Category: Musical

Broadway Fire in Reagle’s “Technicolor Dreamcoat”

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By CJ Williams

 

Directed and Choreographed by Susan M. Chebookjian, based on original Choreography by Anthony Van Laast. Lighting Design by David Wilson. Set Design by Peter Colao and Richard Schreiber. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre at 617 Lexington St, Waltham through June 18.

 

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is Broadway-theater fare in unexpectedly Beantown-local affordability – and the Broadway musical is put on to amazing effect at the Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham. For all its crowd-pleasing choruses, and a cast that could sing and dance down Carnegie Hall, “Dreamcoat” nonetheless pulls a nice undercurrent of depth as well.

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NSMT Serves Up A Delicious Slice of White Bread with Delightful ‘Music Man’

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by Mike Hoban

 

‘Music Man’ – Book, Music, and Lyrics by Meredith Willson. Story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. Directed by Bob Richard. Choreography, Diane Laurenson. Music Direction by Milton Granger; Scenic Design by Kyle Dixon; Lighting Design by Franklin Meissner; Sound Design by Danny Erdberg; Costume Coordinator and Additional Costume Design by Paula Peasley-Ninestein. Presented by North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, through June 18.

 

“I’m as corny as Kansas in August” may be a line from a song from another classic musical, (South Pacific, “A Wonderful Guy”) but it could certainly double as a description of Music Man, the delightful 1957 musical now being given an inspired revival at the North Shore Music Theatre. Set in 1912 Iowa, birthplace of Meredith Willson, writer of the book, music, and lyrics for the Broadway hit, Music Man may be the quintessential white bread musical, but damn – er, darn – is it good.

 

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THE MUSIC MAN (Theatre by the Sea, Matunuck, RI)

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Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Bill Hanney’s Theatre by the Sea’s second show of their 84th season is “The Music Man” by Meredith Willson. This musical first opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957 and ran for 1375 performances. Robert Preston played the leading role of Harold Hill both onstage and in the 1962 film version. The show is set in Iowa in 1912 and is the story of the fast talking Harold Hill who cons the good citizens of River City into buying musical instruments and band uniforms by promising to create a boy’s band in the town.

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“Godspell” (Bishop Hendricken’s Summer Stage)

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Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Bishop Hendricken’s Summer Stage show this year is “Godspell” with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by John-Michael Tebelak, originally opened off-Broadway on May 17, 1971. It is the loose account of the life and death of Christ and is constructed as a continuous stream of stories, told through parables, many taken from the gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke. The show lives on in the minds of many as one of those “hippie” musicals and is performed in two acts. “Godspell” is the Old English spelling of gospel. The show is sketch like in nature and suited to improvisations and ad libs. The updated references include the current president and other contemporary themes told in a comical manner. The timeless message of “Godspell” has always been about finding your quiet, unshakeable faith amid a loud,very cold, very shallow modern world. Director Julia Paolino casts these roles splendidly while music director Richie Sylvia taught the 70 member cast the beautiful harmonies of the numbers while Ryan Cox plays lead keyboards and conducts a marvelous seven piece orchestra. Richie taught the diverse type songs to this young cast. Choreographer Teresa Pearson taught the different styles of dance including Charleston, soft shoe, kick line and jazz. Their combined efforts plus their extremely talented cast wins a standing ovation at curtain call.

The set and the costumes are by Carrie Devanney. Jack Ruscetta stars as Jesus and is excellently cast in this role. One of Jesus’ most powerful numbers is “Alas for You” where the words ring true for contemporary audiences as it did back in biblical times and in the 1970’s when the show was first written. Jack’s first song is “Save the People” where the cast dances around him. He also sings “Beautiful City” that he wants a city for all people to enjoy. The Last Supper and the death scene are marvelously portrayed not leaving a dry eye in the house including mine. The opening philosophers section has beautiful harmonies in it as they sing individually first and then in harmony and counterpoint later on.

Julia does a terrific job blocking her huge cast and gives them each their moment to shine in this high energy show. The first act is more vaudevillian while the second act becomes more somber after “Turn Back O Man.” Stephen Lee as John the Baptist sings “Prepare Ye” with his powerful voice to open the show. Ryan Farrell plays Judas displaying his strong voice where he and Jack stop the show with “All For The Best” done in counterpoint with hats and canes. “Day by Day” is given a lovely rendition by Madelyn Dutilly with her beautiful voice where the disciples learn to share with each other. Another fantastic group number occurs when Samantha Hopgood and Madeline Morin belt out “Bless the Lord” with their strong voices. Samantha also sings “Learn Your Lessons Well” with Samantha Schliefer.

A rousing number is “We Beseech Thee” with powerful vocals by Ryan McKenn, Nicholas Bullock and Emily Fielding with a dynamite dance by the cast. The betrayal scene is stunning, too. “By My Side” is sung by the quartet of Madeline Morin, Michaela Vieira, Gillian Austin and Emily Fielding. The tear jerking “On the Willows” is brilliantly sung by the quartet of Nicholas Bullock, Ryan Farrell and Joseph and Thomas Burdick. This song is done as Jesus says goodbye to his followers during the last supper and there isn’t a dry eye in the house. My favorite song in the show is “Turn Back O Man” sung excellently by Lily Brewster as she tries to seduce Jesus and the men in the audience. Jack’s voice soars in his section of this song. “All Good Gifts” is sung by Joseph Burdick with his tenor voice soaring off the charts during it. Elizabeth Barrett sings “Light of the World” to close Act 1. “Long Live God” and “Prepare Ye” are done in counterpoint as Jesus is crucified at the end of the show and “Beautiful City” is also sung in this section. The ending of this musical will leave you emotionally drained at its intensity but uplifted because Jesus left hope for the future. In these trying and uncertain times who could ask for anything better for the world. So be sure to catch “Godspell” at Summerstage before time runs out,

GODSPELL ( 3 to 6 August)

Summer Stage, Bishop Hendricken High School, 2615 Warwick Ave, Warwick, RI

1(401)739-3450 ext 172 or www.hendrickentheatre.com/ARTS

 

NSMT’s “THE MUSIC MAN”

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Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The opening show of Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre’s 62nd season is “The Music Man” by Meredith Willson. This musical first opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957 and ran for 1,375 performances. Robert Preston played the leading role of Harold Hill who cons the good citizens of River City, Iowa into buying musical instruments and band uniforms by promising to create a boy’s band in the town. Not knowing a clarinet from a saxophone, Hill expects to skip town with cash in hand, only to be caught by the arms of the beautiful Marian Paroo, the librarian, who transforms him into a reformed rouge and respectable citizen by the close of the show.

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Reagle’s “JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT”

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Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Reagle Music Theatre’s first summer musical of their 49th season is “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, the biblical story of Jacob and his 12 sons. It is a spectacular presentation and stars country star Ayla Brown as the Narrator and IRNE nominee Peter Mill as Joseph. It was written in 1968 by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice as a 15 minute cantata, this now two hour show is high energy from start to finish. The storyline is told by a narrator who interacts with her fellow performers at various times in the show. Joseph has prophetic dreams and is the most loved son of his doting father, Jacob who gives him a coat of many colors. It is a story about this boy with dream interpretation whose 11 brothers become jealous of him. They especially don’t like his prophecies and his splendid coat and sell him into slavery in Egypt. There Joseph rises from house slave to become Pharaoh’s second in command because of his gift for interpreting dreams. Director and choreographer Susan Chebookjian and music director Dan Rodriguez have all the necessary ingredients to make this high energy blockbuster musical one of the must see shows of this season.

Susan takes this story and creates many picture postcard scenes along the way. She combines shtick and pathos together excellently for the audiences to savor and enjoy. Susan dance’s are also breathtaking and include hoe down, tango, the ballet, the swim, the conga line and the rock and roll dances of the 1960’s. The numbers stop the show with sustained applause. Dan taught the cast the many different styles of songs to the cast with the harmonies soaring in them. He also conducts a marvelous 17 piece orchestra. The scenic design of the show by Peter Calao and Richard Schreiber is astounding and the costumes by Goodspeed Musicals are splendid including some colorful outfits for “Go, Go Joseph.” Stage manager Nicky Carbone keeps things moving smoothly all night long, making it flow seamlessly from one scene to the next.

The most important part of this show are the two leads. The Narrator is played by beautiful and statuesque, Ayla Brown. She has a fantastic soprano voice which soars in all her numbers including the Prologue, “Poor, Poor, Joseph” and “Go, Go Joseph.” She weaves her way in and out of the numbers with the rest of the cast beautifully. Ayla can not only belt some of the songs but sings sweetly on her softer ones, too. She interacts with the superb children’s chorus who join in on several numbers during the show. Ayla has grown into a seasoned actress and vocalist since I last saw her do this role back in 2008. She is a dynamic performer and makes this role her own. Her talented partner in the show is Peter Mill as Joseph. He was for the IRNE award for Mary Sunshine in “Chicago.” He has a fabulous tenor voice whether he is singing softly in “Any Dream Will Do” or with deep feeling and emotion in “Close Every Door” where his voice soars off the charts, sending chills up your spine with its poignancy. Peter’s interactions with other cast members is terrific whether is he is speaking with his brothers, father, Pharaoh and the rest. The warm relationship between Joseph and Jacob comes through dramatically in the reunion scene with Peter singing “Any Dream Will Do” in the arms of his father. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after this scene.These two strong leads set the bar high for the rest of the cast to live up to which they do in spades.

The other 11 brothers have oodles of talent, too. They shine in their singing and dancing prowess. The standout solos include the country western song “One More Angel” sung slowly and sadly to Jacob and then with wild abandon by Bernie Baldassaro in his lilting tenor voice, the Benjamin Calypso is sung by Taavon Gamble another powerful tenor, and another voice that soars off the charts is Jacob Sherburne who sings the French type song, “Those Canaan Days.” Jacob and his wife are expecting their first baby in July. The other talented brothers include Chris Scott who also plays the butler, Anthony Gervais who also plays the baker, Christopher Infantino, Adam Winer, Louis Brogna, AJ Manuel Lucero, Leo Galletto and Jack Dwyer. Another stunning performer is Andrew Giordano as the Pharaoh. He plays the part perfectly making the girls faint at his feet. Andrew’s Elvis impersonation is fabulous and his diction is perfect, ensuring you understand every line of the “Song of the King.” Jacob is excellently played by Rick Sherbourne with a great deal of warmth and feeling. He also plays Potiphar while Joy Clark plays his slutty wife where the women are dressed in 1920’s garb and dance the Charleston during the number where she seduces Joseph. The women have more to do in this new version of the show where they sing and dance up a storm. The Mega Mix is where the energetic cast reprises most of the songs from the show brilliantly. So go, go see “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Reagle Music Theatre to lift your spirits up during the 49th anniversary of this theatre that brings Broadway close to home. Run do not walk to the box office. Tell them Tony sent you.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (8 to 18 June)

Reagle Music Theatre, 617 Robinson St, Waltham, MA

1(781)891-5600 or www.reaglemusictheatre.org

“HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL” (Footlights Junior Division, Morton Middle School Fall River, MA)

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Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Footlights Juniors current show is Disney’s “High School Musical”, an adaptation of the Disney TV movie musical which was released on January 20, 2006. “High School Musical ” is a modern day adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet.”  It is the story of two high school students: Troy Bolton, who is the captain of his high school’s basketball team, and Gabriella Montez, a shy transfer student who excels in math and science. Together they try out for the lead roles in their high school musical. Despite other students attempts to thwart their dreams, Troy and Gabriella resist and inspire others along the way. Directors Neil Jeronimo and Tricia Rodrigues cast 70 talented performers in this high energy musical.

Neil and Tricia’s blocking of this enormous musical is brilliant. Kasey Jeronimo, the musical director obtains strong vocals from this young cast, while Barry Pereira supplies some unique dance moves including basketball dance, some Fossesque moves and other breathtaking dance moves that astound the audience. The six piece orchestra sounds wonderful, too except a little bit too loud at times. The two leads do a topnotch job in their roles. Luke Sylvester plays Troy and dances up a storm in this role. Beautiful brunette, Maia Millard plays Gabriella and has a gorgeous voice. Their duets include “The Start of Something New”, “What I’ve Been Looking For”, “When There Was Me and You” and the joyous “Breaking Free” when they decide to tryout for the musical “Juliet and Romeo.” Luke and the basketball team sing “Get’cha Head in the Game” which is a Fosse style dance with basketballs in their hands. Maia has some topnotch comic scenes with the girls. She shines in this role.

The biggest scene stealers in this show are Jillian Levesque and Ed Plante who play the spoiled Evans twins, Sharpay and Ryan. Dressed in bright pink, Jillian displays her comedic talents as this bitchy girl who will do anything to get what she wants because she has always played the lead in every musical with her brother since they were in kindergarten. Eddie is hilarious as the prancing and fawning brother who will do anything and everything that his sister wants him to do. Jillian  and Eddie’s antics are wonderful to behold and they display their voices in a rock version of the ballad “What I’ve Been Looking For” and also in “Bop to the Top” with the Brains and the Jocks.

Another scene stealer is Cathy Howard as the over the top drama teacher, Mrs. Darbus who hates cell phones. Her interactions with the students are laugh out loud moments as she cavorts around the stage in this comic role. Cathy’s facial expressions and quoting of Shakespeare are hilarious Troy’s father is well played by Brandt Swanson.

 

Troy and Gabriella’s best friends, Chad and Taylor are played by Matt Macy and Rachel Ochoa. They plot and scheme to keep them from trying out for the play but end up realizing they should help their dream come true. Matt and Rachel display their voices and dancing prowess in “Cellular Fusion” and “We’re All in this Together.” Playing the sympathetic playwright Kelsie is Samantha Moreira while Nick Lannigan plays Zeke, the lovesick guy who wants to be a baker and has a crush on Sharpay. When Kelsie finally stands up to Sharpay and when Zeke throws a pie in her face are laugh out loud moments. Nathaniel James LeBoeuf is phenomenal and a hoot as Jack Scott,, the guy who delivers messages over the PA system and displays his acting prowess in this role. The chorus shines in “Wildcat Cheer”, “Stick to the Status Quo” and “High School Megamix.” So for a musical treat for people of all ages, be sure to catch “High School Musical” at Footlights Junior Division.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (27 to 29 July)

Footlights Junior Division, Morton Middle School, 1135 North Main St, Fall River, MA

1(774)526-9972 or www.footlightsrep.net

Lyric’s Abridged Version of “Camelot” Still a Delight

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By Mike Hoban

 

Camelot – Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe; Directed by Spiro Veloudos; Music Direction by, Catherine Stornetta; Choreography by Rachel Bertone; Scenic Design by Shelley Barish; Costume Design by Elisabetta Polito; Sound Design by Elizabeth Cahill; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston at 140 Clarendon Street Boston through June 25th.

 

Less isn’t always more, but with The Lyric Stage Company’s lovingly trimmed production of Camelot, less is more than enough. Although I’ve been a huge fan of this musical from boyhood, it has always seemed a bit too long, so while this this version may lack some of the grandeur of a “full” staging, it more than makes up for it with some solid performances by its leads and strong cast of supporting players.

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A.R.T.s “Arrabal” Electrifies

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By Mike Hoban

 

Arrabal – Book by John Weidman; Music by Gustavo Santaolalla/Bajofondo; Choreographed by Julio Zurita; Directed and co-choreographed by Sergio Trujillo; Choreography by Julio Zurita; Scenic Design by Riccardo Hernandez; Costume Design by Clint Ramos; Lighting Design by Vincent Colbert; Sound Design by Peter McBoyle; Projection Design by Peter Nigrini. Presented by the American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through June 18

 

It may be relatively early in the 2017 theater season, but it seems highly unlikely that anything you will see on Boston stages (or anywhere else) this year will pack the kind of visual, aural and emotional wallop that Arrabal – now making its United States premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge – will deliver to the senses. This tango-based work combines Latin music and dance with a horrific (and true) political story to create a singular theatrical experience that is alternately steamy and harrowing.

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Lyric Stage Delivers Fresh Take on “Camelot”

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Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

The closing show of Lyric Stage’s season is “Camelot”, a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. It is a fresh new take on this classic musical by David Lee, a cautionary tale based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T.H. White novel “The Once and Future King.” The original Broadway show opened on December 3, 1960, ran for 873 performances and won 4 Tony Awards, and the original cast album was America’s top selling LP for 60 weeks.

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