Tag: musical

Categories
Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Four

Tuesday at the Fringe and not much was happening.  I only had two shows on my schedule and was looking at an early night, but things can change rapidly at the Fringe if you are willing to be flexible.

My first show of the day was 30:30:60 – A Competitive Birthday Event at Three Clubs, my first time at this venue this year.  Despite starting late (a violation of one of the Fringe’s cardinal rules), This was an improv show, actress and writer Anne Brashier did her best to adhere to the ending time, sacrificing some of her material to ensure the show ended on time.

30

The show was stimulating and fun.  Brashier portrayed a retired tennis star approaching her 30th birthday with a desire to accomplish 30 goals in 60 minutes.  The premise succeeded, in no small part due to the likability of the character and the humbleness with which Brashier embodied her.  She had the entire venue rooting for her success and willing to do just about anything to help her.

If you like improv, check out the show at her final performance on June 20 at 9:45 p.m.

I was scheduled to see Washed in the Blood next.  Unfortunately, I headed to the wrong venue, and could not get back in time.  One of my cardinal rules is to never enter a show after it has begun, so I headed over to Fringe Central instead.

As I thought about my other options for the night, I noticed that Bumpersticker the Musical would be starting shortly next door at the Dragonfly, and decided to see if I could crash the party.  Producer Michael R. Blaha was running the box office and was happy to let me in to the almost sold-out performance.  I was not prepared for what happened next.

Bumpersticker

Bumpersticker was an impressive musical featuring the songs of Gary Stockdale and Spencer Green.  Directed and choreographed by Michele Spears under the musical direction of David O, this politically charged piece was set during a massive traffic jam and featured songs about all the bumper stickers drivers are forced to view as they are held captive in their vehicles.

The songs were well written, but the brilliant cast, which featured Nadia Ahern, Jahmaul Bakare, Lamont Dozier, Jr. (son of Lamont Dozier, Sr,, who was one-third of Motown’s incredible songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland), Zachary Ford, Eliot Hochberg, Lauren Rubin, Jennifer Leigh Warren and Anne Yatco, brought them to life with their incredible voices.

Bumperstickers is a great piece of musical theatre that is this year’s hidden gem.  We strongly recommend the show, with remaining performances of June 18 at 2 p.m. and June 22 at 7:30 p.m.

After the show, I headed over to Butter’d Up, which is the renovated version of Room 5.  My friend Dave Yaden was playing jazz, and I wanted to check out the venue and see and hear this virtuoso of the keys.  Needless to say, it was an amazing night of music from Yaden and his band, with special guests Lio Nicol, Sean Hill and TJ Gibson.  There were also songs from Yaden’s business partner, Mike Rossi and Greta from Iceland, who will be a special guest next week.  It was also nice to see Justin Hopkins (The Voice) and Darwin Johnson (Colbie Cailat’s bassist) in the audience.  The event is free and open to the public every Tuesday night beginning at 10 p.m.  We highly recommend you spend some time at Super Tuesdays Live at the Butter’d Up.

DY Jazz

 

Categories
Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Three

I survived my first weekend at Fringe with 10 shows under my belt.  Monday’s shows didn’t start until 5:30 p.m., so I had plenty of time to write, catch an In-n-out fix, visit the old hood in Los Feliz, and talk to friends about getting together while I’m in Los Angeles.

The theme of the day was definitely comedy and I laughed at these shows more than I have laughed in a long time.  The first of them, How to be a Virgin (in 12 Morally Ambiguous Steps) started my day off right with some of the best lines and deliveries I have seen at Fringe.  Studio C was packed, and the audience anxiously awaited the start of this autobiographical story from six-time playwright Carla Neuss.

Virgin

This show is proof that the Fringe system works, and it is perfect for this environment.  Not only is it wonderfully written, it is brilliantly directed by Payden Ackerman and lovingly performed by two comic geniuses, Katelyn Schiller in the title role and Josh Bross providing all the support she needs.

Fourth wall be damned – Schiller interacted with the audience and broke down all their barriers while delivering such a believable and memorable performance that some of the audience members thought the story was hers.

This was probably one of the best hours I have ever spent at Fringe, and I highly recommend this show.  Remaining performances are scheduled for June 18 at 11 p.m. and June 25 at 7 p.m.  Don’t miss it.

Next up was a play that debuted as part of the Serial Killer series at Sacred Fools, Lamprey:  Weekend of Vengeance.  Heads were constantly turning on the shoulders of this packed house as this tightly paced dramedy steamrolled from one hilarious scene to the next, with dialogue delivered at lightning speed.  The audience hardly had time to breathe as the play unfolded and we were all rooting for Lamprey to discover the perpetrator of the crime.

lamprey

This show was written by the uber-talented Peter Fluet and perfectly directed and produced by Victor Isaac with an amazing assist from Scott Golden.  Carrie Keranen in the lead role is pure dynamite, and her supporting cast of Pete Caslavka, Maya Imani Estephanos, Fluet, Amanda Blake Davis, Glenn Stanton, Derek Mehn, Dana DeRuyck, Marshall Givens and CJ Merriman all turned in stellar performances.

This show is what Fringe is all about, and is mega-highly recommended for all those who want to spend a solid hour in the presence of theatrical greatness.  Be sure to catch one of their remaining performances on June 18 at 2 p.m., June 20 at 7 p.m. or June 24 at 11 p.m.

I had a two and a half hour wait until my final show of the night, so I spent it at Fringe Central hanging out with the cast of Virgin, as well as Fringe staffer Meghan McCauley before heading back down to Sacred Fools for The Toxic Avenger Musical.

Toxic

This show is one of those rare Fringe events – a fully staged off-Broadway musical that chooses to return to the Fringe, and boy are we glad it did.  With music and lyrics by David Bryan and book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, and near perfect direction by Janet Miller and musical direction by Corey Hirsch, Toxic Avenger delivers.

With only a five-member cast that included Jared Reed in the title role, Kim Dalton as the blind librarian Sarah, and a supporting cast of Shirley Anne Hatton, Wesley Tunison and Danny Fetter, the production never takes itself seriously, creating many fun “insider” moments for an audience that was totally invested in the show.

The only thing that marred this great show was the technical issues with the sound, but the cast rose above it and gave their all to entertain the crowd.  Huge kudos to both Dalton and Hatton for going above and beyond in providing award-winning performances.

Even for those who have never seen the Toxic Avenger movie, the show is campy fun and enjoyable for all.  Don’t miss the chance to catch one of their remaining performances on June 15 at 11 p.m., June 16 at 7 p.m., June 18 at 6 p.m., June 22 at 10 p.m., June 24 at 8 p.m., June 25 at 5 p.m. or June 26 at 1 p.m.  You won’t regret the decision to invest two hours in this fun romp.

Happy Fringing!

Categories
Reviews

A Chorus Line gets a new life at the University of Montana

I had just completed my sophomore year in high school when A Chorus Line first opened on Broadway in 1975, and truly fell in love with this Marvin Hamlisch/Michael Bennett classic when our glee club did a pair of its best songs, “One” and “What I did for Love.”  I could totally relate to the character of Diana, a Puerto Rican actress who, like many of us, just didn’t get improv.

When my daughter Grace was just two days old (in 1982), we took her with us for the touring company presentation of the musical in San Diego.  Although I have thought about the musical a few times over the years, I had all but forgotten its power until I attended the University of Montana School of Theatre & Dance and College of Visual Arts and Performing Arts production over the weekend.  It all came rushing back as my wife and I basked in the glory of this timeless musical.

Perfectly directed by John Kenneth DeBoer, who also plays the character Zach, with musical direction by UM alum John Knispel, UM’s A Chorus Line captured the essence and heart of the original production.  The show was wonderfully cast with a group of students that understood the story and presented it to the packed auditorium with all the wonder and pizzazz of the original Broadway cast.

With superb choreography by Nicole Bradley Browning and Heidi Jones Eggers, the simplistic but effective scenic and lighting design of Zack Aschim, Mike Monsos and Brian Gregoire, and the historically perfect costume design of Kersti Pearson, this show brought back all the positive memories of my earlier exposure and prompted me to sing along to every song.

Written before Hamlisch became a household name with his Oscar winning score for The Sting, the music of A Chorus Line set the bar for future Broadway shows, and propelled many of the songs, including “One” and “What I did for Love” into the pop music scene.

Even though A Chorus Line is a true ensemble piece, it still leaves room for some outstanding individual performances.  Among those in this production were Maria Miller’s portrayal of Diana, Carissa Marie Lund’s as Connie, Jourdan Nokleby’s as Sheila and the show-stopping performance of Colleen Reed Rosbarsky as Cassie.

Others who turned in memorable performances include DeBoer as Zach and Matt McDaniel as Paul.

The cast is so good they should consider taking the show on the road.  Everyone in Missoula should endeavor to catch one of this week’s closing performances on October 27, 28, 29, 30 or 31, all at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are available online through GrizTix or at the UMArts box office.  Don’t miss your chance to experience one of the most powerful musical productions ever written.