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New Wrappings, Same Old Joey |
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Written by Marcia Fulmer
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Thursday, 21 June 2012 17:29 |
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Sometimes it’s better to let well enough alone.
 Such is the case with the latest rewrite of “Pal Joey,” the 1940 musical with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, which opened Tuesday evening at The Barn Theatre in Augusta, Mich. The latest book is by Patrick Pacheco.
“Pal Joey” was reportedly the first musical to have an anti-hero as its primary character. Since then, audiences have become familiar with that type, even when he is singing and dancing. The key is charm, with a capital C. If this is lacking, the show has two strikes already.
The Barn cast has a number of very charming characters. Joey (Joseph Anthony Byrd) is not among them. Byrd has a pleasant baritone and adequately executes the limited choreography created by Jamey Grisham but his portrayal of a shallow but charismatic climber who uses everyone to his own ends falls short, even in spite of the Sinatra-style Fedora hat he wears almost constantly, and the hint of reconciliation with his waitress/artist girlfriend Linda, which is much more than he deserves.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 02:08 |
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Ludwig Farce Takes A Swing At Golf |
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Written by Marcia Fulmer
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Wednesday, 06 June 2012 19:27 |
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The Barn Theatre in Augusta, Mich., opened its 66th season Tuesday evening with a fast-paced production of “The Fox on The Fairway,” a skewed look at man’s favorite sport — golf, of course (what did you think?!).
 Golf, along with sex and mixed messages, is the subject of the newest offering from playwright Ken Ludwig whose other farcical targets include opera (“Lend Me A Tenor”), theater (“Moon Over Buffalo”) and cross-dressing (“Leading Ladies”).
There is no actual animal running amok on the greens, instead the title alludes to the setting, the Tap Room of the Quail Valley Country Club, where the club’s annual golf tournament with deadly rivals— the Crouching Squirrel Golf and Racquet Club — is about to get underway.
Before the championship is decided, Ludwig has brought out all the tricks in his comedy bag, excepting mistaken identity. In “Fox,” everyone knows who he or she is supposed to be, excluding one final shot out of the rough.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 02:08 |
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'Peter Pan' Flies High at Wagon Wheel |
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Written by Marcia Fulmer
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Sunday, 10 June 2012 15:38 |
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For more than a century, J.M. Barrie’s story of Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up, has held the imagination of children of all ages.
 One of its most popular incarnations is the 1954 musical created for television and transferred to the theatrical stage. The reason for this popularity is obvious in the production which opened the 2012 season Wednesday for Warsaw’s Wagon Wheel Theatre.
The large and enthusiastic audience had no problem buying into the impressive aerial effects which allowed Peter (Lee Slobotkin) and the aptly-named Darling children — Wendy (Leigh Ellen Jones), Michael (Derek Stiffler) and John (Chase Stiffler) — to magically soar aloft from their London nursery to the exciting shores of Neverland.
Once there, the adventures began, as the Lost Boys (Stephen
Anthony, Jennifer Dow, Lucas Thomas, Shay Dixon and Carolyn Miller) eagerly welcomed their “mother” while villainous pirates lurk above and a band of Indians went from foes to friends thanks to Peter’s rescue of their chief, Tiger Lily (Hillary Smith).
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 02:08 |
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'Tenor' Laughs Are Fast And Furious |
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Written by Marcia Fulmer
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Wednesday, 23 May 2012 17:19 |
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Next to Neil Simon, Ken Ludwig may be the most prolific writer of comedies in this generation. Of the six which have had Broadway runs, the best known (and probably the best) is “Lend Me A Tenor,” a fast-paced farce which opened Friday evening at the Bristol Opera House.
 I have to admit I have seen at least five different productions of this play and laughed as hard at this last as I did at the first.
The Elkhart Civic Theatre production, directed by Rick Ellis, starts off in high gear and continues from there in fast forward. In the cast are several seasoned community theater veterans as well as a couple of fledgling performers. Here the old and the new work well together.
Because it is a farce, don’t expect any polished quips or sharp repartee. It’s mistaken identities taken (literally) to the Max and one double entendre after another, all punctuated with lightening fast exits and entrances made through incredibly sturdy doors which, when slammed shut, stay shut, no mean feat in this increasingly frantic plot.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 02:07 |
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The story of Elle Woods and her determined pursuit of happiness in the form of Warner Huntington III is offered with the usual spit and polish of every WW production.