Homemade Vegetable Soup

 

Holiday Tree

 

Olney Theatre Center: Fiddler on the Roof

 Fiddler on the Roof at Olney Theatre Center was Predominately good.  There were so many things I loved about it, and just a couple that drove me crazy.  I say that, because I want to be fair to the production.  Most of what I hated was my own fault.  I hated sitting in the front row!  In some theaters, sitting in the front places you right on the edge of the action.  your feet and the actors' feet are, if not on the same level, only a few inches to a foot off.  For this production staged in the Roberts Mainstage Theatre (the center has three stages) the guests sitting in the front row were nearly all eye-level with the flat edge of the stage's perimeter, just below the proscenium and stage floor.   In others words, we were looking at the shoes of the actors and then crooking our necks to see the rest.  On a positive note, I was tall enough to at least see the plain of the stage floor...

So that was on me.  My seat: row A, 112 put me on the aisle stage right.  The director placed various members of the cast on the edge of the stage directly in front of my seat which blocked my view of an area of the stage where occasionally a main character or two were preforming.  During the entire musical, members of the cast (citizens of Anatevka) perched along the sides and on the left and right edges of the stage watching as those characters in the scene performed their roles.  During intermission the two chatty couples behind me (both husbands were doctors, one a podiatrist and the other a dermatologist who were far too "chatty" about extreme recent cases...) speculated on the presence of these non-participating bodies.  One of the their wives explained that it was meant to symbolize "community", to wit her husband changed the subject to describing some banal card trick he'd seen at a show they'd gone to in Las Vegas.  Ergo, having to leaning into the occupant of Row A, seat 111's "air space" in order to see what was going on?  That one's on the director.

My Momma always said, "Bad things come in three's."  The third thing that pissed me off was the opening.  And I want to believe with all my heart that something in the process went wrong--like one of the actors was late getting to the theatre.  So here's this gorgeous set--and let me just interject this positive--it was amazing on every level.  What you see here prior to the onset of the show encapsulated the action of the bizarre opening scene.  After which, the back drop of shelves lifted up out of sight to reveal the silhouette of wooded houses which pivoted on two fulcrums to create a range of interior and exterior spaces with the use of benches, tables, and chairs.  It was a thing of beauty to witness--shout out to Milagros Ponce de Leon.  But back to the opening.

Into this space enters three Tsarist guards and then a VERY SLOW stream of peasants begins to enter.  They stop to show their papers to one, then advance to another one at a table who inspects their papers and eventually stamps their documents.  They then find a seat in the waiting area, where other guards interacting with them mostly about their belongings.  All of this is pantomimed while a single droning set of notes buzzes obnoxiously in the background.  For stretches of a minute or more, no one new appears, and then some one does.  Finally, after a good 10-12 minutes of this, Tevya and Golda and there two youngest daughters appear.  Once they undergo all of the official machinations, and find their seats, a photo album is lifted out of a case and becomes the catalyst for the opening number.  I have never felt so stupefied by an "artistic" choice in my entire life--and with over 100 productions under my belt.  I'm sure that somewhere, someone is calling this "pure genius."  I, however, thought is was banal.

Well, assuming your still reading, how about so good stuff?  

Besides the gorgeous set design, the costumes were lovely, detailed and worked well with the choreography and staging--especially the Fuma Sara nightmare sequence.  Shout out to Pei Lee.  The choreography was pitch perfect to the actors who executed it effortlessly and with cultural authenticity.  Shout out to Lorna Ventura.  There are shows that are full of gifted dancers like "A Chorus Line," and "Anything Goes."  Then there are shows populated with average folks who dance for joy like "Come Away From," and "Fiddler..."  When you can make the later look like the former?  You deserve an accolade or two.

The actors vocals--amazing to a person.  Strong, beautiful voices, expressive and on top the orchestration.  Great sound engineering, too! (shout out to Matt Rowe).  The casting was mostly race blind.  This is a thing now, right?  Any actor can play any part...  And still.  This is a quintessential Jewish story.  It was reset in Cambodia in 1968.  We're still in Anatevka, and the Russians are still the bad guys.  So we get a few non-Caucasian/Semetic-ish actors in co-staring roles.  For example, the actor portraying Yenta, Cheryl J. Campo, was right out of central casting for Bloody Mary in "South Pacific."  And then I shit you not, I read her bio in the program and hell if didn't play Bloody Mary in an earlier production of "South Pacific" right here at Olney Theatre!  She was a fine Yenta, too.

So let's draw out this cast a bit.  I will start with the end in mind: Tevya.  The role went to Howard Kaye.  A journeyman actor with lots of credits who is new to the DMV.  His voice was magnificient, his portrayal fresh and interesting.  His dramatic timing engaging.  His physicality commanding.  His looks? sexy!  His beard? perfectly coiffed.  Not a single gorgeous, silver, hair out of place.  Did you see what I did there?  He was Tevya up until comment...4?  The commanding presence thing.  The musical revolves around Tevya, there's no argument here about that.  But Tevya is NOT...charming, handsome, well-groomed...dare I say it again?  Sexy!   Howard has all the skills to play an amazing Tevya, if only he could have been directed into actually acting.  OMG, breakthrough...bad director.

Of the others, Let me be a little more succinct with my praise: 

- Loved Motel (Michael Wood).  He delivered with "Miracle of Miracles," and was so neurotically, tenderly consistent.  Wonderful!

- A brilliant moment was the duet between Perchik (Noah Keyishian) and Hodel (Sumie Yotsukura) "Now I Have Everything".  I doubt any of you can hum the tune, and there's a reason for that--it is absolutely the least of all of these "my children" songs in the show.  These to gave it new life, and in doing so, gave Noah his most shining moment in the show.

- Likewise, "Matchmaker" toward the beginning of the opening act was the moment my heart opened to the rest of the show's possibilities.  The sisters, Tzeitel (Sophie Shulman), Hodel, and Chava (Ariana Caldwell) were pitch perfect together.

- Ariana Caldwell, the only African American cast member in this color-blind crew was amazing!  She completely captured the nerdy, outsider, innocence of Chava.  She took a relatively small roll and made it noteworthy.

- But my most exuberant praise goes to Sunie Yotsukura and Hodel.  She made every moment on stage transcendent without ever stealing the moment from those around her.  I'm not even sure how to describe what it was like watching her preform.  Her attention to nuance was so perfect, that her light gave energy to whomever she was with without over shadowing them in the slightest.  I kept imagining her in classic leading roles where the lady tames the man like Anna in "The King and I" or Maria in the "Sound of Music."  I cannot wait and only hope I get to see her preform in something else.

Bottomline: a spectacular show with warts that don't detract from the overall value--just don't buy a seat in row A!  Or B...or C.  

Full-cast "Tradition" intro

Matchmaker Chava (Ariana Caldwell), Tzeitel (Sophie Shulman) and Hodel (Sumie Yotsukura)

Sabbath Prayer: Fiddler (Graciela Rey), Hodel, Shprintze (Daphne Wheeler),Bielke (Masie Posner), Golde (Rachel Stern), Tevya (Howard Kaye), Motel (Michael Wood), Perchik (Noah Keyishian)

If I Were a Rich Man

Tzeitel and Motel---"Miracle of Miracles"

Baltimore Center Stage: Cinderella

 Okay, this is a little dicey, because, technically, the show is in previews.  Today's matinee was just the second performance in front of a live audience, and opening night is two additional performances away.  I have attended shows in previews before.  I have never attended a show in previews were the director came out and made a huge big deal about the fact that we were experiencing a preview.  Based on what happens today, tweaks will very likely occur.  And this is a good thing; however, I'm not sure that mere tweaks will be enough.

To set the stage, this engagement of the musical is produced by Artscentric which is an African American company run by one of the most talented all around actors, singers, performers I am familiar with in the DMV, Kevin S. McAllister.  The mission of Artscentric is to be a Color Conscious artistic force for reclaiming the musical theatre cannon for black performers.  As a result this version of Cinderella is set in a kingdom in Africa.  The costumes were gorgeous and colorful a feast for the eyes! the sets were the most beautiful I've ever seen at BCS.  The dancing was exuberant and exciting.  Members of the ensemble were clearly enjoying themselves. Standouts in the cast included Both Cinderella (Jaiden Nuako) and the Prince Christopher (Nick Moore).  Both were fresh and endearing and both had beautiful voices.  It's unfortunate that the pit orchestra made it difficult for them to hear one another during their duets.  The step sisters, Joy (Malshauna Hamm) and Grace (Nikki Owens) have all the potential in the world of being show stoppers, they just need to tighten the timing, it was a little off.  Lionel (Tyrell Stanley), the princes' valet, has a great stage presence, great timing and a charming voice.  The Queen (Asia-Lige Arnold) has an excellent voice, too.  

Now I'm going to do what I rarely ever do.  I'm gonna offer up some notes.

1) The King Maximillian (Curtis McNeil) could not find the pitch.  He was out gunned by the Queen vocally, and overwhelmed by the pit orchestra.  If opening night weren't Wednesday, it might behoove him to pull out a video of "My Fair Lady" and adopt a Rex Harrison Speak-singing approach.  There's no reason the King shouldn't be as posh as Rex Harrison! 

2)The pit orchestra was a problem for a lot of the soloists, and small group numbers.  I have seen rehearsal videos, where the actors were accompanies by a paired down percussionist and a little electronic piano.  The transition to the larger ensemble is a real issue.

3) Hesitating and stepping on one another's lines.  It's like Covid, once someone catches it, it seem to spread.  Perhaps the most annoying in this regard with the Stepmother (Kenyatta V. Hardison).  It's time to get into the zone.  Her misses effected both Malshauna and Nikki's timing, too.  

4) There are two actors playing the Fairy Godmother.  For this performance it was Jade Madden.  Here's the deal.  Even if you're playing the part as the grand diva, you still have to play the part.  Otherwise, you're just a diva, and it gets old.  And it's another case of nailing down your lines.  This should be a showcase of excellence, not amateur night at the Apollo...

I have no photos, they haven't produced any production stills, yet.

And a final thought.  For me this was an interesting weekend.  From the seeing the best production of this autumn, "Fat Ham" on Friday at Studio Theatre, to the worst..."Cinderella," a bit of a roller coaster drop!  And it's fair to say that within any collection of plays/musicals one will end up sitting on the top and one will end up on the bottom; however, and in spite of my feelings about this one, its intended audience was un-phased by the miss-steps.  The 6 to 14-year-old crowd just ate it all up!  Which is very nice.  And a joy to see.

Studio Theatre: Fat Ham

 It has been really a wonderful theatre season in the DMV.  

Today was everything I imagined and more!  Today I went to Studio Theatre to see the Pulitzer Prize winning play by James Ijames "Fat Ham."  Based on Shakespeare's "Hamlet."  And that's really all that I knew about it--I mean, I've seen Hamlet a couple of times.  Fat Ham is the most interesting and at times hilarious homage to a Shakespeare play I have every seen.  It both turned the tale on its head AND selectively quotes the original with campy fidelity.  The actors to a person where amazing.  

Studio Theater spent the pandemic undergoing some 20 million dollar renovation and you could have fooled me.  The Mead theater was just a intimate (read squished in) as I last remembered it on my first and only other visit to the theater back on Thanksgiving weekend in 2016 to see "Straight White Men".  The major difference "SWM" was heading to Broadway, and "Fat Ham" is coming off of Broadway.  With 20 million dollars to spend you'd have thought they could have bought seats with a width of more than 16"--I'm not kidding here. I wedged myself into the seat and shared lateral flesh with the women on either side of me.

The show is pared down to 8 characters with the actor who plays the ghost of the patriarch, Pap, also playing his living brother, Rev.  Rev sweeps in and marries Pap's widow, Tedra less than a week after the funeral and the entire action is set at a post wedding celebration in the backyard of Tedra and her gay son, Juicy.  The role of Polonius is switched up into Rabby, Tedra's church going, Jesus Praising bestie.  Her children are Opal and Larry.  Larry is in the military and Opal is a rebellious lesbian who's too out there for any closets.  Finally there is Tio (read Horatio), Juicy's oldest and best friend.  Tio likes to toke and Tio likes to trip--and when he's tripping he becomes quite the enlightened philosopher.  Hi-jinx and a little violence ensues and in the end only that which is rotten in Denmark dies while everyone else devolves into a gay rave!  The grand finally is Larry dropping his marine uniform for a silver number with a bare midriff and a rising tiara of flowers with vale that would have made Carmen Miranda blush.  It was just so damn much fun I forgot about feeling like a sardine in can!

All of the actors were simply perfect.  I can't see singling anyone out, and the audience was absolutely interactive.  At one point when Larry and Juicy kiss, an African American woman sitting inches away from them in the front row (two rows down directly in front of me) said, "Oh, Larry, you be careful now."  I burst out laughing.  It was just that kind of a show.  The actors had the audience in the palms of their hands and the audience, in turn, had the character's backs.  What joy!

To my DMV friends, if you could only see one show this season--this is the one.

Two longtime friends, Juicy (Marquis D. Gibson) and Tio (Thomas Walter Booker) kicking back while decorating the backyard for a wedding reception for Juicy's moms.  Not a care in the world, not a ghost in sight...(cue record scratch!) Shit's about to happen!

The happy newly weds arrive!  Tedra (Tanesha Gary) and Rev (Greg Alverez Reid)--just a week after burying Tedra's first husband and Rev's brother, Pap.  Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm, something is rotten in Denmark.  Denmark, South Carolina.

Everyone is celebrating except Juicy.  The ghost of his father has asked him to kill his uncle Rev.  What's a boy to do?

What's more annoying than a tense post-wedding reception?  Karaoke, of course!

And this is some serious shit karaoke!  After Tedra has her moment, Juicy steps up and sings Radio Head's "I'm a Creep" while everyone falls into a trance and he preforms (amazingly) for the audience.

And what's more obnoxious that karaoke?  Charades!!  It is the elders against the young 'ns in a ploy that replaces the play from Shakespeare's Hamlet in an effort to get a confirmation from Rev that his deeds killed Pap.  And Rabby (Kelli Blackwell) LOVES charades!

In another trance moment, Juicy performs the soliloquy from Hamlet with a glowing snow globe for poor Yorick's skull; "...a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times...."

Tedra comforts Juicy at the reality of his having to accept his uncle as his step-father.  He about to tell her the truth of Rev's involvement in Pap's death.

As the adults have retreated to sort themselves out, the young 'ns sit and ponder together: [L-R] Opal (Gaelyn D. Smith) wants to open a restaurant/shooting range to wit Tio comments "It tracks."; Juicy still struggles with his father's afterlife request, a father he wasn't close to when he was alive.  He asks, "What powers do the dead have over the living?"; Tio tells of buying his tennis shoes from a garage sale.  They belonged to Yorick, but he OD'ed on "needles and meth"; and Larry (Matthew Elijah Webb) remains stoic, still trapped in a world of fear over his sexuality.

In the scene before the climax, Tio shares a vision in which an armless gingerbread man gives him the best fellatio of his life---I guess you had to be there!  Then he reveals the true meaning of life to the wonder of Opal, Rabby and Juicy.  No actual gingerbread men were drowned in jizz in the making of this fantasy.

Thanksgiving Feast 2023

Full Feast

Desserts

Next Day...Deviled Egg Sandwiches

Signature Theatre: Ragtime

I hardly know where to begin.  I thought I'd seen this show before a few years ago at Ford's Theater in DC.  Apparently, what I had seen was just Ford's Theater's attempt at producing this show, because what I saw today was on such a level beyond my memory of that other Ragtime, that it was as if I was watching it for the very first time.  And when you are fighting the urge to stand when applauding the opening number, well, it's just not something that happens.  Before going I read over the email--before you go what you should know--and realizing that was 3 hours long, felt a little pit in my tummy.   Then, three hours, schmee hours!--he time just flew by.  The most annoying part was the intermission, though you could hardly fault the actors for needing a pee break.

The other particular about this production were a couple of substitutions.  The actor who was cast as the Latvian immigrant, Tateh, Bobby Smith was being replaced in this performance by his understudy, Edward L. Simon.  Simon was cast in the role of Harry Houdini, so his understudy, Jordan Clark Halsey, would be preforming his regular role.  I normally, don't appreciate understudies.  I know Bobby Smith very well.  He is synonymous with Signature Theatre.  A very talented character actor who can swing with the best of them in the right lead.  I was enthralled by his performance of Albin/Zsa Zsa in 'La Cage Au Faux."--and he won best actor in a musical for it that year.  As the school master in "Spring Awakenings"--superb.  As Charles Guiteau in "Assassins"--outstanding.  As Tateh...maybe a little old for the role?  Tateh is supposed to be late 20's...kindly, I would guess, Bobby is late...40's..early 50"s.  So Edward L. Simon get's his shot at an up-graded role.

If you are familiar with either E. L. Doctorow's expansive novel or the musical, but know that it's a full house of fictional and historic characters woven into a sparkler of turn of the 20th century optimism and despotism.  Peppered in are a handful of the most interesting historical characters of the time.  The program came with a full-size, four page, "news" paper with period photos and advertisements and stories about all of the actual people written into the tale: Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J. P. Morgan, Booker T. Washington, Harry Houdini, Matthew Perry, and Evelyn Nesbit.  A lovely extra.


The cast was off the charts strong.  Every lead in a cast of supporting actors, really, had the chops.  Some stand-outs:  Edward L. Simon as Tateh--honestly, he was magnificent and so passionate in role that I found myself on the verge of tears in the tender moments with his young daughter.  I'm not sure I could have gone there with Bobby.  Nkrumah Gatling as Coalhouse Walker Jr.--his voice was so expressive and polished.  When he broke down over the casket holding Sarah's body at the end of the first act, I was breathless in solidarity with his grief.  Jake Loewenthal as Mother's Little Brother. Every time I see Jake preform, I am moved even more by his talent.  I hope he gets a best supporting actor nomination this season for this one.  He finds a hook that distinguishes that character, and rather than over play it, he grounds everything else the character does or is around it.  It's brilliant.  Matthew Lamb as the Little Boy.  The kid stole every scene he was given half a chance to without ever coming off as obnoxious.  Awa Sal Seka has long been known to me as an exceptional singer, with this performance I saw the power of her acting peak through, too.  I look forward to seeing more of her work in a way that I hadn't before.  Finally, 'cause you just gotta stop at some point, Teal Wicks as Mother.  She was Mother without a second thought.  Every word, every gesture, every step meaningful and in perfect harmony with the character.  Of course, 8 months as Elphaba in "Wicked" on Broadway, and another 9 months as Cher in "The Cher Show" also on Broadway would suggest a talented actor.  It might also portend a diva, but no sign of that in this ultimate ensemble production.  

The set was amazing, with the 16 member pit orchestra housed in the upper level promenade.  The costumes beautiful, that props perfect including the required Model-A sedan.  If I were to complain about one thing, it would be the sound.  The one soft spot in all Signature productions: finding the balance between the orchestra and the singers.  In this show, it was only noticeable at times and do so off that I couldn't compensate with a little effort on my end.  In that past, it's been more pronounced, like their production of "Titanic".  

In the end, I was on my feet before the lights came up for bows.  I loved the show and it's there through January 7th, though this performance was sold out.

Full Cast Opening Number

Teal Wicks as "The Mother," with Lawrence Redmond as "The Grandfather" in the background

Douglas Ullman Jr. as Henry Ford looking down on Nkrumah Gatling and Coalhouse Walker Jr.

Coalhouse with Sarah (Awa Sel Seka) and their son.

The Great baseball game scene.  Matthew Lamb as "The Little Boy" catching the ball while Bill English as "The Father" steadies him.  The ensemble clockwise from the man in the back directly above English: Theodore Sapp, Nurney, Lawrence Redmond, Edward L. Simon, Douglas Ullman Jr., Gregory Twomey, Todd Scofield, and Keenan McCarter

Second act ensemble number on the beach at Atlantic City

Maria Rizzo as Evelyn Nesbit