Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

by | Aug 7, 2018 | Theatre Reviews

Title
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Theatre
Uptown Players, Dallas, TX

Dates
July 13-29, 2018

Synopsis
Adapted from the 1994 Academy Award-winning film, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is the heartwarming, uplifting musical adventure of three friends, Tick, Bernadette and Adam (two drag queens and a transsexual), who take their show to the middle of the Australian Outback. Aboard a battered old bus called Priscilla, they search for love and friendship and end up finding more than they ever could have dreamed. With a hit parade of dance floor favorites including “It’s Raining Men,” “I Will Survive,” “Hot Stuff,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and “I Love The Nightlife,” this wildly fresh and funny musical is a journey to the heart of FABULOUS! Get your glitter on and take the ride of your life with this hilarious and heartwarming Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.

Act I
Overture
Downtown
I’ve Never Been to Me
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Don’t Leave Me This Way
Venus
Go West
I Say a Little Prayer
I Love the NightlifeBoth Sides, Now
Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Sempre libera
Colour My World
I Will Survive

Act II
Thank God I’m a Country Boy
A Fine Romance
Shake Your Groove Thing
Pop Muzik
A Fine Romance (reprise)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Hot Stuff
MacArthur Park
Boogie Wonderland
The Morning After
Go West (reprise)
Always on My Mind
Confide in Me
We Belong
Finally

Listen to the whole album on Spotify here.

Nick Adams originated the roll of Adam/Felicia on Broadway.

Final Thoughts
I love this show. I first saw it with Mom and Grandma in New York with the original cast in 2011. We knew it was a fun, flamboyant show, but really didn’t know anything else. Since that first show, I’ve made a point that anytime it came to town, I was there. Merlin and I saw it together in 2013 when it was apart of the Dallas Summer Musicals series. She loved it and vowed to make the same promise. Fast forward to just a few weeks ago and I got to take my several of my closest friends to see this amazing Tony Award winning musical. For the veterans – Merlin, Brian and me – we knew what to expect. For the rookies – Nathan, Matt and Cat – they had no idea. Everyone left laughing and filled with joy.

Where to start? The story… the cast… the music… the dancing… the costumes. All fabulous. The music is all songs you would already be familiar with – I Say a Little Prayer, Material Girl, I Will Survive, etc. So right off the bat, you are singing along. I can’t say enough about the costumes. (Watch this video to see a behind the scenes look at the costumes). Just to give you an idea, their are 500 costumes worn in the national touring production of the show, which is enough to fill its own semi-trailer truck.

Kelly Groves, Blake McIver, and Jack Donahue

The story is so sweet and touching – you laugh, you cry, you get angry and you celebrate. The Uptown Players cast the show beautifully – Blake McIver (Adam/Felicia), Kelly Groves (Tick/Mitzi) and Jack Donahue (Bernadette) are incredibly talented. Each had beautiful voices and carried scenes on their own, as well as an ensemble.

“For me, it’s definitely the most out and proud character I’ve played on stage, which is interesting and challenging,” McIver said. “What I think the show does really well and makes it worth viewing in 2018 is that it shows our common humanity, that the most important thing about who you are as a person is how you treat people around you,” he says. “Everyone needs to be reminded of that right now.”

Laura Lites, Dana Harper and Beth Lipton played the three Divas, who come in and out of the show. When Harper sang, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was listening.

I don’t think this show comes around the DFW area enough. In fact, I feel like a lot of my favorite shows need to make more appearances, but that won’t stop me from listening to the album on repeat on Spotify.

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Hairspray

Hairspray

by | Jul 19, 2018 | Theatre Reviews

Title
Hairspray

Theatre
AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX

Dates
July 7 – 15, 2018

Synopsis
Hairspray is an American musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on John Waters’s 1988 film of the same name (here’s the original trailer). The songs include 1960s-style dance music and “downtown” rhythm and blues. In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight, and meets a colorful group of characters, leading to social change as Tracy campaigns for the show’s integration.

In 2003 it won eight Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical, out of 13 nominations. It ran for 2,642 performances, and closed on January 4, 2009. Hairspray has also had national tours, a West End production, and numerous foreign productions and was adapted as a 2007 musical film. The London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning four including Best New Musical.

Act I
Good Morning Baltimore
The Nicest Kids in Town
Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now
I Can Hear the Bells
(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs
The Madison
The Nicest Kids in Town (Reprise)
It Takes Two
Velma’s Revenge
Welcome to the 60’s
Run and Tell That!
Big, Blonde and Beautiful

Act II
The Big Dollhouse
Good Morning Baltimore (Reprise)
You’re Timeless to Me
You’re Timeless to Me (Reprise)
Without Love
I Know Where I’ve Been
(It’s) Hairspray
Cooties
You Can’t Stop the Beat

Listen to the whole album on Spotify here.

Final Thoughts
Hairspray is exactly what I love about musicals. It’s fun, the story is easy to follow, the music is catchy and enjoyable and the dancing is great. You leave the theatre humming along and tapping your toes. “You can’t stop the beat” in this big and bold musical about one girl’s inspiring dream to dance.

The sets are simple and the costumes are perfect. The characters are all endearing, except for Velma Von Tussle, who is the evil head of the television station. The story, which is based in the 60s, deals with racism and equal rights, which is obviously still a hot topic today. However, it’s not preachy or in your face, it’s very sincere and you are rooting for Tracy and Seaweed, who just want to dance on the Corny Collins Show.

Tracy’s mom, both in stage and screen, has always been played by a man, which is honestly one of the best decisions the show has ever made. You quickly forget that and find yourself loving her when she’s down, cheering for her after she gets a makeover at Mr. Pinky’s Hefty Hideaway, and laughing so hard when her voice unexpectedly drops when she’s proving a point.

Big Blonde and Beautiful is a fun, slower song, sang by Seaweed’s mom, a voluptuous woman who is comfortable in her own skin. “Scoop me up a mess of that chocolate swirl, don’t be stingy, I’m a growing girl. I offer big love with no apology. How can I deny the world the most of me? I am not afraid to throw my weight around, pound by pound by pound…”

Run And Tell That!, sang by Seaweed, is a super catchy hit on the racism he deals with. “I can’t see why people look at me, and only see the color of my face. And then there’s those that try to help, God knows but always have to put me in my place. But I won’t ask you to be color blind ’cause if you pick the fruit then girl, you’re sure to find… The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice, I could say it ain’t so, but darlin’, what’s the use? The darker the chocolate, the richer the taste and that’s where it’s at… now baby run and tell that!!”

You Can’t Stop the Beat, the show’s mega smash finale song reiterates the whole lesson from the show – love will always win in the end and it doesn’t matter what that looks like… and just dance! “And you can’t stop the motion of the ocean or the rain from above, you can try to stop the paradise we’re dreaming of, but you cannot stop the rhythm of two hearts in love to stay… ‘Cause you can’t stop the beat, you can’t stop the beat!!”

Hairspray isn’t playing in Dallas anymore, however, if you haven’t seen the movie, I’d highly recommend it. The cast is wonderful, and I really mean that – WONDERFUL. And unlike most movie musicals, it’s not awkward and doesn’t come off as if they tried to hard – it’s just really fun.

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Bright Star

Bright Star

by | Jun 23, 2018 | Theatre Reviews

Title
Bright Star

Theatre
AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX

Dates
June 12 – 24, 2018

Synopsis
From Grammy, Emmy and Academy Award­ winning Steve Martin and Grammy Award­ winning Edie Brickell comes BRIGHT STAR, the five-­time Tony­ nominated, new Broadway musical that The New York Times called “a shining achievement.” Directed by Tony winner Walter Bobbie and inspired by a real event, this original musical tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ‘40s. Propelled by an ensemble of onstage musicians and dancers, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion, beautiful melodies and powerfully moving performances.

Main Cast
Daddy Cane – David Atkinson
Mayor Josiah Dobbs – Jeff Austin
Daryl Ames – Jeff Blumenkrantz
Mama Murphy – Allison Briner-Dardenne
Alice Murphy – Audrey Cardwell
Jimmy Ray Dobbs – Patrick Cummings
Lucy Grant – Kaitlyn Davidson
Billy Cane – Henry Gottfried
Margo Crawford – LianaI Hunt
Daddy Murphy – John Leslie Wolfe

Supporting Cast
Devin Archer
Kelly Baker
Hayden Clifton
Cody Davis
Robin De Lano
David Kirk Grant
Donna Louden
Kevin McMahon
Mary Page Nance
Alessa Neeck
Robert Pieranunzi
Michael Starr

Act I
If You Knew My Story
She’s Gone
Bright Star
Way Back in the Day
Whoa, Mama
Firmer Hand/Do Right
A Man’s Gotta Do
Asheville
What Could Be Better
I Can’t Wait
Please, Don’t Take Him
A Man’s Gotta Do [Reprise]

Act II
Entr’acte
Sun’s Gonna Shine
Heartbreaker
Another Round
I Had a Vision
Always Will
Can’t Wait [Reprise]
So Familiar
At Long Last
Finale

Final Thoughts
Where to begin. I knew very little about this show prior to attending, other than the music and story came from Steve Martin. I love Steve Martin and grew up sharing my dad’s love for banjo music. Side note, check out Daddy Played the Banjo, it’s a beautiful song by Steve Martin and what an incredible musician he is.

I started listening the music about a week ago so that I’d be familiar with it. Admittingly, I played it in the background during work, so was unable to really listen to the lyrics, however I loved the general feel of the music. I love the bluegrass feel – banjos and fiddles are awesome. I didn’t look up the plot and kept low expectations for the show since I hadn’t heard much about it.

The show starts with a beautiful song, one that I’ve now listened to on repeat, called If You Knew My Story. Watch the video above to see that song performed at the 2016 Tony Awards. The lyrics are so beautiful and Audrey Cardwell, who plays the Alice Murphy has such a beautiful voice.

If you knew my story you’d have a hard time
Believing me, you’d think I was lying
Joy and sorrow never last
I’ll die trying not to live in the past
If you knew my story
My heaven and my hell
If you knew my story
You’d have a good story to tell

Many times when you have extremely southern accents that are super nasally in shows can be fairly off-putting, however, I think the cast did a phenomenal job never crossing that line. Audrey Cardwell’s performance was fantastic, her character has so much depth and the different in ‘older Alice’ and ‘younger Alice’ was a joy to watch.

The story is becomes a little predictable in the second act, however, I have no problems with that. Loosely based on a true story, the plot really kept me engaged the whole time. There’s not a single song that I didn’t enjoy and the choreography was very appropriate and clever. The set was simple, just a framed wooden home that continually rotated around the stage. The band stayed in the house, which was great to see them on stage the whole time.

I attending Bright Star with my friend Cat, another huge theatre buff. I haven’t met too many other on my ‘level’ when it comes to musical theatre, but she’s right there with me. We both enjoyed the show so much more than either of us imagined and left with our toes tapping and humming along to what we just listened to.

The show runs through July 24, so you might not be able to catch this performance, but it’d still recommend you listen to the album. I’ve linked my favorite songs worth listening to above. What an enjoyable show and one that we both agreed – if it ever comes back to DFW, we’ll be there!

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Footloose

Footloose

by | Jun 18, 2018 | Theatre Reviews

Title
Footloose

Theatre
Granbury Theatre House, Granbury, TX

Dates
Playing through July 15, 2018

Synopsis
When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn’t prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, determined to exercise the control over the town’s youth that he cannot command in his own home. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges is of a father longing for the son he lost and of a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score (the soundtrack album reached number one on the Billboard charts and has sold over 15 million copies!) and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

Cast

Ren McCormack – Evan Beggs
Ethel McCormack – Connie Ingram
Rev. Shaw Moore – Tim Herndon
Vi Moore – Bentleigh Nesbit
Ariel Moore – Ashlen Loskot
Lulu Warnicker – Gale Gilbert
Wes Warnicker – Darren Clark
Coach Roger Dunbar – Charles Mason

Eleanor Dunbar – Tori Townsend
Rusty – Tasia Jewel
Urleen – Delaney Wenger
Wendy Jo – Bailey Brewer
Chuck Cranston – Riley Henderson
Lyle – Zach Zagrocki
Principal Harry – Ryan Lynch
Travis – Logan Throckmorton

Willard Hewitt – Austin Bender
Jeter – Andrew Bullard
Bickle – Cedar Valdez
Garvin – Britton Melton
Betty Blast – Gale Gilbert
Cowboy Bob – Charles Mason
Cop – Ryan Lynch
Girl 1 – Jenna McWilliams
Girl 2 – Cheyenne Shreve
Dead Bobby – Jack Snyder

Songs

“Footloose/On Any Sunday” – Ren, Shaw, Ethel, Vi, Ariel, and Company
“The Girl Gets Around” – Chuck, Travis, Lyle, Ariel
“I Can’t Stand Still” – Ren
“Somebody’s Eyes” – Rusty, Urleen, Wendy Jo & Company
“Learning to Be Silent” – Vi, Ethel, Ariel
“Holding Out for a Hero” – Ariel, Rusty, Urleen, Wendy Jo, Company
“Somebody’s Eyes (Reprise)” – Rusty, Urleen, Wendy Jo, Chuck, Lyle, Travis
“Heaven Help Me” – Shaw
“I’m Free/Heaven Help Me” – Ren, Shaw, and Company

“Entr’acte”
“Still Rockin'” – Cowboy Bob & Band
“Let’s Make Believe We’re In Love” – Irene & Band
“Let’s Hear It for the Boy” – Rusty, Company
“Can You Find it in Your Heart” – Vi
“Mama Says” – Willard, Bickle, Garvin, Jeter, Ren
“Almost Paradise” – Ren, Ariel
“Dancing Is Not A Crime” – Ren
“I Confess” – Shaw
“Can You Find it in Your Heart? (Reprise)” – Shaw
“Footloose (Finale)” – Company

Final Thoughts

This was our first time to visit the Granbury Opera House and see a show produced by the Granbury Theatre Company. This theatre is so cute and right on the square in downtown Granbury. In 2012 the theatre underwent a $3.5 million renovation and it’s gorgeous. It’s small, which is nice because there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. We bought our Saturday night tickets on Friday afternoon and were in the balcony for about $30 a ticket.

The cast is young and most are still in college. I’ve seen the professional traveling show of Footloose a few times, so know the music and know that it’s obviously very dance-heavy. I think considering the cast is so young, they did a nice job. Can you tell that they aren’t all dance majors? Yes. But does it still work? Yes.

Standouts in the cast include the star, Evan Beggs, who plays Ren McCormack. His dancing comes off as very natural. (Side note, Nathan and I have been taking dance lessons so we both have such an appreciation now for how complex dance is.) Evan’s dancing reminded me of a 90’s boy band, in a good way, which is funny because in his bio, he thanks *NSYNC, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. The two cast members who, in my opinion, really stole the show were Tasia Jewel and Austin Bender. Tasia, who played Rusty, is going into her junior year at TCU and this girl is awesome. She’s a natural dancer and moves with such ease and rhythm. Her voice is really strong and was such a pleasure to listen to. Never did she appear to be ‘acting’, rather, she came off as confident and natural. I’m looking forward to seeing other shows that she’s in. Austin, who played the hillbilly goober Willard, seems to be a great character actor. He was sweet, endearing and funny. I was apprehensive at first, hearing his redneck accent was over the top in the beginning, but it worked. By the end of the show, I was rooting for him and excited to see his character develop throughout the show.

Overall, I’d recommend you taking a night, having dinner on the square, (we tried Christina’s Bistro and really liked it), and enjoying the show. If you are a huge theatre buff, just know it’s regional theatre – it’s local, it’s endearing and it’s fun to see these young actors who are in the midst of fine tuning their craft.

Check out the Granbury cast on WFAA performing the finale here.

Just Because / Fun Facts

Because everyone loves a big finale for movie musicals, here’s the final dance in the original 1984 movie Footloose starring Kevin Bacon.

Budget: $8,200,000
Opening Weekend (Feb 19, 1984): $8,556,935
Gross: $80,035,402

The dancing feet in the opening credit sequence contained many of the cast and crew. Over 150 different pairs of feet were shot. The dancer with the gold shoes was actually Kenny Loggins.

Loosely based on events that took place in the small, rural, and extremely religious farming town of Elmore City, Oklahoma in 1978. Dancing had been banned for nearly ninety years, until a group of high school teenagers challenged it.

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The Royal Society of Antarctica

The Royal Society of Antarctica

by | Sep 25, 2017 | Theatre Reviews

Title
The Royal Society of Antarctica

Theatre
Stage West, Fort Worth, TX

Synopsis
A young woman seeking to understand her mother’s disappearance joins the ranks of a ragtag group of misfits and scientists who serve at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Amidst janitorial duties, never-ending daylight, and subzero temperatures, this lonely and rugged bunch finds an escape from the world and a home for each other. A striking and luminous story about why we run away and what happens when we finally come face to face with what we’ve been running away from.

Cast
UT Tom – Michael Federico
Ace – Christopher Dontrell Piper
UT Tim – Drew Wall
Tamara – Kelly Stewart
Pam – Dana Schultes
Dee – Grace Montie
Miller – Christopher Lew
Jake – Ruben Carrazana

Final Thoughts
Nathan just became a board member at State West, so we were both excited to check out this play. He had been to Stage West before, however it was my first time. There is a cute little cafe on-site that serves dinner before which we tried. The meatballs and Caprese salad was excellent. Nathan enjoyed the homestyle slow-cooked pot roast, served with gravy, mashed potatoes, fresh green vegetable, and a biscuit with honey butter. I went with the double-creme brie melted and topped with chopped tomatoes, garlic and herbs. That was very tasty but filling.

On to the show. This is a very long show, it started at 8:00 and ended around 11:00 and had one 15 minute intermission and one 10 minute intermission. This was our first time to see something with two intermissions. I have to say though, we both really enjoyed the show. It’s a small cast with a minimal set, but really endearing. All of the actors were great, we especially enjoyed Kelly Stewart as Tamara and Christopher Piper as Ace.  It’s a comedy, it’s a drama, it makes you laugh but can also make you cry. If this ever comes to a stage near you, I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

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Fun Home

Fun Home

by | Sep 15, 2017 | Theatre Reviews

Title
Fun Home

Theatre
AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX

Synopsis
Fun Home is a musical adapted by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori from Alison Bechdel‘s 2006 graphic memoir of the same name. The story concerns Bechdel’s discovery of her own sexuality, her relationship with her gay father, and her attempts to unlock the mysteries surrounding his life. It is the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist.  The musical was developed through several readings and performances, including at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in 2009 and at the Sundance Theatre Lab and The Public Theater‘s Public Lab in 2012. It opened Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in September 2013 to positive reviews. Its run was extended several times, until January 2014. The Public Theater production of Fun Home was nominated for nine Lucille Lortel Awards (winning three, including Outstanding Musical), two Obie Awards and eight Drama Desk Awards, among others.  The original Broadway production began previews at the Circle in the Square Theatre in March 2015 and opened in April 2015. It was nominated for twelve Tony Awards, winning five, including Best Musical, and its cast album received a nomination for the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The production closed on September 10, 2016, and a national tour began in October 2016 that is booked until August 2017.

Cast
Alison – Kate Shindle (Former Miss America!)
Small Alison – Carly Gold
Bruce – Robert Petkoff
Medium Alison – Abby Corrigan
Helen – Susan Moniz
Christian – Luke Barbato Smith
John – Henry Boshart
Joan – Victoria Janicki
Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy – Robert Hager

Songs
It All Comes Back (Opening)
Welcome to our House on Maple Avenue
Not Too Bad
Come to the Fun Home
Helen’s Etude
Party Dress
Changing my Major
Maps
Raincoat of Love
Ring of Keys
Days and Days
Telephone Wire
Edges of the World
Flying Away

Final Thoughts
Go see this show. It’s amazing. The music is really catchy and powerful. I listened to the album two times all the way through to prep for the show so that it’d be familiar and I’m so glad that I did. The story line breaks your heart – for several reasons, but the main being that for so long, so many people had to hide who they were. They couldn’t be who they were meant to be, and because of that, other people’s lives suffered. I can see now why this show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won 5, including Best New Musical. The three actresses who played Alison were so good – vocals and acting. Well done.

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