Category: The Shaker

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Bland (Arjun Kumar) is torn between his loyalty to his friend and his loyalty to his country when he discovers Major John André (Harry J. Hawkins, IV) is to hang for his crimes against the nation in William Dunlap’s “André”

Bland pleads for the major’s life. First to M’Donald (Brett Sullivan Santry) and then all the way up the chain of command to the General (Michael Barnett).

Side note: Though he’s never called by name in the play, Dunlap’s General is General George Washington – one of three real people in this fictionalized version of the historical events.

Later, Bland learns from his mother, Mrs. Bland (France Chao), that the British are holding his father and plan to execute him in retaliation for the murder of Major John André.

André is ready to accept his fate until the love of his life, Honora (Marisa Postava), comes to the Colonies to say goodbye.

The play was first performed on March 30, 1798. Only a few years after the real Major John André, a British officer, was hanged as a spy during the American Revolutionary War for assisting Benedict Arnold’s attempted surrender of the fort at West Point to the British.

The playwright, William Dunlap attempted to mimic William Shakespeare with lyrical verses, but Dunlap is no Shakespeare. The language here is flat and the story is melodramatic. A character actually proclaims, “Curses!” and raises her fist skyward. While that may have been a common lament in 1798, it appears laughable in 2019.

“André” falls into a trap. Seward (Elena Falgione) tells the audience at the very beginning of the play the events, and they unfold exactly as she says they will. Holy Haley Joel Osmet! Just like Cole Sear told Dr. Malcolm Crowe in “The Sixth Sense,” “You need to put some twists in it.” We need a plot twist or two to remain engaged and we never get one.

There are some fine performances by Sullivan Santry and Barnett, but they are saddled with some clunky dialogue.

Postava’s Honora doesn’t show up until the second act, but she shines when appears on stage. She and Hawkins, IV do a great job conveying the most emotionally intense scene in the play.

Costume Designer Alex Righetti does a great job with the colonial costumes.

Throughline Theatre’s tenth season is themed “Staging the Nation,” and Artistic Director Sarah McPartland starts it off with a play about the blood shed forging our nation. If you’re a history buff, you’ll want to make the trek to Upper Lawrenceville to see this rarely-performed classic. Everyone else who wants to see an great play about early America, may want to wait until “Hamilton”comes back to town.

You can find “André” at Aftershock Theatre, 115 57^th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. For more information, click here.

 

 

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Max (Alec Silverblatt) and Whitney (Erika Cuenca) are lost deep in their own imaginary worlds. They are both “volunteering” in a clinical trial experimenting with a new drug that will allegedly cure them of their schizophrenic illusions in Johnna Adams’ “World Builders.”

Walt Disney once said, “Fantasy and reality often overlap.” Maybe he had schizophrenic dreams. He was certainly a first class world builder. He created elaborate stories about imaginary people, not unlike Whitney. She’s created a fantasy world that would make J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin proud.

Side note: Why do the most famous fantasy writers have double R initials? Is that a thing?

Whitney’s world(s) is a mash up between “Star Wars,” “Lord of the Rings” and “The Little Mermaid.” If you’re wondering why she didn’t  just write it all down and become the next J.K. Rowling, it’s because her mother destroyed reams of paper, notes, maps and other ephemera describing her fantasy world.

The pills take effect, and their fantasies fade. But Whitney wants to preserve her imaginary stories. So she strikes up a conversation with Max. She believes if she tells someone the story of her imaginary worlds, they won’t fade away into oblivion. Eventually, they both share information about their worlds.P.S. Max is in a much darker place.

Eventually, the friendship grows into love, but what happens when the trial ends?

Adams explores some deep themes here. Is love an illusion? What is real and what isn’t? Don’t we all live in our own fantasy worlds to some extent or another?

The most shocking thing is that “World Builders” is a comedy. It’s laugh out loud funny.

Cuenca is adorable as Whitney. She bubbles with enthusiasm explaining the characters in her elaborate fictitious worlds. Cuenca’s Whitney is fun, but fragile, like a glass rose.

Silberblatt astonishes here. His Max is the more obvious of the two schizophrenics. He has facial tics, odd quirks and herky-jerky movements. Max is the kind of person you don’t want to sit next to on a bus.

Director Linda Haston does a good job letting her actors deeply explore their characters.

Adrienne Fischer’s set is a work of art. The actors are surrounded by stark white walls with splashes of Crayola colors.

In “World Builders,” you’re not really laughing at people with deep psychotic issues, you’re laughing with them. It will get under your skin, in a deep, dark way, but you’ll be laughing as you go.

-MB

“World Builders” runs through May 18 at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, click here.

 

 

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

Man in Chair (Greg Caridi) greets us offstage in a large chair that’s been incorporated into the audience seats. He chit chats with the patrons about his life and basically that he’s sad, a little blue and anxious. He does, however, have a love affair with an LP Album of the musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The fictional musical was written in the Jazz Age in the late 20s and he begins to tell the audience in depth how wonderful this album is.

As soon as Man in Chair begins playing “The Drowsy Chaperone,” the characters appear in his living room.

This play within a play begins and we meet the characters through the first musical number, “Fancy Dress.” Janet Van De Graaff (Mairead A. Roddy) and Robert Martin (Colin Burns) are to be married. In attendance are Mrs. Tottendale (Patricia Cena Fuchel), an older hostess; Underling (Warren Ashburn) Mrs. Tottendale’s loyal employee; George (Andy Folmer), Martin’s best man and The Drowsy Chaperone (Meighan Lloyd Harding).

There are several wedding guests who have less-than-honorable intentions. Kitty (Carina Iannarelli) wants to take Van De Graaff’s place in the Feldzieg’s Follies since Van De Graaff will retire now that she is getting married. Feldzieg (Johnny Traficante), a Broadway producer, counts Van De Graaff as his big moneymaker and wants to stop the wedding. Aldolpho (Dewayne Curry) is hired to seduce Van De Graaff and destroy any chances of a wedding.

Side Note: Man in Chair weaves in and out of the production, highlighting important points about what is happening. He inserts himself when he thinks clarification is needed or when one of his favorite parts is coming.

Aldolpho seduces the wrong person. Van De Graaff thinks she’s caught Martin in an indiscretion and the wedding could be in trouble! Two gangsters masquerading as pastry chefs (Andy Coleman and Jeremy Ernstoff) confront Feldzieg to stop the wedding because their boss has a financial interest in the Follies.

Another Side Note: At one point in the musical, the lights go out in Man in Chair’s apartment. He is distressed. He thinks the show is ruined. The Superintendent (Christian Jones) arrives, fixes the problem and the musical continues.

 

Caridi does a great job as Man in Chair. He’s on stage all the time and easily transitions from an insecure, shy person to a bubbly enthusiast of “his” musical.

Lloyd Harding is fabulous with her double takes. She is a powerful presence on stage and a powerful voice to match.

Curry’s exaggerated accent and physical movements are particularly effective in combination with his costume props (a red-lined cape and walking cane).

Lloyd Harding and Curry’s musical duet, “Aldolpho” is one of the highlights of this production.

Roddy shows off her wonderful voice in the “Show Off” number.

Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar.

This production should be silly, funny and ridiculous. And it is! If there is any serious underlying theme in “The Drowsy Chaperone” it’s expressed through Man in Chair. His life seems to revolve around this imaginary musical and he is totally animated and happy when he’s in this dream world he created.

-CED

“The Drowsy Chaperone” is a production of Little Lake Theatre Company, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317. It runs from April 25 to May 11, 2019. For more information, click here.

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

A troupe of Yiddish actors in gray overcoats march on to the stage, followed by a lively Klezmer band (Erikka Walsh, Janice Coppola and Spiff Wiegand). One bedraggled player steps downstage. Lemml AKA Lou (Maury Ginsberg) introduces himself and says, “We have a story we want to tell you about a play — a play that changed my life.”

Then, the actors tell the story of a play that changed Lemml’s life and many others, Sholem Asch’s “God of Vengeance.” The play within a play in Paula Vogel’s “Indecent.”

In Warsaw, Sholem (Robert Tendy) has written his first play in Yiddish. His wife (Emily Daly) thinks its brilliant, but his colleagues think it’s an aberration (Robert Zukerman and Ricardo Vila-Roger). The work is about a Jewish brothel owner and his daughter who is entangled in a lesbian romance right before her arranged marriage.

With a healthy amount of chutzpah, Asch and Lemml take the manuscript to Berlin, where it attracts the attention of Rudolph Schildkraut (Zukerman), a famous actor. Meanwhile, the two female stars of the play, Ruth (Daly) and Dine (Meg Pryor) begin a romance off-stage.

The play becomes a success and tours all over the world. Finally, it gets a chance on Broadway where the producers make dramatic cuts to minimize the lesbian love story. When the curtain falls at the end of the Broadway premiere, the entire cast is arrested for indecency.

Late in his life, his wife Madje (Laurie Klatscher) invites a young man to their home (Tendy) to speak to Sholem (now Zukerman) about his reviving his infamous play in a new English translation, but Sholem can only think of the havoc the play has wrought and is reminded of the advice of his mentor, I.L. Peretz, “You should burn it.”

Everyone has a different idea of what art is. A play can be seen as filthy and immoral. Others can see it as beautiful and poetic. Bob Marley once said, “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”

“Indecent” is all about the rain.

Director Risa Brainin masterfully commands over this powerful and provocative work.

The cast is stupendous. All of them.

Ginsberg is charismatic. His Lemml grabs a hold of an idea and never lets it go. He is an unwavering force of nature.

Pryor does an outstanding job. She captures this rare emotional moment when her character is overcome by love and sadness simultaneously. It’s beautifully done.

Tendy has some fine moments in his various roles. There is one brief yet brilliant moment when he portrays Eugene O’Neill. Tendy’s range is on full display when he goes from the tentative Asch to the boisterous and confident O’Neill.

Daly plays several important characters. She does a terrific job, but her final scene with Pryor is elegant and moving.

Kudos to Dialect Coach John McManus. The accents are an important part of the show, and they are never cloying or grating.There’s some lovely sound and projection design by Zach Moore. The title cards are artfully done.

The Klezmer band is outstanding, particularly when the ladies of the show sing “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” as the Bagelman (AKA Barry) Sisters.

Every member of the cast plays multiple roles and it gets a little confusing at times, but it is a stunning piece of work that should not be missed. There is an actual show-stopping ending that will not be spoiled here. It is beautiful, poignant, tragic and poetic.

“Indecent” is a must see.

– MB

“Indecent” runs through May 19 at the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

 

 

 

 

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

Nothing gums up the works like a family in turmoil. Egeon of Syracuse (Harry Thornton) is on trial and under a potential death threat from Solinus, Duke of Ephesus (Antonio Jeffries). Residents of Syracuse are not allowed to travel to Ephesus. Egeon has traveled to Ephesus to search for one of his son’s and his wife, both separated from him and his other son following a shipwreck. Once grown the son that grew up with Egeon, Antipholus of Syracuse (Scott Kennedy) ventures on a journey with his slave, Dromio of Syracuse (Jasjit Williams-Singh) to attempt to find his missing identical twin.

Antipholus of Syracuse is not aware that his brother, Antipholus of Ephesus has been living in Ephesus for some time, along with his slave, Dromio of Ephesus (Sam O’Byrne).

Side Note: Both Dromios are also identical twins.

Imagine what happens when Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse traverse through this new city. People approach them thinking they are Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus. Antipholus of Ephesus’s wife, Adriana (Lily Ganser) also makes that mistake, cajoling Antipholus of Syracuse into her home, advising her servants to make sure the door is locked.

Another Side Note: The locked door becomes a humorous prop as the real Antipholus of Ephesus tries unsuccessfully to undo several locks that never fail to stop his entrance into his own home.

Adriana’s unmarried sister, Luciana (Roma Scarano) gets caught up in the intrigue when Antipholus of Syracuse asks Luciana to marry him. Luciana is appalled because, God forbid, that’s her brother-in-law (or so she thinks).

The intrigues and misunderstandings among the characters are eventually resolved.

And when we finally meet the Abbess (Carmen Flood) her true identify surprises them all.

This is not a deep, thought-provoking play (even though one of the characters is sentenced to death). It is a play that relies on mistaken identities, miscues, misunderstandings and miscalculations as comedic devices. But it’s also a play that has the underlying theme of the importance of family.

As one of William Shakespeare’s earliest works, “A Comedy of Errors” has been around for over 400 years and probably produced hundreds of times but each production brings its own flavor to this play.

Director Don Wadsworth does a superb job with a superb cast.

Williams-Singh and O’Byrne are a dynamic duo as the Dromeo twins. Their gymnastics and slapstick compliment their vocal performances.

Kennedy and Harrison as the Antipholus brothers are both serious and humorous.

Ganser is spot-on and her physical gyrations are especially effective considering she has to maneuver in a full-skirted dress.

Scarano brings her character to life with subtle facial expressions and double takes.

This production relies heavily on Movement Coach Ralph Hall.

The cast benefits from the costume designs of Stefan Romero.

– CED

“A Comedy of Errors” is a production of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. It runs from April 18 – 27, 2019 at the Philip Chosky Theater, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.For more information, click here.

by Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Two siblings connect, correct and cajole each other through social media in the premiere of Matt Schatz’s “The Burdens.”

Jane (Catherine LeFrere) is living in New Jersey with her husband and children, and her brother Mordy (Ben Rosenblatt) is a struggling musician/pharmacy clerk living in Los Angeles. Financially, she’s doing well – he is not. Both of them are screwed up and neurotic.

Jane is having an affair with her boss. Mordy can’t get over a girl he went out with a few times.

He’s a schlub. She’s a klafte (a Yiddish word not used in polite company). They are not very likable people. Apparently, it’s genetic. They have a hateful one-hundred-year old grandfather who spews horrible things at their mother, who both adult children call Mommy. The grandfather is draining their mother’s resources and she has to move into a studio apartment in a derelict section of New Jersey. Then, Jane decides that everyone’s lives would improve if they offed their grandfather.

Of course, things spiral out of control from there.

Some of the jokes and the beginning of the show land with a heavy thud, but the humor toward the end is dialed up to eleven. It’s laugh out loud funny in the final few moments. It just takes a while to get there. The end is also poignant.

LeFrere’s character starts out as a stereotype, but the actor adds layers of depth. She has a tough, commanding presence, but, later in the play, LeFrere gets to show Jane’s more vulnerable side.

Rosenblatt’s Mordy is comical. While he’s a fine actor, his character doesn’t seem to grow as much, and he doesn’t get to explore as much of a range as she gets to do. He does have the funniest lines in the play and he delivers them flawlessly.

Britton Mauk’s geometric stage is very clever, very modern (perfect for this production). Director Marc Masterson does a fine job blocking the actors in the unusual space.

There is some fun sound work by David Remedios and moody lighting from Andrew David Ostrowski.

One of the greatest things about watching live theater is seeing the characters interact with one another. Unfortunately, “The Burdens” is a series of text messages spoken aloud. While that format brings many humorous and dramatic moments, it also puts up a barrier. That barrier is the playwright’s social commentary on society, but it works almost too well. It takes a long time to get to know the characters and, therefore, care about them. The last twenty minutes of “The Burdens,” however, is hilarious. If you have the patience, you will be handsomely rewarded. It it pays off wonderfully.

It’s also no surprise that those last twenty minutes have Jane and Mordy connecting in different ways.

It’s a premiere and Schatz has a chance to tweak it or tinker with it a bit – before it heads any bigger venues.

Side note for prudish patrons: If certain words in the English language bother you, you might want to avoid “The Burdens.” The show opens with a particularly offensive word (rhymes with runt) and uses it throughout the show.

The play is a brisk seventy-five minutes with no intermission.

-MB

“The Burdens” runs until May 12 at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. For more information, click here.

 

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Home grown magician Lee Terbosic is performing down at Liberty Magic for an eight-week residency in his new show, “In Plain Sleight.”

Terbosic is a charming, funny Pittsburgher with several tricks up his sleeve. The magician has performed all over the world and just completed filming “Houdini’s Last Secrets” for the Discovery Science Channel.

He opens up his new show by dropping a bowling ball – seemingly out of nowhere – and, from there, performs astounding feats of magic with wit and humor. The show is titled, “In Plain Sleight” for a reason. There are a lot of card tricks, but the wily magician puts a humorous and unique spin on each. He’s manages to do some really neat tricks with a sharpie, a banana, a can of coke and a several deck of cards.

Terbosic incorporates a short video into his act. It is from his November, 2016 stunt where he was hoisted on to a crane high above the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Wood Street and wiggles his way out of a straightjacket (in the exact spot Harry Houdini performed the trick one hundred years earlier). The video has guest appearances by Rick Sebak, Sally Wiggin and a host of local celebrities.

In the lobby, you might even spot local actor Mark Tierno (from barebones production’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” the movie, “Day of the Dead” etc.).

The venue looks like a magic shop from a movie, thanks to scenic designer Tony Ferrieri and his lovely assistant, Hank Bullington. It is loaded with lovingly displayed tchotchkes and trinkets. You may almost expect to find a watch that can stop time or a cute, little creature you’re not to feed after midnight. You won’t. But you will find Zoltar there  – that’s probably why the venue is 21+. nNo children will be turned into adults, but “In Plain Sleight” might turn you into a kid again. There’s a awe-inspiring sense of wonder when you’re astounded by a good magician. It brings the child inside out to play.

Side note: There is some audience participation, and hiding in the back row won’t help, but Terbosic never forced or cajoled anyone on stage.

If you have the money and the time, splurge for the VIP tickets and you’ll get to hang out in the Green Room with Terbosic where he’ll answer questions and show you a few additional tricks.

-MB

“In Plain Slieght” is on the same block where the magician recreated Houdini’s straightjacket escape at Liberty Magic, 811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.  The show runs until May 12. For more information, say the magic words and press here.

 

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

In 1900 Sweden Madame Armfeldt (Lynne Franks), confined to a wheelchair, reflects on her life, especially those memories of past relationships. Her granddaughter, Fredrika Armfeldt (Alyssa Greenaway) lives with her, because Fredrika’s mother, Desiree Armfeldt (Jill Jeffrey), an actor – now relegated to mediocre touring company productions, reneged the responsibility of caring for her. Desiree is involved with a married man, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Michael Kirk) and the Count’s wife Countess Charlotte Malcolm (Colleen Hammond) knows it.

Desiree’s old lover Fredrik Egerman (Jeff Way) brings his eighteen-year-old wife Anne Egerman (Carissa Warren) to see her perform. Anne is still a virgin after 11 months of marriage. Fredrik’s son, Henrik Egerman (Garrett Hoffman) wants to emulate Martin Luther while at the same time attempts to entice Petra (Emily Yuretich), Anne’s sexually experienced maid. Anne and Henrik are in love with each other but they don’t know it yet.

After Fredrik attends Desiree’s theatrical productions and they renew their relationship, all the characters are invited to Madame Armfeldt’s estate for a weekend.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

A Swedish soap opera unfolds. Some lose at love, others win!! Madame Armfeldt wins in a different way, through her memories of former loves.

Jeffrey is fantastic. She pulls off being both serious and humorous. Her facial expressions, hand gestures, and movement often tell the story without her saying a word. Jeffrey handles “Send in the Clowns” poignantly.

Franks transitions exquisitely between reflecting on the past and living in the present. She segues smoothly from dreamy and reserved to sharp and acerbic.

Hammond’s deadpan delivery is spot on!

Way excels as the frustrated husband.

Hoffman easily transitions from a young man intent on entering the seminary to an agitated male attempting suicide.

Wonderful performances from Warren, Yuretich, Kirk and Greenaway.

Director and Set Designer John E. Lane, Jr.’s vision of “A Little Night Music” is that “it is an elegant show trying to maintain elegance but still remain funny. Underlying that is a deep truth about love and loss.”

Note: The Liebeslieder (Love Songs in German) Singers are an integral part of this production. First introduced at the beginning of the play they waltz in and sing at various times, specifically to provide commentary on what the audience sees and hears.

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler.

– CDM

“A Little Night Music” is a production of Duquesne University. It runs from April 4 – 14, 2019 at the Genesius Theater, 1225 Seitz Street, Pittsburgh PA. For more information, click here.

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

The gap between a father (James FitzGerald) and daughter (Erika Cuenca) widens when a young man (Alec Silberblatt) inserts himself into their lives in “The Heiress.”

The father, Dr. Austin Sloper, is a rigid man with a low opinion of his daughter, Catherine. He has an even lower opinion of her suitor, Morris Townsend.

In a brief tête-à-tête, he confides in his sister, Lavinia (Karen Baum), that he fears Catherine will never be of much value to society. The doctor continually compares his plain, awkward daughter to his fascinating and vivacious wife – who died in labor delivering Catherine.

To quote Harvey Fierstein, “It’s easier to love someone who’s dead. They make so few mistakes.”

Dr. Sloper is able to disguise his contempt until his other sister Elizabeth (Cary Anne Spear) pays a visit. She is accompanied by her daughter; Marian (Anne Rematt); Arthur Townsend, her daughter’s fiancé (Max Pavel); and, most unexpectedly, Morris Townsend, Arthur’s cousin.

Morris is smitten with Catherine, but Dr. Sloper is convinced that Arthur’s penniless cousin is after his daughter for her money. Upon the doctor’s demise, Catherine is to inherit $30,000 a year, which is a gargantuan sum of money in 1850 (when the play takes place).

Two weeks after meeting her, Morris proposes to Catherine. The announcement further infuriates Dr. Sloper. He sends his maid, Maria (Samantha A. Camp), on an errand to summon Mrs. Montgomery (Gayle Pazerski), Morris’s sister.

The doctor tries to ascertain Morris’s motives by interrogating Mrs. Montgomery. Her answers do not provide any conclusive evidence, but the doctor makes his decision nonetheless.

While he is cruel and harsh, he might not be wrong. The hardest thing any parent can do is watch his children make their own mistakes.

Director Alan Stanford is working with a superbly talented cast.  Stanford peppered the play with a lot of familiar favorites and added some bright new faces to this production.

Cuenca successfully plays a multifaceted role. Catherine has a very distinct arc. Catherine goes from naïve young woman to discerning adult. Cuenca makes a smooth transition between the two separate personalities.

FitzGerald is commanding. His Dr. Sloper is tough, guarded and difficult, but not completely unlikable. Oddly, the unaffectionate father is not the villain. He also gets some very witty lines.

Silberblatt does a beautiful job as Morris Townsend. It takes a while before you know if you’re supposed to root for him or against him, but Silberblatt makes him sympathetic even when he’s at his most treacherous.

Baum’s Lavinia is delightful. She livens up the stage with every appearance.

Camp accomplishes a lot with a wink, a nod and a sigh. She adds a lot of depth to the character. Camp’s Maria is devoted to the doctor (but has very little patience for anyone else).

Pavel’s personality enlarges his small part. He delivers sardonic bon mots with charm.

Pazerski also does a lot with a little. She only has one big scene, but she goes toe-to-toe with FitzGerald’s Sloper.

Scenic artist Domenico LaGamba welcomes us into the stately manor of the Sloper home in the tony Washington Square neighborhood (the furniture is ornate and sturdy).

Joan Markert’s costumes are lush and elegant, befitting the extravagant lifestyle of an heiress.

Ruth and Augustus Goetz adapted the tragicomedy, “Washington Square,” from American novelist Henry James. The story began as a serial running through Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in 1880. The play is a bit long, but it’s not overwritten. Every line has a purpose, propelling plot and character toward an irrevocable climax.

Considering that it was written in the 1880’s, there is an underlying theme of female empowerment.  James seems to be asking, “When should a woman stand up to a man and when should she not?”

“The Heiress” is billed as a “timeless tale,” because greed, sadly, never goes out of style.

-MB

“The Heiress” runs until April 27 at WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213. For more information, contact PICT Classic Theatre here.

 

 

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

Origins of the phrase “Be careful what you wish you” are fuzzy at best but that phrase highlights the central theme of the musical comedy “Into the Woods”.

The characters are a mixed group garnered from various fairy tales (the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault). All wish for something.

The baker (David Steffes) and the Baker’s Wife (Julia Kreutzer) are childless and want a child. The Witch (Emily Cooper) who put a curse on the couple that made them childless is willing to remove that curse if they help her procure certain items that will turn her from a craggy, miserable, misshapen being into a svelte, youthful dynamo. Jack (Malcolm Buisch) is an immature adult who wants his cow to give milk, while Jack’s Mother (Josie O’Connell) prays that her son will finally grow up. Cinderella (Lucy Pratt) hopes that she can attend a festival with the royals. The Wolf (Dan Mayhak) is continually seeking a young thing to seduce. Little Red Riding Hood (Megan Knorr) hopes to visit her grandmother.

What really happened in the woods? Our characters ultimately got what they wished for but…

SPOLER ALERT!!!

They weren’t able to come to terms with their lives after their wishes were granted.

Were they able to work together and solve a problem that affected them all? Sometimes you have to be able to see the forest through the trees.

The executed movements between the ensemble of actors and the orchestra were seamless, smooth and synchronized. The production of this dark comedy was fluid.

Cooper was superb as the Witch transitioning from a wizened hag to an alluring woman. Her comedic expressions and nuances were captivating as was her delivery of “Last Midnight”.

Mayhak played the narcissistic, silly Prince as the royal jerk with brilliant mannerisms, facial expressions and perfect timing.

There are wonderful performances by Steffes, O’Connell, Knorr, Kreutzer, Buisch and Pratt.

Costume Designer Kyle Huber provided excellent costumes.

Kudos to Director Niffer Clarke.

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.

“Into the Woods” is a production of the University of Pittsburgh Stages. It runs from April 4 – 14, 2019 at the Charity Randall Theatre, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

For more information, click here.