Why Elton John’s AIDA by YPT was so good…If I do say so myself

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Audiences saw one fine production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA presented by Young People’s Theatre at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre last weekend. In fact, it looked better than most community and high school productions in the region….but why?

First — talent — YPT is a pay-to-play young people’s organization that draws some of the best young talent in the tri-county area. Cast members came from Ann Arbor, Dexter, Chelsea, Tecumseh. Pinkney, Hamburg, Brighton, Canton, Plymouth, Northville….I might have missed a few. That allows the group to choose the best of the best. Sure, it was still a few guys short, but with 10 other musicals being present concurrently around the area, we were still lucky to get the great talent we got.

Second — money — the budgets for YPT’s musicals easily approach 20K per production — three times the budget of Ann Arbor Civic Theatre musicals, for instance. As a result, the shows look and sound spectacular:

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Third — top notch staffing — from Ron Baumanis directing, to Brian Buckner’s musical direction and Sadie Yarrington’s musical direction, everything about this staff is professional — including lighting designer David Pickel (who also serves as one of the Lydia Mendelssohn house managers) and stage manager Meredith Tierney. Ane Richter is the producer for the shows. This comes at a cost — the professional staff is all paid. But you get what you pay for. If you want a professional-sounding orchestra, you pay them. If you want professional artistic direction, you pay for it. (This is where my SSDC membership kicks in — the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers is my theatre union, and it assures you are getting the finest direction in the profession, and not just community-theatre level direction.)

Fourth — material. Young People’s Theatre is just that. It’s musical theatre for young people, it’s not “children’s theatre”. If I see one more production of Jack and the Beanstalk or The Emperors New Clothes presented by 14 year olds I will explode. High School and Middle School students are already looking for professional theatre development. Those who are interested in theatre as a profession deserve exposure to good adult works. In the past few years, YPT has presented Aida, Jekyll & Hyde, Grease, Joseph, Annie, Fame, One on This Island, Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods and many others. If you get great material to work with, you normally get great talent auditioning. Couple that with a great production and artistic staff and you get youth theatre that isn’t children’s theatre.

Fifth — family. YPT was started by families more than 30 years ago. It continues to incorporate family members across the board, from building sets, costumes, and props, to working backstage and behind the scenes. Cast parties and events include families throughout, and one of the most frequent comments heard around YPT is “this was the first thing our family did together since our kids were in elementary school.” It’s a fun and supportive experience for everyone involved.

I’ll leave you with a few more photos from AIDA today…and happily gloat about another fine musical theatre production by YPT last weekend, one I’m very proud of having directed, and one for which I am thankful for all the talented kids, parents, and artistic professional staff.

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Stunning “42nd Street” by University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — there is absolutely nobody that presents more professional musical theatre regionally than the University of Michigan Musical Theatre program. Recently celebrating it’s 25th birthday, the program is going strong, with graduates consistently working on Broadway and nationwide.

Nowhere is this professionalism more evident than in Linda Goodrich’s production of the musical theatre chestnut 42nd Street running this weekend at the Power Center. This is the second time she has directed this musical for UM, the last time in 1995 and the first UM show I had the privilege of seeing myself. This current production is equally stunning.

Bryan Langlitz plays Billy Lawlor and Mary Michael Patterson plays Peggy Sawyer, both to perfection. The cast is uniformly strong, and the tap is just spectacular. I’d venture to say they actually look more in-sync than some Broadway Tour companies, partly due to the sheer amount of time dedicated to teaching and perfecting the many dance numbers in classes as well as rehearsal each day.

The following photos give you a sample of the production. I’d urge you to beg, borrow, or steal tickets to see it while you may — and in reality, that is the only way you can — every single performance is sold out in the 1400 seat theatre.

Bravo UMMT — and a great big Brava to Linda~~

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No Joke, Guys & Dolls at Encore is Super

OK, let me start this by saying, I really hate the musical Guys & Dolls — it’s boring to watch, it seems endless, and it’s always more fun to perform in than to watch its (almost) three hour length. It’s overdone, and would be my last choice of a musical if I were asked to pick something exciting for a company to perform.

That being said — Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter MI is putting on a dandy production of the show. It’s everything their initial offering, Evita, was not.

From direction to choreography, lighting, set design, and costumes, this show sings and works hard to entertain. The leads are super, and there is a much more fluid transition from Professional actors to amateurs in this well-done production.

Using the same basic scaffolding set, completely redesigned and reimagined from Evita, the show sparkles from start to finish.

Sure, there are still some clunkers in the show — the orchestra was consistently out of tune — a bigger problem in Evita, but still problematic here – complete with a few trumpet blats that were quite noticeable on opening night — note to Brian: cut the overture — it highlights an out of sync orchestra that all the best piano playing in the world can’t overcome…

The cast is small — too small for the show. It doesn’t have enough guys, and it shows. A few weeks after casting, Encore was still sending out e-mail notices seeking more guys for the show. Apparently not too many answered the call….curiously, the show is too low on Dolls as well and could have easily used another 4 men and 4 women.

Director/Choreographer Barbara Cullen fills the blackbox space admirably with well directed, and well-thought-out movement. Much better than Evita which was both too small and too large for the space.

Some of the casting is inconsistent, but none of it as jarringly community theatre as Encore’s last production. Here, the ensemble is used efficiently, they sing and move well, and except for one or two truly hammy line readings, is indeed more professional in caliber.

Holly Davis makes a fine Adelaide — Thalia Schramm a fine Sarah.  Tobin Hissong is very funny in the part of Nathan Detroit. The real standout here is sultry-voiced baritone Paul Jason Green as Sky Masterson. His performance is musical theatre perfection. His scenes together with Thalia are warm, heartfelt, and their crooning together superb.

Remember that name: Paul Jason Green.

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Opening night had at least one third of an empty house — and based on people’s experience with Evita, you know why — they are waiting to see the reviews for this time-worn and haggard piece of musical theatre that has been performed recently by at least 13 different theatres within a 20 mile radius in the last few years…..well, you get the idea.

Who picked this season for Encore??

GO SEE THE SHOW! It’s Super, and it is a fine evening of theatre. Encore has moved from Community Theatre schlock to semi-professional theatre with this outing. I am very happy to report this, since Evita was appalling.

No joke — it won me over within the magic first 15 minutes and kept me there consistently throughout the evening.

For the Record…GUYS & DOLLS (recent production, not all productions included):

Ann Arbor Civic Theatre (2006) – Young People’s Theatre (2008) – University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (2003) – Park Players Plymouth (2003) – Ann Arbor Pioneer High School (2002) – Washtenaw Community College Musical Theatre Program (2001) – University of Michigan Musket (1999) – Saline Area Players (1999) – Croswell Opera House (1997) – Eastern Michigan University (1997)- Ann Arbor Huron High School (1995)…

And that is the view from Ann Arbor today…

Holy Xanadu!!

Recently saw the Broadway tour of Xanadu in Chicago — and it brought back this bizarre sweep of nostalgia for the original movie, which I hadn’t seen since 1980…So ABC Family comes to my rescue again this weekend with the movie version of Xanadu….and what a suprise…

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First — let’s not get carried away — this is one of the WORST movie musicals ever made — and it has nothing to do with the sometimes excellent music and performances, and completely has to do with the terrible script.

But there is some brilliant in this terrible movie as well. First is Olivia Newton John in an amazing musical performance that includes tap dancing (she’s good!), roller-disco, and hip hop (okay, let’s call it what it was, there was no Hip Hop back then, it was all plain old DISCO)…but she is good….and I mean good. She matches other musical theatre singers/dancers for strong song and dance, and stage presence.

Then there is the wonderful art design — granted, it doesn’t get off to a good start with the purple-aura muses coming to life….but it gets better — the studio work looks great, and the sequence in which the Swing Band and the ELO Band slide together is sheer musical theatre brilliance.

The final sequence, as aweful as it is, features some terrific footwork and tap — when was the last time you saw Tap in a movie musical?…and these folks tap dance on roller skates!….

Give it a look — it’s aged well, and it’s a highly entertaining 90 minutes. It’s a great filler for your Netflix list — and if your old enough to remember, it’s a blast of 1980’s nostalgia that reminds you how terrible our clothes were, how awful our hair was, and the bizarre taste we had in colors. It’s all there, and it’s all more genuine than movies like Grease, because this movie wasn’t designed to be nostalgic — it was real-life living, breathing musical culture circa 1980. And it’s hilarious.

Now where is my shirt with the buttons that closed on a diagonal across my chest?….I know it’s in some closet somewhere…although this time, what goes around is NOT going to come back around…

Gabe Update…Black Labs, Vets, and Pills

Many have been asking about Gabe — thought I would dedicate today’s post to his current health and welfare.

First off, here’s a photo from the other day — he looks good, but his health continues to pose problems.

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Gabe has liver cancer, and he’s just finished Day 141 post diagnosis. We’ve had two close calls – the first at the end of October, the second a few weeks ago when his face swelled up like a puffer fish and he had trouble breathing, all related to swollen facial lymph nodes.

He’s now controlled on Denamrin (for his Liver), Prednisone (steroid), Lasix (diuretic), Interferon, Resources CAS Options and Resources Blood and Energy supplements (for his anemia). He also takes Desaquin for muscle and joint pain, but frankly, I don’t think it does anything.

Over the past week, his breathing has become increasingly more labored, lots of panting and difficulty sleeping. We went for a short walk in the park across the street this morning and a 500 foot walk did him in for the day. But he has plenty of energy at home most of the day, is eating like a horse, and likes to sit outside in the backyard looking at the neighbor dogs. During the past couple weeks he has stopped playing. He has always lived for stuffed animals — tossing them around, chewing at them, and squeeking them for hours at a time. He hasn’t even looked at one of them in the past three weeks. I leave them scattered around the house, but he doesn’t give them a second thought.

The Vet is counting his remaining days in weeks, not months; but so far, he’s certainly proven to be the “miracle dog” that the Vet called him a few weeks ago. There is definitely no pain involved, and his golden days are happy and comfortable. It certainly attests to what good medication can do to prolong a dog’s life, beyond even what the Vet expected. He’s also getting spoiled and I basically let him eat whatever he wants — despite that, he’s lost about 8 pounds during the past two weeks.

I won’t update this unless there is a change in status, in which case there will be more to say. For now, thanks to everyone for thinking of us, and Gabe is hanging in there. He gives everyone a big dog bark and a lick.

Who’s that Boy?….could 2009 be the year…

Today’s blog — breakout actors for 2009…some are better known than others, but here’s my personal rundown…

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Let’s start with Yvan Pedneault….currently starring as Galileo in We Will Rock You in Toronto, Yvan has had lead after lead in French and English, from Roger in RENT to Linda Lamay’s UN ETERNEL HIVER…and his first CD is finally being released as we speak. This might be the breakout year for this French Canadian actor/singer/dancer.

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Jamie Parker….you’ve seen him with great acting featured roles in THE HISTORY BOYS (West End, Broadway, and the movie), and as Tom Cruise’s young assistant in VALKYRIE. Keep an eye on this up and coming Brit.

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Speaking of Brits, this is the year Matthew Goode finally becomes a bonafide superstar in America…with a flashy role in WATCHMEN, and last year’s wonderful BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, this Brit (hanging around waiting for superstardom since CHASING LIBERTY) has finally arrived.

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Maulik Pancholi has been flying under the radar for years — first, while playing the showy Sunjaya on WEEDS, and most recently, and hilariously, the closeted Jonathan on 30 ROCK…someone give this man a movie role worthy of his versatile talents please!….

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Pablo Schreiber (yes he is Liev’s little brother) has finally made it to the small screen after many years of Broadway and off-Broadway work…his recent showy role as a featured actor on LIFE ON MARS might finally send his career spinning in the right direction…

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Argentinian Juan Pablo di Pace might finally break through in the US this year — already an Argentinian superstar, he made his first breakthrough American appearance as Colin Firth’s hunky Greek lover in MAMMA MIA. For a real eye-opener, google his name + penis + opera and you’ll find one of the most amusing stories of 2008…He’s the new Antonio Banderas…

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Stanislav Ianevski….try saying that three times fast…better known as Victor Krumm in the HARRY POTTER movies…need I say more….

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The last breakthrough artist of 2009, Clark Gregg (Okay, he’s already a mini-star on THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE playing Richard, Christine’s ex husband) is another triple threat — he acts, he directs, he produces. Big things are coming his way this year…and it pays to plug people I knew while I was at NYU, even if they do have two first names and no last name…

And that is the view from Ann Arbor today…

Snowy weekends with Under-rated movies on DVD

Bad weather weekends are always great for Netflix and watching bad movies on tv….and this weekend brought a couple films that are a lot better than they should be….

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First – ABC Family ran Grease 2 all weekend….and this has always been one of my guilty pleasures…by the time “A Girl For All Seasons” rolls around, I’m hooked every time…and every viewing makes me appreciate some of the subtler things that Patricia Birch did with the direction and choreography. Compare this to other schlock that came out about the same time (1982) and this one totally bristles with some movie-making gusto. And my all-time favorite actor, Peter Frechette is hilarious (Louis)– he’s in character every second he’s on screen, and it proceeds his subsequent intense performances on stage and tv and regular guest appearances on ThirtySomething. And it’s one of the few movies in which the very out Frechette plays straight, rather than his normal gay roles. 

And the “pool of enchantment” kills me every time. 

Patricia Birch infuses the entire production with all the early-80’s Broadway musical theatre talent she can stuff into the film. Watching the chorus numbers is like watching a who’s who of Broadway-gypsy performers of the early 80’s, before AIDS started to make its deadly journey through New York and Los Angeles alike.

When you compare Grease 2 to the absolutely awful “High School Musical” trilogy, you really come to realize what good film-making this is. HSM pales by comparison. This one is gracefully aging in a good way that deserves to be seen. As the famous quotation goes, this is the “best sequel to a Stockard Channing movie starring Adrian Zmed ever made.”

agle Eye 1-shtI missed GhostTown in the theatres this past year, but watched it twice from Netflix this weekend. It’s charming and sweet, and it has a big heart. Ricky Gervais is wonderful here, but so is Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear. This is another movie stuffed full of Broadway musical theatre performers circa 2007…look for Brian D’Arcy James as “Irish Boy”…Highly recommended and I am not sure how I missed this in the movie theatres.

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Dan in Real Life is another underrated film from 2007….I had seen it before, but decided to watch it again after a friend mentioned it the other day. Steve Carell turns in his most nuanced performance here, and it’s a terrific and under-rated little romance. I like the way they get the family patter right in this film. Listen to all the stuff in the background, and the way the people talk to each other. Families really DO sound like this. 

And that’s the view from Ann Arbor today…

Another One Bites the Dust…

Goodbye Adray Camera…

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I’ve known you well. I’ve known you in Dearborn, Canton, and Ann Arbor — and I’ve watched Ann Arbor and Canton shutter their shops one after the other.

In business for 57 years in Dearborn, Adray Camera announced their final going-out-of-business notice today. 

That leaves almost no camera-specific stores left in the area. There is the over-priced Huron Camera in Dexter, but their limited selection and far over retail-suggested-prices makes it a no brainer: it’s B&H and Amazon online for all future camera needs.

Adray, you will be dearly missed. Who else let me buy lenses and return them when I didn’t like them with no questions asked. Who else had all the new Nikon dSLR camera bodies as they came in, and always saved me one. Where else could you go in for a SD memory card, and leave with Oreck vacuum bags at the same time…

And so it goes.