Long Wharf Looks Back at "The Last Five Years"

To quote Tennessee Williams, “Time is the longest distance between two places.” This statement is clearly illustrated in the musical, The Last Five Years, now playing at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven. It is a brilliant production directed by Long Wharf’s Artistic Director, Gordon Edelstein and stars Broadway’s Katie Rose Clarke and Adam Halpin. 

At the beginning of the show, we meet a couple, Kathy and Jamie, who over the course of their five-year history have grown as far apart as any two people can. Their sad tale is told in opposite timelines. Kathy’s tale is told in reverse, from the brokenhearted end of the relationship and moving backward to the hopeful start, while Jamie’s story starts at their first date and chronologically weaves a tale of love that gradually unravels until there is nothing left.

Katie Rose Clarke;
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Written and composed by Tony Award nominee Jason Robert Brown, Kathy and Jamie’s story is told entirely through a contemporary score. It is a brilliant concept, where each song is a key to explaining how a couple so in love could end up as disparate strangers. Under the musical direction of James Sampliner, Kathy and Jamie not only tell their story, but also convey their deepest emotions through comedic show-tunes and heartbreakingly beautiful ballads.

The set design by Eugene Lee is brilliant. The simple set has two separate doors through which the characters enter and exit, and even though they are both onstage throughout the entire show, they never really occupy the same space until their storylines overlap. Mr. Lee takes the time theme even further by utilizing a moving clock as the stage floor. It is interesting to watch the turntable move in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction depending on where the characters are in their narrative.

 

It would be easy to play armchair psychologist and try to discover the reason why Kathy and Jamie’s relationship did not work.  It could be the fact that Jamie seemed more enamored with the idea of a non-Jewish wife (Shiksa Goddess,) or that he was a man on the fast track to success (Moving too Fast,) while Kathy could not find her place standing in Jamie’s spotlight (A Part of That,) or that she never found success herself (Ohio.)

Whatever the reason for the characters splitting, the two actors portray them superbly.

Adam Halpin;
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Adam Halpin is endearing as the young, ambitious author hungry for success and the good things in life. His up-tempo songs and energetic performance are infectious. As his storyline nears the end, his performance becomes more somber and grounded. While his character did not gain my sympathy, his performance reflected a sad kind of maturity that comes with loss.

   

I was amazed by Katie Rose Clarke’s performance. She is a powerful soprano, and as she sang some of Kathy’s ballads, I was stunned by not only the beauty of her voice, but by the technical ability to sustain some of the notes in the score.  She is also surprisingly funny venting Kathy’s frustration about having to be on tour in Ohio while Jamie is still in New York, leading me to think that she is a consummate performer who can take on any role.

  

If you are looking for a happy ending, this is not the show for you.  But if what you want out of musical theater are superb performances, a beautiful score, and thought provoking themes, you will not be disappointed with The Last Five Years.  The show runs through June 1^st at Long Wharf Theatre. Visit Long Wharf Theatre or call (203) 787-4282 for tickets.  

Square One Theatre Company Serves Up "Olive and the Bitter Herbs"

Square One Theatre Company in Stratford rounds out its 24th season with Olive and the Bitter Herbs, a comedy by Tony Award nominee Charles Busch. Directed by Square One's Artistic Director, Tom Holehan, this play offers up a unique look at connections and coincidences, and reminds us that it is never too late for second chances.

Alice McMahon and Michelle Duncan

Olive Fisher is a cantankerous, aging actress who's isolated existence thrives on kvetching about her neighbors, the New York co-op that she lives in as the sole remaining renter, and just about everything and everyone who crosses her path. Her biggest claim to fame was a sausage commercial in the 1980's. But Olive has a secret. A mysterious spectral visitor that only she can see appears in her mirror. She is not frightened by her ghost, but seems comforted by his presence.

Olive's friend and self-appointed caretaker, Wendy, tries to get Olive to take up hobbies, get out a little, and make peace with the new neighbors, Robert and Trey, a gay couple who live next door. Despite Olive's protestations about the stinky cheese smell permeating her walls from the couple's apartment, Wendy invites them over. The zingers fly between the neighbors, with Wendy acting as the mousy, ineffective mediator, until Olive lets her secret slip. Suddenly Olive is no longer just the irritating, cranky old neighbor to her guests; she is the "Gimme the Sausage" lady with the ghost living in her apartment.

This circle of frenemies soon gets a fifth wheel when they are joined by Sylvan, the father of the co-op president, who comes to Olive's apartment to apologize on his daughter's behalf for some words spoken in anger during their last blowout. Sylvan has a convoluted back story involving multiple marriages to feisty women, a past life in South America, and an attraction to bad-tempered strong women. At this point in his narrative, I almost wanted to say "cue the mood music" and sure enough Sylvan spends the rest of the play flirting with Olive.

Charles Busch has infused the interactions between characters with zingy one-liners and pointed barbs. The funniest exchanges come during a Passover Seder that Trey helped organize in Olive's apartment, despite the fact that Olive is not particularly devout and has not had a Passover dinner in years. As each member of the group attempts to take part in the Passover ritual, their bickering personalities and verbal sparring turn what is supposed to be a solemn and symbolic meal into a humorous holiday horror story. Added to the mix is the apartment ghost who once again becomes a catalyst for conversation and speculation as each of the guests find out who that specter is and how they are all connected to him.

Barry Hatrick, Al Kulcsar, Michelle Duncan, Alice McMahon, and Jim Buffone

The cast is suitably chosen for their parts. Alice McMahon plays Olive with just the right amount of irascibility to convince us that she is a curmudgeonly old woman who is not quite beyond redemption. Michele Duncan, as Wendy, is a revelation in her role as the caretaker who has some underlying motivations that might not be so noble lurking just beneath her cheery disposition. I especially loved her  slightly hysterical exit scene as she bids goodbye to Olive in the second act.

Jim Buffone and Barry Hatrick are perfectly suited to each other as Trey and Robert. I not only found their characters fascinating as individuals, but together they were a believable and engaging couple.  And finally, Al Kulcsar was the perfect Sylvan. He plays Olive's emotional opposite to perfection, with his calm voice and soothing ways. I found myself actually rooting for him to win over Olive's combative nature and found his final attempt to reach her both endearing and adorable.

At times it seems like there is too much going on in this show. The ghost story, the love story, the neighbors' strained relationship, Wendy's attempts at getting her life together, and Olive's potential comeback performance are all mashed together in one little apartment. However, the skillful direction of Tom Holehan causes the many subplots to coalesce into one seamless production. He skillfully directs the actors through the fast-paced comedic banter, verbal sparring, intertwining storylines and endless exposition to an ultimately satisfying ending.

Olive and the Bitter Herbs runs through May 31st at Square One Theatre, 2422 Main Street, Stratford. Call 203-375-8778 or visit Square One Theatre Company for tickets.

Theater Review: 'A Kick Out of Cole'

From left to right: Suzanne Powers, Valerie Torphy, Barbara Stolarik, Raye Maclellan, Linda Martin, Christine Gill. 

The Orange Players Association, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the enrichment of theatre in the greater Orange community. With their upcoming 40th anniversary gala approaching, their website claims the title of "Connecticut's oldest continuously operating community theatre group."  Drawing performers from Orange, East Haven, Hamden, Litchfield, Madison, New Haven, Norwalk, Shelton, and Stratford, and showcasing their talents at the High Plains Community Center, the Orange Players truly exhibit the essence of the hard work and dedication needed to bring communities together to celebrate the performing arts.

This weekend, the Orange Players pay tribute to the inimitable American composer, Cole Porter. His classic melodies, witty lyrics, and wry humor are showcased in this original musical revue, directed by Leo Meyer, with musical direction by Will Duchon and Angela Jackson.

Mr. Meyer has an impressive theatrical background, including being the founder and CEO of Atlas Scenic Studios where he supervised scenic execution of over 300 Broadway shows including Amadeus, South Pacific, A Chorus Line, Rent, and many others. He produced a season of musicals at the Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford,  and is the playwright for Barnum Tonight, a one-man show celebrating the history of Connecticut's own legendary showman, P.T. Barnum.

It's no wonder that Mr. Meyer would be drawn to the music of Cole Porter since the Connecticut connection runs deep. Cole Porter's musical affinity thrived and grew while he was a student at Yale, writing numerous songs and full-scale productions for the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and the Yale Dramatic Association. He was also an early member of the Yale Whiffenpoofs and a featured soloist in the Yale Glee Club.  His composition, "Bull Dog," is still a favorite Yale fight song.

A Kick Out of Cole highlights the genius and timelessness of Cole Porter's music. It features an impressive song list of Porter standards including "Begin the Beguine," "In the Still of the Night," "Let's Do It," and "Night and Day," as well as songs from the Broadway shows Kiss Me Kate, Anything Goes, and Can-Can. Surprise inclusions in the revue are "Miss Otis Regrets" which is a droll song about a woman who killed her ex-lover and was strung up by a lynch mob, and "Antoinette Birby" which tells the cautionary tale of a maid from Derby who lost more than her way in the wayward streets of New Haven.

Cast members Ralph Buonocore, Christine Gill, Sarah Golley, Gary Harger, Linda Martin, Raye Maclellan, Rich Moran, Suzanne Powers, Barbara Stolarik, Paul Templeton, and Valerie Torphy earnestly try to do justice to the genius score, with some members standing out, and others just missing the mark. It is nice to see a mostly older cast, especially when so many local theaters only utilize young voices. But while their collective experience is quite impressive, their technical skills varied, making for a somewhat uneven production.

Standing out among the cast is Gary Harger, a Broadway veteran (Shenandoah) with a beautiful full voice.  I loved his renditions of the songs "Were Thine That Special Face" and "Begin the Beguine."  Also notable in the cast is Suzanne Powers. Although I wish she had more fully embraced the sexiness of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," her rendition of "The Laziest Girl in Town" had me in stitches. She not only channels the singing style of Marlene Dietrich, but her hilarious delivery reminds me of Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles.

Also notable are Valerie Torphy who sings "I Love Paris" and "Down in the Dumps of the 90th Floor," and Linda Martin who sings "C'est Magnifique" and "Miss Otis Regrets." Christine Gill also shines in the risque number "The Physician," and in "Wunderbar," and "So in Love."

There is no choreographer listed for this production and I wished there could have been. There was an amusing bit of playfulness during "Friendship" and 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare," but the show lacked a choreographer's touch in creating movement sequences and transitions between songs beyond walking back and forth across the stage.

Despite its shortcomings, A Kick Out of Cole remains an entertaining evening of musical theater.  Although this production has a small-town feel, Cole Porter's songs alone are worth the price of admission. I congratulate the Orange Players for reminding us of the genius of Cole Porter and look forward to their 40th Anniversary productions beginning next fall.

The show runs through Sunday, May 18th and tickets can be purchased at the door. You can visit The Orange Players for more information.

Theater Review: 'Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris'

Darien Arts Center Stage is a community theatre dedicated to providing excellence in entertainment through plays, musicals, cabarets, and special events. Their Weatherstone Studio has recently played host to a production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Flawlessly directed by Peter Green, the timeless songs, intimate theater setting, simple set pieces, inspired costumes and brilliant Broadway-caliber cast combined for an entertaining and memorable evening. I felt privileged to be able to attend such a perfect production.

Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who became popular in the United States in the 1960's. His songs have been covered by an international roster of recording artists including David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, John Denver, Tom Jones and more. His works have been so popular that a musical revue was produced in 1968 by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, which ran for over 4 years in Greenwich Village and has seen many theater productions and revivals since.

While I don't usually care for revues, Brel's songs lend themselves to a full-blown theater production.  With musical themes ranging from carnivals and carousels, to silent movies, love songs, and anthems, each number tells an unflinching story about life, love, innocence, war, and peace. There is a distinct anti-war theme throughout the show, and most of the songs have a fatalistic undercurrent of a sense of loss, yet they still inspire a hope that humanity that can rise above its basic instincts and truly love.

To get the true feel for a Parisian Cafe, the Arts Center used unreserved cabaret style seating, with open bars in the theater. The set was floor level, with one small raised section and had a nightclub palette of black and red.  Throughout the show, period black and white photos were projected on the backdrop. The effect was quite stunning, especially when combined with the costumes in the same palette.

Cast members are (l. to r.) Peter Green, Betsy Simpson, Danielle Valdes, Nicholas Barasch, Lisa Spielman, Julie Thaxter-Gourlay, and Larry Reina. Photo Credit: Jeffrey R. Wyant   

There were seven cast members in this show, where the original production had only four.  But each member was unique in how their personalities and presence filled their roles and particular songs.  Whether vamping for the audience, singing like children, drunken buffoons, or aged Parisians, each performer was a delight.

Danielle Valdes shone in the song "My Childhood" and when she sang "Song for Old Lovers" in both English and French. Broadway veteran and youngest cast member Nicholas Barasch (Anna Nicole: The Opera, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and West Side Story), evoked a sense of youthful innocence and wide-eyed curiosity for life in "My Childhood," the "Bachelor's Dance" and "Timid Frieda." Larry Reina took the lead in the comedic songs, "Mathilde" and "Funeral Tango" and as the increasingly drunken man singing about the "Middle Class" with his compatriots played by Nicholas Barasch and director Peter Green.  Peter Green also led the songs "Amsterdam" about desperate sailors in a port bar, and "Next," a song decrying both the loss of innocence and the treatment of men in the military.

Another anti-war song, "Sons Of" was emotionally and hauntingly presented by Lisa Spielman, as was the song, "You're Not Alone" where she plaintively tried to comfort a friend.  Julie Thaxter-Gourlay was another comedienne of the group, presenting lost innocence and defiant naughtiness in "Timid Frieda" and a nostalgic look back at pre-war "Brussels."

My favorite song of the evening, "Marieke," was sung in both English and Flemish by Betsy Simpson. Her emotional delivery brought tears to my eyes as she sang of lost love.  It is a testament to the power of Brel's songs that even though I did not understand the words, his music has the power to touch emotions that are universal in us all. Ms. Simpson's performance of the song was a real showstopper, and had I not been in a crowded theater, I'm sure that many, many tears would have been shed unchecked.

The show ended with the triumphant and hopeful anthem, "If We Only Had Love." The soaring and inspired music was the perfect ending to this perfect production.

Sadly, the show ran for only two weekends.  I hope that Darien Arts Center will bring the show back at a later date, but in the meantime, I look forward to future productions and shows at his innovative new theater.  For more information, visit Darien Arts Center.

Happy Mother's Day to Stage Moms!

I wanted to write a post about Stage Moms. Not the scary Mama Rose type stage mom. Not the Jackie Cooper stage mom. Or the Lindsey Lohan stage mom. Or the Honey Boo Boo (is that a real name?) stage mom.  

I'm talking about us regular moms whose kids have shown an interest in the arts. We have been shocked at discovering budding talents in our children, sat through endless classes, paid for private lessons, coached, cajoled, soothed nerves, endured early school concerts, recitals, and shows, and learned to appreciate those same performances as skills were honed and talents grew. 

Who among us has not felt that twinge or that urge to stand up and shout, "That's my Barney" like one of those proud deluded parents at the end of The Music Man when we witnessed our child's first public performance?  How many of us have sat through school concerts, fighting the desire to leave as soon as we were done with our child's portion of the evening?  Who hasn't tried to memorize a dance sequence (turn, turn, out, in, back step, pivot step, walk, walk, walk) so we can help at practice time? Who has resisted the urge to shout, "Sing out Louise" while sitting in the hallway outside of an audition?  

We have calmed stage fright, dried disappointed tears, iced sore appendages, soothed dry throats with tea, even cleaned up pre-performance vomit.  We have shared disappointments when yet another ensemble part has been offered, and encouraged our child to 'take the part anyway, your time will come'.  We have offered nothing but praise and encouragement, and artfully mastered the questions, "So what was your favorite part?" and "Who was the best?" 

We have scoured thrift stores and consignment shops for costumes, we have stitched and sewn pieces, we have supplied and paid for props, been asked to Papier Mâché everything, painted, used computers, paper, glue, fabric, and glitter, all at the very last minute so that the show can go on. 

On top of the money shelled out for private lessons, there have been pie sales, magazine sales, wrapping paper sales, car washes, t-shirts, sweat shirts, gifts for directors, stage crew, and musical directors. We have hosted cast parties or donated money to cast parties, or at the very least, bought food and soda because they can't just show up empty handed.  There have been beach parties, picnics, field trips to New York, and as they get older worrisome private train rides to the city for rush tickets, and just hanging-out. 

And did I mention the driving?  Endless, and endless driving. Endless and endless mileage added to the car, endless and endless gas tanks and wallets emptied.  Lessons, auditions, rehearsal drop off, rehearsal pick up at un-godly hours, post-show get-togethers at diners, and 'would you mind picking up so-and-so', or 'do you mind driving so-and-so home?'  All at times where, if your life was normal, you'd be sleeping, because in between all the lessons and rehearsals, parties, and get-togethers, you are also trying to keep a regular 8-hour-a-day job so you can make the money to pay for the lessons and rehearsals, parties, and get-togethers.  

Whew!  

Why do we do it?  Not for "scrapbooks full of me in the background' as Mama Rose would put it.  

Pride and Bragging Rights  - Admit it, all parents do this, whether achievements are academic, athletic, or arts related.

Entertainment value  - with a car full of theater kids, you have the right to ask for a song on the destination.  It's a fair tradeoff.

Procrastination - Face it, if you have a choice between a night of laundry, dusting, vacuuming, changing the cat litter, and cleaning drawers or going to a show, which would you choose?

Appreciation - I have informed my children, that should any of them ever win an award of some kind (Tony, Tony, Tony) and "Thank you, Mom" is not part of the acceptance speech, I will come back to haunt them.  Is that too much to ask?

Love. This is the Number 1 real reason. We do it because our greatest joy as a parent is to see our children thrive and succeed and be happy.  And if that happens for them on the stage, then so be it. Seeing your child light up is worth any sacrifice.  

Thank you to all the kids out there who are entertaining us all, and a special thank you to the moms and dads out there who help make it possible.  Personally, I'd also like to thank my mom for passing on a love of the arts to me, so that I, in turn, have been able to pass that on to my children.  

So Happy Mother's Day to all the Stage Moms out there!

Theater Review: 'A Song at Twilight' at Westport Country Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse opened its 2014 season with Noël Coward's A Song at Twilight.  Written in 1965, this poignant and melancholy co-production with Hartford Stage resonates with themes that are still relevant today.  Not only does it deal with closeted homosexuality, this important work raises questions about what it means to live authentically, and where do we draw the line between transparency and privacy?  When does a celebrity's life become fodder for the masses to judge and condemn; does anyone have the right to 'out' someone for the sake of the truth? And what is more important to posterity: a person's private character or his or her body of work?

In A Song at Twilight, aging English author and playwright, Sir Hugo Latymer is forced to face his past when, with the blessing of his current wife Hilde, he agrees to meet up with a former flame, Carlotta Gray.  Sir Hugo is both curious and bemused by Carlotta's desire to see him and more than slightly annoyed at the inconvenience of her intrusion into his reclusive hideaway at a lavish Swiss hotel. 

Gordana Rashovich and Brian Murray
in Noël Coward's A Song at Twilight.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson 

When they first meet, the conversation is all genteel politeness. But after Hilde leaves to visit a friend and give the former lovers some privacy, the classic Coward conversation soon turns from witty and comedic repartee to verbal sparring filled with venomous barbs aimed to wound and maim.  When finally fed up with Carlotta's presence, Sir Hugo demands to know why she came.  She informs him that she is writing her autobiography and asks his permission to publish his love letters to her.  He refuses, and she agrees to return the letters to him.  But before she walks out the door, she informs him that she will return only Hugo's letters to her, but not those that he wrote to the greatest love of his life, a man named Perry Sheldon, who died with no one beside him but Carlotta.

This is the point where the actors really begin to shine.  Almost before our eyes, we watch Brian Murray, who plays Sir Hugo, transform from a very proper, sophisticated, and respected author to outraged literary lion and then to a shrunken, defeated old man, who in his hurt, anger, and sadly, his shame, cannot grasp the words to defend himself against this female interloper.  The tragedy of his character is written not only on his face, but in his demeanor.  We ache for him when he wistfully and oh so privately recalls his time with Perry, and feel the agony of what it has been like for him to be forced by law and society to deny his true identity behind the facade of 'normalcy.'

Gordana Rashovich effectively plays Carlotta as a hardened, aging actress with a cynical, worldly demeanor.  There is a touch of the sinister about her as the verbal exchanges with Sir Hugo become more heated and we can feel that she will be a dangerous woman to cross. Carlotta vilifies Sir Hugo for not being authentic in his works and for hiding the fact that the greatest love of his life, was in fact a man.  She comes in with this holier-than-thou attitude, claiming to seek justice for the abandoned Perry, and to lay the truth of Sir Hugo's character out for the world to see. But upon further questioning, we learn that beneath her imaginary cloak of virtue lies the heart of a woman scorned.  She wants revenge for losing her innocence to and loving Sir Hugo, for his abandoning her when he grew tired of the affair, and for treating her like a small footnote to his life in his autobiography.  She has nurtured the grudge for many years, and upon obtaining the love letters to Perry,  has found a way to exact her revenge -- by shredding his reputation and repudiating his body of work. 

Brian Murray and Mia Dillon in Noël Coward's
A Song at Twilight
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Carlotta thinks she has an ally in Hilde for she too, must feel the sting of rejection as the wife of a known homosexual; but it is Hilde who comes back to smooth over the situation. Mia Dillon is perfect as the pragmatic, stalwart, and devoted former secretary and wife of Sir Hugo.  She is Carlotta's opposite. Lacking any traces of physical glamour and drama, she is the picture of practicality and steadfastness. I enjoyed Hilde's comedic turns when she rebuked Sir Hugo's petty abuses while being quite tipsy after her visit with her friend, and breathed a sigh of relief as she helped wage a peaceful settlement between the warring adversaries.  

All of this drama takes place on a set by Alexander Dodge that only hints at wealth and luxury with its chandeliered high ceiling, minimal furniture, and marble statue in the living room.  What is particularly interesting is the use of the towering walls of the suite. They are made to look like the mountainous and remote location of the hotel, further demonstrating the isolated life that Sir Hugo and Hilde lead. 

What makes the set even more remarkable is that during the two brief scenes where Hugo is remembering Perry, their affair is played out behind that backdrop. The diffuse lighting by Matthew Richards gives the tableaux an idealized and dreamlike quality. The actors who represent the younger men move with such balletic grace, that the imagery of their love is truly beautiful.   

With fabulous costumes by Fabio Toblini, hair and makeup by Mark Adam Rampmeyer, and the astute direction of Mark Lamos, this stunning production is an important work that not only entertains, it can spark interesting dialogue and conversation about issues that are still relevant today.  With such a high bar set by A Song at Twilight, I am looking forward to Westport Country Playhouse's remaining shows for the season. 

A Song at Twilight runs through May 17 ^th at Westport Country Playhouse.  For tickets call 203-227-4177 or visit Westport Country Playhouse.