, but has a deep secret about her sexuality. The Green Girl (Iyona Blake) gives off a looser vibe about her relationships with men. The Red Girl (Melissa Berkowitz) is the youngest; she is insecure with her appearance with hopes the man of her dreams will come along. The advice columnist, Gwendolyn Holmes, is played by a haughty, high-pitched, badly coiffed Robert Aubrey Davis. He has been taped and is seen on regular occasions on a video monitor in grainy black and white.

Singing is the high-point of the production. The songs include the likes of “Son of a Preacher Man,” “You Don’t have to Say You Love Me,” “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” “Downtown” and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” as well as “To Sir with Love” and others. A standout is an ensemble rendition of a very cute “Coldfinger” based on the famous James Bond movie song “Goldfinger.” Two songs caught the audience’s interest and lifted them up; they began to mouth the words and then sang with those on stage. The songs were “Those Were the Days” and the finale of the evening, “Shout!” The procession of musical numbers were written by pop icons like Tony Hatch, Carol King and Bernie Goffin, as well as Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

The strongest singers in the production are Blake and King. They have powerful voices and provide plenty of theatrical nuance to go along with their voice work and dancing skills. When all five actor-singers get together as a “girl” group or in pairs of back-up singers, the harmonies are simply top-notch.

The intermission free 75 minutes is directed by Matt Connor. Connor has directed a number of Creative Cauldron productions. He has also performed and composed at such DC area venues such as Signature Theater. The production was choreographed by Stephen Gregory Smith. He has the cast perform period dances such hip swaying, hands in the air numbers as the Swim, Pony, and others with enjoyable synchronized results.

The music director and keyboardist is Mark Deffenbaugh. The costumes by Margie Gervis are spot-on reminders of those changing times. Each of the five characters has three different outfits to represent various styles of the 1960’s. Visually the attire moves from left-over later 1950’s wear, to mid-60’s Mary Quant inspired mini-skirted dresses to a final late 60’s urban and hippie look. The hair styles and wigs are well-accomplished moving from flips, to long straight hair to Afros.

Shout! The Mod Musical will be most enjoyed by those who were living at the time. As Creative Cauldron Founder and Producing Director wrote in the program, “The performance you are witnessing is a celebration of music from the swinging 60’s and we suspect that many of you will find yourselves singing along to these classic pop tunes.”

At the performance your reviewer attended, one could feel audience members begin to catch the memory train. As the show began to wrap up, the infectious 1959 rhythm and blues hit “Shout” began. It quickly became a sing and clap-along finale. The crowd was standing on its collective feet, transported and transfixed with big smiles.

Cast

• Yellow Girl: Aimee Barnes
• Green Girl: Iyona Blake
• Red Girl: Melissa Berkowitz
• Blue Girl: Sarah Anne Sillers
• Orange Girl: Ashleigh King
• Gwendolyn Holmes: Robert Aubry Davis

Artistic and Design Team

• Director/Composer: Matt Connor
• Choreography: Stephen Gregory Smith
• Music Director/Keyboardist: Mark Deffenbaugh
• Scenic and Costume Designer: Margie Jervis
• Lighting Designer: Joey Wallen
• Sound Technician: Teddy Wiant

Disclaimer: Creative Cauldron provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Synetic Theatre continues to expand its artistic repertoire and unfold beyond the security of its tried-and-true “silent” Shakespeare works. It is a risky, but quite laudatory venture, to continually evolve by stepping out of a comfort zone from time-to-time. After all, a performing arts organization cannot just stand pat, even with successes, for the world can be such a fickle place always looking for the next new pretty thing.

So in an about face from its normal stance, Synetic has taken on the very verbal foolishness of upper-class, bored, supercilious Brits in the late 19th century. One way to describe Synetic’s current production of Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the dog) is this; it is composed of fuel from a 125-year-old book that turns into an evening of often timeless “pythonesque” sketches along with one deeply affecting scene that could happen right this moment. It is full-up with dialogue.

The comic novella source for the theatrical Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the dog) is a 1889 book written by Jerome K. Jerome ( 1859-1927). The book remains still in-print with qualities that make it a precursor to “Beyond the Fringe” and “Monty Python” madness.

Under the admirable hand of playwright and director Derek Goldman, the Synetic production is an affectionate, droll affair about a fortnight boating holiday on the Thames River by three, often smug but quite likeable, young male friends and a scrappy fox terrier. There are plenty of unforeseen comic troubles and disruptions along the way.

Three Men features actors new to Synetic including Tim Getman, Rob Jansen and Tom Story. They join Synetic stalwart Alex Mills. They play young men trying to escape from the hustle and bustle of their self-described overworked lives. Here is one character’s description of the stress they live: “goes to sleep at a bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside at two.”

The production features fine work by Getman as the physically hearty George, Jansen as the reflective Harris who finds church grave yards places of interest, and Story as the instigator and narrator Jerome. Mills is outfitted as Montmorency, a fox terrier with a mind of his own. The story begins by introducing all the characters as they are spending an evening together; drinking, smoking and discussing their various illnesses as they read over the Merck manual of the day. Between their hypochondria and a sense of overwork, a holiday is in order. And so a boating trip up the River Thames and back over for a fortnight is in order. It is to be with physical labor of rowing and camping out-of-doors as a form of recreation. Right!

After packing their things with a mantra “We must not think of the things we could do with, but only of the things that we can’t do without,” they set off. Over the course of the intermission free 100 minutes, they find themselves with regular, less than satisfactory happenstances, usually caused by their own failings and too-proud behavior.

Wanting to open a tin of food they discover they forget to bring an opener. Wanting to freshen up some meat for a meal, they discover they forgot the mustard to make it palatable. The weather does not exactly cooperate as the forecasts are “always wrong.” And then there is an episode about making an Irish stew full of leftovers found in a wicker food hamper with an added dead river rat fetched by their faithful fox terrier. Each of these scenes involves verbal gymnastics with plenty of amusing running about choreographed by Synetic’s resident Helen Hayes awardee choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili.

It is a show with polite humor, “Everything has its drawbacks, as the man said when his mother-in-law died, and they came down upon him for the funeral expenses.” But it is far from just quick humor. One particular scene of sad affect leavens the comedy. Without warning, the men find something floating in the river. “Sometimes, our pain is very deep and real, and we stand…very silent, because there is no language for our pain.”

Ivania Stack’s costume design for the production are an amusing blend of colorful boating attire and natty smoking-room attire done up straw hats and other appropriate regalia including two-tone shoes. Her dog costume for Mills includes pieces such as paws, some here and there body parts and a hat with small pointed ears. Scenic design by Lisi Stoessel begins as a drawing-room and morphs into a small boat as a child would do, moving set pieces about to suggest the presence of a boat. The actors do the moving. The Thames River and shore landmarks are done thought nicely accomplished projections the handwork of Shane O’Laughlin. The projections give off the slow-moving up the Thames. The lighting design is a special joy when night scenes take the audience as far from Crystal City as is doable with delicious magical stars that are projected well beyond the stage area.

Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the dog) is a leisurely trip “far from the maddening crowds.” It is an easy-going night of entertainment. It is often enough a cheery, feathery production with plenty of chuckles and charm. It is also a tip of the hat to the importance of enduring, intimate friendships to share what life brings, whether good or bad. It is a seductive little piece.

Synetic Theater has successfully moved well beyond its usual formula of “silent” Shakespeare with a light-hearted Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the dog). This production is an amiable comedy that extends the reach of Synetic’s artistic territory. It may also have you go to YouTube to search for some of your favorite Monty Python routines as well. Nothing wrong with that.

Photo Gallery

Tom Story as Jerome, Tim Getman as George, Rob Jansen as Harris and Alex Mills as Montmorency.	Tom Story as Jerome.
Rob Jansen as Harris and Alex Mills as Montmorency.	Rob Jansen as Harris, Tom Story as Jerome.
Tom Story as Jerome, Alex Mills as Montmorency.	Alex Mills as Montmorency.
Tim Getman as George, Rob Jansen as Harris, Tom Story as Jerome, Alex Mills as Montmorency.	Projections by Shane O’Loughlin.
Alex Mills as Montmorency, Tom Story as Jerome, Rob Jansen as Harris.	Rob Jansen as Harris, Tom Story as Jerome, Alex Mills as Montmorency, Tim Getman as George.

Photos by Koko Lanham

Cast

• George: Tim Getman
• Harris: Rob Jansen
• Montmorency: Alex Mills
• Jerome : Tom Story

Artistic and Design Team

• Written and Directed by Derek Goldman
• Choreographer: Irina Tsikurishvili
• Scenic Design: Lisi Stoessel
• Costume Design: Ivania Stack
• Lighting Design: Brittany Diliberto
• Sound Design/Multimedia Engineer : Thomas Sowers
• Props Master Kasey Hendricks
• Music Director: Joshua Morgan
• Resident Stage Manager: Marley Giggey
• Projections Design: Shane O’Laughlin
• Production Manager: Ann Allan
• Technical Director: Phil Charlwood
• Vocal Coach: Robert Bowen Smith
• Assistant Directors: Alex Miletich & Elena Velasco
• Light Board Operator: Mary Grant
• Assistant Lighting Designer: Zach Dalton
• Wardrobe: Igor Dmitry
• Assistant Stage Managers: Nate Shelton & Sofia Shultz

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

Fiddler‘s tale begins with Sholem Aleichem. Aleichem published several short stories in 1894 including one entitled “Tevye and his Daughters.” This story inspired Joseph Stein, Jerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick to inevitably create the 3,242-performance-running, nine-time-Tony-winning, and Zero Mostel-starring musical in 1964. The musical proceeds to follow the life of Tevye as he endeavors between his ideals of Jewish tradition and the ever-changing nature of Mother Russia.

To kick off the stellar performance, Pope John Paul the Great bought out an amazing cast. Jimmy Mullen’s portrayal of Tevye contained a phenomenal amount of comic timing and pacing with an admirable approach to the complex songs. Meanwhile, Tevye’s beautiful chemistry with his wife, Golde (performed with the consistency and lovely vocals of Sabrina Morales), in “Do You Love Me?” paid exquisite tribute to their twenty-five year marriage. To complement her mother and father, Hodel’s (Felicity Morgan) equally outstanding voice wonderfully matched with revolutionist Perchik (Andrew Lane) in “Now I Have Everything.” Then, with the fabulous dancing of Motel (Michael Manley) and Chava (Megan Krakie), Pope John Paul the Great set itself far and beyond most other high schools.

Not to easily be forgotten is the energetic ensemble. Despite some overacting, by playing to their strengths, the stupendous harmonies and in-character styles (especially in the chaotic sequence of “The Dream”) of the ensemble helped stand them apart as well as stand together in the grand scheme of the musical. The spectacular stage presence of Denise Gallant’s fiddling assisted the illustration of survival through a particularly distraught era of Russian history. Meanwhile, Yente, astonishingly executed by Abigail Williams, held onto her old lady physicality with impressive comedic timing. Furthermore, the Constable’s (Ben Nash) torturous expressions between his desires to stay true to the government or care for the poor villagers painted how far deep the injustices of Tsarist Russia had gone.

The acting was only further complemented by the marvelous tech! While the orchestra was overpowering at time, this likely came from a lack of time practicing with the cast. On the other hand, the astounding attention to detail paid by the costumes shined through the black wedding dress of Golde and the magnificent beards of the Village Elders. Even more remarkable was the fantastic choreography of Christine Connor, especially noticeable in the bottle dancing at the wedding celebration. The splendid sledwork in the house set as well as the gorgeous sunsets from the lighting crew rounded out the technical aspects of the show to provide a solid foundation for the background of the story.

As traditions fade, the future supersedes the past albeit with challenges abounding. As turmoil strikes Tsarist Russia, Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School’s fantastic Fiddler on the Roof proves, through one melodious instrument, that hope thrives in this dreary, impetuous world through change, balance, and tradition.

by Stuart Pratuch of West Springfield HS

Photo Gallery

Jimmy Mullen (Teyve)	Brian Long (Mendel), Jimmy Mullen (Teyve), Teresa Cummings (Grandma Tzeitel), Jessica Sydow (Villager), Sabrina Morales (Golde), and Jacob Curran (Rabbi)
Denise Gallant (The Fiddler)

Photos by Jen Cole

In Volume 2 of the Broadway musical satire series Forbidden Broadway appears a song called “Into the Words,” kidding Stephen Sondheim’s propensity for verbal gymnastics. I don’t know whether NextStop theatre company’s director and scenic designer (Evan Hoffman and Steven Royal, respectively) for Sondheim’s Into the Woods ever heard the spoof song, but they’ve done it more than one better. Entering the Industrial Strength Theater, the audience is greeted by an entire two-level library, complete with a metal spiral staircase between the levels, calling to mind Henry Higgins’ study in My Fair Lady. Only a few bare trees in the foreground suggest the presence of literal woods. For anyone familiar with the traditional staging of the show, the effect is startling: looks cool, but what are they going to do with it?

Literalism is, of course, not the point of Into the Woods, as it blends Sondheim’s and James Lapine’s takes on several traditional fairy tales; a made-up story about a baker, his wife, and a witch; and a darker story about what happens to the characters after the “happy ever after” ending of the first act. In his comments on the show in his book “Finishing the Hat,” Sondheim recounts an incident in which a group of patrons left the theater after Act 1, believing the show was over. Something similar appeared to happen on a smaller scale at NextStop Sunday afternoon. Suffice to say, much of the development of the show’s major themes — relationships between parents and children, community responsibility — as well as the most inventive and creative uses of the library set, occur after intermission.

Into the Woods is very much an ensemble show, a feeling emphasized by the fluid and sometimes intricate movement of the cast in the larger numbers. NextStop’s actors admirably filled both the larger and smaller roles. As the Witch, Priscilla Cuellar was possessive of her child, Rapunzel; vindictive toward the Baker, his father and his wife; and generally angry at the world. Cuellar gives her role a destructive energy but also has moving moments of sadness and loss concerning her child, singing tenderly in songs like “Stay With Me” and the “Witch’s Lament.” She belts in “The Last Midnight” and is more reflective in the “Children Will Listen” portion of the Act Two Finale. (Interestingly, the NextStop production omits the optional duet for the Witch and Rapunzel, “Our Little World,” Sondheim’s attempt at filling in the mother-daughter relationship.) Cuellar hits whatever emotional tone a given scene or song requires, and she manages well her physical transition from old crone to voluptuous glamour queen.

John Loughney and Katie McManus stand out in the key roles of the Baker and his wife. Sondheim comments in “Finishing the Hat” that he and Lapine intended these characters to represent the feelings and concerns of a modern urban American couple who just want a family and a peaceful life, but who find themselves in a fanciful medieval setting involving witches, giants, and princes. “I’m in the wrong story,” the Baker’s Wife comments in Act 2.

McManus makes the wife’s story one of the most gripping in the play, as she transforms from a wife longing for a baby to a full partner in the couple’s quest to someone who finds a balance between the “or” and the “and” in life, between the reality of daily life with her family in the village and living in the moment in the woods. McManus makes the song in which the Baker’s Wife articulates that transition, “Moments in the Woods,” the highlight solo of the production, not only with her strong, clear voice but with her face and body registering her character’s rapid changes of thought and emotion as the song proceeds.

Loughney teams well with McManus in “It Takes Two,” as the Baker discovers that his previous assumptions about his marriage don’t work so well in the woods. As his character deals with confusion and loss in Act 2, Loughney’s characterization gains depth, and his rendering of “No More” is superb, not only vocally but in showing his exhaustion and near-despair. Despite his own grief, he helps Jack, Cinderella, and Little Red form a new community to deal with a marauding giant and the changed world the characters now inhabit, in the beautifully sung “No One is Alone.” When the original production of Into the Woods opened in 1987, there was some criticism of this song as simply being a reworking of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” written by Sondheim’s mentor, Oscar Hammerstein. While both involve giving comfort in painful situations, “No One is Alone” is a far more complex lyric, emphasizing the need for, and inevitability of, community, notwithstanding loss and error. It also includes a note of warning: “Careful, no one is alone.”

Jack (Sean McComas), the adventurous boy who climbs a beanstalk and kills a giant, does not have as great an opportunity for character growth as many of the others. He remains a boy who arouses the protective instincts of others, even when the Witch wants to feed him to a vengeful giant. McComas nails his exuberant first act song, “Giants in the Sky,” moving quickly from one side of the second level of the set to the other, and then on down to the playing area floor.

Cinderella (Brittany Martz) does get a longer character arc, from an oppressed girl to the dazzled wife of a prince to a courageous fighter in the war against the giant to disappointment in her wandering husband to becoming a nurturing member of the renewed community, taking on the care of the Baker’s baby. Martz traverses the arc with nary a misstep. Her songs, including “A Very Nice Prince,” “On the Steps of the Palace” (which reveals that this Cinderella is a very smart girl, deliberately leaving her shoe behind so that the Prince can decide whether to pursue her), and her portion of “No One is Alone” are performed as well as anyone could ask for, both in terms of sound and character.

Nora Palka is a very talented singer and actor, and she gives an excellent performance as Little Red Riding Hood. This was a point, however, at which I question director Hoffman’s choices. Palka’s Little Red comes off as a young adult rather than a precocious early adolescent, in consequence losing some of the nuances that make the character a delight. Her first act number with the Wolf (Scott Gaines), “Hello Little Girl,” is more explicitly about sex than usual — no subtext here. The Wolf is a hottie, and Little Red isn’t far into the number before she is running her fingers down his abdominal six-pack. Gaines sings his part of the number in an appropriately ravenous way.

Gaines also plays Cinderella’s prince, which gives him the most delicious comic line of the show: “I was brought up to be charming, not sincere.” He and Scott Harrison, who plays Rapunzel’s prince, team up tunefully in “Agony” and its reprise. Hoffman’s direction calls for them to act out their stylized masculinity in near-melodrama fashion, and their mirror-image blocking adds to the song’s comic effect.

Hoffman made the Narrator (Ryan Manning) a much more active part of the proceedings than in many productions, moving from one portion of the set to another, interacting with and reacting to the characters at multiple points, handing them props etc. In general, he was a much more noticeable and relevant Narrator than one sometimes sees. Danny Trippel was a fey, excuse-making bureaucrat of a Steward. The only relatively weak link in the cast was Blakeman Brophy as The Mysterious Man, whose performance was flat and not all that mysterious. He also suffered from being given an unfortunate wig.

The clarity of the performances permits an appreciation of some of the subtleties of Sondheim’s lyrics. For example, there’s “nice,” used in contrast to “good” by three female characters. Cinderella, as she is being mistreated by her mean girl sisters, recalls that while her mother told her to be good, her father told her to be nice. She comments later that “princes are nice” and has an entire song about “A Very Nice Prince.” Little Red notes that the Wolf seemed nice and that “nice is different than good.” In “The Last Midnight,” the Witch has the last word on the subject: “You’re so nice. You’re not good, you’re not bad, you’re just nice. I’m not good, I’m not nice, I’m just right.” While it wouldn’t be fair to say that Sondheim has an overtly feminist agenda, this language acts to emphasize that niceness — as a feminine trait valued by men in the patriarchal society of these folktales — may well limit the ability of women to be independent moral actors. And being responsible on one’s own for moral choices is of supreme importance to Sondheim in Into the Woods.

Franklin Coleman’s lighting design made extensive use of tightly focused area lighting, with often rapid cuing as characters moved about the set. There was a nice gobo effect of leaves projected onto the floor, an ominous red light from off stage left during the wolf scene, and a bright green light off stage right on the second level for the Witch’s exit at the end of “The Last Midnight.” Kathy Dunlap’s costumes were a visual treat: among others, lovely ball gowns for Cinderella and her sisters; a jacquard look for the princes; dark enveloping swirls of cloth for the Witch when we first see her (augmented by a suitably hideous upper face mask), then a low-cut black sparkly gown with a cape to match after she makes her transformation; a nice wolf fur stole for Little Red; a maroon velvet outfit for the Steward. Props, from all the books in the library (collecting which must have been a prodigious chore) to the very similar scepters of the Steward and Witch to items like Little Red’s goodies and her intimidating knife, are well-chosen.

Eric Kritzler’s sound design was a tale of the good and the bad. The good was in the well-chosen and well-timed effects, whether giant footsteps, a character getting squished, the cow electronically dying, baby cries, or twittering birds. The bad was the volume level of the amplification for the Elisa Rosman’s top-notch orchestra and the actors. It was LOUD, hardly necessary in a house where no one sits more than eight rows from the stage. Note to NextStop: a prudent audience member brings earplugs to a heavy metal concert. At a performance of a Broadway musical, thoughts of needing ear protection should not occur.

And what lovely things the production does with that library. The Narrator takes a book from the shelves to begin telling the story. Cinderella’s birds are books that are lowered from the ceiling area and flap open. Even Jack’s cow, often a two-dimensional cutout, becomes a book cart. In the second act, books fall out of the shelves as the giant attacks the village (the technical accomplishment of shaking the books loose on cue is impressive). The tree that topples to kill the Baker’s wife becomes a bookcase partly falling over and dumping its load of books. Actors have to make their entrances stepping over piles of fallen books, the debris of war. At the end of the second act, cast members come on stage and replace the fallen books on the shelves, as order is restored to their world, and most of the cast picks up a book to read until they must come downstage to sing their part of the finale.

It’s all compelling visual theater, and a very refreshing approach to staging the show, but it succeeds in being a good deal more than that. It says, to me at least, that the sum of our culture is contained in the stories we tell, and that the stories we tell — whether or not contained in physical books — make us who we are. Those stories are what we pass to our listening children. These themes are implicit in the writing of the show; NextStop’s production has found a very innovative way of making the themes tangible.

Into the Woods is arguably Sondheim’s most accessible show, one that has greater depth than a first viewing may reveal. I’ve seen the show many times, from the original Broadway cast through professional and community theater efforts of greater or lesser success. The excellence of the performances and thoughtful design elements make this production one I will remember.

Cast

• The Narrator: Ryan Manning
• Cinderella: Brittany Martz
• Jack: Sean Mccomas
• The Baker: John Loughney
• The Baker’s Wife: Katie McManus
• Cinderella’s Stepmother: Jennifer Lambert
• Florinda: Laura Fontaine
• Lucinda: Jaclyn Young
• Little Red Riding Hood: Nora Palka
• Jack’s Mother: Lynn Audrey Neal
• The Witch: Priscilla Cuellar
• Cinderella’s Father/Mysterious Man: Blakeman Brophy
• Cinderella’s Mother/Granny: Allizon Reggioli
• The Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince: Scott Gains
• Rapunzel: Suzanne Stanley
• Rapunzel’s Prince: Scott Harrison
• The Steward: Danny Tippett
• The Giant’s Wife: Kathie Lee Gifford

Production Team

• Director: Evan Hoffmann
• Music Director: Elisa Rosman
• Choreographer: Lorraine Magee
• Assistant Director: Kristen Pilgrim
• Production Stage Manager: Joan Lada
• Assistant Stage Manager: Laura Moody
• Scenic Designer: Steven Royal
• Scenic Associate: Adam Koch
• Costume Designer: Kathy Dunlap
• Costume Associate: Sue Gattoni
• Lighting Designer: Franklin C. Coleman
• Properties Designer: Sierra Banack
• Master Electrician: Brian Stefaniak
• Sound Designer: Eric Kritzler
• Sound Engineer: Stan Harris
• Scenic Painter: Michelle Urcuyo
• Make-up Designer: Kara Hogarty
• Co-Hair Designers: Sue Pinkman, Kat Brais, Laura Fontaine, Jaclyn Young
• Stage Combat: Kristen Pilgrim, Steve Lada
• Electronics Crew: AnnMarie Castrigno, Michael O’Connor, Max Frost
• Master Carpenter: William Gautney
• Carpenters: Jeff Boatright, Kevin Hunter, Ian Brown, James Finley
• Crew: Barbara Maltseva
• Season Artwork: J. Noah Rubin, Jason Pepping

Disclaimer: NextStop Theatre Company provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

In the polished, strongly sung production of The Threepenny Opera at Signature, there are still stings of social critique from Brecht and Weill that make their marks in the venom-laden book and score.

Signature’s marketing material describes The Threepenny Opera as ,” a satirical commentary on politics, poverty, injustice and corruption at all levels of society. The haves clash with the have-nots while Macheath, the ultimate sneering anti-hero, perches in the middle of the storm.”

With that as a preface, The Threepenny Opera directed by Gardiner (Tender Napalm, Dreamgirls, Really Really) is a work of musical theater artistry. The adaption Gardiner uses is the 1994 work of Robert David MacDonald (book) and Jeremy Sams (lyrics). They moved the originally conceived Brecht and Weill proceedings from its Queen Victoria moorings, to a “not-too-distant future” Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth II has passed away and her grandson, Prince William, is to be crowned King. MacDonald and Sams also added in contemporary cultural references in both book and lyrics.

Threepenny begins with a terrific, gritty brass and reed-centric eight-piece jazz band under the wonderful musical direction of Gabriel Mangiante. The overture brings us into the fray. A dark-haired woman slowly steps into view: dead center. Lights, little by little, come up on her. We are introduced to a seedy world by a street-walker named Jenny (a raw, hooded-eyes, hypnotic Natascia Diaz). She is clearly street-wise, but lost, almost dead in the eyes, as she ever so slowly, enunciates each word, each syllable of the lyrics “The Flick Knife Song” about the crook, rapist, sadist and quick with a knife, Macheath (Mack the Knife).

I simply cannot image being Diaz taking this iconic song on. Jeez, think about the many versions of this song, and the number of artists who have sung it. Diaz had to sweep them away to get the show up and running. She took the audience by its collective neck with one hand to bring them into the rough world of Threepenny Opera. Diaz did that and more. With each word and syllable, her diction pure, her darkly tinged voice drew the audience into her world. She effectively grounded Threepenny Opera.

Then, she dropped her grip and the show went on. Throughout the show, Diaz in her singing and appearances, projects pain and being battered with an “I will get by attitude.” She is not so emotionally broken that she can’t or won’t find ways to strike back at those who did her ill.

We next come to meet the smooth, slick charm of Bobby Smith in his role of Jonathan Peachum, the boss of London’s beggars. A man of self-interest, he takes a cut of each beggar’s take. He is one of Macheath’s adversaries.

A stronger, more vigorous antagonist of Macheath is Mrs. Peachum. Donna Migliaccio gives a delightfully spirited, fare-thee-well to the evils of Mrs. Peachum. With a raspy, well-lived life voice, Migliaccio gives off a special dislike for Macheath. After all he has taken her daughter Polly in marriage. But, even deeper, is Mrs. Peachum’s disdain for marriage in general as she claws through “The Ballad of Sexual Imperative” with its lyrics suggesting marriage as just another form of prostitution.

Soon enough, Macheath appears in the guise of a raffish, supposedly good with a blade, Mitchell Jarvis. Even with inked arms, he did give off shivers in his initial entrance and time with his good-old boy cronies. He came alive later when paired with the women characters such as Polly or Jenny. His brings some comic relief to the whole affair at the top of Act III with his solo “The Ballad of Easy Life.”

The bright-eyed, full-of-life Erin Driscoll is the Peachum’s daughter, Polly. She appears first as an innocent kitten. With a blond, curly bob and her fair-skin, she is set visually against the dark-haired, olive-skinned Diaz as feminine engines of the production. As the play progresses, she reveals her own greedy, tough-minded self, including desires for the right kind of rougher man to bring her fulfillment. When she sings “Pirate Jenny,” first as a tease than as an authentic being, she is a woman truly seeking revenge on those higher up in the economic food chain.

Rick Hammerly is cast as Lucy Brown, another of Macheath’s lovers; a cute touch; just this side of campy. It is an enjoyable moment to watch as Hammerly and Driscoll argue through song and body language over the love of Macheath in “Jealousy Duet” when both show up in the jail where he is locked up. John Leslie Wolfe as Jackie “Tiger” Brown a police inspector on the take gives off a believable corrupted characterization with an air of authority.

The graffiti-strewn scenic design by Misha Kachman at the MAX is a two level affair. The band is on the top level along with characters who sometimes look down upon the main floor with its mixing bowl of action. A moving electronic stock market ticker and neon signage festooned the set. The electronic ticker also crawls with phrases such as “the greatest human force is human selfishness” and “wolves devour sheep.” Rocco DiSanti is credited with the video design. One cunning, contemporary touch is the use of smartphones to take pictures.

Frank Labovitz’s costumes let us know who is who quite readily. There is a thuggish or hip-hop look for some, suits for the rich folk and an assortment of styles. Polly has a saucy outfit and the prostitutes the usual black lingerie.

As The Threepenny Opera ends, loose ends tied up and all is again right with the world, the show closes with a plea for generosity to the less fortunate and the homeless; “For life today is cold and grey and ghastly, And living it is punishment enough.” Strong sentiments indeed, but delivered and missed. Perhaps it is the zeitgeist or the constant 24/7 media cycle of the social media-centric world outside the MAX.

Three Penny is a work of artistic excellence; accessible to a wide-ranging audience. As for raising outrage at economic inequality or the trafficking of women into prostitution; those are much different questions. Are there too many decades since the 1928 Berlin world of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and their particular type of sharp critique of Capitalism? I wonder what Thomas Piketty author of the current best-seller, “Capital in the Twenty-first Century” might ponder?

Reviewer’s Note: “Mack the Knife” has been recorded as a jazz and pop standard by oodles of performers such as Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darrin, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to name a few. For your reviewer, I was imprinted with Lotta Lenya who came into my world through my parents, as well as Marianne Faithfull and one who made a very early impression, the late German comedian and actor Wolfgang Neuss used by Ernie Kovacs on his ground-breaking comedy television show from about 1960.

Cast

• Macheath (Mack the Knife): Mitchell Jarvis
• Jenny: Natascia Diaz
• Mr. Peachum: Bobby Smith
• Mrs. Peachum: Donna Migliaccio
• Polly Peachum: Erin Driscoll
• Tiger Brown: John Leslie Wolfe
• Lucy Brown: Rick Hammerly
• Matt of the Mint: Paul Scanlan
• Crook-Finger Jake: Sean Fri
• Chainsaw Bob: Ryan Sellers
• Fitch/Weeping Willow Walter: Aaron Bliden
• Smith/Reverend Kimball : Thomas Adrian Simpson
• Jimmy/Nelly: Jessica Thorne
• Betty: Jamie Eacker
• Vixen: Katherine Renee Turner
• Dance Captain: Jamie Eacker

Musicians

• Conductor/Keyboard: Gabriel Mangiante and Jacob Kidder
• Reed 1: Ben Bokor
• Reed 2: Ed Walters
• Trumpet 1: Chris Walker
• Trumpet 2: Brent Madsen
• Trombone: Adam McColley
• Guitar: Gerry Kunkel
• Percussion: Joe McCarthy

Artistic and Design Team

• Books & Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht
• Music by Kurt Weill
• English translation of dialog by Robert David MacDonald
• English translation of lyrics by Jeremy Sams
• Directed and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner
• Musical Direction by Gabriel Mangiante
• Dialect Direction by Lynn Watson
• Scenic Design by Misha Kachman
• Costume Design by Frank Labovitz
• Wig Design by Anne Nesmith
• Lighting Design by Colin K. Bills
• Sound Design by Lane Elms
• Video Design by Rocco DiSanti
• Production Stage Manager: Kerry Epstein
• Assistant Director and Dramaturg: Paige Kiliany
• Assistant Director: Walter Ware III
• Assistant Stage Manager: Erin C. Patrick

Disclaimer: Signature Theatre provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Starting with the 1964 Roald Dahl children’s book and the 1971 movie adaptation starring Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka has been beloved by dentists for five decades now, celebrating as it does the compulsive consumption of cavity-creating confections. The uneven Vienna Theatre Company (VTC) production of the stage musical version retains considerable charm.

The title character, played by Sedrick Moody, is a misanthropic, mysterious candy magnate. Singing winningly and moving beautifully, Moody makes Wonka something of a song and dance man. The device motivating the plot is Wonka’s desire to retire and turn the factory’s operations over to some deserving child. Moody’s Wonka seems rather young to be contemplating retirement, but he nonetheless sets in motion a scheme to put coupons in five candy bars the finders of which will get a free tour of the factory — which otherwise is as closed to outsiders as, say, CIA headquarters — plus a lifetime supply of chocolate. This proves a brilliant marketing ploy, sending sales of his products skyrocketing.

The first four coupons find their way into the hands of a quartet of obnoxious children: Mike Teavee (Tashi Poe), joined at the hip to his electronic devices; Augustus Gloop (Erik Payton, ironically the smallest, slimmest child in the cast), who never stops eating; Violet Beauregarde (Kaia Griggs), a Georgia rich kid addicted to chewing gum; and Veruca Salt (Amelia Lindsey), the most spoiled brat of the lot. Each has a solo acting and/or singing moment to shine, most notably Lindsey in “I Want it Now,” in which she displays a promising belt voice.

The final coupon is found, at the last moment, by the show’s child lead, Charlie Bucket (Adam LeKang). Charlie, a classic “good kid,” lives with his unemployed parents (Alex Graur and Toby Nelson) and highly sedentary grandparents (Emily Franks, Nora Zanger, Joseph LeBlanc, and Bob Maurer) who appear never to leave the cramped bed they share. LeKang sings well, especially in his second act duet with Maurer (“Flying/Burping Song”), and is he able to move (he even taps a bit).

The show runs only two hours, but the pace frequently feels slow. Much of this is built into the structure of the show. When the four grandparents never move from their bed, with other characters sandwiched in behind them, it is hard to avoid their book scenes becoming tediously static. Moreover, the script seems to revel in repetition. LeBlanc’s character is hard-of-hearing, a trait LeBlanc handles very well, with fine energy and timing. But the audience must endure one similar hard-of-hearing joke after another for lengthy stretches of the first act. Likewise, in the second act, the Oompa-Loompas, Wonka’s factory workers (Melissa Handel, Hannah Hess, Mia Parnaby, Faith Skeen, and Kyla Poe), sing essentially the same chorus five times. The Oompa-Loompas’ singing and dancing are well performed. Here, as in other portions of the play, choreographer Rosslyn Fernandez creates movement that the children in the cast can execute but that keeps matters reasonably lively. By the third, fourth, or fifth time through, however, it’s hard to shake a feeling of “been there, done that.”

Generally, the show’s musical score is lackluster. With the exception of the lively “The Candy Man,” well sung by Daniel Marin, the songs, however capably performed by the cast, are readily forgettable. The production’s “musical village” accompanies the singers successfully.

The production makes extensive use of projections (designed by Jon Roberts) and videos. The videos, featuring breathless TV newsman Phineous Trout (Wayne Jacques) interviewing the four obnoxious contest winners and their equally annoying mothers, are among the funniest moments in the show. In the second act, projections representing the interior of the candy factory (picturing moving bubbles and various tinker toy-like pipes for the ingredients, for example) are inventive and effective, though the first act projection of a working-class neighborhood street is often too dim to be seen clearly. Tom Epps’ lighting design is inconsistent, at some points illuminating the action well but at others leaving characters (especially Wonka himself) in overly dim light or partially washing out the projections.

The biggest technical fault of the day involved sound operation. While having the occasional strong moment — the burping for Charlie and his grandfather in act two comes to mind — the soundscape was regularly marred by inconsistent mike levels, late execution of sound cues (Charlie’s father was a noticeable victim of this problem in parts of the first act), distortion, and feedback. Hopefully these problems can be fixed for the production’s final weekend.

The first act set (designed by Leta Fitzhugh) is dominated by a drab room where the Bucket family resides, with one flat that various actors move forward or backward to mark scene changes. The second act set, representing the factory, is appropriately more colorful and fun, featuring a multicolored plastic conduit and see-saw like pieces that Charlie and his grandfather use in “Flying.” A similar point can be made about the costumes (designed by Judy Whelihan, Kati Andersen, and Michael Panganiban). In the first act, the costumes are mostly drab and uninteresting; many of the children appear to be wearing their own clothes, for one thing. In the second act, things become more colorful, with the variously hued Oompa-Loompas (whose costumes appear to be fitted around hula hoops) being a visual high point. Wonka wears a black tux-like outfit and looks good in it.

As a show featuring young actors and based on a well-known children’s book, Willy Wonka is obviously designed to appeal to kids. The children in the audience reacted enthusiastically to much of the show, which is a principal mark of success for such a production.

Director’s Note

Since you are reading the Director’s Note, you wondered why this program has “See Director’s Note” on the “Music Director” line in the Production Team list and has another indication for a “Music Village” with names following it. I’ll explain. For reasons there is no need to get into, the person who was to be the music director for this show let us know that he would be unable to fulfill that commitment the day before auditions for the show. My dear friend, Larry Zimmerman, and Scott Richards, a new friend I made in the course of the previous VTC Show, This, got us through auditions. Larry agreed to continue with the show but he would not be able to take on the full responsibility of music director since he would be unavailable for rehearsals for about a month. We were ready to replace this show with a non-musical or cancel the VTC spring show entirely. Then, my indefatigable producer, Jocelyn Steiner, announced that we WOULD do the show even if it “took a village” to put the music together. My indomitable stage manager, Colleen Stock, reinforced Jocelyn’s vision. I got caught up in their commitment and enthusiasm. The entire design team jumped aboard the “village” bandwagon and we vowed that we would bring this show to the stage. We asked all of the music directors we knew-and some we didn’t know-if anyone could step in. But it was a very last minute request and music directors are booked at least a year in advance. Everyone was already involved in a show or exhausted from a show just completed. Beth Atkins, a fine music director in her own right, had been on board to help with Willy Wonka from the beginning and agreed to continue with the show but was unable to take on the full job of music director. Francine Krasowska, another great music director, also agreed to help out. Led by these three stars, the cast, crew and design team became the village that has indeed brought life to Willy Wonka. It has been an extraordinary experience and is a testament to commitment, creativity and plain, old hard work on everyone’s part. Enjoy the show-it has taken a village of dedicated people to make the magic happen!

Photo Gallery

Bob Maurer as Grandpa Joe, Toby Nelson as Mrs. Bucket, Nora Zanger as Grandma Josephine, Emily Franks as Grandma Georgina, Adam LeKang as Charlie Bucket, and Joseph LeBlanc as Grandpa George	Melissa Handel, Faith Skeen and Mia Parnaby as Oompa-Loompas and Sedrick Moody as Willy Wonka

Photos by Jessica Sperlongano

The Cast

• Augustus Gloop: Erik Peyton
• Candy Man: Daniel Marin
• Charlie Bucket: Adam LeKang
• Grandma Georgina: Emily Franks
• Grandma Josephine: Nora Zanger
• Grandpa George: Joseph LeBlanc
• Grandpa Joe: Bob Maurer
• Mike Teavee: Tashi Poe
• Mr. Bucket: Alex Graur
• Mrs. Salt: Toby Nelson
• Mrs. Beauregarde: Emily Franks
• Mrs. Bucket: Toby Nelson
• Mrs. Gloop: Kimberly Baker
• Ms. Teavee: Nora Zanger
• Oompa-Loompa: Melissa Handel
• Oompa-Loompa: Hannah Hess
• Oompa-Loompa: Mia Parnaby
• Oompa-Loompa: Kyla Poe
• Oompa-Loompa: Faith Skeen
• Oompa-Loompa: Kathryn Skeen
• Phineous Trout: Wayne Jacques
• Veruca Salt: Amelia Lindsey
• Violet Beauregarde: Kaia Griggs
• Willy Wonka: Sedrick Moody

Production Team

• Producer: Jocelyn Steiner
• Director: Jessie Roberts
• Choreographer: Rosslyn Fernandez
• Assistant Stage Manager: Jay Stein
• Lighting Designer: Tom Epps
• Sound Designer: Jon Roberts
• Music Director: See Director’s Note
• Music Village
  • Keyboard: Larry Zimmerman, Francine Krasowska, Beth Atkins
  • Violinist: Kristina Westernik
  • Percussionist: Abel Ruiz
• Vocal Coach: Janice Zucker
• Projection Designer: Jon Roberts
• Graphic Designer: Michael Philip Panganiban
• Set Designer/Scenic Artist: Leta Fitzhugh
• Construction Coordinator: John Vasko
• Properties: Suzanne Maloney
• Set Dressing: Jocelyn Steiner
• Costume Designers: Judy Whelihan, Katie Andresen
• Hair and Make-up: Erica Longshore
• Set Construction Crew: John Vasko, Jon Roberts, Jessie Roberts, Samantha Poe, Jocelyn Steiner, Kaia Griggs, Hannah Hess, Diane Hess, Tracey Todd, Mikala Baker, Jay Stein
• Lighting Crew: Tom Epps, Kimberly Crago
• Costume Crew: Francoise Davis
• Set Painting Crew: Leta Fitzhugh, Mikala Baker, Hannah Hess, Diane Hess, Samantha Poe, Kaia Griggs, Anna Balch, Wayne Jacques, Denise Perrino, Vanessa Peyton, Kyla Poe
• Photographers: Jessica Sperlongano, Vanessa Peyton
• Program Design: Mary Ann Hall
• Light Board Operators: Kimberly Crago, Eric Stork, Kieth Flores
• Stage Crew: Mikala Baker

Disclaimer: Vienna Theatre Company provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review. VTC also purchased advertising on the ShowBizRadio web site, which did not influence this review.