#Berkie Awards

[larryland]

Berkshire Theatre Critics Association Announces Nominations for the Second Annual Berkie Awards

Berkshire Theatre Critics Association Announces Nominations for the Second Annual Berkie Awards

(Pittsfield, MA) – The Berkshire Theatre Critics Association is pleased to announce the nominees for the Second Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards, known colloquially as The Berkies. The purpose of the BTCA and the Berkshire Theatre Awards is to promote and celebrate the quality and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on November…

[wallshipjournal]

BSC Company 2017: Aaron Tveit Media Links & Review Excerpts

Last update: 25/8/2017 (Video+Review) - Will be updated if/when new links/reviews appear. Reviews excerpted under cut.

VIDEO Barrington Stage Company - Rehearsal Footage Broadway.com - Opening Night Backstage Interview Barrington Stage Company - Performance Footage Promo Video

AUDIO WAMC "The Roundtable" - Preview w/ some Full Songs & Interviews sarcasticstagemanager - “Being Alive” (full audio bootleg for trade/gift)

PHOTOS Barrington Stage Company - Official Production Photos on Flickr BroadwayWorld - Opening Night Bows & Afterparty Broadway.com - Backstage on Opening Night Playbill.com - Behind-the-Scenes Photos by Mara Davis (+ Snapchat video)

REVIEWS

News Sources & Magazine Blogs

Broadway World Boston: “Barrington Stage Company (recently voted Best of The Berkshires) set a new record at the opening night of Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY last night. There appeared to be more selfie photos attempted of Aaron Tveit the show's star and the cast leaving the stage door of the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage than are taken by the ever present throngs in Broadway's Shubert Alley after a show. Aaron, who was Bobby in the extraordinary production directed by BSC's founder and artistic director JuliAnne Boyd, was mobbed by what seemed like the entire audience as Tveit and the cast tried to exit the stage door and continue on to the after party at the home of BSC Chair, Minky and Bruno Quinson. [...] You can't talk about Aaron Tveit, you have to hear and see him on the stage. One minute he's brilliantly acting and all of a sudden you realize you're hearing his glorious voice singing. One minute he's walking and all of a sudden you're watching a handsome guy moving like Fred Astaire. It's a Tony Award Winning performance, although in this case it will probably garner a Berky Award given by the Berkshire Critics Association.” (x)

Broadway.com: “Broadway.com was in on the action to capture Tveit taking his bow as "Bobby, baby...Bobby, bubi" after an incredible performance. [...] We'll be here, dreaming about Tveit's fantastic take on 'Being Alive.’” (x)

Albany Times Union: “Aaron Tveit brings a riveting magnetism to the leading role of Bobby in “Company,” the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical that is receiving a masterful revival at Barrington Stage Company. Tveit, returning to BSC after a decade during which he achieved significant success on Broadway, television and film, has the presence but not the remoteness of a star — he’s a standout, yet also fully part of a remarkable ensemble. It would be easy to overplay Bobby, a single man in 1970s New York City surrounded by five married couples all eager for him to join their wedded ranks. Tveit, as directed by Julianne Boyd, instead makes Bobby both the focus of the couples’ attention and a mirror reflecting their varied relationships. Bobby has to just be, neither too anguished about being single nor too carefree, and Tveit achieves this to perfection. [...] By the end, there’s only one thing left to do, and that’s Bobby singing “Being Alive.” It’s a song, Sondheim has said, that moves from complaint to prayer...As sung by Tveit, it’s neither cynical nor sappy. It’s bitter and angry, plaintive and hopeful, pleading and optimistic. It’s being alive.” (x)

The Daily Gazette: “The show’s glue is Aaron Tveit. Boyd rightly sets him down stage center on “Someone is Waiting,” “Marry Me a Little,” and “Being Alive” because he’s such a great communicator. Listen to the phrasing. Read his body language. In these songs and elsewhere, Tveit convincingly reveals why people like Bobby and why what they like may not be what he wants.” (x)

The Westfield News: “Aaron Tveit is a superb Robert, a difficult character to portray, since he’s primarily an observer with little outward emotion, until he breaks his barriers with the emotional Sondheim song “Being Alive”, which is the heart and soul of Company. Tveit is a fine singer, dancer, and actor, and he makes Robert an appealing leading man.” (x)

Boston Globe: “Bobby is a tricky character to play, largely because he’s a protagonist who is more reactive than active (perhaps only Hamlet is more paralyzed by indecision than this guy). Though he is the obsessive center of attention for his friends and his lovers, virtually the apple of their collective eye, Bobby’s posture is largely that of a detached observer...If anything, the Barrington Stage production further emphasizes Bobby’s apartness; while the rest of the cast are attired in garish ’70s clothes...Tveit wears a tastefully understated blue jacket that would not look out of place in 2017.That apartness means that an actor playing Bobby can seem remote or passive, and Tveit does not entirely avoid that trap. His Bobby is urbane, enigmatic, bemused, sometimes amused, sometimes amusing, but he does not come across as terribly conflicted. Except, crucially, in song. There, Tveit shines. He powerfully nails the yearning in Bobby’s solo “Someone is Waiting,’’ and he captures his character’s confusion and ambivalence in “Marry Me a Little,’’ in which Bobby insists he’s ready for marriage while stipulating rigid conditions that suggest he’s not at all ready.In the climactic “Being Alive,’’ Tveit passionately conveys the liberation achieved, paradoxically, when a gregarious loner like Bobby finally surrenders, unconditionally, to his need for another person. (x)

Berkshire Fine Arts: “This season Boyd has taken another crack at Company and critics appear to be unanimous that a sensational production is on the short list of her best work. Boyd is noted for loving musicals and this one is a corker.Much of that is owed to the serendipity of casting Aaron Tveit as a truly charismatic, charming, sexy and all around fabulous Bobby. He is the now 35-year-old swinging bachelor who just can’t take the plunge into marriage. The character charmngly (sic) hovers on the cusp of maturity...There were chills and goose bumps all over me when Bobby belted out that final solo ‘Being Alive.’” (x)

iBerkshires: “Hugh Jackman has it. The young Robert Redford had it – that preternatural ability to exude charisma and magnetic sexiness even when standing stone still. Aaron Tveit has it, too, in addition to his impressive singing, dancing and acting skills. Tveit is the star of Barrington Stage's "Company," one of Stephen Sondheim's biggest hits, and he is just the tip of the talent iceberg in this simply fantastic production. [...] Those of us in the audience who knew the show eagerly awaited "Being Alive," Bobby's final song that sets his inner realization to music. As we all suspected he would, Tveit knocked this iconic musical song out of the ballpark.” (x)

ZEALnyc: “Tveit, in particular, turns out to be an inspired choice for Bobby. Tveit has a chiseled everyman look, pretty but not ethically specific, which actually works well for Bobby, who’s meant to be a sort of cipher. Tveit has a powerful voice, great scene presence, and a terrific, focused way with interpreting a song.Tveit appears to have come a long way since his homogeneously bland take on Frank Abagnale, Jr. in Broadway’s Catch Me If You Can. Plus, he’s so damned good-looking, he can even make a ‘70s leisure suit look hot. Tveit wisely sings most of the songs pretty straight, although he couldn’t seem to help himself during “Being Alive,” during which he threw in a few vocal flourishes and Elphaba riffs.” (x)

Arts Fuse: “If you are a Sondheim enthusiast and can’t get enough of his music, lyrics, and sensibility, you will be pleased to know that Julianne Boyd has cast a strong production of Company, with an excellent Bobby (Aaron Tveit) and vibrant band and ensemble. [...] Slender and likeable Aaron Tveit delivers Bobby’s songs in a lyric tenor; the performer does his best to put some flesh on this stick figure as he ponders the passage of time and lack of human connection on his 35th birthday. Like [the rest of the cast], Tveit is a consummate performer, speaking, singing, and dancing with equal élan.” (x)

The Berkshire Eagle: “There is a stunning ah-ha moment late, very late, in Julianne Boyd's hugely accomplished production of Stephen Sondheim's "Company" at Barrington Stage Company. It occurs in Bobby's — and the musical's — final number, "Being Alive." Bobby (a smart, masterly performance by Aaron Tveit) spends the first half of the song cataloging the downside of relationships, marriage in particular — the entanglements, the choking obligations, the surrenders. The tone is unforgiving. There is not an upside anywhere until Bobby comes, for the first time, to the words "being alive," which he then, as interpreted by Tveit, repeats three more times, slowing down each time as he hears and begins to consider what he is saying. You can see a hint of something registering in Tveit's eyes. Music director Dan Pardo holds the orchestra in a vamp while Tveit's Bobby takes in what he is hearing; begins, finally, to put everything together and then goes back through the catalog he's just completed, this time with surging hope and welcome. It's a defining moment for Bobby. At 35, he has come of age, at last. The number would be triumphant enough on its own. The fact that it comes virtually on the heels of the memorable Ellen Harvey's perfectly calibrated delivery of "Ladies Who Lunch"...makes "Being Alive" an absolute coup de theatre. [...] Tveit wasn't even born when "Company" premiered on Broadway in 1970, but watching him go to work on Barrington Stage Company's Boyd-Quinson Mainstage feels as though he and Bobby were destined for one another. I say go to work, but in fact, Tveit's meticulously crafted performance looks so effortless. His singing voice is a marvel of control, breadth and expression and he dances with graceful assurance. His timing, his sense of Bobby's sense of purpose is clear and resonant, especially in his scenes with the girlfriends... [...] It's been 17 years since Boyd first tackled "Company." Barrington Stage was in Sheffield then. Tveit was 17. Just look how far they all have come.” (x)

WAMC Midday Magazine: "Company is one of those shows, however, that cannot succeed without the lead role of Robert being sensitively interpreted – including his two musical show-stoppers: “Someone is Waiting,” and “Being Alive.”  The leading man must be charming, dashing, vulnerable, disarming, wistful.  This production has such a star in Aaron Tveit, who proves up to the task from opening to closing curtain." (x)

Wall Street Journal: “Directed by Julianne Boyd, it stars Aaron Tveit as Robert, the commitment-phobic New York bachelor whose role was created by Dean Jones in the original 1970 production. I doubt there’s been a better Robert since Mr. Jones left the show. A true tenor with brilliantly gleaming high notes, Mr. Tveit is also a superior actor whose interpretation of the part is a volatile mix of charm, reserve and well-concealed fear. Not since Ben Platt opened in “Dear Evan Hansen” have I seen a musical performance as exciting as this one. In a way, though, what’s most surprising about Barrington Stage’s production is that Mr. Tveit doesn’t stand out nearly as much as you’d expect given the remarkable quality of his performance. Role for role, this is the best-sung “Company” I’ve ever heard—not just in regional theater, but anywhere.” (x)

Review Blogs

Boston Bright Focus: “Tveit is young, handsome, slender and charming, a decent dancer and a good singer, a comedic actor who keeps us serious in this funny show about funny people. There is a strange quality to his work at time when Bobby is hurt or mentally injured we see and feel his pain rather than just witness the incident or hear the remark. He reacts to everything in this role better than anyone else I've seen play Bobby. In its short, two year run on Broadway I saw the show four times with both its male stars, Dean Jones and then Larry Kert. I saw the revival with Raul Esparza. I saw the revival with Boyd Gaines. I saw George Chakiris in Los Angeles. None of them ever brought this quiet understanding, or struggle for understanding that Tveit conveys in the role.” (x)

CurtainUp: “All fourteen actors are multi-talented and each makes his/her role an integral part of the cast dynamics. However, it is Aaron Tveit's Bobby as he quietly glides about and absorbs the energy of those around him who drives the show to its rich and satisfying conclusion. His facial reactions are empathic and he truly becomes the human each of the others believes him to be. Yet he knows that this is not satisfying and is destructive to his own development. Tveit's "Being Alive summarizes the dichotomy of the human longing to connect while remaining free of responsibilities. When he sings In the final line "Someone to force you to care/ Someone to make you come through/Who'll always be there frightened as you /Of being alive," the electricity is palpable and breathtaking as he realizes '...The unlived life is not worth examining.'” (x)

Berkshire on Stage: “The acting, led by Tveit’s sensitive portrayal of Bobby’s confusion and understanding, is marvelous.” (x)

Critics At Large: "...it’s in the show’s revered pair of final numbers, “Ladies Who Lunch” and “Being Alive,” that the production shifts into a different gear. What I find so impressive about Harvey and Tveit in their respective deliveries of these two songs is the sense that they aren’t just basking in their star moments in the spotlight. Instead, they’re using the numbers to take their characters somewhere. [...] As for Tveit, he doesn’t possess superhuman powers, so he can’t make “Being Alive” work in terms of Bobby's overall narrative, but he does convey a remarkable sense of progression throughout the number. It’s a moment of genuine revelation for Bobby. It also stands in stark contrast to the rest of Tveit’s performance, not because he’s bad in the role, but, paradoxically, because he’s perhaps cast almost too well. Since I’m hammering on about the weaknesses in Furth’s script, it’s always bothered me that he intentionally and explicitly makes Bobby such a cipher. The idea that he’s the likable, inoffensive guy whose refusal to wade too deeply into a relationship allows his friends to project their desires onto him, thereby making him their common best friend, makes sense, but it’s also hard to figure out how an actor ought to approach such a role, or how to get the audience to invest in him emotionally. Tveit manages to convey Bobby’s breezy but noncommittal charm, making it clear why his disparate groups of friends enjoy being around him – although, at 33 years old and with a record of playing younger than his age in his major roles, it’s hard to fully buy into this actor as someone who is hitting an age-related crisis. However, he’s smart enough to play up the contrast between that version of Bobby and the newly uncertain but more complex character who emerges at the very end of the play. There’s an open-endedness to such an interpretation, a suggestion that this is merely a beginning, rather than a cathartic ending, for this man." (x)

Rural Intelligence: Tveit faces the challenge of any actor who plays Bobby. While his friends continually profess their love for him, it’s not actually clear what’s so endearing about Bobby besides his being a reliable third wheel who helps keep his friends’ marriages intact; in return, these married couples keep Bobby company so he doesn’t have to settle down. In the finale, Tveit reveals that Bobby’s been paying attention to his friends, and he delivers “Being Alive” with the gusto of a pilgrim who has finally glimpsed the promised land. (x)

From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2: "As played by the enigmatic Aaron Tveit, Bobby's complicated plight and final resolution, is real, raw, honest, soulful, cheerful, passionate and very moving. There's also a vibrant charm, passion and natural dreaminess to the character that makes Tveit's interpretation of Bobby much more believable and grounded than that of his Broadway predecessors Dean Jones, Larry Kert, Boyd Gaines and Raul Esparza. Back then, all four were simply acting out a part and nothing more. Here, Tveit plays Bobby. But he also owns the part. Big difference. From the moment he appears on the Barrington stage, he is Bobby, front and center, backwards and forwards, etc. Moreover, there's real talent behind that boyish allure mixed with just the right amount of poise, presence, flair and personality. Sure, it's all rehearsed, but Tveit makes us believe we're seeing his Bobby for the very first time. There is nothing remotely calculated about his facial expressions, line delivery, body language or interaction with the other onstage actors. Though he wasn't born when "Company" was first conceived, you'd swear Sondheim and playwright George Furth wrote Bobby with Tveit in mind. It's the musical performance of 2017. And one, you'll want to see again and again. Vocally, Tveit's voice is beautiful, polished, strong, commanding and natural. He pays close attention to the beats, lyrics and different rhythms of every Sondheim song he sings. And when he takes center stage and joins the entire cast for a song or two, he avoids that annoying grandstanding you find in other Sondheim shows where the lead actor looks you right in the face with private thoughts that cry out, "Hey, look at me. I'm in a Sondheim show." With the emotional "Being Alive," Tveit passionately reveals the quiet longing and intimacy Bobby desires with another person. The stirring "Marry Me A Little" conveys his confusion and doubt over a real relationship while "Someone Is Waiting" poignantly portrays the character's quiet yearning for that special something collectively shared by his married friends." (x)

Mixed or Negative Reviews (Negativity Warning!)

The Saratogian: "We see all of them through the eyes of Bobby, a handsome, 35-year-old bachelor, portrayed by Aaron Tveit as an unobtrusive observer. George Furth’s book tells us little about Bobby, and Tviet [sic] is faithful to that failing. His main function in this interpretation is to provide an outsider’s view into the private lives of the couples. A problem with the Barrington Stage production results from Tveit playing Bobby as a passive character. We are uncertain as to why the others want him as a close friend and confidant. Tveit presents a handsome figure who is a genuinely nice guy, but for most of the play, he is rather anonymous. It’s not wrong to make Bobby a cipher, but it doesn’t add depth to the friendships. This same passivity extends to his relationships with the three girlfriends we meet. We might understand why they are attracted to Bobby, but his disinterest with the women makes his expressed interest to be married seem insincere. The only times Bobby reveals anything of himself is through the songs “Someone is Waiting,” “Marry Me a Little” and the iconic anthem, “Being Alive.” In these moments, Tveit is marvelous. The doubt he expresses in these songs is revealing, touching and real. If we could see more of this personality throughout the show, the production would have been much more genuine and sincere." (x)

The New York Times: “Company’...is in some ways the least ambitious of the three, and also the most successful. By least ambitious, I don’t mean the material itself...the original production in 1970 was a musical theater game-changer that remains, with its impenetrable main character and abstract action, a difficult piece to pull off. I mean that despite a skilled New York cast led by the glossy Aaron Tveit, Barrington’s “Company,” directed by Julianne Boyd, is neither a Broadway tryout nor an attempt to reinvent the wheel. From the ’70s satire inherent in its pungent costumes to the gorgeous singing of the entire cast, it has evidently been packaged as pure entertainment. How well that approach represents the ambivalence at the show’s core is another matter. Bobby (Mr. Tveit) is a 35-year-old singleton at the height of the sexual revolution; he insists he is enjoying his freedom but his “good and crazy” friends — five married couples — think he is just afraid of commitment. The action consists mostly of Bobby’s watching those couples bicker, and drawing what conclusions he can from the way they make up. Time has not made the plot less problematic. A 35-year-old in 1970 apparently was more middle-aged than he is today; as played by Mr. Tveit, who is 33, there is no sense that Bobby is late to the marriage gate. And later revisions made by Mr. Furth to foreclose on the possibility that Bobby is gay now seem counterproductive. His denial comes across as more of a devious dodge than his silence ever did. Could it be that, absent disruptive directorial interventions like those made by John Doyle in the 2006 Broadway revival, the book is becoming untenable? Instead of psychology, it gives most of the wives gimmicks: One’s a first-time marijuana smoker, another a karate enthusiast. The interchangeable husbands barely get that much. And even Mr. Tveit, though ideally cast, can’t find much to do besides taking his safari-style suit jacket on and off. His Bobby is not merely passive but disaffected to the point of depression. It’s a reasonable reaction to a plot that incessantly nudges him from point A to point A. The good news is that Mr. Sondheim’s score remains thrillingly incisive, dramatizing every issue in its path. Problems of interpretation tend to dissolve when the songs are sung and played as well as they are here, not only by Mr. Tveit but also by Nora Schell as an earthy Marta (“Another Hundred People”) and by Ellen Harvey as a furious Joanne (“The Ladies Who Lunch”). If the result feels like a highlights reel, there are far worse things a musical can be.” (x)

Post-Chronicle: “In the key role of Bobby, Mr. Tveit cuts a handsome figure but rarely projects a distinct personality here. This may be again due to the writing, but in recent revivals both Neil Patrick Harris and Raul Esparza did create a Bobby of both magnetism and depth. Tveit’s bland acting is gratefully overshadowed, though, by his magnificent tenor voice and he successfully rocks the theatre with such Sondheim standards as “Marry Me A little” and “Being Alive”. In a company of superior singers, he is an able leader and often capable of being a thrilling performer.” (x)

[mykalwithay]

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A post shared by Mykal Kilgore (@mykalkilgore)

This summer I got a chance to perform a #dreamrole as The Witch in #IntoTheWoods at @barringtonstage. I’m so proud to announce that I have been nominated for a #Berkie Award for that performance. It was one of the most challenging and incredible experiences of my life, so award or not I have won so much! Here’s a clip of @anna.tobin and me from tech rehearsal! . #bscwoods #thewitch #berkshiretheatreawards #whatashow #imissmycast #broadway (at Pittsfield, Massachusetts) https://www.instagram.com/p/B39mxdTgKwL/?igshid=xz73sl4aticn

[mustafinesse]

2017 Melbourne World Cup  Day 3 “Finals Day 1” Recap

Today was another great day at the 2017 Gymnastics World Cup in Melbourne. My day began by watching the Japanese men train on the podium. They all looked super strong and even Kenzo’s floor timers made me gawk. I then was able to watch the general warmup and event warmup which I devoted to watching Sanne Wevers train beam. Her beam training is spectacular to watch. She does countless spins and holds on relevé and is rock solid on every single one. For the competition I sat directly in front of bars and vault so I could get the best view of those two apparatus. I was lucky enough to be sitting next to Peggy Liddick and the rest of the Gymnastics Australia VIPs and got to hear some great insight into the competition from them.

The competition began similarly to Wednesday with Womens Vault and Mens Floor. Mens floor featured Dual World Champion and Olympic Champion Kenzo Shirai who was the clear favourite going into finals. Shirai had a pretty solid routine but had some low landings and lunges forward that kept his E score well into the 7s. Luckily for him his massive D score was able to let him hang on for the Gold Medal with a Score of 14.700 (7.2).

In second place with a score of 14.466 (5.9) was China’s Mu Jile. He showcased some spectacular tumbling with brilliant form to win the silver medal. He opened with a stuck double front and finished with a massive stuck triple twist that made the crowd go wild. Aesthetically he looked like the winner however he lacked the D to overcome Kenzo tonight. Ferhat Arican of Turkey was in third place with a score of 14.033 (5.7) which tied him with Japan’s Wataru Tanigawa, however due to tie break rules Arican was awarded the bronze medal. Arican had a really clean routine that was leagues better than his performance in qualification. He performed beautiful clean tumbling combined with lots of artistic flair which the crowd loved. Hilariously the gymnasts that medaled received a massive jar of Vegemite on the podium which had ‘first’, ‘second’ and ‘third’ written on them depending on the medal awarded. I hope the gymnasts realise how long it really takes to eat a jar of Vegemite that big (at least a year).

Women’s Vault was on during the Mens floor and showcased some amazing and powerful vaulting. This was especially evident in the top three gymnasts who were clearly the best vaulters in the field tonight. China’s Wang Yan capitalised on her bigger D scores to take the gold medal with two strong vaults scoring 14.250. Her first vault which was a double twisting tsukuhara landed a bit low but had good form throughout. Her second vault, a basically stuck handspring rudi, was much stronger and allowed her to claim the title here in Melbourne. 

Emily Little of Australia was close behind in second place with a score of 14.199. Emily’s double twisting yurchenko was by far the best vault of the competition and had a lot of amplitude. Her simple yet well performed tsukahara 1/1 could only clinch her the silver medal tonight. In third place was Australia’s Naomi Lee with a 13.383 who showed two huge vaults that have massive potential to be upgraded. Both her full twisting yurchenko and her laid out tsukahara look ready to upgraded and we will surely see them both soon. Naomi was swamped by adoring fans at the barrier to the competition floor after she had received her medal and Vegemite jar.

The next final was the pommel horse final which featured 2012 Olympic Champion Krisztian Berki. Berki did not disappoint coming away with the win for a beautiful clean routine that scored a 14.933. He had great flexibility and internal amplitude that made him a class above the rest of the field in terms of execution and presentation. 

Zou Jingyuan of China was in second with a 14.433 and fellow countryman Weng Hao was in third place with a 14.333. Overall the men really stepped up on pommel horse with far fewer falls than what we saw in qualifying.

Up next on the program was the rings final which had a tie for gold between China’s Zou Jingyuan and Wu Guanhua. Both men had beautiful routines with stuck dismounts. This resulted in their matching E and D scores, allowing them to both take gold with a score of 14.866. Ibrahim Colak of Turkey was in third place with a 14.366 and showed off his long lines and clean form throughout the exercise. The rings competition was super exciting as the entire field performed really well and made massive improvements upon their qualifying routines.

Uneven Bars was the final event of the night and featured China’s Luo Huan and Liu Tingting who ended up taking silver and gold medals respectively. Liu Tingting of china had a pretty strong routine with a score of 14.300 but had a couple of missed handstand that kept her E score below the 8.5 range. She definitely had the best rhythm and line tonight which allowed her to take the gold medal. 

Luo Huan of China also had a great routine but had to improvise after going over on a pirouette. She managed a great save to come up with the silver medal with a score of 13.866. 

Australias Rianna Mizzen came through for the bronze with a solid routine but had some struggles on her opening weiler kips and was a bit tight throughout the exercise. She scored a 13.433 to round out the podium.

Overall tonight was an amazing night of gymnastics that had a great and appreciative crowd. All of the Australian gymnasts got massive cheers and showed how the popularity of gymnastics in Australia is surely growing. Ambassador Aly Raisman also made appearances tonight and talked about her time hear in Australia. She seemed a lot more bubbly tonight and a lot less jet lagged. I’m super excited for the rest of the finals and the sold out crowd tomorrow night in Hisense Arena.

[herreraduero]

No puedes hablar de Aaron Tveit , tienes que escucharlo y verlo en el escenario. En un minuto está actuando brillantemente y de repente te das cuenta de que estás escuchando su gloriosa voz cantando. En un minuto anda y de repente observas a un guapo que se mueve como Fred Astaire . Es un Tony Award Winning rendimiento, aunque en este caso, probablemente recibirá un Premio Berky otorgado por la Asociación de Críticos de Berkshire.

[biankapanovaacademy-blog]

CHN and JPN Neck-To-Neck On 2017 Melbourne Individual Apparatus World Cup

On February 25, 2017, the first Individual Apparatus World Cup of 2017 in Artistic Gymnastics has concluded. It started on February 22, 2017 in Melbourne (AUS) as a part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) ongoing World Cup series.

Olympic veterans and standout newcomers have shown off their skills to be able to stand at the podium at Australia’s Hisense Arena. Listed below are the top three winners for each apparatus.

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Results

In the said event, China has started establishing their dominance in artistic gymnastics once again, after having been defeated in the last Olympic Games. Chinese gymnasts tumbled off with three of the five event titles awarded on the first day. On the finals, the Chinese men bagged a silver on floor from the newcomer Mu Jile, another silver and a bronze on pommel horse from Zou Jingyuan and Weng Hao respectively. The gold from still rings has been snatched by Wu Guanhua and Zou Jingyuan who tied at the first place despite being both newcomers, the latter also took home the gold in parallel bars. Unfortunately, they didn’t place any on the top three for vault and high bar.

However, China’s greatest opponent, Japan, is close on their heels. Olympian and two-time Floor World Champion Kenzo Shirai has put down his team gold medal from the Rio Olympics to be able to hold his new medals. He snatched the gold in floor, high bar and vault, finishing with a silver on parallel bars. His teammate Wataru Tanigawa bagged the bronze in vault while Yusuke Saito was awarded the same at high bar.

Although considered underdogs, other countries also had the spotlights shine on them. Turkey won quite a few to represent their country. Ferhat Arican won the bronze on floor and parallel bars while Ibrahim Colak got bronze as well on still rings. The host country, Australia, got two silver medals from Christopher Remkes at the vault and Mitchell Morgans on high bar. Hungary took home the gold on the pommel horse which was won by the veteran Krisztian Berki, once again proving his supremacy on the apparatus after being the 2012 Olympic Pommel Horse champion and not being able to compete in Rio.

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Results

The Chinese men’s counterparts aren’t as lucky as they are if based on the medal counts, but their country didn’t lack on podium moments in this series. The female Chinese gymnasts bagged just five medals in total throughout the whole event. The gold on vault was snatched by Olympic team member Wang Yan. Liu Tingting and Huan Luo received their gold and silver medals at the podium responsively from uneven bars. Liu, a sixteen-year-old who passed on Rio due to injuries, returned with a vengeance. She also took home the gold in beam and the bronze in floor.

Australian female gymnasts took revenge for their male gymnasts as they accumulated six medals amongst places first to third. 2012 Olympian Emily Little took home the silver in vault and newcomer teammate Naomi Lee took the bronze. Little also has a bronze in beam and a gold in floor, leaving teammate Georgia Godwin for silver. Another teammate and standout Riana Mizzen was the only Australian medalist in uneven bars, a bronze.

For the full list of results, visit Gymnastics Australia’s website.

The Melbourne World Cup is a part of the two-year FIG Individual Apparatus World Cup series. It began in November 2016 and would end in March 2018. Gymnasts gain points from each stop and the gymnast with the highest points in total at the end of the circuit is crowned World Cup champion on that event. The next stop on this circuit is Doha, Qatar on March 22-25.

Keep up with the latest news and updates about the sport of gymnastics by following our official blogs and social media sites. Enroll today at Bianka Panova Sport and Art Academy and learn gymnastics for kids with us! Come and experience world class training and education!

[larryland]

Shakespeare & Company Wins Six Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards

Shakespeare & Company Wins Six Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards

Top honors for Outstanding Play Production went to the Company’s production of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog

(Lenox, MA) – Shakespeare & Company is proud to have been honored with six Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards. At a ceremony held in Pittsfield last week, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association presented 23 Berkshire Theatre Awards. This was the fourth year the awards…

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Fourth Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards Presented

Fourth Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards Presented

Mac-Haydn Theatre and Shakespeare & Company Take Top Honors

PITTSFIELD, MA (November 12, 2019) – At an SRO ceremony held at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA)presented the Berkshire Theatre Awards on the evening of Monday, November 11, 2019. This was the fourth year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence…

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2019 Nominees Announced for the Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards

2019 Nominees Announced for the Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards

The fourth annual Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards, aka The Berkies, will be awarded on the evening of Monday, November 11, 2019 at Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First Street in Pittsfield, MA.

Outstanding Solo Performance

Tara Franklin – On The Exhale – Chester Theatre Company

Steven Patterson – Shylock – Bridge Street Theatre

Jayne Atkinson – Ann – WAM Theatre

  Outstanding Supporting Actress in a…

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Shakespeare & Company Honored with Four Berkshire Theatre Awards

Shakespeare & Company Honored with Four Berkshire Theatre Awards

(Lenox, MA) –  Shakespeare & Company is proud to have been honored with four Berkshire Theatre Awards. At a ceremony held in Pittsfield last week, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association presented 21 Berkshire Theatre Awards. This was the third year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.

The…

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CHESTER THEATRE COMPANY RECEIVES BERKSHIRE THEATRE AWARDS

Every Brilliant Thing Tapped for Two Honors Chester, MA – Chester Theatre Company (CTC) has received two Berkshire Theatre Awardsfor work seen on the stage of Chester’s Town Hall Theatre this past summer. Actor Joel Ripkawas cited for Outstanding Solo Performance Piece for Every Brilliant Thing (written by Duncan Macmillian with Jonny Donahoe, and directed by CTC Producing Artistic…

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Mac-Haydn Theatre Takes Home Three "Berkie" Awards

Mac-Haydn Theatre Takes Home Three “Berkie” Awards

Artistic Director John Saunders (left), Choreographer Sebastiani Romagnolo (center) and actress Emily Kron (right) proudly show off the trophies they won at the recent Berkshire Theatre Critics Association’s 2nd Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards event.   Hello, Dolly!, the delightful comedy-romance classic directed by Mr. Saunders, shared the Best Musical top spot. The intricate and exciting…

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Pittsfield, MA – At an SRO ceremony held on the stage of the St. Germain Theatre at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association presented the Berkshire Theatre Awards on the evening of Monday, November 6, 2017. This was the second year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.

Critics J. Peter Bergman and Macey Levin once again hosted the ceremony, which saw top honors for Best Play go to the Berkshire Theatre Group’s production of David Auburn’s Lost Lake, and a tie between Barrington Stage Company’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company and the Mac-Haydn Theatre’s production of Hello, Dolly! for Best Musical.

The Berkshire Theatre Group captured both of the Outstanding Direction awards, with Eric Hill winning for his production of Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo, and James Barry for his direction of the musical Million Dollar Quartet.

Joel Ripka took home the award for Outstanding Solo Performance in Chester Theatre Company’s production of Duncan Macmillan’s Every Brilliant Thing, directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer. That production was also honored as Outstanding New Play of the season. The Oldcastle Theatre Company production of Shipwrecked!… directed by Eric Peterson, won for Oustanding Ensemble Performance for actors John Hadden, David Joseph, and Carla Woods.

The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater went to WAM Theatre and Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven for their innovative double philanthropic mission whereby they donate a portion of the box office proceeds of every major production to a non-profit organization that benefits women and girls. Since its founding in 2010, WAM Theatre has donated more than $41,500 to thirteen nonprofit organizations.

In addition to the awards, Charles Guiliano and Gail M. Burns gave a special tribute to the Berkshire Theatre Association founder, the late Larry Murray, who passed away in March of this year. Kristen van Ginhoven presented a monologue entitled The Last Activist Standing.  

2017 Berkshire Theatre Awards (winners appear in Boldface) 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play: Nominees: Jessica Hecht – The Clean House – Williamstown Theatre Festival; Ella Loudon – The Tempest – Shakespeare & Co; Medina Senghore – Intimate Apparel – Shakespeare & Co; Zoë Laiz – 4000 Miles – Shakespeare & Co.

Jessica Hecht in a scene from the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of “The Clean House” by Sarah Ruhl. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Jessica Hecht

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play: Nominees: Joey Collins – At Home At the Zoo – Berkshire Theatre Group; Mark H. Dold – This – Barrington Stage Company; Carson Elrod – Taking Steps – Barrington Stage Company; Rocco Sisto – The Birds – Barrington Stage Company

Joey Collins (left) and David Adkins both took home awards for their performances in Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo at the Berkshire Theatre Group. Photo by Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware.

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play or Musical: Nominees: Riccardo Hernandez – The Clean House – Williamstown Theatre Festival; Randall Parsons – Arsenic and Old Lace – Berkshire Theatre Group; Brian Prather – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company; Kristen Robinson – Company – Barrington Stage Company

Brian Prather’s award-winning set for Barrington Stage Company’s production of Ragtime can be seen in all its glory in this scene featuring Frances Evans & J. Anthony Crane. Photo by  Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Choreography: Nominees: Jeffrey Page – Company – Barrington Stage Company; Freddy Ramirez – Mamma Mia – Capital Rep; Sebastiani Romagnolo – Hello, Dolly! – Mac-Haydn Theatre; Shea Sullivan – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company

The Waiters’ Gallop exemplifies Sebastiani Romagnolo’s award-winning choreography for Hello, Dolly! at the Mac-Haydn Theatre.

Outstanding Direction of a Muscial: Nominees: James Barry – Million Dollar Quartet – Berkshire Theatre Group; Joe Calaraco – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company; Trey Compton – Godspell 2012 – Theater Barn; John Saunders – Hello, Dolly! – Mac-Haydn Theatre

James Barry, director of Million Dollar Quartet” at the Berkshire Theatre Group.

The cast of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware.

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play or Musical: Nominees: Tyler Kinney – Cymbeline – Shakespeare & Co; Govane Lohbauer – Emilie… – WAM Theatre; Bethany Marx – Hello, Dolly! – Mac-Haydn Theatre; Sara Jean Tosetti – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company

Bella Merlin sports one of Tyler Kinney’s award-winning costumes for Shakespeare & Company’s production of Cymbeline. Photo by Stratton McCrady

Outstanding Solo Performance: Nominees: Kyle Branzel – Buyer & Cellar – Weston Playhouse; Ed Dixon – Georgie – Barrington Stage Company; Joel Ripka – Every Brilliant Thing – Chester Theatre; Oliver Wadsworth – The Tarnation of Russell Colvin – Dorset Theatre Festival

Joel Ripka, winner of the Outstanding Solo Performer award, interacts with an audience member in the Chester Theatre Company production of “Every Brilliant Thing” by Duncan Macmillan. Photo by Elizabeth Solaka.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical: Nominees: Ellen Harvey – Company – Barrington Stage Company; Rachel Rhodes-Devey – Hello, Dolly! – Mac-Haydn Theatre; Madison Stratton – Spamalot – Mac-Haydn Theatre; Zurin Villanueva – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company

Ellen Harvey as Joanne in Barrington Stage Company’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company.” Photo by Daniel Rader.

Ellen Harvey

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play or Musical: Nominees: Mike Baldassari – Children of a Lesser God – Berkshire Theatre Group; Chris Lee – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company; David Weiner – Where Storms Are Born – Williamstown Theatre Festival; Robert Wierzel – A Legendary Romance – Williamstown Theatre Festival

David Weiner’s award-winning lighting illuminates Arnulfo Maldonado’s set for Where Storms Are Born at the  Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical: Nominees: Gabe Belyeu – Hello, Dolly! – Mac-Haydn Theatre; Gil Brady – Mamma Mia – Capital Rep; Roe Harftrampf – A Legendary Romance – Williamstown Theatre Festival; Paul Urriola – Guys and Dolls – Theater Barn

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical winner Roe Harftrampf and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical nominee Lora Lee Gayer in A Legendary Romance at the  Williamstown Theatre Festival. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Direction of a Play: Nominees: Eric Hill – At Home At the Zoo – Berkshire Theatre Group; Kenny Leon – Children of a Lesser God – Berkshire Theatre Group; Regge Life – God of Carnage – Shakespeare & Company; Rebecca Taichman – The Clean House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Scott Killian, winner of the Berkie award for Outstanding Sound Design for his work on the Berkshire Theatre Group production of David Auburn’s “Lost Lake.”

Eric Hill, winner of Outstanding Direction of a Play for Edward Albee’s “At Home at the Zoo” at the Berkshire Theatre Group.

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play or Musical: Nominees: Scott Killian – Lost Lake – Berkshire Theatre Group; Ryan Rumery – The Legend of Georgia McBride – Dorset Theatre Festival; Alex Sovronsky – The Last Wife – WAM Theatre; David Thomas – The Birds – Barrington Stage Company

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Nominee: Lora Lee Gayer – A Legendary Romance – Williamstown Theatre Festival; Emily Kron – Sweeney Todd – Mac-Haydn Theatre; Elizabeth Stanley – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company; Monica M. Wemitt – Hello, Dolly! – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Emily Kron as Mrs. Lovett in the Mac-Haydn Theatre production of “Sweeney Todd.”

Emily Kron

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Nominees: Darnell Abraham – Ragtime – Barrington Stage Company; Mark Hardy – Sweeney Todd – Mac-Haydn Theatre; Jeff McCarthy – A Legendary Romance – Williamstown Theatre Festival; Aaron Tveit – Company – Barrington Stage Company

Darnell Abraham

Darnell Abraham and members of the cast of Barrington Stage Company’s production of “Ragtime.” Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding New Play or Musical: Nominees: Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan, Daniel Elihu Kramer, director – Chester Theatre, producer; I and You by Lauren Gunderson, Kristen Van Ginhoven, director – Chester Theatre, producer; A Legendary Romance by Timothy Prager and Geoff Morrow, Lonny Price, director – Williamstown Theatre Festival, producer; Where Storms are Born by Harrison David Rivers, Shaheem Ali, director – Williamstown Theatre Festival, producer

Joel Ripka interacting with audience members in the Chester Theatre Company production of Duncan Macmillan’s “Every Brilliant Thing,” directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer. Photo by Elizabeth Solaka.

Daniel Elihu Kramer, Artistic Director of the Chester Theatre Company

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play: Nominees: Lynnette R. Freeman – Lost Lake – Berkshire Theatre Group; Diane Prusha – Wharton Comedies – Shakespeare & Co; Lauren Ridloff – Children of a Lesser God – Berkshire Theatre Group; Kim Stauffer – Emilie… – WAM Theatre

Lynnette R. Freeman, winner of the award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a play for her performance in David Auburn’s “Lost Lake” at the Berkshire Theatre Group

Lynnette R. Freeman and Quentin Maré in the Berkshire Theatre Group’s production of David Auburn’s “Lost Lake.” Photo by Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware.

Outstanding Ensemble Performance: Nominees: Baskerville – Dorset Theatre Festival; God of Carnage – Shakespeare & Company; Shipwrecked!. . . – Oldcastle Theatre; Skeleton Crew – Chester Theatre

Carla Woods, John Hadden, and David Jospeh, winners of Outstanding Ensemble Cast for their performances in Donald Marguilies’ “Shipwrecked!…” directed by Eric Peterson at the Oldcastle Theatre Company. Photo by Erika Floriani.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play: Nominees: David Adkins – At Home At the Zoo – Berkshire Theatre Group; Quentin Maré – Lost Lake – Berkshire Theatre Group; Nigel Gore – The Tempest – Shakespeare & Company; Oliver Wadsworth – Emilie… – WAM Theatre

The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater: Nominees: Julianne Boyd, Barrington Stage Company; Mandy Greenfield, Williamstown Theatre Festival; Kate Maguire, Berkshire Theatre Group; Kristen Van Ginhoven, WAM Theatre

Kristen van Ginhoven, co-founder and Artistic Director of WAM Theatre.

On November 5 WAM Theatre presented their thirteenth beneficiary, Soldier On Women’s Program, with $9,000 – a portion of the box office receipts from their production of “The Last Wife” by Kate Hennig. Photo by Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware.

Outstanding Production of a Musical: TIE VOTE! Nominees: Company – Barrington Stage Company; Hello, Dolly! – Mac-Haydn Theatre; A Legendary Romance – Williamstown Theatre Company; Sweeney Todd – Mac-Haydn Theatre

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Outstanding Production of a Play: Nominees: The Birds – Barrington Stage Company; Children of a Lesser God – Berkshire Theatre Group; The Clean House – Williamstown Theatre Festival; Lost Lake – Berkshire Theatre Group

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2017 Berkshire Theatre Award Winners Announced! Pittsfield, MA - At an SRO ceremony held on the stage of the St. Germain Theatre at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, the Board of the…

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Williamstown Theatre Festival and Barrington Stage Company Take Top Honors

At an SRO ceremony held at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association presented the Berkshire Theatre Awards on the evening of Monday, November 12, 2018. This was the third year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.

The 2018 awards really display the commitment of regional theatres to presenting new and diverse work. Women and minorities were well represented among the nominees and the winners in all categories. Nominees represented theatres in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Connecticut.

Critics J. Peter Bergman and Macey Levin once again hosted the ceremony, which saw top honors for Outstanding Play Production go to the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s production of Theresa Rebeck’s Seared, and Barrington Stage Company’s production of West Side Story for take home the award for Outstanding Musical Production.

The 2018 awards really display the commitment of regional theatres to presenting new and diverse work. Women and minorities were well represented among the nominees and the winners in all categories. Nominees represented theatres in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Connecticut.

This year’s ceremony featured several performances from regional theatre groups, some of whom were nominated for awards. The Acting Class with Patrick White recreated scenes from their production of Men in Boats, nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Production. Director Christine Decker and actors Erika Floriani and Jana Lillie presented a scene from Chocolate by Frederick Stroppel, Brian Petti performed a monologue from the Bridge Street Theatre’s production of Mickie Maher’s There is a Happiness that Morning Is directed by John Sowle. And Joel Ripka and Paul Pontrelli, did a scene from the Chester Theatre Company’s production The Aliens by Annie Baker, directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer, which won the Outstanding Ensemble Production award for the cast, which also included James Barry.

Julianne Boyd was named Outstanding Director of a Musical for her work on West Side Story at Barrington Stage, and James Warwick was named Outstanding Director of a Play for Mothers and Sons at Shakespeare & Company.

Danielle Skraastad took home the award for Outstanding Solo Performance in Tony Kushner’s HOMEBODY, directed by Jeffrey Mousseau and presented at the Ancram Opera House.

The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater went to Shakespeare & Company for their Shakespeare in the Courts and Fall Festival of Shakespeare programs.

2018 Berkshire Theatre Awards (winners appear in Boldface)

Outstanding Supporting Actress Musical

Skyler Volpe as Anita – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Hayley Podschun as Gwen Cavendish – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Latoya Edwards as Dionne – Hair –Berkshire Theatre Group

Monica M. Wemett as Miss Hannigan – Annie –Mac-Haydn Theatre

Berkie award winners Skyler Volpe as Anita and Addie Morales as Maria in the Barrington Stage Company production of “West Side Story.” Photo: Daniel Rader.

Skyler Volpe

Outstanding Supporting Actor Musical

Chip Zien as Oscar Wolfe – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Sean Ewing as Bernardo – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

A.J. Shively as Perry – The Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Steven Rattazzi as Marinetti – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Sean Ewing

Sean Ewing (center) with Danny Bevins and Julio Catano-Yee. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Supporting Actress Play

Ella Loudon as LaBelle/Phoebe Dennis – As You Like It – Shakespeare and Co.

Victoria Frings as Viv – Well Intentioned White People – Barrington Stage

Nemuna Ceesay as Macy – The Cake – Barrington Stage

Mary Stout as Anne Marie – A Doll’s House, Part II – Barrington Stage

Nemuna Ceesay with Debra Jo Rupp and Virginia Vale in The Cake. Photo Carolyn Brown.

Nemuna Ceesay

Outstanding Supporting Actor Play

Brooks Ashmanskas as Ronnie Wilde – The Closet – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Phillip James Brannon as Marcel – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

John Hadden as Arnold – HIR – Shakespeare and Co.

Daniel K. Isaac as Atung – The Chinese Lady – Barrington Stage

John Hadden

John Hadden as Arnold in “HIR.” Photo: Eloy Garcia.

Outstanding Lead Actor Musical

Will Branner as Tony – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Will Swenson as Tony Cavendish – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

David Garrison as Irving Berlin – Coming Back Like a Song – Berkshire Theatre Group

George Dvorsky as “Daddy” Warbucks – Annie – Mac-Haydn Theatre

George Dvorsky

George Dvorsky as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks with Corinne Tork as Grace Farrell, and Annabel Feigen as Annie. Photo Credit: Sarah Kozma

Outstanding Lead Actress Musical

Addie Morales as Maria – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Harriet Harris as Fanny Cavendish – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Laura Michelle Kelly as Julie Cavendish –Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Andrea Prestinario as Alison Bechdel – Fun Home – Weston Playhouse

Addie Morales

Addie Morales and Will Branner. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Lead Actress Play

Annette Miller as Katherine – Mothers and Sons – Shakespeare and Co.

Debra Jo Rupp as Della – The Cake – Barrington Stage

Alfie Fuller as Noxolo – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Laila Robins as Nora – A Doll’s House, Part II – Barrington Stage

Annette Miller as Katherine in “Mothers and Sons.” Photo by Eloy Garcia.

Annette Miller

Outstanding Lead Actor Play

Jonathan Epstein as Gustav – Creditors – Shakespeare and Co

Christopher Innvarr as Torvald – A Doll’s House, Part II – Barrington Stage

David Adkins as Allen Squier – The Petrified Forest – Berkshire Theatre Group

Hoon Lee as Harry – Seared – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Hoon Lee

Hoon Lee as Harry in “Seared.” Photo Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Ensemble Production

HIR – Shakespeare and Co.

Three Sisters – Living Room Theatre

Men on Boats – Acting Class with Patrick White at Sand Lake Center for the Arts

The Aliens – Chester Theatre

Joel Ripka, James Barry, and Paul Pontrelli in “The Aliens” at Chester Theatre Company. Photo by Elizabeth Solaka

 Outstanding Solo Play

Mona Golabek in The Children of Willisden Lane – Hartford Stage

Danielle Skraastad in HOMEBODY – Ancram Opera House

Sharon Washington in Feeding the Dragon – Hartford Stage

Danielle Skraastad as the Homebody. Photo: B. Docktor Photography

Danielle Skraastad

Outstanding Director Musical

Julianne Boyd – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

John Rando – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

John Saunders – Cabaret – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Rachel Chavkin – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Barrington Stage Company Artistic Director Julianne Boyd

“West Side Story” at Barrington Stage Company. Photo Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Director Play

Nicole Ricciardi – Creditors – Shakespeare and Co.

Saheem Ali – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Jennifer Chambers –The Cake – Barrington Stage

James Warwick – Mothers and Sons – Shakespeare and Co.

James Warwick

Annette Miller, Bill Mootos, David Gow and Hayden Hoffman in “Mothers and Sons.” Photo by Eloy Garcia.

Outstanding Scenic Design

Alexander Dodge – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Wilson Chen – The Petrified Forest – Berkshire Theatre Group

Dane Laffrey – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Kristen Robinson –West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Kristen Robinson

Set for “West Side Story” by Kristen Robinson – “Tony’s Death.”

Outstanding Costume Design

Alejo Vietti – The Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Hunter Kaszarowski – The Petrified Forest – Berkshire Theatre Group

Montana Levi Blanco – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Angela Carstensen – Cabaret – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Alejo Vietti

Arnie Burton, Laura Michelle Kelly, Hayley Podschun, Harriet Harris, Holly Ann Butler, Will Swenson & Kathryn Fitzgerald in costumes by Alejo Vietti for “The Royal Family of Broadway.”

Outstanding Lighting Design

Bradley King – Lempicka – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Andrew Gmoser – Damn Yankees – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Lap Chi Chu – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

David Lander – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Lap Chi Chu

Samira Wiley as Pretty Mbane in “Dangerous House.” Lighting design by Lap Chi Chu. Photo Carolyn Brown.

Outstanding Sound Design – TIE

Daniel Kluger – The Sound Inside – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Fabian Obispo – The Chinese Lady – Barrington Stage

Rider Q. Stanton – Ring of Fire – Capital Repertory Theatre

Palmer Hefferan – Dangerous House – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Palmer Hefferan

Fabian Obispo

Outstanding Choreography

Robert La Fosse – West Side Story – Barrington Stage

Joshua Bergasse – Royal Family of Broadway – Barrington Stage

Sebastiani Romagnolo – Cabaret – Mac-Haydn Theatre

Lisa Shriver – Hair – Berkshire Theatre Group

Choreographer Robert La Fosse.

Sarah Crane, Magdalena Rodriguez, Skyler Volpe, Tamrin Goldberg, and Jerusha Cavazos in the Barrington Stage Company production of “West Side Story” choreographed by Robert La Fosse. Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding NEW Play

The Sound Inside by Adam Rapp, directed by David Cromer – Williamstown Theatre Festival

The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh, directed by Ralph B. Pena – Barrington Stage

The Closet by Douglas Carter-Beane, directed by Mark Brokaw – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Dangerous House by Jen Silverman, directed by Saheem Ali – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Playwright Jen Silverman.

Alfie Fuller as Noxolo and Michael Braun as Gregory in Jen Silverman’s “Dangerous House.” Photo Sarah Sutton.

Outstanding NEW Musical

Lempicka – Book and Lyrics by Carson Kreitzer; Music by Matt Gould, directed by Rachel Chavkin – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Royal Family of Broadway – Book by Rachel Sheinkin; Music and Lyrics by William Finn, directed by Joshua Bergasse – Barrington Stage

Coming Back Like a Song – by Lee Kalcheim. Songs by Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Jimmy Van Heusen and their collaborators. Directed by Gregg Edelman – Berkshire Theatre Group

Playwright Lee Kalcheim

Philip Hoffman as Harold Arlen, David Rasche as Jimmy Van Heusen, and David Garrison as Irving Berlin in Lee Kalcheim’s “Coming Back Like A Song!” Photo by Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware

Outstanding Musical Production

West Side Story – directed by Julianne Boyd – Barrington Stage

Hair – directed by Daisy Walker – Berkshire Theatre Group

Ring of Fire – directed by Maggie Mancinelli -Cahill – Capital Repertory Theatre

Anything Goes – directed by Alan M-L Wager – Sharon Playhouse

Barrington Stage Company Artistic Director Julianne Boyd

Sean Ewing, Tyler Hanes, and the cast of Barrington Stage Company’s production of “West Side Story.” Photo by Daniel Rader.

Outstanding Play Production

Creditors by August Strindberg, adapted by David Greig. Directed by Nicole Ricciardi –Shakespeare and Co.

Mothers and Sons by Terence McNally. Directed by James Warwick – Shakespeare and Co.

Dangerous House by Jen Silverman, directed by Saheem Ali – Williamstown Theatre Festival

Seared by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel. Williamstown Theatre Festival

Playwright Theresa Rebeck.

Hoon Lee as Harry and W. Tré Davis as Rodney in Theresa Rebeck’s “Seared” at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Photo Daniel Rader.

The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater went to Shakespeare & Company for their Shakespeare in the Courts and Fall Festival of Shakespeare programs.

https://vimeo.com/255971330

    Third Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards Winners Announced Williamstown Theatre Festival and Barrington Stage Company Take Top Honors At an SRO ceremony held at…

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Bridge Street Theatre Honored at 2019 Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards

Bridge Street Theatre Honored at 2019 Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards

The fourth annual Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards (aka The Berkies) were handed out on a chilly Monday evening, November 11, 2019, at Zion Lutheran Churchin Pittsfield, MA. Eligible for nomination were 105 productions from the past year, presented at more than three dozen venues in Western Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Connecticut, all within a fifty-mile radius of the borders of…

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by Lisa Jarisch

Since its arrival on Broadway in 1972, Grease has been the Word in more than 3300 Broadway performances, had 27 productions worldwide, made its way to the big screen as a feature film, been revived on Broadway twice, and has greased and graced the boards of high school stages around the country more times than Betty Rizzo has dated and broken up with Kenickie.

  Now the Class of 1959 from Rydell High has arrived at the Mac-Haydn Theater, with all the rock & roll sound, romance , and teen-age angst one could want on a hot summer night at the theatre.  Director/Choreographer Sebastiani Romagnolo has put his mark on a production that does fair justice to both the original stage production and the wildly-popular 1978 feature film with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the lead roles. What the production may lack in depth, it more than makes up for in enthusiasm and performance value. There is little if any of the raw, edgy language and tone that characterized original versions; while teenage pregnancy, gang violence, and pressure to conform lurk subtly on the edges of this production, they are to some degree “glossed over” in favour of bringing the flavor of 50s adolescence and music to the stage. And frankly, there’s nothing wrong with that, because what they do with this production of Grease, they do with all the expertise, quality, and theatre-goers have come to expect—and receive—from a Mac- Haydn production. As it centers around the romantic inclinations of greaser Burger Palace leader Danny Zuko and new-girl-at-school Sandy Dumbrowski, this Grease is 2 ½ hours of foot-tapping, sing-along, sit- back- and -enjoy musical theatre.

       Anthony DaSilva is spending his first season at Mac-Haydn, and in the lead role of Danny Zuko, he takes to the round stage as if born to it. With just the slightest channeling of John Travolta (which may be totally unintended, as the film was released well before DaSilva came into the world),  he struts into the cafeteria and leads the Burger Palace Boys through their paces, while alternately wooing and ignoring the new girl in school. He has the voice for the role–and then some !– and while disappointed that the song “Sandy” was substituted for “ Alone at a drive-in movie” there’s no denying DaSilva carries off Danny with power, panache, and presence. His voice rises above ensemble numbers, as it should as the leader of the pack. Let’s hope to see and hear more of this up and coming star as the season continues.

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    Emma Flynn in her second season with the Mac-Haydn company is an ideal  choice for the innocent, naive Sandy, taken in hand and under the collective wing of the Pink Ladies at Rydell High on her first day of school, where she quickly discovers the love of her just past “Summer Nights”  is Rydell student Danny Zuko. Flynn has a beautiful pure voice, with stage presence to match. Watching her journey from the wide-eyed ingenue who ultimately allows herself, admittedly at her own request, to be transformed to the bad-girl of Danny’s wildest hopes and dreams is a delight.  “Hopelessly Devoted to you” adroitly channels Olivia Newton-John, which is almost inevitable, as this too is a number “slotted in” to the stage version from its original appearance in the film. Her final solo reprising “Look at me I’m Sandra Dee” is filled with regret, resignation, and ultimately acceptance of her new role as a pure Pink Lady, and her final duet with DaSilva of “You’re the one that I want” literally shakes the rafters of this barn-cum-theatre in the round. A side note on that particular number.In general I am not a fan of music and songs from movie versions being, sometimes, summarily inserted into stage productions, but in this production I must confess it works to great effect, and was probably the better choice than “All Choked Up” was in the original production.

  Grease is an ideal production for an ensemble cast, which undoubtedly is why it is so often performed in schools, summer stock, and community theatres. Offering a variety of supporting roles for Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys makes it a perfect vehicle for the Mac.  Much of the pleasure in this thoroughly-enjoyable production comes from the quality of performance springing from the supporting cast.numbers. Loaded with all the energy of the assembled youthful cast , the stage almost literally shakes, rattles and rolls every time a member of the ensemble gets their turn in the spotlight. Virtually every character is given a featured turn and they make the most of it, with spot-on vocals and solid, committed performances. While none of the numbers are show-stoppers, they perform them as if they are. And so several all deserve their own moments of praise….

  As Doody,  Kylan Ross’s  rendition of “ Those Magic Changes”  earns him an A+ for his spot-on vocals regaling the gang with his mastery of 4 guitar chords learned over the summer. Perhaps my favorite song in the show, I confess to adding my own A, C, F, and G chords to the melody line , no doubt to the misfortune of those sitting within earshot.

Elizabeth D’Aiuto makes the most of her turn as Marty, as she lets her slumber-party Pink Lady guests learn all about “Freddy, My love”, who showers her with gifts sent from his overseas military service. A rogue Twinkie suffers a crushing fate as the Pink Ladies dancingly celebrate the benefits of young love, but D’Aiuto carries off her number with aplomb and vocal accuracy.

       Now, “Greased Lightning”, perhaps the song most associated with Grease…. While Jonah Hale’s lyrics in his portrayal of Kenickie are at times indistinct, or perhaps simply overwhelmed by a band clearly eager to rock and roll the theatre, there is no denying Hale’s enthusiasm as he presents this signature number. He leaps with abandon, sings with gusto, and overall makes us hope for a ride in his cherished automatic, systematic, fuel-injected, chrome-plated rod baby.  Especially impressive is the lighting that accompanies the number—black light, strobe effect, and splashes of vibrant color punctuate this paean to every teen age boy’s dream in the 50s…THE perfect car.

       As Roger and Jan, Joe Hornberger and Zoey Bright inject a lovely dose of almost over the top camp with their rendition of “Mooning”, as Roger musically and physically demonstrates the reason “the guys” have nicknamed him “Rump”  Fortunately for this family-friendly show, he stops short of a “full” explanation, but not before the audience enjoys their rollicking rocking tribute to the fine art of mooning.

  Maya Cuevas shines as Frenchy, the “Beauty School Dropout” nonchalantly attempting to pierce Sandy’s ears while the Pink Ladies smoke and drink at Marty’s slumber party. Her wide-eyed looks of astonishment, and subsequent reactions when her called-upon Teen Angel appears in silver lame, accompanied by a plastic cosmetic cape-draped, sun-glass -wearing Angel Chorus quartet, are worth the price of admission. 

    Last but by no means least of the supporting cast deserving of more than honorable mention is Angie Colonna as the hard as nails self-appointed Head of the Pink Ladies Betty Rizzo.  Sashaying onto the teen scene with a hip-swiveling swagger, Colonna creates the brittle Rizzo personna necessary to play against the sweetness and light of the soon-to-be converted, or subverted, Sandy. Her mocking “Look at me I’m Sandra Dee” in Act 1 is played with nuance and a curled lip; her voice is big, bold, and in perfect keeping with the character. In Act 2, as she reluctantly, angrily, and ultimately tearfully confronts Sandy’s attempts to sympathize with her possibly pregnancy, she declares “There are worse things I could do” with a combination of pathos and defiance that brings perhaps the loudest applause of the evening for a featured performance.

            Wearing his choreographer’s hat, director Romagnolo brings to Grease the signature style that brought him a Berkie Award in 2017. Lithe, sinewy, sometimes almost writhing dance movements infuse much of the dance work throughout the show, and capture in motion the burgeoning craze for rock and roll that was sweeping the nation in the 50s.  Romagnolo stages the assorted ensemble numbers throughout the show with verve and punch. The close of Act 1 brings the energy-charged cast into “We go Together” with rousing hand-slapping, clapping abandon performed in perfect synchronization , and as the cast comes together in “Born to Hand Jive”, the relatively small round stage pounds and  pulses with the gyrations of the dance. Could another Berkie be waiting in the wings…..?

       Scenic designer Kevin Gleason  brings home a Grade A report card for his set work and design.   The black and white checkerboard floor, punctuated with squares of turquoise and pink is the perfect setting for the classic formica tables and chairs that do triple duty as cafeteria, classroom and Burger Palace diner; draped with black leather jackets and hot pink Pink Lady jackets, the set immediately transports the audience back to the 50s before the first musical note. The collection of 50’s memorabilia and ephemera adorning the walls and the stage. Vintage vinyl 45 records, pink flamingos, guitars . From the wall-mounted rotary dial corded phone to the portable transistor radios and metal coolers, every item evokes the now-classic style of the 50s. It’s just a FUN set to look at throughout the show.

     Lighting by Andrew Gmoser complements and enhances the 50s “vibe”  of diners, high school classrooms and cafeteria, teen age girls’ bedrooms, and the occasional outdoor setting in the park or backstreets of Chicago. There is a generous use of color throughout, and happily, the use of a strobe light is forewarned with notices at each entrance to the house , as well as used judiciously and sparingly. 

  Costumes by Alison Zador capture the era of poodle skirts, greaser “bad boys” with their leather jackets, tight jeans and white-shirts, and bouffant hair and prom dresses. 

  While perhaps not the premiere offering of the season, Grease is more than worth a look, perhaps even 2, as one of my companions noted on a full-house opening night    “ I’d see this one again.” Hopefully Producing Artistic Director John Saunders would be quick to declare that “you’re the one that I want “ to make a Summer Night’s journey to Chatham for this production. 

  Grease with book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey is this season’s 3 week run at the Mac-Haydn Theater in Chatham, NY,  with performances from July 4 through 21. Direction and choreography by Sebastiani Romagnolo, Associate choreographer Madi Cupp-Enyard. Music direction by David Maglione, scenic design by Kevin Gleason, lighting design by Andrew Gmoser,  costume design Alison Zador, hair and makeup design by Matthew Oliver, props master Joshua Gallagher. CAST: Anthony DaSilva as Danny Zuko, Emma Flynn as Sandy Dumbrowski, Kylan Ross as Doody, Elizabeth D’Aiuto as Marty, Jonah Hale as Kenickie, Joe Hornberger as Roger, Zoey Bright as Jan, Maya Cuevas as Frenchy, Angie Colonna as Betty Rizzo.

REVIEW: “Grease” at the Mac-Haydn Theatre by Lisa Jarisch Since its arrival on Broadway in 1972, Grease has been the Word in more than 3300 Broadway performances, had 27 productions worldwide, made its way to the big screen as a feature film, been revived on Broadway twice, and has greased and graced the boards of high school stages around the country more times than Betty Rizzo has dated and broken up with Kenickie.