2006-07 "BEST OF BROADWAY" SF SEASON

The new season of the "Best of Broadway" was recently announced. I use that term "best of Broadway" lightly since these are the people that brought us such hits as The Mambo Kings & Lestat. We all know how Broadway-bound they got! Okay - I am now trying to be open minded about shows I know nothing about- we all know how I fucked up with Wicked - refusing to see the original cast because I thought it was a remake of The Wizard of Oz. Okay, I admit I really goofed on that one. The only show that really makes me jump for joy is of course - The Light In The Piazza. I think it has a gorgeous operatic score unlike anything I have ever heard in a musical. I am really looking forward in seeing it. Also Doubt with Cherry Jones and Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf with Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin. Oh that reminds me - I have a GREAT Kathleen Turner story but must save it for my theatre response. Sorry for being a tease =+). I am surprised I am so energized at 11:30 PM on Sunday night with a flu from hell. Okay that's it from me - here's a link to the whole new season on Broadway World which also features a ballet version of Edward Scissorhands (probably will check it out), the new musical Legally Blonde (I'm saying nothing) and of course the two BOYS show - Altar Boyz and Jersey Boys (I'm still saying nothing.)

Have a good week y'all

=+)

M.

CATCHING UP & GETTIN' SOME REST

On Wednesday I knew I would be coming down with whatever the hell is going around and yup - I got the flu. I am trying to get better as a whole lot of stuff is coming up - starting rehearsals, a concert gig and not mention school. Oy! The beginning of this flu didn't stop me from enjoying seeing True West again. I really think this one of the best theatre productions of the year thus far - if not the best. It was a pleasure to see my friend Gary Martinez on stage again. He will be performing this summer in SF Shakes' The Tempest.

I don't have TIVO, sorry I am still an old fashioned VCR taping queer I guess - and I taped a wonderful PBS concert version of South Pacific starring the glorious Reba McEntire and the delicious Brian Stokes Mitchell. Seeing Mitchell sing these great songs made me envious for a moment as many have commented on how the Rodgers & Hammerstein repertoire fits my voice like a glove and I couldn't help picturing myself singing those songs. Someday I would really love to play Emil De Becque - I just have to find a director willing to cast a man my size in the role - it could happen. If not I will still be singing these songs in concert for ever. Mitchell wasn't so impressive in the famous Some Enchanted Evening (he didn't give it the right "oomph") if you know what I mean - but he came back to shine on This Nearly Was Mine. The last staged concert I saw live was Sweeney Todd at Davies Symphony Hall starring George Hearn & Patti Lupone and now I realize that in these staged concerts - the star really is the orchestra. It is so wonderful to hear these songs performed with a full orchestra - simply wonderful.

Speaking of Patti LuPone - I don't usually buy CD's anymore - what with I-Tunes and such I almost never do but I did just order her new CD - The Lady With The Torch. I am excited to hear it.

Alright I am off to get some rest - really busy week coming up.
Have a good weekend y'all
=+)

M.

LESTAT OPENS ON BROADWAY...AND THAT'S THE PUNCHLINE!

Alright - that probably was a bit naughty of me but come on - I still want my money back for that piece of doo doo. Oy - I wish them the best but I am now taking bets on when they'll close it. I have never changed my mind about something so quickly. I remember the intermission and thinking "what's everybody complaining about? - It ain't so bad!" I ate those words so quickly - it was the worst Act II in the history of musicals. Poor Carole Carmello, she's in a show that requires her to suck. The show officially "opens" tomorrow night.

But enough good cheer! =+) I actually had a great day today - stayed home from school, rested and had a great meeting with Debra Lambert over at NDNU. I am officially excited about going there this fall. I still have to decide what I'm getting my degree in - BA in music or BFA in musical theatre. Must sleep on it.

=+)

M.

ANDREW LIPPA COMES TO BUS BARN STAGE CO.

Tying in with their upcoming production of John & Jen - Bus Barn Stage Company welcomes composer Andrew Lippa for a very special event for the theatre. I spoke with my friend Barbara Cannon about this a while ago and she was thrilled that he was coming.


Andrew Lippa comes to Bus Barn on May 3!

Award-winning composer Andrew Lippa will appear on the Bus Barn Theater stage on Wednesday, May 3 as part of Bus Barn Stage Company’s 2005-2006 season.

Andrew Lippa is a multi-faceted, award-winning composer, lyricist, musician, singer and teacher. From the concert hall to the Broadway stage to the far reaches of Australia Mr. Lippa has distinguished himself with rave reviews and cheering audiences around the globe. The hallmark of Mr. Lippa’s career is versatility. He is equally comfortable in a concert hall as he is in a jazz club. He is an accomplished singer and pianist and has worked with Broadway stars Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, as well as pop stars like Alanis Morissette.

Lippa will be in the Bay Area working on his new musical, ASPHALT BEACH, which appears as part of TheatreWorks’ New Works Festival. Bus Barn Stage Company opens one of his musicals, john & jen, on May 18. Mr. Lippa will be performing selected numbers from john & jen with actors David Curley and Kristin Stokes, as well as singing some of his original music and talking about his career in musical theatre.

The event, which begins at 7:30 and is followed by a reception for the artist, is nearly sold out but a few seats remain for this intimate concert event. To purchase tickets, call the Bus Barn Stage Company box office at 650-941-0551. The ticket price is $25. Free parking is available.

FINAL SHOW ADDED TO THEATREWORKS SEASON

Not much to report - just a few things:

• The California premiere of Anthony Clarvoe's Ambition Facing West will fill the final slot in TheatreWorks' upcoming 2006-07 season. Read the full story on Playbill.
  
  
• I rarely go see plays more than once - but I will be seeing True West at San Jose Stage Company one more time next Wednesday. It is one of the best shows I have ever seen and a real master class for anyone who wants to be an actor. Check it out.
  
  
• Tonight, Academy-Award winner Julia Roberts makes her Broadway debut in Three Days of Rain. I really wish I could see this one. The three person cast includes Paul Rudd and the yummy Bradley Cooper.
  

The cast of Three Days of Rain: Paul Rudd, Julia Roberts & the delicious Bradley Cooper.

THEATRE RESPONSE: THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG

Last night my sister & I attended a great performance of the late Wendy Wasserstein's funny & touching play The Sisters Rosensweig playing until April 30th at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and presented by TheatreWorks.

The show that was supposed to close their season was a new musical called Pamela's First Musical written by Wasserstein and the late Cy Coleman. Wasserstein died recently and the production was postponed. To honor her, director Robert Kelley pays tribute with this first rate production.

The story deals with three very different sisters on the 54th birthday celebration of Sarah - who was recently ill. The sisters are very close and the story revolves around them, their relationships, their mother and of course their men.

The production dazzles from the very beginning and as you walk into the theatre and see the gorgeous detail of Joe Ragey's set. This man is a Bay Area treasure. I felt as if I was peeking inside a very beautiful home.

As with any TheatreWorks production - the cast shines and every member brings something special to their roles. I will name them all since they were was no weak link with this cast: David E. Kazanjian was perfect as a snobbish English man, Jeff Williams was hilarious as a bi-sexual theatre director, Chad Ryan Deverman was deliciously funny and very nice to look at onstage =+) Michael G. Hawkings was so believable in his role of a middle-aged man in search for a good woman, Lindsay Benner had some wonderful moments as the daughter but the show is really about 3 sisters and they shine above all.

Alison Edwards was exceptional in the role of Sara Goode, a hard part to play as she goes through a transformation in the show but it has to be subtle and she does carry the role with great acting abilities. My two personal favorites (as was my own sister's) was Bay Area favorite Rebecca Dines as Pfeni, a world-traveler in love with a bi-sexual man. I found myself not liking the character as written but I fell in love with Ms. Dines. She was so on - so believable that I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I have never seen her perform before but I must now make it a point to see her perform more often. As the most Jewish sister of them all, Carole Healey was a hoot as Gorgeous. She possessed great coming timing.

The play has some wonderful moments and the chemistry between the three sisters is magnetic. The play does tend to lag a little bit - maybe that is because the play was about 2 hours and forty minutes long which is just a little too long for me. However, I strongly recommend the show. It is both poignant & funny.

TheatreWorks' 2006-07 season opens with Vanities - a new musical opening June 21st.

THEATRE RESPONSE: I DO, I DO!

I went to see my dear friend Patti Appel in Coastal Repertory Theatre's production of I Do, I Do! which replaces their regularly scheduled Dames At Sea. I Do, I Do! is a charming little musical written by Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt about a married couple and 50 years of their life together. The musical is written for 2 people, and Patti is paired with Doug Mallon (whom I worked with in CRT's Cabaret a few years ago.)

Act I was cute & fun but I really enjoyed the second act in which their problems are dealt with and solved and you can see how they made it to their golden years. Patti is such an amazing actress - I know she can do it all but when she does a dramatic scene - wow. I remember the chemistry she & I had back when we did Cabaret both times was electric. She is such a terrific lady. I wish that she would venture out from CRT into other theatres so more people can see that she is one of the Bay Area's best talents.

This is the first time I have seen the show and I especially loved the lyrics written by the great Tom Jones (whom I had the honor of working with on Harold & Maude).
The melodies are more like sung dialogue and I especially liked the song My Cup Runneth Over. It was a charming production.

I'll be seeing The Sisters Rosensweig at TheatreWorks tomorrow night. Goodness me - I didn't realize how late it was - off to bed!

=+)

M.

A SWEENEY REUNION

There is a seriously talented cast assembled for Urinetown at SJSC. My fellow Sweeney colleagues Austin Ku (Anthony), Keite Davis (Johanna) and Diana Torres-Koss (Mrs. Lovett) are all in the cast. I can't wait to start rehearsals!

MOMENTO from SEATTLE

My beloved friend Heather & I at the Space Needle in Seattle - well it's the picture they take before you go up in the elevator - ain't we cute?

THEATRE RESPONSE: TEATRO ZINZANNI (SEATTLE)

Even though it was my third time attending a Teatro Zinzanni show - never for a moment did I feel like I had already seen the show. The three hour extravaganza which also includes a 5 course fine dining meal is full of theatre, cabaret, opera, magic & acrobatic acts and is as entertaining as the first time I saw it.

Comedian Christine Deaver sort of keeps the show moving at a great pace and her comic timing is impeccable. Gentlemen beware - you may be one of her victims and be pulled center stage for some good old fashioned & often hilarious fun. Her outfits are hysterical.

There are some amazing performers from all over the world that include magicians, comedians, an amazing contortionist, a Russian hand-balancer, bumbling clowns/acrobats but one of the highlights of the show was seeing Les Petis Freres - a trio from Paris that truly defy gravity - you have to see them to believe them. They are honestly a floating act.

Disco Diva Thelma Houston, best known for her 1977 hit "Don't Leave Me This Way" was hot singing her signature song.

But of course the main attraction for me was seeing my dear friend Heather Clemens perform. The powerhouse vocals she possesses are glorious and she is not to be missed. This particular cast will play in Seattle until April 30th and then a new cast will take over. You can also catch the show in San Francisco (again a rotating cast appears).

The show is expensive but well worth it. If you are in downtown Seattle or by the pier in San Francisco do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a night at Teatro Zinzanni.

BACK IN TOWN WITH A BANG!!

Back from Seattle and I had a blast with my beloved Heather. I come home to wonderful news - I will be playing the role of Officer Barrel in San Jose Stage Company's URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL!!!!! Having worked with Broadway's original Barrel - the great Daniel Marcus - I am honored to be playing this part which I soooo wanted to play. The production will play May 31 - June 25th.

My friend Kyla Gibboney (who was brilliant in our school production of The Physicists) has just landed her first role in theatre outside of school - she will be a part of the cast of Dragon Theatre Company's The Art of Dining. Way to go Kyla!!!

I will write my response of the Seattle production of Teatro Zinzanni tomorrow but let's just say if you're in the Seattle area - go see it.

Okay, way too tired to write anything more but know that my heart is full.

=+)

M.

MY PAL RINABETH ON TV

One more plug - my pal, the talented Rinabeth Apostol will be seen on Nickelodeon this upcoming Sunday April 9th at 7 PM. She plays a fourteen year old - it should be a hoot.

Here are a couple of links:

the today show:
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=5dcae3ee-c775-4ba7-9a50-8f18caf09cc3&f=00

turbonick:
http://www.nick.com/turbonick/index.jhtml?videoid=43005

I'M LEAVING ON A JET PLANE!

I can't remember the last time I took a vacation and so tomorrow I am heading north for the winter - just kidding. I will actually be going to Seattle to visit my best friend Heather and also see her perform in the Seattle production of Teatro Zinzanni. I can't wait!!

Have a wonderful spring break y'all!

Mwah!

M.

THEATRE RESPONSE: 7 BRIDES FOR 7 BROTHERS

Last night I attended a wonderful preview performance of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers at Broadway By The Bay. It was wonderful to see a lot of performers I have worked with including Dave Miailovich, Larry Quinto, Matt Ferretti, Erin Cole, Benjamin Latham, Rich Coakley & my dear friend Paul Ziller.

I really enjoyed this production and must admit it is one of the best shows BBBAY has put on in a while. Evan Pappas' direction was full of detail and the cast brilliantly (and with much energy) presented a great show. Carrie Madsen was fantastic in the role of Milly. It is a great role for her. The sets & costumes were great and it was wonderful to see the sets using most of the space at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center (not an easy task since the space is huge!)

Most of all, Berle Davis (always assisted by the fabulous Robyn Tribuzi) and his choreography steal the show. The dance numbers are divine, especially the Social Dance number - just wonderful.

I was so thrilled to see the great Rick Reynolds back conducting for BBBAY. He was such an amazing musical director & friend to me back when I did Jesus Christ Superstar there. He took a few years off to spend more time with his family and now that the kids are a little bit older he is back and I could tell - the musical direction & orchestra were superb and handled the difficult score with great precision. I look forward in working with Rick again - I am in such awe of him.

The show is wonderful so go check it out.

THEATRE RESPONSE: TRUE WEST

Last night I witnessed a showstopper - not in a musical but in Sam Shepard's brilliant, funny, touching & sometimes disturbing play True West currently in previews at San Jose Stage Company. My dear friend Linda Hoy went with me and every time I am out with her I feel like I am with a Bay Area theatre celebrity. Not only did she know everyone at the theatre, but she had audience members coming up to her to tell her how much they admire her work. I brought a great date! =+)

The cast assembled for this piece are beyond first-rate starting with Rod Gnapp whose performance in Act I was quiet and in Act II was a revelation - this man is one of the best actors I have seen perform in the Bay Area. What a talent. He is equally matched by Randall King who was just as brilliant. They both have a kind of stage chemistry that you just can't buy. By the time the lights came down at the end of the play, I felt chills like I haven't felt watching a play in a long, long time. The last time I felt this way was watching Eden Espinosa sing the end of Defying Gravity in Wicked. But this electrifying feeling in a play - you have to go see it.

It was such a joy to see my friend Gary Martinez on stage. He was a very dear man to me during Into The Woods and once again he shows what an amazing theatre talent he is. I can't say enough about this production - the acting, the play itself, the set (I won't give too much away but let's just say that I would hate to be stage crew in this play) and its background - the lighting and even the music - all superb. Did I say you should go see this? GO SEE THIS!! It is a theatrical event.

A GREAT NIGHT IN THE THEATRE (WITH CHILLS)

I had a wonderful night. Being with my friend Linda Hoy & seeing an amazing piece of theatre made for quite a night. I'm too tired tonight so I will write my response tomorrow but do yourself a favor - go see True West @ San Jose Stage Company. It is a breathtaking piece of theatre. I can't remember the last time I saw a play that gave me the chills and this one certainly did.

"THE PHYSICISTS" REVIEW

The review of our production did not come out until today. Regardless - we had full houses at every performance but we are still very grateful that the wonderful Keith Kreitman came to review the show and now we have a lovely record of our work. Here's his review:


Cañada College's 'The Physicists' shows power of a rarely performed work
By Keith Kreitman, CONTRIBUTOR

SMALLER theater venues and colleges and universities have a gift to give to local dramatic arts: the production of artistic and thoughtful works rarely performed by community theaters.

The latest contribution was by Cañada College: "The Physicists," a 1960 work by the Swiss playwright Friedrich Durrenmatt. Creaky in style by today's standards and on a topic that does not obsess the public's mind with the intensity it did in the last century, it is still an important work. The college mounted the play for two weekends.

It reminds me of Sweden's Alfred Nobel, who after making a fortune as the inventor of dynamite, came to realize what a powerful killer it had become in warfare, and so did penance by creating the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the past century, physicists — out of scientific curiosity and in their drive to uncover truths of nature — came to regret that some discoveries ended up serving those who would wreak horrors upon mankind in their search for power.

Nobody represents this regret more than the developers of the power of nuclear fission during World War II, and that is what this play, written at the height of the Cold War, is really about.

A physicist named Johann Wilhelm Mobius (Volkan Heval Akoglu), having developed an even more deadly theory and in order to keep it out of the hands of those who would use it to gain power, destroys his manuscript and has himself committed to a luxurious private sanatorium as a mental patient who hears voices from the biblical King Solomon.

Joining him there are Herbert Georg Beutler (Josh Bryant), who fancies himself to be Sir Isaac Newton, and Ernst Henrich Ernesti (Joey Axiaq), who believes he is the violin-playing Albert Einstein.

They are also prominent physicists, no more insane than Mobius, but who are serving the intelligence arms of two opposing powers who want to find out Mobius' secrets and recruit him to their causes. In order to preserve their secret identities, each has had to murder female nurses who threaten to expose the truth.
So the play opens with a police inspector, Rowena Voss (Maryann Moore), realizing that she can do nothing in the name of justice because the perpetrators would only be returned to the same sanatorium for their "insanity."

The administrator of this facility, overseeing the false facade, is a deformed and bitter Fraulein Doctor Mathilde von Zahnd (brilliantly executed by Kyla Gibboney), who seemingly doesn't suspect the deceptions but later finds a way to subordinate the three scientists to her own drive for power.

Meanwhile, Mobius is forced to heartlessly drive away his former wife Lina (Bianca Beyrouti), who has remarried, and his three children: Adolf-Friedrich (Dmitri Kononov), Winifred-Casper (Kimi Carey) and Greta-Lukas (Samantha Goldberg). And he must kill the nurse Monika Stettler (Natali Nichols) who, recognizing that he is not insane, falls in love with him.

Although the three physicists ultimately decide to cooperate with each other, they find that they have created their own prison with their deceptions and have fallen under the evil power of Doktor Zahnd.

Other roles were performed by Kelsey Schledeck, Cristal Campbell, Megan Finley, Michael Chow, Peter Winch and Zachary Fisher.

Although this sounds like a somber play, it is actually more like a black comedy, beautifully directed by veteran actress and Canada college instructor Linda Hoy.

With Hoy's retirement this year, it looks as if theater at Canada may be dead. A sad ending, but, as is often the case with the arts, they get cut first during budgeting panics.

THEATRE RESPONSE: ANNA IN THE TROPICS

Last night I had the great pleasure of watching TheatreWorks’ production of Nilo Cruz’s Anna In The Tropics. I have never seen a bad production at TheatreWorks and I sincerely doubt I ever will. This production rates very highly. Not only was the acting & production values top-notch but the play itself was borderline genius. Nilo Cruz has found a most interesting setting for Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina - a cigar rolling company in Tampa, Florida. As the play progresses we see each character in Tolstoy’s famous book unfold before our very eyes.

Director Amy Gonzalez & Casting Director Leslie Martinson have assembled a first-rate leading cast. Vilma Silva (pictured above) as Conchita, the woman who longs to be loved once again after being married to her cheating husband for years is spectacular in the role. Her longing for self-esteem and the passion she holds within was felt all through the theatre. When she asks that the lector Juan Julian cut her hair and place it in the book I shed tears just from looking at her face. It was an electric moment on-stage.

The rest of the cast does a fine job in each of their roles. George Castillo (pictured above) shines as Palomo, Conchita’s husband whose life changes after seeing the effects of the book on his wife and eventually himself. Tommy A. Gomez is creepy & sinister as the evil Cheche who kills the lector at the end of the play (to the audience’s great surprise.) As the older married couple Apollo Dukakis & Alma Martinez are paired well together and their on-stage chemistry is wonderfully felt.

As Juan Julian, the lector that comes and changes everyone’s life, David DeSantos is captivating although I felt his love scene with Conchita didn’t have the right passion it needed. As Marela, the younger daughter, Isabelle Ortega was a real scene-stealer and her rape scene was devastating to watch. What can I say about this cast - simply phenomenal.

Like any other TheatreWorks production the production values are simply amazing. As we walked into the theatre the sounds of Cuban music is heard and immediately takes you to Florida. The scenic design by Duke Durfee was sublime. The set was so playable and the main room where the factory was set was incredibly detailed. Michael Palumbo’s lighting was effective and subtle as it needed to be. An interesting touch was Conchita & Palomo’s scene in Act II and Juan Julian in the background - the lighting effect was stunning.

I am convinced that Fumiko Bielefeldt is a genius. Her costume design was authentic to the setting and the costume that Marela wears as Anna Karenina made the audience audibly sigh. The production also benefitted from the expertise of Jose R. Sanchez - the cigar rolling consultant. Almost every actor had to learn some aspect of cigar rolling and it seemed that the actors had learned this skill many years ago - it seemed flawless.

I didn’t know what to expect with this show as I didn't know a lot about it but I am thrilled I got the chance to see their final performance. Nilo Cruz beautifully captured the longing to be somewhere else - to have the life that you always dreamed. The character of Conchita summed up the evening for me - she says "Actors surrender" and I fully surrendered to Anna In The Tropics.

SING into SPRING - KRISTEN SHARPLEY'S RECITAL

My friend, the talented Kristen Sharpley will be doing a recital with the fabulous Brandon Adams on the piano this upcoming Monday evening. Check it out!

SING into SPRING
A song recital featuring Kristen Sharpley, soprano and Brandon Adams, piano.

MONDAY APRIL 3, 2006
7:30 PM
Location: Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church
728 W. Fremont Avenue, Sunnyvale
(between Mary and Hollenbeck)

For directions: http://www.svpc.us/directions.html

Program:
2 Arias by Antonio Vivaldi
Edvard Grieg's "Sechs Lieder"
Reynaldo Hahn, selected chansons
William Walton's "Three Songs"
and a selection of Kurt Weill's best Broadway tunes.

All are welcome!
Tickets at the door.
$10 suggested donation.

Information: www.kristensharpley.com

SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

It was a bittersweet night as we closed our production of The Physicists. In many ways I am glad to be done with the huge amount of responsibility that came with my job but I will miss almost all of the actors and being a part of something very special. Even though Linda is retiring in May, she has already been asked to return to direct future productions. We had a lovely presentation after the final curtain call tonight in which I said a few words & one of my favorite poems which I felt reflected the spirit of the inspiration Linda provides us all:

Come to the edge.
It's too high.

Come to the edge.
We might fall.

Come to the edge.
They came and when (s)he pushed them
they flew.

This marvelous poem was first introduced to me by the great Kit Wilder before our opening night in Jesus Christ Superstar at Broadway By The Bay. I carry it with me always.

Canada College President Tom Mohr also spoke some wonderful words about Linda. It was wonderful yet exhausting day as we also had to film the play for archives.

Tomorrow night I am going to see Anna in the Tropics @ TheatreWorks - looking forward to it. I can't believe it's past 4 AM - I hate it when the clocks go an hour ahead - such BS!!

=+)

M.