Theatre

Musical menu and Russian Dessert

Rollicking Revue and Corny Comedy at Cape Playhouse
Throw woes to the winds and enjoy

   Jonathan Brody (seated at the piano) and Michael McGrath. Photo courtesy of Kathleen A. Fahle.

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today's Drama Critic

It's a double whammy at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis for the next two weeks. There are two one acts as different as the sun and moon, but they scored high on entertainment value. The first is called "A Day in Hollywood" and the second one, after intermission, is "A Night in the Ukraine." Although cramped on stage for the ensemble of eight and somewhat ragged around the edges on opening night, the pace and energy never sagged. Give them a few more performances, maneuvering around scenery, two grand pianos, and a steep center staircase, and all will be fine. It is perfect summer fare--dazzle dancing and Marx-Brothers-style comedy. Be aware of some clever staging throughout.

Creators

"A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine" originated in London at the Majestic Theatre in 1979 and moved to Broadway in 1980 for a substantial run. Dick Vosburgh, who wrote the book and lyrics, was an American who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and stayed in Great Britain. He passed away in 2007. Frank Lazarus was the composer. Wikipedia and Google did not yield very much about him. He is either a mystery man in the UK or a US academic with credentials as an art connoisseur or both. Take your pick.

Different plots

The Hollywood plot is a musical revue from the 1930s, full of 19 songs from the past, as well as "shuffle ball change" with slapstick and Vaudeville tricks thrown in the mix. Some of the Oldies are "Cocktails for Two," "Two Sleepy People," and "Over the Rainbow." The Ukraine romp takes a while to sort out, but basically, a lawyer wants to con a rich Russian widow into giving him 1,800 rubles, so he doesn't have to go to jail. The daughter is looking for the ideal young man ,whom she finds. Gino the gardener is like Charlie Chaplin and never speaks. The spoken lines are terse and stinging in true Groucho Marx style.

Grand Piano Duo

The Playhouse's own Evans Haile played out his astounding personal talents on a grand piano opposite Matt Castle, musical director, on the second grand piano. At one point, a third, black, upright piano was moved center stage and three pianists played musical benches--moving from one piano to the next, never missing a note. Incidentally, the grand piano became a stage prop for hiding all sorts of things, including dancers-very clever.

Multiple Talents

This is an astonishing ensemble. A number of them have worked together before. In fact, Nancy Anderson played the part of a dog in "Sylvia" here at the Cape Playhouse. It was an incredible performance. She has a keen sense of comedy and tragedy, plus a special connection with audiences. Her plight as an actress trying to be the "best in the world" was touching. Her toddler costume and song "On the Good Ship Lollipop" as Shirley Temple couldn't have been cuter. Her rendition of the Chaplinesque Gino in "A Night in the Ukraine" couldn't have been funnier. She can even play the violin. She can do it all.

Michelle Dyer was a convincing young girl searching for love. Susan Cella made an excellent,  imperious Madame Pavlenko.

The male actors/singers/dancers were all strong. Jeffrey Denman played all the leading man roles with conviction and passion--even humor as the Russian Constantine who sings out "Again" again and again and again! Michael McGrath had the plum role of Serge Samavor, an amalgamation of the three Harpo Brothers. It took him time to settle down in the part and get his timing, but once he was in the swing of it, he milked the lines for all they were worth. My theatre companion and I remarked how much he looked and moved like the actor Nathan Lane. He even cracked some ad-libs of his own. Jonathan Brody really shined as Carlo in the "Ukraine" piece. Not only can he play the piano and sing, but he was a great foil to Samovar and Gino.

Superb Direction

James Brennan did a skilful job in directing and choreographing the two pieces. The half-mast curtain upstage showed the dancers from the waist down for a dance number called "Famous Feet."  A variety of tappers, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, paraded across the narrow strip of stage.

Costumes

Paul Favini created costumes that reflected the Chinese theme at Grauman's Theatre in Hollywood. The men wore gray tails and red trousers with gold stripes down the sides. The women wore gray blouses and red skirts. The Russian costumes were reflective of the period. Daniel Meeker produced an elegant gold and white set for the "Ukraine" with a crystal chandelier. Somehow the set managed to embrace the stairway at the back.

Once everyone settles down in their stage surroundings, these back to back one-act plays should be a delightful ménage and a sell-out at the Cape Playhouse along 6A in Dennis Monday through Saturday at 8:00 pm with matinees: Wed. at 2:00pm; Sat. 7/12 at 4:00pm; Thursday 7/17 at 2:00pm. Call 508-385-3911.

Leave a comment »

Boot up your brain for stage winner

Cape Playhouse Opener Teases, Taunts, and Tickles Audience
Tangled web of mind games puzzles and pleases

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today's Drama Critic

 

Launching the 82nd season at the beloved Cape Playhouse with a one-man show? Is that wild and risky? You bet. What were they thinking?

A brain teaser

 They were thinking that "Marc Salem's Mind Games" would keep your brain tuned to high energy for two hours without an intermission.  And they were right. On a rainy opening night, the Playhouse was almost full to an audience not knowing what to expect and slightly suspicious of someone who tinkers with the mind. And tinker he did.

Who is this guy?

Who is this Marc Salem anyway? He is a highly educated professor of psychology, who is wise in the ways of human behavior (Dr. Phil Lite) and has translated his expertise into living theatre on Broadway, off Broadway, in London, and in South Africa. His knowledge has taken him into courtrooms to coach lawyers on how to study body language and eye movements to distinguish between truth-tellers and liars. Thirty years of practice have qualified him for his psychological drama and dry wit. Oh yes, he's an author as well.

Annual debut of Evans Haile

Before Mr. Salem made his entrance, Artistic Director Evans Haile arrived center stage from the wings to resounding applause. He is a charming favorite to his Cape fans and gave them a relaxed and confident overview of the upcoming season, mostly filled with musicals and a comedy. Their plan is to engage audiences onstage in some of their shows such as "Leader of the Pack," but more importantly, to entertain in the face of war, election fatigue, and soaring prices of gas and food.

Interaction with audience

And that's what Marc Salem does--he engages members of the audience onstage and off. Never at any time does he humiliate the unsuspecting participants. His humor brings them out of their shells. The waves of laughter come in staccato and largo waves, but they come and keep coming. Salem catches each wave as it crests and he moves to the next piece of business. At 9:20, some people were looking at their watches, wondering if there would be an intermission and how long Salem could sustain our attention. Except for that short lapse, he did sustain it. One longtime first nighter exclaimed on the way out, "Absolutely wonderful."

Stage set

The curtains are open as everyone finds his or her seat. On stage, set designer Kevin Orzechowski has placed a Queen Anne sideboard center, flanked by two Duncan Fife chairs with a tri-pod drum table to the side of one chair. An Oriental rug completes the simple and elegant set. In darkness, a self-effacing Marc Salem finds his way to just off-center. He is all in black and his humor commences to roll. Sometimes, he made a couple of wrong guesses and his stooges spoofed him with a piece of his own medicine. Somehow he was able to turn the tables back on them--all in good fun.

Go see for yourself

If this reviewer were to describe all the events in detail, it would spoil the surprises. Suffice it to say that numbers, words, sketches, espionage, and incredible psychic exercises, when he is taped and blindfolded at one point, are mind-blowing.

Sleight of mind

You will spend an evening in sleight of mind, rather than sleight of hand. It is magic of the mind and highly entertaining. Salem concludes by saying "a ten-year-old could do what he does with thirty years of practice." That line brought a standing ovation. If he had jet lag from South Africa, he didn't show it.

Get your brain in shape and take it to the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Cape Cod Center for the Arts June 23-July 5. Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm; Wednesday matinee at 2:00pm; Saturday 6/28 at 4:00pm; Thursday 7/3 at 2:00pm. Call 508-385-3911 for reservations or www.capeplayhouse.com.

4 comments »

Concert brings school year to a close

  Brewster’s Stony Brook Elementary Schoolers sing their hearts out

  The kids at Stoney Brook Elementary School in Brewster belt out "Puppy Kisses" during their graduation ceremony last Friday.  Photo by Stephany Hutchinson.

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today’s drama critic

We think of graduation reserved only for high school and college students. Today, elaborate celebrations have dropped to Middle Schools and now Elementary Schools.

So it was on the morning of Friday June 13 at the Stony Brook Elementary School off of Underpass Road in Brewster. The gray-shingled school houses K-2nd graders. More than 200 children were participants in the hour-long concert. They had been rehearsing for more than a month with music teacher, Stacey Faris, to display their singing talents for parents, grandparents, and siblings in the gymnasium.

The gym seemed new and colorful. Shiny red circles with a background of beige covered the floor. Irish green was on one wall and slashes of orange, red, and yellow arches on the opposite wall.

The proud parents crowded into the bleachers, equipped with camcorders and digital cameras to record a small piece of their child's history for future memories.

Then, the Kindergarteners entered and sat cross-legged on the floor. Next came the First Graders, who sat on the floor opposite them. Finally, the Second Graders arrived in blue tee-shirts. They stood four lines deep against the wall between the two other groups. Parents were stealing waves at their children, and kids were sending kisses and waves back to them. All of the kids wore a mix of shorts, skirts, shirts, flip flops, sandals, and running shoes. One boy had on a pink shirt and blue striped tie. They were excited.

There is a joyous spirit about the school, starting with its animated principal, Denise Fronius in her lemon sherbert pantsuit.

Stacey Faris’ husband, musical director at Nauset High School, played the keyboard and guitar, along with Paul Kehoe.

There were ten songs, divided among the three grades, beginning with “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The Kindergarteners kicked off the novelty songs with an original song, created for them by composer Betsy M. Zavell of Orleans and lyrics by Libby Hughes of Brewster. Here are the lyrics to the song, “Puppy Kisses.”

                                Puppy kisses

Puppy kisses

Warm and wet

Puppy breath,

Soft and sweet.

 

Puppy kisses

Puppy kisses

Before they grow,

Before they know

Who you are.

            Give me a kiss

            A puppy kiss

            Give me a paw,

            A hello paw.

            Give me some love,

            Some puppy love.

            That’s all I want

            That’s what I want.

Puppy kisses

Puppy kisses

Those puppy days

Those puppy ways,

Filled with joy.

            (Chorus repeated)

Love for all

All for love

Love on call

Call on love.

Puppy kisses,

Puppy kisses

Puppy kisses.

Mrs. Faris had every song filled with hand gestures, so the children were not standing like wooden pegs. It gave flavor and fun to each song, ending with “See You Later (Alligator).”

Four children delivered tributes, flowers, and gifts to their very likable principal, Mrs. Fronius. The children marched back to their classrooms and the festivities were over, except for parents, basking in pride!

1 comment »

Vaudeville Smacks Boston

 Vaudeville Musical Tickles the Funny Bone of Bostonians

Final performances of this very funny farce are today and Sunday

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today's Theatre Critic

It seems fitting to have a 1928 Vaudeville musical open on the boards of a 1928 Boston Opera House on Washington Street. Of course, it wasn't called the Boston Opera House back then, but the marble walls and columns, gold leaf ceilings, red damask wallpaper, and oversized chandeliers-- dripping with drops of crystal--hark back to a time of elegance. Boston spent millions to renovate the baroque style theatre.

Canadian musical

The Drowsy Chaperone is an old style American musical with a Canadian flair. Canadians created and produced it, based on a true story. In the late 1990s, a young Canadian man, Robert Martin (played by Mark Ledbetter on right), was planning to get married to Janet Van De Graaff, and a group of his friends decided to surprise him with a 35-minute skit a la Vaudeville style. All the guests collapsed in belly-shaking laughter. When the wedding was over, Martin couldn't stop thinking about the hilarity that he saw and collaborated with friends to get this into a full-blown musical, which eventually made its way to Broadway in 2006, garnering many awards. Now it is on National Tour in the old "bus and truck" tradition. The two weekend runs in Boston end Sunday night, May 4 and move on to Providence.

Plot

Bob Martin and Don McKellar created the Book while Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison collaborated on the music and lyrics. The plot evolved into something slightly different. The leading role is the part of the narrator, who is in love with this old musical. He plays and replays the 78 records on his Victrola, imagining the show re-enacted in his living room. Whenever he makes comments about the show or characters, all the actors and dancers freeze until he is finished. The main plot is that of the wedding to take place between Bob Martin and his bride-to-be, who is having jitters. Minor characters slip and slide in Vaudeville slapstick until they are matched or mismatched into marital bliss. The characters play it broad for comedy and deliver short, sharp comic lines with over-the-top gestures and facial muggings. The chaperone is a vodka-drinking lush, who is drowsy from the spirits. When asked, she offers the bride no advice because of her intoxicated state. Mistaken identity and mad-cap songs, reminiscent of the jazz era and pre-Gershwin days, set the tone.

Big, well-defined cast

The cast is large-15-with plenty of swings as understudies. The sets by David Gallo are also huge and require a big theatre to accommodate the scenery flying up and down and in and out from the wings.

As Bob Martin, Mark Ledbetter makes an appealing bridegroom with an innocent charm. His strawberry blonde hair and Sorrento-blue eyes give him added dash. He's a pretty good tap dancer, too, with a fine tenor voice.

Jonathan Crombie becomes an endearing narrator and breaks the fourth wall to talk with the audience. For an actor to begin his monologue in the dark (although he manages to drag some laughter from the audience) and to open by sitting in a chair for delivery of his lines is tough--really tough. Somehow, he was able to establish a relationship with the audience despite this crippling direction.

Georgia Engel has a minor part as Mrs. Tottendale. Her comic scene with her butler is a hoot. He pours her drink after drink of vodka and she blows it back in his face, calling him a "poop." That's Vaudeville at its best. Ms. Engel is fondly remembered as Georgette from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

James Moye provides a broad Latin flavor to his Adolpho. What a great voice. Cliff Bemis makes a credible producer who refuses to marry his girl friend, Kitty (Marla Mindelle). This is not unlike the relationship between Nathan and Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls." The Riopelle brothers do everything in delightful slapstick.

Andrea Chamberlain plays the bride-to-be (Janet Van De Graaff), who is having doubts about the wedding and questions whether Bob Martin really loves her. She claims that she wants to give up stardom and a career for her true love. Chamberlain makes six phenomenal costume changes all within one song. Nancy Opel (the drowsy chaperone) wows us with her Ethel Merman delivery of songs in various drunken scenes. Fran Jaye punches out her songs as the aviatrix in a good ole Sophie Tucker growl. Her voice is powerful and fills the Opera House.

Costumes, choreography, orchestra

The costumes by Gregg Barnes are deliciously in period, except for the opulent Chinese opera garb, which has no relation to the show, but exotic to watch and admire. The choreography by Casey Nicholaw kept the big numbers rolling as did the 15-piece orchestra.

No intermission

To keep an audience for an hour and 45 minutes without an intermission is a major miracle.

So, if you're coming over the bridge from Cape Cod to see "The Drowsy Chaperone," fill up the car with folks and gas for two final shows on Saturday (today at 2:00pm and 8:00pm) and two on Sunday (tomorrow at 2:00pm and 7:30pm). Or drive down to Providence and catch it next weekend.

1 comment »

New Musical about Ginger Rogers has Huge Potential

Give the new musical “Ginger and Me” another two weeks of performances to tighten the technical aspects and build pace for a show that hums. It has all the ingredients for a winner.

The World Premiere hit the boards Friday night (February 1) on the Cal State San Bernadino campus in Palm Desert, California. The new Indian Wells Theater was a good place to iron out any problems before heading to North Hollywood in April.

The show is essentially about the relationship between Ginger and her mother, Lela Rogers. Playwright Libby Hughes (who edited Rogers’ autobiography) of Cambridge and Brewster, Massachusetts, has used the theatrical device of the paparazzi to extract information out of the mother to get the inside story about her daughter’s career and love life. Lyricist Hughes has given the most moving and substantive lyrics to the mother.

Some of her other lyrics might be called too simple, perhaps repetitive in trying to capture the 1930s in a technique similar to George Gershwin. Hughes seems to like the word “everything,” which she uses in three or four songs. The songs BEFORE THERE WAS GINGER and MY ONE REGRET brought tears to many in the audience. Ginger’s secretary of 18 years, Roberta Olden, claims she cries every time over those two songs.

Gary Heath's score has that Broadway sound 

Composer Gary W. Heath’s music has a Broadway sound to the opening number, MOVIE STARS, the closing number I’LL MAKE HER A STAR of Act I, and DANCING WITH GINGER, which opens Act II. These are big numbers. For a bigger theater, a huge chorus would enhance these three numbers.

JJ Rodgers plays Ginger Rogers with  the same sexual allure through 15 costume changes.The major roles in the show are solid performances. The young woman who plays Ginger, JJ Rodgers (no relation), has a remarkable resemblance and stage presence to the real Ginger. She has the same sexual allure Ginger radiated. Rodgers has a phenomenal voice and moves around the stage with total ease. Her 15 costume changes suggest the timeline from 1928 to 1977.

Marilee Warner of La Quinta, California, captures the toughness and vulnerability of Lela Rogers both in her costumes and in her songs. Warner garnered the most applause at curtain call for her amazing performance. The power shift from Lela to Ginger is defined by the color of the costumes. At the opening, she wears a brilliant Chinese red suit and gradually wears muted colors as the story progresses. In the final scene, Ginger wears red, suggesting the power shift from mother to daughter.

Many of the cast play multiple roles such as paparazzi, chorus members, World War II soldiers and girls, diners in a Paris nightclub, Howard Hughes, several of Ginger’s husbands.

Director Allen Worthy plays five parts

Allen Worthy, director and co-producer, plays five parts, including the buffoonish Vaudeville actor, Jack Pepper—Ginger’s first husband. Worthy found professional singers and dancers in LA and the desert for the show. When first meeting Hughes on Cape Cod in June, he began plans for producing the show.

Doug McDonald, the young man who plays Fred Astaire, has an uncanny resemblance to the legendary actor. Although not the magical dancer that Fred was, McDonald is more than adequate.  He probably has a better singing voice than the real Fred.

When the curtains opened, the audience applauded the glamorous set. The whole backstage was covered by shimmering silver panels with flashing marquees: one with Hollywood and one with Broadway in the old style. A huge double stairway covers the back. The seven-piece orchestra is to one side. A dressing room is the other side. William Moore Jr., the set designer, gives a 1930s feel to the period set.

Choreographer, Paul Cuneo, has created some original steps for the chorus to enhance the Broadway feel. Their first big number of Movie Stars opens with a bang. Cuneo gives period panache to the whole show.

Marcy Froehlich, costume designer, created a range of costumes from the 1930s to 1970s. Ginger’s costumes are all sophisticated and alluring. Details to hats and shoes reflect the time. The major ostrich feather dress from “Top Hat” was almost an identical copy to the real one. Froehlich ordered the feathers from South Africa and dyed them an ice blue. All the costumes were stunning. The wigs and make-up by Lynda Schaeps were also true to period.

At the reception afterwards, I sidled up to the director Allen Worthy and commented on the lighting. “There are limitations in this theater. Most theatres have 100 lights. This one only has 54, so we were hampered. They will be adding another 12. There is only one follow spot instead of two, which restricts the movement of our actors,” said Worthy.

One audience member said that the show reminded her of an operetta.

Too long for those "long in the tooth"? 

Although perhaps too long a show for a retired audience, “Ginger and Me” is an audience pleaser. Many did not know the inside story of Ginger Rogers’ life. Sales of her book in the lobby went flying off the table.

The show runs Wed. through Sunday matinee Feb. 1-24 at the Indian Wells Theater in Palm Desert. Call 760-341-2883 ext. 14481.

• See the musical's website here. 

2 comments »

Libby Hughes' musical "Ginger & Me" hits the boards Friday

Musical on Ginger Rogers to make its debut

Bruce Fessier
La Quinta Sun

La Quinta songwriter Gary Heath has teamed with a lyricist from Cape Cod, Mass., to create a musical about Ginger Rogers. This musical is more driven by Hughes' words than Heath's music. Hughes is so passionate about telling the story

It doesn't contain the standards Rogers introduced for George Gershwin on Broadway or with Fred Astaire in their musical comedies of the 1930s. But its Rancho Mirage-based producer and director, Allen Worthy said the original music by Heath and lyricist Libby Hughes will take theater-goers back to that Rogers-Astaire era.

Their production of "Ginger and Me" will world premiere Friday at the Indian Wells Theatre on the Cal State San Bernardino campus in Palm Desert.

It will run at least through Feb. 24. After that, it goes to the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

"You might see touches of (Stephen) Sondheim and (Andrew Lloyd) Webber," Worthy said of Heath's music. "It has some contemporary (sounds), little touch of the 1950s, a little bit of  Mel Torme. You'll see something of the flavor of the period. But you couldn't say it's Gershwin because it's original Heath."

This musical is probably more driven by Hughes' words than Heath's music. Hughes is so passionate about telling the story of the late Ginger Rogers properly, she said she turned down $300 million to turn it into a superficial Broadway spectacular.

Hughes, a drama critic, author and playwright, edited Rogers' autobiography 10 years after interviewing the actress and reviewing her one-woman show. She lived with Rogers for four months while editing it."They wanted to change it and it wasn't worth it," Hughes said at Worthy's Rancho Mirage home. "I felt I was the guardian of this property for Ginger and her mother. I had to guard it, and fame and money would not persuade me (otherwise)."

Hughes, a drama critic, author and playwright, edited Rogers' autobiography 10 years after interviewing the actress and reviewing her one-woman show. She lived with Rogers for four months while editing it.

Conceived while writing Reagan bio 

She conceived the idea for "Ginger & Me" in 2001, six years after Rogers' death in Rancho Mirage, while working on a biography of Ronald Reagan.

But its focus has changed over the years.

"I made 287 revisions and it is very different from what it was," Hughes said. "We tried all original songs and we tried old songs only. It just didn't work with the old songs because they were out on DVD."

Central to her fascination with Rogers was Ginger's mother, Lela Rogers, who was not only a drama coach, but a drama critic, a World War II Marine Corps newspaper editor and a screenwriter.

"Her mother was a renaissance woman," said Hughes. "She could tell a story better than anyone. When they were at a party, everyone gravitated to her."

Worthy, a Rancho Mirage-based actor and director, met Hughes in Cape Cod at one of Hughes' play readings. Hughes was seeking a composer for "Ginger & Me" and Worthy returned to Southern California to help her cousin, co-executive producer Don Thomas, search for one.

JJ Rodgers to play Ginger RogerWorthy had worked with La Quinta resident Marilee Warner at Playwrights' Circle, which Warner co-founded to develop new plays. They discussed presenting new plays at Cal State San Bernardino, Palm Desert, five years ago with the school's fundraiser, Betty Barker.

Worthy thought of Warner as Lela Rogers and Warner won the role.

Worthy found his "Ginger" when ginger-haired L.A. actress JJ Rodgers showed up at a Los Angeles audition.

"The moment I saw her in the hallway, I nearly fell over," said Worthy. "I had two or three in mind to play the part, but they weren't quite there. I walked out and saw her and, 'That's it.' "

Hughes' show tells the story of Rogers' life and conflicts with her mother by using paparazzi on stage to ask questions that provide exposition. Worthy also uses a seven-piece ensemble on stage to set the flavor of the era with Heath's original music.

Now, said Hughes, "We have it the way we want it."

Reprinted with permission of the author.
'Ginger & Me' dances its way to Indian Wells
Read another review of Libby's musical here.

1 comment »

Libby, Ginger and Palm Springs

Starfair” Film Festival was a hot ticket

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

Stars were falling all over Palm Springs, California, during the first weekend in December. But they weren’t falling from the sky. Hundreds of famous movie stars of a bygone era descended on the desert city to appear at the modern, rust-red Convention Center in the heart of Palm Springs for the third annual Walk of Stars “Starfair.” Their purpose was to meet and greet fans and to sell their merchandise—autobiographies, CDs, and autographs on glossy black and white photographs.

Celebrity Press Conference
At the press conference to kick-off the film festival, a celebrity panel with Tab Hunter (“Damn Yankees”), poet/songwriter Rod McKuen, actress Anne Jeffreys, songwriter Carol Connors, singer/actor Herb Jeffries, cowboy Ty Hardin, Kathy Garver (“A Family Affair”), actress Lindsay Wagner, and movie star Rhonda Fleming brought the media out to ask questions for the 16th film festival. Fleming and Wagner spoke about their charities for women and children.

The Marine Color Guard opened “Starfair” with a flourish. MC Susan Stafford brought hordes of celebrities on stage. Anne Jeffreys led the singing of the national anthem.

Up and down the aisles were booths for all the celebs, dazzling residents and visitors, wandering about with stars in their eyes. Comedienne Kaye Ballard zipped in and out before her matinee at the “Palm Springs Follies,” an annual event in Palm Springs. Margaret O’Brien, Mamie Van Doren, John Saxon, Bernie Kopell ( The Love Boat), Ted Herman, lawyer Gloria Allred, actress Lee Merriwether, Ruta Lee, and a host of others delighted the star-gazers.

Ginger Rogers’ booth
One of the most popular booths was for Ginger Rogers, displaying her posters and costumes from many old films. The star’s personal clothing also was for sale. Rogers’ secretary, Roberta Olden, for 18 years was there manning the booth and answering questions. The booth was promoting the new American musical about Ginger Rogers, called “Ginger and Me” (book and lyrics by Libby Hughes; music by Gary W. Heath). T-shirts, coffee mugs, and flyers for the world premiere Feb, 1-24, 2008 in Palm Desert were creating buzz. In nearby booths were film actress Jane Russell, Lindsay Wagner, Robert Culp, and Della Reese. The actress, J.J. Rodgers from LA, who will be playing Ginger wowed the crowd as she swept in and wore one of Ginger’s silk and fur coats.

Carol Channing’s Foundation
As the festivities were winding down on Sunday, Carol Channing and her husband were interviewed about their newest project to keep the arts in colleges and schools. They travel around to universities in California, giving talks to inspire young people. Carol’s Foundation supports their cause.

A star for Rhonda Fleming
The closing ceremony on Sunday evening was to celebrate the dedication of a star for film actress Rhonda Fleming on the Walk of Stars. There were a dozen or more tables filled with family and friends who had paid $25,000 per table to support her foundation for homeless women and children in LA.

Then, the booths were empty and the applause was over. The stars went home, leaving the snow-capped mountains in the silence of a desert night.

Leave a comment »

Hysterical farce ends Playhouse 2007 Season

                                    By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

If you thought last week's Corpse was deadly funny, Lend Me a Tenor is hysterically and doubly funny. Laughter rolled and rolled in helpless gasps. People all around this reviewer were shaking with uncontrollable guffaws. Don't wear a belt. It will split in two.

A near perfect season

And so, with a slight nip in the air, the joy of summer closes the curtain on the six show season at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis. This has been an almost perfect selection of musicals, thriller, comedies, and a farce by artistic director, Evans Haile. In my opinion, five of the six were winners.

Multi-talented playwright

Lend Me a Tenor has been around since 1986. Community theatres everywhere can always count on this farce to draw and delight the crowds. Playwright Ken Ludwig has three pages devoted to his accomplishments in the program. In fact, the D.C. resident started out as a Harvard Law School student, who went on to graduate from Trinity College at Cambridge University. After practicing law, he turned his talents to playwriting. Crazy for You is one of his award-winning shows, based on the famous 1930 Girl Crazy Broadway show that catapulted Ginger Rogers to stardom. Staging An American in Paris is a recent effort.

Farcical plot

A farce is soaked with mistaken identities and full of at least six doors in a set to confuse and produce endless hilarity. Lend Me a Tenor meets all the requirements. Set in 1934, the play revolves around a Cleveland Opera Organization that invites a famous Italian tenor to perform in the leading role of Othello, the opera. He arrives late, causing great consternation. The first act is pretty funny, but the second act spins at dizzying speed. My lips are sealed. You have to see it to believe it. If you've had a hard day, Tenor is guaranteed to be your bubbly champagne to intoxicate your funny bone.

Bouquets to director

Pamela Hunt has a definite gift for creating original stage business for comedies and farce. Last summer she gave us her technique in Sylvia (about a dog). Her curtain call was as well choreographed as the whole show--a clever recap of the whole show.

Eight incredible actors

This ensemble is well-matched. They play off of each other in perfect comedic harmony. When aspiring opera tenor, Max, (played by Hunter Foster) begins to warm up his voice, he holds the audience in the palm of his hand. Foster can actually sing, too. The super tall Steve Wilson gives the Italian tenor, Tito Merelli, an engaging accent, an enchanting seductive air, and a role he was careful not to overplay. Jeff Brooks as Saunders pulled up the pace with his first entrance. He may have prolonged a pause too much, but aside from that, he was both pompous and funny the way Ted Knight was in ":The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Even the bellhop, Michael Keyloun, held his own in the farcical gang.

The women also fit well into the farcical puzzle. Jennifer Cody's Maggie oozed adoration and innocent seduction as an opera fan for the tenor. Judith Blaze made a strong, however brief, impression as the forceful Italian wife, fed up with her husband's roving eye. Leah Hocking was slinky and hysterical as Diana, the tall blonde in the local opera company, who wants some praise from Tito. Virginia Seidel woos and wins us as Julia.

Set and costumes

Daniel Meeker's set has splendidly tall ceilings from the 1930s and thick moldings at the top. The chocolate and cream doors fit into the blue chiffon walls. The radio is a period piece as are the sconces. Costume designer Jose M. Rivera has captured the 1930s with double-breasted suits, argyle sweaters, bow ties, pleated trousers, and hints of post-flapper dresses.

Tenor is a delicious hoot. Don't miss it.

From Aug. 27 through Sept. 8. Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm. Matinees Wednesdays at 2:00pm; Sat. 9/1 at 4:00pm. Thursday 9/6 at 2:00pm. Cape Playhouse in Dennis. Call 508-385-3911.

Leave a comment »

Frazzled Farce Delights at Playhouse

CORSPE! Delivers Deadly Thrills, Kills, and Chills
Fun with Farce at Cape Playhouse

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today's Theatre Critic

The summer light of August is winding down and so is the 81^st season of the Cape Playhouse in Dennis. Comedy thriller "CORPSE!" is number five of the six scheduled shows. Where did the time go? Even though a shower slowed down the patrons' arrival, they were there in full force on opening night.

Phantom playwright

British playwright Gerald Moon is something of a phantom. Except for "Corpse!" his plays are few and his biography is illusive-even on Google. He is as mysterious as his play. Maybe it's a pseudonym. We do know that his main profession was that of an actor. We do know that "Corpse!" opened at the Apollo Theatre in London, the place where his play was first produced in 1984. He may not be Agatha Christie or Alan Ayckborn or Moliere, but his play is highly entertaining. On right: (l to r) Brent Harris and Brad Bellamy. Photo by Kathleen Fahle.

Don't spoil the 1936 plot

The plot can be described only partially in order not to ruin the surprises--you'll be reeling in the second act. Suffice it to say that twin brothers are mired in sibling rivalry and revelry. One bro wants to destroy the other bro for mercenary reasons. Although the show started in a sluggish way, it was planting seeds for the audience to guess who was who and what was what. Once it was rolling, the fun and guesswork kept growing. However, the ending was so abrupt, the audience wasn't sure the show was over, and they obviously wanted more. The bodies kept appearing and disappearing--all part of the hilarity.

Let the set designer take a bow

Set designer, Richard Chambers, should take a bow. The two sets that revolve and change attest to his creative professionalism. Chambers sharply contrasts a Soho flat of exposed brick and stone with a swish townhouse, tailored for the upper-class in jolly old London.

Coup d'etat for playing twins

The biggest coup of the show is Brent Harris's acting prowess in playing a duo role as the twin brothers. Though the differences are subtle, they are distinctive. Brother Evelyn (a British male name pronounced EEEE-velyn) is a camp actor while twin Rupert is a suave, successful businessman. The bitterness they feel for each other comes across loud and clear. Most American actors have difficulty with an English accent because of the different inflection pattern. They can sound like they have molasses in their mouths. We saw Harris last summer in "The Beard of Avon" and his dialect skills are seasoned. Harris also chops and cooks on stage, which is an undeniable  achievement.

Problems with English accents

Sadly, Suzanna Hay (Mrs. McGee) and Michael Rossmy's Inspector Hawkins (to a lesser degree) were handicapped by the accent, making the audience struggle to understand her words. She lost a great deal of laughter for her lines because of it. In contrast, Brad Bellamy broadened his "a's" and gave a slight British flavor to the accent for Major Powell, making him easy to understand. His performance was fine-tuned, believable, and amusing throughout.

Amazing direction

Director Russell Treyz deserves enormous credit for clever stage business, surrounding disposal of bodies and hints of bodies--here, there, and everywhere. Some clues are obvious and some are not. He staged a fine, tantalizing farce for our amusement and delight. Lisa Zinni caught the British feeling in her costumes; particularly the policeman.

Thriller suggested by Cape patron

If it weren't for longtime Cape patron, John Carey--inventor of the Cape Cod bracelet, we wouldn't have a thriller this summer. He made the suggestion to artistic director Evans Haile, who followed his advice and voila--"Corpse!"

Race to the box office for this frothy, frazzled  farce August 13-25 Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm. Matinees: Wednesday at 2:00pm, Saturday 8/18 at 4:00pm, Thursday 8/23 at 2:00pm. The Cape Playhouse in Dennis on Route 6A. 508-385-3911.

Above photo: (l to r) Brent Harris and Brad Bellamy. Photo by Kathleen Fahle.

1 comment »

New Revue buzzes in and out of 60s and 70s music at Cape Playhouse

"Beehive" Stings Dennis Audiences with Sixties Nostalgia
Revue buzzes in and out of 1960s music

                                    By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

The Cape Playhouse takes a bite out of the sixties with the musical revue, "Beehive." The show strikes a note of nostalgia for those into Rock n' Roll, teenyboppers, Beatle-mania, and Woodstock's hippie-flower power.

Two hit musicals straddle July and August

At the peak of the summer season, the Playhouse has wisely straddled July and August with two musicals-Thoroughly Modern Millie  and Beehive. The latter is a no-brainer. Six young women sing their hearts out through a beehive of 33 songs (getting the rights to all those ditties must have cost a pretty penny!) and entertain the socks off the audience on opening night. They had a standing ovation to prove it.

Created in 1985

A young man by the name  of Larry Gallagher created the show and premiered it in 1985 at the Sweetwater Cabaret in New York City before sending it on a national tour. Sadly, his death at the age of 41 was a great loss to the theatrical and musical world. Through dialogue and song, Gallagher gives a historical perspective of the 1960s with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the Beatles, and the rising freedom and power of women beginning at Woodstock.

Irony of  Vietnam and Iraq

The irony is that Americans are going through the same sort of agony with the Iraq War as they did over the Vietnam War where 57,000 American lives were sacrificed. The Iraq War is fast approaching 4,000 losses since March of 2003.

Music is the great liberator and comforter. What will be the music of the post-Iraq War?

Six girls have Broadway sounds

Every one of the six female singers has a Broadway sound for punching out a strong show-tune. But Laiona Michelle is the glue for the group. She lights up the stage and leads them from one song to the next, tying it all together. Her sultry, sexy, alto-mezzo voice has power-sensational power. Lindsey Gordon is cute, perky, and funny. Kearran Giovanni has stage charisma as well as vocal prowess. Bridget Beirne catches the flavor of the long-haired hippie girl, soaring high on pot and booze. Jennifer Zimmerman and Danielle Chambers are equally charming as rockers.

Familiar songs for Baby Boomers

Whether solo, duo, trio, quartet or a sextet, the girls were on pitch and in perfect harmony. You'll recognize all the songs such as "I'm Sorry," "You Don't Own Me," "Downtown," and "Where the Boys Are (A Connie Francis song)." The second half of the show is built musically around the emergence of the Women's Movement.

Fabulous Choreography

But it is to Mark Martino where much of the applause belongs. His direction and choreography are unmistakable. He gives those girls enough stage business and humor to keep the audience interested for two hours. They pump and chop the air with their arms or swing them in circles from the elbows or roll their fists in a rolling pin motion. Their legs are shaking and strutting every minute. And vocally, they go up and down the scale like roosters hooting or hiccupping--all part of the sixties scene and sound.

Superb, opulent costumes and phenomenal wigs

Along with Martino, kudos go to costume designer Jose Rivera whose psychedelic mini-skirts and tops in lime, peach, fuchsia, and pink are period colors along with rich sultry, sparkly blacks and bronzes. The  1960 beehive wigs are almost as "high as an elephant's eye!" Richard Chambers' set has the jukebox look, complemented by Christopher Chambers' stunning lighting.

Music packs a wallop

And the band never lets up under the direction of Tom Frey, who also plays the piano and synthesizer as well as singing and conducting his four guys onstage.

For a summer pleaser, "Beehive" is a good one. Performances run July 30 through August 11, Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm. Matinees Wednesday at 2:00pm, Saturday 8/4 at 4:00pm, Thursday 8/9 at 2:00pm. The Cape Playhouse is located on Route 6A in Dennis. Box office: 508-385-3911.

1 comment »