I Hate Hamlet at PTC

Last night I saw I Hate Hamlet at PTC.  It is absolutely hilarious!  Andrew Rally (Ben Rosenbaum), an actor whose popular TV show has just been canceled, moves to New York when he's inexplicably offered the role of Hamlet in a Shakespeare in the Park production.  As it happens, his new apartment was once owned by John Barrymore, an actor known for his legendary performance as Hamlet.  When Andrew realizes that he doesn't have the acting ability to play such a complex character, the ghost of Barrymore (J. Paul Boehmer) returns to coach him through it.  I laughed and laughed at Boehmer's antics as the over-the-top Barrymore, particularly when he challenges Andrew to a sword fight and when he teaches him how to bow.  Add a real estate broker who holds a séance to summon Barrymore, a ditsy girlfriend who thinks she is in love with the character of Hamlet, a talent agent who once had a fling with Barrymore, and a Hollywood producer trying to lure Andrew back to television and you get a really fun evening of theatre.  Juxtaposed with all of the comedy is a fascinating discussion about art vs. entertainment and selling out for fame rather than earning glory.  I must admit that the snob in me enjoyed all of the jabs at television.  "When you watch TV, you can eat.  You can talk.  You don't really have to pay attention."  However, I also enjoyed the funny comments about Shakespeare:  "It's like algebra on stage."  I'm sure many of my seniors would agree with that sentiment after reading Hamlet last semester.  All of the actors do a great job, especially Boehmer, the costumes are a lot of fun, especially the codpieces, and the set of John Barrymore's New York apartment is fantastic.  I highly recommend this production!  It runs at PTC until April 4 and you can purchase tickets here.

The Crucible at PTC

I have read The Crucible, Arthur Miller's brilliant play about the Salem Witch Trials, more times than I can count.  I am, after all, an English teacher.  However, until I saw PTC's wonderful production last night, I had never seen it performed on stage.  To be sure, the play is an absolute masterpiece on the page but it is always magical when you are able to see the written words come to life.  John Proctor (Fletcher McTaggart) had an affair with his serving girl Abigail Williams (Madison Micucci) while his wife Elizabeth (Claire Brownell) was ill.  Abigail was forced to leave their house when Elizabeth learned of the affair and she now lives with her uncle, the Rev. Parris (Paul Kiernan).  Parris is concerned about his daughter Betty, who is very ill, and worries that witchcraft may be involved because he saw Betty, Abigail, and other girls from the town dancing in the woods with his slave, Tituba.  To dispel rumors in the town, he calls the Rev. Hale (J. Todd Adams), a renowned witch expert, to question the girls and Abigail suddenly confesses that Tituba conjured the Devil.  She forces Tituba and the other girls to confess, as well, and they begin accusing all of the women in town of witchcraft.  Abigail becomes very powerful and accuses Elizabeth Proctor as a way to get John back.  As John tries to defend Elizabeth and the wives of his friends, he is ultimately condemned himself.  The play is a powerful indictment against mass hysteria (Miller wrote the play during the era of McCarthyism) and this production features some powerful performances.  Micucci is absolutely brilliant as the conniving and manipulative Abigail.  Her facial expressions are especially effective, whether she is "seeing spirits," seducing John, or coercing the girls to do as she commands.  The scene when she and the girls are possessed during the trial is amazing.  McTaggart gives an incredibly passionate performance as the guilt-ridden Proctor.  I was literally holding my breath when he asks Elizabeth to forgive him before going to the scaffold.  The audience gave him a rousing standing ovation and he seemed genuinely taken aback by it!  I loved the sparse set, which easily transformed into the interior of various houses, a barn, and a courtroom, but the costumes were not what I was expecting (I wanted everyone to be wearing black for some reason).  I highly recommend seeing this play but I realize that it might not be for everyone.  A teenage girl sitting behind me complained that she didn't understand what was going on (she obviously does not attend Hunter High School) and the couple sitting next to me didn't return after the intermission.  Nevertheless, if you enjoyed this play in high school, go here for tickets.  It will run until Feb. 28 at PTC.

Alabama Story at PTC

Last night I went to the world premiere of Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones at Pioneer Theatre.  The script was very thought-provoking and the production was exceptionally well done.  It is 1959 in Montgomery, Alabama when the State Librarian, Emily Wheelock Reed (Greta Lambert), comes under fire by Senator E. W. Higgins (William Parry) for the children's book The Rabbits' Wedding because a black and white rabbit get married.  Juxtaposed with this is the unexpected reunion between Lily Whitfield (Kate Middleton), the privileged daughter of a cotton plantation owner, and Joshua Moore (Samuel Ray Gates), the African American son of a former servant on the plantation turned civil rights worker.  Lily remembers a sweet childhood romance while Joshua remembers being beaten and driven off the property by Lily's father.  The two stories converge with very powerful discussions about censorship and segregation.  I particularly liked the message that having access to the ideas contained in books is the only way to change the world for the better.  The ensemble cast is excellent, including the aforementioned actors as well as Stephen D'Ambrose as Garth Williams, the author of The Rabbits' Wedding and stage manager for all of the action, and Seth Andrew Bridges as Thomas Franklin, Emily's assistant who has one of the most powerful speeches in the play.  The set design is very striking, almost like a children's pop-up book, and the costumes are fabulous, especially the southern belle dresses worn by Lily.  I think this play is extremely relevant in today's troubled times and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Alabama Story  runs until January 24 at PTC with evening performances and Saturday matinees.  Go here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Peter and the Starcatcher at PTC

Two years ago the Utah Shakespeare Festival produced Peter and the Starcatcher.  That year I could only spend one day at the festival and, since I didn't know anything about that particular play, I didn't choose to see it.  Of course it turned out to be the most popular show of the season and I was a little bit sad that I hadn't seen it (especially since the theatre teacher at my school raved and raved about it).  As luck would have it, I got a second chance to see it last night at Pioneer Theatre and I absolutely loved it!  Much like Wicked does for The Wizard of Oz, Peter and the Starcatcher tells the backstory of Peter Pan.  We learn how a mistreated orphan boy gets magical powers and arrives in Neverland and how the inept pirate Black Stache becomes Peter's arch-nemesis Captain Hook.  It is a fantastical journey that is best enjoyed through the eyes of your inner child.  You must be willing to believe (there is a hilarious spoof of the classic "clap if you believe" speech to save Tinkerbell) that stars fall to the ground and give ordinary people magical powers (such as turning the male ensemble into dancing mermaids).  I believed every bit of it!  The entire cast is wonderful (almost everyone plays multiple roles) but I laughed and laughed at Leo Ash Evens as Black Stache.  To be sure, Black Stache is a great character (a poetic pirate looking for a hero to defeat so he can become a memorable villain) but Evens is especially flamboyant!  I loved watching his facial expressions, particularly in the scene where he loses his hand.  The set is very minimal.  The actors pantomime much of the action, with the addition of some fabulous sound effects, and many of the props are ordinary objects such as ladders, which become the masts of ships, as well as plungers and umbrellas, which become swords.  The actors are almost like children using their imaginations while playing with whatever is at hand and I thought it was highly effective.  I definitely recommend Peter and the Starcatcher for children and for adults who, like Peter, refuse to grow up!  It runs through Dec. 20 and tickets can be purchased here.

Note:  The theatre teacher at HHS is taking her students to see it this afternoon.  I wish I could go with them and see it again!

One Man, Two Guvnors at PTC

When PTC announced the 2014-2015 season, I didn't know anything about the play One Man, Two Guvnors but I knew I definitely wanted to see it because David Ivers, one of my favorite actors and directors at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, was directing it!  In my opinion, Ivers is absolutely brilliant with physical comedy (I loved his version of Twelfth Night at last summer's festival) so I knew this show would be a lot of fun!  Fun is an understatement!  I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this production last night and I can't remember when I've laughed so hard!  Essentially, the story is about two couples who are prevented from getting married.  Pauline (Katie Fabel) and Alan (Christopher Sears) can't get married because her father has arranged a marriage of convenience with a gay man named Roscoe (for profit).  Rachel (Lucy Lavely) and Stanley (William Connell) can't get married because Stanley accidentally killed Rachel's "identical" twin brother (you guessed it: Roscoe) and they are on the run.  Rachel decides to impersonate her brother Roscoe and go to Brighton to get back the money he paid to Pauline's father so she and Stanley can emigrate to Australia (where they will, apparently, have to listen to opera for the rest of their lives).  She hires Francis (Christopher DuVall) to be her (his?) man-about-town but won't pay him until the end of the week and he is hungry.  Stanley follows Rachel (Roscoe?) to Brighton and also tries to hire Francis to be his man-about-town.  Francis agrees, but only if he pays him up front (because he's hungry).  Francis spends much of his time trying to prevent each "guvnor" from finding about the other (and trying to procure food).  In other words, it is a complete farce filled with characters hiding, running around, slamming doors, and falling down stairs.  Throw in a bit of audience participation and an amazing skiffle band playing between scenes and you have one of the funniest shows around.  All of the actors have perfect comedic timing but I absolutely loved Sears as the melodramatic over-the-top amateur actor Alan.  I laughed hysterically at everything he said and did!  The set looked like pop art and I loved the mod costumes and beehive hairdos from the 1960s.   If you are not easily offended by crude humor and suggestive language, this show is not to be missed!  Go here for more information and tickets.  It runs through November 15.

The Rocky Horror Show at PTC

It's just a jump to the left...and I was transported back in time to my high school theatre days when we were all collectively obsessed with the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I remember one late night play rehearsal when we all climbed up to the catwalk and performed "Time Warp."  Good times!  It was a time warp, indeed, last night when I saw the concert version of The Rocky Horror Show at Pioneer Theatre.  PTC has started including limited-engagement concert versions of musicals as add-ons to season tickets and I have been waiting for this show with much ANTICI.....say it.....PATION since the 2014-2015 season was announced!  The production was scaled back with a minimal set and the cast performed the musical numbers as a concert (they even held their scripts) with a bit of  dazzling choreography.   The band on stage was absolutely amazing and the cast was fabulous!  Frank 'N' Furter was played by Tony Vincent (of The Voice) and he was absolutely perfect as the sweet transvestite.  I loved watching his facial expressions!  The narrator was played by Jim Dabakis, a Utah state senator.  He got some of the biggest laughs of the night with the line: "Oh, I see there are a lot of Republicans here tonight!"  (Many people were dressed rather outrageously).  Speaking of outrageous,  I loved the naughty costumes! Frank 'N' Furter's boots were epic.  I remembered the words to all of the songs, when to use each prop (prop bags were available for $5.00), and many of the talk back lines.  It was so much fun...maybe not as rowdy as the screenings at the Blue Mouse back in the day but it was a strange journey, nonetheless!  I loved reliving a bit of my misspent youth!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at PTC

Last night I attended Pioneer Theatre Company's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and I loved it.  It is a musical about six painfully awkward misfits who come together for a middle school spelling bee and hilarity ensues!  Chip Tolentino (Jacob Hoffman) is the girl crazy winner of last year's bee who is disqualified in an early round because of an "unfortunate distraction."  William Barfee (Kendal Sparks) is a highly-strung asthmatic who had to pull out of last year's bee in the final round for medical reasons.  Leaf Coneybear (Austin Archer) is a free-spirited home-schooled student who is participating because the winner and first runner-up of his local bee had to drop out to attend a bat mitzvah.  Marcy Park (Shannon Tyo) is an over-achieving Catholic school student who skipped two grades and speaks six languages but just wants to have fun.  Olive Ostrovsky (Emily Walton) can't pay her entrance fee because her mother is living in an ashram in India and her father has not yet claimed the seat she has been saving for him.  Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Elise Groves) desperately wants to please her two fathers who have been coaching her for this moment for years.  Mary Fanning Driggs plays Rona Lisa Peretti, the moderator and former winner of the bee, while Jeff Talbot is hilarious as Douglas Panch, the vice principal who has had to step in as the announcer at the last minute after being banned from the bee for the past five years.  Talbot is responsible for many of the funniest moments when he reads the definitions and uses the words in sentences!  Rounding out the cast is Erick Pinnick as Mitch Mahoney, an ex-con completing his community service requirements by giving the eliminated spellers a juice box.  Additional spellers are added from the audience each night which adds a bit of spontaneity to the show.  Last night there was a young girl who had to be given quite a few words before she was eliminated (I think she stole the show).  All of the performances are fabulous and I loved all of the songs, especially "I'm Not That Smart" by Leaf, "I Speak Six Languages" by Marcy, and "Magic Foot" (which had some great choreography) by William.  I also loved it when Chip came out into the audience selling candy for a fundraiser during the "snack break" (intermission).  I was literally laughing out loud through much of the show.  It is a delightful homage to teenage angst and  I highly recommend it!

Note:  I enjoyed last season at PTC so much that I decided to get a seven-play season ticket this year and I am really looking forward to some of the upcoming productions!

Sweet Charity at PTC

This is the first year in quite a while that I didn't get a five-play season ticket to Pioneer Theatre.  Ironically, it is the first year that I've gone to all seven plays!  When the 2013-2014 season was announced last year, only one of the plays appealed to me; however, I ended up seeing all of them in spite of myself.  I'm so glad I did!  I saw Something's Afoot because it was just after Homecoming and I desperately needed an outing that wasn't school related!  It was hilarious.  I saw Other Desert Cities because a colleague recommended it to me.  It was incredibly thought-provoking.  I took Sean and Tashena to Elf - The Musical because Sean absolutely loves the movie.  It was magical!  I saw A Few Good Men because a friend who I hadn't seen for a long time wanted to see it.  I thought it was very powerful.  Much Ado About Nothing was the production that originally piqued my interest and I really enjoyed it but, interestingly enough, it was probably my least favorite this season.  I saw Deathtrap because I was intrigued by all of the buzz in the media.  It contained one of the best plot twists I have ever seen!  Finally, I decided to see Sweet Charity last night because the rest of the season had been so good.  I loved it!  I saw this musical several years ago when the Broadway touring production, starring Molly Ringwald, came to Salt Lake City but PTC's version surpassed it.  Nancy Lemenager was absolutely amazing as Charity Hope Valentine, a girl a little tarnished but still hoping to find true love.  I laughed and laughed at her antics while she was stuck in Vittorio Vidal's closet.  The big song and dance numbers were spectacular, especially "Big Spender."  Karen Azenberg, Pioneer Theatre's artistic director, was recently quoted in the Deseret News saying that she wants to offer "something that the audience doesn't think it wants, but guess what, [they] just might have a good time."  I didn't think I would like this season but I certainly had a good time.  I'll trust you next year, Karen!