The Wait is Over!

Remember when I posted about having exciting news?? I can finally share it with everyone!

I am VERY happy and proud to say that I am now one of the Associate Theatre Critics (ATCs) for The Column by John Garcia!

I will not be posting any of my reviews here on the blog, in accordance with John's rules. However, once they are published in the Column and on Pegasus News' web site, I will post a link.

I am very excited and grateful for such an amazing opportunity to get out and see more live theatre while simultaneously stretching my writing muscles and facing the challenges that come with critiquing my peers while maintaining objectivity.

I've set a very organic mission statement for myself (nothing set in stone, nothing even written down) that I will never, for any reason, completely trash a show. I can see no valid point in people who are mean and nasty just for entertainment's sake (though, it can only entertain them personally...it certainly isn't entertaining to the reviewees!) and, as a sometimes-performer myself, I see no point in being hateful and acerbic to those people who, just like me, are trying to do what they love. I will strive to make any and all criticism constructive, and to balance negative/critical comments with positive ones as well.

I'm very much looking forward to my first assignment, and I'm thrilled to be associated with a local staple such as The Column!

Tweeting the Tonys

I always wish I could live-blog the Tony Awards (or the Oscars....or any other awards show), but that would mean I'd get control over the t.v. and the computer, and my husband just will not allow it. So, I had to resort to Tweeting during the telecast via my cell phone. Here were some of my thoughts (all with the hashtag "tonyawards"):

OperaWife: This opening number kinda seems like a cluster-F. Sound is off or something.

OperaWife: Stockard Channing ouch.

OperaWife: @orchconductor she sounds awful

OperaWife: Oh Liza....tranny mess.

OperaWife: God I would wreck NPH.

OperaWife: I thought that opening number was mostly shit. Sorry they spent so much money on it.

OperaWife: Ok the sound guy needs to be fired.

OperaWife: Loving the Shrek number....makes my knees hurt to watch!

OperaWife: You go Angela Lansbury!

OperaWife: Choreography for WSS revival is amazing!

OperaWife: What a phenomenal cast. Would love to see it!!

OperaWife: I'm confused by the Rock of Ages performance. Constantine did a good job with the beginning of "Don't Stop Believin."

OperaWife: But the rest of it was really just kinda stupid. Why am I so underwhelmed by most of these performances?

OperaWife: Oh, LIZA...again -- you hot tranny mess.

OperaWife: Son of a....WTF, Tonys? SOUND FAIL OVERALL!

OperaWife: Mic problems notwithstanding, LOVED the performance from Guys & Dolls.

OperaWife: Best speech so far - Karen Olivo from WSS. True emotion.

OperaWife: Despite sound issues...very intrigued by Next to Normal. Amazing performers.

OperaWife: I always get chills during the In Memoriam section when Broadway goes dark.

OperaWife: This kid from Billy Elliott is blowing my freaking mind.

OperaWife: Yay for HAIR!! All 3 revival nominees were amazing.

OperaWife: OMG i'm dying from the cuteness of these 3 boys.

OperaWife: Neil Patrick singing! SWOON!!!

So there you have it. I obviously got distracted and forgot to tweet at some points during the show, but that happens during a 3-hour telecast. Dogs need to be walked. Dinner needs to be had, etc.

Overall I was impressed by the musical numbers from the show. This was probably the first Tony Awards in a LONG time where I didn't know the majority of the shows nominated, or hadn't at least heard the cast recordings.

I think all three nominees for Best Revival of a Musical gave incredible performances, but I was happy for Hair. Of the Best Musical nominees, it seemed to be a given that Billy Elliott would win the crown, but I was equally impressed and intrigued by Next to Normal. I absolutely loved the performance by the cast of N2N, and I can't wait to get my mitts on the cast recording.

Neil Patrick Harris was a great host, but I felt as though he was holding back a lot until the very end of the show, at which time he sang (!!!) a "Tonight" parody detailing the night's events. Loved it.

Can't wait til next year!

Exciting news...

Coming soon! ;)

Indoor/Outdoor

Jessica Wiggers as Samantha and Regan Adair as Shuman. Photo by Mark Oristano, originally found at WaterTower Theatre.

Last night, my husband and I ventured out of Denton and into Addison to see Kenny Finkle's charming play Indoor/Outdoor at WaterTower Theatre.

When I first proposed the idea of going to my husband, and told him that the main character was a cat, he gave me the stink-eye. Finally I coerced him with $0.49 drinks at QT on the way there, and he conceded.

As theatre enthusiasts ourselves, we really enjoyed the production. As recent pet-owners? Fagettaboutit. Loved it.

At one point I found myself laughing until tears came to my eyes because I've been in situations with my puppy similar to the situation onstage. This is a really great, light-hearted and charming script, and the cast of four (Jessica Cavanagh Wiggers, Regan Adair, Joey Folsom and Renee Krapff) is stellar.

I know that finances don't always allow us to see all the things that we'd like to, but I highly encourage anyone who is able to find a way to go see this production.

Pertinent Info from the WaterTower web site:

Indoor/Outdoor will run May 21 - June 7, 2009 at the Addison Theatre Centre, which is located at 15650 Addison Road in Addison, Texas. Performance times are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 PM (no matinee May 23) & 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Seating is reserved with NO late seating. Ticket prices range from $25 - $40* and can be purchased by calling the WTT Box Office at 972.450.6232 or online. Group rates are also available.

*psssst -- too expensive? Are you a Column subscriber? CHECK YOUR EMAIL!

Getting Married Today

A clip from our production of Company:

The Reviews are In

Well, put another script on the shelf for posterity. Crazy For You closed on May 10th after what I feel was a VERY successful run. We sold out the entire second weekend of performances, which is a huge step in the right direction for MTD, and I could not be more proud of this show. The cast, the production team, the crew -- everyone and I mean everyone worked their asses off on this show, and we all were boo-hooing on the last performance. Not just because it was the last performance, but because we truly all formed an emotional bond that I can't describe to anyone who hasn't been a part of such a process. I'm blessed to have known and worked with ALL of them, and my thanks go out to each and every new relationship I formed within this production process.

That being said, the reviews are in, and prove that everyone does in fact have their own opinion and that you can't please everyone! This one was written and posted by John Garcia of The Column, a weekly email group that began as a source for Dallas/Ft. Worth theatre-lovers and has expanded to more than 12,000 subscribers. This one was written by a couple of new reviewers who are just starting their "business" as it were and only have a couple of reviews up.

No matter what, though, nothing will take away from my experience and my views on a wonderful, exhausting, emotional, and rewarding experience.

Now. What's next?

I'm going to be assistant stage managing Denton Community Theatre's production of Don't Dress for Dinner, which is a play opening the first weekend in June, and there's a chance I'll be auditioning for a new adaptation/collaboration piece with a smaller theatre in Denton that same weekend. I'll try to be better at keeping everyone posted. I know, I've been bad...but work + two shows back-to-back = one stressed out and tired and BUSY lady! Summer will be a lot more laid back. :)

P.S. those beautiful photos above were taken by my friend and Very Favorite Photographer, Lynn Michelle when I invited her to be my guest at our preview performance. She rules...as usual.

Review: Carousel at Denton Community Theatre

Pictured: Keith Warren as Billy Bigelow; Sarah Geist as Julie Jordan. (Photo by Phillip Lamb)

DISCLAIMER: This review is unsolicited, and written solely for the purpose of the DFW Backstage Blog and its readers. It is not to be re-posted or published without the permission of the author.

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a phrase beginning with “In this economy…” over the past several months, my own economic crisis would be sufficiently erased. Everywhere you look, people and businesses are trying to find ways to cut corners as a way to cut costs, yet still maintain the quality of their life (or their product, as the case may be). The local arts communities are no exception. Many local theatre groups have changed their productions mid-season, lowered ticket prices, offered discounts and, in the worst of cases, shut down due to reduced numbers in the audience affecting their ability to meet the costs involved in mounting a full-scale theatrical production.

However, Denton Community Theatre (DCT) did not shy away from its plans to produce Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical Carousel this month. Rather than spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on elaborate sets and costumes, director Sharon Veselic and her production team simply took a different approach in deciding to present the musical in “grand concert style,” opting for a full orchestra (necessary for a lush R&H score) onstage with the actors and a simple, innovative set design consisting of various levels and ramps that surround the musicians. By using the talents of Dallas-based Phillip Lamb, who specializes in creating corporate videos, the creative team implemented technology, in the form of projections, to bring the small New England town to life onstage.

Overall, I think the venture was a successful one. The opening “Carousel Waltz” featured brightly colored images of a carnival projected onto a screen at the back of the theatre, while the carousel (complete with revolving horses!) was projected onto a smaller, custom-built scrim placed in front of the back screen. The images were original, and very eye-catching. However, as the show progressed, I admit I became distracted by some of the projections, as they varied between brightly colored, painted images and photographs of actual seaside communities. I personally would have preferred a consistency in the choice of projections.

I had issues with some of the choices made by the lighting designer and musical director of this production. At times, the actors’ faces were completely hidden in darkness or low lighting, while an unoccupied area of the stage was extremely well-lit in contrast. During the ballet on the beach in Act II, there was no follow spot on Louise, and at times she was dancing in the darkest corners of the stage. As a musical purist, I cringed a bit when the “Carousel Waltz” was shortened, when the reprise of “June is Bustin’ Out All Over” was cut from the end of Act II, and when Nettie’s beautiful solo “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was turned into a full chorus number a few measures in. The onstage orchestra did a fine job of not standing out during the performance, visually, but I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle at one point when I saw all of them holding their ears, ruining the surprise of the gunshot that was fired thirty seconds later.

I applaud DCT for taking an innovative approach to such a classic musical, though and, in doing so, allowing the talent of the performers onstage to shine without the distractions of moving sets, scores of props, and over-the-top costumes. The audience is able to focus on the actor’s voices singing what I believe to be some of the most beautiful and well-known songs in the American musical theatre repertoire. In an age where rock or “jukebox” musicals are all the rage, songs such as “Soliloquy,” “If I Loved You,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” feel like a breath of fresh air. They also require a tremendous vocal ability and this cast handles them ably for the most part.

I am not a fan of the book for this show, due in large part to one of the underlying themes of the show, which is domestic violence. Some of the lines spoken by Julie Jordan have my inner “Women’s Libber” screaming in protest. However, this cast does a nice job of making the characters realistic, rather than stereotypical.

Keith Warren as Billy Bigelow does a fine job of making the audience sympathetic toward him, even as we cringe and groan when he raises his voice or grabs Julie’s arm. Many actors will just play the character as a heartless bastard, but Mr. Warren brings an endearing quality to Billy, most notably in the scenes where Billy and Julie are alone together. Vocally, he masters the role. The “Soliloquy” at the end of Act I is quite possibly one of the most challenging pieces of music in the male repertoire. Operatic singers have even struggled with it. Mr. Warren’s tenor voice, which surprised me as I’m used to hearing the role sung by a baritone, soars in the higher notes and brings a warmth and brightness to the lower sections without pushing to reach them.

Sarah Geist, a recent Column Award winner, brings a quiet strength to the role of Julie Jordan. She is understated without appearing weak, and is markedly different from all of the other characters in the show, some of whom are so larger than life that they are almost caricatures. She steadfastly stands by Billy even when told by her friends and family that she should leave him if he hits her. Ms. Geist’s lovely and clear soprano voice is unaffected which is, again, a nice change from some of the pop musicals currently on the market.

Shane Strawbridge and Erika Ostermiller are charming as Enoch Snow and Carrie Pipperidge, respectively. The relationship between these two characters is vastly different from the relationship between Julie and Billy, and these two actors provide a good comic balance to the more serious tones of the scenes with Julie and Billy.

Two of the standout acting performances came from Desiree Fultz as Mrs. Mullin and Daylon Walton as Jigger Craigin. By comparison, these roles are small and could easily be forgotten about or overshadowed by the larger roles. Ms. Fultz and Mr. Walton, however, prove that there are no small parts – only small actors. Ms. Fultz plays the owner of the carousel with a restrained intensity, causing the audience to wonder how far she would go to keep Billy close to her. Mr. Walton is hilarious as the miscreant Jigger Craigin. He takes a character with no visible redeeming qualities and makes him funny and even likeable (if not a little sleazy), and his New England accent is spot on.

Overall, the production is consistent and solid. I think DCT did a fine job of paving the road for new and innovative ways of presenting standards in the canon of musical theatre in Denton, and that future productions done in the same vein will be successful and impressive. The production runs for one more weekend, and encourage you to go and see for yourself.

Details:
Denton Community Theatre presents Carousel by Rodgers & Hammerstein

Location: The Campus Theatre in Historic Downtown Denton
214 W Hickory Street
Denton, TX
(940) 382-1915

Performance Dates & Times:
Mar. 27, 28 & Apr. 2,3,4 at 7:30 pm
Mar. 28, 29 & Apr. 4,5 at 2:00 pm

Ticket Info:
Adults $18.00
Seniors (62 and over) $16.00
Students $10.00