Disney’s Frozen, the Musical opened at the Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter MI this week and it is a beautiful holiday treat for the entire family.
Directed by Dan Cooney, the production quickly flies through the show with impeccable vocals, a great orchestra, lovely sets, and a great well-known story. You have a sense of getting to know these characters which are more fleshed out in the stage version, but Cooney knows how to keep the tale flowing with no gaps. Told in cinematic style, the action flows beautifully on Sarah Tanner’s intricate Rubik’s Cube set consisting of multiple panels that slide in and out, augmented by some wonderful projections as well as floor lighting. Stripped down to smaller stage proportions, I did not miss the large Broadway set pieces (even though that ice bridge was ultra cool looking) instead enjoying this version for its own lovely visual merits.
Three sets of young Elsas and Annas rotate for each performance, Emerson Davis and Arianna Berlongieri were swell at my Friday night performance. Vanessa Dominguez plays a formidable Elsa, while Madeline Dick is an energetic and personable Anna. Conor Jordan is all swagger and bravado as Hans, and Nicholas Alexander Wilkinson II is a charming Kristoff. Vaughn Louks controls a masterful Reindeer Sven (an outstanding body puppet by The Rock Shop) while Ash Moran is delightful operating Olaf the Snowman (another outstanding puppet).
Also terrific in supporting roles are Sarah Stevens as Queen/Weselton, David Moan in multiple roles, and the entire cast which is professional and pitch perfect.
As to the show itself, it is padded out with additional songs, none of which are better than any of the original movie songs, but all of which are tuneful and creative. It still clocks in at 2:10 including the intermission. Choreographer Liana Wise and Musical Director R. Mackenzie Lewis have done excellent work. Abby Sage Hall has created lovely costumes. The offstage 10-piece orchestra sounds terrific.
This is a delightful and creative musical for the entire family for this holiday season. Perhaps fittingly, it was 7 degrees outside on show night, but inside everything was warm and happy.
Frozen runs through January 11th but get your tickets soon – online at theencoretheatre.org or by calling 734-268-6200.
Who isn’t ready for some enchanting, updated classic entertainment to begin the winter holiday season? Do not be misled by the premise of a child’s old-fashioned fairy tale as there is much more than that with something for all ages in Croswell Opera House’s magical musical production of Rogers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, running now through December 7th. Get your tickets now before “it’s impossible”.
The enchantment begins a moment before the curtain opens and continues throughout with MAGICAL stagecraft, elaborate costumes, properties and sets, and a wonderful cast. Director Ron Baumanis has done it again. You must go and see this production for yourself as I will not ruin the many visual and audio goodies in this review. You’re welcome.
I will talk about this newer version of the classic written by Douglas Carter Beane which opened on Broadway in 2013, to which this production follows. In it you will be introduced to new characters and plot twists. In this kingdom, you will see class struggles, economic challenges, political differences and devotions, that are not suppressed for the sake of a childhood fable.Original characters are given more depth through witty humor and modern sensibilities of compassion: charity, generosity, and kindness. None of this is done in a sappy manner. You will be both amused and touched by this adaptation and how well this cast delivers each line and song.
Ally Szymanski and Jared Freeman, Ella and Topher, respectively, have wonderful chemistry to match their vocals. Lily Gechter, as Gabrielle, and Sara Long, as Charlotte, provide lots of heart and comedy as the stepsisters in a dysfunctional family led by matriarch Madame, played by very strong Kelly Frailly. Watch Ms. Long exquisitely carry off scene after scene as she makes you love to hate her and hate that you love her. Rounding out the featured cast is Angela Hench as a lovely voiced and very funny fairy godmother, Jonah Hiatt as Jean-Michel, Stephen Kiersay as Sebastian, and Joshua Egnatuk as Lord Pinkleton, all who have embraced their characters with abandon much to the audience’s delight. The ensemble fills the stage with lovely movement choreographed by Sarah Nowak. Of particular note are the three bumbling yet lovable loyalists (Austin Petrie, AJ Landingham, Walter Book).
Another treat is having a full orchestra in the pit; unseen but not unheard. Conductor Raymond Novak has summoned an ensemble that delivers a lush, daunting score with grace and precision.
Joining veteran director Ron Baumanis, there is masterful choreography by Sarah Nowak, great vocal direction by Kristin Clark, beautiful Costumes by Pam Krage, lovely Set Design by Beth Flumignan, bright and colorful Lighting Design by Rachel Slupe, slick Projections by Crosby Slupe, outstanding Sound Design by Karl Kasischke, period Wigs and hair Design by Love Ruddell, and tightly integrated Intimacy and Fight direction by Jen Pan.
What a local gem to have in the Croswell Opera House that does not shy away from productions of grand proportions and delivers professionally. This production is highly recommended!
Bonnie & Clyde The Musical drove into The Croswell Opera House for a two week stay, and it is a fun ride. Since it’s original Broadway run, it has quickly become “America’s most wanted musical” and this production highlights both it’s strengths and inherent weaknesses.
Featuring one of Frank WIldhorn’s (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel) strongest scores, the musical is a vocal showcase for the right cast – and this production very much has the right cast. Told in short cinematic scenes, it accurately tells the story of Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow, his brother Buck, and Buck’s wife Blanche, and invents a love-triangle with Officer Ted who has been in love with Bonnie since school days. The score is filled with soaring soul, jazz, country, and modern rock anthems that have become favorites of musical theater lovers. Told in flashback (I won’t spoil it for those who don’t know how it ends, though how that is possible I am not sure), it covers childhood to adulthood in short staccato scenes filled with humor, romance, suspense, and family melodrama.
I have to be upfront and note that I have directed this show three times – for Encore Musical Theatre Company, Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, and Dowriver Actors Guild, and I have had numerous discussions with Frank WIldhorn, writer Ivan Menchell, as well as set designer Tobin Ost and performers from the original Broadway production. So I approach this review from the eyes of both the general audience, as well as a leading expert in this particular musical.
You couldn’t ask for a better Clyde than Kevin Ludwig who is perfect as both the charmer and sociopath, integrated so smoothly it can be breathtaking, and his outstanding baritone helps fill the large theater with song. Emma Skaggs is outstanding as Bonnie, and her vocals soar individually and in duets with both Clyde and Blanche and she has the acting chops to match. Maxwell Lam is strong as Buck, as is Nicole Merchant as his wife Blanche. James Fischer is simply terrific as Ted and his vocals got mid-song applause twice on opening night.
Featured parts are also very well performed, especially Lydia Schafer as Bonnie’s mother, and Raymond Collins as the Preacher. The entire ensemble (playing various parts) is very good as well.
Everything sounds great under Dave Rains musical direction. His orchestra is pitch perfect and delivers everything from the blues to vibrant rock numbers with aplomb. Debra Calabrese directs with a good eye for interpersonal conflicts and attractions. Costumes and wigs by Tallie Carter are period perfect (and yes, Bonnie has that famous red dress in Act 2). Sound by Karl Kasischke is good.
Now, there are a few problems in the production, and while the casual theater goer might not be concerned with them, I certainly couldn’t ignore them. Lighting is spotty and there isn’t sufficient front light in some scenes. The use of smoke which billowed and furled throughout Act I looked terrible and was fortunately turned off for Act 2. Hopefully it is entirely gone when you see this production. The set design forces too much action too far upstage – scenes which I as a director would place center stage in one, here are played in three making some intimate scenes emotionally removed from the audience, as if you are watching a movie from the back of the house rather than right in front of you. The bathtub scene in particular loses it’s voyeuristic quality when it is set that far upstage. While Buck and Blanche are individually strong, there isn’t much of an emotional connection between the two, so it makes a scene which should be tear jerking a rather unemotional affair, Because of the set design, and the frequent blackouts, the cinematic quality of one scene overlapping another is lost and bogs down the pace of the show which comes in at twenty minutes longer than it should be.
That being said, this is still a very strong production in its own right,. It is difficult for me to separate criticism from directing with a show that I know so intimately. The casual theater goer won’t really see most of the flaws (many inherent in the script itself) and I recommend the production to everyone interested in musical theater. I just wish it had been a bit more quickly paced so that it barrels to its inevitable conclusion, rather than slowly making the way there in the production’s beautiful car.
Recommended.
Bonnie & Clyde continues at Croswell Opera House through October 26th. Tickets at croswell.org or 517-264-SHOW — beware third party ticket sales! The first link on a google search brings up a third party sales site — always buy ONLY from Croswell’s box office.
Guest Review by David Kiley, Editor-in-Chief, New Roads Media
Stephen King’s Misery, adapted for the stage by William Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay, is a story that very much lives in Stephen King’s head and within his frustrations and restraints as a writer. But it also serves as an apt metaphor for the feelings of being trapped that so many people feel today.
Pop fiction writer Paul Sheldon (Dan Morrison) crashes his car in a snowstorm in a remote spot with a leather satchel with his latest novel. It took him three years to write, and its not a book within the genre of his “Misery” books about an 19th century heroine. Annie Wilkes (Sara B. Stevens) is his most devoted fan, who also seems to be bi-polar with psychotic and violent tendencies. She drags Sheldon from the crash and into her house where she looks after him as she lies about the roads and her phone being out from the storm.
Sheldon finds himself trapped, in horrific pain in his legs and shoulder, which makes it impossible for him to over-power her. She locks the door when she leaves. The phone is disconnected. And this unbalanced woman rations his food, water and pain pills with all the aplomb of a sadistic mental patient.
When King wrote the story in the 1980s, he was in a period in which he wanted to break out of the pop horror genre, but the marketplace and obsessive fans, represented by Annie, were pushing back. The fact that he ends up in Misery not able to publish the book he has toiled on for 36 months, shows just how hemmed in he feels.
Morrison’s Sheldon represents the intellectual side of this battle, pitted against the emotional violence of Annie combined with her physical upper-hand. He never stops hoping and scheming his escape. But Annie’s simplistic approach to supervising Sheldon’s captivity is a tough adversary. For much of the play, he is a slightly better-cared-for victim similar to the women Buffalo Bill kept in a pit dug in his basement in Silence of the Lambs.
The Dio Dining & Entertainment’s production, running through Oct. 19 is not terrifying. But there are few things more terrifying than the feeling of being helpless; that nothing you do is going to work to solve this attack on one’s freedom and well-being. Whether it’s happening to one’s self or a loved on, it is an ugly, awful situation to be in. Stevens has a heavy burden trying to do the role after Kathy Bates’ tour de force in the film version. But she very much makes the character her own, toggling between a caring “no. 1 fan” of Sheldon’s and sadistic captor. She is damaged, lonely, mentally ill, rejected, isolated and desperate. Having one’s fate in the hands of somebody so devoid of sense or sanity is a truly terrifying prospect.
Directed by Steve DeBruyne with a clever set design by Technical Director Matthew Tomich, adroitly frames the performances and the story telling. The house where all the action takes place is all two-by-fours so that the audience can see the actors holed up in the bedroom, as well as seeing Stevens’ comings and goings in front of the house, and her and Sheldon’s movements in the kitchen.
Jordan Hayes-Devloo turns in a solid job of playing Buster, the local sheriff who comes to the house twice on suspicion that Annie knows something about Sheldon’s disappearance. He has a knowing Andy Taylor-like approach to his rural Colorado patch. Norma Polk is on costumes, and Eileen Obradavich on props for the isolated house. Jen Pan, Joe Wright and Carrie Sayer are fight captains/intimacy directors.
The pre-show dinner was tinkered for this production; the fried chicken replaced with Annie’s Infamous Meatloaf, with Dirty Birdie Sweetcorn and Cockadoodle Mashed Potatoes. Patrons can bring wine to the performance.
The show runs 2 hours and ten minutes with no intermission. It goes by fast with such a good story delivered by a talented cast and company.
Matthew Porter and Kristin Kukic as Leo and Lucille Frank in Croswell’s Parade. Photo courtesy The Croswell Opera House.
For every 40 Annies, Oklahomas, and Music Mans there is 1 Parade, and the world is a better place because of it.
A stunning production of the show opened at The Croswell Opera House last night and it is the must-see musical of the year. Get tickets for your family (mature audiences only please) and spend a breathtaking couple of hours with the cast and technical marvels on display in this picture-perfect production.
I have had the privilege of seeing the original Parade at Lincoln Center in New York in 1998, the revival in 2023, and the tour in 2025. I’ve seen wonderful productions at University of Michigan and Peppermint Creek in Lansing, but none of them has felt as meaningful as Croswell’s production which left the standing ovation audience speechless last night. Maybe it is this stirring production and it’s incomparable who’s who of local theater cast; maybe it is the week we’ve all experienced nationally; and maybe it is because every now and then, a musical touches your heart in a way that is completely unexpected.
This is not a casual evening of theater to be sure. Parade tells the story of Leo Frank, a Jewish pencil factory manager in Atlanta, transplanted from Brooklyn, and his strong-willed and loving wife. When a thirteen-year-old factory girl is murdered on the premises, Leo is accused as a potential murderer, and the Governor wanting this case to be solved quickly before it attracts national attention to the still-reeling 1913 post-Civil War deep south Georgia, sends the case escalating into chaos. The show’s themes of racial tension, north vs south conflict, harassment, murder, and ultimately a lynching is not for folks expecting a quick fun evening of tunes and dances.
That being said, virtually the entire first act is a choreographed (stunningly so by Sabriyah W. Davis) carnival of lies, exaggerated by the media, and swirling through an unbalanced community quick to cast blame at an outsider. Nobody is spared the grief here, and Davis’s ability to keep things keenly moving compliments Michael Yuen’s direction of crisp, clean scenes that never stop moving. Even the set (featuring a turntable) keeps things moving from location to location, person to person, until you have a (ugh, sorry) parade of accusations and misinformation. The exceptionally well-written second act features Leo’s wife Lucille’s attempts to find justice for her husband and their increasingly strong love for each other that culminates in one of Jason Robert Brown’s best songs for the theatre, “All the Wasted Time”. (You might recall the Tony performance with Carolee Carmello and Brent Carver). The book is by Alfred Uhre.
Musical direction by Todd Schreiber (who also conducts the outstanding 13-piece orchestra) is absolutely terrific and soloists and ensemble perform the extraordinarily difficult score with absolute aplomb. When the orchestra drops out and you hear the cast’s unaccompanied harmony it is like nothing you have heard in a very long time. Set Design and Projections by Tobin Ost are exactly what you would expect from the award-winning Ost (designer of Broadway’s Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde, and others) – simple yet beautifully effective.
All technical aspects of this production just click and swirl as carefully choreographed as the actors.
Matthew Porter is exceptional as Leo Frank. His ability to morph from shy, afraid factory manager to a powerhouse of emotion is astonishing. He is ably matched by the strong-voiced and self-assured Kristin Kukic as his wife Lucille. Together they are a steam engine barreling along at full speed.
Jared Hoffert plays a strong Governor John Slaton, and his real-life wife Julia Spanja Hoffert plays his onstage wife Sally with a keen eye to what is happening around her. She and Jared have the most humorous interaction of the show, right at the moment it is sorely needed. Riley Bollock is terrific as Frankie Epps, murdered Mary Phagan’s (Hallie Yuen, terrific in a demanding role) young admirer as are Steven Kiss as Hugh Dorsey (you’ve probably never seen Steven play a bad guy on stage before and he is outstanding here). Mary’s mother is played by heartbreaking Maria Portaro-Mohler…wait until her last line in her solo during the funeral and see if you still like her when it’s all done. Brava. Every supporting role is strong and vocals are excellent throughout: Joshua Egnatuk, Nickolas Brown, Jeffrey Thomas King, Will DuPuis, Ebone Waweru, and Bradley Baker.
There isn’t a spare part in the rest of the ensemble, everyone often onstage either performing or watching and judging, and you might recognize some of these names as leads in previous Croswell shows and elsewhere attesting to the strength of this production: Nate Adams, Oden Berthelsen, Bob Eccles, Christopher Harlan, CaSaundra Taulton, Carolyn Mohler, Sarah Hoffert, Abigail Lipsitz, Walter Book, Hobbes Treynor, Abby Dots, Jess Dougherty, Ella Flumignan, Leah Fox, Cassidy Giddens, AJ Landingham, Jordan Marquez, Kylie McElrath, Love Ruddell, Madeline Stewart, Eva Suchora, Aaron Treadway.
This is absolutely the season’s must-not-miss musical. While you won’t leave the theater humming the songs, you will find yourself thinking and feeling, and that’s pretty darn good for a musical. As one of the more profound songs in the production asks, “Where will you stand when the flood comes?” Will you do what is right, even when others shun you, or will you stand with the crowd waving and cheering at their outdated modes of hero worship during Confederate Memorial Day. Time has done no favors to help us figure that out.
Absolutely Highest Recommendation. Don’t miss it.
Parade continues at The Croswell Opera House through September 21st. Tickets available at croswell.org or by calling 517-264-SHOW, or at the door, Buy tickets ONLY directly from Croswell: there are no authorized third-party ticket sellers, buyer beware.
Dan Cooney, Broadway performer and Dexter’s The Encore Musical Theatre Company’s artistic director and central beating heart, released his first EP last week, and it is wonderful.
Most of the songs are co-written by Dan Cooney and Grammy Award-winning Nashville singer/songwriter Chris Roberts. Not surprising then that the album has a modern Nashville sound, from Pop Rock Country anthems to slower ballads – but it all revolves around family, parents, friends, spouses, children.
The title tune, “Never Really Gone”, honors his mother, “Go Fishin'” his father. Other songs are about his brother Jeff (“14 Foot Dream”,) brother Chuck (“Streets of Monroe”) and his wife, Jessica Grové gets the lovely “My Over the Rainbow” which is particularly clever if you know the couple’s history.
The radio-ready “Come Home” celebrates being able to go home to your parents and family no matter what is happening in life, no matter what the current relations are at home. It’s a stunning piece.
Cooney’s clear bari-tenor soars on the songs, and as soon as you’re done, you’ll be going back to listen to it all again. I joked to Dan that it’s an album filled with “Sondheimesque Country Rock” – because the lyrics are moving and often clever, and his vocals have wonderful mid-phrase modulations and tone only a trained Broadway performer can achieve. This is a great first EP, and here’s to many more down the road.
Highly recommended.
Stream wherever you listen to music, or buy and download. I bought my copy on Apple.
It’s back! ANNIE the musical opened at Croswell Opera House this weekend and it is exactly what you need for a family outing to see real live theater. (Get your tickets now, they are selling very fast).
Arriving on Broadway in 1977, the show works as well today as it did then. That it is a masterwork of musical comedy history shows in its hundreds of productions nationwide every year. Croswell Opera House last produced Annie 14 years ago, and this one looks a bit different and is a great introduction to theater that isn’t cookie-cutter based.
Charles Strouss and Martin Charnin’s songs come fast and furious, and they’ve never sounded better than with Raymond Novak’s orchestra which is full size and lush. This is the way Annie is meant to be heard, not with tracks or reduced small orchestras in most productions. Wynne Marsh’s musical direction is crisp and clear. Dom Glover’s choreography works well and keeps things moving throughout. The production is directed by Kristen Hinshaw.
Some outstanding and energetic work is done by the (large) girls ensemble and they clearly look like they are having the time of their lives. Annie is played by clear-voiced and charismatic Caroline Hubbard who never misses a beat to charm you. Sandy the dog is a crowd favorite, played by Blueberry with his own Instagram (@hello.itsblueberry!) and brings the tears in the final moments of the musical. Yes, a dog can do that.
Also very good are Elizabeth Mitchell as Miss Hannigan, Steven Kiss as Rooster Hannigan, Cassidy Giddens as Lily St Regis (like the hotel), and Emma Skaggs as Grace Farrell. Chris Stack is delightful in numerous roles in the show, and just try sitting there straight-faced during his “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.” D. Ward Ensign plays Warbucks.
The sets, costumes, lighting, and wigs all look great, as do the properties and everything runs smoothly from a stage management point of view. I personally love seeing drops move and pass and create stage magic and this all looks great here.
The audience was ecstatic throughout, and tickets are getting scarce so get yours today.
Annie runs through August 17th at the Croswell Opera House, Adrian, Michigan, Purchase tickets ONLY directly from Croswell and not from third party resellers who are not authorized to do so. Croswell.org — Photo courtesy of The Croswell Opera House.
The Croswell Opera House opened its third show of the season, and it is very highly recommended that you attend.
Based on the movie, Bring it On is the cheerleading musical you never thought you needed but once you see it you realize you did. Like the movie, Campbell (an incredible Lydia Kirk) is redistricted from upper class Truman High to, well lets just say more urban Jackson High. Along the way, she not only has to deal with the backbiting and competition at her old school, but, gulp, her new school doesn’t even have a cheer squad!…Yet. What follows is funny, exciting, and ultimately feel good.
At times standard book musical, at others Cheer competition, the entire cast is made up of young folks, from high school to early 20’s. With a book by Jeff Whitty based on the screenplay and music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (with additional music by Tom Kitt and Amanda Green), the storyline is easy to follow with terrific humor along the way, and a hip-hop score that, while not memorable, is perfect for the tone and energy of the show.
Croswell Opera House is at its best when everything clicks, and it is all gangbusters full cylinder here – Directing by Erin Pifer is fluid and keeps the large scenes moving smoothly, no small feat when sometimes featuring more than one cheer team on stage at the same time; Vocal Direction by Mandy Kruse is terrific, allowing rap to rap and fluid melody lines to clearly flow; Music Director Josh Glover conducts a great 7 piece orchestra that sounds three times it’s size (augmented by the original Broadway keyboard patches); award-winning Cheer Coach Kelly Bailey creates routines complete with pyramids, pop-ups, and basket tosses (limited only by the proscenium height); Choreographer Debra Ross Calabrese creates big spectacular numbers (just like she’s done in previous productions like Newsies and Kinky Boots); and Stage manager Tennessee Lawler has her hands full making it all mesh smoothly, and smoothly it does. Special kudos to lighting designer Jacob Wilson and projection designers Kylie Bushman (who is also in the show!), Beth Flumignan, and Crosby Slupe who make eye-popping visuals that flow over the edges of the stage itself into the house, making it one of the most colorful shows I’ve seen at the venue. Scenic Designer Doug Miller has created a sparse but highly functional set that reflects light beautifully, and costumer Jen Brown has done marvelous work with the street and cheer uniforms (and some mighty quick changes). Jen Pan’s intimacy/fight choreography makes everything zippy and safe.
Kids! Do not try this at home! What you don’t see on stage are the hours and hours and hours of training, especially for the pop ups and basket tosses (little known fact, I was a university cheerleader, and decades later my shoulders still hurt).
Lydia Kirk is a true triple-threat-plus-one as singer/dancer/actress and cheerleader! Her Campbell brings heart and drive to the show. She is matched step by step by Ziyaan Nurruddin as Danielle, at first her nemesis and later friend at Jackson High — not only in-tune with the urban hippness the role requires, her vocals are also phenomenal. Rachel Ogger is spot-on as friend Bridget, and she hides some moves and vocals of her own until needed later in the show. Back at Truman High Bryce Lang is perfect as (all about) Eve. Lily Gechter and Gabrielle Dunn are fun as uber-bitches Skylar and Kylar. And at Jackson, Talitha Thomas (Nautica) and Skye Rodriguez (La Cienega, named after the LA street!) ably fill out Danielle’s crew with talented singing, dancing, and solid laughs.
The lead guys are well represented by Payton Sharp, Derrick McCullough, Marreon Washington, and Bobby Lindsey. There’s a lot of talent on this stage, and wait til the guys let loose with their acrobatics in the second act. The cast is filled out by a very large ensemble of girls and guys. They sound great in their many numbers, and look great in uniform performing their routines.
And yes, that final champtionship is worth waiting for. The audience was fully cheering and rooting on the teams throughout, and by the climax you really don’t care who wins — will it be Truman High with their crisp clean uniforms and crisp clean cheer routine? Or will it be Jackson High with its less-than routine acrobatics and sky-high charisma? There is so much energy here the cast nearly blows off the roof, and the audience cheering nearly finishes the job.
Very Highest Recommendation – don’t miss this.
Bring it On the Musical continues at the Croswell Opera House, downtown Adrian, MI through July 20th. Get your tickets ONLY at croswell.org or by calling 517-264-7469. Do not be fooled by third party sites online, there are no licensed venders for the theatre other than their own site.
Avenue Q, the little musical that could (it beat out behemoth Wicked for Best Musical and other Tony Awards in 2003) arrived at the Dio last night and it is as funny, tuneful, and filled with heart as you would expect. Produced on Broadway by University of Michigan alum Jeffrey Seller, with subsequent replacement casts and tour casts filled with UM Musical Theater graduates, it always feels like a bit of home returns every time the show is staged here locally. Whether it is your first time, or you’ve seen the show numerous times, the Dio’s production shines in production value and casting and you should get your tickets now.
Bret Beaudry is terrific playing both Princeton and Rod (sometimes at the same time!) as the puppets go through life on Avenue Q (somewhere in NYC beyond alphabet city where Flushing seems like a step up). Kennedy Vernengo plays a delightful and beautifully voiced Kate Monster and Lucy. Connor Thomas Rhoades is simply marvelous as Trekkie Monster, Nicky, and other characters, often with the assistance of Carrie Sayer to help manipulate the larger puppets. Just like Sesame Street, there are a few “real life” characters and Steve DeBruyne is appropriately tv-character-like as Brian (he also directed this slick production), Kylee Ayar is jaw-droppingly hilarious as his fiance Christmas Eve, and Jacqui Blue is particulary strong as Gary Coleman (yes, that Gary Coleman).
Despite the hilarious and, lets admit it, very cute puppets – this is not a show for the entire family. It’s great for 16 and up, but it’s not for wee monsters with its language, direct discussion of adult themes and content (including full puppet nudity).
Matt Tomich has designed a beautiful set, complete with garbage strewn stoops (this is so entirely genuine to NYC that it immediately transported me back to my first apartment on York Avenue with my horrendous 4th floor walkup – which at the time I thought was pretty nifty.)
Musical Direction is solid by Lisa Merte; Choreography is cute and peppy by Autumn Sierra; Norma Polk’s costuming is spot on (and in one case electrifyingly so); Props by Eileen Obradovich are terrific as always, and Amy Schumacher lends a hand as Assistant Director, while Vaughn Louks serves as Puppet Handler (and there are a lot of puppets to handle here, from changing outfits to looks).
By the end of the show, you’ll know why it beat out Wicked, even if the Tony audience sat in stunned silence for a few moments before erupting with applause. It truly is the little musical that could, and this production does too, and you should see it.
Highest Recommendation.
Avenue Q runs at the Dio through August 10th. Tickets at DioTheatre.com or 517-672-6009
The musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame opened at the beautiful Baughman Theater at Jackson College’s Potter Center last night and proved to be up to the challenge for Center Stage Jackson’s large spring musical. Director Michael Cicirelli does a terrific job of keeping the (very large) musical moving and gives it a top notch shape and form. Vocal Director Andi Wynn-Chatfield and Musical Director/Conductor Dale Hendershot III send the vocals and orchestrations soaring. Choreographer Rachel Francisco creates colorful and fun musical numbers.
Based on the novel as well as the Disney Film, the show features a script by Peter Parnell, Music by Alan Menken, and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. At some point Disney decided the show was a bit dark for its tastes and removed their name from the title. Originally produced at Papermill Playhouse on the east coast, Disney never moved the show to Broadway because of its dark themes, but that gave it a tremendous life in regional, community, and college theaters. Fortunately for us, the production at Center Stage Jackson hits the right notes. It’s a true ensemble show where everyone plays a part (sometimes multiple parts) including a large side stage vocal ensemble. The downside is that a show of this size sometimes needs to tell rather than show, so listen carefully to the lyrics. This isn’t a show where you can let your attention stray for awhile. (Also, it is based on but very much not like the Disney film, so leave the wee ones at home).
There’s a saying in community theater that you “use what you get” – that is, your casting is dependent on who shows up for auditions. Everyone is a volunteer, and talent levels vary from show to show. Luckily, Hunchback has a stunning lead performance by Diego Febres-Cordero as Frollo, the Christian Clergyman currently promoted to lead Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral. After the death of his less-than-religious brother (Tori Bruce) he becomes caretaker of his baby Quasimodo (semi-formed) who is a deformed cripple and hunchback. Hidden away in the belfry, Quasimodo (Jesse Gerrild) is surrounded by his imaginary friends (the gargoyles and statues of the cathedral) and his life becomes intertwined with that of a mysterious gypsy woman Esmerelda (Isabell Frey), and captain of the guard Phoebus (Doug Hutt), after he wanders out into the city to observe the annual “Feast of Fools” — when gypsys and other provincials are permitted into the walled city for one day to celebrate. What follows is high drama and does not follow the happy ending Disney movie but stays true to the novel. Keep in mind Victor Hugo also wrote Les Miserables, and the tone here is closer to that than anything Disney. (Historically, Hugo’s novel is credited with saving the actual cathedral and funding its restoration).
Some performers are stronger than others, but the production as a whole is well worth checking out. Set Design, Lighting, Costumes, Props, and Makeup are great. Sound cues were often late, especially in the large ensemble numbers on opening night though I suspect this will quickly resolve as everything clicks into place over the two week run.
But what really makes Hunchback stand out from the crowd is the outstanding musical score – with its ballads, liturgical passages, solos, duets, and soaring choral passages you’ll be swept along with the shows characters in a production that builds and builds to its (inevitable) conclusion. Be warned that the show contains themes of inclusion, love, caring…but it also includes themes of religious fervor, assault, excommunication, fear, and political intolerance. Sound like anything we know?
Recommended for adults and teenagers. Not for children.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame continues at Center Stage Jackson through June 29th. Tickets at centerstagejackson.org
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