THE BODYGUARD THE MUSICAL brings the songs…and the talent at Croswell Opera House

I was at a Whitney Houston tribute concert last night and a play broke out. That’s the headline I wanted to use back in 2017 when I reviewed the touring production of The Bodyguard The Musical at Wharton Center, but honestly, I forgot, so I’m using it today. Opening last night at the Croswell Opera House and running through June 16th, the production is jam-packed with the hits you already know from the movie as well as a half dozen other greatest hits from Houston’s repertoire. 

First of all, credit to artistic director Jere Righter for knowing her audience – which was ecstatic by intermission and fully singing and clapping along by the finale dance-along. 

Second, credit professional singer/actor Arielle Crosby who fully nails the lead character, pop singer Rachel Marron. WOW! Just, wow. On stage practically the entire evening, she excels at both ballads and large concert-staged numbers but makes the role fully her own. (I have to admit, there is a big shadow of Whitney Houston in the back of your mind throughout the show).

Anjewel Lenoir, who I initially didn’t recognize because she makes her part so unique, plays her jealous sister Nicki. If you’ve seen the movie, you know how that turns out. Her part is increased in the musical and her musical numbers are just as pow-bam-in-your-face as Crosby’s. When they sing together (Run to You) it is musical theater heaven.

Steven Kiss plays Frank Farmer (the Kevin Costner role) and he has big shoes to fill here and does so very well — though the Steve I know comes to life in the finale dance-along. (I recall it being pretty much the same in the tour). 

King Brinson is terrific as Whitney Houston’s (I mean Rachel Marron’s) son. The entire rest of the cast sings, dances, play multiple roles, and are truly terrific performing Sarah Nowak’s picture perfect backup singer/dancer choreography. Josh Glover conducts the often on-stage orchestra with special kudos to Jann Battersby after all these years getting a sax solo in a spotlight moment. This entire cast, crew, and orchestra has talent to spare. Conner Raymond performs his ever-efficient stage management and Director/Vocal Director Michael Yuen makes everything click and buzz. He has a firm grasp on this show – what it should look like, how it should move, and where it should barrel along and where you can slow down a bit (this is done on purpose – some scenes are expanded and slowed down just to allow the actors time to breath and change clothes before heading into the next big production number.  If I have one complaint about the actual script, there is a sequence in Act 2 of clunky dialogue that has three lines, blackout, three lines, blackout, three lines, blackout, three lines blackout, before finally getting back into groove. There is nothing wrong with this production – that’s bad script-writing.)

The set looks fantastic with its cyberlights, smoke columns, beams of colored light, and projection. There’s a nifty invisible backdrop that flashes different colors throughout and adds to the real-concert feeling. Marty Flake designed the sets, Rachel Slupe did wonders with the light design, Karl Kasischke designed the way way complicated sound and projection design, Sabriyah Davis designed the costumes which gleam and sparkle and change colors and come and go and oh my, what a job here. 

But back to Arielle Crosby — that voice. That sound. That relationship to her audience. Go see this show and revel at the talent, but then take a moment to appreciate what Crosby does with her vocals and you’ll be flying on the way out the door. No surprise she got an immediate standing ovation. 

Here’s the honest truth – as a theater-goer, I absolutely love this show – both here and when I saw the tour. As a critic, I have to say the material itself (like the movie) isn’t really that good but it keeps you interested and ties together all the elements. You know the stalker who wants to kill Rachel is going to get the bodyguard treatment eventually. You know all the “big moments” from the movie are here (along with the stilted dialogue which even Kevin Coster looked like he was choking on in the movie). But that’s not what this musical is about. It’s about some of the hottest songs in the pop rock repertoire. It’s about an incredible performer making her movie debut then, and an incredible performer creating an exciting stage performance here now. Go. Enjoy. Bring your friends. It’s generally family friendly (although there is some light use of colorful language and adult situations and some kids might be scared by the scary stalker). There were still gasps at one point when something happens that movie lovers will remember but first timers don’t see coming. Credit Michael Yuen for those moments. And two nifty uses of a green stage laser. 

Highly Recommended. Don’t hesitate to go see this.  Photo, Croswell Opera House.

The Bodyguard continues through June 16th. Tickets at Croswell.org, or 517-264-SHOW. Buy tickets directly ONLY from Croswell. There are no third party authorized sales venues. Buy online at their website or by calling the box office. 

Encore Musical Theatre Company’s OKLAHOMA! is the finest production of this musical I’ve ever seen

One of the things you don’t expect when going to the theater to see an 80-year old musical comedy is that production to feel as fresh and new as a bright golden haze on an Oklahoma meadow. Yet that is what you get in Encore Musical Theatre Company’s Oklahoma! — the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that set a new standard for integrating music, drama, story, and dance. There’s a reason this classic musical has been passed down through the decades, and that reason is on stage right now at Encore.

This musical continues the collaboration between Encore and the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre program – call it SMTD’s “summer stock north.” But it is far crisper and cleaner than any summer stock you will see anywhere because of the long rehearsal period, and a cast that trusts each other intimately. Lots of these folks will soon be on Broadway guaranteed – so see them here first! (You’ll recognize some faces from the recent musicals at Power Center and the Lydia Mendelssohn). 

Start with two incredible leads — Jason Mulay Koch is the best Curly I have ever seen. Yes, he’s better than Hugh Jackman’s rendition. He sings, dances, and acts with perfection. Aurora Penepacker is an ideal Laurie. You genuinely feel for these two in their teasing romance of two people long in love without being able to say so to each other; so they dance around it exquisitely. 

Add a secondary pair of terrific singer/dancers with Maddie Dick’s hilarious comic timing as Ado Annie, and high-stepping shit-eating-grinned Anderson Zoll as Will Parker. Cody Dent is wonderful as Ali Hakim, the comic center of their love triangle in which the ultimate outcome is broadcast before any of them even appear on stage. 

Supplement this with a strong, spunky, and funny Julia Glander as Aunt Eller, a very funny Keith Kalinowski as Ado Annie’s father, and David Moan as the most remarkable Jud Fry you will ever see. Local audiences have never seen Moan play a role like this, and he is incredible. Infusing his part with loneliness, anger, and mental instability, you can see why Aunt Eller had the heart to take him in all those years ago in the first place. Setting into motion the evening’s dramatic arc, Moan is simply astonishing. I am returning to see the show a second time partly to watch him again.

The entire cast is on point throughout the three hour production. (1:40 first act, 20 minute intermission, and 55 minute second act. You know, the way classic musicals do.)

Singing, Dancing, and performances throughout are exactly what you expect from folks in the finest musical theatre program in the country.

Dan Cooney directs with a fresh approach that keeps things moving swiftly and fills the stage (and at times audience) with joy. R Mackenzie Lewis’s musical direction highlights these voices and their perfect diction, and he conducts the 14-piece onstage orchestra which is lush and gorgeous and the concept here works wonderfully — and allows for a full orchestra in the limited space. Everything is beautifully lit and sound is excellent. Props and costumes are pretty and era-appropriate. Amy West’s choreography is exuberant, energized, tap-infused, and lovely to watch in solos, pairs, small groups, and sometimes the entire ensemble. Laurie’s Dream Ballet is focused and emotionally charged. Everything comes to life on Shane Cinal’s stunning wood set. He has found a way to bring Oklahoma to life without the clunky wagons of scenery often used in this show, yet designing a sense of place that is always present. Lights and scenic design work hand in hand here to create a world you will cherish and feel like you are part of. 

Normally I try to include everyone’s name in my reviews, but quite frankly this production is so big I can’t list everyone in the review. Go see this show. Read the program. Look at who’s who. Read the bios of the cast and the production staff. Take a look at the enormous wealth of talent and the gift that these people are giving our local theatre scene.

Oklahoma! is family friendly although younger visitors will find their attention straying – this is a musical for adults. It takes it’s time leisurely getting you from point A to point Z. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. A+ my highest recommendation.

Oklahoma continues through June 30th. Tickets at theencoretheatre.org — 7714 Ann Arbor Street,Dexter, Michigan 48130    (734) 268-6200

Alt Rock meets Wonderland

    

Alice by Heart, which opened at The Dio last night, is a rare sort of musical. An Alt-Rock take on Alice in Wonderland by the “Spring Awakening” crew of Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater (Jessie Nelson is also an additional writer). It has a lovely score of ballads and more upbeat rock numbers, and manages to tell the basic story quite well in an intermission-less 1:45. But its not an easy marriage.

     Set in a London bomb shelter during nightly blitzes in WWII, Alice (Alexa Huss, wonderful in the part) tells tuberculosis-ailing Alfred (Kolbe Pierzynowski, also a very strong actor) her favorite book, which she has memorized by heart, and it is acted out in fantasy form including all the denizens of the bomb shelter – complete with occasional bombings and shakings. Alfred himself takes on the role of the White Rabbit (get it, he’s running out of time?). In telling the tale, things take on a more serious air as it becomes apparent that Alfred is, indeed, running out of time.

     The score is similar to that of Spring Awakening and even ends with a similar ballad “Winter Blooms” which looks more optimistically toward a better tomorrow (“Purple Summer” redux). And therein lies the disconnect in this musical — set in 1941, an era in which specific musical rhythms and beats are so inherent in our collective recall of big bands and sentimental sing-alongs, the score invokes none of that and that leaves it sometimes clashing with the setting. Not a huge deal, but an uneasy marriage. I personally just love this score but you have to buy-into the alt-rock approach.

     Matthew Tomich’s set is appropriately gloomy when in the bomb shelter, and brightly neon lit during the fantasy Wonderland sequences. The 5-piece band under musical director Frank E. Pitts leadership sounds fantastic, and twice its size. Steve DeBruyne directs with particular creativity.

     The entire cast is terrific and create vivid characters throughout the production, playing both people in the shelter (some literally losing their minds from the bombing, some having literally lost sense of day or night), as well as the Wonderland characters.

     Particularly outstanding is Ash Moran as Red Cross Nurse/Queen of Hearts with her soaring vocals and ability to range from hilarious to dead serious in the drop of a playing card. 

     Working as a true ensemble, you’ll have your favorites: Alexander Cousins, James Fischer, Lily Gechter, Anthony Pierzynowski, Annabel Pulman, Maddie Ringvelski, Xavier Sarabia, Kylie Scarpace, and Antonio Vettraino.

     Overall, it’s a lovely evening out, including a delicious dinner (and cookies!!) and a great look at a modern musical (2019) which The Dio is doing first, but which you will no doubt be seeing a lot of in the coming years (it’s soaring in high school and college musical rentals). You will also most likely find yourself searching out a download of the cast recording afterwards. Appropriate for 13 and up (drug use and occasional strategic use of cursing). Younger audiences should be familiar with the characters of Alice Through the Looking Glass before taking them to see this show, or they will be lost.

     Highly Recommended.

     Alice by Heart continues through May 12th at The Dio in Pinckney. Tickets at diotheatre.com or 517-672-6009   

Paper vs iPad vs RM2 – or combination?

Time to update my “current tech” opinions/recommendations.

For the record, day to day, I use exclusively Apple products with the exception of my Remarkable 2 (more on that later). I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max, an iPad Pro 2023, an Apple Watch (which I never use, I don’t see the point); Apple HomePods in stereo in my living room; Apple TV for my television streaming; Apple Airpods 2 which I also don’t use (they hurt my ears no matter what tips I use), an iMac for my office mostly used for FaceTime, and a MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max for real work. 

But today I’m writing about writing. I love to write. I write for work, I write for fun. I write in a journal, I write for reviews, I have three books one-tenth finished on my MBP. I have ten finished just sitting in a file. 

My most indispensable tool day to day is my planner/journal. This always used to be kept on paper, even when BlackBerry took over (oof, I would pay anything for a working BlackBerry today) and eventually we all started calendaring and keeping all our notes in our iPhones or smartphones. Eventually, I switched to doing all my planning and journaling on my iPad when they introduced the Apple Pencil and we could write on it instead of typing, and eventually I came across Notability and everything else was history — until I couldn’t stand writing on a glass screen anymore. So it was goodbye to iPad and back to the paper planner. Until Remarkable 2 came along.

MY PAPER PLANNER SETUP

I have a dozen planner covers, my current favorite is a Coronado Leather 216 and in it I use the Leuchtturm1917 Agenda planner A5 size, and an Ox & Pine cahier gridded journal in the back. I love the Coronado leather and its patina now looks like Indiana Jones has used it for years. The 24-page cahier is just the right size at the back. I love the Leuchtturm1917 because it combines an appointment style agenda which I prefer, with lots of room to write and good quality paper (Moleskine has no agenda style planner and the paper is so thin it is too cheap for my use over 18 months). As soon as the 2025 planner arrives in stock, I’ll get a copy and put it on the shelf next to my desk to keep track of next years activities already. I have a collection of 28 Levenger TrueWriter pens which I adore, and a dozen other favorite ballpoints.

I use a pencil exclusively in my planner, so for that, I have a duel-function pen/pencil from Lami inside my Coronado. I had to purchase a stick-on pen loop holder since the Coronado comes without and quite frankly, I need a pen every hour of the day.

ALONG COMES REMARKABLE 2

If you have yet to discover it, the Remarkable 2 arrived from Europe in 2020 (after an initial tentative trial with eInk with the original Remarkable which few people used and even fewer still have, though it is still available). eInk is exactly what it sounds like. It does nothing but allow you to write (and read) on a non-backlit old-school tablet that you can create notebooks, sheets, mark up PDFs, and that is it. While it syncs to a desktop (and if you pay, some programs like Dropbox) it does nothing else. There is no clock, there is no internet, email. Messages, movies, photos, or anything else. (In short, it is absolutely nothing like an iPad or your Galaxy Tab). It is in black and white, there is no color. 

Yet writing on it is fantastic. It feels pretty close to writing in a paper planner. It touts itself as being “distraction free writing” – which I have to admit sounds vaguely insulting, like people have the attention span of a flee, though maybe they are on to something for some people. I’ve never felt my iPhone or iPad are intrusive. That being said, that is all it does. You can write. And erase. And move things around. And organize (kind of). You can now add pages. You can delete pages. You can rename things to your hearts delight. You can make short documents or you can write long documents (my 2023 Journal has 700 pages so far.)

Writing feels pretty genuine, though I have not found a satisfactory replacement for my actual pens. The Remarkable 2 “marker” with eraser function balances well, but doesn’t have the size or heft of a real pen. In comes the Lami EMT stylus which works beautifully once you substitute out a RM2 nib rather than the cheap nib the Lami stylus uses.

The downside — it is SO SLOW. I mean, snails pace slow. Every time you flip a page it “redraws” on the screen. It is faster now with updates than it was in 2020, but still, it is nowhere near satisfactory and trying to flip through 100 pages of a PDF document is basically an exercise in futility. So — you learn to cope with writing and not looking back. Which is not ideal, and which doesn’t work well in a paper planner/agenda. 

For awhile, this satisfied me — the paper planner was on the shelf — I’d update the paper agenda on a weekly basis, but writing stayed basically in the planner.

THEN THE LURE OF PAPER RETURNED

That is, until the lure of real paper and real pens got too much for me. I had to have that sensory experience of real writing in a real notebook with real paper pages to flip and the ability to instantly flip through my agenda to find events that I need to refer to now, in the past, or in the coming months. Simply not doable with a Remarkable 2. Don’t even get me started on their horrendous “search” function. 

SO NOW, WHAT’S THE FLOW?

I have found that I use my very overpriced iPad Pro mostly as a media consumption device. I watch shows, movies, flip through photos, surf the internet, check Facebook. I do no writing on it. Even with fads like “paperlike” (which just obscures the clear beautiful iPad screen for everything else I do) writing on it just, well, sucks. No matter how beautiful Notability has become.  Writing wise, I use my iPad solely for archiving journals and planners from my Remarkable 2 for posterity in a file in Notability called “Archive”. I can go back and read old planners if I want. I rarely want. 

I can not stop using both the Remarkable 2 or my paper journal so I use both. Sometimes for a week at a time, and then I sync the two by scanning the paper notes I have taken and inserting them in my electronic Remarkable 2 document. (You can’t go the other way around, so the RM2 becomes the “final copy” of anything I have written). Because the cahier notebook has only 24 pages (48 double sided) I go through about one a week and just tear it apart page by page, scan everything in, and then add the pages to the journal PDF on the Remarkable 2. At the end of the year that PDF goes into the iPad archive. (You can store them on your RM2 if you want but it just eats up space, which the RM2 does not have that much of). 

Sometimes I love the feel of the RM2 and like having almost everyone that sees it ask me what it is, and I kind of like showing off my tech and feeling cool.

At other times I just want the pleasure of paper and pen in my lovely leather cover and I can go for weeks with just that alone. But I have found that using either one or the other solely doesn’t satisfy my writing itch right now.

So that’s it — my current flow is to use both the RM2 and my paper journal as I feel from day to day. I use a ScanSnap to scan in the pages of the paper cahier when it is full, and I use my MacBook Pro’s Remarkable 2 software to sync it all up. Final storage is in the iPad in Notability. Then start all over again. 

I should add one caveat — I do NOT recommend this system to any of my brain injured clients. There, I recommend either 100% use of the iPad for all writing and planning, or a paper planner exclusively with 2-page per day sheets. No exceptions. 

Stunning “Dreamgirls” in Winter Garden

Some of us will recall one of the biggest musical theater battles in Tony award history. It was 1982. Those of us who had seen both shows on Broadway sat glued to the tv to see whether Michael Bennett’s electrifying Dreamgirls, or Tommy Tune’s bare-budget Nine would be the big winner that night. Dreamgirls seemed like the shoo-in for that award. 

The excitement of seeing that original production of Dreamgirls will always be fresh in my mind, and I am happy to report that exactly what happened in NYC happened at the Garden Theatre this afternoon watching Victory Productions/Garden Theatre’s partnership production of Dreamgirls — the audience was on its feet at the end of Act I and it was back on its feet at the end of the show. And very deservedly so.

This production is stunning and throughout the show it felt like a surge of energy was passed throughout the audience. This isn’t the type of musical you can just sit back and relax, because you find yourself so caught up in the drama of the (barely disguised) tale of Diana Ross and the Supremes (here, Deena Jones and the Dreams) from rise to eventual parting of the ways. There are spontaneous eruptions of laughing, and talk-backs, and applause throughout the production. As it should be. As it was in 1982 and as it is still relevant today. 

Beautifully directed by De’lon Grant, choreographed by Solomon Jaye, and Musical Directed by John B. Dehaas, the production takes off where most musicals would never dare to start, and it barrels like a steamtrain to it’s conclusion, Along the way you get some of Broadway’s best pop songs by Tom Even and Henry Krieger, and of course, the inevitable “And I am Telling You I’m not Going” brilliantly delivered by powerhouse Effie, Brianna Javis. She has the audience in her hand from her first appearance to her last. As it should be. As it was in 1982. 

Jazzmin Carson is very strong and delivers an effortless looking Deena (which is remarkable given how very difficult these roles are). Stephanie Dorcely creates a spunky Lorrell while Arei Moon is a funny Michelle later in the show. These women are fantastic.

The men are equally impressive, led by Maurice Alpharicio as Curtis, Demille Cole-Heard as James Thunder Early, Ishmon Brown as CC, and James Berkley as Marty. 

The ensemble plays various other parts as needed, and each of them are exceptionally talented – Laiya Parker, Olamide Asanpaola, Shatonya Bryant, Tirrell Fuller, AR Williams, Brett Hennessey Jones, and Broderick O’Neal. They also serve as understudies for the leads, and should you happen to see one of them step in for a performance, don’t worry, you will be in great hands. Everyone here is equally outstanding.

Lighting and Set Design work hand in hand with Projections and make the small Garden Theatre stage look bigger than it is.  Costumes and wigs are incredible as are several costume changes (which also got applause). Every inch of the stage is utilized in this production, including the on-stage band. 

That is also this production’s liability — this undersized cast both fills the stage, yet isn’t fully large enough for this show, which requires a larger ensemble to make some of the numbers pop (especially noticable in numbers like “Steppin’ to the Bad Side” and the Five Tuxedos being played by three.) There were also some minor sound problems at the performance I saw, with some late mic entrances and insufficient volume which becomes most noticable in the sung dialogue sections. 

You will leave the theater flying on air and raving about it, and possibly (like myself) getting a ticket to return to see it again later in the month. You’ll leave raving about the performances and wondering where Brianna Javis has been all your life. And you will leave scratching your head wondering how Nine won the Best Musical Tony over Dreamgirls…though we all know that the best musical doesn’t always win the Best Musical award, today or in 1982.

Don’t miss this incredible production. Very Highest Recommendation. 

Dreamgirls runs through August 6th at the Garden Theatre, 160 W Plant St, Winter Garden FL. Tickets at Gardentheatre.org, the box office, or 407-877-4736.

42nd Street at Encore is Grand, Grand, Grand

Have you ever left the theater so in awe of what you just watched that you wish the box office was still open so that you can get tickets to return? That was my reaction as I left 42nd Street at Encore Musical Theatre Company. My second thought was, how did they fit that giant Broadway tour of 42nd Street onto the Encore stage. But it’s not a tour. It is all locally produced and created. But really, it is pure Broadway.

The lion’s share of the credit goes to Scott Thompson. The cast from top to bottom shine and rise to his demanding choreography and direction. Bravo.

If you don’t know what 42nd Street is about, you and I are probably not friends. It’s the musical for musical lovers. A Ziegfeld era director is mounting a big new Broadway musical and it follows the show’s development from auditions to opening night. Along the way you meet a new chorine, old diva vet, established “juvenile” tenor, the writer and composer, and a whole lot of fun mayhem.

David Moan plays Julian Marsh, director extraordinaire, and he is as usual perfect for the role. Sarah B Stevens turns in a jaw-dropping performance as Dorothy Brock the diva and steals every scene she is in. Young chorine Peggy Sawyer is played by Allison Bell and she is delightful with a clear, beautiful, singing voice and outstanding tap and dance ability. Supporting parts are perfectly cast and are played by Sebastian Gerstner, Gayle E Martin, Keith Kalinowski, Bobby MacDonell, and John Bixler. 

Sarah Tanner creates a picture-perfect set based on the Broadway original. The show is built around large set pieces: backstage at two theaters, the train station, a Pullman sleeper, a cocktail party, performances on stage and it’s all there and it looks perfect. Projections by Dave Early and lighting by Nikki Belenski look spectacular. This is the highest tech show Encore has ever done, and it shows in every scene.

Costumes by Marilee Dechart assisted by what seems to be a small army are stunning and there are hundreds of them. Add hats and wigs and everything looks glamorous and true to period. The many many props are handled perfectly by Anne Donevan. 

But what is a musical without music, and R Mackenzie Lewis handles this with aplomb. His Orchestra sounds four times their size and vocal work is terrific throughout. “Lullaby of Broadway” is electrifying choral work.

Scott Thompson has re-created many of the original dance numbers crafted by Gower Champion, later adapted by Randy Skinner. The dancing here is simply outstanding. This cast is unbelievably talented, and you will absolutely be thrilled by what you see here.

I have to say in closing that 42nd Street is my all-time favorite musical. Whether you are seeing it for the first time, or in my case, probably the 20th if not more, you will be astounded by this production.  Get your tickets now they will not last. Reviewed at final dress tech 06/01/23.

42nd Street runs at the Encore Musical Theatre Company through June 25th. theencoretheatre.org, (734) 268-6200

Dreamy, stellar Once on This Island at Encore (Review)

Photo Credit: Michele Anliker

There is a stellar production of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, the Ahrens and Flaherty musical, currently being presented by Encore Musical Theatre Company and I urge you to get tickets now for this limited run production, You won’t see a better production of it anywhere – in fact, it is Broadway worthy, and I’ve seen both previous Broadway productions of the show.

From the moment you enter the theater, with it’s hurricane tossed belongings surrounding you, to the final seconds of Part of Us (Why We Tell The Story) you will be immersed in a tale of love, despair, fortune, and the circle of life. Once on this Island is many people’s favorite musical – while others have never heard of it. Think Little Mermaid set in the Caribbean. Haiti in specific, although this tale weaves its spell much closer to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale than the Disney Little Mermaid with Arial and Sabastian, including a darker ending. But don’t let that scare you away – this is a musical appropriate for all ages and at 85 minutes you won’t have to worry about losing your young one’s interest. Or your older loved ones insterest either.

Natalie Kaye Clater directs and choreographs with aplomb as the musical spins the tale of orphan Ti Moune (outstanding Leah Wilson) as she grows up having been rescued by Mama Euralie (Bryanna Hall) and Tonton Julian (Mike Sandusky), rescues a rich islander after a car crash (sultry and  passionate Jason Rodriguez), and goes on a journey to take care of him (and fall in love) in the city aided by the “gods” – Papa Ge (Marcus Calderon), Agwe (Dante Murray), Erzulie (Aurora Penepacker) and Asaka (Christina Turner). I could write a paragraph each on these outstanding performances.

Other cast members play various other parts and serve as a greek chorus throughout as the tale is being told to a young girl, who doubles as Little Ti Moune (a very cute Lizzie Dziku). Cali HIll, David Magumba, Jeremiah Porter, Nataki Rennie are wonders at singing, dancing, and acting their respective roles. I can not say enough good things about this exceptional cast and Encore’s fortune to have them all on the stage together weaving this magic. 

Frank E. Pitts musical direction is wonderous – the sounds this cast produces are nothing short of perfect. Ahrens and Flaherty write beautiful and tuneful songs, but singing them is another story – the arrangements are difficult and tight harmonies are essential – and the sound here is pitch perfect. The orchestra sounds three times the size it is, and they work together to create beautiful music. Kudos also to the sound folks, Chris Goosman and Jessica Lynn. Anne Donovan’s props are realistic and fun, and Sarah Tanner’s set is perfect for the space and show. Lighting design by Nikki Belenski and projections by Dave Early look lush and colorful and help evoke the mood in each location.  Marilee Dechart’s costumes are just right for the look of the show and it’s islanders, and fun when creating the gods characters. Keeping it all moving along swiftly and professionally are Danielle Bluteau, Jada McCarthy, Kathryn McIntyre, Molly Omar, and Kate Vanhorn. 

Expect this production to be among the top award winners at the end of the year – which is admittedly still young. Still, I have never seen nor heard a production of this musical regionally that is as stunning as this one. 

My very highest recommendation. SEE THIS SHOW. It’s a late Valentine to Southeast Michigan theater audiences. 

Once on This Island continues through March 12th in Dexter MI – tickets at TheEncoreTheatre.org   

The Violet Hour at The Dio – a night out with a high thinking factor. (Review)

One of the things that I like best about reviewing a show is when a theater takes a risk with the material. You might like it, you might hate it, you might not get it. But it is something new and it is something worthwhile.

The Dio is currently producing such a play — The Violet Hour by Richard Greenberg (“Take Me Out”). At first what seems like a standard period piece with a slight sci-fi twist (a mysterious machine appears at a publisher’s office) turns into a mysterious, funny, and tragic tale in the second act. Listen closely. Follow the characters and their mini-dramas closely, because as the story plays out (not in any means tidy) people only know information up to a certain point. And they learn that information at a certain point. And not at the same time.

You may or may not piece it all together at once — and oh, to be a fly on the wall in the cars on the way home as people discuss their theories, who knew what when, and in the end, what the heck happened?

Matthew Tomich’s set is gorgeous, as always, and has the genuine look and feel of a NYC office building. Steve DeBruyne’s directing is fluid and fast where it needs to be, slow when you need to really listen. Food as always is outstanding. Norma Polk’s costumes are wonderful (though one character needs to remember socks next time) and Eileen Obradovich does a great job with the props — reams and reams and reams of paper among them.

The cast is very good, if a bit stylized in approach. I particularly liked Ami McClenon’s Jessie. You’ll have your favorite too — among them Dante Justice as John, the publishing house owner; Dan Morrison as Gidger, his assistant (his future disappears – but why?); college friend Denny (Alexander Cousins); and his girlfriend Rosamund (Lauren Landman). 

Clues for the novice: watch the tickets (LOOK at the tickets), pay attention to the dates in future years, and listen to early declarative statements of each character. 

The Violet Hour is currently being adapted into a musical. The studio recording is now available — it is beautiful. But do not listen to it before seeing the show, because it gives away plot points.

And to those who didn’t get it — talk to your friends on the way home. Argue about it. Think about it. That’s what you should do. You might be confused, but you won’t not have an opinion. And that is exactly what the play is meant to do.

The Violet Hour continues through February 26th at the Dio.

Charming “A Christmas Story the Musical” at Encore (Review)

The Encore Musical Theatre Company wishes you a Merry Christmas by way of their wonderful production of “A Christmas Story the musical”, based on the movie, with book by Joseph Robinette and Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Everything in this production just clicks and even brings a tear to your eye on occasion in this charming musical telling of the annual favorite. From sets to costumes to lighting and acting the production is fantastic. The orchestra is particularly wonderful, under the direction of R. Mackenzie Lewis. Artistic Director Dan Cooney does a very fine job of making this show sing, move along quickly, and charm. Choreographer Jillian Hopper creates fun numbers for both the adults and the kids. The many many many many costumes by Marilee Dechart (adults) and Sandee Koski (kids) are terrific. Anne Donevan creates fun and period appropriate props. It plays out on Shane Cinal’s double-decker set.

But the real charmers here are the cast members. Gavin Cooney is really great as Ralphie upon whom the entire production turns. Jessica Grové as mother and David Moan as the old man are superb, and even more superb in their scenes together. Cora Steiger is a hoot as Randy. This is a stage family that feels like a real family (and two of them are!…Lolly Cooney also appears in the kids ensemble). 

The many kids in the show are personable, funny, strong singers and movers, and look like they are having the time of their lives. The adult ensemble is also strong and get to play everything from neighbors and friends, to Higbee’s department store elves. Alley Ellis turns in a particularly good performance as Miss Shields the teacher, as does Brian Cowan who plays a warm and entertaining Jean Shepherd (Narrator). 

But the show revolves around the family at the center of it all and this is where this production finds it’s strong beating heart. Only a Scrooge will not find themselves tearing up a bit in the show’s final moments…or perhaps during Grové’s “Just Like That” – one of the finest songs written about the small moments that go into being a mother (and why the song has become a staple on Broadway radio programming). 

Highest Recommendation.

A Christmas Story the Musical runs at the Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter MI through December 18th. Tickets at theencoretheatre.org or 734-268-6200.

Lovely Little Women, The Dio, Review

Back in 2005, Sutton Foster created a stirring Jo March in the short lived Broadway musical Little Women, written by Allan Knee, Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and Music by Jason Howland. The audience was faced with a beautiful act curtain upon entering, with handwritten pages of Jo’s “Little Women” book, and I was entranced by the entire production, including Maureen McGovern as Marmee. It ran less than six months but garnered a sizable following because of its lush old-fashioned score and rising star Foster and her big belt numbers in the show.

In 2011 I reviewed a production that Steve DeBruyne directed at Encore Musical Theatre Company. Last night it was my pleasure to see a new and very different production also helmed by Steve at The Dio. 

Most likely you know the story – the four March Sisters are alone in Concord while their father is off serving as a chaplain in the Civil War. It spends very little time focusing on wartime, rather focusing on the small (and large) family events in the March family – their romances, their squabbles, and one heartbreaking death. 

The production plays out on Matt Tomich’s beautiful double-decker set; with lively direction by DeBruyne and graceful choreography by Grace Nulson. Performed to a track, the crisp musical direction is by Lisa Merte. Costumes by Normal Polk, wig design by Chloe Grisa, and Props by Eileen Obradovich are lovely. It’s a very large production to be sure, but it moves quickly and professionally from scene to scene in the limited space. The final sequence in the garden is particularly nice. If there is a technical squabble, it is that the actors sometimes struggle to match their songs to the pacing of the tracked music rather than singing more naturally and having the orchestra follow them – which results in some occasional pacing issues.

The cast is uniformly superb – Anna Dreslinki Cooke makes a lively and funny Jo March and her sisters Beth (Anne Koziara), Amy (Maddie Ringvelski) and Meg (Sarah Brown) are outstanding in their respective roles. Marlene Inmann gets to sing Marmee’s fantastic songs and she is remarkable. Anne Bauman plays a snide and fun Aunt March and doubles as Mrs Kirk in the boarding house in New York.  The men are equally impressive: Steve DeBruyne as John Brooke, Tyler J Messinger as Laurie, Dan Morrison as his father Mr Lawrence, and Sam Wright as Professor Bhaer (you know where that storyline is going from his first lines) are all good in their parts.

As we left the theater last night, we emerged to a winter wonderland of fresh snow – and the evening (dinner, show, friends, and snow) was, in the words of the most famous song from the show, astonishing.           

Highly Recommended.

Little Women continues at The Dio through December 23rd although all performanes are sold out. You can check for cancellations through the theater by phone only (517) 672-6009