Musicals that are appropriate for small venues (Musical Theater 101) August 25, 2009
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, Theatre.Tags: Annie is not appropriate for a small venue, Choosing an appropriate musical, musical comedy, musical theater, musical theatre, Musicals, Musicals for large venues, Musicals for Proscenium, Musicals for small spaces, Musicals for small venues
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Seeing the announcement of yet another inappropriate musical in a small venue local theatre, I thought I would help them out by listing, from a directing and design point of view, musicals that are appropriate for small venue theaters and those that are not. I list appropriate shows in alphabetical order, followed by inappropriate shows in alphabetical order. In most instances, trying to force a large-venue proscenium show into a small theatre space not only looks claustrophobic, breaks with the integrity of the piece, and in general doesn’t work in that small venue. From time to time a theatre might “pull it off” (a theatre in Connecticut recently did an almost set-less production of The Producers in the round! that worked)…but for the most part, they don’t work. Here’s some help for this small venue local theatre that keeps picking inappropriate shows… The following is nowhere near a complete list, but its a good start. Note that most small-venue shows will almost always work in larger venues. Larger venue shows will almost never work in smaller venues.
Musicals Appropriate for Small Venues
Adding Machine
Aint Misbehavin’
The All Night Strut
Allegro
All Shook Up
Altar Boyz
Always, Patsy Cline
Amour
Aspects of Love
Assassins
Avenue Q
Baby
Bat Boy
Bed and Sofa
Beehive
Brooklyn
Blood Brothers
Bright Lights Big City
Buddy
Cabaret
Candide
Caroline or Change
A Catered Affair
Charlotte Sweet
Chess
Closer than Ever
Company
Dames at Sea
A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine
Debbie Does Dallas, the Musical
Dessa Rose
Diamonds
The Drowsy Chaperone
Ernest in Love
Evil Dead, the Musical
Falsettos
Falsettoland
The Fantasticks
Floyd Collins
Forever Plaid
Frogs
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Goblin Market
Godspell
The Goodbye Girl
Grand Hotel
Grease
The Great Trailer Park Musical
Grey Gardens
Grind
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hello Again
High Fidelity
Honk
I can Get it For You Wholesale
Irma la Duce
I Love My Wife
I Love You You’re Perfect Now Change
I Remember Mama
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Jane Eyre
Jerry’s Girls
Jerry Springer the Opera
The Last 5 Years
Little Shop of Horrors
Little Women
LoveMusik
Lucky Stiff
A Man of No Importance
March of the Falsettos
Marie Christine
Moby Dick the Musical
My Favorite Year
Naked Boys Singing
A New Brain
Next to Normal
Nunsense
Oh, Coward
On a Clear Day You can See Forever
Once on this Island
110 In The Shade
Pacific Overtures
Passion
Pump Boys and Dinettes
Putting it Together
Rent
Ring of Fire
The Rink
The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd
The Robber Bridegroom
Rocky Horror Show
Romance, Romance
Scrooge
The Secret Garden
Seesaw
She Loves Me
Shout, The Mod Musical
Side by Side by Sondheim
Snoopy
Songs for a New World
Spring Awakening
The Story of my Life
Stop The World, I Want to Get Off
Summer of ‘42
Sunday in the Park with George
Sweeney Todd
The Sweet Smell of Success
Taboo
Tell Me on a Sunday
They’re Playing Our Song
The Thing About Men
3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down
13
Tick Tick Boom
Title of Show
Triumph of Love
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Urinetown
Violet
Weird Romance
The Woman in White
Working
A Year with Frog and Toad
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown
Xanadu
Musicals Inappropriate for Small Venues
The Act
Aida
All Shook Up
Annie
Annie Get Your Gun
Anything Goes
Applause
Babes in Arms
The Baker’s Wife
Barnum
Beauty and the Beast
Bells are Ringing
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Big
Big River
Bonnie & Clyde
The Boyfriend
The Boys from Syracuse
Brigadoon
By Jeeves!
Bye Bye Birdie
Camelot
Carousel
Carrie
Cats
Chicago
Children of Eden
A Chorus Line
A Christmas Carol
Cinderella
City of Angels
The Civil War
Copacabana
Crazy for You
Curtains
Damn Yankees
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dreamgirls
Evita
Fame
Fiddler on the Roof
Finian’s Rainbow
Fiorello
Flower Drum Song
Follies
Footloose
42nd Street
Fosse
Frankenstein the Musical
The Full Monty
Funny Girl
George M!
Ghost
Greenwillow
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
Hair
Hairspray
Half a Sixpence
Hello Dolly
High School Musical
High School Musical 2
High Society
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
I can Get it For You Wholesale
In the Heights
Into the Woods
Jekyll and Hyde
Jesus Christ Superstar
Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat
The King and I
Kismet
Kiss Me Kate
Kiss of the Spider Woman
La Cage aux Folles
The Last Starfighter
Leader of the Pack
Legally Blond
Les Miserables
The Light in The Piazza
The Lion King
A Little Night Music
Mack and Mabel
Mame
Mamma Mia
Merrily We Roll Along
Man of LaMancha
Me and My Girl
Meet Me In St Louis
Memphis
Metropolis
Miss Saigon
The Most Happy Fella
Movin’ Out
The Music Man
My Fair Lady
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
My One and Only
Nine
9 to 5 the musical
Notre Dame de Paris
No No Nanette
Notre Dame de Paris
Oklahoma
Oliver
On the Town
On the Twentieth Century
On Your Toes
Once Upon a Mattress
Over Here!
Paint Your Wagon
The Pajama Game
Pal Joey
Parade
Peter Pan
Phantom
Phantom of the Opera
Pippin
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirate Queen
The Producers
Promises, Promises
Purlie
Rags
Ragtime
7 Brides for 7 Brothers
70 Girls 70
Shreck
Song of Norway
Sophisticated Ladies
Sunset Boulevard
Saturday Night Fever
Seussical the Musical
Shenandoah
Showboat
Side Show
Singin’ in the Rain
Showboat
Smile
Song and Dance
The Sound of Music
South Pacific
Spamalot
Starlight Express
State Fair
Steel Pier
Sunday in the Park with George
Sweet Charity
Swing!
Take Me Along
A Tale of Two Cities
The Tap Dance Kid
Tarzan the Musical
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Timbuktu
Titanic
Tommy
Two Gentlemen of Verona
We Will Rock You
The Wedding Singer
West Side Story
Whistle Down the Wind
White Christmas
Wicked
The Will Rogers Follies
The Witches of Eastwick
The Wiz
The Wizard of Oz
Woman of the Year
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
OKLAHOMA! at Encore Musical Theatre Company August 7, 2009
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, Entertainment, Theatre.Tags: Ann Arbor, Barbara Cullen, community theater, Encore, Encore Musical Theatre Company, Gavriel Savit, Liz Griffith, MI, Michigan Theatre, musical, musical theater, Oklahoma!, professional theater, Rusty Mewba, Sarah Litzsinger, Sebastian Gerstner
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One step forward, two steps back…just when GUYS AND DOLLS and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS started to turn the corner for professionalism, along comes OKLAHOMA, now playing at Encore Musical Theater Company, in Dexter, MI.
Sebastian Gerstner as Will Parker, Sarah Litzinger as Ado Annie, and Steve DeBruyne as Ali Hakim (Photos courtesy Encore Musical Theatre Company)
Liz Griffith as Laurey and Rusty Mewha as Curly
There is good, and there is bad in Encore’s OKLAHOMA. There is no ugly, and that is a really good sign of ongoing good work by this company. But the show proves too much community and too little professional theater in the long run. I didn’t expect to enjoy this production, and it was better than I expected. Not because I don’t like the show, or because I don’t like Encore (I like them very much); but because Oklahoma is just not a suitable show for this small venue.
First the good: Sebastian Gerstner (Will Parker) and Sarah Litzsinger (Ado Annie) are fabulous. Their scenes together have spark, and MSU student Gerstner holds his own with the professional leads in this production. Steve DeBruyne is adorable as Ali Hakim and has quickly become an Encore audience favorite. The three of them provide the highpoints in this production, and there are many of them.
Liz Griffith (UM Musical Theater program graduate) is very good as Laurey. She sings beautifully, and brings a 3rd dimension to this difficult role. The same can not be said of Rusty Mewba as Curly. While he looks great, and sings well, the performance is flat and there is just no spark between the two of them. Contrast this with the sassy and colorful performances of Gerstner and Litzsinger, and you have a show where the secondary leads overshadow the ones we should be rooting for. I liked Gavriel Savit as Jud, but he comes across more as teddy bear than he does evil. Some of the psychology of this character that makes him both sad and scary is missing in this performance.
The set is very fine — if too big for the theatre. It serves well throughout the production…but more on this later. Much was made by the director of the “earthy real aspects of the show”….I dunno, this show looked exactly like every other production of the show I’ve seen — with many similarities to the recent West End production. Sound and lighting is generally good.
Director Barbara F. Cullen (this time co-directed by Jon Huffman) does a very good job with the pacing. The directing and choreography are serviceable, if familiar. That it comes in at 2 1/2 hours including an intermission is nothing short of miraculous for this otherwise very long show.
Then there is the bad: and some of this is beyond the control of the actors or the director — first, if any American musical screams of wide open spaces and the sheer joy of running through plains and dancing uninhibitedly, it’s Oklahoma. The Encore space is just plain old too small for the large scope of this show. The cast is too small. The entire thing looks cramped on the Encore stage – and instead of wide open spaces, things begin to feel claustrophobic as the show progresses. It works well in Jud’s Smokehouse, but starts to show its smallness during the dream ballet. By the time we get to the penultimate song, “Oklahoma” has folded in on itself rather than celebrating the wide open American west. It doesn’t help that the shiny metal air conditioning vent serves as the proscenium frame and shines on the ceiling. Please paint this black! Please!
Second, it is difficult to listen to a Rodgers and Hammerstein score played by a miniscule orchestra that is out of tune, and which sometimes drags down the pace of the production. Sure, its impractical to have a large orchestra in this small space — but shouldn’t that be a consideration at the time the season is being selected? At points in the show, the cast on stage entirely drowns out the orchestra. At other times, they can’t hear each other well and entrances are not together. This has consistently been a problem this entire season, and the Encore needs to look at options to fix this (like a television monitor system, or selecting shows that can place the orchestra on the stage itself).
The supporting cast and ensemble are generally community theatre quality. Performers range from good to poor with its corresponding timing and line readings. The men’s ensemble fares better than the women’s which is too young and too weak vocally to compare with the professional cast members in the show. “Everything’s Up to Date in Kansas City” is the highlight of the first act –partly because it showcases the wonderful Mr. Gerstner, and partly because the men generally fare better in the song and dance aspects of this show. The choreography is creative and they make the most of this short number (albeit, missing taps — sigh….)
My favorite moment: Sarah Litzsinger’s face — the utter joy she expresses — when the fight breaks out during “Farmer and the Cowman”. It made my night.
You can do worse than OKLAHOMA this summer at the Encore. It’s entertaining and well paced. The leads are generally good, and the show is what it is. But you could do better too (see CITY OF ANGELS at the Croswell Opera House for example).
OKLAHOMA continues at Encore Thursdays through Sundays until August 23rd. Call 734-268-6200 for tickets, or purchase them online at http://www.theencoretheatre.org
CITY OF ANGELS at Croswell is jazzy and “reel” fun… August 1, 2009
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, Theatre.Tags: Adrian, Bruce Hardcastle, City of Angels, COH, Croswell Opera House, Cy Coleman, Emily Tyrybon, James Swendsen, jazz, Jonathan Sills, Joshua Glassman, MI, musical comedy, musical score, musical theater, regional theater, Sarah Lynn Nowak, Stephanie L. Stephan, summer stock
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Croswell Opera House has a doozy of a show in the Tony-winning CITY OF ANGELS currently playing in Adrian.
Considered by many to be Cy Coleman’s best score, from the rhythmic driving beat with scat vocal quartet accompaniment to the patter of “Everybody’s gotta be somewhere” and the lush jazzy “It needs work” the score is a masterwork, that sounds utterly fantastic in the hands of musical director Jonathan Sills and his more than able orchestra. It’s more than just accompaniment in this show, it’s the drive and energy to which the piece is set, and it delivers from start to finish.
The cast is top notch – with special kudos to UM vocal performance student Joshua Glassman as writer Stine, whose vocal training is evident from his first note through his last, where his voice projects naturally and cleanly without ever seeming forced, even in big belt numbers like “Funny”. It’s a joy to hear, and this young man has a long successful career before him. See (and hear) him here first.
It helps that he and James Swendsen (alter-ego detective Stone) have a natural chemistry together on stage — they play off of each other in a fashion that truly delineates the creator/creature line and makes for a fun flip when the lines get blurred in later goings. Swendsen has a more pop-oriented sound to his voice, and the two of them match remarkably well vocally in their scenes together.
The women fare equally well in Sarah Lynne Nowak’s Donna/Oolie and Emily Tyrybon’s Alaura/Carla. Both have terrific stage presence and voices to match.
Bruce Hardcastle turns in an energetic performance as Buddy/Irwin. In a role that threatens to carom out of control on each turn, it doesn’t, and remains funny and consistently on character throughout. Other supporting players range from great (the quartet) to good. There are a few missed notes here and there by supporting players, but nothing that distracts from the overall skill level of this adept cast.
The set looks great and works well with it’s split level design, the show moves rapidly from scene to scene and set changes don’t miss a beat, and the lighting is appropriately bright and colorful for color-scenes and moody and shadow-strewn for the Black and White “movie” scenes. What originally seems a bit murky and dark in the opening sequences eventually establishes a visual design that just plain old works as the show progresses.
That it all hangs together so well, and so cleanly, is the wonderful work of director/choreographer Stephanie L. Stephan. She understands that this is a difficult story to follow, and directs with large, masterful strokes that allow the audience to easily follow the action on stage. No mean feat, considering the many plot turns, and the stage-convention of switching back and forth from real-life to alter-ego movie action throughout using the same actors. This was achieved on Broadway through miraculous (and at that time ground-breaking) instantaneous ability to drain color out of sets and costumes through lighting and paint technique. Here it is up to the director to make it work, and it works terrifically. This is a very difficult musical to design and produce, as other theaters can attest, from the passable production at University of Michigan a few seasons ago, to the disastrous Ann Arbor Civic Theatre production many years ago. Make no mistakes, this current production is in a league of its own. Congratulations.
The script and lyrics are smart and funny, with enough suspense thrown in to make it all work. I saw the production in its original Broadway run several times, and it becomes smarter and wittier with each viewing. Mix-in the tremendous musical score, the great performances, and swirl it all around by a top notch director and crew, and you have a tasty, jazzy, funny musical comedy treat at Croswell Opera House this summer, my favorite by far of this season’s offerings — not just at Croswell, but anywhere regionally this summer.
City of Angels continues this weekend and next weekend. Tickets at croswell.org or 517-264-SHOW(7469).
“Glee” on Fox – September 16th July 20, 2009
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, TV.Tags: 2009, Cory Montieth, Fox, Glee, Hulu, iTunes, Matthew Morrison, musical theater, premier dates, September 16, show choir
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It’s Back!!! Well, almost…
GLEE, which made it’s Fox premier back in May to reel-in the American Idol audience returns (hopefully for a long healthy run) on Wednesday September 16th.
Starring Matthew Morrison (Broadway’s Hairspray, The Light in the Piazza, and South Pacific) and with the craftsmenship of Broadway veterans from stage design to performance, the show is already a cult favorite, and is sure to be one of the biggest hits of the fall. It’s also sure to make a star of Cory Montieth as the macho football-player-turned-showchoir-leadmale…(Cory also follows in Fox’s long string of shows starring 27 year olds playing 16 year olds…)
The reviews have generally been glowing. The 2nd and 3rd episodes have already been screened at Fox and reviews report they are even BETTER than the premier. The show has also promo-ed the second episode at LA’s OutFest, and are promo-ing the third episode at ComicCon…
I haven’t seen Fox put this amount of hype into a show in a long time — and deservedly so. It’s got a fresh, exciting cast, and true talent both in front of and behind the scenes. I’m rooting for GLEE to have a long, healthy run on Fox. Lets hope the audiences follow. This is the first musical comedy show on primetime that stands a chance since FAME all those long years ago.
You can see the premier episode of GLEE here for free (Hulu membership required): http://www.hulu.com/watch/73740/glee-pilot
You can buy the premier episode on iTunes.
Professional Musical Theatre – Detroit Regional 2009-2010 June 28, 2009
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Entertainment, Theatre.Tags: Broadway, Chicago theater, Cleveland theater, Detroit theater, Encore Musical Theatre Company, Michigan Theatre, musical theater, musical theatre, professional theater, Toronto theater
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Broadway is alive and well across the region during the coming musical theatre season. Note that the following list is not comprehensive, and it does not include any community theatre listings nor small venues, only professional theatre in full-sized houses. I have included UM and MSU seasons at the end. This includes Detroit musical theatre venues, as well as those within a short drive of Detroit. Particularly noteworthy this season is the pre-Broadway tryout of The Addams Family in Chicago this fall — starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. Also noteworthy is this fall’s The Boys in the Photograph in Toronto, a reworking of the Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Beautiful Game.
Support Broadway. Go see a Broadway show.
BROADWAY IN DETROIT 2009-2010
Ethel Merman’s Broadway (Gem Theatre) Sept 9 – Dec 31
Phantom of the Opera (Detroit Opera House) Sept 8 – Sept 27th
Legally Blond (Fisher) Oct 15 – Nov 01
Jersey Boys (Fisher) Dec 17 – Jan 23
The Wizard of Oz (Fisher) Jan 29-Feb 14
Young Frankenstein (Detroit Opera House) Feb 23 – March 14
Spring Awakening (Fisher) April 20 – May 09
OLYMPIA ENTERTAINMENT DETROIT (Fox) 2009-2010
101 Dalmations, The Musical Nov 17-22
Little House on the Prairie, The Musical Dec 1 – 5
Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, Feb 14
STRANAHAN THEATRE TOLEDO 2009-2010
The Wedding Singer Oct 1 – 4
The Drowsy Chaperone Jan 14 – 17
The Rat Pack is Back Feb 25 – 28
Wicked March 31 – April 18
BROADWAY IN CHICAGO 2009-2010
Jersey Boys (Bank of America Theatre) Open ended run
Spring Awakening (Oriental Theatre) Aug 04 – 16
Cats (Cadillac Palace) Oct 13 – 18
Young Frankenstein (Cadillac Palace) Nov 3 – Dec 13
The Addams Family Pre-Broadway tryout (Oriental Theatre) Nov 13 – Jan 10
In the Heights (Cadillac Palace) Dec 15 – Jan 03
Dreamgirls (Cadillac Palace) Jan 19 – 31
Mamma Mia! Jan 19-24
Annie Jan 19-24
The 101 Dalmations Pre-Broadway tryout (Oriental Theatre) Feb 16 – 28
Billy Elliot (March 18 – this is a sit-down)
Beauty and the Beast (Mar 23 – Apr 4)
Shrek The Musical (Oriental Theatre) July 13 – Sept 5 (unconfirmed: this will be a sit-down)
MACOMB CENTER
Tap Dogs – Oct 24
Menopause the Musical – Jan 15-16
Camelot – Jan 30
A Year With Frog and Toad – Mar 7
Forbidden Broadway 25th Ann tour – Apr 17
PLAYHOUSE SQUARE BROADWAY IN CLEVELAND 2009-2010
Young Frankenstein (Palace) Oct 13-25
Chicago (Palace) Jan 12-24
In the Heights (Palace) Feb 9 – 21
Xanadu (Palace) March 2 – 14
Grease (Palace) May 11 – 23
Fiddler on the Roof (Palace) June 15-27
TORONTO MIRVISH and DANCAP 2009-2010
Jersey Boys (Toronto Centre for the Arts) Open ended run continues
The Sound of Music (Princess of Wales) Open ended run continues
The Boys in the Photograph (aka: The Beautiful Game) (Royal Alexandra) Sep 22 – Nov 1
Rock of Ages (April 20 – June 6)
Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Spring 2010 venue TBA)
Fiddler on the Roof (Dec 2009/Jan 2010 Venue TBA)
Young Frankenstein (Mar/Apr 2010 Venue TBA)
Little House on the Prairie The Musical (Jan/Feb 2010 venue TBA)
THE WHARTON CENTER AT MSU BROADWAY SEASON East Lansing (2009-2010)
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Dec 8-13)
Young Frankenstein (Feb 2 – 7)
A Chorus Line (April 6 – 11)
South Pacific (Lincoln Center version) April 27- May 2
The 101 Dalmations Pre Broadway Tryout )Jan 26-31)
Phantom of the Opera (May 19 – June 6)
MILLER AUDITORIUM (Kalamazoo) 2009-10 Season
The Wedding Singer (Oct 20-21)
Stomp (Jan 19-20)
Menopause The Musical (Jan 29-31)
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Feb 23 – 25)
Avenue Q (April 21-22)
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSICAL THEATRE PROGRAM
Evita (Lydia Mendelssohn) Oct 15 – 18
Ragtime (Power Center) April 15 – 18
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY THEATRE PROGRAM (Pasant Theatre)
The Rocky Horror Show (Sept 25 – Oct 4)
Rent (April 16 – 25)
