Monthly Archives: November 2011

Comparison: TOTH’s Den of Thieves (three weekends later)

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So by the time of this writing I have seen seven (and a half) out of eight showings of Bolingbrook’s Theatre-on-the-Hill‘s production of Den of Thieves. One would think that after the first one or two shows, or even three in this case I would be sick of seeing this show already. The truth of the matter is, I’m not.

For someone with a little bit of theatre background, I can honestly say that seeing shows multiple times does not bore me as one would probably expect. More often than not it is a combination of a good script, with fantastic direction, and amazing actors that would typically drive the average theatre goer into seeing a production multiple times.

In the case of Den of Thieves, not only were there three versions of the show to watch but live theatre brings to the table an element of unpredictability that you can’t find anywhere else.

Where else would you find Hugh Jackman blowing up at an audience member for a cell phone going off in the middle of A Steady Rain? Where else could you find mishaps go wrong and watch an actor really show off their acting chops AND improv skills at a drop of a pin?

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Comparison: TOTH’s Den of Thieves (Boochie and Little Tuna)

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One of the reasons that I enjoy watching productions at Theatre-on-the-Hill is the cast, more specifically when shows are double cast for whatever reason.

In the case of TOTH’s production of Den of Thieves, two of the roles are split between two actors. The role of the exotic dancer/stripper Boochie is split between newcomer Seneca Lee Evensen and musical theatre veteran Jacqueline Schultz. On the male front the role of Lou “The Little Tuna” Pescatore is split between stage veteran Joseph Mennella and the latest protege, Cameron Nowicki.

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Euphonia: Beyond Celtic Thunder

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Anyone that knows me well enough knows that my tastes in music is fairly eclectic. I mean in my CD collection alone there is a bit of rap, a bit of rhythm and blues, country, pop, rock, classical, etc etc etc. I was never one to conform into any one arena, it’s just not me.

So it should come as no surprise that I would have some celtic music in my collection… especially a quintet of Irish men whom called themselves Celtic Thunder. They were brought together upon the successful heels of Celtic Woman and include two very special gems the really cute Damian McGinty and the soulful tenor Paul Byrom.

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Video: Allison Holker & Derek Hough on DWTS Season 13

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I am not worthy! I am not going to even comment on the following routine because it is just THAT good. This routine was performed on Dancing with the Stars Season 13, Tuesday 1st of November and it rocked. Primarily an Argentine Tango, there were moments of contemporary, hip hop and flamenco thrown in there for good measure.

Coupled with fantastic music (in this case it is Gypsy by Black Violin)… argh, I can’t comment. Just watch!

Review: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (at NYMF)

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The New York Musical Theatre Festival is a musical only festival that appears on the New York theatre scene that takes in some of the strongest full productions of up and coming musicals from across the country and gives them the chance to show off their stuff in the heart of New York City.

Such known alumni include:

Every year presents a new crop of productions trying to find their footing and every year there has been standouts. This past year is no exception.

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Review: New Millennium Theatre’s Scott Janus Monster Hunter

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Here is a comedic monster show that will do nothing but entertain you to the point that you would keep talking until you reach home.

This original show completed it’s run at Theater Wit the Saturday before Halloween, it is a story set in a small town where a young comic geek is trying to prove that his neighbor is a vampire. When everyone believes him to be mad, he calls Scott Janus (whose ad was found in a comic book) for help in killing off the vampire.

When the vampire realizes that Scott Janus is in town, he calls in reinforcements to aid in terminating the thorn in their perpetual sides. A high stakes chase in trying to save the town ensues with an ending that this theatre goes definitely didn’t see coming.

Although there are aspects of the show that was just plain predictable, there were aspects of the show that was just laugh out loud roaring fun and games… especially when they start poking fun at one particular sparkling vampire “in training”.

This was another production that the beau took me to, and quite honestly it was well worth it. Non stop laughs, and for any geek out there, the nuances just keep coming. If anything, it is shows like this one that gives hope that creativity is still out there, you just need to know where to look.

Review: At the Movies w/ Carlo Chapelle and Kevin Pollack

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Being the “music guru” at blogs like PureDWTS or PureAmericasGotTalent, I have become rather immune to new arrangements and renditions of tried and true music, particularly of the movie / showtunes kind. So when my beau brought me to watch his friend in this cabaret show, I was reserved at best and skeptical at worst. What I wasn’t prepared for was the realization that the artist still exists, you just needed to know where to look.

At the Movies is a cabaret show that is comprised of known (and not so known) songs from the stage and screen and breathes new life into them. Presented in the revamped theatre of Stage 773, the show presents two differing vocal styles and melts them together in such a way that balances more than contrasts.

Don’t ask me what shined about this show, it just did. There were a few arrangements of known songs in this show that I would never have thought in a million years would work. Case in point, the song Old Devil Moon from the musical Finian’s Rainbow, mesh that with let’s say the Mission Impossible theme song. Impossible? (no pun intended) That’s what I originally thought too, but I’m eating my words.

I could go on about the arrangements all night, but in all honesty, the music and arrangements is only half the battle. Kevin’s voice delivers the music with such love and conviction that once you get sucked in there is no going back. Such a deep voice, and one that kept me engaged for most of the night (always a good sign). Let’s just say that if my beau were to ask me to go and see another show with his friend in it, I will jump on the opportunity, because to me he is well worth the price of admission.

Review: Beverly Theatre Guild’s Wait Until Dark

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Disclaimer: Normally I try not to review shows that I felt was below average (in my eyes), but since someone asked I have to oblige.

Wait Until Dark is probably best known for the 1967 film adaptation of the same name, with Audrey Hepburn as the young blind woman Susy Hendrix. The script itself is a fascinating read with the characters jumping out of the page. However, between myself and several other theatre goers we agree that there has yet to be a community theatre group that effectively creates the suspense necessary for this show.

Unfortunately for the Beverly Theatre Guild, they have not broken that mold. Wait Until Dark is about a recently blind woman, Susy Hendrix, who happens to be in possession of a doll full of drugs. Her husband came in possession of those drugs through a chance encounter with a thief while on flight heading home a few weeks earlier. In the meantime, there are three con-artists who are all gunning for the doll and lure the husband away on a trip of “business” so they could corner the blind woman and steal the doll. With the help of a young neighbor, Susy attempts to even the odds by turning off all the lights in the home… however she neglects one: the refrigerator.

This has all the ingredients for a splendid thriller, so where did it all go wrong?

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Review: Spotlight Theater’s Deadly Game

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Just last weekend my beau and I motored our way down to New Lenox to watch a mutual friend’s production of The Deadly Game by James Yaffe.

Spotlight Theater is fairly new to the New Lenox area (no pun intended), but it is definitely not new to the world of community theater. Originally from the Homewood area, it was difficult to have to uproot from an established area and move to not only somewhere fairly new, but a town that already had an established community theater group in vicinity. Is there room for two community theater groups in this sleepy southwest Chicagoland town, only time will tell. However, if closing night is any indication then I suspect that Spotlight Theater will be around for some time.

The production is about a quadrille of retired friends: a prosecutor, a defense lawyer, a judge and the extra. All of whom relax together at an isolated home out in the middle of Switzerland and play an old “parlour game” to pass the time.

During one of their get-togethers an American businessman happens upon them, finding himself stuck in the storm and unable to continue on his trip to town. After a little bit of time warming up by the fire and having a bit of alcohol and food he is invited into their parlour game playing the defendant.

And so begins a court enactment where each of the players re-enact their roles that they’ve played in their life and the American businessman being grilled for a “crime” that he may or may not have committed.

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Review: Theatre-on-the-Hill’s Den of Thieves (Original Draft)

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When I was approached to write a review for Theatre-on-the-Hill’s Den of Thieves, my first instinct was to wait until the second weekend of performances so I could compare and contrast actors in the roles that were double cast. But when I asked about deadlines it was brought to my attention the intent of the review was in the hope to bring in a larger audience for the remaining three weekends of performances.

So, below is the original idea that I had for a review for Theatre-on-the-Hill‘s production of Den of Thieves. There are notable differences between my original review and what was ultimately sent out to TribLocal as an official review, but the spirit of the review is still there for the most part. Which one do you like more?

Author’s Note: I will be posted my thoughts about various other productions that I saw in the past few years just to keep for posterity. Anything that is legitimate will be notated with an all capitalized REVIEW, whileas anything that is just my thoughts would simply be Review. Capeesh?

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REVIEW: Theatre-on-the-Hill’s Den of Thieves

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I was asked to review Theatre-on-the-Hill‘s fall production of Den of Thieves, and naturally I was honored to obliged. Then came a few issues:

This production of Den of Thieves has two roles that are double-cast, meaning that the performance dates are split between multiple actors. Theatre-on-the-Hill is notorious of doing this, particularly during the summer musical shows, this happens a lot less often during their Spring or Fall shows.

So which cast version to review upon? Well I went Opening Night, which wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t fantastic either. Then I went on the following Saturday night performance which was by and large the better of the two… so guess what my “legitimate” review was about?

This show will be open through the month of November 2011 in Bolingbrook. The version below was edited for the TribLocal online newspaper. I will include my original version in a bit.

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REVIEW: Madison Street Theatre’s Premiere Production: Animal Farm

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So I’m a theatre junkie. However, I’m more likely to go to shows that include friends or if I have someone go with me. In the case of Animal Farm out in Oak Park, my beau was a part of the cast. Now I have a nasty habit to see a show multiple times when I’m going to see a significant other perform, but that is mainly because I enjoy being in the company of people that I have grown to respect and appreciate not only as performers, but as people and friends as well.

Below is a legitimate review of George Orwell’s Animal Farm written in early August 2011. The first of what I hope to be many to come. From here on out, any shows that I’ve come across (be it a community theatre production, bootleg I’ve come across, or professional show) I will post my thoughts of them here…

And now without further adieu: Animal Farm.

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UPDATE: “Can we start again please?”

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So I decided to change everything out again. So instead of a splash page that leads into a bunch of other mini-sites, I decided to just simplify everything to the point that it is just a weblog. This way if time permits I can still add on pages outside of the blog that will be accessible via the blog.

This is a reflection of what has been going on in my life, where I used to compartmentalize everything and over-complicate matters to the point that I was stressing myself out. Now that I’ve found a bit of a balance, and a bit of simplicity it became easier to just put everything down on one page and throw the complexities out the window.

So with a weblog I could keep ideas up here, if anything new happens in my life it would be easier to post about it… and as writing projects complete itself then I’ll post accordingly.

Oh and if you were wondering where the title of this page came from? It is from a musical – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ SuperStar – that is playing at the Arcada in St. Charles, IL in mid-December. It is being co-produced by Natural Talent Productions.

Ja ne!