Category Archives: Theater Reviews

“Nobody Teaches You How To Do The Big Stuff”

Theater Reviews, ,

Melinda Lopez In Mala
At The Huntington

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

Melinda Lopez
Photo Credit: Paul Marotta

Watching the Huntington Theatre’s production of Mala, written and performed by Melinda Lopez, was a very emotionally stirring experience. The one actor play about Ms Lopez’s experiences dealing with the failing health and impending death of her 92 year old mother is an honest depiction of what many of us have, or will have to face with an aging parent. It is also a stark reminder of what awaits us as we age. It is not a pretty picture, and fortunately, this play does not romanticize dying. If this sounds pretty bleak it is, but the play is not.

Oh, it is tough stuff to have to think about, and as Ms Lopez points out so well throughout the play, we don’t pick up great wisdom from the dying. They are usually very angry and the caregivers are exhausted. The endless calls to 911, the verbal nastiness, the hard decisions, and feelings of guilt are all real and put in front of us. The play also has much humor in it. I wouldn’t call it gallows humor, but rather the laughter people break into at times when it seems all has gone wrong and helplessness has set in. You know, it is okay to laugh when bad things are happening. We are reminded of that while watching Mala.

Melinda Lopez is simply wonderful. Her work is wonderful. Her acting is wonderful.

The events in the play took place during the terrible Boston winter of 2015, the year of Snowmageddon. As her mother began to deteriorate physically and mentally Ms Lopez kept notes in an App on her iPhone. She did not do this with the thought of writing a play, but rather as a way to let off steam. When she later read the notes she was inspired to write this story. It is so good she did.

Mala is not Ms Lopez’s mother’s name, rather it is a Spanish word that means a person is bad. Not just bad but bad deep down in her soul. Her mother would shout that at her when she was upset. It is not uncommon for an ailing parent to lash out at a son or daughter when they are nearing the end. It is very unpleasant and hurtful, but understandable when you think about how helpless and hopeless we become at that stage in our existence. Never the less, it is awful to deal with.

Melinda Lopez
Photo Credit: Paul Marotta

Along the way Ms Lopez also touches on her father’s dying as well as sharing brief stories of other’s who have gone through similar experiences. As she moves about the stage relating her story I felt as if she was talking directly to me, and I am sure the other audience members felt the same way. Her honesty and straightforwardness come through clearly while never turning to self pity. The anger, the guilt, the second guessing are all brought out.

Near the end of the performance Ms Lopez talks about having her mother put under Hospice care. This touched me as it is a hard reality to face when you know the person you love is not going to get better. There is now a time frame. Of course, as Melinda Lopez points out, we have all started dying, but when you can begin to measure the time that is left it becomes very different.

In one very funny part of the play Ms Lopez talks about one of the times her nerves were frazzled from dealing with her mother. She started thinking about how she heard that Eskimos, or was it Inuits?, would set their elderly parents adrift on an iceberg to be rid of them. It is quite humorous as she tells it, but it also is a reminder of the terrible guilt a person can feel as the thought of wanting the suffering to end gets tied into the wish to see your parent die. Those thoughts are so painful.

I hope I haven’t painted too bleak a picture of this wonderful performance. You will not be sitting in the theater crying. In fact, you will spend quite a bit of time laughing. But, you will leave the theater thinking about what it means to get old and what lies ahead for many of us. It is something we should be as honest about as Melinda Lopez is.

It is so often I read about how courageously a person has faced illness and death, and we like to think of it happening that way. The reality is different. I know that as I was leaving the theater I was thinking of some of the words Ms Lopez spoke. She spoke of how dying does not make us wise. You don’t learn from the dying. They are angry, they can be mean. And most importantly “Nobody teaches you how to do the big stuff.”

Do not be afraid to see this play. Melinda Lopez is simply wonderful. Her work is wonderful. Her acting is wonderful. Her honesty and openness about this subject is welcomed and you will appreciate it. Mala touched me deeply. It stirred my emotions and brought back difficult memories, but I am so glad I got to experience this fine work. While it is true nobody teaches you the big stuff, it is nice to know we are not alone in going though such events. Thank you Melinda Lopez for sharing experiences.

Mala
Extended through February 4
The Huntington Theatre Company
At The Calderwood Pavillon
Boston’s South End
huntingtontheatre.org
617.266.0800

A Powerful Work About A Principled American Standing Up To Hatred And His Government

Theater Reviews, , , ,

“We Hold These Truths”

Written by Jeanne Sakata

Directed by Benny Sato Ambush

Through December 31

Lyric Stage, Boston

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

When the lights first illuminate the stage for the opening act of We Hold These Truths now playing at the Lyric Stage, Michael Hisamoto in the role of Gordon Hirabayashi is sitting in a chair facing the audience. There is a very long pause before he begins to speak. This creates an expectation that what we are about to hear from Mr. Hirabayashi is going to be very important. In fact, not only what develops on the stage is important, it is also deeply moving.

Michael Hisamoto with Kurogos
Photo By Mark S.Howard

The story based on the real life Hirabayashi is about an American citizen of Japanese ancestry who had the courage to stand up to his government during the onset of WWII when citizens were being rounded up and placed into internment camps while being denied the due process afforded them by the Constitution. That they were denied their rights solely because of their ancestry is a frightening tale. Most of these citizens, and it must be remembered that these people were American citizens, also lost their homes, furnishings, and businesses. Some had relatives who at the same time were in the military defending the nation, and yes, its Constitution.

Michael Hisamoto commands the stage for a little over 100 minutes portraying a man who is both charming and steadfastly determined. Playwright Jeanne Sakata has included much humor in her work which makes this tragic story bearable. Using this humor, Mr. Hisamoto, with his infectious smile, is able to break the tension when it begins to overwhelm while at the same time using his eyes to covey the steely determination of his character. Make no mistake, Gordon Hirabayashi, though good natured, is tough as nails. And, as he points out using a Japanese proverb his mother taught him, “The nail that sticks out is the one that gets hit.”

Mr. Hisamoto plays all the characters with the exception of those that are voiced from off stage. He is accompanied by three kurogos, characters from Japanese theatre whose faces  are fully covered and do not speak on their own. The kurogos move about while Hisamoto voices their lines. The use of lighting cast onto a minimally furnished stage along with some projections on the back wall and subtle mood music is all wonderfully effective. Director Benny Sato Ambush has done a masterful job.

As I watched We Hold These Truths I thought about the temptation to slip into feelings of self-righteousness as I felt a bond with Mr. Hirabayashi, but would I have felt the same way if I were there in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor? I would like to think I would have been, but it is easier looking back at this dreadful period with the emotions of the time removed.

What I did conclude was how important it is for our Constitution to be upheld by judges who will not be ruled by emotion or the temptation to legislate from the bench. In the Hirabayashi case, which he fought all the way to the Supreme Court where the justices ruled unanimously against him even though this was certainly a clear case of his due process being denied. The fact that there was little public support for these Americans who were being deprived of their rights should never have played into the judge’s decision, but it certainly did.

Michael Hisamoto
Photo by Mark S.Howard

Michael Hisamoto’s stirring performance not only honors Mr. Hirabayashi, but is also a reminder that while we may look back and like to believe we would have stood up for this courageous man, we should test ourselves as to whether or not we would do the same today in different situations. In this age where so many look to the courts to create laws we have to ask ourselves if we are able to respect the process, and if we can support decisions we are not happy with but are what is dictated by the Constitution. If that process had been followed in 1942 we would not have seen so many of our fellow Americans treated in such a shameful way.

I urge you to see We Hold These Truths and watch it with your eyes wide open. It is an important work, and one that should cause you to reflect no matter where on the political spectrum you fall.

This Man of La Mancha Is Not Quite The Impossible Dream

Theater Reviews,

Man of La Mancha at the New Rep

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

The New Rep Theatre’s current production of The Man of La Mancha directed by Antonio Ocampo-Guzman looked promising as the cast took the stage. It appeared it would be earthy and salty, but unfortunately, it did not turn out that way. I found this version to be disjointed and confusing. At times I wasn’t sure if it was reminiscent of a production done in Berlin in the 1920s or a Harvard Square coffee house in the 1960s. The transitions were choppy and it did not convey the edginess that it meant too.

Having the musicians playing instruments while acting their parts on a set that resembled backstage at a theater was a nice touch but the music was at many times tinny. Lead actor Maurice Emmanuel Parent who was superb in the Speakeasy Production’s Scottsboro Boys doesn’t seem able to quite settle into his role. I don’t think it is as much him as it is the material he is working with.

This is a production had a lot of potential, but it could be possible the director got too caught up in trying to send a message about the current state of politics today instead of letting the work be more subtle and allowing the audience to read into it their own interpretation.

Man of La Mancha
Through December 31st
New Rep Theatre
Watertown, MA

She Loves Me Is A Romantic Delight In Stoneham

Theater Reviews, ,

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by holiday shopping I would suggest you take a couple of hours away from the madness and stop by to see the Greater Boston Stage Company’s production of She Loves Me. This very warm musical, which had its first run in 1963, will be familiar to many of you who have seen the movie The Shop Around The Corner. The story about a romance that began through letters and involves mistaken identity is funny, touching, and warm. It is also quite enjoyable.

Jennifer Ellis

Of course, with Jennifer Ellis in one of the lead roles you could never be disappointed. Ms Ellis is a positively outstanding talent with a superb singing voice and amazing acting ability. I would pay just to see her read the phone book. Yes, she is that good.

Ellis, as Amalia Balash,  an Sam Simark, who takes on the role of Georg Nowack, have an onstage chemistry that is magical. Having such a wonderful score to showcase their voices doesn’t hurt.

Sam Simahk

The play is set in Hungary as Christmas approaches and revolves around the romances both Amalia and Georg are having via mail (not email, but the ones you have to put a stamp on and deposit in a mailbox, remember those?), with people they have not yet met. It turns out the two have been writing to one another without realizing it, which becomes more complicated when Amalia gets a job at Maraczak’s, a perfumery, where Georg is already employed. The two do not hit it off well. The confusion draws in the other employees of the store as well as Mr. Maraczak (Tom Gleadow) who is also dealing with a case of mistaken identity.

Jared Troilo

Local favorite Jared Trolio plays the obnoxious Steven Kodaly who is pursuing fellow employee Ilona Ritter played by Aimee Doherty. Trolio is just wonderful in the number Ilona, which has a bit of a Mambo beat. Ms Doherty will have you smiling with A Trip To The Library.

A Romantic Atmosphere with Nick Sulfaro as the maitre d’ of a local restaurant is one of many stand out numbers that include Tonight At Eight (Georg), Vanilla Ice Cream (Amalia), and Where’s My Shoe (Amalia and Georg). Perspective sung by employee Ladislav Sipos (Robert Saoud) is filled with advice on how to keep your job. The delivery boy and aspiring clerk Arpad (Brendan Callahan) appeals for a promotion in Try Me. It would be very hard to refuse him after hearing this musical resume.

The story is not a complicated one, but it is so enjoyable to watch. The musical numbers are just wonderful and with Musical Director Matthew Stern at the helm the orchestration is tight. Choreography is by director Ilyse Robbins and is smooth and light.

While the entire cast and production are wonderful, Ms Ellis and Mr. Simahk are positively great. This is a play worth seeing. It will leave you with a big smile on your face.

She Loves Me
Through December 23rd
The Greater Boston Stage Company
Stoneham, Ma
Greaterbostonstage.org

Words That Sparkle

Theater Reviews, ,

Tartuffe At The Huntington

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

You could sit through the current production of Moliere’s Tartuffe now playing at the Huntington Theater with your eyes closed and have a wonderful evening. Open your eyes and the experience is sublime.

…a fast paced feast of words that never lags, not for even moment.

Director Peter DuBois chose to use a new translation by Ranjit Bolt which is all in verse, done in octameter (eight syllables per line), with rhymed couplets. The result is a fast paced feast of words that never lags, not for even moment.

The play, set in a Manhattan style terraced apartment with Louis XVI furnishings, is about family patriarch Orgon (Frank Wood) who is conned by the religious charlatan Tartuffe (Brett Gelman). All around him are able to see through Tartuffe but none can convince him of what is happening. The opening scene sets the tone where Dorine (Jane Pfitsch), the outspoken servant and truth teller, is reporting to Orgon on what has happened at home while he was away. To Dorine’s frustration, all he wants to know about is Tartuffe. Ms Pfitsch is very strong in her role and never misses a beat.

Frank Wood (Orgon) and Brett Gelman (Tartuffe)
(Photo Credit: T. Charles Erickson)

While Tartuffe is often described as a hypocrite, preaching fealty to God while trying to bed down his follower’s wife and steal his fortune, he is “a rare trickster” who has no convictions to be unfaithful to. He is fully aware of all he is doing and has carefully planned out his plot. Orgon’s weakness is his own hypocrisy. He has supposedly become a man of the Lord while now turning his back on his family, so much so that he is giveing his home over to Tartuffe and even promises his daughter’s hand in marriage to him. He also remains blind to the advances his idol is making towards his wife Elmire (Melissa Miller).

Brett Gelman’s Tartuffe is barely seen until late in Act I, but when he does arrive he is impressive. Wearing a black fez, long coat, and with religious symbols hanging from his neck, he is the picture of phony piety. Though obviously sleazy, he is also very funny as he manipulates Orgon while fending off being exposed by those around him. Frank Wood conveys just enough weakness to be vulnerable to a con man, but at the same time is someone who certainly should know better.

A scene where Orgon is hiding under a table while Tartuffe is attempting to seduce Elmire is sidesplittingly funny. Melissa Miller and Brett Gelman show off their wonderful comedic talent, while Mr. Wood is a positive riot as he is peaking out from under the table.

There is never a dull moment.

The words, the movements, the glances all make this just a joy to watch. The verse keeps them all so well connected and everything just flows. There is never a dull moment.

This play is very, very funny. It is also ironic that with all of the wonderful language, one of the funniest scenes is when Orgon and Elmire’s daughter Mariane (Sarak Oakes Muirhead) is caught in the middle of an argument about her future. Ms Oakes is positively hysterical without saying a word. Her movement about the stage and her facial expressions are simply hilarious.

Paula Plum swings a mean walking stick in the role of Madame Pernelle, Orgon’s mother. Matthew Bretschneider as Orgon and Elmire’s son Damis is a riot as he is recording the madness on his IPhone. Kate Elinoff is not on stage for long, but she manages to get a couple of the biggest laughs in the role of Madame Pernelle’s maid. Again, ironically, she does this without saying a word, but her facial expressions are priceless. Matthew J. Harris is solid as Cleante, a voice of reason and calm. Gabriel Brown brings a charm to his role as Valere, Mariane’s fiancee. And be sure to pay attention as Steven Barkhimer’s Laurent ascends the stairs in his religious garb. As Tratuffe’s servant he brings a touch of Marty Feldman’s Igor from Young Frankenstein to the play. The entire cast is just wonderful.

Melissa Miller (Elmire) and Brett Gelman (Tartuffe)
(Photo Credit: T. Charles Erickson)

The Huntington’s Tartuffe is one not to be missed. While you will be tempted to make the comparisons with what is happening on stage with all of the madness going on the in world, just remember it is still okay to laugh. And, if this play does not have you laughing you have truly lost all sense of humor. It sparkles! I enjoyed every second of Tartuffe, and I am sure you will too. Don’t miss it.

Tartuffe
The Huntington Theatre
Through December 10
264 Huntington Ave., Boston
617.266.7900
huntingtontheatre.org


 

 

A Powerful Musical In Ogunquit

Theater Reviews, , , , , ,

From Here To Eternity: A New Musical
The Ogunquit Playhouse

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

James Jones was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He had enlisted in the U.S. Army before the war and was stationed in Hawaii in what seemed like a world away from the war raging in Europe that threatened to include the United States. Army life even before the war was not easy. Many of those who enlisted were living very difficult lives in Depression Era America and looked at the Army as being a way out.

Derek Carley and Company
(Photo Credit: Gary Ng)

Jones wrote about his experiences during this time in the novel From Here to Eternity, which was later made into an Academy Award winning movie. The novel was a no holds barred look at Army life during that period. It was not pretty. The movie shows much, but not all, of what Jones wrote. Now, a musical play with lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Stuart Brayson, and book Donald Rice & Bill Oakes presents us with a work that is much closer to the original novel. It is a painful story but it is told with understanding and sympathy for those involved. All the characters are based on people James Jones knew while serving.

The set at the Ogunquit Playhouse is atmospheric. With large palm trees and multiple levels with lattice work that reaches to the ceiling the beauty of Hawaii is felt but with a dark overtone. Subtle set changes along with images being projected on the walls are used to set the different moods and they are used well.

Kevin Aichele and Company
(Photo Credit: Gary Ng)

The score is outstanding and hits hard and fast with the opening number G Company Blues. The choreography is tight and very physical, conveying the hard life these men lived. Other songs such as Thirty Year Man, Don’cha Like Hawaii, and I Love The Army. Something In Return is an amazing number that was superbly done. It allows us to experience the hope and despair of those stationed on the island as well as the women who share this difficult life. These women include prostitutes and the wife of an ambitious and cruel officer.

Those familiar wth the book and/or movie will quickly recognize most of the characters. If not, they will quickly become known to you. The outstanding cast plays each as their own, and with their solid acting and beautiful voices make this a very powerful work indeed.

The story of cruelty and the misuse of power hardly seems the material for a musical but it works and works well here. With an outstanding cast led by Derek Carley as Private Prewitt and Kevin Aichele in the role of Sargent Warden the pain and struggles of these individuals is brought to life in a way that is both painful to watch but done with tenderness and compassion.

Robyn Hurder plays Karen Holmes the abused wife of the ambitious but weak Captain Dana Holmes played by Bradley Dean. They make the ugliness of such a marriage almost too real, but it is necessary. We do get to see the tender side of Karen in her scenes with Sargent Warden with whom she is having an affair. And for those who might be wondering how the famous beach scene from the movie is recreated, I will just say this is not a staging of the movie; however, the emotions from that iconic movie movement are captured here.

Michael Tacconi and Reed Campbell
(Photo Credit: Gary Ng)

The wise cracking Private Angelo Maggio has been cast perfectly with Michael Tocconi in the role. His rendition of I Love The Army is heart wrenching. Reed Campbell returns to the Ogunquit stage after his outstanding performance in Bullets Over Broadway, and proves that he was no one shot wonder. He again shows his amazing talent as the sadistic Sargent Fatso Judson. By the time Judson gets what is coming to him there is nobody in the house who feels sympathy for him.

Jenna Nicole Schoen plays the prostitute Lorene that Private Prewitt falls for. She has a beautiful voice and is wonderful in her part. Ms Schoen captures in her character a loving woman who has had to turn her feelings off in order to survive in a hard world. Private Prewitt manages to break through the wall she has put up. Jodi Kimura as Sandra, the madame of the local brothel, conveys the combination of a jaded life along with
compassion and understanding.

The finale with the attack on Pearl Harbor is spectacular with slow motion sequences from the actors as well as magnificent use of the projection equipment that brings the audience into that infamous day. It also shows us how life has been transformed by world events and the tragic consequences of people who wield their power, no matter how small, over others with cruelty that result in such horrific consequences. The song The Boys of 41 which is reprised at the end of the play is poignant and moving as we see the names of those who gave their lives projected onto the walls of the theatre.

I do have to mention the amazing job Richard Latta has done with the lighting for this production. The subtle changes are so very effective in setting the mood for the different scenes.

From Here To Eternity at the Ogunquit Playhouse is truly an experience not to be missed. Artistic Director Brad Kenney has closed out the Playhouse’s 85th season in spectacular fashion.

Just a final note. This is not a play that would be appropriate for children. It does handle the serous themes in a tasteful way but I believe it could be disturbing for children.

From Here To Eternity: A New Musical
The Ogunquit Playhouse
Ogunquit, Maine
Through October 29
ogunquitplayhouse.org
207.646.5511

Men On Boats A Sinking Ship

Theater Reviews

Men On Boats

The SpeakEasy Stage, Boston

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

Photo Credit: Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots

Men On Boats looked to be an interesting, thought provoking, and even edgy play. Unfortunately, it was none of those things. The story based on John Wesley Powel’s 1869 expedition down the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon has a cast made up of non male actors in the roles of the explorers. It is an interesting concept and one I was looking forward to.

Author Jaclyn Backhaus is quoted in an interview when asked if she would call it a feminist play that “I would like it to be one, if only to piss off the six or seven old white men who walked out during the first half of this past run.” Well, as an old white man all I can say to Ms Backhaus is the only thing about this play that pissed me off was the extraordinary tediousness of it. I would have been happy to have been offended, challenged, or provoked by this production. I appreciate edgy work even if I don’t agree with it. However, this was far from provocative. It was simply a dreadful waste of 100 minutes. If she wants to make people angry, and that is a very legitimate thing to do with theatre, she needs to do better than this. I would much rather be offended than bored to death.

I have always admired the SpeakEasy Stage Company for its willingness to put on new and challenging works. And I have no doubt they will continue to do so. We are lucky to have such a company in Boston I think it is important they do that, and I must say I have been influenced by many of the fine productions have seen there. This just is not one of them.

Men On Boats
Through October 7
The SpeakEasy Stage Company
617.933.8600 speakeasystage.com

The Royale Comes Out Swinging

Boxing Articles, Theater Reviews, Uncategorized

The Royale

At The Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Lowell

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

The Royal, directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, this year’s season opener at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, is a fast paced work that doesn’t let up for a moment during its 80 minutes. Very loosely based on Jack Johnson’s fight against Jim Jeffries it is the story of Jay “The Sport” Jackson who is the first black man to challenge for the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

Toran White and Thomas Silcott. Photo by Meghan Moore.

Jay Jackson is played by Thomas Silcott who brings us into the ring with and into the mind of the confident but conflicted challenger. Playwright Marco Ramirez has given him plenty to work with in this thought provoking play, and Silcott has an amazing presence on the stage. The dialogue is crisp and sharp like an action filled boxing contest. Ramirez not only gives us insight into what a fighter is thinking about while in the ring, but also deals with the wider implications of of having a black man win the white dominated championship in 1910.

Silcott has an amazing presence on the stage.

This conflict is sharpened by a conversation Jackson has with his sister Nina played by Ramona Lisa Alexander. Nina warns Jackson that his victory could result in violence against blacks across the nation, and she suggests subtly that it may be better for everyone if he lost. She feels that things are moving too fast and questions if Jackson is putting his personal gain ahead of his people. It is an intense back and forth that has the power of a hard fought boxing match.

Toran White, Mark W. Soucy, and Thomas Silcott.
Photo by Meghan Moore.

Mark W. Soucy plays the fast talking white promoter Max who also serves as reporter and commentator for the two boxing matches that take place in the play. His sharp dialog keeps the adrenaline flowing. As a ballyhooer he puts Don King to shame. You can feel the excitement build listening to him. He’s good.

Jeorge Bennett Watson as Wynton, Jackson’s trainer, and Toran White who plays Fish, Jackson’s opponent in the opening scene as well as his sparring partner for the big fight, are both excellent in their roles which are a bit lower octane but no less important. Wynton has been around the game for some time and seems a bit uncomfortable with the social implications of the fight. Fish is excited to be a part of such a great event but also is naive and is the character who elicits sympathy from the audience. Both actors are strong and very competent in their roles.

Lighting (Karen Perlow) and sound (David Remedios) are used very effectively. A scene where Jackson is hitting the heavy bag while his shadow is cast against the side and back of the stage is very powerful. Mr. Ramirez has said that he sees boxing as a percussive sport and incorporates a hip hop rhythm into the play. Something that works very well.

Ramona Lisa Alexander and Thomas Silcott.
Photo by Meghan Moore.

The fight scenes are different in that instead of having the boxers throw staged punches at each other they face the audience and punch towards them while also using the noise of stomping feet and claps to represent punches. It is a novel and very effective way to stage a fight and the accompanying dialog along with superb lighting allows us to step into the minds of the fighters.

 

The Royale is a boxing play but it is much more. In these heavily politicized times I am always fearful that a playwright will, as they too often do, preach to the audience about how it should think. Mr. Ramirez instead choses to leave us with questions. This is far more effective in helping bring us together to find common ground.

Whether or not you are a boxing fan, The Royale is a play that you should not miss.

The Royale
Through October 8
The Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Lowell, MA
MRT.org 978.654.4678

 

Friends To The Beginning

Theater Reviews

Merrily We Roll Along
The Huntington Theatre

Through October 15

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

The Huntington Theatre Company plans to produce all fifteen of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals. This year they have begun their season with Merrily We Roll Along, the Sondheim play with book by George Furth that had a very rocky beginning in 1981, closing on Broadway after just 16 performances. Sondheim and Furth revised the play in 1992, but not on Broadway. Twenty years after that Maria Friedman, who played Mary in the 1992 production, directed a new production that became a hit in London’s West End.

And now, thanks to Huntington’s artistic director Peter DuBois, Boston audiences have a chance to see this wonderful production with Maria Freidman directing. For a play that had such a rough beginning it has grown into a solid work.

Mark Umbers and Aimee Doherty
Photo; T. Charles Erickson

The story about three friends, Frank, Charley, and Mary is told in reverse. The play begins as their friendship is coming apart in 1976 and works it way back to when they first got together in 1957. It is a story of the challenges facing friends as they move ahead in life and begin to define their values, which can often turn out to be much different as they experience life. There is no doubt audience members will find much that is familiar in the play.

As the play opens we learn of the tension between Frank and Charley who’s friendship had also turned into them becoming a song writing team and playwrights. Creatively they worked well together. The two had become quite successful, but each measures success in a different way, and this has caused much tension between them.

…a stage that is overflowing with talent giving us theatre that is a joy to watch.

Frank and Charley are played by Mark Umbers and Damian Humbley respectively. They are reprising their roles from the West End production and are marvelous together. Mary is played by Eden Espinosa who brings an honesty as well as a tenderness and wit to the role of Frank and Charley’s novelist friend who sees the destructive effects success is having on the friendship but is not able to do anything to stop it. She is also in love with Frank but never lets on to him.

Damian Humbley, Mark Umbers, and Rebecca Gibel
Photo: T. Charles Erickson

In what is one of the musical highlights, Mr Humbley as Charley is positively superb when he encapsulates all of his misgivings about what Frank is doing wth the direction of their career. The number, Franklin Shepard, Inc, takes place during an interview at NBC studios and is a high octane piece that is a show stopper. The audience at the performance I attended loved it, as did I.

There is so much to enjoy about this show. The score has to be structured in an unconventional manner as the story is moving backwards. I would imagine Sondheim enjoyed playing with this musical timeline.  Music Director Matthew Stern is in top form in his treatment of it. The Choreography by Tim Jackson is fantastic. Watching the company moving about the stage during “The Blob” set in 1962 is both very funny and brilliantly done. Other numbers include the touching but upbeat Old Friends, Not A Day Goes By performed beautifully by Jennifer Ellis, and the Vaughn Meader influenced Bobby And Jackie And Jack a comic musical takeoff of the Kennedy’s.

Eden Espinosa, Mark Umbers, and Damian Humbley
Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Taking this ride back to where it all began is a fascinating journey. Along the way we go from the judgements we make of the characters having seen them after so much occurred to learning how they got that way. It is so interesting to observe as it reminds us how fragile friendships can be, and how what we value as individuals can create conflicts with those we love. It also reminds us of how hard it can be to frame our values when we are not sure of what it means to be successful.

Umbers, Humbley, and Espinosa are just fantastic. Add the remarkable Jennifer Ellis as Beth and Aimee Doherty as Gussie and you have a stage that is overflowing with talent giving us theatre that is a joy to watch.

Jennifer Ellis and Mark Umbers
Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Many years ago a very successful man gave me a piece of advice. he told me not to chase success but to chase the idea. Success will follow. I believe by success he meant happiness is seeing your idea blossom. Charley understands this,  while deep inside Frank does too, but just can’t allow himself to accept it. Mary feels the pain for both of them.

I recommend this play as it is not only so well done, but it will also leave you reflecting on your own definition of success and the value of friendship. You could do worse than to ponder such things. And, you couldn’t do better than to see this production of Merrily We Roll Along at the Huntington.

Merrily We Roll Along
Through October 15
Huntington Theatre Company
Boston 617.266.0800 huntingtontheatre.org

The Lyric Stage Finds Its Gypsy

Theater Reviews, ,

A Theatre Experience To Remember 

Gypsy at the Lyric Stage, Boston Through October 8th

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

Lyric Stage Artistic Director Spiro Veloudos has found his Gypsy. In Leigh Barrett he has found an actor who can step into the iconic role of Mama Rose. Ms Barrett makes this her Rose and we get to see one who fully embraces the part with a powerful performance. From her first number, Some People, you know she is going to be very special. It has to be a daunting role to step into, but she’s got what it takes.

Kirsten Salpini
(Photo Credit: Mark S. Howard)

He has found his Louise in the amazingly talented Kirsten Salpini who gives a perfectly measured Louise who goes from being the unsteady second fiddle to her sister and grows in confidence and the ability to stand up to her domineering, and it can be argued, abusive mother. With Ms Salpini we see that transformation occur seamlessly. It is not an easy part to play.

He has found his June in Kira Troilo who gives us the fair haired daughter who finally realizes she has to flee the smothering grip of her mother. She is the child who realizes that in order to become a woman she has to walk away from it all. At first her character seems very superficial, but Ms Troilo gives her a sensitivity and a humanity that allows us to respect June and leaves us knowing she will make a good life for herself.

And then there is Herbie. Spiro has found a marvelous Herbie for us in the ever so talented Steven Barkhimer. Mr. Barkhimer gives a character who could be taken for weak but has us see it is not weakness but kindness that inhabits this very decent man who has taken up with a very difficult woman. Having seen Mr. Barkhimer before I was not at all surprised to see how truly wonderful he is in this role, and it is such a pleasure seeing him practice his craft.

If you miss this production you are making a huge mistake.

Spiro has found all of this talent and more including the young June and Louise played by Margot Anderson-Song and Cate Galante who, accompanied by fabulous ensemble contribute so much to the very strong first act. They are very impressive.

Leigh Barrett
(Photo Credit: Mark S. Howard)

And finally, he has found Director and Choreographer Rachel Bertone who pulls it all together for an amazing Gypsy. Ms Bertone gets it all just right in this scaled down but amazing production of what has been called the greatest of all Broadway musicals.

The six piece orchestra led by Dan Rodriguez coupled with a simple but poignant set make this a first rate work capable of rivaling any huge stage production. I would go as far as to say it is better. Seeing this in the intimacy of the Lyric Stage Theatre brings us close not only physically but emotionally to the story. A story that has been described as Lear-like and while filled with some of the greatest numbers in the history of Broadway musicals, it can be searing and painful to watch.

Stephen Barkhimer, Leigh Barrett, Kirsten Salpini
(Photo Credit: Mark S. Howard

The score is timeless and simply great with music by Jule Style and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The songs are unforgettable, and it is all pulled together in the book by Arthur Laurents. Numbers such as Let Me Entertain You, Some People, Small World, If Mama Was Married, Everything Coming Up Roses, You Gotta Get A Gimmick, and my favorite Little Lamb, that Kirsten Salpini does with such tenderness speak for themselves. This is the stuff of legend.

Okay, so now I have to add something, and I know I am in a very tiny minority when I say this. I have seen productions of Gypsy before, and I have always enjoyed  Act I. It is Act II that would leave me flat, or rather with the feeling the story is left unresolved and with an unnecessary cruelty. I feel the dysfunction of Mama Rose has been taken too far. In truth, I was not looking forward to seeing it again, Act II that is. This time was the exception as Director Bertone brings it all together thoughtfully at the conclusion. Yes, Rose is still flawed but something special happens. It may not be a Kodak Family moment, but it is real and it works.

As I said at the beginning of my review, Spiro has found a great Gypsy, with Barrett, Salpini, Troilo, Barkhimer, and company lighting up the Lyric Stage. If you miss this production you are making a huge mistake.

Spiro Veloudos has kicked off his 20th year at the Lyric Stage in great fashion. He has found something very special and is sharing it with all of us. Accept this gift from this wonderful man. He knows how to Light the Lights!

Gypsy
The Lyric Stage, Boston through October 8th
lyricstage.com 617-585-5678