You may know him as Mimi Imfurst, appearing on the acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, but this month, theatrical artist Braden Chapman is the title role in Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s production of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH! Learn about Braden’s touching early attachment to the musical, how RuPaul’s Drag Race changed his life, and if you can say “Gargaro Theater” three times fast!
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s production of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH performs November 9 through 17, 2018. For tickets and more information, visit www.pittsburghmusicals.com. Special thanks to James Gallery in the West End for hosting this cocktail hour interview. In the background is “Beaver Pond,” oil on canvas byThomas McNickle. Stop by the gallery to see his work and much more: www.jamesgallery.net Continue reading “BRADEN CHAPMAN – Drag persona Mimi Imfurst, theatrical artist”
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BRADEN CHAPMAN - Drag persona Mimi Imfurst, theatrical artist
When an iPhone captures Omari (Carter Redwood) lashing out against a teacher at his private school, his mother, Nya (Nambi E. Klley), must figure out how to save him from being expelled in Dominique Morisseau’s “Pipeline.”
Nya teaches in a troubled public school, but has sent her son off to a more reputable school, but now the incident weighs heavily on her. She tries very hard not to discuss it with her colleague Laurie (Sheila McKenna), a fellow teacher who is returning to work after a student slashed her face, and Dun (Gabriel Lawrence), a school security guard, who has a sordid history with Nya, but they learn of her son’s misfortune.
Meanwhile, Omari confides in his girlfriend, Jasmine (Krystal Rivera) about running away. Of course, Jasmine doesn’t want him to leave, but Omari feels like his options are limited.
William Woodsworth lamented against the Industrial Revolution way back in his 1802 poem “The World Is Too Much With Us.” Nowadays, the cell phone sees all. This tiny video recording device has become judge, jury and executioner. The world is, indeed, too much with us.
While shoving a teacher is a violent act, there are extenuating circumstances. Omari is a bright, talented boy with some anger issues, which seem to stem from his parent’s divorce. He is also facing a mountain of racism from his teachers and classmates at his mostly white private school.
His father, Xavier (Khalil Kain), wants to throw money at the problem; unaware that the issue could be solved with love and tenderness and not cold, hard cash.
Nya is emotionally crippled from trying to fix her son’s problem. She keeps coming back to
Gwendolyn Brook’s poem, “The Pool Players – Seven at the Golden Shovel.”
The words of the poem flash around her (thanks to Adam J. Thompson’s video design), “We real cool. We left school. We lurk late. We strike straight. We sing sin. We thin gin. We jazz June. We die soon.”
She fears her son is lost in the system. She can’t help but believe he’s headed to a disastrous outcome, like the seven pool players at the Golden Shovel.
With police shootings and rampant racism on the news every single day, it’s hard not to sympathize with Nya’s plight.
The world is too much with us.
Xavier (Khalil Kain) and and Nya (Nambi E. Kelley) discuss their son’s fate. Photo credit: Kristi Jan HooverDominque Morisseau’s play is brought to life with the aid of some incredible talent, guided along by Reginald L. Douglas.
Redwood is stunning as Omari. He is charismatic and real cool and definitely did not leave school. He is a returning Pittsburgh native who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and has gone on to be seen on television in “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Wife,” “Rise” and more.
There is a brilliant father and son scene between Redwood’s Omari and Kain’s Xavier. Redwood is heartfelt and emotional, while Kain is cold and distant. The father demands respect instead of asking for love or forgiveness. It’s a beautiful yet sad treatise on the father/son dynamic.
While McKenna provides some of the heartiest laughs in the show, she gets to sink her teeth into her part later in the show in an argument with Lawrence’s Dunn. It’s another powerful moment in a play with a lot of powerful moments.
Rivera gets some great lines, too, and she executes them brilliantly. There is some hip, contemporary music from Jasiri X and the artists over at 1Hood Media.
The biggest star on the stage is the stage itself. Tony Ferrieri’s set rotates like a rotisserie chicken, allowing for multiple set changes to take place unseen. It’s the perfect design for a show with multiple scene changes. Coupled with Adam J. Thompson’s video design and Andrew David Ostrowski’s lighting design, the most basic elements of theatre become magical.
The title comes from schools with zero-tolerance policies that have been blatantly racist and have criminalized African American kids, instead of nurturing them in the school system. There are some difficult moments in the show for any parent struggling to raise their children where fear and hatred seem to lurk everywhere. The world is too much with us.
Luckily, Morisseau doesn’t give us a pat, happy ending, but she does leave us with hope for the future.
City Theatre has been doing some amazing new theater, with themes of sex, gender, and race, and it’s just the sort of art we need right now.
– MB
You can find “Pipeline” at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. For more information, click here.
Things just keep getting better and better at Prime Stage Theatre, according to Lonnie the Theatre Lady. The company’s production of OF MICE AND MEN performs at The New Hazlett Theater through November 11, 2018. For tickets and more information, visit www.primestage.comContinue reading “Review: OF MICE AND MEN, Prime Stage Theatre”
Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Brett Goodnack) makes a grand, scientific achievement that forever haunts him in Midnight Radio’s “Frankenstein.” Mary Shelley’s classic novel comes alive in an adaptation by Bricolage co-founder, Tami Dixon – complete with a Midnight Radio twist.
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo.
Caveat: Midnight Radio is not on the radio, nor does it take place at midnight. It’s a hip, little moniker for a staged reading with actors providing quirky sound effects, like crinkling bubble wrap to simulate a roaring fire. Think of it as a modern version of those old-timey radio plays. They’re usually irreverent and hilarious. “Frankenstein” is a much more faithful adaptation, and not jam-packed with the typical humor associated in the Midnight Radio series. It is, however, dark, moody and haunting with a few laughs – mostly at the front of the show.
Dixon dumps all the familiar trappings from Peggy Webling’s stage version, which later became the James Whale film, “Frankenstein.” The show opens with the cast mocking the film’s most iconic moment – when Dr. Frankenstein glorious proclaims, “It’s alive!”
The story circles back to the novel, “Frankenstein or Modern Prometheus.” Victor is quietly creating new life sans Igor (or Fritz as he was known in Whale’s movie). He is disgusted by his creature (Cotter Smith) and abandons him/it.
The creature learns how to read and write by watching an old blind man (Parag S. Gohel) and his children (Maura Underwood and Goodnack). Hoping to befriend them, the creature moves in on the family. The blind man accepts him, because he’s unable to see the creature’s hideous appearance. When the kids come home, all hell breaks loose. The creature grapples with them, and, out of spite, burns down their cottage.
Then, the monster meets young William (Goodnack, again), and strangles him when he learns his surname is also Frankenstein (William was Vic’s youngest brother).
Meanwhile, Victor wrestles with his conscience – who happens to sound a lot like Mary Shelley (Jamie Agnello).
When Victor learns of William’s death, he travels back to Geneva to be with his family and fiancé, Elizabeth Lavenza (Underwood). But danger lurks. Victor’s creation is stalking him.
Bodies begin to pile up, and Victor goes mad from the mounting pressure. It’s a psychological thriller with ghoulish details.
Cotter Smith focuses on the board game Operation, with the game tweezers in his hand. In front of him is a microphone attached to a Foley station featuring various ordinary noisemaking props constructed of a coat hanger, and a basket of raffia. Photo Credit: Henderson Gomes at HG Photography
We also get a treatise on the life of Mary Shelley. Hint: it’s not much happier than that of her protagonist. The credit originally went to her husband, but she fought to get her name on the book. It is a seminal work in horror. It’s also one of the first science fiction stories since the creature is brought to life by Galvanism, Luigi Galvani’s method of sparking dissected frog legs with electricity to get them to kick.
Director (and the other Bricolage co-founder) brought some remarkable actors back to the Midnight Radio stage.
Goodnack, who normally gets broad laughs in many comedic roles, is deadly serious as Dr. Frankenstein. He is a talented and very versatile actor.
Smith looks affable and neighborly, but close your eyes and you will be terrified of his rendition of Frankenstein’s creature. Truer to Shelley’s words, the monster is intelligent, lonely and homicidally cruel, referring murder as mischief as if it were a parlor game.
Underwood is assigned several female roles, including Justine, who is wrongly accused of William’s murder, and Elizabeth, Victor’s love interest. She excels in every role. Underwood gives each character a distinct personality and voice, even when it’s a townsperson with one line.
Gohel provides most of the humor. Though it’s in small supply, there are a few really good laughs.
Agnello gets a solid moment toward the end to really shine and she does with aplomb.
The sound was a combination of haunting sound effects by Brendan Kepple and the cast acting as Foley artists. Cello Fury, a cello band that plays progressive rock, comprised of David Throckmorton, Nicole Myers, Simon Cummings and Ben Munoz, provided additional music. The band also performs a brief interlude between the two acts.
Midnight Radio has a sleek new look, thanks to set designer Hank Bullington.
Note: If you are expecting a light, pithy play to cheer you up from all real horrors of the world around you – this is not the show for you. It is downright macabre.
Spoiler: The Grim Reaper gets the Frankenstein family on a frequent flyer plan.
Midnight Radio’s “Frankenstein” is a flawless. For those of you who love horror, it will bring joy to your dark, little hearts.
MB
Bricolage, 937 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.
The witch is back! Super-star mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti is back on ‘Burgh Vivant tonight to talk about her role as The Witch in Pittsburgh Opera’s production of HANSEL AND GRETEL. But which witch is which? Which Humperdink is which? And how have you never heard Marianne sing in English?? Find out here tonight! Pittsburgh Opera’s HANSEL AND GRETEL performs November 3, 6, 9, and 11, 2018. For tickets and more information, visit www.pittsburghopera.org Continue reading “MARIANNE CORNETTI – Mezzo-soprano, Pittsburgh Opera”
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MARIANNE CORNETTI - Mezzo-soprano, Pittsburgh Opera
Point Park Conservatory Theatre Company debuts one of its brand new black box theater spaces, the Rauh Theatre, by opening its season with Kander and Ebb’s iconic “Cabaret.”
Based on Christopher Isherwood’s “I am a Camera,” “Cabaret” is a snapshot of Germany, right before the impending chaos of World War II. Decadence abounds, especially in the eponymous cabaret.
Seeking inspiration for his writer’s block, American author Cliff Bradshaw (Evan Ellicott Wormald) heads to Berlin, and becomes enamored and entrenched in the lives of the performers at the Kit Kat Club.
The cabaret is a low and lascivious joint filled with scantily-clad young women and dashing but equally provocatively-dressed young men. The entertainment is conducted by the Emcee (Will Burke) who slinks around the club with a gargantuan grin – looking a lot like Brain Bolland’s artistic representation of Batman’s nemesis, the Joker (Google it).
Cliff enters the club and runs into a flaming old flame, Bobby (Michael Morley), one of the dashing young performers. Then, he meets the headliner, Sally Bowles (Alexis Rae Smith). A detour to the wrong dressing room creates an interesting situation. Plot twist!
Soon, Cliff and Sally are cohabitating in a building run by Fraulein Schneider (Lielle Kaidar). The POSSLQs befriend their new neighbors. There’s the kind and patient Jewish fruit vendor, Herr Schultz (Matt Fawcett) and a hooker with a heart of Nazi gold, Fraulein Kost (Allison Beauregard). Cliff supplements his income teaching English to Ernst Ludwig (Gill Vaughn-Spencer) and his friends.
When money is tight, Cliff takes a job from Ernst as a messenger moving between Germany and France. Unbeknownst to our hero, the briefcase he transports is filled with some sort of Nationalist treasure (Nationalist as in Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei AKA the Nazi party).
While fear, hatred and divisive politics (ominously current again) infiltrate Berlin, the show must go on, and it’s all fun and games at the Kit Kat Club until someone gets hurt.
P.S. It’s Cliff. Cliff gets beat up by Brown Shirts.
The boys and girls of the Kit Kat Club rally around the Emcee (Will Burke) at the close of a spectacular number. Photo credit: John Altdorfer
There’s a lot more to “Cabaret.” The show has some really fun musical numbers like “Don’t Tell Mama,” “Two Ladies” and “Maybe This Time,” perennial favorites at every piano bar in Provincetown.
Each song – every note – performed by an astounding young cast.
Burke is incredible as the Emcee. He struts and saunters around the stage as if he owns it. He is charismatic, charming and joyfully malevolent.
Smith’s Bowles was also impressive. She was poised and yet vulnerable. It was a nuanced performance. Sally Bowles hides a deep complexity behind a mask of frivolity and Smith captured the layers perfectly.
The doomed romance between Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz was poignantly performed by Kaidar and Fawcett. It’s a sad and touching moment.
For the leading man, Cliff isn’t given a lot to do. The character spends most of his time basking in Sally’s bright glow. He doesn’t seem to have any emotions beside shame, until the second act. When he does finally gets a chance to shine, Wormald does so brilliantly.
Thanks to the masterful direction of Zeva Barzell, the chorus of young men and women each get a wonderful little moment. Barzell’s squeezes every erg of vitality out of the young, enthusiastic cast.
The Kit Kat band played in perfect pitch. They were even dressed for the occasion. In many shows, the band either overpowers the singers or the microphones overpowers the band. The music for “Cabaret” was in the Goldilocks zone. It was just right.
Costume Designer Cathleen Crocker-Perry brings her A-game. The costumes are imaginative, inventive, wild and wonderful. Burke’s Emcee is given so many clever costumes, and he wears them with panache. In a drag outfit at the beginning of the second act, the Emcee looks like a cross between “Hot in Cleveland” star Wendie Malick, and femme fatale Natasha from “Rocky and Bullwinkle.”
Johnmichael Bohach transforms a dark, little black box into a sumptuous feast for the eyes. Deep, rich crimson drapes hang between pillars of brick, partially obscuring a dark chestnut fleur de lis print wallpaper. The drapes are bits of fabric from the curtains of the old playhouse theater. It’s a reverential callback to the first show in a brand new venue. It’s also an ingenious sleight-of-hand trick by Bohach.
The play happily trundles along until the Nazi’s rise to power and everything gets exceedingly worse. The finale is staggering, heart-wrenching and feels hauntingly familiar (see recent newspaper headlines).
Because so many German citizens just let the wave of fear and hatred take them downstream, “Cabaret” becomes oddly empowering. You leave wanting to do something.
Lift a glass to the beginning of remarkable new season with the perfectly marvelous “Cabaret.”
The bar has been set very high for Point Park’s newest venue. Long live the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
-MB
Unfortunately, “Cabaret” is sold out for the remainder of its run at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, 350 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. However, you can find additional details about the show and the theater here.
There’s a mystery afoot in Little Lake Theater’s SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE WEST END HORROR, performing through October 27th, 2018. For tickets and more information, visit www.littlelake.org
When Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd debuted on Broadway in 1979, it was considered groundbreaking for its technical effects and dark themes, bordering the genre of horror; a far – and perhaps blood-curdling – cry from the likes of Hello, Dolly! On nearly all fronts, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center admirably manages the massive undertaking.
And that’s exactly how director Justin Fortunato stages the opening moments: with an undertaking. The corpse of the titular character is unceremoniously dumped into a grave by two undertakers, who, along with the ensemble, invite the observer to “attend the tale” of the deceased. Rising from the earth to the tune of Sondheim, appears Sweeney Todd (Noah Pleunik), returned to London after a long incarceration, seeking vengeance on the diabolical Judge Turpin (Jeffrey Howell) and Beadle Bamford (Joe York). After crossing paths with Anthony Hope (Matthew Fedorek), a young sailor enamored with the Judge’s ward Johanna (McKenna Howell), Todd sets up shop as a barber above the pie shop of the widowed Mrs. Lovett (Lucia Williams). Throughout the two acts, Sweeney Todd plots and enacts his revenge, through missed connections, murder, and more than a few droplets of blood, all with the help of his enamored conspirator, Lovett.
Noah Pleunik’s Sweeney Todd is an enigma, portrayed with a sinister – and at times tender – stoicism. His choices keep you on edge. Even if you’ve seen the production before, you’re still not quite sure what this Sweeney’s going to do next. Both he and Lucia Williams display their best onstage chemistry in the enjoyable Act I finale “A Little Priest.”
Williams’ cloyingly sweet Mrs. Lovett more closely resembles a Shirley Temple characterization than “the devil’s wife,” as she is later described, and although one may not entirely buy the concept that this woman is warped enough to carry out a plan to murder local citizens and bake them into pies, Williams provides us with more than enough evidence of her strength as a performer in the musical numbers. Act II’s Mrs. Lovett solo “By the Sea” is often a forgettable bit of light, comedic fluff in a dark and cold second act. However here, Ms. Williams sells it like a pro – entirely comfortable and delightfully in command, making it one of the more memorable numbers of the production.
Also notable are Joe York’s Beadle Bamford and Connor Bahr’s Signor Pirelli. Both actors present strong vocals and a comedic mastery that elevate the production to a superior standard. It’s not at all unthinkable that either would be completely capable delivering their roles to a Broadway audience. York and Bahr are very well cast here, and leave you wishing that Sondheim had given them more to do.
In a show that can very easily devolve into “a play about blood spray,” the special effects by Tolin FX are entirely appropriate and thoroughly satisfying. Also effective is Tony Ferrieri’s massive and flawlessly functioning set, showcasing the different locations of the Lovett home and pie shop, and tackling the difficult dynamics of disposing of corpses from a second-floor barber chair.
Though very impressive in its technical achievement and stand-out performances, the production overall lacks a bit of polish, primarily in the absence of the vocal dexterity necessary to conquer what is arguably one of Sondheim’s most complex orchestrations. The swallowed notes and flubbed rhythms do stand out, perhaps because so many other elements of the piece are spot-on. It’s for those elements that Lincoln Park’s Sweeney Todd is worth a look. Theatre-goers that have never seen the show will enjoy the story – which does come across compellingly due to the talents of all involved, from designers, to crew, to ensemble. Those that have enjoyed Sweeney previously will especially appreciate the handful of clever directorial choices by director Fortunato, and a different approach, devoid of imitation, to some of Sondheim’s most classic and complex characters.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street continues at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland, PA through October 21st, 2018. For tickets and more information, visit www.lincolnparkarts.org.
When Agnes Evans (Peri Walker) loses her entire family in a tragic car accident, she searches for a familial connection to her little sister Tilly (Ariana Starkman), and uncovers the unknown details of her sister’s interior life in Qui Nguyen’s “She Kills Monsters.”
Agnes finds a well-worn notebook among the last of Tilly’s possessions. She learns that her sis was a local legend in the renowned role-playing game (AKA RPG) “Dungeons and Dragons.”
With the aid of Tilly’s friend Chuck (Dennis Sen), Agnes decides to finish Tilly’s final quest, and rolls the dice.
Soon, Agnes is joined on the battlefield of New Landia with a brave paladin, Tilly, a sexy demon girl, Lilith (Emily Cooper) and an equally sexy elf, Kaliope (Bonnie Klopfer). They are reluctantly aided by the demon, Orcus (Davis Weaver).
The team of adventurers valiantly fight against Orcs, Lizard People and Dragons! Oh my!
Back in Ohio, Miles (Jacob Wiersch), the boyfriend, complains to the best friend, Vera (Alexis Primus) about Agnes. Miles assumes her new hobby is sexual. He isn’t thrilled when Chuck introduces himself as Agnes’s Dungeon Master. What does he think the D’s in D & D stand for?
Meanwhile, Agnes learns her sister’s darkest secrets, and discovers the real world counterparts to Lilith, Kaliope, and Orcus. She even meets two cheerleaders named Tina and Gabbi (Cheyanne Neuenschwander and Nikki Friedberg, respectively), who are evil sexual vampires in New Landia.
“She Kills Monsters” is a giant nerd fest. If you are familiar with D & D, or similar role-playing games, it’ll be right up your Diagon Alley. If you’re not, the language can be difficult. There is some literal and figurative dragon slaying in the show.
There are some nice performances.
Starkman is an adorable Tilly, making her untimely death even more poignant. The kid’s got a lot of spunk.
Weaver is phenomenal as the craven demon boy, Orcus. Take Dr. Zachary Smith from “Lost in Space” and throw him in a blender with Just Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes from “Will & Grace) and Sweet (the singing demon from the Buffy episode “Once More with Feeling), and you have Orcus. P.S. That boy can twerk it!
Neuenschwander and Friedberg are delightful as the demon girls.
Directors Kelly Trumbull and Ricardo Vila-Roger mount an impressive production on a budget. It must be daunting to read a script and find out there’s a five-headed dragon in the finale. Brava and Bravo for rising to the challenge.
The play gets a high score for being LGBTQ friendly, but Nguyen’s script has some really juvenile moments. Damage points!
On opening night, the actors had the unfortunate opportunity to play opposite a barrage of fireworks from Pitt’s Homecoming weekend.
There are also way too many tongue-in-cheek 90s jokes, but it brought on plenty of nostalgia feels for the college crowd. Young adult audience members were highly enthusiastic about the show and leapt to their feet with a standing O.
“She Kills Monsters” has a few bad rolls, but scores high with costumes, make up and set design.
-MB
“She Kills Monsters” is at the Charity Randall Theatre, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For more information, click here.
When headstrong Elizabeth “Lizzy” Bennet (Simone Recasner) meets the dashing but prideful Mr. Darcy (Ryan Garbayo), sparks and witty bon mots fly in Kate Hamill’s spirited adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
If you haven’t read the book or seen the nine million movie versions, here’s a brief rundown:
Lizzie’s meddling mother, Mrs. Bennet (Elena Alexandratos), is determined to marry off her four daughters; Jane (Ashley Bufkin), the aforementioned Lizzy (Recasner), Mary (Andrew William Smith) and Lydia (Emma Mercier) much to the chagrin of her husband Mr. Bennet (Ashton Heyl).
Side note: Catherine “Kitty” Bennet gets the Zeppo treatment. She has been streamlined out of the play, but, like the extra Marx Brother, you really won’t miss her.
At a ball in Netherfield (that sounds naughty), Jane meets Mr. Bingley (Andrew William Smith in a dual role) and falls head over heels. Meanwhile, Lizzy bumps into Mr. Darcy. It’s the big meet-cute, but Lizzy and Darcy don’t mix well. Their first meeting is kinda like vinegar and baking soda – volcanic.
Meanwhile, Mother Bennet keeps scheming. She has a plan to marry Lizzy off to her cousin the vexatious Mr. Collins (Chris Richards in three dynamically different roles). The insufferable lout is destined to inherit the Bennet property.
Side note: In Victorian England, women were ineligible to hold on to the family home after the father passed – see every episode of “Downton Abbey.”
After Lizzy rejects Mr. Collins, he proposes to her best friend Charlotte (Heyl also in a dual role). Mrs. Bennet has the mother of all hissy fits and practically disowns Lizzy over her disdain of the pending suitors.
Then, the Jane/Bingley romance hits a snag. Lizzy keeps colliding with Darcy. Plotlines tangle up like silly string. As another English author once said, “The course of true love ne’er did run smooth.” But, luckily, it all ends pleasantly.
P.S. Thank Dionysus! There are no zombies in this version.
Lizzy (Simone Recasner) agrees to dance with Mr. Darcy (Ryan Garbayo). Photo credit: Michael Henninger
Hamill climbs up Barlow’s “39 Steps,” taking the adaptation in a fresh, new direction. There are a lot of dual roles, and this “Pride and Prejudice” relies heavier on farce than other iterations of the classic novel. It’s not a full-on parody, but it’s a broader, sillier take on the tale. Purists will cringe, but it’s a very accessible version of the world’s first rom-com.
Recasner has all the requisite charm and spunk of Lizzy Bennet. She is perfectly cast. Lizzy is the sun and everything in the show revolves around her. Luckily, Recasner shines brightly.
Firth fans beware! There’s a new Mr. Darcy in town. Garbayo is a strikingly handsome romantic lead. He’s a third less stuffy than the previous interpretations. To say, “He’s quite good,” would be a high compliment in Mr. Darcy’s parlance.
Bufkin’s Jane is a beauty, worthy of the platitudes heaped upon her. She does fine work as Jane. In a more comedic role, Bufkin hides under a veil and speaks gibberish as Miss Anne De Bourgh.
Smith’s dual roles are both comedic. His Bingley is giant puppy dog of a man, complete with bouncing red ball. Mary’s dialogue is a dour, pendatic yet hilarious when delivered by the tall, masculine man in a nightgown. It’s a departure for the actor, but Smith handles it with aplomb.
Richards buries himself each of his three disparate characters. Study the program carefully – you won’t believe it.
The entire cast bounces around in their various roles. They are all terrific. Some roles are so completely over the top and ridiculous it’s a little grating. A little more subtley could really make this production astounding.
Desdemona Chiang directs the action at a frenetic pace. It’s fairly manic for an English drawing room romance While it gets preposterous in the first act, the second act is perfect. Chiang tones down the zaniness, but ratchets up the story’s emotional resonance. Austen’s storylines take a more serious turn. Cute little Lydia gets the short end of the stick in the novel and in the play.
The actors traipse about on a whimsical set designed by Narelle Sissons. Its a bright, colorful set that uses the O’Reilly in new and exciting ways.
“Pride and Prejudice” is a broad, silly farce, but it still carries visceral emotional power when Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy FINALLY proclaim their love for one another, and that love, friends, is what “Pride and Prejudice” is all about.
– MB
You can catch “Pride and Prejudice” at the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.
