'Burgh Vivant

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Tiffany (Jessie Wray Goodman) and her father, Hugh (Ken Bolden) are each struggling with loss in their own- and very different – way until a mysterious package of hamburger patties arrives in a brown paper bag in Sarah Kosar’s “Mumburger.”

Tiffany’s mother, Andrea, was a very committed vegan. She believed in sustainable food sources. Ironically, she was killed by a Bird’s Eye frozen food truck on the highway. Apparently, Andrea is prepared (literally and figuratively) for her death and choses a bizarre method of being with her family a little while longer.

Ahoy, matey! Spoilers dead ahead.

Andrea decides to become a sustainable food source for her family, by being ground up and turned into hamburger patties. While the play is most assuredly about the titular mumburgers in “Mumburger,” it’s really a coal black comedy about grief.

The central question of the play is: If you’re loved one had a dying wish – would you honor it? What if that wish was disgusting and bizarre?

“Mumburger” is a two-hander and needs two strong actors to do all the heavy lifting. This production has got it.

Goodman’s Tiffany is buoyant and effervescent even in bleak circumstances, making her eventual collapse of grief difficult to watch. The despair she exhibits in several scenes is electric.

Bolden is spectacular as an ineffectual dad who is lost without his wife. There is a manic scene (we’re not spoiling EVERYTHING) where he just goes for it. He’s 100% all in and it’s fantastic and gross at the same time.

Director Robyne Parrish makes some smart choices with Kosar’s absurd premise. There’s seems to be a lot of extraneous walking in the very beginning of the show when character’s stomp around the house, but it furthers the story in story in a subtextual way – the father and daughter are very distant from one another even in the same small location. It works.

Adrienne Fischer’s set is creepy and off-kilter in all the right ways – like the set from one of villain’s lairs from the 1966 “Batman” TV show –  with eerie sound design by Shannon Knapp.

Side note: It’s noted in the show that Andrea’s favorite movie is “The Father of the Bride” and Hugh watches it on a loop – thanks to some great projection design by Taylor Edelle Stuart – to both poignancy and comedic effect. Kosar picks the Steve Martin remake and not the original with Spencer Tracy. It might be her only misstep in this highly unusual play.

Its Sweeny Todd meets Ronald McDonald by way of Bear Grylls and Eull Gibbons. Its “Alive” meets “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.” It’s wacky, wild ride.

Warning: Audience reaction was split between love and hate. There was no middle ground. It’s worth the risk.

-MB

“Mumburger” runs until March 16 at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, click here.

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

In 17^th Century England, Alice (Ciera Harding) and her mother Joan (Markia Nicole Smith) are accused of witchcraft in Caryl Churchill’s feminist drama, “Vinegar Tom.”

Alice has a passionate rendezvous with a mysterious man (Micah Stanek) in the woods. After their brief encounter, she becomes obsessed with him. She’s constantly pining for him and describing his lascivious actions to her friend Susan (Allison Svagdis).

Her neighbors, Jack (Daniel Murphy) and Margery (Bridget Murphy) are vexed with a multitude of problems. Their cows are diseased and their marriage is a disaster. Jack is in love with Alice and blames her for his impotence with Margery (he has no problem rising to the occasion when he’s with Alice).

There’s another subplot involving Betty (Caroline Travers), a young woman from the gentry who doesn’t want to marry. Her reasons become obvious when she meets Ellen (Jamie Rafacz), a cunning woman (who studies herbal cures).

By the way, the titular character in the play is Vinegar Tom, Joan’s old tomcat. It’s a familiar story (get it?). The name Vinegar Tom comes from the witchfinder general himself, Matthew Hopkins, in his pamphlet “The Discovery of Witches” written in 1647, wherein an alleged witch calls out the names of her familiars (creatures that help her with her dark magic).

Of course, “Vinegar Tom” isn’t really about witches. It’s about pride, poverty and prejudice. At one point Witchfinder Packer (Stanek) says, “Though a mark is a sure sign of witch’s guilt, having no mark is no sign of innocence.” It’s the Kobayashi Maru – no win scenario.

The ending is pretty cut and dry. It won’t leave you hanging (if only the same could be said for half of the cast). Oh come on now. It’s a play about witches in the 17^th Century – it can’t be considered a spoiler to know that some of them are not going to survive.

Harding is a joy to watch as Alice. Though a lot of her dialogue is repetitive, she finds new and exciting ways to say it.

Daniel Murphy (there are two Murphy’s in the show and they play husband and wife) plays Jack with desperate intensity.

Rafacz’s Ellen is so subdued and likable she seems as if she wandered into “Vinegar Tom” from another play, making her fate more tragic. Rafacz does a magnificent job portraying her.

Stanek’s male characters (he plays several) are all villains, and he’s very good at being bad.

There’s a light-hearted scene with Kramer (Erin Hyatt) and Sprenger (Zetra Goodlow). The authors of the “Malleus Maleficarum” are presented like sideshow carnival barkers or snake oil salesmen. It’s a whimsical prologue after a gruesome finale. Kudos to director Daras for casting women in the roles.

There are a lot of scenes (twenty-one in all), even though Daras and scenic director Gianni Downs have come up with brilliant ways to get us from one scene to the next, the transitions add needless length to the run time.

Luckily, many of the aforementioned scenes are punctuated with songs by the Tomcat band, enhanced by the mellifluous voices of Liron Blumenthal, Elise Dorsey and Caroline Bachman. It’s an unfettered joy to watch those women rock out. They are gloriously supported by their bandmates Emmeline Jones, Braxton McCollum, Chris Knudsen and Tim Judah.

Downs has created large cotton swaths – like bed sheets – scrawled with quotes from famous women in history all over the theater from Thatcher’s “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman” to the Elizabeth Warren meme “Nevertheless, she persisted.”

“Vinegar Tom” seems overly long (much like “The Crucible”). It takes a long time to get to the end, but the ending is emotional and powerful.

During the opening and closing scenes, the actors gyrate wildly to the band. They are so exuberant – you’ll want to get up and dance with them.

-MB

“Vinegar Tom” runs until March 10 at the Point Park, 350 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

In the early 1930s, an American writer, Cliff Bradshaw (Jonathan Norwood), moves to the decadent, free-wheeling city of Berlin to write a novel, just as the Nazi’s rise to power in the iconic Kander and Ebb musical, “Cabaret.”

On the train into town, Cliff meets Ernst Ludwig (Trevor Clarida) who regales him with tales of Berlin’s salacious pleasures. Ludwig finds him a place to stay and becomes his first pupil (Cliff tutors English to supplement his income). Ludwig also tells him about a low-down, libidinous little nightclub where he can “unwind.”

After settling into his apartment, Cliff takes off for the carnal carnival known as the Kit Kat Club… where anything goes.

The Emcee (Zach Herman – alternately played Ramsey Pack) introduces the cabaret boys and girls (the ensemble featuring Daniel Neale, Ben Cherington, Allison Ferebee, Georgia Mendes et al.) and the Kit Kat Club’s star performer, Sally Bowles (Safiya Harris – alternately played by Caroline Mixon).

Sally is fascinated by Cliff. She has high hopes for their relationship, even though Cliff shares a romantic past with a decidedly different member of the Kit Kat Club’s staff.

Backstory: Bobby (Daniel Neale), one of the male dancers, had a romantic liaison in London with our hapless hero.

On his way backstage to meet up with the boy, Cliff runs into the girl. The misinterpretation leads to complications. When the club owner Max (Dylan T. Jackson) fires Sally, she runs off to meet with Cliff and finagles her way into his apartment. Sally becomes his roommate – – with benefits.

Meanwhile, Fraulein Schneider (Gena Sims), Cliff’s landlady, falls for Herr Schultz (Patrick V. Davis), a Jewish fruit vendor. Unfortunately, many of Fraulein Schneider’s friends are in the Nazi party, complicating her relationship unnecessarily.

In the next apartment over, Sally is pregnant, and Cliff discovers he could be the father of Sally’s baby (though they’d be quite a few contestants on that Jerry Springer episode). If Facebook existed in the 30s, Cliff and Sally’s relationship status would definitely be “it’s complicated.”

The apartment building has one other notorious tenant, Fraulein Kost (Cate Hayman), who is turning tricks in her abode, but the good times are coming to a screeching halt as the Nazi’s goosestep into town.

Spoiler: This musical does not have a happy ending.

Harris is luminous as Sally Bowles. She takes over every moment she’s on stage. Then, when she belts out the titular number “Cabaret,” it’s a showstopper. Her voice is powerful.

Herman’s Emcee is equally engaging. He exudes a sexy magnetism. He plays off the audience’s energy superbly, ribbing and needling the front row with a sly wink and a wry smile.

Norwood is an attractive lead who manages to get his character’s conflicted subtext perfectly.

Then, there’s Fraulein Schneider.

Personal pet peeve: There’s always this weird thing that happens when young actors play old people. They almost always hunch over like Quasimodo and wag their fingers excessively. They almost always look grumpy as if about to say, “Hey you kids, get off my lawn.”

Sims, however, nails it. It’s a beautifully nuanced portrayal. Plus, the woman can sing her heart out. She is brilliant throughout the show. You would not expect a woman to sing about a pineapple with such exuberance…but you can catch Sims doing it.

“Cabaret” captures the public zeitgeist in turbulent times. Director Tome Cousin does a fantastic job reminding us that art can propel us forward. Whenever you shine a light, the cockroaches scurry.

Cousin was the choreographer as well, and the dancing is kinetic and frentic. There are some lovely transitions with graceful movements to catch your eye between scenes. He also has the performers doing some audience work  at the top of act one and act two. Its beautifully done.

This “Cabaret” has everything, including lusciously decadent costumes by Jake Poser (though there are a few wardrobe malfunctions on preview night, they didn’t hinder the production one iota).

Beautiful moody lighting from Alex Gibson and excellent sound design by Scott McDonald on a whimiscal set designed by Jamie Phanekham.

“Cabaret” is a perfectly marvelous show.

-MB

If you’re looking for tickets, the entire run is completely sold out, but if you want to know more about the show, click here.

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

A Black playwright, Braden Jacobs-Jenkins (Ananias J. Dixon), AKA BJJ, attempts to revive Dion Boucicault’s melodramatic and grossly-outdated 1859 play, “An Octoroon,” with a fresh, contemporary spin.

In the opening monologue, BJJ explains his desire to remake the original play. He does it in a witty, metatextual way while slathering white makeup over his face. Soon, Boucicault (Martin Giles) enters. He is loud, boisterous and equally amusing. This time, however, the Caucasian actor is spreading red make up on his face to play an Indian, Wahnotee.

Side note: Wahnotee is referred to as an Indian or Injun and never as a Native American. This play purposely eschews politically correctness (to the Nth degree). Of course, the word used for the African American characters is much, much worse.

In a classic feather duster scene, two slave women, Minnie (Melessie Glack) and Dido (Kelsey Robinson) sweep the front porch while providing additional exposition. The audience quickly learns that the Terrebone Plantation in Louisiana is in transition. The owner has passed away, and his property has been handed over to his nephew George (Ananias J. Dixon). The two slaves also spend a little time gossiping about another female slave, Grace (Dominque Brock) who yearns to run away, even though she is pregnant.

At the heart of the show is an intriguing love triangle. George is being romantically pursued by Dora (Jenny Malarkey), a vapid, white daughter of a neighboring plantation, but he falls for Zoe (Sarah Hollis), the titular Octoroon, instead. At the time, it’s illegal for a white man to knowingly marry a Black woman.

Side note: An Octoroon is a person one-eighth black by descent. Technically, with a white father and Black mother, Zoe would have been called Mulatto. In modern times, she would just be called mixed race and there would be no reason to quantify the precise mix of melanin.

Meanwhile, the villainous M’Closky (Dixon again), seeks to purchase Terrebonne and its slaves, particularly Zoe. M’Closky lusts over the Octoroon. During a photography session, M’Closky finds papers that would grant freedom to the attractive and intelligent Zoe, but absconds with the documents and kills a young slave boy (Parag S. Gohel) to hide his deceit. Since he uses Wahnotee’s tomahawk as the murder weapon, the Indian is blamed for the homicide.

After a brief intermission, the action picks up pretty quickly. George is forced to sell off property…i.e. actual human beings…to keep Terrebonne.

A rich sea captain, Ratts (John Reilly) buys Minnie and Dido, but refuses to purchase Grace because she has a baby and another one on the way.

When Zoe heads to the auction block, things get messy. George and M’Closky fight over her.

Additional side note: If you were paying attention, you may have realized that George and M’Closky are both being played by the same actor. Their subsequent wrestling match is something that has to be seen to be believed.

It’s a delightfully loony adventure that, by the second act, barrels to the end.

Things don’t really get moving until after a prolonged but important prologue. The prologue first delivered by BJJ and later by Bouccicault (Martin Giles), sets up the entire piece. It’s necessary and entertaining exposition, even though it slows the action down. When Act I finally begins, the stage explodes with dynamic characters in interesting situations.

Director Andrew Paul has picked an excellent cast.

Dixon is wild over the top as the moustache-twirling M’Closky. He’s a cross between Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Simon Legree and Hanna Barbera’s Dick Dastardly sans Muttley.

Gohel is masterful as the servant, Pete. He’s the mewling, House Man sycophantically cowering before the white slave owner, and brimming with contempt for his fellow slaves in the field (the common pejorative for this type of character will not be used here). Gohel makes comedic use of this type of character. He is hilarious in every scene.

Clark and Robinson are dynamic together. While most of their dialogue is exposition. It’s delivered joyously, exuberantly. Both women are electric.

Giles gives another great performance.

The colorful costumes provided by Kim Brown are extraordinary.

The play is thought-provoking but laugh out loud funny. It’s easy to squirm at the humor in “An Octoroon.” Uncomfortable laughter is a unique sensation. It bubbles up in unexpected circumstances. If you’ve ever felt guilty laughing at a funeral, in a church or at a job interview, you’re familiar with the feeling. This play gives you permission to express this unusual emotion.

“An Octoroon” is meant to shock and cajole, but it doesn’t do it in a mean-spirited or condescending way. It helps that the melodrama is over the top, and that white actors are playing Black roles and vice versa.

At any percentage, “An Octoroon” is an amazing piece of theater.

-MB

An Octoroon runs until February 24 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

A father wants his adult children to become their best selves before moving away from them forever in Ray Werner’s world premiere play, “Run the Rabbit Path.”

Pop (James FitzGerald) sits in the kitchen as noodles dry on the table before him. His daughter, Patty (Karen Baum), stirs a vat of chicken noodle soup.

She’s not really ignoring him, because he’s not really there. Pop died the day before, a few feet away from where he sits in the kitchen, waiting.

As her father’s caretaker, the last few months of Patty’s life have been a blessing and a burden. She plans the funeral as her family rolls in.

Patty’s brothers Charlie (Reed Allen Worth) and Tommy (Tony Bingham) make their way home.

They bring little physical luggage (Charlie carries his guitar, and Tommy comes only with his cell phone in hand), but they bring heaping piles of emotional baggage. Charlie is sort of adrift, and Tommy is harboring a dark secret.

None of them can see or hear Pop. Sometimes the ghost makes suggestions that nudges them along in the right direction. They don’t see him or hear him, but they do feel his presence.

As in all stories, a secret will out. This particular skeleton in the cupboard has the potential to irrevocably change the lives of all the siblings forever.

Hint: The secret involves the hill behind their home where Pop and Tommy once hunted rabbits with their faithful hunting dog along the rabbit path.

Alan Stanford gathered four exceptional actors for the play, and each one of them elevates the work.

Baum is magnificent as the tough but tired older sister. She has a daunting task in this production. She has to be stubborn but sweet, cranky but conciliatory, frazzled but firm. It’s a high wire act, and she’s a flying Wallenda.

Bingham’s character Tommy has a lot of work to do. Tommy isn’t very likable. On paper, he comes off as smarmy business dude, but Bingham imbues him with a certain charm.

Worth is newer to the PICT stage. He performs perfectly alongside some of Pittsburgh’s best actors.

FitzGerald’s character is unheard and unseen. It’s a tough spot. It’s as if two shows are happening simultaneously. A family drama with a one man show hanging out on the same stage. FitzGerald pulls it off with aplomb.

“Run the Rabbit Path” is a world premiere and Werner has some kinks to work out if he plans on taking the show elsewhere. Even at 90 minutes, it feels a little long. There is no central hero or central villain, just four people coping with life and death. It’s a familiar subject and will touch each person differently. It’s especially moving if you’ve ever lost a parent.

It’s “This is Us” meets “Topper” with a little “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” thrown in. It’s a serious drama and has very few laughs. There is, however, some lovely poetry woven in.

“Run the Rabbit Path” has a sweet, poignant ending, but it takes a little too long to get there.

-MB

PICT Classic Theatre’s “Run the Rabbit Path” runs through February 16th at WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, click here.