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Personal Exploration of People, Personalities and Meaning
Browsing All posts tagged under »Musical«
Shrek the Musical (Studio East)
Studio East kicks off summer with their 17th Annual Summer Teen Musical and all lights are green; ogre green and if opening night is any indication, Studio East’s “Shrek the Musical" is guaranteed entertainment for all ages. The talented cast had the audience eating from their hands and they were not serving up onions, but parfaits all the way, drawing repeated laughter throughout the performance. While Shrek may believe he is a "crackpot magnet", Studio East proves they are a talent magnet with its latest production “Shrek the Musical", playing through August 3 at the Kirkland Performing Arts Center.
For those not familiar with the play, “Shrek the Musical tells the story of an anti-social ogre named Shrek. Shrek’s normal routine is disrupted one day as his swamp home suddenly turns into a fairytale refugee camp, courtesy of a mandate from wicked Lord Farquaad. The mandate requires that all fairytale creatures be rounded up and confined to the swamp. To reclaim his home, Shrek, played by the gifted Christian Obert, must travel to Duloc and confront Lord Farquaad. Farquaad, played by the deliciously evil and brilliant Alex Ascanio agrees to hand over the deed to the land, if Shrek completes a task for him first. Ascanio, even walking on his knees, stands tall, nailing the role of villain to perfection, much to the conflicted joy of the audience.
Along the way, Shrek meets his initially unwanted companion, Donkey, played by the irrepressible Keenan Barr. In Duloc, Farquaad convinces Shrek to rescue a princess for him in exchange for the deed to his home. In the end, Shrek gets more than he bargained for and his life is never the same the again.
The Hobbit – A Musical (Studio East)
October 30, 2013
Studio East brilliantly brings the enchanted lands of Middle Earth to the stage with their 2013-2014 season kickoff production of “The Hobbit - A Musical”. Based on the 1972 adaption by Ruth Perry (music by Allan Jay Friedman and lyrics by David Roger) of the beloved classic by J.R.R. Tolkien, it recounts the story of the most unlikely of heroes, an unassuming Hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins. Directed by Lani Brockman and choreographed by Jenny Mitchell with musical direction by David Duvall, “The Hobbit - A Musical” runs from October 18 - November 3 over at Studio East Mainstage Theater in Kirkland. The show is double casted (I watched Cast B), so you may want to see the show more than once to experience both casts.
“The Hobbit – A Musical” begins innocently enough with Bilbo pleasantly listening to his high-spirited nephew Frodo outside of his hobbit hole. Bilbo Baggins, played with surprising empathy and warmth by the gifted Robert Kinsfather, lovingly indulges his young nephew played by the absolutely adorable Grace Hiley, as he reads from a book containing tales of magic rings, monsters and adventures which lay beyond their quiet home in the Shire. I was impressed by Kinsfather’s ability to so convincingly portray the gentle but honorable and fiercely loyal spirit which is Bilbo Baggins. His performance continues to get stronger, as the production goes on.
Into the Woods (Studio East)
March 1, 2013
Studio East fearlessly kicked off February with its triumphal production of Steven Sondheim’s challenging musical “Into the Woods”. Two casts take on the complex task of performing the limited run. “Into the Woods” tells the story of a childless Baker and his wife on a quest to remove a curse preventing them from having children. In their effort to lift the curse, they come across an assortment of fairy tale characters ranging from Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and the beanstalk), a pair of Princes and others. Act 1 deals with each of the characters seeking their ‘happily ever after”, while Act II reveals the rarely seen consequences which follow their “happily ever after”.
The play begins with spotlights on three scenes: Cinderella wishing that she could go to the Festival with her step-sisters; Jack and his mother lamenting the condition of their cow Milky-White, wishing that their cow would give them milk and a Baker and his wife melancholy over their inability to have a child. What is most interesting is not so much what each wishes for, but what each is willing to do in pursuit of achieving their wishes and the final state of each after their wishes has come true.
“Into the Woods” is a challenging production to execute successfully from the rapid scene changes and detailed sets, the assortment of characters, costumes and Sondheim’s sophisticated musical score and marvelously rich lyrics which are often required to be recited with varied meter, pitch and beat. Not an easy task for an adult professional production, but Studio East attempts and succeeds with young adults and children.
Fiddler on the Roof (Village Theatre)
December 12, 2012
Village Theatre tackles the challenging and beloved family favorite musical “Fiddler on the Roof” and succeeds in generating an embarrassment of entertainment riches for audiences. I admit I was skeptical upon arrival at the theater. The idea that a live show could convey the enduring charm and delight of Norman Jewison’s 1971 movie seemed highly unlikely but “miracle of miracles” I was more than pleasantly surprised at what I witnessed.
“Fiddler on the Roof” tells the story of Russian-Jewish patriarch Teyve, a dairyman in Czarist Russia, struggling to maintain his balance while raising five daughters during difficult times. An incredibly likeable character, beloved for his unpretentious and authentic personal relationship with God, Teyve tells us that God’s law provides the balance required to keep him and other Jews from toppling over. Without it, their lives would be 'as shaky as a fiddler on the roof'. Ever-changing times and increasingly strong-willed children, put Teyve's faith as well as his ability to bend without breaking to the ultimate test.
From top to bottom the production shines, like a guiding light from Teyve’s beloved Torah. The cast and crew, set designs and scene transitions, choreography, songs, etc…all were off the chart amazing and masterfully executed. Many of the songs were so wonderfully recreated on stage that they gave me chills. There is so much to like about the show, that I am at a loss at where to begin, so let’s start at the top. Eric Polani Jensen as family patriarch Teyve had an almost insurmountable challenge in recreating the role defined by Chaim Topol. I have seen other performances of “Fiddler on the Roof” and struggled to erase the memory of Topol’s definitive performance in that role, but somehow Jensen pulls it off with ease. Jensen not only looks very similar to Topol’s Teyve, but channels the same lovable charisma of Topol and the results are astonishing. I was disappointed when Topol injured his back and was unable to perform “Fiddler” in Seattle recently, but Jensen’s performance satisfied my unfilled desire.
Big River (Village Theatre)
October 1, 2012
Village Theatre kicks off its 2012-2013 season with Roger Miller’s Tony award-winning musical, Big River. Big River is based on Mark Twain’s timeless classic tale and chronicles the adventures of Huckleberry Finn and his friend, a runaway slave Jim as they raft down the Mississippi River. Reminiscent of a summer's evening sky, Village Theatre’s production of Big River shines with numerous points of lights and guarantees to delight audience of all ages. The production proves a masterfully prepared, directed and performed show can both simultaneously entertain as well as stimulate theater goers to consider deeper issues like human rights and equality.
Big River will no doubt have broad appeal due to its engaging, adventurous storyline and popular lead characters, Huckleberry Finn played with much boyish charm by a talented Randy Sholz and runaway slave, Jim, portrayed by the charismatic Rodney Hicks. The show actually has many wonderfully quirky characters, which run the gamut from loveable and endearing to the outright peculiar and despicable. Each is uniquely brought to life by a brilliant cast, which is supported by beautifully detailed sets, an immersive production and of course, Roger Miller’s wonderful eclectic range of bluegrass, blues and country music.
Forever Plaid (SecondStory Repertory)
July 16, 2012
SecondStory Repertory closes out its thirteenth season with “Forever Plaid”, written by Stuart Ross and directed by Crystal Dawn Munkers. “Forever Plaid” is a distinctive and magical production, a mingling of music and drama with a healthy dose of a wistful flashback concert performance. It is a step back in time, an enjoyable revisiting for an evening the nostalgic and simple pleasure of the vocal harmony of the four part boy groups of the 50’s like the Four Aces, Four Coins, Four Freshmen, Four Lads, Four Preps, Hi-Lo's and Kirby Stone Four.
“Forever Plaid” tells the story of just such a boy vocal band perched on the precipice of realizing the dream that they have been working towards ever since their fortuitous meeting in the high school audio visual club. Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie, individually flawed but together as The Plaids, bound by their mutual passion for music and entertaining, their potential was unlimited. The countless hours of rehearsing their music, choreographed moves and the continued strengthening of their enchanted four part harmony had finally paid off and they landed their first big gig at the Airport Hilton cocktail lounge, The Fusel Lounge.
The Producers (Village Theatre)
July 10, 2012
The Fourth of July may be over but the fireworks are just beginning at The Village Theatre of Everett, as on July 6th it kicked off its run of the farcical musical “The Producers” adapted from the book and film written by Mel Brooks and Tony Sheehan. The powerhouse show started out in Issaquah back in May to rave reviews and does not show any signs of stopping or letting down as it continues its entertainment dominance northward, initiating its blitzkrieg assault on your funny bone in Everett. From this reviewer’s perspective the musical farce extraordinaire has not lost a step as it continues its over-the-top, unabashedly shameless and nothing-is-sacred dominance which kept the audience rolling with laughter all night long.
A show about two dubious Broadway producers played by Richard Gray and Brian Earp, putting on an apparently doomed musical extolling the virtues of Hitler and the Nazi Party, paid for by overly amorous grandmothers looking for love in all the wrong places, seems an unlikely evening’s entertainment but thank heavens for unexpected pleasures. Regardless of your mindset prior to the show, “The Producers” is still able to produce a theatrical victory in the heart of audiences faster than the surrender of France in World War II.
Chicago (SecondStory Repertory)
February 29, 2012
SecondStory Repertory brazenly reaches for the neon stars with its powerhouse performance of Chicago, bringing the sardonic and torrid tale of egos, gin joints, gams, corruption and big town dreams to Redmond. Complete with live cabaret band and elaborate choreographed song and dance routines, Director Chris Nardine pulls off his own sleight of hand by efficaciously tackling the hugely ambitious Chicago and successfully transforming it to the intimate setting of SecondStory’s main stage. SSR's production of Chicago hooks you and keeps hitting on all sixes until the very end.
Set in the mid-1920s, Chicago tells the story of an amoral chorus dancer Roxie Hart, deliciously brought to life by the talented Erika Zabelle. Watching Zabelle perform conjured up images of a young Bernadette Peters, as she brings forth surprising intensity and strength. In her undeterred self-centered ambition to ascend to stardom, Roxie proves that there is no depth of human depravity that she will not descend to. Nor is there any sordid character that she would not willingly partner with to achieve her dreams and keep her name in the headlines. From the cold murder of her adulterous partner to her serpentine lies and manipulation of others, no one is exempt from her exploitation. She even convinces her rube of a husband, Amos to initially take responsibility for the murder until the truth comes out and she is arrested.
Scripta Manent 
July 28, 2014
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