Tag: musical theatre

Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

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Photo Andrew Brilliant/ Brilliant Pictures

 “Hair” the first Rock Musical opened in 1967 for six weeks at the New York Shakespeare Festival Theatre and moved to the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway the following year where it was a hit. The book and lyrics were written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado (both actors in the play) while the music was composed by Galt MacDermot.   

Initially, the show took reviewers and audiences by surprise with its anti-war plot, nudity, mixed race relationships, and homosexuality. Over time reactions changed and the musical became popular world-wide and was translated into many languages before disappearing.   

 In 2010, the play received a Tony for the best revival of a musical which once again brought the work to the forefront and may have induced Michael J. Bobbitt, the current artistic director of Boston’s New Repertory, to choose it. Opening night at the New Rep the audience was filled with excited middle aged and elderly people, many of whom were dressed as hippies.   …

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Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story: Form gets in the way of important, heartfelt story

Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story: Form gets in the way of important, heartfelt story

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Photo: Stoo Metz Photography

Hannah Moscovitch has a rare gift for portraying sincere, nuanced relationships. To watch her characters on stage is to live their moments of pain, joy, and intimacy along with them. In her best works, the connection between characters leads the story, with social commentary powerfully rounding out the edges. In Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, presented by 2b Theatre (Halifax) at the National Arts Centre, she flips the formula and tries to let social commentary take the lead. The result is a messy and overall jarring show made up of various parts that are incongruous with each other, both in style and substance. …

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Ottawa Fringe: Fuckboys: The Musical a High-Energy, but Problematic Party

Ottawa Fringe: Fuckboys: The Musical a High-Energy, but Problematic Party

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Fuckboys: The Musical, presented by Generation Productions, is a dramatization of the archetypal modern woman, or at least the suggestion of one often pushed onto us by Baby Boomers. The core cast of four women each tackle a facet of this archetype; we have the workaholic, the stoner, the one who’s afraid of commitment, and the one who’s just come out of a long-term relationship. These tropes are, unfortunately, a bit tired and under-nuanced in 2019, but the cast works admirably to make up for this lack of dramaturgical depth with extremely strong vocals, fun choreography, and great ensemble chemistry. …

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The Pigeon King: a ripping good story

The Pigeon King: a ripping good story

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The Pigeon King .  Photo  Tony Manzo

Did Arlan Galbraith believe his own sales pitch? Others sure did. So many fell under his folksy spell that, between 2001 and 2008, farmers in southern Ontario, as far west as Alberta and in several U.S. states poured millions into Galbraith’s Ponzi scheme involving pigeon breeding.

Watching The Pigeon King — a Blyth Festival production at the NAC that moves with the sure, fleet speed of a bird’s throbbing heart — you understand why those farm families opened their wallets and purses to this round, balding guy from Cochrane, Ontario with the insinuating nasal voice and big ideas.

“We felt like we were drowning,” says one of his victims, referring to the desperate straits so many Canadian farmers – weather-dependent, indebted, pensionless – find themselves in.

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Jagged Little Pill Finds a New Life

Jagged Little Pill Finds a New Life

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Jagged Little Pill    Photo: Evgenia Eliseeva

“Jagged Little Pill,” Alanis Morissette’s internationally famous alt-rock album released in 1995 has been turned into exciting musical theatre with two new songs composed for it. Imaginatively directed by the American Repertory Theatre’s Diane Paulus and stunningly choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, the performers sing, dance, and act with skill. At the opening, two bands roll on stage. A thirteen person chorus sings and dances to the music before pulling a screen open exposing the Healy living room. This chorus functions much like its ancient Greek predecessor.

The book written by Diablo Cody revolves around the Healys, an affluent family living in a wealthy suburb in Connecticut. Each family member has a secret. Mary Jane (Elizabeth Stanley), a stay at home mother, is writing a Christmas letter in which she explains that she had a bad automobile accident followed by two operations, but is now fully recovered – a lie. Her husband Steve (Sean Allan Krill), involved with his work life, is seldom at home. …

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Fine ensemble work gives Miss Shakespeare its punch

Fine ensemble work gives Miss Shakespeare its punch

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Photo Andrew Alexander Miss Shakespeare

Book and lyrics by Tracey Power

Music co-written with Steve Charles

Three Sisters Theatre Company

Directed by Bronwyn Steinberg

It is more than 350 years since women were forbidden to perform on English stages. The ban was finally lifted after the Restoration in 1660 when King Charles II issued a patent announcing:

forasmuch as many plays formerly acted do conteine severall prophane, obscene and scurrilous passages, and the women’s parts therein have been acted by men in the habit of women, at which some have taken offense…we doe likewise permit and give leave that all the women’s parts to be acted in either of the said two companies may be performed by women… …

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Godspell: Energetic performances emphasize the didactic side of the show

Godspell: Energetic performances emphasize the didactic side of the show

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Godspell Courtesy of 9th Hour Theatre

 

Godspell by John-Michael Tebelak

Music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

9th Hour Theatre Company

Directed by Jonathan Harris

 

Godspell was a major hit when it premiered 47 years ago. In 1971, writer John-Michael Tebelak — who also directed the original — delivered a rock musical of the “make love not war” era, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (whose later works included Pippin and Wicked.)

In its earliest version, Jesus was a flower child and the focus was on the parables, the teachings of Jesus and the music. The 9th Hour Theatre Company version is presented as being “adapted and reconceived for a contemporary audience.” …

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Godspell: musical about faith in a contemporary environment still resonates

Godspell: musical about faith in a contemporary environment still resonates

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Godspell: Courtesy of 9th Hour theatre

Godspell is a musical about faith in the real world. How do words of wisdom and kindness said millennia ago resonate with us today? The social picture has changed significantly since the time of Jesus and we are engaged in different battles. Or, are we? 9th  Hour Theatre’s words shows us what happens when those ancient thoughts are put in a contemporary environment. …

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Road Show: Another Stephen Sondheim Work at the Lyric Stage

Road Show: Another Stephen Sondheim Work at the Lyric Stage

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The Road Show,  Photo:Maggie Hall

Spiro Veloudos, the producing artistic director of Boston’s Lyric Stage, has long admired the work of the prolific composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. During his twenty years at the Lyric, he has directed at least eight of Sondheim’s musicals. Veloudos’ latest, Road Show, which he co-directed with choreographer Ilyse Robbins has a somewhat checkered past.

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Alice In Winterland Family Friendly? I Think Not!

Alice In Winterland Family Friendly? I Think Not!

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Jessica Vandenberg as Alice in Winterland!
Photo Dominique Gibbons

Written and Directed by Ken MacDougall
Musical Direction by Wendy Berkelaar
Choreographed by Jessica Vandenberg
Produced by Matt Cassidy and Sarah Cassidy

On a night when Ottawa was the coldest capital city on the planet, I appropriately ventured out to see a local production called Alice in Winterland. It seemed a proper choice of entertainment to bridge the Christmas and New Year festive season. It is a pantomime show which incorporates broad actions combined with music and intended primarily for children in what is described as family friendly theatre.
There are a number of adult jokes sprinkled throughout that were not particularly funny which makes their inappropriateness more offensive. I was left wondering whether writer director Ken MacDougall thought the insertion of campy, raunchy vaudeville was the only way that adults could be inspired to bring their children to the theatre. I again wondered if he figured that it would be okay because the phallic references would be lost on the children. In any event, the crass gratuitous dick humour was anything but family friendly. …

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