by Rick Pender
12.09.2011
Holiday Award Winners
White Christmas, Love's Labour's Lost are recognized
I’ve extolled the virtues of White Christmas at the Covedale Center in my CityBeat review, but I’m not the only one who feels that way. The judging panel from the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) has chimed in with an award for Dan Doerger, playing the role of Phil Davis, originated in the 1954 film by Danny Kaye. I would have also recognized Rick Kramer, playing Doerger’s song-and-dance partner, Bob Wallace (played by Bing Crosby in the movie). The LCT panelists cited the “marvelous chemistry” between the two of them. Doerger, who dances as well as he sings and acts, was seen recently in Covedale productions of Singin’ in the Rain and Annie Get Your Gun. White Christmas continues through Dec. 23.
by Rick Pender
12.02.2011
Stage Door: It's the Truth Edition
There are lots of holiday shows available to you this weekend, and just about every one of them is pretty entertaining. But based on a smallish audience at last night’s opening of The Santaland Diaries, I want to draw your attention to New Edgecliff Theatre’s revival of a great performance from a year ago: Joshua Steele takes on David Sedaris’ hilarious account of holiday employment as an elf at Macy’s Santaland. It was great a year ago, but this time around he’s taken it up another notch.
by Rick Pender
11.30.2011
'Patsy Cline' Still Award-Worthy
Costumer is cited for authenticity
Let's give credit where credit is due. The League of Cincinnati Theatres award process moved quickly (if incompletely) on recognizing the Cincinnati Playhouse production of Always … Patsy Cline, which opened just a week ago today. The judging panel singled out costume designer Gordon DeVinney for his work. A panel member commented, “If you look at images of Pasty online, these ‘looks’ are incredibly authentic and evoke her persona in a startling and effective combination of era and personality.” DeVinney is the Playhouse’s costume shop manager; he has designed more than 30 productions for the Playhouse.
by Rick Pender
11.29.2011
CCM's Oklahoma! Gets Props
LCT hands out awards to three performers and the director
Well, the
erratic LCT awards got this one right — even if the announcement arrives almost
two weeks after the brief run of Oklahoma!
at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. (Nov. 17-20). Three performers and the
show’s director and choreographer have been cited by a judging panel from the
League of Cincinnati Theatres. The recreation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
trend-setting musical from 1943 is certainly one of the best productions I’ve
seen all season. It marshaled the forces of 35 and an orchestra of more than 40
musicians. It’s not likely that you’ll see such a production anywhere but at a
school like CCM
Professor
of Musical Theatre Diana Lala, the
show’s director and choreographer, was recognized with an LCT award for the
show’s outstanding choreography. LCT panelists praised the quality and quantity
of dancing, based on Agnes DeMille’s legendary work for the original 1943 Broadway
production, as well as its “flawless” execution.
Three
student performers were cited for their contributions to the show. Senior John Riddle from Vermillion, Ohio, was
awarded for his performance as a leading actor, playing the cowboy Curly McLain.
Senior Julia Johanos from
Louisville, Colorado, was similarly recognized as a leading actress in a
musical for playing Laurey Williams, the object of Curly’s romantic attention.
One LCT judge said the leads “knocked this one out of the park with depth,
musical talent and romantic chemistry.” Senior Eric Huffman from Lenexa, Kansas, played cowboy Will Parker, a
featured role for which LCT recognized him as a “confident dancer, good singer
and truly gifted actor.”
More
information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.
by Rick Pender
11.29.2011
Actors Theatre of Louisville Names New Artistic Director
Brit director Les Waters moves to Kentucky from Berkeley, Calif.
Les Waters, a British director who’s worked in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, has been named the next artistic director at Actors Theatre of Louisville. It’s only the third time in the theater’s 42-year history that a new artistic leader has been chosen. Jon Jory led the theater for three decades years, during which he established the highly respected Humana Festival of New American Plays, about to mark its 36th iteration. Jory was succeeded in 1999 by Marc Masterson, who left earlier this year to take over another proponent of new works for the American stage, South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, Calif.
by Rick Pender
11.20.2011
Cincinnati-Trained Singer Is Making a Name
From CCM to New York City Opera
For several years Joshua Jeremian seemed to be onstage everywhere in Cincinnati. He was a regular in opera productions at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music, where he was pursuing a master’s degree and then an artist’s diploma (additional graduate-level training) as an opera singer. But he was glad to find performing opportunities with many Cincinnati perfroming arts institutions. In 2005 he played a pair of princes in Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati’s holiday musical, Sleeping Beauty. (In fact, the big-voiced baritone was nominated for a 2006 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for his performance at ETC.)
by Rick Pender
11.18.2011
Oklahoma!: A Classic in Every Way
If you've ever wondered why musical theater fans think of Oklahoma! as the show that launched the "Golden Age" of musical theater, you need to get a ticket for this weekend's CCM performance of the 1943 classic by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. I attended the opening last night, and it's a stunning production firing on all cylinders. The cast is first-rate, especially senior John Riddle as handsome cowboy Curly McLain and Chris Blem as threatening Jud Fry. Julia Johanos is a feisty Laurey Williams, and CCM and Broadway veteran Pamela Myers comes back to where she got her start to play Aunt Eller, full of wisdom, piss and vinegar.
by Rick Pender
11.13.2011
Actors Theatre Is Ready for Humana Festival No. 36
Here comes the big annual dose of new American plays
The 36th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville is set for Feb. 26 through April 1, 2012. The theater today announced the line-up of full-length works. (A bill of three ten-minute plays will be announced at a later date.) Here’s what’s in store for the festival that the theater world looks to every year for the hottest new plays and playwrights. (Maple and Vine by Jordan Harrison from the 2011 festival is getting rave reviews at Chicago’s Next Theatre Company and is about to open at Playwrights Horizons in New York City.)
by Rick Pender
10.21.2011
Stage Door: Quirky Tunes by William Finn
Broadway musicals aren't always about song and dance. One of the best proponents of material that's quirky and idiosyncratic is composer and lyricist William Finn, whose earliest shows — eventually combined into the award-winning Falsettos — were about being gay in New York City. He's also created pieces like A New Brain (about a man contemplating surgery for a brain tumor) and the commercially successful show, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
by Rick Pender
10.13.2011
It's true. I can make a mistake.
LCT was responsible for poorly organized event
Mea culpa. In a recent post, I
suggested I was disheartened by the lack of attendance at the “Meet the
Artistic Directors” event at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on Oct. 2 — six artistic
directors, moderated by the Enquirer’s
Jackie Demaline, with three people in the audience, each with some connection
to the speakers. Pretty sad. I mistakenly assumed that Demaline organized this
event as she has for several years; given her parting of ways with the
League of Cincinnati Theatres, I had offered to step in if needed, but was
never contacted. So I drew the conclusion that she had returned to her past
role.
I was wrong.
A representative of LCT wrote this
to me today: “The
‘Meet the Artistic Directors’ was entirely an LCT event. Jackie had nothing to
do with it, other than to be asked to moderate. The fault lies with LCT, not
Jackie or the Enquirer. Cathy
Springfield led the LCT board to think it was all taken care of, when it
actually was not.” I apologize to Demaline for jumping to this conclusion. It’s
evident that she was not the organizer. In fact, it appears the event had no
organizer.
The larger point of my blog post that LCT appears to be in disarray is underscored by this confusion. But let’s point the blame in the right direction. It was LCT’s fault, not Demaline or the Enquirer.
by Rick Pender
06.14.2013
5 days ago
Stage Door: Cirque du Soleil and More
Head to Dayton's Nutter Center this weekend to see Cirque du Soleil's classic show, Quidam. The show, at the time a big top
production, spent several weeks in Cincinnati in August and September
2006 in a "grand chapiteau" on the Ohio River bank near the Suspension
Bridge. It's the story of a bored kid named Zoé whose parents
ignore her. We enter the world of her imagination when Quidam, a
headless wanderer under an umbrella, hands her his blue bowler hat.
As her self-absorbed parents float
away, the story moves into the magical reality her imagination, populated by Cirque's
physically astonishing performers. There's a "German Wheel," a pair of
man-sized double hoops with a guy rolling around the stage; an amazing
silk contortionist, high
above the stage); and "Statue," a mesmerizing performance by a
muscle-bound guy and a powerful woman
who slowly balance in various positions. My favorite was Banquine, the
finale by 15 acrobats, launching tumblers high into the air and catching
them. Through Sunday. Tickets: cirquedusoleil.com
by Rick Pender
06.13.2013
6 days ago
Cirque du Soleil's Quidam Is a Flight of Imagination
Onstage at Dayton's Nutter Center through June 16
Cirque du Soleil's classic show, Quidam,
opens with Zoé (Alessandra Gonzalez), a bored little girl whose parents
ignore her. We enter the world of her imagination when Quidam, a
headless wanderer under an umbrella, hands Zoé his blue bowler hat.
(This imagery will resonate with those who know the surrealist paintings
of René Magritte, a 20th century artist whose paintings challenged
traditional perceptions of reality.) Zoé's self-absorbed parents float
away and we are transported to the magical reality of Cirque's
physically astonishing performers.
The "world" presently inhabited by Quidam is Dayton's Nutter Center, on the campus of Wright State University, through Sunday, June 16.
The show, which originated as a big top production (it spent several
weeks in Cincinnati in August and September 2006 in a "grand chapiteau"
on the Ohio River bank near the Suspension Bridge) is now an arena show,
and it works beautifully in the Nutter. Five giant metal arches are
used to suspend performers in mid-air, but you quickly lose sight of the
mechanics thanks to the artistry, visual and musical, of Cirque.
To me, the
greatest wonder — beyond the physical precision and discipline of
Cirque's athletic artists — is the universality of shows like Quidam,
which tour the world. (In a few months, this company will be
performing in Europe, playing to audiences in cities including Vienna,
Munich and London, where it has a month-long engagement at Royal Albert
Hall.) The performers are ethnically diverse and the storytelling spans
cultural boundaries: Wordless clowning (Quidam features a segment
about making a silent movie that recruits a few audience members as
"actors") is laugh-out-loud funny, and the ringmaster John (Mark Ward)
borders on intentional incompetence in a way that endears him to the
crowd even as he moves us from act to act without saying a word.
And what
acts we see: German Wheel (a pair of man-sized double hoops containing a
guy who rolls around the stage); Diabolo (spinning Chinese yo-yo's
tossed high into the air from a string and caught); Aerial Contortion
(Tanya Burka is an amazing silk contortionist, many feet above the
stage); Skipping Ropes (using 20 acrobats); Aerial Hoops (three women
spinning and pivoting through the air); Hand Balancing (incredible
strength and flexibility by a woman on yard-high canes); Spanish Webs
(five fellows on high, hanging and twisting on ropes); Statue (a
mesmerizing performance by Yves Décoste and Valentyna Sidenko who slowly
and powerfully balance in various positions); and finally Banquine
(acrobatics). The latter section, Quidam's finale, uses 15
artists, launching tumblers high into the air and catching them. At one
point they build a tower of four humans atop each others' shoulders.
Each assemblage or toss seems more daring than the previous.
Quidam
might be the product of Zoé's boredom, but the show expands imaginative
horizons. It's definitely worth a one-hour drive from Cincinnati.
by Rick Pender
06.09.2013
10 days ago
Ensemble Theatre Announces Remainder of Season
Cincy Playhouse veterans Ed Stern and Michael Evan Haney to stage shows
If you enjoyed "great theater in a great theater" at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park during past seasons, you'll be pleased to learn that Ed Stern, former producing artistic director, and Michael Evan Haney, whose tenure as associate artistic director ends on June 30, have both been engaged to stage shows at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) for its 2013-2014 season. Haney will stage Nina Raine's Tribes (Jan. 29-Feb. 16, 2014) and Stern will co-direct the world premiere of Raymond McAnally's Size Matters (May 7-25, 2014); the playwright is also an actor (he co-starred in ETC's production of Mrs. Mannerly last fall) and he will be the solo performer of the one-man show.
Tribes is about Billy, the deaf son of an outspoken family obsessed with self-expression. He has adapted to his family but not vice versa. Then he begins to connect with the deaf community, and his family resents his new "tribe." The show uses spoken and sign language as well as surtitles so audiences can fully follow the action. The show has been a hit in New York (where it won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for outstanding play) and London, where it debuted in 2010 at the Royal Court Theatre. It's only been seen at a few theaters in the U.S. including the La Jolla Playhouse and the Guthrie in Minneapolis. As usual, ETC's Lynn Meyers is ahead of the curve in picking up great new works, and it's a good bet that Haney will make this a fine production. (Haney remains connected with the Playhouse as one of three artistic associates; he will direct A Christmas Carol as well as the world premiere of Anna Ziegler's A Delicate Ship during the Playhouse's 2013-2014 season.)
McAnally's comedy, Size Matters is even newer, of course, as a world premiere. It's about a "big guy," living in a crowded city and getting work based on his weight. McAnally, an actor who's weighed more than 280 pounds since he was 18, explores the impact his weight has had on who he is: It's apparent to him that "size matters" much of the time, but not always. The show about body issues and self-confidence is based on true events. Stern will co-direct with ETC's Meyers.
The balance of ETC's season was announced earlier: It opens on Sept. 4 with Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities, andincludes Gina Gionfriddo's Rapture, Blister, Burn, the holiday musical Around the World in 80 Days and Katori Hall's The Mountaintop about Martin Luther King Jr. Find more details here.
by Rick Pender
06.07.2013
12 days ago
Stage Door: Finishing Up Fringe
Two more days of the
2013 Cincy Fringe remain. In its 10th year, this year's festival has
provided consistently high-quality offerings. If you're serious about
the full range of theater, you owe it to yourself to catch a couple of
them. I can't go into everything here, but you can check out my column
from the current issue of CityBeat here or go straight to CityBeat's hub for web coverage where you can read coverage of all the shows, thanks to our dedicated corps of reviewers.
One further recommendation: Make your way to Know Theatre after 10 p.m. on Saturday
to mix and mingle with the lively crowd and be among the first to learn
which shows have earned "Pick of the Fringe" honors. There's no charge
for admission; buy a drink or two and tip the bartenders generously.
This is a volunteer-driven event, so you might also say thanks to anyone
wearing a volunteer T-shirt.
Even
as the Fringe sails off into the sunset, there's still plenty of
theater onstage locally. For instance, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
opens its revival of its hit from last summer, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
(Find CityBeat's review of last summer's CSC production here.) A three-man cast plays all the characters in a very funny take on the
classic Sherlock Holmes tale. The actors, a trio of Cincy Shakes' best
(Jeremy Dubin, Nicholas Rose and Brent Vimtrup), have been staged by the
always inventive Michael Evan Haney, the Cincinnati Playhouse's
associate artistic director and perhaps our finest local stage director,
who manages to squeeze every possible ounce of entertainment from this
hilarious script. The show had a sold-out run last July, and you can
expect a similar response this month; the run continues through June 30. Tickets: 513-381-2273, x1.
Another option: Duck Hunter Shoots Angel, at Falcon Theater in Newport. It's a funny script by Mitch Albom (the author of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet In Heaven) about two bumbling Alabama duck
hunters who think they’ve shot an angel. The story lands in a New York tabloid and explodes from there. Through June 15. Tickets: 513-479-6783.
For something more serious, I suggest Showbiz Players production of Spring Awakening
at the Carnegie in Covington, the winner of eight Tony Awards
(including best musical). It's a tale of teen angst and emerging
sexuality, a powerful piece with a driving Rock score. Onstage through June 8. Tickets: 859-957-1940.
And there's still time to catch Shipwrecked! on the Playhouse's Shelterhouse stage (through June 16).
It's a fantastic and family-friendly tale about adventure and
storytelling, told imaginatively using three actors and a lot of clever
sound effects and adaptation of everyday things to create exotic
settings and dangerous moments, rescued by heroism or happenstance. (CityBeat review here.) A
good show for the whole family. Tickets: 513-421-3888
Finally, a reminder: The Tony Awards, recognizing Broadway's best shows, will be be broadcast on Sunday evening on CBS, starting at 8 p.m., hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.
by Rick Pender
05.31.2013
19 days ago
Stage Door: Fringe Your Weekend
The 2013 Cincinnati Fringe is at its first weekend with almost two dozen
shows available for you to attend over the weekend. Pick a few and take
a chance — read the commentaries by CityBeat reviewers posted here, if you want the inside scoop on various productions.
This is the 10th annual event, and it's become a big-time part of our local theater scene. You owe it to yourself to see some of these creative, odd, amusing, thoughtful pieces. And stop by Know Theatre's Underground Bar after 10 p.m. any evening to meet performers and talk with others who are enjoying the Fringe. It's a great way to get more perspectives.
This is the 10th annual event, and it's become a big-time part of our local theater scene. You owe it to yourself to see some of these creative, odd, amusing, thoughtful pieces. And stop by Know Theatre's Underground Bar after 10 p.m. any evening to meet performers and talk with others who are enjoying the Fringe. It's a great way to get more perspectives.
More 2013 Fringe coverage:
• May 22 cover story: “Navigating the Novelties”
• April 18 Curtain Call column: “Fringe Has Sprung”
• Official Fringe Festival guide
by Rick Pender
05.24.2013
26 days ago
Stage Door: Near Season's End
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company finishes its run of Measure for Measure this weekend (CityBeat review here). It's a dark tale of hypocrisy and manipulation, with a few glimmers of ribald humor. Director Brian Phillips has transported the story from Renaissance-Era Vienna to the United States of the 1920s when Prohibition made everyday occurrences of fast living and bad behavior. (Can you say Boardwalk Empire?) In 20 seasons, CSC has only staged it once before, but this is a production worth seeing because of the strong acting company — especially Brent Vimtrup, Kelly Mengelkoch and Nick Rose. Billy Chace does a nice job with the comic bits, too, even though they feel weird in this difficult story of self-righteousness and double-dealing. Tickets: 513-381-2273, x1.
For those into crooning, sentimental nostalgia, you'll find an ample supply aboard the Showboat Majestic's production of Forever Plaid.
Jinx, Sparky Francis and Smudge conjure up a lot of good clean fun and
close harmonies for their final concert. And I do mean final — in fact,
they're kind of after the fact: Coming back from the great beyond for
one last gig after a tragic bus accident on their way to a career-making
gig. There's a lot of tomfoolery that makes this show amusing and
entertaining. Through June 2. Tickets: 513-241-6550.
If you prefer the girls to the boys, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is into the extended run of The Mavelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns.
The spunky gals — who also traffic in tunes from the ’50s and ’60s —
provide two more rounds of melodies and moodiness. "Caps" is a
reconstruction of their graduation night in 1958, while "Gowns" is a
decade later at the wedding reception of Missy, who always has a plan,
and Mr. Lee, a teacher she idolized. We get to see what life has brought
to her three friends, love-'em-and-leave-'em Cindy Lou, jealous Betty
Jean and vapid Suzy. ETC's casting gets an A+. Through June 1. Tickets: 513-421-3555.
For our early summer enjoyment, the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has put together the charming and family-friendly Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself). I attended the opening on Thursday
evening and witnessed three actors who play a host of characters,
change costumes in plain view, create wildly imaginative scenery and
make their own sound effects. It's a wistful story of adventure that
revels in the adventure of storytelling. It's onstage through June 16. Tickets: 513-421-3888.
by Rick Pender
05.23.2013
27 days ago
Rising Stars
LCT singles out great theater productions and performers for 2012-2013
I wrote my Curtain Call column before the League of Cincinnati Theatres held its Monday night awards gala at The Know Theatre. So I thought you might want to learn the results. I'm glad to report that the LCT voters and I agreed about the season's best shows: I thought that Know Theatre's When the Rain Stops Falling was the best theatrical production, and that CCM Musical Theatre's production of Parade at the Carnegie was the most satisfying musical — and those are the productions that LCT cited, too.
LCT employed social media to identify audience favorites: Untethered Theatre's Red Light Winter won as the favored play, NKU's production of the musical Legally Blonde got the nod. I'm sure these were both fine productions, and it's nice to see Untethered, a new company, receive this recognition. But it's also apparent that some theaters lobbied supporters to vote for their productions, which is part of this game. So take such results with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, recognition is recognition, and that's what the awards are ultimately about — bringing good theater to the attention of the theater-going public.
There were some nice touches to LCT's program this year, including an "audience service award" that singled out people who serve audience members — box office managers and bartenders, for instance. Sue Bolger, who runs the ticket operation at NKU was named the winner, but all of these folks make going to the theater a pleasure — Brenda Berger at the Carnegie, Cal Harris at Cincy Shakes, Barb Marino with New Edgecliff and John Simpson, who runs the bar at the Playhouse.
LCT annually recognizes outstanding theater educators: This year's honorees, Mike Sherman from Colerain High School and Chad Weddle from Anderson High School, both gave grateful speeches thanking parents and hard-working kids for making it possible. These guys (and everyone who puts together high school productions) are heroes in my book: They instill a love of theater in kids, some of whom go on to careers, but many more who just come to love theater and enjoy a lifetime of happy audience membership.
Speaking of heroes, Cincinnati Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Michael Evan Haney received a standing ovation from the crowd of 200 or so when he was presented with the Rick Steiner Award for Excellence. Haney is marking his 40th year in professional theater, having spent more than 20 years staging shows for the Playhouse (including 20+ iterations of A Christmas Carol, a show he first appeared in as Bob Cratchit), as well as work at other local theaters including Ensemble Theatre and Cincinnati Shakespeare.
Four Rising Stars were also named, performers under age 25 who are on the front end of promising careers. Ellie Jamison (CCM Drama), Drew Blakeman (NKU), Jon Kovach (Miami) and Sydney Kuhlman (an Ohio Northern grad who has been a stage management intern at the Playhouse) each received a $1,000 check to get them started.
The full list of LCT winners (as well as other nominees), can be found at leagueofcincytheatres.info.
LCT employed social media to identify audience favorites: Untethered Theatre's Red Light Winter won as the favored play, NKU's production of the musical Legally Blonde got the nod. I'm sure these were both fine productions, and it's nice to see Untethered, a new company, receive this recognition. But it's also apparent that some theaters lobbied supporters to vote for their productions, which is part of this game. So take such results with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, recognition is recognition, and that's what the awards are ultimately about — bringing good theater to the attention of the theater-going public.
There were some nice touches to LCT's program this year, including an "audience service award" that singled out people who serve audience members — box office managers and bartenders, for instance. Sue Bolger, who runs the ticket operation at NKU was named the winner, but all of these folks make going to the theater a pleasure — Brenda Berger at the Carnegie, Cal Harris at Cincy Shakes, Barb Marino with New Edgecliff and John Simpson, who runs the bar at the Playhouse.
LCT annually recognizes outstanding theater educators: This year's honorees, Mike Sherman from Colerain High School and Chad Weddle from Anderson High School, both gave grateful speeches thanking parents and hard-working kids for making it possible. These guys (and everyone who puts together high school productions) are heroes in my book: They instill a love of theater in kids, some of whom go on to careers, but many more who just come to love theater and enjoy a lifetime of happy audience membership.
Speaking of heroes, Cincinnati Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Michael Evan Haney received a standing ovation from the crowd of 200 or so when he was presented with the Rick Steiner Award for Excellence. Haney is marking his 40th year in professional theater, having spent more than 20 years staging shows for the Playhouse (including 20+ iterations of A Christmas Carol, a show he first appeared in as Bob Cratchit), as well as work at other local theaters including Ensemble Theatre and Cincinnati Shakespeare.
Four Rising Stars were also named, performers under age 25 who are on the front end of promising careers. Ellie Jamison (CCM Drama), Drew Blakeman (NKU), Jon Kovach (Miami) and Sydney Kuhlman (an Ohio Northern grad who has been a stage management intern at the Playhouse) each received a $1,000 check to get them started.
The full list of LCT winners (as well as other nominees), can be found at leagueofcincytheatres.info.
by Rick Pender
05.17.2013
33 days ago
Stage Door: Choices, Choices
As the 2012-2013
theater season winds down, there are still several good productions
worth seeing: You can still be entertained by the froth of The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns at Ensemble Theatre (which runs through June 1), intrigued by the dark comedy Measure for Measure at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (through May 26; CityBeat review here) or titillated by the noir tale of lust and murder, Double Indemnity, at the Cincinnati Playhouse (wrapping up on Saturday; CityBeat review here).
But if you're looking for other options, you'll find them. Slightly more off the beaten path is Sunset Boulevard,
the Andrew Lloyd Webber about a faded silent film star living in her
grandiose memory of her glory days rather than in the cynical present of
the 1940s. Cincinnati Music Theatre has assembled a fine production of
the show at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater, onstage through
Saturday evening. This is a big show in terms of cast, choreography,
scenery and more, but CMT, a community theater, has the personnel to
pull it off. Tickets: 513-621-2787.
Another tale of a film legend contemplating a return to the screen — but on a decidedly smaller scale — is offered in Krisit,
a new play by local playwright Y York. Veteran actress Dale Hodges
plays the title character in a show characterized by director Mark
Lutwak as a funny play about a serious subject. York and Hodges have a
history that goes back to New York City many years ago. It's onstage
(through June 2) at Clifton Performance Theatre (the space once occupied
by Sitwell's Coffee House, 404 Ludlow Ave.). Tickets: 513-861-7469.
Speaking of legends, at the Aronoff tonight (Friday) you'll find Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight!
He's been presenting the humor, satirical wit and timeless observations
of one of America's most iconic literary figures for more than a
half-century. Holbrook is now 88, more than a decade older than Twain
when he passed away in 1910. But he keeps his performances fresh and
timely with constant edits and changes about politics, culture and the
world, carefully attuned to the moment. (He has more than 16 hours of
Twain material in his repertoire!) His performance is in the Procter
& Gamble Hall at the Aronoff Center. Tickets: 513-621-2787.
If you've already enjoyed the Wonderettes at ETC, you might want to attend Forever Plaid,
which just opened the 2013 summer season on board the Showboat
Majestic. It's a similar story, a quartet of singers aspiring for their
big musical break. They get it, but at a high (and highly comic) price.
Lots of great tunes from the ’50s, surrounded by nostalgic humor. It's
onstage through June 2. Tickets: 513-241-6550.
Finally, if
you're a regular theatergoer in Cincinnati, you might want to attend
the League of Cincinnati's awards program on Monday evening, 7 p.m. at
Know Theatre. Details here.
by Rick Pender
05.10.2013
40 days ago
If you prefer a musical with a little more grit, head to Dayton where the Human Race Theatre Company is presenting next to normal
at the Victoria Theater. This Rock musical about a paranoid
schizophrenic mom and the damage her affliction imposes on her family is
a powerful show, one that Cincinnati's Ensemble Theatre gave a well
received production in 2011 that was revived a year ago. The show was an
unusual winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama. It's onstage in
Dayton through May 19. Tickets: 937-228-9360.
Stage Door: Stock Up
Nothing new onstage
this week, but lots of good work continues as we head toward the summer
when theater gets scarce. Now's the time to stock up.
This is the final weekend for Cock at Know Theatre. (Some publications call it The Cockfight Play, but Cock
is Mike Bartlett's actual title for his play.) It's the story of a man
who thought he was gay but now finds himself powerfully drawn to a
woman. (CityBeat review here.) His former lover and his new passion both push him to make a
choice, and he's torn. It's a great piece of theater, fueled by strong
acting and interesting staging. Tickets: 513-300-5669.
Ensemble Theatre's production of The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns
is off and running — and on its way to being another box-office hit for
ETC. It's the same four spunky gals who audiences loved back in 2010
(in ETC's best-selling show ever), with new tuneful glimpses into their
high school graduation in 1958 and a wedding reception in 1968. Talented
singers, individually and as a quartet, make this a fine evening's
entertainment. If you've seen it before, you know the drill — and you're
probably ready for more. Tickets: 513-421-3555
James M. Cain's novel of crime and deception, Double Indemnity, continues at the Cincinnati Playhouse. (CityBeat review here.) If you think you know this show from Billy Wilder's 1944 film (one that defined the noir
genre), you're in for a treat: While this production adopts the
elements of terse narration, tough guys and sexy dames, the playwrights
tell the story differently for the stage. And the Playhouse stages it
inventively — one might even say cinematically. Tickets: 513-421-3888.
Shakespeare's Measure for Measure
is a strange piece, a comedy with a deeply disturbing story about
hypocrisy. (CityBeat review here.) A judgmental official condemns men for their licentious
behavior, then turns around and propositions a virtuous woman pleading
to spare her brother. This troublesome tale is interspersed with comic
moments as minor characters wend their way through a time of sordid
behavior — in Cincinnati Shakespeare's production it's been moved to
Prohibition-era America. If you're a Shakespeare buff, this one is worth
seeing, since it's not often staged. (It's been 18 years since it's
been presented locally.) Tickets: 513-381-2273 x.1.
The musical Sister Act,
based on the Whoopi Goldberg film from 1992, continues at the Aronoff. (CityBeat review here.)
It's an evening of silly fluff, but the touring production, onstage
through Sunday, is polished and entertaining. The plot is implausible,
but it's a framework for some great singing and an eye-popping series of
set pieces. Tickets: 800-982-2787.
by Rick Pender
05.03.2013
47 days ago
Stage Door: Shake It Up
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company opens its
production of the infrequently staged Measure for Measure tonight. Director Brian Isaac Phillips says, “We have discovered a lot of
satire and wit as we explore the biting social criticism in
this play. The behavior of these characters … is like a dark comic
mirror, held up to nature. Shakespeare has written a play that begs us
to examine modern day decadence and hypocrisy.” Phillips has set the
production in the corrupt and hypocritical Prohibition Era, to "give
modern audiences a context for the
actions and the characters' deeply held opinions." It's onstage through
May 26. Tickets: 513-381-2273 x.1.
The Marvelous Wonderettes
are back at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with another sequel to the 2010
show that set box-office records. This time the theme is "Caps and
Gowns" — which means graduation (in 1958) and a wedding (in 1968). The
quartet of girl singers are lively and sometimes harmonious, although
each one has her quirks and pet peeves. The spread of a decade allows a
range through two distinct periods of Rock & Roll, one innocent, the
other a bit more knowing. ETC has reunited three of the four actresses
who've played these parts before, and the fourth slot – filled by Leslie
Goddard — is a petite stick of dynamite in cats' eye glasses. The show
opened on Wednesday, and it will surely be a hot ticket again — ETC has
already extended it by two weeks beyond its original closing date.
Tickets: 513-421-3555.
I went to see Sister Act,
based on the Whoopi Goldberg film from 1992 about nuns and disco, with
low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised: This is a solid production
of a very silly show, with some genuine talent in the leading roles,
and plenty of energy in the ensemble. The music (by composer Alan
Menken, who also wrote Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Newsies
and many more) is entertaining, the production looks great — lots of
glitter and sequins — and some moments of touching emotion (cliched, but
moving nonetheless). Don't expect anything profound and you'll have a
good time. It's onstage at the Aronoff Center. Tickets: 800-982-2782.
If you're in a darker mood, check out Double Indemnity at the Cincinnati Playhouse. It's a stage version of a noir
classic, a pair of lovers plot to murder her husband and score a big
insurance take (boyfriend is an insurance salesman). But things don't
quite work out as planned. Very stylish imagery and actors who get the
hard-boiled tough-guy style of story-telling from the 1940s. Paul
Shortt's cleverly designed set moves the action quickly from scene to
scene using two turntables, so it's almost like a movie with "wipes"
from once setting to the next. Tickets: 513-421-3888. 
