I looked around the theater, and I was the only adult not accompanied by a child. I slumped down in my seat, and waited for the theater to darken. I was waiting for the start of The Commedia Princess and the Pea, an improvised update of the fairytale, roughly in the form of Commedia dell’Arte (broad, improvised humor with stock characters – in this case, minus the masks). The show was performed by The Treehouse Players, four adult actors who perform plays primarily intended for audiences of children.
The show started with the players, not yet in costume, storming out onto the stage like cheerleaders at a football game. They shouted and cavorted to get and hold the attention of the children, and it appeared that they succeeded. After a reminder of the theater’s prime directive, “You must have fun,” they proceeded through a succession of costume changes, arguments, dancing, singing, and humorous patter – all very loud and raucous. Although the show was improvised, there was a structure and sequence to it that included a large measure of audience interaction, which most of the children around me seemed to embrace with enthusiasm: answering questions posed from the stage, standing up and dancing in place with the performers, and even enjoying a misting by actors who ran up and down the aisles with water bottles.
As is so often the case with children’s productions carried out by adults, there was a lot of humor that went over the kids’ heads, and I found myself laughing throughout the show. For example, there was the best imitation of the Muppets’ Swedish Chef that I’ve heard in a long time – something which I don’t think the children could have appreciated. But I felt that all but the very youngest were very involved throughout, to the point that it seemed that a large proportion of the audience followed the actors out to get their autographs when it was all over. If you have children – preteen and younger I would say – take them to see the show: you’ll all have a good time.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
After almost four years of not missing a single production of the El Dorado Musical Theatre, I’ve gotten to where I feel like these shows are giving me Christmas four times a year – that's how much I look forward to them. I think I’ve found my happy place.
The current offering, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, is a wonderfully cute show. After all, it practically swept the 1962 Tony awards, and won a Pulitzer Prize that year. Feminists have to remember it’s supposed to take place in 1963, but apart from that, its appeal is timeless.
But this production builds on that timeless appeal to create a complete entertainment experience. It starts with the set, a high-ceilinged lobby of an office building, but with bright lights that are used for dramatic effect in a variety of ways. Also, there is a large screen in the back that isn’t obviously a screen, but that helps give the feeling of different rooms as the images on it are changed. I was also impressed by creative set pieces, like the elevator that is reversed on-stage to reveal what’s happening inside.
Then there’s the choreography. It feels like every dance number is different from anything else you’ve ever seen. And there are so many clever, creative choreographic and staging ideas. It seems like there is always something fresh on stage to engage your attention.
Of course, this is a musical, so how about the music? The music itself isn’t live, but the singers sure are, performing beautifully in the ensemble numbers. And I was impressed, as always, with the quality of the solo voices, especially from Julia Adams and Andrew Wilson in their lead roles. They were so poised, and each of their songs was more than a song – it was a complete performance.
That brings up the acting which, as usual, was top-notch. One might call this show a farce for all the exaggerated characters, and I thought these were handled beautifully, especially by Kaileen Teter as Hedy LaRue, Dylan Gray as Bud Frump, and Alex Levy as J.B. Biggley. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a cast of young people. Kaileen Teter is 21, but everyone else is younger than 20, with a lot of 10 and 11-year-olds. And I must admit that seeing little kids in 3-piece suits and adult wigs is just a little freaky. But then you realize that they have to be there: they’re in training to move into the lead roles in a few years. They need this on-stage experience – and everything that led up to it. And these young ones are used in creative ways that maximize their on-stage experience without detracting from the realism of the production.
I don’t have the space to comment on all the outstanding musical numbers, but one special highlight was the “Brotherhood of Man.” It was truly amazing to see 20 or so young men – many just boys, really – perform complicated (and masculine) choreography while singing their way through that number. The audience seemed to go crazy with spontaneous cheers during the performance. Sure, it was good, even great – but cheers during the number? Then I looked over across the audience and saw the dozens of young women and girls, who couldn’t restrain their enthusiasm. Driven by adolescent hormones or not, the effect of this number was electric for all of us.
I should mention here that, like all EDMT shows, this one has two casts that perform alternately. I saw the Wickets Cast, but I’m sure that the Ivy Cast is just as strong. I’m especially confident about that because I recognize members of the Ivy Cast as excellent performers from past shows.
I’ve seen community theater productions that have been total delights. I love community theater. But don’t call this community theater. If you think that you have to go to the Sacramento Community Center Theater or the Wells Fargo Pavilion for a professional theater experience, you’re sadly mistaken. Everything about EDMT productions is professional-quality. Sure they’re kids, but they’re extraordinarily talented kids who have been trained, coached and directed by professionals. And these professionals – directors, choreographers, voice coaches, costumers, etc. – together with scores of experienced volunteers helping with every aspect of stagecraft, produce a product that is immensely entertaining, time after time. EDMT shows are fun from beginning to end, and I can’t wait until the next one, which in my case will be Christmas in July.
The current offering, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, is a wonderfully cute show. After all, it practically swept the 1962 Tony awards, and won a Pulitzer Prize that year. Feminists have to remember it’s supposed to take place in 1963, but apart from that, its appeal is timeless.
But this production builds on that timeless appeal to create a complete entertainment experience. It starts with the set, a high-ceilinged lobby of an office building, but with bright lights that are used for dramatic effect in a variety of ways. Also, there is a large screen in the back that isn’t obviously a screen, but that helps give the feeling of different rooms as the images on it are changed. I was also impressed by creative set pieces, like the elevator that is reversed on-stage to reveal what’s happening inside.
Then there’s the choreography. It feels like every dance number is different from anything else you’ve ever seen. And there are so many clever, creative choreographic and staging ideas. It seems like there is always something fresh on stage to engage your attention.
Of course, this is a musical, so how about the music? The music itself isn’t live, but the singers sure are, performing beautifully in the ensemble numbers. And I was impressed, as always, with the quality of the solo voices, especially from Julia Adams and Andrew Wilson in their lead roles. They were so poised, and each of their songs was more than a song – it was a complete performance.
That brings up the acting which, as usual, was top-notch. One might call this show a farce for all the exaggerated characters, and I thought these were handled beautifully, especially by Kaileen Teter as Hedy LaRue, Dylan Gray as Bud Frump, and Alex Levy as J.B. Biggley. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a cast of young people. Kaileen Teter is 21, but everyone else is younger than 20, with a lot of 10 and 11-year-olds. And I must admit that seeing little kids in 3-piece suits and adult wigs is just a little freaky. But then you realize that they have to be there: they’re in training to move into the lead roles in a few years. They need this on-stage experience – and everything that led up to it. And these young ones are used in creative ways that maximize their on-stage experience without detracting from the realism of the production.
I don’t have the space to comment on all the outstanding musical numbers, but one special highlight was the “Brotherhood of Man.” It was truly amazing to see 20 or so young men – many just boys, really – perform complicated (and masculine) choreography while singing their way through that number. The audience seemed to go crazy with spontaneous cheers during the performance. Sure, it was good, even great – but cheers during the number? Then I looked over across the audience and saw the dozens of young women and girls, who couldn’t restrain their enthusiasm. Driven by adolescent hormones or not, the effect of this number was electric for all of us.
I should mention here that, like all EDMT shows, this one has two casts that perform alternately. I saw the Wickets Cast, but I’m sure that the Ivy Cast is just as strong. I’m especially confident about that because I recognize members of the Ivy Cast as excellent performers from past shows.
I’ve seen community theater productions that have been total delights. I love community theater. But don’t call this community theater. If you think that you have to go to the Sacramento Community Center Theater or the Wells Fargo Pavilion for a professional theater experience, you’re sadly mistaken. Everything about EDMT productions is professional-quality. Sure they’re kids, but they’re extraordinarily talented kids who have been trained, coached and directed by professionals. And these professionals – directors, choreographers, voice coaches, costumers, etc. – together with scores of experienced volunteers helping with every aspect of stagecraft, produce a product that is immensely entertaining, time after time. EDMT shows are fun from beginning to end, and I can’t wait until the next one, which in my case will be Christmas in July.
13, The Musical
I have seen this show 4 times in the past few years. So why would I go to Stand Out Talent’s production of 13, The Musical? Because Director/Choreographer Jennifer Bortz works a special magic with young performers, and true to my expectations, this was the best of all the productions I have seen. For a start, it’s a wonderfully fun show with lots of toe-tapping musical numbers, as well as those which are touching in their humanity – all supported by an excellent 4-piece instrumental ensemble. And within the context of the genuine angst that so often accompanies the transition into adolescence, the show is full of humor that kept me and my fellow audience members laughing throughout. But it’s the special touches that set a production like this apart, starting with the energetic, creative, and even funny choreography, but including the many subtle touches that are part of the director’s art and that delight the audience in surprising ways.
The cast is a large one – 21 kids altogether – and most of them, including especially the leads, looked like they really could be about 13 years old. Predictably, most of the voices were not fully developed, but there were some excellent solos, and the ensemble singing was outstanding. It was the acting, though, that really put this show over the top, and I thought Jake Young was just about perfect in the lead role of Evan Goldman. But the other young leads did well, too, and made all the uncomfortable – and typically funny – situations quite believable. But I think my dominant lasting impression is the tremendous energy of these young performers, which was so evident in their group numbers. That’s the special virtue of the Tower Theatre: you have the option of being very close to the performers, and the good time they were obviously having, singing and dancing for us, was simply infectious. There’s not much time to catch this show, but if you’re reading this early enough that you have the opportunity, I’d urge you not to miss it. Old or young, I guarantee you’ll have fun.
The cast is a large one – 21 kids altogether – and most of them, including especially the leads, looked like they really could be about 13 years old. Predictably, most of the voices were not fully developed, but there were some excellent solos, and the ensemble singing was outstanding. It was the acting, though, that really put this show over the top, and I thought Jake Young was just about perfect in the lead role of Evan Goldman. But the other young leads did well, too, and made all the uncomfortable – and typically funny – situations quite believable. But I think my dominant lasting impression is the tremendous energy of these young performers, which was so evident in their group numbers. That’s the special virtue of the Tower Theatre: you have the option of being very close to the performers, and the good time they were obviously having, singing and dancing for us, was simply infectious. There’s not much time to catch this show, but if you’re reading this early enough that you have the opportunity, I’d urge you not to miss it. Old or young, I guarantee you’ll have fun.
Treasure Island
Falcon's Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College has created a realistic pirate adventure. You enter the small theater to the sound of gently lapping waves of water, and a waterfront scene projected on a sheet. Then you see the deck of a ship. It's a tilted, square wooded platform that sits on a large turntable – And before you know it, there is a big fight among eight or so people on the "deck" of the ship, complete with sword-play. From there, the performance pretty closely follows Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Treasure Island.
I found the whole experience very engaging, as did (so I believe) the other adults and fairly young children in the audience. The costumes seemed authentic, as did the accents and language. Although some of the dialogue was a little hard to pick up, it was easy to follow the plot, and there was a lot of action – and good acting. Projected images on a large sheet (some of them animated) helped create a sense of place. Live music and a variety of sound effects set the different moods. And interestingly, these were provided by performers just off the center of the stage on either side, but for me, at least, being able to see them didn’t detract from the realism of the experience. Nor did the presence of the stage hands who rotated the stage for scene changes.
The actors, nearly all men, did a lot of shouting and brought their best pirate voices to the occasion. It was a strain for me to accept a woman (slight of built, at that) as the ship’s captain, though her acting was good. For all the rest, I thought the characterizations were quite strong.
For this, as for every production I’ve seen from the Falcon’s Eye Theatre, I was impressed by the creative use of sound effects, music, costumes, and set – and excellent acting – to construct a rich experience for the audience.
I found the whole experience very engaging, as did (so I believe) the other adults and fairly young children in the audience. The costumes seemed authentic, as did the accents and language. Although some of the dialogue was a little hard to pick up, it was easy to follow the plot, and there was a lot of action – and good acting. Projected images on a large sheet (some of them animated) helped create a sense of place. Live music and a variety of sound effects set the different moods. And interestingly, these were provided by performers just off the center of the stage on either side, but for me, at least, being able to see them didn’t detract from the realism of the experience. Nor did the presence of the stage hands who rotated the stage for scene changes.
The actors, nearly all men, did a lot of shouting and brought their best pirate voices to the occasion. It was a strain for me to accept a woman (slight of built, at that) as the ship’s captain, though her acting was good. For all the rest, I thought the characterizations were quite strong.
For this, as for every production I’ve seen from the Falcon’s Eye Theatre, I was impressed by the creative use of sound effects, music, costumes, and set – and excellent acting – to construct a rich experience for the audience.
Young Frankenstein
After the first show-stopping number (the first of many), I found myself thinking, “This show is too big for this little theater; too big for Rocklin. It should be on a big stage and draw hundreds and hundreds of people.” Anyone who liked Mel Brooks’ movie by the same name is almost sure to like Rocklin Community Theatre's send-up of the musical, "Young Frankenstein." The musical numbers are memorable, even if their tunes are not, and productions like “There Is Nothing Like the Brain” or “Join the Family Business” or “Transylvania Mania” are just some of the big, flashy numbers. The lyrics and dialog borrow a lot from the movie (like the song, “He Vas My Boyfriend”), but there is so much additional wit, I found myself straining so that I wouldn’t miss a line. That’s not to say the there was anything wrong with the audio. The actors/singers were well miked, and besides that, nearly all had big, listenable voices. And then there was the dancing. The whole show seemed tightly choreographed, and the dancing was creative and added greatly to the show’s energy. And much of the dancing (including a bit of tap dancing) was carried off by the “chorus” of 8 women and two men, who, like all those in the key roles were complete entertainers. (They even sang pretty good 4-part harmony at one point.) And all the music was supported by a 12-piece live orchestra that played brilliantly throughout. How could they afford that?
Well, one way is that there was not much of a set to speak of. But that was OK. There were some very effective set pieces, good costumes, and wonderfully creative staging ideas. But what transported the show to professional quality was the comic acting that delivered strongly drawn characters, starting with Martin Lehman as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, right down the cast list. I was especially impressed with Mike Mechanick as Igor, Jenna Cook as Inga, and Jessica Larrick as Elizabeth -- and Rob Hayes was perfect as The Monster. I thought they all played their parts to perfection – not too silly – just manic enough. And so much of the credit for the quality of this show lies with Director, Ryan Adame. I’ve seen him as an actor 8 or 10 times in the last few years, and this is the third time I’ve seen him direct – and his inspired work is delivering one great show after another.
Parents need to be warned that this is a rather bawdy show, with a strong dose of adult humor – definitely PG-13 – and I would be uncomfortable seeing it with even older teenagers. But the fact remains that this is high-quality entertainment from talented, experienced people. Chalk up another winner for Rocklin Community Theatre.
Well, one way is that there was not much of a set to speak of. But that was OK. There were some very effective set pieces, good costumes, and wonderfully creative staging ideas. But what transported the show to professional quality was the comic acting that delivered strongly drawn characters, starting with Martin Lehman as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, right down the cast list. I was especially impressed with Mike Mechanick as Igor, Jenna Cook as Inga, and Jessica Larrick as Elizabeth -- and Rob Hayes was perfect as The Monster. I thought they all played their parts to perfection – not too silly – just manic enough. And so much of the credit for the quality of this show lies with Director, Ryan Adame. I’ve seen him as an actor 8 or 10 times in the last few years, and this is the third time I’ve seen him direct – and his inspired work is delivering one great show after another.
Parents need to be warned that this is a rather bawdy show, with a strong dose of adult humor – definitely PG-13 – and I would be uncomfortable seeing it with even older teenagers. But the fact remains that this is high-quality entertainment from talented, experienced people. Chalk up another winner for Rocklin Community Theatre.
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