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The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 20:27:46 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman

produced by Flights of Fantasy East

Step right up and witness a fantastical circus sideshow! In the dusty desert of Arizona, Myrtle Corbin, The Four-Legged Woman, meets her match. This experimental musical reveals the wonders of performing and navigates what it means to be “other.”

Show Info:

Thu Feb 18, 2016 | 7:10PM
Sat Feb 20, 2016 | 6:40PM
Mon Feb 22, 2016 | 8:50PM
Sat Feb 27, 2016 | 1:40PM
Wed Mar 02, 2016 | 8:50PM

Kraine Theater New York, NY $10/$12

Answers by Madeline Wall (Director)
Lily Ali-Oshatz (Book, Music, and Lyrics)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Maddie: I have always wanted to direct a project about different kinds of bodies, and this show really hits all the bases. It’s my favorite thing.
Lily: It’s the love story of Myrtle Corbin, the one and only four-legged woman, so it’s bound to be different, weird, and extraordinary!

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Maddie: Honestly, I hope they’re talking about the sweeter moments. It’s a very dark show, but there’s also a lot of joy and I hope that people leave remembering the beautiful parts. Also the music. I know that’s what will be with people after they’ve left.
Lily: I want people to be questioning how they view bodies, in terms of race, gender, and size. This show is all about the performance and presentation of identities. I hope that people are forced to think more deeply about how these identities intersect, both for the characters and for themselves. Oswald’s final scene with Myrtle really encapsulates this idea.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Maddie: Character. But maybe theme. Dammit, Lily! The characters are so influenced by the actors. But if we had to do this with a whole different cast, the show would still be about love and bodies.
Lily: Definitely character. We had a very extensive casting process and I did a lot of rewrites once we found our troupe of actors.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Maddie: One of the panelists at Musical Theatre Factory in New York when we workshopped there last October said that the work of the team was “like honey, complex and sweet.” I love that this show is a challenge because of the way it’s written as well as the subject matter. It’s about something very complicated.
Lily: People leave remembering the music which is so crazy to me because it’s an a cappella musical! For a long time I was afraid that everyone would hate that it doesn’t use any instruments besides voices, but I felt very encouraged after the Musical Theatre Factory workshop because everyone was really onboard.

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Maddie: Ugh. Well I went to school for film so even when I’m blocking for a black box theatre, I’m visualizing a three ring circus in the desert of Arizona. I think one of the key elements of the show is actually the large setting. The cast should be able to hear coyotes howling in the distance. So yes. I guess coyotes.
Lily: A real circus tent and midway!!! And a rotating stage because we have a whole onstage/offstage element to the blocking. And smell-o-vision! The audience should smell the “air heavy with carmel treats” that the ringmaster sings about.

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself (seeing other shows? meeting other folks)?
Maddie: All of the above! I’m just so excited that I’m getting to do exactly what I want. The fact that I’m in New York making theatre is such a crazy reality. It feels like I’ve won something.
Lily: The glass of wine after we open. No! Kidding. I want to hear from everyone about how this show affects them. We are definitely using this as a learning opportunity. And I’m very excited to meet the other artists at the festival and see how they’re using their experience at Frigid.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Maddie: OH YEAH. Let’s just say it’s the fall of the “Four-Legged” woman.
Lily: For sure. The legs. That moment can go so many ways.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Maddie: I just love all of them so much! When Myrtle and the whole cast sing about being “Born as someone special.”
Lily: “The light was dark one night in Arizona. The brittle stardust sunk down low.” Those are the first lyrics I wrote for the show and it all springs from that first moment of stillness.

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Maddie: I get really calm because it’s out of my hands at that point.
Lily: I look at the cast, smile and play the first pitch.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Maddie: Zefferelli, because he never responded to my emails.
Lily: Oskar Eustis? Artistic Director of The Public?! Why yes, I am surprised that you and your team would like to bring Extraordinary Fall to the Public. No no, drinks tonight would be fine.

Maddie, Lily, you may not have smell-o-vision in your show but this interview made me smell the midway! I can already feel the vibe of the show – sounds like this is something that would make Franco Zeffirelli and Oskar Eustis crave the front row seat of the center ring!

Thanks for answering our questions, Maddie and Lily!

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman.

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Horse Trade Theater Group will present the 10th Annual FRIGID New York Festival at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4^th Street between 2^nd Avenue and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1^st Avenue and Avenue A) February 16-March 6. All shows run 60 minutes, or less. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at http://www.horsetrade.info/

Outskirts of Eden: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 18:57:32 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

Outskirts of Eden
produced by Jodi Productions

In this one-act adaptation we find an Eden magical, menacing and alive with human feeling. We enter the very mind of Eve. Centuries later Adam is dead, Eve is pissed and good and evil are on the tongues of the tasters.

Show Info:

Thu Feb 18, 2016 | 8:50PM
Mon Feb 22, 2016 | 7:10PM
Sun Feb 28, 2016 | 1:50PM
Wed Mar 02, 2016 | 5:30PM
Sun Mar 06, 2016 | 5:10PM

UNDER St. Marks New York, NY $12

Answers by Eva Dolan
(performer, producer)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Eva: Outskirts of Eden is a feminist retelling of the Eve and Adam story, set in the here and now. Eve has been around since (almost) the beginning of time. We have live musical accompaniment: wind and percussion. I adapted it from Edward Le Comte’s novel, ‘I, Eve’.

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Eva: The live original music working together with the language to tell this tale.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Eva: As I play Eve, I tend to feel my character drives the play, but so do the timeless themes of mortality, questionable morality and the nature of sin.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Eva: “Dolan captures the innocence and desire of the original Earth Mother and temptress. It is a remarkable performance, full of the sinuosity of the dancer and the silences of the actress. Dolan makes Eve at once natural and sophisticated; ancient and modern; an icon and flesh.” -James Yeara, Metroland Magazine, Albany, NY

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Eva: This is my first festival and I am excited to see other people’s shows and just soak in all the radiating creative energy!

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Eva: God’s sense of humor.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Eva: “For unspeakable seconds I had God’s view,” is great fun to say!

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Eva: Stretch out my jaw!

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Eva: I would be seeing the director, Jonathan Foster, sitting, so handsome, smiling and still. I would be shocked because he died from AIDS 21 years ago, but his spirit has been with me throughout this creative process and I expect through these performances as well.

Well, Eva, I’ve no doubt that if you feel his spirit that strongly, you may just be able to bring up his face as well … if only in your mind’s eye.

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out Outskirts of Eden.

-*-*-

Lil’ Women: a rap musical: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 15:57:57 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

Lil’ Women: a rap musical

produced by Lil Theatre Company

Come join the March sisters as they spit rhymes, drop sick beats, and kick it old schoolhouse! Original debuted in at the Orlando Fringe in 2012; Lil’ Women: A Rap Musical combines the classic story Little Women with hip-hop music.

Show Info:

Tue Feb 23, 2016 | 5:30PM
Thu Feb 25, 2016 | 7:10PM
Sun Feb 28, 2016 | 3:30PM
Tue Mar 01, 2016 | 8:50PM
Fri Mar 04, 2016 | 5:10PM
Sat Mar 05, 2016 | 3:20PM

Kraine Theater New York, NY $15

Answers by Lindsay Taylor
(Producer/Co-writer/Director)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Lindsay: It is the classic story of Little Women set in the 1800′s combined with rap music.

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Lindsay: How the show stays true to the story-line of the book, and how fun the rapping was.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Lindsay: Theme with characters as a close second. If you have a sister you will relate to someone in this show for sure, but the strong themes of family and growing up to become independent women drive the story.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Lindsay: In the original debut of the show in 2012, an elderly man came up to me post show to tell me the only problem he had with the show is that it was too short.

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Lindsay: I love meeting other artists and talking about our shows together. The community of creating art together from scratch is the foundation of fringe festivals, and it’s inspiring to get to know other people, their processes to create their work, and see the final product.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Lindsay: We get pretty consistent reactions throughout our show, but it always amazes me how our audience goes from laughing in one scene to the very next scene crying.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Lindsay: “You’ll be sorry for this Jo March.”

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Lindsay: We hold hands in a circle and take a moment to prepare for the show with a few words. The majority of the cast has been with this show since the beginning in 2012, so it’s very special to us. It’s hard to find great people to work with, and I could not be more blessed to know all of these people involved.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Lindsay: I don’t have anyone in particular that comes to mind, anyone I recognize that has traveled a great distance to see our show always pleasantly surprises me!

Well, Lindsay, a pleasant surprise is certainly something I hope you get! After all, you never know who might be out there, waiting for those lil rappin’ women to get bizzy rhyming.

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out Lil’ Women: a rap musical

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Don’t Move To Toronto: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 17:00:14 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

Don’t Move To Toronto

produced by Fresh Hell

The show follows Daniels’ move from a contented collegiate life to the unpredictable big city, and will be familiar to anyone who has been dumped, evicted, threatened, fired, or bankrupted. Using a musical playlist of the most heartfelt love songs of the last generation and her years of experience as a stand-up comedian and storyteller, Daniels presents the brutally hilarious tale of a perfectly happy life absolutely ruined by moving to the Big Smoke.

Show Info:

Wed Feb 24, 2016 | 5:30PM
Fri Feb 26, 2016 | 7:10PM
Sun Feb 28, 2016 | 12:10PM
Tue Mar 01, 2016 | 7:10PM
Thu Mar 03, 2016 | 10:30PM
Sat Mar 05, 2016 | 5:30PM

Under St. Marks New York, NY $15/$18

Answers by Zoe Daniels

(writer/performer)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Zoe: This show is all true stories of the insane year I had after moving to Toronto. You know all the bad things that usually happen in your 20′s? Those all happened to me, all at once. At a certain point I was just like “Yes, yes, this is the worst. Bring it on. What else can go wrong? Show me.” Just bathing in my own tears.

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Zoe: Probably the part where my neighbour goes insane or where my boyfriend dumps me in the dumbest way possible.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Zoe: Character + theme. I do a couple characters from my year who were just too silly not to mock, but the overall show is in my voice and the theme is a combination of “You gotta laugh or you’ll cry” and “Woo0o0o0owwww, life is absurd.”

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Zoe: A friend of mine said “I laughed, I cried, I was on my period.” A reviewer from the Pioneer Press (the big newspaper in Minnesota) said

“Daniels offers a comedic voice for a next generation [and] tells her personal stories [...] with such wit, humor and sarcasm, that it has you wanting to know what happens next and laughing throughout”

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Zoe: I would bring my audience to Toronto with me an perform a year-long show where I would recreate every day in painstaking detail, including the awful apartments, ridiculous jobs, and hysterically bad trip to Europe.

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Zoe: Verrrrry excited to see what people are doing back in the homeland. I live in Canada now so it’s always sort of novel to see American theatre. Also, I hope I see some dance shows because I never tire of being like “HOLY SHIT WHAT IS THAT I CAN’T DO THAT AMAZING.”

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Zoe: Yeah, one of the big jokes in the middle is a kind of crushing moment – sometimes the audience gets sad instead of laughing because they’re worried about me but I gotta tell you, don’t be – it’s really, really funny.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Zoe: “The owner was a 5 foot 2 lady the color and texture of beef jerky, she drove a pink Hummer with her initials on the side in pink and she had a ponytail facelift… and also a regular facelift.”

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Zoe: Pushups to waste my adrenaline.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Zoe: Oh, for sure my ex-boyfriend who features in the show but has 100% not seen it. But honestly, that is exactly the kind of thing that was happening during that first year in Toronto – huge, comically horrible bad luck – so I wouldn’t be surprised if it did happen.

For your sake, Zoe, I’ll cross my fingers and hope that of all the surprise guests that could show up, that ex isn’t one of them. Sounds like you’ve had enough comically bad luck.

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out Don’t Move To Toronto.

-*-*-

Jasper In Deadland – Take A Dive To The Dead Side

Karen Tortora-Lee — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 00:14:57 +0000

No matter your age or where you are in life, chances are you can identify with sixteen year old Jasper. Seems his world is a cacophony of tweets and gossip and shout outs and “don’t forget to”s that ring hollow from people who barely have their own lives together. There’s so much over stimulation in Jasper’s life that it’s impossible for him to hear his own thoughts, let alone sort out his own path. So is it any wonder he’s anxious to escape all the noise and just get to where he feels the safest? Dodge the warring parents, the nosy classmates, the bombastic crowds and just float underwater where it’s all just blissful?

If only it were that easy. Cue best-friend-not-girlfriend Agnes who professes her love for Jasper and then does what any teen does when she’s rejected: she makes a simultaneous cry for attention and leap of faith and dramatic gesture. She emulates his aquatic skills and dives off a cliff. Did she survive? Maybe. That’s for Jasper to find out.

And so begins Hunter Foster and Ryan Scott Oliver‘s musical Jasper In Deadland, currently playing at the West End Theater and running until April 13th.

Matt Doyle as Jasper | JASPER IN DEADLAND [ photo by Matthew Murphy]

Jasper takes the dive himself and (as it’s one he’s done countless times before) he emerges – not dead – but on the deck of the Ferry (yes that Ferry) as it rocks across the currents of the Lethe river. Determined to track down Agnes whom he hopes has survived, he makes his way past Cerberus – the three headed hound guarding the entrance of the underworld (three huge heads designed and constructed by Puppet designer Elizabeth Ostler). After duly noting the warning that “DEADLAND IS A PLACE WHERE YOU FORGET LIFE // IF YOU REMAIN TOO LONG … AND JOIN THE DEAD FOREVER ” he finds himself in City Circle run by the slick and nefarious Mr. Lethe (Ben Crawford).

If Jasper was seeking out peace, it’s unfortunately illusive. Deadland, it seems, is just as bustling – if not more-so – than the world he left uptop. It comes replete with its own infrastructure of denizens as well as neophytes. For those who are feeling a little lost, one need only follow helpful tour guide Gretchen. Eager to help Jasper navigate the whirls and pops and find his Agnes, Gretchen gives him a run-down of what he’s got in store. (AS EACH MEMORY ERASES, THE PHOTOS OF FAMILIAR FACES SMUDGE AND BLOT— BUT YOU WON’T CARE A LOT; YOU’LL FORGET YOU FORGOT.)

Not only is Jasper up against unbelievable odds (“There’s like a billion-trillion souls in Deadland”) but he also must race against time … for the longer he stays below the more his memory of all that was above begins to erode. Plus, he’s having trouble navigating the town without being followed. In the short time he’s been in Deadland he’s been making headline news as “A Living Soul Among Us!” and everyone wants to touch the boy who can bring back a flash of their undead life with just a bump, a grasp or a graze. As he gamely dodges thrill seekers and moves from one hot spot to another, sub plots begin to bubble up and thicken the plot. Lurking in between everything is the evil Mr. Lethe who keeps Deadland in his clutches through advertising, mass production and despicable dosing. Of course he does.

Foster and Oliver leave no moment in the play unused – in between the large bricks of the grand quest, the battle between good and evil and the star-crossed lovers the team has taken care to use a cement of humor, and mythological allusions galore. If at times it seems a bit crowded, plot wise, it’s at least an enjoyable crush.

In a cast this small there is no room for weak links – and there are none. Lead by the boyishly charming Matt Doyle with a winning and engaging Allison Scagliotti by his side, each actor on stage is in turn funny, magnetic and powerfully spirited. The cast of nine is dynamic and bursting with talent – all but Doyle and Scagliotti play numerous roles and will often switch characters with head-spinning alacrity. This consummate cast magically doubles and triples their output – there is often so much energy, so much vocal power and so much artistry that during many of the musical numbers they will fool you into thinking they number in the dozens.

Matt Doyle and Allison Scagliotti in “Living Dead” [photo by Matthew Murphy]

And while the cast of Jasper In Deadland moves seamlessly as a team, almost each member gets their star turn in which they can connect with the audience. Danyel Fulton as Ammut virtually stopped the show with her electric number “HUNGRY FOR YOUR HEART” hitting notes and blasting through walls in a way that called to mind Patti LaBelle. Yet able to run pace with all the fireworks of that number were quieter moments like the beautiful duet (A LOVE UNTOUCHED) between Allison Scagliotti and Bonnie Milligan whose voices blended into a luscious froth of harmony and heartbreak. Milligan, for her part, turned in several scene-stealing performances including a Beatrix Portinari which had the audience in the palm of her hand the minute she tossed her hair and shot them a wicked glance.

Director Brandon Ivie’s staging is often a bit frenetic yet seems to be intentionally so – and serves the story line. How else to explain the safety of living inside another person’s life than to show the chaos that exists without it?

Herrick Goldman’s lighting design and Ed Chapman’s sound design embrace the magic and innovation of independent theatre – many of the more powerful moments sit squarely on the scaffolding of the lighting and sound design which beautifully intensifies the emotional impact of many of the more ethereal scenes in Deadland.

Jasper In Deadland, with its high-octane cast, stunning visuals and whimsical staging knocks it out of the park. This may be an age-old story, but it’s filled with up-to-the-moment flourishes that will delight you from start to finish. I say dive on in.

JASPER IN DEADLAND
Book by Hunter Foster and Ryan Scott Oliver
Music and Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver

Directed by Brandon Ivie

March 16 – April 13, 2014

West End Theater
in the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew
(263 West 86th St., NYC)
$50 regular seating, $65 premium

To purchase CLICK HERE or call 212-352-3101

Story Time With Mr. Butterman (Fringe Festival 2012)

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:50:06 +0000

It’s unusual for me to find much worthwhile in a contemporary musical that is not obviously wise to its own artifice. Call me cynical (and people do) but the heart-on-your-sleeve approach just doesn’t do it for me. I like my musicals (such as they are) worldly-wise, dirty, and with a twist. Which is why I can safely approve Christian De Gré and Mind the Art Entertainment‘s noisome spectacle, Story Time with Mr. Butterman; Fables for Adults Living in a Modern World. It’s broadly cynical, grumpy, disaffected and, in parts, just plain nasty.

Mr. Butterman is a homeless vagabond, a listening type, who collects the myriad tales of woe and undoing of other down-and-outs in a concrete jungle somewhere near you. These woeful presences – characters, ghosts, spirits – flock around him to give testimony of their troubles, find a sympathetic ear, and hope to encounter someone worse-off than they are. Butterman enjoys a good tragedy, and for all his kindly indulgence of the put-upons who seek him out, cracks the whip to keep them in line and keeps his own baleful history a secret. The tattered company of sad cases entertain each others’ stories in music and dance enactments that take delight in the harshness of the world and in the depths to which each has fallen. One blasted, bitter fable follows upon another, wringing out the wretchedness and sneering at the notion of a happy ending. Is there any low to which these connoisseurs of shame and tragedy will not sink in order to get a rise? Well … possibly.

Boasting a cast of fourteen singing and dancing actors, Story Time blasts its audience with a series of sharply co-ordinated vocalizations and tightly drilled dance numbers that could easily challenge any Broadway house ensemble. The energy is high. This is an able troupe of performers who understand physical illusion-making, how to tout character individuality, and how to come together as a unified team. Choreographer Paula Wilson may not be in the ground-breaking business, but she has her people in sync and on point, even working in the confines of a restricted space. Musically too there may not be any major awards for innovation, but the variety – ranging from big noise anthems, to ballads, and flirtations with hip-hop – is impressive, the musicality rich and assured. De Gré is joined in the compositional role by Jake “Dazed and Confused” Holmes, and Aaron Butler reigns as musical director.

A product of several writer contributors, not every turn in Story Time hits the mark. Ariana Paganetti‘s The Girl Who Cried Rape, a moment of reflexive solemnity, suffers from the sudden shift in tone, and by a somewhat under-projected choral performance on the part of the three actresses singing. Losing the song lyrics is a shame in such a thoughtfully written show. De Gré’s Ant Rant, Holmes’s Pigmailman, and Lauren Brady‘s slight Calculators sparkle in contrast. There’s a bit of the revue about it all, and a touch of cabaret, and a poetry slam, but it all comes together quite efficiently. Special mention should be made of Scout Isensee‘s considered costuming, which runs a wild gamut, and all but acts as a brand in itself. The cast are a tight-knit crew, as mentioned, and everyone gets a decent shake. It would be churlish not to mention however, Anthony M. Lopez‘s contribution as the MC-ing Mr. Butterman. When it’s finally eked out of him, his shame-faced tale (David Williams, writer), is delivered with restraint and passion, and worth waiting for.

~~~

Story Time with Mr. Buttermen: Fables for Adults Living in a Modern World
Mind The Art Entertainment
Writer: Mind The Art Entertainment’s Poetry Division
Director: Christian De Gré, Musical Director: Aaron Butler
Join the beloved Mr. Buttermen as he leads us on a journey of depravity, including the classic fables Petey the Impotent Rabbit, The Girl Who Cried Rape, and Pigmailman. Come giggle like a school child! [Peeing of pants highly discouraged.]
1h 45m   Local   Brooklyn, New York
Spoken Word/Poetry   Vaudeville/Sideshow/Magic/Burlesque
Staycation: Fantasy Island Excursion   My NYC Story
www.MrButtermen.com
VENUE #18: HERE Mainstage Theater
Fri 10 @ 5:15  Sun 12 @ 9:45  Wed 15 @ 6  Thu 16 @ 9  Sat 25 @ 2

GRIMM: A New Musical – Two Sisters, One Necklace (Fringe Festival 2012)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:58:18 +0000

Step into the world of GRIMM: A New Musical created by BIG Theatre Company and be ready to settle into old favorites, new wonders and satisfyingly imaginative scenes played out before your eyes. While GRIMM falls on the “Fringe Jr” spectrum of this festival’s offerings there’s nothing unsophisticated or underdeveloped about this beautifully rich and textured show; in fact it is a complex, deeply stirring and at times even provocative story that serves up a happy ending but not before plumbing the depths of the darkest of human emotions, as all good Grimms’ Fairy Tales have always done.

The story is set in the distant past when good queens reigned but were still able to be thwarted by cruel spells and evil menacing adversaries who meant harm to those with kind hearts. Two sisters, the good Catherine (Theresa Burns) and her … well … grim sister – the conversely named Angelica (Gina Cucci) – are at odds the minute Catherine is given her sister’s birthright: a necklace that holds the promise to be queen. Angelica is banished but spends her time away honing her skills at the dark arts; when she returns she successfully switches bodies with Catherine (a la Freaky Friday or Prelude to a Kiss) and kicks the queen off her thrown. The rest of the tale involves the journey home. Along the way Catherine births Hansel (Grant Bowen) and Gretel (Sierra Marcks – who drew great laughs from the audience) and has her dealings with the loathsome Rumpelstiltskin (Jake Bridges) who is in cahoots with the now-reigning Angelica.

It’s no difficult feat to take these tried and true fairy tales and interweave them, a forest from this one, an evil queen from that one, and generally a Grimm wicked witch is garden variety so she can jump from story to story. Sondheim built the template for this type of thing with Into The Woods. So no – it’s not difficult to attempt, the stories braid together as easily as Rapunzel’s long tresses. Therefore the trick lies not in weaving the tale, but in doing so in a way that will have the audience invested.

Cue music director, composer, and writer Ken Kruper who composed a score so lush, evocative and beautiful that from the first notes of the opening ensemble number “Things Are Looking Awfully Grimm” I was catching my breath. Each song not only moved the plot along but gave each character a deeper connection to the audience as well as an opportunity to tug a little more at your heartstrings. The score covered a variety of emotions, from the touching “Let Your Heart Lead” (sung beautifully by Gina Cucci) as a mother’s advice to her children who are about to leave home for the first time without her, to the almost vaudevillian “They’ll Never Know” sung gleefully by the evil queen (at this moment embodied by Burns) and her lackey Rumpelstiltskin. Yet, while there are a variety of styles, it’s not as if Kruper is haphazardly throwing in an assortment of songs simply to exhibit his musical dexterity – there’s still a common thread throughout the base of the musical that clearly identifies these pieces as part of a whole.

Director Olivia Hartle has imbued the production with lovely flourishes that hearken back to the magic of childhood; scarves waved wildly become a blazing fire, later a long white gauze is pulled through a bicycle wheel only to become a golden gossamer cloth signifying straw turning to gold. Equally, she teams well with Burns and Cucci who both do a remarkable job embracing both the good as well as the evil with one hundred percent commitment - casting off the vestiges of their previous roles as thoroughly as they do their costumes. They are both devoted and believable as the dark as well as the light sides of humanity, so when the switch happens it is as if you can see their souls jump from one to the other. For this to happen in a small theatre is a remarkable feat.

Costumes designed by Taylor Pedane were both reminiscent of a bygone era as well as of a rag-tag bunch of street performers who bring tales to life using what is around them. All was obviously planned down to the smallest detail, yet appeared to be pulled off effortlessly which - especially in a festival setting where there is such little time to prepare for sets and costume (let alone for a cast of 12!) – is a fairy tale in and of itself.

I could go on and on about this show, but as its running time is only 50 minutes – and as there is only one more performance – I’ll end as all good tales do. Let down your hair and let yourself feel like a child again by experiencing Grimm: A New Musical. It’s an absolute must-see – and I promise if you go you’ll live happily ever after.

~~~

GRIMM: A New Musical

BIG Theatre Company
Writer: Ken Kruper, Co-creator: Jon Randhawa
Director: Olivia Hartle, Music Director: Ken Kruper
Familiar stories from the Brothers Grimm are entwined with a new cast of characters and set to a stirring original score. Twin sisters and rivals, Angelica and Catherine, vie for the crown in this haunting tale of good vs. evil.
0h 50m   Local   Queens, New York
FringeJR   Musical
Staycation: Literary Lane   Fantasy Island Excursion
www.bigtheatre.org
VENUE #18: HERE Mainstage Theater
Sat 11 @ 12  Sun 12 @ 2:15  Thu 16 @ 5:15  Fri 17 @ 4  Wed 22 @ 2

Disney Rejects Perform MisSpelled (Fringe Festival 2012)

Linnea Covington — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:14:17 +0000

Have you ever seen something so comically bad you are almost happy you saw it? In two hours, D’Jamin Bartlett’s MisSpelled channels the missteps and bloopers of an Ed Wood movie, mixed with a Disney vibe and theater camp feel. Sounds like a lot? With nine cast members, about twice that many characters, and 15 original songs by composer Mark Bornfield—it is.

First, the songs. Given that most of the tunes focus on love and sound like a Whitney Huston cover band from the early 1990s, it’s not surprising to find Bornfield has accompanied the famous singer on the stage before. Despite this, the synthesized-heavy songs felt more cheesy than tender, and lacked the finesse of any diva, especially when the cast broke out in song with, Don’t Choke That Chicken, which they complemented with a rubber version of the bird.

One line in that song went something like this, “don’t choke that chicken, even if you put him in a pot.” This confused me given that one of the best characters, Sadie, the Jewish mother, played wonderfully by Rosalind Harris, made a batch of Jewish medicine, aka, chicken soup. Sadie also had the best song of the bunch, Sadie’s Seder, which incorporated everything you love about a stereotype, complete with song, and dance. Unfortunately, this didn’t follow through and we never got to see her dinner, which I am convinced would have been a riot.

This plot line falls in with Sadie’s son David, played by Brance Cornelius, who had fallen in love with a young and pretty witch named Celeste, played by the stunning Lauren Hoffmeier. They couple met after Celeste’s mother, the queen of the witches, played by Bartlett, accidently placed a love spell on her daughter. After that, the plot line ultimately revolves around Celeste’s kingly father trying to break the young couple up, and the two families coming to terms with marriage between a Jewish mortal family, and a rich witch family. There was an unconvincing bad warlock in the mix played by Paul Craffey, who kept forgetting his lines and was as menacing as Tim Gunn.

Perhaps this show would be best cut in half, or at least tightened up so the story line flowed better. Of course, it would help if the actors had more practice too, that way the audience wouldn’t be forced to watch unsynchronized dance numbers and players who don’t know what they are doing. Maybe in her heyday, Bartlett could have pulled this off, but now, in 2012, the whole thing reads more like a grade school assignment for adults.

~~~

MisSpelled
Borkenstein Productions
Writer: D’Jamin Bartlett and Mark BornfieldTBA
Choreographer: Shirley Johnston
A Gothic tale of power in the wrong hands at the wrong time. Warlocks and witches scheme to further the cause of true love. A Light-hearted view of what happens when a warlock’s daughter falls for a mortal piano player.
2h 20m   National   Hollywood, Florida
Musical   Comedy
Staycation: Ride the Rollercoaster of Love   In Someone Else’s Shoes
www.markbornfieldmusic.com
VENUE #12: Cherry Lane Theatre
Sat 11 @ 3:15  Sat 18 @ 8  Tue 21 @ 5:15  Sat 25 @ 2:15  Sun 26 @ 3:15

Super Sidekick The Musical … Pawn (Fringe Festival 2012)

Linnea Covington — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 17:02:12 +0000

The team behind Super Sidekick the Musical have perfected the art of live-action cartoon, mixed with a healthy dose of Glee. In this production, directed by Steve Knight, there are ninja koalas, damsels in un-distress, a thoughtful villain, and pudgy, dorky sidekick. The later is Inky, which Jonathan Nadolny plays to precision, giving the short and shorted sidekick an endearing, albeit slightly nasal, quality. He acts counter to the sleek and pompous Blackjack the Bold (dun-duna-da!), played smoothly by Evan Maltby, who channeled the frat-boy-like aura of the superhero.

As these two caped-crusaders ran up and down the aisle, bits of song broke out in perfect harmony, thanks to the musical director and piano player Stephen Bent. Such songs include If I Were a Hero Too, Inky and the Princess, and possibly the most memorable tune, Slurm’s Soliloquy, where Slurm, the slimy super villain played by Tom Slot (who just wrapped up the devious play about serial killers called Killing Time—do we sense a theme, Slot?), waxed poetically about the troubles being evil.

The premise of the story goes: Inky is a sidekick who wants to be a superhero. Blackjack is a jerk. The princess, played by the Princess Toadstool look-a-like Mollie Fischer, loves Inky; she gets stolen. Blackjack discounts Inky and hence, the superhero gets taken also. Inky overcomes his fear of the dark—cue The Caves of Doom—and voila! Evil is…well I can’t tell you everything. There are also two, unbelievably humorous ninja kolas, played by Lauren Quirk and Daniel Tepper, that had me wondering why we don’t see more live-action, kung-fu animals in plays. Seriously, it was too funny. On that note, with the fast pace, audience participation, and fun characters, if you have children this play is right up their alley. But, even as a grown woman I found it humorous, saucy, and a lot of fun. Yes, it’s cheesy, but they do it so well.

~~~

Super Sidekick: The Musical
ArtEffects Theatre Company in Association with Theatre Unleashed
Writer: Gregory Crafts, music and lyrics by Michael Gordon Shapiro
Director: Steve Knight, Music Director: Stephen Bent
Adventure! Romance! Ninja koalas! Sorcerer Slurm has captured the greatest hero in the kingdom! Can lowly sidekick Inky save the day? “…perfect for small children, with audience participation, a perfect hour run-time and catchy musical numbers” -L.A. Theatre Review
1h 0m   Local   New York , New York
FringeJR   Musical
Staycation: Sci-Fi Tech SuperHero Camp
www.supersidekick-musical.com
VENUE #16: SoHo Playhouse
Fri 10 @ 5  Sat 18 @ 4:15  Tue 21 @ 7  Fri 24 @ 5:15  Sun 26 @ 1

The Sensational Josephine Baker

Karen Tortora-Lee — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:40:45 +0000

The key to Josephine Baker’s success was simple: she was unique, magnetic, and unlike anything that audiences had ever experienced before. While her talents were really rather standard it was her personality that was incomparable and that’s what made her a star – one whose light is still felt almost 40 years after her death.

The trick, then, to portraying someone like Baker is to capture that spark, that “it”, that je ne sais quoi. Cheryl Howard, who wrote and performs in the solo show The Sensational Josephine Baker, is undoubtedly talented as she shines brilliantly from stage – a triple threat of dancer, singer and actress – but her immense talent is still not enough to work the magic needed to weave a story that will do justice to Ms. Baker.

The Sensational Josephine Baker highlights the life of the famed, groundbreaking, exotic young woman who took Paris by storm simply by being herself. The show begins with an aging, frightened, down-on-her luck Baker shrieking in despair at the thought of losing her home which houses not just herself but her many (adopted) children. Loren Van Brenk’s ”Eighty-Three Million Francs,” comes off a bit like Rose begging her father for eighty-eight bucks in Gypsy, but it does set a tone of a strong woman with great resolve who will do whatever it takes to survive. With shades of Garland packing up her kids and hitting the road – Baker is off to put on a show despite being panicked about returning to the stage. Brenk’s other original songs interspersed with Baker’s oeuvre (““I’m Just Wild About Harry” ”Who” ”Don’t Touch Me Tomato“) definitely define this as a musical, but never quite connect the themes, and often the songs feel dropped in.

We are immediately tossed to the past into Baker’s childhood to witness Josephine as the wild child of a wild mother – the daughter of a mean drunk. Howard’s portrayal of Baker’s mother is devastating and raw, she is so dismissive and loathsome that one is immediately amazed that Baker managed to make her way in the world at all, let alone manage to become so immensely successful. Though her mother harshly throws her daughter out to fend for herself, Josephine finds comfort and caring from her devoted grandmother who gives “Tumpy” a quarter – and a song filled with purpose – and encourages the young girl to go follow her dream. Once again, Howard shows her suburb talent and range – though she is the only one on stage the actual relationship between grandmother and granddaughter was palpable.

Cheryl Howard in The Sensational Josephine Baker (Photo by Carol Rosegg)

From there we follow Josephine as she quickly takes advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves; though she is a dresser for The Dixie Steppers she makes sure to learn the routines and has no problem taking the place of one of the dancers when the other girl’s unfortunate circumstance forces her to quit. Baker’s wild antics on stage which include eye rolling, comic steps, wild mugging and general scene stealing captures the eye of a benefactress who brings her to Paris where her skills were soon undressed in order to accommodate a “Savage” theme. Thus Baker finds herself physically and emotionally bare. Howard, however, chooses to stay clothed.

While so many of the moments of The Sensational Josephine Baker showcased Howard’s amazing abilities the show’s story lacked a clear through line. It seemed to be a pastiche of snapshots meant to tell a broad story quickly, which, unfortunately, left all the elements on equal footing. Important turns come off as footnotes and interesting moments are cut short to give time to rather bland production numbers. And while Howard is often riveting when embodying the people who lived in Baker’s world – specifically Miss Lydia Jones whose dismissive jealousy is deliciously sharp - her Baker is somewhat lackluster. By definition it’s almost impossible to duplicate the talent of someone whose flair was so specifically unmatched. The passing of the decades does a bit of damage as well: much of Baker’s groundbreaking and shocking behavior of the time simply comes off as quaint. Other moments however – facing prejudice when returning to the States with her caucasian lover – which might have been deeply effective to examine were left disappointingly unexplored. To perhaps focus on moments such as those in this woman’s life, rather than attempt to give a cradle-to-grave retrospective might have been a more interesting way to tell Baker’s story while still being true to the deep spirt of this fascinating woman.

Howard’s appreciation for Baker’s moxie, vibrancy and tenacity is obvious and her desire to showcase her subject from as many angles as possible is admirable. However, in giving us Josephine the young girl, Josephine the ingenue, Joesphine the toast of Paris, Josephine the force to be reckoned with and Josephine the comeback queen Howard gives us a story which diverges into too many paths. Despite strong moments I never quite made the emotional connection which allowed the final scene to deliver the triumphant blast that was intended. Howard seems to connect to the audience best when exploring the personal and intimate moments of Baker’s life rather than stepping into her larger-than-life persona.

Josephine Baker was sensational. Cheryl Howard is sensational. But bigger isn’t always better, and The Sensational Josephine Baker showed that much of what made Baker truly exceptional was not what she exposed so freely, but what she kept hidden. Show more of that, and this show will live up to its name.

~~~

The Sensational Josephine Baker
Written and performed by Cheryl Howard

Directed by Ian Streicher

Music: Loren Van Brenk

Produced by Emerging Artists Theatre Company
.
Theatre Row – The Beckett Theatre

410 West 42nd Street

New York NY 10036

Tickets are $69.25

Click Here for tickets

June 26, 2012 thru September 9, 2012

Tuesday @ 7pm
Wednesday @ 2pm
Thursday & Friday @ 7pm
Saturday @ 2pm & 7pm
Sunday @ 3pm

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