Following is the latest release from Paper Mill Playhouse, which yesterday announced confirmation of the long-rumoured $3.5 million loan from a local banking institution.
Mixed feelings. We only know two things for sure:
1. The loan is enough to get them through the last show of their season.
2. They are now spending someone else's money.
They still need to shake up their board of trustees, which, by all reports (none of which I have read about being refuted) have engaged in a disturbing pattern of setting unrealistic budgets based on their own inadequate donation pledges (that's how you get on the board in the first place, folks), which they subsequently fail to honor. Not that anyone is ripping anyone off here--we know where the money is going, because we see the shows--but the bottom line is that this irresponsible behavior has done what might prove to be irreparable harm.
At the very least, the state ought to investigate this matter before coughing up any more grant money. There are a lot of smaller companies who could put that money to better use than staging a revival of a musical that loses thousands and thousands of $$?
Sidebar
Speaking of grant money, I hear the Dodge Foundation may be, in effect, getting out of the arts patronage business. That would be quite a blow to the New Jersey stages. Does anybody have more on this?
Fortunately, Jersey Stages is financially secure, although I did spend $500 on a new dryer last week (A delayed casualty of my flood, for those of you still following that mini saga).
Upcoming
Nada. No openings in North or Central Jersey (NJ Rep is out of my radius). Tomorrow is Garage Sale Day for me and the missus. First, the Daily Record's big county garage sale at Morris County College, a must for garage-sale freaks. One of the biggest you'll ever see. Then back home for my Lake Intervale neighborhood garage sale. Will miss my neighbor Maggie Rapp, a dedicated buyer, seller and fellow journalist who didn't make it through the winter. Maggie, if you're husband still has that Edison cylinder you used to tease me with, I can give it a good home.
Paper Mill press release follows below. Happy hunting, folks.
INVESTORS SAVINGS BANK ISSUES $3.5 MILLION DOLLAR LOAN TO REVITALIZE PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE
(Millburn, NJ)– In a joint announcement today, leaders from Investors Savings Bank and Paper Mill Playhouse reported the bank issued the theatre a significant loan to assist with their cash crisis. Chairman of the Paper Mill Playhouse Board of Trustees Ken Thorn stated, “This is the first step in a long range plan to revitalize the Playhouse and ensure the theatre’s financial stability.” Thorn says the loan will not only permit the theatre to continue with the current season’s last play, Pirates!, but also make preparations to launch the 2007-2008 season.
“All of us at Investors Savings Bank care deeply about Paper Mill Playhouse where we have taken our children, friends and colleagues to amazing performances over the years,” said Kevin Cummings, EVP & COO of Investors. “We have shared in the growth of Millburn and have enjoyed working with the many customers and businesses we have today. Our loan signifies the commitment Investors has to this community and to all of New Jersey, as the financial health of Paper Mill impacts us all on many levels.”
Paper Mill’s Board Vice Chair Steven Tasher commented, “The loan from Investors Savings Bank will provide much needed financial relief to the theatre. This loan is part of a much bigger plan that includes a partnership with the Township of Millburn, community business leaders and a planned administrative reorganization of the Playhouse that will incorporate a sound longer-term business and financing plan. Continued community support will be needed to ensure the success of Paper Mill.”
Scott Fergang, a member of the Board of Trustees remarks, “The Paper Mill Playhouse Board of Trustees and staff are poised to begin the process of revitalizing the theatre through a newly adopted mission that positions Paper Mill as ‘an artistic and educational center for intergenerational audiences’. By expanding our education and outreach programs Paper Mill will deepen its engagement with the community and reach a new generation of families throughout the State of New Jersey. Our upcoming production of Pirates! is a great example of Paper Mill’s commitment to our subscribers and families in New Jersey.”
Pirates!, a swashbuckling adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, a fully-staged theatrical concert with costumes, choreography and sword fighting was conceived by Gordon Greenberg (Jacques Brel…), Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), and John McDaniel (The Rosie O’Donnell Show) and will run at the Millburn theatre from June 7, 2007 through July 8, 2007. The production stars Farah Alvin (Mabel), Ed Dixon (Modern Major General), Barrett Foa (Frederic), Liz McCartney (Ruth), Gerry McIntyre (Sergeant) and Andrew Varela (The Pirate King). Pirates! is produced with generous support from RBC Dain Rauscher. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973-376-4343, or at the Paper Mill Box Office on Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.papermill.org.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Paper Mill Rising Stars
Slow week for Jersey Stages as Memorial Day weekend is a lousy time for openings.
The summer slowdown is not yet upon us, though. There's openings next week at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey ("The Play's the Thing") and Tri-State Actors Theatre in Sussex ("Greater Tuna").
Paper Mill pushed its press opening for "Pirates!" back a few days to June 13 (Wednesday night opening, ugh!), which means I may get to Tri-State's opening after all. Felt bad I missed their "Twelfth Night" but there was no time.
In the meantime, here's a Central Jersey-oriented look at highlights from Paper Mill's Rising Star nominations:
Theatrical productions from three Union County high schools and two more from Somerset County received nominations this week for Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2007 Rising Star Awards.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School was among most honored, receiving 14 nominations. Cranford High School and Union Catholic High School, along with Immaculata High School and Bridgewater-Raritan High School, also gained nominations.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s production of the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” was nominated for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. From that production, individual nominations or honorable mentions were given to Ally Rome (Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role), Kristen Barry and Elizabeth Minski (supporting actress), Andre Smith (supporting actor), Mary Lynn Dobson (Outstanding Achievement by a Teacher or Outside director), Gia Dilorio (choreography), John Brzozowski (musical direction), Joanne Sprague and Gertle Rowe (costumes), Gerry DeLuca and Maura Berger (hair and makeup) and for chorus and student orchestra. In the Student Achievement category, nominations went to stage manager Tom Sack and crew (Lauryn Adams, Diana Chaves, Ashley Deshields, Noveen Iqbal, Kathryn Moynihan, Adam Biner, Victoria Kamouth).
Cranford’s “Titanic” received an honorable mention for outstanding overall production, along with individual nominations for Catrina Coffey (supporting actress), Cori Chandler (featured ensemble member), Mike D’Arcy (scenic achievement), Lynn C. Berry and Christine Stawnychy (costumes) and Michelle Masa (hair and makeup). “Titanic” also was nominated for the Educational Impact Award.
Union Catholic’s production of “Sugar” earned nominations for Joe Palinsky and Lynne Nunes for graphic design.
In Somerset County, Doug Helman of Bridgewater-Raritan was nominated as a lead actor in “Fiddler on the Roof.” From the same production, stage manager Brian DeVito was nominated for the Student Achievement Award.
Immaculata High School in Somerville was honorably mentioned in the Outstanding costume Achievement category.
Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards were created to encourage and reward exceptional accomplishments in the production of New Jersey high-school musicals. It is the first and only statewide high school recognition program of its kind in the country.
A corps of evaluators, comprised of theater professionals and educators, see shows at all 110 entered schools between January and April before making their nomination recommendations. The awards will be given out in a gala ceremony at the theater in Millburn on June 12.
For information, visit http://www.papermill.org/.
Happy Memorial Day everyone, and a tip of the cap to my late Dad, a combat vet of WWII, and my stepson, whose done 2 tours in Iraq and headed back to the Middle East probably in the fal, and this time as an officer. As I always tell him, keep your chin up and your head down.
The summer slowdown is not yet upon us, though. There's openings next week at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey ("The Play's the Thing") and Tri-State Actors Theatre in Sussex ("Greater Tuna").
Paper Mill pushed its press opening for "Pirates!" back a few days to June 13 (Wednesday night opening, ugh!), which means I may get to Tri-State's opening after all. Felt bad I missed their "Twelfth Night" but there was no time.
In the meantime, here's a Central Jersey-oriented look at highlights from Paper Mill's Rising Star nominations:
Theatrical productions from three Union County high schools and two more from Somerset County received nominations this week for Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2007 Rising Star Awards.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School was among most honored, receiving 14 nominations. Cranford High School and Union Catholic High School, along with Immaculata High School and Bridgewater-Raritan High School, also gained nominations.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s production of the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” was nominated for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. From that production, individual nominations or honorable mentions were given to Ally Rome (Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role), Kristen Barry and Elizabeth Minski (supporting actress), Andre Smith (supporting actor), Mary Lynn Dobson (Outstanding Achievement by a Teacher or Outside director), Gia Dilorio (choreography), John Brzozowski (musical direction), Joanne Sprague and Gertle Rowe (costumes), Gerry DeLuca and Maura Berger (hair and makeup) and for chorus and student orchestra. In the Student Achievement category, nominations went to stage manager Tom Sack and crew (Lauryn Adams, Diana Chaves, Ashley Deshields, Noveen Iqbal, Kathryn Moynihan, Adam Biner, Victoria Kamouth).
Cranford’s “Titanic” received an honorable mention for outstanding overall production, along with individual nominations for Catrina Coffey (supporting actress), Cori Chandler (featured ensemble member), Mike D’Arcy (scenic achievement), Lynn C. Berry and Christine Stawnychy (costumes) and Michelle Masa (hair and makeup). “Titanic” also was nominated for the Educational Impact Award.
Union Catholic’s production of “Sugar” earned nominations for Joe Palinsky and Lynne Nunes for graphic design.
In Somerset County, Doug Helman of Bridgewater-Raritan was nominated as a lead actor in “Fiddler on the Roof.” From the same production, stage manager Brian DeVito was nominated for the Student Achievement Award.
Immaculata High School in Somerville was honorably mentioned in the Outstanding costume Achievement category.
Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards were created to encourage and reward exceptional accomplishments in the production of New Jersey high-school musicals. It is the first and only statewide high school recognition program of its kind in the country.
A corps of evaluators, comprised of theater professionals and educators, see shows at all 110 entered schools between January and April before making their nomination recommendations. The awards will be given out in a gala ceremony at the theater in Millburn on June 12.
For information, visit http://www.papermill.org/.
Happy Memorial Day everyone, and a tip of the cap to my late Dad, a combat vet of WWII, and my stepson, whose done 2 tours in Iraq and headed back to the Middle East probably in the fal, and this time as an officer. As I always tell him, keep your chin up and your head down.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Review Preview: "Painting Churches"
OK, here's a draft of my review of "Painting Churches" by the Womens Theatre Company in Parsippany.
Abstract: Interesting play that takes some time before it gets to its point, but pays off in the end. Cast need some more rehersal, but there's an enjoyable night of theater here.
If you want to go:
What: “Painting Churches”
When: through June 3
Where: Parsippany Community Center, 1130 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha section
How much: $15
Info: (973) 316-3033
Stay with it, and “Painting Churches” pays off.
The Womens Theater Company production of Tina Howe’s off-Broadway hit wobbles in the first act before finally hitting the mark. The result is that Howe’s powerful message resonates now more than it did when she wrote it 25 years ago.
The Churches in question are not steepled houses of worship, but they are pillars of the community. But poet laureate Gardner Church (Rich Maloy) and his wife, Fanny (Judy Stone), are about to leave their cushy Boston home for a small cottage on the Cape. It is a move of necessity—Gardner has lost his talent to senility, so the income stream has slowed to a trickle.
“Daddy’s last Pulitzer didn’t even cover the real-estate taxes,” Fanny tells their daughter, Meg, who’s come to paint their portrait before they move.
Meg is looking forward to seeing her parents through a new set of eyes. As a child, she suffered the eccentricities and intimidating demands of her parents, particularly Fanny, who has refined the art of passive-aggressive behavior. Meg is a now successful portrait artist, about to be shown at a famous gallery that once displayed the likes of Warhol and Rauschenberg.
She loves her job, because “it’s the subject that’s exposed, not me,” she tells her mother. “That’s why I wanted to do you.”
Tart-tongued Fanny counterpunches with digs at Meg’s hair, dress and talent, honed at Pratt Institute, which Fanny dismisses as “that wretched little art school.”
Meanwhile, Gardner wanders through his day, further disoriented by the move. He stares at the bare walls, bumps into the moving cartons scattered about the apartment and drops sheets of an incoherent manuscript like he’s spreading grass seed. But when Fanny notes the time of day, he cheerfully pours Dubonet for everyone (there’s an ’80s reference for you) and munches on Saltines like he’s discovered a new food group.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Fanny tells Meg, who’s shaken with the reality of her father’s situation.
Maloy brilliantly captures the tragic decline of a powerful mind. You can see genuine confusion in his mind as he stops because he’s forgotten where he’s going. You can see a brief spark of clarity as he recalls a poem and recites it with eloquence, comprehending the nuance of every syllable, then suddenly—in an instant—it’s gone.
Many of growing ranks of sandwich-generation caregivers will recognize every look on Malloy’s face, because they’ve seen it in the eyes of their own aging parents. Another side of the sandwich generation—those who distance themselves from these situations, will connect with Meg, who’s shocked at how callously her mother treats, and copes, with her infirmed father.
“At least I’m involved,” Fanny snaps at her daughter, who visits roughly once a year. “Which is a hell of a lot more than you do.”
Stone has the proper Boston Brahmin attitude, and manages to build some sympathy for a frequently unsympathetic character. But her timing was off on opening night, rushing lines and missing several tailor-made opportunities for humor. Curious, since her background includes a lot of comedy.
Merrigan also lacks the timing to deliver Howe’s tricky lines, which can be hilarious or horrifying depending on how they are delivered.
Coincidentally, Merrigan has a bachelor’s degree in portraiture painting. A professional scenic designer as well as an actress, she also designed the set.
Hopefully, Artistic Director Barbara Krajkowski can help the actors better connect with the material, and each other. Perhaps it was just opening-night jitters, which seemed to be clearing as the show reached its powerful climax. Should they accomplish the mission, this worthy production may even be worth a second look.
Abstract: Interesting play that takes some time before it gets to its point, but pays off in the end. Cast need some more rehersal, but there's an enjoyable night of theater here.
If you want to go:
What: “Painting Churches”
When: through June 3
Where: Parsippany Community Center, 1130 Knoll Road, Lake Hiawatha section
How much: $15
Info: (973) 316-3033
Stay with it, and “Painting Churches” pays off.
The Womens Theater Company production of Tina Howe’s off-Broadway hit wobbles in the first act before finally hitting the mark. The result is that Howe’s powerful message resonates now more than it did when she wrote it 25 years ago.
The Churches in question are not steepled houses of worship, but they are pillars of the community. But poet laureate Gardner Church (Rich Maloy) and his wife, Fanny (Judy Stone), are about to leave their cushy Boston home for a small cottage on the Cape. It is a move of necessity—Gardner has lost his talent to senility, so the income stream has slowed to a trickle.
“Daddy’s last Pulitzer didn’t even cover the real-estate taxes,” Fanny tells their daughter, Meg, who’s come to paint their portrait before they move.
Meg is looking forward to seeing her parents through a new set of eyes. As a child, she suffered the eccentricities and intimidating demands of her parents, particularly Fanny, who has refined the art of passive-aggressive behavior. Meg is a now successful portrait artist, about to be shown at a famous gallery that once displayed the likes of Warhol and Rauschenberg.
She loves her job, because “it’s the subject that’s exposed, not me,” she tells her mother. “That’s why I wanted to do you.”
Tart-tongued Fanny counterpunches with digs at Meg’s hair, dress and talent, honed at Pratt Institute, which Fanny dismisses as “that wretched little art school.”
Meanwhile, Gardner wanders through his day, further disoriented by the move. He stares at the bare walls, bumps into the moving cartons scattered about the apartment and drops sheets of an incoherent manuscript like he’s spreading grass seed. But when Fanny notes the time of day, he cheerfully pours Dubonet for everyone (there’s an ’80s reference for you) and munches on Saltines like he’s discovered a new food group.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Fanny tells Meg, who’s shaken with the reality of her father’s situation.
Maloy brilliantly captures the tragic decline of a powerful mind. You can see genuine confusion in his mind as he stops because he’s forgotten where he’s going. You can see a brief spark of clarity as he recalls a poem and recites it with eloquence, comprehending the nuance of every syllable, then suddenly—in an instant—it’s gone.
Many of growing ranks of sandwich-generation caregivers will recognize every look on Malloy’s face, because they’ve seen it in the eyes of their own aging parents. Another side of the sandwich generation—those who distance themselves from these situations, will connect with Meg, who’s shocked at how callously her mother treats, and copes, with her infirmed father.
“At least I’m involved,” Fanny snaps at her daughter, who visits roughly once a year. “Which is a hell of a lot more than you do.”
Stone has the proper Boston Brahmin attitude, and manages to build some sympathy for a frequently unsympathetic character. But her timing was off on opening night, rushing lines and missing several tailor-made opportunities for humor. Curious, since her background includes a lot of comedy.
Merrigan also lacks the timing to deliver Howe’s tricky lines, which can be hilarious or horrifying depending on how they are delivered.
Coincidentally, Merrigan has a bachelor’s degree in portraiture painting. A professional scenic designer as well as an actress, she also designed the set.
Hopefully, Artistic Director Barbara Krajkowski can help the actors better connect with the material, and each other. Perhaps it was just opening-night jitters, which seemed to be clearing as the show reached its powerful climax. Should they accomplish the mission, this worthy production may even be worth a second look.
Friday, May 18, 2007
It's official: "Pirates!" to sail at Paper Mill
Well, they got it done. After all the angst, Paper Mill Playhouse will launch its production of "Pirates!" on schedule June 7.
Short on time so I'll cut and paste a bit from the press release:
Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, NJ) announces its mainstage production of Pirates!, a swashbuckling adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, a fully-staged theatrical concert with costumes, choreography and sword fighting. This newly reworked masterpiece conceived by Gordon Greenberg (Jacques Brel…), Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), and John McDaniel (The Rosie O’Donnell Show) will run at the Millburn theatre from June 7, 2007 through July 8, 2007. The production stars Farah Alvin (Mabel), Ed Dixon (Modern Major General), Barrett Foa (Frederic), Liz McCartney (Ruth), Gerry McIntyre (Sergeant) and Andrew Varela (The Pirate King).
Pirates! with book and lyrics by Sir William S. Gilbert, music by Sir Arthur S. Sullivan was conceived by Gordon Greenberg, Nell Benjamin, and John McDaniel with additional book & lyrics by Nell Benjamin, music supervision, new arrangements, and orchestrations by John McDaniel. The journey of this updated version of The Pirates of Penzance began at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2005 when Director Gordon Greenberg was in final rehearsals for The Baker’s Wife. Greenberg and the artistic staff began discussing ideas for a “Caribbean” adaptation of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan score. In 2006, the creative team that would ultimately create Pirates! met in New York City with Goodspeed Musicals and Paper Mill Playhouse to pitch the concept. Both theatres enthusiastically embraced the idea and commissioned the team to create this redeveloped work.
Gordon Greenberg, director of the Off-Broadway hit Jacques Brel…, will direct Paper Mill’s Pirates!. Previously, Greenberg directed The Bakers Wife for both Goodspeed Musicals and Paper Mill Playhouse and the national tour of Peter Pan. Warren Carlyle associate choreographer of The Producers and Oklahoma on Broadway will choreograph Pirates!.
Adapted from the original Gilbert and Sullivan libretto and set to a Caribbean inspired score, Director Gordon Greenberg navigates Pirates! into the 21st century, complete with swordfights and sex appeal. After a hard-of-hearing nurse mistakes the word "pilot" for "pirate," young Frederic finds himself apprenticed to a band of swashbuckling buccaneers. Now a young man, and with his final days of servitude rapidly approaching, he longs for a return to respectable life. But in true Gilbert and Sullivan style, mishap after mishap arises, and it will take a fair maiden, a fair amount of double-crossing, and the very model of a modern major general to reach a happy ending.
The company of Pirates! is led by veteran actors Farah Alvin (Mabel), Ed Dixon (Modern Major General), Barrett Foa (Frederic), Liz McCartney (Ruth), Gerry McIntyre (Sergeant) and Andrew Varela (The Pirate King). Farah Alvin was featured in the Off-Broadway drama I Love You Because and recently released an album entitled Someday. Ed Dixon, a Paper Mill favorite, last appeared on the Paper Mill stage as Max in The Sound of Music. His Broadway credits include: The Iceman Cometh, The Best Man, Cyrano, Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Barrett Foa made his Broadway debut in 2001 in the original cast of Mamma Mia followed by a critically acclaimed performance as the evil Mordred in Camelot at Paper Mill. Most recently he played the role of Leaf Coneybear in the Broadway Company of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Princeton/Rod in Avenue Q. Liz McCartney is best known for her performances on Broadway in Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and the original cast of Taboo. Gerry McIntyre starred on Broadway in Joesph…Dreamcoat, Anything Goes, and the original company of Once on this Island. On Broadway, Andrew Varela appeared as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, Professor Bhaer in Little Women and King David.
There you go. Now I'm off the the Womens Theater Company production of "Painting Churches" (Review Preview should be posted some time tomorrow). I love their new home at the Parsippany Community Center, five minutes from my house and about 10 feet from where I'll be playing golf on Sunday.
Then, somehow, I ended up with the entire weekend off after having to plan on working all weekend. My dancing deadlines lately move more often than James Brown on the Apollo stage. Somehow, the latest round of changes worked in my favor. That NEVER happens, so I'm still a little wary.
As my friend Herb used to say (usually around 2 a.m.), "Journalism ... what was I thinking?" God help me, I love it so.
Short on time so I'll cut and paste a bit from the press release:
Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, NJ) announces its mainstage production of Pirates!, a swashbuckling adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, a fully-staged theatrical concert with costumes, choreography and sword fighting. This newly reworked masterpiece conceived by Gordon Greenberg (Jacques Brel…), Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), and John McDaniel (The Rosie O’Donnell Show) will run at the Millburn theatre from June 7, 2007 through July 8, 2007. The production stars Farah Alvin (Mabel), Ed Dixon (Modern Major General), Barrett Foa (Frederic), Liz McCartney (Ruth), Gerry McIntyre (Sergeant) and Andrew Varela (The Pirate King).
Pirates! with book and lyrics by Sir William S. Gilbert, music by Sir Arthur S. Sullivan was conceived by Gordon Greenberg, Nell Benjamin, and John McDaniel with additional book & lyrics by Nell Benjamin, music supervision, new arrangements, and orchestrations by John McDaniel. The journey of this updated version of The Pirates of Penzance began at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2005 when Director Gordon Greenberg was in final rehearsals for The Baker’s Wife. Greenberg and the artistic staff began discussing ideas for a “Caribbean” adaptation of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan score. In 2006, the creative team that would ultimately create Pirates! met in New York City with Goodspeed Musicals and Paper Mill Playhouse to pitch the concept. Both theatres enthusiastically embraced the idea and commissioned the team to create this redeveloped work.
Gordon Greenberg, director of the Off-Broadway hit Jacques Brel…, will direct Paper Mill’s Pirates!. Previously, Greenberg directed The Bakers Wife for both Goodspeed Musicals and Paper Mill Playhouse and the national tour of Peter Pan. Warren Carlyle associate choreographer of The Producers and Oklahoma on Broadway will choreograph Pirates!.
Adapted from the original Gilbert and Sullivan libretto and set to a Caribbean inspired score, Director Gordon Greenberg navigates Pirates! into the 21st century, complete with swordfights and sex appeal. After a hard-of-hearing nurse mistakes the word "pilot" for "pirate," young Frederic finds himself apprenticed to a band of swashbuckling buccaneers. Now a young man, and with his final days of servitude rapidly approaching, he longs for a return to respectable life. But in true Gilbert and Sullivan style, mishap after mishap arises, and it will take a fair maiden, a fair amount of double-crossing, and the very model of a modern major general to reach a happy ending.
The company of Pirates! is led by veteran actors Farah Alvin (Mabel), Ed Dixon (Modern Major General), Barrett Foa (Frederic), Liz McCartney (Ruth), Gerry McIntyre (Sergeant) and Andrew Varela (The Pirate King). Farah Alvin was featured in the Off-Broadway drama I Love You Because and recently released an album entitled Someday. Ed Dixon, a Paper Mill favorite, last appeared on the Paper Mill stage as Max in The Sound of Music. His Broadway credits include: The Iceman Cometh, The Best Man, Cyrano, Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Barrett Foa made his Broadway debut in 2001 in the original cast of Mamma Mia followed by a critically acclaimed performance as the evil Mordred in Camelot at Paper Mill. Most recently he played the role of Leaf Coneybear in the Broadway Company of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Princeton/Rod in Avenue Q. Liz McCartney is best known for her performances on Broadway in Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and the original cast of Taboo. Gerry McIntyre starred on Broadway in Joesph…Dreamcoat, Anything Goes, and the original company of Once on this Island. On Broadway, Andrew Varela appeared as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, Professor Bhaer in Little Women and King David.
There you go. Now I'm off the the Womens Theater Company production of "Painting Churches" (Review Preview should be posted some time tomorrow). I love their new home at the Parsippany Community Center, five minutes from my house and about 10 feet from where I'll be playing golf on Sunday.
Then, somehow, I ended up with the entire weekend off after having to plan on working all weekend. My dancing deadlines lately move more often than James Brown on the Apollo stage. Somehow, the latest round of changes worked in my favor. That NEVER happens, so I'm still a little wary.
As my friend Herb used to say (usually around 2 a.m.), "Journalism ... what was I thinking?" God help me, I love it so.
Groovelily update
For those of you who remember last year's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" coproduced by McCarter Theatre Center and Paper Mill Playhouse, here's an update on Groovlily, the musical trio who wrote original music and performed in that fabulous show, directed by my favorite director, Tina Landau.
I enjoyed an interview with them a while back and have stayed in touch. Very nice people. They have gone on to produce their "holiday musical," striking 12," to good reviews and crowds off-Broadway and continue to tour the country, playing their unique blend of jazzy, breezy and abstractly pop tunes.
They recently released a CD of music from the show, "A Little Midsummer Night's Music" (PS Classics), and donated $5 from each Internet sale for a designated week to Paper Mill Playhouse's "survival fund." The net result: 73 sales and a $365 donation. Not bad.
And they said the Internet wouldn't last.
Also, they were hired by Disney to write songs for a musical version of "Toy Story." Even if, for now, it's only planned for now as a 55-minute show (to be performed on the Disney cruise ship Wonder), you know the Mouse will find an address on Broadway if the show gets a good response. Leave it to Disney to put a new spin on the old "out-of-town trial." Anyway, the show will still include Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me," but the rest will be groovy grooves from Groovelily.
As for the CD, I must say, if I hadn't seen the show twice, I might be scratching my head wondering what to make of it. It's good, and a great keepsake of show I remember very fondly. But if I wanted to buy a first Groovelily CD and learn more what they are all about, I would seek out the compilation "Are We There Yet?" Man, there's a lot of great music on that one.
Groovelily also will play a rare New Jersey concert Sept. 22 in Chatham. For details, or to order a CD, visit http://www.groovelily.com/
Busy day at work, then I'm near home tonight for "Painting Churches," which wraps up the season at the Womens Theater Company in Parsippany. Off we go ...
I enjoyed an interview with them a while back and have stayed in touch. Very nice people. They have gone on to produce their "holiday musical," striking 12," to good reviews and crowds off-Broadway and continue to tour the country, playing their unique blend of jazzy, breezy and abstractly pop tunes.
They recently released a CD of music from the show, "A Little Midsummer Night's Music" (PS Classics), and donated $5 from each Internet sale for a designated week to Paper Mill Playhouse's "survival fund." The net result: 73 sales and a $365 donation. Not bad.
And they said the Internet wouldn't last.
Also, they were hired by Disney to write songs for a musical version of "Toy Story." Even if, for now, it's only planned for now as a 55-minute show (to be performed on the Disney cruise ship Wonder), you know the Mouse will find an address on Broadway if the show gets a good response. Leave it to Disney to put a new spin on the old "out-of-town trial." Anyway, the show will still include Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me," but the rest will be groovy grooves from Groovelily.
As for the CD, I must say, if I hadn't seen the show twice, I might be scratching my head wondering what to make of it. It's good, and a great keepsake of show I remember very fondly. But if I wanted to buy a first Groovelily CD and learn more what they are all about, I would seek out the compilation "Are We There Yet?" Man, there's a lot of great music on that one.
Groovelily also will play a rare New Jersey concert Sept. 22 in Chatham. For details, or to order a CD, visit http://www.groovelily.com/
Busy day at work, then I'm near home tonight for "Painting Churches," which wraps up the season at the Womens Theater Company in Parsippany. Off we go ...
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Looking ahead: George St., McCarter
I'm still having trouble believing its 2007, and I'm reading news about 2008. Time flies when you have none to spare, so here's a quick look at news from two of the state's top professional theaters.
And for those of you who wondered how octogenarian Jack Klugman survived three weeks onstage at George Street Playhouse last year, well, he's coming back, a year older and, presumably, a year stronger. Everyready bunny, that one.
The highlight of new season planned at Princeton University’s McCarter Theatre Center is expected to be the world premiere of a new play by three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee. Artistic director Emily Mann will direct “Me, Myself and I,” which is described as a “dark, funny and moving play that takes sibling rivalry to existential heights.” Show dates are Jan 11 to Feb. 17.
The season beings with Lydia Diamond’s “Stick Fly” (Sept. 7 to Oct. 14) and also includes Moliere’s “Tartuffe” (Oct. 7 to 28); “Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts” (March 16 to April 6), from the same company that produced “Lookingglass Alice,” written and directed by Mary Zimmerman, who previously brought “The Odyssey” and “The Secret in the Wings” to McCarter; and, finally, “A Seagull in the Hamptons” (May 2 to June 8). This world-premiere “freely adapted” take on “The Seagull” completes Mann’s cycle of Chekhov’s major works.
During the holidays, of course, “A Christmas Carol” (opens Dec. 7, closing TBA) will take its annual residence in Princeton. For more information, visit www.mccarter.org.
George Street Playhouse last week announced three of the five selections for its 2007-08 season, which begins in October with the return of Jack Klugman in “The Sunshine Boys.”
Klugman, who performed at the New Brunswick theater last season in “The Value of Names,” will team with another veteran actor, Paul Dooley, in Neil Simon’s comedy about two aging vaudevillians. David Saint, in his 10th year as artistic director, direct George Street’s 34th-season premeire, which will run Oct. 16 to Nov. 11. Klugman, winner of three Emmys, is best known for his starring roles in TV’s “The Odd Couple” and “Quincy.” Dooley’s been a regular in TV and films for three decades, including a featured role this summer in the film version of the Broadway musical, “Hairspray!”
Also announced were the Donald Margulies drama, “Sight Unseen” (Jan. 15 to Feb. 10), followed by the “The Scene” (Feb. 26 to March 23). Theresa Rebeck’s biting comedy about an unemployed actor was an Off-Broadway hit last season at New York’s Second Stage Theatre.
Two to-be-named productions are being planned for Nov. 27 to Dec. 23 and April 8 to May 4.
George Street Playhouse is at 9 Livingston Ave. in the heart of New Brunswick’s dining and entertainment district. Full season subscriptions are available now. Single tickets go on sale in September, ranging from $28 to $54. For more information, call (732) 246-7717 or visit www.GSPonline.org.
And for those of you who wondered how octogenarian Jack Klugman survived three weeks onstage at George Street Playhouse last year, well, he's coming back, a year older and, presumably, a year stronger. Everyready bunny, that one.
The highlight of new season planned at Princeton University’s McCarter Theatre Center is expected to be the world premiere of a new play by three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee. Artistic director Emily Mann will direct “Me, Myself and I,” which is described as a “dark, funny and moving play that takes sibling rivalry to existential heights.” Show dates are Jan 11 to Feb. 17.
The season beings with Lydia Diamond’s “Stick Fly” (Sept. 7 to Oct. 14) and also includes Moliere’s “Tartuffe” (Oct. 7 to 28); “Argonautika: The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts” (March 16 to April 6), from the same company that produced “Lookingglass Alice,” written and directed by Mary Zimmerman, who previously brought “The Odyssey” and “The Secret in the Wings” to McCarter; and, finally, “A Seagull in the Hamptons” (May 2 to June 8). This world-premiere “freely adapted” take on “The Seagull” completes Mann’s cycle of Chekhov’s major works.
During the holidays, of course, “A Christmas Carol” (opens Dec. 7, closing TBA) will take its annual residence in Princeton. For more information, visit www.mccarter.org.
George Street Playhouse last week announced three of the five selections for its 2007-08 season, which begins in October with the return of Jack Klugman in “The Sunshine Boys.”
Klugman, who performed at the New Brunswick theater last season in “The Value of Names,” will team with another veteran actor, Paul Dooley, in Neil Simon’s comedy about two aging vaudevillians. David Saint, in his 10th year as artistic director, direct George Street’s 34th-season premeire, which will run Oct. 16 to Nov. 11. Klugman, winner of three Emmys, is best known for his starring roles in TV’s “The Odd Couple” and “Quincy.” Dooley’s been a regular in TV and films for three decades, including a featured role this summer in the film version of the Broadway musical, “Hairspray!”
Also announced were the Donald Margulies drama, “Sight Unseen” (Jan. 15 to Feb. 10), followed by the “The Scene” (Feb. 26 to March 23). Theresa Rebeck’s biting comedy about an unemployed actor was an Off-Broadway hit last season at New York’s Second Stage Theatre.
Two to-be-named productions are being planned for Nov. 27 to Dec. 23 and April 8 to May 4.
George Street Playhouse is at 9 Livingston Ave. in the heart of New Brunswick’s dining and entertainment district. Full season subscriptions are available now. Single tickets go on sale in September, ranging from $28 to $54. For more information, call (732) 246-7717 or visit www.GSPonline.org.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Review Preview: "Chapter Two"
Another Review Preview, which, in the Courier News context, is probably the final subjective word on the subject since I doubt the Courier will have room for this "out-of-area review." Daily Record readers can pick it up on Friday.
Abstract: Pretty good and served as a reminder of how great Niel Simon really is. "It really holds up, doesn't it?" said artistic director Eric Hafen. I had to agree. After so many years and so many plays, we take Simon for granted, but as the years pass, we have the perspective to appreciate the timelessness of his work.
Here we go:
As construction continues on the expansion of the Morris Museum and its companion Bickford Theatre, artistic director Eric Hafen is contemplating the next chapter for his professional theater company. Season 13 will begin in the fall, with a new lobby and expanded offerings, including a fifth main-stage production.
But first, Season 12 wraps up with “Chapter Two,” a sweet slice of Neil Simon comedy that is holding up quite well after 30 years (this production reflects the modest, modern polish of the 1996 revival).
Veteran director Ted Sod has assembled a cast of convincing professional actors, who play believable characters experiencing a believable romance. The warmth and comedy—which flows liberally through the first act, then takes a rest in the second—comes not only from Simon’s zippy one-liners, but from our ability to easily identify with these people.
A lot of playwrights can find drama in their own life, but only Simon can find humor in his most intimate sorrow. Standing in for the playwright is George Schneider (Paul Mantell), a writer we meet during an extended period of mourning following the death of his beloved wife, Barbara. His younger brother, Leo (Gary Littman), a fast-talking press agent, means well, but George isn’t ready to get on with his life, much less entertain the bad dates Leo fixes him up with.
Leo’s finally gets it right when he matches George with Jennie (Robin Marie Thomas), a successful actress just out of an unsuccessful marriage. George calls her by mistake, but an amusingly awkward series of phone calls leads to a whirlwind romance.
As George and Jennie quickly announce their engagement, Leo frets that things are moving too fast. His own unhappy marriage may be motivating him to save his brother from a terrible mistake.
“The trouble with marriage is that it’s relentless,” he says. “Every day you wake up and its still there.”
Leo’s path of philandering leads him to Jennie’s best friend, Faye (Katrina Ferguson of Morristown), an old flame who is now unhappily married and desperate for a little excitement. Their attempts at consummation are as funny as they are unsuccessful.
George and Jennie also run into trouble when George can’t shake the memory of Barbara, and resents Jennie for being as lovable as the love of his life. She resents him for wanting her to quit, because she’s never been a quitter.
Of course, Simon is known for happy endings, and “Chapter Two” is no different. That’s the hardest part of the story to swallow—we know that in real life, Simon’s storybook marriage to actress Marsha Mason didn’t last. But any adult who has been in love should find at least one character to identify with, which isn’t easy since there are only four to choose from.
It helps that Simon has given us some real people to identify with. He wisely wrote down, making George an obscure novelist rather than a world-famous playwright. Jennie makes a living, but isn’t the rising ingénue we remember Mason once was.
The actors are hardly matinee idols, either. Thomas, frequently seen in leading roles with the Womens Theater Company in Parsippany, is a fine actress, but is neither young nor possessed of leading-lady looks. Mantell matches Simon’s balding nebbishness. Littman has the sculpted looks of a womanizer, but he’s cut down to size in his scenes with Ferguson, who’s half a head taller than he is.
All four are comfortable and confident onstage, and Sod has the chemistry blending like wine and cheese. You can feel the familial love between the brothers, the sisterly bond between the ladies and the sparks between the lovers.
As usual at the Bickford, a single, detailed set (the lovers’ apartments, mirrored and sharing a center couch) presents a realistic platform for the action.
We’ve become so accustomed to Simon’s prolific genius that we sometimes take it for granted. Unfortunately, he’s done so often that he’s often done badly. Regular theater-goers may see the familiar title and think, “not again.” But this production could make them re-think their need to be Simon-ized.
Abstract: Pretty good and served as a reminder of how great Niel Simon really is. "It really holds up, doesn't it?" said artistic director Eric Hafen. I had to agree. After so many years and so many plays, we take Simon for granted, but as the years pass, we have the perspective to appreciate the timelessness of his work.
Here we go:
As construction continues on the expansion of the Morris Museum and its companion Bickford Theatre, artistic director Eric Hafen is contemplating the next chapter for his professional theater company. Season 13 will begin in the fall, with a new lobby and expanded offerings, including a fifth main-stage production.
But first, Season 12 wraps up with “Chapter Two,” a sweet slice of Neil Simon comedy that is holding up quite well after 30 years (this production reflects the modest, modern polish of the 1996 revival).
Veteran director Ted Sod has assembled a cast of convincing professional actors, who play believable characters experiencing a believable romance. The warmth and comedy—which flows liberally through the first act, then takes a rest in the second—comes not only from Simon’s zippy one-liners, but from our ability to easily identify with these people.
A lot of playwrights can find drama in their own life, but only Simon can find humor in his most intimate sorrow. Standing in for the playwright is George Schneider (Paul Mantell), a writer we meet during an extended period of mourning following the death of his beloved wife, Barbara. His younger brother, Leo (Gary Littman), a fast-talking press agent, means well, but George isn’t ready to get on with his life, much less entertain the bad dates Leo fixes him up with.
Leo’s finally gets it right when he matches George with Jennie (Robin Marie Thomas), a successful actress just out of an unsuccessful marriage. George calls her by mistake, but an amusingly awkward series of phone calls leads to a whirlwind romance.
As George and Jennie quickly announce their engagement, Leo frets that things are moving too fast. His own unhappy marriage may be motivating him to save his brother from a terrible mistake.
“The trouble with marriage is that it’s relentless,” he says. “Every day you wake up and its still there.”
Leo’s path of philandering leads him to Jennie’s best friend, Faye (Katrina Ferguson of Morristown), an old flame who is now unhappily married and desperate for a little excitement. Their attempts at consummation are as funny as they are unsuccessful.
George and Jennie also run into trouble when George can’t shake the memory of Barbara, and resents Jennie for being as lovable as the love of his life. She resents him for wanting her to quit, because she’s never been a quitter.
Of course, Simon is known for happy endings, and “Chapter Two” is no different. That’s the hardest part of the story to swallow—we know that in real life, Simon’s storybook marriage to actress Marsha Mason didn’t last. But any adult who has been in love should find at least one character to identify with, which isn’t easy since there are only four to choose from.
It helps that Simon has given us some real people to identify with. He wisely wrote down, making George an obscure novelist rather than a world-famous playwright. Jennie makes a living, but isn’t the rising ingénue we remember Mason once was.
The actors are hardly matinee idols, either. Thomas, frequently seen in leading roles with the Womens Theater Company in Parsippany, is a fine actress, but is neither young nor possessed of leading-lady looks. Mantell matches Simon’s balding nebbishness. Littman has the sculpted looks of a womanizer, but he’s cut down to size in his scenes with Ferguson, who’s half a head taller than he is.
All four are comfortable and confident onstage, and Sod has the chemistry blending like wine and cheese. You can feel the familial love between the brothers, the sisterly bond between the ladies and the sparks between the lovers.
As usual at the Bickford, a single, detailed set (the lovers’ apartments, mirrored and sharing a center couch) presents a realistic platform for the action.
We’ve become so accustomed to Simon’s prolific genius that we sometimes take it for granted. Unfortunately, he’s done so often that he’s often done badly. Regular theater-goers may see the familiar title and think, “not again.” But this production could make them re-think their need to be Simon-ized.
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