Theater Review: CALEB CALYPSO AND THE MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS

Reprinted from the Independent Weekly

Caleb Calypso and the Midnight Marauders
Manbites Dog Theater
Through Nov. 14

Local playwright Howard L. Craft (A Touch of Sugga) explores a little-observed moment in American culture in his new play Caleb Calypso and the Midnight Marauders, currently enjoying its premiere at Manbites Dog Theater. Set against the backdrop of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the play explores the lives of U.S. soldiers stationed in West Germany with realism and humor.

 

Click for larger image • “Caleb Calypso and the Midnight Marauders” Photo by D.L. Anderson

 

With a premise somewhat reminiscent of David Rabe’s Streamers, Craft uses the barracks setting as a microcosm of conflicting backgrounds and values in the world outside. It’s a smartly observed play that, nonetheless, could use more of the drama of its historical setting to give it more edge.

We follow 10 American soldiers, most notably Private Caleb “Calypso” Stephens (J. Alphonse Nicholson), who dreams of studying music and becoming a rapper, along with his friend and fellow grunt “Chill Will” (Trevor Johnson). Various subplots unfold around Calypso and Chill Will that involve pregnancy, past regrets and an expert sniper (David Greenslade) with a potentially career-ending secret. The play takes pains to paint the parallels between the world of two decades ago and the world today; footage of Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush opens the show, and the shadow of Iraq hangs over the production.

The dialogue between the soldiers has an unforced, naturalistic feel; standouts include Lucius Robinson as the satanic Dresner, who gives an articulate yet understated menace to his line readings, and John Rogers Harris as the laid-back sergeant capable of explosive authority when necessary. Calypso suffers, though, from a lack of escalating drama. Many scenes are well written and acted, but there are some plot points, and even characters, that could be cut. One narrative strand about a pregnant girlfriend adds little to the story.

There are interesting issues regarding the racial and cultural shift of the late 1980s at work in Caleb Calypso. Still, the show feels more like a slice of life than a dramatic story; furthermore, the ending is a bit abrupt and on-the-nose. Overall, though, Craft’s play is a smart, privileged look at a little-known corner of a pivotal historical moment, and it offers great authenticity and humor in its best scenes.

 

ALTAR BOYZ Review

Altar Boyz
@ Raleigh Little Theatre
Through Oct. 25

 

Altar Boyz has quite a reputation Off-Broadway. A few years ago, I interviewed a former actor from the show who fondly recalled the loyalty of the “Altarholics” who’d seen the show dozens of times. The production at the Raleigh Little Theatre, which runs through Oct. 25, shows why—it’s one of the rare satires that appeals to both fans and opponents of what it’s satirizing.  

Read the full review here!

 

THE SOUND OF MUSIC Review

The Sound of Music

29 JUL 2009  •  by Zack Smith

 

The Sound of Music
N.C. Theatre
@ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
Through Aug. 2 

The Sound of Music is enduring as a piece of musical theater because it promotes a certain feeling of exuberance. Yes, it’s sentimental, condenses history for storytelling purposes and even rewrites the geography of Austria in the climax (you aren’t getting to Switzerland over those Alps), but at its heart, it’s a simple story about finding joy and bonding as a family. Also, cute singing kids.

N.C. Theatre’s production of The Sound of Music is at its best when it focuses on the joy of performing. The story occasionally feels limited by the confines of the Memorial Auditorium stage (the von Trapps have roughly two tombstones to hide behind while they’re being hunted by the Nazis), but when the actors perform, their energy is terrific.

Broadway veteran Kate Fisher is a great Maria; the image of Julie Andrews in the 1965 film is impossible to erase, but Fisher nails the combination of childlike enthusiasm and matronly patience that defines the character. As Captain von Trapp, fellow Broadway vet Tom Galantich has less to do, though he acquits himself well in such numbers as “Edelweiss.” Fayetteville native Suzanne Ishee, as Mother Abbess, aces the first-act curtain number, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.” The von Trapp children, all from Raleigh, perform admirably.

What’s most interesting about watching this staging of an extremely familiar tale is realizing that while many of the songs are indelibly imprinted in our brains, there actually aren’t that many distinct songs in the show. Most of the major numbers (“My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” etc.) are reprised throughout the musical. It’s interesting to see how the relatively complex book allows musical numbers to build out of dramatic scene-setting, as opposed to the relentless singing from start to finish that characterizes most contemporary musicals. That might be the most old-fashioned aspect of The Sound of Music, but N.C. Theatre’s production proves that this Rodgers and Hammerstein warhorse still has the power to move and entertain an audience.

 

Theater Review: CHARLEY’S AUNT at Theatre in the Park

Charley’s Aunt

17 JUN 2009  •  by Zack Smith

Charley’s Aunt
Theatre in the Park
Through June 21

Men wearing women’s clothes is one of the ancient traditions of the theater, as is the confusion that results from it. And once you actually had male characters dressed as women—well, that opened up a whole new genre of storytelling that continues to this day.

The premise feels a mite dated these days, and that’s probably because it’s more than 100 years old—dating back at least as far as the 1882 farce Charley’s Aunt, which is currently being revived at Raleigh’s Theatre in the Park. Despite the show’s premise, an adept cast and lively direction by David Henderson help this production feel fresh.

Charley’s Aunt is a variation on the classic comedy of manners—and errors. Jack Chesney (Allan Maule) and his friend Charley Wykeham (Jason Justice) are two Oxford boys looking to propose to their sweethearts, Kitty and Amy (Hillary Edwards and Athena Reaves), but need a chaperone to appease the ladies’ guardian, Spettigue (Don Bridge). When the titular aunt fails to show for her chaperone duties, the two recruit their cagey friend Babberley (Matthew Hager) to don his theater costume to impersonate her. A great many slammed doors and cases of mistaken identity follow.

The cast all does a solid job with the required British accents, and Hager, a newcomer to Theatre in the Park, is a standout as Babberley, bringing a mischievous, uncouth charm to his performance. Henderson keeps the production moving at a madcap pace, and the scene and costume designs by Stephen J. Larson and Shawn Stewart Larson evoke an authentic sense of time and place. Sure, Charley’s Aunt, been done many times over—but that’s partly because its main conceit still works. After all, a man in an unconvincing dress is always good for a laugh.

Reprinted from the Independent Weekly

 

CABARET at Raleigh Little Theatre

A dark-tinged take on Cabaret at Raleigh Little Theatre

11 JUN 2009  •  by Zack Smith

Photo courtesy Raleigh Little Theatre

Cabaret
Raleigh Little Theatre
Through June 28

Raleigh Little Theatre’s production of Cabaret might be the only RLT production where you can take both your mom and that girl you met at Hot Topic. Haskell Fitz-Simons’ direction of the classic Kander/Ebb musical takes its cues from the darker, more sexualized revival that Sam Mendes helmed on Broadway in the late 1990s (where Raleigh’s Michael C. Hall played the M.C. prior to his roles on Six Feet Under and Dexter).

Read the full review here!

 

Theater Review: SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM

Despite a last-minute thunderstorm that threatened to cancel the production, Raleigh Little Theatre’s outdoor production of Side by Side by Sondheim was a terrific evening of, pardon the pun, a little night music. The performance, which is repeated May 15 and 16 at 8 p.m., is a bare-bones recreation of almost 30 numbers by one of the most complex and cerebral lyricists in American theater, but one that serves as an excellent sampling of both famous and obscure works.

The numbers are primarily performed by director Brent Wilson, Rose Martin and Martie Todd Sirois, employing minimal props and costumes. The songs flow smoothly, with little downtime between pieces, and the sound system was excellent, save for some microphone problems that threatened to derail Martin’s otherwise lovely rendition of “Send in the Clowns.”

What’s particularly tricky about presenting Stephen Sondheim numbers out of the context of their original plays isn’t just the tongue-twisting lyrics that come with numbers like “Getting Married” or “The Boy From….” It’s that Sondheim’s material is heavily influenced by the characters and situations. For example, “I Remember,” from the obscure TV musical Evening Primrose, is sung by a character raised in a department store who’s trying to recall things like trees and sky but can only refer to them in terms of what’s in the store. So sky is “blue as ink” while trees are “bare as coat racks” and “spread like broken umbrellas.” “Pretty Lady,” from Pacific Overtures, is a come-on from some sailors to a beautiful woman, but the context is that the sailors have recently arrived in Japan and mistake the uncomprehending woman for a geisha. Not exactly the kind of standards you hear performed on American Idol.

Therefore, it’s inevitable that some of the numbers lose something when taken from the original plays. The show works best as a concert, as opposed to a performance piece, but the numbers are often quite effective. Wilson shines on “I Remember” and the title number from the obscure Anyone Can Whistle, while Sirois does excellent, Ethel Merman-esque work on musical comedy numbers such as “If Momma Was Married” from Gypsy. The standout is Martin, whose range and presence is adept at everything from the brassy “I’m Still Here” to her touching, subdued take on “Clowns.”

Whether you’re a hardcore Sondheim buff or a neophyte, the performance’s reprise this weekend is well worth attending. Just hope the weather is better this time around

 

Review: HAPPY DAYS: A NEW MUSICAL

Reprinted from The Independent Weekly

It’s rare thing to say this, but the musical of Happy Days is a stage production that could have actually benefited from jukebox tunes. For a show that helped put “Rock Around the Clock” back on the charts, the only nostalgic song to be found in the stage show is, yes, the theme song to Happy Days. The remaining songs are by Oscar-winner Paul Williams, and not one of them makes an impression. The same can be said for the show.

This is surprising, because series creator Garry Marshall wrote the book for the musical. Despite helming a number of hit films and stage shows since the series, Marshall’s book for the stage show barely contains enough plot for a single episode.

Basically, Arnold’s malt shop is in danger of being bulldozed by a developer, so the Fonz (Joey Sorge) agrees to a televised wrestling match to help save it; only Richie (Steven Booth) knows a reason why he shouldn’t wrestle; so the Fonz must risk losing his reputation and the heart of his longtime flame Pinky Tuscadero (Felicia Finley). Meanwhile, Mrs. Cunningham (Cynthia Ferrer) wants to be more than a housewife. Also: Joanie (Whitney Bashor) loves Chachi (Chris Fore).

To use a phrase that may be Happy Days‘ most enduring contribution to the American pop culture lexicon, this show might be where 1950s-nostalgia musicals jump the shark. The jokes are corny, there’s very little drama to drive the plot and the bland, forgettable songs do no justice to an era that’s defined by its music.

What is memorable is Sorge’s work as the Fonz; even with thin material, he does a remarkable job of aping the body language and mannerisms that Henry Winkler brought to the part.

On TV, Happy Days was about an idealized, unironic look at the late 1950s, but the musical doesn’t recapture the energy of the show, nor offer any fresh perspective on the material. In fact, it’s much weaker than an average rerun (well, maybe not the one where Potsie sang at the rodeo). Perhaps this musical is for baby boomers, such as the crowd that gave a standing ovation on opening night.

But those looking for a first-rate night of nostalgic theater may be better off waiting for Jersey Boys in June. Ayyyyyy!

 

EXIT THE KING At Duke University

Reprinted from The Independent Weekly

The Duke University Department of Theater Studies’ production of Eugene Ionesco’s Exit the King has the unusual timing of being produced simultaneously with an all-star version featuring Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon on Broadway. According to reviews, the New York version, like the Duke version, makes a point of comparing the titular king to a certain recent president of the United States. However, Duke’s surreal, puppet-festooned version works better as an absurdist take on the nature of life itself, rather than a trenchant political satire.

Not that there aren’t eerie parallels between Ionesco’s king Berenger (Dan Lerman) and the real world, as in the line “The sea has broken the dikes and flooded the country.” But the production is at its best when it focuses on the twilight of Berenger, who has apparently been alive for more than 400 years, dictated the patterns of the weather, and now sits in a desolate throne room with autumn leaves drifting in from above and frogs crawling the walls.

It’s announced early on that he must die before the show is over, and with his first and second wives (Itohan Aghayere and Christie McDonald) pulling him in different directions, Berenger must learn to cast off his remaining delusions and accept that his time is up.

Director Ellen Hemphill frames the action with a combination of rear projection and gloriously creepy puppets by Basil Twist that emphasize the elements of magical realism (the ragged, colorful costumes by Antonia Ford-Roberts are also terrific). This is the sort of play where a giant pendulum swings ominously around the actors, and characters disappear as they’re pulled offstage by unknown forces.

The production runs an hour and a half with no intermission, which makes for occasional lags, but the combination of absurd elements with realistic emotions pays off spectacularly at the end, where a long monologue is combined with one of Twist’s most elaborate and effective puppets. We have no idea if the Broadway version is worth the trip, but Duke’s take on Exit the King ranks as an inventive and imaginative look at the dying of the light, and what happens when there’s nothing left to rage against.

 

Review; MISS SAIGON at NC Theatre

Reprinted from The Independent Weekly

There are two types of musical theater lovers: Those who love Miss Saigon and those who don’t. For some, Miss Saigon is an enchanting, tragic romance; for others, it’s overblown, overproduced and reduces both Madame Butterfly and the Vietnam War to a couple of set pieces and a rhyming dictionary.

I enjoy musical theater but I’m not a connoisseur; as a result, my perspective falls somewhere in the middle. In N.C. Theatre’s production at Memorial Auditorium, there were a few genuinely thrilling parts and a few others where I found myself wincing in annoyance—only to hear the person next to me sniffling and wiping their eyes with a tissue.

On a technical level, this is perhaps one of the most impressive productions ever seen at Memorial; as a work of storytelling, its ultra-earnestness and sometimes-painful lyrics are tailor-made for a wide audience, but leave others cold. The tale of Miss Saigon, by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr., is by now well-known; set against the backdrop of the fall of Saigon, a 17-year-old prostitute named Kim (Jennifer Paz from the show’s first national tour) finds love with the earnest G.I. Chris (Eric Kunze, reprising his role from Broadway and the first national tour, and who was last seen locally in N.C. Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar). Circumstances separate the lovers, who reunite years later in a world that has changed. There’s also a helicopter and a pink Cadillac on stage.
The standout here is Broadway veteran Kevin Gray as the wily pimp The Engineer, who gives a comic-yet-desperate spin to his role; at times, I cared more about whether he’d escape Vietnam than Kim. His performance of the satirical ditty “The American Dream” is the evening’s highlight. This ode to the on-stage Cadillac is an old-school Broadway number with excellent choreography and fancy footwork. The rest of the cast does well, though Jennifer Shrader occasionally seems a bit stiff in the underwritten part of Ellen, Chris’s girl back home. Technical credits by director Richard Stafford and choreographer Marc Oka are excellent.

This is a huge hit for N.C. Theatre; the packed house at the performance I attended delivered a standing ovation and shed plenty of tears. Perhaps you will cry, too. Or maybe you’ll be one of those who wonders how many words could possibly rhyme with “Saigon” or “Engineer.” It all depends on what kind of musical theater lover you are.

 

Theater Review: THE RECEPTIONIST

Reprinted from The Independent Weekly

The Receptionist
Manbites Dog Theater
Through Feb. 28

In Franz Kafka’s The Trial, the victim of anonymous torment was a small-time bank manager. In Manbites Dog Theater’s production of Adam Bock’s The Receptionist, times have evolved enough that even the lowliest of underlings are subject to persecution. An increasingly dark comedy that combines the banality of evil with the banality of office life, The Receptionist is a nifty little mood piece that goes a bit slowly in its first part, but gradually builds to a chilling climax.

Manbites Dog veteran Marcia Edmundson stars as Beverly, the receptionist at the “Northeast office” of a enigmatic corporation. Beverly’s inane existence involves putting people through to voice mail and engaging in small talk, either on the phone or with office-mate Lorraine (Katja Hill).

On the day that occupies most of the play, Beverly’s routine is disrupted by the odd absence of her boss, Mr. Raymond (a very good Carl Martin), just as an envoy from the “central office,” Martin Dart (Derrick Ivey), shows up looking for him. More small talk ensues, which becomes somewhat bigger talk after Dart leaves and Raymond returns. It seems that Beverly has been in willful denial about what her company does, and Raymond has had a crisis of conscience.

Needless to say, things aren’t going to end well.

The Receptionist takes a while to get going, and it’s at its best in the moments when the dark comedy and the deadpan comedy merge: It’s a hilarious, unnerving experience to hear certain things discussed in the same manner that one might talk about a jammed copier.

Edmundson is excellent as Beverly, as is Martin as the broken Mr. Raymond, while Hill has a nicely neurotic presence as Lorraine. Ivey cuts a demonic figure as Dart (with his suit and slicked-back hair, he resembles the comedian Bob Odenkirk), and he also deserves praise for his scenic design of a convincingly bland office environment. The only two weaknesses in this show are the slowly paced first half and the use of Hitchcockian music during the scene breaks (it’s a little too histrionic for such a low-key play).

The Receptionist cuts a convincing portrait of how a soul-killing job might eventually kill you. Still, it does seem like kind of a sweet gig if you get paid by the hour. We hear there might be openings at the Northeast office.