Friday, March 30, 2007

Aida

Elton John's musical began its Spokane stop last night at the INB Center. Aida's production values are great -- a mature cast with strong singing, acting and dancing, fabulous set and stage lighting.

Amneris must be a fun character to play, with elements of Julie Brown's song "I'm A Blonde." Not quite a ditz, but certainly choosing to not be cerebral, her stereotypical growth through the show was nicely played. Aida was just as stereotypically strong, but a few nuances here and there. Both actresses have nice singing voices, and carried their solos and group numbers well. Ramades, well, he was the love interest baring his soul, and his chest, frequently. His acting was a little overwrought for me, and he's got the rock singing style down... which means I could barely understand him.

That's not really his fault. The lyrics almost always get lost in a rock style. Wailing, whining, scooping, slurring, it's all part of the music. It's hard to understand on the cast albums, too. For example, "Fortune Favors the Brave" becomes "farton fayva duh baaaaaaaay." Considering how many times that refrain is sung at the beginning, it's a good thing that it's printed in the program. The staging of course makes the song's intent pretty obvious, but as a wordsmith I love the nuances of lyrics; ya don't get that with Aida, even though Tim Rice ("Sir Tim to you") is pretty clever with a phrase.

And I admit, I'm not a fan of the script. I don't know much about the plot twists in the opera, or how they're presented, but having major plot elements spin on a dime based on one line that comes out of left field is pretty ridiculous. But that's not the fault of this production.

I truly loved the set. A two-story set with balcony, and large window filled with pyramid-shaped panes, clean and smooth lines. Six moving pedestals with ancient-looking statues changed the look enough to distinguish new scenes or locations. Excellent lighting effects through the window changed the moods effectively (I's a sucker for blue sky and realistic clouds). (I have to say I felt sorry for the (new?) spotlight operator who had trouble getting the tight focus on the actor's head and shoulders only. I hear from my lighting-designer husband that it's very tough to get it right from that distance.)

This production incorporated several modern elements into the costumes and props, something that I hear wasn't done in the original production. They were frankly distracting. It's an interesting concept, and they might have worked if the prologue/epilogue were different. The show opens and closes in the present, and in between we are supposed to be transported to the ancient Nubia of the museum exhibit. How can we do that with AK-47s and blue jeans?

Aida is what Jesus Christ Superstar would have sounded like if Tim Rice had written it with Sir John's music instead of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. The emotional elements are the same -- scenes of the ill and downtrodden begging for their leader to save them; Amneris could have been singing I Don't Know How To Love Him instead of I Know the Truth; the guys all showing off for their leader; the Pharaoh handing down a sentence of death... Different plot, different characters, different love triangle, but similar motivations.

Overall, I'm glad I saw it, I don't need to again.
Photos and positive reviews of this tour are at theaidatour.com
And a terribly honest review online here.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

WestCoast Best of Broadway Season '07-'08

Silly silly silly Janean. I only picked two of the eight Best of Broadway shows announced as coming to town this next season. I didn't pay enough attention to which shows were Equity and which were non-Equity (the actors are not paid according to union rules, so they are therefore less expensive. As a rule, they are considered the "B" tours, or less quality. That's not necessarily true, but higher chance than not.)

I don't mean to be biting the hand that feeds me -- literally. WestCoast Entertainment put on a lovely luncheon to announce their upcoming musicals, and yours truly was invited. But frankly, for a 20th Anniversary rollout, the delicious lunch on the stage of the INB Center was the best thing about the gathering. My table companions were unimpressed overall.

The best surprise: A special one-night concert with the Chad Mitchell Trio. No kidding! Chad is from Spokane, and still lives here (he performed in Civic Theatre's A Child's Christmas in Wales and was an absolute delight). Mike Kobluk and Joe Frazier met Chad at Gonzaga, and they were a nationwide sensation among folkies in the 1960s. The luncheon featured a great montage of appearances on TV shows of the '60s, including Ed Sullivan. The one concert takes place Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. This is an EXTRA add-on.

Actually, half of the announced shows are add-ons at this point. Nothing was announced for after March 30. My guess is that the April and May shows are still in negotiations. Rather than announce and then change direction, as had to happen last season (the planned Little Shop tour shut down), I would hope they're make arrangements and will make future announcements. Otherwise, we've got a season of four shows for $177.

The pre-picks: Movin' Out (Sep 25-30), and Riverdance.

More on Riverdance: The tour will swing up our way after going through Portland, on its way up to Alberta. Jack Lucas said they worked hard to convince Riverdance to stop in Spokane, and I'm glad they did. This is reportedly the final tour of Riverdance. (or at least the production company is going to give it a nice long break) I will admit that I have watched the video several times and listened to the music, but have never sat in a theatre to watch them live. Considering how much I love to watch the Haran Irish Dancers perform, I think I've been missing out. Performances Jan. 18-20. Again, this is an ADD-ON show.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: I thought I'd put this in the pick list, but on second look, I hadn't. I'm very glad this is on its way to Spokane. (We almost saw it in New York last year, but messed up our timing, saw something really bad instead.) I never saw the movie this is based on, but I enjoy the cast album. So I guess I'll have a shock at the start: composer/lyricist David Yazbek wrote a new opening number for this tour, called "The Only Game in Town." Ironically, the song it replaces is called "Give Them What They Want." I hope this isn't an omen of not getting what we want out of this tour. Performances are Oct. 30-Nov 4

Jesus Christ Superstar: The only reason I didn't pick this as a show coming to town is that Ted Neely's "Farewell Tour" has been going on for a while. I thought the 60-year-old might be finished with singing Gethsemane by spring. I should have checked his Wikipedia site -- it's listed there as continuing into 2008 (open-ended). Neely and Superstar was last here in '93 (the first date my hubby and I went on together) and, according to our Wiki friends, is a "stripped-down version with staging and set limited to a few risers." It comes through Spokane Dec. 18-19. This production's booking is done by Troika Entertainment (same group associated with Cats, Chicago, Joseph and Movin' Out)

Speaking of producing companies, this season includes an early start in a first national tour -- HIGHLY unusual. The Wedding Singer began its stage life in Seattle's 5th Avenue before hitting Broadway. It was charming and got a little notice in its eight or nine months on Broadway, mostly because of lead Stephen Lynch. The Road Company is the booking agency, responsible for several A-list tours, specifically Wicked. (Talk about wanting to get in on their good side!) Perhaps the Wedding Singer creatives are fond of the Northwest. In any case, the '80s-style musical comes to Spokane Nov. 27-Dec. 2.

Gypsy is the most ... ambiguous of the productions listed. It's being touted based on its solid score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim lyrics. Whereas most of the video montages publicizing the tours showcased the Broadway stage productions they are based on, this montage featured clip after clip of the film versions (visible at Phoenix Entertainment's site).
I was hoping it was because the production would be based on this summer's Encores series at New York's City Center, which will have Patti LuPone play Mama Rose for a special one-month production this summer.
Phoenix Entertainment -- the group also behind the current television show looking for the next leads in Grease -- is then sending the production on tour, but NOT with LuPone. Rumor has it that Kathy Halenda will portray Mama Rose. She's not a big name, hence the focus on the show itself. Maybe that'll be a refreshing change, seeing Mama Rose as a stage mom and not as a celeb portraying a stage mom. Rumors also say the set pieces and costumes, etc. are coming from the 2003 version with Bernadette Peters. That'll come Feb. 21-24 next year.

The other add-on show finishing the announced season is ... Mamma Mia. Wait, didn't we just bop to this staged concert to ABBA tunes a year ago? Jack Lucas said that WestCoast thought it was too early too, but the producers really really really really wanted to come back to Spokane. (So "back by popular demand" refers to the producers? Do they need to fix their set? Do they want to take a group photo on the carousel or the wagon slide? Was there an untapped audience here who learned about the first showing too late? Will it spark a new debate on jukebox musicals? We'll find out Mar. 25-30 '08.

I'm really surprised that Light in the Piazza and Sweet Charity are not on the list. The main reason is that they are both booked by Network Productions, the same group that shopped around Annie and Hairspray, and is about to bring Rent. Who knows, maybe we'll have some new announcements before too long.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Mar 28: Show Business, part 1.5

In January '06, we did Part 1 of Show Business, songs about stagecraft. Today's show isn't exactly part two, it's a continuation of stage shows, plus mention of the upcoming region 9 festival and the 60th and 40th anniversaries of Civic and Cd'A Summer Theatre, respectively. At some point, I plan a real "part 2," with backlot musicals. For today, however, here's the playlist.

Another Op'nin', Another Show - Kiss Me Kate
Untitled Opening Number and Nine People's Favorite Things - [Title of Show]
Opening Doors - Merrily We Roll Along (York Theatre)
Putting It Together - Putting It Together
Life upon the Wicked Stage - Show Boat 1966 Lincoln Center Cast
I Can Do That, Jeffrey Schecter - A Chorus Line [2006 Broadway Cast]
All I Need Is The Girl, Robert Lambert - Gypsy (1989)
Broadway Baby, Kaye Ballard - Follies : The Paper Mill Playhouse

And preparing for Carousel in Concert, the first show the Carousel Players did in Coeur d'Alene:
June Is Bustin' Out All Over - Carousel, Lincoln Center Revival, 1964

Preparing for Assassins vs. Forever Plaid (vs. Art) this weekend:
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing - Forever Plaid
The Ballad of Guiteau, Denis O'Hare and Neil Patrick Harris - Assassins Broadway)

And goodbye Dorothy and Betty, thanks for all your years of service to Civic and Spokane theatre in general:
What I Did for Love, Natalie Cortez - A Chorus Line [2006 Broadway Cast]

What will Best of Broadway bring to Spokane?

At noon on March 28, the Best of Broadway series is announced. This is the 20th Anniversary of the series, managed by WestCoast Entertainment. An anniversary like that usually means something special. They have big shoes to fill -- the 2005-06 season had The Lion King. That was the "next level" from the technical extravaganza of Phantom of the Opera. So where will they go?

If I had my say, it would be up. Defying Gravity up.

Wicked would be a coup for lil' ol' Spokane. Cities are vying for the attention of Stephen Schwartz's popular musical (pun intended. Oh rats, now I've got that song stuck in my head.) It keeps getting invited back for return engagements, and it's only been running on Broadway since '03. The tour began in Chicago, but was so popular it never left. Now there are open-ended productions in Los Angeles, Chicago, and London, aside from the original Broadway. The tour is announced for fall '07, but considering that the current tour started in Seattle this past September, and there are no announced dates between Boston in early fall and Florida in March, could we have a November run? Or February '08? In the words of another witch, "Possible. Very very possible.*"

So what are my GUESSES? Based on past seasons and what I know is out there... Here are the most likely eight shows.

Camelot with Michael York. Gotta have one of the classic Lerner & Loewe or Rodgers & Hammerstein in the mix.

Sweet Charity, probably right after Molly Ringwald finishes her run in this Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields blast from the past.

Movin' Out, the dance show based on Billy Joel music. It'll be in Alberta November and early December, so I wouldn't be surprised if it swings down here for the early January slot.

Riverdance. The river is flowing again, and again it'll be up in Alberta in February '08. They might have arranged a March dance spectacular date.

The Light in the Piazza. It's a beautiful tone poem of a musical, especially the Italian songs. The most romantic, serious, old-fashioned musical on Broadway in the past few years. Not a song-and-dance spectacle (a nice change of pace), a beautiful and fascinating story told through music.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Silly, edgy, as is all of William Finn's shows (think Falsettos).

TicketsWest also brings a young-children family friendly show to town each summer. Last year it was Dora the Explorer's Pirate Adventure (RIGHT before my daughter started learning about the exciting Hispanic heroine, and now she wears Dora shoes, Dora jammies, Dora dress, colors Dora books ... you get the picture). This year, Nickelodeon is producing Dora's cousin Diego in a live show, based on the spinoff cartoon show "Go Diego Go." Our kid isn't interested in Diego's show, but she does love his sidekick Baby Jaguar, and the two episodes she's seen Diego in. Dora appears in the live show to keep everyone's attention. Looks like this might be one show she's interested in seeing.

Remember, these are my GUESSES. We'll find out tomorrow afternoon. (By the way, Bobo will probably beat me to listing them on his blog, since I'll be away from the computer most of tomorrow.)

In related news, when Disney brings its ice show to the Spokane Arena, the show will be "High School Musical On Ice." Disney had a smash hit with their cable channel's original movie musical about, well, a high school musical. It's big. Extremely big. The same way that Wicked is big. (Hm, same audience, in fact.) So it is the next ice extravaganza -- skating to the soundtrack of the original movie. (They're doing two sequals of the movie, which is why I stress the 'original.')

Confirmed dates in the region:
Stomp: Portland's Keller Auditorium, Jun 19 - Jun 24, 2007
Camelot: Portland's Keller Auditorium, Oct. 2-7, 2007
Spamalot: Seattle's Paramount Theatre, Oct. 10 - 28, 2007 AND Portland's Keller Auditorium, Aug. 22 - Sep. 2, 2007
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: Portland's Keller Auditorium, July 10 - 15, 2007
Sweeney Todd: Portland's Keller Auditorium, Apr. 8 - 13, 2008
Avenue Q: Portland's Keller Auditorium, Jun. 24 - 29, 2008
Phantom of the Opera: Portland's Keller Auditorium, Aug. 13 - Sep. 7, 2008

* Into the Woods, particularly as played by Bernadette Peters.

Showdown in Tacoma, Part 2

Judges of the Region 9 AACTFest in Tacoma this weekend have a difficult task ahead of them: comparing an apple with an orange with a banana. The three shows competing for the "Best in Region" title are completely different, and it might come down to whether the three judges are in the mood for a funny yet philosophical play, a musical comedy, or a dark musical ringing with gunshots.

The Gallery Theatre in McMinniville, Oregon won that state's title with a production of Art, the funny yet thought-provoking play by Yasmina Reza (translated from French by Christopher Hampton) where the friendship of three men is tested by a large white canvas. Is a nearly blank canvas "Art"? And worth the large sums of money that "art" collectors are willing to pay? I have no idea how this production went, but I thoroughly enjoyed the script, and the performances I saw on Broadway in '99, and at Interplayers several years ago. In short, it's strong material, and good competition pieces are built on strong material.

Saturday night, the cast of Forever Plaid had their final audience dress rehearsal (an benefit) before heading to the competition. The show is the first and probably final big gig for a men's harmony quartet from the early '60s -- "probably final" because they were killed in Feb. 1964 by a bus filled with teens off to see the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. The songs are nostalgia pieces -- Three Coins in a Fountain, Sixteen Tons, Chain Gang, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing. The key to the show is the harmonizing between the four characters. Two of them are played by Mike Hynes and Kent Kimball, two of the region's best male singers, period. Kent's rich baritone is going to be starring as the Captain in Sound of Music at Civic this spring. Mike has a tenor voice to die for, even though Plaid doesn't show off his range: LCP Executive Director Brian Doig takes the top notes. Todd Jasmin, also Artistic/Technical Director for the Playhouse, rounds out the quartet.

Assassins is about nine people who have killed or tried to kill Presidents of the United States. Patrick McHenry-Kroetch is truly regal as John Wilkes Booth. Frankly, there's nothing funnier than Sara Jane Moore (Marianne McLaughlin) spilling the bullets from her gun as Gerald Ford walks by, then throwing them at him yelling "Bang! Bang!"* It's dark. The Balladeer, the representation of "normal" American sensibilities, is ignored -- much as many of the 60% who disapprove of our current president feel ignored. The more things change, the more they stay the same... Unfortunately, their performance rights for the Stephen Sondheim show didn't include a benefit dress rehearsal. I haven't seen the trimmed-down version, without the chorus and their musical numbers.

All shows have the same rules: Begin with the actors (in costume) and crew standing with their set in a 10x10 square area. It must all fit in this 10x10 area. The cast and crew then has 10 minutes to put up their set. They have 60 minutes to perform their piece (for example, Forever Plaid did it in 57 on Saturday). After their performance, they have another 10 minutes to tear down the set (3 minutes).

What would be fun is seeing the Civic and Playhouse people hanging out together there. At Civic's 60th Gala party on Sunday night, Mike Hynes and Kent Kimball were there on stage singing songs from two of the shows they've been in. (Mike Hynes IS the Cowardly Lion. Talk about being born to play a part! That was his own lion costume and wig he was in on Sunday night, too.) Actors and other creative theatre folks do go back and forth across the state line to do a show they absolutely love. We're very lucky to have these two opportunities to showcase what our theatres can do.

*Historical quibble: It was Squeaky who didn't have any bullets in her gun when she tried to shoot Ford. Somebody knocked Sara Jane aside after she shot her first bullet, which careened off of the doorway near Ford. Okay, now I'm coming off as a history geek and most people don't care, and I know the show needs good comic relief. But the lead female characters are the comic relief, and that goes against my need for strong female characters. Thank goodness for the Emma Goldman portrayal ;-) Okay, soapbox moment over.

60 Years of Spokane Civic Theatre

It's ironic that as Civic Theatre prepared to celebrate 60 years of great community service to the Spokane area, the last of its primary founders passed away. One week, Betty Tomlinson died, the first artistic director and general manager. The following week, Dorothy Darby Smith passed on, the "Grand Dame of Spokane" and first president of the board. Both were remembered at the "Best of Civic" concert on Sunday evening.

That was a wonderful walk down memory lane. Many people have moved from the area, or just moved on with their lives and can't afford the time and effort to rehearse two months then spend another month of nights in performance. Kudos to Martha Lou (times have NOT changed all that much!), Janice Abramson, Susan Hardie, and others who rarely showcase their performing skills on stage these days. Jean Hardie capped the evening with one more showstopper as Mother Superior from the Nunsense shows.

Thanks to everyone who performed Sunday night, and to everyone who has given their talents to Civic over the past 60 years.

Benefit for Hart Family on Thursday

If you go see locally-produced shows in the Spokane area, you might recognize this fellow at right: John Hart. This was part of a photo taken for "A Reduced Christmas Carol" (hence the paper chain "links" for Marley... other silly stuff not visible in this clip). John and his wife Beth added to their family a month ago, and unfortunately baby Colin is critically ill.

Beth is a teacher at St. Aloysius Elementary School. The school is holding a spaghetti-feed dinner/fundraiser on Thursday night. Come to the cafeteria at St. Al’s, 611 E. Mission (Mission and Standard) between 5-7 p.m. for spaghetti, salad, rolls, and dessert. They will also sell raffle tickets for a variety of gift baskets, including a KPBX gift basket. Suggested donation is $5 adult, $3 child, or $20 family.

The KPBX Arts Calendar doesn't post non-arts fundraiser announcements, so I'm a little disappointed I can't share this more on the air. John and Beth Hart are pretty important to me. I've done a couple of shows with John, most recently I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, also Return to the Forbidden Planet. But he's also an excellent dad and teacher's aide. It's too sweet watching him with their preschool-aged daughter, and he comes in to Beth's classroom regularly to clean the frog tank. Meanwhile, I can't say enough good things about Beth as a teacher. She is kind but firm, open to new ways of teaching, always concerned for her students' safety, and very creative. To get kids interested in brushing teeth, she figured out how to cut the bottom half off of small clear-plastic soda bottles (the lumpy bumpy bottoms), paint the insides white, cut a pink sheet of Foamies lengthwise and glue it on the open parts of the bottle, then turn it all over. Voila! A big set of teeth, to brush with big toothbrushes. (With that kind of reinforcement at school, my daughter actually ASKED to brush her teeth at home!) And these two caring, loving people are going through any parent's absolute worst nightmare.

If you can’t come to the spaghetti feed but would like to make a donation to the Hart family, please mail to Sandra Skeim at St. Aloysius, 611 E. Mission, Spokane WA 99202.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Mar 21: Kander and Ebb, take 2

John turned 80 last Sunday. Fred died three years ago. The duo of Kander and Ebb open their latest (and probably final) collaboration tomorrow night on Broadway. When we looked at the Kander and Ebb catalogue last September, we focused on Chicago. Today's show has a more representative sample of their work.

Theme from New York, New York / The World Goes 'Round, Cast - And And The World Goes Round
My Coloring Book, Barbra Streisand - Greatest Hits
How Lucky Can You Get, Barbra Streisand - Funny Lady
Dear Love, Liza Minnelli - Flora The Red Menace
It Couldn't Please Me More (A Pineapple), Lotte Lenya and Jack Gilford - Cabaret
Seeing Things, Robert Goulet with Julie Gregg - The Happy Time
Only Love, Maria Karnilova - Zorba!
Do We? Lucie Lancaster, Gil Lamb - 70, Girls, 70
Razzle Dazzle, Jerry Orbach - Chicago: The 10th Anniversary Edition
Colored Lights, Liza Minnelli - The Rink
Kiss of the Spider Woman, Chita Rivera - Kiss of the Spider Woman
Willing to Ride, Karen Ziemba - Steel Pier
No, My Heart (Hay Fever), Brent Barrett - The Kander & Ebb Album

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Mar 14: Are Looks Everything?

March is National Women’s History Month, so let's hear songs that objectify women. (Come on, I'm into irony.) Seriously, we're exploring how beauty is perceived on the stage, and the attention to what makes a woman supposedly ‘beautiful.’ As a rule, I generally come to work with no makeup, and frizzy hair. I like to think that looks have no impact on inner beauty.
Or am I being hypocritical? I met my husband after he saw me on stage in a play, and wanted to meet that beautiful lady. When he talked to me after the show, my first thought was 'Helllllllo Tall, Dark, and Handsome." Much as we'd like looks to NOT be important, it's a fact of life.

In any case, this week's songs
I Feel Pretty - West Side Story OBC
How Lovely to Be a Woman - Bye Bye, Birdie (1960)
If A Girl Isn't Pretty - Funny Girl
Dance: Ten; Looks: Three - A Chorus Line [2006 Broadway Cast]
Lovely (from A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum) - Putting It Together: A Musical Review
Decorate The Human Face (from Colette Collage) - The Show Goes On
Popular - Wicked
Perfect Isn't Easy - Oliver & Company
Paris Original - How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Satin And Silk - Silk Stockings
My Strongest Suit - Aida
Miss Celie's Pants - The Color Purple
Big, Blonde And Beautiful - Hairspray
Some Girls -
Once On This Island

Monday, March 12, 2007

Showdown in Tacoma

Congratulations to Spokane Civic Theatre and the cast & crew of Assassins! The cut production of the Stephen Sondheim musical was the winner at Washington state's Kaleidoscope 2007 competition last weekend.

This is a bit of a triumphant return -- Spokane Civic Theatre won the state competition almost every time in the 1990s. Troy Nickerson, director of Assassins, took Best in Nation at the 1999 competition (not to mention tying for "Best Actor" in the nation with co-star Thomas Heppler).

The next step is the regional competition. The Region IX AACTFest takes place in Tacoma March 30 & 31. It will compete against the winners from Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho.

Yes, that's Idaho, as in Forever Plaid from Lake City Playhouse. Two of the actors in that show, Kent Kimball and Mike Hynes, are veterans of the Civic stage. Talk about friendly competition!

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Benefit concerts coming up for regional theatres

Two of our regional theatres are about to kick off seasons marking major birthdays, and taking the occasion to raise more money for their future theatrical efforts. And a third group is raising money for their trip to the community theatre compeition.
March 24: Lake City Playhouse's cast of Forever Plaid performs their competition show.
March 25: Spokane Civic Theatre's 60th Anniversary: A "Best Of Civic" revue
March 30 & 31: Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre's 40th Anniversary: Carousel in Concert.

And now details, in reverse order.

March 30 & 31: Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre's 40th Anniversary: Carousel in Concert. This was CST's first production (hence the name "Carousel Players"), presented with costumes, lead roles by CST veterans (see below), the 60-member NIC chorale as the chorus, and a 28-piece orchestra. Ticket price is $40 each (40th anniversary, $40, yeah you get it)

Since it's not listed on their website, here are cast details:
Julie Jordan…………………………..Krista Kubicek
Billy Bigelow….…………………..David Jon Wilson
Carrie Pipperidge……………Callie McKinney Cabe
Mrs. Mullin…………………………Molly Allen Ritter
Nettie Fowler…………………….Jennifer Niederloh
Enoch Snow………………………………Jadd Davis
Jigger Craigin……………………………Mark Cotter
Policeman…………………………….Robby French
David Bascombe………………………Todd Jasmin
StarKeeper……………………………Kelly Quinette
Louise…………………………………….Jessie Little

And not that this is influencing my decision to go, but three of the esteemed KPBX staff will be in the orchestra: Verne Windham on horn, Brian Flick on bass, and our chief engineer Jerry Olson on tuba.


March 25: Spokane Civic Theatre's 60th Anniversary: A "Best Of Civic" revue, with several familiar names and old friends. Ticket price $30 each, details at the Civic site.

Again, since it's not listed at the website, here is the cast as announced:
Janice Abramson, Tom Armitage, Patricia Brady, Lei Broadstone, H. James Brown, Alyssa Calder-Day, Kyle Carter, Sallie Christiansen, Dennis Craig, Abbey Crawford, Melody Deatherage, Kathie Doyle-Lipe, Nancy Emerson, David Gigler, Jean Hardie, Susan Hardie, Thomas Heppler, Michael Hynes, Bryan Jackson, Brianne Jordan-Green, Katie Kapelke, Kent Kimball, Tami Knoell, Cameron Lewis, Danae Lowman, Patrick McHenry-Kroetch, Marianne McLaughlin, Jan Neumann, Troy Nickerson, Russ Seaton, Daina Toevs, Patrick Treadway, Andrew Ware Lewis, Martha Lou Wheatley-Billiter, and the 2006-2007 Box n Hat Players

The performances will feature musical numbers from the following shows:
The Angry Housewives, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver!, The Secret Garden, Singin' in the Rain, Falsettos, Cabaret, Kiss Me Kate, 42nd Street, A Chorus Line, Nunsense, The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, Damn Yankees, Brigadoon, Fantasticks, 1776, The Music Man, Hello, Dolly!, Into the Woods, My Favorite Year, Anything Goes.


March 24: Lake City Playhouse's cast of Forever Plaid performs their competition version in POST FALLS, at the Old Church Arts & Cultural Center, 405 William St. Show starts at 7 p.m. Donations are $15.

Movie Musical Update: Here comes Pierce!

A slew of movie musicals are in production or in pre-production casting. The one that really gets my attention is Mamma Mia! with Meryl Streep and, be still my heart, Pierce Brosnan. Okay, during filming of Dante's Peak, I discovered I could be 5 feet from him and still act professional. But as an eighth grader, at least one other classmate was enthralled with him in Remington Steele. Can he sing? Frankly, I don't know and I don't care. He's set to play Sam, one of three potential fathers of the bride, in the ABBA musical/rock concert. In the stage show, Sam gets "SOS" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You." Will the movie be as fun as the show? The live stage concert has so much energy, the audience is dancing in their seats. Concerts on film don't have that, and it's doubtful the movie can live up to the "most popular musical in the world."

So what else is going on in the movie musical world?

Hairspray: John Travolta put it best when he stood next to the film's co-star Queen Latifah and said "I love a full figured woman who can stand in front of a camera and sing her heart out. But that’s enough about me." The photos are incredible, especially of Travolta in the prosthetics. (WOW!) Having just had the show come through Spokane in January, it's still very fresh in my mind, and the high energy from the cast still infuses the recording. The big disappointment: Mama I'm a Big Girl Now is out, because it "doesn't move the plot along." Two new songs are added. Coming July, New Line Cinema. (And yes, Disney ain't the only ones with fashion dolls! But these girls are more realistic than princesses.)

Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd. The mixture of Depp, Tim Burton, and Stephen Sondheim could result in mad genius. Consider that Sacha Baron Cohen is cast as Pirelli, a rival barber, and the contest scene will be wild at the very least! Burton's significant other, Helena Bonham Carter, is Mrs. Lovett, a part that requires significant singing experience. "Worst Pies in London" doesn't even have space to breathe. I'm hoping for the best, but wondering how well they'll pull it off. A co-production of DreamWorks and Warner Bros.
UPDATE: Filming is back on track after Depp's young daughter was "critically ill" at a British hospital; she's doing much better and home with her parents now. (I'm not a celebrity-seeker, but I always feel for the parents of hospitalized children. Not to mention the kids!) Burton is aiming for a wide release of January 2008, limited release Dec. 21. Sweeney at Christmas??? Now that's macabre.

Across the Universe. The trailer makes it seem like a cross between Hair and Moulin Rouge, with Beatles songs. The story of young love in the '60s and '70s, crossing continents and political conflicts. Julie Taymor's vision made the Lion King a hit (along with Lebo M's music), and her stage work is remarkable. In film, she has no boundaries at all; some sequences are downright psychadelic. I hope I don't have to go to Seattle or New York to see it.

Enchanted. Disney takes an animated princess tale (a take-off on Snow White) and sends the characters into modern-day New York City, with live-action. Songs are by Alan Menkin (music) and Stephen Schwartz (lyrics). Susan Sarandon (remember her singing in Rocky Horror Picture Show?) is the evil queen. I admit, I'm a Disney-holic, and enjoy Belle, Ariel, Aurora, etc. (Fortunately, our daughter does not -- yet) Giselle will make a nice addition to the Princess line (yes, the dolls -- animated version and person version -- are ready for the Christmas rush.)

Bob, The Musical. Disney takes another off-beat direction, where a guy who hates musicals suddenly hears the "inner song" of people's hearts after being struck in the head. (The TV show Scrubs did a similar theme this season where a woman with a brain condition suddenly starts hearing everything as a musical.) Songs are being done by Marc Shaiman (Hairspray). Expected in 2008.

Other projects being thought about:

Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close; Rapunzel, another Disney princess movie, with Kristin Chenoweth. There are lots of other rumors, most of them involving Hugh Jackman.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Mar 7: Happy Birthday

Another month, another set of birthdays to celebrate. I love looking through these lists, it brings so many talented people to mind.

Al Jolson - You Made Me Love You (The Honeymoon Express)
Pearl Bailey - Legalize My Name, St. Louis Woman
Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae - If I Loved You Carousel (film 1956)
Jack Cassidy - Wish You Were Here
Richard Kiley - Man Of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote) Man Of La Mancha
Rex Harrison - Why Can't The English? My Fair Lady
Ruthie Henshall - All That Jazz Chicago - London 1998
Liza MinnelliCabaret: Original Soundtrack Recording (1972 Film)
Glenn Close - With One Look - Sunset Boulevard - Los Angeles
Elaine Paige - As If We Never Said Goodbye (Sunset Boulevard) on her Encore album. Her BBC show each Sunday is interesting, although she doesn't share many personal stories like I wish she would.
Stephen Sondheim - Anyone Can Whistle on Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute
John Cullum - On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
Victor Garber - All For The Best Godspell: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

So who else would I have included if I had the room?
- Married couple Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker.
- Chip Zien, a favorite of mine for both Into the Woods and the Marvin Trillogy. (I like him as psychiatrist Mendal more than as Marvin, though.)
- John Barrowman. He's been off my radar, as he hasn't done an original cast recording in the states, and I haven't taken the time to check out the new Doctor Who series. Turns out I've been really missing out! He sat in for Elaine Paige's BBC radio show recently and then noticed he was on my Putting It Together DVD. What a presence, what a voice. With dual citizenship in Great Britain and the States, he sounds like a Yank but has starred in the West End and on British TV for quite a while. You WILL be hearing more from him on Matinee in the future.