March 9th, 2012
By Rick Pender |
Arts |
Posted In: Theater
Photo: Sandy Underwood
Stage Door: Sondheim, Afghan Women's Writing and More
Photo: Sandy Underwood
Last night I attended
the opening of the Cincinnati Playhouse production of Stephen
Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. It’s been
directed by John Doyle, who inventively staged Sondheim’s Company
in 2006, a production that moved to Broadway and earned a Tony Award.
He uses the same approach this time — actors who provide their own
musical accompaniment — and the results are top-notch because he’s
assembled a strong, talented cast. This show has long been viewed as
one of Sondheim’s few failures, but you wouldn’t know that from
this staging: It’s a showbiz tale of success that has not led to
happiness. We start at the end, with three former friends at one
another’s throats, and then trace back to their earliest moments
together. With great music, a stylized set piled with pages of music
(the central character is a composer) and some intriguing decisions
by Doyle about elevating a realistic tale to something more deeply
emotional, this version of Merrily is a great choice for anyone who
loves musicals. Through March 31. Box office: 513-421-3888
A completely different choice is the Afghan Women’s Writing Project at Know Theatre, this weekend only. Playwrights Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek took material written by women in Afghanistan who risk their lives to write their stories and turn them into material for the stage. Several outstanding local actresses — including CEA Hall of Famer Dale Hodges and frequent CEA award winner Annie Fitzpatrick — are among the interpreters. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. If you go on Friday, plan to stick around for a post-show discussion. Tickets ($18): 513-300-5669
If you like heart-warming, schmaltzy tales, you should find your way to Newport’s Monmouth Theatre where Falcon Theatre is presenting Visiting Mr. Green. It’s the story of a young man “sentenced” to regular visits with an elderly gentleman he nearly ran over. Beneath the surface of their disparate worlds they discover some surprising common ground. What makes this rather predictable story come to life is the acting: Joshua Steele and Mike Moskowitz, who happen to be grandfather and grandson, portray their characters with believability. This is the second of two weekends, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets: 513-479-6783
A year ago Cincinnati Shakespeare had a big hit with Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. They’ve done it again with another adaptation, Sense & Sensibility. This time it’s two sisters, one rational and one emotional, wonderfully portrayed by Kelly Mengelkoch (as the reserved, reasonable Elinor) and Sara Clark (as willful, romantic Marianne). They’re surrounded by droll supporting characters in a story of romance and domestic intrigue. I gave the production a Critic’s Pick. It’s onstage until March 18, but many performances have sold out. Tickets: 513-381-2273
Speaking of Cincinnati Shakespeare, the company recently announced its 2012-2013 season, which will feature some memorable characters — Sherlock Holmes, Atticus Finch (in To Kill a Mockingbird), Romeo & Juliet, Lady Bracknell (in Oscar Wilde’s hilarious The Importance of Being Earnest), Richard II and Nick Bottom (Midsummer Night Dream’s aspiring actor who makes an ass of himself). You can read about the entire season in my blog post from last Sunday.
Each week in Stage Door, Rick Pender theater tips for the weekend, often with a few pieces of theater news.
