'Burgh Vivant

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

Happy, innocent Buddy the Elf (Tanner Yake) grew up in the North Pole. Accidentally plopped into one of Santa’s bags in New York, baby Buddy was reared under Santa’s (Jonny Kigin) supervision along with the elves in his toy workshop. Buddy thought he, too, was an elf even though when grown he towered over his diminutive cohorts.

Santa felt it was time to let Buddy know that he was a human, and has a father, Walter Hobbs (Joe Graff) in New York City. Santa felt it was time for Buddy to meet his dad.

Dressed in his very green and large elf suit, Buddy’s off to the Big Apple. He meets his father who didn’t know he existed, stepmom Emily Hobbs (Tracy Parsons) and half-brother Michael Hobbs (Joshua Clark).

Buddy tries to fit in and his new family attempts to accept him. Relinquishing his elf suit for a business suit to work with Hobbs doesn’t improve the bonding process. Even his acquaintance and potential love interest Jovie (Carly Phillips) has a bad start. When everyone is at their wits’ end, Buddy is pushed out of his new home and forced back into a department store full of Santas.

Innocent words, actions and unfiltered comments not a problem in his previous sheltered North Pole environment often have double, suggestive meanings in this new world. That might be troublesome to overcome.

Yake is tremendous. He begins as a naïve, sheltered young man and transitions into a quasi-grown up (still working on it), not so naïve as he used to be. Much of his emotions are expressed through facial expressions and physical movement.

Nowicki is a gem as Meg. Wonderful singing of “In the Way” but what she does with her facial expressions and general movements says it all.

As the beleaguered dad, Graff progresses from stern and uncompromising to a more reasonable and finally compassionate man.

Parsons and Clark are delightful singing “I Believe in You”.

Phillips packs a lot of emotion in her rendition of “Never Fall in Love”.

Kigin transitions easily from his role as jolly Santa into the authoritative business man Mr. Greenaway.

Impressive direction by Brandon Keller in managing such a large cast in a relatively small space.

“Elf The Musical” is a Christmas story with lots of singing, dancing and general fun. One caution is that the play (especially Act One) is long and very young kids may lose interest.

Ced

“Elf The Musical” is a production of Comtra Theatre, 20540 Route 19, Cranberry Township PA 16066 and runs from December 6 – December 15, 2019. For more information, click here.

 

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

Imagine “A Christmas Carol” told from a present-day Pittsburgh perspective. The Charles Dickens classic is updated with a Pittsburgh twist at the fictitious “dahntahn” WBRC Studios in Bricolage’s 11^th annual Midnight Radio Series, “Yinzer Scrooged: A Pittsburgh Christmas Carol.”

We follow Jeffenezer Scroogeoff (Wali Jamal) as his story is told – his early upbringing, why he became a mean, stingy, Jagoff, and the people he affected along the way.

Andrew Carnegie (Michael McBurney) is one of the ghosts who haunt Scroogeoff while Lena Horne (Shammen McCune) sings to him.

Flashbacks to a Young Scroogeoff (Connor McCanlus) give us some indication as to how he behaved in his youth. His awful treatment of his housekeeper Barbara Cratchet (Jaime Slavinsky) supports his present miserly behavior.

References to Pittsburgh people, locations and food are often interspersed with Pittsburgh accents.

The actors’ movements are confined to traveling from one part of the studio to another in order to assume another role or to participate in making the appropriate sounds associated with the story. But it’s really about the vocals.

If you close your eyes for a few minutes you won’t miss anything. It’s all about sound.

McBurney, McCanlus, McCune and Slavinsky take on multiple roles in this 1940’s radio-style format.

Jamal’s deep, rich voice is a joy to hear as he portrays the mean, rich guy.

McBurney is able to easily transition from an Andrew Carnegie ghost with a beautiful Scottish brogue to a mellow Fred Rogers.

McCune’s skit as an audio recording spewing out directions on MapBurg is excellent.

McCanlus transitions easily from a youthful sounding Young Scroogeoff to an even younger Tiny Tony.

Slavinsky’s Pittsburgh accent is spot on.

Musical Director Deana Muro’s music was subtle, yet sharp.

If you’re the least bit nebby on how this radio show ends, finish your pierogi dinner, head down to Pixburgh and become part of the audience n’at. It’s an enjoyable evening.

-CeD

“Yinzer Scrooged: A Pittsburgh Christmas Carol” is a production of Bricolage Production Company, 937 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15222 and runs from December 5 – 21, 2019. For more information, click here.

 

By Tiffany Raymond, ‘Burgh Vivant

Each holiday season, ballet companies expectantly produce their obligatory rehashing of “The Nutcracker.” So too do America’s playhouses delve into the shallow pool of holiday theatrical options with perennial appearances of “A Christmas Carol” or “White Christmas.” Little Lake Theatre’s production of “The (Christmas) Lake Effect” successfully colors outside the lines of tried (and tired) holiday options. This original play is written by former Little Lake artistic director, Sunny Disney Fitchett. Little Lake’s current artistic director, Jena Oberg, takes the sleigh’s reins as director. Oberg finds the right balance, keeping a vibrant show from veering into a madcap frenzy.

The play traces the final dress rehearsal for a production of “A Christmas Carol.” It’s no smooth run-through after the cast is inadvertently locked in an unheated barn during a blizzard. The locked door leaves 12 cast members negotiating the stage for most of the production. Managing a dozen actors is a staging challenge, particularly at Little Lake where the audience flanks all four sides of the stage. Oberg artfully circulates the actors to balance sight lines without making their movements arbitrary or distracting.

A misguided costume delivery for “Cats” instead of “A Christmas Carol” creates endless visual and verbal comedy as the actors hiss and cough up faux furballs. The close quarters also exacerbate the full range of large theatrical personalities, particularly leading man, Felix (Art DeConciliis), who will be playing Scrooge. The middle-aged DeConciliis particularly shines in verbal parlance with Martha McElligott, who plays teenaged actress, Riley. Riley is overly enthusiastic, but McElligott keeps her genuine. This is thanks to steadfast direction from Oberg who reinforces Riley’s excited speech by having McElligott bounce on the couch as she talks. Riley is respectful, calling Felix by his last name, but she’s also young and clueless. When Felix is quoting Hamlet’s “to be, or not to be” soliloquy, Riley eagerly asks, “Is that from Game of Thrones?” It’s the perfect summation of generational gaps, and the somewhat saturnine Felix handles it with good-natured grace.

Beyond DeConciliis and McElligott, the rest of the cast also shines. Elizabeth (Mary Meyer) is set to play Mrs. Cratchit and poignantly wishes her character “had a fancy dress – or a first name.” It’s a subtle acknowledgement of historically marginalized roles for women. The play gracefully bounces between past and present as not sleigh bells, but cell phones, ring during rehearsal, sparking the show’s director Beatriz (Stacey Rosleck) to order everyone’s phones removed from the premises. Felix gesticulates and dramatically announces in a sonorous tone, “No Venmoing, No LinkedIn-ing. Welcome to back in the day!”

Inexplicably, the Secret Santa gifts were somehow in the barn before the lock-in. Fitchett’s writing could be tightened up a bit here. While there are no shortage of surprises pulled from the red sack, watching a 12-person Secret Santa exchange inevitably gets a tad tedious.

DeConciliis expertly channels miffed diva over the fact it’s the first year Lakeside Theater (a clever renaming of Little Lake) isn’t producing their signature holiday show, “A Halibut Christmas” (a clever renaming of holiday classic “A Tuna Christmas”). Felix has always headlined in “Halibut,” which only has two roles. He laments not being able to don the faux fur coat required for the role, making the faux fur cat costume an ironic tease. In the program, Oberg notes her first holiday memory at Little Lake was as a teen laughing at DeConciliis in “A Tuna Christmas,” which was directed by none other than Sunny Disney Fitchett. It’s one more layer of metatheatre, but somehow, it’s a heartwarmingly sweet circle of life within the context of the holidays.

Fitchett undoubtedly bakes in other Little Lake jokes us outsiders will never know, but that doesn’t diminish the impact of the show. Oberg ensures it’s accessible, so it never feels like an insider’s club. We all get to toast a hearty wassail and laugh at the effect – or rather “The (Christmas) Lake Effect.”

-TR

Little Lake Theatre’s production of “The (Christmas) Lake Effect” plays through December 14^th at Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

It’s Christmastime in the city, and author and playwright David Sedaris reminds us that the season isn’t all comfort and joy in “The Santaland Diaries.”

Unemployed stoner David (Shua Potter) has moved to the big city and is in desperate need of employment. Then, right before his money runs out, he lands an odd gig – playing Crumpet the Elf in Macy’s Department Store, a sidekick to the store Santa.

David AKA Crumpet recounts his most bizarre experiences working with several Santa’s and a myriad of elves in a series of diary entries. They are hilarious and heartfelt bon mots about the joys and pains of the holidays. Joe Mantello’s adaptation is crisp and clean, savoring the most sarcastic and sardonic bits.

As Christmas nears, David gets grumpier and grumpier about his gig as a full-time Elf. He says, “There was a line for Santa and a line for the women’s bathroom, and one woman, after asking me a dozen questions already, asked, ‘Which is the line for the women’s bathroom?’ I shouted that I thought it was the line with all the women in it. She said, ‘I’m going to have you fired.’

He adds, “I had two people say that to me today, ‘I’m going to have you fired.’ Go ahead, be my guest. I’m wearing a green velvet costume; it doesn’t get any worse than this. Who do these people think they are?”

The diary is a fantastic story told very well by Potter. He is a charismatic young man. Even though “The Santaland Diaries” is almost all dialogue and little action, director Monteze Freeland keeps things moving.

But wait there’s more! “Santaland Diaries” is a short play, but director Monteze Freeland and actor Shua Potter spice things up with a delightul amuse bouche before our main course in “Santa’s TED Talk.” Though Santa does not appear, Potter dressed as Mrs. Claus shows up before we open the diary. Mrs. Rachel Claus is basically Fran Drescher in red velvet.  A Jewish American Princess married to a hero of the holiday. Its a brilliant juxtaposition. The character is laugh-out-loud funny. For added fun, the piece is peppered with Pittsburgh references.  Maybe not so much peppered, but laden with French fries and cole slaw.

Freeland and Potter wrote the opening show and, though short, it’s a tasty little morsel.

We even get two songs. Potter’s alter ego, Mrs. Rachel Claus, ain’t your mama’s drag queen. Potter sings instead of lip syncs. For reals. It’s Broadway caliber singing (Potter was in Broadway’s “Mary Poppins”).

Potter is a dynamic lead in both shows – with vastly different characters.  We have to assume that Potter played both characters because Mrs. Rachel Claus is billed as “herself.” But I’m willing to place a hefty bet.

Tony Ferrieri’s set is a Christmas wonderland, red, green and gold (there are two triangular set pieces in a light yellow that my seatmate, Missy Moreno, referred to as “big slices of cheesecake”).  The set looks a lot like the arcade game Q*Bert. As Kramer would say, “Its all about the levels, Jerry.”

The stage is beautifully lit by Andrew David Ostroski.

It’s festive, but not for the whole family; the poster reminds the audience that the material is for “mature elves only.” After all, we blow the lid open on “the Santa at the store isn’t really Santa thing.” But, truth be told, Christmas has never been funnier.

-MB

“The Santaland Diaries” runs almost up to Christmas (December 22) at the City Theatre, The Lester Hamburg Studio, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. For more information, click here.

 

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

It’s 1944 in Picatinny, New Jersey and time for the annual production of “A Christmas Carol” at the VFW. However, since most of the men are serving overseas there’s a dearth of men available to play the necessary parts. The Carol Sisters: Lily (Moira Quigley) Rose (Mandie Russak) and Silvia (Lizzy Boyke) decide to play the male roles themselves.

Lily is the coordinator who encourages and oversees this project. She is sincere and energetic while Silvia is so intent on success that she insists that Eleanor Roosevelt attend (if only she is asked). Scatter brain Rose has her own potential audience selected – the nearby military base where there are lots of men!

Joining the Carols in pulling off this production are three totally unique, unusual people. Melvin Shaatz (Marc Moritz) is an out-of-work tap dancing Jewish comedian who is the only person who answered their audition call. Ornery Miss Betty (Beth Johnstone Bush) works at the VFW, epitomizes an acquaintance we all know, put up with and sometimes even like. Teddy (Douglas Levine) completes the circle as the limping piano player.

Rehearsals begin and the story line takes on a life of its own, deviating at times from Charles Dickens’ famous fictional tale.

But the show – in all its mutations – does go on!!!

Quigley’s lovely singling voice is consistent throughout the production, highlighted by ‘What’s Wrong with Right Now.”

Delightful as flighty Rose, Russak’s determination to pronounce every letter in every word she speaks (like Gee-host for ghost) is consistent, funny and timed perfectly.

Boyke has an innocence and sincerity about her as she continues her quest to entice the First Lady to attend their VFW production.

Together Quigley, Russak and Boyke have wonderful harmony, at times singing A capella.

Bush subtly moves her character from a crotchety woman to one who shows a semblance of sensitivity and optimism. She and Moritz do a takeoff on the Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First Routine” which is both funny and intricate.

Moritz cleverly portrays the Jewish entertainer inserting Yiddish phrases into the Christmas-themed story.

The ensemble works well together. Their movements and singing are top notch and their facial expressions help define the characters they play.

Levine has a small role as Teddy but a larger part as the Pianist throughout the show.

Deftly co-directed by Erika Cuenca and Robyne Parrish, and kudos to the all-female production team.

Ced

“The Carols” is produced by Off the Wall Productions at Carnegie Stage, 25 West Main Street., Carnegie, PA 15106 and runs from November 29 – December 14, 2019. For more information, click here.

by Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

A group of thirteen-year-old dancers in Liverpool, Ohio give it their all to win a series of dance competitions that will get them to Nationals in Tampa, Florida in Clare Barron’s absurdist play, “Dance Nation.”

Side note: Tampa, Florida is the Mecca to this dance troupe. The girls speak of it as if it was Christmas wrapped in a winning lottery ticket.

Dance Teacher Pat (David Conrad) picks Zuzu (Hope Anthony) for the lead of the new routine over perfectionist Amina (Liron Blumenthal), who is, by far, the best dancer in the troupe, causing Zuzu and Amina’s friendship to unravel. Meanwhile, the ensemble shares their thoughts and feelings to each other (and the audience in outrageous monologues).

Imagine “Dance Moms” written by Eugene Ionesco on an acid trip. Some lines of dialogue seem to be clipped from the show, Maddie Ziegler on the reality TV show once said, “I don’t like to lose, but I don’t ever lose anyway.” It sounds very close to one of Amina’s humble-brags.

“Dance Nation” crawls into the bizarre headspace of a group of children (played by adults) revealing their innermost thoughts – some are naïve musings – others are dark and twisted. The result is an irreverent and hilarious tale.

Maeve (Cary Anne Spear) weaves a delightful and fantastical story about the power of flight. It’s hard to tell if Maeve has a secret superpower or a desire so strong that she believes she can truly soar around the world.

Sofia (Mei Lu Barnum) experiences a female rite-of-passage seconds before she’s about to dance in the competition. She pivots from shock and horror and embraces her personal power. Suddenly, she’s William Wallace, the 13^th Century Scots warrior from “Braveheart.”

Ashlee (Lissa Brennan) has the most potent level of self-confidence any child has ever had.

Things get a little crazy for the kids as they pursue their dreams.

Anthony does a spectacular job as the every-woman. She is a bundle of fears and doubts – until she makes a momentous decision that frees her. You can almost see the burden lift from her as she announces her revelation to her “boyfriend,” Luke (Jerreme Rodriguez).

Blumenthal is charismatic. She moves like a dancer. She is graceful and confident.

Conrad is perfect as the preening martinet who pushes and punishes his young charges. The character is big and bold, but Conrad brings a deeper subtext to the character.

Brennan’s delivery of Ashlee’s ode to her body and mind is a showstopper. She owns this monologue. Brennan is dynamic.

Ironically, Spear, one of the more senior cast members, plays the most naïve member of the troupe. Her performance is so astonishing you forget you’re watching an adult woman and begin to believe she’s a thirteen-year-old girl, saddled with all the anxiety, dreams and hopes little girls carry around in their panda-shaped backpacks.

Nancy McNulty plays a series of dance moms. Her finest scene is as Luke’s mom, trying to coax a decent conversation out of her monosyllabic son.

There isn’t a weak link in the cast. Director Melissa Martin keeps the pace frenetic and the 90 minute show breezes by. The large cast on the small stage never overwhelms. It’s a miraculous testament to her skill.

Barron’s dialogue is unusual yet so natural. The kids swear like Mamet on shore leave, but the colorful language is used to comic effect.

This production boasts a killer soundtrack used to great effect by sound operator Ben Peters.

She does, however, make an allusion about the tight-knit troupe resembling a wolf pack. It is a muddled analogy that breaks the willing suspension of disbelief, but it doesn’t matter. There doesn’t seem to be an ending to the show. The multiple subplots and character studies are just meant to be enjoyed.

If you’re looking for traditional storytelling, you’re in the wrong theater. If you want an absurd comedy about the pitfalls of competition, “Dance Nation” is your jam.

-MB

“Dance Nation” runs until December 15 at the Bingo O’Malley Studio, barebones productions, 1211 Braddock Avenue, Braddock, PA 15104. For more information, click here.

 

By Tiffany Raymond, ‘Burgh Vivant

The Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” takes place in 1986 at a girls’ boarding school in Ghana. In delving into pecking orders and prettiness rankings, Ghanaian American playwright, Jocelyn Bioh, makes transparent the universal nature of high school mean girls.

Paulina (Markia Nicole Smith), a graduating senior, is the multi-year queen bee. The instantly contemptible Paulina wastes no time living up to the mean girl name. The play takes place in the school’s cafeteria, in which no detail is too small for savant scenic designer Ryan Howell. He includes Kodak puzzles in cubbies and a hand-drawn sign with colorful germ cartoons scattering under lettering that reads “Let’s keep OUR CAFETERIA clean + germ free!”

Paulina opens the play by calling out fellow classmate Nana (Atiauna Grant) for eating like a cow and cuttingly asks if Nana wants to be “fat, fat or popular?” Such bifurcated shaming leaves little room for question. While the other three girls appear to be mimics enchanted with Paulina, the trio instantly relax and complain about her when Paulina goes to retrieve an apple for Nana. Paulina is both despicable and transparent. She’s rife with insecurities that fuel her vitriol, but understanding her doesn’t make her any more pleasant. Smith finds the razor’s edge in her performance under the stellar direction of Shariffa Ali.

When light-skinned newcomer Ericka (Aidaa Peerzada) arrives on campus, the politics of colorism emerge with the coterminous arrival of beauty pageant headhunter Eloise (Melessie Clark), former Miss Ghana 1966. Eloise instantly singles out Ericka as a perfect Miss Ghana candidate based on her skin tone alone. Paulina’s disciples also immediately align with the kind and light-skinned Ericka who’s also the only one of her classmates with naturally straight hair, sparking her classmates to warble, “Wow! You are so lucky.” Thanks to dialect coach Nancy McNulty, every cast member is unfailingly on point with their accented English.

The promotion-seeking Eloise immediately brushes aside Headmistress Francis’ (Shinnerrie Jackson) recommendation for the dark-skinned Paulina in favor of Ericka. Eloise blatantly states she’s “looking for girls on the other end of the African skin spectrum.” Eloise is lighter-skinned herself, and she knows what plays on the international stage. While she comes across as heartless and conniving, she also knows she can’t overthrow the politics of color, nor is she interested in that, so she plays the game to her favor.

In anticipation of Eloise’s visit to assess the girls, the color politics of pageantry are explored. The girls had expressed indignity over a white former Miss Namibia. In this pre-apartheid world, when Miss South Africa is a top 10 semi-finalist for the Miss Global Universe pageant, it’s an eye roll given that she’s white – the allure of Africa with the safety of whiteness. Yet, the play thoughtfully peels back the layers of institutionalized segregation within black culture. In her most vulnerable moment, Paulina admits to Ericka she was one of eight children and the darkest in her family, so her mother gave her bleaching cream over food. Smith executes these lines with a pain born of parental rejection. It’s the root of her cruelty towards others, and Paulina states it plainly, “The world has already decided you are better than me,” a world that started with her own mother.

The only minor weaknesses belong to the writing, not the production. When the headmistress reprimands Paulina and Ericka for their behavior during the beauty pageant audition, she reminds them “what I’ve done for you girls.” Given Ericka has only attended the school for one day at this point, any sense of sacrifice would be hypothetical, not witnessed.

Also, the play stops more than it concludes, which was evident in the audience’s collective uncertainty on whether to clap when the lights went down. That being said, when it was clear it was the end, the eruption of applause was rightly explosive. It may be tempting to relegate Bioh’s play to the confines of 1980’s problems and high school drama. However, the fact Black Lives Matter is an activist movement today, and teenagers are committing suicide in record numbers due to bullying reminds us the injustices we see unfold on the stage are just as salient today as they were 30 years ago.

-TR

The Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” plays through December 8^th at the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant

Pretty, perky, pleasantly plump. Tracy Turnblad (Caroline Connell) is a teenager in 1962 Baltimore. Her hair reflects the times – with so much applied hairspray that even a 50 mile-an-hour wind does not move it. She loves to dance and rushes home from high school every day to watch the dancers on the local “Corny Collins Show,” the show within the show in “Hairspray.”

When she discovers that one of the permanent dancers on the show is leaving, Tracy decides to audition for a part. Her mother Edna Turnblad (Jason Newsom) is an extremely large woman – housebound due to her weight. She won’t allow Tracy to audition because she fears that her daughter will be maligned because she is heavy, too.

Not as diligent in school as she is at dancing, Tracy often finds herself in detention. She meets Seaweed Stubbs (Camara Rhodes) and a group of teens who show her different dance moves. Tracy’s father Wilbur Turnblad (Matthew J. Rush) encourages her to try out for the show. She encounters some push back from the show’s producer, Velma Von Tussle (Ashley Harmon) who is appalled that someone who is heavy would have the audacity to audition. Her daughter Amber Von Tussle (Felice Rose), blonde, thin and talentless is a reflection of her mother.

Tracy does audition, secures a position as the newest member of the show and becomes a local celebrity.

Note: The new friends that helped Tracy survive auditions and move into the spotlight are African Americans and in 1962 they weren’t permitted to become a daily part of “The Corny Collins Show.” They were only allowed to appear on the show once a month.

Tracy decides that that should change.

Underlying the fun and comedy in this musical are two inequities that still exist today but hopefully they’ve become less prevalent: body shaming and segregation. Connell owns the stage from the play’s opening with “Good Morning Baltimore” until the final curtain, singing, dancing and prancing brilliantly throughout.

Newsom is a large man which makes his role even more hilarious as Edna. Light on his feet, he delivers snide remarks and side glances that would make Bea Arthur proud!

Great singing and dancing by Rhodes in “Run and Tell That.”

Johnson shines in her beautiful and moving rendition of “I Know Where I’ve Been.”

Consistently in character as the pompous producer, Harmon lets it rip in her rendition of “Velma’s Revenge.”

The entire cast of this delightful show was wonderful. Not one weak link in the chain.

Kudos to Music Director Meagan Bruno and the musical ensemble. The show was well directed by Art DeConciliis.

-Ced

“Hairspray” is a production of Stage 62 and is presented at Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Concert Hall, 300 Beechwood Avenue, Carnegie, PA and runs from November 14 – 24, 2019. For more information, click here.

 

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

On an auspicious night in Miami, the new World Heavyweight Champion, Cassius Clay (Thomas Walter Booker), celebrates his success with his friends; football player Jim Brown (Quincy Chad), spiritual leader and social activist Malcolm X (Avery Glymph) and singer/songwriter Sam Cooke (Dwayne Washington) in “One Night in Miami” by Kemp Powers.

The next morning, Clay joins the Nation of Islam and becomes Muhammad Ali, just as Malcolm X was severing ties with the religious order.

While the four iconic figures did gather in the Hampton House Motel in February 25, 1964, no one really knows what went on that night. Powers provides his own perspective to the story.

Cooke and Brown are hoping the celebration would be more festive (with women), but only the four men are invited into the motel room, while two bodyguards Kareem (Lamar K. Cheston) and Jamaal (Brenden Peifer) stand outside surveilling the motel grounds.

Instead of celebrating the men bicker. Cooke and X argue about philosophy. X believes that Cooke could be using his platform as a famous singer to speak up about injustices against African Americans.

“One Night in Miami” contains a lot of witty repartee, arguments about race relations and vanilla ice cream.

Washington is amazing as Cooke. At one point, he flashes back to a particular performance and serenades the audience with a mellifluous rendition of “You Send Me.” It’s a spectacular moment – a real show stopper.

Glymph looks and sounds like a young Malcolm X. It’s uncanny, but his performance is more than just cosplay. While he imbues X with righteous indignation, Glymph finds the man’s boyish charm. There are some great moments when X catches himself enjoying the company of his eclectic comrades and damps down his enthusiasm.

Chad is distractingly handsome, but gives a multifaceted performance.

There’s not much to Cassius Clay, but Booker manages to shine as the Champ.

Cheston and Peifer hand in fine performances as well.

Tony Ferrieri’s set is stunning. A classic 60s motel in Miami, awash in pink and sea foam green. The two flights give us the illusion that an entire motel has been plopped onto the City stage.

Dominque Fawn Hill’s costume are retro without being over-the-top. They are simple and subdued garments but perfect choices (keeping Brown in shades of brown might have been a little cheeky, though).

Director Reginald L. Douglas does a good job with the actors. They are some great moments, especially whenever Washington sings. The play is a little preachy and, aside from a few hilarious jokes and some engaging character work, there’s not much going on. Straight talk among friends.

The point it does make is worth hearing. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone and hear a fresh perspective and see theater that challenges you. It just takes a while to get there.

-MB

“One Night in Miami” runs until December 1^st 2019 at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. For more information, click here.

 

 

Tiffany Raymond, ‘Burgh Vivant

Steven Wilson’s new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Pittsburgh Playhouse takes risks – and reaps the rewards. Wilson not only wrote the adaptation, but he directs the production. Wilson’s adaptation takes place in World War II-era Italy after the Italians have allied with the U.S. He unites the former enemies via America’s favorite pastime: baseball.

The baseball metaphor extends beyond the stage. Wilson proves a capable manager of this theatrical team. Wilson effectively wrangles a large ensemble that lets the leads shine while enabling memorable moments for the broader cast. When the newly engaged Claudio (Jordan Marie McMillan) and Hero (Bailey Wilson) dreamily dance in center stage, Benedick (Evans Malkin) and Beatrice (Morgan Snowden) stand downtrodden on opposing sides of the dance floor, unhappy bookends. Wilson thoughtfully utilizes the stage to magnify visual contrast between the two couples. McMillan and Wilson have a slightly stilted quality to their romantic relationship, suggesting a discomfort at the gender-blind casting that pairs two women as an opposite-gender couple. They’re stronger in their non-romantic scenes, and it’s still a nice flipping of the script on Shakespearean times when the stage was occupied by solely male actors. Malkin finds just the right swagger, and the red-headed Snowden is fiery, making the pair memorably shine as Benedick and Beatrice.

The play opens memorably. The actors silently and hypnotically move behind a screen with grainy black and white World War II imagery projected onto it. Video designer Antonio Colaruotolo includes silent movie era intertitles that flash up timelines and unspoken dialogue. An Art Deco border around the intertitles adds a lighter touch. It’s a harbinger of the metamorphosis from the darkness of war to the lightness of sports. Battle scene turns ball game.

But it’s still a jump from one male-dominated world to another. When Hero (Bailey Wilson) steps up to bat, she is immediately turned away. The intertitle dialogue reads “Girls can’t play baseball!” Hero sneaks back in in disguise and subsequently smashes the game-winning home run, belying the words “girls can’t.” In this opening scene, Hero establishes herself as worthy of her namesake. She’s an independently minded woman willing to bend rules that don’t make sense. It’s also the first of many disguises within the play that literalize the metaphorical masks people wear.

However, Steven Wilson’s adaptation falters as his portrayal of Hero is erratic. When her father, Leonato (Cameron Bartelt) turns on her and immediately believes false accusations regarding her sexual impurity, Hero faints. She then complies with a plan conceived by another patriarchal unprogressive, the church’s friar (Pablo J. Uribasterra), to pretend to be dead. Wilson’s adaptation is liberal. He bends gender, updates language, and reorders scenes, which makes his persistent portrayals of patriarchy and its sway problematic, demonstrating the difficulty of defining perimeters within adaptation.

Wilson adds Hero’s mother, Imogen (Mary Shay McWeeney), to the production to create more female roles. Imogen is no tigress, and after a brief opposition, she acquiesces to the male-hatched death ruse. It’s a reminder that adding female headcount is not analogous to creating female voices.

Gianni Downs’ scenic design is simple beauty. The set is highly modular, comprised of seven two-story Italian Renaissance-style towers that can be easily reconfigured. The few times when all seven need to be connected gets slightly unwieldly and does slow down the play’s action. Downs leaves no detail behind as the steeply pitched rooftops even have traditional red Italian shingles. Downs’ stately cream-colored exteriors provide a backdrop for Colaruotolo’s stunning video projections that help differentiate the scenes. When the malicious Don John (Cyrus D. Miller) meets with his coconspirators, an intricate floral pattern irregularly blooms across the wall like blood from a gunshot wound, a visualization of his cunning.

-TR

The Conservatory Theatre Company’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” plays through November 17^th at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, 350 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.