Tag: Theatre

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

When Benjamin Barker – now using the non de guerre Sweeney Todd (Andrew Cummings) – returns to London, his mournful cries of retribution and revenge fill the streets in Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Based on the Victorian Penny Dreadful, “String of Pearls” from 1847-48, “Sweeney Todd” is a reimagining of the tale. It is a story of a vicious killer told – not in murky gothic tones – but with light comic touches. It is a wickedly, dark comedy with a haunting romantic heart beating at its center.

There are no spoilers here, since the tale is told in the opening number, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.”

After being exiled on trumped-up charges, Todd returns to England with Anthony Hope (Adam Hollick) in tow. The shipmates separate but their lives are inexplicably tied together by fate.

Todd plans his revenge on the men who destroyed his marriage, the villainous Judge Turpin (Adam Cioffari) and his sycophantic lackey, Beadle Bamford (Robert Frankenberry). Fate brings Todd to Mrs. Lovett (the aptly named Anna Singer), purveyor of putrid pies – made from lesser quality meat (Hello, Kitty).

Lovett offers him a place to dwell. She tells a lurid tale of the barber who used to live there. A man named Barker who lived there with his wife Lucy (Lesley Baird) and their baby Johanna until Judge Turpin tore their happy home to shreds with his lust for Lucy. The contemptable Judge sent Barker off to a penal colony on the other side of the world and ravaged Barker’s beautiful wife. When Lucy went mad, Turpin took the child as his ward. Lovett retells the tale to Todd, all the while knowing that Barker and Todd are one in the same.

Meanwhile, the handsome sailor, Anthony, spies the fully-grown Johanna (April Amante) on her balcony, and falls madly in love with her. But as the bard would muse, “The course of true love ne’er did run smooth.” The vile Judge decides that his ward, whom he raised as a daughter, should now be his wife (Someone get Jerry Springer on the phone…stat!).

Back at his barber shop on Fleet Street, Todd begins dispatching his clients with his straight razor. As the aforementioned ballad goes, “Sweeney Todd kept a shop in London Town, of fancy clients of good renown, and what if none of their souls were saved? They went to their maker impeccably shaved.”

Mrs. Lovett decides she wants a piece of the action, and begins grinding the victims into meat for her pies. The idea comes forth in a dark, delightful ditty, “A Little Priest,” where the duo sing about the former occupations of the once and future pies. Business in the pie shop is booming, and Lovett hires Toby Ragg (John Teresi) to scuttle about, aiding her in the restaurant.

Where will the loathsome tale end? If you guessed in “blood and gore,” you’ve won the big money prize! Luckily, director Tome Cousin handles the carnage artfully. When Todd slices a throat, scarlet billows forth from the victims neck like an explosion of rose petals. It is beautiful and macabre.

Cummings does an incredible job as the demon barber, and Singer is a joy to watch and listen to on the stage. They do wonderful work together, with devilish chemistry.

Hollick is a dashing romantic lead with powerful voice. The audience has no problem rooting for the hero named Hope.

Frankenberry is a charismatic villain. Picture Jonathan Pryce in “Adventures of Baron Munchausen” or in any of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, mix in a little bit of Robert Helpmann’s Child Catcher from “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and add a mellifluous voice.

He is a slick villain, slicker than Turpin. Though the Judge is sinister and creepy. Even though his actions will make you squirm, Cioffari humanizes Turpin with a modicum of sympathy. The Judge knows he’s evil and he can’t help himself, and it makes him a terrific baddie.

Special attention should be made to Teresi. The petite blond man – who plays a child of indeterminate age –  has a potent voice.

Hank Bullington’s set is saturated in dark blues and deep purples. Scene changes are deceptively simple affairs; a grouping of chairs are reordered and the names of the shops and restaurants are projected on the walls.

Kudos to costume designer Rachel Wyatt for time-traveling back to Victorian London for the wardrobe.

The two hour and twenty minute run time breezes by.

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is a must-see for any Sondheim fans in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” runs a series of dates through July 22 at the Falk Auditorium in the Winchester Thurston School, 555 Morewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For more information, click here.

– MB

by Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Take Carlo Goldoni’s “The Servant of Two Masters,” add English accents and blend in some fourth wall breaking bits with the audience and you have Richard Bean’s “One Man, Two Guvnors,” a twentieth century piece of commedia dell’arte.

Francis Henshall (Tom Protulipac) doesn’t like to skip a meal. His pockets are empty and he’s starving. Knowing his boss, Roscoe Crabbe (Jenny Malarkey) won’t pay him until the end of the week, Francis takes on a second job with Stanley Stubbers (Connor McNelis). All he wants to do is grab some haddock and chips with mushy peas or whatever English grub he can grab at the pub in Brighton.

But having two guvnors is a tricky business, and Francis learns it the hard way.  He must keep the two men from meeting, or the jig is up. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Francis, Roscoe Crabbe is really Rachel Crabbe and she’s in Brighton to rendezvous with her fiancé Stanley Stubbers. Stubbers is fleeing from the law after killing Rachel’s twin brother, Roscoe. Even though Stubbers slew her brother, Rachel is in love with him (family reunions must be extremely awkward). Basically, Francis must keep the two from meeting, even though the only reason they’re in town is to meet. Whew! That’s not even the tricky part.

For Rachel, posing as her dead brother has an unusual set of complications. Roscoe was betrothed to Pauline Clench (Marsha Mayhak), but she’s in love with Alan Dangle (Craig Ketchum). To snatch the dowry from Pauline’s dad, Charlie (Keith Zagorski), Rachel (still disguised as Roscoe) must marry her – and since the action is set in Brighton, England in 1965 (well before Marriage Equality) that’s just not gonna happen.

Of course, Francis mucks everything up.  The comedy picks up steam in the second act after Francis is finally fed – in a hilarious scene involving an ancient accident-prone waiter (Neil Donaldson), flaming Crepe Suzette, a mousetrap and an unfortunate audience member. Once sated, Francis pursues two new deadly sins; lust and avarice – pushing gluttony off to the side like parsley. He promises Dolly (Erin Bock), Charlie Clench’s voluptuous bookkeeper, that he’ll whisk her off to Spain. The passionate pursuit leads to additional complications.

Director TJ Firneno keeps a lot of plates spinning in this riotous production. There is a balletic choreography to the comedy. Protulipac has the lion’s share of the plate-spinning, seizing the stage with gusto. He is happily chewing the sparse scenery, excelling in the aforementioned bits involving audience participation. He’s a whirling dervish.

There are several fine performances. Malarkey’s androgynous Roscoe and Bock’s lusty Dolly stand out.

Between scene changes, the cast provides some interstitial material singing songs or otherwise entertaining. Side note: there is some technical tomfoolery afoot.

It’s a madcap, crazy show. Not all of it works. Some of the material seems dated – and must have felt dated even in the first performance in the National Theatre in 2011 (since the show is set in 1965). When it does work, it’s hilarious! There are several bust a gut moments.

Special mention to Jill Spear, Little Lake’s volunteer coordinator, who does a lot more than keep the volunteers busy.

“One Man, Two Guvnors” is wacky, whimsical evening out.

“One Man, Two Guvnors” runs through July 15 at the Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive South, Canonsburg, PA 15317. For more information, click here.

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Pastor Paul (David Whalen) is proud to announce that the congregation’s brand new megachurch is paid off in full. He’s also proud to announce that he no longer believes in the devil or the Christian concept of Hell in Lucas Hnath’s play, “The Christians.”

What happens when a popular pastor decides to change the rules? All hell breaks loose (figuratively speaking, of course).

In mid-sermon, Associate Pastor Joshua (Joshua Elijah Reese) challenges Pastor Paul’s newfound beliefs. Joshua believes in the fire, brimstone and all the horror that goes with it. A division in the congregation begins to open a crack. Parishioners fall away. At first, it’s a manageable amount. Jay, a Church Elder (Robert Haley), tells him the board backs him. Then, Jenny (Gayle Pazerski), a congregant, questions him. He invites her up to the pulpit and they have a discussion that tears open the rift between the two sides of the congregation. The faithful begin to fall further away. Pastor Paul’s megachurch bleeds out like the blood of Christ on the cross, slowly, painfully, inevitably.

Things get extremely dire when Elizabeth (Mindy Woodhead), the pastor’s wife, decides she disagrees with her husband. She can’t reconcile his beliefs with her own and it begins to tear away at their marriage.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts.”

But in religion, are there facts? What separates truth from fiction when everyone is relying on faith? It’s the core issue of Hnath’s play, and it’s sure to start a conversation among audience members. There were several interesting discussions on opening night.

Director Andrew Paul picked a perfect cast for “The Christians.”

Whalen is charismatic as the preacher. He commands the stage with a powerful presence. His character is multifaceted. He is bold, brash and bellicose, while preaching love and tolerance. Whalen makes the dichotomy work. It’s fascinating to watch the pastor who is preaching about tolerance, but doesn’t tolerate opposing viewpoints. Pastor Paul expects his congregation to follow no matter where he leads them, and he’s devastated when they don’t.

Reese delivers a spectacular performance as the leader of the dissent. His voice is strong and equally commanding. It’s easy to see the congregants unite around him.

Pazerski does a terrific job as a woman in conflict with her own beliefs. Jenny is tormented when her church fails her, and Pazerski portrays that pain realistically and thoughtfully.

Whalen’s scenes with Woodhead pack the most punch. It’s painful to watch them wrestle with their deeply held spiritual beliefs and the passion and joy of their marriage. They go through their own personal hell.

The megachurch has a mighty choir consisting of Monteze Freeland, Natalie Hatcher and Missy Moreno. Their three superb voices blended together beautifully. Each of them is given a moment in the spotlight, and each of them gloriously raised their voices to God.

Set designer Johnmichael Bohach puts the mega in megachurch. The room feels like the Crystal Cathedral with an enormous post-modern cross towering above the pulpit, suspended in mid-air on wires. It looks like it’s floating above Pastor Paul’s head, like the sword of Damocles.

Caution: The play, while called “The Christians,” may be upsetting to people who are firmly rooted in their faith. The play wrestles with abstract ideas, but, underneath, it’s really about our interactions with one another, and how we treat those who have alternative ideas on the afterlife.

It’s a hell of a good play.

“The Christians” runs till July 2 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.

– MB

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

God (Marcus Stevens) comes down to Earth speak with humanity in David Javerbaum’s comedy, “An Act of God,” and all hell breaks loose.

The Creator, accompanied by two of his best buds, Angels Gabriel (John Shepard) and Michael (Tim McGeever), complete with white linen robes and feathery white wings, trek down to Terra Firma to enlighten us mere mortals. God has got a lot on his omnipotent, omniscient mind.

By the way, the Supreme Being looks like Marcus Stevens for a reason. The Almighty is using Stevens’ body as a Holy Sock Puppet, speaking his words of wisdom through the beloved Broadway actor (and Point Park graduate). You see, God thinks middle men like Moses, Muhammad et al. have mucked up his holy message. The Lord is here to set the record straight.

It’s Life, the Universe and Everything in a brisk 90 minutes (no intermission). Jehovah’s perspective is decidedly different. Papa’s got a brand new bag. The Most High might refer to Javerbaum when he wrote the show. It’s pretty out there, and it’s sure to offend the most devout of any religion, be ye Christian, Muslim or Jew.

Picture Fractured Fairy Tales of the Old and New Testament. Things do get real when God does express remorse for the life and death of his middle child, Jesus. Though, the Christ child comes off like Jan Brady in God’s version.

Javerbaum started the story with a Twitter handle called, TheTweetOfGod, and morphed those tweets into a full-fledged Broadway play.

The actors are fantastic. Stevens is effervescent as the Eternal Father. He bounces around on stage filled with spirit (Holy or otherwise). His gap-toothed smile lights up the theater. He’s a joy to watch.

Shepard is an actually dressed like a shepherd…of God (with the aforementioned heavenly wings). The actor has a commanding voice and a big presence. Though his role is small, he makes it big.

Nerd Note: His character is similar to Gwen DeMarco/Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver) in “Galaxy Quest,” repeating words that flash on an overhead projector.

McGeever is only performing in plays with God in the title this year. He went from City Theatre’s “Hand of God” to the Public’s “An Act of God.” Ironic, don’t you think?

McGeever’s Michael is sort of the every man angel. His character says the things we’re thinking; and voices the questions we want to ask. He performs with precision and aplomb. It would be hard to imagine any other actor in the role after seeing McGeever’s interpretation.

Director Ted Pappas keeps things moving along with sharp pace (no intermission helps the evening move along nicely).

Sound Designer Zach Moore and Lighting Designer Andrew David Ostrowski bring in thunder and lightning to the stage. Scenic Designer Michael Schweikardt’s stage is walk in the clouds with some tasteful white furnishings. It’s an absolutely heavenly combination of sight and sound.

The only drawback, and it’s a rather large one, is that “An Act of God” is more thoughtful than humorous. It’s billed as a raucous comedy, and it is, at best, mildly amusing. Not nearly as funny as “Buyer & Cellar” or even as witty as “Tru,” past Public productions (say that three times fast).

It may, however, challenge your world view. The play may either enlighten you or piss you off. You get to make the final judgement.  It might not be the funniest comedy, but it is certainly a revelation, and the cast is worth the price of admission.

“An Act of God” runs through Sunday, July 2 at the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

– MB