Review: The Inevitable Spoof

By Michael Block

Forbidden Broadway has been a staple of the theater scene for 35 years. Never has there been a singular sensation that Gerard Alessandrini has decided to lampoon on its own. Hamilton has taken the world by storm and strategically gets a spoof musical in Spamilton. Doing what Alessandrini does best, Spamilton is a piano parody of the most hyped Broadway musical of all time.

photo by Carol Rosegg

Gerard Alessandrini did not throw away his shot to give the parody treatment to Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. Bringing his infamous dose of comedy, Spamilton mocks the 11 time Tony-winning show and it's cast and creatives. It's not lyrical wizardry but Alessandrini certainly does an admirable job spoofing Lin-Manual Miranda's words, finding the cheap and easy jabs that get the audience laughing. With hundreds of directions he could have gone, some song's content are brilliant, like "Straight is Back", while others induce some sighs of why, namely "Daveed Diggs'" doing tragically outdated "Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme Song." But like most parodies, you can't win them all. Even though Hamilton is the prime target of the show, the piece doesn't have the strongest of structures. It mostly sticks to the song order from the source material but it still feels like a regular Forbidden Broadway revue. There is a plethora of loving homages to other Broadway classics' sprinkled in for the tasting. Spamilton is a sure-fire crowd pleaser, whether or not you're part of the elite club who were in the room where it happened. Alessandrini, who also directs, maintains the comedy, implementing any and all sight gags possible. Whether it's through puppets or the iconic Hamilton star placed on both cheeks by costume designer Dustin Cross, Alessandrini provided enough Easter eggs for any super fan to keep hunting. Even on the tight stage at the Triad, choreographer Gerry McIntyre brought a little Hamilton pizzazz, mimicking the original’s. It’s simple and effective.
In the world of parody, embodying the person you’re mocking is essential. It needs to go from look to sound. It seemed effortless for this cast. As the beady-eyed Lin, Dan Rosales matched the enthusiasm of his real life counterpart. Taking on the Daveed Diggs track, Tristan J. Shuler’s smile and excitement matched his big hair. Taking on the women of the world, Nicole Ortiz, who replaced Nora Schell, receives some of the biggest laughs thanks to her Schuyler sister number. Ortiz’s ability to vocally transform quickly is impeccable.
Spamilton, which is transferring to a venue only blocks away from its inspiration, is a laugh riot of a spoof. If you are a Hamilfan, it’s a show to end all shows. If you never really got the hype, this is your opportunity to let Gerard Alessandrini mock everything you’ve always wanted to. Spamilton is bound to have a life as long as Hamilton is around. The test will be how frequently the piece gets updated.

Spotlight On...Kim Weild

Name: Kim Weild

Hometown: New York City

Education: MFA Columbia University, BFA-NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Favorite Credits: All of them

Why theater?: It saves lives.

Tell us about Soot and Spit: It is a celebration of the perseverance of the human spirit, of James Castle’s life, his determination to make himself into an artist despite how others viewed him. Like all artists Castle made art because he needed to make art. Born profoundly deaf, he never learned to read, write, sign or speak but his art was his language -  a beautiful, rich, haunting and powerful language evoking longing, loneliness, humor and silence.  It is also the only play that Chuck has explicitly said that he has written that is about disability. We have assembled a truly remarkable group of artists - from actors, to musicians, artisans, crew and more all of whom are helping to bring Castle’s world to life through bluegrass music inspired by John Hartford (a self-taught fiddle player), dancing, American Sign Language and multi-media projections of over 150 of artworks by Castle himself. What we hope is that Soot and Spit will enable its audience to experience the “other”- and rejoice in the unquenchable creativity of the human spirit.

What inspired you to direct Soot and Spit: To me at its core Soot and Spit is about the intrinsic nobility, tenacity and perseverance of the human spirit and it is also about the special bond I share with my brother Jamie. Born five years before me, and profoundly deaf since birth, he himself communicated through drawing and only came to learn American Sign Language later in life. Having him as my brother has been one of my greatest blessings. He has taught me much about love, patience, kindness, compassion, courage, tenacity, true communication, the value of silence - how to feel and hear with my eyes, empathy and perhaps above all - Grace. He has taught me that each of us is deeply original and every day, no matter how hard, we must look beyond the fear of differences in order to connect.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Bold, nuanced, honest, physical theater that virtuosically brings together all the elements of theater in order to tell a great story, create a unique event. Theater that challenges, asks me to lean in, to listen closely, to think. Theater that emotionally engages me. Those who have endeavored and survived to tell the tale. Seriously far too many to list but in theater, the immediate ones that come to mind: Anne Bogart, Arianne Mnouchkine, Pina Bausch, Joan Littlewood, Paul Sills.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Philip Glass

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Oslo

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Binge watching "Billions" on Showtime

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: An astronaut

What’s up next?: American Moor with Keith Hamilton Cobb at the Boston Center for the Arts

For more on Soot and Spit, visit www.newohiotheatre.org and www.ourvoicestheater.com. For more on Kim, visit www.kimweild.com

Review: When in Doubt, Try Again

By Michael Block 

You don't always get a chance to get locked in a room with someone to hash out your emotions. Steven Dietz takes two of Anton Chekhov's star-crossed lovers and forces them to reexamine their final moments together. Forty-three times to be precise. Presented by The Bridge Production Company, The Nina Variations is an exploration of character in stripped down fashion.
Directed by Coleman Ray Clark, Steven Dietz's The Nina Variation takes Treplev and Nina from Chekhov's The Seagull and pits them in a room together until they say what they truly want to say. Despite being a little over an hour, this play is jam-packed with content. The Nina Variations isn’t just a new way to look at Chekhov. Dietz’s text goes beyond the two characters and their content from the source material by exploring contemporary themes. For example, the examination of the connection between actor and writer as it transcends the room. It’s just one of the many alternate revisions Dietz plays with. Dietz has provided a near blank canvas as to how this play can be presented. From the characters to the vision, Dietz’s text is prepared for anything. Director Coleman Ray Clark takes the Chekhovian comedy approach, but there still are some hardy laughs to be had. The situation is funny for these characters as their saga never stops. But it stays stagnant in the dramatics. Clark tries to find the beats where tone can shift, allowing reprieve from constant heartbreak. And those moments are some of the best in the production.

Photo by Kai Ravelson

With only two actors on stage, how the characters are tackled is essential to the overall tone of Dietz’s play. There is a grand opportunity to create new characters through the broad strokes provided by the knowledge of Chekhov’s original play. Variety is the spice of life. Variety was important to this arc. And it didn’t always happen. Overall, Nina is a difficult character due to the circumstances of her past. Jasmine Kimiko Stiefel brings heaps of angst, integrating a life of pain into her Nina. Where The Seagull ended, it’s a logical decision but it becomes monotonous within the forty-three variations. There are some beats where she breaks through thanks to Dietz’s text. They happen to be some of her brightest spots. Playing opposite Stiefel was Jake Owen as Treplev. Like a writer, Owen tapped into raw emotion. Even if Treplev didn’t control the scene, he ensured that he had a control over Nina. There was an ease about him as he drifted through the world. Both Stiefel and Owen’s ability to grasp classical text heightened Dietz’s own.
The Nina Variations is a relationship play parading as a language play. The words marinate in each of the scenes and Clark’s ability to keep the focus on the text was key. With just a minimal amount of furniture on stage, Clark kept the piece moving, never adjusting the lights between variations. But the variations on the transitional music may be subject to taste. The compositions by Peyton Clifford featured a wide variety of emotions, rarely ever evoking the action prior or what’s to come. In a way, they felt stuck in the wrong period, despite The Nina Variations being timeless.
The Nina Variations is a captivating play to those Chekhovian scholars. If the source material or the characters are not to your liking, The Nina Variations may feel like a tedious theatrical exercise. Thankfully, this production was anything but.

Spotlight On...Jude Treder-Wolff

Name: Jude Treder-Wolff

Hometown: Berlin, WI

Education: Master of Social Work from Stonybrook University; Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Therapy and Vocal Performance from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; 2 years of Actor training as well as private coaching with Emma Walton and Stephen Hamilton at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor; Completed improvisation training program at The Pit-NYC, Completed Musical Improv training program at The Magnet Theater; Playwriting with John Augustine at 42nd Street Collective;

Favorite Credits: Playing Dr. Charlotte in the first ever Long Island production of Falsettos at Theatre Three; Performing my solo cabaret show Getting Over Myself...Because Nothing Else Seems To Be Working as a fundraiser for a downtown Houston community arts center that raised $30,000 in one night,, and prior to that event the show had a great run of fun performances at a club called Roses' Turn in the village; Writing and performing in Tapestry Of Hope a play with original songs inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt that toured Long Island and New York to raise money and consciousness about HIV/AIDS in 1994-1995;

Why theater?: Theater poses the possibility that we can look at anything in life - from the depths of feeling hidden in the most subtle, mundane moments of our lives to the wild, chaotic rides that change everything without notice - and try to understand it together. There is a kind of magic about becoming a character and telling a story that brings a group of people into the same emotional space. The experience of getting a big laugh that rolls through the room, or feeling the tension build in the audience as a story moves in unexpected ways is almost indescribably rewarding. And theater is the best way to learn about people we might not otherwise know about, people we might never meet in real life. I love being part of that.

Tell us about (Mostly) True Things?: (Mostly) True Things is a game wrapped in a storytelling show, with a side of songs inspired by storytelling. In the show, 4 storytellers tell true stories but 3 of them include subtle little lies woven into the narrative. After all the stories are told, the audience has an opportunity to ask questions of the storytellers, (who are not obligated to answer honestly - improvisation is recommended) then votes for the person they think told it straight. Audience members who vote correctly win a prize - a tote bag that says "my superpower is discernment." There are original songs written for the show that set up each stage of the game, and all but one of them gets the audience to sing. The song "Tell Me A Story" welcomes the storytellers to the stage, the song "That's Your Story And You Say That Its True" has an improvised verse for each story told in the show and sets up the audience interaction portion of the show, and "To Be Continued" Is the song that wraps it all up.

What inspired you to create (Mostly) True Things?: There was no storytelling show local to Long Island.  So in part because I was always pushing myself  to get to open mic shows in the city, or get my name in the bag at The Moth, or pitching stories to established shows, I thought hosting a show would be a way to tell stories onstage on a regular basis much closer to home, and promote the development of a storytelling scene on Long Island. It was tough getting audiences for the first few months because this kind of storytelling was an entirely new form of entertainment for most people, so I created the game which seemed to intrigue people. I wanted the stories to be true so we would be sharing the Moth-style storytelling form, so the lies are always very subtle (e.g. a song playing on a car radio that doesn't fit with the timeline of a story). I also wanted to use my songwriting skills and love of music to set the show apart and it seems to have worked. The songs make the show truly unique. After a few months of doing the show in the waiting room of my office - which we transformed into a performance space for the evening - Newsday wrote a feature article about it and that opened the doors to much bigger audiences and we discovered The Performing Arts Studio in Port Jefferson, NY, a black box theater that is ideal for storytelling. We do monthly shows in that space since 2014 and have branched out to 2 other venues on Long Island, The Pit in NYC and a teen version of the show at The Little Nook Cafe in Sayville, NY.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love everything Sondheim, maybe because I am a creative arts therapist and spent so many years helping people deal with difficult things and try to shape their lives, and Sondheim takes on those big psychological themes. I find theater that looks at complex realities in a really artistic way like Fun Home to be transformational and that inspires me. Hamilton is pure genius and of course speaks to everyone, because it upends conventions, entertains and enlightens. I am very inspired by artists who break boundaries and do independent projects, because it is so very difficult to keep going down an untried path. As a storyteller I continually find inspiration in Spalding Gray. I have read everything he wrote, including his journals, and have seen as much of his filmed work that I can find because he originated a narrative form, was driven to be authentic, and made magic out of the realities of day to day life. He wrote "I walk around the stage on all flaws." The recovering perfectionist in me needs to remember that the best stories and songs may dig into painful or dark things about myself that might be uncomfortable to face but can possibly translate into something that has value for other people. I am also inspired by Kevin Allison, who created RISK! himself, developed it into a platform for so many people to tell their stories to millions of listeners and audience members and is so genuinely supportive of others' work. Also improvisers. All of them.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I recommend the many quality improvisation shows that are available in NYC, TJ & Dave (when they are in town, usually at Town Hall or The Barrow Theater); The Armando Diaz Experience at The Magnet Theater; The Baldwins and Big Black Car at The Pit; Musical Megawatt every Tuesday at The Magnet Theater. Adam Wade from New Hampshire, a monthly show at The Kraine Theater;

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: It would be called "Late Bloomer" with Terms Of Endearment-era Shirley MacLaine playing me.

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Binge-watching episodes of Snapped and breaking it up with episodes of Comedy Bang! Bang!

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: I am also a trainer and creative arts therapist, so without theater I would be doing even more theater techniques to help clients and students realize their goals.

What’s up next?: I'm working on 2 new projects: 1) writing a solo storytelling show called This Isn't Helping about bad therapy, 2) writing songs inspired by stories, some of my own stories and some told by storytellers in my and other shows for a show with a working title called Words and Music.

Review: Looking Back While Looking Forward

By Michael Block

Kids these days. At my age, I look at the title of this cabaret and I want to slap the star in the face. A retrospective at 25? It surely is premature! But if you take take it as the great hook that it is, 25! A Premature Retrospective is a celebration of a young man with a bright future. Taking center stage of The Metropolitan Room, Blake Zolfo is the star of tomorrow you need to see today.

photo by Michael Block

Blake Zolfo brings a scattering of music that commemorates his life as he takes a look at his first 25 years. Allowing the songs speak for his story, Zolfo provides quick anecdotes about some of his life highlights that lead into the accompanying song. He could easily relish the moment and give more time to the tales. It is his time in the spotlight. Nevertheless, his story is reminiscent of many hopeful millennial artists but his trajectory is unique. Having recently appeared in Kid Victory at the Vineyard Theatre, in a role that gained him a 2017 Chita Rivera Award nomination, Zolfo nippily honors the moment with a reprise of the song that got him the accolade. The rest of the night brings songs about the abundance of jobs, keeping up hope, sagas of love and longing, and what the future may bring. With a cycle of songs from pop to showtunes, Zolfo’s voice easily transcends style. Zolfo has an effortlessly sweet tenderness in his tone. The night may have only been about an hour, but you could easily listen to him for hours on end. Zolfo is grounded in performance. When he is in between songs, sharing his tales or riffing off his stagemate Steve Schalchlin, Zolfo lights up, exhibiting his affable personality. His charming persona brings you in, leaving you eager for the next round. While he may be at the center, this night was brought to life with the aid of director Andy Gale and music director, and owner of half the night’s content, Steve Schalchlin. Gale helped shape a strong narrative for Zolfo, mixing the style and genre content well. Bringing in some song mashups as well, including Andy Grammars "Keep Your Head Up" paired with "Up on the Roof" by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, gave the night a unique flair. Schalchlin’s music has a nostalgic essence that was ripe for Zolfo’s voice that easily brought it into today’s sound. They are a dynamic pair.
To have equal parts peppy charisma and honest humility that pair so well together is rare. Blake Zolfo has it. Fret not if you missed 25! A Premature Retrospective. You still have one more chance.

Meet the Queens! Lady Liberty Cycle 4 Semifinals Round 2!

Lady Liberty Cycle 4 is back with the second round of semifinals! There will be seven queens eager to snatch the crown. Now's the time to meet the queens! Join Brita Filter and Terra Hyman as they host Lady Liberty at the Ace Hotel at 9:00pm directly following the Drag Race season 9 viewing party at 8:00pm!

MEET THE QUEENS

What is your drag name?: Bijoux

What is the origin of your drag name?: Bijou means "jewel" in French. Mine is plural because I'm a man and I have more than one.

How did you get involved in the drag community?: Honestly, It was a very slow, and independent process. After being a fan girl for long enough, I thought, "I love this so much; it's time to try it." I picked up some CVS makeup (NOT AS CHEAP AS YOU THINK), and just started trying to figure it out by myself. I can be a bit shy, so I never really reached out for help from somebody else. I'm really hoping that as I start performing more, I can become more integrated into the community.

Who or what inspires you as a performer?: I'm really inspired by "Classy-Sexy." Go ahead and be totally naked, but then throw on some pearls on to let people know you're worth top notch coin. More than that though, I'm really inspired by people who shine- meaning those people that just have that x-factor. I think that trait genuinely starts with being a nice person, and that's why you will never ever, catch me being a rude queen.

If you had your own show, what would it be?: I would want to do a show with a through-storyline. I would cast other queens and kings in it, with specific characters in mind. LIVE-singing is TBD, but there will absolutely be dancing, and probably stripping.

What is your go-to lip sync song?: I'm actually stuck waiting for Christmas to come around because there's probably nothing I can lip sync better than Christina Aguilera's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: Instagram: @bijoux.xo

What is your drag name?: Laganja Estr.......I mean, Izzy Uncut.

What is the origin of your drag name?: Izzy's just a cute girl name & I figured in drag I was going to be like...fully unedited, totally candid, & just like UNCUT, yaknow? Okay kidding, I just really like uncircumcised dick...so the question bears repeating upon every introduction.

How did you get involved in the drag community?: When I first moved to NYC in 2015 I was going to a lot of circuit parties & I randomly met Shangela at one. She is the first drag queen to become my good Judy & upon getting to know her, I realized how vast this world of queer art & nightlife really is. I slowly got to know a lot more queens through friends of friends & would be at shows several nights a week. Having no outlet for performance or expression after leaving a 7 year all star cheerleading coaching & choreography career behind in Jersey...I decided randomly at a show, "I can fucking do that." & so I did...not so cute at first, & I'm still learning every day...but alas, I'm fucking doing it.

Who or what inspires you as a performer?: Oh god, too many to name...but shit, let's try...Bob The Drag Queen for his quick wit, Miz Cracker for her literal fucking everything (BITCH THAT HAIR?...Also, please Youtube her Bread, Pills, & I Got Love performances...COMEDY GOLD), Aquaria for being an all around full package powerhouse of originality & still only...I believe 8 or 9 years old, right?, Shangela for being a self branding genius & working her ASS off, Jan Sport for being THAT BITCH TO WATCH, she's literally the future of drag, making me feel like even at my best...I'm a tired ass show girl. There's several more, but uhhh...I'm reaching the character count typing this. (There is no character count.)

If you had your own show, what would it be?: Probably something on HGTV where I walk into nautical themed bathrooms & tell the homeowners they're tacky.

What is your go-to lip sync song?: Lady Gaga – “Donatella”

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: www.facebook.com/izzyuncut | Instagram: @izzyuncut | Twitter: @kyle_eckert

What is your drag name?: Kamilla Kockman

What is the origin of your drag name?: A dream I had of beautiful woman

How did you get involved in the drag community?: I grew up performing, but all I was missing was a wig. So I got one.

Who or what inspires you as a performer?: Beyoncé

If you had your own show, what would it be?: It would be a Musical titled, "Kockman Kronichles."

What is your go-to lip sync song?: “Single Ladies” -Beyoncé

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: facebook.com/kamilla.kockman.5

What is your drag name?: Miss Ogeny

What is the origin of your drag name?: A deep-seeded love for women.

How did you get involved in the drag community?: Court ordered Community Service.

Who or what inspires you as a performer?: Forcible touching on public transit, Sigourney Weaver & Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho."

If you had your own show, what would it be?: John & Kate plus 8-ball.

What is your go-to lip sync song?: Honestly though, anything from Judy Garland: Live at Carnegie Hall.

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @TrentAHayward & @MissOgeny

What is your drag name?: Nadia Fusionn

What is the origin of your drag name?: My drag mothers name is Ivanaha Fusionn so I rightfully went with her last name. As we were searching for my first name she originally wanted me to go by Natalia.. it didn't feel right to me. We went back to the drawing board where we came across the name Nadia. It immediately spoke to me, because Nadia is the perfect fusion of naughty and sexy.

How did you get involved in the drag community?: I had my first performance at The Escape in Portland, Oregon. It was the only underage venue for LGBT in portland and where many queens get a start. I was only a couple months away of turning 21 when I then got asked to became a cast member at The Embers Ave. During my time there I learned a lot about myself and the drag community. My drag mother also hosted her traveling show called the Lipstick Divas where she would bring me and a handful of other queens to cities all around the NorthWestern states and we would have the most amazing turn outs!

Who or what inspires you as a performer?: Porn stars!

If you had your own show, what would it be?: A family friendly show about sex

What is your go-to lip sync song?: I typically only do mix tapes but if I had to choose one single song it would be Nobody's Perfect by Jesse J. It's a fun song!

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: Ccross_Nfusionn

Review: Country Music's Newest Star

By Michael Block

Picture it. A famed drag queen singing original country music. Sound far-fetched? It shouldn't! After taking the world by storm on season 7 of RuPaul's Drag Race, Trixie Mattel has returned to her folk roots and written an exceptional country album. Trixie Mattel brings her entire six song cycle, and a little bit more, to the Laurie Beechman Theatre in Two Birds.

photo by Michael Block

Celebrating the release of her new album of the same name, Two Birds is a comprehensive concert, perfectly structured, leaving you wanting more. While sitting in her un-air-conditioned apartment in Provincetown, Brian Firkus spent his free time with his guitar writing music. What transpired was a collection of songs about love, heartbreak, and returning home resulting in a toe-tapping, emotionally charged country album. Complete with a quartet of musicians, Trixie Mattel takes her sold out crowd on a journey through a genre far from the drag scene norm. Staying closer to concert than cabaret, Trixie lets the music do the talking. She gives just brief anecdotes prior to the songs, allowing the lyrical narratives to tell the story. The artistry that Firkus displays as a songwriter is masterful. You would assume modern country music is all about beer, girls, and trucks, but “Two Birds” goes beyond. Firkus honors the style, bringing a retrospective of country music in the six songs. There is sadness and sorrow in the numbers, some of which are juxtaposed to an upbeat song, yet it’s the emotional context that shines brightest. Though the music arc doesn’t follow the flow of the album, Trixie saves the best for the end of the night. When it comes to gut-wrenching ballads, “Know You All Over Again” is Nashville chart worthy. A song of moving on from love, the song originally premiered in her other show Ages 3 and Up. The lead single from the album, “Mama Don’t Make Me Put On That Dress Again” marries country with the drag persona. Yes this is a concert of a country album but Trixie Mattel still brings the drag, and two country Barbie looks, to the stage. The thirsty crowd begged for Drag Race shade and she delivered, reading some of her sisters.
If you haven’t listened to the entire album yet, you’re missing out. Two Birds is like listening to the album as Trixie gives you treat by bringing the whole "Two Birds" band with her, comprised of Brandon James Gwinn on percussion and backup vocals, Allison Guinn on autoharp, Jeff Koch on bass, and Joel Waggoner on violin. Drag is becoming more and more mainstream. Trixie Mattel has proven that she can cross into mainstream media with “Two Birds.” In the drag world, Trixie Mattel has catapulted to the top of the heap. Don’t be surprised if someone with an open mind invites her to perform at the CMAs, or any of the abundance of other country music award shows. She deserves it.

Spotlight On...Blake Zolfo

Name: Blake Zolfo

Hometown: Crown Point, IN

Education: Crown Point High School; Boston Conservatory of Music - BFA Musical Theatre (class of '15)

Select Credits: Kid Victory (Off-Broadway, Vineyard Theatre, Chita Rivera Nomination - Outstanding Male Dancer in an Off-Broadway Show);  The Lightning Thief  (International Tour, TheatreWorks USA); Sexyback, or What You Will (American Repertory Theatre New Works Series); Little Murders (Boston Conservatory of Music, WISE Emerging Artist of the Year Award)

Why theater?: I used to say that it was because "theatre allows me to feel the feelings I'm not allowed to in real life". But I think a less dramatic reason would be that I have seen how theatre can be used to create social change, and that kind of power is really alluring to me. I love shows that really make you think - Sweat, Kid Victory, really ANYTHING John Kander has written..

Tell us about 25!: A Premature Retrospective: In the days, weeks, and months leading up to my 25th Birthday, I felt like I had this looming deadline coming up. I felt like "Now my age rounds up to 30!; shouldn't I be something by now?!?!" I felt like many of my contemporaries were already falling in love and getting married. Already booking Broadway Contracts. Already "Something". So I wanted to create a show that captured my journey to discovering what it DOES mean to be 25. What DO I need to have accomplished already. What is OKAY for me NOT to have accomplished? Steve Schalchlin (my musical director) wrote five songs that we're debuting at the concert that were written directly from conversations we've had about growing up. We're also covering songs that deal with age and falling in love and hopeful youthfulness. I'm also reprising the song that I originated in Kid Victory!! It's a fun, heartfelt, hopeful set that I have seen people really respond to. My director, Andy Gale, and Steve really helped to shape this show and I can't say enough how much thanks is necessary to demonstrate how much of the show is truly theirs.

What inspired you to create 25!: A Premature Retrospective?: See above.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love theatre that makes me forget I'm watching actors. When that rare combination of material, actors, and music comes together to create something truly bigger than the sum of its parts. That may sound stereotypical, but I've only experienced it a handful of times in my life. That's what makes it so precious when it DOES happen. The Steppenwolf Revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was one of these shows. The quickest three hours I've ever spent in a theatre. People like Tracey Letts or any of the excellent-dancers-turned-excellent-choreographers (Fosse, Blankenbuehler) really inspire me because they prove you can have interests and talents in more than one area of theatre. I feel that too often, we get told as actors that we need to do ONE THING really really well. And any attempt to pursue other things is seen as a distraction or diffusion of your time and talent, instead of seeing it as an opportunity to make yourself a more fully formed, three-dimensional human being and artist.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Younger Brother in Ragtime. I just found out I can sing "Maria" so Tony is absolutely a role I would love to play soon. Eventually, George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or Bruce Bechtel in Fun Home. After the experience with Kid Victory, I really want to work on as many new shows as I can be a part of. I love the process of editing a character/character arc/story arc because it helps to inform the character. You get to ask yourself fun questions like, "Is the part we just cut still true for this character? Why or why not?" What a fun puzzle to put together.

What’s your favorite showtune?: It changes almost DAILY but right now I'm strutting down the street to "Poor Thing" from Sweeney Todd. What an excellent cast album. What an excellent performance Angela Lansbury gave.

What’s your favorite song to sing in the shower?: Oh GOD! If I'm being 100% honest, it's "What Baking Can Do" from Waitress. What an excellent "I Want" song. Also, if I start crying in the shower, the showerhead doesn't judge me.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I've always wanted to work with Kyle Dean Massey (he's someone whose work I have always aspired to and admired). I would love to work with more great dancer/actor/singers like Karen Ziemba and Joel Blum and Jeffry Denman. I learned so much from these three over the course of Kid Victory.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?:  I'd love to have Kyle Dean play me (so people think I'm sexier than I actually am!). And I suppose the title would be something like, "Learning to HufflePuff". (I was officially sorted into HufflePuff by Pottermore.com my sophomore year of college and I remember being SO ANGRY at this sorting. I saw HufflePuffs as dumb, flighty, spacey, air-headed characters from the Harry Potter Books. But recently I've really come around to not only learning to love it, but I actually wore a HufflePuff-themed outfit to the Kid Victory Opening Night Party.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Significant Other was a really strong show this season that really spoke to my experience as a Millennial. Gideon Glick gave an incredibly moving performance and it will stick with me for a long time. OH I WANNA WORK WITH GIDEON GLICK SOON. Like, maybe play his younger brother. Or lover. Those two options are not suggestions for the same show.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: When I need a boost in morale or energy, I listen to Meghan Trainor's newest album, "Thank You". Great beats, straightforward messages. Just a really high energy album.

What’s up next?: Steve Schalchlin and I plan on writing a musical about the life of Jonathan Myrick Daniels, a civil right activist from the 1960s who stepped in front of a bullet to save a young black girl's life and was later put in jail for it. The story seems to lend itself quite easily to a musicalization and I think the story is as relevant as it ever will be. This will give me an opportunity to try my hand in following Tracey Letts' footsteps.

For more on 25! A Premature Retrospective, visit http://metropolitanroom.com/event.cfm?cart&id=249428

Spotlight On...Jan Sport

Name: Jan Sport

Hometown: Old Bridge, New Jersey

Education: BFA Musical Theatre

Select Credits: I Am Kris at The Green Room 42, GLAM Awards Performer, Winner of Lady Liberty Cycle 3, Clubland at The American Repertory Theatre.

Why theater?: My style of drag is heavily influenced in theatre. In theatre school we were always taught that when the characters cannot convey their thoughts through spoken text anymore, they break out into song, and that is exactly what I do in my Kris Jenner act.

Tell us about I Am Kris: I Am Kris is an hour long cabaret about the rise of Kris Jenner and the Kardashians. We take a look at the back story of Kris Jenner's plots to make her daughters famous and how it was really her who got them to where they are now. Through spoken word and parody songs, we get to know Kris and how she handles her insane daughters on a daily basis!

What inspired you to create I Am Kris?: I wanted to create a show for myself. In theatre I was always an ensemble member and I realized that through my own brain and creativity, I could be the star of my own cabaret whenever I wanted to be. Kris kind of fell into my lap and is the reason I started doing drag to begin with. From the get go, people really took to it, and I knew that I needed to do more numbers like the first one I created. By doing this, I realized that I could create a through line with the material and now we have I Am Kris!

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I just love GOOD theatre. I want to go to the theatre to have fun, learn something new, laugh and wag my finger when someone is wailing on stage. Lady Gaga is the artists that inspires me most. She is a wonderful hybrid of what I want to do, which is pop and theatre.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Elphaba in Wicked. I've got the voice, Curtis!

What’s your favorite showtune?: Oh too many. I have to give a few highlights. "Not A Day Goes By", "Without Love", and Biggest Blame Fool"

What’s your favorite song to sing in the shower?: "Voulez-Vous" by ABBA

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: In terms of drag, my goal is to be on RuPaul's drag race in a few years, win (duh), and then release an album that will be good enough to play on the radio, and have RuPaul be featured on a track!

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I'd have to say Tom Daley because I think he looks like a hotter version of me as a boy and would be a GREAT drag queen. He would just have to be voiced by Adam Lambert. It would be a documentary called "Jan Sport: What's In The Bag?"

What show have you recommended to your friends?: The Great Comet of 1812!!! GO!!!

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Raw Cookie Dough

What’s up next?: Taking I Am Kris on the road around the country! I have my weekly gig at Pieces Bar every Wednesday with Shuga Cain, and hopefully will have more by the end of the summer!

Review: If You Knew Her Story

By Michael Block 

This may be a shocking declaration but reality stars have personal stories too! And if you knew their story, you may just fall deeper in love with them. Making her Laurie Beechman debut, Robbie Turner brings a handful of life lessons alongside a playlist of showtunes, some that only the greatest Broadway aficionado would recall, in I’ll Tell You For Free.

photo by Michael Block

Just a girl and her piano, Robbie Turner owns the stage as she shares an array of anecdotes from her life as the kid who glued her feet into high heels and the family that shaped her. Paired with some of Broadway's finest, the RuPaul's Drag Race season 8 queen invited the crowd into her world. Up until her elimination, Robbie Turner was one of the prime narrators of the season. And I’ll Tell You For Free helped to define why. She is an expert storyteller. Even when going on a long-winded tangent, she is able to reel them back. Her ability to recall jokes throughout allowed her comedy skills to shine on. Recurring jokes are in fact comedy gold. Her comfort behind the microphone allowed the night to flow effortlessly. With song selection being a prime player in the evening, if you're looking for standards or top 40, you may have been bummed. But those theater queens had a field day. From Bright Star's "If You Knew My Story" to Jekyll and Hyde's "Bring On the Men," her set list was dynamite. She even got in on the parody game lampooning the preparation of drag in an almost complete reconstruction of "Its a Privilege to Pee" from Urinetown.
There must be something in the water out in Seattle because these Seattle queens' in are ability to bring the theatrics is on point. Expect Robbie Turner to have multiple Beechman return engagements like her sisters Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme.

Spotlight On...Yeujia Low

Name: Yeujia Low

Hometown: The island city of Singapore

Education: BFA in drama from NYU Tisch

Select Credits: Playing a wench from the 18th century in full costume in an immersive theater segment and offering audiences beer and sausages (Prototype Theatre Festival); playing a 12-year-old illegal immigrant boy in a play;

Why theater?: That sizzling warm glow and that larger-than-life feeling you sometimes get when you’re in a rehearsal room or sitting backstage looking at your fellow actors work.

Tell us about Rhapsody Collective: Rhapsody Collective brings together an ensemble of artists (playwrights, directors and actors) to create new plays from the ground up, which culminates in a final presentation in May. Playwrights, directors and actors each meet once a week, to work on their craft, and to explore new material from each other or existing material, in a safe and supportive environment.

Who do you play in Earth Learned Cruelty?: I play Lucy, a hipster-ish Brooklynite in the midst of breaking up with her boyfriend when…. No spoilers! Come see it May 21st!

Tell us about Earth Learned Cruelty: An absurdist play and maybe horror story and maybe political play but with lots of humanity. It’s hard to describe this play without revealing too much plot-wise!

What is it like being a part of Rhapsody Collective?: It has been wonderful getting to meet many other theater artists in the NYC theater community, and being a part of creating a wholly new play is always very exciting. Additionally, a different prompt is given to the playwrights each season, and it is very interesting how all 6 plays deal with that prompt in very different ways.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love pieces that are raw, and have a degree of strangeness or weirdness to them. Too many inspirations to list, but one at the top of my head is the music of my voice teacher at NYU,  Jonathan Hart Makwaia.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: I almost feel like naming them puts a silly jinx of some sort and then I’ll never get to play those roles! So I’m gonna avoid this question!

What’s your favorite showtune?: I don’t really have a particular showtune that I love the absolute best, but I recently watched a group of 6 year olds perform “When I Grow Up” from Matilda and what a tear-jerker!

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: John Doyle

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I don’t think my life would ever be interesting enough to be made into a movie, and if it were, I would hope I’d just play myself! I mean, when else would I get a chance to be the lead on the big screen?? It would be called something random like “The Yellow Crawling Apple” or something just because I’m random like that.

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin in Sunday in the Park with George, the off-Broadway productions of Here Lies Love, Heathers, Hamilton (I must have slept through 2014/2015)

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening, the recent The Color Purple revival, and this is not theater but Batsheva Dance Company

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Food. I love food!

What’s up next?: performing in a really fun clowning show A Fool’s Paradise at The Brick May 30; music directing a sci-fi feminist new musical in July as part of the SheNYC Summer Theater Festival!

For more on Yeujia, visit yeujialow.com. For more on Rhapsody Collective, visit facebook.com/rhapsodycollective

Review: It's My Party So Put Down The Baseball Bat

By Ed Malin

Something lovely from Québec has landed in New York.  Award-winning Canadian playwright David Paquet’s play Porcupine is now playing in downtown Brooklyn, directed by Leta Tremblay, translated from the original French by Maureen Labonté.  The writer and director state “that there are three major ingredients to the play: surrealism, dark comedy and day to day poetic vulnerability.”
That does a good job of summing up the surprising theater spectacle, which reveals much more than first meets the eye.  There is great honesty, such as the way that one person’s happy birthday party brings out the worst in others.  There are subtle explorations into woman-on-woman violence (admittedly inspired by competition over an unworthy male) and the much healthier cooperation that might take its place.  And there is a surprise birth scene (to the tune of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune”) and lots of balloons.
Maybe, just maybe, feelings are not the best way to choose a solid relationship.  Noami (Jessica Kuhne) loves Theodore (Jean Brassard) so very much, she has brought up her great desire to have a baby.  While the two sip cocktails in lawn chairs, Theodore replies that he no longer has feelings for Noami and then walks out.  Meanwhile, in her tinsely residence, Cassandra (Sofi Lambert) is preparing for her birthday party. She throws a bunch of ingredients into a bowl and then voilà she has an exotic chocolate cake with wild frosting that resembles a porcupine.  Strolling down the street, Cassandra meets Theodore and gives him an invite to her party. The next stop for Cassandra is Phil’s Corner Store, where Suzanne (Yeauxlanda Kay) chain-smokes as she minds the register. When Suzanne stands up to help Cassandra with her birthday balloons, we see that Suzanne is pregnant.  Cassandra invites the resentful Suzanne to her party. The Owner of the store (Vincent D’Arbouze) is the lonely, virginal gentleman whose dyslexic mother named him Phillilip.  He adores Cassandra, and is sorry to have missed her, but is overjoyed at the thought of crashing her birthday party.  Suzanne goes for a walk and meets the newly-single, distraught Noami.  As the two chat in lounge chairs, Suzanne dozes off.  Without warning, Noami swings a baseball bat at Suzanne’s stomach.

photo by Audubon Dougherty

Theodore gets his hair dyed black in the back of the enterprising Phil’s shop.  Cassandra feeds Theodore cake and Theodore feeds Cassandra bad pickup lines.   They talk about a duck named Gilbert, who Cassandra once rescued.  The self-centered Theodore realizes he is not compatible with Cassandra, and goes back home to tease the suddenly pregnant Noami.   After learning about Theodore’s day and throwing him out, Noami resolves to go to Cassandra’s birthday party.  There, she coaxes Cassandra into putting on a blindfold (for a special variant of piñata games) and then brings out the baseball bat.  Suzanne, no longer pregnant, arrives to mediate, but by the time the love-sick Phil gets to the party, Cassandra is pregnant.   Phil, the innocent and yet awkward one, sometimes tortures ducks in his spare time, while Cassandra sometimes cuts herself, so perhaps they cannot give each other what is needed   Indeed, 33 is a special number since the 3s spoon each other.  Counting to 33 can either lead the way to premeditated violence or give one a chance to diffuse a bad situation. After some magical events, some very new and unexpected relationships emerge.    
A few master strokes in this play turn the whole thing pleasantly upside down.  The happy day on Angelica Borrero’s sets, with the Francophone pop music soundtrack collapses into questions of abusive relationships.  Allison Dawe’s costumes include multiple different dresses for each of Cassandra’s moods and several hairpieces and even a ski mask for Theodore as he confronts and then retreats from reality. Jesse Geguzis’s fight choreography shocks every time.   Why do people hurt themselves and others?  If abuse left a clear sign (such as pregnancy), would we finally be able to stop our hurtful behavior?  A puppet duck designed by Jean Marie Keevins—a symbol of hope—later appears.   This play certainly does innovative things with the lanterns and balloons which inhabit the set.   Sofi Lambert’s larger-than-life happiness soon eases into a variety of other compelling feelings, while Jessica Kuhne’s initial drive for revenge on her beloved  later morphs into sympathy for those she meets. Yeauxlanda Kay startles the happy world of the play with the things she says, and then helps heal others with the things she does.  The men are revealed to be forever looking for (or recovering from) women.  Jean Brassard’s elegance is a nice complement to Vincent D’Arbouze’s awkwardness. Leta Tremblay’s direction helps put the real in surreal, and offers many suggestions for how to build a better world.

Review: A Classic Match

By Michael Block 

Some people would pay to watch Bette Midler eat. Well, here's your chance! Hello, Dolly! has made a glorious return to the Great White Way in a delightful production. Directed by Jerry Zaks with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Michael Stewart, Hello, Dolly! is a cheery production that brings back nostalgia for classic musical comedy.
Based on Thornton Wilder's The Merchant of Yonkers, Hello, Dolly! follows Dolly Gallagher Levi, a widow who makes a living through meddling. As a premiere matchmaker, Dolly is seeking a wife for grumpy Horace Vanderelder, but it’s really she who plans to marry him herself. Meanwhile, Horace’s niece, Ermengarde, is being courted by Ambrose Kemper while his clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, take a trip to New York City and find an adventure alongside Irene Molloy, a hat shop owner, and her shop assistant Minnie Fay. With an abundance of old-fashioned charm, Hello, Dolly! gleefully embraces the whimsy of romance. It’s hard to do this show wrong. The story is silly. But we forgive it simply because of the nostalgia attached to it. Rather than reinvent the show, Jerry Zaks and his team don’t rely on spectacle to tell the story like some of their neighbors do. They allow the show to sing for itself. Scenic designer Santo Loquasto provides some moving parts to the design, (and one offbeat court room scenic piece) but the intrigue for most of the crowd are the painted drops. No other show in today’s theatrical landscape could ever get away with a painted drop. But this show can. Playing double duty with costumes, Loquasto provides beautiful period fashion alongside some iconic looks. Nothing quite beats the hat parade as the cavalcade marches on in all its glory.

photo by Julieta Cervantes

Dolly Levi is an iconic role. It’s synonymous with a handful of actresses, most notably Carol Channing and Barbra Streisand. But ladies, watch out. Bette Midler is coming for your glory. There’s only one way to describe her: divine. You can say she put herself into the role, but isn’t that what we wanted? Midler knows how to hit the comedic beat without batting an eye. It comes naturally. But it’s when she tackles Michael Stewart’s soliloquies that Midler radiates heart. Infusing just a tinge of color, the tenderness in which she delivers the text layers her Dolly. As the man she drives crazy, David Hyde Pierce’s Horace is assertively funny. With a lip quiver that rattles his moustache, Pierce plays into the caricature elements of Horace. With an profusion of subplots to explore, this ensemble of supporting players was more than capable of helping carry the show. Gavin Creel and Kate Baldwin as Cornelius and Irene were delightful. But the real scene-stealers were Taylor Trensch as Barnaby and Beanie Feldstein as Minnie. Taking on the more comedic sidekick parts, Trensch and Feldstein played into the grand youthfulness of the duo, yet they were some of the more honest portrayals on stage. Taylor Trensch is truly the unsung hero of this production. It takes a special performer to make a minor ensemble character come to life and steal the show. Jennifer Simard as Ernestina did what very few can. Simard’s brash and unashamed Ernestina kept the audience on their toes. You never knew what antics were coming from her next the moment the booth curtain opened.
Between the show itself and the superstar taking on the title role, this production was going to find itself getting uproarious applause. I’m sure it happens every night, but the audience applauded for everything. The overture starts: applause. The curtain rises: applause. Bette Midler steps on stage: applause. David Hyde Pierce steps on stage: applause. The costumes are revealed for “Put on Your Sunday Clothes”: applause. See a trend? But it’s incredibly rare to find a standing ovation occur in the middle of the show. And that happened at the conclusion of the titular song. As they say in sports, “and the crowd went wild.” Like the commercial says, there will be people who saw Hello, Dolly! and people who did not. Hello, Dolly! is a sweet production that stays inbounds. If anything, it brought Bette Midler back to musical theater. And that’s a triumph right there.

Review: Fighting the Fascists, On Film

By Ed Malin

Duncan Pflaster’s A Touch of Cinema is part of Spotlight On: Rise of the Phoenix at The Wild Project.  Aliza Shane directs this story of resistance, set in a land far away but only too close.
 At first, it looks like actress Dina Kummerspeck (Diánna Martin) and her painter husband Tomas (Lars Engstrom) are preparing for just another charming dinner party for their in-group of movie stars.  However, when Dina retorts that it’s not just a party, we should believe her.  Dina’s arriving friends lament that it’s been too long, and note her electronic ankle shackle.  Dina is under house arrest; after being persecuted over her perceived seditious film “Canine Teeth”, she has undergone “re-education” and is prevented from appearing in public.  Regina Fontaine (Kristin Vaughan) is many shades of elegant, with the kind of class that has been phased out by the hated new regime of President [unmentionable]. Martin Dure (Russell Jordan) has a flamboyant way of suggesting that they liven up Dina’s shackle with some rhinestones.  Graeme Tupper (Michael Andrew Daly), their co-star, sympathizes with Tomas over the loss of his famous mural, which is about to be painted over by a state-sanctioned artist. Tomas, who had not been told of this, is also sad to hear that Martin has been blacklisted.   Mind you, even in a room full of thespians, Graeme’s pal Sally Haze (Lucy Spain) stands out.  The young ingénue always seems to be trying very hard to please.

photo by Duncan Pflaster Photography and Graphic Design

 The current regime is very hostile to the arts.  We hear the story of the career that  was ruined when the censors asserted that a cello sonata was too similar to the national anthem of another, non-fascist country.  So, even though Dina is banned from performing, she respectfully asks her assembled colleagues and friends for an impromptu read-through of the new screenplay she has written.  Someone in the room immediately urges the group not to do anything that would be misconstrued as treason. Others are too intrigued not to read it, while the rest need to be reminded of ground-breaking films of the resistance, such as Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” and the French actress Arletty’s risk-taking performance in “Les Enfants du Paradis” during the Nazi occupation.  Martin has a way of flirting with the affable Graeme—who appreciates Martin’s “masculine vulnerability”—and the two finally share a stage kiss.  In the end, Dina has in fact made another movie. The reading has been filmed and will be taken out of the country by several people in that very room who will be starting a new life as refugees in a land that supposedly welcomes them: the United States of America.   Who is afraid of starting over?  Who among them is a collaborator?  Who has yet to come out to their mother…at that age?
A Touch of Cinema is a stirring reminder of the power of the arts during repressive regimes.  Where the story takes place is anyone’s guess, but it doesn’t matter.  Since World War II, many countries have forgotten the lessons of history.  The characters in this play say that America is/will be the place that, just like in the movies, fights evil and offers freedom to all.  Duncan Pflaster gives his characters many witty finishing touches, from the classy (lipstick color “cherries in snow”) to the campy (“Trying to be unobtrusive?  With those shoulders”).  If you like “Casablanca” and the other fascist-busting films of the 40s, you will find this play moving.  If you are not familiar with the 20th Century, work like this and the others referenced herein will give you strength.  Aliza Shane stylishly directs the talented cast through many moments that will be familiar to actors and those who fraternize with them.  I could become accustomed to Tricia Bastian’s flashy costumes.

Spotlight On...Jef Canter

Name: Jef Canter (Jef with one F)

Hometown: Tallahassee, FL

Education: BS Marketing Florida State University; Young Actors Studio

Select Credits: I loved playing Dr. Watson in the East Coast Premier of Watson at Gretna Theatre and playing 21 different roles in Around the World in 80 Days. I’ve also had the privilege to play Clarence the Angel in two different productions of It’s a Wonderful Life and to return to my hometown to perform Bottom the Weaver in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Southern Shakespeare Festival.

Why theater?: Theatre is my love because of the audience. You have the ability to interact with them, to play off their energy, to make them laugh, cry or think. Nothing beats it because each show is a living breathing creation that is special and unique each time you perform it.

Who do you play in Giovanni The Fearless?: I play Jacopo Bombasto, (pronounced Ya-co-po), the patriarch and leader of a family troupe of commedia dell’arte actors.

Tell us about Giovanni The Fearless: Giovanni The Fearless is a wonderful new show with something for everyone. We describe it as a family-friendly commedia dell’arte folk opera. It’s a story about love, a troupe of travelling actors, a deserted castle and a couple of ghosts. This is the first full professional production of this work with book and lyrics by Carolyn Balducci and music composed by Mira J. Spektor. It’s directed by Lissa Moira, whom I’m pleased to be working with for the second time. The music is beautiful and it will be a treat for kids and adults as well. We will be performing at the iconic Theater for the New City in the Village from May 12 – 21.

What is it like being a part of Giovanni The Fearless?: It’s a thrill to be able to originate a new role and bring new works to life. The show has wonderful music and the style of the acting is very playful. It will be the first time I’ve ever gotten to play a giant ghost puppet on stage which should be a lot of fun!

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love it all from straight plays to musicals, classics to contemporary. There are so many amazing stories to be told. But I love and live for the comedic roles and making people laugh. I am inspired by great performances and there are so many to see it would be hard to choose just one.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Dave in Full Monty, Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Billis in South Pacific, Thernardier in Les Mis. I also played Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof in my community theater days and would love to play the role professionally.

What’s your favorite showtune?: That’s a hard one. Maybe “There is Nothing Like a Dame” from South Pacific or “Big Ass Rock” from The Full Monty.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Wow… writers like Tim Minchen, Alan Menken, Lin Manuel Miranda… directors like Casey Nicholaw, John Doyle, Jack O’Brian… Anyone who wants me for their Broadway show!

Who would play you in a movie about yourself, and what would it be called?: If I couldn’t play myself, I think maybe Jack Black or Zach Galifianakis. It would be called “Jump and You’ll Find the Net” which is one of the philosophies I try to live by.

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: I’d love to see the original production of Fiddler with Zero Mostel.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I can’t say enough good things about Groundhog Day!

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and buffalo wings!

What’s up next?: Earlier in the year, I played Michael Larson in a staged reading of a new musical called Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal. It’s an amazing new piece of work, written by Brandon Sturiale, and I’m excited to be going into the recording studio to record some demo tracks to help take the show to a full-staged production. I’m looking for my next immediate gig… so if you’re looking?

For more on Jef, visit www.jefcanter.com

Spotlight On...Kimberley Bechtold

Name:  Kimberley Bechtold

Hometown:  Menominee, Michigan (the Upper Peninsula for those of you who have heard of it). Yes, I am a Yooper!

Education: I recently graduated with a Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music. My undergrad degree was also in Vocal Performance, from Georgia State University.

Select Credits:  Most recently I performed the role of Brigitta in Iolanta with the New York Opera Theater. While at Brooklyn College, I performed the roles of Adele in Die Fledermaus, Gilda in Rigoletto (scenes), Mary in G Train the Musical, Tchervyakov’s Wife (and 4 other characters!) in Death of an Underling, and Hillary Hickory in the children’s opera Mambo. Recently, I participated in an Italian immersion opera program called Si Parla, Si Canta in Urbana, Italy. While there, I performed the roles of Sandrina in La finta giardiniera, Beatrice in Beatrice di Tenda, Eternità in La Calisto, and Jouvenot in Adriana Lecouvreur (scenes).

Why theater?: A few years ago, I attempted to get a “real job,” and let’s just say that didn’t last…. There is this longing inside of me that has to be expressed. I grew up taking piano lessons and acting in community theater productions. Then I went home and enjoyed singing along and acting out every song and scene in The Sound of Music. I like to pretend that Julie Andrews taught me how to sing.

Who do you play in Giovanni the Fearless?: I play Columbina, the eldest of two daughters in the Bombasto family. Columbina dreams of love, and she finds it with Giovanni.

Tell us about Giovanni the Fearless: Giovanni the Fearless is a silly, funny, and witty story about a family of traveling performers (actors, singers, musicians, acrobats) referencing the Commedia dell’arte form of theater. This is a show will take you on an adventure to a haunted castle, will absolutely makes you laugh (there is literally a song about pasta), and also will invoke feelings both of romantic love, but also love of family, and of course the love of theater!

What is it like being a part of Giovanni the Fearless?: Every day is an adventure! Seriously… Our director has thought about every detail of this show and each character. We are all reaching deep within ourselves to make this show as exciting as possible. In what other show could I sing, tango, play the trombone, and dance with pasta??!

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I have always been drawn first to those with a beautiful mastery of vocal technique.  Beyond that, I am drawn to those who have a mastery of comedy, especially those who use this mastery in a creative way. As far as a mastery of vocal technique, and expressing emotion through this, my teacher, Anna Skibinsky, inspires me the most. She has such an effortless, beautiful tone, and the most gorgeous high pianissimo notes you have ever heard! As far as comedy, my inspiration is absolutely Carol Burnett. Who else can sing alongside opera singers such as Beverly Sills, and then produce elaborate music scenes that make you roll on the floor laughing? She is truly one of a kind.

Any roles you are king to play?: Honestly, Cunegonde in Candide. Also, I have to play Maria in The Sound of Music before I die.

What is your favorite showtune?: I literally can not pick just one… I grew up singing The Sound of Music, so that song holds a special place in my heart. The music in West Side Story is so unbelievable though. Literally every song in that show… I also occasionally geek out to The Last Five Years and Les Miserables. I told you I couldn’t pick just one show tune.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I think I would want to meet and work with Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews. I have difficulty choosing just one…

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: The actress would be Amy Adams, and I feel like it was already made… Have you heard of "Enchanted"? I feel like a movie about me would feature me singing every word (instead of speaking) in an operatic way, and then everyone else would just start at me awkwardly.

If you could go back in time and see any play or music you missed, what would it be?: I wish I could go back and see/hear Julie Andrews sing while she was in good vocal health.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Which friends?

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I think one of my favorite things to do in life is sing all of the parts to “One Day More” from Les Miserables.

What’s up next?: I produced and performed in 10 singing variety shows called Les Chanteuses. We are currently working on the 11th, which should debut this summer in Brooklyn. Details coming…

Review: The Girl from Oz-some

By Michael Block 

Most of us have pride when it comes to where we’re from. It tends to be a great theme for a show. Just ask drag’s pop princess Courtney Act! Courtney Act, one of the most stunning humans in and out of drag, brings her homeland of Australia to America in a celebration of song in The Girl From Oz.

photo by Michael Block

While she’s best known to us stateside as a runner-up on season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Courtney Act is also known for her time as a contestant on Australia Idol. The Girl From Oz was top to bottom a concert and Courtney Act has the pipes for it. Working her Australian artist repertoire, Courtney started off the night with an homage to Olivia Newton John and “The Wizard of Oz” as she roller skated her way through “Xanadu.” From there, Courtney left no big name Australian untouched. Ranging from a Sia medley to rocking AC/DC cover, not only did she educate the crowd on the talents that came from the land down under but quite possibly proved they might just have more talent. Wit three sexy looks that ranged from a riff on Dorothy, a gold frock, and glistening swimsuit accompanied by some ruby red thigh-highs, there wasn’t a moment when she didn’t slay the stage. She may not be known as a comedy queen like her season 6 sister Bianca Del Rio, but Courtney Act is one funny lady. Her audience banter included an array of funny jabs and shady jokes that came easy. What made The Girl From Oz a successful cabaret was the flow of the show and her ability to move from song to song seamlessly. The integration of the videos were a hilarious touch that only added to the humor and theme.
Courtney Act may be blocked by RuPaul but the rest of the fandom loves her and The Girl From Oz proves why. She is an effervescent performer that knows how to command the room. You know you have control when your audience demands an encore by holding gay Aussie icon Kylie Minogue for very last.

Spotlight On...Jonathan Louis Dent

Name: Jonathan Louis Dent

Hometown: Denville, New Jersey

Education: MFA NYU Grad Acting; BA Brown University

Select Credits: Sons of the Prophet (Roundabout); The Broken Record (NYC Fringe); Romeo and Juliet (Hartford Stage)

Why theater?: I love the spontaneity and energy with live theater and also participating in an art-form that has the potential to shift the consciousness of those in attendance.

Who do you play in Church and State? Tom/ Marshall

Tell us about Church and State: Church and State is a serious comedy that follows a republican Senator -Charles Whitmore- who is experiencing a crisis of faith just days before his reelection bid.

What is it like being a part of Church and State?: I've been having a lot of fun performing in Church and State. Since I play multiple roles, it really stretches me as a performer to be as specific as possible with each character I portray. I enjoy being able to showcase different aspects within my own personality.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love theater that feels like it is socially relevant. I think the best art serves as a mirror to society and culture, so theater that feels truly reflective of the times we are living in really excites me.   August Wilson is an artist that I admire a great deal; he's a great example of an artist who served as a mirror for the times he found himself in.

Any roles you're dying to play?: Bynum (Joe Turner Come and Gone)

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Andre Holland

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Michael B. Jordan in “The Architect.”

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: A Raisin in the Sun

What show have you recommended to your friends?: The Wire

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

What’s up next?: Not sure, just riding the wave!

Block Talk- Episode 19- Rhapsody Collective Roundtable Cycle 5

On a very special edition of Block Talk, my theater collective, Rhapsody Collective gets the spotlight! I was joined by a roundtable of Cycle 5 collective members to talk about our upcoming celebration of new works at The Tank, May 18th, May 20th, and May 21st.

For more information on Rhapsody Collective presents Cycle 5: Deus Ex Machina, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2944275

To listen to the episode, visit iTunes or Soundcloud and make sure you subscribe!

And visit patreon.com/theaterinthenow to learn about the benefits of becoming a patron.

Review: Anastasia's Uneven Journey

By Michael Block

If you were a child of the 90s, you likely remember the 20th Century Fox animated musical “Anastasia.” Bringing history and an infusion of fantasy, the film held its own against the Disney juggernauts of the time. The movie may be revered thanks to its soundtrack, written by Broadway writing team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. With help from Terrence McNally, Ahrens and Flaherty went back to the beginning and reimagined their hit 1997 animated film. If you're looking for a piece that honors said film, journey to Netflix and just watch it there. The stage adaptation is an uneven mash-up of the animated film as well as the 1956 film of the same name, starring Ingrid Bergman.

photo by Matthew Murphy

It’s 1907 St. Petersburg. The Bolsheviks have invaded the Romanov palace. On their path to escape, Tsar Nicholas and his family are captured and executed. Tsarism is dead. Ten years later, St. Petersburg is now Leningrad and controlled by the Bolsheviks. But there is a sudden stirring, or rumor if you will, that Anastasia Romanov may have survived the attack and is alive. With the rumors swirling, two conmen, Dmitry and Vlad, a member of the old Royal Court, discover a young girl named Anya, who suffers from memory loss punctuated by recurring visions of her past. They deem her as their ticket out of Russia and devise a plan of convincing the Dowager Empress that this in fact Anastasia. From here on out, the story follows Anya remembering her past, discovering the truth of her history, and falling in love with Dmitry. If this doesn’t seem like enough, a Russian spy thriller plotline is inserted into the story to create minimal conflict: Gleb vows to kill the last remaining Romanov to avenge his father, only to find his greatest obstacle is falling in love with this girl he stumbled upon once or twice. For those familiar with the animated film, the central fantastical conflict came in the form of the deceased Rasputin and his sidekick, talking bat Bartok, coming in the dark of the night and trying to kill Anya. Eliminating these characters may be a blow to the loyalists of the film, but to create a more nuanced historical musical, they needed to go. The introduction of Gleb allows McNally to be heavy on the history. And it’s greatly appreciated. But the integration of the two plotlines was not nearly as polished or seamless as it needed to be. Had Gleb and the love triangle not been explored, and continued to be hammered in with the historically accurate depiction of “Swan Lake,” Anastasia the musical still exists and may in fact be stronger. Gleb, who seems closer to a creepy stalker, simply complicates the story. Sure, audiences love love. Amplify Anya and Dmitry and the quota is fulfilled. With more score and a new character, there was a strong reliance on the movie when maintaining plot points. There were many moments where story was rushed, in the hopes that you'd remember key details from the film. Additionally in Act II, we spend a good twenty minutes or so without our heroine in sight. We spend three songs in the subplot of Lily and Vlad and then another song with Gleb before Anya returns. Anastasia’s book is another example of how plot deviations can not only hurt character arcs, but hinder the overall narrative. McNally has done a fantastic job with the historical stakes, but it felt as if Gleb just dropped in from a completely different idea. The original animated movie featured a memorable score from Ahrens and Flaherty, but their heavy-hitters came early in the story. With the libretto being repurposed and a plethora of new hits, the creative team had room to re-place “Once Upon a December” and “Journey to the Past” in better spots for the story arc. Ending the first act with “Journey to the Past” was an exceptionally strong choice. Overall, the new tunes are quite good, though the historical ones felt a touch out of the world.
Whether or not the new interpretation deters you from the production, Anastasia is a visual triumph. Transporting you from Russia to Paris, director Darko Tresnjak and his team have forever raised the technological standards. Come for the music, stay for Aaron Rhyne’s breathtaking projection design. Sensational is an understatement. Since the production already tried to depart from the film, Rhyne didn’t try to recreate anything, but rather visualize a brand new world. Alexander Dodge’s scenic design was minimal, but was elevated thanks to the array of locales Rhyne depicted throughout the space. And these weren’t just static images; Rhyne made the world move. Without spoiling the experience, the train scene was something to be remembered. The way the train moved in unison with the hurried landscape positioned you into the vehicle alongside our characters. But don’t think for one moment that costume designer Linda Cho would be outmatched. The curtain rises and nearly every performer who enters the stage glistens as Donald Holder’s lights hit each of the thousand stones on every gown and uniform. They sparkled with regalness. Cho had the unique challenge of creating her own visual design while still honoring the source material. And she did a phenomenal job marrying the two in stunning fashion. When Anya enters in her iconic gown in Act II, there is sense of excitement that fills the theater.

photo by Matthew Murphy

For the most part, the characters live in a larger-than-life world. Perhaps you’d say they’re even animated. All except Gleb. since the character is not necessarily fleshed out completely in the text, Ramin Karimloo had a great obstacle in his path. Karimloo’s Gleb was very even-keeled. He seemed to exist and do what he was told. It’s a shame that such a strong performer was given such a blip of a role. Taking on the title role, Christy Altomore had some of the spunk and tenacity of the cartoon version, but captured the essence of a princess. The new story defused some of the fight Anya had, but Altomore’s purity is what kept the character going. As Dmitry, Derek Klena was the epitome of a musical theater love interest. He was big, vivacious, and ran on and off the stage with musical theater purpose. With so much truthfulness infused, his performance could have been toned down. Regardless, Klena’s charm and effortless smile proved why Anya just couldn’t refuse Dmitry’s love. John Bolton as Vlad was nothing short of fun. Matched by the exceptionally brilliant Caroline O’Connor as Countless Lily, the supporting characters stole the show more often than not. O’Connor’s performance is one of the most underrated performances of the season. If you’re looking for a perfect comedic supporting performance, look no further. As the authoritative Dowager Empress, Mary Beth Peil floated with supremacy.
Visually, Anastasia is dazzling. For a musical made for families, this production is a technological game changer. But it’s not perfect. You almost wish that there was one more step prior to the Broadway bow. Will Anastasia the Musical stand the test of theatrical time? Likely not. But her impact will surely be felt.