The World Goes 'Round at the Jungle: Race, Revues and Reverb

Waiting in the Jungle Theater lobby for the house to open at The World Goes 'Round*, I overheard two patrons discussing changes in the local theater scene, including Sarah Bellamy's becoming the artistic director at Penumbra Theatre. And this is what they said: "She's so light-skinned--you'd never guess she was ... (slightly lower tones) African-American." Really.

Issues of race and racial equity are in the forefront of every sphere of life and culture right now. MPR's Marianne Combs recently hosted a fascinating discussion with Randy Reyes of Mu Performing Arts, Toni Pierce-Sands of TU Dance, and C. Michael-jon Pease of Park Square Theatre about the future of diversity (racial and cultural) in Minnesota arts and how to bring people of color into theater audiences. Ten Thousand Things Theater's Ambassador Program works specifically to bring in audiences of color to their paid shows.

With issues like this in mind, I tend to scan theater audiences for their demographic make-up and seeing how well people of color are represented in the audience. As many audiences at shows I attend are primarily older, and pretty darn white, I love to see an audience with representation across the board. For example, I was so pleased by how racially (and age) diverse the audience was at The Color Purple at Park Square Theatre. #Representation rocks.

And representation rocks not only in the audience, but on stage as well. One of the reasons it was so great to see a racially diverse audience at The Color Purple was that the stage was filled with fabulous actors of diverse racial backgrounds. There's something about an all-white audience viewing a show made up of actors of color (particularly singing) that smacks of white privilege and makes me uncomfortable. What can I say? These issues are challenging, sensitive and very personal.

The World Goes 'Round (at the Jungle Theater now through May 24), a revue of the songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb, was conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson and originally performed in the early 1990s.

It's hard to look at the Jungle's production of this show, which is a revue and contains material from twenty-six years of musical collaboration, and not see any representation by actors (or musicians) of color. The band is made up of seven white men, and the cast of three men and four women is uniformly white.

(Side note: I just fell down an internet rabbit hole while looking up race-blind/color-blind casting. Several hours later, I'm back. Whew. Be sure to look into August Wilson's thoughts on the matter.)

There's nothing wrong with an all-white cast, but when so many perceived barriers to non-traditional casting involve the 'jarring departure from reality' of casting siblings of different races or casting actors of color in positions of power in historical times, shouldn't a revue be easy to cast with at least a little non-traditionality?  I'm hoping Lin-Manuel Miranda's critically praised and wildly successful musical Hamilton, in New York now and transferring soon to Broadway, will help pound a nail in the coffin of those arguments to diverse casting.

Can we also talk about revues? Many revues create a narrative that creates a framework for the songs (such as the wonderful I Love a Piano, staged in 1996 at the Ordway Center), some simply group the songs by theme or era. Chris Caggiano of Everything I Know I Learned on Broadway expresses the challenges of the revue beautifully in his review of Ten Cents a Dance:

The songbook revue is both the easiest and the hardest type of theatrical show to pull off. "Easiest" because you seemingly just throw together a bunch of songs and let the audience revel in waves of nostalgia. "Hardest" because, if you don't want the audience tuning out after the first few numbers, you need to come up with some kind of through line or production concept to hold people's attention.

Yes.  And a revue plucks the song from its context in its musical and asks the performers to sell a story through that song.  If you'd like to see the revue done beautifully, don't miss the Broadway Songbook series at the Ordway. Hosted by James A. Rocco and written by James A. Rocco and Jeffrey P. Scott, the Songbook focuses on a songwriting team, an era or a particular style. Featuring a revolving cast of talented performers (including performers of color), the cast sells the hell out of the songs. Next up is Broadway Songbook: Rock & Roll on Broadway (April 17-18). With their great affection for the genre and amazing performers, these shows are necessary viewing for any musical theater fan.

But back to the show at hand ...

I've listened to the 1991 Original Cast recording of And the World Goes Round (which features five actors including Karen Ziemba, Jim Walton, and Brenda Pressley--who happens to be an actor of color), and despite the best intentions and talent, I don't think it's a very successful show. Starting with an overwrought "The World Goes 'Round" from New York, New York, moving on to a frenetic "Coffee in a Cardboard Cup" from 70, Girls, 70, this revue maintains an exhausting heightened emotional state. It's all hills and no valleys. The new arrangement of "Cabaret" (think Manhattan Transfer on the Lawrence Welk Show) and the closing version of "New York, New York" (sung in a number of languages) just don't work for me.

With all this said, the cast of the Jungle Theater production performed gamely and with great commitment. They worked hard to sell the songs, and I wish the show had served them better, particularly Bradley Greenwald (impeccable as always) and Emily Rose Skinner (a great comedienne who made the most of the intimacy of the Jungle).

But there's no way around this: the show is way too loud. The on-stage band is miked, the performers have both body mikes and handheld mikes (with obvious sweetening), and it is LOUD. The sound, combined with the unnerving tendency for the performers to aim over the audience's head to balconies that don't actually exist, made me feel that the show was staged for a much larger venue. (Say, Bloomington Civic Theater?) One of the things that I have always loved best about the Jungle is its warm intimacy, and it's a shame to be blasted out of that lovely space.

I wonder if the loudness of the show (and the revue format) contributed to one of the strangest experiences I've had in the theater. After each number, audience members (a few--let's not get crazy) whistled shrilly (as if they were at a rock concert), and if a cast member did some sort of move, there was woooooooo-ing. It was really odd, and perhaps contributed to the actors' energy and intensity being turned up to eleven. Possibly twelve.

* So what's the actual title?  The program reads "And the World Goes Round", while the website lists the show as "The World Goes 'Round." According to Peter Filichia at MTI, the surviving creators prefer the latter, and that's how MTI licenses it.  So that's what I'm calling it! 

Drawn to Fruit Fly

They had me at the title: I love my gay male friends and appreciate the unique qualities of our relationships. I don't know how I missed the previous iterations, but I was not going to let the newest version of Fruit Fly pass me by!

The show is the brainchild of Sheena Janson and Max Wojtanowicz, I've appreciated each of them on stage separately, including Sheena's touching Desiree in the Mu Performing Arts production of A Little Night Music and Max in the Nautilus Music-Theater production of Ordinary Days. In addition to being talented in their own rights, the pair have been friends for a lifetime, and they built this show around the framework of their friendship.

The simple set on the Illusion Theater stage includes a large whiteboard, on which is written the progression of the show, a guide to the jokes and references in the show, and a space in the upper left corner marked "Sondheim References." With that, they already had me charmed. Most musical theater has its fair share of Sondheim references, so I loved to see them addressing it so directly!

Max and Sheena start the show amid a squabble that clearly illustrates their beyond-comfortable relationship. They are witty and charming, and so are the songs, with music by Michael Gruber that occasionally evokes Sondheim, especially when the singers are racing through their snappy, wordy, and funny lyrics. And yes, there were a few humumumumumable melodies. (And if you get that reference, this show's for you.)

From members of the children's chorus in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and on through high school and college, their friendship grows, hitting a few bumps along the way but seeming to thrive as they live their adult lives. Of course, there is a crisis, and it's a biggie. When one of the pair gets involved in a serious romantic relationship, the other feels left behind. This part of the show went on a bit too long for me, though it was so well performed that it's amazing that they willingly relive such a traumatic breakdown. (Also, it's not exactly suspenseful. If they hadn't stayed friends, we wouldn't be watching the show, right?)

See the Sondheim References on the board? And doesn't Sheena
look great in yellow? Photo: Lauren B Photography

Overall, it was a delightful 90 minutes (no intermission--get your box wine before the show)  of laughter, a few tears and a lot more laughter. I think anyone will see their own long-term friendships reflected onstage, as the joys and strains are universal, while still being wonderfully unique to Sheena and Max.

For more info, there are some cute introductory videos posted to the Fruit Fly event page on Facebook, where you can also get info about two special performances featuring a boxed wine tasting on Friday, April 3 and a fruity drink tasting on Friday, April 11.

If you fall in love with Sheena and Max in this show (and you will, unless you already love them), you can catch more of their work at the monthly cabaret they created and host on the first Monday of each month at Hell's Kitchen. Musical Mondays is a fun night for seeing theater people from all over the Cities performing musical theater songs in a variety of themes, It's the closest we have here in Minnesota to NYC's fabulous 54 Below, and it is a can't-miss event if you love musical theater,

Boeing Boeing at Torch Theater

There are certain performances in the theater that you will never forget.  You know, even as you are watching the play, that you will remember and think fondly of that performance every single time you see that actor in another play. And with this one? You will also laugh.

If you're looking for flat-out slapstick fun, don't miss Torch Theater's production of Boeing Boeing at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage. A welcome breath of spring and fun, it's winding up all too soon (runs through April 4th). 

Written by Marc Camoletti in the mid-60s and directed by Craig Johnson, Boeing Boeing is about a smooth player (Sam Landman) who juggles three air hostesses (Rachel Finch, Stacia Rice and Sara Richardson) with the help of his airline timetables, his naive hometown friend (Zach Curtis), and his imperious maid (Mo Perry). Naturally, romantic mix-ups, luggage mishaps, pratfalls and slamming doors abound. A flop on Broadway when it premiered in the 1960s, a revival in 2008 won Mark Rylance (recently seen here in the Guthrie's Nice Fish) a Tony for his portrayal as the player's friend.

Now, back to that performance ...

Image by Thomas Sandelands - Star Tribune

I don't know what on earth Sara Richardson (as Gretchen) is doing, or how she does it. She's so completely absurd and over-the-top, but completely sincere and committed at the same time. The physicality with which she expressed her character was both repressed and contained, but at the same time wildly expressive. Combine this physicality with her German accent and manner of speech, and a very flippy wig and the results were just incredibly hilarious. It's one of those performances you can't describe--you just have to see it. Her most indelible performance for me was in Pillsbury House Theatre's Buzzer (premiered here, but now in NYC at the Public)--it's amazing to think it's the same person, (I know it's what actors do, but I love to see such range.)

The entire cast is just as committed to the slapstick and the comedy in this piece.  Sam Landsman is wonderfully smooth, a lovely contrast to the somewhat grotesque character he played in Sexy Librarian, (Note to self: use caution when Googling that title.) Zach Curtis throws himself so fully into his character and his pratfalls that if he makes it through the run unscathed, I'd be surprised.  Stacia Rice had me from the moment she entered and threw her bag against the door--her exaggerated Italian accent and affectations were hilarious. Mo Perry is always delightful and hilarious, but I would have liked to see her character go a bit smaller in contrast with the rest of the proceedings. (I know, it's a farce. Small doesn't come into it!) The glasses that she wore also hid her wonderfully expressive face.

Image by Thomas Sandelands - Star Tribune

Speaking of costuming, the clothes were gorgeous. The air hostesses wore the heck out of their capes and their smart little dresses--not to mention the vintage flight bags. The pre-show samba-ish music set the stage beautifully for the show to come.

All in all, it's a completely delightful show, and the audience was wholeheartedly engaged and laughing like crazy. The woman next to us kept slapping her leg and saying, "Oh, no!" in an adorable way. It's a lovely little trip to the swinging 60s.

Total Tangent: After the show, I couldn't get "Swinging Nordwest", the kicky song that Jim Lichtschiedl used in his show Knock! (with Theater Latte Da) out of my head. It just seemed to fit in so perfectly with the aesthetic. Also, when the show was recently on Broadway, they worked with Kathleen Marshall to choreograph a curtain call dance (inspired by Rylance's work with the Globe and their dancing curtain calls). Very charming!

Ending soon - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius - what a crazy group of kids. Is there anything that needs to be said about the plot of this show? Two couples head into the woods, fairy King and Queen of the woods are fighting, a group of actors head into the woods to rehearse and shenanigans ensue. We all know the story.

This is one of the last shows that Joe Dowling is directing at the Guthrie. I have been told that it is a remounting/reworking of a previous Dowling production. I never saw the original so I can't vouch for it. What I do know is that I really enjoyed watching this production. It was fantastic!

Blank stage, directed in the round (to some extent), actors flying in....it was a great joy to watch. I have to admit that I thought the pacing was slow at the start but that only lasted for the first few minutes. Then again, it may have just been the start of the show. All the excitement starts when the Fairies start coming in. What I found really enjoyable was the costuming and make-up of the Fairies. It is done in a punk style and some of the text is sung in a 50's doo-wop style, mixed with jazz and blue. Such a great choice.

The pace of the show was good, and consistent. I was interested through out even though I have seen the show many times. I have to admit one more thing. I am not a fan of the Mechanicals...as a rule. This production helped change my mind about them. They were full, well rounded characters and their final performance...well... I was laughing so hard I was crying. Then they changed on a dime and almost brought me to tears for real. It is a really good production, an amazing cast (including the much written about Tyler Michaels as Puck) and well worth the three hours. In fact, it certainly did not feel like it was that long.

Go see it...it closes soon.

Past is Past: Pippin

Yes, I realize that Pippin played a short run over a month ago. Yet...I did want to do a short post about it. First off, I love this show. There is some really good music in it, it tells an interesting story in a very interesting way...and it is a fun thing to watch.

The original production (with some small changes) is readily available to view. It has the incredible Ben Vereen as the leading player, as well as William Katt. This production is a revival that played Broadway and incorporated more circus, and acrobatic aspects to it than the original. It features a female leading player which made no changes at all. By that I mean that the gender of the leading player does not make a difference to the score or the show.

Here are just a few impressions I had of the touring production. The audience was really varied and ranged in ages. It was great to see. The staging was very symmetrical, which was nice. It kept the focus where it should be - on the main characters. The great thing about this was the use of magic and acrobatics - including aerial work - that was exciting to watch, and yet also brought interesting aspects to the characters. There was great integration of dance and the circus elements, each feeding the other. I would have to say that the best thing about this production was the lead-in to the songs. There was great underscoring and the songs just came up naturally. It was so well done. Finally, if you have seen the original production via DVD - the ending has been slightly revised. It is good.

Two things specifically about this tour: The actor playing Charles was John Rubinstein...who just happened to originate the role of Pippin in the original production. He still has the skill and the stage presence and was really great! The other great thing about this tour is Priscilla Lopez playing Berthe. Yes, we all know Priscilla from In The Heights and even more from the original cast of A Chorus Line." Let me tell you that she looks amazing still, and does amazing work on a trapeze! Even to the point of singing upside down!! so awesome!

IF you have a chance to see a production of Pippin, I would take that chance for sure!

The Manchurian Candidate at Minnesota Opera

I have been attending Minnesota Opera for years, and I have seldom seen an audience as attentive as the one at Saturday night's World Premiere of The Manchurian Candidate.

I love a world premiere. Even if you've not seen the classic film from 1962 (or its less classic remake in 2004) , this story is a well-known piece of popular culture. The opera is based on the novel by Richard Condon (and I'm guessing heavily influenced by the movie as well), with music by Kevin Puts, libretto by Mark Campbell, conducted by Michael Christie and stage directed by Kevin Newbury.)

To be totally honest, I'm often a bit disappointed by 'new' operas. Where are the big chorus scenes? Where are the sweeping melodies and the emotional highs and lows?

Although I still longed for those things, I enjoyed The Manchurian Candidate thoroughly. The story of a soldier brainwashed by Communists to become a political assassin, this tale chillingly portrays "the fear and paranoia in politics" (thank you, Director's Notes), as well as complicated (oh, so complicated) familial relationships, wonderful sweet romances, and tenacious friendships, as well as the political intrigue.

 I have to say, it's all grounded in Matthew Worth's thoughtful and emotional portrayal of the central role, with wonderfully strong performances by Brenda Harris and Leonardo Capaldo as well (only a few of a stand-out cast).

Gorgeously sung and acted by all, this opera was a fascinating and thought-provoking evening of theater. Concept, set, staging, costuming (gorgeous dresses, btw), plot and music all came together for a fascinating night of opera. And at only two hours and ten minutes with intermission, it sped by.

Don't forget that Minnesota Opera has a number of wonderful program relating to opera around town and at local libraries.  You can find the full schedule on their website, as well as tons of videos and behind-the-scenes clips from The Manchurian Candidate.

Death Tax at Pillsbury House Theatre

Can I say?  I lurve Pillsbury House Theatre. Every time I go to their space, I'm impressed by their amazing community vibe, services and outreach. Also, I LOVE that there's a speaker from backstage in the ladies' room. Someone needs to do an audio art installation there.

Photo by Keri Pickett

This past Sunday, we saw Death Tax at Pillsbury House Theatre (now through April 4).  Don't let the somber title put you off.  Written by Lucas Hnath and directed by Hayley Finn, this is an absorbing and often funny play.  As the Director's Note reads:

"Within the confined space of a nursing home, the play raises large ethical questions. What is the power of money? How does it affect our lives and our relationship to our family? How does it affect the care we receive? What is the value we place on living? The play looks at these questions through myriad vantage points."

photo by Keri Pickett

Beautifully acted by a cast of four, and performed on a spare stage in Pillsbury House's intimate space, I was absolutely riveted by this play. I loved the naturalistic speech, and the very realistic ways we follow the thoughts and progression of character.

I've seen Regina Marie Williams in a ton of theater (most recently in The Color Purple at Park Square Theater), but she utterly disappeared into her role at Tina, nurse to Wendy Lehr's dying patient. She was amazing to watch. Clarence Wethern, playing her boss and more, provides a complex but fascinating portrayal of a man in over his head. With impeccable timing, he adds immediate depth, complexity and welcome humor to the play. Wendy Lehr and Tracey Maloney create the complex relationship of mother and daughter with ease and edge.

In these days, as baby boomers age and the issues surrounding death and quality of life are everywhere we look, this play is timely and thought-provoking--and wonderfully enjoyable to watch. (90 minutes, no intermish--yay!)

Side note: I'm so thrilled that Tracey Scott Wilson's play Buzzer (which had its World Premiere at Pillsbury House Theatre) is now playing at the prestigious Public Theater in New York City. Look for another Tracey Scott Wilson play at Pillsbury House this fall:

Second side note: How cool is it that Pillsbury House is doing workshops on Health Care Directives and Estate Planning in conjunction with Death Tax?  So cool.