Tag Archives: Jennifer Ellis

Reagle Music Theatre’s “The Music Man” Knows The Territory

Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” At The Reagle Music Theatre Of Greater Boston

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

 

Mark Linehan and Cast: Ya Got Trouble

The other night I paid my first visit to the Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. The Reagle stages productions of Broadway Musicals at the Robinson Theatre located in Waltham High School. Don’t be fooled by the location. The auditorium is a great venue with comfortable seats and a great view no matter where you are seated. More than that, the play I saw was a top notch production that included a full orchestra, something you rarely see today in regional theatre. That full orchestra really makes a difference and was extremely impressive. 

The production currently playing at the Reagle is Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, one of, if not the, best musicals ever written. It is certainly a favorite of mine and I was skeptical that this would rate very high in quality. My doubts were soon chased away once the orchestra began playing the overture which led into the opening number, the onomatopoeic Rock Island, which takes place on a train. This train left the station and the audience was in for a wonderful ride to River City along with Professor Harold Hill, the flim flam man who would eventually be won over by the Iowa Stubborn folks he was trying to take with his scam about starting a boy’s band.

Mark Linehan, in his seventh production at the Reagle, had his work cut out for him in the role of Hill. Most audience members know Hill from the movie version of the play and have Robert Preston’s version burned into their memories. Mr. Linehan does not attempt an impression of Preston, but instead gives his own interpretation of the smooth talking traveling salesman. It doesn’t take long to embrace Linehan’s Hill and to appreciate what he does with the role. Ya Got Trouble, The Sadder But Wiser Girl, and the rousing Seventy-Six Trombones are all classic Broadway musical numbers that Linehan delivers right on the mark. 

Jennifer Ellis and Mark Linehan

It is also quite the treat to see Jennifer Ellis as Marion Paroo, the librarian with a heart like a lump of lead as cold as steel, but who eventually finds her way to allowing that heart to melt and opens her eyes to seeking her white knight. Ms Ellis puts her heart as well as her beautiful voice into Willson’s warm and touching numbers Goodnight My Someone, My White Night, Will I Ever Tell You, and Till There Was You. Was there ever a better score than this? I don’t believe so, and Jennifer Ellis was born to sing these amazing songs. 

The Music Man has a huge cast and you might think a small company would pare it down a bit, but the Reagle does not. Director and choreographer  Susan M. Chebookian goes all out to give a full scale production here. Using choreography based on the original by Onna White, the huge dance numbers in Seventy-Six Trombones and Shipoopi are a site to behold. Watching and listening to The Wells Fargo Wagon gives you the feeling of excitement the residents of River City have while waiting for the approaching delivery. 

 Ms Ellis and Mr. Linehan are superb, and they are backed up by a strong cast including Harold “Jerry” Walker as Mayor Shinn and Lori L’Italien as his wife Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. Both have wonderful comedic timing and both are able to push their characters to the edge without crossing into caricature. They are real pros. 

 Shipoopi is a number that is sometimes knocked as not fitting into the play, but when you see see Daniel Forest Sullivan as Marcellus Washburn lead the cast in this more than lively number you won’t be able to imagine it not being included. Sullivan really kicks in on it. 

School Board

Oh, such a large and wonderful cast. The School Board comprised of Louis Brogna, Matthew Gorgone, Antonino Ruggeri, and Tom Sawyer keep perfect harmony in their barbershop quartet numbers. Singing in counterpoint with Ms Ellis on Lida Rose/ Will I Ever Tell You it is a feast for the ears. 

Jonathan Tillen, Marylee Fairbanks, and Jennifer Ellis “Gary Indiana.

I’ve always felt that the Mrs Paroo must be a dream role, and Marylee Fairbanks makes that dream come true as the mother of Winthrop and Marion. Strong and kind with her Irish determination and heart of gold. Ms Fairbanks’s Paroo has the twinkle in her eye and just enough skills at manipulation to push her daughter in the right direction.

Perhaps the real stars of this production are the children and young adults who worked endless hours preparing for their moments on the stage. Jonathan Tillen as the withdrawn Winthrop Paroo shows us the growth of the self conscious young boy with a lisp who has sunk into despair since the death of his father but now begins to find himself through Professor Hill. In both The Wells Fargo Wagon and Gary, Indiana we see him emerge and you can’t help but feel touched by young Tillen’s performance.

Jennifer Ellis and Cate Galante

Winthrop’s friend Amaryllis who prays for him every night is played by Cate Galante. Cate’s Amaryllis is full of life and love. Her feelings for Winthrop warm the heart. She sparkles on stage.

Ye gods! I can’t forget Isabelle Miller who takes on the role of Zaneeta Shinn, the Mayor’s daughter. Zanneta is quite taken with bad boy Tommy Djilas played by Bernie Baldassaro who saves the day, and Professor Hill’s neck, by putting a band together. Both performers are vibrant and interact well together. 

The ensemble is large and in sync. It is quite something to see how they light up the stage in Waltham. Their energy is boundless. The Music Man has a short run at the Reagle in Waltham so you should plan on getting there soon. You don’t want to miss this one. A classic musical with a cast and director that gives it the treatment it deserves. Hop on board, River City next stop!

Meredith Willson’s The Music Man

Through August 12

The Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston

The Robinson Theater, 617 Lexington Street, Waltham

781.891.5600 www.reaglemusictheatre.org

This Play’s The Thing To Bring You An Early Spring

Shakespeare In Love
At The SpeakEasy Stage Company

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

We are in the midst of one of our cold and snowy Boston winters, but you don’t have to travel far to have your heart warmed and a smile brought to your face. The New England Premiere of Shakespeare In Love presented by the SpeakEasy Stage Company and playing at the Calderwood Pavillon in Boston’s South End is delightful.

George Olecky and Jennifer Ellis
Photo Credit:Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots.

The Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard screenplay from their Academy Award winning best picture has been adapted to the stage by Lee Hall who has kept much of the original script while adding additional dialog including Shakespeare lines. With a cast of eighteen actors plus a dog it is remarkable how smoothly this work flows. Everyone is in synch and the dialog and action never miss a beat. This had to be a challenge for director Scott Edmiston who was clearly up to the task.

The SpeakEasy design team has done a masterful job of transforming the Wimberly Theatre at the Calderwood into The Rose Theater from Shakespeare’s era. The actors move into the aisles at times and the lights are turned up periodically to truly make the audience feel they a part of the performance. It is a wonderful touch that adds to the fun that is enjoyed by those in attendance. We are groundlings all.

Of course, what would a play be without the players? And the SpeakEasy has assembled a very talented cast to take the stage. With so many who deserve recognition I hate having to leave some out but space doesn’t allow for a full rundown. Just know they were all terrific.

Eddie Shields and George Olecky
Photo Credit:Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots.

George Olesky plays the young Will Shakespeare who, at the beginning of the play, is suffering from a bad case of writer’s block,”Shall I compare thee to a …something…”. Kit Marlowe (Eddie Shields) helps him  get his mojo back and even coaches him in finding the words with which to woo Viola (Jennifer Ellis) who has been masquerading as a male in order to gain a part in the upcoming production of Romeo and Ethel, The Pirate’s Daughter. Fortunately, Kit is able to convince Will there is a better title for the work.

Many audience members will be familiar with the direction this all takes from having seen the movie. If not, it is fun to experience it for the first time. And, if you are, you will find this treatment of it to be fresh and  enjoyable.

Olesky and Shields, who I at first thought were going to be too corny, settle into wonderful exchanges of banter that display the wit you would expect from these two poets. Their back and forth captures their rivalry, respect, and friendship. By the time of Marlowe’s murder you can empathize with Shakespeare’s pain and guilt at the loss of his friend.

Nancy E. Carroll as Queen Elizabeth has the gift of delivering very funny lines without cracking a smile. However, there is a twinkle in her eye that belies her stern countenance.

Ken Baltin
Photo Credit: Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots.

Ken Baltin takes on the role of the beleaguered theatre owner Henslowe who is struggling to stay one step ahead of losing an ear for falling behind in his payments to the loan shark Fennyman played by the very funny Remo Airaldi. Baltin’s expressions as he looks pleadingly to the audience are priceless.

As readers of this column know by now I consider Jennifer Ellis a remarkably gifted performer. In Shakespeare In Love she did not disappoint me. I have seen Ms Ellis performing going back to Urinetown at the Lyric Stage in 2005 and more recently in She Loves Me at the Greater Boston Stage Company as well as The Bridges of Madison County at the SpeakEasy. In a city that is so filled with talent (you get to see much it in this current production) Jennifer Ellis stands out as one who is destined for great things. My only concern is that one day we may lose her to the bright lights of Broadway, so I would strongly urge you to get to the Calderwood Pavillon and see for yourself what I am talking about before she moves on.

Ms Ellis radiates in the role of Viola. Her voice and her presence fill the stage.

Ms Ellis radiates in the role of Viola. Her voice and her presence fill the stage. There is also something very unique about the way lighting touches her face. I don’t know how to properly describe it, but it is amazing to see. Jennifer Ellis also carries a subtlety into her performances that allows her to always appear at ease and very natural.

So, forget about the cold weather and head over to the SpeakEasy stage for this delightful production. Oh, I forgot to mention one very important cast member, Spot the dog. As Nancy E. Carroll’s Queen Elizabeth says when encouraging Will on writing his next play “Remember, we very much like dogs”. You’ll very much like Spot. And yes, “Out damn Spot’ does make it into the dialog.

Shakespeare In Love
Through February 10th
The SpeakEasy Stage
Calderwood Pavillon
Boston’s South End
www.speakeasystage.com
617.933.8600

Shakespeare In Love Opens At The Speakeasy January 12th

Jennifer Ellis and George Olesky Lead Cast For New England Premiere

From January 12 to February 10, 2018, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present the New England premiere of the hit London comedy SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.

Based on the Academy Award-winning film, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE tells the story of young Will Shakespeare, who is suffering a severe case of writer’s block as the deadline fast approaches to deliver his new play, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter. Enter Viola, a headstrong noblewoman and admirer of Will’s, who disguises herself as a boy so she can skirt the law and appear (as a girl) in his play. But when the playwright and his muse fall in love, the plot undergoes some surprising rewrites. Mistaken identities, courtly intrigue, and backstage bickering are all part of the fun in this raucous romantic comedy of errors that reminds us that all the world’s a stage and love is unrehearsed.

Norton & IRNE Award-winner Scott Edmiston will direct the SpeakEasy Stage production of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Mr. Edmiston’s previous SpeakEasy credits include Casa Valentina (2016 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director), The History Boys, The Light in the Piazza, and Five by Tenn.

George Olesky and Jennifer Ellis

Newton native George Olesky and Norton Award-winner Jennifer Ellis headline a truly all-star Boston cast for the production, which includes Remo Airaldi, Ken Baltin, Nancy E. Carroll, Jesse Hinson, Omar Robinson, Carolyn Saxon, Eddie Shields, and Lewis D. Wheeler. Also in the cast are Paul Alperin, Steve Auger, Cameron Beaty Gosselin, Jade Guerra, Jeff Marcus, Zaven Ovian, Edward Rubenacker, and Damon Singletary.

SHAKESPEAERE IN LOVE will run for five weeks, from January 12 through February 10, 2018, in the Virginia Wimberly Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End.

617.933.8600 www.SpeakEasyStage.com .

Simply Beautiful

The Bridges of Madison County
At The SpeakEasy Stage

Now through June 3rd

Reviewed by Bobby Franklin

By the end of this production of The Bridges of Madison County, produced by the SpeakEasy Stage and playing at the Calderwood Pavillon, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. This is not to say the audience is left feeling sad or unhappy. No, touched is the word that best describes the feeling one leaves the theater with after seeing this exquisite production.

Francesca and Robert
(Photo Credit: Glenn Perry Photography)

The story of the Italian war bride, Francesca, who married and settled in Iowa with her husband Bud where they are raising two children, and her four day affair with a photographer, Robert, is familiar to most people due to the popularity of the book and movie. This in no way diminishes the impact of this musical version of the story.

Jennifer Ellis as Francesca is nothing short of superb…

Jennifer Ellis as Francesca is nothing short of superb bringing one of the most beautiful voices you will hear on a theater stage today as well as the ability to reach the audience with her full range of emotions. Her perfectly underrated Italian accent is right on the mark. This will come as no surprise to those who had seen her in the SpeakEasy production of Far From Heaven or as Eliza Dolittle in The Lyric Stage’s My Fair Lady. Ms Ellis is a joy to behold.

The chemistry between Francesca and Robert, played with a slight ambiguity by the very talented Christiaan Smith, is strong both physically and emotionally. I mention ambiguity because as much as it appears these two star crossed lovers could run off and live happily ever after I was left with the feeling that the very thing that made Robert so exciting was also the thing that would not have made him a good fit for marriage and settling down.

Bud, Robert, Francesca
(Photo Credit: Glenn Perry Photography)

The affair which takes place while husband Bud (Christopher Chew) and children Carolyn (Katie Elinoff) and Michael (Nick Siccone) are off to the state fair could be seen as sordid, but the story is much more than that. Mr. Chew is wonderful in playing the hard working farmer who provides a good home for his family. There is no doubt Francesca loves all of them, but she also yearns for the life she never got to live in Naples. A yearning that is triggered by the emotional scene where Robert shows her the issue of National Geographic containing photos he took of the city she was raised in.

The emotional turmoil raised by this allows us to feel compassion for her even while we feel bad for Bud. In the phone calls to home while Bud and the kids are on the road, we know that Bud begins to suspect something but never digs for answers. Mr. Chew conveys a pain with his eyes that is touching and could easily have us turn on Francesca for what she is doing. But there is much to this story and much to be sympathetic about when it comes to all the characters.

Marge and Charlie
(Photo Credit: Glenn Perry Photography)

Nosey neighbor Marge (Kerry A. Dowling) and her husband Charlie (Will McGarrahan) are very funny while also showing a depth of understanding that coveys sincere kindness. Marge may appear to be a gossip but she knows how to keep a secret. She also begins to question her own marriage. Charlie who at first appears to be detached is actually quite understanding. McGarrahan and Dowling are a delight.

The score by Jason Robert Brown is wide ranging and beautiful. At times operatic, it is performed by a seven piece orchestra led by Matthew Stern. I am no musician, but I can assure you they are just great.

The lighting design by Annie Weigand plays a big part in this production. Stars, clouds, blue skies, and even streaks of light representing the bombing of Naples during the war projected onto the backdrop are both subtle and extremely effective. The set designed by Cameron Anderson is simple, tasteful, very pleasing and warm.

The chemistry between Francesca and Robert…is strong both physically and emotionally.

I highly recommend this very fine work directed by M. Bevin O’Gara. This is the last play of the 2016-2017 season at the SpeakEasy and they couldn’t have closed on a higher note. The Bridges of Madison County will leave you both happy and sad, but you will be very pleased to have seen such a solid work.

Now through June 3rd at the Calderwood Pavillon, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston’s South End. www.speakeasystage.com 617.933.8600

SpeakEasy Productions Presents The Bridges Of Madison County May 6 through June 3

 

In The Roberts Studio Theatre At The Stanford Calderwood Pavilion At The Boston Center For The Arts

 

From May 6 – June 3, 2017, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present the Boston Premiere of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, a lush, lyrical musical by Tony Award-winners Marsha Norman (book) and Jason Robert Brown (music & lyrics), based on the best-selling novel by Robert James Waller.

Winner of two 2014 Tony Awards including Best Original Score, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY tells the story of Francesca Johnson, a beautiful Italian woman who married an American soldier to escape the war, and now leads a simple but dispassionate life on an Iowa farm. On the day her family departs for a trip to the 1965 State Fair, she is surprised by Robert Kincaid, a ruggedly handsome National Geographic photographer who randomly pulls into her driveway seeking directions. A quick ride to photograph one of the famed covered bridges of Madison County sparks a soul-stirring affair for the couple, whose lives are forever altered by this chance meeting.

M. Bevin O’Gara returns to SpeakEasy to direct THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. Her previous SpeakEasy credits include directing the New England Premieres of appropriate, A Future Perfect, Tribes (Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards for Best Production), and Clybourne Park.

Ms. O’Gara’s artistic team includes Music Director Matthew Stern, a recent IRNE nominee for his work on SpeakEasy’s productions of Violet (2016) and The Scottsboro Boys; and Choreographer Misha Shields, a Boston Conservatory graduate now working extensively in both New York and Boston.

Norton Award-winner Jennifer Ellis will play Francesca Johnson, and Wisconsin-native and Boston University alumnus Christiaan Smith will play Robert Kincaid.

Featured in the cast are Peter S. Adams, Rachel Belleman, Christopher Chew, Kerry A. Dowling, Katie Elinoff, Will McGarrahan, Taylor Okey, Ellen Peterson, Nicolas Siccone, Edward Simon, and Alessandra Valea.

The design team is Cameron Anderson (scenic); Mark Nagle (costumes); Annie Wiegand (lighting), David Reiffel (sound), and Garrett Herzig (projections).

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY will run for five weeks, from May 6 through June 3, in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End.

Ticket prices start at $25, with discounts for students, seniors, and persons age 25 and under.

For tickets or more information, the public is invited to call the box office at 617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com .