Westchester
Broadway Theatre’s “Hairspray” - WOW!
by Camille Kaiser
John Waters provided the foundation
for “Hairspray” on which Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan have
constructed a clever and entertaining book which tells its story with
effectiveness, much laughter, and a lot of heart. Marc Shaiman, who
wrote the music and lyrics with Scott Wittman, has created a series of
bouncy, tuneful numbers that will make both those who savored the 1960s
and those born too late wish they could go back in time. Plain and
simple, this is a feel good show! It tells the story of a teenage dance
show on local Baltimore TV, The Corny Collins Show (Pat McRoberts is
delightful in his role as the Baltimore “Dick Clark”). Tracy Turnblad
(Erin McCracken who just oozes vivacity and amazing talent -- she can
sing, dance and act!) is a pleasantly plump high school student, whose
dream is to appear on The Corny Collins Show and dance with Link Larkin
(well played with an appropriate hint of “Elvis” by Tripp Hampton). We
watch Tracy overcome numerous obstacles while attempting to make her
dream come true. The audience finds itself rooting for her, her mother,
Edna (played to the hilt of campiness by Tad Wilson), a large woman who
spent her life just being a mother and laundress instead of being a
dress designer and her father, Wilbur (the hysterical Bruce Rebold), who
owns a trick and magic shop. Through music, merriment and dance we watch
Tracy and her best friend, Penny Pingleton (adorably played by Stacy
Gogo), get past the tryouts, meet and dance with the African Americans
from “the other side of the tracks”, dethrone the dance queen, Amber,
and integrate the TV show upsetting Amber’s mother, Velma (portrayed to
the extreme by Ann Van Cleave) who manages the TV station and makes sure
that her daughter, Amber, is featured and that The Corny Collins Show
remains a racially segregated program. This show is great fun, with
songs like “Good Morning Baltimore”, “Welcome to the Sixties”,
“Hairspray”, “The Nicest Kid In Town” and “Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now”.
But more significant, it is the story about people just being people and
that black or white, all teens just want to be teens and dance to the
music. It was a delight to watch Seaweed J. Stubbs (smoothly portrayed
by Elgin Giles) teach the white kids how to dance like black kids (who
we all know have the best moves), watch the adorable Little Inez (Sidni
Beaudoin) win the competition and of course, meet the vivacious
Motormouth Maybelle (Inga Ballard) and hear her belt out “I Know Where
I’ve Been”. This large and extremely talented cast is completely in sync
throughout the show and performs with tireless, playful, infectious
energy that had many audience feet dancing under the tables. This show
is full of laughs. Some of my personal favorites included Scott
Colgano’s portrayal of Harriman F. Spritzer, the show’s sponsor and the
incredibly versatile Terry Palasz as Prudy Pingleton, the gym teacher
and also the prison matron. Adding to the magic of this show is a
colorful, adaptable set designed and constructed by Bottari and Kase,
the multi-talented and experienced eye of director and choreographer,
Richard Stafford, perfectly designed costumes by Bottari and Kase, hair
and wig design (of which there were so many) by Gerard Kelly, excellent
lighting effects (Andrew Gmoser), perfect sound (Jon Hatton) and the
many props (Grumpys Props) which make all the little items fit the
puzzle. And, of course, the icing on the cake was outstanding musical
direction by Leo P. Carusone. The electrifying energy crackled through
the theatre from the stage through the audience and brought the
audience, including this reviewer, to its feet. The production continues
through June 3, 2012. For reservations, call (914) 592-2222. Don’t miss
this one!
(Good Acting + Good Set Design) X (Good Directing) - (Audience Behavior)
= CITG's "Proof" by
William Kozy
When the curtain parts and the play begins, the audience is treated to
an almost breathtakingly appealing image of a father and daughter
sitting peacefully on their backyard porch, drenched by a teal-colored
moonlit night. The color palette of the wonderful set design by Joe
Burck lends a very professional look to the production and the standard
is upheld by the fine directing by Nina Gabriele-Cuva. Too often what
happens in community theatre is you get a sort of over-politeness
amongst the cast regarding dialogue: "Oh, I didn't want to step on your
line" whereby no one talks at the same time as anyone else. That tactic
has killed the energy of so many productions, but not here with this
presentation. The cast has been encouraged it seems to me, to overlap
dialogue when it made sense to, creating a naturalistic feel to the
events unfolding and a pace that keeps the audience attentive instead of
bored. This is particularly the case with the two leads, Taliesen Rose
as Catherine, the daughter of a revered math professor who questions her
own sanity, and Denis Zepeda as Hal, the math student who falls in love
with her and then must question his own beliefs when faced with the
question of whether Catherine was capable of some astonishingly advanced
work in mathematics. Ms. Rose and Mr. Zepeda have a believable and
touching romantic chemistry onstage, and it is matched by their
chemistry as performers as they bounce their dialogue off one another
with energy and focus. It is very encouraging to see two performers who
actually seem to be listening to each other; they did a great job
together. Kevin Gordon (whose last CITG appearance was a nearly-show
stealing glib take on a concert producer in "Lend Me a Tenor") does nice
steady work here as Catherine's dementia-riddled father, particularly in
his monologue about watching the students as they browse through the
bookstores; it's a mesmerizing moment for the audience. And Elizabeth
Paldino as Catherine's sister Claire, gets the biggest laugh in the
show, exiting the house to the backyard after a night of partying,
pained by a hangover that is absolutely palpable to the audience without
overdoing it. It's a very well written play by David Auburn,
although one thing I was never convinced about was the issue of whether
Catherine and those around her could really be questioning of her sanity
that seriously, to the point of Claire's looking into a facility for
Catherine. It has always seemed to me to be a plot point that was wedged
too uncomfortably into the storyline, and I didn't feel that that issue
went away here, but through no fault of the production. It still feels a
bit like Mr. Auburn imposing a narrative device that I don't believe the
characters would realistically abide. What after all is so crazy about
Catherine? After all wasn't she the sole caretaker of her truly crazy
father? Anyone who has performed that sort of task knows that although
yes, it is a trying experience and can indeed lead to fits of despair,
that's a far cry from needing to be institutionalized. In fact, Hal even
raises that very question, declaring Catherine's competence because of
the care-giving role she performed. It's as though Mr. Auburn himself
had to accede to that very question gnawing at him and figured if he let
a character give rise to it, that would ease his writing burden. While
99% of Alzheimer cases are not hereditary, some forms of dementia such
as Huntington's are, but even in those cases, one isn't going to even
start showing signs until at least 60. Unless we are to believe that
Catherine that Catherine actually believes she is seeing a ghost and
undergoing hallucinations I guess you could see this being the case, but
does she really think she is? Not really. So, it doesn't really add up.
A visit to any nearby nursing home will show you what crazy really
looks, sounds and smells like. It's this sort of inbetweeness that I
feel makes the logic unconvincing or at best, unclear. But again, one
couldn't fault this cast's acting nor the directing, which are both very
good. Another good sign that the production was in good hands under the
watchful eye of Nick Sala and Carol McCabe (who also did the costumes)
were the timely scene changes accompanied by very appropriate
mood-setting music. I'm told the music chosen was taken from the film
version of the play, composed by Stephen Warbeck. The only bad
performance of the evening? It was in the audience. Perhaps spurred on
by one young woman who took a flash picture during the picture, yes, a
FLASH photograph, another young woman soon followed suit and started
clicking away. I thought she'd stop after one or two photos? No, she
went on clicking away during the first act, and continued again in the
second act. Up and down she'd raise her camera, click it, and then we'd
here a beep from it. At least there was no flash. Finally she was asked
to stop. Then I had the guy right next to me cracking his knuckles.
First one hand, one knuckle at a time, then the other. Pure genius. This
isn't fair to the cast who are working are to maintain focus onstage and
believe it or not, often do notice these things happening. But it also
isn't fair to the other paying members of the audience who don't deserve
to be distracted by this sort of nonsense. So I'm not naming names this
time, but next time watch out. Nevertheless, the CITG production team
proves once again, they put on highly enjoyable shows.
Westchester Broadway Theatre’s “Legally Blonde”
by Camille Kaiser
If you liked the film, you are going to love
WBT’s production of the musical “Legally Blonde”. I personally did not
like the film, but found myself totally absorbed in this production. The
music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin kick the story up
a notch and make for a pleasant evening of fun and fluff. Elle Woods, a
perky sorority president and UCLA fashion major whose signature color is
pink is skillfully portrayed by Kelly Felthous. Ms. Felthous exhudes
charm and energy and from the moment she stepped on stage, the audience
was hers. Not only does she capture the audience with her good looks and
witty performance, but her vocal ability is top notch and the lady can
move! The motivation for Elle to start studying hard is so she can
traipse after her ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington, III (well played by
Robert Patrick Ryan) to Harvard and prove that she is the serious
girlfriend he desires. But she never abandons her signature phrase, “omigod,”
which permeates the musical nor does she abandon her Chihuahua, Bruiser,
played by Roxie, a Louisiana rescue dog adopted and trained by William
Berloni. Among her snobby classmates, Elle meets Warner’s new, brunette,
upper-crust girlfriend, Vivienne, played by Lauren Blackman with
appropriate haughtiness. Christopher deProphetis, as Emmett, a young
lawyer who befriends Elle, emits a rugged charm and Jacqueoyn Piro
Donovan is a feisty Paulette, who charms the audience with her musical
number “Ireland” and her antics during “Bend and Snap” with Kyle, the
sexy UPS guy provocatively played by Timothy Hughes, assisted by
interesting and suggestive orchestration. Another favorite is Paulette’s
dog, Rufus, played by a Bassett Hound named Paul Newman, who was found
in an abandoned garage in Jersey City and trained by Karen Wells. The
ensemble blends perfectly and is full of spirit and warmth as they
perform the simple, brisk choreography. The show opens with a lively
ensemble number “Omigod You Guys” and the energy level never dips
through all the other ensemble numbers. Exceptionally well choreographed
and executed numbers are “Whipped Into Shape” with Maria Logan as Brooke
and “Ireland” reprise which is a great take-off on “Riverdance”. Set
designer, John Farrell does a good job suggesting a sorority house,
classroom, courtroom and other sites, aided by Andrew Gmoser’s lighting.
The production was directed by Jonathan Stahl, choreographed by Leisa
Mather with musical direction by John Daniels. “Legally Blonde”
continues through April 29, 2012. Call 914-592-2222 for reservations.
This show has something for everyone from age six to sixty (and then
some) so gather the family and don’t miss it.
Westchester
Broadway Theatre’s “S Wonderful” is Marvelous!
by Camille Kaiser
Most of the songs the Gershwin brothers wrote were incorporated over the
years into Broadway shows and of course worked into various plots and
characters. In “S Wonderful: The New Gershwin Musical”, the familiar,
time honored music is definitely the “star” of the show and enables the
audience to simply enjoy plenty of Gershwin favorites, including
“Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Embraceable You,” “Shall We Dance”, “Let’s
Call the Whole Thing Off” and many other classics as well as several
lesser known but equally enjoyable numbers. The orchestra is set upstage
center with an elegantly simple set design by John Farrell and subtle,
effective lighting by Andrew Gmoser. The opening number, “Rhapsody in
Blue”, cleverly stylized with orchestra pieces gradually joining in and
the piano driving the number home, was absolutely thrilling. Kudos to
Ken Lundie, the pianist and musical director for a powerhouse
performance. Ray Roderick, who conceived and wrote, “’S Wonderful: The
New Gershwin Musical,” could not have chosen a better mood setter for an
evening of this grand music. He created a series of five musical
vignettes with each story leading to romance. Under the crisp direction
of Ray Roderick, this multi talented cast performed with youthful
exuberance, keeping pace with Vince Pesce’s detailed, complex
choreography. It begins in New York City in 1928, where we meet Harold,
played by Blakely Slaybaugh, a newspaper typesetter who'd rather be an
investigative reporter. While trying to break a story, he finds himself
handcuffed to a beauty (Deidre Haren) and teams up for some lively song
and dance numbers. Then it’s Nina's (Mary Millben) story. Her boyfriend
and best friend run off together, leaving her on her own in 1957 New
Orleans where we hear a soulful “It Ain't Necessarily So." In 1939,
Leslie's (Deidre Haren) story set in wartime Paris, where she meets and,
of course, falls in love with a sailor (Sean Watkins), who returns from
combat for the "Love Is Here to Stay" duet. In Hollywood, Jane (Stacey
Harris) is a makeup artist who lives out a 1948 on-screen fantasy
through such boisterous numbers as "Do Do Do (What You Done Done Done
Before)." Because the show is really not strong on humor this comedy
section is extremely welcomed and well executed. Ms. Harris has
exceptional comedic timing and her performance is seemingly effortless.
The last vignette brings us to the present day, which is set from coast
to coast, and brings us among other familiar pieces, a medley of songs
by the entire cast. “’S Wonderful” will be performed through March 25th.
Don’t miss this pleasant, nostalgic experience. For reservations, call
914-592-2225 or purchase on line at
www.westchesterbroadwaytheatre.com.
City Island Theater's Group's
Five Women Wearing the Same
Dress by Bill Kozy
Five Women Wearing the Same Dress is the City Island Theatre Group's
comedic offering this Winter, a lightweight sitcom-like play dashed off
by the acclaimed writer Alan Ball . While Ball insists on hammering a
barb or witticism into the end of each and every line of dialogue, the
tactic succeeds in achieving an adequate number of laughs even if his
batting average is pretty low. Through sheer volume of attempts he gets
enough chuckles even if you might feel annoyed at times by this
technique that winds up sacrificing believability. Luckily this
particular show is bolstered by the casting of a very appealing ensemble
of young women as the titular bridesmaids: Emily Bendler as Frances, the
naive and pious cousin of Tracy, the bride (whom we never see in the
play); Tee Cotter as Georgeanne who is still in love with one of the
groomsmen while she's stuck in an unhappy marriage; Christina Drake as
Meredith, the sister of the bride carrying a long-held secret; Susan
Rauh as Mindy, sister of the groom and an outspoken out-of-the-closet
lesbian; and Elizabeth Paldino as Trisha, the bridesmaid with the bad
reputation who may have forsaken romance for cheap thrills, until the
play's penultimate scene with Tripp, a groomsman played by Steven
Bendler (equally likable) casts a ray of hope that she may come back
around. The writing bounces from topic to topic without exploring
anything in depth, settling instead on an array of one-liners with the
occasional spat that is resolved 60 seconds later. It isn't until that
final scene between Ms. Paldino and Mr. Bendler that the play finds some
narrative juice. The play finally feels like it's about something. As
these two characters spar romantically, digging into each others psyches
and motives and desires, we feel, "Now why couldn't Mr. Ball have taken
this approach from the beginning?" In other departments, the set design
is very well thought out. It takes place in the Knoxville Tennessee
bedroom of Meredith (Ms. Drake who succeeds nicely in capturing the
disgruntled sister whose barely suppressed inner demons poke out here
and there). The yummy green sherbet walls and the furniture are adorned
with seemingly uncharacteristic "goody girly" knickknacks, but as we
discover in a critical revelation, this decor is very likely an
outgrowth of Meredith's need to maintain a hold on her damaged
innocence. A Malcolm X poster glaringly hangs incongruously on the wall,
seeming to scream out, "What's wrong with this picture?" Well, it's
Meredith screaming out, "There is something that is wrong that has
happened and I can't talk about it!" The costume design is spot-on as
well. The dresses all look like puffs of lemon chiffon cake: there is a
sweetness to them but definitely a tartness as well, befitting the wide
range of character types (although perhaps too conveniently different
from each other in order to suit Ball's penchant for jokiness instead of
realism?) Certainly the dresses are as goofy as so many bridesmaid
dresses are notorious for being, but they're not unbelievably
ridiculous. They realistically portray the condemnation the characters
themselves heap upon them. You may or may not have heard of this playful
offer being made by the production to the public, but I'll mention it
here because I think it's so awesome: If there are any brides out there,
you can make a reservation along with your bridal party and you'll
receive: a free ticket for the bride, reserved seating for the
bridesmaids and the bride, a bottle of champagne, a picture of the
bridal party taken with the cast, and a special recognition of the
bridal party at the performance you attend. It's that kind of creative
community spirit that makes CITG one of the very best Community Theatres
around. So go and see "Five Women Wearing The Same Dress" and support
this theatre group...until death do you part. The produced is by Nick
Sala and Carol McCabe, directed by Maria Provenzano, with set design by
Joe Burck, and costumes by Carol McCabe. The show continues March 8 with
a discounted ticket price and on March 9 & 10 at 8pm at 116 City Island
Avenue.
Tragedy Done
Right in Yorktown: YCP Theatreworks Presents
The Glass Menagerie by
Stephanie Schleicher
YCP Theaterworks, the self-proclaimed “oldest community theatre group in
Northern Westchester,” should be very proud of their thoughtful
rendition of Tennessee Williams’ classic “memory play” The Glass
Menagerie. I saw it on a chilly Sunday afternoon in February, and left
the theatre toasty warm from the glow of good writing, nostalgia and
some seriously satisfying performances. Director Richard Troiano handled
this tragic tale of a Southern belle’s quest for “gentleman callers” for
her homebody daughter with affection and dexterity. This show, which can
be called the “poster play for not living with your parents too long,”
moved along at a brisk clip, engaging the audience without beating them
over the head with metaphor and melodrama. The director is to be
commended on the show’s pacing. The warm bath of nostalgia evoked here
never became “moldy,” but retained its freshness from start to finish. I
did find myself wishing the menagerie of glass animals was a little more
visible from the audience, and the staging was a bit Stage Right-heavy,
but these are minor concerns. The VanCortlandtville Elementary School,
with its seemingly brand-spanking-new auditorium, provided a fine stage
for this production. When the antiquated music hit the audience at the
opening curtain, the futuristic auditorium seats juxtaposed with the
warm 1930s-era set (designed by Marshall Moseley) conflated to remind
this reviewer of Disney’s Carousel of Progress. This old
world-versus-new world theme would play out again and again as the
action raced towards its tragic conclusion. This play essentially
belonged to Susan King, whose star turn as domineering mother Amanda had
the audience eating out of her hand by the middle of Act 1 - in spite of
her hateful character. Her crisp, vaguely Southern vocal delivery was
handled with the confidence of a 1940s-era movie heroine. Even when
delivering problematic lines like “I had to send the darkies for some
folding chairs” or “Instinct… Christian adults don’t want it!” she did
so with a pitch-perfect blend of irony and old-world sincerity, and we
were hers. Heather Campbell turned in a touching, very believable
performance as Laura, her emotionally and physically crippled daughter.
Isolated and completely without confidence, she lives the life of a
“little bird-like woman… eating the crusts of humility all her life.”
Ms. Campbell commenced to shine in Act 2, drawing out the audience’s
affection for a Laura outfitted in demure pink and fighting nausea as
her mother schemes to foster a love connection between her and her
“gentleman caller.” My only (small) gripe is that her limp was not quite
noticeable enough in the first half of the play... but this may have
been a conscious directorial choice. The men of The Glass Menagerie, as
representatives of the outside world, provide the only fresh air to be
had in this claustrophobic world of unmet expectations. Mathew Douglas
Rowe was likeable and sometimes quite pleasantly understated as Tom,
Laura’s tortured brother. He seemed most comfortable when clowning
around and calling himself “the czar of the underworld.” He also enjoyed
excellent chemistry with his stage mother, especially once they started
fighting. His finest moment came at the play’s close, when we beheld a
haunted man mourning the ghost of the sister he left behind in a
shattered world. James R. Wilkinson dazzled us as Jim, the pivotal
“gentleman caller” around whose visit the play is organized. He oozed a
friendly, accessible charm onstage which was very refreshing. He also
displayed a fine singing voice and a physical dexterity unusual for his
size, which had us rooting for this “good old boy.” Anne Signorelli’s
costumes were thoughtful and appropriate. Laura’s
“little-girl-in-distress”-looking cape and homely shoes and Amanda’s
lacy white blouse were standout pieces in a seamless whole. The lighting
design, by Doug Faulborn and Jan Dyckman, was dexterous, evocative and
sometimes comic – as in the running gag of illuminating “Father’s
portrait” on the wall at key moments. The choices for accent music were
both varied and consistently appropriate, and a perfect Victrola-needle-scratch
was indeed executed. The only “downsides” to the production were
technical in nature… namely some clunky scene changes, an impotent
thunder-and-lightning sound effect and the unwelcome intrusion of some
very loud heating vents, which provoked audible sighs from the audience
when exploding into action every ten to fifteen minutes, effectively
drowning out the action on the stage and reducing the audience’s
experience of the play to lip reading. Overall, The Glass Menagerie was
a jewel in the crown for this friendly, enthusiastic group. They pulled
off a wonderful production of a classic play that will somehow never
lose its relevance (although one can’t help but be struck by the thought
nowadays that the internet would have solved all of Laura’s problems…
OKCupid.com, anyone?) Fresh performances and pacing kept the very
appreciative audience on their toes. Alas, Tennessee Williams shows no
sign of losing steam.
“Big
River” – Big Hit! by Camille Kaiser
Westchester Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY- 914-592-2225;
www.westchesterbroadwaytheatre.com
The Family Theatre Company’s “Big River”, a musical adaptation of Mark
Twain’s timeless classic, has a current that flows from start to finish.
The outstanding set and lighting design by Bob D’Urso immediately
captured the spirit of life on the Mississippi River in the 1840s where
we shared the adventure and self discovery of Huckleberry Finn, escaping
from his drunken father. Tom Ammirato is impressive as Huck’s Pap,
swinging from tomfoolery to violence with his rousing musical number “Guv’ment”.
As Huck, Anthony Malchar, has youthful enthusiasm and a sly sense of
humor. He can sing, too, whether it’s a rousing number like “Waitin’ for
the Light to Shine” or the soulful “River in the Rain” a beautifully
harmonized duet with the runaway slave, Jim, played with urgency and
feeling by Fa Tye, as they sail on their path to freedom. On their
journey, they pick up two flimflam artists, posing as a Duke (Joey
Sanzaro) spouting Shakespearean gibberish intended to dazzle and his
partner in chicanery (August Abetecola) trying to sell himself as the
deposed King of France. The Duke and King come up with a scheme to make
money ("The Royal Nonesuch"), by tricking the townspeople and by the end
of the evening they taught Huck to appreciate a new way of life. They
are full of humor and gusto and are a delight to watch every time they
appear on stage. Another stand-out is Cali LaSpina as Mary Jane Wilkes
as she mourns her father with her magnificent solo, "You Oughta Be Here
With Me". The clever choreography by Dorena DiLullo clearly told a story
and was perfectly executed by the ensemble as were their vocals under
the musical direction of Sue Anderson. Kudos to director, John J.
Fanelli for assembling this multi-talented cast and bringing us this
excellent production which is rich with music, comedy and, of course, a
book that is perfection. On the downside, the opening numbers were a
little too long and there were times throughout the show when dialogue
could not be understood. I’m sure these are just minor glitches which
will be resolved. This production was everything an audience could ask
for and we all left with a smile.
This Crew Was Able in "The
Crucible" by Bill Kozy
City Island Theatre Group, Bronx, NY
One of my favorite plays, Arthur Miller's political/ sociological
allegory is the type of play that will always seem to have a relevant
opportunity for staging since unfortunately civilized society will
always seem to be afflicted with political and sociological bullies and
fear-mongers. It is a play that will alternately enrage you and break
your heart and the City Island Theatre Group's recent production
fulfilled this play's promise to provoke both those extreme emotions in
audiences. The play's milieu is the Salem Witch trials in the year 1692,
and was originally written as a mirror held up for us to examine the
parallels in 1953 to McCarthyism and Cold War Era paranoia in America.
In the play, the overly austere clergy and politicians prosecute the
citizenry in return for their acquiescence and coerced confessions. What
prevents the play from becoming some sort of simplistically symbolic
"message" play is the wise decision by Mr. Miller to focus intensely on
the one-on-one relationship between a husband and wife, John and
Elisabeth Proctor, played by Matthieu Regney and Nicole Colina. The
story of their marital problems and their refound devotion amidst the
accusations pointed their way provide for a very personal story that
grips the audience as we root for their love to overcome the adversity.
Mr. Miller also explores the penchant for covetousness that plagues the
population whether it is landowners coveting their neighbors' property,
preachers coveting power and material adornments for their church, John
Proctor's coveting young Abigail during some lean sexual times between
he and his wife, or young Abigail's coveting John and seeking to
supplant his wife in his life. The production has designed a simple but
effective set to shift the scenes from bedrooms to courts or jail cells
or a forest. I particularly liked the flats that were composed of black
and wood panel slats. It evoked a very nice sense of humble home and
church construction. The play requires a large cast and community
theatres can often run into trouble finding performers for so many
roles. But despite a few slight missteps such as an anachronistic
costume choice in one or two instances, and some Bronx accents slipping
through (Nicolas Perugini as Reverend Samuel Parris does the best job
conjuring up an accent for the time and place with the rest of the cast
achieving varying degrees of success), and one actor in particular
compelled to sneak peaks out at the audience sometimes for extended
periods of time (you know who you are!), the production nevertheless
succeeded wonderfully in getting you to feel an intense range of
emotions. The frustration and anger felt toward the pompous oppressors
and their circular logic as they prosecuted the innocent was palpable.
You could really feel and hear the the rage swell in the audience as the
accusations mounted. And there were plenty of tears flowing during the
terribly sad unraveling of the lives of the Proctors and so many others
as the depravity of the injustices continued and grew unabated. The
choices the characters are forced into making plumb the depths of irony
and the result is tragedy. It was a frightening and truly sad show. A
brave undertaking by CITG. There are some amazing lines of dialogue that
you would almost believe were added to exploit more recent political
climates; for instance, at one point Governor Danforth exclaims, “a
person is either with this court or he must be counted against it.” I
couldn't help but hear President George W. Bush's toeing the line at his
September 20, 2001 address to Congress, "Either you are with us or you
are with the terrorists." And this is the power of The Crucible, and why
it will last a long time and bear repeating by community theatres and
Broadway shows, and films for years to come. In the meantime, I am
looking forward to next season at my favorite community theatre, The
City Island Theatre Group as they teased the closing night audience,
almost revealing next year's slate of plays. Anyone who saw "Lend Me a
Tenor" this past year at CITG will fervently hope that another comedy is
on their schedule, or a musical since they expertly produce those as
well. Come to think of it, their thrillers are great too. So then, while
the poor persecuted characters of The Crucible were doomed, we on the
other hand, are in a no-lose situation with CITG. |
Table of Contents
05/11/12
Hairspray
(Westchester
Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY)
05/07/12
PROOF
(City Island
Theatre Group, Bronx, NY)
04/05/12
Legally Blonde
(Westchester
Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY)
03/08/12
S Wonderful: The New Gershwin Musical
(Westchester
Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY)
03/07/12
Five Women Wearing the Same
Dress
(City Island Theater Group, Bronx, NY)
02/13/12
The Glass Menagerie
(YCP Theatreworks,
Yorktown, NY)
02/10/12
Big River
(Westchester Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY)
11/24/11
The Crucible
(City Island
Theatre Group, Bronx, NY)
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